Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Oh, it has been far too long since the last BfB. Holidays and all, you know. I can promise these will be more frequent now, though. Anyway, seven games on the schedule last night and three of them turned out to be fairly big upsets. Fun!

The All-OTN Team

Will Bynum: His team didn’t play last night, and I’m kinda worried about his playing time and his role after watching Rip Hamilton, Ben Gordon, and Tayshaun Prince return to the Pistons’ lineup on Sunday at the Air Canada Centre. HOWEVA, I have something for you: an awesome look at his high school days from a documentary, discovered by Piston Powered.

Shannon Brown: 10 Pts (4-5 FG, 1-2 3PT, 1-2 FT), 2 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 1 PF in 15 mins.

No highlights for you today, unfortunately, but that’s a nice line in limited action. What pisses me off, though, is that Sasha Vujacic played 19 minutes in this game. Plus, when we reached garbage time with 6 minutes to go in this surprising 118-103 loss to Phoenix, Brown played and Vujacic didn’t. So, the minutes discrepancy is even greater if you’re talking about meaningful minutes. That’s not okay.

Jared Dudley: 19 Pts (6-10 FG, 3-4 3PT, 4-6 FT), 7 Reb (2 Off), 3 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 2 PF in 28 mins.

Dudley was the player of the game for Phoenix, as he led the bench unit that took apart the Lakers. That scoring total ties his career high and that efficiency brings a big smile to my face. The Suns’ announcers called his performance “amazing”, “off the charts”, and said “he is so fun to watch”. Agreed. He hit several big threes, grabbed key rebounds, made great passes, drew fouls around the basket, and played smart defense, much of it coming against a guy named Kobe Bryant. I loved every second of it. Here’s his post-game tweet and his first ever appearance on NBA TV’s arena link:

Serge Ibaka: 6 Pts (2-3 FG, 2-3 FT), 9 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 0 TO, 2 PF in 17 mins.

Going up against the Nets, this wasn’t Serge’s most spectacular game. The rebounds stand out, though. The talent-deficient Nets can’t afford to let teams get offensive boards if they want to win and Ibaka got 4 of ‘em. The Thunder rolled to their 3rd straight win, 105-89. This rookie’s best highlight came immediately after checking into the game, where he came flying out of nowhere to get a put-back lay-in. His lowlight was when Keyon Dooling dunked on him. Sadly, Tony Battie dunked on him too. Meh, there’s still plenty to like here and his team won the game they were supposed to win.

Rookie Watch

Brandon Jennings: 24 Pts (9-18 FG, 2-5 3PT, 4-6 FT), 2 Reb, 7 Ast, 5 TO, 3 PF in 41 mins.

His play was the only thing to be happy about when it comes to last night’s game if you’re a Bucks fan. And I’m kind of a Bucks fan. I witnessed him score 7 points in about a minute in the first quarter and he scored 9 straight points in the third quarter as well. The third quarter run wasn’t enough to get his team out of the hole they had dug themselves earlier, though. What hole, you ask? Well, the Bobcats outscored Milwaukee 33-14 in the second Q. Blah. I still love the Bucks, but Jennings can’t do EVERYTHING for them if they expect to win. His teammates shot 35% from the field in this one.

Jeff Pendergraph: 11 Pts (4-5 FG, 3-4 FT), 5 Reb (2 Off), 1 Blk, 0 TO, 2 PF in 19 mins.

He wasn’t supposed to play these minutes, but you know the deal in Portland. Good for him, I say – last night’s effort shows that Pendergraph intends to make the most of his opportunity. Portland fans have to be a bit depressed about losing 103-94 to the Sixers, but they should take some solace in the fact that their unheralded rookie managed to score 11 points on 5 shots in just his fourth game back from injury. I need to see more of him to get a better feel for his game, but I can tell already that he’s got the right attitude. Much like the next two guys on this list, he provides energy and toughness. The skill stuff? Not sure yet, but I’m optimistic.

Omri Casspi: 11 Pts (4-9 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-4 FT), 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO, 3 PF in 36 mins.

You just have to love this guy. Unfazed by his 1-6 start from the floor, he contributed in other areas and hit his last three attempts with his brother watching from the stands for the second straight game. This included a thrilling dunk a couple of minutes into the third quarter and a HUGE three-pointer with 2 minutes left in the 4th. As is usually the case, his man and help defense was a positive for Sacramento in this 106-101 victory over Denver.

Jon Brockman: 6 Pts (1-3 FG, 4-4 FT), 10 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 2 Blk, 1 TO, 5 PF in 17 mins.

Whoa, two Kings rookies here and neither one is Tyreke Evans! Ha. If you didn’t know, ‘Reke sat this one out with an ankle injury, making this W all the more impressive. Brockman was a big part of the winning effort, as you can see by those rebound and block numbers in limited action. I love watching this guy and think every team needs someone like him. You know the type – dirty work and defense. You can tell that other bigs don’t like facing off with this particular rookie and you can tell that he doesn’t give a shit. It’s unfortunate that his exuberance sometimes leads to more fouls than you’d like, but you kind of have to accept that for now. At least he helps make up for it with his knack for drawing fouls on the opposition when he goes up for rebounds and puts up shots on the inside. Without Brockman, I don’t think the Kings would have made it to overtime against the Lakers the other night. Doubtful that they would have pulled out this win without him, too. And I’m quite sure there’s no one else on this roster capable of blocking a Nene dunk.

Stephen Curry: 0 Pts (0-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, 0-1 FT), 2 Reb, 0 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 3 PF in 11 mins.

I take no joy in pointing this out, but he was -16 in that time too. If you’re talking about the toughest night of Steph’s young career, this has got to be right up there with the time Nellie benched him against the Knicks in mid-November. Normally, I’d be pissed off that he didn’t get more time even if he was playing poorly, but it’s hard for me to do that on a night like this one, where the Warriors defeated the Celtics 103-99. I just hope Curry can enjoy the huge win with his teammates, even with the way he played.

James Harden: 3 Pts (0-10 FG, 0-4 3PT, 3-4 FT), 6 Reb (3 Off), 1Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO, 3 PF in 23 mins.

This was very strange to watch. I’m not sure what was wrong with the bearded rook last night, but he couldn’t get anything to fall. It didn’t matter if the shot was open or contested, whether it came on the perimeter or around the basket – nothing would go down. The shots I’ve seen him make all year were bricks. The rest of his game wasn’t affected too much, despite what the low assist total might imply. He played the same type of ball we’re used to, but just couldn’t buy a bucket. Luckily, all he’s concerned about is the win. I am sure he’ll bounce back.

Fun With Stats

Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd combined for 4 points on 1-10 shooting in 35 minutes. This should give you some insight as to why coach Scott Skiles opted not to play them in the second half.

Zach Randolph filled up the stat sheet with 23 points, 19 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal in Memphis’s 116-111 overtime win over Washington. Oh, and Z-Bo went 9-9 from the line, including hitting two free throws to tie the game with 0.3 seconds left in regulation. What’s crazy is that I expect this production now. Check out the numbers he’s been putting up lately! In the same game, Gilbert Arenas filled the stat sheet with 30 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, and 5 threes.

