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I don't know how the reader feels about time travel. Me, ever since having first seen -- and, subsequently, becoming a devotee of -- 1985's Back to the Future, I've been a pretty big fan. As such, I'd like you all, please, to bear with me as we travel back in time. The year? 2009. The month? October. The date? I actually don't remember the exact date. Anyway, it was around then some time that I wrote the following words in my intro to the Challenge:

3. Beware the DNP

Even worse than picking a sub-par player for a game is picking an injured or otherwise absent one. It's as true for Pick One as for other fantasy games: even though you don't normally think about it, playing time is frequently the single biggest contributor to a player's value. In the case of Pick One, 0 MP = 0 PRA. Unsure about a star's availability on a given day? Look elsewhere. If you want to compete in Pick One, you've got to be on point every day.

And until this past Saturday, I'd avoided the DNP successfully all bloody season. Until Saturday, like I say. For it was that day when, basically without warning, Eric Gordon missed that night's contest against Golden State. That's the Golden State Warriors, people -- a.k.a. the same team that allows about five more points per game than any other!

Anyway, I'll curse that day for always. On the bright side, though, it was my first of the season.

And on a hopefully even brighter side, here are some notes for this abbreviated week, including notable performances, recent injuries, and the picks.

Boo-yah!


NOTABLE RECENT PERFORMANCES

(Note: Listed in order of Bullish-ness.)

Player: Jodie Meeks - PHI
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 13.7 / 34.5 (4)
General Thoughts: Meeks is only averaging 11 or so minutes per game on the season, but he's been getting almost exactly double that in four April contests. It remains to be seen what sort of NBA player he'll become after an impressive junior season at Kentucky. That's not really the Challenger's concern. The Challenger's concern is that he's getting 22 MPG and is eligible for a rookie bonus.

Player: Shaun Livingston - WAS
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 12.4 / 27.4 (5)
General Thoughts: Livingston is using Randy Foye's injury -- and the 40 or so minutes per game that it's given him -- to demonstrate a well-rounded game. Through six April contests the point guard is averaging 16.0 PPG, 4.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG.    

Player: Udonis Haslem - MIA
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 18.6 / 25.33 (3)
General Thoughts: Heading into the week, Haslem is riding a streak of four consecutive double-doubles and six consecutive double-digit rebounding games. The reason for the improvement? More playing time. With Jermaine O'Neal nursing a knee injury and Michael Beasley proving ineffective of late, Haslem has been playing closer to 35 MPG of late.


RECENT INJURIES

Player: Brandon Roy - POR
Injury: Knee
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Rudy Fernandez

Player: O.J. Mayo - MEM
Injury: Ankle
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Sam Young, Mike Conley

Player: Gerald Wallace
Injury: Shoulder
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Larry Hughes


NOTHING BUT THE PICKS

Date: Monday, April 12, 2010
Player: Jodie Meeks - PHI
Opposition: at Miami
2009-2010 Averages: 4.6 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.7 APG (13.7 PRA)
General Thoughts: You can kinda throw out Meeks' average up till April, as Philadelphia coach Eddie Jordan has announced that he'll commit to playing the young guard with some regularity for the few remaining games of the season. Rookie Bonus + Playing Time = Sweet Pick One Play. That's the lesson here.

Date: Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Player: C.J. Miles - UTA
Opposition: at Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 9.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.7 APG (13.9 PRA)
General Thoughts: With only four games tonight, and with 165 or so players already picked, tonight's not a real cake wake in terms of finding a reasonable play. Still, you'll notice that Golden State is playing and their opponent, Utah, has a couple injuries at the moment. In the case the beneficiary is Miles, who's been about 30 minutes per game when he doesn't get into foul trouble. Let's hope he keeps his nose clean and scores 20 points against a generous Golden State defense.

Date: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Player: Earl Barron - NYK
Opposition: at Toronto
2009-2010 Averages: 12.6 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 1.0 APG (25.0 PRA)
General Thoughts: Who the what is Earl Barron? Manna from Pick One Heaven, is who. With Al Harrington out for the remainder of the season, and the Knicks entirely out of playoff consideration, coach Mike D'Antoni has decided to go with Barron as the team's starting center. Yeah, he's only played five games this season (as of Sunday night), but he's averaging over 32 MPG and a double-double. Don't looks this gift horse in the mouth.

