A True Christmas Miracle

Week 1 is finally here, as Christmas Day kicks off with five games.

Noon: Celtics @ Knicks

2:30: Heat @ Mavs

5:00: Bulls @ Lakers

8:00: Magic @ Thunder

10:30: Clippers @ Warriors

Week 1 Games Played:

6 Games; Lakers

5 Games: Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, Nuggets, Heat, Nets, Thunder, Magic, Kings.

4 Games: Hawks, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hornets, Knicks, Sixers, Suns, Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards.

3 Games; Bucks.

Many of us will spend Saturday night setting our fantasy lineups for Week 1, which is going to be very interesting.  You have to wonder how many guys will make it through the week in one piece, while several others are already a mess.  Here’s what’s been happening around the league.

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NET MOVES

Things have not been quiet in New Jersey, as Brook Lopez had foot surgery and will miss at least half the season.  HoopsWorld’s Tommy Beer drafted him in one of our leagues Friday night and jokes about when he will drop him ensued.  My guess is as that it will be as soon as the waiver wire opens.  Unless you’re in a league that uses an IR and allows you to pick up a healthy player while holding an injured one, I am guessing that Lopez is not going to be worth hanging onto this year.  He’ll miss half the season and could very easily miss the whole thing.  And it’s not like his foot is going to magically be 100 percent a couple months from now.  He’s probably going to struggle to get back into game shape, etc.

Around the same time news of Lopez’s foot was making the rounds, the Nets re-signed Kris Humphries and picked up Jazz C Mehmet Okur in a salary dump.  Humphries was booed like he was LeBron returning to Cleveland the other night and the E! television star might have bitten off more than he can chew.  If the boos continue (and based on a conversation I had at lunch today with my sister-in-law, Liz, they will), Humphries is going to hear it all season long.  And I’m not convinced his skin is thick enough that he’ll be able to embrace the role of villain. The loss of Lopez is a huge break for Humps and his owners, but I still don’t think he’s going to be as good as he was last year this time around.

As for Okur, I think he should be owned in all leagues with 12 or more teams, and in most 10-league teams.  He’s not going to be a huge rebounder, but should score, hit threes and be a serviceable starting fantasy center.

SAMMY D

Samuel Dalembert has yet to practice with the Rockets, but is set to play on Monday.  It could take him a month to get going, but he should be owned in all leagues.  I’m expecting a breakout season from him, as he will finally be allowed to be ‘the man’ on his team.

LAKERS LINEUP SURPRISE

Devin Ebanks is expected to start at small forward for the Lakers, meaning both Ron Artest and Matt Barnes will come off the bench.  Josh McRoberts will start at PF for the first four games while Andrew Bynum is suspended, while Pau Gasol will move to center.  And while Kobe Bryant has a torn ligament in his shooting wrist, he isn’t even considering sitting out.   Get him in your lineup.  And while Troy Murphy will also help McBob play power forward for the first week, he just doesn’t feel like a must-own player to me.

PIERCE DOWN

Paul Pierce’s heel injury is kind of a big deal and it sounds like there’s an excellent chance Sasha Pavlovic (and not Marquis Daniels) will start for the C’s on Sunday.  Daniels is probably a better player to own than Pavlovic, while Pierce owners have to be feeling some buyer’s remorse early.

HAYES TO START FOR KINGS

Chuck Hayes not only found out his heart was fine and re-signed with the Kings, but will actually start over Jason Thompson and J.J. Hickson for the Kings.   They’ve got a ton of quality big men and guards, and I have no idea how things will shake out.  The odds are in the favor of guys like Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins, but things could get a little dicey if they all stay healthy.

POSITION BATTLE IN UTAH

Derrick Favors is giving Paul Millsap a serious run for his money in Utah and while Millsap, who returned to practice on Saturday (quad), is expected to start, Favors has possibly earned a full timeshare.  If Favors is still on waivers in your league, he probably shouldn’t be.

MOZGOV SHOULD START AT C FOR DENVER

Timofey Mozgov looks like the starting C for Denver, with Nene playing PF.  Mozgov is a very intriguing fantasy sleeper.  I’m assuming Arron Afflalo will start at SG.  He missed camp, but is a gym rat and should be in good shape.

PISTONS STARTERS UP IN AIR

It’s still unknown who will start for Pistons on opening day but my guess is: PG Rodney Stuckey, SG Ben Gordon, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Jonas Jerebko (CV suspended), C Greg Monroe.

STEPH CURRY

He will decide Saturday if he can play on Sunday, but we still haven’t heard anything.  He missed practice on Saturday and I’d be a little surprised if he plays.  Stay tuned.

