What a year it’s been here at FBB. We’ve watched in awe as Kobe Bryant poured in 81. We’ve watched in anger as Larry Brown tore apart the New York Knicks and ruined the fantasy value of about 10 players over the course of the season. We’ve watched with disappointment as one stud after another – even model-of-consistency Kevin Garnett - shut it down in the final two weeks of the season. We’ve watched with excitement as Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Boris Diaw and Mehmet Okur made “The Leap.” We’ve watched with confusion as Samuel Dalembert made the leap, and then leapt backward just as quickly.

And as our first full season of blabbing about fantasy basketball winds to a close, we’re already putting an eye towards next year. That’s where you guys come in. Unquestionably, my favorite part of this season has been reading all of the great comments we’ve had on this blog. You all have a bunch of great opinions and insight, and yesterday was a great example, as I decided against doing the Pick n’ Play, and then Jeremy came through with a great comment on guys to pick up for tonight. So now that we’re just about closing down for the year (DM will have a last post tomorrow), my question for you is this:

What do you want from FBB next year?

What’s worked for you this year? What hasn’t worked? What would you like to see more of? What are you seeing too much of?

You can either post a comment about it below, or you can always e-mail us at the address up at the top of our sidebar. But we’d love to know what we can do to make this site a better resource. We’re also considering taking the site off of blogspot, so if there are any other tools or things you’re interested in seeing, let us know – use your imagination!

Tomorrow, DM will have his wrap-up post, and we might throw in a post here or there during the playoffs and around draft time, but this is it as far as a regular post for me this year. So good luck to everyone tonight, and thanks for reading!

Is it just me or has the end of this year been worse than most? I mean, my starting lineup just two weeks ago included Jason Richardson, Ricky Davis, David West, Yao Ming, and Brevin Knight – all of whom are unstartable due now due to injury, either fake or real. I also have Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace, who have been playing half-time. So the only two guys on my squad that I can safely start are Andre Iguodala and Jermaine O’Neal – and I picked up O’Neal on waivers just before he came back. That’s two guys that were drafted at the beginning of the year that I can start right now. Yikes.

The point is, teams are in total chaos right now. Both in the NBA and in Fantasy. And with just one more day to make moves and pick-ups, you’re looking at a far different strategy than what you had four months, four weeks, or even four days ago. So with that in mind, here’s what to keep in mind as you’re furiously adding and dropping 11th and 12th men:

1. Who’s got something to play for?
Right now we’re down to eight teams that have something to play for in the last two days of the season: Washington, Chicago, Milwaukee, Indiana, Memphis, both LA teams, and Sacramento. By tomorrow morning, that list could be cut in half. But teams with something to play for will at least be sticking to somewhat-normal rotations, particularly those in the East, where everyone is struggling to play against anyone other than Miami or Detroit. That means guys like Jared Jefferies, David Harrison, and Chris Duhon could be worth playing just because you know that they’ll at least get into games for 20-25 minutes. Still, you should wait until after the games tonight to make sure that these teams are still in the running for something before picking these guys up.

2. Pick your categories.
A player’s value is going to be different for every team. If you desperately need blocks, and up huge in points, you may be better off with Etan Thomas than Kobe Bryant. That’s an extreme example of course, but the point is there. And right now, we’re at the extremes. Don’t hold on to top-round picks if they’re not going to do you any good. And remember, if you drop someone today, it’s not like someone else will be able to pick them up before the season is over – they’ll be on waivers until the end of the year.

3. Know your opponent.
There are going to be teams out there with rosters like mine – filled with emergency fill-ins, sorta-injured studs, and a much depleted talent base. You need to be keeping an eye on the other teams in your league to be able to take advantage of those sitting duck squads. Some of those categories that might seem just out of your reach might actually be much more in play than you thought.

4. You Feelin’ Lucky?
OK, let’s face it. A lot of what happens tonight and tomorrow night is going to be completely at the whim of coaches and players. A guy could play 30 minutes or none at all based on how he feels when he wakes up in the morning. As much as I want to tell you put forth a ton of effort and read all the news sites you can, the fact of the matter is that going with your gut may be the best thing you can do. Got a favorite scrub? Think you have an inkling about a guy? Go for it. It’s just as good a guess as any other.

And good luck.

Oh, and go Wizards.

Remember how all season long we were telling you to stay on pace with your games played? Well, we hope you did. There are very few teams with anything left to play for as we get to the last week or two, and you see how not only do players call it quits early on, but they also call it quits early on in the games they actually play. Only a few more days left … here are some guys that might be able to put you over that proverbial hump.

