Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes!

As a basketball fan, I am geeked that the Nuggets and the Warriors and the Grizzlies are all playing Phoenix-paced basketball this year. The fan and basketball purist alike find this interesting, although some fogeys like Charlie Rosen tend to naysay when we discuss wide-open basketball. But it is true that usually your best shot comes in the first eight seconds of a possession before the defense gets settled in.

Matt Barnes, didn't you used to be a Primo Baller? Ouch!

Fantasy Ballers, watch Minnesota closely now that Coach Casey has been canned. Have your finger on the trigger of ballers like Jaric, Hudson and Smith, who have been bench guys numbers 7-9 in the playing rotation. If Randy Wittman tightens up his rotation, one of them becomes relevant in a lot of leagues. But which will it be? Also, one wonders if either Trenton Hassell or Mike James may be about to lose major burn. I also suspect that abject-failure-of-a-General-Manager Kevin McHale will need to make a trade and soon. This roster is his fault and really, he should have been fired and not Casey, IMO.

New Jersey Nets:

Bostjan Nachbar, Cliff Robinson, Eddie House and Hassan Adams. What do they have in common? These are the guys the Nets are counting on to make up for the absence of Richard Jefferson. Yeah, only Boki is listed at SF, yet Lawrence Frank needs to squeeze points from every available source now and it is unsure who will benefit most from RJ's surgery. Wow, now that both Krstic and Jefferson are gone, can the Nets still win the Atlantic? How bad is the Atlantic that we would consider such a thing even possible???

Recent hot players in the Asssociation who may still be on the FA list in your league:

Jose Calderon: He passes out the dimes, baby!
Quinton Ross: Gets the small stats, getting more burn again, slump must be over. Did you really think Tim Thomas was going to lead them to the playoffs? Nah.
Q Rich: Yeah, I am sure he is definitely the starter in New York now!
Delonte West: Did you miss the "bench Bassy, start Westy" memo?
Rudy Gay: The uptempo Griz are giving him a chance to get numbers now.

Injury replacement note:

Darrell Armstrong: In deep leagues. Hey, Tinsley is hurt (shocking!) and DA is the guy at point guard when Tinsley is out.