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Hache Man · 04-04-08, 01:31 PM

Jamison down, Matrix done

A few of my leagues have been shortened in the past year or two to end a week and a half before the regular season ends, meaning Sunday is the final day in those. But this year, that's not even early enough. I'm not going to waste the time to begin counting the number of players who have gone down early this season, but it's frightening, although not really abnormal. That number would also be offset by the strange number of returnees we had on Wednesday night, but it's almost gotten to the point that the fantasy NBA season should probably end on Week 20, which is sad. I hate it when the season comes to an end and the earlier we shut it down, the longer the offseason, etc. But I am getting my behind handed to me in the UBC league because I'm stuck with Jerry Stackhouse, Chris Kaman and Rafer Alston in my lineup, but I had little choice or alternatives given that lineups are set weekly and the league is really deep.

The good news about losing your league in a championship game in the final week or two of the season is that it's easy to blame it on the fact so many stars shut it down early. It actually helps take some of the sting out of losing. The bad news is that the best teams in each league will struggle to play well enough in the playoffs to win a title. The system's flaw is not restricted to fantasy hoops, but is a problem in all sports. Good luck trying to set your football lineup in Week 17, and enjoy losing your baseball finale because of some September call up no one (outside of Matthew Pouliot) had ever heard of. Yeah, you can eliminate playoffs or head-to-head from your league, but the reality is that most leagues will resist change. Anyway, my UBC team still has a full week to bounce back, but I get the feeling the hole is too big to climb out of. I can still take satisfaction in having the highest scoring team in the league during the regular season, even though my team looks more like the Heat right now than the Hornets.

House of Pain

Shawn Marion is the latest star to bite the dust, shutting it down for the rest of the season with a "foot injury." Yeah, I'm sure he's bothered by some fasciitis, but I'm also sure that if he were still in Phoenix, he'd be getting ready to try to win a championship instead of getting his golf clubs out of the closet.

Antawn Jamison's shoulder injury didn't result in any structural damage and the Wizards have yet to officially qualify for the playoffs. But the guy was in serious pain as well as a sling yesterday, and there's a chance he's done until the playoffs. DeShawn Stevenson's ankle injury may keep him out tonight as well, but he says he'll try to play. Andray Blatche could have a big week while Jamison is out.

Paul Pierce is likely out for Saturday's game due to the birth of a child. At least we got some notice on this one. If and when Kevin Garnett will sit is still an unknown, but you know there's at least a DNP or two coming his way, along with Ray Allen. As Doc Rivers said, they'll get their "All-Star Break" now since they didn't get a rest back in February. bostonceltics.ws

Kenyon Martin got a one-game suspension for flagrant fouls yesterday, so he's out on Saturday. Again, at least we know in advance, which is all you can ask for at this time of the season.

Yi Jianlian is out tonight with his knee injury, so Charlie Villanueva should be a safe play. I'm guessing Yi's season is over, which is true for almost any player on a non-playoff team who suffers a hangnail or scrapes his knee on the playground right now.

Andrew Bynum is running, but that's about it. I bet he gets in a game or two before the playoffs roll around, but that's it.

Rafer Alston is now down with a hamstring injury and his return date is anyone's guess. He's doubtful for tonight, meaning Bobby Jackson should get some nice run for a few games. BJax had 11 points and four assists last night, but I bet he's even better tonight. Tracy McGrady had a huge line for the Rockets in last night's win.

Richard Hamilton missed another practice on Thursday and is a game-time decision tonight. Keep him benched. He had a great first half, and hopefully you sold high on him.

Darko Milicic is questionable tonight with a shoulder injury, but he probably won't be in many lineups. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me. Burn me six times, receive a life-time ban from my roster. Tyrus Thomas, you listening? Speaking of getting burned, the funniest part about a possible Darko shut down is that it would throw Kwame Brown back into the mix.

The Good News

The news isn't all bad though, as many guys sound close to coming back.

