11/30/05

Kendrick Perkins has been starting for the Celtics recently although before tonight was averaging only 1.3 pts, 3.4 reb, and 0.6 bl in 11 mpg. Perkins got the opportunity when Mark Blount was benched for an entire game to send a message about his level of effort. Tonight Perkins was in the right place at the right time and racked up 12 pts, 19 reb, and 2 blocks in 28 minutes as a starter again. Considering his averages coming into this game he can not be relied on for future consistency. However his potential is evident particularly in the rebound category. Mark Blount for his part did not do much to win back favor shooting only 2-12 FG. 

Andres Nocioni has been getting more playing time recently. In his first five games of the season he did not get over 28 minutes but since has been consistently playing over 30 mpg. He has scored in double figures in 9 of his last 10 games and has shown rebounding and shot blocking skills in addition to nice three point contributions. He has hit 2 treys in his last four games including tonight.

J. Calderon got another start and played 35 minutes. He contributed 7 assists (his strong suit) and 2 steals but not much else. The game was a blow out loss for Toronto. Jalen Rose played only 12 minutes. 

11/28/05

Josh Howard is out with an ankle injury and a timetable has yet to be set for his return. The Mavericks shifted Marquis Daniels to Howard's SF position and started Darrell Armstrong at PG. However it would seem that Devin Harris would be a prime candidate for increased value while Howard is out. Tonight Harris played 30 minutes which was 5 more minutes than he had averaged in his previous five games. I can see this number creeping up a little at the expense of Darrell Armstrong's playing time (that is of course while Howard remains out). If Jerry Stackhouse returns the situation would need to be re-evaluated. For the year Harris has shot 49% and has been OK in the steal category but his A/TO has been sub par for a point guard.

Tonight the Raptors started Jose Calderon in place of Jalen Rose. Rose had been shooting only 30% in his previous five games and had been seeing progressively less playing time in his last few games. Calderon played 39 minutes tonight whereas he had averaged 23 minutes in his previous five games. Calderon has not been the greatest shooter so far this year but he is strong in assists on a per minute basis and he does not turn the ball over much - something that can win you playing time with the coaches.

Both Harris and Calderon are worth consideration if available in your league.

Since I don't have Gerald Wallace on any of my teams, I have not really realized exactly the numbers he has been putting up until I skimmed over the most recently posted ratings and noticed him atop many of the category groups. Other than FT% he has strengths across the sheet. He has many of the non-scoring strengths as Andre Kirilenko but seems to be able to contribute some points also. The numbers will likely calm down a bit but he has a history of strength in the steal and block categories for a SG and this will likely continue. However the 58% FG will likely not continue. If you know a manager who is aware of how big Wallace has been perhaps trying to cash him in is a consideration. 

11/24/05

Ike Diogu played in his first game and had 11 points in only 14 minutes. Look to see if you can get him if available. 

Keyon Dooling played 30 mpg as a starter with Steve Francis out. He has scored in double figures in his last three games while shooting over 50% but has had some issues with TO's that may lead to reduced playing time. Considering that Jameer Nelson had a decent game and Steve Francis (car accident) will return, Keyon Dooling at this point can not be relied on for future stable minutes. Turkoglu has picked up his game recently with 45 points and 6 treys in his last two games.

I go an email recently asking about when to unload Al Jefferson. The answer for those hanging on would be related to the bench space you have. I have Jefferson in a league with 8 starters and 8 reserves so I have the luxury of keeping Jefferson on the 'farm'. Others with a short bench may want to release him but keep a finger on the trigger for when he snaps into it. Jefferson missed much of training camp and the Celtics seem relatively satisfied playing veterans LaFrentz and Blount as starters. Yesterday Jefferson played 19 minutes and contributed some with 6 points, 3 reb, and 2 bl.

Another player that may be a disappointment and stored on benches is Stromile Swift. But in the case of Swift he has been playing behind a very unproductive Juwan Howard. You would think his time must come. However over his career, it seems Swift has settled into the role of a 25 minute energy guy off the bench. That energy can translate into foul trouble, quickly reducing his playing time. He can still be productive as he had a double double yesterday in only 24 minutes. 

Luther Head has taken another step to establish himself as the starting point guard for the Rockets. He has played over 33 minutes in his last three games. With young guys like him though his performances can be very volatile - somewhat similar to what you might see from Sebastian Telfair. Defenses may also start to pay more attention to him. For the year Head is shooting 50% from three point land - he will start to see more hands in his face.

