It's over.  The Fantasy basketball and the NBA Seasons are both over, and while I understand many of you are in your mourning period, the time to bookmark/save/photographically memorize information for next year is now, while it's still fresh.  This way you can do your own research rather than relying on "experts" to tell you how to draft.  (Oh wait; I'm an 'expert'.  Darn it.  Please still read my articles.)  But you get my point, the more information you have going in, the better.  This will at least let you know where everyone stood at this point in the season for next year.  So here it is, the Top Weekly Performances, Year-End Edition.

 

Your Bronze Medal Team:

Baron Davis - PG - Golden State Warriors - Davis was fantastic through the majority of the season, although he did hit the wall a bit over the last month, and that's something to look out for potentially in the future.  His main contributions, other than his own play, included the improvement of Monta Ellis, Matt Barnes, and even to a degree, SJax, so it was all in all a productive season, and a relatively healthy one as well; which is always important, especially for Davis.  He finished as the number 11 overall ranked Fantasy player this season.

The totals: 21.8 pts, 4.7 reb, 7.6 asst against 2.8 turn/game, 2.3 stl, 0.5 blk, and shot 42.6% FG, 75.0% FT and made 2.1 3-pt/game at a rate of 33.0%.

Danny Granger - SG/SF/PF - Indiana Pacers - One of the better stories of the year, Danny Granger joined "The Try Squad" for the Pacers, and has truly come into his own as a player to be reckoned with.  Whether or not the Pacers will be good in the future remains to be seen; but Granger is here to stay, and he's going to be a Fantasy favorite for years to come, especially if he continues to be listed at three positions.  A seven-spot player AND he's productive?  Where do I sign up?  Granger finished as the 16th ranked Fantasy player.

The totals: 19.6 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.1 asst against 2.1 turn/game, 1.2 stl, 1.1 blk and shot 44.6% FG, 85.2% FT and made 2.1 3-pt/game at 40.4%.

LeBron James - SF - Cleveland Cavaliers - Yeah, I got your MVP right here, when he's not even one of the top-two best at his own position.  LeBron scored a lot of points, and helped an average team into the playoffs.  He ended up 8th in overall Fantasy rank.

The totals: 30.0 pts, 7.9 reb, 7.2 asst against 3.4 turn/game, 1.8 stl, 1.1 blk and shot 48.4% FG, 71.2% FT and made 1.5 3-pt/game at 31.5 %.

Chris Bosh - PF/C - Toronto Raptors - This season was the big breakout season for Bosh, and he became the unqualified leader of that team.  The offense ran through him in Toronto, and hopefully they can straighten out a few things (Andrea Bargnani, TJ Ford) for next season, which will make that whole team better in the long run.  So welcome to the "legit NBA Star" club, Mr. Bosh.  Also, you won me over with one of the best YouTube videos I've seen all year.  Bosh ended up as the 13th ranked Fantasy player this season.

The totals: 22.3 pts, 8.7 reb, 2.6 asst against 2.3 turn/game, 0.9 stl, 1.0 blk and shot 49.4% FG and 84.4% FT.

Yao Ming - C - Houston Rockets - Yao played just 55 games this year, but he truly was one of the elite centers in the game before succumbing to injury.  He established himself as a legitimate threat in the post, offensively, and this year, defensively as well.  Hopefully Yao can recover from his injury and be back to himself next year.  Yao ended up as the 12th overall ranked Fantasy player this season.

The totals:  22.0 pts, 10.8 reb, 2.3 asst against 3.3 turn/game, 0.5 stl, 2.0 blk and shot 50.7% FT and 85.0% FT.

 

Your Silver Medal Team:

Allen Iverson - PG/SG - Denver Nuggets - I don't really know what to say about Iverson that hasn't already been said, other than the fact he just continues to amaze me season after season, and seems to actually be still getting better.  He played all 82 games for the Nuggets this year, and managed to help get them into the playoff in a very competitive Western Conference.  You might think Denver stands no chance against the Lakers in the first round, but I think the Lakers would have liked to have drawn anyone else.  AI ended up as the 10th ranked Fantasy player overall.

The totals: 26.4 pts, 3.0 reb, 7.1 asst against 3.0 turn/game, 2.0 stl and shot 45.8% FG, 80.9% FT and made 1.2 3-pt/game at 34.6%.

Manu Ginobli - SG - San Antonio Spurs - After a slow start to the season, Ginobli came on like a wildfire after New Year's and had the best two to three month stretch of anyone in the league, helping the Spurs regain their championship stride and pushing them hard into the playoffs.  Ginobli ended up as the 15th ranked Fantasy player overall, and that was after a very slow start to the season.

The totals: 19.5 pts, 4.8 reb, 4.5 asst against 2.7 turn/game, 1.5 stl, 0.4 blk and shot 46.0% FG, 86.0% FT and made 2.1 3-pt/game at 40.1%.

Caron Butler - SF - Washington Wizards - Butler played just 58 games this season, but over that time he was the 6th ranked overall Fantasy player in the entire league.  He's become one of the better pure threes in the game, and should really be on your radar should he drop at all in next year's draft.  It should be an interesting first round matchup between Butler and LeBron, especially now that you who the better player REALLY is.

