Fantasy NBA Basketball Blog

Player Update: Redd, Butler, A. Parker, Jasikevicius, Foye, M. Miller - 11/2/06 9:20 AM

2006-11-02T09:39:00.000-08:00

Michael Redd: Dominates Pistons in Opener
Michael Redd: Redd torched the Pistons in his season debut Wednesday night, knocking down 14-for-22 from the field and all eight free throw attempts for 37 points to go along with five boards and a trey in 38 minutes.

Caron Butler: Starts Off Strong
Caron Butler: Butler kicked off his season Wednesday night by leading the Wizards in scoring (23 points), rebounding (six), and steals (three) while also shooting a solid 9-for-15 from the field and dishing a couple assists.

Anthony Parker: Solid Debut
Anthony Parker: Parker led the Raptors in his team debut Wednesday night, scoring 22 points on solid shooting (9-for-17 FG, 2-for-3 from downtown) to go with three boards, two assists, and two steals in 36 minutes.

Sarunas Jasikevicius: Big Game Off the Bench
Sarunas Jasikevicius: Jasikevicius came off the bench Wednesday night to lead the Pacers with 20 points (5-for-6 FG, 2-for-2 3-pointers, 8-for-10 FTs) and five assists with only one turnover in 21 minutes off the bench.

Randy Foye: Playing Time Sparse
Randy Foye: Foye didn't score and played just six minutes in his first regular season NBA game in Wednesday's win over Sacramento.

Mike Miller: Huge Minutes
Mike Miller: Miller played a team high 52 minutes, scoring 18 points on 7-of-23 from the field, with four from behind the arc, to go along with six rebounds and two steals in the Grizzlies triple overtime loss Wednesday.

Stats by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: Odom, Tyrus Thomas, Gordon, Wade, West, Bryant - 11/1/06 9:20 AM

2006-11-01T09:28:00.001-08:00

Lamar Odom: Huge Game from Odom
Lamar Odom: Odom tied a career-high of 34 points, to go along with 13 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three three-pointers in 43 minutes Tuesday night. Odom also shot 12-of-24 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the line.

Tyrus Thomas: Breaks Nose in Debut
Tyrus Thomas: Thomas scored four points to go along with five rebounds, a steal and two blocks in 16 minutes against Miami Tuesday night. He also broke his nose during the fourth quarter after colliding with Miami's James Posey going for a rebound.

Ben Gordon: Off Night for Gordon
Ben Gordon: Gordon scored only six points on 1-of-9 shooting on Tuesday.

Dwyane Wade: Hits Two Threes
Dwyane Wade: Wade led the Heat with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting on Tuesday in a loss to the Bulls.

Delonte West: Will Back Up Paul Pierce
Delonte West: West (toe) is 100% and ready to assume his role as the team's backup to Paul Pierce at off guard, the Boston Globe reports.

Kobe Bryant: Knee Still Sore
Kobe Bryant: Bryant is sitting out the Lakers season opener Tuesday because of soreness in his surgically repaired right knee, the Associated Press reports. "This morning it was a little sore," Bryant said. "The thing about the knee is you want to string together a few days where it feels good."

Stats by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: Bogut, D. Williams, Ridnour, T. Parker, E. Thomas, Rose - 10/31/06 9:20 AM

2006-10-31T09:28:00.001-08:00

Andrew Bogut: Cleared to Play in Opener
Andrew Bogut: Bogut (leg) has been cleared to play in Milwaukee's season-opener, the Associated Press reports.

Deron Williams: Has Contract Extended
Deron Williams: Utah announced Monday they are exercising the option for the third year of Williams' rookie contract, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

Luke Ridnour: Signs Extension
Luke Ridnour: The Sonics signed Ridnour to a multi-year extension on Monday.

Tony Parker: Sprains Ankle
Tony Parker: Parker sprained his ankle in practice on Monday and is questionable for the season opener against Dallas, the Associated Press reports.