Josh Childress got his highest playing time total of the last 8 games yesterday and scored in double figures for only the second time this year. I still think he can turn it around so monitor him if he is a free agent.

Richard Hamilton was totally of out his usual character by taking 6 three point shots and making 3. He is shooting 53% from three point land this season. A continued commitment to three point shots would enhance his value in roto leagues with the trey.

Lining up against Malik Rose and Maurice Taylor certainly helped Okafor come out of a slump as he tallied 19 pts and 11 reb. The Knicks and their front court playing rotation are a mess.

Kareem Rush continues to score and hit threes but can do some damage to your FG% and does not do much beyond points. Chances are the points will go down soon also.

While Darius Miles has been great this year he has been KILLING teams in the FT% category. At least he went 5-7 last night. For his career he is 59% FT.

Just when you were about to waive James Jones - or perhaps just after, he gets 30+ minutes and hits 5 treys. Realize by the time you get in back in your roster he may have reduced playing time again. 

Chris Webber watched Iverson take 30 shots and go to the line 19 times. His owners should hope AI decides to share the ball next game as the Sixers lost.

David West had 22 pts and 13 reb - we have previously discussed him. What are the Hornets thinking by starting Bostjan Nachbar instead of Desmond Mason? Mason's upside is that the guy playing in front of him is not the caliber of player who should be starting for an NBA team. Mason's time must be coming.

With Vince Carter out, Mark Jackson scored a season high 21 points. After a good preseason he had not even scored in double figures yet this season.

With Peja S out, Kevin Martin achieved season highs in minutes, points, and shot attempts as he had 18 points and 7 reb.

Despite limited playing time, Matt Bonner has hit three treys in 3 of his last 8 games including his last 2 games.

11/22/05

I had the opportunity to watch much of David West's 20 pts, 9 reb, 2 stl performance against the Sixers last night. Now after ten games of the season West seems as if his start out of the gates can be sustained throughout the season unlike others who may pull back after good starts such as Smush Parker, Chris Duhon and Delonte West. As a first round pick in the 2003 NBA draft (who missed much of last season with injury and therefore fell off fantasy radars), West would seem to be a prime candidate for the Hornets to continue to groom as a veteran such as George Lynch was asked to not even report to camp. He also has an upcoming contract renewal to pay attention to. West is shooting good percentages and over 10 games is averaging 33 min, 15 pts, 7 reb, and 1.2 stls. After going through the ratings recently posted, West is a top 60 performer in many formats. Many of you are saying, "Great, but West is not available in my league now!" In shallower league where he may be available give him consideration as a free agent pickup.

Over the past 3 games Jarvis Hayes has played progressively more minutes and tonight started for Antonio Daniels. While Hayes has not shown the greatest fantasy potential in his first two full seasons, in deeper leagues he may be a consideration if he can hold on to a starting role. To his credit tonight we went 7-11 FG and had 1 trey, 1 steal, and 2 ast. Daniels for his part went 0-10 FG giving good reason to start Hayes again next game.

Delonte West played only 23 minutes this evening and Dan Dickau played 22 minutes. Owners of West may need to be concerned about West becoming part of a PG committee. At the same time, Dickau may be a consideration in deep leagues.

In only his fourth game of the season, Travis Outlaw played a season high in 21 minutes and had 10 pts, 4, reb, and 2 st. He could stand to benefit from the suspension of Ruben Patterson.

Luther Head had a good game for the Rockets and has an opportunity to take a permanent bite out of the minutes of Rafer Alston while he is out with an injury.

11/16/05

While Lebron's rebounds, assists, and steals may not be up to what was expected of him this season, all of his shooting percentages are tremendous and would seem to be nearly compensating for the other 'shortcomings' in 8 cat roto leagues. However if you are in a 5 category PARSB league, his performance would be a disappointment so far. I would expect those numbers to eventually come closer to expectations, but his owners also have the luxury of likely being able to trade him straight up for anyone in the league. Yesterday he had 37 points including 15-23 FG and 10 rebounds.

I sent out an email the other day regarding L. Hughes performing below expectations - part of that was attributed to lower playing time than expected. The last two games he has seen over 40 minutes and his stats have come back to what was expected from him. Yesterday he had 22 points, 8 assists, and 5 turnovers.

E. Okafor continued his slump as D. Howard had a statement game with 21 points on 7-11 FG and 7-10 FT and 20 rebounds including 8 offensive. Okafor got in early foul trouble and played only 23 minutes. I expect Okafor to put up much better numbers in the near future.

