ducks
10-13-2005, 11:20 AM
Key Position Battles
Key Position Battles
by Ted Carlson - Senior Editor, Fanball.com
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Many NBA players are still shedding their offseason cobwebs and getting in shape, but it's never too early to see how the numerous position battles are shaping up across the Association. Preseason action tipped off on Monday, and the handful of early games have already given us some insight into starting lineups and playing rotations. Check out the latest word on the most important clashes that will affect fantasy basketball leagues.
1. Hornets point guard: Chris Paul vs. Speedy ClaxtonConventional wisdom suggests that head coach Byron Scott would simply hand the ball to Paul and let the rookie skin his knees in what will be another rough season for the Hornets. However, Scott is (at least publicly) keeping the job open, and Claxton has pushed Paul hard throughout camp. Sadly for the trailing Speedy, a toe injury currently has him sitting out of practice.Projected winner: Paul
2. Bucks point guard: T.J. Ford vs. Maurice WilliamsAt the moment, the Bucks and basketball fans are simply content with seeing and knowing that Ford is back on the court and running at 100 percent. Ford missed all of the 2004-05 season after suffering a serious spinal cord injury, but he'd on the court and looking good in camp. Now, we need to know if the former first-round pick will be able to beat out Williams, who averaged 10.2 points and 6.1 assists last season. New head coach Terry Stotts is working with a clean slate when comparing the two guards, but we recall that the Bucks were a playoff team when Ford ran the show but 30-52 last season.Projected winner: Ford
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3. Cavaliers point guard: Damon Jones vs. Eric SnowThe Cavaliers have already played two preseason games. Snow started the first, and Jones opened the second. Head coach Mike Brown knows he has a tough decision ahead between the caretaking, defensive veteran Snow and the three-point-chucking Jones, and it's likely that the status and playing time will fluctuate as the season progresses and various matchups arise. Both have experience piloting a team late into the playoffs and both carry hefty paychecks. The difference? Jones has fresher legs and a newer, longer contract.Projected winner: Jones
4. Bobcats point guard: Brevin Knight vs. Raymond FeltonThere's no doubt that Felton is the point guard of the future, but Bobcat fans expecting to see Ray running alongside fellow NCAA champion Emeka Okafor on opening night might walk away disappointed. Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff loves Knight, and it's easy to see why. Knight dished out 9.0 assists versus only 2.2 turnovers last season and averaged 2.0 steals per night. With that type of productivity in place, the Bobcats can ease Felton into the NBA. Still, from a fantasy perspective, it's tough to pick a clear winner knowing that both point guards will see decent floor time.Projected winner: Knight
5. Clippers point guard: Sam Cassell vs. Shaun LivingstonThis is a cliche matchup between a salty 35-year-old veteran and a spry 21-year-old kid, and different sites are reporting with similar certainty that one or the other will open the season as the starter. What's clear is that Cassell has already stepped up and taken a vocal, leadership role with his new club, and as much as we'd love to see Livingston burning up the court, it's tough to see head coach Mike Dunleavy opening a playoff-hopeful season with the younger talent running the show.Projected winner: Cassell
6. Heat point guard: Jason Williams vs. Gary PaytonThe Heat apparently inherited the Yankees gameplan of assembling as much talent as possible, smashing it together, ignoring egos, and hoping to grab a championship. Their decisions have created a couple controversial situations, beginning with who will run the show. Actually, this battle really hasn't emerged as some might expect. Williams is the clear starter at point, and Payton is serving as the backup. The question now is, how many minutes will Stan Van Gundy need to give the Glove in order to keep him happy?Projected winner: Williams
7. Mavericks shooting guard: Jerry Stackhouse vs. Marquis Daniels vs. Doug ChristieThe Mavericks have changed their coach, but their rotation remains messy for the ump-teenth straight season. Both the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram are reporting that Christie is the front-runner for the starting shooting guard spot, but head coach Avery Johnson will rotate Stackhouse and Daniels in during the preseason. Case in point, Stackhouse started in place of Christie (rest) on Tuesday night, and Daniels came off the bench to lead the team in scoring. Sigh. A clear starter will likely emerge in the coming weeks, but we imagine that the minutes will remain inconsistent.Projected winner: Christie
