It is awards time here at CBS SportsLine as the Fantasy hoops season has come to a close.
That means it's time to recognize those players that helped so many of you out there as well as ridicule those who hurt so many more. After all, hell hath no fury like a Fantasy owner scorned.
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| Kobe Bryant likely won't win the NBA MVP, but he's our MVP. (Getty Images) |
We also selected this year's All-Fantasy team -- a first, second and third squad -- as well as an All-Bust team and an All-Waiver Wire team.
Some of the choices were obvious, but others may inspire an outcry from the many Fantasy GMs out there who have their own heroes and villains in mind (please direct all e-mails to Mr. Eisenberg, he's dying to hear from you).
In most instances, we used the standard scoring system for CBS SportsLine head-to-head leagues to determine our selections. That's one point for every point scored, rebound, block and steal and two points for every assist. You also lose a point for every turnover.
We also took into account each player's contributions in leagues that use averages and in Rotisserie play.
In any case, enjoy our recap of the best -- and worst -- of the 2006-07 Fantasy hoops season as we begin our offseason coverage, getting you ready for another run at the title next fall.
MVP
Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers
He probably won't win the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, but he's certainly this year's Fantasy version. It was a battle between Bryant and Kevin Garnett through much of the season, but a late-season injury to K.G. and a barrage of 50-point outings by Bryant made this choice a no-brainer. Bryant won the NBA scoring title while also managing over five boards and five rebounds per game. That kind of season doesn't happen very often in the NBA and will be hard to duplicate -- even for Kobe.
Rookie of the Year
Brandon Roy - Portland Trail Blazers
Unlike Bryant, Roy will win the NBA equivalent of this award. Roy for ROY, it was meant to be, really. He led all rookies in scoring and minutes played and established himself as the future of the Blazers backcourt. In a year when most rookies struggled to contribute, Roy was by far the biggest Fantasy contributor of the bunch.
Biggest Breakout
Deron Williams - Utah Jazz
We expected a great second season for the former Illinois standout, but even the Jazz were surprised to see such a drastic rise in his overall numbers. He's the first Jazz player to average over nine dimes in a season since John Stockton averaged 10.5 in the 1996-97 season and saw his scoring rise from 10.8 ppg to 16.4. Playing in the same system under Jerry Sloan, we expect more of the same from him for years to come. Third year players are prime candidates for breakout years, so his numbers should be even better in 2007-08, making him someone to target as a No. 1 guard next fall.
Best Waiver Wire Pickup
Monta Ellis - Golden State Warriors
He went from being undrafted in 93 percent of SportsLine leagues to being owned in 93 percent by the end of the season. That's just one reason why Ellis provided the best Fantasy value of any player in the NBA. He averaged just 6.8 ppg a season ago and saw that average improve by almost a full 10 points as a starter for more than 50 games this season. Even as the team's sixth man, he saw regular minutes and was an excellent start in all Fantasy leagues on a weekly basis. He'll be selected in the first 10 rounds this fall.
Biggest Bust
Andrei Kirilenko - Utah Jazz
I don't want to say we told you so, but we did. We had AK-47 pegged as a Fantasy bust going into the season and he didn't disappoint ... us. His back was a problem all season, but it was the new order of things in Utah (the trio of Williams, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur) and his inability to adjust to his new reduced role that did him in. He finished the season (on the inactive list due to a fractured thumb) with just 8.5 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 2.0 bpg. His average draft position was 33rd overall in SportsLine leagues and he was drafted in 100 percent of leagues, as high as ninth overall. Needless to say, he didn't pan out as the No. 1 Fantasy forward he was drafted as and left his GMs in a tough spot.
All-Fantasy Team
FIRST TEAM
C: Dirk Nowitzki - Dallas Mavericks
Dirk kisses center eligibility goodbye this year in style. He edged out Tim Duncan in overall Fantasy points among players eligible at the center position with an MVP-caliber season. There was a big dropoff in production after those two centers.
F: LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers
King James didn't quite pan out as the top overall option in Fantasy hoops as we'd predicted heading into the season, but his overall numbers weren't too shabby either. He finished the season as the highest scoring Fantasy forward in standard formats and trailed only Kobe Bryant in overall points. OK, so he wasn't No. 1, he was No. 2. Sue us.
F: Kevin Garnett - Minnesota Timberwolves
Garnett was the highest scoring player in Fantasy through most of the season until a quad injury, and no chance at the playoffs, ended his season prematurely with just two weeks left. He was a Fantasy stud through 95 percent of the season, but ended up costing many Fantasy GMs when it mattered most.
G: Kobe Bryant - Los Angeles Lakers
The Fantasy MVP won the scoring title, but wasn't as one-dimensional as many make him out to be. He put together an outstanding 30-5-5 season. He became a wrecking ball as the season wound down and put together one of the best stretch runs in recent memory, guiding many Fantasy GMs to a title.
