First off, apologies for the less-than-usual updates at FBB this week. Y’know, we’ve got real jobs in addition to being fantasy basketball gurus, and sometimes those interfere. Although I think yesterday was our first weekday without a post in a very long while. In any case, expect us to get back to regular speed next week, with all of the best ways to get advantages down the stretch. BV is out of town on business (sounds fancy, eh?), so I’ll take over his Weekend Preview, for one time only.

When We Were Kings
Remember the good old days of … January? The Kings were one of the most reliable teams in fantasy land, with each starter a great fantasy option. Sure, Chris Webber was missing a game here or there with his usual Chris Webber-related lameness, but for the most part, you could plug those five guys in and not think about it. But my, how the times have changed. Aside from the man, the myth, the Mike Bibby, it’s been a tumultuous time for the Kings. There was of course the big C-Webb trade. There was Peja Stojakovic’s month-long battle with his hamstring. Then Cuttino Mobley’s back starting getting cranky and Brad Miller was hit with a … calf contusion? That’s a bruise. Peja is back, at least in as much that he is active. He’s played in four straight, but has shot just 38% in those four contests. With Kenny Thomas tending to a personal matter, the Kings basically played five players in their last game against Memphis, with Darius Songaila, Maurice Evans and Brian Skinner serving as the benefactors. While you already know that day-to-day is basically a myth, at this point in the season, with players very worn down and coaches wanting to make sure everyone’s at 100% for the playoffs, players will always get a little extra time to heal. Watch the box scores for the Kings’ games tonight against the Clippers and Sunday against the Rockets to see if anyone comes back. Brian Skinner has blocked 14 shots in his five starts and is probably gone by now, but if people keep believing that Miller will be back any day and he’s still out there, fix that.

Game of the Weekend: Saturday, Denver @ San Antonio
George Karl certainly deserves lots of credit for the Nuggets’ turnaround, but he walked into a great situation. The team was clearly underachieving, and even if there was no coaching change, they were bound to play better. Combine that with an easy schedule (Indiana is the best team they’ve beat in their last five), and a change of fortunes was almost inevitable. Still, the Nuggets are right in the thick of the hunt for the 8th seed in the West, and this game could serve as a first round preview. Keep an eye on new addition Wesley Person, who has made an immediate impact. After playing just one minute in his first game, he has averaged 21 in his last two, going for 14.0/3.5/2.0 with 2 3s. Owners desperate for 3s will really want to pay attention, because when Person is in there, it’s for one reason only, and that is to shoot. He’s taken 23 shots in those 42 minutes. Obviously a small sample size, but that’s an astounding rate.

But while it means a ton to the Nugs, it doesn’t mean all that much to the Spurs. By sitting Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan out in that marquee matchup against the Spurs, Gregg Popovich has signaled that he will be overly cautious the rest of the way, even with Phoenix and San Antonio deadlocked atop the West. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili have been the most banged up and could – not definitely – see reduced time. That’s of course a ton of production to miss, and it makes Devin Brown an interesting option. He’s seen 36 mpg in the last two, and is a good source of points, steals and rebounds (for a guard) when he gets time.

Today we’ll take a look at a few personal favorites who for various reasons are seeing increased playing time. Monitor them; they could help you this year, but they could really pay dividends next year.

Matt Bonner
Here’s one rookie that has flown way under the radar, but is certainly one to keep an eye on. He was a second round pick by the Bulls back in 2003 but didn’t make the team and instead went and dominated in Italy. Now back in the States he’s been an incredibly solid bench performer for the Raptors. In 18.2 mpg he’s gone for 7.4/3.4/0.5 with a truly remarkable 54.6% from the field to go along with 84.5% from the line. He also throws in 0.3 3s, 0.4 steals and 0.3 blocks. With the Raptors coming to grips with being lottery-bound and also with the fact that Donyell Marshall is a goner, Bonner has started to see some increased PT as of late, at the expense of Marshall. After seeing 30+ minutes just once all season, he’s seen 30+ in each of the last three games and has averaged 12.3/5.7/1.0 with 1.7 3s while maintaining his excellent shooting, at 59%. Even if Bonner doesn’t crack the starting lineup next year, he’s someone to keep an eye on as he could offer similar value to Marshall, offering a little bit of help all over the board.

