When the Grizzlies sent Pau Gasol to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, the lyrics to Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace's favorite song and an autographed Kobe Bryant jersey, Gregg Popovich was not amused.
"What they did in Memphis is beyond comprehension," the ticked off Spurs coach told Sports Illustrated. "There should be a trade committee that can scratch all trades that make no sense."
Clearly, Popovich has never been in a Fantasy hoops league. After all, what's a Fantasy league without a trade that makes everyone not involved in the deal madder than Bob Knight at a referee convention with no chairs to throw?
|
|
| Mike Miller has had a great year, but will he finish it in a different uniform? (Getty Images) |
But Fantasy owners should be thinking about the debris left in Memphis in the wake of the most lopsided deal since Michael Jackson traded in his human face for whatever the heck it is he is wearing these days.
A quick glance at the current starting lineup in Memphis doesn't make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Rookie Mike Conley at the point, Mike Miller at shooting guard, Rudy Gay at small forward, Hakim Warrick at power forward and Darko Milicic at center.
And why should it?
Conley is inexperienced and has been banged up for a good part of the season. Miller is a trade away from going from primary scoring option to role player on a better team. Warrick and Milicic saw their stock peak on their respective draft days. Aside from Gay, a second-year breakout Fantasy stud in the making, there doesn't appear to be much promise here for the second half.
Look closer.
Warrick has come on strong in the last two games since joining the starting lineup. He followed a 24-point, 13-rebound game Tuesday against Sacramento with 23 points and eight rebounds Wednesday night against Philadelphia. Those two performances should buy him more than a few more starts.
And Milicic has also upped his production sans Gasol. Despite a scoreless clunker Wednesday at Philly, Darko has produced at the level of a solid No. 2 Fantasy center over the last couple of weeks. He was averaging 11.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in his previous six games.
Their recent success isn't due only to the departure of Gasol, though. The departure of Stromile Swift to New Jersey also helped to free up minutes that are now being divided among Warrick, Milicic and the much less threatening Jason Collins.
The Grizzlies may not be done trading yet, either.
There is a lot of talk that the team may be looking to move Miller to a team that needs an outside shooter, freeing up a shooting guard spot for Juan Carlos Navarro. The Spanish rookie has been a pleasant surprise for Memphis and for Fantasy owners this season when given ample playing time -- mostly at point guard.
Navarro has proven to be a sharp shooter, though, who is more comfortable off the ball as a scorer than as a playmaker. He's averaging just 2.2 assists this season, but has scored in bunches. If given a more prominent role, he could flourish in the second half.
In case you haven't noticed ... Charlie Villanueva had taken over for Yi Jianlian in Milwaukee at power forward, but Villanueva's bad luck continued Monday when he sprained his ankle. He's likely going to be out until after the team returns from the All-Star break, so Yi will have a chance to win his job back. Villanueva, who is available in 48 percent of leagues, was averaging 16.8 ppg and 10.5 rpg in four games prior to getting hurt and seems to have better upside this season than Yi as far as this season.
Add 'Em
Marcus Williams, G, Nets
Owned: 27 percent of leagues
Analysis: Williams will get a boost after all, but it will be short lived. The trade that will never end will at some point send Jason Kidd away to Dallas, but will also bring back Devin Harris, who will become the team's starting point guard when he recovers from his ankle injury by some time in late February. That means Williams will return to a backup role, but not before he can give Fantasy owners at least a week and possibly two weeks of starting at the point. His 11 points and five assists Wednesday are a jumping point.
Dorell Wright, F, Heat
Owned: 37 percent of leagues
Analysis: He's playing his best basketball of the season, averaging 16.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg and 2.6 apg over his previous five games going into play Thursday night. He was playing well even before the trade that brought Shawn Marion to Miami, but he's played even better in the last two games alongside him. While he's a great add in Fantasy leagues while he's this hot, you should understand that his Fantasy appeal is likely short lived as well. Unless the Heat trade Udonis Haslem, -- which is unlikely at this point -- he is expected to return to the lineup at power forward with Marion moving over to small forward. That means that Wright will move to the bench, becoming erratic again.
