2008 Bold Predictions: SOUTHEAST DIVISION

ATLANTA HAWKS

Al Horford

In my book, he is by far the most consistent rookie. Horford is currently averaging a near double-double with 9.2 points, 9.5 rebounds together with rare statistics 0.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. If I where you, I would trade up for this rookie because I predict Horford will go averaging as high as 14 points, 10 rebounds per game in the 2^nd half of the season.

Acie Law

So far Anthony Johnson is the main floor leader for the Hawks but expect this tenure to end soon because since the start of the season, the Hawks has named Acie Law their point guard of the future and you got to expect that in one point or another in the season Law will breakout. If you are in a deep league and have a roster spot available, I suggest you give Law a chance.

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS

Emeka Okafor / Gerald Wallace / Raymond Felton

Okafor, Wallace and Felton have been performing below expectations this season. One of the reasons is the Bobcats off-season acquisition of an immediate scorer Jason Richardson. I believe the Charlotte Bobcats has a chance to make the playoffs this year if Okafor, Wallace and Felton play better and up their statistics by a notch. They haven’t performed up to their potential yet!

Nazr Mohammed

Through out his career, Nazr wasn’t known for his consistency. He can show off some good line of statistics here and there but that’s about it for the 30 year old journey man. I now declare that Nazr Mohammed’s 11.7 points with 9.4 rebounds per game is a fluke! Sell him high now before his value runs out!

MIAMI HEAT

Alexander Johnson

Last season while in Memphis, Johnson showed glimpses of what he can do. He would sometimes show case 3 blocks and 3 steals in some games. At one point or another, Johnson will be worth a look in deep leagues especially with the Heat struggling, Mourning retired, Shaq always injured, and Blount just too old and inconsistent.

Trade

With the way the Heat are playing (8-23) even with Dwayne Wade healthy, and with rumors circulating like crazy, with comments such as "high paid prostitutes" from Jason Williams, it’s almost inevitable that a trade will happen soon and this trade might include the grumbling Jason Williams, disgruntled Smush Parker and spot-light hugger Ricky Davis.

ORLANDO MAGIC

Hedo Turkoglu

Considered one of the biggest breakouts and steals this season I expect Hedo Turkoglu to continue to play this good all season long and will reach - for the first time in his career - an average of 20 points per game. Congratulations to those who drafted the forgotten Hedo Turkoglu in your drafts. I suggest you to keep him until the end of the season.

Jameer Nelson

Bad basketball, family issues and add it with the threat of Carlos Arroyo getting his starting job. The state of Nelson now is in jeopardy but don’t make that scare you. Rather, look at this as an opportunity. Nelson is at the lowest point in his career right now and is an excellent buy low candidate. He will come out in the 2^nd half of the season and will explode. You don’t believe me? Check out his game logs throughout his young career, he always comes back and surprises people in the 2^nd half of the season.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS

Andray Blatche

Blatche, even with limited minutes, has fantasy value in deep leagues due to his consistent blocking ability and the capacity of sometimes giving its owners all-around games. I have Blatche in two of my 20-team leagues and have no plans of dropping him for anyone soon because I can see that Blatche’s will be given more minutes and will have a bigger contribution in the Wizards’ rotation and will go on and average 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks in 2008.

GG 4 KK

With the completed trade between the 76ers and Jazz, expect production from these two players to dip.

Giricek gets his wish to move out of Utah, but Philly might not be his most favorable destination. In fact, he may get in odds with other players in the rotation. Among those will be Andre Iguodala, Willie Green and (surprise, surprise) 3rd-year guard Louis Williams.

The frustrated guard may have a hard time fitting into the system unless he starts showing he has the confidence to fire up treys anywhere near Korver's level (career 40% 3PT). If not, expect him to come of the bench for about 12 minutes and continue putting in the paltry 4.3ppg and 1.4 rpg after 22 games.

