EOG Sports Betting Forums - View Single Post

Hache Man · 04-02-08, 04:36 PM

Poor Rip has a bum hip

Just as fantasy playoffs fade, the real-life playoffs kick into gear…but keep in mind that Rotoworld is here all year long, pumping out updates and breaking news. On some long summer day when you're itching for an NBA fix, stop by the site for updated rumors, trades and injuries…you know, the building blocks of a successful campaign in 2008-2009.

Just pray that we never use the words 'ruptured', 'skiing', 'motorcycle', 'micro-fracture' or 'Isiah Thomas'…unless the latter is immediately followed by 'has finally been fired'.

Rasho Nesterovic—I just dropped Chris Kaman for Rasho in one league, and was actually surprised that he was still available—the next best option was either Ronny Turiaf or Josh Boone.

Here are Rasho's averages in the month of March: 13.6 points on 56% shooting, 77% free throws, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.2 turnovers in 30 minutes per game.

That line isn't too stellar, but compared to the competition it's a supergiant. The Raptors' recent lineup shift worked to Rasho's advantage—he's now established as the team's starting center and is locked into a reliable 30-minute role. More blocks and rebounds would certainly be nice from a fantasy center, but I'm unwilling to ask more of Rasho, who has never averaged more than 2.0 blocks or 7.7 rebounds in a season.

If Andrea Bargnani is still owned in your league, it's because his owner has conceded defeat (or simply lost interest).

Richard Hamilton—Rip's hip is giving his owners fits, and as he sits and licks his injury it is obvious there is no quick fix (how's that for alliteration). But seriously, his owners are in trouble.

The injured hip has been bothering him for weeks, and finally got to the point where the Pistons—who are comfortably floating into the playoffs as the number-two seed—were obligated to shut him down. To his credit, Hamilton returned long enough to harass LeBron James into a 4-of-17 shooting night—only the next day he reported significant discomfort in the offending hip joint.

So far Rip is questionable for Tuesday's game, but coach Flip Saunders already declared his intention to bench a few starters whenever the Pistons play a weak team from now until the playoffs (Tuesday's opponent is the Timberwolves). Hamilton's injury almost guarantees that he'll be one of the benched players, meaning his owners have to calculate vague but foreseeable DNPs into the equation next week. I can't recommend dropping him outright, but if you're scrapping tooth and nail to win your league, someone more reliable (say, Travis Outlaw?) seems like a wise alternative.

The Pistons bench plays consistent minutes, but they are too low for owners to benefit. Aaron Afflalo—who will start whenever Hamilton doesn't—has cracked 30 minutes just once. It is Rodney Stuckey who has the best chance of sustained value, and even he is no better than a fringe option in the vast majority of leagues (a complete lack of 3-pointers really hampers his value). UPDATE: Hamilton was inactive on Tuesday, along with Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups. Stuckey scored a career-high 27 points in his second career start. He'll be inconsistent, but is worth picking up.

Chris Quinn/Daequan Cook— These two guys should have significant value for the rest of the season, provided Jason Williams doesn't return soon and spoil the fun. J-Will is supposedly returning this season, but his severely bruised thumb is in a cast and it's easy to see him shutting it down for good.

While Williams has been sidelined, Chris Quinn has proven that he can offer fantasy value even while dipping below 40% from the field.

In his last 10 games, NBA.com ranks Quinn as the second-most effective fantasy player among all sophomores, behind Rudy Gay and ahead of LaMarcus Aldridge.

In his last five games, Quinn has a ridiculous average of 3.4 steals to go along with 14.6 points on 34% shooting, 1.2 three-pointers, 28-of-33 (85%) free throws, 4.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and only 2.2 turnovers.

Cook isn't nearly as appealing, but is worth a look in many formats if he continues to log close to 35 minutes as a starter.

Cook's averages for the month of March: 11.8 points on 37% shooting, 2.2 three-pointers, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.8 turnovers. He's a lousy 62% from the free throw line, but attempts only 1.1 per game.

Returning from post-concussion symptoms on Monday, he turned the ball over six times in 29 minutes, but managed a respectable 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting, four 3-pointers and six rebounds.

Bottom line: Neither guy will save your squad, but Quinn is obviously a valuable asset and Cook is more than capable of pitching in to help you win a few categories (he's best suited to chase someone down in 3-pointers).

Emeka Okafor—Okafor has shaken off his mid-season doldrums and is playing with some energy lately, even though the Bobcats now have nothing to play for but pride. Actually, Okafor is in a contract year, so his sudden spike in energy is understandable (and likely a great relief to his agent). Okafor's last eight games have broken down nicely:

First four games: Failed to play 28 minutes in a game, averaging 5.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.

