First time I can recall this season where that’s happened (the two game thing, not the thing down there with Gasol and Griffin, though maybe that too)
The nice thing about only 2 games is that I can actually get this post done before I have to go work so I don’t have to work on it on the crowded El Train. The bad thing about only 2 games is that it’s very common for one team to dominate the charts and the Pick Up Lines are pretty thin. I mean, only 41 guys played last night in the NBA, and Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo were not two of them… Slim pickins [sic].
Line of the Night:Marc Gasol (2.03) made up for his fairly appalling performance in the Grizzlies last game with 18 points (8-8 from the line), 11 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. Which Gasol will go in drafts first next year? There’s probably sports betting online going on already for that one.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Garnett (1.77) provided some support for the Celtics with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks. Yahoo’s NBA home page claims it was all Paul Pierce (0.90) and his 44 minutes, 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists, but Garnett actually had the higher +/- score, indicating he was a big part of the Celtics come back. Funny how three days before the C’s destroy the Magic and then they almost get blown out themselves… Is Boston tougher than we think? Am I talking too much about normal basketball instead of fantasy basketball?
With Chris Paul back, Mo Williams (1.75) only managed 18 points (with 4 steals), while Chris Paul (1.68) also had 18 points (10-11 from the line), with 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. So, who’s the big loser with Paul back? Anyone who’s read GMTR for more than a day should be able to figure that one out (even if you don’t actually know who, you should be able to figure out where to look based on the words I used in the question. The answer is in the question).
Caron Butler (1.14) also had a nice game for the Clippers with 17 points (3 threes), and 2 steals. Since there were only two games, it makes sense that the next guy is also a Clipper: Blake Griffin (0.92) had 20 points (only 4-8 from the line), with 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, and 3 turnovers. I mention the turnovers because that’s Paul, Butler, and Williams combined for only 3 turnovers, so that plus the FT shooting was was kept Blake’s otherwise monster line from scoring higher.
The other Grizz played hard, but to no avail… Mike Conley (0.59) had 4 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals (the 4 steals, obviously the key there), while Rudy Gay (0.55) scored 24 points (3 threes), and grabbed 7 rebounds
Line of the Night: Anyone who listens to the podcast knows that I went all in on Stephen Curry (3.58 WARP) this year in my personal leagues. Well, I couldn’t be happier this morning thanks to a season-high 32 points from Curry, who shot 12-19 from the field and added 6 threes, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in a 101-93 win over the Blazers. Does it make the two weeks he was stashed on my bench all forgotten? No. But it is nice to see him playing like the Curry of old in his third back from that ankle sprain.
And now I can almost guarantee he sprains his ankle in the Warriors’ next game.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Love (3.17), the number one fantasy PF over the first month of the season, continues to shine with his own specific brand of basketball – 31 points, 4 threes, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a win over the Mavs. Ricky Rubio (1.07) added 17 points, 12 assists, 4 steals (and 7 turnovers…) in the win. He’s given the team a 1-2 punch that Wolves’ fans will be able to enjoy for at least the next three years after the team signed Love to an unusual contract extension.
The Thunder beat the Hornets in spite of Russell Westbrook’s worst efforts (more on that below) thanks to Kevin Durant (2.36) who scored a very efficient 25 points, adding 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. James Harden (1.18) managed to score 18 points by only taking 5 shots, mostly by going 9-10 from the line.
Still Wade-less (but getting close), the Miami Heat are getting mad contributions from Chris Bosh (2.21) – 27 points (on 12-15 from the field) – and LeBron James (1.86) – 32 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Even Mario Chalmers (1.34) had another good game with 16 points, going 3-5 from three. The Pistons’ big contribution came from… well, we’ll get to that.
