It was a jam-packed 13-game night so we’re going to cut to the chase right away. To get real-time news and analysis click here to follow me on Twitter.
Heat Check
LeBron James kicked off his four-game week in style as the Heat eventually put away the Bobcats last night. He scored 27 points with 12 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and two blocks, and is climbing back into the No. 2 overall fantasy ranking behind Kevin Durant. Dwyane Wade continued to show revitalized play with 29 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block, and one three, but will likely have a play reviewed by the league in which he kicked Ramon Session in the mid-section. Bobcat players weren’t happy after the game as it appeared to be intentional, but color me skeptical about the superstar’s chance of getting suspended a la DeMarcus Cousins.
Ray Allen (shoulder) did not play and is day-to-day, while Chris Bosh (14 points, four rebounds, one steal) played despite scratching his eye in Tuesday’s game. Mario Chalmers scored 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting with four threes, four assists, and two steals, and after a 20-point effort including four threes on Tuesday he is worth a look. It’s possible his injuries were the cause of his problems over the past month and now he’s ready to produce.
Missing Mullens
Hakim Warrick has a history of showing up out of nowhere to put up big numbers, only to crawl back into his hole shortly after, and he will seek to prove this most recent iteration of that pattern isn’t a fluke after he scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting with nine rebounds in 38 minutes last night. Byron Mullens could miss a month due to his severely sprained ankle, and part of Mullens’ appeal was that he had little to no competition for minutes in the general sense. Warrick has that same appeal, though his history should be kept in mind when making add/drop decisions. I’d have a hard time passing on Warrick for any player that doesn’t produce at least mid-to-late round value or have long-term upside.
Gerald Henderson (shin) started and got a heavy workload, scoring 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in 44 minutes. Ben Gordon (knee) did not play and along with Mullens’ absence, he is well-positioned to make a fantasy impact when he gets the crooked shooting number fixed. The same goes for Kemba Walker (27 points, 9-of-20 FGs, four threes, six rebounds, six assists, two steals) and Ramon Sessions (19 points, 7-of-12 FGs, five assists, one three), though Sessions could struggle a bit when Gordon eventually returns. Bismack Biyombo provided another low-end effort with seven points, 10 boards, and one block in 38 minutes, and I’d be hard-pressed to pass him up if I need a big man. In theory he should go nowhere but up as he continues to improve.
Kyrie Getting Down
The Cavs squeaked by a Wizards team having won just three games on the season, but have done well to win two straight games without Anderson Varejao (knee) on the floor. Kyrie Irving hit just 8-of-23 shots for 26 points and a full stat line, and gets special bonus points for leagues that count getting photographed with hot women on his lap, but negative points in those formats that believe players are role models that don’t have fun. For the lowdown on all that check out Larry Brown Sports, which is my favorite all-in-one sports site outside of the NBC Sports network of sites. Dion Waiters hit just 3-of-11 shots (including two threes) for nine points, one rebound, and one steal in 27 minutes, and I have him slotted as a bench stash in 10-14 team formats for the time-being. He has plenty of potential to improve as the season goes on, but he’s going to have to ram his head against the wall for a while before the light bulb goes on. If it does, the makeup of Cleveland’s squad will allow for solid mid-round upside.
Tyler Zeller scored six points on 3-of-10 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in 36 minutes, and Tristan Thompson double-doubled for essentially the fifth time in a row with 15 points, 12 boards, and one block in 37 minutes. Thompson has done well to quiet the doubters such as myself, but Cavs beat writers were split on whether or not he had a good game as Nene torched him pretty badly. The more salient point is that neither Zeller nor Thompson has done anything to prove they can hold immediate value when Varejao (questionable) returns as soon as Friday.
The Washington Shuffle
Shelvin Mack played well in the D-League and was called up along with Garrett Temple to play “significant” roles, which also corresponded with a move to the second unit for Jordan Crawford, who arrived late to the team’s shootaround. Mack left the game during the fourth quarter due to a leg injury, which didn’t appear to be serious, and finished with six points on 2-of-6 shooting (including two threes), six rebounds, seven assists, and a steal in 29 minutes. Temple scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 19 minutes while racking up four fouls, so the early returns suggest that Mack holds a comfortable advantage in the position battle after Round 1.
Crawford scored 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting (0-for-5 3PTs) with three rebounds, two assists, and no steals or blocks in 27 minutes off the bench. Whether he’s starting or not a move off the ball could result in a shift toward these types of numbers, so owners will want to consider selling-high while there’s some ambiguity in the situation. Bradley Beal was a total mess with just two points on 0-for-5 shooting, two rebounds, four assists, and no steals or blocks, and it stands to reason that he will eat after Crawford does if Mack and/or Temple steal minutes from Crawford’s point guard bucket.
