Hache Man
"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"
Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2006/2007
Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2006/2007
Odom hoping for Friday
The Mavericks beat the Rockets 107-98 Monday behind strong performances by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard and DeSagana Diop. Terry scored 31 last night and has already racked up three 20-plus point games in the first four, despite coming off the bench. Terry owners obviously want him in the starting lineup, but as long as he's getting starter's minutes (and he is), it really doesn't matter.
Erick Dampier has been cleared to practice and should join the fray today, which is bad news for those of you enjoying Diop's strong run. Diop may hold the starting job, but this has "timeshare" written all over it. Diop had 10 points, 13 boards and four more blocks on Monday.
Josh Howard (21-6-4) appeared to badly sprain his right ankle near the end of last night's game and will probably be listed as day-to-day. Devin Harris (thigh) sat out last night, but should be back in the starting lineup Thursday. Brandon Bass was out last night with an ankle injury and is day-to-day. He is a sleeper candidate in deep leagues.
The Rockets were led by Tracy McGrady's 35 points and eight dimes, and Yao Ming, who went for 21 points and 11 boards on 9-of-12 shooting. Those were the only two guys in double figures for the Rockets, as Shane Battier and Rafer Alston continue to disappoint. Alston is in a timeshare with Mike James and they both played 25 minutes and scored eight points last night. Alston appears to be the guy with value, but neither player is really getting it done in Rick Adelman's system. Hopefully someone steps forward this week, or it could be a long year for the owners of any Rockets not named Yao or Tracy.
[SIZE=+1]Schedule and Infirmary[/SIZE]
Not every injured player is listed here, but for a comprehensive list, check out the Injury Report.
Phoenix @ Charlotte ? Both teams are fairly healthy with the exception of Amare Stoudemire, who is very iffy for tonight's game with knee discomfort. The Bobcats are undefeated and playing at home, so they're probably hoping for Boris Diaw to start at center in this one.
Denver @ New York - Denver is a team without a point guard after Mike Wilks joined Chucky Atkins and Anthony Carter on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. He's day-to-day, leaving him questionable for tonight. J.R. Smith should return from his suspension tonight, while Nene hopes to build off the success of his last game when he had 12 points and six rebounds off the bench. I won both my games in the 30-team league last week, but will need Nene to be better than he has been if I'm going to keep winning.
The Knicks are hopeful that Quentin Richardson can get it going tonight. He's been awful, failing to score in his last game. Jamal Crawford has been great and it will be interesting to see how Stephon Marbury and Nate Robinson look tonight. Marbury better get it figured out soon.
Atlanta @ New Jersey - Keep your eye on Tyronn Lue tonight, as he should start logging decent minutes at point guard. I would think Anthony Johnson (birth of child) will return to the starting lineup tonight, and with Acie Law also in the mix, the Hawks will run three guys at the point. I'm ranking them Law ? Lue ? Johnson, with Law being the one you want to own in most leagues. If Johnson is out again, Lue will probably start. I also expect Josh Childress to get it going soon, so keep your eye on him.
The Nets beat the Sixers Saturday after being embarrassed at home by the Raptors on Friday, as Jason Kidd racked up the first of his many first triple-doubles to come this year. Vince Carter is dealing with a sore thumb, and while it's not thought to be serious, it is bothersome. Hopefully he continues to play through the injury.
Orlando @ Minnesota - The Magic's rotation is set and Trevor Ariza and J.J. Redick are on the outside looking in. Feel free to dump them. Hedo Turkoglu is on fire and has his sights set on making the All-Star Team. Make sure he's not available in your league. Minnesota's Theo Ratliff missed Monday's practice with the flu, making him iffy for tonight. Gerald Green is bothered by a toe injury, but hasn't yet worked his way into the rotation for the Wolves.
Toronto @ Milwaukee - The Raps should be near full strength and you'll want to keep your eye on Carlos Delfino tonight. He's been getting 30 minutes per game and could be on the verge of having some nice value, as he's posting nice steals and threes. T.J. Ford is coming off a 32-point game, so look for him to stay hot. The Bucks appear to be at full strength and Andrew Bogut is hoping to bounce back from a poor outing. Mo Williams has really been struggling and sat out much of his last game as Charlie Bell ran the point near the end.
San Antonio @ Houston - The Spurs should be on the verge of getting Robert Horry (personal) back, but there's no fantasy value there.
L.A. Clippers @ Chicago - The Clippers may be without Chris Kaman tonight after he suffered a lower left leg injury in his last game. He sounds like he'll be a game-time decision. If Tim Thomas is available in your league, he shouldn't be. Ruben Patterson has also averaged 12 ppg and had three blocks in Game 1 and six steals in Game 2. The Bulls say Ben Wallace is dealing with a sore left ankle, which might help explain his dismal early stats. It sounds like he'll play tonight, but the ankle remains a concern. Joakim Noah (foot) finally practiced on Monday and if all goes well in today's shootaround, he should be active tonight. Don't pick him up just yet, but let's see what he does against the Clippers.
Seattle @ Sacramento - Robert Swift returned to action in the Sonics' last game, but Nick Collison should remain the starting center until Swift's knee is fully healthy. Earl Watson owners are still waiting for his breakout game this season. If he doesn't get it going soon, P.J. Carlesimo may give Luke Ridnour a chance to steal his job. The Kings will start Francisco Garcia at point guard. He was solid in his last game and if he plays well again tonight, he's worth a pickup. Someone has to win the starting PG job here, and Beno Udrih's probably not the answer. Brad Miller hasn't looked great, but he's dealing with a sore back. Hopefully he can get it going against Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox tonight. Mikki Moore looks like the new starting PF over Kenny Thomas, but has yet to post a nice line.
New Orleans @ L.A. Lakers - The Hornets look to go to 4-0 with a win over Kobe and company tonight. The Lakers are hoping that Lamar Odom plays on Friday after missing the early part of the season with a shoulder injury. Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum both looked great in their last game, but Farmar still has to do it a few more times before being worth consideration.
Cleveland @ Golden State - Sasha Pavlovic will play his second game for the Cavs tonight and should get better each game for the next couple weeks. Put him on your radar. Larry Hughes is dealing with a lower leg contusion and is questionable tonight. If he can't go, look for Pavlovic to get a lot of minutes, while Daniel Gibson should be in line for another big game. The Warriors are probably going to leave Al Harrington in the starting five, which is obviously great news for his owners. But if you also own Monta Ellis, Don Nelson has gone back to thinking he should play backup point guard. Ellis was benched in many leagues this week with just two games and you'll want to monitor his progress before making a decision on him next week.
News and Notes
Pau Gasol continues to miss Grizzlies practices with a sore back and owners simply have to hope it doesn't cost him any game time. So far, so good, but it would be nice if Gasol was fully healthy.
Sixers' point guard Andre Miller missed Monday's practice with the flu making him a little iffy for Wednesday.
Troy Murphy (Achilles) will be a game-time decision for the Pacers on Wednesday. That's good news, as it sounds like he should be back in action this week. If you need a center and he was cut in your league, think about picking him up and stashing him.
Dwyane Wade returned to practice for the Heat on Monday but still may be a week away from playing. But we've also heard he might play this Sunday.
Steve Blake will start over Jarrett Jack at point guard for the Blazers on Wednesday, while Channing Frye might get the nod at center over Joel Przybilla. Frye's a shaky play but could be worth owning, while Blake could do very well as the starting point guard in Portland.
Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2006/2007
Odom hoping for Friday
The Mavericks beat the Rockets 107-98 Monday behind strong performances by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard and DeSagana Diop. Terry scored 31 last night and has already racked up three 20-plus point games in the first four, despite coming off the bench. Terry owners obviously want him in the starting lineup, but as long as he's getting starter's minutes (and he is), it really doesn't matter.
Erick Dampier has been cleared to practice and should join the fray today, which is bad news for those of you enjoying Diop's strong run. Diop may hold the starting job, but this has "timeshare" written all over it. Diop had 10 points, 13 boards and four more blocks on Monday.
Josh Howard (21-6-4) appeared to badly sprain his right ankle near the end of last night's game and will probably be listed as day-to-day. Devin Harris (thigh) sat out last night, but should be back in the starting lineup Thursday. Brandon Bass was out last night with an ankle injury and is day-to-day. He is a sleeper candidate in deep leagues.
The Rockets were led by Tracy McGrady's 35 points and eight dimes, and Yao Ming, who went for 21 points and 11 boards on 9-of-12 shooting. Those were the only two guys in double figures for the Rockets, as Shane Battier and Rafer Alston continue to disappoint. Alston is in a timeshare with Mike James and they both played 25 minutes and scored eight points last night. Alston appears to be the guy with value, but neither player is really getting it done in Rick Adelman's system. Hopefully someone steps forward this week, or it could be a long year for the owners of any Rockets not named Yao or Tracy.
[SIZE=+1]Schedule and Infirmary[/SIZE]
Not every injured player is listed here, but for a comprehensive list, check out the Injury Report.
Phoenix @ Charlotte ? Both teams are fairly healthy with the exception of Amare Stoudemire, who is very iffy for tonight's game with knee discomfort. The Bobcats are undefeated and playing at home, so they're probably hoping for Boris Diaw to start at center in this one.
Denver @ New York - Denver is a team without a point guard after Mike Wilks joined Chucky Atkins and Anthony Carter on the sidelines with a hamstring injury. He's day-to-day, leaving him questionable for tonight. J.R. Smith should return from his suspension tonight, while Nene hopes to build off the success of his last game when he had 12 points and six rebounds off the bench. I won both my games in the 30-team league last week, but will need Nene to be better than he has been if I'm going to keep winning.
The Knicks are hopeful that Quentin Richardson can get it going tonight. He's been awful, failing to score in his last game. Jamal Crawford has been great and it will be interesting to see how Stephon Marbury and Nate Robinson look tonight. Marbury better get it figured out soon.
