Posts Tagged Taj Gibson
Week 19 Recap (I don’t like mosquitoes) and Week 20 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball on March 8, 2010
The Week 19 Recap will be a little different this week because, amazingly, I only spent 5 minutes checking fantasy stats while vacationing in Central America, with just one mid-week check-in on my main H2H squad to make sure Gerald Wallace and Dwight Howard weren’t pummeling me too much. (A special thanks to Andrew Bogut for making me rest easy the rest of the week.)
The final fantasy tally from my trip? About 13 fishies devoured, 2 oceans dipped in, 1 cave spelunked, 1 river rafted, 1 military coup averted, 30+ mosquito bites, 3 fire ant bites, 1 sprained ankle, 1 allergic reaction, and 1 cartoonishly swollen foot. (Unfortunately, the last four items all occurred to the same foot. I’d post pictures but they’re NSFW.)
And now back to reality. Or, uh, fantasy. After a Sunday of devouring stats and updates, here are the…
WEEK 20 PICKUPS
First of all, make sure guys like Drew Gooden (49%), Taj Gibson (42%), and George Hill (48%) aren’t taken. You might also want to consider Richard Jefferson, who’s owned in 50+% of Yahoo leagues but might have been dropped anytime in the last several weeks. He carried some of the offensive burden when Tony Parker exited the Spurs’ last game with a broken hand. Carlos Delfino (46%) is another guy who might have been dropped recently who is putting things together again.
Quentin Richardson (21%)
He’s on fire, with 12 makes from downtown over his last 2 games. It’s hard to fully endorse him because he’s been streaky his entire career, but with Jermaine O’Neal out, Q is taking more shots and could singlehandedly decide 3’s in H2H leagues.
Anthony Tolliver (17%)
I probably overhyped him the first time I mentioned him several weeks ago, but with Andris Biedrins out, Tolliver is a nice Channing Frye-ish (pre-Robin Lopez) clone. Ronny Turiaf is also useful for blocks, although I’d rather own the guy two spots below.
Rodrigue Beaubois (14%)
Beaubois was my first pickup upon returning stateside. He’s posted back-to-back-to-back career highs in scoring his last three games with Jason Terry out of commission.
JaVale McGee (21%)
He’s slowly rounding into the form that made him one of my “must-owns” (at least in deeper leagues) in the aftermath of the trade deadline, averaging nearly 4 bpg over his last 5.
Jonas Jerebko (18%)
Posted near-1/1/1 stats last week and is getting plenty of touches as DET continues to jostle for lottery position.
Keep an eye on:
James Harden (32% — his up-and-down rookie season was “up” last week), Jrue Holiday (11% — ditto), J.J. Hickson (17%), Matt Bonner (6% — another candidate to hoist more shots sans Tony P), Matt Barnes (20% — playing well + nice sked this week), Bill Walker (5%), Serge Ibaka (4%).
Week 17 Recap (Snatch Blatche) and Week 18 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on February 21, 2010
Week 17 was all about the trades. It saw the emergence of a perennial sleeper candidate (or two), the triumphant (at least for now) return of a former first rounder, and the early deaths of some promising fantasy seasons… all the result of big-time trades. The Recap:
Not to rain on T-Mac's parade, but another former Magic/Rocket, Steve Francis, also had a solid Knick debut with 16, 5, and 4. Just saying... (Getty)
Cavs lose! Cavs lose! Cavs lose!
That’s right, the new-look Cavs are 0-3 after acquiring Antawn Jamison. Is it the curse of Big Z? Or is it a hex of fantasy owners of Jamison, Ilgauskas, J.J. Hickson, and Anderson Varejao? Of course, the trade had obvious fantasy ramifications (basically, it sucked for all the guys mentioned above), but why is the losing streak so important? Because it means the Cavs and Lakers are in a near-dead heat for the top record in the NBA… which is great news if you own guys like LeBron or Kobe, who probably can’t afford to rest late into the season as the race for home court advantage comes down to the wire.
(Meanwhile, Jamison put up a dud in his first game but bounced back on Sunday. All those other bigs in CLE? I’m not sure they’ll ever bounce back.)
T-Mac + D’Antoni = WTF
If you look at my rankings of the biggest trade deadline winners (and losers), I had Tracy McGrady ranked near the top of the second tier (although of course qualified that by saying he had the biggest upside of anyone on the list). Well, he made his case for being ranked near the top of the first tier in his first game as a Knick, going off for 26, 4, and 5 with great percentages. Hell, he even shocked himself, as he didn’t expect to play more than 20 min and was admittedly exhausted by the end of the OT game.
