HOOPLOG: Gerald Wallace http://www.hooplog.com/nba/gerald-wallace/index.php NBA basketball news, rumors, insider analysis and more from around the country. Updated hourly by Team RxSN. Copyright 2009 Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:49:48 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Nothing fits forever

It would seem that last night’s infernal burst of Gilbertology might truly need no comment from ours truly. As in, we live in heaven, he lives alone, our souls are intertwined and the moment need not be soiled by explanation. The more and more I gazed upon that fascinating still—one as destined for iconic status as Tiger with the fist pump or Yao’s scream of antiquity—the more brutally apparent it becomes to me that Arenas, far from being an oddball, is the living, breathing god of my favorite kind of NBA player: the kind you watch, instead of just view. What Iverson, Kobe, Nash, and a handful of others I go out of my way to see play have in common is this ability to not merely produce on any given night, but to casually redefine themselves through masterstrokes of basketball impressionism.



Let me put briefly put aside the strained fire and brimstone that guides this site long enough to admit, as I did last week, that this is by and large a league of consistency. Unlike baseball and football, where one can be violently up and down from one game to the next but still get recognized overall as a fantastic contributor, to be a credible contributor a guy’s got to come with steady output. Freaks and streaks can be profound, but no player’s a recognizable force (or definite failure) in this league until he can be counted on; to scrape the ridges of Mount Dunkmore, he’d better be guaranteed to account for a serious percentage of his team’s production, both in the box score and as a reliable force when the ball hits his hands. Until then, he will always get saddled with the p-word, no matter how impressive he is in spurts.

When you reach the rarified air of superlative hoops accomplishment, there are at least three kind of consistency. Most obviously, there are the rock-solid bequeathers, under-appreciated and often big men like Duncan, Brand, Bosh, Dirk, Jamison, Kidd, Ray Ray and Redd. These folks give it their all with frightening regularity, churning it out from the opening bell and expected to operate as if to a rhythmic tick. I want to stop short of saying that you can intuit them from looking at a box score, but by and large there is no dramatic arc to their in-game performances. Professional, workmanlike, whatever you want to call them, these are consummate anchors of an offense, the given you pencil in at most moments during the season’s onslaught.



In the next category, you find explosive players with a tendency toward predictable outcomes, who ebb and flow over the course of a game, occasionally make you doubt, and ultimately bring you right back to who you always knew they were. I’m talking about Garnett, Pierce, Wade, Vince, Billups, Bibby, Gasol, Melo, Richardson, Jefferson, Sheed, Marion, and Artest himself—unquestioned experts who sometimes lull, sometimes soar, but never have to redeem themselves and are constantly working within their own limits and images. This isn’t a knock on any of these fine, hurling turtles; merely to point out that if you turn on the television to see them play, you know what you’re getting and will be accordingly excited. Each game reinforces their , with ups and downs that end in a pointed reminder of yeah, that’s him.

Gilbert and his gang, as I will now aptly dub them, rest upon their own set of shaggy shoulders. To return to last week’s trope of half-assed existentialism, All-American and yet bleakly Continental, they are players constantly exceeding themselves, or at least engaging in what feels for all the world like a motherfucking statement game. It can LeBron or Amare exerting and expanding their dominance, Kirilenko or Gerald Wallace twisting up the parameters of a box score, Nash working his conductor-ly magic, or Kobe, Iverson or McGrady scoring not only at will, but as if it’s unnatural for them to miss—or even repeat themselves out on the floor. Arenas is a must-see, not only because he’s likely to put on a show, but for what each and every game can do to your sense of him as a player and personality. If Wade proves with each big game that he’s still Wade, still proud, then Gilbert does it up in a way that’s not only unpredictable; with each of these self-transcending events, he also manages to seem unlikely all anew. As does Kobe, Bron, et al. In the crucible of the game, their legend is broken down and created anew, surprising you not only with this most recent installment but, in its reconstitution of the player’s most basic essence, shock you yet again they exist at all, that anything they do has ever happened in the glare of man’s senses.



