Secret Up North

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Following a hectic few weeks post fantasy football, I’m back to deliver daily content. Everything now shifts to a quantum level in sports. Some may say it’s a down time but I beg to differ. College basketball offers up some of the premier highlights and recaps on a day to day basis. Comebacks, injuries, player issues, etc. all come to the forefront in conference play.

The NBA is a bit different but it has been for the last decade or when stability went awry amongst franchises. Development from the front offices seems to be without regard. Teams are pulling the plug on pieces worse than how NFL coaches get axed. Unlike the NFL, teams that have made drastic moves in the NBA have seen some success. Miami did it in an extreme way by grouping together megastars Chris Bosh and Lebron James. On a smaller scale teams like the Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, OKC, and Memphis have done it with solid draft picks and adding high quality free agents that don’t break the bank.

This year’s team that has shocked many has been the Phoenix Suns. They’ve been steady for the first two and a half months of the season. Eric Bledsoe was their main acquisition in the offseason and he is proving to be worth every penny. Up north though there is a team that is cracking the relevant radar over their last eight games. That would be the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors had a strong west coast trip in which they narrowly defeated Portland, and upset Oklahoma City on their home court. That sparked a win streak of seven of eight games until last night’s loss to the Miami Heat. A game they hung neck and neck with the Heat for four full quarters but just couldn’t muster a better fourth quarter than the Heat.

No one could have seen the current stretch the Raptors are on coming. When the trade was announced to send Rudy Gay to the Sacramento Kings it figured to be the coup de grace to the Raptors 2013 NBA season. After all they had let Andrea Bargani, a key player for the Raptors, sign with the Knicks in the offseason. Plans to build for the future seemed to be the main signal from the front office.

Instead it has allowed the team to play better team basketball, as Rudy Gay isn’t taking the bulk of shots on the offensive end. Kyle Lowry, Demar Derozen, and Terrence Ross have been stellar. But the key player to their team has been Amir Johnson.

He isn’t the go to guy offensively every night, which means he may be the forgotten one on the scouting report. Last season he showed flashes but this season he is looking more like an NBA starter on a nightly basis. He is aggressive in a good way on the offensive end of the court. Using his foot speed and nimbleness he is becoming one of the better interior scorers in the NBA.

He is one of those players that does his best with an adequate amount of shot attempts. Around eight to ten a night suits him well. For a fantasy basketball team I’d consider trading for Johnson. He has more upside to come as he seems to be hitting that time frame in a young athletes career where more blossoming occurs. Remember, Johnson was the last player drafted out of high school. Even though his career tenure in the NBA is listed at eight seasons, the first four were spent honing his skills as a Detroit Piston.

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The role of six man over the years has changed quite a bit. Bruce Bowen was the old prototypical sixth man when he was a Spur. Before he reached status as an elite defender he earned it by coming off the bench and causing havoc. Raja Bell was similar in this role as a 76er before showcasing his offensive skills as a Phoenix Sun.

Nowadays players that come in off the bench as a sixth man are coming into score. They lift the second unit offense with their quick baskets and often times can spark the first unit on the bench upon substitutions. Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, and JR Smith have been some of the better sixth men in the NBA over the last several years. Except when you mention their names you’re not going to attatch defense to their skillset.

Luis Scola is filling that same exact role as a Pacer. He was a part of an early season trade involving the Phoenix Suns that went unnoticed for how close to the season it was. One of the faults of the Pacers in years past is their stagnant stretches offensively. It has happened less this season thanks to Scola’s contributions.

When he comes off the bench you can bet it will be under three offensive possessions before he puts up a shot. He is averaging just about 9 points and 5 rebounds a game in sixth man role type of minutes. Its small averages to think about for a fantasy basketball roster but a quiet consistent impact that could be the bonus the Pacers need to get over the top this season.

Keep in mind Danny Granger still has not played a minute of action. This team still has a few gears left to accelerate that we have not seen yet.

