Week 24 - Tuesday, April 6th

And so it begins...to the end. So to speak. You know what I mean. So, here we go. Last chance to make a move, make a push, run for the money, however you want to put it.

A few interesting roster choices this week...
Seoul decides to go with Shaun Livingston and he puts up 21 and 8 (0 TO's) on 9/11 shooting. Come on. That's just not fair!
Bangkok decides to play the injured Joe Johnson despite the fact that Joe has been ruled out for 2 games this period.
Boston activates Hedo Turkoglu and benches Hakim Warrick. Turk will certainly help the ATO battle that the 'Cakes are in with Bangkok and Golden.
Juan de Fuca goes with youngsters Serge Ibaka and Hasheem Thabeet over the likes of Emeka Okafor and Dejuan Blair.
Golden goes with the injured center Jason Maxiell because (1) I have no one else and (2) I have no one else. Thank you, thank you very much.

So what's happened tonight???
Seoul was up to 926 briefly but as I type he's at 880.
Golden is up 13pts as I have moved past Juan in steals.
Brussels up 46 points as he is making a move in 3PT% and scoring. His battle with Idaho in scoring could decide whether he finishes 10th or 11th. In Idaho's defense, he only has 3 man games tonight while Brussels had 10 man games...
Bangkok, Juan, and Chilliwack all losing ground tonight so far...

Looking around the NBA...

• Bosh takes a Jamison elbow to the face like 2 minutes into the game and doesn't return. Thank God the Raptors are in a fight for their playoff lives and will need him to return asap. He almost is forced to play with a mask next game no matter what. Could you imagine if the Raptors had already clinched a spot or were eliminated from the playoff race?? He would likely be shut down for the season...I will be watching this injury very closely over the next 24 hours. Come on CB4 - the Showers need you.
• I'll take Earl Barron for $1 dollar. Where did this come from? Quick, who does Earl Barron play for? Tick Tock. The NY Knicks of course. The recent NBDL (I think) call up just posted 17 pts and 18 rebs while playing 44 minutes as the Knicks starting Center tonight.
• And did anyone see the finish to this game??? Boston vs. New York...The Celts were down 3 with 8 seconds left. They couldn't even get a shot off in time?? Really? 8 seconds left and you can't get a shot off before the clock expires?? Come on man.
• Fantasy bonerland tonight in Utah where the Jazz and Thunder are deadlocked at 129 with just seconds left in the game. Durant, Boozer, Williams, Okur, Westbrook all putting on a show. This Kevin Durant kid is good.
• Speaking of good, Tyreke has posted 16-5-5 in the 3rd quarter - what a boner Timbo should sport if he lands 10th and gets those 2 superstuds. If it happens, I think the top 4 teams in the off-season rankings will be the 2-time defending champions Seoul squad, Brussels, Bangkok, and Chilliwack.
• Has Stephen Curry really become one of the most reliable players already? Doesn't he score 20pts every night? And on that note, is he the Rookie of the Year now? Compare his numbers to Tyreke since January 1st. See?
• Javale McGee and Andray Blatche should see HUGE minutes in Washington next season. It's hard to say this, but I think the Wiz actually did the right thing by blowing it up and moving Butler, Jamison, and Haywood. Now they say they will not bring back Foye. Good for them. Let the young guys play (Blatche, McGee, Young, Livingston). But what to do with Gilbert?
• Charlie V siting in Detroit! Can't believe they threw big money at this guy! Joe D might not have a job much longer. And in case you didn't notice, Ben Wallace, the Ben Wallace, scored 18 pts tonight on 8/10 shooting.
• And what the heck happened to Louis Williams in Philly? Ever since he broke his face and missed all those games he never got his game back. He was having a really good season up to that point - now he sucks the big one. Oh well.
• Charlotte beats Atlanta. Boris Diaw has 17-9-9. That's the Spider I thought I was protecting. Instead, in Golden, he averaged like 8-5-3. Ugly. I move him to Bangkok and he sucks goats there too...then, Seoul signs him as a depth guy and he goes off. Come on Boris. You suck.
• Oh look, John Salmons went off again. I had an offer for him months ago from French (when Salmons was still a Bull). He offered me Salmons for the then-hot Omar Casspi. I turned him down as I had fallen in love with Omar and Salmons was withering away in Chi-town. Plus, I already had Rose, Hinrich, and Deng and didn't want a 4th player from a non-playoff team. Oh man, I wish I had his cool beard now.
• Kevin Durant and Deron Williams are playing it old school. Look at that boxscore. http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore?gid=2010040626. Oh man, that's exciting. Why can't more games be like this? Why couldn't the Thunder still be the Sonics?
• So, if you could only keep 1 - Durant or Tyreke - who would it be? Durant for $43 or Tyreke for $18? Yes, KD is the superior player in almost every category but if you kept Tyreke you would have an extra $25 bucks to spend. So, you could say have Durant or Tyreke and Derrick Rose or Tyreke and Zach Randolph or Tyreke and some other $25 dollar player. Tough choice...but I know what I would do....
• Look at Carl Landry go tonight. The unwanted man. I offered him around the JBL twice over. No one wanted him. Heck, I didn't want him. Now look at him - I may have to friggin' keep him! His Sactown numbers are 18ppg, 7reb, and 52% shooting. Sure, his ATO isn't great and he doesn't get a bunch of steals or blocks...but 18 and 7 for $10 bucks...I have to consider it. But what direction are the Kings going? Are they going to play Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes at Center? Does Landry always start? Unknown, I'll have to see what happens over the summer.
• The one kid I do like the looks of for next season is Terrence Williams. My pre-season Podcast "rookie to watch" has been on fire lately and French is loving him I'm sure. He should start for the Nets next season. Check out his last 10 games...a Tendex of 18 my friends.
• Final score from Utah. 140-139 in OT. Jazz win it over the Thunder. WOW. Durant 45. Deron 42. Oh yeah. Boner me. Boozer goes for 28 and 15 and is the 3rd best Fantasy guy in the game.

Well, that's it for tonight...the Spurs/Kings game is winding down (3 minutes to go) so there won't be many more changes in the standings tonight...

Tomorrow is hump day and we'll see what tomorrow night's action brings. I will do my best to comment on the nightly actions each night from now until the end of the season. I can't make any promises, but I will do my best. Hope you enjoy....

Cheers.

