Give Me The Rock » Orlando Magic

Day 158 of 170: Seven Spots Remaining

Nels — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 13:32:23 +0000

I was tempted to go with “Dwight Howard Will Lead Them” but I think that’s getting a little played out.

Instead I’ll go with this quote down here:
So, I’ll keep, keep at it/till I’m Dwight Howard status/just the center of this magic”
- Hoodie Allen, Look At What We Started

Line of the Night: Dwight Howard (1.82) got another line of the night (sorry, we haven’t been keeping track of LotN stats this year) with 26 points (10-14 from the field), 14 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks as the Magic pushed Charlotte a little bit further away from one of the seven remaining playoff spots. (I know this is a blog about fantasy basketball, but at this point in the season, I think the majority of NBA fans should be concerned more with the playoffs. And don’t worry, we’re still going to give you all the normal fantasy goodness) The Magic win is important to me as a Bulls fan because I’d rather see Chicago matched up with Indiana than Charlotte in the first round. Sure, they can beat either of them, but Indiana should be a cake walk, while I feel like Charlotte might try to bounce back a little and actually put up a fight. That assumes that the Bulls hold the number one seed, of course, which is important not just because of the easier first round match-up (Indiana/Charlotte instead of the Knicks), but also because of the easier second round match-up (Orlando/Atlanta instead of Boston or Miami). Obviously Orlando is a tough team, but you have to want them rather than the Celtics or Heat in the second round.

Check yourself on the cakewalk. Those kids can get vicious if they want a certain number. Even when you explain to them that it’s random drawing and every number has the same probability of winning. I’m sure Patrick knows how it is with statistics vs. laypeople.

Honorable Mentions: Speaking of the Heat and Celtics, LeBron James (1.63) scored 27 points along with 6 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals, and Dwyane Wade (1.46) had 32 points (14-21 from the field), 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks to lead the Heat over the Timberwolves by a large margin, and move Miami into 2nd in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, in the Wild, Wild West, Manu Ginobili‘s (1.53) 23 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals were not enough to hold off the Rockets in overtime. Nor were Tony Parker‘s (1.35) 31 points (15-23 from the field), 6 assists, and 2 steals. The Rockets are still 3 games out of 8th place in the West, and while the Lakers didn’t place anybody in the Top 10 fantasy-wise, they got the W and moved within 1.5 games of San Antonio.

Zach Randolph (1.50) scored 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and tied his season-high with 7 assists as the Grizzles pulled into a tie with New Orleans (coincidentally, the team they beat) for the 7th spot in the west.

Derrick Rose (1.49) led the Bulls to a (fairly) easy win over Detroit with 27 points (3 threes), 7 assists, and 4 steals. Carlos Boozer (1.41) score 22 points (9-13 from the field), with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. The Bulls schedule is looking pretty nice for the remainder of the season.

LaMarcus Aldridge (1.48) helped Portland hang on to their playoff spot with a big (not in point differential, but in impact) win over Oklahoma City. LA had 32 points (4-4 from the line) and 8 rebounds.

***

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Jordan Crawford (1.42) now has something else to brag about. After putting up 39 points against Miami, he hooked up a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, and even 2 blocks. Of course, at this point, he’s 42% owned, so if you don’t have him already, you probably won’t be able to get him now.

Pick Up Lines: The Cavs continue to struggle to find anyone capable of playing the game of basketball, and last night gave Luke Harangody (1.35) 31 minutes of playing time. In that time, Luke came up with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocks. Not a bad line, but there is a definite case of good player on a bad team syndrome here.

Jared Dudley (1.30) is already owned in 39% of leagues, so like Jordan Crawford, he’s probably not available in any league where could make a difference, but I can’t ignore that he’s had about 6 really nice games in a row now for the Suns including last night’s 16 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.

Not sure if it’s worth pointing out Martell Webster‘s (1.28) 22 points (4 threes, 8-12 from the field) and 6 rebounds since it’s his first good game in a long time and he’s only worth considering for next year. Hard to say if he’ll be able to step up enough to get consistent time next season.

Another guy who’s probably not available, Chuck Hayes (1.24) doesn’t score a lot, as evidenced by his 10 points, but he does a bunch of other stuff (at apparently random intervals) like get 12 rebounds, or 3 steals. He’s at #99 on the player rater, which means he should technically be higher than his 47% ownership, but let’s just remember that come the start of the 2011-12 season (whenever that may be).

I guess it just took a few more injuries for the Bobcats to realize that the guy they got back for Gerald Wallace might actually be worth playing a bit. Dante Cunningham (1.20) got the start at PF, played 39 minutes and ended up with 21 points (10-15 from the field) and 7 rebounds. Probably too little too late (and too little data with the Bobcats) to make him an add right now, but definitely something to keep in mind for next year. Also keep in mind that because of injuries (I hope) the Bobcats still have Kwame Brown starting at Center.

Biggest Loser: I guess we have to cut Jodie Meeks (-0.83) a little slack since the 76ers ended up beating the Nets by 25 points, but still, even though he only played 24 minutes, he should be able to do better than 2 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists.

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Day 123 of 170: Use Every Advantage

Nels — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 15:50:56 +0000

There was a lot of disorganization and disarray in the NBA last night. I suppose it was to be expected given the number of trades that happened last week, but even Detroit who didn’t make any trades only played 6 players. The fantasy stat lines for the “regulars” weren’t really affected, but the Waiver Wire players need to sort themselves out a bit still. Much like the Cavs took advantage of the Knicks, and the Magic took advantage of the Thunder, you too can take advantage of your opponents by watching closely how all the trade deadline moves play out and picking the right guys to make a run for the playoffs.

Line of the Night: Dwight Howard (2.47) played against a weakened Oklahoma City front line, taking advantage of (or some might say, abusing) Nick Collison for 40 points (16-20 from the field), 15 rebounds, 2 steals, and 6 blocks. It seems like if Orlando wants to win, there’s a pretty viable strategy called Give Dwight The Ball which they deign to employ every once in a while to great effect.

Honorable Mentions: Al Jefferson (2.29) is averaging 23.7 points 9.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in February so his 30 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 blocks were not unexpected. The career 70% FT shooter is also up to 77% on the season, which has helped him climb to #21 on the player rater. Nick Young (2.24) did his best to hold of Miami, but his 38 points (6 threes, 12-19 from the field, 8-8 from the line) were just not enough. Amar’e Stoudemire (2.08) scored 31 points, with 11 rebounds, 3 steals, and 5 blocks, but the Knicks clearly still have some gelling to do as they lost to the Cavs. Perhaps D’Antoni will figure out a way to get Amar’e and/or Carmelo to actually pass the ball. They both had 3 assists which is just barely over their season average, but I’m thinking Mike D would like a little more ball movement from them.