Last four games: Played a minimum of 34 minutes per game, averaging 17.3 points on 65% shooting, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.

This quote goes a long way toward explaining the disparity: "It started to look like [Okafor] had lost his enthusiasm," Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said on Monday. "I though it was important that some of that passion came back. He expressed some things he wanted from the team, in terms of minutes."

Bottom line: Okafor's deficiencies are at least as obvious as his efficiencies, but he has the raw power and basic skill set to be an effective NBA front-court player for the next decade. In terms of the next week or two? He's on a roll, and I can only recommend starting him while it lasts.

Chris Kaman—This quote from Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy says all you need to know: ""Have you seen [Kaman's] ankle? It really blew up. I don't think we'll see him (playing) anytime soon." Given Kaman's already-ailing back, I see very little chance of the Kaveman appearing in another game this season.

Beno Udrih—For a guy who never had elite value, Udrih has a fanatical following in the fantasy community. Owners who polished their waiver wire gem for a few months are loathe to drop him without getting back a comparable free agent. Udrih could return soon, but I'm skeptical for multiple reasons: 1) He already tried to return, lasting all of 10 minutes before his back seized up on him, 2) the Kings have been out of the playoff picture for a very long time, and 3) coach Reggie Theus recently declared fill-in starter Anthony Johnson to be a better defender than Udrih. It's time to give up on Beno this season, or at least radically adjust your expectations.

Shawn Marion—If you've been holding onto Marion for this long, odds are you won't mind hanging onto him a few days more. My original recommendation was to drop him last weekend if there wasn't any good news on the horizon—turns out there wasn't. But if you still find yourself unable to relinquish your stud to the waiver wire, take comfort in the fact that Pat Riley has said Marion might return this week (though he's doubtful for Wednesday's game). Heat beat writer Ira Winderman believes Marion's motivation to return stems from Miami's desire to test him out at small forward, in anticipation of next season—but to me this makes no sense at all. Marion is essentially playing with a different (and incomprehensibly worse) team right now, and testing his suitability at small forward would seem lower on everyone's list of priorities than preserving his injured back before a contract year. We don't have to wait long to see whether he's actually coming back, so hang on to him this week and see what happens.

Jordan Farmar/Sasha Vujacic—Neither of these guys has much value at the moment. What should be highlighted is how much they stand to gain if Derek Fisher shuts it down for a while because of the partially torn tendon in his right foot.

Fisher has been playing through the injury, but Lakers coach Phil Jackson acknowledged the uncertainty of Fisher's status on Monday: "We really don't know what's going to happen with this. We'll just have to wait and see how he's going to be and what direction it's going to take." Fisher played very well in Sunday's game against the Wizards—posting 17 points in 33 minutes of an overtime victory—but the injury will eventually require 2-3 months of inactivity to fully heal, and LA could easily rest him for a week or so prior to the playoffs.

Since the All-Star break, Sasha Vujacic is averaging 11 points and 2.5 three-pointers despite playing only 22 minutes per game. He might already be owned in your league, but absolutely should be owned if Fisher shuts it down.

Jordan Farmar's only weaknesses in fantasy leagues are blocks (0.1) and free throw percentage (67%)—outside of that, he's a reliably versatile option. That is, when he gets sufficient playing time.

In less than 21 minutes per game, Farmar is averaging 9.2 points on 46% shooting, 1.4 three-pointers, 2.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals.

Farmar is therefore a prime candidate for a huge month of April, should Fisher sit out at some point.

As a brief follow-up on my previous Mark Cuban vs. Credentialed Bloggers debate: the NBA overturned Cuban's idiotic ban, so he proceeded to "prove his point" by opening the doors of the Mavs locker-room to any blogger who submitted halfway decent copy to his email inbox. There is no question that Cuban's motivations lie [sic] in his distaste for Dallas Morning-News blogger Tim MacMahon. The "media theory" element of his argument is laughable—my previous column poked numerous holes in it, and ESPN's resident hoops blogger Henry Abbott (among others) has exhaustively refuted the illegitimacy of bloggers-as-journalists. Oh well. Cuban has a silver spoon, a soapbox and an axe to grind—it's a noxious combination of metaphors, and does nobody any good in the real world.

Thanks for reading along this season as I transitioned from Bench/Start to Fantasy Trends , and continue to hammer out wrinkles in the format. There might be two more columns this season, but regardless I encourage anyone still reading to write and let me know what you did and did not like about the columns. Or just anything else you had on your mind. Thanks again…and have fun this week.

