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The Return of Eddy Curry, Antawn Jamison and ... Raja Bell?

Posted: Nov 19th 2009 6:00AM by Tom Lorenzo (author feed)
Filed under: NBA Last Night, Fantasy Basketball

Home Delivery is your morning roundup of last night's action in the NBA from a fantasy perspective.

The Knicks bench came up big as they erased a 19-point deficit in the second-half on their way to picking up their second victory of the season. Al Harrington led the way with 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting, while Larry Hughes added 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Hughes has trumped both Nate Robinson and Toney Douglas at the 'two' and continues to look like a safe add.

Danilo Gallinari's big goose egg was overshadowed -- literally? -- by the return of every Knick fan's favorite big man, Eddy Curry. Big Slacks had 10 points and four rebounds in 12 minutes coming off the bench. Mike Breem said it best when he insinuated that the Knicks were going to start giving Curry more playing time in order to showcase his "talents" with the hopes that someone will bite on his contract. That says a lot, doesn't it?

For the Pacers it was Danny Granger who led the way with 33 points on 12-of-18 shooting and five treys. He wasn't very helpful in the second half, scoring just three of his 33 in the final two quarters.

Continue Reading The Return of Eddy Curry, Antawn Jamison and ... Raja Bell?

Picks and Roles: Speights Out, Lewis In

Posted: Nov 15th 2009 5:00PM by Tom Lorenzo (author feed)
Filed under: Fantasy Basketball, NBA Start 'Em Sit 'Em, NBA Lineup Planner

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Picks and Roles provides all the vital information you need in making those tough lineup decisions for weekly leagues.

Injuries like the one to Marreese Speights garner mixed reactions. Those who took a flier on Speights are disappointed now that they've lost him for up to 6-8 weeks with a partial tear in his MCL. In his last five, Speights averaged 24.7 minutes, 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 60.0-percent shooting from the floor. Not quite overwhelming numbers, but promising nonetheless. With Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert both struggling to get into an offensive groove, Speights was starting to see some daylight in the rotation and many eager fantasy owners were beginning to think that they snagged this season's Paul Millsap. Unfortunately, we won't see him again until late December.

On the other side of the coin are the Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert owners. They are hoping that this will force Eddie Jordan to stick with both Brand and Dalembert in the rotation as they continue to work through their struggles -- as opposed to opting for the young Speights off the bench. Any spark to get fourth-round draft pick Elton Brand going would do at this point.

Continue Reading Picks and Roles: Speights Out, Lewis In

Deron Williams, Al Jefferson Missing Games Due to Family Illness

Posted: Nov 13th 2009 6:05PM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: Jazz, Timberwolves, NBA Injuries

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Jazz star Deron Williams had to leave his team on a road trip to return back to Salt Lake City due to a family illness. He'll miss tonight's game in Philadelphia, but the Salt Lake Tribune reports he could rejoin the team in time for the Jazz's game in Cleveland Saturday. Jerry Sloan has named rookie Eric Maynor the starter in Williams's place; Andrei Kirilenko will also hilariously serve as a back-up point guard for the shorthanded Jazz.

Similarly, Al Jefferson is out for two games due to a family illness. The Wolves have been in bad shape with Jefferson, the team's best player, and Dallas figures to be an able foe tonight. If nothing else, Minnesota's second tier will have ample opportunity to prove itself in Jefferson's absence -- especially considering Kevin Love is still out.

Western Conference Draft Grades

Posted: Jun 26th 2009 3:45AM by Matt Steinmetz (author feed)
Filed under: Clippers, Grizzlies, Hornets, Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Rockets, Spurs, Suns, Timberwolves, Trail Blazers, Warriors, NBA Draft, Thunder

8 COMMENTS

The NBA Draft started with a no-brainer -- Blake Griffin going No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers. Then, the fun happened, with Memphis taking Hasheem Thabeet and the Timberwolves' vexing decision to horde as many point guards as they could. A few other teams lucked out when players dropped down the board and into their laps. Check out the grades for the Western Conference after the jump.

Eastern Conference Draft Grades | NBA Draft Tracker

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Final FanHouse 2009 NBA Mock Draft

Posted: Jun 25th 2009 8:00AM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: NBA Draft

12 COMMENTS

The day of reckoning has arrived for some 90 or so prospects hoping to be an NBA Draft pick. The day of reckoning has also arrived for some 9,000 mock drafters, who desperately try to get it right even though no one ever could on a consistent basis.

And, if I may, a word about the recent backlash against mock drafts from the key mock draft writers. The major draft experts from ESPN and DraftExpress told the New York Times last week that they hate mock drafts. But the mock draft is like their version of a test. It's too arbitrary, too black and white. It creates an impossible task. But thems the breaks when you're in a field in which performance matters. If Chad Ford didn't have to put out a mock, he could forever avoid criticism, basically. It's his job to analyze and predict the draft. How could we judge his efficacy without looking at his mock the morning after? It's like Amar'e Stoudemire telling everyone he hates to rebound. (Oh wait ...)

I love mock drafts! You'll find my final version after the jump.

Continue Reading Final FanHouse 2009 NBA Mock Draft

Who Has the NBA Invited to the Draft?

Posted: Jun 22nd 2009 5:00PM by Matt Watson (author feed)
Filed under: NBA Draft

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Mock drafts are fun, but if you want the real inside scoop on who's expected to be a high draft pick, you need to see the list of the players the NBA has invited to the draft. Generally speaking, it's limited to players the league has been assured will go in the top half of the first round.

