Where The Grizz Are Making Themselves Relevant

Zach Randolph had his way with the Denver front court, as he posted 32 points on 13-21 shooting, a trey, 5-5 free throws, an NBA season-high 24 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block. The Grizzlies beat the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets, who were led by Carmelo Anthony and his 41 points on 13-26 shooting, 14-17 free throws, 6 boards, 5 assists, and a steal. This is the third time in the past 3 weeks that the Grizz beat a division leader. Oh, and they lost once to the C's in the final possession of a game. But to be fair, the Nuggets (losers of their past 2 games) are a pretty average (as opposed to the very dangerously good) team without their floor general, Chauncey Billups, who has been out for the past two games with a groin injury. Regardless, the Grizz are exceeding expectations; though, it doesn't change the fact that they are still last place in the tough Southwest Division.

Brandon Roy (28 points on 11-14 shooting, 5-5 treys, 1-1 treys, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists) outplayed fellow superstar shooting guard Dwyane Wade (28 points on 13-31 shooting, 2-2 free throws, 10 assists, a steal and a block), as he rallied the Blazers against the Heat in Miami. Roy caught on fire in the final minutes of the game, going 4-4 in clutch time- 2 of them being three-pointers- one of them being a dagger in Dwyane's face. (Sound familiar?)

Other than those guys, nobody put up a really spectacular night, except maybe Raymond Felton (27 points on 11-22 shooting, 3-6 treys, 2-2 free throws, 9 boards, 7 assists, and 2 steals) against the fourth-worst defense in the league, the New York Knicks) and Paul Pierce (29 points on 8-14 shooting, 6-6 treys, 7-7 free throws, 7 boards, and 4 assists against the worst defense in the league, the Minnesota Timberwolves). I guess that stats are stats, but in a way, deep down, everybody knows that they didn't play extraordinarily well. It's like timing yourself run a mile- down a hill. The numbers are there, and I don't doubt its legitimacy, but it doesn't really leave you with a sense of awe and admiration. So, for future reference, if your fantasy player is playing against one of the following teams (and you are unsure whether you want to use a game played on this game, I say to you: play them): The Minnesota Timberwolves, The Golden State Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks, the New Jersey Nets, and the Sacramento Kings- in that order.

The Mavs (without superstar Dirk Nowitzki) toppled LeBron James (25 points on 9-23 shooting, 2 treys, 3 boards, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks) and the Cavs, ending their little 5-game winning streak. The Mavs used a balanced attack, with 6 out of their 8 players scoring in double figures. But it wasn't their offense that brought them victory. No, it was their defense. They held James to 2 points in the final quarter, held Shaquille O'neal to 1-7 shooting for the entire game, and held Mo Williams to 8 points on 4-9 shooting for the entire game, as well.

Life lesson of the day: Don't be discouraged when your best player goes down with an injury. Fantasy basketball is not all about your star player playing his mind out. It's about a strategic balanced (or imbalanced) effort of your entire team throughout the course of the entire season. Find a temporary replacement, wipe your tears, and keep going. Believe me- you can still win.