HANSBROUGH SUPER SLEEPER

Tyler Hansbrough is behind David West on the depth chart, but it sounds like he’ll play a ton of minutes.  He looked great in the preseason and should be owned in most leagues.

DARKO MANIA

Nikola Pekovic will be out a week or two with a groin injury meaning Darko Milicic should see most of the center minutes for the Wolves.  I have no problem starting Darko in Week 1, while he’s still healthy.

JAMES JOHNSON MANIA

James Johnson looks like the starting SF for Toronto and should rack up plenty of steals and blocks.  I like him as a sleeper and am a fan of picking him up if you have room.

WIZ NUTZ

We still don’t know if it will be Jordan Crawford or Nick Young starting at SG for the Wizards.  Both are probably worth owning, while Crawford has the most upside (and very shaky shooting).  

SUSPENSION BUZZ

Andrew Bynum – First 4 games. Josh McRoberts starting.

Charlie Villanueva – First 3 games.  Jonas Jerebko starting.

Jarrett Jack – First game.  Assuming Carldell Johnson or Jerome Dyson starts.  Yikes.

Check me out on Twitter.

INJURY BUZZ

Jeff Teague – ankle – Should play in opener.

Kirk Hinrich – shoulder – Ahead of schedule, maybe ready for Week 2.

Paul Pierce – heel – Would be surprising to see him on Sunday.

Tyrus Thomas – ankle – Sounds doubtful for opener.

Jason Terry – illness – Feared for his life at one point, but ready to go on Sunday.

Ty Lawson – ankle – Expected to play on Monday, start him for now.

Nene – back – Sounds like he’s ready to go.

Al Harrington – body – Could be a sneaky fantasy player this year.

Rudy Fernandez – body – Not much value with Arron Afflalo on board.

Charlie Villanueva – suspended – Out for the first 4 games, Jonas Jerebko benefits.

Stephen Curry – ankle – Says he’s going to try to play, but hasn’t made a decision yet.

Monta Ellis – shoulder – Dinged up his shoulder, but sounds like he’s fine.

Patrick Patterson – ankle – Still hasn’t practiced due to ankle surgery, should be ready soon.

Eric Bledsoe – knee surgery – An afterthought with CP3, Chauncey and Mo-Will in the house.

Andrew Bynum – suspended – Out the first four games.

Marc Gasol – ankle – Iffy for opening day, watch for updates, but no news is probably good news.

Shane Battier – quad – Making progress, but I’d bench him for now.

Mike Miller – groin – Out for a few more weeks.

Wes Johnson – ankle – Guessing he’ll play in opener.

Kevin Love – ankle – A little dinged up, but good to go.

Jose Juan Barea – body – Skipped a practice, but should be ready to go.

Ricky Rubio – ankle – Practiced Thursday and should be ready.

Nikola Pekovic – groin – Don’t count on seeing him for a week or two. Darko Milicic gets boost.

Carlos Delfino – wrist – Sounds ready to go.  

Andrew Bogut – back – Missed a couple practices, but should play Monday.

Brook Lopez – foot – Half season lost, if not more.

Jarrett Jack – Suspended – Out for first game. No name should start at PG.

Quincy Pondexter – knee – Should be ready to go after knee scare.

Mike Bibby – back – Iffy for opener, not much fantasy value anyway.

Jared Jeffries – calf – Iffy for opener, ditto.

Baron Davis – back – Still out, but closer to playing than we thought.

Bill Walker – groin – Sounds 50-50 for opener.

Thabo Sefolosha – foot – Day-to-day, but I sense he’ll start.

Lazar Hayward – thumb – Day-to-day, no fantasy value.

Hedo Turkoglu – hip – Sounds like he’s good to go for Sunday.

Lou Williams – hamstring – Practiced Friday, should be good to go.

Jrue Holiday – Achilles – Has sore Achilles, but should be fine. Play him.

Marcin Gortat – thumb – Says he’ll play through broken thumb. Start him.

Marcus Camby – knee – Will be a problem all year, but likely starting opening night.

Greg Oden – knee – Could need more surgery, leaving another season in doubt.

Gary Neal – abdomen – Should miss most of Week 1.

Marcus Thornton – abdomen – Returned to practice, should be good to go.

DeMarcus Cousins – knee – Saw photo of him icing knee, but should be fine.

Tyreke Evans – shoulder – Banged his shoulder Saturday, but sounds like he’ll play.

Linas Kleiza – knee surgery – Could miss first few weeks of season.

Paul Millsap – quad – Says he’s ready to go, but Derrick Favors will push him.

Jan Vesely – hip – Limited, bench him if you can for now.

Week 1 is finally here, as Christmas Day kicks off with five games.

