Fantasy Related But Good Info.....
Put Up or Shut Up
Before I get into the news from last night, I want to take a minute and make a public service announcement on behalf of LeBron James. Go and watch the documentary that him and Maverick Carter produced,
More Than a Game. I watched it the other night and have to say it's not just good, it's eerily on point with its foreshadowing of
The Decision, which is timely because the Heat head into to Orlando for a rematch with the Magic on Wednesday. If they lose, the calls for Eric Spoelstra's head will be deafening and LeBron may as well ask Tiger Woods if he can sleep on his couch after the game, since the two might be forever linked in history as guys who had it all and lost it if things keep up.
But back to the documentary it is well-produced and entertaining, and being created before last year's playoff debacle and this summer's P.R. disaster, a less-guarded James put out a story that unintentionally explains all of his current woes, and even clues you in to how he got the phrase, "I'll be taking my talents to South Beach." I don't dislike James like many people do, and I don't have 1,000 extra words to lay it out how he should have been more professional over the summer, but I was a big fan (like many) that bought into him – and I don't anymore. But watching this film humanized him again for me, and it also made it very easy to understand how he got here, why he did what he did, and where he's going if he doesn't get his act together and start taking better advice.
Here is a snippet from the 18-minute mark of the film, with the following narration by LeBron and one of his best friends, Sian Cotton, who grew up with James and played high school ball with him:
LeBron: "Choosing to go to 'Saint V' (the predominantly white private school) was definitely bigger than just picking one high school over another. People look at you like you was choosin' race."
Sian: "The African American community wanted us to bring our talents to Buchtel (the predominantly black public school) and felt like we were traitors."
LeBron: "Even if our own community looked down at us, it didn't matter, it was worth it for our friends. I think we made the right decision."
[SIZE=+1]The 3 big things we learned last night[/SIZE]
1. John Wall is special
www.miamiheat.ws
Last night John Wall returned to action after missing four games with a foot injury, and added another story to his rapidly growing legend. Coming off the bench, it was clear early that his quickness wasn't there and he didn't score a single bucket on 0-for-5 shooting in the first half. Then in the second half and overtime he went off for 25 points, hitting 7-of-10 shots all from the perimeter (including three 3-pointers) and drew a crafty 3-point shooting foul with the Wizards down by three and only 3.5 seconds left.
By this time he had already tweaked his foot and was clearly hobbled, and after the foul the 20-year old rookie immediately motioned to his teammates to calm down, mouthing the words 'I got this.' And unlike No. 2 overall pick Evan Turner who choked on two freebies seconds earlier, he calmly sank all three to send the game into overtime. It's one thing to be a lightning quick phenom that racks up numbers on a losing squad, but to be a rookie PG that's leading his team in all facets of the game while gutting out injuries and hitting big shots – that's special.
2. JaVale McGee is starting to 'get it.'
JaVale McGee is starting to become the anti-Tyrus. We've watched him for a while, and much like Mr. Thomas in Charlotte, for every step forward there has seemed to be a step back. Over the past week, however, he has shown improved technique and a greater understanding of the game. And while playing with John Wall certainly has helped him, his dips in production have come largely as the result of his physical game either working or not, with no real middle ground.
He put it all together last night for 24 points with a career-high 18 rebounds and four blocks, and changed the momentum when getting sent to the floor by Elton Brand on a flagrant-2 foul that resulted in an instant ejection for Brand. Rising high above the rim for an uncontested slam, Brand used two hands to push him in mid-air and sent him flying. He still made the dunk and fell to the ground in pain, and while writhing and laughing at the same time on his stomach, he looked 15 feet away to Brand and the Sixers' bench and waved goodbye.
The dunk and free throw he made brought the Wiz to within six points with 3:30 to go in regulation, and the rest was history. And something tells me his maddening inconsistency is history, as well.
