At this point in the year, when opportunity knocks, you’ve gotta be ready to answer the door. And opportunity just knocked in the form of Chris Bosh going down “indefinitely,” as in, for awhile. It’s not every day that a guy who leads his team in points and boards goes down, and now there are 15.5 shots a game that were going to Bosh that are up for grabs. Now, granted, Mike James, Charlie Villanueva, and Morris Peterson will get the majority of those shots, but there are a few guys on the waiver wire that could now be useful to a couple of teams. Let’s take a look at them:

Pape Sow
Sow, who was drafted in 2004 by the Heat and subsequently dropped, surfaced once last year with the Raptors, and then was resigned in August and thrown into the D-League. He wasn’t really expected to do much there, but then out of nowhere put together 19.7/11.6 with 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks with the Arkansas Rimrockers. So now, he’s back in the NBA, and – for some reason – he’s been starting at center for the Raptors on a consistent basis. And though he’s “starting” in that at the beginning of the game he’s on the court, he is by no means your typical starter, only seeing 17 minutes in games that he starts. But in those 17 minutes, he’s putting up decent lines – 4.8/4.1 with 1 steals and .5 blocks.

So you would expect that with Bosh out, Sow would start seeing more minutes, but I don’t think it’s going to happen to the extent that it could. Sow’s inability to stay on the court isn’t as related to the minutes available to him as it is to his tendency to get into foul trouble. On Sunday against Milwaukee for example, he fouled out in a season-high 27 minutes. Last Friday he picked up 5 fouls in just 15 minutes on the court, and last week against the Knicks amassed 4 fouls in just 10 minutes. Still, his potential to put together nice defensive numbers while not damaging your percentages means that he’s worth a waiver for those of you with extra games to play at center.

Matt Bonner
If you’re planning on making a run in threes, and Bonner is sitting on your waiver wire, you’re just not working hard enough. Since the All-Star break, he’s been seeing about 25 mpg and knocking down 1.8 3’s per contest, all while qualifying at C, which makes him invaluable to certain fantasy squads. This should be enough to make Bonner picked up in those leagues where he hasn’t been grabbed yet. He should be good for 30 mpg and at least 2 3’s while Bosh is out, while contributing spectacular FT% from the C spot. Granted, he won’t be at the line all that much, but finding a center who simply won’t hurt you at FT% is a major bonus.

Rafael Araujo
Ha ha, of course I’m kidding. Araujo isn’t just in the dog house, he’s … um … he lives in the dog house? He signed a lease? Anyways, the point is, crying isn’t gonna bring him back, unless your tears smell like dog food. So you can either sit there crying and eating can after can of dog food until your tears smell enough like dog food to make your dog come back — or you can go out there and find another player.

—

On a side note, this doesn’t deserve it’s own column, but what the hell has gotten into Ben Wallace lately? I mean, I understand that he’s not exactly a “good” free throw shooter, but he might be single-handedly ruining my fantasy team with his performance lately. In March, he’s been shooting 25.5% from the line. That’s not just paltry, it’s pathetic. C’mon, Big Ben …

It’s sad, but true – there’s less than one month left in the NBA regular season, and that less than one month to make your big run to the top of the standings. With this in mind, let’s take a look at one of the real taboos of fantasy sports: not using all of your available games. Leaving games on the board at the end of the year can be killer when you’re left 4 rebounds shy of an extra point in the standings. So let’s see if I can’t help you get the most out of your remaining games, with a few tips:

Stop Stocking Games
I’ve mentioned this before, probably on numerous occasions, but if you wait until the last week of the season to use those extra two games you’ve got at PF, you’re making a mistake. It’s much easier to find a reliable option right now than it will be in mid-April, when lots of coaches go into Larry Brown mode. Right now, playing rotations are still pretty stable, and you have a pretty good idea what you’re going to get from guys on a night-to-night basis. By the end of the year, rotations are in flux, starters are sitting with stubbed toes, and the backups are losing time to THEIR backups. This week will be better than next week, which will be better than the week after that. It all goes downhill from here.

Get Flexible
An extra game in a, um, “multi-position” position is far more valuable than those in a single-position position. For example, it’s much better to have 3 games left at your F spot than at your SF spot, because the F spot can be filled by many more guys than the SF spot. So what you need to do is start consolidating your extra games in spots where you’re more flexible. If you’ve got a choice between filling a game at PG or at G, then fill it at PG. If you have a choice between G or Utility (the most valuable position at this time of year), then by all means put the guy at the Guard spot. You’re much better off going into the last week of the season with 3 extra games to use at Utility than at a traditional spot.

