Give Me The Rock

It’s hard to like a team with James Posey on it, but it’s also hard to like the group of Lame-O players clustered around LeBron James.

It’s actually kind of appropriate I guess, that I was reading this story about the world being torn asunder when I was pinged about today being 170 (or rather yesterday being 170, and today being the day recapping 170).

Line of the Night: Mike Dunleavy Jr. with a world-ending 6.04. See, this is the kind of crap that happens when the fantasy playoffs go until the end of the regular season. Not to down MDJ, but Ramon Sessions was #4 last night. Is he really going to average 18 assists a game next season?

You will be seeing a petition here soon (maybe) for the standardization of fantasy basketball, and I hope that you will help me in refining it to get everything just right so we can send it to the Yahoo’s at Yahoo who won’t let you change the end of the season for your fantasy leagues.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Um, it’s over dude. There’s no more waiver wire.

The Biggest Loser: I’d be tempted to say the Miami Heat, but really, they’re going to get a good draft pick and hopefully have a healthy D-Wade and Shawn Marion next season, so things aren’t all that bad. Really, I guess it goes to the Warriors whose 48 wins would have put them at the number 4 seed in the Eastern Conference (not to mention that in the East, they probably would have won more than 48 games).

Yeah, I know I need to do some sort of season recap, and even though I don’t feel like it right now, this is pretty much the only chance I will get to talk about it, so here goes…

GMTR Readers League: Champion: I Heart Chris Paul, managed by Patrick of GMTR. Patrick won the Championship by a single turnover because he is the awesomest manager there is. Interesting to wonder what would have happened if it had ended up a tie…

DroppingDimes Experts League: Champion: GiveMeTheRock - Nels, managed by Nels of GMTR. No offense to most of the people in the league, but this one actually seemed less competitive than the GMTR Readers League. But, I always say (or have been known to say at least once) people who love basketball and people who are good at fantasy basketball are not necessarily the same people. I can’t gloat much really, though, because I finished 9th in the Readers League. I was also 10th in another league, and I can’t even figure out what in another league because NBA.com’s playoff bracket doesn’t work, but I was probably 10th there too.

Reader S. Bibby sent this to prove that it truly is the end of the world as we know it.

I thought about using the phrase “Sleepless in Seattle” in the title, but then I would have had to punch myself in the face for being an idiot.

Line of the Night: The Nuggets inched closer to the playoffs with a 111-94 win over the Rockets yesterday and Allen Iverson (5.8) can take his share of credit for the win. AI scored 33 with 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals.

Honorable Mentions: Hedo Turkoglu (5.6) scored 24 with 8 assists and 3 steals. If he’s not the biggest fantasy surprise of the season, he’s at least in the top 3; The Seattle mojo couldn’t contain Dirk Nowitzki (4.8), he went for 32 and 9 with 4 threes; J.R. Smith (4.7) shot 8-13 from the floor and hit 5 threes on his way to 23 points (in only 25 minutes); Chris Bosh (4.7) had 30 and 10; and Marcus Camby (4.6) had a ridiculous 6 points on 2-7 shooting, but added 14 rebounds and 7 blocked shots.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Not much out there today, so let’s give a tip of the old hat to not-quite-waiver-wire-but-close-enough-for-government-work Earl Watson (4.9). Amazingly, the 4 foot Watson was only 2 boards short of a triple-double as he finished with 21/8/10 in 42 minutes. The Sonics beat the Mavs 99-95 in what could have been their last home game in Seattle.

Biggest Loser: On the bright side, Carmelo Anthony (2.1) had 8 rebounds and, well, ah, that’s the end of the bright side. He finished 3-14 from the field with 11 points, 1 assist and no steals or threes.

Dishonorable Mentions: Mark Blount (1.6) had 2 rebounds yesterday. The 7-footer is now averaging 3.8 on the year; and Vlad Rad’s (1.5) fantasy usefulness is gone as quickly as it came. He had 2 points and 2 boards in his second straight game for the Lakers.

Line of the Night: Joe Johnson (5.57) clearly wants to make the playoffs. He scored 34 points last night, including 6 threes, while shooting 62% from the field. He also had 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Since Carlos Delfino (5.03) is available in one of my Yahoo leagues, I guess that makes him eligible for WWLotN. He didn’t score 34 like Dub-J but he did make 6 three pointers last night, and ended up with 24 points. He added 5 rebounds, an assists, a steal, and a block. Unfortunately for anyone still in any sort of fantasy basketball hunt, I would recommend you NOT pick up Delfino. He hasn’t had a game even close to that one since March 30th, and it seems unlikely that it’ll happen again in the next 5 days.