The Contenders - Week 24 Preview and Beyond...

So, we're on the cusp of week 24 and the final roster decision you will have to make in the 2009/10 season. Do I start Carlos Delfino with 6 games or Darren Collison with 4 games? Do I believe Chris Paul will get rested? Will Carlos Delfino jack up too many 3's? These are the type of decisions that each of the contending teams will have to make. So what happens? Who wins it all? Let's check out the top 6 teams chances...

Chilliwack - 802 points. As I write this it's Benny sitting in 6th place. He's just 33 points from being in 2nd...that's how close it is. So where can Benny move up? 3PT% - well, he's 0.4% behind Arctic but I don't think the move is happening. ATO - Benny is 1st and it looks like he will stay put as Arctic is a ways behind. BLKS - this is where the Wack can gain 13 pts...he's just 2 blocks behind Golden and that would be a big +/- 13 points for these 2 teams. FG% - Benny has plummeted down the FG% standings and appears he's stuck with the points he has in this category. PTS - The Wack is only 40+ points ahead of Yuma. Can he hold him off? Can Benny make up the 100+ points he's behind Arctic? I don't think so, but we'll find out. That would obviously be a HUGE +20 if he could do it. STLS - only 8 steals behind French. A big 13 points on the line here. REBS - The Wack is stuck where they are, about 100 ahead and 100 behind the teams around him. No obvious movement coming. So, how many points can Benny gain this week? Benny could see 13-26 points for sure with the outside shot of 46 points if he can outscore the Arctic. It looks like 802 to 828 total points is most likely for this squad. Where will that finish? Unknown really, as it really is muddy waters at the top these days. As for keepers next season Benny is loaded with the likes of Marc Gasol, Andrea Bargnani, AK47, Mike Conley and/or maybe Antawn Jamison. No matter where he finishes, Benny will be a favorite in the 2010/11 rankings going into the draft.

Bangkok - currently in 5th with 806 points. Talk about peaking at the right time. Rick has made all the right moves this season and his team is finishing on a high. I'd just like to point out that about 2 weeks into the season I received a trade offer of Stephen Curry for Boris Diaw and I turned it down. Nice work Johnny. I had too much faith in Boris the Spider and look where it got me. Oh well. So, can Bangkok win this thing? Let's look. You really don't have to look any further than 3PT%. There are potential 52 points here for Bangkok if the team gets hot. The question is can he and will he? ATO - no room to move up but there is a possibility he could lose 13-26 points if Boston and Golden can catch him. It's very close here. BLKS - Rick is going nowhere here. FG% - Rick can gain or lose 13 points in this category. PTS - our 1st place scoring team is maxed out. STLS - another 26 points are possible here if he can pass Belgrade and Seoul. REBS - not going anywhere. So, if everything went perfectly, Bangkok could gain another 91 points. Will he? I don't think so as I think his 3PT% dreams will not be realized - but then again - I've been wrong many times before. So, in this perfect world Bangkok moves to 897. That could actually be enough to win it all (if Seoul drops in certain spots). So, I'll say it, Bangkok can still win the title. And this could be the pre-season 10/11 favorite with keepers likes Curry, Westbrook, Kaman, and Flynn. That would cost him just $53 bucks if those were his 4 keepers. Of course, he could also choose to protect Rudy Gay for his all around game. Oh the choices. No matter what happens here, Bangkok should be a contender, no, a favorite for the 2010/11 season.

Currently tied for 3rd (but technically 4th) are the French Lick Celtics with 820 points. French loses the tie-breaker to Juan 4 categories to 3 at the moment. However, with the way this season has gone I'm sure we'll see lots of movement in the last 10 days. Can French make a run? 3PT% - a possible 13 pts here but French has to get hot and Boston has to shoot bricks. Unlikely to move up I think. ATO - French is closing in on the Arctic squad and is just 0.011 behind. This would be a HUGE +13 for the French squad. BLKS - no more points here. FG% - a chance for +26 in this category if his boys hit the nets this week. PTS - 100 points behind Yuma. Not impossible, but not a sure thing. I'm thinking he doesn't catch them as the Celtics (the real ones) will be rested down the stretch I'm sure. STLS - already in 1st and only 8 steals ahead of the Wack. French needs to maintain his spot and not lose the points. REBS - stuck where he is. So, with some good play, French could gain 39-52 points. That would get him up to the 860-870 range. That could be right there too you know. French is really built to win right now and doesn't have any show-stopping keepers. He could protect guys like Millsap (with the hope Boozer leaves), Dalembert (with the hope his current coach is canned or he gets traded), Felton (with the hope he follows up his breakout year with another good season), or Paul Pierce (because he's the Truth).

In 3rd place right now are the Juan de Fuca Yo Mamas - also at 820 points. Can they make the big move? Let's see. 3PT% - a possible 26 points here if Anthony Morrow continues his torrid pace. Of course, there is a possibility to lose as much as 52 points here as the teams behind Juan start to bunch up. ATO - no more points coming here. BLKS - just 8 blocks behind Brussels he could gain 13 points here. FG% - a tight race here as Juan could either gain 13 points or possibly lose 26. A big category to watch over the last 10 days. I think at most they would drop 13 as the Arctic is now 0.2% behind. PTS - Juan is just 7 measly points ahead of the juggernaut we know as Woo. Will Woo catch him now that Bogut is out? Unknown. What I do know is that Woo made up a few hundred points on Juan over the last couple of weeks so I think the trend would be to say that Seoul will pass Juan and the Mamas will drop a crucial 20 points here. STLS - just 2 behind Yuma and yet just 2 ahead of Golden. Lots could happen here too. REBS - going nowhere. The simple math tells you that Juan could gain maybe 65 points. That would get him to 885 and be right in the mix. However, the unfortunate truth is that Juan could also lose as many as 98 points if everything went in the shitter. That would obviously drop him WAY down the standings. What will happen? Well Juan has to be the hardest to predict for sure. As for next season, Juan will likely bring back an experienced middle salary class including Zach Randolph, Monta Ellis, Gerald Wallace, and cheap sharpshooter Gallinari. Where will Juan finish? I have no idea.

Currently in 2nd place is my beloved/hated Golden Showers squad with 834 points. My cast of characters are barely holding on and it's been the stellar play of called-out stars Bosh and Nowitzki who have kept me afloat this week. Can Golden climb any higher or will they drop like Anthony's 2nd nut on his 17th birthday? 3PT% - the crowd is building behind the Showers. The only place to go is down. So, does that mean I play Delfino or sit him? Undecided. ATO - a possible 26 points here as I am 0.011 behind 2 squads (Boston and Bangkok). Will I do it? I say unlikely. BLKS - only 2 ahead of the Wack and I will be playing with 11 men this week as Maxiell is my only center (I lost Robin Lopez and Spencer Hawes to season ending injuries). My center spot was weak all season and I ended up losing 3 guys to injury (don't forget I was the proud owner of Shaq-Daddy). I may focus a bit more next season on drafting better up the middle. Anyways, I think I'm likely to lose the 13 points here, but you never know. FG% - a possible 13 points up or down here. PTS - going nowhere. STLS - just 3 steals away from +26 points. Can I catch Juan and/or Yuma? That would be a big 26 points. REBS - just 40+ rebounds ahead of Arctic. I really need to maintain my spot and hold onto those 15 points. In the end I could lose maybe 28 points or gain as many as 65. That assumes I stay put in 3PT% - which certainly isn't a guarantee by any means. So, my range is likely low 800's to 899 points. But look, I'm not expecting much as I think a lot of my guys (Brooks, Rose, Deng, etc) will be rested down the stretch as their teams are eliminated from playoff contention. As for next season, I really haven't gathered much cheap talent at all. I can choose from Aaron Brooks, Luol Deng, and Carl Landry as cheaper options or I can turn to all-round stud Josh Smith. To date, Josh has 281 combined steals + blocks. Who else can say that? Well, Dwight Howard has also posted 281 combined steals and blocks. I know you're curious as to who else puts up monster combined steals/block numbers.... well, Lebron has 197, Durant 174, Rondo 190, and D-Wade is at 215. A surprise in this mix - Andrew Bogut with 213 combined!!! Good on ya Aussie.

And then there is the Seoul team Phil is 10 days away from his 3rd title in 5 years and we are staring at another 5-6 emails about Tendex, role players, and the quality of Asian porn. Look, I get it, he knows his stuff. He does his homework. You may not like it, but the guy knows his JBL stats. You may not like his sarcasm or bluntness at times but the guy is passionate. You can't take that away from him. Plus, we have to remember that for a 4-5 week period in December and January we almost lost Philly Woo. He was that sick. He spent weeks in hospital and was unable to even look at his Fantasy team. I visited him at VGH and Benny and I had bought him the Bill Simmons book - Phil couldn't even hold it when I passed it to him. For what Phil went through, he deserves this win.

Now, with all that said, is there anyway he can't win this thing? He's currently at 893 points.

• 3PT% - he's 11th and can only move up. With some hot shooting he could actually gain 65 points.
• ATO - he could actually lose 13 points here. He's just 0.002 ahead of Yuma so it's possible. There is an outside chance that Seoul could move up if he had a wicked ATO week, but it's unlikely.
• BLKS - are you kidding me, he's 108 blocks ahead.
• FG% - currently at 47.8% he is just 0.2 ahead of Juan and Golden. There is a slight chance that he could lose 26 points, but I doubt it, not with the likes of Gasol, Lebron, and Nene shooting such high %'s.
• PTS - he's right on Juan's tail (7 points behind) and I firmly believe that Seoul will pass Juan and gain another 20 points here. It is possible though that guys like Lebron, Pau, Nene, Ray Allen and others will be rested down the stretch. That can be said about Juan's players as well though, so I'm going to say +20 for Seoul.
• STLS - unlikely to move up but there are 26 points to lose if Belgrade and Bangkok go hog-wild in the steals department. They are only 8 and 6 steals behind. So, it's possible that Woo loses a maximum of 26 points here.
• REBS - the best in the JBL and he's not going anywhere.

So, it's possible that Seoul could actually gain another 85 points if he scores well and shot lights out from downtown. It is also possible however that he could lose approximately 65 points. With a bad 10 days he could go from 893 down to 828. All eyes will be on the Brothers to see if he can repeat and win it all again. This would be his 4th title and would probably be the most satisfying considering what he endured personally this year.

Oh, just in case you thought the Seoul team would be starting from scratch, think again. He has Nene, Bogut, Mike Miller and stud-in-the-making Marcus Thornton as potential keepers. And if he really wanted to shake it up - he could keep that Lebron guy.

Our only hope to take Woo down is to make sure he's nice and "toasty" in Las Vegas. That's right, another reason to book your ticket now, I have it on good authority that Mr. Woo (and posse) will be making a Vegas appearance for the 20th JBL draft in October.

Alright boys, there you have it. I think I have pretty much told you who will win it and who will finish 2nd through 6th. Pretty easy isn't it? Not! We really couldn't ask for a better finish could we? We still have 6 teams with title aspirations. It's not locked up quite yet for the Seoul squad but it will take a really bad week from the Brothers and a really HOT week from someone else in order to change the top of the table. Who will win it? Who misses out on the money? Two very good Fantasy teams will miss out on the top 4. They miss out on the money and they miss out on that 4th keeper (remember, teams 5th to 8th can only protect 3 guys).

I was going to take a shot at predicting 1st to 6th but it really is a crap shoot. Maybe we can all have a go on the Live Scoreboard and see who can nail it? Best of luck guys. Thanks for another memorable season. 10 days to go. Cheers.

Week 24 - Preview - The Also Rans...

Well, we're on the eve of the final week of the JBL season. I think everyone is quite excited...well except for maybe 2 teams - Arctic and Yuma. Why would they not be excited? Because they are stuck in JBL no man's land.

ARCTIC sits at 726.5 points this fine Sunday morning and is only about 100 points out of being a contender. The problem is that Arctic just hasn't shown any signs (being in the 800's) lately that they can make a last period push. In 3PT% - he's unlikely to move anywhere. ATO - 2nd - unlikely to move up. For blocks, he's in a big positional battle with Belgrade and this category clearly means more to Belgrade than it does Arctic. Nevertheless, there are 6.5 more points for Arctic here possibly. FG% - he's close. He could move up maybe 26 points if Golden and Juan shoot it sucky over the last 10 days. PTS - well, things could get interesting as Arctic is only 75 points back of Seoul and Mr. Woo is now without Bogut and maybe Marion. Can Arctic catch him and gain a big 20 points? STLS - going nowhere. REBS - there are another 15pts available if Arctic can catch Golden. This is a huge category for Golden ands Arctic could play spoiler if he catches the Showers. So, how many points can Arctic gain? Well, if my math is right, that's about 77.5 points he could move up. That would take him up to 804 - which might be good enough for a money spot if he got there - but it certainly isn't enough to win it all. As for potential keepers for next season, Arctic has Kevin Love, Jamal Crawford, Steve Nash, and maybe Michael Beasley. I think the first 3 guys are more likely than the Beez though. The most anticipated thing from the Arctic is the season ending article which we all love!