04-02-08, 04:36 PM	#211 (permalink)
Hache Man Moderator On The Rays' Wagon Join Date: Aug 19, 2005 Location: Orlando, Florida Posts: 42,601	Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2007/2008 Poor Rip has a bum hip Just as fantasy playoffs fade, the real-life playoffs kick into gear…but keep in mind that Rotoworld is here all year long, pumping out updates and breaking news. On some long summer day when you're itching for an NBA fix, stop by the site for updated rumors, trades and injuries…you know, the building blocks of a successful campaign in 2008-2009. Just pray that we never use the words 'ruptured', 'skiing', 'motorcycle', 'micro-fracture' or 'Isiah Thomas'…unless the latter is immediately followed by 'has finally been fired'. Rasho Nesterovic—I just dropped Chris Kaman for Rasho in one league, and was actually surprised that he was still available—the next best option was either Ronny Turiaf or Josh Boone. Here are Rasho's averages in the month of March: 13.6 points on 56% shooting, 77% free throws, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 blocks and 1.2 turnovers in 30 minutes per game. That line isn't too stellar, but compared to the competition it's a supergiant. The Raptors' recent lineup shift worked to Rasho's advantage—he's now established as the team's starting center and is locked into a reliable 30-minute role. More blocks and rebounds would certainly be nice from a fantasy center, but I'm unwilling to ask more of Rasho, who has never averaged more than 2.0 blocks or 7.7 rebounds in a season. If Andrea Bargnani is still owned in your league, it's because his owner has conceded defeat (or simply lost interest). Richard Hamilton—Rip's hip is giving his owners fits, and as he sits and licks his injury it is obvious there is no quick fix (how's that for alliteration). But seriously, his owners are in trouble. The injured hip has been bothering him for weeks, and finally got to the point where the Pistons—who are comfortably floating into the playoffs as the number-two seed—were obligated to shut him down. To his credit, Hamilton returned long enough to harass LeBron James into a 4-of-17 shooting night—only the next day he reported significant discomfort in the offending hip joint. So far Rip is questionable for Tuesday's game, but coach Flip Saunders already declared his intention to bench a few starters whenever the Pistons play a weak team from now until the playoffs (Tuesday's opponent is the Timberwolves). Hamilton's injury almost guarantees that he'll be one of the benched players, meaning his owners have to calculate vague but foreseeable DNPs into the equation next week. I can't recommend dropping him outright, but if you're scrapping tooth and nail to win your league, someone more reliable (say, Travis Outlaw?) seems like a wise alternative. The Pistons bench plays consistent minutes, but they are too low for owners to benefit. Aaron Afflalo—who will start whenever Hamilton doesn't—has cracked 30 minutes just once. It is Rodney Stuckey who has the best chance of sustained value, and even he is no better than a fringe option in the vast majority of leagues (a complete lack of 3-pointers really hampers his value). UPDATE: Hamilton was inactive on Tuesday, along with Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups. Stuckey scored a career-high 27 points in his second career start. He'll be inconsistent, but is worth picking up. Chris Quinn/Daequan Cook— These two guys should have significant value for the rest of the season, provided Jason Williams doesn't return soon and spoil the fun. J-Will is supposedly returning this season, but his severely bruised thumb is in a cast and it's easy to see him shutting it down for good. While Williams has been sidelined, Chris Quinn has proven that he can offer fantasy value even while dipping below 40% from the field. In his last 10 games, NBA.com ranks Quinn as the second-most effective fantasy player among all sophomores, behind Rudy Gay and ahead of LaMarcus Aldridge. In his last five games, Quinn has a ridiculous average of 3.4 steals to go along with 14.6 points on 34% shooting, 1.2 three-pointers, 28-of-33 (85%) free throws, 4.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and only 2.2 turnovers. Cook isn't nearly as appealing, but is worth a look in many formats if he continues to log close to 35 minutes as a starter. Cook's averages for the month of March: 11.8 points on 37% shooting, 2.2 three-pointers, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals and 1.8 turnovers. He's a lousy 62% from the free throw line, but attempts only 1.1 per game. Returning from post-concussion symptoms on Monday, he turned the ball over six times in 29 minutes, but managed a respectable 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting, four 3-pointers and six rebounds. Bottom line: Neither guy will save your squad, but Quinn is obviously a valuable asset and Cook is more than capable of pitching in to help you win a few categories (he's best suited to chase someone down in 3-pointers). Emeka Okafor—Okafor has shaken off his mid-season doldrums and is playing with some energy lately, even though the Bobcats now have nothing to play for but pride. Actually, Okafor is in a contract year, so his sudden spike in energy is understandable (and likely a great relief to his agent). Okafor's last eight games have broken down nicely: First four games: Failed to play 28 minutes in a game, averaging 5.