The time for waiver watching is over, but we’re back to wrap up this season’s blog with my All-Waiver team — plus, my picks for the reality awards.
All-Waiver Team
C – Nikola Pekovic: Pek proved he’s a legit NBA center, averaging 13.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in 26.9 minutes, while shooting 56 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line.
PF – Ryan Anderson: The NBA leader in threes by a mile over second-place Jason Terry, Anderson was the Pickup of the Year.
SF – Ersan Ilyasova: Andrew Bogut’s broken ankle and eventual trade opened up 27.4 minutes per game for Ilyasova, who averaged 13.0 points and 8.8 rebounds with a shade under 1.0 in blocks, steals, and threes.
SG – Nicolas Batum: Speaking of fantasy gold, Batum was one of two players in the NBA this season to average at least 1.0 in blocks (1.0), steals (1.0), and threes (1.8). The other wears #35 for OKC.
PG – Jeremy Lin: Lin’s meteoric rise might go down as the top story of the 2011-12 regular season, and had he not gotten hurt, he might have passed Anderson for Pickup of the Year.
Fantasy Awards
MVP - LeBron James: I’m going with LeBron over Durant for two reasons: the Heat are 14-1 without Dwyane Wade (as of Sunday) and LeBron shot a career-high 53 percent from the field.
ROY – Kyrie Irving: The moment Ricky Rubio went down, this was Irving’s trophy, thanks in large part to sharp shooting from the field (.468), line (.872), and three-point line (.398).
MIP – Greg Monroe: I looked hard at Anderson, Roy Hibbert and DeMarcus Cousins, but settled on Monroe for upgrading in virtually every category, including scoring (9.4 to 15.5), rebounding (7.5 to 9.7), and free-throw shooting (62 to 74 percent), despite a meager minutes increase of 27.8 to 31.6.
DPOY – Serge Ibaka: Ibaka dominates the league at 3.7 blocks per game, while #2 is Javale McGee at 2.2. C’mon…the dude had a triple-double with blocks!
Sixth Man – James Harden: Duh…
COY – Lionel Hollins: I thought the Grizzlies were done when Zach Randolph went down in the first week, but thanks to Hollins’ leadership the Grizz have challenged for home-court advantage in the West all season.
Thanks for the eyes, basketball fans. See ya on the air and on the road during the playoffs, what a wild ride it’s gonna be…
Welcome to championship week! Congratulations for climbing the mountain and cementing your status as fantasy elite.
Just one more thing to do: leave YOUR flag on top of that mountain. Just one problem: the league’s best players are dropping like bass at a Disco Biscuits show.
That noise you hear is the fantasy collective — or at least what’s left of it — scrambling for the waiver wire in search of replacements for Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, David Lee, Marc Gasol, and the list goes on and on.
Is it fair for the injury bug to strike with such might just as you’re reaching the mountain top? No, but as your mom said when you first cried about not getting your every wish: “Life ain’t fair kid, get over it.”
So let’s not sulk and pout about it (insert L.O. joke here). Let’s hit up the only place you can find help this late in the season: the waiver wire. Here’s a few names to ponder as we approach title week.
Kenneth Faried
With Marc Gasol healing a bone bruise in his knee, I need a big man replacement for the NBA TV fantasy finals. I’m going with Faried, who was the second best PF across eight cats last week. Believe it or not, he was still on waivers in our 20-team league!
Three things I love about The Manimal: defensive stats, his non-stop motor, and the Nuggets facing blood games every night.
Faried is thriving under the pre-playoff pressure, averaging 11.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals in only 26.4 minutes in eight games in April. (more…)
If you’ve made it this far, then you’re still alive for a fantasy championship. I’m back with waiver wire advice at the toughest position to fill in fantasy hoops: shooting guard.