The Grizzlies only have a winning record overall against 4 NBA teams: the Wizards, Raptors, Clippers, and Bobcats. The last time the Wiz won a game in Memphis? November 3, 2004.

Vladimir Radmanovic pulled down 10 rebounds in 18 minutes. Yes, that Vladimir Radmanovic. I don’t understand it either.

The Celtics had 25 turnovers in a game they lost by 4 points. The Nuggets shot 20-35 from the free throw line in a game they lost by 5 points.

Philly shot 58% against Portland. 104 points might not look like a crazy offensive night, but this was an 87-possession game. That’s 119.5 pts per 100 possessions. The Suns lead the league in that category with an average of 111.8. This was a combination of very solid offense from the Sixers and poor interior D from the Blazers, as Philly managed to go 23-31 at the rim and 7-11 from inside of 10 feet. (Hoopdata’s box scores are awesome.)

Brandon Roy has managed at least 23 points in 13 straight games now. No player has a longer 20+ scoring streak going.

With 8 wins on the road this season, the Thunder have matched last year’s total. Also, the team is now 11-2 when KRS-TIC scores 10 points or more.

For the 19th consecutive game, the Nets were outrebounded.

The Lakers really seem to be missing Ron Artest. With Luke Walton sidelined as well, their lack of depth was exposed last night – the Suns’ bench outscored L.A. 52 to 31.

The Suns have now defeated the Lakers, Celtics, and Magic this season. These are the top three teams in the league, record-wise.

Impressive

Gerald Wallace: 21 Pts (7-13 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-9 FT), 14 Reb (2 Off), 4 Ast, 1 Bl, 1 Stl, 1 TO, 3 PF in 43 mins.

21, 14. Ho-hum. This is what it’s come to with G. Wallace, which is crazy. He is just piling up stats and he’s as fun to watch as he’s ever been. Unless you’re rooting for the other team, that is. I appreciate the hell out of the way he hounds you on defense, outjumps and outworks you for rebounds, and gets out on the break. Last night, I just wished it had a less demoralizing effect on Milwaukee.

Kevin Durant: 40 Pts (15-22 FG, 0-2 3PT, 10-12 FT), 5 Reb (1 Off), 2 Ast, 3 Stl, 5 TO, 1 PF in 40 mins.

I feel for you, Trenton Hassell. You’re smart enough to know there’s no one on your team better fit to guard Kevin Durant. You’re smart enough to know how to best defend KD, given your size and athletic ability. You’re also smart enough to know that it probably won’t make a difference. Your best effort won’t be close to enough if Durant is playing as he should be, which he was. 40 points on 22 shots? Incredible. And none of it seemed forced. Hell, none of it seemed particularly difficult. The Nets don’t have anyone that comes close to matching up with him and their team defense is just poor. KD scored in every way imaginable. Beautiful to watch.

Nick Collison: 11 Pts (5-7 FG, 0-1 3PT, 1-1 FT), 10 Reb (4 Off), 1 Blk, 3 PF in 29 mins.

Before I leave the stats behind, I should mention that he was +25 on the evening and he would have been 5-6 if not for a full-court heave at the end of the third quarter. Now, remember when I said every team needs a Jon Brockman type? Collison is that guy for the Thunder. He’s less reckless and thus less exciting than Brockman, but he’s ahead in the mental game at this point. If you’re still focused on his stats, then add two charges taken, numerous solid picks, and a few nice passes that didn’t result in assists. I’m telling you, he was big.

Yi Jianlian: 29 Pts (11-20 FG, 0-1 3PT, 7-9 FT), 7 Reb (3 Off), 2 Stl, 3 TO, 4 PF in 42 mins.

I must say I was intrigued to see Yi after Mark Ginnochio of Nets Are Scorching showed me that he looks like a different player these days. Little did I know he was going to tie his career high last night and engage in a scoring duel with Kevin Durant (18 to KD’s 22) in the first half. What I liked most was Yi’s aggressiveness – in the first half, he was persistent in getting to the basket and had some nice finishes. He hit some perimeter jumpers, sure, but I’m more interested in the fact that he converted some dunks and hook shots. I’ve been pretty critical of him in the past, but would like nothing more than to see him shut me up. The way to do that? Keep this up and keep getting stronger.

Robin Lopez: 8 Pts (4-4 FG, 0-2 FT), 5 Reb (3 Off), 1 Blk, 3 PF in 21 mins.

At the end of the first quarter, Lopez led the Suns in scoring. The announcers called his work “sensational” and said it was “the best stretch of his career”. I’m not one to argue, there. His good work continued throughout the game, as he used his size to disrupt the Laker bigs better than anyone else on the Suns’ roster could. Had a nice block on Kobe, too.

Elton Brand: 25 Pts (11-16 FG, 3-5 FT), 9 Reb (4 Off), 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 PF in 30 mins.

Hell yes! I feel a sense of pride when Elton puts up awesome numbers like these. I’ve said it before: this man has plenty left in the tank. He’s just been used improperly this season. Last night, though, the Sixers made a point of getting him the ball on the inside and Portland did not have an answer for him. Playing with Speights helps because he can be the 5 on offense and playing with Iverson helps because AI can set him up. Expect much more of this if Eddie Jordan allows it to continue. 30 minutes is still not enough if you ask me.

Allen Iverson: 19 Pts (7-11 FG, 5-7 FT), 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 TO, 3 PF in 31 mins.

19 points on 11 shots? Efficiency! Iverson! Again, hell yes! This isn’t just about the numbers, though. Qualitatively, there’s a lot to impressed with as well. He started off the game by hitting a few shots, but that didn’t make him try to dominate the game. Instead of forcing up contested shots or going on-on-one, he pushed the ball and shared it with his teammates. He looked quick, confident, and happy. I don’t know if a lot of people were paying attention to this game, but I loved it. Felt a bit bad rooting against the injury-ridden Blazers, but I really wanted AI and Elton to get this one. I remain convinced that this Sixer team is significantly better than its record.

Andres Nocioni: 21 Pts (6-7 FG, 3-4 3PT, 5-6 FT), 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO, 3 PF in 25 mins.

This was probably best game I’ve ever seen Noc play. He was essentially perfect on offense and he worked hard against Kenyon Martin and, briefly, Carmelo Anthony on defense. With their stud rookie sitting out, the Kings needed someone to step up and provide scoring punch – Andres’s dead-eye shooting was huge. In all honesty, I can still hardly believe what I saw. GREAT night for him.

Donte Greene: 17 Pts (6-9 FG, 1-3 3PT, 4-4 FT), 1 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 1 PF in 23 mins.

