Author: John Paulsen (Page 442 of 937)

      2009 NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings

      September 28, 2009 /

      We’ve partnered with On Goal Analysis to bring you a team-by-team preview of the upcoming NHL season. (Just scroll down on the OGA website and hit the calendar.) Here is the preview for the Detroit Red Wings…

      Team Play: ISSUE – Filling in the blanks. The Wings enter the 2009-10 campaign facing several issues, of which the most critical is filling the holes left in the lineup by departing players. Gone are: Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, Mikael Samuelsson and Tomas Kopecky (and let us not forget Chris Chelios, who has finally taken his rightful place in the Smithsonian). Between them, they accounted for 88 of Detroit’s 295 goals last season (that’s 29.8%, for those of you keeping score at home). The Wings plan to fill those gaps with the likes of Ville Leino, Jason Williams, Todd Bertuzzi and…Patrick Eaves? Barring a disaster of epic proportions, Detroit will make the playoffs again in 2009-10. The play of the four “replacements”, however, will be a major factor in determining whether the Red Wings finish as a top-three seed or open the playoffs on the road.

      Click here to read the rest of the preview (which includes the site’s unique Playoff Qualifying Curve and fantasy information) at the On Goal Analysis site.

      NHL

      How to fix fantasy basketball

      September 28, 2009 /

      BALL DON’T LIE recently published a guest post from RealGM’s Alex Kennedy that discusses why fantasy basketball is struggling when compared to fantasy football. Kennedy goes on to promote PASPN, a company that runs uber-realistic 30-team leagues where fantasy owners can play GM or even take the role as agent to negotiate contracts for their clients.

      But what about fantasy basketball as it stands? Is there a way to fix it?

      I think so. As both an avid fantasy football and fantasy basketball owner, I think fantasy hoops struggles for several reasons:

      Problem #1: Roto or category scoring systems are convoluted and difficult to understand/manage.
      Most fantasy basketball leagues utilize one of two formats. A roto format awards points based on a team’s rank in each of several categories. The team with the most roto points at the end of the season wins the leagues. Another format is category scoring, where each team plays head to head with another team in several categories, so one team might win in points, rebounds and assists, but lose in FG%, turnovers and blocks.

      Solution: Go to a head-to-head fantasy points system.
      My recommendation is to use the NBA’s efficiency statistic to calculate fantasy points for each player. Here is how efficiency is calculated:

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2009 NHL Preview: Dallas Stars

      September 28, 2009 /

      We’ve partnered with On Goal Analysis to bring you a team-by-team preview of the upcoming NHL season. (Just scroll down on the OGA website and hit the calendar.) Here is the preview for the Dallas Stars…

      SUMMER SPLASH

      * The Dallas Stars made big changes to the organization this summer after last season’s experiments with the co-GMs and Sean Avery. Tom Hicks, the owner, replaced the GM leadership by bringing in the 1999 Stars Stanley Cup MVP, Joe Nieuwendyk. Nieuwy then fired Dave Tippett and replaced him with coach Marc Crawford. The effect of this change to team chemistry and play is something all fans and players are anxious to witness.

      * Most of the changes to the team this off-season, were in fact, in the team offices and the bench. In addition to Dave Tippett, the Stars have also replaced both assistants on the bench by promoting former player-favorite, Stu Barnes (who assisted from the booth last season) and by hiring former Edmonton assistant, Charlie Huddy who will bring a more offensive-minded style to the Stars defense. This will be the first time the Stars will experiment with such an idea since locating here in 1993 under the tutelage of multi-Selke winning, Bob Gainey.

      * Major impact players who are no longer with the organization include Brendan Morrison who only played a handful of games with the Stars but could have been a nice addition to this ‘re-birth’ year if not lost to free agency when he signed with Washington. The hardest loss for Stars’ fans to absorb is Sergei Zubov to the Russian KHL league. Stars fans have had it good watching this man QB the Power Play for year after year. But the fans also had a chance to get used to a new-look defense without Zubie as much of his previous two seasons were lost to injury.

      * Additions to the team are defensive-oriented. A new backup to challenge and help rest Marty Turco was brought in with the signing of veteran Alex Auld. Karlis Skrastins and Jeff Woywitka were signed to add grit to the blue line. Mysteriously, the Stars signed free agent Warren Peters (LW) from Calgary. Mysterious, because the Stars are already so heavily-loaded on the left side…

      Click here to read the rest of the preview (which includes the site’s unique Playoff Qualifying Curve and fantasy information) at the On Goal Analysis site.

      NHL

      Kobe learns from Olajuwon

      September 28, 2009 /

      MyFoxHouston reports that Kobe Bryant worked out for two hours with Hakeem Olajuwon, trying to learn the post and mid-post moves that made “The Dream” such a nightmare on the block.

      Olajuwon said Bryant reached out to him for help with his moves in the post.

      “He gave me the biggest compliment,” Olajuwon said. “(He said) You are the best (at the) mid-post and post move.

      “He wanted me to show my moves to him.”

      Olajuwon said his style of play in the paint is really suited for a guy like Bryant.

      “In my mind most of my moves for a guy (with) that agility can use it better than the big guy,” Olajuwon said. “Because my moves are not really for the big guy.

      “It’s for the guards and small forwards. So he would benefit most on the post because of his agility.

      “It was so much fun because how he picks it up. I worked with him for two hours, step by step.”

      Kobe is nothing if not smart. He knows he’s getting older and wants to pick his spots when attacking the basket. Michael Jordan developed a devastating post up game in the back half of his career and it’s no surprise that Kobe would want extend his effectiveness in the same way. Look for Bryant to spend more time on the block this season as he incorporates these post moves into his game.

      NBA, News

      Fantasy Fallout, Week 3: TEs

      September 28, 2009 /

      – Vernon Davis (7-96-2) had a huge game, but I doubt there were too many fantasy owners that had the balls to start him.

      – Tony Gonzalez (1-16) was a non-factor on Sunday.

      – Brent Celek (8-104-1) is looking like an every week starter at TE. He has good hands and the Eagles need a good second receiving option after DeSean Jackson.

      – Greg Olsen (5-44-1) rewarded those owners that stuck with him after a couple of shaky outings.

      – I like Zach Miller (2-17), but JaMarcus Russell is so inconsistent at QB that it’s tough to start Miller in any given week.

      – With the way that Indy feeds the ball to Dallas Clark (7-62-1), it wouldn’t be at all surprising if he finishes the season as fantasy’s TE1, assuming he can stay healthy.

      See below for links to the QB, RB and WR positions.

      Fantasy Football

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