Kings Trade Webber to 76ers for Kenny Thomas, Spare Tire

The dejected C-Webb


News of the following trade broke late Wednesday night:

SACRAMENTO receives:

Brian Skinner
Kenny Thomas
Corliss Williamson

PHILADELPHIA receives:

Chris Webber
Matt Barnes
Michael Bradley

Apparently, the Kings felt it necessary to undo the windfall that was the acquisition of Cuttino Mobley (and Michael Bradley).

In effect, now, the Kings have traded Doug Christie and Chris Webber for Cuttino Mobley, Brian Skinner, Corliss Williamson. and Kenny Thomas. Seems like kind of a mish-mash, doesn't it? Surely there must be some design here...

THEY SET ME UP

Obviously, the deal is financially motivated. Webber had three years left on a contract that was paying him over $18 MILLION per year, on average. The Petries of Sacramento were either stupid enough or desperate enough to sign Webber to a 7 year, $127 million deal... in 2001. Those were the salad days for Webber, as he was putting up 25 points a game on 50% shooting, with 10 boards and close to 5 assists to go along with 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks.

But but but... Webber played only 70 games in 2000, and 54 in 2001. The handwriting was on the wall that Webber had already begun his decline phase. Well here he is, halfway into this contract, performing pretty well on one knee, and looking like an absolutely awful bet to keep playing anywhere near this well (if at all) by the final two years of this contract.

Still, I don't see how this improves the Kings in the short-term, or in the long term. I'd like to know more about the contracts of the guys acquired--hopefully they expire soon--because none of the new acquisitions is a particularly good match in Sacramento. Yes, Williamson has been here before, and been successful... as a backup to Webber. Let's see how he does now, older, as a backup to Kenny Thomas.

Chris Webber is getting disrespected here. It has to sting a little bit for a man who ressurected the franchise in Sacramento. He's getting traded for absolute trash. If Chris Webber can maintain a similar level of production and reasonable health over the remainder of his contract, I say he's a lock for the Hall of Fame. That's like, really, really good.

Neither Kenny Thomas, nor Corliss Williamson, nor Brian Skinner (especially not Brian Skinner) is fit to sniff Webber's jock. And yet there he is, getting traded for them. Take the talented, young Matt Barnes and Michael Bradley also, please, so that you my take our All Star for your table scraps.

THE NEW LOOK KINGS

Bottom line: The Kings didn't get younger; they didn't get better; they didn't get more athletic; they didn't get more versatile. They went and acquired two lifetime sixth men and spot starters, and another guy who probably doesn't deserve a spot in the Association anymore. I hope for their sake that they are saving a whole, whole bunch of money, and that the contracts of their new acquisitions expire soon. These are the guys that were and have been instrumental in making Philadelphia suck!

Say hello to your Sacramento Kings:

PG Bibby
SG Mobley
SF Stojakovic
PF Kenny Thomas/Corliss Williamson
C Brad Miller

What can I say? I don't like the move. This seriously hurts the Kings' chances of competing deep into the playoffs this year. What could make this sting even worse down the road, even if both of Webber's knees explode tomorrow, is that both Bradley and Barnes are talented, and could emerge as the second and third most valuable players involved in this deal, given time to grow and time to play.

THE NEW LOOK SIXERS

Say hello to your Philadelphia 76ers

PG Allen Iverson
SG Andre Iguodala
SF Kyle Korver
PF Chris Webber
C Sam Dalembert/Marc Jackson

Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is a well-constructed lineup, that now has oustanding rebounding, defense, and scoring in the post to go along with a backcourt that features great perimeter defense and the ability to either hit the sweet, sweet 3 (Korver) or slash to the lane and score or dish (the Two AIs).

It will be interesting to see the extent to which Philadelphia's offense gets diverted to the post.

For Webber to get his dimes, he needs to have the ball in his hands standing near the top of the key, and it's hard to see Iverson giving up that responsiblity (he should). On the other hand, if they do let Webber do his thang, he has some great targets to find standing on the wing or on devastating backdoor cuts (Iguodala and Iverson: they're fast).

It'll also be interesting to see how Webber's scoring is affected. It could go up, because Philly does not have anywhere near the offensive weaponry that Sacramento did. Korver's a good scorer, but probably not a good #2 scorer. Iverson likes his shots, to be sure, but I think Webber will continue to get his at a clip similar to what he's been doing.