This may seem like two-bit metaphysics for those of you not in tune with my lifelong education on this planet (or anyone merely taking issue with my late night sloppiness). But next time you find yourself up past bedtime watching one of these aforementioned idols, think about whether or not you feel you’re seeing them for the first time, whether you’re transfixed partly out of the fear that you’re witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. Not just a good game from your favorite NBA player, or one of those “instant classics” this blog will reference two years from now; I mean one of those performances where, in some ways, you feel like you’re discovering the sport again for the very first time.

]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/nothing-fits-forever.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/nothing-fits-forever.php Chauncey Billups Wed, 08 Mar 2006 21:49:48 -0800 SIMULBLOG FOR SONICS V. BOBCATS Sonics 56 Bobcats 46 at the half
Sonics go on an 8-0 run with 6 of those points coming on the fast break
Sups force 7 turnovers in the 2nd Quarter for a good defensive quarter.
Rashard Lewis has 19 points and looks awesome.
Very good shot distrubution by the Sups in the first half, Lewis 13, Allen 11, Radman 5.

Sonics 48 Bobcats 44 with 3:01 left in the 2nd Quarter
Off the Topic – Nate Robinson started tonight for the Knicks and played 35 minutes.
Nate had 14-3-2.
The Bobcats are great in transition. When they get out they get 2. They are brutal in the half court
Ray Allen’s strength is not dribbling and he is getting the ball too much early in the shot clock and it allows the defense to put all of its focus on Allen and it is resulting in some turnovers.
The Bobcats are shooting 56% they might not be able to do that in a gym by themselves.


Sonics 44 Bobcats 36 with 5:16 left in the 2nd Quarter
Melvin Ely has a really good low post game for the Bobcats
The Sonics offensive ball movement has been very good
Seattle has gone to a zone and it is causing the Bobcats a ton of trouble.
The Bobcats are committing a ton of turnovers and the Sonics are getting out and going.
The Soncis have done a great job of keeping the Bobcats out of transition
Luke Ridnour left with a slightly sprained ankle


Sonics 30 Bobcats 24 at the end of 1 Quarter
Lewis carries the load with 5 of 6 shooting and 11 points
For the most part the Sonics have done a very good job of keeping the game in the half court and the Bobcats can’t score in the halfcourt.
Okeafor has no jump shot. He is amazingly limited for a guy who won rookie of the year.
Ray Allen went to the bench with the Sonics up 4. One of our storylines is how they do with Allen on the bench.


Sonics 18 Bobcats 9 with 5:53 left in the 1st Quarter
Sonics come out on fire. Hitting their first 6 shots.
Nick Collison gets two fouls by the 8:00 mark. That has always been my concern with Collison is whether or not he can avoid foul trouble as a starting power forward.
Petro replaces Collison.
Sonics are working on containment defensively. Trying to avoid the penetration.
Gerald Wallace and Kareem Rush may have a tough time guarding Lewis and Allen.


STORYLINES
1) The Bobcats can't score the Sonics can't defend
2) Sonics turnovers. The bobcats average forcing 20% of opponents possesions as turnovers.
3) Can the Sonics survive without Ray Allen on the floor.


Some numbers that make you saw wow
In the last 5 losses the Sonics have allowed 187 free throws
In the last 6 games opponents have shot 38 of 78 from 3.
In the last 3 games the Sonics have allowed 105 free throws.
The average defensive efficiency in the NBA is 102. If you allow more then 109 you are in a lot of trouble. In all but 3 games the Sonics have had a defensive efficiency that was over 109. That makes it just about impossible to win.