Etan Thomas: Starting Center
Etan Thomas: Thomas will start at center over Brendan Haywood, the Associated Press reports.

Jalen Rose: Waived by the Knicks
Jalen Rose: The Knicks waived Rose Monday and reportedly will buy out the final year of his contract.

Stats by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 10/30/06 9:20 AM

2006-10-30T09:21:00.000-08:00

Troy Murphy: Back at Practice
Troy Murphy: Murphy (broken nose) practiced with a clear face mask on Saturday and expects to play in the season opener on Wednesday, the Contra Costa Times reports.

Mouhamed Sene: Expected To Start at Center in Opener
Mouhamed Sene: With Robert Swift (knee) out for the season, Sene will serve as the team's starting center for the season opener Wednesday against Portland, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

Chris Kaman: Five-Year Extension
Chris Kaman: Kaman signed a five year, $52-million contract extension according to the Los Angeles Times.

Derek Fisher: (Tailbone) Questionable for Season-Opener
Derek Fisher: Fisher (bruised tailbone) is now considered questionable for Wednesday's regular season opener, the Desert News reports.

Luol Deng: Likely to be a Starter
Luol Deng: Deng was in the starting lineup at small forward in the Bulls' 108-97 preseason finale win over Toronto on Friday and should be a starter in the season-opener on Tuesday.

Stats provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 10/28/06 8:20 AM

2006-10-28T23:28:00.000-07:00

Shelden Williams: Will Start at Power Forward
Shelden Williams: Williams started at power forward Friday night in Atlanta's preseason finale.

Rajon Rondo: Pushing for a Significant Role
Rajon Rondo: Rondo finished the preseason strong and is a legitimate threat to play a lot of minutes this season, the Boston Herald reports.

Danny Fortson: Suspended for Sonics' Opener
Danny Fortson: Forston was suspended for a game on Friday for his flagrant foul on Ron Artest in a game earlier this week, the Associated Press reports.

Danny Granger: Could Start for Pacers
Danny Granger: Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is toying with the idea of starting Granger and bringing Jeff Foster off the bench, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Robert Swift: (Knee) Out for the Season
Robert Swift: Swift's MRI revealed major damage and he will miss the upcoming season with a right knee injury, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

Stats provided by Rotowire.com

Player Update: 10/26/06 8:05 AM

2006-10-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

Sam Cassell: (Calf) Aims to be Ready For Season Opener
Sam Cassell: Cassell (strained left calf), who has played in just one of the Clippers' six preseason games, says he will be ready to go when the team opens the regular season Nov. 1 at Phoenix, the Los Angeles Times reports. Cassell said he might play Wednesday night against Portland or in Friday's preseason finale against Denver.

Darko Milicic: (Back) Expected to Come Off Bench
Darko Milicic: Milicic (bruised lower back) missed his third straight game Tuesday night.

Andres Nocioni: Sees Minutes at Power Forward
Andres Nocioni: Coach Scott Skiles unveiled a new look "small" lineup, with Nocioni replacing P.J. Brown at power forward, in the Bulls' 87-84 win over Memphis on Tuesday, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Robert Swift: Named Sonics Starting Center
Robert Swift: Swift was named Seattle's starting center Tuesday by coach Bob Hill, the Seattle Times reports.

J.R. Smith: Makes Strong Case for Starting Job
J.R. Smith: Smith, who's battling for the starting SG spot in Denver, scored 26 points and hit 8-of-13 3-pointers during Denver's 127-107 loss to Utah on Tuesday night.

Stats provided by Rotowire.com

Player Update: 10/22/06 1:20 PM

2006-10-26T09:19:00.000-07:00

Danny Granger: (Hip) Back in Action
Danny Granger: Granger (hip) returned to action on Saturday and had 18 points and five rebounds in the Pacers' preseason win over the Timberwolves, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Marcus Camby: (Foot) Injury not Serious
Marcus Camby: Camby (strained plantar fascia, right foot) missed his second straight preseason game on Saturday.