Terrence Jones Utilizing His Size

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A heralded recruit like most of John Calipari’s are, Jones figured to be an added constant thread of one and done at Kentucky. For him that route didn’t pan out and he returned for a sophomore campaign. Ultimately he would have been wise to return for at least one more year at Kentucky. His draft stock was a mid first round pick and he landed at number eighteen to Houston.

His impact on the court was very little as a rookie. This put pressure on Jones to rededicate himself. The natural size and talent that Jones possessed was not matching up with the quickness and speed of NBA players. He needed to work on his game and show growth for Kevin McHale and the Rockets organization. Dedication after his rookie season paid off with a solid performance in the NBA summer league.

The Rockets have always been a team that rotates and tinkers with their roster. From the days of Chuck Hayes, Aaron Brooks, Chase Budinger, etc—they can find hidden talent buried on their depth chart.

Jones has been inserted in the starting lineup over the last five Rockets games and is showing a dimension of his game not witnessed at Kentucky. Instead of relying on his offensive skills and jumpshot, Jones is earning his minutes on the defensive end. An area the Rockets are in dire need of trying to solidify.

During his five starts Jones has had double digit rebounds three times. The other two games he narrowly missed the mark. What’s impressive about Jones’s rebounds is that he is getting a fair share of his total rebounds on the offensive end. This has allowed for easy putbacks for himself or another chance at points for the Rockets. Defensively he is also using his 6’9 frame to block shots. He has had twelve blocks over the same five game span, performing with a defensive presence that compliments Dwight Howard perfectly.

Rest assured that Kevin McHale likes what he sees from the young prospect in Terrence Jones. Now Jones must battle the rigorous NBA season to show that he is committed to dedicate himself over the full seven months of the season, and not just a quick span to catch eyes. Jones is currently available in 66% of Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Leagues.

Post Week Eleven NFL Team Rankings

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1. Denver- The Broncos knocked off the undefeated Chiefs with ease. They’ll have to repeat with another win in a few weeks to stay atop the rankings.
2. Seattle- Seattle has went from winning ugly to getting back on track atop the NFC unquestionably.
3. Kansas City- Many expected the Chiefs to lose in Denver but aren’t counting them out in a rematch. To show that they are true contenders they’ll need to get the win.
4. New Orleans- A win is a win as they say. New Orleans defense returned to form after a few shaky outings.
5. Carolina- Early in the season the Panthers lost a couple of close games against the Bills and Seahawks. Now they’ve ran off six straight wins including big wins over the 49ers and Patriots.
6. New England- The Patriots get a huge test on Sunday night football against the Broncos. Brady and the Patriots have lost the type of close games that were unheard of in prior Brady years.
7. Indianapolis- It looked like for a minute the Colts were on the downswing of their season against the Titans. But they did what they always do and battled back strongly for an encouraging win.
8. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals can win games in different fashions. For the second time this season defensive scores aided in comeback wins. They had the same formula in a win over Green Bay at home as to what happened against the Cleveland Browns. After the win the team as a whole was sparked. Maybe that will happen again.
9. Philadelphia- The Eagles are riding the hot hand of Nick Foles and are adding a bit of defense that was not seen early in the season.
10. Chicago- The Bears may have won against the Lions with McCown in but credit Trestman for making the switch until Cutler is 100 percent healthy.
11. San Francisco
12. Arizona
13. Dallas
14. Detroit
15. Baltimore Ravens
16. Miami Dolphins
17. Pittsburgh
18. Green Bay Packers
19. NY Giants
20. San Diego Chargers
21. NY Jets
22. St. Louis Rams
23. Tennessee
24. Buffalo
25. Cleveland Browns
26. Oakland Raiders
27. Washington Redskins
28. Minnesota
29. Houston
30. Tampa Bay
31. Atlanta
32. Jacksonville

