The Fig Cap: I ROCK!!!

GUEST BLOGGER: Phil Partington of Suite 101 and Fantapedia fame!

Drafted straight out of high school in 1998, it’s been a long road for Al Harrington and he’s more than paid his dues.  At 6-9 250lbs, he’s one of the more versatile power forwards in the league.  Whether it be a bomb from behind the arc or putting the ball on the floor in penetration to the hoop, Harrington has the type of all-around skills that make him a great fit for Warriors coach Don Nelson’s offensive-oriented style system.  What’s more, Harrington reportedly dropped 20 lbs this offseason and coach Don Nelson has touted him as the best player in Golden State’s training camp this season.  His motivation more than likely derives from the great playoff run the Warriors had last May.

Round 6, Pick 7: Al Harrington, PF/C, Golden State Warriors

Harrington is known for his gritty defense and snazzy head bands - though, no one’s completely certain how he could cover up that stylish bald head of his.
Despite all his talent, he has always been somewhat overrated in terms of his fantasy production.  In Nelson’s “don’t-worry-about-defense” style of play, Harrington failed to show much improvement in his statline in 42 games last season.  After being traded from the Indiana Pacers, Harrington posted only one more point per game and a smidge more threes per game.  The rest of his stats were basically the same (though, he did see a dip in his free throw shooting percentage).
Still, he’s reliable and consistent, and sometimes that’s what is most needed.  With his dropped weight, new-found motivation and a full training camp under Nellie’s system under his belt, fantasy owners hope to see these numbers increase.
Harrington’s Stats Over the Last Few Seasons:
2004-05 (ATL): 66 GP, 38.6 Min, 45.9 FG%, 67.2 FT%, 0.2 3pg, 17.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpg, 3.1 topg
2005-06 (ATL): 76 GP, 36.4 Min, 45.2 FG%, 69.4 FT%, 0.9 3pg, 18.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.2 bpg, 2.6 topg
2006-07 (IND): 36 GP, 33.3 Min, 45.8 FG%, 71.3 FT%, 1.5 3pg, 15.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.3 bpg, 2.5 topg
2006-07 (GS): 42 GP, 32.1 Min, 45.6 FG%, 68.1 FT%, 1.7 3pg, 17.0 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 spg, 0.3 bpg, 2.3 topg
Summary:
Draft Harrington if you must, but understand what you’re getting with him.  He’s a halfway decent scorer, who could improve that stat with less pounds on him this season.  However, he’s somewhat turnover-prone for the amount of assists he gets and doesn’t cover many fantasy statistical categories. He did see a jump in threes last season as a whole, which should continue under Golden State’s system.

Other Players on this Fantasy Team:
1.6. Gilbert Arenas, PG, Washington Wizards
2.7. Josh Smith, SG/SF, Atlanta Hawks
3.6. Gerald Wallace, SG/SF, Charlotte Bobcats
4.7. Josh Howard, SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks
5.6. Mike Miller, SG/SF, Memphis Grizzlies

Previous Picks this Round
6.1. Jason Terry, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks
6.2. David West, PF, New Orleans Hornets
6.3. Luol Deng, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls
6.4. Danny Granger, SF/PF, Indiana Pacers
6.5. Andre Miller, PG, Philadelphia 76ers
6.6. Samuel Dalembert, C, Philadelphia 76ers

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