October 24, 2012; Winnipeg, MB, CAN: Minnesota Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic (14) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons at the MTS Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USPRESSWIRE

Round 7, Pick 2:

Nikola Pekovic.  Pek showed last season that he has serious potential as a center in the NBA.  Over the final three months of last season, Pekovic averaged 15.8 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, while playing 30 minutes a night alongside Kevin Love.

I already have Love on my team, so from a fan’s perspective, it will be neat to watch the Minnesota TImberwolves on League Pass this year since I have their best two front court players.  Pek is projected to average 17.3 points per game this year, in addition to 8.7 rebounds per game.

And he went at pick 72?

He’s projected to finish 27th in DSE formats this year, while posting a value of 27.93, which is higher than Anthony Davis, Dwyane Wade, Paul Millsap, Roy Hibbert, David Lee, Brandon Jennings, Rudy Gay, Rajon Rondo, Chris Bosh and Kyrie Irving.

Need I go on?  Pek is going to be huge this year, and I have no idea how he fell this low in the draft.

Round 8, pick 9:

Kawhi Leonard.

A lot of people are high on Leonard, and they should be.  He’s the starting small forward and featured player in the San Antonio Spurs’ perimeter defense.  He’s going to get minutes, and he is Gregg Popovich’s pet.

Oct 10, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at the AT

Pop compared Leonard to Bruce Bowen “plus offense,” and that seems about right.  He’s more athletic than Bowen and is going to post a nice line this year, something to the tune of 13.5 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game.

That line is a bit higher than many projections sites, but I am very high on Leonard.  Several other managers expressed anger and disappointment that I selected Leonard, as they had all slept too long on him.  I wasn’t letting him go later than 89th.