fBasketballBlog

Despite taking a step back from his huge 2009-10 campaign, KD held onto his crown. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

MVP:
Kevin Durant

Biggest Letdown:
Troy Murphy

Waiver-Wire Gem of the Year:
Dorell Wright

Fantasy Rookie of the Year:
Blake Griffin

Biggest Bang-for-Your-Buck of the Year:
Kevin Love

Most Unappreciated Stud:
Dirk Nowitzki

Biggest WTF of the Year:
Kris Humphries

Most Pleasant Surprise of the Year:
Kevin Garnett

Gear-Shifter of the Year:
LaMarcus Aldridge (continue reading…)

The man with the foul mouth went out with a bang this season. But make no mistake: Kobe's starting his ride into the sunset. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

Beast of the Night: Kobe Bryant finished the season with a strong game to the tune of 36 points, nine rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. He shot 54 percent (13-24) from the field, 90 percent (9-10) from the foul line and had two turnovers. While he was taken in the first round of virtually all drafts, Bryant returned top-30 value, signaling the end of his time as a truly elite fantasy player. His name will cause many to take him too early in next season’s drafts – don’t be the one to make that mistake.

Lines for Discussion:
Chase Budinger: 12-21 FG (57%), 7-7 FT (100%), 4 threes, 35 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl

Gordon Hayward: 12-17 FG (71%), 5-5 FT (100%), 5 threes, 34 Pts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO (continue reading…)

Gasol has turned in one helluva season. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Beast of the Night: Pau Gasol put up 17 points, 17 rebounds, five assists and a block last night. He shot 58 percent (7-12) from the field, 75 percent (3-4) from the free-throw line and had no turnovers. Gasol averaged top-five numbers throughout the season, despite many of his statistics dropping a bit from their marks in 2009-10. He should have a few more years of elite fantasy basketball in him.

Lines for Discussion:
Luol Deng: 9-16 FG (56%), 3-4 FT (75%), 2 threes, 23 Pts, 10 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 TO

Lamar Odom: 9-18 FG (50%), 4-5 FT (80%), 1 three, 23 Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 TO (continue reading…)

Frye has been a friendly fantasy player this season. (AP Photo/ Bahram Mark Sobhani)

Beast of the Night: Channing Frye posted 33 points, four boards, one assist and made nine three-pointers. He shot 67 percent (12-18) from the floor and had no turnovers. While his production in April has been pretty poor, Frye has had a pretty successful season, as he’s managed to average top-50 numbers. With his combination of threes, blocks and solid free-throw shooting, he should maintain solid value next season.

Lines for Discussion:
Jeff Green: 8-20 FG (40%), 4-5 FT (80%), 20 Pts, 15 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO

Brook Lopez: 12-23 FG (52%), 7-8 FT (88%), 31 Pts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO (continue reading…)

'Melo's got his fantasy owners doing a lot of this lately. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Weekend Wonder: Carmelo Anthony averaged 29.5 points, nine rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals, two blocks and four threes in two games over the weekend. He shot 44 percent from the field and 85 percent from the foul line in that stretch. In the last 30 days, Anthony has put up top-three averages.

Lines for Discussion:
Jrue Holiday (4/8): 3-11 FG (27%), 7-7 FT (100%), 13 Pts, 4 Reb, 11 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 5 TO

J.J. Hickson (4/8): 11-20 FG (55%), 0-3 FT (0%), 22 Pts, 15 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO (continue reading…)