1 rebound for a 6’10 forward, but I’m impressed? Yeah. He really was good in all other areas. From the tip, Greene set the tone for the Kings – in the first two minutes, he scored 7 points, blocked a Carmelo Anthony shot, and drew an offensive foul on the Nuggets’ star small forward. His defense remained solid all night – 34/8 sounds good for Melo until you see that he needed 42 minutes and 35 shots to get there. Greene was a big part of this – he did a great job of making Anthony work and avoiding fouls. I’ll forgive him for the lack of rebounding this time. I’ll forgive him for the dumb heat-check in the first Q. I’ll even forgive him for the thoughtless gamble he made when he tried to intercept a pass he had no chance of getting to. Hm, now it sounds like I’m hating on him. Trust me, I’m not. Very solid game.

Monta Ellis: 37 Pts (15-26 FG, 1-3 3PT, 6-8 FT), 3 Reb (1 Off), 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 Stl, 3 TO, 3 PF in 48 mins.

For the fifth time this season, Monta played the entire game. The Warriors needed it to beat the Celtics, it would seem. Anyway, this was just a fantastic effort. He puts such pressure on your defense, even if your defense is one of the league’s best. To put up these kind of numbers against Rajon Rondo is extreeeeemely impressive. You know Monta is most dangerous with his penetration and finishing ability, but his jump shot was falling this time out – he made 9 out of his 12 attempts from 16-23 feet. (Again, Hoopdata’s boxscores are AWESOME.)

C.J. Watson: 11 Pts (4-8 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-4 FT), 0 Reb, 7 Ast, 7 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO, 1 PF in 37 mins.

Wow, wow, wow. 7 steals! Forget about the last one; that came on a long pass on the last possession, when the game was out of reach. Those first six, though? All of ‘em came in the second frame. Crazy, right? I was excited when I flipped to the game and he picked off a Rondo pass and went the other way for a layup. I was even more excited when he did the same thing on the next possession. Sitting Steph Curry was definitely the right decision with the way Watson was playing. You have to love the steals, but he did a great job defensively in ways that won’t show up in the stat sheet as well – he worked his ass off chasing Ray Allen around screens and managed to slow the sharpshooter down a bit. With the way his off-season went and the way everything’s gone with the Warriors this season, I couldn’t be happier to see him have a game like this.

Rajon Rondo: 30 Pts (11-18 FG, 1-3 3PT, 7-9 FT), 3 Reb (1 Off), 15 Ast, 3 Stl, 6 TO, 3 PF in 46 mins.

Yet again, Rondo was the best Celtic on the floor. I won’t pretend that I was rooting for his team this time, but I enjoyed every one of his points and assists anyway. I still haven’t quite figured out how exactly he is able to do whatever he wants on the court even with guys playing a few feet away from him when he catches the ball on the perimeter. I love that he shot 7-9 from the line and I love that he uses pump fakes more often and more effectively than almost anyone in the league.

Quoted

“There’s no such thing as being too intense.” – Stephen Jackson, when asked about his technical foul/being vocal

“Once I got my second wind I was all right. The first couple minutes I thought my heart was going to jump out of my chest.” – Allen Iverson

“Having Allen back helps. He’s a finisher. He can get to the line and get the ball to guy at the right time. We’ve missed that.” – Elton Brand

“You just expect everything. With them, you don’t know what kind of crazy lineups they’re going to have out there.” – Doc Rivers, on the Warriors

Tweeted

@BothTeamsPlayed: Ummmm…..seriously, who’s the dude in this Yi costume?

@gswscribe: I will not be bringing my wallet into the locker room after the game. @quietstorm_32 might steal it

@johnschuhmann: Do we really know what AI’s got left in the tank? When’s the last time we saw him play injury-free & without rust?

@HPbasketball: Lakers, Nuggets, Celtics all lose? CHAOS REIGNS. #onenightonly

@freedarko: If Monta’s not an All-Star, I’ll puke myself to death. Can you win Most Improved twice?

@cdouglasroberts: I’m going to be cheering like Roni Turiaf tonight. All I need is the Pastor Troy beard & chin. Yes yess.

@cdouglasroberts: Tonights game put me in a horrible mood!!! I hate watching from the sideline. I already don’t have any patience. Can’t wait until practice!

@cdouglasroberts: We need to change our thinking & approach!! I hate where we are! I MUST practice tomorrow. PERIOD!

@cdouglasroberts: Had to go get some eggnog. I’m going to go to the market tomorrow to buy the REST! Fridge full. I’m on that! Family Guy is on too. Yes yess!

To Watch

Amar’e posterizing Mbenga:

A wild play that begins with a Devin Harris steal and ends with Courtney Lee slamming home an alley-oop:

Kevin Durant’s sweet baseline dunk:

Awesome NBA singing Part 1, starring three young Sacramento Kings:

Awesome NBA singing Part 2, starring Danilo Gallinari:

To Read

Kevin Durant blogging about his new teammate, Eric Maynor.

Adrian Wojnarowski tells us what’s going on with Tracy McGrady right now.

Zach Harper takes a look back at how astonishingly good Tracy McGrady used to be.

Joe Murphy/Getty Images

I’m really glad I didn’t end up going to the Raptors/Wolves game last night. I considered getting last-minute tickets to check out the classic uniforms and see Jonny Flynn’s first game in Toronto, but this was a League Pass Night. Armed with my remote, Twitter updates, and my new PVR, I was able to catch all of Raptors/Wolves, all of Bucks/Celtics, the 4th quarter and overtime of Cavs/Grizzlies, and the crazy finishes of Bulls/Nets and Kings/Hornets. Oh, and I’ve got Clippers/Magic recorded. My only regret: missing pretty much the entire Suns/Mavericks game, which is always a great matchup and last night featured Steve Nash scoring 8 of his 27 points in the final minute but still falling 102-101 to his buddy Dirk’s squad. Oh well.

The All-OTN Team

Will Bynum:

“I think what Will has done is solidify himself here as a one of our core guys going forward. He has cemented himself as one of the core members here. That’s how we look at him. We look at him as a long-term guy who’s going to grow with this team. Will was given an opportunity last year, when we signed him and brought him aboard, and he’s one of those kids that got the opportunity and he just grabbed it and took it and never let it go. He’s the poster child of when you get that opportunity, don’t let it slip. And he hasn’t. He hasn’t let it slip.” – Joe Dumars, who plans to re-sign Bynum at the end of the season.

Jared Dudley: 11 Pts (2-5 FG, 2-3 3PT, 5-6 FT), 3 Reb (1 Off), 1 TO, 2 PF in 29 mins.

Foul trouble led to Dudley entering the game early and he helped spearhead a 9-2 run to close out the first quarter. 11 points on 5 shots is not too shabby if you ask me – you have to like that he went 5-6 from the line. On this team, where he might be the 5th offensive option when he’s out there, getting to the line will really help bring his numbers up. But we know Jared Dudley isn’t about numbers. Unfortunate that his team couldn’t pull out a win in this battle, and he might have nightmares about being matched up with Dirk Nowitzki in the post, but this is still a fine night for Jared.

Amir Johnson: 2 Pts (0-1 FG, 2-2 FT), 7 Reb (4 Off), 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 PF in 13 mins.