There once was a day when SG was arguably the deepest position in the NBA. Think about the 90s with Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Reggie Miller, Joe Dumars, Mitch Richmond, Allan Houston, Steve Smith, Nick Anderson, Jeff Hornacek, John Starks, Hersey Hawkins, Latrell Sprewell, Ron Harper, and the list goes on and on…
Today, you have Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Manu Ginobili, James Harden, Monta Ellis, Eric Gordon and Jason Terry headlining the 2-guard position. However, beyond those big names, it’s a collection of rising players like Paul George, DeMar Derozan, Marcus Thornton and Rodney Stuckey, the injury-prone Kevin Martin, and a plethora of timeshares.
Because filling the 2-guard spot in a position-based league has become so challenging, I will offer up five shooting guards for your perusal. They are listed in order of how much I trust them this week.
Courtney Lee
It doesn’t sound like Kevin Martin will return from his shoulder injury anytime soon, so it appears fantasy owners can safely expect Lee to get full run at the 2 for at least another week. In 15 starts this season, Lee is averaging 14 points, 1.6 threes, and 1.3 steals in 37.3 minutes. He should have no problem meeting or exceeding those digits this week.
Here we are, smack dab in the middle of the fantasy playoffs. Players are going off, players are going down, and — believe it or not — players may still be available on your waiver wire…
Ben Gordon
Not sure why it took so long for Gordon to join the party. Maybe he couldn’t find the party… maybe he had another party to attend before the aforementioned party … or maybe he’s into the whole fashionably late thing.
Regardless, Gordon officially joined the fantasy party last Wednesday against the Nuggets with 45 points on 9-of-9 from three-point range (BTW, that many makes without a miss has only been done three times: twice by Gordon, once by Latrell Sprewell).
Rodney Stuckey has missed the past three games with a toe injury, and the Detroit News is reporting he’s a game-time decision for Monday’s game against the Wizards. If Stuckey continues to miss time, obviously Gordon remains a viable player during the fantasy playoffs.
However, even if Stuckey comes back, Gordon’s playing time should remain consistent. To wit, in the last game with Gordon, Stuckey, and Brandon Knight in the rotation (March 18 vs Clippers), Gordon played 37 minutes off the bench, Stuckey played 36 minutes as the starting two, and Knight logged 40 minutes as the starting one.
Kevin Seraphin
Seraphin introduced himself to the fantasy world with three consecutive strong games in between the Nene-McGee-Young trade and Nene’s debut with the Wizards. While the burly Brazilian was slowly making his way from Denver to D.C., Seraphin averaged 11.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in 32 minutes. (more…)
It’s time to hit up the waiver wire during the best part of the fantasy season as the playoffs are upon us. I haven’t been with y’all for a couple weeks, so I’m doubling your pleasure with 10 names that could come to the rescue for your team.
Ramon Sessions
In separate moves on deadline day, the Lakers shipped Derek Fisher to Houston and brought in Ramon Sessions from the Cavaliers to solidify the point guard position.
Ramon isn’t starting yet, but he averaged 8.5 points and 5.5 assists in 22 minutes in his first two games in Purple and Gold. Lakers coach Mike Brown recently told reporters Steve Blake may keep the starting job for the remainder of the season, but I’m not buying it. You don’t ship out Five-Ring Fisher and then not start his replacement. It may take another week or two, but when Sessions gets promoted, he’ll flirt with double-doubles on a nightly basis.
Klay Thompson
As soon as the Warriors selected this sharp-shooting two-guard with the 11th pick in the 2011 draft, the writing was on the wall regarding Monta Ellis’ future in Oakland. It was only a matter of time before Monta was dealt, which happened last Tuesday, opening the starting gig for Thompson.
In five games as a starter, Thompson is averaging 18.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.2 3s in 36.2 minutes. The rookie is light on rebounds and steals, and he’s shooting just 40 percent since the promotion, but the points and 3s are a nice boost this late in the season. (more…)
Sunday was one of the greatest NBA days I can remember, what with the Kobe-Wade/LeBron showdown, Rajon Rondo’s historic triple-double, and Deron Williams’ career-high 57 points. Amazingly, Kobe doubled-up Wade (33-16), Rondo dialed up 18-17-20, and Williams exploded after 24 total points in his previous two games.
