Author Archives: Tom Lorenzo

The Damnies!: Our 2011-12 Fantasy Basketball Awards

The season went by in a blur. The NBA Playoffs are even crazier. At Damn Lies & Statistics headquarters, we admit to being a little overwhelmed this year. Our day jobs tend to override our desire to churn out content as much as we like. Some of us – and I’m certainly not going to name names because I’m not sure any of us qualify – actually have personal lives. And the beloved Bubbly has gone from our trusty Ringo Starr to a sketchy Axl Rose, working on his own personal Chinese Democracy instead of holding his weight around these parts.

All these musical references must mean one thing: it’s awards season time! The end of the season is a time to reflect, and also a time to jot down our thoughts so we can return to them later in the summer, having forgotten nearly everything we’ve learned. It’s Damny Time, when the stars come out, walk down the red carpet, then turn right around and head home when they realize these are just fantasy basketball awards. Well who needs ya, Branjelina? Discerning readers know that this is the only awards show that matters. With that, it’s time for the third (I think) annual Damnies! Read more »

Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show: It’s the Finals, Baby!

Welcome to the final week of the fantasy basketball season. And while many of you aren’t alive in your H2H leagues, we’re still here to talk fantasy hoops — well, maybe more NBA Playoffs talk and Knicks talk than anything else, but… Hey, it’s our show.

Take the jump and join Tom and Greg as they run through the league and project some nice playoffs matchups, plus give the people what they want — fantasy analysis!

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Roundtable: Improving Fantasy Basketball

Today’s roundtable question comes from an impromptu discussion Jeff and Tom had during the Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show last night, which cut to black due to technical difficulties and/or gremlins about 30 minutes in. Jeff, Tom & Greg offer their thoughts on the following premise:

How can the game of fantasy basketball be improved? Should it be? Do you have any practical and/or wild ideas for leagues of the future?

Jeff: It’s quite understandable that someone could love the NBA and hate fantasy basketball. It’s a frustrating game, one that takes a lot of care to be good at, but at the same time one that hasn’t quite figured out how to appeal to hardcore fans of the sport or hardcore fans of fantasy games in general. It’s simply something to do between football and baseball for too many people, and here at Damn Lies & Statistics headquarters we’ve spent many hours lamenting the also-ran state of our beloved game. Read more »

Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show: Step In The Arenas

Gilbert Arenas is back! Ben Gordon is back! The New York Knicks are back! Now, if only someone would be so kind as to bring sexy back. That would be much appreciated. This week, Tom and Greg start off the show with your Ben Gordon 50-point watch, as they wait for Jeff to call in and complain about the Toronto Raptors. That’s right, someone actually complained about the Raptors. Wow. Link after the jump.

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Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show: Trade Deadline Edition

Dwight who? Jeff and Tom discuss the Indecision in Orlando, Mike D’Antoni’s departure, the Monta Ellis-Andrew Bogut deal, and much more in a very special Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show, taped Wednesday night. We’re sure a ton will happen on Thursday to render this moot, but you should listen anyways! Or not. We don’t want to make anyone mad. Kinda like Dwight! Link after the jump. Read more »

Damn Lies Fantasy Roundtable

Every once in a while, the writers at Damn Lies gather ’round the campfire, sip bourbon, and answer the fantasy questions bouncing around in their heads. This week, Greg, Tom & Jeff tackle potential late-season sleepers, the most overrated and underrated fantasy guys so far, and their Final Four picks. You read now, our marshmallows are burning.

1. Give readers three players who you feel could be worth a speculative add for the stretch run in deeper formats. Read more »

Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show: Bismack Talk

Jeff & Tom convened for this week’s Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show, talking about Wednesday night’s games and everything else under the fantasy sun. The state of the Lakers, Evan Turner’s strong game for Philly, Bismack Biyombo’s letdown game, the strong play of late for Joakim Noah and Serge Ibaka; these were just a few of the topics discussed. Hope you enjoy it! Link after the jump… Read more »

Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Trade Machine: The Deadline Is Quickly Approaching

With both the fantasy and real basketball trade deadlines approaching, we here at the Damn Lies headquarters figured we’d take a look at a few players who have some interesting value, on the current market, and try to do what we do best: speculate their future value. Hey, we fancy ourselves as fantasy fortune tellers.

So, for the rest of the day, or until you tire of our witty basketball banter, Jeff Andriesse and Tom Lorenzo will be conducting a “live” roundtable of sorts — Need it be round? We’re only two deep today. Whatever… follow along as we throw out a few players and discuss their current and future value on the market. Let’s get it started, after the jump!

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Damn Lies Roundtable: Second-Half Questions

Our new, hopefully regular feature here at Damn Lies & Statistics is the Roundtable, where Jeff, Greg and Tom answer three questions on the minds of fantasy owners. This week, three topics of interest: second-half bouncebacks, second-half busts, and real-life trade targets. Have your own opinions? Leave ‘em in the comments.

1) Name three players who will bounce back to have strong second-halves of the season.

Tom: I think, first, a healthy Carmelo Anthony is going to put up better numbers in the second half. Forget the “can he and Jeremy Lin co-exist” nonsense that seems to be on far too many people’s minds. I think Anthony can and will elevate his game, with Lin at point. He’s far too talented to average just 21 points and shoot under 40 percent from the floor. I also think that Dorell Wright is going to put up better numbers in the second half. We’re already seeing his 3-point shooting come along here over the last month or so, and his defense has improved, so I think he’s going to be much better in the second half of the season. Not to the point where he’s a Top 40 guy, but better than the useless shooter he was for the first month-plus of the season. Finally, look for Rajon Rondo to improve. He’s going to be called upon to help the aging Celtics in their second-half playoff push. Rondo should be able to give you 2-plus steals per game (better than the 1.6 he’s posting now) and up both his shooting percentage and scoring as he gets asked to add more offense. I think he’s a nice buy-low candidate right now. Read more »

Damn Lies Fantasy Hoops Show: First-Half Fantasy All-Stars

"Yes! I made the team!"

With All-Star Weekend approaching, Jeff and Tom thought it would be fun to have a mini fantasy draft where they’d draft their own Fantasy All-Star teams based on the first-half numbers. The rules were 12 players each, sort of, going back and forth based on the following criteria: we’re not sure. It was sort of just a discussion of who the best fantasy players and values of the first half were. Just listen. It beats Shaq’s and Barkley’s two-man draft, for sure.

Here are the final rosters. As of today, not a single player has turned down our offer to play in the just-now-thought-of Damn Lies Fantasy All-Star Charity game. Proceeds go to housing Bubbly.

Jeff’s First-Half Fantasy All-Stars:
Kevin Durant, OKC
Kyle Lowry, HOU
Ryan Anderson, ORL
Marc Gasol, MEM
Tyson Chandler, NYK
Greg Monroe, DET
Ricky Rubio, MIN
Brandon Jennings, MIL
Paul George, IND
Jeremy Lin, NYK
Marcin Gortat, PHO
Al Harrington, DEN

Tom’s First-Half Fantasy All-Stars:
LeBron James, MIA
Kevin Love, MIN
Kobe Bryant, LAL
Chris Paul, LAC
Danilo Gallinari, DEN
Deron Williams, NJN
LaMarcus Aldridge, POR
James Harden, OKC
Kyrie Irving, CLE
Mike Conley, MEM
Al Jefferson, UTA
Paul Millsap, UTA

Link to the show after the jump. Read more »