Miami vs. Atlanta
The Heat have nothing left to play for and rested their stars for much of the game yesterday, even though it was an important game for the Bulls. Hey, it’s their right. It was a fantasy disaster, as Antione Walker led the team with 30 minutes and a whopping 10 guys played at least 15 minutes. That’s never good. Michael Doleac might actually be a decent option at center, as it’s hard to see Shaq playing more than 20 minutes again. If you need 3s, Jason Williams returned yesterday and will likely fire up a few. For the Hawks, Marvin Williams put up very nice numbers the past two games (20.5/8.0/2.5) but didn’t really get me any of the blocks I wanted. Oh well. Josh Childress returns tonight and should eat into some of his time and put up some solid numbers.

New Jersey vs. Philadelphia
Another game with absolutely no meaning. New Jersey will probably limit their Big Three to no more than 30 minutes, but their supporting cast is just so lame that there’s not too much help to be found. If you need to fill a game at center, Uncle Cliffy Robinson might not be a bad choice. He’s played at least 25 minutes in each of the last three and has averaged 11.0/6.0/1.0 1with a 3. Hey, it’s better than not using a game at all. Philadelphia’s a hard team to get a read on for the last couple games. After crashing out of the playoffs they have to be a dejected bunch, as well they should. If Stephen Hunter is still available he may be of a little value, but that’s it.

Milwaukee vs. Washington
Ah, a game with actual meaning. Both teams will be giving their best efforts as they try to grab the 5th seed in the East. Personally, I don’t think drawing New Jersey in the first round is as much of a death knell as people are making it out to be. Yes, they went on an incredible streak and are clearly the third best team in the conference, but you simply cannot put them in the same class as Detroit and Miami. I’d certainly like my Wiz to face Cleveland in the first round, but I won’t be too upset if they end up with the Nets. Anyway, since both of these teams are playing for real, you aren’t likely to find much help. All of Milwaukee’s starters should be long gone – maybe Jamaal Magloire is available. As for the Wizards, Brendan Haywood has had a couple of nice games with Etan Thomas out, especially in the blocks department. He’s swatted 8 in the past two games, so he could be worth snagging.

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis
This game has some meaning, too. Sort of. It’s a weird situation out West. The Grizzlies currently hold a one game lead over the Clippers, but all that does is earn them a first round matchup with one of the three teams everyone thinks can win the whole thing, the Mavs. Meanwhile the Clippers are sitting in sixth with a prospective matchup against the Nuggets. So both teams might actually be playing to lose tonight. We’ll see. Jake Tsakalidis has been getting the starts the past few games, but Lorenzen Wright has been playing more minutes, for those looking for a center. Based on past experiences, I just assume that’s a position that people are scrambling to fill at the end. The Clippers are clearly content to finish sixth, as they barely put up a fight at home against the Sonics the other night. Shaun Livingston is your man if you’re looking for assists. He only had 3 in 29 minutes last game, but he could reach double digits with that time again.

Seattle vs. Sacramento
The Sonics are playing themselves right out of a top draft pick the past month, as they have moved ahead of Boston, Houston, Golden State and Minnesota in the standings. With Robert Swift done, Johan Petro is back as the starting center and maybe he’ll get a few blocks for you. Nick Collison has had some nice games since returning from injury, but even at this point in the season he seems a bit too risky. The Kings accomplished their goal and are in the playoffs for the eighth straight year. They have an outside chance at grabbing the seventh spot, but that involves Kobe losing at home to the Hornets, so that’s not going to happen. Expect lots of people to play 20-25 minutes. Kevin Martin was great for many teams earlier on, but then he got hurt and Bonzi Wells came back and he was rendered obsolete. He’s put up some decent numbers the past couple games and could be a good plug in for last week duties.

As the season comes to a close this week some of you may be looking ahead to next season’s draft. For those in Head-to-Head leagues I have prepared a H2H draft strategy that differs from other standard strategies. Emphasis is placed on pursuing players who will help your team win specific categories each and every week, no matter who your opponent, while having a legitimate shot at winning the remaining categories. I wouldn’t recommend punting or forfeiting any category except for maybe points when using this “Head-to-Head Calibrated” Draft Strategy.

Here’s the gist of it: Avoid swingmen at all costs. SGs and SFs simply do not do enough to help your team in weekly H2H matchups. Most G/Fs do not make above average contributions in categories other than points and maybe threes. Resist the temptation to draft the Carmelos, Caron Butlers, and Rip Hamiltons of the league. Instead, aim to dominate four or five out of the eight categories by targeting Point Guards (assists, threes, steals, FT%) and BIG men (rebounds, blocks, FG%). If you end up with 3 or 4 top PGs and 3 or 4 top F/Cs then you will be primed to dominate assists, threes, steals, and blocks every week while remaining competitive in percentages and rebounds (with the conversely strong/weak contributions from your PGs and big men). The only disadvantage you’d probably be facing each week would be in the points department. Barring any serious injuries to your team or terrible luck, you will win your H2H matchup nearly every week by a score of 5-3, 6-2, or 7-1.

Do NOT draft any shooting guards or small forwards until the later rounds. Your first six draft picks should look something like this: PG, PG, PF, C, PG, PF. Swingmen are a dime a dozen with plenty of sleepers available late in drafts anyway. Unlike fantasy baseball where you want to make sure you draft quality players at scarce positions like second base and shortstop; in fantasy hoops you can still find guys at the end of your draft or off the waiver wire who can be everyday starters at the G/F positions.

The only SG/SFs I wouldn’t discourage you from selecting on draft day would be super-studs like LeBron, Kobe, Pierce, Ray Allen, and the Matrix. An argument can also be made for multi-cat contributors like AK-47, Gerald Wallace, Andre Iguodala, and Josh Smith. The following are tentative top 20 lists for point guards and big men according to this “H2H Calibrated” drafting strategy:

Top Point Guards
1. Gilbert Arenas
2. Jason Kidd
3. Steve Nash
4. Chauncey Billups
5. Allen Iverson
6. Dwayne Wade (doesn’t shoot threes, but makes up for it elsewhere)
7. Chris Paul (see above)
8. Raymond Felton
9. Kirk Hinrich
10. Mike James
11. Delonte West
12. Jameer Nelson
13. Jason Terry
14. Tony Parker
15. Baron Davis (he’s lucky to crack the top 15)
16. Sam Cassell
17. Luke Ridnour
18. Rafer Alston
19. Deron Williams
20. Carlos Arroyo

Top BIG Men
1. Elton Brand
2. Dirk Nowitzki (threes are very nice bonus)
3. Yao Ming (fantastic percentages)
4. Pau Gasol
5. Chris Bosh
6. Tim Duncan
7. Jermaine O’Neal
8. Ben Wallace
9. Amare Stoudemire (higher if healthy)
10. Dwight Howard
11. Rasheed Wallace
12. Zydrunas Ilgauskus
13. Marcus Camby
14. Mehmet Okur
15. Brad Miller
16. Chris Kaman
17. Andrew Bogut
18. Chris Wilcox
19. David West
20. Antawn Jamison (hits the glass like a PF, and his recently developed 3-point stroke will make up for lack of blocks)

If you land 7 or 8 of these forty players (while waiting until the late rounds to grab a SG and SF) you should cruise to the top of the standings and an FBA championship. All that said, there are a handful of PGs and big men that don’t contribute enough in the necessary categories and should probably be left for other GMs to fight over. Take a look:

Point Guards to avoid:
Steve Francis / Stephon Marbury – Aside from the disaster that is the NY Knicks, which may get cleared up next year, neither player hits enough treys for a PG.
Brevin Knight – Allergic to threes and his job security will be in jeopardy next season.
Andre Miller – Can’t shoot from long range.

Power Forwards to avoid:
Emeka Okafor – Poor percentages and unable to stay healthy.
Chris Webber – Always an injury risk, plus his FG% and blocks have declined over the years.
Troy Murphy – Often considered a value pick, T-Murph is weak on defense and his FG% is a major liability. His three-point range is NOT enough to compensate.
Zach Randolph - Poor FG%, poor defense, poor attitude, poor knee, just downright impoverished.

Centers to avoid:
Shaq – Diesel’s FT% (and FT attempts) is so much of a liability that you will never win the category.
Jam Magloire – Poor percentages, mediocre blocked shots.
Zaza Pachulia – Poor FG%, weak defensive cats.

I’ll be sure to flesh out this H2H draft strategy quite a bit more during the run-up to next season’s draft. Best of luck to those of you still fighting for championships this season!

One week left – that’s it. Down to the nitty gritty. It’s time to check the standings and break it down – where can you really lose or gain? Keep an eye on the rosters of the guys you’re chasing, too – if the guy has, say, Kevin Garnett and Yao Ming, you’re more likely to catch him in blocks and boards than you thought. With that in mind, here’s who I’ve got my eye on while filling my unused games:

PG: Damon Jones, CLE
If LeBron does indeed miss his first game of the year, that will be 30+ points that will have to be scored with the rest of the Cavs. With Big Z still hurting a bit, and Larry Hughes still spotty, that scoring onus will fall on Jones, Drew Gooden, and Flip Murray. While the latter two are probably owned already, Jones should be on your waiver wire, seeing as how he’s sucked balls this year. What busts he and Donyell Marshall have been, huh? Anyways, if you need threes, here’s you man. He won’t help you anywhere else, even a little bit, but there are plenty of teams that need those 3’s this time of year.