We haven’t chopped up the waiver wire in a couple of weeks, so consider this a heads up about players who may — and I want to stress “may” — still be available.
Jordan Crawford
Nick Young has been hampered by a knee injury and Crawford has taken full advantage, topping 20 points in five of his last eight games. Crawford peaked on Saturday with 31 points against the Cavaliers, reminding the fantasy world of what he did last year, when he averaged 19.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 threes in 18 starts.
Think back to the five-month lockout for a second and realize that we were very, VERY close to A) Not having a season, and B) Not having All-Star weekend. Not a day goes by that I don’t appreciate the fact that we are now covering basketball instead of the business of basketball.
So enjoy All-Star weekend from Or-LIN-do and be sure to check out all the coverage on NBA TV, TNT and NBA.com.
Before we dive into the waiver wire, I have to tell y’all about a blockbuster trade I just pulled off in League Freak (12-team, 8-cat, head-to-head). I traded Danny Granger, Paul George and Serge Ibaka for Rajon Rondo and Andre Iguodala.
I have been desperately searching for a second guard all season, running through Chauncey Billups, Jameer Nelson, Brandon Knight, Paul George and Jeff Teague. All of those guys have had their moments, but none of them is the final piece to a championship puzzle. To wit, through eight weeks my squad is 33-31, good enough for fifth place. Not good enough.
My new starting lineup is: C Marc Gasol, F Josh Smith, F Andre Iguodala, G Rajon Rondo, G Stephen Curry, and sixth man Ryan Anderson.
While I like Granger, George and Ibaka, Granger’s 39 percent from the field is killing me, George is firing only 9.5 shots per game and Ibaka … and Ibaka … OK, I didn’t want to trade Ibaka, but you have to give to get in fantasy trades.
Sadly, I am not starting Rondo this week because I fear a one- or two-game suspension for tossing the ball at an official in Sunday’s loss to the Pistons. That said, Rondo is going to be fresh and frisky, and playing with a Boston-sized chip on his shoulder in the second half.
Rondo + chip = GOODIES!
I’ve always been a big fan of Iguodala and he’s having a strong all-around season, ranking 41st on the 8-cat chart with 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.1 threes, and 0.5 blocks. Bolstered by his first All-Star experience, and inspired by the 76ers’ push for home-court advantage in the first round, I see even bigger numbers from Iguodala in the second half.
Tell me what you think about this trade @NBATVRICK on twitter. But first, it’s time to hit the waiver wire…
Nicolas Batum
Hopefully you were watching NBA TV last Tuesday when Batum got the start over Wesley Matthews and went off for 33 points. Batum is averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.5 threes in four games since getting the starting job.
Given the poor seasons from Matthews and Raymond Felton, and with Father Time creeping up on Gerald Wallace, the Blazers desperately need Batum’s offense and activity. And when you consider the fact that Batum is in a contract year … giddy up!
Nikola Pekovic
If you haven’t seen the NBA’s second-best revelation this year (behind Jeremy Lin), then you don’t know about his incredible size and strength, you don’t know he can beat most centers up and down the court, you don’t know about his soft hands and sweet feet, and you don’t know about his consistency. Allow me to break it down for you.
Pek is the Wolves’ new starting center and barring injury, there is no way Darko Milicic is getting his gig back. Last week in four games, Pek averaged 21 points on 58 percent shooting, 11.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. In 11 starts this year, Pek is averaging 16.3 points (61 percent from the field / 72 percent from the line), 10 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 31 minutes.
Again, if you haven’t seen him, you’re probably thinking those numbers have to come back to earth. But take it from a Wolves’ fan who watches every game — Pek is already one of the best centers in the NBA and the 26-year-old from Montenegro gets better with every game.
