By Jordan Nashen
bobcats.com
January 14, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, fantasy lovers of all ages, we at bobcats.com are proud to bring back the Bobcats Fantasy Basketball Report – your number one source for fantasy updates on your favorites Bobcats players, checking out who’s hot and who’s not while also going around the association.
RECAPPING THE WEEK THAT WAS:
The Cats had a busy week playing four games in five nights, finishing up a respectable 2-2. After wiping out New Jersey at home to start off their week on January 8, they traveled to Boston to face the best team in the NBA. Bobcats fans remember when the Celtics came into Charlotte at the beginning of the season and stole (no pun intended) the game on a Ray Allen buzzer beater three-pointer. Boston played without the services of Ray Allen (pinched nerve) on January 9, and the Bobcats returned the favor. In arguably the most impressive win of the season for Charlotte, they took care of business on the road and handed Boston only their fourth loss of the season, eliminating the C’s chances of getting off to their best start in franchise history.
After a well-deserved day off, the team headed to Cleveland to face the league’s leading scorer, LeBron James, and the Cavaliers. It took double overtime for the Cavs to escape with a 113-106 victory. Immediately following the game, the Bobcats headed back home for a matchup with the Detroit Pistons. The Bobcats battled through fatigue and injuries (Raymond Felton and Jeff McInnis suffered a sprained ankle and a strained quadriceps, respectively, in the Cavs game) and almost knocked off an Eastern Conference powerhouse for the second time in three games. After Emeka Okafor was whistled for a questionable offensive goaltending call near the end of the extra session, the Bobcats fell to the Pistons in overtime.
Here is a closer look at what the Bobcats did this past week:
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G/F Jason Richardson: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in 45 minutes.
F Gerald Wallace: 21 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 5 turnovers in 37 minutes.
Fantasy tip: Nets forward Josh Boone has been playing stellar as of late. He posted 12.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in his last 5 games. These numbers almost double his season average. Not to mention he is shooting 55.3 percent in the span. Think about picking Boone up and ride his hot streak while you still can.
Fantasy tip: Sure, Vince Carter is averaging 21.4 points and that might look good at first glance. However, what you may not know is that it is his lowest points average dating back to the 2002-03 season. Carter may be on a decline, and if you can find a taker who is looking for a swingman, then take some like a Chris Bosh (who is on a recent tear of his own – 29 points on 55.6 percent shooting in his last five) that may help your team in the long run.
JANUARY 9 at BOSTON - BOBCATS 95, CELTICS 83
G/F Jason Richardson: 34 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals in 43 minutes.
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F Gerald Wallace: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in 45 minutes.
Fantasy tip: With Ray Allen back in the lineup after missing time with a pinched nerve in his finger, Rajon Rondo’s fantasy numbers have taken a hit, not only because of Allen’s return, but also because he is currently suffering from a back bruise. He is averaging 6.0 points, 1.3 assists and 2.8 turnovers in his past four games. Leave him on the bench and bring him back when he is playing better and is healthy.
JANUARY 11 at CLEVELAND - CAVALIERS 113, BOBCATS 106 2OT
F Gerald Wallace: 27 points, 12 rebounds and 4 steals in 55 minutes.
C Nazr Mohammed: 21 points and 15 rebounds (5 OR) in 28 minutes off the bench.
Fantasy Tips: The Cavaliers have been rolling as of late but the same can’t be said about Drew Gooden. He has seen a decrease in points (12.1-8.2), shooting percentage (.436-.348) and minutes (32.2-28.2) in his last five. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is having a nearly identical mini slide like Gooden. His scoring (13.1-9.4) and shooting percentage (.464-.346) are falling and the team is clearly relying on LeBron James (NBA leading scorer at 29.1 PPG) just a bit too much.
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F Gerald Wallace: 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 48 minutes.
C Emeka Okafor: 19 points, 15 rebounds (6 OR) and 2 steals in 46 minutes.
C Nazr Mohammed: 19 points, 13 rebounds (5 OR) and 3 blocks in 32 minutes.
Fantasy Tip: Besides a strong performance against the Knicks (15 points, 13 rebounds) in a disappointing loss on Sunday, Antonio McDyess has been struggling as of late. Prior to the New York game, McDyess averaged 5.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in four contests.
PREVIEWING THE WEEK AHEAD:
The Bobcats play four games this week with three of them at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena where the team is playing .500 ball (11-11). Three games are against teams with a winning record (January 14 vs. Denver, January 16 vs. Orlando, January 18 at New Orleans) and only one game being played against a weaker team (January 19 vs. Memphis (10-27)). It is important for the Bobcats to get their injured point guards back as they will be playing two of the top guards in the league with Allen Iverson (Denver) and Chris Paul (New Orleans) coming to town. Charlotte’s record entering this week is 13-23.
