Fantasy Daily: New Years Resolutions

January first of every year is supposed to mark a new beginning. A fresh start. A clean slate. People make vows and resolutions with good intentions that, truth be told, they have no intention on keeping. Whether it be shedding more weight than Lindsay Lohan after a prolonged coke binge or getting out of debt (I hear Kevin Trudeau has a cure for that…), we set the bar way higher than we can realistically reach. That doesn't have to be the case. Why fool ourselves? Simply put, in the world of fantasy basketball, nothing needs to change. Today I put forth some goals that can be accomplished as easily as getting into the pants of Jersey Shore's beloved guidette Snooki (assuming you're a spray tanned juicehead.) So forget about quitting smoking or spending quality time with your closest of kin. After all, the more time you spend with your family, the more stress smoking you will partake in anyways.

Pick up Nate Robinson
Ever since he was benched fourteen games ago for shooting at the wrong basket, Nate the Great has been quite the quandary for we fantasy owners. After averaging 17, 4 and 4 a year ago, we were put at a crossroads. As someone who owns him, I pondered these questions: Do I hold Robinson and assume his production of yesteryear will be duplicated upon his re-insertion into the line-up? When will he return? What type of value does he have if he leaves the Knicks up-tempo offense? Well folks, the time for worrying is over. With Krypto-Nate’s triumphant return to the Knickerbockers offense last night, I can safely say my own fears about Robinson have been quashed. (I wrote this article at halftime of the NYK game. With Nate pouring in 41, 6 and 8 please do me a favor. Don’t finish reading this sentence, just go pick up NR2) The diminutive Robinson showed off his unparalleled foot speed, freakish athleticism and killer jump shot in last night’s game against Atlanta. Strangely, the most telling moment for me wasn’t Nate’s production, but rather the reactions of Coach D’Antoni. Midway through the second quarter Nate pulled up for a three-pointer when the Knicks had numbers on the break. He sunk it, but it is not the type of shot most coaches are happy with. D’Antoni didn’t yank Nate out. Rather, he let him play the rest of the half. Although there is the possibility Robinson’s return is only an audition to build his trade value, he will earn his Bird rights at season’s end and can veto any trade he feels might have diminished his free agent value (so basically anywhere that’s not Golden State or Phoenix). Since last year, Gallinari has become a bigger part of the offense and has started logging big minutes at the three. This move has shifted Chandler from small forward to shooting guard and could slightly effect Robinson’s minutes compared to last season. While he may not be the 17, 4 and 4 dynamo of last season, I don’t see significant drop off. He is certainly better than anybody with similar ownership figures. Robinson should see an immediate boost in his use with news of his return, so act fast.

Check Your Team
Want to know what I find baffling? How on earth people in a money league can completely abandon their team. I realize people are busy. They work, they eat, they sleep. Really though? It only takes five minutes to set your line-up for the entire week. Maybe take a few more minutes to scour the waiver wire. Is that too much to ask for? Perhaps all those people mindlessly BBM’ing, texting, tweeting and &$#%#&@!ting could take a minute to check on their investment. I know as a competitive owner, I get no satisfaction beating a team that still has Travis Outlaw in their starting line-up. More over, I hate seeing my fellow league mates beat up on a team 12-0 as they attempt to catch me atop the leader board. It's a topsy-turvy world, and maybe my problems don't amount to a hill of beans. But this is my hill. And these are my beans!

The Winners Bracket
Do you constantly win your fantasy leagues? Do people “forget” to tell you about their fantasy leagues in order to keep a competitive balance? Do you ever wonder if your knowledge of the game surpasses that of the so-called “experts?” I know that I do. Solution? Something I like to call the winner’s bracket. We all want to test ourselves against the best. My new system would allow just that. In a winner's bracket, each of the top three finishers in a fantasy league would be automatically entered into a league compromised of other top finishers. The following year, the top three finishers from the same server would be entered. One point would be rewarded for third place, two for second and three for first. The goal would be to get as high on this totem pole as possible by having the most points. For instance, a third place finish one year and then a second finish outside the top three would drop you from eligibility in the winners bracket. A first place finish in two consecutive seasons would put you into the sixth level of the bracket. While it may take a few years for the best managers to emerge, you would be able to rank yourself amongst the fantasy elites. You could ascertain what percentage of owners you trail, and finally put to bed who is the best at analyzing talent and constructing a well-balanced squad. For my own amusement, I would hope experts such as Brandon Funston and company would be entered into this tournament of sorts. Perhaps that “expert” status could finally be stripped from that portly pundit. Or maybe it is I who will end up the chubby connoisseur when I end up eating my words.

Three words: Free…Keeper…League
Sometimes people will ask me…why do you care about fantasy sports? I’ve heard it referred to as Dungeon and Dragons for jocks along with other less colorful put-downs. For me the answer is simple; since my childhood I have always wanted to control a professional sports team. From time to time we all see something special in a player. Something that others for whatever reason can’t. We question the moves of General Managers that lack the sense of the common fan. Fantasy sports allow us to quite literally live out that pipe dream. We choose the best players. We assemble a well-balanced team. We choose whether to take the safe route or swing for the moon by taking a risk on an undervalued sleeper. And the reward when our long shot comes through? It’s so euphoric we almost forget to say I told you so. Then what is the problem with our current system? What keeps ESPN or yahoo from fulfilling our desire to play GM? Well just like most McDonalds All-American’s, it’s one and done. A losing team can’t trade away its aging veterans for youth and draft picks. Finding the huge breakout player is disregarded once the next season starts. Worst of all? All those players who helped us win last year will come back to bite us on the ass the following season. But not in a keeper league. A keeper league is truly the fruition of a lifelong fantasy. The team is ours. The players are owned…not leased. For most of us, it is the closest thing to the NBA we will ever experience. Some may choose to see that as pathetic. Living vicariously through others as an attempt to duplicate a life we can never have. Maybe. But to me, it is about embracing a dream, trash talking with friends, and enjoying the beautiful game of basketball. So please, heed these words. ESPN. Yahoo. CBS. Whoever is listening. Make this dream a reality. Offer free keeper leagues. It’s like a great man once said, “If you build it…they will come.”

David Solar can be reached at David@hoopsdaily.com