I’ve always said the main reason I would own McGrady would be to sell high on him after a hot streak. Well, this might be the right time if you can get a good bounty in return. However, Mike D’Antoni has said the Knicks are going to run the rest of the way (See: Wilson Chandler starting at PF instead of SG, where he has started all year). And with T-Mac playing nice and saying he’s willing to come back to NY at a discount next year, D’Antoni just might keep running him out there for 30+ mpg to build chemistry. Because of his injury risk, I’d be inclined to sell high, but don’t sell yourself short.
Fantasy ROY Race
First it was Tyreke Evans vs. Brandon Jennings. Then it was Evans vs. Stephen Curry. Now is it Curry vs. Darren Collison? Okay, that’s an overstatement. But over the last three weeks, it’s been pretty close:
| FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | |
| Stephen Curry | .434 | .933 | 2.2 | 18.4 | 4.6 | 7.6 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 4.1 |
| Darren Collison | .473 | .829 | 1.1 | 19.7 | 4.7 | 9.8 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 4.9 |
Of course, when Chris Paul returns, this race ends, but it just goes to show how valuable both have been over the last three weeks, and how valuable Curry will be the rest of the year.
WEEK 18 PICKUPS
I’m going to steal from myself and just reiterate some of the biggest trade deadline winners, with some slight adjustments given 3 days-worth of new info.
First of all, trade deadline winners like Andray Blatche (62%) , Tyrus Thomas (63%), T-Mac (74%), and Josh Howard (76%) have already cleared the 50% ownership mark in Yahoo leagues and will thus be excluded. (I like them in that order by the way.) The rest:
Casspi & Butler. Ambiguously gay photo, unambiguously solid fantasy pickups. (Getty)
Omri Casspi (33%)
Casspi posted 15, 5, and 3 with 3 steals in his first game with the new-look Kings. Nothing flashy, but he should get relatively consistent minutes in SAC the rest of the way, as he and Evans are the clear building blocks of that team’s future.
JaVale McGee (17%)
It’s tough to find 11 ppg, 7.3 rpg, and 2.7 bpg off the FA list, but that’s exactly what McGee has delivered in 3 post-trade starts… and all while playing with a sprained wrist.
Rasual Butler (31%)
He can be streaky, but right now he’s streaking the right direction with 17 treys in his last 5 games. It might take some time, but with Al Thornton out of the way and Travis Outlaw’s indefinite return, Butler could slowly make his was off this list by clearing the 50% hurdle.
C.J. Watson (18%)
Watson has reemerged with Monta Ellis starting to burn out. Don Nelson recently stated he would not be running guys out for 40+ mpg sometime soon, which means Watson should/might start getting consistent playing time again. So while I wouldn’t expect the 27, 4, and 4 with great percentages and ~2 treys/stl per game that Watson posted last week, I’d still expect useful fantasy stats.
DeAndre Jordan (5%)
Jordan had a mixed bag of results in the Clips’ first 3 games without Marcus Camby, averaging 8 and 8 with 2.3 bpg. Those numbers might not be worth taking on his atrocious FT%, but if you’ve already punted that category, he’s a nice pickup. If not, approach with caution. (Also keep in mind that Drew Gooden has decided not to take a buy-out and will stay with the Clips. Obviously Gooden cares about winning and not living in sunny southern California…)
Sergio Rodriguez (9%) and Eddie House (13%)
Rodriguez was the hot pickup after whispers that he might start in New York. And even though he had a lackluster debut, he’d still be a big catch running the Knicks’ new old up-tempo offense. Meanwhile, House — who has played and excelled for D’Antoni before — stepped right in and had a huge first game as the Knicks’ super-6th man. Looks like they both have a chance to make a splash in NY, but just remember that Rodriguez has a real chance to average 8+ apg if/when he steps into that starter’s role before you give up on him.
Keep an eye on… everyone from my trade deadline post, with some tweaks:
Taj Gibson (24% — I’m slightly downgrading him from my previous list because Joakim Noah has already returned; check Noah’s status and think about selling high on Gibson if Noah’s foot starts feeling better), Nate Robinson (52% — been dropped so much he might actually be available; keep an eye on his new role in BOS), Al Thornton and Hakim Warrick (45% and 14% — slight upgrades after debuts on new squads), Jonas Jerebko (9%), Shannon Brown (6% — check Kobe’s status), Mario Chalmers (33% — check Rafer Alston’s status), and last but not least, Anthony Tolliver (6%)
Loading ...Trade Fallout: So many trades, so few roster spots
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Rankings, Fantasy Basketball Strategy, Fantasy Basketball Trades, Fantasy Fallout on February 18, 2010
Wow, that was a busy trade season. I haven’t seen that many players swapped since baseball cards were still cool to collect. But since, realistically, most of us only had one or two roster spots to tinker with, how do we make sense of all the trade winners and losers? Well, here’s my preliminary ranking (by tiers) of guys who are available in 50+% of Yahoo leagues (at least, before the trading deadline):
MUST-OWNS
Andray Blatche
First game post-Jamison and Haywood said it all, even if it came against the undersized T-Wolves.