Maurice Williams: (Thumb) Back on the Floor
Maurice Williams: Williams (jammed thumb) returned to action Saturday night in Milwaukee's preseason victory over Denver.

Al Jefferson: Sustains Cut Above Eye
Al Jefferson: Jefferson needed three stitches to close a cut above his right eye sustained in Saturday's preseason game against the Knicks, the Associated Press reports.

Kobe Bryant: Knee Surgery Keeps Him Out
Kobe Bryant: Bryant (knee surgery) will sit out tonight's preseason game against Phoenix, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Stats provided by Rotowire.com

Player Update: 10/21/06 1:20 PM

2006-10-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

Lamar Odom: Big Game for Odom
Lamar Odom: Odom nearly posted a triple-double in the Lakers' 113-106 win over the Hornets on Friday night. He scored 17 points, grabbed ten rebounds, and handed out nine assists in the win.

Maurice Evans: Scores 27
Maurice Evans: Evans scored 27 points in the Lakers' preseason 113-106 win over the Hornets on Friday night.

Hilton Armstrong: Out with Sore Knee
Hilton Armstrong: Armstrong sat out Friday's preseason game with a sore right knee.

Tyson Chandler: Will Be Re-evaluated Sunday
Tyson Chandler: Chandler (ankle), who sat out his second straight preseason game on Friday, will be re-evaluated prior to Sunday's game, The Oklahoman reports.

J.J. Redick: Practicing at Full Steam
J.J. Redick: Redick (plantar fascia, left foot) is practicing at full steam, but there's no timetable on when he might play in a preseason game, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Stats by Rotowire.com

Free 2006 Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide

2006-10-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Let the fun begin! It is that time of the year again! As most of you know, drafting the right players is 75% of the work in creaming your competition for the rest of the year. I have been creating my own draft guides for the past 2 years now and since then, I have finished top 1 and 2. I am not guaranteeing anything but if you need some help, this might be a decent reference for you.

2006 Draff Guide

I created an excel spreadsheet based on last years stats and factoring the rankings from Yahoo! (Funston's list). It is color coded so that if a player is weak in one area, it is marked red. If they are average, they are marked yellow. And if they are green, they excel in that particular category. It also factors into consideration the relative weightings of FG% and FT% based on how many times they shoot/miss in comparison to the top 120 player league average. This is called NFT and NFG (which stands for Net FT% and Net FG% respectively).

I know that last year's stats are not the best indication of how they will fare this year but it gives you a good start in judging what types of players they are. Then you can factor in their potential for the year.

Couple of absolute rules for me in heading into this year's draft. Some strategies if you will..

1) Always draft best available big man unless you can land either Lebron or KG. This is because the pool of decent guards are deeper as opposed to big men. Try to lock up your big man's stats like REBS, BLKS, with good FT% and FG%s.

2) Take players who won't absolutely hurt you in one category. Taking Shaq is a big no no.

3) After 3 round, take best available player. Even though you might be loaded with big men, if someone like J O'Neal falls on your lap, you better take him or be sorry for the rest of the year. You usually have good leverage to trade with big man.

4) No rookies. No rookies. I will not do it.

5) No injury-prone players. You will not see me drafting Camby, B. Knight, G. Wallace, and the like. Yeek.

Hope these tips were helpful. Good luck.

BTW, if you use my draft guide, please let me know how you like it. Thanks.

Player Update 10/20/06 1:20 PM

2006-10-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Adam Morrison: Shooting Struggles Persist
Adam Morrison: Morrison scored eight points on just 3-of-16 from the floor in Thursday's loss to the Pacers, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Raymond Felton: Abdominal Strain
Raymond Felton: Felton (abdominal strain) did not play in Thursday's preseason loss to the Pacers, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Gerald Wallace: Back Spasms
Gerald Wallace: Wallace (back spasms) did not play in Thursday's preseason loss to the Pacers, the Charlotte Observer reports.

