Fantasy Related But Great Info........
Five Alive
Fantasy playoffs are upon us, and the decisions made over the next few weeks could embellish or undermine an entire season's worth of brilliant managerial maneuvering. There is a nice balance to the Week 22 schedule (depending upon who you own), and an interesting twist -- both the Bulls and Suns are blessed with five-game weeks.
Ben Gordon has never looked quite so fierce.
Five-game teams -- Bulls, Suns
Four-game teams -- Celtics, Clippers, Hawks, Heat, Knicks, Lakers, Nuggets, Pistons, 76ers, Spurs, Timberwolves, Wizards
Three-game teams -- Bobcats, Bucks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies, Hornets, Jazz, Magic, Mavericks, Nets, Pacers, Raptors, Thunder, Trail Blazers, Warriors
Two-game teams -- Kings, Rockets
Five Games
Bulls (was, DET, MIA, IND, tor)
For the first time this season, there are teams with five-game schedules (but not the last, since Jazz owners are blessed with a five-spot in Week 23). Fortunately for owners of
Derrick Rose,
Ben Gordon and
John Salmons, the Bulls are one of those teams. There aren't any particularly daunting defenses on the schedule, either, and more than a few favorable matchups. In fact, four of Chicago's five opponents (everyone except the Pistons) are ranked 23nd or worse in 3-pointers allowed -- just an extra bonus for Gordon and Salmons. Keep in mind, however,
the words of Matt Stroup: "Don't become excessively enamored of the five-game week." In order to facilitate your decision-making, here are a few quick facts about some borderline options, even in a five-game week.
Joakim Noah has cracked double-digits in just a single category over the past five games (13 points last Friday), averaging 0.6 steals and 0.6 blocks over the same span.
Tyrus Thomas is averaging 9.6 points on 39% shooting in the month of March, adding a paltry 6.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists. It all depends how much you need his 1.3 steals and 1.4 blocks.
Brad Miller is playing well lately, averaging 14.2 points on 51% shooting, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists over the past nine games. However, since joining the Bulls he's played 30+ minutes just twice, hasn't blocked more than one shot in any game, and is averaging 0.8 steals per game.
Kirk Hinrich is shooting 16-of-39 (41%) over the past five games. He has had more than four assists just twice in the past 11 games. Don't rely on him unless you're in dire need of three-pointers (1.3 per game) and steals (1.2).
Before we launch into the remainder of the schedule, take a moment to reflect on your fantasy baseball preparedness (yes, that's actually a word). If there is any lingering doubt in your mind about who the best sleepers might be, how offseason moves might affect player values, or what are the best strategies for your particular league, sign up for
Rotoworld's MLB Draft Guide. I would list everything that comes with it, but it would double the length of this column.
Suns (DEN, UTAH, por, utah, sac)
The Suns are the other beneficiary of a five-game slate (including the always questionable Kings defense), and they offer a host of intriguing fantasy starters.
Matt Barnes scored only five points on Wednesday, but he's been hot in March (15.7 points on 49% shooting, 5.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists) and his versatility is appealing.
Grant Hill continues to log heavy minutes and the 'nerve bundling' in his foot seems to have dissipated -- his numbers aren't overwhelming, but he's a fairly consistent source of points, rebounds, assists and steals. He also has just four TOs in the past six games.
[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1551"]Jason Richardson[/URL] is coming off two huge games, and it looks like he's rediscovered his offense after a mid-March lull. He doesn't offer much versatility (2.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks) but remains a great source of scoring (16.6 points) and three-pointers (1.8 threes).
Shaquille O'Neal is coming off back-to-back 26 point games. He grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked three shots on Wednesday, but prior to that he had gone five games without double-digit rebounds or more than one block. He might struggle with two games against the perimeter-minded Jazz center
Mehmet Okur, but if you own Shaq you might as well plug him in this week. Just be prepared to sacrifice your free throw percentage.
Steve Nash is an automatic start, but
Leandro Barbosa (hyperextended knee) is expected to miss at least the next three games and shouldn't be in any lineups this week. The timing of his injury is beyond unfortunate, but his absence should benefit aforementioned guys like Barnes, J-Rich and
Grant Hill.
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Four Games
Celtics (LAC, orl, atl, OKC)
The past few weeks have been dominated by injuries for Celtics' fans and fantasy owners, but for the most part their players have finally healed.
