Fantasy NBA Mythical Five: Week 3

Fantasy NBA Mythical Five: Week 3

The Director

Steve Nash (1) - 62.5 FG%, 1.3 3FG, 21.7 PPG, 12.7 APG, 1.0 SPG

The Skywalker

Manu Ginobili (1) - 50.0 FG%, 100 FT%, 3.3 3FG, 21.8 PPG, 1.5 SPG

The Triggerman

Kevin Durant (1) - 1.7 3FG, 29.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG

Captain Lionheart

Carmelo Anthony (1) - 93.8 FT%, 25.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Tower of Power

Zach Randolph (1) - 63.0 FG%, 22.3 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 SPG

Wild how the PG's played this last week. Top 3 players were PGs, and Nash just edged John Wall for the top spot this week. Here are their other stat lines.

John Wall - 1.7 3FG, 16.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 10.0 APG, 4.3 SPG

Russell Westbrook - 28.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 9.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG

Fantasy NBA Mythical Five: Week 2

The Director
Toney Douglas (1) - 100.0 FT%, 2.7 3PG, 22.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 4.0 SPG
- Douglas has been taking some time away from Felton and has been playing the 2 as well. Being D'Antoni's system, when you're hot, you play. So, we can expect him to play the same minutes this week.

The Skywalker
Jason Richardson (1) - 50.0 FG%, 4.0 3PG, 26.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.7 SPG
- J-Rich stole the show when he delivered the key basket over the Grizz to send the game to OT. He should stay at this level should Phoenix try to stay in the playoffs.

The Triggerman
Rudy Gay (1) - 2.8 3PG, 30.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.0 BPG
- Rudy Gay took his game to a high level in 4 games this week. Let's see if the numbers stay the same with Zach Randolph back in the line-up.

Captain Lionheart
Josh Smith (1) - 16.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 3.3 BPG
- Very tasty defensive numbers from J-Smoove this week. Could it be that all the trade talk has him earning his keep in Atlanta?

The Tower of Power
Pau Gasol (1) - 23.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG
- Brilliant across the board, Gasol is starting to look like LA's best fantasy player. His overall skill has him delivering across all 9-cats well with 56.1 FG%, 90.5 FT% and only 1.3 TOs

Fantasy NBA 2010-11: Week 1

And we're back!

The NBA 2010-2011 has officially started with the New Big Three falling to Rondo and his old Big Three. Amare (I still don't know where to place the apostrophe) is in New York. Carmelo is not happy, probably so is CP3. Boozer is hurt again due to the smite of poetic justice. John Wall is overshadowing the now defunct Agent Zero, but big bad Blake Griffin is in LA creating havoc in the paint... All the makings of a good season.

In fantasy world, Durant won top pick over CP3. LeBron and D-Wade might battle for stats in Miami and Chris Bosh has fallen to the 2nd or 3rd rounds. Former 1st round picks Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion are sometimes left in the FA Pool. It's a different fantasy world too, so expect some changes to happen as well.

Now for the Mythical 5!

The Director

Russell Westbrook (1) - 91.3 FT%, 22.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 2.0 SPG

Manu Ginobili almost cracked the list as SG if Monta is used as a PG, but Westbrook's high FT%, Rebounds and Assists were great, especially from the PG

The Skywalker

Monta Ellis (1) - 66.7 FG%, 2.0 3PG, 30.5 PPG, 6.5 APG, 1.0 SPG

We can exepect Ellis' FG% to drop especially with Curry out due to an ankle, but his points can be expected to remain high and close to 30.

The Triggerman

Wilson Chandler (1) - 1.7 3PG, 21.0 PPG. 10.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 3.0 BPG

Chandler, being in his 2nd year under D'Antoni is looking to be their version of Shawn Marion's stat-stuffing back in Phoenix - all from the bench too. This would be a late round-steal.

Captain Lionheart

Danny Granger (1) - 3.7 3PG, 27.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.3 BPG

Granger has been made to operate from the wing for majority of this time as to make space for the improvement of Hibbert. So expect the 3s to be high but the rebounds to go down from last year.

Tower of Power

Joachim Noah (1) - 52.0 FG%,16.5 PPG, 18.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 2.5 BPG

Noah nearly lost this battle Luis Scola, who is feasting on the fact that Yao only plays 24 minutes a game, and is off on back-to-backs. It's curious to see how the numbers might adjust when Boozer comes into the team in December.

Regular Season by Aaron Vicencio

Run this town from Aaron Vicencio on Vimeo.

UAAP Finals Preview: FEU Tamaraws vs. Ateneo Blue Eagles

UAAP Finals Preview: FEU Tamaraws vs. Ateneo Blue Eagles

Game 1 of the UAAP Finals will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010 in the Araneta Coliseum. As usual, there will be around 20,000 people watching live. Timeouts and halftimes will take longer and definitely, there will be more commercials since it will be televised on ABS-CBN channel 2 for the first time. A lot of things have changed, but not by much really.

For the first time in three years, the Ateneo Blue Eagles will be considered as underdogs (though not by much) in the Finals against a deep and supposedly ripe FEU Tamaraws team. Ateneo has lost the pillars of its two championship runs with Nonoy Baclao and Rabeh Al-Hussaini graduating to the pros, while FEU on the other hand, has practically lost no one and even added perimeter hotshots Terrence Romeo and UAAP MVP RR Garcia. With so much changing in a one-sided manner, you would think that it is definitely time for a new champion to be crowned. But there is still much to be said...

The UAAP Finals is actually a nicely matched-up series if you think about it.
Garcia vs Salamat
Romeo vs Monfort
Cawaling vs Buenafe
Cervantes vs Salva
Sanga vs Long
Ramos vs Chua
Bringas vs Golla
Nuondou vs Escueta

That's already 8 match-ups deep and we still can't say there's one side who has a distinct advantage over the other. Sure, the awards are pretty one-sided. Garcia is MVP and a Mythical 5 member. Ramos is Defensive Player of the Year and a Mythical 5 member. Romeo is Rookie of the Year. Ateneo will be getting no individual accolades this year. But if we look deeper into the statistics* more of their players are performing at a Top 20 rate. FEU has Garcia at #1, Ramos #3, Cervantes #6. Ateneo on the other hand has Salamat at #7, Salva & Long tied at #12 and Buenafe & Chua tied at #14. So, even the numbers are agreeing that it really is an evenly matched series.

