Transaction Fees

1. Arlie's Hogs - $51

2. ATTIC - $24

3. Farming for Fatty's - $14

4. Zephyrs - $7

5. No Tats No Rows No Problems - $57

6. Manbearpig- $25

7. MLE Dog Biters - $2

8. Handsome City - $11

9. Fancy Pants - $29

10. We Wear Short Shorts - $86

Winnings

Total pot: $706

1st place - $255

2nd place - $162

3rd place - $120

4th place - $78

5th place - $56

6th place - $35

2009-2010 Standings

1. Arlie's Hogs - 64 points

2. ATTIC - 64 points

3. Farming for Fatty's - 58 points

4. Zephyrs - 53 points

5. No Tats, No Rows, No Problems - 47 points

6. Manbearpig - 45 points

7. MLE Dog Biters - 34 points

8. Handsome City - 29 points

9. Fancy Pants - 25 points

10. We Wear Short Shorts - 21 points

The Champ and the Chump

So imagine you're the commissioner of a newly formed fantasy basketball keeper league and you wind up with LeBron James as your first round pick. Do you keep the pick knowing that any championship won with him in the lead role will always be defined as a "anyone could have done that" type accomplishment or do you trade the franchise player to another team to see if you can "win a championship on your own" so to speak?

Well, I went with the latter. Does this mean that I think ATTIC's championship is a complete sham? Not at all. I think he had an excellent draft. He ended up with some great value picks by drafting Yao Ming in the 5th round, Jason Kidd in the 6th, and Rashard Lewis in the 8th. People shied away from Yao because of health concerns and owners were leery of taking on Lewis and Kidd's hefty contracts but ATTIC took a chance. He could have taken any one of those guys in the 2nd-4th rounds and that would have been well within the correct place to draft them, but to get them as late as he did was probably the biggest key to his success, more so than just trading for LeBron. His one reach (Derrick Rose in the 4th round) even turned out to be a stud. And his last pick of the draft, Wilson Chandler, averaged 14.4 pts, 5.4 rebs, 2.1 assts, and nearly one block and steal per game, all while draining 103 three-pointers and shooting 80% from the line. Compare that to his 3rd round pick, Rudy Gay, who averaged 18.9 pts, 5.5 rebs, 1.7 assists, 1.24 stls, and 0.75 blocks. Rudy hit 85 three pointers and shot 77% from the line. Looking at the numbers, it doesn't appear as though these players deserved to be drafted nearly 10 rounds apart. Just another great find for ATTIC.

But even with the LeBron trade, a healthy Yao (which wasn't supposed to happen for the duration of an entire season), and a near perfect draft, ATTIC still might not have won the championship if not for these two factors:

1) The David Lee trade

2) The collapse of the Zephyrs

Adding David Lee to the roster in mid season without having to give up any players in return paid huge dividends, especially for a team who's front line was filled with perimeter oriented forwards like LeBron, Lewis, and Chandler. Lee's 55% shooting from the field really gave a boost to ATTIC's overall field goal percentage which was sitting at 46.8-47.0% for most of the season. ATTIC finished the year with a 47.4 FG% which resulted in an extra 2-3 points in the standings, all of which were needed. And I forgot to mention that Lee's 11.7 rebounds per game were 3rd best in the NBA, a stat that helped propel ATTIC from the middle of the pack in rebounding to top 3 status.

I didn't realize it at the time, but the Zephyrs were to the Cousy's Cagers franchise as Cal Naughton Jr. was to the success of Ricky Bobby. Not that the Zephyrs were destined to finish in 2nd place, but when the Zephyrs were in the mix, the standings were a lot more compact at the top. And when the Zephyrs started to free fall in the standings due to all the injuries, it seemed to benefit ATTIC more than the Cagers. Those two teams must have been neck and neck in a lot of the same categories because 61-63 points was enough for 1st place for most of the year, and all of a sudden it took 65-66 points to stay in first and the Cagers just didn't have the firepower.

So kudos to ATTIC for winning the inaugural season's crown and for assembling a roster that will be loathed for all of 2009-2010 by all the other owners in the league. The target is now placed squarely on your back with Yao, LeBron, Wade, and Rose leading the way. And if that wasn't enough to impress, young Blake Griffin will be in the fold sooner than later.

See you next year!

