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Corey Maggette must be wondering if he is on a special episode of Punk’d. How else can you explain when Maggette was coming back from a left foot injury which forced him to miss 39 games, he was coming off the bench for the Clippers. What?!?! Maggette would be a starter for any other NBA team. Heck, Corey Maggette almost got traded for Ron Artest.  Who was starting in place of Corey? Let’s see… Vladamir Radmanovic. Come on?! Now that Vlad Rad signed with the cross-town rival Los Angeles Lakers you think the starter gig belongs to Maggette. Wrong! There is talk that free agent acquisition Tim Thomas will be the starting SF. Ashton Kutcher where are you? 

There could be a solution to this Corey Maggette starting gig dilemma; Cuttino Mobley has offered to come of the bench in place of Maggette. We will see if Coach Dunleavy will accept Mobley’s offer.

Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 6, Pick 11 Corey Maggette SG/SF, Los Angeles Clippers

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 6, Pick 11


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Yao Ming
Similar to the NBA game, if you have top-notch options at the five spot, you have a strong chance for success in fantasy play. Gone are the days of Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwan and David Robinson dominating fantasy leagues by their extraordinary play. Here and now, the center position has to call in reinforcements from the power forward spot to boost its profile. Make sure you look out for forwards who might acquire center eligibility during the season; having that happen to one of your players might be like holding a winning lottery ticket.

The four staff members at Dropping Dimes were asked to rank the top 25 at each position. The top player received one “point,” the second player received two points, etc. Players who were not in the top 25, but thought to be able to crack the top 25 at some point in the season were given a value of 30. Players not on the radar were given a value of 40. The average ranking is listed in parentheses after the player’s team name.

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes’ Position Rankings: Centers


Lebron James
Good fantasy teams ask this from their small forwards. 1) Be a main scorer for the team. 2) Shoot enough threes, dish the rock and grab those steals to help out the guards on the team. 3) Hit the boards and block some shots to support the big men on the roster. 4) Everything else being equal, shoot good percentages from anywhere on the court.

It seems like a tall order, and only the superstars are able to do all of the above. That is why several players from this position will be drafted in the first two rounds despite the large number of viable options. In reality this position is even deeper than listed below, but some players were put at shooting guard and others at power forward.

The four staff members at Dropping Dimes were asked to rank the top 25 at each position. The top player received one “point,” the second player received two points, etc. Players who were not in the top 25, but thought to be able to crack the top 25 at some point in the season were given a value of 30. Players not on the radar were given a value of 40. The average ranking is listed in parentheses after the player’s team name.

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes’ Position Rankings: Small Forwards


Gilbert ArenasThough seemingly very deep, this year’s fantasy drafts could easily see four point guards go off the board within the first 12 selections.  The top tier of this season’s point guard class is obviously one that not only drops dimes at will, but also dominates in another category or two (whether they be scoring buckets, swiping rocks, or draining three-balls).  This breakdown should not only give an idea as to what to expect from the top point men this season, but also to show that if you aren’t lucky enough to land one of the top five, your team will be sufficiently staffed with any of the top 25 mentioned here.  We’re also starting to see an emergence of a “Point Guard by Committee” on a few teams, which may hurt the value of a few guys. 

Without further ado, your 2006 fantasy basketball point guards.

(Note: DroppingDimes.com’s overall rank in parenthesis)

Click to continue reading DroppingDimes’ Position Rankings: Point Guards


Troy MurphyRound 6, Pick 3: Troy Murphy, PF, Golden State Warriors

At first glance, it may come off as me having a thing for incredibly tall, white guys.  However, that’s not exactly the case.  For a squad that has the guard positions locked down, but does not exactly have the three-point gunners that I’d prefer to have with a small-ball team, what better available big man to acquire than Troy Murphy? 

I took a heavy gamble on Murphy in several leagues a few years back.  Yea, the one where he played less than 30 games with a bum foot.  That one.  However, after two straight seasons of over 70 games, I think it’s safe to say that the guy is fully healed.  Oh, and have I mentioned the new head coach in Golden State?  Not drawing comparisons here, but the last power forward to play full-time Nellie ball wasn’t exactly too shabby.

