Year: 2008

Fantasy Sleeper: Mickael Gelabale (Seattle)

ff2715 http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, supersonics

Keep an eye on the up-and-coming SF/PF of the Seattle SuperSonics, Mickaël Gelabale. He’s probably not a pickup just yet, but have him on your watch list. Especially if you are in a deeper league/keeper league.

Gel-who?
Gelabale has been up at Triple-A (the D-league) Idaho working on his game, but watch out for him the second half of this season if you’re in need of points and rebounds. As he showed tonight against the Lakers, this guy can flat out shoot. In 32 minutes (against what has become probably the best team in the league*), Gelabale scored 21 points (10-16) and grabbed 8 boards. With veteran Kurt Thomas gone from the front court and Kevin Durant’s freshmen year shooting woes continuing (4-13 tonight), the Sonics will be doing a lot of experimenting. Gelabale has always had trouble putting “two halves together” (P.J. Carlesimo), but if he plays like he did tonight and like he did against Portland last Friday (12 points on on 4-6 shooting), he’ll definitely be in the lineup for the Sonics.

UPDATE 3-1-08: After the return of Earl Watson to the starting lineup on 2-29, Gelabale only logged 12 minutes, shooting an atrocious 1-8. Expect Ridnour and company to log more minutes and for Gelabale to see less production. Although, I will keep monitoring the Sonics, as they are a very volatile team right now.

Gelabale’s Bio
I had to do some digging to find out that Gelabale was selected by the SuperSonics in the second round (48th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft but opted to play in the Spanish League that next year before joining the NBA. In July of ’06 he officially signed with Sonics. An interesting fact about Gelabale: he’s got some crazy hair, apparently it measures an astounding 47″ around.

Also, Kobe was ejected for the first time ever in the Sonics-Lakers game tonight.

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To hoops,
Farid

Winners and Losers: 2008 NBA Trades and Signings

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So with the trade deadline passing at 3PM yesterday and a flurry of blockbuster trades and signings in 2008, it is time to look at the winners and the losers. First, here are the major moves made by the contenders in 2008:

February 21: In a 3-team deal, the Cavs get Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Joe Smith, and a future 2nd round pick, the Bulls get Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Shannon Brown, and Cedric Simmons, and the Sonics get Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall, and Adrian Griffin

February 21: In a 3-team deal, the Hornets acquire Bonzi Wells, the rights to Sergei Lishouk, a 2nd round pick, and Mike James, the Rockets acquire Adam Haluska, Bobby Jackson, and the Grizzlies acquire Marcus Vinicius and the rights to Malick Badiane

February 20: The Spurs receive Kurt Thomas from the Sonics for Brent Barry (who may be waived), Francisco Elson, and a future 1st round draft pick

February 19: The Mavs acquire Jason Kidd, Antoine Wright, and Malik Allen from the Nets for Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Trenton Hassell, the rights to Keith Van Horn, Maurice Ager, 2 first round draft picks, and cash

February 16: The Hawks get Mike Bibby from the Kings for Shelden Williams, Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, and Lorenzen Wright

February 6: The Suns receive Shaquille O’Neal from the Heat for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks
February 4: The Nets get Stromile Swift from the Grizzlies for Jason Collins and cash

Februrary 3: The Spurs sign Damon Stoudamire for the rest of the season

February 1: The Lakers acquire Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie, the rights to Marc Gasol, and 2 first round picks

January 29: The Warriors signed Chris Webber for the rest of the season

December 29: The Utah Jazz receive Kyle Korver and a first round pick for Gordon Giricek and a first round pick

WINNERS:

Shaq: Now playing with a chip on his shoulder, not to mention moving from the worst team in the league to one of the best, Shaq is revitalized and should be a solid 2nd center in most leagues.

