Yes, my blog died. It died a sad, sad death. It was abandoned. Over a month or so of neglect has pretty much killed it and driven away its regular readership. Health issues and other distractions kept me away from continually spicing things up. That being said I owe you, my regular readers, an apology. I also owe Rick, my only contributor, a serious apology for not even spending enough time to be able to review and publish his now stale posts; in my absence. Sorry man, “real life” took a bite out of my blog time.
I guess my dream to do consistent fantasy blogging has been dowsed - pretty much like Phoenix’s formerly scorching up-tempo offense.
Well inconsistency IS an issue you deal with rookies…
“I guess there’s always next year…” - I’m sure that that also resonates in the minds of players in teams that are NOT making the playoffs and are off to the lottery to seek for fresh blood to build/re-build their beleaguered franchises around.
Well the year isn’t over yet. I dragged my aching bones out of bed and decided I might as well be one of the early birds who will recap the fantasy year that was. So I might as well do it, do it now, and go out with a BANG! So let’s get this party started…
In Fantasy Hoops LeBron maybe KING, but Chris Paul is a Fantasy GOD!
LeBron can really put up those fantasy numbers and even stuns fans and managers alike with his occasional, sick triple-doubles. He and Kobe Bryant made great MVP rivals throughout the season. Both superstars were great this year, but let’s address the big white elephant in the room. Who would have thought it possible that from the ashes of the Deron vs Chris Paul debates would arise the hands down BEST fantasy basketball player around today? Well I had an inkling it was coming. You all know about the sick, sick - did I mention SICK? - numbers CP3 churns out. If you own him, you obviously know what I mean as you watch him stamp his seal as being the number one PG in fantasy ball night in and night out. If you don’t own him, you can wipe that drool off your slobbering chops as you scheme on how to make sure you acquire him next year! He single handedly takes the top spot as having the biggest fantasy swing impact coming from this year’s draft. Come on! Who can resist 21 PPG at 49.6 FG% (awesome for a PG), 85,2% FT, 11.5 APG, 2,7 SPG? Plus don’t forget he leads the league with most games with 20+ points and 15+ assists… interesting stat for head to head players out there. It would be incomplete to appreciate Chris Paul’s “Stockton-like” (as his numbers closely resemble John Stockton’s all-time numbers) stats without giving some credit to his “Malone”. David West quietly produced a monster of a year in terms of stats in his own right, as he set new career averages in points, rebounds, blocks and FT%. David’s great performance simply reflects, again, on how great a player CP3 really is; as it shows that Chris has that knack that only the greatest players of the game (Magic, Jordan, Bird, Nash) have - the ability to make his teammates BETTER.
It’s either early in the morning, while sipping a cup of coffee before work or late at night after school; you’re checking on your fantasy team’s standings and/or your email and there you see it… an alert that a trade has been accepted in your Fantasy Basketball League! WHAT DO YOU DO?
Well some people just don’t take it seriously (well probably because they’re not part of the trade) and either ignore the pending transaction altogether or simply click on veto, just for hell of it.
It’s nice to think that there are managers out there in the Fantasy Hoop world who do take trades seriously and spend the time and think on whether a trade SHOULD be vetoed orNOT.
On that note I’d like to share a couple of posts from the message boards of one of the custom leagues I’m in this year. It’s a 9-cat, 18-man, head to head league, with a trade reject time of 4 and trade review set to commissioner. Internally arranged is a setting that a 50% veto vote is required before the commissioner can veto a pending trade. This was to prevent a few managers from vetoing trades just for the f*ck of it or for strategic denial of player exchanges. It’s been a general practice to post a simple message on the boards when you want to express your desire to veto a trade. Read the rest of this entry »
The first of many blockbuster deals that are expected to take place before the trade deadline has finally come to fruition. It appears that the Los Angeles Lakers have struck gold, Spanish Gold, in the form of Pau Gasol! In one of the most brilliant moves this franchise has made since their acquisition of Kobe Bryant to pair him off with Shaq, the Lakers have snagged Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies for Kwame Brown - letting go of this liability is almost as great as the actual acquisition - and Javaris Crittenton, plus 2 future first round picks. Well in fairness to the Grizzlies this is a cap space feeing move as they’re most likely going to make more moves in the future to rebuild around Rudy Gay.