Atlanta @ New Jersey - Keep your eye on Tyronn Lue tonight, as he should start logging decent minutes at point guard. I would think Anthony Johnson (birth of child) will return to the starting lineup tonight, and with Acie Law also in the mix, the Hawks will run three guys at the point. I'm ranking them Law ? Lue ? Johnson, with Law being the one you want to own in most leagues. If Johnson is out again, Lue will probably start. I also expect Josh Childress to get it going soon, so keep your eye on him.
The Nets beat the Sixers Saturday after being embarrassed at home by the Raptors on Friday, as Jason Kidd racked up the first of his many first triple-doubles to come this year. Vince Carter is dealing with a sore thumb, and while it's not thought to be serious, it is bothersome. Hopefully he continues to play through the injury.
Orlando @ Minnesota - The Magic's rotation is set and Trevor Ariza and J.J. Redick are on the outside looking in. Feel free to dump them. Hedo Turkoglu is on fire and has his sights set on making the All-Star Team. Make sure he's not available in your league. Minnesota's Theo Ratliff missed Monday's practice with the flu, making him iffy for tonight. Gerald Green is bothered by a toe injury, but hasn't yet worked his way into the rotation for the Wolves.
Toronto @ Milwaukee - The Raps should be near full strength and you'll want to keep your eye on Carlos Delfino tonight. He's been getting 30 minutes per game and could be on the verge of having some nice value, as he's posting nice steals and threes. T.J. Ford is coming off a 32-point game, so look for him to stay hot. The Bucks appear to be at full strength and Andrew Bogut is hoping to bounce back from a poor outing. Mo Williams has really been struggling and sat out much of his last game as Charlie Bell ran the point near the end.
San Antonio @ Houston - The Spurs should be on the verge of getting Robert Horry (personal) back, but there's no fantasy value there.
L.A. Clippers @ Chicago - The Clippers may be without Chris Kaman tonight after he suffered a lower left leg injury in his last game. He sounds like he'll be a game-time decision. If Tim Thomas is available in your league, he shouldn't be. Ruben Patterson has also averaged 12 ppg and had three blocks in Game 1 and six steals in Game 2. The Bulls say Ben Wallace is dealing with a sore left ankle, which might help explain his dismal early stats. It sounds like he'll play tonight, but the ankle remains a concern. Joakim Noah (foot) finally practiced on Monday and if all goes well in today's shootaround, he should be active tonight. Don't pick him up just yet, but let's see what he does against the Clippers.
Seattle @ Sacramento - Robert Swift returned to action in the Sonics' last game, but Nick Collison should remain the starting center until Swift's knee is fully healthy. Earl Watson owners are still waiting for his breakout game this season. If he doesn't get it going soon, P.J. Carlesimo may give Luke Ridnour a chance to steal his job. The Kings will start Francisco Garcia at point guard. He was solid in his last game and if he plays well again tonight, he's worth a pickup. Someone has to win the starting PG job here, and Beno Udrih's probably not the answer. Brad Miller hasn't looked great, but he's dealing with a sore back. Hopefully he can get it going against Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox tonight. Mikki Moore looks like the new starting PF over Kenny Thomas, but has yet to post a nice line.
New Orleans @ L.A. Lakers - The Hornets look to go to 4-0 with a win over Kobe and company tonight. The Lakers are hoping that Lamar Odom plays on Friday after missing the early part of the season with a shoulder injury. Jordan Farmar and Andrew Bynum both looked great in their last game, but Farmar still has to do it a few more times before being worth consideration.
Cleveland @ Golden State - Sasha Pavlovic will play his second game for the Cavs tonight and should get better each game for the next couple weeks. Put him on your radar. Larry Hughes is dealing with a lower leg contusion and is questionable tonight. If he can't go, look for Pavlovic to get a lot of minutes, while Daniel Gibson should be in line for another big game. The Warriors are probably going to leave Al Harrington in the starting five, which is obviously great news for his owners. But if you also own Monta Ellis, Don Nelson has gone back to thinking he should play backup point guard. Ellis was benched in many leagues this week with just two games and you'll want to monitor his progress before making a decision on him next week.
News and Notes
Pau Gasol continues to miss Grizzlies practices with a sore back and owners simply have to hope it doesn't cost him any game time. So far, so good, but it would be nice if Gasol was fully healthy.
Sixers' point guard Andre Miller missed Monday's practice with the flu making him a little iffy for Wednesday.
Troy Murphy (Achilles) will be a game-time decision for the Pacers on Wednesday. That's good news, as it sounds like he should be back in action this week. If you need a center and he was cut in your league, think about picking him up and stashing him.
Dwyane Wade returned to practice for the Heat on Monday but still may be a week away from playing. But we've also heard he might play this Sunday.
Steve Blake will start over Jarrett Jack at point guard for the Blazers on Wednesday, while Channing Frye might get the nod at center over Joel Przybilla. Frye's a shaky play but could be worth owning, while Blake could do very well as the starting point guard in Portland.