Here’s a Special Holiday edition of H2HU for the NBA week of 12/24-12/30. Drink up and be safe. What’s everybody’s favorite holiday drink anyway? Eggnog? Spiked apple cider? Heineken? Happy Merry Christmakwanzaaka everyone!
Four games: Boston, Miami, Phoenix.
Three Games: Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Indiana, LA Lakers, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, Orlando, Philadelphia, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, Seattle, Utah, Washington.
Two Games: Atlanta, Houston, LA Clippers, New York, Toronto.
Plug ‘em in, Plug ‘em in:
Rajon Rondo, G: He’s a borderline fantasy starter every week, but there’s good reason to plug him in for the Holidays. First, Boston has a full schedule on tap, and second, Rondo has improved his overall numbers (11/4/5, 1.7 thefts this month) despite being limited to about 30 mpg in December. He’s finally finding some consistency at the charity stripe this month as well, shooting 69% compared to a Diesel-esque 44% in November. The Celtics hit the road for four games this week, where Rondo tends to get more PT (34 mpg vs. 30mpg at home).
Sean Williams, FC: We’ve talked a bit about the rookie’s potential before, and now we’re starting to see what he can do with decent minutes. Before Thursday’s game in which he got into early foul trouble, Williams was averaging 14 and 6 with 4 blocks and solid shooting (52% / 75%) in three games as a starter. Coach Lawrence Frank has nicknamed Williams “Le Freak Elastique”, which admittedly has a better ring to it than Jason “Ratboy” Collins. If Sean can hold onto his starting spot over the likes of Collins and Malik Allen, then he should be able to settle into some nice stat lines and prove to be a decent C2.
Yi Jianlian, PF: The 20-year old rookie from the People’s Republic of China is averaging 14/7 with 1.2 blocks and superb shooting over the last couple weeks. His playing time and overall numbers have been steadily increasing as the season progresses, and you can expect his fantasy contributions to do the same. The Bucks visit Denver on Wednesday for what should be a high scoring affair, then face Chicago and New Jersey later in the week. Get Eazy-Yi in your lineups this week.
Rashad McCants, G: Before sitting out last night with “the flu” the former Tar Heel had caught fire after missing time with a minor injury. McCants has hit at least two treys in all but one game this month and is averaging nearly twice as many threes in December (2.7) as he did last month (1.4). Coming off the bench has improved his shooting percentages (especially from downtown) and he’s actually been getting more minutes in a reserve role. With Randy Foye having another setback and Marko Jaric hitting a wall, look for Rashad to continue his stellar play.
Nazr Mohammed, C: Congratulations Charlotte Bobcats, you have found yourselves a new starting center! You no longer have to worry about Primoz Brezec getting pushed around in the paint now that you’ve landed a 10-year veteran who’s averaged 15 minutes a game over his last four seasons. The journeyman center is actually poised to have a ‘breakout’ of sorts on his new team… as evidenced by his 19/11/1 and 3.5 blocks in his first two starts. Much like his career season in New York where he was a double-double machine, Nazr will be given starters’ minutes in his new digs. One thing we do know about Nazr, is that when given the opportunity, he produces for his fantasy owners.
Brendan Haywood, C: Career year for Brendan… He’s posting close to a double-double every night and has swatted more shots (41) this season than Ben Wallace (37), Tim Duncan (36), and Kevin Garnett (34). Sure, Haywood still sucks, but that doesn’t mean he’s useless in the fantasy world. You gotta give him credit for stepping it up (a bit) with Etan Thomas out for the season and for posting career highs across the board including fantastic percentages (55%FG / 71%FT). With three matchups this week, Haywood makes for a better start than guys like Eddy Curry and Al Horford (2 games a piece).