Go to Your Happy Place
On one of my fantasy basketball teams for which I care dearly (actually, who am I kidding – I care dearly for all of them), I own the recently injured trio of Chris Paul, Gerald Wallace and Andrew Bynum, as well as the active but slightly gimpy Danny Granger. And for the record, I use the present tense of "own" (as opposed to the past tense of "owned") for Bynum because I'm still too shell-shocked to drop him.
In defense of my logic there, I do want to wait and see if there's any news on Bynum's timetable getting accelerated once he starts his rehab (reportedly in about 10 days), and there aren't any great free agents to add in the leagues where I have him. Furthermore, I can't help but think of Bynum's teammate, Jordan Farmar, who was said to be out eight weeks with a knee injury earlier this season only to return after four. Granted, Farmar had a different injury than Bynum, but the point is that timetables are very often less than precise.
With that said, when it comes to Bynum, I feel a little bit like the blind kid ("Billy in 4C") from Dumb and Dumber, who isn't aware that he's holding a decapitated parakeet whose head has been taped back on while he eerily chants, "Pretty bird… pretty bird." Granted, the difference between Billy in 4C and myself is that Billy doesn't know his pigeon is headless because he's blind, while I haven't admitted that Bynum has only one functioning leg and is likely to miss virtually all of the regular season because I'm still in denial that he got hurt.
In any case, as you can imagine, this recent barrage of injuries – CP3's groin, Wallace's rib/lung, Bynum's torn MCL, Granger's shaky knee – has made me more than a little bit irate. The good news is that A) my team that has all of those players is still in first place, and B) I was able to take out some of my recent frustration by bludgeoning a snowman with a tree branch and then melting his toppled remains with a cup of warm coffee.
The unfortunate thing is that despite that therapeutic demolition of a hand-crafted snow statue, I'm still feeling a little upset. But instead of breaking anything else, I have decided to heed the wise words of my dear friend, the fictional one-handed golf pro known as Chubbs Peterson, who once so wisely said, "Go to your happy place."
So without any further outbursts of anger, let's take this opportunity to discuss some recent positive developments in the world of fantasy hoops.
Positive Development #1: Danny Granger played Tuesday.
Okay, I promise that not all of the positive news will sound this melancholy, but it hasn't been that good of a week. Furthermore, the fact that Granger played through his lingering knee discomfort Tuesday (and looked terrific on his way to 28 points, four threes, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and two blocks) is very much a positive development.
And yes, there certainly is a possibility that the injury lingers and forced him to miss some games, and he was getting the knee iced when he wasn't in the game Tuesday, but after seeing Granger in action against Minnesota – and in particular, seeing him rise up to viciously swat both Rodney Carney and Al Jefferson at the rim – I have to say I'm not too worried about this knee thing. Maybe that's just the Billy in 4C in me talking, but I feel relatively upbeat about this one.
In the even that you don't share my optimism and find yourself questioning whether or not Granger can gut it out, remember that this is the same guy who got his two front teeth knocked out in the second game of the year against Boston – and then smiled. The fact is, Granger doesn't like to sit out, and he doesn't mind a little bit of pain. Ultimately, if you're still not convinced and feel that you have to trade him, make sure you're getting nothing short of top-notch talent in return.
A reminder: For exclusive stat projections, top 250 rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.
Positive Development #2: Elton Brand has yet to kill Andre Iguodala's value.
Then again, considering current state of Brand's shoulder (he played just nine minutes on Tuesday and had the shoulder in a protective sleeve), the Sixers' power forward probably couldn't kill a snowman right now. And furthermore, in the wake of that disappearing act against the Celtics Tuesday, it's being reported that Brand may have to shut it down for the time being.
Regardless of whether or not Brand is active, Iguodala looks outstanding right now (he had 22 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block against a tough Boston defense on Tuesday) and has continued to post strong numbers since Brand's return. In Brand's first six games back (through Tuesday), Iguodala averaged 20.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.5 apg and 1.8 spg. That doesn't qualify as his best stretch of the year, but it also doesn't qualify as significantly diminished production or any cause for concern.
