If you have ever selected a roster for Fantazzle’s weekly fantasy basketball game, you probably know the feeling: I know who’s the best in my regular fantasy basketball league, but who is the best in THIS format? It’s that moment when you scratch your head, shrug your shoulders and just pick some guys, even though you know that there has to be a more scientific way of building a team especially when its a fantasy basketball salary cap game.
Sure, you know that blocks and steals are highly valued, and the percentage-based categories don’t mean jack, but how do you put that abstract information into practice? I know he’s the man, but is LeBron James really worth $165,000?
Well, that’s what you have me for. I have created a scoring system to rank every single NBA player according to Fantazzle’s unique metric. As of 11/28/09, here are your Fantazzle scoring leaders:
| PLAYER, TEAM POS |
|
|
|
MIN
|
REB
|
AST
|
STL
|
BLK
|
PTS
|
|
TOT
|
AVG
|
|
| LeBron James, Cle SF |
|
|
|
37.9
|
6.7
|
8.0
|
1.3
|
0.6
|
29.2
|
|
812
|
47.8
|
|
| Carmelo Anthony, Den SF |
|
|
|
36.5
|
6.1
|
3.6
|
1.6
|
0.3
|
30.9
|
|
708
|
44.3
|
|
| Dirk Nowitzki, Dal PF |
|
|
|
38.2
|
8.6
|
2.7
|
1.2
|
1.6
|
27.1
|
|
748
|
44.0
|
|
| Dwyane Wade, Mia SG |
|
|
|
38.7
|
4.8
|
5.3
|
2.1
|
1.3
|
27.1
|
|
659
|
43.9
|
|
| Kobe Bryant, LAL SG |
|
|
|
37.5
|
5.3
|
3.8
|
2.3
|
0.2
|
29.5
|
|
654
|
43.6
|
|
| Kevin Martin*, Sac SG O |
|
|
|
41.8
|
5.4
|
2.6
|
2.0
|
0.2
|
30.6
|
|
215
|
43.0
|
|
| Kevin Durant, OKC SG, SF |
|
|
|
38.7
|
7.1
|
3.2
|
1.6
|
0.8
|
27.5
|
|
679
|
42.4
|
|
| Chris Bosh, Tor PF, C |
|
|
|
35.7
|
11.9
|
1.7
|
0.5
|
1.2
|
25.1
|
|
717
|
42.2
|
|
| Chris Paul*, Nor PG O |
|
|
|
34.0
|
3.4
|
9.2
|
1.7
|
0.0
|
23.8
|
|
398
|
39.8
|
|
| Danny Granger, Ind SF DTD |
|
|
|
37.1
|
6.4
|
2.9
|
1.5
|
1.2
|
24.8
|
|
513
|
39.5
|
|
| Monta Ellis, GS PG, SG |
|
|
|
39.3
|
4.5
|
5.5
|
2.4
|
0.5
|
23.1
|
|
582
|
38.8
|
|
| Tim Duncan, SA PF, C |
|
|
|
31.9
|
11.3
|
3.6
|
0.4
|
1.9
|
18.3
|
|
453
|
37.8
|
|
| Deron Williams, Uta PG |
|
|
|
39.7
|
4.9
|
9.9
|
1.3
|
0.3
|
19.5
|
|
524
|
37.4
|
|
| Josh Smith, Atl SF, PF |
|
|
|
33.8
|
9.3
|
4.0
|
1.6
|
2.6
|
15.7
|
|
596
|
37.3
|
|
| Carlos Boozer, Uta PF |
|
|
|
35.6
|
10.6
|
3.4
|
1.1
|
0.6
|
19.9
|
|
595
|
37.2
|
|
| Pau Gasol, LAL PF, C |
|
|
|
31.0
|
12.0
|
3.5
|
0.0
|
1.8
|
18.0
|
|
148
|
37.0
|
|
| Dwight Howard, Orl C |
|
|
|
32.5
|
12.2
|
1.5
|
0.9
|
1.9
|
17.8
|
|
629
|
37.0
|
|
| Andre Iguodala, Phi SG, SF |
|
|
|
39.2
|
6.8
|
6.0
|
1.8
|
0.6
|
18.1
|
|
568
|
35.5
|
|
| Andrew Bynum, LAL C |
|
|
|
36.1
|
10.6
|
1.2
|
0.5
|
1.7
|
19.1
|
|
459
|
35.3
|
|
| Antawn Jamison, Was PF |
|
|
|
36.0
|
9.3
|
1.2
|
1.2
|
0.3
|
21.7
|
|
211
|
35.2
|
|
| Brandon Jennings, Mil PG |
|
|
|
34.2
|
4.1
|
5.5
|
1.2
|
0.2
|
22.3
|
|
521
|
34.7
|
|
| Rudy Gay, Mem SF |