3. Andre Iguodala's Achilles' injury is less of a concern than many feared
Iggy's owners have been burning up our email and Twitter accounts, and understandably so. His numbers have been down across the board and then came the Achilles' injury that cost him three games last week out of nowhere, and probably contributed to quite a few fantasy losses. Dr. A said last week that he felt Iguodala was a somewhat risky, but nice buy low target, and Tuesday he went a long way towards proving him right as he scored 23 points on 6-of-18 shooting with 11 rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and a block in a whopping 50 minutes.
Clearly the Sixers wouldn't put him out there for that long if they didn't have some assurances he could handle it, so he's probably good to go moving forward. Owners will want to keep an eye on him as the Sixers turn around and play tonight, though, as it's possible he's limited after so many days off. If he isn't, you can assume his Achilles' injury is in the rear-view mirror.
[SIZE=+1]Tuesday Night Rundown[/SIZE]
Elsewhere in the Sixers-Wizards box score
Jrue Holiday had 10 points, five rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks, but it was his foul on Wall that brought the Sixers to their knees. Before that, it was Evan Turner's two missed FTs with eight seconds left that could have put the game away. Turner also lost track of Nick Young, who had another nice night with 19 points and four treys, for the game-winning shot in overtime. Turner scored eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, so you can imagine what his line would have looked like with just two rebounds and one assist had he not gotten involved late. If you cover up his name you wouldn't own him. Young, for what it's worth, has taken advantage of all the injuries and had scoring nights of 20, 20, five, 18, and 19 points entering last night, but with Wall and Gilbert Arenas healthy he's difficult to trust. I'm not biting. Arenas had more turnovers (8) than assists (7) last night, but did score 17 points with three rebounds, a steal, and two blocks. So far so good for him, although I personally would be trying to get rid of him if I owned him, but I don't. Al Thornton left the game with an ankle injury and did not return, and Kirk Hinrich started the second half in a three-guard lineup. The guy has nine lives so far this year, and should carry some low-end value in deeper leagues. Thornton can be dropped with Josh Howard's return on the horizon and Wall and Arenas back in the fold together.
Elton Brand had the aforementioned flagrant-2 foul and I wouldn't be surprised to see him miss a game, but it's far from certain. And if you ask me, it was a cheap shot. Do I think he's a bad guy or that he meant it? No, but when you push a guy with two hands that's already airborne you have to eat the criticism, whether you were sorry afterward or not. If he misses time, Marreese Speights and Thaddeus Young would stand to benefit. Speights came out of nowhere for 16 points and nine boards with two blocks in 29 minutes, but the safer play would be Thad, who had 15 points and four boards in 24 minutes. Lou Williams may still be favoring his injured shoulder, and had just four points with three rebounds and five assists. He's tough to own when he's doing that.
Keep reading for the rest of the Tuesday Night Rundown…
<!--RW-->
It's no party in Atlanta
Coach Larry Drew walked back his statements questioning what his boys have been doing the nights before games, saying he didn't intend to insinuate they were partying. Whatever the case may be, they're not partying after losing 107-101 in overtime to the lowly Nets. Joe Johnson ditched the glove on his left (non-shooting hand) but still struggled with his shot going 6-of-18 from the field for an otherwise alright 16 points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Folks are concerned, but he's another guy I'd buy low right now. Al Horford scored 14 points with 10 rebounds and five assists, but had no blocks or steals. Josh Smith kept settling for outside shots, hitting 9-of-21 FGs (1-of-2 on threes) on his way to 20 points, seven boards, and three assists, but before you blast him for 3-point shooting consider that he is shooting 40 percent from deep. Jamal Crawford came to life with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting (3-of-3 from downtown) with five rebounds, three assists, and a block in 37 minutes. The Hawks ran iso-Joe and Jamal plays more than often, which may signal a slight departure from Larry Drew's motion offense. Mike Bibby added nine points with two rebounds, three assists, and three treys, as they all tried to make up for Monday's disaster.
