Thanks, Ziggy.
I owe as much to luck as I do to anything else. A few more games by Finley for me, a few more games for Artest and Billups for you, and the outcome could have been far, far different.
At the start of the year, I said to Skander, "I think it's going to be the play of the guards that wins this league." Considering that the categories that won me the match-up were mostly "superior guard" categories - FG%, 3Ptr, 3Pt%, Points, Assists, and (Fewest) Turnovers - I'd have to say I feel right about that.
The big deal for me was dumping Marbury and Rose and getting Nash and Finley. It may prove hurtful in the long run, as I think Marbury is a better keeper than either Nash or Finley, but I'm also one who believes you should play to win THIS YEAR. Finley was undoubtedly my team's MVP. Jim Jackson, with all of his 3-pointers, along with Nash, Finley, Eddie Jones, Andre Miller, and Larry Hughes - plus late-season pick-up Ricky Davis, gave me as strong of a backcourt as there was, and with Finley, Jackson, and Davis able to play either the two or the three, and with Hughes being able to play the one or the two, it gave me a really, really strong backcourt. That left it up to Duncan, Okur, and a cast of misfits to hold down the power spots.
Personally, I didn't feel that my team was strong enough up front to win it - much as you said in your pre-season picks. Surprisingly enough, I thought Ted, whose team finished in dead last, opened up with the strongest team. I had you and Drom a step behind that, and Skander and Jihad/WayOutWest following them up.
Skander's team was hurt pretty badly when Shareef Abdur-Rahim was traded for Rasheed Wallace. Wallace then being traded to Detroit hurt me, since I had Okur. And in the early going, the trade of Jerome Williams to Chicago hurt me, as well.
Drom, Skander, and you all had injuries down the stretch. And LTTK - the one team I said I most didn't want to open against - was one steal away from defeating me. LTTK really improved his team across the course of the year.
Also, I've got to give a little credit to Skander. Arguing basketball with him is one of my favorite things. His arguments as to how good Brian Cardinal was really caused me to take a close look at Cardinal, who, for a good time, proved to be very helpful to my team during a crucial stretch, and listening to him whine about Gary Payton during the ski trip is one of the things that convinced me to put Corey Maggette on the trading block. (He said I should keep Maggette and try to trade Jim Jackson.) Plus, when he dropped Okur at the start of the year, that turned out to be an awesome pick-up for me - replacing Raef Lafrentz.
I'm really happy to see Duncan, Nash, and Jones - Polar Bears from last year - rewarded with rings this year. Wish I could have brought Stockton out of retirement long enough for him to get a ring.
Once again, this really made the season fun. The start of the year was rotten - watching CHICAGO BULLS games to see how well JALEN ROSE would do was miserable, but once I got rid of him, the season got really fun. Miami, Golden State, Dallas, and Houston made for some great games.
Thanks to everyone for an enjoyable FNBA season.
