A friend accused me of involving too much money with my sports addiction. (In other words, i gamble too much) and that it (kind of) veers away from being a sports fan. Well, yes and no. Since i discovered fantasy basketball way back in 2001~2002 there were times when i forgot to remember the Final Score of the Game but memorized the Individual Statistics of the Players. Then, when the money got involved, there's a "business" side of it that you have to take it a little more seriously--- but fret not, the fun part is still there. Believe me.
It's fun when you can buy your next pair of Adidas or your own HP Mini off your fantasy winnings. Believe that.
So without further ado, here's my line-up this year. And to avoid the jinx, here's the reverse-jinx disclaimer: i don't think i'd be able to win it all this year; i hated (most of) my draft results and i need to step it up via the waiver wire and/or add-drops to be able to be among the contenders.
To note, i will defend three crowns this year; Solar Bragging Rights (14 teams Roto), Radyo PBA-NBA (9 Teams Roto) and the CSC Live 09 (Head to Head, 14 teams). The other league, Solar Antipolo was where i finished runner-up last year because of Lebron James deciding he won't play in the final game. So all in all, am not whining from last year's performance. But the pressure is that i doubt i can repeat the same success...
Talking about the draft here are my line-ups for the money leagues this year.
Radyo PBA-NBA - 9 teams Roto (500 pesos | Top 3 in the Money)
PG - Chris Paul/Derrick Rose/Mo Williams
SG - Vince Carter/Ramon Sessions/Wilson Chandler
SF - Josh Smith/Hedo Turkoglu/Shane Battier
PF - Tim Duncan/Andrea Bargnani
C - David Lee/Greg Oden
Draft Luck: Picking number three i was ecstatic to see that the first pick was D-Wade! Meaning i will get either James or Paul!
Draft Bust: i fear TD's injury (2nd round), and to an extent, VC's... Then Smart Bro autopicked Mr. Shane Battier for me in the 9th round. We will see if that's destiny but he's the first guy that i shall flip for somebody else in the fat free agency.
Wildcards: Getting Oden with the last pick, i thought was a steal.
Patterns* (i have one rule of thumb in fantasy: get starters (or players with starter minutes) as many as you can. After all, you can't produce if you don't have playing time.): All players are expected to start for their respective teams.
Prediction: 3rd place. Last year in this league, i had a good start and then had a convincing finish. i think i (will) lack the finishing touches this year so i don't think it will be enough.
Solar Bragging Rights - 14 teams head-to-head (1500 | Top 3 in the Money)
PG - Rajon Rondo/Mo Williams/Rodney Stuckey
SG - Brandon Roy/Peja Stojakovic/
SF - Shawn Marion/Trevor Ariza/Boris Diaw
PF - Kevin Love/Michael Beasley/Andrei Blatche*
C - Al Jefferson/Ronnie Turiaf
Draft Luck: Last year, i lucked out in the draft when i picked Chris Paul with the top pick. This year, it's time to prove that one can win in Roto even without the top three selection. And my first pick this year is Brandon Roy. i went to a small-big combination in the top two selecting Al Jefferson in the second round. A week later, reports say that Big Al is again, unhealthy and having Achilles problems. Tough luck.
Draft Bust: i may have put Rondo (3rd round) and Marion (4th) in my list, but the way the competitive draft selection was going i had to go for the risky picks. Rondo exploded in the Chicago Bulls series last time and i am hoping being in the contract year will push him further. Marion meanwhile is this year's enigma. i know, i know i know when Josh Howard comes back there are going to be issues with playing time and production but i trust Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion, i think we'd see a semblance of the Matrix old days with the run and gun Phoenix Suns.
Wildcards: Obviously, everyone is looking at Trevor Ariza these days. All i know is i need for him to be consistent. Peja was one of those picks; either i luck out or i flip him two weeks from now.
Patterns: Everyone is a starter except for Blatche (will see major minutes in the first month with Jamison out) Turiaf (i expect at least 15-20 minutes with 2 blocked shots!) and Stojakovic.
Prediction: 6th place. Tough one to swallow but i see it happening. The early injuries does not help. i think i need a real good pick-up in free agency to be able to compete.