Tyson Chandler: Sore Left Ankle
Tyson Chandler: Chandler was scratched from Thursday night's starting lineup after complaining of soreness in his left ankle during pre-game warmups, The Oklahoman reports.

Andrei Kirilenko: Midseason Form
Andrei Kirilenko: Shedding off recent back woes, Kirilenko turned in a sparkling performance Thursday night against Portland. In addition to scoring 15 points, he contributed seven assists, six rebounds and six blocked shots.

Joel Przybilla: Time Share with Magloire
Joel Przybilla: After starting the first preseason game, Przybilla has come off the bench in the past two games. He's played a total of 36 minutes in the two games.

Stats provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 4/9/06

2006-04-10T07:53:00.000-07:00

Kevin Garnett: (Knee) Won't Play Sunday
Kevin Garnett: Garnett will not play on Sunday due to right knee tendinitis.

Andres Nocioni: Another Double-Double
Andres Nocioni: Nocioni recorded his sixth consecutive double-double on Saturday, scoring a team-high 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a loss to Philadelphia.

Matt Harpring: On a Roll
Matt Harpring: Harpring had a team-high 29 points (11-for-16 shooting) in Saturday's win over Portland.

Andrei Kirilenko: Fills Stat Sheet Saturday
Andrei Kirilenko: Kirilenko had another monster all-around game on Saturday with 24 points, nine rebounds, five assists and seven blocked shots in a win over Portland.

Shaquille O'Neal: Dominates Wizards
Shaquille O'Neal: O'Neal dominated the Wizards on Saturday scoring 27 points (13-for-16 shooting), grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking four shots.

Gilbert Arenas: (Back) Plays Through Pain
Gilbert Arenas: Arenas (lower back strain) had 30 points, four assists and four rebounds on Saturday and vowed to keep playing with pain until the Wizards clinched the fifth seed in the playoffs, the Associated Press reports.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 4/5/06

2006-04-05T13:24:00.000-07:00

Allen Iverson: Twists Ankle Tuesday
Allen Iverson: Iverson, the NBA's second-leading scorer, twisted his left ankle in a 124-91 loss to Cleveland on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Ankle Injury Doesn't Appear Serious
Zydrunas Ilgauskas: An MRI performed on Ilgauskas' ankle at the Cleveland Clinic was negative, and the injury is not deemed serious, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

Carmelo Anthony: Ejected From Tuesday's Game
Carmelo Anthony: Anthony had a team-high 24 points to go along with five assists and four rebounds during Denver's loss to the Clippers on Tuesday night.

Amare Stoudemire: More Knee Problems
Amare Stoudemire: Stoudemire is expected to have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Wednesday morning and will not be likely to attempt another comeback this season, reports the Arizona Republic.

Jeff McInnis: (Knee) Making Progress
Jeff McInnis: McInnis will get back to doing basketball drills Friday and reports the pain has disappeared from his left knee after two weeks of rest, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 4/3/06

2006-04-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

P.J. Brown: (Ankle) Could Return Wednesday
P.J. Brown: Brown (sprained left ankle) could return to the court for Wednesday's game against the Warriors, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

Chris Mihm: (Ankle) Still Sidelined
Chris Mihm: Mihm (ankle) said he's about a week and a half away from returning, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Johan Petro: Broken Nose
Johan Petro: Petro could miss up to a week after having his nose broken Sunday night, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

Chris Kaman: Big Game Sunday
Chris Kaman: Kaman scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds against Sacramento, Sunday night.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 3/28/06

2006-03-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

Chris Bosh: Sore Thumb
Chris Bosh: Bosh (thumb) didn't practice on Monday, and still isn't sure if he'll be able to play on Wednesday, the Toronto Sun reports.

Kwame Brown: Expected to Play Thursday
Kwame Brown: Brown (hamstring, nose) is expected to play in Thursday night's game against San Antonio, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Steve Nash: Rare Stinker on Monday
Steve Nash: Nash struggled through a downright awful game against the Nets Monday -- 0-for-5 from the floor and zero trips to the foul line in 26 minutes -- to be held scoreless for the first time this season. He also only managed five assists to go along with three boards and two blocked shots.