Omri Casspi
Put up top 50 numbers when Martin was out earlier this year, and is a clear building block of the franchise.
Tyrus Thomas
With ample playing time, expect some wild stl/blk stat lines in the future.
JaVale McGee (at least in deeper leagues)
Like Blatche, he had an eye-opening effort against the T-Wolves, Before that, he’s been very promising in stretches, albeit inconsistent. He’s in the top tier because of his upside and the fact that his FT% isn’t nearly as bad as another C I’ll mention below.
NICE-TO-OWNS
Taj Gibson
Should see a nice boost while Joakim Noah is out. Otherwise, at least he should enjoy a nice boost in confidence with Thomas gone.
Sergio Rodriguez
This guy might belong in the top tier if he can take Chris Duhon’s starting job, as has been rumored. He’s probably a must-own in deeper leagues based purely on speculation.
Tracy McGrady
It’s kind of sad I would rather own Sergio Rodriguez right now, but T-Mac probably has more upside than anyone on this list. He’s the true wild card of this group.
Josh Howard
Okay, he’s probably already taken in your league. But if not, I’d rank him right below T-Mac.
Rasual Butler
Al Thornton’s exit and Travis Outlaw’s uncertain return mean big minutes for Butler.
DeAndre Jordan
Mixed bag in first two games post-Marcus Camby. His upside is equal to McGee’s, but in his career as a starter he’s shooting a putrid 36% on a substantial 4.4 FT attempts per game. His inconsistency might not be worth that negative pressure.
Craig Smith
Doesn’t do much besides score and score efficiently. Those looking to make a last minute charge up the FG% ranks in roto leagues should consider him.
Francisco Garcia
He was a stud last year after the Kings traded away John Salmons. The only problem this year — Tyreke Evans, Donte Greene, and Omri Casspi are all emerging and playing well. And who knows what Larry Hughes’ role will be.
Donte Greene
See: Garcia, Francisco.
KEEP AN EYE ON
Nate Robinson
I dropped Nate for JaVale McGee in what was a needs-based move in one league, but BOS might actually be a good situation for Nate. You know they want to rest Ray Allen for the playoffs, so it’s possible Nate could get 25-30 mpg as an instant offense sixth man. Or, he could get the same minutes Eddie House was getting. Who knows? So keep an eye on him.
Nick Young
WAS is playing for the future, and Young would qualify as such. If you need 3’s, they might start falling soon…
Rudy Fernandez and Jerryd Bayless
Even with Steve Blake gone, these guys kind of cancel each other out. If Brandon Roy continues to be hampered by his hammy, both would enjoy instant upgrades.
Jared Jeffries and Hilton Armstrong
Jeffries’ skills are a perfect match for Houston’s style of play. However, he probably won’t get close to the minutes he was getting in NY. We’ll have to wait and see what that averages out to. And speaking of playing time, Armstrong will be battling Jeffries for the minutes that Carl Landry vacated in Houston. He hasn’t done much this year, but has been useful for stretches in the past.
Hakim Warrick
He doesn’t do much besides score, but CHI chose him over more defensive big men like Kurt Thomas and Francisco Elson for a reason. With Salmons gone, Warrick could be leaned on for some (unorthodox) post scoring.
Beno Udrih
Udrih was useful the first time Martin was missing games, but the return of Francisco Garcia complicates that backcourt enough for me to be cautiously optimistic about Udrih the rest of the way.
Al Thornton
A change of scenery might do him good, but he’s still playing behind Mike Miller and Howard.
IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME…
You might not want to cut some of these guys right away, but if you have to in order to snatch one of the “Must-Owns” I’d probably make the move.
Channing Frye
I’m sticking Frye on this list because he was probably hurt the most by the Suns’ inability to trade Amare Stoudemire. He could still very possibly get hot for multiple games at a time, but Robin Lopez is entrenched as the starter now, killing Frye’s consistency. (I’d hang onto him in deeper leagues though.)
J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varejao
Again, maybe wait at least a couple days before dropping these guys, but that CLE frontcourt is awfully crowded now. But do what you gotta do and don’t look back.
Drew Gooden
Looks like he’s staying in Clipperland, where he might actually be somewhat useful, but his upside is limited.
Ronnie Brewer and Charlie Bell
Brewer and Bell are headed to the MEM and MIL benches, and there are definitely more attractive fish in the sea.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas
If his contract is bought out, he’s worthless for 4 weeks. If he rejoins CLE or goes to DAL, it’s not much better.
Erick Dampier
I was down on him from the start. A broken finger sealed his fate.
Did I miss anyone? Of course I did. Feel free to let me know below…
Week 16 Recap (That was short) and Week 17 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy, Fantasy Basketball Trades on February 15, 2010
WEEK 16 RECAP
After a shortened week and a lackluster dunk contest, I have to admit the All Star game itself was kind of exciting, at least for an exhibition game. You could tell the 108,000+ spectators helped to motivate the players (or distract, in the case of one Deron Williams).
Hmm, did anything else happen last week? Well, there was that trade. And oh yeah, Stephen Curry put up a ridiculous triple-double (36, 10, and 13 with 7 treys) thanks to a buzzer-beating rebound with the help of one of the most clutch box-outs I’ve ever seen…by Anthony Tolliver (more on him below). Check out the 6:30 mark for the play:
In fact, Curry has been so impressive lately, I’m not even going to mention those two other guys until they show me they’re capable of making this a Fantasy ROY race again.
See, I told you Week 16 was short.
WEEK 17 PICKUPS
As has been the theme around here lately, most of these pickups will actually be speculative long-term adds based on trade rumors. Others will be named Anthony Tolliver. (p.s. Anthony Morrow and Darren Collison have both cleared the 50% ownership mark required for this list, but make sure neither are taken before continuing below.)
Andray Blatche (34%)
See my post from over the weekend. But essentially, with Brendan Haywood out of the picture and Antawn Jamison likely (but not surely) to follow, the door is open for Blatche to get 35+ minutes a night. In 4 games as a starter this year, Blatche is only averaging 11 ppg and 7.5 rpg with 1.8 bpg in 34 mpg, but that was as a starting PF playing alongside Haywood. Last year, he averaged 12 ppg and 6 rpg with ~1 spg/bpg in 28 mpg as a starting C without Haywood. Project that to 35 mpg, and those numbers come out to roughly 14 ppg and 8 rpg with 1+ spg/bpg. Add in the Wizards’ great playoff schedule in H2H leagues, and you want to own this kid.
Drew Gooden (28%)
I also like Gooden’s value to take a step up as he’ll get more consistent minutes in WAS (assuming he isn’t flipped to a contender). In fact, the only downside to owning Blatche will be seeing Gooden gobble up double-digit boards on certain nights, while Blatche only snatches 5 or so. That being said, I’d still prefer Blatche for his steals and blocks, but Gooden will be an excellent source of rebounds.
Anthony Tolliver (7%)
Curry and Tolliver probably won't lead Golden State to many W's this year. Good thing we live in a fantasy world. (Getty)
Gasp! What is this — a player who likely doesn’t stand to benefit from a trade on this list? Well, with the rate that Monta Ellis, Corey Maggette, and the rest of the Warriors get injured, Tolliver is essentially getting theboost in minutes a trade would have. (Not to mention Andris Biedrins actually has been mentioned in some rumors. But then again, who hasn’t this year?) There are so many different ways to hype Tolliver, but I’ll just go with his averages from the last 3 games: 17 ppg and 8 rpg with 1.3/1.0/0.7 3s/stl/blk.
The Warriors recently decided to cut Speedy Claxton’s valuable expiring contract to keep Tolliver (a move that angered many GS fans), so you can expect management will give him plenty of minutes to prove himself the rest of the way. I recently picked up Tolliver, then dropped him for Blatche. If Carlos Boozer doesn’t get traded, I’m dropping Paul Millsap for this kid.
[02/18/10 UPDATE -- Boozer didn't get dealt, but Ronnie Brewer did, freeing up time for both Andrei Kirilenko and Millsap. Add in the fact that Millsap has been on fire lately and looks to get 30+ mpg, and no, I am in fact not dropping him for Tolliver at this point. Just to clarify...]
Robin Lopez (38%)
He sputtered a bit last week, but with Amare Stoudemire trade rumors swirling faster than a Mid-Atlantic snowstorm, Lopez is worth owning (or at least keeping a close eye on) over the next 3 days.
J.J. Hickson (9%)
Speaking of Amare trade rumors, Hickson will be a likely beneficiary of any trade the Cavs make because the Cavs will likely be bringing in a stud PF (Amare, Jamison, or Troy Murphy), leaving a nice, empty starting PF spot on the other team. Of course, Hickson wouldn’t have LeBron James feeding him for easy scores anymore, but considering the opposing team would most likely be rebuilding (except in the case of the Suns), and Hickson should get more run than he did/does in CLE.