CSC Live '09 - 14-team head-to-head (1000 | Winner Takes All)
PG - Dwyane Wade/Raymond Felton/Brandon Jennings
SG - Vince Carter
SF - Caron Butler/Tayshaun Prince/Boris Diaw
PF - Andrea Bargnani/Anderson Varejao/Matt Bonner
C - Al Horford/Shaq O'neal/Greg Oden/Ronnie Turiaf
Draft Luck: At number 5... Dwyane Wade fell into my lap. i understand other manager plan to choose Dwight Howard (4th pick) but it forced me to drop my big-big-big strategy and went the other way: wings-wings-wings. (Wade-Butler-Carter)
Draft Bust: Butler had good seasons the past couple of years. How will the return of Agent Zero affect his production? Will he again miss time in the last few weeks of the regular season? And on another SF, will Tayshaun Prince be ever comfortable again with the Pistons system?
Wildcards: The 1-2-3 picks set the tone; i needed a big in the mid-to-late rounds: acquiring BOTH giants Shaq and Oden WAS big. Or so i think. (Until one or both of them misses time) And how about the Italian shooter Marco Bellineli? i think i will drop him before i end this blog entry. And Andrea please rebound this year...
Patterns: Jennings, Bellineli are the non-starters. And yes i don't have a passing point guard at all. Fret not, that is part of the plan. Prediction: 4th place. Being the defending champion, my consistent add-drop strategy is now out in the open. i expect every manager to do the same this year. What helps my (our) cause though is the fact that from two years ago (we had roto in this league last year) we had 20 teams and that was trimmed down to 14 this year... i have to double my efforts this year to repeat as champ (man, that sounds gooooodd.)
Solar Antipolo - 14 team head-to-head (300 | Top Three in the Money)
PG - Raymond Felton/DJ Augustin/Louis Williams
SG - Kevin Martin/Anthony Parker
SF - Danny Granger/Hedo Turkoglu/Lamar Odom
PF - David West/Andrea Bargnani/Micheal Beasley/Udonis Haslem
C - Emeka Okafor
Draft Luck: None. Autopick and this is what i get. People are right on the selection where i exepected them to be.
Draft Bust: Hedo Turkoglu. Ugh. i think he will disappoint this year.
Wildcards: None. Maybe Louis Williams.
Patterns: Haslem, Odom, i hate their minutes and eventual non-production.
Prediction: An 8th place finish. If i could net a multiple trade sometime i expect to challenge for the bronze.
Team Air Ball Fast Facts:
+ 3/4 leagues - Andrea Bargnani
+ 2/4 leagues - Vince Carter, Michael Beasley, Raymond Felton and Hedo Turkoglu plus Marco Bellineli (dropped a day before the NBA season opener!)
+ i *heart* Matt Bonner (1/4 leagues)--- or better yet i got a boner for Bonner! nd i expect to pick him up over ALL leagues at some point in the season. Eff you McDyess, die die die. Eff you DeJuan Blair, i hope you hit the rookie wall earlier than expected. (This message is brought to you by the Matt Bonner, the #1 Token White Guy Fan Club.)
+ Prediction summary: 0 first place, one money finish (3rd place) 3 inside 4th-8th.
+ Meaning: i really believe i will suck in fantasy this year. So much for the plan of "dominating" the local fantasy scene.
One of the problems of posting this here is the fact that a friend just won a (real) trophy as opposed to these (fantasy) trophies, which really means nothing. And the fact that he'd be showing (off) that new trophy anytime soon. Congratulations, 'teng! (See link on the rightside by now he should be posting the pictures of Jason Williams Kevin Garnett Hidalgo--- not the real name for the sake of two, plus your newborn son)
Before i write "may you have many more to come.", ini muna: Pramis. Mahabol kami. Bold and italicized.
(If you have time please do read everything, this fantasy entry comes in 5 parts, bear with me.)
Sure. It could have been better. But at some point in your (fantasy) life you have to settle for less than perfect. And even then, it can give you enough satisfaction (and a few dough, in this case) to last until the next battles.
The stats and facts (and i promise, more to come in later entries):
All in all, i joined nine (9) leagues this year. Four of them money-leagues (of each below), 2 of them semi-serious leagues (Because of sentimental reasons and because i feel they are 2 of the most competitive ones i joined since time immemorial) and the other three, the funtasy leagues--- against friends/officemates/random people who are either fantasy virgins or managers who just don't have the guts yet to spend a little cash to spice things up.
While, it would be fun to analyze what happened in the funtasy leagues, it won't offer much insight to what really transpired because well, it was all for fun. (A note for Enteng and Jao, who placed 1st and 2nd respectively.)
