DNB's: Fantasy Guru: Pacific Division Depth Chart

Before we start off, here are the links to the Eastern Conference depth charts:

Atlantic Division 

Southeast Division

Central Division 

Pacific Division

Los Angeles Lakers

Position	Player	Player	Player	Player
C	D. Howard	J. Hill	R. Sacre
PF	P. Gasol	A. Jamison	E. Clark
SF	M. World Peace	D. Ebanks
SG	K. Bryant	J. Meeks	A. Goudelock
PG	S. Nash	S. Blake	C. Duhon

The Los Angeles Lakers have a straightforward chart to deal with.  Barring any serious injuries four out of the five positions have solid starters.  However, the aging Nash and Bryant may be rested more or less throughout the regular season.  That leaves some openings for minutes at the one and two spot.

Meeks has never really been a substantial threat or even a marginal sleeper throughout his career with the Sixers.  I see him as much of the same on this squad.  He may be useful for the odd three but the more athletic Goudelock may push for back-up minutes to Bryant.

At the PG, Nash will be rested plenty throughout the regular season and that gives Blake some minutes to play with.  However, Blake has really been the same old story in Los Angeles.  He has had all the opportunity to shine but with a few young bodies in there, we may see him sparsely used.  I’d avoid him in most cases; unless you are completely desperate for a couple three pointers and decent percentages.

Howard missed some time in Orlando last season and word out of camp has been good in terms of his health.  He was not expected to play in the season opener but look for the management team to push for him to play as it will create much hype for their first game.

Sure bets: Howard (early), Gasol (early), Bryant (early), Nash (early)

Sleepers:  Jamison, Goudelock, Ebanks

Pass on: Blake, Meeks, Clark, Sacre

Los Angeles Clippers

Position	Player	Player	Player	Player
C	D. Jordan	R. Turiaf	R. Hollins
PF	B. Griffin	L. Odom	T. Thompkins
SF	C. Butler	G. Hill	M. Barnes	T. Leslie
SG	C. Billups	J. Crawford	W. Green
PG	C. Paul	E. Bledsoe

The Los Angeles Clippers have have a solidified starting line-up.  On top of that, they have one of the best second units in the league with new additions Lamar Odom and Jamaal Crawford.  Both of these guys are comfortable coming off the bench and both have collected the 6^th man award in recent years (Crawford in ’09 and Odom in ’10). 

It doesn’t end there.  The Clippers have picked up Matt Barnes and Grant Hill to bolster their perimeter.  However, all these second unit guys should lose some production value.  In particular, Barnes and Hill will most likely depreciate in fantasy value.  You may be able to count on Barnes for some steals and threes, but it is unlikely that he will get any significant minutes on this team.

Another interesting second unit player is Odom.  He is coming off of a disastrous season with the Mavericks.  His year ended in embarrassment as he was called out by former teammate Dirk Nowitzki, which led to his removal from the team.  Well, Lamar is back in lala land and will look to bounce back with the other NBA team in Los Angeles.  Lamar is a versatile big man that can handle the ball.  This gives him an edge over some of the other guys he is competing with for minutes.  If he does get his act together, there is no doubt he will be utilized fully.

Sure bets: Griffin (early), Jordan (mid to late), Paul (early)

Sleepers: Odom, Crawford, Bledsoe

Pass on: Hill, Barnes, Turiaf

Golden State Warriors

Position	Player	Player	Player	Player
C	A. Bogut	F. Ezeli	A. Biedrins
PF	D. Lee	C. Landry	D. Green	J. Tyler
SF	H. Barnes	B. Rush	R. Jefferson
SG	K. Thompson	B. Rush	J. Jack
PG	S. Curry	J. Jack	C. Jenkins

There is an interesting battle for the Small Forward position brewing in the bay area.  Rookie Harrison Barnes has been impressive in camp but Brandon Rush has been right with him in the thick of things.  Aging vet Richard Jefferson seems to be the odd man out here. 

The Warriors have an interesting bunch of players to look at here.  David Lee will most likely give fantasy owners more of the same solid value that he has given since New York.  Bogut when healthy will have plenty of touches and rebounds.  Landry is also another nice piece to consider in the late rounds for some good percentages and rebounds.  You will want to avoid Biedrins completely this season.  Fantasy owners gave him one last chance for redemption and Biedrins failed miserably.  He is a black mark on your free throw percentage and does not cover that issue up in any other category.  He is a must pass.

