fBasketballBlog

Yep, he's still No. 1. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Weekend Wonder: LeBron James averaged 28.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in two games over the weekend. He shot 57 percent from the floor, hit 94 percent of his free throws and turned the ball over 3.5 times per game. James is shooting 56 percent from the field so far this season, thanks to his apparently deliberate attempts to shoot fewer three-pointers and take shots closer to the rim.

Lines for Discussion:
LaMarcus Aldridge (1/20): 12-25 FG (48%), 9-14 FT (64%), 33 Pts, 23 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 6 TO; he’s quietly putting together top 12 averages so far this season

Stephen Curry (1/20): 5-15 FG (33%), 2 threes, 12 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 TO; his minutes will likely be limited for a few games, but his owners should feel bold enough to start him

Danilo Gallinari (1/21): 9-19 FG (47%), 18-20 FT (90%), 1 three, 37 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Gallinari is now shooting 46 percent from the field, his highest mark since arriving in the NBA and a big reason for his top 10 value so far this season (continue reading…)

All this fantasy value without a single three-pointer made. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Beast of the Night: LeBron James was big again last night, finishing 33 points, eight rebounds, 13 assists and two steals. He shot 57 percent (12-21) from the floor, 82 percent (9-11) from the free-throw line and had two turnovers. The man has yet to make a three-pointer and has only attempted one this season, but that has done nothing to drag down his fantasy value. King James remains far and away the best fantasy basketball player in the land.

Lines for Discussion:
Ryan Anderson: 7-16 FG (44%), 6-6 FT (100%), 3 threes, 23 Pts, 15 Reb; he’s averaging 19.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.6 threes per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 94 percent from the free-throw line — top five numbers

DeMar DeRozan: 9-18 FG (50%), 2-2 FT (100%), 5 threes, 25 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 TO; the three-point shooting is key to his otherwise yawn-worthy fantasy value

Boris Diaw: 12-15 FG (80%), 3 threes, 27 Pts, 3 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl, 5 TO; he remains a must-start player (continue reading…)

What can Melo say? He loves that Knicks offense. (Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

Beast of the Night: Carmelo Anthony kicked off the 2011-12 NBA season in a big way, finishing Christmas Day with 37 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block and four threes. He shot 59 percent (10-17) from the floor, hit 87 percent (13-15) of his free throws and had five turnovers. Melo clearly thrives in that Knicks offense and will prove himself worthy of a first-round pick this season.

Lines for Discussion:
Rajon Rondo: 11-19 FG (58%), 9-12 FT (75%), 31 Pts, 5 Reb, 13 Ast, 5 Stl, 5 TO; showed plenty of aggression and didn’t hesitate to take open jumpers

Tyson Chandler: 1-2 FG (50%), 5-8 FT (63%), 7 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 6 Blk; six blocks is nice, but just three rebounds against that Celtics frontcourt?

Amar’e Stoudemire: 8-11 FG (73%), 3-4 FT (75%), 2 threes, 21 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; keep those threes comin’ (continue reading…)

Yep, this will be fun. (Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images)

The 2011-12 NBA season is finally within reach, ready to be ripped open by the childishly eager fingers of ravenous fans. For fantasy basketball owners, the joy comes with a bit of business. Once they cut through the excitement of seeing the first tip-off of the season, they’ll immediately wonder how their draft picks will pay off, what clues they can pick up in the early going and which players sitting in the free-agent pool might be worth a pickup.

While making heavy-handed conclusions after just the first day of games isn’t recommended, it doesn’t hurt to have a list of things to watch and hope for during the first official day of this unique NBA season. Below is a Christmas Day wish list for fantasy basketball owners who have players participating in the first day’s games. (continue reading…)

You're not one of those people who still drafts Kobe in the first round, are you? (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)

It’s time to get grinchy, which is a good thing.

We need some salt to cut through all the sweetness of discussions about sleepers, up-and-comers and late-round steals. So, to that end, below is a quick list of the five NBA players most likely to fall short of meeting their expected values heading into this season, the inherent value of their name or whatever residual impressions of value they’ve carried over from last season in some owners’ minds.

You can read the full article about the top five underperformers over at DimeMag.com. Below is just a list of the names with brief explanations — along with five bonus names, just for this blog’s readers.

See, even the Grinch values its audience. (continue reading…)