http://www.hooplog.com/nba/dan-dickau/index.php NBA basketball news, rumors, insider analysis and more from around the country. Updated hourly by Team RxSN. Copyright 2009 Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:01:17 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss LA Clippers 109 Milwaukee 85 –Andruw Bogut had his first tough night 15 minutes and 2 points, and he was -23 … This game was done before the 4th Quarter … The Clippers are 6-2 …. Milwaukee didn’t win a game last year against the West on the road … Elton Brand was +31. That might be an NBA high for the season. .. The Clippers are 6th in the NBA in efficiency differential … The Clippers aren’t doing anything great they are just above average in every category. That leads me to believe this could be real.

Cleveland 114 Washington 99 – The Cavs might be special. They have won 4 straight and are winning at home by an average of 21 … The Cavs are #2 in the NBA in efficiency differential (offense efficiency – defensive efficiency) this is usually a great indicator of how good a team is. They are #2 in offense and #1 in offensive rebounding … The Wizards are #4 even after the loss …. AD had another no turnover game. He is amazing … Donyell Marhsall was a key in this one with a +21 … On the flip side Caron Butler was –23 for the Wiz.

Dallas 83 Denver 80 – Denver is 3-5 … Dallas trailed by 19 … DeSagana Diop had a career high 16 boards and 6 blocks. The Sonics looked hard at Diop in the off-season … Big money Erick Dampier played 11 minutes and had 4 fouls, 4 turnovers and no points. That is straight out of the Jerome James book of centering … Little Earl Boykins had a tough night he was a –20 in 25 minutes … Avery Johnson outcoached Geroge Karl. He got the game small and Marcus Camby never played in the final 16 minutes despite being +10 .. Doug Christie and Josh Howard got pulled early in the 3rd and never returned.

Houston 94 Minnesota 89 – The Wolves offense fell apart down the stretch … McGrady had 13 points in the 4th Q … Houston was able to dictate pace which Jeff Van Gundy’s teams always seem like they are able to do … Houston is having a tough time stretching the floor. They were just 1 of 10 from 3 … I have mentioned this before, but Minnesota has no one to help out when teams take away KG. That is what happened down the stretch … Houston closed the game with Rafer Alston, Jon Barry, McGrady, Juwan Howard and Ming. Derek Anderson was on the bench …. Minnesota got terrible play from their bench. They were all around –11 for the game… Houston’s sized forced Minnesota to close with Olowokandi on the floor. The Wolves are much better with a smaller line-up and KG at the 5.

Philadelphia 104 Toronto 92 – Sam Mitchell death walk continues … Philly is all of a sudden 5-3. However, their differential is not that strong so don’t be buying the Sixers yet …. The Sixers have been home for their 5 game winning streak … Rookie Charlie V had 27-13 for the Raptors. That dude can play … Jalen Rose is +/- death everynight. Last night he was –15, Mo Peterson was an amazing –26 in 23 minutes…. I don’t pup C-Web or spell his name right very often but he was great last night and they were +21 when he was on the floor.

Detroit 115 Boston 100 – Wow is Detroit good …. They are the #1 offensive efficiency team in the NBA. Consider that with their defense. That is unbeatable … Billups dropped 17 in the third quarter … Al Jefferson crushed Darko over a few plays … Boston shot 53% against Detroit and LOST … Boston is really struggling without a point guard Delonte West and Dan Dickau are not getting it done …. All five Pistons starters were in double figures and three were over 20. …. Tayshawn Prince was a +26 …

Miami 109 NOK 102 – Wade scored the final 8 to hold off an upset by NOK and force OT …. Byron Scott is not a good coach. His team losses a lot of close games … Desmond Mason is still struggling. He came off the bench and went 1 for 7. He did have 9 boards … GP played 36 minutes … Chris Paul has done a nice job of getting his shooting percentage up to 46% … Jason Williams did not play the final 12 minutes of the game.

Sacramento 119 Utah 83 --- I thought the NBDL was running yet but from looking at Utah’s roster it debuted yesterday in Sacramento. Don’t look at this as a change in Sacramento’s terrible play.

San Antonio 103 Atlanta 73 -- Great v. very bad not much more to be said.

