We’re back from our hiatus with episode 18!
We talk about Gilbert Arenas, our All-Star picks, and trade rumors!
Download Episode 18 now!
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Most Prestigious Collegiate Basketball Tournament EVER
It's so prestigious that they had to sneak in the fact that the Finals are going to be played on BACK TO BACK DAYS.
+++
The match-up of ADMU versus FEU in the Finals is seen by some to be a correcting of a wrong in this season's UAAP finals. In other words, this was the Finals we were building up to, until FEU decided to chuck Mark Barroca out the window because of veiled whispers and innuendo.
The key to FEU's play has been Barroca's replacement, RR Garcia, who has been on fire in this tournament. Should the Tams come out on top, it's very likely that he'll be named MVP. That will result in him claiming the MVP trophy in two tournaments that don't really matter: The Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Invitational and the PCCL. That might be seen as an achievement in some quarters, but I don't. When it came to the tournament that mattered, the UAAP, Garcia played well only against the bottom four teams in the league. Then when he was handed the reins of the team in the FInal Four, he shot his team out of the games versus the UE Red Warriors.
If ever there was a time for the Garcia train to get derailed, it's now. I fully expect Ateneo captain, Jai Reyes, to shut Garcia down. People forget that Reyes shut down JV Casio in last season's UAAP Finals, and honey, RR Garcia ain't JV Casio.
Up front is where things get dicey. The chances of Rabeh Al-Hussaini suiting up for the Eagles are as slim as he is tall. I'm expecting Ateneo coach Norman Black to stick to his line-up of Nonoy Baclao at the 5 and Nico Salva at the 4, matched-up against Aldrech Ramos and Riel Cervantes respectively. While Ramos and Baclao can cancel each other out, the Salva-Cervantes situation worries me a lot. Cervantes has more bulk, and is a better rebounder. On the other hand, Salva's speed and athleticism will give the guy fits. I think Oping Sumalinog might be a better fit defensively, and if he can come up with another 14 points like he did versus San Beda, then all will be roses.
Perhaps the biggest ADMU advantage is the depth of our bench, which goes deep, especially combined with the fact that each game has brought forth a new top scorer. For FEU, really the only people you have to watch out for are Garcia, Cervantes, possibly Cawaling, and Sanga, who seems to love to torch us. Toss in the fact that the games will be back to back and I can't think that favors us (and cue the conspiracy theories that we're being set up to win this one).
PREDICTION: ADMU in two games. (And by the way, what happens when it goes to three games? If they're playing it on Friday then you know this be whack.)
+++
The match-up of ADMU versus FEU in the Finals is seen by some to be a correcting of a wrong in this season's UAAP finals. In other words, this was the Finals we were building up to, until FEU decided to chuck Mark Barroca out the window because of veiled whispers and innuendo.
The key to FEU's play has been Barroca's replacement, RR Garcia, who has been on fire in this tournament. Should the Tams come out on top, it's very likely that he'll be named MVP. That will result in him claiming the MVP trophy in two tournaments that don't really matter: The Fil-Oil Flying V Preseason Invitational and the PCCL. That might be seen as an achievement in some quarters, but I don't. When it came to the tournament that mattered, the UAAP, Garcia played well only against the bottom four teams in the league. Then when he was handed the reins of the team in the FInal Four, he shot his team out of the games versus the UE Red Warriors.
If ever there was a time for the Garcia train to get derailed, it's now. I fully expect Ateneo captain, Jai Reyes, to shut Garcia down. People forget that Reyes shut down JV Casio in last season's UAAP Finals, and honey, RR Garcia ain't JV Casio.
Up front is where things get dicey. The chances of Rabeh Al-Hussaini suiting up for the Eagles are as slim as he is tall. I'm expecting Ateneo coach Norman Black to stick to his line-up of Nonoy Baclao at the 5 and Nico Salva at the 4, matched-up against Aldrech Ramos and Riel Cervantes respectively. While Ramos and Baclao can cancel each other out, the Salva-Cervantes situation worries me a lot. Cervantes has more bulk, and is a better rebounder. On the other hand, Salva's speed and athleticism will give the guy fits. I think Oping Sumalinog might be a better fit defensively, and if he can come up with another 14 points like he did versus San Beda, then all will be roses.
