Time For The NBA Season Already? Just Five More Minutes...

Wake up suckers, here are 7 sleeper picks for your fantasy draft this year. I know what you’re thinking, and yes, I do have a formula for picking them. Breakout Talent + Underrated = Good Sleeper Pick. I am taking calculus after all.

1) Nate Robinson
After an MVP award from the Summer League, Nate Robinson continues to tear up the preseason. He recently posted a 28, 9 and 4 game against the Ceatles in only 28 minutes and as I’m writing this, he is embarrassing the Sixers. He’s a shoe-in for a starting PG position this year

2) Jameer Nelson
He’ll be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign something in the next week and he’s dedicated this season to the memory of his father, whose body was found in the Delaware River almost two months ago. With Dwight Howard finally developing inside and Rashard Lewis taking additional pressure off, Nelson just bought a one-way ticket to assist town.

3) Al Thorton
Elton Brand is out and I find it unlikely that Livingston will be making a miraculous recovery to carry the Clippers on his back. Big Al (not Horford) is averaging 18.7 points per game in 29 minutes, with 50% from the field, 70% from beyond the arc and 85% from the line. I expect him to take the ROTY award.

4) Luis Scola
The Rockets picked up Scola for Spanoulis and a second-round pick in 2009 and they couldn’t be happier with his progress. He’s looking at a starting PF spot, but hasn’t been doing too much in the pre-season. Nevertheless, Adelman is excited and expects him to be an effective part of Houston’s offense. He’s probably the most underrated rookie and might go undrafted in your league.

5) Danny Granger
Lucky for Granger, he’s on what looks to be the worst team in the NBA. He’ll get open looks and he’s liable to have a fair amount of 30 point games. He’s big, 6’8” 230 lbs, and can shoot the ball as he proved on Tuesday with 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting.

6) Andrew Bynum
I think he’ll finally reach his potential this year. He won’t be great, but a good option if you’re need rebounds or blocks. He’s crazy athletic and finally developing some go-to-moves on offense. He grabbed 6 boards and added 11 points against Golden State in only 19 minutes. With Kwame Brown and Chris Mihm constantly fighting injuries, he might earn a starting spot this season.

7) Louis Williams
His Summer League performance equaled MVP Nate Robinson’s and since then, he’s been one of the Sixers best scoring options. He put up 33 against the Nets on the 13th, almost hitting a game winner. He’s the number one PG off the bench and if the Sixers need buckets, they might just put him in for Andre Miller.

Fantasy Draft: 2007-2008, For Those Of Us With Nothing Better To Do

It’s that time of the year again, fantasy draft time. With an eventful off-season, I’m sure you’re all wondering which players to take this season. Without further ado, the top 25 picks with a breakdown of when and why to take them.

1) LeBron James
He’s the most talented player in the NBA. Not the best scorer, rebounder, passer or defender, but by far the best all around player. His team hasn’t changed too much and there’s no reason he shouldn’t put up even better numbers than last year.

2) Kevin Garnett
It’s possible to argue that his new club will diminish his fantasy value and it probably will, but not significantly. Expect fewer points, but possibly more rebounds and blocks due to weaker competition. His shooting percentage might go up thanks to fewer double teams and a shoot-first-ask-questions-later supporting cast. Even if any of his numbers go down he’s still the best fantasy big man in the NBA.

3) Shawn Marion
Marion’s easily the most versatile player in the league right now. He averaged 17 and 10 last year, but every fantasy owner knows that’s not even half the reason he’s number 3. He shoots with a high percentage, plays stellar defense and never misses a game and playing with Steve Nash can’t hurt either. He’s definitely someone to build your team around.

4) Kobe Bryant
He’s going to be the league’s best scorer again this year and hopefully your team will reap all the benefits. 32 PPG, with 5 rebounds and assists every night makes Kobe an MVP candidate and fantasy stud. Without any other options, he gets every offensive touch for the Lakers and he feels like he’s got something to prove this year. He won’t be holding out this year and if he gets traded (which he won’t) the worst that can happen is he trades some points for assists.

