Magic star Rashard Lewis tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug sometime before the NBA Finals last season. A follow-up test was given during the Finals, where Orlando fell 4-1 to the Lakers. But based on when that first test happens, Lewis's former teammate Ray Allen wonders if it might have been the Celtics in the Finals.
Allen told the Boston Globe this weekend that if Lewis has tested positive during the Magic-Celtics Eastern Conference semifinals series, he should have been suspended then. Allen follows that up by suggesting that without Lewis Orlando would have fallen to Boston (a fair retrodiction). The Magic beat the Celtics and Cavaliers on their way to the Finals.
The NBA never announced the timing of that first test, and news of Lewis's positive test didn't break until the start of August -- some nine weeks after the start of the Finals.
Home Delivery is your morning roundup of last night's action in the NBA from a fantasy perspective.
Well that was one busy Monday, wasn't it? And to think, we only had three games on the schedule.
Monday afternoon we learned that the Warriors had tradedStephen Jackson to the Bobcats for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic. The early fantasy implications on this one were on display Monday night as Jackson was in uniform and in the starting lineup for the Bobcats. He had a typical Jackson line: 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting, one three-pointer, nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and four turnovers. Some things remain the same.
The implications in Golden State won't necessarily be known until Tuesday night when the Warriors play the Cavaliers. Then again, it's never a given when you're talking about Don Nelson's rotation. One night Raja Bell might be in; the next he's out. Stay tuned.
Home Delivery is your morning roundup of last night's action in the NBA from a fantasy perspective.
Aaron Brooks led the Houston Rockets to a 101-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last night. Brooks dropped a game-high 33 points, hitting five three-pointers, grabbing six rebounds and dishing four assists. The Rockets out-rebounded the Lakers 60-38, while holding them to 38.1-percent shooting from the floor.
Andrew Bynum led the way for the Lakers with 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Kobe Bryant left them game late in the fourth quarter. Initial word was that his knee was that it might have been a bruised knee. Then word came out that it was a groin strain. It looked more like a bruised ego to me, but what do I know about knees and groins?
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. Anyspark to get fourth-round draft pick Elton Brand going would do at this point.
ORLANDO -- Magic center Dwight Howard arrived at Amway Arena for Friday night's game against the New Jersey Nets to find a handwritten note in his locker.
It was signed by the same guy who had been prodding him the past couple days, criticizing him for his lack of energy, his rebounding drop off and his sudden inability to block shots.
Howard read the note twice, then left it where he could see it again at halftime. He also saw it after the game, and he smiled.
"There is no one better or smarter in the NBA. All you need to do is play with great energy and enthusiasm,'' the note said. It was signed "Stan,'' as in Coach Van Gundy.
ORLANDO -- Mike Brown made like an emcee for a lounge act.
With his pregame interview Wednesday night running out of steam, the Cleveland coach suddenly saw his point guard, Mo Williams, walk by. Brown yelled for Williams to come over and say a few words to the assembled media.
Williams rolled out some early material about how his alma mater, Alabama, was going to continue to do some damage on the gridiron. Then he got to the good stuff.
"You all ready for a show tonight?'' he said. "Because I'm going to give you all one tonight.''
ORLANDO -- When the Orlando Magic signed out-of-work Jason Williams this summer to a one-year, minimum wage contract, they made it sound like he was coming merely to be an insurance policy, giving them a past-his-prime, third point guard in case the bottom fell out on the other two.
He's obviously going to be more, a lot more for a real good team.
Williams, 33, is no longer the flashy, wrap-around-passing entertainer he was earlier in his career in Sacramento, but he looks refreshed and ready to play at a high level once again, adding another strong weapon to the defending Eastern Conference champs.
ORLANDO -- The Orlando Magic will raise their Eastern Conference title banner Wednesday night at Amway Arena, then begin the most anticipated season in franchise history. And Rashard Lewis will be at home watching on television, riding a stationary bicycle.
Just the thought makes him cringe.
"I knew this day was coming but I'm still upset every time I think about it,'' Lewis said Tuesday after a Magic practice. "I was part of winning that banner, and I won't be there to see it go up. But you do the crime, you pay the fine.''
ORLANDO -- After 10 consecutive seasons of averaging at least 20 points a game, Vince Carter is likely to see his scoring drop significantly this season.
And he'll be happy about it.
It didn't take Carter long during the preseason to realize that playing with a dominant center like Dwight Howard -- a luxury he never has had before -- will change the way he plays the game.
"This is going to be great situation for me. It's one I've never been in before,'' he said before Friday night's lopsided 123-86 exhibition victory over the Atlanta Hawks. "It's a luxury that will be pretty easy to get used to.''
The power forward position is the deepest of all positions. Much like I mentioned how many of the the best power forwards are eligible at center, many small forwards and centers have dual eligibility at power forward. The range of ability consists of some of the league's best rebounders, scorers, three-point specialists, and efficient shooters. Some fantasy owners load up on power forwards and slot them into their center and utility positions. This position runs so deep, so deep that 50 players may not be enough to cover each and every fantasy relevant power forward. The depth leaves great value toward the end of drafts, but there's no reason to sleep on the players atop the draft board.
Again, I followed Fleaflicker's fantasy basketball positional eligibility. The rankings are based on standard, 8-category head-to-head (H2H) scoring: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, three-pointers, field-goal percentage, and free-throw percentage.
Fantasy Basketball Rankings: C | PF | SF | SG | PG
Magic star Rashard Lewis tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug sometime before the NBA Finals last season. A follow-up test was given during the Finals, where Orlando fell 4-1 to the Lakers. But based on when that first test happens, Lewis's former teammate Ray Allen wonders if it might have been the Celtics in the Finals.
Picks and Roles provides all the vital information you need in making those tough lineup decisions for weekly leagues. 
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The power forward position is the deepest of all positions. Much like I mentioned how many of the the best power forwards are eligible at center, many small forwards and centers have dual eligibility at power forward. The range of ability consists of some of the league's best rebounders, scorers, three-point specialists, and efficient shooters. Some fantasy owners load up on power forwards and slot them into their center and utility positions. This position runs so deep, so deep that 50 players may not be enough to cover each and every fantasy relevant power forward. The depth leaves great value toward the end of drafts, but there's no reason to sleep on the players atop the draft board. 