Only 13 minutes for the second straight game, which isn’t helping the man’s stats. He still managed to get an impressive 7 rebounds in limited action, though. It was fun to watch him battle with Kevin Love for rebounds under the basket, but the Raptors decided to run with Bosh and Bargnani in the frontcourt for almost 40 minutes apiece because they needed scoring in the worst way.

Rookie Watch

DeMar DeRozan: 15 Pts (4-10 FG, 7-7 FT), 6 Reb (3 Off), 2 TO, 4 PF in 24 mins.

Another strong effort from DeRozan. He is being very aggressive on offense so that he can help the team even if his jumper isn’t falling. He had 7 quick points in the third quarter and you have to be impressed with those 7 made free throws and 3 offensive rebounds. I still think the Raps should make more of an effort to involve him on offense, but I have no complaints about where the high-flying rookie is right now.

Jonny Flynn: 17 Pts (6-14 FG, 2-4 3pt, 3-4 FT), 4 Reb, 8 Ast, 3 Stl, 3 TO, 2 PF in 32 mins.

A nice game from Flynn, with a large group of family and friends in attendance. He is looking more comfortable on the court now that coach Kurt Rambis has realized this roster is not right for the triangle offense. A few things stand out: his beautiful pass to Wayne Ellington on the break, his use of left-handed passes (a rare skill, as pointed out by Raptors colour commentator Leo Rautins), and his unfortunate turnover in crunch time that led to a Hedo Turkoglu dunk. Sorry I didn’t attend your first game in T.O., Jonny – I’ll be there next year.

Taj Gibson: 20 Pts (8-12 FG, 4-8 FT), 6 Reb (4 Off), 2 Ast, 3 Blk, 1 TO, 5 PF in 36 mins.

After being benched in favour of Brad Miller, Gibson posted a career-high in points and earned starters’ minutes. It’s nice to see 3 blocks from him, and the 4 offensive rebounds are huge. If he wants to become a legitimate starting 4 in this league, though, he’s going to have to get on the defensive glass. Still, great work from the 26th overall pick.

Tyreke Evans: 25 Pts (10-17 FG, 0-1 3PT, 5-8 FT)

This kid looks like a star right now. He scored 9 points in the last 2:02, getting to the basket at will and almost winning the game for the Kings by himself. He missed a potential game-tying shot with just a few seconds left, though, which set the stage for Andres Nocioni to miss the free throws required to extend the game. A great effort from the rookie, but his team fell 96-94 to a Hornets team that got 24 Pts/12 Reb from David West, 17 Pts/12 Reb from Emeka Okafor, and 15 Pts/12 Ast from Chris Paul.

Brandon Jennings: 17 Pts (7-19 FG, 0-4 3PT, 3-3 FT), 3 Reb (2 Off), 4 Ast, 4 TO, 5 PF in 39 mins.

As has been the theme with my favourite rookie as of late, there was some good and some bad here. The good? Jennings shot 7-12 inside of 12 feet. Celtics commentators Tom Heinsohn and Mike Gorman complimented his floater near the end of the 3rd quarter and it brought a smile to my face. The bad? His outside shot isn’t falling, he had as many turnovers as assists, and he had a very rough time trying to stay in front of Rajon Rondo. Methinks he’ll have an easier time and a better stat line against the Raptors tonight.

Fun With Stats

Free throws turned out to be extremely important last night in many strange ways. In the Raptors/Timberwolves game, Toronto found a way to go 40-48 from the line to counteract their awful shooting (26-81 FG, 2-21 3PT) from everywhere else. The Wolves shot 19-23 from the stripe, which is a great conversion rate, but with that kind of free throw disparity it is very hard to win games. In the Hornets/Kings game, both teams shot very poorly from the line – New Orleans finished 14-23 and Sacramento finished 9-19. Ew. In a game decided by 2 points, that is huge. Fitting that the game was decided when Andres Nocioni missed an essential free throw at the end. Conversely, both Phoenix and Dallas shot incredibly well in their game. The Suns went 25-25 and the Mavs went 20-23 in a game decided by only 1 point. Finally, in Los Angeles, Dwight Howard had an uncharacteristically decent night from the line on his 24th birthday, going 11-15. Clips coach Mike Dunleavy said, “If he was shooting free throws like he normally does, we would have been in the game.” Worth noting that Howard also finished with 7 blocks and 5 assists in this 97-86 victory.

In what has become one of the most frustrating storylines of the season for me, Ramon Sessions continues to waste away on the Timberwolves’ bench. Despite being effective in his limited playing time last night, he only saw the floor for 15 minutes. Seriously, Kurt, I understand that Flynn is your #1 point guard. I agree that it should be that way. But for God’s sake, play Sessions next to him. There is no way you can justify Corey Brewer, Damien Wilkins, and Wayne Ellington getting 27, 26, and 21 minutes respectively and ignoring Sessions, especially when you’re losing games.

LeBron James posted season highs in both points (43) and rebounds (13, 4 offensive) in 45 minutes of an overtime loss to the Grizzlies last night. You can knock the Cavs for reverting back to their predictable “LeBron Offense” when the going got tough, but it was effective. He scored Cleveland’s last 13 points. I’d quibble with the shot selection on some of the 11 threes he took, but it’s hard to criticize LeBron too much – it was a brilliant performance, even if his team came up short on the defensive end.

Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson scored 25 points apiece in a win over the suddenly-beatable Denver Nuggets. The two combined to shoot 16-35 from the field and 17-20 from the free-throw line. Wallace continues to somehow lead the entire league in rebounding, as he contributed 16 rebounds (5 offensive) as well. Captain Jack added 6 assists and both of them added solid defense. The Bobcats may not seem like a scary team, but I would NOT like to be an opposing wing player going up against these two.

Sophomores Brook Lopez (25 Pts, 10 Reb) and Derrick Rose (27 Pts, 7 Reb, 10 Ast) came through with big games last night. Both are playing their best ball of the season, as Lopez is a better basketball player when Devin Harris is on the court and Rose is a better basketball player when he’s, you know, healthy. The Nets squeaked out a victory when Harris converted with 15 seconds to go, countering the floater Rose had made on the previous possession. The Bulls’ last shot to take back the lead came in the form of a missed John Salmons 3-pointer, as they couldn’t find a way to get Mr. Rose the ball.

Impressive

O.J. Mayo: 28 Pts (10-18 FG, 3-4 3PT, 5-5 FT), 5 Reb (1 Off), 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 7 TO, 3 PF in 45 mins.

Zach Randolph: 32 Pts (10-19 FG, 1-1 3PT, 11-11 FT), 14 Reb (7 Off), 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO, 4 PF in 47 mins.

Honestly, the whole Memphis team impresses me. The vast majority of the time, they play team basketball and they work on D, which is not at all what I expected of them after what I saw last year. Those Mayo/Randolph numbers are fantastic, but you have to also appreciate the work of Rudy Gay, who started the game 2-10 but still managed to finish with 21 points whilst chasing LeBron James around screens all night. Mike Conley finished with only 12 points in 39 minutes, but there were no bigger points in this game than his driving layup off of a hesitation move that froze Shaq with 3 seconds left in overtime. Huge win for the Grizzlies, who are gaining new fans with their surprisingly enjoyable play.

