Wondering what will be the effects of all the major deals prior to today’s deadline? Well, worry no more as Justin and I are here to help clear up any confusion. I’ll handle the relevant fantasy perspective while Justin will tackle the realistic implications in a subsequent article. If we happen to miss anything or you simply have a question, as always, feel free to leave a comment below.
Ask any casual NBA fan (weekend warriors who get their basketball news from Gametime) to name the top three defenses in the League and you’ll usually get some combination of the Boston Celtics, the San Antonio Spurs, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers. How many people mention the Charlotte Bobcats? Well, only those with their finger on the pulse of the Association, as the Bobcats have clawed their way to the the top of the defensive food chain under the guidance of hall of fame head coach Larry Brown.
Plonden gets two thumbs up for being able to peer into the future. No, not for making any solid picks, but rather realizing we could use another writer or two around here. Haha! Honestly, we both happened to be without solid computer access for most of the week – hey it’s the holidays, right? For this, we apologize but we vow to get back to posting multiple articles every week.
Ok, on to the good stuff! Hopefully, some of you were able to nab Leandro Barbosa, Yi Jianlian, Jameer Nelson or Tyrus Thomas returning from injury. If not, keep on reading then as you probably have a need to replace some dead wood on your rosters.
Week Ten Schedules
Four Games: CHA, CLE, IND, LAL, MIN, NYK, OKC, PHI, SAC, SAS
Three Games: ATL, BOS, CHI, DAL, DEN, GSW, HOU, MEM, MIA, MIL, NJN, NOH, ORL, PHO, POR, TOR, UTA, WAS
Two Games: DET, LAC
ADD LIST (players owned in 40% or less in standard Yahoo! leagues)
DeJuan Blair (SF/PF/C – 11%) – Everyone’s favorite preseason rookie is finally getting minutes including a season high of 35 against the Knicks this past Sunday. Apparently not everyone has jumped all over him yet so check your leagues now. His per 36 numbers are fantastic – close to 60 FG%, 14.6 points, 13 rebounds, .9 steals and 1.3 blocks.
James Harden (PG/SG – 38%) – The last 6 games, James is averaging just about 28 minutes a game. Over that time span, he’s averaging 13.2 points, 1 3ptm/steal, 3.7 boards, 2.2 assists and 1.2 TO’s. It appears his role will be consistent going forward so expect these numbers to remain (in case you’re wondering, ziguana has him ranked 87th the last 12 days which includes the dismal 41.7 FG%).
Kirk Hinrich (PG/SG – 29%) – Soon to be fired Vinnie Del Negro has put Kirk into the starting lineup (not that it really mattered considering he’s been over 30 minutes a game since his return from injury). Over the last 5 games, Kirk has averaged 11 points, 1.6 3ptm, 4.6 boards and 3.8 assists. It’ll be interesting to see what a new coach decides to do, but he’s worth owning at least in the interim as he’s admitted he’s more comfortable in a starting role.
Juwan Howard (SF/PF/C – 10%) – With Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla done for the year, Juwan has been pushed into a prominent role. Most likely, the Blazers will pick up another big man but in the meantime give him a look for solid FG% and good rebounding. Since becoming a starter, he’s put up 8.7 points, 10 boards on 54 FG%.
Brandon Rush (SG/SF – 22%) – Him again?!? Unfortunately yes. First, he’s looking at a four game week so regardless of the subpar play, he should be able to put up useful numbers over the course of the week. Second, both Mike Dunleavy (sufferring from lack of strength in his legs) and Dahntay Jones (return to mediocrity?) have been awful. Look for him to continue to get solid minutes contributing 3’s/steals/blocks with decent boards at his position. Naturally, be aware he’ll most likely hurt your team’s %’s.
CUT LIST
Tyson Chandler (C – 44%) – If Tyson hadn’t given you a reason to kick him to the WW with his substandard play thusfar this season, his latest stress reaction in his foot probably should. Considering he struggled with foot problems the past season and he still hasn’t felt 100% after offseason surgery, there is a good chance it’ll linger well into the rest of this season.
