Ant-Rand & Navin R. Johnson

If you are tired of reading about Anthony Randolph, please feel free to skip to Page 2 for Monday's Game News and Notes. However, if you do care about the movie The Jerk, you should probably keep reading.

Navin R. Johnson went through a lot of trials and tribulations in The Jerk. He found love, lost love, made millions, lost millions, found a dog, gave it an amazing name and then lost him, and couldn't understand why a man could have so much hatred for cans of motor oil. It's appropriate that a movie titled The Jerk is where I have chosen to go when discussing the latest Anthony Randolph turn of events, but I'll let you figure out why.

In case you missed it, Mr. Randolph got some run last night and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals, hit 8-of-14 shots and canned 7-of-8 free throws in one of the most lopsided wins I've ever seen in the Association. Kurt Rambis and the Timberwolves must be pretty proud of themselves this morning after getting rocked to the tune of 146-105. The only folks who might be feeling worse are those who gave up on Randolph just before the explosion. In fact, in Navin R. Johnson terms, owners associated with Randolph this year are experiencing one of the following three emotions this morning.

1. You not only still own Randolph, but you somehow had him in your lineup last night. You are walking with a spring in your step this morning and your co-workers are wondering what could possibly have happened overnight to make you so happy after your grumpy performance yesterday.

"The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here! Page 73, Johnson, Navin, R.! I'm somebody now! Millions of people look at this book every day! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity, you're name in print, that makes people. I'm in print! Things are going to start happening to me now."

2. You still own Randolph, but didn't play him. You're content, but still don't really know how to feel, or even understand exactly what you've got.

"I know we've only known each other four weeks and three days, but to me it seems like nine weeks and five days. The first day seemed like a week and the second day seemed like five days and the third day seemed like a week again…"

3. You finally cut bait with Randolph yesterday and now you can't get him back. You're wearing a wife beater, boxer shorts and a bathrobe.

"I don't need anything except this and that's it and that's the only thing I need, is this. I don't need this or this. Just this ashtray. And this paddle game, the ashtray and the paddle game and that's all I need. And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game and the remote control, and that's all I need. And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And this lamp...Well what are you looking at? What do you think I am, some kind of a jerk or something?"

OK, sorry for that. Here's the deal. Andris Biedrins is out for at least two weeks with inflammation in his abdomen and groin, while Ronny Turiaf remains sidelined with a bad knee. And given the fact that the knee has been bothering him since training camp, Turiaf is not likely to come back and get heavy minutes. That leaves Mikki Moore and Randolph to handle center duties until Biedrins is back, and by then anything is possible with everyone's favorite odd couple, Randolph & Nellie. In short, Randolph is once again a must-own player, but as usual, comes with absolutely no guarantees.

Don Nelson's universe is Seinfeld-ish on a few levels. There's the Bizarro Jerry episode, when a crew with names of Kevin, Gene and Feldman enter the fray and act in similar, yet exact opposite manners of Jerry, George and Kramer. Then there's the one where George realizes that every decision he's ever made is a bad one, so he decides to consistently do the exact opposite of what his mind tells him to. And, of course, suddenly has incredible success in life.

Just when things looked so bleak for Randolph, Bizarro GSW took over and the kid blew up for the kind of game we've all been waiting for. My mind told me not to start Randolph this week, so I went ahead and did it. In other words, if logic dictates that Anthony Morrow is a great play, he's probably not. Now that things could not possibly look better for Randolph's owners, you might as well prepare yourself for the worst. Surely Nellie will find a way to kill our buzz. I'm not going to even try to predict the future, but I will say that Randolph is at least going to be a very interesting and possibly exciting player to own over the next few weeks, if not for the rest of the season.

And yes, despite the fact it is pouring down rain here, and will be until Wednesday, and I had to take three unhappy children to school at 7:30 this morning, I'm the happiest I've been in a couple weeks. Yes, the new phone books are here!!!

If you are tired of reading about Anthony Randolph, please feel free to skip to Page 2 for Monday's Game News and Notes. However, if you do care about the movie The Jerk, you should probably keep reading.

Navin R. Johnson went through a lot of trials and tribulations in The Jerk. He found love, lost love, made millions, lost millions, found a dog, gave it an amazing name and then lost him, and couldn't understand why a man could have so much hatred for cans of motor oil. It's appropriate that a movie titled The Jerk is where I have chosen to go when discussing the latest Anthony Randolph turn of events, but I'll let you figure out why.

In case you missed it, Mr. Randolph got some run last night and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and three steals, hit 8-of-14 shots and canned 7-of-8 free throws in one of the most lopsided wins I've ever seen in the Association. Kurt Rambis and the Timberwolves must be pretty proud of themselves this morning after getting rocked to the tune of 146-105. The only folks who might be feeling worse are those who gave up on Randolph just before the explosion. In fact, in Navin R. Johnson terms, owners associated with Randolph this year are experiencing one of the following three emotions this morning.

1. You not only still own Randolph, but you somehow had him in your lineup last night. You are walking with a spring in your step this morning and your co-workers are wondering what could possibly have happened overnight to make you so happy after your grumpy performance yesterday.

