February 7, 1999
GOOD
STARTS
Shaquille
O'Neal, as anticipated, jumped out with
many points, rebounds, and even assists. But he
also demonstrated that he did not spend the lockout
practicing free throws as he made only 4 of 7. He
also failed to block a shot in his first outing but
this particular lack of production should change
soon.
Toni Kukoc
may be
one of the few Bulls capable of scoring this season
which could make him a regular figure in the
scoring leaders. Kukoc should be counted on for
several more 30+ scoring efforts but for him to be
a true fantasy star he needs to also add some
steals, blocks, and assists to his stat
line.
Jamal
Mashburn appeared to be in great shape in
the Heat's first game logging an impressive 44
minutes. In addition to scoring 19 points, Mash had
6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals.
Charles
Barkley opened the season with some monster
rebound and scoring performances. Although his stat
lines are enticing to the fantasy owner, I remain
confident it is only a matter of time before he
goes down with a typical Barkley injury.
POTENTIAL SLEEPERS
With Glen Rice
and Anthony Mason not playing, the Charlotte
Hornets are team to look at for players getting
more time than anticipated. J.R. Reid
has been
a beneficiary of a depleted Hornets roster by
averaging over 30 minutes in his first two games.
Reid could regularly post double figure scoring
with around 7 rebounds a game making him worth
adding to a fantasy roster to fill a need.
Eric Snow
has
shown continuous improvement while a member of the
76er's and has started in the first two
Philadelphia wins. Snow has averaged 8.5 points, 5
rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in these games.
Also, in his first 64 minutes of play he has
committed zero turnovers. While it is anticipated
that Larry Hughes will eventually start, right now
Snow 's performance has made him a notable fantasy
sleeper candidate.
Ed Gray
has not
received too much playing time but when on the
court he does not hesitate to shoot. In the Hawk's
game against New Jersey he gunned 10 shots in only
11 minutes and scored 10 points. If Gray starts to
receive more playing time, his offensive production
should make him worthy of adding to your fantasy
roster. Just don't count on him for too many
assists.
Tracy McGrady
has
continued to show promise in his early season games
for the Raptors. Despite receiving limited minutes
he is averaging 13.5 points per game and
contributes in the non-scoring categories as well.
With Kevin Willis already missing playing time with
an injury, it is certain that McGrady will be
catching the attention of fantasy owners
soon.
Although
currently slated to play behind Eric Williams and
Antonio McDyess, Danny Fortson made his presence felt by
pulling down 17 rebound in only 24 minutes before
fouling out. With Barkley-like performances like
this, Fortson is certain to earn more playing
time.
In late
January,
Eric Riley discreetly signed as a free agent
for the Boston Celtics. In the Celtics first two
games he has drawn some attention by averaging 11
rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Picking Riley for
your fantasy team could be risky though since
Andrew DeClerq might take away his playing time
after he returns from back spasms.
ROOKIES
Paul Pierce
has
probably already made several teams seriously
regret passing him up in the NBA draft as he has
scored 19 points in each of his first two NBA
games. His fantasy contributions don't stop there
as he has done everything from hit the trey to
clean the glass. Although Ron Mercer's return may
slow down Pierce's stat production, he will clearly
be a far more productive fantasy player than most
drafted tenth overall.
Jason
Williams has also sparkled in his rookie
debut with 21 points, 3 treys, and 5 steals.
Although he certainly won't match this outstanding
production every night, he has little competition
for playing time and should go on to be a very
productive fantasy player this season.
INJURIES
Sam Cassell
is
labeled a point guard but the only time he seems to
pass is to give the ball to a teammate for
inbounding back to him. This type of selfish play
though is great for building the value of a
fantasy
player.
But Cassell is also injury prone and he already
suffered an ankle injury in New Jersey's first
game. If you have Cassell on your team, you should
consider trading him after a big night to avoid
getting burned on his next injury.
Kevin Willis
carried
the Raptors on his back in their first game and as
a result had to sit out the next game. Although
performances such as his 28 point and 16 rebound
effort against Boston are impressive, he is at the
age where he could easily continue to miss games
with nagging injuries particularly with this
seasons intense schedule.