YUMA has been in no-man's land forever. Since JBL draft night, where Pat sat sharing a computer terminal with Arctic (oh, that's why they both are middling teams), the Thurmans have been right in the middle (except for that horrendous start to the season). Can we not just rest this average season on the shoulders of Al Jefferson? This stud was supposed to be the cornerstone of the franchise and instead put up 17 and 9? Oh my. I'm thinking Pat will no re-invest in Big Al every again. Rather than try and figure out how many points Yuma can gain, let's look at where Yuma can play the spoiler role. Let's start in 3PT%. Yuma is in a cluster of 5 teams all within .6 of each other. How Yuma shoots from downtown this week really could swing the balance of some teams' fortunes. Yuma is also only .002 ahead of Seoul in ATO. This would be a HUGE extra 13 pts for the Brothers if he could pass the Thurmans. YUMA has a couple of categories with direct implications on the Chilliwack squad. Currently, Yuma is % points ahead of the Wack in FG% as they are both shooting 46.3. That would be a big 13 pts for Benny. The other category in question is PTS as Yuma is only 29 points behind Benny in scoring and that would be a HUGE 20 points lost for the Wack if Yuma heated up. How many steals Yuma gets this last 10 days also affects Golden and Juan as Yuma is only 7 steals ahead of both teams right now. And finally, Yuma is 40+ rebounds ahead of Brussels and Timbo really needs those 15 points to avoid 11th place. For 2010/11, Yuma has Charlie V and Ben Wallace as good keepers....haha, kidding. How about David Lee and Brendan Haywood. What about Stephen Jackson - or do his %'s scare him away? What about the scoring of Corey Maggette for $9 dollars - that seems like a bargain doesn't it? Anyways, Pat's role of spoiler is just beginning and I hope he has enjoyed his return season to the JBL and will be back for more next year - with a laptop that doesn't have a security feature on it!!!

Oh Idaho. How's 12th place sounding? Is there a chance you can escape? Let's check it out. Currently at 322 points you are about 50 points behind 11th place. If you want to make the climb it's all about 3PT%. There are 52 points alone in 3PT% if you can gain say 0.3% points this week. Not an easy task, but when looking at your other categories, it might be your best chance. In ATO you are 0.020 behind French Lick and that could have huge ramifications on the Celtics chance at a title. That being said, I don't think you'll close the gap. Blocks - you are done. FG% - you are just % points ahead of Belgrade and you really need those 13 pts. That being said, the Zombies really want those 13 points as well to try and secure Brussels into 11th place. Should be interesting to see how both teams shoot this week. In PTS - I think you are staying right where you are. STLS - going nowhere. Rebounds - you are done like dinner. So, best case is about +65 points if you shoot lights out from downtown and pass French in ATO. My prediction - not happening. But, as my past predictions have shown, I've been wrong many a times this season. Can guys like Jennings, Dudley, J-Rich, and Matt Barnes shoot about 40% from downtown over the next 10 days? I just don't see it happening. So, with a 12th place finish the rest of the JBL will be excited to see the likes of Brook Lopez and Brandon Jennings go back into the Vegas Draft. Brook has developed into an elite center and should go for top dollar in October. No keepers for you my young Idaho squad. It looks like your miraculous money finish in 08/09 was all a mirage.

BRUSSELS - currently in 11th with 371 points and just 24 points behind the Belgrade squad. This could be the biggest battle over the last 10 days as Brussels has Kevin Durant and Tyreke Evans on his team. An 11th place finish means he can only keep one of the super studs. What a decision he would have to make. So, it's imperative for Brussels to get into 10th and get that 2nd keeper spot. So where can Brussels gain some points? How about 3PT%? With an improvement of 0.4% he could catch 3 teams and gain 39 points. Too bad Brussels didn't have any FA dollars - he could have loaded up on 3PT marksmen. But no...the money is all gone. ATO - last place and unlikely to move up to catch Juan (but feel free to). BLKS - currently 2nd place and needs to hold off Juan de Fuca. Juan loaded up with 2 more big men (Ibaka and Thabeet) in attempts to wrestle these 13 pts away from Brussels. For Timmy's sake (and mine), I hope Brussels can hold them off. FG% - done. PTS - going nowhere. STLS - unlikely to move up - unless they out-steal Juan and/or Golden by 30 steals over the next 10 days (anything is possible I guess - but I would call this one unlikely). REBS - just 40 rebounds behind Yuma this would be a HUGE, MONSTROUS, and amazing 15 points for the Muscles squad. Can he do it? Maybe, just maybe. This team has already started preparing for 2010/11 Vegas and he is hoping he will be starting his squad with Durant and Evans. Oh my, what a combo that would be . Will 10/11 be the year that the Brussels squad pops his JBL cherry?? He's currently seeking back to back titles in the baseball pool - but come on, that's baseball and no one really cares about that title. We're talking about the JBL. A league with 19 years of history and a JBL title would legitimize all other Fantasy titles. Timbo, with a combo of KD and Evans, you would be one of the favorites for the 2010/11 title. Good luck over the last 10 days. I will be watching.

