Even when the Los Angeles Lakers win games, the drama just doesn’t seem to stop.
SH Blog: Gasol says D’Antoni’s system is a problem, Howard says now is Lakers’ darkest moment
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Fantasy Spin: September 15, 2012
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Fantasy Basketball Primer Part 1: Introduction
Have you ever played a game largely determined by luck — like Monopoly — against someone who just kept beating you? He wouldn’t win every time, just often enough that you wondered how could he be so damned lucky. Well, I am one of those guys, and while it may seem that I’m “so damned lucky,” you know that I am not. I simply play the game with a well-thought-out strategy that takes advantage of the rules to maximize my luck.
Fantasy basketball, like Monopoly, is a game heavily influenced by luck. There are several rules that you can take advantage of to maximize your odds for winning. Over the next five weeks, I will present this primer for winning your fantasy hoops league. We’ll examine some of the most common rule variations and explain how you can benefit from them, plus some tips on how to apply those advantages in your draft and throughout your season.
Note that I have never played or coached a minute of competitive basketball. I refuse to watch college basketball games before the tournament (one year I watched a lot of college ball hoping to gain an edge and had the worst bracket of my life; no pre-tournament college ball for me since = much better brackets) so I claim no particular insight into the incoming rookie crop.
I am not a mathematical genius with some mythical proprietary logarithm that spits out cutting edge NBA player forecasts. I don’t have a keen appreciation of NBA talent that allows me to identify the breakthrough talents that everyone else misses. Yet, I have had a surprising amount of success playing fantasy hoops by following the simple lessons in this primer and they can help you win your league, too.
How did I come up with these lessons? By analyzing the rules of the game and strategizing how to take advantage of them (Parts 2 and 3). You’ll learn how to identify sleepers, i.e. players who are likely to outperform their average draft position (Part 4), how to build a draft plan (Part 5) and some in-season tactics (Part 6).
Does following this primer guarantee your success? No, it maximizes your odds for success. Does it work for every league, every year? Absolutely not; you will have to make adjustments depending on the context. Does a good strategy trump poor player selection? Sometimes. If you pick bad players, no strategy is going to save you. In a competitive league though, where everyone has the same approximate player valuations, the difference between first and last becomes about picking the right players and this primer will definitely help you to separate the right players from the wrong ones.
So, what is my strategy at Monopoly? In a sentence, fortune favors the bold. Buy every property and build every house you can, including fully mortgaging any undeveloped properties. Accept any fair trade of properties that completes a set after Free Parking. Develop the most trafficked properties first (from Free Parking to Straight to Go).
Finally, follow the three-house rule. Rent rates are not linear. There is a significant spike in rent for all properties with three houses — just look at the Park Place Title Deed. The value of the third house is $600 of increased rent, whereas the second is only $325 and the fourth is a measly $200. So, always try to have three houses on as many properties as possible and never buy a fourth house on any property until all developable properties have three houses.
Now that I have teased you, please come back next week for a look at some detailed strategies for Rotisserie, Head-to-Head and Keeper leagues. In the meantime, I suggest you catch-up on the off-season player movement by reading Chris Sheridan’s Report Cards, Chris Bernucca’s team-by-team analysis and Fantasy Spin’s Depth Chart.
Also, check in daily to Sheridan Hoops for specific player advice and analysis like the NBA Zero’s, Rookies and an injury update. Follow us on Twitter @SheridanFantasy all season long.
Now since this is about fantasy basketball and not a board game column, let’s tip-off with a discussion about the 301st player on our Depth Chart, Marquis Teague. Yesterday, Kent Williams posted his Point Guard tiers and called Teague “arguably the best player left off our Depth Chart.” Now, I agree with where Teague is ranked — alongside Austin Rivers, Kendall Marshall and Kemba Walker seems right to me — but I do want to highlight his case as the best fantasy player not on our Depth Chart.
