NBA Fantasy News 2009-2010

[HacheMan]

Drop Your Guard?
It was another light night in the NBA, but there is (of course) a ton of injury information floating around, and it seems that most of the news out there is about guards. Dose will break it all down.

My last Season Pass Live Chat of the year takes place today at 4 p.m. See you there.

[SIZE=+1]Tuesday's Guard Blues[/SIZE]

Andre Iguodala had a nice line, but it sounds like could be on the verge of shutting it down with his sore feet. He had 21 points, eight boards, seven assists and three steals, but said after the game that his foot was as sore as it's been all year. Adam Levitan, who covers hoops news for Rotoworld, spoke with him after the game and gets the sense AI2 is about to miss some time. It's nearly impossible to tell who would step up in his absence for Eddie Jordan, but Willie Green, Jason Kapono and Lou Williams are all possibilities. Iguodala is day-to-day right now.

Jason Kapono - Kapono started again for the Sixers, but hit just 0-of-5 shots and failed to score. He came in playing well over his last few games, so he might have been in some lineups for this dud.

Steve Blake - I hyped him, and rightfully so with the news that Baron Davis is probably out for the week with back spasms. Blake's line wasn't a total failure, but I was expecting more than seven points, six assists, three boards and a steal. He also had four TOs, but at least the minutes were there (32).

Eric Gordon - Gordon hit just 2-of-13 shots for eight points last night, but should bounce back.

John Salmons - Salmons went 3-of-12 for the Bucks, scoring nine points, but was probably due for a bad game. I'm not worried.

Aaron Brooks - Brooks' line was solid with 11 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, but he hit just 5-of-20 shots, and his shooting has been dreadful. Eleven has been his lucky number, as he has hit over 50 percent of his shots in just three games in March. In those three, he was 11-of-16, 11-of-17, and 11-of-14. He's shooting just 42 percent for the month in 15 games, but if you take out those three 'good ones,' his percentage drops down to 36 percent (76-for-211). Ouch.

Trevor Ariza - Ariza fell off the wagon last night, missing all seven of his shots and finishing with just two points. He'd been playing pretty well over the last 10 days or so, but last night was a disaster. With all the injuries in Houston, there's no reason he shouldn't bounce back in his next game.

Shaun Livingston - I thought Livingston would get about 30 minutes at point guard for the Wizards and put up decent numbers with Randy Foye out for the year. He played 26 minutes, but hit just 1-of-6 shots for two points, two rebounds and two assists as the Wizards lost for the 16th straight time, which was disappointing. Can he be trusted? No. Is he still worth owning? Probably.

Carlos Delfino - Despite all reports leaning toward Delfino playing last night, he didn't suit up for the Bucks. He's traveling with the team and should be back this week, but it's tough to predict how effective he'll be. If you want to cut him, or feel that you need to, go for it.

Lou Williams - Sixers' coach Eddie Jordan was quoted earlier in the day saying Lou was "ready to go" for last night's game, but he ended up sitting out. Just another notch in Eddie's belt.

Vince Carter - He says he'll try to play through his toe injury on Thursday, while coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't sound quite so sure. Keep in mind the Magic have a surplus of guards, and SVG probably wouldn't mind Vince being fully rested for the playoffs, leading me to believe he is more likely to miss that game than play. Just my take. Mickael Pietrus is also due back from his ankle injury for that one.

Kevin Martin - Martin missed his third straight game with a shoulder injury, so I hope he was on your bench this week. Jermaine Taylor (14 points, one 3-pointer, 6-of-13 shooting) and Kyle Lowry (17 points, six assists, a 3-pointer, 5-of-11 shooting) played well in his place. Both are worth a look as long as Martin, who is still day-to-day, is out.

Richard Hamilton - He is now dealing with a sprained ankle, leaving him iffy tonight against the Heat. It's a shame, as he is coming off his best game in a month. Rodney Stuckey practiced on Tuesday and sounds likely to play, despite a bum ankle.

Paul Pierce - Suffered a shoulder stinger in Celtics' practice and is now iffy tonight against the Thunder. Start him at your own risk.

Monta Ellis - Has already been ruled out (again) for GSW Wednesday with the flu. Stephen Curry, C.J. Watson and Reggie Williams are all must-starts once again.