Here is a closer look at the matchups for the Bobcats this week:
JANUARY 14 vs. DENVER NUGGETS (22-13)
This marks the only time the Bobcats play the Nuggets in Charlotte this season. Led by the hottest duo in the NBA, Allen Iverson (26.9 points - third overall) and Carmelo Anthony (25.4 points – fourth overall) are having another stellar season as Denver sits atop the Northwest division.
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Gerald Wallace (20.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals) vs. Carmelo Anthony (25.4 points, 7.0 rebounds)
Jason Richardson (20.0 points, 5.4 rebounds) vs. Allen Iverson (26.9 points, 7.0 assists, 2.1 steals)
Expect these four guys to go at it all night. They are used to filling it up on the stat sheet and all play with a swagger.
Fantasy Tip: Look for Kenyon Martin’s and Linas Kleiza’s minutes and productivity to increase due to the sudden departure of Nene. With Chucky Atkins expected to miss at least eight weeks with a sports hernia injury, fantasy groups have been snatching Anthony Carter off the waiver wire quicker than People Magazine tracking another Britney Spears breaking story. In his last five games, he is averaging 10.8 points and 8.8 assists.
JANUARY 16 vs. ORLANDO MAGIC (23-16)
The player rivalry that takes center stage is and will be for a long time, Dwight Howard vs. Emeka Okafor. They were taken No. 1 and No. 2 overall, respectively, in the 2004 NBA draft and continue to develop into the league’s elite centers. The Bobcats will catch the Magic on the tail end of a back-to-back, as they play against the Bulls in Orlando the day before.
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Jason Richardson (20.0 points, 5.4 rebounds) vs. Hedo Turkoglu (19.0 points, 6.2 rebounds)
Emeka Okafor (12.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.8 blocks, .518 FG pct.) vs. Dwight Howard (22.5 points, 15.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks)
Fantasy Tip: If you need a bench guy, look no further than Maurice Evans. In his last four contests, he doubled his season average of just over six points a game to 12. He is also shooting the rock well – he’s knocking down 50.0 percent (18-36) from the field.
JANUARY 18 at NEW ORLEANS (25-12)
This will be the second of two meetings between the Bobcats and Hornets this season. Another player rivalry exists between these two teams through back-to-back picks in the 2005 draft. The Bobcats drafted Raymond Felton at the No. 5 spot, one pick after Rookie of the Year Chris Paul was selected by the Hornets.
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Gerald Wallace (20.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals) vs. David West (19.1 points, 9.4 rebounds)
Fantasy Tip: Nothing new to report about Chris Paul, other than he is having another All-Star type season. A streaky player to look out for is starting guard Morris Peterson. He can put up solid numbers across the board or have a lousy night like he did on Friday vs. Miami (three points, 1-4 FG in 13 minutes).
JANUARY 19 vs. MEMPHIS (10-27)
The Bobcats will be looking to pick up their first ever win against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first of two matchups this season. The struggling Grizzlies are led by Rudy Gay, the eighth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft. Look for Nazr Mohammed (12.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, .564 FG percentage as a member of the Bobcats) to also post some respectable statistics in this matchup should the Grizzlies decide to go big.
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Matt Carroll (8.2 points, 22.9 minutes) vs. Mike Conley (7.9 points, 4.4 assists, 23.7 minutes)
Fantasy Tips: Now that Mike Conley is back from injury, his productivity is slowly starting to increase and fantasy owners becoming aware of it. He is averaging over 10 points and nearly five assists a game in just under 30 minutes. Mike Miller is having one of his best seasons to date, averaging 19.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, while shooting over 55 percent from the field in his last five.
AROUND THE ASSOCIATION:
Who’s hot:
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Anthony Parker (Toronto Raptors) – Averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists in his last five games. Parker had 25 points and six assists on 10-16 shooting in Sunday’s OT win vs. the Blazers. It also helps that he didn’t turn over the ball once.
Joe Smith (Chicago Bulls) – Averaging 18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in his last five. Smith scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Tuesday.
Who’s not:
Sam Cassell (Los Angeles Clippers) – Averaging 7.0 points on 14-45 shooting in the last five games.
Yi Jianlian (Milwaukee Bucks) – Averaging 6.8 points on 14-43 shooting in his last five games.
Rajon Rondo (Boston Celtics) – Averaging 6.0 points on 11-35 shooting in his last five games.
THIS WEEK'S PROJECTIONS:
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Make sure to check back every Monday for another installment of the Bobcats Fantasy Basketball Report.
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