Anticipating 2009

If you took my advice in my previous post about reflecting on your fantasy teams as the new year approaches, you likely came up with some areas in which your team needs improvement.
Obviously there are countless guys on your league’s waiver wire that are borderline ownable. That’s the case in any league. Each player probably contributes a [...]

A Time for Reflection

Most people are probably doing a lot of personal evaluations in this, the final week of the year. After all, New Year’s resolutions are being developed and everyone at least tries to improve themselves and their lives from one year to the next.
And that reflection should always include one’s fantasy teams, since reasonable assessments can be made [...]

Building a Better Squad

As any good fantasy owner knows, improving your team should be a constant priority. Perhaps more than most, I am tirelessly trying to devise new methods of how to make my teams flawless. Of course, you can never completely succeed, but the fun in is the journey.
In fact, too often I get caught up crunching [...]

Re-Rising Suns

If you were watching Thursday night’s slugfest between the Phoenix Suns and Portland TrailBlazers, you likely came away marveling at Brandon Roy’s 52-point performance. After all … holy shit!
But his performance wasn’t the most fantasy-relevant aspect of the game unless a) you have him or b) you’re playing against him in a head-to-head league. Because if you [...]

Brand-Aid Needed

As if you weren’t already regretting using your first round pick on Elton Brand this season, the big lug went at dislocated his right shoulder in Wednesday night’s victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. This is awful news.
A dislocated shoulder isn’t a season-ending injury, although the results of a postgame MRI are yet to be revealed. The best-case scenario [...]

Eric Gordon: He’ll Save Every One of Us

The precipitous decline of the Los Angeles Clippers has had a number of fantasy implications. The increasing disenchantment of Baron Davis, the acquisition and re-emergence of Zach Randolph, the regression of Chris Kaman and the vanishing act of Ricky Davis.
And while the values of Baron Davis, Randolph  and Kaman have affacted countless fantasy owners, many others [...]

Bobcats Surrender: Reap the Benefits

 
The Charlotte Bobcats and Phoenix Suns pulled off a trade Tuesday that has significant fantasy implications. Basically, the Charlotte Bobcats gave up their best player for a couple role players Terry Porter didn’t want. Larry Brown is working his franchise-killing magic once again.
Points in the Paint already did a fine job breaking down some of the fantast [...]

Stuckey in Neutral: Detroit shakeup begins

As promised by coach Michael Curry over the weekend, the Pistons began a team shakeup on Tuesday by changing to an ultra-small starting lineup of Rodney Stuckey, Allen Iverson, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace.
The changes also included the addition of Antonio McDyess, who played his first game with the team since being traded [...]

Fallout Boys: The indefinite ankles of Josh Howard and Kevin Martin

Ankles can be a tricky thing. I severely sprained my left ankle playing basketball as a freshman in college and it’s never been the same. Once out of every five times I play I wind up twisting it to varying degrees. Occasionally, I’ll step off a curb or onto an uneven piece of ground and [...]

Throbbing Matrix: The confounding case of Shawn Marion

 There were few players whose projected value prior to the season varied as wildly as Shawn Marion. Some viewed him as a sure-fire top 10 pick that would regain his Phoenix-era numbers. Others were far more skeptical and had him as low as the third round based on his sub-par performance in limited time with [...]

Random Blog Update

Blogging is hard.
Well, it’s not so much hard to sit here in type. That’s much easier than say, fighting in a karate tournament, skateboarding into a canyon or securing the Iraqi border.
And I’ve never found it hard to actually write. It actually comes pretty natural to me.
But it’s hard to a devise a clear vision/voice/approach [...]

Daily Roundup for Thursday, December 4

Some NBA observations made in between joyrides with Shaun Ellis:
Steve Nash returned from the flu-like symptoms that sidelined him yesterday to post 20 points and 10 assists in a loss to Dallas. If you gambled on another start for Lenadro Barbosa (four points) as I did, you got burned.
The return of Nash as well as [...]

Walk It Off!: Wednesday’s NBA Crybabies

Some injury notes from around The Association:
As covered in the Daily Roundup, Elton Brand suffered a hamstring injury in a loss to the Lakers. The extent of the damage is unknown, but the silent fear of everyone who drafted him in the first round (my hand is raised) has emerged. Maybe this guy is becoming injury-prone and [...]

Daily Roundup for Wednesday, December 3

Some observations made about the NBA while consoling Sam Mitchell:
Giveth

Josh Smith made his triumphant return to the Hawks lineup in a victory over the Grizzlies after missing 12 games with a sprained ankle. He posted his usual type of line: 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block. Get him back in your [...]

Walk It Off!: Tuesday’s NBA Crybabies

Some injury notes from around The Association:
Congratulations to Tracy McGrady, who officially became the first player to lead consecutive installments of “Walk It Off!” Apparently the one week of rest needed to his knee is now more like three weeks. I believe Points in the Paint appropriately addresses the issue while kindly not in any way [...]

Daily Roundup for Tuesday, December 2

Some observations made while watching the NBA in between taking diuretics with Deuce McCallister:
Giveth:
Lots of candidates here but the biggest has to be the return of Sacramento’s Kevin Martin, who was a game-time decision after missing 12 games with an ankle injury. He came off the bench and still poured in 22 points and made [...]

Walk It Off!: Monday’s NBA Crybabies

Some injury notes from around The Association:
After visiting Dr. James “Angel of Death” Andrews, Tracy McGrady will miss at least another week with a sore left knee. Even after returning, he will face limited minutes so it seems that Carl Landry, Aaron Brooks and Luther Head are all solid gambles for a little while.
If you drafted McGrady, you [...]

Daily Roundup for Monday, December 1

Some observations from watching Monday’s NBA games as I was dodging bullets at Applebee’s:
Rookie Kevin Love may be gently pulling out of his recent funk with 10 points and eight rebounds against Charlotte. He now has 20 boards in the last two games.
Rashard McCants played nearly 20 minutes – his most since returning from injury [...]

Daily Roundup for Sunday, November 30

Happy December everyone. It was only Sunday’s NBA action that could take my mind off a pathetic performance by the Jets. Some observations.
Giveth:
It’s a Giveth after a brief Taketh, but Steve Nash returned after missing just one game due to a bruised thigh and posted 26 points on 11-of-20 shooting and nine assists. Nash has [...]