SG: Tony Allen, BOS
Allen has been seeing extra time already with Wally Szczerbiak out for the season, but now that Delonte West is hurting as well, he’s a great option at the point. He’s posted multiple steals in 6 of the last 7 games, same with double-digit points, and he’s shot over 50% in each of those contests. He won’t give you assists unless West doesn’t play, which right now looks about 50/50, but he’s still a nice play.

SF: Justin Reed, MIN
You wanna see an ugly game? How about Minnesota (without Kevin Garnett, Ricky Davis, and Rashad McCants) against Houston (without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady) last night? Yikes. Last night’s game was probably watched by about 8 people, and that’s what it deserved. Still, it looks like Justin Reed has settled in to Dwane Casey’s rotation for the final few games, seeing 21, 26, and 32 minutes in the last three games. He won’t help you anywhere in particular but he’ll contribute a little everywhere except for threes, and is a fine choice to use up some games.

PF: Tim Thomas, PHO
Thomas has been on and off fantasy rosters ever since his move to Phoenix, and now is a great time to pick him up after he started and saw big minutes in his last game. Thomas is a classic “risk” player, but this late in the game your tolerance for risk has to be going up, meaning Thomas should be on a roster in your league by the time he hits the court tomorrow night.

C: Loren Woods, TOR
If he played enough minutes to qualify, Woods’ 3.35 blocks per 48 minutes would put him 10th in the NBA, just in front of Adonal Foyle. Woods has been wearing a suit more often than a jersey this year, but he’s gotten into the last five games and with Matt Bonner out for the year, he should continue to see at least 15-20 mpg and accumulate 1-2 blocks in each of those games, starting Friday against Detroit.

Only a few games on the schedule tomorrow, and you’re running out of chance to use up those games.

Cleveland vs. New York
Anderson Varejao is a great one-category boost guy this last week. In his last four games he’s averaging just under 10 boards per game, and it would be surprising to see Zydrunas Ilgauskas back in the lineup, even though Mike Brown says it might happen. The Puffy Haired One won’t help you anywhere but boards, but since he qualifies at SF, if you have a game to use there, he should give you more than the norm there. If you’re desperate for 3s, there’s always huge 05-06 disappointment Donyell Marshall. He simply couldn’t shoot this year. His PT was the same, his boards, steals and blocks were all pretty close to last year’s totals. But his shooting fell from 44% to 39%, and it fell from 42% to 32% behind the arc. That’ll do it. Still, he’s always capable of hitting up to five 3s in a single game.

On principle, I refuse to recommend anyone from the Knicks.

Orlando vs. San Antonio
I’m going to give it up for the Orlando Magic. This is a team that should make the playoffs next year. OK, so that’s really not saying much, but the Magic have won five in a row, with impressive victories against Dallas, Milwaukee, Detroit, Miami … and, well, Atlanta. They solved the Steve Francis and John Weisbrod problems and have legitimate building blocks in Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, and maybe — just maybe — Darko. And maybe even Hedo Turkoglu. It’s highly, highly unlikely he’s available, but if someone dropped him when it looked like he could miss some time — hey you never know – grab him. He hasn’t been as strong the past couple of games, but it’s nice to see someone toughing it out in the final weeks, even without anything on the line. Turkoglu never shot above 42% in his first five seasons so his 45% this year may not last, but he’s finally looking like a legit NBA player. Not a star by any means, but a nice complementary piece.

Remember when the Spurs signed Brent Barry last year and everyone was claiming that it was the most astute signing ever and he’d be the secret weapon that would lead them to the championship? Well, the Spurs did win it all, but it certainly wasn’t because of Barry, who had the worst season of his career. That is until this year. So even though he’s been the one starting in place of Manu Ginobili — who might be back tomorrow, but we’ve heard that one before — I’ll suggest Michael Finley instead. Barry came through with 16/3/5 and 4 3s in 28 minutes last night, but that’s on the heels of a scoreless 30 minute performance. Finley has been the more consistent performer, as he put up 17/1/2 with 3 3s and a steal in his 28 minutes last night. Another person to consider is Bruce Bowen. He’s perennially one of those guys who always starts and gets minutes but never has fantasy value, but the last week of the season is a different best entirely. He blocked three shots, nabbed two steals and hit a 3 last night. He’s still playing his usual minutes, so he might be worth looking at.

