Give Me The Rock

Where it's at

2005-04-26T17:04:00.000-05:00

If you're reading this, you're at the wrong place... GiveMeTheRock.com is where it's at. There's all kinds of mad crazy new things going on over there. I mean, weren't you tired of seeing the same old theme all the time? You can check out the new design over at GiveMeTheRock.com. No joke. It's the place to be up in this Internet joint. I ain't playing. It be like flying.

Are you still here? Come on yo.

Trust me - the search is a lot better, there's categories so you can find what you need faster, and I deprecated some of the links to ensure that you're only clicking on the freshest and cleanest. Like diamonds.

Still reading? Well...

All the arkizives are there. Yup, imported them all... and Yahoo has already indexed like 80% of em. What up, tho, Yahoo!

Also, if you're reading this in your feed reader, it's time to switch your style. Try this: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GiveMeTheRock - that way even if the site gets moved again, you'll stay on point. I ain't fronting, neither. Nu uh. No way.

Count it.

Sunday's Playoff Games

2005-04-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

First off, I have to comment on the Heat-Nets game, since it was the only one on "broadcast" TV... that's right - no cable for me. I might have been tempted to go to a sports/alcohol venue to view the remaining games of the evening, but it's Sunday, and Sunday is a lazy day... if I hadn't been going to see Moby last night, I might have gone out to watch the games... since Saturday is party night.

Anyway, the Heat, the Nets. Here's how it is: I used to like Vince Carter. In his interview with Amhad that they aired at half time he was trying to take back what he said about playing half-assed in Toronto. Now, I'm willing to buy that the media is extremely adept as misconfiguring, reconstruing and otherwise pillaging and razing any comments made by anyone... there is a point at which they must bear some truth. Everyone knows Vince played like Shit (with a capital S) in Toronto. Whether this was truly only because he didn't have Jason Kidd on his team there can be argued. Whether he was really dogging it, or just having trouble finding assitance on the team can also be argued. But he played like crap, complained until he was traded, and when he left the didn't seem to struggle any more without him than they did with him. Now all of a sudden he's playing like the Vince of Olde? I have no sympathy. In fact, watching the game, I was turned so far as to hope that they lose in as few games as possible.

Meanwhile, my former arch nemesis as a Laker, has grown a goatee which I'm sure he hopes is reminiscent of ancient Chinese warriors (who fought with honor and were endowed with great wisdom), and also grown into a spot in my heart where only a lovable giant could fit. It was hard to fit him in there, especially since I also have to squeeze Dwanye Wade and his unflinching work ethic in there too. And, Alonzo Mourning has been my favorite of the first three picks of the draft that yielded three current Heat players. He's been through a lot, and despite that he pulled a Jim Jackson by not reporting to Toronto, I think he deserves a title. In Mourning, the Heat have pretty much the best backup center you can get. He could probably spell Shaq for an entire game and you'd hardly notice. Not that it's going to happen, but just so you know that it could.

Next up... Da Bulls! Some crackpot over at nba.com thinks the Wizards are still going to win, despite being down 1-0 in the series. Okay, maybe I'm going a little overboard... I didn't even see the game, so I don't know how well they played, but they won. Of coures, if they do manage to win the series (which I picked them to do in my NBA.com playoff game), they'll play the Heat... and get obliterated. Even if Curry and Deng returned at full strength, I don't think they could handle the Heat. But I'd be happy to let the Heat with this year if it means Shaq will retire sooner. The Bulls are young and if Skiles can keep the small but growing egos in check, they're going to a dominant team in short order.

As I'm writing this, the Spurs are leading Denver... only by 5, with 10 minutes left... but it leads me to my last point which is: The Spurs are too much for the Nuggets. I mean, when someone's reasone for saying that you might beat the Spurs is because you're "hot" ... that just isn't going to cut it.

And I'm spent.

World Community Grid

2005-04-21T14:36:00.000-05:00

Every bit as important as joining my playoff prediction league, is joining the World Community Grid. I work on the project in my spare time (you know, when I'm not checking fantasy basketball statistics). I can tell you that it is a worthwhile project, and will help to advance medical research in meaningful ways.

And now that you've got a lot of extra time with no more box scores to check until Saturday... you can head on over to http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org and start helping humanity. It's a good thing.

Count it.

NBA.com's Pick 'N Roll Playoff Game

2005-04-21T13:52:00.000-05:00

NBA.com: Pick 'N Roll:

"Think you've got the prognostication skills to challenge any expert pundit? Predict your way through the postseason with Pick 'n Roll, NBA.com's official bracket game. Play is simple:
- Pick the winning team and total number of games for each playoff series.
- Accumulate points for each series winner you pick -- and get a bonus for picking the correct number of games on top of the series winner.
- Point totals for series winners escalate with each round -- the further your teams advance, the more points you win.
- The participant who garners the most points over the course of the Playoffs and Finals could win a trip to see their favorite team in action."

The interface is really nice for this one... and I might even have a chance this year since it's so wide open! I'm ready for the playoffs!! (I believe it requires you to register at NBA.com, but really, you haven't already?)

I created a league called "Give Me The Rock" if anyone wants to join it... I'm not expecting anything, but I would be interested to see what other people's picks for the playoffs are.

Count it.

Give Me The Rock Highlight Reel

2005-04-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

As the fantasy basketball season (and NBA regular season, for that matter) draw to a close, I can't help but anticipate all the great highlight reels that will be shown during the playoff hype. Actually, if you hadn't noticed, the NBA is pretty heavy on the hype already with ad reels of Miami, Detroit, San Antone, Cleveland, and Phoenix (that I've seen). I love those pregame showdown drama builders almost more than the games themsevles... so, as a loving tribute to the Human Highlight Reel (and also as a tribute to those behind-the-scenes presentations that agents make to coaches, GMs, etc. to hype their players)...

Give Me The Rock Highlight Reel, featuring Shep "Rookie of the Year" OC aka "Break of Dawn"*

(I've included here the most popular posts according to StatTracker and Feedburner, as well as my personal favorites)

Update: What is 6 TO's worth?
Man-child's back-up
Shep Interview: CEO Style
Nash is (in) a freak (accident)
Godzylla
Sprained Ankle Virus going around the NBA
The 90-footer
Ima...
If video games were true to life...
Sonics: Real Basketball is more important than Fantasy Basketball

and the crowning moment of Give Me The Rock, the most popular post to date:
T-Mac Video

If my calculations are correct, there's about 6 months until your next fantasy basketball draft... (unless you're in a keeper league or doing one of the playoff leagues) It was my intention when I started this blog to fill the off-season with articles that I wanted to read during the off-season. I was so addicted to fantasy basketball that I had to write my own articles so I had something to read. And now, as opposed to last summer, you'll have this blog, and the Fantasy Basketblog as well, to feed your addiction. While everyone else is worrying about ERA, WHIP, OBP, SOAP, AJAX, CRM, and making up other acronyms, I'll bring you an extensive selection of Draft Guides for 2005-06 as well as coverage of the "actual" draft, and of course, any free agent signings and trades that occur. I'm guessing there might be one or two...

* (Break of Dawn is my NBA Street nickname ... which looked a lot like "Break'd Down" the first time I saw it on the gamebreaker screen... I almost like that better)

Count it.

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Playoff Predictions ... more

2005-04-18T20:58:00.000-05:00

Since I live in Chicago and go to Bulls games, let me tell you something that will happen in the playoffs: Jannero Pargo will hit some shots.

This becomes increasingly true the more games the Bulls play, and the more fouls that Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon pick up. I would say that it will also be true when the Bulls are up by a good deal of points, but that is as unlikely to happen in the playoffs as it is likely that Pargo will surprise you.

I make no such claims for anyone else further down the bench (Ben Gordon and Tyson Chandler count as "up" the bench).

Count it.

Bucks' Ford finally gets OK to shoot hoops

2005-04-16T22:15:00.000-05:00

Bucks’ Ford finally gets OK to shoot hoops - NBA - MSNBC.com:

"Milwaukee Bucks point guard T.J. Ford shot baskets with his doctor's permission Saturday for the first time since bruising his spinal cord almost 14 months ago.

"I was excited to finally be able to touch a basketball — with permission," Ford said.

Ford was cleared to resume basketball activities last week, almost a year after cervical spinal surgery... On Saturday, Ford shot baskets at the team's training facility in the morning then again at the Bradley Center several hours before the game between the Bucks and the Orlando Magic."

Fantasy Impact

It's hard to say at this point. Ford still has more tests to undergo in another six weeks. It's safe to say that if he's healthy, he'll be a good pick (he had 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists as a rookie). It's not safe to say that he'll be healthy...

Also of note is the fact that quality point guards seem to come and go more than other types of players in fantasy basketball. This season saw the emergence of Rick Brunson and Dan Dickau as viable fantasy options for significant periods.

Iverson, Wade Ballin Outta Control

2005-04-15T11:09:00.000-05:00

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Allen Iverson again is leading Philadelphia upward in the Eastern Conference standings.

Iverson scored 38 points and had 16 assists, helping the Sixers spoil the return of Shaquille O'Neal and overcome a career-high 48 points from Dwyane Wade with a 126-119 overtime win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

``It's like a do or die situation,'' Iverson said. ``A loss here or there and we could be out of the playoffs. We understand that. It just says a lot about us.''

Marc Jackson scored 26 and Kyle Korver 20 for the Sixers.

Holy crap! Not that anyone but Iverson and Wade owners care, but 38 and 16 from Iverson and 48, 10, and 6 from Wade! Not to mention 26 from Marc Freakin Jackson and 20 from Kyle Korver (5 three-pointers). Nice game! Not sure about Jackson, but you definitely want to keep those other guys HIGH on your draft list for next year.

Count it.

Playoff Predictions

2005-04-14T18:18:00.000-05:00

I've been seeing what all the "professional writers" are saying... and since fantasy basketball is pretty much over, I thought I'd continue my coverage of basketball in a more general sense...

Here's my thoughts on the playoffs:

First of all, I'm very excited. This playoffs looks to be one of the more fun playoffs we've seen in a long time (although what could be more fun than watching the Lakers fall apart last year?)

While I think that Shaq (with Mourning backing him up) and Wade are pretty much unstoppable, nothing says that Shaq isn't going to get injured... if he plays the whole way, though, the Heat are the team to beat.

The West is the widest open I think it's been in a long time. If Duncan is over his ankle injury, then obviously the Spurs are the team to beat. But the Suns, Sonics, Mavericks, Kings, Nuggets, and Rockets all seem like they've got a pretty good chance. It's going to be awesome to see them duke it out.

Also, I'm excited to be in Chicago for the Bulls first playoff appearance since the Glory Days. If I hadn't mentioned it before, I was there when the Bulls clinched their first spot in 7 years. With that and the Illini this year, Chicago is doing pretty well in the basketball world. But, will they be able to win a series without Eddy Curry? We already know they can beat lesser teams without Luol Deng... but they lost to their likely opponents, the Wizards, last night...

I'd like to leave this as an open thread to any passersby... Feel free to leave your comments, predictions, hopes, and wildest fantasies here... just click where it says comments and let your conscience be your guide.

Count it.

Maggette out rest of season

2005-04-12T20:24:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Maggette out rest of season:

"Guard Corey Maggette will miss the season's final five games because of a torn ligament in his left wrist, leaving the Clippers without their leading scorer.

Maggette's wrist was put in a cast Monday for two weeks. He averaged a career-high 22.2 points in 66 games this season. He had planned to sit out last Saturday's game against San Antonio, but decided to play and scored 24 points in a 125-124 double-overtime loss."

Fantasy Impact

Well, that pretty much speaks for itself. It does hurt those people who are trying to hold on to a spot though... that's 100 points that you're going to have to make up if you've got Maggette. Tough situation to be at such a crucial (for some) point in the season.

Count it.

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Share the Knowledge

2005-04-11T06:43:00.000-05:00

On a side note, I'm now 3-0 this season at Bulls games. I thought of this post at the game Saturday, even though I'd read about it somewhere before... I want to say on the Celtic Blog, but I'm not entirely sure about that. Speaking of the game Saturday, the Bulls clinched a playoff spot by winning that game. And I was there. Between that and the opening of Millennium Park, I feel I am truly becoming integrated with Chicago.

Anyway, the real reason I'm writing this is to share the knowledge I gained a while ago (once again, I can't remember where)... which is this: Shaking those signs behind the backboard while players are shooting free throws doesn't really do anything. First of all, the guys are trained by muscle memory and are pretty good at tuning that stuff out. Second, and more importantly, many signs moving in many, random directions actually tend to cancel each other out in the mind of the player. They essentially turn into white noise or static that can be filtered out.

Why am I mentioning this (besides just being a curmudgeon who sits up in the upper deck instead of behind the backboard?) ... because of this: If all of the people were to move back and forth in unison, "sway" if you will, (like if they were holding up lighters - but don't do that unless you want to get kicked out - and rocking back and forth to a power ballad at a rock concert)... if those fans were to coordinate their activities thus, it would give the player shooting the free throw the perception that it was actually the basket that was moving back and forth and not the background (I think it's our minds that are trained to think that way). Doesn't that sound much more effective in making players miss? I'm sure everyone would agree that it'd be harder to make baskets if the hoop was moving...

So, to summarize: If you're at a crucial point in a playoff game and the opposing team is shooting free throws, try to get the people behind the back board to Sway.

Count it.

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Pacific Division Report for the Stretch Run

2005-04-10T13:10:00.000-05:00

My Pacific Division Report for the last "week" of the season is up at FantasyBasketball.com

Basically, out of the Pac-5 this week, only the Suns are guaranteed to bring you fantasy wins. Baron Davis is probably a could start as well. If you hadn't already figured that one out.

Count it.

Hill's comeback season is likely over

2005-04-09T08:40:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Grant Hill:

"The Magic placed Hill on the injured list on Friday, and it looks increasingly likely that the team will shut him down for the remainder of the season. Hill has missed Orlando's last three games as he continues to recover from a deep shin bruise that the team is concerned could lead to a stress fracture if not given the proper rest and rehab. Since the Magic already had the maximum of three players on the IL, the league granted a special exemption for Hill."