This trade could be good, fantasy wise, for every player in the Philly starting lineup. If C-Webb's knee holds up, he'll provide great stability for this playoff-hungry team.

Perhaps the biggest fantasy benefactor of the trade is Sacramento's Brad Miller. When Webber has been on the shelf this year, he's been spectacular. He doesn't turn the ball over and he drops the dimes... a lot. Webber was taking his touches and his dimes. I don't think 16 10 5 1.5 1.5 is outlandish to expect from Miller for the remainder of the season. He may even improve on that. He's quite good. His minutes will be up and his role will be increased.

This is the very definition of a blockbuster trade. We'll have to wait a little bit before we can really analyze the fallout.

Gasol Redux: Foot Fracture

Look who showed up at the party:

***

Feb 22 The timetable for Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol is uncertain, but the team knows he will not return to action this week, according to the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. The injury had been classified as a sprained foot, then a sore foot, and last week X-rays revealed a thin fracture. Memphis head coach Mike Fratello was quoted as saying, "If he misses a total of six, seven or eight weeks and comes back healthy and give us a lot for the stretch run, then that's very important."

Views: The problem with coach Fratello's statement is it doesn't help fantasy owners who were planning on relying on Gasol's expected production this season. With Gasol and Stromile Swift out indefinitely, this clearly makes the Grizzlies grasp on the seventh seed in the Western conference, as fragile as, well, an ankle or foot in the Memphis locker room. Fantasy owners should continue to leave Gasol inactive until further notice.

***

There's Fanball for you. Apparently, Fanball missed out on the "plantar fasciitis" classification, which was the most recent.

I told you on January 25 that something was very wrong with Pau Gasol's foot, and it was more than the Grizzlies were letting on (or, as it turns out, knew).

Foot problems are a big topic of discussion on this blog; if you've read them, you'll know that foot fracture is one of the differential diagnoses for plantar fasciitis. Yeah, on this one, it looks like the docs missed that little, um, fracture in the middle of Pau's foot.

They probably have reason to be sheepish, as he's probably been "rehabbing" his broken foot as though he had plantar fasciitis. Something tells me that if the X-ray had been recogized as positive the first time out, Pau would have spent a lot more time in an immobile boot.

Pau's been on the IL now for more than a month. I'd be shocked if he were back before another month has come and gone. Actually, I'd be surprised, knowing what I do now, if he weren't out longer.

I don't think you can realistically expect Gasol to come back at any point this regular season and be quite the player he was before the injury. It's going to take some time. Maybe I'm wrong, though. Gasol owners, cross your fingers.

SPIN

If only the spin were that easy. I told you to pick up Stromile Swift when Gasol first went out, and he's been good. Problem is, Stromile just went out with a major foot injury being described right now as a severe sprain.

For what it's worth, Stromile says the pain is so bad that "he can't even think about playing basketball" right now. Ouch. See, Stromile, that's the problem. Thinking... it shouldn't hurt. We have to remember here that Stromile Swift's alma mater, LSU, famous for its student athletes, is the same place that produced Shaquille "Big Aristotle" O'Neal, who is a serious idiot and has never seemed to care.

Keep an eye on Battier's (can they go any higher?!) and Lorenzen Wright's minutes. With no one to share minutes with in the frontcourt, he could be a great points and rebounds guy and a definite double-double candidate.

Blowing Up: Joel Przybilla

Joel Przybilla, C, Portland Trail Blazers

If you don't know, you better ask somebody.

If you need blocks and rebounds--and maybe even if you don't--Joel Przybilla needs to be on your roster right now.

He's been so good recently in these two categories that it might be worth your while to pick him up, even if you don't intend to play him, just so one of your leaguemates can't pick him up, play him, and erode your numbers in these categories.

Pryzbilla's numbers over the past five games are, in a word, dominant. In two words, they're uber-dominant.

During the month of February, Godzylla (props to Shep at Give Me The Rock for the nickname and the original dime on Przybilla when he first started showing signs of life a week or two ago) has averaged 11.1 REB and 3.2 BLK in 9 games.

Over the same time span, Ben Wallace (who I drafted in the second round) has averaged 10.0 REB and 2.1 BLK. If I was certain that Przybilla would average over 30 minutes a game for the rest of the season, I'd be tempted to trade Big Ben right about now for other needs.

There are a couple of major differences between Wallace and Godzylla.