Keep an eye on:
Wow, I didn’t realize this list was so F-C heavy. Here are some other guys to keep an eye on (including G’s!), either due to trade speculation or strong play: Brad Miller and Taj Gibson (43% and 10% respectively — Joakim Noah still hurting and Tyrus Thomas on the trade block), Ryan Gomes (32%), Marcus Thornton (38% — coming back from injury and should still benefit from Chris Paul’s absence), DeJuan Blair (25%), George Hill (38% — better with Tony Parker healthy?), Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (8% — 11 rpg over last 3), Jared Jeffries (8%), T.J. Ford (33% — don’t get your hopes up, but back in rotation), Marquis Daniels (2%), Charlie Bell (4% — a trey in 12 straight games)
Trade Winds: Eastern Conference
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy, Fantasy Basketball Trades, Fantasy Fallout on February 12, 2010
Get ready for one of the most important weeks of the fantasy basketball season. The days leading up to the trade deadline (February 18) can make or break fantasy squads. Since there are no more games this week, you should be filling your ‘dead’ roster spots with guys who would benefit from possible trades, if you haven’t already. (See: Francisco Garcia, 2009 or Drew Gooden, 2008.)
If you've got a dead roster spot, it might be worth it to stash someone like Blatche for the next 6 days. (Getty)
For example, one of the most popular pieces of trade bait is Troy Murphy. Nobody knows where he will go (or if he will go), but the biggest winner from a Murphy trade would be Roy Hibbert. Since Hibbert’s probably already taken, you’d want to keep an eye on Tyler Hansbrough. He’s currently injured but would be a safe bet to get 25-30 mpg once he returns. And lastly, the biggest loser of this deal would probably be Murphy himself (especially if he winds up in CLE, but maybe not if he winds up in SAC).
Got it? Since there are so many rumored scenarios, I’m just going to run through the most popular trade targets and the ripple effect that would happen if they were moved. Of course, this is imperfect because I’m (mainly) looking at one side of the deal, so just consider this a general set of guidelines before the actual deals start getting announced next week.
ANTAWN JAMISON
Biggest winner: Andray Blatche
Biggest loser: Probably Jamison (the most likely destination for him is CLE, which is already stacked with bigs)
CARON BUTLER
Biggest winner: Mike Miller (in store for a bigger role)
Keep an eye on: Nick Young (Miller might shift to the SF spot, freeing up the starting SG spot)
Biggest loser: I would’ve said Butler, but this might actually jumpstart him.
ELTON BRAND
Biggest winner: Marreese Speights
Keep an eye on: Thaddeus Young
Biggest loser: The PF on whatever team Brand is headed to.
ANDRE IGUODALA
Biggest winner: Lou Williams (if Willie Green plays more minutes at the SF spot, it could finally relieve that backcourt traffic jam)
Keep an eye on: Willie Green and Thaddeus Young
Biggest loser: The SF on whatever team Iggy is headed to.
KIRK HINRICH
Biggest winner: John Salmons
Keep an eye on: Hinrich (he’s already useful now, and his value could rise even more if he’s moved into a starting PG role)
Biggest loser: The PG on whatever team Hinrich is headed to.
CHRIS BOSH
Biggest winner: Andrea Bargnani
Keep an eye on: Amir Johnson
Biggest loser: You got it: the big men on whatever team Bosh is headed to. (Okay, I’ll stop mentioning the biggest loser if there’s no clear one yet.)
NATE ROBINSON
Biggest winner: Chris Duhon (he needs anything to happen to jumpstart himself) and Larry Hughes
Keep an eye on: Nate, as he might move to a situation with more playing time, but not necessarily more responsibility.
DEVIN HARRIS
Biggest winner: Keyon Dooling
Biggest loser: Probably Harris, as he’s currently The Man in New Jersey. At least when he’s healthy.
TYRUS THOMAS
Biggest winner: Probably Thomas himself, as he can only crack about 20 mpg right now, and Taj Gibson
Keep an eye on: Brad Miller
Okay, hope that’s enough to get the juices flowing for now. Watch out for my Western Conference edition sometime this weekend, and feel free to point out any pieces of trade bait I missed.
Week 16 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Injuries, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on February 6, 2010
George Hill plays on Monday and Thursday this week. If that's important to you, then congratulations. You're a fantasy nerd. (AP)
Because Week 16 is a short week (4 days), pickups are that much more important in H2H leagues. So, in order to give you guys some more time to make those make-or-break pickups, I’m skipping the Week 15 Recap (Noah and the Foot Arch) in favor of posting this a day earlier than usual. First, some logistics:
Mabye the most important thing to note: ORL has 3 games.
Most teams have two games, but SA has two games and plays on both Monday and Thursday (where there are only a total of 5 games going on). This is important because it allows you to maximize (if your league doesn’t have a cap) the number of games you can get in for this week.
