Fantasy Basketball Articles

Article / Updated 06-09-2022

A basketball court has symmetry; one half of the court is a mirror image of the other. The entire basketball court (see Figure 1) is 94 feet by 50 feet. On each half-court, painted lines show the free throw lane and circle, as well as the three-point arc, whose distance from the basket varies based on the level of hoops being played. Figure 1: The American court. Indoor basketball courts are almost always made of hardwood. Outdoor courts are most commonly composed of asphalt. The borders of the court have their own commonsense names: Along the length of the court, the borders are the sidelines. Along the ends, the borders are the endlines, or baselines. Separating both halves of the court is a midcourt line. In the very center of the midcourt line is the center circle (12 feet in diameter), where the center toss takes place to begin the game. The free throw lane and free throw line The free throw lane is the hub of the action in each half-court. This rectangle is 12 feet wide — 16 feet at the men's pro level. Its length, as measured from the basket to the free throw line, is 15 feet at all levels. An offensive player may not stand inside the lane for more than three seconds unless he or one of his teammates is shooting the ball. After a shot is taken, the count starts over again. A defensive player may remain inside the lane for as long as he desires. A player fouled by another player sometimes receives free throws, also known as foul shots. She takes these shots (they aren't really "throws") from the free throw line at the end of the lane — 15 feet from the basket. The shots are "free" because a defender does not guard the shooter while she's shooting. When a player shoots a free throw, her feet may not cross the free throw line until the ball hits the rim, or else the shot is nullified. The remaining players line up alongside the free throw lane (or behind the shooter) and cannot interfere with the shot. They line up in order, on either side of the lane, of defense-offense-defense-offense. (Up to four players may stand on one side of the lane.) If a player opts not to take a spot (say, for example, the second defensive spot), then a player from the opposing team is permitted to step into that spot. The fans behind the basket usually scream, jump up and down, and wave their hands to try to distract an opposing team's shooter during free throws. The three-point arc The three-point arc is the other important marked feature of the court. The arc extends around the basket in a near semicircle, and its distance from the basket differs according to the level of play. Even at one level, the distance can change as rules committees grapple with the best distance for the good of the sport. The NBA has changed the three-point distance on two different occasions since first adopting the trey, as the three-point shot is called, in the 1979-1980 season. The three-point distance was moved back to its original 23' 9" for the 1997-1998 season. The college distance is 19' 9", while the international distance is 20' 6". Any shot made from beyond this arc — even a desperation half-court shot at the buzzer — is worth three points. A three-point shooter must have both feet behind the arc as he launches this shot, but either foot is allowed to land on the other side of the arc. The backcourt and frontcourt Thinking of the entire court as two half-courts, divide it into frontcourt and backcourt. The frontcourt is the half of the court where the offense's basket is located. The backcourt is the other half. Thus one team's backcourt is the other team's frontcourt.