First, Joel actually knows how to finish around the hoop. Ben is shooting .450 from the field this season, improving on his atrocies .421 FG last year. Ouch. Przybilla is shooting .641 FG this season. Nice.

Second, Benson steals the ball, a lot, to the tune of 1.8 per game this year. This is a skill that's exceedingly rare at the C, and one that shouldn't be overlooked. Przybilla couldn't steal the ball if you threw it at his hands.

I'm not saying Joel is as good as Ben. I am saying that the difference isn't as big as you think it is.

PLAYING TIME FORECAST

Przybilla's minutes have been up recently for a few reasons.

First, and most obviously, he's good, he's a hard worker, and he has a good attitude. All three will eventually impress someone in the league, even if you are a corny ass white dude, and they'll impress even more on a team where the latter two are in very short supply.

Second, Theo Ratliff is all banged up. He's got shoulder bursitis (making it very difficult to block shots), and he apparently has a calf injury. Last night he only played 24 minutes to Przybilla's 40 (tied with Damon Stoudamire for most on the squad).

Third, Przybilla is better than Ratliff. He might not have quite the blocks ceiling that Ratliff does--but he's close--and unlike the Rattler, Przybilla can actually a) grab rebounds like a big man should and b) throw the ball in the net when he's standing next the basket, like a big man should.

Fourth, Zach Randolph's injury woes continue. He's missed the past two games with the same problematic knee that caused him to miss six games at the end of January. Adding it up, that's 8 games in the space of one month, which, for the sake of comparison, is the same number of games that Chris Webber has missed this year with his chronic knee trouble. Hmmmm... To top it off, Randolph hasn't actually started a game since January 12.

Add these things up and you'll realize that things are changing up in Portland in repsonse to talent and necessity. Przybilla stands a great chance to keep playing big minutes, even when Randolph gets back. He looks like the kind of guy who can control the paint for many years to come (he's only 25), and he's a great fit with what they're trying to do right now in the Rose City.

If you have the means, I highly recommend picking him up.

Eddy Curry: One Skinny Motherfucker

Seriously, has anyone really noticed this? The first picture shows Big Eddy during his rookie year in Chi-Town. Yikes. Rumor has it that his toes didn't actually make it off the ground that entire year.

The second is a picture of Eddy from this year.

See, that thing around his face on the right is called a "jaw". Before, you'll notice, he didn't have one.

How much more does a brother have to do to get props for his motivation?

Curry's post scoring has remained prolific and efficient in the minutes he's played this year, he blocks a shot per game, and in January he shot .778 from the line. GM John Paxson stonewalled Curry's trade demand in the offseason and insisted that Curry needed to understand that the answer to his problems was to improve, regardless of where he was.

Curry's done that this year in Chicago.

He deserves to be rewarded with more minutes, and he (like the rest of the Bulls) deserves to be playing more consistent minutes. The question on Eddy's mind every night when he goes to bed has got to be: "When is this dude [Scott Skiles] going to stop fucking with me?"

On the year, he's shooting .535 FG on a team that's desperate for consistent scoring.

Tonight, with Chandler out with injury, Curry played a whopping 44 minutes and scored 25 points on 8-12 FG and 9-15 FT. He added a steal and a block. Here's the kicker: he also grabbed 12 rebounds.

He's playing a puny 29.1 minutes this year, which is actually down from last year's 29.5.

That's not fair. Paxson and Skiles need to hold up their end of the bargain and show Curry more time on the court.

Blowing Up: Melvin Ely

Melvin Ely, FC, Charlotte Bobcats

Trust me, he's blowing up.

Read the full story at http://fantasy-nba.blogspot.com

Alas poor Jaric!

Marko Jaric, PG, LA Clippers

Marko Jaric is again being bothered by pain in his right foot.

This is the same foot in which he suffered a stress fracture in late December. He proceeded to miss 17 games.

Ironically, Jaric told the O.C. Register that the foot started bothering him again only after he had a knee-on-knee collision with a Philadelphia defender in the Clippers' game on Sunday night. Hm, that's strange. He told the LA Times that he would have taken himself out of the game if the Clippers weren't already so shorthanded (see: Corey Maggette, Shaun Livingston, and Kerry Kittles).

Perhaps this is what caused Marko to chug so much cock against the Sixers, putting up zero points (yes that's right), 5 rebounds, 7 asssists, and 3 turnovers, while contributing nothing on the defensive end. Took him 30 minutes to do that.