Corey Brewer
Injuries have opened up an opportunity for Brewer, who has finally found a home in Denver. Over the last five games, Brew is playing 32.8 minutes and turning the PT into 14.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.4 steals, and 1.2 threes. Enjoy it while it lasts, however, because Brewer’s going back to the bench once Danilo Gallinari is healthy.
Isaiah Thomas
Can you tell the Kings are desperate? They are now starting the 60th pick in the 2011 Draft at point guard. But I’m not mad at Thomas, who rocked the No. 1 pick in the 2011 Draft (Kyrie Irving) to the tune of 23-8-11 in 43 minutes on Sunday. Word on the street is that Thomas is going to keep the gig, so pick him up and see if he can keep it up.
Gustavo Ayon
Not too many people know about Ayon, so strike while the iron is hot — and under the radar. Ayon is a 26-year-old rookie from Mexico with double-doubles in his last two games. At 6-10, 250 pounds, Ayon has legit NBA size and his hustle is leading to fantasy goodies. With Carl Landry and Emeka Okafor out with knee injuries and Chris Kaman likely to be traded before the deadline, Ayon is good to go for at least the foreseeable future.
Welcome back for another trip to the waiver wire, which is the second-best way to improve your team during the season. The best way, is pulling off that dastardly two-for-one trade that instantly makes you the team to beat.
Morphing two solids into one stud is a tried-and-true method for winning fantasy championships. These one-sided trades (which merely appear to help both teams) will tick off your competition, but their jealousy should not be your priority. Your goal is to get the best player in the trade, period.
As long as you aren’t offering Aaron Gray and Ish Smith for Kyrie Irving, you’ll be in the neighborhood of fair (wink-wink). You should be thinking along the lines of Paul George and Serge Ibaka for Dwyane Wade. Cash in some of your depth for a better starting lineup, and kindly turn your attention to the following waiver advice…
Jeremy Lin
Just in case you’re still on the fence, allow me to clear it up for you: Jeremy Lin is 100 percent FOR REAL. Just because 29 general managers swung and missed on him doesn’t mean he can’t play — it means he was slept on.
It’s one thing to get an opportunity and hold your own, but quite another to explode for 109 points in your first four starts — most since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976-77. It’s one thing to give your team a lift, but quite another to lead them to five straight wins — earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. From the stats to the intangibles — and everything in between — Lin has “IT”.
Knicks’ coach Mike D’Antoni is famous for taking point guards to the next level. To wit, there’s Steve Nash (two All-Stars withDallas, two MVPs with D’Antoni inPhoenix), Chris Duhon (12.5 points and 8.0 assists, pre-All-Star in 2008-09), and Raymond Felton (17 and 9 last year before the Carmelo trade). All three PGs played the best ball of their lives in D’Antoni’s pick-n-roll heavy, point-guard friendly system, so it’s no coincidence that Lin is thriving.
I was fortunate enough to pick up Lin in the NBA TV fantasy league (20-team, 8-cat, head-to-head). After his first two breakout games against New Jerseyand Utah, I put Lin on the trading block because I have been desperately searching for a 2 all season.
My starting 5 is C Marc Gasol, PF Greg Monroe, SF Danny Granger, SG du jour, and PG John Wall. That lineup has me in first place, but because I’m always looking to upgrade my starting lineup, I offered up Lin for Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, and Jason Terry…and heard nothing but crickets. I kept the trade offers active until Friday night, when Lin outscored Kobe 38-34—at which point I realized those trades were no longer in my favor.
I am now at the point where I have benched Wall for Lin this week because the Knicks have four games to the Wizards’ three. I would probably still favor Wall over Lin with the same games, but the fact we’re even debating between Wall (first overall pick) and Lin (undrafted player), should tell you all you need to know about the later.