Andres Nocioni
Since I saw him in person earlier this year, I’ve developed a strange fondness for Nocioni. Maybe it’s the fact that his shaggy hair makes it look like he’s always hustling, but I like what he can bring to the table. And that – similar to Bonner – is a nice, well-rounded game. The biggest difference between the two is that Nocioni shoots a very lame 40% from the field, which is bad. But with Luol Deng out, Nocioni has shows over the last three games that he can at least be a decent source of rebounds and the occasional, 3, steal or block. In those three he’s at 10.7/8.0/2.0 with little help in the other cats. Not much to write home about, but if Deng continues to sit out, Nocioni With foreign players we sometimes expect them to not go through rookie struggles, but it’s important to remember that Nocioni is a rookie, and he could certainly show improvement next year. Still, that doesn’t do much to clear up the crowded rotation in Chicago.

Kwame Brown
Yes, Kwame Brown. With the Wizards decimated by injuries, Kwame has had a chance to start the last five games. I’ll be the first to admit that his 8.0/10.0/1.6 line (on 37% shooting, no less) is far from inspiring, but you should still keep an eye on him. Even in last night’s game, where he shot 0-for-8 from the field, he flashed the potential that made him the #1 pick. Yes, after four years you’d hope that he’d be past the point of simply flashing potential. But remember that he’s been hurt much of the year and is just rounding into shape. You can see how active he’s been on the boards, and him and the vastly-improved Brendan Haywood have a certain chemistry. I’m not saying it will happen, but if I were Eddie Jordan, I’d keep Kwame in the starting lineup the rest of the season. Antawn Jamison is much better off as a SF, and Jared Jeffries just can’t handle playing the 4 in the NBA right now. Going with a lineup of Brown and Haywood would give them two 7-footers. For now, Kwame is a fine source of boards and not much else. But don’t forget that he was a pretty consistent 15/10 player the second half of last year. Yes, this just might be wishful thinking from a Wiz fan, but expect the Wiz to re-sign Kwame this off-season and for him to be a fantasy contributor next year.

Back in the days when Chris Webber was playing in Washington, there was a part of the USAir Arena which was dubbed “C-Webb’s Crib”, and I guess he had a small group of seats there for kids or something. I loved the name, because not only was ‘crib’ an incredibly hip term (this was like 5-7 years before MTV Cribs), but also because Webber had a tendency to act like a baby all the time. Now, almost a decade later, Crib the word may have lost its edge, but Webber’s ability to cry about everything is still going strong.

It didn’t even take five games for Webber to start crying about his role in Philadelphia. He’s seen his minutes cut, and he is not happy about it one bit. According to Webber, “I’m still a great player … I thought I was to coming into a situation where I would be utilized as the player that I was.'’ Well, here’s some news for you, Chris. If you were playing like a great player, maybe you wouldn’t see your minutes cut.

Webber’s numbers, regardless of his minutes, have been horrendous since moving to the Sixers. It’s tough to criticize his falling points or other cumulative stats, because of the fewer minutes. But the inefficiency that he has shown on the court during those reduced minutes has been startling. Only once in his seven games has he shot over 40% from the field – despite a career 48.6% average before arriving in Philly – and right now he’s at 34.5% as a 76er. His assist-to-turnover ratio has also plummeted, from a somewhat respectable (for a power forward) 1.89 to a horrendous 1.03.

Knowing Webber’s ability to get downtrodden pretty quickly, this is a dangerous couple of weeks for his owners. It’s too late to try and trade him – although his value couldn’t possibly be much lower right now. So you’ll just have to wait and see how his “knee” (i.e. “ego”) holds up through the booing from Philly fans.

Cheap Rebounds Alert

What’s that? You’re in the market for a 35-year old 7-footer who hasn’t been effective in three years? Well, boy, are you in luck. Because Dale Davis has posted double-digit rebounds 2 games in a row filling in for the injured Jermaine O’Neal, and might – might – have some value right now. There hasn’t been much news on O’Neal’s progress with his sprained right shoulder (to this owner’s chagrin), so Davis might continue to see about 30 mpg for the foreseeable future. Look for him to settle closer to maybe 8 rebounds a game, but if you’ve got games available at center, and need rebounds, you might want to look at picking up Davis for the short-term. He’s going to hurt you in points, and might help a bit in blocks, but strictly from a rebounds standpoint, he’s cheap and reliable.

