Give Me The Rock

We had a full house last night. And by we, I mean, the NBA. Check below for the Comeback Kids.

Line of the Night: The Black Mamba (6.61). 36 points on 10/16 with 4 threes, and 12/13 from the line. Also, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals. You think Pau Gasol (3.10) had anything to do with that?

Honorable Mentions: MVP spoiler Mike Bibby (5.81) had 26/6/12 with 3 steals, and 5 threes. MVP Candidate LeBron James (5.36) had 29/4/5 with 3 steals and 2 blocks. Jason Richardson (5.26) tried to make Golden State remember the good old days with 31/6/7, 2 steals, 4 threes, and a block. Unfortunately, LeBron couldn’t remember those days, and neither could the Mavs. Deron Williams (5.19) had 19/4/14 on 8/10 from the field, adding 3 steals. Josh Smith (5.12) proved once again that he is the cornerstone of a Midball team with 24/9/4, 3 threes, 2 steals, and 2 blocks as the Hawks beat the Raptors in OT.

Comeback Kids: Pau Gasol ended with 10/6/7, 1 steal, and 1 block. Dirk Nowitzki (2.83) had 18 and 5 with a block. Gilbert Arenas (2.65) had 17/1/2 with 2 threes while DeShawn Stevenson and Antawn Jamison were carried off the court.

3 minutes, 9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 18%.

Yao Ming did not play.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: The Traded For Gasol Javaris Crittendon had the 11th best line of the night with 23/9/4. He also had 2 threes and a steal, was 7/7 from the line, and only shot 63% from the floor (thereby passing Patrick’s 70% test). Memphis was playing the Knicks, though, and ended the game with 130 points, so maybe we shouldn’t be reading too much into it. I mean, Darko only played 2 minutes, so it’s pretty obvious that Memphis is just rolling through the rest of their season like an M1 Abrams.

The Biggest Loser: Everyone has an off game at some point. Fantasy owners just usually hope that their players get it over with early in the season instead of dropping a line like 12 and 2 on 5/13 from the field during a playoff week. Yes, Mr. 22 on the Player Rater Al Jefferson, I’m looking at you. Josie Maran, everyone else is looking at you.

For those who need an explanation: Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) featured Josie Maran. And everybody’s back except Yao Ming. And those guys in the Yao Ming jerseys are, of course, the Asian Backstreet Boys. The circle is complete.

Pau Gasol will miss at least the next three games for the Lakers with a sprained left ankle. According to the AFP:

He [Gasol] is to undergo further medical evaluation in the next few days to determine how long he might be sidelined. The Lakers return home next Friday to face Seattle. Lakers coach Phil Jackson sounded an ominous note by saying after Friday’s game that “I would be ecstatic if he only missed the next three (games).”

The way the injury has been described, I’d also be surprised if Gasol only missed three games. According to the LA Times, “Gasol missed about two weeks after sustaining a sprained ankle in training camp that produced ‘similar pain, a similar reaction.’”

If previous history is any indication, then Ronny Turiaf will be starting at center for the Lakers while Gasol is out. The 6-10 Turiaf started in 12 games this season, averaging 9.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in about 26 minutes a game. Throwing those numbers into the GMTR player rater and Turiaf would be ranked 168th on the year, just behind Eduardo Najera. So, I wouldn’t be rushing out to grab Turiaf.

Instead of Turiaf, I’m going to recommend you check out my irrational man crush, Luke Walton, who pulled down a 6/6/7 with 2 steals and 1 block in only 20 minutes in the Lakers last game. He’s had trouble both staying healthy and getting minutes, but the Lakers are running out of options at this point in the season and Walton will get his minutes. Also, Vladimir Radmanovic (the bastard who hurt Gasol – point all hate mail here) got 33 minutes of play in the Lakers last game and finished with 13 points, 6 boards, and 2 steals. Expect a good amount of points and threes from Vlad Rad going forward over the next couple weeks.

Of course, the guy who really benefits from the Gasol injury (in fantasy only, of course) is Kobe Bryant. In the two games between the original Gasol trade and when he actually suited up for the Lakers, Kobe scored 76 points. So, I’d expect him to average 38 points a game from here to the end of the season, right?

