Off the Glass

New Year's resolution: Answering your letters

Pau Gasol is more than holding his own alongside more-heralded fellow rookie Shane Battier. Glenn James/NBAE/ Getty Images

By Paul Forrester, Special to CNNSI.com

Well, Santa wasn't the only one whose mailbag was overflowing during the holiday season. Seeing as how OTG was too busy stuffing his face with cookies and egg nog (not spiked as this is a family sort of operation) to answer any questions in the last few weeks, we thought we'd take a crack and emptying out this oh-so-heavy sack as we embark on a new year and another chance for us all to dream that Antonio McDyess will save our seasons.

Who would you say has been the most surprising rookie this year?
-- Lance Owens, Gainesville

While Jamaal Tinsley has gotten the most press with a gaudy 9.1 assists a game while playing for business-advice guru (Oops, forgot about that CBA debacle. No man that bankrupts an entire league would write about how to succeed in business, would he?) Isiah Thomas, Pau Gasol of the lowly Memphis Grizzlies is quietly putting together a great all-around season (15 ppg, 2 bpg, 51 percent from the field). It isn't as if NBA teams were caught unaware of his abilities. He was selected third overall in last June's draft. What is most surprising is that he has flourished so quickly. Training camp was filled with reports of the slender (227 pounds on a 7-foot tall frame) Gasol struggling to find his game in the bigger NBA after three years with FC Barcelona. Things didn't look any better with Stromile Swift starting at the power forward spot to start the season. But, as happens in all too many sports fairy tales, an injury led to opportunity. Swift went down, Gasol started and hasn't seen the bench much since.

Do you think that Steve Nash is taking over the reigns of the best point guard in the Western Conference? Besides a struggling Gary Payton, and a hurt Steve Francis, I don't see another point guard that does more to help his team win.
-- Grant Irving, Dallas

Don't forget that the blue-eyed lady killer (Liz Hurley and Ginger Spice -- damn, all that for just not combing your hair!?) has Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley to pass off to as they run past Mark Cuban to the basket. Still, Nash has gone a long way to proving last year was not a fluke for the once oft-injured Canadian.

He's hitting for more than 19 a game, including more that two treys a night, while shooting better than 50 percent from the backcourt (obviously his marksmanship isn't limited to off-the-court games). In addition, Nash is helping out his teammates to the tune of seven assists per game. Now, if you consider all the variables (who wouldn't want to see a supermodel at courtside), it's Nash by a wide margin over the rest of the West's point guards.

Unfortunately, fantasy hoops and the NBA do not reward eye-candy ability. And in that circumstance, guys like Gary Payton and Stephon Marbury are stat machines. Each goes for more than 20 points, eight assists and a steal a night, numbers that are more intoxicating to the roto owner than any supermodel's stare. As we've mentioned before in this column, Marbury's game is not to our taste (a healthy Penny Hardaway and a young Shawn Marion have proven they can score a little – but they can't do so without the ball), but his production is undeniable. Payton's long-range shooting has tailed off a bit but he has defied many a preseason prediction in still tallying some heady numbers for a Seattle team that many thought was headed for a steep fall.

In terms of centers, whom do you see as the best option now, and who has the best long-term value: Brad Miller, Brendan Haywood, or Zydrunas Ilgauskas?
-- John E., St. Louis

It all depends on your definition of "right now" and "long term." For this season, we're starting to lean toward the Z Train. He's moved into the starting lineup, John Lucas claims he's going to monitor his minutes to keep him around for the rest of the season and he's starting to produce the 15 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks he's capable of. Hell, the Cavs aren't even an embarrassment when he's in the lineup. Still, you've got to watch those feet, which we won't trust until he's retired from the game.

Brad Miller had a nice start and for a time was the only positive news coming out of the Bulls camp. He's slowed down of late as former big man Bill Cartwright takes the reins -- something that should bode well for Miller's immediate future. Still, Cartwright and the team are committed to getting the kids they drafted, Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler, more minutes, which will shake the rotations up a bit and take some minutes away from Miller.

Looking into our crystal ball in the distant future (that'd be more than a year or two), Haywood has shown some glimpses of developing into a legitimate low-post presence, averaging seven points and two blocks a game. He's already impressed teammate Michael Jordan and as his emergence has roughly coincided with Washington's new winning ways, he should continue to get minutes this season. But the Wizards aren't Haywood's team and won't be any time soon.

DeMarr Johnson's role in Atlanta is starting to increase. Do you see him having any fantasy value in the second half of the season?
-- Lou T, Briarwood, New York

Some, but we doubt his minutes, barring injury, will be enough to make much of an impact. The problem is that Johnson is stuck behind seemingly productive, and more importantly, young players. Jason Terry has struggled but a team's leading scorer less than one season removed isn't unseated that quickly. There has been talk of moving Terry back to the point guard position, a move we wouldn't expect to last long as Terry struggled at that spot last season and only broke out when he moved to shooting guard. The frontcourt is manned by Shareef Abdur-Rahim (who isn't moving anywhere) and Dion Glover, who has been surprisingly productive this season. Let's also not forget Toni Kukoc, who often appears to be running on fumes, but still has the ability to break out once a week. In most years Atlanta's struggles might have them looking to shuffle the lineup a bit and play for next season. With the East fighting for bridesmaid honors, though, the Hawks are still in the hunt, which leads us to believe that Kruger will continue to dance with the dates he brought to the dance.

I have Ray Allen, Marcus Camby and Antonio McDyess on my fantasy team. What would you recommend I do with them?
-- Chris, Austin, Texas

Keep them, if possible. Allen should return in about a week, it appears, and he seems to be one of the few players not consistently in George Karl's doghouse. If you've kept McDyess for this long, you might as well wait the extra three to four weeks for the jolt he should provide your team. And Camby, well, he's never going to carry a fantasy team, but he can sure help you in rebounding and blocked shots. But, as we all know, Camby has a problem playing full seasons. If New York's season continues to slip down the drain, Camby might find even less incentive to play.

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