(*based on statistics as of the end of the 2nd round of eliminations)

So what can we expect from this Finals series?

Ateneo will once again gear it's defense towards stopping RR Garcia. Following the strategy employed by many teams against Steve Nash - cut the head of the snake to stop it. Then, they shall hope that trigger happy Tams Cervantes and Romeo will shoot themselves in the foot by forcing up shots against a tough Ateneo defense. FEU, on the other hand, will try to grind Ateneo's transition game to halt and cover all screen-and-rolls of the fluid Eagle offense.

On offense, FEU will still look for RR Garcia and now Romeo to create havoc by playmaking and opening shots for Ramos, Sanga and the rest of the Tamaraw supporting cast. Ateneo will continue to use their defense as their best offensive weapon by creating transition opportunities and scrambles by the FEU defense. Hopefully then, Monfort, Long and Salamat can put in the long ball to open up their inside offense.

So if I were to bet, who would I put my money on?

Being slightly biased but mostly objective, I would still give it to the Eagles in 3. Comparing the Final Four games of each squad, FEU let La Salle hang around too long and put themselves in such a risky spot. Ateneo choked the life out of Adamson early and clearly stated claim that the road to the title would have to go through The Hill in Katipunan. Clearly, the playoff experience and poise of the Eagles stood out against the Falcons. Against a tougher FEU squad, surely the battle will be closer. But, powered by either Buenafe or Salamat as Finals MVP, I would still give it to Ateneo in 3 for the 3-peat.

(Thanks again to Aaron Vicencio for the pics)

UAAP Final Four Prediction: (2) Ateneo Blue Eagles vs (3) Adamson Soaring Falcons

(2) Ateneo Blue Eagles vs (3) Adamson Soaring Falcons

First off, thanks to Mr. Aaron Vicencio (aaronvicencio.blogspot.com) for the great picture.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A couple of years ago, the ABS-CBN coverage of the UAAP flashed a pretty interesting graphic. Adamson had not won against Ateneo for 15 years or so already. The last time they had won, Fidel Ramos was president, Gas was P9/Liter and it was P26: $1. Basically, ever since Ateneo got out of its dark ages, Adamson has fallen to the bigger bird.

Adamson has come so close so many times, it has already become heartbreaking.

In 2004, Adamson lost all their nerve, blew a huge lead and succumbed to an Ateneo team riding an emotional wave due to the loss of then captain Larry Fonacier to an ACL injury. LA Tenorio shot the Falcons down with three after three after three.

Back in 2006, UAAP MVP Ken Bono and his crew have literally come within single shots of breaking Ateneo spell over them in the 3 games they faced off. But some how, Ateneo always found a three to save them. Chris Tiu sank a 3 in each elimination game and played decoy to a JC Intal drive in the Final Four to send the Falcons crashing down again.

In the second round of this year's eliminations, Eman Monfort once again shot the Falcons down with a booming 3 late in the game to save the streak and give the Blue Eagles the twice-to-beat advantage.

Somehow, there has always been a game-saving 3 that Ateneo has been able to carve out and extend the Falcon misery. Perhaps, the same story might take place again. But looking at it game plan-wise, the game will be decided by the tandems in the photo above.

The Eagle tandem of Salamat and Salva will have to outplay the Falcons' Alvarez and Camson and vice versa. In the two elimination round games this year, Salva has owned Camson and Alvarez has done likewise to Salamat, but an aggregate of their production has always leaned towards the Eagles. This is indeed the crucial match up to watch as everything else is practically equal. Alex Nuyles will be checked by Kirk Long and Long will basically burn himself just playing defense. Justin Chua and Jan Colina will similarly cancel each other out, and so will each squad's benches.

Salamat and Alvarez are each team's playmakers and a lot is decided by not only their scoring but the situations they create. Lester Alvarez has been going off against Ateneo this year, even scoring 25 in the 2nd round match. Salamat on the other hand has been initiating the Eagles' defense with his ball pressure and timely steals to key the Ateneo running game. Each of these two are expected to perform, and there is almost no doubt that they will.

This is why the producton of their mercurial forward counterparts is equally important. Eric Camson and Nico Salva have been on and off this season, so it is almost decisive when one of them shows up and the other doesn't. This can be most clearly seen in their 2nd round match where Salva get back on track after going into a funk midseason, and Camson, saddled with fouls, did not produce his expected double figures.

Salamat can score less than Alvarez, but that is because Ateneo puts almost a 60/40 split on the load between Salamat and Salva. Adamson on the other hand burdens the Alvarez-Camson combo with a 65/35 split. With this close a match-up though, it is clear that whichever 1-2 combination hits harder will decide if we have another Final Four match or the Finals start already.

This is Adamson's best shot of breaking their losing skid against Ateneo. Should the streak extend, Adamson will have a more difficult time in the coming seasons as Ateneo will surely reload due to their recruitment and Ryan Buenafe will take over..

-------------------------------------

The FEU Tamaraws slipped passed the DLSU Green Archers earlier to a score of 69-59. I almost got the spread right if not only for the last basket shot by Exciminiano... I could start a rumor here, but I choose to just let that simmer in your minds.

Surprisingly, DLSU was very much in it and almost won in regulation. But, as expected, FEU's maturity and poise shone through with Sanga's game-tying 3 and The team's overall steadiness in the overtime. It important to note that ROY Terrence Romeo has been playing great recently. He's been hitting big shots to supplement the perimeter with teams locking down on MVP RR Garcia.

UAAP Final Four Prediction: (1) FEU vs (4) DLSU

(1) FEU Tamaraws vs (4) DLSU Green Archers




The Final Four cast of the UAAP is already set. While a lot of things may still happen and seedings could still switch, I'm pretty confident that things will stay the way they are. So here are my predictions for the UAAP Semifinals.
---------------------------------------------

The DLSU Green Archers were able to pull off a shocker by beating the favored FEU Tamaraws a couple of weeks ago during their second round encounter during the eliminations. That victory was their penultimate win to ensuring themselves a trip to the Final Four this year.

Unfortunately for them, that might be the same win that settles their ouster from championship contention this year.

