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Fantasy Thoughts - NBA Opening Week, Day 7
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Last night was the last day of the NBA’s first week, even though I think Saturday ended their Opening Week festivities. There were only five games on last night’s schedule and despite there not being any real exciting action, I dug deep to find some things to discuss.
Questions in Memphis – The Memphis Grizzlies made a controversial free agent signing this offseason by signing 34-year old Allen Iverson. The move was a gamble considering the lack of success that Iverson had last year in Detroit. Iverson missed the first three games of the season with a hamstring injury but returned last night to score 11 points off the bench in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Sacramento Kings. Right Now, Iverson is considered a gamble as a fantasy option in my opinion. Does Iverson have anymore good seasons left on his 34-year old legs? What will his role be in Memphis, starter or sixth man? Will he be happy with a sixth man role and be able to give consistent production off the bench? Will he cause problems if he is not satisfied with his role or his amount of playing time? It seems like those questions are being answered after one game – I read something this morning saying that he is already unhappy with his role.
Kmart is Underrated – I’m not talking about the department store. Instead, I'm talking about Kevin Martin in Sacramento. Even though the Kings will not win a lot of games, Martin scored 48 points in their first win of the season last night. He has battled with injuries over the past two seasons, but he has proven to be a capable scorer in this league. If he continues to stay healthy, he should be among the league leaders in points per game – he is currently averaging 31 points per game.
Wallace’s 20-20 – The Charlotte Bobcats and the New Jersey Nets played a low-scoring game last night with the Bobcats winning 74-69. However, that didn’t stop Gerald Wallace from having a big game with 24 points, 20 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block. Although, Wallace has been a strong rebounder from the SF position throughout his career, he is currently third in the league in rebounding, averaging 14 rebounds per game to go along with his 15.8 points per game. These are impressive numbers on the early season, but that is not the most interesting stat for Wallace. Through the first 4 games of the season, Wallace does not have an assist while shooting only 33% from the field. I've heard of shooting yourself out of a slump but collecting an assist every now and then wouldn’t hurt.
Addition by Subtraction – The Utah Jazz were hit with injuries prior to the season with Kyle Korver and CJ Miles both having surgeries that will keep them out for a period of time. Also, Matt Harpring hinted at retirement and last I checked he was doing some analytical work for NBA TV. These developments have opened up more minutes for Ronnie Brewer in the Jazz lineup and he has responded through their first three games, averaging 17 points per game. As long as Miles and Korver are out, Brewer should be a solid offensive option for the Jazz and his production should remain steady – especially since he is playing for a contract extension at the end of the year.
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