Oklahoma City’s rookie with a veteran’s game (and beard), James Harden, returned to action Wednesday night after missing six games with his recent hamstring injury. For the playoff-bound Thunder, it couldn’t be better timing. For any managers still in the fantasy championship mix, it also couldn’t be a better time to return to the floor.
Golden State Warriors fans had to be displeased watching Brandon Jennings take the League by storm right out of the gates this season knowing that their team passed him up to draft another promising young guard. However, they now understand why, as Stephen Curry has been playing at an incredibly high level amidst incredible adversity. Over the past month, Curry has posted first round value while averaging 19.5 points on .484/.879 percent shooting, 2.4 threes, 4.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.1 steals, 0.2 blocks and 2.6 turnovers. Congratulations if you drafted Curry or snagged him off the wire early on in the season but this kid definitely deserves to be recognized for his outstanding play as of late.
Before we get to the good stuff, I just wanted to mention that we’ve experienced some trouble on the website as hackers thought we were an enviable target. We have to assume they were unhappy with Plonden’s advice, but regardless, we lost Deebo’s post/comments and I’ve had to redo this week’s preview (that’s why it was late). Regardless, lesson to be learned – BACK UP everything you do somewhere!
Unfortunately the best all-star game in sports is suffering from a growing case of stupidity. This year, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson are still on pace to start at guard in the upcoming mid-season classic in Dallas. Thankfully, the fans only get to choose just 10 players, but it’s become apparent that this might even be too much responsibility unless the selection process is changed. If you’re an avid fan, this just has to get your blood boiling a bit. Question is, what should be done?
We’ve all heard the argument that the All-Star game is for the fans so whomever they choose to start should be allowed. In the past, this has always been acceptable as the results haven’t been too skewed. However, with each passing year, it has become obvious this has become more of a popularity contest. Last season the unthinkable almost happened. Yi Jianlian finished 3rd among Eastern Conference forwards despite putting up 10.5 points (on 40.3 FG%), 1.0 3ptm, 6.2 rebounds and .5 steals/.6 blocks. Say what?
Naturally there are many who think the game is just for fun so it doesn’t matter who gets in.
Don Nelson, who coached the West All-Star team in 1992, takes a different view of McGrady’s situation. The Golden State coach said the league should respect the fans’ right to vote by not questioning the final results.
“If you’re going to have fan voting, then you gotta accept that they might vote in a guy that hasn’t played,” Nelson said. “They may vote for a guy just because he has a big name. It’s just kind of the way it is, and you gotta live with it.”
Source: OregonLive.com
I guess it boils down to how you view the All-Star game. Historically, being selected was considered a proud achievement as players were honored for being the most developed and well-regarded in the league. Just take a glance at the rosters of prior games. I can’t seem to find any duds.
Being an avid supporter of tradition, I don’t see any reason why this definition of an All-Star should be changed now. It’s NOT a My Fave Five game. Consequently what steps can be done to prevent an embarrassment from happening? Here is the short list I’ve come up with:
1) Eliminate fan voting
It doesn’t appear too difficult to discount this one. Next to All-Stars always being worthy players, it can be argued the other mainstay is fan voting. Since 1951, fans have always been allowed to vote for players. There is simply no way the NBA would take a step that would be akin to cutting off their own feet. Fan involvement undoubtedly helps promote the game ensuring it’s survival even in difficult economic conditions.
2) Eliminate Internet voting
It would appear that a number of irregularities have cropped up since allowing the rest of the world to have a say. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that entire cultures have decided to vote for their own. Without a doubt the most polarizing figure in the game is Yao Ming. Thanks to him, the Rockets team and individual players get an inordinate amount of attention. Just look the latest Western Conference ballot results: Aaron Brooks (5th among guards), Trevor Ariza (6th among forwards) and Luis Scola (7th among forwards). In addition, I have no doubt in my mind that Yi will push (probably make) next year’s All-Star game.
However, I don’t think the best move is to suddenly alienate any regions outside of the United States. If we truly want to globalize basketball, discrimination isn’t the way to go (I’m sure David Stern would agree as it would likely hinder the amount of revenue generated by the NBA).
Eventually, you have to believe the more familiar other cultures become with the NBA, the more likely people will vote based on performance. It appears even a significant portion of Chinese questioned Yi almost making it last year:
China’s 350 million basketball fans have become an important group for the NBA, so it is not surprising that Yi, a Chinese national, rank thirds in the voting. They believe the votes cast by Chinese fans should carry equal weight with those cast by American or German fans, and they have called on others to be self-confident in participating in the vote.
But others argue that Yi’s skills are not good enough for him to become a starter in the All-Star game. They say some fans have voted for him repeatedly or even resorted to manipulating computer software in an attempt to give him enough votes to be included on the All-Star game’s roster.
