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Senators Land Comrie In Pre-Deadline Trade
Posted by Milo Taibi Categories: New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators,
On Friday the Ottawa Senators acquired a familiar face, Mike Comrie, in addition to Defenceman Chris Campoli from the New York Islanders for veteran left winger Dean McAmmond and the rights to a first round draft pick. Comrie has long been rumored to be the subject of a possible trade; his contract expires after the end of the 2008-2009 NHL season, and his uninspired play this season hasn’t made him a popular figure among Islander fans.
“It’s an exciting place to play and a great group of guys and I’m obviously thrilled about the opportunity to play on a great team,” said Comrie upon hearing of the trade.
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KG, Amar’e go down
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Injuries, Waiver Pick Ups, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns,
In an awful turn of events, the biggest news on deadline day and it’s aftermath happened to be two massive injuries that are sure to handicap two teams and a lot more fantasy teams.
First of all, Kevin Garnett went down Thursday against the Jazz. He seemed to tweak his knee going up for an alley-oop and made sure not to land on it. After hobbling his way off the court, he went to the locker room, and later came out to warm up for the second half. According to Cheryl Miller at the game, he wanted to play, but was told not to. Now he has been sent back to Boston for an MRI and will miss the rest of the Celtics’ West Coast road trip. Stephen A. Smith reported the Celtics are estimating it could be four weeks, although no official word has been out. Expect Leon Powe to start and produce. This may also intensify the Celtics reported talks with recently-waived Mikki Moore.
The first team the Celtics will face without KG, the Suns, have taken what could end up being a bigger blow. Currently 9th in the West and out of the playoff picture, the Suns lost Amar’e Stoudemire for eight weeks or more with a detached retina suffered in Wednesday’s blowout against the Clippers. It’s an odd injury and could sideline him longer than eight weeks when all is said and done, which would probably put Phoenix in the lottery. For now, it appears Louis Amundson will start, and on Tuesday in the first blowout against the Clippers, Lou scored 13 and ripped 8 boards with a block in 20 minutes. Given the minutes, Amundson could be pretty valuable, so I suggest grabbing him. Matt Barnes could also start, but that’s probably unlikely, even with the new running style offense.
First Look: Friday, February 20
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Disses, Injuries, Props, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Hornets, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers,
Only two games tonight, and of course one was the lovely snoozefest the NBA calls Spurs/Pistons. It was actually a good game, but I was happy enough watching the last two minutes, as I’m sure most people would be. The Celtics/Jazz game was pretty good too, pretty close throughout. Let me say, the Jazz look good. They stayed composed and when they get healthy, they’ll be scary. If I’m the Lakers or Spurs, I’m hoping they climb the standings.
Thursday’s best: Not a whole lot of impressive lines. Could have gone with Timmy Duncan’s 18 points and 18 boards, but it was on some pretty shotty shooting (7-19). Instead, we’ll give it to Allen Iverson, who went for 31 points, 3 boards, 7 dimes, a steal, and a block on 13-28 shooting. Not too shabby on an otherwise unimpressive night around the league.
Thursday’s worst: Gotta be Rip Hamilton. He got 34 minutes off the bench in which he scored 4 points on 2-10 shooting. Combined with Rodney Stuckey’s 2 points (although he did have 8 assists), a bad night from Rip did the Pistons in.
Keep an eye on: Kevin Garnett’s injury and Gabe Pruitt. KG went down just before halftime with a “sprained knee.” At the time of writing this, it’s pretty cloudy just how bad it is, but if he misses any time on this road trip, the Cavs could find themselves on top in the East. With Tony Allen’s injury, Pruitt will get some extra burn. He wasn’t extremely effective Thursday, but keep an eye out.
What to watch for tomorrow: Toronto at New York could be pretty exciting and high scoring. The new-look Bulls take on a good Nuggets team in Chicago, so we’ll see if they’re really any good with Brad Miller and John Salmons. And on national TV, the Hornets visit the Lakers. Should be a doozy.
First Look: Thursday, February 19
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Disses, Props, Talent,
On a day in which a semi-, kinda-, a-little-bit-significant deal was made (more on this below), one was also taken away. The Bulls acquired Brad Miller and John Salmons in a deal also involving Drew Gooden and Andres Nocioni. Why? Well I’m not sure. Nobody really is. I guess they think they can compete in the playoffs. Ok, please stop chuckling.
Wednesday’s best: Today is a tie. I just can’t decide. Dwyane Wade had 37 points, 4 rebounds, and 12 assists to go along with four steals and a block. Well that’s nice. But so way Amar’e Stoudemire’s 42 points and 11 boards on 15-20 shooting and 12-13 from the line. That’s the kind of line that allows you some wiggle room in the FG% department for the rest of the week.
Wednesday’s worst: Tyson Chandler. Dude, you failed a physical. It’s the middle of the season. Now nobody knows what’s wrong with you, and the Hornets have to lie to you to make you feel welcome again. In the beginning, they were excited to have Joe Smith and Chris Wilcox, and now they must have been doing it just for financial reasons, right? You wasted a game for yourself and a few other dudes, and made your GM look silly. I’m sorry, it’s kinda funny.
