SH Blog: Jeremy Lin goes to Taiwan

Leave a comment

Things are starting to really heat up in the Olympics, after Team USA survived a tough contest with Lithuania yesterday.  For coverage of that, and all the other Olympic action, check out Nick Gibson’s Olympic recap from yesterday.  Also be sure to check out Chris Sheridan talking about the lessons the Americans have to take away from that Lithuania game, and the five most important questions with the end of pool play.  And, if you missed it, here’s the latest entry in the Diary of the Uncredentialed.

But if it’s just NBA news you want, here’s the latest:

  • Jeremy Lin was in Taiwan recently, where he held a press conference. Lin was asked about what advantages he had as an Asian basketball player: “‘I think the advantage of being an Asian basketball player in America is that no one expects anything from you, and no one thinks you are going to be good,’ Lin told a press conference in Taipei yesterday. ‘The reason why I said it was an advantage is because everyone takes you lightly, and the minute you step out on the court, you give it to them and you immediately earn their respect, but no one is going to give it to you right away, not in America at least,’” writes Shelley Shan of the Taipei Times.
  • Lin was also asked about the most famous and successful Asian player in NBA history, Yao Ming, and Christie Chen of Focus Taiwan writes: “Lin said he has always looked up to the 31-year-old Chinese ex-player. However, the 23-year-old point guard said he doesn’t see himself as having to ‘fill his shoes or anything like that. My goal is very simple, and that’s just to get as close as I can to reaching my personal potential,’ said Lin. When asked what he thinks of being described as the Chinese player’s successor, Lin said ‘what I have done is nothing compared to what Yao has done.’”
  • Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a Q & A up, where he talks about the Heat potentially signing former Wizard Andray Blatche: “They just might do that. Yet just because, as ESPN reported, the Heat are doing their background work on Blatche, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are poised for a move. Yes, Andray has a place in South Florida and has been working out here, but for a player looking to rebuild his NBA career, there might be better places than a roster where his opportunities could be limited. While it might be worth the risk for the Heat, it might not be a move in Blatche’s best interests, particularly when considering how Eddy Curry, on a tryout deal of his own last season, essentially vanished.”
  • Here’s an interesting quote from Danny Granger of the Pacers, courtesy of Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star via Sulia: “Granger on the East: ‘It’s going to be tough. Brooklyn, they are going to be threat. Obviously Miami is going to be there, but I think we still view ourselves as a top-2 team in the East.’”
  • Here’s some news that’s sure to make Nets fans happy, courtesy of Nets Daily: Mirza Teletovic is coming to the NBA to “win championships”: “Mirza Teletovic, in an interview with the writer for a Slovenian basketball site, left no doubt as to why he decided to leave Europe, at considerable expense, for Brooklyn. ‘I’m not going to the NBA to waste my time, but to get the (championships).’ Teletovic is paying nearly $2 million of his own money to buy out his contract with Caja Laboral of Spain and was willing to take another $2 million a year pay cut so the Nets could pursue other players. He felt now is the time to make the leap. ‘For two or three years I have delayed this decision,’ the 6’9″ forward said. ‘Now the Brooklyn club is bringing me in. A lot of money has been invested in the composition of the team, I think it will be interesting.’”
  • Last month, the Celtics gave up JaJuan Johnson as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Rockets for Courtney Lee. How does Johnson feel about the trade? Jeff Washburn of the Lafayette (In.) Journal and Courier talked to him about it: “‘If I’m with the Rockets, or wherever I’m at, I’m going to play as hard as I can and compete for minutes,” Johnson said. “Obviously with Boston signing Kevin Garnett to a three-year extension, minutes probably would have been hard for me there. In Houston, I probably will have more of an opportunity to contribute to the team.’”

 

Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: , , , , ,

SH Blog: Linsanity did not make sense to Carmelo Anthony

2 Comments

Today was a sobering day, as some maniac decided to go on a shooting spree at a theater to hurt and take away unsuspecting innocent lives early Friday morning. Thoughts and condolences go out to the victims and their families.

