I thought I’d resurrect an old column idea, where we go over some guys that we would love to see play some more minutes.  In fact, let’s do a “starting lineup” of PPPM players:

PG: Sergio Rodriguez, POR
First of all, Sergio should probably change his last name to “Garcia” because I’ve accidentally typed that in three times in the last five minutes.  Anyhow, Sergio is a guy who is not just being held back - he’s being held back without much reason.  Let’s take a look at the Trail Blazers PG’s, their MPG and their PER

Jarrett Jack: 34.8 MPG, 15.1 PER
Sergio Rodriguez: 11.1 MPG, 16.79 PER
Dan Dickau: 8.3 MPG, 8.8 PER

What do we notice here?  Well, obviously the first thing that stikes me is how god-awful Dan Dickau has become.  But the important thing here is that Rodriguez, despite being a 20-year-old rookie, and despite inconsistent playing time, is playing up - and even slightly surpassing - to the level of the guy in front of him, Jarrett Jack.  Rodriguez’s Per-35 minute stats 9.8/3.9/10.5 with .9 3’s and 1.6 steals.  Hey Coach McMillian, give the kid a shot!

SG: Manu Ginobili
Now, I know Ginobili isn’t the kinda guy that you’d expect to be put here, but let me tell ya something - it is tough, and I mean DAMN tough to be a strong fantasy player and yet see under 30 mpg.  So it’s extremely rare to see a guy like Ginobili amongst the fantasy elite, but there he is, averaging 28 mpg, and yet still showing up as a SECOND round value on the APR.  Yes he’s been hot lately - and as a result his mpg have snuck up to that 30 barrier in January.  Still, wouldn’t you love to see what he could do with 35-38 mpg?  I sure as heck would.

SF: Shelden Williams, ATL
Sure he’s not really a SF but he qualifies here so let’s chat him up.  Shelden was the source of a lot of jeers from both NBA and fantasy pundits prior to the season, but let’s give the guy some due.  if he was getting starter’s minutes - 35 or 40 mpg - He’d be a nightly double-double (just barely) with a steal and a block.  I’m not saying he deserves minutes like that, because there’s certainly a logjam at the F position in Atlanta, but Williams probably deserves a little recognition for not being the total bust that people were projecting him to be.

PF: Ronny Turiaf, LAL
Andrew Bynum may be getting all the attention - and rightly so - in LA, but I’ve tended to be just as impressed by Turiaf, who doesn’t have the potential of Bynum but is perfectly capable of putting up major stats.  His per-35-minute stats: 11.9/8.1 with 0.7 steals and 2.1 blocks - are very solid, particularly on the defensive side of things.  He’s generally pretty aware of what’s going on on the court, which is more than I can usually say for Kwame Brown, but if he’s not getting minutes with both Brown and Lamar Odom out, I don’t know how he’s going to get anywhere.

C: Nazr Mohammed, DET
I know a lot of you are probably sick of me talking about Mohammed but that’s just too bad.  Mohammed’s PER is at a career-high this year, he’s top-20 in blocks AND rebounds per minute (his per-minute rebounding is actually HIGHER this year than Ben Wallace!), top-50 in steals per minute, and is shooting 55% from the field.  Now, I know, the Pistons play better when he’s on the bench.  But you’re telling me this guy can’t get on the court?  PLEASE trade this guy, Dumars, to a team that will plug him in for 30 mpg.