Those that believe Yi’s skills as a basketball player are below par say the level of All-Star game is lowered by such tactics, which constitute cheating. They also note that forcing the NBA’s global fans to accept the voting results of Chinese fans is not good for the future development of Yi, whom they believe is not qualified to take part in the All-Star game at present.
Source: China Daily
3) Impose Certain Criteria
Another possible method to attempt to regulate All-Star selection would be placing certain restrictions. There are countless ones that come to mind. Perhaps the NBA places fewer names on the ballot and does away with write-ins. How about having fan votes be worth less and be combined with expert/player/coach voting (something similar to the NFL’s Pro Bowl)? Or maybe set up some simple criteria that have been advocated by players like Brandon Roy?
“Maybe they should do it where you have to play a certain amount of games to start,” said Roy, who was ninth in the voting for guards. “If you play in a certain amount of games, then you get to start or play before they announce the team.”
Source: OregonLive.com
This could conceivably work but it would still be subject to scrutiny, not to mention the added requirement of increased resources. Fans could still upset the notion of fairness under any one of those purported changes. In addition, in many cases additional criteria would result in more work by the NBA especially since paper ballots are still used. What would happen when the first ballots are released and then a player misses a number of games?
4) Players & Coaches Decide Rosters Then Fans Decide Starters
In my opinion, the coaches and players in the Association should select the entire rosters up to a month before the actual game is to be held. There is no doubt that they would come up with a very deserving roster as peers normally judge quite objectively. Then allow the fans to vote electronically (whether through the internet or booths at arenas) starting a month before the actual game. If deemed necessary, allow the fans to also have 1 additional write-in vote for an extra bench slot. This would satisfy their need to select that one player they want to see participate, whether for cultural or nostalgic reasons.
There are a multitude of benefits by adopting such a selection process. First, it allows the NBA to set up the fairest system in maintaining a tradition of great NBA players in the All Star game where fans still play an important role. Second, it would move the NBA towards the 21st century whereby eliminating the use of paper ballots. Lastly, it would lead a better promotion of the game by giving the most deserving players the credit. For instance, small market teams would benefit by reducing the emphasis on obscurity. Also, the NBA would be less likely to suffer the retirements of certain generations. In most people’s minds, the NBA has dipped when greats like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan retired without having someone immediately step into their big shoes. By adopting this proposed system, NBA transitions would probably go much more smoothly.
While I’m not that incensed about either Tmac or AI (as compared to a near Yi debacle), there is a window open where one day a completely undeserving player who was never great at any time may be announced among the league’s best. Please, if you have a minute to spare, go over to NBA.com and make the right choice. Paper balloting will continue through Jan. 10, while wireless balloting and voting on NBA.com will conclude Jan. 18.
Coming into this NBA season, the New Jersey Net’s expectations were low. However, no one expected them to challenge ineptitude of historic proportions. The Nets recent loss to the Dallas Mavericks resulted in being associated with the distinct dishonor of the worst start by any franchise in NBA history. Worse than any expansion team or some historical bad franchise like the Clippers. Even though they’ve recently broken through with a win, will putting their worst leg(s) forward hurt the team beyond this season?
Just How Bad Have Things Been?
To put it bluntly, the Nets have been awful. They have the worst offensive rating (94.7), the worst points per game (87.60), the worst FG% (41.0) and the worst assists (16.25). Most of their losses haven’t even been close as their point differential stands a little over 10 points per game (only Minnesota is worse).
To be fair, at one point they only had one original starter available for a period of time. Devin Harris, Yi Jianlian, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Courtney Lee have all missed time for various aliments. One of these players, CDR, was the first NBA player infected with the swine flu. Prior to their first win against Charlotte, this foursome had missed 34 games out of a possible 72. Don’t forget that it takes time to get back into the swing of things such as chemistry and conditioning.
Can’t also discount they’ve had some key role players miss the majority of the season: Tony Battie, Keyon Dooling, Jarvis Hayes and Eduardo Najera. Without a solid bench, it’s no wonder this patchwork team has been tragic against the rest of the NBA. The New Jersey Nets probably wish they had as many healthy legs as their cheerleaders.
Did Management Stoke the Fire?
Coming into the season, the Nets had no established veterans – star or even borderline. Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter had all been traded away. However, a number of followers and writers proclaimed this was a good thing. New Jersey had some promising young talent including a potentially fantastic PG and C. More importantly, they would have about 25 million in available cap space for 2010. As you’re probably aware, there are some fantastic names that may be available in free agency including Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire.
There does lie a problem with this thinking – it’s a year away. For 2009, most experts predicted they’d finish at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Nothing new here as I’m sure most of us felt the same. With obvious turmoil looming, why then was Lawrence Frank fired?