Dallas vs. Phoenix
Blocks is probably the easiest category to make a late push in, so a forgotten man like DeSagana Diop becomes a wanted man in this final week. He has swatted 10 in his last three games, and has at least one block in 36 of his 42 starts. Marquis Daniels won’t really help you in any one category but has been seeing around 25 mpg lately and is good for a bit of everything. He’s one of my favorites — put him in the right situation and he could be a real asset, sort of like Richard Jefferson. Solid percentages, won’t really hurt you anywhere.

Mike D’Antoni has followed through with his pledge to reduce Steve Nash’s minutes, but it hasn’t been too drastic. He played 30 last night after getting 31 the previous night. Not as good as the 36 he’s been averaging this season, but still good enough to average 12 assists. This hasn’t really created any extra time for Eddie House, though. The shameless gunner (9.2 FGA in just 17.2 mpg) hasn’t cracked 20 minutes in his last eight games, so he’s not a realistic option, even though he is capable of hitting four 3s in 15 minutes. The musical chairs SF game saw Tim Thomas replace James Jones last night, so he might be worth grabbing for some 3s, but he’s still Tim Thomas. Remember how Jones and Raja Bell were very popular sleepers before the season started? Well things worked out rather well for one, but not the other. Bell’s consistency and good health have him just outside the top 50 on the Player Rater, while Jones is languishing at #137.

Who wants to vote to just end fantasy basketball one week early next year? I kid, of course. I love you fantasy basketball. But nonetheless, the end of this season has been absolutely murderous for fantasy players – is it just me, or does this year seem worse than years past? Personally, I’m dealing with Ricky Davis being shut down because he’s over 22 years old, Jason Richardson sitting because, well, he can, and Yao Ming legitimately breaking his foot. So who’s to be had?

PG: Tyronn Lue, ATL
Has anyone ever looked more like a Ferengi than Tyronn Lue? I mean, without using makeup? Ridiculous. Still, Lue’s return to the court has been very quiet, and he’s not seeing the minutes that he really needs to be effective, but he’s posted double-digit points for four games in a row, so that should count for something. He won’t help in assists, but for a one-game play tomorrow, you could do much worse. Other option: Keyon Dooling.

SG: Alan Anderson, CHA
Yeah I know, I’m reaching. But first the Bobcats dropped Kareem Rush, then they saw DM-fave Bernard Robinson go down with a sprained finger, and all of a sudden they’ve essentially got 4 guards on their roster: Raymond Felton, Brevin Knight, Kevin Burleson, and Anderson. Burleson never get any court time, and Knight has no business being anywhere near the 2-guard, so that leaves Anderson to play maybe 20 minutes tomorrow night against the Grizzlies. He put up 11/3/3 in just 17 minutes the other night, and he’s not afraid to shot the three, so why not? Other options: Rashad McCants, Tony Allen.

SF: Rasual Butler, NOK
Here’s a fun question to keep you up at night (or at your desk during the day): What does the “O” stand for in “NOK”: Orleans, or the beginning of Oklahoma? Anyhow, a hurting Desmod Mason and David West means that Butler will be a fine option against Seattle’s sieve-like defense. He’s probably your best option if you’re looking for threes and have games to burn at SF. Also, he’s an impending free agent, so a nice run at the end of the year here could pick him up some nice cash in the offseason. Other options: Chuck Hayes, Marvin Williams.

PF: Stromile Swift, HOU
Yao Ming going down might be killer for some fantasy teams (ding ding ding!), it presents an opportunity for others. Perennial disappointment, ex-FBB fave and current FBB least-fave Stromile Swift has a nice chance of having a decent game here while facing other FBB least-fave Eddie Griffin. Right now it’s all about playing the odds, and this is a nice chance to take on Wednesday. Other options: Eddie Griffin, Austin Croshere.

C: Brendan Haywood, WAS
I’ve got a bit of a love-hate relationship with Haywood. This is the first year that he has really shown NO progress, and in fact may have regressed a little bit. He’s big, for sure, and can rebound and block shots when he wants to, but he’s also been a bit of a crybaby this year and has struggled for playing time a bit. But with Etan Thomas still hurting, he’s a nice option at C. Other option: Dikembe Mutombo.

