Hoops Haven

Every now and then some of the old heads around the league show us a little of the skills that once made them impact players.  Although Antonio McDyess has played for a number of NBA clubs in his now double digit NBA career, he has proved to be a valuable player off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs this season. 

In fact, McDyess showed just what he is still capable of recently when he made one of the best blocks of the year against the driving Jason Terry of the Mavericks, in the series clinching Game 6 victory for the Spurs.

Check out McDyess’ Moster Block:

In what could have been his final game as a member of the Miami Heat, soon to be free agent, Dwyane Wade, put up some pretty gaudy offensive numbers, like a new playoff high of 46 points to help the Heat stave off elimination in their 1st round series against the Boston Celtics.  But what everyone seems to be talking about is his monsterous poster dunk over everyone’s favorite NBA villian, Kevin Garnett.  The dunk could have been epic except for the fact that Garnett got wise and started to flinch and pull away right as Wade begins to bang on him.

Wade Poster Dunk Over Garnett:

With seemingly everyone and their mother firing up youtube videos lately, and considering that it’s NBA Playoff time, we’ve found a great combination of both.  Behold the “official” playoff anthem of the Cleveland Cavaliers, appropriately called “Tha Finals.”  If you listen closely, the lyrics are set to the old Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony joint, “Crossroads.”

Looking for something to fire up some Dallas Maverick spirit?  With a little help from our 16th President of the United States, Mavs player DeShawn Stevenson,………and his tattoo, you too will root for the Mavs this post-season. 

Just listen to honest Abe……. 

Not many rookies get to be on a poster in just their first year in the NBA.  Apparently Lebron James was in the giving mood since he decided to dunk on Chicago Bulls rookie James Johnson in Game 2 of the Cavs/Bulls playoff series, so violently that it had flash bulbs popping, and in turn probably put Johnson on his first poster, even though he was on the losing end.

Welcome to the playoffs rook!

Check out the posterization:

 Although the NBA Playoffs begin this weekend, fantasy playoffs (which are far more meaningful if you ask me) have come to a disappointing conclusion. With the fantasy year finished, it’s time to take a look back and examine what went according to plan, and what went horribly wrong in the 2009-2010 season. Whether you’re a fantasy champion or a cellar dweller, the following individuals likely played a significant role in your fate…

STUD OF THE YEAR: Kevin Durant

Think the Blazers wish they had selected him instead of Greg “I look like I’m 60 and my knees act accordingly” Oden? This year was Durant’s coming out party as he made a statement to the basketball world that he will undoubtedly be a legitimate superstar for years to come.

The 3rd year swingman led the NBA in scoring with more than 30 PPG, and at 21 becomes the youngest player in league history to win a scoring crown. Young players usually fade down the stretch, but in his 8 games in April, Durant averaged nearly 35 PPG, making 2.5 threes a contest and shooting almost 95% at the free throw line.

Durant played all 82 games for the surprise Thunder, averaging nearly 40 minutes a night for a team which won 50 games and made the playoffs in just its second season in Oklahoma City. His peripheral numbers tell the story of his overall value this season: 7.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.4 STL, 1.0 BLK, 47.6% FG, 1.6 3PT, 90.0% FT.

For the last few years, the consensus top 3 fantasy picks have been LeBron, Kobe, and D-Wade (in no particular order), but expect Durant to knock at least one of those players out in many drafts this fall. All he needs now is a fancy nickname.

Fantasy MVP’s and NBA MVP’s often represent two different accomplishments, but Durant would be a deserving recipient of either award after this year’s performance.

 Honorable Mention: LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki

DUD(S) OF THE YEAR: Jose Calderon and Hedo Turkoglu

I would have picked just one guy, but these two suit up for the same team so I figured they could pick a equidistant point between their lockers and set up a trophy stand. It could serve as great motivation for next season in Toronto.

We’ll start with Calderon, whose value usually hinges on a few select categories. Two years ago, the Spanish point guard averaged 8.9 APG and shot an amazing 98% at the free throw line. This year, those numbers fell to pedestrian levels: 5.9 and 79.8% respectively.

Those weren’t the only categories to suffer though, as Calderon’s scoring fell from 12.8 to 10.3, rebounds dropped from 2.9 to 2.1, steals went from 1.1 to 0.7, and his shooting percentage took a 1.5% hit as well.

