NBA: Nuggets and 76ers Both Do Well in Iverson Trade

By Dustin Hockensmith

The Philadelphia 76ers have shipped disgruntled star Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets for Andre Miller, Joe Smith and two first round draft picks in 2007, NBA sources told the Associated Press. The Nuggets have quickly filled the scoring void left by leading scorer Carmelo Anthony's right fist, and the Sixers have gotten far closer to fair value than anyone expected. All in all, not a bad deal for either team.

Denver's situation obviously gets more interesting as Anthony and J.R. Smith return from 15 and 6 game suspensions, but that might be an easier problem to solve than people think. Everyone criticizes Iverson on the style of basketball he plays, but when has anyone made a serious request for him to change? Make him a point guard in George Karl's high tempo offense, and he can still handle the ball and create havoc on the fastbreak.

The 76ers have a chance to drastically overhaul their franchise in a relatively short amount of time. Any pick in the top five of next year's draft is going to land a virtually guaranteed impact player. Then, you add quality college players (preferably winners) with Denver's two picks and you've got a pretty fresh start. That's not even mentioning a proven distributor in Miller and the expiring contract of Smith.

Given the two organization's circumstances, I'd call Philly the winner if I had to pick one. Fewer things need to happen for them to achieve their main goal: redefine their franchise. Denver's clear goal is to win a championship, preferably this season, and the coexistence of Iverson and Anthony in that cause is far from a sure thing.

SPORTS: Isiah Thomas Has Gotta Go

NBA
Monday is usually reserved for the weekend sports recap, but the Madison Square Garden Brawl between the Knicks and Nuggets is the only topic I can think about at the moment.

Isiah Thomas has been on my **** list for years, following one horrible basketball decision with another. This weekend, he took his ineptitude to the next level. Chris Sheridan reported Saturday that Thomas warned Carmelo Anthony not to play in the paint at the end of the game, and video evidence backed up Sheridan's story.

At first, this loyal Knicks fan blamed JR Smith for starting the fight after he tried to tackle Nate Robinson. (Mardy Collins delivered a hard foul, it happens.) But after listening to the post game interview and reading about Isiah's warnings, it became clear that Thomas started this whole scenario. The fans were getting ready to rain the Garden with boos for yet another blow out loss at home, so why not take the focus away from Isiah's horrible team?

Everyone gets on Carmelo Anthony for his part--the most vicious part--in the brawl. I don't see it that way. I likely would have popped a gasket if the other team's coach warned me not to be in the paint, where Collins hard foul initiated a brawl.

Wouldn't you stick up for your teammate? So, sure, Melo sucker punched and ran, but I'm sure he saw Collins' foul as the same thing.

So I apologize for the quick sports rundown, but all I can think about is how much damage Isiah Thomas has dealt my favorite team since 2003. I can't even say the end is near either, as the worst owner in all of professional sports, James Dolan, gave Isiah the rest of the season to turn things around. Ugh.

NFL
Terrell Owens was, well, himself.
The Giants are done and Tom Coughlin lambasted Eli Manning.
The Bears clinched home field advantage.
The Chargers won despite getting nothing from Philip Rivers.
The Jets and Bills both stayed alive.

NCAA Basketball
No. 7 Wisconsin's Alando Tucker buried Aaron Gray and No. 2 Pittsburgh. (I watched this game and Wisconsin looked to be a vastly superior team).
Greg Oden (the player the Knicks should be drafting but won't because of friggin Isiah Thomas) is the most efficient college basketball player I have ever seen.

MLB
The Red Sox are having second thoughts about JD Drew.
The Yankees, Braves and Pirates discussed a three way trade.

NHL
The Atlantic Division-leading Rangers were blown out on back-to-back nights, at a combined 15-3.

SPORTS: Weekend Preview

NCAA Basketball
Friday is a light day, and so is Saturday, despite a huge schedule of games. A couple of games peak my interest, but there aren't many nail biters to watch. All eyes should be on Madison where No. 11 Wisconsin WILL beat No. 2 Pittsburgh, whether the Panthers are with or without center Aaron Gray's services. Kentucky-Louisville matchups always have a ton of meaning in their home state, but at this stage of the season it's not vital to watch. These teams both could make noise later in the year, though, and UK forward/center Randolph Morris and Louisville forward Juan Palacios are names you should know. Southern Miss enters Saturday's meeting with No. 4 Alabama a perfect 7-0, but the Crimson Tide should cruise at home.

NBA
The Allen Iverson sweepstakes will be the biggest news of the weekend with mediocre matchups throughout. The Suns play both the Warriors (Friday) and Kings (Saturday), so we could see a preposterous amount of points scored in either or both of those games. On Saturday, the Cavaliers travel to Orlando for a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview, and Sunday's Rockets-Clippers game is intriguing, especially if the Clips would swing a deal for Iverson beforehand. A Lakers-Wizards game later in the night will complete a Staples Center doubleheader and feature two of the league's most gifted scorers – Gilbert Arenas and Kobe Bryant.

NFL
The NFC East will again be in the spotlight as the Eagles and Giants play at The Meadowlands play on Sunday with the knowledge of a Cowboys win or loss against the walking wounded Falcons (Saturday, 8 p.m.). With the potential for four 8-6 teams, things could get messy in the NFC with a Dallas loss. The Vince Young watch continues in Nashville against the Jaguars, where the rookie's only setback came to the 10-3 Ravens by a 27-26 score. The bigger question in San Diego isn't if the Chargers beat the Chiefs, but how far LaDainian Tomlinson raises the bar on his new single-season touchdowns record. Indianapolis attempts to overcome the same "undefeated hangover" it had last season, but probably fails against the peaking Bengals.

This Could Be the Start of Something

SPORTS: Weekend Recap, Michigan Robbed

NCAA Football
The BCS selection of Ohio State vs. Florida defined the weekend’s sports landscape. The wrong one-loss team was selected. Both Florida are Michigan great teams, but everyone I know wanted to see Michigan avenge their 42-39 loss to Ohio State.

The shame in this situation is everyone—AGAIN—is talking about a broken system rather than (1) USC blowing its BCS hopes vs. UCLA (complete with free furniture), (2) Arkansas hanging tough against Florida or (3) Rutgers losing out on the Big East title--and the Orange bowl--by losing in 3OT to West Virginia.

When the championship game is set right, the outcome is last year’s Texas vs. USC game, which was an all-time great game.

NFL
Rex Grossman killed my fantasy match up against Kenny Bloggins and seems destined to do the same to the Bears in the playoffs. Assuming the Bears win after their first-round bye, I’m predicting Grossman tosses three interceptions in the NFC Championship game.

More novice QB eras were unfolding this weekend too. Vince Young looks like a winner, despite what ESPN analysts said. Jay Cutler debuted Sunday night, while Mike Shannahan waited for the toughest possible game to introduce his young QB to the league. I like David Garrard and Jack Del Rio made the right albeit difficult decision by benching their “franchise player” Byron Leftwich (if he avoided taking monster hits, he’s a franchise player. Unfortunately, that won’t happen). Jason Campbell threw interceptions and his footwork is poor, but he has a strong arm.

Tony Romo started this novice QB trend, and had an effective game against the diminutive Giants. There’s a reason Romo went undrafted; he’s, at best, average in the pocket. Having said that, there’s a reason Bill Parcells is a genius; I’ve never seen a more accurate passer on the run than Romo, a rare talent indeed. He did this all day against the Giants, and Romo knocked the Giants down from Super Bowl contender to playoff pretender.

NCAA Basketball

FSU’s AL Thornton continues to be a stud against college basketball’s elite. His 28 points and 9 rebounds led the Seminoles to a stunning upset over the fourth ranked Florida Gators.

NHL
Viktor Kozlov’s four goal outburst put the Islanders atop the Atlantic Division after beating the Rangers 7-4.

NBA
Kevin Garnett said he’s angered by the trade rumors and he’s happy in Minnesota. Well, Kevin, I’m calling your bluff you liar.

The storyline for this NBA season is: if KG or Allen Iverson get traded, which uniforms will they don?

SPORTS: A Glimpse at This Weekend's Action

As many baseball enthusiasts are well aware, some of the most exciting action in the next week will not be taking place on dirt, grass, ice or the hardwood. Depending on the outcome of upcoming free agent signings and next week's winter meetings (Dec. 4-7), what happens this weekend could go largely unnoticed by a nice chunk of the sports viewing population. Don't get caught out of the loop, take a look at the daily breakdown below. Times listed are in Eastern Standard Time.

Friday
NCAA Basketball - A slow night, but watch No. 9 Marquette and Tennessee win big and a decent matchup between Vermont and Towson ... NCAA Football - Southern Miss and Houston play for the Conference USA title (8 p.m., ESPN2) ... NBA - Chicago takes its recent signs of life into Oklahoma City for an 8 p.m. meeting with the Hornets, and the Kings take a run at the Mavericks' 11-game winning streak ... in an upset alert game, look for Atlanta to challenge Cleveland (2-4 on the road) at home.

Saturday
NCAA Basketball - Lots of intriguing matchups and a few trap games ... Kentucky at No. 6 North Carolina (Noon, CBS), No. 23 Georgetown at No. 10 Duke (7 p.m., ESPN2), No. 22 Wichita State at No. 14 Syracuse, Illinois at No. 16 Arizona (5:15 p.m. EST, ESPN) and No. 21 Gonzaga at No. 25 Texas (3 p.m., ESPN) highlight the schedule ... NCAA Football - No. 2 USC at UCLA (4:30 p.m., ABC) is the only game with national championship implications, but check out the various conference championship games, including No. 8 Arkansas at No. 4 Florida (6 p.m., CBS) in the SEC ... NBA - Seattle at Utah -- how do the Jazz respond after being blown out by the Lakers? ... Cleveland (at Houston) and Indiana (at Denver) both attempt to un-skew the Eastern vs. Western Conference results, but have to win on the road to do it.

Wichita State upsets Tennessee in the 2006 NCAA Tournament


Sunday
NCAA Basketball - No. 3 Pittsburgh continues its walk on the tight rope at Auburn, and No. 20 Nevada (at Cal) and No. 24 Georgia Tech (at Miami) get put to the test on the road ... NCAA Football - With 51 touchdowns, Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan stands just three shy of David Klingler's NCAA record of 54 and should set a new record against Oregon State (TBA, ESPN) ... NFL - Shawne Merriman returns to the Chargers lineup against the resurgent Bills, and the JP Losman Injury Alert goes from Yellow to Orange ... Titans QB Vince Young's progression continues against the 10-1 Colts (1 p.m.), and Dallas vs. New York (4:15 p.m.), Jacksonville at Miami (4:05 p.m.) and Seattle at Denver (8:15 p.m.) all have playoff implications ... Rookie QB Jay Cutler makes his Broncos debut in primetime against the Seahawks.

FANTASY: Blue Chips vs. Day Trades

Potential Fantasy NBA Blue Chips

While SF/PF Andrea Bargnani, SF/PF/C LaMarcus Aldridge and SF/PF Shelden Williams have yet to justify their NBA draft selections, all three appear poised to do so. As is the case with all rookies, you need to exercise a little patience, both from a consistency and playing time perspective, but these are all guys who can help you in the short to medium term.

Bargnani is scoring points (averaging 12.3 ppg in his last six) and showing some nice potential in the hustle categories, but is rebounding like his effeminate first name suggests he would. Aldridge was just starting to play a more prominent role in Portland, but took an elbow to the chops on November 26 and has played just 12 minutes in the last two games. Williams is beginning to put it together, but remains a little weak in the points and rebounds departments.


Historically Awesome Fantasy NHL Blue Chips

After the NHL lockout, many young stars emerged. The trend in fantasy hockey is to take youth, which means there is tremendous veteran value on the waiver wire.

Pittsburgh's LW Evgeni Malkin and C Sidney Crosby have been the talk of the hockey world, but why not pick up RW Mark Recchi? With 490 career goals, he's the perfect veteran to play on their line. ... C Brad Richards and LW Gary Roberts similarly had great months and may be worth a look.


Day Trading to Fantasy NFL Glory

In my fantasy football league, there is literally nothing available on the waiver wire. You're likely screwed if you need waiver help now. But everyone thinks they can strike it rich in a week. A good place to look for quality depth this point in the season is WR.

Marty Booker was once was nasty and since Joey Harrington took over, Booker is 17 yards behind Wes Welker for the team lead in receiving yards. ... In my league, Kenny Bloggins just picked up Santonio Holmes, a strong short-term buy. Hines Ward could miss two weeks and Holmes is a pedigree wide out with a bright future, one Kenny hopes begins Sunday. ... Tom Brady consistently spread the ball this season. Maybe, just maybe, Reche Caldwell will replicate his 9 reception, 90 yards and 1 TD Week 10 performance? Against a soft Detroit defense this week, I'd say the chances are better than average.

SPORTS: This Week's News and Happenings

MLB
The Yankees had an answer to Boston's $51 million bid for Daisuke Matsuzaka, offering a reported $25 million for the rights to negotiate with LHP Kei Igawa. This was one of many Hot Stove happenings in the past 48 hours. MLB Trade Rumors nicely recaps all of the signings and rumors, including the Cubs 3-year, $45-million offer to RHP Jason Schmidt, the Cardinals signing of 2B Adam Kennedy and more on Igawa.

Prospect Insider spoke with an American scout who saw Igawa in Japan, and the YouTube video below backs up his report. You see a decent fastball that has downward action, a quality slider that actually flattens out and gets pounded by David Wright in the video and arm action that's very condusive to a change-up.



NBA
Bobby Jackson was fined $20,000 by the league for being ejected and verbally abusing officials in a loss at Dallas on Saturday. "I think the officials have to be reprimanded just like we get reprimanded," Jackson poignantly noted. Maybe you're right, but maybe you should make your case without dropping F-bombs and making a spectacle of yourself and officials in front of 20,00 fans? ... the Clippers and Mike Dunleavy agreed on a four-year contract extension on Monday, and it came just in time for a five-game losing streak and a fall to the cellar of the Pacific Division ... Check out scores from around the league and updated standings that feature the 5-8 Celtics at the top of the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division. Wow.

NFL
Falcons QB Michael Vick was fined $20,000 for his postgame antics after the team's 31-13 loss to New Orleans on Sunday. As head coach Jim Mora points out in this video clip from Fox Sports though, "Vick has courage and the heart of a lion." Unfortunately, he also has the middle finger of an angry and drunken Dutch prostitute and is quicker on the draw than Lightning Jack.

FANTASY NBA: Emerging Forces

SHALLOW LEAGUES

In my league (which is actually ridiculously deep or "subterranean"), someone dropped PG/SG Randy Foye. I'm sure this happened in plenty of leagues where patience is not a requisite for a league championship, so it deserves to be pointed out he should be picked up immediately if he's available.

You cannot teach a player to be clutch. Coaches rely on this intangible and players who have it get the opportunity to shine. Last night, Foye scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter against the Mavs. En route to victory against the Clippers Saturday he scored 14 of his 15 points in the fourth. He's stepping up in a big way against quality opponents while Kevin Garnett is occupies defenses. The other stats should fill out in time, which is awesome potential for the 13th man.


DEEP LEAGUES

Miami G/F Dorrell Wright is finally cracking the rotation. Drafted in 2004 out of high school, he barely saw the light of day on the Heat bench despite having some freakish athletic gifts. He developed a knowledge of the game, being coached by Pat Riley, playing with some legendary veterans and being part of a championship team. Now, he is budding into a star. With Riley calling out his team, Wright should continue to get minutes as long as keeps earning them.

In three games as a starter, his line: 8.7 PPG on 50%, 100% FTP, 11.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.3 SPG and 1.0 TO.


SUBTERRANEAN LEAGUES

I was one of the many Knicks that attended the 2006 draft who booed Isiah Thomas' draft selection of SF Renaldo Balkman (for the record, Kenny Bloggins called Isiah drafting the most unconventional player possible). While PG Marcus Williams appears capable of being Jason Kidd's successor, Balkman is a high energy rebounder and shot blocker, who has the ability to lead the fast break.

Channing Frye will be inactive for five weeks and Quentin Richardson and Jared Jeffries are out for about a week apiece. Balkman will get more minutes too after coming off a truly spectacular game against Chicago.

In 20 minutes, his line: 10 PTS on 50% FGP, 1 3PM, 13 REB, 3 AST, 3 BLK, 1 STL and 1 TO.

SPORTS: Recapping the Weekend

NCAA Football
Chuck Amato was fired yesterday as head coach of the North Carolina State Football Program. Also fired was Alabama coach Mike Shula, who finished a disappointing 6-6 this season after posting a 10-2 record in 2005. (Full story on Sports RX)

As expected, USC jumped Michigan and moved up to No. 2 in Sunday's Bowl Championship Series standings. For those in favor of a Michigan-Ohio State matchup for the national title, Los Angeles Times journalist and true homer Chris Dufresne defends USC's ranking and talks about the present and future of the BCS system.

NBA
The frustration behind Ben Wallace's insubordination Saturday night has been brewing since the first week of training camp. According to league and Bulls sources, Ben Wallace has felt unfairly singled out by team rules that have taken away his pregame music, his headband and his tape-free ankles. (Full story on Need4Sheed.com)

NFL
A frustrated Michael Vick saluted Atlanta fans with the same middle finger that has helped him throw so many incomplete passes this season. Sports Frog tracked down photo evidence and commented on the heinous event.

NCAA Basketball
A crazy start to the 2006-07 college basketball season continued on Friday night when Kansas knocked off top-ranked Florida. Check out how that and other weekend action affected Bracketology 101's First Field of 65.

NFL Scoreboard -- Sunday NBA Scoreboard -- NCAA Basketball Top 25 -- NCAA Football

FANTASY NBA: Give Kyle Lowry a Look

By Dustin Hockensmith

The best piece of advice I can give you right now is to give Memphis PG Kyle Lowry a look in your leagues. Not only is he going to continue to get playing time in the Memphis backcourt, he looks like a good bet to start really producing. He is lightning quick off the dribble and in the passing lanes and will likely give you boosts in points, assists and steals.

Beyond Lowry, I think Memphis is a nice place to look for your free agency needs because it's a pretty fluid playing time situation and young players have a chance to play early. Lowry and rookie teammate Rudy Gay have responded nicely in their roles, and Hakim Warrick has shown nice potential scoring the basketball. Stromile Swift has been his usual shotblocking self and is one of at least two of these four players to be on your waiver wire right now.

Similarly to our suggestion to pick up Hilton Armstrong last week, and this should go without saying for any rookie free agent, be ready to ride out some inconsistent playing time. Both situations are ripe for these guys to contribute heavily; we'll just have to wait for Tyson Chandler in New Orleans and Damon Stoudamire to start losing minutes to them.

NBA: How Good is Nate Robinson Going to Be?

By Steve "Supreme Commander" Cernak

Nate Robinson blocked Yao Ming, insane when you consider the 18” height differential (5’9” – 7’6”).

Admittedly I’m a Knicks fan, but what type of potential does Nate possess? He’s got an interesting résumé so far: (1) OT game-winner over Allen Iverson (2) 2006 Slam Dunk Champion (3) his block against Yao and (4) a two time All Pac-10 and a third team All-American in 2005. He’s also played as a D-I cornerback for Washington.

I’m not 100 percent sure he’ll overcome his height, however, he clearly has the athletic gifts to succeed.

SPORTS: Recapping the Weekend in Sports

By Dustin Hockensmith

College Football
Ohio State vs. Michigan – Both teams proved how good they really were, but Troy Smith and the top-ranked Buckeyes won 42-39 and secured a spot in the national championship game. The teams went nose-to-nose like a couple of heavyweight fighters, but Smith threw for four touchdown passes and essentially locked up the Heisman Trophy … BCS Implications – Ohio State became the first team in three seasons to earn a perfect 1.000 BCS score, and both OSU and Michigan finished their regular seasons … despite the loss, the Wolverines ended up No.2 in Sunday's BCS rankings, but won't stay there when No. 3 USC takes care of No. 5 Notre Dame next week.

NBA
Shaq to Have Surgery - Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal is having surgery on his left knee and is expected to miss the next 4-6 weeks. We're starting to see accelerated wear and tear from supporting such a large human all these years. Maybe again he's 'fresh' for a playoff run, but that only happens if he can return to the lineup by January and get back into playing shape … Don't Get Too Excited Jazz Fans - The Utah Jazz is off to its best start in franchise history at 9-1, but don't get too excited just yet. This isn't the first time a Jazz team has flown out of the gates, and I don't buy them as a contender just yet. The Northwest Division is very average, so they'll win that and get a Top 4 seed, but they're not up to par with the Mavs or Spurs.

NFL
Chad Johnson Did It Again - Bengals WR Chad Johnson caught six passes for 190 yards and three touchdowns against the Saints on Sunday. That gives the wideout two-week totals of 17 receptions for 450 yards and five TD's … McNabb, Eagles Done - Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb tore his ACL on Sunday, effectively putting an end to the Eagles and your fantasy season. Needless to say, that offense just won't run the same with Jeff Garcia leading it ... Steelers Still Have a Pulse - They've got work to do, but the Pittsburgh Steelers aren't dead yet. Big Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards in the third quarter after being picked off three times in the first half, and the Steelers rallied to beat the Browns on a Roethlisberger-to-Willie Parker connection with 30 seconds remaining … Colts Loss a Blessing in Disguise – They've been walking a tightrope for some time now, and I don't think anyone was shocked when the Colts lost to the Cowboys on Sunday. They'll get their edge back and be in better shape for the playoffs than they were last year … LT a Touchdown Machine – Not much you can say here that the numbers don't already suggest. LaDainian Tomlinson reached the 100-touchdown plateau faster than any player ever over the weekend, and he put the Chargers on his back in a comeback win in the process.

MLB
Cubs Keep Working in Free Agency – The Chicago Cubs have inked outfielder Alfonso Soriano to an 8-year, $136 million contract, it was announced on Sunday. It was the fifth-largest deal in Major League Baseball history. His rare 40-40 potential and dynamic bat combined with the signings of Neal Cotts and Mark DeRosa and the resigning of Aramis Ramirez have made for an outstanding off-season already for the Cubbies.

NBA: Iverson Is All Heart

By Steve “Supreme Commander” Cernak

"It's just terrible, what's going on in Philadelphia," Allen Iverson said. "I just feel like I've got to do something more than I have been doing to try to help this situation as much as I can."

Kevin Johnson’s story illustrates the lows of humanity. Shot three years ago for refusing to give up his AI jersey to a group of teens, Johnson became quadriplegic. His recent death was attributed to the attack as his respirator failed. Iverson then offered to pay for Johnson’s funeral.

Iverson's antics early in his career made him the poster-child for all that ails the NBA. He also had gun problems of his own. This led to ridiculous attacks on his character for wanting to pay for the funeral--years after said problems.

Funerals aren’t for the dead, they’re for the family of the dead. Iverson will lay Mr. Johnson to rest like a king. His family will know he didn’t die for the name on the back of 76ers marketing material but, rather, their son, brother, cousin or nephew died a man of principle.

We gripe over professional athletes not caring. In this case, the most exciting player to see live in the NBA gave back and it isn’t good enough. AI acts selflessly and gets blasted, which is appalling. Even worse, few are aware of this story like with Kevin Garnett’s $1.2 million pledge last year.

Where is the media coverage on this story? A safe assumption is that teens value mesh cloth because of the TV exposure Iverson enjoys.

But then again, ESPN’s sole responsibility is to sell more beer, trucks and other products males 18-39 thoroughly enjoy before the Budweiser “Lukewarm Seat” segment! (Please note the heavy use of sarcasm.)

AI always leaves his heart on the court and is my all-time favorite player to watch live. A list which includes: Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dominique Wilkins, David Robinson, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing and many others while sitting at Madison Square Garden. AI tops the list because of his creative mastery with the rock.

That’s really all you should ask of a player: to get your money’s worth (In my case, $60 for section 300 to watch Stephon Marbury "star"). Iverson leaves his heart on the court every game year in, year out. Now, he is proves he is all heart off the court too, which isn’t good enough for some. While that is sad, it is far worse that powers to be allow this issue to be swept under the rug.

Thank you, Mr. Iverson. One man cannot end the gun violence in Philadelphia but, hey, it’s a start.

FANTASY NBA: One Small Step Last Night, One Giant Leap to Come

By Kenny Bloggins and Steve "Supreme Commander" Cernak

Every Weighed Bloggs staffer picked up New Orleans’s C Hilton Armstrong around midnight. He is an absolute stud-in-waiting playing alongside MVP candidate Chris Paul.

With Tyson Chandler injured, Byron Scott surprisingly started the 12^th overall pick in last June’s draft because of the athleticism he has is rare in a 6-foo-11 frame. Armstrong moves like a small forward and his long limbs don't get in his own way. And because he'll seldom be the focus of an opposing team's game plan and qualifies as a center, he's a must-have on your fantasy roster.

Armstrong emerged against the Detroit Pistons. In his first career start, he scored 17 and grabbed 9 boards. He also showed some guts and heroics in the final seconds, first sinking the winning free throw and then swatting away his own miss on the second attempt as time expired.

Remember, Armstrong was successful at UConn, along with fellow 2006 draftees PG Marcus Williams, SF Rudy Gay and PF Josh Boone. Now he's in a better position to succeed because of Paul's brilliance, SF Peja Stojakovic's zone-busting shot and he'll play alongside front court stalwart David West.

NBA: New NBA Shoe Commemorates Worst Knicks Team Ever

by Steve "Supreme Commander" Cernak

James Dolan, Madison Square Garden Chairman, President and CEO, announced today Nike commemorated the worst team and franchise he could possibly manage.

“I came really, really close to completely destroying the Rangers, but unfortunately Jagr got good again in New York. It means a lot that Nike would honor my destruction like this too. The shoe looks terrible. I couldn’t be happier.”

Last year’s NBA slam dunk champion Nate Robinson had the shoe named after him.

“We here at the Nike Corporation felt Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Larry Brown or Isiah Thomas would have been excellent choices,” said some ranodm white collar at Nike. “But, Nate Robinson actually could have been good. His commitment to being a crowd pleaser rather than play defensive like a cornerback at Washington made him win the distinction.”

Jalen Rose and Maruice Taylor flew in for the official Madison Square Garden after party.

Good thread

FANTASY NBA: Digging Deep on the Waiver Wire

Fantasy basketball enters Week Two, and I suddenly feel a sense of urgency after crawling into the cellar of a Yahoo! Public league. In my defense, the team hasn't been looked at in a week since the draft, but if that's anything other than a short-term excuse, that's not exactly a compliment. It is now time to step up my game and do what I do best: Find free agents. Here are some of the best undervalued commodities out there, and there is a strong possibility that more valuable guys are available

F/C Andris Biedrins, Golden State
I wanted to pick up Biedrins before he blocked six shots on Tuesday night, and now I'm thinking it's an absolute must. If you're looking for blocked shots, Biedrins has a nice pedigree (11th overall, 2004 draft), is playing consistent minutes and is shooting a ridiculously high percentage from the floor (17-of-21, 80.9%). Foul trouble plagued the 20-year old in his first two seasons, but he seems to have gotten a handle on those problems this season. Even if you don't need a center or blocks, it would still be a good idea to pluck an upside guy with blocks potential off the waiver wire and keep your opponents from getting better.

PG Jamaal Tinsley, Indiana
It's only three games into the season, but his numbers across the board are starting to take the same shape of his numbers from the 2005-06 season. He won't have the freedom to take a lot of shots, but if he can keep setting up his teammates (6.7 assists/game) and racking up steals (1.7 steals/game), he should be on somebody's roster. Any kind of injury or inconsistency from Tinsley likely lands him back on the waiver wire, but take a chance now if you could use a true point guard.

SF Luke Walton, Los Angeles Lakers
Walton was a tease at portions of last season because he flashes eight-category potential. He also found a way to essentially disappear from December through February last season, then came back and played well in the final month and the postseason. He's a nice fit in the Triangle offense, so as long as he remains an important part of the Lakers' rotation, he could keep putting up double-figure scoring games (4 in 4 games this season), strong shooting numbers and a little bit of everything else.

PF Craig Smith, Minnesota
If Smith keeps scoring big points in small minutes, he's bound to see more playing time. He's scored in double figures again tonight and has scored 48 points in his last 70 minutes on the floor. Don't worry about the low rebounding numbers, if he can start pushing 25 minutes per night, he'll hit the boards.

PG Carlos Arroyo, Orlando
He doesn't have to unseat Jameer Nelson in the backcourt to have value in fantasy hoops. We've seen point guards coexist in the backcourt before, and we'll see it again. If Arroyo can keep scoring the basketball, he'll keep playing and helping your team.

PF Travis Outlaw, Portland
It's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide with Outlaw early, so take a wait-and-see approach and look for an improvement in his discipline. If he can avoid picking up fouls in bunches, he'll get into a better rhythm with the offense and produce more consistent results. That might be a big 'if' though.

NCAA: 2006-07 College Basketball Preview

By Dustin Hockensmith

We've all gotten caught up in the Major League Baseball playoffs and the starts of the NFL, NHL and NBA seasons that college basketball has gone largely unnoticed. It's about time to start paying attention and getting familiar with this season's contenders. There is an interesting group in defending national champion Florida, Kansas, North Carolina and Ohio State at the top of the preseason rankings, and you can probably expect that group to account for most of the four No. 1 seeds in the 2007 NCAA Tournament.

There appears to be some separation between the Top 3 and everyone else, but there are also some darkhorse national championship contenders. Arizona, LSU and Georgetown all have the looks of Top 10 teams, and Kentucky and Alabama could turn a lot of heads in a stacked Southeastern Conference.

Individuals drive the sport in March, and we've got a great crop of individual talent this season. Tyler Hansbrough may be the best, but Joakim Noah, Brandon Rush, Greg Oden, Ronald Steele and Glen "Big Baby" Davis could all be mentioned in the Player of the Year conversation. Below, you'll find both my preseason Top 10 and individual awards.

Preseason Top 10
10. Kentucky – On paper, the Wildcats don't return a lot of scoring prowess, but there are some real wild cards in this offense. It would be a mistake to sleep on forward/center Randolph Morris, who could average close to 20 points per game this year, and senior Danny Perry, who scored 45 points in two NCAA Tournament games last year. Sophomore big man Jared Carter has a monster frame at 7-foot-2, 250 pounds, and junior guards Joe Crawford and Ramel Bradley should successfully adjust to more prominent roles. You know Tubby Smith's teams will play defense, chase down loose balls and rebound, so a best-case offensive scenario would make the Cats a contender in the SEC East.

9. Duke – The loss of JJ Redick no doubt hurts, but the Blue Devils are ready to break down and rebuild their offensive philosophy sans Redick. Josh McRoberts is without question one of the nation's most gifted players, and the 6-10 forward/center is ready to be the focal point of their offense. Sophomore point guard Greg Paulus plays and leads like a senior and is a perfect fit for the Duke point guard position and coach Mike Krzyzewski. If he can succeed in making jobs easy for the Duke youngsters, you could see the team get on a roll as the season moves along. There's no chance they overtake North Carolina for the top spot, but it's looking like they're the best of the rest in a balanced ACC.

8. Georgetown – The Big East Conference looks like a two-pony race, and I like Georgetown to chase down preseason No. 1 Pittsburgh and win by a nose. The Hoyas lost three key components – guard Ashanti Cook, forward Brandon Bowman and versatile sixth-man Darrel Owens – from a team that made a run to the Sweet 16 a year ago, but dynamic forward Jeff Green and 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert are ready to step up and lead this team. GTown again has great size up-and-down the lineup, but a lack of depth and experience off the bench could be the team's Achilles heel. Green and Hibbert need to be more assertive on the offensive end for the Hoyas to find success, and I like their chances of taking that next step.

7. Alabama – Ronald Steele and Jermareo Davidson make up one of the best inside-outside combinations in the country. Steele, a 41.2 percent shooter from 3-point range last season, can handle the rock and score it, and could be in the race for national Player of the Year honors. Davidson is a big-time talent and a force in the low block, and you can expect to see the junior big man flirt with a season double-double. Sophomore forwards Alonzo Gee and Richard Hendrix give the Crimson Tide the potential for four double-digit scorers and make them a tough out come tournament time. Some winnable potential early-season tests against Iowa and Villanova will help ease the transition, but not overwhelm, a group that will need some time to jell.

6. LSU – Glen "Big Baby" Davis got a lot of love on the big stage last year, but it's important to note that he dominated all season long. You can look for a breakout season by sophomore swingman Tasmin Mitchell and also for a rotation that goes a legitimate nine or 10 deep. Point guard will be the position to watch for the Tigers, as Tack Minor replaces leader Darrel Mitchell after playing in just three games a season ago. How well Minor distributes the ball and helps their offense find a rhythm will be key. It won't be easy to replace Mitchell and freakish Tyrus Thomas, but a strong returning nucleus makes the Tigers a favorite to win the SEC West and compete for a national title.

5. Arizona – Arizona is my sleeper pick to win it all this season. They have a little bit of everything, from senior leadership to youthful exuberance, and a primetime player in Marcus Williams to lead the way. Head coach Lute Olson has senior Mustafa Shakur handling the ball and seniors Ivan Radenovic and Kirk Walters in the frontcourt, and a lot of athleticism and improved shooting on the perimeter. Williams is a breakout candidate that can do it all and will be joined by shooting guard Jawann McLellan and freshman phenom Chase Buddinger on the wing. The Cats could wear down late with a short bench and high expectations of their talented freshmen, but their balance and veteran leadership also make them a big threat in a tournament scenario.

4. Ohio State – If freshman center Greg Oden is half as good as the tall tales portray him to be, Ohio State is a no-brainer Top 5 pick. Any time you hear a player being compared to Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor you have to stop and listen, and his rare blend of size, skill, athletic ability and defensive prowess give the Buckeyes a chance to win every night. With Michigan State down and only Wisconsin a legitimate threat to win the Big Ten, the OSU conference schedule will not provide as many stiff challenges as some of the other power conferences. Stud freshmen Mike Conley and Daequan Cook make up an All-McDonald's All-American backcourt, and senior Ron Lewis provides some much needed veteran composure.

3. Kansas – The Jayhawks return four talented starters from a season ago, including All-America candidates Brandon Rush and Julian Wright. Fellow Super Soph Mario Chalmers averaged double-figure points, and three other returning players – center Sasha Kaun, forward Darnell Jackson and center C.J. Giles – averaged 6 points per night or better. They will shoot a high percentage, hustle and play tough defense and have perhaps the most raw talent in the country. The amount of talent they have can be seen as an asset or a liability, but I don't think there is such a thing as having too of a good thing. It creates a competitive environment in practice and in games, and it also gives head coach Bill Self the ability to mix and match in his lineup.

2. Florida – Florida seems to be an obvious choice to repeat its 2006 national title. All five starters return, and junior forward/center Joakim Noah was one of four to bypass the NBA for a shot at a second ring. The 6-foot-11 Noah leads a group of five Gators that averaged double figures in 2005-06, and is also one of their three forwards to shoot higher than 60% from the floor. Complacency is an issue for defending champions in professional sports, so to me, it's virtually guaranteed to hold the Gators back in 2006-07. Noah and company are a special group, so they could ultimately prove me wrong, but without the same hunger other teams might have, it's going to be tough to survive and win six straight NCAA Tournament games.

1. North Carolina – Unbelievable, mind-blowing talent surrounds perhaps the nation's best player in Tyler Hansbrough. The Tar Heels will again be relying on youngsters, but they won't play nearly as young as they did a season ago. Their group of incoming freshmen is perhaps the best in the country and could yield as many as two new starters. But Hansbrough is the key to everything, and he will not disappoint. The best comparison I can make of him is a super version of the collegiate Mark Madsen. Even though the Stanford grad Madsen is a punch line to most of my 'White Players in the NBA' jokes, he was a relentless, determined and creative scorer. So too is Hansbrough, only bigger, stronger, more athletic and more skilled.

Preseason Honors

Player of the Year: Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
Hansbrough will be the poster boy of the Tar Heels' 2006-07 NCAA Championship run. Look for 20 points and 10 rebounds every night and closer to 30 and 12 in the NCAA Tournament.

Coach of the Year: Lorenzo Romar, Washington
The Huskies will lose 48.7 points from last season, but still be in the hunt for a Pac-10 title and a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Freshman center Spencer Hawes will learn quickly under Romar and his staff and help make up for the losses of Brandon Roy, Jamaal Williams and Bobby Jones.

Rookie of the Year: Greg Oden, Ohio State
Enough was said above, but Oden might go down in history as one of the best collegiate freshmen ever. He's that good, and he'll show you five blocks per night to prove it.

Surprise Player: Dominic James, Marquette
James was phenomenal last season and will be phenomenal again. My comparison for him would be Chris Paul, and I think his fate as a player could be the same.

Surprise Team: St. John's
They're more athletic and improved offensively, though I don't think we're looking at an NCAA berth for the Johnnies. But 16-17 wins and some advancement in the NIT would be a big success and a very reasonable expectation going into the season.

Conference Champions:
America East – Albany; Atlantic Coast – North Carolina; Atlantic Sun – Belmont; Atlantic 10 – Xavier; Big East – Georgetown; Big Sky – Northern Arizona; Big South – Winthrop; Big Ten – Ohio State; Big 12 – Kansas; Big West – Pacific; Colonial – Hofstra; Conference USA – Memphis; Horizon - Wisconsin-Green Bay; Ivy – Penn; Metro-Atlantic – Marist; Mid-Continent – Oral Roberts; Mid-Eastern – Delaware State; Missouri Valley – Southern Illinois; Mountain West – San Diego State; Northeast – Fairleigh Dickinson; Ohio Valley – Tennessee State; Pacific-10 – Arizona; Patriot – Holy Cross; Southeastern – Florida; Southland – Sam Houston State; Southwestern Atlantic – Southern; Sun Belt – Western Kentucky; West Coast – Gonzaga; Western Athletic - Nevada

Fantasy NBA: Andrew Bynum

By Steve "Supreme Commander" Cernak

Andrew Bynum is my early favorite to become this year's Boris Diaw.

I don't mean that he's going hit every statistical category. What I'm telling you is he available in one out of every two leagues and will be one of the best centers in the league.

Last night I watched Screamin' A. Smith's show. Kobe Bryant said he's at the Laker's practice facility at 5:30 AM rehabbing his knee and Bynum is there by 6:30 or 7:00 AM practicing his game.

That's ridiculous (in a good way). He puts the hours in now that are required to be legendary--at 19 years of age.

PICK BYNUM UP NOW.

NBA: Hock and The Commander Discuss Opening Night

Dustin Hockensmith: The NBA season is officially underway, and we saw some pretty exciting things on Tuesday. To start, I can't say how impressed I was by Tyrus Thomas and how disappointed I was to let him slip off my fantasy draft radar. You see this kid play? He's a little raw offensively, but he's got the kind of game-changing athleticism that makes all Amare Stoudemire comparisons legitimate.

Supreme Commander: Tyrus Thomas is a beast and it's a shame his nose broke. You have to love that he thinks he will be able to play. Rookies tend to get "injured" or gassed as the season progresses. A schedule around 30 games compared to the 82-game NBA grind is ridiculous, especially with the excess of NBA groupies. Do you see any rookies or guys who just signed fat contracts essentially quitting basketball, to professionally bang groupies?

DH: If someone told me that Thomas broke his nose on the rafters at AmericanAirlines Arena, I might actually believe them. I don't know if I necessarily see guys who will quit the game to professionally bang groupies, but I see some who will 'multi-task' more than others. That's one thing you have to respect about NBA players; many are full-time athletes, sinners and adulterers at the same time.

SC: That's what people don't seem to understand. Stephon Marbury scores 20 and gets 8 assists... or at least he used to before he just straight-up started sucking donkey dong. He used to pretend to play and pad his stats by only passing when he'd get an assist or halting the offense to set up his lay-up... anyway, that's not my point. What I'm trying to say is basketball stats are nowhere near as meaningful as in baseball. Tyrus Thomas' stats mean something because they come when he hustles, just like Adam Morrison's game-winning jumpers will mean something. guys like Marbury only score in the first three quarters or don't feed the post because he won't get an assist.

Now that we're talking performance, who's your breakout performer of this coming season? I'm going with Chris Wilcox.

DH: I like Shaun Livingston to have a big year. Still not much of a perimeter game, but while he's gained some needed pounds, Sam Cassell has gained another year of existence on Planet Earth. Give a healthy Livingston even as many as 25-30 minutes per night and we'll see something close to 12 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds. I think we'll also see Deron Williams have a breakout season, he has such great instincts and vision, and I hope to see a guy like Nick Collison find himself and start producing.

The question is, before we see most teams play a game, who you got winning it all? I think Dallas is hands-down the best team in the NBA and beats Cleveland in five games in the finals.

SC: I love Dirk, but he just doesn't scare anyone. He's a goofy white dude. Cleveland has LeBron and should be much better this year, but the team is still located in Cleveland. I cannot imagine a championship in Cleveland.

I'm going with the Houston Rockets over the Orlando Magic. TMac and Yao have health issues. Everything went wrong last year, this season will be different. Adding Bonzi to the mix (who is playing for a contract) is big, and Shane Battier is awesome. Luther Head is underrated as well.

Every established team in the East sucks and I like Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard to blow up. Grant Hill will play 5 great games, die, then Turkoglu will step in capably. JJ Reddick won't be a NBA star, but he sure can stroke it from deep. The additions of Darko and Arroyo at the trade deadline will push the Magic over the top.

FANTASY NBA: Drafting a Team That Could Almost Nearly Win Your League – Part Two

• Drafting a Team – Part One

By Dustin Hockensmith

So we got you pointed in the right direction with Part One. You know where you pick in the draft, you know who's picking around you and you should have an idea of which players you're targeting. Now comes the hard part: executing the draft. In Part Two, we'll talk about prioritizing your players, crunching the numbers and finishing the draft on a high note to get your season started with a bang.

The Early Rounds
You can probably guess that the first five rounds are the most crucial and difficult in the draft. You get to use your imagination in the later rounds, but in the early rounds you're feeling the pressure of filling all your positions as best you can. This includes not just getting the best players, but also filling most of the spots in your starting lineup. Timing is a key, and it's the first pick you make that sets the pace of your draft and how you want to use your next handful of picks.

The first round always seems to be broken down in thirds, and many times you'll do well by picking with the last of the picks in those groups. With picks No. 4, No. 8 or No. 12, you should usually get as good a player as the ones leading up to yours. An example from my lone draft of the season went as follows: I had the fifth overall pick and Dwyane Wade, Gilbert Arenas and Kobe Bryant virtual equals. So the way to differentiate between the three is how you feel about what they give you. Do you like Wade's field goal percentage and blocks, Arenas' 3-pointers and steals or Bryant's scoring and lesser mix of the other two's strengths?

After you make this choice, you should be able to narrow your next pick down to who you should expect to be there. Brace yourself for the possibility of all three being there and know how all three would complement your first round pick. How you want them to complement that player is entirely up to you: You can find a player with similar strengths and hope to 'kill' categories, address your first-rounder's shortcomings or complete a dominant backcourt or frontcourt. Be flexible how you view this pick, but keep these types of strategies in the back of your mind as you go.

My Personal Take
I overplayed this strategy in my draft this year, but I think it is always a good idea to select players who can put up DOMINANT numbers in steals, blocks and, to a lesser extent, 3-pointers. These categories are available in the form of weaker players in the middle of the draft and in moderate doses late, but anchoring these categories with big-time producers greatly increases your odds of scoring big points. Points, rebounds, assists and percentage numbers are available in decent packages throughout the draft, but these harder-to-find categories come at a higher sacrifice to at least one area of your team.

Middle and Late Rounds
These rounds should be pretty wide open to personal preference. You have the opportunity to guess a little and try to hit home runs or choose the safer producers to be fixtures in your lineup. Again, there's no right or wrong way to do it, but I try and have it both ways. My theory is to seek out 'controlled upside', as in third or fourth year players in new roles or who appear ready to break out. The worst-case scenario is that they underachieve and you're left with the same player from the season before. Not great if it happens often in your draft, but not bad if you're closer to the upside for some other key players.

With that in mind, my advice is to usually stay away from the popular rookie and let your opponents overpay for them. I'll take slightly less upside in a less risky package, though it's usually a non-issue since someone always takes these guys too early. Give me (actual examples) Charlie Villanueva, Danny Granger, T.J. Ford or Shaun Livingston, guys that can be found at cheaper prices than the top rookies.

I hope that paints a pretty good picture of where your thoughts should be on draft day. With the draft complete, our thoughts will next shift to the upcoming free agency market and what you can do to be the first to act. In the third and final Fantasy NBA preview segment, we'll talk about how to strike gold on the waiver wire, address your needs through trades and field a consistent team for an entire season.