Emeka Okafor had his second straight solid outing, scoring 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds and four blocks, while Nene started and scored 16 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 26 minutes. Nene is worth a roster spot in 12-team leagues with the hopes that his DNPs and health can be managed, and Okafor is a cut or three below Nene because of his inconsistency and injury risk. I’m licking my wounds on the Kevin Seraphin (four points, zero rebounds, 2-of-6 FGs) implosion, as Seraphin played just 12 minutes and appears to have lost his grip on the game. Maybe it’s Randy Wittman’s rotations, coaching, and/or expectations, but he isn’t staying in his lane on offense and that’s the exact opposite of what he was doing late last year. I still have hope for down the road, and similarly befuddling situations like Jared Dudley are examples of what can happen when the musical chairs stop, but Seraphin has plummeted on the list of roster stashes and is an acceptable drop in 12-14 team formats.
John Wall (knee) said he’s targeting a January return, but betting on a return in late January seems a bit premature so owners shouldn’t get their hopes up just yet. The good news is that a timeline is starting to emerge, so his chances of calling it a season are pretty low. If you’ve held this long, it’s time to hold on a little bit longer in those formats in which players can be stashed.
Martell Webster scored 12 points with 10 rebounds, two assists, and two threes, and with his late-round value over the past two weeks he’s worth a look, but is better suited for deeper formats due to his injury risk and the general disarray in Washington.
Flash (In the Pan) Gordon
The Eric Gordon (knee) trade showcase show is targeting a Saturday return, though I should point out that I don’t know for sure if he is angling to show off in hopes of getting a trade out of New Orleans. It just looks that way, and he should be owned in all formats with the hopes that he's not a flash in the pan when he returns. The Hornets got a road win against the Magic without him last night behind Greivis Vasquez’s 27 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and one steal. He’s a solid mid-round value in 8-cat leagues, while in 9-cat leagues he’s on the wrong side of 12-team value and owners using him need to be punting that category.
Robin Lopez had one of his increasingly common unbalanced lines, scoring 29 points on 9-of-10 shooting (11-of-12 FTs) with three rebounds and three blocks. Despite the ups and downs, he should be owned in all formats. Anthony Davis hit just 6-of-14 shots but went for 12 and 11 with two steals and two blocks, and is a top 15-30 producer when on the floor in 9- and 8-cat formats, respectively. I had him ranked at No. 28 in 8-cat leagues and No. 7 in 9-cat formats in the last iteration of the Bruski 150, and things are going exactly as planned with plenty of room for improvement as long as he can stay healthy. Ryan Anderson continued his slow slog through the past two weeks, scoring 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting with five rebounds, one three, and one block. I’m buying low here and have negligible concerns that this is going to be a trend going forward.
The Full Nelson
The Magic might have a new winner every night in the Glen Davis injury sweepstakes, and last night it was Jameer Nelson who put up 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting with four threes, five rebounds, and 10 assists to go with six turnovers. Arron Afflalo will also land on the winner’s podium at times, but last night he was merely serviceable with 14 points, two threes, three boards, and two assists. Nikola Vucevic is enjoying a nice bump and had 19 points and nine rebounds last night, but didn’t have a steal or block.
Gustavo Ayon was disappointing with four points, three rebounds, and two assists in 28 minutes, though he did manage one steal and two blocks to save the night. I’m not so much concerned about Ayon’s ability to produce as I am the eventual returns of Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington. I’d slot him in the short-term value category and look at any long-term value as a bonus. J.J. Redick hit just 2-of-10 shots but both were 3-pointers, and his 6-of-6 mark from the charity stripe with five rebounds, six assists, and two steals were a nice consolation prize. E’Twaun Moore fired a deep league warning shot with 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, three blocks, and two treys, so give him a look in those formats. Turkoglu (hand) still needs to go through some scrimmages, so a January return looks to be in the cards. I still think he’ll do more to damage the fringe assets than he will as a fantasy asset, himself.
Release The Hounds
Rodney Stuckey suffered a bad looking ankle injury in the fourth quarter of last night’s double-overtime loss, but amazingly returned to action and finished with 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting, five rebounds, and 11 assists in 44 minutes. Lawrence Frank let his bench play out the end of the game after they rallied from a 81-62 deficit after three quarters, which was in part because of Will Bynum’s season-high 31 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four 3-pointers. Stuckey’s ankle could easily swell up overnight and give an opening for Bynum to have another crack at relevancy, but this has the look of a textbook fluke outing.
Andre Drummond showed up to the party with 16 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and one block in 36 minutes, and he should be held in most leagues after a night like this. Charlie Villanueva (14 points, seven boards, four threes) and Austin Daye (eight points, 11 boards, two threes) also turned in big nights, and Daye hit a big shot to force overtime, but both should simply be watched in most formats. Greg Monroe (10 points, four boards) and Brandon Knight (nine points, two assists) were on the outs last night, but they should both bounce back the next time out.
It was a jam-packed 13-game night so we’re going to cut to the chase right away. To get real-time news and analysis click here to follow me on Twitter.