Wally’ World: Szczerbiak now becomes the premier 3-point shooter in Cleveland, at least until Daniel Gibson returns from injury in a little over a month. Anyone’s fantasy stats would increase with Lebron James

Big Ben: Hopefully a change in scenery will allow the big man to regain the passion he had in Detroit, not to mention the possibility of meeting his former teammates in the later rounds of the playoffs

Utah Jazz: With the addition of Kyle Korver, the Jazz have been unstoppable, and everyone’s fantasy stats have seen a rise due to the extra room Korver creates from being one of the most dangerous long-distance threats in the league

Los Angeles Lakers: The Pau Gasol deal was the biggest steal in recent memory, and Kobe doesn’t seem to mind having a new running mate in the big Spaniard. When Andrew Bynum returns from injury, watch out for the new Twin Towers

Mike Bibby: He was the last remnant of those great Kings (or as Shaq called them, the Queens) teams earlier in the decade, but it was definitely time to move on. He can hopefully bring the playoffs to a struggling franchise who needs the ball-handling and shooting ability Bibby provides

LOSERS:

Memphis Grizzlies: This team packed it in early and has decided to rebuild around Rudy Gay and Mike Conley, but can you really tell me that is the best package Pau Gasol could have brought back?

Shawn Marion: I personally think his stats will take a bit of a tumble in Miami without Steve Nash and that system. Not a good move, especially since he is looking for that big contract. Fantasy-owners who took him in the top 3 are now regretting their decision.

Dallas Mavericks: I just do not see the Jason Kidd deal working. I think that Devin Harris is on the verge of being just as good, and Kidd is 35 years old. It is true that playing with a true point guard will help Dirk and Josh Howard, but I think this is the FOURTH best team in the West

Western Conference Fringe Teams: If you are the Rockets, Warriors, Blazers, or Nuggets, you cannot like the fact that you essentially could not improve your teams while the top of the West got stronger.

Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons: Sure they can battle it out for the East, but Cleveland may be a bit stronger to contend and how can they expect to win a championship now?

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Mike
Senior Writer

Three Team Trade Brings Ben Wallace to Cavs

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Cleveland GM Danny Ferry finally pulled off a deal to try to appease star Lebron James before the 3 PM deadline, brokering a 3-way deal with Central Division foe Chicago and the Seattle SuperSonics.

Cleveland gets: Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith, and Delonte West

Chicago gets: Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, and Shannon Brown

Seattle gets: Donyell Marshall, Ira Newble, and Adrian Griffin

This surprise has come as a shock to many people. Everyone knew Ferry was looking to deal and try to light a fire under an underachieving Cavs team, but it seems that this was the best deal available. Still, I really do not like the deal for any of the teams. But this deal hinges upon many things. Can Ben Wallace find the motivation to be a standout defender again? Can the new pieces in Cleveland and Chicago gain chemistry to make a playoff push?

The fantasy impact seems mostly beneficial for a lot of the players involved. My guess is that Wallace will gain the passion he played with in Detroit now that he is with Lebron James, and will become a rebounding a blocks machine while getting easy baskets due to King James. I think that Szczerbiak is the main winner in the deal. He will get the majority of the open 3-point looks that Lebron causes, especially since Daniel Gibson has had a few injury problems. Pick him up off waivers in your league if he is available! Joe Smith and Drew Gooden should see similar roles and minutes seeing how they really just switched roles. A lot of the Cleveland players may see a bump in fantasy stats, but they lose some perimeter defense in Hughes and Newble and it may actually make them a worse defensive team.

The Bulls had to take in a contract after shipping off the mistake known as Ben Wallace. It turns out to be chronic overachiever Larry Hughes, who will probably see less fantasy value because he becomes congested in the backcourt filled with Ben Gordon, Kirk Hinrich, and Thabo Sefolosha. Each of these players may lose some value due to shared roles. The rest of the players in the deal, except possibly Drew Gooden, who can hopefully become the post presence the Bulls have never had, really have no fantasy value. On Seattle’s end, it really is another white flag, with the shipping off of a few more veterans.

Thus, this might be a big splash that does not really have much real impact, fantasy and actual, for any of the teams involved. It might be the case where the grass looks greener on the other side.

Mike
Senior Writer

RookieWatch 07-08, #21-25

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As a break to all the trade news, we present you with the next installment of RookieWatch 07-08, with picks #21-25 of the 2007 NBA Draft. Don’t forget to check out the fantasy analysis of first round picks #1-20 here: #1-5 | #6-10 | #11-15 | #16-20.