5) Steve Nash
He’s perfected the assist and you’re guaranteed to win that category every week with him on your team (I did last season anyway). The ultimate floor general can outscore any other PG on a give night and his percentage is up there. If you draft Nash, you don’t need to worry about assists with any of your other picks.

6) Gilbert Arenas
The only thing to keep in mind while drafting Agent 0 first is that you will need a SG who can pass. Gilbert doesn’t need to pass, doesn’t want to pass and probably couldn’t pass if he tried. I’m not criticizing because most of those non-passes end up as 3-pointers. His numbers are similar to Kobe’s, but he doesn’t score as much and gets an extra dime. Your team will lead in 3PM but probably not percentage. If he’s healthy, he’s deadly.

7) Dirk Nowitzki
You can probably expect a consistent 25 and 10 from Dirk this season. Everyone knows he’s the best shooting 7-footer and there’s no reason he won’t play at the MVP level again this year. He shot the coveted 50-40-90 percentages last year and he gets better every year.

8) Dwayne Wade
This is undoubtedly a risk with two looming injuries coming into the season, but he wants to get better and once he returns I expect him to finish the season strong. He’s liable to have 35 points one night and 11 assists the next. He’ll average at least 2 steals a game and he’ll head to the line a lot.

9) Josh Smith
A 6’9’’-er might lead the league in blocks this year and his stock goes up if you’re in a keeper league. With injuries to Joe Johnson, he’s Atlanta’s number one option. He might not play with the best supporting cast but he can do it all himself. The only downside: he could average as many assists as he does blocks.

10) Andre Iguodala
He may not have had the best season last year, but if the second half is any indication, he could get 20, 7 and 7 this year. With A.I. gone and an actual point guard in his place, Iguodala’s upside just got a lot bigger.

11) Amare Stoudemire
Just when you thought Stat’s injury wasn’t a problem anymore, he got surgery on his right knee. He made the comeback once, why shouldn’t he do this again? Easily a 20 and 10 player and his jump shooting got better over the off-season. He’s lucky enough to play with Steve Nash and he could recapture and surpass his numbers from 2005.

12) Chris Bosh
Basically an even younger Amare Stoudemire. He can shoot, take it inside and the Raps only real competition is the Celtics. He’s surrounded by shooters so the pressure should be off for the most part.

13) Jason Kidd
His triple doubles are somewhat overrated but never unappreciated by fantasy owners. He’s rarely hurt and could actually average close to 10, 10 and 10.

14) Rashard Lewis
The off-season was good to Rashard. Howard’s inside game gives the shooter plenty of looks and Jameer Nelson will have no problem seeing him off slashes. Lewis will take the Magic to the next level.

15) Chris Paul
There’s no doubt that Paul will eventually be the best PG in the league. He breaks the definition of scoring point guard by getting 9 assists to go with his 18 points.

16) Yao Ming
With Shaq’s slow decline, he’s becoming the most dominant player in the NBA. Sure, he can get 25 and 10 with 2 blocks and assists to boot, but he has a problem with staying healthy. Averages don’t mean anything if he only plays in 40 games.

17) Pau Gasol
He’s constantly on the verge of superstardom. He is the number one option, unfortunately on the worst team in the NBA. Just over 20 and 10, easily.

18) Tim Duncan
Obviously one of the best players in the league, but he tends to take it easy until the playoffs start. He’s the definition of 20 and 10 every night. The biggest upside to drafting him? You get to name your team “The Big FUNdamental!”.

19) Ray Allen
His numbers will definitely go down, but going 26 ppg to 22 ppg isn’t too bad. He’ll easily get open looks all season his assists should go up. If the Sun’s trifecta can keep their fantasy numbers up, why shouldn’t the Ceatles be able to?