MarShon Brooks
The fantasy world turned it’s collective back on the Nets’ talented rookie when he missed nine of 10 games with Achilles and toe injuries. But Brooks has been back for two games, and while the numbers haven’t been great (7 points, 3.5 rebounds in 20.5 minutes), he has regained his job asNew Jersey’s starting shooting guard.
In 10 starts this season, Brooks is averaging 15.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.3 threes and 1.0 steals with 45-35-73 on the percentages. As you can see, it’s time for the fantasy world to wake up and pick up Brooks, who appears ready for takeoff after a couple of tune-up games.
Derrick Williams
As excited as I am for my Wolves’ resurgence this season, I remain disappointed and baffled by Rick Adelman’s deployment of the second overall pick. In two starts last week for the suspended Kevin Love, Williams showed you why he was drafted that high, averaging 13.5 points (11-of-23 from the field), 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steals in 28 minutes.
I figured those promising performances, which included a game-winning 3 against the Kings, would propel Williams into a more prominent role in Adelman’s rotation. However, Williams averaged just 20 minutes over the last three games, dropping his points and rebounds to 6 and 5, which is obviously useless in any fantasy format.
I’m sorry, but Williams should not be taking a backseat to Wes Johnson, who is averaging 5.6 points in 21.8 minutes because he’s shooting 37-23-56 from the field, three, and line, respectively. Johnson, the fourth overall pick last season, is struggling so mightily that he has me pondering the “B” word already. It’s time for Johnson to hit the bench and watch for a while, which would create more playing time for Williams and the under-utilized Michael Beasley.
Moral to the story: If you already own Williams, then hang onto him; and if he’s chillin’ on waivers, then pick him up and stash him because the minutes simply HAVE to come…don’t they?
Randy Foye
With Chauncey Billups out for the season, Foye is the new starting 2 for the Clippers. However, I am recommending that you do NOT pick up Foye, who has averaged just 10 points in 27 minutes in four starts since Chauncey went down. Foye’s three-cat line of 10-2-3 is not exactly the spike in production I was expecting, and I don’t see a consistent hot streak coming anytime soon.
Trevor Booker
Andray Blatche’s calf injury has opened up Washington’s starting power forward job for the second-year banger out of Clemson, who is averaging 11.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 33.4 minutes in seven games this month. Those numbers are viable regardless of league size or format, so I am green-lighting Booker as a fantasy pickup/emergency starter.
Thing is, I’m not so sure he’ll keep playing 30+ minutes after Blatche returns. Also, keep in mind the fact that rookie forwards Chris Singleton and Jan Vesely, as well as veteran forward Rashard Lewis, could all eventually eat into Booker’s playing time.
As David Lee Roth once sang in Mean Streets, “I’m searching for the latest thing, a break in this routine.” I’m pretty sure he was fantasizing about something other than basketball when he wrote that, but nevertheless, we break from the waiver-watching routine to survey the NBA fantasy landscape times 5.
Kevin Love
Love was suspended for two games by the league for stepping on Luis Scola last week. If you’ve seen the video, you fully understand the ruling. The league’s best power forward apologized to Scola and the Rockets, displaying his typical class and dignity through a regrettable situation.
It’s a four-game week for My Wolves, who are going to struggle to win without Love on Tuesday against Sacramento and Wednesday in Memphis. It will be interesting to see if Ricky Rubio flirts with triple doubles in Love’s stead.
Looking to put embarrassment behind him, and feeling fresh after several days off, Love is going to be a handful Friday and Saturday in home games against the Mavericks and Knicks, respectively. I say you START Love in this personal two-game week, as you just might get 60 points and 40 rebounds for your trouble.
Paul George
In the last four games, George has been the reincarnation of the Phoenix Matrix (remember how NICE Shawn Marion was with the Suns, four All-Stars!). George hits threes, blocks shots, and steals the ball, which is all I need to know. If you deliver Matrix-style goodies like that, you can play for my fantasy team.
That said, when you look beyond the fantasy gold you see 47-47-86 on the shooting percentages, up significantly from 45-30-76 last season. To see a young player so strong across the board without slippage tells me he’s legit.