Here is Friday’s basketball news:

  • Boston Celtics have acquired Courtney Lee in a sign and trade deal involving three teams: “The Boston Celtics announced today that they have acquired guard Courtney Lee from the Houston Rockets as part of a sign and trade agreement. In the three team trade also featuring the Portland Trail Blazers, the Houston Rockets have acquired JaJuan Johnson, E’Twaun Moore, Sean Williams and a future second round pick. Portland has acquired guard Sasha Pavlovic, two future second round picks and cash considerations. “We are very excited that we were able to acquire Courtney Lee,” said Danny Ainge, Celtics President of Basketball Operations. “Courtney brings a vast set of tools on both ends of the court and will be a great fit on our roster.”
Omer Asik's offer sheet with Houston is same terms as Jeremy Lin's -- $5M, $5.2M, $14.9M. Bulls have three days to match.
July 20, 2012 6:29 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite
@KBergCBS
Ken Berger
Shannon Brown agreed to a two-year, $7M deal to return to the #Suns. Half of the second-year salary is guaranteed.
July 20, 2012 6:23 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite
@paulcoro
Paul Coro
Jordan Hill has reached agreement on a two-year, nearly $8 million deal with the Lakers, his agent Kevin Bradbury tells Y! Sports.
July 20, 2012 8:54 pm via UberSocial for BlackBerryReplyRetweetFavorite
@WojYahooNBA
Adrian Wojnarowski
Sources say Magic, not agents, complicating possible deal that would send Dwight Howard to LA and Andrew Bynum to CLE. Link coming.
July 20, 2012 5:20 pm via webReplyRetweetFavorite
@SamAmicoFSO
Sam Amico
  • Howard’s agent refuted reports that his client would sign an extension with any team, from Ric Bucher: “The agent for Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard refuted reports that his client has decided he will sign an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers – if traded to them. ”Dwight’s position has remained unchanged since the end of this past season,” said Dan Fegan of LaGardere Unlimited. “He fully intends to explore free agency at the end of next season, regardless of what team trades for him, including Brooklyn.”
  • Will the Golden State Warriors make the playoffs in the upcoming season? Matt Steinmetz has the answer: “As long as Dallas has Dirk Nowitzki, I think they’re going to make the playoffs, particularly because I think they did enough to maintain this offseason. So, that leaves two openings and teams such as the Warriors, Denver, Houston, Portland, Utah, Phoenix and Minnesota. Can the Warriors compete with that group? Yes, assuming they’re healthy. And, really, that’s what so much of this comes down to. Can Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut play full seasons or relatively close to full seasons? That will, in many ways, dictate the Warriors’ season.”
  • Kevin Love was apparently not so fond of some of the members on his team from last season, from Brian Murphy. Any guesses on who it could have been?: ”If we get everybody back healthy, with Ricky back healthy, if Roy comes in healthy, and if we can get off to a good start, we’re going to be good. But we really have to add as many as pieces as we possibly can, veteran guys,” he said. “There was some bad blood in that locker room we were able to get out of there and smooth things out. That should help us out going forward.” Asked to elaborate, Love responded: “Just what I said. We had bad blood in the locker room. We got that out.” Forwards Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph, guard Martell Webster and center Darko Milicic were the most notable players Minnesota jettisoned this offseason.”
  • Henry Abbott explained why Carmelo Anthony didn’t appreciate all the attention Lin received: “Into the middle of all that, while Anthony was out with an injury last winter, stepped Jeremy Lin. From Anthony’s point of view, according to sources with firsthand knowledge of his thinking, the Lin phenomenon made little sense. To his thinking, Lin had a few good games, the team surprised everyone with a little winning streak … and then everybody went bananas. Anthony had already gone all-in for the long haul, attempting to paint a multiyear Knicks masterpiece that would make New York proud. He saw himself as the selfless leader, expanding his game, recruiting teammates and creating something that would leave a real imprint on the city. Linsanity didn’t fit the blueprint. For a superstar of Anthony’s caliber, it didn’t make sense that a backup point guard who turned the ball over a lot, didn’t mesh especially well with Melo’s talents, played Hero Ball in crunch time, hit some lucky shots and couldn’t sustain more than a few weeks without injuring himself had become the city’s folk hero.”
  • Amare Stoudemire has a lofty goal set for next season, from Roderick Boone: “Amar’e Stoudemire said the only thing that’s going to cut it next season is a title. ”Anything less than a championship,” the power forward said on MSG Thursday during Knicks’ Summer League broadcast from Las Vegas, “is a waste of a season.” Stoudemire, looking leaner, said he’s down to 245 pounds and has been training two times a day since May. He said he’s strong, healthy and ready to go, and is thrilled with the trade for Raymond Felton. The two worked well in their short time together before Felton was dealt to Denver as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade.”
  • Kendrick Perkins went under the knife for the second time this off-season: “Thunder center Kendrick Perkins has had a second surgical procedure this offseason. The club announced Thursday that Perkins underwent a successful procedure to repair a ligament tear in his left wrist. Perkins suffered the injury in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. On July 12, the Thunder announced Perkins underwent a successful procedure on his right groin, which he initially injured during Game 4 in the opening round of the playoffs against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks.”
  • Jason Kidd Knicks mig shot dwiJason Kidd apologized for his drunk antics last weekend: ”New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd took to Twitter on Friday to apologize for his recent arrest on a charge of driving while intoxicated. ”I regret any disruption my accident last weekend may have caused members of the community and want to thank the local authorities,” Kidd tweeted. He followed up with, “I’d also like to thank my family and friends for their support.” Kidd, 39, was charged with a misdemeanor after a single-car accident in the Hamptons. At around 2 a.m. Sunday, his 2010 Cadillac Escalade struck a telephone pole and went into the woods in Water Mill, a hamlet of the Town of Southampton, N.Y. He was treated for minor injuries at Southampton Hospital.”