|
|
|
39.9
|
6.7
|
2.1
|
1.6
|
0.8
|
21.1
|
|
555
|
34.7
|
|
| Chris Kaman, LAC C |
|
|
|
37.5
|
8.4
|
1.8
|
0.6
|
1.5
|
20.2
|
|
589
|
34.6
|
|
| Brook Lopez, NJ C |
|
|
|
35.9
|
8.9
|
1.6
|
0.5
|
2.5
|
17.9
|
|
549
|
34.3
|
|
| Richard Hamilton*, Det SG O |
|
|
|
36.0
|
3.0
|
4.0
|
1.0
|
0.0
|
25.0
|
|
34
|
34.0
|
|
| Gerald Wallace, Cha SF, PF |
|
|
|
40.6
|
11.8
|
1.3
|
1.8
|
0.7
|
15.9
|
|
544
|
34.0
|
|
| Joe Johnson, Atl SG, SF |
|
|
|
38.4
|
5.4
|
4.5
|
1.1
|
0.1
|
21.7
|
|
541
|
33.8
|
|
| David Lee, NY PF, C |
|
|
|
33.1
|
9.9
|
2.6
|
1.3
|
0.4
|
18.1
|
|
541
|
33.8
|
|
| Marc Gasol, Mem C |
|
|
|
35.6
|
10.8
|
2.1
|
1.1
|
1.6
|
15.4
|
|
540
|
33.8
|
|
| Trevor Ariza, Hou SG, SF |
|
|
|
38.8
|
5.5
|
3.8
|
2.1
|
0.6
|
18.3
|
|
527
|
32.9
|
|
| Gilbert Arenas, Was PG |
|
|
|
35.8
|
3.7
|
6.3
|
1.2
|
0.2
|
20.1
|
|
493
|
32.9
|
|
| Tyreke Evans, Sac PG, SG |
|
|
|
35.9
|
5.3
|
4.8
|
1.4
|
0.4
|
19.1
|
|
459
|
32.8
|
|
| Zach Randolph, Mem PF |
|
|
|
34.7
|
9.6
|
1.9
|
0.7
|
0.4
|
18.8
|
|
521
|
32.6
|
|
| Paul Pierce, Bos SG, SF |
|
|
|
35.8
|
5.0
|
4.3
|
1.1
|
0.4
|
20.0
|
|
518
|
32.4
|
|
| Baron Davis, LAC PG |
|
|
|
32.5
|
3.7
|
7.1
|
1.8
|
0.6
|
16.1
|
|
541
|
31.8
|
|
| Luol Deng, Chi SF |
|
|
|
38.4
|
8.1
|
1.6
|
1.1
|
0.9
|
18.1
|
|
443
|
31.6
|
|
| Steve Nash, Pho PG |
|
|
|
32.3
|
2.6
|
11.8
|
0.3
|
0.2
|
16.2
|
|
506
|
31.6
|
|
| Al Harrington, NY PF |
|
|
|
31.7
|
6.4
|
1.6
|
1.2
|
0.4
|
20.3
|
|
505
|
31.6
|
|
| Andrew Bogut*, Mil C O |
|
|
|
33.6
|
9.2
|
1.9
|
0.7
|
1.4
|
16.1
|
|
283
|
31.4
|
|
| Amare Stoudemire, Pho PF, C |
|
|
|
34.1
|
6.9
|
1.1
|
0.6
|
1.2
|
19.9
|
|
503
|
31.4
|
|
| Russell Westbrook, OKC PG |
|
|
|
34.3
|
4.8
|
6.9
|
1.0
|
0.6
|
16.7
|
|
503
|
31.4
|
|
| Nene, Den PF, C |
|
|
|
33.3
|
9.2
|
2.6
|
1.4
|
1.2
|
14.2
|
|
497
|
31.1
|
|
| Al Jefferson, Min C |
|
|
|
32.0
|
7.5
|
2.3
|
1.5
|
1.1
|
15.9
|
|
432
|
30.9
|
|
| Brandon Roy, Por SG, SF |
|
|
|
36.6
|
4.4
|
5.2
|
0.5
|
0.2
|
19.7
|
|
583
|
30.7
|
|
| Luis Scola, Hou PF, C |
|
|
|
30.4
|
9.9
|
2.0
|
1.0
|
0.4
|
15.3
|
|
479
|
29.9
|
|
| Al Horford, Atl PF, C |
|
|
|
34.1
|
9.9
|
2.0
|
0.8
|
1.8
|
13.1
|
|
479
|
29.9
|
|
| Stephen Jackson, Cha SG, SF |
|
|
|
36.3
|
4.4
|
4.3
|
1.6
|
0.6
|
16.9
|
|
478
|
29.9
|
|
| Joakim Noah, Chi PF, C |
|
|
|
33.4
|
11.7
|
2.4
|
0.6
|
1.6
|
11.1
|
|
418
|
29.9
|
|
| Lou Williams*, Phi PG, SG O |
|
|
|
34.8
|
3.5
|
5.1
|
1.7
|
0.2
|
17.4
|
|
417
|
29.8
|
|
| Rajon Rondo, Bos PG |
|
|
|
33.6
|
4.2
|
8.9
|
2.6
|
0.0
|
10.8
|
|
466
|
29.1
|
|
Note that the players are ranked according to per-game averages, not total points accrued, which is why Kevin Martin is currently ranked sixth here, for example. As you scan this list, you will probably be surprised at some of the results. You probably would have guessed that Monta Ellis was going to be a top 25 player, but 11th overall? And you knew that his stellar percentages certainly increased his values in standard leagues, but did you think that Steve Nash, a clear top-ten fantasy player this year, would barely even crack the top 50?
