Trouble in Motown
I visited Detroit once, back in the summer of 1998. The high point of said visit was a ride on a train known as the "People Mover," a little monorail that – if memory serves correctly – made about four stops in a rather small loop around the cluster of office buildings downtown.
I guess another way to put it is, when I went to Detroit back in 1998, nothing really happened.
If only things were that uneventful for the NBA franchise located there. Consider the deluge of issues currently plaguing the Pistons:
Allen Iverson is hurt. He left Wednesday's game in the first quarter due to back trouble and could miss some time. It's probably nothing serious, but the bigger issue with Iverson is that, despite a few scoring outbursts this month, he's still largely looking like A.I. Lite (19.2 ppg in February).
Rodney Stuckey is slumping, badly. He had six points and five assists Wednesday, and that actually constituted the most productive outing in his last three. Iverson potentially missing time could help Stuckey rediscover his aggressiveness, but there's no guarantee that magically ends his slump.
Richard Hamilton doesn't want to come off the bench. He did score 24 points on Wednesday, but as long as he's not starting, he's going to be inconsistent.
Rasheed Wallace is, technically speaking, upset. He had 16 points, seven rebounds and three treys on Wednesday, but was also ejected after picking up two technical fouls. It was initially thought that those were his 15th and 16th technicals of the season, which would have meant an automatic one-game suspension for Friday, but the league has rescinded two of his techs, so he'll actually be in uniform on Friday after all. And yes, it's sad that this is the best news coming out of Pistons country right now.
Obviously, something has to change in Detroit, and it's pretty obvious what that thing needs to be. Every day for the past week or so I've been certain that this will be the day that Michael Curry gets fired, but so far, it inexplicably hasn't happened. Will today be the day? If Curry does get fired, I think it could help boost all of the struggling Pistons, but in particular I see it helping Stuckey, who is very much in need of a fresh start.
While I briefly reminisce about the great joy of riding the People Mover in an effort to erase these foul Pistons vibes, let's transition to:
The Injury Report
Paul Pierce – Dislocated his thumb on Wednesday but played through it, and will probably continue to play through it going forward. His shooting may be slightly hampered, but otherwise I'm not too worried.
Nene – He says he's targeting a return from his knee injury against the Lakers on Friday. And if he doesn't make it back Friday, there's at least hope he'll be back on Sunday.
Tim Duncan – Sat out Wednesday due to quad tendinitis and is day-to-day for now.
Monta Ellis – His ankle is feeling better, and he could return to action as soon as Friday. That's good news, but keep in mind that we may not have seen the last of his ankle troubles this season.
Eric Gordon – Left early Wednesday with a bruised left shoulder. The good news is there's no dislocation, and it doesn't sound that serious.
Beno Udrih – Sprained his foot early in Wednesday's game and didn't return. More info on his status should surface later Thursday.
Al Thornton – He wanted to return from his strained arch Wednesday, but was held out. My guess is we'll see him back on the court this weekend.
Ray Allen – Played through a tailbone injury Wednesday and had 17 points. It shouldn't be an issue going forward.
Jamal Crawford – No injury here, but Don Nelson has announced that he'll bench Crawford on Friday as part of an effort to rest some of his veterans and get his younger players more minutes. It's not likely that Crawford or any other prominent Warriors miss that many games due to this new "plan" (if it can be called that), but this can only be classified one way: annoying.
A reminder: For exclusive stat projections, top 250 rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass, now available for just $4.99.
Now, onto all the pertinent developments from Wednesday's 11 games:
Indiana 104, Memphis 99
Rudy Gay got into foul trouble and had just eight points. I know a lot of you are frustrated, but I still maintain he can and will heat up… Marc Gasol dropped 22 and 15 on the Pacers, and though he won't do that often, he's a respectable fantasy starter right now… T.J. Ford scored 20 off the bench in his return from the flu, while Jarrett Jack stayed hot with 20 points, six assists, two threes and two steals. Jack will likely cool off at some point, but is definitely worth starting right now.