8. Timberwolves guards: Marko Jaric vs. Troy Hudson vs. Trenton Hassell vs. Rashad McCantsWe know for sure that Jaric will be a starter this season for the Wolves, but his spot and his running mate have yet to be determined. The defensive-minded Hassell earned most of the starts during the Flip Saunders regime, and he could keep the job thanks to Dwane Casey's defense-first philosophy. However, Hudson is reportedly looking spry following two seasons plagued by ankle issues, and the first-rounder McCants is a talented scorer with high expectations.Projected winners: Jaric and Hassell
9. Magic backcourt: Keyon Dooling vs. Jameer Nelson vs. DeShawn StevensonDooling signed with the Magic over the offseason, and he believed that he would compete with Nelson for the starting point guard job. Guess what? That door is closed. Steve Francis is running the point for new/old head coach Brian Hill, and Franchise laughed at local reporters wondering why he wasn't handling the shooting guard spot as speculated. For the moment, this backcourt is set with Francis running the offense and Stevenson at shooting guard, but Nelson and Dooling might have more to say on the situation over the next few weeks.Projected winners: Francis and Stevenson
10. Denver backcourt: Andre Miller vs. Earl Watson vs. Voshon Lenard vs. Earl Boykins vs. DerMarr Johnson vs. Greg BucknerThe Nuggets feature the type of crowded backcourt that head coaches love and fantasy owners hate. On any given night, George Karl can employ a variety of different two-guard combinations depending on the matchups, and it'll create headaches for fantasy owners in weekly or daily leagues. Miller will certainly start and a healthy Lenard is a good bet to re-take the shooting guard spot, but Watson and Boykins will be major stat-stealers off the bench and Johnson and Buckner earned significant minutes last season. The sooner that Kiki Vandeweghe engineers a trade, the better.Projected winners: Miller and Lenard
11. Rockets backcourt: Rafer Alston vs. David Wesley vs. Bob Sura vs. Derek Anderson vs. Jon Barry vs. Luther HeadYeah, we left out Charlie Ward, Moochie Norris, and Dion Glover, but the Rockers have enough backcourt rotation issues without those three. Alston and Wesley started in the opening preseason game, but Sura didn't play due to a knee injury, Barry got the night off, and Anderson and Head scored 13 points apiece off the bench. In game two, Alston started again, and Anderson played in place of Wesley, who took the night off. The feeling here is that Alston and Wesley will carry starting roles into the season opener, but Jeff Van Gundy clearly has plenty of options off the bench to muddy this fantasy outlook.Projected winners: Alston and Wesley
12. Wizards shooting guard/small forward: Antonio Daniels vs. Jarvis Hayes vs. Caron Butler vs. Jared JeffriesHow will the Wizards replace fantasy star Larry Hughes? Unfortunately, there's not a one-name answer for fantasy owners to bank on. The Wizards added Daniels and Butler during the offseason, and throughout training camp, all four of the above players have worked at both shooting guard and small forward. Hayes (shooting guard) and Jeffries (small forward) started the first preseason game, but Butler did not play due to a sore groin. Eddie Jordan will likely try different combinations as the preseason progresses, and we can only wait and see how these battles play out.Projected winners: Butler and Unknown
13. Heat small forward: Antoine Walker vs. James PoseyThe Heat and Spurs played a championship game rematch on Monday, and we received a likely answer to this small forward battle. Posey started, played 22 minutes, missed a couple threes, and called it a night. Walker came off the bench, logged 24 minutes, chucked up 14 shots, and led the team with 20 points. Both players will likely see more minutes than that once the regular season rolls around, but we anticipate a situation where Posey plays the starting/Eddie Jones role (defense and threes) and Walker provides instant offense off the bench at both forward spots. Antoine won't start but will likely be the better fantasy player.Projected winner: Posey
14. Rockets power forward: Juwan Howard vs. Stromile SwiftFantasy owners have been waiting for the physically-gifted Swift to get out of Memphis and find a consistent gig, but the move to Houston might not provide the situation many wished for. Howard missed much of last season due to a heart condition and knee ailment, but he returned to action on Tuesday night. Juwan started, scored 10 points, grabbed seven boards, and generally looked good. Swift did not play due to a forearm injury, and, thus, we'll need to wait and see what happens when both are healthy.Projected winner: Stay tuned