It’s getting down the wire in fantasy basketball land, so for the next week we’re going to keep it simple here at FBB and simply give you the goods. The goods being players you can pick up for the next day’s games to give you an advantage in these final days. Best of luck down the stretch.
Toronto vs. Miami
Derek Anderson – If you need a boost in 3s, Anderson could be your man. I watched him drop in a handful (that’d be five) on Saturday night as the Heat continued their dominance over my banged-up Wiz. He played 38 minutes in that game because Dwyane Wade was ill and in foul trouble, and he backed that up with 32 minutes yesterday in a listless home loss against the Magic. The Heat don’t really have much to play for right now – home court in a prospective finals matchup against Phoenix is the closest I can come up with – so Anderson might keep seeing more time as he continues to get into game shape.

Minnesota vs. Memphis
Eddie Griffin and Rashad McCants – All you fools in H2H leagues with championships decided in the final week. You’re titles are being determined by scrubs like Eddie Griffin and Rashad McCants! That’s just wrong. But if that’s how it’s going to be, then grab these guys. The Wolves yesterday were a perfect example of the value of the minute. We always say that even the crappiest collection of players imaginable – and the Wolves without KG and Ricky Davis are just that, although they did manage to beat the Hawks – will find a way to score 80 or so points and someone will have value. McCants was the main man on offense, pouring in 28 and taking nearly twice as many shots as any one else while playing 10 more minutes than anyone else. He’s going to look out for himself, so get him in there. As for Griffin, it’s simple – blocks. He racked up four last night and while KG’s competitive spirit might have him back in the lineup for this game, he might take another one off, giving Griffin a chance to swat some more away.

Seattle vs. San Antonio
Robert Horry – A bit of a reach here, but there aren’t many secondary options to be had. Brent Barry might be an option, but Manu Ginobili should be back and Barry did go scoreless in 30 minutes in his last contest. Horry has basically been mailing it in except for a few games this season, but it’s getting to the point where he needs to turn it on so he can live up to his Big Shot Rob reputation. He sat out the recent Dallas game, but in his last four games he’s averaging 1.3 blocks, .8 steals and 1 3. Nothing too great, but Seattle has this thing about not playing a lick of defense, so Bob might have a chance to put up some bigger numbers.

Chicago vs. New Jersey
Working under the assumption that Chris Duhon isn’t available in your league – and he certainly shouldn’t be since he’s been starting and putting up solid numbers for the past couple of weeks – there isn’t much to offer in this contest. New Jersey has one of the most well-defined rotations for fantasy purposes and the Bulls just don’t have much to offer that will be out there. If you’re feeling especially lucky and have a game to use at center, you can take a flier on Mike Sweetney, hope he gets off to a fast start and see if he can match the 14 and 6 he put up against Boston more than a week ago. But this is a guy who despite starting in eight straight hasn’t played more than 20 minutes in any of those contests and is averaging a meager 2 and 2 over his last two.

Phoenix vs. Sacramento
Leandro Barbosa – He was going to be suggested even before word came out that Steve Nash will see a decrease in minutes. Honestly, he should be long gone in your league as he’s checking in at an impressive #76 on the 15 Day Rater. Barbosa has proven to be one of the most accurate shooters in the league over the past couple of seasons, shooting over 48%, which is just stunning from a guard. Sacramento, as usual, has no one to offer as everyone on that team has long been scooped up. For those that held on to Bonzi Wells through his injury woes, you’ve been rewarded very well as he has come back as strong as ever, proving his early season numbers – especially those on the boards – were no fluke.

Golden State vs. L.A. Lakers
Monta Ellis – One of the most impressive of the second tier rookies this year has been the prep to pro guard out in Oakland, Monta Ellis. Thought to be a point guard, the 20 year old rookie has shown he is already capable of being a real scoring option in the NBA, averaging a not-at-all-shabby 14.7 points p40. With Jason Richardson out he saw 31 minutes on Saturday and put up a nice line of 13/5/5 with 2 3s, a steal and a block, offering a little bit of everything. Even if Mickael Pietrus gets another start, I’d probably go with Ellis anyway. Speaking of a little of everything, that’s what Luke Walton gives you, and he made his second start of the season yesterday and put up a line of 13/7/2 with a steal and a 3. In four April contests he’s averaging 9.8/5.5/2.8 with 1.3 steals and 0.8 3s on 51% shooting. If you’re looking for single category help he’s probably not your man, but if you just need some solid production, go for it.

It’s Spring Break… Time to go WILD! No, no, no, put your shirt back on. This is the last full week of the NBA regular season, and you may want to use some unconventional tactics in your head-to-head matchup this week. Sure, you got your super-studs and regular starters, but there’s always a question as to those last couple guys you decide to plug in your lineup. Be sure to analyze your opponents’ strengths and weaknesses and prepare to take advantage. Blocks and threes are probably the best categories to target for the players at the end of your SLU to make a significant difference. Percentages and steals are unpredictable and fluctuate too much to bank on. Let’s take a look at 4/10-4/16.