Philadelphia 106, Washington 98
Andre Iguodala had a huge game (22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, three treys, three steals and seven turnovers), and can hopefully continue knocking down threes… Samuel Dalembert is averaging 9.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 2.0 bpg this month… Marreese Speights (six points in 12 minutes) is droppable if you haven't made the move already… Dominic McGuire is quietly averaging 8.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 2.3 bpg in his last four… Andray Blatche (six points, two boards, three blocks) played just 16 minutes, but should bounce back… Javaris Crittenton (11 points, four assists, five turnovers, two steals) should take Mike James' job, but there's no telling exactly when it'll happen.
New Jersey 111, Chicago 99
It's official: Devin Harris (35.7 ppg in his last three) is on fire again… Vince Carter (4-of-14 for 11 points, nine boards, seven assists) is not… Yi Jianlian (eight points, nine boards, two steals and a block) is rounding into form… Tyrus Thomas shot badly (5-of-16), but posted 13 points, 11 boards, a steal and two blocks… John Salmons (15 points) got an encouraging 32 minutes off the bench… Joakim Noah (six points, eight boards) and Brad Miller (10 points, five boards) split the center minutes down the middle, but Miller should ultimately seize the more significant role.
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Orlando 114, New York 109
Superman vs. Krypto-Nate: 24 points, 21 boards and four blocks for Dwight Howard, and 32 points for Nate Robinson. Superman wins… Hedo Turkoglu went for 33, and is shooting well with Rafer Alston in town (56.6 percent)… Chris Duhon went scoreless, but still had seven boards and 10 assists. Don't panic… Wilson Chandler (27 points, six treys) got hot for the third time in his last six games… Larry Hughes (two points on 1-of-6 shooting) looks very droppable.
New Orleans 90, Detroit 87
Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 17 boards, and looks good despite 0-for-4 free throw shooting and zero blocks… David West isn't shooting well (40.0 percent in his last three), but otherwise looks terrific (30 points, 10 boards, two blocks)… Despite all the turmoil in Detroit, Antonio McDyess (15 points, nine boards) still looks decent, but isn't blocking any shots.
Utah 120, Minnesota 103
Carlos Boozer (12 points, four boards) should probably still be on fantasy benches for the moment… Mehmet Okur (25 points) has no problem playing with Boozer… Ronnie Brewer has been a defensive wizard lately (2.5 spg, 1.8 bpg in his last four), but the blocks are a fluke… Andrei Kirilenko (12 points, five boards, five assists, two steals) is looking better, while Paul Millsap (seven points, seven boards in 17 minutes) should be benched for now… Kevin Love (24 points, 15 boards) was great, but it's time to give up on him blocking shots… Ryan Gomes (24 points, eight boards) has now hit for 20-plus in five straight. He'll eventually cool off, but remains a strong option… Strong games from Mike Miller (21 points, eight boards, six assists) should no longer be a surprise.
San Antonio 99, Portland 84
Brandon Roy, Steve Blake and LaMarcus Aldridge all got shut down by the ruthless Spurs D… With no Tim Duncan and no Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker is a beast (39 points, nine assists)… Meanwhile, Roger Mason is cold, while Matt Bonner was good on Wednesday (15 points, nine boards, two steals, three treys), but is still hard to trust.
Dallas 116, Milwaukee 96
Dirk Nowitzki scored just 14 again, but don't read too much into it – this game was over in the first half… Josh Howard (27 points, seven boards, four threes, five steals, three blocks) was ridiculous, while Brandon Bass (18 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks) remains wildly unpredictable… And James Singleton (two points, seven boards) is still James Singleton… For the Bucks, anyone not named Charlie had an off night in the blowout loss (25 points for Charlie Villanueva, 19 for Charlie Bell).
