Yao Ming’s season is over. The superstar center for the Houston Rockets has a broken left foot that will keep him out for the rest of the 2009 NBA playoffs. Without Yao, the Rockets will face a huge challenge in their second round series against the Los Angeles Lakers. After three games, the Rockets trail 1-2 in the series.
During the 2009 playoffs, Yao has averaged 17.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.2 blocks and 1.0 assists per game in 35.8 minutes. Earlier in the season, the Rockets lost Tracy McGrady due to microfracture knee surgery. Earlier in these playoffs, center Dikembe Mutombo …read more

PER has proven to be a pretty good measurement of a basketball player’s ability. It’s especially useful to help find players who could breakout once given more playing time. Here are some players that have high PER’s but low minutes per game average.
Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers, 20.68 PER
Throughout the season, Speights has had a high PER. The fact that he’s consistently led all rookies means that he’s probably the real thing. For every 40 minutes he plays, he’s putting up 40 points and 10 rebounds. Keep an eye on any spike in minutes played because he has shown star potential.
Brandan …read more

According to the current NBA rumor mill, there’s a potential deal floating around that has the Houston Rockets trading Carl Landry to the Milwaukee Bucks for Charlie Villanueva. Additionally, the Bucks are likely to be sending Tyronn Lue to the Los Angeles Lakers, with the Lakers sending Chris Mihm to the Rockets and the Bucks also getting either Brent Barry or Luther Head.
Obviously, the two biggest names in this potential trade are Carl Landry and Charlie Villanueva. If Landry lands with the Bucks, he will probably get to play more minutes. In Houston, Landry was stuck behind a lot of …read more

Need some help in finding guys who are shooting extremely well from the field? Check out these fantasy basketball players:
C Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks
Since Jason Kidd has been brought onboard, perhaps no Dallas Maverick has seen his production rise as much as Erick Dampier. The Mavs’ starting center is shooting over 70% as of late and he’s becoming a nice fantasy option right now. Expect him to remain consistently good for the rest of the season.
PF Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
While Carl Landry is currently injured, this rookie for the Houston Rockets simply doesn’t miss too many shots. He usually …read more

The Houston Rockets got devastating news on Tuesday when they learned that Yao Ming will miss the rest of the season due to a stress fracture in his foot. The Rockets, who have won 12 games in a row, will now have to figure out a way to win without Yao in the middle.
In the fantasy basketball world, this is also devastating news to anyone who owned Yao. You will have to figure out a way to survive without one of the better fantasy centers in the game. While Yao’s numbers were slightly down from last year, he was still …read more

Luis Scola, Houston Rockets
Now that he’s in the starting lineup, there’s no reason why Luis Scola can’t be the best rookie power forward in the NBA. He’s experienced, smart and plays in a system conducive to his strengths. He should eventually become a player who can average around 12 and 8 on the NBA level.

Yi Jianlian, Miwaukee Bucks
There is a lot of hype surrounding Yi Jianlian but most of that hype is warranted. He has a pure jumper that extends all the way out to the three-point line. He can rebound and mix in some blocked shots. Everything about him …read more

Carl Landry, Houston Rockets
Landry has gotten some time lately with the Rockets and has showed the ability that could make him a solid power forward down the line. He’s very athletic and is aggressive around the basket. He still has a lot to learn but the upside is definitely there.
Acie Law, Atlanta Hawks
Law, like Landry, is a rookie. Law hasn’t shown much for the Hawks so far. His stats are underwhelming and he hasn’t gotten noticeably better since the season started. That said, the Hawks will continue to give him chances and he should see …read more