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Dwyane Wade Shut Down For Season

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Multiple sources (1, 2, 3) this morning have confirmed the inevitable: the Heat’s franchise player Dwyane Wade will be shut down for the rest of the season to undergo treatment on his left knee.

The next question for fantasy owners is who should one pick up on the Heat? I like Ricky Davis a lot because he can do just about everything. In addition to that, he has been playing 40+ minutes recently because of the all the injuries Miami has sustained. Here’s a look at his numbers the last couple of games, tell me he doesn’t look like a good pickup with Wade out:

Ricky Davis (G-F)
Mar 8: 27 points [11-16, 5-7], 4 reb, 2 asst, 41 min
Mar 7: 10 points, 12 reb, 4 asst, 2 stl, 2 blk, 47 min
Mar 5: 16 points, 3 reb, 3 asst, 2 stl, 37 min

Another player that you might consider on the Heat is Marcus Banks (but he’s been bagned up and only played 10 minutes last game). If his hamstring gets better, I’d definitely look at Banks as well. He played well and hit 20 points two games in a row last week.

Happy waiver wire-ing. And as always, be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed.

To hoops,
Farid

Studs and Duds: Monday Edition

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I blame daylight savings for the Lakers loss to the Kings last night. Kobe was obviously fatigued by the time the game reached the fourth quarter and could not play to his potential. One point in the fourth quarter Kobe? That’s abysmal. Well, at least daylight savings time hasn’t affected me, so here are some players you might want to consider adding or dropping, in a feature we’re calling “Studs and Duds”.

FANTASY BASKETBALL STUDS

Thaddeus Young, SF, PHI
– Last 5 games (avg): 14 pts, 6 reb, 2 steals; 30-44 shooting
– Minutes have gone way up and this young guy can straight ball. It looks like he’ll see a lot of minutes the rest of the way

Charlie Bell, SG, MIL
– Last 5 games (avg): 12 pts, 4 asst, 3 reb, 1.4 stl; 9 3’s
– Minutes have gone up about 5 minutes a game

Joakim Noah, C, CHI
– Last 5 games (avg): 11 pts, 10 reb, 1 stl; 18-35 shooting
– Seems to have put his off court troubles with the team behind him and impressed in Week 19. I love 20 rebound games

FANTASY BASKETBALL DUDS

Michael Finley, G, SAN
– Last 5 games (avg): 6 pts, 2.4 reb; 9-41 FGs, 4-16 from 3PT
– Yesterday against Phoenix: 1 point, 0-6 shooting, 23 min
– Long seasons can wear you down–especially when you just turned 35

Antonio McDyess, C, DET
– Last 5 games (avg): 3.4 pts, 5 reb, 26 min; 6-27 shooting
– Minutes/game have decreased around 4 minutes from season average
– The man in the middle hasn’t been consistent for the Pistons lately

Brad Miller, C, SAC
– Last 5 games (avg): 7 pts, 8 reb, 2 TO’s; 14-36 shooting
– 0 and 2 points in his last two games (22 and 25 minutes respectively)
– Admits he is at a low point in the season
– Minutes have been cut drastically for the much improved Mikki Moore and Spencer Hawes

And as always, be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed.

To hoops,
Farid

Free Agent Jewels and Fools

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JEWELS

  1. Roger Mason, PG, WAS
    In his last five games he has averaged 14 pts, 2 boards, 2 assists, a block and a steal a game. Until Arenas is back (which is looking more and more questionable with each passing week), this guy may be a good substitute buy. Mason’s also been getting 5 more minutes a game than normal during this recent outburst.

  2. Joel Przybilla, C, POR
    IF you’re in need of rebounds and blocks, Joel is your man. Przybill has averaged 11 rebounds and 1.8 blocks this month (4 games) and has steadily increased his minutes from the low twenties to about thirty a game. Pick him up if you need help in these categories.
  3. Paul Millsap, SF, PF, C, UTAH
    This guy can normally get you 10 points, 6 boards, a block, a steal and decent percentages any given night. With extend minutes (like he got last night against Denver), he can probably produce more. I say monitor Millsap and see if Sloan actually gives him 25+ minutes a game. If he gets this the next couple of games, look at Millsap.
  4. Kyle Korver, SF, UTAH
    Korver has been shooting the ball lights out so far in March. In five games he’s 10-20 from beyond the 3 point arc and 21-38 from the floor overall. That’s equating to 14 points a game, along with a couple of assists. He also rarely misses a free throw. Monitor his situation as well and look to see how Sloan uses him the next couple of games. Utah has beaten Phoenix, Dallas and Denver recently and has done so with impressive offense attacks.