Jarrett Jack: 17 Pts (3-8 FG, 0-3 3PT, 11-12 FT), 7 Reb (1 Off), 8 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO, 4 PF in 37 mins.

Chris Bosh: 21 Pts (8-18 FG, 5-7 FT), 16 Reb (5 Off), 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk, 2 TO, 1 PF in 38 mins.

These two college buddies were huge for the Raptors in this gritty win. Sure, Bosh’s line isn’t as nice as the ridiculous 25 Pt/12 Reb (7 Off) IN 22 MINUTES he posted the other night in Chicago, but it’s still damn good. I’m not sure if Bosh is getting the recognition he deserves this year – he’s having a legitimate MVP-level season and has a PER of 27.4. Raptors fans will be interested to know that Vince Carter’s highest PER with the Raptors was 25.0 in 2000-2001, which was the only time he came within 4 points of Bosh’s current rating. Jack did an admirable job starting in place of the sidelined Jose Calderon, making up for his poor outside shooting by getting to the line way more than a point guard is expected to. The 8 assists are nice, too, and the haters have mostly quieted down.

Andrew Bogut: 25 Pts (11-17 FG, 3-3 FT), 14 Reb (4 Off), 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 7 TO, 2 PF in 39 mins.

Jeremy Schmidt of Bucksketball warned pre-game that Kendrick Perkins is precisely the type of defender that tends to give Bogut problems. And he did, sort of, causing the big Aussie to turn the ball over 7 times. But Bogut also was able to score very, very efficiently. The Bucks, as they usually do, made a concerted effort to feed him early and he delivered. He showed his diverse skill-set last night, scoring on hook shots, drives to the basket, turn-arounds, and lay-ups, using either hand. And I haven’t even mentioned how he protected the paint and defended the pick-and-roll. Another great performance against a fellow big man coming into his own. If the All-Star Game was tomorrow, Andrew Bogut would have to be backing up Dwight Howard at the 5-spot for the East. No doubt in my mind.

Kevin Garnett: 25 Pts (9-13 FG, 7-9 FT), 9 Reb (1 Off), 2 Stl, 2 TO, 4 PF in 33 mins.

Bogut wasn’t the only impressive big man in Boston last night. KG set the tone early with a dunk on the very first possession of the game. He showed no respect to Ersan Ilyasova on either end of the floor, despite the formerly-masked Turk’s best effort. His jump shot was falling and he was able to score inside a few times, too, looking more like the KG of old than he has all season long. He did a masterful job defending the pick-and-roll, which is no easy feat when it’s being run by Brandon Jennings and Andrew Bogut. Garnett’s antics are as annoying as ever (slapping the ball out of a rookie’s hands after a whistle, really?), but I very much respect how he produced for the Celtics last night.

Rajon Rondo: 11 Pts (3-9 FG, 0-2 3PT, 5-7 FT), 9 Reb (3 Off), 13 Ast, 5 Stl, 1 TO, 4 PF in 38 mins.

That looks like an old Jason Kidd line. What’s most impressive is that he was able to record this near-triple-double without scoring a single point in the first three quarters. This man is one of the very best all-around point guards in the game and he taught my guy Brandon a few lessons last night. Jennings struggled to stay in front of Rondo (like every point guard in the league does) and he was bothered by Rajon’s pesky defensive effort. Even though Garnett was superb, to my eyes the Celtics’ point man was the biggest reason they pulled away down the stretch and secured a win.

Quoted

“What I’ve been impressed with is the tempo that he plays at. Even though he’s quick, he doesn’t play quick all the time. He’s scoring but he’s keeping everybody involved. That’s a sign of maturity for a young player.” – Doc Rivers, on Brandon Jennings, pre-game.

“He’s the best Australian I’ve ever seen.” – Celtics play-by-play guy Mike Gorman, on Andrew Bogut.

Tweeted

@BothTeamsPlayed: There’s no possible way I could hate Nocioni more, but if you miss one of these and don’t force OT…..

Moments later…

@BothTeamsPlayed: No judge in America would convict a person for murdering Andres Nocioni. None.

@Adaye5: Watchin the MEN vs CLE game and watchin my boy @rudygay22 guard lebron and try to get through a thousand on-ball pick…JEEEEEZ

@statcenter: 4 NBA games tonight decided by 1 or 2 pts – and the team with the worse record coming in won all 4.

To Read

Discerning Morey’s Philosophy by Rahat Huq

The Art Of The Steal: How Trevor Ariza has become a passing pickpocket by Jason Friedman

The Importance of being Allen Iverson by David Aldridge

Get Well Soon, G.O. by Holly MacKenzie

To Watch

Devin Harris’s ridiculous buzzer-beating 3-pointer off of one foot:

The Birdman and a Frenchman have a block party in Charlotte:

One last look at Allen Iverson’s return to Philly, with a conversation between him and David Aldridge:

To listen

Kelly Dwyer talks to Rockets.com

Ben Golliver and Kevin Pelton discuss Greg Oden in the latest Dontonio Wingcast

Barry Gossage/Getty Images

Today’s the day. After 6 months of anticipation, after a scare when it looked like it might not happen, the greatest day of the fall is finally here. Fantasy draft day. Yes, I am one of those people who cares way too much about my fantasy team. I’m the guy who’ll shit-talk even when losing. I’m even the guy who’ll argue about fantasy draft stuff in public occasionally. I’m the guy who checks the pool for comments 5 times a day. Let’s NBA!

So the nitty gritty: The league James and I are in is a keeper league, and I’ve decided to invite you into the D-Leeguers war room. Last year the D-Leeguers finished 3rd, 2 points out of 2nd place. This year, we have 8 returning guys and a draft to prepare for. My core 8, my team, my champions are: LaMarcus Aldridge, Chauncey Billups, David Lee, Steve Nash, Derrick Rose, Brandon Roy, Luis Scola, and Charlie Villanueva. It’s a rotisserie pool, 11 teams, 8 categories. FG%, FT%, 3PTM, PTS, REB, AST, ST, BLK. Clearly I have some holes on my roster. I’m stacked at guard and did very well in all categories last year save rebounds steals and blocks. Those 3 shortcomings are what kept me from the title. So my weakness is mostly up front. Currently it’s 1:30 on draft day, let’s see what we have to do:

(Here’s what our league looked like at the time.)

1:30- I need a big man. Blatantly. Badly. I need rebounds more specifically. But with 6th and 9th picks in the first round of a keeper pool my options are somewhat limited. I need to decide whether to pick for needs or on talent available. The theoretical options I have are Blake Griffin (ya right), Shaq, Boozer, Brand. Or the most talented guy available also has options. Guys like Tayshaun Prince, Allen Iverson, John Salmons. I also like Tyson Chandler, Anderson Varejao and Roy Hibbert, but those guys should still be available later on in the draft (Ed.: Chander, Varejao? Wagman is completely insane). Unfortunately my lack of a 2nd round pick may come back to haunt me. However thankfully I have 2 first round picks. In fact, considering the depth of talent available I’m going to go explore the possibility of trading one of my first round picks for two second round picks….

