Fratello’s Fantasy Pick: Derrick Williams
March 26 by 2 Comments
With over 80% of the NBA regular season in the rear view mirror, fantasy GMs locked in tight races need to examine every player angle to discern who can add depth and production to their rosters heading into the homestretch.
The 24-44 Minnesota Timberwolves have endured a disappointing run filled with injuries to key players. Without a postseason to play for, veteran coach Rick Adelman may experiment with his rotations and the distribution of playing time over the last 14 contests.
One Minnesota player who has come on in March is second-year forward Derrick Williams. After being taken 2nd overall out of Arizona in the 2011 NBA Draft, 21-year-old Williams has underwhelmed in comparison to some forwards selected later in his draft like Kenneth Faried and Chandler Parsons.
However, in 13 March games Williams has put up the best numbers of his young career. Over this span, the La Mirada, California native has averaged 16.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 0.7 bpg in 31.8 mpg. The 2011 Pac-10 POY scored a career-high 28 points on 3/17 and then matched it on 3/24.
Williams’ field goal percentage isn’t great, but he is getting his shots – an average of 14 FG attempts in March including 3 from behind the arc, where he is a decent shooter for a big man.
Williams won’t get you any assists or amaze you night after night, which is why he’s very available on the waiver wire as well as a low value trade.
Look for Williams to continue to get his opportunities to score and add some boards as the season winds down for non-playoff teams.
Gameday: Nets vs. Clippers
March 23 by Leave a Comment
The Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers have both toiled for years as the proverbial younger brothers in the respective shadows of their metropolitan foes, the Knicks and Lakers.
The 2012-2013 season has seen the emergence of these two franchises from their long-held backseat roles. Tonight’s 48 in SoCal will mark the second and final time these two squads will do battle in the regular season.
In their first year in Brooklyn, the Nets have compiled a 40-28 record and have clinched a playoff berth after missing the postseason for four years straight. They are currently in the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference, only a game and a half behind the suddenly slumping Knicks.
The 47-22 Clips also sit in the 4th spot of their conference and have clinched a playoff berth as well. They are a whopping 11.5 games better than their Staples co-tenants.
Brooklyn has won six of their last eight contests, including four road victories. On Wednesday night coach P.J. Carlesimo’s guys destroyed the Mavericks 113-96 in Big D.
Brook Lopez scored a season-high 38 points to go along with 11 boards and 2 blocks. Deron Williams went for 31 points and 6 dimes in front of his hometown crowd. In addition, super-motor Reggie Evans hauled down 22 rebounds.
The Clippers are 5-4 in the month of March and have yet to record back-to-back wins. After a disappointing 116-101 loss at Sacramento on Tuesday, coach Vinny Del Negro’s team bounced back with an easy 101-72 win against Philadelphia in Los Angeles.
As is so often the case, PG Chris Paul led the team with 19 points, 9 dimes, 6 boards and 5 steals. This was especially important because backup 1-guard Eric Bledsoe missed his 5th straight game with a calf injury and super veteran Chauncey Billups sat out with a hamstring issue. Both players are listed as questionable for tonight’s matchup.
When these two sides played in Brooklyn on November 23rd, the Nets topped the Clips 86-76. The game was tied going into the fourth quarter when the Nets pulled away, limiting LA to 13 points in the final 12 minutes. Lopez led the team with 26 points and 3 blocks.
Tune in to the YES Network at 10:30 PM ET to see if the Nets can improve on their 18-14 road record and take the season series from the Clippers.
Fratello’s Fantasy Pick: Martell Webster
March 18 by Leave a Comment
Martell Webster of the Washington Wizards has come on of late and is playing his best basketball of the season. The young and struggling 23-42 Wizards squad is currently on a 3-game winning streak and are a respectable 5-4 in the month of March.
A good portion of this success can be attributed to 6’7” SF Webster, who was plucked right out of high school and picked 6th overall in the 2005 NBA Draft. In his first season in D.C., the 8th-year pro is having one of the most productive stretches of his career.
In the nine March contests, Webster is averaging 16.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 1.9 apg in 35 mpg. The 26-year-old is also shooting 95% from the line and 46% from behind the arc over this span.
He has even more remarkable numbers over the past five games. The Seattle native has averaged 21.8 ppg while going 24 for 47 from 3-land. On Saturday night in a win against Phoenix, Webster scored a career-high 34 points, going 7-10 from the 3 and 7-7 at the line.
Webster’s court time and numbers have jumped in part due to injuries to Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza, important components of the Wizard’s backcourt rotation. But with his play of late, coach Randy Wittman is sure to give ample run to Webster regardless of the health of others on the roster.
This week Washington plays four teams on the road that give up a ton of points – Charlotte, Phoenix, Lakers and Golden State. Now is a good time to add Webster to your fantasy team and watch him continue to pour in buckets.