-The Commish

Season One Recap: Teams 3-10

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who signed on and participated this season. This league setup is a relatively new (if not completely unique) format and I think everyone did a good job of adapting and getting a grip on how everything works. Hopefully you enjoyed season one and will be back for future seasons, if not, I'd watch your ass because the Ultimate Warrior is coming for you and he means business.

I usually don't enjoy forcing my opinion about other team's fantasy performances (since you are all winners in my book) but I figured I should provide a small recap to put the finishing touch on the year to give some sense of closure.

Your Ad Here:

-I can't even remember this franchise's original name, but when your 3rd to 5th round picks include: Greg Oden, Michael Beasley, and Josh Howard, I can understand why the franchise decided to try and sell the naming rights early on in the game because they weren't taking on any other revenues this season. Oden and Beasley will probably be back with the squad for the 2009-2010 season along with standouts Russell Westbrook and Joe Johnson. Westbrook (taken in the 11th round) was arguably the steal of the draft. But the overall youth of this team proved too much to overcome. In-season additions, O.J. Mayo and Monta Ellis, will help form an impressive nucleus that could make a lot of noise next season, assuming the general manager is willing to open up the wallet to bring in additional help throughout the season. This season's pickup of Kenyon Martin was the only real free agent splash made by YAH and I don't think that impressed anybody.

Handsome City:

-All was not handsome as the 2008 season got off to a rough start and never got back on track. But the management did not sit on its hands and watch the ship sink without netting some future assets. They turned big contracts Duncan (21) and Nowitzki (18) into Devin Harris, Mike Conley, Jamal Crawford, Corey Maggette, David Lee, and draft picks. And then they flipped Rajon Rondo and David Lee into Chris Duhon and 6 more draft picks, thus ensuring the 2018 season will be a dominate one for Handsome City as their crop of high school sophomores will be ready to take the league by storm. Snatching Tyrus Thomas and Brook Lopez in the 8th and 11th round respectively was huge (drafting Tyson Chandler 33rd overall and Michael Redd's knee injury were not) and the commissioner enjoyed seeing Shaquille O'Neal thrive under the sun for one more year. Throw in Gerald Wallace and Jose Calderon to the seven players already mentioned and Handsome City could potentially keep nine players this off season, a number not many other teams could match.

Cradle Rockers:

-If you wanted to try and guess where things went wrong for the Rockers this season, one could look in many directions. One might look at second round pick Allen Iverson, who's $21 million dollar contract sucked up a ton of cap space for a player that spent most of the season sitting next to the likes of Derek Fisher and Steve Blake on the second page page of the player rater. One could look at the release of Paul Millsap early on in the year as a big reason why success was hard to find because A) Delonte West (the player signed to replace Millsap) went on to brake his wrist and miss a little over four weeks and because B) Carlos Boozer's quad injury gave Millsap a chance to show the league what he's made of and show the league he did (just not to the benefit of the Cradle Rockers). Chris Kaman's foot injury that was supposed to have healed by Christmas, thus making Dwight Howard expendable, ended up lingering for the rest of the season. The Rockers turned Howard and Andre Miller's expiring contract into Kevin Durant, Paul Pierce, and Thaddeus Young so they have a couple extra players to team alongside Chris Bosh next season. D-League sensation James Harden should find himself on an NBA next year and ready to contribute.

Arlie's Hogs:

-A season ravaged by injuries, season ending injuries at that. What more can you say? Elton Brand, Andrew Bogut, and Jameer Nelson all decided to end their seasons within a day or two of each other early on in February. The Hogs acquired Carmelo Anthony via trade and he missed nearly all of January with a broken hand. Manu Ginobili missed half the season thanks to an ankle injury suffered in the Olympics and he only played 27 minutes a night when he did play. Adding to the injury woes was the decision to draft Al Thornton in the 5th round directly in front of LaMarcus Aldridge and Yao Ming. Ouch. But the Hogs did a good job of wheeling and dealing and they have plenty of youth in the mix for next season. Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Carmelo Anthony, and Rudy Gay were all considered safe 2nd round picks heading into this season and they will form a scary front line in 2009-2010. The Hogs even managed to sprinkle in some youth in the back court with Rookies Mario Chalmers and Eric Gordon and second year man Rodney Stuckey. And watch out if Stephen Curry winds up on an NBA team that can run and gun next season, he could be an X factor.

