Fantasy Picker: Hawes-some!

Fantasy Highlights

Spencer Hawes (C, PHI)
It doesn't matter who starts, what matters is who finishes the game. With the loss of super sub Lou Williams, Spencer Hawes looks like he will be that spark off the bench. Crowd went crazy with every one of Hawes' five blocks, and he finished with 16 points, 12 rebounds, two steals and two assists. Best part of his line? Hitting 2-of-3 three-point attempts. It must be the beard.

James Harden (SG/SF, HOU)
Talk about announcing your arrival. James Harden had a monster debut for Houston, posting a whopping 37 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, four steals, a block, and four three pointers. You must forgive him for being a volume shooter, but 14/25 is not such a bad shooting clip. Harden owners hit the jackpot when he got traded to Houston, and this game is a testament to that.

Kyle Lowry (PG, TOR)
Different uniform, same production. Kyle Lowry won over the starting gig in Toronto and delivered a sterling performance, with 21 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, five steals and only two turnovers. Talk about efficiency. He also added two three-pointers to round up his night.

Joakim Noah (C, CHI)
An impressive showing by Noah as he finishes off with 23 points and 10 rebounds on 11 of 12 shooting from the line, six of 12 from the field, with three blocks and five steals. Those are the numbers expected from Noah, and as long as he's healthy, he will deliver those kinds of numbers on a consistent basis.
Buy Low Options:

Dwight Howard (C, LAL)
Despite the loss, Dwight came up with a big performance for the Lakers, as he posted 33 points, 14 rebounds, a steal, and a block. While these are the numbers expected from Howard, a big plus that should make owners happy is the 15-of-19 shooting clip from the line. If he can keep up that improved shooting from the line, he can prove to be a better fantasy stud than he already is.

Buy Low Options

Paul George (SG/SF, IND)
Huge line for Paul George posting 14 points 15 rebounds and five assists. However, he did it without shooting a three-pointer, no steals, and five turnovers. While the boards are a welcome addition, the lack of steals and threes from George does not help owners who picked him up for those cats. If you're an owner, don't let go of him easy, as he will get his numbers especially with Danny Granger out. If you're looking for an upgrade at the SG spot, you might want to try and buy him low from impatient owners and offer a package with 3's and defense.

Kenneth Faried (PF, DEN)
It's not actually Faried's fault that he's at the dud section of this article. What should be a career year for him started off hot, but finished with a "meh" as he played only 17 minutes and shot an atrocious 3/9 from the field. His minutes got eaten up by a mix of JaVale Mcgee (relatively efficient 7 boards and three blocks in 18 minutes), Corey Brewer (equally atrocious 3/9, five turnovers but got 27 minutes) and Wilson Chandler (20 minutes and a painful 2/8 from the field) for reasons only George Karl can understand. Maybe they want to give the "Manimal" a short leash so that when they let him go, he'd just attack. Risky trade option considering the rotation Karl employed, but upside is always there for a player with his talent.

Players to Consider:

Roy Hibbert (C, IND)
If you're looking for blocks, Hibbert may be a player worth looking at. He had five blocks in the game to go along with 14 points and nine rebounds. With David West looking like he'll get most of the touches on offense, expect Hibbert to be more of a contributor on hustle stats. He might be sold too high by owners, as he is probably one of the best centers in the East, so better make sure that you don't trade up too much for him.


Jeremy Lin (PG, HOU)
Lin's fantasy value took a hit when Houston got Harden, as the latter will dominate the ball on offense, thus adversely affecting Lin's scoring and assist numbers. But his defense is and has always been there. At one point during his rookie season at Golden State, he led the league in steals with three per game playing mostly during garbage time. He finished with four steals today, which means he could still be an option to trade for if you're in need of steals.