Orlando 85 Charlotte 77 – Dwight Howard crushed Emeka Okafor. Howard had 21 and 20. We have talked about this I am not sold on Okafor. Howard has five straight double doubles…. Sean May had 15-10 his best game as a rookie. I love that pick. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/beyond-the-box-score-november-15th.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/beyond-the-box-score-november-15th.php Chris Paul Wed, 16 Nov 2005 12:01:17 -0800 OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: Curtis Borchardt - Acquired from Utah in five-team trade; Dan Dickau - Trade with New Orleans; Albert Miralles - Draft rights acquired from Miami in five-team trade; Brian Scalabrine - Free ... http://www.hooplog.com/nba/boston-celtics-200506-season-preview.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/boston-celtics-200506-season-preview.php Draft Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:40:13 -0800 Marcus Banks, on the eve of his second season with Doc Rivers and third as a Celtic, appears no closer to pleasing the boss. This time, with newcomers Dickau, Greene and Will Bynum in camp, Banks' stock appears to be... http://www.hooplog.com/nba/banks-a-bust-for-cs.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/banks-a-bust-for-cs.php Boston Celtics Tue, 11 Oct 2005 10:16:08 -0800 Oh how the mighty-talented have fallen. Marcus Banks was Danny Ainge's first draft pick ever and now, according to Gabe Kahn, he might just be in danger of not making the team. Now, this seems like a stretch, and I'm sure even Gabe would point out that this would be a last-resort sort of thing. However, the fact that it might even be considered is pretty shocking.

Obviously the team would prefer to see him blossom this year, and if he can win a job as a starter or even the primary backup, that would be the best case. However, one issue seems to be his attitude and maybe even his work ethic. If that is true, then the trade for Dickau and the signings of Greene and Bynum must be intended to light a fire in his belly. The message is clear. Nobody is handing you the job Marcus, lottery pick or not.

In fact, if he does have an attitude problem, then if he can't beat out Dickau or West, then is it worth it to keep him as just the 3rd point guard option? The team is very, very high on Orien Greene and seems to like Bynum as well. If the only reason you keep Banks around for is his defense, I would point to Greene and say "he can do that too." And if the C's really have lost this much faith in his playmaking, then you have to consider moving him.

Ok, then trade him to get some return for him, right? I'm sure that is an option that is being discussed. However, according to Gabe, the team cannot get a first rounder for him from anyone, and that includes the Lakers. They could probably get a second rounder or another undesirable player in return for him. But the obviously don't need more players, and you could argue that they have plenty of 2nd rounders.

Essentially it becomes more valuable to have a carrot (or a threat) motivating a former lottery talent than it would be to simply get a second rounder for him. Marcus is in the last guaranteed year of his rookie contract. The team could cut him, eat his salary this year, and save on the two team option years remaining.

So there it is. Baring any more moves before or during training camp, we will see Woods waived and one more player waived. It could be Bynum, it could be Borchardt, and amazingly enough, it could even be Marcus Banks.

Update: Ok my math is off. I guess Woods plus two more players need to be waived. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/cut-banks.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/cut-banks.php Los Angeles Lakers Fri, 26 Aug 2005 10:11:11 -0800

The deal has been held up because of delays in paperwork. Basically, people are out of the office for summer committments.

The deal is Dickau for a 2nd round pick. To make the deal happen, the C's will use up part of the trade exception they got from the Walker deal. It doesn't go to New Orleans, it just goes away. We should have just over $2.5M left to use at a later date.

In an odd twist, apparently the deal will create another trade exception for the Hornets to use at another time. Because they are under the cap and trading a contract for no contract, this is what they get to do.

No word yet on which 2nd rounder we're giving up.

All indications are that the C's are done tweaking unless some team comes calling with an offer.

]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/dickau-details.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/dickau-details.php New Orleans Hornets Thu, 25 Aug 2005 16:55:13 -0800
I like the Dan Dickau signing. He's a playmaker and a good shooter and is young enough to fit in with the current team but old enough to know his way around a court. I do fear his lack of defense, and I am not really impressed with the "many point guards are not good defensive players" argument. However, if he can get the ball to Paul and Al where they need it and still push the break, then I'll be pretty happy.

Ahh, but will Paul be happy? Don't answer that. That is the 12 million dollar question that I am thoroughly sick of trying to answer.