Brandon Roy is expected to return from a groin injury on Sunday.
Grant Hill is hoping to play tonight through a groin injury of his own.
Jameer Nelson should be back tonight after Monday's false alarm.
Carmelo Anthony (shoulder) is expected to play Saturday.
Dirk Nowitzki will get 24-26 minutes through a high left-ankle sprain. dallasmavericks.com
Mickael Pietrus could return Friday, but don't play him until you see him play.
Beno Udrih is hoping to return from his back injury on Tuesday.
Ronnie Brewer remains questionable with his groin injury.
Pau Gasol looks like he survived his return with no issues.
Gilbert Arenas also should be fine to play tonight.

Game Notes

Tyrus Thomas was (surprise) disappointing last night, Larry Hughes blew up for a near triple-double, and Ben Gordon had a nice line for the Bulls. I'm not sure where that Larry game came from, but let's see him do it again. Ty Thomas? Figures.

Ben Wallace made a triumphant return last night with six points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Nice! But let's see him do it again, as well. LeBron James had another monster line, but was bothered by back spasms after the game. He'll probably play Saturday, but you never know. Daniel Gibson's return has been a complete bust, so let him go if you want to.

Martell Webster landed in the hospital with the flu last night, while Jarrett Jack played well in his absence, netting 19 points in the loss. Jack could be a solid play the rest of the way.

Francisco Garcia had 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with three boards, three assists, two steals and a block. If you were using Anthony Johnson to replace Udrih, you should have been using Garcia all this time. Spencer Hawes returned from an ankle injury for 11 points and four boards, but I think his return does more to hurt Brad Miller than it does anything else.
sacramentokings.com
Cuttino Mobley (heel) and Tim Thomas (Achilles) were out again last night, while Elton Brand had a nice line of 15 points, nine boards, three assists, a steal and two blocks. I doubt that was enough to push you into a championship, but if so, congratulations. Especially if you sat on him all year waiting for this moment. I'm guessing Leon Powe (Celtics) might put up Brand-like numbers the rest of the way, so let's see what happens there. Nick Fazekas scored a career-high 18 points and I'm thinking he could get plenty of garbage time over these last two weeks. He was helped by the fact that Al Thornton hit just 3-of-14 shots for eight points, while Corey Maggette had another big game for the Clips. I'm still predicting that a Maggette shutdown is coming…I just don't know when.