Eyes on the Prize
The extra games you’ve got now need to be used – but that doesn’t mean you should use them recklessly. Pick a target category, and use those extra games as much as you can to move up in that one category. Just because you’ve got a spot available at C doesn’t mean that you need to use that spot for typical C categories like blocks or boards. If you need threes, for example, take a flyer on a Clifford Robinson or Matt Bonner for that position. This late in the year, it’s very easy to find those positions that you can really make a move in, and those which you’re pretty stuck. Use that to your advantage.

Don’t Sabotage Yourself
In the cumulative categories, it can never hurt to have a guy play one more game. Looking for steals? The more games you use, the more steals you’ll have. With the percentages, though, more is not necessarily better. You’ve got to be very careful that you’re not hurting yourself more than you’re helping yourself. For example, if you’re going after blocks, that means you’re going to be playing a lot of big men. Unfortunately, big men can be pretty damaging from a FT% perspective. So keep a close watch on your percentages when you’re using up these games.

One of the best moments in the NBA season occurred this past Thursday when Amare Stoudemire took the court in Phoenix. Stoudemire is the most exciting big man in the league and depending on the night, he can certainly give LeBron, Dwyane and Kobe a run for their money when it comes to the most fun player to watch, period. He didn’t look too rusty either, going for 20 and 9 with a pair of blocks in just 19 minutes. So all of those owners who stashed him on the bench all season in hopes of a late season push were probably thrilled. “If he can put up 20 and 9 in 19 minutes in his first game, he’ll be putting up 30 and 10 in no time!” Well, not quite. Game Number Two wasn’t the same rousing success as Amare put up just 6 and 5 in 17 minutes. He’s been complaining of soreness in both knees, which isn’t too surprising, and he may actually be more of a problem for your fantasy team right now than a true asset.

Why’s that? Because – just like at the beginning of the season – he’s the ultimate temptation, but far from the sure thing. At this point in the season, you need the most out of every game you use. With some members of your league likely inactive due to their standings position, it should mean that they are even more quality free agent options available, meaning there’s little excuse for having a clunker. If you’ve held onto Stoudemire for this long there’s a good chance you’ll want to see your patience pay off, but that could be working against you. The eagerness to plug Stoudmire in the lineup might backfire. Don’t consider what you have already invested when making decisions going forward. Look at things completely objectively. If you spent a draft pick on him and have been stashing him all year (more on that in a bit), don’t use that as your reasoning to get him in your lineup. He should only be in your lineup if he’s the best option you have available. And even though a minute played for Phoenix is more valuable than a minute played for any other team, and even though everyone needs a center, it’s hard to endorse a player who will be lucky to see 25 minutes per game over the rest of the season. If I learned anything in the one economics class I took in college — and that’s open for debate – it’s the sunk cost. You can’t let whatever price you paid for Amare earlier on affect your decisions now.

It’s also a good time to reflect on whether it was worth it drafting Stoudemire at the beginning of the season. The best-case scenario had Stoudemire coming back around the All-Star break, but you had to be the most optimistic person in the world to think that was going to happen. A smart organization like Phoenix knows better than to rush its franchise player back from injury before he’s completely healed. Getting back for the final 16 games is really the best one could have hoped for, and that includes the slow ramp up time. In our 12-team league with 13 roster spots on each team, Stoudemire went in the 8th round. This was ridiculously early; I can’t imagine too many leagues in which he went any earlier than this. But just to prove a point, let’s take a look at some of the players drafted after Amare: Bobby Simmons, Mike James, Al Harrington, Josh Childress, Nenad Krstic, Bonzi Wells, Shane Battier, Gerald Wallace, Jameer Nelson, Ricky Davis, Eddie Jones, Luol Deng, Raja Bell, Charlie Villanueva, Mike Miller, Raymond Felton, T.J. Ford, Chris Kaman. Think that owner wouldn’t mind having one of those players instead of 16 games of middle Amare?

The draft is by far the most important day of the season. Each pick should be treated preciously. The trend throughout the league these days is to be overly cautious when it comes to injuries, especially with elite players. There is too much money tied up in these guys to allow GMs and coaches to do anything risky. There are obviously different levels of risk – Jason Kidd’s injury at the start of last year simply nowhere near as serious as Stoudemire’s, for example – but it’s just very hard to ever endorse the drafting of a player who absolutely everyone agrees will miss at least the first half of the season.