  1. Daequan Cook, Miami Heat – The third and least famous member of that Ohio State freshmen class (all with agents Mike Conley, Sr.), Cook surprisingly opted to leave the Buckeyes after one year and joined the Heat as a 3-point specialist with untapped ability. Cook was one of the reasons the Heat let Jason Kapono (the 3-point champion) leave, but he has faltered in his first season, even with adequate playing time. He is shooting under 30% from threes and under 40% overall, although he could help with FT % (over 90%, but does not attempt many). Recently, with the acquisition of Shawn Marion, it seems that Cook has been buried deep on the bench and even with the Heat out of contention in the lowly East, may not see many minutes the rest of the way.

    Recommendation: Look elsewhere for 3-point shooting help.

  2. Jared Dudley, Charlotte Bobcats – A four-year player at Boston College, Dudley was an absolute star his senior season, but did not have huge upside and fell to this part of the first round. Dudley has not adapted quickly to the NBA, and with superstud Gerald Wallace ahead of him, struggles to see consistent minutes. Recently, he has been able to score, and if he sees regular action, may actually be able to help in both FG and FT percentage, steals, and rebounds. However, with just about everyone in the thick of a playoff race in the East, Dudley may not get his fair share of minutes down the stretch.

    Recommendation: Keep an eye on him. Too solid a player to ignore if he gets the minutes.

  3. Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks – Leaving DePaul after his sophomore year, Chandler rose into the first round due to his length and athleticism, which made Isaiah Thomas draft him over more established college forwards. So far, Chandler has been unable to break a surprisingly deep Knick rotation. In fact, he has barely played all season. There is no reason to think that will change since Thomas really likes his current rotation (another reason he should be fired as coach).

    Recommendation: Simply ignore. Will continue to be raw potential

  4. Rudy Fernandez, Phoenix Suns – Fernandez actually had his rights traded to the Portland Trailblazers along with James Jones for cash. He is not expected to play in the NBA until at least the 2008-2009 season, since his contract with Joventut of the Italian League is until 2011 (which means expensive buyout).

    Recommendation: Pick up if you want to finish in last place.

  5. Morris Almond, Utah Jazz – A pure scorer, Almond was truly a wildcard coming into the draft, having played at a weak college school. However, with the emergence of players such as Ronnie Brewer and a midseason trade for Kyle Korver, Almond has not played much this year (has not seen minutes outside practice since early January). Although he has the length that teams love (reminds me a bit of Thabo Sefolosha of my Chicago Bulls in size), he is not developed enough to log minutes during an intense playoff race.

    Recommendation: Keep moving along.

So it seems that none of these later first round picks have panned out, which usually happens. But keep an eye on Dudley. I think he will one day turn into a decent NBA player.

Keep up with Fantasy Basketball Pros by subscribing to our free RSS feed!

Mike
Senior Writer

Kidd Traded to Dallas: Take Two

ff2715 mavericks, nets, trade analysis

So it looks like a different deal is now in the works between the Dallas Mavericks and New Jersey Nets for Jason Kidd. With the announcement of the first deal and its subsequent fall-out, you knew it was just a matter of time before this deal would get done (trade deadline is this Thursday, by the way).

REVISED KIDD DEAL!

  • Dallas gets: Jason Kidd and Malik Allen

  • New Jersey gets: Devin Harris, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager, retired forward Keith Van Horn, Trenton Hassell, two first round picks, and $3 million

I always love it when they pay guys who are retired just so salaries match up. It really is a ridiculous notion. So Van Horn, who has been retired for a year and a half, will now either get a shot with the Nets (who actually drafted him) or will be paid to do nothing. How do I get that gig?

Seems like a better deal for the Mavs now that they can keep Stackhouse (although he was coming back in 30 days anyways) and basically lose Hassell. I still cannot believe they are giving up Harris for a 35-year-old guard, but Mark Cuban has been itching for a title ever since it was stolen from him by Dwayne Wade.

The fantasy implications are still the same since the major pieces did not change. You can read about them here.