The other semi-serious leagues? Let's just say i won't talk about those because i pretty much sucked again as in the past seasons in these leagues. That's a lot of mad props to the members of the Solar Forums as the managers in these leagues are from the community--- i can now say the basketball addicts in that forum are in a class of their own, fantasy-wise. Now, the question is would the results have been better if it involved money? Hmmmm. That's difficult to say, but i am pretty sure i would have worked doubly hard (And that's not to discredit them, because i know they'd be pushing the envelope as well)
And the money leagues? Let's just say i outdid myself this season. i joined four of them and finished in the money in three. Not bad, eh? If last year brought (bought) me this one:
This year brought (bought) something a LITTLE bit better:
Damn right. Fantasy basketball--- it's more than just a hobby now, it's business. (But heck, you won't win anything if you remove the "fun" part. Believe me.)
CSC LIVE (Roto) - 17 Teams, Entry Fee: 1,000
And yes, let's start with the bad news. After winning last year's head-to-head format (see link: For Posterity and Pride's Sake) with virtually the same managers in this league i ended up 12th out of 17 teams this year! Ika-dose! Kakasupog! Then again, after winning last year it didn't hurt as much... And there's something to look forward to: Roto - Head-to-head alternates every other year, and as Sir Noel Z said during the start of this season i am NOT the defending champion this year but next. So there, i get a free pass for not really bringing my A-Game for this one? (or just plainly sucking in this league)... Which brings me to the first fantasy lesson of the entry...
1. INJURY BUG BITES--- HARD AND FAST.
During the first five rounds, NEVER draft players who were injured in the offseason.
Sure, you could risk it but maybe never this high because more oft than not he will slide anyway to the next few rounds. After being one of the sleeper stars last year, Mike Dunleavy missed the first three months of the season before returning in early January. Team Airball selected him in the fourth round over the likes of David Lee, Hedo Turkoglu, Stephen Jackson and Kevin Durant. Jackson and Durant became 2nd-round quality players while Turkoglu and Lee are 4th rounders.
Lesson learnt. Never again will i pick players who has the tiniest bit of an injury history. i don't/won't care if it's a hyperextended pinkie--- i am not going that way. i will pick the player who will give me full 82 games (Ok, 80) even if it means a projected -5 points, -3 rebounds, -3 assists for that season. (But of course the gambler in me says i have to errrr, gamble, but never again inside the first five rounds)
2. INJURY BUG BITES, ACCEPT IT
i've heard it all before. They lost because of injuries! Of course! That is part of the game. While it could be the reason, it does not mean you have to stop fighting! For the CSC League i already lost the aforementioned Dunleavy to injury early on. Adding insult was the fact that i was also missing Kevin Martin for the early part. Then Al Jefferson during mid-season and finally, Andres Biedrins in the latter part?
Did i stop adding and dropping people? No. Proud to say i was still competing during November to January. Although missing Jefferson was the turning point of the season (and Biedrins was the final nail in the coffin) i never lost sight of the fact that there were still worthy free agents out there. Now, the question is did it work in this particular league? Obviously not, but as you will see later when we analyze the leagues i have won (or almost won), it was this never-say-never mindset that brought me that gold trophy.
SOLAR ANTIPOLO (Head to Head) - 18 Teams, Entry Fee: 500
This was one of the first funtasy leagues up until three years ago when we decided to shell out some money so that people will treat it seriously. And that they did. After winning last year, i was looking forward for my first back to back titles. But it wasn't meant to be. In the finals match-up against Cubao Barkers team, which upset #1 seed The Mouth, who choked in the semifinals, i lost 7-to-8 after leading him 9-to-6 in the penultimate day. As with life and fantasy, the people you rely on are the same people who will drag you down to the ditches. Lebron James decided to rest on the Cavaliers final game versus the Sixers and i lost by 8 freaking FIELD GOALS MADE! EIGHT! Lebron can double that if he played!
But of course, i am half joking. i can't fault The King for not playing, and a league manager should expect that because that is what stars do for non-bearing games. And league managers should find a way to soften the blow.