The views expressed by RotoWire.com represent only the views of  the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA  team.

There's a term that Real Sports Men use: "winning ugly." I can't say I'm a big fan of it -- either the term, or the thing it represents. I'll always prefer teams that play a fluid, passing-based game (see Phoenix or Utah) as compared to those that slow things to a halt and try and kill you on the boards (think any time Mike Fratello ever coached). I mean, if I were a player, I probably wouldn't care, but as a member of the viewing public, beauty always wins for me.

However, in the final days of the season, if there's one thing the Challenger is realizing, it's that he'll almost definitely have to win ugly. I can't speak for anyone's picks but my own, but what I can say is that I've picked both Corey Brewer and Ron Artest this week. Guess what sort of PRA those guys are averaging? I'll give you a hint: it's not over 20. That's not exactly like a sweet Steve Nash-type pass. No, it's more like the Pick One equivalent of Kurt Rambis: bespectacled, wearing short shorts, and grunting all over the place.

If you're lucky enough to have them still available, below are some players who have produced in the past week. Below that you'll find some recent injuries and, below that, this week's picks.

Good luck, fellow Challengers.


NOTABLE RECENT PERFORMANCES

(Note: Listed in order of Bullish-ness. Totals don't include Sunday games.)

Player: John Salmons - MIL
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 21.2 / 30.0 (5)
General Thoughts: Salmons has just been a different guy altogether since coming to Milwaukee from Chicago -- from a fantasy perspective, if nothing else. With Chicago he averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.5 APG (18.6 PRA) in 33 MPG; with Milwaukee those numbers have shot up to 20.0/3.4/3.4 (26.8 PRA) in 38 MPG. That's the difference between a fringe versus a solid Pick One play.

Player: Manu Ginobili - SA
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 25.1 / 41.0 (3)
General Thoughts: That three-day average includes Ginobili's April 2nd effort versus Orlando, in which he PRA-ed to the tune of 43 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Ginobili is unlikely to repeat the sort of performance over the next week and a half. Of note, though, is the Argentines playing time: he's averaging about 28 MPG for the season, but has played over 31 minutes for seven straight games (not including the one he missed with back troubles).

Player: Terrence Williams - NJ
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 29.6 / 57.0 (4)
General Thoughts: Before the season began, a number of people who are paid to talk basketball suggested Williams could post interesting assist totals from a forward spot. That prognostication has taken some time to come to fruition -- Williams is only averaging 2.7 APG on the season -- but the young Net averaged 7 APG last week, culminating in a 14-assist performance against New Orleans. If he's available, he's a n'doy-type Pick One play.

Player: Anthony Morrow - GS
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 18.2 / 24.5 (4)
General Thoughts: The exceptional thing here is not the raw totals for Morrow, but the fact that he got some dependable minutes last week (33 MPG over the last two games). Unfortunately, some of that had to do with Monta Ellis's absence. The latter's return could suppress Morrow's playing time again. Maybe sneak him in early in the week, if you can.

Player: Mickael Pietrus - ORL
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 12.2 / 25.5 (2)
General Thoughts: This performance is notable because, despite Pietrus's excellence the past two games, it's unlikely he'll produce at the same level going forward. Why? Because the Orlando-er has shot a combined 14-for-17 over that period, including an 8-for-9 mark from behind the arc. That'd be hard to sustain against rec-league competitionl, let alone actual NBA players.


RECENT INJURIES

Player: Andrew Bogut - MIL
Injury: Arm
Return: Out for Season
Key Beneficiaries: Kurt Thomas

Player: Randy Foye - WAS
Injury: Wrist
Return: Out for Season
Key Beneficiaries: Shaun Livingston

Player: Jason Richardson
Injury: Back
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Leandro Barbosa, Goran Dragic


NOTHING BUT THE PICKS

Date: Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Player: Shaun Livingston - WAS
Opposition: vs Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 4.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.9 APG (9.8 PRA)
General Thoughts: Not too long ago, Livingston was a fourth-overall selection in the NBA draft, a 6'7" player with the handle of a point guard but the ability to defend three positions. Well, things haven't worked so great. He started off his career with the Clippers -- a.k.a. a fate no one deserves -- and then injured his leg so badly in February of 2007 that it's really taken till now to recover. In any case, he's taken over starting duties with Randy Foye out. Big ups to you, Shaun Livingston.