Kevin Garnett is the most obvious example -- unfortunately he played just 15 minutes on Friday and isn't expected to see any big jumps in playing time. Doc Rivers even referred to the final 13 games of the season as "practice" for KG, an utterance that may doom certain unfortunate fantasy squads.
Ray Allen scored a team-high 19 points on Friday after missing one game with a hyperextended elbow, so at least we don't have to worry about him.
Rajon Rondo's ankle injury from two weeks ago isn't a concern (he's posted three consecutive double-doubles), and for what it's worth neither is
Glen Davis' sprained ankle.
Clippers (bos, ny, sa, hou)
Four away games are daunting, but Clippers' owners have bigger things to worry about than the slight differences between home games vs. away games (for the record, the Clips score +2.0 ppg when away, though their FG% drops 0.5%). Owners need to worry, specifically, about the defenses of Boston, San Antonio and Houston. In terms of defending the paint, the Spurs rank 5th in the NBA (their opponents make 56.8% within the paint), the Celts rank 9th (57.6%) and the Rockets 12th (58.6%). Just as importantly, all three of those teams discourage teams from getting into the paint in the first place -- their opponents all shoot 32% of their shots (or less) in the paint.
That should temper any enthusiasm surrounding
Chris Kaman, who has yet to consistently play 30 minutes and hasn't grabbed double-digit rebounds or blocked two shots in a game since returning from injury.
Marcus Camby's status is a daily mystery. He finally overcame the effects of his imploded eardrum, but now is plagued by a sore hamstring. That screams "game-time decision" and should give most owners pause before using him -- he played on Friday, but finished with just 12 points, four rebounds and zero steals or blocks in 29 minutes.
Zach Randolph,
Eric Gordon,
Baron Davis and
Al Thornton are each solid starts this week...just try to ignore Thornton's six-point dud against the Pistons on Friday.
Hawks (MIN, SA, BOS, LAL)
The Hawks are another team with two games against elite defensive teams. Four home games are good news for
Joe Johnson's owners -- he has averaged 2.6 more points on 3.6% better shooting during home games this season (though you would start him regardless).
Mike Bibby is still struggling with his shot (39% in March), but he too shoots better when at home (45%) than away (42%).
Maurice Evans played 31 minutes on Thursday for the first time in March, but doesn't have much fantasy appeal even with
Marvin Williams (back) out of the lineup.
Flip Murray is another borderline fantasy option -- unfortunately, he hasn't scored 20 points since February 11th and doesn't have more than four rebounds or three assists in any March game. In short, avoid Evans and Murray unless you're getting paid to play them.
In the past seven games (after his altercation with coach Mike Woodson),
Josh Smith has averaged 17.3 points, 10 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 blocks. The Hawks won all seven of those games.
Heat (MEM, ind, chi, MIL)
Dwyane Wade's health is a major concern for Miami at the moment, but all fantasy owners can do is keep him active and hope for the best. His DNP last Wednesday was precautionary and random, and the favorable four-game schedule provide some margin for error. The only concern is back-to-back games on Wednesday and Thursday, but both of those games have potential playoff implications (Pacers...OK, maybe that's a stretch...and Bulls).
Daequan Cook is losing minutes to backup combo-guard
Luther Head, and probably shouldn't be in any lineups this week. On top of his dwindling minutes, he's just 6-of-21 from the field (2-of-13 from downtown) since returning from oral surgery.
Udonis Haslem recently scored double-digit points in eight consecutive games, one shy of his career-long streak (it ended with a five-point dud on Friday). That sounds more impressive than it is, however, since he never scored more than 12 points during the streak.
Knicks (ORL, LAC, NO, cha)
Chris Duhon is back in the Knicks' starting lineup, but his game is apparently still on vacation. In two games since returning, he's averaged 8.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 33 minutes per game. Even worse, those two games were against the decidedly unimposing defenses of New Jersey and Sacramento. Use him at your own discretion.
I hate to say it (actually it thrills me), but
Larry Hughes' hot streak is officially over. He scored 39 points on March 10th, but his points have dwindled in the following five games -- from 39 to 22, then 12, 15, 10 and finally three points against the Kings on Friday. He's making just 32% of his shots over the past five games.