Dwight Howard could sign an extension with Lakers

Steve Nash stars in “The Godfather”


Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Bernucca: Celtics hope slow and steady wins the race

1 Comment

The other day, I was stuck behind the Boston Celtics on the highway.

I was in the left lane and I wanted to go considerably faster than the car in front of me, who was doing about 60. Against my better judgment, I got up on his tail and applied some pressure, but he refused to go any faster or move into the right lane.

Somewhat annoyed, I drove right behind him for about a quarter-mile before a gap opened in the right lane. As I went around the slower car, I took a peek into its front seat and saw a driver considerably older than the speed limit, tenaciously clutching the steering wheel, looking only straight ahead.

This is who the Celtics have become.

In a league that quickly is becoming no country for old men, they are too something – determined, proud, stubborn, entitled – to simply move aside and let the young whippersnappers blow past them. Instead, they are trying to get everyone else to slow the heck down so they can keep up.

You know that old adage about enjoying the journey? That’s not the Celtics, who are just trying to survive the trek in one piece and get to their destination. They don’t give a rat’s asterisk whom they inconvenience, annoy or aggravate along the way.

And you know what? They’re pretty good at it. But you have to wonder how long they can keep it up.

The Celtics are nearing the end of an unforgiving road trip – 13 days, eight games, four time zones, three back-to-backs – that has clearly illustrated how they must play to be successful. When they are able to keep the tempo at a manageable speed, they can beat nearly anybody. When the opponent is able to push the pace, they look older than platform shoes.

Boston is 3-3 on its trip. Wins over the LA Clippers and Atlanta were grinders, with plenty of chippy play and all the flow of tree sap. In losses to Sacramento and Denver, the Celtics looked like the Red Auerbach statue in Faneuil Hall.

“I don’t know why we look like we’re running in mud these days,” Kevin Garnett said. “But our fight’s there, man.”

During Monday’s win over Atlanta, Celtics analyst Donny Marshall stopped gushing and cheerleading long enough to make an interesting point: The Celtics seem to have an easier time keeping their focus and executing better on both ends when the pace is slower. When the game quickens, they give away possessions on offense and let down their guard on defense, mistakenly believing that the increased number of opportunities will allow them to make up for their miscues.

After the 25-point loss at Sacramento, Pierce admitted, “We got caught up in what they like to do, the running game.”

Tempering the tempo doesn’t assure victory for the Celtics, as they found out with a last-minute loss to the LA Lakers that opened the trip. Conversely, playing at pace isn’t necessarily a recipe for failure, either, as a last-second win over ADD-afflicated Golden State three nights later proved.

But to a man, the Celtics know they are better off when they are dictating speed and flow. It is evident in their half-court offense, where they run their sets to precision and almost always make the extra pass. It is even more obvious in their defense, which blitzes, fronts, chips, jams, grabs – anything to make things miserable for their foes.

“We have to understand who we are – we’re a defensive group,” Paul Pierce said.

The conventional numbers bear that out. The Celtics are 26th in scoring at just 91.1 points per game. Only Toronto, Detroit, New Orleans and Charlotte – combined star players: zero – average less.

