This Bucks team reminds me alot of the early Shaq/Kobe Lakers teams. Those Lakers teams won plenty of games, but could never get over the hump. Then Phil Jackson came along and….KaPow! Back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Oh, what could’ve been. Anyways, I’m not saying that the Bucks are going to win the title or anything, but replacing Jason Kidd with Mike Budenholzer is an obvious upgrade and could make the Bucks serious contenders in the East.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Fantasy Basketball: Minnesota Timberwolves Preview
October 11, 2018 | Team Previews | 6 Commentsby: Son
Life is often murky and gray, as in the lines between good/bad, right/wrong are often blurred. But when confronted with danger, there are only two responses: fight or flight. Well, we see this playing out before our eyes in Minnesota right now, as Jimmy Butler is, coincidentally, fighting for his right to flight. The other guys? They definitely are not fighting. How can no one step up to him? “At one point, Butler found himself guarding Towns in the post. After Towns received the entry pass, Butler yelled, “He can’t do {expletive} against me!” Towns ended up passing the ball out, sources said.” That’s the sign of someone who can lead a team to the promised land?
Please, blog, may I have some more?Sid Meier’s Civilization is a game that is near and dear to my heart. Not a minute of those countless hours spent playing were wasted. So good. So much fun. Anyways, the basic premise of the game is to build a civilization from scratch. You start out with a small group of settlers and survey the land to establish a permanent home. From there, you ascertain resources, knowledge, and provide infrastructure so that the colony can advance intellectually and grow in physical number. All of this leads to the ultimate goal of world conquest. In my pursuit of global domination, I’d often over-extend myself and be susceptible to counter attack, which would force me to retreat and build up my forces once again. This is how I view the Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies. Founded in 1995, the team was a fledgling outfit, winning fewer than 20 games each of the first four years in existence. Then progress happened over the next four years, as the team won 22, 23, 23, and 28 games. In 2003, Hubie Brown led the team to a 50-win season and first playoff appearance in franchise history. After two more playoff appearances, the team went back to the 20-win Dark Ages for three seasons. But that was just a brief retreat, as it set up a 7-year Golden Age in which the team made the playoffs every season. It all came crashing down last year, though, as injuries decimated the squad. Are we heading back to the Dark Ages or was last season just a blip on the radar?
Please, blog, may I have some more?I love cars and have fixed up a few rice burners in my day. So, when I used to have cable and spent time channel surfing, I’d stop on a NASCAR race and indulge from time to time. Not my thing. Round and round and round and round they go. Look at the clock. Three more hours to go. The most interesting times would be when the pace car would come out. Without fail, I’d get up and sit on the edge of my seat and pray that whoever was driving would just punch it and channel their inner Fast & Furious. It’s going to happen one of these days. That’s how I feel about this Pacers team. The team has been one of the slowest paced teams in the league. Not since 1985 has the team played at a +100 possessions per game pace. Last season, they finished 23rd. I need someone to press the NOS button and let his baby go! Then we could all scream Oladipo Ho! and Myles wouldn’t have to walk 500 miles. I know what you’re thinking: This site is free?
Please, blog, may I have some more?Let’s recap the four-year Stan Van Gundy era in Detroit. One season above .500 (44-38). Three seasons with win totals of 39, 37, and 32 games. Acquired Blake Griffin and his five-year, $171 million contract for essentially a first-round draft pick and Tobias Harris, who put up 19.3 points, 6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.2 threeecolas last season. Ricky Lake Griffin contributed 19.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.4 blocks, and 1.9 threeecolas. In the 2017 NBA Draft, SVG selected Luke Kennard ahead of Donovan Mitchell. Shaking my head vociferously. His previous draft picks were Henry Ellenson, Michael Gbinije, Stanley Johnson, Darrun Hilliard, and Spencer Dinwiddie, who has turned out to be the best of the group but, of course, was traded for Cameron Bairstow back in 2016. Re-reading what I just wrote makes me think of a part from my favorite movie. There’s hope, though, as the Wicked Witch of the East….urrr….I mean SVG is dead. Not literally of course.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Ever seen the video that shows 30 hornets killing 30,000 bees? If not, here you go. I’m always fascinated and mesmerized by that video, which is the opposite of when I think about the Charlotte Hornets. Maybe we should call them the Charlotte Honey Bees. Since the team’s inception in 1988, the Bobcats/Hornets have had three 50-win seasons (10%), nine 40-win seasons (32%), and three seasons with less than 20 wins (10%). In 2011, the Hornets won a whopping seven games, which puts them in the pantheon of winning percentage futility. I know I’m being harsh, but I just watched hornets killing bees for the past 20 minutes. I’m amped and expect more! There is hope, though. James Borrego is the new coach and the team has an infusion of young talent. This could be an exciting year for the franchise.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Not one. Not two. But three, as in this will be LeBron James’ third and most likely final team he plays for. From a macro sense, the three questions that pervade my mind are: 1) Can LeBron join Robert Horry and John Salley as the only players in NBA history to win championships with three teams? 2) Can LeBron do enough in LA to join West, Chamberlain, Baylor, Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Worthy, Goodrich, Wilkes, O’Neal, and Bryant x2 on the walls of Staples Center? 3) Can LeBron and Jr. become the first father/son combo to play in the NBA at the same time? LeBron. LeBron. LeBron. Blah. Blah. Blah. This is a Lakers team preview, but you know what? Everything revolves around LeBron. Don’t believe me? It’s been five years since the Lakers made the playoffs. Here are the win totals during that span: 35, 26, 17, 21, and 27. With the acquisition of LeBron, the Lakers are now 10/1 to win the championship! And 6/1 to win the Western Conference! The projected season win total ranges from 48-50.5, depending on which book you look at. Welcome to LA, LeBron!