Korver's situation will be as frustrating as Giricek's if not even worse. Giricek has not been producting at all right from the top, but Korver, who has been contributing 10ppg despite a career-low 35% 3PT, will have to undergo major adjustments in the Jazz' revived pick and roll system. He will not be getting as many touches as desired, so watch if his 2PT% and FT% will also see slight declines.

Recommendations: Sell Korver relatively high while you still can. His production has hit a ceiling in Philly and his 3PT struggles will become evident once he dons the Jazz jersey. Buy Gordan Giricek low if one of your 10th or 11th-round pick is injured or unavailable. This will be gamble on your fantasy team, as shipping long range gunners to different teams are not always the best acquisitions for either real NBA teams (just ask the Cavaliers with Donyell Marshall and Damon Jones) or your fantasy NBA team.

Images from Associated Press

Mile High in Denver

Nene Hilario (yes, he has a last name!) returned to the Nuggets rotation after missing the past 6 weeks due to left thumb surgery. In merely 18 minutes, he tallied 11 points (on 3/4 shooting) and 7 rebounds in their 125-105 win against the Bucks, numbers that reflect his career averages.

The power forward only managed to contribute 6.4ppg and 5.2rpg in the 5 games he played before being sidelined by the injury.

Recommendations: Shame on you if you dropped Nene. He will continue posting at least 10-7 numbers as he gains trust in his shooting form once again (steady 50% right now). Just watch out for his 2 turnovers a game (that's a tad too much for a big man).

Kudos to Marcus Camby for throwing 10 balls out of their trajectory. Yup, that's 10 blocks to boot, and earning his third career triple-double doesn't hurt (10 points and 11 rebounds as well).

Since Linas Kleiza's buzzer-beater against the Kings, the Nuggets have been performing at a much higher level than their mascot, Rocky.

Image from Getty Images

Merry Christmas Scott!! (and all our faithful readers)

If the NBA is the stock market, then Chicago must prove that they really are bulls, not bears.

With Scott Skiles gone, fantasy owners with valuable Bulls in them must keep track of the team's new rotation in the box scores. Expect the same starting lineup to emerge, and with a replacement yet to be named, here are the three things to watch out for:

1. This is still Luol Deng's team, but Ben Gordon will pile up the points.
Gordon has been freezing the entire season (who in the Bulls hasn't been?), and his 38.5% FG shooting will go up with more freedom to do his damage. Look for him to take the shot and become less hesitant as the games progress and as he tries to get back his groove. Sell him high once the numbers start going up. He is only racking up 17 points when he is actually capable of blowing up for 21-22ppg in a more spread out court. Whatever happens, expect a spike in production on the points and FTs made (with a slight decline in FT%).

2. Expect Tyrus Thomas to go berserk, and not in a good way.
His lack of discipline will work against him now that Skiles is out of the way. Unless the management from the Windy City sign another defensive-minded mentor, Thomas will face an inevitable decline in statistics. For a PF, his 42% FG is disappointing and will not be heading up anytime soon. Currently only at 0.9bpg, he might find a way to bring this statistic up, but he may pick up additional fouls in the process. Watch out on how he'll perform before 2007 ends.

3. Remember Kirk Hinrich's slump? He's still not out of it, but don't drop him.
While Hinrich is alternating through streaks and slumps (burst for 22 after going for 2 and 8), it might be wise to keep him if you're after his FT (92% is Mark Price-caliber) and since he's piling up similar rebounds and assists with his career averages, it's only a matter of time before the points follow suit. Better wax hot later on a slow burn than run out of steam in the long run.

The three factors are still very prone to change. At this point, this is their projected performance while the team is manned by Ron Adams and Pete Myers.

Image from Associated Press

A Quick Burst of Rumors

TJ Ford may go through Forced Retirement?
Raptors' guard TJ Ford has been out quite sometime and the Raptors management are fearing that Ford may be forced to go through premature retirement due to his history of nagging injuries that started with undergoing a spinal injury that resulted in him missing the whole 2004-2005 season, arm injuries during last year's playoffs and a head injury after a fall on December 11 in Atlanta. Congratulations if you have nabbed Jose Calderon on your team as he is averaging 10.8 points and 8.2 assists this season.