INACTIVES
Sonics inactives: Mikki Moore, Rick Brunson and Danny Fortson.
Bobcats inactives: Sean May ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/simulblog-for-sonics-v-bobcats.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/simulblog-for-sonics-v-bobcats.php Gerald Wallace Wed, 30 Nov 2005 20:23:48 -0800 Bobcats' Wallace Expected To Miss Week http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-wallace-expected-to-miss-week.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-wallace-expected-to-miss-week.php Gerald Wallace Fri, 11 Nov 2005 10:53:39 -0800 Bobcats acquire F Jones from Lakers (AP) The Charlotte Bobcats acquired forward Jumaine Jones on Wednesday from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a future second-round pick. Jones, who averaged 7.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and shot .391 from 3-point range last season, will give Charlotte much-needed depth at small forward. Gerald Wallace is the starter and second-year player Bernard Robinson has not challenged him for playing time. http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-acquire-f-jones-from-lakers-ap.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-acquire-f-jones-from-lakers-ap.php Gerald Wallace Wed, 26 Oct 2005 13:29:01 -0800 Overall Rankings: 91 to 120 1 to 30
31 to 60
61 to 90

91. Jamaal Tinsley – The ultimate tease; few can match his 3s/steals/assists combo, but he plain cannot shoot or stay healthy.
92. Eddie Jones – Certainly on the downside of his career, but can handle lots of minutes and hit 3s with the best.
93. Al Harrington – Won’t ever have a huge breakout like some had hoped, but should be solid as long as minutes are there.
94. Morris Peterson – See above.
95. Gerald Wallace – His big numbers (for his position) in steals and blocks will do a lot to offset his seriously lackluster shooting.
96. Ricky Davis – He’ll start, yes, but averaged 33 mpg last year and wasn’t anything all that special.
97. Sam Cassell – Could be a disaster, but Livingston is young and injury-prone; can’t forget how consistently awesome Sam was the three years before last.
98. Mike James – As long as he’s starting, he’ll be well worth using.
99. Mike Sweetney – Needs to lock down starting job, but will be a rebound/FG% monster if he does.
100. Sebastian Telfair – If he could shoot the 3 he’d be better, but 6.7 apg and 1.4 spg in April make him an OK option.
101. Mehmet Okur – As always, potential is there, but he’s usually frustrating to own with Sloan getting much of the blame.
102. Joel Przybilla – Ask the folks who drafted Mark Blount and Samuel Dalembert last year how reliable big men who finish strong are.
103. J.R. Smith – Hasn’t shown he can do anything but shoot a bunch of 3s; don’t go crazy with the kids.
104. Troy Murphy – We’re never too high on non-hustle stat guys, but if the Warriors run enough he should have some value.
105. Ben Gordon – Have to think he’ll break into the starting lineup eventually; still is a pretty one-dimensional player.
106. Raja Bell – Someone will probably jump the gun thinking he’ll replicate JoeJohn’s numbers from last year; that’s quite unlikely, but he should be solid.
107. Al Jefferson – Pick him up in January after the guy who drafted him too early gets frustrated and drops him.
108. P.J. Brown – Keeps on plugging away; needs to get that FG% back up to around 47%, but will be underrated as usual.
109. Wally Szczerbiak – His strong percentages make him worth having around, especially if he can get back up to 15 shots per game.
110. Nenad Krstic – Another one of those strong-finish big men to be wary of, especially since he doesn’t block many shots.
111. Brendan Haywood – OK, a bit of a homer pick, but it’s not unreasonably to expect 2 bpg with very nice boards and FG%.
112. Erick Dampier – He might be interested, he might not. His 12/12 with 2 blocks from a couple years is hard to ignore, but honestly, you probably should.
113. Eddy Curry – All of the big men in this batch have major questions, so just pick one you like. Could be an offensive force, but don’t expect any rebounds or blocks all of a sudden.
114. Jameer Nelson – He seems to be buried right now, just can’t understand why; 14.9/4.0/4.6 with 1.5 spg and 1.2 3pg after the break shows he’s more than ready.
115. Bonzi Wells – Is slated for lots of PT, but doesn’t have the greatest game and can get on coaches’ bad sides quickly.
116. Theo Ratliff – Even in a very off year averaged 2.5 bpg; if Przybilla isn’t for real should get a chance to reclaim his starting job.
117. Darius Miles – Perennial tease, but Portland is very thin this year and he does get a decent number of steals and blocks for his position.
118. Eddie Griffin – Yet another perennial tease, but he can be very effective with only 25-28 mpg.
119. Raymond Felton – We think he’ll get there eventually…
120. Brevin Knight – But until then, these two are going to hurt each other’s value. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/overall-rankings-91-to-120.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/overall-rankings-91-to-120.php Morris Peterson Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:00:35 -0800 2005 Fantasy Tiers by Position: Small Forwards It’s nearly impossible to define the “typical” small forward. Some are long-range bombers, some excel at crashing the boards. Others are defensive whizzes. Taken early, your small forward will determine how some of your late picks turn out. Taken late, a small forward can really fill a need – or make a small one even more glaring. Let’s sort through the variety:

Tier One
LeBron James, Shawn Marion, Andrei Kirilenko.
The cream of the crop. James is either the first or second pick in any draft. Marion is a top-5 pick, and if he stays healthy, AK-47 has top-5 talent as well. The health is certainly a risk, but we’re huge fans of AK, so we’re putting him in the top tier.

Tier Two
Peja Stojakovic, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Rashard Lewis, Richard Jefferson, Corey Maggette.
These are some of the most valuable players in fantasy basketball. Some are like shooting guards who can rebound. Others are power forwards who can step outside. Each really has unique skill set. You’ll notice we’ve got Ron Artest up here. That’s not a mistake. He’s lined up for a comeback fantasy player of the year award, if such an award existed.

Tier Three
Bobby Simmons, Antoine Walker, Quentin Richardson, Caron Butler, Carmelo Anthony, Jalen Rose, Al Harrington, Tayshaun Prince, Luol Deng, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith.
All of these guys could end up as top-25 players by the end of the year. All of them could also end up being one of the worst players on your team that you just can’t drop. I’m a personal fan of Carmelo this year if you can get him late enough that the risk is low. Meanwhile, Bobby Simmons might end up being overvalued this year in some drafts. He’s just not a 4th round pick – none of these guys are. But by the end of the fifth round, you have to start thinking about this tier.

Tier Four
Grant Hill, Mike Miller, Josh Howard, Darius Miles, Mike Dunleavy, Michael Finley, Gerald Wallace, Marvin Williams, Andres Nocioni, Wally Szczerbiak.
One of the problems with tiering the small forwards is that they have such different strengths, it’s tough to differentiate on an overall level. None of these guys will be fantasy studs this year. However, each has a chance to be a solid contributer to your teams, whether it’s in 3’s (Miller or Finley), boards (Nocioni), or head cases (Miles). These are important players to research for the mid-late rounds of your draft. While they’re never great picks, they’re generally pretty safe in the 10th round of so. Don’t target them necessarily, but if a player you were going to take goes right before you pick, these guys are nice second options.

Tomorrow: Power Forwards. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/2005-fantasy-tiers-by-position-small-forwards.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/2005-fantasy-tiers-by-position-small-forwards.php Shawn Marion Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:42:59 -0800 Bobcats re-sign Wallace Sep. 27, 2005 CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Charlotte Bobcats re-signed forward Gerald Wallace on Tuesday to a three-year contract. http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-resign-wallace.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-resign-wallace.php Gerald Wallace Tue, 27 Sep 2005 16:29:12 -0800 Bobcats, Wallace talks at impasse Gerald Wallace and the Charlotte Bobcats have agreed to disagree, and that could lead to his departure next season, if not sooner. http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-wallace-talks-at-impasse.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-wallace-talks-at-impasse.php Gerald Wallace Fri, 16 Sep 2005 10:04:44 -0800 NBA Free Agents unsigned Who's available? from the Detroit News Notable restricted free agents: Guards: Reggie Evans, Sonics; Marko Jaric, Clippers; Joe Johnson, Suns; Ronald Murray, Sonics Forwards: Tyson Chandler, Bulls; Vladimir Radmanovic, Sonics; Gerald Wallace, Bobcats Centers: Eddy Curry, Bulls; DeSagana Diop, Cavaliers... http://www.hooplog.com/nba/nba-free-agents-unsigned.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/nba-free-agents-unsigned.php Joe Johnson Mon, 01 Aug 2005 09:44:05 -0800 Mid Season: Southeast Division / Charlotte Bobcats

Team

There is nothing better for an expansion team to build around than a great rookie player. The Bobcats in their first season have exactly that in Emeka Okafor.