Kirk Hinrich - Hinrich failed to score before leaving last night's Bulls' game with a sprained ankle and is day-to-day. Jannero Pargo (12 points) and Flip Murray (see below) are both worth a pick up if he's going to be out.

Manu Ginobili - Manu is hoping to return tonight for the Spurs after missing his last one with back spasms, and can probably be started in most instances.

[SIZE=+1]Star Guards from Tuesday[/SIZE]

Tyreke Evans – 17 pts, 7 bds, 10 asts, 4 stls in return from concussion.
Beno Udrih – 18 pts, 4 asts, 2 stls despite return of Tyreke.
Russell Westbrook – 10 pts, 5 bds, 14 asts.
Brandon Jennings – 7-of-15 fg, 17 pts, 5 bds, 6 asts.
Derrick Rose – 23 pts, 5 bds, 10 asts.
Steve Nash – 22 pts, 10 asts, 2 3-pointers, despite bad back/flu.
Jason Richardson – 27 pts, 4 3-pointers, 6 rebs. Feeling it now.
Flip Murray – 9-of-12 fg, 4 3-pointers, 23 pts, 9 rebs, 4 asts.
Mike Miller – 4-of-15 fg, but 14 pts, 12 bds, 4 asts.
Jerry Stackhouse - 7-of-10 fg, 16 pts, 3 bds, 3 asts, 2 3-pointers.

Continue reading for Tuesday Game Notes and Injury Wrap Up.
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[SIZE=+1]Tuesday Game Notes[/SIZE]

Spencer Hawes returned from a back injury and started for the Kings, but had just four points and seven rebounds, but that's just the beginning of the story. He hurt his knee and is now listed as doubtful for tonight against Minnesota. Jason Thompson had 18 points and 11 boards last night and with Hawes hurting, is a must-start from here on out.

Danny Granger scored 33 points and hit four 3-pointers for the Pacers, who have won six of their last seven and eight straight at home, while Troy Murphy added 19 points, 13 boards and three 3-pointers in the win. Earl Watson also had a nice line, and is still worth a look if you need a point guard.

Samuel Dalembert was benched for much of the first half against the Thunder (just because), but finished the second half under normal circumstances. He never got it going though, and finished with just six points, three boards and no blocks in a loss to the Thunder. Hopefully he's good to go for the next one.

Ersan Ilyasova hit 8-of-14 shots for 20 points, eight boards and a 3-pointer, and it sure would be nice if we could figure out in advance of when he'll get hot.

Drew Gooden stayed hot with 20 points, 11 boards and a block last night, and looks good to go the rest of the way for the Clippers. DeAndre Jordan played 27 minutes and had 11 points, 13 boards and a block, while Chris Kaman had 17 points and 10 boards in 26 minutes. The timeshare is in effect here, making Kaman a bit risky going forward. If you need a big man, it might be time to grab Jordan – again.

Taj Gibson had 14 points, 10 boards and two blocks for the Bulls, while Joakim Noah added 12 points, 10 boards and two blocks in 27 minutes. It looks like it's safe to get Noah back in lineups, while Gibson is also worth using right now. Luol Deng is still hoping to return from his calf injury, but isn't doing more than riding a bike right now. Maybe he'll play Saturday, and maybe he won't. James Johnson played through a foot injury, but had just six points and one rebound in 15 minutes.

Jarron Collins started at center for the Suns, but didn't do much (no surprise there). But Channing Frye came off the bench for 12 points, six boards and two 3-pointers, and looks like a good play with Robin Lopez done.

Chase Budinger blew up for a career-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the short-handed Rockets. He added six boards and a 3-pointer, and could be a sneaky play with so many guys hurting for Houston. Jordan Hill added 10 points, five board and a block.

Nick Young started at shooting guard for the Wizards, but had eight points, three boards and two assists. If he continues to start, he will have a nice line here and there, but I don't trust him. Andray Blatche went off for 31 points, 10 boards, three assists, four steals and three blocks, while JaVale McGee came off the bench for 13 points and six boards. Fabricio Oberto got the start over James Singleton, but is useless, while Singleton had 12 points, six boards and three blocks. Singleton is still worth using in fantasy, and could be back in the starting five for his next one. The Wizards have now lost 16 straight games.