On the other side of the box score the Nets saw the first real signs of life from Brook Lopez since the month of October, as he scored a season-high 32 points with nine rebounds but had no steals or blocks. He now has eight or more rebounds in his last four games, and even if he still isn't showing the aggression everybody wants out of him, things are pointing in the right direction. His buy low window is closing. Devin Harris tore up Mike Bibby to the tune of 27 points with nine assists and three 3-point buckets, and like always I'm trying to move him after a game like this. I just don't trust the guy. Kris Humphries got another notch in his belt (perhaps right next to the one he may have gotten from her), with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double and Avery Johnson may like him more than she does. Troy Murphy stayed in New Jersey to hang with the team's strength and conditioning coach, and while it's hard to imagine the Murph playing behind the Humph all year – owners need to start giving Humphries his due. Terrence Williams got suspended for two games for "repeated violations of team rules," and the best thing I can say to owners is that you've waited this long, why not wait another week to see how far he's wedged into the doghouse. That said, I wouldn't blame you if you cut bait.
Rush, Rush
C'mon now, you know you were taken back by Keanu Reeves' acting, so don't act like you're not impressed. Not so witty subtitles set aside, Brandon Rush has always been intriguing for his upside, and when he drew the starting nod on Monday and played out of his mind on his way to 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists as the Pacers took down the Heat – owners were excited. Sure, Mike Dunleavy would be around to cap his upside, but he isn't a picture of health and Rush looked real good on defense holding Dwyane Wade to 1-of-13 shooting from the field. Well, right after Jim O'Brien said it was Rush's best game as a Pacer he said 'no soup for you' and moved Dunleavy back into the starting lineup, and said he was going to stick with that until he feels like starting Rush again, in a bit of unsurprising coach-speak. Rush played well and had 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting (2-of-3 from downtown) with three boards and a block in 30 minutes on Tuesday, while Dunleavy had a pedestrian 10 points with six rebounds and not much else. There's something to be said for hanging onto Rush as a roster-stash in hopes that Dunleavy goes down, but I'm not going to pass up on a guy like Toney Douglas to do it.
As far as the rest of the game was concerned, the Pacers held a 25-point lead over the Cavs at halftime and cruised to a 100-89 win. Roy Hibbert left early with a headache, posting a paltry six-point, seven-rebound line with two blocks, and Bryon Scott probably wanted to join him seeing how bad the Cavs played. Mo Williams scored just six points on 3-of-7 shooting with one rebound and three assists, but it's hard to put everything on his shoulders since the entire Cavs squad looked overmatched from the tip, even if their fantasy lines didn't necessarily show it. J.J. Hickson showed some signs of life with nine points and 10 boards, but still made enough mental mistakes to lose count of them. Scott didn't say any changes were imminent, but with the bench outscoring the starters 57-32 it seems reasonable to think that something has to give at some point. Ramon Sessions scored 15 points with six rebounds and five assists, and is somebody to consider stashing if you have the space, even if he's still too risky to use in normal leagues right now. Antawn Jamison is on a 25-minute limit right now but looked good with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting (including a three) with 10 rebounds.
Darren Collison was one of the other bigger stories of the night, having tweaked his ankle during Monday's game that saw T.J. Ford outplay him and get more minutes. Collison may have put some distance between them on Tuesday, however, scoring 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting (including a three) with six rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes, while Ford played just 14 minutes and had no points, no boards, and just two assists. Collison still showed signs his ankle was bothering him, and word is that he's bugging his teammates to remind them he's still the starter, but he's a sneaky (if somewhat risky) buy low target right now.
