This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
Working the Wire
By Charlie Zegers
RotoWire Hoops Editor
Are They Ready Yet?
When Boston acquired veterans Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore, coach Doc Rivers said it would be six weeks or so before they'd really be up-to-speed in the Celtics' system.
That was about six weeks ago.
I think they're up to speed.
In Sunday's game against the Thunder, both veterans made significant contributions off the bench. Moore had a team-high eleven boards in 27 minutes off the bench, and scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Marbury played 21 minutes and racked up seven assists.
Moore is probably the more valuable player of the two right now. With Kevin Garnett set to miss another week or so due to his bad knee and Leon Powe likely done until the playoffs, Moore should be the first big man off the bench for the rest of the season. Marbury will contribute as well, but he'll be splitting backup guard minutes with Eddie House.
Games in Hand
Going into Wednesday night's games, every team has between six and nine games remaining. Chicago is the only team with just six games left on the docket - Philly, Toronto, Orlando, Sacramento, New Orleans and Memphis have nine each. If you're looking to the wire to fill in and make up games, those are the teams to consider first.Picks for the Week
The first set of picks is for players in standard leagues - guys who will typically be available in your average 10 team/15 player roster league. The second group is for owners in very deep leagues, and will be based more on speculation than actual numbers. The third batch of players will be guys I've mentioned in previous columns that still seem to be available in a lot of leagues and worth a look.Standard Leagues:
Kyle Korver (UTA) - Korver has been getting around 30 minutes per game pretty consistently of late, and has produced accordingly - 16 points, four boards, three dimes and a three-pointer against the Knicks on Monday, 15 points (all on threes) and four dimes against Phoenix on the 25th.
Courtney Lee (ORL) - Lee has established himself pretty solidly in Orlando's starting lineup, and has averaged over 15 points and two threes over his last six games.
Glen Davis (BOS) - With Kevin Garnett still battling a knee injury, "Big Baby" should be a good play for the rest of the season.
Deep Leagues:
Anthony Morrow (GSW) - Morrow is back on the fantasy radar after exploding for 29 points against the Mavs on March 25th. He's scored in double-figures twice since. You probably won't get consistent production, but the potential for a big night will be there with Morrow, who will get extended run now that Stephen Jackson has been shut down for the season.
Mike Taylor (LAC) - A relatively unknown second-rounder, Taylor has stepped up big-time in Baron Davis absence - including a shocking 35-point undressing of the Knicks on March 25.
Jeff Foster (IND) - Foster has been starting in place of Troy Murphy. He won't score as much as Murphy, but he's a very good rebounder.
A Second Look:
- Anthony Randolph (GSW) - All the Warriors' injuries have created an opportunity for this rook to excel - he's averaging 10.2 points, 10.2 boards and three blocks in his last four games.
- Gilbert Arenas (WAS) - so far, so good.
Article first appeared on 4/1/08