As soon as we’d written him off, Vince Carter (2.06) went for 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals. If you dropped him, though, fear not. Just as with anyone on the Waiver Wire, we want to see at least 3 games like that before we can draw any conclusions. Al Horford (2.00) continued his quiet storm with 22 points (10-14 from the field), 13 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 blocks. There’s a reason he’s #9 on the player rater, and it’s not just because he gets 1 more assist per game than Amar’e (because if it was, he’d be ranked above Amar’e I suppose, but he’s not, so I guess there’s another reason that he’s ranked #9).

***

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Did I mention that Detroit only played 6 guys last night? (Yes, I know I did, and I’m not even going to go into that because, well, it’s kind of sad) Well, one of them was Greg Monroe (1.91), who played 42 minutes to end with 16 points (7-9 from the field), 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. He’s definitely taking advantage of the chaos in Detroit and has worked himself up to almost 34 minutes per game through 12 games in February. With the exception of his 63% from the line and 1.4 assists per game, all of his numbers are pretty hot. At 39% ownership, he’s probably not available in any competitive leagues where he’d actually be of use, but he’s definitely someone you want to keep in mind for drafting next season. He’s an uber-prototypical Big Ball guy, and there’s no reason to think he can’t be up in the Top 75 for the year next season as he is right now for the past 30 days.

Pick Up Lines: Randy Foye (1.46) had another nice game while Eric Gordon continues to recover. Foye had 24 points (5 threes, 9-9 from the line), but Gordon may come back as early as today (I’m thinking more likely next week), so Foye’s 23% ownership has probably reached it’s high point. I’m sure that having Mo Williams join the team won’t help Foye much either.

George Hill (1.27) is trying to make me consider taking him back with his 19 points (3 threes, 4-4 from the line) and 7 rebounds. Well, I looked at your Game Log, George, and you’re going to need to put a couple more diamonds in that ring before I put it on. And considering you’re still at 49% ownership, I’m kind of shocked. Sure, in deep leagues, you’re probably a decent bench/fill-in player… but 49%?

One has to assume that Anthony Parker (1.01) will continue to start at Shooting Guard for the woeful Cavs considering they don’t really have anyone better. Sure they have guys who can put up 16 points (6-6 from the line), 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, but so can Anthony Parker and he’s got some experience and data points to back up his case. Seems like his 7% ownership rate should be going up if he can keep scoring in double digits and rebounding well for a SG.

It’s been a long time since we’ve mentioned Jarrett Jack (0.93) and unless he can repeat the “4 steal” portion of his 13 points, and 4 steals line, it will be a long time before we mention him again (23% owned).

It’s pretty clear that Jonny Flynn is not going to be doing much for the Timberwolves, which would seem to leave Wesley Johnson (0.93) in a position to score 22 points, with 4 assists every night. But it took 43 minutes of playing time for him to get that done, so I’m not really feeling it except maybe as a speculative add in deep leagues (where he’s probably not available anyway given his 32% ownership).

Just so we’re all on the same page: Sacramento’s lineup is a moving target. I would not recommend trying to hit it, but I can’t ignore Jason Thompson‘s (0.92) 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 blocks coming on the heels of two other double-digit scoring games with various other stats thrown in. And since he’s only 15% owned, there’s a very good chance you can get him and ride out this little stretch at least until Tyreke Evans gets back and resumes his role as the focal point of the team.

Biggest Loser: While Wesley Johnson was out there making his case, Michael Beasley (-1.19) was making a different sort of statement. Once that included 8 points on 4-16 shooting to go with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 turnovers.

Maybe we can blame it on the same factors of disarray and lack of cohesion that affected the Knicks, but if the Wizards are only going to be play Mike Bibby (-0.82) for 10 minutes a game (0 points 0 rebounds 4 assists 0-4 from the field), he’s a must-drop. Also, probably time to say Sayonara to Gilbert Arenas (-0.55), who managed just 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists going 2-11 from the field. I have to wonder how much of his struggles are just in his head. He’s definitely a cerebral guy, but I’m not sure that his cerebrum can handle all of his thoughts.

***

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Day 57 of 170: Dwight Howard Is A Rock, He Is An Island

Nels — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 12:31:35 +0000

Line of the Night: For all our bluster about the Orlando trades, the guys we thought would resurge are not still adjusting. Meanwhile Dwight Howard (2.55) continues to basically try to carry the Magic with 26 points, 23 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, going 11-19 from the field, and a truly magical 4-4 from the line. Given that, though, his new teammates went a combined 7-30 from the field. Hopefully (for them), they’ll find some time to practice in this short week.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: I’d say Kurt Thomas (1.72) is an immediate pick up in any league with daily changes since he started in place of Joakim Noah last night while Taj Gibson sat with a concussion. Thomas had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and shot 6-10 from the field. While Noah is supposed to be out for another month and half, Gibson may only miss another game or two, so I can’t recommend Thomas a long term pick-up.

***

Pickup Lines: I cannot highly recommend Vladimir Radmanovic, but it looks like Golden State is again down to playing an 8-man rotation, so while Radman’s minutes have been sporadic at best this year, he has played 23, 16, and 28 in his last 3 games. It’s very hard to say if his 15 point, 8 rebound, 3 steal performance can be repeated, but anytime he is out there long enough to make 3 threes, he’s going to have some fantasy value.

It looks like I can highly recommend Earl Boykins (1.17), the stand in for Brandon Jennings on the Bucks. Since Jennings got injured, Boykins has played 25 minutes per game, and while his first time out showed a lot of rustiness, he must have shaken it off because his second game consisted of 22 points on 8-12, including 4 threes. He’s only had 2.5 assists per game so far, but he’s had games this season with 8 and 4, so it’s probably just a matter of another game before he gets that part of his game dusted of as well.

How many times do I have to say this? Ersan Ilyasova (0.93) is a good basketball player, and pretty much a perfect small ball Forward. His FG% is pretty bad, but he makes threes, shoots 88% from the line, and scores and rebounds. Not much in the way of assists, but I did say almost perfect. It must be like Patrick said, that the Bucks are just kind of invisible. I guess they are in Milwaukee, so yeah, easy to forget about them. Ilyasova, though, continues to play for the Milwaukee Invisible Men and scored another 17 points with 11 rebounds and a three. The guy can play PF in Yahoo leagues! Why is he only 9% owned? You’ve got guys who are just as inconsistent (Carl Landry, for example) who are owned in 60% of leagues. Can someone leave a comment if they’ve picked up Ilyasova just to make me feel better?