D.J., please play that funky music
D.J. Augustin got to play against former Bobcats starting PG Raymond Felton in New York, and won Round 1 with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting (including two treys) with five rebounds, seven assists, and four steals, but didn't get the win as the Bobcats lost by the score of 110-107. He's running with a 13-point, three-rebound, and seven-assist average to go with 1.5 threes and a steal per game. He also leads the league in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 5.07 mark, and is probably on a lot of winning fantasy squads right now. Stephen Jackson racked up another 'T,' reminding us that "it it is what it is, the life of Stephen Jackson." He also racked up 18 points on 7-of-21 shooting with six boards, four assists, and three steals, and was shooting 46 percent from the field before last night. Combine that with a triple-double on Saturday and those were sell-high numbers if you wanted to ditch his FG%. Now it's not so clear cut. Gerald Wallace had a nice night with 20 points, eight rebounds, a steal, and a block, but his owners may have been spoiled by his 10-rebound average last year, and his up-and-down year has made him easier to acquire. Tyrus Thomas proved for the zillionth time that he's not for the faint of heart with just five points and three rebounds in 12 minutes, but still managed to get two steals and a block. When it all averages out he gets 13 points, six rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. Those are helpful numbers, but like a poker player you have to be able to ride the highs and lows and hope to hit a set on the turn.
The Knicks were a pretty vanilla bunch last night, as Raymond Felton scored 16 points with nine assists, a steal, and a block. Amare Stoudemire dealt with foul trouble and had seven turnovers and finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Danilo Gallinari had 15 points on 3-of-7 shooting with a perfect 8-of-8 mark from the foul line to go with six rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block, and Ronny Turiaf managed to stay on the court for 31 minutes without fouling out and had 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting, two rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. I'd like to see more rebounds out of a starting center, but if you need blocks he's certainly worth a look.
The most interesting Knicks on Tuesday were the pair of Toney Douglas and Landry Fields, and both of which had good nights. Douglas looks like he's getting hot again, and may be getting healthy after a back injury derailed him, as he hit 8-of-12 shots from the field (including five threes) with no rebounds, one assist, and three steals in 24 minutes off the bench. He's worth a pickup in most formats after last night. Fields, on the other hand, scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting (including two threes) with seven rebounds, two steals, and a block, and has a big fan in Mike D'Antoni. "Big hoops in big moments," Mike D'Antoni said of Fields. "The guy is pretty good. He has some developing to do but he is very rare." Just because Douglas went off, it doesn't mean you have to part ways with Fields, who presents a very intriguing 3-point shooting/rebounding combo coming out of the guard slot and has the starting job for the foreseeable future.
Keep reading for Dirk, Derrick, and what to watch for on Wednesday night…
<!--RW-->
Dirk the Diggler
Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 42 points last night in the Mavs' 88-84 win against the hapless Pistons, hitting 13-of-23 shots from the field (including all three 3-point attempts and 13-of-16 shots from the foul line) to go with 12 rebounds and two blocks. Detroit coach John Kuester tried to get fancy by starting Jason Maxiell, but would have had a better shot bothering the Big Germ with Austin Daye's length, but that's a story for another paragraph. The rest of the Mavs were mostly quiet, as Jason Kidd had seven points, four rebounds, and 10 assists, and Jason Terry had his customary 16 points and four assists, although he was cold from deep with a 1-for-7 mark. Caron Butler got some extra run with Shawn Marion dealing with the flu, playing 38 minutes with 11 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, and while he'll have a few big lines this year he's somebody I don't want to own. Last night's line is as good as any to sell him with, especially since Marion sounds like he'll be fine for Wednesday.
The Detroit side of the scorer's table was as dysfunctional as ever, and as mentioned above the decision to not play Austin Daye at all is borderline criminal, particularly because the Mavs went almost exclusively to a zone defense and, wait for it, the Pistons couldn't buy a bucket from deep hitting just three 3-point shots. Unfortunately, Daye is nothing more than a roster stash right now and if you don't have the roster space we can't see holding him while Kuester waits patiently for the
Better Basketball DVDs to arrive. If you saw Charlie Villanueva's two-point, seven-rebound line over 17 minutes, don't worry, it was just a case of foul trouble. He's actually happy and producing in Detroit, and is a nice low-end option in deeper leagues. Greg Monroe had a nice night even if the box score didn't show it, with four points and eight boards and some stingy defense, but falls into the same category as Daye, albeit with less mind-boggling frustration. Richard Hamilton should be dead to you in most formats already, but if not, his five-point line on 1-of-7 shooting should do it. Cover up his name and he would not be owned. Jason Maxiell strung together his second straight decent start and had 10 points and seven boards, but he should still be far away from owners' lineups. He could fall out of the rotation any day.
