Brad Miller, Bulls

As spring approaches, talk undoubtedly turns to the weather.  We’ve already seen the passing of Groundhog Day with all if its surrounding mythology and superstition, and now we’re welcoming the month of March.  Records (where they’re kept) reflect that the groundhog’s behavioral predictions are not correlated with the weather any more than through simple chance.  While we do not condone running one’s fantasy team by simple chance, it seems as though far too many teams in far too many leagues are doing just that.

There are other meteorological axioms that make even less sense.  For instance, you may have heard “when March blows its horn, your barn will be filled with hay and corn”.  Now, I don’t know about your barn…

But fantasy owners worth their salt cannot continue to rely on the Farmer’s Almanac for predicting their fantasy fortunes.  In this age of technology, SportsGrumblings.com is the Doppler weather radar of the fantasy world.  We have all the advanced analytical tools you’ll need to make forecasting your fantasy season easier than having to feed and care for a groundhog or build a barn.  March has come in like a lamb, and SG is here to make sure your team roars like a lion. 

Atlanta Hawks:  Sixth-man extraordinaire Jamal Crawford hasn’t shot better than 40% from the field in any game since February 9 which is also the last time he topped 20 points.  F Josh Smith has been picking up the slack, averaging 19.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 6.2 assists over his past five.  Much of Smith’s success has also come at the expense of Mike Bibby who is a virtual non-factor these days.

Boston Celtics:  Team leader Paul Pierce has missed three straight games with a sore thumb with Marquis Daniels starting in his place.  Having lost to the New Jersey Nets 96-104 in their last game, it’s clear the team misses Pierce.  The team is still getting accustomed to playing with Nate Robinson who has struggled since joining Boston—8.0 PPG on 38.5% shooting.

Charlotte Bobcats: After a brief up-tick in performance, D.J. Augustin is 3 of his last 24 from the field.  The flip side is degree to which Tyrus Thomas has excelled since joining the Bobcats—12.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game.  And, while not much of a fantasy player, C Theo Ratliff is playing a big role with the team.  Tyson Chandler and Nazr Mohammed are still out, and Ratliff has started three straight.  The only noteworthy contribution is Ratliff’s 3.3 blocks per game.

Chicago Bulls: C Joakim Noah continues to miss time with plantar fasciitis.  In his stead, Brad Miller continues to play big minutes and rookie F Taj Gibson has been picking up the rebounding slack with 10.3 RPG over the last 10 games.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Shaquille O’Neal is out for 6-8 weeks following thumb surgery.  Even with the most optimistic timetable, he’s out for the year, meaning everyone on the Cavs frontline will be leaned on more heavily, from Antwan Jamison to Anderson Verajao to J.J. Hickson.  Even seldom-used Leon Powe may get some extra minutes, but not enough to warrant fantasy consideration.

Detroit Pistons: The team’s six February wins were the most of any month in the 09-10 season, an overwhelming disappointment for Pistons fans and players.  As if there haven’t been enough ailments this year, centers Chris Wilcox and Kwame Brown are both day-to-day.  The rest of the team, however, is finally returning to health—something out of the ordinary so far this year.

Indiana Pacers: T.J. Ford is back in the starting lineup after a long hiatus.  He averaged 13.6 points and 4.0 assists in February and ended the month on an upswing.  He warrants bench consideration even in standard, 12-team leagues.  As Ford’s gotten better, so too has sub Dahanty Jones.  Jones has scored in double-figures in 2 of his last 3 games.  Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Mike Dunleavy’s play has fallen off considerably during this period.

Miami Heat: In his first game since missing four games with an injury, Dwayne Wade scored 21 points on 6-of-17 shooting.  In that game, Michael Beasley scored ONE point and grabbed ONE rebound, continuing his disappointment via inconsistency.  This team is barely a .500 squad with Wade…without him they’re terrible.  They’ve lost 4 straight and need to make a run soon to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Milwaukee Bucks: In his seven games since joining the Bucks, John Salmons is the team’s leading scorer at 20.1 PPG.  He’s a player that disappointed early and is now on a lower profile team, making him a worthwhile fantasy trade target.  With the playoffs still in focus, Scott Skiles is relying more heavily on veteran G Luke Ridnour, even at the expense of Brandon Jennings’ minutes.

New Jersey Nets:  Okay, so you beat the Celtics and then face a rebuilding Wizards team and…lose?  Meet your New Jersey Nets.  Even F Yi Jianlian’s 20 points and 19 rebounds couldn’t stem the Washington tide.  G Devin Harris had 18 points and 14 assists, but all those stats simply couldn’t add up to a victory.  There’s a lot of fantasy excitement in the garden state, but little in the way of good basketball.

New York Knicks:  Just two total wins in the month of February tell us that for all the changes, this is still the New York ICKS!  Tracy McGrady got us excited for a fleeting moment, but is already hurt, to the surprise of no one.  Sergio Rodriguez is doing very little as the team’s starting PG, but there are few options behind him.  Chris Duhon?  No thanks.  Perhaps Toney Douglass can rejoin the rotation in a meaningful way.

Orlando Magic: Dwight Howard had his double-double streak stopped at 20 games—still quite an accomplishment.  G Jameer Nelson is looking better, having scored in double figures in eight straight.  His minutes are now sitting in the low-30s, so it’s not surprising that his production is climbing.  However, since scoring 48 points on February 7, Vince Carter has reached 20 points only once.  I hope you sold high when you could.

Philadelphia 76ers: The team is 2-4 since the All Star break, and things are looking grim.  They weren’t able to trade any of the big contracts (Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert), and are still dealing with Allen Iverson’s temporary leave of absence.  The new starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams are playing well, but neither projects to be a cornerstone player.

Toronto Raptors: G DeMar DeRozan is struggling as his forst NBA season wears on, but the two-PG backcourt of Jarrett Jack and Jose Calderon are playing well, even if their fantasy numbers leave much to be desired.  Chris Bosh (24.5 PPG) has missed five straight.  Rasho Nestrovic averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds in his place.  Bosh could miss up to one more week.

Washington Wizards: The key to winning was apparently playing the backups.  Since trading Caron Butler, Brandon Haywood, and Antwan Jamison, the team’s been better, going 4-3 since the All Star break.  In those seven games, Andray Blatche has averaged 26.6 points and 11.7 rebounds.  He’ll be the focal point of the offense the remainder of the year it seems. 

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