Danilo Gallinari (2.21) is currently ranked number 7 on our player rater for the year thanks to games like this – 23 points on 8-12 shooting from the field, with 5 assists and 3 blocks against the Kings. Andre Miller (1.48) continues to be a nice surprise off the Nuggets bench. He had 15 points and 10 assists last night. DeMarcus Cousins (0.71) led Sacramento with 17 and 15. He is now averaging 11 rebounds a game this year (and 4.6 on the offensive glass) no doubt “helped” by the fact that the Kings are shooting less than 40% from the field as a team.
On a night where Kyle Lowry (0.13) almost had a triple double with 8-8-10 and yet shot 2-16 from the floor, Kevin Martin (1.80) was a much more palatable 5-12 from three on his way to 29 points for the Rockets, while Samuel Dalembert (0,74) added 18 boards.
And Deron Williams’ (1.48) owners have to be happy not only that he had 34 points and 11 assists in a win over the Sixers, but that he actually shot 50% from the field doing it. Kris Humphries (0.76) added 13 points and 19 boards in the game, while MarShon Brooks sat out again for the team with a sore Achilles tendon.
Finally, I don’t think there was a baby hook without Roy Hibbert’s (1.75) name on it last night against the Bulls on his way to 20 points (on 9-14 shooting), adding 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in a win over the Bulls. If you missed the game, Brian Scalabrine was trusted with the biggest shot of the game for the Bulls, which doesn’t even happen in Brian Scalabrine’s own dreams.
Using GMTR’s Player Rater, here are the Top 20 small forwards for fantasy basketball from December 25, 2011 to January 25, 2012. These rankings are based on competition using nine categories (PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK. FG%, FT%, TO), for Head-to-Head leagues.
LeBron James (1.35) – Everyone predicted Durant to be the best player, but somebody forgot to tell LeBron that. He’s doing everything. Everything! LBJ’s on track to run away with the regular season MVP award.
Kevin Durant (1.14) – He’s surprisingly far behind James, but then again his TOs are at an all-time high (3.7), while his PTS, 3s, and FT% impact are all down from last season’s averages.
Danilo Gallinari (1.02) – Ironically, New York probably would have done better by keeping him with this current production. Gallo’s been an efficient beast in fantasy so far. No fools’ gold here folks!
Carmelo Anthony (0.74) – He’s a multi-cat threat, but needs to learn to share the ball more. TOs and poor shot selection have been dragging down his overall value so far.
Luol Deng (0.66) – He’s arguably the most underrated player in fantasy basketball today. He’s efficient and does a little bit of everything. His wrist injury sounds serious, but we hear he’s going to man-up and play through the pain.
Paul Pierce (0.64) – Age is slowing him down little by little and is rumored to be a potential trade chip for the Celtics.
Hedo Turkoglu (0.61) – He’s increased his treys made by one a game compared to last season. Having Ryan Anderson assist in spreading the floor this year has benefited Hedo.
Danny Granger (0.59) – The arrival of David West and the improvement of Roy Hibbert has allowed Granger to need to do less, and less he’s done. His numbers are down across the board. Thankfully, so are his turnovers.
Gerald Wallace (0.52) – He’s taking a backseat to Aldridge in Portland, and his numbers are down. He should recover and improve as the season progresses.
Rudy Gay (0.47) – He’s a far cry from his blitzkrieg start last season. He’s still within striking distance of being a 1-steal, 1-block, 1-trey nightly threat though.
Trevor Ariza (0.46) – He’s stepping up while Eric Gordon is still dealing with knee issues. His FG% still needs to improve before his value can rise.
Paul George (0.45) – Call him Rudy Gay or Granger-lite, but George is a potential 1-1-1 contributor from the late rounds of the draft.
Shawn Marion (0.41) – He’s probably the only Maverick playing inspired basketball so far, well at least as reflected in fantasy. Marion looks good to deliver a subtle, yet solid season.
Caron Butler (0.36) – Butler can deliver the goods. As always, his ability to stay healthy is a looming cause for concern.
