2025 – what a start to the year we’ve had! Have we? It seems much of the same, to be honest. Here’s a fact – 2025 is a square number. Can you figure out what number it’s a square of without a calculator?
Fantasy Basketball Awards March 2025
Most Valuable Player – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Stats: 14 GP, 34.1 MIN, 23.2 FGA, 0.517 FG%, 2.4 3PTM, 9 FTA, 0.929 FT%, 34.7 PTS, 4.3 REB, 7.4 AST, 1.1 STL, 1 BLK, 1.9 TO
Gilgeous-Alexander breaks the tie with Nikola Jokic and gets his third monthly Fantrax MVP this season. It seems now all but certain that he’ll collect his first NBA regular season MVP award as well. And with good reason, too – his scoring ability is, dare I say it, Jordan-like.
Rookie of the Month – Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)
Stats: 14 GP, 26.1 MIN, 7.7 FGA, 0.62 FG%, 0.4 3PTM, 0.6 FTA, 0.444 FT%, 10.2 PTS, 9.5 REB, 1 AST, 0.7 STL, 1.5 BLK, 1.4 TO
It hasn’t all gone according to plan for the Heat this year – they just lost 10 games in a row. Well, actually, in the modern NBA losing is sometimes the plan. In any case, Kel’el Ware’s play has been quite encouraging. Maybe I’m imagining things but Kel’el getting the starting spot coincides with Bam Adebayo’s game getting back on track. So that’s something to be positive about for the future.
Sophomore of the Month – Cason Wallace (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Stats: 13 GP, 28.2 MIN, 8 FGA, 0.548 FG%, 1.6 3PTM, 1.3 FTA, 0.882 FT%, 11.5 PTS, 3.3 REB, 3.2 AST, 1.8 STL, 0.7 BLK, 1.2 TO
It’s all coming up Milhouse for the Thunder. Jalen Williams missing half the month didn’t bother them at all. In fact, they won all seven games Williams missed. But we’re not here to talk about Jalen Williams, we’re here to talk about Cason Wallace, who did an all-right job for fantasy basketball in March. What can we say about Cason Wallace? We can say that he did an all-right job for fantasy basketball in March.
Most Improved Player – Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
Stats (2023-24): 80 GP, 35 MIN, 17.6 FGA, 0.455 FG%, 1.5 3PTM, 7 FTA, 0.725 FT%, 22.6 PTS, 6.9 REB, 5.4 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.6 BLK, 3.1 TO
Stats (March): 15 GP, 36.5 MIN, 20.4 FGA, 0.497 FG%, 2.2 3PTM, 9.2 FTA, 0.797 FT%, 29.8 PTS, 7.6 REB, 4.4 AST, 1.1 STL, 0.3 BLK, 2.7 TO
After all the pre-season hype, the Magic have settled as a below-500 team. Injuries, sure, but when Paolo and Franz Wagner were out, that’s when they were kind of hanging on. Is it too early to label Banchero a good-stats-on-a-bad-team kind of a guy? I don’t know but this is the best month he’s had in his career. Carmelo-like, if you will.
Most Declined Player – Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
Stats (2023-24): 68 GP, 36 MIN, 19.2 FGA, 0.492 FG%, 2.2 3PTM, 6.7 FTA, 0.886 FT%, 27.1 PTS, 4.5 REB, 6.9 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.4 BLK, 2.6 TO
Stats (March): 15 GP, 37.5 MIN, 16.9 FGA, 0.462 FG%, 2 3PTM, 5.3 FTA, 0.875 FT%, 22.3 PTS, 4.5 REB, 7.6 AST, 0.5 STL, 0 BLK, 3.4 TO
This is the second month in a row a Phoenix player has gotten the Most Declined Player award. Fair enough with Tyus Jones, who’s a role player but Devin Booker should be at the peak of his career competing to be the best American player in the league. Not sure if there’s a good reason for the downturn other than the team is bad and they don’t care anymore. On a more positive note – Kevin Durant might miss the remainder of the season so that’s good news for Devin Booker’s points per game.
Best Single-Category Player – Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks) – STL
Stats: 14 GP, 33.6 MIN, 46 STL, 3.3 SPG
Dyson Daniels continues to be the most impactful single-category fantasy player. Stockton-like, if you will. Though, he still has ways to go to catch the single-month steal record, which is held by Alvin Robertson who had 72 steals in 15 games in November 1990.
Performance of the Month – Devin Vassell (San Antonio Spurs) – 2025-03-04 vs. BKN
Stats: 35 MIN, 20 FGA, 0.700 FG%, 8 3PTM, 1 FTA, 1.000 FT%, 37 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST, 4 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO
A seemingly modest offering from Devin Vassell but it is the 8 threes and 4 steals that seal it for the best game of the month. Vassell had a great month in general – he ranked second overall behind Gilgeous-Alexander.