Remember all those little minor injuries you’ve had to deal with over the past few months? You know - the sore knees, the strained elbows, and the jammed fingers? Well, now is the time to cash in on all those games you missed out on. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in fantasy basketball is to not use all of your available games. If you end up 3 rebounds out of first place at the end of the year, but you’ve got 2 games available from your center position, well, you won’t get any sympathy from me.

Now, in an ideal world, if you’ve got 5 games to spare from a position, you wait … wait … and then over the last two weeks, do a flurry of lineup shuffling, and all of a sudden you vault up the standings into first place thanks to all the games you play over the last 2 weeks. It’s like a last-minute sneak attack. The problem is, it doesn’t always work out as well as you planned. Over the last couple weeks, players will sit out games unannounced, minutes start getting crazy as the second stringers might see a lot more time, and it’s generally impossible to predict who’s going to do well on a given night, unless their team in a battle for a playoff spot.

So rather than wait until the end of the season to take advantage of those games, you’re better off making your move now, while playing time is still relatively predictable, but there’s also a decent amount of ticky-tack injuries that are opening up opportunities for players who are likely on your waiver wire. Earlier in the year, it wasn’t recommended to pick up a guy who might only have one or two decent games, but now things have changed. So now, it’s probably worth starting a guy like Rasho Nesterovic for a game while Tim Duncan is out, even if you have to drop one of your bench players to make it happen. A rotating bench spot can be pretty advantageous at this point in the year.

Are Things Clearing Up in Memphis?

Ha, of course they’re not! But if Mike Miller misses any time after getting banged up at the end of last night’s game, they could. Bonzi Wells has already been placed on the IL, and if Miller sits as well, that means both Shane Battier and James Posey become instant starters for your fantasy team. Battier is likely owned in almost all leagues at this point, but Posey should be available in most leagues. Remember, Posey was one of this year’s biggest question marks after he exploded in the second half of last year for 17 points, 5.9 boards, 1.4 3’s and 1.9 steals. Well, this year he hasn’t nearly lived up to those numbers. But with a possible injury opening things up for him, Posey could have another strong finish to the year.

Helping figure out PG situations for the rest of the year, but thinking a bit about next year.

Gary Payton is back in Boston, and picked up right where he left off. He was a little rusty in his first game back, but was back to normal yesterday. Delonte West will still see increased minutes, but it’s very safe to drop him now. Certainly keep him in mind for down the road, though. All things equal, I’m not sure there’s another player I’d rather have for the last month or so than Allen Iverson. He’s gunning for the playoffs, gunning for an MVP, and has been the top fantasy player over the last month, anyway. Enjoy the ride, but don’t make a mistake and pick him in the first round next year. Jason Kidd has certainly slowed down since his vintage early-February, but is still #32 on the 15 Day Rater. As long as the Nets are still in the hunt – and with every team in the East falling apart, there’s no reason that shouldn’t be the case for at least a couple more weeks – he’ll continue to see big minutes and put up big numbers. The Nets will try to get him some off time during blowouts, like they did on Saturday. Another controversy-free week from Rafer Alston, but he’s averaging just 4.7 apg since the All-Star break, which is not getting it done. Probably just a blip. On the other hand, Stephon Marbury has had at least 12 assists in three of his last five. Hopefully you bought low during his rough stretch a few weeks back, because he’s going to be his studly self from here on out.

The Pistons PG situation is business as usual. It might be smart to knock Chauncey Billups down a notch or two for next year with Carlos Arroyo around, because there’s just no need for him to see much more than 35 mpg. The Cavs are a mess, and Jeff McInnis is suffering along with everyone else that isn’t LeBron or Big Z. He’s not been nearly the same player he was in November and December, so don’t expect a complete bounce back. Don’t worry about Kirk Hinrich seeing a combined 47 minutes in losses to the Rockets and Spurs. One was a 30-point blowout, and the other was the monthly “Scott Skiles sends a message to his starters” game. Hinrich responded nicely with 24/4/3, 3 3s and 3 steals the next night. Chris Duhon missed a good chance to put up some big numbers, averaging 36.7 mpg in the last three, but good for just 4.0/5.0/3.3 with 0 steals, but a solid 1.7 3s. Don’t act surprised; it is Chris Duhon. With Jermaine O’Neal hurt and Jamaal Tinsley still out, Rick Carlisle mercifully dumped Anthony Johnson from the starting lineup in favor of Fred Jones. He’s probably gone by now, but if not, get Jones right now. You remember some of those games he had post-brawl. He’ll be an excellent source of points, 3s, assists and steals, and might even help your percentages, too. The 7 Day Rater isn’t always reliable, but he’s #28 on there, and should be in all lineups “until Tinsley returns.” Post-deadline Mo Williams is looking like 17.6/4.2/8.8 with 1.8 steals and 0.6 3s on 54% and 89%. Yeah, that’s pretty nice. He’s #17 on the 15 Day Rater. That might be asking a bit much, but no reason he shouldn’t stay in the Top 50.