For the last day in this league, i did decide to bench him because of reports that James will not be suiting up. It was a good move but the remaining players i had were either cruising along (Culprits: Delonte West and DJ Augustin) or just saw limited minutes. So it was not enough which brings me to my third lesson:
3. ADDING AND DROPPING IS AN ART.
i will spill the beans right here, right now. Max out all your moves when you get the chance. Especially in the playoff round, or if you are chasing for a playoff spot. NEVER, EVER be afraid to cut quality players because you picked them early in the draft. Look at their schedule for the week and compare it to average players who might be playing more for that same week. Ask yourself: is the juice worth the squeeze? Should i risk getting 0 minutes from my star player or settle for the 10 minutes a game for a lower-rated player but will definitely play this week?
i can actually pinpoint how i lost the match-up against Cubao Barkers. i was waiting for Kevin Martin to comeback for the final week and decided to stick with him for the first day but the Kings star never showed up. If i had gotten say, a Lou Amundson for this week, could he have given me those extra 9 field goals?
There's science in the add/drop as well. Spilling the beans (and the pork too) again, release before the 3PM deadline to set your line-up for the next day. It's actually very easy, you can see their next schedule right across that certain free agent you are picking up. Now, there are leagues with max moves so make sure you use the add/drop strategy wisely. Timing is of essence, but it's not all. Make sure you pick players that can actually contribute (Meaning, no Adam Morrison) and will be playing for that day.
The Moves That Brought Me The Silver:Apr 12 7:11pm James Jones (Mia - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 12 7:11pm Brandon Bass (Dal - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 12 6:36pm Marvin Williams (Atl - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 12 6:36pm Ime Udoka (SA - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 11 7:12pm Brandon Bass (Dal - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 11 7:12pm Ryan Anderson (NJ - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 11 7:07pm Ime Udoka (SA - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 11 7:07pm Roy Hibbert (Ind - C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 9 11:32pm Louis Amundson (Pho - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 9 11:32pm Anthony Carter (Den - PG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 9 11:25pm Roy Hibbert (Ind - C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 9 11:25pm Von Wafer (Hou - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 9 11:20pm Ryan Anderson (NJ - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 9 11:20pm Carl Landry (Hou - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 8 5:10pm Von Wafer (Hou - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 8 5:10pm Matt Bonner (SA - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 8 4:33pm Carl Landry (Hou - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 8 4:33pm Javaris Crittenton (Was - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 7 7:08pm Javaris Crittenton (Was - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 7 7:08pm Kevin MartinINJ (Sac - SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 4 6:46pm Leandro Barbosa (Pho - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 4 6:46pm Udonis HaslemINJ (Mia - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 2 5:45pm Samuel Dalembert (Phi - C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 2 5:45pm C.J. Miles (Uta - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 1 10:18pm C.J. Miles (Uta - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 1 10:18pm Rudy Fernandez (Por - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 1 9:53pm Anthony Carter (Den - PG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 1 9:53pm Jared Dudley (Pho - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Mar 31 3:49pm Jared Dudley (Pho - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Mar 31 3:49pm Samuel Dalembert (Phi - C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 20 12:09pm Aaron Brooks (Hou - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 20 12:09pm Anthony Johnson (Orl - PG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 11 5:42pm Delonte West (Cle - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 11 5:42pm Trevor Ariza (LAL - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 5 2:51pm D.J. Augustin (Cha - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 5 2:51pm Sergio Rodriguez (Por - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 5 2:25am Anthony Johnson (Orl - PG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 5 2:25am Fred Jones (LAC - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 1 2:42pm Trevor Ariza (LAL - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 1 2:42pm D.J. Augustin (Cha - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 31 3:44am Fred Jones (LAC - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 31 3:44am Chris Wilcox (NY - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 29 2:49pm D.J. Augustin (Cha - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 29 2:49pm Steve Novak (LAC - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 27 1:08pm Chris Wilcox (NY - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 27 1:08pm Ricky Davis (LAC - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 26 12:01pm Ricky Davis (LAC - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 26 12:01pm Delonte West (Cle - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 26 10:27am Steve Novak (LAC - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 26 10:27am Michael ReddINJ (Mil - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 25 8:45pm Sergio Rodriguez (Por - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 25 8:45pm D.J. Augustin (Cha - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Date Player Type From To By