Denver 110, Atlanta 109
Chauncey Billups recovered from an awful three-point outing with a season-high 33… Marvin Williams had 31 while Flip Murray had 15, but they benefited from the absence of Mike Bibby (flu) and Josh Smith (personal matter)… Meanwhile, Al Horford is coming on (21 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and a block).
Charlotte 98, Sacramento 91
Gerald Wallace dropped 27 on his former team after having fouled out in two straight… D.J. Augustin had 12 points and four threes, but still isn't getting enough minutes to be a consistent factor… Vladimir Radmanovic (10 points, five boards) played just 16 minutes and is only worth using in deep leagues… Francisco Garcia (15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block) stayed in the starting five, with Andres Nocioni (11 points) playing a relatively quiet 24 minutes off the bench… Drew Gooden (12 points, 13 rebounds) looked good in his first game in over a month. Might as well get him into your lineup for as long as he's healthy.
Los Angeles (Clippers) 93, Boston 91
Yes, you read that score correctly… Baron Davis (16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two threes, three steals) is suddenly locked in… Marcus Camby looks good (14 points, 11 boards, five blocks). The only issue now is whether or not his ear infection will allow him to fly to Sacramento… Zach Randolph had 30 and 12, but that shouldn't be a shock… Rajon Rondo had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and should continue to post strong stats even with the expected arrival of Stephon Marbury.
Tonight
Cleveland is at Houston in the early game, where I am hoping for (no, expecting) a Delonte West sighting. But the night's main event has the Suns taking on the Lakers in L.A., a game that should feature many, many baskets. We still don't officially know Steve Nash's status for that one, but keep checking back throughout the day because we should get some more definitive news sometime today. Regardless of whether or not Nash suits up (and I'm expecting him to give it a shot), the Doctor (A) will be in the house on Friday to let you know exactly what transpired.
I visited Detroit once, back in the summer of 1998. The high point of said visit was a ride on a train known as the "People Mover," a little monorail that – if memory serves correctly – made about four stops in a rather small loop around the cluster of office buildings downtown.
I guess another way to put it is, when I went to Detroit back in 1998, nothing really happened.
If only things were that uneventful for the NBA franchise located there. Consider the deluge of issues currently plaguing the Pistons:
Allen Iverson is hurt. He left Wednesday's game in the first quarter due to back trouble and could miss some time. It's probably nothing serious, but the bigger issue with Iverson is that, despite a few scoring outbursts this month, he's still largely looking like A.I. Lite (19.2 ppg in February).
Rodney Stuckey is slumping, badly. He had six points and five assists Wednesday, and that actually constituted the most productive outing in his last three. Iverson potentially missing time could help Stuckey rediscover his aggressiveness, but there's no guarantee that magically ends his slump.
Richard Hamilton doesn't want to come off the bench. He did score 24 points on Wednesday, but as long as he's not starting, he's going to be inconsistent.
Rasheed Wallace is, technically speaking, upset. He had 16 points, seven rebounds and three treys on Wednesday, but was also ejected after picking up two technical fouls. It was initially thought that those were his 15th and 16th technicals of the season, which would have meant an automatic one-game suspension for Friday, but the league has rescinded two of his techs, so he'll actually be in uniform on Friday after all. And yes, it's sad that this is the best news coming out of Pistons country right now.
Obviously, something has to change in Detroit, and it's pretty obvious what that thing needs to be. Every day for the past week or so I've been certain that this will be the day that Michael Curry gets fired, but so far, it inexplicably hasn't happened. Will today be the day? If Curry does get fired, I think it could help boost all of the struggling Pistons, but in particular I see it helping Stuckey, who is very much in need of a fresh start.
While I briefly reminisce about the great joy of riding the People Mover in an effort to erase these foul Pistons vibes, let's transition to:
The Injury Report
Paul Pierce – Dislocated his thumb on Wednesday but played through it, and will probably continue to play through it going forward. His shooting may be slightly hampered, but otherwise I'm not too worried.
