Month: March 2010 (Page 45 of 59)

Tony Parker breaks hand, could miss six weeks

March 7, 2010 / John Paulsen

Parker broke the fourth metacarpal — the bone between the bottom knuckle and the wrist — near the end of the first half and did not return to the game. The injury apparently occurred during a scramble for the ball.
“He’s got a broken hand. He’ll be out six weeks,” the Spurs coach said. “He did it in the first half when he dove on the floor.”

The Spurs currently sit in the #7 playoff spot, one game ahead of the Blazers and 5.5 games ahead of the Grizzlies and Rockets. With just 22 games left to play, San Antonio should be safe. The Spurs have gone 5-5 in games that Parker has missed this season and George Hill has played very well in February and March (16-3-3, 46% shooting).

It used to be that the Spurs just needed to be healthy for the playoffs, but they haven’t gelled like they hoped they would this season. Parker’s return would put him back in mid-April, which coincides with the start of the playoffs. If everyone is healthy, they’ll be a tough out against the Jazz or the Nuggets as a #7 seed, but if they finish in the #8 spot, they’ll be in for a rough series against the Lakers.

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Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2009-10 NBA season 2010 NBA Playoffs San Antonio Spurs

2010 Fantasy Baseball Rankings: Shortstops

March 6, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

All 2010 Fantasy Articles | 2010 Position Rankings

Sometimes it pays to be patient when it comes to drafting certain positions in fantasy baseball. For example, waiting to snag your starting catcher until late in your draft makes sense. Landing a couple star players at weaker positions in the early rounds while waiting to select someone in a deep pool of first basemen can also be adventurous.

But choosing not to grab an elite shortstop in one of the first two rounds is about as smart as bringing a knife to a gunfight. You’ll be at a serious disadvantage because the talent pool after the top five players doesn’t level off – it drops off a mountain.

If you weren’t lucky enough to land one of the top picks in the draft, then you’ll probably miss out on Hanley Ramirez. Don’t sweat it – there are four other shortstops that you can target in one of the first two rounds in order to set yourself up with a great player at shortstop. Just make sure you snag one of the top five or else you could wind up pulling your hair out because you just can’t get enough consistent production out of your starting shortstop position.

Hanley Ramirez, Marlins
Ramirez is in a class all his own. He’s a five-tool superstar that will give you 25-plus home run power, 90-plus RBI and 100-plus runs, all while stealing 25-plus bases and hitting anywhere from .320 to .340. The problem is, if you don’t have one of the top 2 spots in your draft you won’t have him on your roster this season.

Fantasy Baseball, MLB

Derek Jeter Hanley Ramirez Jimmy Rollins Jose Reyes Troy Tulowitzki

#1 Syracuse falls to Louisville

March 6, 2010 / John Paulsen

With Jerry Smith sidelined, reserve Kyle Kuric got some extra run, and closed Freedom Hall in style. The sophomore scored a career-high 22 points (all in the second half), hitting 9-11 from the field and 4-6 from long range, as the Cardinals beat Syracuse for the sixth straight time, 78-68, in the final game at historic Freedom Hall.

Kuric’s performance was electrifying. Louisivlle was trailing 42-39 with 14:19 to play when Kuric scored his first bucket on a fast break dunk. By the time he scored his 22nd point, Louisville led 77-64 with under a minute to play. During that run, he made four straight threes and several alley-oop dunks.

Louisville won’t have to worry about getting a bid to the NCAA tournament now. They’re 11-7 in conference and 20-11 overall, but two wins against Syracuse will surely earn the Cardinals a bid.

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College Basketball

2009-10 College Basketball 2009-10 college basketball season Kyle Kuric Syracuse Syracuse Orange

Antrel Rolle is now the highest paid safety in the NFL…yikes.

March 6, 2010 / Anthony Stalter

I get it – it’s the nature of the beast. If a team wants to improve its roster by adding a premier free agent in the offseason, then they’re going to have to overpay.

But there’s something seriously wrong with the fact that Antrel Rolle is now the highest-paid safety in the NFL after agreeing to a five-year, $37 million deal with the Giants. I never blame the player (or his agent) for going out and signing the biggest deal they possibly can. Football is a violent game and if a player is lucky, he’ll play eight years in the league and make as much money as he possibly can during that time. So, good for Rolle for cashing in on his first free agent contract.

That said, this was the same man that was once benched for Rod Hood in Arizona. Rolle is an excellent athlete with great speed and is solid when he can locate the ball and make a play on it. But he’s a poor tackler, is inconsistent in coverage and he definitely benefited from playing next to Adrian Wilson in Arizona. He will often get abused against top passing offenses, as the Packers proved last season in the playoffs. I realize the Packers will make a lot of defensive backfields look bad, but if the Giants want to be a Super Bowl contender again then they can’t be worried about Rolle getting toasted in the playoffs by teams that can throw.

The Giants needed safety help with the uncertainty of Kenny Phillips’ playing status for next season. So they went out and spent a ton of money on the best safety on the market in Rolle, who is slightly above average in his prime. In an uncapped year, I understand that they had to spend big (they’re not the only ones overpaying) in order to address a glaring need but just because I understand it, doesn’t mean I think the system makes sense. In fact, free agency in the NFL makes as much sense sometimes as the rookie salary structure.

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NFL

2010 NFL Free Agency Anthony Stalter Antrel Rolle Antrel Rolle contract Antrel Rolle highest paid safety New York Giants