Nus: Time to pick up Pacers?

 

From the Indianapolis Star:

--Several players may have a different look by the time the Pacers play Houston on Friday.
Mike Dunleavy was able to convince most of his teammates to grow mustaches.
The players involved have until practice Thursday to have their mustaches or to have their beards shaved. I'm not sure what the consequence is for those who don't fulfill their end of the deal.
"I've never had just a mustache before," said Troy Murphy, who's one of the players that has to shave off the rest of his facial hair before Thursday. "I may use some Maybelline and color it in so that it can be nice and dark."

Foster's mustache has already grown in. All he needs to do is grow his hair out, put on a skin-tight t-shirt and some tight blue jeans to look like he's back in the 70's. Foster, too, said he's never had a mustache before.

Recent Moves

Spoonful drop Landry for Brooks

With Alston out, and the gap-toothed, oft-picked-up-and-dropped Landry not turning into Paul Millsap, the Spoonful elected to get on the Aaron Brooks train for the second time. Brooks will again provide some points, 3s and AST. Expect 18 and 10 in Landry's next game

Judgment Haiku:

Bricks clang, whistles blow

Fouls and TOs aplenty;

Rockets never launch

My$hkin cuts DeShawn for Belinelli

Marco Belinelli is the next Rob Kurz - he started and scored 21 points, after two nice games off the bench. Remarkably, if I'm not mistaken, 11 Warriors are owned right now, and none of them are Wright or Randolph. DeShawn is still doing his thing, but remains upside-free.

Judgment Limerick:

A guard, Belinelli, a Warri-

-or has become a great I-talian story,

Once allowed on the floor,

He went off for 21, 4, and 4,

And Nellie exclaimed: "That's Amore!"

My$hkin drops Miles for Walton

Luke Walton is suddenly starting, sending VladRad to the bench - it seems to be working, as the Lakers have won 4 straight, and LukeLuke himself had a nice 14/5/2 line in his last outing. Miles and his fellow black starter, Ronnie Brewer were benched for most of the last Utah game by J-Slo, and some think his run as a starter may be close to an end. We think C.J. will be somewhat useful going forward

Judgment, in Prose: We like this move - Walton's always been intriguing, and, when healthy, can be a nice all-round contributor. He does have some competitiion (T-Ariz and VladRad) at SF, so keep an eye on his minutes going forward. For your poetry fix - check out C.J. Miles (the nba player, not the sexy filipina model) rapping...

Spoonful releases Rasho, picks up Marreese

This was another quick, though perhaps ill-advised, pickup by the Spoonful. E-Brizzle is out for a month with a separated shoulder, and Speights, discussed originally here, should see an uptick in PT. That might just mean more fouls and missed FTs, but Marreese is intriguing as a young, athletic big-man. Perhaps the Hosens would be interested in a Bonner/Speights package deal. Rasho's been OK, though annoyingly inconsistent and foul-prone, but has lost his starting gig to an unholy combination of Roy Hibbert and Jeff Foster. Fun fact - originally, the Hosen dropped Speights for Rasho back in October.

Judgment Haiku:

Rasho, piece of poop

Similarities abound.

Can Marreese be worse?

Mevans won't be missed

My$hkin drops Mo evans for hot Hakim Warrick

Mo Evans, discussed here, got a bit more PT than expected due to a number of Hawks injuries, mainly to Josh Smith. Indeed he's averaging over 25 MPG at this point, though that's been declining of late. He's played pretty well at times, but is prone to some terrible shooting nights (0 for 6 yesterday, 0 for 7 last Wednesday). He's strange in that he's sometimes quite a sound rebounder, and sometimes doesn't seem to bother. He never passes or blocks. We suspect he'll be picked up again at some juncture, though he's really just a contributor in PTS and (sometimes) 3s.

Hakim, already dropped twice by the Spoonful, finally appears to be getting his offense together: he's strung together 4 straight double-digit games, and got a season-high 35 miniutes on Monday, putting up an 18/8 line. (Tonight, we note, he managed only 9/6 in 15 minutes). It's been frustrating for him and his owners. We know Hakim is capable of 18/8 on a regular basis and can block a shot here and there, but his lack of defensive effort and the emergence of OJ Mayo as an offensive option seem to make Warrick ess useful.

Judgment: This is a strong move by my$hkin. We love Warrick's offensive talent, though it looks like he will continue to frustrate. MEvans is no Josh Childress, however, and is no great loss.

