Evil’s Outlook – Week 15

If you need a big man, there are several players to choose from this week.

Evil’s Outlook goes around the league and examines which players are hot and cold and which players you should keep an eye on.

Listed first are the # of games played for each team, followed by 5 teams with poor and favorable schedules. There’s no team analysis this week, but I’ve got 5 Top Pickups and 5 more players to consider starting.

4 games: BOS, DAL, DEN, GS, IND, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIA, MIN, NJ, NO, NY, ORL, PHO, POR, TOR, UTA, WAS
3 games: ATL, CHA, CHI, CLE, DET, HOU, OKC, PHI, SAC, SA
2 games: MIL

5 Poor Schedules

1. Milwaukee Bucks (2 games – @New Jersey, Detroit)
2. Chicago Bulls (3 games – @Houston, @New Orleans, @Dallas)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (3 games – Boston, Indiana, Miami)
4. New York Knicks (4 games – LA Lakers, Cleveland, Boston, @Portland)
5. Toronto Raptors (4 games – @Cleveland, LA Lakers, @New Orleans, @Memphis)

5 Favorable Schedules

1. Phoenix Suns (4 games – Sacramento, @Golden State, Golden State, @Detroit)
2. Utah Jazz (4 games – Charlotte, Dallas, @Sacramento, @Golden State)
3. Denver Nuggets (4 games – San Antonio, @Oklahoma City, @Washington, @New Jersey)
4. Washington Wizards (4 games – Memphis, New Jersey, Denver, Indiana)
5. Orlando Magic (4 games – Dallas, LA Clippers, @Indiana, New Jersey)

Top Pickups

1. Lamar Odom (Lakers)

First of all, if Odom is available in your league, go get him now. The veteran forward has been very disappointing thus far, but with Andrew Bynum out for a potentially long time, LO should be a quality fantasy option for the time being. After averaging 10.7 rebounds last year and 15.9 points the year before, Odom has just 5 games with 10+ boards and only 5 games with 15+ points thus far in ‘08-09. However, he’ll have to step up with Bynum out, so we could see the old Lamar for awhile. In case “The Goods” is gone, here are some other players to consider…

2. Kendrick Perkins (Celtics)

Perkins had an excellent December, averaging 31.5 minutes, 11.3 points, 9.9 boards, and 1.5 blocks on 63% shooting from the field. However, he hurt his shoulder in early January and sat out a couple of weeks. As a result he was dropped in many leagues. Kendrick returned on January 21st, but he averaged a meager 24 minutes, 4.3 points, and 5.8 rebounds in his first 4 games back (if he was available, no one rushed out to get him). Well, now is the time to pick him up. He played 35 minutes on Sunday, and he’s racked up 17 points, 18 boards, and 3 blocks in his last 2 games. If you remember last season, Perkins really turned it on at the end, shooting 72.5% from the field in February and averaging 8.3 boards and 2.1 blocks per game in March. If you need center help, look no further than the powerful 24-year old.

3. Spencer Hawes (Kings)

Hawes doesn’t have a starting job locked down like Perkins, but he could very soon. With the trade deadline coming up, Brad Miller’s name has been mentioned as someone potentially on the move. If it hapens, Spencer’s minutes should soar and he could go back to being the reliable fantasy starter that he was at the beginning of the season. Even if Miller isn’t traded (I’m not as certain as others are), Hawes should be a solid start for week 15. Miller missed Sunday’s game with an ab injury, and he’s likely to miss at least one more game. If your team is sitting in the middle of the pack, you need to pickup guys with significant upside, and Hawes fits the bill.

4. Jason Thompson (Kings)

Reader jaygordon23 mentioned Thompson a couple of weeks ago in my VIP forum, and asked if 15 points and 8 boards was possible as a starter. Here’s how I responded: “I didn’t know what to think of that kid coming from a small college and everything, but the guys impressed me. Nice long frame and very mobile with a sweet shooting touch and some guard skills. I could see 15 and 8 down the road, but I doubt this year unless Miller gets traded for a guard. But yeah, as great as Hawes played at the beginning of the year, I think Thompson has more potential, both from a fantasy standpoint and reality.” I guess I was wrong, as the rookie from Rider is averaging 15.7 points and 8.2 boards in his last 10 games, while shooting an impressive 60% from the field and 83.7% from the line. Don’t sleep!

5. Mickael Pietrus (Magic)

Pietrus made a surprise return from his wrist injury last week, and he played fairly well. He had a 4 point stinker vs. the Cavs, but in his other 2 games, he combined for 49 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 threes. He’ll have the occasional dud since he’s Orlando’s 4th option, but he’s capable of putting up fantastic fantasy lines. I was high on Pietrus back in August, and I still am.

Use With Caution

Ronny Turiaf (Warriors)

Turiaf started on Saturday in place of Azubuike, and he’s racked up 21 boards, 3 steals, and 7 blocks in his last 2 games. Despite his limited minutes, he ranks 3rd in the league in blocked shots, and his ability to dish out assists (2.8 per game in January) and knock down free throws (80.6% FT for the season) has been impressive. With 4 games against tough, physical teams this week (Spurs, Suns x2, and Jazz), Turiaf should be a solid start.

Steve Novak (Clippers)

If you need threes, it’s hard to look past the sweet-shooting Steve Novak. Dwyane Wade’s former college teammate has nailed a whopping 27-of-55 treys in his last 8 games, averaging 14.3 points in the process. He’s a hot pickup right now but you need to be careful, as Zach Randolph is going to return soon. Once Z-Bo shakes off the rust, Novak won’t get enough minutes to be a reliable option.

JaVale McGee (Wizards)

The athletic 7-footer is back on the fantasy map after dropping 18 points and 9 rebounds in just 24 minutes vs. the Clippers on Saturday. He’s also blocked a shot in 6 straight games, but he’s played 25+ minutes just once since November. That’s unfortunate, because the rookie is a lot of fun to watch. With Andray Blatche still sidelined, McGee is a risky play with decent upside.

CJ Miles (Jazz)

In last week’s outlook, I said to keep an eye on Kyle Korver in case Kirilenko’s ankle injury forced him to miss more time. Since then, AK-47 underwent successful ankle surgery and will be out at least 3 weeks. Korver’s biggest asset is his 3-point shooting, but he’s just 3-15 from beyond the arc in his last 3 games. Meanwhile, Miles has made 5 of his last 11 treys and is averaging 34.7 minutes and 14.3 points in his last 3 games. It’s hard to imagine that the 4th year forward is still just 21 years old, but it looks like he’s finally starting to impress Jerry Sloan.

Matt Barnes (Suns)

The average fantasy hoops “expert” is more likely to recommend dropping Matt Barnes than picking him up this week. That’s because he’s averaging just 20.4 minutes and 6.5 points while shooting a miserable 34% from the field in January. But most people look at the recent past, while I try to predict the future. Barnes is in a major shooting slump, but if you checked out my favorable schedules, you saw that the Suns play the Kings, the Warriors twice, and the Pistons this week. Matt used to play for Sacramento and Golden State, and if Terry Porter is smart, he’ll give the struggling forward extra minutes against those teams to see if he can get hot. It’s a risky move, but I just bid $1 dollar to get him and now I’m going to roll the dice…

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