Heat Check
LeBron James kicked off his four-game week in style as the Heat eventually put away the Bobcats last night. He scored 27 points with 12 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and two blocks, and is climbing back into the No. 2 overall fantasy ranking behind Kevin Durant. Dwyane Wade continued to show revitalized play with 29 points, nine rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block, and one three, but will likely have a play reviewed by the league in which he kicked Ramon Session in the mid-section. Bobcat players weren’t happy after the game as it appeared to be intentional, but color me skeptical about the superstar’s chance of getting suspended a la DeMarcus Cousins.
Ray Allen (shoulder) did not play and is day-to-day, while Chris Bosh (14 points, four rebounds, one steal) played despite scratching his eye in Tuesday’s game. Mario Chalmers scored 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting with four threes, four assists, and two steals, and after a 20-point effort including four threes on Tuesday he is worth a look. It’s possible his injuries were the cause of his problems over the past month and now he’s ready to produce.
Missing Mullens
Hakim Warrick has a history of showing up out of nowhere to put up big numbers, only to crawl back into his hole shortly after, and he will seek to prove this most recent iteration of that pattern isn’t a fluke after he scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting with nine rebounds in 38 minutes last night. Byron Mullens could miss a month due to his severely sprained ankle, and part of Mullens’ appeal was that he had little to no competition for minutes in the general sense. Warrick has that same appeal, though his history should be kept in mind when making add/drop decisions. I’d have a hard time passing on Warrick for any player that doesn’t produce at least mid-to-late round value or have long-term upside.
Gerald Henderson (shin) started and got a heavy workload, scoring 14 points on 5-of-19 shooting with seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in 44 minutes. Ben Gordon (knee) did not play and along with Mullens’ absence, he is well-positioned to make a fantasy impact when he gets the crooked shooting number fixed. The same goes for Kemba Walker (27 points, 9-of-20 FGs, four threes, six rebounds, six assists, two steals) and Ramon Sessions (19 points, 7-of-12 FGs, five assists, one three), though Sessions could struggle a bit when Gordon eventually returns. Bismack Biyombo provided another low-end effort with seven points, 10 boards, and one block in 38 minutes, and I’d be hard-pressed to pass him up if I need a big man. In theory he should go nowhere but up as he continues to improve.
Kyrie Getting Down
The Cavs squeaked by a Wizards team having won just three games on the season, but have done well to win two straight games without Anderson Varejao (knee) on the floor. Kyrie Irving hit just 8-of-23 shots for 26 points and a full stat line, and gets special bonus points for leagues that count getting photographed with hot women on his lap, but negative points in those formats that believe players are role models that don’t have fun. For the lowdown on all that check out Larry Brown Sports, which is my favorite all-in-one sports site outside of the NBC Sports network of sites. Dion Waiters hit just 3-of-11 shots (including two threes) for nine points, one rebound, and one steal in 27 minutes, and I have him slotted as a bench stash in 10-14 team formats for the time-being. He has plenty of potential to improve as the season goes on, but he’s going to have to ram his head against the wall for a while before the light bulb goes on. If it does, the makeup of Cleveland’s squad will allow for solid mid-round upside.
Tyler Zeller scored six points on 3-of-10 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in 36 minutes, and Tristan Thompson double-doubled for essentially the fifth time in a row with 15 points, 12 boards, and one block in 37 minutes. Thompson has done well to quiet the doubters such as myself, but Cavs beat writers were split on whether or not he had a good game as Nene torched him pretty badly. The more salient point is that neither Zeller nor Thompson has done anything to prove they can hold immediate value when Varejao (questionable) returns as soon as Friday.
The Washington Shuffle
Shelvin Mack played well in the D-League and was called up along with Garrett Temple to play “significant” roles, which also corresponded with a move to the second unit for Jordan Crawford, who arrived late to the team’s shootaround. Mack left the game during the fourth quarter due to a leg injury, which didn’t appear to be serious, and finished with six points on 2-of-6 shooting (including two threes), six rebounds, seven assists, and a steal in 29 minutes. Temple scored two points on 1-of-3 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 19 minutes while racking up four fouls, so the early returns suggest that Mack holds a comfortable advantage in the position battle after Round 1.
Crawford scored 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting (0-for-5 3PTs) with three rebounds, two assists, and no steals or blocks in 27 minutes off the bench. Whether he’s starting or not a move off the ball could result in a shift toward these types of numbers, so owners will want to consider selling-high while there’s some ambiguity in the situation. Bradley Beal was a total mess with just two points on 0-for-5 shooting, two rebounds, four assists, and no steals or blocks, and it stands to reason that he will eat after Crawford does if Mack and/or Temple steal minutes from Crawford’s point guard bucket.