Four Games: Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Golden State, Indiana, LAC, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle, Utah, Washington.
Three Games: Boston, Charlotte, Denver, Detroit, Houston, LAL, Memphis, Miami, Milwaukee, Sacramento, San Antonio, Toronto.

Plug ‘em in, Plug ‘em in:
Jamal Crawford, SG – “He’s the most improved player I’ve ever coached. He’s as good a kid as I’ve ever been around. He does things for the team to a fault.” Larry Brown told the New York Post after Crawford’s 37-point effort in a win over the Cavs on Wednesday. Excuse me coach… um did I hear you correctly? You are praising a six-year vet as the best ‘kid’ and most improved player you’ve EVER coached? A team player? Crawford is posting his worst averages in three years and is known for chucking rainmakers at will. Granted, Crawford is starting to shine with Marbury sidelined, but he has still been a big disappointment in Larry Brown’s circus this season. It isn’t so much an improvement but rather a classic case of opportunity… whenever a proven scorer like Crawford is given big minutes he will be very productive. In April he’s posted 25/4/3, 2 threes, 2.7 steals, 50%FG/92%FT in three starts. Those are the gaudy numbers I was hoping for when I selected Crawford in the fifth round this year. It may be too little too late for me (let’s not talk about my other ill-advised draft picks: Kurt Thomas, Al Jefferson, Eddie Griffin), but if you’ve got him now’s the time to use Jamal.

Hedo Turkoglu, G/F – Wow. 2005-‘06 has been a breakout year of sorts for Hedo even if it took injuries to a number of teammates to get Turk a regular starting gig. We now know that all he needs to be an everyday fantasy baller is consistent minutes. He’s averaging 18/4/3, 2 treys, 1.3 thefts, 53%FG/84%FT since March 15th. Numbers like that could make Turkoglu a 4th or 5th round pick next year. With Grant Hill likely out of the picture, next season may actually be Hedo’s true coming out party. Who else is excited about the 2006-‘07 Orlando Magic? (Arroyo/Nelson/Turkoglu/Howard/Milicic)?

Samuel Dalembert, C – Another volatile season for the injury-prone center, Slammin’ Sam is back in Mo Cheeks’ starting lineup, but still falling short of expectations (9/7/1, 1.3 blocks in four starts). Owners have been frustrated all season with Dalembert, as he can’t seem to stay healthy and remain productive for more than a few weeks at a time. Despite his ups and downs, Dalembert should be a solid contributor with four matchups next week. He’s a better play at center than Jamaal Magloire who hasn’t scored or grabbed double digit rebounds in eight games.

Darko Milicic, F/C – Most of his value comes in the form of blocked shots but Darko has shown some consistency on offense as well lately, scoring double digits in 6 of his last 7 games. 10-12 blocks from Darko in four games this week could be just what you need to edge out your opponent in a close H2H matchup.

Other 3-point shooters: Charlie Bell, Chucky Atkins, Vlad Radmanovic.
Other shot blockers: Joel Pryzbilla/Theo Ratliff, Erick Dampier.
Inexpensive Hybrids: Raef Lafrentz, Matt Bonner.

I was all set to take a look at more upcoming free agents to see if they did indeed experience a free agent year push, but after seeing the Knicks “play basketball” at the Verizon Center on Tuesday night, I felt I had to address them. As a Wizards fan (or rather a Bullets fan, since it was retro night) I was happy to see an easy victory, especially one that took the Wiz one step closer to avoiding Detroit or Miami in the first round. But as a basketball fan, I was disgusted. Simply put, the Knicks were a disgrace. Now I know this isn’t some revelatory news, but being there to witness it in person you get a different perspective. I was seated not too far behind the Knicks bench and it was just pathetic watching them. I was honestly offended. Every single player – except for one, who I will get to later – was simply going through the motions. Not even, in some cases. Larry Brown looked disinterested, at best, except when it came time to chew out a player. This quote says it all: “They came in with so much more energy, it was like the varsity against the JV,” Brown said. “You’ve got to keep trying. Somehow you’ve got to find five guys who care enough to compete. I hate to say that because you take away from (the Wizards players) and what they did, but you’ve got to hope you have enough pride to compete. I never in my life thought I’d be in a position where you’re begging guys to play.” Steve Francis went one step further: “It’s like a funeral, man,” Francis said, his eyes welling up. “That’s what it feels like.”