Gorilla in the Mist

My$hkin drops the Thrilla, picks up Varejao

In a shocking move, My$hkin, lover of all gorillas vanilla, dropped the Thrilla, previously discussed here. to pick up Anderson Varejao. With Oden sliding into the starting 5, Przyzbilla's minutes have been even more inconsistent, complementing the natural inconsistency of a foul prone big man. He had a terrific 8/14/2 BLK night last Tuesday, but has gone 4/4, 7/8, and 5/5 in 3 games since. He'll continue to be a useful source of BLK, and this year, his FT% is above 50%! Fun fact - the Thrilla is DISQ-free so far this year.

Varejao had a monster 17/7 (in 23 minutes!) night on Friday, and followed up with an OK 8/5 on Saturday. His prospects haven't changed much since we discussed him here, but we love his talent, good looks, and hustle.

Judgment: Overall, we think perhaps my$hkin should have kept the Vanilla Gorilla, and dropped 'Captain Jean' Luc-Richard for Varejao, leaving DeShawn in the Misty FAP.

In other Vanilla news, we would like to take this space to note that (in a ridiculous blowout), Joe 'Vanilla Sky' Alexander had 15 points, including this sweet putback:

Mby$hkin no Mbore

My$hkin cuts Mbah a Moute, picks up DeShawn

We discussed Mbah a Moute here; the return of Redd and the improved play of Villanueva have made him expendable. His minutes had declined (a low of 4 on Friday), though he had a nice 31 minute, 14/6 line on Sunday, but that was in a complete blowout. By the way, what is up with Malik Allen starting at PF for the Bucks?

DeShawn, discussed in the semi-famous 'paper in your anus hair' post, has been surfing the FAP for nearly a full month. He's started every game for the Wiz and has averaged 30 minutes. That's the good news. The Rest of the Story includes the fact that he's shooting 33% (and 61% from the field). He's averaging 8/2/4, and not really producing much at all. He had his best game of the season last Tuesday (21/3/5), so maybe things are looking up? Fun fact: The Lovin' Spoonful picked DeShawn in the second to last round of the 2002 draft...

Judgment: Luc Richard may work his way back into the lineup/rotation soon, as he does seem like a 'Scott Skiles guy', despite his skintone and rumored heterosexuality. So keep an eye on him. We think my$hkin could do better than DeShawn, but if his shot were to fall a little more often, he's at least getting minutes.

Price drops!

My$hkin drops Price for mo evans

We discussed Jazz PG Ronnie Price here, when My$hkin picked him up. He was playing fairly well, but the retun of Deron Wiliams has limited Price's PT (though he's still getting 20 MPG) and stats significantly.

Maurice Evans has been high on the Yahoo! availability lists for most of the season. The thought was that he'd take on the 6th man role in ATL vacated by Josh Childress. He'd been languishing on the Laker bench for a couple years, then was traded to ORL (for T-Ariz) and played well for them. He's a solid 3PT shooter, and this year, he has been notably inconsistent, even with a minutes increase due to Josh Smith's absence. In his last two games, he's been quite productive (17/5 and 19/9).

Judgment: We like Mo, but are inclined to think J-Smoove's return will relegate him to the status of 'pretty useless'. Ironically, that's just what's happened to Price in recent days. Let's see how Evans's minutes and performance are affected...and if we're writing about him being dropped next week. Either way, he's a better player than Price, and his 3s will be useful.

My$hkin acquires 'Can't Jam'

My$hkin drops Posey for C j Miles

James 'HighSocks' Posey, despite his (real NBA) post-season heroics, has never quite been an elite fantasy producer (though he has the skills). In some ways, he's morphing from 'Little Lamar Odom' into 'Big Bruce Bowen' before our eyes. His 9 PTS/2 3's and sterling defensive reputation sure seem Bowen-esque. He gets 4 rebounds (all DREBs), and maybe an assist or steal per game. His 'veteran leadership' and good D does mean that, unlike most bench players, his minutes (28, at present) are consistent. He's oddly unable to garner a starting gig, even with MoPeet hurt and The Juices in the doghouse, and is now playing behind Roswell 'The New Alien' Butler, for some reason. If Posey were still 14/5 with 2 3's, he'd be a clear 'add', but at 9 PPG, he's only super useful in 3s.