Is Dickau better than Banks? Perhaps. We can at least assume that Banks is better on D and Dickau better running an offense. You could argue that we didn't really have trouble scoring last year, so what is the big deal? Still, its not like we were shutting people down last year either, so that argument is a wash. Besides, its less important to compare Dickau with Banks as it is to compare this year's point guard rotation to last year's. Is the rotation of Dickau, West, and Orien Greene an upgrade on Payton, Banks, and a oft-hurt West? That will be the question that determines the season.

So why am I talking about Banks as though he's already gone? Because I've run out of scenarios where I can see him returning to the team next year. There are even some rumors out of LA that the Lakers have offered one of their forwards to us for him.

And why am I not posting 10 Mark Blount trade ideas every day? Because I've run out of scenarios where I can see him NOT returning to the team next year.

There are going to be a lot of fun battles for starting spots and playing time this training camp. Dickau vs. West, Allen vs. Davis, and Reed vs. Gomes (backup 3) are my favorites. There should even be a healthy competition between Blount and Perkins (and Borchardt?) for backing up Raef at center. Plus there is the bonus of watching Greene and Bynum duke it out. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/down-time.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/down-time.php Los Angeles Lakers Wed, 24 Aug 2005 00:17:52 -0800 You can never have too many guards --- just ask Isiah Thomas. Boston will have as many as five guys competing at the point following the Celtics' acquisition of former Hornets PG Dan Dickau. From the Globe's Shira Springer : Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny ... http://www.hooplog.com/nba/celtics-trade-for-dickau.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/celtics-trade-for-dickau.php New Orleans Hornets Tue, 23 Aug 2005 16:45:09 -0800 Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge confirmed last night that the team has agreed in principle to a sign-and-trade deal with New Orleans that would land point guard Dan Dickau in Boston with a three-year contract worth an... http://www.hooplog.com/nba/celts-and-hornets-agree-to-dickau-deal.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/celts-and-hornets-agree-to-dickau-deal.php New Orleans Hornets Tue, 23 Aug 2005 09:02:18 -0800 Gabe Kahn spoke with Mark Bartelstein today. He says that a number of teams are interested in Dan Dickau, but Gabe believes that Mark is talking primarily (or even exclusively) with the Celtics. Dickau was in town today, met with Ainge, and took a physical.

Here are some new twists. First of all, sources indicate that the deal could end up involving a sign and trade. Secondly, it is possible that part of the trade exception could be used.

Update: FSNE is apparently reporting that the deal will be for $2.5M per year for 3 years.

More when it becomes available. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/dickau-deal-close-sign-trade-possible.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/dickau-deal-close-sign-trade-possible.php Boston Celtics Mon, 22 Aug 2005 21:38:49 -0800 Agent Mark Bartelstein also represents Dan Dickau and Jannero Pargo, a pair of free-agent point guards, a position where the Heat is looking for low-budget depth behind recently acquired Jason Williams. "We've talked about them," Bartelstein said of his conversations... http://www.hooplog.com/nba/heat-eye-dickau-and-pargo.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/heat-eye-dickau-and-pargo.php Miami Heat Fri, 12 Aug 2005 12:14:15 -0800
Marco Jaric - Like greasy Euros? Here's your man. Maybe we should pick him up just so Chad Ford will give us some love. I fully admit I've seen him play maybe once, so I have no scouting report other than what I read on the net. One such report says that he's good in the open court, but not a natural playmaker. However, I can tell you he's a restricted free agent, which means anyone trying to sign him will have to do the 15 day waltz with the Clips. Bill Simmons doesn't seem to like him, so take that for what its worth.

Earl Watson - He's my early favorite. Still pretty green himself, but he's shown that he can run an offense and play defense. Hard to put too much stock in a guy that backed up White Chocolate, but he might be one of those point guards that "get it" after his first few seasons. Think Marcus in 2-3 more years. Could be had for under or at the MLE as well.

Sarunas Jasikevicius - Another Chad Ford dreamboat. He's in Europe right now and a free agent. He's got quite a resume, and even his own website (featuring his cheesy glam shot and freaky eyes pic). Still, he's a winner and a veteran. Will his game translate (bad pun intended) well to the NBA? Could be worth a gamble.

Antonio Daniels - He's a guy that I've coveted for a long time because he's young, talented, and already gone through his growing pains years. He can play defense and run the point and hit an occasional jumper. What more do you need? He has a player option to get out of his contract. Might be a little expensive if the bidding gets high, but definitly worth a look.