So how does this relate to fantasy? Well, coming into the year the Knicks were something of a mystery. Everyone was concerned how the players on the roster would perform under Larry Brown. I had some skepticism myself but thought that the Knicks would actually be a decent place to find some value, at least with their established stars. The Great Larry Brown would identify his team’s strengths and instead of forcing them to conform to his style he would adapt, at least until the roster became more to his liking. Well, not quite. As BV recently said, this year’s Knicks have surpassed the Hubie Brown coached Grizzlies of a couple years ago as the most frustrating fantasy team in recent memory. At least with that Grizzlies team there was some rhyme and reason to what was going on. Brown may not have been giving his best players the minutes they deserved, but he had a plan, stuck with it and it led to victories. Brown and the Knicks have had no clue all season. Players will go from starting to DNP-CD. A great performance is rewarded with a trip out of the starting lineup. During the game the other night Brown didn’t even keep his starting lineup the same in the first half and the second half. Players were yanked for making the smallest of mistakes.

What can we expect next year? Well you know that Isiah Thomas has another trade or two up his sleeve. As it stands now it will be very hard to recommend any player on the Knicks. But let’s take a look anyway.

Eddy Curry seems like the one guy who is assured of not going anywhere. The Knicks were really the only team that wanted him, and with five years and around $50 million left on his contract, the Knicks are going to be stuck with him, for better or worse. Not to mention that Isiah gave up the potential #1 pick in the draft for the guy. Curry’s season has been exactly what we’ve become accustomed to – flashes of brilliance, some injuries and lots of lackluster play. Curry can score, no doubt. And to his credit, he’s missed only one game since the calendar turned. But it’s his fifth season and he still hasn’t shown the ability to stay out of foul trouble and stay on the court. He’s rebounding at his best rate of his career, which is encouraging. But even though he’s the centerpiece of the team (more by default than anything else), he’s still nothing more than a late-round flyer for a team looking to win.

Channing Frye is the guy who should be the centerpiece of the team, or at least something close to it. He’s done nothing but impress when given the chance to play this year, putting up p40 numbers of 20.3/9.1/1.3 with 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals on excellent shooting. Not bad at all for a rookie. Brown jerked him around a whole lot before he went down with a season-ending knee injury. He’s the team’s most valuable asset, locked into a rookie contract for three more years. So you know that Isiah will deal him for some overpriced veteran in the offseason.

Jackie Butler was the one guy who actually showed up to play against the Wizards. The kid can play. He’s a big body and he knows how to use it, as we was constantly posting up and backing down defenders. He’s also a decent shooter, as evidenced by his 78% shooting from the line. He gave good effort the entire night, even though he was often overlooked by his teammates. He was still able to put up 22 and 8 in just 29 minutes and followed that with 12 and 9 in 21 minutes last night. This kid is an asset. Honestly, I see lots of parallels between him and Al Jefferson. They were born within two months of each other in Mississippi and are 6’10” and a hefty 260+ pounds. Jefferson’s got more offensive talent, but Butler can play. It seems that he’s ineligible to be traded right now, unless RealGM is lying to me, which is probably good news for Knicks fans, as Isiah would likely give him up for Shawn Kemp.

Steve Francis and Stephon Marbury clearly should not be on the same team. Something has got to give. Both were likely second round picks this season and it’s very hard to envision any teams that took them still caring about fantasy basketball right now. Marbury had always been one of the most reliable fantasy options around until this year, and his late-season “injury” might be the end of his time in New York. He and Larry Brown clearly hate each other – I don’t think that’s exaggerating it – and someone needs to go. Perhaps Brown will get so fed up that he’ll quit after the year – perhaps he’ll have more of his convenient “health issues” – but Marbury is more likely. Finding a team to take him will obviously be near impossible, and that’s even more the case with Francis, who is simply not much more than a slightly above average player.

Jamal Crawford is a pretty underappreciated player, I’d say. Sure, he misses tons of shots, but he’s an unquestionably great scorer, as evidenced by his 37 points last night. He’s a durable player and surprisingly reliable for fantasy purposes. Even this year, when he’s started just 19 games, he comes in at a very respectable #84 on the Player Rater, right in between Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon. That makes him the highest ranking member of the Knicks, except for Francis, who has only been with the team for 20 games. There’s something to be said about that, finding some value in a terrible situation.

Nate Robinson and David Lee look like they can be solid rotation guys, but probably not much more. Jalen Rose, Mo Taylor and Malik Rose are nothing more than paycheck cashers. Quentin Richardson – and Raja Bell, I suppose – is the best example of the effect a system can have on a player’s value.