LIVING THE DREAM

The results of the NBA trade deadline have a very fitting likening to a funhouse in the sense that teams, both pro clubs and fantasy rosters, are forced to examine their identities again and evaluate just where they stand in a completely new field of competition.  Roughly a third of NBA front offices made moves to bolster their roster, cut costs or add to a young core in hopes of progressing towards a contender.  Now many coaches and players, and, by virtue of association, fantasy basketball fans, have to step back and find their identities.

The Cavaliers made a big splash picking up Antawn Jamison from the Wizards in a three-team deal that almost assures them the No. 1 seed come playoff time, but how does Jamison fit an already efficient big man rotation?  If Jamison steps in and eats up about 75 to 80 percent of the playing time at the power forward, where does that leave Andersen Varejao's role, and who will step into the center spot without Zydrunas Ilgauskas picking up the bench minutes?  Houston shipped Tracy McGrady to New York to cash in on the rat race that will be 2010 free agency, but is the Knicks' gamble at Lebron James worth the certainty of handing Sacramento's Kevin Martin to the Rockets?

Along the same lines, many fantasy players now must review where their players wound up, who they face in the challenge for playing time and how these new teammates will warp a player's production. In the previous example, Kevin Martin leaves a team in shambles in Sacramento to immediately upgrade the Houston Rockets to playoff team, but how does Martin's individual production look to play out?  He is one of three swingmen capable of starting at the two or three of any roster.  For those of you not familiar with math, that leaves one player the odd man out.

On the other end of this deal, Tracy McGrady started immediately for the Knicks Saturday evening against the Thunder in the wake of multiple Knickerbocker shenanigans, and wound up posting 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting, providing a legitimate double-take opportunity for many a fantasy player.   Wasn't this the old and busted T-Mac?  This is the guy the Knicks picked up to shed some salary space and prepare for next year, so how is he playing like the new hotness?

Not only did McGrady show flashes of the former scoring champion of old, he had an immediate impact across the board.  The Knicks scored more efficiently from the floor, but every player for New York not named David Lee took a statistical step back without the constant pressure to find the focal point of their offense anymore.  If you are fortunate enough to have picked up McGrady, kudos on the free 20 ppg, but as for the desperate owners of Chris Duhon and Wilson Chandler, the levee just broke. 

The same issue will arise across the board on various levels, and each instance will require the fantasy owner to step in and intervene if the stats don't rebound (heh, see what I did there?) soon.  Nate Robinson will produce in Boston, just not like he used to; Al Thornton and Josh Howard will battle it out for quality forward production, but the winner could flip back and forth on a nightly basis.

The answer to this riddle, like many other trades this past two weeks, is that the teams acquiring big talent will have their entire roster take a subtle hit in individual stats but trade that downfall in for a more superior team overall.  The fantasy trade deadline is typically the first weekend in March; this year it falls on March 6.  Do not be afraid to sell high and force a move if you need something better than what you're getting.  Watch out for statistical jumps because they can be a great way to bait a swap for a more steady producer.  Good luck and happy gaming!