While we’re on the topic of the Suns, one more quick note. When possible I’m going with the “they’re playing the Suns? I’m gonna plug him in” strategy. I picked up Charlie Bell today, hoping that T.J. Ford misses another game and Bell can put up a good line in a possible shootout. Other teams on the plate for Phoenix over the next few days include Indiana and Toronto. So if guys like Danny Granger or Matt Bonner are sitting out there, this might be the time to use them.

Oh My God, Becky… Did you see those second round games last night?!? Love the Tourney. Anyways, NBA Week 3/27-4/2 features several players “Returning with a Vengeance.” Here’s a look.

Five Games: Phoenix.
Four Games: Atlanta, Dallas, Detroit, Golden State, Indiana, Memphis, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, Sacramento, Seattle, Utah, Washington.
Three Games: Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, LAC, LAL, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, San Antonio, Toronto.
Two Games: Boston.

Plug ‘em in, Plug ‘em in:
The Phoenix Suns, G/F/C – As if this squad wasn’t loaded with enough fantasy ballers already, now they have Amare STUDemire back in uniform and they play five games next week. Amare made his season debut last night and led the team with 20 points and 9 boards in only 19 minutes of action! All five starters are no-brainer plug-ins next week, plus Barbosa and Tim Thomas are worthy of consideration.

Jermaine O’Neal, F/C – O’Neal was supposed to be out until the playoffs with a torn groin muscle, then all of sudden he practices a couple times this week and was back in action on Wednesday night, posting 16 and 6 in 25 minutes. Many dropped the injured big man, but some shrewd owners with room on their bench stashed him just in case he recovered quickly (Jackpot!). If he can avoid any setbacks O’Neal will help you make that final push into your fantasy hoops playoffs. With four matchups on tap, you should get him in your lineups right away.

Josh Childress, G/F – J-Chill returned last Friday after missing five games with an ankle sprain. He was back to his old efficient self on Wednesday with a super game, delivering 17/12/5 with 3 steals and a three on 7 for 9 shooting. Four games from Childress should be more productive than say Paul Pierce’s two contests next week. You gotta love his across-the-board contributions in your H2H league.

Mike Dunleavy, SF – I generally share BV’s contempt for Mike Dunleavy and his overrated “skill set,” but that’s not to say I wouldn’t consider plugging in the former Blue Devil (eat it Duke!) for four games this coming week. Mickael Pietrus may have been the one who was hot in February, but after hitting a wall toward the end of the month (8 for 37 shooting), he was yanked from the starting rotation in favor of Dunleavy. Dunleavy has been shooting well since returning to the SLU a couple weeks ago and is averaging 21/8/4 and 2 treys over his last four games. Ride the wave and start Junior for four contests this week.

Sebastian Telfair, PG – Raise your hand if you’ve seen “Through the Fire: Sebastian Telfair’s Defining Year,” or better yet just post a comment. The documentary that chronicles Bassy’s jump from Lincoln High School to the NBA just came out on DVD a couple weeks ago and it’s next on my Netflix queue. Telfair was a preseason breakout candidate but has struggled with injuries, gun charges, and former Terrapins outplaying him on the court for most of ’05-’06. Well, he’s now back in the starting lineup ready to build some momentum going into next season. Sebastian has put up nice numbers (17/3/4 with 1.8 threes) in four games this week. As long as he’s in Portland’s starting lineup he belongs in yours.

Mike Miller, G/F – Time for some nickname tryouts: ‘MiMi’? ‘Eminem’? ‘Mike Miller Genuine Draft’? ‘Goofy White Chocolate’? Miller dropped 41 points against the Nuggets on March 17th and still finds himself coming off the Grizzlies’ bench. What’s a brotha gotta do to secure a starting gig in this league? (Keep in mind some dude named Royal Ivey has started 50 consecutive games now for the Hawks) M&M is hitting a career high 1.9 from long range this season and had another great game last night contributing 21/14/4 and 3 treys in a win over the Clips. Sure Coach Mike Fratello may love his energy off the bench, but all we want is assurance that Miller will get the playing time (30+ min) he deserves. Memphis tips off four times this week, so don’t hesitate, it’s Miller Time!