Webber to the Heat or Pistons?
Chris Webber might be returning to the NBA and might play with Detroit or Miami. Bet on Miami, as it seems like the Heat is doing all it can to put together an old-legged supporting cast for Dwayne Wade. They recently lost Alonzo Mourning in a career-ending injury (considering he proclaimed this as his last season) and it seems adding an old-legged player in replacement to another old-legged player is probably a good decision Miami-wise.

Marbury on an Extended Leave
We grieve for the loss of your father but when will we know when you will start to play again, Starbury? Marbury owners are worried - in fact, he has been dropped in a lot of (shallower) leagues because of his uncertainty. Is Marbury seeking a buyout from New York? Will he even come back (he did express interest in playing in Europe)? Knicks fans have mixed emotions on this, but sometimes I think they are better off without Marbury. If this situation happens, Nate Robinson will benefit the most, and also, expect a slight increase of value for Jamal Crawford and Fred Jones.

Other Rumors
- Gary Payton and Travis Best think they can help out Rajon Rondo with the point guard duties in Boston!
-Phoenix and Dallas are interested in the disgruntled Utah guard Gordan Giricek (whose playing time has been eaten by the Jazz' younger players)

Troy Hudson's Career Is Over

According to Coach Don Nelson, Troy Hudson's career is probably over due to Hudson's hip problem. Troy Hudson has no fantasy value this year and won't hurt any owners. He was a fun and streaky player and it is sad to see him end his career like this.

Yao Ming Compares Himself to Playing like Ilgauskas

"I play a little like (Cleveland's Zydrunas) Ilgauskas. Dwight Howard plays more like a Shaq, very down in the paint, trying to finish with a dunk every time." Yao said. A pretty bad way to compare himself but Yao will be Yao and will always dish out hilarious here and there.

Denver and New Orleans Expresses Interest in Tarence Kinsey

Tarence Kinsey probably is one of the players that helped fantasy teams win last year in the last stretch of the fantasy weeks. He was an amazing scorer and I believe this guy has superstar potential if given the minutes. He started 12 times last year and averaged 18.8 points, 4.4
rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.4 steals per game. If he lands with New Orleans, he may have a chance to showcase what he can do since Morris Peterson is in a slump and it seems he is nowhere near in turning this slump around.

The end of Mourning's days

Clutching on to his knee, Alonzo Mourning limped his way off the court. Probably for the last time.

The Miami Heat slotman will be one of the casualties soon to be dropped among numerous, if not all fantasy leagues, as he could be a no-show for the remainder of the season.

Tests revealed an injured torn right patella tendon, and the 37-year old warrior went down against the resurgent Atlanta Hawks as he tried to block Mario West's layup. An injury like Mourning's will take around three months to heal, which should take longer for Mourning with all the wear and tear on his body throughout his 15-year career.

He refused to be taken away on a stretcher as it arrived onto the playing court. "That's not the way I envisioned myself walking off the court for the last time in my career," he said. "If I had to crawl off the court I would have. Nobody was going to push me off on a stretcher off the court. That wasn't going to happen."

Before the injury, Mourning was averaging 6.0ppg, 3.7rpg and a career-low 1.7bpg through 25 games.

Mourning has clearly stated that the 2007-2008 NBA season will be his swan song. It will be a very melancholic melody from here on.

#1 Fantasy Pick?

Stop for a moment. Do not be deceived by the headings you see on the table below. This article is about to compare the once-frustrated 2004 MVP with the Timberwolves’ biggest offseason acquisition.

Kevin Garnett and Al Jefferson. It’s hard to put them on the same sentence together. We just did. The gap between these two stars have narrowed. Call me loco. Let all the hate mail flow in.

While Boston (20-3) is trying to surge into a 70-win season and Minnesota (3-21) trying to hold on to whatever decency is left of them, these power forwards are going to be the subject of nitpicking as we see who has been truly living the hype. Remember, in fantasy leagues, we throw all wins and losses out the window. All other statistics remain.

