Power Forward: Kevin Garnett/Andray Blatche vs. Andrea Bargnani/Amare Stoudemire/Kenyon Martin
Will the real Kevin Garnett please stand up? 6.3 points per game on 36.7 percent shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks in 22.3 minutes per game? Who is this? Andray Blatche, averaging 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, is actually rated higher on the player rater than the once-dominant Garnett.
If Paul Pierce was on a landslide in his career, then Garnett is just about at the bottom of the mountain, ready to cross the finish line. It’s weird because he was still respectable last season and was scoring in the mid-teens. He only played 68 games, so the missed games were expected, but this dip? I just think 18 years in the NBA has worn his body down and he just doesn’t have it anymore. It happens.
On the other side of town, the Knicks signed Andrea Bargnani and Kenyon Martin in the off-season. Amare and K-Mart essentially switch off games being inactive, so they aren’t really fantasy relevant. Since Chandler went down, Bargnani has been starting at center.
From a fantasy perspective, he has been playing very well. Bargnani plays no defense, but in fantasy he is one of the few that scores, rebounds, blocks and shoots threes. Spencer Hawes is the best version that fantasy has to offer of the all-around big men (that can shoot from beyond the arc) but Bargnani is next in line. He’s averaged 14.6 points with 1.9 three-pointers made, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks this season, quality fantasy basketball numbers. I have no problem using Bargnani in my lineup every day until Chandler comes back.
He probably still will be useful at that point but it will at least be a situation to monitor. But while Garnett is done, Bargnani still has something left in the tank. For that reason, the Knicks take the cake.
EDGE:
