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Fantasy Thoughts - November 23rd
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We are coming off a weekend that saw a lot of NBA action. The Hornets beat the two teams (Phoenix and Atlanta) with the best records in the league in back-to-back games, which has paved the way for the Lakers to reclaim the top spot in the ESPN Power Rankings. The Lakers saw Gasol return to the lineup and back to his old form, averaging 19.5 points and 10 rebounds in the two games since his return. Also, Brandon Jennings continues to dazzle, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to an 8-3 record on the season, while playing without Michael Redd and losing starting center Andew Bogut, as well.
Hornets’ Production Without Paul – With Chris Paul being out indefinitely with an ankle injury, Marcus Thornton is becoming a viable fantasy option. He is averaging 17.6 point in his last five games, shooting 49.3% from the field and 48% from three-point range. Although Darren Collison has posted solid production with Paul out (averaging 14 points and 6.4 assists per game), I am not as high on him. He will continue to be a solid option with Paul out but I feel that as long as he continues to struggle with his shooting (41% from the field, 33% from three-point range), his numbers will be inconsistent. Also, Peja Stojakovic has seen his production increase with Paul out as well – he has averaged 19.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He has struggled to begin this year, but his numbers have improved now that he is consistently in the starting lineup due to Paul’s injury.
Overshadowed in Milwaukee? – All of the Bucks’ early season headlines have been concerning Brandon Jennings, their electrifying rookie point guard (and rightly so). However, fantasy owners can expect to start hearing more about Ersan Ilyasova, a second-year forward with the Bucks. Ilyasova is averaging 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game on the season but in his last five games those averages increase to 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. The Bucks are still playing without Michael Redd and they are now without Andrew Bogut, who will miss 2-4 weeks with a leg injury. Look for Brandon Jennings to continue to have big games for the Bucks, but also look for Ilyasova’s production to increase as well. In the Bucks’ most recent win over Memphis, Ilyasova finished the game with 18 points and 12 rebounds in 33 minutes of play.
Oden Finding His ‘O’ – I wrote previously concerning Greg Oden struggling to find his way offensively this year. Apparently, Oden has been making some strides recently to improve his offensive game. Oden has always been a viable option in the rebounding and blocked shots categories, but now he is beginning to show some consistent production on the offensive end. In Portland’s last two games, Oden has had two of his most productive games this season. He scored 16 points in both games and has made 13 of his 17 shots attempted. He is averaging 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game and is slowly beginning to develop into a number one fantasy option at the center position. Side Note – Oden is currently second in the league in field goal percentage (62.3%) and third in the league in blocks per game (2.3).
Return of McGrady – A story that has surfaced recently is the potential return of Tracy McGrady to the Rockets’ lineup after missing the season thus far due to microfracture surgery. According to some reports, McGrady could return to the lineup as early as this Wednesday versus the Dallas Mavericks. However, the Rockets have been apprehensive about adding McGrady to the lineup due to their early success. Now reports are surfacing that McGrady could potentially be moved to the New York Knicks and matched with D’ Antoni and his uptempo system. By some accounts, McGrady has made tremendous strides in his recovery and if he is anywhere close to his All-Star status, he could thrive in the Knicks’offensive style. This will be an interesting situation to keep an eye on for fantasy owners.
Tonight’s Schedule – There are four games on tonight’s schedule – SAC/MEM, MIL/SAS, CHI/POR, & MIN/LAC. There doesn’t seem to be much excitement on the schedule for tonight. I expect another big night out of Brandon Jennings with Redd and Bogut being out of the lineup, but as I said earlier, look for Ilyasova to have a good game in support. Also, expect a high scoring game in the Sacramento/Memphis matchup. The two teams combined for 243 points in their last contest, a 127-116 Sacramento win in overtime. Kevin Martin scored a game-high 48 points in that matchup and with him out of the Sacramento lineup look for increased production from the Sacramento starting lineup, whom are all averaging double figures in points per game this season.
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