Thunder VS Magic: A Double Overtime Story

This game was a double overtime thriller with ton of clutch shots by multiple players. Everybody seemed to be hitting shots and it seemed like some players just couldn't miss. At the end of the 4th, Kevin Durant hit a 3-pointer that ties up the game. Then Victor Oladipo hit a 3 to put them up. With only 3.9 seconds left. The shot was really impressive as he drove and then stepped-back to hit the open shot. So with 3.9 seconds and no timeouts left, Russell Westbrook hits a bank shot in between halfcourt and the 3 point line to put the game into overtime. There were many more plays that went into overtime, but this to me was the best part of the game.

Victor Oladipo Is An All-Star
Last night, Victor Oladipo had a triple-double. His 21 points, 10 assists, 13 rebounds, 1 block, and 3 steals really helped any fantasy owners that owned him. While he racked up so many stats and hit so many big shots, he only shot 29.6% from the field, and 30% from deep. He really needs to shoot better from the field if the Magic expect to win a lot of games. Despite Oladipo's great performance, I think his shooting was the main reason why they lost this game. However, if Oladipo continues to put up these great numbers, I do see him making the all-star team this season.

Kevin Durant Is Back!
KD was looking great. This game, he didn't have Kawhi Leonard blocking and contesting his shots, and Durant was knocking tons of shots down. He had 43 points on 15-30 shooting on the night and 10-11 on free throws. He also did really well on the boards, getting 12 rebounds, and he really showed off his defense as he had 2 blocks and 1 steal. It was clear that he was the difference maker in that game and lead his team in that comeback as he fought alongside...

Russell Westbrook!
Westbrook did really well in the game as he had 48 points, 8 assists, and 11 rebounds. What did Westbrook do that really helped this Thunder team? He did great on the offensive rebounds. His 5 offensive rebounds were great and really helped the team. The whole team was on the offensive rebounds though. The team had a total of 22 offensive rebounds. One thing concerning about Westbrook last year was his shooting. He really took good shots in this game and shot 47.2% in this game. However, his 3-point shooting could improve as he shot 1-5 from deep. The other thing is Westbrook's turnovers. He had 6 turnovers in the game and that is something he can also improve on.

How About Them Magic Starter Kids?
The starting 5 for the Magic really played well. They had a combined total of 113 points. 4 of the starters had over 20 points. That is pretty impressive. They really had a great night, especially Tobias Harris 30 points and 9 rebounds. I was very impressed by this starting 5 and I expect them to have a great season. If there is an exciting team to watch this season, it is going to be the Magic. So far I haven't been disappointed by this team.

Other Points

• The Thunder were a little disappointing with the fact that they only had 19 assists on their 139 points. Hopefully we see some more assists in more games to come.
• Aaron Gordon had a nice performance off the bench with 15 points. Gordon will be a big key to Orlando's success this season.
• D.J. Augustin had 12 points and 5 assists off the bench and was a big part of that comeback run. It was really nice to see someone other than Durant or Westbrook contributing to the team.
• The Thunder really had a big advantage on the boards as they had 62 rebounds, versus the Magic's 49 rebounds. If the Thunder continue to crash the boards like that, they are going to have lots of success.
• Durant and Westbrook had a combined total 91 points. While their performances were great, the rest of the team really needs to get involved. I would like to see more from Ibaka who had an under performance of 8 points.

This was a great game and I'm excited to see more from both teams in future games. This was a very entertaining game and these are the game I love to watch.

Fantasy Friday: Shooting Guards

A good shooting guard is a good thing to have on your team. The only problem is that they are kind of few and far between. When you read this realize that some sucker will probably pick up Kobe Bryant and you will be laughing and pick one of these guys, because Kobe Bryant will most likely get injured or not be that efficient. Then Kobe Bryant will lead the league in scoring, make about three 3's per game, average a near triple-double, and win defensive player of the year. You will place all the blame on me and say "but Aaron, you said, 'When you read this realize that some sucker will probably pick up Kobe Bryant and you will be laughing and pick one of these guys, because Kobe Bryant will most likely get injured or not be that efficient.'!" And I will reply, hey man, no one said you had to listen to me. Then you will most likely be so mad that you will take your laptop and throw it out the window and your house will burn down. You will place all the blame on me and I will have to pay for the damages. So in advance, I say, take Kobe Bryant if you want to. If you want to take the risk fine, but don't blame me if it doesn't work. If you trust me though, you're best off taking these SGs.