David Lee has failed to record a double-double in either of the past two games, his longest drought since mid-November. Most owners probably wish he could slide back to PF, but there's no way of knowing whether Mike D'Antoni will tweak his starting lineup (though it seems likely after getting blown out by the lowly Kings). If Lee continues to play center, he could have some rough nights against
Dwight Howard and the Clippers potentially (if
Marcus Camby is healthy) deep frontcourt.
Keep an eye on
Al Harrington's status over the weekend -- he missed Friday's game with a sore Achilles but is hoping to return to action against the Magic on Saturday.
Lakers (okc, det, nj, atl)
The Lakers score the most points (107.5) and have the second-highest FG% (47.8%) of any road team this season, so this schedule isn't very intimidating. They also average the third-most steals of any team (8.5 per game) and should have no trouble plundering the Thunder on Tuesday, since OKC gives up 8.7 steals per game (tied with Sacramento for most in the league). With four games, the decisions in L.A. are pretty straight-forward -- Kobe, Pau and Lamar are easy starts, while
Trevor Ariza has come on strong lately. In the past four games, Ariza is averaging 16.3 points, 2.0 threes, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 steals.
Nuggets (pho, no, dal, GS)
J.R. Smith dropped 40 points on Friday (a performance George Karl dubbed "pretty good"), and dates against the Suns and Warriors are too enticing to keep him on your bench. Better yet, this schedule should maximize his minutes --
Dahntay Jones only starts when the Nuggets opponent features a dominant perimeter scorer, and neither the Hornets nor the Mavericks have such players.
Kenyon Martin (back) is showing signs of improvement, but until he's capable of playing a whole game he shouldn't be in any fantasy lineups.
Pistons (chi, LAL, was, PHI)
The Pistons have numerous injured players whose status could be determined over the weekend, so keep a close eye on our player news and
injury report.
Rodney Stuckey (flu)appears to be a safe start, since he's scheduled to return against the Bucks on Sunday. Rip Hamilton is doubtful for Sunday and questionable for Tuesday, but the recurring nature of his painful groin injury makes it difficult to predict his status.
Rasheed Wallace (calf) isn't expected back before Tuesday either, though tests on Saturday reportedly showed "significant improvement". Finally,
Allen Iverson is scheduled to have another round of tests on his back this Saturday, but it sounds like he'll return sometime this week. He's bound to be rusty, however, and will be adjusting to his bench role, so don't use him unless you're desperate. On the plus side,
Tayshaun Prince has been solid lately and
Antonio McDyess has been dominant -- since March 1st, he's averaging 13.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks.
76ers (por, MIN, CHA, det)
Spurs (GS, atl, LAC, no)
Manu Ginobili returned to practice on Thursday, but Gregg Popovich wouldn't say more than, "Hopefully, within the next week or so, we'll see him." That's somewhat cryptic, but clearly he's going to offer limited value next week. As much as it hurts, keep him benched.
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Three Games
Cavaliers (NJ, MIN, DAL)
The Cavaliers open the week with two home games that could easily turn into blowouts -- neither the Nets (30-39) nor the Wolves (20-49) are approaching .500 this season, and New Jersey will probably be missing
Devin Harris (shoulder).
Sasha Pavlovic will play increased minutes now that
Wally Szczerbiak (knee) is out for around two weeks, and
Daniel Gibson should be able to lock down around 20-25 minutes per game. Neither guy makes a great fantasy option, unfortunately, and they combined for nine points in Thursday's win over the Blazers. Keep an eye on
Anderson Varejao's status for Saturday's game -- right now he is questionable with a quadriceps injury, though he continued to play after sustaining the injury on Thursday. Any dip in production for Varejao could render him useless in fantasy leagues, especially in a three-game week.
Grizzlies (mia, sac, por)
Hornets (DEN, ny, SA)
Tyson Chandler (ankle) and
Peja Stojakovic (back) are both questionable for Sunday's game. Unless they come back with surprisingly great games, however, it's probably best to reserve them for another week. Chandler's injury has lingered for months, limiting his explosion (blocks, alley-oops and tough rebounds), and he's not a versatile option even when healthy. Peja will need to get his conditioning back and find his rhythm after a nine-game layoff...and that's only if he doesn't aggravate the injury.
Jazz (HOU, pho, PHO)
Utah's injury report is mercifully brief, and not much has changed since last week.
Mehmet Okur left Friday's game after getting hit in the eye, but there is no major injury to report and the team expects him to be available on Tuesday. With two games against the Suns (who have given up a average of 115.8 points in the past 10 games), there should be enough upside to start him in average leagues.
