fBasketballBlog

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…)

Make no mistake: Ibaka will be a beast next season. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

Depth chart:
PG: Russell Westbrook, Eric Maynor, Reggie Jackson, Nate Robinson
SG: James Harden, Thabo Sefolosha, Robert Vaden, Royal Ivey
SF: Kevin Durant, Daequan Cook**
PF: Serge Ibaka, Nick Collison
C: Kendrick Perkins, Nazr Mohammed, Cole Aldrich, Byron Mullens

** restricted free agent (continue reading…)

What can he say? Lowry's just that damned good. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Weekend Wonder: Kyle Lowry averaged 24 points, seven rebounds, 9.5 assists, two steals and 3.5 threes in two games over the weekend. One of those was his first career triple-double. Lowry’s been a beast since the trade deadline and should be on every owner’s radar in the earlier rounds of fantasy basketball drafts next fall.

Lines for Discussion:
Tyler Hansbrough (3/18): 12-19 FG (63%), 5-5 FT (100%), 29 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl

Blake Griffin (3/19): 12-21 FG (57%), 6-6 FT (100%), 30 Pts, 8 Reb, 8 Ast, 3 TO (continue reading…)

Lopez should stay in London. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Weekend Wonder: Brook Lopez had himself a bloody good weekend in London, where he averaged 29.5 points, eight rebounds, two assists and 5.5 blocks in two games against the Raptors. He shot 61 percent from the field, 82 percent from the free-throw line and averaged 2.5 turnovers in his stint overseas. Lopez’s owners probably wish the Nets would play more games across the pond, but they should just take this and savor it while they can. Ideally, this will give the big man some momentum heading into this last stretch of fantasy basketball.

Lines for Discussion:
Andre Iguodala (3/4): 7-13 FG (54%), 6-6 FT (100%), 2 threes, 22 Pts, 10 Reb, 13 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO

Jeff Green (3/4): 8-11 FG (73%), 5-5 FT (100%), 21 Pts, 1 Reb, 2 Stl, 3 TO (continue reading…)

Budinger is a must-add player now. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Game watch:
4 games: ATL, BOS, CHI, DEN, GS, IND, MIN, NO, NY, PHO, SA, WAS
3 games: CHA, CLE, DAL, DET, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIL, NJ, OKC, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC, TOR, UTA

Waiver-wire watch:

• Anthony Parker: averaging 15.8 points, two threes, 4.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 56 percent from the field in his last four games
• Greg Monroe: he’s notched four consecutive double-doubles and is a good pickup in nearly all formats
• Chase Budinger: in his first start of the season, post-Shane Battier, he put up 27 points, three three-pointers, six rebounds and two assists; he should be owned in most leagues
• Randy Foye: he continues to tear things up while Eric Gordon gets ready to return, and could retain decent value in Gordon’s first few games back (continue reading…)