Fantasy basketball gurus Matt Bohannan and Brandon Osborne analyze NBA fantasy basketball topics and recap what happened this past season.
Best values, and biggest come-ups
Brandon – Robin Lopez, C Por: Lopez, AKA “Sideshow Bob” changed location and seemingly changed his game virtually overnight. His fantasy numbers don’t really stand out, but he’s extremely efficient and rarely gets injured (as opposed to his more hyped brother, Brook), which are traits I look for in a big man.
Isaiah Thomas, PG Sac: Thomas has shown what someone can accomplish with hard work and dedication. He is having a much better season than most players at his position, not to mention exceeding all expectations, including mine. The arrival of Vasquez did nothing but fuel the fire burning in the little man’s heart. He’s averaging 20 points and 6 assists to go along with good three’s and steals. He gets my vote for Most Improved Player.
Matt – DeAndre Jordan, C LAC: For me, Jordan is one of the best, if not the best value in the draft this season. Going after the 8th round in most drafts, he leads the league in rebounds by a wide margin and is third overall in blocks. He is shooting .664 from the field to go along with very good averages of 10 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. Doc Rivers clearly has made a huge impact in bringing out the best in the incredibly athletic big.
Michael Carter-Williams, PG Phi: Everyone had pegged Victor Oladipo as the rookie to own heading into the season. But those who took a flyer on MCW have been rewarded with a Rookie Of the Year performance. Getting drafted after Oladipo in almost all drafts, he’s arguably been the better player both in fantasy and real life.
Biggest surprise of the season
Matt – Mike Woodson and D’Antoni having a combined losing record of 50-85 record in two of the nations’ largest markets and while holding onto their head coaching post throughout the rest of the season. Who would have thought the front offices and fans would put up with losing for this long. There’s got to be a plan though, right?
Brandon – Phil Jackson for President. We all sort of figured Phil was leveraging any offers to use for negotiating with the Lakers. But he went through with the deal from New York and is now positioning the Knicks for a bright future, with or without Carmelo.
My fantasy surprise goes to Goran Dragic and the Phoenix Suns. Coach Hornaceck has led them to surprise playoff contention even without Eric Bledsoe for most of the season, and Dragic has benefited from that.
Matt – My fantasy surprise is Rudy Gay with his turnaround this season. His play after the trade to Sacramento has put him back into elite small forward conversation. The trade was not as much as a surprise as his revival to fantasy elite. Maybe offseason eye surgery has something to do with his spike in efficiency, as he’s shooting .491 from the field to go along with .845 from the stripe, both a career best.
Let’s talk about some playoffs, we’re right in the thick of things for most leagues, what advice do you have?
Brandon – Use all of your pickups. If you have a maximum per week or per post season, use them up. There are a lot of good players to pick up at this point of the season with so many teams resting their older players for the final stretch. I always look for a player who’s hot, had two or more good games in a row to add because I can always drop them when they cool off and add another guy.
Matt – You want to maximize your roster spots for the playoffs. Traditionally, there are eight starting slots with a seven day week, which gives you a maximum of 56 available roster spots. Realistically if you can get in the 48-51 range you will be competitive.
Check out our playoff schedule grid to see how you can maximize your own team with available players. You obviously want to be reasonable with your add/drops and not do something you’ll regret, but no holding back at this stage of the season.
Who are some guys you would target to pick up?
Brandon – Ramon Sessions, Pero Antic, Mike Dunleavy, Tim Hardaway Jr.
Matt – Evan Turner on a flyer for the amount of games the Pacers play, and if Indiana locks up the No. 1 seed look for them to give their starters some rest. Samuel Dalembert and most guys from the Mavs are decent adds with a great schedule down the stretch in the semis and Finals in most leagues. Jeff Adrien is a decent play as well.
It’s obviously a two man race between Kevin Durant and LeBron James for MVP this year, no question. Those guys are just on another level.
Who do you guys think are the next two to be running for MVP over the next 5 seasons?
Brandon – Kevin Love, but not sure he gets the exposure in Minnesota to be considered for MVP. A trade could get him into the MVP conversation. He played college ball in UCLA and could be intrigued by the notion of returning to L.A. to play with the Lakers. He could also be drawn into another big market with the Knicks, who are in search of someone to bring in and give Carmelo Anthony some help.
Matt – I’m going with Anthony Davis for my dark horse. This is probably the deepest talent pool in recent memory, if not the history of the NBA. Guys from the D-League are proving their worth. Injuries provide spots for players who normally wouldn’t get those types of opportunity to play. Next thing you know he’s earned a big contract elsewhere.
But the consensus still has to be Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Only 25 and 29 respectively, they are still in their prime and amazingly have room to grow.