Tyreke Evans (SG/SF, SAC)
After being outplayed last season by Marcus Thornton and rookie Isaiah Thomas for the point guard spot, Evans was moved up to the SF spot but never really looked comfortable. The potential to be a 20-5-5 player he showed during his rookie season seemed to be lost. However, after playing 39 minutes today despite the presence of Thornton, Thomas and newly-acquired Aaron Brooks, it looks like he'll have a chance to show his wares again. He finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, and three assists with only two turnovers. Here's a guy to consider if you're looking for rebounds at the guard spot.

Kawhi Leonard (SG/SF, SAS)
Pop may have found a more gifted version of Bruce Bowen in Kawhi Leonard. He's an excellent defender and a pretty decent spot up shooter and has range, that's probably why he's getting a lot of playing time in this relatively aging Spurs lineup. He had 19 points with three three-pointers, seven rebounds and five steals. He will give blocks from time to time, but not this night. Playing 34 minutes might not be a regular thing for Pop, but lines like these are times when you can sell high on Leonard if you're not convinced he will play this much on a consistent basis.

Derrick Favors (PF/C, UTA)
Looking to add depth to your bench? The former second overall pick of the then-New Jersey Nets is getting  improved playing time, and is actually performing decently through preseason and in their season opener. In the Jazz win over the Mavs, Favors had six points, 10 rebounds, and two blocks in just 17 minutes of play. For deeper leagues, those could be solid numbers to complement a big man stats-oriented team.

Under the Radar Picks: 

Kosta Koufos (C, DEN, 5% owned in Y!Fantasy)
The starting Center for the Nuggets is an energy guy more than anything. Though not as expensive as JaVale McGee, Coach Karl seems to like Koufos enough to keep him on the floor despite a myriad of options up front and the choice to play small ball. He will not look for shots, but he could be a quick fix for big man stats, as he finished with nine boards, a steal, and a block in 29 minutes of play. He won't hurt your FG% and since he doesn't usually look for his shots, FT% won't take so much of a hit either.

Taj Gibson (PF, CHI, 15% owned in Y!Fantasy) 
With the exit of Omer Asik, the backup big role falls solely on Taj Gibson. He won't get a lot of minutes, but with the minutes he gets, he will perform. He had just four points, but had five boards and four blocks in just 19 minutes of play. He's a quick fix for blocks if you're in need of some.

Al-Farouq Aminu (SF, NOH, 8% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Aminu was one of the important pieces New Orleans wanted to get in a package together with Eric Gordon as a return from the Chris Paul trade. Today's showing is probably the reason why. Aminu put up 17 points on 8 of 17 shooting to go along with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks to fill up the stat sheet. He was a promising prospect back in Los Angeles, but didn't get much playing time with Trevor Ariza at the SF spot. That spot is now his for the taking, and should be able to get these kinds of numbers from time to time.

Brandan Wright (PF, DAL, 4% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Kaman and Dirk are still out, and Brandan Wright is still starting out of position as Center for the Mavs. Leading up to draft night in 2007, Wright was seen as an intriguing prospect with a long wingspan playing both the forward spots. While he never really got the chance to fulfill his potential since being drafted, the early frontcourt injuries by Dallas looks like the golden opportunity Wright is waiting for. He had a nice showing in Dallas' win against the Lakers (14 points on 5-of-5 shooting, five rebounds, three blocks in just 19 minutes of play), but to follow that up with another fine performance of 15 points (7-of-8 shooting) three boards and two blocks. Safe to say that when the German duo comes back, Wright will get more burn as a reserve than Eddy Curry (so much for trying that comeback), with Jae Crowder (Eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, 2-of-6 from three) probably his best competition.

Carlos Delfino (SG/SF, HOU, 11% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Sure, Delfino wouldn't get much burn in minutes, but with Harden attracting so much attention, he needs good shooters around to kick out to when he gets trapped attacking the rim. Delfino shot 5-of-6 three pointers for 15 points and had seven rebounds in just 23 minutes of play. He can form a small lineup with Asik in the middle, Chandler Parsons playing the PF spot, and Delfino, Harden and Lin forming a tall three-guard lineup. A bit one-dimensional quick fix for three-point shooting.

