Hache Man
"Seven Days Without Gambling Makes One Weak"
Once again, much of this is Fantasy Basketball News
However, it is great info/capping material which keeps you in the know......
Bosh back in action!
Busy night of games on Tuesday, busy day of news on Wednesday. Let's dive right in.
Atlanta Hawks
Today's AJC revealed that Joe Johnson is not only bothered by a calf injury, but also has turf toe. That probably explains why he's looked so sluggish to me lately. Then again, I'd probably be moving in slow motion if I had just been embarrassed in seven straight games with no hope in sight. The Hawks look like they have no chance to win a game without my man Josh Smith. Does that mean he should be an MVP candidate? Of course not, but fantasy teams who lost Smoove has seen their team's numbers take a nose dive, especially in the block and steal cats. Ty Lue is still day-to-day with his groin injury.
Chicago Bulls
Ben Gordon scored a career-high 41 last night, but Leandro Barbosa hit a three over his outstretched arm to ruin his night and steal a win from the Bulls. Just give Gordon the Sixth-Man award now. Kirk Hinrich was out again with his groin injury, so Thabo Sefolosha got a start in his place. I like him, but he shouldn't have fantasy value this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James had 19 points, five boards and five assists last night, or, the same line that Larry Hughes had. This is not what fantasy owners took LeBron for. It's hard to argue with his solid fantasy value, but he certainly is not blowing anyone's socks off, just like Shawn Marion. Gilbert Arenas looks like the more dominant fantasy player, along with Kobe Bryant and even Steve Nash. Hopefully, LJ and Marion get it going soon. Donyell Marshall left last night's game with a neck contusion and is day-to-day.
Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points last night, his first 30-point games since Nov. 24. He also had 15 boards and a three on 10-of-18 shooting, but didn't record a steal or an assist. Dirk has nearly become second fiddle to Josh Howard over the last few weeks, but don't expect that trend to continue. And in case you're wondering, yes, it is time to sell high on Howard before he tweaks something.
Denver Nuggets
Nene had his right knee drained yesterday, which is surprising since the Nuggets trainer was recently going on about how wonderful Nene was feeling and that he hasn't been this good all year. So much for that idea. He could miss several more games with his knee problems, but then again, he could also play on Friday. It may be another month before Nene will actually be reliable enough to stick in your lineup.
Allen Iverson was ejected last night for arguing and was probably embarrassed about getting beat at home by his new nemesis and former team, the Sixers. Don't look now, but the Nuggets are just 2-4 since AI arrived on the scene. Rookie Yakhouba Diawara exploded for career highs in points (23) and threes (5) in the loss. I thought about picking him up for a sec, but with J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony just over the horizon, I decided it wasn't worth my energy.
Marcus Camby had eight points, 16 boards, two steals and seven blocks last night. Owners have two choices. Take a numbers hit and sell high while he's still standing, or just leave him in your lineup the rest of the way and hope for the best. Julius Hodge finally played for the first time since being shot in April, but didn't score.
Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace has hit just 10-of-35 shots in his last three games, but it's unclear just what his problem is. It could be his ankles, the flu or something else, but he's struggling. The Pistons need him to step up without Chauncey Billups around.
Golden St. Warriors
All is quiet on the Monta Ellis front, but Matt Barnes doesn't mind. He had another huge night with 29 points, 11 boards, five threes and five steals. He used to be a terrible 3-point shooter, but that's no longer the case. If you can somehow still get him, do it. Baron Davis played all 48 minutes last night, which has to be a concern for his owners. I've said it before, but with his injury history, high minutes and the Warriors poor schedule, get out while you can. I own him in a couple leagues and have started throwing trade offers around, but because those people all read my column, I'm going to have to live with the Diddy the rest of the way. If he stays healthy, it won't hurt at all.
Andris Biedrins had just five points, six boards and no blocks last night, as he and Troy Murphy split minutes. Yes, Biedrins owners should be concerned, but it's too early to panic. We've seen Biedrins do this a couple times already this season, but he's bounced back strong each time.
Houston Rockets
Bonzi Well will likely miss another week with his back injury. He could still have some value as long as Yao Ming is out, but he'll have to get himself reinserted into JVG's rotation after missing (at least) two weeks.
Indiana Pacers
Al Harrington threw some seemingly harmless darts at coach Rick Carlisle, but they had some serious ammo behind them and I'm guessing the entire team and city of Indy feels the same way. Here's what he said: "I think that's just not Rick's style," Harrington said of a proposed run-and-gun philosophy that never really materialized. "A coach isn't going to go to something he's not comfortable with, so that's why we scaled it down and that's why he's calling plays every time down." When asked if that was disappointing, Harrington said "A little bit. We feel if we were looser, it would be a lot more fun and we could win that way."