Nenad Krstic: Strong Effort Monday
Nenad Krstic: Krstic scored 21 points and had 10 assists Monday night in New Jersey's victory over Phoenix.

Cuttino Mobley: (Ankle) Expected to Play Tuesday
Cuttino Mobley: Mobley (ankle) is expected to play Tuesday against San Antonio, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Gilbert Arenas: Huge Game for Arenas
Gilbert Arenas: Arenas had 40 points on 12-of-22 shooting, including seven three-pointers, 10 assists and four steals against the Warriors Monday night.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Rising Sleepers for Next Season

2006-03-23T09:20:00.000-08:00

As the season winds down, let's look at players that are making bids for higher drafting positions next year. Most of these players had no fantasy relevance last draft but the situation is changing next year.

Chris Kaman
He has blossomed into a solid player at the toughest position in the NBA: center. He is a guy who will give you solid all around numbers (ala Big Z and Brad Miller). He won't WOW you on a nightly basis because the LA Clippers are stacked but if you need consistency and reliability, he deserves a mid 4-5 round look. I would take him on my team because centers with good FT% are hard to find.

Delonte West
Another surprising player. No one had heard of him before this season but this year proved that he is worth a spot on your team. Does everything pretty well but excels at BLKS at the PG position. If you are weak in that category, he will definitely help you out.

Mehmet Okur
He always had the potential in past years but now that he is the focal point on the Utah team, he has put up incredible numbers all season long. He is a guy who will help you in the scoring, %s, and pretty good at other categories. He won't hurt you, that is for sure.

Darko Milicic
He is still raw and very inconsistent but with his limited playing time, he has been a shot blocking monster. With 42 blocks in 17 games with a 20 minutes per game average, just imagine what he can do for your team if he plays 35 minutes. My prediction is that he will be a 10 PTS, 8 REBS, and 1 STL, 3 BLKS per game guy next year. But be aware of this high TOs and terrible FT%.

Charlie Villanueva
A multi-position player who can do it all. The scores, rebounds, shoots some 3s, steals, and blocks. However, although he has high potential, he is a guy who is not a good FT shooter. A lot of other fantasy managers are high on him but personally, I would pass on him unless he falls after the 8-9 round.

Player Updates: 3/22/06

2006-03-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

Steven Hunter: Will Continue to Start
Steven Hunter: Hunter will start his 14th straight game Wednesday night at center for the 76ers.

John Salmons: Strained Hamstring
John Salmons: Salmons showed up to practice Tuesday with a strained right hamstring and may come off the bench Wednesday in favor of Kevin Ollie, the Philadelphia Daily News reports.

Allen Iverson: Set to Return Wednesday
Allen Iverson: After taking part in a two-hour practice Tuesday, Iverson claimed he was ?100 percent sure, unless something crazy happens,? that he'd be in the lineup Wednesday against Atlanta after missing the last four losses with a sprained foot, phillyBurbs.com reports.

Baron Davis: Out Until Sunday
Baron Davis: Davis (sprained ankle) did not accompany the team on their road trip and will be out until at least Sunday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Chris Duhon: Bothered by Back Pain
Chris Duhon: Coach Scott Skiles said the Bulls were looking to sign another guard after Duhon was unable to practice Tuesday because of recurring pain in his lower back, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Marcus Camby: (Knee) Slated to Return Wednesday
Marcus Camby: Camby (knee) returned to practice Tuesday and said he would play on Wednesday against San Antonio the Denver Post reports.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 3/20/06

2006-03-20T13:56:00.000-08:00

Tyson Chandler: Disappearing From Box Scores
Tyson Chandler: After posting a double-double on March 11, Chandler has scored just 15 points while grabbing 30 boards in his last four games.