There are always exceptions, but ever since Rashard Lewis awkwardly hung around until the second round, the league has done a respectable job making sure no one gets too embarrassed. The league hasn't yet released an official list, but thanks to some sleuthing by DraftExpress, we know at least 16 players have been extended invitations, although only 13 have confirmed their attendance. Keep reading for the full list:

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NBA Draft Predictions: Atlantic Division

Posted: Jun 20th 2009 6:30PM by Tim Povtak (author feed)
Filed under: 76ers, Celtics, Knicks, Nets, Wizards, NBA Draft

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The New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets, picking at No. 8 and 11, respectively, are busy preparing their teams for next summer's free agent class, trying to add complementary pieces now for the new stars they are hoping to attract.

The Toronto Raptors, at No. 9, are trying to make sure that free-agent-to-be Chris Bosh, doesn't go anywhere in 2010. All three teams should be able to get decent players where they are picking. In the Atlanta Division, the Knicks are the most likely of the three to trade up to get what they want.

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NBA Draft Notes, May 26: All Ricky Rubio, All the Time

Posted: May 26th 2009 11:45AM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: Clippers, Grizzlies, NBA Draft, Thunder

1 COMMENT

* The Oregonian's Geoffrey C. Arnold talks to various GMs about Ricky Rubio's leverage. Meanwhile, the Memphis Commercial-Appeal's Ronald Tillery reports the Grizz met with Rubio agent Dan Fegan in Spain Saturday. C-A columnist Geoff Calkins practically begs Memphis to draft the Spaniard.

* TrueHoop's Henry Abbott investigates the tape on Rubio to get fans' toes a'tingling while splashing a pot of cold water.

* Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman talks up the potential of a Clippers-Thunder swap involving Rubio and Blake Griffin. Steve Perrin of Clips Nation attempts to pour cold water on said rumor.

Continue Reading NBA Draft Notes, May 26: All Ricky Rubio, All the Time

NBA FanHouse Mock Draft, Version 1

Posted: May 4th 2009 1:30PM by Tom Ziller (author feed)
Filed under: Clippers, Kings, Timberwolves, Wizards, NBA Draft, Thunder

4 COMMENTS

FanHouse covers the 2009 NBA Draft.

All mock drafts are not created equal. And why would you want them to be? That'd be awful boring, just reading lists of names over and over. At FanHouse, we emphasize the commentary -- so in our mocks we'll (try to) explain why we think certain players fit in their theoretical slots. We will also project our own biases (positive and negative), of course.

At this early stage -- and let's be honest, at every stage -- this is 5% homework, 5% supreme divination, 90% guesswork. (A great endorsement, no?) After the jump, a full first-round mock draft for your ~~amusement~~ bemusement.

Continue Reading NBA FanHouse Mock Draft, Version 1

Finding Fennis in 2009 Field

Posted: Mar 19th 2009 8:00AM by Ray Holloman (author feed)
Filed under: Midwest Region, West Region, South Region, East Region

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Some pictures are worth a thousand words.

This one was worth only a long, drawn-out "hmmm...", the kind of clueless head-cocked sound your dog might make if you asked it for stock advice.

Finding Fennis Dembo

Kwadzo Ahelegbe, Northern Iowa You won't get his name right on the first try, but he's used to that. If you're Purdue, who the 12th-seeded Panthers face in the first round, you won't be able to stay in front of him. He's used to that, too.

Don Ryan, AP

Ben Woodside, North Dakota State: The Bison point guard redshirted his freshman year as part of a group of four dedicated to making the NCAA tournament in the school's first eligible year when they would be seniors. He has the bona fides as a clutch performer, hitting the game-winning shot in the Summit League finals and he is the fifth most efficient offensive player in the nation.

Eric Landwehr, AP

Kenny Hasbrouck, Siena: The MAAC player of the year has heart-breaking skills and a heart-warming story. Last year he led the Saints to a first-round upset of fourth-seeded Vanderbilt. His biggest fan is his father, who watches every game from a wheelchair courtside.

Mike Groll, AP

Jerome Randle, Cal: Sure, he's a BCS performer, but if you're looking for this year's sharp-shooting legend, Randle is it. The junior connected on 46.8 percent of his 3-point attempts this year, third in the nation.

Harry How, Getty Images

Eric Maynor, Virginia Commonwealth: Maynor already brought down one college basketball Goliath when he toppled Duke in 2007. Now the scoring point guard, now a senior, is going for the rest of Goliath's family. Up first is UCLA, the same team Dembo torched for 41 points 22 years ago.

Matt Rourke, AP

Dionte Christmas, Temple: His Temple Owl team couldn't fit more comfortably on his back if he offered drink service while they're there. A strong scorer, Christmas could last two weeks in a wide-open bottom half of the South bracket.

Joseph Kaczmarek, AP

Garrison Carr, American: Before the Eagles knew where they were going to play, Carr was already in shooting range. The school's all-time leading 3-point shooter is just two away from breaking Patriot League record, and maybe your bracket, too.

Matt Rourke, AP

Artsiom Parakhouski, Radford: With a nickname like the Beast of Belarus, you wouldn't have to do much to get noticed. Fortunately for the Highlanders, he's pretty darn good anyway. There's not much chance of the first-ever men's 16-seed victory here but Parakhouski is a lot more interesting than opposing point guard Ty Lawson's toe.

Steve Helber, AP

Jeremiah Dominguez, Portland State: The 5-foot-6 point guard may have to have teammates get things off the top shelf of his locker for him, but he's the one handing out assists on the court. The Vikings are back in the NCAA tournament and a great first-round upset bet, thanks to the Big Sky player of the year Dominguez.

Jamie Squire, Getty Images

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