About the injury, Jaric said tellingly, "My foot started hurting me, again. It's so frustrating."

Marko, imagine how your fantasy owners must feel!

What's interesting about this injury, you may ask?

Well I'll tell you what's interesting. If you read my article a couple of weeks ago about Pau Gasol's plantar fasciitis, you would have read that plantar fasciitis feels to the person who is injured a lot like stress fractures of the heel. The two are often misdiagnosed for one another.

Before you start thinking I'm a nut who has plantar fasciitis on the brain, please refer to this article, dated 11/19/2003, from the Official Website of the Los Angeles Clippers. In it you'll find that a November 2003 MRI revealed a partial tear of the plantar fascia of his left foot.

He came back that season only to go back to the IL in March of 2004 (same season) after an MRI revealed that what was initially thought to be a "deep bone bruise" (it's never a deep bone bruise... a "bruise" is what you call it when you are too scared to do an MRI) was, in point of fact, a stress fracture of the second metatarsal of the left foot.

Hmmmm...

No, it's not the same foot as it is this time around.

But if you're like me, you're more worried now that he has long-term injury concerns in both feet.

Furthermore, if you buy into my argument (and the arguments of many whose medical credentials are far more impressive than having worked for two summers in a doctor's office) that some people have poorly structured feet that distribute pressure along the foot in ways more likely to cause chronic foot injuries, you should be very concerned about Jaric's foot.

Make that feet.

We still don't know what's really going on here. Expect another MRI on this foot very soon.

In related news, Shaun Livington's dislocated right kneecap feels fine, he's practicing with the team, and he's expected to return before the All-Star Break. He'd be cutting into Jaric's minutes even if Marko were completely healthy.

Now might be a good time to eschew conventional wisdom and sell low on Jaric.

Daily Dime #2: Return of the Kings

DET 85, NJN 107

I think Vince Carter likes it in Jersey.

Tonight he went off for 41 PTS, 11 REB, and 5 AST, to go along with 2 threes, 2 BLK, and 2 STL. Only three turns. 14-27 (.519) FG and 11-13 (.846) FT. If only I'd acquired him when he wasn't trying... Too late now. It's off the races for the rest of the season in the Meadowlands if his knee and Achilles and motivation hold out.

After games like his last two, Chauncey Billups was bound to give some back. Tonight he did, in a big way, going 3-10 from the field and 0-4 from three en route to 9 PTS, 2 REB, 5 AST... and here's the kicker: 6 turnovers. Yikes.

Very clean performance from Tayshaun Prince. 17 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 1 TO, 1 three on 6-13 FG and 4-4 FT. But you know what the best part is? 4 BLK.

Detroit really got played like bitches in this game.

Darko even got some run at the end of this one and the no-longer-so-early returns confirm early diagnoses of his uselessness. In five minutes he missed one shot, grabbed one board, and committed one foul.

IND 84, ATL 79

Another nasty game for the boys in Indy and Atlanta.

DJ Jermaine scored 38 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, dropped two dimes and turned the ball over thrice. He went 15-23 from the field and 8-9 from the line. Would asking for at least one block or one steal be asking too much?

Tinsley sat this one out with a bruised left foot.

Stephen Jackson, back from his most recent suspension, really shat the bed.

I'll swallow my pride enough to acknowledge that both Al Harrington and Antoine Walker had very valuable fantasy nights, but I won't tell you exactly what they did, for fear you'll start thinking they're good, and then go do something stupid, like acquire one or both of them.

MIL 94, WAS 112

Mark my words: if Mike James keeps playing anywhere in the neighborhood of the 37 minutes he played tonight, he'll be a great add. 22 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 8-17 1-2 9-10. Nice.

Kukoc is dusting off those knees for another run at fantasy usefulness.

It looks like the Juan Dixon train has come to an inexplicable end in Washington. He played only 17 minutes tonight and did not impress. Steve Blake played 18. Jarvis Hayes played 32 and looked pretty umimpressive himself. Trust me: Juan Dixon is better than Jarvis Hayes, and he's much better than Steve Blake.

Etan Thomas had a bit of a breakout game with 23 points and 8 boards on hot FG shooting. He played 30 minutes. The force is strong with this one, particularly in rebounding and potentially in blocks. Keep an eye on him.