Perhaps the biggest ADMU advantage is the depth of our bench, which goes deep, especially combined with the fact that each game has brought forth a new top scorer. For FEU, really the only people you have to watch out for are Garcia, Cervantes, possibly Cawaling, and Sanga, who seems to love to torch us. Toss in the fact that the games will be back to back and I can't think that favors us (and cue the conspiracy theories that we're being set up to win this one).
PREDICTION: ADMU in two games. (And by the way, what happens when it goes to three games? If they're playing it on Friday then you know this be whack.)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Does That Answer Your Question?
Allen Iverson returns to where it all started, agreeing to a non-guaranteed, one-year deal with the team that drafted him, the Philadelphia 76ers.
After "retiring" his way out of Memphis, the controversial guard will get his starting job for a team that's currently 13th in the Eastern Conference, and 2.5 games out of the 8th playoff spot.
You may choose to argue whether the move was done out of a need to drum up publicity for the club (29th in attendance this season), out of sentimentality, or as I think, a real need for bodies on the court (last season's big signing, Elton Brand, has been in and out, promising forward/center Marreese Speights is still a month off, starting point guard Lou Williams is about a month and a half from returning), but the fact remains that with coach Eddie Jordan promising Iverson a starting job, The Answer could be exactly that for your fantasy team.
First off, Iverson is PG/SG eligible, which means theoretically, he will start at either position, in his first game Monday (Tuesday, Philippine time) versus another former team, the Denver Nuggets.
The current starting point guard, rookie Jrue Holiday, has been pretty mediocre, averaging 6.5 points (29.7% FG, 0% 3PT, 66.7% FT), 4 assists, 1.5 rebs, 1 steal and 2.5 TOs.
Current starting shooting guard, Willie Green, has been on fire since getting the job, norming 20 points (42.4% FG, 100% FT), 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks to only 1.5 TOs in the two games he's had the job.
I still think though that Jordan will have Iverson at the SG spot, returning Green to the bench. Having Iverson on the floor means Holiday has an automatic go-to option when the play isn't going well, freeing him up from having to force a shot in bad situations. Iverson is also a better on-ball defender than Green, who can help the anemic 76ers bench production.
My projections for Iverson: 15 ppg on 42% FG with 0.5 treys per game, 2 rebs, 5 asts, 1 steal, 3 turnovers. Does that make him a must-add? In my book, yes. He's better than most of the people you've been throwing out there as your third-string point guard (guys in the vein of George Hill, Earl Boykins, and Marcus Williams) with the potential to explode for 25+ points each time he's on the court. If he's still on your waiver wire, I think he makes a nice, low-risk investment that will most likely pay dividends soon.
Is he a long-term keeper? Probably not. The language of his contract is that it's non-guaranteed, meaning the 76ers can drop him at any time with little financial backlash (coupled with the fact that his contract figure is pretty low in the first place). But if you're in need of a guard who can get you points and assists until around early February, Iverson's your man.
After "retiring" his way out of Memphis, the controversial guard will get his starting job for a team that's currently 13th in the Eastern Conference, and 2.5 games out of the 8th playoff spot.
You may choose to argue whether the move was done out of a need to drum up publicity for the club (29th in attendance this season), out of sentimentality, or as I think, a real need for bodies on the court (last season's big signing, Elton Brand, has been in and out, promising forward/center Marreese Speights is still a month off, starting point guard Lou Williams is about a month and a half from returning), but the fact remains that with coach Eddie Jordan promising Iverson a starting job, The Answer could be exactly that for your fantasy team.
First off, Iverson is PG/SG eligible, which means theoretically, he will start at either position, in his first game Monday (Tuesday, Philippine time) versus another former team, the Denver Nuggets.
The current starting point guard, rookie Jrue Holiday, has been pretty mediocre, averaging 6.5 points (29.7% FG, 0% 3PT, 66.7% FT), 4 assists, 1.5 rebs, 1 steal and 2.5 TOs.
Current starting shooting guard, Willie Green, has been on fire since getting the job, norming 20 points (42.4% FG, 100% FT), 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks to only 1.5 TOs in the two games he's had the job.
I still think though that Jordan will have Iverson at the SG spot, returning Green to the bench. Having Iverson on the floor means Holiday has an automatic go-to option when the play isn't going well, freeing him up from having to force a shot in bad situations. Iverson is also a better on-ball defender than Green, who can help the anemic 76ers bench production.