C.J. "Can't Jam" Miles (again - not to be confused with the 'sexy filipina model of the same name - especially when seeking pictures of the former) was discussed here; and remains the starting SF in Utah. That may continue, as it seems like J-Sloan is happier having AK-47 relieve at PF. He's continues to be fairly productive - mostly points - it will be interesting to see if his touches decrease when the Jazz get back to full strength (if).

Judgment: When we saw this on the wire, we were frankly a bit surprised, as Posey has an 'all-round contributor' reputation, and Miles has no reputation at all. The numbers, though, are less clear. My$hkin will gain in PTS, FGM, FG%, FTM, AST, but lose in STL, DREB, and 3s. My$hkin is relatively strong in 3s and DREB, so we approve, tentatively.

Elegy for a Moustache

my$hkin drops Morrison, picks up Price

Head Officer Chief Babu was a very peaceful man--
And then he turned mental--who knew how it began?
He sat drowsing in his chair, smiling a happy smile
When suddenly, it seemed, something drove him wild.

He leapt up and flung his arms about, his eyes red as brick,
He shouted out, “I’m lost, I’m lost, do save me quick!”
Some ran for a doctor, some yelled “Police!” with all their might,
Some advised restraint: “Careful, he could bite!”

Everyone was rushing frantic, leaving letters untyped--
Then the Babu cried, “Oh help, my mustache has been swiped.”
Lost his mustache? Incredible! How could it be?
But his handlebars were just the same, plain for all to see.

They tried to explain things, held a mirror to his face:
His whiskers weren’t stolen, that couldn’t be the case.
But angry as fire, an eggplant in hot oil, he sputtered and shook:
“I don’t believe a single man, I know each of you crooks.

Dirty and ragged, an over-used broom--an obvious pretender!--
This kind of mustache was kept by Shyambabu’s milk vendor.
I’ll shoot the whole lot! if you say this mustache is mine.”
And right away he proclaimed for all a rather hefty fine.

Getting hotter by the minute, he wrote and underlined in red:
“Give anyone an inch of rope, they’ll climb up on your head.
These monkeys at the office, with brains of dung and hay--
Where my perfect mustache went, not one of them can say.

I should grab their whiskers and dance them up and down
Or shave their sorry heads with a spade upon their crown.
They claim the mustache is mine--as though it’s something you can own!
The mustache owns the man, my friend--that’s how we all are known.”

We've discussed Morrison previously; he's had 2 2pt games in a row, and the move of Felton to SG and promotion of Augustin is severely limiting his minutes.

Ronnie Price, in his 4th year out of Utah Valley State, is getting a lot of time at PG while D-Will recovers from his ailments and Brevin Knight remains banged up. He's been largely unspectacular, but is finding his offensive groove, scoring in double-digits in 3 of his last 5 games, and hovering around 5 assists. He doesn't have much more upside - he's neither a good shooter or a good playmaker, and is mostly a defensive specialist. Word is that D-Will will not be playing in back-to-back's for a while (and may have his minutes somewhat limited), so Price could be useful even after Deron returns (next Wednesday, purportedly).

Judgment: A good, if short-term pickup for my$hkin. Sad to see Morrison go, of course.

Playmy$kinflute hires a new coach

the press conference is at:

here the password is moustachio

this really has nothing to do with basketball but it does fit in with the moustache loving that is part of our collective core values.  

my$hkin Lineup Fiasco!

RayRay and Mayo on the bench - for shame!

Saturday Thoughts -- Week 3

More close matchups this week - thenopp and Spoonful are tied at 6, Les Digits lead odensque 8-7, and the Hosens lead my$hkin 8-6. As we predicted, tsaogrip is crushing Mongoose 10-5 (including an almost 300 PT lead), and Nor'Easter is comfortably ahead of the non-lineup-setting speakers, 9-5.

Sunday games:

Team	Games
Spoonful	8
thenopp	12
odensque	8
Digits	5
Hosens	6
flute	8
Nor'easter	7
speakers	1
tsaogrip	8
Mongoose	3

 

The biggest game advantages in competitive matchupes belong to thenopp (4) and to odensque (3). This could be trouble for odensque, as he might lose PFs (currently ahead by 5), and only has an outside shot at STL (down by 6). It's likely, though, that it will end 8-7 Digits.