Here's what he meant: Rick's too conservative for today's game. He's cramping our style and limiting our freedom by controlling every play on every possession, much like Mike Fratello was doing in Memphis. We're playing scared, conservative and tight, and none of us are having any fun. If we could play more like Tony Barone's new Memphis team, where we just run, play ball and have fun, we would be a happier bunch and we'd also be winning more games.
The question is, can Larry Bird bring himself to part with his good friend?
L.A. Clippers
Corey Maggette left last night's game with a tweaked ankle, but wasn't out long and had 20 points in another loss for the Clippers.
L.A. Lakers
Phil Jackson said yesterday that Andrew Bynum will start in the absence of Kwame Brown, who could be out for a month with his ankle injury. Ronny Turiaf will also get a lot of minutes for Jackson.
Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade doesn't sound likely to play tonight, according to the Miami Herald, so bench him in daily leagues if you have another option. Alonzo Mourning is being cut right now based on his pathetic play of late, along with the news that Shaq will be back in 12 days and counting. I still think Zo has value. He's in a slump, but will be better than this, and just because Shaq's returning to action, doesn't mean he's going to play like Shaq or get minutes like the Shaq we're used to. This is an old, huge, 350-pound guy we're talking about having knee surgery. I look for a slow road to recovery from Shaq, so I'm not sure I'm giving up on Zo just yet.
NOK Hornets
The Hornets put up a good fight against the Warriors last night, getting big games from Jannero Pargo (24 and eight assists) and Rasual Butler (30 points, great all-around line). Marc Jackson was serviceable, while Devin Brown took plenty of shots, but hit just 1-of-10 shots on the night. Again, someone has to score for the Hornets.
New Jersey Nets
Jason Collins missed practice yesterday with a sore back and Uncle Cliff Robinson is set to return to action for the Nets. I see Cliffy having solid value for the Nets defensive efforts, but not fantasy owners.
New York Knicks
Jared Jeffries was 0-of-2 for 1 point and three turnovers last night. I was on NBA TV last night and argued that Jeffries should be coming off the bench with David Lee starting. I was told by Mike Yam that Lee is a better role player and should continue to come off the bench. Huh? I'm sorry, but Jeffries is the role player, known for scoring his 10 points a night and playing help defense and not causing any problems on offense. Lee looks like a man out there and runs the floor. I'm pretty sure Yam, Jeffries' mom and Isiah Thomas are the only three people in the free world who think it makes sense to start Jeffries over Lee. Actually, it's just my opinion and Yam could be 100% right, but if Lee isn't starting in the next 10 days, Isiah is going to have a whole new set of problems on his hands. I see owner James Dolan moving in to help Isiah see the light and stop the madness. We'll see what happens. Oh, by the way, Lee had 16 points and 15 rebounds last night.
Quentin Richardson is doubtful tonight, but hopes to return from a back injury on Friday. I'm not holding my breath, as he reportedly still has a "stiff" back according to the Knicks' team doctor. But she says he might be a go for Friday. That's going to be awesome when Q replaces JJ in the starting five, leaving Lee on the bench. Not.
Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford were both solid last night, and are both startable for fantasy owners right now.
Orlando Magic
Grant Hill should play through his foot injury on Friday. It's hard to believe, but he's only missed two games this year due to a specific injury. The rest were for personal and precautionary reasons. Jameer Nelson said he was fired up about the return of the leather ball and then had a season-high 29 points last night. Oh, so that's what the problem was. I'm not jumping back on the bandwagon just yet, but maybe the return of the rawhide will finally get him going.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers somehow beat the Nuggets last night, with Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala having decent nights, while Kyle Korver suddenly looks like a new player. He had 25 points (on my bench) and has been rolling over the past week.
Phoenix Suns
Boris Diaw struggled again last night and is reportedly still sick. Leandro Barbosa (in my lineup) had 20 points and two threes, including the game-winner over Ben Gordon last night. Amare was big, as usual, while the rest of the Suns just plugged along. They visit the Raptors tonight for the return of Chris Bosh.
Portland Trailblazers
Jarrett Jack possibly has bronchitis, but was given an endorsement from coach Nate McMillan yesterday. Sergio Gonzalez will go back to low minutes, while Jack should remain entrenched in the starting lineup. He's also vowing to play much better tonight against the Knicks, which would be nice for a change. His last three games have been dreadful. Zach Randolph was supposedly hobbled by knee soreness in his last game, which may help explain the nine points and 10 boards, but I'm guessing he's just fine. My lingering wrist injury seems to come up more often when my scores aren't so great at the golf course, too.