My projections for Iverson: 15 ppg on 42% FG with 0.5 treys per game, 2 rebs, 5 asts, 1 steal, 3 turnovers. Does that make him a must-add? In my book, yes. He's better than most of the people you've been throwing out there as your third-string point guard (guys in the vein of George Hill, Earl Boykins, and Marcus Williams) with the potential to explode for 25+ points each time he's on the court. If he's still on your waiver wire, I think he makes a nice, low-risk investment that will most likely pay dividends soon.
Is he a long-term keeper? Probably not. The language of his contract is that it's non-guaranteed, meaning the 76ers can drop him at any time with little financial backlash (coupled with the fact that his contract figure is pretty low in the first place). But if you're in need of a guard who can get you points and assists until around early February, Iverson's your man.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Grading the Deal: S-Jax to Charlotte
I suppose it was inevitable that the Warriors would trade the player formerly nicknamed "Captain Jack," Stephen Jackson. Since the offseason, Stephen Jackson hasn't done much captain-ing, and has generally been a disturbance to an already disturbed team.
This probably isn't the place to go on and on about the general incompetence of the Warriors coaching and management staff, with regards to the overwhelming sense of discontent and near-riot status of the Warriors' locker room, so I'll limit myself to on-court talk. It should be enough to say that I can't wait for Nelly to leave, for Rowell to be fired, and for Cohan to sell the team.
Let's talk about the trades that weren't made first.
Supposedly, the Cavaliers offered a resigned, and only partially guaranteed Wally Szcerbiak and Delonte West for Jackson. This trade meant that they could keep Zydrunas Ilgauskas, giving them someone to throw out there when Shaq takes his periodic breaks (like right now) and/or they would still have something they could turn into a better piece before the trade deadline.
While this trade would have meant that the Warriors would have more salary cap space (they could waive both Szcerbiak and West for very little monetary penalty), it would have meant that the Warriors essentially traded Jackson for money. And given the injury problems haunting the Warriors right now, they could not bring themselves to pull the trigger on this deal.
Another scenario was that Charlotte would have offered the same two players, Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic to Philadelphia for Samuel Dalembert. Given the shaky status of Tyson Chandler right now, I'm sure the Bobcats would have appreciated the shot blocking of Dalembert. Also, his contract expires in 2011, much earlier than Jackson's, which expires in 2012 (although Jackson is paid less). However, as much as they need a defensive presence down low, the Bobcats also need scoring, and tons of it. Thus the move for Jackson.
Let's now talk about the actual trade that went down - Stephen Jackson and Acie Law for Vladimir Radmanovic and Raja Bell.
For the Warriors, the trade accomplishes two things. They get some salary cap relief, stemming from the fact that Raja Bell's deal expires next season for $5.3 million, while Radmanovic has a player option next season for $6.9 million, which he will probably pick up, but that's a deal that will clear the books earlier than Jackson and for less money. The second thing it accomplishes is that it puts some people who might actually play on the roster. The Warriors have been missing Andris Biedrins and Ronnie Turiaf, their main two big men, Kelanna Azabuike is out for the season thanks to his leg injury, and CJ Watson has swine flu. Coupled with Brandan Wright being out for the season as well, and the corpses known as Devean George and Speedy Claxton, the Warriors would have been down to 6 players if they accepted Cleveland's deal.
Recent developments though have alerted us to the fact that Raja Bell has opted to take wrist surgery, so he's out as well, reducing the Warriors to just 7 active players.
It's clear that Bell doesn't want to be here, although his veteran presence would have been great in the locker room, especially with Steph Curry, but it's looking more likely that he'll be waived and then sign with a championship contender, or traded.
I like the move for the Warriors. They really needed to be rid of Jackson, and they got some nice contracts in return. In total, the Warriors now have 5 2010 expiring contracts, totaling to $14.4 million. These will make for excellent trade bait for teams that are trying to clear cap space, or they can use it to clear cap space for themselves. Either way, the only time I'm going to be ecstatic over this deal is if the Warriors can package those contracts plus someone like Monta Ells (who reportedly now wants out as well) into an All-Star caliber player, or use that space to sign someone in 2011 (when they'll only have around $34.6 millionshould all team and player options be picked up). Should the Warriors just stand pat, then this deal looks a lot worse.