Damon Stoudamire/Jeff McInnis - You have to wonder if any former Jail Blazer not named Rasheed could be worth picking up, especially with Danny preaching character. But you never know. Danny did bring in Davis, and that worked out well. Both have skills. Neither excites me much.

Others: Dan Dickau, Tyronn Lue, Darrell Armstrong - Eh. Meh. Neh.

There are a lot of teams desperately seeking point guards, and the Rockets will likely lead the charge. If Danny continues to pursue value players, I'd look for Earl Watson. If he decides to gamble big, it might be Jasikevicius. Or he's got the trade route to pursue as well.

Update: I guess I forgot to mention Brevin Knight. Its possible I forgot more. I don't have any negative feelings towards Brevin, but I know hagrid does (I'll let him explain why). Brevin seems like a pass-first point that won't make a lot of mistakes.

In other news, the carnival is back in Chicago. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/free-agent-point-guards.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/free-agent-point-guards.php Chicago Bulls Mon, 16 May 2005 10:12:41 -0800
Horked from www.sports.IGN.com

The Bad News: So the Supes are limping, figuratively and literally, into the playoffs.
The Good News: They're finally getting some pub. Check the linkage:

>IGN Interview with Nick Collison
He's on the front page of their sports section even. And looky thar: they also chat with our old pal, GP.

>SLAM shows more love for the 206
I love when SLAM loves Seattle. But maybe there is such a thing as too much love. Like, ain't it strange how Ray Allen's hit a mini-slump since his face got plastered on the cover? Not content to put the voodoo on just the Sonics' best player, this month's issue of SLAM might just hex the entire city:

• Sonics PG duo of Luke "Frodo" Ridnour and Antonio Daniels featured
  
• City Game section sizes up Seattle's game through the years and at all levels of comp. There's some nice reminiscing here--Seattle U's Elgin Baylor (not the Clips'), Spencer Haywood, '79 Sonics, Reign Man, the Storm even. Worth the $4.99 cover price alone.
  
• Piece on Franklin High alum Jason Terry
• Open letter to ex-Gonzaga Bulldog, Dan "The Disaster" Dickau, tracing the unspoken "beef" between the mag and he.
  

Oh, and visit www.slamonline.com and you'll find those same articles, plus the online edition of last month's issue, including the Ray Allen feature.

>Fox Sports.com : Best pro teams to not win a championship
The 95-96 Sonics come in at number 9 in the top 10. Not exactly pub for the current team, and not really a good thing to be recognized for, but it's Sonics pub nonetheless. The 2001 Mariners are No. 3. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/media-watch-april-edition.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/media-watch-april-edition.php Jason Terry Tue, 12 Apr 2005 18:02:52 -0800 We’re about two weeks away from the end of the season. Most teams have about 7 or 8 games left … which means that’s how many games your top players have left. Here are a couple of general pointers for how to close out the season successfully.

1. Do NOT leave yourself with leftover games.
This couldn’t be more important. There’s a reason we’ve been posting almost-daily one-day wonders, and it’s because even if you get a 5-point, 2-board night out of some random shooting guard, if it was making up an extra game, that’s 5 more points and 2 more boards than you would have had without him. And now, with so many players sitting out random games, it’s time to make sure you’ve gotten all your games covered. Don’t wait until the last day or two of the season to try and make up games, get it done now.

2. Watch the categories.
We’re going to cover this a little more extensively next week, but if you haven’t been dissecting the standings in your league just yet, you’d better start. Now. Know what categories you’re able to move up in, know what’s out of reach, and know where you’re pretty much stuck in a spot in the standings. This could (and should) have an affect on who you pick up to play your random missing games.

3. Constant news surveillance.
Now more than at any other point in the season, guys appear to be shutting it down. Even minor guys like Speedy Claxton possibly going out for the season opens up doors for guys like Dan Dickau. We’ve been preaching it all year – the most important statistic in fantasy basketball is MINUTES. Minutes are more in flux now than at any other point in the season. Heck, even Aaron McKie saw 30 minutes last night for just the second time all year. Manu Ginobili likely won’t play in back-to-backs again this year, so somebody’s gotta take those minutes - maybe even new Spur Glenn Robinson. These are the sort of things you need to stay on top of.