Step by Step / Updated 03-27-2016

Finding and joining a fantasy basketball site sometimes can be a daunting task because so many options are available and most of the sites look alike. Just because sites look similar does not necessarily mean they measure up in value. Some sites offer free leagues, others paid — and some sites provide only standard league options while others allow you to customize the league to the format you prefer. Figure out what your league preferences are first before choosing a site.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Although astronauts don't play basketball on the moon — the low force of gravity there would make for a fun game — hoops is played almost everywhere else. In prison yards. On ships. Chevy Chase's Fletch character in the movie Fletch — ignoring the wisdom of The Brady Bunch — used his living room as a court. You really need little more than a flat surface roughly the size of a classroom and at least 20 feet of vertical space. Your own driveway The fact that basketball and the automobile were invented within 15 years of one another is indeed serendipitous. The advent of the auto meant the arrival of the driveway, which can serve a dual role as a basketball court. And the garage has long been an ideal place upon which to mount a backboard and rim. Putting up a hoop in the driveway or backyard Installing your own basketball hoop in or near your driveway can cost anywhere from $50 to $250, the high-end hoops being mobile units mounted upon dollies that require nearly no assembly. Before you decide to install a court at your home, first determine whether your driveway or other concrete or asphalt surface is level. If it's relatively level, the next step is to choose whether to purchase a pole that you will plant in the ground, and upon which you will mount the backboard and rim; or to simply mount the backboard and rim on or above a preexisting structure, such as a garage, sloped roof, or barn. (A common taunt when your shot is off is, "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!" Well, now you can.) Neither option is better than the other. Simply assess your own property. If you select a pole, be sure to plant it at least 24 to 36 inches in the ground and support it by fixing it into the ground in a bed of cement. Allow the cement to set for 48 hours before mounting the backboard on the pole. Mounting a hoop on the garage From a cost point of view, the less expensive approach is a universal mounting bracket, which costs about $20. This bracket allows you to mount the backboard to a garage wall with the hoop at the desired level. The advantage of a universal bracket is that you can mount it on a sloping roof, a side wall, or a pole. To that, you attach the backboard, which should already have a rim attached. You can buy a quality backboard and attached rim for about $40. School yards or playgrounds School yard and playground hoops offer full-court game possibilities and so much more. It's where you meet new people — hopefully upstanding types. You also face better levels of competition. (The driveway court is fun, but face it: Uncle Leo can't go to his left.) The school yard is also where children learn to be grownups in a positive sense. They learn how to fit in with a group, settle disputes ("Call the foul before the shot misses the basket!"), and stand up for themselves. Youngsters should always be accompanied — if not by an adult, then at least by an older sibling — when going to shoot at a school yard. Also, no matter how badly you get beaten on the court, don't ever take your basketball and go home as a retort. Crybabies are not welcome at the school yard. Community centers When the Village People sang "You can hang out with all the boys" in the classic hit "YMCA," they probably didn't have basketball in mind. But hoops facilities at community centers, such as the YMCA and YWCA, have existed for many years and are a step up, in terms of supervision and organization, from the school yard. Most community center facilities are indoor and have someone in charge. These facilities have house rules — such as "winners remain on the court, losers must sit out" — that lend order to the scene. These facilities are also prime arenas for the older generation, players 25 to 35, looking for a weekly workout. Warning to those under 25: After the legs go, players hack (foul) more often. Also, they seem to remember themselves being better shooters than they actually were, hoping for, yet not having, any chance of winning.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

You'll get a lot more out of watching a basketball game on TV — or even live — if you do more than watch the ball go into the hoop. Check out these insider tips for catching the real action and increasing your enjoyment of the sport. Anticipate the next pass Try to think like the players. When you can anticipate the next pass, you are as connected to the players as you can be from your living room. You're thinking like the players. Where a player passes the ball depends on a few factors: what type of ball handler he is, which teammates are on the floor, what type of offense the team is running, and what type of defense the opposition is running. See, you have to know what's happening on the court. Pretend that you're the point guard. Analyze the defense and then make decisions about how you would react. Did the point guard on television act accordingly? Disregard this tip if you're watching old highlights of Magic Johnson. Nobody could predict what he was going to do with the ball. Watch the action away from the ball While