The Raptors are now playing C. Villanueva and C. Bosh at the same time for extended minutes helping the fantasy value of Villaneuva who had 27 points on 12-17 FG and 3-3 3-pointers and 13 rebounds including 5 offensive.

J. Salmons appears as if he will get regular minutes this season and is averaging 24.6 mpg, 10.6 ppg, and a nice 52.5% FG. His playing time is coming at the expense of K. Korver.

D. West has solidified his spot as a starter for the Hornets. He had 16 pts and 10 reb yesterday and while not a big shot blocker he contributes steals.

N. Collison started again for the Sonics and played 30 minutes and had 8 pts and 7 rebs. He may have been limited by foul trouble. He remains a player with upside.

J. Childress has had a real tough start to the season. I have confidence that his numbers will improve as he adjusts to his role this season. 

D. Diop had a big game with 4 points, 16 rebounds including 6 offensive, and 6

blocks. He is a real prospect for rebounds and blocks and presents a threat to E. Dampier. Also the numbers that D. Harris has been putting up are encouraging. 

In a blowout game Andrew Bogut played limited minutes. I do no see any injury reports for him.

11/14/05 Notes

DerMarr Johnson was inserted into the Nuggets starting lineup over Voshon Lenard and contributed to the Nuggets win over the Wolves. He played 32 minutes and had 17 pts, 3 treys, 5 ast, and 2 bl. He is worth consideration as a free agent pickup. Kenyon Martin was placed on the Inactive List (IL) with a sore knee. Francisco Elson started but was unproductive. As the Nuggets activated Julius Hodge, a guard, Najera remains a candidate to get increased minutes in the short term. He played 25 min yesterday. With Marcus Camby averaging 16 pts, 14 reb, and 3.7 blocks, it is difficult to imagine him with more value than he has now. His owners might want to consider trading him before he gets hurt.

I have had Luke Walton stashed on my bench in my RIHC league hoping that he might be able to break into the rotation and also partly for insurance with Kwame Brown also on my roster - also, I did not have many attractive alternates for that roster spot. The scenario of the Lakers eventually playing Walton at SF and Odom at PF has occurred to me. While Walton grab may be a long shot, we may start to get an indication of Walton's role on the Phil Jackson team within the week when he returns from his hamstring injury. This morning I did give DerMarr Johnson consideration since he is available but thought since I have invested the time so far in Walton why not ride it out a little longer. Of course I may change my mind in an hour.

T. Ariza played a substantial role in the Knicks first win and is worth consideration but expect volatility. With Barnes still starting it seems he has a shot at becoming a starter for them. Yesterday he had 13 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast, and 4 stl.

Stromile Swift played 26 minutes compared to 22 minutes for Juwan Howard and was more productive. Note the total combined minutes of 48. I have been wondering why the Rockets have been playing him sparingly so far. Yesterday Howard had only 4 points and he has not blocked a shot in six games this season.

I have also been wondering why Charlie V has not been starting for Toronto. Darren Andrade a writer who covers the Raptors for www.HoopsWorld.com gave me the following on his current role despite a good preseason.

David 
You have first got to understand that preseason hoops is an ENTIRELY 
different animal than the regular season. Villanueva was not putting up 
those numbers against starting competition, it was against bench players, 
rookies, camp invitees since been cut and experimental lineups. That is 
the nature of preseason basketball. Exhibition stats are very misleading 
and should never be relied upon heavily when making regular season 
decisions. Any coach will tell you that.

Again, Villanueva is not going to start unless it is at the three spot, 
which he hasn't developed into yet, or the four spot should Chris Bosh be 
forced to start some games at center, which is what the Raptors are trying 
to avoid at all costs. I watch him in practice, he is coming along and is 
part of the future. The coaches are bring him along the right way. 
Regards, 
Darren Andrade

The 1-4 Sonics opted to start N. Collison over Reggie Evan at PF today.  Collison ended up playing 43 minutes in the overtime game and had 20 pts and 12 rebounds (Seattle won).  Collison had been previously averaging only 21 minutes and is now a good free agent consideration on the premise he will continue to start and play more minutes.

