Tag Archives: Daily Fantasy Basketball League

4 Burning Questions: NBA Edition

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This Year’s Lockout-induced, shortened season has felt like anything but excitement, as has been the theme throughout. Trade talks are at a premium and the line between contender/pretender teams has never felt so blurred. It’s leaving fans with many questions, so many that I couldn’t possibly compose a list of all of them; but that doesn’t mean I won’t try. In fact there are 4 questions that jump out due to their importance and implications, and those we will take a look at.

1. Are the Chicago Bulls Title Contenders?

Thoughts: A lopsided playoff loss to powerful Miami last spring raised doubts about how good Chicago actually was…well they’ve responded, in a big way. Up to this point they’re 40-10 and hold the league’s best record. They’ve also had a number of meaningful victories over playoff teams, with a number of those coming without Derrick Rose. However, until The Bulls can beat an elite team in a playoff series they will remain just a very good team. Their inability to score consistently minus D-Rose remains a concern, a concern big enough to stall their title hopes at least another season.

2. Did Dwight Howard Make The Right Move?

Thoughts: After the fiasco he put everyone through, Dwight remained in Orlando despite vigorously demanding a trade. The popular location for D12 to land was thought to be New Jersey, but that trade just never materialized. That could end up being a real shame for New Jersey as this season wraps up (more to come on that). Now that Howard has signed on for at least one more season we will get to see whether that was wise. Orlando still seems short of having a squad capable of winning a title, but perhaps Dwight can be the difference maker. One thing’s for sure, if he can win a championship with Orlando (and with this squad), he may well be the true “Superman”.

3. Will Deron Williams Leave New Jersey, or is Gerald Wallace Enough Compensation?

Thoughts: Losing out on another potential franchise changing talent made the Nets desperate. To their credit, they did not panic and because of that they improved their team with the acquisition of Gerald Wallace. A personal favorite of mine, Wallace is above all else an athlete; he can jump with anyone and can find ways to score on his own, which will be key for a lackluster New Jersey team. The bigger issue at hand is whether this move is enough to convince Deron Williams to stay with the team. The answer to that, at least as I see it, is that the Nets must do more to really improve. This one signing does not make the Nets any more of a title contender and must be complemented with another signing of a Superstar this off-season, or the Brooklyn move may become a disaster.

4. Who Are The Knicks?

The New York Knicks have been on a roller-coaster ride all season, going from awfully good to awfully bad several times, and at the end of the day which are they? The key issues seem to be the lack of cohesion and balance on offense coupled with a lot of (as Walt “Clyde” Frazier would say) “Swiss Cheese” defense. However, since the resigning of Coach Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks have shown a resurgent defense. They have shown this at times this season already, but have never sustained it for any period of time. If they can keep their commitment level up and continue to share the basketball they have a dangerous team. Since Interim Head Coach Mike Woodson has taken over, the trio of Jeremy Lin, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony have been gelling all while sacrificing individual stats for team victories; can that continue? That question in itself is the key to how good the New York Knicks can and will be.

Any Big Questions I Missed? How Far Will The Knicks Go? Thoughts?

Ricky Rubio’s Disheartening Injury

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When I first saw Ricky Rubio’s injury last night, I laughed.  I’ve seen enough European basketball players flop to fill a soccer field.  Pau Gasol throws his effeminate arms in the air as if Rolando McClain tackled him full speed.  Hedo Turkoglu reaches for his face passionately every time somebody puts a hand up on a shot.  Vlade Divac, the most legendary flopper of them all, hit the floor like a dog playing dead any time he could draw a charge.  So naturally, when I glanced at the highlights and saw Rubio fall on an injury that looked routine, I thought nothing of it.  Man, I feel bad, poor Rubio will have to sit out the rest of the season with a torn ACL.

The 21-year old sensation had waited to play in the NBA.  Since 2009, when he was drafted by the Timberwolves, he knew he had something to prove.  Rubio backed out of a deal that would’ve bought out his contract from his Spanish team.  Then, he signed a 6-year deal in Spain, only to eventually end up in Minnesota.  He was a headline, at 14 years-old he became the youngest professional basketball player in the Spanish ACB league.  He had legendary vision that awed those who saw him play.  Rubio was a cult hero, but he was also a villain.  Nobody in the states really knew the full story, so they blamed Rubio for not coming immediately to America, and Minnesotans weren’t happy losing a 5th overall pick to another country.  However when Ricky got on the court, he was able to wipe everybody’s memory, “Men in Black” style.  He played with grace and excitement, and had Minnesota only a half game out of the last playoff spot, now things are messy.  Minnesota will struggle without Rubio, whom was the perfect compliment to Kevin Love’s dynamic scoring.  Rubio will have plenty of time to prove himself, and hopefully he recovers fully and quickly. To bad that on a play that looked seductively innocent, Minnesota lost its potential playoff birth, and Ricky Rubio lost some of the powerful momentum he had going for him.

Rondo Historic In Celtics’ Win over Knicks

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Rajon Rondo had a special game for the hometown crowd that flooded the TD Garden in Boston Sunday afternoon. Playing against the revived Jeremy Lin-led Knicks, the Celtics looked like the team of old, at least for a game. The Celtics have been trying to regain their form after a tough stretch to start the season, and the All-Star break seems to have done them well. A well-rested Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce wrecked havoc on the Knicks, with much credit belonging to the play-making of All-Star Point Guard Rajon Rondo. In a 115-111 Overtime Victory for Boston, Rondo managed a line of 18 Points, 17 Rebounds and 20 Assists; marking just the third time in NBA history a player was able to rack up 17+ Rebounds with 20+ Assists (Magic Johnson and Wilt “The Stilt” Chamberlain are the only others to have done so). Although critics will talk about how this game went to overtime (the other two achievers did so in regulation), this by no means discredits Rondo’s performance. The fact that such a game has occurred just three times in the storied history of the NBA speaks to how special the performance truly was and is. The way I see it, the fact that Rondo put up this type of showing in a big game and that in the scope of things every point and assist he earned were vital in his team winning, this game may be even more special because of how tight the score was.

