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The Razzball Basketball Podcast is here! And just like anything or anybody you allow to whisper that sweet lovin’ into your ear, it’s going to take some growth in the relationship! After staying up all night to watch the draft, Pete Nice brazens through a caffeine drip, Slim battles a thunderstorm, and I have to contain my excitement that the Hornets got Vonleh! I hope you enjoy our first Pod, and we’re looking forward to podding it up more and more through the off-season.

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Razzball Nation!  You’ve read that right, we’ve got a podcast comin’!  Our first “official” episode will be on Friday, June 27th covering the NBA Draft with Razzball regulars Slim and Pete Nice hopping on.  In our first little foray into the audiosphere, we talk NBA Finals, make our picks for the series with the Spurs up 2-1, and talk our thoughts on what Cleveland is gonna do with that first pick.  Michael Olowokandi!  So be sure to check us out either by listening to the post or on iTunes (links will be filled in soon – will update this post as soon as things are rockin’ and rollin’), and we’ll see ya after the Draft!

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Happy draft lottery, Cleveland-ites!  Is having another 1st overall pick enough to lure LeBron back?!  I think chances of that are as good as Anthony Bennett turning out to be a good player…

And now to the fun stuff… Figuring out where to rank the volatile middle-tier guys.  As Paris Hilton once said, “Studs are studs!  Except for when they’re busts!”  Wow, awful.  Needed to get some shock value in here – that was my proverbial watermelon mallet.

After the top 20, things get pretty tricky this early in the offseason.  And until a good bit after the NBA Draft, 50 is as high as we’re gonna go.  The draft class is loaded, and several should proliferate into the top 100, with a few even top 50 guys in the right situation.  Then free agency, old guys retiring, all that hooblah.  But if you’re thinking ahead to some dynasties or formulating some early fantasy draft strategies, here’s my way too early Top 50 for the 2014-15 Fantasy Basketball Season (spoiler alert: still no Jonas Valanciunas):

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Razzball Hoops Nation!  Wow, typing 2014-15 already just feels weird…  I’m not ready to quit you 2013-14!  Although, the disappointing image of the face of the Luminescent Lithuanian makes it easy.  We’re done, ya ho!  I’m just not that into you…

As I do every season during the NBA Playoffs, I think it’s a fun way to kick off the year with some way too early rankings through the top 50.  “Wait a minute, isn’t there free agency and a draft, moron!?”  Shut it, noob commenter!  There will obviously be numerous changes to these early ranks, possibly even some rookies trickling into the bottom end of the top 50, and all sorts of free agency moves to make this a really fun offseason.  Here’s my way too early Top 20 for the 2014-15 Fantasy Basketball Season (spoiler alert: no Jonas Valanciunas):

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What a 2013-14 Fantasy Basketball Season its been!  There have been tears, there have been laughs, there have been [formerly] Luminescent Lithuanians… Hard to believe a mere six-and-a-half months ago, we were launching into the season.  Man, was I right to be scared of Tobias Harris‘ ankle!  It ended up being scarier than watching Alien as a 10-year-old!  Something was popping outta something!    While this is the last daily recap until October, we’re going to have all sorts of fantastic content through the season starting with a rankings review with Slim and I, my very fun “Way Too Early Rankings” right around the end of the month, a few big announcements, and a video of me shaving “High as Greg Kite” in my head.  Which, well… Sigh… Anyway, it’s been a great year, hopefully we’ve helped win you some titles and can win a few more for you Roto players.  Here’s what’s going down on the Season Finale of Fantasy Basketball:

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I don’t know today’s title has a Boston accent, just sorta happened!  Tyreke Evans absolutely tore up the Thunder last night, slashing-n-gashing his way to a 41/9/8/3/0 line with only one turnover.  I don’t know what’s crazier, that line or a Pelicans win!  That starting NO line-up other than Evans was scrub city.  If you followed the news leading up to this game, it went from Evans being unlikely to play a mere hour-and-a-half before tip, to getting the start right before the game started.  The emotional toil on fantasy owners was bigger than in Silver Linings Playbook!  Since the All-Star Break, right around when the Pels finally decided to start this guy, Evans has been a monster averaging 17.1/5.4/6.1.  He’s also boosted his FG% and actually made a three or two, despite a 3PT% even Josh Smith thinks is poopy.  But despite a big second half, the Pelicans owner isn’t too impressed.  Haha, that was hilarious – I made highlights for this game if you couldn’t tell.  Been a lucky run for my games the past two, getting this one and the Corey Brewer one Friday!  Almost 100 points from those two!  Hopefully the Pelicans realize they need Evans as a starter in 14-15, but it’s tough to see another stretch with 6+ dimes next year with a healthy Jrue Holiday.  If the price is right, I’ll be a buyer next season, however Evans seems to always have a little more hype than substance ever since his rookie year.  If this second half inflates some big buzz next year, I’ll be about as deadpan as the Pelicans owner!  Here’s what else I saw last night in fantasy basketball action:

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Brewers baby!  Best record in baseball.  9 in a row.  Oh yea, this is basketball, but man!  My Brewers are unstoppable!  And it carried over to the hardwood, when Corey Brewer had maybe the most preposterous, out-of-nowhere game all year.  I actually did highlights for the Wolves Rockets game Friday night, and it was like watching a pickup game where one guy was just light years better than everyone else.  Slice-n-dice, no need to take shots.  In the first quarter, I leaned over to a co-worker and said Brewer is having the game of his life.  Made me look smart!  Going in with a career-high of 29, Brewer dropped 51 on like, a trillion layups and pick 6s.  51/2/1/6/0, and just how everyone learned from Oliver, “you’ve got to pick a pocket or two!”  Or six.  And probably 5 of them led to uncontested layups, but he did have some pretty sick and-ones for good measure.  Deeper leaguers that had Brewer probably thought stat tracker was broken Friday night.  I’ve always been a Brewer fan, it was sad to have to trade him to Slim, but when Kevin Martin and Kevin Love returned, it was cool down time for the NBA’s Brew Crew on Sunday, going for only 10 and two steals.  Regardless, I love that Brewer now gets to share a milestone with Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson and Rick Barry as the only guys to go 50+ with 6+ steals.  One of these is not like the other!  Good for Brewer, and if the Wolves indeed deal Love and/or let K-Mart walk, Brewer could be pretty interesting next year.  Here’s what else I saw over the weekend in fantasy basketball action:

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Razzball Nation!  Man, scary to think there’s only a week left of the regular season.  Where has all the time gone?!  While the majority of leagues have wrapped up, we’ve still got some extended H2H finals and Roto players out there who need a pickup for The End of the Road.  And why not Randy Foye after his 30/5/15/2/0 explosion last night?  “Wait, don’t you hate Randy Foye JB?!”  Shut it, commenter who remembers everything!  I do hate Foye, but he’s going to get the volume with Ty Lawson out at least another few games with his bum ankle.   Brian Shaw is saying Lawson probably will return this season, and coaches never lie or deceive us in the NBA, right?!  Cough cough.  With only two games on the slate tomorrow, the 63%-owned Foye (which, yes, is probably lower than it should be given the leagues that are over with aren’t making moves) needs to be scooped up in all leagues still rounding out their finals.  Plus the Nugs schedule the rest of the way is @GS, UTA, @LAC, GS.  He’s gonna heave up more threes than Jimmer Fredette at the BYU Alumni game!  Here’s what else I’ve seen over the last couple of days of NBA action:

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The 2013-14 RCL season is in the books, and congratulations to High as Greg Kite!  Great, now I have to shave that into my head… Ugh!  Which sucks because I’m tall too.  People are going to think it’s some statement or something…  I really hate I made this the grand prize!  Of course Greg also wins a championship jump suit and Razzball T-shirt as we went over in the launch.  And second place Slippery Squirrels also gets a T-shirt as well.  Huzzah for prizes!  Updated in the Master Standings are the league champions in bold, but High as Greg Kite went in the #1 RCL team, and came out with the league title and overall RCL Championship as well.  You two lucky winners shoot me a comment or e-mail (jb at razzball.com) to claim thy prizes (well, I have yours Squirrels).  And I’ll post the video of my haircut and public shaming sometime over the summer, but it will be done sooner rather than later.  Here’s how the rest of the leagues shook out:

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The Razzball Elite League has it’s first champion!  And not to spoil who won the inaugural year, but I think a certain Razzball staff member might finally be able to shave!  Congratulations to Slim for winning the REL league and keeping some respect for our staff players in the league.  Pete Nice had injuries and I had awfulness!  Tough hurtles to overcome in 20-teamers.  So without any more ado, Slim and his opponent weigh in on their thoughts of the season and the championship battle:

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Razzball Nation!  Hopefully you’re hopping over here to boast your hardware.  To flaunt your gold.  To show us all your bigger red ass to display your dominance over us weakling chimps!  Most H2H leagues wrapped up last night, and I had a brutal year.  Multi-titles last year, not a one this time out.  But hey!  It’s been a fun season, and we’ve still got a few weeks left for other H2Hers and Roto players.  So we’ll be here!  And we’ve got a fun championship edition week coming at ya, with Slim’s REL acceptance speech along with Wednesday’s RCL Championship crowning.  Speaking of crowning, somebody get Aaron Brooks the iron throne (I thought about making a birthing joke instead, but that’s gross)!  Dude has been owning Westeros (I think that’s right, it’s hard to keep up with all the kingdoms when you haven’t read the books!), getting his second straight 40+ minute outing and blowing up for 24/8/15/3/0.  As I mentioned in the comments at some point last week, Brooks against the Rockets with no Patrick Beverley checking him was going to be saucy.  Then Ty Lawson had to sit on top of it!  Wow, that sentence comes off weird as a standalone…  Brooks looks to be an immediate add with Brian Shaw quoted that he’s not rushing Lawson back.  As well he shouldn’t, captain obvious!  Try and snatch up Brooks if you still can and ride him while Lawson sits on it, apparently.  Hah!  Here’s what else I saw over the weekend:

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