Darko?… Orlando only plays thrice next week, but if he remains in the starting lineup he may well be worth it.

Kwame?… ehhh No, not quite yet.

It’s all about finding the little advantages at this point in the season. While many people will be focusing on the teams fighting for their playoff lives and home court advantage, you certainly don’t want to stop paying attention to the crappy teams. Why? Because while the good teams are getting into playoff mode – which invariably means tightening up the D – the crappy teams are just playing out the stretch and going out there to have fun. The guys on those teams aren’t interested in being lockdown defenders – they are interested in scoring points.

Check out last night’s games for an extremely small sample size example. There were three games played in which both teams are currently in the playoffs. There was an average of 172.7 total points scored in those three games. There were four games played with one team in the playoffs as of now, and one team out. There was an average of 214.5 total points scored in those games (with one OT game to take into account). Then there were two games of has-beens with an average of 202 total points in those games. On Tuesday there were just two games featuring a pair of non-playoff teams. All four of those teams broke the 100 point barrier. Something to keep in mind if you’re looking for some one-game wonders.

Now just a few random observations from last night:

–How about that Allen Iverson? We don’t like injury prone players too much, especially ones that will be drafted in the first two rounds, but one the unique things about Iverson’s injury proneness is that it’s either all or nothing. We hate it when guys slowly get worked back into the lineup. It’s the ultimate tease. That’s never the case with Iverson. He’ll miss his games, but when you get word that he’s coming back, you can plug him in the lineup with confidence. After missing four contests he returned to play 42 minutes and put up a line of 29/3/12 with two steals.

–Looking at Joe Johnson’s line last night I was like, “Ooh, a crappy game.” After all, he “just” put up 12/2/8 with three steals and two 3s. It just shows how out of this world Johnson has been lately. Johnson checks in at #9 on the 30 day player rater and his post-break numbers of 23.0/3.8/8.8 with 1.6 steals, 0.4 blocks and 2.4 3s on 48% shooting are making those owners who drafted him early and held onto him – or traded for him a few months ago – very happy people. He hasn’t missed a game this season and now finds himself at #16 on the overall rater, which is higher than even the most optimistic of folks could have had him. Patience with your early picks.

–I’m never one to recommend bench players, but Andres Nocioni doesn’t deserve to be sitting out on too many FA lists right now. His playing time is very consistent – 30+ minutes in four of the past six – and he’s been Chicago’s most reliable offensive option lately. His playing style is so perfectly suited to an “energy guy off the bench” role that it seems unlikely he’ll ever be a true fantasy asset, though.

–You knew better than to trust Nazr Mohammed, right.

–With the caveat that he’s a rookie and still has a lot to learn, I’d say that Charlie Villanueva’s run as a starter for the Raptors has been a tad disappointing. In 22 games with a healthy 33.7 minutes he’s posting numbers of 13/0/7.6/1.4 with 0.8 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.0 3s on 46 and 77%. That’s solid all-around and good enough for a very respectable #79 on the 30 day rater. Perhaps we were expecting too much too soon. Maybe it’s for the best as it might keep his draft value down next year.

–That Knicks-Magic game sure was a fantasy nightmare and I suppose is the reason you can’t rely too much on those non-playoff team games. A grand total of 23 guys saw time on the court, and only one of them played more than 31 minutes. Ouch. That did let 12 guys get into double digits, but only Darko and his 4 blocks and Dwight Howard’s spot-on shooting really helped anyone last night.

Dear Kwame Brown,

Thank you for applying to be on my fantasy basketball team. I have taken into consideration many factors while making this decision, but I believe I have made the correct one:

No way. Uh-uh. I’m not buying it. I’ve followed your career too long and too close to get fooled again. Sure, you’ve gotten some nice run the past few games in place of Chris Mihm, topping the 35 mpg mark that usually makes players relevant fantasy-wise. And yeah, you’ve been not-too-terrible in those 5 games you started, going for 9.4 and 7 on 61% shooting. And perhaps best of all, you qualify at center, making pedestrian numbers like that worth looking at. But here’s a secret that I know about you. You might not like me letting it out, but I’ve got a responsibility here, so here goes:

You’re a terrible basketball player.

