Fantasy Basketball

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Subject: Postseason depression

Those of us that are not playing playoff basketball are now finding ourselves reflecting on the past season. Some of us were rewarded with the glories that come with winning the league championship, while some of us are wondering why we relied on Grant Hill and Amare Stoudamire to lead us to victory. The playoffs can be a great showcase for talent, as well as an audition for those players that are heading for the free agency market after the finals. Here is a list of a few things to do during these first rounds of playoff action.

1. Player fatigue=gut check. The NBA is entering its 7^th month of play, so there are going to be more than a few players hitting the wall. What does that have to do with my team next season? When it comes to considering the players’ makeup, it could have profound effects when settling between two players. How willing and able is he to reach down within himself and find the motivation and strength to push on and be productive, when the going isn’t going so well? My prime example in the playoffs is Mo Williams of the Milwaukee Bucks. Mo Williams has been limited all season with many varied injuries, including plantar fasciitis, but has gutted it out to finish 6^th in the 6^th man of the year voting, as well as coming out last night vs. Detroit and hitting 9 of 10 shots for 20 points.

2. Watch teams rotation depths during the playoffs, especially in crucial games, such as when a team is down 2-0, or tied at 3-3. This will show the confidence that a coach has in his players, and can be used as a fairly accurate barometer when predicting what a team is planning for the off-season, including draft or free agent options.

3. What coaches are on the hot seat? A coaching change can have a significant impact on a team’s roster, free agency, and draft plans. The non-playoff teams should be doing their firings very soon, with playoff teams following suit as their respective teams are eliminated from the playoffs.

In the next posting, I will go through the Eastern Conference players , ranking the top 10 per position, both good and bad, as well as potential surprises for next season.

Anyone with any playoff predictions they would like to make?

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