So, it appears that NBA.com has switched over to Chinese time or something. I was able to vote for the All-Star Dancer match-ups for 3/11 (that was yesterday, btw) this morning, and now I can vote on the match-ups for 3/12. But they still have Ricky Davis as the number player for yesterday. And we all know that can’t possibly be true.

So, I’m switching to BasketballMonster.com for today. The scores will be different, but I imagine they rankings will be close to what they would be on NBA.com.

Line of the Night: Kobe Bryant (2.18) had a HUGE night according to Basketball Monster, beating out the next best player (Amare Stoudemire) by nearly a point. And when the scale goes to 2.18, a single point is pretty big deal. Kobe had 34/7/7 with 4 threes while shooting 60% and 100%. He also had 4 steals and a block. Yeah, that’s a pretty nice line.

Honorable Mentions: Amare (1.19) checked in with a 29/13/4 on 70.6% and 100%. Drew Gooden helped the Bulls upset the Jazz with 24/10/5 and 3 blocks. Interesting… if you include Turnovers, Drew Gooden actually beats out Stoudemire by 0.07 points.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: He might still be available, and with Yi Jianlian out for a while Charlie Villanueva (1.06) clocked in at 4th place last night, getting 24/16/3 with a block and a steal.

Another one who might have already been picked up is Nick Young (0.86) who had 22/5/1 with 2 threes last night for the Wizards.

The Biggest Loser: NBA.com is looking like a pretty big loser in my books right now. Especially when you consider that Basketball Monster has a schedule grid that shows how many games each team has. Those aren’t always easy to come by, so it’s good to know that it’s there for you (and only took me 134 days to find).

Really, though (and watch out, I’m liking this Basketball Monster stat page), Chris Wilcox was on the complete opposite end from the top 3 guys with a -1.03. He had 13 points, but only 5 rebounds, and shot 37.5% from the field, and 1/5 from the line. Add 3 turnovers and the fact that accomplished all that (and nothing else) in 28 minutes, and you’ve got a pretty big loser on your hands.

Sorry to leave this so dry and short, but I’m just trying to get it out today after waiting so long to see if NBA.com updated their stats. Did I mention that I used BasketballMonster.com for today’s ratings? I feel like I owe it to them to throw the name out there as much as possible.

I’ve said it before, but it’s the kind of comment that slides off of people’s conscious like virgin jello shot going down their throat: I don’t have cable. I only mention it because I don’t actually get to watch that many NBA basketball games. It’s probably why only about half of my fantasy teams turn out to be any good.

But the reason I bring it up here is because, as we all know, the Lakers played the Mavericks last Sunday on ABC.

Joey at Straight Banging has always shared my feelings on Kobe and I’m sure there are many others who feel the same. Krolik at FreeDarko has a bit of different angle on it (while also accurately assessing the place of LeBron James in the league). There have been about a million other posts on this same subject since then (I tried to get this post out Monday, and obviously failed). LeBron scoring 50 with 10 assists last night didn’t help matters… but this is about Kobe and the Lakers. Why? Because I had more fun watching them play Dallas than I did watching my own Bulls play the Cavs. That is not to say I didn’t like watching the Bulls, but I wish I could have had some filter on my TV that would have skipped over just about every possession the Cavs had. When LeBron wasn’t doing something incredible, the pain I felt in my eyes was so bad I wished they would just burst already.

And that brings us to Show Time. Kobe to Gasol is awesome. Walton and Odom are very good for passing big men. And I’m sure Jordan Farmar will eventually be good enough to make him watchable too.

I have to admit, I’ve always liked Gasol and Odom. I usually will draft one or both of them in fantasy leagues as well as video game basketball franchises I create. One season I actually had Odom running the point for my team with Gasol as my PF. I could probably delve deeper into this vague favoritism, but this post isn’t about them. Not entirely anyway.

