An evaluation of the NBA Schedule for weekly transaction leagues

How great is the new LeBron James commercial? You see, that is how a commercial should be done. Every single time that commercial comes on, I am transfixed. I don't care one iota about the product being sold, but the creativity put into the commercial deserves my attention. Any commercial with the classic "Summertime" beat -- the old Fresh prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff song -- gets five stars. LeBron's commercials have been great since the day he stepped into the league, but this takes the cake. Even if LeBron never becomes the greatest player ever, you can't deny him the title of the best series of commercials by an athlete.

Teams With Four Games

Dallas Mavericks: vs. GSW, @ LAC, @ PHX, @ POR
The shooting guard position looks open for grabs. In the off-season, it was thought by many that Jason Terry would play alongside Devin Harris. Harris had five fouls in the first game, and likely would have received more than 14 minutes if he kept his hands to himself. With a nice four-game schedule this week against three of the most favorable defenses to face, Harris is worth consideration in deeper leagues. Erick Dampier's hip injury looks minor, and he should see more time as well; the schedule make Dampier a tempting play if one is in need of rebounds and blocks.

Detroit Pistons: @ UTA, @ SAC, @ LAL, @ GSW
Both Nazr Mohammed and Antonio McDyess are very productive on a per-minute basis. If the first two games are any indication, the Pistons may want to platoon the two, which would keep both of their minutes down. Mohammed has always got into a lot of foul trouble, so don't be surprised to see a lot of McDyess this week -- Utah, Sacramento, and Los Angeles all have very good frontcourt players. The number of games are nice, but the level of opposition isn't easy -- Utah, Sacramento, and Los Angeles are better defensively than their reputations suggest.

Golden State Warriors: @ DAL, @ NOK, vs NOK, vs DET
Might Golden State become this year's Knicks? Coach Don Nelson will tinker until he finds his right mix of players, and like his days in Dallas, Golden State has a lot of players similar to each other, so expect to see a lot of different combinations. It didn't take Mike Dunleavy long to fall out of favor, and the beneficiary will be Mickael Pietrus. Andris Biedrins is even getting an audition at center, and don't be surprised if there's a revolving door at center especially: Adonal Foyle, Ike Diogu, and Troy Murphy have also seen a bit of time there in this young season. The schedule is pretty average for this week, so if you can afford to not gamble and let Nelson shake out his rotation, do so.

Houston Rockets: @ MEM, @ MIL, vs. NYK, @ MIA
Bonzi Wells may have made his season premiere by the time you read this, and he should definitely get some time during the upcoming week. For now, Shane Battier is safe, but it will be intriguing to see how much playing time Wells steals from Battier when he's ready to go. The Rockets may even decide to go small and play Wells, a great rebounder for his size, at power forward, keeping Battier at small forward and moving Tracy McGrady to shooting guard.

Indiana Pacers: vs. PHI, @ WAS, vs. ORL, @ CHI
Al Harrington may already be falling out of favor in Indiana, with rumors that he could become a sixth man. Jeff Foster would likely start at center, moving Jermaine O'Neal to power forward and Danny Granger to small forward. Harrington was a sixth man for Indiana for much of his career prior to joining Atlanta, so a move would make sense, but this upcoming schedule is too good to bench him. The Pacers seemed to have wised up regarding Jamaal Tinsley, and with three other players capable of playing point guard -- Sarunas Jasikevicius, Darrell Armstrong, and Marquis Daniels in spurts -- Tinsley becomes a week-to-week fringe play. This week is one of the good weeks; Philadelphia, Washington, and Orlando all have poor defenses.

Los Angeles Lakers: vs. MIN, @ POR, vs. DET, vs. MEM
Andrew Bynum's No. 1 enemy will be foul trouble, and this week he may run into a fair bit of it. Minnesota, Portland, and Detroit have their share of frontcourt stars, and if Bynum is only going to get around 24 minutes per game even without fouling, it's best not to take the risk of another 10-minute, four-foul performance like his game against Golden State. Luke Walton has looked extremely good in the first three games and is worth a play in deeper leagues as long as he stays hot shooting the ball. Kobe Bryant and his knee are good to go for this week.