"The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here! Page 73, Johnson, Navin, R.! I'm somebody now! Millions of people look at this book every day! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity, you're name in print, that makes people. I'm in print! Things are going to start happening to me now."

2. You still own Randolph, but didn't play him. You're content, but still don't really know how to feel, or even understand exactly what you've got.

"I know we've only known each other four weeks and three days, but to me it seems like nine weeks and five days. The first day seemed like a week and the second day seemed like five days and the third day seemed like a week again…"

3. You finally cut bait with Randolph yesterday and now you can't get him back. You're wearing a wife beater, boxer shorts and a bathrobe.

"I don't need anything except this and that's it and that's the only thing I need, is this. I don't need this or this. Just this ashtray. And this paddle game, the ashtray and the paddle game and that's all I need. And this remote control. The ashtray, the paddle game and the remote control, and that's all I need. And these matches. The ashtray, and these matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And this lamp...Well what are you looking at? What do you think I am, some kind of a jerk or something?"

OK, sorry for that. Here's the deal. Andris Biedrins is out for at least two weeks with inflammation in his abdomen and groin, while Ronny Turiaf remains sidelined with a bad knee. And given the fact that the knee has been bothering him since training camp, Turiaf is not likely to come back and get heavy minutes. That leaves Mikki Moore and Randolph to handle center duties until Biedrins is back, and by then anything is possible with everyone's favorite odd couple, Randolph & Nellie. In short, Randolph is once again a must-own player, but as usual, comes with absolutely no guarantees.

Don Nelson's universe is Seinfeld-ish on a few levels. There's the Bizarro Jerry episode, when a crew with names of Kevin, Gene and Feldman enter the fray and act in similar, yet exact opposite manners of Jerry, George and Kramer. Then there's the one where George realizes that every decision he's ever made is a bad one, so he decides to consistently do the exact opposite of what his mind tells him to. And, of course, suddenly has incredible success in life.

Just when things looked so bleak for Randolph, Bizarro GSW took over and the kid blew up for the kind of game we've all been waiting for. My mind told me not to start Randolph this week, so I went ahead and did it. In other words, if logic dictates that Anthony Morrow is a great play, he's probably not. Now that things could not possibly look better for Randolph's owners, you might as well prepare yourself for the worst. Surely Nellie will find a way to kill our buzz. I'm not going to even try to predict the future, but I will say that Randolph is at least going to be a very interesting and possibly exciting player to own over the next few weeks, if not for the rest of the season.

And yes, despite the fact it is pouring down rain here, and will be until Wednesday, and I had to take three unhappy children to school at 7:30 this morning, I'm the happiest I've been in a couple weeks. Yes, the new phone books are here!!!


The NBA Season Pass is up and running. Constantly updated cheat sheets, weekly projections and tiers, subscriber-only chats, exclusive columns and more. As of this Sunday it should start rolling over to the new week around 5:30 p.m. It wasn't rolling until Mondays in the past, but I'm told the glitch has been fixed. Check it out!

Monday's Game News and Notes

Stephen Jackson is doing what he needs to in order to get shipped out of Nellie's Bizarro universe. He scored just 10 points, but had six rebounds, a career-high 15 assists, four steals and two blocks on Monday, despite playing just 31 minutes. He's still playing the good soldier and by being such a team player on Monday, is actually improving his stock in the eyes of other teams. He might actually get himself traded at some point in the next month or so.

Kelenna Azubuike (pick him up), Anthony Morrow, Acie Law and even C.J. Watson all looked great last night. Stephen Curry and Corey Maggette sure didn't, but Maggette will be up and down all year depending on how Nellie feels on any given night.

As for Curry, I'm not sure what to tell you. The promise and upside are there, but he's a very risky start right now, as those of you with him in a lineup can attest. He's a rookie playing for Don Nelson, which is about all you need to know. Then you throw in the fact that he and Monta Ellis might not really be able to play together and we've got problems. Curry didn't even start the second half last night – Anthony Morrow did.

The good news is the team loves him and wants him to play, but he's simply still trying to figure out his role and how to play in the NBA. I would not advise cutting him yet, but you should get him on your bench immediately, or try to trade him. If you cut him, he will be scooped up off the wire immediately, and it will pain you to have to see him have a nice second half for another owner. If you've come to terms with letting him go and can handle it without looking back, go for it. And if you don't own him and need a guard, he's a pretty solid-looking buy-low candidate.

Just keep in mind that last night's big numbers came against a Minnesota team that could probably have been beaten by the following:

Jackie Moon and the Flint Tropics
The 1954 Angel Beach High School team
The Washington Generals
The Beavers (from Teen Wolf)
The Pittsburgh Pisces
The Carver High School team

20-20 Vision

The Suns beat the Sixers last night behind Steve Nash's stellar line of 21 points and 20 assists. Nash must have found a time machine, as he is playing about as well as he ever has. Talk about a fantasy steal. That was his second 20-assist game of the young season and he's now averaging 18 points, 12.9 dimes and 2.1 threes.

