Jousting For Position

Categorized as: Author: Erik, Fantasy Basketball
Posted on: November 5th, 2010

Two Men Enter, One Man Leaves!

Ah those good old post-apocalyptic, water starved, fuel deprived days… when two men had a dispute, they’d settle it in what looks like the grand daddy of the UFC’s Octagon. Things were much simpler then.

Alas, when it comes to positional battles in the NBA, we obviously cannot employ such a mechanic when settling who starts and who gets the bulk of the minutes (and opportunities) on the floor. If we did, we’d end up with five-man teams! And that wouldn’t work, Don Nelson left Golden State.

A good deal of the impulse adds and drops that are currently ongoing in majority of fantasy leagues are a result of NBA coaches feeling out their rosters, good performers, player combinations. Consequently, there are several players whose minutes are erratic due to competition from other players. Being a competitive sport and add to that the fact that majority of these players want to play, be in the action, for as long as possible, you can expect some good games and some bad games. Here’s a quick look at some of the ongoing positional battles and who are the current winners and losers, or at least who have the “temporary advantage” as some of these contests are far from over.

Since this post actually grew from a discussion Nels and I had regarding Serge Ibaka, last week, it’s only fitting that we start things off with him and his battle for time on the floor against Nenad Krstic. Within the first week, I noticed Ibaka dropped in at least five of my 12 Yahoo leagues. I attributed that reaction to him being auto-drafted by some fantasy teams, and with not a lot of people really understanding his outstanding potential to break out this season, managers proceeded to drop him in favor of some other upstart players. The question at the time was “Is Ibaka, not only worth picking up, but actually worth burning waiver position for?”

Serge Ibaka VS. Nenad Krstic = Advantage: Ibaka

Here was Nels’ impression on Ibaka:

I’m all for Serge Ibaka. I saw him play opening night against the Bulls, and while he only had 9 points on 2-5 shooting, he made 4 of 4 free throws, pulled down 9 rebounds, and turned back 4 shots. He also looked like a young big man with hops and power. (The benefits of seeing a game live and not just looking at stat lines) Then he followed up that game with a 66% FG shooting performance against the Pistons, ending up with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and another 2 blocks. That is a performance worthy of an immediate pickup. Especially since OKC is currently starting Nenad Krstic who played less minutes than Ibaka in both games so far. Not only that, but OKC is very limited in its big man options since Nick Collison is injured, and their other guys are young and inexperienced. I think Erik’s deeper question, though, was not “Is he worth picking up?” – because I think it’s clear that he is – but rather, “Is worth using a waiver priority on?” If there are other people rushing to pick him, I think he’s worth fighting for. His per 36 minute numbers from last season come to 12.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game. And this season he’s got those previous 73 games worth of experience under his belt. If you look at what he’s done in 30 minutes per game this season, it’s definitely a supportable projection to put him 12, 10 and 2 for a whole season if he continues to get the majority of minutes at the 5. If he can continue to shoot 80% from the line, he’s going to be one of those guys that people name-check when talking about fantasy basketball to sound like they know what they’re doing.

Landry Fields VS. Toney Douglas = Advantage: Douglas

Even though Fields has been anointed as the current starting shooting guard for the Knicks, Toney Douglas has made the most of the minutes he’s getting off the bench and is in fact outproducing Fields in fantasy. If his career high, 30-point performance enough to convince you, I do not know what will. Douglas owners are now officially owning the edge over Fields owners. There currently aren’t any indications that Douglas looks to be slowing down.

Mike Bibby VS. Jeff Teague = Advantage: Bibby

People had high hopes that Teague would eventually usurp the starting PG gig away from the last season’s faltering Bibby. But alas, even the best laid plans of mice and men go awry, as Bibby has found the fountain of youth and is currently clamping down those minutes. For now, dump Teague and keep him on your watch lists. Feel free to pick up Bibby in your leagues and enjoy the ride… while it lasts.

Spencer Hawes VS. Himself = Winner: Elton Brand

Hawes, while not having any real competition has be atrocious so far. It looks like the managers who had some residual faith in Brand are reaping the benefits of his lack of competition (Samuel Dalembert) in the paint. I know this isn’t a positional battle per se, but I just wanted to sneak in a quick congratulatory remark for Brand owners.

Jrue Holiday VS. Lou Williams VS. Evan Turner = Initial Advantage: Williams, Long-term Advantage: Holiday

Holiday has had some initial trouble from the get go, probably feeling the weight of Coach Collins’ trust bearing down on his shoulders. And even though rookie, Evan Turner, was slotted as the back-up PG, it’s been Williams who has been averaging 18 PPG to begin the season. Holiday has now put together a pair of solid games and looks to potentially live up to his coach’s perceived potential, moving forward. However, if Andre Iguodala misses a considerable amount of time due to his recently strained Achilles, both Williams and Holiday should be solid fantasy producers.