Klay Thompson should give fantasy owners some good value as he is slated to start at the two.  There should be some caution hovering around Stephen Curry at this stage.  Although word out of camp regarding his ankle is positive, he is a chronic case and will have issues throughout his career.  That being said, Curry is still a solid PG moving forward.  If he stays healthy for long stretches of the season, he will give more than enough value in many categories.

Sure bets: Lee (early), Bogut (early to mid), Curry (early to mid), Thompson (mid)

Sleepers: Rush, Landry, Jack

Pass on: Jefferson, Biedrins

Sacramento Kings

Position	Player	Player	Player	Player
C	D. Cousins	C. Hayes
PF	J. Thomspon	T. Robinson	T. Outlaw
SF	T. Evans	J. Johnson	J. Salmons	F. Garcia
SG	M. Thornton	J. Fredette
PG	I. Thomas	A. Brooks

Sacramento is in a serious situation at the three.  At this stage they have been experimenting with Evans moving to small forward to make room for Thornton at the two.  In their first preseason game, Evans was able to put up a nice stat line for 20 minutes.  However, I just see Evans as a little undersized for this role.  He will have difficulty covering some of the bigger SFs in the league.  Look for the Kings to experiment a great deal with their rotation. 

At this stage the bigs in Sacramento are set.  Cousins and Thompson should start the season in the starting lineup.  However, rookie Thomas Robinson is breathing down the inconsistent Thompson’s neck.  If this is another lost season for Sacramento, Robinson will surely end up starting at some point. 

The glut of small forwards on this team includes a bunch of has beens that should be devalued in the context of fantasy basketball no matter what comes out of camp.  Salmons, Outlaw, Garcia and former Raptor James Johnson will all be battling for minutes.  I give the edge to James Johnson since he is young, athletic and isn’t a defensive liability. 

Thomas and Brooks should go into the season battling to start at PG.  Brooks had a couple of stellar seasons in Houston before he fell out of favour.  A year in China may have revamped his attitude.  Look for Brooks to prove that he is worthy of his former role as lead QB on the floor.

Sure bets: Cousins (early), Evans (mid), Thornton (mid)

Sleepers: Thompson, Robinson, Thomas, Brooks

Pass on: Outlaw, Salmons, Garcia, Johnson, Fredette

Phoenix Suns

Position	Player	Player	Player	Player
C	M. Gortat	J. O’Neal	C. Frye
PF	L. Scola	M. Morris
SF	M. Beasley	J. Dudley	P.J. Tucker
SG	J. Dudley	W. Johnson	S. Brown
PG	G. Dragic	K. Marshall	S. Telfair

The new look Phoenix Suns come into this pre-season with a lot of question marks and position battles.  The only real sure bets to give fantasy owners good value are Marcin Gortat and Luis Scola. 

The real battles on this team begin at the two and three.  Michael Beasley seems like a good bet to start at the three since he is by far the most talented of the bunch.  He should be set to receive a lot of looks. 

Competing with Beasley, we have Nash era perimeter player Jared Dudley looking to stay relevant.  He has been shooting the lights out in camp and should get his minutes on this team.  Dudley’s shooting touch and his experience with Alvin Genrty gives him the edge to beat out Wesley Johnson and Shannon Brown for the shooting guard position. 

Sure bets: Gortat (early), Scola (mid), Beasley (mid) Dragic (mid)

Sleepers: Dudley, Johnson

Pass on: Frye, O’Neal, Brown

DNB 2011-12 Season Predictions

So it has reached that time of the year where I must become a educated guesser on what will happen in this NBA Season. So if you are ready we will begin with the guess work.

Your Playoff Teams in the East:

1. Miami

2.Chicago

3. New York

4. Atlanta

5.Boston

6. Indiana

7. Philadelphia

8. New Jersey

Obviously a Dwight Howard move to New Jersey could mess up the order of this quite a bit. But think these are the 8 teams you see in the playoffs the order I could see changing based on moves and injuries could make it tough on teams the biggest of those could be Boston.

As for the Raptors they will not be in the Playoffs yet again but no one is expecting them to be. The big question for most is will they be the 15th team in the East and likely 30th in the NBA. That answer is no. Detroit will be worse than the Raptors. Think the Wizards will be as well. Also the Bobcats will not be up to snuff. So that would leave the Raptors finishing 12th with more wins than expected at 20-46. I think the Raptors will hang around in enough games to steal a few here and there. They also have the advantage of some young players that will be able to handle the grind of this crushing schedule.