Al Jefferson: 20.4ppg 12.0rpg 1.4apg

vs.

Kevin Garnett: 19.1ppg 10.4rpg 3.6apg

Al > Kevin

Al < Kevin

Al Jefferson is the man. And by default, because all his Wolves teammates have been playing around like boys in the big league. Yes, the high school phenom has cemented himself as the new force opponents have to reckon with. And statistically, he has shown more than KG himself. While the difference has not been that significant, it must be stressed that Big Al is the first option. KG, well, he’s option #1. Or #2. Or #3. Having Kevin Garnett on your fantasy team does not guarantee a dominant win in head-to-head match-ups anymore. Kevin Garnett has always been labeled as a secondary option forced to be the go-to guy, and with good reason: there was really no one else. It makes one want to look back at the critical 1996 Draft, when the possibility of a youthful Ray Allen (instead of Stephon Marbury) and Garnett could have burned through the Western competition. Now heading a Boston squad where every starter is a threat (even with Rondo, Perkins, Posey and Big Baby getting into the act), his statistics will only suffer even more. In fact, it has already been evident. Even with the increased support he has received in Boston, KG has seen his assists dip from 4.1 down to 3.6. Rondo is now the focal point of the playmaking, not Garnett, when teams would triple team him and be forced it kick it out to a Troy Hudson, Wally Szczerbiak or Ricky Davis. Jefferson, on the other hand, is carrying the Wolves who were expected to share the scoring load. His shooting attempts has increased (17, up from 12 last year) and the makes have followed suit (9 from 7 last year). Confidence is evident, and that’s not the best part yet. Obviously, being on a losing team hurts him. Fantasy owners have the mentality that when a team is playing great, the players on individual level are spectacular as well. Which is why you will see Jefferson being a middle to late second round pick, when he should be up there with the Boozers and Gasols right now, if not even higher. The Wolves have needed Jefferson and he has been doing his part. KG, the tides have turned. The PGA trio has pulled your fantasy stats.

KG has always been praised and lauded for being the epitome of consistency, and that will work to his favor as the season progresses. Jefferson may have already hit his ceiling and is peaking too early after 24 games, which can only mean that the law of averages will come back to get him. Jefferson’s stats can be deceptive: he is currently shooting 70% from the stripe, which looks pretty decent, until you factor in the fact that he is a 65% career free throw shooter. Garnett has never failed to meet expectations, always flirting or reaching the 80% mark except for his rookie stint where he had yet to enter into a comfortable groove. It is also quite surprising to note that Jefferson has already thrown 9 misses from 3PT land, while Garnett has three. Neither player has converted as of yet, and with Jefferson being more trigger-happy, he can hurt fantasy owners who are neck-for-neck with their opponents in terms of 3PT%. Now we can say that bricks can hurt both figuratively and literally. Now we move away from Jefferson’s flaws and focus on Garnett’s assets. Garnett has actually reinvented his game, now making sure that he never takes a shot farther out than the FT line. This equates to higher percentages, and his improved shot selection will catch up as the team will show more trust in him more. (As if they don’t right now.) The illusion why Garnett’s production may have hit a snag is because of the minutes given to him. He has logged in an average of 39 mpg throughout his ‘Sota career, and dipping that down to 35mpg is directly proportional to the production he has been making. His amount of intensity has not shown any signs of diminishing, only his production is tied with the rate at which his mileage increases or decreases. Head to head, Garnett owns Jefferson. The effects simply aren’t as glaring when there are 11 other people running up and down the court (referees included). Garnett has yet to truly show why he is Number One, and a quarter of the season will not be the determining factor of how both will perform down the road. Jefferson who? KG is still The Man, as a Celtic or as your team’s pick.

Boone = Bane?