Three Is A Magic Number

Jason Richardson, the guy who has caused me some grief from several of you after I was possibly a little too fired up about him, had 29 points, eight rebounds and six more 3-pointers last night. Guess who is averaging 20 points and a league-leading 3.7 3-pointers per game? Yep. He's currently worth a third-round pick, just like Joe Johnson, but it's still early and JRich has plenty of time to prove me to be a fool.

Marreese Speights bounced back from an injury and had 20 points and eight boards, and looks like he should be on fantasy rosters for the rest of the season. He's one of the few bigs who can actually run in that offense.

Once again, Elton Brand didn't play in the fourth quarter and is averaging just 23 minutes in his last three games. While there was plenty of speculation over the summer about how he would fit in with the Sixers, it's becoming quite obvious that it's a fact. Maybe the Sixers will look to move him, as I could see Brand being a stud in the right offense.

All That Jazz

Deron Williams had 16 dimes, Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer double-doubled, and Andrei Kirilenko hit five 3-pointers to go along with 23 points, six boards and six assists for a 4x5 special (he's back). Paul Millsap's problems continue, as he had just four points and five boards. He is a bust as long as Boozer is healthy and on the team, but it originally looked like the two would be in more of a timeshare than they are. Sometimes it's tough to predict the future.

Knicks Searching For Answers

Wilson Chandler bounced back with a double-double last night, hopefully a good sign of things to come, while rookie Toney Douglas had 21 points and three 3-pointers. If you're in a deep league (and even if you're not?), Douglas is certainly worth grabbing, especially since Chris Duhon looks like he's forgotten how to play basketball.

As for the rumors about Allen Iverson going to New York, there's probably a better chance that Tracy McGrady would be shipped to Mike D'Antoni.

The Big Fundamental Surprise

Jose Calderon (13 & 9) played well again and could be on the verge of turning it around. For the Spurs, Tim Duncan was a late scratch with an ankle injury and is day-to-day. I have also caught some heat for being so down on Duncan, predicting as many as 10 surprise DNPs from him this year. But the reality is that we're early into Week 3 and he already has one in the books. Tony Parker was also out with a sprained ankle and both players are day-to-day. Manu Ginobili and Richard Jefferson were finally able to break out, as a result, while George Hill had 18 points and five assists filling in for Parker. Hill might be worth a pickup, but it doesn't sound like Parker will be out long.

Devin Who?

Devin Brown hit five 3-pointers and scored 25 points in his second start at shooting guard, and is definitely worth a flier if you have someone you want to cut. Peja Stojakovic was a surprise starter for the Hornets, but had a pretty average night of 12 points and two threes. Chris Paul left the game with a sprained ankle, but was able to come back and play the second half. Hopefully it isn't a problem the rest of the week.

The Hornets got a much-needed easy win over the Clippers, who got 14 points, three boards, three assists and three 3-pointers from Rasual Butler. Chris Kaman finally came down to earth with 14 points and six boards, but was better than Emeka Okafor, who managed just two points and six boards for the Hornets. The Hornets won big and simply didn't go to Okafor much, as he was dealing with the Twin Towers of Marcus Camby and Kaman. Ricky Davis had 14 points, six boards and five assists, but it was a blowout and we'll need to see a couple more similar lines from him before getting too excited. But he might be a decent short-term pickup since Eric Gordon could miss a few more games with a groin injury.

Tuesday News and Notes

Shortly after we posted a story about Tracy McGrady declaring himself ready to go on Nov. 18, the Rockets came out and made it abundantly clear that that was not necessarily the case. The Rockets have played surprisingly well and the last thing Rick Adelman wants is for T-Mac to come back and disrupt things. He's going to play at some point, but it now sounds like Nov. 18 is not all that likely. I posted the first 'T-Mac Coming Back' blurb, but never even stopped to bother to see if he was available in any of my leagues. No thanks.

Ryan Anderson (ankle) is out tonight, while Vince Carter will be a game-time decision after the team sees how he's moving on his bad ankle in shootaround.

Andrew Bynum (elbow) is iffy for Thursday, while it sounds like Pau Gasol is unlikely to play in that one due to his lingering hamstring injury. At this point, owners just have to hope the Lakers hold Pau out until he's fully healthy, but it's hard to believe he's yet to play this season. I said before the season that I had some doubts about Pau staying healthy this season, but it was just a hunch.

Antawn Jamison (shoulder) and Mike Miller (shoulder) sound like they could be on target to return to action this Saturday. If it happens they can be put back in lineups for Week 4.

Kevin Love says he'll be ready to play in two weeks, as he keeps flip-flopping on when he'll return from a broken hand. Either way, it sounds like he'll be back by Thanksgiving.

Mike Dunleavy says he should return to practice in the next "week or so," which is vague, to say the least. Even when he comes back he's expected to have some struggles with his knee. I'm not too interested in dealing with the headaches that are coming, but you're welcome to jump on him now if you want to.

J.R. Smith's minutes will be somewhat limited when he returns to action tonight from his seven-game suspension. He's expected to play around 20-25 minutes per game, but you can bet that if he gets hot from downtown in a close game, George Karl will leave him out there. Kenyon Martin now says he plans on playing tonight through his leg contusion, but I doubt he's at full strength.