If you've been holding out hope, you can probably drop it. That said, Hill is on the IL, so if you have an open spot on the IL, especially if you're in a keeper league, that'd be a good place to put him.

Count it.

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Nowitzki's MRI reveals no damage to injured knee

2005-04-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Nowitzki's MRI reveals no damage to injured knee:

"An MRI on Dirk Nowitzki's injured right knee revealed no damage Wednesday, and the Dallas Mavericks forward was listed as day to day.

Nowitzki, the only player in the league ranked in the top 10 in both scoring and rebounding, was hurt in the closing minutes of Dallas' 114-105 victory Tuesday night when he was undercut by Orlando's Andre Barrett. He later said his knee ``felt weird.''"

It seems pretty likely that teams in the playoffs, or fighting for a top roto spot, would have Dirk on their team... so this is probably important to them. And also to people who have moved on from fantasy basketball and are eagerly awaiting the excitment of the playoffs. I don't think I've seen a playoff look this wide open since... well, since before Kobe and Shaq were together... and even then, you had the Spurs and the Bulls. This is really the time for teams to step up. I mean, you've got the Heat coming out of the East, but they'll probably have to beat the Pistons and/or Pacers to get there.

The West is really anybody's call... I was all for the Spurs until Duncan got injured, but now, it would seem that the Suns have moved into contention. And you've got the Cinderella Sonics... And with Dirk, Stackhouse, Finley, Dampier, and Jason Terry, the Mavericks are looking pretty good right now.

That's my quick and dirty playoff preview. I could expound upon it later, but I've got a lot of stuff to do right now...

Count it.

Sonics: Real Basketball is more important than Fantasy Basketball

2005-04-05T19:44:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - All-Star forward will rest, then be re-evaluated

: "Tests on All-Star forward Rashard Lewis' right foot showed no serious structural or ligament damage, and confirmed a deep bone bruise diagnosed last week.

Seattle SuperSonics general manager Rick Sund said Tuesday it's still not certain when Lewis can rejoin the team, but the 6-foot-10 swingman is expected to be available for the NBA playoffs.

``Everything's cool,'' Sund said. ``Rashard will sit out a few more days to heal, then we'll re-evaluate it this weekend. We'll know more after that.''"

So, basically, Sund is saying that having Lewis ready for the "real" playoffs is more important than playing him for fantasy basketball owners... clearly someone needs to Reprioritize.

Count it.

Deng to miss rest of year with wrist injury

2005-04-05T11:23:00.000-05:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Deng to miss rest of year with wrist injury:

"Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng is expected to miss the rest of the season with a torn ligament in his right wrist, ending his solid rookie campaign.

The Bulls' regular season ends April 20, but they have won nine straight games and are on their way to making the playoffs for the first time since Michael Jordan's last season with Chicago in 1998. General manager John Paxson didn't address Monday whether Deng could be back for the postseason.

Deng, a starter who averages 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, likely will undergo surgery after an MRI Sunday night revealed a torn ligament in his wrist, which he hurt in the Bulls' 94-86 win over Memphis March 28. He played in subsequent wins at Charlotte and at home against Cleveland, but sat out Saturday's game against the Bobcats because of the injury.

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``That's a huge blow to us,'' Paxson said. ``We were so lucky early on with no injuries and now we have a bunch.''

Meanwhile, center Eddy Curry could be back playing ``by the end of the week,'' after being released from the hospital Monday, Paxson said. Curry has missed the last two games after being hospitalized Wednesday for an irregular heartbeat, but his heart problems have dissipated, Bulls team physician Dr. Kathy Weber said.

Curry, the Bulls' leading scorer with 16.1 points per game, underwent tests at Rush University Medical Center to better determine his cardiac function. Bulls officials said he will be allowed to resume play if several outpatient tests over the next two days turn out normal.

Bulls coach Scott Skiles has said the 22-year-old Curry will be brought back into action slowly because of the expected loss of conditioning.

Guard Kirk Hinrich, who missed several games recently because of a sore left hamstring and played limited minutes Saturday, will make the Bulls' upcoming road trip, Paxson said.

Despite the injuries, the Bull"

I'm going to just hurry up and post this before Blogger shuts me out again... I wasn't able to log on at all yesterday, and have been trying all morning.

I've been tempted never to show my face again after finishing 7th in my Yahoo league and 6th in my AOL league this year... shows what I know about fantasy basketball right? But... I was only 3-4 games out of the playoffs in both leagues, so I guess it's not that bad, right?

If you haven't already, check out FantasyBasketball.com.

And I guess that's all I have to say really... If you've made the playoffs in your league, then you probably don't need my help. If you didn't make it, then the DraftGuide 2005 that I'm preparing will hopefully help you get there next year. If you're looking for help still, check out the FantasyBasketblog or Fantasy NBA Blog... They're either doing better in their leagues or just have more time to report since they're still in college and can skip classes whenever they feel like it.

Count it.

Amaztype: Basketball

2005-04-03T21:01:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already seen it, here's Amaztype for Basketball. And also for Give Me The Rock. I find it only slightly amusing. ;(

Count it.

FantasyBasketball.com

2005-04-01T07:38:00.000-06:00

I've been a lead contributor for FantasyBasketball.com for a couple weeks now. I do the Pacific Division review, and it usually appears each week on Friday or Saturday.

FantasyBasketball.com replaced FantasyRef.com ... so if you were a fan of that site - or even if you weren't - check it out. The message boards are starting to get some traffic, and a lot of the people are those knowledgeable folks from which I gleaned a lot of information at FantasyRef.com. Should give you something to read once the seeason is over... But don't worry, I'll have something for you to read during the off-season as well... I've been taking notes this season and will be preparing a draft guide for the 05-06 season, as well as a general fantasy basketball strategy guide.

Stay tuned for your local news.

Count it.

The Masters of the Klondike: Kobe, Conformity, and Responsible Journalism

2005-03-30T21:28:00.000-06:00

I'm just going to gat this whole post because I like it. I was down with Co Flow, Doc Oc, Latyrx, and replaced Anticon with Atmosphere and Sage Francis (who was on Anticon, but not until 2002).

I'm still a backpacker... just now I have a laptop in it, and it says IBM on the back.

The Masters of the Klondike on freedarko.com: Kobe, Conformity, and Responsible Journalism - freedarko.com:

"As a disclaimer, this entry contains the much-dreaded music/hoops analogies, but I think my point will justify them.

Last year, I unwittingly became a huge Kobe Bryant proponent. This occurred at a strange point in my life and during even a stranger stretch of the NBA year, as Kobe was finishing off the season and driving the Lakers through the playoffs by making weekly buzzer beaters (seemingly always against the Nuggets and Blazers) and keeping the media busy talking about how we should/shouldn't heroize him for putting up consistent 30-point-efforts on his court case days. This was also during the time when he was absolutely brutalizing the T-Wolves in the playoffs, dropping kneecaps in Michael Olowokandi's mouth, living at the free throw line, and giving Derek Fisher and Kareem Rush (not to mention the Big Fella) the widest openest looks they had ever seen. I, like the rest of the 'good-natured' sportsfan population, should have been hating the guy, but I couldn't stop praising his name.

I had spent the majority of the regular season by talking up the slightly more avant-garde Ben Wallace, Jason Richardson, and Andrei Kirilenko as my favorite players, but by the year's end, I was drifting back towards more mainstream fan-dom. How can I explain the shift to Kobe, the most overexposed, underservingly Jordan-compared, personality-less NBA star of the age?

To recall a page from my and Bethlehem Shoals' past, I believe what I engaged in can be described as short-term reverse backpackerism, a term that I coined to describe the following transformation that took place circa 2000-2001: Underground/independent hip-hop, Company Flow, Dr. Octagon, Latyrx, the Fondle Em catalog-followed shortly by Anticon, Blackstar, and a Dre-less Eminem-became the antidote for every coming-of-age music fan, wallowing in the post-Cobain jiggy-saturated boy-band/solo-girl influx. The tape-trading culture hit the internet in a big way, and the message board communities propelled a series of discussions, beefs, rating systems, lexicons, and organizational structures to the point where by around 1998, underground hip-hop was about as cool as a science fair project. And the first to take notice were those from the older set of hip-hop fans, those whose older brothers taught them at an early age about things like Public Enemy, Living Color, and De La Soul. The trend began to reverse itself, where everything underground was labelled uncool, while Jay-Z’s worst songs in years were praised as classics (see The Dynasty Album). [Sidenote: I realize that this pattern probably has emerged within every musical genre at some point—it’s simply that with hip-hop I experienced it firsthand]. Soon followed the set of those who were never really “keeping it real” to begin with. So deep was their fear of internhetto-pass being revoked that they clung to pop-rap, pedestalling it and praising it. Wanting you to know that they know that Buck 65 “doesn’t have any soul” and Joe Buddens’ new song is the “hottest shit” because it “bumps.”

This cycle, largely fueled by white guilt and holier-than-thou music-elito critical bullshit is largely the reason why R. Kelly’s “Ignition,” Missy Elliot’s “Work It,” and anything Lil’ Jon are consistently given best of the year honors by the INDIE-est of all critics (as if they are pointing a finger right back at me to say, see, I’m not a snob, I like popular music). I rely on the Billboard Charts to tell me what is popular and on elito-critic-blogs to tell me what is worth checking out. The two have become confused. Just as I did when I began parading around Kobe’s name like I wanted my fucking props for saying that the new Diplomats album is up there with Ready to Die.

But no, the cycle doesn’t stop there. I began writing this article some weeks ago, before the Lakers’ incredible slide toward lottery-pick slums, when Kobe was still being painted as the broken man trying to put it all back together and grow into a leader. Now the angle is pure be-careful-what-you-wish for mixed with he-had-it-
coming (does this at all recall the treatment of R.Kelly during the 'Best of Both Worlds' tour fiasco?). It's like, the narrative is now one of justice, in which the "driving out of" the Zenmaster + Diesel prevents you from ever winning another championship...And now Chad Ford is on some stupid shit proposing Eddy Curry + Ben Gordon for Kobe swaps. Can't wait till October when the story is, Kobe + draft pick + (Flip Saunders, Phil Jackson, Michael Cooper, Jerry West?) are on a mission to rebuild the Lakers Dynasty. This is getting a bit longwinded, and I think I'll cut it short for now...but we no doubt have more to say on the issue...

Yo man. Let's get out of here. Word to your mother.

Utah's Boozer out for the season

2005-03-30T12:55:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Utah's Boozer out for the season:

"Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer will miss the rest of the season while he recovers from a foot injury in February.

He has been ordered by his doctor to wear a boot over his right foot for at least three more weeks. Trainer Gary Briggs said Tuesday that Boozer's condition has improved and surgery has been ruled out for now."

So now both of us can just sit around waiting for Blogger to implement categories...

Al Jefferson guarantees 20 and 10 next season

2005-03-29T19:29:00.000-06:00

From CelticsBlog.com

Brian (Chicago, IL): Al, I've got you on my fantasy basketball team and plan on retaining you for next year. Can I expect 20 and 10 next year once you finally get the minutes you deserve?

Al Jefferson: (2:22 PM ET ) Oh yeah. No question.

There you have it from the man himself. Al Jefferson will be a 20/10 man next year.

Count it.

Back From Spring Vacation

2005-03-27T23:11:00.000-06:00

Not a lot to report on... I mean, there's stuff to report on, but I'm just not doing it. If you want something to read, check out my report on the Pacific Division for this week.

And this is pretty cool too:

Orlando Magic Fan : Update on Francis' suspension

2005-03-21T16:47:00.000-06:00

Orlando Magic Fan : Update on Francis' suspension:

"The NBA announced today that the length of Steve Francis' suspension for kicking a photographer is 3 games. Francis has already missed one game, against Portland, for the incident. He will miss the next two games against Charlotte and return to play against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday."

I wonder why that is so much less than Rodman's 11 game suspension... probably because the Worm's reputation preceded him... kind of like Ron Artest. When everybody knows you're crazy, they're going to treat you like you're crazy.

Who's going to help you get to the top of your league?

2005-03-18T23:38:00.000-06:00

The Final Push

Here's some players who've stepped it up over the last week and should be considered for addition to your team. Of course, they may or may not be available depending on the size of your league... But I'm putting them here because I'm guessing (aka betting the farm) that they'll keep producing for you in your final push to the top of your league, whether it be roto or h2h.

Donyell Marshall - Raptors
Brevin Knight - Fighting Illini - I mean, Bobcats
David Wesley - Rockets
Bob Sura - Rockettes
Mike Dunleavy Jr. - Warriors
Joel Przybilla - Blazers
PJ Brown - Grizz
Brian Skinner - When They Were Kings
Jameer Nelson - Magic
Kenny Thomas - Kings
Chucky Atkins - Lake Show

Count it.

Zach Randolph To Have Surgery

2005-03-18T06:46:00.000-06:00

BLAZERS: Randolph To Have Surgery:

"Trail Blazers Forward Zach Randolph received a second opinion on his knee injury today from Dr. John Bergfeld of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Health System.

Dr. Bergfeld confirmed a bone contusion to the articular surface of the right femur, first diagnosed last week by team physician Dr. Don Roberts. Randolph will undergo an arthroscopic procedure next week in Portland by Dr. Roberts. He will be out for the remainder of the 2004-05 season. "

Fantasy Impact

First off, thanks to easyMarksman for the tip...

Second off, as Easy says, "He wasn't out for the year already?" If you haven't already adapted to the Blazers' situation, or what's left of it... I wouldn't start worrying about it now. But if you're interested, take a look at Sebastian Telfair and Travis Outlaw... if either is still available, then they're probably not going to help you, but you can give it a try.

Count it.

End of season for Juwan Howard, possibly Jermaine O'Neal too

2005-03-16T18:32:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Jermaine O'Neal: "Mar 16 O'Neal continues to have significant swelling in his sprained right shoulder, and Pacers team doctors have yet to decide if the forward will require surgery to repair the damage. As a result, Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle has indicated that there is a chance O'Neal could miss the rest of the season. He has been sidelined since suffering the injury when he was fouled by Denver's Francisco Elson on March 3.