The totals: 20.3 pts, 6.7 reb, 4.9 asst against 2.6 turn/game, 2.2 stl, 0.3 blk and shout 46.6% FG, 90.1% FT and made 1.1 3-pt/game at 35.7%.

Dirk Nowitzki - PF - Dallas Mavericks - Similar to Manu Ginobli, Nowitzki started off quite slowly in his own right, but turned it on big after the All-Star break, and turned it on even bigger after the Kidd trade, trying to pick up his slack.  Dirk showed a side of himself rarely seen before, a side in which Nowitzki absolutely refuses to let his team lose, and will do anything possible to prevent that from happening.  It's an interesting new trait, one which usually only the best of the best show.  Nowitzki ended up as the 9th ranked Fantasy player this season.

The totals: 23.6 pts, 8.6 reb, 3.5 asst against 2.1 turn/game, 0.7 stl, 0.9 blk and shot 47.9% FG, 87.9% FT and made 1.0 3-pt/game at 35.9%.

Marcus Camby - C - Denver Nuggets - He may not be the league's MVP, but he is certainly my Fantasy team's MVP.  Camby, in my league, dropped to the 3rd round, and I was able to snag him there.  I was a little dubious at first, knowing that I wouldn't be getting any scoring, but he was all I needed to start for blocked shots.  Camby is truly underrated as an elite Center, but he really should be recognized as such.  Camby was ranked the 6th overall Fantasy player.

The totals: 9.2 pts, 13.2 reb, 3.3 asst against 1.5 turn/game, 1.1 stl, 3.6 blk and shot 45.1% FG and 70.6% FT. 

 

And now, your Gold Medal Team for the 2007-08 Fantasy Season:

 

Chris Paul - PG - New Orleans Hornets - Chris Paul is the league MVP.  If Chris Paul somehow DOESN'T win the NBA MVP, Serena and I are rioting.  He had potentially the best season by a Point Guard, ever.  That's all that needs to be said, except for this: Chris Paul was the 1st overall ranked Fantasy player.

The totals: 21.1 pts, 4.0 reb, 11.6 asst against 2.5 turn/game, 2.7 stl and shot 48.8% FG, 85.1% FT and made 1.1 3-pt/game at 37.0%

Kobe Bryant - SG - Los Angeles Lakers - From wanting to be traded, to calling out his teammates in the media to being the bestest teammate EVER!  It's been a roller-coaster soap opera watching Kobe, but all the while, he's sure put up the numbers.  He's helped to lead the Lakers to the first overall seed in the West, and appears healthy and ready to go.  Kobe was the 3rd overall ranked Fantasy player.

The totals:  28.3 pts, 6.3 reb, 5.4 asst against 3.1 turn/game, 1.8 stl., 0.5 blk and shot 45.9% FG, 84.0% FT and made 1.8 3-pt/game at 36.1%.

Shawn Marion - SF/PF - Miami Heat - It was a tumultuous year for The Matrix this year.  In-fighting with Amare Stoudemire and forcing a trade, and then taking a look at his new surroundings and either (depending on who you listen to) got hurt or quit on his team.  Regardless, Marion is the best small forward in the game today, bar none, and this season was an indicator of just that.  The Matrix finished 4th overall in Fantasy rank.

The totals: 15.4 pts, 10.2 reb, 2.2 asst against 1.4 turn/game, 2.0 stl, 1.3 blk and shot 50.8% FG, 70.7% FT and made 1.0 3-pt/game at 25.8%

Kevin Garnett - SF/PF - Boston Celtics - There’s certainly a contingent of people out there who believe Garnett is the league MVP.  I'm not in that camp, but I understand where they're coming from.  Garnett's numbers are impressive enough, but his intangibles have led to the Celtics 42-game improvement over a year ago, and, in my (biased) mind, they're the odds-on favorites to win the whole thing.  That doesn't happen without Garnett's leadership.  The Big Ticket finished 7th overall in Fantasy rank.

The totals: 18.8 pts, 9.2 reb, 3.4 asst against 1.9 turn/game, 1.4 stl, 1.3 blk and shot 53.9% FG, and 80.1% FT

Amare Stoudemire - PF/C - Phoenix Suns - There's really not much Stoudemire doesn't do well.  He's even picked up his defense some this year, and has truly become one of the best post players in the league, if not the best.  Without Stoudemire this season, with everything else that was going in, Phoenix doesn't make the playoffs without him.  Eventually, they'll be talking about Stoudemire like they do about Garnett, although Stoudemire might already be better.

The totals: 25.2 pts, 9.1 reb, 1.5 asst against 2.2 turn/game, 0.8 stl, 2.1 blk and shot 59.0% FG and 80.5% FT. 

 

Hope you enjoyed that look at this past year's hard numbers.  Coming soon will be a Waiver Wire All-Stars article, as well as a regular season awards article, and potentially more this week. All of it will be bookmark-worthy for next year's draft, so make sure to stay tuned.