Right on cue, I trade for Damon Jones and he cools off big time. He’ll still put at up at least 4 3pg, and that’s probably why you have him, so just hope they go in. His back problem isn’t keeping him out of the lineup, so that’s good. The Wizards are depleted with injuries, meaning even with Larry Hughes’s return, Gilbert Arenas has seen 43.7 mpg in the last three. Word is that he’s fighting a knee problem of his own, which you can see in his FG% more than anything else, 38% in his last three. Doubtful that he’ll miss time, but get used to the possibility of him being a top-15 player rather than a top-5 player. Jameer Nelson is officially entrenched. 17.3/3.7/5.3 with 2.0 steals and 0.7 3s in 40.3 mpg in his last three, all Magic victories. He should be a top 10 PG the rest of the way with Doug Christie out of the way, the Magic fighting for the playoffs, and Nelson with relatively fresh legs. I told you to keep Jason Hart on speed dial. With Brevin Knight’s ankle acting up again, Hart’s back in the starting lineup and should see even more minutes with Kareem Rush out. He’ll rack up assists and steals, should throw in a few 3s and if he’s lucky will approach 15 ppg. Tyronn Lue is still the starter in Atlanta, but Boris Diaw of all people is showing signs of life and is eating into his time. Probably a situation to avoid.

If Tim Duncan is to miss a few games, then expect Tony Parker’s numbers to get a slight bump. He averaged 21 ppg in the two that Timmy missed last month. It was a pretty good week for Jason Terry, although we know that doesn’t mean much when it comes to how this week will be. Although with Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Erick Dampier all hobbled, his chances of being productive are much better. Mike James had his first not amazing game since coming over from Milwaukee yesterday. He won’t keep up the insane pace he was at, but those three game numbers (23.0/3.0/5.0 with 3.7 3s and 2 steals) were peak Gilbert Arenas numbers, so you know that. He’s still a great option until Bob Sura returns. It will be extremely interesting to see how Jeff Van Gundy handles the situation then. Same old thing in Memphis. If Earl Watson leaves Memphis in the offseason, it will be interesting to see if Jason Williams can become a more consistent game-to-game contributor. It’s been a rough couple games for Dan Dickau, but Speedy Claxton didn’t do much to distinguish himself either. Nobody except P.J. Brown or someone named Jackson Vroman has seen more than 31 minutes for New Orleans in the past four games. This is bad news for everyone involved. Except “Jackson Vroman,” of course.

Luke Ridnour had a nice game against Detroit, but in the last four he’s at 8.0/1.8/4.8 with 1 steal and 0.8 3s. That’s good for #174 on the 15 Day Rater. Ouch. Antonio Daniels could be an interesting option if he gets a starting job next year. He could put up very similar numbers to Andre Miller. Speak of the devil, he’s back to sucking, with 3.5/2.5/7.0 in his last two. The Nuggets are winning, and at least he’s getting his assists and steals. Hope for the best, that’s all you can do. Someone somewhere (probably many people) has/had both Jamaal Tinsley and Sam Cassell. Sorry, folks. Sebastian Telfair looks to be a starter for the rest of the year, and put up a very nice 18 points, 7 assists and 3 steals on Saturday. He’s worth grabbing, but keep in mind the following: 1) That game was against the Suns, when the Blazers scored 116 points, 23 above their season average, 2) Zach Randolph was out, and when he’s back, Darius Miles could shift to SG sometimes with Damon Stoudamire at the point, 3) Telfair is unlikely to shoot much over 40%, 4) He won’t get too many 3s, 5) With Portland out of it, look for walk-year guys like Stoudamire and Shareef Abdur-Rahim to try and boost their own numbers. Temper expectations for Telfair and hope for healthy numbers in assists and steals. Keith McLeod had his good game for the week. Actually, this late in the season, if you’re down games at PG or just need assists, you may as well plug him in. That’s the best I can say for him.