Carl Landry (SF/PF, GSW, 6% owned in Y!Fantasy)
Andrew Bogut looks fat and out of shape, and historically, he's an injury risk. Given this, and with the performance Carl Landry put up of 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, six rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes of action, he should be the first option off the bench to spell for Bogut or David Lee. More minutes could give you more boards, good FG%, and some defensive stats.

Fantasy Picker: Opening Night Performers

Fantasy Highlights:

Anderson Varejao (PF/C, Cle)
Energy guy Varejao picked up 12 offensive boards to rack up a total of 23 for the game. If he remains healthy, its not impossible to think he can go double digit rebounds on a nightly basis. 9 assists for the game is not too shabby either.
Caution: Varejao took advantage of the thin Wizards frontcourt. He won't always get these monster numbers against bigger and smarter frontcourt lineups, but I do believe he'll work his ass off trying.

Chris Bosh (PF/C, Mia)
19 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks shouldn't really impress much, but this is Chris Bosh, who's playing an out-of-position Center. He has finally embraced this role for Miami, and if he continues this trend, he'd be a solid pick up for a big, as he can give good FG% and rebounds (points could come and go,with Wade and LeBron) while embracing his new role, but will not hurt your FT% at that position.

Pau Gsol (PF/C, LaL)
Dwight may have shot better (Gasol was 8-19 while Dwight was 8-12) but clearly Gasol was more effective. He hit a three which is kind of unexpected, but don't get your hopes up with him producing there on a consistent basis (he did shoot a lot of those last year not just in bailout situations). He's still one of the best passing big men out there, so that's a huge upside for him. Best thing about his line? The three blocks. I thought he wasn't going to get a lot of those because he'd be the primary defender at the post (help defenders should get a lot more, like Dwight), and because I didn't get to watch the game, I don't even know how he got three blocks. Still a 23 and 13 double double is a welcome sight considering the loaded frontcourt that's going to compete for those boards.

Players to Consider:

Emeka Okafor (C, Was)
With Nene out, Okafor should get a lot of the minutes at the C spot. With Nene being a game time decision earlier, it might not be long before Nene comes back to get his minutes. However, Okafor did have 4 blocks in the game, and blocks are really hard to come by. Considering they got destroyed in the rebounding department, they might play Okafor and Nene together, with Booker going back to the bench.

Mario Chalmers (PG, Mia) 
Chalmers had 11 assists and 3 steals in the Heat's opener, which could signal the team trusting him more to handle the point guard duties. If this new version of the Heat have LeBron playing at PF and Wade concentrating more on getting open, Chalmers should get plenty of assists. Steals have always been there for him, and when he's open, you know he'd knock down a three here and there.

Shawn Marion (SF/PF, Dal)
Dirk's out, but Marion is doing a mini-Matrix throwback game, playing an effective 11 points on 5 of 11 shooting, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and a swipe and a swat. He was a fantasy stud back when I did not have any idea about the game, and he's showing versatility with his line.

Under the Radar Picks:

Alonzo Gee (SG/SF, Cle, 10% owned in Y!Fantasy)
I have been raving about this guy since he gave me good numbers toward the end of last season. He can play the F and G spots, which is nice for fantasy lineups, and he can contribute in at least 4 cats (points, rebounds, assists, steals). He had a sub-par game, but getting 9 shots up despite an excellent showing by rookie Dion Waiters and main man Kyrie Irving, plus he played 33 minutes as a starter.

Tristan Thompson (SF/PF, Cle, 25% owned in Y!Fantasy)
The sophomore big man could be the Russel Westbrook to Kyrie Irving's Kevin Durant. He is picking up where he left off with a decent line of 12 points 10 rebounds 5 assists on 5-8 shooting in 31 minutes of play. Goes to show he will get his minutes, and can provide across the board stats, with emphasis on big man stats of boards and FG%, and getting assists from the F position is always a bonus.