If you need any further proof that Iguodala is feeling good on the court, look no further than Tuesday night, when the last two of his 22 points were a pull-up jumper in Paul Pierce's face to put Philly up 99-97 with 6.8 seconds left, after which he ran down the court performing the PG-13-rated gesture made famous by Sam Cassell as a means of signifying that he was in fact the most manly individual in the building.
Positive Development #3: Delonte's on his way.
It seems that every year, Delonte West is among the more quietly underappreciated role players in fantasy hoops. Yes, he does get injured a fair amount, and no, he doesn't score a lot of points, but the excessively-inked lefty with unpredictable hair stylings consistently posts very useful stats. Consider for a brief moment his averages from this year:
FG%: 46.7
FT%: 83.1
3PM: 1.8
REB: 3.1
AST: 3.5
STL: 1.5
TO: 1.1
PTS: 12.3
Are you telling me that those stats (particularly the threes, steals and assists with very steady turnovers and percentages) can't help your team? And are you telling me that there's a decent chance that West – who could return from his broken wrist next week – is still on your league's waiver wire? What are you doing still reading this sentence? Gettothatwaiverwirenow. (I wrote that in such a manner to save time and space, so that you could expedite your journey.)
Positive Development #4: Rudy Gay seems to be enjoying life under new coach Lionel Hollins.
In his last three games (through Tuesday), the semi-frustrating Grizzlies swingman has averaged 23.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 threes and 2.3 spg while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. I've said time and again that he'd eventually awaken, and it finally, mercifully appears to be happening. (PS – Memphis went 1-13 in January and 2-20 between December 16th and January 31st. That's bad.)
Positive Development #5: Tyrus Thomas is as close as he has been all season to taking up a full-time residence in Consistency Town.
Consider this: In his last five games heading into Wednesday night's matchup with New Orleans, Thomas has averaged 13.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.6 spg and 1.8 bpg.
That's the good news. The bad news is that he's shot just 42.6 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the line during that span and did throw out a vintage Tyrus clunker of 10 points with four boards (and nothing else) on January 31st. The other bad news is that Drew Gooden's return is looming, and could spoil at least a petit smidgen of Thomas' fun.
Casting those doubts aside momentarily, this recent stretch from Thomas is clearly his most prolonged run of productivity all year, and for the past month – aside from approximately a half dozen smelly games – he's been a largely useful fantasy player to own. I'm still not sure if I believe what I'm seeing (or what I'm saying), but at this precise moment you have to feel pretty decent if you have Tyrus Thomas on your squad.
And I remain very far from certain we'll still be able to say that a month from now, so make the most of this elevated productivity while it lasts.
Positive Development #6: Mike Dunleavy is just fine, thank you.
I know there were some concerned owners after Dunleavy laid a couple of stinkies and saw his minutes floating in the mid-to-high 20's the past couple weeks, but in his past three games, the man whose knee we waited on so long (not to be confused with </I>The Man Who Knew Too Little</I>) has averaged 21.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.3 apg while burying 9-of-21 threes (3.0 per game).
Positive Development #7: Number Five is Alive.
Josh Smith's last six games (entering Wednesday): 17.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.5 spg and 2.2 bpg. And there's still room for more improvement in blocks.
Positive Development #8: Welcome to Value Country.
If there is a positive aspect to Andrew Bynum's knee injury (and deeply upset Bynum owners will still argue that point to the death), it's that Lamar Odom's value gets a massive boost with the promotion to the starting five. (It's true that Pau Gasol gets a big boost too, but he already had good value prior to Bynum's injury.) Remember, Odom averaged a quietly excellent 14.2 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.0 spg and 0.9 bpg last season, and while I'd probably take the under on the 14.2 ppg at this point, the rest of those stats are very much attainable for as long as Bynum is out.
And yes, I know that using the phrase "for as long as Bynum is out" may be somewhat unnecessary considering that Bynum's current timetable sidelines him until the last couple weeks of the regular season, if not beyond. But just give me a minute here, please. I'm still not quite ready to let this scotch-taped, decapitated parakeet go.
