Give Me The Rock
this is fantasy basketball
And we’re back. I wouldn’t advise 80 hour work weeks to anyone. I can’t believe that my boss doesn’t respect the fact that I need at least three hours a day to devote to fantasy basketball – which still leaves 5 good hours for the company. I’m going to have a little talk with him next week.
Welcome to the special Saturday edition of the fantasy team previews! I think when I started writing this preview it was actually about the Charlotte Hornets, but I’m all about the adjustments. Onto the preview for the Charlotte Bobcats.
The Bobcats are about two things – hard work and maximum effort.
-Bernie Bicerkstaff
If the Bobcats were about three things, I’m sure winning would be the third thing. But since their only about two things, the Bobcats and winning… not so much. Kind of sucks for Bobcats fans.
In the fantasy realm, these guys are winners – at least they would be – if they could only stay healthy. We’re not asking for anything crazy like 82 games, but come-on fellas, make everyone happy and play 70. 75 and we’d be ecstatic. 80 games and we’ll personally drive you to the Gold Club for a night on us. It’s pretty obvious that the rankings that follow are on a per game basis.
2005/2006 Rankings
(18) Gerald Wallace
(44) Brevin Knight
(95) Emeka Okafor
(101) Raymond Felton
(159) Primoz Brezec
(165) Melvin Ely
(196) Bernard Robinson
(214) Sean May
(246) Matt Carroll
(272) Jake Voskuhl
(294) Alan Anderson
(345) Kevin Burleson
OUT
(137) Jumaine Jones
(223) Kareem Rush
IN
(NA) Adam Morrison
(NA) Ryan Hollins
(NA) Michael Jordan
Charlotte fans have to be pumped by the fact that their team picked up the greatest player of all time this off-season. Ok, so he won’t be playing (oh, god, please no) but if Isiah Thomas has taught us anything, it’s that superstar players can be just as good in the front office as they used to be on the court.
So, Michael Jordan is back in the NBA with the Bobcats as part-owner and head of basketball operations. Bobcats fans can only hope that this goes better than his first time at the helm of an NBA team or his basketball instructional video. Although I think we can safety assume, at 43, he won’t be suiting up again.
BUY
Gerald Wallace – His last three seasons have consisted of 55, 70, and 37 games. I’m usually not one to recommend a guy so clearly injury prone, but #18? Wallace is a fantasy monster and, even at 50 games, he’d be worthy of a fourth round pick. Of course, he might be long gone by then in your draft, but why draft a guy in the second round who’ll only be worth a second round pick if he plays 80 games? He went at 32 in the Yahoo “experts†draft, which is still too high for me. Buy low or not at all.
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Brevin Knight – I was going to push him to a sell simply on the basis on his yahoo player page picture, in which he looks like he’s about to show me his “special place†and try to give me a dirty sanchez. The dude is creepy. However, he certainly is underrated as a fantasy player. His assists (8.8) and steals (2.3) make up for a lack of scoring and threes and you’ll likely be able to pick him on the cheap seeing that there is a possibility Knight could be coming off the bench this year. |
Raymond Felton – Ok, I’ll admit, I have no idea who out of Felton, Knight, and Adam Morrison will starting for the Bobcats come November. Regardless, 1) there will be enough minutes to go around for all three of these guys, 2) both Knight and Felton have already shown they can produce while playing 28 – 30 minutes a game, and 3) it would make more sense for Felton (the young stud) to start. While Knight was the better fantasy player last year, I like the fact the Felton stepped right in as a rookie and he should only keep getting better.
HOLD
Primoz Brezec – I gave the Breeze a try last year and discovered that he sucks. 0.4 blocks a game? Come on man, you’re 7’1’’! But, unless you’re deliberately targeting centers in your draft, all second centers own a home somewhere in suck city. Plus, unlike the rest of the Bobcats, you can be pretty sure he’ll play in the majority of Bobcats’ games. So he’s a known quantity of suck.
Adam Morrison – Can I put a hold on a rookie considering he has no previous baseline to compare? I went to his draft night “blog†looking for answers and sadly, all I found out is that he loves his parents. No wonder this guy cries like a baby… Morrison might be the next Larry Bird or some shlub who can’t keep up with NBA game, and like most things in life, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. He’s definitely a fantasy draft risk this year, though. Especially for the guy who does something stupid like drafting him in the 5th round.
SELL
Emeka Okafor – The guy had a chronic injury in college. At age 21. I know centers are at a premium, but I would be surprised if he plays in more than 70 games a year during the rest of his career. Sure, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks a game start to get me pretty excited. Just don’t pencil him in as your #1 center, as you’ll likely end up scouring the waver wire at some time during the year. And as someone who employed Primoz Brezec last year, looking for centers on wavers is just no fun.
Today’s interesting and totally unrelated fact: Emeka Okafor, blogger? There is an Emeka Okafor out there who current blogs about technology and business in Africa. His Blogger profile has an ungodly amount of views, most likely due to the fact that when you Google “Emeka Okafor†it comes up as the third item.
WATCH
For who steps up when Bobcats starters start going down with injures sometime starting in November. Last year a number of guys, like Sean May, Jumaine Jones, Melvin Ely, and Matt Carroll filled in admirably at various times during the year. You won’t be able to rely on the Bobcats bench guys all year, but sometimes fantasy seasons are won by riding the right hot hand for 2 weeks.
Where I’d Draft Em (in a 10 team league)
Gerald Wallace – 4th
Raymond Felton – 7th
Brevin Knight – 7th
Emeka Okafor – 9th
Adam Morrison – 11th
Primoz Brezec – 14th
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