Leandro Barbosa (PG/SG, Bos, 3% owned in Y!Fantasy)
This is a sneaky quick fix while Avery Bradley is out. He won't give you monster stats but you know the dude can score. He was an efficient 6/8 from the field with 3/3 on the three-pointers. He can compete for minutes against Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, but once Bradley comes back, he'll have to settle on less court time.

Brandan Wright (PF, Dal, 2% owned in Y!Fantasy)
It was a toss up between him and Jae Crowder (8% owned), but I give Wright more upside because swats are harder to come by compared to threes. Both will spell for each other while Dirk and Kaman are out, but won't get a lot of minutes unless Elton Brand (who looks like he'll play Center, which is a plus for him) gets to foul trouble.

Game Picker: PBA Wednesday

San Mig Coffee vs Globalport Batang Pier

Coming off a squeaker of a win via a controversial (but actually legal) ball tap from Rafi Reavis, San Mig Coffee look to be the heavy favorites against Globalport. James Yap has just been on fire lately.

For their part, Globalport have done well for themselves despite the absence of Gary David. They have managed to stay competitive, but have not really been able to close games too well. Their last game against Petron is a prime example of their inability to close.

Pick: 8 point San Mig Coffee win
Spread may close at Global+6.5 but San Mig can be able to cover, if only to make a statement after their relatively controversial win against Barako.

Barako Bull Energy Cola vs Meralco Bolts

Speaking of Barako Bull, the heartbreaking loss can only make them lose faith in playing or be inspired to not let that happen again. With a bunch of veterans who are gritty enough to want a win, Barako is always a dangerous team to play against.

Cliff Hodge is one of the more exciting rookies to watch prior to the arrival of Calvin Abueva in the league. Not that he's not fun to watch, it's just that Abueva just lived up to his monicker. The Bolts are still an able team with a couple of superstars in Mac Cardona and Sol Mercado who seem to be getting the groove of playing with each other, and Ronjay Buenafe who seem to have won coach Ryan's heart and is getting a lot of minutes.

Pick: 3 point Meralco win
Barako might be given a +4.5 for this game, and they should be able to keep it close. I think Hodge will again be instrumental to the Meralco cause with his energy, considering his match up down low.

Game Picker: NBA October 31 games

A look into the second day of the NBA Games, got the odds for WAS-CLE right (WAS+5.5), had BOS-MIA too low (BOS+6.5), and DAL-LAL too high (DAL+8.5). Now to see how those picks turn out. =)

Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors

The Pacers are once again a relevant team for the first time since the Reggie Miller era. After their playoff run last season, the Pacers won the hearts of many to compare them to Oklahoma City; young, athletic, and hungry. The Toronto Raptors, for their part, did well after not getting their offseason wish of a homecoming for local hero Steve Nash.

Despite the loss of Darren Collison, the Pacers still look to be competitive with George Hill running the floor and former Charlotte Bobcats starter D.J.Augustin backing him up. Scoring will not be a problem with George Hill, Danny Grangger and David West taking care of that aspect. Roy Hibbert is arguably the best center in the league not named Dwight or Andrew. For this game, DJ Augustin should start if George Hill is not ready, and despite Danny Granger's injury, Pacers shouldn't be too affected. They lose his leadership and production, but with the team's composition, those will be compensated.

Jose Calderon is listed as day to day, but the point guard spot will effectively be manned by Kyle Lowry and John Lucas III. If Andrea Bargniani is healthy, the Raptors can keep this game close. Better watch out for rookie Jonas Valanciunas.

Pick: 10 point Pacers win
Spread might close at around TOR+8.5. Despite a crappy looking line up, Toronto may not actually be such a doormat of a team on most games.

Denver Nuggets at Philadelphia 76ers

Philly is arguably the biggest winner in the Bynum trade, but they do need to wait out on how that will turn out, as Bynum needs to sit out a couple of games. They lost Andre Iguodala, who was the closest thing they have to a superstar. Jason Richardson may make a case for himself, with Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner needing to grow up faster than they should.

