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One of the things that has kept fantasy basketball from catching on big-time
is the grind. You have to be a pretty serious basketball fan to retain the
desire to grab that morning newspaper and check out the stats of your players
for six consecutive months. And that's why I recommend exploring different
alternatives before deciding fantasy basketball is not for you.
Here are my recommendations:
- Play head-to-head competition. Your best six (one center, two forwards, two
guards and a wild card -- a sixth man, so to speak) against your opponent's
best six. Play in one-week periods, beginning Monday and running through
Sunday. If one team has 25 total games played that week and the other just
21, so be it. That'll become a lineup strategy. Next week: new opponent.
- Keep the scoring system simple. It can be as basic as points only. I like
the P-A-R (points-assists-rebounds) system. One point for each. It's easy to
add up and, in my opinion, puts a premium on the best players in the league.
Throw in blocked shots and steals if you must, and perhaps a bonus for
double-doubles (5 points) and triple-doubles (10 points). But, please, no
percentages. They only complicate the scoring system and serve no purpose
other than, in the cases of free throws and 3-point shooting, to cut into
Shaquille O'Neal's dominance.
- If you're a beginner, then maybe try out the points-only system and play
only on weekends. Here's how it works: Schedule a two-game series against
your opponent beginning on Friday night. Each participant submits a six-man
lineup and receives points for a player the first and second nights he plays.
For example, let's say your lineup includes Jason Kidd and Gary Payton.
Kidd's first game that weekend is Friday and he scores 18 points. You get
credit for that. And Payton's first game is Saturday and he scores 27. That
also gets credited to your Game 1 result. Then whenever each guy plays a
second game, you apply those points toward Game 2. That way, both teams are
guaranteed to play the same number of games. It's simple and gives you time
to breathe during the week.
- Playoffs? Why not? They don't always result in the best team winning, but
they're always fun. You can use the first week of April for the semifinal
round and the second week for your finals.
There are other things you can do: Don't put restrictions on your lineup (you
can play five guards if you want); limit your scope to just pre-selected
teams (this allows you to avoid the embarrassment of having a Clipper in your
league); and make it just you against your buddy (you're better than him/her
in a game of one-on-one, right?). The point is: The game is flexible. Reshape
it to fit your needs.
The NBA is a hot commodity again. There's no reason fantasy basketball
shouldn't be able to ride its coattails.
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