First hand review of Toronto Raptors Season Opener 2009-2010
Most of the sports world focus rests in New York tonight, as the Yankees and Phillies kick off the World Series. I joined a packed house as the Toronto Raptors kicked off their season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some observations need to be made directly, and what follows are some overall impressions of the game, the teams, and the players, as well as some fantasy impact thrown in.
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2009-2010 NBA Central Division Preview
Posted by Phil Partington Categories: Editorial, NBA
The pairing of LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal for the Cleveland Cavaliers is grabbing the headlines for the NBA’s Central Division. Two of the biggest personalities in professional sports should create a Hollywood stir in Cleveland next season. Meanwhile, 2009 Rookie of the Year winner, Derrick Rose, strives to build on an exceptional first year with the Chicago Bulls.
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Fantasy NBA: Analysis of First Round

The one-man mock draft has been fun, but as “one man” writing, I would be lucky to get deep into the fourth round before the season opens. Thus, the focus will shift on topics such as analyzing average draft position (or ADP), which will hopefully benefit those still yet to draft.
Fantasy basketball writing, in general, is still dominated by emphasis on roto leagues. Let us take a look at typical first round selections, but from a head-to-head standpoint. Comments will be geared towards a H2H league that employs the standard nine categories (FG%, FT%, 3PTM, Pts, Rebs, Ast, Stl, Blk and TO).
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 3, Pick 1

If you are new to Asian cuisine, but find Chinese food too oily, and Thai food too spicy, consider trying a Vietnamese restaurant. I was out having noodles with my family when I overheard a young woman at another table giving her order. She ordered “Pho” or soup noodles and listed the item number, but instead of regular beef, she wanted beef tendons, and she wanted to add tripe and fish balls as well. All this is fine and good, but the kicker was when she asked the waiter, “Same price, right?” Uh, no.
With this next player, there is no need to modify your order, because you will get exactly what you paid for. And a third-round pick might still just be the right price.
Round 3, Pick 1: Jason Kidd, PG, Dallas Mavericks.
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 2, Pick 12

A fun time-waster is the mock draft application over at Yahoo Sports. Or if you have dealt with too many “yahoos on Yahoo” as one forum mate put it, sites like Mock Draft Central provide useful tools, despite the heavy slant and bias towards football.
It was during a mock draft that someone remarked “Tough Juice not so tough the last few years.” Games played totals of 63, 58 and 67 over the last three seasons have this player deserving of the knock. Yet, unlike other players, he has not been branded the label of being soft and has more or less avoided the derision of having a tendency to be injury-prone. Perhaps the obvious super attributes he has for the fantasy game enable us to offer Caron Butler a pass.
Round 2, Pick 12: Caron Butler, SF, Washington Wizards
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 2, Pick 11
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A great addition to Yahoo fantasy basketball has been the mock draft feature. At any time, you can join a mock draft with real live folks like yourself and prep for your real league together. Different size leagues and different types of leagues are available. In the chat section during a mock draft I participated in earlier this week, someone remarked that his or her first three picks last year were Elton Brand, Al Jefferson and Jose Calderon. Despite that injury-riddled trio, this person apparently still cruised to his league title. It is hard to tell how much kudos he/she deserves, as it seems quite probable that the league this person participated in was weak. A good fantasy GM dominating a bad league should find a better league.
On the other hand, fantasy hoopsters know there is absolutely nothing wrong with a good player suiting up for a bad team. A lot of fantasy goodness can be head with these types of situations, as this next player illustrates.
Round 2, Pick 11: Devin Harris, PG, New Jersey Nets
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Fantasy NBA 2009: Mock Draft Master List
This is where you will find links to all the picks made in the mock draft thus far. Remember that this mock draft considers players for a head-to-head league using the standard nine categories (FG%, FT%, three-pointers made, points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers).
1.1 LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
1.2 Chris Paul, PG, New Orleans Hornets
1.3 Dwyane Wade, PG/SG, Miami Heat
1.4 Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers
1.5 Kevin Durant, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
1.6 Dwight Howard, C, Orlando Magic
1.7 Danny Granger, SG/SF, Indiana Pacers
1.8 Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks
1.9 Amar’e Stoudemire, PF/C, Phoenix Suns
1.10 Brandon Roy, PG/SG, Portland Trail Blazers
1.11 Chris Bosh, PF/C, Toronto Raptors
1.12 Deron Williams, PG, Utah Jazz
2.1 Al Jefferson, PF/C, Minnesota Timberwolves
2.2 Pau Gasol, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers
2.3 Gilbert Arenas, PG, Washington Wizards
2.4 Kevin Garnett, PF, Boston Celtics
2.5 Chauncey Billups, PG, Denver Nuggets
2.6 Steve Nash, PG, Phoenix Suns
2.7 Tim Duncan, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs
2.8 Jose Calderon, PG, Toronto Raptors
2.9 Andre Iguodala, SG/SF, Philadelphia 76ers
2.10 Joe Johnson, PG/SG, Atlanta Hawks
2.11 Devin Harris, PG, New Jersey Nets
2.12 Caron Butler, SF, Washington Wizards
3.1 Jason Kidd, PG, Dallas Mavericks
One Man Mock Draft: Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 1, Pick 9
I act as a one-man army for this draft, but it would be neglectful to ignore identifiable mock draft trends that have materialized this summer. This player had follow-up surgery less than two months ago, and only stepped back onto the court last week, but a jaunt around the web reveals that his name is getting read towards the middle-end of the first round. He will be wearing new goggles for the upcoming season. Will drafting him have you seeing double? Or does he reward you by having a great season that vault him back into the conversation of top five fantasy players in the league today?
Round 1, Pick 9: Amar’e Stoudemire, PF/C, Phoenix Suns
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 1, Pick 7

LeBron James and Chris Paul represent the top tier in fantasy basketball this season. Both deserve to own top dog status, and arguing vehemently for one over the other is like splitting hairs. Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard were penciled in as the heart of the lineup in the first round and represent the second tier. Wade currently leads the pack for the third pick overall, and perhaps Dwight has the least chance of going so high since his negative roto buzz sometimes crosses over into other league formats. I believe he deserves to be a high draft pick in a head-to-head league. That means the third tier starts here.
Round 1, Pick 7: Danny Granger, SG/SF, Indiana Pacers
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 1, Pick 5

Oh, Portland. Will destiny link the names of Sam Bowie and Greg Oden together for all time? As the old saying goes, you cannot teach height. You also cannot teach sheer awesome scoring prowess. Heading into his third year in the league, this guy has lapped Oden in career achievement thus far several times over. As a hoops fan, hopefully Oden can overcome his injuries and show the world what he can do. In the meantime, though? Tell mommy to throw the food guide out the window because this season it will be KD for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Round 1, Pick 5: Kevin Durant, SG/SF, Oklahoma City Thunder
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