We Wear Short Shorts:

-Their season became an uphill battle as soon as they made Baron Davis their 1st round pick. And following that up with Antwan Jamison in the 3rd round didn't help things either. They're good players, don't get me wrong, but they were players that could have been taken a round or two later. But Short Shorts did make trades that netted them quality talent by bringing in Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest. And they remained active in free agency bringing in guys like J.R. Smith, Ray Allen, and Andrea Bargnani to help solidify their dominance in the 3-point shooting category. The center position was a rough spot for the team as Andrew Bynum missed the majority of the season with another knee injury and Marcus Camby caught Clipperitis and could be found playing uninspired basketball for most of the year. Not having Lamar Odom around as insurance for Bynum really hurt and the unwillingness to part with Tracy McGrady early on also hurt the team. But the franchise continued to slug it out all season long and their effort didn't go unnoticed. They grabbed the final money slot and picked up Gilbert Arenas for next year, not a bad reward to end the season.

The Zephyrs:

-Coming out of the draft, I was skeptical of the Zephyrs chances of competing for the championship but they made some early season moves that helped keep them in the 1st-3rd place slots almost all season long. They were willing to part with some "big name-not ready just yet" talent in Marvin Williams and Mike Conley in favor of Paul Millsap, Nate Robinson, and Luke Ridnour. The moves resulted in a 12 man rotation where all 12 guys were worthy of playing time. Guys like Vince Carter, Stephen Jackson, Mo Williams, and Jeff Green exceeded most every body's preseason projections and had stellar years. But Millsap was the difference maker, getting a player who's putting up Carlos Boozer type numbers for essentially nothing is going to give any fantasy franchise a noticeable boost. The lineup was so stacked that LaMarcus Aldridge found himself on the bench most nights. And then all at once, the injury bug came a knocking and Amare Stoudemire and Kevin Garnett were forced to the IR for nearly the final two months of the season. And when you lose your top two draft picks in a keeper league, two studs that take up two rosters spots and a third of your payroll, that's just too much to overcome. But this was a very successful season for any franchise let alone one that was run by a GM who had no previous fantasy sports experience. A tip of the hat to you.

Manbearpig:

-I'm not going to lie, I thought the Manbearpig franchise had an awful team coming out of the draft. I liked the young core of Deron Williams, Josh Smith, Brandon Roy, and Al Horford, but outside of that, I thought this team was going to be in big trouble. They had expiring contracts in Ron Artest and Shawn Marion that offered little hope for the future. Ben Gordon wasn't even officially a member of the Bulls for most if not all of training camp, Peja Stojakovic, Leandro Barbosa, Jamario Moon, and Raja Bell didn't scream exciting, and Andris Biedrins was by no means a sure thing. But to Manbearpig's credit, they kept at the waiver wire and the trade market and brought in a slue of players that helped bulk up the squad. They brought in Nene, Ray Allen, Lamar Odom, Andrei Kirilenko, Chris Duhon, Jason Terry, Antonio McDyess, Boris Diaw, and then they eventually won the Rajon Rondo sweepstakes as the icing on top of the free agency sundae. Manbearpig started the year out well under the cap and that cap flexibility allowed them to get their hands on some free agents that not everyone could afford. I wasn't overly impressed with the draft day results, but this team practically willed themselves to a 4th place finish and they did exceptional work throughout the season. Job well done.

Farming for Fatty's:

-Farmer and Co. laid down a very solid foundation from the get go in the draft, a foundation that could keep this franchise in the top three of the league for another three years. Their first three picks off the board were Chris Paul, Andre Iguodala, and David West. Kevin Martin was taken in the 4th round and even though he didn't give them a full season, he couldn't be passed up in the 4th/5th round, since he was a 2nd round talent sitting on the board. And then they made some more nice picks getting Pau Gasol in the 5th, Tony Parker in the 7th, and Richard Jefferson in the 10th. Trading Pau Gasol and O.J. Mayo for Dwight Howard vaulted this team from 5th/6th place obscurity into the upper crust of the league. But a move that shouldn't go unnoticed was the early season free agent signing of Troy Murphy. Dwight Howard didn't win the rebound category for the Fatty's all by himself, he had the help of Murphy who averaged 11.8 rebounds per game, which was good for 2nd best in the entire NBA behind Dwight Howard. He also canned 161 three-pointers while shooting 47.5% from the field, a combination that is truly hard to find.