On the other hand, this deal doesn't make that much sense for Charlotte. True they needed scoring, and acquiring Jackson gives them a good trio when combined with Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw. Also, Jackson can bring down the ball and run an offense, something the Bobcats point guards have been failing at lately. The problem though is twofold: age, and money. Jackson is too old that when the Bobcats are in a position to contend for the 8th spot in the East, it'll be in spite of him, not because of him. Secondly and relatedly, Jackson's contract is ridiculously long and more money than he really deserves. The team is already burdened with DeSagana Diop's bloated deal that come 2012, when the team will have only $29 million on the books, the two will make $18.8 million of that amount.
True, it still remains to be seen if Jackson will really stay. Part of the appeal of executing a trade like this so early in the season is the chance to move the players around if things don't work out with plenty of time before the trading deadline in February.
Grade for the Warriors: B (but incomplete)
Grade for the Bobcats: C-
Crank Up the Trade Machine!
- GSW trades S. Claxton, R. Bell, M. Ellis and V. Radmanovic to NOH for C. Paul, J. Posey and P. Stojakovic
Why GSW Does It: It's Chris-Freaking-Paul
Why NOH Does It: Dumps their two biggest contracts and compensates for the loss of Paul with Ellis
- CHA trades S. Jackson, A. Law and R. Felton to CHI for K. Hinrich and T. Thomas
Why CHA Does It: Upgrades their point guard position and gets them the secondary shot blocker and potential monster player.
Why CHI Does It: Salarywise, Jackson makes less per year than Hinrich. Coupled with the two expiring contracts, this gives them more cap space to make a run at Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade.
This probably isn't the place to go on and on about the general incompetence of the Warriors coaching and management staff, with regards to the overwhelming sense of discontent and near-riot status of the Warriors' locker room, so I'll limit myself to on-court talk. It should be enough to say that I can't wait for Nelly to leave, for Rowell to be fired, and for Cohan to sell the team.
Let's talk about the trades that weren't made first.
Supposedly, the Cavaliers offered a resigned, and only partially guaranteed Wally Szcerbiak and Delonte West for Jackson. This trade meant that they could keep Zydrunas Ilgauskas, giving them someone to throw out there when Shaq takes his periodic breaks (like right now) and/or they would still have something they could turn into a better piece before the trade deadline.
While this trade would have meant that the Warriors would have more salary cap space (they could waive both Szcerbiak and West for very little monetary penalty), it would have meant that the Warriors essentially traded Jackson for money. And given the injury problems haunting the Warriors right now, they could not bring themselves to pull the trigger on this deal.
Another scenario was that Charlotte would have offered the same two players, Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic to Philadelphia for Samuel Dalembert. Given the shaky status of Tyson Chandler right now, I'm sure the Bobcats would have appreciated the shot blocking of Dalembert. Also, his contract expires in 2011, much earlier than Jackson's, which expires in 2012 (although Jackson is paid less). However, as much as they need a defensive presence down low, the Bobcats also need scoring, and tons of it. Thus the move for Jackson.
Let's now talk about the actual trade that went down - Stephen Jackson and Acie Law for Vladimir Radmanovic and Raja Bell.
For the Warriors, the trade accomplishes two things. They get some salary cap relief, stemming from the fact that Raja Bell's deal expires next season for $5.3 million, while Radmanovic has a player option next season for $6.9 million, which he will probably pick up, but that's a deal that will clear the books earlier than Jackson and for less money. The second thing it accomplishes is that it puts some people who might actually play on the roster. The Warriors have been missing Andris Biedrins and Ronnie Turiaf, their main two big men, Kelanna Azabuike is out for the season thanks to his leg injury, and CJ Watson has swine flu. Coupled with Brandan Wright being out for the season as well, and the corpses known as Devean George and Speedy Claxton, the Warriors would have been down to 6 players if they accepted Cleveland's deal.
Recent developments though have alerted us to the fact that Raja Bell has opted to take wrist surgery, so he's out as well, reducing the Warriors to just 7 active players.
It's clear that Bell doesn't want to be here, although his veteran presence would have been great in the locker room, especially with Steph Curry, but it's looking more likely that he'll be waived and then sign with a championship contender, or traded.
