Author: John Paulsen (Page 625 of 937)

      Couch Potato Alert: NBA Wednesday

      November 11, 2008 /

      There are a few interesting NBA games tonight:

      Utah (5-1) @ Philadelphia (2-4)
      The 76ers are off to a disappointing start. Offseason acquisition Elton Brand is more than five points per game off his career mark, and Andre Iguodala is shooting a miserable 38% from the field. Second-year swingman Thaddeus Young is lighting things up with a 16.5 ppg average on 52% shooting. This game will feature a great power forward matchup between Brand and Utah’s Carlos Boozer. The Jazz have been without Deron Williams, but Utah still managed to get off to a 5-1 start. He’s expected to make his debut tonight. Too bad the game is only available in local markets (unless you have the NBA League Pass). Game time is 7 PM ET.

      Atlanta (5-0) @ Chicago (3-4)
      Three of the Hawks’ five wins have come on the road and they hope to extend their unbeaten streak tonight in Chicago. Unfortunately, the high-flying Josh Smith is sidelined with a high-ankle sprain, but Joe Johnson has been doing his best MVP impersonation (25.2 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 3.8 apg). For the Bulls, Ben Gordon (20.0 ppg) leads his team in scoring, but it’s rookie sensation Derrick Rose (17.7 ppg, 5.1 apg) who is really turning heads. The game is on locally at 8:30 PM ET.

      L.A. Lakers (5-0) @ Dallas (2-4)
      The Mavs are off to a slow start, but in Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard, they can compete on any given night. They host the Lakers who are coming off a long stretch of down time in their schedule. L.A. is getting great play from Kobe (of course) and Pau Gasol, while Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom have been a little disappointing. Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar anchor a terrific bench. The game is on NBATV at 8:30 PM ET.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Television

      Blazers impressive in win over Magic

      November 11, 2008 /

      The Portland Trail Blazers are 4-3, but they’ve played a difficult schedule thus far. With losses against the Lakers, Suns and Jazz, and wins against the Spurs, Rockets, Timberwolves and Magic, Portland has only played one “easy” game all year.

      They lost Greg Oden 13 minutes into the first game of the season, but with good play from Brandon Roy (20.9 ppg, 5.7 apg) and LaMarcus Aldridge (18.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg), they’ve been able to win all three home games, and last night they were able to beat a good Orlando team on the road.

      Rudy Fernandez (14.0 ppg) and Travis Outlaw (13.6 ppg) are providing some serious punch off the bench, though it’s not clear why one of them isn’t starting over Nicolas Batum (5.4 ppg), who has started four games this season.

      With the schedule lightening up and Oden due back any day now, the Blazers’ prospects look pretty good. Barring an injury to Roy or Aldridge, the Trail Blazers should be a playoff team, even in the rough and tumble West.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Marvin Harrison not getting it done on the road

      November 11, 2008 /

      Marvin Harrison must really like Lucas Oil Stadium. In four games, the veteran wideout has caught 19 passes for 249 yards and three TD on the Colts’ home field. That projects to a 76-catch, 996-yard, 12-TD season. That’s not exactly what we’re used to from the standout WR, but it’s a lot better than the 53-catch, 635-yard, 5-TD season that he’s currently posting.

      The good news is that the Colts have more home games remaining than road games, but the bad news is that one of those home games comes in Week 17 against the Titans, which doesn’t really help fantasy owners. Harrison can definitely be started in Week 11 at home against the Texans, and in Week 15 at home against the Lions. The other home game (Week 14 against the Bengals) is also a pretty nice matchup, though the 2008 Bungles aren’t as bad as usual against the pass.

      While all three road games – Week 12 @ SD, Week 13 @ CLE and Week 16 @ JAX – do seem appealing, Harrison has posted an average of 2.2 catches for 21.6 yards on the road, and has failed to score a TD. I wouldn’t recommend starting Harrison in any of those matchups unless you don’t have a better option available.

      So what’s the reason for Harrison’s increased production at home? At the old RCA Dome, he was virtually uncoverable on the artificial turf due to his incredible quickness and sharp route running. But Lucas Oil Stadium has Field Turf, which looks and feels like grass, so those advantages should be negated somewhat.

      Maybe Harrison is just getting some good ol’ home cookin’ on game days.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

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