Being able to watch this one live, the game Rondo put together ranks up there with any individual performance I can recall from recent memory. Rondo’s dominance on the scoreboard as well as his dominance of the tempo made watching his play enjoyable, even as a non-Boston fan, merely as a fan of the game and its merits. The game seemed to flow through him and everything he did worked, and he looked smooth. Whether it was a crafty drive to the basket or a well fed pass to a cutting teammate, Rondo could do no wrong and he showed that his talent is something to be marveled at. Until today I never saw Rajon Rondo as a superstar that could carry a team alone, but believe me, after today I’ll never be silly enough to think such a thought again.

Where Do You Rank Rondo’s Performance? What Happened To Jeremy Lin? Thoughts?

The NBA’s Leader in 3-Pointers Made: Ryan Anderson

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At the beginning of the NBA season, if the questioned was proposed “who will be the leader in 3 pointers made?” popular opinion would be probably Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics or Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.  Allen and Curry are both exceptional three point gunners, with Ray Ray holding the throne of the ultimate three point crown, having the all-time record in 3-pointers made in NBA history. Allen has made 2,666 three pointers in his career, and counting.  However, to date this 2011-2012 NBA season, one man has stands alone head and shoulders above the pack, Orlando Magic 6’10″ forward-center Ryan Anderson.

Ryan Anderson has hit 87 three point shots to date in the NBA season, best in the league.  Anderson has 24 more three pointers than the two players tied for second most, 63 for Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks and 63 for Anthony Morrow of the New Jersey Nets.  Anderson has also been scoring his three point shots with a high level of efficiency, shooting 43.5% from downtown (87 for 200).  Ray Allen, always deadly from three point range, has made 54 three pointers this NBA season, shooting 49.1% from beyond the arc.  Stephen Curry, who finished in the NBA top ten last season in 3-point field goals made, with 151, has made only 37 this season, shooting 41.6% from 3-point land.  The Fact is Ryan Anderson has mad more three pointers (87) than Stephen Curry (37) and Kevin Love (46) combined. Numbers don’t lie, and three pointers are a vital fantasy basketball statistical category as well as a key to scoring in NBA basketball.

Ryan Anderson has come on strong this NBA season to lead the NBA in 3-point shots made, and averaging 16.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, .8 assists, .8 steals on top of the 3-pointers made per game are solid fantasy numbers. Anderson has shown that, at least fantasy basketball wise, there is more than one option to pick from the lineup playing for the Orlando Magic.  For daily fantasy basketball leagues Ryan Anderson is money for three point shots.

Jeremy Lin is Putting up Legendary Fantasy Basketball Numbers in his First Four NBA Starts

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In the history of the NBA, not since the 1976 NBA/ABA merger, no player has scored more points in his first 4 starts than Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks. Lin has averaged 27.3 points per game, scoring 109 points over his first 4 NBA starts at point guard, for a Knicks team which was struggling up until the insertion of Linsanity into the rotation. New York has won all 5 games Lin has been seeing real playing time.  What is even more remarkable is to consider his best game as a starter, where he scored 38 points, and did so against none other than Kobe Bryant, the best all around guard in the NBA, and the always dangerous Los Angeles Lakers.

Even more impressive about Jeremy Lin’s extreme and extraordinary NBA success is how he stacks up against some of the greatest players of all time, especially comparing to unquestionably the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.  Jordan, the Chicago Bulls Legend, his “Air-ness”, who is a 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time NBA Finals MVP, 5-time NBA MVP, 10-time NBA scoring leader, all-time NBA leader in points per game at 30.1 ppg, needs no introduction.  Surprisingly Air Jordan only averaged 24.8 Points per game in his first four NBA starts

Big “SHAQ” Diesel actually slightly outscores Michael Jordan in his first four NBA starts for the Magic.  The Big Diesel scored 25 points per game in his first four starts down in Orlando. Shaq’s 100 points in his first four NBA starts is third in NBA history since the merger.  Allen Iverson is second all time with 25.3 points per game in his first four NBA starts for the Philadelphia 76ers.  A.l., cited most recently for serious financial troubles, was at one time the most feared scorer in the NBA.  Iverson was a prolific explosive scorer, with a hell bent drive to the basket, a fearless pull up jump shot, a nasty ankle breaking crossover and had the ability to knock down three point shots in cold hearted fashion. Air Jordan, SHAQ Diesel and The Answer were all incredible scorers right from the start, however they fail to match of Jeremy Lin’s miracle run.

To recap, Jeremy Lin has averaged 27.3 points per game in his first four NBA starts. That’s 2 more points per game than the rest of the Hall of Fame quality pack, and 2.5 points per game higher than the greatest player in NBA history, Michael Jordan.  Be a winner.  Be bold.  Be a leader.  Pick Jeremy Lin. Lin’s legendary numbers will pay off big time.  Tonight, Tuesday (2/14/2012), the New York Knicks take on the Toronto Raptors and Jeremy Lin’s dominance will continue.  For daily fantasy basketball Jeremy Lin is a legend already.