Empty the Bench

Greg Oden Photo Credit: Icon SMI

See Also:
Vol. 1, Issue 1: Hoopsters 1-20
Vol. 1, Issue 2: Hoopsters 21-40
Vol. 1, Issue 3: Hoopsters 41-60
Vol. 1, Issue 4: Hoopsters 61-80

81 Al Thornton, LAC, F: This may be a reach in most drafts, but Thornton is one of the elite breakout candidates in the NBA this season. The guy is going to be a beast, and he’ll be given every opportunity to produce on an offensively challenged Clippers team. He started coming alive after the All Star break last season to the tune of 16 points and 6 boards with nearly a three, block and steal per game. Expect something in the neighborhood of 19 points, 7 boards and 3 assists with contributions in steals, blocks and threes.

82 O.J. Mayo, Mem, G: Everybody in Memphis is impressed with the kid, and why not? He just oozes “star.” On a rebuilding team Mayo should be given heavy minutes and be a focal point of the offense. The FG% may not be ideal and there will be some turnovers, but he’ll produce across the board. Just look at Monday’s box score: 26 points, 6 three-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals in 30 minutes.

83 Marvin Williams, Atl, G/F: If Marvin Williams is ever going to break out and earn that second-overall pick, this is the season. He’s 22 years old and will be given plenty of tick with Childress out of the picture. The baseline here is 17 points, 7 boards and 1 steal per game with room to be much better.

84 Brad Miller, Sac, C: 2007-08 was a nice comeback year for Miller, formerly an elite fantasy center because of his shooting skills and passing ability. Last season he returned to his 1-block, 1-steal form and grabbed nearly 10 boards a game. Add in nearly 4 assists a game and you have a center with a rare combination of tools.

85 Beno Udrih, Sac, PG: Beno was a bit of a revelation last year filling in for the injured Mike Bibby. As a starter he put up over 14 points a game with 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 three on stellar shooting: 47.5% FGs and 86.1% FTs. There’s no reason Udrih can’t keep that up for a full season.

86 Greg Oden, Por, C: Oden is likely to be drafted a little early in all draft just because he’s a name brand. Don’t bite, because this season his contributions in real basketball will outpace his fantasy relevancy. The defensive numbers will be there, but the scoring will be modest. Something like 11 points, 8 boards and 2 blocks sounds about right.

87 Richard Jefferson, NJ, SF: Jefferson has turned into a solid scorer with average assists and not much of anything else. He can get to the line, but the FT% isn’t stellar. Peanut should be the main man for Milwaukee on offense though.

88 Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cle, C: Every year it pains me to draft Big Z, but every year he continues to produce a valuable fantasy line. He just looks like he could fall apart on any given night, but the health has been there for about six years now. You know what to expect: Good shooting percentages and decent points and rebounds with some blocks sprinkled in.

89 John Salmons, Sac, G/F: We’re quite high on Salmons this season, he should get plenty of run with Ron Artest out of the picture and he always seems to produce. As a starter last season: 17.5 points, 5.4 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.6 steals and nearly 1 three on 50% FGs and 81% FTs.

90 Ben Gordon, Chi, SG: It’s hard to figure Gordon, who looks like an elite scorer for stretches and then falls into a K hole and becomes worthless for weeks at a time. This season he’s playing for a contract, so you better believe he’ll come out firing. The scoring will be there, but what else does he do?

Hoopsters 91-100 after the jump…

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Andrei Kirilenko and Kobe Bryant Photo Credit: Icon SMI

See Also:
Vol. 1, Issue 1: Hoopsters 1-20
Vol. 1, Issue 2: Hoopsters 21-40
Vol. 1, Issue 3: Hoopsters 41-60
Vol. 1, Issue 5: Hoopsters 81-100

61 Andrei Kirilenko, Utah, F: The potential for fantasy dominance is obvious. Unfortunately, Kirilenko has had trouble playing to his own strengths and staying in Coach Sloan’s good graces over the last two seasons so it’s easy to forget he was a first-round pick not long ago. Andrei still managed to finish among the top 50 in fantasy last season, and you won’t find anybody in the league who can match his five-cat contributions when AK-47 is on his game. I’m willing to gamble here.

62 Andrew Bogut, Mil, C: Bogut came into his own as a center in 2007-08, improving markedly in points, rebounds and blocks. The 1.7 blocks a game were more than triple what he put up in 2006-07, and at 23 years of age there’s still plenty of room for improvement. If you miss out on the big guns, Bogut is a capable top center.