Might be time to take a look at Nick Collison (0.83) followed up up two double-digit scoring games with 7 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals. Serge Ibaka isn’t necessarily struggling per se, but he is coming down a bit, and with OKC playing Kevin Durant and Jeff Green a lot of minutes, it doesn’t hurt to get the extra big body in there. If anything, click the little flag icon next to his name so you don’t forget about him.

Another guy to flag, or just pick up in deeper leagues, is Sasha Vujacic (0.49), who has played more minutes in 3 games with the Nets than he did in 11 for the Lakers. Obviously the talent gap between the two teams is fairly sizable… but I’d suggest you pick up Sasha and ride him before the Nets finally get Carmelo.

Biggest Loser: Jrue Holiday (-1.15) has followed up a string of 6 really nice games with 3 crappy ones. I guess in terms of ROI, you’re probably still ahead, then, but 9 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists, and 3-12 from the field is tought to take from a former free agent pick up that wasn’t supposed to come back to bit you that hard.

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Comprehensive Lewis-Arenas-Carter-Turkoglu-Richardson-Others Trade Coverage

Nels — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:37:10 +0000

So, there were some trades that happened just as I was uploading the podcast in which Patrick and I talked about some version of these trades. I think for short, they should be know collectively as the LACTRO trade. Especially since I’m sure at least two of the players involved would like to claim that these transactions should bare their name without regard for the other parties involved.

But whatever you call it, the Magic basically pulled the ultimate fantasy-style trade, sending underperforming players to crap teams in exchange for guys who are going to help them get to the top of the league. Erik would officially like to call Otis Smith a “Trade Rock Star,” and is now a very impressed fan, and would like to formally like to invite him to next season’s GMTR Fantasy League.

If you don’t want to read through all the brilliant commentary provided by three of the greatest fantasy minds of their time, you can skip down to the bottom for an executive summary.

Fantasy Impacts!!!

Magic Get:
Gilbert Arenas
Nels says: When Patrick and I were talking about just Arenas, and maybe Turkoglu, having their talents traded to whatever cardinal direction beach Orlando has, I was certainly of the mind that Arenas numbers would hold strong. I’m afraid that throwing Jason Richardson into the mix raises some questions, though. I mean, here’s a guy whose career low in shot attempts is 12.6 per game. I estimate the Magic have attempted 82 shots per game so far this season. Add in Dwight’s 13 attempts (or even scale it back to 11) and you’ve got 23 already. Then go with Arenas at 15 and you’re up to 38. That’s 46% of Orlando attempts. Though, I guess when you’ve got those three guys taking the shots, maybe that’s okay. The inclusion of J-Rich in the deal means that there will be times (perhaps even a starting rotation) that consists of Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu, Howard, and anyone else from the bench.

Patrick Says: I think we see a rotation of Arenas, Richardson and Turkoglu quite a bit since it allows the Magic to do what they do best; space the floor around Dwight Howard. However, the problem that Nels mention is true: Howard, Arenas, Richardson and Jameer Nelson all have usage rates above 24% (that is the % of plays used by a player while they are on the floor). That will not be even close to sustainable on the new Magic and of all four players will lose shots and touches. Nelson will probably be hurt the most by this trade since he’ll be the least talented of the new starting lineup, although Arenas and Richardson will see a decrease in minutes and shots as well (and Arenas will likely lose some assists). However, if more open shots from Arenas means his FG% can finally climb over 40% this season, well, I’ll take the decrease in scoring.

Erik says: Beyond the numbers, which both Nels and Patrick have discussed, I’m more concerned about Gilbert’s maturity. Will he do “an Iverson?” We know he’s boneheaded enough to do it. Shipping off problem teens from one high school to another does not necessarily solve their personality issues or that they’ll grow up into mature adults. This is just a new environment. Can he make nice with his new playmates or will we see him sent to the corner for a “time out?”

Jason Richardson
Nels says: I don’t think there’s any way Jason Richardson keeps scoring like he did in Phoenix. The 2.5 threes will still be there since Orlando’s offense is built around having 4 guys who can make threes. There’s also the need for a slasher to keep the defense honest, but with Arenas coming to the team, Richardson is not as likely to be the one on top of the ball even compared to playing with Steve Nash in Phoenix.

Erik says: I’m disappointed in J-Rich’s situation. He’ll be relegated to being a kick-out, three-point shooter moving forward.

Patrick says: Not a good move for Richardson’s fantasy value. I agree even more than Nels that he can be the slasher and cutter that this team has lacked, but like Arenas, Richardson’s usage rate WILL drop at least 5% on this team. Richardson is also moving from a team that is 6th in the league in pace factor to one that is 25th, meaning fewer possessions and fewer scoring opportunities. The threes will still be there for him, but he’ll be lucky to be a slightly worse 2009-10 version of himself: 17 points, 5 boards, and 2 threes.

Jameer Nelson
Erik says: I know he’s not involved in the trade per se, but will suffer the biggest hit fantasy-wise as a repercussion of the deal/deals. He’s been on his way to salvaging a disappointing 2009 season. but these transactions (especially the Arenas component) just killed any chances his comeback will see it’s full projected potential.

Patrick Says: As Chris Bosh has showed us, the lesser players always get hosed in a situation with multiple alpha dogs. With Arenas, Richardson and Turkoglu all with the ball in their hands more often, expect Nelson’s assists to fall back into the 5/game range (he’s at 7.3 right now). Nelson will still be a low end fantasy PG, but his value will take a hit.

Hedo Turkoglu
Erik says: Since owning Hedo lately has been as pleasurable as a bout with explosive diarrhea (while on a hot date), seeing any fraction of an iteration of his Orlando-self will be a welcome sensation. If you’re in a relatively shallow league and he was thrown to pool, he’s worth a grab. Whatever he’ll be doing with the Magic is likely better than whatever he’s managed to scrape up as the eighth guy off the Suns’ bench. Across the board, his numbers will see an uptick. Yes, even rebounds, as he’ll likely see some time at the four given Orlando’s new composition.

Patrick says: Have you been watching Dumb and Dumber recently, Erik? I agree that Turkoglu is worth a speculative add to see if he can regain the “magic” that he had the last time he played with Orlando. But this team’s personnel is a whole lot different than the 2008-09 Magic, which included Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Keith Bogans getting significant playing time. Turk should be a good fit with this Magic team, but I personally feel that he’s going to be at a loss for playing time. I’d stay away.

