December's Boris Diaw All Stars

Following up on November's edition of this fantasy break-out list, we have the players who have exploded in the NBA season's second month.

PG - Mo Williams: Mo has begun to enter elite company, and as of this posting sits with Kobe and LeBron in averaging at least 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game this year. He has 20ppg on 49% shooting this month, and has one triple double while going close on numerous other occasions. Not bad since stepping into the hole left by T.J. Ford heading to Canada in the offseason.

SG - Luther Head: Tracy McGrady was always going to get injured this year, but in the seven games he missed mid-month, Luther scored (games of 21, 22, and 26) and showed his speciality by consistently connecting from deep. He averages 2.5 threes a game.

SF - Rasual Butler: Stepping up for the injury-plagued Hornets, who have been devastated by long-term injuries to their best players (Chris Paul, Peja and David West), Butler has become the go-to guy. His 16 point average for the month, rebounding from a terrible November when he languished on the bench, have been enough to keep this team at least somewhat competitive.

PF - Luke Walton: He'll always be the butt of jokes and the target of ridicule just because of who he is, but Luke has matured greatly into a solid option for the Lakers. With Lamar Odom out, he has seen more attention from defenders, but is still contributing 12 points, 5 boards and 4 assists each night. Add to that his 50% shooting, occasional treys, and solid defense highlighted by his steals totals. Don't look now, but Luke could be the reason for a Laker revival this year.

C - Al Jefferson: Having been highly touted for a long time, this high school lottery pick has exploded since returning from injury and retaining his starter's role. He recorded 8 double-doubles in December - including six in a row - for 15ppg and 10.8 rpg over the month, and has added shot-blocking to his game. The Celtics could be excused for holding onto AJ instead of trading him for AI as had been discussed.

On a finishing note, Happy New Year! The blog will have been running for a month come New Year's Day, and will hopefully grow a readership over the next year. The Diaw All-Stars will return next month to see who made good on their resolution to become a big time fantasy stud.

November's Boris Diaw All Stars

In 2005, the fantasy NBA season could only be discussed properly while one also drew "I Love Boris" in the top corner of the page like a teenage girl dreaming of Chad Michael Murray or the latest guy to succeed to the mantle first held by Elvis's hips in the 1950s. Diaw exploded in '05 as a third year pro to average 13 points (on 52.6% shooting), 7 board, and 6 assists in 25 minutes of play each night, entering fantasy sporting folklore as one of the great sleeper picks of our time.

With one month gone in the NBA, and most rosters looking fairly set for the first half of the season at least (with apologies to Memphis Grizzlies fans, and cruel mocking laughter directed at anyone holding Knicks season tickets), it seems fair to name the Diaw All Star line-up: a group of the ten players whose names have entered the fantasy hoops lexicon, and who are responsible for many a roto-league owner waking up sweating at 3am with thoughts of their unexpectedly wonderful outputs.

(N.B. In the spirit of the new "small ball" craze, we have three guards in the team because they've all been too good to ignore.)

PG - Monta Ellis: the 6'3 Ellis came straight from high school and despite his seemingly tiny build has shown incredible athleticism and highlight-reel ability in averaging 18 points. Baron Davis' creaking joints thank Monta for stepping out of the shadows this season.

SG - Leandro Barbosa: on the Brazilian scale, for the first weeks of the season he was as hot as Adriana Lima, but with the Suns restoring their 2005 starters he is the 6th man and therefore only as hot as the women on beaches in Rio. That's still hot.

SF - Kevin Martin: despite an awkward-looking jumper and an equally awkward-looking haircut, Martin has exploded into one of the league's best pure shooters. Only Adam Morrison is more effective at scoring and doing nothing else but shoot all night, but no one who owns Martin is complaining. They're too busy rejecting trade offers involving All Stars that actually undervalue him!

PF - David Lee: usually when you play 25 minutes a night, you are either a fairly average low first-round pick who will never star, or a serviceable veteran. In New York, you can be a human pogo stick who is 5th in the league with boards per 48. Lee is finally getting the starter's role after going close to a triple double in 30 minutes on November 24.

C - Andris Biedrins: with the advent of small ball the Euros are back in business. Zaza Pachulia, Andrea Bargnani, Jorge Garbajosa, Darko Milicic. These are NBA basketball players, and good ones at that. Biedrins earned this spot from Andrew Bynum when he blocked Tim Duncan, the owner of several rings and MVP trophies, three times in a recent match.