Every Rose has its horns
Derrick Rose made it to the Staples Center last night, and you might have forgotten a guy named Kobe Bryant played if you followed the game online or on Twitter. His performance was good but not too unordinary, as he scored 30 points on 11-of-25 shooting (including two threes) with five rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and a block, but crossing over Bryant a few times and beasting all over the court was enough to steal the show. After the game Kobe hugged Rose and said, "Keep it goin', baby. You're a bad MF." Yes, he has arrived and has the talent to be a top-5 fantasy play – it's not a matter of if it's when.
Speaking of Kobe, he had 20 points, two rebounds, and five assists, while Pau Gasol struggled with Joakim Noah's defense and had just 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting, but still managed 11 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and five blocks. Not bad for an off-night. Lamar Odom scored 21 points with eight rebounds and two assists, and owners have to decide whether or not they believe Andrew Bynum's return is going to hurt, and how much. If last year's numbers off the bench are any indication, the drop-off is going to be noticeable. But this isn't last year, and Kobe isn't a spring chicken anymore (and Bynum's knees aren't either). I'd shave the difference from last year in half and call it a night. If somebody gives you the right offer feel free to move him, but don't sell yourself short.
The real star for the Lakers on Tuesday was Shannon Brown though, who hit five 3-point buckets and tied a season-high with 21 points. How far has his 3-point shot come? Derrick Rose said after the game that "we should have made him a driver." The hard-to-quantify part of Brown's emergence, other than the fact that he has clearly improved over the summer, is that Kobe and Phil really seem to be pulling for this guy, and probably have his Sixth Man of the Year trophy inscribed somewhere in the locker room for motivation. He is certainly worth an add in deeper leagues, and if you need three-point shooting or scoring in a standard league, you could certainly do worse right now.
For the Bulls, Taj Gibson (foot) surprised owners by not just playing but by scoring 16 points with 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks. Consider this an early going-away present with Carlos Boozer set to return soon. And like Odom, Joakim Noah's owners face a choice with Boozer returning – hang onto one of the game's most productive centers, or sell him before Boozer returns and dents his rebounding numbers. If you needed a game to sell him with you got it on Tuesday, as he scored 19 points with 13 rebounds, three assists, four steals, and three blocks. Whatever you do, don't sell yourself short.
Other News and Notes
David Lee will lose the IVs in his elbow on Wednesday, and his return date is still pretty iffy. It all depends on how his elbow reacts on its own, and how quickly he can get his conditioning back. George Karl said he thinks that Chauncey Billups (wrist) will give it a go Friday, which ends Ty Lawson's short fantasy run. Aaron Brooks looks like he's on schedule for his return from an ankle injury, and the Houston Chronicle speculates that he could return on Dec. 4, which would end Kyle Lowry's run, so plan accordingly. Yao Ming is counting the days until his return, which is 10 days more or less, but does it really matter? He may produce in the 24 minutes he plays, but part of managing a fantasy team is being able to count on your guys. I'd rather drop him and force another owner to deal with it. Jordan Hill played well on Sunday, and Wednesday's matchup with Golden State is another opportunity to shine. I still like Brad Miller a whole lot more. Randy Foye didn't practice on Tuesday, and Vinny Del Negro said he'll know a lot more about Baron Davis' status after Wednesday's practice. Eric Bledsoe's run looks like it's over, but don't be surprised if the two unreliable vets somehow manage a way to keep him in the spotlight a little longer. It still makes sense to drop Bledsoe for a hot free agent. The Heat signed Erick Dampier on Tuesday, and if you combine him and Zydrunas Ilgauskas you might have a middling fantasy center. By themselves, they're only for the desperate.