FOOLS

  1. Jason Williams, PG, MIA
    Only played 9 minutes in Miami’s last game. Marcus Banks and Chris Quinn have been getting more time as Riley begins his search for a marquee talent in next year’s draft. Drop him if you haven’t checked your roster for a month and you just realized he’s still on your team.
  2. Carlos Arroyo, PG, ORL
    Likewise, only played 9 minutes against the Warriors last night. With Jameer Nelson back in the starting lineup, don’t expect Arroyo to get more than 15-20 minutes a game at most the rest of the way. For fantasy managers this is killer. Drop him if you own him. Look at Nelson if he is available in your league.
  3. Sean Williams, C, NJN
    With Nenad Krstic back from injury and DeSagana Diop also getting 15+ minutes a game, not much time is left for the promising rookie. He’ll be a great sleeper next year, but for the rest of this year consider him as good as done fantasy wise.

Let us know in the comments above who you think are the real fantasy basketball “jewels” and “fools”. And be sure to sign up for our RSS feed on the way out, as well for updated fantasy basketball free agent advice.

To hoops,
Farid

End of Season Alert: Yahoo’s Max Games Played

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At the end of December, I did a comprehensive analysis of Yahoo’s Max Games Played rule. Well we’re at that time of year where if you are in a Rotisserie league, you should definitely be aware of your total games played to this point and whether you are projected to overshoot the alloted number of games in your league.

So consider this a reminder from someone who is currently tied for 1st place in a Standard Yahoo Rotisserie league, but is projected to far exceed the alloted number of games–check your max games played!

What to do if you’re reaching your max games played:

  1. Only insert a player into a roster slot if he is worthy of eating up an entire game
    This means, if you are running out of games in the Forward position, don’t start picking up sleepers in that same position from the Waiver Wires. If you have superstar Forwards already on your team, play them. The good thing about Yahoo is that if you have a player inserted into your lineup one day, but that player does not play a minute in his game, his mere presence on your roster will not count against your max games played. Unfortunately though, if a player plays even 1 min and doesn’t perform well, not only do you not accumulate fantasy stats, but a game is docked from your max games played.
  2. Be very strategic.
    So lets imagine a scenario where your quickly running out of games in the Guard position. Lets also imagine you have a team STACKED with 5 great guards. The logical response of a manager might be to keep all 5 guards on the team (because they are so good) and exceed the max games played rather early. This is terrible strategy. In this instance I would suggest DROPPING good guards for strong waiver candidates in other positions. A manager needs to keep his emotions and personal player preferences as far away from his team as he can so as to avoid making irrational decisions. So be strategic, if a player isn’t going to help you down the stretch, drop him for a player of another position and accumulate stats there.

That’s all I got for now, let me know what advice you might have for managers with max games played problems in the comments above.

And as always, be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed.

To hoops,
Farid

Fantasy Basketball Pickups By Position

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Fantasy Basketball can be hard. It’s a lot easier when you know who to pickup. It’s mid Week 19 and we thought all you tired, hard working managers would find a list of pickups by position useful. So take a break from your fantasy baseball draft and pick up some of these guys! Green is a great pickup, black is an average pickup and red is a DROP. In parenthesis is the player’s stats from last night, March 5th.