20) Gerald Wallace
I believe he can stay healthy and if your league knows what it’s doing, they’ll let you play him at the PF. His numbers should go up next to Richardson and he’ll get better as the ‘Cats do. Morrison will be sorely missed, but his shot attempts are going straight to Wallace.

21) Dwight Howard
He might be under ranked here, but the addition of Lewis won’t help his numbers much. He shoots an abysmal 58% from the line and he’ll be getting fouled a lot this year. His blocks may be the only category to improve, but chances are good he’ll pick up lots of fouls trying to get them.

22) Vince Carter
He’s a safe pick and consistently gets 25, 6 and 4 with one or two treys. He’s liable to explode on any given night and supply 35 points.

23) Allen Iverson
Now that he’s on a real playoff contender, A.I. might start passing the ball. His assists will go up and his points will go down but his overall numbers will suffer becoming the second option. From a Nuggets fan perspective, this is a good thing, but from a fantasy owner’s perspective, you should hope Carmelo gets in another fight.

24) Tracy McGrady
He can stay healthy and his offense will thrive under Adelman. He’s got to meet his potential sooner or later. Regardless of how many games he plays, he’ll average 27, 6 and 7. If Yao stays healthy, the pressure will be taken off and he’ll get better looks and someone to actually pass to.

25) Paul Pierce
Obviously not the number one option anymore, but his passing game should surprise some people. He’ll still get upwards of 20 ppg and 5 rebounds. His fantasy stock definitely doesn’t get higher this year, but he’ll get a higher percentage and more dimes.

Which Is Funnier, Gheroghe Muresan Dancing Or Dikembe Drinking Root Beer? Now You Know

Aside from Terrible Terry Tate and Chad Johnson, no athletes are better equipped for hilarity than basketball players. They’re used to the pressure, timing and gun-wielding inherent in comedic acting. These skills, in combination with SportsCenter’s ability to write phenomenal commercials, have lead to some entertaining ends. Game Recognize the best basketball related SportsCenter ads in history.

10) This commercial back from ‘97 is an excellent example of SportsCenter humor, but a poor example of Kobe’s acting ability. Put him on trial and I promise he’ll be more convincing than this.


9) Mutumbo was offered Dustin Hoffman’s roll in “Rain Man”. He declined so he could spend more time with his 17 children.


8) Scott Van Pelt and Stuart Scott are SportsCenter’s two leading actors and this clip proves it. Note the LeBron reference.


7) Shaq hasn’t been this good since Shazzoo. Kazzam? Shapow? Whatever that movie was called.


6) DWade wants his highlights to make him look like a superhero. What he doesn’t realize is that this commercial makes it seem like he has super comedy.

5) Is there any real joke to this commercial? No, unless you consider the expressive art of dancing funny.


4) This is the fabled commercial that got Lorne Michaels interested in Bron.


3) Grant Hill is a true pioneer for the NBActor. I wonder if he can actually play the piano.


2) Scott Van Pelt is gross.


1) This commercial gets the number one spot because of all the O.G.s.


Well there you have it, the top ten (of 11) basketball related SportsCenter commercials in order for your convenience. Wait until Greg Oden gets better. Can anyone say “deformed face” jokes?

Key To Basketblog Success, Post Videos of Dunk Contests.

Dunking is always cool no matter what. Up 30 points with .2 seconds to go on a fast break? Cool to dunk. A 7-footer on a 3-month-old baby? Cool if he dunks it. But nothing, nothing, is lamer than missing a dunk. Underhanded foul shots, banked threes and falling on your face are all cooler than missing a dunk. Unfortunately, this situation is inevitable, even for the pros.



As Newton’s law of inverse dunkation states, completing a dunk is as cool as missing a dunk is lame.



Notice the difference between the two videos. Dunking = cool. Not dunking = lame. In other words, I’d rather be Vince Carter than Tim Perry.