Think about it: If you’re only able to start 6 or 8 players per night, for example, you can maximize your games played (and minimize your games wasted on the bench) by picking up players that play on Monday and/or Thursday (or what I call “Off-Days” because most teams have those days off). ORL and SA both play on both of the Off-Days for this week. The following teams have 2 games this week, 1 of which occurs on an Off-Day: NO, GS, DAL, LAK, SA, DEN, and CLE. In other words, if you have limited pickups, target players on ORL, SA, or these squads. Now onto the pickups (by team, with all/most guys available in 50+% of Yahoo leagues):
Orlando
J.J. Redick and Jason Williams are both decent bets for 3’s, as they’re getting solid minutes off the bench. Matt Barnes has slowed of late, but he provides across the board production (and 3 games from him might be worth more than 1 game by a better player).
San Antonio
The best potentially available option out of SA is George Hill. I’ve already written enough about him the past couple weeks so I won’t add too much more. DeJuan Blair and Antonio McDyess could be helpful if you’re looking for boards.
Guys with 2 games (1 on an Off-Day)
The guys above are nice from a “quantity” perspective. These guys might provide better quality: Darren Collison (if he’s available in your league, but if you’re reading fantasy basketball blogs, he’s probably not), Marcus Thornton (missed last two games, check status), Drew Gooden and Rodrigue Beaubois (esepcially on Monday vs GS), Shannon Brown, Arron Afflalo, Daniel Gibson/Delonte West (check West’s status)
And if you don’t care about schedules…
Courtney Lee (heating up again), Brad Miller and Taj Gibson (with Joakim Noah out until the All Star break), Rudy Fernandez (with Roy out next week as well), Brandon Rush (only 1 game)
20-Second Timeout: Pau Gasol, Omri Casspi, and Tyrus Thomas
Posted by fantasy hoopster in 20-Second Timeout, Fantasy Basketball Injuries, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on December 18, 2009
Pau Gasol
According to Hoopsworld and Ball Don’t Lie, Gasol is on the verge of signing a 3-year extension starting in the $18.7-$19.7 million range. Hmmm… 18.7 and 19.7? That seems like about what Gasol has been averaging lately, as his owners (and Andrew Bynum’s owners) can tell you.
I don’t think Gasol’s production will drop off a cliff after he signs this extension, but if you own Bynum you must be thinking: “Just sign the F-ing thing already!!!!!!!” Maybe then Gasol will feel a little less need to prove himself (as if he really needs to) and he might let Bynum grab a few boards…just like Rajon Rondo started letting some of the other Celtics grab a few assists after he signed his extension (Rondo’s 4 games before signing extension: 11.8 apg. 4 games after extension: 6.3 apg). There’s nothing like job security to decrease productivity! At least in the NBA…
I still think Bynum is a great buy low target, and news of Gasol’s extension (oddly) reinforces that idea more (somehow). I just offered Joakim Noah for him in one roto league where I’m far out ahead in REB and need some help in FG%. That deal might not be ideal in every league (or perhaps, any league), but I think it’s the right long-term move for that specific squad. (More on that below.)
Omri Casspi
According to (early but yet to be confirmed) reports by the usually reliable Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee, it looks like Casspi is getting his second straight start tonight against the T-Wolves. His first start was (at least according to Coach Westphal) was for matchup purposes, as Westphal wanted the more mobile Casspi to cover Antawn Jamison. However, in facing a not-exactly “mobile” front line of Al Jefferson and Kevin Love, if Casspi gets the starting nod tonight it could be more of a permanent move. He’s already made several of my weekly pickup lists, and while he might be inconsistent, this young Israeli is probably now roster-able in most formats.
Spencer Hawes looks like he will become a super-sub, and his splits as a sub were actually better than his splits as a starter, at least before his last dud off the bench. I just dropped Hawes for someone else in this post (hint: see below) in one tightly contested H2H league, but am being more patient with the young FC in a deeper roto league.
Tyrus Thomas
Thomas was back at non-contact drills Thursday. His projected return is still vague, but Sam Smith of the Bulls Blog projects it as next Saturday (10/26) versus Thomas’ home state Hornets. While there are still some question marks about Thomas’ role with the Bulls (especially with Taj Gibson playing well), I think he’s worth picking up if you need help in the defensive cats. I just picked him up in one league where I need steals, as he’s pretty solid there for a PF. And if those Thomas-Al Harrington trade rumors from a few weeks back turn out to be true, Thomas’ value would certainly spike.
Thomas’ impending return is also one reason why offering Noah for Bynum wasn’t as hard to stomach. Even if Thomas gets traded, Harrington will be another body to alleviate Noah of the big minutes he’s been logging (34 mpg… 10 more than last year) — and Noah reportedly needed a cortisone shot before his last game.
