Okay, on to the analysis. All ten players on the court were immediately thrown out. From the Knicks: Mardy Collins, Channing Frye, Jared Jeffries, David Lee, Nate Robinson. From the Nuggets: Carmelo Anthony, Marcus Camby, Andre Miller, Eduardo Najera, J.R. Smith.
Here are our winners and losers, both in the real world and in the fantasy realm:
Sore losers:
- Mardy Collins - "He started it!" He's sure to get a hefty suspension and some major fines. Fantasy impact: zero. If you had him in your team, you have bigger problems than his upcoming DNPs. Pick him up if you just want to have some fun in your league.
- Nate Robinson - Midget enforcer probably thought he was 7'6" and 310 pounds. His tussle with J.R. Smith was a total freak show. He's got a big heart but let's see if he can face the suspension coming his way. Fantasy impact: minimal. Expect him to be gone 5+ games. Robinson's has little fantasy value even in the deepest of leagues. When he eventually comes back, Isiah Thomas probably won't be playing him a lot to save face. Drop him immediately.
- Carmelo Anthony - After that sucker punch heard halfway around the world, he backpedaled a hundred meters to save his hide. Just when he was getting respectability in the league, he does something completely idiotic. Fantasy impact: catastrophic. He's going to miss at least 10 games; Stern won't go easy on him just because he's a marquee player. If you are a Melo owner, your season is probably ruined. If you're playing in an 82-game roto league, you can afford to hold onto him. Otherwise, try to make a deal with someone who's willing to roll the dice.
- Jared Jeffries - He'll get his fair share of DNPs by not keeping his cool. He's a good guy and will probably get away with a 2-game suspension. Fantasy impact: minor. He was playing really well right after getting back from injuries so treat this like an injury relapse, but less scary.
- J.R. Smith - Poor guy. How would you react if you were clotheslined from behind like that? And by a guy you didn't know existed? Fantasy impact: moderate. If you were relying on J.R. for the bulk of your treys, cross your fingers that he doesn't get more than 5 DNPs. If he's out for the long-term, try to swing a trade with someone willing to wait on him.
- Denver Nuggets - Their entire starting five was thrown out. You lose your top two scorers. It doesn't seem like the rest will be facing suspensions, but it's not impossible.
- Isiah Thomas -He's just a loser. Not only is he in the hotseat for taking on big contracts and getting questionable talent, but now he is on fire for building on guys with questionable character.
- The NBA - David Stern's campaign to clean up the NBA's image has just taken a huge step backwards.
Big winners:
- Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Jamal Crawford - They were fortunate enough not to be on the court when the fight broke out. They will be carrying the bulk of the minutes for the Knicks, so they're fantasy value should improve. But they're Knicks, which might mean they'll suck more.
- Earl Boykins, Nene - With Melo and J.R. out, they'll be counted on to carry more of the scoring load. Nene got his first start of the season in the game and he'll be getting more minutes from here on in.
Just right:
- Channing Frye, David Lee, Marcus Camby, Andre Miller, Eduardo Najera - By managing not to make most of the headlines, they might get away without suspensions. They just happened to be on the court at the wrong time.
- New York Knicks - When you're as bad as the Knicks, how much worse could your season get anyway?
(Update: Suspensions: Carmelo Anthony - 15 games, Nate Robinson and J.R. Smith - 10 games, Mardy Collins - 6 games, Jared Jeffries - 4 games, Jerome James and Nene - 1 game. Jerome James?!?)