15. Bulls small forward: Luol Deng vs. Andres Nocioni vs. Tim ThomasDeng has only been back on the court for a few weeks after recovering from surgery to repair a torn right wrist ligament, but he started on Tuesday night. Head coach Scott Skiles cautioned the Chicago Tribune against reading too much into his lineup, and we wouldn't dream of doing so, especially since Nocioni was out with back and hip pain. Thomas? He logged only eight minutes, and the team is talking about trying to find him time at power forward. This battle really comes down to Deng and Nocioni. It's not certain at this point, but we have a pretty good feeling…Projected winner: Deng
16. Suns small forward: James Jones vs. Jim JacksonAmare Stoudemire's knee surgery has caused a ripple within the Suns starting lineup, and (for once in this article) we're have a perfectly clear understanding on what will happen. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni already told the Arizona Republic that small forward Shawn Marion would slide back to power forward and Jones would start at the three. Fantasy owners might have assumed that the veteran Jackson would step into that role, but he'll still come off the bench. That being said, Jackson will likely be the better fantasy option.Projected winner: Jones
17. Bucks small forward: Desmond Mason vs. Bobby SimmonsThe Bucks inked Simmons to a sizeable deal this offseason despite having their top two scorers (Mason, Michael Redd) set at the swing positions, and it's still unclear who will start at small forward this season. However, the Bucks have been working in Simmons at the two, three, and four, and somehow, someway they'll find him ample playing time without robbing Mason too much. We saw a similar situation last November when Redd (40.3), Mason (32.5), and Keith Van Horn (36.8) all managed to see plenty of burn despite overlapping positions, and it may not matter greatly which player starts.Projected winner: Mason
18. Kings power forward: Kenny Thomas vs. Shareef Abdur-RahimWhen the Kings signed Abdur-Rahim in August, most onlookers penciled the veteran into Chris Webber's old spot. The only people that didn't were Thomas, Rick Adelman, and Abdur-Rahim. Thomas started in the first preseason game, and afterwards, Abdur-Rahim told the Sacramento Bee that he wasn't going to openly lobby for the job. Way to want it, Shareef! Whomever doesn't start will likely be the first player off the bench, and there should be plenty of floor time for both players. However, Shareef didn't exactly sparkle as a sub in Portland, and we can't help but be a bit worried.Projected winner: Thomas, sadly
19. Cavaliers power forward: Drew Gooden vs. Donyell MarshallGooden got the message loud and clear. The addition of Marshall and the hiring of Mike Brown told Drew that he better focus on his defense and rebounding, and he's doing exactly those things this preseason, even if it means less emphasis on offense. Thus far, Gooden has been sharp enough to keep his starting job, and it will likely stay that way. Marshall is able to handle minutes at the three, four, and five, and that versatility makes him a little better option off the bench. From a fantasy perspective, though, both players will defer to LeBron, Larry Hughes, and Big Z on the offensive end and steal minutes from one another.Projected winner: Gooden
20. Bucks center/power forward: Andrew Bogut vs. Dan Gadzuric vs. Joe SmithEveryone knows that Bogut was the number one overall pick, but did you also notice that the Bucks handed Gadzilla a six-year, $36 million deal? You don't cut a guy that big of a check if you don't plan to use him, and while he may not start, there's a good chance that Gadzuric eats up plenty of minutes at both center and power forward this season. And judging by his rebounding rates (8.3 in 22.0 minutes), Gadzuric could be cleaning up some stats that might otherwise go to Bogut or Smith. Fantasy owners need to be wary of his effect on the two likely starters.Projected winner: Bogut and Smith
Key Position Battles
by Ted Carlson - Senior Editor, Fanball.com
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Many NBA players are still shedding their offseason cobwebs and getting in shape, but it's never too early to see how the numerous position battles are shaping up across the Association. Preseason action tipped off on Monday, and the handful of early games have already given us some insight into starting lineups and playing rotations. Check out the latest word on the most important clashes that will affect fantasy basketball leagues.
