1. Each year, you may select one Team To Root Against (TTRA)
2. You can only root against one professional sports team per calendar year.
3. Once you publicly declare your TTRA, you must continue to root against that team for the remainder of that season.
4. You are allowed to pick one player on your TTRA that is not considered blameworthy.
Got it? Last year, using these rules, I actively rooted against the New York Knicks and gave David Lee the not-to-be-blamed slot (mostly because he shares the same name as my father-in-law). This year, however, the Knicks are a fun team. Jamal Crawford scores. Wilson Chandler is the exciting new rookie. Chris Duhon is the Charlie Ward-like point guard. I can root for that. Even Nate Robinson seems a little less of a ball hog this year.
So just like that, in a span of one year, the train-wreck 23 win, 59 loss Knicks have become the “upstart” six win, three loss New York Knicks (the quotes are not intended to show that I aware that the use of the word "upstart" is clichéd.). I haven’t picked a TTRA yet this year, but I’m leaning towards Chicago. With the possible exceptions of Derrick Rose and Ben Gordon, their team is filled with fantasy headaches. Still, I’m holding out hope that Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas can cash in on their considerable talent and lead their team to a string of victories. I give the Bulls until the end of December to turn things around. After that, I just might slap the TTRA label on them.
One other administrative item: last week I pumped Roger Mason Jr., and he immediately tanked. In order to keep myself honest, I’m going to keep track of my predictions and prescriptions throughout the season and post them in this space. I haven’t completely finished generating my accountability mechanism, but is should by ready to debut next week.
Ok, now let’s check out how the search markets are doing:
The NBA Search Market: Week 3
10. Charlie Villanueva
Impetus for searches – Demotion, injury. When will he return, and when he does will he get enough minutes to be worth of a roster spot?
There is some good news – Villanueva started the first eight games of the season. In his ninth game of the year, he lost his starting job and then hurt his hamstring. In doing so, however, he made a guy in desperate need of a nickname fantasy relevant: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute. Vote on the nickname you think is best for Mbah a Moute:
But ultimately, the news is bad – The hamstring will heal. Villanueva is a risky play for Week 4, but after that his hamstring should be fine. The bigger concern is that the player Villanueva lost his starting role to, Mbah a Moute, doesn’t look like he’s going to give it back any time soon, as Mbah a Moute dropped 19 points and 17 rebounds on Memphis on Friday.
Suggested Reading:
9. Shawn Marion
Impetus for searches – Return from injury, performing below expectations. Will we ever see that consensus #1 pick in fantasy basketball Marion again?
There is some good news – Marion seems to have put his lingering groin injury behind him, as he went for 12 points, 12 rebounds in 29 minutes on Friday.
But ultimately, the news is bad – Fantasy owners didn’t spend a first round pick on Marion so he could go 12-12 in 29 minutes. That’s what you get on a good Andrew Bynum night, not a Shawn Marion night. What’s especially strange to me is that Marion, a career 82% free throw shooter, is somehow shooting in the sixty percent range since arriving in Miami. It really is almost as if he is a different player. So what can we expect going forward? Probably not as good as the 22 points, 12 rebounds he averaged in his 2005-06 season, and certainly not as bad as the 11 points, 10 rebounds he’s averaging this year. I’m guessing—a pure guess here—that he’ll settle somewhere in between, maybe at 15 points, 10 rebounds or so. If you are expecting more, you are probably going to be disappointed. He’ll still be a top twenty-five fantasy player and worth holding onto, so don’t panic and trade him away for peanuts.
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8. Greg Oden
Impetus for searches – Return from injury. How soon, if ever, will he become a double-double machine?
There is some bad news – While it was great to see him back on the court, he only played 16 minutes in his first game back and looked pretty uncoordinated throughout his three point, two rebound, two block effort.
But ultimately, the news is good – In his second game back, he played 24 minutes and had 11 points,11 rebounds, and four blocks. In this third game back, he played 24 minutes and had 13 points and 8 rebounds and three blocks. Oden is one of those guys who some people really like and others think that he’s worthless. I happen to like Oden. It’s debatable whether or not he can stay healthy, but if he’s getting a consistent 25 plus minutes a night, he will probably post at least one double-double a week. And you have to think that he’ll occasionally have nights where he blocks more than five shots and/or gathers in 15 plus rebounds. I know the guy looks like the oldest player in the league, but give him a break, as he’s only 20 years old.
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7. Corey Maggette
Impetus for searches – Injury. Can Maggette owners start him in Week 4?
There is some bad news – Maggette recently returned to the court after missing four games with a hamstring injury. Maggette claims to be “doing all the necessary stuff” in order to keep his hamstrings healthy, but you have to be a little concerned because hamstring injuries can linger. Hold your breath for his first five games or so and hope he doesn’t suffer a setback.
But ultimately, the news is good – At the end of the day, Maggette only had a “mild” strain, so there really isn’t all that much to be concerned about. His first game back was a little rocky, but his 17 point, five rebound effort in 26 minutes his second game back should be enough to convince even the most cautious owners that he’s ready to be put back into the starting lineup.
Suggested Reading:
6. Devin Harris
Impetus for searches – Return from injury. Will his injury linger, or can I plug him right into my lineup?
There is some bad news – In his first game back from injury, Harris limped noticeably throughout the game.
But ultimately, the news is good – Sure, he was limping a little, but did you happen to notice that the also threw up 30 points? He was running more fluidly in his second game, and he scored 33 points. He now has three 30 plus point games in a row, and his trade value has never been higher.
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5. Deron Williams
Impetus for searches – Return from injury. When is Williams going to be back? Can I start him for my Week 4 H2H matchup?
There is some bad news – Williams returned from his ankle injury, but after playing 30 plus minutes in two straight games, he decided his ankle needed a little more time to heal. In the short term, it looks like Williams will be frustrating to own until his ankle completely heals, and it is probably better to keep him benched for Week 4 if you are in a weekly league.
But ultimately, the news is good – Now might a good time to trade for him, as his owners may have forgotten how good he is (although my experience has always been that owners holding onto slightly injured players tend to overvalue them, making a trade all but impossible). Give him another week or two, and he’ll be back to his old self.
Suggested Reading:
4. Josh Howard
Impetus for searches – Return from injury. When Williams returns from his wrist injury, will he play at a high level?
There is some bad news – Howard missed two games with a wrist injury.
But ultimately, the news is good – Wrist injury sounds scary, but he returned and went for 21-11 and 25-9 in his first two games back, and so it appears the wrist injury wasn’t serious.
Suggested Reading:
3. JaVale McGee
Impetus for searches – Hot pickup. Who is this guy, and is he worth a roster spot?
There is some bad news – He’s the sort of guy that people say has “upside,” which is really just a euphemism for a player who hasn’t done jack anything yet.
But ultimately, the news is good – He’s seven feet tall and Juan Dixon says there is no reason he can’t be “the next Dwight Howard.” While it is possible that Dixon was merely referring to McGee penchant for missing free throws (he’s shooting 48% from the line so far this year), he could also mean that McGee’s nine point, six rebound, 1 plus block per game averages could double with a little more playing time.
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2. Mike Dunleavy
Impetus for searches – Injured. When will Dunleavy get back on the court?
There is some good news – His current return date is indefinite, but if you are a T.J. Ford owner, you can at least feel good knowing Dunleavy’s absence may have helped Ford be more valuable fantasy-wise.
But ultimately, the news is bad – For the third straight week, Dunleavy makes the top ten most searched list. In his case, that is not a good thing. Owners are getting desperate for information, but there really isn’t any new information out there. Sure, it can be frustration to watch as other owners snatch up guys like McGee while you are forced to hold onto Dunleavy, but you can’t drop him yet. To review, Dunleavy has tendonitis. That’s what the Pacers are calling Dunleavy’s knee injury. Tendonitis, complicated by a bone spur. The injury has not shown improvement, and coach Jim O’Brien has expressed his concern, as has Dunleavy himself. There are three possible options, and two of them are bad: 1. Dunleavy heals and is playing in a few weeks or so. 2. Dunleavy’s tendonitis is chronic, and he never gets fully healthy all year. 3. Dunleavy, after realizing that the knee isn’t getting better, decides to have surgery. If you are a Dunleavy owner, you can’t drop him yet, and he has no trade value. Your best bet is just to hold onto him and to keep monitoring his status.
Suggested Reading:
1. Michael Redd
Impetus for searches – Injury. When will he return to the court?
There is some bad news – There is uncertainty surrounding Redd’s injury, but more of the “when” kind and not much of the “if” kind. He has already missed seven games, which is a lot of games for an injury that was considered day-to-day.
But ultimately, the news is good – After initially scaring owners everywhere by calling his injury a “high” ankle sprain, it appears that the injury is just a regular sprain. He not the safest Week 4 start for owners in weekly H2H leagues, as he may or may not return on Tuesday or Wednesday of this week. Be sure to check Rotoworld for updates before setting your lineup for the week.
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