  • PG- Point Guards
    • Jameer Nelson, ORL, PG (9 pts [4-4, 1-1], 10 asst, 21 min)
      • Recovered from his bout with the flu, started on Mar 5
    • Carlos Arroyo, ORL, PG (11 pts [4-8, 1-2], 6 asst, 4 reb, 27 min)
      • Came off the bench, still seems to be productive while splitting minutes with Nelson
    • Kyle Lowry, PG, MEM (15 pts [5-12, 1-3], 7 asst, 4 reb, 1 stl)
      • Good pickup so long as Mike Conley isn’t 100%
    • Travis Diener, PG , IND (11 pts, 4 asst, 2 reb, 26 min)
      • Diener and Murray are splitting minutes in Indiana, pick one
    • Ronald Murray, PG, IND (14 pts, 5 reb, 2 asst, 1 stl, 22 min)
      • As stated above, pick either “Flip” Murray or Diener
    • Marcus Banks, PG, MIA (21 pts [7-11, 3-6], 5 reb, 4 asst)
      • Monitor his minutes–with the Heat struggling, J. Will not getting any younger, and Wade’s health always a concern, he could get a lot of minutes the rest of the way
    • Jannero Pargo, PG, NO (22 pts [9-18, 3-7], 3 reb, 3 asst, 1 stl)
      • Yeah, he plays behind Chris Paul, but the kid can straight shoot the ball and he showed it last night.
  • SG- Shooting Guards
    • Matt Carroll, CHA, SG (9 pts [2-10, 1-4], 11 reb, 4 stl)
      • Told you to pick him up earlier this week, if you did, you are happy, if you didn’t, you’re most likely regretting it
    • Luther Head, SG, HOU (14 pts [5-5, 4-4], 4 asst, 2 reb, 3 stl)
      • With Yao’s 22 points a game gone, everyone has gotten more looks
    • Maurice Evans, ORL, SG (17 pts [6-8, 2-3], 6 reb, 2 stl)
  • SF- Shooting Forwards
    • Jared Dudley, CHA, SF (10 pts [4-8, 1-2], 18 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk, 0 TO)
      • Pick this guy up if he is available in your league. That’s an order.
    • Jamario Moon, TOR, SF (14 pts [7-11], 9 reb, 4 stl, 3 blk)
      • Has been filling up the stat sheet recently
    • Ricky Davis, SF, MIA (16 pts [4-9, 1-3], 3 reb, 3 asst, 2 stl)
      • Eh, it’s Miami. Why not?
    • Mickael Pietrus, GSW, SF (3 pts [1-4, 1-3], 5 reb, 2 blk, 24 min, FO)
      • I thought he might be a good pickup, but for now, look at Dudley or Moon if they are available
  • PF- Power Forwards
    • Mikki Moore, PF, SAC (19 pts [7-9], 5 reb, 4 asst)
      • This guy is pure hustle. He can get you boards, assists, blocks and steals. Points if you’re lucky.
    • Nick Collison, PF, SEA (10 pts [3-7], 9 reb, 2 asst)
      • If you’re desperate for boards.
    • Carl Landry, PF, HOU (13 pts [5-10], 7 reb, 1 stl, 20 min)
      • Getting decent minutes and producing. Pick up Moore first though.
    • Nenad Krstic, PF, NJN (16 pts [8-13], 9 reb, 2 stl, 35 min)
      • Gambling pick. Has been injured most of the week, but could add some fantasy value if he’s consistent.
  • C- Centers
    • Andray Blatche, WAS, C (2 pts [1-10], 6 reb, 5 asst, 2 stl, 2 blk)
      • Can do a lot of things. I like him over any of these guys.
    • Kendrick Perkins, BOS, C (10 pts [4-9], 20 reb, 2 blk)
      • Perkins has gone off the last 2 games. If he’s available in your league and you need help in the position, he’s a no-brainer.
    • Rasho Nesterovic, TOR, C (16 pts [8-12], 10 reb, 2 asst)
      • Has moved into the starting lineup since Bosh has been out. Good pickup.
    • Nazr Mohammed, CHA, C (4 pts, 0 reb, 0 asst, 0 stl, 0 blk, 14 min)
      • Don’t pick this guy up yet. He hasn’t figured it out
    • Zaza Pachulia, ATL, C
      • Don’t pick this guy up ever. Mike was correct, he’s terrible.

Let me know in the comments above if you think these are wise picks. Mike and I appreciate your feedback.

And as always, be sure to sign up for our RSS feed to receive in-depth fantasy basketball analysis.

To hoops,
Farid

RookieWatch 07-08: Second Round Gems

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For the final installment of RookieWatch 07-08, we will be looking at a number of second round picks in last year’s draft who could make an impact for your team. Don’t forget to check out FBP’s detailed coverage of the first round draft class here : #1-5 | #6-10 | #11-15 | #16-20 | #21-25 | #26-30

  • Carl Landry, Houston Rockets – Selected with the first pick of the second round, Landry was a tough bruiser at Purdue who did not project well into a big man’s role in the NBA. However, by proving himself earlier this season in smaller minutes, Landry earned a bulk more playing time with Yao Ming out for the season. He can solidly contribute right now in points, rebounds, and FG%.

    Recommendation: If you need some big man help and have a bum currently on your roster, make the move right here.

  • Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Boston Celtics – Although Davis has almost no fantasy value, he has turned into a solid player for the Celtics, although I think that anyone playing alongside KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen will succeed simply because no one will be guarding him. Big Baby does not produce a lot of stats but has a lot of presence. Too bad there isn’t a total weight category in fantasy basketball.

    Recommendation: Funny nickname, thick guy, move on.

  • Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies – I think the only reason he is relevant is that he was part of the trade for his brother. Maybe the Grizzlies got sentimental and decided they needed at least one Gasol on the team. I don’t think the Lakers minded giving him up for the good one. Maybe Marc can develop to be like big bro in the next few years.

    Recommendation: If your season is lost, pick him up and pretend he is Pau Gasol.

  • Aaron Gray, Chicago Bulls – No I did not just put him on the list because he plays for the Bulls. I think he is something that the Bulls need and lack, a low post presence. Sure he is incredibly unathletic. But earlier this year, he was producing about a point/minute and shooting really well from the field. But it is just like the Bulls to give him some playing time, have him succeed, and then let him sit on the bench.

    Recommendation: Email Jim Boylan to Free Aaron!

  • D.J. Strawberry, Phoenix Suns – D.J. is the son (get the pun?) of former baseball knucklehead Darryl Strawberry, and he has somehow broken into the Phoenix rotation by offering hustle, defense, and athleticism. But lately, with the acquisition of Shaq and Phoenix floundering a bit, Strawberry has become reacquainted with his spot on the bench. But at least if his NBA career fails, he has a pretty rich daddy.

    Recommendation: If you are considering him, your season must be done.

So as we can see, there are not many gems in the second round. You will occasionally find that solid NBA player and very rarely that star that can make an impact on a team. But mostly, the second round is full of NBDL players whom you’ve probably heard of in college but will never see in basketball again. Let FBP know in the comments above what you think about these prospects.

And as always, be sure to sign up for our RSS feed to receive in-depth fantasy basketball analysis.

Mike
Senior Writer

Week 19 NBA Fantasy Pickups

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With only 3 more weeks left in standard Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Head-to-Head Leagues and managers still battling for playoff position, I thought I’d take a shorter-term focus and look closely at 5-8 players that I think are primed to do particularly well in NBA Week 19. I used two excellent tools from Fantasy Basketball Monster–its Schedule Grid and its NBA Ease (Team Difficulty) Rankings— in conducting this analysis.

  1. Matt Carroll (Cha, G-F)
    Consider three points that illustrate why many of the Bobcats’ young players are strong pickups this week. Point 1: Jeff McInnis was waived on Friday. Point 2: Gerald Wallace is out recovering from his fourth concussion with the Bobcats. Point 3: Coach Sam Vincent has said: “We want to look at our young guys in tough situations, see what we have.” What does all this mean? Players like Matt Carroll are going to get ample playing time to prove what they can do. Even better, the Bobcats are playing 4 games this week and the competition isn’t particularly fierce: @ Min on Tue, GS on Wed, Atl on Fri, @ Was on Sat.

    Strong recently. Carroll in particular has been particularly strong of late, showing what he can do with more minutes. He started at shooting guard Friday night against Boston and played a season-high 36 minutes, scoring 16 points on 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc, with 4 boards, a steal and a block. He scored 19 the game before on 8-11 shooting. This guy can flat out shoot the 3 and doesn’t seem to have much of an Achilles heel.
    Owned in 1.8% of leagues.

  1. Nazr Mohammed (Cha, C)
    Began starting in February after significantly improving his game in January, Mohammed has been an inconsistent player all season. But with the new look Bobcats with fewer and fewer options, Nazr has been getting some quality playing time (7-10 more minutes a game than his season average, the last 3 games) and has been doing a fine job on the glass and shooting from the field.

    Easy competition? Fantasy Basketball Monster rates the 4 team’s the Bobcats will be playing this week as particularly “easy” to score against (fantasy-wise) if you are a Center–so pick up Mohammed if you’re in need of a big man this week!
    Owned in 6.0% of leagues.

  2. Mickael Pietrus (GS, G-F)
    Golden State is playing a relatively easy FOUR games this week, as well. Their opponents (Miami, Charlotte, Orlando and Atlanta) are relatively “easy” to score against from the Forward position (especially Miami), so Mickael Pietrus is an ideal pickup for those looking to improve in points, 3PTRs and steals.