Don’t be surprised to see Steve Nash see closer to 30 mpg than 35 mpg for the last month. That’ll still be more than enough time for him to rack up assists, but he’s certainly not a top-15 player. Oh, Mike Bibby. You’re such a dreamy fantasy player. He’s #7 in the past 15, up to #11 overall. Like I said, he might be worth that last first round pick next year. Chucky Atkins is #59 overall on the Rater, right ahead of Ben Wallace, Carlos Boozer and Antawn Jamison, just like you predicted it would be at the beginning of the season. He’s had a couple of off nights, but is still plenty reliable. Rick Brunson is now in the same league as Keith McLeod, maybe not even that good. If you need to make up games at PG and need assists, he’s probably the best that’s out there. Baron Davis is an explosive, exciting player, but the man cannot shoot. HE CANNOT SHOOT. He’s at 31% since getting to Golden State, in large part because 37 of his 61 attempts have been from behind the arc. It’s nice for his owners that he’s hitting 1.8 per game (and rising), but I saw him play against the Wizards on Friday and he took the ball to the hoop maybe twice. Derek Fisher is staying on the floor, seeing 38.8 mpg in his last four, but he’s had two very good games and two bad ones. It balances out to 12.8/3.3/5.8 with 1.8 3s and 1.3 steals, which is fine, just fine.

Boy, this was a rough weekend. There were tons of little injuries and flare-ups, and huge warning signs all over the place. One league of mine, which generally sees about 5 or 6 moves in a weekend, had 13 separate waiver wire transactions involving 22 players on Saturday and Sunday. So you KNOW there was some action going on in the “L” this weekend. Let’s try to recap:

Major/Minor Injuries

There were plenty of minor injuries to major names this weekend. Yesterday, Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley sat out and the Mavs responded with a season-low 69 points (their previous low this year was 80). Sacramento played without Brad Miller and Cuttino Mobley, but managed much better as they defeated the Pistons by 15. Tim Duncan sat out the last half of the Spurs’ victory on Sunday, and might miss Tuesday’s game against the Nets. Antawn Jamison left the Wizards’ game early on Sunday with a sore knee. Ah, the second half of the season. Players are breaking down, games are becoming less important for certain teams, and you’re going to see a lot of unannounced missed games for your players. You’re going to have to simply work through these, though. Don’t be afraid to start a lesser player on your bench when you know a starter of yours is going to miss a game.

What’s going to be much more important than these minor injuries to stars, though, is how you react to the more major injuries, and the clusters of injuries that are happening to certain teams. For example, the Wizards are facing injuries to Jarvis Hayes and Jared Jefferies, and now that Jamison is having injury issues, Kwame Brown and Brendan Haywood become much more valuable as the default 3rd and 4th scoring options. They are both great plays this week. Their opponent on Saturday, the Bobcats, are going to be without Brevin Knight for at least a couple of games, meaning Jason Hart will also have great value this week.

Other injuries that should have you scanning the waiver wires include:
· Luol Deng’s bum ankle keeping him out of Chicago’s rotating lineup for a couple weeks.
· Jamaal Tinsley’s continual injuries of one sort or another killing his value for the season.
· Zach Randolph and Ruben Patterson missing time, giving Shareef Abdur-Rahim unexpected value.
· Doug Christie proving that the Magic, as we suspected, pretty much gave away Cuttino Mobley for absolutely nothing.

Tim Thomas Alert

Did you make it through the trading deadline without getting suckered in to trading for Tim Thomas? I’d hope so. He’s on one of his classic, “Look! I can have value!” runs right now, but don’t be fooled. He might be available in some shallow leagues, but you shouldn’t be thinking about picking him up. Sure his points can look nice every once in awhile, but when you have a small forward who doesn’t get 4 boards, or even 2 assists, or a steal, or a block, well, that’s a big problem.

