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Horford is the face of stability for the Hawks in 2011-12. (Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images)

Derek Fisher was said to have text messaged some of his fellow NBA players last week telling them to be physically ready in case the season starts on time. Whether that’s true or not, the sentiment of that supposed message is one fantasy basketball fans should take to heart. The 2011-12 NBA season might start on time, or it might not. The point is that you don’t want to be the guy scrambling to get his act together in hasty preparation for a fantasy draft that has come quicker than expected. (continue reading…)

Duncan showed us some of the good ol' stuff. (Chris Belcher/NBA.com)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Beast of the Night: Tim Duncan posted 28 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 4 blocks last night against the Nuggets. He shot 67 percent (12-18) from the field and 67 percent (4-6) from the charity stripe. This was Duncan’s third straight game with double-digit rebounds, and he’s averaging 4.3 blocks during that stretch. Though his fantasy value remains limited by his tightly controlled minutes, Duncan remains a strong asset when healthy and given 30+ minutes.

Lines for Discussion:
JaVale McGee: 1-5 FG (20%), 2 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Blk, 2 TO

Devin Harris: 7-25 FG (28%), 14-17 FT (82%), 1 three, 29 Pts, 3 Reb, 9 Ast, 2 TO (continue reading…)

Is this what a two-time bust looks like? (AP Photo/Claudio Scaccini)

We’re hours away from the start of what should be an indelible 2010-11 NBA season. I hope you’re as excited as I am.

I’ve posted my top five fantasy basketball storylines to watch this season. Head over to DimeMag.com to read the full post. Below is a teaser:

1. Sleepers or Busts: Anthony Randolph, J.J. Hickson, Nicolas Batum, Austin Daye, Jeff Teague, Leandro Barbosa and Rodrigue Beaubois – these are some of the names that have been tagged with “sleeper” for 2010-11. Who will fulfill that label? Who will continue to slumber? And how forgiving will we be of the latter group?… (continue reading…)

Yes, coach Drew will eventually hand the keys to the starting PG gig to Teague. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Depth chart:
PG: Mike Bibby, Jeff Teague
SG: Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Jordan Crawford, Pape Sy
SF: Marvin Williams, Maurice Evans
PF: Josh Smith, Josh Powell
C: Al Horford, Zaza Pachulia, Etan Thomas, Jason Collins

Relevant fantasy players and projected draft positions/per-game stats:
Josh Smith – PF (Rd. 2): 16 Pts, 9 Reb, 3.5 Ast, 1.5 Stl, 2 Blk
Al Horford – F/C (Rd. 2-3): 15 Pts, 10.5 Reb, 2.5 Ast, 1 Stl, 1.5 Blk
Joe Johnson – G/F (Rd. 2-3): 20 Pts, 2 threes, 4.5 Reb, 4.5 Ast, 1 Stl
Jamal Crawford – G (Rd. 6-7): 17.5 Pts, 2 threes, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl
Marvin Williams – F (Rd. 11+): 10 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 1 Stl
Mike Bibby – PG (Rd. 13+): 7 Pts, 1 three, 3 Ast
Jeff Teague – PG (Rd. 13+): 10 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl (continue reading…)

Curry ended a spectacular season with a bang. (Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

[Read the full, original post at Dimemag.com]

Beast of the Night: Stephen Curry finished his stellar first season in the NBA with a bang, finishing with 42 points, 4 threes, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 2 turnovers. He shot 52 percent (13-25) from the field and 100 percent (12-12) from the line. The kid deserves some major props for finishing the season as a top-12 fantasy stud and he’s sure to go very high in next season’s drafts.

Noteworthy Lines:
Jeff Teague – 11-19 FG (58%), 1-2 FT (50%), 1 3ptm, 24 Pts, 5 Reb, 15 Ast, 1 Stl, 5 TO; The rookie got all he could handle last night, playing all 48 minutes. This probably doesn’t have any bearing on his fantasy value next season.

Bill Walker – 8-17 FG (47%), 6-7 FT (86%), 6 3ptm, 28 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast; He did fairly well with the minutes given to him during the last two months of the season but he’ll be relatively worthless again in 2010-11. (continue reading…)