BELGRADE - our rookie owner has gone through many ups and downs this season (well, mostly downs). Now, that being said, he is in the fight of his life with the guy who introduced him to the JBL. Would anything be more satisfying than beating out your sponsor into the league? It would be like chasing the hot chick at the bar and going up against your better looking buddy who is hung like a donkey and is known by everyone in the joint. If you were able to land that chick over him - you would gain instant credibility and have "status". Sure, Belgrade is staring at a 10th (maybe 9th with luck) place finish - but he really wants to say, "I beat you Timmy". So, can you Belgrade hold off the Muscles? Well, he'll have to do it without 3PT% help because the Zombie squad has chucked bricks all season (thanks to Baron de Beouf). ATO - not moving here. Blocks - another 6.5 points available if he can out-block Arctic over the next 10 days. FG% - another 13 pts available here if he can out-shoot Idaho. A very real possibility. PTS - just 50 points ahead of Idaho he needs to hold this position as losing 20 points here would REALLY hurt his 10th place finish chances. STLS - big category here as the Zombies could gain or lose 13 points. REBS - unlikely he's moving anywhere here...So, can he do it? Can he hold off his sponsor? Can he take down the man who introduced him to the JBL? He's paid his money and he is well liked amongst JBL owners - so he will be back. Can he improve on his 09/10 finish? Did he learn the ropes? Will he trash talk the league again only he kicked squarely in the nuts by the savvy veteran JBL owners. A collective nut shot does not feel nice - Tuna knows - he takes one every year it seems - and he keeps coming back. Oh, keepers, who will Belgrade bring back? How about Beno Udrih for $6 bucks? What about Ilyasova (if he was a starter)? What about James Harden - will he be starting next season? What about the big boys - Carmelo and Boozer? Are they under-valued? Some interesting choices for sure.

BOSTON - Trev has sort of been in the basement no-mans land for the last couple of weeks. He's been in the bottom 4 but he's not really associated to the others. The first thing Trev needs to do next season is change his team name. We did a podcast last October putting forward numerous team name options for Trev and not one was acceptable apparently. The Pancakes are over...they need a change. Maybe his April 28th wedding in Maui will inspire him? As for the Pancakes squad...it looks like 9th place is the final resting place - but they will need to play well to ensure this top 10 finish. The Pancakes are #1 in downtown marksmanship - although I think that French would like to see them slip. I think Trev finishes 1st in this category. ATO - this is where it gets interesting...as the Pancakes are just .003 ahead of the Showers and they are also only 0.005 behind the Fighters. This category has serious implications on two of the top teams. We'll see how the 'Cakes pass the ball over the last 10 days. BLKS - our 12th place shot blocking team will finish 12th. FG% - just 0.2% ahead of French - can he hold the spot down? PTS - unlikely to catch Brussels. STLS - just 20 steals behind Arctic - can it be done? Maybe...but it really doesn't matter does it? REBS - going nowhere. So, who does Trev bring back for 10/11? Not a lot in the cupboard really...how about Varejao? Maybe the Cavs don't bring Shaq or Big Z back and he becomes the starter? What about Tayshaun Prince? What about Channing Frye? Sure, there aren't many super stud keepers here, but I think Trev could find a couple. Maybe he becomes enlightened in Maui and finds his 2007 form where he finished 2nd in the JBL. Good luck ole buddy and congrats again on your upcoming wedding!!

So, that's leaves us with 6 teams for 4 money spots and 1 JBL title. Who has the firepower to win it all? Can anyone catch Seoul? Will the injury to Bogut affect the Brothers at all? Who is on shut-down alert that would severely hamper their teams' chances? These are the things that I will discuss in my next posting....stay tuned.

Golden Poo

Well, it's official, my team sucks. I am going through the Fantasy phase of complete disconnect right now. You know the one. Where you just don't care anymore. Nothing you do works. Everyone on your team is hurt. Your over-achievers are now under-achievers. Your stars are performing like shite. You are too busy too care anymore. That's me. Yup. I just spent 3 nights in Hemlock with my family. We snowboarded (which for me is quite an accomplishment). We hot tubbed. We barbecued. We watched movies. And I did all this without any internet connection whatsoever. And you know what, I loved it. That's how I know that it's officially over for my Golden squad.

My team appears destined for a 5th to 7th place finish. This will be my worst finish in the last 6 years. My team fell apart down the stretch with my stars playing mediocre ball (Bosh & Dirk) and my no-namers playing well, like no-namers (Delfino, Maxiell, Hawes, etc). I don't even have anyone to be excited about as a keeper. Sad. Really sad.

It looks like Philly Woo's Seoul team could win his 3rd title in the last 5 years. Wowzers. French, Juan, Chilliwack and now Bangkok are in the thick of things and could still take him down. If French or Bangkok could pull off a victory it would be historical as 4 teams have won the last 10 JBL titles (Golden 5, Chilliwack 2, Seoul 2, and Juan 1). And if Bangkok won it - what an article we would see. It's almost worth seeing.

I thought I would update my top keepers quickly tonight as well. I really like 11 guys for next season. In no particular order...

• Stephen Curry - cream of the crop now. Superstud in the making!
• Kevin Love - solid all around game
• Chris Kaman - good numbers, great hair
• Tyreke Evans - superstar in the making
• Kevin Durant - top 5 Fantasy stud could be had for $43 bucks
• Andray Blatche - since Caron and Jamison were shipped out - he's been the MAN
• Marc Gasol - baby-bro has all around game
• Brook Lopez - can Idaho get out of the basement in order to keep him?
• Monta Ellis - lights out scorer
• Nene - still does it all
• Russell Westbrook - stopped shooting 3's. Way to go youngster.

Just looking at the standings tonight and it appears the battle for steals between Brussels and Idaho could play a HUGE factor in who finishes last. Both of these teams have stud keepers for next season (Brussels has KD, Tyreke, and Blatche while Idaho has Lopez and Jennings). Could you imagine if Brussels finished last and couldn't keep any of those 3? Oh my. What luck for the rest of us as I would love to get my hands on any of those guys.

So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I thought I would discuss the race for 12th. It appears that Trev's Pancakes will avoid the basement. His team is into the 400's now and he has some guys playing for playoff positioning (Wade & Amare) so it appears he's no longer in the equation.

So that leaves 3 teams - Belgrade, Idaho, and Brussels. As I type this Belgrade has 369, Brussels has 345 and Idaho has 329. Idaho is just 1 steal behind Brussels and that would be a 26 point swing. Now, Idaho is likely to need those points as Belgrade is just behind him in scoring - so that would be -20 points for Idaho. Brussels does have room to move in 3PT% so that could help. Looking at the other categories it really appears this is going to come right down to the wire. The good news for Timbo is that he is the defending champion in the baseball pool and can live off that until the JBL draft in October.