[SIZE=+1]Injury Wrap Up - Centers[/SIZE]

Lakers' center Andrew Bynum (Achilles) will return on April 8 at the earliest, meaning the most games he'll play the rest of the way is four. I say it's time to cut him and move on.

Ben Wallace is listed as day-to-day for the Pistons with bad knees, and I don't think he's worth hanging onto, either.

Celtics' C Kendrick Perkins is due back on Wednesday against the Thunder from his knee injury.

Anderson Varejao will sit out again on Wednesday as the Cavs baby him back from a hamstring injury.

Jermaine O'Neal is out again for the Heat on Wednesday with a hyperextended right knee, and while he could play again before the end of the week, it would be mildly surprising.

Cavs' center Shaquille O'Neal is not likely to play again in the regular season, so it's time to let him go.

He's not a center, but Andrei Kirilenko is not expected to play tonight for the Jazz due to his lingering calf injury, and they have to think about shutting him down until the playoffs.

 

[HacheMan]

Bad Back, Bad Dude
A very imposing Hill, a surprisingly spry Nash, an oddly quiet Wade and a rather productive Darko (no joke) were among the bullet points that stood out on a noisy 13-game Wednesday. Here's a game-by-game look at what transpired on the final day of March:

CLE 101, MIL 98

Cavs: Mo Williams ended a run of three straight single-digit outings by going for 21 and six… With Anderson Varejao (hamstring) out, J.J. Hickson (14 and six with a steal and two blocks) outproduced Zydrunas Ilgauskas (seven points, five rebounds in 20 minutes). Hickson's last five games: 15.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg but just 0.6 bpg… Delonte West went for 12-4-6, but is at best a standard league streaming option and deep league consideration.

Bucks: Brandon Jennings played just 19 minutes as Luke Ridnour (11 points, 11 assists) took over. Unfortunately Jennings is too explosive to bench, but almost too maddening to live with… John Salmons bounced back from a single-digit outing with a 28-5-7 line… Carlos Delfino (neck, jaw) was out again, but Charlie Bell is infuriatingly useless in his absence (zero points in 24 minutes).

A reminder: For projections, depth charts, cheat sheets and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Draft Guide.

OKC 109, BOS 104

Thunder: Kevin Durant (37), Russell Westbrook (21 points, 10 assists) and Jeff Green (17 points, three treys) scored 75 of the Thunder's 109 points. OKC is now on the verge of clinching a playoff spot, having beaten the last two NBA champions (Celtics and Lakers) in a six-day span.

Celtics: Paul Pierce played through a shoulder injury and went for 15-6-6… Kendrick Perkins returned from a knee injury and had six points, six rebounds and three blocks… Ray Allen had his second straight quiet game, scoring a hollow 13 points and shooting 0-for-5 on threes. Prior to his recent skid he had averaged 18.2 ppg over a five-game run, so he should get back on track soon.

ATL 109, LAL 92

Hawks: One week to the day after a big win over Orlando, the Hawks blew out the suddenly vulnerable Lakers… Seven Hawks hit double figures, but Al Horford (10 points, six rebounds in 24 minutes) was notably quiet after early foul trouble. Horford had double-doubled in eight straight and will get back on track shortly, while Zaza Pachulia (10 points, 10 rebounds, two steals) still belongs on waivers… Speaking of still belongs on waivers, Maurice Evans busted out for a random 18 points against his former team.

Lakers: Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 28 points, but tweaked his ankle and had just eight points in the second half. Chances are he'll play through the injury on Friday… Ron Artest (15-5-5) got into a scuffle with Evans that resulted in techs for both players, but it didn't look too serious.

PHX 116, NJN 105

Suns: Despite lingering back pain, Steve Nash threw down a formidable 24-7-14 line playing his third game in four nights… Jason Richardson capped off a scalding March (19.9 ppg, 2.9 threes) with a 23-4-3 line and three treys… Amare Stoudemire got into first quarter foul trouble and finished with a quiet 15 and five.