1:40- I posted what I want/need on the forum and entered into negotiations with James. My initial pie in the sky offer was refused (that inconsiderate prick. Move bitch, get out the way!), however I came back with a fair offer, my first round pick for his extra 2nd round pick and his 3rd round pick. Now the waiting game.

1:42- James rejected my offer and came back with a much worse one (his 5th round pick). I have to decide whether my extra 1st round pick is worth an early 2nd round pick and a 4th round pick. It’s tough. My holes in the 2nd and 4th round are glaring at me. But. No. Its not a hole in the 2nd round, it’s an early pick. And if I have to sit between 31st and 53, so be it.

1:45- James is looking at making a player trade now. The problem, he doesn’t have a lot of guys I want. I taunt him about it until he tosses out the name Josh Smith. Now my ears are pinned back. I offer Aldrige, my 9th overall pick for Smith, his later 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick. James’s response: “Hmmmm.”

1:47- Have I mentioned before that I’m not a patient man? No? Well, I’m not a patient man.

1:48- James isn’t convinced. I apply butter in excessive, potentially unhealthy amounts. Do not attempt at home, kids.

1:50- James inquires about the availability of Rose. I gently let him down

1:53- James is persisting on this Rose thing. He’s trying to convince me how I won’t get anything better than Josh Smith for Rose, despite the love affair a few GMs in our league have with him. I know he’s full of shit, he knows he’s full of shit, yet we still have to do this dance

(Ed.: I wasn’t aware that someone in the pool would think Rose was better than Amar’e.)

2:00- Now we’re getting desperate. I just offered Aldridge and Rose for Iguodala and Smith. With picks thrown in as well. James refuses pretty much right away. And by pretty much, I mean as soon as I hit enter on MSN.

(Ed.: Iguodala is pretty good.)

2:02- Now I’m going for the home run. The talks don’t seem to be going anywhere so I may as well go for the big prize here. Rose/Aldridge, the 6th overall pick, for Kevin Durant the 18th and 40th pick.

2:04- I still don’t know whether to send that offer

2:05- Still sitting here

2:06- Help? Where are my advisors god damn it. I need a pizza.

2:07- Fuck it. I’m going for it. I want KD

2:08- I hate waiting. I also want KD. And a pizza. Mmmmmm, Kraft Dinner.

2:08- “Jesus. No”

Ed.: No-one’s getting Durant from me.

2:09- So ends that negotiation. What have we learned? I value Rose to high and Smith too low, and James values Kevin Durant a WEEEE bit too much. Or that James is a giant pussy. One of the 2.

(Ed.: There’s no such thing as valuing Kevin Durant too much. )

2:14- So now I’m back to where I was, trying to improve through the draft. I still have the 6th and 9th overall picks and I’m targeting Boozer. However should someone drop to me somehow, I’d have to consider that so I don’t know exactly what I’m going to do. Ideally though, I want 2 of these 8 guys after the first round: Blake Griffin, Carlos Boozer, Elton Brand, Shaq, Chris Duhon, Joakim Noah or Allen Iverson. Fortunately, since I have the 9th pick, the odds of this are pretty good. I guess this whole update goes into the “You don’t say Dr.” category of useless information. Then again, if you’re reading someone else’s running diary of fantasy draft prep-work, it’s fair to say useless information is your bag, baby (Ed.: Author is referencing a movie that came out when he was 12.). Either way, 8 hours till the draft and a Champions League game about to start. So unless I get some other offers, I’ll be back to this in a few hours.

3:15- Seeing as this is a random article, it’s time for a random rant. This Champions League game I’m watching is Liverpool vs. Lyon, but it may as well be the Toronto FC crowd vs. itself. Why is it that a city with as many intelligent and creative soccer fans as Toronto CANNOT come up with an original song? Every chant either group of fans have done thus far (and it’s the 32nd minute right now) is also a TFC chant. While on the one hand I enjoy the chants, on the other it makes me feel like I’m cheering for some rinkydink operation. I know borrowing chants is very common amongst soccer supporters, but was it REALLY necessary to take so many from one place? TFC may be The Reds, but that doesn’t mean that BMO is Anfield, or that the south end is the Kop. A little originality, people. Please. Not that the crap MLSE puts on the pitch truly deserves the effort, especially after that debacle on Saturday in New York, but still. We can do ourselves proud at least. On the same tangent: A bit more of this at the ACC! Last years games with the Red Patch Boys were the most fun I’ve had at basketball games! So my message to everyone: Get drunk and sing at basketball games. Just do it. Trust me. You’ll have fun. Ask James, he’s kind of a convert (Ed.: not exactly).

5:10- Just received an offer. Marvin Williams or Sam Dalembert and a 4th round pick for the Number 6 spot. Thanks for wasting my time asshole. (Side note: This guy kept Dalembert and Williams but dropped Roy Hibbert, Kirk Hinrich and Ramon Sessions. In a keeper league. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me as someone who wants Hibbert. However as a competitor, well it makes me feel like I won the Bronze in the Special Olympics last year). I asked him for Amar’e instead. We’ll see how that goes. I’d be laughing, but, well, he kept Dalembert and Williams over Hibbert, Hinrich and Sessions.

(Ed.: Marvin Williams is a damn fine player.)

5:40- Just checked with James to see whether or not the guy mentioned above will be reading this. James’s response: “we’re pimping outsidethenba.com to everyone” (It’s a great site! Tell your friends!). Ah well. I imagine within a few hours I’ll have mocked pretty well everyone involved in this draft, myself included. So my challenge to anyone who is a part of this draft reading this and not liking what they see is simple: Prove me wrong. Biatches.

5:45- That got me into trash talk mode. Gotta prep for this. Step 1: Hit Em Up. Step 2: repeat step 1. Step 3: A hot offense beats a cold defense.

5:50- I ain’t drafting, I’m bringing drama. Fuck you and yo mother fucking mama.

5:55- Why don’t they have intro music for draft picks? “Next on the clock, Eric Wagman” Everyday I’m hustling, everyday I’m hustling… Crap. Now I’m going to spend the whole draft thinking about what intro song my next round pick would get. Side question, if drafting Shaq with a pick, would going with King Kong be crossing some kind of line?

6:00- I’ve decided that in the unlikely event I do NOT win this pool, I’m blaming this diary since it clearly distracted me. So thanks to you, the reader. I appreciate it. No. Really. (Side note: That does not mean that when I win you get a share of the winnings. Just be grateful you were along for the ride and got to experience this kind of true greatness up close and personal. Hey! Trash talk warmin’ up!)

