With 11 games on the Tuesday night schedule and a multitude of casualties, I've decided to break the Dose into four categories:
Thanks For The Help
Welcome Back
Where You Been?
Where'd You Go?
Here we go.
Thanks For The Help
Kevin Durant had 33 points, two 3-pointers, 11 rebounds and two steals in Tuesday's road win over the Blazers, marking his 25th consecutive game with at least 25 points scored. He scored his 5,000th point tonight, and I'm guessing there are about 25,000 more where those came from.
Carlos Boozer poured in 34 points (13-of-17 FGs, 8-of-9 FTs), 14 rebounds, four assists and four steals in Tuesday's win over the Clippers, Utah's ninth consecutive victory. The fact he was passed over for the All-Star Team for Chris Kaman (19 & 7, 5-of-14 shooting) just doesn't seem right.
Courtney Lee, who I have been pimping for a big second half, had 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting with seven boards, four dimes, one steal and one three on Tuesday. I think he's a must-own in all leagues. Chris Douglas-Roberts picked up a DNP-CD on Tuesday, and it doesn't sound like it was because of his recent back spasms. Just another reason to love Lee.
Mike Miller had 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting with three 3-pointers, six boards, three assists, two steals and two blocks. I've been high on him lately, but only if he's healthy. And it feels like he's healthy.
Luol Deng had 23 points and 11 boards despite a sore shoulder on Tuesday and looks like he's good to go for the second half.
Tyreke Evans had 27 points, 10 boards, six assists and a steal in Tuesday's OT win over the Knicks. Nice one, Tyreke. Simply put, he looks nothing like a rookie, which you know if you've seen him play this year.
Donte' Greene pumped in 24 points and four 3-pointers on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with eight boards, three assists and a steal in Tuesday's OT win over the Knicks. Are you kidding me? We've touted him as a hot pickup in blurbs recently and he should be in most lineups until further notice. Just be ready for the ride to come to a grinding halt at some point with Paul "Nellie" Westphal pulling the strings.
Kings forward Omri Casspi started again in Tuesday's OT win against the Knicks in New York. He had 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and zero turnovers. He's not a must-start player, but has held value despite playing an ever-changing role for the Kings.
Wilson Chandler blew up for a season-high 35 points in the loss, hitting 15-of-23 FGs and adding five boards, two steals and two blocks in 47 minutes. Nice.
Jared Jeffries left Tuesday's game briefly after taking a hard fall, but returned to notch 13 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one block in 41 minutes. He's not a must-own or must-start player, but is definitely worth a look as long as he's starting for the Knicks. And in fantasy, we can forgive his awful shot late in Tuesday's loss.
Marcus Camby posted a typically well-rounded line for the Clippers on Tuesday with nine points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and just one turnover in 35 minutes. These are the kind of lines that win you fantasy games in two-game weeks.
Jamal Crawford picked up the slack for flu-ridden Joe Johnson (11 points) with 28 points and five threes on Tuesday. He looks like the Sixth Man of the Year to me and the Hawks have won three straight games after a tough win over the Grizzlies.
Andre Miller had 22 points (9-of-18 FGs, 3-of-3 FTs), six rebounds, six assists, one block and four turnovers for the Blazers on Tuesday. Remember when he was hardly playing for this team? As Chris Farley would say, "Yeah, that wasn't cool."
Jonas Jerebko had six points and 13 rebounds in another start at PF for the Pistons. Give him a look if you need a forward.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute had nine points, 11 rebounds, a steal and a block in Tuesday's loss. He's starting for the Bucks and is averaging 15 points and nine rebounds over his last three games, clearly outplaying Ersan Ilyasova, who failed to score and had four rebounds in just 10 minutes tonight. At this point, Mbah a Moute is a much safer fantasy play, obviously.
The 76ers extended their win streak to five games on Tuesday, aided by Andre Iguodala's 24 points, two 3-pointers, four rebounds, six assists, one steal and one block.
Andrew Bogut had 17 points, 18 boards and three more blocks in Tuesday's loss to the Pistons. He dominated Ben Wallace and company tonight, but it wasn't enough. Bogut is having a fantastic season, averaging 16 points, 10 boards and two blocks, but has missed six games and most of a seventh. But when he's healthy, he's about the closest thing as there is to a must-start at center.