Carlos Delfino (0.35) – Among small forwards Delfino has probably the best chance of mimicking Manu Ginobili (2-STL, 2-Treys per game). The problem is that he seems to be out of it so far.
Richard Jefferson (0.34) – He started as a transformed and repackaged pure shooter, then game by game, RJ has begun to revert back to last year’s RJ. Shame.
Dorell Wright (0.33) – He’s topping the list of fantasy’s biggest disappointment so far. Can he find a way to produce under Marc Jackson’s defensive system? Time will tell.
Nicolas Batum (0.32) – If Batum had a starting job and the minutes to match he’d likely surpass Paul George at being a 1-1-1 threat.
Thaddeus Young (0.31) – Underrated, and best appreciated in deep leagues, Young just needs consistent playing time in order to prove his worth.
Mike Miller (0.21) – He came back from injury guns blazing. Literally. No, figuratively. Then he goes and gets himself banged up right away. If he can stabilize sixth-man level minutes, Miller should be a reliable source of treys throughout the season.
Missed the Cut: Matt Barnes (0.20), Chandler Parsons (0.20), Jared Dudley (0.15)
Using GMTR’s Player Rater, here are the Top 20 power forwards for fantasy basketball from December 25, 2011 to January 25, 2012. These rankings are based on competition using nine categories (PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK. FG%, FT%, TO), for Head-to-Head leagues.
Kevin Love (1.03) – Was there even any doubt that he’d take the top spot? Indisputably, Kevin’s the best. No one comes close.
Ryan Anderson (0.97) – This season’s Super Sleeper, Anderson has elevated the hybrid PF to a new level. Can you fathom what he’ll be like next season? We can hardly wait!
Paul Millsap (0.91) – Derrick Favors isn’t going to get much time to develop, much less get any playing time, as long as Millsap is killing it like this. This is probably the last season that Millsap will be underrated in fantasy. He deserves to be an all-star, don’t you think?
LaMarcus Aldridge (0.86) – Aldridge does it all (save for AST and 3s). He’s a contender to break into the first-round of fantasy drafts next season.
Chris Bosh (0.80) – With Wade out indefinitely, Bosh has begun to earn his keep and fantasy owners are reaping the early rewards. Ride him while he’s hot, and while Wade’s hurt.
Pau Gasol (0.79) – Kobe’s in the driver’s seat in LA, but if Gasol gets traded expect this rating to rise about four notches.
Josh Smith (0.69) – He’s cooled off a bit from a hot start, but should continue to deliver monster games every now and again, with Horford out.
Greg Monroe (0.65) – Monroe has a bright future ahead of him (in fantasy, not in winning championships in Detroit) and it looks like he’s going to grow by leaps and bounds this season. Enjoy the ride!
Dirk Nowitzki (0.56) – If Dirk gets the rest he desperately needs over his one-week shutdown period, then he should manage to crack the Top 5 once again.
Carlos Boozer (0.56) – He’s the inside scorer the Bulls always wanted. Now he’s acclimated, Boozer is on track to be a nightly double-double threat.
Al Harrington (0.51) – Surprised? Well Harrington’s got the comeback fantasy story locked down and is going to give James Harden a run for sixth man this season. Count on it.
Antawn Jamison (0.5) – He’s quietly aging gracefully in the confines of the young Cavs roster. He’s performing well and under the radar.
Elton Brand (0.5) – He started the season out of shape and performed accordingly. Expect him to get better as he plays himself into regular season form, game by game.
David Lee (0.5) – Scoring and rebounding are up from last year. Unfortunately, so are his TOs.
Kris Humphries (0.46) – His brief marriage and divorce have overshadowed his ability to be a double digit scorer and rebounder. Hump should remain doing well in the Nets ragtag roster.
Kevin Garnett (0.39) – Boston’s “Big 3″ is now the “Old 3″, and we should savor whatever good games KG’s got left in his tank.
