As the 2011 fantasy basketball season recedes farther back than LeBron’s hairline and teams like the Bobcats and Warriors feel like dirty puns our uncle told us before he went off to jail, let us look back fondly on the little guys – the point guards – who in this case are literally the little guys, which I can say honestly because neither Baron Davis nor Raymond Felton made the cut this year. First up, we’re comparing the year-end results with our pre-season Top 20 PG for 2011. (Spoiler alert: only nine NBA PGs played all 66 games this season. Five of them are ranked in the top 12. That will play a big part in these rankings.) We’re using the season totals from ESPN’s Player Rater to determine each guy’s final rank. We’re listing averages, but we took totals into account because games played weighs heavily on value – natch. Anyway, here’s the top 20 point guards for 2011 fantasy basketball and how they compared to where I originally ranked them:
1. Chris Paul – I was more or less accurate in evaluating Paul’s value this season. I’m only pointing it out because this will be the last time I get to claim that on this list. Preseason Rank #1, 2011 Projections: .480/.860/1 3ptm/18 pts/4 rbd/9.5 ast/2.5 stl/0 blk/2.5 tov, Final Numbers: .478/.861/1.3 3ptm/19.8 pts/ 3.6 rbd/ 9.1 ast/ 2.5 stl/ 0.1 blk/ 2.1 tov, 60 games
2. Russell Westbrook – This is what I wrote in last year’s final review of the season, “Three seasons into his career, Russell Westbrook has still not missed a game, which is pretty remarkable considering he started his rookie year backing up Earl Watson on the then-lowly Thunder. This almost certainly means I’ll draft him next year and he misses 19 games. For what it’s worth, I don’t see Westbrook improving much on these averages next year. He’s eventually going to miss a game, and with the development of Ibaka and Harden, Westbrook just won’t have to do the same kind of heavy lifting he did in the first 25 games of this season.” He didn’t miss a game this season either, so I was wrong about that. I was, however, correct about his improvement. I’m doubling down for next year. Preseason Rank #5, 2011 Projections: .440/.829/0.5 3ptm/21 pts/4 rbd/9 ast/2 stl/0.5 blk/4 tov, Final Numbers: .457/.823/0.9 3ptm/23.6 pts/4.6 rbd/5.5 ast/1.7 stl/0.3 blk/3.6 tov, 66 games
3. Steve Nash – He did almost exactly what I thought he would and yet finished five spots higher than I had ranked him. Welcome to jungle, Lockout fans. Steve Nash is going to dance on all of our graves. Preseason Rank #8, 2011 Projections: .480/.935/1 3pt/14.5 pts/3 rbd/10 ast/0.5 stl/0 blk/3.5 tov. Final Numbers: .532/.894/0.9 3ptm/12.5 pts/3 rbd/10.7 ast/0.6 stl/0.1 blk/3.7 tov, 62 games
4. Brandon Jennings – Mark it: May 4, 2011. Brandon Jennings was named the fourth most valuable point guard in the NBA. Preseason Rank #13, 2011 Projections: .422/.795/1.5 3pt/15 pts/4 rbd/6.5 ast/1.5 stl/0 blk/2.5 tov. Final Numbers: .418/.808/2 3ptm/19.1 pts/3.4 rbd/5.5 ast/1.6 stl/0.3 blk/2.2 tov, 66 games
5. Ty Lawson – Fun fact: Only half the point guards on this list play for teams in the playoffs. Denver owns two of them. Preseason Rank #12, 2011 Projections: .490/.790/1 3pt/15.5 pts/3.5 rbd/7 ast/1 stl/0.5 blk/2.5 tov. Final Numbers: .488/.824/ 1.2 3ptm/16.4 pts/3.7 rbd/6.6 ast/1.3 stl/0.1 blk/2.4 tov, 61 games
6. Deron Williams – I misjudged how much lifting he was going to have to do on offense, which resulted in a much lower FG% and assist average and a much higher number of threes and turnovers. It’s all so clear … now. Preseason Rank #3, 2011 Projections: .475/.800/1 3ptm/19 pts/4 rbd/10.5 ast/1 stl/0 blk/3 tov, Final Numbers: .407/.843/2.1 3ptm/21 pts/3.3 rbd/8.7 ast/1.2 stl/0.4 blk/4 tov, 55 games
7. John Wall – Maybe if the kid could sink a three-pointer, his scoring average would have been closer to 19.5 than 16.5 and his FG% would have been lower as I had predicted. And maybe if NBA players all shaped their games to fit the rationale behind my predictions, I’d be a rich, rich man who could afford to hire monkeys to type this stuff instead of just making my bed, which is all I can afford to pay my monkeys to do now. Preseason Rank #6, 2011 Projections: .440/.770/0.5 3pt/19.5 pts/4.5 rbd/8 ast/1 stl/1 blk/3 tov, Final Numbers: .423/.789/0 3ptm/16.3 pts/4.5 rbd/8 ast/1.4 stl/0.9 blk/3.9 tov, 66 games
8. Mike Conley – What kind of season was it? Conley performed worse overall than I had predicted, but is ranked 12 spots higher because he hung in there for all but four games. “Just throw bodies out there:” It’s as good of a game plan for fantasy basketball owners as it is for startup strip clubs. Preseason Rank #20, 2011 Projections: .454/.750/1 3pt/14.5 pts/3.5 rbd/6.5 ast/2 stl/0 blk/2.5 tov. Final Numbers: .433/.861/1 3ptm/12.7 pts/2.5 rbd/6.5 ast/2.2 stl/0.2 blk/2.0 tov, 62 games