Jan 25 8:45pm Sergio Rodriguez (Por - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 25 8:45pm D.J. Augustin (Cha - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 24 6:44pm D.J. Augustin (Cha - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 24 6:44pm C.J. Miles (Uta - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 20 7:49pm Delonte West (Cle - PG,SG) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 20 7:49pm Desmond MasonINJ (OKC - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 20 1:20pm C.J. Miles (Uta - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 20 1:20pm Will SolomonNA (Sac - PG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 17 4:17pm Desmond MasonINJ (OKC - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 17 4:17pm Courtney Lee (Orl - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 17 4:09pm Will SolomonNA (Sac - PG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 17 4:09pm Kosta Koufos (Uta - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 16 6:41pm Courtney Lee (Orl - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 16 6:41pm Daniel Gibson (Cle - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 16 5:21pm Daniel Gibson (Cle - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 16 5:21pm Kyle Lowry (Hou - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 15 6:33pm Kyle Lowry (Hou - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 15 6:33pm Thabo Sefolosha (OKC - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 10 2:33pm Kosta Koufos (Uta - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 10 2:33pm Kyle Lowry (Hou - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 10 2:27pm Thabo Sefolosha (OKC - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 10 2:27pm Jose Juan Barea (Dal - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 7 5:39pm Jose Juan Barea (Dal - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 7 5:39pm Joakim Noah (Chi - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 6 4:26pm Kyle Lowry (Hou - PG,SG) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 6 4:26pm Courtney Lee (Orl - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 3 3:34pm Joakim Noah (Chi - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 3 3:34pm Rasual Butler (NO - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 1 2:40pm Rasual Butler (NO - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 1 2:40pm Shane Battier (Hou - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 31 5:33pm Courtney Lee (Orl - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 31 5:33pm Jose Juan Barea (Dal - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 27 4:46am Jose Juan Barea (Dal - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 27 4:46am Tony Allen (Bos - PG,SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 23 6:28pm Tony Allen (Bos - PG,SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 23 6:28pm Joakim Noah (Chi - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 23 6:19pm Joakim Noah (Chi - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 23 6:19pm Drew Gooden (SA - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 8 4:23am Matt Bonner (SA - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 8 4:23am DeShawn StevensonINJ (Was - SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 6 4:25pm Zach Randolph (LAC - PF,C)
Trade Air Ball Career Losers JQU!Z
Dec 6 4:25pm Michael ReddINJ (Mil - SG,SF)
Trade Career Losers Air Ball Enteng
Dec 3 11:06pm DeShawn StevensonINJ (Was - SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 3 11:06pm Jamario MoonINJ (Mia - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Nov 27 1:05pm Jamario MoonINJ (Mia - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Nov 27 1:05pm Mike Conley (Mem - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Nov 14 4:26pm Drew Gooden (SA - PF,C) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Nov 14 4:26pm Brandon Bass (Dal - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Oct 23 3:22pm Marvin Williams (Atl - SF,PF)
Hakim Warrick (Mem - SF,PF)
Trade Air Ball Bano JQU!Z
Oct 23 3:22pm Rafer Alston (Orl - PG)
Udonis HaslemINJ (Mia - PF,C)
Trade Bano Air Ball Bano
Oct 18 6:15pm Shane Battier (Hou - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Oct 18 6:15pm Marco Belinelli (GS - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
RADYO PBA-NBA (Roto) - 12 Teams, Entry Fee: 500
Magoo Marjon invited me at the 11th hour and i almost begged off. Well, because of the fact that i already had three money leagues at that time, i was really considering of not joining. But because of the lure of Magoo (and the players/managers in it, the likes of Jason Webb, Mico Halili, Topex Robinson, Wesley Gonzales) i decided to give it a chance.
And trying to remember how it all began... The horrors of the autodraft! For the first round (9th) pick, Team Airball selected Shawn Marion! (How i rated him so high escapes me), i passed up the likes of Caron Butler, Al Jefferson and Deron Williams (who all missed ample time but might have been a better pick)... Anyway, i did quite well in the next 7 rounds getting Yao Ming, David West, Andres Biedrins, Kevin Durant and Troy Murphy among others.. However, i think the real reason i won this is with patience and just waiting out on somebody to make the wrong move (and being prepared with a high waiver) which leads me to my fourth advice...
4. WORRY BUT DON'T PANIC
On November 15 i traded James Posey for Mike Dunleavy hoping the Pacer will have an early return. However, on November 29 Lamar Odom was released to the waivers and i immediately grabbed him and dropped DunDun...
On December 6 i dropped Jamario Moon (Still a Raptor and still effective but with erratic minutes) and risked on Kellena Azubuike.
On January 4, i dropped Drew Gooden (the bug starting to errr bug him) and acquired Andrea Bargnani.