you're watching, don't be afraid to stray away from the ball. Follow the action away from the ball on the weakside (the side of the court opposite the ball), or watch the post action (down near the basket). Of course, the television camera's eye is yours, and it usually follows the ball; but most cameras show the court from the side and give a decent half-court view of the proceedings. Here are some things to look for: Pushing and shoving underneath the hoop Weakside screens (picks that players set on the side of the court away from the ball) Pat Riley's Armani suit All are entertaining sideshows to the main event. By watching action away from the ball, you can answer your own questions as well as other viewers' questions. For example, if Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers is such a terrific shooter, why doesn't the defense do a better job of denying him the ball? Answer: Watch Miller while the Pacers are running their offense. Nobody in the NBA is better than he at using picks set by teammates to get an open shot. You can argue that Miller earns his buckets not so much when he shoots the ball but when he leaves his defender behind a pick. The inveterate hoops fan is one who uses the Previous Channel button on her remote only if both ESPN and CBS are broadcasting college hoops simultaneously on a Saturday afternoon. This kind of fan can spot the alley-oop play before the pass is ever thrown. She follows the weakside and notices the backpick (a weakside pick that frees a player who's cutting toward the basket) being set on the alley-ooper's defender. During the 1997 Final Four, North Carolina's Vince Carter sprang for at least three first-half alley-oop dunks against Arizona. The hoops junkie was already yelling "Lob!" or "Alley-oop!" before Carter ever left his feet. She saw the screen being set up on the weakside. Avoid Carter-vision Watch the other players on the court besides the star. Vince Carter is fun to watch, but don't keep your eyes on him all the time. Many great players are in each game, and you may miss something. Focus on an unsung player for five or six straight trips down the court, and you'll find out a lot about him. Does he hustle back on defense? Does he "take a series off" (that is, fail to hustle on a trip down the court) on defense once in a while? Get Carter-vision Whether the star of the game is Vince Carter or your local high school phenom, watch his every move in crunch time. In a four-week span during his second season in the NBA, the Toronto Raptor guard hit three game-winning baskets — two were buzzer-beating three-pointers, one was a dunk. Who was going to shoot the ball was not a secret. But how did he create open shots for himself? Sometimes the game's star is not the team's best player, but the girl with the hot hand that evening. Keep an eye on her. Then during the next game, when she reverts to the form of a mere mortal, try to see whether she's doing anything differently. Follow stats You can keep stats yourself as you watch, or you can rely on the television statisticians to follow more than the score. Some of the less discussed but fun stats to track are offensive rebounding, points off turnovers, points in the paint, and bench scoring. If you look at the 1997 NCAA semifinal game between Arizona and North Carolina, you see that North Carolina won the rebound battle 52-48, and the offensive boards 22–17. Sounds like the Tar Heels had the edge in that aspect of the game. However, Arizona won the second-chance points (in other words, scoring off offensive rebounds) 15–11. So even though North Carolina had more offensive rebounds, Arizona had more points off offensive rebounds. So Arizona really had the advantage in that area. Continuing with that game, North Carolina shot 31.1 percent from the field (meaning that 31.1 percent of the Tar Heels' shots went through the hoop) and Arizona, 33.3. But take a look at three-point shooting: Arizona made 11–29 shots for 38 percent, and North Carolina made just 4–21 for 19 percent. So while the overall shooting was fairly even, the disparity in three-point shooting was the reason for Arizona's eight-point win. Watch the officials Officials can dictate the pace of the game. If they're whistle-happy, they can slow the pace. Neither team can find a rhythm when the officials are calling a foul on every possession. If an official makes a grandstand call (a call that draws attention to the official) by running into another official's area to make a call, this is a bad sign. If an official overrules another official, this may mean that the first official thinks he is bigger than the game. A good official does not take the game out of the players' hands; he controls the game without being noticed. Officials can also take a team out of its offense or defense by calling a game too tight (whistling too many fouls) or too loose (seldom blowing the whistle). Some teams play more physically than others, and their success can hinge on how much contact the officials will allow. An official may have a bias — conscious or subconscious — about who is supposed to win the game. An underdog fights this problem, especially on the road. Close calls, many times, go in favor of the team that the official believes is supposed to be the better team — or the home team. In the NBA, this is known as star treatment. In the seventh game of the 2000 NBA Western Conference Finals, Steve Smith of the Portland Trail Blazers collided with Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers as Smith drove to the basket late in the game. At the time there were less than two minutes remaining and the Blazers trailed by a point. It seemed obvious that O'Neal fouled Smith, but no whistle was blown. The Lakers, who had been favored to win the series, in fact did. It may have turned out differently had that foul been called. The best officials are the ones you don't know or don't remember. When an official does the extra little things on a call, like throwing in a little extra body English, he draws too much attention to himself. That's bad. Conversely, officials must keep a game from getting out of hand. They can do so by communicating with the players and then, if necessary, calling a technical foul or two.