Offseason Movement: The Celtics were unable to re-sign James Posey, who ended up signing with the Hornets. GM Danny Ainge did re-sign Tony Allen, Eddie House, and Sam Cassell, while also signing Darius Miles and Patrick O’Bryant. Out of the draft, the team ended up with shooting guard JR Giddens and small forward Bill Walker.
Keep Your Eye On: The bench
Even more than last season, Boston is going to need a regular lift from its bench. With Posey gone, someone will have to pick up his defensive-mindedness and shooting touch. The bench projects to be very young, but with youth comes energy, and the Celtics will need it this season.
The Big Question: Now that the Big Three won a title, will they be as focused?
Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen came to Boston with one thing in mind – a NBA championship. Paul Pierce set aside his ego for the same reason. Throughout that season, the Celtics were focused on a singular goal, but now that they have their rings, will they be able to bring that same intensity every night? Hunger can really bolster a team’s success, and Boston will somehow have to manufacture that hunger this season. That’s a tough thing to do.
Outlook: The C’s are still the class of the East, but will face a bigger test within the conference given the improvements that the Sixers and the Heat have made, along with the continued maturity of the Magic and the Cavs. James Posey was so crucial to the team’s playoff success that one wonders if the team will be overcome that loss and stay as focused as they were last season. They are the odds-on favorites to win the East, but it’s shaping up to be a very interesting season in Beantown.
Author: John Paulsen (Page 638 of 937)
Offseason Movement: The Hornets #1 job this offseason was to lock up Chris Paul, and they managed to sign the superstar point guard to a deal that runs through 2013. GM Jeff Bower poached James Posey from the Celtics in a move that will bolster the team’s bench. He also signed Devin Brown to give the team some depth at guard.
Keep Your Eye On: The Hornets’ wings
In Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler, New Orleans has three of the top players in the league at their respective positions. (Chandler isn’t an offensive force, but he’s a terrific shot blocker and rebounder and his contract is a bargain at the center position.) The key to the Hornets success might be the play at off guard and small forward, which are currently manned by Morris Peterson and Peja Stojakovic, respectively. Both players are 31 and have shown signs of decline. Neither player is a defensive force, so if their shots aren’t falling, there’s really no reason for them to be on the floor. Julian Wright is an up-and-coming small forward who played very well in limited minutes last season and James Posey was signed for his championship experience, tough defense and clutch shooting. Devin Brown will also play a factor.
The Big Question: Can the Paul/West combo lead these Hornets to the Finals?
Both Paul (23) and West (28) are in their primes so the championship window is wide open. They nearly upended the Spurs in last year’s playoffs and have added a valuable piece (Posey) to their championship puzzle. The Hornets need good shooting from their wings to give Paul and West the space to operate. Whomever is on the floor in crunch time needs to be able to knock down shots because inevitably the Hornets’ season will depend on it.
Outlook: With Paul locked up for five years and West locked up for the next three, the Hornets are clearly in their championship sweet spot. But it seems like the team is one player away from being a serious title contender. Stojakovic was supposed to be that guy, but his defensive limitations and suspect shooting in the clutch may make the Hornets regret signing that huge contract two summers ago (if they aren’t already regretting it). Don’t be surprised if Posey gets a lot of crunch time minutes. If he can perform like he did with the Celtics last season, the Hornets have a good shot of getting out of the West.
If you hadn’t noticed, staph infections are running rampant in the NFL. Kellen Winslow just became the sixth member of the Cleveland Browns to become infected, and he missed a game because of it. The Colts just denied a report that Peyton Manning had a staph infection in the preseason.
So what the hell is a staph infection? WebMD says the following:
It is a type of infection caused by a Staphylococcus (or “staph”) bacteria. Actually, about 25% of people normally carry staph in the nose, mouth, genitals, and anal area. The foot is also very prone to pick up bacteria from the floor. The infection often begins with a little cut, which gets infected with bacteria.
These staph infections range from a simple boil to antibiotic-resistant infections to flesh-eating infections. The difference between all these is how deep and how fast the infection spreads, and how treatable it is with antibiotics. The antibiotic-resistant infections are more common in North America, because of our overuse of antibiotics.