1. Hornets point guard: Chris Paul vs. Speedy ClaxtonConventional wisdom suggests that head coach Byron Scott would simply hand the ball to Paul and let the rookie skin his knees in what will be another rough season for the Hornets. However, Scott is (at least publicly) keeping the job open, and Claxton has pushed Paul hard throughout camp. Sadly for the trailing Speedy, a toe injury currently has him sitting out of practice.Projected winner: Paul
2. Bucks point guard: T.J. Ford vs. Maurice WilliamsAt the moment, the Bucks and basketball fans are simply content with seeing and knowing that Ford is back on the court and running at 100 percent. Ford missed all of the 2004-05 season after suffering a serious spinal cord injury, but he'd on the court and looking good in camp. Now, we need to know if the former first-round pick will be able to beat out Williams, who averaged 10.2 points and 6.1 assists last season. New head coach Terry Stotts is working with a clean slate when comparing the two guards, but we recall that the Bucks were a playoff team when Ford ran the show but 30-52 last season.Projected winner: Ford
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3. Cavaliers point guard: Damon Jones vs. Eric SnowThe Cavaliers have already played two preseason games. Snow started the first, and Jones opened the second. Head coach Mike Brown knows he has a tough decision ahead between the caretaking, defensive veteran Snow and the three-point-chucking Jones, and it's likely that the status and playing time will fluctuate as the season progresses and various matchups arise. Both have experience piloting a team late into the playoffs and both carry hefty paychecks. The difference? Jones has fresher legs and a newer, longer contract.Projected winner: Jones
4. Bobcats point guard: Brevin Knight vs. Raymond FeltonThere's no doubt that Felton is the point guard of the future, but Bobcat fans expecting to see Ray running alongside fellow NCAA champion Emeka Okafor on opening night might walk away disappointed. Head coach Bernie Bickerstaff loves Knight, and it's easy to see why. Knight dished out 9.0 assists versus only 2.2 turnovers last season and averaged 2.0 steals per night. With that type of productivity in place, the Bobcats can ease Felton into the NBA. Still, from a fantasy perspective, it's tough to pick a clear winner knowing that both point guards will see decent floor time.Projected winner: Knight
5. Clippers point guard: Sam Cassell vs. Shaun LivingstonThis is a cliche matchup between a salty 35-year-old veteran and a spry 21-year-old kid, and different sites are reporting with similar certainty that one or the other will open the season as the starter. What's clear is that Cassell has already stepped up and taken a vocal, leadership role with his new club, and as much as we'd love to see Livingston burning up the court, it's tough to see head coach Mike Dunleavy opening a playoff-hopeful season with the younger talent running the show.Projected winner: Cassell
6. Heat point guard: Jason Williams vs. Gary PaytonThe Heat apparently inherited the Yankees gameplan of assembling as much talent as possible, smashing it together, ignoring egos, and hoping to grab a championship. Their decisions have created a couple controversial situations, beginning with who will run the show. Actually, this battle really hasn't emerged as some might expect. Williams is the clear starter at point, and Payton is serving as the backup. The question now is, how many minutes will Stan Van Gundy need to give the Glove in order to keep him happy?Projected winner: Williams
7. Mavericks shooting guard: Jerry Stackhouse vs. Marquis Daniels vs. Doug ChristieThe Mavericks have changed their coach, but their rotation remains messy for the ump-teenth straight season. Both the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram are reporting that Christie is the front-runner for the starting shooting guard spot, but head coach Avery Johnson will rotate Stackhouse and Daniels in during the preseason. Case in point, Stackhouse started in place of Christie (rest) on Tuesday night, and Daniels came off the bench to lead the team in scoring. Sigh. A clear starter will likely emerge in the coming weeks, but we imagine that the minutes will remain inconsistent.Projected winner: Christie
