Fantasy Notes: Stretch run

The NBA season is in its final sprint of what many believe to be a marathon that is longer than necessary. As a result, we’re noticing many symptoms of exhaustion including teams tanking (Knicks and Heat), role players thriving (Charlie Villanueva and Jarvis Hayes), injuries leading to stars shutting down (Dwayne Wade), and performances that leave us scratching our heads wondering if what we’ve seen is a mirage or a potential trend. Let’s take a look at some of the recent performances that drew our attention in fantasy circles, and determine whether or not we can expect more of the same.

SUNDAY: LAMAR ODOM: 19 Points, 4 Blocks, 2 Steals, 4 Assists, & 22 Rebounds

Remember the good ole days when Lamar Odom was considered to be a future franchise player. Well that was nearly a decade ago, when the Clippers fourth pick of the 1999 draft thrilled us with an all-around game that is rarely put together in a 6’10 package. In his second year, Odom scored 17.2 points per game, blocked 1.6 shots, and nailed 1.1 three pointers. Little did we know that those numbers would as of now be his career highs. After a one-year renaissance in Miami, when Odom averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds, the lanky forward has evolved into little more than a role player who can grab 10 rebounds and offer 14-16 points per game. The Lakers officially came to this realization when they struggled in recent seasons hoping Odom would be the Scottie Pippen-like sidekick to Kobe Bryant. The Lakers struggled a great deal, and Kobe begged to be traded. As a result, the Lakers needed their young center Andrew Bynum to evolve as a franchise-saving big man, as well as bring in high-scoring power forward Pau Gasol to ease the burden on Odom, and help the Lakers win.

These days, the Lakers are sputtering. Bynum suffered a serious knee injury and will return for spot-duty the final weeks of the season. Gasol has his own health concerns, out indefinitely with an ankle injury. As a result, Lamar Odom once again has the pressure on his shoulders to be a decent second option for Kobe. Lately, he has answered the call, particularly, at rebounding. Odom now has attained double-doubles in six straight games, and his 22 boards against Golden State on Sunday were a season-high. Regardless, the Lakers lost, and are now 4-4 in the past 8 games. Expect Odom to put up big numbers on defense and in rebounding with both 7-footers out, but once again the scoring will rarely cross the 20-point mark, the same issue that had the Lakers reeling in previous seasons. 

SATURDAY: JEFF GREEN: 23 POINTS, 1 BLOCK, 3 ASSISTS, 7 REBOUNDS, & 2 THREES

When Seattle allowed Rashard Lewis to bolt, and traded away Ray Allen, it was clear that a rebuilding era was soon to dawn. The Sonics drafted Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, and while neither player could offer many wins, at least Durant put up numbers, while Green struggled behind Damien Wilkins, and Wally Sczerbiak. Now that the team has set their sights strictly on the future, Sczerbiak has been traded, and Wilkins is coming off the bench. Jeff Green is in a starting role and it’s just a matter of whether he will sink or swim.

In general, it has been a tough season for Green. He is scoring fewer than 10 points per game, and has failed to earn consistent playing time. However, at the trade deadline, the team made it clear that he would enjoy every opportunity to succeed, and since then we have witnessed mixed results. Since the All Star break, Green has averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds. He has also knocked down 41 percent of his three-point shots. However, after averaging 6 rebounds in January, that figure has been cut in half in March, though the assists are up to a still much-to-be-desired 2.4. At best, Green is considered very streaky. He has scored double-digits in 7 of the past 12 games, though he never managed to extend a streak of more than 3 games in a row of double-digit scoring all season. Most recently, Green scored a career-high 23 points in a loss to Utah on Saturday. Thus far, his statistics point to that being more a mirage than a trend with the rookie’s inconsistency all season-long.

FANTASY LESSON:

This late in the fantasy season, it is a good idea to keep your eyes on the standings in reality as well. There will be some teams tanking, with hopes at a better lottery pick.  These teams will undergo a youth movement, leading to new fantasy options this late in the season. Other teams will be playing for the post-season with their veterans expected to pick up a load. Lamar Odom is an example of the latter, while Jeff Green suits the former. The first goal is to identify the teams, and then grab the players who are most likely to help you down the stretch in the 2007-2008 fantasy hoops season. Good Luck!

Rob Shaw is the Lead Expert for FantasyFanatics.com, the premier fantasy sports community.

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