There, I said it. You have no concept of how to play defense. People blame your small hands for all the turnovers, but the real problem is that you don’t know what to do with the ball when you get it. You’ve managed to actually regress from the free-throw line, and now you’re averaging a Ben Wallace-esque 54% from the field. Unfortunately, that’s the only Wallace-esque thing about you. You’re completely allergic to blocks and steals. In fact, of the 43 guys who qualify at center on ESPN, you’re 34th in blocks per 48 minutes. That’s just not good. The steals aren’t there either.

Good luck on your further pursuits as a fantasy basketball contributor.

Sincerely,

BV

Dear Mike Dunleavy,

Thank you for applying to be on my fantasy basketball team. Much like NBA GM’s, I can’t help but be intrigued by a dude who’s 6-9, can pass and rebound, and will step out to shoot the three pointer when prodded. Unlike NBA GM’s, and Golden State GM’s in particular, I will not be suckered into giving you a stupid amount of money and a long-term deal. And luckily, I don’t have to. In most leagues, you been sitting on waiver wires for most of the year (and rightly so), and can be had for pennies.

Because of your small price, and you recent hot streak, I am willing to accept your application and place you on my team on a provisional basis. You will be placed on the bench, where you will stay until you have proven your consistency. I do not have extra games to use on risks like you. However, if you maintain your hot streak for another 2 games or so, particularly focusing on your threes, I may give you some run in my Utility spot.

I’ll be blunt, Mr. Dunleavy. I don’t like you. I haven’t liked you since your days as a Blue Devil. I think you are incredibly overrated, and if your name wasn’t Dunleavy, and you didn’t go to Duke, you would have been a late first round pick rather than the No. 3 overall back in 2002. I hope you enjoy your time sitting on my bench – at the end of it.

Sincerely,

BV

The contract push can come in all shapes and sizes. Last year, Jerome James went bonkers for 2 or 3 games in the playoffs, and in doing so earned himself probably 15-20 million dollars. In ’03-04, Mark Blount qualified as the “Best Pickup I Ever Made Mid-Season,” averaging 13.1/9.6 with 1.3 blocks and 55% from the field over the second half of the year, earning himself a massive contract that he (shockingly) never lived up to.

This summer will see a particularly poor crop of free agents, and most teams have their eyes on the summer of ‘07, when all the big names hit the market. Still, there will be teams with money to spend now, and that means some less than stellar players will be getting some nice deals.

With this in mind, let’s look at a couple of fringe players who might work hard for the money, so hard for the money.

Joel Przybilla, POR
Przybilla is my favorite pick for a guy who can come out of nowhere to put up big numbers, and for a couple of reasons. One, we saw him do it last year, where over the last 33 games he turned into a blocks machine, turning away 3.55 shots per game while chipping in 9.5 points and 10.2 boards on 58% shooting. Two, from Blount and James all the way back to Jim McIlvaine, teams are always willing to overpay big guys, so he’s got plenty to gain. Finally, with Old Man Ratliff struggling with a sore ankle, the flu, and lord knows what else, the time is there for Przybilla if he earns it. It’s not like the Blazers are going anywhere, so they’ve got nothing to lose by playing him.

Personally, I like Przybilla, and I think he’s a solid starting job away from being a nice fantasy center. Before the year started, I had him in the same tier as Samuel Dalembert, and sometimes risks work out, sometimes they don’t. But just has Dalembert’s season took a turn for the worse seemingly out of nowhere, perhaps Przybilla can turn his around in the right direction.

Bonzi Wells, SAC
Admittedly, Wells probably won’t be sitting on your league’s waiver wire, but as he continues to split time with Kevin Martin, he might start showing up in the drop column. Don’t let him stay there long. Hanging onto the last playoff spot in the West by a thread, I’d look for Rick Adelman to start giving more time to the veteran down the stretch. When healthy, Wells has been a very solid utility guy for fantasy teams, providing great rebounding (the 8 per game is easily a career high), and nice steals at 1.9 per game. Wells will turn 30 in the offseason, and this is likely his last shot at a big deal. Helping the Kings into the playoffs would earn him a nice payday in the offseason.

Bobby Jackson, MEM
Jackson has been battling with Chucky Atkins for playing time, and dealing with injuries at the same time. He did just turn 33 years old, so it’s not like he’s going to get a huge deal anywhere, but he’s such a huge asset in threes, that it doesn’t take too much else to make him worth a spot on your fantasy team. He could just as easily average 11 points as he could 16 points over the rest of the year, so if it looks like he’s about to hit on a hot streak, don’t hesitate to grab him.

