by Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

Before rushing your leagues fantasy nba waiver wire in the quest of grabbing the latest flourishing role player in Jerryd Bayless lets analyze the role the Blazers will put him in. The Blazers were able to use the spark Bayless was able to provide on Thursday versus the Suns to mount a fourth quarter comeback after trailing by double digit’s the entire game. So the Suns were not able to snap a horrid losing streak on televised games on TNT building that to 17 losses. For his heroics Bayless was credited and figures to warrant more playing time in the Blazers crowded back court.

We do think Bayless is going to be a talent for years to come but his attributes what he can do offensively were perfect for last nights game. Bayless is not a true point guard as evident every time he handled the basketball. He is a slasher and score first approach guard. He did have four assists with his 29 points but those were on kick out three point shots. By handling the basketball he needs to be able to run the offense with more control. If it weren’t for the Suns inability to guard his speed, Bayless could have been shut down and frustrated with ease.

Steve Nash does not have the foot speed anymore and with Leandro Barbosa sidelined the Suns did not have a suitable defender to match Bayless. Instead they had to rely on forward Jared Dudley to try and slow down Bayless. Translation? There wasn’t a defender that had a chance to slow down Bayless. The Suns maybe should have thought about switching to a zone to cut Bayless’s driving abilities down.

Going forward the Blazers will have some time to play around and see what Bayless can provide. Rudy Fernandez’s time table for return is still up in the air. Based on Bayless’s attributes they might need to shift him over and let him play the two guard position. That’s what the University of Arizona did with Bayless in his one year with the program. They let true point guard Nic Wise run the show. Bayless has the size and athletic ability to be a factor while on the court.

All were saying is as a floor leader he does not have the team first mentality to carry this team forward. This could be a good thing for Portland as they do have two true point guards in Steve Blake and Andre Miller. Without a dominating post presence the Blazers have been searching for someone to provide a spark offensively. They have not been getting consistent offensive production from anyone else besides Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge.

We will see what plans Nate McMillan will have for Bayless. If he puts him in the spot as point guard he can flourish on nights against teams that don’t play defense such as the Suns and Golden State Warriors. He has the ability to put up marquee numbers on any night. Running the show as a floor leader just is not his role. Watch the Blazers move him to the two guard spot and remove Martell Webster from the starting lineup and back to being a role player. Webster has been far too inconsistent as a starter offensively.

By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

When the Suns decided to ship out their veterans and rely on young unproven talent to fill out their depth, it sure seemed as if the team was heading into that rebuilding stage. Rumors were rampant that the Suns wanted to part ways and trade their star in Amare Stoudemire. After they found suitors for Raja Bell and Boris Diaw as part of the Jason Richardson trade it seemed the Suns were a franchise that didn’t know what they wanted to do. That was quelled when Shaq figured he would work his magic and get the heck out of the there. Suns general manager Steve Kerr quickly obliged and the Diesel yet again got his wishes granted as he danced and shimmied his way to the Cavaliers.

The new look Suns yet again decided to get back to their old style of play. That meant letting Steve Nash do what he does by pushing the tempo and quick fast break transition Mike D’Antoni style of offense. That sort of style of play is what pushed them to a top the league for thrills and excitement aka many points scored.

So what has this 2009-2010 Suns team looking ever more dangerous and off to a running thundering start?

First full year head coach Alvin Gentry has reemphasized a lot of things that Terry Porter just could not reach across with. His abilities to communicate on the level he is with the players has brought a new commitment to the team. Also the team is finally meshing the way Steve Kerr envisioned. A year ago people were bad mouthing his moves and ready to pull his title.

We’d say his only bad move was bringing in Terry Porter. Lets not analyze his other moves yet look at all the chaos of issues the team had a year ago. Amare Stoudemire their franchise player missed most of the year after his eye was damaged yet again. Leandro Barbosa was the quiet fuel that always gave this team a spark with his constant energy and hustle. A foreign player in this league has to adapt quickly but no one is prepared for the sudden loss of your mother. Barbosa missed a few games but wasn’t nearly the same player the Suns were use too seeing the rest of the 2009 campaign.