So the trading deadline is over. Hopefully you’ve made all the little tweaks you needed to make to your roster (or big tweaks), and now it’s time to sit back and relax, and watch some basketball. Right? Pfft! As IF. There’s always plenty to keep your eye on, and this weekend will be no different. Whether it’s certain teams’ rotations like I discussed the other day, or certain players like DM mentioned yesterday, there’s all sorts of fun going on. In fact, there’s so much that we’re gonna pick a game from every day this weekend that you guys should be checking out.

Friday
Indiana at Portland, 10pm EST

Of course, in all the trade talks I’d had over the past few days, Jermaine O’Neal was my one untouchable player. Unfortunately, he was much more touchable on the court (don’t take that the wrong way). He sprained his shoulder on a drive to the basket and could be out for quite a while. So there goes 19.8 FGA per game for the Pacers, meaning Stephen Jackson, Freddie Jones and Reggie Miller will be counted on for more scoring. On the other side of the ball, keep a close eye on Sebastian Telfair, who has the most promise of all of their yougsters, and should get more playing time under new coach Kevin Pritchard. Also watch the minutes slip away for Stoudamire, Van Exel, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and all the other ‘good’ players on the Blazers. They’re competing with the Raptors for being the worst-run team in the league.

Saturday
Philadelphia at Atlanta, 7pm EST

So things haven’t gone smoothly for Webber so far in Philly. Trust me, this is no surprise. But this could be where things completely fall apart in Philly. His 29.8% field goal shooting aside, the Sixers are already concerned about his ability to play in back-to-back games. After his horrendous night against New Jersey after playing in Milwaukee the night before, you can’t blame them. Saturday, the Sixers head to Atlanta after hosting LeBron and the Cavs the night before. Webber’s ability to a) play in this game, and b) play WELL in this game will have a great effect on his numbers over the rest of the year. Atlanta, meanwhile, looks like they should hand the reigns back to Tyronn Lue after Boris Diaw nearly committed as many fouls (5) as points scored (6) in 32 minutes during Lue’s 1-game suspension.

Sunday
Phoenix at Seattle, 9pm EST
OK, I guess one ‘fun’ game out of three is ok. If there was a run n’ gun in the NBA, this is the game that would feature it. Here’s something to consider, though, while watching. Are Jim Jackson and/or Walter McCarty really going to be able to provide that much help come crunch time in the playoffs? Because last night’s production against posisble Finals opponent Detroit (combined 25 minutes, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3P, 2 reb, 5 assists, 1 TO, 2 pts) does not bode well.

As my FBB cohort said yesterday, he thinks it’s too early to start focusing on specific categories. I, on the other hand, disagree. With just over a month left, it is going to be hard to make up ground in the standings, and you have to identify those places where you can. Most lineups will be full every day, as teams will be racing to use the games that they have accumulated do to injury or other circumstances. This is going to make it even tough to gain ground, and almost impossible in the three big categories of points, rebounds and assists. Nothing’s out of the question, and if there’s a team using both utility spots on point guards, then yeah, they might be able to make up some ground in assists, but unless you are within 50 assists, 100 rebounds or 200 points, you are probably going to stay put.

So what to do? You’re trading deadline has probably passed, so you’re stuck with what you can find on the waiver wires. But that’s not all bad. Here are some guys that might be able to help you in those specialty categories.

Stromile Swift was quite possibly dropped as he’s missed the past 4 games with a sprained ankle and it sounded like he was going to be out a lot longer. While they are saying that he’s now day-to-day, we all know what that means. Still, he’ll be back way before Pau Gasol is, and even though Brian Cardinal has been playing some inspired ball in his absence, Swift should work his way back into the starting lineup eventually. Cardinal has earned some his PT, but Swift is a more natural big and should see his minutes when capable. Don’t forget his numbers in his last 11 games, all starts: 15.1/5.5/1.1 with a very nice 1.3 steals and 1.9 blocks. Those steals and blocks – especially getting those steals from a “big” spot – are enough to make a difference of possibly a point or two. If he’s sitting out there and you afford to have him sit on your bench for another week or maybe even two, his upside is worth the risk.

