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#21
02-16-09, 04:42 PM
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| The Matrix Reloaded: Second-Half Predictions That I Will Later Deny Having Made - HoopsVibe The Matrix Reloaded: Second-Half Predictions That I Will Later Deny Having Made Second Half Awesomes: Shawn Marion. I thought the Matrix was hugely overvalued at the beginning of this season—lots of drafts had him as a late first-round pick. And indeed, the USE(LESS) rater puts him at #55 on the season so far. Now? It’s the Matrix Reloaded, except without the embarrassing rave-in-a-cave scene.** One reason is Marion’s reliance on good point guards. He put up ridiculous numbers when there was Steve Nash to give him the ball; in Miami, he was downgraded to Mario Chalmers, and his stats suffered accordingly. Now, he’ll be throwing down alley-oops from Jose Calderon, another creative, high-assists-per-possession point guard. I also think Toronto picks up the pace without Jermaine O’Neal, as they scrap for the 7 or 8 seed (still very doable in the top-heavy East—they’re just 5 games out right now). Prediction for Shawn Marion in the second half: A throwback, Suns-esque 18/10/2, plus 2.0 steals, 1.5 blocks, and at least one trey per game. I also think his FG% climbs to 52. (And I love, love, love that Toronto has essentially turned T.J. Ford and Jamario Moon into Shawn Marion.) Manu Ginobili. Ginobili owners are frustrated right now. They’re like semi-neglected puppies; Ginobili has been inconsistent, taking them for three-hour romps in the park one day and lying in bed with a hip contusion the next. When Ginobili plays, though, he’s been good enough to snag a USE(LESS) season ranking of #32. I think he’s finally rounding into form—he tied his season scoring mark in his last game before the break—and I think we see a lot of him as the Spurs fend off Denver and Houston for the #2 seed in the West. The top six teams in the West are all scary; at #7, a possibly Jason Terry-less Dallas is a relatively benign first-round prospect. Gregg Popovich knows this. He knows this because he is Sauron, the All-Seeing Eye of Mordor. Prediction for Ginobili: 18/6/4, two threes per game, and at least two game-winners. Not that game-winners have any fantasy value. I just feel it, that’s all. Charlie Villanueva. Villanueva has already begun to turn it on—see the USE(LESS) Top 25, below—but he’s still just #71 on the season by my rankings. Trade big to get him if you have to. He’s going to have a career second half; with Bogut out, he’s the go-to option in the paint, and the Bucks are spiking in possessions/game with Ramon Sessions at the point. Prediction for Villanueva: 18/8/2, plus a block and a three per game. Some other guys about to make huge jumps on the USE(LESS) Player Rater: Sessions (currently #165), Carmelo Anthony (#95; Anthony owners are very frustrated right now, meaning it is a terrific time to pick him up), Jason Richardson (#69; will become more of a focus in Phoenix with a new coach and no Amare), Jamario Moon (#90; Pat Riley probably wants to keep Michael Beasley in his productive bench role, meaning Moon starts and possibly gets Matrix minutes), and everyone’s favorite coast-to-coast threat, Lamar Odom (#100!). While we’re at it, some guys to sell high (aka Second-Half Not-Awesomes): Yao Ming. I know, it’s very difficult to part with Yao Ming right now; his percentages are mind-blowing, and he’s the reason your fantasy team has hundreds of millions of Chinese fans. I’m just saying: his last three seasons, he’s played 57, 48, and 55 games. He was in the Olympics last summer. I don’t know. It feels like the American housing market, circa 2005. Ray Allen. As noted last week, he’s shooting way above his career numbers; at some point he’s going to have to regress to the mean. Also, he’s a 33-year-old shooting guard. In related news, much as it pains me to say it, I don’t see the Celtics hanging on to the one-seed, and in related-to-related-news news, I don’t see them in the Finals, either. O.J. Mayo. Teams are figuring him out, and he’s never played an 82-game season before. The same can be said of Derrick Rose, Mario Chalmers, and Michael Beasley. Interestingly, I sort of like Kevin Love, just because he’s going to get a ton of looks with Al Jefferson out—but there’s an excellent chance that he will use those looks to wreck your percentages, so maybe I actually don’t like Kevin Love. Hmmm. Rasheed Wallace. “Sell high” is a relative term here. Still, USE(LESS) puts him at #33. Regardless, I think if Dumars doesn’t trade him, he continues his steady decline into fantasy obscurity. (Conversely, if Detroit sends him literally anywhere, trade for Rasheed Wallace like it’s your job. Because it is your job.)      |
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#22
02-16-09, 04:46 PM
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| Basketball 24/7 | As the regular season made way for the highlight of the mid-season calendar, some unexpected teams were afforded the opportunity to have a better week than normal. A GOOD WEEK FOR... By Mark Pearl As the regular season made way for the highlight of the mid-season calendar, some unexpected teams were afforded the opportunity to have a better week than normal. With the interruption of the All-Star Weekend proceedings, this week in the NBA was cut down to a half-week - with just 28 games being played in total. What this means is that some of the league's poorer teams got the chance to go undefeated and receive a mention. For that reason the performances of those teams in the playoff seeds will be disregarded this week, in favour of a look at those who have struggled this season. For the large part this season has been one to forget for the Toronto