Radar Alert: Ian Mahinmi

Mavericks' big man Ian Mahinmi came out of nowhere on Friday to post 19 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal.  So who is this guy?  And might he provide fantasy value?  Well, the 25-year-old Ian (which can be pronounced "Ian" or "Yan") actually grew up in France.  (His mother is from Jamaica, and his father is from Benin, Africa.)  Though drafted by the Spurs with the 28th overall pick back in 2005 as a raw, athletic project, he didn't actually sign with the team until 2007.  Prior to that, he spent time with the French national team and French clubs STB La Havre and Pau Orthez.

Prior to signing with San Antonio, he really hadn't put up especially impressive numbers.  But he experienced a breakout of sorts with the Austin Toros of the D-League in the 2007-2008 season, averaging 16.8 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks.  In fact, he led the Toros to the D-League Finals, where they lost to Idaho. 

Unfortunately, Mahinmi suffered a severe ankle injury in 2008 and missed the entire 2008-09 season.  In 2009-10, he appeared in 26 games for the Spurs, averaging just six minutes a game.  In the offseason, he signed with Dallas, and last season he averaged eight minutes a game for the Mavs.

So, all in all, the 6-11 Mahinmi is a bit of a mystery man.  Somewhat of a late bloomer who preferred soccer as a young kid, his 2007-08 numbers offer some promise.  And with Tyson Chandler leaving town and Brendan Haywood not exactly tearing it up, he has a chance to establish himself as a legitimate NBA player.  Whether he will remains to be seen, but he is definitely worth monitoring or even stashing if you have the space.

Read more about Mahinmi on Wikipedia or NBA.com.

Week 3 (Yahoo! Week 9) Schedule Breakdown

Here's how the schedule breaks down for the coming week:

Teams with Five Games
Atlanta, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, San Antonio

Teams with Four Games
Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Golden State, Houston, Indiana, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Toronto, Utah, Washington

Teams with Three Games
Boston, Philadelphia

Teams with Two Games
Los Angeles Clippers

Analysis

• Extra incentive to grab Tiago Splitter, Dejuan Blair, and Marvin Williams.
• Be sure to get Jeff Teague and James Harden in your lineup!
• Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson should have good value.
• Ersan Ilyasova, Mike Dunleavy, Serge Ibaka are usable.
• Still don't love Thabo Sefolosha, Vladimir Radmanovic, or Matt Bonner.
• Bummer for Spencer Hawes owners, but you could still use him if necessary
• You probably want to bench Louis Williams and Brandon Bass.
• You definitely want to bench Thaddeus Young, Jodie Meeks, and Evan Turner.
• All the more reason to bail on Keyon Dooling and Jermaine O'Neal.
• Great week to play against Chris Paul or Blake Griffin! 

Okur Starts

Mehmet Okur got the start at center for the Nets tonight.  His numbers weren't mind blowing (nine points, six boards, and a three), but he did log 26 minutes despite foul trouble...and he is clearly the most talented big man on the team.  Let's just hope Crazy Avery recognizes that.  Remember Okur is a former All-Star (2007) who averaged 16.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and one three pointer per game from 2005 to 2009.  A ruptured Achilles in April of 2010 has hindered him since, but if the 32-year old is fully healthy again, he could provide significant value.

MarShon Brooks at it Again

MarShon Brooks continues to play well.  Tonight he tallied two threes, 17 points, three assists, and a steal in 20 minutes.  One would expect the Nets to give the talented rookie more run as the season progresses, but then again the ever-erratic Avery Johnson is running things in Jersey.  Definitely worth monitoring or even stashing Brooks though.

Fantasy Basketball Waiver Alert: Norris Cole

Miami rookie Norris Cole just erupted for 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 29 minutes.  What's more, he played a pivotal role down the stretch in defeating the Celtics.  Cole looked dynamic and confident and could very well supplant Mario Chalmers as the starting point guard, if he keeps this up.  Grab him!

Fantasy Basketball: Players to Watch

Drafts are history, and the season is underway, but that doesn't mean it's time to stop looking for sleepers.  Predicting who might rise from the pine to come through like a drug store in Canada could very well be the key to your season.  With that in mind, here are some guys who could make a difference if their minutes get a boost.

Amir Johnson
In under 26 minutes per game last year, Johnson averaged 9.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks.  That was the 47th best per-minute average in the league (going by the standard eight fantasy categories).  If he could get upwards of 30 minutes a game, he would certainly be a commodity...especially considering that he should have center eligibility soon.  Up until now, the obstacle has been competition with teammate Ed Davis.  However, judging by the first game of the season--in which Johnson started and went for 13 points, 13 boards, 3 blocks, 3 assists, and a steal in 33 minutes--his time may already have arrived.  Pick him up now if you can.

Derrick Favors
The ship may have already sailed on Favors with today's news that he has claimed the starting power forward job for the Jazz, but at last check third overall pick from 2010 was owned in only 38% of Yahoo! leagues.  The sophomore looked great this preseason (tallying 25 points and 12 boards in the first game) and is expected to log time at power forward and center this year.  Of course, he has to contend with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap for playing time, but the trade of Mehmet Okur clears the way for 30 minutes or so for Favors.  And center eligibility would make him that much more attractive.  Get him now!

Paul George
Owned in 73% of Yahoo! leagues, George is likely not available in most deep leagues.  If he is on your wire, scoop him up.  The 10th overall pick in the 2010 draft, the 21-year-old sophomore has much potential...especially after growing two inches in the offseason.  The Pacers are very high on him, so his minutes and production figure to be on the rise.  He's the rare kind of player who can contribute in every category, as evidenced by his output in the first game of the season: two threes, 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block.

Carlos Delfino
Delfino was a gem in 2010 before a concussion derailed his season.  In the first month of the season, he averaged 2.4 threes and 1.6 steals per game to go along with 12.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists.  A logjam at small forward/shooting guard could limit his minutes, but if he manages to get 35 a night (and shows he's fully recovered), he will provide plenty of value.

Evan Turner
The Villain hasn't done a whole lot yet, but you have to remember that he was the 2nd overall pick last year.  He'll surely improve; the only questions are how quickly and how much.  He showed flashes in the preseason, so it's very possible that he will ultimately win the playing time battle with Lou Williams. 

Ersan Ilyasova
Over the last three months of the season in 2010-11, Ilyasova averaged 10.5 points, 0.6 threes, 6.1 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 26 minutes.  Again, the minutes are hard to predict in Milwaukee, but the 24-year-old Turk can provide value if he ends up playing big minutes.