8. Timberwolves guards: Marko Jaric vs. Troy Hudson vs. Trenton Hassell vs. Rashad McCantsWe know for sure that Jaric will be a starter this season for the Wolves, but his spot and his running mate have yet to be determined. The defensive-minded Hassell earned most of the starts during the Flip Saunders regime, and he could keep the job thanks to Dwane Casey's defense-first philosophy. However, Hudson is reportedly looking spry following two seasons plagued by ankle issues, and the first-rounder McCants is a talented scorer with high expectations.Projected winners: Jaric and Hassell
9. Magic backcourt: Keyon Dooling vs. Jameer Nelson vs. DeShawn StevensonDooling signed with the Magic over the offseason, and he believed that he would compete with Nelson for the starting point guard job. Guess what? That door is closed. Steve Francis is running the point for new/old head coach Brian Hill, and Franchise laughed at local reporters wondering why he wasn't handling the shooting guard spot as speculated. For the moment, this backcourt is set with Francis running the offense and Stevenson at shooting guard, but Nelson and Dooling might have more to say on the situation over the next few weeks.Projected winners: Francis and Stevenson
10. Denver backcourt: Andre Miller vs. Earl Watson vs. Voshon Lenard vs. Earl Boykins vs. DerMarr Johnson vs. Greg BucknerThe Nuggets feature the type of crowded backcourt that head coaches love and fantasy owners hate. On any given night, George Karl can employ a variety of different two-guard combinations depending on the matchups, and it'll create headaches for fantasy owners in weekly or daily leagues. Miller will certainly start and a healthy Lenard is a good bet to re-take the shooting guard spot, but Watson and Boykins will be major stat-stealers off the bench and Johnson and Buckner earned significant minutes last season. The sooner that Kiki Vandeweghe engineers a trade, the better.Projected winners: Miller and Lenard
11. Rockets backcourt: Rafer Alston vs. David Wesley vs. Bob Sura vs. Derek Anderson vs. Jon Barry vs. Luther HeadYeah, we left out Charlie Ward, Moochie Norris, and Dion Glover, but the Rockers have enough backcourt rotation issues without those three. Alston and Wesley started in the opening preseason game, but Sura didn't play due to a knee injury, Barry got the night off, and Anderson and Head scored 13 points apiece off the bench. In game two, Alston started again, and Anderson played in place of Wesley, who took the night off. The feeling here is that Alston and Wesley will carry starting roles into the season opener, but Jeff Van Gundy clearly has plenty of options off the bench to muddy this fantasy outlook.Projected winners: Alston and Wesley
12. Wizards shooting guard/small forward: Antonio Daniels vs. Jarvis Hayes vs. Caron Butler vs. Jared JeffriesHow will the Wizards replace fantasy star Larry Hughes? Unfortunately, there's not a one-name answer for fantasy owners to bank on. The Wizards added Daniels and Butler during the offseason, and throughout training camp, all four of the above players have worked at both shooting guard and small forward. Hayes (shooting guard) and Jeffries (small forward) started the first preseason game, but Butler did not play due to a sore groin. Eddie Jordan will likely try different combinations as the preseason progresses, and we can only wait and see how these battles play out.Projected winners: Butler and Unknown
13. Heat small forward: Antoine Walker vs. James PoseyThe Heat and Spurs played a championship game rematch on Monday, and we received a likely answer to this small forward battle. Posey started, played 22 minutes, missed a couple threes, and called it a night. Walker came off the bench, logged 24 minutes, chucked up 14 shots, and led the team with 20 points. Both players will likely see more minutes than that once the regular season rolls around, but we anticipate a situation where Posey plays the starting/Eddie Jones role (defense and threes) and Walker provides instant offense off the bench at both forward spots. Antoine won't start but will likely be the better fantasy player.Projected winner: Posey
