JP League Spring 25 - Thoughts on the Open Division Draft from Commissioner Steve
Draft day never disappoints, 6 captains with their laptops sitting in a circle that's live streamed in front of our friends and sometimes family.
Shoutout to our six captains this season.
With a time limit of 2 minutes to anxiously scroll through player photos on a google sheets trying to put together what they believe is the best team they can form for a men's rec league. It's a combination of the NBA draft and fantasy sports with a little but of backyard amateur wrestling.
The days leading up to the draft are always fun too. We got people discussing which players are going to fall where, who's the new guy or secret intel revealing captains first round picks. People are also more motivated to hit the gym and the daily 5v5 pick up games are getting more packed.
Now let’s talk about the draft. I’ll be reviewing each team and my thoughts on players and the captains overall strategy
1. POWER OF LOVE & FRIENDSHIP - Team Name: Kevin Love - Captain Sean Bonanni
First, let’s talk about his team name Kevin Love. Unless you don’t follow the NBA we all know Kevin Love and his generational run on Instagram trolling the NBA. It’s very fitting for his team. Also Sean has 3 guys named Kevin on his team so I don’t know if that played a role in his team name selection.
Power of friendship was Captain Bonanni’s strategy going into this draft selectin Taylor Searle for the 1st pick. FYI - Sean was not allowed to draft Chris Krone due to balance issues within the league.
He selected other close friends with chemistry like Kenny and Kevin Diaz. The strategy has proven effective in previous seasons, many captains prefer to play with guys who they are comfortable with, on and off the court. His only mishap was being unable to draft Jone, who Sen shocked and snagged in the 4th round. Sean is offering Sen an undisclosed amount of money for a trade to pick up Jone
Sean decided to take a calculated gamble on Curry, Kevin Wan and Andrew Mou. Curry is capable on both ends and you can plug him into any team, but he’s never really played with him before.
Kevin Wan and Andrew Mou, both are rookies who were supposed to join us last season but both had to opt out due to a season ending injury. They were on a lot of radars last season and Sean used this opportunity to take a risk. Coming back from an injury is tough, but coming back while playing your very first season will be a greater challenge. I think both players are ready for the challenge and show a calm demeanor.
Derby Kevin Chin and France are veterans in the League and are undervalued in their roles. I think Sean did well selecting these guys. Derby brings the energy, he is a physical big guard and can hit deep 3s and looks to make plays for his team. Kevin plays bigger than his size and is a veteran in organized basketball. I think he falls in the draft because of his physical attributes and the fact that not many captains have played with him. France is a veteran known for his defense, he’s a team player always finding other ways to contribute.
I’d say overall this might be the team to beat this season.
2. VAPER SQUAD BRINGING ALL THE SMOKE - Team Name: Vaper Squad - Captain Kris Feng
That’s a team name to be scared of. I wonder what their inspiration is? Is it because they have a lot of offensive weapons in their arsenal? Or is it a literal meaning that they vape on the bench and are able to run for 44 minutes showcasing lungs of steel? What do you all think?
Captain Kris Feng, a first time captain selected Chris Krone as his 1st pick which is a no brainer. They have been teammates in a previous season and Capt Kris knows Chris Krone is a beast. With those two big guys filling in the 4 and 5 positions we are seeing a nice blend of post offense as well as a foundation on the defensive end. Capt Kris realized he needed reinforcements on the offensive end. Kris called upon his floor general from last season Andrew Lui and sharpshooter Stephen Deng. Both are great shooters, Lui is more of a combo guard while Steph is a dynamic shooter who pushes the pace.
Zach is a great two way player coming back from an injury. His recent shooting form has been looking good, I think his role this season will help him find a lot of opportunities to shoot the ball from 3 with his surrounding cast.
KG and Jared are strong shot creator and scorers but are still developing consistency on defense. I think both players are fine on ball defenders but can be late on rotation within help defense
Carter and Michael are unproven as this is their first rodeo in the Open Division. They both show promise, if Carter plays like how he plays in pick up and if Michael plays like he did in Rec Division both should contribute well
I think this team has a huge upside but will need some time to gel in the beginning of the season.
3. BUCKETS RUN IN THE FAMILY - Team Name: Buckets Brother - Captain Louis Luo
Uncle Drew Est. 2012 in a Pepsi commercial will always be legendary. Bill Russell RIP said it best, this game has always been and always will be about Buckets. We got the Electric Luo brothers (Louis and Gary) teaming up this season with a strong cast looking to make a run at the title.
With Louis’s 1st rounder pick 3rd overall, he chose me the commissioner, probably because I pass a lot and with this cast they’re looking to score! Louis gets a chance to team up again for the 3rd time with Josh Schwartz who fit’s the playstyle of the Luo brothers and be that playmaker AND scorer they need. Buckets Brother was able to snag Leo Wu one of my projected 1st round picks who is a talented big man who has gotten better each season. We all know Louis wanted to pair up with his brother Gary. I think deep down we wish Louis chose the name Larry like Larry Bird instead of Louis like Luis Scola, so we can say Larry and Gary. Gary is a physical high octane player that get’s it done on both ends, I think people see him as a slasher but I’ve seen his 3 pt shooting improve significantly. Oudi Zheng and Andrew Cho are guys who can play on any team, physical, feisty and can get in foul trouble sometimes and the embodiment of 3 and D player prototype. Lastly, we have rookies Andy Yam, Harry Zhang and Ryan Yu. Andy was a player on a lot of captains radars, he’s got hops, he makes cuts he plays physical on both ends and likes to attack. Harry straight up shooter, he’s got a deep 3, let’s see if his confidence from pick up carries over to the league. Ryan Yu I haven’t had a chance to play with or see play. He can be a big impact based on his resume, plays in TDL and other leagues which shows he has some experience in organized play. Looking forward to seeing him on the courts!