Date: Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Player: Corey Brewer - MIN
Opposition: vs Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 12.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG (18.8 PRA)
General Thoughts: There are a lot of half-intriguing picks tonight. I'd go with Ibaka versus Denver, but he's got Phoenix later in the week. Any from Corey Brewer, Ryan Gomes, or even Ramon Sessions against Golden State also isn't what you'd call "terrible" exactly. Finally, either Udonis Haslem versus Philly or Rebounding Roy Hibbert against the Knicks both resemble something like a decent play. Ultimately, for me, Brewer's the way to go, on account of the poor defense he's facing and his important role in the Minnesota offense.

Date: Thursday, April 08, 2010
Player: Ron Artest - LAL
Opposition: at Denver
2009-2010 Averages: 11.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.0 APG (18.5 PRA)
General Thoughts: I was very close to rearranging some picks, taking Eric Gordon versus Sacramento tonight, and playing Udonis Haslem against New York on Sunday. Only problem is, that'd leave James Harden un-picked with only two game left in the season. Anyway, why'm I telling you this? For two reasons. One, so you understand why I'm making such an underwhelming choice. And two, two illustrate the sort of decisions the Challenger must make as the season comes to a close.

Date: Friday, April 09, 2010
Player: Serge Ibaka - OKC
Opposition: at Phoenix
2009-2010 Averages: 5.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.2 APG (22.2 PRA)
General Thoughts: I was saving Ibaka for this exact circumstance. Oklahoma plays both Phoenix (tonight) and Golden State (Sunday) this week. Harden seems more appropriate for the guard-fest that is a Warriors game. Phoenix at least pretends to run a big man or two through their rotations, thus ensuring that Ibaka won't be substituted by coach Scott Brooks in favor of a smaller center.

Date: Saturday, April 10, 2010
Player: Eric Gordon - LAC
Opposition: vs Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 16.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.0 APG (22.6 PRA)
General Thoughts: I don't know that Eric Gordon's what you'd call a "complete" basketball -- at least not yet. One thing you might say about Gordon -- especially if you're college basketball play-by-play man Gus Johnson -- is that Gordon "gets buckets." That's enough for tonight, against Golden State.

Date: Sunday, April 11, 2010
Player: James Harden - OKC
Opposition: at Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 9.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.9 APG (30.2 PRA)
General Thoughts: If the Challenger were to look back at the picks the So-Called Expert (i.e. me) has made this week, he (i.e. the Challenger) would see only two players with a PRA average north of 20 and exactly zero players with PRAs of 23+. In some ways, as James Harden goes, so goes the fate my Pick One entry. Unfortunately, entering the week, he hadn't topped 20 minutes in either of his last to games. Regardless, he's easily the best pick tonight.

The views expressed by RotoWire.com represent only the views of  the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA  team.

I don't know what it's like to be old. Having four living grandparents, though -- all of them either in their eighties or nineties -- it seems like it's pretty tough. It's not just that, as an octogenarian, you're unable to live the active lifestyle of years past, with all the downhill skiing and wild boar hunting and whatnot. No, it's not just that stuff, but all the normal stuff, too. Stuff like, I don't know, walking into the next room or even just sitting down. Even that stuff poses something of a challenge.

So, no, I don't know what it's like to be old. But my sense is that maybe -- just maybe -- the last three or so week of the Pick One Challenge might provide something of a window in the life of the elderly. I mean, do you remember back in Week One, when every last player was available and the world was each and every Challenger's oyster? Well, Week Twenty-Three isn't exactly the same. In Week Twenty-Three, almost all of the worthy plays have been made. No more LeBron vs Kobe-type decisions. Now it's more along the lines of Samuel Dalembert vs Jameer Nelson -- which is to say, guys who are good for 20 PRA on average and maybe 25-28 PRA on a good day. That's not what I'd call "choice" territory.

Below are some players who you might not've picked and who might still be of some benefit even this late in the figurative day. Oh, and my picks for this week are down there, too. A word of warning, though: you might wanna cover your eyes.