I like the move for the Warriors. They really needed to be rid of Jackson, and they got some nice contracts in return. In total, the Warriors now have 5 2010 expiring contracts, totaling to $14.4 million. These will make for excellent trade bait for teams that are trying to clear cap space, or they can use it to clear cap space for themselves. Either way, the only time I'm going to be ecstatic over this deal is if the Warriors can package those contracts plus someone like Monta Ells (who reportedly now wants out as well) into an All-Star caliber player, or use that space to sign someone in 2011 (when they'll only have around $34.6 millionshould all team and player options be picked up). Should the Warriors just stand pat, then this deal looks a lot worse.
On the other hand, this deal doesn't make that much sense for Charlotte. True they needed scoring, and acquiring Jackson gives them a good trio when combined with Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw. Also, Jackson can bring down the ball and run an offense, something the Bobcats point guards have been failing at lately. The problem though is twofold: age, and money. Jackson is too old that when the Bobcats are in a position to contend for the 8th spot in the East, it'll be in spite of him, not because of him. Secondly and relatedly, Jackson's contract is ridiculously long and more money than he really deserves. The team is already burdened with DeSagana Diop's bloated deal that come 2012, when the team will have only $29 million on the books, the two will make $18.8 million of that amount.
True, it still remains to be seen if Jackson will really stay. Part of the appeal of executing a trade like this so early in the season is the chance to move the players around if things don't work out with plenty of time before the trading deadline in February.
Grade for the Warriors: B (but incomplete)
Grade for the Bobcats: C-
Crank Up the Trade Machine!
- GSW trades S. Claxton, R. Bell, M. Ellis and V. Radmanovic to NOH for C. Paul, J. Posey and P. Stojakovic
Why GSW Does It: It's Chris-Freaking-Paul
Why NOH Does It: Dumps their two biggest contracts and compensates for the loss of Paul with Ellis
- CHA trades S. Jackson, A. Law and R. Felton to CHI for K. Hinrich and T. Thomas
Why CHA Does It: Upgrades their point guard position and gets them the secondary shot blocker and potential monster player.
Why CHI Does It: Salarywise, Jackson makes less per year than Hinrich. Coupled with the two expiring contracts, this gives them more cap space to make a run at Chris Bosh or Dwayne Wade.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Boykins is back!
Lost in the shuffle of Brandon Jennings' monstrous double nickel performance was Earl Boykins' NBA comeback. In his first game since April 2008, the 5'5" point guard returning from Italy scored 20 points, grabbed a rebound, and dished out 3 dimes in 30 minutes of action for the Washington Wizards. Not bad. Not bad at all.
Just watch out for his 4 turnovers.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Brandon Jennings, are you for real?
Here's his Points-Rebounds-Assists line for the first three games of his young (and hopefully lengthy) NBA career.
October 30 @ 76ers: 17-9-9
October 31 vs Pistons: 24-2-3
November 3 @ Bulls: 25-1-4
Looks like his playing days in Europe have paid off after the first three games of the season. He has oozed with so much confidence, and is looking to get his teammates involved. The first three/four guys he was matched up against were Lou Williams, Rodney Stuckey/Ben Gordon, and Derrick Rose. Derrick f***ing Rose. To be able to play at such a high caliber against one of the elite point guards in the league, albeit with a bum ankle, is very telling of how his game will continue to develop.
There are two main concerns with his performance so far. First would probably be his overeagerness to get to the ball. He was whistled with 5 fouls in each of his first two games, but even as he gets caught with those hand checks, it's a good sign that he's being aggressive in taking the opposing point guard out of his rhythm. Second has to be the rookie wall. Rookies have the tendency to come out with a string of above-average games, games that could push a fantasy neophyte to pull the plug on one of his struggling role players and do the add-drop process.
Now would be too soon to do that. Jennings will hit the rookie wall, and we can expect his marks to level off a bit, especially after going against middle-tiered teams who will allow two or three guys from the Bucks to go off for big numbers. Nevertheless, if you have Jennings on your roster right now, he's one for keeps, unless someone makes a hell of a deal to get him from your team.
Trevor Ariza, anyone?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Ye Land of Fantasy: Chapter 1 - 0910
They Who Shall Be Exulted:
Rajon Rondo (BOS) - 8 points (4/8 FG), 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers in 34:29 minutes
I love Rajon Rondo so much. I love the stats across the board the high free throw percentage, the low turnovers, the whole package. I'm happy to see him get off to a fast start, as he was slow coming out of the gates last season (which caused me to drop him back then, OH SNAP!)