Fantasy NBA Waiver Wire Additions Nov 19th Follow@cimini Danny Granger Granger’s return remains imminent. The only remaining factor is when. A time table seems to be approaching within the next week. More than likely when he does return he will be brought along gradually. Before Granger’s injury he was the singular focus for opposing teams. Now Roy Hibbert, Paul George, and several other Pacers have evolved their offensive game. There is no question that Granger can be of fantasy impact. But those thinking he will have a seamless return need to think again. Jordan Hill Hill is only owned in a bit over 50 percent of Yahoo fantasy basketball leagues currently. One of the reasons why likely has to do with Mike D’Antoni’s interchangeable lineup he inputs on a nightly basis. So some nights Hill may see increased minutes which skews his current near double double average. At some point though Hill is going to see steady minutes and be a viable consistent fantasy threat. Moe Harkless The former St. John’s product has developed his outside shot tremendously since departing from St. Johns as a freshman. The work he has put in on his jump shot has led to more minutes on the floor from head coach Jaque Vaughn. Over the Magic’s last three games he has scored in double figures. His size at 6’9 and ability to put the basketball on the floor makes Harkless at nightmare matchup. Jarret Jack Something was undisclosed in the team meeting of the Cleveland Cavaliers last week. Dion Waiters has stated nothing occurred between him and Kyrie Irving. On the court the tandem backcourt has struggled to play off each other. Instead the tandem has looked like a powerhouse college backcourt that excludes the other and hoists bad shots. Jack is the veteran that Mike Brown will give more minutes until Waiters/Irving play better as a backcourt on the floor. Lou Williams Over the last several seasons there are few guards that can come off the bench and produce instant offense. Jason Terry’s heyday doing so seems to have concluded. Currently JR Smith is the top candidate, but Lou Williams is another that has done so in Philadelphia and now Atlanta. He returns to the Hawks lineup Wednesday night from a knee injury. It may take a few weeks but the Hawks who have thrived defensively will rely on William’s instant offense.

Plumlee’s Having a Fantasy Impact

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Everyone in America is at the disposal of ESPN when it comes to watching college basketball and Duke. Duke is no question Dick Vitale’s favorite team to hype up year in and year out. Jay Bilas one of ESPN’s best commentators is a Duke graduate. To Bilas’s credit he tends to keep his opinions of Duke involved in the grand scheme of college basketball for that season.

Nonetheless by watching Duke over the last four to five years they’ve continued to have a common name on the back of their jerseys. Plumlee. The youngest Plumlee is currently at Duke and the other two have found their way into the NBA.

Call it what you want but both the Plumlee’s have seen minutes on the floor because of their athleticism and work ethic. There have been plenty of big man draft busts over the years. Hasheem Thabett, Daniel Orton, Fab Melo, and the list goes on. To get minutes on an NBA floor you have to show hustle and be impactful.

Both Mason and Miles are doing that with their current respective teams. To be honest I didn’t believe Mason had a shot at an NBA career. Mason showed up more in games for both halves especially during his senior season at Duke. Miles on the other hand often faded against stiffer competition and didn’t show the skills of an NBA big man.

The Phoenix Suns open attack style on the offensive end has been the perfect niche for Miles. To start the season he was mainly an offensive rebound put back type of center. Now the Suns actually feed him the ball and allow him to attack the basket. His has a quickness advantage and leaping advantage over a large majority of centers. Indiana somehow let him walk away instead of continuing to build him through their development team or in practices.

You couldn’t ask for more of a steal for fantasy basketball participants than picking up Miles after fantasy drafts. He is averaging near a double double every game with two blocks a game. He is still available in over 37% of Yahoo fantasy basketball leagues.

Mason is going to be a reserve for the Brooklyn Nets with all the veterans above him on the depth chart. The likes of Andray Blatche, Kevin Garnett, Andrei Kirilinko, Brook Lopez, and Reggie Evans all sit in the power forward/center positions. Mason’s minutes currently are coming because of injury woes atop the Nets depth chart.

Still you have to love what you’re seeing from Plumlee besides his free throw shooting. In Saturday’s loss to the Clippers he provided a season high 19 points in 27 minutes. When he is on the court he has been an impactful player. The rookie should continue to get minutes here and there even if the veteran players out currently on the Nets return soon. Jason Kidd and the Nets coaching staff will surely rest their veterans and decrease their minutes as the season stretches on.

If you’re in need of a big men double check your fantasy basketball waiver wires to see if Miles Plumlee is available. Keep Mason on your radar watch list for now.