Don't worry, LeBron James is still the best player no matter what formula we come up with.
Ladies and gentlemen, feast your eyes on our all-star small forward. No, not LeBron James -- the other guy.
TÂhe NBA’s version of Super Bowl weekend is upon us. Sure, they have the Finals in the summer, but many fans have tuned out by then. If you’re a big enough NBA fan to read a weekly column on fantasy basketball but don’t watch the All-Star game, you’re making a mistake.
Like any All-Star game, it would be better if the teams had something to play for (this is NOT an argument in favor of how MLB does things, to be clear), but basketball is always a fun game to watch, even when nobody cares. Watching Kobe Bryant act like he’s not trying to prove he’s the best guy on the court is a yearly tradition, and there’s always one late addition who plays angry over not being chosen the first time through. Good times.
Which brings us to our fantasy All-Stars. We’ll do this a little different than a traditional all-star team because ranking the top fantasy scorers 1 through 10 would be as pointless as a Dwight Howard interview. Instead, we’ll also factor in the position played and the average draft spot at the beginning of the year.
PG – Tony Parker:Â Parker has become a nearly unstoppable isolation/pick-and-roll player. He seemingly scores at will, and his percentages across the board have increased over last year. He wins this spot based on an average draft position below 50.
SG – Kevin Durant:Â The only player with any sort of claim to LeBron’s throne as best in the game. He’s improved his percentages from the floor, the line and 3-point land over last year, while averaging more than a point more. The rest of his categories remain steady. He should be the No. 2 pick for years to come.
SF – Paul George:Â The toughest starter to pick because there are three All-Star small forwards who have greatly outplayed preseason expectations. George starts over James Harden and Carmelo Anthony by virtue of having the lowest expectations at the outset.
PF – LeBron James:Â The best player in the world is also the best fantasy player. Basketball is the one sport where that’s true at least 95 percent of the time. He was drafted No. 1 in just about every league, and has more than justified the pick, helping you in every category – especially his eye-popping 57 percent from the field. The fact he qualifies at power forward in most leagues is the blue cheese on your wedge salad.
C – Tim Duncan:Â Duncan wins a close one over Brook Lopez and Joakim Noah because he’s been a Top 5-to-10 player in most leagues. All three have missed time due to injuries, and Lopez was drafted much lower than the other two, but Duncan’s numbers can’t be ignored.
SG/SF – Harden:Â Benefits from the extreme pace at which the Rockets play.
SF/PF – Anthony:Â His well-documented rabbit ears and aversion to passing keep him out of the starting lineup, but Anthony has been outstanding at just about everything else this year.
BN – Chris Bosh:Â Bosh was drafted on the outskirts of the Top 50 and has performed as a Top 20 player. His fantasy value benefits greatly from the guys he plays with, and his PF/center eligibility doesn’t hurt.
BN – Kawhi Leonard:Â Leonard is a typical Gregg Popovich-era Spur. Solid everywhere and spectacularly underrated.
BN – Larry Sanders:Â A bad back has started to take its toll on Sanders’ production, but you can’t ignore that the guy was barely in the Top 250 before the season, and is currently in the Top 25 of most leagues. You’ll need more than him to win a title, but if he’s your fourth-best player, you’re in very good shape.
The Fantasy 413 column appears in The Republican and on MassLive each Saturday. The Republican’s fantasy guys can be reached at thefantasy413@gmail.com, Twitter @TheFantasy413 or through the Comments section below.