The Nets-Kings game last night gave me a bit of a scare. It was a good thing that the Kings turned it around though, with John Salmons filling in nicely for the injured Kevin Martin, with 31 points. Brad "B-52" Miller netted 23 and 10, and Francisco Garcia would be worth picking up (if he's still available in your league, that is) - the young swingman didn't net too many stats today, but made 6-10 FG (5 treys) and 7-7 FT. Decent numbers for a FA pickup.


Francisco Garcia celebrates a trey against the Nets. He shot 5-8 from downtown and finished with 24 points.

It wasn't the Kings' play that I noticed though, it was the New Jersey Nets'. While the Big Three have been consistently producing, it's their young players that are getting burn, and with heavy minutes being given to Sean Williams and Josh Boone, fantasy rosters are taking notice.

Both will be contributors to fantasy teams, especially in deep leagues, but owners must be wary of Josh Boone. Despite averaging 8.6 ppg, 8 rpg and 1 bpg over the last 5 games, Boone has also shot a horrid 5-20 from the FT line.

Opposing coaches seem to be favoring a "Hack-A-Boone" strategy recently - fantasy owners should be wary if planning to pick Boone up because of this.


Josh Boone might be more of a bane than a boon to your fantasy squad.

Holiday Awards

I'm back from the weekend getaway, and back to blogging! In the spirit of the Christmas holidays, let's hand out some early season fantasy awards:

The-Season-So-Far Awards:

Fantasy Surprise MVP: Chris Paul

- Chris Paul has absolutely been a monster. I'm a fan of Deron Williams, but there is no doubt that Paul is dominating when it counts. He might be an injury risk, but boy, are the rewards worth the risk. Ranked Top 10-15 in the preseason, Paul is #1 in season averages rank, and #2 in season totals (next to Shawn Marion).

Runner Up: 2-way tie - Caron Butler, Carlos Boozer


- Caron Butler has definitely stepped up his game with Gilbert Arenas' on the shelf. While the other member of the Wizards' Big Three, Antawn Jamison, has put up decent numbers, Butler is the one who has stepped up his game, translating to wins for the Wizards and his fantasy owners. He went on a tear from downtown two weeks ago, and looks confident in shooting the three, which was the main knock on his fantasy game. He's ranked #6 in season totals and #7 in season averages, and is showing no signs of letting up.


- Carlos Boozer is like a machine! Ranked #3 in season totals and #6 in season averages, the only category where he'll "hurt" you is blocks, because he doesn't have many of those (Kobe has the same number of blocks in the season), and turnovers, but those are forgivable. Boozer shoots at a high clip from the field and the charity stripe, nets you tons of points and rebounds, and passes well for a big man.

Also Rans, but Not Quite:
- Shawn Marion - monster game, although he's a safe pick - that's why I called it the "surprise MVP" - besides, Marion is #1 in season totals, but Chris Paul is at #2, and Paul is #1 in season averages rank. His FT% (.690) is a bit uncharacteristic, although he still is tied with Marcus Camby with the lowest TOs (1.3) among the top 10 fantasy players (based on season averages rank).
- Josh Smith - FG% still inconsistent, and would be nice if he could cut down on TOs
- Kevin Garnett - stats have been diminishing, along with playing time, in the wake of blowouts
- Kobe Bryant - owners could do with less turnovers, but otherwise a solid statline from the Black Mamba
- LeBron James - that week-long injury hurt his owners
- Marcus Camby - roto monster owners hope he can last 70+ games
- Baron Davis - love him as long as he's healthy, like Camby, owners will hope he'll last 70+ games
- Steve Nash, Yao Ming, Amare Stoudemire - not quite as excellent as my picks, but a really close call


