fBasketballBlog

Love has been a beast this season, but his weak playoff schedule kind of makes him a scumbag.

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Fantasy playoffs are right around the corner, with most playoff matchups beginning in Week 21 (3/14) or Week 22 (3/21). This means most fantasy owners who are still in contention for a playoff spot in their leagues should start pondering whether or not they want to swing some deals to bulk up their teams’ schedules during that all-important stretch of the season. In essence, fantasy owners should see this as another way of buying low (on players whose teams have favorable fantasy playoff schedules) and selling high (on players whose teams have weak fantasy playoff schedules).

Below is a quick rundown of how many games each team plays in Weeks 21-25 (Week 25 might be combined with Week 24 in leagues that play to the very end of the NBA regular season). (continue reading…)

No, don't slow things down, Derrick! (Flickr/Keith Allison)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Beast of the Night: Derrick Rose finished with 42 points, five rebounds, eight assists and a block. He shot 64 percent (18-28) from the field, 100 percent (6-6) from the free-throw line and had one turnover. This was a nice way to head into the All-Star break for Rose, who has made a lot of noise in fantasy circles this season. Expect more of the same post-All-Star weekend.

Lines for Discussion:
Manu Ginobili: 6-18 FG (33%), 3-4 FT (75%), 1 three, 16 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO

Dirk Nowitzki: 13-18 FG (72%), 6-6 FT (100%), 3 threes, 35 Pts, 1 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO (continue reading…)

Nash is doling out the love lately. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Weekend Wonder: Steve Nash averaged 24.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 13.5 assists, 1 steal and 1 three in two monster games over the weekend. He shot 65 percent from the field, 82 percent from the free-throw line and turned the ball over just once per game. After a sluggish start to the season, Nash has notched double-doubles in his last four outings.

Lines for Discussion:
Kevin Love (11/12): 11-26 FG (42%), 8-10 FT (80%), 1 three, 31 Pts, 31 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO

Tyson Chandler (11/12): 3-4 FG (75%), 5-7 FT (71%), 11 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO (continue reading…)

Roy is the first 'Beast' of the 2010-11 NBA season. (Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

[Read the full post at DimeMag.com]

Beast of the Night: Brandon Roy kicked off the season with 24 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, hitting 4 threes in the process. He shot 45 percent (9-20) from the field, 100 percent (2-2) from the line and had 2 turnovers. What slow preseason?

Lines for Discussion:
LeBron James: 10-21 FG (48%),  8-12 FT (67%), 3 threes, 31 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 8 TO

Dwyane Wade: 4-16 FG (25%), 4-6 FT (67%), 1 three, 13 Pts, 4 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 Stl, 6 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…)