Nene – He says he's targeting a return from his knee injury against the Lakers on Friday. And if he doesn't make it back Friday, there's at least hope he'll be back on Sunday.
Tim Duncan – Sat out Wednesday due to quad tendinitis and is day-to-day for now.
Monta Ellis – His ankle is feeling better, and he could return to action as soon as Friday. That's good news, but keep in mind that we may not have seen the last of his ankle troubles this season.
Eric Gordon – Left early Wednesday with a bruised left shoulder. The good news is there's no dislocation, and it doesn't sound that serious.
Beno Udrih – Sprained his foot early in Wednesday's game and didn't return. More info on his status should surface later Thursday.
Al Thornton – He wanted to return from his strained arch Wednesday, but was held out. My guess is we'll see him back on the court this weekend.
Ray Allen – Played through a tailbone injury Wednesday and had 17 points. It shouldn't be an issue going forward.
Jamal Crawford – No injury here, but Don Nelson has announced that he'll bench Crawford on Friday as part of an effort to rest some of his veterans and get his younger players more minutes. It's not likely that Crawford or any other prominent Warriors miss that many games due to this new "plan" (if it can be called that), but this can only be classified one way: annoying.
A reminder: For exclusive stat projections, top 250 rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass, now available for just $4.99.
Now, onto all the pertinent developments from Wednesday's 11 games:
Indiana 104, Memphis 99
Rudy Gay got into foul trouble and had just eight points. I know a lot of you are frustrated, but I still maintain he can and will heat up… Marc Gasol dropped 22 and 15 on the Pacers, and though he won't do that often, he's a respectable fantasy starter right now… T.J. Ford scored 20 off the bench in his return from the flu, while Jarrett Jack stayed hot with 20 points, six assists, two threes and two steals. Jack will likely cool off at some point, but is definitely worth starting right now.
Philadelphia 106, Washington 98
Andre Iguodala had a huge game (22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, three treys, three steals and seven turnovers), and can hopefully continue knocking down threes… Samuel Dalembert is averaging 9.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg and 2.0 bpg this month… Marreese Speights (six points in 12 minutes) is droppable if you haven't made the move already… Dominic McGuire is quietly averaging 8.8 ppg, 10.3 rpg and 2.3 bpg in his last four… Andray Blatche (six points, two boards, three blocks) played just 16 minutes, but should bounce back… Javaris Crittenton (11 points, four assists, five turnovers, two steals) should take Mike James' job, but there's no telling exactly when it'll happen.
New Jersey 111, Chicago 99
It's official: Devin Harris (35.7 ppg in his last three) is on fire again… Vince Carter (4-of-14 for 11 points, nine boards, seven assists) is not… Yi Jianlian (eight points, nine boards, two steals and a block) is rounding into form… Tyrus Thomas shot badly (5-of-16), but posted 13 points, 11 boards, a steal and two blocks… John Salmons (15 points) got an encouraging 32 minutes off the bench… Joakim Noah (six points, eight boards) and Brad Miller (10 points, five boards) split the center minutes down the middle, but Miller should ultimately seize the more significant role.
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Orlando 114, New York 109
Superman vs. Krypto-Nate: 24 points, 21 boards and four blocks for Dwight Howard, and 32 points for Nate Robinson. Superman wins… Hedo Turkoglu went for 33, and is shooting well with Rafer Alston in town (56.6 percent)… Chris Duhon went scoreless, but still had seven boards and 10 assists. Don't panic… Wilson Chandler (27 points, six treys) got hot for the third time in his last six games… Larry Hughes (two points on 1-of-6 shooting) looks very droppable.
New Orleans 90, Detroit 87
Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 17 boards, and looks good despite 0-for-4 free throw shooting and zero blocks… David West isn't shooting well (40.0 percent in his last three), but otherwise looks terrific (30 points, 10 boards, two blocks)… Despite all the turmoil in Detroit, Antonio McDyess (15 points, nine boards) still looks decent, but isn't blocking any shots.
