Sports Blog

With the 2009 NBA Draft over and done with, it’s time to see witch rookies will have any fantasy impact for their new teams.

Blake Griffin, F Clippers:
This guy should be a star in the NBA right from the start.  Yes the Clippers do currently have a crowded frontcourt with Marcus Camby, Zach Randolph, and Chris Kaman, but Blake has the body and athleticism to contribute right away.  There is no way the organization is just going to sit him on the bench.  He’ll get to play plenty and I could see them dealing one of their other big men to create more playing time.  As for his fantasy impact, I could see him averaging 25-30 minutes and a double-double in points and rebounds a game.  That’s very good for a rookie!  His only problem will be free throws, as he was never good at them in college.  Other than that he has the athleticism to be a good defender and average a block and steal per game.  That’s if he commits to playing defense of course.  With NBA rookies you never know.

Fantasy Value: High

Stephen Curry, G Warriors:
Curry was one pick away from landing in a dream situation for both him and the Knicks fans.  He would have been perfect for the Knicks up-tempo style.  With that being said he did probably end up in the next best thing.  The Warriors also play a up-tempo style and because they have a point guard he could be a good scorer from the shooting guard position.  He shouldn’t have a problem earning ample minutes as a rookie for head coach Don Nelson.  He’s a great shooter and scorer so I wouldn’t be surprised if he had Eric Gordon type numbers from the very start.  That’s averaging about 15 points, 2 3-pointers and a steal a game.

Fantasy Value: High

Hasheem Thabeet, C Grizzlies:
Fantasy owners are already salivating at the shot-blocking and rebounding potential that Thabeet could offer as a rookie. Though it looks like he will offer just about nothing on the offensive end as a rookie. The Grizzlies are pretty thin in the frontcourt aside from Marc Gasol, so the minutes should be there from day one. Some experts have question whether he will ever get a real offensive game, but you should just value him for his shot blocking and rebounding, which there is no doubt NBA ready. I see him being near the league lead in shot blocks and averaging around 10 rebounds per game. That’s good for a center. Thabeet’s presence hurts Marc Gasol’s fantasy stock a bit,, but I could see Gasol sliding over to power forward so both can be on the floor at once.
Fantasy Value: Medium

James Harden, G Thunder:
I believe Harden was one of the most under rated players in the draft by experts.  Watching him in college many times his play reminds me a lot of Brandon Roy.  He is just a solid all around player that can help fantasy owners in many categories.  In fact he’s my pick for rookie of the year.  He’s going to a good young team where he can step into the 2-guard position right away and get plenty of minutes.  The Thunder will actually be fun to watch next season with all their young talent.  Look for Harden to average around 30 minutes a game scoring plenty and averaging above average for 2-guards in rebounds and assists.  He’s D is not bad either so steals will come also.

Fantasy Value: High

Terrence Williams, G-F Nets:
After trading Vince Carter to the Magic there was no doubt that the Nets were targeting T-Will at #11.  Well, they got their man and he should be the starter at small forward from day one.  Like Harden, T-Will has a very versatile game that should help fantasy owners in many categories.  If he improves his shooting he could also be right there in the discussion for rookie of the year.  Even if he doesn’t improve shooting he still has the all around game to be fantasy relevant.

Fantasy Value: Medium

Tyreke Evans, G Kings:
Evans like most rookies needs to work on his shot and shot selection, but he is a player with a lot of up-side.  I don’t know how many minutes he will get from the start, but I believe by the end of the season he will be playing plenty.  He’s a player you want to keep an eye on has a big contributor in the second half of the season if the Kings are out of contention.  Just keep watch for him.

Fantasy Value: Sleeper

Image Source: Getty

Since the order for the upcoming NBA draft was announced on Tuesday, there has been a lot of buzz about Blake Griffin and if the Los Angeles Clippers will take him with their first overall pick.

Clippers head coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy has put a lot of minds at ease by telling the Los Angeles Times they will, saying they are extremely excited to add the young talent.  Their marketing department is already taking advantage of the proclamation by using Griffin to sell season tickets, and for anyone who went to a Clippers game last season, it is obvious they really need to sell more tickets.

People are also starting to wonder when they can get their hands on a Griffin jersey, and though they aren’t on the NBA’s web site yet, it is safe to assume they should be on their no later than the moment Griffin officially gets drafted.

In the mean time there are plenty of discount NBA jerseys and NBA clothing available to fans.  If you are looking for a slick jersey to hit the courts with or something to rock while watching the rest of the NBA playoffs, there are a lot of different options and deals out there.  Getting quality apparel can be expensive, but there are some cheap gems out there if you look hard enough.

To help get you on your way, today’s deal of the day is the jersey of Superman, aka Dwight Howard.  His road replica jersey is on sale for only $44.99 at DicksSportingGoods.com and is available in sizes small through XX-large.  It is made up of a breathable mesh material, has the official NBA logo embroidered on it, and ships within 1-2 business days.

If you are curious what everyone else is buying, here is the list of the top selling jerseys of the past season according to NBA figures released last month.  Allen Iverson at number five is a bit of a surprise, but maybe a lot of kids want to emulate an aging star who got benched hurt this year.

1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
4. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
5. Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons
6. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
7. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
8. Nate Robinson, New York Knicks
9. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers
10. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
11. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
12. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics
13. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
14. Shaquille O’Neal, Phoenix Suns
15. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

Image Sources: The Situationist and Dick’s Sporting Goods

Find at Smarter.com:  Shop for more NBA jerseys and discount NBA clothing.

While the Los Angeles Lakers were busy beating the Denver Nuggets in game one of the Western Conference finals, the other Los Angeles basketball team was rewarded for yet another year of mediocrity.

The Los Angeles Clippers won the right to the first pick in the upcoming NBA draft despite the Sacramento Kings having the most ping pong balls and the best chance to win the lottery.  This will be the third time the Clippers have selected first overall, the most recent being in 1998 when they selected eventual bust Michael Olowokandi.

It was scary news for fans of Blake Griffin, the Oklahoma Sooners stud who has been widely considered the best player in the draft and the most likely number one pick.  Given the Clippers history of drafting — either selecting complete duds (Olowokandi) or letting solid picks get away (Lamar Odom) — one has to wonder what this does to the teams off-season strategy.

There have been rumblings that the Clips would love to unload Baron Davis back to the Golden State Warriors or shed salary by letting go either Marcus Camby, Zach Randolph or Chris Kaman.  However, with the injection of such a promising young star the Clippers may be able to reload instead of rebuild.  Owner Donald Sterling is notoriously cheap, though, so it is probably safe to assume he would like to shed salary and ride promising youngsters Al Thorton and Eric Gordon.

Of course any potential move may prove to be futile because Sterling refuses to give head coach Mike Dunleavy the pink slip even though his players did everything but submit letters of resignation last season.  The Clippers are one of the most disappointing and perpetually losing franchises in all of sports, so even the good fortune of leap frogging into a top pick leaves the basketball world waiting to see how they will mess this one up.

Sacramento, who dropped all the way to fifth, couldn’t have been too surprised by their bad luck as the team with the best chance to land the number one pick hasn’t actually walked away with the selection since the Orlando Magic took Dwight Howard in 2004.  The Washington Wizards also had a bit of bad luck, dropping from second to fifth.

With the NBA salary cap looking to go down for the first year since its inception, look for draft day (June 25) to be a busy day that could feature a swap of high picks and talented stars in their final years of their contracts.

And if you are a Clippers fan, well, it is never too late to become a Lakers fan.

Image Source: Sports Illustrated

It looks like everyone is getting in on the Guitar Hero action. That includes college basketball.

But instead of Tyler Hansbrough, Blake Griffin and other collegiate stars starring in the latest spoof of “Risky Business” for the Guitar Hero commercial, it happens to be coaches sliding across the living room floor.

Coach K, Bobby Knight, Rick Petino and Roy Williams showed us their all for the latest promo. Check it out.

YouTube - Watch 

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