When Jason Richardson was brought in right before the new year it was a match that we knew would take time to develop. The Suns were still trying to figure out their offensive cohesion as a unit, and Richardson’s role was not known. The one main guy that came in and did his thing on a nightly basis was Grant Hill. Hill fell so much in love with his rebirth at his age that he ignored the money in the off-season so he could resign with the Suns. That’s a true professional there, and he is balling at a level of play that has people thinking he is 30 not 38.

Age was one thing that Alvin Gentry had to worry about. With Nash and Hill being past the 35 mark youth was going to have to step up. They brought in unheralded free agent Channing Frye who had shown flashes in his career but had been tossed around in the league. He is a big guy that likes to hang around the perimeter. That figured to balance nicely when he is playing on the floor with Amare, and also when the Suns are running their transition offense.

The biggest factor of change from this team has to due with the emergence of their talented bench. It’s probably a bench full of role players that is least known and recognized in the NBA circles, but each game this year they’re gaining notice. It features Earl Clark the rookie from Louisville, backup point guard Goran Dragic, do it all forward Jared Dudley, and hard nosed backup center Louis Amundson. Time and time again this year Alvin Gentry will have this core come in and spell big minutes for the team. It’s usually when the starters are lagging and Gentry wants to see if the bench can resuscitate some life into his team.

The starters have seen them excel and now the chemistry has intermixed with the bench and starters. The two that have really come along over the last five to six games have been Goran Dragic and Jared Dudley. Dragic is given Steve Nash excellent minutes of rest and fulfilling true point guard duties. A year ago when Dragic would be inserted he looked hesitant and worrisome on the court. Now he has developed confidence and maturity in his game. Dudley is currently the Suns sixth man and for good reason. He is averaging around 23 minutes a game and is an all around hustler that is sneakily averaging close to 10 points a game.

The depth of this team is what will be the extra difference from Suns teams in the past that have storm rolled through regular seasons then faltered against the heavy weights in the western conference playoffs. For fantasy purposes scoop up Dudley and keep a close eye on the Suns reserves aforementioned in case of injury and increased minutes.

By Zack Cimini

As the NBA season gets more than a quarter ways complete, there has definitely been a lot of young stars making their names and prescence known. Call it instant impact. More and more young talent is actually reversing the old common thought, which was to draft based on talent and wait and see. They’re able to come in and pay quick dividends through their common will, determination and preparation. Either that or it’s just been a good class of youngsters the last three years. This is what we do know. The league is getting younger, more talented and somehow less defensive.

For our compilation of rankings of points guards you’ll see plenty of rookies intermixed. Where will they fall from a fantasy perspective amongst the core of veterans and other young point guards?

Obviously these rankings are based on Yahoo’s ability to start at the position of point guard.

1. Steve Nash
2. Chris Paul
3. Deron Williams
4. Dwayne Wade
5. Brandon Roy
6. Gilbert Arenas
7 Jason Kidd
8 Monta Ellis
9 Joe Johnson
10Rajon Rondo
11 Tyreke Evans
12 Brandon Jennings
13 Tony Parker
14 Chauncey Billups
15. Derrick Rose
16 Russell Westbrook
17 Baron Davis
18 Jason Terry
19 Mo Williams
20. Rodney Stuckey
21 Louis Williams (Injured)
22Aaron Brooks
23Jonny Flynn
24Beno Udrih
25Steph Curry
26. Raymond Felton
27. Chris Douglas Roberts
28. Andre Miller
29. Jose Calderon
30. Mike Bibby
31. Luke Ridnour
32. Mario Chalmers
33. Jamal Crawford
34. Will Bynum
35Chris Duhon
36 Mike Conley
37 Steve Blake
38. Jason Williams
39. James Harden
40. Ty Lawson
41. TJ Ford

By Zack Cimini
notjustagame23@gmail.com

This seemingly should be Andray Blatche’s rookie season. The 6’10 budding star has kept a low profile on the basketball court since entering the league in 2005. Coming straight out of high school he didn’t have the necessary buzz surrounding him like most high school prep star declarers. Yet he was still projected as a late first round pick. Obviously agents words of wisdom compared to where a general manager decides to invest his wallet come draft day differ all the time. For Blatche that was the case and he slipped all the way to the end of the second round.