Advice: O'Neal will be evaluated regularily to track his progress. Dale Davis and Austin Croshere will continue to split the majority of the power-forward minutes in his absence. For the season, O'Neal is averaging 24.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.1 blocked shots and 2.0 assists in 41 games."

Fantasy Impact

Obviously, this is a huge blow to JON owners. Any season ending injury is bad for fantasy owners, but 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks are going to be hard to replace. If you're not in a keeper league, keep a close eye on the situation... and be prepared to drop him if anything more definitive comes out. He's worth an IL spot if you've got one, just in case he does happen to come back for a few games. As it says above, Austin Croshere and Dale Davis are the main beneficiaries in Indiana. Jeff Foster might also get a bump in minutes.

On to...

Houston Rockets forward Juwan Howard will be sidelined for at least four weeks after spraining his right knee during a collision with a teammate against Golden State on Monday night.

Fantasy Impact

Howard is not nearly the player that O'Neal is, and owners shouldn't hesitate to drop him. He had just started producing, but the results seem a lot more definitive than those for O'Neal. In the mean time, Scott Padgett and Dikembe Mutombo will probably see most of his 26 minutes - if you're looking for someone to pick up...

Boozer won't return to Cleveland

2005-03-15T17:50:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Injured Boozer won't return to Cleveland:

"Utah forward Carlos Boozer is recovering from a foot injury and won't play against his former team when the Jazz face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.

He will receive treatment in Salt Lake City and will not join the team on its five-game road trip, Jazz spokeswoman Cindy Edman said.

Boozer, averaging a team-high 17.8 points and 9.0 rebounds, sprained his right foot at Phoenix on Feb. 14."

Okay, first off, how misleading is that headline? Anyway...

Fantasy Impact

According to my hand NBA schedule analyzer, the Jazz play four games this week and 3 next week. That means Boozer won't be playing at all this week, and at most 2 games next week. If you're on daily changes, you don't have to worry about playing him for a while. If you're a weekly changer, hopefully you left him this week. If you've got a decent backup to put in next week, it's probably the safe thing to do.

Hopefully (for me) this means that Mehmet Okur will get a chance to play a little (and peform a little better). His minutes, as well as those of Andrei Kirilenko have gone up with Jason Collins and Boozer out. Matt Harpring is also playing slightly more than usual.

Count it.

Here's what you wanted to know about Brad Miller

2005-03-14T09:15:00.000-06:00

I was going to write about this, I promise. But then David Spade was on Saturday Night Live, and this article was there in the morning.

The only names you need to know are Skinner and Thomas, both of whom will be money for the remainder of the season. But H2Hers, keep in mind that the Kings play less games in the fantasy playoffs than just about anyone...

I hope none of the players on my team are participating these extremely risky "light shooting drills." I've already got one guy on the IL... I can't afford any more.

Count it.

And I was worried about Luke Ridnour! For Shame!

2005-03-11T19:09:00.000-06:00

Looks like Lou Rid has recovered from his slump with 14 points and 12 assists against Houston on the 8th of March. His performance over the past 5 games has regained my confidence in him to the point where I'd be willing to put him in my lineup again for a weekly league.

Count it.

O'Neal may be out longer than expected

2005-03-11T18:02:00.000-06:00

Concern grows for O'Neal:

All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal probably will be out longer than the five games he is required to miss for being placed on the injured list.

How much longer? Nobody knows.

"There's no official word yet, but I'm starting to be afraid this is more serious than we hoped," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Thursday.

Fantasy Impact

Obviously anyone with O'Neal is hurting. But other managers with Pacers on their roster are probably pretty happy (unless that Pacer's name starts with J and ends with amaaltinsley). Dale Davis has stepped in and averaged 9 rebounds in his first 3 games with the P's. 2.7 AST, 1.7 STL, and 1.0 BLK doesn't hurt either. Stephen Jackson is BOC with 25.4 PTS, 4.4 REB, 1.4 AST, 1.6 STL, 2.8 FG3, on 48% FG, 37% FG3, and 81% FT in the last 5. Actually most of those numbers are about on par for him, but the points is a big jump as is te FG%. Who would have thought he'd shoot better with O'Neal out. Reggie Miller is also putting up some hot numbers. He might even be available on the FA list, and is worth a look.

Count it.

Fantasy Basketblog: The Time for Waiting is Over

2005-03-11T06:59:00.000-06:00

Important advice for your roto players, from Fantasy Basketblog. Fantasy Basketblog: The Time for Waiting is Over:

"Remember all those little minor injuries you’ve had to deal with over the past few months? You know - the sore knees, the strained elbows, and the jammed fingers? Well, now is the time to cash in on all those games you missed out on. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in fantasy basketball is to not use all of your available games. If you end up 3 rebounds out of first place at the end of the year, but you’ve got 2 games available from your center position, well, you won’t get any sympathy from me."

There is more to the article after the jump. (I just saw that after the jump part last week and have been dying to use it)

GiveMeTheRockian Candidate: Maurice Evans

2005-03-09T07:25:00.000-06:00

Fantasy NBA Blog: Daily Report - Mon. 3/7/05:

"DET/SAC - Mobley and Brad Miller were out. Skinner stepped up with a double-double. Kenny Thomas had 19 and 10 off the bench. Maurice Evans filled in well for Mobley. Peja had an off night."

Fantasy Impact

The Kings of Sacramento were without Mobley and Miller, so obviously, this kind of production should not be expected from Skinner, or Evans (Thomas, maybe). The reason I mention this is because I watched the game and Evans was smooth like butter. He's been added to my list of GiveMeTheRockian Candidates (aka sleepers) for next year. Keep an eye out for his per minutes averages this summer when constructing a draft list. He's clearly not going to be high up there, and may not be worthy of a double-check in smaller leagues... But it was clear to me he's ready to play for real in the NBA.

Count it.

Bouncing around the league - some updates

2005-03-08T17:39:00.000-06:00

Antawn Jamison will have his NBA-leading consecutive games streak snapped at 386 tonight when he sits out against the New York Knicks with tendinitis in his right knee. Even though the Wizards' captain was given no timetable for his return, he sounded upbeat.

Fantasy Impact: K-Bup

"No timetable" is not a good thing. Especially not for fantasy owners... Tendinitis is tough. It just takes time and rest. He did say in a statement he'll be using "this week" to rest and rehabilitate... we'll see...

Next up:

Nuggets center Marcus Camby felt joy and pain Monday.

Camby was selected the Western Conference player of the week for games Feb. 28 through Sunday, during which he averaged 14 points, 15.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 4.3 blocked shots. He recorded three double-doubles last week during the Nuggets' 3-0 stretch.

But Camby missed Monday's game against Portland with a strained right hamstring and is day to day.

"It's a great honor," Camby said. "I think of it more as a team honor than as an individual honor. My teammates have been playing well, as well as myself. Without them, I wouldn't be able to get that award."

Camby said his injury began to bother him last week, but added that four days off before his team's next game should help and he expects to play Saturday against San Antonio.

Fantasy Impact: Starkos

With the four days off, Mr. Glass will hopefully make a return to form after having been playing so well. He's day-to-day, but for you weekly people, you can probably have him in your lineup for next week. As always with Camby, though, keep an out. He could suffer another injury at any moment (I mean, I guess you could say the same about anyone in the league, but the probability is always a lot higher for MC deuce-trey).

PS: My new Injury Impact Classification System goes like this:

PA-1: Major injury that will require a trip to the IL. Player will be out for several weeks.
K-Bup: Major injury but should take no more than a couple weeks to heal.
Starkos: Minor injury; player should be back within the week.

If you're wondering where that came from, you're probably not alone. Also, at this point in the season, if you see a PA-1, it's probably a good time to click the Drop link.

Count it.

Web user experience compared to basketball?

2005-03-08T06:49:00.000-06:00

It is quite fascinating how people can focus at a task at hand and totally exclude everything else in their surroundings. A study carried out by Daniel Simons at Harvard University illustrates this phenomenon very well. A number of volunteers watched a 30-second video starring three basketball players wearing black T-shirts and three wearing white ones. The viewers were told to count the number of passes made by one of the teams. Halfway through the film, a man dressed as a gorilla jumped into the middle of the picture, beat his chest at the camera, and walked away. Afterwards the viewers where asked whether they had seen anything unusual. Astonishingly, only a very few put their hand up. The rest had been so fixated on counting the passes that they completely missed the hairy interloper.

The idea here is that people looking for something on the web will not look at anything on a page that doesn't appear to be related to the content for which they are searching.

So, if you came here searching for Phoenix Suns Gorilla... you'll probably be dissappointed that there isn't really anything like that. Yeah, sorry about that. Try this.

Count it.

Bulls place Deng on injured list with sprained ankle

2005-03-05T08:26:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Bulls place Deng on injured list with sprained ankle: "The Chicago Bulls placed rookie Luol Deng on the injured list Friday because of a sprained right ankle that is expected to sideline him two to four weeks."

Fantasy Impact

The big winner here is Andres Nocioni. He got 36 minutes last night with Deng out (he was even the top performer for the Bulls according to Yahoo's box score: 13 points, on 4-6 FG and 5-6 FT, 7 REB, 2 AST, 2 BLK, 2 TO). He's been backing up Deng all season, so I would expect him to continue to get starters minutes for 2-4 weeks while Deng recovers. If you have yet to experience that Wild Man, now is the time to jump on the Argentine Train.

Count it.

Jermaine O'Neal placed on injured list; Pacers sign Dale Davis

2005-03-04T21:12:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Jermaine O'Neal placed on injured list; Pacers sign Dale Davis: "All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal was placed on the injured list Friday by the Indiana Pacers, one day after he sprained his right shoulder in a game at Denver.

O'Neal has a subluxated sprain of the right shoulder and will miss at least five games. He had an MRI examination before Friday night's game against Portland."

Just an injury update...

Ironically, Dale Davis will be filling in for Jermaine, for whom he was traded several years back. It also means that those Davis jerseys Pacers fans have been rockin' can no longer be considered "retro". Sorry guys.

Good Mourning, America

2005-03-04T11:19:00.000-06:00

Fantasy NBA Blog: Daily Report - Fri. 3/4/05: "MIA/NJ - We have a Zo sighting! Only 2 minutes tonight. Trust me folks, he's not going to be fantasy-worthy, but it is worth keeping an eye on whose minutes he steals. "

Obviously, my fine (and respected) friend over at Fantasy NBA Blog doesn't know Hollinger's Theory of Increasing Minutes which, to summarize, says: given more minutes, a player will increase his stats at a rate close to that of his rate per minute.

Mourning had 2 boards and 1 assist in 2 minutes. Therefore, he should be getting 20 rebounds and 10 assists when he finally starts playing about 20 minutes per game. How is that not fantasy worthy??

Okay, Yes. I did just abuse the fine (and respected) work of Mr. John Hollinger like it was a stepchild with long, red hair. That said, I still disagree with FNB writer elandfriend. I think that once the Heat secure a playoff spot and proceed to rest up Shaq for their playoff run, Mourning will easily be in the 20 minute range. And he has the talent to become fantasy-relevant in 20 minutes per game. Of course, it could be that Miami is actually going to rest Alonzo and Shaq for the playoff run (and play Doleac, I suppose?)... in which case: Boo-Urns.

But as Parrapa the Rappa would say: I know, I just gotta believe!

Count it.

Tim Thomas is a dirty bastard

2005-03-04T09:44:00.000-06:00

I mean, I guess I saved some of my dignity by dropping in December... but the Double T has come back strong in the past 5 games with:

32 minutes, almost 20 points on 63% FG, 80% FT, 61% FG3 with 2.2/game ... not to mention 1.2 steals/game. 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists is not a lot to brag about, but the other numbers are pretty awesome for someone you can plug in at PF.

Count it.

Reporting on players who are on my team

2005-03-03T18:25:00.000-06:00

Luol Deng is out 1-2 weeks (it helps that he makes the local news).

Alonzo Mourning is ready to go with the Heat - should be playing his first game tonight.

Count it.

NBA FAN BLOG: Blazers Screw Cheeks

2005-03-03T11:11:00.000-06:00

Possibly the most accurate headline ever.

NBA FAN BLOG: Blazers Screw Cheeks:

"Incredible, The Blazers fired their coach, Mo Cheeks. Not that we didn't see this coming with the type of season they are having in his last contract year, but the thing that bothers me, is that the organization never backed Cheeks the way he deserved."

Fantasy Impact

Here's what a friend emailed me:

This new guy might be good because he doesn't want to be a coach after this, so he'll just play who needs to play. I think Telfair might as well start, and here's what I would do I suppose:

- Lineup: Telfair, Damon, Miles, Randolph, Godzylla
- Bench: Patterson backs up Miles and Damon, plays maybe 25 minutes, NVE backs up Telfair for around 20 minutes, Ratliff backs up Godzylla and plays some time at PF as well. Anderson gets a couple of minutes at SG maybe. I would pretty much bench Reef, he isn't going to be back.

I can't really find time for Outlaw now, thanks to Godzylla's surging.

In the off season:
- Let Reef, NVE, and Damon walk
- Hope you draft well
- Bend over and take it from theo ratliff's contract
- Cry

And that's the way to create a post.

OMFG ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!

2005-03-02T13:27:00.000-06:00

Seriously, though... this site has my nomination for the most fudged up basketball site I've ever seen. It is clearly an advertising ploy of some kind... but even the sites it links to are fudged up beyond comprehension. Seriously, what are they talking about? And do they really get enough visitors trying to figure out what's going on that they make any money from the Google Ads? Cause I sure as hell didn't... but then, I don't have any exciting fight basketball information on my site. Fight basketball? Oh yes... read on...

One of the pages they link to is here, and now I shall quote from that page:

One of the best things about the internet is the huge amount of information available on almost any subject, like fight basketball. The problem of course is that when you start trying to find specific information about fight basketball it can be hard to sort out the good fight basketball information from the bad fight basketball information.

Luckily, we can help. We've sorted through the good, the bad and the even worse to find you the best place for purchasing fight basketball online.