NOTABLE RECENT PERFORMANCES

(Note: Listed in order of Craziosity. Totals don't include Sunday games.)

Player: Jermaine Taylor - HOU
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 10.5 / 24.0 (3)
General Thoughts: Taylor was in the starting line-up for the Rockets Saturday night versus the Lakers. And in case you didn't just read that sentence, allow me to repeat it in bigger, more noticeable letters: TAYLOR WAS IN THE STARTING LINE-UP FOR THE ROCKETS SATURDAY NIGHT VERSUS THE LAKERS. In that game, he played 30 total minutes and put up a PRA line of 15/5/3 (good for a rookie-doubled mark of 46 PRA). All indications are that he'll start for the time being.

Player: Eric Maynor - OKC
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 19.3 / 32.0 (4)
General Thoughts: Maynor averaged a full 27 minutes per contest in the four games leading up to Sunday. His performances over that same time frame range from an excellent 15 point, 4 rebound, 11 assist line on March 21st at Indiana to a 2/0/1 line at home versus the Lakers on March 26th. In short: the minutes are good; just pick your spots.

Player: Ryan Anderson - ORL
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 11.6 / 29.0 (1)
General Thoughts: The good news: Anderson had a sweet 29.0 average PRA last week. The bad news: it was only in a single game. The other good news: it was in the most recent game (as of press time). Anderson's 24 minutes on March 26th were the result of an injury to Mickael Pietrus. However long the latter is out will almost certainly dictate the performance of the former.

Player: Reggie Williams - GS
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 40.0 / 50.5 (4)
General Thoughts: I think maybe I mentioned Williams sometime in the last couple weeks. I know, for sure, that I picked him at some point over the last two weeks. The bottom line is, he's starting for Golden State. Ya heard!

Player: Tayshaun Prince - DET
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 21.0 / 29.7 (3)
General Thoughts: Prince's weekly average is artificially inflated by his 27-point ourburst on March 26th at New Jersey (a game, incidentally, that Detroit managed to lose). That's not a total you can expect with any frequency from the lanky forward. Even without that, though, Prince possesses a well-rounded game that he's been able to exhibit a litte more recently with the assorted injuries surrounding the Detroitoise.


RECENT INJURIES

Player: Kevin Martin - HOU
Injury: Shoulder
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Chase Budinger, Jermaine Taylor

Player: Lou Williams - PHI
Injury: Back
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Jrue Holiday

Player: Thaddeus Young
Injury: Thumb
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Jason Kapono

Player: Al Thornton
Injury: Hip
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Alonzo Gee?!?


NOTHING BUT THE PICKS

Date: Monday, March 29, 2010
Player: Boris Diaw - CHA
Opposition: vs Toronto
2009-2010 Averages: 11.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 3.8 APG (20.1)
General Thoughts: Diaw isn't a superstar of a pick, but he offers a well-rounded game and, typically, a whole bunch of minutes. Add to all that the fact that he'll be playing Toronto at home, and Diaw becomes a competent -- if not entirely thrilling -- pick. In other news, Tracy McGrady, Bill Walker, and whatever other Knicks are playing tonight. If you haven't picked them yet, maybe do it soon.

Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Player: Alonzo Gee - WAS
Opposition: at Houston
2009-2010 Averages: 7.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.6 APG (20.8 PRA)
General Thoughts: I didn't know who Alonzo Gee was until about 35 minutes before I typed these words. Still, starting for the injured Al Thornton, he's played 30 minutes per game in the last two contests for Washington (as of press time). Thornton isn't expected back before tonight's game. So while the proverbial iron is hot, I'll be striking. Rookie Bonus in da house!

Date: Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Player: Wayne Ellington - MIN
Opposition: vs Sacramento
2009-2010 Averages: 6.9 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.0 APG (20.2 PRA)
General Thoughts: I've been meaning to go with Ellington for a while, but, for whatever reason, there's always been one pick or another that made more sense. Tonight, though, is very much the night for Ellington. Sacramento allows the sixth-most points per game in The League, and, amongst other of my available picks, probably only Eric Gordon versus Toronto represents something like a fallback option.

