Many NBA fans tend to think of All-Star Weekend as the midway point of the season, but that's a common misconception. In reality, we are beyond the midway point.
Think of it this way: If the season was represented by the length of an NBA court, we are currently at the part of the floor where Stephen Curry shoots from -- at least a couple feet beyond half court.
Following Thursday's two-game slate, every team in the league will have played between 50 and 55 games, meaning the 82-game regular season is 60 percent complete for all 30 teams and as much as 67 percent finished for some.
In fantasy, this means it is crunch time.
In most leagues, the playoffs start in Week 20 or 21, meaning there are only 3-4 weeks left to make a push to the playoffs or solidify a first-round bye with one of the top seeds.
It isn't time to get cute with far-fetched waiver-wire pickups, or to play the waiting game with injured players, or to expect chronic underperformers to suddenly turn it around.
It's time to bring your best or go home.
Here are a few pointers to help you in the critical weeks ahead:
1. Build on your strengths (in category leagues)
Someone emailed me this week asking how to improve his team, and it wasn't difficult to come up with an answer. His roster, though loaded with talent, was disjointed. It had Anthony Davis, a bunch of other good free throw shooters ... and Andre Drummond. Clearly, Drummond was a poor fit for a roster like this one, which otherwise would have had a good chance to win free throw percentage each week. He needed to offer up the league's top rebounder in some trade offers. Rather than Drummond, someone like Al Horford or Pau Gasol would be a much better fit on his roster. This is what you need to think about as well. Teams that consistently win the same five or six categories every week are the ones that win the championship.
2. Act quickly following injuries
Injuries are always a major part of the NBA this time of the year, and this season is no different. In recent days, we've learned that Jimmy Butler (knee) is out 3-4 weeks, Manu Ginobili (groin) is out a month, Marc Gasol (foot) is out indefinitely, and Tyreke Evans (knee) is likely to undergo surgery that will end his season. This is a morale crusher to anyone who has these players, but the only thing you can do is move fast to add their replacements.
Using nbawowy.com, we can uncover some revealing stats: Since Jan. 1, Chicago's E'Twaun Moore (owned in 10.4 percent of ESPN leagues) has a usage rate of 19 and a true shooting percentage of 57.5 with Butler out of the lineup. In Memphis, JaMychal Green (one percent owned) has a surprisingly high usage of 20 without Gasol on the court, while Zach Randolph's usage jumps from 22.8 to 28.5 and Jeff Green (54.1 percent owned) bumps up from 19.1 to 24.3. In New Orleans, Norris Cole (34.2 percent owned) is starting in the absence of Evans and averaging 30.5 minutes over the last 10 games. So far this season, his usage has jumped from 16.3 to 23.9 without Evans on the court, while Jrue Holiday (24.6 to 29.2) and Ryan Anderson (21.5 to 24.3) have also seen much higher usage in Evans' absence.
3. Weigh the competition
If you are lucky, the final weeks of your regular season schedule might include at least one team that has already come to terms with missing the playoffs. Usually, that team is a dead giveaway because it has already changed its name to something like "54 Games Out" or "Walking Wounded." Let this serve as a major opportunity for you to move up the league standings.
More than that, though, these are the teams who are typically more willing to make trades and unload coveted players. Some owners have given up. Some don't care. And in the case of dynasty leagues, some are simply looking for pieces to set them up for next season, even if it means unloading a piece or two that can help another team this season. Find that owner. Be that team.
Think about these things over the All-Star break and start putting the wheels in motion for what sets up to be an exciting month ahead in fantasy hoops.