On one of my fantasy basketball teams for which I care dearly (actually, who am I kidding – I care dearly for all of them), I own the recently injured trio of Chris Paul, Gerald Wallace and Andrew Bynum, as well as the active but slightly gimpy Danny Granger. And for the record, I use the present tense of "own" (as opposed to the past tense of "owned") for Bynum because I'm still too shell-shocked to drop him.
In defense of my logic there, I do want to wait and see if there's any news on Bynum's timetable getting accelerated once he starts his rehab (reportedly in about 10 days), and there aren't any great free agents to add in the leagues where I have him. Furthermore, I can't help but think of Bynum's teammate, Jordan Farmar, who was said to be out eight weeks with a knee injury earlier this season only to return after four. Granted, Farmar had a different injury than Bynum, but the point is that timetables are very often less than precise.
With that said, when it comes to Bynum, I feel a little bit like the blind kid ("Billy in 4C") from Dumb and Dumber, who isn't aware that he's holding a decapitated parakeet whose head has been taped back on while he eerily chants, "Pretty bird… pretty bird." Granted, the difference between Billy in 4C and myself is that Billy doesn't know his pigeon is headless because he's blind, while I haven't admitted that Bynum has only one functioning leg and is likely to miss virtually all of the regular season because I'm still in denial that he got hurt.
In any case, as you can imagine, this recent barrage of injuries – CP3's groin, Wallace's rib/lung, Bynum's torn MCL, Granger's shaky knee – has made me more than a little bit irate. The good news is that A) my team that has all of those players is still in first place, and B) I was able to take out some of my recent frustration by bludgeoning a snowman with a tree branch and then melting his toppled remains with a cup of warm coffee.
The unfortunate thing is that despite that therapeutic demolition of a hand-crafted snow statue, I'm still feeling a little upset. But instead of breaking anything else, I have decided to heed the wise words of my dear friend, the fictional one-handed golf pro known as Chubbs Peterson, who once so wisely said, "Go to your happy place."
So without any further outbursts of anger, let's take this opportunity to discuss some recent positive developments in the world of fantasy hoops.
Positive Development #1: Danny Granger played Tuesday.
Okay, I promise that not all of the positive news will sound this melancholy, but it hasn't been that good of a week. Furthermore, the fact that Granger played through his lingering knee discomfort Tuesday (and looked terrific on his way to 28 points, four threes, five rebounds, four assists, a steal and two blocks) is very much a positive development.
And yes, there certainly is a possibility that the injury lingers and forced him to miss some games, and he was getting the knee iced when he wasn't in the game Tuesday, but after seeing Granger in action against Minnesota – and in particular, seeing him rise up to viciously swat both Rodney Carney and Al Jefferson at the rim – I have to say I'm not too worried about this knee thing. Maybe that's just the Billy in 4C in me talking, but I feel relatively upbeat about this one.
In the even that you don't share my optimism and find yourself questioning whether or not Granger can gut it out, remember that this is the same guy who got his two front teeth knocked out in the second game of the year against Boston – and then smiled. The fact is, Granger doesn't like to sit out, and he doesn't mind a little bit of pain. Ultimately, if you're still not convinced and feel that you have to trade him, make sure you're getting nothing short of top-notch talent in return.
A reminder: For exclusive stat projections, top 250 rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.
Positive Development #2: Elton Brand has yet to kill Andre Iguodala's value.
Then again, considering current state of Brand's shoulder (he played just nine minutes on Tuesday and had the shoulder in a protective sleeve), the Sixers' power forward probably couldn't kill a snowman right now. And furthermore, in the wake of that disappearing act against the Celtics Tuesday, it's being reported that Brand may have to shut it down for the time being.
Regardless of whether or not Brand is active, Iguodala looks outstanding right now (he had 22 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block against a tough Boston defense on Tuesday) and has continued to post strong numbers since Brand's return. In Brand's first six games back (through Tuesday), Iguodala averaged 20.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.5 apg and 1.8 spg. That doesn't qualify as his best stretch of the year, but it also doesn't qualify as significantly diminished production or any cause for concern.
