NBA Waiver Wire - Week 1
It is tipoff week, and it all kicked off with your defending World Champion Boston Celtics defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers last night.
Your drafts are likely completed, and you think you're set to go; but there may be a player or two who weren't drafted that could really help you -- especially early on.
It takes some of the bigger names a little more time to warm up sometimes, and while you're suffering through a dry spell, it might be helpful to have one of these following players on your roster.
For the time being, we'll be doing one player per position instead of two. Hopefully that will be changing in the near future; but for now, I'll have to make do with what I have.
And don't forget, I do it all for you fine folks. I give and I give. Anyway, let's get to it ... the FIRST Waiver Wire of the 2008-09 season begins!
Point Guard
Rafer Alston - PG - Houston Rockets
Alston was a Waiver Wire Superstar last season, and helped many owners in many leagues.
Last year, he averaged 13.1 pts and 5.3 asst/game for the Rockets, which was nearly identical to his 2006-07 numbers. That's a great sign because, obviously, it shows consistency. However, he only shot 39.4% FG last year (38.6% for his career). That's certainly not great; but it's far from a deal breaker, and it's more than made up for by his 35.1% 3-pt last season.
He shot 71.4% FT, which is certainly a bit lower than you'd want it to be - but it's far from Ben Wallace Territory. He also averaged 3.5 reb, 1.9 stl, and 0.3 blk in the 2007-08 season, which are all pretty nice stat-fillers from the Point Guard position, especially a back-up point guard.
His 5.3 to 2.2 assist-to-turnover ratio (about 2.5 to 1) is also one of the better ratios in the game overall.
Alston was recently acquitted of a drunk driving charge he was plagued by last season; so he should be good to go this week.
Shooting Guard
Sasha Vujacic - PG/SG - Los Angeles Lakers
Although Ray Allen made him his personal punching bag in the Finals last season; the fact that Vujacic had such solid numbers backing up Kobe last year put him in the Waiver Wire Superstar column from 2007-08.
How couldn't he be? He averaged just 8.8 pts and 2.1 reb last season (along with 1.0 asst, 0.5 stl and 0.1 blk), but Vujacic was all about filling out the percentage columns. He shot 45.4% FG last season; which is almost ungodly coming from the 2-spot.
Even better, he shot 43.7% 3-pt, which was one of the better marks in the league; and will help boost anyone's team in that respect.
To complete the percentage trifecta, he shot 83.5% FT (his worst mark in his career, oddly). Bear in mind, not everyone has a complete game; and the smart Fantasy Owners know this. However, sometimes you just need someone who can help in one or two stat columns where you might be deficient.
If you've got percentage deficiencies; Vujacic is not a bad option to have.
Read more: NBA Waiver Wire - Week 1
