Bulls Shuffle Lineup; Values Rise

Quick hit here: The Chicago Bulls new coaching staff has decided to change things up in hopes of getting the team back on track.

New starting lineup:
PG: Chris Duhon
SG: Kirk Hinrich
SF: Luol Deng
PF: Joe Smith?
C: Ben Wallace

The team can't really settle on a PF, but otherwise, this is a big deal. Ben Gordon shifts back to a 6th man role, where he has done his most damage in the past (22.6 points, 2.9 boards, 3.2 assists, on 46% FGs and 90% FTs in 2006).

The key point is that all three ships (Duhon, Hinrich, Gordon ) rise with the change. Ben is great off the bench, Duhon can post quality treys and assists (but watch that FG%), and Hinrich can focus on getting his offensive game back on track without the pressure of setting up the offense.

Now is a great time to make a play for one of these guys. But don't shoot too high on Duhon, as he won't provide that much in the scoring department or on defense.

Enjoy!
T-PLan

Centers: Free Agent Options

For those of you who haven't seen the news, the Nets have decided to [finally] replace their entire front line in a mini-youth-movement. New starters include rookie Sean Williams at power forward and 2nd-year player Josh Boone at center.

If you are hurting for help at the PF and/or C positions, this is a very important development. Assuming the 2 guys both stick in the starting lineup and hold solid roles in the rotation, we are looking at some impactful free agents sitting out on your waiver wire.

If you look at what Sean Williams has done so far in only 20 minutes per game, and scale those numbers up to 30 mpg, check it out:50+% FGs, 69% FTs, 10.7 points, 7.2 boards, 0.9 steals, and 3.3 blocks!! Yeah, those 8 blocks last night were for real. All he needs are minutes.

For Boone, he is a bit less proven and will be a significant liability at the free throw line. I'm guessing he'd end up close to 7-7-1, which is useful in really big leagues, but don't go dropping Ben Wallace for him.

Others to consider:
Kurt Thomas: owns the starting center gig in Seattle and should return from a sprained ankle tonight. How much help would 9.5 boards and 1+ blocks per game help your team?

Nazr Mohammed: Will be inserted as the starting center in Charlotte as early as tonight. He once averaged 12 points, 9 boards, and a block per game while in Atlanta, and he also went for 10.9-8.1-1.0 while with the Knicks. Will he deliver those numbers? I doubt it, but 9-7-1 should be within reach if he performs well with the opportunity. Go get him.

Turnovers

I'm curious, how many of you use TOs as a category? I think it is a dumb category, as are all negative counting cats. But people still use it for some reason, so I'm curious. Give me some comment on this one!

Full Moon Rising

Okay, I gotta say it. My favorite "where the hell did that come from" player of this basketball season is officially Jamario Moon. This kid is something else. How about six points, 12 boards, and two blocks last night? Yeah. He's like J-Smoov Lite, and I'll take that on my fantasy team any day.

Looking back at this kid's history, it's clear that he has what it takes to be a "hands dirty" guy like Shane Battier, Bruce Bowen, etc. He was dominant in all stops at lower-level pro teams, the highlight of which was when he averaged 18+ points and 2.4 blocks per game in the CBA. Translate those numbers to the NBA, and he could easily average double figure points with 1.5 blocks per game, not to mention the 1+ steal/game he is throwing in. Great end of roster filler if your league is sleeping on him.

More later. That's all I got for now!

I've decided to add a hit counter to this page to track traffic. Come back as often as you like!

Powered by web analytics software.