With Pau Gasol out of the lineup, Hakim Warrick is making the most of his minutes thus far. (Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images)

Milwaukee Bucks: @ CHI, vs. HOU, @ WAS, vs. UTA
Charlie Villanueva is day-to-day with a strained right calf, and with two tough games against Chicago and Houston, don't feel bad about playing it safe and sitting him out this week. Ruben Patterson is a great option for steals, and the 33 minutes is a nice thing to see. Mo Williams is a fringe play this week, and Charlie Bell will continue to steal enough of his minutes to prevent him from reaching his potential.

New Orleans / Oklahoma City Hornets: vs. GSW, @ GSW, @ POR, @ LAC
Three road games, but the Clippers are the only pitfall New Orleans has to deal with. Peja Stojakovic is a good bet to get back on track, though the lack of minutes is definitely disconcerting. Desmond Mason and Rasual Butler are getting more minutes than expected, and Stojakovic is the one who is hurt most by it. Tyson Chandler should be big for boards and blocks against Golden State's small lineup.

New York Knicks: vs. SAS, @ DEN, @ HOU, @ SAS
Channing Frye got no love in the first week, and his combination of fouls and turnovers make for a bad match in a very tough week for all Knicks. San Antonio twice and Houston on the road is difficult to salvage, especially so when it's difficult to predict which Knicks will get the most minutes. If at all possible, I would likely bench all Knicks this week.

Orlando Magic: vs. WAS, vs. SEA, @ IND, @ MIN
Tony Battie is stealing Darko Milicic's playing time, canceling out both of their value. Hedo Turkoglu is legit and should have another big week against some mediocre defenses. Grant Hill can still score and contributes in steals as well, so you may as well play him as you take advantage of his health.

Portland Trail Blazers: @ LAC, vs. LAL, vs. NOK, vs DAL
Jarrett Jack got off to a quick start, but it was against Golden State and Seattle; this week's schedule is much more difficult. Jack turned it over seven times in two games against the aforementioned teams, so if you play in turnover leagues, keep that in mind. I expected Travis Outlaw to get starter's minutes and flourish, but Nate McMillan strikes again: between Juan Dixon, Ime Udoka, Martell Webster, and Outlaw, no one can have value. Zach Randolph and Brandon Roy are the only safe plays on the team.

Seattle SuperSonics: @ MIA, @ ORL, @ CHA, @ ATL
Earl Watson doesn't need much playing time to contribute -- even in 25 to 27 minutes per game, he can rack up the steals, assists, and threes. Seattle gets a very favorable schedule this week even despite the fact that all four games are on the road, and Watson is definitely worth a start. Despite Nick Collison's contract extension, he has yet to receive heavy minutes; if you're feeling brave, this schedule represents a good chance to give it another go this week.

Utah Jazz: vs. DET, @ NJN, @ BOS, @ MIL
Not another year of this: the starting shooting guard for Utah is nothing more than a token player, it seems. C.J. Miles "started" both games against Houston and Phoenix and garnered 40 minutes combined. Last year's starter, Gordan Giricek, got a DNP -- Coach's Decision in the opening game and played just fifteen minutes in the second game. On a normal team, Ronnie Brewer would be an obvious sleeper, but coach Jerry Sloan isn't kind to rookies -- even Deron Williams had a rough go of it last year. The best bet is probably Derek Fisher. He has a two-guard mentality but becomes a defensive liability at shooting guard. Still, Miles definitely isn't the answer. Avoid the position for now.

Washington Wizards: @ ORL, vs. IND, vs. MIL, vs. NJN
Etan Thomas, and not Brendan Haywood, got the start at center for Washington. That equated to 22 minutes; don't you hate when starters don't get starters minutes? Keep an eye on Antonio Daniels. He's an efficient, low-turnover point guard who was hurt for much of last year but is now healthy. He should gradually steal playing time from DeShawn Stevenson and Jarvis Hayes, and become an option in deeper leagues. For now, though, you start the Big Three in Washington -- Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler, and Antawn Jamison -- and no one else.