Emeka Okafor had his second straight solid outing, scoring 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds and four blocks, while Nene started and scored 16 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 26 minutes. Nene is worth a roster spot in 12-team leagues with the hopes that his DNPs and health can be managed, and Okafor is a cut or three below Nene because of his inconsistency and injury risk. I’m licking my wounds on the Kevin Seraphin (four points, zero rebounds, 2-of-6 FGs) implosion, as Seraphin played just 12 minutes and appears to have lost his grip on the game. Maybe it’s Randy Wittman’s rotations, coaching, and/or expectations, but he isn’t staying in his lane on offense and that’s the exact opposite of what he was doing late last year. I still have hope for down the road, and similarly befuddling situations like Jared Dudley are examples of what can happen when the musical chairs stop, but Seraphin has plummeted on the list of roster stashes and is an acceptable drop in 12-14 team formats.
John Wall (knee) said he’s targeting a January return, but betting on a return in late January seems a bit premature so owners shouldn’t get their hopes up just yet. The good news is that a timeline is starting to emerge, so his chances of calling it a season are pretty low. If you’ve held this long, it’s time to hold on a little bit longer in those formats in which players can be stashed.
Martell Webster scored 12 points with 10 rebounds, two assists, and two threes, and with his late-round value over the past two weeks he’s worth a look, but is better suited for deeper formats due to his injury risk and the general disarray in Washington.
Flash (In the Pan) Gordon
The Eric Gordon (knee) trade showcase show is targeting a Saturday return, though I should point out that I don’t know for sure if he is angling to show off in hopes of getting a trade out of New Orleans. It just looks that way, and he should be owned in all formats with the hopes that he's not a flash in the pan when he returns. The Hornets got a road win against the Magic without him last night behind Greivis Vasquez’s 27 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and one steal. He’s a solid mid-round value in 8-cat leagues, while in 9-cat leagues he’s on the wrong side of 12-team value and owners using him need to be punting that category.
Robin Lopez had one of his increasingly common unbalanced lines, scoring 29 points on 9-of-10 shooting (11-of-12 FTs) with three rebounds and three blocks. Despite the ups and downs, he should be owned in all formats. Anthony Davis hit just 6-of-14 shots but went for 12 and 11 with two steals and two blocks, and is a top 15-30 producer when on the floor in 9- and 8-cat formats, respectively. I had him ranked at No. 28 in 8-cat leagues and No. 7 in 9-cat formats in the last iteration of the Bruski 150, and things are going exactly as planned with plenty of room for improvement as long as he can stay healthy. Ryan Anderson continued his slow slog through the past two weeks, scoring 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting with five rebounds, one three, and one block. I’m buying low here and have negligible concerns that this is going to be a trend going forward.
The Full Nelson
The Magic might have a new winner every night in the Glen Davis injury sweepstakes, and last night it was Jameer Nelson who put up 28 points on 11-of-17 shooting with four threes, five rebounds, and 10 assists to go with six turnovers. Arron Afflalo will also land on the winner’s podium at times, but last night he was merely serviceable with 14 points, two threes, three boards, and two assists. Nikola Vucevic is enjoying a nice bump and had 19 points and nine rebounds last night, but didn’t have a steal or block.
Gustavo Ayon was disappointing with four points, three rebounds, and two assists in 28 minutes, though he did manage one steal and two blocks to save the night. I’m not so much concerned about Ayon’s ability to produce as I am the eventual returns of Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington. I’d slot him in the short-term value category and look at any long-term value as a bonus. J.J. Redick hit just 2-of-10 shots but both were 3-pointers, and his 6-of-6 mark from the charity stripe with five rebounds, six assists, and two steals were a nice consolation prize. E’Twaun Moore fired a deep league warning shot with 10 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, three blocks, and two treys, so give him a look in those formats. Turkoglu (hand) still needs to go through some scrimmages, so a January return looks to be in the cards. I still think he’ll do more to damage the fringe assets than he will as a fantasy asset, himself.
Release The Hounds
Rodney Stuckey suffered a bad looking ankle injury in the fourth quarter of last night’s double-overtime loss, but amazingly returned to action and finished with 16 points on 7-of-19 shooting, five rebounds, and 11 assists in 44 minutes. Lawrence Frank let his bench play out the end of the game after they rallied from a 81-62 deficit after three quarters, which was in part because of Will Bynum’s season-high 31 points, four rebounds, four assists, and four 3-pointers. Stuckey’s ankle could easily swell up overnight and give an opening for Bynum to have another crack at relevancy, but this has the look of a textbook fluke outing.
Andre Drummond showed up to the party with 16 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and one block in 36 minutes, and he should be held in most leagues after a night like this. Charlie Villanueva (14 points, seven boards, four threes) and Austin Daye (eight points, 11 boards, two threes) also turned in big nights, and Daye hit a big shot to force overtime, but both should simply be watched in most formats. Greg Monroe (10 points, four boards) and Brandon Knight (nine points, two assists) were on the outs last night, but they should both bounce back the next time out.