Al Thornton, F, Clippers
Owned: 56 percent of leagues
Analysis: Thornton had 24 points with nine rebounds, an assist and a steal Wednesday against Washington and has scored at least 18 points in four straight games. He appears to have replaced Tim Thomas in the starting lineup and his contributions in scoring and rebounds have made him a candidate to become a second-half hero. Add him now if he's available, but be aware that the return of Elton Brand in March could have a negative effect on his Fantasy appeal. A trade of Corey Maggette would do him a lot of good.
Drop 'Em
Jose Juan Barea, G, Mavericks
Owned: 3 percent of leagues
Analysis: We told you to avoid him, now we're telling you to drop him -- or at least keep avoiding him. The trade that will send Kidd to Dallas will once again make Barea a lightly used backup and Fantasy owners can safely cut ties with him.
Jarrett Jack, G, Trail Blazers
Owned: 56 percent of leagues
Analysis: Here's a situation where we told you to add a player and now we're telling you to drop him. He was a decent, short-term option while Brandon Roy was out and he put together a pretty solid Fantasy period last week, but now Roy is back and Jack scored a combined 10 points in two games this week. We love his upside, but the minutes just aren't there right now.
Damon Stoudamire, G, San Antonio
Owned: 21 percent of leagues
Analysis: He wanted a trade. He got it. What he isn't getting is much more playing time in San Antonio than he did in Memphis. Even with starter Tony Parker out with an injury, Stoudamire is finding it hard to beat out Jacque Vaughn for minutes. That's not good.
Avoid 'Em
Chris Duhon, G, Bulls
Owned: 19 percent of leagues
Analysis: He's back in the starting lineup, but we've seen in the past that means very little with Duhon. He's one of those players who doesn't translate minutes into much Fantasy production and his recent 34-point, nine-assist game sans Kirk Hinrich was followed by a combined 16 points and 13 assists in his last two games. Hinrich is back and will end up taking away minutes from Duhon soon. Stay away.
Fred Jones, G, Knicks
Owned: 14 percent of leagues
Analysis: Jones scored in double figures Wednesday at Boston for the fifth straight game with Nate Robinson out due to injury. No Robinson and no Stephon Marbury has resulted in a chance for Jones to stay on the floor when Isiah Thomas would have pulled him out in other instances. There has been nobody to pull him out for, though. Robinson returned from his upper respiratory infection Wednesday and will regain his minutes.
Watch 'Em
Erick Dampier, C, Mavericks
Owned: 27 percent of leagues
Analysis: Should the Mavericks-Nets trade get done, Dampier will be getting a rise in playing time with backup DeSagana Diop headed to New Jersey. Dampier is the opposite of a player like Duhon in that he makes the most of his Fantasy minutes. As Jamey Eisenberg noted in his latest Fantasy Stockwatch, Dampier is averaging 8.4 points and 8.1 rebounds in games that he receives 29 minutes or more. Those numbers won't make him a Fantasy star, but he will likely become a reliable No. 2 Fantasy center.
Antoine Wright, G/F, Nets
Owned: 7 percent of leagues
Analysis: Wright is on the other side of that proposed Nets-Mavericks deal. He was inactive for Wednesday's blowout loss at Toronto because the team was expected to ship him to Dallas in a separate deal for a second-round draft pick. Wright would fill the void left by Jerry Stackhouse as a scoring swingman off the pine. Stackhouse has said that he would seek a buyout so that he could return to Dallas, but that may not be allowed by the NBA and it also would result in him not being able to return for a month. Wright would give the Mavs an explosive player off the bench and would become a decent low-end Fantasy starter if that's the case. It's worth keeping an eye on.
Have a burning question regarding Fantasy Basketball? We invite you to send your questions, comments and scouting reports on players to: dmfantasyhoops@cbs.com. Please include your full name, city and state. You'll have the chance to be heard by thousands of Fantasy players just like yourself!
