Category Archives: Working the Wire

Waiver Wire: A Look Back

A dismal, rainy April Friday, with mere days remaining in the NBA season, seems a perfect time to look back on this year’s fantasy NBA drafts to see where things went well . . .

And where things went horribly awry.

The formula for winning a fantasy NBA league is fairly simple: you need early-round picks that play to expectations; you need a couple of mid-to-late round picks that exceed expectations; and you need to avoid catastrophic injuries. The trick, of course, is knowing which players will meet and exceed expectations ahead of time. So let’s take a look at the expectations that were set at the start of the 2012-13 season, those that were met, those that weren’t, and what we could have done differently.

via Rotowire.com – Waiver Wire: A Look Back.

Waiver Wire: Will Rose Blossom in Spring?

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Wednesday night. Miami at Cleveland. The Heat’s epic win streak in serious jeopardy, as the lowly Cavs surged to a 27-point third quarter lead.

And you could almost see the relief on Erik Spoelstra’s face.

Miami’s coach would have been perfectly content to end the streak, to take all pressure off his team as the playoffs approach and to give him the opportunity to rest key players down the stretch. After all, the Heat have already clinched the Southeast Division. They’ve got an 11.5 game lead over second-place Indiana for the top seed in the East … with 15 games remaining. It would take a disaster of Hindenburg proportions to knock them out of the top spot. And while LeBron James is only a little less durable than Wolverine, the other two thirds of Miami’s “big three” – Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh – have extensive injury histories.

Given the choice, I’m sure Spoelstra would be very happy to take a loss, and then put Wade, Bosh, and Ray Allen on modified duty for the rest of the season. Not that he’d admit that with Miami chasing the Lakers’ all-time NBA record for consecutive wins. But LeBron and company took that option away. In the second half, they played like the squad we’ve come to know and love or is it fear, erasing the deficit and surging to a 98-95 win.

It seems likely that they’ll make it 25 straight on Friday in Detroit. And with Charlotte, Orlando, Chicago, and New Orleans on the schedule after that, odds are good that the streak lasts for at least another week.

via Waiver Wire: Will Rose Blossom in Spring?.

Waiver Wire: Final Month Push

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There’s just over one month remaining in the regular season – a crucial time for fantasy owners trying to finish in the money. Unfortunately, many NBA coaches won’t make things easy for you.

A couple of things to think about as you plan for the stretch drive:

Extra rest for aging superstars

Tim Duncan was dominant Thursday night, carrying the Spurs to a narrow 92-91 win over Dallas with a 28-point, 19-rebound explosion. Of course, there’s a good reason Timmy had a little extra jump in his step – he skipped San Antonio’s previous game entirely. He didn’t even make the trip to Minnesota. Pay close attention to updates on players like Duncan, especially during back-to-backs and stretches with three games in four nights.

via Rotowire.com – Waiver Wire: Final Month Push.

MSG “Day-to-Day”

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Carmelo Anthony missed his second straight game Thursday night and is being described by the Knicks as “day to day” with a “sore knee.” I’d like you all to read that last sentence with Chris Farley-style air quotes, because Madison Square Garden has lost all credibility when it comes to this sort of thing.

Last season, the Knicks listed Jeremy Lin as day-to-day for the better part of the second half. Lin’s season ended in early March. And “sore foot” was the description of Rasheed Wallace’s injury … which required season and likely career ending surgery.

I don’t want to step on Jeff Stotts’ toes and start analyzing injuries, but know that, in MSG-speak, “sore knee” could mean anything from “he knocked knees with Steve Novak at practice” to “amputation pending.”

For as long as Anthony is out, Amar’e Stoudemire 91% owned will be a top-tier play, even though his playing time is capped at about 30 minutes a night. J.R. Smith 89% will also be asked to pick up some of the slack – Smith scored 36 against Oklahoma City on Thursday – but he’s also one of the streakiest players in the league.

If ‘Melo is sidelined for an extended period, Steve Novak 14% could win back a much more prominent and consistent spot in Mike Woodson’s rotation.

via Rotowire.com – Waiver Wire: MSG “Day-to-Day”.

Waiver Wire: Trade Deadline Waiver Targets – RotoWire.com

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The deals made at this year’s trade deadline featured about as much star power as this year’s dunk contest.

Maybe less.

After weeks of guessing where big names like Paul Pierce, Dwight Howard, Rajon Rondo, Pau Gasol, Josh Smith, and Kevin Garnett might land … of imagining new homes for quality pros like Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson … the deadline came and went with an absolute whimper.

Let’s break ‘em down.

Kings traded Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia, and Tyler Honeycutt to Houston for Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, and Toney Douglas

Sure, the Kings got a floor-spacing four that runs the floor well in Patterson, and he probably makes more sense in a frontcourt with DeMarcus Cousins than a low-post, back-to-the-basket guy like Thomas Robinson. But let’s be real … this trade saves the Kings a couple million dollars in the short term, and by the time Robinson starts making them look stupid for giving up on the 5th overall pick in last year’s draft, Joe and Gavin Maloof and Geoff Petrie will be long gone.

Pick up Patterson (25% owned) if you feel comfortable assuming the Kings will use a rotation that makes any sense at all.

via Waiver Wire: Trade Deadline Waiver Targets – RotoWire.com.