Date: Thursday, April 01, 2010
Player: Jameer Nelson - ORL
Opposition: at Dallas
2009-2010 Averages: 12.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 5.4 APG (20.4 PRA)
General Thoughts: It's not the worst case scenario, this pick, but it's not much better than that. Jameer Nelson's a fine player, and he's healthy for the moment, which is saying something. There's a chance -- if Mickael Pietrus is still out -- that I might go the way of Ryan Anderson with this pick. Anderson put up 29 PRA for a game in Pietrus's absence. I wouldn't necessarily expect a repeat performance, but Anderson's a better player than he's been getting credit for.

Date: Friday, April 02, 2010
Player: Tracy McGrady - NY
Opposition: at Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 8.9 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.3 APG (15.5 PRA)
General Thoughts: I don't wanna shock you or anything, but you're gonna find out sooner or later, so here it is: Tracy McGrady is no longer one of the best players in the NBA. Crazy, right? Well, it's true. And yet, for however true it is, there might also be some Pick One value here. For one, he plays for the Knicks. For two, the Knicks are playing the Warriors. And for three -- hmm, there might not be a three. Sorry, guys.

Date: Saturday, April 03, 2010
Player: Samuel Dalembert - PHI
Opposition: vs Toronto
2009-2010 Averages: 8.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 0.8 APG (18.4 PRA)
General Thoughts: Allow me to apologize in advance: this pick isn't super interesting. If you were to ask me, "Cistulli, why'd you pick Dalembert?" I'd be forced to answer, "Meh." I don't even know what that means. What I do know is that my only other real option tonight was Luke Ridnour. Yes, people: Luke Flipping Ridnour. In my attempt to find a silver-ish lining,I found that Dalembert averaged about 24 PRA last week. One would be hard-pressed to call that a bid deal.

Date: Sunday, April 04, 2010
Player: Eric Maynor - OKC
Opposition: vs Minnesota
2009-2010 Averages: 4.5 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 3.1 APG (19.3 PRA)

General Thoughts: I've got three potential Thunderers left: James Harden, Serge Ibaka, and Eric Maynor. Luckily, in addition to this match-up against the T-Wolves, Oklahoma City also has games against Phoenix and Golden State, if I'm remembering correctly. So why Maynor now? Because (a) he's been getting around 27 MPG recently, (b) Harden's just coming back from injury, and (c) Ibaka -- uh, well, it seems unwise to pit him against accomplished rebounders such as Al Jefferson and Kevin Love. That's what my mind grapes are saying, at least.

The views expressed by RotoWire.com represent only the views of  the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA  team.

Since three or four weeks ago, when I altered the format of the Pick One blog from its original irreverant, laugh-a-minute situation to the current more closely researched, less meandering one, there's been a pretty sweeping change in your So-Called Expert's Pick One results. A month ago now, I was ranked somewhere in the low-2000s, and bordering on the 90th percentile. As I write these words, though, I find myself ranked 605th overall and in the 97th percentile. The reason? Very probably luck. But taking a more thorough look at the week's options -- and recent excellent performances from unlikely sources -- has definitely helped me approach the coming week in a more organized, more efficient manner.

This week poses some challenges. Thursday, as always, is tough: for me, it came down to Brad Miller and Trevor Ariza, neither of whom were playing a Golden State-type opponent. Even worse for the Challenger is the baleful Saturday lineup. Dallas plays Golden State, which you'd think would create some kind of opportunity, but, alas, nothing seems so hot about it. I'm going with Ariza then after picking Miller for the aforementioned Thursday.


NOTABLE RECENT PERFORMANCES

Player: Hasheem Thabeet - MEM
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 12.2 / 32.7 (3)
General Thoughts: As of Sunday, Thabeet has started the lsat three games at center for Memphis in place of the injured Marc Gasol. Besides a foul-plagued, 12-minute showing versus Golden State, Thabeet has been in line for almost 30 minutes per game -- which, for a player with the rookie bonus, is like candy for the Challenger. The good news (from a Pick One perspective, at least) is that the Grizzlies are being careful with Gasol. That means Thabeet could be seeing more starter-type minutes this week.

Player: DaJuan Summers - DET
Season Average / Last Week (Games):  4.7 / 30.0 (2)
General Thoughts: Summers started the second half of Detroit's March 15th game at Boston after small forward Tayshaun Prince left with an injury. Summers received a DNP the next night against Cleveland, but then received 16 minutes at Indiana -- including all of an impressive fourth quarter that saw the Pistons claw back after starting the quarter down by 17. That said, his playing time is spotty enough that he's a bit of a risky play.

Player: Darko Milicic - MIN
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 10.2 / 17.7 (3)
General Thoughts: No, 17.7 isn't really an acceptable Pick One tally, but 31 is and that happens to be the amount that Milicic produced in his last game of the week, a March 19th contest at the Lakers. The bad news is that he left that game late in the fourth quarter with back spasms. If he's healthy, he's an interesting play right now, as the T-Wolves are dedicated to giving him a try-out ahead of their offseason player personnel decisions.

Player: Jamal Crawford - ATL
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 23.2 / 29.3 (3)
General Thoughts: He hasn't demonstrated the same sort of large spike as some other guys on this list, but for someone who's played in the league for so long -- that, and despite not receiving the benefit of the rookie bonus -- Crawford's done excellent work of late. The difference between last week's average of 29.3 and his season-long average of 23.2 is the difference between an excellent and only mediocre Pick One draw.
 
Player: Manu Ginobili - SAS
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 23.5 / 29.3 (4)
General Thoughts: One could say almost the exact same thing about Ginobili as Crawford, in that he's a veteran player who saw a spike in PRA last week. The only difference is that Ginobili's improvement is largely due to the absence of teammate Tony Parker. Entering this week, the Argentine has started seven consecutive games -- out of the eight he's made overall on the season. He's a good play until Tony Parker returns in mid-April or thereabouts.


RECENT INJURIES

Player: Andruw Bynum
Injury: Achilles
Return: Early April
Key Beneficiaries: Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol

Player: Luol Deng
Injury: Calf (Reinjured)
Return: Two Weeks
Key Beneficiaries: James Johnson

Player: Thaddeus Young
Injury: Thumb
Return: One Week
Key Beneficiaries: Willie Green, Rodney Carney


NOTHING BUT THE PICKS

Date: Monday, March 22, 2010
Player: Hasheem Thabeet - MEM
Opposition: at Sacramento
2009-2010 Averages: 2.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 0.1 APG (12.2 PRA)
General Thoughts: This pick will only be a success if the injured Marc Gasol remains injured. If he does -- and it's appearing likely right now -- then Thabeet is a go tonight. Except for a foul-shortened game against Golden State in his last outing, the center has been looking at something like 25-30 minutes in Gasol's absence. With his rebounding prowess and the benefit of the rookie bonus, he could very easily record something like 25-30 PRA.

Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Player: Jason Maxiell - DET
Opposition: vs Indiana
2009-2010 Averages: 6.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 0.5 (12.3 PRA)
General Thoughts: Prior to March 19th's match-up at Indiana, Maxiell had recorded five straight double-doubles. The reason for his success in those five games is almost wholly due to the absence of center Ben Wallace. Wallace returned March 19th, and so did a drop in Maxiell's court time from about 33-35 MPG to 27 minutes. Well, the good news for Maxiell and the Challengers who haven't used him is that Ben Wallace didn't play in Sunday's contest with Cleveland. That'll probably hold true for tonight's contest, as well.

Date: Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Player: Sam Young - MEM
Opposition: at Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 7.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.6 APG (20.2 PRA)
General Thoughts: In the event that the Challenger hadn't noticed, I've picked like a hundred rookies in the past two weeks. Well, there's no need for that trend to end this evening, as Memphis visits the Bay Area. Like other rookies, Sam Young doesn't need to play too many minutes or put up too many shots to provide Pick One production. Even so, with all the possessions that typically occur during the course of an average Golden State game, there should be no shortage of opportunities to throw up a 25 or 30 PRA line.

Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010
Player: Brad Miller - CHI
Opposition: vs Miami
2009-2010 Averages: 8.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.8 APG (14.9 PRA)
General Thoughts: Ick. Ick. Ick. Ick. Ick. That's my basic reaction to tonight's slate of games and available players. I'm going with Miller with the idea that Noah's minutes are still limited and, despite his advanced age, Miller can still bring it in all three of the Pick One cats. If Noah has somehow gotten back above 10 or 15 minutes by tonight, I really have no ideas. Ick, indeed.