Chicago Point Guard Dilemma
Teague’s case rests not on his particular skills or chances to grow into an NBA point guard but in the simple fact that Chicago has no one else on their roster who can dribble penetrate and create shots. Last year, the Bulls were relatively unique in their reliance on a single player to fill that role. This should not surprise anyone. When you have Derrick Rose, why would want to put the ball in anyone else’s hands? The problem is that the Bulls won’t have Rose to start the season and at this point in his recovery can only guess when he will return — current indication is after the all-star break.
Even if the Bulls don’t want to play Teague, they may have to if they wish to score. The nominal starter, Kirk Hinrich, is at this stage of his career a back-up whose greatest skill is his defense. He can carry the ball up the court, set the offense and hit open looks but he doesn’t have that quick step to push off the defender and create passing lanes. Unfortunately, his skill set is very similar to the Bulls’ other perimeter options in Richard Hamilton and Luol Deng. And, none of the leading front court options have the skills to play a point forward role. Given the Bulls desperate need for Teague’s skills, I actually expect to see Teague and Hinrich on the floor together.
Why should you like Marquis Teague for your team? First, as Kentucky’s point guard, he has succeeded at the highest level of college basketball. Second, he played for an excellent coach with not only NBA experience but a track record of developing NBA Players in John Calipari. That should ease his transition. Lastly, his major weakness is his decision making, but that can be overcome playing for one of the league’s best coaches, with Rose and Hinrich as mentors and supported by a team of proven veterans.
Bringing this back to fantasy, in keeper leagues Teague’s upside warrants his selection ahead of Hinrich. In re-draft leagues, especially in head-to-head where early season results matter more, Teague warrants drafting ahead of Derrick Rose. He is not on our Depth Chart, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be on your draft cheat sheet.
Fantasy Spin: September 14, 2012
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PG Tiers
It’s a deep, talented pool at the point guard position. Most teams have an experienced starter, several backups are well worth owning and the rookie crop is interesting.
These are one man’s opinions, early in the game. I don’t even attempt to compile “accurate” rankings, only these tiers. After adjusting for each league’s settings (and specific needs in categories or positions) my own cheat sheets will evolve over the next six weeks and no two will end up identical.
Many SG have PG eligibility, so if someone you like isn’t on this list, you’ll find him in the next one on Sunday. Eligibility at multiple positions is an asset, but teams using Jason Terry or Jamal Crawford at PG might find themselves short of assists. There are plenty of “pure” point guards to consider.
Tier 1
While the pecking order is clear, exactly where you select these two is subjective. It’s tempting to build around a big name here, but keep in mind there’s an opportunity to get excellent PG value in the middle and even late rounds of most drafts.
- Chris Paul, LAC: Deserves to go #3 overall in most leagues and gives any fantasy team a great cornerstone. No concern about his sore hand.
- Russell Westbrook, OKC: Turnovers are the only negative. He’s a scoring machine, durable, in his prime and a solid pick in the middle of the first round.
Tier 2
If you want to call these guys the 3-4-5 members of Tier 1, that’s fine with me. Tiers are like imaginary lines; if only the last player in a tier is still available, I give him slight extra consideration in the draft room.
- Deron Williams, BRO: A lot of weapons at his disposal compared to last year; must stay healthy. Might not be the third PG off the board in every league because of the next two young guns.
- Kyrie Irving, CLE: The Rookie of the Year starts with more experience, better teammates and a longer leash from his coach. Expect improvement and draft with confidence.
- Ty Lawson, DEN: Load up on Nuggets wherever possible. They are going to run and Lawson is at the controls. Helps your FG% and does everything else but block shots.
Tier 3
If you haven’t got your starting PG yet, fear not. This is a deep, wide tier, with something for everyone. In snake drafts, if you’re on a “corner” (first or last) it gives you the option of taking two excellent players back-to-back, a move that always shakes up a draft room.
- Brandon Jennings, MIL: Maturing (he isn’t 23 yet) and productive (19.1 PPG) but that 41.8 FG% must improve. It’s a chance worth taking.
- Rajon Rondo, BOS: If your league doesn’t count FT%, he’s a superstar. If it does, punting a category isn’t always a bad thing.