The Archers technically still have a shot at getting a twice-to-beat incentive during the semis, but it assumes a lot of things. Ateneo and Adamson have to lose their remaining games and has to La Salle win both of it assignments to get the incentive because of the blowout they received at the hands of the Eagles as well. So, if you were on the Archers coaching staff, you should already be thinking about FEU... thinking very hard about how to pull off 2 more shockers.

La Salle may have sealed their own fates with their win over the Tams because of one thing - FEU is a very seasoned and veteran team. Simply put, the Tamaraws should win the title this year or the team should be blown up, and their mindset is that not unexpected losses should happen twice, moreso thrice. Glen Capacio, Bert Flores and the rest of the FEU brainthrust will be looking at every second of their loss to La Salle and break it down. They will not let a bunch of careless or overconfident mistakes cost them the championship, or worse, lose again in the semis. The Tamaraws will prepare and watch so much La Salle game tape that nothing should surprise them come the Final Four.

That is where the Archers did themselves in.

La Salle, putting it simply, has a punchers chance in the match. If they are able to hit hard first and force the Tams to play catch up for the whole game, they may have a greater chance to pull off two upsets. Who knows, just by leading the whole way, they might expose FEU's supposed weak endgame. But, with all the heavy preparation of the coaches and the revenge factor of the players' psyches, they won't be caught off-guard by any new DLSU trick. The Tams will prepare for the full-court trap, for the screens for the Archer shooters and play a tougher game than they did last time out. Basically, FEU will try to bully La Salle into submission.

Unlike the Tams who have RR Garcia, no one on the Archers can really strap the entire team on their back and carry them to the end. Atkins, who leads them in scoring with over 9 points a game, will not attract enough attention from the FEU defense to be able to create for his teammates. Once the vaunted La Salle machine expereinces a hiccup, you may as well say sayonara to their championship chances.

Now, I am not saying that DLSU can't do it. I'm just sure that there chances are definitely slimmer because of that win. So, they better strike first blood or else go through a very tough uphill climb.

FEU by 8 in one game.

Growing Pains of the FIBA Worlds

First off, I'm back. 4 months is a pretty long time not to blog.

This post is actually for expressing my frustration with the FIBA Worlds. It kind of pains me that it is not getting the same response from the audience as the FIFA World Cup. Yes, I know that the World Cup as gotten its reputation and value from the years and years that great games and tournaments have been played, and the FIBA Worlds is still far from that level. Maybe they have to some things like...

1. Get a catchier name. World Cup sounds better than World Championships just by number of syllables alone.

2. Play in better venues. FIFA has venues built for the games and cities only get to host if they put in the right amount of money. I'm thinking that FIBA Worlds should have audiences like the All-Star game in Dallas.

3. Convince countries to send their A-team every time. Now, I know the rest of the world is still miles from catching up with the US, unlike in football where there is more parity, but a couple of upsets here and there and the world will take notice. Then all the stars will draw the crowds, and it's bigger by miles than what we know today.

This year's Worlds seems to be a bit exciting with all the upsets taking place. However, sad to say, it seems that there are only a few contenders: the US, Spain, Argentina and Brazil (just because they almost tripped up the US). So the real excitement might only take place comes the semis and that just seems kind of sad.

It's the best time of the year and I'm back!

It's playoff time already.. and I've been so busy that I only start sharing my thoughts and it's already the 2nd Round. What is up with that?!

Anyway, just some thoughts on a couple of things before I get into the 2nd Round of the Playoffs.

1. Fantasy Basketball

I won 2 leagues this year. Better than my previous seasons, and considering I have less leagues too. So, a hgiher percentage probably comes from being able to manage each team better since I had 4 to 6 teams in previous years. Now, for the Fantasy All-NBA First Team:

PG - Dwyane Wade
SG - Kevin Durant
SF - LeBron James
PF - Chris Bosh
C - Andrew Bogut (Surprised? He was more efficient and delivered somewhat similar numbers.)

2. NBA Awards

The list of the regular season awards have been released and I pretty much agree with everything except ROY. Brandon Jennings should've gotten the award simply for winning, considering there are only 2 lottery picks on the Bucks (Bogut and Jennings), compared to Tyreke's Kings (Thompson, Evans, Hawes). But as a recap, here are the awards:

MVP: LeBron James
DPOY: Dwight Howard
MIP: Aaron Brooks
COY: Scott Brooks
6MOY: Jamal Crawford
ROY: Tyreke Evans

3. All NBA Teams

Here are my predictions for the All-NBA Teams. For those asking, I do value winning.

1st Team: Wade, Bryant, James, Durant, Howard
2nd Team: Nash, D. Williams, Nowitzki, Stoudamire, Gasol
3rd Team: Rondo, J. Johnson, Anthony, G.Wallace, Bogut

D 1st Team: Rondo, Bryant, James, J. Smith, Howard
D 2nd Team: Kidd, Billups, Duncan, Hoford, Bogut

R 1st Team: Curry, Jennings, Evans, Collison, Blair

4. Playoffs 2nd Round

East
1. Cleveland v. 4. Boston

I, like many a basketball fan, hope that The Truth, KG, Ray and Rondo can muster up enough fight to make this competitive. We know their veterans smarts and championship swagger can push the Cavs every game, but the question is if it can actually translate to wins. And as for LeBron's elbow, the Celts will hammer that thing so that he'll feel it, but he's strong enough to survive for this round. Maybe we'll see how much it hurts next round.. Cavs in 6.

2. Orlando v. 3. Atlanta

Maybe the best thing that happened to the Hawks is that they hit 7 games with the Bucks. It's been a week since the Magic have played, and maybe they cooled off considering they were playing so well even if Howard wasn't scoring. Plus, the Hawks got Crawford on track. They might stretch Orlando, but I still think that we'll be seeing a rematch... Magic in 7.

West
1. LA Lakers v. 5. Utah

For some strange reason, everybody thinks that the Lakers are more vulnerable this year as the hunger isn't a strong any more. This I think is sort of true, especially on the support guys (Brown, Farmar, etc.), but Kobe, Gasol and Fisher still have it. Unfortunately for Utah though, they're missing a lot of players and Deron and Boozer are dinged up some way. The Lakers will beat down on the Jazz and eventually squeeze out in the series... Lakers in 6.