ORL 92, CLE 101

Grant Hill continues to do his thang thang despite a sore wrist, going for 17 PTS 6 AST 4 REB 2 STL 3 TO. The only thing that's suffering is his FT, and most teams can afford that hit.

Franchise: 9 AST/7 TO. He is not a point guard. Move him over to SG and I guarantee his turnovers will go down, his shooting percentages will go up, and his teammates will be happier.

LeBronius did 30 PTS, 9 AST and 6 REB to go along with 2 STL and only 1 TO. 9-21 FG and 12-13 FT. He's a manchild. Um, he shouldn't be on your wire, but just in case... he looks like a good add right now.

Drew Gooden had a nice night of 16-10-4.

Zydrunas forgot how to shoot tonight and he didn't feel like blocking shots.

But he still looks like that guy from FARGO.


Zydrunas Ilgauskas & Peter Stormare

CHI 97, MIA 108

Just when you thought the Bulls were starting to look good again, Scott Skiles decides to start dicking with his lineup. Skiles, known for being a screamer, and never the most patient teacher, feels like he needs to get "some more energy" into the lineup.

So he inserts Othella Harrington into the starting lineup and proceeds to play him a grand total of 4 minutes. Genius. Pure genius.

Basketball players are people, too. Having defined roles helps them succeed. Scotty doesn't seem to get this.

Kirk Hinrich's shooting has been icy-cold for a while now, and I feel I'm being punished for gloating about him so much. He played 31 minutes before fouling out and went for 15 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 three, and 1 turnover on (wait for it) 6-19 shooting from the field. If this is one of his bad nights, I can handle it. Look for him to go on a hot streak--like a seriously hot streak--sometime in the next two weeks, once Scotty has gotten the bunch out of his panties and Kirk knows the guys he'll be playing with on a nightly basis.

Curry played only 20 minutes but went 7-13 1-1 for 15 points. He also threw in 3 rebounds and 1 assist with no defense and no turnovers. I love Curry's offensive potential, but I can see why Scotty's a little upset: it's almost like Eddy is jumping out of the way of rebounds. And his block numbers, which had started to swell briefly to a point where Eddy was startable... well, they're no longer swollen. He's playing 23.0 minutes over his last five and going for 13 PTS and a little over 3 REBS in that time. Plenty turnovers. Not good.

Shaquille blew up ridiculous, going off for 26 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 5 BLK, 1 STL, 3 TO. BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE MAN would it kill you to do something about the free throws? He took 17 of them and he made 6. Damn, damn, damn. 8 year olds shooting granny style have better luck at the line than Shaq. Maybe he should try it. The average adult male would fare better while standing blindfolded at the line. It's just not acceptable, but those other numbers are so, so tasty that we can't stay mad at the Diesel for too long.

D Wade is the man. We all know this now. 25 PTS, 6 REB, 2 STL on 7-18 FG and 11-13 FT. Wade's uselessness from beyond the arc, his propensity to turn the ball over, and his unremarkable FT are the only things keeping him from being a truly elite fantasy guard. He's a great own and a great add, but look for him to improve these things before taking him in the first or second next year...

NYK 106, PHX 114

The Sun Show keeps rolling.

Not a game goes by where Nash's lines don't make me want to vomit. He's incredibly good. It's a career year in an already awesome career, and it's not going to change any time soon.

Nice (but just about average) nights for Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire in this one.

Joe Johnson and Q Rich both sucked tonight. Q Rich really really sucked. It looks like Jim Jackson might be taking some of Q's minutes. Maybe it's that killer Knick perimeter D that kept them so quiet.

Kurt Thomas had 4 points and 21 boards. Daaaaaamn.

Stephon went 33-4-6 with a steal, a block, and two threes. Great shooting, too. He's a keeper. But he's no Steve Nash.

NOR 92, UTA 108

Dickau is still blowing up, but not quite as ridiculous as games past. 14 points, 5 rebs, 4 dimes, 2 threes. Shooting didn't look so great, though, and he turned it over 4 times.

I'm already sick of Kirilenko's return to the lineup. He just too good and too not owned by me. I shan't discuss it.

GSW 91, DEN 107

Golden State looked tonight like the basketball wasteland that it is. Speedy brightened things only a little.

For what it's worth, Montgomery was never able to use his athletic players properly when he was at Stanford. We're talking about a guy who functions best with twelve white dudes playing half-court sets in suburban gymnasiums. This is a man who started Tony Giovacchini over Julius Barnes. What was the logic behind giving him a team full of NBA players?

