Lessons Learned: Now That The Wizards Have Won a Game...

1) Even if your star player is out, that is no excuse to give up on the season.

 

Not every team can be like the Bulls and have the perseverance to stay in the hunt while their Derrick Rose is out, nor does every team have the depth of a Mavericks and have the best #2 and #3 options to fill in for their top dog. 

Especially true of the Wiz and their engine, John Wall. Although in the NBA, teams will tank the season in the fool-hardy attempt to improve their draft chances, no such thing exists in fantasy basketball. Plus, in head-to-head matchups, any-freaking-thing can happen, so get your Randy Wittman on and keep looking to make your team better even though your main weapon might be out of commission.


Fantasy application: If your team is missing a star contributor, maybe your goal isn't to be in 1st – 3rd place, but you do have a chance to win your weekly battle and by stringing a couple of those along, you could find your way into the playoffs.

2) Your team's record is not an indicator entirely of how the season has been.

Third game of the season, Trevor Booker had a game tying dunk that made it look like the Wizards were going to beat the Celts on their home court. Also, two overtime losses on the day before Thanksgiving to the Hawks and then in the next game at Charlotte could have easily ended this team's streak earlier.


Had they won those three games, the Wizards would still be 3-9, but all in all this team is no '99 Olowaclipper team.


Fantasy application: If your team has ran up on some tough match-ups with the league's leaders, your record is probably pretty dismal. Or if you have come up on the wrong side of a couple 5-4, 6-4 match-ups, it might look like your team has the promise of a 80's Tyrone Hill when you personally know that it more resembles a 90's Grant Hill. Let the cyclical nature of the league's head-to-head match-ups run its course before you start the firesale and reorganize your team.

3) Take joy in the little victories

 

Based on last night's comments from Wizard players, everyone involved on the Wiz was rather ho-hum about their first victory. However, you could still sense the excitement from reports of John Wall mussing up Randy Wittman's hair, to the series of photos capturing the of bro-love between Nene and Trevor Booker.

Fantasy application
The season is barely a sixth of the way through so it is easy to take things for granted because of the repetitive nature of fantasy basketball. Or if you are like me and get distracted watching things like the Rockerfeller Tree Lighting, you might miss out on trivial awesomeness a la Booker's double-double last night. 

Either way, the worst thing you could do for pure enjoyment of this hobby is to become a scrooge and neglect to celebrate the many non head-to-head wins that occur throughout the season.

For example, throw a Tiger fist pump when any of your free agent pick-ups pan through and humble-brag it up to the others that slept on that pick-up.  If you take a week off to handle a busier work week and your team still wins 6-3, feel free to talk/write/chat some trash.  Better to teeter on the end of annoyingly enjoying the league than the big snore who stops updating his team.