Day 2 of 170: Cavaliers > Celtics > Heat

Categorized as: Author: Patrick, Fantasy Basketball
Posted on: October 28th, 2010

After a 95-87 win over the Celtics, I think it’s safe to say that the Cavaliers are the best team in the Eastern Conference. Who’s with me!

Line of the Night: Tim Duncan (0.98). The old man got it done last night with the efficiency of a Japanese subway system, going 10-12 from the floor and scoring 23 points with 12 boards and 4 blocks in a Spurs win over the Pacers. Say what you will about the relative unsexiness of drafting Duncan, but the man gets it done year after year.

Honorable Mentions: speaking of old men, Jason Kidd (0.89) only managed 12 points on 8 shot attempts against the Bobcats, but one-upped Rondo by finishing with 18 assists. Who needs Don Nelson? Monta Ellis (0.79) dropped 46 points on the Rockets (and the GSW scored 132 points overall); Russell Westbrook (0.63) put up a 28 and 10… rebounds, not assists. Dwyane Wade (0.62) owners can breathe again after he scored 30 against the Sixers; and pick up Nicolas Batum (0.77) immediately if he’s still available in your league. The kid put up a rotoriffic line of 16 points, 6 boards, 3 threes, 2 steals and 2 blocks while shooting 86% from the floor. We didn’t refer to him as the Matrix reloaded for nothing.

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Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Carlos Delfino (0.63) was supposed to get pushed out of the lineup by Corey Maggette. Instead, Delfino got the start, played 39 minutes and hit 5 three pointers. Maggette is working his way back from injury and eventually will squeeze Delfino’s minutes, but for now consider Delfino an add if you need threes.

Arron Afflalo (0.63) – a man whose name I cannot pronounce correctly – scored 22 for the Nuggets and got 35 minutes on the court (compared to 23 for JR Smith). I was laughed at – LAUGHED AT – when I brought up James Jones’ (0.63) name in the Miami Heat podcast. After hitting 6 threes in last night’s game, who is laughing now bitches? Jones will continue to be a great source of threes as long as Mike Miller is out (January most likely).

January. Jones. Right.

But I am no soothsayer. Mere hours after railing against Anthony Tolliver (0.62), he got 29 minutes off the bench for Minnesota, scoring 14 points with 7 boards, 2 threes and 4 blocks. That’s the high end of production for Tolliver, but he’s demonstrated he can be a multi-cat guy.

The Biggest Loser: John Salmons (-0.67). A 5 point, 2 rebound game from Salmons, who shot 2-8 from the floor and had 4 turnovers. I hated Salmons as a fantasy pick going into this season, which makes the fact that Yahoo autopicked Salmons for me in the GMTR keeper league when JJ Hickson was still available all the more painful. I’m going to go cry now.

On Tap:

Two games tonight. John Wall and company head to Orlando to take on Dwight Howard and company. I know this is going to come as a shock, but Gilbert Arenas will miss the first two games of the season and is wearing a walking boot on his right foot. Although with Arenas, a walking boot just might just be a fashion statement.

Phoenix against Utah gives us a nice battle of point guards with different styles who both get it done. Suns fans seem to be taking the Amar’e departure well.

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• Day 146 of 170: Sunday, Bloody Sunday (7)
• Day 112 of 170: Night of the Waiver Wire Players (8)
• Day 49 of 170: It ain’t Chinese Algebra (2)
• Day 159 of 170: Don’t call him “Iggy” (3)
• Day 142 of 170: It’s March and it’s Madness (11)
• Day 124 of 170: He’s Not French, He’s a Basketball Player (1)

Tags: Anthony Tolliver, Carlos Delfino, James Jones, Jason Kidd, John Salmons, Nicolas Batum, Tim Duncan