One-Day Wonders
Pick ‘em up today, so you can play ‘em tomorrow!

G – Gordan Giricek, UTH
With Raja Bell not even joining the Jazz on their road trip this weekend, Giricek is a great play. He put up 14/6/4 last night against Minnesota and should be good for something like that again Friday vs. New Orleans.

F – Othella Harrington, CHI
Othella was a mini-beast in three starts filling in for Eddy Curry last week, averaging 16.6/6.3, albeit with almost no blocks or steals or anything else. Now that he’s likely back from the birth of his child, and Curry is likely still out with his irregular heartbeat, he’s likely – yeah, likely – a good play Friday vs. the Knicks.

C – Clifford Robinson, NJN
Hey, he’s been at least useful in 2 of the last 3 games, and he should at least be good for a three pointer or two. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/the-final-stretch.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/the-final-stretch.php Utah Jazz Thu, 07 Apr 2005 12:29:54 -0800 If the Cavaliers decide not to re-sign point guard Jeff McInnis this summer, the organization might consider replacing him with New Orleans' upcoming free agent guard Dan Dickau. Dickau will at least consider the Cavs. "Of course I would," Dickau... http://www.hooplog.com/nba/dickau-to-cavs.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/dickau-to-cavs.php Cleveland Cavaliers Tue, 29 Mar 2005 11:03:19 -0800
The Celtics situation is far from resolved. After Gary Payton was shipped to Atlanta, Delonte West who played a total of 120 minutes in the NBA prior to the trade stepped directly into the starting lineup the past two games and in 37 mpg put up 17.5/5.0/2.5 with 2.5 3s, 1.5 steals and 1 block on 64% shooting. Wow. The assists are low, which isn t surprising, and he should be looked at as more of a SG than a PG. But the 3s and steals are very welcome, and he s obviously a hot pickup. That said, Payton could be back in the fold very shortly. The Celtics will probably welcome him back if he wants to come back, but you have to wonder, should they? In their two games without him, with their new lineup featuring the rejuvenated Antoine Walker and West, they ve won tough road games at Utah and (an admittedly Steve Nash-less) Phoenix. It could be that this lineup of fresh legs is the way to go. Grab, West, hold on to Payton, but if The Glove comes back, I wouldn t be surprised to see them both have middling value at best. In his first game with C-Webb, Allen Iverson racked up 14 assists. The guy s just having a phenomenal year. If the 76ers can get past the Celtics for the Atlantic Division crown, it will be hard to deny him the MVP. Jason Kidd is #7 on the 30-Day Rater. He ll be one of the more interesting draft choices next year. He s obviously still worthy of a first-round pick, but how many people will be scared by his knee? A quiet week for Rafer Alston, both production-wise and blowup-wise. I m sure his owners will take it, though. Only 29.7 mpg in his last three isn t reason for concern, but it s a slightly interesting trend to watch. If you can buy low on Stephon Marbury right now, I d do it. The Knicks only have three guards on their active roster and one of those is the always-fragile Penny Hardaway. Expect Steph to see close to 40 mpg from here on out and to put up big numbers.

The Pistons are clicking on all cylinders. Wait, I didn t even mean for it to come out that way. Even if Shaq is completely healthy come conference finals time, the Pistons are looking like the team to beat in the East. Chauncey Billups continues his strong play and Carlos Arroyo is thriving in his backup role. The Pistons will have one of the best PG duos in the league over the next three years should they hold onto both of them. I suppose that technically Jeff McInnis is the PG in Cleveland, even though I talk about LeBron here all the time. But I mean, there s no news to report and it sure is a lot more fun to talk about LBJ than Jeff McInnis. Random LeBron thought of the day: I have one of these. I was thinking it d be going for more. Oh well. It was bittersweet seeing Kirk Hinrich lay it on my beloved Wiz on Friday night. Check out his mpg in the last six 42.8. Expect this to continue as the Bulls push not only for a playoff spot, but first round home-court advantage. He s still not getting as many assists as you d like, but he s going to be a stud from here on out. As for Chris Duhon, well he s seen 29.8 mpg in his last four, including three games of 30+. He s hitting open 3s, getting assists and a few steals. That said, he s #119 on the 15-Day Rater. Still, if you have PG games to make up, he s not a bad option. I do other things besides obsess fantasy basketball. In fact, I m in a band. (We both are, actually.) One thing I always have problems with is writing lyrics. Always drawing a blank. Maybe I ll write a song about how much I hate Jamaal Tinsley. The chorus could go, Day-to-day, why don t you just go away? Does that sound like a hit to you? Hmm, oh well. In any case, Tinsley is on the short list for most frustrating player in the league this year. Great numbers when he s out there, but he s absolutely killing his owners right now by being on the bench (not the IL), at a time in the season where most owners are cycling through all of their players in order to use their games in hand. It s really starting to look like he won t be a contributor the rest of the year. (Yes, I m trying reverse psychology. Yes, I realize that actually saying that means it won t work.) Anthony Johnson is still not an option he needs to play basically a perfect game just to be an average fantasy contributor. We re past the point of saying Mo Williams should be picked up. The question is who are his comparables as far as value for the rest of the season. BV pointed out his numbers earlier today, and they are tasty. Here s his deal: plenty of assists, very few 3s, average steals and scoring. Think normal Andre Miller for a good comp. If you need assists more than 3s, he s your man.