Nov 13 Notes

In the evolving Suns playing rotation, L. Barbosa would now appear to have the edge as he started, played an significant 39 minutes, and was productive in a Suns victory. Yesterday R. Bell shifted to small forward and J. Jones and B. Diaw each came of the bench and were able to contribute something. Barbosa nearly achieved three straight games with 20 or more points adding some stability to his fantasy value. Box Score

In three consecutive games now M. Dunleavy has had progressively fewer minutes played and his scoring bottomed out yesterday with 0 points in 15 minutes. In 7 games Dunleavy has not scored more than 13 points and is shooting merely 25%. I don't see any injury reports for him. While last night he was likely guarded by a good defender in Raja Bell, this would not account for the previous lack of productivity.

Although D. Williams played 28 minutes yesterday he left the game with a sprained ankle and did not return. Box Score

J. Howard played only 16 minutes yesterday. As far as I know it was just related to foul trouble. Box Score

Over his last five games, David West has averaged 30 mpg, 11.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 51% FG for the Hornets.

Rookie L. Head played 30 mpg which was more than twice as much as his average in his prior three games yesterday. He contributed 3 treys. Box Score

S. May played 28 minutes yesterday which is more than 10 minutes over his season average and contributed 18 points. Part of this playing time yesterday may be attributed to Okafor having a bad night. Box Score

11/12/05

While Caron Butler may not be available in your league, tonights game would appear he has reached the next level with the Wizards in that he was given 46 minutes of playing time in the Wizards victory over the Spurs. While J. Jeffries likely is available, he should remain that way despite starting most of the Wizards games. Over his career he has demonstrated himself to be a bench player and at some point the Wizards will just start Butler rather than have him come off the bench and play most of the game anyway. Box Score

Salim Stoudamire appears as if he will consistently provide one or two treys per game for his fantasy teams this year. Box Score

Perhaps tonight is an indication that Manu Ginobili is 100% as he broke out for 28 points. In hindsight, when he was struggling was perhaps the time to make a low ball trade offer for him. Emeka Okafor is currently struggling. Are you brave enough to put in an offer now for last years rookie of the year?

Notes from Early Games of 11/9/05

After playing only 2 minutes, Rashard Lewis left the game tonight with an injured shoulder. Subsequently Vladimir Radmanovic got 33 minutes of playing time and hit 3 treys. In his previous 3 games Radmanovic averaged only 16 minutes. If Lewis misses time with the injury, Radmanovic should benefit and contribute threes. Damien Wilkins also received more playing time (27 min) and would warrant attention in deeper leagues.

Larry Hughes continued to not get extended minutes as he played only 32 minutes this evening and did not provide any steals and only 13 points. He did at least contribute 5 assists. With Cleveland's added depth, LeBron James has seen a dip in playing time of around 6 mpg. He has seen a dip in his rebound, assist, and steal numbers although he is still at the top of the league in terms of fantasy value.

Dirk Nowitzki played only 17 minutes because of a strained back. Keith Van Horn played 38 minutes and had 19 pts and 13 reb.

Kyle Korver had his second straight good game with 20 pts, 2 treys, and 1 block and provided his fantasy owners with some relief after opening with 3 poor games. He can afford some bad games since the Sixers don't have many good options to him - unless they would move Iguodala to SF and play John Salmons as SG. But the Sixers would prefer Andre at SG. They are giving all the PT Iguodala can handle as he logged 44 minutes tonight and produced across the stat sheet including 22 pts, 7 reb, 5 reb, 2 st, and 1 bl.

Antonio Daniels is day to day because of his ankle. Tonight Jarvis Hayes started in his place and had 16 pts and 7 reb.

Matt Carroll started for an injured Kareem Rush but his production was limited with only 6 points in 17 minutes. Keith Bogans played 31 minutes and had 4 steals and 11 points. It is not likely anyone here will be emerging with value.

Tony Parker continues to put up big numbers for the Spurs and Manu Ginobili continues to take time to come around from a nagging leg injury. Tonight Parker had 23 points, 5 reb, and 6 ast.

Eddie Jones has been providing a boatload of treys including 4 more tonight. 

Although Delonte West scored only 8 points continued to provide good fantasy value with 6 reb, 5 ast, 2 st, 1 trey, and 1 block.

Nov 8^th Notes

Larry Hughes is likely owned in all fantasy leagues and in his first four games has likely disappointed his owners. So what is a fantasy owner to do? A natural reaction is to try to trade him but that is not wise considering his poor start. A drop in his assists could have been expected playing besides LeBron James as he helps out a lot in that area but owners had hoped to continue to receive a solid supply of steals from him. In his first four games he is just averaging 1.3 spg and that is even considering the 3 steals he got last night. 