3. Phoenix v. 7. San Antonio

As a Suns fan, it would only be appropriate that the road to the championship would go through the Spurs (and eventually, if ever, LA). These two teams have been contrasts of each other ever since Charles Barkley and company shot themselves over David Robinson in 1993. For the previous match-ups t's been Offense vs Defense, Flash/Fancy vs Fundamental. This year though, the Suns have improved their defense and the Spurs have more scoring. Pretty interesting ain't it? So, as a fan, I will not jinx the series by making a prediction... 7 games.

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 22

Dwyane Wade (MIA) - 25.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 8.8 APG, 2.8 SPG, 1.8 BPG [6]

Kevin Durant (OKC) - 1.3 3FGM, 31.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.0 BPG [9]

LeBron James (CLE) - 1.7 3FGM, 33.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 9.0 APG, 2.0 SPG [13]

Ryan Anderson (ORL) - 3.5 3FGM, 19.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.0 SPG [1]

Mehmet Okur (UTA) - 2.5 3FGM, 19.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 2.0 BPG [1]

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 21

It's time for the playoffs! At least in fantasy world, that is... Now owners of sure fire teams better be careful with their players as we might see DNPs more liberally. LeBron started it last week, and the Lakers will probably follow suit resting Kobe some games especially since Bynum is now down for at least 2 weeks.

Now the mythical 5...

Monta Ellis (GSW) - 2.5 3FGM, 27.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 7.8 APG, 3.5 SPG [2]

Vince Carter (ORL) - 3.0 3FGM, 25.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 7.0 APG [1]

LeBron James (CLE) - 1.3 3FGM, 26.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 8.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG [12]

Troy Murphy (IND) - 3.3 3FGM, 19.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.8 SPG [1]

David Lee (NYK) - 21.3 PPG, 15.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG [2]


On this week's list, LeBron and VC are the only ones who will play on in the NBA Playoffs. The rest will be goin' fishing soon enough. So, we can expect less from these big team players to reserve them and avoid injury. I suggest stocking on some bench talent to supplement your true players. Then, if anybody is injured, add and drop.

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 20

Stephen Curry (GSW) - 3.0 3FGM, 20.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.3 SPG [2]

Manu Ginobili (SAS) - 2.8 3FGM, 21.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.8 SPG [1]

Kevin Durant (OKC) - 2.0 3FGM, 32.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.3 APG [8]

David West (NOH) - 28.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.3 SPG [2]

Andrew Bogut (MIL) - 19.3 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 3.7 BPG [4]

4th Quarter Report: NBA Playoffs Time

With approximately 63 games done for everybody, the NBA is officially in the 4th quarter of the regular season. Teams on the bubble have less than 20 games to bail themselves out of the lottery and continue to challenge for the NBA Championship. Now let's take a snapshot of what would be the playoff match-ups had the playoffs started today.

East
1. Cleveland (51-15) vs 8. Toronto (32-31)
2. Orlando (46-20) vs. 7. Miami (34-32)
3. Boston (41-23) vs 6. Charlotte (33-31)
4. Atlanta (41-23) vs 5. Milwaukee (35-29)

On the bubble: 9. Chicago (31-34)

West
1. LA Lakers (48-18) vs 8. Portland (40-28)
2. Dallas (45-21) vs 7. San Antonio (38-25)
3. Denver (44-21) vs 6. Phoenix (40-26)
4. Utah (42-23) vs Oklahoma (40-24)

On the bubble: 9. Memphis (35-21), 10. Houston (32-31), 11. New Orleans (32-34)

Personally, I think all Playoff teams should have winning records. This is why particularly, this year's performance pleases me. In previous years, Western conference teams having winning records were booted out even they could have had 5th seed in the East. Somehow, that just didn't seem right.

As it stands now, we're bound to see some exciting series: LeBron-Bosh, Wade-Howard, Lakers-Blazers, Texas Shootout, Mile High-Grand Canyon. But I'm here to take a look at the chances of those teams on the bubble - Chicago, Memphis, Houston, New Orleans.

Chicago

Their fate lies in the hands and more importantly, health of Derrick Rose. He's very banged up. We hear or a hip, a knee, a wrist and all sorts of minor dings to him that we wonder if he can survive the grueling chase to the playoffs. Last year, Rose and Ben Gordon practically shot the Bulls into that thrilling series with the Celtics. But he doesn't have a shot-maker like Ben Gordon or even John Salmons anymore, so we've seen the wear and tear on him this year. If he's healthy, maybe they have a shot of pulling into the 8th spot especially with Toronto never really getting chemistry going the whole year.


Memphis
This picture was just too good to not post. Zach Randolph has been consistent for the Grizzlies the whole year up to the point that he even became a first-time All-Star. But them vaulting into another level of success really depends on Rudy Gay. Gay should be their superstar, the one teams watch and prepare for first before Randolph. He has to pick it up and act like the physical freak that he is or else, it's another lottery pick for the Griz.


Houston
Ariza was forced to become a scorer due to the absence and now, departure of T-Mac. Unforutnately for the Rockets, he hasn't come up to standards. Yao's absence can really be felt even with the herculean efforts of Scola, Hayes, Battier and the rest of their 6'8 and under front court. How they're even contending is actually a thing of roughneck beauty with a scrappy team performing hard every night. But, Ariza has to stop chucking and start scoring if the Rockets want to keep their streak of being in the playoffs alive.


New Orleans
Injury could not have struck at a worse time when CP3 went down. With the Thunder picking up their game, the once-considered contender Hornets now are just struggling to reach .500 with Paul down with a bum ankle. David West and Emeka Okafor have been unable to find a right mix to make things work underneath even if Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton have been playing like vets on the perimeter. Paul coming back isn't soon enough for this team as they seem to be on the way out of the playoffs.

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 19

A little bit late but...



The Director
Dwyane Wade (MIA) - 1.7 3FGM, 33.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 12.0 APG, 2.3 SPG [4]

The Skywalker
Quentin Richardson (MIA) - 4.7 3FGM, 20.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.0 APG, 2.3 SPG [2]

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 1.3 3FGM, 29.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 9.0 APG, 2.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG [12]

Captain Lionheart
David West (NOH) - 16.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 2.7 BPG [1]

Tower of Power
Andrew Bogut (MIL) - 0.545 FG%, 16.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.7 APG, 4.3 BPG [3]


Quick Notes:
1. LeBron will not be next week's player of the week unless he strings up an insane set of numbers. Those DNPs are well-deserved indeed.