- John Wall, WAS: If your league doesn’t count turnovers, bump him up. Would also like to see better shooting; improvement won’t be a surprise from someone who just turned 22.
- Stephen Curry, GSW: Health concerns for a Tier 2 talent. The more he falls in your draft, the better the risk/reward. I’m not completely excluding him or expecting to own him.
- Mike Conley, MEM: The consistent, safe pick. What he gives away in PTS he makes up for in STL and he seldom turns it over.
- Steve Nash, LAL: In redraft leagues only. One of these years, he’ll hang it up, leaving you with an empty roster spot in a keeper league. This season he’ll be fun to own.
- Derrick Rose, CHI: In keeper formats, still a stud. Even in redraft leagues with extra bench spots, where you can afford to stash him until about March, he could pay off.
- Kyle Lowry, TOR: Dwane Casey loves him. His illness last year is ancient history and he’s motivated to show the Rockets they made a mistake.
Tier 4
Over at Rotoworld, Steve Alexander just published the results of an industry draft, so you can see where experts made their picks. No, I’m not part of the industry (yet) but my backcourt in that league, had I been invited to participate, would definitely include Greivis Vasquez, who went #78 overall and is ranked even lower by most fans.
- Goran Dragic, PHO Takes over as undisputed starter on a team that runs. What’s not to like? Could have a better year than some of my Tier 3 choices.
- Tony Parker, SAS Main downside is the unexpected DNP in 10+ games. Lack of 3PTM isn’t a problem if you make up for it with other players.
- Jeremy Lin, HOU Durability is a question mark. It’s nothing to do with his knee injury, just a concern that if he keeps driving, he might get knocked down, or even out.
- Ricky Rubio, MIN Would be in Tier 3 if 100% healthy. The latest word is that he’ll be back in December and presumably at full speed by January. Might be worth waiting for.
- Jrue Holiday, PHI Improvement in sophomore season stalled a bit last year. However, might handle the ball more now that Andre Iguodala is elsewhere.
- Damian Lillard, POR: The only rookie expected to start all season. I don’t know how to project his stats because it’s a huge transition from #1 option in college to pro playmaker. Just yesterday, Bruce Wrigley argued eloquently that it may not be entirely smooth.
- Greivis Vasquez, NOH First full season as the #1 guy — averaged 12 PTS and 7 AST as a starter last year — and should be a draft-day bargain in all formats.
Tier 5
The whole idea of using tiers is to group players you think have similar values. Fine-tuning often happens in the draft room, at the last minute. If you have Tony Parker as your #1 PG and are ready to pick another, give strong consideration to the best 3-point shooter in your tier.
- Jeff Teague, ATL Could take another step forward in his development and have a great year. There’s also a chance he’ll lose minutes to Devin Harris.
- Mo Williams, UTA Ignore his low assist totals as a Clipper, he’s back to playmaking in between shots. A pretty good target as a second fantasy PG and a monster as your third.
- Darren Collison, DAL Lands in a sweet spot. The undisputed starter on a team with a lot of talent, he should make everyone forget that he lost his job a year ago.
- Raymond Felton, NYK Conditioning and FG% have been issues for a while now but he’s at the controls of an exciting team.
- Jameer Nelson, ORL Might become more of a scorer this season. The big dog no longer has to be fed and the Magic don’t have a lot of other options.
- Brandon Knight, DET Improvement expected as a sophomore but the recent news of a sore foot dampens my enthusiasm just a little.
- George Hill, IND The man who took over from Collison gets a full season at the helm of a very good team. He is expected to play the most minutes of his career.
- Isaiah Thomas, SAC Averaged 31 minutes post all-star break but who knows what the Kings will do? Tyreke Evans wants the ball and Aaron Brooks is in the mix.
Tier 6
The rest of these players may be useful or not, depending on the number of teams and PG spots in your league. You should have a #1 by now and maybe even a #2, so you can cherry-pick from this tier to add depth, tweak a category or speculate on a rookie with upside.
