Posts Tagged Flip Murray

This hug not only violates all Kobe-stopping rules, but also proper eighth grade dance etiquette. (Barry Gossage/NBAE Photos)

Looks like we’ll need somebody else to stop Kobe this year, as the world’s #1 Kobe-stopper Raja Bell could miss up to four months after tearing a ligament in his left wrist.  Bell should probably not be drafted in any formats, unless “not respecting” Kobe is a stat in your league.

At first glance, D.J. Augustin seems like the big winner here.  He was already set to get more consistent playing time in his sophomore session, but now he will be called on even more.  I already highlighted him in my first Eye-Opening Lines from the Pre-Season column (after which he proceeded to alternate duds with awesomeness), and with the extra few minutes and touches per game, I’d feel very comfortable drafting him in, say, the 11th round of a 12-team draft.  If he’s still there.

Flip Murray and Gerald Henderson could also both see increased playing time.  Since he’s been fantasy-relevant for some years now, Murray seems like the clearer candidate to get extra minutes.  However, I wouldn’t count out the rookie Henderson, who was drafted for his athleticism.  If Larry Brown wants to go with a different/defensive look, Henderson could emerge into a deep sleeper.  After all, Murray, Augustin, and Felton aren’t shy about putting the “shoot” in shooting guard.

That just leaves one more guard to talk gossip about.  Raymond Felton.  There are two scenarios for Felton.  A) He could see more time at SG as D.J. runs the point, something that probably wouldn’t bode well for his fantasy value as his assists would decrease.  B) He could get traded (finally!) for an actual SG, in which case his value is harder to predict, but probably takes a hit because his current situation is about as good as it gets for him.  So, here’s a weird case where an injury to a (non-superstar) teammate might actually hurt a player’s value.

And now for Raja Bell’s entire career highlight reel:

...