And that brings us to Kobe. I’ve always hated his cocky-ass attitude, but his perseverance, dedication, and depth of understanding of the game of basketball started to win me over last season. I’m sure people will cry foul when I say that he isn’t really any more talented than Vince Carter, or Tracy McGrady, or any of the other “Heirs Jordan.” But it’s true. The difference is his determination. As Joey pointed out, Kobe was publicly rooting against the other participants in the dunk contest. Ruthless? Yes. But remarkably similar to Jordan’s attitude towards winning? Also, yes. And that kind of willpower, no matter who it comes from is something to be respected.

I spent way too much time hating Michael Jordan (while somehow simultaneously worshiping him) because he beat my Blazers. But after the Second Threepeat, I vowed never to be blinded so much by fan loyalty or other emotion as to miss another player like Jordan. I have hated Kobe in the past, but he is definitely maturing, and it continues to become more clear (to me at least) that his earlier attitude was just the misguided attempts of someone with an indomitable will to win trapped in the body, and with the experience, of a young man.

And so, it is with an open heart that I now welcome Kobe into the circle of players (along with Gasol and Odom, part of his team, but already in the circle) that I would like to see win a championship. And it is with that statement, that I say to my readers (let alone the world) that it is not only okay to like Kobe, but more importantly (for all of us), it is okay to change your mind.

Now is the time when you have to take a really hard look at your team. Most people do that right at the beginning of the season, many even before a single game is played. But now is the time when you have to know your team, know what you need, and know how to get it.

Who’s stepping up?

Line of the Night: Pau Gasol (5.80) led things with his 30/10/4, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. I’ve said it before, the NBA.com Player Rater likes defense. Of course, when you also shoot 10/15 and 11/13, there’s not much left for the NBA.com Player Rater to not like.

Honorable Mentions: Joe Johnson (5.75) was quick on the heels of Gasol by leading all scorers with 38. In that 38, he had 5 threes, to go with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Kirk Hinrich (5.72) got to play against Memphis last night, and he took advantage with 19/4/12 and 4 blocks. 6 foot 3 inches, 4 blocks; seriously, what is Memphis doing out there? Anyone?

Chauncey Billups (5.57) had a game worth mentioning with 20 points, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 4 threes. He was also a perfect 8/8 from the line. Stephen Jackson (5.44) had 29/4/6 with 6 threes. Teammate Mickael Pietrus (5.32) came off the bench for 19/12/2 with 5 threes. Teammate Baron Davis (5.25) had 35/2/9. Any wonder the Warriors won 135-118?

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Matt Carroll (4.38) may be available in some leagues still. His average for the season is 23 minutes per game, but he’s played 30+ in the last 4 in place of the concussed Gerald Wallace. Last night he had 15/6/4 with 3 steals and 3 threes. Don’t let him sit out there any longer.

The Biggest Loser: I’m going to pick one before I even look down the list and see how close I was. Mike Bibby was about the only Hawk who didn’t do much last night to help them win. He had 6 assists, but also 3 turnovers. He only shot 2/7, ending with 5 points. To his credit, his +/- of -14 was only the second worst on the team after Marvin Williams’ -22.

Turns out Bibby was only 92 out of 166 players last night with a 2.37. So, your real Biggest Loser is…

take your pick between: Jordan Farmar (2.02), who went from LotN last week to 18 minutes, totally 4 points, 3 rebounds, a steal, and a turnover; and Luke Walton (2.06) who went 3/13 from the field, for 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, a steal, and a turnover. Good thing Derek Fisher (4.87) and Lamar Odom (4.37) were there to keep Show Time on the air.

Or something like that.

Line of the Night: Jordan Farmar (6.12) put it on last night (don’t ask me what he put on, come on) with an excellent shooting performance, including 4 threes, and ending with 24 points. He also had 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a block. And we know how the player rater loves defense. Especially when it’s combined with threes and good shooting.

Honorable Mentions: Sure, there were only 3 games last night, but LA placed 4 of their players in the top 10. Milwaukee was next best with 2. And good work NBA.com:

Wait for it…

Yep! Devin Harris is still on Dallas!