Rule Changes

During the season, I asked everyone if they wanted to make a tweak to the rule regarding rookies and when they should be made free agents upon receiving an extension. We decided that any rookie that came through our D-League system would not have to automatically become a free agent once they received an extension (assuming it happened before the season). We decided they could play out the final year of their rookie contract before the first year of their extension kicked-in the following the season. This would allow owners to keep their D-League prospects for one extra year, thus making the draft picks more valuable.

I'd really like to make an amendment to that proposal and not limit the rule to just rookies who came up through our D-League system. Rather, have the rule apply to any rookie, whether drafted in the D-League or the NBA fantasy draft. Differentiating between the two would be a pain in the ass and this rule benefits just about everybody except maybe We Wear Short Shorts and Farming for Fatty's whose main keepers are predominantly players who are already on their 2nd contract or beyond.

Hopefully I don't meet much resistance with this tweak, and everyone's onboard with the change.

Other than that, the only major change I'm seriously considering is slashing the amount of D-League picks each year from 8 to 6, starting in the 2010-2011 season. We'll see how this year's draft goes, we might not have anyone left to draft if we keep picking 8 players every year.

Other changes or tweaks on the agenda:

-Defining tie-breakers

-Addressing the October 1st deadline and what happens if a player signs an offer sheet from a different team before October 1st, but his original team comes in and matches the offer after the October 1st deadline.

-What avenue to use to conduct the D-League draft (I'm hoping our homepage has a functional chatroom).

-Possible incentives for teams in bottom half to compete during the final months of the season.

And I'm sure there will be more topics to hit on once the off season progresses further, but I don't have any other major plans in terms of changes.

Stayed tuned for my season 1 recap on Monday/Tuesday of next week.

Finances

1. The Champion ATTIC

-Wins $281 for 1st place. Entry fee was paid and owes $41 total in transactions. Previously paid $11 of transaction fee debt. Owes only $30 for transactions. Net winnings equal $251.

2. Cousy's Cagers

-Wins $179 for 2nd place. Entry fee was paid and owes $84 in transactions. Net winnings equal $95.

3. Farming for Fatty's

-Wins $133 for 3rd place. Owes $50 for entry fee and $25 for transactions. Net winnings equal $58.

4. Manbearpig

-Wins $86 for 4th place. Entry fee was paid and owes a total of $62 for transactions. Previously paid $12 of transaction fee debt. Owes only $50 for transactions. Net winnings equal $36.

5. Zephyrs

-Wins $62 for 5th place. Owes $50 for entry fee and $18 for transactions. Owes commissioner $6.

6. We Wear Short Shorts

-Wins $39 for 6th place. Entry fee was paid and owes $88 for transactions. Owes commissioner $49.

7. Arlie's Hogs

-Entry fee was paid and owes $32 for transactions.

8. Cradle Rockers

-Owes $50 for entry fee and $11 for transactions. Owes commissioner $61

9. Handsome City

-Entry fee was paid and owes $10 total for transactions. Previously paid $7 of transaction fee debt. Owes $3.

10. Your Ad Here

-Entry fee was paid and owes $9 for transactions.

***MATH

$50 for entry fee x 10 owners = $500

$500-$100 for website fee = $400

$400 plus $380 in transaction fee pot = $780 in total pot

Money I have in hand:

$50 entry fee x 7 owners paid = $350

$350 plus $30 paid for transaction fees =$380

Missing $400 is from:

$50 x 3 owners = $150

$150 plus $350 in outstanding transaction fees =$500

$500 minus $100 for website fee = $400.

Payout plan:

1. Pay ATTIC $251 in full. That leaves $380-$251 = $129 in hand.

2. Pay Farming for Fatty's $58 in full. That leaves $129-$58 = $71 in hand.

3. Pay Manbearbig $36 in full. That leaves $71-$36 = $35 in hand.

4. Cousy's Cagers will wait until Zephyrs (6), WWSS (49), Arlie's Hogs (32), Cradle Rockers (61), Handsome City (3), and Your Ad Here (9) pay the total remaining $160 in transaction fees.

5. $160 in outstanding fees plus $35 remaining in hand = $195

6. $195 equals $95 for second place and $100 for website fee that was paid by me.