G: Steve Nash - Phoenix Suns
The reigning NBA MVP was edged out as far as overall body of work this season by Gilbert Arenas, but we went with Nash here because he was there for Fantasy owners right down until the end, which is the important thing. Nash finished with the same scoring average (18.8) as he did during his MVP season in 2005-06, but actually had a better assist average (11.6).
SECOND TEAM
C: Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs
Duncan also kissed his center eligibility goodbye this season in most formats, starting just four games at the position. But he finished second only to Nowitzki at the position while managing to stay healthy for the second consecutive season. He posted another 20 and 10 season, something he's only failed to do once in his 10-year career.
F: Carlos Boozer - Utah Jazz
Boozer put together a career season in his first healthy campaign since 2003-04 when he was with the Cavs. He averaged 21.0 ppg, nearly four points higher than his previous career high and also posted an 11.8 rebound average. He was a virtual lock for a double double each night out.
F: Elton Brand - Los Angeles Clippers
Brand was another double-double machine and just missed posting his seven double-double season out of eight total years in the league. He got over a slow start and finished with better numbers than Shawn Marion, a player taken above him in most Fantasy drafts.
G: Gilbert Arenas - Washington Wizards
Perhaps we are being a bit too tough on Gilbert, but tell that to the thousands of Fantasy GMs he left hanging for the final few weeks of the season. He was a Fantasy MVP candidate through much of the year and was one of the elite scorers in the NBA. He edged out Nash in total Fantasy points despite missing the last nine games.
G: Vince Carter - New Jersey Nets
The Nets' leading scorer put together his highest scoring season since his third year in the league. A 25-5-4 season was enough to rank him fourth among all eligible guards in Fantasy. He was only a handful of Fantasy points behind Nash in standard head-to-head formats.
THIRD TEAM
C: Dwight Howard - Orlando Magic
It took Howard about a month to really get used to being double teamed more than he had been in any of his first two seasons in the league, but he was able to figure things out in time to put up career numbers on the offensive end, finishing with a 17-plus ppg average to go with 12-plus rebounds per game. Add nearly two blocks per and you have the next big thing at the position.
F: Carmelo Anthony - Denver Nuggets
Sucker punch and suspension aside, Carmelo really flourished as an elite scorer. He led the league in scoring through the All-Star break and finished ahead of players like Shawn Marion and Chris Bosh in Fantasy scoring despite serving a 15-game suspension. Had it not been for the suspension, he probably would have made the first team.
F: Tracy McGrady - Houston Rockets
It's crazy to think T-Mac just finished his 10th season, but the 'veteran' was able to bounce back from an injury-riddled season with a relatively healthy one in 2006-07. He posted a 24-6-5 campaign and finished with more Fantasy points than players like Brand and Howard.
G: Andre Iguodala - Philadelphia 76ers
The new A.I. posted a breakout season with the old A.I. (nowhere to be found on the All-Fantasy Team) shipped off to Denver. He's another stud that caught the injury bug at the end of the season, but had never missed a game in his career prior to March 23. An 18-5-5 season is just a sign of things to come.
G: Jason Kidd - New Jersey Nets
Mr. Triple-Double had twice the triple helpings (12) this season than the next two players combined in that category. He's the best rebounding guard in the game and continues to be an assist machine. Despite fighting personal deamons -- or perhaps because of it -- he was able be one of the most efficient Rotisserie producers in the game.
All-Injury Team
C: Yao Ming - Houston Rockets
Yao was our top-rated center heading into the season, and it is easy to see why. He was able to average a career-high 24 points when healthy. The problem was that he missed considerable time for the second consecutive year due to injury. He was out from Dec. 26-March 5, leaving many Fantasy GMs without their top draft pick.
F: Pau Gasol - Memphis Grizzlies
Gasol was slated be a first rounder in many Fantasy circles this season until an injury while playing for the Spanish national team forced him to miss the first month-and-a-half of the season. He dominated upon his return -- and picked up center eligibility going into next season along the way -- but was only available for 59 games this season.
F: Paul Pierce - Boston Celtics
He led the league in being day to day, but was still able to put together a 25-5-4 season. Playing in just 47 games -- the lowest total in his career -- made him a huge Fantasy headache this season.
G: Dwyane Wade - Miami Heat
He was on his way to a Fantasy MVP season until a devastating shoulder injury sidelined him for 23 games right in the thick of the Fantasy season. He was still able to come back sooner than anticipated and helped make up for some of his absence, but his season was far from what it could have been had he not gotten hurt.
G: Ray Allen - Seattle SuperSonics
An ankle injury forced him to miss nine games in December and then ended his season in late March after he managed just 55 games. While healthy, he had been shooting 37.2 percent from beyond the arc -- one of his specialties -- and was averaging 26-4-4, more than living up to his draft value as a second rounder.
Have a question regarding Fantasy Basketball? We invite you to send your questions, comments and scouting reports on players to: dmfantasyhoops@cbs.com. Please include your full name, city and state. You'll have the chance to be heard by thousands of Fantasy players just like yourself!