2. I said earlier in this series that Q-Rich would never appear again. But, 4.7 3FGM gets him to the place where 5.0 3FGM placed him once before.

3. David West is finally showing his all-star form. The Hornets really need him while CP3 gtes back into shape, hopefully for a push for the playoffs.

4. LeBron's DNPs spell problems for those owners with Cavs, Lakers, Mavs, Magic and Nuggets players. We might see their coaches giving them nights of with their places in the conferences rather set.

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 18

Week 18's Mythical 5:

The Director
Chauncey Billups (DEN) - 3.7 3FGM, 26.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.0 APG [2]

The Skywalker
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 1.8 3FGM, 27.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.5 APG, 1.8 SPG [7]

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 2.0 3FGM, 30.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 10.3 APG, 1.3 SPG [11]

Captain Lionheart
Gerald Wallace (CHA) - 1.7 3FGM, 23.0 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.3 SPG [2]

Tower of Power
Zach Randolph (MEM) - 24.3 PPG, 14.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.3 RPG [2]


Couple of things we must note this week:

1. LeBron James is again the best player in fantasy basketball. Numbers, team's record, overall impact all point to him becoming a back-to-back MVP, especially since Kobe sat down for several games. Plus, Shaq going to be out for over a month means more of the monster numbers for the King.

2. Danny Granger again pays the price for becoming a Small Foward.

3. It was a slow week for point guards. Chauncey Billups didn't put up whoa numbers and yet he was the best at his position for this week.

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 17

The Director
Jason Kidd (DAL) - 3.0 3FGM, 15.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 8.5 APG, 3.8 SPG [3]

The Skywalker
CJ Watson (GSW) - 1.3 3FGM, 24.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.3 SPG [1]

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 1.3 3FGM, 32.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 10.0 APG, 2.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG [10]

Captain Lionheart
Danny Granger (IND) - 2.7 3FGM, 29.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG [1]

Tower of Power
Dwight Howard (ORL) - 28.0 PPG, 16.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 5.3 BPG [1]



I was surprised to see that this week is only Brandon Routh's (aka Dwight Howard with Shaq being Christopher Reeve) first appearance in the Mythical 5. But after watching the Orlando-Cleveland game, I am able to understand why. Week on week, Howard has been passive with the offense. In that game, he took it to the Cavs bigs over and over to set the tone that he would make them pay. I'm not sure if getting a facial from Shaq helped motivate him, but I'm glad as hell that he showed up.

As for everybody else, I know Granger's spot as a 3 does not help since LeBron has been practically immovable from the Triggerman slot. Thankfully for Durant, he has SG eligibility. Also, Chris Bosh actually had the best averages for this week. However, he only played 1 game and is practically useless compared to 3 or 4 games from the rest.

All-Star Thoughts & Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 16

For the past few years, All-Star Saturday Night has been a success. There was Josh Smith over Kenyon Martin in a Dominque jersey. Nate Robinson with Spud Webb and his Krypto-Nate garb. Gerald Green with his cupcake. Dwight Howard with the sticker, Superman cape and Phone Booth.

Now, we all know that the crown jewel of All-Star Saturday Night is the Slam Dunk Contest. This year, that gem was pretty much a bust, pwet ng baso. Yes, Derozan and Robinson did come up with good dunks (off the side of the backboard-windmill to the reverse side and off the backboard-reverse double-pump, respectively), but the overall lack of competitiveness and creativity in the field took away all the excitement the other events generated.

Simply put, the Slam Dunk Competition needs people who can bring in the hype and even if they fail, at least the "upset" tag can be used for the result. LeBron, You've been the best basketball player (Real and Fantasy) this year, but I am blaming you.


The Director
Louis Williams (PHI) - 1.5 3FGM, 21.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG [2]

The Skywalker
Stephen Curry (GSW) - 7.0 3FGM, 36.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 13.0 APG, 3.0 SPG [1]

The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 1.5 3FGM, 32.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 12.0 APG, 1.5 SPG [9]

Captain Lionheart
Lamarcus Aldridge (POR) - 18.5 PP, 10.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG [1]

Tower of Power
Andrew Bogut (MIL) - 19.5 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 3.5 BPG [2]

Fantasy NBA Players fo the Week 15

Leading up to the All-Star break, the King claims his throne again... Unfortunately, almost none of his fellow all-stars are coming along the ride. Paul, Roy, Melo, Kobe, KG, Billups are all banged up before the best exhibition game on the planet. Let's just hope they can warm Cowboys Stadium up until Pacquiao beats down Clottey..

This week's Mythical 5:

The Director
Jason Kidd (DAL) - 2.7 3FGM, 13.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 11.7 APG, 4.3 SPG [2]

Kidd has been steady the entire week, and perhaps fits this monicker best among all PGs this season as he's been feeding everybody. We know he could still force a triple-double but he's content distributing to Dirk, Terry, Howard, Marion, Dampier, Gooden, Barea and even Beaubois.


The Skywalker
Stephen Jackson (CHA) - 3.0 3FGM, 28.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.5 SPG [2]

S-Jax has been steady since being traded over. Gerlad Wallace will be getting honors in this year's all-star game, but he's the other half of the Bobcats combo that's keeping them in the playoffs.


The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 2.7 3FGM, 35.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 10.3 APG, 2.7 SPG [8]







He's back at it again, and is again the best player in fantasy basketball. There's nothing else to say... The new ad with Big Z takes the cake though!


Captain Lionheart
Andrei Kirilenko (UTA) - 22.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 3.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG [1]

Five years ago when the Jazz sucked, this would have probably been a regular site. But when Deron, Boozer, and Memo got into town, AK47 finally came back down to earth. Too bad his contract was just huge!


Tower of Power
Chris Bosh (TOR) - 30.3 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 BPG [4]

CB4 was probably the biggest starter snub this year with Garnett taking his rightful spot. We can expect more concern over his destination after the summer as it's clear that everybody with cap room will make Bosh option 3 after LeBron and Wade.

PBA Quarterfinals: A Different Level of Drama

I had initially wanted to write this article a week ago when the PBA Quarterfinals just started. I was watching Game 2 of both series wherein both winning teams rallied from late double-digits deficits to snatch victory and take very big advantages in the respetive best-of-5 series. But a week later, here we are Game 5s that are not just simple Game 5s.