Things look much better for thenopp, with all 12 players in action, including Kidd, Carmelo, JamsCraw, and Z-Bo. PTS are currently tied, but we'd have to give the edge to thenopp, based on the games. Thenopp's ahead by 8 FTs, 2 3s, and 9 OREB, and is only behind in FGM by 5, AST by 11, and BLK by 3. The Spoonful might lose all of these and be shamefully bested 9-5. The loss of little K-Mart and games deficits on both Thursday and Sunday have been difficult to overcome.

The Hosen's/my$hkin matchup.is quite interesting: the Hosen lead FGM by 15, AST by 14, and BLK by 11, and trail in PTS by only 6, and OREBs by 3. But the Hosen lead both %s by razor-thin margins (.004 in FG%, .001 in FT%). While it's only an 8-6 games advantage for my$hkin, it seems my$hkin has higher quality games: AI, Dirk, G-Wallace, Nene, versus the Hosens' Salmons, Haslem, Telfair, Love, Kwame, and Nate. We think this gives my$hkin the edge, though PCTs are, in particular, tricky to predict.(Note: we're assuming that Barnes and Barbosa are both out for PHX.)

Moustache rides for free

my$hkin drops Dooling, picks up Morrison

That was quick! We discussed the Dooling pickup here.

Adam Morrison, #3 overall pick in 2006, will likely soon take his place on the short list of NBA draft busts. He averaged 12/4 his rookie year, which doesn't sound bad, but that was in 30MPG. He shot a woeful 37% from the field, which is not good for a 'scorer'. He contributed virtually nothing in BLK, OREB, STL, or AST and played no defense. The basic problem is that he's just too slow - and thus can't play D or create his own shot. Then he missed all of 2007 with a torn ACL, which can't help. He does have a bit of a chance to redeem himself with J-Rich out for a little while. He's played extensive minutes in the 2 games, and put up 15 and 16 points, with 5 3s (and, predictably, nothing else). Nonetheless, Charlotte is offensively challenged, and if the 'stache can shoot well, he'll certainly be given the opportunity to produce.

Judgment: We think this is an upgrade over Dooling in upside and opportunity. They both are basically scorers and nothing besides, but we think A-Morr will contribute more in the short term.

It's not easy being Keyon Dooling

My$hkin drops Green for Dooling

We discussed Gerald Green here; he started tonight for Jason Terry, but only played 14 unimpressive minutes. His role going forward is still unclear, though he certainly turned heads with his performances in J-How's absence.

Now Green has been dropped for the redoubtable Keyon Dooling, who competently started three games at PG for the Nets in Devin Harris's absence. Harris of course returned last night, scoring 30 points, but Dooling still got 25 minutes, scoring 10 points (though doing little else). Harris is still not 100%, so a gamble on Dooling here is not foolish, but he's not much of a playa, even with a lot of mintues. Mostly empty points, a few 3s, and 3-5 AST if running the point. He has no extra 'upside' to get excited about, and might be called 'a poor man's DeShawn Stevenson', without the excellent defense.

Judgment: We would have hung onto Green and his upside for a few more games, or perhaps picked up someone who might contribute in interesting categories. Dooling's low-neg, and will score a bit, but how much is that really going to help?

Thompson dropped after Miller's Return

my$hkin drops J-Thomp, picks up Gerald green

We covered Jason Thompson here. He looked pretty good until B-Mill returned from injury - he's struggled in 2 games since (2/2, and 7/7).

Gerald Green, former slam dunk champ, has had trouble maturing in the NBA - he just hasn't shot consistently, or done much but shoot, when given the chance. Last year was basically a waste in MIN after a pretty good sophomore effort in BOS in 2006-7. Josh Howard hurt himself, and G-Green filled in admirably, with a fine 13/12 performance. Howard may miss another game or two, and, it should be noted, is pretty generally injury prone. Even when Howard returns, Green could be useful in the second unit (especially because he does shoot quite a lot when he can). He can rebound, block, and hit 3s when he's on.

Judgment: I might have waited a bit longer to see how things shake out in Sactown, before cutting Thompson, but my$hkin may have enough middling PF-types anyway. Green will be inconsistent, and may or may not have a role when J-How returns, but there's a lot of potential here.

Mbah a beauty?

my$hkin drops ariza for mbah a moute

Trevor Ariza is only 23, and clearly has yet to fulfill his multi-cat potential - the question is whether he'll have a chance to do so on a deep Laker team - SF is not deep in LA, but nonetheless, minutes are at issue. He reminds me a little of A-Ig: he can't really shoot, but he's agile and high energy, and fills the rest of the stat sheet effectively. So far, he's averaging 10/4, with more than a steal and most of a block. It's not clear if that will improve, but it should certainly continue.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute does have a terrific name, and my$hkin was not too drunk to realize it. He's known as a defensive specialist, and is a widebody, though he plays SF. He's getting quite a few minutes (35 on Sunday), and is averaging 6 and 5, with about a steal and a block, in 4 games. If Redd is injured, he should continue to see time, and gather boards.

Judgment: I'm not sure I'm in a position to judge, given my decisions of late, but I wouldn't have made this move. I might have dropped Jason Thompson for him, or taken a wait and see approach. T-Ariz has too high a ceiling to drop him at this point. Interestingly, both players are former UCLA Bruins.

Millsap Dropped!

my$hkin drops Millsap for Jason Thompson

Paul Millsap, in his 3rd year out of La Tech, has been quite effective as a rebounder when given minutes. He's a high-energy wideman, and will be highly sought after when Boozer goes down. Until then he'll have nights like his first game (20 minutes - 4/4) with occasional 10/14 outbursts

Jason Thompson, picked 12th overall by Sacramento, surprised everyone with a 18/10 opening night. The intrigue mounted when it was realized that, even after B-Mill returns from his drug suspension, has only Mikki Moore ahead of him at PF. In tonight's game, he had 10/7 in only 18 minutes.

Judgment: I'm not sure, honestly. Thompson has a bit more opportunity, it seems, than Millsap, but Millsap has proven he can perform consistently. Thompson's a rookie from a tiny school (Rider), and will likely struggle at times. As they are both rebounding specialists, I'm calling this one a wash.

The Thrilla!

my$hkin drops Larry Hughes, picks up Joel Przybilla

And who can blame him! It took all of my$hkin's continence to avert drafting the Przyblla, but now the Chinchilla is where he belongs.

Larry Hughes has been an effective, if maddeningly inconsistent fantasy star for years. He's only 29, but he's always been injury prone, and one senses his best days are far behind him. Even in his 'really good year', in 2004 with the Wizards, when he went off for 22/6/5/3STL, he only played in 61 games. He is currently injured with a dislocated finger, and appears to be out for 1-3 more weeks. Even when he returns, his role on the Bulls is somewhat unclear. Once traded to the Bulls last year, he mostly started, but played limited minutes, and was generally not an asset to the team. He did have some monster games last year, including a 40 pt outburst, and will likely have a few going forward. He'll surely be rostered again during such a hot streak, but will likely only be good for 10/3/3 and a steal in the aggregate.

Joel Przybilla, The Vanilla Gorilla, is quite a force in the paint. He'll never score much, and he's the worst free throw shooter in the NBA, but he has shown the capacity to block shots in bunches and rebound like mad. Even last year, in only 23 minutes per game, he averaged 8.4 rebounds. This year, his role looked to be reduced still further with the arrival of the Hosen's Greg Oden, but, of course, Oden's injury stands to give the Thrlla an opportunity. I would think 8 points 10 rebounds 2 blocks, 5 fouls while Oden is out.

Judgment: Fundamentally, my$hkin gave up some points, assists, and steals, for rebounds and blocks. The Oden injury and Hughes' injury make this timely, but my$hkin has addressed core needs while shedding strengths. Can Zaza be far behind?

Some News - Late Sunday Night

camby out?

It looks like the garbage speaker's Marcus Camby may be out for week 1. A huge blow to the speakers, who look to be in a tight rebounding battle against The Lovin' Spoonful. This could give the Spoonful a couple extra points for the week. Does anyone else really benefit? Perhaps. 1) Chris Kaman has less competion for rebouds, and 2) since Tim Thomas is injured as well, they might move Al Thornton over to PF and play Ricky Buckets at SF.

 

dunleavy out - marquis in

My$hkin's Mike Dunleavy is also likely out for at least the opener, and perhaps both of Indiana's games in Week 1, giving Les Digits some hope in a few categories. Importantly, The Later Hosen's Marquis Daniels is filling in, which makes the Hosen favorites to win steals against tsaogrip.

Weekly Forecast -- Week 1

The Later Hosens vs. tsaogrip 0002

General: The defending champs face a tough matchup in Week 1. 2nd Round pick Danny Granger only plays two games, while tsaogrip has 2 top 4-gaming Bucks in Michael Redd and R-Jeff (though only 2 games from VC and C-Booz). Tsaogrip also has a significant Sunday game advantage.