10. Wesley Matthews: He is a risk. We don't know how he will respond. You may want to take K-Mart instead. Will Wes do great in Dallas, or will he be traded mid-season for Festus Ezeli because he is playing so bad. Well, if you take him, let's hope he will do great in Dallas. Wesley Matthews is a great defensive player and is deadly from deep. Watch out for him because he will shoot the lights out.

9. J.J. Redick: He will give you three pointers. He will give them to you. I am a bit worried that he is not doing so well since the playoffs and I fear it could be his down fall. Let's hope he can keep his numbers going up as Chris Paul gets less and less productive. Producing 16.4 PPG last season and 2.6 three pointers per game, he doesn't have much else to offer. Don't forget about Redick though, because chances are, most people will.

8. Victor Oladipo: This man looks like he will be the best player going into his 3rd season. He averaged over 17 PPG last season and contributed in other areas as he averaged 4.2 RPG, 4.1 APG, and 1.7 steals. He is looking good, we just don't know if he will be an all-star and we don't know how much he will improve. Hopefully, he will do great.

7. Paul George: He is in the risk category. So buyer beware. This man is coming off from a severe injury but if Paul George goes back to being regular Paul George, then the results will be amazing. The season before Paul got his injury, he was considered the best fantasy player in the league as he averaged 21.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.9 Steals per game. Great right? And he only averaged 2.8 turnovers. So if you want to take the risk, grab George.

6. Monta Ellis: Another Pacers player whose season is unclear. Monta could again produce a near 19 PPG and 4.1 Assists or his numbers could plummet. He is a great defender averaging a good 1.9 steals but we are unsure how this change of scenery will be for him.

5. Dwayne Wade: He has the skills and is most likely a future Hall of Famer, but  with Dragic, Bosh, Deng, and Whiteside, will his numbers drop? Probably. That's why he is down here. His great fantasy numbers he has been averaging for the last multiple year will most likely go down and Wade hasn't has a season where he played at least 70 games in 5 years. So take the old man if you want. You just better hope for a healthy season.

4. DeMar DeRozan: This boy is still averaging quite numbers in Toronto. 20.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG along with the steals and assists. He will most likely continue to increase his numbers but he doesn't have a lot to offer besides scoring. He is not a shooter if that is what you are looking for. So don't take him for that. But there aren't many players that average over 20 PPG and average just 2.3 turnovers per game.

3. Klay Thompson: He is a young player rising. Younger than Stephen Curry still. He still has a lot of potential. I would take him in a heartbeat because I see major improvement in Thompson this upcoming season. While he shoots many threes, I can see his 21.7 PPG from last year rising. He made over three 3 pointers per game last year. Not to mention he averaged a little less than 2 turnovers per game last year! This is why Klay is at number 3.

2. Bradley Beal: As Beal enters his 4th season in the NBA, he could very well become an all-star. In the playoffs he had shown that he could lead the team when John Wall went down. This 3 point sharp shooter can score, rebound, and assist and we all know it. He is expected to have his stats increase by a big margin here. We'll see if it happens.

1. James Harden: Of course he is number one. He is going to give you scoring. He will give you rebounds and assists. He will make 3s. And he will give you plenty of free throws. Not to mention he was really healthy last year. James Harden was probably the best player to have in fantasy last year. If you have him this year your team could be the best. The only downside is that James Harden commits turnovers. Oh well. You will obviously have to put up with that but it will be the same with LeBron and Kevin Durant. The way I figure it, he will be either the best or the second best fantasy player this year. Pick him up if you have the chance!

Well, there are your shooting guards. Some notable mentions that weren't on here are Kyle Korver and Kevin Martin so keep them in mind if these guys aren't available (or you just don't trust me). Again, remember that no one is telling you that you have to pick these guys up. So if you place a bunch of money and lose, it's not my fault. But it would be wise to draft these great players.