Nels says: The chances that J-Rich and Agent Whoknows will keep up their stats is one in a million. … So you’re saying there’s a chance? How does it relate to Hedo? Well, he’s been playing pretty much as poorly as he can possibly play… No where to go but up! He should be able to easily insert himself into the Magic lineup to fill the hole left by Rashard Lewis. How’s that for innuendo? What what!

Collateral Damage:
Patrick Says: The trade opens up a starting spot (at least for now) for Brandon Bass. Some fantasy sites are calling Bass a “must-grab.” I like him a lot less than that, although I would say pick him up if he’s available in your league. Just don’t expect too much extra from Bass since the Turkoglu will see time at the 4 and Ryan Anderson is expected back from injury soon.

Washington Gets:
Rashard Lewis
Nels says: Wah wahn. Is Rashard going to stop the slippery slope that his game that started down as soon as he arrived in Orlando? Lewis is going to stand out like a Katy Perry Firework in the Wizards offense… Unless Nick Young decides to go all “I’m playing the Lakers” every game for the rest of the season. What are the chances of that? One in a million? JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche are certainly not going to draw defenses like Dwight Howard. Never have; never will.

Patrick says: It’s the perfect team for Rashard Lewis to coast through the rest of the year with minimal effort for his minimal game. From the Wizards’ perspective, this trade has nothing to do with Lewis, it’s about moving past Arenas to a brighter future. That being said, for the rest of this season Lewis should start at SF for the Wiz, pushing Al Thornton to the bench. Like Hedo Turkoglu, Lewis can’t possibly be any worse on his new team than he was on his old one. As long as he gets minutes Lewis should see an up tick in scoring and hit a lot of threes. I still don’t want him on my team, though.

Collateral Damage:
Patrick Says: Arenas departure means an opening at guard for either Nick Young or Kirk Hinrich (and a bump in fantasy value for both). Young is the closest thing in the league to a points specialist, he can drop 30 on a team without making much of an impact anywhere else on the court (although his threes and percentages are decent). Although I’m not a fan of that kind of game, Young is worth adding in deeper leagues if you need a scorer. Hinrich is not a great scorer, but he has a better all-around game that will give you some assists, rebound and steals. For now, both are starting while John Wall is out with an injury.

Suns Get:
Vince Carter
Erik says: Given an assumption that Steve Nash (and of course Carter) is going to get back close to 100% health, Carter is going to be “Vinsanely” good in Phoenix. While other players involved in the Magic’s impressive overhaul get kind of nerfed due to their styles possibly getting cramped by being surrounded by talent, the opposite can be said about Carter’s situation. Nash will make him better. Period. Sorry. Strike that. Nash will make him better and give NBA fans a ton of highlight reels that will blow their minds outta this world. Period. We’re talking upwards of 24 PPG, 2.X 3PPG, FG% that should eventually even out to about 45 to 46-ish percent for the remainder of the season. Since Nash isn’t the picture of health and probably needs preserved like your grandma’s strawberry jam in order to last that much longer, there will be times when Vince and Grant (Hill) will share the floor and they’ll probably get into a pissing game to see who is the more unselfish failed “air apparent” of the late 90’s. What I meant to say, without being too rude, was that Vince will get a decent number of dimes in a system that favors an extra pass to find the open man. We’re looking at almost a 180-degree turn in Carter’s value. We’re not talking top 20 value, just yet, but the improvement in his production will bring momentum that will take him that direction. Sorry about the oversell folks, but I’m a hardcore believer in the “Nash Factor.”

Nels says: Look at what Jason Richardson was doing in Phoenix. Then adjust for slightly less rebounds and slightly more assists from Vince. If Carter stays healthy and doesn’t decide to go all “My team sucks” on the Suns, he gets a definite bump in fantasy value.

Patrick says: Sadly, I have to agree with you guys. Well, until the Suns trade Nash this season… The one concern about Carter is that he will be 34 in January, so injuries might stop or slow him, but we’ve seen the Suns training staff work wonders in the past.

Marcin Gortat
Nels says: Phoenix has been struggling for a while to find a real center. Now they have one. As Patrick and I said in our podcast, Gortat is capable of delivering some nice rebounds and blocks in limited minutes. Even though Channing Frye has been playing really well of late, I can see Gortat and Frye co-existing easily for the Suns.

Erik says: Finally! Someone Robin Lopez owners can grab as a suitable replacement. Bah-dum-ching!

Patrck says: Out of all the players involved in these two trades, I think Gortat is going to surprise the most people. In the 5 games he’s started in place of Howard over the past three years (yeah, DH is a beast), Gortat has averaged 9 points, 11 boards and 2.5 blocks. Small sample sizes apply, but even watching him play limited minutes behind Howard it was easy to see that he has game. Gortat still has to contend for minutes against Robin Lopez and possibly Channing Frye, although the departure of Turkoglu means that Frye should see the majority of his minutes at PF from now on. Add in the Nash factor and Gortat is my must add out of this trade.

Mickael Pietrus
Nels says: Injured and now competing with not just Vince Carter, but Grant Hill for playing time. He might be able to hang on to his 22 minutes of playing time, but it will be like a Wile E. Coyote scrabbling at air when he realizes there’s no bridge over the Grand Canyon.

Patrick Says: Pietrus needs to show me he can stay healthy for any length of time before I worry about his fantasy value.

2011 First-round pick
$3 million

Collateral Damage:
Channing Frye’s job is a lot safer now that Hedo Turkoglu is gone. Hakim Warrick’s role is also solidified and his minutes should get a lot more consistent from game to game. Other than that, not too much changes.

Executive Summary:
Hedo Turkoglu: Pick up. He’s got no where to go but up.
Gilbert Arenas: Hold. Number down, but not much.
Jason Richardson: Hold or Sell. Going to need some Viagra for Stats to keep his numbers up.
Jameer Nelson: Sell. Not going to be able to compete with all the new weapons.
Brandon Bass: Pick up in case he sees an increase in time at the PF.

Rashard Lewis: Hold. If you’re still holding him, he’s not really going to get worse (but probably not going to get better either).

Vince Carter: Hold. Probably a little bump.
Marcin Gortat: Pick up. Seems like a good opportunity in Phoenix.
Mickael Pietrus: Na ga da.

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Fantasy Basketball Preview: Orlando Magic

Patrick — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:39:23 +0000

The Magic’s game plan: Dwight Howard and threes. A lot of threes. A never ending onslaught of threes.