Most second rounders have a hard time just making a team. So the prospects for Blatche certainly weren’t looking too strong. On top of the shock of slipping in the draft he also endured a tough incident in which he was shot right before his rookie training camp. Luckily it didn’t cause any significant damage and he was able to return rather quickly. He ended up spending his first year mainly in the NBA development league too work on his skill set like many young athletes that rush into the NBA.

Over the past few years he has seen his playing time increase as a result of opportunities. The Wizards let Etan Thomas go and have been battling injuries from their stars in Antwan Jamison, Caron Butler, and Gilbert Arenas at various times. This has let Blatche get into the lineup with frequency and each time he has had starters minutes he has turned some heads.

His biggest game yet in his young career came on Halloween this year when he scored 30 points. Blatche’s role with the Wizards should only expand as the season evolves. Even though the Wizards have welcomed back Antwan Jamison, the Wizards know they have to utilize the scrappy play of Blatche. He will be needed more for the heavy weight centers such as Shaquille O’Neal and just brings that extra balance to the Wizards.

Currently Blatche is only owned in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues. That dove down when Jamison returned and Blatche’s consistency of minutes took an erratic swing.

Lately though the Wizards have found a way to get him in games. After a pour finish in the last few weeks of November it seems that he is out of his rut and can be a fantasy basketball contributor in deep leagues. Even if he only gets on the floor between 20-24 minutes he has done enough statistically all around to warrant being picked up in your league. Over the last four he has averaged around 22 minutes which is only a couple down from his season average. The key though is he is averaging around eight shots a game.

By Chris Burrows

Favorites:

Brandon Jennings (MIL) – The biggest standout of the NBA rookie class so far, Jennings is earning his minutes falling just short of a triple-double in his debut game with 17 points, 9 rebounds, and nine assists and a 24 point outing against the Pistons.

Gilbert Arenas (WASH) – His comeback looks like the real deal. Arenas’ numbers are already on pace to match his 06-07 days with a three game average of 28 ppg that includes a 32 point outing against the Nets.

Al Harrington (NYK) – 42 points against the Sixers. This vet is on pace to have his best season yet and help his team lots along the way.

Andrea Bargnani (TOR) – Chris Bosh wouldn’t be where he is without Bargnani who’s showing his worth in the paint this season and attacking inside. He’s a top producing center maintaining an uncommonly high 22 ppg for his position. And he’s 12 for 12 at the charity stripe which he is making his home.

Chris Kaman (LAC) – Another impressive Center so far, Kaman is stepping up his rebound totals (10.2) and point totals (22.6 ppg) with a 27 point, 11 rebound game against Dallas. He has recorded 3 double-doubles in five games.

Andrew Bynum (LAL) – Garnering lots of minutes and offensive stats, Bynum put up 26 points against the Clippers and has already had two other 21+ point games. His rebound totals are also on the rise.

Kevin Martin (SAC) – Martin is an offensive monster so far this season. He put together a 48 point game against Memphis with five rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block. The guy is unstoppable.

Marreese Speights (PHI) – An off-the-bench option for fantasy owners, Speights has displayed a knack for sinking shots in Philadelphia with a .750 FG%. Though he doesn’t get as many minutes as the starters, he has already managed a 26 point, 5 rebound, 2 steal, 1 block game against Orlando and a 20 point, 10 rebound, 2 block game against the Knicks. If he gets more minutes, Speights might explode.

The Phoenix Suns – Besides leading all other teams in offense the Suns are getting it done in the rebounds too with a .512 total rebounding %. The Suns are just cranking out numbers.

Fizzles:

Stephen Curry (GSW) – The highly acclaimed first round draft pick out of Davidson started both of the Warrior’s first two outings but only lit up the boards for 14 points against Houston and 12 versus Phoenix. Curry hasn’t yet recorded his first official NBA block.