04-04-08, 01:31 PM	#214 (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 Jamison down, Matrix done A few of my leagues have been shortened in the past year or two to end a week and a half before the regular season ends, meaning Sunday is the final day in those. But this year, that's not even early enough. I'm not going to waste the time to begin counting the number of players who have gone down early this season, but it's frightening, although not really abnormal. That number would also be offset by the strange number of returnees we had on Wednesday night, but it's almost gotten to the point that the fantasy NBA season should probably end on Week 20, which is sad. I hate it when the season comes to an end and the earlier we shut it down, the longer the offseason, etc. But I am getting my behind handed to me in the UBC league because I'm stuck with Jerry Stackhouse, Chris Kaman and Rafer Alston in my lineup, but I had little choice or alternatives given that lineups are set weekly and the league is really deep. The good news about losing your league in a championship game in the final week or two of the season is that it's easy to blame it on the fact so many stars shut it down early. It actually helps take some of the sting out of losing. The bad news is that the best teams in each league will struggle to play well enough in the playoffs to win a title. The system's flaw is not restricted to fantasy hoops, but is a problem in all sports. Good luck trying to set your football lineup in Week 17, and enjoy losing your baseball finale because of some September call up no one (outside of Matthew Pouliot) had ever heard of. Yeah, you can eliminate playoffs or head-to-head from your league, but the reality is that most leagues will resist change. Anyway, my UBC team still has a full week to bounce back, but I get the feeling the hole is too big to climb out of. I can still take satisfaction in having the highest scoring team in the league during the regular season, even though my team looks more like the Heat right now than the Hornets. House of Pain Shawn Marion is the latest star to bite the dust, shutting it down for the rest of the season with a "foot injury." Yeah, I'm sure he's bothered by some fasciitis, but I'm also sure that if he were still in Phoenix, he'd be getting ready to try to win a championship instead of getting his golf clubs out of the closet. Antawn Jamison's shoulder injury didn't result in any structural damage and the Wizards have yet to officially qualify for the playoffs. But the guy was in serious pain as well as a sling yesterday, and there's a chance he's done until the playoffs. DeShawn Stevenson's ankle injury may keep him out tonight as well, but he says he'll try to play. Andray Blatche could have a big week while Jamison is out. Paul Pierce is likely out for Saturday's game due to the birth of a child. At least we got some notice on this one. If and when Kevin Garnett will sit is still an unknown, but you know there's at least a DNP or two coming his way, along with Ray Allen. As Doc Rivers said, they'll get their "All-Star Break" now since they didn't get a rest back in February. bostonceltics.ws Kenyon Martin got a one-game suspension for flagrant fouls yesterday, so he's out on Saturday. Again, at least we know in advance, which is all you can ask for at this time of the season. Yi Jianlian is out tonight with his knee injury, so Charlie Villanueva should be a safe play. I'm guessing Yi's season is over, which is true for almost any player on a non-playoff team who suffers a hangnail or scrapes his knee on the playground right now. Andrew Bynum is running, but that's about it. I bet he gets in a game or two before the playoffs roll around, but that's it. Rafer Alston is now down with a hamstring injury and his return date is anyone's guess. He's doubtful for tonight, meaning Bobby Jackson should get some nice run for a few games. BJax had 11 points and four assists last night, but I bet he's even better tonight. Tracy McGrady had a huge line for the Rockets in last night's win. Richard Hamilton missed another practice on Thursday and is a game-time decision tonight. Keep him benched. He had a great first half, and hopefully you sold high on him. Darko Milicic is questionable tonight with a shoulder injury, but he probably won't be in many lineups. Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice, shame on me. Burn me six times, receive a life-time ban from my roster. Tyrus Thomas, you listening? Speaking of getting burned, the funniest part about a possible Darko shut down is that it would throw Kwame Brown back into the mix. The Good News The news isn't all bad though, as many guys sound close to coming back. Brandon Roy is expected to return from a groin injury on Sunday. Grant Hill is hoping to play tonight through a groin injury of his own. Jameer Nelson should be back tonight after Monday's false alarm. Carmelo Anthony (shoulder) is expected to play Saturday. Dirk Nowitzki will get 24-26 minutes through a high left-ankle sprain. dallasmavericks.com Mickael Pietrus could return Friday, but don't play him until you see him play. Beno Udrih is hoping to return from his back injury on Tuesday. Ronnie Brewer remains questionable with his groin injury. Pau Gasol looks like he survived his return with no issues. Gilbert Arenas also should be fine to play tonight. Game Notes Tyrus Thomas was (surprise) disappointing last night, Larry Hughes blew up for a near triple-double, and Ben Gordon had a nice line for the Bulls. I'm not sure where that Larry game came from, but let's see him do it again. Ty Thomas? Figures. Ben Wallace made a triumphant return last night with six points, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Nice! But let's see him do it again, as well. LeBron James had another monster line, but was bothered by back spasms after the game. He'll probably play Saturday, but you never know. Daniel Gibson's return has been a complete bust, so let him go if you want to. Martell Webster landed in the hospital with the flu last night, while Jarrett Jack played well in his absence, netting 19 points in the loss. Jack could be a solid play the rest of the way. Francisco Garcia had 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting to go along with three boards, three assists, two steals and a block. If you were using Anthony Johnson to replace Udrih, you should have been using Garcia all this time. Spencer Hawes returned from an ankle injury for 11 points and four boards, but I think his return does more to hurt Brad Miller than it does anything else. sacramentokings.com Cuttino Mobley (heel) and Tim Thomas (Achilles) were out again last night, while Elton Brand had a nice line of 15 points, nine boards, three assists, a steal and two blocks. I doubt that was enough to push you into a championship, but if so, congratulations. Especially if you sat on him all year waiting for this moment. I'm guessing Leon Powe (Celtics) might put up Brand-like numbers the rest of the way, so let's see what happens there. Nick Fazekas scored a career-high 18 points and I'm thinking he could get plenty of garbage time over these last two weeks. He was helped by the fact that Al Thornton hit just 3-of-14 shots for eight points, while Corey Maggette had another big game for the Clips. I'm still predicting that a Maggette shutdown is coming…I just don't know when.