The Damon Jones binge continues. I like him better than Quentin Richardson for 3s from here on out. Gilbert Arenas got in one last monster game before Larry Hughes returns, going for 43/7/3 with 7 3s and 2 steals. Watching him and Mike Bibby duel was really a treat. There was also a Steve Blake sighting, which I couldn t let pass. In 34 minutes he went for 17/5/5 with 2 3s and a steal. It s all about opportunity, people. There s just not that much separating Blake from Dan Dickau. Remember when the Magic were one of the year s better stories? When they finish 37-45, four games out of the playoffs, those memories will be even more distant than they are now. Still, at least they re getting Jameer Nelson in there. I was clamoring for it, and in his first two starts he was good for 13.5/8.0/6.5 with 1 steal on 50% shooting. Now there s some talk that he creates bad defensive matchups and that his spot in the starting lineup isn t completely secure. Eh. I d still take my chances. I maintain he ll be a Jamaal Tinsley type, although it looks like he ll be more valuable on the boards and he might not his as many 3s as of yet (it took Tinsley a few years). Hopefully he won t inspire me to write hateful songs about him. Oh right, I didn t get him, so he won t. As for how this affects Steve Francis he s still the same incredibly overrated player he s always been. And now he ll have fewer assists. Brevin Knight has seen 30+ in two straight. You know what you re getting. He s like a rich man s Rick Brunson. Or something like that. Tyronn Lue alert! In his four games since returning from injury, he s received 36 minutes, and put up 15.3/2.8/7.0 with 0.5 steals and 1.0 3s. Solid, but a few things to notice: The assists are a bit high, expect him to be closer to 5. The 3s and steals are about right. He should be closer to 1.5 3s, but he s never been a top thief. He s seeing plenty of PT now, and should for the near future. But I ll echo the rest in thinking that those 13 year-old kids at the end of the Hawks bench might start taking his time as we get closer to April.

There s an emerging trend in San Antonio, and that s of Tony Parker being the secondary scoring option behind Tim Duncan. He averaged 20.4 ppg in February compared to Manu Ginobili s 16.5. Man is that PG situation in Dallas frustrating. After scoring 18 points in three games, Jason Terry goes off for 27 on Saturday. Don Nelson needs to keep him in the lineup, although it should be said that in Terry s two best games in February, the Mavs lost both times. That probably doesn t mean much. You have to stick with him and hope that maybe Brad Miller lays another one into Devin Harris, and Darrell Armstrong too, while he s at it. Although that would certainly upset this guy. It s just wrong, I tell you. Who s the one who s been yapping endlessly about Mike James all year? Me. Who snagged him the moment he got traded to Houston. BV. That stands for Bastard Verymuch. Hmm, I could have probably done better. Oh well. So out of all of the newly valuable PGs, it should come as no shock that I like James the best. Bob Sura s on the IL, Rod Strickland was given the boot, Andre Barrett s on the IL yeah, Moochie Norris and his hair are around, but this is James s show, and that was very evident as they put him in the starting lineup in his first game and he was good for 19/2/3 with 3 steals and 3 3s in 34 minutes. This is an especially good game, but he will be solid. Don t expect tons of assists, but the 3 and steals will be there. Until Sura gets back, he s got every chance to be as good as, say, Chucky Atkins. Remember, Atkins is the 62nd best player in the league this year, fantasy-wise. That s good. Ho-hum in Memphis. Jason Williams is the man, but you ll have to deal with games like Saturday when Earl Watson is the better player and J-Will gets only 23 minutes. I like Mike James more as long as Sura s out, unless you really need assists. We got our first look at post-trade deadline New Orleans and it wasn t pretty at all. That s a very Hubie-esque looking box score, with 10 guys seeing at least 14 minutes and no one logging more than 35. Dan Dickau stepped up with 22 points, 3 assists and 3 3s, but if you can sell high right now, you might want to try. He s playing for a contract, so you know he ll look to put up numbers, but his PT is in the hands of Byron Scott. As for Speedy Claxton, he might be able to salvage some value, but if they keep sharing time like that in the Big Easy, it will be tough for anyone to really distinguish themselves.