K-Mart looking good. Carmelo looking overrated, again.

It looks like Karl's moving towards a pretty even minutes split between Camby and Nene. Good for Nene owners, bad for Camby owners.

CHA 99, SEA 113

Ray-Ray did it. So did Luke Ridnour, putting together an obscenely clean night. He played 40 minutes and Antonio Daniels played only 24. Keep an eye on this PT battle. Radmanovic made five threes and scored 23 points. This means that next time he goes scoreless, right?

SAC 108, POR 114

Webber, Stojakovic, and Mobley were all back in the lineup tonight after missing a few games each with nagging injuries.

Webber decided to celebrate for all three of them by dropping the old triple deuce, to the tune of 20 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. He also grabbed 4 steals and had the audacity to also drop a three pointer all up in that ass. Was he limping up and down the floor? My sources say yes. But that doesn't show up in the box.

Mike Bibby had a ridiculous night, scoring 35 points, grabbing five boards, dropping five dimes and 4 threes, all while finding the time to register one steal and one block against only 2 TOs.

So one would think that D. Miles and Zach Randolph would have regained their starting spots by now, but this is not the case. Randolph came off the bench to records 28 points and 12 rebounds in 33 minutes. D. Miles had 3 blocks and 1 steal in 22 minutes. He needs to start kissing Maurice's Cheeks if that's what it takes to get back in his good graces and playing more minutes. Do it for all of your fantasy owners, Darius. Ain't no shame in it.

Joel Przybilla continues to hint at his vast fantasy potential, grabbing 12 boards to go along with 8 points, 2 assists, and 1 block in 29 minutes. Either Godzylla or the Rattler is going to have to go back to the bench to make room for Randolph... The fact that Przybilla played 5 more minutes than Theo did gives me hope that Joel's tenacity on the boards will keep him in the starting rotation.

Fantasy Basketball & Baseball Blog Notes

Just wanted to say a few words about the blogs I've linked in the sidebar.

easyMarksman

For those of who haven't checked it out yet, easyMarksman is a great blog with regular updates and a proprietary player rater.

Check out Biggs' recent article on players who are moving up rapidly in the Player Rater.

Give Me The Rock

This site is a compendium of fantasy basketball information. Nobody links to more sites or more useful sites than this one.

In addition to being way, way stoked about his blog's success, Shep, the author of this page, is the Osiris of this fantasy basketball shit, and is also the editor of the DMOZ project's fantasy basketball directory. Give Me The Link!

Available in RSS.

Fantasy NBA Blog

OK, OK, a clever name it isn't... but I'm sure it indexes well in the old search engines.

Seriously, though, the content here is superb and extremely, extremely regular. If you've ever read my Daily Dime (actually there's only been one; I'm hoping to make it more of a weekly affair), you'll love their Daily Report, which actually is daily. A college lifestyle produces the kind of free time and lack of other options that can, when properly mixed, conspire to make a great weblog. Consider this one a hit.

Straight Flushing

Brian Doyle, in addition to being my homie and my ace, really knows his shit when it comes to all things baseball, and his analytical style in Straight Flushing will make you a fantasy baseball supergenius when the time comes to draft.

Injury City: Chris Webber

Chris Webber, PF, Sacramento Kings

As much as I hate to relate this news, Chris Webber's knee is officially fucked.

He's been a huge part of my team's success this year. I picked him in the third round and have been deliriously happy so far with his production in virtually every category.

Just after being named the NBA's Player of the Month, it looks Webber's chronic knee problems have finally caught up to him. Tonight, he missed his fourth game in a row with a sore left knee. Before those four games, he played one. The game before that, he sat out with a "sore left ankle." Yikes. That is smokescreening of the highest order.

What makes this truly unfortunate is that Chris had started to put it all together this year after almost two years of poor health. His FG was back to normal, his FT was way up, and his STL, PTS, REB, and AST were off the charts.

Name the guys in the NBA who average 20, 10, 5, and 1.5 (steals). I'll beat you to it. Garnett is the only other one who does this. LeBron is the only other one who comes close.

Buy some Rolaids and settle in for a whole season of second-guessing, because Webber is day-to-day for the rest of the year. THE REST OF THE YEAR.

If you can deal Webber for fellow King Brad Miller, now would be a great time to pull the trigger.