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Press is short for pressure. Often called a full-court press, this is an attacking defense employed in the backcourt, where the objective is to force a turnover. Usually used after a made basket, the pressing team swarms all over the opponents in the backcourt; if the opponents successfully get the ball past half-court (called breaking the press), the pressing team usually falls back into their normal defense. The strategy of the press is to force the ball handler to make a decision before he wants to. Why press? Pressing can help your team gain both an offensive and defensive advantage. These are instances when you'd want to press: The opponent has poor ball-handling ability. A poor ball handler is anyone who makes turnovers. To disrupt the opponent's offensive rhythm. To increase the tempo of the game. When playing against a slow, methodical team, if you can change the game pace with a press, your offense is more likely to get steals and easy baskets, which helps their confidence. Your players believe in it. Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson uses the term "40 Minutes of Hell" to describe playing his team. His players bought into the concept of pressing from start to finish — of turning the game into a war of attrition. If your players love to press and you have the bench depth to do it, pressing is a great way to play. Full-court pressure results in lots of turnovers and, hence, easy baskets. But pressing is also physically demanding and can tire players quickly. It's something different. Few hoops teams have the athletic ability and bench depth to press all game, hence most teams devote little practice time to breaking the press. Figures 1 and 2 show two common press formations. Figure 1: The 2-2-1 press: a common full-court press. Figure 2: The 1-3-1 half-court press. The trap press This press uses the sideline as a third defender (shown in Figure 3). Figure 3: The trap areas — on the inbounds, between the foul lines and midcourt, and deep in either corner in the frontcourt. The trap press involves three steps: 1. Trap the ball. After your opponent in-bounds the ball, trap the player who receives the pass. Two players force him toward the sideline. Don't give the player with the ball an opportunity to look for an open teammate; attack the ball immediately. 2. Keep the player surrounded in the trap. After the player with the ball puts the ball on the floor and begins her dribble, the defender in front of her must force her to the sideline. The inbounds pass defender approaches from behind to effect the trap. When she picks up her dribble, she should reach in for the ball with two hands to make a pass. If you reach in, reach with one hand on top and the other on the bottom of the ball. If the opportunity to put two hands on the ball — to either steal it or get a held-ball call — is not there, don't risk it. 3. Anticipate the desperation pass. But do not foul the trapped player. Teach all your defensive players every spot on the floor in the trap defense so they get a feel for where everyone is supposed to be and they know when to make the interception. The players have more confidence in what their teammates are doing, and you can sub each player in for anyone during a game.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

If you are interested in joining a fantasy sports team, and your sport of choice is basketball, then the first thing you will need to understand is how to properly score your players at the end of each game. Three factors determine how you will score your players: league format, player allowance, and what scoring system your league uses. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/slobo Fantasy basketball scoring determined by league format The league format determines what categories are being scored and what players are eligible to be used in each of the categories. For example, your league might score on only four categories: assists, blocks, steals, and turnovers. You then would check each of your players to determine whether they qualify for each of those categories. If the player has some form of stat in each category, the stat then is compared to the previous game's stat or player's average stat and decided to be either positive or negative. If the stat is determined a positive one, the player receives the point or win for that category and vice versa for players who receive a negative stat. You can always contact your league commissioner(s) (person(s) who created the league) to ask what format your league uses. If you are considering a league that does daily scoring and rotations, keep in mind that each team plays 3–4 times a week, and this can be quite time consuming. Try talking your league into adapting rules that are more in the realm of fantasy football in which you would score and rotate players weekly instead of daily. Fantasy basketball scoring determined by player allowance Some leagues use the standard 