My New Favorite Shot Blocker - Kendrick Perkins

The Boston Celtics knew what they were doing when they traded Mark Blount away. Nineteen year old, 6'10", 260 lbs., Kendrick Perkins has been getting the major share of Blount's minutes since the trade and so far has been one of the few draft picks to actually make Danny Ainge look smart.

Over the last 5 games Perkins has averaged 2 blocked shots per game, 9 rebounds (4.8 of them offensive), 8.2 points per game, 51.6% Field Goal Percentage and 100% from the free throw line.

Bottom line, he's a shot blocker, but he's not a black hole in all the other scoring categories like DeSagana Diop in Dallas.

Blocks are VERY hard to come by in Fantasy Basketball, and finding a player that is at least adequate in other categories besides shot blocking can also be difficult. Perkins is Center eligible in Yahoo Fantasy NBA.

Knicks acquire Rose

The Toronto Raptors have traded Jalen Rose to the New York Knicks for Antonio Davis.

Why not? Although, it really seems like the Knicks have got way too many guards, so why not add another one. If Rose gets playing time from Larry Brown, which he should, his dismal numbers will probably improve.

It sounds like both coaches were just sort of tired of both players and decided to trade headaches.

As for the fantasy impact, Joey Graham probably will get more minutes and expect the Raptors to rely a little more on Morris Peterson for scoring also.

Minutes at the shooting guard spot in New York will get more divided and expect a drop in production for Jamal Crawford.

All-Disappointment Fantasy Basketball Team: Mid-Season Edition

It’s not because of injury or suspension, these guys just hasn’t lived up to their previous Fantasy Basketball expectations this season.

Point Guard: Stephon Marbury – New York Knicks. Last season finished ranked 14th in Yahoo Roto Leagues, this season ranked 92. The difference: The Knicks suck and Larry Brown has completely stifled his game. Both his points and assists are down.

Shooting Guard: Michael Finley – San Antonio Spurs. Finley sacrificed his playing time and stats to try to win a ring with the Spurs. He finished last season ranked 75th in Yahoo Roto Leagues (with injuries) was 13th the year before that, and is now ranked 126th. Most disappointing is that his field goal percentage is down from 45% to 39%.

Small Forward: Kyle Korver – Philadelphia 76’ers. Korver finished last season ranked 15th in Yahoo. He’s still a respectable 45th this season. The difference: his steals, rebounds and free throw percentage are down slightly, and I think there are some weird team chemistry things going on with the 76’ers. He’s still shooting and making a lot of three pointers.

Power Forward: Raef LaFrentz – Boston Celtics. Points, Rebounds, FG%, FT% and most importantly minutes are all down this season. He was the 35th ranked player last season, now he’s 98th and falling.

Center: PJ Brown – Oklahoma City Hornets. Brown has never put up big numbers, but has always been solid. He’s down from 64th last season to 111th this season. The difference: If he gets just 2 more rebounds a game he’s ok, he’s also not shooting as much for whatever reason.

Fantasy Basketball All-Surprise Team: Mid-Season Edition

This is my starting 5 of players that seemed to come out of nowhere to become good fantasy basketball contributors this season:

Point Guard: Delonte West – Boston Celtics. He went from 13 minutes a game last season as a rookie playing more of a shooting guard type of role from what I can recall, to being the starting Point Guard for the Celtics. 11.1 points per game, 4.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and a whopping 50.9% Field Goal Percentage. This second year Point Guard is only averaging 1.7 turnovers per game!

Shooting Guard: Gerald Wallace – Charlotte Bobcats. Though currently injured with a bad bone bruise on his leg, Wallace has been the real deal. Averaging 14.5 points per game, 7 rebounds, an amazing 2.4 steals per game, 2.2 blocks per game – as a shooting guard!, and shooting a 54% field goal percentage.