Other Recent Trades and their Fantasy Impacts

As always, breaking trade analysis can be found here at FBP. Sign up for our RSS feed to receive updates in your favorite reader.

Mike
Senior Writer

Want The Pros to Evaluate Your Roster?

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Today marks the launch of Fantasy Basketball Pros free fantasy basketball roster evaluation service. Just send your fantasy basketball roster to farid@fantasybasketballpros.com and either Mike or I will respond (typically) within 72 hours with our thoughts and analysis of your team. As of right now The Pros can only accept one roster per person, but we may expand this in the future.

Have a Pro Analyze Your Roster by submitting the following:

  • Complete team roster
  • League type (H2H or Roto)
  • League specifics (how many players in each position, etc.), not standard Yahoo league
  • Your team’s current standing in the league
  • Any special information about the league

To hoops,
Farid

Bibby Traded to the Hawks for 4 Players

ff2715 hawks, kings, trade analysis

Those perennial losers the Atlanta Hawks, currently tied with New Jersey and Philadelphia for the 7th spot in the East, have made a big acquisition, getting point guard Mike Bibby from the Sacramento Kings for Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright, and a 2008 second-round pick. The main part of the deal is Williams, who has been in the doghouse this year in Atlanta, but the Kings also gain a lot of payroll flexibility since the other players all have expiring contracts.


Any owners who have Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Josh Childress, Acie Law, or Bibby are thrilled by the acquisition. The Hawks, besides becoming a legitimate contender for the playoffs in the East, now boast one of the best backcourts in basketball. Bibby, although predominantly a scorer, will bring another ball-handler and outside presence to the Hawks, which will open up the offense and allow Johnson, Williams, Smith, and the rest of the lineup more open looks. By trading away two point guards, the Hawks are also committing themselves to rookie Acie Law at backup point guard, and with Bibby’s injury history, will gain much more consistent playing time. It seems this move is great for the Hawks and anyone who owns their players.

On the other side, the current Kings will also benefit from more shots. Francisco Garcia and John Salmons, who received significant playing time due to early injuries to Bibby and Ron Artest, will receive more minutes and have proved themselves as consistent performers. Brad Miller has had a great year and should continue to do so without Bibby. However, the one player this seems to hurt mightily is Ron Artest, who will no doubt complain about this “white flag” trade (in parentheses since the Kings are definitely not in contention anyways, so they really gave up months ago) and demand his own exit out of Sacramento. While the other players may be able to play through this loss, it seems that fantasy-owners may have to deal with headaches until Artest is gone, too.

Although it may seem like the Kings got nothing substantial in the deal, in reality, this should be a win for both teams. The Hawks get their starting point guard and an outside presence (beyond Johnson) and the Kings get flexibility to rebuild. I don’t think Popovich will complain this time since Bibby is now in the East.

Also, for more NBA breaking news subscribe to FBP’s RSS feed.

Mike
Senior Writer

Devean George Blocks Kidd Deal With No-Trade Clause!?!

ff2715 mavericks, nets, trade analysis

According to ESPN, Devean George will exercise his rare no-trade clause to block a proposed blockbuster trade that would have sent Jason Kidd to the Dallas Mavericks. We chronicled the trade and its fantasy impact on FBP earlier today , but apparently it is NOT going to go through.

Summary of today’s events:

  1. New Jersey and Dallas agreed to the deal in principal earlier today
  2. They were set to take the trade to the league first thing tomorrow
  3. Devean George informed the Mavericks he wouldn’t accept the trade
  4. According to the Dallas Morning News, Mark Cuban was asked if he thought the trade would go through and he responded: “No, I don’t think so”
  5. Avery Johnson also had this to say about trades in general: “[many trades] get to the 20-yard line, inside the red zone, and don’t get into the end zone”

So it looks like this deal isn’t happening just yet. My belief is that some sort of deal gets done in the end, with or without George (talk about an important piece of puzzle <–sarcasm). Why the heck does George have a no-trade clause anyway? I mean sure he’s a veteran now and I know he “won” (more like sat around and was gifted) 3 championships while with the Lakers, but this is absurd.