Most Overrated: Kevin Durant

Runners Up: Brandon Roy, Joe Johnson, Kevin Durant, Tyson Chandler, Ben Gordon, Zach Randolph, Rajon Rondo, Al Jefferson, Chris Bosh, (Dwight Howard)
- Brandon Roy, JJ, and Durant have all been not performing up to their preseason estimated ranks. Same goes for Tyson Chandler (averaging a double-double), Zach Randolph, and Rajon Rondo. The thing is, they were highly touted going into the season, and while producing decent stats, are not quite near expectations for them. The only thing you can count on them is to deliver solid numbers, and explode with monster games every once in a while. Rookie Kevin Durant is the worst of the lot, with horrendous FG% and lots of turnovers - it's rookie woes, I understand, but a lot of people did pick him quite early, and they were probably sorely disappointed.
- As for Al Jefferson - man, that guy is a beast. But he said it himself when he declined to take a max contract extension - he's still not a max player. Likewise, in fantasy, even if he nets you solid points, rebounds and a decent FG% and FT% with some blocks, a lot of owners still overestimate his capabilities. If you drafted him in the 1st to 2nd rounds, I'd say you were stretching a bit. Around 3rd to 5th would be fair value though.
- Chris Bosh hasn't bounced back from the great season he had last year. Nagging injuries have also created the separation between expectations and production for the main man in Toronto.
-Big Al and Zach "Z-Bo" Randolph are probably the best of these players, providing owners with pretty consistent stats, but who still could do better.

Most Underrated: Hedo Turkoglu

Runners Up: Carlos Boozer, Chris Kaman, Jason Terry, Allen Iverson, (Dwight Howard)
- Hedo Turkoglu looked to be relegated to 6th man with the acquisition of Rashard Lewis, but with the injuries to Orlando's frontcourt and Lewis playing some PF, Turk has put up some great fantasy numbers, averaging 18.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, a nice 4.2 assists, and over 2 treys per game. He also hasn't had a single-digit scoring game so far in the season. If you picked him late, you should be reaping the rewards on your team.
- Carlos Boozer was so lowly ranked (top 20-30 only in the Yahoo game, with an Average Draft Position in the 2.8th round in the Y! game), but has put up MVP-worthy stats (read: top 5 fantasy value) in the Utah system. Look for him to continue his production. I traded him away last season, when I thought early on that his stellar production was a fluke - but he really hasn't looked back from last season's great stats.
- I knew that Chris "The Kaveman" Kaman had skills, and the injury to Elton Brand proved to be the best thing that happened to his career. He's putting up monster center stats, and wasn't even in the projected top 30 from the preseason.
- Jason Terry might be the sixth man in Dallas, but he still has excellent fantasy stats.
- Allen Iverson proved that co-existing with Melo doesn't mean a dip in fantasy value (helped by the PG injury woes of Denver, of course). Even with Anthony Carter back however, Iverson is still putting up great numbers.

- You might wonder why my man Dwight Howard is on both the "most overrated" and "most underrated." It's like this: coming into the season, everyone was thinking that he would have atrocious FT% and turnovers, and that he would not be worth a high pick. However, during the season so far, despite fulfilling the low FT%, high TO projections, Dwight has also been a monster in points, rebounds, and FG%, with decent blocks as well.

Would you want the Beast of the East on your team? Yes, but only if you've properly prepared for it, and built your team based on his capabilities. Teams in head-to-head leagues can use Dwight better than teams in roto leagues, unless you're okay with a 1 or 2 point standing in FT%.
- Note: Baron Davis wasn't included in the "most underrated" because we all know he's going to produce when healthy. He's a high risk-high reward pick, so there.

Best FA Pick Ups: Travis Outlaw, Jose Calderon, Grant Hill, Ronnie Brewer, Kurt Thomas

You may not know the faces of some of them, but these guys may have changed the fortunes of many a fantasy team.

With the exception of Hill, none of them are having their productivity ticking away on a timer. With the injury to TJ Ford, Calderon is even more valuable now. Ronnie Brewer's minutes haven't diminished even with Utah's other SGs back (his production has dipped slightly, but still a solid overall line). Kurt Thomas is providing consistently solid stats for a young Sonics team which a lot thought would play Collison and Wilcox over him - so far, he has matched the production or even outplayed both in limited minutes. And Travis Outlaw is the Blazers' 6th man, but he is quite consistent, and is quite valuable in deeper leagues.

