Mid-Season Report: Chamberlain Conference

I've been neglecting updating about our SlamNation season but now that we're halfway through, I've got to right? Since I'm busy, you know, moving to the East Coast, these will have to be short, but so so sweet.

SILVERHAWKS DIVISION

Fat Jubas (9-1)
Leading the league in wins, the only loss Eric-L has suffered so far was a WK1 defeat. Since then, his team has ripped off a string of impressive wins and after almost toppling Sour Snails in the playoffs last year, they've taken firm control of the division this year. We questioned Jubas' young additions this offseason, and for the most part they haven't worked out, but that hasn't mattered because the vets are doing alright. The return of Kevin Garnett to fantasy relevance (15 PTS, 9.5 REB, 1.7 STL, 0.7 BLK) has fueled Eric-L's rise -- even if he's currently injured. The all Suns bench of Goran Dragic, Marcin Gortat, and Robin Lopez shows a little too much Phoenix loyalty but that's okay because when you're at the top, you can do whatever you want!

Sour Snails (6-4)
Last year the Snails romped through the regular season, threatening the league with an undefeated year right out of the gate. The defending champion is finding the road to the playoffs a bit tougher this year though, as they'll most likely be vying for a wild card spot. After the huge blockbuster that moved Lebron James out of Snailtown, Trieu managed to lose his next three games before righting the ship recently. Granted, those losses came against opponents with a combined 83% winning percentage, but it spoke to how non-dominant the Snails have been this season. With last week's win over 8-2 Half Man Half ImAsian, Trieu is hoping his post-LBJ team is just warming up. Sophomore point guards Stephen Curry and Darren Collison are on opposite trajectories as Curry has continued his fine work while Collison has mysteriously become very average. Btw, Kevin Love, we love you! Did anyone think he could maintain a 21.2 PTS, 15.7 REB, 1.4 3PT pace till mid-season?!

Jedi Knights (2-8)
Chris' team started off the season with six straight losses before picking up two wins off weak competition, including one over fellow division cellarmate Fob Stars. GM Chris has made just one move all season and we're thinking it's not because his team has been so damn dominant. With Dirk Nowitzki recently suffering an injury, the Knights will need to shuffle their lineup around a bit. The good news is that Hedo Turkoglu has decided to play again upon his return to Orlando and is averaging 13.4 PTS, 6.7 REB, 7.1 AST, 1.7 3PT, and 1.9 STL since the trade. Way to mail it in during your stints in Toronto and Phoenix Hedo! Pre-season sleepers Wesley Matthews and Dorell Wright are bombing the crap out of the ball so with some rejiggering, the Knights could shore up in time for the Toilet Bowl.

Fob Stars (2-8)
There's a lot of pathetic teams in the league but Jimmy's is right there at the bottom with the worst of them. They get routinely blown out, especially early in the season, and despite a nice win versus 100 Acre Wood Heffalumps in WK9, are having trouble gaining any momentum. The Fob Stars should be better than this. Chris Bosh is back to productive star, DJ Augustin has been useful as a third guard, and Zach Randolph is still a monster (19.7 PTS, 12.7 REB). Hell, even Rashard Lewis is back to rebounding after being traded to the Wizards. We think Jimmy can manage this team a little better, at least to make them get out of the division cellar. Hopefully.

TRANSFORMERS DIVISION

Half Man Half ImAsian (8-2)
Who's the better fantasy player: Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook? It's a tough call but the answer really doesn't matter because Oliver has both on his roster. The two combine for about 50 PTS, 11 REB/AST, 3 STL, 1.5 BLK, and 2 3PT each Thunder's outing. The two of them have been carrying the rest of the team, as the next best player has been Andrew Bogut, who's just lost front court mate Anderson Verajao for the season -- pre-draft trade acquisition Caron Butler is already done for the year. There's not much else besides those three on the roster, and after eight straight wins to open the season, the Halfies have suffered two losses -- both to 0.500 teams -- so we're curious how long Oliver's team can stay at the top.

LA Buffy (8-2)
If Oliver's team might be sliding, Roger is poised to grab the top Transformers spot as these two 8-2 teams represent the only jockeying for a division lead so far this season. Buffy's only two losses have come against top tier opponents -- Fat Jubas and Slam'N Dragon, 17-3 combined record -- so they are clearly poised on the edge of contention. Having a full season of Danny Granger has been fantastic as Granger has reasserted himself as an all around star by averaging 20.8 PTS, 5.7 REB, 2.2 3PT, 1.2 STL, 1.0 BLK. As usual, there is a strong front line here, highlighted by the return to health of 20-10 Carlos Boozer. And let's not forget about swingman Wilson Chandler, who's been a revelation with 17.7 PTS, 6.4 REB, 1.5 BLK, 1.8 3PT. We like Buffy a lot going forward, obviously.

Squirtle Squad (4-6)
Brian has been very active on the waiver wire, having pumped through twenty seven moves so far, ranking second in that category. Sadly, all that activity has been very necessary as they find themselves flirting with 0.500 and being stricken by injuries to Joe Johnson, among others. The great news is that pseudo rookie Blake Griffin has emerged to the tune of 21.8 PTS and 12.6 REB, although his poor free throw shooting and lack of blocks might make him a (much) more exciting Zach Randolph-type. The Squirtles biggest problem has been a gigantic hole at the center position, as Serge Ibaka, Greg Monroe, and Anthony Randolph would barely combine to form one decent player. Ibaka's 2.2 BLK is nice but he only averages 6.7 REB. Brian's hoping a Carmelo Anthony trade will free him up to score near 30 ppg again, as he's down to only 23.8 PTS this year. There's some great potential on this team but it'll need to gel quickly to challenge for a playoff spot.

The 2005 NBA All-Star Team (4-6)
Last year, Steve's team suffered six losses all season. Right now they are sitting at the bottom of a division they won last year, and is going to struggle to get into the post-season. They've faced a really rough schedule, as five of their losses have come against winning teams. That's the price you pay for winning so much last year right? As the team name here suggests, this team is old. Most of the vets are doing fine though, as Manu Ginobili is having an injury free year, Jason Kidd and Andre Miller continue to pile up assists, and Antawn Jamison gets to jack up as many shots as he wants. Looking over the roster, we think Steve's squad should be better than their record, as they've got Dwight Howard (and his non-mentor Shaq) playing at an MVP level. If this were 2005, this All Star team would have sealed a championship already we're pretty sure. They'll be fighting hard to stay out of the Toilet Bowl in 2011 though.