I guess it’s Lawrence’s fault that they wanted to go young and [clear] cap space and that everybody got hurt,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Sunday night, before his team beat another one that is dangerously walking the 2010 tightrope, the Knicks. “Maybe he was banging them up in practice, taking a baseball bat to them or something. I just know that with the lineups he’s had to put on the floor, I don’t think any coach would’ve done anything better than he’s done.”
Source: CBS Sports
Pretty hard to disagree with Stan’s assessment when considering the roster and all the injuries they’ve had to deal with thusfar. However, were there issues going on out of the public eye? Apparently, yes.
Sources said Nets management had come to believe that Frank had lost much of the team, a fact that has played out in losses to Denver and Sacramento in the past week. Once the Nets played so poorly against the Kings – believed to be the most winnable game on the trip – management decided it could no longer go on with Frank as coach.
Despite the return of point guard Devin Harris and shooting guard Courtney Lee, the Nets have played long stretches of uninspired basketball. “Most of the guys have tuned him out,” one source with direct knowledge of the locker room environment said. “This isn’t all Lawrence’s fault, but everyone knows that this can’t go on anymore.”
Source: Adrian Wojnarowski
Beat writers close to the Nets also observed that Frank and Devin Harris were not seeing eye to eye.
“In the times I’ve been here, I’ve been so (angry) because of a lack of effort,” Frank said last week. “But these guys are giving virtually everything they’ve got.”
But they didn’t give him the effort lately and he had to go. Now, the next coach will have to coax more team play out of Devin Harris, who had problems with Frank’s controlling style and has gained the reputation of being a solo act.
“Last year we had Vince Carter and he was a positive influence on the young guys,” said one team official. “But he’s not here, and it hurts because the coach and point guard are not on the same page.”
Source: Mitch Lawrence
Consequently, it’s not surprising the Nets let Frank go. At least, they fired him before they set the all-time record so that his name wouldn’t have to be associated with it.
Therefore, on the surface, it would seem they’ve made the correct moves. There is one thing still bothering me though. Did they consider the consequences if this team loses too many games?
Will a really bad record have long term effects?
We’ll examine two aspects to gauge possible long term affect:
1) How historically poor teams fare with rosters primarily consisting of talented youth in following years.
2) How many big time free agents signed with historically bad teams in following seasons.
1) First, we’ll examine how promising teams reacted to severely disappointing seasons. Specifically, we’ll look at the 1993-94 Dallas Mavericks, 1999-00 Chicago Bulls and the 1999-00 Los Angeles Clippers. These teams were chosen because they were all in the midst of serious rebuilding with promising youth with a significant stretch of poor play.
The 1993-94 Mavericks team finished with a 13-69 record, but they were best known for posting a 2-39 record (OUCH) through the midpoint of the season. The team wasn’t completely devoid of talent as they had two promising but young 19 point scorers in Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn. So how dire did it get?
You hear about it and read about it, but words cannot really describe the hopelessness down here. At one point last night, the Dallas Mavericks called a 20-second timeout and spent a good 15 seconds trudging back to the huddle, defeated.
At courtside, owner Donald Carter sat in his hideous shirt and his jeans and his 10-gallon hat, cheering his team wildly while it was 15 down. The latest news? Jimmy Jackson says he’ll never, ever, EVER sign with the Mavs, no matter how many faxes they send.
Source: Encyclopedia.com
Well Jim ended up staying (contracts will do that to you), but the Mavericks continued to flounder by averaging close to a 27-55 record the next 4 years. This is impressive despite drafting win-producer Jason Kidd. It seemed that the 3 J’s were destined to be part of a great future, but this wasn’t the case. In 1996-97, all three were traded away as the team decided to go in a new direction under Don Nelson.
The 1999-00 Chicago Bulls finished with a 17-65 record, a few seasons removed from the Jordan era. The team did have some promising rookies in Elton Brand and Ron Artest while bringing in John Starks and Bruce Bowen after trading away Toni Kukoc during the season. The following season the Bulls drafted/acquired Brad Miller, Jamal Crawford, Marcus Fizer and Ron Mercer, but this time they won only 15 games including losing a franchise worst 21 straight games on the road.
Overall, the promise never amounted to anything as the team averaged a 22-60 during the four year stretch after the 1999-2000 season. The overriding theme seemed to be concentrating on youth without enough experience as they fell into a pattern gambling on youth that failed to pan out including Eddy Curry, Tyson Chandler and Jay Williams.
The 1999-00 Los Angeles Clippers were able to collect some talent after two horrendous years. However, Lamar Odom, Derek Anderson, Maurice Taylor and Michael Olowokandi only managed 15 wins while starting the season with a then NBA record of 17 straight losses.
On paper, this team’s untapped talent and balance — four players averaging more than 13 points per game, and arguably the largest collection of “he’s-got-great-upside” players — belies its results.