Part of the issue is Boston’s inability to get to the line. The Celtics rank 27th at 20.1 free throws per game, and Pierce (5.7) is their only player in the top 50.

And with a pace ranking 22nd in the league, Boston appears to be maximizing its touches. Despite their low scoring average, the Celtics are seventh in shooting (.455), eighth in 3-point shooting (.364) and second in assists (23.3). So when they have the ball, they know what to do to get it in the basket.

But it’s that whole “having the ball” thing that is presenting problems.

Boston is dead last in the NBA at 38.1 rebounds per game. More meaningful is rebound percentage, and the Celtics are 24th defensively, last offensively and 29th overall, ahead of only league-worst Charlotte.

Rebounding completes stops and offers the opportunity to run. The Celtics are wasting valuable energy making multiple stops while being unable to get easy transition baskets or second-chance points.

This extra expenditure of effort is taking its toll on the current rotation. Even at full strength, no one would describe the Celtics as spry. Without big men Jeff Green, Jermaine O’Neal and Chris Wilcox, the effect on the rotation is evident. Boston is 1-7 when the second of back-to-back games is on the road.

Garnett is playing out of position at center and is being spelled by rookie Greg Stiemsma, a shaky postseason notion. Pierce and Mickael Pietrus are taking occasional turns at power forward because Rivers has only three bigs he truly trusts. Backup guards Keyon Dooling and Avery Bradley are good defenders but don’t contribute at the other end.

There has been a lot of talk about Boston adding a big man released or bought out by Friday’s deadline. But former Celtic stringbean Chris Johnson already has been waived by Portland and claimed by New Orleans. Ronny Turiaf is taking his talents to South Beach.  J.J. Hickson went to Portland. Boris Diaw may be headed to San Antonio. And Ryan Hollins doesn’t have the defensive discipline.

Also keep in mind that the Celtics already have 15 players and would have to cut a guaranteed contract to add a player. When your payroll is a league-high $87 million –$17 million above the projected luxury tax threshold, adding salary is cause for pause.

In other words, Robert Parish is not walking through that door.

Boston’s trip mercifully ends this week with huge back-to-back games at Milwaukee and Philadelphia. The Celts are three games ahead of the surging Bucks and 1 1/2 behind the scrappy Sixers, who ran them out of the Broad Street gym the last time Gang Green started sniffing around first place.

And just in case you were wondering, these are Boston’s first seven games in April, played over 11 days with three back-to-backs: vs. Miami, vs. San Antonio, at Chicago, at Indiana, vs. Philadelphia, at Miami, vs. Atlanta. That is followed by three road games in three nights, a day off, and a visit to New York.

As Tony Montana once said, that’s no duckwalk.

The Celtics believe they can be a factor in the postseason, and anyone who dismisses an experienced team with a strong championship pedigree is kidding themselves. But they have to get there first, and it appears the only way is under the caution flag. Any faster and they might lose control and crash.

Or as Rivers put it, “I’m trying to get our team to understand we don’t have a margin for error.”

Chris Bernucca is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear every Wednesday and Sunday. You can follow him on Twitter. 

 

Filed Under: Columns Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Fantasy Spin: Tuesday Feb. 14

1 Comment

What Happened on Monday?

The Magic beat the Timberwolves, though not because Dwight Howard dominated Nikola Pekovic. Pek double-doubled (16-13) and stayed out of foul trouble, D-12 settled for 11 and 7 with no blocks while playing just 28 minutes due to five fouls. The Minny wings (Wes Johnson and Martell Webster, starting for absent Luke Ridnour) were outplayed by veterans Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu.

Philly had little trouble winning by nine in Charlotte. Run to the waiver wire for Corey Maggette, who scored 22 points in 32 minutes and appears to be healthy. As expected, the Sixers’ deep bench was the difference, especially Thad Young and Lou Williams.

The Heat are rolling along, the Bucks spinning their wheels, or is it hooves? Shaun Livingston continues to start, but has played 20+ minutes just once in his last five games. Beno Udrih may be on the verge of more floor time.