The following link will take you to a great fight basketball supplier who can help you with exactly what you need.

Okay, maybe I'm a little behind the times, but what exactly is "fight basketball"? Is that code for "everyone was looking for news on the Pacers/Pistons fight, so it'll get us traffic from keyword searches?"

Not to mention that they don't even have any information related to fight basketball on the page! What's up with that??

PS: Thanks to Google, et al. for coming up with rel="nofollow" so I can link to these clowns and your bots will ignore them.

Injury Mini-Update (03.01.05)

2005-03-01T22:35:00.000-06:00

Brad Miller has a calf contusion and is listed as day-to-day.

Luol Deng went down tonight with an ankle injury. Could be that sprained ankle thing that's going around.

Yao Ming is not injured, just picked up a lot of fouls and was relegated to the bench.

Count it.

Going, going, back back to Cali Cali

2005-02-28T22:52:00.000-06:00

Don't worry Baronites, his move from Nawlins to Golden State (which is evidently somewhere in California) has not affected his ability to miss 59% of his shots. If anything, the plane ride and the time zone change have increased his missing effectiveness.

That said, the Baron is still Le Baron... 8 AST, 3 REB, 1-2 FG3's, some TOs, and STLs... you've seen it all before. The only possible reason to worry is that the Warriors mihgt want to rest Davis a littleto ensure that he doesn't jeopardize future seasons -- and with them the dream that the GSW franchise might actually be able to win in that same future. He will of course play enough minutes to be the same effective fantasy baller that made the cover of NBA Street V3. But The State is not exactly in the position (13 games out of a playoff spot) where they're going to play the hell out of him in an attempt (most likely in vain) to get a playoff spot.

Fantasy Impact

Baron, like Jason Kidd, will be a player to file under: upside w/ significant risk next year. He's #14 according to Yahoo, but only 43 (4th round) on BasketballMonster. With offense to Yahoo, I tend to like BM's ratings.

Count it.

Ups and Downs at Fantasy NBA Blog

2005-02-25T17:26:00.000-06:00

Over at Fantasy NBA Blog they've constructed a pretty concise evaluation of which players fantasy values have gone up/down/nowhere.

My editorial comments:
JR Smith's value is high, considering he and Dickau are the only healthly players left on the Hornets. Don't forger, though, that Lee Nailon is money. He was playing 31 minutes a game. How does Yahoo have him listed after Rodney Rogers on the depth chart? Rogers was playing 20 minutes. He's got an extra inch and 17 less pounds too. Of course, if Rogers is somehow in the starting lineup, I'll be happy since I picked him up as a Free Agent last week.

I wouldn't consider Mark Blount to have had any major fantasy value as it is... He's still behind LaFrentz on the depth chart and Walker's arrival isn't going to clear any room for him. Also on the topic of no value, Tony Allen is not relevant in all but the deepest leagues. He wasn't cutting it in my 12 team league... is his value going to go up now?

I would say KVH's fantasy value has gone down, not stayed the same. He's already injured and now he'll be doing some serious soul searching (aka minute-searching) in Dallas. Much to my dismay, he's on my team. I knew he'd get injured at some point, but I didn't count on him getting traded to a stacked team like the Mavericks. Especially once Stackhouse and Dampier return. And Marquis Daniels scoring 29 points doesn't help much.

Count it.

Let's start with the East

2005-02-25T07:17:00.000-06:00

We're just gonna go through this on a team-by-team basis... as opposed to trying to sort out any individual trades. In addition, I'm only going to put in bold players' names that you should check for on the FA list, or try to acquire in a trade.

Miami: First of all, it appears that Shaq will be out until next Thursday... just to let him rest a little. By that time, Mourning may have joined the team, and Christian Laettner might even be back from injury. In addition Steve Smith will be stealing time from Shandon Anderson, and Udonis Halsem will be rocking the house at PF (depending on how much time Laettner sees behind him).

Detroit: N/A

Boston: Don't worry, Antoine Walker is still going to score 20 points and get 9 rebounds. Marucs Banks might be worth picking up now that GP is gone.

Cleveland: Jiri Welsch's value goes up a little since he'll fit in a lot better with Cleveland than he did in Boston. The other SG's on the team are going to have to give up some time to fit him in, though, so Sasha and Lucious' values are going down. Not that they were that high to begin with. I had such high hopes for Sasha.

Washington: Hughes has been activated from the IL, so Gilbert's numbers will probably return to the level they were at before Larry went out.

Chicago: N/A
Orlando: N/A
Indiana: N/A

Philly: See here

Milwaukee: Mo Williams and Toni Kukoc (see here) are certainly worth consideration. Reece Gaines will probably take over the role that Mike James was playing. This would make him worth a look in those leagues deep enough that James was worth playing.

New Jersey: Already made their blockbuster trade. I know some people were expecting something here...

Toronto: Another N/A where people were expecting something more.

New York: Oh, my, the PF's and salaries on this team! I seriously don't know what Isaiah is trying to do here... It's a good thing he was such a good player or he'd be out on his ass already. Mike Sweetney is apparently the big winner - according to various sources. The rumor is that he'll get the starting spot and the new guys will back him up. Knickerblogger has been begging for him to get starting minutes all season, so now may be the time.

Charlotte: Picked up Malik Allen who'll be backing up the stellar stunner Melvin Ely. I don't see Ely losing his spot with Allen's arrival. The other starters on the team are unharmed by Allen, but don't really gain anything by Steve Smith's departure.

Atlanta: From best (Miami) to worst (Atlanta) - you've got the Southeast division... Josh Smith and Josh Childress are jumping to the big time now. Get 'em while they're hot! If Payton plays, he'll probably make the Two Skinny J's better, but even if he doesn't, they're now the 2nd and 3rd options on the team, and will be able to take a share of Antoine's 53.2 FGA/game. More shots means more points for everyone! Hooray!

That concludes this portion of our broadcast. If you've got an opinion, or if I've missed something, feel free to leave a comment. They're working now, if you didn't know.

Count it.

Holy Kizzow!

2005-02-24T18:16:00.000-06:00

It just so happens that the trade deadline this year falls on my girlfriend's birthday... This means that analysis of the myriad trades that went down will have to wait until tomorrow. In the meantime, I've got the comments working again, so go ahead and leave a comment wishing her (Val) a Happy Birthday.

Barons and Walkers and Paytons! Oh my!

Count it.

Some Summarization

2005-02-24T17:14:00.000-06:00

"C-Webb...Value will stay the same for the most part.
I can see his assists going down a little and his scoring and rebounding going up a little.

Iverson...Value goes down a little.
Bottom line, the ball will not be in his hands as much which means less points and less assists. He is still a stud and will pt up great numbers. I project 25ppg & 6apg

Korver...Value goes down
They added Rodney Rogers and Matt Bonner as well as C-Webb. Rogers and Bonner play the sf and could grab just a few of his minutes and with C-Webb he is gonna lose a couple shots.

Peja...Value goes up.
Last season without CWebb he put up an MVP season, he should come close to that again.

Brad Miller...Value goes up.
Only low post scorer in Sac-Town now, look spcially for his rebounds to go up.

Kenny Thomas...Value stays about the same
I beleive he will start in Sac and be close to a double-double guy.

Jiri Welch...Value goes up.
He might step into the starting line up in Cleveland or be the 6th man, either way he will get more minutes and shots than he was getting in Boston.

Lebron James...Value stays the same,
If you have watched the Cavs lately James is starting to wear down JUST A LITTLE. I can see Silas trying to cut his minutes back a tad bit heading into the playoffs and aquiring Jiri makes that a little easier for him. James will still put up 20 with 5 & 5 at least.

Mike James...Value goes down
He may or may not start in HOU but bottom line he will be the 5th option on offense at all times pretty much. He might get some extra spot up 3's, but no longer is gonna be the one making plays happen.

Mo Williams...Value goes Way Up
He is the only point guard in Milwakee and he should see his minutes close to about 35 a night. We'll see how he responds but i think he will do pretty good.

Kukoc...Value goes up.
All he needed was anyone to get traded and to step into the roation. He was already looking better the past couple weeks and now with James gone he should get 5-8 more minutes. All Kukoc needs is 25 minutes a night to put up 10 5 & 5.

Sura, Wesley, Jon Barry...Value goes down
With the addition of Mike James, they each lose a little bit of playing time."

Don't sweat the small stuff

2005-02-24T12:18:00.000-06:00

Fantasy NBA Blog has analysis of the Jiri Welsch and Mike James trades.

Count it.

Dropping Webber like he's hot

2005-02-24T07:22:00.000-06:00

Drop the Dime (aka Drop It Like It's Hot) analyzes the Webber trade.

Here's what I have to add: The trade is obviously going to hurt Iverson's output. Those guys the 76ers traded were not putting up Webber numbers. Combined. Okay, maybe all together they equalled one Webber. That said... I think Webber and AI could run a pretty sweet pick'n'roll. I think that would lead to a better FG% for AI. Just having Webber around will (or at least should) give AI more open looks, leading to a higher FG%. And we all know Webber can hit the 15-footer - perfect for the PnR.

For the Kings: the value of all of their starters is pretty much the same. No one in that trade is going to take anything away from them. Those guys are not going to make up the kind of production that Webber had. Kenny Thomas will probably start at PF, and Songaila will continue to be the backup. Of course, Thomas hasn't been playing "Webber" minutes, so Songaila might get a little extra time at the 4. Probably not enough to make him fantasy-worthy, though. Wow. In the time I've been writing this, Yahoo removed C-Webb from PF on the Kings depth chart, and replaced him with KT. So, there you have it. Also, who has that job? And how do I get it?

Brian Skinner becomes the new backup C, but he's not going to take more than the 10 minutes that Brad MillerTime has already been giving up. If anything, Miller's minutes will go up. And of course, as DtD says, he is usually Ballin Outta Control when Webber is not around. Expect much BOC from "The High Life." (That's his new nickname, okay?)

Count it.

Damp is all wet

2005-02-23T22:11:00.000-06:00

So, Erick Dampier (I've been meaning to reference myself more often) is out for 2-3 weeks and I know the question on everyone's mind is: Who should I pick up to take advantage of this tradgedy?

Answer: ...Um, Rick Brunson?

Honestly, if there is one of the "good" Mavericks left as a free agent in your league, you probably should have picked them up before this happened anyway.

In Dampier's abscence, Alan Henderson (he's still playing?), Calvin Booth (who is not Danny Fortson), and Shawn Bradley all got more minutes. Three-headed (or three-bodied?) centers are not so good for the ol' fantasy value... what can I say?

The question you need to ask yourself now is: Do I need a C who can give me about 10/10 with about 1 BLK? If the answer is in the affirmative, consider trying to squeeze in a trade before your league's deadline and see if you can get Damp on the cheap.

Also, does anyone have input on there is a trade deadline? Just in general, y'know. I'm sure there's a logical reason. I just can't think of what it would be.

Count it.

Statcounter Mailbag (It's like a mailbag without any mail!)

2005-02-22T18:07:00.000-06:00

I was just looking over my stat logs (as us narcissists are apt to do) and noticed that someone got here by searching for Shaun Livingston Girlfriend. In an effort to help that person out, does anyone happen to know if Shaun Livingston has a girlfriend? If not, is he looking? Cause someone is looking for a little fraily fro action.

Also, someone was looking for O-rank Rank fantasy difference. Far as I can tell (in Yahoo) Rank is calculated using season (or month or week) statistics plugged into Yahoo's crazy ass formula that gives way too much weight to good FT and FG3 shooters.

O-Rank is something that Yahoo made up in an attempt to tell you whether or not someone is going to be good this year based on the past few years, and presumably takes into account this years cumulative stats. I wouldn't lean to heavily on this ranking unless you are what 133t f4nt45y b4113rz would call a n00b. Then you can use it so you don't get pwn3d. After half a season, though, I would think that most fantasy managers would have their b34r1ng5 enough to not need to look at historical d4t4 to figure out if they want sum1 (in a trade, or as a FA).

Count it.

Sticking to your guns

2005-02-22T06:11:00.000-06:00

With trade deadlines approaching in fantasy leagues and the NBA, you might tempted to try to make some last minute deals. Or perhaps, as in my case, everyone else in your league is trying to get you take what's behind door #2...

It's time to stick to your guns. For the H2H folks out there, if you've been winning categories, stick with it. It may be tempting to give up someone who's good in a category you've been consistently winning for help somewhere that you're not so strong. I won't go as far as to tell you break out the spreadsheet, but I will do it myself. I'll also check out basketballmonster.com to make sure I know what I'm giving and/or getting. Make sure that the help you gain is greater than the help you lose.

Another thing I like to do - for you spreadsheet heads - is to figure the league average per week (we're talking H2H here, but it could apply to roto as well) in each category, and then break out my average in each category. This is an easy way to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and to determine whether or not you have any kind of hope in your weak categories. If hope is not on the horizon, then my trading deadline advice is to get rid of players who are contributing a lot to categories you aren't winning, and in return, secure players who can bolster categories in which you may be a little bit middling. (I'm quite positive that's a word)

For the rotoheads (aka propellerheads?) out there, now is a still a good time to assess where you're weak and where you're strong. Figure out if any of the leads you (hopefully) have in a category or two are strong enough that they'll hold even if you trade away a top player in one of them. You can use that spread sheet with the weekly averages to help you with the math.

If you feel your team (in any kind of league) can hold its own for the rest of the season, then there is no reason to force yourself to look for trades, or at trades. The trading deadline is kind of like the beginning of the season where everybody tries to fix problems they think they have by getting you to fix something you don't even know is broken. At this point, though, you probably know what's broken; and if it needs fixing, then by all means, fix it. But if it ain't broke... then please, just don't... Remember, just because a trade is proposed, doesn't mean it has to be accepted. Even if it's your best friend. Especially if it's your best friend. You have a right to say no.

Count it.

If you're bored this weekend...

2005-02-18T14:05:00.000-06:00

If you're bored this weekend, you can not only sign this petition (brought to you by the Masters of the Klondike), you can enter the Give Me The Rock All-Star Game Contest.