Okafor had questions raised about him before he was drafted. It was thought that he had already reached his potential and with his back bothering him before entering the league, could his health hold up throughout the long NBA season?

erformed better than expected and has helped make the Bobcats a team finding themselves in every game they play, currently ranking 4th in the league on RPG (11), 1st in offensive rebounds (4), 6th with 27 double-doubles to go along with his 14.8 points per game.

The other secret to the Bobcats is the fact they picked up some very desirable players in the expansion draft. Jason Hart, Primoz Brezec and Gerald Wallace were cast-aways from other teams and just needed the playing time to show their skills. We can see them now.

The free agent signing of Brevin Knight has also yielded a surprising result. Knight is currently second in the league in assists per game with 8.8.

There are two weaknesses with the Bobcats. One is their bench strength and the other is lack of finishing ability. The Bobcats stay in most games but towards the end of games, the opponent tends to kick things into that extra gear and the Bobcats don t really have one.

Count On: Emeka Okafor
Best Addition: Brevin Knight
Rookie To Watch: Emeka Okafor
Spark Plug: Gerald Wallace

 ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/mid-season-southeast-division-charlotte-bobcats.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/mid-season-southeast-division-charlotte-bobcats.php Charlotte Bobcats Tue, 15 Feb 2005 16:50:33 -0800 Wallace, Bobcats stun Timberwolves (AP) Gerald Wallace had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and an in-your-face block on Wally Szczerbiak that he converted into a fast-break layup, to lead the Charlotte Bobcats to a 102-84 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Wallace had one of his best games as a Bobcat, turning it up during a 16-1 run that helped Charlotte break its six-game losing streak. http://www.hooplog.com/nba/wallace-bobcats-stun-timberwolves-ap.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/wallace-bobcats-stun-timberwolves-ap.php Charlotte Bobcats Wed, 05 Jan 2005 19:21:12 -0800 Weekend Preview (12/3-12/5) "He Ran Into My Elbow"

That was Bobcat's Tamar Slay's explanation of what caused teammate Gerald Wallace's grade II concussion that is keeping him out of tomorrow night's game against the Knicks. Sure, Tamar, whatever you say. Just like Ron Artest ran into that cup of beer. And it just so happens that Slay could get a little extra playing time in Wallace's absence. Not that we're insinuating anything. We're just brining this up because Wallace, one of the most popular Bobcats to pick this year in fantasy drafts, could be out indefinitely, and that means someone is going to get a chance to shine.

The best pick for player who will see increased action is probably Keith Bogans, the second-year man out of Kentucky. Bogans is already a borderline fantasy player, though he's probably still on your waiver wire. So far this year he's averaging 13.9/4.3/2.8 with a 3 and a steal in 28 minutes. If he can push that up to 16/6/4 with 1.5 3's, that's obviously a line that's worth of being on your team. see if he gets closer to 30-35 minutes, and increases his shots a bit. The other player worth watching is Eddie House, but his rebound and assist numbers are so terrible that he'd have to put up close to 20 ppg in order to really have value.

Que Sura Sura

Remember that time last year when Bob Sura absolutely exploded, and started getting crazy triple-doubles out of nowhere for the Hawks? After never averaging more than 13.8 points, 4.3 assists or 4.3 boards, last year in 27 games for the Hawks he put up 14.7/8.3/5.3, with a steal and .4 3's. Now Sura's on the Rockets, a team where he is defintiely no better than the 4th option, so you're not going to see those kind of numbers again unless T-Mac and Yao both go down with injuries. However, he can still have value for your fantasy team.

