Drive to the Finals Picks - June 9, 2011

Fantasy Fresh Wes:

Must - LeBron James

• Change of plans. I know I said I'd take Barea and save James until the Heat's "inevitable" third win. I still hold that the Heat will get that third win, but the dynamics of this series have changed suddenly - especially for James. My thinking process was that - even if the Heat lost Game 4, LeBron James would have poured in his typical 38 PRA (give or take) and that adversity would be directed toward the entire team. Not the case. James had a meager 24 PRA and all the adversity is now on him. Now Game 5 is the most important of his career - and I'm going to assume he doesn't disappoint. 45+ PRA.

Bust - Mario Chalmers

• There is just no PRA room to pick a player on the Heat who are not named James, Wade or Bosh.

Drive to the Finals Picks - June 7, 2011

Fantasy Freshy Wes:

Must - Tyson Chandler

• I am still waiting to save LeBron after the Heat attain that inevitable third win. Until then, I'm just going with the best players on the board. Tonight it is Chandler. With a Mavs win, it is Barea in Game 5.

Bust - Jason Kidd

• Despite being a great leader for the other guards on this team, Kidd's PRA numbers have been less than stellar. Kidd barely cracks 20 PRA on the average night, whereas the back-up guards, Terry and Barea, have the potential to hit 20 points alone.

Drive to the Finals Picks - May 31, 2011

Hey everyone, sorry the updating has been less frequent as of late - I'm currently traveling Southeast Asia with my girlfriend, and internet access has been limiting me as of late. I have only managed to catch a few games as a result, and am hoping that this series extends for long enough that I can return home for the final few games. I'm really excited about this series (even though it was at the expense of the Thunder). I feel as though I am one of the few non-haters of the Heat outside of Miami, but would love to see Dirk and Kidd claim a championship of their own. However, I have to go with Miami to win this series. Lebron, Wade and Bosh have knocked the critics, and have proven that they will be a contender over the next six years - and will likely win several championships on the way.

As for the DttF, I just cracked the top 1000 (I'm at 999) at the end of the Conference Finals, but feel poised to make my biggest push in this last round. I have Wade, Lebron, Marion & Dirk for the first four games, and can go to Chandler, Barea and Bibby/Haslem if needed.

Fantasy Fresh Wes:

Must - Dwayne Wade

• This is the man that will set the tone in Game 1. He is the one player in this series that knows what it takes to win a championship, and I expect to see him demonstrate his talents now that he is back in the Finals for the first time since winning it. LeBron (and Bosh) will play well too, but Wade will lead the charge, showing his teammates what is required of a champion. Maybe 50 PRA is optimistic, but 40 seems very realistic.

Bust - LeBron James

• There is no doubt James will be great tonight - superstars of his caliber always find their ways. It's not that I don't like the King for tonight, I just think he will be a bigger factor when the Heat are one win away from the championship - he has continually demonstrated these playoffs that he is at his best in the clutch.

Drive to the Finals Picks - May 24 & 25, 2011

Sorry that I didn't blog yesterday - no internet access at the hotel I was at. Not that my bust matters at this point, but my must was Derrick Rose. As for tonight...


Fantasy Fresh Wes:

Must - Russel Westbrook

• Best player left on the OKC Thunder, and therefore my last chance to use him. It seems like tonight will spell the end of the Thunder

Bust - Kendrick Perkins

• It doesn't matter how thin your DttF's options are, Perkins has never been a great option in OKC. You're lucky to get 15 PRA with him - and that is a rarity. Use Collison or even Maynor if you have to.

Drive to the Finals Picks - May 23, 2011

Fantasy Fresh Wes:

Must - Kevin Durant

• I was really hoping that I wouldn't have to use KD until the Finals, but alas, the time has come. It's hard to admit defeat, but this Game 3 was pivotal, and it looks like my favourite team (next to my hometown Raptors) may have met their match. I'm hoping the Thunder make it to the next round, but would be better off in this contest if Dallas advances (I have Dirk, Marion, Chandler, Barea left). Regardless of how this series plays out, however, KD was no where near his best in Game 3, and is almost a lock to have an outstanding night in Game 4. This will likely be his best game for the rest of the playoffs.

Bust - James Harden

• Despite Harden's emergence as a star player for the Thunder, this game is going to be about superstars. While Harden may hit 20 points again tonight, it will not even come close to matching the production of Durant and Westbrook. Having said that, use him if you've used the Thunder's two stars already.

Drive to the Finals Picks - May 22, 2011

Fantasy Fresh Wes:

Must - Carlos Boozer

• All the players I have left in this series either put up massive PRA numbers, or next to none. I'm choosing the Heat to win this series, and am therefore going with Boozer tonight, and saving Rose for when the Bulls are down in the series. I'm hoping the Heat wrap this up in five games because after Boozer and Rose, I'm going to be stuck with using players like Kyle Korver and Udonis Haslem.

Bust - Chris Bosh

• Bosh proved last game that he is not the key to winning important games. He was great in Game 1, but was sub par in the more important Game 2. Since the series is only going to become more important with each game, I expect Wade and LeBron to keep sharing the brunt of the load.

Drive to the Finals Picks - May 21, 2011

Fantasy Fresh Wes:

Must - Jason Terry

• This series has been a battle of the benches, so it only seems fitting to use one of - if not the best - bench players in the league. The Mavericks bench got the best of the Thunder in Game 1, but the OKC bench came back hard in Game 2. Expect the Dallas bench to do the same tonight, with Jason Terry leading the charge. The result of the game is a coinflip at this point, but don't expect his performance to be. He is now in a face off against James Harden, and will want to prove that he is the better sixth man in the series.

Bust - Serge Ibaka

• Choosing him last game was a big mistake, so this bust is really just me putting him in the dog house. If Westbrook doesn't play a single minute in Game 2, Ibaka must have been far removed from playing in the crunch time. If it weren't for Collison fouling out, he wouldn't have played the fourth at all. I still think he will come out stronger tonight than last game, but with the way Durant and Harden are playing, and with Westbrook looking to redeem himself from his benching last game, there is not much room left for Ibaka to be a huge performer.