Sacramento Kings
Ron Artest exploded for 39 points, five steals, three 3-pointers and eight rebounds, and shot lights out in last night's win over the Knicks. His shot has been terrible all year, but he somehow hit 15-of-22 or them in this one. It's amazing that he can still get up for the Knicks after eight years. They passed on him in that draft for a guy you've never heard of named Fred Weis. Yeah, I guess I'd still be mad too. Ron-Ron played just 12 minutes in his previous game and failed to score, so I'm just hoping you sucked it up and played him this week. Kevin Martin was mysteriously absent for the final 18 minutes last night, but played well before leaving. No word this morning as to what the problem was.
Speaking of Weis, he's also the dude Vince Carter dunked over in Sydney in 2000. It's worth YouTubing, even if it's just to see Vince with hair back in the day.
Seattle Sonics
Chris Wilcox was terrible again last night after playing well for a couple games. His head will probably not be right until Bob Hill is finally canned. Earl Watson outplayed Damien Wilkins last night, but that doesn't mean one of these guys actually has more value than the other. It's tough to say who will be fired first between Mike Woodson and Hill, but my money's on Hill, as the Sonics have lost nine straight on the road. Of course, the Hawks have lost seven straight games, so it's going to come down to the wire.
Toronto Raptors
T.J. Ford is a game-time decision with an ankle injury, Jorge Garbajosa is likely out (extremely doubtful) with a calf injury, and Chris Bosh is expected back tonight against the Suns after being shut down for several games with a knee injury.
Washington Wizards
Caron Butler is mad at the Bucks for over-celebrating last Saturday's win in near his hometown (Racine, WI) and is hoping to extract some revenge on them tonight in Washington. Butler was embarrassed in front of friends and family, and the guy spent a lot of his youth in jail (as has been well documented on Oprah's show) and may know something about retaliation. Look for him to go off tonight.
Brendan Haywood is questionable with an ankle sprain, while Gilbert Arenas is going to be in the starting lineup despite a shoulder injury.
However, it is great info/capping material which keeps you in the know......
Bosh back in action!
Busy night of games on Tuesday, busy day of news on Wednesday. Let's dive right in.
Atlanta Hawks
Today's AJC revealed that Joe Johnson is not only bothered by a calf injury, but also has turf toe. That probably explains why he's looked so sluggish to me lately. Then again, I'd probably be moving in slow motion if I had just been embarrassed in seven straight games with no hope in sight. The Hawks look like they have no chance to win a game without my man Josh Smith. Does that mean he should be an MVP candidate? Of course not, but fantasy teams who lost Smoove has seen their team's numbers take a nose dive, especially in the block and steal cats. Ty Lue is still day-to-day with his groin injury.
Chicago Bulls
Ben Gordon scored a career-high 41 last night, but Leandro Barbosa hit a three over his outstretched arm to ruin his night and steal a win from the Bulls. Just give Gordon the Sixth-Man award now. Kirk Hinrich was out again with his groin injury, so Thabo Sefolosha got a start in his place. I like him, but he shouldn't have fantasy value this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James had 19 points, five boards and five assists last night, or, the same line that Larry Hughes had. This is not what fantasy owners took LeBron for. It's hard to argue with his solid fantasy value, but he certainly is not blowing anyone's socks off, just like Shawn Marion. Gilbert Arenas looks like the more dominant fantasy player, along with Kobe Bryant and even Steve Nash. Hopefully, LJ and Marion get it going soon. Donyell Marshall left last night's game with a neck contusion and is day-to-day.
Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points last night, his first 30-point games since Nov. 24. He also had 15 boards and a three on 10-of-18 shooting, but didn't record a steal or an assist. Dirk has nearly become second fiddle to Josh Howard over the last few weeks, but don't expect that trend to continue. And in case you're wondering, yes, it is time to sell high on Howard before he tweaks something.
Denver Nuggets
Nene had his right knee drained yesterday, which is surprising since the Nuggets trainer was recently going on about how wonderful Nene was feeling and that he hasn't been this good all year. So much for that idea. He could miss several more games with his knee problems, but then again, he could also play on Friday. It may be another month before Nene will actually be reliable enough to stick in your lineup.