Brendan Haywood was a pleasant early season surprise, but his November numbers were by far his best of the year. Once Etan Thomas came back, Brendan’s play suffered, as he averaged 30.7 minutes in November, but then 26.6, 25.9 and 25.1 in the three months since then. But with the Wizards hit with a new set of injuries to Jared Jeffries and Jarvis Hayes, that’s leaving Antawn Jamison to play most of his minutes at the SF spot and giving Haywood a chance to re-establish himself, which is exactly what he’s done. In his last three games, Haywood has seen 31.3 minutes and has gone for 12.7/7.7/1.0 with 2.0 steals and 1.3 blocks. It’s those steals that stand out. In fact, Haywood is averaging 1.8 steals in his last 6 games. It could be a fluke, but Haywood is starting to earn Eddie Jordan’s trust in the fourth quarter, especially after he hit two huge free throws and a fadeaway jumper of Yao Ming down the stretch last night. He’s definitely someone to take a look at if he’s out there.

Get ready for a blast from the past … Anfernee Hardaway. I’ve made frequent mention about the Knicks backcourt situation and the good things it means for Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford. But that means Penny is seeing minutes, too. In fact, he saw 29.1 in February, which isn’t too shabby. He’s not going to do too much for you, but he can get some steals. He has 6 in the last two games and averaged 1.2 last month. Not a huge number, but if you’re fighting in that category down the stretch – and in my league 8 steals is the difference between 6 points and 9 points – you can use every advantage possible.

Jumaine Jones flirted with fantasy relevance when Kobe Bryant was out, but never really got going. Since Kobe came back he’s been over 30 minutes only twice and has been under 20 minutes four times. But he is out there for just one purpose now, and that’s to fire up 3s. Since Kobe’s come back, Jones has taken 50 shots. 31 of them have been 3s. So even though he’s seeing barely 20 mpg, he’s still launching close to 4 3pg, and making 1.5. That might be of use to someone. Think of him as this year’s version of Walter McCarty. Of course, you could just go for the real thing. Since coming over from Boston, Waltah has taken just 23 shots in 7 games. But all except 6 of them were 3s. Still, that’s just 2.4 attempts per game, far less than Jones.

As DM wrote on Tuesday, for teams that are fighting for a playoff spot, their stars are going to get plenty of court time over the rest of the season. Some teams, however, are starting to face the facts, and realize that they are just not going to be able to get into the postseason. We saw some teams give up their assets at the trade deadline for cap space and draft picks. Others are starting to go with a ‘youth movement’, giving their younger players some more minutes at the expense of their established veterans. So today, we’re going to go over some of the worst teams in the league, and see what they’re going to be up to for the rest of the year.

New Orleans Hornets (12-45)

The Hornets were one of the most active teams at the trade deadline (and during the season, for that matter), making two separate deals that included 6 players. The interesting thing is, their rotation hasn’t been affected much. One of the players they sent out, Jamal Mashburn, hasn’t played this year. Another, Baron Davis, has been hurt more often than not. Two of the players they received – Glenn Robinson and Dale Davis – were simply for cap help, and have already been waived. So basically, what this all comes down to rotation wise, is Rodney Rogers – out, Speedy Claxton – in.

So who are going to be the standout players on this team? We’ve been championing JR Smith all year, and it looks like he’s finally getting his due. He’s been steadily getting more minutes all year, and finally last month he averaged nearly 30 minutes, and contributed 14.6/1.8/2.3 with 1.4 3’s and .9 steals, and racked up 7 straight games with double digit points. Jamaal Magloire should return to the lineup in a couple weeks, and he’ll throw the front court into flux. Dan Dickau should also maintain his value, although maybe have it cut a little bit by the presence of Claxton.

Portland Trail Blazers (22-33)

After treating Maurice Cheeks about as poorly as they possibly could have, the Blazers have finally let him go. And what he leaves in his wake is a total disaster. They’re on a 2-7 run with their only wins over the equally hapless Bobcats and Hawks. After not trading anyone at the deadline, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Zach Randolph have returned from injury to create a very crowded front-court. We count 8 players (Randolph, Stoudamire, Van Exel, Patterson, Anderson, Przybilla, Miles, and Abdur-Rahim) who have shown that, given minutes, can be quality fantasy players (and good regular players too, I guess). Please note that I did not include Theo Ratliff on that list.