63 T.J. Ford, Ind, PG: You have to gameplan for TJ’s deficiencies, but he’s one of the last players on the board with a legitimate chance at double-digit assists. There’s no reason Ford can’t log heavy minutes and dominate the ball in Indiana, and they have some scorers who can finish. Turnovers are still an issue, but the FG% made a huge leap last season.

64 Peja Stojakovic, NO, SF: Peja is a major gamble given the ongoing health problems, but the guy can fill it up when he’s on. He won’t do much for you in the steals, blocks or assists categories but the three-pointers are elite and the man averaged less than 1 turnover a game last season.

65 Chris Kaman, LAC, C: With Elton Brand out of town there’s no reason to think Kaman won’t get plenty of chances on offense. After a blazing start to last season he really fell off after the All Star break last season though, and it remains to be seen how he will play with Camby – they’ll be competing for blocks and boards every night.

66 Tracy McGrady, Hou, G/F: I felt compelled to rank T-Mac in the top 70, but there’s absolutely no way I’m touching him this season. He’s already got a laundry list of ailments. It’s jut not worth it, let his ongoing injury melodrama be somebody else’s problem to deal with all season.

67 Tyson Chandler, NO, C: The 1.5 blocks were OK, but I’d like to see a few more from such an offensively challenged player. That said, he has a good shot at being among the league leaders in rebounds and FG% once again. The Paul-to-Chandley oop is one of the prettiest plays in basketball.

68 Samuel Dalembert, Phi, C: Count me among Bert’s supporters. A late comer to the basketball scene, his fundamentals and footwork get better every year. With Brand drawing doubles Dalembert should be open often, but he may lose some rebounds to Brand as well.

69 Jason Terry, Dal, G: I don’t see how Jason Terry comes off the bench all season, he’s just too good. Even if he does, the all-around efficiency is a thing of beauty to fantasy owners. We’d like to see the points, assists and minutes return to 2006-07 form, but only 1.1 turnover a game and 85.7% FTs helped balance that out.

70 Charlie Villanueva, Mil, F: This is an aggressive ranking for a 26-year-old who didn’t finish in the top 150 last season, but we expect a breakout year from Charlie V this season. He’s going to be given plenty of minutes, and the man produces fantasy lines when given the opportunity. Decent points and boards with a few blocks, a few threes, a few steals and low turnovers – call him Sheed Light.

Hoopsters 71-80 after the jump…

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Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant Photo Credit: Icon SMI

See Also:
Vol. 1, Issue 1: Hoopsters 1-20
Vol. 1, Issue 2: Hoopsters 21-40
Vol. 1, Issue 4: Hoopsters 61-80
Vol. 1, Issue 5: Hoopsters 81-100

41 Kevin Durant, OKC, G/F: Once Durant learns to play within himself, improves his shot selection, and adapts to the physicality of NBA defense he’ll be a perennial first- or second-round pick. He’s not there yet, so you’ll have to deal with the turnovers and a low FG% on a high volume of shots. On the plus side, Durant is showing some intriguing versatility in the preseason thus far and should be good for some monster performances.

42 LaMarcus Aldridge, Por, PF/C: I’m as big a LaMarcus Aldridge fan as anybody but I’d like to see some more boards, assists, and blocks. I expect an improvement in his offensive stats this season now that he’ll be playing next to a potentially dominant defensive center.

43 Michael Redd, Mil, SG: Redd was underrated a few years ago, but it’s come full circle and he’s going a bit too high in drafts this year for a guy with such low steals, high turnovers, and mediocre FG%. His scoring was also down last year and he’s missed 39 games over the last two season. He’s still a solid source of points, threes, and FT% though.

44 Hedo Turkoglu, Orl, G/F: Count me among those who think Turkoglu will have a hard time repeating his breakout season from 2007-08 at the age of 29. He won’t be a 20-5-5 guy again, but should be a good source of core stats with strong threes.

45 Gerald Wallace, Cha, F: Wallace is the ultimate boom or bust pick with his extensive injury history and reckless style of play. The steals, boards, and points are great, especially with 1-2 blocks mixed in, but don’t discount the damage that FT% can do for a guy who gets to the line as often as Wallace does. His turnovers are also less than desirable.

