Each week, Fantasy Basketball Writer Sergio Gonzalez takes a look at situations that Fantasy owners should monitor over the course of the upcoming week. Have a look at the top storylines in Fantasy hoops and how they might affect your team going forward.
With Greg Oden done for the season, what happens to the Trail Blazers front court?
Due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Oden's brief NBA career, the Trail Blazers -- one could argue -- have a blue print for what to expect now without him.
Yes, Oden had been enjoying a breakout season and was proving to be a vital part of the Portland front court, but it isn't like the Blazers don't know what to do without him. For the better part of the last three seasons since they drafted Oden, they have had to deal without him.
The past two seasons, the Trail Blazers have relied heavily on another young big man while being unable to rely on Oden. LaMarcus Aldridge emerged as a high-end power forward in 2007-08 while Oden missed his first "rookie" season after undergoing microfracture surgery. Aldridge had a breakout season in his second NBA campaign, averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game with 1.2 blocks. He followed that up last season with 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game with a block and a steal per game. Through the first 20 games of the 2009-10 season, however, Aldridge took a step back. He averaged nearly four fewer points per game with just about every significant number outside of blocks and rebounds taking a drop.
So what has been the difference? Oden.
Oden is the only real variable in the equation when it comes to Aldridge. As Oden became a bigger factor in the low post for the Blazers this season, Aldridge's touches suffered. He averaged 15.3 field goal attempts in each of his last two seasons, but this year has averaged just under 13 per game. With Oden gone, we expect his numbers to go up and Fantasy owners should keep a close eye on him this week to see if that's the case.
But Fantasy owners should also keep an eye on other players for Portland in Fantasy Week 7 (Dec. 7-13).
On a smaller scale, Joel Przybilla could become a player Fantasy owners could enjoy increased production out of in the near future. The Blazers will have to rely on him out of the center spot and he could provide owners with some help in rebounding and blocks. He is not likely to become a regular starter in Fantasy, but his minutes will increase and he will be someone you can plug in here and there along the way.
Juwan Howard is another player who could benefit from added playing time, though his upside is limited in the latter stages of his NBA career. Keep an eye on this situation in Week 7 to see if anybody else can step up.
Allen Iverson returns to the Philadelphia 76ers this week. What should be expected?
For the first time sine Dec. 6, 2006, Allen Iverson suited up for the Sixers Monday night. What he has to offer could be a lot different than what he had to offer in his first go-around with the organization.
This week, however, we will start to find out exactly what it is that he has left.
What we do know is that whatever he has to offer will come as a starter. Coach Eddie Jordan confirmed as much Monday morning at the team's shootaround when he told reporters that he expects Iverson to remain a starter for the entire season. Iverson, at least initially, is expected to start in the back court along with Andre Iguodala.
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| Latest Gonzalez chat transcript (4/6) |
Fantasy owners should look at Week 7 as a sampling of what Iverson will be able to give Fantasy owners, but don't pass judgement on him right away. Iverson admitted to reporters Sunday that he felt winded after his first practice with the team and said that it could take him a little while to get back into a rhythm after missing an entire month of action.
Iverson certainly will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. He will be trying to prove all the naysayers who have doubted him wrong, including two of the teams he played for during his Philly leave. He will face the Nuggets and Pistons in Week 7 and if he can, he'd like to prove to them directly that he is still a player that both organizations should have kept.
We will have to see if Iverson is a player Fantasy owners can win with.
Can Donte Greene be somebody Fantasy owners can go to?
On Sunday, Donte Greene may have caught your attention by scoring 21 points against the Heat.
If he didn't, you may want to pay attention to what he does this week. Greene is starting for the Kings and he may have proven against the Heat that he can take on a significant role -- at least for the next month or so while Kevin Martin remains sidelined with a wrist injury.
Listed at 6-11, Greene isn't your typical shooting guard. He is a big man that can play the wing and is currently providing the team with an alternative to a back court of Tyreke Evans and Beno Udrih.
The Evans/Greene combination was particularly explosive Sunday night as the two players combined for 51 points.
Was it a one-game fluke or a sign of things to come? We will find out this week.
Is C.J. Watson a viable Fantasy option?
The Warriors tend to be one of the more frustrating teams in Fantasy, as erratic rotations lead to a lot of inconsistency out of their players.
However, that also leads to players like Watson being able to step up and contribute out of nowhere from time to time.
Watson has played well over the last week, getting close to 30 minutes per game. He even started Saturday when Anthony Morrow had to take a personal leave of absence. In his last four games, he has averaged 15.3 points, over four boards per game and also useful numbers in steals and three-point shooting.
Watson missed some time in November due to the H1N1 virus and was an afterthought in most Fantasy leagues, allowing him to be available in over 85 percent of CBSSports.com leagues. If he keeps up this type of production, however, we expect his ownerhip to increase dramatically.
It wouldn't be the first time Watson was useful in Fantasy either. Last season, Watson started 17 games, mostly while Monta Ellis was sidelined with a major ankle injury toward the beginning of the campaign. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists with 1.4 steals and just 1.6 turnovers per game.
If Week 7 includes more games with 30-plus minutes for Watson, it will be time to take him seriously.
What has gotten into Marc Gasol?
For the first month of the season, Marc Gasol was one of the better centers in Fantasy. Lately, he's hit a wall and it's something Fantasy owners should be a little concerned about.
Gasol averaged 14.9 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists with 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals in the month of November. Over the last week, however, he's managed just 6.3 points and 5.7 rebounds over his last three games.
The reason for the decline in production is not entirely clear.
Gasol is still getting good playing time. There's no problem there. In all three of his sub-par performances, he saw 31 minutes or more. He isn't injured, at least there is no word from Gasol or the team that he is.
However, he has seen a sharp decline in offensive touches. He has attempted no more than five shots in each of his last three games, making just four field goals combined.
Has there been some sort of shift away from getting Gasol the ball? Is he hurt? Or is he just in a slump?
The answer to these questions is likely to become clearer over the next week. Odds are that this is just a minor bump in the road. Gasol shoots the ball at a 61.4 percent clip from the field. The Grizzlies consider him one of the building blocks of the franchise and it is likely that they'll do whatever it takes to get him going soon.
But if this slump -- or whatever it is -- continues, it's going to be time to worry.
Do you have a Fantasy hoops question for our staff? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyHoops@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Start 'Em and Sit 'Em in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state. You can also now follow Sergio on Twitter ( @CBSGonzalez ) where he'll also answer questions.