In fact, after a losing to the Celtics in the playoffs, the Magic took a good, hard look at their team and decided that they needed even more three point shooting. So, the team said goodbye to Matt Barnes (2.6 attempts per game at 32%) and said hello to Quentin Richardson (4.7 attempts at 40%) and Chris Duhon (3.9 attempts at 35%). Now, the team has 9 players who shot at least 35% from the three point line last year. And they all take a lot of three point shots.

It’s a plan so simple and straightforward is probably too simple and straightforward to win a title. But if you’ve got a certified man-beast down low who has heat vision and can slam dunk a basketball with his junk, why the hell not build a team to take advantage of that.

The Depth Chart (It’s Threetastic)

PG Jameer Nelson, Chris Duhon, Jason Williams
SG Vince Carter, J.J. Redick
SF Mickael Pietrus, Quentin Richardson
PF Rashard Lewis, Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass
C Dwight Howard, Marcin Gortat, Daniel Orton

***

The all too common take on Dwight Howard is that his free throw shooting is the fantasy version of kryptonite – a weakness so glaringly bad that it is enough submarine an entire fantasy team. And it’s true that his 59% shooting from the line on 10 attempts per game is the sorriest display of shooting since Shaq was in his prime. There are many people who flat-out refuse to draft Howard (especially in roto leagues) because of the added difficulty of building a team around his horrible FT%.

But to say that Howard is undraftable is straight up libel. Last year, I looked at building a team around Howard that could actually win the free throw percentage category and found that it is difficult, but not impossible to do. While it does take a concerted effort to build a team around him in roto leagues, simply pairing him up with a couple great FT shooters makes a team that is at least average in that category. And in H2H leagues it’s even less of a problem since punting categories is an option (and in my opinion is a good strategy since no team can win every single category consistently).

But all is not perfect with DH. His offensive game regressed slightly last season, as his scoring decreased from nearly 21 a game in 2007-08 and 2008-09 to only 18 last season. His FG% actually went up to an incredible 61% last year, but it came on only 10.2 shots a game. In fact, all the Magic’s starters took fewer shots per game last year compared to the previous season, thanks to the Magic’s strong bench. JJ Reddick, Ryan Anderson, Jason Williams and the rest of the Magic bench got a lot of run and had a more important role with the team last season.

So ultimately, it doesn’t matter how much Howard works out with Hakeem Olajuwon this summer; the Magic’s offensive approach and team depth are not likely to change anytime soon. Expect Howard to have a similar year as the last as the shots are just not going to be there for him.

If there is one thing the world doesn’t need more of, its words written about Vince Carter (and oil spills. The world probably doesn’t need any more oil spills). So quickly, Carter (who is 33 years old) saw a significant drop in minutes, points, rebounds and assists in his first year with the Magic (but he did play in 75 games). His 16.6 points, 3.9 boards, and 3.2 assists were his lowest season averages, well, ever (yes, his rookie season was even better), and they play more like a slightly better version of J.R. Smith than the Vince Carter we knew. He finished last season ranked #87 on the GMTR rater and is still worth a back of the draft selection if you don’t mind all the baggage that comes with it. I’d just as rather let someone else take the baggage.

Good thing the Magic re-signed Jason Williams as their third PG, because Jameer Nelson has had a problem with a little thing called ‘staying healthy’ over his career. Last season’s 65 games has been the norm for Nelson. Considering he’ll have both Chris Duhon and Williams to share minutes with, there are much more consistent and safer sources of assists and threes in drafts than Nelson.

Ben Q. Rock attempts to make sense of the Magic’s possible SF/PF rotations over at Orlando Pinstriped Post. Basically, Brandon Bass’ grumblings about wanting more playing time has led the Magic front office to postulate that Bass could see more time at PF this season while Rashard Lewis moves to SF (after spending all of 18 minutes on the court together in that capacity last season).

However, there are a number of problems with this scenario (which Ben lays out in detail) the most glaring of which being that the Magic already have a power forward in Ryan Anderson who is both better than Bass and is a better fit with the team. So if Lewis plays more SF this season (a dubious proposition to begin with given his defensive limitations) expect Anderson to get additional minutes, not Bass.

So, what does this mean for fantasy purposes? Much like Vince Carter, Lewis is a long way from his peak 3-4 years ago and his slide has been steep. He’s still going to hit a crapton of threes (2+ a game) but less than 5 boards a game from a PF is pathetic and the rest of his stats other than FT% are on the decline. He’s still very draftable, but no longer a guy I’d go out of my way to try and get.

With Lewis unlikely to make a permanent move to SF, either Mickael Pietrus or Quentin Richardson projects to be the starting SF. Pietrus started last season as the starter, but was eventually replaced in the lineup by Matt Barnes. While Pietrus is a nice defensive-minded wing, the numbers suggest that Q-Rich is a better starter for the Magic. Either way, expect the two players to split time at the position and have minimal fantasy value. If I had to pick one of these guys to draft I’d make Q-Rich, who should thrive in the three-happy Magic offense despite being inconsistent as all hell. He’ll hit a ton a threes this season and is a better rebounder than Pietrus.

Some bigwigs at ESPN made the inevitable Ryan Anderson = Troy Murphy 2.0 comparison, which makes sense because Anderson is white, can hit the three and exudes goofball. But while Brandon Bass using the offseason to complain about his playing time, Anderson is participating in three-a-day workouts to get his body more NBA friendly. It is going to be tough for Anderson to carve out more than 20 minutes on this deep Magic team, but he is only a Rashard Lewis injury away from having a breakout season.

My two cents on Brandon Bass is that he’s buried again by Stan Van Gundy as the team’s third PF. Bass can be a decent player is the right system – he has a good mid-range jumper and can defend one-on-one (two things low on the Magic priority list). Eventually he’ll get his wish and be traded away to a team that will give him more of an opportunity to play. That opportunity isn’t going to come in Orlando.

Chris Duhon was barely fantasy relevant as a starter on one of the best fantasy teams in the league. Forget about him as a backup. It’s likely that J.J. Reddick steals a few more minutes from Vince Carter this season, but unless you are a huge fan of Kyle Korver’s skill-set, leave Reddick on waivers unless (until) Carter gets hurt. The Magic’s first round draft pick, Daniel Orton, is as raw as [edited for the safety of children].