Now on to the West:

1. OKC

2. Dallas

3. Portland

4. L.A Clippers

5.L.A Lakers

6. Denver

7. San Antonio

8. Memphis

The West is a lot tougher to figure out. I am convinced that OKC is the class of this conference now. Dallas got worse, Lakers got worse and the Thunder stayed the same for the most part but have a Kendrick Perkins that looks in fantastic shape and a year of experience at playing as an elite team. The Clippers are the real wild card with Chris Paul. Think 4th is a conservative approach as to where they will end up.

What Raptor Fans really care about is your Lottery Top 5

1. Detroit

2. Washington

3. Charlotte

4.Utah

5. Toronto

Now on we go to the Awards:

Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Paul

Dwight Howard has owned this award for years but with the issues of getting out of Orlando and how long that takes think it will be a Destraction and a less focused Howard. Chris Paul will rack up a ton of steals and get the Clippers running. I thought about going with Dwayne Wade or Lebron James but decided to go with Chris Paul and I am sure David Stern will be on hand to give him his award. Tyson Chandler in New York would have been a more conventional pick to make.

Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving

I wanted to say Tristan Thompson but that would be my Canadian Pride talking. You may say that picking Irving is going the easy route but it is not a lock the number one pick always gets the award. Irving has the opportunity and the ability to cash in and win the award. He is starting from day one and has little challenge for minutes in Cleveland.

Coach of the Year: Scott Brooks

The first time I picked him people thought I was nuts. He ended up winning the award. This time my pick will be viewed in a lot different light. Eric Spoelstra will not get the credit for the Heat dominating. While same will be true for Vinny Del Negro with the Clippers. Want a long shot? Frank Vogel will have a nice group with Pacers and they should be much improved.

6th Man of the Year- Taj Gibson

Boozer has been losing favour in Chicago and in a season that has injury issues at the forefront given the schedule it is not looking good for Boozer given his history. All this says to be big things for Taj Gibson. Think that is a good a guess as any. Want a total shot in the dark. Norris Cole the rookie in Miami. They love him and getting to play with the Big 3 in Miami can only help him wrack up some impressive numbers off the pine backing up Chalmers.

M.V.P- Lebron James

People have started to hate him a little less and he has had a extended off-season to get upset how we were all mean to him and his friends. So Game On. Kevin Durant, Rose the defending M.V.P will be in the conversation. Chris Paul could also get a serious look if he is able to make the Clippers the better team in L.A

So what is left to do? Oh right who is going to win it all? Last year I picked this and it almost happened so this year I will pick it again with the same two teams and a different winner.

The OKC Thunder will defeat the Miami Heat in 6 games.

Your Finals MVP : Kevin Durant.

You can bet that I will brag about everything I get right and hope that you all forget everything I get wrong but those are my educated guesses for this season. If you want to share yours feel free to leave them in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @Dinonationblog.

Raps Close Road Trip In Familiar Way

Add another to the walked wounded list. Andrea Bargnani would take a seat for this one with bone spurs. Amir Johnson, Barbosa and Calderon would all go not at 100%. While Reggie Evans remained out with problems with his surgically repaired right foot. Raptors would come in off worst loss in my opinion ever. But they did have success playing the Clippers in L.A. They have won 4 straight heading into this one vs Staples secondary basketball tenant.

Not a surprise that the Raptors had a much better effort in this one. They would play a scrappy first half and despite having no Bargnani and Demar DeRozan struggling they still got off to a 21-18 lead after the first quarter and would hang in for at 44-43 halftime lead. They were doing a surprisingly nice job dealing with Blake Griffin. It was a sloppy and scrappy affair with both teams showing at times why they would be heading to the lottery and not the playoffs. Clippers were shooting just 40.9% at the half and Raptors hoovering around 38%. Far from an instant classic.

Raptors were getting one of the better efforts from Ed Davis from him this season. Perhaps his best performance when all was said and done. The Raptors would build up a pretty decent lead by the time the 4th quarter had rolled around. They had a 7 point lead after 3 and they built that to 10 at one point near the mid point of the 4th. But as often happens the Raptors let is slide away. Griffin after a pretty quiet night by his standards would come alive late and lead the Clippers to the 94-90 win. Davis had 21 and 11 for a double double to lead the Raptors while Griffin by the end of the night had a pretty nice evening with 22 and 16.