Keep an eye on: Spencer Hawes. He gains a lot from the trade today, and had a good game tonight. He could definitely end up being a guy you look at keeping in some deeper leagues if you don’t have a lot of keeper-quality dudes.
What to watch for tomorrow: Only two games tomorrow, and we all know how much of a snoozefest Detroit and San Antonio can be, and Utah will probably lose to Boston. Ho-hum. But guess what’s the most exciting part of tomorrow on TNT? The Round Mound of Rebound is back. I’m sure we’ll get to hear how “It was a turrible mistake Ernie, I really am a knucklehead.” Must-see TV.
First Look: Wednesday, February 18
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Disses, Props, Waiver Pick Ups, New Jersey Nets, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns,
What a day Tuesday was. Let me tell you, there were some crazy lines. One stood above the rest. Way above. One could say it was… super. And there was no green substance anywhere to be found…
Tuesday’s best: Let me start off saying there was a triple-double Tuesday. It was Pau Gasol (12 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists). However, it was CLEARLY the second-best line. The winner? Superman himself, Dwight Howard. All he did was score a career-best 45 points to go along with 19 boards and 8 blocks. Two blocks short of one of the more impressive triple-doubles I’ve ever seen in my life. Not only that, he was an uncharacteristic 13-18 from the line (72%) and 16-23 (70%) from the field. Sorry Pau, Dwight just blew your triple-double out of the water.
Tuesday’s worst: Zach Randolph. The former Jail Blazer played under 12 minutes because he felt it necessary to throw a punch at Louis Amundson. I mean seriously, I was there, and we went to a boxing match and a basketball game broke out. The plus side for Zach? His +/- was only -13, compared to Eric Gordon’s -45 and Ricky Davis’ -42.
Keep an eye on: Amundson. Sure, it was a blowout. But Lou was the first guy off the bench under new coach Alvin Gentry and played 20 solid minutes, scoring 13 and pulling down 8 boards with the team’s lone block. If he gets 20 minutes a game, which he could easily under a new coach, he’s worth a look in 12-16 team leagues where you need a big.
What to watch for tomorrow: Shawn Marion plays his first game as the Cavaliers travel to take on the Raptors. Keep an eye on how many points the Raptors score, especially if Chris Bosh plays. Dwight could go off again against New Orleans, who traded their best defensive big today. And Devin Harris comes back to Dallas, where Vince Carter trade rumors are abound. Could be semi-interesting.
Chandler, Wilcox swapped
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Trades, New Orleans Hornets, Seattle Supersonics,
In a deal that appears to be mostly financially-driven, the Hornets sent Tyson Chandler to their once stand-in hometown of Oklahoma City for Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith, and the draft rights to DeVon Hardin.
I think in a pure basketball sense, it’s a good move for both teams. Obviously, the Hornets may have lost the value end of it, but they get back a saavy veteran and a guy who can hold his own down low. Chandler was having a bad season anyway, and Wilcox hasn’t been getting off the pine.
Fantasy-wise, Chandler will start in OKC, sending Nick Collison to the bench. He takes a big hit in value and Nenad Krstic becomes droppable in every league. Of course, either could see minutes at the four, but it won’t likely be many.
As for New Orleans, Wilcox will just take Chandler’s place in the starting lineup. Smith will likely back up David West, and Hilton Armstrong will continue to see his limited minutes backing up Wilcox.
Big winner? Wilcox, because he’ll actually get to play some minutes.
Trade Reaction: Marion to Toronto, O’Neal to Miami
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Trades, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat,
In a deal expected to be finalized Friday afternoon, the Miami Heat traded Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to the Toronto Raptors for Jermaine O’Neal and Jamario Moon.
Has a guy ever been traded hours after hitting a game-winner? Well he has now.
Anyways, this trade better suits the Heat’s system, and fulfills Pat Riley’s desire for a big. But for Toronto, it makes them a legitimate playoff team. At the moment, they are second-to-last in the East, but only four games out of a playoff spot. This gives them a trio of Jose Calderon, Marion, and Chris Bosh that might be capable of going on a tear and making some noise.
As far as fantasy goes, one has to assume Marion’s numbers go up. We’ll likely see Bosh play some center and Marion play at the four, because behind O’Neal, was Jake Voskuhl on the depth chart. Winners here are Marion, Jason Kapono, and Joey Graham. They’ll be picking up Moon’s minutes plus some of the minutes created by the shifting around of Bosh to center.
On the Miami side, not much should change. They basically had no center, so this helps there. Michael Beasley might get some more minutes, and it remains to be seen if Moon starts. If not, Beasley would likely get the nod. This effectively kills any value that Jamaal Magloire and Joel Anthony had in deep leagues.
I’m predicting some noise made by Toronto…
First Look: Friday, February 13
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Disses, Props, Rookies, Talent, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trailblazers, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns,
Thursday actually turned out to be a real good basketball day. In the three games, a last second Shawn Marion dunk pushed the Heat past the Bulls, the Celts had to outscore the Mavericks by 13 to win in the 4th, and the Warriors just about threw away a game that should have been locked up halfway through the 4th. Let me say this. Jamal Crawford’s shot selection is awful. Oh, and Monta Ellis can ball. Dude is legit.