    Amazing game on Friday. Pietrus’ last game epitomized efficiency. In only 22 minutes Mickael scored 23 points (yes, more points than minutes played) on 7-7 shooting (3-3 from 3ptr) along with 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block.
    Owned in 1.5% of leagues.

  3. Jared Dudley (Cha, F)
    As if Carroll and Nazr weren’t enough, I’ll put my neck on the line even further this week and say Jared Dudley is a third strong pickup from the Bobcats. Dudley isn’t a prolific scorer, but can give you production in nearly all categories. His minutes rose substantially in February amid the chaos in Charlotte described above. The minutes are only increasing further in early March.

    Most recent game. 9 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals in 27 min.
    Owned in 0.2% of leagues.

  4. Fabricio Oberto (San, C)/Kurt Thomas (San, F-C)
    I packaged these guys together because I can’t decide who’s the better pickup this week. So I will let you decide! The facts: Oberto has started for the Spurs, but isn’t putting up amazing stats. Thomas was brought over from Seattle to do just that, but Gregg Popovich has been extremely hesitant in changing up his rotations (this has affected Damon Stoudamire as well). I’m optimistic Thomas will get more minutes in Week 19 because the Spurs are playing four games this week against teams that love to run: Indiana, Denver, New Jersey and Phoenix. I’m also optimistic either of these two has the potential to do really well because the aforementioned team’s DO NOT PLAY DEFENSE. Pop’ will have to begin breaking in Thomas this week if San Antonio wants to do well.

    K. Thomas this year. 7 points, 8 rebounds a game.
    Owned in 15.3% of leagues.
    F. Oberto in February. 6 boards a game, 58% shooting from the field.
    Owned in 0.2% of leagues.

  5. Chris Webber (GS, F-C)
    When he returned to the NBA, Webber said to give him 5 games or so before judging him. Well I’ve given him eight and it hasn’t been pretty CWebb (you can see my incorrect predictions here). BUT despite the initial struggles, I am still confident Webber will begin producing the conditioned he becomes. Week 19 would be the perfect week for him to elevate his game because of the “weaker” Eastern Conference competition (Mia, Char, Orl, Atlanta) and the fact that Miami and Charlotte both poorly defend Forwards of the opposing team.

    Signs of improvement? In his last game against Philly, CWebb had 8 points (4-6 shooting), 7 boards and 3 assists in 18 minutes of play.
    Owned in 4.0% of leagues.

  6. Zaza Pachulia (Atl, F-C)
    I’ll admit this one is a stretch–Zaza Pachulia has been an inconsistent player this season coming off the bench. But amid the troubles in Atlanta, he’s still the 2ND GUY coming off the bench after Josh Childress. And not only that, but the Hawks play Golden State, Miami and Charlotte before a tough game against New Orleans this week. Those three team’s defend terribly against opposing Centers and give up a lot of points. Zaza’s not looking so bad this week after all.

    The 2 sides of Zaza. In his best game recently, Zaza had 12 points and 12 boards against the Clippers. In his worst game (his last), he scored 0 points in 12 minutes.
    Owned in 0.5% of leagues.

Let Mike and I know in the comments who you think is a good pick up this week and if you agree with those listed above.

For weekly pickups until the end of the fantasy season, subscribe to Fantasy Basketball Pros’ RSS feed.

To hoops,
Farid

NBA Injury Report: Wallace, Roy, Butler, Arenas

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Here is your end-of-the-month Fantasy Basketball Pros Injury Report. Recently the NBA has lost Yao Ming and Daniel Gibson to devastating injuries. The good thing about injuries (sorry to those that are actually injured) is that it makes fantasy a lot more volatile and fun. If you’re thinking about picking someone up, consider a player from a banged up team like Portland or Washington.

  1. Gerald Wallace
    Continues to experience post-concussion symptoms and is scheduled to see a neurologist later in the week to undergo a new battery of tests
    Expected return: About a month
    Expected fantasy impact upon return: Lower production. He’s saying he may have to alter his game upon return (this guy has had 4 concussions)
  2. Brandon Roy
    Roy: “Hopefully it’s just a sprain and nothing more. Once we get the MRI, I’ll know what to tell you. I’ve been doing treatment two or three times per day, and it’s getting worse instead of getting better.”
    Expected return: Not for at least a couple more games/one week UPDATE 3-1: he’s back
    Expected fantasy impact upon return: No expected change