Demar DeRozan struggled in his return home to L.A. He would get it going a little late but in the end for the first time since January was held under double digits scoring. DeRozan at one point was 1-11 in this one and would end up 3-15 with just 7 points. He did do some other things with 6 rebounds and a couple steals but it was a bad night for the kid from Compton California. Calderon was doing a solid job as a scorer despite just 2 assists he dropped in a much needed 16 points given the circumstances. Raptors really lost this game on the glass getting out rebounded 51-40. Another failure down the stretch and another loss bringing the total to 53 losses and counting with 9 games to go. They will not beat the record for losses in a season at 66 but they are looking like they will be in neighbourhood before all is said and done.

Here is the boxscore that will show you that the Clippers outscored the Raptors 28-17 in the final quarter.

DNB Top Ten: Big Threes

Last week we took a look at the top ten point guards in the league and in this weeks installment, we'll be looking at the top Big Three's in the league. So here's the top ten 3 player combo's in the league.

1. Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Rondo, Celtics ( 62.6 PPG, 23 RPG, 22 APG)

Kind of had to cheat on this one because the Boston Big 3 just won't be the same without Rondo. When these guys are on the court together good things always happen on the defensive end, which usually results in great plays on the offensive end. With players like Shaq, Big Baby and Nate Robinson surrounding them and with the return of Kendrick Perkins in a few weeks, this trio is poised to lead the Celtics to the NBA Finals once again. That's if they can stay healthy.

2. Wade, Bosh and Lebron, Heat (69.3 PPG, 21.8 RPG, 13.3 APG)

After getting off to a very mediocre start in which many questioned whether they can co-exist and many trade rumors involving Bosh started, the South Beach trio has responded and shown just how good they can be, by going 15-1 in the month of December and winning 21 of 22 games. It looked like they were going to continue that trend into January. Not to mention that this trio currently has the highest +/- amongst 3-man combos with +290. Though they may lack the bench production and depth as the original Big 3 in Boston, each of these guys can take over a game at any point and led their team to victory, unless Lebron tweets about "karma" again.

3. Kobe, Gasol and Odom, Lakers (59.1 PPG, 25.3 RPG, 11.5 APG)

These guys have helped the Lakers win two consecutive NBA titles and it's been mostly due to these guys. With probably the best closer in the league in Kobe, a threat in the middle in Gasol, and an all-around big man who can handle the ball and spread the defense in Odom the Lakers, are gearing up for another shot at the NBA Finals and a chance to complete the 3-peat and the franchise's 17th title.

4. Parker, Manu and Ginobli, Spurs (50.1 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 14.6 APG)

The most experienced of the Big 3.s on this list. These guys have won three NBA titles together and currently looking for their 5th title in franchise history all of which have come after the 1999 season. With the best record in the league right now at, 35-6, the Spurs are looking in great shape to complete that goal and bring the championship parade back to San Antonio for the 4th time since 2003.

5. Rose, Boozer and Noah, Bulls (58.8 PPG, 26.5 RPG, 12.9 APG)

With the acquisition of Boozer last offseason, the Bulls have propelled themselves to title contenders status. With Rose running the offense and Boozer and Noah patrolling the paint, the Bulls will be a force to be reckoned with come playoffs time. Though the trio has only played 9 games together this season due to injuries to both Boozer and Noah, we haven't gotten a full glimpse of what they can do yet, but when that happens opposing teams should beware.

6. Durant, Westbrook and Green, Thunder (65.9 PPG, 16.8 RPG, 13.4 APG)

One of the best up and coming trios currently in the league. Coming off a great season last year, in which they put up quite a fight against the Lakers in the first round, these three are looking to lead the Thunder to a top 4 seed and get them past the first round. These guys may only be together for a few more months though, as the Thunder have yet to offer Jeff Green a contract extension, and may let him go as a free agent. Either way this is a trio worth watching even if it is for a few more months.

7. Kidd, Dirk and Terry, Mavericks (47 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 15.4 APG)

These three have been apart of many successful seasons with the Mavs, but have yet to win and NBA championship. The Mavs had a shot in 2006, without Kidd, but ended up losing to D-Wade and the Miami Heat in the Finals. With all three in their 30's and entering the final seasons of their careers, the window for them to win that title is slowly closing. If there was ever three players who can lead the Mavs to their first franchise title, it's the two Jason's and the German, but with that window closing will they be able to accomplish that or once again see another team walking away with the prize.

