Bobcat Pretzel:
I have never met a bartender who didn’t want to open his own bar one day. I also have met plenty of waiters who dreamed of opening their own restaurants. Why? Because people don’t want to work for others when they can be their own boss. They think that they will tell a few people what to do and then reap the financial benefits. However, this does not always happen. Often when bartenders or waiters open up their own establishments, they realize pretty quickly that they are in over their heads. Sooner or later many of these new places close down and they are back looking for work. While I will not equate Michael Jordan to being a bartender or waiter (by the way how cool would that be for Jordan to serve you in a restaurant), I will say that he looks to be in way over his head as owner of the toothless Charlotte Bobcats.
As of the writing of this article, the Bobcats starting lineup is: Guards: Kemba Walker and Reggie Williams; Forwards: Tyrus Thomas and Boris Diaw; Center: Bismack Biyombo. Do you think that any of these guys (with the exception of Walker) would start on any other team in the NBA? I say, definitively, no.
Moreover, things do not look like they are improving in the Queen City. Gerald Henderson is out until the All-Star break with a strained hamstring, D. J. Augustin is hoping to be back next week with an injured toe, Corey Maggette is out with a hamstring injury for another week, and even Tyrus Thomas has been struggling with an eye infection. Times are lean in Charlotte, and the likes of Matt Carroll, Byron Mullens, and Corey Higgins on the bench do not inspire anyone to think that the Bobcats can withstand these injuries and keep games close.
You might think that the silver lining in all of this is that the Bobcats will pick high in next year’s draft. While this may be true, Michael Jordan’s track record of drafting (remember Adam Morrison and Kwame Brown) gives little hope to think that this situation will get better anytime soon.
Dr. Roto’s Orders: Try to hold onto Gerald Henderson and D.J. Augustin for as long as you can. They are young talented players who will get the opportunity to play significant minutes so long as they can stay healthy.
Other notable injuries:
Rip Hamilton (groin): Will be out for a few more days with a groin injury. Ronnie Brewer takes his place in the lineup.
Kyrie Irving (concussion): Irving has been ruled out for the weekend of 2/10-2/12 with concussion like symptoms. Ramon Sessions will start in his place and is a terrific pickup in all daily leagues as he is quite capable of putting up big numbers in Irving’s absence.
Jason Kidd (calf): Sources say he is feeling better, and will return this weekend, but don’t count on him to put up big numbers again till after the All-Star Break.
Jason Terry (hip): Terry is suffering from a hip flexor injury, but doesn’t expect to miss any time.
Danilo Gallinari (ankle): Gallinari has a significant ankle sprain and will miss close to a month of action. More importantly, when he returns, expect to see his minutes reduced as the Nuggets don’t want to take any chances with him not being available for the playoffs. Rudy Fernandez and Kenneth Faried will see more minutes, but neither is worth picking up at this time.
George Hill (ankle): Don’t expect to see Hill back until after the All-Star break. Paul George will see more minutes with Hill out and is an excellent sleeper pick in all Fantasy leagues.
Chauncey Billups (Achilles): Billups is out for the season with a torn Achilles. This is a huge blow for the surging Clippers as Billups gave them a true second floor leader to go along with Chris Paul. Randy Foye will get the starts, but Mo Williams will see most of the minutes at shooting guard. Williams is a good pickup in all leagues as he is a streaky, but effective offensive player.
Zach Randolph (knee): News out of Memphis has Randolph’s knee mending on schedule. This means we will see Randolph starting non-contact drills in the next week with an eye toward a March 1 return. Dante Cunningham may see more time over the next month, but is no more than a roster filler for those desperate Fantasy teams looking for rebounds.
Andrew Bogut (ankle): Bogut is out for two to three months with a fractured ankle. Drew Gooden has filled in capably for Bogut and will continue to do so over the next two months.
Darko Milicic (ankle): Darko has been struggling with a bad ankle for a few weeks now. He has lost the starting job to Nikola Pekovic and should be dropped in most leagues. Pekovic is a sneaky pickup as he has been very consistent over the last few weeks and should help Fantasy owners at a very thin position.
DeShawn Stevenson (knee): Stevenson will be out until the All-Star break with an injured knee. Look to MarShon Brooks and Anthony Morrow to get the minutes. Brooks has the better all around game, but Morrow is streaky and can help with three pointers.
Jarrett Jack (knee): Jack will be out for another week with a knee injury. Greivis Vasquez is an interesting pickup for teams next week as he is capable of putting up points and assists in bunches.
Eric Gordon (knee): Gordon is still out for three more weeks with a knee injury.
Carl Landry (knee): Landry has a second-degree MCL sprain and will be out for another three weeks. Jason Smith is picking up the minutes with Landry on the bench and is a decent pickup in most weekly leagues if you need rebounding help.
Baron Davis (back): Davis is getting closer and closer to his return for the Knicks. However, with Jeremy Lin playing at a Lin-Sane pace, Davis will lose some of the minutes he was hoping to get when he returns. Lin is a must pickup right now as he is the hottest name in the NBA and appears to have the game to back it up.
Carmelo Anthony (groin): Melo will be out for another one-to-two weeks with a strained groin. Expect him to return just before the All-Star break. Bill Walker and Landry Fields will see more time over the next few games.
Spencer Hawes (back): Hawes is turning into a Fantasy nightmare for his owners. First, he struggled with an Achilles injury, and now he has back problems. He has already been ruled out for the next three games with more possible time lost on the horizon. Nikola Vucevic will start in his place and is a decent pickup for those teams desperate for a center.
Manu Ginobili (hand): Ginobili is healing well from his broken hand and is expected to return to the lineup on Saturday. The Spurs have said that he will come off the bench to begin with, but he will still get at least 30 minutes per game.
Andrea Bargnani (calf): Bargnani continues to heal from his calf injury. The Raptors will be much more patient with him this time around, as they can ill afford another setback. Ed Davis has stepped up recently to play well at power forward. He makes for a good pickup over the next few weeks.
Jerryd Bayless (ankle): Bayless has been ruled out for the next couple of days with an ankle injury. He was playing exceptionally well recently, including a 30-point output against the Wizards. If he is cleared over the weekend, make sure to get him active in your lineup.
Andray Blatche (calf): Blatche will be out for about a month with a calf strain. Rookie Jan Vesely and Rashard Lewis will get the minutes in his absence. Vesely has terrific upside, but is still not strong enough to withstand the night to night pounding of the NBA. Lewis is a streaky player who is capable of a big night evercy now and then, but should be avoided unless you are desperate for an inconsistent scorer.
Remember, don’t be your own physician; make sure to schedule your appointment with those who can help you.
Dr. Roto won the Fantasy Sports Writers Association’s Newcomer of the Year Award in 2011. Dr. Roto has answered over 10,000 Fantasy MLB, NFL and NBA questions over the past two decades and can be heard on both the SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Channel and ESPN. You may email Dr. Roto directly @ dr.roto@rotoexperts.com or follow him on Twitter @DrRoto
A new era has dawned in web logging. Join the revolution at TheXLog.com
With baseball season just around the corner, RotoExperts is beginning to ramp up the coverage. Check out Tim Mccullough and Scott Kimmel on Rotoradio Fantasy Baseball Confidential on Wenesdays from 8-9PM.
Want to relive the key moments of the 2011 Fantasy Football season and scout players for 2012? NFL Rewind is your pass to all the game footage you want!
RotoExperts is a proud sponsor of the Fantasy Football Fest in Atlantic City. Check out www.Fantasyfootballfest.com for all the details and make YOUR plans to join us this August.