In three games since returning from back surgery, Sura has struggled to find his place in the offense (only 5 ppg), but has earned himself a starting spot and looks like he will get over 30 mpg while Tyronne Lue and Charlie Ward are on the IL. He's putting up nice rebound and assist numbers already, and with T-Mac starting to heat up, he could get plenty of open looks at the basket. If you've got an open spot on your roster, pick him up now, because in a week or so he'll be gone.

Game of the Week(end)

Memphis at Orlando, Saturday, 7 pm EST.

There are certainly more glamorous matchups this weekend (Minnesota at Phoenix tonight comes to mind), but fantasy players will keep a close eye on this game. Mike Fratello makes his debut as the Grizzlies coach, and you're going to want to pay attention to who gets the majority of the minutes on the floor. You've got to assume the dreaded 10-man rotation will be gone, so whoever consistently gets over 30 mpg will have their fantasy value go up pretty drastically.

On the other side of the court, see if Dwight Howard is able to keep his recent run of impressive performances going. Over his last 5 games, Howard has averaged 14 points, 11 boards, 1.6 blocks and 1.2 steals on 62.5% shooting, including a 24-point night against Atlanta last Friday and an incredible 20-rebound game against Toronto on Wednesday. Also take a look at Grant Hill, as the feel-good story of the year has taken a big hit in FG% (48 to 41) and rebounds (5.2 to 3.4) over his last 5 games.
]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/weekend-preview-123125.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/weekend-preview-123125.php Toronto Raptors Fri, 03 Dec 2004 13:28:11 -0800 Bobcats' Wallace suffers concussion
"CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace suffered a concussion Thursday after being hit in the face with an elbow during practice.

Wallace was taken from the court on a stretcher and taken to Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, where he was diagnosed as suffering a Grade II concussion, or one that results in amnesia. He won't play in the Bobcats' next game at New York on Saturday, the team said."


Fantasy Impact

Wallace hasn't had as much of an impact as many people thought he might after moving from the West to East Coast - but that's really beside the point. The point is: he's only going to miss one game (as a precautionary measure), so if you've got daily changes, you can use someone else in his stead. If you've got him in your weekly lineup, you'll just have to hope that T-Mac or Dirk are on your team to fill in for his 11 points and 6 rebouns on Saturday. ;)

Count it. ]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-wallace-suffers-concussion.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/bobcats-wallace-suffers-concussion.php Gerald Wallace Fri, 03 Dec 2004 13:28:02 -0800 Something Ain't Right... Take a guess who is in the top 5 in team scoring. C'mon, I dare ya. Dallas Mavericks? Sorry, no, they're 6th. The Kings? pfft! Not even in the top half. OK, stop embarassing yourself. Yeah, the Heat, with Dwayne Wade and Shaq, that's not a huge surprise. And the Suns, with Amare, Steve Nash, Joe Johnson, and The Matrix, well that's reasonable. But the other three teams? How about this: Charlotte, Washington, and Seattle. Shazam! Who the heck is putting the ball in the basket for these guys? Let's have a look-see:



Charlotte

OK, so they're also giving up the 3rd-most points in the league, but admit it, you thought these guys would struggle to score 80 points on most nights. Their marquee player, Emeka Okafor, is a defense-first center. Their shooting guard, Gerald Wallace, shoots about 55% from the free-throw line. So what's going on? First of all, Primoz Brezec is scoring 18.3 ppg (beating his career high by 16.3 points), hitting nearly 2/3 of his shots. Jason Hart is dishing the ball to the tune of 9.7 apg, and they're sharing the ball: 6 players are averaging in double figures, and one other is averaging 9.7.

Don't expect this to keep up, though. Brezec is good, sure, but not .595 fg% good. Expect him to settle down to 14 ppg, maintaining his 8 boards, and very little else. Hart will not keep up his torrid assist pace, but he'll be worth having on your team. Look for 12/3/6 with a steal or two and a three here or there. A good utility player.