  3. Caron Butler
    Didn’t go on the last road trip. Apparently he is resting instead of rehabbing. UPDATE 2/28–apparently Butler has a tear in his hip and it’s very unclear what his timetable for return will be.
    Expected return: Probably late next week Wait and see
    Expected fantasy impact upon return: Slightly less production. Fewer offensive numbers if Gilbert actually returns
  4. Gilbert Arenas
    Agent Zero played a full-court one-on-one against rookie Nick Young before Washington’s game vs. Charlotte on Feb 23. His left knee is gaining strength, but he backed off his earlier target of returning against New Orleans this Sunday.
    Expected return: Definitely after Mar 2nd
    Expected fantasy impact upon return: 75% less production across the boards, but also depends on health of Butler
  5. Elton Brand
    Claims he can jump as high as he could before he was injured. Will resume full-contact practice in the near future.
    Expected return: Still a couple weeks at the earliest
    Expected fantasy impact upon return: Don’t expect much. The Clips are almost certainly out of the playoff hunt and they’ll be looking for a good lottery pick and a healthy Brand for next year. His minutes will be severely limited.

For more injury updates, subscribe to Fantasy Basketball Pros’ RSS feed!

To hoops,
Farid

RookieWatch 07-08, Fantasy Analysis of the First Round Picks

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As the trade deadline passes, teams are still looking for contributions from new sources, and this may come from rookies as we continue RookieWatch 07-08 with picks #26-30, the last of the first round. You can also check out Fantasy Basketball Pros’ analysis of the rest of the first round picks here: #1-5 | #6-10 | #11-15 | #16-20 | #21-25

  1. Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets – A streaky guard from Oregon, Brooks showed signs of stardom in college but may be too small to make an impact in the NBA. Brooks has been unable to get anything more than garbage minutes for the Rockets this year, but has shown some proficiency in handling the ball and shooting free throws. Still, with the acquisition of Bobby Jackson, it seems that Brooks’s role diminishes even further.

    Recommendation: Ignore Brooks, consider Jackson if you need 3-point shooting and he is getting solid minutes in a strong rotation.

  2. Arron Afflalo, Detroit Pistons – A key cog in the UCLA teams that made two consecutive Final Fours, Afflalo fell to the late first round due to inconsistent shooting and unimpressive physical features. He has battled fellow rookie Rodney Stuckey for minutes, and this has caused both players to have minimal value (unless you can own both players with one roster spot). Afflalo will keep getting about 10-15 minutes/game the rest of the season, but it will not be enough to get you any type of stats.

    Recommendation: See if the commissioner will allow you to own a combination of Afflalo and Stuckey.

  1. Tiago Splitter, San Antonio Spurs – If anyone knows how to draft foreign players, it’s the Spurs, who have picked up Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in previous drafts and have the best international scouts in the NBA. Is Splitter the next in line of the great international Spurs players? Well, we will not find out until at least 2008, since he is serving out the rest of his contract with TAU Ceramica of the Spanish League. He has great size and raw ability at 22 years old, and if he plays for the Spurs, he can learn from one of the greatest power forwards ever.

    Recommendation: Keep an eye on him next season. For now, pretend he does not exist.

  2. Alando Tucker, Phoenix Suns – A strong contender for the Naismith Award as a senior at Wisconsin, Tucker just did not project well to the NBA since he is 6-6 but plays mostly a post game. He has only played in 5 games with the Suns this year and really does not fit their style well at all, so he has been running in the NBDL. This was really a wasted pick by the Suns: not much upside and the wrong player for the system.

    Recommendation: Will never make an impact in the NBA, so why would he help your team?

  3. Petteri Koponen, Philadelphia 76ers – The fifth and final international player selected in the first round, Koponen was traded to the Portland Trailblazers on draft day for Derrick Byars and cash considerations. Currently, he is playing for Espoo Honka of the Finnish league and has made great strides in international tournaments. Seems like a player that could develop into the Steve Nash mold, except not nearly as good. Sounds like he would have looked good at the 29th pick…

    Recommendation: Try to get Steve Nash instead.

As is normal, the end of the first round produced no players with any impact this year. However, my guess is that Splitter and possibly Koponen will become solid NBA regulars in a few years.

Mike
Senior Writer

Fantasy Sleeper: Mickael Gelabale (Seattle)

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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.

For more Fantasy Sleepers, subscribe to Fantasy Basketball Pros’ RSS feed.

To hoops,
Farid