The George Hill injury has opened up roughly 10 more minutes per game for George, who has averaged 38 minutes the last two games. As long as Hill is on the shelf, George will be a top-shelf fantasy player. And when Hill comes back, George may have played his way onto the floor for at least 35 minutes a night, which would keep him startable for the duration.
Jeremy Lin
Lin stole the hearts of Knicks’ fans on Saturday night by dropping 25-5-7 in a win against the Nets in the Hudson River Rivalry. Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert have gotten extended looks at PG for the Knicks this season, and then Lin got his turn on Saturday. The Harvard-grad energized the crowd and his team, and now the fantasy world is buzzing about the latest PG to run Mike D’Antoni’s point-guard-friendly system.
Lin will start tonight’s game and if he can play half as well as Saturday, the Knicks appear to have found their point guard of the present. Pick up Lin, get him in your lineup, and ride the wave as long as it’s bringing goodies to shore. And remember, reports of Baron Davis being out even longer only sweeten Lin’s fantasy prospects.
Before we get back to the waiver wire, I just want to alert you to the return of Rick’s Rant on NBA.com. I’m back with a vengeance, as I rant about the Timberwolves’ decision to extend Kevin Love for four years when he wanted five.
Rodrigue Beaubois
Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. Here’s the Roddy Buckets we’ve been waiting to see ever since he piqued our interest with that playoff performance against the Spurs. Finally healthy, Beaubois is showing us that he’s ready for prime time—and a major role with the Mavericks going forward.
Over the past two games, Roddy averaged 18 points, 4.5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3.5 blocks, and 1.5 threes in 36 minutes per game. His spike in minutes has been necessary due to the injuries plaguing Jason Kidd, Delonte West, and Vince Carter, and with Kidd possibly missing a chunk of games with that pesky calf injury, the minutes should be there for at least another week or two.
And as Dennis Scott and I discussed on this week’s Fantasy Insider, we expect Beaubois to remain in Rick Carlisle’s rotation for the rest of the season.
Jerryd Bayless
Coming into the season it looked like a time share between Jose Calderon and Bayless at the one in Toronto, and I considered it a position to avoid in fantasy basketball. Bayless missed the first month of the season with a nasty ankle injury, allowing Calderon to rank among the league leaders in assists. Then Bayless got healthy and I feared the dreaded time share, but Dwane Casey made the decision to start Calderon AND Bayless, and the Raptors demolished the Nets on Sunday.
One of the major trends in the NBA these days is a double-point-guard look, and it seems the Raptors may be onto something with both PGs getting their numbers in Sunday’s win: Calderon (10-5-9), Bayless (17-6-3).
I have two more reasons to be excited about Bayless. One, we all hate that Andrea Bargnani is on the shelf with that re-injured calf, but with Toronto’s leading scorer out of the lineup, others—like Bayless—have to pick up the scoring slack. Two, in 14 starts last season, Bayless averaged 18.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, 6.7 assists in 35.5 minutes, while shooting 47-33-81 from the field, three, and line, respectively.
Jared Dudley
Dudley is back in the starting lineup and back in the good graces of the fantasy world. In Saturday’s win over the Grizzlies (one of the—if not THE—biggest win of the year for the Suns),Dudley had 20-6-4 with three steals and 2 threes in 42 minutes.
In 15 starts last season, Dudley averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.7 threes in 34.1 minutes. That’s some serious fantasy gold, so run…don’t walk to your favorite gadget to pick him up.
Ronnie Brewer
With Luol Deng out of the lineup thanks to a left wrist injury and Rip Hamilton in and out of the lineup with a groin pull, Brewer is getting all the minutes he can handle at the 2 and 3 positions in Chicago.
Over the past three games, Brewer is averaging 13-7-4 with two steals because he’s played at least 42 minutes in each. As long as Deng is out, Brewer is a startable fantasy player in a four-game week.