Anyway, as you can see, Kobe’s 21/1/8 with 4 steals and 2 blocks put him at 5.69; Andrew Bogut (5.61) provided the second surprise of the night (after Farmar’s #1) with 22 and 15, plus 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks; Tim Duncan (5.23) had 31 and 15, but since he shot 10 free throws and only 7 of them, he slid in right below Bogut who didn’t miss any free throws (nor did he take any).

Third suprise of the night: Ricky Davis (4.58) is probably not available since he’s at least good for something in the world of fantasy basketball. So, he’s not the WWLotN, but he did have 14/4/9 with a steal, a block, and 2 threes. Not bad for 0 turnovers.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: If Jordan Farmar is available, he’s gotta be the pick… but in case he’s not, I guess it’s Ronny Turiaf (3.62). He was only 2/8 from the field, but made all 3 free throws for 7 points, and added 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

The Biggest Loser: While the Lakers had a lot of good performances yesterday, Derek Fisher only came up with 2 field goals in 11 tries. He played 24 minutes, so that’s an attempt just about every 2 minutes, but only a make every 12 minutes. Combined with 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 turnovers, it was not a good night for the Fish.

Friday’s Tiny Dancer: In honor of Jordan Farmar and his chart topping teammates. here’s Annika from the Laker Dancers.

PS: Sorry this post sucked. I don’t know what happened.

According to SLAM Online and BlogABull, and soon to be a few thousand million other sources:

The Grizz have traded Pau Gasol to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two future first-round draft picks.

Talk about sell low. Jeez. Is that really all it took to get Gasol? The commentors over at Blog-A-Bull (hardest blog name to type) are having a cow (pun intended) about this trade. I’m with them. I like the Red Bull (Andres Nocioni) and his crazy high voice, but I would give him up along with 2 draft picks in a second.

Anyway, this is a fantasy blog, and the Bulls are in the crapper right now anyway.

Impact on the Lakers

Kobe’s jump to the number 2 spot on NBA.com’s ratings will probably be short lived. Gasol will immediately take some of the scoring load off of Kobe, and he’ll go back to playing more like he did before Andrew Bynum got hurt. Which is to say, probably still Top 10, but not #2.

Speaking of Bynum, his fantasy value takes a huge hit. But since he’s out till probably mid-March, it may not matter all that much. Gasol could be injured himself by then, so if you’re waiting with Bynum on your bench, don’t go drop him right now for any old chump off the wire.

I can see both Kobe and Derek Fisher getting more open looks from deep with Gasol in there now. So, if you need a few more threes, D-Fish is probably not a bad guy to pick up. Luke Walton is also an outside thread, but probably topped out last season with his 0.8 threes/game. Lamar Odom might be able to pick his outside shot up off the bench now, and get it back closer to the 1 three/game he had last season.

Hopefully (for me) Gasol will be able to bring his game back to its Top 20 style form. One (that one being me) would think with the best scorer in the league on his team, it would actually be pretty easy to just sit under the basket and get half of his 20 ppg off the boards. The other half of that 20 would come when he decides to score instead of passing to one of the guys mentioned above for a three point attempt.

And finally, since Kwame Brown is gone, I’m afraid that Ronny Turiaf will continue to be the only backup PF and C that the Lakers have.

Impact on the Grizzlies

Free Darko?

Seriously, the Grizz are throwing in the Rebuild flag with this trade. I don’t think Kwame’s 5.7 and 5.7 is going to win him any more playing time in Memphis than it did in LA. Maybe there won’t be so many people booing him?

Hopefully (for my wife) Darko is let loose to block 5 shots a game while scoring and rebounding in the double digits. I know it’s possible.

Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Juan Carlos Navarro, and pretty much anyone else who actually plays in games for the Grizzlies gets a boost in value with this trade. Rudy Gay will probably benefit the most since he’s now THE MAN in Memphis.

I mean, I seriously can’t imagine that Memphis is going to give Kwame Brown 30+ minutes a game. This trade was obviously for the picks, and their just taking one in the pooper and hoping they can get someone of Gasol’s value out of the draft.