[SIZE=+1]Wednesday Night Lights[/SIZE]
Again, the Heat-Magic game is the most compelling of a jam-packed 11-game slate for Wednesday, as we'll be watching to see if Miami implodes and if Dwyane Wade's wrist holds up. Vince Carter will not play due to his knee injury, and J.J. Redick will get the start.
For the Knicks-Bobcats game the series goes back to Charlotte, and Raymond Felton will reportedly have 500 family and friends at the game. That's about how many people showed up to the Knicks-Kings game I was at last Wednesday. Zing! We'll be watching to see how Toney Douglas follows up his 22-point night, and see if Landry Fields can hang onto his fantasy value.
The Bucks-Cavs game could be a window to the future with Andrew Bogut (back) out, as Drew Gooden will slide to center and everybody else gets bumped over a spot, presumably. The Cavs are struggling and owners want to know if J.J. Hickson will pick up the pace, and if Mo Williams is going to be a lost cause all year.
The Sixers head over to Toronto after Tuesday's tough overtime loss, and owners will be waiting patiently to find out if Elton Brand's flagrant-2 holds up. If so, he's out, and Thaddeus Young looks like a better play. If you're in a bind, Marreese Speights fits the description of 'desperation play.' Most importantly, owners will be watching to see if Andre Iguodala can hold up after playing 50 minutes in his first game back from his Achilles' injury. As for Toronto, we'll see if Amir Johnson and Jose Calderon can get on track, and if Sonny Weems can continue to provide low-end value.
The Nets come off a big win over the Hawks to face the Celtics, who may or may not have the services of Rajon Rondo. If not then Nate Robinson is an excellent spot-start. Brook Lopez looks to build off his big night and Kris Humphries gets another crack at a double-double, while Lopez wants to get his first one.
The Spurs go to Minny to take on the Wolves, and all eyes will be on Darko to see if he's really Manna from Heaven. The Spurs are running and gunning and are less Duncan-centric, which explains a lot of the boosts in fantasy production.
The Mavs follow up Tuesday's win over the Pistons with a trip to Oklahoma City. Something tells me they're not getting away with a zone against the Thunder. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green were winded in their returns on Monday, but you couldn't tell. They're both good to go for Wednesday.
The Pistons look to bounce back in Memphis on Wednesday, where there are a lot of panicked O.J. Mayo owners. Look for him to get back on track in this one. Who knows what John Kuester wants to do, but with the big Memphis front-line we could be looking at another Jason Maxiell game.
The Warriors head to Houston in what could be an opportunity for both teams to get on track fantasy-wise. The W's have had no offense without David Lee, but the Rockets are just as banged up. Reggie Williams, Dorell Wright, Shane Battier, and Jordan Hill are some of the borderline guys that pique my interest in this one.
The Hornets head into Utah where Deron Williams is playing through minor nicks and bruises, and hopefully the day off did him some good. C.J. Miles has been on a tear, and the new guy in town Jarrett Jack is hoping to carve out a Daniel Gibson-like role.
Lastly, the Bulls head into Phoenix after a pretty good showing at the Staples center, and one has to think Steve Nash won't be allowed anywhere near Derrick Rose. Maybe this is the game that Ronnie Brewer gets going, because he could pretty much dominate Nash on the block, if he plays against Nash's unit that is. Taj Gibson's foot is something for owners to watch, too, even if he looked good on Tuesday.
And to borrow some advice from our own Matt Stroup, everyone needs to remember to eat an excessive amount of food today. It's important to keep your stomach limbered up in advance of Thanksgiving.
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Elton Brand suspended for Wednesday's game </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Elton Brand - F/C - PHI - Nov. 24 - 2:34 p.m. ET</B> </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Elton Brand has been suspended for one game due to his flagrant foul on JaVale McGee.