Small Forward: Boris Diaw – Phoenix Suns. Diaw could also qualify as a surprise at the shooting guard or power forward position (he is eligible for all of these in Yahoo leagues). Averages 11.9 points per game, 6.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists (didn’t he used to play point guard in Atlanta), 50% field goal percent, and 1 block per game. This guy was a total nobody last season – what a difference playing with Steve Nash makes…

Power Forward: David West – Oklahoma City Hornets. West is my All-Surprise Team MVP. 16.9 points per game, 7.9 rebounds, 51.2 FG%, 83.7 FT%, 1 steal and 1 block per game. If you were lucky enough to pick him up off the waiver wire good for you! West is currently ranked 35th in Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Roto Leagues. Expect more minutes from him with the departure of Chris Anderson from the Hornets.

Center: Channing Frye – New York Knicks. He’s good, for a rookie center. Not spectacular, but putting up the kind of numbers that better than average centers put up. 14 points, 6 rebounds, 50% FG, 82% FT. He’s averaging 2.3 offensive rebounds, which always translates into good numbers.

Good luck trying to find these guys game Jersey, at least this season...

Birdman busted, Hornets will miss his spirit

The Birdman has crashed. Much like the mythical Icarus, Chirs Anderson apparently flew too close to the sun and melted his wings. The fantasy impact, I'm not sure that there is one, except that PJ Brown is going to have to step up defensively for the Hornets and may get more minutes.

Anderson was a good defender and brought a lot of energy to the game. A 2 year suspension seems very harsh, mandatory treatment and rehabilitation seems like a much better solution.

Timberwolves trade Szczerbiak to Celtics in seven-player deal

The Celtics get Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Olowokandi and Dwayne Jones and a future first round draft pick.

The Timberwolves get Ricky Davis, Mark Blount, Marcus Banks, Justin Reed and two conditional 2nd round draft picks.

From a Fantasy basketball perspective I don't think this trade really helps anyone, and from the perspective of both teams it just changes the players and doesn't really upgrade their talent.

Wally will not see the kind of numbers and open shots without a post presence like KG drawing double teams. Ricky Davis is more of a penetrator and not an outside shooter so I don't see any benefit to him playing with KG. Both players are going to have to change their games.

Perhaps Olowakandi will see an increase in minutes with the Celtics, but I don't think he's worth picking up even as a back up Center.

Pacers must adjust with Peja

Well it finally happened. It sounds like a great deal for the Pacers, who get the most Larry Bird-like player in the league.

Don't expect an instant impact for Peja though, he's still not healthy.

As for Artest, he will get his stats, but I think everyone is well aware of his status as a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

Check out the Detroit Free Press's perspective on the deal for Indiana:

The Indiana Pacers finally concluded their version of the Ron Artest saga Wednesday and shipped the volatile forward to the Sacramento Kings for shooting guard Stojakovic.
The Pacers -- the team the Pistons battled in the Eastern Conference finals two years ago and in the second round last season -- might go through an identity tweak.
Artest worked both ends of the floor and was the defensive cog on a grind-it-out team. Stojakovic isn't known for his defense and likes to shoot, shoot and shoot some more.
Pistons coach Flip Saunders predicted that Stojakovic will have to adjust to taking fewer shots, or the Pacers will have to open up their offense.
But Pistons shooting guard Maurice Evans, a former teammate of Stojakovic's, said he thinks the move will work out well for the Pacers if they use Jermaine O'Neal's presence inside to open up things for Stojakovic outside. Make O'Neal the new Chris Webber. Or Stojakovic the new Reggie Miller.
"Now he'll be back in a situation where he can fulfill the role that Reggie Miller was playing, where he can come off screens and get shots," Evans said Wednesday. "And he has a guy like Jermaine O'Neal who can demand a double-team and who can pass the ball out of the double-team. I think he can go back to regaining his form again."

All Hindsight Fantasy Draft: Mid-season Edition

Hindsight is 20/20. I woulda/shoulda/coulda drafted…

It’s been a terrible season for me in my Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Winners League, mostly because of injuries to both my starting Centers (Yao Ming and Marcus Camby). But I think most of my problems are the result of really bad choices in the later rounds of my draft. I gambled and got burnt on too many “prospects”.

