Drive to the Finals Picks - April 17, 2011

The Intuition Statistician:
Must - Carl Landry

• Landry has flown under the radar this season with the Hornets. He has always been capable of putting up big scoring numbers, but has not been given the minutes. Now that he's replaced the teams leading scorer, David West, a lot is required of him. In the past, Landry has had success against the Lakers bigs. Without a doubt, the Hornets will need big numbers from Landry if they want to make this series competitive. The chance of the Hornets passing the Lakers is very small, so it's time to use up the Hornets talent.

Bust - Kevin Durant

• Yes Durant might put up huge numbers tonight and move you into first place in your pick one league, but remember that there are potentially four rounds in the playoffs for OKC this year. Don't waist super stars that have the potential to go far in the first round. Simple.

Stat Guru:
Must - Carmelo Anthony

• If there is anytime where the Knicks need to make a name for themselves, then now is the time to do it. As the New York Big 3 have not had much time to gel as a unit, the Knicks have seen their shares of good times and bad times from all angles. Look for Carmelo to aim to please New York fans with a solid outing in this one while stunning the C's. Boston's choice to rest their starters down the stretch will fall right into the hands of this hungry Knicks team.

Bust - Marc Gasol

• The rise and fall of Marc Gasol from the 2009-2010 season to the present has hurt the Memphis team. As once a target for teams to hone in on, Marc has ceased to have the season Hollins had hoped for. From a likely double-double candidate each night, Gasol's presense is one we are still looking for to be felt. San Antonio's defense will also pose a threat to the Grizzlies' big men as Tony Allen will likely be leaned upon for his new found scoring load.

Fantasy Fresh Wes:

Must - Amar'e Stoudemire

• I have high hopes that the Knicks are going to come up from under the Celts and surprise the masses with a huge win in Game 1. Points in the paint should come easy as the Celtics learn to cope without Perkins in the playoffs. It’s going to take Boston a couple of games before they find a way to shutdown STAT’s big offensive production, so the earlier you take Amar'e. Boston will win the series, but I think NY will be a goldmine for PRA on this night. I considered Melo here as well, but think I am better off saving him for a night at the MSG, where he can show off in front of his hometown.

Bust - Ray Allen

• Yes, the obvious reason for me busting RayRay was stated a few lines ago when I picked Boston to win the series. But what bothers me more about this pick is the fact that he only averaged 22.6 PRA during the season. Many fantasy studs go unused in the first round due to picks like this. If you're unsure which way the BOS/NY series will go, avoid the series for now (Zbo and CP3 are playing tonight). If you're certain the Knicks make the upset, pick one of the other three Celts (KG, PP, RR) who have more potential for big PRA games. This is a low risk, low reward pick that may be regretted later if the Celtics make a long playoff push.