Source: NBA.com
In the following years, they garnered an impressive amount of talent on paper: Darius Miles, Quentin Richardson, Corey Maggette, Elton Brand and Andre Miller. Guess what, all these young guys managed to contribute an average W/L record of 31-51 the following four years.
Now, there have been some deviations from the norm when franchises have decided to completely entrust their future in youth. Namely, the Portland Trail Blazers come to mind. After blowing up the Jail Blazers and some troubling players the next few years, they appear to be ready to challenge the league’s best for years to come. However, it would appear it takes a special bunch of players like Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge among others to make it happen.
Therefore, where does this leave the current Nets? Coming into this year, there were no illusions, but there was hope that the Nets had put together a solid young core. However, Dave Berri of The Wages of Win Journal made an interesting analysis of the Net’s franchise. Basically, when Jason Kidd has not been on their team, they’ve been a bad team and his predictions don’t have anything changing that.
In addition, their terrible start is already affecting their morale:
“We don’t have any heart,” Chris Douglas-Roberts, the second-year guard, said. “It’s like we’re laying down. Weak. It’s a sign of weakness.”
Douglas-Roberts said the word was out on his team: “All you got to do is come out, punch them in the mouth and they’ll give up and run with their tail between their legs.”
Although the Nets were decimated by injuries early in the streak, they are nearly back to whole. Yet the fight they briefly showed in close defeats in early November is nonexistent.
“The spirit’s been broken a little bit,” said guard Devin Harris, the Nets’ lone All-Star.
Source: New York Times
Uh-oh – hopefully, this is just a fleeting attitude and the Nets can put together a lot of solid performances. Otherwise, you’ve got to believe they’ll continue to be tested mentally as other historically bad teams and it will take all their effort to stay together and focused on a common goal.
2) A second method of attempting to change years of bad fortune is through free agency. A key signing or two could significantly change a team’s outlook. However, there are multiple obstacles to this theory. Poorly performing teams seem to have trouble acquiring or keeping top talent.
Let’s look at the top 30 players by salary (all over $14M). 15 of them are on teams that had over a .600 win% (50+ wins), while just 3 of them are on sub-.400 teams. In other words, the most successful teams employed 1.67 of these elite players on average, while the worst teams employed just 0.375 elite players.
Source: Hawkonomics
These statistics were compiled from last year’s payroll and performance. One can gleam two likely scenarios for this disparity. One, top players usually have choices in their destination; thus, they choose to play for a winning team that gives them a shot for a championship. Two, poor performing teams usually suffer from the lack of capital necessary to sign major free agents. Media outlets aren’t interested to pay top dollar to carry broadcasts while businesses and fans aren’t interested in sinking money for tickets, suites and other endeavors.
In one of the other historically bad teams we analyzed, the Chicago Bulls attempted to go the free agency route:
Remember, the summer of 2000 was supposed to be it. Actually, scratch that, Chicago had big designs on the summer of 1999, if we’re honest. And, if we’re to be completely accurate, the summer of 1998 was supposed to see all sorts of free agents flock to Chicago to eat up the team’s cap space. The summer of 1998 didn’t happen, for anyone. GM Jerry Krause saw the writing on the wall when most FAs signed with their old teams for more money in the truncated post-lockout offseason, and after talking up the 1999 offseason, he decided to make a few more cap-clearing moves and parlay that money (and two lottery picks) to the 2000 offseason.
Source: ChicagoNow
As we can observe, the free agency route failed the post-Jordan Bulls. Players obviously had no desire to come to Chicago despite the apparent available capital. Therefore, what is there to ensure the same won’t happen to the Nets? They’re off to a horrendous start, have historically been a well below average team and have put all their faith into a roster comprised of largely unproven young players.
However, the Nets do have two things in their favor. First, it appears the long proposed move to Brooklyn will definitely happen. Second, the Nets also have a new principal owner – Mikhail Prokhorov – one of the wealthiest men in the world. Playing in the most dynamic sports city in American coupled with the deepest pockets can potentially bring in a top player or two.
They want a basketball team in Brooklyn – but not this one.
After the New Jersey Nets broke the record Wednesday night for starting an NBA season with the most consecutive losses – 18 – some borough sports fans had a message for owner Bruce Ratner as he tries to bring the team to Brooklyn: Start winning or don’t bother.
“I don’t want an 0-and-18 team coming to New York, especially to Brooklyn,” said Assane Ethols, 21, a Canarsie security guard. “It’s go hard or go home here.”
Source: New York Daily News
It looks like a lot DOES ride on this season so let’s hope the current group starts playing better.
