It was not a good day for the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki was scratched with “swelling and soreness” in his knee and the team lost by 14 to FC Barcelona Regal in Spain. OJ Mayo missed all seven of his shots, Brandan Wright went 1-7 and Vince Carter 2-7; Elton Brand played 32 minutes as the emergency starter, for a modest 10 points and 3 rebounds. Chris Kaman was their best player, with a solid double-double.
Stay tuned for updates on Nowitzki. This could be a week’s rest, a minor surgical procedure or a more serious problem. Remember how slowly he started last year and if you’re drafting today, be aware of the risk.
Other Tuesday Games
MIL @ CLE: As expected, the Cavs weren’t ready for a back-to-back. Omri Casspi and Samardo Samuels didn’t play, Kyrie Irving saw just 20 minutes (16 PTS) and they shot 38.5% as a team. Write off the loss, but note that Jon Leuer played well off the bench and Kelenna Azubuike made an appearance as he attempts to return from two seasons lost to a serious knee injury.
The Bucks used their starting backcourt heavily for the first exhibition game: Brandon Jennings (31:06) and Monta Ellis (25:52) each scored 15 and to my surprise, Marquis Daniels saw 28:32 off the bench. So far so good on my Tobias Harris pick; the sophomore started at SF and is at least in a timeshare with Mike Dunleavy.
MEM @ CHI: I was watching a 1-1 playoff baseball game and flipping to this game between innings. Every time I did, Marreese Speights made a positive impression. Mike Conley sat out, allowing Jerryd Bayless to start and leaving minutes for rookie Tony Wroten (a SG trying to learn PG) and veteran Ronald Murray. Flip scored 11 points in 26 minutes but won’t have a fantasy impact unless the Grizzlies suffer a few injuries.
One of the internal debates among the three of us in the SH fantasy department has been about Marquis Teague. For last night at least, the rookie PG from Kentucky was buried behind Nate Robinson. The biggest surprise for the winning Bulls was Nazr Mohammed, with 13 PTS and 12 REB in 23 minutes. He’s miles ahead of Kyrylo Fesenko as the backup C. SF Jimmy Butler got the opportunity to play almost 25 minutes behind Luol Deng, but shot 1-11 and some of those misses weren’t even close.
CHA @ NOH: Robin Lopez must have been embarrassed by his non-effort in the first exhibition. Last night he played 33 minutes (18 PTS, 13 REB, 3 BLK) and gave Rookie of the Year frontrunner Anthony Davis (22 PTS) room to operate. Jason Smith (back bruise) didn’t dress, but Lopez will be the clear #1 if he can keep that up. Ryan Anderson (5-6 on 3PTM) played only 22:31 off the bench and his owners should be concerned about his new role. Greivis Vazquez missed all five of his shots; he’ll find the range soon enough.
Brendan Haywood didn’t play for Charlotte, so perhaps Byron Mullens at C was the main reason Lopez went off. However, we don’t count matador “D” in fantasy, and Mullens hit four more 3-pointers, in eight attempts. It’s safe to say he’s rocketing up my list with this new dimension to his game. Just to confuse everyone, Ramon Sessions started and Kemba Walker — who we were “assured” would be the #1 PG — came off the bench.
Wednesday’s Games
TOR @ DET: The much-anticipated debut of Jonas Valanciunas makes this one worth watching, and it’s on NBA-TV Canada. I’ll provide a full report tomorrow. Kyle Lowry will not play for Toronto; he has a left leg strain to the adductor muscle and will miss at least a week. The Raptors do have one of the league’s best backup PGs in Jose Calderon, and John Lucas is a very capable #3.
There are five rookies on the Pistons roster and they have added Corey Maggette, so it may take a while for us to learn how those new pieces will fit the rotation puzzle. One of the most disappointing and inconsistent NBA players (relative to his ability) is Charlie Villanueva, who allegedly took the offseason seriously. He’ll have to beat out Jonas Jerebko and Jason Maxiell to be relevant, than hold off rookie Andre Drummond.
OKC @ HOU: The Rockets aren’t going to win many games, but several of them might be worth owning. Jeremy Lin and Kevin Martin are going to score. Omer Asik and Patrick Patterson will see starter’s minutes for the first time in their careers. Four rookies have an opportunity to carve out major roles. Houston is a team to watch very closely throughout the preseason. In early October, the main priority for the Thunder is to stay healthy. Anything we “learn” about them — like if rookie Perry Jones III scores 20 — is probably a mirage.
