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Fratello’s Fantasy Pick: DeShawn Stevenson
January 10 by Leave a Comment
10-year NBA vet DeShawn Stevenson found his rhythm last week and he be jammin! Stevenson (who ranks fourth in the league in 3-point FG percentage) hit three long balls in the first quarter of the Mavericks’ matchup against the Magic on Saturday night and finished with a season-high 24 points.
With Dirk Nowitzki missing his seventh consecutive game against Orlando due to a knee injury and Caron Butler sidelined for the remainder of the season, Stevenson has had to shoulder more responsibility in terms of minutes played and productivity.
In joining this Dallas group, Stevenson appears to have taken a more professional approach to the game. He’s focused on doing all the things necessary in order to help his team win, whether that be to defend and shut down his opponents or to sink a clutch 3-point shot. Stevenson has gained a reputation for being a hardnosed defender, and the Mavericks can use Stevenson’s veteran experience and toughness to help sustain them during this period of time when they are playing without Nowitzki and Butler.
DeShawn Stevenson should continue to start for the duration of the season. Over the last four games he has averaged 19 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and he is available in 80% of fantasy leagues. The Mavericks will hit the road for three away games this week.
Czar’s Season Update: Winners and Losers
January 9 by Leave a Comment
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Gameday Dish: Boston Celtics vs. Chicago Bulls
January 8 by Leave a Comment
No Kevin Garnett. No Joakim Noah. No name calling. Just two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams, two of the NBA’s premier point guards, a healthy Carlos Boozer and a red hot rookie from Notre Dame. Boston’s 12th man Luke Harangody just came off the best game of his paid basketball career, finishing with a career high 17 points and 11 rebounds in Boston’s 122-102 win over Toronto last night.
Tonight at the United Center the Chicago Bulls will attempt to stop the Boston Celtics for the first time this season. The Celts have bested the boys in red and black twice already this 2010-11 campaign, both times in Beantown. In the Windy City, the Bulls are an impressive 15-3 and tough to beat, just like a local favorite – the Italian Beef sandwich.
However, the upstart Bulls are coming off two consecutive road losses to New Jersey and Philly. They haven’t dropped three straight yet this season, but are only 5-9 against teams above .500. And the C’s posses the NBA’s second best record, an impressive 21 games above the .500 mark. If Chicago hopes to do better than the end of season 41-41 records they’ve compiled the past two years, they’ll have to start taking down the elite teams now and then.
Coach Doc Rivers and the Green enter tonight’s contest on a four-game winning streak, continued last night at home with a blow out of the Toronto Raptors, 122-102. In fact, other than the Bulls, the top six teams in the Eastern Conference are all on current win streaks of at least 3 games, with the Sunshine State cousins Miami and Orlando both riding 8 gamers.
So a Bulls’ victory tonight would help first-year head coach Tom Thibodeau’s guys keep pace in the suddenly take-no-prisoners East and give him his first W against the team he worked for as an associate head coach and defensive mastermind for the previous three seasons.
Boston leads the NBA in assists and points allowed, a potent, both-ends-of-the-floor combo. However, Chicago will look to utilize their team rebounding powers (third in the NBA) against a Kendrick Perkins and KG-less Celtic (27th in rebounding) frontline. Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls will be televised on NBA TV at 8:00 PM ET.
Fratello’s Fun Stats
January 7 by Leave a Comment
As of today, January 7th, of the top ten teams in the league by record, five are from the Eastern Conference and five are from the Western Conference.
East: Boston (27-7), Miami (28-9), Chicago (23-11), Orlando (23-12), Atlanta (24-14)
West: San Antonio (29-6), Dallas (26-9), LA Lakers (25-11), Utah (24-12), Oklahoma City (24-13)
Of the nine highest scoring teams in the league, only the New York Knicks (who are 1st overall, with an avg. of 107.8 ppg) are from the Eastern Conference.
If the season ended today, both Philadelphia (14-21) and Indiana (14-18) would make the playoffs with losing records.
The Miami Heat is the only NBA team that has played to a sellout crowd every game so far this season, both at home and on the road.