So, for the guys we want to draft… Here’s your official GMTR Guidance (for a 12 team league):

Dwight Howard – 2nd in H2H/3rd in roto
Rashard Lewis – 6th/7th
Vince Carter – 9th/10th
Jameer Nelson – 10+

Links

Weakside Help’s take on dumping FT%
Dwight Howard as a fantasy soccer player

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The Chris Paul Saga

Patrick — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 20:19:32 +0000

Take one insane free agent year. Add in a disgruntled superstar asking for a trade. And the finishing touch is a team that is willing to sit down with said superstar and discuss their options. Yes, you have all the ingredients for the Chris Paul “get me the hell out of New Orleans” saga.*

The rumors about Chris Paul and his trade demands have spread across the internet with the speed and veracity of a California wildfire. As reported by The Associated Press, “Chris Paul has requested to be traded and the New Orleans Hornets have scheduled a meeting with the star guard on Monday, according to a person familiar with the situation.”

Paul has provided the team a short list of teams that he would prefer to be traded to, including the Knicks, Magic, Dallas, Portland and possibly the Lakers.

So, how would each of those trade scenarios work? And what are the fantasy implications of a Chris Paul move out of New Orleans? Keep in mind that almost any deal from the Hornets perspective would have to include Emeka Okafor and his $52 million contract. One of the main points of moving Paul would be to clear cap space and give the Hornets financial flexibility for 2011-2012.**

***

New York Knicks

CP3 to the Knicks would be the easiest trade to accomplish financially. Since the Knicks are still under the cap, the trade does not have to match dollar-for-dollar. Donny Walsh has publicly stated that everyone on the team except for Amare is available (that must be great for team morale), however, most trade scenarios involve some combination of Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph and the walking expiring contract known as Eddy Curry. On the other side, the Knicks could take on Emeka Okafor’s long term contract. The only constraints the Knicks have is that per league rules new addition Raymond Felton can’t be traded until December 15th and they cannot include more than one of their recent Warriors’ acquisitions in any single trade until December 15th.

Fantasy Impact: Paul joining the Knicks and D’Antoni would be a fantasy boon to his stats, if is possible for something that’s already awesome to actually get awesomer. In fact I’d say it would make him the number 1 overall fantasy pick again this year. He wouldn’t have much to work with on the Knicks other than Amare and possibly Okafor, which actually sounds a lot like his life now on the Hornets. But the up tempo style of play would mesh will Paul perfectly and he’d have the chance to work the pick and roll to death with Amare.

GMTR Rates this trade: 5 out of 5 Van Horns

Orlando Magic

The Magic might now be Paul’s destination of choice because they have a better chance of winning a title than the Knicks. But think about the horrible repercussions of this trade: The NBA would have two superpowers in the state of Florida. And does Florida really deserve that?

Orlando is not as flexible as the New York in terms of salary, so most of trade scenarios revolve around trying to match salaries and salary cap relief rather than swapping young talent. Vince Carter and his expiring contract would probably be involved, along with Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat and draft picks. The Magic would try to involve Jameer Nelson in a deal since he would become expendable with Paul around, but Nelson has 3 years left on his contract and the Hornets already have a PG who would likely be better than Nelson in Darren Collison.

While Paul may prefer the Magic, I really don’t see how this would be the best haul for the Hornets. Expiring contracts, Brandon Bass and crappy fist round picks? Come on Orlando, you’ll have to do better than that.

Fantasy Impact: Paul and Dwight Howard would be good for half a dozen alley-oops per night alone. Everyone else on the team – including Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus, Q-Rich and Ryan Anderson – would benefit from Paul distributing the ball. It’s a lateral move for Paul in terms of his stats. He probably is asked to do a little less scoring and more distributing on the three-happy Magic.

GMTR Rates this trade: 3.5 out of 5 Van Horns

Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban is already all over this, not surprisingly. The Mavs unsuccessfully tried prying Paul away from the Hornets earlier this summer using Erick Dampier’s non-guaranteed contract. With that contract now gone in a trade for Tyson Chandler, Dallas is going to find it tougher to work out a trade. According to the Bleacher Report, the Magic still have “more than $20 million in expiring contracts, young talent, cash, trade exceptions, and first-round picks to offer.”

Those expiring contracts include Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, and JJ Barea. However, per NBA rules Chandler couldn’t be ~~traded until December~~ included in a multi-person trade until September 13. The only real young talent the Mavs have to offer is Rodrigue Beaubois. A trade involving these players would be an epic haul for the Mavs, but it would be pathetic for the Hornets. CP3 for Rodrigue Beaubois and cap space? Nice dream.

Fantasy Implications: I guess Jason Kidd is supposed to move to the bench in this scenario? I’m sure he’d love that. But Paul would have plenty of weapons to work with, including Dirk, Terry, Marion and Haywood. Paul would probably be asked to take less of a scoring role on the Mavs, but the assists would be great.

GMTR Rates this trade: 3 out of 5 Van Horns

Portland Trail Blazers

Before it fell apart at the last minute, the Blazers almost worked out a trade for Paul before the draft which included Joel Przybilla, Andre Miller, Nicolas Batum, Jerryd Bayless and the Blazers first round draft pick. Now with additional teams joining the bidding for Paul, the Blazers might have to sweeten the deal a little by including LaMarcus Aldridge or Greg Oden or Marcus Camby. The Blazers definitely have the young talent to make this trade happen; it’s just a matter of how much they are willing to give up for Paul.

Fantasy Impact: Paul running alongside Brandon Roy and possibly Aldridge, Batum, Camby and Oden? Yes please.

GMTR Rates this trade: 4 out of 5 Van Horns

LA Lakers

The Lakers are in a position to offer up some high quality talent in return for Paul. However, it would likely be a tough sell since they would have to fundamentally alter a team that just won a championship. But to quote the great movie Tommy Boy, “you’re either growing or you’re dying, there ain’t no third direction.”

A Laker trade for CP3 would most likely involve Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic. Unforunately that means the Lakers would be trading away their great height advantage, which is a big reason they won the title this season. They also weaken their bench a good amount with the departure of Odom and to a lesser extent, Vujacic.

The Fantasy Implications: A lot of unknowns here. Paul doesn’t seem to be a great fit with the triangle offense and how much would Kobe be willing to play off the ball and let Paul control the game? The Lakers’ offensive scheme doesn’t seem like it would do Paul any favors, but people who know things think it would work.

GMTR Rates this trade: 1.5 out of 5 Van Horns

***

Just because your team is not on Chris Paul’s short list does not mean you can’t have some fun. Cue insane trade scenarios (c/o At the Hive for compiling much of this list)

Atlanta Hawks – Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Jordan Crawford and Jeff Teague for Paul and Okafor?

Boston Celtics – Rajon Rondo straight up?

Cleveland Cavaliers – JJ Hickson, Mo Williams and picks for Paul and Okafor? Cavs fans are so defeated right now, they can’t even imagine it.