We re approaching 2,000 words. Sports Guy would be proud. My employer wouldn t be. Luke Ridnour is on the verge of uselessness. I guess you can throw out yesterday s game because it was a blowout early on, but that s still one decent game out of his last four. He s lucky Antonio Daniels has hit a rough patch as well. It s unlikely Ridnour will be removed from the starting lineup all season, but he s no Mike James. Sam Cassell has been every bit as frustrating as Jamaal Tinsley this year. Even more so. Sammy owners, I feel for ya. He s slowly working his way to the point where he can re-enter the starting lineup. With Latrell Sprewell looking like he might have finally turned it around (someone should fine me for saying that), if Sammy can come back the Wolves can make that push to get swept by the Spurs in the first round. Continue to be patient. But then again, what else can you do? You think Andre Miller was glad to see Earl Boykins banished to the bench. Maybe it s a mental thing. Boykins still saw almost 30 mpg off the bench, just slightly below what he was getting as a starter, but it still made all the difference in the world for Miller. Hopefully George Karl makes this a permanent change. It s best for everyone; even Boykins might hold his value. But probably not. He won t make it to the line 16 times every game. Yesterday was the first time Damon Stoudamire was held to single digits since Jan. 2. He s been over 20 only once in the past five games. Is his run over, or should you buy low? The minutes are still there, so I m buying (relatively) low. Keith McLeod should be a top point guard option from here on out. Ha, just making sure you re still paying attention this far in. You should be, I mean, is your job really any more exciting? Well, it s gotta be more exciting than the Jazz PG situation, at least.

Leandro Barbosa got plenty of PT with Steve Nash out (36.3 mpg), but didn t light it up, all things considered: 15.3/4.7/3.7 with 1.7 steals and 1 3. Very solid, but on the Suns it s easy to have high expectations. Since Nash is likely to miss a couple more games as we wind down, he s a good guy to have around for single game fill-ins. I always say how much I love Mike Bibby. No, not that like that. Not entirely like that, at least. He s always been better in real life than fantasy, but this is the year that s changed, and with Chris Webber taking his Monistat 7 to Philly, Bibby will be a total stud the rest of this year and next year and the year after, etc. He s #13 on the Rater, #4 in the last 30 Days and just might be a late-first rounder next year. Maybe. Chucky Atkins will be up and down with Kobe Bryant back, but his 3s will keep him valuable. Rick Brunson is fine for those of you who need assists, but he just doesn t shoot/score. He was getting a lot more 3s last time he saw lots of PT. Not this time. Poor man s Brevin Knight, right? And finally, the Warriors. Good to see Baron Davis out there. Hard to see him coming off the bench too much longer, and the Warriors probably want to keep his minutes down so as not to risk an injury in a meaningless season (insert Warriors meaningless season joke here), but he might want to show his new home crowd that he s still got it. Derek Fisher owners should get ready for the letdown. After averaging 43 mpg in his last four, he was back down to 33 last night. Still put up an awesome 19/4/2 with 3 steals and 3 3s, once his minutes slip into the 20s, his time will be up. That said, it s not like he isn t signed for another 5 years, so the Warriors might as well keep running him out there because like it or not, he s a part of their future. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/as-the-point-guard-turns.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/as-the-point-guard-turns.php Utah Jazz Mon, 28 Feb 2005 15:05:54 -0800