I had the 7th pick in my league of 12, which is the first time I ever drafted in the middle of a draft.

With my first pick I knew the marquee multi-category studs would be mostly gone at number 7, so I decided to try to lock up the assists category by picking Steve Nash, who shoots great percentages and scores with a great average as well. I left Jason Kidd, Ray Allen, Gilbert Arenas, Barron Davis and Tim Duncan for others to draft. In hindsight Ray Allen is having a great year and probably was the correct pick to make, but I don’t regret my strategy of getting the leagues assist leader, just his 4 turnovers a game average.

My second pick at number 18 was Yao Ming, who of course has a big toe injury/infection. I thought he was due for a breakout season, but his season average ranking is currently #74, which doesn’t account for his injuries. Centers are extremely rare and I knew I needed to get a top one as soon as possible in my Winners league. I took Yao for his points, rebounds, blocked shots and especially his field goal percentages. If I was going to draft a Center at this spot Rasheed Wallace and Chris Bosh would have been better picks, especially considering the freak toe injury that knocked Yao out.

The third pick at 31 I took Kyle Korver, currently ranked #56. I knew Korver would give me 3 pointers and shoot a great percentage doing it. He finished last season ranked 15th. Things haven’t been as easy for Korver this year, teams are conscious of what he can do outside and are defending him. Hindsight: Rashard Lewis was on the board and I didn’t even hesitate to draft Korver…

At 42 I drafted Andre Iguodala (currently ranked 48) because he’s a great multi-category player – a poor mans Scott Pippen if you will. Hindsight being what it is, I really needed a scorer at this spot and almost took Michael Redd (ranked #26) at this spot. This might have been my biggest mistake of the draft.

At 55 I gambled on injury prone Marcus Camby to be my second Center. Despite his injuries, I don’t regret this pick. On season averages Camby is ranked number 2 in all the Yahoo Roto Leagues. If I have any hope of climbing back in the standings this year, he will be the cause of it. Hindsight pick: None.

At 66 I took Cutino Mobley (currently # 52). I needed scorers, three point shooters or guards, Mobley seemed like the best available. Although injured now Gerald Wallace has had a great season and Eddie Jones has had a good season under the radar.

At this point the casual fantasy player would look at my choices and wonder if I was on Crack… I made one great pick; Brevin Knight in the ninth round that is giving me big time steals and assists. But I picked Charlie Villanueva (ranked 97th) at 79 to be my power forward with Chris Webber and Drew Gooden still available.

I finished up with Marquise Daniels, Mike Sweetney, Damon Jones, Udonnis Haslem and Theo Ratliff. But in hindsight the only player I really regret not drafting from the 8th round down is Shane Battier. I have since released all these players for Centers to make up the roster deficit that Camby and Yao have left me to make up.

Live by the Camby / Die by the Camby

Ok, so I knew he was injury prone, we all did. But I'm a Nugget fan and last season made me a believer. I was riding high early in the season when he was number 1 in the Yahoo roto leagues, now I'm not so high...

The good news is that Marcus is having the pins removed from his broken pinky finger early, the bad news is that Marcus is having the pins removed from his broken pinky finger early...

Besides I've go Yao Ming at Center to take up the slack while Marcus is out! Yeah right. Yao's big toe is supposedly going to be healthy enough to play in a week and a half.

Have I said anything about how much I miss having an injured reserve spot on my roster.... Those were the days!

Yes. I'm still here.

I'm not dead. I'm just the daddy of a 5 month old. Thanks for all the inquiries as to my state of being.

This little one has definitely affected my blogging time and perhaps my time to focus on Fantasy Basketball as much as I used to...But come on look at that face.

I'm going to try to start writing again soon about my abysmal season thus far and how much I hate Injuries!

Oh yeah, GO BRONCOS!