15-player per team format, and others use 12 or fewer to keep things more simplified. If your team uses the standard format, then you need to follow each player in all categories your league scores on. If your team uses fewer players, you need to check with the league rules to see whether they dictate that only one player be scored in each category and so on. For example, if your league allows a 12-player roster and scores on four categories, with the stipulation that only one player can be scored in each category, then 4 players will be active in each game. The remaining 8 players will be included in your player pool from which you choose when performing the daily or weekly player rotation. Fantasy basketball scoring determined by scoring type The most important of all the scoring factors is the scoring type your league uses: Win/Loss In a win/loss league, you score your players in each category with a win or loss for that category. Then add up all the wins and losses at the end of the season and compare each team's win/loss record. To determine whether a player gets a win for the category, you compare that player's stats for the day to either his average or to the previous game's stats. If the player does better than the predetermined stat, he gets the win point. In a couple variations on win/loss, you can either tally all categories and use all totals at the end of the season, or a more popular way is to tally all the categories at the end of the game day or week and if the wins outnumber the losses, you get 1 win for the day. At the end of the season the wins and losses are still added up, and the person with the best win/loss record takes the win. Point System With the point system, essentially the scoring is done in the same manner. You score the player in each applicable category; however, some categories are worth more than others. At the end of the season, you then total your points, and the person with the highest point value wins that league's season. Categories that are worth more than others are often based on stats that are rarer for players to get scored on such as 3-pointers and blocks. Remember to check with your league members or commissioner to know exactly what rules are in place so you know how to score your players efficiently and accordingly.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

When making the tough decision about which fantasy basketball league to join, you should know the difference between the two main league formats: standard and custom leagues. Within each of these two categories, you have to choose among several subcategories like the positions included, point scoring system, rotations, stats scored, and trade allowances to determine what game format will best work for you. For instance, a standard league uses the entire standard format but can score the game in a few different ways. You can base your scores on wins/losses in individual categories or average the score for the whole team in the win/loss format, known as Rotisserie or “Roto.” Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/GoodLifeStudio Another commonly used scoring format is the inclusion of the point system in which some stats are worth more than others, and the points are added up for all players in all categories and then totaled at the end of the season to determine the league winner — Head-to-Head Points. Standard league format In a standard league there are 10 active slots and 2–5 bench slots (utility slots) totaling 12–15 players per team: 1 Center (C) 1 Flex Forward (F) – Both power forward and small forward players qualify. 1 Flex Guard (G) – Both point guard and shooting guard players qualify. 1 Point Guard (PG) 1 Power Forward (PF) 1 Shooting Guard (SG) 1 Small Forward (SF) 2–5 Utilities (Utl) — Also known as the bench; any player position qualifies. The players are scored in these 22 individual categories: Points (PTS) Blocks (BLK) Steals (STL) Assists (AST) Offensive Rebounds (OREB) Defensive Rebounds (DREB) Rebounds (REB) Personal Fouls (PF) Disqualifications (DQ) Technical Fouls (TF) Flagrant Fouls (FF) Ejections (EJ) – Fewer is better Turnovers (TO) Field Goals Made (FGM) Field Goals Attempted (FGA) Free Throws Made (FTM) Free Throws Attempted (FTA) Three Pointers Made (3PM) Three Pointers Attempted (3PA) Minutes Played (MIN) Games Started (GS) Games Played (GP) With Rotisserie or Roto, the players are given a win or loss for each category. Either the individual categories are scored through the whole season, or each player is averaged on wins/losses and either receives a win or loss for the week. Those totals are added up at the end of the season to determine the winner. With Head-to-Head Points the stat scoring is based on the rarity of the plays; more rare events such as blocks and 3-pointers are worth more than more common events like rebounds and free throws. Point values are usually kept in the single digits, so totaling your score at the end of the week and again at the end of the season doesn’t result in tracking huge numbers. In standard leagues an open trade floor often commences once or twice in a season. During the open trade timeframe, you are allowed to trade players from your team to other league members in an attempt to better your overall team standing and hopefully win the season in your league. Often the trade floor is timed so that the game can get back underway without having to wait on more cautious league members that take entirely way too long to make their picks. Another common feature of a standard league is daily rotations. Every game day you have the option to rotate your players