Mark Barnes's Blog
Posted by Mark Barnes
What is March Madness without Cinderella, dancing her way across the hardwoods of the NCAA Tournament?
In 2006, she was George Mason, who made a Final Four run -- just the second eleven seed ever to make it that far. We wonder if 2007's Cinderella might be the Winthrop Eagles.
Winthrop has all the makings of this year's NCAA Tournament hearthrop.
- Winthrop hails from the Big South Conference, a mid-major conference that few people West of the Carolinas have ever heard of.
- The Eagles have talented stars, Torrell Martin and Michael Jenkins, that America can easily fall in love with.
- Winthrop has a handsome, young head coach, Gregg Marshall, whom many major college basketball programs will no doubt be calling after the NCAA Tournament (Michigan is one likely suitor).
- The Eagles have a remarkable 19-game winning streak.
- And Winthrop plays the kind of game that college basketball and NCAA Tournament fans love. The Eagles run, defend and shoot the three-pointer as well as just about any top seed in the tournament.
After a stunning upset of high-flying Notre Dame in the first round -- a game that saw the Eagles build a double-digit lead, blow it, then hang on with some clutch shooting down the stretch -- fans are noticing and the madness is building.
One more win over another favorite, and Winthrop will be well on its way to dancing with the princes at the 2007 NCAA Tournament ball.
Posted by Mark Barnes
So, Wright State is heading to the NCAA Tournament and March Madness. Butler, which lost to Wright State in the Horizon League Tournament Championship game, will also be invited as an at-large team. This means plenty of trouble for major college basketball conference "bubble teams."
The last thing teams like Michigan of the Big Ten and Clemson of the ACC wanted to see was a win by Wright State.
If Butler had won, the Horizon League would have likely sent just one team, as Wright State would most certainly have been eliminated. Now, Wright State wins the right to college basketball's Big Dance, and Butler has to be in, based on its great season and top 20 NCAA ranking.
This takes a spot that a major college basketball conference team might have earned, even with a marginal season.
Usually teams like Michigan, Clemson and Illinois make the NCAA Tournament. In conferences like the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the ACC, 20 wins overall and 8 or 9 conference victories is usually enough for an at-large bid and a March Madness ticket.
Each time a team like Wright State upsets an NCAA shoo-in like Butler, big conference "bubble" teams cringe.
So, if you're a fan of one of the middle-tier major conference teams, you're likely hating Wright State today, and you'll be holding your breath on NCAA Tournament selection Sunday.
Posted by Mark Barnes
Are the Dallas Mavericks as good as the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls?
If not, they must at least be considered one of the top five NBA teams of all-time, based on their regular-season performance thus far.
Led by NBA MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas has not only won 85 percent of its first 58 games, the Mavericks have now won at least 12 straight games for a third time this season.
You read right. That's three different occasions that Dallas has strung together at least 12 consecutive victories.
Currently on pace to threaten 70 wins, Dallas could surpass that great Bulls team that won 87 out of 100 total games, including the playoffs, in 1995-96. Of course, that Michael Jordan-Scottie Pippen-led Bulls team won the NBA crown that season.
That remarkable Chicago team started the season 41-3, giving it an advantage over this year's Mavericks, who limped to an 0-4 start, before its first big winning streak. In fact, turn that poor start into a 3-1 beginning and Dallas would already be on pace to win more games than the record-setting Bulls.
To truly be considered that great, though, Dallas must not only win a lot of regular-season games, it must win an NBA title.
The pieces are certainly in place for Dallas, but there's still plenty of work to be done.
Posted by Mark Barnes
March Madness without the Duke Blue Devils.
It doesn't sound right.
Duke has lost four straight games, is in sixth place in the ACC and is just 18-7, overall. With remaining games at Boston College, at Clemson and at North Carolina, Duke missing the NCAA Tournament is not entirely unreasonable.
It's hard for the average college basketball fan to even consider March Madness without Duke and legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Coach K is one of four coaches in NCAA Tournament history with three or more titles. His Duke squads have won 30 or more games in a season an NCAA record seven times.
Duke and the NCAA Tournament have been synonymous for decades, but this may change in 2007.
With several mid-major conferences vying to place multiple teams in the NCAA Tournament, numerous college basketball powers will be eliminated.
If the ACC sends its usual five teams to the Big Dance, it wil be difficult for the selection committee to overlook Clemson, which has a better won-loss record than Duke and Florida State, which beat Duke in Durham.
Other factors, such as Wright State winning the Horizon League, could be devastating for Duke. If Wright State gets a bid as this weak conference's winner, this eliminates a major college like Duke, because Butler, also in the Horizon, will definitely get an at-large NCAA Tournament bid, based on the Bulldogs fine record.
So, it seems, Duke is in trouble.
Unless the Blue Devils reel off four or five straight wins, Coach K and mighty Duke may not get an invitation to this year's March Madness dance.
Posted by Mark Barnes
The NCAA Top 25 was shaken by some great upsets last week. North Carolina fell to NC State, Duke fell at home to Florida State, and Oklahoma State lost to lowly Colorado.
So, the Tar Heels, Blue Devils and Cowboys fell in the AP and ESPN college basketball rankings, as they should have.
Florida is the obvious choice to head the top 25, and UCLA is a solid number 2.
Butler, which is 22-2 and the winner of the pre-season NIT is a very deserving top 10 team. And, finally, the pollsters gave some respect to Southern Illinois, a top 10 team in the RPI and from a top 5 RPI conference.
How, we wonder, can the voters place Memphis as high as 8th and Nevada at number 12?
Memphis has nothing more than a nice overall record of 19-3. Like Nevada (21-2), the Tigers have beaten absolutely no one. Memphis plays in Conference USA, the 11th-ranked league by the RPI, and the Tigers have not beaten a ranked team all season.
Similarly, Nevada plays an awful schedule. The Western Athletic Conference is the 9th-ranked league, and the Wolf Pack also has no top 25 wins to its credit.
How college basketball voters can put these teams ahead of teams with higher RPI rankings and from tougher conferences – teams like Marquette, Washington State and Florida State – is unfathomable.
It makes any astute college basketball fan wonder on what exactly are the pollsters basing their votes.
Posted by Mark Barnes
Kobe Bryant and Gilbert Arenas are having NBA MVP seasons. Both are NBA All-Star Game starters, and both are elite scorers.
Arenas' sWashington Wizards are second in the Eastern Conference, and Kobe's Lakers are second in the Pacific Division. Saturday night, these two superstars collided in an epic battle.
Bryant won a close duel with Arenas, as Kobe scored 39 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and handed out 6 assists, while adding 2 steals.
In a classic battle, Arenas clung to Kobe inch-for-inch, scoring 37 points, to go with 5 rebounds 4 assists and 1 steal of his own.
The most glaring statistic -- the one that separated the two great guards -- was shooting. Kobe was a workmanlike 14-26 from the floor, including 2-5 from 3-point range. Arenas was an awful 9-29 and was even worse from long distance, going 3-15 from behind the arc.
Although Arenas' numbers looked pretty good, overall, this game was a complete turnaround from his first meeting with Kobe, when Arenas dropped 60 points on the Lakers on December 17th.
This was certainly Kobe Bryant's night. He punctuated his big performance with a monstrous 360-degree dunk but downplayed any thril of outdeuling Arenas.
With Lakers forward Lamar Odom back from injury and playing great again, Kobe doesn't need to worry about one-on-one superstar duels.
He's more concerned about an NBA title run.
Posted by Mark Barnes
NBA Eastern Conference Notes
Toronto Raptors leading Atlantic Division
With NBA fans nationwide focusing on the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and numerous other interesting Western Conference teams and players, the Toronto Raptors have quietly gone 11-4 in their last 15 games and taken the lead in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division.
Led by NBA All-Star Game starter Chris Bosh, who averages 23 points and 11 rebounds a game, Toronto has recently taken two games from Eastern Conference-leading Washington, and the Raptors have an impressive loss at Phoenix by just two points.
TJ Ford is turning in beautiful point guard play with nearly 8 assists per night, and five Raptors are averaging double figure points.
NBA's Central Division is tight
For a brief time, it looked like the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James were ready to dominate the Central Division. In just a few short weeks, things have changed.
Detroit, with new free agent Chris Webber playing regularly, has taken the top spot, and Chicago and Cleveland are a game back. Indiana, at 25-21, is lurking close behind, just two and a half games out of first place.
The Pistons visit Cleveland, in a huge game, just prior to the All-Star break. This game could play a large role in division tie-breakers, should things remain this tight in the second half, which appears very likely.
Boston falls to new low
Th legendary Boston Celtics have lost a team-record 14 straight games.
It might be easy to blame a streak like this on coach Doc Rivers, until you take a careful look at this team.
First, star forward Paul Pierce is hurt. Prior to Pierce's injury, the Celtics were still in the race in the woeful Atlantic Division.
Now, he's gone and Boston's starting five is composed of third-year point guard Delonte West, solid rookie guard Rajon Rondo, third-year center Al Jefferson, journeyman forward Brian Scalabrine, who averages under 4 points for his career, and second-year small forward Ryan Gomes, who is steady but a bit slow at 6-7, 250.
Wally Sczcerbiak comes off the bench with 16 points per game, but his skills are limited to long-range gunning.
With a healthy Pierce, Boston could still be a lottery team in the 2007 NBA draft. Without Pierce, the Celtics could have the first pick.
If there's hope of regaining the old Celtics glory, Boston had better keep losing and land that top pick.
It's definitely time to start over.
Posted by Mark Barnes
NBA Western Conference Update
Are teams in the NBA's Western Conference really that good?
The Phoenix Suns won 15 straight games two different times this season. The Dallas Mavericks have their own set of nice winning streaks. But are these teams really that much better than the teams in the lowly NBA Eastern Conference?
A quick peek at the Mavericks
Dallas is an NBA-best 38-9, and no one in the Eastern Conference is even close. Breaking down the Mavs, though, we have to wonder if they'd survive a 7-game series with the best team from the Eastern Conference.
Dallas has lost at Chicago, at Detroit and at Washington. Chicago, a team that can play a fast game and can pound away at you in the middle with Ben Wallace, held the vaunted Mavs' offense to just 85 points recently.
Sure, Dirk Nowitzki is an NBA MVP candidate, but we think Dallas may lack the muscle to do serious toe-to-toe battle with a tough team in the East.
What about Phoenix
The Suns ran off 17 straight wins recently and looked like they could blow past anyone, especially the dregs of the Eastern Conference.
A recent encounter with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers may have demonstrated an Achilles Heel for the Suns.
Phoenix won the game, when the Cavaliers went cold in the fourth quarter, but through three periods, despite the Suns shooting an unworldly percentage from everywhere in the arena, Cleveland stayed close by banging away at Phoenix inside.
The Cavaliers dominated the boards, with quick, muscular leapers, Drew Gooden and Anderson Varejao. Of Course, LeBron chipped in with 9 boards of his own.
It may seem ridiculous to say that a team as good as Phoenix can be vulnerable to the pedestrian teams in the Eastern Conference, but the Suns and their six-man rotation can definitely be had.
Houston may surprise Dallas and Phoenix
The Rockets should get Yao Ming back from injury, which will be a huge boost to a team that has been surprisingly good while Yao has been out of action.
Dikembe Mutombo has stepped up nicely, and Tracy McGrady looks like the McGrady of three years ago.
Houston has the blend of size, speed and rebounding to overtake both Dallas and Phoenix.
The Lakers, Utah and San Antonio lurk behind
What makes the Western Conference so exciting is that even with the three favorites mentioned above, three more teams are all capable of winning the conference.
If the Lakers trade for a point guard to help Kobe Bryant, who's having a tremendous season, Los Angeles will be hard to beat.
Until Carlos Boozer got hurt, Utah would have been our third choice instead of Houston. Deron Williams has turned into one of the best point guards in the NBA, and Boozer was unstoppable.
Finally, the Spurs are as steady as anyone; plus, they play great on the road at 16-8, third-best in the Western Conference. Throw in the fact that they have Tim Duncan, and San Antonio is a threat to win upset Dallas and Phoenix out West.
Stay tuned for more updates on the wild, wild Western Conference.
Posted by Mark Barnes
NBA coaches should stand up and take a bow. Finally, someone from this league of whiners, showoffs and hitters made a statement, when the coaches left Denver forward Carmelo Anthony out of the NBA All-Star Game.
Anthony is the leading scorer in the NBA, but he was suspended for 15 games for his part in a brawl at New York, when Anthony sucker-punched an opposing player, during the ugliest melee in the NBA this season.
For his part, Carmelo says he’s being treated unfairly. "Things happen," Anthony told the Associated Press in New York, prior to learning that he was not selected as an All-Star reserve.
"One incident like that is held over one person's head, life ain't fair."
Life ain’t fair? Give us a break. How fair is blind-siding a guy in a brawl during an NBA game, slugging him when he’s not looking, then running away, before the guy can fight back?
Maybe someone should show Carmelo a tape of his outlandish behavior, during that ignominious performance.
Anthony needs to shut his mouth, grab some popcorn and enjoy the NBA All-Star Game from the comforts of his home. Let the honorable men, Allen Iverson excluded, represent the best NBA players.
If Carmelo Anthony truly wants to redeem himself, he should support the decision of the coaches and say he understands that the league is making a statement by not rewarding someone who behaves like Anthony has.
It’s time for Anthony to be a man. If he wants to be one of the NBA’s top ambassadors, like other young stars, such as LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony needs to stop making bad decisions and start owning up to mistakes.
Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner David Stern can still right Anthony’s ship by naming him to replace injured Yao Ming.
Stern claimed he was clamping down on fighting in the NBA, when he doled out Carmelo’s punishment. Naming him to the All-Star game, now, would be like kissing Anthony’s cheek and saying he was too hard on him.
Here’s hoping that David Stern stands behind his coaches, and names a guy like Josh Howard or Ray Allen, two deserving players, who are both having great seasons.
Posted by Mark Barnes
Kobe Bryant's Suspension
Someone explain how Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA's true superstars can accidentally elbow a player and be suspended for a game. This makes no sense.
Kevin Garnett threw a punch and got one game. How can an inadvertent elbow and a pre-meditated punch be treated the same? NBA Commissioner David Stern needs to figure some things out pretty quick, before he loses control of his league.
Accidents receive warnings, David. Intentional acts get suspensions. It's basic elementary school discipline.
Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Others Snubbed by NBA All-Star Voters
Dirk Nowitzki is having an MVP-type season. His Mavericks has more wins than any other NBA team, yet he was not voted to start in the NBA All-Star game.
Steve Nash is the two-time defending NBA MVP and is a serious threat to win it for a third straight season. He, too, was not voted into the All-Star game.
Also snubbed by idiot NBA fans nationwide were Allen Iverson and Carlos Boozer, both having tremendous seasons.
Each of these snubbed NBA stars will likely be added to the reserve squads, but this consolation doesn't excuse the monumental lunacy displayed by fans, who voted in injured Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady , injured Yao Ming and Chris Bosh ahead of these other noteworthy players.
Enough is enough already. The fan voting simply has to go away.
Kansas outscores Nebraska 27-0 on Big Monday
The Nebraska Cornhuskers hadn't played on Big Monday's national TV for a very long time, so they planned a gala event in Lincoln on January 29.
Fans throughout the packed arena wore red -- supposedly to intimidate invading, sixth-ranked Kansas.
In what seemed like a blink of an eye, the Jayhawks were on top of Nebraska 39-6, after a stunning 27-0 run.
Nebraska trailed by 35 at one time, before losing by a much more respectable 20.
Either the Huskers are not very good, or Kansas is scary. We think it's the latter.
Pittsburgh overrated
We are perplexed by the pollsters love affair with seventh-ranked Pittsburgh.
The Panthers are 19-3 but have yet to defeat a top 20 team. Perhaps AP and ESPN voters are enamored of Pittsburgh's 8-1 mark in the equally-overrated Big East Conference.
We're not buying. The Big East's best team is 15th-ranked Marquette, which beat Pittsburgh.
The Panthers also were hammered by number 2 Wisconsin, proving only that Pittsburgh can't beat good teams. Other blemishes on the Panthers' resume are a ho-hum 3-point win over 9-11 Buffalo and home win over depleted Duquesne, in which Pittsburgh outscored the Dukes by just three points in the second half.
Without center Aaron Gray, Pittsburgh looks like nothing more than a lower-seed's upset game come March Madness.
With Gray, they'll make it to the second round before exiting.
Posted by Mark Barnes
When NBA players like Chris Kaman get paid $50 million, it makes me wonder about the society in which we live. Although it's still early in his career, Kaman can best be described as a journeyman player, with career averages of 9 points and 7 rebounds per game.
Yet, prior to the 2006-2007 NBA season, the Los Angeles Clippers surprisingly extended Kaman's contract five more years, at over $10 million per season.
Chris Kaman has responded with 10 points and 8 rebounds in 29 minutes per night for the underachieving Clippers.
Granted, Kaman's numbers increased to nearly 12 points and 10 boards in the Clippers' playoff season last year, but even these are quite pedestrian, when any comparison to the real world and relevant salaries is made.
Imagine a teacher, someone who impacts lives every day, making 10 mill per year. The stentorian cries of taxpayers nationwide would crumble the White House, if any lawmaker considered for a nanosecond paying an educator the type of salary NBA players like Kaman are getting.
Yet average NBA players, like Kaman, continue to get outrageous salaries. Of course, it's not Kaman's fault. We live in a capitalistic society, so there's certainly no harm in someone taking the money that ignorant, super-wealthy NBA team owners are willing to pay.
I have to wonder, though, when this gross misappropriation of funds will stop. Sure, NBA players are entertainers, and the nature of the business is that they get paid ludricous salaraies, but there's nothing wrong with a utopian vision that some day there will be equity in the pay of all professionals.
If NBA player Chris Kaman is worth $10 million, I want to know what National Teacher of the Year Kimberly Oliver should be paid. The disappointing truth is that she likely gets no more than $70,000.
Too bad, because in addition to being a wonderful educator, even she could probably get 9 points per game.
Posted by Mark Barnes
Bob Knight never changes.
This is great news for Texas Tech basketball fans. It’s very bad news for the media, covering college basketball in the Big 12 Conference.
Some people believe Knight has mellowed in recent years, especially since leaving Indiana and taking over at Texas Tech.
Even though Knight still has issues with players, most onlookers see a softer Knight than the one notorious coach, who tossed a chair across the gym floor in a game, while coaching the Hoosiers a long time ago.
Knight’s recent lifting of the chin of a player during a Texas Tech game raised the ire of the national media, even though the Red Raiders player and his parents scoffed at the episode as a harmless, effective, coaching technique.
So, aside from rare events like this one, maybe Bob Knight has softened. Just don’t ask college basketball journalists, forced to interview the Texas Tech coach weekly, if they agree with this.
In a recent teleconference with Big 12 media, Knight was to entertain questions for ten minutes. This turned into ninety seconds, ending with Knight unceremoniously hanging up on the interviewers, when one asked him what it’s like to “be in his doghouse.”
Apparently he got his answer.
Bob Knight, it seems, will once again bear the brunt of the media, irritated at his brusque responses to what he believes to be impertinent queries. Writers and sports talkers will call Knight all kinds of names and say he’s bad for the game.
For his part, Knight won’t care, and his bosses (if Knight actually has bosses) shouldn’t care either.
All that’s important is that the same, grouchy old Bob Knight is doing what he does best – out-coaching everyone, as he did recently in a resounding win over a much more talented and fifth-ranked Kansas squad. And as he’ll probably continue to do all season, with a Texas Tech team that will often be outmanned and outgunned at every position.
Come March, though, Bob Knight will remind the college basketball world why it’s best that some things never change.
Posted by Mark Barnes
- LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers -- In spite of a recent 3-game skid, the Cavaliers took over the top seed in the Eastern Conference, due to LeBron James playing his best basketball of the year. He recently had a triple-double against Denver (30-10-10), and he's averaging 27 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.5 steals per game. With the Cavs winning, LeBron moves ahead of the pack in the NBA MVP race, for now.
- Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns -- We believe LeBron James deserves the MVP trophy, but if the season ended today, Steve Nash would probably win it for a third straight year. Why? Simple, the Suns almost never lose (29-2 in their last 31 games), and Nash's numbers are freaky. 20 points, 11.5 assists and he shoots 53% from the field. Fifty-three percent is good for a center; it's out of orbit for a point guard.
- Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks -- The Mavericks keep winning and Dirk Nowitzki is playing great, but he and his team are being overshadowed by Phoenix and Nash. Plus, Dirk is just super steady; he's not spectacular like James or Arenas, and this will hurt him in the end.
- Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards -- Gilbert Arenas puts up one 50-point night after another. Arenas is the only player in the NBA to score 1,000 points this year, faster than LeBron James. Arenas is certainly deserving of the NBA MVP award, but Washington may not be good enough to help Arenas get there.
- Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers -- The Lakers keep hanging around, in spite of injury, and Kobe Bryant continues to lift his averages. He looks frighteningly similar to the Kobe of a few years ago -- the one who was Jordan-like unstoppable.
SECOND TIER
- Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat
- Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
- Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
- Vince Carter, New Jersey Nets
- Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves
Posted by Mark Barnes
Chris Webber to Detroit
First, Chris Webber completed one of the sweetest contract buyouts in NBA history, leaving Philadelphia with close to $38 million of the $43 million the 76ers owed him for the final two years of his contract.
Webber was earning over $20 million this year and could have received more than $23 million, had he remained with Philadelphia next year. Instead, Webber and his truckload of cash headed to Detroit -- Webber's hometown, where the former Michigan star will officially sign with the Pistons after the Martin Luther King holiday.
Could any deal be sweeter? Chris Webber pockets nearly $40 million, then gets to finish a brilliant career where it began. Webber may not be the star he once was, but he certainly is smart.
Andrew Bogut's Rising Star
When playing his college ball at Utah, Andrew Bogut was considered a can't-miss star in the NBA. Bogut is big, strong and somewhat agile for a 7-footer. Bogut was the first player taken overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005, and he was, at best, disappointing, averaging just 9 points and 7 rebounds.
This season, the numbers don't indicate a dramatic improvement. Bogut is averaging 12.5 points and 9 rebounds.
The difference is in Bogut's last few games. The Bucks center recently grabbed a remarkable 24 rebounds in one NBA game. He followed that performance with a montrous night in a win over Charlotte, in which Bogut scored a career high 27 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 6 assists and blocked 3 shots.
Andrew Bogut is definitely a star on the rise.
Phoenix Suns Burning Bright
Remember when the Phoenix Suns were 1-5 and 3-6? Fans were murmuring that the dominance was over for some unknown reason.
Since this odd beginning, Phoenix, behind great play of NBA MVP candidate Steve Nash and Amare Stoudamire, has put together winning streaks of 15 and 10.
The Suns are 29-8. If you delete the first 6 games from the schedule, Phoenix would be 28-2.
Enough said.
Posted by Mark Barnes
NBA trade rumors are flying around the league, like Vince Carter soaring over a 7-footer for one of his patented slam dunks.
NBA players, like Chris Webber, are having contracts bought out, so they can be released and sign with new teams.
NBA Commissioner David Stern is doling out new league policy almost weekly, and great players, both new and old, are making the NBA the most exciting league on earth.
Suite101 is taking you to all the action with new and improved sections on NBA trade rumors, NBA news, NBA player profiles and NBA player statistics.
Check out any and all of these sections today, and keep an eye out for our weekly NBA rankings and NBA MVP watch updates.
Here are just a few recent NBA updates:
Posted by Mark Barnes
This blog was contributed by Phil Partington, Fantapedia.net
Player injuries, suspensions and trades have been the story of the NBA season thus far and, in many cases, killers for NBA fantasy basketball owners.
Stars like Yao Ming, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul have frustrated NBA fantasy basketball owners with missed games.
Watching these stars sport their pin-striped suits on the sidelines has given younger players the opportunity to surprise. The fantasy NBA basketball team owners who have been able find these players are generally the ones who have had more success in their leagues.
Here are Suite101's Five biggest fantasy NBA basketball surprises so far:
- Mike Miller, Memphis Grizzlies: Miller’s been a three-point shooting machine and is currently second in the league in three-pointers made (2.9 per game). With Pau Gasol out with injury for most of the season, Miller’s been good for 16.9 ppg, 6.4 rbpg and 4.4 apg.
- Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings: When the Kings decided not to re-sign shooting guard, Bonzi Wells (now with the Houston Rockets), they looked for one of their young back-ups to pick up the scoring slack. Martin has been better than imagined so far, averaging 21.2 ppg to go with 1.7 three-pointers per game.
- Mo Williams, Milwaukee Bucks: Williams has greatly benefited from injuries to Bobby Simmons (out for the season) and Charlie Villanueva (potentially out for the season), averaging 17.6 ppg, 5.4 rbpg, 6.3 apg to go along with solid percentages.
- Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors: Troy Murphy was supposed to be the big man to benefit most from the addition of Don Nelson as coach. Yet, as Murphy’s numbers have decreased, Andris Biedrins has emerged as the team’s regular starter at center, averaging 10.7 ppg, 9.5 rbpg, 2.0 bspg and only 1.6 topg.
- David Lee, New York Knicks: Lee has given the Knicks toughness, energy and rebounding. He’s averaged 10.7 ppg, 10.7 rbpg, shot 62% from the field and rarely turns the ball over.
Honorable Mention: Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns; Matt Barnes, Golden State Warriors; Al Jefferson, Boston Celtics; Josh Childress, Atlanta Hawks
Phil Partington is a senior writer for Fantapedia.net. For NBA fantasy basketball player rankings, articles and more, visit Fantapedia.net today.
Posted by Mark Barnes
Michael Jordan's basketball-playing sons
Michael Jordan still plays basketball, just not on the hardwoods of NBA arenas. According to an outstanding article by ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski, Jordan mixes it up at home with his two sons, Marcus and Jeff, both high school stars in Illinois.
I could spend time in this blog entry, telling you about the Michael Jordan boys and their exploits, but I'd rather do something out of the ordinary for me and direct you to Wojciechowski's article to learn about two boys who have to live in the shadow of the greatest player who's ever lived.
I'm not in the habbit of sending people away from Suite101, so just be sure you return here to read about March Madness, NBA Trade Rumors, Bob Knight's record and more.
The Dallas Mavericks have won 12 straight
The Dallas Mavericks are on their second lengthy winning streak of this season. After beginning the NBA season 0-4, the defending Western Conference champs reeled off 12 straight wins and looked every bit as dominating as last season.
Now, the Mavericks are in the midst of a second 12-game winning streak, and Dallas is getting outstanding contributions for not only NBA MVP candidate Dirk Nowitzki but just about every starter and a few reserves.
With two 12-game win streaks under its belt, is it safe to say this early in the season that Dallas is the clear-cut favorite to win the NBA title? Not many teams, other than Phoenix which had a 15-game win streak of its own, can say no.
Posted by Mark Barnes
Allen Iverson and his new Denver Nuggets team hosted Iverson's old Philadelphia 76ers team, and the night, not surprisingly, didn't go well for Iverson.
It was a typical night for Iverson, who fired up 24 shots (making just 10), before getting ejected from the game for arguing with referees. In fact, Iverson shot off his mouth even more than he shot the basketball. Sure, this is hard to believe, but it's true. Granted, if he hadn't been ejected, Iverson likely would have found time to hoist four or five more clankers.
Prior to the game, Iverson took the opportunity to bash 76ers management for, of all things, not taking his advice when he was playing for Philadelphia.
Teams should listen to players of his stature, Iverson claimed.
We realize Allen Iverson isn't one to take advice, but this guy needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror. Who in his right mind would listen to anything Iverson has to say?
Let's see, in his lengthy career, Iverson has said, he doesn't want to practice, he should be able to dress as he likes, this coach and that coach need to be fired, he's the greatest player in the galaxy, he demands to be traded to a contender and on and on and on and on.
What has Allen Iverson ever said that made one iota of sense?
This guy is one of the biggest jerks in the history of the NBA, and now that he is out of Philly, he suggests that things would have been better with the 76ers if only they had taken his advice.
Allen Iverson should try something new and completely foreign to him.
Shut up; shoot less, and play hard. Try this, just once; then, maybe someone will want to listen to your advice.