The Quarterfinals have been on a completely different level for me than the eliminations and even the wildcard phase. In the eliminations, we could see people probably going to court at possibly 75% at their hardest. Teams were lax and players were obviously avoiding injury, as it is their livelihood. In the wilcard phase, you could see that people were playing to get to their next paycheck. They were playing harder, but not displaying their complete repertoire. In the quarters though, underdogs are scrapping and favored teams are trying to overpower people with their size, depth and ability.

Even before the walkout last Friday, a lot of drama had already been going down.

1) Comebacks

No lead has been safe in this phase as all teams have threatened (and some, even won) after being down double-digits in the second half. A little too lax, and the other teams have been talented enough to burn and eat into leads.

2) Emerging Stars

Intal, Norwood, Mercado, Castro, Artadi - all of them have played beyond expectations as their starters have either been injured or are just in the some slump. All of these have picked up the levels of their games and made the games exciting with new stars being displayed.

3) Veteran Stability

People have been telling these guys that they are over-the-hill, but veteran smarts and savvy have not been lost on these games as the vets have more often than not bailed the young bucks with a crucial basket, play, stop or assist. Menk, Telan, Laure, Roger Yap, Alapag and the rest have been the backbones of their teams for years, and now are unmoveable in their being cornerstones of the franchises.

4) Injury Miracles

Caguioa, Helterbrand, Raymundo , Simon, De Guzman have all made comebacks from on-again, off-again injuries to add depth and quality minutes to their teams. Every team seems to be 1-10 strong again, and if one piece doesn't seem to work, then another gets immediately subbed into that slot.

And then there was the walk-out...

Like most people, I really don't like walkouts. My stand is you always try to win it on the court. If you feel like the refs are cheating you, there's always a way to win still. If they don't call fouls for you, you just bull rush people to the hoop until the refs have to give up slanting calls as it will cost them their jobs. If they keep on calling fouls on you, foul hard. Make the opponents pay for those 2 free throw they thought they'd get easily. Now, I'm not encouraging dirty play, but if it's necessary to have to go through that route, then what choice do you have?

It's a given that the commissioner's office will not side with the team. That's just a fact. The PBA will not admit that their referees are slanted if only to protect the name of the league. We all know that corruption exists in the league and the refs are probably the biggest targets of it. If the PBA admits the ref's errors, they might as well throw away their credibility as a league since they cannot control their own employees. Doing so would just be plain suicide.

So, I'm hoping that Talk n Text plays Game 5. I hope they play hard and cram it down other people's throats so as to prove that aren't crybabies. The same way, I hope Ginebra comes out with a chip on their shoulders to prove that they did not need that gimme win. Same thing goes for Purefoods and Rain or Shine, prove that thye deserve to move on to the semis, that they belong in the quarters and that they really should be in the PBA at all.

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 14

The Director
Chris Paul (NOH) - 2.3 3FGM, 26.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 11.0 APG, 3.3 SPG [5]

Unfortunately, people, that is this week's best player in fantasy basketball. To think that Paul actually put these numbers up in just 3 games (while the Hornets had 4). So, for Paul owners out there, this stellar week will be the last for about a month or so. He's down with a partially torn miniscus, and will probably miss the All-Star game, leaving the spot open for Chauncey Billups.


The Skywalker
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 1.7 3FGM, 34.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.3 BPG [6]

Durant creeps closer to LeBron's 7 appearances in the mythical 5 with his sixth. Dropping 45 in his last game of this week, Durant solidifes his All-Star selection (the first of many to come). We have seen Durant play bigger this week with more rebounds and blocks. We can probably expect this continuous shifting for small stats (3s, Asts, Stls) to big stats (Rebs, Blks) to go on for the rest of the year since OKC will probably not get a dominating big before the deadline.


The Triggerman
Gerald Wallace (CHA) - 1.3 3FGM, 27.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG [2]

Crash is an all-star and is the first Bobcat to do so, an honor he deserves since he's been the only person left from Bobcat Day 1. Always playing bigger than his size, Wallace's rebounding and defense have always been known. Offensively though, he has raised it up a notch this year.


Captain Lionheart
David Lee (NYK) - 24.3 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG [1]

Probably the biggest All-star snub this year, David Lee finally enters the mythical 5. As if to make a statement against his being snubbed, Lee has evolved into also becoming a playmaker for the Knicks, averaging close to 5 dimes per game. Now, if only an East all-star would get injured, a Knick could be an all-star, the first since... Starbury...


Tower of Power
Marc Gasol (MEM) - 19.3 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.5 SPG, 1.8 BPG [1]

Pau's baby brother has been playing great this year. Probably just as deserving as Zach Randolph's all-star nod, he has been the slotman for the Grizz's resurgence in the deep, deep Southwest, which has all his teams over .500. has his emergence made the trade with the Lakers any fairer? Still no...

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 13

The Director
Chauncey Billups (DEN) - 0.909 FT%, 4.3 3FGM, 25.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.7 APG [1]

Finally, Mr. Big Shot arrives. Seems to have perfect timing too as the wind-up to the all-star game is right upon the world. Last year, he got the snub even after turning Denver around. This year though, Tony Parker isn't playing as well, so this would seem to be a lock unless Deron Williams creeps into the picture.


The Skywalker
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 1.3 3FGM, 31.0 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 2.8 SPG, 1.5 BPG [5]

He's back. He's been here less than just 1 person. Like almost everybody has said, the Thunder were not supposed to be this good this early. Durant is leading the precocious team with his own advanced-for-his-age numbers, and they're in the playoffs. Who knows, they might even leapfrog Portland as the "Young team the NBA is afraid of." He's gonna be an all-star for sure.


The Triggerman
LeBron James (CLE) - 2.3 3FGM, 34.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 10.7 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.7 SPG [7]



As if last week wasn't good enough, he upped himself and beat Kobe and his Lakers too. Mo Williams is down for the next month or so, thus we can expect more of this from LeBron. The best players in fantasy basketball (and real basketball) is on a different plane these last 2 weeks.


Captain Lionheart
Corey Maggette (GSW) - 0.929 FT%, 30.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.0 APG [1]

The conflict of the week! Andrei Kirilenko was another candidate for this slot, with better percetages and defense. But he only played 2 weeks. So, I went with Maggette since he played more games and his FT% was way up there considering the volume of FT he takes.