If you need any further proof that Iguodala is feeling good on the court, look no further than Tuesday night, when the last two of his 22 points were a pull-up jumper in Paul Pierce's face to put Philly up 99-97 with 6.8 seconds left, after which he ran down the court performing the PG-13-rated gesture made famous by Sam Cassell as a means of signifying that he was in fact the most manly individual in the building.
Positive Development #3: Delonte's on his way.
It seems that every year, Delonte West is among the more quietly underappreciated role players in fantasy hoops. Yes, he does get injured a fair amount, and no, he doesn't score a lot of points, but the excessively-inked lefty with unpredictable hair stylings consistently posts very useful stats. Consider for a brief moment his averages from this year:
FG%: 46.7
FT%: 83.1
3PM: 1.8
REB: 3.1
AST: 3.5
STL: 1.5
TO: 1.1
PTS: 12.3
Are you telling me that those stats (particularly the threes, steals and assists with very steady turnovers and percentages) can't help your team? And are you telling me that there's a decent chance that West – who could return from his broken wrist next week – is still on your league's waiver wire? What are you doing still reading this sentence? Gettothatwaiverwirenow. (I wrote that in such a manner to save time and space, so that you could expedite your journey.)
Positive Development #4: Rudy Gay seems to be enjoying life under new coach Lionel Hollins.
In his last three games (through Tuesday), the semi-frustrating Grizzlies swingman has averaged 23.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.7 threes and 2.3 spg while shooting 49.1 percent from the field. I've said time and again that he'd eventually awaken, and it finally, mercifully appears to be happening. (PS – Memphis went 1-13 in January and 2-20 between December 16th and January 31st. That's bad.)
Positive Development #5: Tyrus Thomas is as close as he has been all season to taking up a full-time residence in Consistency Town.
Consider this: In his last five games heading into Wednesday night's matchup with New Orleans, Thomas has averaged 13.0 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.6 spg and 1.8 bpg.
That's the good news. The bad news is that he's shot just 42.6 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the line during that span and did throw out a vintage Tyrus clunker of 10 points with four boards (and nothing else) on January 31st. The other bad news is that Drew Gooden's return is looming, and could spoil at least a petit smidgen of Thomas' fun.
Casting those doubts aside momentarily, this recent stretch from Thomas is clearly his most prolonged run of productivity all year, and for the past month – aside from approximately a half dozen smelly games – he's been a largely useful fantasy player to own. I'm still not sure if I believe what I'm seeing (or what I'm saying), but at this precise moment you have to feel pretty decent if you have Tyrus Thomas on your squad.
And I remain very far from certain we'll still be able to say that a month from now, so make the most of this elevated productivity while it lasts.
Positive Development #6: Mike Dunleavy is just fine, thank you.
I know there were some concerned owners after Dunleavy laid a couple of stinkies and saw his minutes floating in the mid-to-high 20's the past couple weeks, but in his past three games, the man whose knee we waited on so long (not to be confused with </I>The Man Who Knew Too Little</I>) has averaged 21.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.3 apg while burying 9-of-21 threes (3.0 per game).
Positive Development #7: Number Five is Alive.
Josh Smith's last six games (entering Wednesday): 17.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.5 spg and 2.2 bpg. And there's still room for more improvement in blocks.
Positive Development #8: Welcome to Value Country.
If there is a positive aspect to Andrew Bynum's knee injury (and deeply upset Bynum owners will still argue that point to the death), it's that Lamar Odom's value gets a massive boost with the promotion to the starting five. (It's true that Pau Gasol gets a big boost too, but he already had good value prior to Bynum's injury.) Remember, Odom averaged a quietly excellent 14.2 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.0 spg and 0.9 bpg last season, and while I'd probably take the under on the 14.2 ppg at this point, the rest of those stats are very much attainable for as long as Bynum is out.
And yes, I know that using the phrase "for as long as Bynum is out" may be somewhat unnecessary considering that Bynum's current timetable sidelines him until the last couple weeks of the regular season, if not beyond. But just give me a minute here, please. I'm still not quite ready to let this scotch-taped, decapitated parakeet go.
