Category: NBA

Last Call On Paul George

Paul George was considered a sleeper in many fantasy basketball circles going into the 2011-12 season and he appears to be breaking out.

Analysis: Indiana shooting guard/small forward Paul George is off to a solid fantasy start in his first three games this year. George is hitting two three pointers per game and is averaging over five rebounds per as well. George is a perfect ten for ten from the stripe and is logging thirty-two minutes per game.

If you take a look at what George did in limited minutes as a rookie last year, it is impressive. George averaged one steal per game and nearly four rebounds per in just twenty minutes a game. George mainly came off of the bench last year but his minutes this year will play to his fantasy advantage. George’s long distance game seems to be a real strength this year and his young legs will be needed with the grueling schedule.

George is available in about half of fantasy leagues and he is going fast. As a shooting guard he’ll give you what you need and yet he still grabs enough boards to be a viable option at small forward.

Eric Gordon’s Fantasy Value

As the new shooting guard for the Hornets, Eric Gordon should post even better numbers than last year.

Analysis: There really isn’t much missing from Eric Gordon’s fantasy game. The guy does absolutely everything you need from a shooting guard and then some. As the clear number one option in New Orleans we should see his field goal and free throw attempts go up by a few but his field goal percentage should not take a dip below the forty-four percent mark. He’ll continue to rack up the steals and threes while amassing four or so assists. He really is a top five fantasy shooting guard who just may be a top three due to the trade. Kevin Martin and Joe Johnson may be near his tier but Gordon is on the rise and has gotten better every year he has been in the league.

Another added benefit will be Gordon’s restricted free agent status by the end of the year. Gordon will be playing for a big contract and who doesn’t love contract years? The only downfall with Gordon is that he has missed significant time over the last two years but so has Kevin Martin. Gordon is a borderline top twenty pick and he should not disappoint.

Draft Impact- Kemba Walker

Kemba Walker finds himself in a great situation as a rookie to step in from day one and produce, but just what should we expect?

Analysis: Many experts aren’t sold on Kemba taking his game to the highest level but he will score, just not efficiently. Walker shot just 42% from the field as a junior at UConn last year despite putting up 23.5 points per game. Charlotte is a solid home for Kemba since there aren’t any true scorers on the roster with the expection of the aging Corey Maggette. DJ Augustin isn’t the answer at the point and Kemba will benefit greatly with what will be most likely 26-28 minutes per night. Those minutes translate well for the other parts of Kemba’s game that are fantasy relevant- free throw shooting, steals, assists. As a rookie point guard Walker’s only true fantasy weakness will be his below average shooting percentage. Walker is certainly fantasy relevant in deeper leagues and he just may average more points per game than any other rookie.

Projection: Expect 15 PPG, 4 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG, a free throw percentage over eighty percent and just under one three pointer made per game. His ADP may prevent you from picking him up in a deeper league but he will be a serviceable depth point guard this year.

Draft Impact- Tristan Thompson

Tristan Thompson may not be a household name but he will be a solid depth player in deeper fantasy leagues this coming season.

Analysis: When I watch Tristan Thompson play I see Tyrus Thomas meets a poor man’s Josh Smith. Thompson filled up that stat sheet quite nicely his only year in college- 13 PPG, 8 RPG, 2.4 BPG and .9 SPG. If Thompson can find at least twenty-four minutes per game he will be fantasy relevant from a rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks perspective. It appears playing time may not be that big of an issue considering JJ Hickson is not a true center although he averaged 17 points and 11 boards in his final thirty games last year. It seems like Hickson will be traded at some point this off season. Although Thompson isn’t a polished scorer he will provide enough in the other categories to compensate, however, Thompson’s biggest weakness is the 48% he shot from the stripe with Texas last year. He did get to the line quite often at Texas so that may be the reason one would not draft Thompson in deeper leagues.

Projection: We’re going to need to see more from Thompson in the preseason but for now he remains a deep league sleeper. He’s capable of seven boards and one and a half blocks per game in limited minutes. If his free throw percentage can make it into the sixty percent range in the preseason you may have more incentive to draft the versatile power forward.

Draft Impact- Kyrie Irving

The NBA draft is over and it’s time to start projecting the rookies and their potential fantasy impact for the 2011-12 season.

Analysis: We shouldn’t have high expectations for Kyrie Irving this year especially after John Wall spoiled so many of us with 16.4 PPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG and 4.6 RPG. Like with so many rookies Irving will be taken in re-draft leagues well before he should. The hype machine will tout Irving as nearly a twenty point per game player and he’s just not capable of that his rookie year especially with the complete lack of talent on the Cavs. We also have to consider Irving’s playing time. Baron Davis and Ramon Sessions are still on the roster and they both averaged around 13 PPG with 6 APG last year. What the Cavs do with these point guards remains to be seen, but Irving is splitting time with one of these guys this coming year. We can expect nearly thirty minutes of playing time from Irving this year but his durability over an eighty-two game season is in question.

Projection: Kyrie Irving isn’t going to light the league on fire or become the NBA’s next elite point guard like the hype machine would have you believe. His 2011-12 season should be 15 PPG, 5-6 APG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG and about one three pointer made per game. Think Mike Conley type numbers not Steph Curry.