46 Michael Beasley, Mia, F: It’s hard to peg Beasley at this point, but I would be surprised to see anything less than 17 points and 9 rebounds with some blocks and steals mixed in. The biggest question is how his shooting percentages and turnover totals will stack up in the NBA game.

47 Mike Dunleavy, Ind, F: Dunleavy was a top-25 fantasy player last season out of virtually nowhere. He should get just as much run and have just as many looks this season, perhaps even more with a playmaker like TJ Ford on board and Jermaine O’Neal out of the picture – it’s just hard to expect a repeat performance after five seasons of mediocrity.

48 Rasheed Wallace, Det, PF/C: We love Sheed here at ETB, but he’s clearly at the tail end of his career. A jack of all trades and a master of none, Sheed’s good-not-great contributions in every category play better in rotisserie than head-to-head. You should also expect to see his minutes decrease after he wore down in the postseason last year and with the emergence of Amir Johnson and J-Maxx.

49 Mike Miller, Min, G/F: Miller is a fantastic shooter who is more than capable of filling it up for an offensively challenged team. He will be relied on heavily to take pressure off of Al Jefferson, but Minnesota will also be running combinations of McCants, Foye, Brewer, and Gomes in the SG and SF spots.

50 Andre Miller, Phi, PG: Andre Miller really turned it on in the second half last season and should have even more opportunities for assists with Elton Brand inside and Thad Young emerging as a swing man. Expectations for the 76ers are high and Andre is also playing for a contract, so the motivation will be there.

Hoopsters 51-60 after the jump…

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See Also:
Vol. 1, Issue 1: Hoopsters 1-20
Vol. 1, Issue 3: Hoopsters 41-60
Vol. 1, Issue 4: Hoopsters 61-80
Vol. 1, Issue 5: Hoopsters 81-100

21 Carlos Boozer, Utah, PF/C: It’s steady as she goes for Boozer, who you can pencil in for another 20-10 season with an excellent FG% and decent assists. The FT% hurts though, and you want more blocks from your top center.

22 Yao Ming, Hou, C: I’ll be tempted to take him a tad sooner, but I can’t in good conscience recommend any of you take that risk. A healthy Yao Ming is the best center in fantasy basketball and absolutely dominates in both percentages with high-volume, efficient scoring.

23 Rudy Gay, Mem, G/F/PF: Gay has the tools to be a fantasy force of nature and can contribute literally everywhere. If the 22-year-old takes another big step forward in his third season Rudy will be a borderline first-rounder next year.

24 Andre Iguodala, Phi, G/F: With Elton Brand anchored down low look for Iguodala’s FG% to rise sharply. That combined with his all-world combination of steals, assists, points and boards could make young Iggy a fixture in the top 20 in the fantasy rankings.

25 Rashard Lewis, Orl, SF: Rashard’s season rankings are always a slightly more impressive than his actual contributions and his scoring declined in Orlando, but you can’t argue with the great threes, low TOs and decent steals totals.

26 Joe Johnson, Atl, SG: After one and a half disappointing seasons Johnson came on strong down the stretch last year as addition of Mike Bibby helped take some pressure off of Big Joe. The absence of Childress could mean more shots will be there, but ATL’s youngsters are growing up and will need to be fed the ball.

27 Tim Duncan, SA, PF/C: I like to go with guys who have big upside at this point in the draft, but every team needs a center they can rely on and Duncan is as steady as they come. You know you’re going to get 20/10/3 with 2 blocks, good FG% and bad FT% – unless this the year the inevitable physical decline sets in.

28 Paul Pierce, Bos, G/F: The strong points, boards and assists are nice, but as a member of the Big Three Pierce’s numbers look more like a very good fantasy swingman than an elite option.

29 Kevin Martin, Sac, SG: You have to love the efficiency of K-Mart, perhaps the most underrated player in the NBA today. The guy is a natural scorer who keeps getting better in the volume cats while keeping his TOs low and percentages high.

30 Pau Gasol, LAL, PF/C: Gasol became a roto stud in LA last season, especially in the FG% department with 59% shooting from the field. It remains to be see how he’ll perform alongside Andrew Bynum, but his looks will likely decrease and his block totals declined last season.

Hoopsters 31-40 after the jump…

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See Also:
Vol. 1, Issue 2: Hoopsters 21-40
Vol. 1, Issue 3: Hoopsters 41-60
Vol. 1, Issue 4: Hoopsters 61-80
Vol. 1, Issue 5: Hoopsters 81-100

1 Chris Paul, NO, PG: After a breakout campaign last season Paul enters 2008-09 as the unquestioned top pick, likely to lead the league in assists and steals again with no noticeable holes in his fantasy game and experience to build on.