- Mario Chalmers, MIA Hit 101 3-pointers last year and will play the same role. If you get AST from your other point guard(s) he’s a nice addition later in the draft.
- Kirk Hinrich, CHI Figures to be the starter until Rose is 100% and while he won’t play at a fast tempo, he won’t hurt your numbers.
- Kemba Walker, CHA Nominal starter for a terrible team. I can make the case either way: things can only get better, or it’s gonna be another long, miserable year.
- Jarrett Jack, GSW Nice insurance policy if you own Curry and a good speculative pick at this stage.
- Jose Calderon, TOR Brilliant FT% and A/T but has lost starting role and could use a change of scenery. Might play alongside Lowry enough to maintain some value.
- Kendall Marshall, PHO Averaged 9.8 AST and only 2.8 TO as a UNC sophomore. Will be coveted in keeper leagues; short-term value is uncertain.
- Luke Ridnour, MIN The #1 PG until Rubio returns, then a decent backup or possible trade bait.
- Andre Miller, DEN Leads a strong second unit on a running team. No keeper potential left, but he remains one of the better fantasy assets among backups this season.
- Austin Rivers, NOH Should also be worth more in the future than 2012-13, which figures to be a learning experience.
- Marquis Teague, CHI The probable backup until Derrick Rose returns, rookie has a big opportunity. Arguably the “best” player left off our Depth Chart.
Tier 7
Obviously, the list is thinning out. Everybody remaining has a significant degree of risk. If you’re in a 30-team league that happens to require two PG, you might need to take a good look at some of those SG with eligibility in both positions.
- Devin Harris, ATL Hoping to play his way into more minutes but Teague should remain the starter. A decent contributor even off the bench.
- Ramon Sessions, CHA Could emerge if Walker disappoints. May also tire soon of a limited role on a last-place team.
- C.J. Watson, BRO Nice pickup for the Nets, as he’ll fill in capable for D-Will as needed and spark a strong second unit.
- Will Bynum, DET The likely backup, assuming Rodney Stuckey stays at the 2, Bynum can penetrate and score if he gets the minutes.
- Toney Douglas, HOU Above, I expressed concern about Jeremy Lin staying healthy. Douglas and/or Shaun Livingston could be thrust into a starting role at some point.
- D.J. Augustin, IND It’s possible that DJA will get more run than most backups; excellent insurance if you own George Hill, or a speculative longshot pick.
- Aaron Brooks, SAC Brooks was a monster three years ago, draining over 200 3-pointers. He had an off-year as a backup for two teams before playing last season in China. Could be a pleasant surprise.
- Jerryd Bayless, MEM Provides depth for the Grizzlies and will score when he’s on the floor. Solid pick in the end-game of deeper drafts.
- Eric Bledsoe, LAC Take a look at his game log from last year. Brought back very slowly in February, still limited in March, he had some huge playoff games in May.
Tier 8
As we get closer to the season, you’ll hear more about ADP — Average Draft Position. It helps you decide when to pounce on a sleeper, or wait another round. ADP will be slightly different depending on the source, and more meaningful after a greater number of drafts are complete. It’s too early to be relevant; in Yahoo one guy drafted Nando De Colo very high, as he’s got a 114.8 ADP and is owned in 2% of leagues yet doesn’t come close to my top 60.
- Steve Blake, LAL It only takes a Steve Nash injury for Blake to get big minutes and knock down a few threes.
- Jason Kidd, NYK If you can live with 36% shooting, a source of 3PTM, AST, STL and even REB who could steal minutes from Felton.
- Delonte West, DAL Will be Collison’s backup; you could do worse in deep leagues.
- Nolan Smith, POR If Lillard isn’t the answer, where else will they turn?
- Nate Robinson, CHI In the mix at least until Rose returns, if only as an offensive sparkplug. Has big games when he gets hot.
- Beno Udrih, MIL Averaged just 18 minutes last year but usually puts up fantasy-friendly numbers. I’d like him more on another team.