Let me say that I feel the Lakers got away with highway robbery! Uh, getting something for nothing seems like it to me… I suppose that the Grizzlies are content to build around their new, recently blossomed centerpiece in Rudy Gay… because I, somehow, doubt Kwame Brown will suddenly make a miraculous turnaround in terms of both on-the-court and fantasy impact. On the other hand, the Lakers have put together another inside-outside, Dynamic Duo. You can’t help but compare it to LA’s former Center-Guard combo of Kobe and Shaq. But I feel it’s bordering on an apples and oranges comparison as Pau and the Diesel, aside from being both C eligible players, are very different and so Pau will most likely be interacting and complementing Kobe in a different way as well. Shaq, back in the day, was an “unstoppable” powerhouse in the paint, while Pau carries a more fluid, Euro-style, of offensive game. What will also be interesting to observe is how Laker Coach, Phil Jackson’s coaching will improve Pau Gasol’s game. We can remember how much influence he had in providing focus to the “Big Aristotle”, leading to their championship run.
In the midst of the hullabaloo of teams trying to find a new home for a “Kidd ” from Jersey, there has been a small flurry of free agent signings in the NBA as teams are adjusting to their needs. Some of these moves stem from teams needing to adjust to the situation of their injured players or because Nellie’s the coach and he says so - and you don’t want to piss of “the Don“. Let’s take a look at the Fantasy impact of these moves and players, if any.
Chris Webber - It looks like we won’t be seeing much more of Chris in the stands watching games in his thousand dollar suits. Well at least until he gets injured. He’s signed with the Golden State Warriors, getting the full endorsement of former coach Don Nelson. On paper he’s a good fit for the Warriors’ up-tempo, ball-sharing style of play, as Chris is considered to be one of the NBA’s premier passing big men. Unfortunately, he’s been notorious for being more “passer” than “big man”, as he’s been known to be a liability when he’s guarding the NBA’s other “true” big men. If Chris gets any significant playing time, the player who stands to lose the most is Al Harrington, GSW’s resident outside scoring big man, who is more outside scorer than big man. Chris will most likely find himself averaging 20 or so minutes as he’s capable of upping the team’s basketball IQ while on the floor. I wonder, however, what kind of shape is Chris in, not having played in an NBA game since last year’s playoffs with the Pistons. So far Don’s changed the starting lineup a multitude of times and it appears that no one has guaranteed minutes other than BD ( Baron Davis), Stephen Jackson, and just recently Monta Ellis. So Webber will not be a source of stable fantasy production. He is, however, a much more viable PF/C pick up option than anyone available on the market right now. He’ll arguably out perform Seattle’s low-end PF/C crop of Kurt Thomas, Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison- who are all most likely owned in most leagues right now. But he’ll still be a far cry from your Rasheed Wallaces or your Emeka Okafors. I can see him performing more along the lines of Troy Murphy or Mehmet Okur’s flim-flammy seasons-to-date.
After hearing the news that Cleveland starting SG Sasha Pavlovic may miss up to 2 months with a sprained foot, I was bubbling with elated anticipation at the thought that Daniel “Boobie” Gibson would return to the starting lineup. But alas my hopes were briefly extinguished by coach Mike Brown’s decision to start Ira Newble in his stead. - What the @#$%!was that about?