The other problem for Hughes is that he is getting only 32.5 mpg. Eric Snow and Damon Jones are currently averaging a combined 52 minutes per game meaning they are on the floor together at least 4 minutes. Mike Wilkes is also getting 5 minutes per game at PG. This all contributes to Hughes not getting the desirable 36+ mpg. Early projections for him had him at 36.5 mpg. Eric Snow has been remarkably unproductive from a scoring standpoint but in general has not been turning the ball over. A key to Hughes getting more time would be for Snow's relative lack of productivity to translate into less playing time. This represents an upside for Hughes. If Snow and Jones combined for only 48 min, that extra 4 minutes could potentially give Hughes 36.5 as opposed to 32.5 mpg. For now the wise owner should hold on to Hughes and the brave owner should try to trade FOR Hughes counting on him to fulfill his potential.

After teams have played only 3 or 4 games it is important but hard sometimes to not react. I sent out alerts earlier for Chris Duhon and Delonte West after strong opening night performances. They have since been progressively less productive. Boris Diaw recently had a big game and those who acted on that should be hoping for more strong performances but should not hope for near triple doubles every night. When thinking about that player to drop for a nice box score try to imagine the chances of that dropped player emerging shortly after you let him go before pulling the trigger.

In my RIHC league I let Trevor Ariza go early for Devean George and have already regretted it. So I did not quite follow my own advice in that instance. I recently resisted the urge to drop Mike Sweetney when Al Jefferson became available. Never the less, look for me to continue to notify you of big box scores from players potentially on the free agent wire and good luck on what they give you in the future.

11/6/05 
B. Diaw nearly had a triple double and also added 3 bl and 1 st in 29 min.  One is justified in acting on such a performance by adding him to your team particularly if you can justify waiving a player currently on your roster.  Diaw had already been averaging 4.7 apg and 1.3 bpg in three games before tonights performance.  Owners of James Jones should be aware that Diaw represents a threat to him. 

Nov 5 Notes

Unproven J. Calderon is worth putting on your watch list. He got 33 minutes yesterday and had 20 pts and 7 ast. Starter Mike James still played 30 minutes.

K. Korver has started the season ice cold and may see diminished minutes if things don't turn around. J. Salmons would stand to benefit from his struggles.

In his second game A. Daniels playing time spiked to 37 minutes although he took only 7 shots. Jamison and Arenas dominated that ball for the Wizards.

T. Ariza was third in playing time for the Knicks and had 4 steals. He still did not start.

Nobody played more than 29 minutes in the Spurs blow out win over the Cavaliers.

In the Portland-Denver blowout game nobody played more than 32 minutes. Portland could find themselves prone to blow outs this season. Marcus Camby had 23 pts, 17 reb, and 6 blocks. He is due for an injury.

Deron Williams has been playing well for the Jazz although not starting. Owners should continue to hold on for better things.

Donyell Marshall is considered day to day because of his knee.

Marvin Williams started for Al Harrington who missed the game because of his ankle.

Derek Fisher had 18 points as Baron Davis sat out with a strained hamstring.

Jerry Stackhouse is expected to be out 2 weeks with a bone bruise in his right knee.

Shaquille O'Neal is expected to be out 2 to 4 weeks with a sprained right ankle.

11/3/05

As you may know, Chris Duhon had a triple double last night and Delonte West nearly did.  Both  players may be available in your league and are probably worth grabbing particulary if you have a player who came up less than you expected early on.

Although he did not start, Jarvis Hayes was only behind Arenas and Jamison in field goal attempts and finished with 17 pts on 8-13 FG. The Raptors wanted to start Bosh at PF which put Charlie Villaneuva on the bench and rookie Joey Graham started at SF. However Graham logged only 20 minutes. Oddly, Villaneuva was the THIRD man off the bench. Box Score

The Hornets were blown out which is what should be expected from them often resulting in sloppy box scores on their end. No one played more than 29 minutes for them and Desmond Mason's minutes are only up to 22 so far. That should continue to go up. Drew Gooden and Eric Snow started but took only a combined 3 shots. Donyell Marshall was effective but played only 23 minutes off the bench. Box Score

Austin Croshere started for the Pacers at PF and had 16 pts and 3 treys with Jermaine O'Neal starting at center. Preseason star Danny Granger played only 10 minutes. Dwight Howard got off to a slow start for the Magic.

Box Score

TJ Ford continues to be valuable and Bogut's 17 rebounds supported his fantasy value. Perhaps Redd was worth the money? Jefferson, Carter, and Kidd seemed to be able to get the stats expected of them.

