The reserves for this month’s NBA All-Star Game in Orlando were announced last night, and while I don’t agree with all of them, I DEFINITELY am not feeling Kenny and Chuck‘s reasoning. Listen, the All-Star selection process is fundamentally flawed as it is. Inevitably it comes down to what you deem worthy – is it wins? numbers? impact? – and inevitably, that’s different for everyone. But I’m sorry: Smith and Barkley were way off last night. Read More »

Buy Low: Carmelo Anthony is having a rough week. In his last two games, he’s totaled 16 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists and a block, while shooting 5-of-21 (24 percent) from the field and hitting zero three-pointers. Melo’s shooting woes have plagued him all season, as he’s shooting just 39 percent from floor so far in the 2011-12 NBA season. If your league counts field-goal percentage as a category, ‘Melo is not much more than a top 50 fantasy asset – if your league doesn’t count that column, he surges to the top 20. All that said, he’s coming off a forgettable week for a Knicks team that looks about as healthy as Lindsay Lohan. But with Baron Davis on the way back and some kind of changing wind on the way (one can hope, right?), a guy as talented as ‘Melo is can’t be mired in this slump for too much longer. He won’t get cheaper than he is right now. Read More »

Thank you NBA fans. You’ve officially destroyed any drama that I ever got out of the All-Star voting. Not that it really matters. Almost every year, you can bank on certain names garnering the most votes and a starting spot in the Sunday capper of the best midseason weekend in basketball. Kobe Bryant could do his whole “watch what happens when I don’t shoot, world” routine for four weeks straight, and his fans would probably declare he’s the best passer in the world and should be in the game. LeBron James could act like a train off its tracks, and keep up that weird “I’m here, but don’t ask me to do anything heroic” face he’s had on since last June, and fans would still call him the most talented player in NBA history. Blake Griffin could blow out his knee or decide to never dunk again as long as the refs continue to screw him (Watch him complain on every call. Hubie almost had a heart attack last night: “GET BACK ON D! YOU GOTTA GET BACK!”), or he could have both happen, and Quake would still be in February’s ultimate showcase. Read More »

Basketball fans can never agree on anything, but anyone that has seen Utah play this year needs to sit back and declare this is probably the most surprising team in the league. 9-4. Second in the Northwest Division, which is only probably the best division in basketball. No. 11 in John Hollinger’s Power Rankings with eight wins in their last 10 games. Last night, when I watched them mercilessly chain the Clippers to a wall and then take batting practice at them, I thought I was watching over-the-top basketball scenes from Above The Rim. Everything was a dunk, a lob, a moment that had Matt Harpring nearly out of his seat yelling about how awesome the Jazz are. It was ugly. Read More »

Beast of the Night: Kevin Durant finished his big night with 29 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, one steal, four blocks and three three-pointers. He shot 65 percent (11-17) from the field, 67 percent (4-6) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. This was his third consecutive double-double. After a “slow” start, Durant is back on track, notching more rebounds, assist and blocks than he did last season, while shooting an improved 49 percent (up from 46 percent last season) from the floor. Read More »

Up: Spencer Hawes is averaging top 10 numbers so far this season. Yeah, that doesn’t say too much, but his two-game averages of 9.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.0 steals, 1.5 blocks and 2.5 turnovers, along with 56 percent shooting from the field and a perfect one-for-one from the free-throw line are impressive. If you say you saw this coming, I’ll call you a liar. But if you scooped him up, I’ll call you a savvy optimist. Hawes won’t keep this up for the whole season, but his current owners should squeeze him for all he’s got or shop him like there’s no tomorrow. [Sell] Read More »

Beast of the Night: Ray Allen was in beast mode last night, finishing with 28 points, three rebounds, four assists, two steals and six threes. He shot 67 percent (8-12) from the floor, 100 percent (6-6) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. The dude stayed in good shape during the extended offseason and it’s shown in the first two games of the season. Through two games, Allen is averaging 39 minutes per outing, which isn’t sustainable. Expect his minutes (and production) to be capped soon. Read More »

The lockout is just a memory, the NBA is days away from its glorious Christmas Day return, and fantasy basketball preparations are in full swing. But you can’t escape the past. This isn’t a life lesson from the fingers of someone wholly unfit to give you non-fantasy basketball advice – it’s a reminder that suspensions handed down late in the 2010-11 NBA season are going to affect some players’ availabilities in the early going this season. On top of those suspensions are injuries and health conditions that will have implications from the outset of the 2011-12 NBA season. Below is a rundown of early suspensions and injuries, and the players who stand to benefit from those circumstances. Read More »

While it’s more exciting talking up sleepers, bloomers and late-round bargains with your fantasy basketball friends, it’s also helpful to look at the negative side of things. So, in honor of this season of giving, here’s a list of the top five fantasy basketball underperformers for the upcoming 2011-12 season. Each of these players stands a chance of falling short of expectations this season, for various reasons. Read More »

‘Tis the season, right? First word broke this morning that Boston would be open to trading Rajon Rondo in the right deal, while chatter in Utah is now saying that the Jazz are willing to do the same with Paul Millsap. Read More »