Welcome Back
Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points vs. the Mavericks on Tuesday, as the Nuggets celebrated his return from an ankle injury with their biggest victory of the season. He finally came back from his ankle "injury" and it appears to be safe to get him back into your lineup. He added three 3-pointers, four rebounds and six assists in 30 minutes.
Chauncey Billups played through a sore ankle on Tuesday to finish with 16 points, three 3-pointers, six assists and three steals. Billups made 6-of-8 field goals, and his night was even more impressive considering he played under 29 minutes in a lopsided victory. He intends to play in the All-Star game and should be a safe option for Thursday's game vs. San Antonio.
Nene was bothered by the strained muscle in his leg, but it wasn't evident on Tuesday -- he scored 21 points in 26 minutes, making 8-of-9 FGs and 5-of-6 FTs. He obviously benefited from the absence of Kenyon Martin.
Chris Andersen posted his second double-double of the season on Tuesday, getting 14 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and one block. He got extra run with Kenyon Martin sidelined by knee tendinitis, and remains little more than a blocks specialist in average leagues. He was iffy with a knee injury, but obviously looked good tonight.
Tyrus Thomas was back from his suspension Tuesday and had nine points and seven boards in 28 minutes. It figures he would get a ton of minutes when all hope seemed lost. Maybe they're showcasing him in hopes of a trade. I still own him, but currently don't have the stones to start him unless he has a four-game week and my options are limited.
Andrea Bargnani (ankle) practiced fully on Tuesday and is expected to be ready for tonight.
Nate Robinson came off the bench for 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting with a groin injury Tuesday. He may have played in this one simply to prove he's healthy enough to dunk this weekend, but the results were less than stellar.
The Knicks lost in overtime on Tuesday with Chris Duhon back at the reins as starting PG. He had seven points on 2-of-10 shooting to go with three rebounds, nine assists and one steal in 37 minutes. The high playing time is nice to see, but we pretty much know what to expect from Duhon at this point -- assists, steals, turnovers, a few 3-pointers, and an atrocious FG%. However, he could break out of his slump and get hot any time in the near future. I picked him up in a couple leagues when it was announced he was back in the starting five.
Tayshaun Prince scored a season-high 18 points on Tuesday and could have some value the rest of the way.
Raymond Felton (twisted right ankle) gutted out 11 points, three rebounds and five assists on Tuesday, including the go-ahead fadeaway jumper with 1.9 seconds left. Stud. This guy just continues to play through injuries, and while he's not a must-start point guard, he's at least reliable.
Josh Howard started at SF for the ailing Mavericks on Tuesday, notching 14 points, three rebounds and one assist in a crushing loss to the Nuggets. I started Howard in a H2H league I'm currently leading 7-2, and Jo-Ho is the leading scorer for my team so far. I came awfully close to cutting him on Sunday, but am glad I didn't. Shawn Marion was out, but Howard has scored double-digit points in four consecutive games and is showing signs of life as we head into the final months of the season.
T.J. Ford is officially back in the Pacers' funky rotation for now and had nine points in 14 minutes Tuesday. He's backing up starter Earl Watson, who had 14 points and six dimes, while A.J. Price has been relegated to third string.
Lamar Odom intends to play vs. the Jazz on Wednesday despite a sore right foot. He should have a big game with Andrew Bynum (hip) out, and Kobe Bryant (ankle) questionable.
Tyson Chandler played on Tuesday and had five points and five boards in 10 minutes. Baby steps.
Yi Jianlian played through a sore shoulder Tuesday and had 11 points and eight boards. You can probably do better off your waiver wire.
Darrell Arthur (pectoral surgery) made his season debut for the Grizzlies with four points and four boards, and doesn't deserve your attention unless Zach Randolph (20 & 14) goes down.
Reggie Evans (foot) is expected to play for the Raptors on Wednesday, but probably doesn't have any fantasy value.
Keep reading for Where You Been? and Where'd You Go?
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Steve "Dr. A" Alexander is the senior editor for the NBA and PGA Tour for Rotoworld.com. The 2009-10 NBA season marks his eighth year of covering fantasy hoops for Rotoworld.com, and he was a Top 3 finalist for NBA Fantasy Writer of the Year in 2008-09. Follow him on Twitter at docktora. |
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