One of the cool things about fantasy sports is that it allows you to test your own personal perception of a player’s ability or value and compare it again the cold, hard facts. Sure, statistics can’t tell you everything about a player’s performance. Bill James and them fellas still can’t figure out a good way to measure defensive ability in baseball, for example. But they do give you an objective standard against which to compare two players, which is precisely what the Fantazzle Weekly fantasy basketball game is all about, when you really think about it.
So let’s take some time to sift through these numbers, and see what anomalies we can find in the Fantazzle Player Rater. Who else enjoys such a spectacular boost in value when you switch around the scoring parameters like Fantazzle has? And who else isn’t worth the hefty salary that they command in the Fantazzle fantasy game? Perhaps most importantly, who else has taken the time to read this blog, and also figured out not to pay Steve Nash to play for his team?
***
I think there is really only one place to start with a fantasy basketball blog this year. And that’s with the biggest story of the first month of this young season: Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks. Jennings has been simply fantastic in his first month as a pro, and he will one day be viewed as the catalyst for a new and inevitable trend in American basketball: elite players by-passing the college experience and instead playing for megabucks in Europe.
Not longer after the NBA adopted it’s “pre-to-pro” policy in 2006, and thereby prevented high school players from being drafted by NBA teams, Jennings was a high school senior at the Oakhill Academy, one of the most prestigious high school basketball programs in the country. Its roster of alumni include Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Rajon Rondo. Jennings was considered one of the top high school point guards in the nation, and was offered a scholarship to attend the University of Arizona, which is a breeding ground for future NBA stars, such as Richard Jefferson, Mike Bibby, Jason Terry, Andre Iguoadala, Gilbert Arenas and Damon Stoudamire, among others.
Instead of doing what he was “supposed to do”, Jennings decided to sign a contract with Lottomatica Roma, an Italian basketball team, which paid him handsomely for his services. However, after spending the vast majority of his first and only season with the team riding pine, most analysts agreed that Jennings had hurt his draft position by going overseas.