The Nuggets should be a fun team to watch on the open court. They look like the new version of the Dallas Mavericks of the early 2000's and late 2000's Phoenix Suns; run and gun offense, defense will come. They have no shortage in defenders with crazy-athletic Manimal Kenneth Faried and nutcase JaVale McGee.

Pick: Nuggets 13 point win
Spreads may close with Philly given between +3.5 to +6.5 just because of their homecourt and a relatively competitive lineup. The Nuggets will run teams to the ground, and with a healthy lineup featuring Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, it is not impossible to think that this will be a blowout.

Houston Rockets at Detroit Pistons

Linsanity is now in Houston. With the latest trade for James Harden, the Rockets improved their talent at the starting lineup. Jeremy Lin had an awful preseason, but if he reverts back to Linsanity mode, Houston could be a force. Omer Asik needs to learn to play the pick and roll for that to happen.

The Pistons are a loaded team up front with Greg Monroe, Jason Maxiel and a logjam of talented bigs in rookie Andre Drummond, shooter Austin Daye, and Swedish Sensation Jonas Jerebko. If Rodney Stuckey and sophomore guard Brandon Knight can complement each other, they can have a potentially high scoring backcourt that could produce number similar to the Monta Ellis-Steph Curry tandem at Golden State.

Pick: 4pt Houston win
With the performance of the Pistons last year,safe to say that they will get a spread of around +5.5 because it is their homecourt. I don't thin Houston will cover, because this game might be a case of talent versus chemistry; the rotation guys of Detroit have played at least a year together, while main guys at Houston are talented but just had preseason and James Harden just arriving.

San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Hornets

Probably the most consistent team in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs are an interesting mix of youth and veteran leadership. Tim Duncan's still the main guy, but they have able weapons with a healthy Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, the always unreadable Stephen Jackson,glue guy Boris Diaw, and energy guys Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, and Danny Green. New Orleans is in full rebuild mode with top rookie pick Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers playing important roles for the team. This may be a make or break year for Greivis Vasquez; he showed flashes of brilliance last year spelling for Jarret Jack, and now the starting gig is his. He's either the real deal or just a tease.

Pick: 20 point Spurs win 
This will be a rude awakening for Anthony Davis, who will be given different looks on offense and defense; traditional PF Duncan, energy guy DaJuan Blair, finesse big Splitter, and the ever versatile Boris Diaw. Spread may close at around NOH+12.5 which the Spurs can cover easily, unless Pop decides to play with his rotation towards the endgame.

Dallas Mavericks at Utah Jazz <edited>

Back to back games for Dallas cannot be a good thing, considering they need to play in one of the most difficult home floors in Utah. Adding insult to injury, Utah is a front-heavy team with Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors rotating. Gordon Hayward is an interesting player to watch out for in Utah. Still, Dallas can surprise us, like they did so against the heavily-favored Lakers team.

Pick: Utah 8 point win <edited>
<Edited> Despite their win, Dallas should still be considered an underdog here, considering the Utah crowd and the talented frontcourt. I think the win against the Lakers will be a huge morale boost for Dallas, but it will bring caution to Utah to not underestimate the Dirk-less Dallas team. After being only a +8.5 against a loaded Lakers team, I think it would be safe to say the Dallas will get a +4.5 at the least.

Golden State Warriors at Phoenix Suns

Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut don't look like they are going to be ready for the season opener, but if they are, they should be slightly favored against the confusing Phoenix Suns. This will be a game with so little defense, as both teams would look to run. Phoenix looks like the healthier team, and should have ample weapons down low to take advantage of Golden State's lack of size. Gortat and Scola will have the opportunity to dominate a thin Warriors frontcourt, but Phoenix might fall in love with outside shooting, which means a lot of long rebounds.