All of the mentioned players lasted 'til April 16, the last day of the regular season. The lesson? Be on the watch for managers who do press the panic button (Examples are the release of the likes of Odom and Bargnani, who had starter minutes all season long)
The Moves That Brought Me The Gold:
Date Player Type From To By
Mar 12 6:54pm Aaron Brooks (Hou - PG,SG) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Mar 12 6:54pm Derek Fisher (LAL - PG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 9 5:01pm Derek Fisher (LAL - PG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 9 5:01pm Anthony Carter (Den - PG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 6 2:15pm Anthony Carter (Den - PG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 6 2:15pm Luke Ridnour (Mil - PG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 30 6:33pm Luke Ridnour (Mil - PG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 30 6:33pm Andrei Kirilenko (Uta - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 4 5:37pm Andrea BargnaniINJ (Tor - SF,PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 4 5:37pm Drew Gooden (SA - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 6 4:25pm Kelenna Azubuike (GS - SG,SF) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 6 4:25pm Jamario MoonINJ (Mia - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Nov 29 4:25pm Lamar Odom (LAL - SF,PF) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Nov 29 4:25pm Mike Dunleavy (Ind - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Nov 23 4:25pm James Posey (NO - SG,SF)
Trade Air Ball strontium90 JQU!Z
Nov 23 4:25pm Mike DunleavyINJ (Ind - SG,SF)
Trade strontium90 Air Ball winsworld
Nov 15 8:03pm James Posey (NO - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Nov 15 8:03pm Mike Conley (Mem - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Nov 9 10:53am Steve Blake (Por - PG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Nov 9 10:53am Kirk Hinrich (Chi - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Solar Bragging Rights - Makati (Roto) - 13 Teams, Entry Fee: 1,500
Last season i was on the way to a third place finish in this league but faltered (CHOKED) in the final five days... How, why? i RELEASED my favorite, favorite player in Jason Williams because i thought he was going to be benched in his final game... Then horror of horrors, White Chocolate hit 5 three pointers in his last game as i lost a point and dropped to 4th place (no money).... The point coming from 3PT FieldGoalsMade.
Losing at that time felt so bad that i wanted to give up Roto the rest of my fantasy career (Remember i can't give it all up because i did win a big money head to head league)... However, there's no walking away from a loss. You just can't leave with a bad taste (whitechoco-flavored) in the mouth...
This year, i made it all the way and honestly, i don't know where to start on how i won this goddamn thing. The draft wasn't too shabby, after all i had the first pick (but this was a snake draft so i was picking 26th and 27th afterward) and used it for CP3, then picked David West and Kevin Martin for the next two. i had Chandler at fifth (ugh, the injuries) then had average picks for the next five (Wallace, Odom, Randolph, Haslem and Moon)... i lucked out for my 11th pick and got Nene.
While the draft did not look too good at first glance, i pretty much had a balanced team. Somewhere along the way i picked players who helped me in specific categories... Which brings me to my fifth point...
5. YOU WON'T WIN EVERY CATEGORY, GIVE UP A FEW AND DOMINATE THE OTHERS!
That's the biggest secret in fantasy leagues (and i do believe in any stats-inclined fantasy sports league) and i am letting it out because that should be a given. While we all want to win all the stats--- the points, 3 points made, assists, steals, blocks, rebound and turnovers. IT'S NOT JUST HAPPENING! The point is maximizing what you have and minimizing the loss of points on categories you are weak at.
On October 30, i dropped Darko Milicic for Shane Battier. While Milicic looked promising at that time, i had enough rebounds that i preferred Battier's across the board production. His three's were falling back then and an extra steal or two did not hurt.
On December 17, i got Roger Mason. He was the starter then because of injuries to Manu Ginobili. Mason provided me all-important points, which was hard to come by because i did not have a legit scorer (aside from David West, who wasn't exactly a sure-25 point scorer)
On March 09, i got Ronnie Turiaf because he blocked 5 shots in a game the day before. With Biedrins out, he was swatting shots like it's French toast.
Going into the final weeks of the season, i got Trevor Ariza, Kyle Lowry and Courtney Lee. Sure they can hit three's but i did not need that: all i wanted was their pick-pocket abilities.
So, why i am telling you all these?
Airball had 95 points for its final score. The second placer, Eee-Cee had 91.5; he was -5 on steals (889 to 884) Assuming he stole that steal-cat that makes it 94 for me and 92.5 for him. On blocked shots? The nearest competitor was at 529 and i was at 535. Assuming he did steal the block-cat, that is another -1 for me, meaning i end up at 93. Just 0.5 away from Eee-Cee--- going into the final week? Anything could happen.
Sure, sure. Maybe it's not as simple as that, maybe there are other factors. But most of the time, it's the small things that make you win big.
