Fantasy Notes: Fantasy is far from reality

Every once in a while a season comes in which the suits of the league start to look a lot like us, fantasy basketball managers. I cannot think of a better example than this very season. It all started off with a bang, when Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge started trading young talent on the rise for aging stars who have yet to win the big one. Then Isaiah Thomas did what he always does and brought in a player who posts big numbers, but very few wins. As if the lesson wasn’t learned with the addition of Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, and Quentin Richardson, Thomas took the gamble of trading away youth in former first round pick Channing Frye for double-double machine Zach Randolph.

Indeed, the results have been mixed. The Boston Celtics have thrived with three players uniting as one in Beantown for a common goal of winning a title. Of course, the Knicks are as united as the Soviet Union circa 1990.

In other words, NBA general managers received mixed messages, and just like Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber, they said, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” Phoenix Suns General Manager Steve Kerr brought in Shaquille O’Neal, while the Heat were happy with the younger Shawn Marion. The Mavericks jumped at a reunion with Jason Kidd, while the Nets were happy to bring in Devin Harris. In the meantime, the Celtics clinched their division, and the New York Knicks are currently the cellar dweller. Sound familiar? This is the same game that we play every single season. General Managers are taking chances. Just like fantasy managers who grabbed Rudy Gay in the middle rounds, and those who grabbed Gilbert Arenas in the first, NBA General Managers are taking chances just like us.

There is just one glaring difference between us fantasy managers, and our counterparts in the NBA. There is a bit more money on the line for Steve Kerr and friends. The best part of fantasy sports, whether you realize it or not, is that it is, in fact, a fantasy. Worst case scenario for us is a slight loss of pride. The good news is that we always have next year. You can’t say that about Steve Kerr. If Shaq fails to deliver in the playoffs, the Suns don’t exactly have the prettiest road ahead. Shaq and Steve Nash are aging, and I have not seen Leandro Barbosa do enough to suggest that he can carry the torch. Let’s face it, Steve Kerr put his job on the line by shocking all of us. By making a move like the rest of us.

While the big name trades are making us sense a common bond with the real-life GMs, there are also subtle reminders concerning how different we actually are. The aforementioned Blazers trade has the phrase “addition by subtraction,” ring true. Only in reality does that make sense. I would take Zach Randolph’s 20 and 10 every single night in fantasy hoops. The idea that he is not a team player is unheard of in fantasy sports. Heck, the only time that matters is when we choose to make bold decisions at our own discretion, without considering it’s fantasy relevance. Yes, I’ll admit it, as a Mets fan I refused to own either John Rocker or Roger Clemens. The decision worked wonders when Rocker started to get rocked, but the Rocket went on to have many fine seasons even after nailing Mike Piazza in the head with a fastball, or for some reason throwing a bat in his direction in the World Series (I wonder where all this rage came from?).

The final point to leave you on concerns another symptom of this fantasy sports world that we live in. We never see the truly great teams coming. Let’s face it, we all assumed New England would bury New York in the Super Bowl. Heck, did you see Eli Manning’s regular season statistics? Regardless, the underdog won, proof that they were the better team in reality. A very similar situation is evolving at this moment in the NBA. While we have been talking plenty about the Mavericks, Suns, and Lakers, the Houston Rockets have gone under the radar to make history as the second team ever to win an astounding 22 consecutive games. More remarkable, nearly half of these wins have come with fantasy star Yao Ming sidelined. So how does it happen? It’s called chemistry. The Rockets spell it with Luis Scola, Dikembe Mutombo, Shane Battier, Chuck Hayes, amongst a few other seldom-mentioned players. These are called role players; something we don’t require in fantasy hoops.

Just when we had the sense that fantasy and reality were at one, with major trades involving big names aplenty, the Houston Rockets remind us that we really aren’t all that similar at all.

Rob Shaw is the Lead Expert for FantasyFanatics.com, the premier fantasy sports community.

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