Kirk Hinrich: (Elbow) X-Rays Negative
Kirk Hinrich: Hinrich downplayed a right elbow injury, which occurred during the Bulls' 113-104 loss to the Wizards on Sunday. An X-ray taken after the game was negative and a doctor who examined him indicated he likely has a sprained ligament, Hinrich said, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Brian Grant: (Knee) Hopes to Return Tuesday
Brian Grant: Grant (knee surgery) expects to be back in uniform for the first time in three months on Tuesday against the Jazz, reports the Arizona Republic.

Carlos Boozer: Offensive Effort Still There at Center
Carlos Boozer: Boozer made his third consecutive start at center on Sunday in Utah's loss to Memphis.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Just Misses Double-Double Sunday
Zydrunas Ilgauskas: Ilgauskas contributed 25 points and nine rebounds to the Cavs' win over the Lakers on Sunday.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 3/15/06

2006-03-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

Allen Iverson: (Foot) Misses Tuesday's Game Allen Iverson: Iverson (foot) missed Tuesday night's game, and the Sixers said he would not leave with the team Wednesday for a three-game West Coast road trip, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Kevin Ollie: Setback with Ankle Kevin Ollie: Ollie would have started Tuesday night, but he reported a setback with his sprained right ankle after a brisk workout Monday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Ray Allen: Gets Thigh Checked Out Ray Allen: Allen had a post-game thigh examination after injuring his leg during Tuesday's game, the Tacoma News Tribune reports.

Chris Duhon: Day-to-Day with Back Problem Chris Duhon: Duhon, who missed Tuesday's game with a sore lower back and is day-to-day going forward, fears that a disc is weighing on a nerve, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Joel Przybilla: Back in Action Joel Przybilla: Przybilla (knee) had four points and five rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench on Tuesday.

Theo Ratliff: Missed Tuesday's Game Theo Ratliff: Ratliff (ankle) missed Tuesday's game against Chicago.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 3/13/06

2006-03-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Carmelo Anthony: Hamstring Issues Carmelo Anthony: Anthony (hamstring) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Celtics the Denver Post reports.

Marcus Camby: Iffy for Sunday Marcus Camby: Camby (strained achilles) is officially listed as questionable for Denver's game at Boston Sunday night the Denver Post reports.

Allen Iverson: Fractured Left Pinkie Allen Iverson: Iverson did not practice Saturday because of a fractured left pinkie he suffered last week but is expected to play Sunday, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Steve Nash: (Ankle) Back in Business Steve Nash: Nash (ankle) returned to the Suns' lineup without missing a beat, scoring 31 points and handing out 11 assists in Saturday's win over Minnesota.

Al Harrington: On a Roll Al Harrington: Harrington had 32 points (12-for-22 shooting), 10 rebounds and five assists in Saturday night's loss to Chicago.

Raef LaFrentz: Rebounding Machine Raef LaFrentz: In the Celtics' past nine games, Raef LaFrentz has averaged 8.4 rebounds, a marked increase from his season average of five, the Boston Globe reports.

Data provided by Rotowire.com

Injury prone-players to stay away from

2006-03-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

These are my list of players to stay away from unless it is absolutely necessary. These guys are too fragile and unreliable for fantasy basketball purposes especially since there is no concept of "IL".

1. Marcus Camby - this guy defines the word "fragile". He has consistently frustrated fantasy managers by being one of the best players when healthy but most often go down with a major injury. Mr. Glass is just not worth it in my opinion.

2. Brevin Knight - the assists and steals specialist get injured very often because of his style of play. He may put up whopping numbers when he is playing but when you average it out over the course of the season, he is not that great.

3. Tyson Chandler - he is Mr. Junior Glass. He looks like Camby, plays like Camby, but unfortunately get injured like Camby. This guys won't hack it on my team for long..

4. Gerald Wallace - Knight's teammate in Toronto has the same illness. He plays all-out and that is an admirable quality but not when he gets injured very often. Plus, his FT% will kill you.