Meanwhile... you can relax and dream up some trades that will (help you bail out your team in the second half of the year || help you stay on top of the league you are utterly dominating).

Count it.

Disregard my previous Shaun Livingston Post

2005-02-17T11:30:00.000-06:00

It truly isn't Shaun Livingston's year. The Clippers rookie guard will be sidelined until at least the middle of March after an MRI revealed torn cartilage in his right shoulder, an injury he suffered while making a steal Tuesday night's game, Los Angeles Times reporting. He had just returned to the lineup Sunday after sitting out 39 games because of a dislocated right kneecap.

Fantasy Impact

Well, if you picked him (and dropped Rick Brunson, like I did), click Undo until you see that Shaun is back on the FA list... Or else wait until Sunday to see if he gets on the IL. If he hasn't made it by then, drop him and find someone else for Tuesday.

I apologize if you acted on my advice... I'm starting to get worried that Livingston is more fragile than Marcus Camby, and he hasn't made it through his rookie season...

McHale, Minnesota and Minutes

2005-02-15T18:05:00.000-06:00

I was looking at ranking on basketballmonster.com yesterday in an attempt to identify any anomolies that would allow for arbitrage opportunities fantasy basketball style.

Well, it was a successful attempt my friends... sort of. While it may not directly impact fantasy basketball owners, the results of my determined efforts should yield a couple actions items for a one Kevin McHale.

These three players on the Minnesota Timberwolves have the highest rankings per minute according to basketballmonster.com. (Here's a hint... they're right down there...)

Wha are Kevin Garnett (obviously), Fred Hoiberg, and Eddie Griffin?

Now, of course, the caveat is that basketballmonster.com ranks people according to the fantasy performance... but since when are the best fantasy players not the best players in general? With few exceptions, rarely ever. Those three have positive ratings (0.49, 035, 0.18, respectively) and everyone else on the team is in the red.

So, Mr. McHale... if I may suggest... make those itchy-trigger-finger fantasy owners who snapped up Griffin (and possibly Hoiberg) happy and play them more! Here's your new lineup:

PG - Sam Cassell
SG - Freddy Hoidbergto
SF - Wally Cab
PF - Eddie "Stone" Griffin
C - Kevin "The Original Man-Child" Garnett

Yes, it's time Kevin Garnett grows up and learns to accept that he's a Center. 6-11 my left ass cheek. Dude is at least 7-1. Yes, I realize this would throw the world of fantasy basketball into a type of entropy from which it may never recover, but seriously, how much longer are we going to let KG stay at F. Griffin is 6-10... so, you can let him guard the other team's Centers, and that's okay because Garnett has enough trouble doing every thing else on the team.

And if you need an offensive coordinator, my services are available. I could run that team in my sleep.

Count it.

Warriors send "Uncle Cliffy" Robinson to Nets

2005-02-15T17:46:00.000-06:00

ESPN.com - NBA - Sources: Warriors' Robinson headed to Nets:

"The New Jersey Nets will acquire Clifford Robinson from Golden State later Monday in exchange for two future second-round picks and a Nets trade exception worth roughly $5 million, according to league sources."

Fantasy Impact

The implications for the Nets are pretty obvious. Breakout "star" Krstic will be relegated to a back-up role at C. Jabari Smith (not that he's actually a fantasy consideration) will drop to absolute zero on the fantasy scale (I'm measuring that in Kelvin). Jason Collins will probably see a little less time since Cliff can certainly play PF and help rest him. Brian Scalabrine will likely be a non-factor when he returns.

Meanwhile, Cliff will likely maintain his value... so if 1 FG3, steal and block/game is what you need, he can do it for you at C and F. He's a pretty bad FG and FT shooter, though... 1.8 assists is above average for a forward, but 2.7 rebounds is about half what you'd get from that same average forward. His scoring is also below average. I can't make the decision for you, but I've made it for myself, if you know what I mean...

On the other side are the Warriors - a little more tricky. The draft picks are an intriguing product, but of no consequence this season... What is of consequence is the lack of players acquired to fill up UC's 26 mpg. Does that mean to run out and pick up Adonal Foyle? No. In reality, it merely clears the way for Troy Murphy to return after the All-Star Break and immediately fill up those 26 minutes. Troy's been playing about 35 this season, though... so that still means someone will suffer despite getting rid of Cliff.

If the Warriors have gone "small ball" (can anyone confirm this? It's not like I get to see a lot of Golden State games in Illinois) ... then Murphy's return will likely hurt Foyle who is currently at the 5. And after looking at the Warriors roster, I wouldn't want any of them on my team unless I was playing in a 30 team league (much like the "real" NBA).

So, what it really comes down to is, the Warriors get 2 picks, and obfuscate the return of Troy Murphy by shipping out "Don't Call Me Uncle" Cliffy, the O.J. (Original Jailblazer).

Count it.

Get him before he's hot: Shaun Livingston

2005-02-15T06:47:00.000-06:00

Shaun Livingston is poised to take over the Clippers. I don't believe that is an overstatement. He's got people to pass to, and those same players will draw double teams to get him open. Also, he's a 6-7 point guard. If you need a point guard, pick him up now.

Marko Jaric is not only injured, but not a PG. He should be playing SG along side Livingston when/if he eventually returns to form. Add to the passing and scoring nearly an assist and a block per game, and you've got a damn fine point guard. He's third in the league in blocks for players who can man the PG position. The two ahead of him include such notables as Dwyane Wade and Lebron James.

Also, he's from Illinois.

If you don't take him this year, at least make sure to appropriately hype him up (quietly, to yourself) before you draft your team next year.

Also, he's got a fro. A huge fro.

Count it.

Shep C's Weekly Top 10 (2.14.05)

2005-02-14T06:42:00.000-06:00

Name	Y! Rank	Week	FG%	FT%	FG3	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
A. Iverson (Phi - G,PG,SG)	16	1	.453	.900	1.7	42.7	5.0	8.0	3.0	0.3	3.7
V. Carter (NJ - GF)	19	2	.462	.921	3.8	34.0	6.8	3.8	1.3	1.3	2.8
G. Arenas (Was - PG)	22	3	.458	.735	3.3	31.5	4.5	6.0	2.8	0.5	3.0
J. Kidd (NJ - PG)	43	4	.409	.778	3.3	18.5	7.3	10.8	1.0	0.0	1.3
J. Richardson (GS - SG)	41	5	.393	.941	1.3	22.8	9.0	4.3	2.8	0.3	2.5
D. Nowitzki (Dal - FC,PF)	5	6	.463	.947	1.7	28.3	10.0	5.0	0.7	1.0	2.0
M. James (Mil - PG)	206	7	.583	1.000	4.3	20.0	2.7	4.0	1.3	0.0	2.3
C. Billups (Det - PG)	47	8	.600	1.000	4.0	18.0	4.0	8.0	0.0	0.0	1.5
A. Kirilenko (Uta - F,PF)	29	9	.462	.789	0.7	17.7	7.7	4.3	2.0	2.7	2.0
S. Jackson (Ind - GF)	75	10	.500	.941	2.5	22.0	7.3	3.0	1.3	0.3	1.3

This week's least features nothing too out of the ordinary. Mike James, as you can see, is BOC. I think maybe Yahoo places too much emphasis on percentages. Those are good, and 4.3 FG3's is awesome, but the rest of the numbers are, well... I'd still rather have Kirilenko on my team last week. Stephen Jackson shows that without Ron Artest around he can play some ball.

In other news, Blogger has updated their comments so that anyone can post comments. So, now I've got to figure out how to switch back from Haloscan to Blogger's system. I've updated my template, but it doesn't appear to be working. Do any other Blogger users have input on this?

Blogger's comment posting interface is pretty sweet, now, so I want to make use of it. Of course, this also means that the RSS feed for comments will no longer work. If you'd like to recieve comments via email (don't worry - there aren't many), let me know and I can set up an email list. That's one thing that RSS is still missing... comment notification...

Pick-up Of The Week: Toni Kukoc

2005-02-12T14:42:00.000-06:00

With Keith Van Horn playing the fallen angel, and Marcus Fizer in IL purgatory, Kukoc has strapped on some wings and returned from obscurity with this flight of fancy in his last 5 games:

24 min - 44 FG% - 86 FT% - 0.4 FG3 - 7.6 pts - 5.6 reb - 5.2 ast - 0.8 stl - 1.0 blk - 1.4 TO

Rebounding slightly above the league average for forwards is all well and good, but 5.2 assists from someone who can play PF? You'd have to have Garnett or Webber on your team to come close to that. Granted both of them score and rebound a lot more... they're also not available on the waiver wire, are they? Add in those numbers from the end the stat line, and you've got yourself a genuine poor man's Brad Miller.

Until Van Horn proves he's ready to contribute, Kukoc will be a solid backup forward. He's playing about 80 times better than Fizer had been, so if the Bucks are smart (are they?), they'll keep Kukoc ahead of him on the depth chart.

Nightline

2005-02-11T23:03:00.000-06:00

Nightline is just wrapping up... Thanks George Stepanopolous... I was only half watching the report on Kristo's gates in Central Park. The other half of my mind? Fantasy Basketball, of course.

Bandwagoneering

Damon Jones: 6 FG3s for 22 PTS, 72 FG%, and 8 AST, 1 TOV. Not bad. There's room on the wagon.

Nene: 17 PTS, 8 REB, 50 FG%, 90 FT%, and even 4 AST. On.

Godzylla: 33 FG%, 0 FT%, 2 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 2 BLK... Off? Might be time... Keep an eye on it. I'm sure we all knew that Joel Przy couldn't keep it up forever. Now... when is Damon going to come back down?

Let's see... Damon: 29 FG%, 100 FT%, 3 FG3, 16 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 7 TOV... Perhaps he and Joel were on the same cloud...

Raef LaFrentz: 42 FG%, 100 FT%, 3 FG3, 15 PTS, 14 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK, 0 TOV. ON. LaFrentz has been BOC (at least for him) this season.

With how much time left?

Vince Carter: 58 FG%, 91 FT%, 5 FG3, 43 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TOV. Ejected with like 9 minutes remaining. Too bad. Looks like he was headed for Studio 54.

Mourning in (with) Heat?

2005-02-11T16:33:00.000-06:00

Sorry, I couldn't pass up that post title. (I also considered: Raptors in Mourning? ... but it wasn't quite as good.)

Anyway, as I'm sure you're well aware (as a self-respecting fantasy manager, I would hope you'd have heard) ... Alonzo Mourning has reached a buyout agreement with the Raptors making him a free agent on Tuesday. I've already picked him up. I wouldn't advise you to do the same unless you've been out looking for a third center (which I actually was, seeing as how my "centers" currently consist of Mehmet Okur and Chris Bosh).

Old School

Here's what the have Heat done in the last 5 games with 96 minutes available at C and PF. Shaq: 36; Haslem: 39, Doleac: 18; ZhiZhi Wang played 7 minutes (that's a total of 7 minutes)

That leaves 3 minutes/game available for Mourning, right? Technically yes... but seriously, if you had Shaq on your team and magically got another center capable of playing 20 minutes/game, would you continue to play Shaq for 36 minutes each game? I highly doubt it. More importantly, would you still play Mr. D for 18 minutes a game?

I can understand why The Other Van Gundy is hesitant to put Doleac in for more than 18 minutes a night, but Mourning? Pssssh. Might as well hand him those 18 minutes right now.

The New Math

3 free + 8 from Doleac + 5 from Haslem + 6 from Shaq = 22. That's plenty of time for Mourning to grab 7 rebounds (according to Dean Oliver's rule of a rebound every 3 minutes for a big man who doesn't want to get run out of the league), and probably even score 10 points with Wade out there to set him up. I don't want to get too overoptimistic here... but the dude hasn't had less than 2 blocks/game with the exception of his 2003 "season" with the Nets where he still blocked 0.5 shots in 18 minutes with 1 kidney. He's a good FG shooter, and a decent FT shooter for a big man. He turns the ball over quite a bit, but perhaps with the new school Miami team around him, he can avoid that pitfall.

Adding It Up

If you're looking for a good 3rd center, Mourning is your guy. He's the best you'll find on the waiver wire. At least in my league he was. If you're counting on Shaq to carry you through the season, you also might want to consider picking up Mourning. If you're a Haslem owner, I wouldn't be signing any pink slips. He'll be just fine. In fact, if you didn't get your hopes up too much that he would keep playing like he has been the past 5 games, you'll be just fine. But don't expect anything more with a healthy Mourning around. I say healthy, because, to be fully truthful in my disclosure, he is a bit of a risk. But he won't be as much of a dissappointment as Karl "#2 in everything" Malone. I'm sure there are some owners who hung onto Mourning for a month (he was on the IL, easing some of the burden). Those folks should be handsomely rewarded. And by handsomely, I mean because Mourning is a good-looking guy.

Count it.

The Reminderizer

2005-02-10T19:47:00.000-06:00

In case you'd forgotten, I'll be your PDA...

Fantasy Basketball Meetup - There's currently only 1... in Chicago... So if you live in Chicago - join up! If not, use that entrepreneurial drive to do something that doesn't cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and won't make your family resent you. It's free, and it's only one night a month! Regulators... Meet up!

The All-Star Game Contest - Still taking entries up until tip-off. So far, we've got 2 registered participants. Need I remind you that even the grotesquely unattractive wannabes from that Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model search show could win this contest? Even if you haven't looked at the All-Star rosters, you could probably just put down the name of any basketball player you've heard of and have a pretty good chance. Your girlfriend can play too... just tell her to pick whoever she thinks is the cutest. *cough*GilbertArenas*cough* And if you do indeed lose, you can continue to comment on this site without fear of violent retribution or litiginous scorn. As my pal Starsky would say, "DO it!"

If video games were true to life...

2005-02-09T21:45:00.000-06:00

Now that there is a quantifiable glut of Fantasy (and regular) Basketbloggers, what we need is a Meme! A Meme is something that one person posts, and then is easily transferred to another blogger, who changes it to suit them and posts it (remembering, of course, to link back to the blog they got it from).

