NBL Fantasy | The last post
This weekly column is produced by Dean Zardo and Steve Chalmers.
The time has come. Just two teams remain in every league nation wide (actually we should say dual nations, who could forget New Zealand at this time of the season!) and the pressure is at an all time high.
Two trades remain and you'll potentially have the next eight months to rue these decisions you make over the next four days.
How do you craft your team for the week? Well there's only one clear way - you make it the best you damn well possibly can!
There's no planning for future weeks, nothing else left to give. Season 2020/21 starts a fresh so you don't even need to think about keepers.
Without further ado, we present a list of the best possible players you'll need to see in your line-up this week!
The Team
Point Guard
Plenty of options at the one, including all three starting point guards on the double. Scott Machado is numero uno, with John Roberson and Melo Trimble coming in behind him. If you're looking at bench production, you're probably set in that position already and you're not going to be moving a bench piece this week.
Shooting Guard
Interesting to note that there's really only one true 'go-to' Shooting Guard for the week, however you may be able to shuffle your cards if you're looking at sliding Mitch Creek down to the two (how he's still SG eligible is beyond us, but hey, we'll take it!). The question is, will Creek even play the final round for his squad after hyperextending his knee late in the game against the Kings?
DJ Newbill is your guy here and if you've prepared your team perfectly, you'll have an all-Taipans backcourt for the final round. Mitch McCarron/Chris Goulding are your backup options if left with no coin, however both have been down on production this season, especially McCarron who has been the real loser to this Melbourne downfall.
Small Forward
With Kouat Noi finally back in the fold, you could risk your way into him if you're in need of a bold finish. However, with just one game back under his belt you're probably safe to look elsewhere. There's no real superstar on all three of the squads playing twice, apart from the aforementioned Creek (in the SG) and his status remains up in the air. Most squads would own a Lamar Patterson or Scotty Hopson (or probably both) so this is a position where you won't have to worry about using one of your trades.
Power Forward/Centre
We can bunch these two positions together due to the nature of the players you're definitely going to target having dual positions to their name. Cam Oliver and Dane Pineau both sit with PF/C underneath their price tag and it's an extremely serviceable combination. Tai Wesley could also be seen as a viable option, especially if Mitch Creek is a no-go where he'll pick up a bit of the offensive production.
Finally, Shawn Long is an option, especially for those that brought him in earlier for Melbourne's double not too long ago. There's no point going away from someone who you've already spent your money on!
The Stars
Cameron Oliver (Cairns Taipans)
31 points, 12 rebounds and three dimes always puts you at the top of the tree and for Oliver his 80 fpoints against the Sixers was a nice preview for (hopefully) what's to come in Round 20 😉
The Value
Majok Deng (Cairns Taipans)
Feels like this column is a bit of a love fest for the ol' Taipans but gee they deserve it after a top season. Deng was excellent on the weekend with 49 fpoints thanks to his low double double of 12 points and 10 boards. Could he keep the production going with Kouat Noi settling back in and the Snakes playing twice on the road?
Injury List
AdelaideRamone MooreShoulder - SeasonIllawarra Aaron BrooksAchilles - SeasonLaMelo BallFoot - SeasonMelbourneCasey PratherHamstring - SeasonNew ZealandGlen Rice Jr.Contract TerminatedCorey WebsterReturning? RJ HamptonHip - SeasonPerthDamian MartinHeel - 1 weekSydneyCraig MollerAnkle - DoubtfulAndrew BogutBack - QuestionableDidi LouzadaKnee - Questionable
The Tweets
We see you! Anything that catches our eye, we'll attempt to share with all of our readers.
https://twitter.com/BBall_Blokes/status/1226838080159485953
https://twitter.com/MattM_78/status/1226780437445365761
https://twitter.com/tomhersz/status/1226439346208694272
https://twitter.com/tomhersz/status/1225756067625230338
The Summary
So, you've come here for a reason haven't you? Who do you bring in for the next round? Let's make it simple, below are a few names (at different levels) who you can target:
Doubles in Round 20: CNS, MELB, SEM
PG: Melo Trimble (Melbourne) $1.28m
PG: Scott Machado (Cairns) $1.81m
PG: John Roberson (South East Melbourne) $1.57m
SG: DJ Newbill (Cairns) $1.59m
SG/SF: Mitch Creek (South East Melbourne) $1.57m *(if not injured)
PF/C: Cam Oliver (Cairns) $1.89m
PF/C: Shawn Long (Melbourne) $1.74m
It's been a blast guys contributing for yet another season of NBL Fantasy hoops! Best of luck if you're playing off in a grand final and we hope to see you fit and firing for another season when it kicks off again in late 2020!