6:01- 4.5 hours to the draft. Maybe I’m peaking too soon. I’ma step back for a bit, I’ll holla at ya’ll a lil later. Ya I’m white! The whistles go WOOOOO

6:50- Got a response to the Amar’e question. Surprisingly enough it was a rousing no. Possibly even a feisty, borderline insulted no. I say this is a win all around. This pool wasn’t nearly chippy enough last year. Also just realized I’m over 1500 words and we’re still 3.5 hours away from the draft. Oh you lucky reader you.

7:10- Amar’e was just put on the table to the league to start a bidding war. I need Amar’e. Offered my 6th overall pick plus Aldridge for Amar’e and his 2nd rounder. I’m doubtful Sklar accepts, I just hope we have time to negotiate. If someone else picks him up, I’m in Barney.

7:11- I just bid against myself out of fear. Always something you want to do in any general managers role. All because James said he already sent him a text. He didn’t even say what the content of the text was. Whatever, I only changed his 2nd round pick to a 3rd. With Amare, I’m happy enough not having a 2nd round pick. I still have my late first round available, and then I’d have two in the third round. Have I mentioned I’m not a patient man?

7:25- The double dagger. Not only am I behind in the bidding (the guy already made someone a counter proposal), but the counter proposal was to JAMES (which is how I know about it). I can’t lose Amar’e to James! I can’t! On the plus side, Sklar’s responding to me now. I can’t breathe. And now I’m so nervous I’m acting like the girl desperate to get fucked after the party by anyone anyhow. Not a good look for anyone. Unless you’re a hot girl. Not only am I not hot, I’m not a girl. Bad times.

7:28- James and I are both negotiating with this guy at the same time.

7:33- Sklar is smart. He’s playing us off each other. Well, I’ve gone as low as I can go in this. If I don’t get Amar’e, it’s not the end of the world. I’m not going to sacrifice my team for it. Current offer on the table is Amar’e and two 4th round picks for Rose and the 6th overall pick

7:36- He just told me to wait, he’s on the phone with James. (Ed.: He lied. We only texted.) I haven’t been this excited in years. Currently looking at 9th overall and Rose for Amar’e, a 4th and a 6th round pick. I see spots right now. Is this what a stroke feels like?

7:43- He’s trying to play hardball with me right now to drop the later round picks entirely. I’m not budging on that. I need the picks.

7:47- Sklar just offered Rip in place of the draft picks, I thought about it for a second and I accepted. I am now the proud owner of Amar’e and Rip Hamilton. I feel like I just won a booby prize though. I dropped Rip last year (traded for Posey. I was NOT high on him) after he spent 2.5 months actually costing me points by playing him. Of course, this was RIGHT before AI’s back injury and Rips rejuvenation. I think he had five 30 point games in a row within a week of me trading him. I spent an entire Pistons/Raptors games last year showing Rip my Bobby Knight impression shortly after that. He had like 27-10 that game. I’m just going to pretend that didn’t happen, can we all agree to that? I never had Rip Hamilton on my fantasy team last year. He never was cold all year and heated up RIGHT after I traded him (despite the fact he was never on my team). He didn’t torch the Raptors as I cursed his every move. None of it happened. He was on vacation. Where was I? Oh ya, my roster now: Chauncey, Nash, Aldridge, Lee, Amar’e, Rip, Roy, Scola, and Charlie V. And I still have a 6th overall pick. Watch out league.

(Ed.: Wagman broke the No Pistons Rule. That team’s got 4 legitimate options at in the backcourt – Gordon, Hamilton, Stuckey, and Bynum. How the hell do we know who’s putting up stats? Will ANY OF THEM put up stats?)

7:50- I’m way too proud of myself. Last year near the deadline I traded Bosh for Berko’s first round pick (6th overall in the end), Charlie V and Derrick Rose. I’ve now turned Bosh into moving up 3 draft spots, Charlie V, Amar’e Staudemire and Rip Hamilton. I am the voice of my own god.

8:00- I just realized that now I have Amar’e and Rip. This changes my draft strategy to taking the best guy available. I’d still like Boozer just for insurance purposes, but basically I’m going with the best guy there.

8:10- Now I feel bad for James. Wait. This is fantasy basketball! No prisoners, NO MERCY!!! Your move PBS News.

(Ed.: I’ll be fine.)

8:15- I have the mental image of Sklar reading this and getting angrier and angrier. It’s making me smile. Hey, it was a fair deal all around. He needed picks, I needed size. Any trade when both sides can walk away feeling like they won is a good trade. It’s probably not a great sign I’m still trying to talk myself into this though. I don’t think I’ll relax about this till I see who’s available 9th.

8:18- The 2nd overall pick was just made available. Do I want it *thinking, thinking, thinking* I do. But I don’t want to pay for it. Too bad you can’t rob guys for picks like a liquor store. I’d totally break out my fake handgun and bandana for that. I mean, what fake handgun.

8:21- Sklar’s response, copied and pasted:
You can have any combo of players and picks if you want it for the 2, but limited to one first round pick
Marvin Williams
Samuel Dalembert
Josh Howard
Manu Ginobili
Two 4th round picks
Two 6 round picks
One first round pick (3, 9)

My response if I’m the guy trying to trade 2nd overall? Something like this.

8:25- Side note for those scoring at home: My mom is having a women’s group meeting downstairs (yes. I live with my parents still. Wasn’t having a blog the first clue?). The National Council of Jewish Women. Basically, they have coffee/tea/cake and they bitch. A lot. In high pitched voices. So I can’t go downstairs. Not only that but neither can my dog, who had his right eye removed yesterday. I’m not even kidding. I’m running this draft with a one eyed dog on my lap, a bottle of water to drink and the sound of annoying middle aged Jewish women’s piercing voices ringing in my head. Good times had by all. So dear reader if you think YOU suffered to get this far, au contraire. (Yes, I’m aware we’re well over 2500 words. I don’t have a word count, suckers!)

8:35- My dirty little secret this draft; I need Casspi. No-ones going to take him. He’s going to be my last pick. And I will rate my draft a success just for him and Amar’e. No-one would steal him from me because nobody would want him or think anyone else would want him. Except James. Who knows I have a hard-on for Casspi the size of the West Bank. My hard-on for Casspi makes Mark Stein look like Barrack Obama. On the plus side, it’s not like I just stole a blockbuster trade that James was trying to make out from under him. Oops! Did I do that? Haha. Well, he’ll be happier with Bargnani.

(Ed.: It was Bargnani and what turned out to be Elton Brand.)

8:52- WOW. So person who wanted to trade the 2nd overall pick turned out to be Julian (my soon to be colleague on outsidethenba.com (tell your friends!). Jules (I hope he doesn’t mind if I call him Jules. I had one friend named Julian, and his nickname was Jules, so he’s kinda stuck) accepted the trade for Manu Ginobli and Josh Howard. Not a terrible move, depending on his draft pick situation. I guess I should have checked the players closer before reacting as I did. Meh. Thinking is overrated. Thinking is like all work skills; unless I’m getting paid to do it, I ain’t doing it. It’s the (North) American way! Either way, lots of action so far. We’ve seen 2 first round picks change hands already, and the draft is still an hour and a half away. My hunch: we’re done with the blockbusters, but we’ll see a lot of smaller trades as the hour draws nearer. Incidentally, it was Sklar who picked up the 2nd overall pick. I get what he’s trying to do here, but building keepers from the 1st round isn’t going to work. Remember, theoretically the top 88 NBA players are already taken (not exactly, some people just decided to drop Boozer). We’re starting this draft at 89. Rookies notwithstanding. So far, he’s traded 4 keepers for 2 picks. He wasn’t kidding when he told me he was in rebuilding mode. Yeesh. Can’t wait to see his roster post draft.