LeBron James (CLE) - 39 points (12/22 FG, 4/9 3PT, 10/13 FT), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 5 turnovers in 44:55 minutes
LeBron being LeBron.
Gilbert Arenas (WAS) - 29 points (10/21 FG, 1/4 3PT, 8/9 FT), 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 turnovers in 38:20 minutes
Arenas being early 2007 Arenas. Of course, the first game is always easy, it's the second game where the old injuries creep back in, so keep an eye out on the-baller-formerly-known-as-Hibachi
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) - 34 points (10/25 FG, 2/5 3PT, 12/13 FT), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers in 38:58 minutes
Dallas looked awful awhile ago, with Nowitzki having to take on the scoring cudgels, what with the two Jasons looking like they forgot how to shoot. These numbers are way past his averages, and if this becomes a regular thing, kudos to you who drafted him.
Eric Gordon (LAC) - 21 points (7/14 FG, 2/5 3PT, 5/6 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers in 32:39 minutes
No Griffin, no problem for Gordon. Love the across the board statline but I doubt you can count on a block each game.
Andrew Bynum (LAL) - 26 points (9/15 FG, 8/10 FT), 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers in 38:12 minutes
The Lakers were already planning to go to Bynum heavily early on (y'know, while he's healthy), but Gasol's absence lead to Bynum being option #2 after Kobe, and boy did he dominate the Clips. Expect production to drop down to Earth (19-8 perhaps) when Gasol gets back though.
Lamar Odom (LAL) - 16 points (6/13 FG, 2/5 3PT, 2/4 FT), 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers in 40:04 minutes
Same as above, plus a line about how he'll be rewarded at home (oh the perks of marriage!)
They Who Shall Be Shamed:
Baron Davis (LAC) - 2 points (1/10 FG), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers in 27:39 minutes
B-Dizzle couldn't hit anything and didn't bother to try to get to the line. Surprisingly only had 2 turnovers though.
Luis Scola (HOU) - 3 points (1/6 FG, 1/2 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block in 22:05 minutes
Eff you "fantasy sleeper," eff you!
Greg Oden (POR) - 2 points (1/3 FG), 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5 blocks, 7 turnovers in 26:21 minutes
I have no idea what to make of this line. Okay, actually, I do. 3 field goal attempts and 7 turnovers means they were trying to get him the ball, but he'd either lose it on his own volition or have it poked away. I originally thought he'd dominate on the offensive end as well with Houston's undersized line-up but apparently not. Let's see how he does against someone his own size first before we really start throwing stones though.
Sleeper Country:
Andray Blatche (WAS) - 20 points (8/14 FG, 4/4 FT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks in 34:59 minutes
The story goes, Flip Saunders went with Fabricio Oberto as starter because he had more experience guarding Dirk Nowitzki. 2 quick fouls saw to that plan though, and in came Blatche, who ought to be on a roster while Antawn Jamison is out.
Randy Foye (WAS) - 19 points (8/14 FG, 1/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers in 30:18 minutes
Foye, now the 6th man instead of the main guard, obviously likes his new gig. I can see him moving into the starting line-up eventually though, or on certain match-ups, but if he can keep shooting this way, he'll be a good fantasy option.
Kyle Lowry (HOU) - 12 points (3/7 FG, 1/1 3PT, 5/6 FT), 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover
Lowry's 8 assists off the bench are certainly impressive, but so are his other stats, which were more palatable than Aaron Brooks'. I think he'll be able to rack up a generous amount of assists on a regular basis since the Rockets mean to run at every opportunity so he might be a waiver wire option for those who need that stat.
Future Shock:
Lou Williams, Ryan Anderson, Andrea Bargnani, Roy Hibbert, Jamal Crawford, DJ Augustin, Chris Duhon, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, James Harden, Yi Jianlian, Oleksiy Pecherov, Ben Gordon, Rudy Gay, Emeka Okafor, Manu Ginobli, Channing Frye, Carlos Boozer, Luis Scola, Ronny Turiaf
Rajon Rondo (BOS) - 8 points (4/8 FG), 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 2 turnovers in 34:29 minutes
I love Rajon Rondo so much. I love the stats across the board the high free throw percentage, the low turnovers, the whole package. I'm happy to see him get off to a fast start, as he was slow coming out of the gates last season (which caused me to drop him back then, OH SNAP!)