So, here's my basketball meme. It's called "If video games were true to life..." (I got the idea from Supersonicsoul)

Here you go... If video games were true to life... The Chicago Bulls:
- You wouldn't be allowed to take Chris Duhon out of the starting lineup unless you traded for an All-Star caliber guard.
- The pass button wouldn't work anytime Eddy Curry was double teamed.
- You'd be practically unable to miss with Ben Gordon in the 4th quarter (this wouldn't be too difficult to implement considering it already happens in video games with Kobe Bryant)
- You'd have to decide before each game whether or not you want Kirk Hinrich to shave. Of course, it would be automatically done for you if the growth ever got past "significant stubble."
- Defensive rebounds would be sucked into Tyson Chandler's hands from like 10 feet away making your friends say "What the hell dude!"
- The ball would richochet off of Chandler's hands anytime you passed him the ball in the front court, making you say "What the hell dude!"
- There would be a combo you could pull off while rebounding with Nocioni that would make the other team get a technical foul.
- The game would randomly substitute in Adrian Griffin after the 1st quarter.

Walter McCarty heads West

2005-02-08T19:49:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Walter McCarty: "The Suns addressed their bench strength Tuesday by acquiring McCarty from the Celtics. Boston gets a conditional second-round pick in the deal."

Fantasy Impact

Walter is a pretty terrible shooter, and though he made 1.8 FG3's last season, that was his career high. 4.8 of his 6.8 shots/game were threes. He's only about a 70% FT shooter, and while he'll certainly get more than the 12.6 mpg he's had this season... I wouldn't expect more than the 8 points, 3 rebs, and 1.6 assists he had last season.

If you're in a deep league, in need of 3's, and can handle a 40% shooter, you could consider McCarty. You'd probably do just as well picking up someone like Derek Anderson or Austin Croshere. And those two won't hurt your FT% as much as McCarty.

In Other News: The news of this trade actually showed up in BlogLines first from the Celtics Blog ... before it even got to Yahoo NBA News. Hooray for the Blogosphere!

Golden State Smallballers

2005-02-08T12:28:00.000-06:00

FantasyRef.com - Message Board: "Imagine this for a starting lineup:

PG Speedy Claxton
SG Derek Fisher
SF Jason Richardson
PF Mike Dunleavy
C Troy Murphy"

LeapingShark needs to start his own fantasy basketblog... He's got a lot of good ideas. I like to take them, but I will make no claim to them as my own.

Here, we're talking about the Warriors, obviously. They've gone to a smaller lineup against even the Heat, putting only a C in to guard Shaq with the rest of the lineup as you see above.

Coach Mike Montgomery has said that he would consider using this lineup even when Troy Murphy returns from his injury (hench the lineup as quoted).

Fantasy Impact

Obviously Fisher has been a valuable pick-up when Claxton is out. This change would allow him to continue his hot streak and starter's minutes, while not hurting the production of the other Warriors (except the centers, who aren't anything I'd be looking to pick up anyway).

Also, if Murphy does get to start at Center, it could only be a matter of games before he becomes a FC (at least in Yahoo). This would certainly make him more valuable since his scoring and rebounding are good for a forward, but would be much higher up on the totem pole at C. Of course, his blocks suck for a Center, but he's also a center who would give you nearly 1 FG3/game, and shoot 74% from the free throw line. That's a good thing.

Baby Al to the IL, please

2005-02-07T22:25:00.000-06:00

"The Atlanta Hawks placed forward Al Harrington on injured reserve Monday and activated Kenny Anderson.

Harrington, averaging 17.1 points a game, has been bothered by tendinitis in his right knee. He led the Hawks with 26 points in his last game Saturday night against Indiana but was placed on the injured reserve list after an MRI on Monday."

Fantasy Impact

Josh Childress has been starting in place of the injured high-flyer Josh Smith... but perhaps he'll see a few more looks with Harrington out. Also, expect Antoine Walker to attempt to pick up the slack by attempting more shots. He's never one to shy away from temptation.

Shep C's Weekly Top 10

2005-02-07T18:51:00.000-06:00

Player	O-Rank	Week Rank
C. Webber (Sac - PF)	23	1
J. Kidd (NJ - PG)	43	2
M. Bibby (Sac - PG)	24	3
M. Ginobili (SA - SG)	64	4
A. Kirilenko (Uta - F,PF)	29	5
V. Carter (NJ - GF)	19	6
T. McGrady (Hou - GF,SG)	4	7
D. Nowitzki (Dal - FC,PF)	5	8
B. Miller (Sac - C,FC)	21	9
D. Stoudamire (Por - PG)	122	10

Damon and Kidd helped their respective cases by making all of their foul shots this week. That surely doesn't hurt. Damon continues his streak of playing more than 100 spots above his O-Rank, but is sliding ever closer to falling off the edge of the Top 10.

A lot of different people stepping it up this week, but the usual suspects are there as well. Better candidate for Kaiser Soze: T-Mac or Dirk? Brad Miller and Vinsanity are not suprises, especially with Webber out and Carter's 41 point game. Kirilenko will probably remain in the top 10 now that he's operating at full efficiency.

Don't forget about the All-Star Game Contest! I've got one entry so far, and 50 Gmail invites to give away. You could just pick one of the guys listed above and have a pretty good chance of winning without even going to another site.

The Week That Was (2.6.05)

2005-02-06T16:27:00.000-06:00

Here's what I'm thinking this week... (if you're playing Rotisserie, then the parts about the playoffs probably don't apply)

Paul Pierce: 47 FG% - 86 FT% - 4 FG3 - 100 PTS - 22 REB - 20 AST - 10 STL - 1 BLK - 8 TOV.

If you're near the top of the league and confident about making the playoffs, I said earlier this week that now is a good time to trade Pierce. His Celtics play only 3 games in each of the first two weeks of the playoffs and 6 games (about average) in the last two weeks of the season. Trading him for 1 or 2 players on Teams like Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Washington, Denver, or Memphis might be a good thing to think about. Especially consider those teams that will be vying for a playoff spot in those last few weeks (CHI, CLE, maybe NY, WAS, DEN, MEM).

If, on the other hand, you're still struggling to make it to the playoffs, do I said before and ride Pierce. He's shown signs this week of stepping up to the level he played at last year, and if he gets snubbed in a bid for the All-Star Game, then he may play even harder. I am in 8th right now, so I'll be going with the second option.

Brad Miller: 54 FG% - 80 FT% - 1 FG3 - 95 PTS - 40 REB - 18 AST - 8 STL - 6 BLK - 9 TOV.

Miller is another player to ride into the playoffs if you're currently still in the hunt. Webber is pretty much D2D for the rest of the year (probably), and Miller is a prime candidate to put up big numbers whenever C-Webb sits. However, like Pierce, Sacremento's fantasy playoff schedule sucks. The Kings play 4, 3, 2 and 2 over the last 4 weeks (the last 2 weeks are usually combined into a 2 week final - so if you're going for first place, this is especially important). No other team plays less than 5 games over that same 2 week span, and the ones I mentioned above in the Paul Pierce section all play 4, 4, and 6 during fantasy playoff time. You never know when trading someone like Miller could get you the extra game or two you need to beat someone in the playoffs.

Amare Stoudemire: 54 FG% - 85 FT% - 0 FG3 - 77 PTS - 41 REB - 4 AST - 1 STL - 1 BLK - 5 TOV.

While the 5 TOV is low... it's not that low for someone who handles the ball as little as the Man Child does. What's really interesting here, though, is the 1 steal and 1 block... While it's not anything to worry too much about since Stoudemire is still helping you to win 4 other categories, it's surprising to see him go 2 games without one of the either and a 3rd game with only 1 of each. I'm not downing the guy, because he's still quite amazing, but just something to notice when you're looking for possible holes in your team.

Theo Ratliff: 43 FG% - 87.5 FT% - 0 FG3 - 25 PTS - 24 REB - 3 AST - 3 STL - 13 BLK - 3 TOV.

The Blockinator is back. Averaging 4 blocks over the last 5 games is something we know Theo is certainly capable of, and it's nice to see that he's returned to his homeland. Now, he won't give you numbers like someone else in the NW part of the league (look near the bottom), but when it looks like he's actually trying to help you by making some free throws, he's definitely a worthy addition to H2H and Roto teams alike.

Stephen Jackson: 36 FG% - 79 FT% - 5 FG3 - 48 PTS - 12 REB - 3 AST - 1 STL - 1 BLK - 3 TOV.

The return of the, wait, uhn-uhn, he didn't just do what I think he did, did he? Hopefully the guy can keep his damn trap shut for long enough to get his shooting touch back. The numbers from this week don't accurately describe what the man can give fantasy owners willing to take on a bad attitude. They're not great numbers, but enough to fill in some holes. I'm sure those owners who gambled on buying him low earlier in the season are happy enough with his output now. The only bad thing about 2.3 FG3s per game is the 36% from the floor. Time to pick your battles, and decide where you can win.

Caron Butler: He's still playing as I write this, but what's more important than his stats is the fact that he's been the one to step up in Kobe's abscence. I'm sure Vegas (or at least one of those online betting places) had odds on who would be the Laker to pick up when Kobe went down. I went with Jermaine Jones since everyone else was already taken. The correct answer was Butler. If he's still available out there, I'd go for it. He's good for at least one more week, and possibly longer depending on how long the Lakers think they can stay in the playoff race without Kobe.

Your Chicago Bulls!: I'm not sure if Skiles is going to figure it out... While there appeared to be 4 or 5 legitimate fantasy players on this team before the season, the only one dependable enough to have on your team has been Captain Kirk. He always seems to be able to at least give a little something. That's more than can be said for the other guys. Curry still can't rebound, but Chandler can. Gordon can score 2 points/minute and still not get more playing time. Nocioni and/or Deng can score 17 one night and 4 the next. Unless one is filling up a niche on your team (like Chandler in rebounds, or Gordon in points and threes), I'd be trying hard to trade them for someone more consistent, even if their average numbers a little less (not so much in Roto, but certainly in H2H). The numbers will be there in the long run for Roto players, but if you want to win in H2H, you're better off with someone consistent. [This hasn't been scientifically proven, so you're free to disagree; but it's frustrating trying to decide whether to play Deng or Brian Cook or Juwan Howard, all of whom prove to be consistently inconsistent]

Don't Forget the All-Star Game Contest

2005-02-05T19:52:00.000-06:00

Remember, all you have to do is leave a comment here with your vote (or just who you think is going to win) for the All-Star MVP. Now that the starters have been announced, it should be pretty easy, right?

The prize is a Gmail invite or $1. You choose.

Give Me The Rock does not condone the killing of cattle

2005-02-05T19:45:00.000-06:00

In other news, we ain't got no beef.

Fantasy basketball has been a rapidly expanding subject in the so-called blogosphere. To address this issue, I feel I must point out all the other wonderful (and I don't mean that sarcastically) fantasy basketblogs that have been started during this wondrous - and at times troubling - season.

Fantasy Basketblog
Easy Marksman
Drop the Dime
Fantasy NBA Blog

All of these are worth reading, and they also all provide RSS feeds (thank you Blogspot), for which I applaud them heartily.

PS: DtD - I'm working on a reply to your email. I've been busy with "real world" work...

Ima...

2005-02-04T17:24:00.000-06:00

Stealing the creative juices of the dynamic duo over at Fantasy Basketblog, I'm going to do a comparison of NBA players to characters from one of my favorite shows. No, not Top Model, The Bachelorette, nor even Endurance (although that would be fun)...

We're going with Alias.

And I'm confident I can say that with a straight face, as opposed to saying something like I watch the OC.

Sidney Bristow = Lebron James: Young. Fresh. Decisive. Dominant. Like Sidney, Lebron is nearly always in the right place at the right time with skills enough to take on all adversaries.

Jack Bristow = Paul Pierce: While you know they'll never bail on you in crunch time, you often have to question their tactics and attitude. You really want to love them, but then they make you realize why they can never be your #1. There's so much good inside such a hard exterior.

Michael Vaughn = Dwyane Wade: The only difference here is one has a pretty straighforward name. Other than that, they're both superstars that everyone has a crush on, they're both young and bull-headed at times, but they rarely say the wrong thing or let their emotions get the best of them. While usually dressed in style, they're not afraid to get down and dirty. They both play superbly as part of a team, and when it comes down to it, everything is secondary to winning (Sidney in Vaughn's case; a championship in Wade's).

Arvin Sloane = Kobe Bryant: Sloane and Kobe are two people who always gets what they want. They're not above, and probably enjoy, playing head games with the people they're competing against (on the court and off). They could conceivably be the greatest of all time, but there's something up there that's steering them the wrong way.

Marcus Dixon = Steve Nash: Both lacking the natural kind of talent possessed by their team members, they still manage to have a huge impact. Natural leaders with fiery tempers who aren't afraid to stand and fight when they have to. Nash and Dixon have had to work hard and have had their fair share of struggles to get where they are, but neither would trade it for anything in the world.

Marshall Flinkman = Shaquille O'Neal: Bear with me here. I realize they couldn't appear to be more opposite, but look at their characteristics: Both are arguable the best at what they do (and if they're not now, they have been in the past), and just about everything they say is meant to illicit a laugh.

Eric Weiss = Tayshaun Prince (or maybe Kyle Korver): He's the sidekick. Obviously not the star, not to the focus of the plot; just hanging around doing what he does until he's needed. And don't get me wrong, he does what he does when he's needed very well. He's just not as easy to sell to an audience as someone like Sidney or Vaughn. No real sex appeal, or stylish moves, or masterful skills. But still solid enough to make it to the big show.

Count it.

And don't forget to enter the All-Star Game Contest!

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting

Central Starr (2.3.05)

2005-02-03T20:50:00.000-06:00

Didn't I mention that Shane Battier would be $$$ with all those other Grizzlies up in their street clothes?

His line through 3 quarters against the Clippers:
83 FG% / 50 FT% / 2 FG3 / 13 PTS / 4 REB / 4 AST / 2 STL / 0 TOV

Count it.

Pierce drops the triple deuce

2005-02-03T13:13:00.000-06:00

Pierce notched the fifth triple double of his NBA career in Wednesday's victory over the New Jersey Nets, scoring 28 points, dishing out 10 assists and grabbing 10 rebounds in 30 minutes of action. The Celtics' guard nailed nine of his 15 field-goal attempts and went 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. He also added four steals and a blocked shot.