Calderon was tagged just outside the top tier of 5-6 fantasy point guards before the year began. When all is said and done, he was severely out-performed by lower ranked floor generals like Joe Johnson, Jason Kidd, Devin Harris (despite early injuries), Baron Davis, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, and Russell Westbrook.

As for Turkoglu, the Raptors didn’t get the player they thought they were signing after his trip to the Finals with Orlando last summer.

Turkoglu was a 17-5-5 player with the Magic last year, but was only able to give Toronto an 11-4-4 effort this season. Maybe it was the Canadian cold (he had played in Sacramento, San Antonio, and Orlando for his entire career), but the Turkish forward was extremely invaluable in most areas.

The only significant improvement Turkoglu made was with his 3-point shooting (nearly 2% better), but most other major fantasy categories saw a disappointing decline. It was perhaps never more evident than when the forward was reduced to a bench role for 5 games near the end of the regular season after a horrendous March (8.5 PPG on 39.8% FG).

Making the playoffs in the Eastern Conference is not a difficult task, but the Raptors were unable to do so after a highly average 40-win season. The extreme underachievement of both Calderon and Turkoglu are likely the two biggest reasons.

I find it hard to believe that, given the high investment required for either talent, very few owners managed to achieve eventual success with one (or God forbid both) of these duds.

Honorable Mention: Charlie Villaneuva, Leandro Barbosa

FANTASY ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Tyreke Evans

Unlike the MVP, this award usually translates in both fantasy and real life. Evans averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.8 APG, and 5.3 RPG for the Kings in his first year and was easily their best player (granted, not that high a distinction).

Rookies usually struggle with their shooting as they enter the NBA (re: 43% in Kevin Durant’s rookie year), but Evans managed to shoot a respectable 45.8% from the field. The Memphis product also averaged 1.5 STL and shot nearly 75% at the foul line.

There really weren’t many drawbacks to Evans’ game (to nit pick: 3.0 TO, 25% 3PT) as he solidified himself as a legitimate fantasy guard from day one. Drafting rookies in a high round is always a risk, but those who took Evans got equal, if not superior production to many established fantasy guards.

For those clamoring for Stephen Curry, he put up similar numbers playing for an offensive machine in Golden State, so Evans’ performance carries a little more weight in my mind.

Honorable Mention: Stephen Curry (very close 2nd), Brandon Jennings

911 AWARD (The Guy Who’s Always Hurt!): Andris Biedrens

The 7-footer played in only 33 games this season because of various injuries, but was largely ineffective even when healthy. He finally put the nail in his season’s coffin in early March thanks to an abdominal tear, an unceremonious end to a frustrating year.

Biedrens was expected to provide consistent double-double potential, but instead averaged only 5.0 PPG and 7.9 RPG. Despite starting all but 4 of the aforementioned 33 games, Biedrens was only able to go 23 minutes a night. To be fair to the Latvian, that’s barely enough time to accumulate a single-double.

Easily his most disappointing category (and there were many) came at the free throw line, where Biedrens was an embarrassing 4 for 25 on the season. He’s a 52% career free throw shooter, but missing 21 of 25 is laughable. Take your most unathletic friend down to the gym, and he or she can likely do better.

Don Nelson has actually asked Biedrens to work on shooting underhand during the off-season, which is pretty much rock bottom for foul shooting. Still, one can deal with the lack of touch at the stripe if it meant Biedrens was capable of playing 30+ minutes.

His only double-double this season came on January 15th against Milwaukee: 10 points and 10 rebounds, which ties the least impressive double-double in NBA history.

Honorable Mention: Michael Redd, Chris Paul

NAPPER OF THE YEAR (Surprising but Established Player): David Lee

Here’s all you need to know about David Lee’s year: He’s the 1st New York Knick to average 20 and 10 for a full season since Patrick Ewing in 1996-1997. Along with Chris Bosh and Zach Randolph, he was one of only 3 players to do so this year in the NBA.

Lee averaged 20.3 PPG and 11.7 RPG in the Big Apple this year, but the biggest surprise might have been his 3.6 APG (his previous career high was 2.2). The Florida product put together 54.5% FG, 81.2% FT, and averaged 1.1 STL, which is a nice bonus from an eligible center with limited shot blocking ability.