Injuries: None yet.

Categories:

Tsaogrip should win AST, PTS, FGM, FTM, and FT%

The Hosen should win 3s, DREB, BLK

Toss ups -- OREB, STL, TO, PF, FG%

What to watch for:

(The Hosen's Joakim Noah)

For the Hosen, all eyes will be on the young frontcourt (Oden, Love, Noah) and their minutes. The roles of Russell Westbrook, Nate Robinson, Flip, Marquis, and Marreese will also be under scrutiny. Look for J-Salm and Matt Barnes to light it up, but how much will they contribute outside of points?

As for tsaogrip - he'll be watching the Knicks SFs (Q-Rich and W-Chandler) to see how things shake out, and looking to see how much and how well Yi and Diaw play.

Fearless Prediction: I think the young Hosen will step up on the glass, and win OREBs, but at the expense of the negatives: Final Score tsaogrip 8 - Hosen 6

-------------------------------------

Nor'easter vs. Mongoose

General: An intriguing matchup - those of you who read the 'First Look' series know that we thought quite highly of both these teams' drafts. Both teams are huge in the frontcourt. Nor'easter gets 4 games from Bogut, but only 2 from Emeka, DevHarr, and Duncan. Mongoose has 4 from C-Vill, but only 2 from Okur and D-Will; overall, the games situation in general, and on Sunday in particular, is pretty even.

Injuries: Mongoose will be without Martell webster until December, it seems; Deron Williams' appears out for Week 1; if he does play, it could make a big difference. Baron Davis is questionable. Thaddeus Young has a hurt back. Nor'easter is missing Monta Ellis indefinitely.

Categories:

Nor'easter should win AST, FTM, FG%

Mongoose should win TO, PF, FT%, 3s, STL

Toss ups -- OREB, DREB, PTS, BLK, FGM

(Nor'easter's Devin Harris)

What to watch for: Being without D-Will hurts the Goose's chances of winning PTS and FGM. Any Disq's could make a big difference, and with such big-man heavy teams, there will surely be some. The Mongoose will be curious to see Thaddeus Young, Baron Davis in LA, and young Mr. Bynum. Are Tyrus Thomas and Brandon Bass really starting? We'll see. For Nor'easter, the minutes of Jarrett Jack, Al Thornton, Pietrus, and RudyFer are worth monitoring.

Fearless Prediction: Without Williams, and with B-Dizzle 'questionable', Nor'easter will prevail: Final Score Nor'easter 9 - Mongoose 6

-------------------------------------

Les Digits vs. play my$hkin flute

General: Unfortunately, I don't think this one will be so close. I think my$hkin just has more minutes on the floor this week. Les Digits has only 2 games from Jamison, Chauncey, J-Smoove, Horford, and T-Murph. That will prove too much to overcome, I suspect, in the counting categories.

Injuries: my$hkin will be without Larry Hughes, and Dunleavy is banged up. Les Digits has no Manu, J-Smoove might be limited, and MarvWill is suspended for the first game of the season.

Categories:

Les Digits should win TO, PF

my$hkin should win PTS, FGM, FTM, FG%, FT%, AST, STL, BLK, 3s

Toss ups -- OREB, DREB

(my$hkin's Chris Duhon)

What to watch for: Les Digits needs to see how the minutes situations of Conley, D-Rose, and Varejao shake out. My$hkin will be looking to see how much run Kelenna, Duhon, Posey, and Mayo get, and how they respond

Fearless Prediction: No doubt about the outcome: Final Score my$hkin 10 - Les Digits 4

-------------------------------------

blazers (thenopp) vs. odensque

General: This one should be interesting*. Both teams are more or less at full strength, and thenopp will outscore odensque by quite a bit. However, the big men of odensque (Brand, Dalembert, Big Z) may very well be enough to make this a fight.

*assuming lineups are set

Injuries: thenopp is without Agent Zero for a while, and Carmelo is apparently suspended for the first two games. Odensque will be without the services of Brad Miller, who's suspended for 5 games.

Categories:

thenopp should win PTS, FT, FGM, FT%,

odensque should win OREB, DREB, BLK, STL, TO

Toss ups -- 3s, PF, FG%, AST

(thenopp's Wally Szczerbiak)

What to watch for: odensque is very interested to how see the new look Sixers gel with Brand and Dalembert. He'll need good weeks from preseason disappointments Marion and Moon in order to win blocks, and will be looking carefully at the minutes and play of B-Simmons and Bayless. Thenopp needs to see whether rookies B-Lopez and Marc Gasol will help shore up his thin frontcourt - and whether aging veterans Hill, Mobley, and Szczerbiak can contribute this year.

Fearless Prediction: I think thenopp will win 3s and AST, but either JO or Hinrich will fatally DISQ: Final Score: odensque 8 - thenopp 7

-------------------------------------

garbage speakers vs. The Lovin' Spoonful

General: garbage speakers may suffer from C-But, J-Rich, AK-47, and J-Rich only having two games, though the Spoonful also have some key 2-gamers (Bibby, Parker, R. Brewer). I think the Spoonful will outscore the speakers, and win via the counting stats, but the margin of victory will come down to rebounds.

Injuries: Only Francisco Garcia is out for the speakers, though Camby hasn't played in the preseason. On the Spoonful side, Wade and Bosh are forever day to day, and Little K-Mart, Ben Gordon, and Beno are slightly banged up.

(garbage speaker's Kyle Korver)

Categories:

The Lovin' Spoonful should win PTS, FTM, FGM, FT%, AST

garbage speakers should win TO, PF, BLK

Toss ups -- 3s, STL, FG%, OREB, DREB

What to watch for: garbage speakers wants to see Camby and Artest thrive in their new environs, and will be curious about the roles of Terry and Odom. Spencer Hawes might be huge this week with Brad Miller out. The Lovin' Spoonful want to see how much Hakim Warrick plays, how well LaMarcus fits in with Oden, and what's up with supposedly starting Chris Quinn. Starbury's role is also in question, and which Bargnani will show up this year?

Fearless Prediction: Sadly, Hawes will grab a lot of boards (and Carl Landry(?) won't) - Final Score: The Lovin' Spoonful 8 - garbage speakers 6

-------------------------------------

The first Waiver Wire pickups will be tonight/tomorrow; I'll be sure to review who did what, and why...

First Look -- my$hkin

Quick Draft Summary: My$hkin grabbed C's (or near C's) in Pau and Dirk early, and a solid PG in AI, then went for shooters and value. The lower half of his draft has a lot of upside. 3 Nuggets may not be enough!

Frontcourt: Dirk (1), Pau (3), T-Chand (8), Nene (10), K-Mart (12), Wilcox (14), Millsap (15)

A lot depends on the health of Nene and K-Mart, and that's not a good sign. Really, only Pau and T-Chand are likely to get 10 RPG (Dirk might be close). I fear there's not enough depth to be a rebounding force unless everyone listed really steps up -- I'm more optimistic about the blocks, however, and about FG%. Dirk's excellent FT% (and qty) should more than cancel out T-Chand's futility from the stripe.

Backcourt: AI (2), Leandro (9), Duhon (14)

Really only AI, A-Ig, and DuDu are likely to hit 5 APG, which is worrisome. Luckily, Dunleavy and Wallace will chip in some, but more PG depth will be required to compete in AST. Steals, on the other hand will be in the bag most weeks, as G-Wall, AI, A-Ig, and even Larry Hughes are among the best thieves out there. We shouldn' forget just how often AI still gets to the line. What's less clear is DuDu's role, and whether he'll be any good even if he plays -- he certainly hasn't been effective in Chicago.

Swingmen: A-Ig (3), Dunleavy (5), G-Wallace (6), Allen(7)

Plenty of points here, and 3s from Dunleavy ad Allen (and Barbosa, of course). I think FTM, FGM and PTS will usually be in my$hkin' s column. Wallace carries some risk, of course, and Allen is declining, but I think these were superb value picks. Dunleavy's coming off a career year, but I don't see any reason he can't do it again.

X-Factors: OJ Mayo (11), Larry Hughes (20), Azubuike (18), Ariza (17), Posey (16)

Mayo could really help the my$hkin backcourt if he performs. Hughes can still produce (and steal!) when healthy. Kelenna, T-Ariz, and Posey may all see more opportunity than last year, and could put up useful across the board numbers.

Strengths: 3s, STL, FT, FG%, TO, PTS, FG

Weaknesses: REB, BLK, AST

Best Pick: A-Ig (4) -- Iggy Hop is very solid, and may be a steal here. I also like the T-Chand (8), Allen (7), and Kelenna (18) picks

Worst Pick: Millsap (15) - he's got talent, but unless Boozer goes down again, I'm not sure he's going to play much.