2 LeBron James, Cle, SF: LeBron is the ultimate consolation prize and his massive totals could even have more value than Paul’s on a H2H team that’s punting FT%. New PG Mo Williams looks good and should take some pressure off of Bron Bron.

3 Kobe Bean Bryant, LAL, SG/SF?: Kobe’s minutes are supposed to be “limited” this season. I don’t see it having much of an impact, and with these weapons Black Mamba should be able to contribute across the board – but may be asked to do less offensively.

4 Amare Stoudemire, Pho, PF/C: Nobody boosts your FG% like Amare, and few centers can actually buoy your FT% in the process. More defensive stats would be nice, but a healthy Stoudemire is a roto stud.

5 Elton Brand, Phi, PF/C: Bold, I know, but we believe in the guy. This will be the best supporting cast of Brand’s career and he came out strong in his first preseason game. Look for big contributions in points, boards, blocks and FG% with nice assist totals mixed in.

6 Dirk Nowitzki, Dal, PF: After a slow start to the season Dirk came on strong with Jason Kidd in tow and he has something to prove this season. He’s no longer the 3-point asset he was, but the assists have come on the last two seasons.

7 Kevin Garnett, Bos, PF: You gotta love a guy who contributes in every category (outside of threes) like KG does, but look for his minutes and attempts to take another hit. We’re also not convinced he can stay healthy all season with nearly 38,000 NBA minutes on his tires.

8 Caron Butler, Was, SF: Perhaps the most underrated fantasy player in the game, Caron is a stud in points, boards, assists, steals and especially FT% with no glaring weaknesses outside of the injury history. Look for him to hover in the top 5 while Arenas is sidelined.

9 Dwyane Wade, Mia, G: If you watched the Olympics you know D-Wade is back in a major way. Now on a team that needs his scoring and can run with him, look for a return to fantasy form. The TOs will still hurt though.

10 Josh Smith, Atl, G/F: Nobody has as much fantasy upside and nobody is as capable of going out and winning categories as J-Smoove. The departure of Childress should open even more minutes. Now let’s see some better shooting, especially behind the arc and behind the line.

Hoopsters 11-20 after the jump…

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We all use the term, but everybody’s definition of a “glue player” is different, so I was forced to come up with a few of the rules when generating this list. First, players who are among their team’s top two scorers were not considered. Those are the team’s stars. Second, the glue player must be solid defensively, so no three-point specialists or instant offense guys have been included. Third, this award is about generally unsung heroes whose play leads to team success, so only the guys on playoff-caliber teams are included (Devin Harris got the shaft).

While these qualifications eliminate a multitude of great players who are integral to their team’s cohesion, this article isn’t about the Steve Nashs, Ray Allens or David Lees. It’s about the guys who don’t take all the shots, don’t get hyped as one of their team’s best players and often aren’t even considered for the All Star team — and yet they manage to be pivotal in a good team’s performance each night with hustle, defense, leadership, selfless play, grit and all-around games that complement the big scorers and big names on their squad.

There are going to be some potentially deserving players who didn’t make the cut. I know there were plenty more I wanted to add but didn’t have the space for. As always, we encourage you to suggest them in the comments and we’ll put them at the bottom of the article in the Reader Recommendations section.

Without further ado and in alphabetical order, eleven of the NBA’s best glue players:

Shane Battier, F, Houston Rockets:

2007-08 Salary: $5.883 Million

Shane Battier is the best “glue” player in the NBA. He wasn’t much of a secret among serious NBA fans, but any anonymity Battier may have had went out the window on March 16th in that nationally televised win over the Lakers. Battier’s stellar defense of Kobe Bryant held the MVP candidate to 11-of-33 shooting and helped keep Houston’s historic winning streak alive. Battier’s modest line of 14 points, 3 boards and 2 assists was overshadowed by Rafer Alston’s flashy 31-point outburst, but he was the MVP of the game. Shane had a hand in Kobe’s face on every field goal attempt and played effective, intelligent two-way basketball — and that’s modus operandi.