Tower of Power
Andrew Bogut (MIL) - 20.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.5 APG, 4.0 BPG [1]

He was the number 1 pick, folks, not CP3 or D-Will. Yes, it might have taken him a couple of years longer, but the Australian is here to stay. Tag teaming with a young spitfire in Brandon Jennings, they seem to make each other better. Let's see if this combo heats up the Milwaukee cold.

All-Star Starters Revealed: We Did Not Do Our Jobs!

You see that picture everybody? Yes, folks. We did not do our job voting for somebody else and this is what we got. Allen Iverson being the first person to be ever seen in the new (and sweet-looking) all-star threads.

It honestly seems similar to the Philippine elections. We have to vote for somebody but there's no one person that stands out, so all the bad people in the world get to elect their bid into power. Aside from Wade, there isn't any real stand-out all-star guard in the East anymore. Alas, we all couldn't unite to find that guard that could oust Iverson. Now, our crime will stare us in the face on Feb. 14 (Feb. 15 Manila time) when the all-star starters get introduced in Dallas. Thankfully, the game is in the West and Iverson will be part of the "visiting" team.

So, for those who haven't read the internet, the following people will be the starters:

East: Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard
West: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudamire

We can't do anything about the stars joining the teams now. It's all in the experts hands, but I have my opinions as to who should be there in Cowboys stadium in front of 80,000 people. Unfortunately, we must follow the traditional 1 center, 2 forwards, 2 guards and 2 utility slots. So here goes!

East:
Joe Johnson (ATL) - Joe is the #1 guy on the East's #3 team. That should speak for itself.
Mo Williams (CLE) - It's sad he's injured, but he should get redemption from the almost-snub last year.
Chris Bosh (TOR) - He's the top 20-10 guy in the NBA right now, enough said.
Paul Pierce (BOS) - Pierce has been the East's best closer this year. Truth be told.
David Lee (NYK) - He's taken the ball D'Antoni gave him and double-doubled with it.
Rajon Rondo (BOS) - Pierce has closed games, but Rondo's been keeping them in games all season.
Gerald Wallace (CHA) - Crash has been with the 'Cats since Day One and should be the first one in an all-star game.

West:
Chris Paul (NOH) - CP3 is the top PG in the NBA in spite of the in juries this season.
Brandon Roy (POR) - Probably the unluckiest star here as his bigs are all down with something.
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) - Best Non-American player ever? Top 3 at the very least.
Kevin Durant (OKC) - We all knew it was coming. But he has finally arrived.
Pau Gasol (LAC) - The big man getting close to 20-10 on the best team deserves a slot.
Zach Randolph (MEM) - Personally, I hate him. But the Griz are winning because of him.
Chauncey Billups (DEN) - The Nuggets, especially Melo wouldn't be West Elite without him.

I agree with people that say that winning is a major part of being an all-star. True enough, most playoff teams (as of the moment) have at least one all-star. Only Chicago and Utah being missed out on. Some teams with good records do have a shortage of all-stars such as Dallas, but that's just because more members of the team are producing while lower teams such as Phoenix were lucky to have 2 all-stars. Luckily for Stoudamire, David Spade helped and he was voted in.

Snubs:
Chris Kaman (LAC) - You're a Clipper. That should be reason enough already. Being the #1 team in LA matters because of the record. That's why Pau gets the nod over him.
Deron Williams (UTA) - As much as I love D-Will, he's been hurt a lot this year, and Denver's better record pushes Billups ahead of him.
Josh Smith (ATL) - blame Allen Iverson
Jamal Crawford (ATL) - blame Allen Iverson
Derrick Rose (CHI) - blame Allen Iverson
Stephen Jackson (CHA) - blame Allen Iverson

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 12

The Director
Chris Paul (NOH) - 1.3 3FGM, 18.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 13.5 APG, 3.0 SPG [4]

CP3 is back in the Mythical 5 with his usual numbers. Looks like he, David West and Emeka Okafor are finally getting their acts together, and less scoring is needed from him. Us fantasy people hate that... unless we own Okafor.


The Skywalker
Dwyane Wade (MIA) - 27.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.5 SPG, 1.8 BPG [3]

D-Wade was a defensive beast last week. Sure he gambles and puts his team at risk in the real world, but that doesn't mean jack in fantasy basketball. 4.3 Steals/Blocks per game is just way, way up there for any guard.


The Triggerman
Lebron James (CLE) - 35.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 7.0 APG, 3.0 SPG, 1.7 BPG [6]


LeBron was once again the best player in fantasy basketball. He's been here for the 6th week and he even produced higher offense and defensive numbers than Wade. It seems that Cleveland is finally taking some of the load of LeBron, keeping defenders honest and letting LeBron go nuts. If only he'd dunk in the Dunk Contest...


Captain Lionheart
Stephen Jackson (CHA) - 3.0 3FGM, 29.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, 3.0 SPG [1]

Here's another one of those "multiple positions saves my ass" types of listings again. I really never knew until recently that S-Jax had PF eligibility. Being in Golden State indeed paid off for some fantasy owners who lucked out on this one.


Tower of Power
Brook Lopez (NJN) - 22.5 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.5 BPG [2]

He's been the only consistent thing in New Jersey aside from the losses. How those two correlate, I dunno. But, Brook is recently getting outshone by Robin out in Phoenix. Maybe we'll see these 2 get some time to go head-to-head.

Battle at the Bottom - The PBA Wild Card

The PBA regular season for the All-Filipino Conference is winding down with all teams basically having just one or two games left on their schedules. The race up top between San Miguel, Alaska and Ginebra is exciting but rather immaterial at this point as we are sure to see more of them already. Same thing with Talk n Text and Sta. Lucia, they might not be in contention for the outright semifinal slots, but being safe in the quarterfinals is much, much better than the plight which I am about to discuss.

The Battle at the Bottom of the PBA standings has four teams, all struggling to survive, knowing that even if they were to get through this ordeal, the next one will be much tougher to get through. Let's go through each team's chances, and maybe we can find a way to sort this out.

Burger King Whopper (5-11) - Ginebra, Alaska

Burger King is probably in the best spot among the four teams as they have 5 wins already, 2 games left and they beat the current bottom team, Barako Bull in both their meetings this season. Now, with their wild card bid already set, it's best to look at their possible competition. They're 1-1 against Coke, 2-0 against RoS in close games and 2-0 against Barako Bull in blow outs. It's not hard to guess who they'd like to face in the wild card round.