Raptors. Having acquired Jermaine O'Neal in the off-season, they believed that they were building a front-court tandem with him and their star Chris Bosh. Unfortunately for the Canadian based franchise, the move simply reinforced the notion that O'Neal's best days are long behind him. With that they traded him on Wednesday to the Miami Heat for Shawn Marion amongst other things, receiving another player who appears to have gone past his peak - although this could be due more to desire than anything else. Despite their struggles the Raptors managed two wins from their two games this week, with an eight-point victory over the Al Jefferson-less Timberwolves and an impressive two-point win at home to the Spurs. To accompany this mini-streak, the change in personnel will allow for greater court time for Italian Andrea Bargnani who has progressed greatly in recent months, with him starting at center in O'Neal's absence. Whether Marion will aid the team will be down to him, but if he comes ready to play then the trade could be an absolute steal for the Raptors and not just in a cap space sense. The start that the Golden State Warriors have had to the season was to be expected - although it could be argued that they may have racked up more wins than their 19-35 record shows. Having had their star guard Monta Ellis suspended for the season's first 30 games for a violation of contract terms, rookie free-agent signing Anthony Morrow stepped in to provide the Warriors with some high-scoring games, but his overall play has lacked the consistency the team needs. This week they beat Portland by seven and in their win over the Knicks racked up 144 points. They gave up 127 in the process, but a 41 point first quarter shows that they are beginning to change the way they start games. If they continue to feed off the play of Stephen Jackson, complimented by Ellis' return, the second half of the season should be a much more enjoyable one for their fans. Rounding out this section are the Charlotte Bobcats, who were the last of the non-playoff teams to post a 2-0 record for the week. The Bobcats have struggled for consistency and continuity this season with frequent changes in personnel and injuries suffered by key players. However, the All-Star break has given an opportunity for rest and come the first game back they hope to have Gerald Wallace and Raja Bell in their lineup. This week they managed victories against some of their fellow strugglers as they beat the Clippers and Wizards in two home games. With fourth-year center Emeka Okafor as solid as ever, the Bobcats will be looking to improve their fortunes through the season's later stages. In keeping with the theme of this week's article, the players' section will look at those who do not regularly receive notice around the league. Newly crowned Slam Dunk Contest winner Nate Robinson had a great couple of games for the Knicks averaging 31.5ppg, 7.5rpg, 9apg and 3spg. As ever Nate's problem is consistency and for him to have back-to-back games with such high numbers should have been an indicator that he would provide something special at the weekend. The Lakers' Lamar Odom was pivotal in their recent wins over the Cavaliers and Celtics and has continued to go about his business quietly this past week. The talented swingman averaged 15.5ppg, 18.5rpg, 1apg, 1.5spg and 1.5bpg in two games against the Thunder and Jazz. Milwaukee's second-year point-guard Ramon Sessions managed 15 points, 7 rebounds and 17 assists in the game against the Pacers - a follow up to his 26 points performance in a win over the Rockets. The former Nevada player's stats this year have seen a shift towards a greater number of points at the expense of assists and with the absence of star Michael Redd, this trend looks set to continue. The final name to be mentioned in the section is that of Tim Duncan who goes somewhat against the article's purpose, but again this week he showed his all-round talents and these should not go unnoticed. The Big Fundamental averaged 23.5ppg, 11rpg, 7.5apg and 2.5bpg in a week that saw the Spurs win one and lose one. Duncan is often overlooked in favour of those players in the league who provide flashy highlight reels (see his absence from the All-Star Game), so he's right at home in this underappreciated piece. |
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#23
02-16-09, 04:51 PM
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| SPURS: 20-Second Timeout: Bill Schoening Blog Back to Work by Bill Schoening Some Spurs players were enjoying the All-Star festivities in Phoenix while most took advantage of the down time to relax with family. Now, however, the Spurs are focused on bearing down and getting better for the final 3/8ths of the season. Even though the Spurs enter the final leg of the rodeo road trip percentage points ahead of Denver for the #2 spot in the Western Conference and have a four-game lead in the Southwest Division, players and coaches will tell you it is way too early to be concerned about seedings or standings. Veteran center Kurt Thomas says, "I think we've improved defensively over the past few weeks. I think we've adjusted to our rotations and to our schemes that we want to do out there on the floor. Everyone seems to be on the same page and we just hope that it continues." The Spurs are ranked 18th in field goal percentage defense and Head Coach Gregg Popovich has stated he would like to see the Spurs in the top ten in that important category. The emphasis, once again, will be on execution of the game plan on both sides of the floor and not on where the team is in the standings. |
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#25
02-16-09, 07:05 PM
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@ Paul Popovich. 
Linear Mode