Magic (ny, BOS, MIL)
Perhaps the toughest call for Magic owners this week is what to do with
Rashard Lewis. Stan Van Gundy revealed on Friday that Lewis has been dealing with tendinitis in both knees lately, which (one hopes) accounts for his extended shooting slump in February and March. He averaged 14.7 points in both months, and is shooting a season-worst 38.5% from the field in March. His value is predicated upon efficient offense and copious three-pointers, making this drought particularly destructive. The Bucks three-point defense is average, but the Celtics are among the league's best and the Knicks are also surprisingly stingy -- only four teams (including Boston) hold their opponents to a lower percentage from downtown (34.7%).
Mavericks (GS, DEN, cle)
Jason Terry made his eighth start of the season on Friday, replacing J.J. Barea, but it's not clear if he'll remain in the starting lineup. "I wanted to get him out there with [Jason] Kidd for more minutes to start the game," said coach Rick Carlisle. Regardless of where he starts the game, and that date with the Cavaliers suffocating defense, Terry is too good to be on any benches.
Nets (cle, LAL, min)
The Nets immediate future (and waning playoff hopes) is dominated by
Devin Harris' sprained shoulder/strained deltoid. There is still no timetable for his return, and the Nets are reportedly looking to sign a backup PG to a 10-day contract. In the meantime,
Keyon Dooling should be a fine option -- he's playing around 35 minutes per game, averaging 14.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists with a handful of three-pointers and steals.
Vince Carter has also elevated his game, unsurprisingly, and should of course be active in all formats.
Pacers (MIA, chi, WAS)
The cumulative frustration of a season slipping away was visible on Friday, when
T.J. Ford and
Jarrett Jack got into an on-court confrontation. Jack was eventually sent to the locker room, and neither player logged more than 25 minutes. This shouldn't have a long-term impact on either guy's value, but it raises obvious concerns about the chemistry in the Pacers starting backcourt.
Marquis Daniels is day-to-day with a sprained wrist, and it might be time for owners to cut him and move on. He hadn't scored double-digit points in four consecutive games prior to getting shut down.
Raptors (MIL, OKC, CHI)
Thunder (LAL, tor, bos)
Trail Blazers (PHI, PHO, MEM)
Philadelphia is allowing their opponents to shoot over 50% from the field in the past 10 games (2nd worst in the league) and Phoenix is giving up 115.8 points over the same span (also second worst).
LaMarcus Aldridge should be fine despite his recent concussion (he's set to return on Saturday, so watch to see how he performs), but
Nicolas Batum remains day-to-day with a sprained ankle.
Travis Outlaw will start as long as Batum is sidelined, but be careful because of course we don't know how long that will be.
Warriors (sa, dal, den)
Ugh. The head games continue between Don Nelson and
Jamal Crawford,
Andris Biedrins is out until at least April 1st, and it's hard for fantasy owners to discuss the Warriors without slowly getting depressed. One potential bright spot is
Brandan Wright --
Jermareo Davidson (foot) is out indefinitely and
Anthony Randolph (groin) is day-to-day, opening to the door for Wright to play 30ish minutes on a consistent basis. Then again, it's unwise to underestimate Nellie's ability to destroy the hopes and dreams of his own players, not to mention fantasy owners.
Two Games
Kings (MEM, PHO)
With just two games on the schedule,
Kevin Martin might be the only King worth considering (
Spencer Hawes has been playing very well lately, but probably can't be used in average leagues). But even supposing K-Mart explodes, which he very well may against the Griz and Suns, owners should weigh all their options. At best, he'll get around 60 points, five 3-pointers, 10 rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Are those numbers better than
Matt Barnes with five games?
J.R. Smith with four?
Rudy Gay with three? You be the judge.
Rockets (utah, LAC)
This hurts for owners of
Yao Ming and
Ron Artest, who have a sticky decision to make. Artest has made just 36% of his shots during two games against the Clippers this season, though he fared better against the Jazz (26.5 points on 43% shooting in two games).
Yao Ming has averaged an identical 21.3 points against the Clips and Jazz this season, but the sheer lack of games might be too much to overcome.
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Aldridge (concussion) ready to play Saturday </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>LaMarcus Aldridge - F/C - POR - Mar. 21</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>LaMarcus Aldridge no longer feels the effects of his recent concussion, and will play against the Bucks on Saturday.