According to Yahoo! Rankings, guess who was the most valuable player during week 5? Old unreliable Marcus Camby. Hard to argue though considering he averaged (over a 4 game span) 12.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2.5 steals and 3.0 blocks. You want efficiency too? How about a 58 FG% and only 1.3 TO’s? Lesson here is to start thinking about selling high (if you haven’t already). He’s injury prone, 35 years old and a Blake Griffin return is on the horizon.
Week Six Schedules
Four Games: CHI, DAL, GSW, IND, MIA, MIL, NYK, PHO, TOR, WAS
Three Games: ATL, BOS, CHA, CLE, DEN, DET, HOU, LAL, MEM, MIN, NJN, PHI, SAC, UTA
Two Games: LAC, NOH, OKC, ORL, POR, SAS
ADD LIST (players owned in 40% or less in standard yahoo leagues)
Ersan Ilyasova – We’ve been touting this guy for 3 weeks now but he’s still only owned in 40% of all yahoo leagues. This past week, he averaged 14.5 points (on 42.6 FG% and 77.8 FT%), 1.3 3ptm, 8.8 rebounds, 1.5 stls with only .5 TO’s. With Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut still disabled and the Bucks enjoying a 4 game week, he could be a serious monster.
Luke Ridnour – As previously stated, Redd is still looking at missed games due to a sore knee. In his stead, Luke has been hot when given solid run. He’s averaged 15 points (on 54.5 FG% and 100 FT%), .8 3ptm, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and .8 steals. He has the makings of a very good short term pickup so go ahead and take advantage.
Jamaal Tinsley – Never would have imagined I’d be touting the Tinman, but he has emerged as the best PG in Memphis. Although he hasn’t officially been named the starter, it appears it’s only a matter of time. His minutes are on a nice upward trend as Mike Conley is still mired in a season long funk. Jamaal will give a boost in points, assists and steals with occasional 3’s.
Martell Webster – He’s probably been tossed between the waiver wire and a roster more than once, but he’s worth owning again. Brandon Roy has spoken so no more 3 guard starting lineups. Over the past five games, he has also shown he’s over his shooting funk with a 50 FG%. In that span, he’s put up 14 points, 2.8 3’s, 5.8 rebounds and .8 blocks.
Nick Young – With Mike Miller’s recent injury, his DNP’s are long gone. This time, he seems to be taking advantage of it as in 3 games he’s averaged 17.3 points and 1.3 3ptm. Moreover, in watching the Wizards play the Heat, he impressed me. His game has expanded beyond just scoring as I saw him compete defensively, make the right play and look for teammates. It should translate into quite a few more boards, assists and defensive numbers than seasons past.
CUT LIST
Mike Conley – If Tinsley is on the add list, Conley definitely deserves to be on the cut list. He hasn’t been able to snap out of a season long funk as he’s shooting 37.5% from the field (27.8% from 3) while posting a career worst 2.4 TO’s. There is a good chance Mike will have a chance to regain significant time at the point down the line as Jamaal has been susceptible to injury or bad slumps himself. However, no reason to wait for this to happen with him on your roster.
Randy Foye – At this point, it seems he can’t even beat out Earl Boykins/Nick Young. If you picked him up when M&M went down, time to go back to the drawing board (unless 16 minutes of playing time is your cup of tea).
Brad Miller – Still owned in 50% of the leagues, uh why? Barring some extreme matchups or foul trouble by teammates, his minutes are clearly going towards Taj Gibson and company. Also, don’t forget that Tyrus Thomas will be in the mix in the not too distant future.
WATCH LIST
Omri Casspi/Donte Greene/Beno Udrih – Paul Westphal is still experimenting with lineups (until Kevin Martin returns) so the playing time and production of these 3 guys continues to waver. I expect Donte Greene to be the short term loser (even though he’s started the last 3 games). If he’s not hot, he’ll be sitting most 4th quarters to at least 1 if not both of the other guys. Wouldn’t be surprised to see Beno also recapture a starting gig next to Tyreke Evans.
Allen Iverson – AI’s been beating on owners going back to last year but that may be changing in the near future. His recent hasty retirement sparked some controversy in NBA circles as many (Larry Brown, John Thompson, countless of teammates) felt he acted too abruptly. In my opinion, he is going to land on another roster (maybe Philly?) and could quite possibly turn out to be VERY relevant. AI was ready to take on the world at the start of this year, but it didn’t work out. Now with his supporters getting vocally behind him, I think it could give him the incentive to succeed this time round.
Jonas Jerebko – This Swede partially owes thanks to one of our loyal readers, John-O. I was going to include him in the Deep League Specials area, but with others noticing his production, he deserves to be on everyone’s watch list. Sunday, John Kuester changed his starting lineup to snap the Pistons out of their funk. Lo and behold, it wasn’t the rookie getting the short end of the stick but rather Charlie Villaneuva. To make matters even more appealing Charlie apparently broke his nose. Jonas won’t overwhelm as the guards rule the team but he’ll continue to see 30+ minutes a game in the short term while giving solid boards and chipping in points, 3’s and defensive numbers on occasion.