What's Up With You?
- Dirk Nowitzki, Gerald Wallace, Pau Gasol

Time To Step Up!
- Kirk Hinrich, Luol Deng, Dwyane Wade

- Most of these players were highly touted to be fantasy beasts, and as an example: Dirk Nowitzki ranked 4th overall in the Yahoo! game preseason - he's only number 24 in the season average rank, and 14 in the season totals rank. Dirk, G-Force and Gasol owners will have to hope that these stars will turn it around and live up to their draft positions. As for Wade and the others, their stats aren't atrocious, but could be a lot better. Wade and the Bulls' Hinrich and Deng, in particular, have only recently showed signs of fantasy greatness, although Wade's turnovers are still too much for me to take.


Draft Busts and Victims of Circumstance
- Nenad Krstic, Walter Hermann, Delonte West, David Lee, Mehmet Okur, Jason Richardson, Al Harrington, Jermaine O'Neal

- Injuries, coaching styles, and other factors have also negatively affected these players' fantasy values, and owners can at best hope for good health and an improvement in their playing situation, especially if they can't get decent value in a trade. Krstic, Hermann and West, in particular, may be considered droppable.

Faker of the Season-so-far: Andrea Bargnani

- After showing signs of fantasy relevance early in the season, Bargnani has faded into fantasy obscurity just this December (he had a pretty decent November) because of injuries and the DNP-CD. His owners wish that Bargnani returning to productivity is not just a false hope, and I'm only glad the Bargnani owners I offered trades to early in the season rejected my offers soundly.

A Big Zero for Bonner

Disappointment of the Night
Matt Bonner. Last game, he had 25 points, 17 boards, 3 treys and a block - a fantasy beast! Expectations are high on him especially in deep leagues, since Duncan and Parker are out with injuries, but last night Bonner went back to his old self by not scoring a single point and was a non-factor in the Spurs' loss against the Lakers.

GIVE ME A BREAK PLAYA!
Shaq Fu is now Shaq Fade. Give me a break, Shaq contributed only 7 points, 6 rebounds and turned the ball over 3 times in their loss against the Arenas-less Wizards. And he was up against Brendan Haywood (who got 12 points, 10 boards, a steal, a block, and 3 turnovers) and Andray Blatche (8 points on 3-3 shooting from the field and 2-2 from the line, with 4 boards)! What can I say? The Miami Heat is all about Mr. Wade and Mr. Fade. Shaq is not the force he used to be, we all know that, but he's even worse in fantasy NBA.

Celtics And Co.

Kevin Garnett, touted as one of the top options in fantasy this season (at least leading into the draft), has been in a prolonged slump. He hasn't had double digit rebounds since November 30, and his minutes and points have been decreasing in the wake of numerous blowout wins. While this is good for the Celtics, who get to rest the new heart of their team for an almost-inevitable deep playoff run, I'm worried about the consequences it has for fantasy teams.

If this continues, Garnett's averages may drop to the tune of about 17-9-4, with solid percentages and few TOs - still a solid line, but not the same as the expected 20-12-5 (his season averages are already below this, with 19-10-3.5). It seems that the Celtics' Big Three have been cannibalizing each others' (and their role players') stats. My only hope is that with reduced minutes during the season, Garnett will be able to log minutes in the late stages (i.e. the fantasy playoffs), instead of sitting out games for rest. If this trend doesn't let up, then owners might consider trading him away before crunch time sets in.

Speaking of the Celtics, starting PG Rajon Rondo has also been a draft bust, in terms of projected value. While he has put up excellent rebound and steal numbers, he still hasn't learned to make a jump shot consistently, and his FT% is horrendous (at least he doesn't take too many FTs). Ray Allen has also been in a shooting slump recently, and I hope he turns it around soon, since no one wants to get him away from me in a trade.

At least the bench has been showing signs of life. Coming into the season, one of the knocks on the Celtics was that they were basically a three-man show. And while it seems to be like that for the most part, their role players have been contributing decently. Eddie House and James Posey are worth a look in deep leagues, and Kendrick Perkins and Rondo are decent (although I still regret the mid-round pick I used on Rondo). With Perkins on the shelf temporarily because of injury, Glen "Big Baby" Davis has stepped it up, and with more playing time, might be worth a look.