The question remains whether Lee is legitimately an elite rebounder, or just a tall and athletic big man on a team which takes a ton of shots and is largely unfamiliar with the concept. For fantasy purposes, that argument is moot.

Lee averaged nearly 12 RPG for the 2nd straight season and ranked 3rd in the NBA on the boards behind only Marcus Camby and Dwight Howard. Even more impressive was the fact that Lee’s offensive rebounds were down 0.4 this year, yet he was the 2nd best defensive rebounder in the league.

Honorable Mention: Zach Randolph, Andrew Bogut

SLEEPER OF THE YEAR: Marc Gasol

I watched Marc Gasol at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, and my first reaction: “That man is an overweight oaf who is incapable of being related to Pau Gasol.”

Needless to say, Pau’s brother has made some drastic physical changes since then (losing 35 pounds was a start), and is now developing into a legitimate NBA post presence. Marc averaged 14.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.6 BLK this year for the Grizzlies while playing nearly 36 minutes a night.

Gasol also shot a blistering 58% from the field while posting 2.4 APG and 1.0 STL, making him an all-around center with versatility that most (myself included) never saw coming. The Spaniard missed the final 8 games of the season with a partially torn neck muscle, but his impact on a supremely talented offensive squad was significant for the majority of the season.

Looks can certainly be deceiving, but few will be overlooking this “oaf” on draft day next season.

Honorable Mention: Danilo Gallinari, Darren Collison

MORON OF THE YEAR: Gilbert Arenas

This selection shouldn’t need much explanation. Agent Zero owners have been frustrated by injuries in the past, but they probably didn’t see this one coming…

Honorable Mention: Javaris Crittenton (who redefined the phrase “minimal value”)

As basketball fans, we have been treated to seeing an influx of high flying dunkers just jamming it in opponents faces all season long. I for one, am happy to see the facial dunk return to the NBA, thanks in most part to Amare Stoudemire, after a number of opposing players in recent years would just get out of the way and run for cover, while the dunkers take the liberty of tearing down the rim. I guess I enjoy all of the facial-isms since I grew up in the late 80’s and early 90’s when the “No Lay-up Rule” was in full effect by the NY Knicks and when Michael Jordan tried to jam it down the opponent’s throat on seemingly every possession.

Check out the Top Facial Dunks of the ‘09-’10 Season:

While in Los Angeles on Thursday to accept the Wooden Award after being selected as the best player in college basketball this season, former Ohio State swingman Evan Turner made an appearance as an audience member on The Jimmy Kimmel Show.  Alongside Turner was Syracuse forward, Wes Johnson who was also in town as a finalist for the award and is also expected to declare for the NBA Draft this June.

Mr Kimmel is obviously a fan of Mark Titus, who runs the wildly popular Club Trillion website as a walk on player at Ohio State, since Jimmy introduced Turner as “The Villian” which is a term that Titus often uses to refer to Turner on his site.  Kimmel also pressed Johnson to declare for the draft, live on air, with Wes declining at this point.  Another finalist, freshman John Wall from Kentucky was supposed to accompany the two college stars, but was back on campus taking some final exams, presumably readying himself to leave Kentucky after only one season.

Check out the video:

The Bosh-less Raptors

Chris Bosh fractured his nose on Tuesday after being accidentally yet just as painfully elbowed in the face by the Cavs’ Antawn Jamison. Bosh had surgery on Wednesday to repair the fracture, but will now miss the remainder of the regular season. He may return for the playoffs if Toronto earns a berth, but his fantasy year is over.

(Side Note: Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara broke his nose on Monday night against the Capitals and played 3 nights later against the Sabres. While having the luxury of a protective cage, hockey players are still tougher.)

Bosh averaged 24 PPG and 10.8 RPG this year, so for the Raptors’ final 4 games of the regular season there will be plenty of points and rebounds to go around.

In an ideal world, this should be a perfect chance for Andrea Bargnani to shine in the final stages of the season. The Italian center had 17 points on just 8-22 shooting in a loss to the Celtics on Wednesday, Toronto’s first game A.B. (After Bosh). Bargnani pulled down only 5 rebounds but did post 4 blocks, an area of Bosh’s game which remains limited.