This was after Ricky "The New Fro" Davis left the game... Flu? Sprained something? Yeah, something like that. He could do Pierce owners a favor and just not play anymore. I'm cool with that.

Fantasy Impact

The 3x2 only gave Pierce 44 fantasy points even on AOL. Bogus. But it is possibly a sign that he's ready to start stepping his game up to the level that people were expecting of him this year. Hopefully (or not, depending on your POV) he'll keep dropping dimes like last night while continuing to rebound and score. It's important to remember, though, that the Celtics play less games than anyone else in the critical "playoff weeks" for most H2H leagues. If you're in a position to make the playoffs already, now might be a good time to trade Pierce while his value appears to be rising (it may be merely a mirage). If you're still trying to make the playoffs, though, I'd ride him for a while longer.

You know you've made it when...

2005-02-03T09:22:00.000-06:00

Yahoo's search results for "Rock Star Shep" (without the quotes even!) list you as #3. How awesome is that? It's pretty awesome. It'd be even more awesomer is they had it listed as givemetherock.blogspot.com instead of gmtr... But at least that page is cached so nobody's getting the 404.

"You can't be me, I'm a rock star. Rhyming on the top of a cop car."
- N.E.R.D.

Count it.

UPDATE: Somehow I just moved up to #2. Thank you, Yahoo!

Jason Williams NOT injured

2005-02-03T09:06:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Jason Williams: "Backup point guard Earl Watson will be sidelined indefinitely with a separated right shoulder, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Team doctors said the injury could take up to three weeks to heal, but Watson is hoping to return in a week.

Views: The Grizzlies are all banged up, with injuries to Watson, Pau Gasol, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, and Mike Miller. With Earl out, expect Jason Williams to see more minutes than usual. He logged a season-high 37 minutes on Tuesday night and recorded 19 points and eight assists."

Obviously bad news for any owners with those injured guys... but because of all those injuries, J-Will, Battier, and even Stromile Swift (a little) are ballin' outta control (BOC).

All-Star Game Contest

2005-02-02T18:48:00.000-06:00

Are you read for some All-Star action? Probably not. Since it's still more than 2 weeks away... I mean, the only thing that happens in the All-Star game is players get injured right?

Not Any More!

I'm having an All-Star Game contest in order to make this event more entertaining for fantasy basketball managers. Since the starters will be announced tomorrow, I wanted to give everyone ample time to prepare. You'll need it!

Usually I'm a fan of contests which are really more like games involving complex formulas and requiring a FAN-tastic amount of interaction (hence my love for fantasy basketball). This one (being the first for this site) will be incomprehensibly simple. Even a coked-out Tara Reid with half a dress on could figure this one out.

All you have to do is pick who you think will be the MVP of the All-Star game. It'll probably be one of the starters, so you have like a 1 in 10 chance of winning this contest. Of course, so does everyone else... so the prize can't really be that great. Yeah, sorry about that.

Official Rules

Entry: Just leave a comment on this post sometime between NOW! and the beginning of the All-Star Game indicating which player you think will be hoisting the MVP trophy in Denver on Sunday night (Feb. 20th). Please make it clear which prize (see below) you would like to recieve should you win, as well as the email to which you would like your prize delivered.

Prizes: You will have your choice of a Gmail account invitation (I hope I have enough!) or $1 via PayPal (requires a valid PayPal account). I know it's not much, but considering I get like 100 people a day here, if every one of them guessed the right guy, I could be out a big chunk of change.

The 90-footer

2005-02-02T14:23:00.000-06:00

Giving hope to all last-second chuckers (or perhaps incentive for those who don't want to hurt their stats) ... this guy make a 3-pointer at the buzzer off a missed free throw... the other team was shooting the free throw. If that link doesn't work, try this one.

To give everyone credit... I first saw it HERE, but also posted on BlazerTalk.

Now... something to think about... what if the NBA expanded from the 3-point shot, to additional point values (kind of like MTV) ... like, half-court to the other guy's 3-point line would give you 4 or even 5 points, and shooting from inside the other team's 3-point line would be worth 7 points. i wonder if you'd start seeing people with football like arms getting into the NBA. It'd give new meaning to full-court press.

Sprained Ankle Virus going around NBA

2005-02-01T13:10:00.000-06:00

How many more player will be affected before the league recognizes this illness needs to be treated?

Perhaps Paul Pierce could do a PSA... I hear he's big on the ankle taping.

The list so far (please feel free to comment if I'm missing anyone):
Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Chris Webber
Al Jefferson
Emeka Okafor
Marcus Camby (recovered... for now)
Jamal Tinsley
Jeff McInnis (Sprained Foot)
Steve Blake
Brevin Knight (recovered)
Anfernee Hardaway (recovered)
Rasho Nesterovic
Josh Smith
Anthony Johnson
Rodney Buford
Andre Emmett
Leandro Barbosa
Linton Johnson

Central Starr (1/31/05)

2005-01-31T22:30:00.000-06:00

Today's Central Starr is: Al Harrington
Line for 1/31/05: 57%/0%/0/16/6/9/4/1/2
One 3-pointer short of a Marionesque stat line.

The runner-up for today is Dwight Howard:
Line for 1/31/05: 60%/100%/0/16/11/0/0/6/2
Any time a guy puts up 6 blocks, 60% from the field, and 100% from the stripe, it's a good night. Combine that with the double-double and you can almost see the money falling from the sky.

Count it.

Rick D's Weekly Top 10 (week ending 1/30)

2005-01-31T13:44:00.000-06:00

So, first of all, it's pretty awesome that Yahoo offers somewhat "static" web pages... like the one I linked to in the title of this post... so you can see what I see exactly! At least until tomorrow when more games will have been played. It's what those in the corporate world might call "a view."

So, here it is (making it permanent - with Yahoo's O-Rank/Season Rank in [] ):
1. Allen Iverson [16/16]
2. Lebron [13/3]
3. Damon Stoudamire [122/24]
4. T-Mac [4/5]
5. Gilberto [22/8]
6. Dirk [5/2]
7. Q-Rich [92/9]
8. C-Webb [23/29]
9. Kyle Korver [201/18]
10. Marcus Camby [52/53]

Once again we've got some players who are ballin' outta control. Those would be Damon, Quentin, and KK. Camby is relatively BOC, but his season has been about what Yahoo expected of him.

Does anyone know how long Damon can possibly last? This seems somewhat unprecedented to me...

Kobe Watch (1/30)

2005-01-30T20:14:00.000-06:00

They said before the Heat/Rockets game today that Kobe would be out until Feb. 15th. Happy Valentine's Day to all Kobe owners! Or... to those who get to play Kobe owners until then. :)

Skiles' 12 man rotation

2005-01-28T17:20:00.000-06:00

I was at this game (Bulls v. Bobcats, in case you were wondering; and I'm 2-0 now in live games)... I can't explain it. It didn't seem like the starters were letting the game get out of hand, sure they got outscored at the beginning fo the second half, but they bounced back; they were fighting. I think Skiles is lucky that his starters are all so young, or the short leash he has on them would break as the ran away from him.

My theory is this: This was the 3rd game in 4 days, and maybe Skiles felt the starters were tired... Also, the Bulls are playing Boston on Saturday (their 4th game in 6 days), so resting the starters is not a bad idea... especially if the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th men can still win the game.

I would view this more as an isolated incident of bizzare coaching (okay, so maybe not, but this is certainly at the extreme end of the Skiles Scale) ... and I wouldn't go out trying to find someone to replace Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, or even Chris Duhon. They all played pretty decently, and I don't understand why Ben Gordon didn't get more time AT ALL.

On the other hand, as a Bulls fan, it was impressive to see Pike, Wildman, and JP take over the game. JP (Jannero Pargo, for those who don't know) hit at least two pull-up jumpers over the long reach of Emeka Okafor, who could do nothing but shake his head in disbelief. He wasn't the only one with a bobble head last night, though...

Deng was on fire and I can't believe the didn't keep riding him for longer... Also, it wasn't like Skiles didn't substitue at all during the 4th quarter, cause he did bring in Adrian Griffin. I guess maybe they're all bench buddies and play more together in practice or something? It nearly defies description.

The final thought though is as I said before: It's unlikely to happen again. Perhaps in the 3rd week of February (4 games in 5 days), but that will be after the All-Star break, so the guys should be more rested. Maybe in late March when the games start piling on... but they'll probably be battling for a play-off spot at that point, so perhaps Skiles will recognize that the starters are starters for a reason and let them win games. Deng, Duhon, and Gordon probably aren't the be-all and end-all of your team (if they are, you've screwed up somewhere along the way), so keep an out for times when the Bulls play frequently, especially against poorer teams.

Next time, Skiles, give ME the rock.

The Other Jefferson injured

2005-01-27T09:16:00.000-06:00

BOSTON (AP) -- Celtics forward Al Jefferson, the team's top pick in last year's draft, left Wednesday night's game against the Indiana Pacers with a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss at least four weeks.

Paul Pierce Monday-Morning Quarterbacking:

Celtics forward Paul Pierce said Jefferson doesn't regularly tape his ankles for games, a mistake Pierce made as a rookie, too. "Hopefully, you're listening, Al," Pierce said to TV cameras after the game. "Got to tape those ankles, baby."

Thanks for that, Paul.

Fantasy Impact

Jefferson had been playing well, and getting more and more minutes and, I'm sure, to some was a Free Agent Savior.

Now that he's out, expect Walter McCarty to make a bid to step up his game to get the trade he wants. Good luck with that, Walter.

Jefferson's abscence also makes more time for Kendrick Perkins, who's playing time was already ratcheting up. As were his stats... 4 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 17 minutes over the last 5 games. Of course, Boston will probably let Mark Blount and Raef LaFrentz stay in the game longer now. Blount has been pretty average, not doing much considering the minutes he's had. LaFrentz, on the other hand, has been a pretty good option as a FC in most leagues. With 80% from the line, and 0.8 threes/game, he fills in spots that other centers don't usually give you. I'm a little worried about him putting more playing time on that knee, but if it holds up, you can look for a slight bump in his stats.

Count it.

ive e he ock

2005-01-25T21:04:00.000-06:00

Is everybody ready to pick and roll at the new Give Me The Rock?

Well, if you weren't before... you probably aren't now, considering nothing has really changed. Just the URL (aka web address). I'd tell you to update your RSS feed again, but if you're reading this then you already have or you're just reading it on the website, choosing to remain blissfully ignorant of the powerhouse technology known as RSS.

Whatever the case, I hope you enjoy Give Me The Rock.

ount t.

Pau Gasol to IL, please

2005-01-25T19:33:00.000-06:00

Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Pau Gasol: "Jan 25 According to Memphis Grizzlies head coach Mike Fratello, Gasol could miss at least two weeks with an undisclosed left foot injury. As a result, the forward, who is the team's leading scorer and rebounder this season, has been placed on the injured list for the first time in his four-year NBA career. Ryan Humphrey was activated to fill the void on the roster."

Fantasy Impact

Stromile Swift likely will step into the starting lineup during Gasol's absence. Too bad for a friend of mine who needed Swift's extra output last week when he lost by 5 points at Center in my AOL league. (Combine that with Kobe's injury, and Amare's subpar performance due to Steve Nash's injury, and that same friend went 0-4 last week. Ouch.) Gasol's injury also opens up time for Brian Cardinal, who has not quite been doing what he does... or is supposed to do. Last time Gasol was out, Cardinal played 22, 31, and 35 minutes and did a little bit more of what he's supposed to do. I wouldn't say he's a must have, but if you've got someone averaging less than 9, 6, and 2 and need a Forward with a good FT% and the capability of hitting 3's, then he's your man until Gasol gets back.

In 39 games this season, Gasol has averaged 18.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocked shots in 33.9 minutes per contest. Swift clocks in at 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists 0.5 steals and 1.8 block shots in 21 minutes per game.

Which one is the Hawks "Other Josh?"

2005-01-25T18:56:00.000-06:00

Josh Smith: If he's not already picked up in your league. He should be. As in, you should pick him up. He's been playing well enough to get off the free agent list (taken by me) in my 10 team league. How good is that, you ask?

His last 5 games:
34 minutes, 43% FG, 72% FT, 9.4 rebounds (including 3.8 offensive), 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 8.6 points. The points, obviously, are the weak part, but as a GF, he does a good job filling in the other stats and provides you with versatility. Make sure you can handle his 2.6 turnovers before you bring him on board, but with everything else he provides, it's a good trade off.

Count it.

Change it up

2005-01-25T14:19:00.000-06:00

Okay folks... just to let you all know, I think I've outgrown gmtr.blogspot.com ... so I'll be upgrading as of tonight (slash tomorrow) to givemetherock.blogspot.com! Massive changes are underway! But you don't need to do anything! Well... you will need to update your RSS feed if you still want to be a part of the action...

http://feeds.feedburner.com/GiveMeTheRock is a great place to start... That way I can track your every move... or at least track when you look at my posts. Then I can feel really popular. And stuff. Or something.

Everything else will pretty much be the same around here...

Thanks! Hope to see you over at givemetherock.blogspot.com!

Pick-up Games

2005-01-25T13:54:00.000-06:00

Some players you should consider picking up (provided they're available):

Chucky Atkins - pretty much on fire in Kobe Bryant's abscence. He's #3 according to Yahoo over the last week. Pick him while Kobe's out, but be prepared to drop him when number 8 returns.

Dan Dickau - Starting in place of the oft-injured Baron Davis... scoring 27 points. Hornets are 5-5 over the last 10. Sure, I'm a little late to the party on this one, but it's possible that he's available, since his value fluctuates depending on how injured the Baron is.

Kyle Korver - he's very streaky, but since he was in somewhat of a slump before his latest breakeout he may still be available. Can't argue with 3.3 three-pointers over the last week, and 100% of 2.2 FT's over the last 5 games.