Thursday’s best: Easy one here. Rajon Rondo baby. His line: 19 points, 15 rebounds, 14 assists, and a steal on 9-14 shooting. That’s right kiddies, his second career trip-doub. Good enough for me. At the same time, I’m inclined to drive down to US Airways Center first thing Friday morning and slap Robert Sarver upside his greedy little face.
Thursday’s worst: Luol Deng. Who can figure this guy out? He’s really struggling overall this year, with some really good streaks and some really awful streaks. Stuff like this makes me really believe that the Bulls are cursed. This is the guy John Paxson refused to trade for KOBE BRYANT. His line? A studly 6 points, 3 boards, 1 dime. Nice, dude. Nice.
Keep an eye on: Golden State. Something tells me they’ve got a trade up their sleeve. And a good deal can really let them make some noise. I know, they’re 12 games out of the playoffs. But if Phoenix blows things up, they’re sitting in 9th. It’s not too crazy to imagine, and they look like they might be heating up.
What to watch for tomorrow: The Rookie Challenge! What an awful game this usually is (besides the two LeBron James/Dwyane Wade/Carmelo Anthony years). But hey, it’s a basketball game with no defense. Sort of like watching the Knicks play themselves in scrimmage. Except there’s a little bit of talent in the rookie/sophomore game.
I’ll still bringing you this column all weekend, taking a look into the All-Star festivities. Aren’t you just lucky.
First Look: Thursday, February 12
Posted by Brandon Haraway Categories: Disses, Injuries, Props, Trades, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, Portland Trailblazers, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns,
Well, look at that. A few upsets. WE HAVE PARITY IN THE LEAGUE! Toronto beat San Antonio, Utah beat the Lakers. Denver also beat Orlando at home, and was up pretty big at one point. And that battle of up-and-coming teams we alluded to yesterday? The better team in the current won quite easily. But let’s jump into some lines.
Wednesday’s best: Mo Williams: 44 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 600 three-pointers made. Ok, only 7. Yeah, he must have heard some people STILL complaining about his All-Star credentials and decided he’d go nuts. I saw this game, and he was making some incredible shots. And this folks, is why the Cleveland Cavaliers will win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Did I just say that? In February? Yep. You heard it here first.
Honorable mention to Ramon Sessions and his 17 dimes. Wow.
Wednesday’s worst: Mike Bibby and his whopping 5 points and 4 dimes on top of 3 turnovers. Somehow the Hawks still topple the Pistons. Things are bad in Detroit.
Keep an eye on: The Phoenix Suns. They lost to the Cavs tonight in their last game before their break, and probably their last game with this roster. Keep an eye on things because here’s something scary: Steve Nash sat out. It was various aches and pains, and whatever else. Yeah, yeah. What worries me is that he didn’t sit on the bench. Apparently he was in the locker room. Implosion pending…
What to watch for tomorrow: I wonder if anyone will actually try tomorrow. What a tough day to be a coach, when half your team is double-checking its tee times or RSVPing for parties in Phoenix. Good thing there’s only three games, but two are semi-interesting. The Celtics stop in Dallas on their way to the All-Star Game, and Portland takes on Golden State. That second game would be fun to watch, but somehow it’s not the TNT game. Oh well.
Tonight saw the Cavaliers drop a heartbreaker on some interesting calls at the end and Detroit fall again. Besides that, not too many surprises beside a few near-trip-doubs. Of course, if you happen to be the best player on planet earth and playing the Knicks, you never when a true triple-double will turn into one of those. Sigh. At least David Stern made things right today by putting Mo Williams in the All-Star Game Sunday for the injured Chris Bosh. Cavs fans, you can be seated.
Tuesday’s best: It could be LeBron James and his 47-7-4 and 4 threes, or Timmy Duncan and his 27-9-8 with 4 blocks, but no. Why? We see this all the time. But Russel Westbook? Not so much. All he did Tuesday was go off for 17-9-7 and 2 steals. Not only that, his team played the Lakers very well in Lala Land. That’s impressive, especially when it’s his second game like that in a row. Imagine what this team can be like with just one more piece.
Tuesday’s worst: Marvin Williams: 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2-10 shooting in nearly 30 minutes. Just when he put together a few really nice games. Man.
Keep an eye on: Javaris Crittenton. Holy smokes. Only 7 points, but he also had 7 boards and 7 dimes. But the big thing is, he played 25 minutes. The Wiz starter, Mike James: 19. May not be long before we see Crittenton starting, especially when James throws up clunkers like tonight.
What to watch for tomorrow: There’s a heavyweight battle in Orlando involving the Magic and Nuggets. Should be a great game. Also Phoenix is in Cleveland (is Amare Stoudemire auditioning?). And it could be a blowout, but the Thunder travel to Portland in the battle of “Teams That Will Be Studly in Two or Three Years.”
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