Tim Duncan (0.36) – Expect TD to deliver a top-PF level game about 10% of the time as San Antonio looks to develop their younger assets.
Serge Ibaka (0.36) – Ibaka just needs minutes to wipe that disappointed look from his owners faces. Unfortunately, opportunities for him to crack the 28+ minute mark have come few and far between. His upside makes him worth keeping.
Blake Griffin (0.35) – Believe me, I’m as shocked as the Clipper fan sitting next to you. Sadly Blake’s lack blocks, poor FT%, have dragged his overall value down, terribly. He should improve a bit more as the season progresses.
David West (0.35) – He’s far removed from his pre-injury, Hornet days; but he’s still adjusting to his new team and getting his game legs back. West is a candidate to rise in value a bit more as the season patters on.
Missed the Cut: Amar’e Stoudemire (0.32), Boris Diaw (0.21), Channing Frye (0.17)
Using GMTR’s Player Rater, here are the Top 20 shooting guards for fantasy basketball from December 25, 2011 to January 25, 2012. These rankings are based on competition using nine categories (PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK. FG%, FT%, TO), for Head-to-Head leagues.
Manu Ginobili (1.17) – Yeah weird, I know! Our rater operates on averages and Manu put the “average replacement player” to shame back in the limited sample size of games he was able to play in. This is a testament to how much he should be stashed (when possible). Let’s hope his shooting hand heals soon!
Kobe Bryant (1.00) – He’s proven to be the only one worthy of being called “Air Apparent”. Four-straight, 40-point games have kept him as the actual current number one SG in fantasy today.
Eric Gordon (0.86) – He’s healthy enough to be offered an extension. Two weeks hence, he should resume his all-around impressive fantasy game.
Joe Johnson (0.82) – To those who predicted a JJ-bounce-back year, you’re right (so far). And so far, so good. Soooo gooood!
Andre Iguodala (0.82) – He’s simmered down lately, but AI9′s always going to remain a trip-dub threat every night.
James Harden (0.75) – We writers at GMTR love him. Our player rater loves him. You should too! Arguably, one of the best mid-round picks so far.
Kevin Martin (0.64) – He’s had an up-and-down start, but should stabilize soon, or at least until he gets injured. Again. (hopefully, not)
Ray Allen (0.55) – There are few pure shooters who can land ‘em bombs at Allen’s FG-accuracy (50.4%). He should be alright once he comes back from his sprained ankle.
Marshon Brooks (0.47) – In a Nets roster that’s starved for talent, this rookie has jumped into our fantasy radars and looks on track to stay relevant.
Jason Terry (0.46) – He’s been a consistently underrated fantasy contributor for years now. Jet’s remained solid in spite of Dallas’ added backcourt depth.
Wesley Matthews (0.41) – While Portland is “Aldridgeville,” Matthews has found a home as reliable role-player on the team.
Marcus Thornton (0.41) – We expect Thornton to get better, once he gets back from his injury. He and Tyreke Evans should emerge as a reasonably complementary backcourt duo.
J.J. Redick (0.33) – Jonathan Clay Redick has a cult following in the fantasy NBA community and should get bumps every now and then when J-Rich and Hedo miss time due to injury. He’s a legit starter in some other NBA teams.
Brandon Rush (0.30) – Rush and his defense stepped up while Dorrell Wright was still lost in the maze of mediocrity. He should get less minutes as Wright gets his bearings.
Nick Young (0.24) – He’s a scorer and not much else (3PTM). He should get better as Washington tries to get its act together.
Jodie Meeks (0.24) – The word “streaky” diminishes his appeal, but when he’s hot you can’t help but ride his streak to 3PTM-victory for the week.
Richard Hamilton (0.23) – He’s been mostly just a scorer. Kind of like Nick Young, only with less games played. If Luol Deng‘s wrist will hamper him, expect Rip to begin rising in value.