The gem of this team is Okafor. Definitely. Listen to this, and guess who player X is: "a 6-10 All-America center ... he came out of college with his defensive skills fully developed, but he surprised NBA observers with a sophisticated offensive repertoire." Sounds like Okafor, but really it's an early report on Alonzo Mourning. And I think that's right where Okafor is headed. He's not gonna dominate like Zo from the get-go, but he certainly will get his fair share of looks at the basket - look for 15/12 with 2.5-3 bpg. He's the real deal - and maybe the only one on the team.



Seattle

The biggest surprise in the NBA, the Sonics are 4-1 and blowing away all of the preseason predictions. While Ray Allen's output isn't a surprise, Rashard Lewis has been scoring at about 5-6 ppg higher than his norm. Neither of these guys are really any more or less valuable than they were on draft day, but there are some guys to be scouring for on the waiver wire.

The big shocker is Danny Fortson, who has come out of nowhere to average 9.8 boards - in just 17.5 minutes. That's a ridiculous rate, but not totally unpredictable. Remember, he's the guy who averaged a double-double for the Warriors a couple times. Look for him to get more minutes as he continues to clean up the glass, especially on the offensive side. Also look for him to sucker-push foriegners, like he did to Zarko Cabarkapa last year.

There are two very solid second-year guys on this team who are worth keeping tabs on. Luke Ridnour, the point guard from Oregon, earned the starting job to start the year, and is starting to earn more minutes with his play. He still turns the ball over a little too much, but if he continues to ward of Antonio Daniels for minutes, he'll be a fine util/backup PG, getting about 12 and 7 or so, with a three and a couple steals.

The other second-year man is Nick Collison, who is nowhere near ready to be picked up. But they like this kid a lot, and he's already rebounding well. Look for him to start getting more minutes as the year carries on, especially if Vladimir Radmanovic is traded.



Washington

Another score-all-the-time team, the Wizards are stacked with scorers. The trifecta of Antawn Jamison, Gilbert Arenas, and Larry Hughes should all average over 18 points per game. Jarvis Hayes and Juan Dixon should each hit double digits themselves. And that's without Kwame Brown or Etan Thomas in the lineup. Sure there's not much defense going on, but hey, who likes defense? This is fantasy basketball, not real basketball.

The first three players mentioned above should be on a roster in every league. After that, it's hard to tell. There are going to be battles for minutes at a number of positions once Kwame, Etan and Steve Blake return to the court. The obvious losers are going to be Dixon and Brendan Haywood, who has a great chance to show the Wizards they weren't crazy to give him an extension last week. Haywood could be a nice short-term pickup, but they also spent a good deal of money to keep Thomas around, so they'll likely split time - and be useless to your fantasy squad.

Here's an interesting trade. How about the expiring contract of Larry Hughes and Kwame Brown for Ron Artest and Jeff Foster? I'm just saying, is all.

]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/something-aint-right.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/something-aint-right.php Joe Johnson Thu, 11 Nov 2004 22:48:18 -0800 TEST POST # Teams

* Atlanta Hawks
* Boston Celtics
* Charlotte Bobcats
* Chicago Bulls
* Cleveland Cavaliers
* Dallas Mavericks
* Denver Nuggets
* Detroit Pistons
* Golden State Warriors
* Houston Rockets
* Indiana Pacers
* Los Angeles Clippers
* Los Angeles Lakers
* Memphis Grizzlies
* Miami Heat
* Milwaukee Bucks
* Minnesota T-Wolves
* New Jersey Nets
* New Orleans Hornets
* New York Knicks
* Orlando Magic
* Philadelphia 76ers
* Phoenix Suns
* Portland Trailblazers
* Sacramento Kings
* San Antonio Spurs
* Seattle Sonics
* Toronto Raptors
* Utah Jazz
* Washington Wizards

]]> http://www.hooplog.com/nba/test-post.php http://www.hooplog.com/nba/test-post.php San Antonio Spurs Thu, 11 Nov 2004 17:39:46 -0800