5. Grant Hill - I am sorry but after all these years of trying. Grant, it is time to hang it up. He is a marginal fantasy player when healthy because he does shoot the 3s but when injured, he is worth next to nothing.

Hope this helps in your draft next season. I know I won't be drafting any of these players.

Player Updates 3/10/06

2006-03-10T09:18:00.000-08:00

Tracy McGrady: Back Flares Up
Tracy McGrady: McGrady (back) is likely to miss some games, the Houston Chronicle reports.

Lamar Odom: Lakers Want Him to Shoot More
Lamar Odom: The Lakers' coaching staff wants Odom to shoot more often, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Devean George: Small Fracture in Wrist
Devean George: Further examination revealed that George has a small fracture in his right wrist and is expected to miss about a week, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Wally Szczerbiak: Contemplates Offseason Knee Surgery
Wally Szczerbiak: Szczerbiak (knee) is expecting to go the surgery route in the offseason, the Boston Herald reports.

Ronald Murray: Getting Serious Minutes
Ronald Murray: Murray was in the starting lineup for the sixth straight game on Wednesday, scoring 14 points with four assists in Cleveland's victory over Toronto.

Amare Stoudemire: (Knee) Making Progress
Amare Stoudemire: Stoudemire (knee) participated in a 5-on-5 drill in Wednesday's practice, and his recovery seems to be progressing well, according to the Arizona Republic. He moved with ease while defending Boris Diaw and scored on a short hook shot and a put-back.

Data courtesy of Rotowire.com

Player Updates: 3/9/06

2006-03-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

Pau Gasol: First Triple-Double
Pau Gasol: Gasol recorded his first career triple-double Wednesday night in a blowout win over the Sonics. He scored 21 points (8-for-12 FG) with 12 boards, 12 assists, four steals, and three blocked shots.

Andrei Kirilenko: Just Mises Quadruple-Double
Andrei Kirilenko: Kirilenko came perilously close to becoming only the third man in NBA history to record a quadruple-double Wednesday night. He scored 15 points with 11 rebounds, eight blocked shots, eight assists, and two steals on the evening.

Yao Ming: Another Dominant Night
Yao Ming: Ming scored a season-high 38 points on excellent shooting (14-for-21 Fg, 10-for-10 FT) to go with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots on Wednesday against the Pacers.

Dwyane Wade: Returns with a Bang
Dwyane Wade: Wade (wrist) returned to the court with a bang Wednesday night, exploding for 40 points (13-for-21 FG, 13-for-14 FT) to go along with five assists, three steals, and three boards in 44 minutes of action.

Anthony Johnson: Remains in Starting Lineup
Anthony Johnson: Johnson remained in the starting lineup on Tuesday night against the Knicks, with Jamaal Tinsley coming off the bench, the Indianapolis Star reports.

Data courtesy of Rotowire.com

Top free agents probably left in your league

2006-03-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

The season is winding down but here are some good players that could help you make a strong finish.

Ryan Gomes - Boston (SF,PF)
The last 10 games or so, he has been starting and getting lots of PT. He is a guy who is valuable because he plays multi-positions, has high FG%, rebounds, and scoring. He won't hurt you too much at the free throw line but if you need steals and blocks, you might want to consider some other players. Solid option if you need a healthy body.

Darko Milicic - Orlando (PF,C)
I know.. some of you are laughing right now but I would take him based on his potential if he gets minutes. With Orlando probably out of the playoff picture, they will have to look towards next season and play him so they can figure out his potential. When he plays, he has solid FG%, rebounds, and especially blocks. For the past two weeks, he has been a league leader in blocks even with about 18-20 minutes of playing time per game. If you need blocks desperately, he might be your guy but if you are fighting for a playoff spot, I'd would pass on him.

Bonzi Wells - Sacramento (SG)
Bonzi's back. When healthy, he is a up and down guy. When he is hot, he will help you with stls and rebs from the guard position. His down side is his lack of FT%, high TOs. He will split time with Kevin Martin but I don't see Kmart holding up on a playoff contender team. Worth taking a chance if he shows signs of getting more minutes.