Yet, despite his nearly non-existent season and corresponding lack of draft buzz, Jennings declared himself eligible for the 2009 NBA draft. And then on draft day, he nearly slipped right out of the lottery, a fate that seemed nearly inconceivable at the end of his high school career. He might have even fallen right out of the top-2o were it not for the Bucks, who turned a lot of heads when they selected him with the 10th overall pick.
Now, just one month into the season, Jennings is running away with the rookie of the year award, and Milwaukee brass is looking like a bunch of bonafide rocket scientists. Despite averaging 22.3 points, 5.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game thus far, everything was pretty under-the-radar for this sweet-shooting lefty until he exploded for 55 points against the Warriors on November 14th.
Sure, it came against one of the truly horrific defensive clubs in recent memory, but still! I remember it clear as day. It happened on a Saturday night, and not just any Saturday night, mind you. No, this was the Saturday night of Chach & Caroline’s millionth-annual Pre-Thanksgiving party, only arguably the biggest party of the year for me and my nefarious cohorts. Needless to say, the Kid got extremely toasted on that particular evening and didn’t get home to get his nightly fantasy hoops intel until approximately 4 a.m. I’ll never forget feeling like my eyes were going to pop right out of my skull when I read that stat line: 55 points, 5 assists, 5 boards, 21-34 from the floor and 7-8 from downtown. Perhaps the most absurd stat is that he was just two weeks into his rookie year!
The first thing I thought to myself was: Uh, did he just break the all-time rookie scoring record? In week two? Uh, who even owns that record? What IS that record? (Note: as it turns out, Wilt Chamberlain owns the record, which is 58 points. Jennings’s 55 is the most since Earl Monroe went for 56 in 1968. Jennings is also the second-youngest player to score 55 or more points. The youngest is LeBron James, who dropped 56 in 2005).
The second thing I thought to myself was: why didn’t the Knicks draft this sonofabitch! Damn you, Donnie Walsh and the rest of your funky bunch! Why did you draft this Jordan Hill character who, despite playing for the WORST team in the league that is going through a REBUILDING process, CANNOT play a single frigging minute of a single frigging game all frigging YEAR?!?!
But I digress. Brandon Jennings, with this one singularly nuclear performance, re-wrote his own history, not to mention the fate of the many legions of high school seniors who will surely follow in his decidedly enormous footsteps. Don’t you think a high school senior now has to think twice about inking that deal to play in college when he could make a nice chunk of change balling in Europe for a year without even sacrificing his draft stock? Now these kids will surely think (preferably in a Chris Tucker, Smokey from Friday voice): well, Brandon Jennings can do it, why can’t I? College sounds fun, but damn!
Except one has to wonder: did playing in Europe actually make Jennings any better? How good would this guy be right now if he had actually played a full season at Arizona? I have no doubt that European basketball is comparable to the NCAA in terms of overall talent; I think Team USA’s well documented struggles in various international tournaments has made that quite clear. But I do wonder whether it really made him a better player to just practice with these guys. He played like 8 minutes per game in Italy! Wouldn’t he have been better served starting for the Wildcats in a title run?
But that’s really the ONLY thing that makes me question whether Jennings represents the dawn of a new era in international basketball. And who’s to say that the next guy to go over there won’t be benched by his dumb ass Italian coach? I mean seriously, how stupid does THAT guy feel right now, whoever the hell he is? I’d love to know who exactly was so good over there in Roma that Mr. Spaghettihead couldn’t find enough time to get Mr. ROY on the floor. Whoever that player was, I bet he couldn’t drop 55 in an NBA game if his life depended on it.
OK so that’s my Brandon Jennings rant. Sorry, it was a long one. But really, kind of like my man-crushes on Chauncey Billups and Kevin Durant, he soooo deserves it! Let’s wrap this up by pointing out that Jennings currently fetches just $80,000 in the Fantazzle game, and considering the fact that he’s a top-25 Fantazzle player, that’s what you call a gimme.
Yea, I know, you love me. You can thank me later with a tweet or dap or something.
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