Chris Duhon - I just dropped him for Troy Hudson, and now I'm wondering whether to waste a move on undoing that action... He's been playing better than anyone could have expected, and filling in for Ben Gordon during his slump. With them both being rookies, it's hard to know when one will have the hot hand and the other will come up empty-handed. If you're in need of help at the guard position, consider picking up both of them as a sort of "put" move.

Eddie Griffin - he's once again on fire. Catch him if you can.

Derek Fisher - he's been playing well whenever Speedy Claxton has been out. When Fisher starts, he gets an extra 5-10 minutes of PT, giving him that much more time to rack up stats. Speedy looks to miss at least one more game.

Tony Allen - Celtics

2005-01-25T09:50:00.000-06:00

Allen replaced Jiri Welsch as the starting SG for the Celtics, and played 27 minutes, shooting 9-11 from the field for 20 points to go with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and a block.

Depending on how competitive your league is, you should consider picking him up. The more competitive the faster. If you can wait on his game tonight, do so... if you're worried someone else might grab him if he plays well again tonight, you might do well to pick him preemptively.

More basketblogs

2005-01-25T09:32:00.000-06:00

So maybe fantasy basketball isn't as big in the blogging world as say "IT" or "video games" or even "blogging" itself... but it's starting to get hot. Check out these other recent entrants to the fantasy basketblog arena:

EasyMarksman and Fantasy NBA Blog.

EasyMarksman reminds me a lot of Give Me The Rock in it's self-effacing, yet useful style. Fantasy NBA Blog has a schedule across the top of their blog, so that tells you something in and of itself. They also have five authors, which also says something.

Another team blog recently discovered is: GH and Petey's Timberwolves Blog. They've been going since the start of the season, but I hadn't found it before... Just something else to add to the RSS reader. There are others... I need to update my side bar to highlight the best ones, but you can scroll on down to "Give Me Everything" to see all the blogs I read.

Count it.

Jim Jackson strikes a blow for all the overpaid stars out there

2005-01-22T13:05:00.000-06:00

Here's the ESPN story.

I mean, I guess if my job paid me a million a year, and I'd been working for 14 years, and then my division was sold off to another company that I didn't want to work for, I might consider not going to work too. Especially cause there no championship of web application development or anything...

Fantasy Impact

Let's just start with the Suns/Jackson side... cause it actually matters.

Jackson will inherit at least 20 minutes a game, since that's what Jacobsen was playing. He'll increase those minutes since he can play both SF and SG for the Suns (this is why they talked so much about gaining depth with this trade). This will allow Phoenix to rest Q-Rich and the Other JJ a little more and save their legs for the playoffs.

Needless to say, Jimmy is a good pick up if he's available on the FA list. Owners who held onto him can feel somewhat vindicated. Jackson will likely continue to hit 2+ three-pointers, shoot well from the free-throw line (thought not take many attempts), and give you decent steals, rebounds, assists, and points. He's not someone to depend on for anything but 3's, but he's not a black hole in any category except blocks (and that is to be expected from someone who's 6-6 and 34 years old).

As for the Hornets, let's just say that none of the new Hornets are greater than 0% owned according to ESPN.

Casey Jacobsen will probably get about the same 20 minutes he'd played with the Suns. He'll be backing up JR Smith, and since the Hornets aren't quite as much of a running team as the Suns he might have a better chance to use his spot up shooting skills.

Magic Lamp (which will be his nickname once he hits it big), will be backing up Chris Andersen at Center, and maybe get some time at PF until David West and Jamaal Magloire come back. At that point, his PT will probably drop back to the 7 mpg he had in PHX.
Jackson Vroman is about as effective per 48 minutes as Jacobsen and Lampe, so I wouldn't expect him to play any more than he did with the Suns.

Arroyo to Pistons

2005-01-21T13:09:00.000-06:00

Even though the Utah Jazz Blog is getting it from Chad Ford, I'm linking to him anyway in my effort to link to more basketblogs.

ESPN's Chad Ford is reporting that the Jazz are sending Carlos Arroyo to Detroit for Elden Campbell and a future first round draft choice.

This move would give Detroit a true PG, something they have been lacking. It would give the Jazz a first round pick and salary cap room in the coming off season. Elden Campbell would probably be waived. Some will say it was a quick hook by the Jazz to deal him so soon, especially given the fact he played so well last season and had a terriffic Olympic tournament leading Puerto Rico.

Fantasy Impact

Arroyo owners now can look forward at least to seeing him on the floor. I think everyone everywhere was probably dumping at this point... so he might be out there on the FA list. Arroy this year: 24.7 minutes, 40% FG, 84% FT, 1.5 reb, 5.1 ast, 1.8 TO, 0.7 stl, and 8.2 pts. It's clear that he'll be taking time from Lindsey Hunter and Chauncey Billups (give him some rest from playing 37 minutes/game). There is speculation that he'll also be playing point with Chauncey moving to the 2 and Rip to the 3, which would allow him some more PT, while not hurting the fantasy production of the other 2 very much. That would mean that most likely Tayshaun Prince will be playing less SF (though he could slide to the 4 against some smaller PF's).

I can easily see Arroyo getting back to 8, 5, and 2 in about 20 minutes for the Pistons. This will hurt Lindsey Hunter, but I doubt he's on anyone's team anyway. Billups' PT will also probably go down a few minutes a game, but the rest might do him some good. He produced very similar numbers to this year playing about 2 less minutes last year. It remains to be seen how much of his time Arroyo will actually take. Only Larry Brown can know that for sure.

As for the Jazz, I don't see Elden Campbell getting enough playing time backing up Curtis Borchardt and Mehmet Okur to be on anyone's fantasy team. And we'll have to wait a couple years to see what the draft pick produces.

Count it.

Fantasy Basketball Meet-Up

2005-01-20T22:34:00.000-06:00

It's a slow day... I'm starting to burn through the drafts of things I'd written before and was saving for just such a day... that said:

If you haven't heard of Meetup.com, you can check it out starting with the Fantasy Basketball Meetup I created... Of course, I'm the only so far (hence posting it on the blog. :) ) If you're in Chicago, you should totally sign up! Because then we can go out and get drunk and talk about fantasy basketball without having to worry about cornering people who don't actually care about fantasy basketball! I hate it when they get all shifty-eyes and nervous like they have to go to the bathroom or something. Or when they say something about how they prefer college ball because the NBA players are all overpaid whiners. Don't even get me started on that (luckily, I've got Ben to help me keep the faith over instant messenger) ...

Count it!

WikiPedia - Basketball

2005-01-20T06:58:00.000-06:00

This is kind of an entertaining read...

I decided to have a go of it and put in Eddy Curry. It's kind of addicting. Once I get a little more experienced, I might be more comfortable putting in my opinions of the big fella... but for now, I stuck to the facts.

Wik it. Wik it good. And what?

Godzylla

2005-01-19T15:46:00.000-06:00

Thanks to Blazer Talk for the news...

Godzylla is here! Joel Przybilla pulled down 22 boards and scored 17 points last night against the Kings. After taking the starting role from Theo Ratliff, he's starting to look like a decent back-up center... for owners without a decent back-up center. 8 pts and 10 rebs over the last 5 games, with 30.2 minutes/game. He's actually pretty close to the league average on the season in rebounds and blocks for a center. And he's more than likely to be available in your league. He'll continue to dominate (if you can call it that) while SAR, Darius, and Zebo are out.

Now, if only the Blazers would play Travis Outlaw...

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Technorati Tags: fantasybasketball

Nash is (in) a freak (accident)

2005-01-19T06:39:00.000-06:00

The bruised left thigh that sidelined Nash for the last 2 1/2 games is no longer a problem, but he twisted his back when backup point guard Leandro Barbosa stepped on his foot. Nash was in obvious discomfort after more than an hour of treatment.

Fantasy Impact

Looks like Little Joe Johnson will be the starting PG for the Suns since Leandro was so jealous of everyone talking about how Nash should be MVP that he stepped on his foot. Note to Leandro: Next time, hire someone to hit him in the knee with a retractable metal club. Only, make sure it's not someone to whom your shady boyfriend has ties. I'm sure you could find a disillusioned Timberwolves or Nuggets fan who'd been willing to do it on the cheap.

Amare's shooting has gone downhill (fast) without Nash, but the rest of his numbers are still solid. And of course, Shawn Marion is a fantasy monster, not to mention, MVP candidate. Casey Jacobsen is trying desperately to become a relevant fantasy player. Sorry to tell you Casey, but 7 points in 30 minutes is not quite going to do it.

Count it.

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Technorati Tags: fantasybasketball, phoenixsuns

Shawn Marion for MVP

2005-01-18T21:59:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I really just wanted to write something controversial to see if I could get people to comment. So, here's my argument for why Shawn Marion should be MVP (only as of right now, of course).

First off, he's the #1 player in Fantasy Basketball. That really should be the only argument needed.

But, in case you happen to care about real basketball as well as fantasy... his PER is higher than that of Steve Nash's (23.34 to 22.49), whom many say is the MVP so far. If one can be an MVP without being the best player on the team, then Marion certainly deserves consideration. [I don't even want to get into the whole semantics issue of whether MVP means "best player" or "player who most makes the team they play for better"]

Marion shoots 84.6% from the line. This should be evidence enough that he deserve the award over Shaq. I would argue that the Heat would as good as they are now with the same line-up they had last year simply due to the gained maturity and experience of Dwyane Wade. Shaq used to be much more valuable, but as Danny Fortson has shown, he can be shut down. His ability to make free-throws should also put Marion above others like Duncan, and even Amare (another MVP canidate). They are FREE throws guys. If you can't make them, you don't deserve to be MVP. If those other guys were shooting 85% from the stripe, they'd easily be MVP's and we wouldn't have to worry about someone like Steve Nash or Shawn Marion threatening the crown.

The Matrix shoots 48% from the field. Most players shooting at that high a rate are inside players. However, Marion also hits 1.4 threes per game. He has an inside/outside combo that no other MVP candidate can claim. Marion is also getting more rebounds than he did last year, despite the emergence of Amare Stoudemire (another MVP candidate). He is improved from last year in almost every category, despite the additions of Steve Nash and Quentin Richardson. Marion is 4% higher in FG%, up .6% in 3PT% while making .3 more per game, grabbing 1.3 more rebounds than last year, including .2 more OREBs, .7 less TO's per game, same number of steals (an impressive 2.1), .2 more blocks (1.5), .1 less fouls per game, and .3 more points per game (despite Amare imcreasing by nearly 5 ppg). He is only down in assists because Nash handles the ball for the Suns now.

Without Marion, Nash and Man-Child would be nothing more than a faster version of Wade and O'Neal. Marion has recognized where to fit in on the team, in addition to stepping his game up this year, while playing less time than last year. He is not only the best player in fantasy basketball, but he is one of the best players in basketball right now and his prescence and ability to adapt to fit within a team make him the most valuable player in the league.

The views expressed in this article are the sole opinion of the author, and are not representative of the Give Me the Rock corporation or any of its subsidiaries.

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Technorati Tags: fantasybasketball

Blazer Talk: Club 54 and how to get there.

2005-01-18T21:29:00.000-06:00

Stoudamire’s resurgence over the last month is startling. Through his first 21 games this season, Mighty Mouse was mighty quiet, shooting .319 from the field, .272 from 3-point range and averaging 10.2 points. Coach Maurice Cheeks even removed him from the starting lineup.But in the 15 games since then, he is .495 from the field and .492 on 3-pointers and averaging 17 points. Stoudamire, a career .408 shooter (.355 from 3-point range), has scored in double figures in 11 of the games despite averaging fewer than 24 minutes. Over the last four games, he is averaging 29.3 points.

So, maybe Damon is for real... He's only taking 20-30 shots before games now, and saving his legs for prime time. Of course, it's also a contract year for Damon... so maybe he's dialing for dollars... Either way, more promising than his other weekly top 10 buddy who's retiring at season's end.

Yahoo's Top 10 (Week Ended 1/17)

2005-01-18T18:44:00.000-06:00

O-Rank in () [O-Rank is a multi-season kind of rank determined by Yahoo's statisticians)

1. Jason Richardson (41)
2. Damon Stoudamire (122)
3. Lebron James (13)
4. Nick Van Exel (145)
5. Dirk Nowitzki (5)
6. Jermaine O'Neal (48)
7. Jason Williams (81)
8. Larry Hughes (91)
9. Chris Webber (23)
10. Jason Kidd (43)

Fantasy Impact

With Arenas out of the top 25 and Paul Pierce hanging onto the 25th spot, I'm happy to see Jason Williams step it up to no. 7 (they're all on my team, if you hadn't guessed). The Grizzlies are playing well right now, so you might want to look at any Memphis FA's in your league. Fratello is not running quite as large a rotation, though, so make sure to check players' last 5 games.

As for the rest, I wouldn't count on Stoudamire to score 99 points every week, nor Nick Van Exel to make 5 treys a game. Lebron, Dirk, Jermaine, Webber and Kidd are all solid players. No surprise there. Larry Hughes is out now - as you can see, a definite unfortunate event for owners who took him late (avg. draft position on ESPN: 73.1) and watched him steal (literally) a position in the top 10 (no. 7 on the season).

And that about wraps it up.

Count it.

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Technorati Tag: fantasybasketball

Bryant out at least 2 weeks

2005-01-18T11:51:00.000-06:00

In case you hadn't seen it...

Yahoo! Sports: "Lakers star Kobe Bryant will be sidelined at least two more weeks with a severely sprained right ankle.

Team spokesman John Black said before the Lakers faced the Utah Jazz on Monday night that the NBA's second-leading scorer was examined earlier in the day by team physician Dr. Steve Lombardo and foot specialist Philip Kwong.

A CT scan confirmed there was no fracture.

``Kobe will be re-evaluated in approximately one week,'' Black said. ``He has made improvement. He still can't put weight on his right foot.''

Black said there was no target date for Bryant's return.

``We're just saying a minimum of two weeks,'' Black said. ``We'll have a better idea next week.''

Should Bryant return in two weeks, he'll miss a minimum of six more games and eight overall."

Fantasy Impact

Good news for all those owners who rushed out to pick up Lakers players. Bad news for everyone who's got Kobe.