Box Score

Matt Barnes started at SF for the Knicks and I would expect this to not last long. Eddie Curry logged a hefty 42 minutes but punished his teams in the FT% category. Potential sleeper Trevor Ariza got off to a slow start getting only 17 min because of Barnes. Delonte West started with a HUGE box score of 14 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast, 4 bl, and 3 st in the OT game.

Box Score

Webber's number's returned to more what should be expected from him and he combined with AI to suck to offensive fantasy value out of the rest of the team. Richard Hamilton rejoiced in Larry Brown being gone with 37 points - of course no three point attempts. The hope with Darko having value is fading already as he played only 9 min.

Box Score

Shaq was behind Walker and Wade in FG attempts and finished with only 12 pts. Pau Gasol played over 40 minutes and generated big numbers. He has top 15 potential with those minutes.

Box Score

Darius Miles showed evidence in the preseason as being the primary offensive option and followed through in the first game of the season. Juan Dixon was third on the team in field goal attempts. Richie Frahm was 5-6 but those who bite may regret it later.

Box Score

It's OK now to start to worry a little about Bibby as he went 2-11. Maybe his health is not 100%. Bonzi Wells came up huge as the starting SG with 18 pts and 22 pts (and 7 TOs). Juwan Howard presents an obstacle to Stromile Swift but Howard is trying to remove himself as he goes 0-9.

Box Score

Ben Gordon got his minutes and field goals attempts - he just missed. Late round picks Duhon and Wallace put up big numbers and owners have their fingers crossed.

Box Score

Van Horn is averaging 34.5 mpg so far. Okur's offseason conditioning is showing early on. Deron Williams did not start but played well.

Box Score

With 35 pts, 11 ast, and a win perhaps Cassell likes the Clippers afterall.

Box Score

ZaZa started with a double double and Al Harringtons three point shooting did not extend to the regular season. Pietrus scored 20 in only 24 minutes off the bench.

Box Score

Smush Parker looks like a good free agent pickup and Devean George is worth watching. Continue to watch Najera in deep leagues as Nene is out for the year.

Box Score

Nov 2 Notes

Nene injured his knee in last nights game and was limited to just two minutes. Nene had been projected to play around 25-30 minutes as a backup to Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby. Taking his backup minutes last night was E. Najera who played 22 minutes and had 14 pts and 5 reb. Najera has some upside potential not only if Nene misses extended time but also because Martin is not 100% and Camby is injury prone. While over Najera's entire career he has been just a 18 minute energy guy off the bench, the Nuggets may find themselves with little choice but to give him up to 30 minutes. In that regard he could provide FG%, pts, and rebounds as well as something in blocks and steals. For that reason he is player to watch particularly in deeper leagues and/or if you have Nene, Martin, or Camby. Box Score

D. West started for the Hornets and had 8 pts, 11 reb, and 1 stl in 28 minutes. Projecting his two year career averages to 30 minutes a game would yield about 9 pts, 8.4 reb, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 steals. Desmond Mason only played 16 minutes but this will increase quickly with some of the minutes at small forward. Chris Andersen did not start but he may become the starting center with PJ Brown moving to PF. This all could lead to David West's start last night being a short term event but he is someone to watch along with the other New Orleans front court players. M. Lampe's DNP would seem to indicate he is not in the picture at this time.

Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley each played about the same amount of time and each took about the same numbers of shots but Finley came away with 16 pts compared to 10 for Ginobili. Both were on the court at times as Finley had a bigger impact on Bruce Bowen's playing time than Ginobilis. Manu was not 100% and will likely start putting up the numbers expected of him soon. Tony Parker and Nick Van Exel split all the point guard minutes with Parker getting enough (34 min) to realize his full fantasy potential. Left out in the cold was Beno Udrih who got the DNP. 

Chris Paul's debut was respectable as he was restrained with his shots. Owners should expect more than assists than the 4 he totaled last night in 34 minutes in the future. Speedy Claxton was very effective in the preseason and that continued last night as he had 17 pts in 21 minutes. The Hornets though appear very committed to Paul early on.

Andrew Boguts near double double included 3 blocks which must be a very welcome bonus for his owners.

TJ Ford did not disappoint owners who used a late pick on him as he provided 14 assists.

Bibby's cold shooting from the preseason did continue to the regular season AND spread to the whole team who shot only 31%. That should improve. Try not to worry yet.

The following are useful links for those interested in INJURY NEWS

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Inside Hoops

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