Guys to stay away from:

Ruben Patterson - getting decent mins in Denver as a perimeter defender but terrible FT% and high TOs, do not justify him

S. Abdur-Rahim - after getting is jaw shut, he hasn't been the same. Kenny Thomas will not make him valuable because his strength used to be in scoring FG%, and FT%. If he can't get mins, he is useless for those categories.

The importance of FT percentage in Fantasy NBA

2006-03-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

Many fantasy NBA managers underestimate the importance of FT% when evaluting players. It is the most overlooked category in either roto or h2h. It seems almost every good manager knows who the best FT shooters are in the NBA but no one knows how much impact a player has on the team. To help solve this mystery, one must analyze the net effect of their FTs. You can't just look at their FT percentage alone as a stat, you have to consider how many FTA (free throw attempted) they average per game, how many FTM (free throw made) they average per game, and how much percentage they are over the baseline (the FT% of the average of all NBA players).

To make this easier for all managers, I have come up with a net effeciency FT% (NEFT) rating system to help us determine which players will contribute most to the bottom-line, the overall FT% on your 10-12 player team.

Here's the formula:

NOTE:

* qp = qualified players (players with 125 FT made or more)
* Used 2006 NBA stats from beginning of the season till March 07.

NEFT = 100 * (player FT% - qp FT%) * (player FTM / qp FTM) * (player FTA / qp FTA)

Top 15 players with the best net efficiency FT%:

Player	FTM	FTA	FT%	NEFT
Kobe Bryant	9.1	10.7	84.9%	45.64
Chauncey Billups	6.1	6.6	91.1%	35.81
Corey Maggette	7.3	8.5	85.9%	32.91
Dirk Nowitzki	6.2	7.0	89.3%	32.40
Michael Redd	6.2	7.1	87.1%	26.80
Gilbert Arenas	8.1	9.8	82.5%	25.72
Chris Bosh	6.9	8.4	82.1%	17.40
Allen Iverson	9.0	11.3	79.8%	17.24
Ray Allen	4.0	4.4	91.1%	15.40
Steve Nash	3.8	4.1	92.6%	15.33
Ming Yao	5.4	6.5	83.3%	12.98
Wally Szczerbiak	3.9	4.4	89.4%	12.92
Chris Paul	5.1	6.1	83.6%	12.09
Peja Stojakovic	3.3	3.6	91.9%	11.06
Carmelo Anthony	7.4	9.3	79.6%	10.93

So as you can see, just because a player has the best FT% doesn't mean he will be the most valuable player for that category. Kobe Bryant doesn't have the best FT%, but he makes it up with quantity.

Let's look at the worst:

15 players with the worst net efficiency FT%:

Player	FTM	FTA	FT%	NEFT
Shaquille O'Neal	3.8	8.2	46.4%	-28.91
Dwight Howard	4.4	7.2	60.6%	-20.53
Tim Duncan	4.3	6.8	63.9%	-15.56
Eddy Curry	4.4	6.8	65.0%	-14.88
Pau Gasol	5.5	7.9	69.2%	-14.83
LeBron James	7.2	9.9	72.9%	-12.69
Andrei Kirilenko	5.0	7.2	69.6%	-11.59
Ron Artest	3.6	5.6	64.0%	-10.82
Jermaine O'Neal	5.3	7.4	71.4%	-9.67
Baron Davis	3.8	5.5	67.9%	-8.32
Jamaal Magloire	2.4	4.4	55.0%	-8.25
Gerald Wallace	3.0	4.8	62.8%	-8.23
Jason Richardson	3.5	5.2	66.7%	-8.04
Ben Wallace	1.7	3.8	44.6%	-6.13

So absolutely try to stay away from these players unless you plan to give up in that category or have other surrounding players to take the blow. The surprising stats are Dwight Howard, Lebron James,and Jermain O'Neal. You couldn't really tell how bad they are until you break it down like this.