Yardbarker: Rafer Alston

Rotoworld vs. RotoEvil (a fantasy hoops comparison)

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:07:28 -0500

Rotoworld.com is a great resource for breaking news, but I often disagree with their NBA analysis. So here are a few examples of how my fantasy basketball opinions differ from Rotoworld's (I will continue to update the original post over the summer). My intentions are not to simply badmouth Rotoworld's fantasy hoops content, but to point out the differences between their analysis and mine. I should first thank them, because if it wasn't for an email that they sent me 5 years ago, I wouldn't be here today. You see, I purchased Rotoworld's "Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide" in 2003, and was very disappointed with their "expert" analysis and stat projections. I sent them an email citing examples of projections that did not seem very logical to me, and they responded by saying something like: Clearly, you are knowledgeable and experienced in fantasy basketball, but our draft guides are geared towards more novice players. I was extremely offended by that email. Why would someone sell a guide (of ANY kind) without putting maximum effort into it in hopes that even the most experienced person could gain some kind of knowledge or insight from it? Since that day, I've been on a mission to create my own Fantasy Basketball Draft Guide to the best of my ability. Over the last 5 years, I've won over $15,000 playing fantasy basketball, which is no easy feat considering the lack of high-stakes hoops leagues. After years of keeping my rankings and projections to myself, I released my first comprehensive Draft Guide last year on 82games.com, to much acclaim (see below). So before you purchase Rotoworld's 2008 NBA Draft Guide, perhaps you should take note of the differences between Rotoworld and RotoEvil. My 1st update includes differences of opinion regarding: Kevin Love & Minnesota's frontcourt, David Lee's trade prospects, Jason Williams' fantasy value, Brandon Rush's player comparisons, and whether or not Chris Duhon is really an NBA player. Click on the link to compare for yourself!

12 Non-Rookies to Watch in Summer League (Western Conference edition)

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:19:00 -0500

Rookies tend to get most of the hoopla during Summer League action, but the reality is that very few of them will make an immediate fantasy impact. So here are a few non-rookies to look out for. Not all of them are worth drafting, but all have the potential to put up nice numbers if they continue to improve and the opportunity presents itself. Some non-rookies who looked great in Summer League 2007 and carried that momentum into the regular season include: Louis Williams, Francisco Garcia, Kelenna Azubuike, and Jason Maxiell (all had solid fantasy value at some point last season).

Oh, S**T !!!

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:37:49 -0500

that Raper..i mean Rafer dude was trippin...

Dikembe Mutombo: Wants to Return

Sun, 18 May 2008 22:04:14 -0500

The oldest player in the NBA will be 42 next month and is planning to come back for one more season. He, but after h has been decisive about retirementaving a successful season filling in for center Yao Ming and averaging 3.0 points and 5.1 rebounds in 15.8 minutes per game, he wants in!!! Mutumbe stated: "I'm going to consider to keep playing basketball. So will be seeing that finger once more next season.

Ranking the top 30 point guards by total value

Mon, 12 May 2008 14:33:45 -0500

Over the next five weeks, I will go position by position and rank the top 30 players by total value. The NBA is a business, so it doesn't make sense to purely rank the players only by their talent or stats, or by some other qualitative measure (though those factors do matter). We must also look at a player's salary relative to his peers. Obviously, if a player is in the middle of a very reasonable contract, he'll get a boost in the rankings. To summarize a player's stats, I'll use the NBA Efficiency statistic, which is defined as: EFF = ((Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks) - ((Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made) + (Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made) + Turnovers)) I'll list Efficiency Per Game (EPG) for each player, which will give a nice snapshot of his stats. To compare two players that get vastly different minutes, I'll occasionally mention Efficiency Per Minute (EPM), which is simply the player's total efficiency divided by his minutes. I'll also consider a player's age and potential. All else being equal, a franchise would probably prefer a 25 year-old point guard to a 32 year-old point guard, right? Essentially, the order of this list comes down to this question – would you trade Player X for Player Y, assuming the goal is to win a title in the next three seasons at a reasonable payroll? To summarize, there are four major factors I'll consider: talent (statistical performance), contract, age and potential. Without further adieu, here are the top 30 point guards, ranked by total value: 1. Chris Paul, Hornets Age: 23 EPG: 27.8 Contract: two years, $10.6 M ($5.3 M per) Not only has Paul emerged as hands-down the best point guard in the game, he is still on his rookie contract, so he's a bargain to boot. 2. Deron Williams, Jazz Age: 23 EPG: 23.0 Contract: two years, $11.8 M ($5.9 M per) Williams is bigger and stronger than Paul, and is also a better outside shooter. But Paul has the edge in quickness, ball handling and court vision. 3. Tony Parker, Spurs Age: 25 EPG: 16.9 Contract: three years, $37.7 M ($12.6 M per) Parker is young, speedy and a proven player in the clutch. Plus, his salary is fairly reasonable for a player of his caliber. His defense is mediocre at best. (See the rest of the list after the jump.)

Top 30 NBA Point Guards

Mon, 12 May 2008 13:19:10 -0500

Chris Paul is for real. He lead the New Orleans Hornets from no playoffs the year before to the 2 spot in the highly competitive West. He's extremely dangerous to other teams when it comes to decison making. From pulling up for a jumper, to driving in the lane to dishing it back out to an open teammate, they're all possibilities for him in just one play. He is the best point guard in the NBA. Player (Current Team/Former Team) PPG, RPG, APG, SPG * = Best in Category (R) = Rookie Steals 1+ Shown 1. Chris Paul (NOH) 21.1, 4, 11.6*, 2.7* 2. Baron Davis (GSW) 21.8*, 4.7, 7.6, 2.3 3. Deron Williams (UTA) 18.8, 3, 10.5, 1.1 4. Tony Parker (SAS) 18.8, 3.2, 6 5. Steve Nash (PHX) 16.9, 3.5, 11.1 6. Gilbert Arenas (WAS) 19.4, 3.9, 5.4, 1.8 (13 Games) 7. Chauncey Billups (DET) 17, 2.7, 6.8, 1.3 8. Jason Kidd (DAL/NJN) 10.8, 7.5*, 10.1, 1.7 9. Andre Miller (PHI) 17, 4, 6.9, 1.3 10. Mo Williams (MIL) 17.2, 3.5, 6.3, 1.2 11. Jamal Crawford (NYK) 20.6, 2.6, 5, 1 12. Raymond Felton (CHA) 14.4, 3, 7.4, 1.2 13. Jamaal Tinsley (IND) 11.9, 3.6, 8.4, 1.7 (39 Games) 14. Jose Calderon (TOR) 11.2, 2.9, 8.3 1.1 15. Rafer Alston (HOU) 13.1, 3.5, 5.3, 1.3 16. Rajon Rondo (BOS) 10.6, 4.2, 5.1, 1.7 17. Devin Harris (NJN/DAL) 14.8, 2.7, 5.8, 1.4 18. Kirk Hinrich (CHI) 11.5, 3.3, 6, 1.2 19. T.J. Ford (TOR) 12.1, 2, 6.1, 1.1 20. Beno Udrih (SAC) 12.8, 3.3, 4.3 21. Derek Fisher (LAL) 11.7, 2.1, 2.9, 1 22. Mike Bibby (ATL/SAC) 13.9, 3.3, 6, 1.1 23. Jameer Nelson (ORL) 10.9, 3.5, 4.6 24. Sam Cassell (BOS/LAC) 11.2, 2.5, 3.9 25. Nate Robinson (NYK) 12.7, 3.1, 2.9 26. Louis Williams (PHI) 11.5, 2.1, 3.2, 1 27. Daniel Gibson (CLE) 10.4, 2.3, 2.5 28. Delonte West (CLE/SEA) 8.3, 3.2, 3.8, 1 29. (R) Mike Conley (MEM) 9.4, 2.6, 4.2 30. Kyle Lowry (MEM) 9.6, 3, 3.6, 1.1 Just Missed It Ramon Sessions (MIL) 11.5, 4.9, 11.3, 1.5, (10 Games April) Antonio Daniels (WAS) 8.4, 2.9, 4.8, 1 Sebastian Telfair (MIN) 8.3, 2.3, 5.9, 1 Just a few things to say before I wrap this up. Jamal Crawford, he's a shooting guard running the point. He did pretty good, but Nate Robinson really should have taken that spot, and he might get that chance with Mike D'Antoni heading to New York and Marbury possibly opting out or getting traded. In fact a lot of players in the NBA are going to get their chance to shine in the NBA soon. A lot of the star veterans are nearing retirement. Players like Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, Allen Iverson, Shaq, Dirk Nowitzki, even Shawn Marion turned 30 a few days ago. Soon they'll start to break down and eventually retire, making room for the younger guys to take charge. In a few years, the NBA's going to be a whole differnt game.

Video - Rafer loves Carl

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:32:00 -0500

After stuffing the potential game-tying shot, Carl Landry gets a big, fat wet one from a very appreciative Rafer Alston.

Artest, Martin Fuel Kings Past Rockets 99-98

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:00:27 -0500

The Kings played spoiler for a night, denying the Rockets their 50th win and a tie for 3rd place in the West with the Lakers. Instead they stay in 6th place, diminishing their chances for the Southwest division title and homecourt advantage. Great game to watch all the way down to the end.

Pat Gallen`s Daily Dose: "Changing of the Season"

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:35:57 -0500

As winter turns to spring, the season changes and the sun shines a little brighter and the days become a little warmer. When we look back on this NBA season a month, a year, a decade from now, a few things will pop out at us. Who are the players responsible for changing this season? The New Orleans Hornets amazing turnaround. The Houston Rockets 22-game winning streak. The resurgence of the Boston Celtics organization thanks to the "Big 3". The season has been shifted and shaped by so many different storylines. Here are a few of the players who have stood out at the forefront of the great NBA season. Chris Paul: He has blossomed before our eyes, becoming perhaps the premier point guard in the league. What's more, Paul has single-handedly led the turnaround of the Hornets franchise from bottom feeder to Western Conference elite. He simply makes everyone around him better. Watching him play is special, and he should be at worst third in the MVP voting this year. At over 21 points and 11 assists per game, he has the Hornets within grasp of the all-important number one seed in the tough West. This year has become the year of Chris Paul, and after a special regular season, we can only hope he keeps it up well into the playoffs. Shane Battier: Don't laugh. Yes, Battier only averages a measly nine points and five rebounds per game this year for the Houston Rockets. But his defensive game is one that speaks volumes. Every night, Battier has to focus all of his attention to the other teams best player. That means guys Kobe, Ginobili, and Nowitzki in the stacked West. You might say guys like Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston have been more important to the Rockets during their impressive run here in the second half, but you would be wrong. Battier puts it all out on the line on D, and then leaves himself a little bit to knock down some big three pointers. Thirty-Eight percent from downtown is nothing to shake a stick at, especially after exerting so much guarding the elite players in the league. If you want an unsung hero, Battier is your guy. Pau Gasol: After his trade from Memphis, everyone declared the Lakers the winners of the trade deadline, and crowned them champions before playing a postseason game. His move to LA is critical to the shape and tone of the upcoming playoffs, as he has turned the Lakers an formidable championship contender. People say Memphis was robbed, and it might be true, but the fact is, this trade shaped the NBA for the next few months. The Lake Show is scary good, and Gasol has played without Andrew Bynum since he arrived on the West Coast. When the three-headed monster of Bryant, Gasol and Bynum reassembles for the playoffs (if Bynum's knee should allow), we could be looking at the cream of the crop in the Association. Hedo Turkoglu: You were expecting someone else? Turk's numbers go something like this: 20 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg. Only two other players in the entire NBA go for 20,6,5. They would be LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. Just how important is Hedo to the success of the Orlando Magic? Besides opening up the middle for Dwight Howard with his 40 percent from three, he can penetrate and kick to Rashard Lewis, helping Lewis shoot his 40 percent from three and average over 18 points per game. Rashard may make the max-dollars, but it's evident that Hedo has been the leader of the Magic this season. Rajon Rondo: Sure, the Celtics have three perennial all-stars on their team in Allen, Garnett, and Pierce. But Rondo is the man that makes this machine move. If Rajon Rondo hadn't grown up in just one season, we may not be talking about the Celtics as having the leagues best record. He has been the floor general that the Celtics needed, dishing the ball to the right players and the right time, and more importantly keeping everyone happy. Rondo is in the top 25 in assist to turnover ratio, better than counterparts Andre Miller, Rafer Alston, and Tony Parker. If he can keep this stellar play up in the postseason, we may be looking at yet another banner for the Celts.

Better NBA Ballers: New York + Connecticut vs. Pennsylvania + Maryland

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 12:32:05 -0500

NY + CT has Artest, Odom, Camby, Gordon, and Skip to my Lou. PA + MD has Kobe, Rip, Gay, Durant, and Sheed. Who will win? These 2 teams are facing off in my NBA State Tournament to see who represents the West Region in the Final 4. Click to view the matchups and vote for which team you think would win. Voting ends on March 31st!

2008-2009 Fantasy Basketball Mock Draft Part II

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 20:03:01 -0500

Desperate to move on from the 2007-08 season as soon as possible, Jeff Andriesse and Greg Fox summoned all of their friends for a marathon 2008-09 NBA Mock Draft. What becomes apparent is they have pulled off the earliest mock draft in internet history. Also they have no friends. Jeff took the odd numbers, Greg the evens, and they went toe to toe for 10 rounds. Here are Rounds 6-10.

Can I Write Streak?

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:52:51 -0500

Sure, Yao Ming is good for a laugh or two in credit card commercials. But where was the Chinese giant when his team needed him most? Or, maybe, Yao was just where he needed to be - safely injured on the sidelines - in order for the Rockets to find the inspiration to catapult to the top of the West.

live blog of celts and rockets.

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:50:35 -0500

i've never done a liveblog before. obviously. here's hoping it doesn't suck. next time around, if there is one, i'll make sure to put game times with it. but man, this game is high paced. holy crap, within 20 seconds we have a double technical. rafer vs. rondo, and my fella is screaming "GET HIM RONDO, LOVE THAT KID." amazing. it's going to be an insane game, already i can tell that much. hot streak versus hot team? anyone's game. the espn folks are considering the celts the underdog in this situation. hah. a few random attempts, a shot here or there, and PIERCE WITH AN AMAZING DRIVE TO THE HOLE! foul! with an and-one! unreal. i could watch that shot over and over again, amazing drive. almost as good as the rondo pump fake with the pierce followup that just happened. i'm catching up, i swear! houston fans are freaking out over everything. that's commitment. mutumbo is a rebounding machine. and tony allen is proving that's he's fearless. pj brown's in this insanely high paced game with perk in foul trouble, and pj is going into insano on the rebound front. LOVE it. alston's a bit more dangerous than i'd like to admit. 3 seconds on the shot clock and battier subbed out. this is quite a defensive matchup going. tnt talking about glen taylor's words. what a horrible thing to say. nice drive by powe. powe's defending decently, but draws the foul. another powe basket after the foul - wha? a 10 day contract player in there? isn't this a bigger game than that?? i'm going into shorter format so i can keep up with the pace of this game. playoff atmospheres. gotta love em. mcgrady - why are you shooting it over the boards? half boos and half cheers for cassell. nice 4th rebound for pj. stolen from cassell by alston for the layup. and he's talking trash. who IS this jerk? oh that's right - he went to indiana. yeesh. i am very tired of tyler perry's house of payne. and thrilled that brendan benson's in an ipod commercial. doc doesn't like uncontested threes. i like doc. celts possession. pierce defended by battier, misses the shot. ANOTHER UNCONTESTED THREE? became a two. ridiculous. powe does a nice shot in the paint. nice steal by cassell. posey misses, high of the rim, powe is the only green there. fading jumper over powe. eersh. good hustle for a jump ball. doc is fired up. miscommunications and a steal. the celtics are not playing as well as they should be right now. there are too many threes happening for me to be comfortable. yao's value was overestimated, it seems. houston is doing a great job with their streak, but i hope it ends. allen couldn't make the three. i think he'll get into his groove soon enough. cassell isn't on either. there's a lot of shooting going on. i'd like to see the celtics slow down. kg's coming back! heads will roll! unremarkable. harris fouls powe. looks hard. no dunks allowed. hakeem's in the house. powe is completely unfazed by the distraction sticks. well, not compleeeetely. jinxed him there. jackson is underestimated by the celtics, and the rockets are up by 8, no 5, with eddie house rockin it! scola cannot get over kg yet. harris foul and a time out. these commercials are painful. not as bad as some of the comcast sportsnet ones. but still pretty bad. mike harris, hungry and humble. someone give the man a sandwich and send him on his way. nice move by powe, countered by scola. scola's good with the offensive rebound, but kg is not giving him any breathing room. turnover! alston and hayes are denied, house is looking for a shot. not happening. bad angles. jackson is ginning, scola is sweating like a madman. HAH, powe just hit mcgrady in the head. nice rebound by kg messy pass by posey. mcgrady's taking it up. posey gets the foul. the courtside guy on his blackberry is really grinding my gears. what a douche. rondo can't buy a bucket, but POWE CAN GET ONE FOR FREEEE. celtics leading scorer so far?? 13 points? what what? HARRIS. AUGH. you're driving me bonkers. perk looks angry. houston is hustling. pierce steals and layup on battier. rafer, no left handed bounce passes. or a ton of them. keep them up. we'll just steal it. great defense, out of bounds with 1 second left on the shotclock. perkins DENIED harris. DENIED! man, come on rondo, you can hit these baskets, you're a beast. well, perk is a beast, but you're getting to beast levels. BANK THREE, THANK YOU PIERCE! scola, i know you're from argentina, but quit acting. i hate ginobili enough. scal, on the other hand, is putting on weight. scola just smacked garnett, i don't think it was intentional, but garnett is PISSED. HAH. barkley called powe POW! celtics start the 3rd quarter strong with a bucket and a 3, and an amazing play with a missed 3, garnett rebound, and TA under the basket. houston gets a shot that no one could defend, and rondo retaliates with his first bucket of the night. rondo's high passes to kg always make me nervous, but the ticket always finishes well. NICE steal by perk. rondo fumbles and recovers. celtics are doing great with the offensive rebounds. defensive too! EXCELLENT rebounding. perkins! PERKINS! nice shot up and under! houston is quieter than they were earlier. scola did have a nice recovery off mutumbo's miss. houston, i know you miss your players, but we miss ray allen. k? well, not completely. ANYWAY. garnett's doing great in this third quarter. brown's doing well for the rocket. OOF hard foul on allen, flagrant foul on scola! UGH. i hope TA is okay :(. he's hurting, i hope it is a bruise. i really hope it's a bruise. what a trooper staying out there. scola's getting punched out at some point. three things - quit leaving people wide open, quit with the wide open threes, and SLOW THIS GAME DOWN. i am hating these basketball jones commercials. i find it inherently amusing that soulja boy is the song of choice for the nba at times, considering that it's referring to foul things done to a lady. scola fouls on rondo. allen wants back into the game. angry courtside rockets kid! we're doing a great job of stripping the ball, but houston's having a string of things just going wrong for them. poor guys. first time i've heard harris's name in awhile. messy loss of possession on both ends. tracy mcgrady has put some insane effort into this game. big baby in the game, and pierce fires yet another pretty three. HUGE plays from the bench, nice one by powe - last second off the glass! open the fourth with an AIIIIIRBALL! the rockets are clearly missing landry. CLEARLY. harris is not getting guarded, but it's not a huge concern. powe is shockingly clutch in this game. 18 points?! are you KIDDING ME!? now TWENTY? amazing. a whole row just got up and left the game. a WHOLE ROW. did big baby just LEAP for the rebound? amazing. although battier got a smack to the chops. ow. loved him at duke. baby's quakin for the jump ball. kicked ball? yow. big baby is looking great right now. my fella's gone so far to call him the demoralizer. he also says that all the argentinians fall if you breathe on him. given ginobili and scola, i can't say that's untrue. looks like harris, the hungry and humble one, as dubbed by tnt, has been given a slice of humble pie. houston's down 21 with 6:25 to go. half the crowd is gone by 5:44. it would be incredibly ironic if we win by 22, or 23 even nothing is driving me crazier than the courtside jerks just yapping on their cellphones. infuriating. show your home team some respect. the rockets are falling apart. and garnett gives a shocking, stunning, dagger dunk. i've stopped blogging, rockets fans are walking out. CAN WE STOP WITH THE GARNETT TIMBERWOLVES STUFF? augh. -fin. streak destroyed.

Rockets Chase 23 Against Celtics Tonight

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:05:02 -0500

The Celtics won the first meeting between these two 97-93 on January 2, but the Rockets were playing without an injured Tracy McGrady. Tonight, Boston will likely be without Ray Allen due to an ankle injury. Another Celtics win would solidify its place as a favorite to win it all, and would push its record against Western Conference opponents to 22-4.

Skip 2 My Lou toys with Sasha Vujacic

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:24:17 -0500

End of the game as Rafer Alston plays around with Sasha and things get heated.