Utah 120, Minnesota 103
Carlos Boozer (12 points, four boards) should probably still be on fantasy benches for the moment… Mehmet Okur (25 points) has no problem playing with Boozer… Ronnie Brewer has been a defensive wizard lately (2.5 spg, 1.8 bpg in his last four), but the blocks are a fluke… Andrei Kirilenko (12 points, five boards, five assists, two steals) is looking better, while Paul Millsap (seven points, seven boards in 17 minutes) should be benched for now… Kevin Love (24 points, 15 boards) was great, but it's time to give up on him blocking shots… Ryan Gomes (24 points, eight boards) has now hit for 20-plus in five straight. He'll eventually cool off, but remains a strong option… Strong games from Mike Miller (21 points, eight boards, six assists) should no longer be a surprise.
San Antonio 99, Portland 84
Brandon Roy, Steve Blake and LaMarcus Aldridge all got shut down by the ruthless Spurs D… With no Tim Duncan and no Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker is a beast (39 points, nine assists)… Meanwhile, Roger Mason is cold, while Matt Bonner was good on Wednesday (15 points, nine boards, two steals, three treys), but is still hard to trust.
Dallas 116, Milwaukee 96
Dirk Nowitzki scored just 14 again, but don't read too much into it – this game was over in the first half… Josh Howard (27 points, seven boards, four threes, five steals, three blocks) was ridiculous, while Brandon Bass (18 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks) remains wildly unpredictable… And James Singleton (two points, seven boards) is still James Singleton… For the Bucks, anyone not named Charlie had an off night in the blowout loss (25 points for Charlie Villanueva, 19 for Charlie Bell).
Denver 110, Atlanta 109
Chauncey Billups recovered from an awful three-point outing with a season-high 33… Marvin Williams had 31 while Flip Murray had 15, but they benefited from the absence of Mike Bibby (flu) and Josh Smith (personal matter)… Meanwhile, Al Horford is coming on (21 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and a block).
Charlotte 98, Sacramento 91
Gerald Wallace dropped 27 on his former team after having fouled out in two straight… D.J. Augustin had 12 points and four threes, but still isn't getting enough minutes to be a consistent factor… Vladimir Radmanovic (10 points, five boards) played just 16 minutes and is only worth using in deep leagues… Francisco Garcia (15 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block) stayed in the starting five, with Andres Nocioni (11 points) playing a relatively quiet 24 minutes off the bench… Drew Gooden (12 points, 13 rebounds) looked good in his first game in over a month. Might as well get him into your lineup for as long as he's healthy.
Los Angeles (Clippers) 93, Boston 91
Yes, you read that score correctly… Baron Davis (16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two threes, three steals) is suddenly locked in… Marcus Camby looks good (14 points, 11 boards, five blocks). The only issue now is whether or not his ear infection will allow him to fly to Sacramento… Zach Randolph had 30 and 12, but that shouldn't be a shock… Rajon Rondo had 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists, and should continue to post strong stats even with the expected arrival of Stephon Marbury.
Tonight
Cleveland is at Houston in the early game, where I am hoping for (no, expecting) a Delonte West sighting. But the night's main event has the Suns taking on the Lakers in L.A., a game that should feature many, many baskets. We still don't officially know Steve Nash's status for that one, but keep checking back throughout the day because we should get some more definitive news sometime today. Regardless of whether or not Nash suits up (and I'm expecting him to give it a shot), the Doctor (A) will be in the house on Friday to let you know exactly what transpired.
Even i posted here this play has O238, on my personal account it seems i took O237 and only today when i checked results of yesterday games i saw it :think2:...im sorry to put here the wrong number, but the official bet will be considered VOID (game end exactly 238 points), even i won on my account.
Worked out well for you then!
Sorry about that post further above, I meant to put it in the NBA news thread.
Congrats on the win in your account......:toast:
