Fantasy related but good info.....
Truth Or Dare
There are several prevailing ideas about certain NBA players in fantasy circles, but things are not always as they seem. Let's take a look at some of Tuesday's studs and duds, and try to determine if their performances were fact or fiction.
Myth: DeMarcus Cousins is a punk who can't be coached, has a terrible attitude and will soon find himself in the D-League because he is basically a lost cause.
While parts or all of the above statement might have some merit, the thing people seem to have forgotten while tearing Cousins down is that he's a damn good basketball player. After struggling for a week, when it looked like the end was near, savvy owners grabbed Cousins off the wire just before he went on a four-game explosion, when he's scored between 16 and 28 points, averaged 10 boards and has been shooting it lights out from the floor. In case you haven't noticed, the Kings stink, and playing Cousins and getting him ready for next year is all they should care about right now. And whether or not he's coachable or has a bad attitude really shouldn't matter at this point. Paul Westphal isn't making any friends in Sacramento and Cousins will likely be dominating the paint there long after Westphal is gone. All of this is great news for the owners of Cousins, but after his last four games, I seriously doubt he's available in any leagues. If he is, go for it.
Myth: Rodney Stuckey is and will be the starting point guard for the rest of the season in Detroit.
Stuckey
was the starting point guard in Detroit before suffering a toe injury and going down with a bad case of the flu, but his hold on the job could be slipping away. And if you'd have told me two months ago that Tracy McGrady was not only the team's most effective point guard, but also possibly their best player, I would have laughed. But the Pistons are terrible and T-Mac is just healthy enough to be playing a little bit like he used to. He just missed a triple-double on Monday and played well on Tuesday, although the six turnovers were a concern.
But what is more of a concern is the fact he's averaged 30 minutes over his last four games, which is going to catch up with him. I picked him up in my daily leagues, but intentionally ignored him in a couple weekly leagues that are very important to me. T-Mac is going to miss games due to his weak legs. There's just no getting around it and he might be the poster child for a Monday injury to ruin your week. But if you can pick your spots with him and take advantage of when he's hot and healthy, he's going to offer value. Long time readers know that I have never been a McGrady guy, but at least for now, I'm willing to take a chance on him.
As for Stuckey owners, just sit tight with him. T-Mac will break down at some point and Stuckey will get his job back, but it's best to bench him now until further notice. If Will Bynum didn't look so terrible this year, I'd be much more concerned about Stuckey, but as of now, I don't thing Bynum poses a real threat to Stuckey's minutes.
Myth: DeShawn Stevenson is a terrible NBA starter.
You've heard by now that Caron Butler's season is over for the Mavericks, meaning someone is going to have to step up in his place. When Butler initially went down, it was believed that one of a trio of Shawn Marion, Jose Juan Barea and Dominique Jones would supposedly step up and fill the void. DeShawn Stevenson, who hasn't really done anything other than start a bunch of games and talk smack about LeBron James for the last three years, was an afterthought. But it's Stevenson who might have the last laugh after Tuesday's 18 points and four 3-pointers, as well as Sunday's 21 points and five treys. That's as solid of a back-to-back performance as Stevenson has mustered over his entire career and while I really don't trust him at all, he's the hot hand for now. I still think Marion and JJB could emerge with more long-term value, but if you're looking for a short-term hot hand to pick up, Stevenson might be worth the flier.
Myth: Taj Gibson forgot how to play basketball.
Gibson came out of nowhere for a first-half double-double last night and finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds. And while it's true he didn't forget how to play basketball after suffering a concussion, the fact he didn't have any assists, steals or blocks last night leaves something to be desired. As is usually the case, his concussion was more serious than anyone thought initially, and slowed him down quite a bit. He appears ready to bounce back and start playing well again for the Bulls, but I'm still not rushing to pick him up. Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng are going to eat up most of the minutes, rebounds and production in the Bulls front court and I just don't see Gibson getting many double-doubles. But if you're suffering through guys like Channing Frye, Carl Landry or Jason Thompson, taking a flier on Gibson probably makes sense.
www.miamiheat.ws
Keep reading for more myths, as well as some news and notes quick hits.
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Myth: Nicolas Batum stinks.
With Brandon Roy's season and career in limbo due to his knee injury, it's time for someone to step up in his absence. We've been waiting for Batum for a few weeks now and while he hasn't lived up to the hype (again), he's showing signs of life. He tweaked an ankle last night but played through it, finishing with 13 points, seven boards, two assists, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer. He's in the starting lineup, scored 21 on Sunday and could finally be ready to break out. If you're looking for a player who might be killing it a couple weeks from now, Batum, who can do a little bit of everything in fantasy, might be your guy.
Myth: Tyreke Evans' foot is going to fall off.
Evans is apparently a huge fan of self-diagnosis and has gotten it wrong several times this season. And just when he made his latest announcement that he was probably going to have foot surgery, sending his owners into a full blown panic, he decided to start playing real basketball for the first time this season. He blew up for 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting with four boards, eight assists, five steals, two blocks and a 3-pointer against the Hawks last night. Keep in mind he was playing the Hawks, and had just six and 12 points in his previous two games, but he also had 21 and 32 before that. The bottom line is that the only problem with his foot is that he has a minor case of plantar fasciitis, and now that he's playing well again, he isn't even thinking about shutting it down. If you stole him when he was talking surgery, congratulations. And if you gave him away, what goes around usually comes around in fantasy hoops.
Myth: Tony Allen is a bad man.
Tony Allen has street cred. He always has, especially after a shooting incident (Allen was not the triggerman) at his birthday party in Chicago in 2006 that helped derail his career, just as a pair of serious knee injuries did. And in keeping with the 'bad man' theme, he apparently used teammate O.J. Mayo's face as a punching bag on the team flight on Sunday. Memphis, who has lost plenty of games this season, was actually coming off a huge win AT THE LAKERS that night, which makes the fight even more interesting. My guess is that some playing cards, benjamins and possibly beers were a part of the night's festivities leading up to the fracas, but only the guys who were there know. In any case, I don't think I'd want to have either Allen or Mayo ticked off at me.
And not only did they beat the Lakers on Sunday, but they then knocked off the Thunder last night, with Allen exploding for a season-high 19 points with two 3-pointers, three steals and two blocks. Mayo has lost his job and will be a fixture off the bench for as long as he's in Memphis. Maybe he'll be traded soon, but that, of course, is not guaranteed. Allen has now hit double figures in scoring in five of his last eight games and has racked up 18 steals over that stretch. He's also started in three of his last four games due to a knee injury to rookie Xavier Henry, and given the fact they're only three games under .500 and playing better, it's possible Allen has won the job for good. And if he has, he should be watched very closely going forward, as he is a steals machine who will also get you some threes and blocks. Which, as Rick Kamla likes to say, is fantasy gold.
Notables
Andrea Bargnani returned to action last night and looked great, but also appeared to wreck Linas Kleiza in the process. Hopefully Kleiza bounces back in the next one. Speaking of the next one, it sounds like Jose Calderon is likely to play, while Jerryd Bayless may not.
Greg Monroe double-doubled for the Pistons last night, but it's anyone's guess whether John Kuester will stick with him. It would be great if the Pistons would give Monroe and Daye 30 minutes a game and stop worrying about keeping the old, grumpy guys content.
Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao are both expected back tonight for the Cavs.
Jeff Green's slump is annoying, while James Harden looks like a mini-stud. I don't agree with cutting Green, but he needs to be benched until he gets this worked out.
Toney Douglas played 29 minutes last night but hit just 3-of-10 shots. The minutes were there in the absence of Danilo Gallinari, who will miss a couple weeks with a knee injury, but it was Wilson Chandler and Landry Fields who had the better lines last night.
There's still no word on the possible return date of Andre Iguodala, while Dirk Nowitzki and Gerald Wallace also continue to miss games.
I'm getting a lot of Andris Biedrins questions now and it sounds like he should be back at some point in the next week. If you've been holding him this whole time, it's probably not a great idea to bail out at the last minute. But if you're looking at him on waivers, I'd probably let him sit there until he comes back and proves he'll be a part of the GSW offense going forward. Unless you're just desperate at center.
If Darko Milicic was cut in your league, my crystal ball tells me he's going to have his best game in weeks tonight against the depleted Bobcats. And I'd like him even more if his former coach, Larry Brown, was still running the Cats.
The Suns are at home against the Lakers tonight and this might be the last chance I'm giving Channing Frye. I really don't want to drop him, but his inexplicable fall from grace is becoming more reality than trend.
