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By Matthew Berry, www.TalentedMrRoto.com
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Backup centers collide as Jason Collins and the Nets take on Dikembe Mutombo and the Rockets tonight.
(Jeffrey D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images) |
Don’t laugh, dude, it’s possible. The way guys are going down these days, your number could be next. Start working on your jumper and pick and roll defense.
I’ve been trying to remember the last time so many big names players were injured in any sport and for the last thirty seconds or so, I’m stumped. Look, it’s the holidays. No reason to go nuts on the research, am I right?
Seriously, Josh Smith out for a month with hernia surgery. Paul Pierce missing two to three weeks with a stress fracture. Yao and Odom are missing a month to six weeks. Shaq’s been out for basically the entire season and now Nenad Krstic will miss the rest of his. Peja and David West won’t be seeing action any time in the next two months and we have at least another week without Chris Bosh. Rashard Lewis is on the shelf for two months and while it’s not an injury, it might as well be with Carmelo Anthony not playing for another month.
And that doesn’t include McGrady, Ray Allen or Jason Richardson, who we just got back or Dirk Nowitzki, who suffered a scare the other week or Chris Paul, who left last night’s game. Seriously, my fingers are starting to cramp as well – I’m gonna try and gut this column out, but for those who have me in your columnist fantasy league, you may wanna bench me until you see more consistent play.
So we’ve spent a few paragraphs establishing what you already know, basically, but so what? Other than grab a guy like Gerald Green of Boston, who will benefit from the injury with an increase in minutes, what’s the point? It sucks, what are you gonna do, you move on and wait for your star to return, right?
Well, sort of. It depends on who the star is and what the star does.
I want to talk for a second here about fantasy maintenance. It is a long season and with a few exceptions, most of the guys we just listed are all coming back and sooner than later in the big picture of a season that goes until April. So while you want to pick up who you can and put your best line-up forward, the important thing to do, at least in leagues that score roto style, is to maintain.
Understand that the easiest categories to gain in are blocks, steals, assists and threes, in that order. The reason is that so few players (comparatively) get those categories. (See my Draft Day Manifesto for much more on the subject of category scarcity if you don’t believe me) Which means less totals, which means easier to catch up, which means I am not worried about that for you right now. Understand it’s not ideal, of course, but we’ve got some big injuries, we’re trying to stay afloat.
So while the instinct may be for you to try and grab a shot blocker when Yao went down, I am much more concerned about your rebounds. Points and rebounds are what you need to be concerned with while your studs are out along with your percentage categories. Because every player gets those on some level. You fall behind in points or boards and it is much, much more difficult to catch up ground.
You need to maintain your current standing in those categories as best as possible and stay afloat until your stud comes back. There is nothing sexy about Juwan Howard, but while Yao is out, he’s gonna be the best low post threat the Rockets have and will get points and boards. 8 and 10 last night, he’s the kind of guy you can grab to help maintain. If I am playing for this season, I would much rather have an unsexy guy like Howard to replace my star than someone like Randy Foye. Foye’s got tons of potential and shows flashes of it, like last night’s 25 points in 26 minutes. But he also had zero rebounds and his playing time is inconsistent at best. We just need to maintain until the cavalry arrives. Keep that in mind.
RANDOM NUGGETS:
And not the Denver kind. Taking a gander at the box scores from last night, some things jump out, including Shane Battier getting 14 and 10. I don’t expect double digit boards every night, but I do think he gets more touches and is around the basket more with Yao out. Two steals, two assists, a block and three three’s, Battier continues to be an underrated fantasy player.
The opposite of that is Bonzi Wells, who is a much better real lifeplayer than fantasy these days, especially how the Rockets use him. 11 and 6 last night with an assist and a steal, he does not do enough of anything special to get me excited from a fantasy perspective.
It was just the flu, so don’t freak out, Jermaine O’ Neal owners. Still, Harrington and Foster go nuts on the boards and Danny Granger gets 37 minutes off the bench, so, considering his injury history and the way this season has gone, good to know what an O’Neal less Pacer team might look like.
