New Jersey’s Troy Murphy started not only the first game of the season Wednesday, but also his first as a Net. I know to you and me that sounds like bad news, but apparently he was really looking forward to it. So the good news is that he’s playing and starting. The bad news is that right now, that’s bad news. His appearance is really just a sniff of Murphy (eww) and he shouldn’t be in your lineup until he clears 30 minutes a game. In 18 minutes of action on Wednesday he took three shots, made one of them and grabbed two rebounds. This was to be expected. What’s not to be expected is for this to change for at least a few games. Adding to the pile of expected things is that this won’t be the last time Murphy misses time with an injury. He never seems to miss months, but he does miss half-weeks a couple times a season. These are a few of my expected things. The bigger news here is how Derrick Favors stacks up as Murphy’s backup. He was starting to resemble a respectable rookie averaging a weak double-double to start his career. That won’t happen now, but won’t you be excited to find out what does?
Here’s what else happened yesterday in fantasy basketball:
D.J. Augustin – He shot 1-for-7 from the field including 1-for-5 from downtown to end with a 5/6/7 line. Three jerk!
Boris Diaw – 24/3/3 in 40 minutes. Diaw hasn’t topped 23 points since January 26, but Stephen Jackson has started a little slow, and Diaw could step in to assist Gerald Wallace from time to time this season.
Tyrus Thomas – That sound you’re hearing is T-Time’s minutes and production plummeting to levels lower than the league’s respect for Kevin Garnett. Honestly, has there been a more accomplished player in NBA history who gets called out for being a weak coward than KG Cagey?
Darko Milicic – No points, four boards in 18 minutes as a starter. At this point I can only assume Rambis filled in the starting lineup card with permanent marker and doesn’t know where to get a new one.
Wesley Johnson – Started for Minnesota in place of the injured Michael Beasley, shot 1-for-8 in 22 minutes, looked as if he played for Minnesota.
Anthony Tolliver – Foul trouble + ignorambis = took A-Toll on fantasy rosters.
Dwight Howard – 18/16 and eight blocks in 23 minutes. Everything you need to know about what happened to the Timbergoofs last night can be explained in this blurb. Side note: Howard went 4-for-11 from the line (36%). If he’s gonna keep shooting like that, he might as well shoot them granny-style.
Ryan Anderson – Entered the starting lineup so that Rashard Lewis could scootch over to SF where he’s more comfortable. Anderson scored 19 points in 19 minutes, including four treys. If Anderson can keep this job, he’s worth a pick-up in mid-to-deep leagues. Oh, and how’d that scootching work out for Lewis … ?
Rashard Lewis – … Add Wednesday’s 4-of-13 performance onto his already awful 6-of-19 shooting from the floor this season. Don’t go hauling your abacus out of your basement. He’s shooting .313 on the season. Blahshard Lowest.
Eric Bledsoe – In his second game starting for Randy Foye (who would have been starting the game for Baron Davis) dropped a 17/4/8 line in 38 minutes. Get it while the getting’s good ’cause when Davis returns, nothing will be good.
Kevin Durant – The Velvet Hoop shot just .250 from the floor (6-for-24). After three seasons shooting 46 percent, he’s started 2010 shooting 35 percent. Give it a game or two and if he doesn’t improve … just wait longer.
Jermaine O’Neal – 5/7 with three blocks in 25 starter’s minutes and he looked as if he rented his legs from my grandfather. If you’ve got a lonely spot at the end of your bench, park Big Baby’s butt on it.
Drew Gooden – Milwaukee Yuck. After starting the season with a 15/11 double-double, it seemed Gooden was going to be good ‘n’ plentiful. Since then, he’s averaged 7/4 on .296 from the floor in 18 mpg. It’s clear he ain’t no good’n I’ve seen plenty.
Mike Conley – 18/7/13 in 44 minutes. This is not your twin brother’s Mike Conley. This Mike Conley is going to win a ton of leagues for teams. And you went with Baron Davis instead.
Dorrell Wright – Monta scored 39 points to go along with 9 boards and 8 dimes. What’s that have to do with Wright? Five of those assists directly contributed to Wright’s seven treys last night. You picked him up, right? He’s on your team making you those points, right? You know I worry.
Andris Biedrins – After pooping out a 2/5/1 block line in 30 minutes, he’s averaging 6/7/1 in four games. You can do better. Shallow leagues should shoot out the walls of heartache now. Bang. Bang.
Danny Granger – Started the game shooting 1-for-9. Only two of those shots were threes. Everyone criticized Granger for chucking so many bombs, so he made sure to take a half-step in from the arc before chucking those other seven.
Elton Brand – 25/12. The tiny knock on Brand was that he’d never be close to his 20/10 self ever again. Five games into the season, Elton’s tiny answer is 18/9.6 per game.
Ben Gordon – He’s averaging 20/2.4/2.6 so far this season. Hey, Ben! Where you been?
Anthony Randolph – His boo-boos are all better and should start seeing limited minutes tonight against Chicago where the real boos will start.
Marcus Thornton – Sank four points and just doesn’t look in sync (or N’Sync if this were 2001). It also doesn’t help that Belinelli sank 18 points including four treys on Wednesday, nor does it help that Monty Williams isn’t any help either. He just grunts that “Marky” is the starting SG today and whichever of the two players steps on the court first gets the minutes.
Chase Budinger – After averaging 9/3/1 in 20 minutes this season, he dropped 15/3/1 in 26 minutes. Those last six minutes were designated for scoring!
Arron Afflalo – He’s averaging 14.8 points and 2.3 treys a game. Exactly what you signed up for. No, I don’t know where your complementary beach towel is. You should have received it when you signed up.
Nene Hilario – Nene was a no-go after a Saturday night groin injury lingered long enough to keep him out of last night’s game. That shizz was over 100 hours ago, you’re supposed to call your doctor after four, brah!
Sonny Weems – He averaged 8/2/2 before asploding for 23/2/1. I’d blame this more on the grabsy Jazz who sent him to the line 10 times than any sort of compelling Weem-meme.
Richard Jefferson – Hold your nose, close your eyes and grab any guy averaging 20 points per game. Just do it.
Hakim Warrick – 19/5 in 31 minutes while Hedo Turkoglu went 6/2 in a little under 17. The writing is on the wall here. And if you didn’t read it on the wall, you’ve read it here a half-dozen times.
Channing Frye – After four games last season Frye was shooting .555 from the field and had sunk 14 threes. This season he’s shooting .318 with only four bombs. Jrue story.
Kobe Bryant – Carmelo Anthony was all, “watch me go 20 and 15 tonight, Dirk!” Then Nowitzki was all, “Pssh, I promised some sick kid in a hospital I’d do better than you, so watch me score 35 and grab 12.” Then Kobe Bryant went 30/10/12 and didn’t say nothing to nobody. Guys who triple-double in less than 37 minutes don’t have to say nothin’ to nobody. Tim Duncan also said nothing about his 25/17 because Tim Duncan is scared of loud noises.