8. Williams, Millsap, Jefferson, Jazz (56.4 PPG, 20.4, 13.4 APG)

With Jerry Sloan's coaching the Jazz are once again poised for another 50 win season and a deep post-season run. After acquiring Jefferson, they now have a presence in the post alongside Millsap, who can scored, defend and grab rebounds. Add that to D-Will's ability to make plays and shoot the ball and you have a great inside-out game. Toss in Millsap's hustle, rebounding and clutch shooting and you have a dangerous trio. Not sure if they'll be able to win the title this season, but with these no still in their mid-20's and entering the prime of their careers, the Jazz may just win a title within the next 5 years.

9. Turkoglu, Howard, and Nelson, Magic (46.4 PPG, 20.8 RPG, 14.1 APG)

After about a season and a half apart, the Orlando trio has been reassembled once more and looking to make some noise in the Eastern conference. The last time these three were together they made in the the NBA Finals, though Jameer wasn't 100%, where they would ultimately lose to the Lakers. Now with a healthy Jameer, and a not so crappy Hedo along with the insode force that is Dwight Howard, the Magic are poised for a deep playoff run, but would the Celtics or Heat put an end to that run.

10. Stoudemire, Felton and Gallinari, Knicks (59.5 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 13.4 APG)

At this point last season the Knicks were already looking at who they'll select in the draft, but it's a totally different story this year. With the additions of Amare and Felton the Knicks have made themselves a playoff team once more. With Amare's relentlessly attacking the rim, Gallo hitting threes and Felton making plays the Knicks have become and exciting team to watch. Though they are a long shot away form being a title contender, mostly due to their lack of defense, they would remain a force in the East for years to come with their Big 3 and it's supporting cast.

Up and Coming:

Griffin, Gordon, and Davis, Clippers (57.2 PPG, 18.5 RPG, 15 APG)

After year's of being viewed as "That Other LA team" the Clippers are out to make themselves known with their trio of Baron Davis, Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon. With wins against the Heat, Spurs, Thunder, Bulls and Lakers ( all of which have Big 3's that appeared on this list) this season the Clippers have shown that they have a really bright future ahead of them and maybe their days of being an automatic lottery team may be over in the near future. Not sure how long Baron will remain there, but he can provide that veteran experience needed in clutch game situations.

That concludes another edition of the DNB Top Ten, if you feel like anyone was left out of shouldn't have been included, feel free to leave a comment below or in the DNB chat. Stay tuned for next weeks installment.

Live Blog- Raptors and Clippers

Hanging out down at Brooklyn's 291 Queenston Road stop by and say hello. We will be having game on big screen with sound up and I will be live blogging here tonight on the Dino Nation Blog.

Raps Developing Bad Habits

Have to apologize off the top. I was not able to get a blog up yesterday. I had planned on doing so Saturday night but had to fill in for Nat from Heels on Hardwood as she was not feeling well. Hope she is feeling better. Now while many of you were happy to see the Raptors turn a trailing by 22 to the Clippers into what would eventually be an easy win over the Clippers....I was not. The great comeback was not enough to take away my anger. Ironically I was working and did not get to see most of the bad. However this is a disturbing trend now and the Raptors are not putting in a full 48 on the defensive end. Wins over Chicago and L.A after terrible efforts to start is great the they are able to find wins. However if this team starts to believe they can do this on a regular basis that is not a good thing. Full marks for the comeback the 3rd time in Raps history they have comeback from 22 down to get a win.

I will say that I am impressed with Amir Johnson though he is battling and doing a nice job in his minutes. When Reggie Evans returns Amir has secured the fact he should get some minutes to in my view. Jose Calderon got 2 stitches in L.A and is showing signs of improvement. However his defense still remains far from good enough. While Jarrett Jack continues to try and find his way getting to know his new team.

Unfortunately this is going to be a bit of a short blog as well. I am back on the grind live blogging this Sunday. However it is not all bad news. I am going to be live blogging the Suns and Raps tonight for the Score at 8pm. When I get the link I will post it here. You can just go to The Score.com and click on liveblogs. If you like football you can check me out earlier in the day doing the Cincy and Pittsburgh.

Oh and I have been so busy that I forgot to do my fantasy rosters yesterday. That is normally not worth mentioning in the blog. However it is when you have Brandon Jennings on the bench and he scores a record 55 points. Jennings may end up being the steal of the draft and he is the clear early favourite to win rookie of the year. See hopefully a lot of you at 8pm for Suns and Raps. My fingers will be on fire trying to keep up with all the scoring no doubt.

Here is your Link to The Score Live Blog of Suns and Raps with me at the controls.