Thank you fantasy gods!
The Moves That Brought Me The Gold:
Date Player Type From To By
Apr 8 5:47pm Kyle Lowry (Hou - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 8 5:47pm Kevin MartinINJ (Sac - SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Apr 6 6:35pm Courtney Lee (Orl - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Apr 6 6:35pm Udonis HaslemINJ (Mia - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Mar 13 5:47pm Trevor Ariza (LAL - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Mar 13 5:47pm Kelenna Azubuike (GS - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Mar 9 11:03am Ronny Turiaf (GS - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Mar 9 11:03am Shane Battier (Hou - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Feb 26 11:23am Shane Battier (Hou - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Feb 26 11:23am Rudy Fernandez (Por - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 29 5:32pm Kelenna Azubuike (GS - SG,SF) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 29 5:32pm Trevor Ariza (LAL - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 26 6:02pm Trevor Ariza (LAL - SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 26 6:02pm Roger Mason (SA - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Jan 3 3:43pm Matt Bonner (SA - PF,C) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Jan 3 3:43pm Shane Battier (Hou - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 24 7:14pm Rudy Fernandez (Por - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 24 7:14pm Travis Outlaw (Por - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 18 2:00pm Travis Outlaw (Por - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 18 2:00pm Daniel Gibson (Cle - PG,SG) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 17 4:29pm Roger Mason (SA - PG,SG) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 17 4:29pm Carl Landry (Hou - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 8 4:36am Daniel Gibson (Cle - PG,SG) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 8 4:36am Nicolas Batum (Por - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 5 1:19am Carl Landry (Hou - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 5 1:19am Brandon Bass (Dal - SF,PF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Dec 3 11:17pm Brandon Bass (Dal - SF,PF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Dec 3 11:17pm Jamario MoonINJ (Mia - SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Nov 30 8:16pm Nicolas Batum (Por - SG,SF) Add Free Agents Air Ball JQU!Z
Nov 30 8:16pm Mickael Pietrus (Orl - SG,SF) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Oct 30 3:28pm Shane Battier (Hou - SF) Add Waivers Air Ball JQU!Z
Oct 30 3:28pm Darko Milicic (Mem - PF,C) Drop Air Ball Waivers JQU!Z
Breaking News! Discarding nepotism and politics, adjusting to the times, adapting a more aggressive innovative role, the PBA announced that they are expanding to a total of 12 teams next year! In light of this development, the commissioner-not-named-Sonny added that with the new era in Philippine basketball there should be necessary changes for the league. The commissioner-not-named-Sonny announced a free-for-all free agency and the richest draft in league history to follow. The order has been set (for lack of creativity, the commissioner-not-named-Sonny decide to do it alphabetically via team name) and the teams have retained (or hired) their coaches.
Additionally, the commissioner-not-named-Sonny also said that the tournament (quadruple-round robin) is a “one-time deal” only. Meaning that after the season, everything will go back to normal and players will go back to their original teams (Much to the chagrin of the crowd present in the proceedings) Finally, the commissioner-not-named-Sonny made a slight tweak regarding league rules: Article 4.8B Suspensions – Player/s can now be suspended and fined by the commissioner’s office if that player/s suffers an injury throughout the season. Meaning, either players play through pain or just stop the acting and pretending that they have injuries. Ergo, it’s now “win now, baby” (as heard from the commissioner himself) time for most of the ball clubs. With the first pick of the PBA Dream Draft…