Austin Daye VS. Charlie Villanueva = Advantage: Villanueva

Daye will be an up and down type of performer in fantasy as the season progresses. His being a liability in defending the pick and roll will instantly provide Villanueva with lineup-insert opportunities throughout the season. Daye’s upside currently does not outweigh his sloppy games and erratic minutes. It’s easier to just dump him for now, and just keep an eye on him.

Rodney Stuckey VS. John Kuester = Advantage: T-Mac?

Stuckey got benched in the second half in Detroit’s game versus Atlanta. He did not play in Detroit’s win over Charlotte. Tracy McGrady started in his place and finished with 10 points, two assists, and two steals. There’s no telling how deep and how long this player vs coach feud is going to last, but for now keep an eye for Will Bynum‘s recovery. Or you can take a couple of shots of Jack Daniels and quickly take Tracy McGrady… and place him on your watch lists.

J.J. Hickson VS. Antawn Jamison = Winner: Hickson

The Cavs might be looking to trade Jamison away for more youth, soon. His injury is not currently helping his cause at the moment either. Hickson has just been killing it lately and it looks like it’s going to be “his year” in fantasy this season.

Marco Belinelli VS. Marcus Thornton = Loser: Their owners in fantasy

In real life, this is a draw with the winner being decided on a nightly basis. The player with the hotter hand and the least defensive errors will get the bulk of the minutes. Unfortunately for their owners, that spells erratic with a capital E. Owners will be puking from the vertigo caused by their ups and downs. Dump both of them for Toney Douglas, or even Landry Fields at this point.

Shaquille O’Neal VS. Jermaine O’Neal = Advantage: Glen Davis

I’m not kidding! The two-headed O’neal center of Boston is aching and creaking all over the place and their injuries (and proneness for ‘em) will negate what little value each of them have. Pick up Glen Davis if you want some points and FG%. In the first five games, Davis is averaging 13.4 points at 60% FG.

Omri Casspi VS. Fransisco Garcia = Draw; Loser: Donte Greene

Garcia will be the more consistent producer, occasionally out-shined by Casspi on nights when Omri gets his shot going. Cisco, however, is the more versatile defender and should be expected to log solid minutes of the bench. R.I.P. to Donte Greene’s fantasy value from here on out.

Baron Davis VS. His pre-season conditioning = Advantage: Eric Bledsoe

Ha ha ha! Seriously, the Clipper back court of Eric and Eric seems to be working out fine, while B-Diddy is, well not in shape. Bledsoe is currently owned in only 14% of Yahoo leagues. Grab him and enjoy the Davis injury-hiatus. Seriously.

DeMarcus Cousins VS. Samuel Dalembert = Draw

Dalembert has now officially been announced to be starting center for Sacramento moving forward. This comes as no surprise as his defensive presence in the paint is much needed by the Kings. Cousins has shown to be a great project for the future. His minutes should still remain consistent. This is going to be a split time-share. This spells the end for Jason Thompson’s fantasy relevance in the meantime.

Carlos Delfino VS. Corey Maggette = Disadvantage: Drew Gooden

They’ve shown that they can coexist in Scott Skiles’ rotation and remain productive. The one who appears lost, at least from the get go, is Drew Gooden who doesn’t appear to be quite acclimated to Skiles’ shooter-favoring offensive style. Own ‘em both and enjoy. For now, bench Gooden until he shows signs of improvement.

Dont miss a day of the Fantasy NBA. Subscribe to Give Me The Rock  right now. You can also get bonus (and easily digestible) content by following GMTR on Twitter.

Also follow me, @Erik_Ong, on Twitter!

Other Stuff Like This:

• Fantasy Basketball Roundtable: Stretch Run (2)
• Day 107 of 124: The Manimal Attacks (20)
• Day 103 of 124: A Luol (Deng) In The Battle (15)
• Day 8 of 124: Love and Cousins (20)
• Day 146 of 170: Sunday, Bloody Sunday (7)
• Day 140 of 170: Where Marcus Thornton has a Game (3)
• Day 133 of 170: Knick Attack (7)

Tags: Andre Iguodala Injury, Carlos Delfinio, DeMarcus Cousins, Elton Brand, Eric Bledsoe, Glen Davis, JJ Hickson, Jrue Holiday, Marco Belinelli, Marcus Thornton, Rodney Stuckey, Toney Douglas