STAY THE COURSE
Jared Dudley – Jared has cooled considerably since his strong start, but I advise owners who still haven’t punted him to stick with him. First, Leandro Barbosa just hurt his ankle against the Raptors and appears he’ll be out anywhere from 2 games to 2 weeks. Second, the Suns have a 4 game schedule this week. Owners should prepare to be rewarded with solid 3’s and steals with decent points and boards.
Marcus Thornton – I know “buckets” hasn’t exactly set the world on fire the last 2 games but I don’t think his run is over. First, he’s still the Hornets most explosive wingman. Second, Peja has suddenly left the team for personal reasons. If you can withstand another 2 game week, I think he’ll satisfy owners down the road as Chris Paul will soon be in control of his destiny.
DEEP LEAGUE SPECIALS
Robin Lopez – The other twin is back from injury and in his first game back, he had an immediate impact for the Suns (8 points, 7 boards, 1 steal, 2 blocks). Considering the need for a legitimate backup to Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye, Robin should fill the role immediately. Announcers noticed in that first game, he was quite winded early so once his conditioning gets in order, he has a good chance to increase productivity and consistency.
Damien Wilkins – Kurt Rambis promised to shake up the lineup and in Sunday’s game Wilkins started for the first time since the start of the season. Considering the Wolves upset the Nuggets at their place while he contributed 15 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists, I’d say he’s earned at least a few more starts.
Yet another week has passed and there were more changes to the fantasy landscape. Chris Paul, Travis Outlaw, Josh Howard, Kelenna Azubuike and Marreese Speights went down this week. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol, Eric Gordon, Courtney Lee and Troy Murphy continued their Mr. Invisible impressions. At least Antwan Jamison and Rashard Lewis will be sure to return this week. Also, can’t go without mentioning Brandon Jennings. He is the reason why NBA League Pass just might be worth it as it’s highly unlikely most of us will even have an opportunity to watch Bucks’ games.
Week Four Schedules
Four Games: ATL, CHA, CLE, DET, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, NOH, OKC, ORL, POR, TOR
Three Games: BOS, CHI, DAL, DEN, GSW, LAC, LAL, MEM, NJN, NYK, PHI, PHI, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS
Two Games: MIN
ADD LIST (players owned in 40% or less in standard yahoo leagues)
Will Bynum – He’s got a juicy four game schedule and both Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton are not expected to play during the road trip. Although Bynum’s numbers will likely take a hit when Rip gets back, he still might be worth owning as he’ll probably still get around 25 minutes a game and contribute decent scoring stats, assists and steals.
Toney Douglas – Over the last week, Toney has been the Knicks best guard. It’s not saying much when you check the competition but it is very noteworthy. D’Antoni’s grey is becoming more noticeable by the day and he’s tired of it. Currently, he is re-evaluating the entire rotation and it is expected he’ll go with the youth. I expect Toney to continue to get strong playing time and help fantasy owners in scoring stats, efficiency and steals.
Rudy Fernandez/Martell Webster – Funny how in one week Martell goes from the drop list to the add list. Thanks Outlaw! With Travis sidelined for at least 6 weeks, both of these guys will probably be worth owning. Martell has a golden opportunity to really seize some time as it’s not expected the Blake/Miller/Roy trio to continue starting. If Webster is able to start knocking his shot down with any regularity, he’ll put up very serviceable numbers across the board. Rudy on the other hand is a perfect fit for the 6th man so that should continue. However, his minutes are going to get a bump up so nab him if you really need help with 3’s and steals.
Chris Douglas-Roberts – He licked the swine flu in no time and has already logged 35 minutes in the Nets last game. Pick him up if he’s available because the Nets are in dire need of his potential contributions. He’ll be rewarding owners as soon as this coming week in points, efficiency, steals and rebounds.
Thabo Sefolosha – There is no denying it, he has a major role in the Thunder’s rotation because of his defensive abilities. It’s a great sign that he’s still been getting a ton of time even though his shot has been way off of late (6-25 in the last 4 games). While he’ll never be a volume shooter, he will help fantasy managers in 3’s, boards and defensive categories.
CUT LIST
DJ Augustin – Seems DJ is going through the motions of a second year player. There were high hopes entering the season but he’s gotten off to a slow start and it appears Larry Brown won’t help him. The other night, DJ took a shot off a pick and roll instead of passing to the open player and Coach promptly yanked him. With Raja Bell attempting to play through his injuries and Flip Murray back, Augustin will be pressed to find consistent minutes.
