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I appreciate musical mash-ups. Fantasy Alphabet will be my mash-up combining articles that look at hot waiver wire pick-ups, players of the week, and notable injuries. The format will consist of quick hits focusing on one player per team, and arranged in alphabetical order to help make quick scanning easier. This week, I arrange the teams in reverse alphabetical order because I want to shine the spotlight on the artist, I mean player formally known as Agent Zero.
Washington Wizards: Gilbert Arenas. I experienced immediate non-buyer’s remorse on Arenas. Over his first four games, he averaged 36 minutes of playing time while putting up 26.5 ppg on 47.3% shooting and 6.3 apg. On the down side, he has coughed the ball up four times a game, and has shot less than 80% from the charity stripe. Yet his threats to curb his three-point shooting have not come to pass, as he has drained two moneyballs a game. I took Andre Iguodala over him in one league after much deliberation, and opted for Vince Carter in another, and feel okay about those selections, but will still shake my head in frustration any night Gilbert goes for 30-plus. He came back to earth a bit on Friday against the Pacers as the Wizards were down pretty much from the start, but he shot 50% for the game so there are still good signs from a down game.
Click to continue reading NBA Fantasy Alphabet: Eastern Conference, Week 2
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How to Fix the Golden State Warriors
Posted by Phil Partington Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NBA,
Coach Don Nelson might have success in his NBA career. Heck, he might even be considered by some to be a future Hall of Fame coach. He is, afterall, only one of four active NBA coaches with more than 1,000 victories under his belt. However, whatever he’s doing in Golden State—whatever he’s been doing in Golden State—isn’t working, and it may be time for a change.
Nelson’s “small-ball” approach, where the roster is filled with numerous versatile guards and small forwards instead of larger post players, hasn’t proven itself much in past playoffs. The problem with this approach is that, while it may work for the regular season, teams tend to slow down the pace of games in order to better execute in the half-court once the playoffs start. Since the small-ball style isn’t very effective at playing half-court defense, since there isn’t much size to combat the opposition’s post players, regular season success with the small-ball style seems a moot point.
Then there’s the next big question: What happens when the small-ball style isn’t even working in the regular season?
Click to continue reading How to Fix the Golden State Warriors
2009-2010 NBA Rookies Off to Hot Start
Posted by Phil Partington Categories: Athletes, Editorial, NBA,
A number of NBA experts were quick to label the 2009 NBA Draft as a “weak” draft. However, several rookies are showing nothing but brilliance at the start of the 2009-2010 NBA season and could have a lot more to offer than many had thought. While Blake Griffin, the rookie everyone thought would win the Rookie of the Year award hands down is out for the next six-to-eight weeks, several other youngsters are making strong cases.
Click to continue reading 2009-2010 NBA Rookies Off to Hot Start
Most of the sports world focus rests in New York tonight, as the Yankees and Phillies kick off the World Series. I joined a packed house as the Toronto Raptors kicked off their season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some observations need to be made directly, and what follows are some overall impressions of the game, the teams, and the players, as well as some fantasy impact thrown in.
Click to continue reading First hand review of Toronto Raptors Season Opener 2009-2010
The Orlando Magic were so close to winning the 2009 NBA Championship, they could practically taste it. However, poor foul shooting by star big man Dwight Howard, and simply being overmatched by the Los Angeles Lakers snuffed that dream rather quickly. However, the Magic are back with renewed spirit and added depth in hopes of getting another shot. Meanwhile, the rest of the Southeast Division hasn’t gotten any easier. Some believe it to be one of the toughest divisions in the league. The Washington Wizards also added depth and seem to be healthier than last year; the Miami Heat hope its young prospects can emerge to give Dwayne Wade a decent supporting cast; and the Atlanta Hawks look to take its immensely talented, but immensely unproven roster to the court again.
Click to continue reading 2009-2010 NBA Southeast Division Preview
The Los Angeles Lakers are looking like a fantasy basketball team this year. Coach Phil Jackson has the ideal challenge of which star to play at what times. Beyond that, the NBA’s Pacific Division should be competitive in 2009-2010. Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire hope to lead the Phoenix Suns back to the playoffs after a disappointing season in 2008-2009; the Los Angeles Clippers look like a playoff team on paper if they can stay healthy; the Golden State Warriors have plenty of talent, but no chemistry, defense or size; and the Sacramento Kings also hope its stars can stay healthy and the younger talent can continue to improve. Ring the bell, the fight for the Pacific Division is about to start.
Click to continue reading 2009-2010 NBA Pacific Division Preview
There is a lot of good talent available in the early middle rounds, but most of the players typically taken in this area have at least one tragic fantasy flaw. Otherwise people would nab them earlier on. This looks like a good year to pass on the top tiers of point guards, because a lot of useful players at that position are available now. Let us break down the players typically taken in the fifth round based on Yahoo’s average draft position rankings. As always, the advice will focus on head-to-head leagues.
Click to continue reading Fantasy NBA: Analysis of Fifth Round
If it weren’t enough that the NBA’s Midwest Division looks much different than last season, a few teams, notably, the San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks made key additions, and Rockets’ star big man, Yao Ming, just had to injure himself for the duration of the season. That curveball may open things up for younger teams to move into the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Spurs are seeing its NBA championship window close every year. In response, the team added several key free agents to make a push to compete with the Los Angeles Lakers in the West.
Click to continue reading 2009-2010 NBA Midwest Division Preview
The saying is way too simplistic to capture how sophisticated some strategies are in fantasy sports, but for hoops, the first three rounds more or less involve drafting so-called “best available” talent. People have their preferences, but no one really goes too off the board. Generally in fantasy basketball, early draft picks end up as busts due to injury, not poor play. Match-ups are not as important as in football; for example, LeBron James might struggle against a good defensive team like the Spurs, but he will still get 25 points one way or the other. Contrast that to football where a high draft pick this year like Steve Slaton continues to struggle.
The middle rounds are where people try to mold their team. Injuries are out of anyone’s control, so if a top three pick succumbs to an unexpected health problem, there is not much you can do. However, you can soften the blow by hitting on a few of your picks from the fourth to eight rounds. These picks are often the ones that separate the strong teams in your league from the weak ones. Here is how the fourth round is shaping up using Yahoo’s average draft position rankings as of today. These numbers change often, and as we move past the early rounds, the stats will vary day to day, so use this tool yourself for the latest updates.
Click to continue reading Fantasy NBA: Analysis of Fourth Round
The pairing of LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal for the Cleveland Cavaliers is grabbing the headlines for the NBA’s Central Division. Two of the biggest personalities in professional sports should create a Hollywood stir in Cleveland next season. Meanwhile, 2009 Rookie of the Year winner, Derrick Rose, strives to build on an exceptional first year with the Chicago Bulls.
Click to continue reading 2009-2010 NBA Central Division Preview
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