Charlotte Bobcats – Erick Dampier’s contract, Gerald Wallace, a bunch of draft picks and whatever else the Hornets want?

New Jersey Nets – Derek Favors for Paul and Okafor?

Los Angeles Clippers – In true Clippers’ spirit, Baron Davis for Paul, straight-up.

Minnesota Timberwolves – Ricky Rubio, Corey Brewer and picks? David Kahn would never do that, he probably thinks Rubio is better than Paul.

Memphis Grizzlies – Three-way deal with the Pacers where the Hornets get Zach Randolph, O.J. Mayo, Hasheem Thabeet, Darrell Arthur, Brandon Rush?

The craziest trade possible involving 4 teams that sees Paul end up on the Rockets and moves Yao to the Warriors?

***

* Remember shortly after Katrina when Chris Paul and the Hornets were the feel good story of the NBA? Yeah, that love faded quickly.

** About a year after acquiring Okafor and the team is already trying to desperately move him. Well done Hornets.

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2009-2010 Week 16 Fantasy Basketball Guide

Erik — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:38:23 +0000

Week 16 in fantasy basketball is going to get a little bit more funky than usual. Why? Well for starters, it’s the week that culminates in the NBA All-Star weekend.

This means that there are far less NBA games played in this week than any other during the season.

ONLY the Orlando Magic has THREE games scheduled this week. All the other teams have either one or two games on tap. That means players like Matt Barnes, J.J. Redick, Mickael Pietrus, and Marcin Gortat may have a little bit of extra value than normal in leagues of various depths; at least for this week. Stream in or grab those guards for an extra boost in threes and a few points. While Gortat may be able to add a few boards and a block or two to your team’s totals for the week. Study your upcoming match-up and if those cats are going to be tough, then consider these Magic players. These guys may be especially useful to you if your fantasy team is loaded with players who play for teams that have only one game this week.

Teams with TWO games: ATL, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, LAC, LAL, MIA, MIL, MIN, NJN, NOR, PHI, POR, SAC, SAN, UTA

Teams with ONE game: BOS, HOU, IND, MEM, NYK, OKL, PHO, TOR, WAS

In spite of having only one game this week, I would still opt to start several players due to the value of the numbers they are capable of producing in one game. I would play Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Danny Granger, Chris Bosh, David Lee, Zach Randolph

There’s a second tier of player who I would start if DID NOT have competitive replacements playing two games this week and they are: Rajon Rondo, Troy Murphy, Nate Robinson, Amar’e Stoudemire, Antawn Jamison, and maybe Aaron Brooks (but he’s pushing it).

Along with the schedule being a bit on the wonky side, this all-star week represents a long break for many players who are in need of extra rest and will be shut down by their teams for the week.

Joakim Noah is going to get his plantar-fasciitis-afflicted feet some much needed extra rest and so Brad Miller may actually be a reasonable filler at C during these two games.

Brandon Roy will remain out. This is something I saw coming. Keep him benched.

Samuel Dalembert is currently needed by his team, but since his back is sore look for his minutes to be reduced and you may want to consider benching him in favor of a lesser center who also is playing two games for the week.

Kevin Love owners got a bit of a scare during Minnesota’s game versus Memphis, when he suffered a knee injury during the game. Thankfully he came back to the game and was still able to play. I wouldn’t be surprised if his minutes are limited this week as well. Consider Ryan Hollins for some extra boards, blocks and minor FG% boosting, if you are playing in deep leagues. He will likely remain as Al Jefferson’s partner in the T-Wolves’ starting frontcourt this week.

Kobe Bryant is an interesting case this week. He’s on player-option mode on whether he feels up to playing on his sore left ankle or not. Given what KB is capable of putting up in two games, I would say that he is a worthwhile calculated risk to start for fantasy this week.

Speaking of rest-options, Chauncey Billups was allowed to take a game off by the Nuggets this week to rest a tweaked ankle. Similar to Kobe, Billups is worth a start even if he ends up playing only one game this week. One good Billups game will still odds are be statistically superior to, say, two mediocre Beno Udrih games.

Carlos Boozer is back. Bench Paull Millsap once again. It shouldn’t be much longer until Boozer is traded and Millsap can be cycled back into starting lineups once again.

That’s it for now. Enjoy the All-star game and all the other events that will comprise the weekend. Cheers!

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Day 114 of 170: Dwight Howard Is Pissed He Didn't Win The Dunk Contest

Nels — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 21:44:08 +0000

Line of the Night: Dwight Howard (1.56) sought revenge for his upset in the dunk contest by throwing in 45 points and grabbing 19 rebounds against the Bobcats. He also had 8 blocks and after every one of them was noted to have said “Where’s your dunk contest now bitch??” He shot 23 field goals and made 69% of them, only to outdo himself by taking 18 free throws and making 72% of them. If he could shoot 72% for 70+ games instead of his season average of 59%, he’s erase any doubt about his ability to contribute to both Roto and H2H leagues.

Honorable Mentions: Leandro Barbosa (1.42) had the 2nd best line of the night because of good shooting and 5 steals, but the guys everyone really wants to talk about are David West (1.16), with his 37 and 17, and Kevin Durant (1.11), who had 47 points on 59% and 84%. GEICO THAT! Dwight Howard’s arch rival, Nate Robinson (1.01), at least made a case with his 32 points and 10 rebounds. Yep, smallest guy on the court with 10 rebounds. Makes Dwight’s 19 look a little less impressive doesn’t it?

Finally, Pau Gasol (0.90) had a triple-double with 12, 13, and 10.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Antonio McDyess (0.78) is only owned in 37% of Yahoo leagues, but that number is probably a lot higher than it was just 24 hours ago. McDyess started for Detroit Basketball and had 24 and 14 with 2 blocks, playing 41 minutes. Of course, he did have to go and shoot 73% which technically disqualifies him from WWLotN, so let’s just say that CJ Miles (0.73) had a decent game with 24 points.

The Biggest Loser: Boom Boom Boris Diaw (-046) had 14 points and 7 rebounds, so I’m not sure why the Player Rater hated him so much. I mean, he had 2 turnovers and missed both of his free throws, while shooting only 47% from the field… but really, Biggest Loser? He is owned in 72% of Yahoo leagues, though.

Runner up: Baron Davis (-0.42) with 9 points and 6 assists on 40% shooting with 3 turnovers.

All Eyez On Me: Dwight Howard brings his wrecking ball to bear on New Orleans’ newest Center, Chris Wilcox. Have fun with that, buddy.

