Iguodala stepping up for Philly

In the latest NBA classic to grace this fascinating season, Washington outlasted Phoenix 144-139 in overtime last Friday. It was tied at 127 after regulation. The Suns had won 15 straight, but Gilbert Arenas‘ 54 points was too much for them to overcome. Arenas, of course, scored 60 at the Lakers on December 17th.

Arenas went 21-for-37 from the field in 48 minutes as the Wizards shot 54-for-101 as a team. Steve Nash paced the Suns with 42 points. The teams only used 15 combined players.

Not only is Nets big man Nenad Krtsic out for the year (torn ACL) while Yao Ming is out for a month or more (broken knee), but Hawks star Josh Smith may be out until February after hernia surgery.

This news took me by surprise: Seattle has worked out Penny Hardaway and may sign him. This is great news, but can we have Shawn Kemp and Tim Hardaway back also? They’re not that old . . .

Other observations from Week 8:
My NBA devotion (or sickness?) reached new heights on Tuesday. Because of weekend social and personal demands – and copious amounts of adult holiday beverages – I found myself very short on late-night home couch time last Friday and Saturday. I managed to work through Allen Iverson‘s Nuggets debut, and did see the Wizards-Suns classic. But I was unable to get to the Cavs-Magic game before leaving town Sunday morning.

So, I somehow managed to not hear any NBA news before returning back home on Monday night. After two NFL games, I got through only the first half of the Cleveland-Orlando matchup before succumbing to slumber. So I watched last Saturday’s game early Tuesday afternoon. That is just plain silly.

LeBron James became the youngest player in league history to reach 7,000 career points in that game while scoring 32 points and dominating the fourth quarter with 20 points in the Cavs’ 86-83 win.

Feel free to ask me your fantasy questions, or to tell me the greatest fourth quarter performance you’ve seen, at

briandoolittle@hotmail.com.briandoolittle@hotmail.com.

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WEEK 8 PLAYER NEWS
Much of this content is based on your emails:
G Allen Iverson, Nuggets: I was very impressed with his Denver debut on Friday. He was patient, unselfish and really meshed well with Denver’s offense. In 39 minutes, Iverson shot 9-for-15 for 22 points, 10 assists and only 2 turnovers. Iverson will find himself playing a very familiar team on Tuesday as Boston comes to Denver. Of course, play Iverson every chance you get, as always.

Andre Iguodala has playing well in the absence of Allen Iverson.

G/F Andre Iguodala, 76ers: He is benefiting more than any other player in NBA fantasy as a result of Iverson’s shift to Denver. This is not a surprise, as Iguodala is handling the ball much more and playing huge minutes. Soon to be a legitimate star player, Iguodala over his past four games is averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals. Plus, he has shot 50 percent in that span while making 5-of-10 from downtown. Expect about 3.5 turnovers per game, however.

G Ben Gordon, Bulls: I’ve been receiving several inquiries about Gordon, presumably because he is often traded. Gordon has been consistent in that he’ll help you in leagues counting 3-pointers, or 5-category (or less) leagues. Otherwise, he is a big scorer who does little else. I’d consider dealing him if you have scorers already. Gordon is hot right now, averaging 23.8 points over his past 4 games (35-for-70 shooting) to raise his season average to 19.1 PPG. He is also 29-for-32 from the line over his past five games and is at 87.4 for this season.

F Pau Gasol, Grizzlies: He is quickly getting back to form following his first six starts of this season. Gasol has played at least 22 minutes in his past four outings while averaging 17.8 points and 3.5 rebounds. Expect his minutes and rebounds to rise beginning this week. Also, realize Gasol will always give you 50-plus percent shooting and 1.5 blocks a night.

SLEEPERS OR SNOOZERS?
C Samuel Dalembert, 76ers: He has been surging of late, eliminating his availability in most leagues. In his past five games, Dalembert has averaged 34.4 minutes, 13 points, 9.2 rebounds (3.2 offensive), 3.2 blocks and 1.2 steals. He is shooting 58.4 percent this season. Dalembert swatted six shots on Friday in 28 minutes against New York. Unless you are in a very small league, Dalembert is a very strong play moving forward.

G Luther Head, Rockets: His minutes have really picked up and fantasy owners have taken notice. Head has averaged 41 minutes, 13.4 points, five rebounds, 3.4 assists, two steals with 13 made 3s over his past five games. Head should continue to step up his production while Yao Ming sits out with his injury.

F Marvin Williams, Hawks: He is finding a groove. Williams has averaged 36.8 minutes, 16.4 points and 4.2 rebounds over his past five games while making 30-for-62 from the field. He’s available in around half of all leagues and should be more productive while Josh Smith sits.

C Primoz Brezec, Pacers: If you are in a deep league and in a bind at center, Brezec may be able to get you by for now. No one has him, but Brezec has averaged a serviceable 12.5 points and six rebounds over his past four games. However, don’t expect steals and blocks.

RAMBLINGS AND ECHOES
Knicks F David Lee has averaged 16.2 rebounds (5.4 offensive!) over his past five games. He is shooting 64 percent this season …

Lee’s teammate, G Jamal Crawford, needs to stop hoisting 3s. Crawford is shooting 29 percent on his 160 3-point attempts …

Over a two-game span last Wednesday and Friday, Warriors G Baron Davis scored 69 points on 39 field goal attempts. Davis shot 22-for-39 and added 17 assists as Golden State won road games at Boston and Orlando …

Timberwolves G Mike James had quite a yo-yo performance last Friday and Saturday. James poured in 28 points in 44 minutes against the Bucks, then scored two points in 15 minutes at Indiana …

He’s still around! In case you did not know, G Jacques Vaughn is alive and well in San Antonio. He dished out 11 assists in a win at New Orleans last Saturday . . .

Mystery Player of The Week: C Andreas Glyniadakis, SuperSonics: He is 7-1, 280 pounds, 25 years old and is from Greece. The rookie has seen action in 11 games this season, scoring 17 points (8-for-15) in 71 minutes.

Brian Doolittle covers fantasy basketball for The Roto Times. His columns appear every week during the NBA season.