I, along with Boobie’s other eager fans, were hoping that he would get another crack at the starting job and be able to blossom as a suitable member of a supporting crew for LBJ. Well I’m not exactly a full-blown fan so-to-speak, it’s just that I enjoy following Boobie’s fantasy NBA career this year in particular because I’m proud to say that I scouted him as a SLEEPER as early as September! And believe me this kid’s got some skills. True, he’s on the smaller side, needing to further bulk up his 6′2″, 190 lb. frame; but man can he light it up from beyond the arc on a good night! He’s averaging 2.4 treys for the season from that range. It’s just unfortunate that LeBron’s passing game favors the team’s big men more as he prefers to pass deeper into the paint, to the open man, as the defense collapses on him when he drives in for a penetration. Boobie and his game would actually be flourishing in a team that had a solid big man to post in the paint and liked to kick out to ball to it’s shooters when the double team arrives.
What actually got me to believe that Boobie had potential this year was his 31 point performance in the Cavs’ Eastern Conference playoff stint versus the Detroit Pistons last year. Here’s a FLASHBACK. How many rookies do you know have stepped up like that in a high pressure playoff situation? He clearly he showed that he has what it takes to become an eventual force to be reckoned with. Fine he hasn’t exactly exploded on the level I was hoping he would but he nonetheless has produced more than respectable numbers thus far for someone who went undrafted in most fantasy leagues this year. So coach Brown, give him more opportunities to shine this year and show us some more Boobie in that starting lineup of yours!
I drafted and own Kevin Martin in 2 of my more important leagues (in terms of bragging rights). I suffered (blood, sweat, and tears) through his absence due to his groin injury. I really felt the pinch, missing his efficient and FT%-impacting 24 PPG!
Well now he’s back and healthy as a horse! - I mean that in a nice way Kevin.
He’s come back ON FIRE! He’s averaging a staggering 32 PPG clip at ridiculously insane efficiency - a whopping 84 FG%! and 19 of 21 from the FT line (90.5%) In his second game back he shot the lights out of the Dallas Mavericks, dropping 39 big ones on them; snapping the Mavs 7-game win streak. Now that’s one hell of a comeback-bitch-slapping! (”pardon my French”)
As one of your fantasy owners Kevin, I’d just like to give you PROPS for coming back with a vengeance and would like to wish you well. Keep it up!
The Lakers lost Andrew Bynum to a dislocated knee cap and a bone bruise. He will be out 8 weeks (Read More). This definitely throws a monkey wrench into the cruising Laker machinery. Without a legitimate post presence close to Andrew’s caliber on the LA roster, Coach Jackson will have to weave some magic in order to keep the franchise’s winning ways on track. Up to this point he’s been averaging 13.1PPG, 10.2RPG, with 2.1BPG at an efficient 63.6%FG, 69.5%FT and 1.5TOs.
More than his numbers, the Lakers will be missing a dependable presence in the middle. This youngster’s improvement has been fun to watch. Slowly but surely, Andrew’s aptitude for the game and his growing understanding of his role in the LA offense has weighed in significantly in his steady improvement. With Chris Mihm still at least 2 weeks away from a full recovery and with Kwame Brown being a prime contender in challenging Eddy Curry as arguably the worst, overpaid Center currently in the Fantasy NBA, the Laker coaching staff may have to dig deep and give Ronny Turiaf some serious minutes. For now, Andrew will be missed more for the lack of viable alternatives. But keep an eye on his return and how he fares out for the rest of the season.
On the fantasy front, I am not going to hold this injury against Andrew, I will still consider you as one of my preferred secondary centers for next year’s fantasy season. I predict that next season may finally be Andrew’s break out Fantasy year!
Sometimes you’re not skilled, knowledgeable, talented, or lucky enough to draft a balanced UBER-team on draft day - few people are. When managers drafted on Draft Day, they picked players based on an expected value or production for the season, but as the season plays out, players’ values change and fluctuate. After several games have come and gone and you can clearly see from projections that your team simply won’t be making the podium this year based on the composition and performance of its existing roster. So you hit the Free Agency Market and you hit it hard. You make some adjustments to your roster and see that your team’s starting to look a lot better. Roughly 60% of my podium finishes in the past can be attributed to quality FA Market and Waiver pick-ups. This is relatively easy and everyone can do it. It takes a bit of vision to see trends and sometimes bit of balls to gamble on risky players.
There is, however, another way to shake up your roster. It’s a bit more tricky and in the end a lot more volatile than playing the FA Market, and that’s TRADING. 50% of all my FIRST place finishes are attributable to GOOD trades. I say it’s more volatile because the tendency is that you are looking to move and acquire higher valued resources than you would have access to in the waiver wires. You are trying to get MORE, but in that same vein the manager you’re trading with is, odds are, trying to get more out of you too - and that’s where things get tricky. I decided to share some of my thoughts regarding TRADES & TRADING with some of the newer players out there.
This isn’t necessarily scraping the bottom of the barrell but, if you’re playing in a deep league (18-20 managers) take a look at some of these guys (who may be in the FA market). They might just fill your team’s needs.
Chris Quinn (PG, SG) - While J-will’s recovering from his sore knees, expect this young PG to drop a few dimes while shooting a decent number of shots from beyond the arc for Miami while the team’s desperately scrounging for scoring options.
Larry Hughes (PG, SG) - He’s an on and off type of player who’s never been really consistent for the Cavaliers ever since he’s moved over there from the Wizards. He DOES, however, seem to have recovered some of his old PT so keep an eye out on his production as the Cavs’ lackluster back court continuously scrounges for some success.
Kareem Rush (SG) - Need a little boost in your team’s 3PTM? Then Kareem may be the guy for you. He’s shot 2 or more 3’s in 8 of his last 10 games and scored in double figures in as many games too. He’s the primary outside scoring option of Indiana off the bench so look to him to retain a decent amount of minutes.
Damon Stoudamire wants out of the Memphis Grizzlies. Why? Apparently because Mike Conley Jr.finally took the starting point guard position away from him. (Read More) Whatever happened to the kind and helpful Point Guard veteran who took the young rookie under his wing? Was his “mentorship” merely an act? Whatever the truth behind the issue is, his agent has gone public and has dished out more disappointing statements than his client has dished assists.
“For the Grizzlies to demote Damon because of his age and because of the team’s record is unacceptable,” Goodwin said. “They’re going to have to do right by Damon - move to get him out of there or restructure his contract so he can be bought out. Mr. Heisley is a good, compassionate man. But we’re not going to sit back and watch Damon’s career rot.”
They’re not going to sit back and watch his career rot? Come on Aaron (Godwin), wake up and smell the formaldehyde! Your client’s career has been in necrosis over the last 3 years. There was a clean way to do things. I don’t feel there was a need to air out dirty laundry this way.
Damon and his agent could have approached the Memphis head office and kept this as an internal matter. His agent is only serving to further damage Damon’s image with all of his inflammatory statements. He’s adding a selfish light to his client’s perceived disposition. Just remember Aaron…
” There is no “I” in TEAM. “
and FYI, basketball is a TEAM sport.
All the same, it does favor the Grizzlies management to ship off Damon. It’s about time to head to the drawing board and begin rebuilding anyway. Mike Conley may be the team’s point guard of the future and this may be an opportunity to speed up his learning process and let him acclimate to PRO ball ASAP.
Health permitting, Damon may a have a couple of seasons left in him. The question will still remain, however, whether or not those may be considered as productive seasons. . .
LeBron can really put up those fantasy numbers and even stuns fans and managers alike with his occasional, sick triple-doubles. He and Kobe Bryant made great MVP rivals throughout the season. Both superstars were great this year, but let’s address the big white elephant in the room. Who would have thought it possible that from the ashes of the Deron vs Chris Paul debates would arise the hands down BEST fantasy basketball player around today? Well I had an inkling it was coming. You all know about the sick, sick - did I mention SICK? - numbers CP3 churns out. If you own him, you obviously know what I mean as you watch him stamp his seal as being the number one PG in fantasy ball night in and night out. If you don’t own him, you can wipe that drool off your slobbering chops as you scheme on how to make sure you acquire him next year! He single handedly takes the top spot as having the biggest fantasy swing impact coming from this year’s draft. Come on! Who can resist 21 PPG at 49.6 FG% (awesome for a PG), 85,2% FT, 11.5 APG, 2,7 SPG? Plus don’t forget he leads the league with most games with 20+ points and 15+ assists… interesting stat for head to head players out there. It would be incomplete to appreciate Chris Paul’s “Stockton-like” (as his numbers closely resemble John Stockton’s all-time numbers) stats without giving some credit to his “Malone”. David West quietly produced a monster of a year in terms of stats in his own right, as he set new career averages in points, rebounds, blocks and FT%. David’s great performance simply reflects, again, on how great a player CP3 really is; as it shows that Chris has that knack that only the greatest players of the game (Magic, Jordan, Bird, Nash) have - the ability to make his teammates BETTER.
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Players, TOP | Tagged: Amare Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani, Andrea Barnani, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Flops, Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkgolu, Jermaine O'Neal, LeBron James, Marcus Camby, Mike Dunleavy, Pau Gasol, Rudy Gay, Yao Ming, Year End | 
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Posted by Erik
suits. Well at least until he gets injured. He’s signed with the Golden State Warriors, getting the full endorsement of former coach Don Nelson. On paper he’s a good fit for the Warriors’ up-tempo, ball-sharing style of play, as Chris is considered to be one of the NBA’s premier passing big men. Unfortunately, he’s been notorious for being more “passer” than “big man”, as he’s been known to be a liability when he’s guarding the NBA’s other “true” big men. If Chris gets any significant playing time, the player who stands to lose the most is Al Harrington, GSW’s resident outside scoring big man, who is more outside scorer than big man. Chris will most likely find himself averaging 20 or so minutes as he’s capable of upping the team’s basketball IQ while on the floor. I wonder, however, what kind of shape is Chris in, not having played in an NBA game since
last year’s playoffs with the Pistons. So far Don’s changed the starting lineup a multitude of times and it appears that no one has guaranteed minutes other than BD ( Baron Davis), Stephen Jackson, and just recently Monta Ellis. So Webber will not be a source of stable fantasy production. He is, however, a much more viable PF/C pick up option than anyone available on the market right now. He’ll arguably out perform Seattle’s low-end PF/C crop of Kurt Thomas, Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison- who are all most likely owned in most leagues right now. But he’ll still be a far cry from your Rasheed Wallaces or your Emeka Okafors. I can see him performing more along the lines of Troy Murphy or Mehmet Okur’s flim-flammy seasons-to-date.
I, along with Boobie’s other eager fans, were hoping that he would get another crack at the starting job and be able to blossom as a suitable member of a supporting crew for LBJ. Well I’m not exactly a full-blown fan so-to-speak, it’s just that I enjoy following Boobie’s fantasy NBA career this year in particular because I’m proud to say that I scouted him as a SLEEPER as early as September! And believe me this kid’s got some skills. True, he’s on the smaller side, needing to further bulk up his 6′2″, 190 lb. frame; but man can he light it up from beyond the arc on a good night! He’s averaging 2.4 treys for the season from that range. It’s just unfortunate that LeBron’s passing game favors the team’s big men more as he prefers to pass deeper into the paint, to the open man, as the defense collapses on him when he drives in for a penetration. Boobie and his game would actually be flourishing in a team that had a solid big man to post in the paint and liked to kick out to ball to it’s shooters when the double team arrives.
The Lakers lost 
More than his numbers, the Lakers will be missing a dependable presence in the middle.
This youngster’s improvement has been fun to watch. Slowly but surely, Andrew’s aptitude for the game and his growing understanding of his role in the LA offense has weighed in significantly in his steady improvement. With Chris Mihm still at least 2 weeks away from a full recovery and with Kwame Brown being a prime contender in challenging Eddy Curry as arguably the worst, overpaid Center currently in the Fantasy NBA, the Laker coaching staff may have to dig deep and give 
Damon Stoudamire wants out of the Memphis Grizzlies. Why? Apparently because Mike Conley Jr. finally took the starting point guard position away from him. (