Ceatle Mania

I actually watched the Celtics play the Raptors in the first (Italian) preseason game of the year. I wasn’t exactly surprised to see KG drop 19, Pierce drop 21 of his own with Allen adding 10, but I was surprised that none of these guys forced anything and let the ball actually come to them.
There were times when 2 or 3 possessions in a row failed to include any of these superstars and yet they stayed in rhythm and got their fair share of buckets when the time was right. Because I am a hater, and sit here on my computer and hate, hate, hate all day, I can’t help but assume that this won’t last all season, or can I?
The most hopeful event for an effective Boston franchise didn’t come when Ray actually passed to Eddie House or Pierce’s dime to Perkins; it wasn’t even during the game at all. During a timeout, NBA TV ran a short segment in which Pierce, Allen and Garnett were enjoying paninis or espressos or something at a café, and discussing the new team. The expected was said, “we still have to prove ourselves”, “we’re excited for the season”, blah, blah, blah… but then KG gave the three all-stars a fateful nickname, a name that, if lived up to, would bring with it a new basketball era. He donned them “The Ceatles” (see-tulls).
Now, I’m not one to jump on the latest band-wagon that happens by, in fact I still don’t believe LeBron will be able to make the transition to the NBA, but a claim like this inspires hope, even in the pessimist blogger, not to mention 76ers fan. So, the best of luck to you Paul (KG), George (Pierce) and Ringo (Allen).
I guess John can be Posey or somebody, whatever.


(The fateful claim is made at about 1:40 in)

Game Recognize Previews: The Top Dogs

Here at Game Recognize Game, we recognize that previews shouldn’t just be about the teams. Sometimes you need to recognize the accomplishments of the egomaniacal superstar. After all, there is no “team” in “I”. So, with no further ado, here comes Game Recognize Game: Individual Predictions for 2007-2008.

Scoring Leaders:
1) Kobe Bryant: 34.3
2) LeBron James: 28.9
3) Gilbert Arenas: 28.2
4) Dwayne Wade: 27.6
5) Amare Stoudemire: 27.3
Next five: Michael Redd, Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, Joe Johnson, Carmelo Anthony


Rebound Leaders:
1) Dwight Howard: 13.0
2) Tyson Chandler: 12.6
3) Kevin Garnett: 12.2
4) Emeka Okafor: 11.5
5) Carlos Boozer: 11.3
Next five: Marcus Camby, Al Jefferson, Tim Duncan, Chris Bosh, Ben Wallace


Assist Leaders:
1) Steve Nash (duh): 11.9
2) Jason Kidd: 10.3
3) Chris Paul: 9.5
4) Deron Williams: 9.3
5) T.J. Ford: 8.7
Next five: Baron Davis, Andre Miller, Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups, Raymond Felton


Steals:
1) Baron Davis: 2.4
2) Dwayne Wade: 2.2
3) Andre Iguodala: 2.0
4) Gerald Wallace: 2.0
5) Allen Iverson: 1.8
Next five: Caron Butler, Ron Artest, Chris Paul, Shawn Marion, Gilbert Arenas


Blocks:
1) Marcus Camby: 3.5
2) Jermaine O’Neal: 3.0
3) Emeka Okafor: 2.8
4) Pau Gasol: 2.2
5) Tim Duncan: 2.1
Next five: Josh Smith, Ben Wallace, Samuel Dalembert, Dwight Howard, Tyson Chandler


Most Impressive Breakouts:
1) Devin Harris: Expect a Monta Ellis/Deron Williams type of year for him. He’ll need to start earning his check and it’s not like he doesn’t have enough guys to dish to on the Mavs. 14 PPG 5 APG
2) Danny Granger: Granger has plenty of opportunities to touch the ball on a lacking Pacers club. He’s a fairly big, athletic swingman who can shoot. 18 PPG 6 RPG
3) Andrew Bynum: Kobe’s favorite player is approaching the age of most rookies but he’s as polished as many veterans. 10 PPG 8 RPG.