Rasual Butler, NOK
Butler is a pretty deep sleeper, but this year’s FA crop is pretty thin, so he could play his way into a nice deal as a rotation guy. He’s seen his minutes steadily increase all year (Monthly averages: 15.3, 19.9, 21.0, 24.3, 25.1), and if he finds his shooting stroke from long range (he’s shot .125 in March after hitting 40% in February), he could see himself cracking the 30 mpg barrier. He won’t excel in any particular category, but he’ll provide a little bit in threes, blocks, and steals, and down the stretch, and that could be a nice complement to the right fantasy teams.

We love our NBA basketball here at FBB. We live for it, you might say. But sometimes, our love of basketball has to take a backseat to other things in life. Such as following the Silver Jews around on their first ever tour. Now you might not know who the Silver Jews are and you probably don’t care, but the point remains that sometimes we can’t follow fantasy basketball happenings as much as we want to, but it doesn’t mean we have to let our teams suffer. So here’s my way of dealing with being mostly out of the loop for a few days, as I was this weekend.

The first thing you need to do before you leave your world of ready access to a computer is set your lineup. This sounds sort of obvious, but you’d be surprised how easy it is to forget. And at the same time, different leagues have different ways of setting lineups. Just because you put someone in there on Friday doesn’t mean he’ll still be in there on Saturday. This is obviously of even more importance as we get later into the season and every game matters. If you have to set your lineup for a long(ish) stretch of time, I always like to play it somewhat safe. Your studs will be in there all the time, that goes without saying. As for fringe players, it’s a tough call. T.J. Ford is never a sure thing, but I needed assists lately, so I had him in the lineup. But still, better safe than sorry is the way to go here. If games are at a premium, then it’s best to use them when you know you’ll have plenty of information at your disposal.

There’s always the possibility of leaving your password info with a trusted confidant and having him change your lineup should anything come up. This is not something I’m into. Sure, I’d totally trust BV not to fuck up my lineup or write hateful e-mails to everyone in my address book, but there’s just something that rubs me the wrong way about having someone else in my team.

So when you’re gone, you’re gone, there’s not so much you can do. If you’ve got Internet on your phone – and I would think most people do at this point – that’s a good way to keep track of at least your players. I made sure to check on my guys, but not too fanatically. One time per evening, after all the games were over. If you’re going to without ready access, I say to just let it go as much as possible. It’s always good to get a break to refresh, so don’t be constantly waiting for your phone to load while you’re on that break.

Catching up on info when you get back is the big thing. If you’re away for just a few days, it’s pretty easy to get up to speed on what you missed. The first thing to do is check all the box scores, but also make sure to read the game recaps. The numbers are important, but you need to know how those numbers came about. Did someone have a great fourth quarter that might lead to more playing time? Did someone have a big game because another player got ejected? This is key. Check whichever news blurb site you prefer and do a quick scan through the days you missed. You don’t need to painstakingly read each one – if it simply says that someone had a big game you’ve probably discerned that from the box score – but check for minor injury updates. It’s not a bad idea to read the hometown papers about your own players.

Check your league’s transaction list. This is actually one of the top priorities. You need to know what players were picked up and what new players are available. There’s no worse feeling than seeing someone get plucked off the free agent list and saying, “Wait, he was available? I would have picked him up had I known!” Don’t just look at the complete list, sort it by add, sort it by drop, to get a better idea. Check the top of your free agent list when you get back to see what the best choices are up there. You always want to know what your best options are in case you have to make a quick move.

Anyone else have any tactics they use to stay competitive while on vacation?

Sorry about the delay today, but the IT guy at work is cracking down on internet use, plus you know that tournament thing. Are your brackets already busted? Really? You must be pretty bad. Anyways here are some tips for NBA March Gladness: looking ahead to week 3/20-3/26.

Five Games: LAC
Four Games: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, Houston, Indiana, LAL, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Seattle, Toronto.
Three Games: Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Golden State, Miami, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Utah, Washington.

Plug ‘em in, Plug ‘em in:
Vladimir Radmanovic, PF – The Clippers are the only team in the league to hit the hardwood five times next week and RadMan can do some damage from long range with plenty of playing time off the bench. Vlad has grabbed a respectable 7 boards and drained over 3 rainmakers a game since Presidents’ Day. Los Angeles is 7-3 over that span and it appears Vlad Rad has the green light to shoot as much as he likes from downtown. You know he runs hot and cold, so now is as good a time as any to plug in the Bosnian sharpshooter. Take advantage.

