Let's Get it On!!! (Continued)

- How many Points + Rebounds will Shaquille O'Neal average by the end of the regular season? Under 29.1 at -120. The Diesel played a mere 30.4 mpg last season - his lowest ever and averaged 20.o points and 9.2 rebounds. I have no expectation Shaq will improve on those numbers and at 34, turning 35 in March, I expect those numbers to decline immediately - even if it is by just a tenth. Shaq has played 941 regular season games along with 194 playoff games - that's a lot of gametime. Consider that David Robinson played fewer games during his entire career and fell off considerably beginning at age 35. - How many PPG will Richard Hamilton average by the end of the regular season? Over 20.0 at -115. This portion of Rip's ESPN player profile led me to this pick: 2006-07 outlook: Rip might not make the All-Star team again, and it'd be a shock if he repeated as 3-point champ, but he should keep running opponents ragged and again get his 20 points a game. In fact, his average may increase since he's likely to play more minutes than a year ago -- Hamilton averaged only 35.3 last year thanks to all the Detroit blowouts. He'll also get more shots if the Pistons have any major injuries -- something they've been freakishly immune to the past three years -- so there's the potential for him to have a big year statistically even if his efficiency doesn't change much. I wonder if the addition of Flip Murray will cut into Rip's minutes though I can see Detroit going small with Chauncey, Flip, Rip, Tey and Rasheed at times. Rip has awesome stamina, reminding me of Reggie Miller, and I'm confident he can hold his 20 ppg average. This isn't a tier 1 pick, however I feel good about it. - farfel