It may (or may not) be your last chance to see Amare Stoudemire play as a Phoenix Sun tonight against the Clippers.

The Golden Ticket: The Lakers are in for some running tonight, so we’ll see if Kobe can shake off his post-All Star MVP malaise and actually play the game we know as basketball.

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Day 78 of 170: Jameer Tops Huge Games By Dirk, LeBron, Dwight, and Dwyane

Nels — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:41:32 +0000

Line of the Night: Wow. Obviously, if you had a list that included Dirk, LeBron, Dwight, and Dwyane (yes, you should know them all on a first name basis), and Jameer, you probably wouldn’t have put money on Jameer (1.75) to have the best line of the night. But with his 23 points on 5 three-pointers, alongside 11 assists and 5 steals, he beat out the fantasy behemoths on a night when there are Honorable Mentions worth mentioning.

Honorable Mentions: Dirk (1.42) scored 44 points on 58% shooting (and a perfect 12/12 from the line) and had 14 rebounds. LeBron (1.39) went for the triple-double with 30/11/10 and added 3 steals and a block. Dwight (1.19) had 25 and 15 with 4 steals and a block, and even managed 82% from the free throw line (that’s 24% above his season average), to beat his 80% shooting from the field. Dwyane (1.15) capped things off for fantasy owners with 31 points, 8 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, shooting 60% from the floor and 81% from the line (with 16 attempts).

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Dahntay Jones (0.67) boosted his score by getting 5 steals last night to go with his 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. He did shoot over 70% on the night, but also played 29 minutes. Jones has been getting some more minutes since Carmelo’s injury, but hadn’t done much to speak of until last night.

He didn’t play last night, but since someone mentioned him in a comment a while back, I’ve been waiting to throw something out there until I had more evidence: Nenad Krstic. Can I buy a vowel, Pat? Nenad’s played in 3 games with OKC, and unless you are in desperate need of a PF/C, you can wait on him. Keep an eye on him, since if he had a double-double or two, I’m sure people will flock to pick him up.

The Biggest Loser: Emeka Okafor (-0.67) is owned in 94% of leagues, and while he had the lowest score according to Basketball Monster last night, it wasn’t all that damaging. He scored 13 and grabbed 9 while shooting 54%. Yes, he had 5 turnovers, and only made 1 of 4 free throws, but he only took 4 free throws, so really, is it all that bad?

I mean, JR Smith (-0.58) is owned in 69% of leagues, and last night he ended up with 7% from the field for 2 points. He did have 5 rebounds and 7 assists, though, so not all was lost. But you can see why Dahntay Jones was the man from the Waiver Wire, right?

All Eyez On Me: Tonight in the real world of basketball, the Lakers go back-to-back against San Antonio one night after edging out Houston.

New Orleans visits Dallas to see if Dirk can produce an encore performance, or if everyone’s favorite Chris Paul will increase his LotN count.

The Golden Ticket: Sacramento is at Golden State, which really probably just means that Golden State players are going to have some good lines tonight.

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Day 10 of 170: Where Brandon Roy Happens

Nels — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:35:51 +0000

Okay, so the headline is kind of misleading since Brandon Roy was actually 30th out of 39 players last night. But watching his last-less-than-a-second shot crystallized the difference between fantasy and reality. There is a game we play, and it’s not always the game they play. But this blog is about the game WE play, so let’s get back to it.

Line of the Night: In the loss, Tracy McGrady (0.90) had 28/6/8 on a very good (for him) 47% of 23 shots, adding 2 steals and a block. That’s some vintage first/second round T-Mac right there.

Honorable Mentions: He’s not Mr. Double-Double yet, but I picked him up a few days ago in the GMTR Readers League: Travis Outlaw (0.83) had 14/13/1 with 2 threes, a steal, and 2 blocks.

Hedo Turkoglu (0.79) had 20/8/3 with 2 threes, 2 steals, and a block. LaMarcus Aldridge (0.64) could have been a Bull, but instead we have Mr. Consistency and a white guy who is, I guess, still on the roster. Meanwhile, Aldridge had 25/9/2 with 3 blocks while making 63% of 19 shots.

Jameer Nelson (0.60) had 16/4/9 with a three and 2 steals on 50% from the floor.
Rashard Lewis (0.46) had 20/8/4 with 3 threes and a steal, but only shot 35% from the field and 60% from the line.
Finally, Samuel Dalembert (0.42) had 10/14/1 with 2 blocks and shot 62.5%.

Waiver Wire Line of the Night: Clearly if Travis Outlaw is available, he’s the go to guy for last night. He only shot 41.7%, but the good thing is that means he qualifies under Patrick’s Less Than 70% rule.

I’m going to end it there because really, the other guys who might be available only made the list because there were only two games last night.

The Biggest Loser: Stephon Marbury, who is evidently contemplating a training stint with Lincoln High School in New York. Ouch. Nothing like getting kicked out of the NBA to help coach your high school basketball team.

Really, though… my man crush Elton Brand (-0.38) went 3/8 last night for 6 points. He did have 12 rebounds, but he missed both free throw opportunities, and didn’t get a steal or block a shot. Not gonna cut it for a first round pick.

All Eyez On Me: This is the inaugural edition of AEOM. I just made it up yesterday, but Patrick agreed it was a cool idea, so here goes. Basically, I was feeling like there’s so many ways to watch basketball these days and so many games available on a typical night (even if you don’t have cable, like me), you may want (or not, in which case, you can skip down to the next section) some advice on which will be the most interesting games from a Fantasy Perspective. If this ends up being more trouble than it’s worth, we reserve the right to discontinue it at any time. That said, there’s a lot of games on tonight…

New York @ Washington: I think most people are still trying to figure out which Knicks are going to be the fantasy stars, so anytime there’s a Knicks game, it’s probably worth watching.

Minnesota @ Sacramento: The Return of Brad Miller. What’s going to happen to everyone’s favorite early pickups Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson?

Detroit @ New Jersey: AI.

Dallas @ Denver: Chauncey.

Friday’s Tiny Dancer: I watched parts of the ORL/PHI game last night on TNT’s OverTime streaming thing (there was a link from Yahoo’s NBA page – don’t ask me how to get there if you’re actually looking for it), and if you like being at the game more than watching a broadcast, this might be for you. There’s no commercials so instead they show the arena during the breaks. And by arena, I mean you get to see the dance teams in action. Last night, Philly was in Orlando (I should have stayed up for the other game, but since it was in Portland, that wasn’t going to happen). In honor of the Magic win and me watching the game in their arena…

Rachael:

And a bonus, Brittany:

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