Allen Iverson was ejected last night for arguing and was probably embarrassed about getting beat at home by his new nemesis and former team, the Sixers. Don't look now, but the Nuggets are just 2-4 since AI arrived on the scene. Rookie Yakhouba Diawara exploded for career highs in points (23) and threes (5) in the loss. I thought about picking him up for a sec, but with J.R. Smith and Carmelo Anthony just over the horizon, I decided it wasn't worth my energy.
Marcus Camby had eight points, 16 boards, two steals and seven blocks last night. Owners have two choices. Take a numbers hit and sell high while he's still standing, or just leave him in your lineup the rest of the way and hope for the best. Julius Hodge finally played for the first time since being shot in April, but didn't score.
Detroit Pistons
Rasheed Wallace has hit just 10-of-35 shots in his last three games, but it's unclear just what his problem is. It could be his ankles, the flu or something else, but he's struggling. The Pistons need him to step up without Chauncey Billups around.
Golden St. Warriors
All is quiet on the Monta Ellis front, but Matt Barnes doesn't mind. He had another huge night with 29 points, 11 boards, five threes and five steals. He used to be a terrible 3-point shooter, but that's no longer the case. If you can somehow still get him, do it. Baron Davis played all 48 minutes last night, which has to be a concern for his owners. I've said it before, but with his injury history, high minutes and the Warriors poor schedule, get out while you can. I own him in a couple leagues and have started throwing trade offers around, but because those people all read my column, I'm going to have to live with the Diddy the rest of the way. If he stays healthy, it won't hurt at all.
Andris Biedrins had just five points, six boards and no blocks last night, as he and Troy Murphy split minutes. Yes, Biedrins owners should be concerned, but it's too early to panic. We've seen Biedrins do this a couple times already this season, but he's bounced back strong each time.
Houston Rockets
Bonzi Well will likely miss another week with his back injury. He could still have some value as long as Yao Ming is out, but he'll have to get himself reinserted into JVG's rotation after missing (at least) two weeks.
Indiana Pacers
Al Harrington threw some seemingly harmless darts at coach Rick Carlisle, but they had some serious ammo behind them and I'm guessing the entire team and city of Indy feels the same way. Here's what he said: "I think that's just not Rick's style," Harrington said of a proposed run-and-gun philosophy that never really materialized. "A coach isn't going to go to something he's not comfortable with, so that's why we scaled it down and that's why he's calling plays every time down." When asked if that was disappointing, Harrington said "A little bit. We feel if we were looser, it would be a lot more fun and we could win that way."
Here's what he meant: Rick's too conservative for today's game. He's cramping our style and limiting our freedom by controlling every play on every possession, much like Mike Fratello was doing in Memphis. We're playing scared, conservative and tight, and none of us are having any fun. If we could play more like Tony Barone's new Memphis team, where we just run, play ball and have fun, we would be a happier bunch and we'd also be winning more games.
The question is, can Larry Bird bring himself to part with his good friend?
L.A. Clippers
Corey Maggette left last night's game with a tweaked ankle, but wasn't out long and had 20 points in another loss for the Clippers.
L.A. Lakers
Phil Jackson said yesterday that Andrew Bynum will start in the absence of Kwame Brown, who could be out for a month with his ankle injury. Ronny Turiaf will also get a lot of minutes for Jackson.
Miami Heat
Dwyane Wade doesn't sound likely to play tonight, according to the Miami Herald, so bench him in daily leagues if you have another option. Alonzo Mourning is being cut right now based on his pathetic play of late, along with the news that Shaq will be back in 12 days and counting. I still think Zo has value. He's in a slump, but will be better than this, and just because Shaq's returning to action, doesn't mean he's going to play like Shaq or get minutes like the Shaq we're used to. This is an old, huge, 350-pound guy we're talking about having knee surgery. I look for a slow road to recovery from Shaq, so I'm not sure I'm giving up on Zo just yet.
NOK Hornets
The Hornets put up a good fight against the Warriors last night, getting big games from Jannero Pargo (24 and eight assists) and Rasual Butler (30 points, great all-around line). Marc Jackson was serviceable, while Devin Brown took plenty of shots, but hit just 1-of-10 shots on the night. Again, someone has to score for the Hornets.
New Jersey Nets
Jason Collins missed practice yesterday with a sore back and Uncle Cliff Robinson is set to return to action for the Nets. I see Cliffy having solid value for the Nets defensive efforts, but not fantasy owners.