Micheal Beasley remains a mystery, but he may finally be able to realize his full potential in Phoenix.

Pick: 3 point Suns win
Greatly dependent on availability of the Warriors' stars, but considering the makeup of the Suns lineup, they might have trouble closing the pesky Warriors with or without Curry. Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes will likely take the lead. Spread may close at GSW+3.5 if Curry and Bogut won't play, but if one or both will, it might swing to PHX+2.5.

Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers

A rematch of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. It will be interesting to watch how the Grizz will try to avenge their hard-fought series loss while the Clips will be parading a re-tooled lineup. Grant Hill and Matt Barnes are solid pick ups to improve the Clips' defense. Z-Bo will probably have a huge game here, if he considers his level of play during their playoff run as a chip on his shoulder.

Pick: 12 point Clippers win
Spread may close at MEM+4.5 if only considering their playoff matchup last year, but with an expected big win by the Lakers in the opener, Clips will try to play the "what you can do we can do better" card. And not a dig at the Memphis depth, but Clips are better looking on paper.

Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trailblazers

The superteam faces one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NBA, in one of the loudest venues as well. This will be a coming out party for Damien Lillard, who is one of the rookies to watch out for this season. He will have that opportunity because Nash is not a well-known defender. Kobe could still be rested, especially if he gets some minutes for their opener. If there's a team that can upset the Lakers early, it should be the young, up and coming Blazers.

Pick: Lakers 2 point win
From a huge win, I think the Lakers will escape with a win here. Spread may close at POR+4.5, and despite being up against such a super team like the Lakers, I'd put my money on Portland just because they perform so much better when playing at home. It's not impossible to think that this game will be down the wire.

Game Picker: NBA Opening Night Picks

The NBA Season is about to go underway, with three games on opening night treating fans all over. To celebrate the opening of the new NBA season, I post my very first post in this blog, and my very first predictions on match ups.

Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers

What should have been a match up between two of the best up and coming point guards and the last two top picks in the draft in John Wall and Kyrie Irving will probably will turn out to be an extension of the preseason. With Wall and big man Nene sidelined, the Wizards are without a marquee name to rally behind, but expect scrappy play from promising rookie Bradley Beal and steady production from acquired veterans Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza.

Cleveland should be powered by Irving and the return of energy guy Anderson Varejao. They did manage to pull out a few wins last year owing to the impressive play of Irving, and the kid can only get better.

Pick: 8 point Cavs win
This might turn into a blowout, but the Wiz can definitely blindside the Cavs. If there is a team the Wiz can try to win against, the Cavs should be one of them. Odds might have Wiz+5.5.

Boston Celtics at Miami Heat

This will turn out to be a battle of the outgoing dynasty and the emerging super dynasty of the East. Apart from being heavy favorites in the East, the drama of Ray Allen turning down more money at Boston to play for Miami adds to the flavor of this matchup. Expect a playoff atmosphere right from the get-go of this match.

Rajon Rondo has a new running mate in Courtney Lee and Jason Terry while Avery Bradley is out. LeBron has a couple of new targets with him with the former Seattle Supersonic tandem of Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis.

Pick: 5 point Miami win
Miami may go crazy on threes and blow this game up. This is not a dig at the talent the Celtics have, but more on Miami riding the momentum of their recent championship win. The American Airlines Arena will be wild. Still looking at odds that might give Boston at between +1.5 to +3.5 for this game, considering the intensity and the history of these two teams.

Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers

The injury but bit the Mavs early, with Chris Kaman and Dirk Nowitzki sidelined for their debut game against the super team of Tinseltown. Too much has already been said about the Lakers, and the Mavericks are still searching for an identity, much more now with hands down leader Dirk out.

Pick: 15 point Lakers win
This will be an easy blowout. Dwight will have a field day in the middle, with Elton Brand the only serviceable big Dallas has. That or Dallas will keep it close with Eddy Curry surprising the world with a coming out party. Dallas will probably get at least a +12.5 for this game.