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 6, Pick 3


Baron Davis 

When Mike Montgomery was coach of the Golden State Warriors, there was an obvious rift between him and his star point guard.  Not anything to the Larry Brown/Stephon Marbury level, but it was pretty bad.  For example, when Montgomery would call a play, the PG in question would run another play.  Yeah, I think it was time for someone to move on, and in today’s sports market, it’s ALWAYS going to be the coach.  So, good bye Montgomery… hello, Don Nelson!  From the 1988-89 season to the ‘94-‘95 season, Nelson had moderate successful teams with the Warriors, making the playoffs four out of his seven season, even winning 50 and 55 games during two seasons.  Why mention all of this?  Nelson was voted one of the 10 greatest coaches of all-time during the ‘96-‘97 season, had great regular season success in his prevoius stop with the Dallas Mavericks, and those that handle the rock for him - Sidney Moncrief, Tim Hardaway, Steve Nash - always excelled under his running offense.

Baron Davis will love playing for Uncle Nelly.

Round 5, Pick 3: Baron Davis, PG, Golden State Warriors

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 5, Pick 3


Round 5, Pick 1: Chris Kaman, C, Los Angeles Clippers

While the “looks” may have waved bye-bye to this guy quite some time ago, fantasy production is all about “opportunity.”  And what better way to increase a player’s opportunity than to increase his minutes per game by about 27%?  This is exactly what happened in Los Angeles, when former MAC big man Chris Kaman was given about 33 minutes a game last year.  One quick glance at his stats, and nothing crazy may jump out at you, but something tells me that Kaman may be one of the best second centers in fantasy basketball this season – if not a solid C1.

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 5, Pick 1


Boris Diaw

Jack-of-all-trades, master of none is a figure of speech, that describes a person who is competent with many skills, but is not very good with one particular skill.

Boris Diaw was a compensation throw-in from the Atlanta Hawks for the Joe Johnson signing. In Phoenix, Diaw flourished into Fantasy Gold and was truly a jack-of-all-trades. He can shoot, rebound, pass, and play defense.  Diaw’s position versatility was a major attraction to fantasy owners as he had eligibility to play in SG, SF, PF, and C slots.  Diaw’s versatility was necessary with Amare Stoudemire sidelined for most of last season.  Diaw’s play did not go unnoticed; he won the Most Improved Player award last year. Now with Amare Stoudemire back this season what impact will Diaw have on the court and your fantasy team?

Round 4, Pick 7: Boris Diaw, PF/C, Phoenix Suns

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 4, Pick 7


Ron ArtestRound 3, Pick 11: Ron Artest, SF, Sacramento Kings

Artest may be a Tru Warier, but he’s a horrible speller.  However, last I checked spelling isn’t a category and if it was, I’d draft Martynas Andriuskevicius number one overall because if he can spell his name, he can spell anything.  But back to Artest… I don’t think there’s any question that he’s one of the most talented players in the game today.  But, he’s also one of the most volatile and unpredictable.  I think there was some sort of fracas, some hullaballoo if you will, a couple of seasons ago, but I just can’t remember what happened.  And like Ron Burgundy, it seemed like a “big deal” at the time.

Okay, I’m kidding.

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 3, Pick 11


Round 3, Pick 10: Brad Miller, C, Sacramento Kings

Dominance?  Not at all.  One of the most well-rounded big men in the league?  Most definitely.  While Brad Miller has never really been on the forefront of scoring options for the Kings, dating back to the Chris Webber days, the guy still gets it done in other areas, contributing across the board for fantasy rosters.  While most big men lack free-throw skills or the ability to pass the ball once it hits the low post, Miller has the innate ability to not only see the floor, but drop free throws at an astounding percentage for a seven-footer.

Click to continue reading Dropping Dimes Draft Blog: Round 3, Pick 10


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