Of course, with the recent trade of Alax Cabagnot and Wesley Gonzales into their roster, they don't have the same team that won all those games. So, chemistry might be an issue and nothing is really safe even if they seem to been the best among the worst.


Coca-Cola Tigers (5-12) - Barako Bull

Coke is in a rather interesting bind. They have 5 wins, but they have one more game against bottom-placer Barako Bull. Worse, Barako Bull can tie their record and in their first round meeting, they lost to the Energy Boosters. Based on just the math, they too are almost sure-in for the wild card phase, but they can ensure their fate by winning their remaining game and putting Barako Bull away. As for their record against RoS, they're 1-1, so that should be an interesting battle.

Similar to Burger King, Coke too has to figure out how to deal with the trade. Why they did it this late in the season, I honestly do not understand. Chemistry and knowing your teammates is a very big thing during pressure-packed situations. Luckily for them, the trade came with a pressure player in Gary David, so they might be the winners of the trade.


Rain or Shine Elastopainters (4-13) - Alaska

Honestly, the faces of these two guys say everything about the Elastopainters' season. They don't know what is going on and how to deal with it. Early in the season, they are the first ones to defeat then undefeated Alaska, but they never get anything going. One win and done. The team's starters are loaded with talent in Norwood, Mercado, Reyes and Telan, but they can't seem to gel.

Unfortunately for them, they have to go against Alaska, a team with something to lose, on their last game. Alaska will be looking for a semifinal slot and revenge on Rain or Shine, and that doesn't help their cause. Good thing for them is that they blew out Barako Bull in their win against them, which might help if quotients are factored in.


Barako Bull Energy Boosters (3-13) - Sta. Lucia, Coca-Cola

Barako Bull was almost dead and gone last week, but they surprised Talk n Text. So, now, everything is still up in the air even though the numbers are against them. What's fortunate for Barako is that they still have 2 games to hike up their wins. If they can get to 5, they're in as they beat Coke twice. If they only win once, they leave everything in the hands of Rain or Shine.

Regardless, Barako is still the most likely team to be eliminated early. They have no clear leader and no clear star. They win when two or three players have almost perfect games - take note 2 or 3. They have to be that lucky against teams to win. Fortunately for them, Sta. Lucia is already in the quarters with no chance of the semis, so they might get to see a lot of the Realtors second unit.

There we go... A lot of interesting games left in the regular season before the hectic playoffs begin... Let's hope the teams deliver interesting basketball so that fans will come in during the playoffs.

NBA Fantasy Players of the Week 11

Just when last week I said that everything was getting back to normal in the fantasy world, it gets screwed up again. LeBron wasn't close to 30-8-8, Kobe was shooting left-handed, Nash and Paul were scoring. You could go on and on.

So this is why we have a pretty weird Mythical 5 this week... Prepare to be surprised.

The Director
Monta Ellis (GSW) - 30.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 2.3 SPG [1]

For some strange reason, the monicker "The Director" doesn't fit when Ellis is your PG. But then again, he's eligible, so ehhh.. But he had good scoring and somewhat good percentages, so we have to give him the spot.


The Skywalker
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 1.7 3FGM, 30.7 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.0 SPG [4]

Kevin Durant installs some normalcy in this week's mythical five being on the list 3 times prior to this. The points are there, but everything else is down. Must be a really slow fantasy week for all the top players...


The Triggerman
Andre Iguodala (PHI) - 1.0 3FGM, 17.7 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.7 SPG [1]

Iguodala did his LeBron impersonation this week with an 18-7-7 type of deal. Lebron Lite, as I will now call him, gave us good numbers but nothing that will pop out at you. But his efforts will not be unnoticed as he is not the only Sixer on the list.


Captain Lionheart
Channing Frye (PHX) - 3.7 3FGM, 18.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG [2]

Here's where it begins to get fishy. Frye was previously on this list at center but I had to bump him down in favor of another big guy. Frye was draining 3s as is his role with the Suns and at a high percentage compared to the blips he's been having the weeks prior.


Tower of Power


Samuel Dalembert (PHI) - 1.000 FT%, 15.3 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 2.7 BPG [1]
This week's Best Player in Fantasy Basketball is Samuel Dalembert. Nope, I am not drunk not high. Dalembert got this week's nod because of his double-doubles and his high-high percantage. Normally, I'm not a percentage guy, but he had a signifcant number of shots per game and he made all of his free throws. Tough to admit but I can't deny Sammy D this week.

Fantasy NBA Players of the Week 10

Just because I wasn't able to fix my line-up and put David Lee in, I lost a week 2-7. Makes me wonder if I should keep him for the keeper league. But since he's an unrestricted free agent, I have to wait and see...

Now, the fantasy world seems to be normalizing based on pre-season predictions... This week's mythical 5!


The Director
Chris Paul (NOH) - 20.7 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 9.3 APG, 2.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG [3]
CP3 is back in his place as the NBA's best PG. But, his assists are down compared to when he came back from injury. This is probably because West and Okafor are contributing more to the Hornets cause. The block is a bonus and the steals are where you want them to be.


The Skywalker
Kobe Bryant (LAL) - 2.3 3FGM, 33.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.5 APG [4]

The Black Mamba just killed the Kings for the second game in a row. He's been playing at an MVP pace this year and with Gasol going down to the hamstring, we can expect Kobe to be looking to shoot again.


The Triggerman

LeBron James (CLE) - 29.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG [5]

The King was the best player in fantasy basketball this week with monster 5-cat averages over 4 games. The statement being made in the 48-point explosion in Atlanta. We know he can do this every night if he wanted to, but he's saving energy for the chase for the homecourt advantage and playoffs this early. Yes, this early, especially since Boston and Orlando are right up there in the East.


Captain Lionheart
Chris Bosh (TOR) - 26.7 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG [3]

CB4 has finally restored his 20-10 averages after a funk he went through last week. With Hedo going down to injury and Calderon still not back, Bosh will be forced to have these numbers for at least this week.


Tower of Power
Nene (DEN) - 23.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.3 APG, 3.3 SPG, 1.0 BPG [1]

Nene is clearly benefiting from Melo and Ms. Big Shot going down to injury. He has to establish himself as Denver's 3rd option, and seems to be doing so very well. When those 2 come back, we'll see if Nene can keep this pace up.