Chris Duhon – Chris was never meant to be a fantasy relevant player, but that changed the day he put on a Knick uniform. While he has the ability to put up some nice numbers on occasion, he hasn’t even been close thus far this season. D’Antoni hasn’t kicked him to the curb yet, but I expect the next game or two to be a nice barometer for the next few months. If he shows signs of snapping out of it, hang on to him as Coach will undoubtedly stick with him. If not, send him packing.
Josh Howard - Well that didn’t take long. Howard is already out indefinitely with rumors claiming he’ll be out until the end of December. Considering the surgery was back in May and he’s still not right, I don’t suggest standard leagues to stick by this brittle body.
WATCH LIST
Darren Collison – Darren might be a nice plug in option for at least this upcoming week, but I’m not sold on him. He struggled in his first start against the Hawks and scary as it sounds, Bobby Brown outplayed him. It’s easy to envision him going from a bad game to average to bad to good to bad again. Also, after this week, the Hornets will have two straight weeks of just 2 games so I assume there should be a better interim option out there at this time.
JJ Hickson – The Cavaliers moved him into the starting lineup to shake things up a bit after a disappointing start to the year. Somewhat surprisingly, JJ has come through with flying colors. In their last game against Utah, he put up 20 points, but more importantly, he received 38 minutes on the floor. If this continues, then he’ll most likely be worthy of ownership in standard sized leagues.
Marcus Thornton - Last week, I had him in my Deep League Specials section, but this week he gets a bump up. It’s no secret that the Hornets are struggling especially on the offensive end. Peja Stojakovic, Morris Peterson, Devin Brown and James Posey have looked awful too many times. With Jeff Bower responsible for drafting Marcus, I believe he’ll get his share of chances at significant playing time rewarding owners with points, 3’s, FT% and steals.
STAY THE COURSE
Andris Biedrins – Horrid start for sure. Combine that with a lousy back injury that seemed to be perpetuated by Nellie’s lack of sense, he’s giving fantasy owners absolutely nothing right now. However, according to Ziguana, he put up Round 5 value last season. Considering the Warriors have no other viable center, he’ll jump back into the rotation once he’s deemed healthy.
John Salmons – He couldn’t have gotten off to a worst start – under 32% from the field thus far. However, don’t make the mistake on either dropping him or selling low as he’s a proven efficient shooter. Despite his struggles, he’s averaging 38 minutes a game so it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a valuable asset on your team.
DEEP LEAGUE SPECIALS
Eddy Curry, Jordan Hill – I’ve got a strong feeling one of these two guys will be relevant as soon as this coming week. David Lee at center seems worse than last year as his opposition is running layup drills around him. With Darko Milicic apparently not a factor, one can expect D’Antoni to next look to these two guys. Hill has shown flashes of late that he’s got some game but he still has a number of things to learn (as indicated by his foul rate). Curry has been a laughing stock for such a long time but the Knicks are desperate. He’s lost a ton of weight and might be serviceable until his next injury.
CJ Watson – In the world of Nellie, even fodder can turn into gold. Not surprisingly, Stephen Curry has already landed on the end of the bench so CJ has been able to receive some fantastic minutes the last two games (27 and 34). Subsequently, he has taken full advantage of it by playing very well and there is a decent chance it’ll continue in the short term.
From the very outset of media day, the 2009 training camp and preseason has been interesting to say the least. The first shots were fired in the Bay but it didn’t take long for others to follow suit. The Warriors’ neighbors to the north, the Portland Trailblazers, have had their own drama brewing in the form of a bona fide position battle for the starting point guard spot.
After missing out on both Hedo Turkoglu and Paul Millsap earlier this summer, the Blazers faithful were getting restless. Kevin Pritchard had to make a move this offseason. Not only that, he had to make an impact move to appease the fan base and help take the Blazers to the next level. The ultimate aim was to make a move to help guide the young team deep into the postseason.
The move Pritchard eventually settled on was signing unrestricted free agent point guard Andre Miller to a three year deal ($14 million guaranteed during the first two years and a team option for the third year). Logically, it was a very good move. The Blazers are a very young team and can use the calming presence that the seasoned veteran floor general can provide, especially in the postseason.
Prior to signing Miller, it appeared that the Blazers were clearing out minutes for second year point guard Jerryd Bayless to get some additional run next season. Remember, they had sent the occasionally disgruntled Sergio Rodriguez to Sacramento in a draft day trade in order to acquire rookie prospect Jeff Pendergraph, thus opening up the backup point guard spot for JB.
Now, with two point guards on the roster that started last season, Portland is in the midst of an old fashioned position battler. Surprisingly, Steve Blake landed the first punch (and second, for that matter). And he did so by proxy, in the form of All-Star guard Brandon Roy.
