Headlines from the Hardwood - 02/25
This weeks Headlines from the Hardwood looks at the players that will benefit from trades that went down at the trade deadline as well as the top 10 fantasy ballers from this past week.
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Trade Fallout – The Winners:
Kurt Thomas – Power Forward/Center – Spurs – Thomas moves to a team that needs his services in the post. He should get the majority of minutes over Fabricio Oberto and may contribute a double-double statistical line with strong percentages and decent defensive numbers. He has very limited upside. But, you could do worse for a short-term filler at center.
Beno Udrih – Point Guard – Kings – Udrih resumes his role as the Kings starting point guard with Mike Bibby going east to the Hawks. Just in case you forgot, he is averaging 14 points and 5 assists as a starter this season.
Marcus Williams – Point Guard – Nets – The good news, Jason Kidd has left town. The bad news, Devin Harris has arrived in town. Harris will be out a couple of weeks recovering from injury. That will give Williams ample time to audition for the starting point guard job.
Antoine Wright – Shooting Guard/Small Forward – Mavericks – Wright has two things to be grateful for. One, he no longer has to compete with the uninspired duo of Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson for minutes. Two, he is out of New Jersey. Wright could contribute in steals, assists, and rebounds if given 28 to 30 minutes a night. That is not as far fetched as it sounds as the Maverick may start Wright to save the aging legs of Eddie Jones and Jerry Stackhouse for the playoffs.
Trade Fallout – The Losers:
Andris Biedrins – Center – Warriors – Biedrins’ stock is not affected by a trade, but the signing of Chris Webber. Biedrins has not only lost his starting gig to Webber, but some playing time as well. He is really foul-prone, so the drop in his value can not all be attributed to the Webber signing. He is also very young and is a nice buy low candidate for keeper leagues.
Josh Boone – Power Forward/Center – Nets – The Nets have been in search of good big men since the days of Derrick Coleman. While the lot of “bigs” they have now do not have the talent – or nearly the waistline – of Coleman, there are a lot of them. Adding DeSagana Diop to Boone, a recovering Nenad Krstic, the recently acquired Stromile Swift, and rookie Sean Williams makes the front line rotation pretty crowded. There is a large possibility that there will be an open audition at the four and five spot in New Jersey for the rest of the season. If that is the case, then all involved will have diminished fantasy value.
Boris Diaw– Power Forward/Center – Suns – If Shaquille O’Nealcan can stay healthy and if he can play 30 minutes a night, then Diaw’s role and minutes will be minimized for the Suns. But those are some pretty big “ifs”. Diaw’s steals and assists from the center spot can be value. However, his production is too volatile to rely on.
Jarrett Jack – Guard – Blazers – Why is Jack on this list? He has not been traded, has he? The Blazers have not made a trade, right? Well, there is the problem. Jack would have benefited greatly by a move out of Portland. He has moved into the starting lineup recently, at the two-guard spot, at least on a part-time basis. His shooting is too inconsistent to play big minutes at the off guard spot and there are too many options on the bench for Jack to be worthy of a roster spot right now.
Acie Law – Guard – Hawks – Using simple math, you can deduce that Law has a chance of more playing time. Two point guards leave (Tyronn Lue and Anthony Johnson) and one came back in a trade (Mike Bibby). However, beating out Lue and Johnson for minutes is different than beating out Bibby. Law may see some gain in value, but loses a chance to become a truly viable fantasy option.
Top 10 Fantasy Ballers as of Week 16:
RANK LAST WEEK
1. Chris Paul (2)
2. Kobe Bryant (3)
3. Amare Stoudemire (4)
4. Shawn Marion (1)
5. Marcus Camby (5)
6. Baron Davis (6)
7. LeBron James (8)
8. Dirk Nowitzki (7)
9. Chauncey Billups (9)
10. Allen Iverson (UNRANKED)
NO LONGER RANKED LAST WEEK
Caron Butler (10)
There are certainly some surprises in this latest shakeup in the Fantasy Basketball rankings. Shawn Marion has lost the tp spot, and fallen down three spots to fourth overall. Many fantasy owners expected his value top rise with Miami, however, the poor shooting totals have had a definite negative impact. Kobe Bryant can now rest easier with Pau Gasol helping him out, which explains his jump to the two-spot. Amare Stoudemire seems to be enjoying his time with Shaq in the paint. His improved jump shot makes him the team’s best scorer, even though Shaq has been attracting all of the attention. Marcus Camby’s magical season continues, even though he’s been swatting more blocks than making baskets recently. Allen Iverson once again appears in the top ten, thanks to his solid passing and scoring with Carmelo back healthy and Kenyon Martin playing his best basketball in years.
By Fantasyfanatics.com Lead Expert Rob Shaw and Brian Wagoner
This article was written by:
Ryan McNeill - who has written 200 posts on Hoops Addict.
Ryan McNeill is the editor for Hoops Addict and has appeared on NBA XL and WSRQ 1220. Ryan has covered the NBA with media credentials since the 2007 season.