General Fantasy Discussion in istorya

[tackielarla]

^ We'll see...

[lunateec22]

Uh oh. Larry Hughes dislocated his shoulder anew. Out for 6-8 weeks. This means Derrick Rose gets to run the show in Windy City for some time.

[tracernet_v2]

looya oi... but at least he'll not have to stay out of the whole season..

[The Good$!!!]

Living the Fantasy: 5-Cat Advice

By Rick Kamla
Posted Oct 19 2008 12:17AM

What's up, freaks? Welcome back for another heady season of Living the Fantasy on NBA.com. After a summer of chillin' and grillin', it's time to get back to the business of pickin' and winnin', so let's get this party started righteously.

Anyone who has enjoyed even a modicum of success in a five-cat, head-to-head league knows that you're DOA without defensive-minded players who pile up the blocks and steals.

Dudes like Marcus Camby, Josh Smith, and Gerald Wallace are MVP-caliber performers in five-cat formats because they consistently deliver the defensive goodies. Problem is, many of these D-freaks don't show up on NBA TV's ticker or TNT's Inside the NBA, so their rare contributions sometimes get lost in the shuffle unless you are a regular consumer of NBA box scores. As such, many casual fantasy hoopsters will swing and miss with their early picks in five-cat leagues because they are obsessed with points and the superstars who score them.

I can't tell you how many times I've seen 20-ppg guys taken over 2-steal guys and it makes me laugh because I know how frustrated those owners will be around Thanksgiving, when they realize their team is overloaded with points and severely lacking in blocks and steals--and wins.

Scoring is only one of five categories and unless you're talking about Kobe Bryant or Vince Carter--or players like them who sprinkle the stat sheet with all sorts of love--there are countless scorers who are infamously known as one-cat players. Trust me, if your starting lineup has two or more one-cat players, you will not win a fantasy championship and likely won't even make the playoffs.

To help along those lines, I have cooked up a list of overrated five-cat players for you to avoid--or at least downgrade--on draft day.

Forwards
• Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
The 20+ points are cool and he comes off a career-best season in assists (3.5), but Dirk's days of averaging 10 boards are over and the cynics don't call him "-irk" without proper cause.

• Chris Bosh, Raptors
Bosh will always hover around 20-10, but his lack of blocks will a) drive you nuts, and b) force you to the shop him for a big that blocks.

• Rashard Lewis, Magic
Rashard is unique in that he's overrated in five-cat leagues and underrated in eight-cat leagues. Dude is squeaky clean with his percentages and he drills threes, but his defense is consistently inconsistent and he offers very little help in the dime category.

• Luol Deng, Bulls
Lu does a little bit of everything, but he doesn't do enough of any one thing for my liking, and his lack of gambling on defense severely limits his blocks and steals.

• Josh Howard, Mavericks
J-Ho is such an active defender that you assume it translates to fantasy gold, but that is not the case. Last year, Josh averaged 0.4 blocks and 0.8 steals.

• Zach Randolph, Knicks
Hey, at least Chandler and Biedrins block over one shot per game. Pathetic stat of the day: Eddy Curry led the Knicks in blocks per game last year at 0.49.

• Mehmet Okur, Jazz
Like Z-Bo, Okur is rock-solid in points and boards, but it is not unusual for him to go several games without a rejection.

• Peja Stojakovic, Hornets
As much as I enjoy Peja's world-class stroke, I abhor his flat-lined stat lines in five-cat leagues. He is nothing more than bench fodder in leagues that don't include threes and percentages.

• Richard Jefferson, Bucks
RJ will style you with his 20+ scoring average and his assists are nice for a forward, but like the King, he's a reverse pickpocket.

• Mike Miller, Timberwolves
Miller is what I like to call a one-end player. I'll give you one guess as to which end of the floor he ignores.

• David Lee, Knicks
Seriously, what do the Knicks have against blocking shots? Sadly, nothing will change in that regard with Mike D'Antoni running the show.