Teams With Three Games

Atlanta Hawks: @ CLE, @ TOR, vs SEA
Shelden Williams didn't get as much playing time as I thought but produced when he played; on a per-minute basis, don't be surprised to see Williams as one of the league's best rebounders and shot-blockers. As five fouls in 42 minutes in his first two games show, and as with most young big men, fouls will be a problem. However, he's a cheap rebound and block guy when the week is right. Despite just three games, they are a favorable three games. Cleveland's defense is best described as average, and Toronto and Seattle are known defensive sieves. Don't be afraid to play most Hawks, including Speedy Claxton, who had foul trouble in Week One. Zaza Pachulia feasted on mediocre defenses in Week One and should do it again this week.

Boston Celtics: vs. CHA, vs. UTA, @ CLE
Boston is a deep team, so at the very least it is going to take a couple of weeks for things to shake out. Center, power forward, and point guard all have some type of time share with two to three players, so for now you're left with Paul Pierce and Wally Szczerbiak -- at least you'll know what you'll get. Rajon Rondo logged over 31 minutes versus Detroit, and is an athletic, defense-first point guard in the mold of last year's starter Delonte West. Al Jefferson has the most potential of all their young players, but he still has issues with foul trouble. The schedule is solid this week, but it's hard to go with anyone other than Pierce and Szczerbiak.

Charlotte Bobcats: @ BOS, vs. SEA, vs. DEN
We saw the good and bad of Brevin Knight. As he has proven throughout his career, he's highly productive in assists and steals no matter how many minutes he gets, but playing out of position at shooting guard gets him into trouble defensively -- he fouled out of the Memphis game. It is going to be hard for Raymond Felton to blow up if his minutes are limited around the 33 minute mark. Though the Bobcats only get three games this week, each game is a great match-up defensively. Adam Morrison looks to play the Ben Gordon role in Charlotte: scoring off the bench and little else. Morrison will be streaky and, if he keeps attempting a lot of shots, his bad games will hurt more than his good ones help in a short week. Sean May, despite his foul trouble, is a good play as long as Primoz Brezec is out, this week included.

Chicago Bulls: vs. MIL, @ CLE, vs. IND
Chicago is too deep to rely on anyone other than Kirk Hinrich and Ben Wallace, and a three-game week, including a tough matchup versus Indiana, makes any other Bull too risky in shallow leagues. Luol Deng occasionally has huge games, but doesn't get enough playing time. Tyrus Thomas is a spark off the bench, but he is too young and will foul too much to stay on the floor. Chris Duhon, at least, has a proven ability to get threes, steals, and assists in limited minutes, but is a fringe play even in deeper leagues this week.

Cleveland Cavaliers: vs. ATL, vs. CHI, vs. BOS
A short schedule with at least one tough defense -- Chicago in this case -- results in only playing the studs. That includes Larry Hughes, for as long as his health permits, but not necessarily Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Ilgauskas racked up eleven fouls in just 47 minutes in his first two games, a ridiculous total. It is a big risk to play Ilgauskas with only three games, because a hack-tactic game gives you another blank in a game.

Denver Nuggets: vs. NYK, @ PHI, @ CHA
Earl Boykins gets a lot of playing time for a backup and in deeper leagues, he is a great play this week against three poor defenses. J.R. Smith is a solid bet if you need threes, he should be a mid-teen scorer this week as a result of the schedule. Even Kenyon Martin is a potential play this week -- he shouldn't get into as much foul trouble this week as he did last week.

Los Angeles Clippers: vs. POR, vs. DAL, vs. NOK
Unfortunately for Corey Maggette owners, early talk has Maggette splitting more time with Tim Thomas than initially expected. With Maggette, Thomas, Quinton Ross, Cuttino Mobley, Sam Cassell, and Shaun Livingston all fighting for starters minutes, even the starters make risky plays in a three-game week. Don't worry about Chris Kaman, though -- Kaman gets into foul trouble versus the Suns, so the Clippers played the match-ups and he was the odd man out.

Memphis Grizzlies: vs. HOU, @ PHX, @ LAL
If he can stay out of foul trouble most nights -- sense a theme? -- Hakim Warrick is legitimate until Pau Gasol returns. Triple overtime won't happen all the time, but 30 minutes per game would suit Warrick fine. But with only three games -- including one against Houston, one of the rare teams that slow the game down as much as Memphis themselves -- resist the temptation to play most of your Grizzlies. In fact, I would only consider Mike Miller a sure thing -- he is now the team's No. 1 option, and is multi-dimensional enough to salvage an otherwise poor night.