I am soooo pumped for that little trip to Vegas in October. It's our 20th JBL draft. We've come a long way since the days of drafting in my parents garage and the common room in the condo in Surrey. I remember when we first started the JBL we didn't even use all the teams in the league. Now, we're going to be drafting for the 20th time and we are following the great Bill Simmons' plan of doing it BIG in Vegas. I guess we'll have to see how 'big' we do it by deciding if we are going to use a hotel's conference room or just do it from the hotel room. I think it's only fitting we use a conference room. Oh boy. I am more excited about the JBL draft in October than I am the baseball draft which is a week away. I guess part of the reason is that I will be auto-piloting the baseball draft as it's the long weekend and we are out for the evening. Oh well. We saw how well Trev's team did on auto-pilot (insert sarcasm here). And honestly, I've done more work on preparing to right the ship for the next JBL season in 2010/11 than I have prepped for the baseball draft. I guess it's because I just don't enjoy watching or following baseball anymore. Last year I didn't watch a single game (even when my starting pitchers were throwing). Oh well. Maybe I will learn to love mediocrity. Anyways, I digress.

For those of you wondering, I have chatted with Marko in Belgrade and he does plan on returning for the 2010/11 season. This is good news for the JBL as Marko has added a lot to the league and everyone I have talked to about him really wants him back. He's been quite busy at work and that's why we haven't heard much from him.

Well, on this topic, the JBL story board has been quiet this season. I do most of my talking here and there aren't a lot of 'posters' to the website lately. I'm sure we'll have a victory smack talk from our eventual winner and I fully expect a 12th place whine from someone vowing victory in 2010/11. I will be posting my year in review and Crikker usually does one as well (in typical Crikker fashion). Anyways, if anyone has something to say...speak up!

OK, I'm out of time for tonight...I will watch my mediocre team finish the season in mediocrity. Salut.

Busy, Busy, Busy...

It's been 2 weeks since my last post. Sorry boys. It's been a very busy March. Can't believe it. I've hardly had any time to check on the JBL these last couple of weeks. Hopefully, over the next 10 days or so, things will get back to normal.

The JBL title race is super duper tight! I think there are still 5 teams that can win it. Sorry Arctic and Bangkok - you guys haven't shown me the 850ish potential that the other 5 teams have over the last 2 weeks. This stretch run should be awesome as teams jockey for position. Not many teams have much money left for Free Agents (myself included) so it looks like some of us will have to go with what we have.

My team has been hit by the injury bug over the last couple of weeks. I have lost man games to Bosh, Rose, and Luol Deng. My over-achievers (Collison, Delfino, and CJ Watson) have all come back down to earth and suddenly my team doesn't look so hot.

Those Seoul Brothers, once thought to be an after-thought in the title race, continue to impress. French Lick is looking very strong and his roster probably has the most "names" on it. Chilliwack and Juan de Fuca continue to be in the hunt as well. For Juan, this has been very impressive as he has been hit hard by the injury bug over the last month or so. Plus, he's getting Chris Paul back for the last couple of weeks.

Idaho has dropped to 12th and his team simply blows. Both Brook Lopez and Brandon Jennings will be back in the draft and Idaho will be starting from scratch. I just don't see how he improves with the group he has at the moment. Plus, he has $0 free agent dollars.

The most interesting team to follow down the stretch just might be the Brussels squad. He has 2 of the best keepers going (Tyreke and Durant) and it looks like he could finish 11th - which would mean he could only keep 1 player. Who would he choose? Who should he choose? Who would I choose?  Let's see how Boston and Belgrade do down the stretch because I know Timbo will be following this closely.

Oh, Belgrade, if you're reading this...I'm still waiting for your cheque to arrive. Anytime my good man, anytime.

If I had to choose 4 keepers for my team next season today...I think I would go with Aaron Brooks, Luol Deng, Josh Smith, and maybe Carl Landry. 

Brooks has become an absolute gunner and is now averaging 20ppg on the season. Yes, I'm aware that Yao comes back next season and Brooks will not average 20ppg. However, he should up his assists total and he should get more open 3-point looks with the big man kicking it out. Maybe a 16 and 7 season could be in order and the Rockets could be VERY scary next year with a starting 5 of Brooks, Martin, Ariza, Scola and Yao. And their bench would be scary too with the likes of Lowry, Battier, Budinger and others. Look out for the Rockets in 10/11.

I think I would keep Luol Deng just because he's so cool. Despite me cursing his current injury he's had a pretty good season. He does it all really and he's one of the blackest players in the league. Plus, he can play for Great Britain in the World Championships. All that for $17 bucks - ya, why not.

Josh Smith for $48 is really pushing it now. But I love his 'ticks'. Look at those steals and blocks. Yum Yum, I wanna get some. Unreal. It seems like he's been around forever (well 7 years) and yet he's not even 25 years old yet. The biggest positive for him this season was shot selection - he doesn't shoot 3's anymore.

And there's Carl Landry. The $5 dollar last second pickup who no one wanted in a trade. He's still averaging 16 and 6 while shooting 54% on the season. He's now in Sacramento where he is part of the rebuilding program. He's taken over for Jason Thompson. He's the #2 guy behind Tyreke. He's not outstanding but he could be worth a look at $10 dollars.

Who will the Seoul Brothers keep? I'm guessing Bogut (who really has shown that he can be a big game center), Nene, maybe Corey Brewer and maybe Marcus Thornton. If Philly Woo wins the JBL title that will be 3 wins in 5 years. Holy Cow will we all hear about that. And I can imagine the happiest person will be Timbo.

The Chilliwack squad is loaded for next season as well as he will bring back Marc Gasol, Bargnani, Andrei Kirilenko and ???? I don't know if you guys see it but I think Benny should build the all-white guys team. He's well on his way. Come on now, nothing would be more fun! Theme team! Theme team! Come on Benny, do it!

Juan de Fuca is likely keeping Monta, Zach, G-Wallace, and Gallinari. A bit pricey to keep all of them but man, what a nucleus. He would have two 20+ PPG guys; Wallace brings his 6 category game and Gallinari could be the 3-point gunner in what should be a whole new Knicks line-up next season. Of course, Benny should think of getting Gallinari for his squad. 

Who will French protect for next season? His roster is balanced and deep and is built for this year - not the next one. I'm sure Chris will find some bargains in there. It will be nice to be able to go after Rajon Rondo next year. Again, as previously stated, I love the kid's Fantasy game.

Ok boys, that's all for now. 

March(ing) On...