Chris Kaman, back just in time from a rolled ankle,  had a monster game in New Orleans — 27 points and 13 boards — to lead an upset of the Jazz. Make sure the Caveman is owned in every league. Paul Millsap had an uncharacteristically quiet night, so Derrick Favors got extra run. More importantly, Devin Harris was held to just 19 minutes, doing very little, and if he doesn’t win back his coach’s confidence, Earl Watson (28:51) may be on the verge of better things.

Dallas held off the Clippers by four, in part because Randy Foye went 0-for-7 in 25 minutes. Big Brendan Haywood was effective for the Mavs, and Kenyon Martin came off the L.A. bench for 26 minutes, scoring 10 points and blocking four shots.

The Warriors beat the Suns, behind 28 and 12 from David Lee. The GSW bench was the difference; Klay Thompson stayed in the zone (now 14 3PTM in his last five games) and it’s beginning to look like Ekpe Udoh is the C to own, not starter Andris Biedrins.

What’s Next?

My account of tonight’s Knicks-Raptors game will be of the eyewitness variety. My partner, the Best Valentine Ever, surprised me with floor-level seats for the Lin-sanity. I’d only joked about it being a romantic date.

In lieu of spot-start tips for tonight’s games, we’re going to look several days ahead. The All-Star break, no big deal in Roto or Points leagues, will make H2H leagues even crazier than usual next week. If you are ever going to stream, this is the time.

Really, it’s a tremendous advantage to own anyone with 3 GP in Week 16, when there are only 33 total games in the NBA, compared to 56 this week. If you have a roster spot (or two) to play with, do it. Remember, the wacky week counts just as much as a normal week in the final standings.

Here’s a team-by-team summary:   

ATL 3 Road games vs. the Bulls and Knicks, home to the Magic. Kirk Hinrich and Willie Green are worth considering. In deeper leagues, Tracy McGrady, Vlad Radmanovic or Ivan Johnson could contribute.

BOS 2 On the road in Dallas and OKC, not the best schedule. Chris Wilcox is a decent pickup anyway, and JaJuan Johnson is getting big minutes off the bench while Jermaine O’Neal and Brandon Bass are out. Mikael Pietrus hits the odd three.

CHA 1 Home to Indiana. You really don’t want to own Bobcats anyway. Corey Maggette will eventually have value, just not in Week 16. 

CHI 2 Hosting the Hawks and Bucks. With Derrick Rose trying to fix his back, C.J. Watson is a recommended pickup. Kyle Korver and Taj Gibson would be better with a third game. 

CLE 2 Home games vs. the Pistons and Hornets. Assuming that Kyrie Irving is OK, the numbers of Ramon Sessions and Daniel Gibson will take a hit. Injured Anderson Varejao was having a great season, now  Semih Erden, Samardo Samuels and rookie Tristan Thompson must fill in.

DAL 2 The Mavs get the Celtics and Lakers at home, no easy task. Jason Kidd is back, bumping Delonte West to a lesser role and Roddy Beaubois to irrelevance. 

DEN 3 Grab Arron Afflalo in any size league, if available, then come back here.  Afflalo moved over to SF last Thursday and scored 26 points, including five triples. Corey Brewer got the next start at SF and played very well.  Rookie Kenneth Faried is worth considering while Nene sits. Timofey Mozgov, expected back tonight from an ankle injury, should have value in deep leagues. 

DET 2 On the road in nearby Cleveland and Toronto. Ben Gordon has returned, joining Rodney Stuckey and rookie Brandon Knight in a crowded backcourt. Pass. 

GSW 2 Home to the Clippers then off to Phoenix. Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis can light up a box score and David Lee is consistent. Klay Thompson might be the best add, or Ekpe Udoh if you’re desperate for a big.

HOU 2 Home to Memphis and Philly. Kevin Martin returned from Kevin McHale’s doghouse, where  Sam Dalembert may now be the lone occupant. For a while, the bench was outplaying the starters. Courtney Lee and Patrick Patterson are worth considering.

IND 2 Home to the Hornets, away in Charlotte. Tyler Hansbrough is by far the most reliable bench player but A.J. Price broke out on Sunday and may be worth a look if you’re in dire need of a PG — until George Hill returns. 

LAC 2 At Golden State, home to Denver. With the loss of Chauncey Billups for the season, Randy Foye is the new starting SG but sixth man Mo Williams is better to own. Kenyon Martin again got more run last night than DeAndre Jordan.

LAL 3 Portland at home, OKC and Dallas on the road. Before getting hurt, Steve Blake looked better at PG than Derek Fisher and more comfortable in Mike Brown’s system than last year’s triangle.

MEM 2 At Houston, home to the Sixers. PF Marreese Speights, filling in until Zach Randolph returns from a knee injury, is consistently inconsistent. Dante Cunningham shares those PF minutes for now. 

MIA 2 Of all the 2-game teams in Week 16, the Heat has the best schedule — the Kings and Knicks, at home, fully rested. Obviously, the Big Three dominate the stat sheet, but Norris Cole, Shane Battier and Mike Miller make minor contributions and occasionally shine. 

MIL 2 Facing the Magic at home and Bulls in Chicago. Brandon Jennings and Drew Gooden are steady. Ersan Ilyasova, Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy often look better off the bench than the starters. 

MIN 2 In Denver, then home to Utah. Nikola Pekovic has emphatically taken over the starting C job from Darko Milicic and J.J. Barea is cutting into the production of Luke Ridnour.

NJN 2 An “away” limo ride to Manhattan, then home to Orlando. Deron Williams is the only reliable Net, with Jordan Farmar and Kris Humphries decent plays.  MarShon Brooks and Anthony Morrow may take turns being the hot hand.

NOH 3 Three games in three cities in three nights: OKC, IND and CLE. The injury-plagued Hornets will be exhausted. Grab Chris Kaman ASAP. Greivis Vasquez may not be owned in all leagues and will be starting at PG with Jarrett Jack hurt again.

NYK 3 Home to the Nets and Hawks, then in Miami. Jeremy Lin, Amare Stoudamire, Tyson Chandler and Landry Fields will get big minutes. The return of Carmelo Anthony is still uncertain, leaving Steve Novak with temporary value. When the Knicks are at full strength, Iman Shumpert is a better fantasy sixth man than Jared Jeffries.

OKC 3 New Orleans, Boston and the Lakers, all at home. Kendrick Perkins is worth a look in deep leagues. Daequon Cook, starting at SG while Thabo Sefolosha is out, has temporary value.

ORL 3 Road games in MIL, NJ and ATL. Dwight Howard is a monster, Ryan Anderson is having a career year, and Jason Richardson usually contributes, but everyone else is tough to recommend. Hedo Turkoglu is particularly frustrating to own, with a recent 3-for-23 stretch spanning three games. 

PHI 2  At Memphis and Houston. There’s a revolving door in the middle, where Spencer Hawes can’t stay healthy, rookie Nikola Vucevic isn’t quite NBA ready, Lavoy Allen is undersized and Tony Battie is old. Last night Allen started, but Vucevic got more minutes, points and rebounds off the bench and may be the best target.

PHO 2 Home to the Wizards and Warriors. Jared Dudley and Channing Frye have been good lately, and Grant Hill contributes what he can. The bench is thin, though if you need threes, Michael Redd is worth a look.

POR 2 Visiting the Lakers, home to the Spurs. Jamal Crawford exploded for 31 on Friday.  Coming off the bench, he’s been outplaying starting PG Raymond Felton and SG Wesley Matthews. All should be in your lineup, and Nic Batum can have big nights.

SAC 2 On the road in Miami and DC. Keith Smart has turned this team around, particularly DeMarcus Cousins, who looks like 20 and 10 every night. They lack a traditional PG except for backup Isaiah Thomas, currently playing through a sore hand.

SAS 3 On the road in Utah, Portland and Denver. Manu Ginobili is back! While it’s hard to predict Gregg Popovich’s rotations, he’s talked of using Manu as a sixth man. His return hurts Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard the most; Gary Neal may still be a source of 3-pointers.

TOR 1 Home to the Pistons. Andrea Bargnani remains sidelined indefinitely, and the other bigs take turns disappearing. Jerryd Bayless may return tonight but keeps rolling the same ankle. JB could have a strong second half if he can stay on the court. 

UTA 2 Home to the Spurs, then in Minnesota.There had been signs of life recently from Devin Harris, until last night’s disaster. Earl Watson may be taking over. Raja Bell continues to start.

WAS 2 In Phoenix, home to the Kings. What a mess. John Wall and Nick Young will get theirs, JaVale McGee shows up when he’s in the mood and Trevor Booker will maximize his limited ability. I’m keeping an eye on Jan Vesely for the second half.

Filed Under: Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,