Date: Friday, March 26, 2010
Player: Grant Hill - PHO
Opposition: vs New York
2009-2010 Averages: 11.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 2.4 APG (19.4 PRA)
General Thoughts: Recently, while doing some reporting on baseball spring training in Phoenix, I had the privilege of attending a Phoenix Suns game. One thing that was both abundantly clear and also a little bit surprising about the experience was the revelation that Grant Hill, despite his advanced age and litany of injury past injury problems, is not only still good but still pretty flipping athletic. During the game in question he had two pretty resounding blocked shots where he just seemed to come outta nowhere. That sort of athleticism -- and his rebounding prowess, in general -- will serve him well against a Knicks team that's soft on the inside.

Date: Saturday, March 27, 2010
Player: Trevor Ariza - HOU
Opposition: v LA Lakers
2009-2010 Averages: 15.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.7 APG (24.2 PRA)
General Thoughts: Thursday night was no fun, but at least that's to be expected: Thursdays are notoriously bad. Saturdays, on the other hand, typically provide a pretty nice slate of games from which to choose. But between tonight's light schedule (only five games) and the simple fact that this is the 22nd week of the season, there aren't a lot of sweet picks tonight. I'm going with Ariza on the off chance that he'll somehow want to show the Lakers what they're missing out on. That's pretty speculative, though. Maybe between Sunday (when I made this pick) and today, there'll be some reason to pick someone from the Dallas-Golden State game. As of now, though, there's nothing there for me.

Date: Sunday, March 28, 2010
Player: Drew Gooden - LAC
Opposition: vs Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 10.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 0.7 APG (18.3 PRA)
General Thoughts: Gooden's season line probably wouldn't be enough to warrant a Pick One play, but his play since joining the Clips (14.4 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.1 APG -- good for a 24.8 PRA), combined with a match-up against the largely hapless Warriors, suggests that he might be good for something close to 30 PRA. This late in the season, and with a player not receiving the rookie bonus, that's a pretty good deal.

The views expressed by RotoWire.com represent only the views of  the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA  team.

Four more weeks after this, people! It's imperative for Ye Olde Challenger to maximize his returns between here and the end of the season.

Also, I'm not sure anyone noticed, but The So-Called Expert (a.k.a. me) has made his way into the Top 1000, sitting at 896th as of publication. That's the 96th percentile!

I provide my picks below, but first, here are some of the past week's best performances.

NOTABLE RECENT PERFORMANCES

Player: Terrence Williams - NJ
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 26.3 / 51.5 (4)
General Thoughts: Williams has been getting about 30 minutes per game of late, compared to the 20 or so he's averaged on the season.

Player: Toney Douglas - NYK
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 18.6 / 39.5 (4)
General Thoughts: With newcomer Sergio Rodriguez doing little to secure the starting point guard role, Douglas has now been given an opportunity. In his first start (on Saturday, March 13), he put up a line of 21 points, 2 rebounds, and 8 assists -- good for a 64 PRA.

Player: James Johnson - CHI
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 11.4 / 38.7 (3)
General Thoughts: Johnson benefited this past week from an injury to Luol Deng, netting the rookie forward a start on Friday, March 12. In that game, Johnson played 43 minutes, recording 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 assist. Deng is likely out till late this week or even next weekm making Johnson a good play for a little bit here.

Player: Wayne Ellington - MIN
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 19.4 / 36.0 (3)
General Thoughts: Ellington has recently returned from an ankle injury but has played 30-plus minutes the last two games. In said games, Ellington has put up 42 PRAs in both games.

Player: Jordan Hill - HOU
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 14.6 / 34.0 (3)
General Thoughts: Hill has become a part of the big man mix in Houston of late. Outside of Luis Scola, no one else on the team has a strong claim on either center or power forward. As a result, Hill has played 20-plus minutes in three consecutive games entering the week.


AND ONE PLAYER WITHOUT A ROOKIE BONUS

Player: Jason Maxiell - DET
Season Average / Last Week (Games): 11.9 / 25.5 (4)
General Thoughts: Playing for the injured Ben Wallace, Maxiell has now posted three consecutive double-doubles and four consecutive double-digit rebounding games.