• Chris Wilcox, Thunder
For all his thunderous dunks, you would think his freakish athleticism would translate to the other end. Who knows...maybe this year it will? Not.

Guards
• Steve Nash, Suns
There was a distinct difference in Nash's numbers before and after Shaq's arrival in Phoenix. Nash averaged 17.4 points and 11.7 assists before Shaq and 16.0 and 9.9, respectively, after Shaq. I expect that trend to continue under defensive-minded head coach Terry Porter, but Nash still won't even approach one steal per game.

• Kevin Martin, Kings
With Ron Artest in Houston, Martin could get the scoring average up to 25 per game, but he's average at best in every other category. Five-cat players, repeat after me: OVER-RATED...OVER-RATED!!!

• Leandro Barbosa, Suns
This dude pays the fantasy bills by way of threes, and last I checked those don't count in five-cat formats.

• Ray Allen, Celtics
Just saw Ray at training camp and his conditioning was impeccable, but he only helps in points, and his days of dropping 20 a night are in a rear-view mirror.

• Rip Hamilton, Detroit
Rip is a carbon copy of Ray --UCONN-alum, big-name, high-profile team, but offers very little outside of his standard 18-20 per game.

• Jason Terry, Mavericks
The Jet (Part Two) used to be a wonderful source for assists and steals, but that was when he had to do it all for lottery-bound Hawks. His days as a do-it-all point guard ended the moment he got off the plane in Dallas.

• Ben Gordon, Bulls
BG has been scoring since 1983, the year of his birth, but he leads the league in zero-rebound/zero-assist games.

• Michael Redd, Bucks
After making strides as an all-around player in 06-07, Redd regressed into an injury-prone gunner last season. With his superb scoring average (22.7 last year) and Gold Medal summer, I guarantee he goes too early in five-cat leagues.

• Tony Parker, Spurs
The best French import since Bordeaux is an amazing player, and he certainly helps in points and assists, but his lack of defense will leave you scrambling for steals all season. Bottom line: you can't win without bigs that block and smalls that steal.

Centers
• Tyson Chandler, Hornets
Forget about his fragility for a moment (he sprained his ankle in the first preseason game) and take a look at the stat line. Yeah, he averaged a double-double last year (11.7/11.7), but did you know that David West averaged more blocks (1.3 to 1.1)? You absolutely have to get at least two blocks per game from your center in five-cat leagues. I'd rather have Samuel Dalembert.

• Andris Biedrins, Warriors
AB is a lot like Chandler with his frequent double-doubles and utter disdain for blocking shots.

[joshua_loquias]

idol the goods>>>>master au oist...

[Motownkid]

@lunateec: na-offer na nako si Josh Smith & Rajah Bell kay Batigol. wala pa na nuon na-accept ang trade.

[The Good$!!!]

@lunateec: na-offer na nako si Josh Smith & Rajah Bell kay Batigol. wala pa na nuon na-accept ang trade.

What Buhian c Josh Smith for Rajah Bell! read the article I posted by Rick Kamla!


Oi Tolits hehehehe... My offer still stands if you're interested hehehe... We can swap with a proven center like Chandler for B' Easy if you want to hehehehe...^^

[Motownkid]

^haha dili oi.. Rajah Bell + Josh Smith akong gi-offer niya...

I'll just keep Beasley for now..

[The Good$!!!]

^haha dili oi.. Rajah Bell + Josh Smith akong gi-offer niya...

I'll just keep Beasley for now..

Darn! hehehehe

[The Good$!!!]

Uh oh. Larry Hughes dislocated his shoulder anew. Out for 6-8 weeks. This means Derrick Rose gets to run the show in Windy City for some time.

Hmmm so they'll start Hinrich at point and Rose at 2 guard... Gordon is used to coming off the bench but they have been playing Rose off the bench this preseason...

Good thing Hughes got injured...