Etan Thomas continues to be day-to-day but Brendan Haywood is making the most of his increase in minutes. 15 and 9 last night, Haywood has averaged 13 and 11 his last three games while playing 33 minutes. Can you say solid maintaining type center?
Another guy worth noting is Jason Collins of the Nets, now that it’s been announced that Krstic is missing the rest of the year. 14 and 4 last night plus two steals in 36 minutes against a tough Pistons team. The important stat there to me is the 36 minutes. If he’s going to be on the floor that much, solid things will happen.
The iron unkind award for the night happens in that game as well. Chauncey Billups goes 1 for 10. Say this Chauncey. No fear. He was 1 of 8 at some point and still jacked two more. Sometimes, it’s okay to know when you’re cold, ya dig? Jason Terry is 1 for 7 for second place. And Boris Diaw plays 34 minutes and gets zero points. That’s hard to do kids. Be on the floor, for Phoenix, for 34 minutes and not score? You couldn’t do that if you tried.
Another iron unkind candidate is Rasual Butler, who goes 2 of 15 during a 8 and 5 night with 6 rebounds. But take another glance there. 15 shot attempts? That’s a lot and tells me that if Paul misses any time, Butler is the big beneficiary. They are looking for him and often – Butler played 45 minutes. In fact, he is very much worth looking at even when Paul comes back.
To be fair, I have never been a fan but this year, Erick Dampier continues to impress. Just very solid production, night in and night out. 9 and 10 with three blocks last night, the guy is leading the league in field goal percentage. He doesn’t take enough shots where it really helps, the way a guy like Shaq or Nash does, but it’s a nice benefit for your #2 center.
There’s a lot of fantasy goodness happening in Boston these days, in case you have not noticed. The previously mentioned Gerald Green goes for 18 and 8 with four blocks, two steals and two three’s. Tony Allen and Al Jefferson had strong nights and while Delonte West go the start, he only played 18 minutes. Sebastian Telfair continues to be the PG you want for the Celtics as he gets 25 minutes off the bench.
Brandon Roy has a let down game after his big one, going 3 for 12 in 28 minutes for a 7 and 3 night. But look closer. Three steals and one block. THAT is impressive and what it tells me is that he can play defense at the NBA level already. That’s the thing that is hardest for rookies to get versus offense and it means that Roy will keep playing (and contributing) on nights when he struggles. If he is out there, go get him.
Seems ironic that in the injury column we have managed to go this long without talking about Marcus Camby, but there you go. His broken ring finger should keep him out a few games more at least and Nene puts up numbers when he gets to play. 12 and 14with 4 blocks last night. And since Denver and Philly are linked these days, a really interesting stat line last night comes from Rodney Carney. With Webber on the bench, Carney plays 46 minutes and has a 25 and 8 night with two steals. Carney is the future in Philly, not C-Webb. Get thee to a waiver wire. Joe Smith is solid as well, getting 12 and 5 in 21 minutes.
Finally, Matt Barnes keeps putting up numbers when he gets time. Banished back to the bench when Richardson came back, he got back onto the floor with Monta Ellis out with a shoulder injury. 25 and 8 for Barnes and most impressively, he played 45 minutes, the most of any Warrior. Baron Davis has a sick night, 21 points and 16 dimes.
That’s all we have this week. Have a great and safe New Year!
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto - is a longtime fantasy author, TV/Radio personality and dreams of the day they show him during the celeb part at Staples Center and folks ask “Who was that guy?” You can read more of his analysis, including signing up for his free, daily fantasy blog, at www.TalentedMrRoto.com a site featuring free articles, stats, analysis, draft kits, news and an amazing message board for all fantasy sports. The site has gotten 4 nominations from the Fantasy Sports Trade Association, including best site. Cyberstalk the TMR: TalentedMrRoto@aol.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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