Here is the first set of rankings for the upcoming Fantasy Basketball season. These are just preliminary rankings and they will change as we near the beginning of the season.
| 1 | Chris Paul NO, PG | - | |
| 2 | LeBron James Cle, SF | - | |
| 3 | Dwyane Wade Mia, G | - | |
| 4 | Kobe Bryant LAL, SG | - | |
| 5 | Danny Granger Ind, F | - | |
| 6 | Kevin Durant OKC, GF | - | |
| 7 | Dirk Nowitzki Dal, PF | - | |
| 8 | Pau Gasol LAL, PF/C | - | |
| 9 | Amar’e Stoudemire Pho, PF/C | - | |
| 10 | Chris Bosh Tor, PF/C | - |
This is not a joke. This is 100% truth here and who better in the NBA or any sport to have there own CHANNEL than LeBron James? Not just a TV show but his very own channel that he would be completely in charge of. He could play 24 hours straight, day in and day out of his favorite cartoons if he wanted to. Or, he could play replays of that night’s game or some crazy reality show involving himself or half naked women running around washing cars if he wanted to.
Why do I even bring this up, do you ask? Well, the New York Knicks, owned by James Dolan, who also owns Cablevision has come up with the most brilliant idea ever when it comes to recruiting a free agent. Technically, he isn’t recruiting LeBron because that would be a violation of NBA rules since he is still under contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers. But, word did get out that to increase the appeal of LeBron coming to New York as a free agent, Dolan (or someone else) accidentally let it slip out that this was their plan to up the ante in their efforts to land the best current player in the NBA.
Read the rest of this entry
I know I have talked a lot about Anthony Randolph but the guy is an absolute BEAST!!! He just put up 42 points in his last summer league game (tying the record) and it is looking more and more like nobody will be able to stop him. I know… I know… It’s just summer league, but you can’t ignore these kind of stats. But he doesn’t just score. In four games he’s averaging 3 blocks and 2.25 steals per game to with 8.5 rebounds per game. He can also pass the ball.
I have compared him to Lamar Odom and now I truly believe that he can become an even better player than Odom could ever dream to be. If he can develop that “killer” mentality on the court, he could become one of the best players in the NBA. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him going in the end of the 1st/beginning of the 2nd round in fantasy drafts a few years from now. Read the rest of this entry
Kevin Durant is going to be one of the best players in the NBA someday. Some will even say that he already is one of the best. It’s scary to think that he is only going to be in his 3rd season in the NBA next year and he has already proven that he can play with the best of them. He plays for a young team and he plays a lot. He is the leader of the team and so far seems to keep his nose clean. He can shoot the rock and play defense. He can even rebound the ball. Read the rest of this entry
I just heard that Ron Artest has said that he will be signing with the Los Angeles Lakers for the upcoming season. “I’m definitely going to L.A. — to sign, yeah. Lakers, Lakers, Lakers. I’m in L.A. right now. I don’t really care about the money,” Artest said. “I’ll play there for nothing. … L.A. was very interested in me, and they got me.” This would almost certainly mean that Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza will be gone. What does this mean for Kobe & Co.? Read the rest of this entry
Amare Stoudemire can't help but wonder what will happen to him this off-season.
Kevin Durant – Ankle – He wants to play but he has to be cleared by doctors before he can play. The Daily Oklahoman is reporting that the injury could sideline him up to a month. This is a huge blow to his owners as he was having a top 5 type of year. Hopefully he’ll be able to return sooner rather than later, for his owner’s sake.
Kevin Garnett – Knee – Still out for at least this week. The Celtics don’t want to bring Garnett back too soon and risk losing him for the playoffs too.
Danny Granger – Foot – He may be able to play on this upcoming road trip but give him a game or two before you put him back in your lineup.
Luol Deng – Shin – Apparently there is no stress fracture so it looks as though he’ll just need a little rest. He hasn’t been playing well though lately so temper your expectations when he does return. Read the rest of this entry
Now is the time to take a good hard look at your fantasy basketball roster and see what your strengths and weaknesses are. See which players on your squad are only adding to categories that you are completely dominating and which categories you are seriously struggling in but still have a chance to move up in.
For example, let’s say you have a strong rebounding, blocking and field goal % team but you are seriously lacking in assists, steals and free throw %. If you have a player like Dwight Howard, why not try to trade him for Jason Kidd? Or if you have Andris Biedrins why not trade him for Raymond Felton or Chris Duhon?