Tracy McGrady (SG/SF – 62%) – It should be obvious the Rockets and Tmac are and will not be on the same page for the rest of the season. The Rockets decided to sit him down for a few games so he left the team to spend time with his family (uh, ok). Prior to this, he wasn’t seeing even 8 minutes a game. Time for everyone the end their love affair with him as it’s completely up in the air when his situation will improve whether through a trade or a Rocket’s injury.
WATCH LIST
Ryan Gomes (SF/PF – 30%) – Ryan gets the “watch list” treatment because it’s unsure how significant his production will be going forward. Prior to his really solid stretch just prior to his injury, he was largely an inconsistent mess. Considering the Wolves won 3 of the 6 games he missed (and Damien Wilkins hasn’t been all that bad), I can’t see Rambis thrusting him into any prominent role.
Tyler Hansbrough (SF/PF – 10%) – I know Plonden told you to cut him a week ago, but you’ve at least got to put him back on your radar. The Pacer’s could very well be considered the worst team in the league at the moment as they’ve lost 6 in a row including two embarrassing losses in their last 2 games. Consequently, I could see the Pacers start off loading some of their higher salary players, but none more so than Troy Murphy. No Troy means excellent minutes and production from Tyler (if you can stomach the FG%) – 36 minute per – 17.5 points, 9.6 boards, 1.2 steals with only 1.6 TO’s.
Serge Ibaka (C – 3%) – Allowing a pass in the Thunder’s last game, Serge has been playing admirably well. In a four game stretch, he’s seen a little over 24 minutes a game and averaged 10.5 points, 8.5 boards, 1.2 blks on 62 FG%. I expect his role to remain pretty solid as both Nenad Krstic and Nick Collison lack a lot of ability necessary many a night against NBA competition.
C.J. Miles (SG/SF – 4%) – Yeah I know he’s been horrid his last 2 games (2 for 15 FG’s), but don’t give up hope yet. The Jazz need his production as Wesley Matthews will be more inconsistent going forward while Kyle Korver is still having knee problems. I expect Miles to be a good source of points, 3’s and steals this week as the Jazz face the Wolves, Thunder and Nuggets.
Earl Watson (PG – 6%) – Another complete failure the last 2 games, Earl should be given a chance for at least this upcoming week (as I mentioned the Pacers are looking at a 4 game week). Considering TJ Ford has all but been written off by Jim O’Brien, Mr. Watson has a good chance to rebound as the coach relies on a veteran leader to help the Pacers turn about their recent woeful play. Expect solid 3’s, assists and steals out of him against the Bulls, Grizzlies, Wolves and Knicks.
STAY THE COURSE
Ersan Ilyasova (SF/PF – 50%) – Hitting only 4 out of his past 24 field goals, will make you want to drop Ersan faster than a hot potato, but I ask you to reconsider the notion for 3 reasons. One, his opportunity won’t be taken away as the Bucks aren’t going anywhere fast so they’ll stick with their youth. Two, he’s got Hakim Warrick behind him. Three, team leaders Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut are as brittle as they come.
Marreesse Speights (PF/C – 34%) – After a 28/9 performance against the Clippers, Marreesse appears to have gone on hiatus (4.5 points, 4 boards the last 2 games). This might be a nice opportunity for you to jump on him as some owner has lost the faith but you shouldn’t. Besides his fantastic ability, he is too good of a fit under Eddie Jordan so expect a return to strong numbers in the near future.
DEEP LEAGUE SPECIALS
Nazr Mohammed (C – 4%) – If Nazr is available, nab him in deep leagues. While Tyson Chandler is slated to only miss a week, I expect his foot to hold him back much longer. In the meantime, expect similar production to his last 2 game averages of 14 points, 8.5 boards, 1 steal/board with excellent FG% and TO numbers.
Jeff Pendergraph (SF/PF – 0%) – Until the Blazer’s are able to bring in another big man, Jeff will be relied on to assist Juwan Howard down the low. Scary, I know but he’s worth a look for some extra points, rebounds and defensive numbers all done in an efficient manner (based on summer league production).
