Welcome to the waiver wire portion of how to become a successful fantasy Coach and GM. Every article I write is going to teach you about the game itself. You will see patterns in these articles that will raise your awareness to certain players from both a game flow and a statistical standpoint. I am not looking to waste your time by talking up players who are owned in 40-50% of leagues. We need to beat your competition to the punch and pick up these guys before everyone else does. Make sure to match this article up with some of the articles from the NBA Draft Guide. I wrote those articles so they can ride with you throughout the season. You need to learn the balance of a player being an offensive force statistically AND an overall asset to their team with a solid playing time commitment. This is how you become a Coach. This is how you win that ring! Here are some of the players who have been on my watch list to start the season.
J.J. Barea-G-Dallas Mavericks-35% Yahoo Ownership: Scrappy guards get playing time, especially when they are willing to play in the paint with the big boys and that is what Barea is all about. Not only does his defense shine (BECAUSE DALLAS PLAYS NO DEFENSE), but he also speeds up the pace of the game and when your strength is your offense by far, you have to take advantage and change it up. Barea has had multiple five-rebound games and I will always, guards who rebound are excellent options. He gets a decent amount of shot opportunities as teams fall back on him on transition.
Tyson Chandler-C-Phoenix Suns-36% Yahoo Ownership: Same old story for old Chandler; limited offense, but superb rebounding and paint force. He forces the ball out of the paint and forces himself inside. Playing time will fluctuate but the rebound commitment will always be there. He is good for blocks and he actually has a very accurate jumper but NEVER USES IT! It makes no sense! You may see it if the shot clock is winding down. Part of me believes the reason for the lack of shooting, is his overall hesitation on offense; a lack of confidence. The other part looks at the Suns muscle inside, and thinks YIKES! He needs to stay low.
Thabo Sefolosha-SG/SF-Atlanta Hawks-18% Yahoo Ownership: Just like the later season’s of the show “Lost”, in which the cast frequently goes on and off the island so many times that you eventually lose track, Sefolosha has been and is still the “Lost” waiver wire option for 4 years running. Some weeks he will take terrible shots and you will see him dropped. Other weeks he will contribute double figures in scoring and seven rebounds and it will scream UTILITY PLAYER, and then you will want to drop him again. We are giving Sefolosha a clean slate to start the year and you can pick him up if you need short term mid court depth.
Ty Lawson-PG-Sacramento Kings-30% Yahoo Ownership: Even though Lawson has only scored in double figures in just one game, his rebound, assists and steals numbers are encouraging. Yes, I know Darren Collison is coming back in a few games! If Lawson continues to show a bit of defense and he has had multiple three-steal games, he can earn some extra minutes. Remember, it will take Collison a couple of games to get back in rhythm.
JaMychal Green-PF-Memphis Grizzlies-29% Yahoo Ownership: Ever see “The Lion King”? For those who have: Zach Randolph-Mufasa/JaMychal Green-Simba. For those who don’t understand the reference, Randolph has been one of the biggest rebounding machine’s in the NBA since last decade and now with the younger up and coming, future enforcer Green starting and growing, he has one of the best possible mentors you can have of any active big men. We have already seen consistency in his rebounding and it will only get better. Randolph also has a very smooth mid-range jumper in which he will teach Green how to position himself towards the basket prior to getting the pass on the wing. Randolph has been able to release contested shots quickly in his career because of his positioning. He will pass it down to Green. The minutes commitment is there with Green, even when he is struggling offensively. It will only get better for Green as Marc Gasol continues his 50/50 timeshare of playing in and out of the paint each game. This frontcourt is the true Circle of life!
Dion Waiters-SG/SF-Miami Heat-26% Yahoo Ownership: It is truly shocking how available Waiters is. This percentage is stunning. He is starting, playing 30-40 minutes a game, and does a little of everything. The scoring will be a bit inconsistent, but he will make up for it in other areas. Josh Richardson being out helps his cause and with the Heat’s overall lack of depth, Waiters will eventually be an excellent off the bench option and will take full advantage of most of the second units in the league. Beware of the turnovers though and proceed with caution. He is definitely worth a look.
Zaza Pachulia-C-Golden State Warriors-20% Yahoo Ownership: After grabbing him late in most of my drafts, his first game freaked me out. He looked slow, out of place and lost under the basket and that is not good to see from a veteran like Pachulia. BUT THEN! Game two of the season occurred and he was back to dominating the low block and has had multiple double-digit rebounding games since. Pachulia will learn that the Warriors have a ton more inside depth than the Mavericks and will need to get out of the way at times. His scoring will come in the form of put backs for the most part. Pachulia has one move in the post; an extended-arm floater after driving in the middle and even though it looks gross, he draws contact a lot of times from it. That move inside could be useful if the Warriors get cold. Pachulia is a good last Center on your bench option. He could see a bit of an up-tick in his assist numbers because the Warriors cut to the basket a ton.
Wilson Chandler-SG/SF-Denver Nuggets-19% Yahoo Ownership: No, I do not favor guys with the last name Chandler. I do favor players like Chandler who are excellent at reading screens and aggressive in the paint. Chandler is fragile and agile, but until you see that little red INJ next to his name, he is a threat offensively and has had multiple six plus rebounding games. Chandler is also a great ball handler. He quickens the pace which is something the Nuggets need from their speed players because with Gary Harris and Will Barton hurt and Emmanuel Mudiay and Kenneth Faried being two of the leagues biggest offensive liabilities, Chandler and Danilo Gallinari will need to spread the floor and hit a bunch of long range jumpers. In regards to the Nuggets offensively skilled big men, teams know to pressure inside with doubles and will force them to pass out and take shots, even if they are open shots. Chandler is innocent until proven injured.
Frank Kaminsky-PF/C-Charlotte Hornets-15% Yahoo Ownership: “Ok Frank, we’re a few games in and your shot is looking good. It’s barely being contested and you have shown some improved aggressiveness in the post. But, what happens when your shot isn’t falling? You think Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum will put the ball in your hands and not expect it back? Nah Brah! Will you focus less on squaring up outside and use your size to crash the boards? Will you stop waiting for the kick out and cut?” This is the exact conversation I had with myself when considering putting Kaminsky on this list. (Yes I have issues!) Roy Hibbert’s most recent knee problems help Kaminsky’s cause, but it is very hard to tell if he will change up his game and focus more on keeping possessions alive. He has range and has scored in double-figures on more than one occasion and he is not 100%. His offensive ability gives him a frequent advantage from a match up standpoint and he will get shot opportunities, especially with the Hornets second unit. Lets hope the rebounding commitment is there as his foot continues the final stages of healing.
WILD CARD PICKUP: Jon Leuer-PF/C-Detroit Pistons-7% Yahoo Ownership: Key statistics that stick out to me when considering picking up my end of bench big man is; eight and six. Eight points. Six rebounds. Those stats matched with 20 minutes of playing time show that the player makes a big enough impact in the game to get consistent rotation time. Andre Drummond will get in foul trouble a decent amount, and the Pistons have their back up banger in Leuer. His job is to keep the play alive and draw contact. He can even draw defenders outside with his long-range shot. It changes up opposing defensive schemes and Leuer could be in for a true 25 minutes per game rotation spot throughout the season. Leuer has also had multiple two-block games. Each week, I will give you a stash and hope WILD CARD option and Leuer fits that description, as he is able to do damage at multiple spots on the court.