“I try to prepare for my opponent as thoroughly as possible. I want to know every angle on the man I am guarding to give me an edge. I read many, many pages and go over strengths and weaknesses many times before a game. Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. That is a motto I like.” – Shane Battier

Battier has been the most important Rocket after Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady for a few years now. He keeps possessions alive with his hustle, ignites the break with his outlet passes, and prevents opponents fast breaks by getting back on D. Battier has the size and discipline to guard anybody from shooting guards to power forwards, and usually draws the opponent’s best swingman. He’s also a capable outside shooter (126 treys on the season) who can run on offense and is one of the best in the league at drawing offensive fouls. He plays an infectious brand of egoless, team-oriented basketball that is exactly what you look for in a glue player.

Raja Bell, G, Phoenix Suns:

2007-08 Salary: $4.750 Million

Love him or hate him, Raja Bell is a key cog in the Suns basketball machine, a machine that has been extremely competitive for a few years now. Since making a name for himself in the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals, Raja has earned more and more playing time by playing cagey defense and markedly improving his outside shooting. He’s known for his tenacious man defense against the NBA’s more explosive shooting guards, but last season Bell managed to lead the league in three-pointers as well, finishing with with 205.

Raja is also one of the premier flop artists in the game, something I frown upon but the value of which cannot be denied. He lives to get up in the grill of Kobe Bryant, making their Pacific Division battles in the regular season and playoffs some of the most entertaining in the NBA. Bell is also very careful with the basketball, never forcing it, and thus has averaged 1.1 turnovers or less per game since joining Phoenix for the 2005-06 season.

Nine more quiet contributors after the jump…

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We’re through the doldrums of the fantasy season and into the all-important playoffs. It’s go time (whatever that means). On Tuesday I discussed the all-important tactic of streaming players in and out of your roster to maximize games played. Another wrinkle to this time of year is keeping track of all the tanking and injuries major and minor that will have youngsters across the league earning more playing time. These are some of the beneficiaries so far, and all of them make for solid streaming options or outright adds:

Kirk Snyder, G, Minnesota Timbrwolves: Nobody made much of the Kirk Snyder acquisition before the trade deadline, and rightfully so. He’s never been much of an impact player in the NBA and his natural skill and defense are the only things that kept him on a roster. Over the last month Snyder has actually been playing some pretty good basketball though, potentially fantasy-roster worthy basketball, and now it’s time to take note. Snyder has been in double-digit scoring for four of the last five games. He’s been in the starting lineup for 12 games and managed a line of 10 points, 4.6 boards, 2.3 assists, .6 steals and .6 blocks with percentages of 52.5% FGs and 80% FTs that make him especially streamable.

Martell Webster, G/F, Portland Traailblazers: Whenever Brandon Roy misses time Martell Webster steps up his offensive game, and that’s the case again. Initial reports on Roy’s injury don’t look good, and there’s a lot of speculation that he could miss the rest of the season. To be honest I’m surprised Roy lasted this long and that it’s his groin, not his foot, that is keeping him out — I projected Roy to go down a lot sooner. Webster’s percentages aren’t great, but he’s a tremendous source of threes and points — he’s dropped 45 points and 9 threes in the last two games.

Wilson Chandler, F, New York Knickerbockers: Isiah Thomas is determined to get the youngster involved as the season, and the Knicks roster, wears down. Chandler has been starting for ten games and he recorded his first career double-double last night. That marks five straight games of double-digit scoring for him and over the last week he’s put up 13.0 points, 5.3 boards and just 1.0 TOs on 54.8% FGs.

Chris Quinn, G, Miami Heat: It’s looking more and more like Jason Williams, along with the Miami Heat as a team, will be packing it in and calling it a season. That means the recently maligned Quinn should get ample opportunity to produce at least serviceable fantasy stats. He’s not great, but as a starter this season he’s averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 dimes, 1.4 steals and 1.1 threes on 46.5% FGs and 83.3% FTs. That can help a lot of teams, and he’s worth a spot-start for the others.