I’d be interested to hear from our readers in the comments what they thing will happen with this situation–will Kidd eventually find his way to Dallas?–if so, for who?

Also, for more NBA breaking news subscribe to FBP’s RSS feed.

To hoops,
Farid

Jason Kidd Traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Harris, Stackhouse

ff2715 mavericks, nets, trade analysis

The Dallas Mavericks have apparently countered the trades for Pau Gasol and Shaquille O’Neal by acquiring future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and Malik Allen from the New Jersey Nets for budding young guard Devin Harris, Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, DeSagana Diop, Maurice Ager, two first-round picks, and $3 million. It was an extremely steep price to pay for Kidd, especially considering what the Lakers paid for Gasol (doesn’t look like Gregg Popovich will rip into this trade like he did with Pau’s).

The fantasy impact for the remaining Mavericks is all positive. Not only do they add one of the greatest pure point guards to play the game, Dallas has also gutted almost all of its depth, and Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and Jason Terry will all see increased minutes and productivity. Erick Dampier becomes a definite pick-up with the dismissal of Diop, and Brandon Bass all of the sudden becomes one of the first guys off the bench. Expect this unit to mesh quickly and perform well.

On the New Jersey side, they got exactly what they have been looking for the past 2 years. It seems holding out on trading Kidd worked out since they gained the young heir-apparent in Devin Harris as well as two expiring contracts (George and Diop), which will give them financial flexibility. The future draft picks and Maurice Ager seem to just sweeten the pot. The only odd name in the deal seems to be Stackhouse, as he was the sixth man for Dallas and New Jersey
seems to have little need for him (although they still technically are right in the middle of a playoff race). Harris should return after the All-Star Break and will take the minutes that were supposed to go to Marcus Williams (so do not pick up Williams). Harris becomes one of the better options for the Nets, and Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter will take a few more looks, although losing a point guard like Kidd will hurt a lot. Diop gains minimal fantasy value, while the others in the deal have no fantasy impact.

Thus, it seems like another win today sacrifice tomorrow deal that may work out for Dallas. Fantasy-wise, it seems that the entire Dallas rotation will benefit, while Harris may gain more minutes and production while Carter and Jefferson, both adept at creating their own shot, will see very little change.

The Fantasy Basketball Blogsphere’s take
Did Dallas “purge their roster with a high cost?” ArmchairGM thinks so. FanIQ still thinks the Suns and Lakers are better than the Mavs. National Lampoon Splog! shows us an interesting picture of Kidd.

For more NBA breaking news and it’s fantasy impact, subscribe to FBP’s RSS feed.

Mike
Senior Writer

You’re Addicted to Fantasy Basketball If…

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  1. You root against your favorite team to cheer for your fantasy players
  2. You know all of the positions David Lee is eligible for (SF, PF, C)
  3. When someone goes down with an injury you don’t pray for their speedy recovery, you thank god it wasn’t someone on your fantasy team
  4. The number of moves you’ve made in a H2H league is greater than your team’s total number of wins
  5. You call anything worse than a top 3 finish in a league a “rebuilding year“
  6. You start a blog about fantasy basketball (oh wait, that’s me)
  7. You don’t need a free Yahoo Stat Tracker, you manually log the performance of your players each night
  8. You have Google Calendar events remind you when certain players should be returning from injury
  9. You watch the Celtics/Spurs game only to see if you should pick up Fabricio Oberto
  10. You scout the college basketball scene for next year’s possible sleepers
  11. Give Me The Rock is your home page
  12. Your spouse complains you don’t get enough exercise
  13. You check your team at work, at school, at the library, on your iPhone, in the shower, or wherever there is an internet connection
  14. When Phil Jackson benches Kobe early because it’s a blowout, you scream at the television because of the fantasy impact
  15. Last year as commissioner of your league you did more than David Stern has done for the NBA in the last 5 years
  16. You have 5 Yahoo accounts and only use them to play fantasy basketball
  17. You know the number of 3PT’s separating you and the 1st place team in your roto league

Hope you enjoyed. Have any of your own? Add them to the comments below!

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To hoops,
Farid