A somewhat less risky pickup would be Tyrus Thomas (4.32) who had 20 and 14 with 3 assists and 3 blocks. In April, Dub-T has been averaging 29 minutes per game, and he can be very efficient with that time. He’s still definitely a risk, but if you need a few more rebounds and blocks to contend for whatever you’re contending for, then he might be worth throwing in the ring.

The Biggest Loser: Watch out for Gilbert Arenas (2.02). I’m sure there were at least a couple people counting on him to come back from injury and save them, but it’s clear that he’s just trying to get his legs back a little before the playoffs. And with his shooting the way it is (4/10, 5/14, 2/8 the last 3 games) he’s going to need all the legs he can get, especially if the Wizards draw the Cavs in the first round. Still, I wouldn’t expect Gilbert to start performing like the number 7 overall pick that he was back in October until say… April 19th rolls around.

Line of the Night: Only 3 games yesterday, but one of them was the epic showdown between the Nuggets and the Warriors for the 8th playoff spot in the West (using the current exchange rate, that roughly translates into the 3rd seed in the East). So, it’s only fitting that Carmelo Anthony (6.0) wins the LotN. I watched most of the game and it was pretty apparent that, when he wanted to, Melo could get to the hoop and score with little trouble. He finished with 25 points off 12-20 shooting and 9 boards. And his score was certainly boosted by the 5 steals and 2 blocks he racked up.

Honorable Mentions: Dirk Nowitzki’s (5.6) Mavs beat the Jazz 97-94, helped by Dirk’s team-high 32 points. He was 4-5 from three, and yet he only had 2 boards and 1 assist. Strange. He must have been helped by that steal and 2 blocks (after a quick check of the various components in the rater… yep. Also the shooting percentages and the threes gave him a big boost. It wasn’t a good night for the three). Allen Iverson (5.1) only had 1 three, but he did score 33 adding 9 assists and 3 steals; and a triple double for the bearded one, Baron Davis (4.6), who finished with 20/10/11. His shooting (9 for 25 overall and 1 of 9 from three) was what did him in.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Luke Walton (5.0) is back after missing 2 games with a hamstring injury. And in 24 minutes, he managed to score 18 points (going 4-5 from three) with 5 boards and 4 assists. With the Lakers fighting for first in the West, I wouldn’t expect to see much more than 24-25 minutes for Walton going forward.

After that? Ah, Brandon Bass (3.8) had 14 points in 16 minutes. That’s pretty cool.

The Biggest Loser: Josh Howard (2.2) left in the third quarter of yesterday’s game with a bruised right knee. But what he had done up to that point was go 1-8 from the floor, scoring 3 points with 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 20 minutes. That was bad enough for me not to give him the pass because of injury.

Dishonorable Mentions: Going into the championship week, you may have picked up Mickael Pietrus (1.6) or Josh Powell (2.1) because of their strong play in the previous week. Unfortunately, that would have been a huge mistake. Pietrus saw 10 minutes in yesterday’s showdown vs. the Nuggets (scoring 0 points), while Powell saw 19 for the Clips, going 0-3 from the field, scoring 2 points with 0 assists. But hey, he did have 6 rebounds.

Friday’s Tiny Dancer

The very sexy Chad, who you may remember from the Nuggets Cheer Team.

No, I wouldn’t do that to you guys. Nels would forever remove me from the Friday shift. Instead, I’ve been trying to figure out which Nuggets dancer has the better name. First up, Caty Sue Green:

Also in the running is Linda Koucky (I’m not sure how you pronounce it, but every way is funny):

Have we really hit the last week of fantasy basketball? If you’re one of the lucky ones, you are either wrapping up a roto league or you’ve already finished your H2H championships a week or two ago. If your team is in a championship this week? You’re probably screwed.

But let GMTR help you out. Jeff of Four-Point Play mentioned to Nels and I that it would be good idea to note who to play and who not to play in the last week of the fantasy season as teams rest starters for the playoffs, tank for lottery position, and just don’t give a shit anymore (my words, not his). My only reservation is that I couldn’t get something up earlier. Here’s a team-by-team rundown for the Eastern Conference (with the West to come).

Atlanta Hawks: With the Hawks fighting for a playoff spot, you can be sure that all their starters will be playing. In fact, they only went 9 deep during their last game against the Pacers. Joe Johnson hit 44 minutes while Bibby’s 27 was more because of his recent slump (0-8 in that game) than actually trying to get the guy some rest.