Russell Westbrook (OKC) – Westbrook has succeeded offensively in his first four starts including two double-doubles in a row but his downfall continues to be his turnovers which can quickly sink any fantasy team. Westbrook had nine turnovers in one game against Portland and has 22 so far.

Pau Gasol (LAL) – Can’t do much on a torn hamstring.

By Chris Burrows

For big leagues that go deep into the annals of NBA rosters it’s important for fantasy owners to know who among the lesser will arise to the top especially considering the amount of movement that took place during the off-season. Here’s a look at the top fantasy sleepers for ’09-’10.

1. Anthony Morrow (SG, GSW) – The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson is leaning towards starting Morrow whose preseason numbers are stunning to say the least (yes, preseason doesn’t count but in fantasy it does). Morrow pounded back 30 points against the Suns including four threes and a steal and then put up 32 points against the Clippers two days later with four assists and five rebounds in that outing. Last year Morrow led the league in 3-point percentage but expect him to lead in a lot of other categories this time if he can capture that starting spot ahead of Stephen Curry and Kelenna Azubuike.

2. Allen Iverson (SG/PG, MEM) – Yeah, he’s a big name player but he didn’t do a whole lot last season with the Pistons as many fantasy owners can unhappily recall. Now Iverson has a new home in Memphis and should settle into a more specialized role that can the potential to springboard his numbers–the Grizzlies will rely heavily on him to provide lots of steals and assists and, if all goes according to plan, he should see his FG percentage head northward under the watchful assistance of Mayo, Gay and company who will also benefit from Iverson’s experience on the boards.

3. Boris Diaw (PF, CHA) – The Bobcats will be hitching their hopes to Diaw this season whose move to Charlotte last year saw his numbers bloom. Diaw’s average rose to a career high 15.1 points, .8 steals and 5.9 rebounds as a frontcourt minute logger. This year he’ll be starting again and should be well fed by Raymond Felton as long as his ankle injury heals as quickly as the team is promising.

4. D.J. Augustin (PG, CHA) – Another preseason standout, Augustin sunk 5 three-pointers and had a 29 point outing against the Jazz. Last year as a rookie he contributed 17.8 points on average in his 12 starts and was high on the free throw charts. He will be a major offensive force for the Bobcats in the starting point guard role this season.

5. Tyreke Evans (PG/SG, SAC) – A flexible rookie shooter, it looks like Evans will be garnering a starting job in Sacramento this season. If his preseason numbers are any indication, Evans will be contributing plenty of triple doubles on the boards. He’s worth the risk.

6. Ronnie Brewer (SG, UTA) – Brewer continues to settle into the SG spot in Utah. It’s his fourth season there and his production should continue to rise with his minutes.

7. Aaron Brooks (PG, HOU) – He’ll be a major player in the offensive production of the Rockets this season (somebody has to) and with the changed face of the Houston team, this is his chance to rise to the top as a starter. He is already upping the ante in the preseason.

8. Al Jefferson (C, MIN) – He’s back. Draft him. Only included in this list because his 08-09 stats took a hit from his injury.

9. Jarrett Jack (G, TOR) – As long as his minutes don’t suffer under Jose Calderon, Jack will be a productive part of the high powered offense in Toronto alongside Turkoglu and Bosh. His averages of 1.1 steals, 4.1 assists and 13.1 points as a starter last season for the Pacers is nothing to scoff at.

10. Brandon Jennings (PG, MIL) – This rookie is certainly a risk but he’s giving veteran Luke Ridnour a run for the starting PG job in Milwaukee. If he straightens out some shot problems Jennings may be a top sleeper. Keep an eye on this one.

11. Tyrus Thomas (PF, CHI) – Thomas won’t be starting in Chicago (Joakim Noah still has that spot) but he will still see plenty of minutes and hopefully pick up where he left off in the last half of last season–on a breakout streak. He may well be the future of this position in Chicago if he keeps it up.

12. Brendan Haywood (C, WASH) – Haywood saw action in just 6 games last season because of a season-ending wrist injury. The vet should return to his starting center position in Washington where he last averaged over seven rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.