9. Jeff Teague – Yup. A top 10 fantasy PG option this season averaged fewer than 13 points and 5 assists a game. Yup 2: The Bride of Yup: Darren Collison would have killed for these averages. Preseason Unranked. Final Numbers: .476/.757/0.8 3ptm/12.6 pts/2.4 rbd/4.9 ast/1.6 stl/0.6 blk/2 tov, 66 games
10. Kyrie Irving – Whenever I try to type “Kyrie” into my iPhone, autocorrect changes it to “Muriel.” I don’t know any Muriels, nor do I know much about Irving, it turns out. I consider not ranking Irving in the top 20 this preseason to be my biggest rankings misstep. Preseason Unranked. Final Numbers: .469/.872/1.4 3ptm/18.5 pts/3.7 rbd/5.4 ast/1.1 stl/0.4 blk/3.1 tov, 51 games
11. Tony Parker – Are we ready to call Tony Parker severely underrated? The Spurs finished with the best record in the West two straight seasons, despite Manu and Duncan playing like a pair of 90-year-old men for most of it. It won’t, of course, stop me from underrating Parker next year, (Kawhi Leonard for MVP 2014!!) but at least now, I’m more aware I’m doing it. Preseason Rank #11, 2011 Projections: .494/.777/0 3pt/19.5 pts/3.5 rbd/5.5 ast/1 stl/0 blk/3 tov. Final Numbers: .480/.799/0.3 3ptm/20.5 pts/3.2 rbd/8.7 ast/1.1 stl/0.1 blk/2.9 tov, 60 games
12. Goran Dragic – He played all 66 games, but the final 25 were the ones that catapulted fantasy teams. You owe him a nice fruit basket. Or at least some fancy cheeses. Preseason: Unranked. Final Numbers: .462/.805/1 3ptm/11.7 pts/2.5 rbd/5.3 ast/1.3 stl/0.2 blk/2.4 tov, 66 games
13. Tyreke Evans – I had the peripheral stats almost exactly correct but underestimated Evans’ ability to score, rebound and especially pass. Or maybe I just underestimated Sacramento’s ability to help him do any of those three. Preseason Rank #7, 2011 Projections: .449/.779/0.5 3pt/19.5 pts/5.5 rbd/7 ast/1.5 stl/0.5 blk/3 tov. Final Numbers: .453/.779/0.3 3ptm/16.5 pts/4.6 rbd/4.5 ast/1.3 stl/0.5 blk/2.7 tov, 63 games
14. Jrue Holiday – Sometimes over the course of this season, I really wished Jrue had missed more than just one game. Preseason Rank #10, 2011 Projections: .460/.815/1 3pt/18 pts/3.5 rbd/7.5 ast/2 stl/0 blk/2.5 tov. Final Numbers: .432/.783/1 3ptm/13.5 pts/3.3 rbd/4.5 ast/1.6 stl/0.3 blk/2.1 tov, 65 games
15. Kyle Lowry – I’m as shocked as you are, but not quite as shocked as Goran Dragic. Preseason Rank #19, 2011 Projections: .435/.805/1 3pt/14.5 pts/4 rbd/6 ast/1 stl/0 blk/2 tov. Final Numbers: .409/.864/1.7 3ptm/14.3 pts/4.6 rbd/6.6 ast/1.6 stl/0.3 blk/2.8 tov, 47 games
16. Mario Chalmers – Chalmers landing on this list in his fourth underwhelming season reminds me of gym class softball, when a class full of 30 kids would split into two teams and the kid hitting 15th in the lineup would patiently await his turn at-bat. It’s finally his turn when the gym teacher announces class is over and tells everyone to hit the showers. Thanks for being patient Mario, but this was an injury-skewed season and you played in all but two games. Now hit the showers. Preseason Unranked. Final Numbers: .448/.792/1.6 3ptm/9.8 pts/2.7 rbd/3.5 ast/1.5 stl/0.2 blk/2.2 tov, 64 games
17. Jose Calderon – Say what you will about Joe Kettle, he and Rondo played the same number of games this season and if you owned Rondo, you would have preferred to own Calderon. Preseason Unranked. Final Numbers: .457/.882/1.1 3ptm/10.5 pts/3 rbd/8.8 ast/0.9 stl/0.1 blk/2 tov, 53 games
18. Isaiah Thomas – I want to buy into Thomas for next season, but anyone involved in the Kings sends off red alert flairs. Like a gorgeous girl who says she hasn’t had a steady relationship in years. Preseason Unranked. Final Numbers: .448/.832/1.3 3ptm/11.5 pts/2.6 rbd/4.1 ast/0.8 stl/0.1 blk/1.6 tov, 65 games
19. Andre Miller – If you had told me that two Rockets PGs, two Kings PGs and two Nuggets PGs would make up a third of the league’s 20 most valuable floor generals this season, I’d have … probably believed you because this season was fudged up from jump street! Also, ‘Dre is 35 years old and hasn’t missed a game due to injury since he was 30. Preseason Unranked. Final Numbers: .438/.811/0.3 3ptm/9.7 pts/3.3 rbd/6.7 ast/1 stl/0.1 blk/2.7 tov, 66 games
20. Rajon Rondo – I tend to think Rondo should have been ranked higher even by end-of-season standards. I mean, sure, he played 13 fewer games than Jeff Teague, but he still doled out more than twice the number of assists. Assuming you grabbed someone like Dragic, when Rondo started missing games, you probably did alright in your league. Preseason Rank #9, 2011 Projections: .515/.600/0 3ptm/12 pts/5 rbd/10.5 ast/2.5 stl/0 blk/3 tov. Final Numbers: .448/.597/0.2 3ptm/11.9 pts/4.8 rbd/11.7 ast/1.8 stl/0.1 blk/3.6 tov, 53 games