The entry goes on to talk about the dangers of a NFL locker room (or any locker room, actually) and how to prevent staph infections:
Any time you have a cut or skin breakdown, wash it with soap and water, keep it clean and dry, use antiseptic ointment, and keep it covered. A couple of recent outbreaks among football players began when one team member had a boil, and the infection was spread to other team members.
The staph infection is contagious if the wound is weeping or draining, and if people share towels or other items that are contaminated. Wearing foot coverings in locker rooms and other commonly used areas can help prevent contamination.
Weeping boils? Ugh. That’s just gross.
QUARTERBACKS
Ben Roethlisberger (189 yards, TD, 4 INT) had a rough day against the Giants, who sacked him five times. Big Ben’s schedule doesn’t get any easier with two upcoming games against the Redskins and Colts, two teams with better than average pass defenses…Brad Johnson (122 yards, TD) got the Cowboys a win, but he didn’t post very good fantasy numbers. A semi-tough matchup with the Giants next week isn’t very inspiring…The Lions hung around, but Jason Campbell (328 yards, TD) was very solid in the win…Trent Edwards (227 yards, INT) was a disappointment against a mediocre Dolphins pass defense…Marc Bulger (301 yards, TD, INT) is looking more comfortable leading the Rams. He has posted decent fantasy numbers the last two weeks against good competition…Matt Ryan (277 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT) continues to impress and is developing a great rapport with Roddy White (8-113-2)…David Garrard (283 yards, 2 TD) played really well against a Browns defense that has done a pretty good job against the pass this season…Derek Anderson (246 yards, TD) was pretty solid in the win, so it looks like he bought himself at least another week as the starter.
RUNNING BACKS
DeAngelo Williams (19 touches, 123 yards, TD) got the lion’s share of the carries this week. It’s tough to tell who’s going to get most of the work week-to-week in the Carolina running game…The Bills seem to be lightening the load of Marshawn Lynch (18 touches, 95 yards, TD) by using Fred Jackson (11 touches, 42 yards) quite a bit, even around the goal line…LaDainian Tomlinson (24 touches, 170 yards, TD) had his first good game in a month. The schedule is looking up after the bye with four good matchups over the next six weeks…Deuce McAllister (22 touches, 85 yards, TD) was the feature back with Reggie Bush out, but keep an eye on his eligibility as the league decides what to do with the report about his failing a drug test. If he’s suspended, Pierre Thomas (3 carries, 28 yards) and Aaron Stecker (7 touches, 36 yards) would both get extra work…Kolby Smith (13 touches, 30 yards) got more work, but Jamaal Charles (6 touches, 49 yards) was more effective…Michael Turner (17 carries, 58 yards) continues to struggle against good defenses and play great against bad defenses. He doesn’t get enough work in the passing game to make him a good play against a stout run D. He has two great matchups over the next three weeks, but then things are ugly down the stretch. He might be a guy to sell high in the next week or two, as he faces Tampa Bay and Minnesota in Weeks 15 and 16…Brian Westbrook (28 touches, 209 yards, 2 TD) is back and looks great…Maurice Jones-Drew (15 touches, 48 yards) and Fred Taylor (8 carries, 24 yards) just never got on track against the Browns…Jamal Lewis (20 carries, 81 yards, TD) looked solid against the Jags, and after a tough matchup with the Ravens next week, his schedule is looking pretty nice.
WIDE RECEIVERS
While Steve Smith (5-117-2) had a huge game, Muhsin Muhammad (5-38) dropped a sure TD early in the game…Anquan Boldin (9-63-2) returned with a big fantasy line and Larry Fitzgerald (7-115) did well in PPR leagues…Terrell Owens (5-33) continues to struggle and Roy Williams (2-10-1) didn’t do much better, though he did catch a TD…Santana Moss (9-140-1, return TD) looked great in a win and appears to be a big part of the Redskins’ attack once again…Chris Chambers (5-47) returned, but it was Vincent Jackson (4-60-1) who scored. It’s not clear who is the top WR option in San Diego…Jerricho Cotchery (9-102) was iffy heading into the game but finished with great PPR numbers…Andre Johnson (11-143) and Kevin Walter (5-70-2) chewed up the Bengals secondary…Plaxico Burress (3-15) didn’t start as part of a disciplinary measure for not getting treatment on his neck. Hopefully, he’ll fall into line, but he’s always been kind of a prima donna.