Courtney Lee (0.23) – He’s overtaken poor Chase Budinger in the Rockets’ rotation. Assuming his play can keep him on Kevin McHale’s good side, Lee should be able to be a solid deep-league contributor.
Rudy Fernandez (0.21) – Patrick likes to refer to him as a “fantasy basketball temptress”, and Rudy should continue to have that said effect once he resumes his role as part of Denver’s reserve triumvirate of Miller-Harrington-Fernandez. Dang, Denver’s deep!
O.J. Mayo (0.19) – Is he finally out of Memphis’ doghouse? With Z-Bo out, the Grizzlies can’t afford to keep this scoring dog on too tight a leash.
Using GMTR’s Player Rater, here are the Top 20 centers for fantasy basketball from December 25, 2011 to January 25, 2012. These rankings are based on competition using nine categories (PTS, REB, AST, STL, BLK. FG%, FT%, TO), for Head-to-Head leagues.
Marc Gasol (0.97) – The “more power than finesse” version of his older brother Pau, Marc is doing it all in fantasy and doing it well. He should continue to be dominant while Zach Randolph is injured. I projected this leap to happen last season. Oh well, better late than never. Right?
Andrea Bargnani (0.86) – He delivers the best small forward numbers at the center position in the league. Our rater seems to like that unique and quirky mix.
Al Jefferson (0.83) – He made a fantasy comeback last season and it looks like he and Paul Millsap have inherited and taken ownership of the Jazz. After Gasol, Al-Jeff has had the best all-around “true big man” game so far.
Marcin Gortat (0.76) – To think he used to back up that guy at #7 in ORL. Gortat has now gained entrance into the Elite Center echelon. Too much?
Spencer Hawes (0.72) – He started off strong, but is already getting hampered by injuries. His reliability remains in question for fantasy.
Tyson Chandler (0.72) – The Mavs are missing him, but the Knicks were willing to pay. Owners are getting their draft day money’s worth so far.
Dwight Howard (0.69) – In a world where Basketball didn’t include free throws, he’d be Superman. Ah such fantasies…
Al Horford (0.6) – This just goes to show how much of a shame it is that we’re missing him for the rest of the fantasy season. Get well soon, Al!
Andrew Bogut (0.59) – Rebounds and blocks are down from last season. A hectic season may take its toll on this injury prone stud.
Samuel Dalembert (0.57) – He’s found a new home in Houston and has found renewed fantasy relevance. As long as they’re thin at C, he’ll continue to shine.
Roy Hibbert (0.5) – We’re liking his improvement in scoring and rebounding. Free-throw shooting and more TOs, not so much. Consistency will be the key to his improvement.
JaVale McGee (0.47) – Maturity is still an issue and apparently so is the Wizards as a whole. He’s still a solid source for REB, BLK, and STL.
Andrew Bynum (0.45) – Andrew and Pau are currently being overshadowed by Kobe 3.0. He’s also learning new system under Mike Brown.
DeAndre Jordan (0.42) – He currently leads the league in BPG (3.2) and should still improve as he gets used to his expanded role with the Clippers.
Anderson Varejao (0.34) – He’s anchoring what little Cleveland has of a front court, and his stats are making for a nice bounce-back season for him.
DeMarcus Cousins (0.34) – He’s got issues. He’s a headcase and a brat. But you can get passed that when you’re loving his improvement in the counting categories this season.
Nene Hilario (0.29) – For Nene it’s all a matter of being able to stay healthy enough to be productive. God knows the Nuggets need him in the paint.
Marcus Camby (0.19) – Seemingly immortal. Still injury-prone. Surprisingly more fantasy relevant than projected.
Joakim Noah (0.18) – Carlos Boozer has adjusted to joining the Bulls. Is there not enough space in the paint for both of them? Noah’s been a big disappointment so far.
Emeka Okafor (0.15) – In the maelstrom that is Monty Williams’ roster shuffling in the frontcourt, thankfully Meka’s role has remained unchallenged.
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