The 4th year big man has been struggling lately from the field, going 20-59 over his last 3 games. He’s also just 2 for his last 15 from 3-point range, which is one of his most valuable assets on the floor. Even at 7’0, he’s only averaging 6.2 RPG this year, so one can only hope his outside shooting will heat up over the final week.

Sonny Weems (now a regular starter as mentioned in last week’s Fantasy Forecast) had a team high 21 points against Boston on Wednesday. Weems was 8 of 13 from the field and 5 for 5 at the foul line with 5 rebounds and 3 assists in nearly 36 minutes.

Weems remains somewhat limited in terms of overall fantasy value, but he’s scored at least 17 points in 3 of his last 5 games (even more impressive considering he’s averaging only 10.6 FG attempts in that stretch). He’s played at least 32 minutes in each of the Raptors’ last 3 contests, so it appears he’ll get the chance to help fill the scoring void down the stretch.

Antoine Wright and Jarrett Jack also have scoring potential off the bench (they each scored 17 against while combining for 5 threes against the Celtics), but both will be very hit or miss based on playing time.

The Biggest Apple

Unless his name is Chris Duhon, any member of the New York Knicks starting lineup is worth a serious look in fantasy basketball.

The latest example: Earl Barron, an undrafted 4th year 7-footer out of Memphis. Barron spent the majority of his first 3 seasons rotting on the Heat bench, but is now getting his chance for Mike D’Antoni in NYC.

Barron has started the last 2 games for the Knickerbockers, posting impressive combined totals of 32 points and 27 rebounds. He missed a 2nd straight double-double by 1 rebound against Indiana on Wednesday (15 points, 9 rebounds).

Those rebounding numbers include an 18 board performance in more than 44 minutes against Boston on Tuesday (perhaps more of a statement about the Celtics inability to rebound). At 245 pounds, Barron is an absolute load down low, as 14 of his 27 rebounds in the last 2 contests have come on the offensive end.

Contrary to his physical size, Barron is a microscopic 4% owned in Yahoo! Leagues. But if you’re considering a pick up, I suggest you wait until after Friday night’s match-up with the Magic. Orlando currently has the 4th best rebounding margin in the NBA, thanks in large part to a rebounding freak named Dwight Howard.

The Knicks tip off against Barron’s former team (Miami) at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, at which point I’d strongly consider an add if you need help on the boards. New York closes the year against Washington (22nd in rebounding margin) and Toronto (Bosh-less), both of which are excellent match-ups for the new starter.

A Newcomer And An Oldcomer

Chris Paul has been shut down for the year after tearing a ligament in his right middle finger, severely limiting his bird flipping ability.

If an owner in your league had given up on Darren Collison after his relegation to the bench, now would be a good time to pounce on the rookie point guard. In his first game back in the Hornets’ starting 5, Collison proved once again how valuable he’s been as a starter this season.

The UCLA product played more than 45 minutes against the Bobcats on Wednesday with 24 points, 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal. He was 8 of 14 from the field and went 7 for 8 at the free throw line.

In 34 starts this year, Collison is averaging 18.4 PPG, 9.0 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.4 STL while shooting 47.6% FG, 41.6% 3PT, and 84.8% FT. Those are elite fantasy point guard numbers, and there’s no doubt he’ll be just as valuable in the backcourt to finish out the year.

Meanwhile in Milwaukee, Andrew Bogut’s gruesome, season-ending injury has paved the way for 37-year-old Kurt Thomas to become the Bucks’ starting center.

In his first 2 games in the starting lineup, Thomas has pulled down a combined 24 rebounds in more than 59 minutes of action. The veteran forward also had 16 points on 8 of 19 shooting, 2 blocks, and 2 steals in those 2 contests against the Bulls and Nets.

A more viable option is Ersan Ilyasova, who has combined for 32 points, 16 rebounds, and 2 blocks in the two games minus Bogut, despite coming off the bench. The Turkish forward has played more than 62 minutes combined in the pair of contests, and based on age (22) should continue to play more than Thomas down the stretch.

Every year colleges seem to be looking for younger and younger players, looking for the next great recruit for their program.  Recently, DePaul University even offered a scholarship to an 8th grader. 

Meet Jaylin Fleming, whom a lot of experts think is the most talented player in his age group.  The kicker is that he is in 5th grade.  Undoubtedly he will be a prime prospect in the class of 2017.  Not surprisingly a number of top tier college programs already have him on their radar.

Check out his story: