http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4548 Recent articles about Al Jefferson en-us To get ready for the upcoming NBA season, I am going to preview all 30 teams in just 30 days. After a brief rundown of last season and a look at their offseason moves, I will break down each team's rotation and suggest how how their minutes might be divvied up in '08-09. For fantasy purposes, I will mention at least one player to not sleep on as well as one player to be careful of for each team. I will also give you my early season projections on where each key player should be drafted. Use this as a guide to get ready for '08-09, but keep in mind that it's still only August. For certain cases, I will also analyze recent management decisions and predict how their team will fare in the future. Since there tend to be more question marks and position battles over the summer surrounding the worst teams in the league, I will start with last season's best record and work my way down. Enjoy! Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:43:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299167 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299167 In the "Keep Your Picks" Playoff, the Boston Celtics have defeated the Golden State Warriors 97-82. C Al Jefferson was named MVP of the game. The Celtics will play the winner of the Cavaliers/Clippers game in round three. For complete game stats, check out the NBA DraftNation page. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:50:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295198 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295198 Round two of the Keep Your Picks Playoff officially gets started tonight with the World Champion Boston Celtics hosting the Golden State Warriors. Gilbert Arenas led the Warriors to a 113-89 victory in round one over the Atlanta Hawks, but can he ignite Golden State to take down a big three of Chauncey Billups, Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson? Expert Picks Pickard: Boston Celtics Estimated Game Time: Thursday July 24 (9 PM EST) Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:59:56 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295007 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295007 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! Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:07:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291945 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291945 Let's go back a few years to when Al Jefferson struggled coming back from his ankle sprain and everyone was doubting his toughness. He said that he continued to have pain in the ankle, even though the team was saying that it was just a sprain. He played the end of the season in pain and with fans doubting his toughness. After the season, the Celtics issued the official statement that Jefferson had minor arthroscopic surgery for exploratory reasons on his right ankle simply to check it out and be sure there was nothing wrong. Then, a couple of weeks later, Big Al said that they removed bone chips from the ankle. Now, that doesn't seem like minor arthroscopic surgery for exploratory reasons. Once the bone chips were removed, Al's play took a huge leap. The Celtics' definition of ``minor" differs slightly from those found in the dictionary. ``Minor" typically refers to something small in amount, extent, or size, lesser in seriousness or importance. For the Celtics, ``minor" apparently refers to something they don't want drawing a lot of attention or scrutiny. Now fast forward to this summer. Perk injured his shoulder in game 4 of the NBA finals. This is the same shoulder that he injured 3 times previously and had surgery on a couple of summers ago. He came back to play in game 6 as the Celtics clinched the championship. Nothing more was said about it other than that Perk turned down playing for the USA select team because he might require surgery. Then, on July 2, the Celtics announced that their second round pick, Bill Walker, and Perk had both undergone arthroscopic surgery. Walker had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee to repair a small tear in his meniscus and Perk had surgery on his left shoulder to clean it out. Both procedures were described as "minor." There was a very good article in the Plano Star Couriertoday about Perk speaking to kids at a summer basketball camp. In it, Perk says that they stuck three screws in the back of his shoulder to give it some support. Ok, inserting 3 screws in a shoulder doesn't sound any more minor than removing bone chips. Once again, the Celtics PR machine uses "minor" to refer to something they don't want drawing a lot of attention or scrutiny. After they removed the bone chips, Big Al didn't have ankle problems any more. Hopefully this procedure will end Perk's shoulder problems, just as removing the bone chips ended Al's ankle woes. Time will tell. But, it kind of makes you want to think twice when the Celtics describe something as "minor". Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:10:04 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288504 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288504 How much better will the Minnesota Timberwolves do this coming season? Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:52:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287474 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287474 I don't know how I feel about the trade. The Wolves do bring in Kevin Love who will play great with Al Jefferson and Mike Miller who is just a sharpshooter if there ever was one. And an added bonus you've got to love white people playing basketball. Bless their hearts for trying. But, I was really liking OJ Mayo. I hope this doesn't come back to haunt the Wolves, I really do. In addition, Memphis has Mike Conley to go along with Mayo at guard, a little scary. In addition to bringing in Miller and Love, the Wolves bring in Jason Collins. A center! Thank God, they finally addressed that. It's not like Collins is going to be an all-star any time, but he is someone you can put at the 5 and not feel like you're wasting your best player there. (See All Jefferson's 2007 season.) We can just write-off Brian Cardinal as an insignificant part of the deal, sorry Brian. On top of that, the Wolves dump the enormous contracts of the oft disappointing Marko Jaric and Antoine Walker. (Note, that Jaric was the only disappointment. Walker did all he could for the team in his limited time here and I respect him for that. Jaric was just a drain on the team's pocket book.) Sadly, the write-off on this side of the deal is veteran Greg Buckner. I like the guy, he's good people. I wish him the best. All in all, a solid deal for both sides. I will reiterate that I just hope the trading of Mayo doesn't come back to haunt Minnesota. But, the future looks a little brighter for both teams and the Wolves have filled needs. As far as the rest of the draft is concerned, Nikola Pekovic was a great pick. As an analyst said during the draft, like Derrick Rose was a lock at 1, Pekovic was a lock at 31. Since he had issues with a contract he has with a Greek team for the next 3 years, teams shied away from him in the first round. But once the second round came around, the Wolves pounced on the 7 foot center from Serbia. This is a great pick for down the road. It also give Collins a few years to prove his worth to the team. Now that draft has come and gone I am feeling very confident in the future of this Wolves squad. All they need to do now is solidify their bench and they could potentially be contenders in a year or two. Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:12:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282852 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282852 Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Martin and Al Jefferson have been invited to prepare this year's Olympic team during scrimmges and practices in Las Vegas. However, if any players impress in that time, they can be strong canidates for the World Championships in Turkey in 2010 or the Olympics in London 2012. These 4 players are seen as the rising stars of the NBA. Rondo and Perkins were starters on the NBA champion Celtics team, Martin finished 6th in scoring and Jefferson was one of 4 players who averaged 20 PPG 10 RPG. They made a splash on the NBA scene, and maybe, just maybe, they'll make it onto the international scene and win gold for us. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:06:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282599 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282599 In an AP article reported in the Herald, Danny discussed his thoughts on this year's draft. Some of the highlights: ** The Celtics have worked out about 50 potential draftees, similar to last year's number, and that list has been reduced to 23 possible players for the 30th pick. ** There's not much room for the players the Celtics draft with the 30th and 60th picks to contribute next season. ** It's a real longshot that he would trade to get a better pick ** Ainge thinks Gabe Pruitt can contribute next season. He thinks Pruitt would have been a first-round draft pick this season if he had he stayed in school for a fourth year. ** There's a few players that they wouldn't draft if they wouldn't consider playing overseas for a few years to develop their games. ** Signing Posey is a priority for the team. It doesn't seem as though anyone really has any idea how the bottom of the draft will go. Here are some of the predictions for the Celtics. CBS Sports Devon Hardin, C, Robin Lopez, C College Hoopsnet Ryan Anderson, PF/SF NBADraft.net Omer Asik, PF/C Hoopsworld DeVon Hardin, C Draft Express DeVon Hardin, C Hoopshype DeVon Hardin, C RealGM Courtney Lee, SG MSNBC Courtney Lee, SG Scout Javale McGee, C SI.com (Thomsen) Roy Hibbert, C Inside Hoops Richard Hendrix, PF NBC Sports Courtney Lee, SG Sporting News Trent Plaisted, F/C NBA Draft University Roy Hibbert, C ESPN (Chad Ford) Courtney Lee, SG 4 pick DeVon Hardin and 4 pick Courtney Lee and a couple for Roy Hibbert. It will be interesting to see what Danny does with the pick. The Pacers and Raptors have almost completed a trade that would send Jermaine O'Neal to the Raptors for TJ Ford and the 17th pick. It makes sense for both teams and I believe it makes both teams better. The Bulls will also be better with the addition of the #1 pick. The Pistons are going to make moves. They have been trying to get Carmelo Anthony and Baron Davis. Teams are going to be very different for many teams next season. The Celtics need to keep up with all these Eastern conference teams that are improving. They will all be gunning for the Celtics and so they need to be ready. There has already been a big trade involving the 17th pick. I expect some big trades and maybe big names moved at the draft. There have been rumors of Wade moving and maybe Marion. Even though the Celtics don't pick until #30, I expect it to be an interesting draft to watch because of what the other teams do as they scramble to keep up with the Celtics. Draft Express reports that of all #30 picks, 0% become stars, 4% become solid starters, 33% end up solid bench players and 63% end up out of the NBA or just barely hanging on. The last 10 #30 picks were: 2007 Petteri Koponen 2006 Joel Freeland 2005 David Lee 2004 David Harrison 2003 Maciej Lampe 2002 Steve Logan 2001 Trenton Hassell 2000 Marko Jaric 1999 John Celestand 1998 Ansu Sesay But, there have been some very solid picks in the second round. Danny has found some gems in Leon Powe (49), Ryan Gomes (50), Big Baby Davis (35) and Gabe Pruitt (32). Other 2nd round steals include: Gilbert Arenas (31) Cuttino Mobley (41) Francisco Elson (41) Manu Ginobili (57) Eddie House (37) Eduardo Najera (38) Michael Redd (43) Mehmet Okur (38) Carlos Boozer (35) Matt Barnes (46) Jason Kapono (31) Kyle Korver (51) Trevor Ariza (43) Monta Ellis (40) Daniel Gibson (42) Danny has proved that he is good at finding late round gems. Here's a look at his draft history as GM of the Celtics. 2003 Marcus Banks #11 Kendrick Perkins #27 Brandon Hunter #56 2004 Al Jefferson #15 Delonte West #24 Tony Allen #25 Justin Reed #40 2005 Gerald Green #18 Ryan Gomes #50 Orien Green #53 2006 Trade #7, Raef LaFrenz and Dan Dickau for Telfair, Ratliff and '08 2nd rounder Rajon Rondo #21 Leon Powe #49 2007 Trade #5, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West for Ray Allen and #35 Big Baby Davis #35 Gabe Pruitt #32 There are a few misses in that list (Brandon Hunter, Orien Greene) and a few that may still pan out like Gerald Green and Justin Reed. But there are a lot more hits. Danny made a good point that if Powe and Gomes had come in on this team, they wouldn't have developed near as quickly because of the talent ahead of them. Whoever he picks with #30, even if he can become a rotation player will have more trouble getting the playing time to develop. Just like the good old dayw when rookies had to pay their dues before cracking the rotation. Although Perk sure had to pay his dues. 30 minutes is entire first season and only 9 mpg over 60 games his second season. It paid off, through. Amazing that a year ago we were debating over who to take with the 5th pick and still stinging from the lottery snub. What a difference a year makes. It may not be as much fun debating over the 30th pick as it was the 5th or 7th picks but, I'll take it. Last year we had 2 months to consider our pick. This year, just about a week. I have faith that if anyone can find a steal with the 30th pick, Danny can. After the draft, the emphasis will turn to free agents. Posey will get offers from several teams. His agent has said that he really likes it in Boston and wants to return. Hopefully Danny can get him re-signed. Then he has to decide on what to do with Tony, Eddie, PJ, and Sam. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:04:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282528 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/282528 The Celtics is the most storied franchise in all of basketball. Times were great in the 60's when I first started following the Celtics. Every year was a championship year. There were a few years in the 70's when the Celtics faltered, like the 1969-70 season where they finished out of the playoffs for the first time in 20 years. But 2 years later they were back in the playoffs and 2 years after that, they were champions again. After winning the championship again in 1976, the Celtics once again hit a dry spell that lasted until the 1979-80 season when Larry Bird joined the team. The 80's were a fun time to be a Celtics fan as they were contenders every season and won 3 more championships. In 1986, the Celtics and their fans were on top of the world. They had just dominated the league during the season and then bulldozed their way through the playoffs. They had a 67-15 regular season record and went an unprecedented 41-1 at home that season. They lost only 3 games in the playoffs on their way to the Celtics 16th championship. Even though they had finished at the top, they also had the 2nd pick in the draft from the Gerald Henderson trade. They would use the pick to select Len Bias who had the potential to be as good as Michael Jordan. Then, tragedy hit. Len Bias died from a cocaine overdose less than 48 hours after being selected by the Celtics. Over the next 21 years, things went from bad to worse for the franchise. In the late 80's and early 90's, there was always hope because they had Larry Bird. When Larry was on the court, anything could happen. But, injuries had slowed even Larry Bird to the point where he couldn't work the magic that he once did. Then in 1992, Larry Bird retired, but Reggie Lewis had developed into a great player and there was some hope that the team could build around him. But then, tragedy once again. Reggie Lewis died of a heart condition in 1993. The Celtics petitioned David Stern for some salary cap relief but were turned down. Many Celtics fans have never forgiven Stern for tying the Celtics hands like that. They would not recover from this for many years to come. The 1993-94 Celtics finished 32-50 and out of the playoffs once again. The most painful season for most Celtics fans was in 1996-1997 when the Celtics went 15-67. It was hard being a Celtics fan that season, there was hope that things would get better as the Celtics had the best chance to get the first pick, which would be Tim Duncan who had the potential to turn a franchise around. The Celtics instead got Rick Pitino, but not the #1 pick and Pitino made an even worse mess of the team than it was previously. But, one thing he did right was pick Paul Pierce in the 1998 draft. With one player after another, the Celtics have tried to build around Paul Pierce and every year, it was the same old story. The Celtics would improve to be a mediocre team but they would never come close to contending. Then on May 9, 2003, the day Danny Ainge was named Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations, the Celtics fortunes began to turn around. Red Auerbach had this to say of Danny when he appointed him to be Celtics GM: "I know that it will be a great relationship because he is a worker. He has a great personality, he's smart and bleeds green!" Danny came into the job with a 5 year plan. His plan was to gather as many good young players and trading chips as he could get. The plan was working as Danny had amassed a team of good young players, several draft picks and some expiring contracts. Last season started off with promise but then once again, hardship hit as Pierce went down with a serious injury for the first time in his career. The rest of the team was also hit with injuries as they lead the league in player games missed due to injury. They would go on a heartbreaking 18 game losing streak and finish with the second worst record in the league. Just as they had 10 years before, the Celtics had their hopes pinned on the lottery. They had the second best chance of getting the top pick and there were two franchise players at the top of the draft. Once again, lottery luck (or David Stern's fixing the lottery again) went against the Celtics as they dropped to the 5th pick. The hopes of Celtics nation dropped along with those ping pong balls. Rumors swirled about players like Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion, but both players had said that they would not come to Boston and since both were in the last year of their contract, it would not be feasible to trade for them only to have them leave after one year. The Celtics could get another good young player, but a championship seemed so far away and we had already waited 21 years for a contender in Boston. Then on draft night, Danny made a trade that at the time seemed like too little too late as he sent Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak to Seattle for Ray Allen and the 35th pick, which became Big Baby Davis. What could a 32 year old sharp shooter with two bad ankles do for this still very young team. But on July 31st, the fortunes of a once proud franchise turned around as Danny made the trade of Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes and Theo Ratliff along with 2 draft picks for Kevin Garnett. In that one move, the spirits of a downtrodden Celtics nation went through the roof. Having given up half the team for Ray and KG, the bench was a concern, but with the signings of Eddie House, Scot Pollard and James Posey, and the emergence of Leon Powe, things were looking good. This season was a wild ride with the Celtics winning 66 games, sweeping the Texas triangle, and basically dominating every opponent. And it culminated in the team's 17th banner. And the 17th championship is the sweetest one of all because of all the tragedy and hard times we had to go through to get it. Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:16:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280897 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280897 It's funny to think about now, but it wasn't that long ago we were justifying tanking our season to grab Oden or Durant. One of these guys was going to "change the face of the franchise" and "turn us into a contender for years to come." I was no better than anybody else. I had the next 10 or so years of my life planned around watching Kevin Durant draped in green. I only half-jokingly told my wife to start saving some money because we were moving downtown and buying season tickets. Kevin Durant truly felt like the light at the end of our tumultuous tunnel. So, on draft lottery night, when our collective dreams exploded in the form of the number five pick, I was literally left standing alone in my apartment, staring at the wall, not knowing if I wanted to punch it or cry. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:38:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280434 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280434 Check out what the Minnesota Timberwolves ought to do during their 2008 off season. Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:54:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273964 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/273964 DraftExpress is reporting that multiple sources within the Minnesota organization are saying that GM Kevin McHale has locked onto Kevin Love as his favorite prospect in the draft. "McHale reportedly likes the skill-level and all-around feel for the game that Love brings to the table, as well as his winning mentality, and sees him as an excellent potential compliment to Al Jefferson in Minnesota's front-court." A couple of weeks ago, I posted a video of Love in training and commented how he looked leaner and more athletic. It looks like McHale sees the same things. Minnesota's backcourt features Randy Foye and Rashad McCants, and they have Al Jefferson manning the middle, so Kevin Love would seem to be a nice addition to that core group of guys. (Read the rest of the article after the jump.) Tue, 27 May 2008 18:22:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271522 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271522 When it comes down to the best center in the NBA, there's no question that Dwight Howard is #1, with Yao Ming finishing second. Howard's averaging a 22 PPG and 18.2 RPG and 3.8 BPG in the playoffs, numbers that haven't been seen since Wilt Chamberlain. The other 4 positions will be posted over the week. Player (Current Team/Former Team) PPG, RPG, APG, SPG, BPG * = Best in Category (R) = Rookie Blocks 1.5+ Shown Blocks and Steals Shown if both are 1+ 1. Dwight Howard (ORL) 20.7, 14.2*, 1.3, 2.2 BPG 59.9% FG 2. Yao Ming (HOU) 22*, 10.8, 2.3, 2 BPG 3. Pau Gasol (LAL/MEM) 18.9, 8.4, 3.2, 1, 1.5, 58.9% FG (LAL) 4. Al Jefferson (MIN) 21, 11.1, 1.4, 1.5 BPG 5. Chris Kaman (LAC) 15.7, 12.7, 1.9, 2.8 BPG 6. Marcus Camby (DEN) 9.1, 13.1, 3.3, 1.1 , 3.6* 7. Andrew Bogut (MIL) 14.3, 9.8, 2.6, 1.7 BPG 8. Andrew Bynum 13.1, 10.2, 1.7, 2.1 BPG, 63.6% FG (35 games) 9. Zydrunas Ilgauskas (CLE) 14.1, 9.3, 1.4, 1.6 BPG 10. Tyson Chandler (NOH) 11.8, 11.7, 0.2 11. Samuel Dalembert (PHI) 10.5, 10.4, 0.5, 2.3 BPG 12. Brad Miller (SAC) 13.4, 9.5, 3.7*, 1, 1 13. Shaquille O'Neal (PHX/MIA) 13.6, 9.1, 1.7, 59.3% FG (Season) 14. Andris Biedrins (GSW) 10.5, 9.8, 1 15. (R) Al Horford (ATL) 10.2, 9.6, 1.5 16. Rasheed Wallace (DET) 12.7, 6.6, 1.8, 1.2, 1.7 17. Mehmet Okur (UTA) 14.5, 7.7, 2 18. Brendan Haywood (WAS) 10.6, 7.2, 0.9, 1.7 BPG 19. Troy Murphy (IND) 12.2, 7.2, 2.2 20. Kendrick Perkins (BOS) 7, 6.1, 1.1, 1.5 BPG, 61.6% FG* (Season) 21. Eddy Curry (NYK) 13.7, 4.2, 0.5 22. Josh Boone (NJN) 8.2, 7.3, 0.8 23. Andrea Bargnani (TOR) 10.2, 3.7, 1.1 24. Nazr Mohammed (CHA/DET) 7.6, 6, 0.9, 61.7% FG (CHA) 25. Darko Milicic (MEM) 7.2, 6.1, 0.8, 1.6 BPG 26. Erick Dampier (DAL) 6.1, 7.5, 0.9, 1.5 BPG 27. Joel Przybilla (POR) 4.8, 8.4, 0.4 28. (R) Joakim Noah (CHI) 6.1, 5.6, 1.1 29. Fabricio Oberto (SAS) 4.6, 5.2, 1.2, 60.8% FG 30. Mark Blount (MIA/MIN) 8.4, 3.8, 0.6 31. Johan Petro (SEA) 6, 5.1, 0.4 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:15:50 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261765 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/261765 "You got to build and you got to start from nothing. But I feel in a couple of years, we're going to be there. We're going to be one of the top teams in the West, too. We coming — most definitely." - Al Jefferson Sun, 13 Apr 2008 17:06:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236426 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236426