Well, week 19 is almost finished and the JBL standings couldn't be much tighter. Remember the race last season at this time? The Seoul Brothers had a 400 point lead and there were 4 other teams battling for the remaining 3 money spots. This year? 7 teams still fighting for the JBL title. Four of those seven teams have won the top prize while the other 3 teams would be popping their JBL cherry with the title.

We saw one of those classic JBL trades the other day when Brussels moved Elton Brand to Bangkok for Al Thornton. From Tim's post on the Live Scoreboard it appears he offered this deal weeks ago (when Brand was in the shitter and Little Al was getting hot as a Wizard). Well, Timbo left this trade up for weeks and ultimately Bangkok decided to jump on it. Lesson to be learned? Either the CBS website should allow us to set expiry times on our trade offers (ie. if you don't get an accept or reject within 48 hours the offer is automatically withdrawn) or you should always check what offers you have out there.

Thought I would have quick look at each of the contending teams and where they could move up in the standings. I won't look at where they could fall in the standings or apply my JBL matrix to predict the final standings...I'll save that for a later date. And again, I'm looking at categories where the teams are really close to moving up in during the next 1-2 weeks.

Currently in 7th place - Arctic Circle Jerks - 753 points. He could possibly move up 13 or 26 in 3PT% but the trend hasn't been there to support such a move, but it's possible. Scoring - I don't think he's catching Juan. ATO - he could catch Benny, but I doubt it. Steals - I think he will remain 11th. Blocks - he should catch Idaho and gain 13 points. But I think that's it there. Rebounds - there is some potential to maybe catch French and Golden and that would be a big 30 points in this favor. FG% - he could catch Juan and Golden for an additional 26 points. So, if all went perfect in the Arctic world there could be around +100 points for him to gain and that would move him up to the 850's.

Currently in 6th place - Bangkok Fighters - 760 points. 3PT% - he could move up 13 points by passing Seoul. I guess he could also catch Juan and Yuma but the guys he has certainly doesn't suggest this will happen. Scoring - he could catch Golden for a big +20 points. The problem is that Golden has been scoring right with Bangkok for the last 2 weeks and Golden has been without Chris Bosh. So, this +20 is possible but it's not a guarantee. ATO - Bangkok is right on the tail of the French and could pass him for +13. Steals - Bangkok should pass Golden and Juan for +26 points.Longer term he could catch Yuma and Seoul but lets stick with the quick wins for now. Blocks - I think Bangkok will remain where he is for now. Rebounds - no upward movement coming. FG% - Bangkok is now .5 behind Seoul and doesn't appear to have any immediate upward movement in this category. So, with the short term view and with everything going right that makes +72 points for this squad which gets him into the 830's. Of course, if he increases his steals there could be another 26 points there (at least).

Currently in 5th place - French Lick Celtics @ 798 points. 3PT% - +13 points if he can pass the Pancakes. Scoring - Idaho and Yuma are only about 100 points ahead in this category and if French can get hot that would be a big +40 points. ATO - for now, it appears there is no quick upward movement. Steals - only 22 steals back of the Wack but the way Benny has been stealing this could be hard to catch. No immediate upward movement. Blocks - no upward movement at this time. Rebounds - French is right on Golden's tail so its possible for a +15 here. FG% - slowing moving up but nothing immediate. With some great games there is potential for +68 points here in the short term. The key for French is his scoring as he could have the most room for improvement in this category.

Currently in 4th place - Seoul Brothers @ 819 points. 3PT% - nothing immediate at this time. Scoring - just under 200 pts behind the Arctic but that won't happen in 1-2 weeks (I don't think). ATO - 3 teams ahead of him by .033 and that would be +39 points. But I'm not sure that's do-able right now with the team Woo is putting out there. Steals - only 10 behind Belgrade so it's possible for a +13 here. Blocks - you are the king of blocks by a mile so no points to gain here. In fact, what is the record for most blocks ever in a JBL season? Rebounds - closing in on Juan de Fuca and now less than 100 boards behind. So, it's possible and that would be a big +15 points. FG% - getting really close to catching Arctic and Juan who are just 0.1% ahead and Golden is only 0.3% ahead. So, in the short term, it could be a +26 points if he catches the 2 teams just in front of him. So, quick wins could produce +54 points in the next couple of weeks and that would get the Seoul squad up to the mid 870's.

Currently in 3rd place - Juan de Fuca Yo Mamas @ 835 points. 3PT% - will need to get hot to catch Golden who is 0.4% in front of him. Trends would say this isn't happening right away. Scoring - the Juan team appears stuck in 3rd in this category. ATO - appears Juan will remain 12th for now but a return of Chris Paul in the next couple of weeks could change things in this category. So, for now, I will say no immediate gains. Steals - some work to do to catch Yuma and Seoul. A possible 26 points for sure, but I'm not sure it will happen. Blocks - just 2 behind the Wack so there is +13 there. Rebounds - Juan has been 1st place in this category all season. No more points to gain. FG% - just 0.2 behind Golden so there is a definite chance to gain +13 points by shooting the ball well. In the short term, maybe 13-26 points could be gained getting him into the 850 point range. The good news - in the long term the return of a healthy Chris Paul could help gain him another 26 points in steals and maybe +13 in ATO. The bad news - he is still being crippled by the injury bug and has missed games from Monta Ellis, Marcus Camby, Chris Paul, and now Tony Parker appears to be done for 4-6 weeks. Ugh.

Currently in 2nd place - Chilliwack Offs @ 841 points. 3PT% - just 0.2% behind the Muscles so that could be a +13 points. Scoring - only 33 points behind the Seoul Brothers so that could be a monsterous +20 points here. ATO - 1st place already. Steals - 1st place already. Hmmm, getting the sense this Wack team is a real contender. Blocks - 2nd place and no way he's catching Seoul who is 50 blocks ahead of him. Rebounds - 70 rebounds behind the Arctic. For now, let's assume he doesn't get there in the short term. FG% - finally a flaw for this team. However, there is +13 available by passing Yuma. So, there is 46 points that could easily be gained in the next week even. That would get the Offs to 887 total points. Holy Dinah.

