You kids and your Twitter. There's something about 140 characters to get your point across that just seems to make sense. The whole idea got me thinking that instead of dragging out some fantasy basketball column that you'll likely just skim over, what do you say I give you 50 fantasy basketball tips and observations in 140 characters or less. You have no vote in this matter, so you're getting them anyway.
These tips are not only designed for those of you who have yet to draft your fantasy teams, but they're also for those who are looking to improve on their post-draft squads. Hopefully this is a helpful way to get out as much information as possible while keepin' it mainstream.
It's almost unfair to judge a draft after one year, but this is what we're going to do. The final edition of our Revisiting the Draft series examines the 2008 Draft and believe or not, there are teams already harboring regrets from their picks.
Despite the extensive scouting, workouts and interviews involved in the draft, teams still make major mistakes and these days, prospects don't get three years to develop. Of the 14 lottery picks in 2006, six have already changed teams and players such as Patrick O'Bryant and Mouhamed Sene are not guaranteed jobs next season.
The NBA waits for no one, especially if they are taking too long to make an impact. So while teams won't freely admit they made mistakes 12 months after draft night, they will privately admit they overestimated talent and heart, and sooner or later, that will cost front-office jobs.
Allen Iverson is arguably the top name on the albeit limited 2009 free agency list. And though his stint in Detroit could accurately be described as disastrous, and his skills are diminished with age, he's still The Answer, and scorers of his mold will always be sought after.
Except by his former coach from Philadelphia. Kind of.
Larry Brown said this week that while he 'loves' Allen, he doesn't see a reunion between the hard-line coach and the temperamental superstar next season with the Charlotte Bobcats. What's surprising is in saying that, he's looking out not for his own squad, but for Iverson.
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.
Get Tracy McGrady on the court and he's trouble, last night he messed around and got a triple-double -- he scored 20 with 14 boards and 10 assists. Considering the Rockets held on to beat the Nuggets, owners of the best record in the West this side of the Lakers, you could say it was good day.
McGrady has clearly benefited from the two weeks of rest he took earlier this month due to soreness in his surgically-repaired knee -- he finished one assist shy of a triple-double in his first game back last Friday, which was another win for the Rockets. If he keeps this up, the Houston Chronicle might have to create a snarky triple-double ticker on their Rockets home page.
The Bobcats not only play at the second-slowest pace in the league (no surprise there with Larry Brown calling shots) but also rank among the four worst teams in offensive efficiency. In other words, not only do they suck, they suck slowly, which is the least entertaining way.
Well, sure, but an unfortunate side effect is that rookie D.J. Augustin will have to take a backseat. Augustin, ostensibly the team's backup point guard, has played out of his mind in the last four games (starting the last three alongside Raymond Felton) by averaging 21 points and 6.2 assists, including 25 and 11 in last night's win over the Sixers.
Brown said he expects to employ a three-guard rotation, but on a team as bad as Charlotte, it's a shame Augustin can't spend his rookie year playing as many minutes as possible to expedite his development for when the wins and losses actually start to matter. That's not going to happen, though, considering Felton has played too well to justify benching but not good enough for another team to bowl the Bobcats over with a trade offer. So instead, it's back to the bench of Augustin, scratching out 20 minutes a night when he should be playing 30 or more.
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.
O.J. Mayo didn't exactly make a big splash in his first three preseason games -- the rook shot just 34.1%, including an atrocious 14.3% from long distance, while scoring all of 14, seven and 11 points, respectively. Maybe the tweener's game doesn't translate to the NBA after all ...
... or maybe making snap judgments on a guy three meaningless games into his career is incredibly stupid. Mayo finally had the scoring explosion we knew was in him, lighting up the Pacers for 26 points in just 30 minutes last night.
Will the NBA three-point line be a problem for him? It doesn't look like it: he shot 6-8 from behind the arc and 10-17 from the field. Of course, there's more to basketball than simply filling up the bucket, but he came through on the other end of the court with five steals.
Here's a look at the top ten players we saw at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. 1. Jerryd Bayless: Who cares that him running point was like a Ben Stiller movie or that he managed so few assists his teammates almost decided to bring their own ball on the court to play catch? The kid was transcendent. Floaters, fadeaways, dunks, steals, you name it. If it's got flash, Bayless was unleashing it on someone this week.
2. Kevin Love: You know how some people's college game just doesn't transfer to the pro game? Yeah, Kevin Love won't be having that problem. Tough, resilient, with a range of moves and offensive versatility to go along with the sweetest, yes, outlet pass we've seen, Love was incredibly impressive.
3. Anthony Randolph: Youth and athleticism rules! The lanky Warrior started the week off with a bang and played solid throughout. His impressive handle really made him stand out, along with a tenacious effort on defense.
The Bobcats, needless to say, had a curious draft. Everyone expected Brook Lopez' name to get called at nine; after all, what need does Charlotte have with D.J. Augustin if Raymond Felton is the future at point guard? (Answer: exactly.) But Charlotte reaffirmed today that Felton is going to keep starting and that Augustin was merely drafted as a backup.
"We don't think D.J. is going to come in right now and be the starting point guard," [GM Rod] Higgins said.
While Higgins dismissed talk of a Felton-to-Knicks trade, it's clear the Bobcats were in various trade discussions leading up to the draft.
Managing partner Michael Jordan confirmed Thursday that the team talked to the Toronto Raptors about a deal that could have swapped forward Gerald Wallace for point guard T.J. Ford.
Apparently, talks stalled because the Raptors wanted a draft pick included as well, which seems like a nice thing to let Wallace know (You alone, sir, are worth one T.J. Ford, but you and a draft pick? We think not.) heading into the offseason.
The buzz out of Charlotte is all about D.J. Augustin. And how could it not be? The Bobcats passed over Brook Lopez, a.k.a. the scoring big man they need to move Emeka Okafor to the four, in favor of Texas' point guard. And they did this when, in theory, they already have the point guard of the future, Raymond Felton.
But obviously, Larry Brown does not care for Felton. I am making that conclusion based on a) the drafting of Augustin, b) Brown getting on national television and saying (paraphrase) that a strong connection to your point guard is absolutely necessary for success and c) my amazing ability to connect dots.
Now, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer is saying that, with very few exceptions, anyone on the roster is fair game to be moved around.
The Bobcats were in serious discussions with the Toronto Raptors about a deal that could have swapped [Gerald] Wallace for T.J. Ford. It didn't happen, but that's the clearest indication yet how active the Bobcats are in seeing what their players might bring in trade.
I assure you Wallace isn't alone. Raymond Felton could be moved, and so could just about anyone else with perhaps the exception of Jason Richardson.
That shouldn't be surprising, and Richardson is only off limits because of his contract. What is shocking is how quickly Michael Jordan, Brown and Co have given up on Felton (all three Carolina grads) given they spent a high lottery pick on him just a few years ago.
FanHouse fixes a decade of draft-day blunders in 
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. 
The Bobcats not only play at the 
Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. 
Here's a look at the top ten players 
The buzz out of Charlotte is all about 