Week 7 Recap (Raymond Felton is a model of efficiency) and Week 8 Pickups
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on December 13, 2009
In Week 7, Rip Hamilton and Michael Redd returned from injury. Allen Iverson returned from the grave. Several fast-starters hit a wall. Raymond Felton did his best Chris Paul impersonation. And in the biggest news of all, Danny Granger did his best, well, Danny Granger impersonation. (And Jose Calderon might have done his Jose Calderon impersonation as well.)
Is Raymond Felton turning into a crafty veteran? Because here he sure looks like that old dude at the Y who somehow uses his off-elbow when he shoots. (Getty Images)
Danny Granger
I already posted an immediate reaction to Granger’s injury, and a lot of it holds true. As a lot of you agreed, Mike Dunleavy is the guy to own, especially after a monster performance against the Wizards Friday. Roy Hibbert indeed shifted into the starting lineup and has taken about 12 shots per game since DG went down, but he only hit those shots in one game where he went off for 20 and 9 (on his birthday). Once those shots start falling, he’ll be a very useful fantasy C over the next month. I’d expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 and 8 with 1.5 bpg. And last but not least, Tyler Hansbrough has had three very solid performances, averaging about 18 and 7 with 1.7 spg.
Raymond Felton
It’s already almost been a month since Stephen Jackson was traded to Charlotte, and there are some clear patterns emerging. First of all, I decided to play my “wild card” guess on Gerald Wallace, predicting that Jackson’s arrival would spark him, so I’ll pat myself on the back for that. I also took an educated guess that Raymond Felton’s AST would go down, which was also true (barely), but I didn’t expect his value to skyrocket to the tune of a #57 ranking over the last month (Yahoo averages).
| FG% | FT% | 3PM | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | |
| Raymond Felton | .482 | .769 | 0.9 | 11.9 | 3.2 | 5.1 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 1.6 |
There’s a few things working in Felton’s favor here. First of all, he’s enjoying what might be his most efficient stretch in his career, shooting 48% from the field (career 40%) with only 1.6 TO per game (career 2.7) over the last month. A lot of that has to do with taking less shots because of Jackson, and also more efficient shots playing alongside another playmaker for once. Over the last week in particular, he’s shooting 60% from the field with 3.7 spg, which probably qualifies him as a sell high candidate… Read the rest of this entry »
Fantasy Fallout, Rumor Edition: Tyrus Thomas, Tracy McGrady, Andre Miller, and Elton Brand
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Pickups, Fantasy Basketball Strategy, Fantasy Fallout on December 4, 2009
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports just posted a must-read article on the latest trade rumors in the NBA. Some highlights:
Is Thomas the next Stoudemire? Marion? Or just the next heckling target for New Yorkers? (Getty Images)
Tyrus Thomas
“Several sources believe the Bulls are agreeable to a package of Thomas and Jerome James for Knicks forward Al Harrington.”
Mike D’Antoni has apparently coveted Thomas’ athleticism for years, although I’m not exactly sure how Thomas would be used on offense. Is he more the Shawn Marion or Amare Stoudemire type?… because he seems somewhere in between and not necessarily in a good way, although I can’t really pinpoint why. Maybe because he’s more generally regarded as a defensive player. Anyway, he takes a nice speculative bump in value going to that open offense and is worth a roster spot if you can afford it.
Meanwhile, Al Harrington could be taking Ben Gordon’s old 6th man/instant offense role, but going to a more structured offense makes it hard to predict exactly how his value will be affected. It probably goes down though, as Al likely can’t jack up 5 three-pt attempts per game anywhere outside of NY or GS.
And even though Al would be coming in, Taj Gibson gets a nice boost in confidence/value, while it becomes more likely that Joakim Noah can maintain his nice start. (I was thinking of selling high on him as late as last week, but will hold off on that until news breaks.)
Tracy McGrady
“Houston seems willing to take back a longer-term contract for McGrady, but most executives believe his high salary makes it hard to put together a package.
“Rockets GM Daryl Morey and coach Rick Adelman don’t want McGrady back with the team, and have insisted that he isn’t physically ready to return to the lineup. McGrady would love a trade, but knows he must start playing again for it to be possible.”
This situation seems messier and messier to me, although this is the first “new” news I’ve heard in a while. (And updating my last post here, apparently there are T-Mac trade rumors. Of course!) In my last post, I also said this all reminded me of Allen Iverson’s past couple weeks, but it actually might be more reminiscent of the Stephen Jackson situation in GSW.
