First hand review: Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors have hit the road for most of November. My buddy Larry has been fuming over their lack of defense. Ironically he was loudest during a two-game stretch where they held their opponents to under 90 points. Granted, he makes a good point. When only the Golden State Warriors and New York Knicks rank below you in opposing team scoring, it should send a message that the D needs to be cranked up.
The Miami Heat came to town riding low on a similar three-game losing streak. These two downward trending teams meeting each other resemble the proverbial unstoppable force against the immovable object, only much less impressive. I had not been to a game since the thrilling season opener win against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here are my first-hand impressions of the game, with of course some fantasy spin thrown in when possible.
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NBA Fantasy Alphabet: Eastern Conference, Week 2
I appreciate musical mash-ups. Fantasy Alphabet will be my mash-up combining articles that look at hot waiver wire pick-ups, players of the week, and notable injuries. The format will consist of quick hits focusing on one player per team, and arranged in alphabetical order to help make quick scanning easier. This week, I arrange the teams in reverse alphabetical order because I want to shine the spotlight on the artist, I mean player formally known as Agent Zero.
Washington Wizards: Gilbert Arenas. I experienced immediate non-buyer’s remorse on Arenas. Over his first four games, he averaged 36 minutes of playing time while putting up 26.5 ppg on 47.3% shooting and 6.3 apg. On the down side, he has coughed the ball up four times a game, and has shot less than 80% from the charity stripe. Yet his threats to curb his three-point shooting have not come to pass, as he has drained two moneyballs a game. I took Andre Iguodala over him in one league after much deliberation, and opted for Vince Carter in another, and feel okay about those selections, but will still shake my head in frustration any night Gilbert goes for 30-plus. He came back to earth a bit on Friday against the Pacers as the Wizards were down pretty much from the start, but he shot 50% for the game so there are still good signs from a down game.
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First hand review of Toronto Raptors Season Opener 2009-2010
Most of the sports world focus rests in New York tonight, as the Yankees and Phillies kick off the World Series. I joined a packed house as the Toronto Raptors kicked off their season against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Some observations need to be made directly, and what follows are some overall impressions of the game, the teams, and the players, as well as some fantasy impact thrown in.
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Fantasy NBA: Analysis of Fifth Round
There is a lot of good talent available in the early middle rounds, but most of the players typically taken in this area have at least one tragic fantasy flaw. Otherwise people would nab them earlier on. This looks like a good year to pass on the top tiers of point guards, because a lot of useful players at that position are available now. Let us break down the players typically taken in the fifth round based on Yahoo’s average draft position rankings. As always, the advice will focus on head-to-head leagues.
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 2, Pick 8
This player might best exemplify the difference between drafting for a roto league and a head-to-head league. Although picking players who shoot well ranks importantly across the board, shooting percentages will fluctuate week to week. Thus, a high percentage, but low volume shooter like this lead guard who plays north of the border may not be quite as valuable in a head-to-head league. Yet, in mock drafts that I have seen so far, he continues to be confidently targeted by prospective fantasy GMs. Let us put his game under the microscope as training camp opens this week.
Round 2, Pick 8: Jose Calderon, PG, Toronto Raptors
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One Man Mock Draft, Fantasy NBA 2009: Round 1, Pick 11
Part of the big free agent class of 2010, this next player is one of the three players most mentioned as guys who went off the board after the infamous Darko Milicic pick (Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade are the other two guys). After two playoff appearances, everything went wrong with the Toronto Raptors last year. “CB4” however was a monster in head-to-head playoffs to close last season. In my friends and family league, a three-headed monster of Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and this player destroyed my team in the finals.
Round 1, Pick 11: Chris Bosh, PF/C, Toronto Raptors
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