fBasketballBlog

I'm afraid to place a caption here. (Keith Allison/Flickr)

We’ve finally reached the other side of the draft — the half that’s rife with question marks, nauseating picks and old names that bring back haunting memories. For some fantasy owners, these are the rounds that are akin to flipping through photos of your ex-lovers — the ones that broke your heart and made you the bitter drafter you are today. But maybe it’s time to let go of that bitterness and practice some forgiveness. There are hints of redemption in these waters, as players who’ve burned us in the past are in new situations that might be conducive to something of a comeback.

Many might not think much of these later rounds but that’s a mistake. Will any of these players make or break your fantasy success this season? Unlikely. However, some of these guys could turn out being staples in your starting lineups, while others might just save you the heartache of a poorly used roster spot. Besides, there are still plenty of intriguing players in the shallower end of this fantasy draft.

Henry did a solid job in round eight. The biggest surprise, of course, was Tiago Splitter at No. 95. I like Splitter and expect that he stands a very good chance at justifying this pick — I just think he could’ve been had in the last round or two. Nevertheless, I understand the lack of stimulating options around these parts, and I also appreciate that if there’s a player you really dig and must have, you might have to jump on him a round or two early to ensure you’ll have him, especially in the latter rounds.

If you’re just joining the party, here are round one, round two, round three, round four, round five, round six, round seven and the already-referenced round eight. Now let’s mosey on over to round nine, which includes a poll and new visuals (you have permission to get excited): (continue reading…)

His owners were just as giddy. (Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images)

Beast of the Night: LeBron James hung a triple-double on Detroit with 29 points, 12 rebounds, 12 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 4 turnovers. He also hit a three and shot 46 percent (10-22) from the floor and 73 percent (8-11) from the line.

Noteworthy Lines:
Boris Diaw – 7-10 FG (70%), 5-6 FT (83%), 1 3ptm, 20 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 3 TO

Al Horford – 6-9 FG (67%), 3-4 FT (75%), 15 Pts, 11 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 TO

Mo Williams – 6-11 FG (55%), 3-4 FT (75%), 5 3ptm, 20 Pts, 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 TO (continue reading…)

No one can even sit, let alone play, with LBJ. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Weekend Wonder: LeBron James put up 40 points, 3 threes, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 4 turnovers on Friday. He shot 59 percent (16-27) from the field and 83 percent (5-6) from the line, and sprained an ankle in the process.

Noteworthy Lines:
Chris Andersen (3/5) – 3-5 FG (60%), 7-10 FT (70%), 13 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Stl, 3 Blk, 2 TO

David West (3/5) – 11-19 FG (58%), 22 Pts, 9 Reb, 7 Ast, 4 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO

Boris Diaw (3/6) – 6-10 FG (60%), 1-2 FT (50%), 1 3ptm, 14 Pts, 12 Reb, 9 Ast, 1 TO (continue reading…)

Crash was superb last night. (NBAE via Getty Images/Jennifer Pottheiser)

Beast of the Night: Gerald Wallace put up 32 points, 2 threes, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals in 48 productive minutes. He’s been dull for most of February so far, but remains a stud.

Noteworthy Lines:
Randy Foye – 7-13 FG (54%), 2-3 FT (67%), 16 Pts, 1 Reb, 9 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO

Andray Blatche – 8-13 FG (62%), 9-9 FT (100%), 25 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 3 TO

Joakim Noah – 3-5 FG (60%), 0-2 FT (0%), 6 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 TO (continue reading…)

Curry nothced his first triple-double last night. (NBAE via Getty Images/Rocky Widner)

Beast of the Night: Stephen Curry slapped the Clippers with 36 points, 7 threes, 10 rebounds, 13 assists and 3 steals. He shot 50 percent (11-22) from the floor, 88 percent (7-8) from the line and had 6 turnovers.

Noteworthy Lines:
Lou Williams – 9-13 FG (69%), 6-6 FT (100%), 2 3ptm, 26 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 TO

Rodney Stuckey – 4-13 FG (31%), 9-9 FT (100%), 17 Pts, 4 Reb, 9 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 5 TO

Darren Collison – 10-16 FG (63%), 4-5 FT (80%), 1 3ptm, 25 Pts, 3 Reb, 9 Ast, 4 Stl, 10 TO (continue reading…)