So, I’ve been out of town since Friday night, anything interesting go on in the NBA since then?
I have indeed been out of town but I’ve obviously been staying on top of what’s been going on. And that includes sitting literally three feet away from the action at the Miami/Memphis game on Saturday night. Close enough that had something happened like what happened in MSG on that same evening, I would be shaking in some combination of jubilation/fear. OK, mostly fear. In fact, I’d probably run crying up the stands. (Us fantasy basketball bloggers aren’t the toughest or bravest folks, after all.) And I was able to watch Gilbert Arenas fire up the hibachi and dump 60 on that jerk Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The Wizards did what they often do against good teams – run out to a big lead and passively try to hold on for dear life – but it worked out in the end. But I’m tired and need to finish this so let’s get to the brawl.
By now everything has been said, and the most logical people have the most logical responses, and none of those people work for the NBA. Yes, it’s basically all Isiah and the Knicks fault. Yes, Nate Robinson is King Jackass of the NBA. No, Isiah shouldn’t even be allowed into the NBA store after he gets canned by Dolan next week. (Mr. Where’s the Sportsmanship? is the same guy that walked off the court with time remaining when the Pistons lost to the Bulls back in the day, right?) Yes, George Karl was right in everything he said, and honestly I think he was holding a lot back. Yes, I’m ashamed that Isiah Thomas was my favorite player when I was a kid. No, the brawl wasn’t at all offensive to the casual viewer like the Pacers/Pistons brawl was. But enough already – how does this affect fantasy land.
Well both teams played a game already, so we’ve got something to work with. So keeping with the theme of the previous paragraph and my desires to actually get some sleep – one of those days in South Florida was spent on a boat, where I had to do, like, physical boat tasks, and my body still is in a mild state of shock – let’s use last night’s game as a barometer. Starting with the Nuggets…
Yes, Andre Miller is going to score many more points, not 27 like last night, but certainly at least around 20 most nights. No, he’s not going to keep getting 10 assists every game, because most of those assists came on lobs to ‘Melo or simple passes turned in 3s by J.R. Smith. Yes, Earl Boykins will likely be their high scorer over the next 10 games, since he’s their only real scorer active now. Yes, he’s absolutely worth starting, this coming from someone who never, ever endorses bench players. No, Marcus Camby won’t put up 25/17/5 with 7 blocks every night. Yes, he’s always capable of those lines, even when everyone’s out there. Yes, situations like this make him more likely to put them up. Yes, playing all those tough minutes could take its toll on the notoriously fragile player. No, nobody else will have real value for the Nuggets even with the absence of nearly 50 of their points per game. Yes, that includes Nene; let him play 23 mintues first. No, I can’t see Yakhouba Diawara continuing to get 40 minutes. Yes, I can continue to see him be as worthless has he was in those 40 minutes (8/3/2, nothing else – that’s stupendously bad for 40 minutes). Yes, Reggie Evans will be more effective than last night. No, he’s not going to suddenly start scoring, so look at him in the same way. Yes, someone might have a random nice game from night to night, but don’t expect consistency. Yes, I’m glad I was on a plane and missed the entire game. Now, the Knicks…
Yes, David Lee will be a monster as long as Quentin Richardson and Jared Jeffries are out. No, I don’t feel bad for telling that person to drop him for Al Jefferson just a few days ago – it’s not like Jefferson’s been a chump. Yes, Lee is capable of regularly grabbing 20 boards if he gets 45 minutes. No, I don’t think he’ll get that more than a one or two games. Yes, those are serious signs of life from Stephon Marbury – 30/4/8, 2.5 3s, 10.5 FTA in two games, only one of those with a depleted roster. No, I don’t expect this to last all year. Yes, I expect this type of play to occur more regularly, but expecting those numbers regularly is a bit silly. No, this doesn’t mean I think you hold on to him unconditionally – if the right offer for that 4th/5th round value comes along, you take it. Yes, I’ve noticed that Eddy Curry is back to his old self over the last three. Yes, I think he’ll pick it up back up again. Yes, Jamal Crawford is capable of putting up 6-for-26 every night. Yes, he’s just as capable of putting up 36 points. Yes, Channing Frye’s worth a pickup, although I think he’s quite clearly far lower on the pecking order right now than he was during his best stretches last year. No, Ronaldo Balkman isn’t the greatest choice, despite his 15 boards and 2 blocks last night. Yes, the Steve Francis and Quentin Richardson injuries are just as important in all of this as the Nate Robinson/Jared Jeffries suspension. Yes, I laughed a lot at Jared acting like a maniac and falling down and Eduardo Najera basically going, “What are you doing, dude?” when Jared grabbed his jersey.
So that’s about that. Hopefully we let the brawl fade away into the minor story that it really is, and people might stop to realize that Gilbert dropped 60 on Kobe, but that’s unlikely. Just another reason for Gilbert to have a chip on his shoulder and make people notice the next time he does it.