Nonetheless, now that Cheeks is out and Kevin “who?” Pritchard is in, all eight of those guys are going to see even fewer minutes than they’re getting now. The Blazers now want to take a look at their younger players, including Sebastian Telfair, Travis Outlaw, Ha Seung-Jin, and Viktor Khryapa. What this means for your fantasy team is that the Blazers might very well kill any fantasy value that ANY of these players have. We’d think that Randolph and maybe Stoudamire will hold on to some value, but outside of them, you might want to try and unload Shareef or Van Exel or Miles on someone else, before today’s trade deadline is passed.

Charlotte Bobcats (12-43)

Let’s be honest – the Bobcats never had any thoughts of making the playoffs this year. Let’s give them some credit. But nonetheless, there have been some minor tweaks to their rotation over the last few weeks. First, Steve Smith and his 17.2 mpg has been shipped off to Miami. Second, Kareem Rush, acquired midseason from the Lakers, has hurt his knee and should be out about a month. So just like that, 2 of their shooting guards have been taken out of the rotation. The most obvious benefactor of this situation is Keith Bogans, he of the highest Brick Index in the league.

One thing that this may lead to – and we’re hoping that it does – is that Brevin Knight and Jason Hart see some time on the floor together. As you can see from the ridiculously awesome 82games.com, the duo has performed fairly well on the court together, and we know that they both can be very helpful in assists if given the minutes. So watch closely to see if maybe Hart and/or Knight get a bump in minutes at the 2 over the next week or so.

Is It Too Early?
With many fantasy trade deadlines fast approaching, my FBB cohort and I have been arguing a bit about whether it’s too early to worry about specific categories or not. I’m of the mindset that it’s still a little too early. A whole lot can happen in two months, and just because you’re 30 or 40 three-pointers behind the guy in front of you, or the same number of steals or blocks or whatever, it takes just one guy going down to completely change the makeup of a certain category. Particularly if that category is one of those that I just mentioned – steals, blocks, or threes.

Let’s do some number crunching, and let’s start by looking at blocks. Here are the leading shot blockers in the league (by totals) this year:

Duncan – 146
Ratliff – 136
Shaq – 135
Camby – 134
Brand – 120

Now, we are just about 66% of the way through the season. So assuming that these guys have blocked 66% of the shots that they are going to block so far, here’s what we can expect them to block from here on out:

Duncan – 73
Ratliff – 68
Shaq – 67
Camby – 67
Brand – 60

OK, now follow me here. Of those big five, two –Shaq and Camby – could very easily go down and miss the rest of the year at any given point. All of a sudden, that 50-block lead that the guy in front of you has doesn’t seem so big anymore. In one of my leagues right now, only 61 blocks separate the guy in first from the guy in seventh. In another, only 37 blocks separate first and fifth place. In categories that are so dominated by a few players, you can go through wild swings in the standings.

The point is, it’s a long season, and there are injuries, playing time shifts, all sorts of stuff yet to happen that can drastically change your place in the standings. Right now, as the deadline approaches, you should be more concerned with improving your team as a whole, not just concentrating on a certain category. Of course, if you talk to DM, he might tell you otherwise.

Taking the Risk
Unless you’re in a keeper league, if you’re sitting in the bottom half of the standings, it’s time to go for it all. Odds are you’ve still got a couple of dependable, if not thrilling, players on your team. The trick, as the deadline approaches, is to grab as many high-risk players as you possibly can. I mean, your goal isn’t to finish in 5th place, it’s to finish in first. And in order to do that, you need to set yourself up so that the miracle could, possibly, occur.

What players should you be looking to acquire? Guys like:

Peja Stojakovic, Shaq, Chris Webber, Baron Davis, Jamal Crawford, Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, Larry Hughes, Zack Randolph, Pau Gasol, Sam Dalembert.

You know, guys who have a high ceiling, but who have question marks. If you have guys who are solid but unspectacular, who can be depended on for decent stats, you might be able to trade them to one of the guys at the top of the standings who may be getting cold feet on his high-ceiling guys.

For Trading’s Sake

Finally, one thing that you won’t hear much, but is certainly true, is this: Don’t be afraid to make a trade just for the heck of it. Particularly if you’re stuck out of the running in your league, a trade is a great way to make fantasy fun again. It’s almost like having a new team! Remember, fantasy sports is all about winning money. I mean, um, all about having fun. So have money. I mean, fun.