Miami Heat: vs. SEA, @ NJN, vs. HOU
Gary Payton is getting a lot of playing time in the wake of Jason Williams' injured knee and is a moderate option as a third point guard this week. Otherwise, besides Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, the schedule isn't promising enough to risk playing Antoine Walker or Udonis Haslem.

Minnesota Timberwolves: @ SAC, @ LAL, vs. ORL
Eddie Griffin isn't bad in deeper leagues because, even though he's essentially only good for blocks, he doesn't play enough minutes to seriously hurt you with his porous field goal percentage. Mike James is a borderline play this week. Troy Hudson's health cuts into his minutes, but the schedule is favorable enough to overcome the lack of a fourth game. And just in case it isn't obvious enough, Ricky Davis is a must-start -- it's hard to bench anyone who regularly logs upwards of 40 minutes per game.

New Jersey Nets: vs. UTA, vs. MIA, @ WAS
The schedule isn't bad enough to bench Nenad Krstic unless you really need blocks out of your center this week. And if the schedule is good enough for Krstic, it is of course good enough for the Big Three of New Jersey.

Philadelphia 76ers: @ IND, @ TOR, vs. DEN
The good thing about Samuel Dalembert is that, even in the games his minutes are limited due to foul trouble, he's a solid bet for one or two blocks. The bad part is that it is hard to predict when foul trouble will prevent him from cracking even the 20 minute mark. In two games this year, Dalembert has logged 25 minutes twice despite having four and five fouls in the two games. If the 76ers will consistently let him play through foul trouble, Dalembert becomes that much more valuable. Kyle Korver is a play only if you are absolutely desperate for threes.

Phoenix Suns: @ SAS, vs. DAL, vs. MEM
If ever you were going to bench most of the Suns, this would likely be the week. San Antonio and Memphis represent two tough defensive teams, and Dallas is comfortably above average as well. I remain unconvinced Leandro Barbosa's newfound starting position is legitimate; after all, if the Suns were more committed to Barbosa than Boris Diaw, why give Diaw the substantially bigger contract and bring in Marcus Banks? In the long-term, Diaw will be fine, but for this week, the only two players I would play are Steve Nash and Shawn Marion.

Sacramento Kings: vs. MIN, vs. DET, vs. TOR
The 41 minutes per game through two games will not be the norm for Kevin Martin; he was shooting over 60 percent, so you leave the hot hand in and let him play. The six combined turnovers show he's got some work to do, but it is a pleasant surprise nonetheless. John Salmons, acquired this off-season by the Kings, doesn't seem to be a threat. Kenny Thomas fouled out twice this week, but the Kings just seem to like him more than Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Don't expect Mike Bibby to shoot well during the next couple of weeks. It's kind of hard to shoot with a bum thumb, and it assuredly contributed to his whopping 11 turnovers on Friday. With Bibby playing hurt and facing an unimpressive three-game slate, it would not be a bad decision to bench him if you were deep at point guard.

San Antonio Spurs: @ NYK, vs. PHX, vs. NYK
As favorable a schedule one could hope for from a team playing three games. Deeper leagues can take a flyer on Francisco Elson, who can provide -- what else -- blocks and boards as a center if he can -- say it with me now -- stay out of foul trouble.

Toronto Raptors: vs. PHI, vs. ATL, @ SAC
As long as Anthony Parker continues to log more than 30 minutes per game, he is a quality pick-up at shooting guard who should drain threes. He is actually a similar fantasy player to his teammate, Morris Peterson -- a healthy amount of threes, and good enough in the other categories to be more than a one-trick pony. And the better Peterson and Parker shoot from the floor, the easier the assists come for T.J. Ford.

Adam Madison is a fantasy expert for www.TalentedMrRoto.com, which features free advice, news, stats and analysis for all fantasy sports. It was nominated for four FSTA awards, including best site. Contact him at Adam@TalentedMrRoto.com.

The views expressed by TalentedMrRoto.com represent only the views of the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA team.

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