With All-Star Weekend in the rear-view mirror, and the second-half officially getting under way Tuesday night, the world famous HOOPSWORLD Fantasy Staff (Tommy Beer, Garrett Wilson, Steven Jones, and Leonard Kalfayan) decided to take a moment and reflect back on the preceding three months of fantasy memories (both pleasant and vomit-inducing) to award an MVP, Biggest Bust Trophy (the "Dolly Parton Award"), and a handful of other honors, including the most overrated and underrated players in the NBA. We will also took a look into our crystal ball and attempt to make some educated guesses as to how the rest of the season will play out…
(We came up with quite a few different categories, so I am going to break this column into three parts. Parts Two and Three will run later this week.)
Without further adieu, here is the first installment:
***
First Half Fantasy MVP:
(Tommy) - Chris Paul: Over his first two seasons in the league, CP3 had been knocking on the door of fantasy superstardom. This year, he kicked the door down. Paul's lethal combination of points, assists, and steals, in addition to terrific FG and FT%'s, make him the league's most valuable fantasy performer.
Honorable Mention - LeBron James: I'll pull a stat from the recent HOOPSWORLD Magazine (be on the lookout for it this week): Only two players in NBA history have averaged at least 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists for an entire season – Oscar Robertson (multiple times) and some guy named Michael Jordan ('88-'89). Not bad company to keep.
(Garrett) - Chris Paul: The race between CP3 and King James is pretty tight, but Paul gets the edge because he is a point guard which is a much more difficult fantasy position to fill.
Honorable Mention - LeBron James: There isn't anything James doesn't do well, but Paul is dominant in more categories.
(Leonard) - LeBron James: He is the clear number 1 fantasy pick now. 30.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.4 threes, 2.1 steals, 1.1 blocks. It doesn't get any better than that.
Honorable Mention - Kobe Bryant: The more restrained and greater team player still posts 28 points, close to 2 threes, over 6 rebounds, over 5 assists, and 2 steals per game. He hits a respectable 46% from the floor and 85% from the line.
(Steven) - LeBron James. Even with the games missed due to finger problems and the disaster on Opening Night, he's had one of the best fantasy seasons in recent history, contributing in as many categories as any other forward.
Honorable Mention: Marcus Camby. Anyone who drafted the brittle veteran can attest to his unique value. The boards and blocks are obvious, but what about the assists (2.9) and steals (1.14)?
***
The Biggest Bust
(Tommy) – Vince Carter: Injured stars like Jermaine O'Neal and Gilbert Arenas could easily get the nod, but I'll go with Carter. VC was drafted in the second and third rounds of most drafts back in October, but has turned in a mediocre first few months. His scoring (25.2 PPG in '06-'07 versus 20.5 this year), rebounding, three-point shooting, and FG% are all well below last season's numbers. Gee, what a shock he is having a down year after signing a huge contract this past summer.
Honorable Mention – Ray Allen: Speaking of highly drafted players whose number's pale in comparison to '06-'07 production. Despite the Celtics' success, Ray-Ray hasn't been all that effective sharing the rock with the other members of the Big 3, and has seen his averages drop in just about every conceivable category. (Unfortunately for his owners, Allen's three-pointers in the fourth quarter of the All-Star game don't count).
(Garrett) - Eddy Curry. Curry has pretty much turned into a fantasy black hole. He is a terrible rebounder for a center, he doesn't block shots, he turns the ball over and he doesn't even know what an assist is.
Honorable Mention: Mehmet Okur. Okur is a slightly less disappointing center. Like Curry, he has been poor on the glass and barely blocks shots. What has really killed Memo is his errant shot.
(Leonard) - Walter Herrmann: Remember him? With his run at the end of the '06-07 season, and then with all of the Charlotte pre-season injuries, Herrmann seemed to be a sure-thing sleeper pick for '07-08. Instead, he rarely played, then was traded to Detroit where he is buried on the bench.
Honorable Mention - Kirk Hinrich: Unlike Herrmann, Hinrich really should have been a sure thing entering the season. He's playing well now, but for most of the first half, he was a disaster and a major disappointment.
(Steven) - Kevin Durant. For as high as many selected him (by the fourth round of most drafts), his inability to record a single double-digit rebound game coupled with his poor shooting (40.2%) are incredibly disappointing.
Honorable Mention: Tony Parker. The numerous missed games owing to a heel issue that just won't go away are bad enough, but even worse is his statistical stagnation (19.2 ppg, 6.1 apg, no other helpful stats).
***
Most Memorable Fantasy Line of the Season Thus Far:
(Tommy) - Baron Davis: November 23rd vs. Washington - B-Diddy exploded for 33 points (including 5 three's), 11 rebounds, and 15 assists. Not a bad day's work…
(Garrett) - Marcus Camby's 24-rebound, 11-block game in mid-January. 24 rebounds is certainly impressive, but 11 blocks is more than even the best shot blockers cat total in one week.
(Steven) - LeBron James, 11/7, in a 103-101 loss to Utah. 32 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. In the fifth game of the season, the King served notice that he would be making it a year to remember.
Honorable Mention: Marcus Camby, 12/26, in a 125-105 win over Milwaukee. 10 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks, 5 assists, 2 steals. A triple-double that was three thefts short of a five-by-five happens even more rarely these days. When Camby submits his fantasy MVP highlight reel, this game will lead things off.
(Leonard) - Marcus Camby: 8 points, 24 rebounds, 2 steals, 11 blocks
***
You guys have heard what we had to say. What do y'all think? Let us know below…
(And be on the look out for Parts Two and Three on Thursday and Friday, respectively.)