ALASKA
PG – Dennis Miranda/ Cholo Villanueva
SG- James Yap/ Bon Bon Custodio/ Gherome Ejercito
SF – JC Intal/ Larry Rodriguez
PF - Ranidel de Ocampo/ Mike Hrabak
C – Mick Pennisi/ Rob Reyes
BURGER KING
PG – Jay Jay Helterbrand/ Marvin Cruz/ Egay Billones
SG – Junthy Valenzuela/Rodney Santos
SF – Tony de la Cruz/ Cesar Catli PF- Leo Najorda/ Allan Salangsang
C – Asi Taulava/Mark Isip/ Ervin Sotto
COCA COLA
PG - LA Tenorio/ Chris Pacana / Macky Escalona
SG - Don Don Hontiveros/ / Denver Lopez
SF – Kelly Williams/ Ronald Tubid/ Jason Misolas
PF – Jay-R Reyes/ Willy Wilson
C – Sonny Thoss / Yancy De Ocampo
HAPEE
PG -Olsen Racela/ Topex Robinson/ Ronjay Enrile
SG – Cyrus Baguio/ Jojo Duncil
SF – Gabe Norwood/ John Arigo/ Chito Jaime
PF – Arwind Santos/ John Ferriols
C – Dorian Pena/ Junjun Cabatu
HARBOUR
PG – Ryan Reyes/Jonas Villanueva/ Chico Lanete
SGРMac Cardona/ Kelvin Dela Pe̱a
SF – Gabby Espinas/ Sunday Salvacion
PF - Homer Se / Dennis Daa
C – Erik Menk / Adonis Sta Maria
PUREFOODS
PG – Alex Cabagnot/ Paolo Mendoza / Paolo Hubalde
SG РWillie Miller/ Jireh Iba̱ez/Magnum Membrere
SF – Nelbert Omolon/ Mark Macapagal
PF – Jay Washington/ Ricky Calimag
C– Carlos Sharma/ Rafi Reavis/ Mark Andaya
SAN MIGUEL
PG – PJ Simon/ Jeffrei Chan/ Celino Cruz
SG - Jeffrey Cariaso/ Chris Calaguio/ Jonathan Fernandez
SF – Jared Dillinger/ Larry Fonacier/ Melvin Mamaclay
PF - Mark Telan/ Norman Gonzales
C – Enrico Villanueva / Samigue Eman/ Lawrence Bonus
STA LUCIA
PG–Wynne Arboleda/ Roger Yap/ Christian Coronel
SG – Mark Caguioa/ Ronjay Buenafe
SF – Lordy Tugade/ Mark Borboran
PF – Harvey Carey/ Rich Alvarez C – Dennis Espino/ Kenneth Bono/ Paolo Bugia
TALK N TEXT
PG - Mike Cortez/ Ryan Araña/ Warren Ybañez
SG – Gary David/Ren Ren Ritualo/ RJ Rizada
SF – Danny Seigle/ Yousif Aljamal/ Richard Alonzo
PF – Nic Belasco/ Eddie Laure
C– Ali Peek/ Marlou Aquino/ Beau Belga
RAIN OR SHINE
PG – Jimmy Alapag/Paul Artadi/ Tyrone Tang
SG – Solomon Mercado/ Kelvin Gregorio/ Aaron Aban
SF – Mark Pingris/ Mike Holper
PF – Reynel Hugnatan/ Douglas Kramer
C РKerby Raymundo/JR Qui̱ahan
RED BULL
PG –Jason Castro/ Donald Dulay/Froilan Baguion/Pong Escobal
SG – Joseph Yeo/ Rob Wainwright/ Aris Dimaunahan
SF - Niño Canaleta/ Wesley Gonzales
PF – Don Allado/ Jondan Salvador
C – Joe Devance/ Billy Mamaril / Alex Crisano
/Dream Rant
Draft Luck: Picking number three i was ecstatic to see that the first pick was D-Wade! Meaning i will get either James or Paul!
Wildcards: Getting Oden with the last pick, i thought was a steal.
Draft Bust: i may have put Rondo (3rd round) and Marion (4th) in my list, but the way the competitive draft selection was going i had to go for the risky picks. Rondo exploded in the Chicago Bulls series last time and i am hoping being in the contract year will push him further. Marion meanwhile is this year's enigma. i know, i know i know when Josh Howard comes back there are going to be issues with playing time and production but i trust Jason Kidd and Shawn Marion, i think we'd see a semblance of the Matrix old days with the run and gun Phoenix Suns.
Draft Bust: Butler had good seasons the past couple of years. How will the return of Agent Zero affect his production? Will he again miss time in the last few weeks of the regular season? And on another SF, will Tayshaun Prince be ever comfortable again with the Pistons system?
Wildcards: The 1-2-3 picks set the tone; i needed a big in the mid-to-late rounds: acquiring BOTH giants Shaq and Oden WAS big. Or so i think. (Until one or both of them misses time) And how about the Italian shooter Marco Bellineli? i think i will drop him before i end this blog entry. And Andrea please rebound this year...
SG - Kevin Martin/Anthony Parker
+ i *heart* Matt Bonner (1/4 leagues)--- or better yet i got a boner for Bonner! nd i expect to pick him up over ALL leagues at some point in the season. Eff you McDyess, die die die. Eff you DeJuan Blair, i hope you hit the rookie wall earlier than expected. (This message is brought to you by the Matt Bonner, the #1 Token White Guy Fan Club.)
