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

NBA Christmas Preview

This year's NBA schedule will feature 5 games, which more or less were desgined to give some family entertainment during the "best time of the year." These 5 games all have interesting backstories behind them and aims to capture even those non-basketball fans because of the hype and telenovela like stories being built up.

The NBA made this schedule even before the season started. Let's see if they got their gut-feels right...

Miami vs New York

This game is simply all about one man. Dwyane Wade is on the free agent market next year, and is probably the 2nd target of the New York Knicks after LeBron James. HE provides the struggling Knicks franchise with a superstar big enough to handle the bright lights of the big city. Hell, even Jay-Z made a comment about Wade in New York...


Boston vs Orlando

Everybody was saying last year that D12 and the Magic were only able to get through the Celtics was because they were missing Garnett and the defensive tenacity he brings to the floor. This year, we get to see it. In the Finals, Paul Pierce even mentioned that he thought that the Magic was a "poodle" compared to the "rotweiler." Unfortunately for the Truth, he'll be observing this Christmas day game as he was diagnosed to miss the next 2 weeks with a knee injury.


Cleveland vs Los Angeles Lakers

With the help of these dudes, Nike has been building up this match since the playoffs started last year. They were hoping it would happen in the Finals, but we all ended up waiting another half year to see it. Individually, I think we cannot contest that Kobe and LeBron are the 2 best players in the league, and they hope to lead their star-studded teams in clash in Hollywood. Just enough of a bright lights, big stage, right time set-up for a primetime, national television broadcast. The Mamba vs the King.

LA Clippers vs Phoenix Suns


Initially, I was supposed to label this match-up as a battle of "failure of the 2009 season" with both teams having stocked line-ups, stubborn coaches and too little wins to get into the playoffs. Then I remembered the crazy stuff their 2 starting point guards do during their free time. Yes folks, that's Steve "Two Time" (MVP, not Tiger Woods two-time) Nash and Baron "Boom Dizzle" Davis. If you can find a clip of it online, these 2 made a video in the style of Will Ferrel's and C. THomas Reiley's Stepbrothers, hence the stupid outfits... Now, on the basketball side of it, The Suns are resurgent and now seem to be contenders in spite of their recent struggles, and the Clippers seem to be getting there. The added bonus of Blake Griffin was supposed to be highlighted here as well, but a broken kneecap has said no.


Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trailblazers

Here's is where the league was bitten in the ass by the injury bug. Oden, Roy, Outlaw, Batum, Pryzbilla, Billups and Martin might all miss the game due to one injury or another. It was supposed to be a battle for supremacy of the US Northwest, and instead it will be Carmelo Anthony vs LaMarcus Aldrigde. Sort of an anti-climactic way to end the night...

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week 5

So what happens when I praise a player for his stellar play, the dude goes down... Kevin Martin, CP3 and most recently, Elton Brand. Dammit! Haha

For the fist time this season though, I was able to post 3 wins of 5-3-1, 6-3 and 7-2. Looks like either my fantasy teams are getting healthy and hot or my opponents have all been hit by the injury bug as well. At the rate the NBA is going though, it's more likely that it's the injuries. I think every NBA team has had a decent fantasy-relevant player miss games this year. I'll look into this in a related post.

Now, the players of the week...

The Director
Steve Nash (PHX) - 1.3 3FGM, 13.3 PPG, 14.3 APG 1.0 SPG [2]

It's been frustrating how the Suns have actually been blowing people out of the water as Nash is getting less minutes to pile on the stats. But even with the decreased minutes, the assists have actually stayed the same. It's just that the points and 3's have gone down. Any week that Nash posts a steal per game, that's a bonus.

The Skywalker
Kobe Bryant (LAL) - 2.3 3FGM, 28.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.3 SPG [2]

Kobe also shows up on this list for the second time because of his consistent play. Known to have a groin injury, he can actually play consistently since he does not have to carry the team every game. Thus, the numbers keep on coming. 3.3 SPG isn't a bad help either.

The Triggerman
Kevin Durant (OKC) - 28.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.0 SPG, 1.3 BPG [1]

Finally! I've been waiting for 4 weeks to finally have this guy perform well enough to be on the list. The scoring and the rebounds are very much expected of him in the team. It's his high potential for D that finally puts him up here. 3.3 combined Steals and Blocks per game is great from the offensive machine.