Sweetness
Devin Harris (foot) did not play and Lou Williams started in his place again, scoring 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting (including two threes) with eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block in 48 double-overtime aided minutes. I have no idea where the drop Lou Williams talk came from in 8- and 9-cat formats, but he has been a mid-round value on the year and he showed why it was silly tonight. Jeff Teague brushed off speculative concerns about a demotion last week with 17 points, four rebounds, 11 assists, two steals, and two blocks, though he as looking at a stinker at the half. Teague has certainly performed below expectations this season but he has some breakout potential, still. Al Horford went for 22 and 10, and Josh Smith hit 13-of-25 shots (including a three) for 31 points, 10 boards, six assists, two steals, and two blocks, which supplemented a two-week span that has seen him produce at a mid-to-late round level. He’s valued as fourth and seventh round play in 8- and 9-cat leagues on the year, but is a solid bet to outperform those valuations over the rest of the year.
Team Effort
Jason Richardson (back) did not play and Dorell Wright scored 28 points with five threes and a full stat line in the Sixers’ win over the struggling Grizzlies last night. Wright has been coming on strong anytime he has been given the minutes lately, but he can only be viewed as a short-term asset with some upside in the event that Richardson’s issues turn out to be more than the day-to-day variety. Evan Turner (one point, 0-for-4 FGs, six rebounds, nine assists, six turnovers, two steals, one block) got the Tony Allen treatment, and one can only hope it doesn’t trigger some of the mental issues that have held him back in the past. Jrue Holiday hit just 5-of-16 shots for 13 points, and though he had four rebounds and nine assists, his five turnovers combined with the sub-par play of Turner and Thaddeus Young (13 points, two rebounds) made this a surprising win to say the least. Perhaps it was Spencer Hawes’ 20 and nine with three steals and five boards that made the difference, and owners needing a big man would be crazy to pass him up after a solid 2-3 weeks of late-mid round value.
The Conley Factor
Rudy Gay was a last-second scratch due to personal reasons last night in the literal sense, so don’t feel bad if you couldn’t get him out of your lineup in time. We had it as soon as the Memphis media did, which is the reminder that Twitter is an essential part of the fantasy experience in competitive formats. And while the Grizzlies could certainly have used him last night, it doesn’t really explain how the team is struggling with Mike Conley’s offense escaping him lately.
Conley hit just 3-of-17 shots for 10 points with three rebounds, five assists, and two steals, and he has been the bellwether for the team lately. When he shoots the ball well they win and when he doesn’t they lose, as defenses are more or less willing to play Marc Gasol (18 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, one steal, two blocks) and Zach Randolph (23 points, nine rebounds, four steals, one three) straight up with the hopes of choking off Conley and Gay a la what teams did to Dwight Howard when he was with the Magic. It’s a strategy I’d like to see more teams use over the pointless double-teaming you see in just about every NBA game nowadays. As for Conley, I’ve said a number of times that I’m not concerned about him, and that position still stands – we’re just seeing the hole in his game. That hole is his ability to be consistent on the offensive end, but the overall product is still a top 20-30 value in 8- and 9-cat formats on the year with plenty of room for improvement as he bounces back.
Space Program Reboot
Don’t look now but the Rockets are 16-12 and beat the Wolves on the road last night. James Harden scored 30 points with a typically full line, and Jeremy Lin struggled with just eight points and one assist to go with seven turnovers. We’ve seen this show a number of times and he has always bounced back. Omer Asik scored nine points with 17 rebounds, one steal, and one block, but owners shouldn’t go out of their way predicting a change in his overall value preposition. He’s still a guy that owners need to be punting categories with. Chandler Parsons played through his right injury and put up 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals, and two threes, so hopefully he has turned the corner on the issue. Patrick Patterson (foot) is unlikely to return this week, but he has stepped up his on-court rehab and an early January return is looking like a good bet. Owners milking Marcus Morris (eight points, four rebounds, two assists, no threes) can probably make the call to the bullpen.
The Early Returns
Kevin Love is struggling mightily and he should have just waited until his hand got healthy before returning. In a league where the stakes are so high, it still amazes me how coaches get duped or leveraged by overoptimistic players, but I digress. Love hit just 3-of-14 shots (0-for-7 3PTs) for seven points with 12 rebounds, three assists, and one block, and is struggling to hold his late-round value right now. Yes, it’s a rock-solid buy-low moment if you can find an owner that is fed up, as a worst-case scenario would have Love taking time off and eventually returning to become a fantasy stud.
Nikola Pekovic left during the game due to an illness but later returned, and we’ll excuse his two-point, seven-rebound effort on the account of his sickness. Alexey Shved (16 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals, two threes) and J.J. Barea (18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two threes) were bright spots, as was Dante Cunningham (eight points, nine boards, three steals, two blocks). Shved should be owned in all formats for both his upside and his current production, while Barea is worth a hard look while he’s running hot. Ricky Rubio played 21 minutes and scored eight points with two assists, and appears to have a few more hurdles to overcome in his on-court rehabilitation. Stick with him as it’s likely he gets things ironed out.