The X factor for this team I think will be Leo. He has shown a ton of potential and improvement throughout the past seasons. Let’s see how he fits in to this team and how he matches up against other bigs this season.
4. BREAKING BARRIERS ON THE COURT - Team Name: DEI Hoops Squad - Captain JC Pozo Olano
The DEI Hoops Squad isn’t just a team it’s a movement. A group of hoopers from all walks of life, brought together by the love of the game. Captain JC returns as captain for another shot of the title.
1st pick for JC goes to the highly anticipated rookie Shane Rogers. Shane to me is the best defender in JP, I think he has the strength and size to match up with any big men and the speed to match up with any guard. Offensively I’ve seen him make plays and equally look to be aggressive and score. He can get trigger happy and look to take tough contested shots but when he’s on he is on. JC pairs up with John Xu again this season, he is another physical defender who does a little bit of everything. I think defensively this could be a nightmare for teams relying on guards attacking the paint. Moe is last seasons captain and champion, he brings a wealth of experience. Very crafty all around game but he’s known for his floaters which brings a little bit of unfamiliarity since not many guys here have a great floater. Jeff Zhang is coming back from a major injury and might be 50% start of the season 80% end of the season. His shooting still looks great but worried about his health. Joe Park had a great rookie season and his team made it all the way to the finals. Joe plays with power. Whether he’s driving through defenders or flying in for a rebound, you can feel the energy shift when he’s on the court. His football background gives him an edge in physicality and toughness, and he’s never afraid of contact. We got the brothers Anthony and Bryan Huang on the same team this season. These guys made an impact to their teams last season as they faced each other in the finals. They’re both solid shooters, who bring an offensive spark to their teams. Lastly we have rookie Steven Kaufman, listed at 6’3 250, his physical presence should help supplement the firepower this team brings.
I think consistency is the name of the game for DEI Hoops Squad, this team has the ability to literally win every game, the championship and shoot lights out but looking at the roster I see hot and cold. If this team stays hot, this team can win it all.
5. MISSED OUR STOP BUT NEVER MISS A SHOT - Team Name: MTA Boys - Captain Sen Cai
Not sure where the inspiration came from for the MTA boys. The MTA causes a lot of chaos which I can see with this team. Capt Sen Cai always drafts unpredictably, but I was some how able to predict his 1st pick James Meng. James is a talented guard with flashy finishes, solid 3 point shooting, and defends the passing lane very well which turns into easy transition points. The only thing about him is that he wears his emotions on a sleeve and you can tell if things are going well or not. Brian Mulvihill is a fundamental big man with the heart to win. His offense has gotten better and he always brings energy to the court. Zhenyi and Jone can get hot some nights and drop 30 but some nights they struggle to find their shot. If they can keep their shooting consistent then this team has a lot of firepower. Tyler Morris is a bully inside and isn’t afraid to throw bodies and finish at the rim. Joe Bill and Arpan are JP League veterans who dominated in the rec division last season and are looking to continue to elevate their games. Overall, the MTA Boys are a wild card with clear roles identified. If they can stay on schedule and ride the momentum of their top talent, they might just cause some serious delays for the rest of the league
Season 1 vibes when a rookie is also a captain. Capt Grey has proven himself on the court and was up to the task to build a team this season. The average age of his team is 24 making them the youngest team this season, possibly of all time. Don’t let the youth fool you, these guys are good. Him being the last pick in the snake draft allowed him to go for big man Zay Yunus and rookie Arnold Chuang. Zay is a beast on the boards and has improved season after season deserving of a first round pick. With him anchoring the interior defense and rebounding this will open up Arnold who can focus on the offensive end. Arnold is a unique player at JP where he has a consistent mid range and he’s able to elevate high where you can’t really contest him. Let’s see if he able to emulate his pick up game in the organized game. Bryan Lee showed flashes of brilliance during his rookie season, a quick and aggressive lefty guard who can finish well just needs to improve on how he attacks physicals defenders. Jeff Liu, our official performance coach is well rounded and when he’s locked in mentally he can easily drop 20/10. Scott and Jerry are our young and up and coming talent. Scott is calculative when he attacks the basket, he has one of the best slow and controlled finishes in the league. Jerry has the physical attributes and developed a solid 1 on1 game, he just needs to bring that into the league. Mingzhe and Boyang are rookies this season but they are no strangers to the court. They’re both glue guys that like to set up for their team and do the little things that help the team win. The thing that stood out the most to me about this team is everyone’s personality. Everyone on this team is very quiet or soft spoken and I can see a world where communication can make or break them.
THE END
That wraps up my first-ever blog for the JP League! The draft was a blast, and I’m hyped to see how it all plays out once we hit the court. If you enjoyed reading this, show some love and support by trying out Silent Seal Mouth Tape, perfect for improving your sleep and recovery. If you snore or wake up with a dry mouth, yeah… I’m talking to you. Buy yours here using discount code JPLeague20
Thanks for reading, see you on game day.
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