Jumaine Jones, SF – Much like the Wizards’ Antawn Jamison, Jumaine Jones appears to have suddenly discovered his long range stroke this season… especially over the last few weeks. Jones was a great pickup while starter Gerald Wallace missed significant time, and he was playing so well that Coach Bernie Bickerstaff decided to keep JJ in the starting lineup even after Wallace returned. Now, wispy Wallace is out again and Jones is scorching hot (23/7/1, 49%FG, 88%FT with 4.2 treys and 1.4 thefts over last 5 games). At this pace, March ‘06 will go down as the best month of Jumaine’s not-so-illustrious NBA career.

Chucky Atkins, PG – Chucky may be Memphis’s starting point guard but the offense does not exactly run through him. Sure he may bring the ball up the court but he doesn’t orchestrate plays a la Steve Nash, thus keeping his assist numbers pretty low (compare Pau Gasol’s 43 dishes to Atkins’ 17 in March). Spark plug guard Bobby Jackson was really beginning to cut into Chucky’s minutes recently until he was forced out of action with a strained rib muscle. Now Atkins is assured the bulk of the minutes at point guard. However, even with the increased workload there’s still a ceiling on his fantasy production, so don’t expect any miracles. He’s averaging 14.1ppg and 2.3 treys this month, so he makes a decent play if you’re looking for three-pointers this week.

Luther Head, G – The rookie out of Illinois probably shouldn’t be starting for an NBA team with playoff aspirations, but he is. Yao Ming has played like an MVP since returning from his foot injury, but now brokeback T-Mac is probably out for the season. Somebody has to make up some of McGrady’s 25 ppg even if Yao is scoring 35 a night. Who are the other candidates to pick up the slack? Juwan Howard and Keith Bogans? Remember, Luther had that nice little run in November filling in for Alston, averaging 15/6/4 and 3.4 threes over a 5-game stretch. If you’re feeling lucky go get some Head and put him in your lineup.

Jake Tsakalidis, C – The 7’2 giant from Georgia (no, not the dirty South) hasn’t amounted to much of anything six years in the NBA. Tsakalidis was actually averaging career lows before being inserted into Memphis’ starting lineup three weeks ago. His three double-doubles over his last four games won’t be a regular thing, but I don’t think you can call it a fluke either. If the big man can continue getting 25-30 minutes a night he can obviously be a decent fantasy contributor. With four matchups next week, why not give him try?

So last night BV and I took in some NBA action at the MCI, er, Verizon Center. Scored some relatively good and cheap tickets off of Craigslist (can you believe people were trying to get rid of Wizards/Bobcats tickets on a Wednesday night?!) and enjoyed a game that played out exactly as we thought it would. Wizards jump out to big lead, get disinterested, let the Bobcats hang in there even though you never actually think they have a chance of winning, and hold on in the end. It was a fine game, although perhaps the highlights were two things that had nothing to do with the game. First, a little kid in the section over from us taking his hat and throwing if over the ledge down into the section below us. Hilarious. Second, a guy from the crowd hitting a 3-pointer, getting everyone in the audience a free pizza today. Good times.

Anyway, the point is, going to games is fun and you should go to as many games as possible. I know that this is easier said than done. Maybe you don’t have the money, the time, or live in a city with an NBA team. That’d be a bummer. But it’s a great way to spend an evening and it really does help you fantasy-wise, too. Yes, fantasy is all about the numbers, but its invaluable to actually see the players and how they go about getting their numbers. This can be achieved by watching games on TV, sure, but it’s not the same as live, where you can see everything unfold and focus on whatever you want to focus on. It’s good to know a little something about every player in the league. It helps on draft day, when you might have less than a minute to make a decision, it might help if you need to make a decision about a free agent. So with that in mind, here’s some first person scouting from last night’s game.

Gilbert Arenas – So far and away the best player on the floor, but in this game, he better be. Has become an incredibly accurate outside shooter over the past couple years; if he’s left completely open from behind the arc, feel confident in shouting “Buckets!” while the ball’s still in the air. Also gets the basket whenever he wants. Will be a first round fantasy pick for many, many years to come.