Brandon Roy (knee) is nearing a return, but outside of a potential 10-minute role coming off the bench I’d like to see the Wolves hold him out and save him for more critical games. He could be a nice big-game asset if he can save all of his strength for small spurts, and one has to think Rick Adelman is fully aware of that, too.
It’s All In The Wrist
Deron Williams did not play in last night’s loss to the Bucks due to what the Nets are calling a “bruised right wrist,” and regular readers know that I’ve been iffy on the wrist since it started popping up on the injury report. It’s anybody’s guess if this is a smokescreen for his bad shooting or the cause of his cold, but with his history it’s a really big red flag. I’d say he’s hands off in the buy low realm, unless you’re simply gambling. C.J. Watson (eight points, two assists) didn’t do anything to inspire confidence in owners looking for a spot-starter, but he could be worth a speculative add if things start getting fishy on the Williams front. Brook Lopez (21 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) and Gerald Wallace (eight points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block) could be difference makers in fantasy leagues if they stay healthy and Williams continues to struggle with injuries, while Joe Johnson (13 points, 5-of-15 FGs, three rebounds, three assists) probably can’t be helped in fantasy leagues unless he starts canning threes at a ridiculous rate. His peripherals just aren't good. Andray Blatche (14 points, five rebounds, three steals, three blocks, 18 minutes) made noise, but there’s too much clutter in the frontcourt for owners in most formats to jump at that line. Just watch him for now.
Ersanity
“We give up,” wrote Doc last night in the blurbs, and I couldn’t have put it better when discussing Ersan Ilyasova’s 17 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one 3-pointer last night. He’s locked into my bench in 12-14 team formats and I’m going to do my best not to start him until he has two weeks of startable production, but he earned another week of stashing beyond this week with the high-upside effort. What can I say – I’m a glutton for punishment. Mike Dunleavy woke up with 17 points, two threes, three rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes off the bench. He has a mid-round type of fantasy game when everything is clicking, and by clicking I mean he’s healthy and going through the normal ups and downs of playing for Scott Skiles. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute put up zeroes across most of his box score and his fantasy value is in the gutter after a surprising week or so.
Lowry on the Losing End
We finally got an update on Kyle Lowry (triceps), who did not play last night but is nearing a return. He will practice today and look to Friday or Saturday’s game for a return, barring a setback. It was reported this morning that he would come off the bench and that Jose Calderon (seven points, four rebounds, 10 assists) had earned the starting job going forward. It’s a fairly stunning development, but it speaks to Lowry’s lack of intangibles that have slowly come to light over the last 12 months, starting when he threw a basketball at a female ref in a lockout-workout last year. He gambles on defense and takes bad shots, and in the meantime Calderon has been the consummate team guy in his absence. Calderon is a liability on defense, so if Lowry can keep his nose clean he has plenty of opportunity to take the job back, and this could easily be trade posturing on behalf of Calderon and a swift kick in the pants all in one. I wouldn’t panic on Lowry and though he is a pretty big injury risk he could be a sneaky buy low candidate after he gets off to a slow start this week, but that’s a move I’d only suggest for the sure-footed. Look for both point guards to get plenty of minutes, but additions in the form of Alan Anderson (12 points, two threes, 20 minutes) and Landry Fields (two points, 19 minutes) the rotation is a bit more crowded than it was the last time the duo played heavy minutes together.
Jonas Valanciunas (finger) also got the update we had been speculating he would get, which was a 4-6 week timetable despite not needing surgery. Ed Davis (six points, seven boards, two steals, one block, 25 minutes) and Amir Johnson (12 points, six rebounds, one steal, one block, 24 minutes) haven’t blown up like some had hoped for, and Dwane Casey doesn’t appear to trust either of them with big minutes. That said, Johnson is posting sneaky low-volume second round value in 9-cat leagues on the strength of low turnovers and outlier shooting percentages, while Davis is a late-round guy. Both guys should be worth owning in the short-term while Andrea Bargnani is out, and have some upside in the event they can earn more minutes and/or Bargnani is traded. Terrence Ross (11 points, 26 minutes) and Anderson are probably headed for waiver wires in the leagues they’ve been owned in when Lowry returns, and I definitely wouldn’t pass on a hot free agent to hold either guy.
Kawhi Fruits
The Spurs rolled over the Raptors last night and that yielded pretty pedestrian results up and down the box score. Tony Parker scored 13 points with seven assists, Danny Green had eight points, two threes, and three steals, Tim Duncan scored 15 points with six rebounds and two blocks, and Manu Ginobili put up 14 points, five rebounds, three assists and two threes. Kawhi Leonard didn’t get a lot of love in Doc’s blurb last night, but I love the impact he has had in his short time on the court even if he did get chewed out by Pop last night for some of his decision-making. Leonard scored nine points on 4-of-8 shooting (no threes) with 10 rebounds and three steals, and in his small sample-size of three games he is a second to third round value in just 23 minutes per game. It’s a testament to his fantasy friendly game and the upside he has if he ever gets fully let loose.