Captain Lionheart
Gerald Wallace (CHA) - 25.3 PPG, 13.7 RPG, 1.7 SPG, 1.0 BPG [1]

Crash seems t be the only one among the Bobcats who ha remained unaffected by the Capt. Jack trade from Golden State. Aside from him, the rest of the Bobcats fantasy value has tanked - Felton, Diaw, Augustin, etc. Damn you Larry Brown!

Tower of Power
Marcus Camby (LAC) - 12.0 PPG, 15.5 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 3.0 BPG [1]

The resurrection! Camby again proves that WHEN HEALTHY, he is one of the biggest stats stuffers there is. Defense is what Camby is known for and he did it for 4 games this week. I just wonder how this will figure in when Griffin returns.


Here's a list of who's been able to appear multiple times on the list this year:
3 - LeBron James
2 - Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Chris Bosh

Fantasy NBA: Players of the Week

The NBA started about a week ago with a kick-off by Eastern Conference contenders Boston and Cleveland. The Celtics gave the Cavs a beating, and I think they will raise banner 18 this year (if healthy).

In a parallel basketball universe though, Fantasy Basketball Season has started. Here, the intensity and intangibles don't matter. It's all about the numbers... I'm starting a feature here ala Rick Kamla and will give you my starting 5 as well as fantasy surprises for the week, given a PBA-twist though... And now!

The Director (Point Guard)!
Steve Nash (Phoenix Suns) - 1.00 FT%, 2.0 3Pt FGM, 18.4 PPG, 14.0 APG
Nash posted back-to-back games of 20 and 18 assists this last week, confirming that indeed the run and gun Suns are back. Naturally, with that pace and his aggressiveness, there is a risk of high turnovers (4.3 TPG). But, the bad comes with the good, and you live with the TOs. Hey, Nash even managed to sneak a game-winner this week over the Clippers.

The Skywalker (Shooting Guard)!
Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) - 3.3 3Pt FGM, 21.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG

The Celtic captain has a lot of talk to back-up after he called the Lakers and Magic a german shepherd and a poodle during the Finals. So far, he has backed it up with the Celtics posting an undefeated record and his stats establishing again that he is just as important to banner 18 as Garnett is. The steals are what sets his averages so far apart as he is known to be a good defender, but it has not provided the numbers. So far though, they're there.

The Triggerman (Small Forward)!
Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) - 1.0 3Pt FGM, 37.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 4.3 APG

Carmelo has been making a statement that he is all-world by showing the heart and effort which people often criticized him about when compared to draft batchmates Wade and James. Possibly the most versatile scorer in the league now, Melo has been doing it all over the floor for 37.7 PPG - 3's, mid-range, high-post, low-post. For those that missed it, look for his poster on Paul Millsap on youtube.

Captain Lionheart (Power Forward)!
Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors) - 1.0 3Pt FGM, 31.0 PPG, 14.7 RPG, 2.3 APG

CB4 is probably the best NBA video-maker, and he is also a free agent this year and people predict he will be the one bolting to tag team with Wade or LeBron. He is making no jokes and instead a statement so far that indeed he is worth the cap space by posting crazy averages in the first week. Of course, people are still asking more from the D (1.3 combined SPG and BPG), but I would take his 30-15's any day.

Tower of Power (Center)!
Channing Frye (Phoenix Suns) - 4.3 3Pt FGM, 19.7 PPG, 2.0 SPG

Stepping in for the departed Shaq and the injured Robin Lopez, Frye converts unconventional stats for your starting center. He shoots 3's and does not come up with blocks. He is definitely benefiting from the Suns offense and playing with Nash, making people think "Why did the Knicks give this guy up?" Now, he has a chance to make a name for himself, and he is a great complement to Amare if they want to try for a playoff run.


For the Surprise of the Week, we go to New York!
Danilo Gallinari (New York Knicks) - 6.0 3Pt FGM, 22.7 PPG, 4.7 RPG

I don't know about you, but 6 3's a game is no joke. The Italian Stallion (all pardon to Rocky Balboa) is making New York seem like a viable option for James, Bosh and Wade as he shows that they are not rebuilding. The obvious beneficiary of D'Antoni's Seven Seconds or Less, Gallinari will be starting at PF in place of Al Harrington, so we can expect him to be posting numbers consistently, making him and David Lee the most fun white boy combo in the NBA.



And those were the Fantasy studs this week. Can we expect these numbers to be this high consistently? Maybe not as teams will tune in to them, but if you're still waiting on some drafts, they might be worth getting before anybody realizes their value. More on these next week, and hope to see your teams alive come Week 24.