Otherwise, stand pat. If and when he plays, there aren't many other players who can duplicate his all-around game. Right now, I'm not comfortable dealing him for peanuts. The problem is that most of the owners in your league probably aren't, either.

Do what you can. The Dime Dropper can't do nothing about this miserable situation.

Primoz Brezec: Starter, Scorer Because of Okafor Injury

Primoz Brezec, C, Charlotte Bobcats

Emeka Okafor was placed on the IL on Tues. 2/1/05 because of a sprained left ankle.

In the meantime, Primoz Brezec will have to pick up the slack. Many will remember that he filled up the PTS and REB columns with tight numbers at the beginning of the season before his minutes started to decrease.

Recently, I compared Brezec to Mark Jackson, and suggested that the only difference between Brezec and Jackson was that the Sixers had other options at C. Consider the other option incapacitated for the time being.

Tonight, with Okafor on the shelf, Brezec was good for 17 and 17 with 2 assists and only one turnover on .438 FG. No trimmings.

If you're desperate for the good old double double categories, Brezec is a great add while Okafor is out.

Look for Primoz "I smoke not only marijuana but primos, which is cocaine mixed in with marijuana [see: limo driver at prom, c. 1999]" Brezec to continue to contribute while homeboy's ankle is on the mend.

When Emeka comes back, it's all over. Act now or forever hold your peace.

Cliff Robinson: Rolls The Best Weed Cuz He's Got It Going On

Cliff Robinson, FC, Golden State Warriors

For the unitiated, those right there are the eyes of a marijuana smoker. They're easy enough to spot if you know what to look for.

Uncle Cliffy has been convicted in the past of marijuana possession and possession of paraphernalia, so this shouldn't come as a huge surprise.

The question is: does the weed contribute to or detract from that sweet all-around game?

The answer is: for the next five games, it won't do either, because he has been suspended for five games for violating the NBA's substance abuse policy (not that I blame him).

Word on the street was that he was sitting out recently because he was injured, but it seems now that that could have been (ahem) a smokescreen while the league investigated and handed down sanctions.

Pick up Nene while Cliff's out.

Comers and Goers: The Jackson Two

This is a semi-weekly look at players who are gaining playing time and players who are losing it.

Comers


Stephen Jackson, GF, Indiana Pacers

Since returning from his suspension against Boston on January 26th, Stephen Jackson has resumed his role as scorer and long-range bomber for the Indiana Pacers. He's now played four games, and his numbers look pretty nice:

GP	FG	FT	3PM	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
4	.383	.688	2.3	16.5	5.8	2.5	2.3	0.5	2.8

What do we like about this? We really like the 2.3 threes, and we like the 2.3 steals even more. We like the fact that he's averaging 38.3 minutes in this time.

What don't we like?

Basically, we don't like anything else about it. The percentages right now are both terrible: that's .383 on 15 shots, and that hurts, badly. Although we can expect the FT to rise back to about .800 as S-Jax gets his stroke tight, it wouldn't be reasonable to expect a quantum leap forward from the .383 in FG.

Stephen wasn't a very good shooter when he was playing the role of third scorer for the Pace Show and taking 13.9 shots a game. Overall this season he's at .406. Now he's the second scorer on a team that is desperate for scoring with Artest out.

That means more shots for Stephen, and with a .406 cumulative FG so far on the season, that means you can expect that percentage to drop below the dreaded .400 plateau in the very near future as he starts hoisting up shots that would have been "unadvisable" with Artest still in the lineup. Now, those shots are necessary.

16.5 points are nice, and are a slight improvement on his pre-suspension average of 15.7, but he'll need to score more than that to make a significant contribution in the PTS category in most leagues.

On the flip side, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect Jackson to maintain his increased production in steals, as he'll also be called upon to fill, to a certain extent, Artest's defensive shoes.

Samuel Dalembert, C, Philadelphia 76ers

After spending 36 minutes on the floor last night in a relatively undistinguished performance last night, Dalembert's minutes per game average over the last five is up to 29.2. His stat line doesn't look that pretty...yet. Make sure he's on your team when it starts to.

This guy has Coach O'Brien's number. Look for big minutes to continue.

Marko Jaric, PG, LA Clippers

Jaric is officially back.

Actually, he's been off the IL since Jan. 24, but last night was his first start, finally supplanting Rick Brunson, who sucks, and who had taken Marko's spot while he was out.

He responded huge, with 15 PTS, 5 REB, 7 AST, 6 STL, 2 3PM... And zero turnovers.