RECENT INJURIES

Player: Gerald Wallace - CHA
Injury: Ankle
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Stephen Jackson, Stephen Graham

Player: Luol Deng
Injury: Calf
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: James Johnson (see above)

Player: Eric Gordon
Injury: Leg
Return: Day-to-Day
Key Beneficiaries: Travis Outlaw


And now here are the picks for the week:

Date: Monday, March 15, 2010
Player: Toney Douglas - NYK
Opposition: at Philadelphia
2009-2010 Averages: 6.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 1.3 APG (18.6 PRA)
General Thoughts: If I were ever going to pick Samuel Dalembert, this would be the game. Much like a delicious baked good, the Knicks are soft on the inside. Only problem is, instead of being a baked good, they're an NBA basketball team. As Dalembert's best skill is rebounding, it's a fit. For me, though, I'm not ready to settle for a 20 PRA night. As a result, I'm going with Toney Douglas, who Mike D'Antoni is giving a look with the starting unit.

Date: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Player: James Johnson - CHI
Opposition: at Memphis
2009-2010 Averages: 3.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 0.5 APG (11.4 PRA)
General Thoughts: Wayne Ellington or James Johnson? James Johnson or Wayne Ellington? Both are rookies. Both are playing away against middling defenses (third-worst Phoenix for Ellington, eighth-worst Memphis for Johnson). So, they're pretty close. Here's the tie-breaker for me: Johnson's playing time is the result of an injury to another player (Luol Deng) who's set to come back soon; Ellington's is a result of the T-Wolves being kinda bad at basketball.

Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Player: Reggie Williams - GS
Opposition: vs New Orleans
2009-2010 Averages: 12.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.3 APG (35.8 PRA)
General Thoughts: Who the who is Reggie Williams? His page at RotoWire suggests that he was recently promoted from the D-League's Sioux Falls SkyForce. I'm not sure I believe it. Rather, my guess is that Don Nelson has some sort of machine that produces replacement-level NBA players. I mean, come on: Anthony Tolliver, Cartier Martin, and now Reggie Williams? Whoever -- or whatever -- he is, he's scored in double figures in his last three games. Woot!

Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010
Player: Julian Wright - NOR
Opposition: at Denver
2009-2010 Averages: 8.0 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.5 APG (13.5 PRA)
General Thoughts: There're only two games tonight, and one of them -- Orlando at Miami -- features the third and sixth best defenses, respectively, in terms of points allowed. Unfortunately, I've used up almost all of my relevant players from the other games, which pits New Orleans at Denver. That said, Julian Wright appears to be getting upwards of 40 minutes per game recently. I don't know how good that is for winning basketball games. Either way, it's fine for the Challenger.

Date: Friday, March 19, 2010
Player: Richard Jefferson - SAS
Opposition: vs Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 11.9 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 APG (18.1 PRA)
General Thoughts: I think I'm going with Richard Jefferson tonight. At least, there're a whole bunch of reasons to go with him. For one, there's the opponent, Golden State -- a.k.a. Friend of the Challenger. Also, there's Tony Parker's injury, which puts more offensive burden on Jefferson. If I do change my pick, it'll be to Bill Walker or whomever else Mike D'Antoni decided to roll out in his lineup.

Date: Saturday, March 20, 2010
Player: Rudy Gay - MEM
Opposition: vs Golden State
2009-2010 Averages: 19.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.9 APG (27.7 PRA)
General Thoughts: In a week full of semi-speculative picks, it's nice to have this one, at least. What's there to say about it? Gay averages about 28 PRA. Figure in the Golden State Factor -- which, due to the complexity of the formula, I won't bother you with the numbers -- and you get maybe a 32 PRA night out of Gay.

Date: Sunday, March 21, 2010
Player: Jordan Hill - HOU
Opposition: at New York
2009-2010 Averages: 4.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.3 APG (14.6 PRA)
General Thoughts: With Landry's departure, Luis Scola quickly became the only reliable front court option. Chuck Hayes, Jared Jeffries, and David Andersen are in the mix as well, but as of the end of last week (when I wrote these words), Hill was the first man off the bench. That, along with his rookie bonus, makes him a sweet play.

The views expressed by RotoWire.com represent only the views of  the writers; they do not represent the views of the NBA or any NBA  team.