New York Knicks
Jared Jeffries was 0-of-2 for 1 point and three turnovers last night. I was on NBA TV last night and argued that Jeffries should be coming off the bench with David Lee starting. I was told by Mike Yam that Lee is a better role player and should continue to come off the bench. Huh? I'm sorry, but Jeffries is the role player, known for scoring his 10 points a night and playing help defense and not causing any problems on offense. Lee looks like a man out there and runs the floor. I'm pretty sure Yam, Jeffries' mom and Isiah Thomas are the only three people in the free world who think it makes sense to start Jeffries over Lee. Actually, it's just my opinion and Yam could be 100% right, but if Lee isn't starting in the next 10 days, Isiah is going to have a whole new set of problems on his hands. I see owner James Dolan moving in to help Isiah see the light and stop the madness. We'll see what happens. Oh, by the way, Lee had 16 points and 15 rebounds last night.
Quentin Richardson is doubtful tonight, but hopes to return from a back injury on Friday. I'm not holding my breath, as he reportedly still has a "stiff" back according to the Knicks' team doctor. But she says he might be a go for Friday. That's going to be awesome when Q replaces JJ in the starting five, leaving Lee on the bench. Not.
Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford were both solid last night, and are both startable for fantasy owners right now.
Orlando Magic
Grant Hill should play through his foot injury on Friday. It's hard to believe, but he's only missed two games this year due to a specific injury. The rest were for personal and precautionary reasons. Jameer Nelson said he was fired up about the return of the leather ball and then had a season-high 29 points last night. Oh, so that's what the problem was. I'm not jumping back on the bandwagon just yet, but maybe the return of the rawhide will finally get him going.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers somehow beat the Nuggets last night, with Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala having decent nights, while Kyle Korver suddenly looks like a new player. He had 25 points (on my bench) and has been rolling over the past week.
Phoenix Suns
Boris Diaw struggled again last night and is reportedly still sick. Leandro Barbosa (in my lineup) had 20 points and two threes, including the game-winner over Ben Gordon last night. Amare was big, as usual, while the rest of the Suns just plugged along. They visit the Raptors tonight for the return of Chris Bosh.
Portland Trailblazers
Jarrett Jack possibly has bronchitis, but was given an endorsement from coach Nate McMillan yesterday. Sergio Gonzalez will go back to low minutes, while Jack should remain entrenched in the starting lineup. He's also vowing to play much better tonight against the Knicks, which would be nice for a change. His last three games have been dreadful. Zach Randolph was supposedly hobbled by knee soreness in his last game, which may help explain the nine points and 10 boards, but I'm guessing he's just fine. My lingering wrist injury seems to come up more often when my scores aren't so great at the golf course, too.
Sacramento Kings
Ron Artest exploded for 39 points, five steals, three 3-pointers and eight rebounds, and shot lights out in last night's win over the Knicks. His shot has been terrible all year, but he somehow hit 15-of-22 or them in this one. It's amazing that he can still get up for the Knicks after eight years. They passed on him in that draft for a guy you've never heard of named Fred Weis. Yeah, I guess I'd still be mad too. Ron-Ron played just 12 minutes in his previous game and failed to score, so I'm just hoping you sucked it up and played him this week. Kevin Martin was mysteriously absent for the final 18 minutes last night, but played well before leaving. No word this morning as to what the problem was.
Speaking of Weis, he's also the dude Vince Carter dunked over in Sydney in 2000. It's worth YouTubing, even if it's just to see Vince with hair back in the day.
Seattle Sonics
Chris Wilcox was terrible again last night after playing well for a couple games. His head will probably not be right until Bob Hill is finally canned. Earl Watson outplayed Damien Wilkins last night, but that doesn't mean one of these guys actually has more value than the other. It's tough to say who will be fired first between Mike Woodson and Hill, but my money's on Hill, as the Sonics have lost nine straight on the road. Of course, the Hawks have lost seven straight games, so it's going to come down to the wire.
Toronto Raptors
T.J. Ford is a game-time decision with an ankle injury, Jorge Garbajosa is likely out (extremely doubtful) with a calf injury, and Chris Bosh is expected back tonight against the Suns after being shut down for several games with a knee injury.
Washington Wizards
Caron Butler is mad at the Bucks for over-celebrating last Saturday's win in near his hometown (Racine, WI) and is hoping to extract some revenge on them tonight in Washington. Butler was embarrassed in front of friends and family, and the guy spent a lot of his youth in jail (as has been well documented on Oprah's show) and may know something about retaliation. Look for him to go off tonight.
Brendan Haywood is questionable with an ankle sprain, while Gilbert Arenas is going to be in the starting lineup despite a shoulder injury.
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Antoine Walker and James Posey were deactivated for Wednesday's game because they didn't meet a team conditioning goal.</TD></TR><TR><TD>