Please, blog, may I have some more? Fantasy Basketball: Mock Draft with the RotoWire/CBS Sports Crew
September 12, 2018 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 19 Commentsby: Son
I’ve wasted countless days just sitting in front of the Playstation drafting my fantasy teams in Madden, NBA 2K, and MLB the Show. So when Grey texted me about participating in a mock draft with the CBS crew, my response was THIS. Anyways, shout out to Chris Towers and the whole CBS and RotoWire crew for allowing me to participate. This particular mock was a H2H, 12-team, and 9-category draft. Now, mock drafts are a time to experiment and try new things, so the results have to be viewed in that context. With that said, they also provide a window into what the market thinks about certain players. When the participants are filled with people within the fantasy industry, you best pay attention.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Fantasy Basketball: All Hail Pikachu! 2017 RCL Grand Champion!
September 5, 2018 | Razzball Commenter Leagues | 4 Commentsby: Son
We normally think of Pikachu as cute and cuddly characters from the world of Pokemon. And they are, but let’s not forget that they are captured and groomed by us humans to fight other Pokemon for sport. We are savages. In the world of RCLs, Pikachu was a lean, mean, fantasy basketball dominating machine. 117-61-2. The numbers speak for themselves. Forever etched into the history books of RCLs, Pikachu received the $50 Amazon gift card and was invited to participate in the “expert” league for 2018. If you ever run into Pikachu on the streets, you best stop, drop to the knees, and pay your respects to the 2017 RCL Grand Champion!
Here is the team Pikachu drafted:
Please, blog, may I have some more? Fantasy Basketball: 2018 Sortable Rankings Table
September 3, 2018 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 12 Commentsby: Son
You’ve read the blurbs. You’ve voiced your disagreements in the comments. You’ve expressed your appreciation by sending me Bitcoin. Well, one out of three ain’t bad. I thank you for embarking on the journey with me from 1 to 200. It was an odyssey filled with wonder and amazement; hatred and disbelief. But alas, we have arrived at our port of destination. Shout out to the great and venerable Rudy, who provided his wizardry to make this post possible.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Fantasy Basketball: SON’s Rankings vs Yahoo and ESPN (2018)
August 31, 2018 | Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 14 Commentsby: Son
This post is about my rankings compared to those at Yahoo and ESPN. Keep in mind that there are usually two different rankings at both sites: default and draft room rankings. I’ve chosen to use the default rankings. Also, it’s not even September yet, so there could/will be modifications. In addition, I’ve made some changes to my rankings from the ones that were published during August on Razzball, as little tweaks were performed, which may have moved some players up or down a few spots.
Gerald Green was not listed in the Yahoo database. That’s why I put him at 1000.
Remember, this is just one tool to give you a broader view of the fantasy basketball landscape. Always factor in personal bias, wants, league/team context, roster construction, and average draft position.
Please, blog, may I have some more?We have arrived at the Top 200. Another 100 and we’d be defending The Hot Gates of Thermopylae. For the totality of my rankings, I went 331 deep, but will only blurb about the Top 200. Next week, I will release the complete list with the help of Rudy’s wizardry.
Please, blog, may I have some more?