9:30- Have I mentioned I’m not a patient man? Lets do this thing! (Side note: The women’s group finally broke up for the day. One the one hand, this is awesome. On the other: they were providing some SERIOUS entertainment. Man, women are some crazy bitches. To any and all young women reading this: please don’t grow up like your mothers. Signed, men everywhere)

10:15- Sklar traded for ANOTHER first round draft pick, this time he gave up Marvin Williams and a 4th round pick. Can’t say I fault him. Someone gave up 11th overall for that though. Not quite sure I get his motives for this. But Sklar now has 4 or 5 first round picks. Too bad it’s not the first year of the league, haha. 15 minutes. The anticipation builds…

10:35- The draft started with a flurry. Blake Griffin went first overall to the surprise of no-one, then it got interesting fast; JR Smith, Mario Chalmers and Gerald Wallace in that order. That insanity was followed by Kevin Love (a great pick) which meant the guy I had my eye on (Boozer) dropped to me at 6th. Which James said would never happen. James, angry, took Brand 7th. Tyrus Thomas went 8th, Tyreke Evans went 9th and John Salmons 10th. I would have taken Salmons 9th had I had that pick. One more to round out the first round then I’m just going to comment as it comes. I’m just glad the draft shook out basically the way I figured. I’m comfortable with Rip instead of John Salmons. And I got Boozer anyways. This keeps getting better and better.

10:40- Some in-draft trades are causing problems. Because of the lateness and suddenness of these deals, people are having to draft for other people. Which should be simple. But this is the Special Olympics, remember? There’s a borderline fist fight going on. Impressive considering it’s an online draft. The last pick of the first round finally comes in and whoever it was took Jonny Flynn. Rasheed Wallace goes first in the 2nd round, which answers the question: who is most confident KG is done. First pick of the second round seems pretty confident.

10:41- White and Sklar are PISSED with each other over this swapped pick fuck up. White should have picked in my former 9th spot, and was taking Salmons. But Sklar fucked up and took Evans, dropping Salmons to another unrelated person. I suggested they roshambo, no-one seemed into that problem-solving method. Ah well. In the meantime I’ve missed a few picks. None were really great except for Berko grabbing Courtney Lee 6th in the 2nd round. No-one on my list is gone yet! Wooooo.

10:45- 9 picks till my next turn. I’m eye-fucking the shit out of Ron Artest, Chris Duhon, Shaq, Joakim Noah and Allen Iverson.

10:46- FUCK! Julian stole Hibbert. James and I are freaking out, no-one else in the pool cares. So I guess either outsidethenba.com knows its shit, or we are all full of shit. (Outsidethenba.com! Tell your friends!)

10:50- Now Iverson’s off the board! And Marc Gasol and Sessions! This is getting painful. Me and my big mouth.

10:52- I’m on the clock. I feel like a fat guy at a buffet. Ron-Ron? Shaq Daddy? Duhon?

10:54- Went with Shaq as the whole pool collectively remembered he was alive and congratulated me for my awesome pick. Always a good feeling. Till you remember the Special Olympics thing.

11:15- History lesson: Last round last year, James picks Grant Hill (my guy) RIGHT before me in the last round. This year, James takes Hill 2 spots before me. I’m reeling right now. The guy after James makes his pick instantly and I’m stunned. I don’t know what to do. I’m swearing at James and seeing blank spots until I notice that 1) I am on the clock, and 2) I have 40 seconds. I narrow it down to two guys who I want with 10 seconds left, then lose them on the screen. Which leads to me timing out and getting assigned Randy motherfucking Foye.

11:22- The draft is winding down. Thanks to my Foye pick, I’m basically a player short. However my team is STACKED. So I’m doing it. Last round, I’m taking Casspi and Darko. Fuck it. Fuck it all. I still have the best team, this is my victory lap.

11:30- Done and done. A controversial draft, but at the end of the day it’s all good. As soon as I’m able to, I’m dropping Foye and adding Afflalo or Jarret Jack, but for right now my roster looks pretty good. In fact, I just dropped that ass like a bad habit. Welcome to the team Jack!

(Ed.: All three of those guys are backup guards. Who cares?)

And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the court: He Said Casspi! Amar’e, Roy, Nash, Billups, Aldridge, Lee, Rip, Charlie V., Scola, Boozer, Shaq, Nocioni, Jack, Jrue Holiday, Darko, Casspi.

11:50- I can’t believe for the life of me the quality of team that has been assembled here. Now the not so fun part; scouting. Julian and James both scare the bejesus out of me with their basketball knowledge. Emmett and Ocho Cincos (Jamie) looked good too from what I saw in the draft. Now to actually see the whole thing on paper.

11:55- Jamie’s team looks good. Emmetts wasn’t anything too intimidating. James’ doesn’t scare me, but Berko/Barnes team scares the hell out of me. What a line-up in a keeper pool. If anyone’s beating me this year, it’s them (Ed.: They’re scarier down the road than they are now). Some highlights; Melo, Bosh, Nene, Andrew Bynum, Anthony Randolph, Courtney Lee, Sessions, Al Thornton, Tyson Chandler, Brandon Jennings. Yikes. Julian’s isn’t really aweing me either.

(Here are the draft results for your perusal.)

12:45- James: “There’s no way you can justify keeping Nocioni and Casspi but not Foye”
Eric: “Talk to me in 3 weeks”
James: “Please put this exchange in your draft diary”. Happy to oblige.

2:00- I dropped Nocioni for Afflalo after an hour and 15 minutes of far too much research. The lesson, as always, I’m a weak-minded fool. I can’t believe I let James in my head like that. He let himself in, walked around, made himself a sandwich and dropped Nocioni.

So at the end of the day, I love my team. Love it. 1 through 10 I have the best team in the league, with one (Ed.: just one?) potential challenger. And my bench is filled with young guys who I’m feeling a breakout season from. Will it end up working as I planned tonight? Probably not. Now comes the fun part. This whole fantasy thing is fun right? Has anyone ever really figured that out? Well, it will be when ‘He Said Casspi’ (Ed.: Yes, that’s his stupid team name. He’s got nothing on ‘James Mensah-Bonsu’) takes home the championship belt this year!

*If you are interested in further information on fantasy basketball, please consult your local basketball community. No animals were harmed in the writing of this diary. Well, unless White’s feelings count as an animal. And a warming: this will not be the last time you hear about this league. Consider yourself warned.