This is the kind of line that makes me want to shit, seeing that Jaric is owned by the guy in second in my league.

Jaric is the kind of player who could single-handedly decide some leagues, believe it or not. He is so pointy in threes and steals, and, to a lesser extent, in assists, that he really has a chance to significantly affect final standings in these categories.

He's a big hit in FG, and his blocks and FT aren't that great, but he has the potential to be a positive contributor in every other category.

Add him. Play him. Now.

Brevin Knight, PG, Charlotte Bobcats

Brevin's back after missing five games (and the vast majority of another) with a sprained ankle.

Jason Hart, we hardly knew ye. In the six games during which Brevin was injured, Hart averaged 13.8 PTS, 8.67 AST, 5.17 REB, 2.0 TO and .67 STL. That's good for a 4.33 A/T ratio (exactly his average).

The steals aren't where I thought they might be, but for the sake of comparison, Brevin's season averages are 7.5 PTS, 9.2 AST, 2.2 REB, 2.1 TO, and 1.7 STL.

It looks to me like Brevin and Hart are very similar players. Knight steals more (although not as much more as the numbers above suggest). Hart boards more.

For now they'll split minutes. Expect Brevin to regain his starting spot when the ankle is 100%.

Darius Miles, GF, Portland Trail Blazers

Goers

The following players should not be dropped, but should probably not be starting right now...

Corey Maggette, GF, LA Clippers

Hedo Turkoglu, GF, Orlando Magic

Cliff Robinson, FC, Golden State Warriors

Speedy Claxton, PG, Golden State Warriors

Troy Murphy, F, Golden State Warriors

Jamaal Tinsley, PG, Indiana Pacers

The following players have been placed by me on general drop advisory. If you see someone blowing up on the waiver wire, you should strongly consider dropping these players in order to pick him up...


Mark Jackson, C, Philadelphia 76ers

Chances are, Mark's not wearing that pretty smile on his face right this minute.

Not unlike Primoz Brezec, Mark Jackson began the season as a good-score, good-percentage center who would board enough to keep himself in the lineup as an offensive threat.

Unlike Charlotte, Philadelphia has other options.

Problem is, Jackson has absolutely no D. He doesn't man up, he doesn't steal, he doesn't block... and he's a center.

His minutes in January decreased from 28.9 (in December) to 21.7. His scoring and rebounding dropped from 15.1 and 6.4, respectively, to 9.1 and 4.3. Over the past five games, Mark is averaging numbers that look like this:

Min	FG	FT	3PM	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
17.6	.306	.636	0.0	5.8	4.2	0.8	0.0	0.0	1.2

Ouch. Those numbers are ugly. Even his momma thinks those numbers are ugly.

Now would probably be a good time to get off the bus.

Drop them like they're hot...

Rodney Buford, GF, New Jersey Nets

Rotney wasn't filling exactly filling out the stat sheet when he took over for the injured Richard Jefferson. Now he's got torn ligaments in his left ankle. He should be out 4-6 weeks. Consider him an absolute must-drop.

In other news, it really is raining shit on the New Jersey Nets right now. Check local listings for wrist-slitting parties in your area...

Allan Houston, SG, New York Knicks

Houston went back on the IL on 1/28 with "patellofemoral arthritis" in his left knee. As nearly as I can tell, that means something like "knee-leg arthritis." Sounds like the whole thing is fucked, and arthritis isn't really the kind of thing that ever improves.

Houston says he epxects to miss "more than the five game minimum," but he doesn't think it will be season ending injury.

Dude's knee is finished. You didn't hear it from me, but I think Houston's done. I wouldn't expect him to play more than 20 more NBA games... period. Think retirement, Allan. Think it soon.

Jamal Crawford owners are stoked.

Willie Green, G, Philadelphia 76ers

Following a three game stint in which he started in place of an injured Allen Iverson and averaged 19.67 points (albeit on terrible shooting... that's the way they like it in Philly), Willie Green is back to the bench.

And by the bench, I mean the deep bench.

Last night, Iverson was back in the lineup, scoring 27 points on 8-24 shooting in 44 minutes on the floor. When a guy like that is in the lineup ahead of you, there isn't a whole lot left over.

Green racked up another DNP-CD. Expect Slick Willie to make a habit of not playing starting right about...now.

You shouldn't have added him in the first place, but just in case you did, now's the time to get over him.