Noon: Celtics @ Knicks

2:30: Heat @ Mavs

5:00: Bulls @ Lakers

8:00: Magic @ Thunder

10:30: Clippers @ Warriors

Week 1 Games Played:

6 Games; Lakers

5 Games: Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, Nuggets, Heat, Nets, Thunder, Magic, Kings.

4 Games: Hawks, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Hornets, Knicks, Sixers, Suns, Blazers, Spurs, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards.

3 Games; Bucks.

Many of us will spend Saturday night setting our fantasy lineups for Week 1, which is going to be very interesting.  You have to wonder how many guys will make it through the week in one piece, while several others are already a mess.  Here’s what’s been happening around the league.

Get Rotoworld's NBA Draft Guide Now!

NET MOVES

Things have not been quiet in New Jersey, as Brook Lopez had foot surgery and will miss at least half the season.  HoopsWorld’s Tommy Beer drafted him in one of our leagues Friday night and jokes about when he will drop him ensued.  My guess is as that it will be as soon as the waiver wire opens.  Unless you’re in a league that uses an IR and allows you to pick up a healthy player while holding an injured one, I am guessing that Lopez is not going to be worth hanging onto this year.  He’ll miss half the season and could very easily miss the whole thing.  And it’s not like his foot is going to magically be 100 percent a couple months from now.  He’s probably going to struggle to get back into game shape, etc.

Around the same time news of Lopez’s foot was making the rounds, the Nets re-signed Kris Humphries and picked up Jazz C Mehmet Okur in a salary dump.  Humphries was booed like he was LeBron returning to Cleveland the other night and the E! television star might have bitten off more than he can chew.  If the boos continue (and based on a conversation I had at lunch today with my sister-in-law, Liz, they will), Humphries is going to hear it all season long.  And I’m not convinced his skin is thick enough that he’ll be able to embrace the role of villain. The loss of Lopez is a huge break for Humps and his owners, but I still don’t think he’s going to be as good as he was last year this time around.

As for Okur, I think he should be owned in all leagues with 12 or more teams, and in most 10-league teams.  He’s not going to be a huge rebounder, but should score, hit threes and be a serviceable starting fantasy center.

SAMMY D

Samuel Dalembert has yet to practice with the Rockets, but is set to play on Monday.  It could take him a month to get going, but he should be owned in all leagues.  I’m expecting a breakout season from him, as he will finally be allowed to be ‘the man’ on his team.

LAKERS LINEUP SURPRISE

Devin Ebanks is expected to start at small forward for the Lakers, meaning both Ron Artest and Matt Barnes will come off the bench.  Josh McRoberts will start at PF for the first four games while Andrew Bynum is suspended, while Pau Gasol will move to center.  And while Kobe Bryant has a torn ligament in his shooting wrist, he isn’t even considering sitting out.   Get him in your lineup.  And while Troy Murphy will also help McBob play power forward for the first week, he just doesn’t feel like a must-own player to me.

PIERCE DOWN

Paul Pierce’s heel injury is kind of a big deal and it sounds like there’s an excellent chance Sasha Pavlovic (and not Marquis Daniels) will start for the C’s on Sunday.  Daniels is probably a better player to own than Pavlovic, while Pierce owners have to be feeling some buyer’s remorse early.

HAYES TO START FOR KINGS

Chuck Hayes not only found out his heart was fine and re-signed with the Kings, but will actually start over Jason Thompson and J.J. Hickson for the Kings.   They’ve got a ton of quality big men and guards, and I have no idea how things will shake out.  The odds are in the favor of guys like Tyreke Evans, Marcus Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins, but things could get a little dicey if they all stay healthy.

POSITION BATTLE IN UTAH

Derrick Favors is giving Paul Millsap a serious run for his money in Utah and while Millsap, who returned to practice on Saturday (quad), is expected to start, Favors has possibly earned a full timeshare.  If Favors is still on waivers in your league, he probably shouldn’t be.

MOZGOV SHOULD START AT C FOR DENVER

Timofey Mozgov looks like the starting C for Denver, with Nene playing PF.  Mozgov is a very intriguing fantasy sleeper.  I’m assuming Arron Afflalo will start at SG.  He missed camp, but is a gym rat and should be in good shape.

PISTONS STARTERS UP IN AIR

It’s still unknown who will start for Pistons on opening day but my guess is: PG Rodney Stuckey, SG Ben Gordon, SF Tayshaun Prince, PF Jonas Jerebko (CV suspended), C Greg Monroe.

STEPH CURRY

He will decide Saturday if he can play on Sunday, but we still haven’t heard anything.  He missed practice on Saturday and I’d be a little surprised if he plays.  Stay tuned.

