Aloha Means Goodbye...
Twitter has become the quickest way for us to find and pass along breaking fantasy hoops news, and I can almost guarantee you that I will be breaking some injury news as games are going on throughout the year. In short, it should help give you an edge to beat your opponents to the waiver wire, so click the link and come on in.
What follows is a possibly hokey ode to the rock band Pavement. My apologies if you couldn't care less about them, but the bottom line is that the information below should be useful to all fantasy owners. And if you love, or even like Pavement, chances are you will be slightly more entertained than you would be by a simple nuts and bolts column. I'm going to see them in Atlanta on Sunday, where I will hopefully be treated to an incredible show as they wind down their reunion tour. The tour has been fantastic, they tore it up on The Colbert Report and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon recently, and it doesn't seem like things could be going any better.
I saw them in '94, '95, '97 and '99, but this is different. These are "greatest hits" shows, although they never truly had many 'hits,' if you define a hit by being popular on the radio. But I was also taking them for granted back in the day, not realizing that it might come to an end at a moment's notice – and it did, shortly after I saw them in Chicago at the Metro in '99.
Anyway, I haven't been this excited about a rock show in a long, long time. Maybe it was Beastie Boys in '86, Pixies in '89, Pearl Jam in '94, or R.E.M.'s opening show on the Green tour in '88? Maybe it was Sebadoh in '95? I'm not sure, but I am pretty psyched about Sunday. And in honor of that show, here is a Pavement-inspired fantasy column about some of the latest news around the NBA.
Aloha means goodbye, and also hello – it's in how you inflect
From the song 'Blue Hawaii,' can you think of a better introduction for Don Nelson leaving the Warriors? I can't, especially since he got all his cash and is going to Maui to shut it down for good. As for what will happen with the core of the Warriors this year? I think this means the end of no-name scrubs becoming fantasy superstars, as Keith Smart will probably have a "normal" rotation. And as for guys like Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and David Lee, they're still going to be top fantasy players, but I am starting to believe that Curry looks more like a second-round pick than a first-rounder. Could he still return first-round value? Absolutely. And there is still only one untouchable player on the roster – Curry. But with Nellie's shoot-first, shoot-second, shoot-third, shoot-fourth offense now extinct, these kids are going to have to trade in a few shots in order to play defense, which is going to look weird. I also still really like Reggie Williams as a deep sleeper, while Dorell Wright is also a guy to look at as a late-round flier for GSW.
And just to close the book on Nellie, I have been as hard on him as anyone (well, except for @TimKawakami) over the past five years, but I really grew to love him last season. He turned Stephen Curry into a beast, and didn't really hold back any of the bigger names last season. It's not his fault that the two guys he really didn't want to play, Anthony Randolph and Andris Biedrins, got hurt, but it helped eliminate the need for him to constantly screw with their heads and minutes, and made Nellie bearable. That is all.
Go back to those gold soundz, and keep my advent to yourself
Nuggets. Gold. Get it? And yeah, 'Gold Soundz' is one of the best songs of the 90's. The Carmelo Anthony trade that may or may not happen is dominating Rotoworld, ProBasketballTalk, Twitter and just about every other sports-related outlet. Am I sick of it yet? Absolutely. Is there any point in speculating what's going to happen, when it's clear that no one knows? Probably, as it's become pretty clear that the chances of Melo playing for the Nuggets again are dwindling a little more with each day that goes by.
Here's the deal. Every minor player on the Jazz, Bobcats, Nuggets and Nets could be moved. Big names like Melo, Andrei Kirilenko, Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, D.J. Augustin and possibly even the Bulls' Joakim Noah are also in play. Then there's also the possibility that a team not even mentioned swoops into the fray and ends up landing him. But I'm not a big fan of wasting time, and until this deal happens (or doesn't), I'm not going to try to speculate what Harris will do in Charlotte, what Melo will do in Jersey and what you can expect from Favors if he goes to Denver. In other words, we'll cross that bridge if it's ever built. I will say this, though. Favors is behind Troy Murphy in Jersey, and Paul Millsap in Utah, so I doubt his value really changes either way. Ditto on most of the big names, as they're still going to be big names wherever they land, including Melo. So, let's just get something done, or kill it. I'm tired of doing this.
Doctor's leaving for the holiday season, got crystal ice picks, no gift for the gab
That's the opening line to 'Grounded,' which is exactly what Andrew Bynum will be to start the season. The doctor performing Bynum's offseason knee surgery didn't exactly leave for the holiday season, but Bynum did, heading off to the World Cup and Europe for a month without having surgery. Then, when he returned to the states and was ready to have his operation, his doctor delayed it by another 10 days due to a "scheduling issue." Whatever the case may be, this song and lyric fit this situation perfectly.
Bynum was initially ruled out for opening night, and now says he won't return until late November, at the earliest. Had he gone under the knife as soon as the Lakers won it all, he'd probably be good to go. But with him now set to miss the first month of the season (at least), his stock is once again falling. Add him to the list of extremely risky centers (along with Yao Ming, Greg Oden and Andrew Bogut, just to name a few), and strongly consider letting someone else have him this year. The knee was in worse shape than anyone thought when they opened him up and it would not be surprising to see more problems arise once he returns to the court. No thanks.
I am the only one, searching for you, and if I get caught, then the search is through
The opening lyric to 'Frontwards' is one of my all-time favorites and the song is a Top 3 Pavement jam in my opinion, if not No. 1. As Stephen Malkmus once said, "it's a song about moving forward, obviously." I wish I was the only one looking for Andray Blatche, but that is simply not the case. He kind of blew up last season and helped many fantasy owners win a championship, and despite coming off a broken foot, all indications are that he's ready to pick up where he left off. I have him projected to be taken in the fifth round in fantasy drafts, but my buddy (name dropper alert) Brian Rosenworcel disagrees. The first thing the drummer for Guster said to me when I saw him on Friday night after he read part of the Rotoworld Hoops Guide was: "Dude, Round 5 on Blatche? Try Round 3, my friend." Brian's team name last year was House of Blatche and it's obvious the love affair has not lost any steam over the summer. I don't care if you take Blatche in Round 3, 4 or 5, but getting him on your roster seems like an extremely smart choice again this season. And you've got to love a guy who just negotiated a three-year extension with the Wizards without the help of an agent. House of Blatche, indeed.
Stick your fingers in my mouth, pull my lips back and watch me smile…If you're willing to call my machine, flip the coins and watch me light up
These are some of the lyrics to 'Home,' another favorite. And now there are rumors that D.J. Augustin may be on the verge of finding a new home, as his name has popped up in the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors. But as of now, he looks like the starting point guard for the Bobcats, which is a place I really like him. We've seen him "light up" from downtown, as he's a smooth-scoring guard who can shoot the three, and is finally on the verge of a breakout season. But if Devin Harris ends up in Charlotte, Augustin is going to see a huge hit in value. Yes, he'll get plenty of run when Harris is injured (not if, but when), but Augustin would come off the bench if Harris is a Bobcat (if Augustin isn't moved to the Nets, where he would compete with Jordan Farmar for the starting job).
So if Augustin and Harris stay home, DJA is an excellent sleeper point guard. And speaking of sleeper point guards, perhaps no position is as deep in fantasy hoops this year. Even if you miss out on some of the top PGs in the early part of your draft, there should be plenty of value in the middle and later rounds, including DJA. But if he loses his job due to a Harris trade to the Bobcats, he'll barely be worth owning in most leagues.
Life is a forklift
The lyrics to 'Forklift' are so bizarre and incomprehensible that I'm not even going to try to make a connection here. But Yao Ming's left foot, which has been rebuilt Six-Million-Dollar-Man-style, is, of course, a major concern. Yao had a great practice on Saturday and everyone in Houston's camp was giddy about how he looked. But the truth of the matter is that he and his foot are a ticking time bomb. Maybe he'll stay healthy and it won't explode this season, which would be nice, but the odds aren't in his favor. He's already been limited to 24 minutes per game without exception and I would not recommend drafting him this year. You don't want to be the guy's owner when they have to wheel out a forklift to carry his massive body off the court.
You're gorgeous, I'm pretty handsome too, we make a pair, me and you, me and you forever on and on and on and on, me and you forever ever on
The 'I Love Perth' lyrics, taken from Pavement's tribute to one of Australia's largest cities, perfectly summarized fantasy owners' love affair with Andrew Bogut last year, when he basically put up All-Star numbers for the Bucks. But a disastrous and nasty fall late in the season led to a serious arm injury (and playoff disaster for the Bucks), and there's talk that he will miss some serious time this year. Like Bynum, Greg Oden and Yao, Bogut is still a center worth drafting and owning this year, but the potential reward comes with quite a bit of risk. I'd rather take a shot on an up-and-comer like JaVale McGee, or a revitalized Samuel Dalembert in Sacramento instead.
This is the slow sick sucking part of me
The 'Unfair' video in the Fallon link is a great ride, with a classic Bob Nastanovich freak out from start to finish. And "unfair" is exactly how Kevin Love has been treated in Minnesota thus far in his young career. As if on cue, Kurt Rambis recently sent out a fantasy fire alarm when he said Love would need to earn the starting power forward job, because that's the "culture" from which Rambis comes from. Look. Love has a chance to lead the league in rebounding if he gets a starting job and 35 minutes a night, which he deserves. But with the Minnesota organization failing to get much right over the last decade, David Kahn in charge and Rambis pulling the strings on the bench, it's possible Love is held back yet again. Unfair. I am still a big Love fan this year and am holding out hope that cooler heads prevail and he is easily named a starter this season. Even if that happens, he'll have to stay out of the doghouse and keep his confidence up while playing for one of the worst teams in the league. But Love should qualify at both PF and C and be a double-double machine, as well as a fantasy beast this season. So draft him with some unwarranted confidence and hope for the best.
Twitter has become the quickest way for us to find and pass along breaking fantasy hoops news, and I can almost guarantee you that I will be breaking some injury news as games are going on throughout the year. In short, it should help give you an edge to beat your opponents to the waiver wire, so click the link and come on in.
What follows is a possibly hokey ode to the rock band Pavement. My apologies if you couldn't care less about them, but the bottom line is that the information below should be useful to all fantasy owners. And if you love, or even like Pavement, chances are you will be slightly more entertained than you would be by a simple nuts and bolts column. I'm going to see them in Atlanta on Sunday, where I will hopefully be treated to an incredible show as they wind down their reunion tour. The tour has been fantastic, they tore it up on The Colbert Report and Late Night With Jimmy Fallon recently, and it doesn't seem like things could be going any better.
I saw them in '94, '95, '97 and '99, but this is different. These are "greatest hits" shows, although they never truly had many 'hits,' if you define a hit by being popular on the radio. But I was also taking them for granted back in the day, not realizing that it might come to an end at a moment's notice – and it did, shortly after I saw them in Chicago at the Metro in '99.
Anyway, I haven't been this excited about a rock show in a long, long time. Maybe it was Beastie Boys in '86, Pixies in '89, Pearl Jam in '94, or R.E.M.'s opening show on the Green tour in '88? Maybe it was Sebadoh in '95? I'm not sure, but I am pretty psyched about Sunday. And in honor of that show, here is a Pavement-inspired fantasy column about some of the latest news around the NBA.
Aloha means goodbye, and also hello – it's in how you inflect
From the song 'Blue Hawaii,' can you think of a better introduction for Don Nelson leaving the Warriors? I can't, especially since he got all his cash and is going to Maui to shut it down for good. As for what will happen with the core of the Warriors this year? I think this means the end of no-name scrubs becoming fantasy superstars, as Keith Smart will probably have a "normal" rotation. And as for guys like Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and David Lee, they're still going to be top fantasy players, but I am starting to believe that Curry looks more like a second-round pick than a first-rounder. Could he still return first-round value? Absolutely. And there is still only one untouchable player on the roster – Curry. But with Nellie's shoot-first, shoot-second, shoot-third, shoot-fourth offense now extinct, these kids are going to have to trade in a few shots in order to play defense, which is going to look weird. I also still really like Reggie Williams as a deep sleeper, while Dorell Wright is also a guy to look at as a late-round flier for GSW.
And just to close the book on Nellie, I have been as hard on him as anyone (well, except for @TimKawakami) over the past five years, but I really grew to love him last season. He turned Stephen Curry into a beast, and didn't really hold back any of the bigger names last season. It's not his fault that the two guys he really didn't want to play, Anthony Randolph and Andris Biedrins, got hurt, but it helped eliminate the need for him to constantly screw with their heads and minutes, and made Nellie bearable. That is all.
Go back to those gold soundz, and keep my advent to yourself
Nuggets. Gold. Get it? And yeah, 'Gold Soundz' is one of the best songs of the 90's. The Carmelo Anthony trade that may or may not happen is dominating Rotoworld, ProBasketballTalk, Twitter and just about every other sports-related outlet. Am I sick of it yet? Absolutely. Is there any point in speculating what's going to happen, when it's clear that no one knows? Probably, as it's become pretty clear that the chances of Melo playing for the Nuggets again are dwindling a little more with each day that goes by.
Here's the deal. Every minor player on the Jazz, Bobcats, Nuggets and Nets could be moved. Big names like Melo, Andrei Kirilenko, Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, D.J. Augustin and possibly even the Bulls' Joakim Noah are also in play. Then there's also the possibility that a team not even mentioned swoops into the fray and ends up landing him. But I'm not a big fan of wasting time, and until this deal happens (or doesn't), I'm not going to try to speculate what Harris will do in Charlotte, what Melo will do in Jersey and what you can expect from Favors if he goes to Denver. In other words, we'll cross that bridge if it's ever built. I will say this, though. Favors is behind Troy Murphy in Jersey, and Paul Millsap in Utah, so I doubt his value really changes either way. Ditto on most of the big names, as they're still going to be big names wherever they land, including Melo. So, let's just get something done, or kill it. I'm tired of doing this.
Doctor's leaving for the holiday season, got crystal ice picks, no gift for the gab
That's the opening line to 'Grounded,' which is exactly what Andrew Bynum will be to start the season. The doctor performing Bynum's offseason knee surgery didn't exactly leave for the holiday season, but Bynum did, heading off to the World Cup and Europe for a month without having surgery. Then, when he returned to the states and was ready to have his operation, his doctor delayed it by another 10 days due to a "scheduling issue." Whatever the case may be, this song and lyric fit this situation perfectly.
Bynum was initially ruled out for opening night, and now says he won't return until late November, at the earliest. Had he gone under the knife as soon as the Lakers won it all, he'd probably be good to go. But with him now set to miss the first month of the season (at least), his stock is once again falling. Add him to the list of extremely risky centers (along with Yao Ming, Greg Oden and Andrew Bogut, just to name a few), and strongly consider letting someone else have him this year. The knee was in worse shape than anyone thought when they opened him up and it would not be surprising to see more problems arise once he returns to the court. No thanks.
I am the only one, searching for you, and if I get caught, then the search is through
The opening lyric to 'Frontwards' is one of my all-time favorites and the song is a Top 3 Pavement jam in my opinion, if not No. 1. As Stephen Malkmus once said, "it's a song about moving forward, obviously." I wish I was the only one looking for Andray Blatche, but that is simply not the case. He kind of blew up last season and helped many fantasy owners win a championship, and despite coming off a broken foot, all indications are that he's ready to pick up where he left off. I have him projected to be taken in the fifth round in fantasy drafts, but my buddy (name dropper alert) Brian Rosenworcel disagrees. The first thing the drummer for Guster said to me when I saw him on Friday night after he read part of the Rotoworld Hoops Guide was: "Dude, Round 5 on Blatche? Try Round 3, my friend." Brian's team name last year was House of Blatche and it's obvious the love affair has not lost any steam over the summer. I don't care if you take Blatche in Round 3, 4 or 5, but getting him on your roster seems like an extremely smart choice again this season. And you've got to love a guy who just negotiated a three-year extension with the Wizards without the help of an agent. House of Blatche, indeed.
Stick your fingers in my mouth, pull my lips back and watch me smile…If you're willing to call my machine, flip the coins and watch me light up
These are some of the lyrics to 'Home,' another favorite. And now there are rumors that D.J. Augustin may be on the verge of finding a new home, as his name has popped up in the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors. But as of now, he looks like the starting point guard for the Bobcats, which is a place I really like him. We've seen him "light up" from downtown, as he's a smooth-scoring guard who can shoot the three, and is finally on the verge of a breakout season. But if Devin Harris ends up in Charlotte, Augustin is going to see a huge hit in value. Yes, he'll get plenty of run when Harris is injured (not if, but when), but Augustin would come off the bench if Harris is a Bobcat (if Augustin isn't moved to the Nets, where he would compete with Jordan Farmar for the starting job).
So if Augustin and Harris stay home, DJA is an excellent sleeper point guard. And speaking of sleeper point guards, perhaps no position is as deep in fantasy hoops this year. Even if you miss out on some of the top PGs in the early part of your draft, there should be plenty of value in the middle and later rounds, including DJA. But if he loses his job due to a Harris trade to the Bobcats, he'll barely be worth owning in most leagues.
Life is a forklift
The lyrics to 'Forklift' are so bizarre and incomprehensible that I'm not even going to try to make a connection here. But Yao Ming's left foot, which has been rebuilt Six-Million-Dollar-Man-style, is, of course, a major concern. Yao had a great practice on Saturday and everyone in Houston's camp was giddy about how he looked. But the truth of the matter is that he and his foot are a ticking time bomb. Maybe he'll stay healthy and it won't explode this season, which would be nice, but the odds aren't in his favor. He's already been limited to 24 minutes per game without exception and I would not recommend drafting him this year. You don't want to be the guy's owner when they have to wheel out a forklift to carry his massive body off the court.
You're gorgeous, I'm pretty handsome too, we make a pair, me and you, me and you forever on and on and on and on, me and you forever ever on
The 'I Love Perth' lyrics, taken from Pavement's tribute to one of Australia's largest cities, perfectly summarized fantasy owners' love affair with Andrew Bogut last year, when he basically put up All-Star numbers for the Bucks. But a disastrous and nasty fall late in the season led to a serious arm injury (and playoff disaster for the Bucks), and there's talk that he will miss some serious time this year. Like Bynum, Greg Oden and Yao, Bogut is still a center worth drafting and owning this year, but the potential reward comes with quite a bit of risk. I'd rather take a shot on an up-and-comer like JaVale McGee, or a revitalized Samuel Dalembert in Sacramento instead.
This is the slow sick sucking part of me
The 'Unfair' video in the Fallon link is a great ride, with a classic Bob Nastanovich freak out from start to finish. And "unfair" is exactly how Kevin Love has been treated in Minnesota thus far in his young career. As if on cue, Kurt Rambis recently sent out a fantasy fire alarm when he said Love would need to earn the starting power forward job, because that's the "culture" from which Rambis comes from. Look. Love has a chance to lead the league in rebounding if he gets a starting job and 35 minutes a night, which he deserves. But with the Minnesota organization failing to get much right over the last decade, David Kahn in charge and Rambis pulling the strings on the bench, it's possible Love is held back yet again. Unfair. I am still a big Love fan this year and am holding out hope that cooler heads prevail and he is easily named a starter this season. Even if that happens, he'll have to stay out of the doghouse and keep his confidence up while playing for one of the worst teams in the league. But Love should qualify at both PF and C and be a double-double machine, as well as a fantasy beast this season. So draft him with some unwarranted confidence and hope for the best.