These might not seem like fair trades for you but in reality, they are boosting your chances of overtaking categories while not hurting you in the categories you are in command of. You can’t think in terms of fair value this late in the season even though that is how most people think. Take advantage of someone that thinks they are getting a great deal when you are actually just giving up some of your strengths to counter your weaknesses. Read the rest of this entry
If you would like to email your questions or comments, you can reach me at craver@rotoassist.com
Q:Do you think that the allegations against Alex Rodriguez will hurt his fantasy stats this year?
Travis- New York, NY
A: Well, truthfully they aren’t allegations anymore. He has admitted to it. Now, will they hurt his stats this year is a great question. He will most likely be taken in the top three picks of your fantasy draft. Who knows what this will do to him emotionally. he has always been the type of guy to worry about what everyone thinks about him and this could cause some serious problems for his owners. On the other hand, he might use baseball as a way to escape from everyone and their opinions of him My guess is that he will put up the numbers we expect from him just like he does every year. he seems to have the support from his teammates and fans and that should be enough to get him through this.
Q: What do you think of the rumor that Jerry Porter might be returning to the Raiders? Is it a good fit?
Alex- Oakland, CA
A: Well, I think it is a rumor and until it is confirmed I wouldn’t really put any faith into it. When Porter left the Raiders it was not pretty. He had been suspended for 4 games during the season and burned a lot of bridges. Now, we all know that none of that matters when dealing with Al Davis. Davis has always been fond of Porter since making him a 2nd round draft choice and we all know how proud Davis is of “his” draft picks. Porter could be a nice compliment to the receiving corps and could provide some much needed leadership from a veteran presence after the Raiders released Ronald Curry. He also could be a very nice target for Jamarcus Russell.
Q: Which team do you think did the best at the NBA trade deadline?
Rich- Houston, TX
A: I would have to say that the Chicago Bulls probably did the best when it comes to trades. Most of the trades that were done this season were made to get under the salary cap for next season in order to avoid the luxury tax. The Bulls were able to get rid of Andres Nocioni’s horrible contract while still making their team better this year for a playoff push without harming their future. They will still be a contender in the 2010 free-agency bidding wars with Brad Miller’s contract coming off the books after next season. But, in the meantime Miller will be a very nice addition to the Bulls where he can defend the middle and step out and score while handling the ball well. He should be a good fit with Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. John Salmons is also a good player that can play the 2 or 3 and will probably come off the bench. The Bulls will almost certainly lose Ben Gordon to free-agency next year and Salmons is signed for next year with an opt out clause for the ‘10 season.
Q: Would you rather have Johan Santana or Tim Lincecum on your team?
Jerry- San Francisco, CA
A: That all depends on whether you mean my fantasy team or as a #1 on a real team if I were an owner. If we are talking about a fantasy team, I would have to say Santana just because he has been sooooo consistent and done it over and over again where Lincecum is a good player and will most likely be a great player for the Giants for a long time, he doesn’t have quite the same track record as Santana. Now, if you were referring to a real team, then I would have to say Lincecum. He has the potential to be a star for a very long time just like Santana but at a much younger age and cheaper price tag. Lincecum has the makeup to be a power version of Santana or more appropriately a young Pedro Martinez.
The Minnesota Timberwolves received some terrible news Monday morning when it was revealed to them that starting Center Al Jefferson will be out indefinitely with a torn ACL. This is a huge blow to the T-Wolves and Jefferson’s fantasy owners. Jefferson was having a career year before injuring his knee in the final seconds of the game Sunday night.
Jefferson was the T-Wolves leading scorer with 23 ppg and 11 reb. Fantasy owners will surely be scouring the waiver wire for a replacement so now might be a good time to offer up that extra Center you have on your roster in hopes of stealing a more valuable player from Jefferson Owners. If you are a Jefferson owner, look no further than Kevin Love. Depending on your league, he might still be available, and I stress might. The boost in minutes should turn him into a fantasy stud. Now is the time for Love to prove that he is indeed capable of doing what the T-Wolves thought he could do when they drafted him.
Andrei Kirilenko -Ankle- Could return after the All-Star break if all goes well with rehab. This would be great news for Kirilenko owners who expected him to miss a couple more weeks at best.
Chris Kaman -Foot- Still no return date targeted. Keep him if you have the roster spot in Head to Head leagues but rotisserie leagues are a lost cause. Read the rest of this entry