IND @ MIN: We know who will play for the Pacers, and what they can do. This first exhibition game is to shake off the rust. I’m not sure how — or if — Miles Plumlee will fit in and am hoping, as a Gerald Green owner in a deep league, that he’s the main scorer off the bench. Minnesota has added Andrei Kirilenko and his countryman Alexey Shved to a lineup that made great progress last year. Shved could pay immediate benefits until Ricky Rubio returns; he can back up Luke Ridnour at the point or play off the ball. The comeback of Brandon Roy is another story with fantasy significance. Regular Spin readers from last spring will remember my man-crush on Nikola Pekovic, who looks more muscular, yet quicker, so far in camp.
ATL @ SAS: We never know who will play for the Spurs even in the regular season, so it’s complete guesswork now. Expect a revolving door of players to perform well, and draw no conclusions from the box score. The Hawks have more to work on, assimilating new players like Louis Williams and Kyle Korver into the mix. Devin Harris (knee) and Zaza Pachulia (groin) didn’t play in their opener; they both returned to practice yesterday but are a few steps behind and may skip this game too. Watch for Atlanta’s two promising rookies, SG John Jenkins and PF Mike Scott, to see more action tonight.
PHO @ SAC: If everyone else in your league thinks Marcin Gortat won’t be worth as much without Steve Nash, take advantage. I’m expecting Luis Scola to fit in well and Michael Beasley has a breakout chance. Those new additions aren’t great news for Markieff Morris, who will be limited to bench minutes again this year.
The Kings are always tough to figure. Tyreke Evans can play the 1, 2 or 3 but Isaiah Thomas is the better PG, and gunner Marcus Thornton will have to come off the bench if Evans starts at SG. New to the Kings is James Johnson, a defensive-minded SF with energy, and rookie PF Thomas Robinson will eventually challenge for the job of Jason Thompson. The one sure thing is DeMarcus Cousins. He’s becoming a man physically and at 22, still maturing in other ways. Boogie can be as good as he wants to be.
POR @ LAL: As exciting as the Lakers are this season with the additions of Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, they could not care less about this game. Rookie C Robert Sacre started their exhibition opener, with Jordan Hill in his usual backup role. Guys like Earl Clark are just fighting to make the team, but the veteran stars are in no hurry to over-exert themselves. That means the Blazers should win, and it’s our first look at their promising rookie PG Damian Lillard. Injuries to Elliot Williams, then rookie Will Barton, have left the backup SG position wide open, possibly for Sasha Pavlovic. Up front, two rookie big men will support LaMarcus Aldridge and J.J. Hickson — Meyers Leonard is the more familiar name to NCAA fans, but Joel Freeland of Great Britain’s national team is also worth watching.
$1,000 Fantasy Hoops Contest
Yesterday, we announced an exciting one-day fantasy tournament for Sheridan Hoops readers at our partner site FanDuel. If you like drafting, daily or weekly fantasy leagues are great. For a $2 entry fee, there are 61 cash prizes totalling $1,000 and while a little luck never hurts, it’s a challenging game of skill.
First place wins $200 cash, second $125, third $100 and so on. You win at least $4 (double the $2 entry fee) for finishing 61st or better among 555 teams. It’s a one-day fantasy league. Pick nine players within a $60,000 salary cap and the team that compiles the most points — on October 31st only — wins.
If you’re ready to compete in our event, this link takes you directly through the signup process to the entry page: Sheridan Hoops Opening Day $1,000 Fantasy Basketball Tournament.
Anyone who needs to investigate further can give FanDuel a try absolutely free; no credit card or deposit is required. They offer NFL leagues until the NBA begins, including some with no entry fee. If you like the daily (or weekly) format, and the idea of winning some cash, there are dozens of other NFL leagues to choose from, with entry fees as low as $1 and as high as $535 per team. Click their logo at the top of this page or in the sidebar to get started.
For more details about the Sheridan Hoops tournament, including stat categories, how to play, my team’s lineup and some strategy tips, see the Oct. 9 Spin.
We are here every morning at 9:00; follow us on Twitter — @SheridanFantasy — all season.