Remember that night Jackson got benched the entire second half when things got really heated/awkward, then played almost the entire next game? It’s called “showcasing”… and I’m guessing the Rockets are waiting for the right time (i.e., until T-Mac is absolutely healthy) to showcase his skills and ship him off. To where? Who knows. But a lot of New Yorkers on this message board from The Knicks Blog think it will be, you got it, the Knicks.
Andre Miller
“Sources say that Brandon Roy clearly prefers playing with Blake over Miller, and that’s an issue that Pritchard must contend with.”
This all stems from the Blazers’ need to fill the gap left by Travis Outlaw’s injury. It’s great news for anyone who recently picked Steve Blake off waivers. I’ve been saying I’d rather own him than Miller all year, so gooo me! (Unfortunately I don’t own him in any leagues though. So, hypooocrite!) It’s probably good news for any Miller owners too, as he’s clearly good enough to start on most NBA teams and this seems like more of a personal preference (on Brandon Roy’s part) rather than a big character issue that would hurt Miller’s value.
Elton Brand
“Sixers GM Ed Stefanski is desperate to unload forward Elton Brand and the $66 million owed over the remaining four years of his crippling contract, sources say, but that will be incredibly difficult.”
Not totally surprising, and hey, maybe that’s why he was getting big minutes before his hamstring got overheated. (Showcasing, anyone? No wait. That Marreese Speights guy got injured. Anyway.) Doesn’t look like anything will happen, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
Fantasy Basketball Strategy: Eye-Opening Lines from Week 2
Posted by fantasy hoopster in Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Rankings, Fantasy Basketball Strategy on November 8, 2009
The only thing that can stop Kaman so far is Kaman himself. Or Reggie Evans' right hand. (AP)
Week 2 had plenty of surprises, including a fantasy stud who keeps getting better, some old-timers rising from the dead, some sleepers living up to the hype, and plenty of potential free agents who might be able to help your squad.
THE RICH GET RICHER
Chris Paul
First of all, I just want to point out one of the sickest stats of this young season. As if there was any doubt who the (statistically) best fantasy player in the league is, Paul has hit a ridiculous 72% of his threes this year. (He’s only hitting 64% of his overall shots though. Slacker.)
ZOMBIELAND
Meanwhile, a handful of fantasy old-timers (some older than others) have seemingly risen from the dead to put up top-notch fantasy stats.
Andrei Kirilenko
In 4 November games, AK-47 approached his pre-Boozer/Deron AK-47 numbers with 1.8 spg/bpg to go along with 13 ppg and solid %’s, good for a top 25 Yahoo ranking by averages.
Chris Kaman
Kaman’s monster season continued in week 2. His game log speaks for itself. Sell high, anyone?
Andrew Bogut
It’s been a couple years since Bogut was a top-tier fantasy C, but last week he sure played like one, averaging 18 and 10 with 1/2 spg/bpg. With Michael Redd coming back in the next week or so, I’m not sure Bogut will continue to get 14 shots per game, but he’s clearly found his offensive rhythm again.
Rotoworld- DeSagana Diop a healthy scratch from lineup - DeSagana Diop (F/C) Charlotte Bobcats
- Larry Brown believes Iverson will return - Allen Iverson (G) Philadelphia 76ers
- Scalabrine inactive due to Finley addition - Brian Scalabrine (F/C) Boston Celtics
- Aaron Gray returns from stomach infection - Aaron Gray (C) New Orleans Hornets
- Ellington returns after three game absence - Wayne Ellington (G) Minnesota Timberwolves
- Thompson scores 10 in win - Jason Thompson (F/C) Sacramento Kings
- Tyreke Evans gets first triple-double in win - Tyreke Evans (G) Sacramento Kings
- Beno big again in Kings win - Beno Udrih (G) Sacramento Kings
- Bargnani lone bright spot for Raptors - Andrea Bargnani (F/C) Toronto Raptors
- Walker donezo - Bill Walker (G/F) New York Knicks
- Adrian Wojnarowski
- WojYahooNBA: RT @DanWetzel: I'm giddy over this Tiger-Ari Fleischer deal. A sure-to-be disastrous PR campaign is always good for a columnist
- WojYahooNBA: Column: Donald Sterling has big plans for the Clippers now. Next, he should fire himself. http://tinyurl.com/yhbokyp
- WojYahooNBA: RT @jimrome: You know you're having a bad day if Lester Munson is on tv talking about you.
- WojYahooNBA: Gonzo took Times vaccine at Duane Reade RT @PeteThamelNYT: When asked his reaction toTimes story, Gonzo said, "I’m immune to those things."
- WojYahooNBA: Larry Brown had been pushing for Sixers job too, but hard to believe MJ will let him out of contract to leave for Philly or Clips.
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