Six more players to check out after the jump…

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Wages of Wins – Al Horford is our ROY, and the WoW Journal backs it up with the numbers.
AOL Fanhouse – Barack Obama can save the NBA.
ESPN – Chris Webber is set to retire. He was a great player, but it’s about damn time.
Detroit Bad Boys – What if the Detroit Pistons played in the Western Conference?
NBA.com – Somebody give Gilbert some love. Rank him, grade him, he’s ever so good.
NESW Sports – Remembering (a svelte) LeBron James’s first NBA game.
Yahoo! Sports – What’s wrong with this picture? Oh my.
Newsday – “You tell Eddy Curry ‘Get your fat a– in shape or you’re not playing…’”
20 Second Timeout – David Friedman checks in with the NBA Leaderboard, Part XIX.
Odenized – After some initial technical difficulties, Dirk gives us an in-depth update on his status before those technical difficulties rear their head again after the 4:00 minute mark and Dirk turns in some hilarious play-by-play, including a late use of the term “shortbus”:

We’re about to broach one of the more contentious and divisive issues in fantasy hoops. With the playoffs just underway in most formats, it’s an issue that is more than likely rearing its head in one or more of your leagues. I’m talking about streaming: the act of making daily add/drops in order to maximize the sheer volume of players a fantasy hoops team can start in a given week. In head-to-head leagues it can cause more angry message board posts than the most lopsided of trades. As somebody who engages in streaming whenever and wherever it will give a strategic edge, I’ve already encountered protest in two leagues. It’s something you come to expect. I get it every year, and the arguments are always the same: that it’s “cheap”, that it’s somehow not fair, that it isn’t in the spirit of the game, that using “scrub” players is distasteful and that it is in some way a desecration of everything the league has been and stood for to this point.

Baloney. Not only can you stream, you should do it. I’ll give you some pointers.

Let’s take a moment and discuss the ethical status of streaming first: there is none. There is nothing wrong with streaming. First, it’s perfectly permissible within the rules. You can look them up. Nowhere will you find a clause specifically prohibiting adding and dropping players to gain a strategic edge. Second, this is a legitimate fantasy sports strategy: it takes basketball knowledge, it takes skill, it takes diligence, it takes timing, it takes the ability to project performances, it takes finesse and there are real risks built into the league (FG%, FT% and TOs). Third, this is a competition. It’s supposed to be cutthroat. So not only can you stream, as a participant in a communal contest it is incumbent upon you to maintain the competitive integrity of the league. We all frown upon those owners who give up on their teams weeks or months before the end of the season because it ruins that competitive balance. If you lose by 10 points and a couple of add/drops would have put you over the edge, you’re not much better.

Now, if you and your friends (or just the Commish) make the personal choice that streaming is somehow dishonest or offensive to the spirit of the game, then by all means put an end to it. Before the season starts. When the Commish sets up the league he can set a maximum number of roster moves, he can set up a scoring system that uses more ratios instead of pure counting stats, he can set a max number of games that can be used per position or he can simply set up a rotisserie league instead of a head-to-head league. By all means, do these things… do them before the league starts. If you set up or join a league that has settings conducive to streaming, it’s on you. We streamers don’t want to hear any crying about it after that.

With that said, let’s look at some of the finer points of streaming and anti-streaming strategy…

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Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers

There’s obviously one big reason why the Lakers haven’t fallen off a cliff following the injuries to Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol (hint: his first name rhymes with the first name of a famous Jedi), but Odom has been the unsung hero of the Lake Show’s continued success. The knock on Odom has always been that he’s too passive, too unwilling to assert himself on the court despite his rare combination of size and skills that should allow him to dominate on most nights. Lately, however, he’s been nothing short of an absolute force on both ends of the floor, especially on the glass. On the season, the 6-10 Odom is averaging a career-best 10.5 boards/per, a number that has been positively impacted by a stretch in which he’s pulled down at least 10 rebounds in 22 of the past 26 games. This includes 22 last night against Golden State (and oh, by the way, he also tacked on 19 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks). Odom now has a streak going of six straight double-doubles.

Drew Gooden, Chicago Bulls

Though half of his teammates are lining up to buy the first ticket out of town this summer, Gooden seems to have taken a liking to the Windy City. Since joining the Baby Bad Bulls in the trade deadline deal that sent Ben Wallace to Cleveland, the six-year vet (it seems like he’s been around a lot longer than that, doesn’t it?) has put up some of the best averages of his career over his first 15 games with his new team. Despite the constant meddling of the team’s rotation by interim coach Jim Boylan (or perhaps because of it), Gooden is logging the most minutes (a shade under 32/per) he ever has, and his per-game averages of 14 points, 9.1 boards, 1.5 blocks, 1.7 assists, and 47% FG are all marked improvements on his stats in Cleveland. It’s not necessarily translating to team wins, though—the Bulls are 5-10 during this stretch.

Five more players patting their fantasy owners on the back after the break…

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