Currently in 1st place - Golden Showers @ 882 points. 3PT% - just 0.2% behind the Offs. However, it's been a long time since the Showers have gone above 35.0% from downtown so I just don't think this will happen. Scoring - already in 1st place. ATO - just 0.10 behind Idaho and Yuma. Is it possible, maybe, but I think Idaho is built more for ATO than Golden and therefore I'm not sure the Showers catch either team. However, it's possible for a +13 or +26 in this category. Steals - just 2 steals back of Juan de Fuca so that could be a +13. Blocks - just 12 and 14 blocks behind Juan and Wack but I don't think it will happen. For now, I'm saying no upward movement. Rebounds - not going anywhere. FG% - already in 1st place. I think the Showers team is almost maxed out with points but if the stars aligned I guess I could see maybe +26 points upward movement. 

There really isn't much upward movement left for the Showers squad. I could argue some upward moves but those are ultimately negated by some downward moved in other categories (ie. I could gain 13 points by passing Juan in steals but I will lose 13 points because Bangkok will pass me - net result - 0 points gained). Of course, this could be said for all of the teams above. They will gain some points in some categories and they could lose some points in the others. It's almost impossible to tell who will win it at this time - it's just too early to tell. Plus, with all the injuries yet to happen (ie. Tony Parker) the Fantasy landscapes will still change. Plus, the ultimate wrench in the equation is the fact that teams will start to rest their stars down the stretch once a playoff spot has been clinched. How many minutes/games will Tim Duncan play down the stretch? What if the Cavaliers clinch the top record and home court throughout the playoffs? How much rest will Mike Brown give to Lebron? And for the teams out of it - will they start to sit their star players? Will New Orleans keep playing Chris Paul if they are eliminated from the playoff race? All things to consider down the stretch.

Our JBL trade deadline is fast approaching. Just 2 weeks away. After that, you'll have to rely on Free Agents only. That being said, 2 teams have $0 Free Agent bucks left and 5 others have under $10 bucks available to use.

Here we go...the stretch run begins when we get to Week 20...and that's tomorrow boys. The race is on. Next time I have a chance, I'll have a look at those 4 teams at the bottom of the pile fighting to avoid the basement. I'll tell you who I think will be our 12th place team. 

Some Random Observations...

I don't know what it is but some NBA players just play better when they are on a different JBL team. I've already documented the Channing Frye experiment from Belgrade to Golden to Boston. But tonight, we see it again with CJ Watson. CJ hasn't been much of a Fantasy factor this season but tonight he is on fire. Brussels had CJ Watson for a 3 game stint awhile back and he put up just 3ppg. Tonight, CJ begins his 2nd tour of duty in Golden. He's already played 7 games in Golden and performed quite admirably as an injury replacement. Tonight, he's back active and has 20pts and 6 steals in the 4th quarter. He's not going to be a starter every week - but night's like today sure come in handy.

Every time I read the Bangkok lineup I get a woody (or a boner if you prefer the term). Man, his team is loaded. Plus, his team is loaded for next season. Check out Russell Westbrook's last 10 games! His tendex is close to 30! With Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Chris Kaman and _____ this team could be the early favorite for 2010/11. Who might that 4th keeper be? It could be a guy like Rudy Gay. Where will he end up next season? What about Jonny Flynn? Is he good enough to be considered? Whoever the 4th player is - this team should be a title contender.

Have you seen the battle for the basement? It's nice. It's tight. It's competitive. I still think Tim's team is the cream of the poop down there yet he continues to hang around that 400 point total. Trev's team is constantly hurt (Iverson done for the year) and yet he continues to avoid the basement. Wade coming back big tonight could be a factor in a few categories. Trev could be a factor in 3PT% (French), ATO (5 spots) and in rebounds where he is just 7 rebounds behind Idaho. If Idaho loses 15 pts he would be down to 349 and just 8 points ahead of Belgrade. Oh, the tension. So with Idaho sucking this season (again) after finishing in the money last year (4th) - does this confirm that last year was a fluke?? You decide...

Go ahead and read the line-up that French Lick is trotting out these days. That's another who's who of the NBA. How is this team not higher in the standings? The key to French is scoring (PTS). There are probably +80pts out there for him if his squad gets hot. That would put him in the high 800's. This is definitely a team to watch over the last few weeks.

Man, I knew I should have signed Ronny Turiaf for this week. Oh well.

Who is the rookie of the year now? Evans or Curry? I think it's closer than what people think. I think Curry has had an amazing year and from a Fantasy perspective he might be the better keeper. Don't get me wrong, I love both of the kids, but Curry can shoot the 3 and more steals. It's a toss up. Let's check it out...

PLAYER G PPG FG% 3P% REB ATO STL BLK

Evans 54 20.4 46.7 25.5 262 1.859 81 23
Curry 58 15.7 46.1 40.9 244 1.826 106 14

Curry over his last 10 games has averaged 24ppg, 8reb, and 6 assists.
Evans over his last 10 games has averaged 19ppg, 6reb, and 7 assists.

Conclusion: Both STUDS.

CBS changed up their background colours this morning and it's really jazzed up the JBL site. I like it.

Email from Crikker regarding the baseball pool. Oh man, I have to figure out who is who again. Some of the names I've read about who is supposed to be good I honestly have no idea who they are. Couple that with the fact that I didn't watch one single baseball game last year I could be hard pressed to duplicate last year's performance.

Durant 31 and 8 tonight. Yawn. He has to be in the top 3 Fantasy studs out there. He has the consistency. He's a stud, a gem, a keeper extraordinaire.

Remember when we all thought Woo's team sucked? I even went live on the Podcast and called his team a pretender. Well, look at those Brothers now. 17 points out of 2nd. Unreal. That's how good Lebron, Gasol, Nene, and Bogut have been. And another point about guys playing better on different JBL teams - check out Boris Diaw's numbers in Seoul compared to what he did in Golden and Bangkok.

Speaking of Diaw, man, did I ever mess up my keepers this season. I protected Diaw who was horrible for me and ultimately moved. I protected Ronnie Brewer who was servicable but ultimately regressed from a Fantasy perspective. I kept Eric Gordon who I thought was going to be a stud - instead he got hurt and is really nothing special (yet). I also kept Jameer Nelson and he too got hurt and just now is heating up. Not a good job on the keepers by me - so I must have drafted well (Josh Smith) and maybe I made a good trade or two. I am going to pass judgment on my early season monster deal with Brussels (Wade/Randolph for Bosh/Rose) and I am going to go on record and say that I "won" that deal.

Anyways, that's all for now...if anyone has a topic for me to address here in the Chronicles - let me know and I will do my best.