TIGHT ENDS
Jason Witten injured his ribs and finished with just one catch for eight yards. Don’t be surprised if he takes a week off to give himself two weeks to heal. More will be known about the severity of the injury later in the week…Jeremy Shockey (1-6) was active for the game, but he wasn’t very active. Billy Miller (7-82) outshined him…Don’t worry about Tony Gonzalez (6-79-1) flaking out because he wasn’t traded. The guy is a pro and he understands the best way to find a new home this offseason is to continue to play his heart out…Owen Daniels (3-21) had a surprisingly quiet day considering all the success the Texans had against the Bengals’ pass defense
FREE AGENTS
Now, for a look at a few players that probably aren’t owned in your league.
Ted Ginn (7-175) had a breakout game. Excluding a dismal Week 6 against the Texans, he’s averaging 5.8-82 over his last four games. Maybe he’s turning the corner…Rookie Chaz Schilens (3-76) appears to be the Raiders’ most dangerous receiving threat. He and JaMarcus Russell hooked up on a 60-yard bomb that nearly went for a TD…Mike Furrey was held catchless while Shaun McDonald (5-68) filled the role of WR2 for the Lions…Antonio Pittman (22 touches, 105 yards) was the main back with Steven Jackson out…Donnie Avery (6-163-1) has now caught 14 passes for 291 yards and 2 TD over the last three weeks and seems to be making a push for Torry Holt’s claim as the WR1 in St. Louis…Kevin Faulk (17 touches, 107 yards, TD) will probably be the back that gets the most touches as long as Sammy Morris and LaMont Jordan are out…Lance Moore (6-90-1) was cut in some leagues but is still a big part of the New Orleans attack, especially with Reggie Bush sidelined…Now that he knows that the starting job is his, Tyler Thigpen (280 yards, 2 TD) seems more comfortable leading the Chiefs and he has a couple of good weapons in the passing game to throw to in Dwayne Bowe and Tony Gonzalez. If you’re desperate at QB, Thigpen has four good matchups over the last seven weeks and has great matchups during the fantasy playoffs…Don’t get too excited about Leon Washington’s (6 touches, 101 yards, 2 TD) big game. He’s more explosive than Thomas Jones, but the Jets seem committed to TJ as their starter. TJ owners should definitely own Washington as a handcuff, however…Mewelde Moore (21 touches, 94 yards, TD) was cut in some leagues and, as long as Wilie Parker is out, he is a starting fantasy RB…Seneca Wallace (222 yards, 2 TD) was much better than expected as he led the Seahawks to a much needed win in San Francisco…Shaun Hill (173 yards, TD) played pretty well in relief of J.T. O’Sullivan, who was yanked prior to halftime.
“Fast” Willie Parker wasn’t on the Steelers’ injury report earlier this week and it looked like he was ready to go for the showdown with the Giants on Sunday. He missed practice on Friday and is now unlikely to play.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker unexpectedly did not practice Friday because of ongoing problems with his sprained left knee and is unlikely to play Sunday against the New York Giants.
Parker has missed three games with a sprained medial collateral ligament, but practiced earlier in the week and was expected to be ready for the matchup of teams with 5-1 records. He is listed as doubtful.
Parker would be replaced by Mewelde Moore, who began the season as the third-down back, but has rushed for 219 yards in the last two games. Moore gained 120 yards and scored three touchdowns, one on a pass reception, during a 38-10 win in Cincinnati last Sunday.
Some fantasy owners might have cut Moore once Parker practiced this week, so snatch him up if you can. It looks like FWP’s knee problems are ongoing, so Moore may have considerable value over the coming weeks. He was certainly stellar last week (as he killed me in five different leagues).
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