- Gary Neal, SAS One of the compromises on our Depth Chart, he’s really more of a SG and may have to battle for minutes at the 2 with some great players.
- Patrick Mills, SAS It’s quite possible that Patty will be the backup PG and the starter whenever Tony Parker gets a night off. Potential value pick in deep leagues.
- Eric Maynor, OKC Tore his ACL early last year; reportedly healthy now but playing behind Westbrook limits anyone’s minutes.
- J.J Barea, MIN T-Wolves have a lot of guards. If Brandon Roy stays healthy and Rubio returns, what’s his role?
- John Lucas, TOR The expiring contract of Jose Calderon is a trade asset in real life. Lucas could become the backup and might be available in 30-team leagues.
- Pablo Prigioni, NYK Who? 35-year-old rookie has been a playmaker for the Argentine team and once led the Euroleague in STL and AST. Third-stringer for now.
- Kim English, DET 2nd-rounder is more of a SG but might be needed at the point if Knight isn’t 100%.
These articles aren’t intended to be followed like a road map or GPS. There are countless paths to fantasy success. The idea is to get you thinking about your own draft prep. I’m always “wrong” on various players, especially this early in the preseason. If you like the tiers approach, don’t miss the rest of this series: SG on Sunday, SF on Monday, PF on Tuesday and C on Wednesday.
Welcome to our 150+ new Twitter followers in the last three days. @SheridanFantasy will be more active during the season, when Bruce, Jeff and I will keep you up-to-date on things like last-minute lineup changes.
SH Blog: Nicolas Batum punches J.C. Navarro in the groin, Dwyane Wade recovering from knee surgery
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Since when did going after another player’s “jewels” become the act of frustration or retaliation in basketball? Just two days after watching Carmelo Anthony take a “cheap shot” to the groin from Argentinian guard Facundo Campazzo, we saw another hit to the groin take place on Wednesday when a frustrated Nicolas Batum threw a vicious shot at Juan Carlos Navarro. Check out what went down between France and Spain, along with how Team USA defeated Australia to move onto the semifinals below. As always, you’ll also find a dose of NBA news from around the league:
Batum explained why he punched Navarro in the groin and discussed bad “Olympic Spirit”, reported byAdrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports: “After France’s Nicolas Batum delivered a vicious punch to the groin of Spain guard Juan Carlos Navarro, Batum left no confusion over his intentions. ”I wanted to give him a good reason to flop,” Batum said. Batum was angry with the Spanish guards for falling to the floor for what he believed was incidental contact throughout Spain’s 66-59 quarterfinal victory over France at North Greenwich Arena. Asked by Yahoo! Sports if he believed his punch to the groin had given Navarro “good reason,” Batum smiled and said, “I hope so.” France’s coaches and several players believed Spain intentionally lost a final preliminary round game Monday in which Spain blew a 12-point fourth quarter lead to Brazil. The loss allowed Spain to face France in the quarterfinals, and would potentially keep it away from the powerful United States until the gold-medal game. Asked if he was convinced that Spain had taken a dive in the fourth quarter of the game with Brazil, Batum told Yahoo! Sports, “They did what they had to do.” When told that some won’t think that a deliberate punch to the groin is in the Olympic spirit, Batum said, “Do you think if you lost a game on purpose, that’s the Olympic spirit?”
- Batum apologized for his poor behavior on twitter:
I want to apologize for my stupid act at the end, I showed a bad image of France and myself, Congrats to team Spain.
