Hoops Haven

Author: Alastair Ingram (21 Articles)

Alastair Ingram reveals the Fantasy Forecast every Friday here on Hoops Haven. Ingram is a radio play by play voice for Vermont Catamount Athletics on WVMT in Burlington, VT. He is one of the lead fantasy basketball columnists for FanHuddle.com, and his work also appears regularly on BerningOnSports.com. He'll try to find you a gem or two on the waiver wire, or let you know when to drop an underachiever like a bad habit.

The Buzz Of The Hornets’ Backcourt: CP3 Out, Enter DC2 and MT5

Ok, so maybe the last 2 don’t have the same ring, but rookies Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton are holding down the fort in New Orleans with Chris Paul sidelined due to arthroscopic knee surgery. Paul will be out for 4 to 6 weeks and could spend as many as 3 weeks on crutches on his way back to the floor.

If Paul owners were able to add Collison or Thornton though, they might not miss the superstar point guard for too long.

In 3 starts since replacing Paul at the point, Collison is averaging a “CP3-esque” 13 assists per game, including a career high 18 helpers on Saturday against the defensively challenged Grizzlies. The former UCLA standout is also averaging more than 38 minutes a night with 14 PPG and 4 RPG in those 3 starts.

The drawbacks: He’s not much of a 3-point threat (just 12 for 40 on the season), has turned the ball over nearly 5 times a game while in the starting 5, and won’t get to the line too often (outside of a 9-10 FT outing against Memphis).

Still, at 58% owned in Yahoo! Leagues, most owners have caught onto the fact that Collison is a scorching hot commodity in the backcourt. Any time a guy becomes available who can put up a points-assists double-double on any given night (2 in the last 3 games), he won’t last too long on waivers. As an added bonus, he’s eligible at shooting guard as well.

Collison clearly won’t provide the same scoring (20.4 PPG) or defense (2.3 STL) as Chris Paul, but in a small sample size, he’s proved capable of matching CP3’s passing and vision.

Meanwhile, Marcus Thornton (who played his college ball just up the road at LSU) is putting a stranglehold on the 2-guard slot in the Big Easy.

Thornton earned a starting role 6 games ago, and has put up the following line since his insertion: 19.7 PPG, 47% 3PT (16-34), 4 RPG, 89% FT (16-18).

The Baton Rouge native has knocked down 5 threes twice in the last 4 games and has scored at least 13 points in 7 consecutive games.

Thornton also dished out a season high 6 assists in a loss to the Thunder on Wednesday night, but suffered a bruised lower back in the 4th quarter. He’s listed as questionable for tonight’s game with the Sixers after missing practice on Thursday.

If healthy, Thornton should be a lock as the starting shooting guard for the foreseeable future. He’ll also see time as the primary backup point guard (Morris Peterson and James Posey are the Hornets’ other backcourt options ), meaning those 6 assists might not be an aberration.

He could still be a relatively unknown commodity in some leagues (only 43% owned in Yahoo!), and if you need a scoring punch, especially from the perimeter, Thornton is your man.

Vintage Andrei Kirilenko

Despite the fact that he’s never received much credit on a national level, this guy used to go in the first 2 or 3 rounds of fantasy drafts every year. He was never an elite scorer, but his ability to rebound, block shots, and rack up steals made him a unique and worthy high round selection.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen glimpses of that mid 2000’s Kirilenko fantasy form. The 6’9 Russian has started the last 11 games for the Jazz after coming off the bench for the majority of this and last season.

In his last 7 starts, Kirilenko is shooting a whopping 72% from the field (49-68) while averaging 18.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.3 BLK, 2.0 STL. In two games in February, the forward is a combined 14 for 16 from the floor in Utah wins over Dallas and Portland.

With totals below is career average, he’s still managing to put up 1.2 BLK and 1.2 STL this year. At this point, scoring has become a bonus from the soon-to-be 29 year old, but when his offense is clicking he can truly be one of the most valuable fantasy centers in the NBA.

An Argentine Not Named Ginobili

Carlos Delfino is not a name you typically associate with the phrase “fantasy value”. However, the Argentinean has earned back a consistent starter’s role in Milwaukee (after riding the pine for 3 weeks) and is making the most of his newfound extended playing time.

Delfino has started the last 8 games for the Bucks and has logged at least 33 minutes in 6 of those 8 games. He’s scored 16+ points in 5 of the 8 contests and has been fantastic on the boards, averaging 7.6 RPG in that span.

After hitting a whopping 22 threes in a 6-game stretch in late January, Delfino’s outside shooting has cooled off considerably (3 for 13 since), but he can still provide a spark from behind the arc. On the defensive end (a strength of many Argentinean players), he’s still managed at least 1 steal in 9 of his last 10 outings.

Most importantly, he’s getting the minutes to make an impact in numerous categories, replacing the struggling Ersan Ilyasova (4 for his last 17 from the field) at forward in the Bucks starting lineup.

He’s not a slam dunk fantasy pickup, but could be very solid and versatile if you have one or several players worth dropping.