HANSBROUGH SUPER SLEEPER

Tyler Hansbrough is behind David West on the depth chart, but it sounds like he’ll play a ton of minutes.  He looked great in the preseason and should be owned in most leagues.

DARKO MANIA

Nikola Pekovic will be out a week or two with a groin injury meaning Darko Milicic should see most of the center minutes for the Wolves.  I have no problem starting Darko in Week 1, while he’s still healthy.

JAMES JOHNSON MANIA

James Johnson looks like the starting SF for Toronto and should rack up plenty of steals and blocks.  I like him as a sleeper and am a fan of picking him up if you have room.

WIZ NUTZ

We still don’t know if it will be Jordan Crawford or Nick Young starting at SG for the Wizards.  Both are probably worth owning, while Crawford has the most upside (and very shaky shooting).  

SUSPENSION BUZZ

Andrew Bynum – First 4 games. Josh McRoberts starting.

Charlie Villanueva – First 3 games.  Jonas Jerebko starting.

Jarrett Jack – First game.  Assuming Carldell Johnson or Jerome Dyson starts.  Yikes.

Check me out on Twitter.

INJURY BUZZ

Jeff Teague – ankle – Should play in opener.

Kirk Hinrich – shoulder – Ahead of schedule, maybe ready for Week 2.

Paul Pierce – heel – Would be surprising to see him on Sunday.

Tyrus Thomas – ankle – Sounds doubtful for opener.

Jason Terry – illness – Feared for his life at one point, but ready to go on Sunday.

Ty Lawson – ankle – Expected to play on Monday, start him for now.

Nene – back – Sounds like he’s ready to go.

Al Harrington – body – Could be a sneaky fantasy player this year.

Rudy Fernandez – body – Not much value with Arron Afflalo on board.

Charlie Villanueva – suspended – Out for the first 4 games, Jonas Jerebko benefits.

Stephen Curry – ankle – Says he’s going to try to play, but hasn’t made a decision yet.

Monta Ellis – shoulder – Dinged up his shoulder, but sounds like he’s fine.

Patrick Patterson – ankle – Still hasn’t practiced due to ankle surgery, should be ready soon.

Eric Bledsoe – knee surgery – An afterthought with CP3, Chauncey and Mo-Will in the house.

Andrew Bynum – suspended – Out the first four games.

Marc Gasol – ankle – Iffy for opening day, watch for updates, but no news is probably good news.

Shane Battier – quad – Making progress, but I’d bench him for now.

Mike Miller – groin – Out for a few more weeks.

Wes Johnson – ankle – Guessing he’ll play in opener.

Kevin Love – ankle – A little dinged up, but good to go.

Jose Juan Barea – body – Skipped a practice, but should be ready to go.

Ricky Rubio – ankle – Practiced Thursday and should be ready.

Nikola Pekovic – groin – Don’t count on seeing him for a week or two. Darko Milicic gets boost.

Carlos Delfino – wrist – Sounds ready to go.  

Andrew Bogut – back – Missed a couple practices, but should play Monday.

Brook Lopez – foot – Half season lost, if not more.

Jarrett Jack – Suspended – Out for first game. No name should start at PG.

Quincy Pondexter – knee – Should be ready to go after knee scare.

Mike Bibby – back – Iffy for opener, not much fantasy value anyway.

Jared Jeffries – calf – Iffy for opener, ditto.

Baron Davis – back – Still out, but closer to playing than we thought.

Bill Walker – groin – Sounds 50-50 for opener.

Thabo Sefolosha – foot – Day-to-day, but I sense he’ll start.

Lazar Hayward – thumb – Day-to-day, no fantasy value.

Hedo Turkoglu – hip – Sounds like he’s good to go for Sunday.

Lou Williams – hamstring – Practiced Friday, should be good to go.

Jrue Holiday – Achilles – Has sore Achilles, but should be fine. Play him.

Marcin Gortat – thumb – Says he’ll play through broken thumb. Start him.

Marcus Camby – knee – Will be a problem all year, but likely starting opening night.

Greg Oden – knee – Could need more surgery, leaving another season in doubt.

Gary Neal – abdomen – Should miss most of Week 1.

Marcus Thornton – abdomen – Returned to practice, should be good to go.

DeMarcus Cousins – knee – Saw photo of him icing knee, but should be fine.

Tyreke Evans – shoulder – Banged his shoulder Saturday, but sounds like he’ll play.

Linas Kleiza – knee surgery – Could miss first few weeks of season.

Paul Millsap – quad – Says he’s ready to go, but Derrick Favors will push him.

Jan Vesely – hip – Limited, bench him if you can for now.