At the very onset of training camp, Roy lobbied hard for Blake to maintain starter status next season. Brandon extolled Blake’s selfless nature and talked about how comfortable he is playing alongside Blake. Round one, Blake. So it looked like franchise player B-Roy was not ready to welcome Miller to the starting unit just yet.
But not having Roy’s support right off the bat is something than can be overcome pretty easily for an old hand like Miller. In a further setback, Miller was the only player with a guaranteed contract in training camp who didn’t pass the Trail Blazers conditioning test. But that’s only part of the story. Blake completed the test in record-breaking fashion, positively dazzling head coach Nate McMillan in the process. Round two, Blake.
Suddenly, the position battle is starting to look grim for the new addition. Luckily for Miller, training camp provided an opportunity for Miller to get on the court with Roy and try and win his support. The early returns from Roy are extremely positive.
Roy said he and Miller formed an instant connection and the team “didn’t miss a beat” with them on the court together. Roy also praised the point guard’s unselfish play, deft passing, strong defense, versatility and basketball IQ. The chemistry between these two stars is one of the most pressing issues of training camp and Roy said a bond might develop faster than some expect.
The article also mentions the defensive versatility a Roy-Miller backcourt would provide in addition to the ability of both guards to play both the point and off guard positions. Improved defense is a surefire way to win Coach McMillian’s heart (they were 13th in defensive efficiency last season) and is one of his stated goals this offseason. If Miller were to make the Blazers’ offense even better too, it would be a scary thought indeed, as Portland already had the league’s most efficient offense last season. The Blazers’ offense gets slept on largely because of the slow pace at which Portland plays (last in the league in pace).
So who is likely to come out on top of Portland’s point guard position battle?
In the end, it seems very likely that it is only a matter of time before Andre wins the position battle for starting point guard in Rip City for one simple reason alone: money. Portland has recently become one of the best teams in the league as far as managing their money despite the fact that Darius Miles is the Blazers highest paid player until Brandon Roy’s maximum salary contract extension takes effect in 201o-11.
For the Blazers to commit $21 million to Andre Miller over the next three years says that they are committed to playing him and that he is going to be key to taking them to the next level. With Blake scheduled to be a free agent next season, his future with the franchise at this point is very much in doubt.
Miller has the front office behind him, is slowly winning franchise player Roy over and has a good chance of winning Coach McMillian over as well. If you ask me, the smart money is on Andre Miller to win out the starting point guard position battle and to be in the starting five on opening night.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ urestricted free agent Andre Miller has recently accepted a three-year $21M deal with the Portland Trailblazers. The deal includes a team option for the third season at $7M.
Portland was known to have been looking for a veteran backup for sometime to help provide some leadership on the floor as well as in the locker room. Miller appears to be an excellent addition to a team that has recently been spurned by other notable free agents including Hedo Turkoglu and Paul Millsap. Miller gives them a clear upgrade at their point guard position over Steve Blake, who is a decent point guard in his own right.
Miller is a bigger tougher Chauncey Billups-type point guard who isn’t scared to post up smaller guards, get into the lane and draw contact. He isn’t a great shooter and has little-to-no ability to shoot the 3-ball but he is a savvy veteran that makes good court decisions and rarely turns the ball over.
This move allows Portland to play Brandon Roy at his natural two guard spot late in games, where he can wreak havoc on opposing defenses with his wide array of offensive abilities. Miller can act as the distributor to whoever has the hot hand, most likely Roy or LaMarcus Aldridge, while allowing Steve Blake and Jerryd Bayless to come off the bench as solid backups.
This is a solid move for Portland. Miller will help them expand on their recent success by winning a few more regular season games and possibly pushing them deeper into the playoffs. They now have a strong cast of young talent and are deep at every position now with Miller on board.
Fantasy implications of this trade seem to benefit the young 76er back court of Lou Williams and recent UCLA draft pick Jrue Holiday. With Miller out of town these two should be expected to log heavy minutes from the get go with Williams most likely cast as the starting point guard (barring any new free agent acquisitions by the team of course). Williams is more of a pure scorer than a distributor but he could end up averaging around 35 minutes a game with the potential for 16 points per game, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 threes per game. The rookie Holiday is more of a gamble but could present some fantasy value especially later in the season (or especially in dynasty leagues).
The move essentially kills any value Steve Blake or Jerry Bayless would have had, as they most likely will see their minutes reduced. Brandon Roy should still be the fantasy stud he has been for the past few seasons and may prove to be even better with possible improvements coming in his efficiency and a reduced turnover rate as well. Miller should still be the same reliable work horse he has been for many seasons posting similar stats to his time in Philadelphia and Denver (he has only missed five games in ten seasons in the NBA).
After a tough summer for the Blazers, they seem to be catching a late stride and should provide an exciting brand of basketball next season for their fans.
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