SlamNation: 2012 Championship: Anything Is Possible

As the confetti fell after championship Sunday, a giddy Kevin Garnett hugged Steve Nash and screamed "All power is mine! I do the impossible! I'm gonna tear the roof off and eat all your babies! Argh argh argh!" Wiping a tear from his pale face, Nash, two time NBA MVP, was delirious from finally achieving his ultimate dream: a basketball championship. Collapsing to the ground, Nash kept saying in Canadian (translated), "Now I can move on from the Suns, I've given them my all and I can't wait to go to Miami. Or the Lakers. Or the Nets. Anywhere but Phoenix."

The rest of SlamNation can't say we didn't see this coming. The Fat Jubas won two division titles in a row, proved themselves as contenders, and was always in the mix for that elusive championship. Tearing apart the competition over the back half of the regular season, Jubas went 7-1 and then rode a seven game win streak all the way to the top. Their only challenge was last week in the conference finals, when they upset Squirtle Squad by a narrow margin. Now the Fat Jubas are the 2012 champs, and the second winners from the Silverhawks division.

Facing off against a young and hungry NJ All-Stars, the Jubas crushed Lebron and Co. by playing a better all around game. Despite LBJ's 28.5 PTS, 8.0 REB, 5.0 AST, and 1.5 STL, there just wasn't enough help for the "King." GM Eddie really needed his team to show up but they wilted a little under the pressure as Luol Deng, Paul George, and Ryan Anderson really came out flat. Isaiah Thomas, Luis Scola, and Jameer Nelson did their best but they weren't enough.

Heck, little J.J. Barea was the second best player for NJ All-Stars this week, as he had three double-doubles. In the end, Eddie's dream run was put to a fast halt as the game wasn't quite as close as the score indicated. This was pretty much a blow out. Still, a thrilling post-season run for a wild card team and owner Eddie has to be very proud of his first season in SlamNation.

Now for the accolades. As proven again and again, teams win games. And when your team features savvy veterans like Nash, Garnett, and Ray Allen, everyone else will step in line and play their role. For Nash, that meant lying down on the floor when his back hurt, excusing himself from one of this week's matchups. Good work Steve, thanks for those 11.3 PTS and 6.3 AST per. Ray Allen, he of the smooth stroke, beautiful soul, and star of low-budget commercials about juvenile diabetes basically took the entire week off, playing just once before resting his ankle.

Wait, did anybody play for Jubas? Oh yes, Kevin Garnett! KG, who has found the fountain of youth, ripped off a Finals stat line of 20.0 PTS, 10.8 REB, 1.3 STL, 1.0 BLK, 50.0 FG%, and 93.3 FT% over five games. He even inspired his Celtics' buddy Brandon Bass to 16.6 PTS and 8.6 REB of his own. The sweet shooting duo killed it this week, combining with Marcin Gortat to anchor the front line and pave the way to victory.

But they were not alone. Nicolas Batum tossed in 16.0 PTS, 5.7 REB, 1.3 STL/BLK, and 3.0 3PT for the week to cement his keeper status. Recent free agent addition Kevin Seraphin rejected 13 shots in his four games, single-handedly out blocking the NJ All-Stars. In addition, Gordon Hayward and DeMar DeRozan combined to go to the free throw line 12.3 times each outting, knocking down their freebies at a uber-efficient clip. This win was a true team effort, even as Nash and Allen cheered from the sidelines.

Overall, the Fat Jubas were just too much this season. While they may lack the (young) star power of some of the other teams in SlamNation, Eric-L has carefully assembled a roster that fits together perfectly. Remember that this championship was won with Brook Lopez basically out all year, and that as recently as the beginning of the 2011 season Jeff Green and Boris Diaw were keepers on this team. Yes, Jeff Green and Boris Diaw...

In addition, Eric-L has always drafted near the bottom -- starting with the #16 position in our first reset keeper year -- and over three seasons has truly built the Jubas to championship level. And it wasn't done through blockbuster trades either, unless you count this 2010 move for Beno Udrih or the 2012 deal for DeMar DeRozan. Impressive craftsmanship no?

I mean, this team didn't even have a 20.0+ points per game guy. The Jubas were led all season long in points by DeRozan (16.9 PTS), rebounds and blocks by Gortat (9.8 REB/1.5 BLK), assists by Nash (10.9 AST), Ray Allen's 2.3 3PT, and just two players averaging even 1.0+ STL per game. In fact, looking at the 2012 season stats, the only category Fat Jubas ranked in the top three in were FG% and FT%. However, they also had no real weaknesses -- except bottom two in STL -- and adjusted well to every matchup. What a winning blueprint!

We had this to say about Eric-L's team from their pre-season preview in 2010: "The veteran laden team is headed by Steven Nash, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. All three are past their primes (although Nash isn't slipping much) but will likely remain very effective players for at least another two seasons." It looks like the Jubas had everything go right just in time. Will they keep the veterans together for a championship defense, or will Nash, Garnett, and Allen ride off into the sunset? Only time will tell but for now, congrats to Eric-L for a truly outstanding season!

Post-script: Kevin Seraphin was seen leaving the building mid-celebration, escorted by security. Overheard was this farewell speech by GM Eric-L as they all walked out: "Thanks for all your hard work Kevin, we'll probably never see you this fantasy relevant again. Your monster April was awesome -- 15.7 PTS, 7.1 REB, 1.8 BLK, 52.5 FG% -- but there's no way you're gonna be worth more than you are now. Don't call us next year, the championship ring will be mailed to you. Thanks a lot bro!"