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. Last four games: Played a minimum of 34 minutes per game, averaging 17.3 points on 65% shooting, 9.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. This quote goes a long way toward explaining the disparity: "It started to look like [Okafor] had lost his enthusiasm," Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said on Monday. "I though it was important that some of that passion came back. He expressed some things he wanted from the team, in terms of minutes." Bottom line: Okafor's deficiencies are at least as obvious as his efficiencies, but he has the raw power and basic skill set to be an effective NBA front-court player for the next decade. In terms of the next week or two? He's on a roll, and I can only recommend starting him while it lasts. Chris Kaman—This quote from Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy says all you need to know: ""Have you seen [Kaman's] ankle? It really blew up. I don't think we'll see him (playing) anytime soon." Given Kaman's already-ailing back, I see very little chance of the Kaveman appearing in another game this season. Beno Udrih—For a guy who never had elite value, Udrih has a fanatical following in the fantasy community. Owners who polished their waiver wire gem for a few months are loathe to drop him without getting back a comparable free agent. Udrih could return soon, but I'm skeptical for multiple reasons: 1) He already tried to return, lasting all of 10 minutes before his back seized up on him, 2) the Kings have been out of the playoff picture for a very long time, and 3) coach Reggie Theus recently declared fill-in starter Anthony Johnson to be a better defender than Udrih. It's time to give up on Beno this season, or at least radically adjust your expectations. Shawn Marion—If you've been holding onto Marion for this long, odds are you won't mind hanging onto him a few days more. My original recommendation was to drop him last weekend if there wasn't any good news on the horizon—turns out there wasn't. But if you still find yourself unable to relinquish your stud to the waiver wire, take comfort in the fact that Pat Riley has said Marion might return this week (though he's doubtful for Wednesday's game). Heat beat writer Ira Winderman believes Marion's motivation to return stems from Miami's desire to test him out at small forward, in anticipation of next season—but to me this makes no sense at all. Marion is essentially playing with a different (and incomprehensibly worse) team right now, and testing his suitability at small forward would seem lower on everyone's list of priorities than preserving his injured back before a contract year. We don't have to wait long to see whether he's actually coming back, so hang on to him this week and see what happens. Jordan Farmar/Sasha Vujacic—Neither of these guys has much value at the moment. What should be highlighted is how much they stand to gain if Derek Fisher shuts it down for a while because of the partially torn tendon in his right foot. Fisher has been playing through the injury, but Lakers coach Phil Jackson acknowledged the uncertainty of Fisher's status on Monday: "We really don't know what's going to happen with this. We'll just have to wait and see how he's going to be and what direction it's going to take." Fisher played very well in Sunday's game against the Wizards—posting 17 points in 33 minutes of an overtime victory—but the injury will eventually require 2-3 months of inactivity to fully heal, and LA could easily rest him for a week or so prior to the playoffs. Since the All-Star break, Sasha Vujacic is averaging 11 points and 2.5 three-pointers despite playing only 22 minutes per game. He might already be owned in your league, but absolutely should be owned if Fisher shuts it down. Jordan Farmar's only weaknesses in fantasy leagues are blocks (0.1) and free throw percentage (67%)—outside of that, he's a reliably versatile option. That is, when he gets sufficient playing time. In less than 21 minutes per game, Farmar is averaging 9.2 points on 46% shooting, 1.4 three-pointers, 2.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals. Farmar is therefore a prime candidate for a huge month of April, should Fisher sit out at some point. As a brief follow-up on my previous Mark Cuban vs. Credentialed Bloggers debate: the NBA overturned Cuban's idiotic ban, so he proceeded to "prove his point" by opening the doors of the Mavs locker-room to any blogger who submitted halfway decent copy to his email inbox. There is no question that Cuban's motivations lie [sic] in his distaste for Dallas Morning-News blogger Tim MacMahon. The "media theory" element of his argument is laughable—my previous column poked numerous holes in it, and ESPN's resident hoops blogger Henry Abbott (among others) has exhaustively refuted the illegitimacy of bloggers-as-journalists. Oh well. Cuban has a silver spoon, a soapbox and an axe to grind—it's a noxious combination of metaphors, and does nobody any good in the real world. Thanks for reading along this season as I transitioned from Bench/Start to Fantasy Trends , and continue to hammer out wrinkles in the format. There might be two more columns this season, but regardless I encourage anyone still reading to write and let me know what you did and did not like about the columns. Or just anything else you had on your mind. Thanks again…and have fun this week.