Welcome to the Big Leagues
The Warriors went into Utah and beat a reeling Jazz team that is dealing with the loss of Mo Williams (thumb) and has lost five of its last seven games including last night’s game. The Dubs’ schedule is set to get much tougher after Friday’s game against Philly, as they get the Celtics, Clippers (twice), and then the Grizzlies, followed by the Blazers and Nuggets, then a run of games against the Heat, Spurs, Clippers, Thunder, Bulls, and Bucks in 6-of-7 games. It’s safe to say we’ll know what the Warriors are after that clip. In the meantime, the Warriors’ offensive assets are locked and loaded into production, including Stephen Curry (23 points, four threes, eight rebounds, seven assists, one steal, one block), Klay Thompson (15 points, two threes, three steals), and David Lee (18 points, nine rebounds, one steal, one block).
Jarrett Jack slowed down a bit with 15 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two threes, which lets owners know what kind of a tear he has been on. I’ve said it a bunch and the moment of truth is upon us – will Lee and Jack continue to post mega-numbers if the Warriors start to struggle with their defense during this stretch? Lee is still giving up buckets by the boatload, which makes All Star talk a bit ridiculous, but both he and Jack could get hit if the Warriors are forced to play Draymond Green, Carl Landry, and Harrison Barnes more because of their physical advantages. Owners should be smart with any attempt to sell fantasy stud Lee high, as a hit is only going to move him into late-early round value
No Jazz in Utah
The Jazz look like they’ll be without Mo Williams for weeks, and they’ll be crossing their fingers that it’s not going to be a month or more when he gets a second MRI on his severely sprained right (shooting) thumb. Currently he can’t eat or brush his teeth with that hand, and the Jazz are now down a key weapon as they try to figure out how to become less predictable on offense. Last night the Warriors zoned them up to shut down Al Jefferson and it paid off, as Jefferson worked to get his 18 and 10 and everybody else sucked. I don’t know why we’re not hearing Utah fans and writers screaming bloody murder about the fact that their team is addicted to Jefferson’s scoring in a stand-and-watch offense, but until that happens it’s doubtful we see a change.
I’m not giving up on Gordon Hayward (nine points, three rebounds, three assists, two threes, 3-of-10 FGs) or otherwise discounting the Jazz assets, but I’ll have the fringe guys like Hayward, Randy Foye (eight points, 3-of-10 FGs, two threes), and Derrick Favors (nine points, three boards, 20 minutes) on my bench until the team shows signs of life. Jamaal Tinsley (zero points, four assists, 21 minutes) and Earl Watson (zero points, three assists) will be better than this, and if I had to pick one I’d choose Tinsley, but their situation has timeshare written all over it.
Kidd’n Play
Carmelo Anthony did not play due to a hyper-extended left knee suffered on Christmas Day, and one would think that his availability to slop around with the Kings on Friday would be in question after Mike Woodson expressed some concern about his status. Amare Stoudemire (knee) is targeting a January 1 return, but I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that it’s a tiny red flag that his return date has slipped a bit. I trust Tommy Beer on all things Knicks, though, and he seems to be optimistic about his effectiveness upon return so I’ll stay the course with my current must-own, mid-to-late round value grade coming off the bench (with injury risk). Raymond Felton was finally knocked out of action when he showed up to the arena with a soft cast on his right (shooting) pinkie, and reports emerged during the game indicating that he would be out 4-6 weeks with a right pinkie fracture. It’s fair to say that the injuries to his hands were the culprits behind his worse-than-normal shooting numbers, and it’s also fair to wonder if he has taken a night job as the guy that holds the nails at a construction site.
This makes Jason Kidd the talk of the town, of course, and he wasted no time putting bootprints on fantasy owners’ posteriors with a 23-point, six-rebound, eight-assist effort that included five 3-pointers. With Anthony and J.R. Smith (27 points, six rebounds, five assists, five steals, one block) around to do the heavy lifting, he is a must-start player that will do a little (or a lot) of everything to fill in the gaps for the Knicks. Smith hit the game-winning shot tonight in their win over the Suns, and while it doesn’t seem likely he could get disciplined by the league for his flagrant foul on Goran Dragic.
Tragic Dragic
Goran Dragic’s hard fall occurred when J.R. Smith clipped him on a fast break, causing Dragic to go flying and land on his left side hard. He stayed in the game to shoot his free throws, but left immediately after with 10 seconds to go in the first half and did not return. He would later leave the arena with a left (shooting) wrist brace, as he reportedly suffered injuries of some degree to all three of his hip, wrist, and back. Sebastian Telfair is the beneficiary if Dragic is to miss any time, and he posted a solid 11 points, four assists, three steals, and three 3-pointers in 30 minutes of duty last night. Owners should consider him as a speculative add with confidence knowing that Kendall Marshall isn’t a threat to his playing time, as the rookie still can’t shoot and defenses know it.
