Category: Fantasy Basketball (Page 185 of 274)

      Inside the Box (10/29)

      October 29, 2009 /

      Here are a few random thoughts as I peruse the box scores from last night’s NBA action:

      – Al Horford was the high efficiency man on the night (+38), matching LeBron’s total from the night before. He posted 24 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and two blocks, and looks like a “go-to” post player instead of the complementary player he was last season. Josh Smith was also highly efficient (+29) with 18 points (on 7-10 shooting), eight assists, five steals, three rebounds and two blocks. The duo took advantage of the Pacers’ front line.

      – Elton? Elton? Where are you? Elton Brand’s bounce-back season got off to a rough start (8p, 6r, 2a). Marreese Speights (26p, 5r) and Lou Williams (18p, 4a, 4r) were the two bright spots in the Sixers’ loss to the Magic.

      – Two games…two losses for the Cavs. It’s early, but this is not how LeBron and Co. wanted to start the season. James had a triple-double (23p, 11r, 12a), but missed 12 shots. Mo Williams scored 16 points, but missed 10 shots. Shaq posted 12 points and seven rebounds. The Cavs shot 35% from the field.

      – The Raptors look revitalized. Andrea Bargnani (28p, 5r) is starting to look like a young Dirk Nowitzki, though doesn’t rebound nearly as well. Chris Bosh (21p, 16r) might very well re-sign if Toronto can get back into the top four or five in the East.

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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Stephen Jackson trade rumors

      October 28, 2009 /

      From Chris Broussard on TrueHoop…

      I’m told that Golden State is mulling several offers, and one person told me he expects something to happen within the next few days. I don’t know the particulars of any supposed offers, but I’m told Cleveland, Denver, San Antonio, New Orleans and the Los Angeles Clippers are all interested in Jackson.

      Best fit? New Orleans. The Hornets are really hurting on the wing and need players who can knock down shots. But they don’t have the expiring contract(s) that would allow Golden State to get out from underneath the four years remaining on Jackson’s deal. They’d need to give up a prospect (Julian Wright?) or a draft pick to get the Warriors to bite.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Inside the Box (10/28)

      October 28, 2009 /

      Here are a few random thoughts as I peruse the box scores from opening night action:

      – Is this what we’re going to get from Mo Williams (12p, 0r, 3a)? He averaged 18p/4r/4a last season, but there are a lot of new faces in Cleveland, including Shaq. It’s only one game, but it’s worrisome.

      – LeBron was the high efficiency man on the night with +38. His line (38p, 8a, 4r, 4b, 2s) plus 55% shooting is the model of efficiency. He was even 4 of 9 from long range.

      – Paul Pierce (23p, 11r) was quiet much of the second but took over in the fourth quarter. With KG and Ray-Ray getting older, he’s a safe bet to lead the C’s in scoring on any given night.

      – Rasheed Wallace (12p, 3r, 2b) was reasonably efficient in 24 minutes. He’s not as tough in the pain, but he can stretch the floor in a way that Kendrick Perkins can’t.

      – He’s baaaaack. Gilbert Arenas (29p, 9a) made a splash in his first game back, and shot 48% from the field.

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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      Blake Griffin to miss six weeks with a stress fracture

      October 27, 2009 /

      This is very bad news for the once-likely Rookie of the Year. (LA Times)

      Clippers’ rookie power forward Blake Griffin, the No. 1 overall draft choice in June, has a stress fracture of the left patella, or kneecap, and could miss as much as six weeks of the season.

      Tests revealed the fracture and a second opinion later in the day backed up the results and conclusion of the first doctor.

      A Clippers spokesperson said it is a non-displaced fracture. But the team will take a conservative approach, meaning Griffin could be out of action until December. On top of the fracture, Griffin is also dealing with tendinitis of the left knee and has been said to have been playing with some measure of pain.

      He suffered the stress fracture in the team’s final exhibition game against New Orleans on Friday, wincing after he came down on a dunk late in the third quarter.

      The Clippers (wisely) shipped Zach Randolph to Memphis to clear minutes for Griffin, so they are suddenly a little thin on the front line. Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby will likely see an increase in playing time, and DeAndre Jordan and Craig Smith should see a big jump in minutes as well.

      With Griffin sidelined, the race for Rookie of the Year is pretty wide open, though I have to give Tyreke Evans frontrunner status for the time being. He is going to get a ton of minutes and should be immediately effective at the NBA level. The Bucks’ Brandon Jennings is my darkhorse pick.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News

      Is LaMarcus Aldridge worth $65 million?

      October 23, 2009 /

      null

      According to Yahoo! Sports, the total value of the contract is $65 million to $70 million, with some hard-to-reach bonuses.

      This summer, I pegged his value at $13-$14 million per season, and he signed for an average of $13 M plus potential bonuses.

      So is he worth it?

      Bill Simmons has this to say about the deal:

      It continues to floor me that anyone would overpay someone who isn’t a franchise player during these rocky economic times. Like Portland this week — the Trail Blazers inked LaMarcus Aldridge to a five-year, $65 million extension, a deal that might have made sense in the 2006 market, but not right now. I like LaMarcus Aldridge. He’s solid. In this climate, he should not make more than $8 million or $9 million a year. The cap might drop $6 million next season for all we know. Also, inking anyone to an extension that early means you can’t trade him for two solid years. You’re basically marrying the guy. Which means Portland married a power forward who doesn’t play inside and grabs seven to eight rebounds a game. With nobody else bidding for him, no real urgency to do a deal for another year and no idea whether declining revenue will keep wrecking the cap. This makes sense … how? And you thought the NBA was getting smarter.

      Simmons often does this — he second guesses a signing and then lists all the perceived faults of the player. Let’s not forget that Aldridge averages 18.1 points on 48% shooting, which creates lots of driving lanes for Brandon Roy. The Blazers don’t want a power forward that hangs out in the lane. They already have a couple of centers that do this. Portland wants to surround Roy with shooters so that he can get to the rim with ease.

      The Blazers probably overspent a little, but they have the peace of mind that they have their second best player locked up for the next five years. There was no way to convince him that he is only worth “$8 million or $9 million” without letting him hit free agency. (He’s worth more than that, for the record.) By the time he’s convinced, there’s so much ill will between the two sides that a deal never gets done.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

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