Antawn Jamison – One of the most interesting fantasy developments this year has been Jamison’s newfound prowess from long range. He was just 1-of-4 last night, but after averaging 1.4 per game in November, then 0.6 in December, he’s averaged 1.9, 2.7 and 2.5 per month over the last three months, and he’s launching them as much as anyone in the league these days. Jamison is also a classic garbage rebounder. Watching him, he’s not at all great on the boards, but he gets in good position and if there’s a missed shot and no one going for an offensive rebound and three Wizards around the rim, Jamison is getting that board.

Caron Butler – I’ve become a big Butler fan this year. He’s an intense player who gives it his all, kind of ironic given who was dealt for. His FG% isn’t anything great, but he’s a surprisingly accurate shooter from around 18-20 feet. A very solid better-than-role player in real life and for your fantasy squad.

Antonio Daniels – Right after last season I told BV that I really wanted to Wizards to sign Antonio Daniels. So imagine how happy I was when that actually happened. Then imagine how disappointed I was with his performance the first two seasons. But he’s really turned it around since then. He was being treated as a shooter, not a scorer, but that’s been fixed. He’s best going hard to the basket and getting to the line and making smart passes. He’s a calming presence on the floor, much more valuable to the Wizards than to anyone’s fantasy team.

Brendan Haywood – This was a make or break year for Haywood and while he didn’t exactly break, he certainly didn’t make. He showed improvement each year in his career, but looks like he may have maxed out. On defense he’s a slapper and allows his man to back him down too easily. On offense he has weak, bad hands and doesn’t attack the basket enough. Ideally he’s a backup.

Jared Jeffries – Last night might have been one of Jared’s best games ever. And he still makes you uncomfortable. BV and I agree that Jared is good at one thing – bringing the ball over halfcourt. He’s also pretty good at tipping balls (ewww), and he’s sometimes a smart player, but not a very talented one.

Brevin Knight – Knight was pretty awful last, not hitting any of his shots and not sneaking into passing lanes like he normally does. But he still ended with 8 assists and it was easy to see why – he always has the ball. But he’s also in the best possible situation right now and he might never get another chance to repeat it.

Raymond Felton – Hard to get a good read on Felton last night, but I’ll stick with what I said to BV in that he could be looking like the new Baron Davis. I mean, look at that line last night – 3-for-10 from the field, 1-for-5 from long range and 3-for-5 from the line with 6 assists in 27 minutes. Felton had the play of the game, an explosive drive/dunk. It’s hard to tell exactly how good he’ll be until he can take over the reigns as PG.

Jumaine Jones – He loves to shoot, especially the three ball, and who can blame him when he was feeling it like he was last night. He connected on 6-of-8 on his way to a monster game of 25/8/3 with 3 steals, 6 3s on 9-of-14 shooting. Unbelievable. I’ve always been a fan since he’s the classic chucker.

Bernard Robinson – Before the game I said to BV that the Bobcats were a great example of a team that could prove my theory that most players are interchangeable and can put up numbers if given the chance. BV said, “Well, not everyone, not, like, Bernard Robinson.” I said, “You’re crazy, I was thinking specifically of Bernard Robinson.” And he didn’t disappoint, getting 26 minutes and going for 21/4/1 with 3 steals and a 3 on 8-of-11 and 4-of-4. That’s an efficient ballgame right there. He’s a very active player – averaging 1.2 steals in less than 19 mpg this season – and I could see him having a Bobby Simmons-type season if ever given the chance.

Primoz Brezec – Was absolutely invisible last night, which is not a good sign considering that the Wizards don’t have anything resembling an intimidating frontline. Managed to play only 10 minutes. He’s got a nice stroke, but that’s really about it.

Melvin Ely – Another guy who was invisible last night, which was especially disappointing given that he got the start with Gerald Wallace out. Has received 19 starts this year and has managed just 11.0/6.0/1.7 with 1.0 block. Not bad, but certainly nothing spectacular.

Kareem Rush – Here’s one where the stat sheet doesn’t lie. I only noticed him when he was shooting. Well, he played 25 minutes, took 15 shots, had one rebound, two assists, and that’s it. No free throws, no steals, no blocks, no fouls. As one-dimensional as theu come.

Matt Carroll – His shot wasn’t falling last night, and that makes him completely worthless. I was trying to figure out if J.J. Redick is really going to be that much more effective than Carroll and I suppose he will be, but like Carroll he’s going to be dominated on the defensive end and if his shots not falling it’s hard to see him offering anything else of value.