MYSTERY MAN
Delonte West (PG/SG – 20%) – In keeping with last week’s new category, is there anyone more worthy of a mention? To start the year, it wasn’t even certain when, if at all, he’d be back on the court. Now that he is racking up more 20+ minute games than DNP’s, the question is will he achieve any consistency to be worth owning in the average fantasy league – especially in the 3 point category (1 made 3 the entire month!!!)? I say yes. As he and his teammates continue to acclimate to one another, his role will likely increase. After all, the Cav’s have won 9 of their last 10 and it can be argued he was their second most valuable player last season. In addition, it’s no surprise confidence is the last thing he needs to achieve (the motorcycle stunt and his wrist injury). However, it’s getting there as both the coach and teammates are noticing.
To cap off what has been mildly summarized as an active offseason, the Charlotte Bobcats and New Orleans Hornets switched centers today. Emeka Okafor: consider yourself the luckiest man in the world. Meet Chris Paul, the best point guard on the planet. He’ll be feeding you alley-oops and padding your stats for the next five years.
Tyson Chandler, wow, it’s really been a tough run. After being traded for spare parts (well Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox to be exact) and returned as damaged goods. Ouch. The reason for the return? Turf toe and lingering ankle injuries. Like, things that big men suffer from in the later stages of their career. That reminds me of someone…
Now, to be fair, Okafor is no stranger to injury himself. He has played in all 82 games during both of the last two seasons. What would drive a team like the Bobcats to trade their finally healthy franchise player for a player with established and recurring injuries? These days, it could only be cash money.
In case you haven’t heard yet, it is tough economic times out there.
From New Orleans’ perspective, the Hornets have made a trade primarily for basketball purposes instead of financial reasons. Think about it for a moment how radical of a shift that is. New Orleans is applauded for making one trade that is not simply a salary dump. The other motivating factor is clear: placate CP3 now or he forces or trade out of Nawlins’ or bolts via free agency at the first possible moment.
Charlotte provides the perfect example of everything that is wrong in the NBA. The move can only be described as fiscally motivated and should offend the sentiments of all basketball purists.
But maybe, in fact, this could end up being a blessing in disguise for Charlotte and their poor, self-loathing fans. After all, you would have to be a masochist to be a Charlotte Bobcats fan. But if this ends up being the deal that frees enough cap space to sell the Bobcats to new ownership, it could certainly be looked on as a good move in the end. Tyson’s contract expires next season versus Okafor’s which runs through 2014.
Charlotte: it is time for some new management. What you’ve been doing for the past eight years has not been working.
But, what about the player comparisons?
On a talent basis, the Hornets got the better end of the deal. Looking at how the two players played against each other, check out a career head-to-head comparison between Chandler and Okafor. Okafor appears to have the upper hand here. Another perspective is to compare their career per-36 minute averages, which are remarkably similar and Okafor having a scoring edge and Chandler having a field goal percentage edge.
Looking even more closely, at Okafor’s and Chandler’s on/off court statistics from last season, the talent advantage is even more skewed in favor of Okafor. Usually, you have to account for who is the backup when comparing on/off court statistics, but both Chandler and Okafor have equally sucky players coming off the bench behind them. Hilton Armstrong versus Nazr Mohammed is pretty much a draw in my book.
However, you must remember that Chandler was hobbled by injuries last season and was attempting to play through very serious injury and probably worsening them for himself in the long term in the process. Now, that reminds me of someone too. Looking at Chandler’s on/off statistics from 2007-08, the statistics fall closer in line with Okafor’s statistics from 2008-09. So the talent discrepancy isn’t huge.
What is huge is the discrepancy between Okafor’s and Chandler’s chances of injury and re-injury at this point in their careers. It is just too much of a gamble to bet the farm on Chandler and his turf toe. That is an unacceptable risk for the Robcats Bobcats and they risk alienating the (remaining) fanbase.
So, a couple of parting words for Emeka Okafor and Tyson Chandler.
EO: Enjoy the ride and keep your eyes open and hands up while playing with CP3.
TC, What else can you say but: Tyson, welcome to Charlotte, the new Memphis.
Welcome to basketball hell.
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