Is Captain Kirk Back?

I've got to admit, I'm a big fan of Chicago Bulls guard, Kirk Hinrich. But so far, he's been a disappointment, especially to his fantasy owners (and the Bulls' record has reflected "Captain" Kirk's woes).

Sports/NBA analysts have been saying that Kirk will snap out of it (fantasy guru Rick Kamla traded Ricky Davis AND Jamal Crawford for Hinrich late last month), and that his early season woes are just a funk he goes through every season - can't remember where I read that last statement - but I checked anyway, and found that for the past two seasons, for the period from November to December, he's only had 11 and 7 single-digit point games. He already has 9 such games this season, and we're not even halfway into December.

He's been showing signs of turning it around in the past week, but I still won't be convinced of the renaissance until I see consistent solid box score results with my own eyes.

In the meantime, I reckon Hinrich's owner in my twenty team league won't be keen on trading him, considering his recent semi-hot streak, and I'll be holding on to Captain Kirk in my two other leagues where I own him.

C'mon Captain Kirk, don't let me down!

Misery in the Bay Area

Disappointment of the Night
"Captain Jack" Stephen Jackson has proven that has been the man for the Golden State Warriors and so when Captain Jack falls so is the Golden State Warriors. Last night the Warriors loss 105-95 to Portland and Stephen Jackson shot horribly from the field as he was 3-15 from the field, 0-7 from the 3-point area and committed 4 turnovers in that game.

GIVE ME A BREAK PLAYA!
Aside from Stephen Jackson, Al Harrington has been one big headache for its owners and for the last 3 games he is averaging just 5 points a game! Give me a break Al, come back and break out and I don't even blame Don Nelson's rotation for your current hideous situation.

Randy Randy

What's up Mr. Foye? Or should I start calling you "Mr. No Show?" It's been so long since pre-season...since the last time you played! I traded for you knowing that you were supposed to come back this week or the next, but now you're left for dead, left for 2008.

You better be worth the wait you jackass!

Inconsistency Problems

Disappointment of the Night
Josh Smith is probably the player that has the biggest impact in a 5-7 categorical stat line, which means he is one hell of a fantasy stud! Just 2 nights ago "J-Smoove" delivered at his best by pouring in 25 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks and 4 steals together with 2 treys. But last night was a BIG disappointment. Smith awfully brought in 5 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal and a block, and add it up with his negative stats of 7 turnovers and 18% Field Goal shooting (while fouling out in a mere 28 minutes) in a loss last night versus Toronto. This young stud has a long way to go and consistency is so far his biggest problem.

GIVE ME A BREAK PLAYA!
Darko Milicic is a bust and will always be a bust. We have saved and freed him twice - first in Orlando, now in Memphis. Last night he scored 12 points and had 3 boards and had no blocks in a loss against his former team, Detroit. Where's the fire, baby?! Are you kidding me, you're playing against the team that caged you, jailed you, and played like a freaking gay! Give me a break Darko, where are the rebounds? Where are the blocks? Fire up like what you did in the Euro Games! That is what the Darko fantasy owners want to see!

Disappointment of the Night

Disappointment of the Night
"I set a goal for myself to play 82 games," McGrady said. "But I guess I'll have to settle for 80."

That was what he said 3 weeks ago. 80 games - are you kidding me? This is the guy who played an average of 65 games per year in his last 4 years in the league! This is the guy who said that he would retire at the age of 30 due to the wear and tear of his body!

Spraining his right ankle in their game against Philadelphia last night wasn't a surprise.

GIVE ME A BREAK PLAYA!
Reggie Evans had 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 2 steals last night. OMG! Reggie Evans scored double digit points and grabbed just 1 rebound? This is surprising, as his fantasy owners expect him to rebound, and not to freaking score. Give me a break Evans, we picked you up to grab those rebounds and not to score points!