CHA @ DAL: The Mavericks have had more time to adjust to the new reality of no Dirk Nowitzki and a chance to implement a lot of lineup changes. So far, the biggest fantasy beneficiary of Dirk’s knee surgery is Jae Crowder. Undersized for a PF, the rookie has a chip on his shoulder about where he was drafted (34th) and is determined to prove 29 teams wrong. We’re watching everybody closely tonight.
An easier opponent is helpful too. The Bobcats may again be without Byron Mullens (bruised knee) but it’s not going to slow him down for long, and his new focus on 3-point shooting has made him a fantasy sleeper.
MIL@ TOR: The legend of Jonas Valanciunas continues to grow and so does he. Having watched video of his dominance of world age-group championships, my mind’s eye remembers a skinnier kid with skills. This larger version can bang with anyone inside, which is terrific news for Andrea Bargnani. The Italian, whose latest “calf injury” was only a bruise, will have a lot of wide-open looks. In such a tough division, it’s hard to spin the Raptors as a playoff team, but new PG Kyle Lowry is another significant addition who will make them dangerous. The Score is a Canadian TV network; this photo is from their tumbler blog.
Maybe the Bucks will end the Tobias Harris experiment, or at least shelve it for a while. The sophomore SF could develop his game better against second units, while Mike Dunleavy takes on the starters. I’m also no fan of Samuel Dalembert, who could have a double-double every night with a handful of blocks, but is prone to horrible stretches of apathy. Not just a bad shift or a bad game, he has bad weeks. Milwaukee has three excellent fantasy players (Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova) and some risky ones.
SAC @ PHO: This is a truly ridiculous schedule for the Kings, their third road game in four nights. Given that they played so well in beating the Lakers twice, Friday in Las Vegas and last night in L.A., they are entitled to take it easy this evening.
Meanwhile, the Suns are at home, have had a couple of days off and should be ready to play well. They are still integrating three new starters. Luis Scola, the veteran PF, should have lots of room playing beside Marcin Gortat. Taking over from an icon at PG, Goran Dragic is underrated by most fans and in many fantasy leagues. The wild card is Michael Beasley, who wore out his welcome in Miami and Minnesota but could thrive in the desert.
UTA @ POR: There’s little more for these teams to accomplish in the preseason. Damian Lillard benefits as much as anyone from the practice, as he’s both adjusting to the NBA and to being more of a facilitator than the scorer he was in college. The Blazers’ starting five are all worth owning; their bench is full of question marks.
For the Jazz, newcomers Mo Williams and Marvin Williams are fitting in very well. Earlier talk about Derrick Favors becoming the new starting PF and Paul Millsap playing some SF turned out to be idle speculation; Millsap and Al Jefferson will continue to play together, with Favors and Enes Kanter a young dynamic duo off the bench.
GSW @ LAC: Considering that Andrew Bogut has yet to play and remains doubtful for the early regular-season games, the Warriors have been impressive. However, Stephen Curry has been sidelined temporarily with yet another injury to his right ankle. It didn’t look too severe, but you can understand them erring on the safe side. That means plenty of Jarrett Jack tonight in a tough matchup against Chris Paul.
The Clippers rested Blake Griffin and Caron Butler in their last game, which made Matt Barnes get more involved than usual in the offense. Expect a return to a more typical lineup tonight, and a fairly easy win.