Boston Celtics: Doc Rivers is resting his starters. Well, he’s resting them as only Doc Rivers can. After sitting KG, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce against the Bobcats on Saturday, Allen got 37, Pierce got 37, and KG got 31 minutes in a C’s loss to the Wizards on Wednesday. Expect more of the same from the Big 3 this year - meaning you can expect a feast or famine depending on the whims of Doc on any given day (very scary). In the meantime, expect Rondo to log some serious minutes as Sam Cassell won’t see much time until the playoffs.

Charlotte Bobcats: It appears that a groin injury is going to bench Gerald Wallace for the rest of the season, which is sevens for Matt Carroll (who got 40 minutes in the Bobcats most recent game). Otherwise, the starters (read Jason Richardson, Raymond Felton, and Emeka Okafor) are full steam ahead. Jared Dudley could get some play as a sixth man over the last week, which would be great if his offensive game didn’t suck as hard as my picking up women skills.

Chicago Bulls: As Nels noted, Tyrus Thomas is finally getting some play for the Bulls (26 minutes against Orlando). Otherwise, it’s a team going through the motions to finish out the slog (25 minutes and minimal effort from everyone). Just like in real life, I wouldn’t be excited if I had to rely on any Bull for the playoffs. Well, with the possible exception of Aaron Gray who has shown a little effort.

Cleveland Cavaliers: The only Cav really worth worrying about is THE ONE (the one with a bad back). He got 35 minutes in his last game and managed a 33/7/8. Let’s get real: If you’ve made it this far with LeBron, you’re not going to sit him now. In other news, the Cavs are cutting back slightly on their starters’ minutes (such as giving 25 to Delonte and 29 to Big Z). It’s just enough to screw a fantasy team in championship series.

Detroit Pistions: Doc Rivers, take some notes, this is how you rest a basketball team. Flip Saunders is giving the starters about 20 minutes a game. That means the Pistons five, with the possible exception of Chauncey Billups, should be benched if you have better alternatives. Unfortunately, (for fantasy teams) the Pistons are deep, meaning that studs like Amir Johnson and Walter Herrmann (totally not serious about that last one) aren’t getting the minutes to make them worth a pickup. Rodney Stuckey is the only guy who should be considered from the Pistons bench and only in deep leagues.

Indiana Pacers: They still have an outside shot at a playoff spot and they are hot (and I’m just not talking about the smooth looks of Ike Diogu), so stick Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy in your lineups with no worries. Just don’t expect more than 20 minutes from Jermaine O’Neal (18, 20, 19, 20, and 19 since his return). Marquis Daniels is also getting some play in the Pacers recent run (although there are better pickups if you are looking for someone).

Miami Heat: Kasib Powell, Stephane Lasme, Earl Barron, Joel Anthony, Daequan Cook? My head is hurting. Just stay away. Oh, also, Jason Williams is back, which sounds nice in theory, except that his return means the end of Chris Quinn as a fantasy contributor (yes, the Chris Quinn who is starting for me in the GMTR Readers Championship game).

Milwaukee Bucks: Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions. Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions. Charlie Villanueva and Ramon Sessions. And if you’re really desperate (and I’m talking about jerking it to the Sears catalogue desperate), did you know that Bobby Simmons has scored double digits in the past 6 games? His stats look serviceable enough (well, until he strains his groin the day after you pick him up).

New Jersey Nets: The Nets aren’t fighting for a playoff spot anymore and yet Vince Carter played 40 minutes in their last game? Color me confused. Net’s uberkind Josh Boone has been out with a tweaked right knee for the past few games and that has given playing time to Nenad Krstic (8 and 7 in his last game). Ok, 8 and 7 is garbage. Also manning the box for the Nets are Stromile Swift and DeSagana Diop. Garbage. Total garbage.

New York Knicks: I picked up and actually played Quentin Richardson last week. So, what the hell do I know about the Knicks? Ok, you didn’t hear this from me, but Wilson Chandler has put together 3 good games in a row (averaging about 18 points and 8 boards). He’d be a risky play, but one that champions are made of.

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard is busy abusing the Bulls, so all seems good with the Magic. Even though they have the third seed locked up in the East, they’re a young team, so expect their starters to play decent minutes the rest of the season.

Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers are another team fighting for playoff position and according to this article, they won’t be letting up anytime soon: “Philadelphia 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks spent three off days reminding his players there are still reasons to play hard, still goals to aim for. He wants them to play for the highest possible seed in the NBA East, without regard for possible opponents.” In the spirit of that article, Andre Miller got 40 minutes and Andre Iguodala 42 in the Sixers most recent game against Detroit.