@nicolas88batum
Nicolas Batum
Our Chris Sheridan explains how game ball for the win against Australia could have gone to three different players: “Can a Molten be split in thirds? Because the game ball for Wednesday’s 119-86 quarterfinal win over Australia should be divided up between Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Love. You knew there was eventually going to be an eruption from Kobe, even when he was scoreless at halftime. And erupt he did, going for six 3-pointers and 20 points in the second half, a bunch of those points coming in rapid succession as the U.S. team pulled away with a furious burst against a tough opponent that cut a 14-point halftime deficit to six midway through the third quarter. You knew what you were going to get from LeBron James, because he does it in every single game (that matters). We saw it in the NBA playoffs, we saw it when he single-handedly took over the pool play game against Lithuania with 5 minutes left, and you saw it when he scored the first points of the second half as part of a pullaway burst in the final game of Group A play against Argentina (who will be the Americans’ opponent in the semifinals). He finished against Australia with a triple-double of 11 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. But K.Love? This is a guy who was buried behind Andre Iguodala on the depth chart less than a week ago, a guy who has never gotten the level of love from coach Mike Krzyzewski that he deserved. Even in Turkey in 2010 when he was averaging more than a rebound per minute for Team USA in the World Championship, he had a hard time getting sufficient burn.”
Marquis Teague has agreed to terms with the Chicago Bulls, according to Aggrey Sam of CSN Chicago: “Marquis Teague, the Bulls’ first-round draft pick, has agreed to terms with the organization, as first reported by the Chicago Tribune. Teague, a point guard from the University of Kentucky, was the last first-round selection in the 2012 NBA Draft to sign his contract, but more significantly, the Indianapolis native will receive 100 percent of his $857,000 rookie-scale deal in his first season, as opposed to the 120 percent typical of most rookie contracts.”
- Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune reported that the Jazz will re-engage in talks with Josh Howard.
- Terry Stotts will coach the Portland Trailblazers, according to Ben Golliver of CBS Sports: “The Portland Trail Blazers announced the hiring of Dallas Mavericks assistant Terry Stotts as their next coach in a statement on Tuesday afternoon. ”Terry is one of the elite offensive minds in the NBA, has extensive experience with multiple organizations and was instrumental in the Dallas Mavericks winning the 2011 NBA Championship,” Blazers GM Neil Olshey said in a statement. “He understands the vision for the future of the franchise, appreciates the process involved and will create an environment on the court that will produce championship habits.” Stotts, 54, previously served as the head man on two occasions: from 2002-2004 with the Atlanta Hawks and 2005-07 with the Milwaukee Bucks. He holds a career coaching record of 115-168 and boasts one playoff appearance and zero .500+ seasons to his name.”
Luol Deng discussed the importance of gaining experience by playing in the Olympics, from Ian Whittell of ESPN Chicago: “Despite the punishing, physical nature of the tournament he went through, Deng insisted that the experience will be of benefit to him back in the more familiar surroundings of the NBA. ”I try to tell people, I can’t be in a gym at home doing this, there is no way,” said Deng. “When I’m out there I’m playing, I’m trying to win, but I’m also at the same time working on my game, seeing how I can get better. ”In a strange way it makes the NBA easier for me. People talk about this is Europe and it’s a level down from the NBA and definitely, overall, it is. But the way I’m being played is definitely different. I know it, I feel it. It helps me a lot, helps my game a lot.”
- Donte Greene listed the names of teams that are interested in acquiring him, from Ian Begley of ESPN New York: “Donte Greene says he is on the Knicks’ radar. The former Sacramento Kings forward and current free agent said in a recent radio interview that the Knicks are among three teams who have expressed interest in signing him. Greene told TheCDNetworks.com, a Sacramento internet radio show, that he is in talks with Chicago, New York and Indiana. He called the trio his “top three” possible free-agent destinations. ”Anybody could pop up at any time,” Greene told the radio show on Friday. “But those are the three that we’re focusing on and trying to work out and get a deal done.”
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post has the story on the number of teams that are interested in Anthony Tolliver: “Tolliver’s agent, Larry Fox, said recently that his client shares a mutual interest with the Wizards but is “not in the minimum game.” Tolliver, 27, has attracted interest from Minnesota, Indiana and Cleveland, but Fox felt that Tolliver could address one of the Wizards’ remaining needs. “You look at Washington’s roster, he’d probably be a decent fit there. They don’t have a guy at the forward position that can step out and shoot the ball and that’s a main part of Anthony’s game,” Fox said.”