LeBron James (CLE) - 39 points (12/22 FG, 4/9 3PT, 10/13 FT), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 5 turnovers in 44:55 minutes
LeBron being LeBron.
Gilbert Arenas (WAS) - 29 points (10/21 FG, 1/4 3PT, 8/9 FT), 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 turnovers in 38:20 minutes
Arenas being early 2007 Arenas. Of course, the first game is always easy, it's the second game where the old injuries creep back in, so keep an eye out on the-baller-formerly-known-as-Hibachi
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) - 34 points (10/25 FG, 2/5 3PT, 12/13 FT), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers in 38:58 minutes
Dallas looked awful awhile ago, with Nowitzki having to take on the scoring cudgels, what with the two Jasons looking like they forgot how to shoot. These numbers are way past his averages, and if this becomes a regular thing, kudos to you who drafted him.
Eric Gordon (LAC) - 21 points (7/14 FG, 2/5 3PT, 5/6 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers in 32:39 minutes
No Griffin, no problem for Gordon. Love the across the board statline but I doubt you can count on a block each game.
Andrew Bynum (LAL) - 26 points (9/15 FG, 8/10 FT), 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers in 38:12 minutes
The Lakers were already planning to go to Bynum heavily early on (y'know, while he's healthy), but Gasol's absence lead to Bynum being option #2 after Kobe, and boy did he dominate the Clips. Expect production to drop down to Earth (19-8 perhaps) when Gasol gets back though.
Lamar Odom (LAL) - 16 points (6/13 FG, 2/5 3PT, 2/4 FT), 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers in 40:04 minutes
Same as above, plus a line about how he'll be rewarded at home (oh the perks of marriage!)
They Who Shall Be Shamed:
Baron Davis (LAC) - 2 points (1/10 FG), 4 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers in 27:39 minutes
B-Dizzle couldn't hit anything and didn't bother to try to get to the line. Surprisingly only had 2 turnovers though.
Luis Scola (HOU) - 3 points (1/6 FG, 1/2 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block in 22:05 minutes
Eff you "fantasy sleeper," eff you!
Greg Oden (POR) - 2 points (1/3 FG), 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 5 blocks, 7 turnovers in 26:21 minutes
I have no idea what to make of this line. Okay, actually, I do. 3 field goal attempts and 7 turnovers means they were trying to get him the ball, but he'd either lose it on his own volition or have it poked away. I originally thought he'd dominate on the offensive end as well with Houston's undersized line-up but apparently not. Let's see how he does against someone his own size first before we really start throwing stones though.
Sleeper Country:
Andray Blatche (WAS) - 20 points (8/14 FG, 4/4 FT), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks in 34:59 minutes
The story goes, Flip Saunders went with Fabricio Oberto as starter because he had more experience guarding Dirk Nowitzki. 2 quick fouls saw to that plan though, and in came Blatche, who ought to be on a roster while Antawn Jamison is out.
Randy Foye (WAS) - 19 points (8/14 FG, 1/3 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 2 turnovers in 30:18 minutes
Foye, now the 6th man instead of the main guard, obviously likes his new gig. I can see him moving into the starting line-up eventually though, or on certain match-ups, but if he can keep shooting this way, he'll be a good fantasy option.
Kyle Lowry (HOU) - 12 points (3/7 FG, 1/1 3PT, 5/6 FT), 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover
Lowry's 8 assists off the bench are certainly impressive, but so are his other stats, which were more palatable than Aaron Brooks'. I think he'll be able to rack up a generous amount of assists on a regular basis since the Rockets mean to run at every opportunity so he might be a waiver wire option for those who need that stat.
Future Shock:
Lou Williams, Ryan Anderson, Andrea Bargnani, Roy Hibbert, Jamal Crawford, DJ Augustin, Chris Duhon, Michael Beasley, Tyreke Evans, James Harden, Yi Jianlian, Oleksiy Pecherov, Ben Gordon, Rudy Gay, Emeka Okafor, Manu Ginobli, Channing Frye, Carlos Boozer, Luis Scola, Ronny Turiaf
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