Jared Dudley kept his foot on the gas with 36 points on 11-of-17 shooting, five threes, five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and a perfect 9-of-9 mark from the line. I felt like the world’s biggest Dudley apologist over the first month of the season, so it stands to reason that I’m not shocked beyond belief by him being productive, but his first round value over the last two weeks definitely a sell-high moment of some type. Don’t be surprised if Michael Beasley (10 points, seven rebounds, one steal, one block, 22 minutes) makes some sort of noise if Dragic misses time, as the Suns will be desperate for scoring even if it means suiting up a guy that may already be on his last legs in Phoenix. Luis Scola scored six points with four rebounds in 22 minutes, and is proving to be much more trouble than his season-long late-round value is worth.
Laker Melting Pot
The Lakers saw their five-game winning streak snapped against the Nuggets last night, who finally got everybody on the same page against a team that everybody gets up for. Dwight Howard was ejected for a Flagrant-2 foul on Kenneth Faried and was plastered all over the highlight reels for it. He shoved him in the face on a borderline dirty play and Faried went flying to the ground, but it’s doubtful that he gets a suspension for the incident. He’ll likely face more scrutiny for not understanding that it was a flagrant foul after the game, and also for calling out Steve Nash in the postgame for a shared defensive miscue.
Fantasy-wise things are starting to fall in place, as Nash scored 15 points with eight assists and two threes, and Kobe Bryant is still playing like he’s 23 years old and put up another 40 points, five threes, four rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. Yes, Dwight Howard isn’t getting the touches he would normally be getting, but the Mike D’Antoni green light and Kobe’s all-around greatness are combining to thrash my preseason projections. At least I can chase that shot of humility with Pau Gasol’s recent surge, as Gasol scored 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting with two threes, six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks. It’s clear that Gasol needs to be a part of this offense as it is currently constructed, and it’s interesting to hear that he’s going to be shooting threes now. I’m not quite sure I’m down with the totality of that, but I’m just going with it as I fend off one-week too late trade offers in the leagues that I own Gasol in.
Pulling in the Same Direction
I talked about the Nuggets’ inability to get everybody on the same page on Tuesday, and yesterday they were able to do exactly that as Andre Iguodala (17 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, two blocks), Ty Lawson (17 points, 14 assists, two steals, one three), and Danilo Gallinari (19 points, 6-of-10 FGs, three treys) were all able to bust out. Corey Brewer also hit the turbo button with 27 points and six treys, and hopefully this is a sign that everybody is starting to gel. The fear of course is that this is just a reflection of the Lakers’ woeful defense, but there is enough talent in the group for owners to give them some benefit of the doubt while keeping concerns about their ability to co-exist in the back of the head. Kenneth Faried went for 21 and 15 and one of these times he’s going to put together a Kevin Love-from-last-year type night.
Same Old Story
DeMarcus Cousins did not travel for last night’s game and Keith Smart will determine his status for Friday’s game when the team returns to Sacramento. Tyreke Evans (knee) “isn’t likely to play soon.” I’ve stashed Isaiah Thomas (12 points, six assists, 28 minutes) where I can and Marcus Thornton (six points, two threes, 22 minutes) is a must-own player in my book – though the most dysfunctional team in sports might not pay me off. I even like Jimmer Fredette at some point, but the local media gives Smart and Geoff Petrie the run of the yard and still calls Thomas a non-factor despite him being the key to their turnaround. They get thrashed on defense every night and they have a plus defender at the point biding his time. They can’t pass the ball or show any tempo on offense, and they stick the only guy with a shot at providing that in the corner to shoot threes in a standstill offense. Rinse, lather, repeat.
Sleepwalking Dominance
Wesley Matthews (hip) looks like he could miss at least the next two games, as he needs to get a practice in as well as an early-morning thumbs up on a gameday to get the green light. If I were Terry Stotts I’d probably tack a game onto that strategy just to be sure. Quality Blazer players don’t grow on trees. The team put up big numbers despite showing very lackadaisical play in the first half, headlined by Damian Lillard’s 17 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, three treys, one steal, and one block. He could have torched Aaron Brooks on every play and it was the quietest near triple-double I’ve seen on this side of LeBron this season. J.J. Hickson made the Maloofs and Petrie look silly with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks, Nicolas Batum yawned his way into 18 points with a full stat line, and LaMarcus Aldridge went for 28 and 12 against the soothing sounds of Chuck Hayes and Thomas Robinson masquerading on defense.
Mother Earth Rules
The Bulls and Pacers had their game postponed due to a blizzard.
Thursday Night Lights
Mavs at Thunder
O.J. Mayo (illness) practiced yesterday so he’s probably a go for tonight. Dirk Nowitzki will come off the bench again, and owners with games played limits can still consider him for some low-end production and a hint of upside in his second game back. The Thunder are fully healthy and since it’s a national TV game look for Kevin Martin to get fed the ball.
Celtics at Clippers
Leandro Barbosa (personal) is the only questionable Celtics player and he’s a non-factor in fantasy leagues. The Clippers will look to extend their 14-game winning streak.