Dwyane Wade is recovering as scheduled from arthroscopic knee surgery, from Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press: “Dwyane Wade‘s recovery from knee surgery is right on schedule, and the All-Star guard expects to be ready to go when the Miami Heat open the defense of their NBA championship. The way he was walking around London on Wednesday, it would have been tough to guess he had surgery a month ago. ”I feel good. Rehab is going very well,” Wade told The Associated Press. ”I’m happy with it. I’m more encouraged than I was, obviously, when I knew I had to get surgery. So I’m happy.”’- Woj has the update on the Clippers search of a new general manager:
Los Angeles Clippers personnel director Gary Sacks has emerged as the frontrunner for franchise's GM job, league sources tell Y! Sports.
@WojYahooNBA
Adrian Wojnarowski
Zach Randolph donated $10,000 to help save an injured dog, from Eric Freeman of Ball Don’t Lie: “Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph followed close behind as a wary young pit bull was carried out of the Memphis Animal Services Shelter on Friday. Uncurling from the arms of an animal services employee, the dog was placed in a crate bound for New Orleans’ Villalobos Rescue Center, a veterinary facility specializing in pit bull care. [...] ”It’s remarkable that he’s still alive,” Randolph later said of the stray pooch. The dog was found July 9 in a drainpipe near the Shelby Farms Green Line trail at Waring Road — scared, weak and suffering from heartworms and several skin infections. MAS officials said he had been trapped there for several days. After hearing about the dog and contacting Villalobos’ owner Tia Torres, whose work is the subject of Animal Planet’s “Pit Bulls and Parolees” reality TV show, Randolph said Friday that he donated $10,000 to the center to cover Little Z-Bo’s continued physical and emotional rehabilitation, and will give more if needed.”
- Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld listed a number of free agents that are still unsigned. One of them is Tracy McGrady: “Tracy McGrady – McGrady has received interest from a number of teams including the Chicago Bulls. However, talks between McGrady and the Bulls have ended. Once Chicago signed first-round pick Marquis Teague to his contract worth 100 percent of the rookie scale, they activated the hard cap at $4 million above the tax line. If the Bulls want to add a player, the most they can pay is the $473,604 rookie minimum. It’s now impossible for Chicago to sign McGrady without making a trade or buying out a player. Last season, McGrady averaged 5.3 points, 3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 52 games as a reserve with the Atlanta Hawks. The 33-year-old would like to join a contender, according to sources, and will continue to weigh his options in the coming weeks.”
Roy Hibbert will surprise a young boy who has unfortunately been diagnosed with leukemia, according to Mike Wells of Indy Star: “Lee Eddins had hoped he would be able to watch his idol, center Roy Hibbert, play in person when the Indiana Pacers visit Sacramento, Calif., for a game against the Kings in late November. But Lee, 12, is not expected to live that long. Diagnosed with stage four leukemia six months ago, Lee has been told he might only have a couple of weeks left to live. So Hibbert has planned a special surprise. Later this week, he is flying to Sacramento to meet Lee. ”Once I heard he had a dying wish, I knew I had to do something more than send him presents and Skype with him on the computer,” Hibbert said.”
SH Blog: Marquis Teague used to play basketball in the dark
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The former youtube sensation Marquis Teague – the brother of Atlanta Hawks starting point guard Jeff teague – hopes to be drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft and has been going through pre-draft workouts for various teams, including the Golden State Warriors. You can check out his interview with Warriors broadcaster Tim Roye below. If you’re wondering where he might end up in the draft, see where he falls in Joe Kotoch’s Mock Draft 3.0., as well as Adam Zagoria’s top five point guards entering the draft.
Much was discussed during this particular interview with Teague, from how passionate his brother (Jeff) is for him, his experience with coach John Calipari at Kentucky, why his father made him play basketball in the dark, and the relationship between his father and Kyrie Irving’s father. Oh, and his favorite team appears to be the Miami Heat.
For LeBron James’ condition and the burning of Kevin Durant’s jersey, click here.
For Kevin Love’s guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel, click here.
For all blog items, click here.