Toronto Raptors: Toronto is another team that, despite having already clinched a playoff spot, is still playing its starters in heavy rotation as they fight for playoff position. Bosh is getting 40 minutes a game, while Ford, Parker, and Moon are still getting 30+. Toronto has done their best to bury Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, and Carlos Delfino during the past couple months and unfortunately that is not going to change this season. If you haven’t done so, I beg of you to look at Rasho Nesterovic’s game log over the last month. The man has scored in double digits for almost a month straight, averaging 7+ rebounds over that time. It’s ridiculous. It’s unbelievable. It’s a guy you’ve got to at least think about if your team needs rebounds, points, or blocks.

Washington Wizards: Gilbert Arenas is back, but he’s only averaging about 21-22 minutes a game. I wouldn’t expect him to be a significant force again until the playoffs (for those of you who held onto him all year, the term is ‘sunk cost’). Antawn Jamison is also back from a shoulder injury that kept him out two games and he played a solid 37 minutes in his first game back. With the Wizards fighting for playoff position (i.e. let’s not play Boston or Detroit in the first round) the starters will be seeing heavy minutes.

I only bring up the sad, sad Bulls because… well, I live in Chicago. What more do you want from me? I need to suffer with my team a little. I have already been to DraftExpress, though, to see what the prospects look like for the Bulls.

On a completely unrelated side note (while I’m waiting for NBA.com to update their stats from yesterday), did you realize that Baron Davis has actually taken over the 4th position on the NBA.com Player Rater? That’s for the season, folks. These are the kinds of things you need to start thinking about for next season. Fear the Beard.

On another completely unrelated side note (still waiting), the Heat won their 2nd straight Dance Team Championship. They should bring their dance team to NY for the draft. I mean, the draft is pretty hyped already, but why don’t we go ahead and just make it an all out spectacle?

Okay… time to go with BasketballMonster…

Line of the Night: There you go. Baron had the best performance last night with a 1.1 according to BM. B-Diddy, The Beard, The Rollerskater, had 33 points on 50% shooting including 4 threes. He had 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and a block. Should he be in the Fantasy Basketball MVP talks now?

I’m going to skip the Honorable Mentions today - sorry - because it’s already 1pm Central, and … if your players did well, you know it. If someone else’s players did well, what are you going to do? Trade for someone?

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Mr. NBA Roto has already picked up the WWLotN Channing Frye (0.84). Frye had 22 and 11 with 2 threes, and some pretty good shooting for any position. He started the game and played 38 minutes. He should be a good play for the rest of the season, since Joel The Vanilla Gorilla Przybilla broke his hand on the rim, and is probably out for the rest of the season.

If Ricky Davis (0.70) is somehow still available, he’s about the only person on the Heat who is qualified to play in the NBA, so he’s probably worth a look.

Wilson Chandler (0.55) has probably been picked up after his game on the 6th, but since we’re down to the end, a lot of people might not be paying attention, and so he could still be out there.

While we’re looking at BasketballMonster… let’s took a look at the schedule grid for next week, so if you have someone who’s only playing 1 game next week, you can think about replacing them with someone who will be playing 2 (unless, of course, the guy who’s playing 1 game is worth 2 games from whoever you’d be replacing them with).

Teams Playing 1 Game Next Week: Dallas, Denver, LA Lakers, Seattle. There’s definitely people on those teams who you might consider playing next week even though they’ll only be playing one game. With Dirk, AI, and Carmelo caught up in trying to make the playoffs, it’s probably a safe bet that those guys will going all out until the end of the season. But keep an eye out, because if Dallas or Denver gets that last spot in the playoffs, they might take a game off at the end of the season.

Another thing to consider is how much PT the guys who are playing 2 games next week are actually going to get… e.g., Boston, Detroit, Orlando (those guys are young, though, so they seem more likely to keep playing). The other teams in the East and West are likely to keep fighting it out since there is a lot of playoff positioning that could happen still.

I have to give Jeff Wong a shout-out here for bringing up this very important issue. I was too busy wallowing in the Bulls chances in the lottery to really think about anything outside of the one team I still have in the DroppingDimes Experts League.

And finally…

The Biggest Loser: I’m going with this one because it’s interesting, and perhaps somewhat educational. Leon Powe bottomed out at -0.92 on the BasketballMonster scale, despite scoring 14 points on 66% shooting with 4 rebounds. How did he do it? It’s not magic… it’s Free Throws. Powe shot 54.5% from the line, taking 11 free throw attempts. Those are the kind of numbers that kill a potential free agent pickup in the last week.