14. Rockets power forward: Juwan Howard vs. Stromile SwiftFantasy owners have been waiting for the physically-gifted Swift to get out of Memphis and find a consistent gig, but the move to Houston might not provide the situation many wished for. Howard missed much of last season due to a heart condition and knee ailment, but he returned to action on Tuesday night. Juwan started, scored 10 points, grabbed seven boards, and generally looked good. Swift did not play due to a forearm injury, and, thus, we'll need to wait and see what happens when both are healthy.Projected winner: Stay tuned
15. Bulls small forward: Luol Deng vs. Andres Nocioni vs. Tim ThomasDeng has only been back on the court for a few weeks after recovering from surgery to repair a torn right wrist ligament, but he started on Tuesday night. Head coach Scott Skiles cautioned the Chicago Tribune against reading too much into his lineup, and we wouldn't dream of doing so, especially since Nocioni was out with back and hip pain. Thomas? He logged only eight minutes, and the team is talking about trying to find him time at power forward. This battle really comes down to Deng and Nocioni. It's not certain at this point, but we have a pretty good feeling…Projected winner: Deng
16. Suns small forward: James Jones vs. Jim JacksonAmare Stoudemire's knee surgery has caused a ripple within the Suns starting lineup, and (for once in this article) we're have a perfectly clear understanding on what will happen. Suns coach Mike D'Antoni already told the Arizona Republic that small forward Shawn Marion would slide back to power forward and Jones would start at the three. Fantasy owners might have assumed that the veteran Jackson would step into that role, but he'll still come off the bench. That being said, Jackson will likely be the better fantasy option.Projected winner: Jones
17. Bucks small forward: Desmond Mason vs. Bobby SimmonsThe Bucks inked Simmons to a sizeable deal this offseason despite having their top two scorers (Mason, Michael Redd) set at the swing positions, and it's still unclear who will start at small forward this season. However, the Bucks have been working in Simmons at the two, three, and four, and somehow, someway they'll find him ample playing time without robbing Mason too much. We saw a similar situation last November when Redd (40.3), Mason (32.5), and Keith Van Horn (36.8) all managed to see plenty of burn despite overlapping positions, and it may not matter greatly which player starts.Projected winner: Mason
18. Kings power forward: Kenny Thomas vs. Shareef Abdur-RahimWhen the Kings signed Abdur-Rahim in August, most onlookers penciled the veteran into Chris Webber's old spot. The only people that didn't were Thomas, Rick Adelman, and Abdur-Rahim. Thomas started in the first preseason game, and afterwards, Abdur-Rahim told the Sacramento Bee that he wasn't going to openly lobby for the job. Way to want it, Shareef! Whomever doesn't start will likely be the first player off the bench, and there should be plenty of floor time for both players. However, Shareef didn't exactly sparkle as a sub in Portland, and we can't help but be a bit worried.Projected winner: Thomas, sadly
19. Cavaliers power forward: Drew Gooden vs. Donyell MarshallGooden got the message loud and clear. The addition of Marshall and the hiring of Mike Brown told Drew that he better focus on his defense and rebounding, and he's doing exactly those things this preseason, even if it means less emphasis on offense. Thus far, Gooden has been sharp enough to keep his starting job, and it will likely stay that way. Marshall is able to handle minutes at the three, four, and five, and that versatility makes him a little better option off the bench. From a fantasy perspective, though, both players will defer to LeBron, Larry Hughes, and Big Z on the offensive end and steal minutes from one another.Projected winner: Gooden
20. Bucks center/power forward: Andrew Bogut vs. Dan Gadzuric vs. Joe SmithEveryone knows that Bogut was the number one overall pick, but did you also notice that the Bucks handed Gadzilla a six-year, $36 million deal? You don't cut a guy that big of a check if you don't plan to use him, and while he may not start, there's a good chance that Gadzuric eats up plenty of minutes at both center and power forward this season. And judging by his rebounding rates (8.3 in 22.0 minutes), Gadzuric could be cleaning up some stats that might otherwise go to Bogut or Smith. Fantasy owners need to be wary of his effect on the two likely starters.Projected winner: Bogut and Smith