The Fig Cap: I’m pointing to Doug Christie’s wife!

If only this guy played more than 28 minutes a night. Of course, that would mean not being on the Spurs, and not having those rings, and not garnering the accolades for his hustle, etc. Plus even with less playing time, last year especially this guy was a roto monster.

Anyone living outside the San Antonio is not a Spurs fan. We as a collective try to turn our noses at their team success. Tired of the Mr. Eva Longoria talk, or the “boring” excellence of Tim Duncan, one of the all-time best? Even you, the most staunch anti-Spurs guy can appreciate this player’s game.

Round 5, Pick 7: Manu Ginobili, SG, San Antonio Spurs

Here are Ginobili’s stats from last year:

75 GP, 27:30 Min, 16.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 46.4 FG%, 86.0 FT%, 1.7 3pg, 2.1 topg

The playing time jumps out at you, probably. Seven to eight more minutes of play and we are likely looking at averages in the 18-20 ppg, 5-6 rpg, 5-6 apg range with maybe two steals and two treys a night. But…the Spurs play a system and save their key players for the playoffs. Good for them. Still, despite the cap in per game production, Manu can be good for you team too.

Every Justice League needs the ‘A’ lister, like Superman or Batman. Then you have the next tier of guys that would be gladly asked to make up any core of a team, like Martian Manhunter or the Flash. This team has the megastar in Steve Nash, and some intriguing yet flawed stars like Dwight Howard and Vince Carter, not to mention the enigma that comes with owning Ron Artest. A steady, relatively low key hero like Ginobili can bring both stability and stellar production, kind of like, Green Arrow. Okay, not really, it’s actually a stretch, but I actually had time to watch some cartoons earlier today, hence the tangential thought summarized in this paragraph.

Manu’s shot is true, as evidenced by his percentages. He shoots a little under 40% from the arc, and if he had the green light to jack up trey attempts like say, Baron Davis, we’d be looking at one of the top three-point shooters in the game. But…the Spurs play a system. Well, that system still lets Manu provide all the fantasy goodies a GM trick-or-treater could care to covet.

On this team, Ginobili fills the role of third guard. His versatility is a plus. Although his assist numbers are reasonable for a second to third tier shooting guard, ideally this team will still add a solid point guard to shore up the assists. Also, Dwight is the only big man right now, so some good value picks need to be made on big men coming up.

So scoff at his bald spot if you must, but do not forget about Manu in the middle rounds if you have already taken some risks and need to balance that out.

Other Players on this Fantasy Team:
1.7 Steve Nash, PG, Phoenix Suns
2.6Dwight Howard, PF/C, Orlando Magic
3.7 Vince Carter, SG, New Jersey Nets
4.6 Ron Artest, SF, Sacramento Kings

Previous Picks this Round:
5.1. Antawn Jamison, PF/SF, Washington Wizards
5.2. Kirk Hinrich, PG/SG, Chicago Bulls
5.3. Mo Williams, PG, Milwaukee Bucks
5.4. Zach Randolph, PF, New York Knicks
5.5. Rasheed Wallace, PF, Detroit Pistons

Previous Round Selections:
Round One Recap
Round Two Recap
Round Three Recap
Round Four Recap