in and out of the utility slot as well as rotating eligible players in and out of the Flex Forward and Flex Guard slots. Keep in mind that you don’t have to make rotations if you don’t want, but that defeats the purpose of including these three slots into the standard league's format. Custom league formats Custom leagues usually are designed to make things easier for beginners. Often custom leagues include only 5 active slots and 2–5 bench slots, totaling 7–10 players per team. The removal of the Flex Forward and Flex Guard slots simplifies scoring and rotations since these slots include players that are eligible for other slots. For example, a Point Guard can be rotated into a Flex Guard slot. Some leagues even remove the bench all together and only allow the five active slots so no rotations are needed either. The reduced number of players are scored in the same Roto or point format as a standard league but often the number of stats is greatly reduced as well. For instance, instead of following all 22 stats, your league may follow only the top five stat categories. Try looking for a custom league that plays weekly instead of daily to avoid the need for constant player rotations. If you are a fantasy beginner, look for a daily or weekly league instead of the full season so you can get the hang of things before you invest many hours into a game that you do not fully understand.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

If you are considering joining a fantasy basketball league, you need to take into account the following DOs and DON’Ts before considering the players you want to draft onto your team. Credit: ©iStockphoto.com/IS_ImageSource Fantasy basketball draft pick DOs In most fantasy basketball leagues, the commissioner (person who sets up the league) decides the order in which league members get to draft their players and assigns “keeper” players to all the league members. To perform a successful draft, you need to keep this information in mind as well as a few other important tips: Do make sure to do your homework. Perform mock drafts, find cheat sheets, even consider purchasing a draft kit from a reputable online fantasy sports site. Do check your league's format. Double-check the format of your league prior to making any rash decisions on which players will work best for you since different league formats score players on different point scales, and player values will vary. Also some leagues draft 10 or fewer players per team, while others use the standard 12–15 player slots. Do understand how to value your players. In a standard league, check the player pages and player depth charts to determine the player’s value. In a custom league, check the players who interest you and mock score them on their previous seasons stats with the type of scoring your league uses to determine whether the player's value increases or decreases from his average value rating. Do follow up-and-coming college basketball players. By following some key players that have the potential of moving up to the NBA from a college team, you will have a basic knowledge base as to whom the “sleeper” players are. Do know what keepers are and how to use them. If your team is returning for a second, third, or even fourth season and your league members have remained basically the same members as when you originally created/joined the league, you will have the option to turn your league into a keeper league. This basically means league members will be given the option to keep a few of the players they had from previous seasons. The league’s commissioner determines the number of keepers allowed and sometimes even assigns who is keep-able and who is not. Remember which players worked best for you in the past and check their current ranking to determine whether they are the players you want to keep on your team — permitting they qualify. Fantasy basketball draft pick DON’Ts When putting together a fantasy team, it’s a good thing to know what not to do, to avoid team losses and the embarrassment of not knowing what you're doing. Don’t try to pick all number one players. All leagues have a salary cap, and if you try to pick all top players for each available position, you will not only upset the other league members and look like a horse’s bottom, but you will exceed your salary cap and not be able to complete the draft anyway. Try to pick out a variety of players from all rankings and try to find some sleeper players who don’t cost much. You may end up with a number one player or two without the salary cost or fellow league member drama. Don’t take a long time to make your picks. When part of a fantasy sports league, you need to take into consideration the other players' time restrictions as well as your own. Try to confirm a set time to make trades, perform timed drafts, and even when playing semi-daily or weekly. By having everyone on the same schedule, you'll be able to enjoy gameplay that much more without a lot of long waits. Don’t join a league stop playing half-way through the season. If you decide you want to join a league, be committed. The season is 82 games long; you're in it for the long run. If you decide to drop out mid-season, you potentially have ruined other members' chances of drafting a better team. Try to play a daily or weekly league to see whether you like the game and what variation you favor before committing to a full-season format. If a league member (or you) decides to drop out of the league, often the league will offer an emergency floor trade, so the players “locked” to the no longer existing team can get moved to a team that is still active.