Nets: Terrence Williams has yet to regain his starting job after a foot injury, but coming off the bench hasn't hampered his productivity, as evidenced by a 21-9-5 line Wednesday night. In March, Williams averaged 14.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4.9 apg and 0.7 threes, numbers that are tempered only by a disappointing 0.5 spg and 0.3 bpg… Devin Harris left early with a back injury, but is currently expected to play on Saturday… Kris Humphries had 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes and is not the world's worst streaming option in daily head-to-head leagues.

SAS 119, HOU 102

Spurs: Manu Ginobili (18 points, 10 assists) returned from a back injury, but the big San Antonio headline was a monstrous 30-point, seven-assist line from George Hill, who added two threes, five steals and a block… After a two-game hiccup, Richard Jefferson has now averaged 16.8 ppg in his last four.

Rockets: With Kevin Martin out due to a shoulder injury, fill-in starter Jermaine Taylor had 14 points, 10 rebounds and four steals despite shooting just 5-for-15… Trevor Ariza (illness) took an IV before the game, but still posted a 12-6-4 line… Kyle Lowry was strong off the bench again, going for 17-7-5 in just 24 minutes.

UTA 128, GSW 104

Jazz: Deron Williams had just eight points, but a season-high 19 assists… Not shockingly, Kyle Korver posted a season-high 21 points against the porous Warriors… In fact, thanks to the generous Golden State D, all five Utah starters (Williams, Wesley Matthews, Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer and C.J. Miles) posted strong numbers, and there was still room for Paul Millsap to contribute 19-11-4 with two blocks off the bench… In less happy Jazz news, Andrei Kirilenko (calf) has been ruled out through Friday.

Warriors: This game was over after a 40-26 first quarter, so there's no point in dwelling too much on the Warriors' disappointing lines. Stephen Curry (6-for-16, 15 points), Anthony Tolliver (3-for-11, 17 points) and Reggie Williams (4-for-15, 12 points) combined to shoot 13-for-42, which just about sums things up… Monta Ellis and Ronny Turiaf both sat out due to the flu… Anthony Morrow had his first big game in a while with 21 points, but garbage time was ample in this one.

DAL 106, MEM 102

Mavericks: Caron Butler had 11 points and 13 rebounds despite a bout with stomach trouble earlier in the day… Brendan Haywood (11 points, eight boards, one block) was solid in another start, while Erick Dampier was quiet… Jason Terry broke out for 29, his most points since returning from injury… Shawn Marion had a solid March (14.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.6 spg, 0.9 bpg), but ended the month with a one-point stink bomb. Keep running him out there as you have been.

Grizzlies: On an off night for Rudy Gay (11 points, 5-for-18 shooting), O.J. Mayo (27), Mike Conley (25) and Zach Randolph (24) scored 76 of the Grizzlies' 102 points… Marc Gasol had a worrisome four points and one rebound in 22 minutes, and while we haven't heard any reports of an injury yet, injury news does not always surface quickly in Memphis, so stay tuned.

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TOR 114, LAC 92

Raptors: Sonny Weems got another start and posted a 17-5-4 line (on 8-for-8 shooting) with a three, a steal and a block. Just keep in mind that he had averaged 6.0 ppg in his prior two games… Chris Bosh was large with 34 points, 11 boards and three blocks… Hedo Turkoglu (doghouse) played had just six points and six assists in 17 minutes and needs to be benched in most formats.

Clippers: Steve Blake had nine points and 12 assists, but may only get one more start if Baron Davis (back) returns on schedule, which is not guaranteed… Eric Gordon (nine points on 3-for-13 shooting) has struggled with his shot of late (18-for-65 in last five games), but has at least averaged 13.4 ppg, 3.8 apg and 1.8 threes during that slump… Chris Kaman went big with 22 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks… DeAndre Jordan got a start, but had five fouls in 13 minutes, while Drew Gooden came off the bench for matchup reasons but still posted 17 and 10.

CHA 103, PHI 84

Bobcats: Larry Hughes got 24 minutes and went 6-4-3 with two blocks, but shot just 1-for-8… His playing time came at the expense of Stephen Jackson (16 points, 25 minutes), who got a chance to rest in an easy win… Tyson Chandler had a season-high 15 points (with six rebounds, a steal and two blocks), but is still too erratic to start in standard leagues… The Bobcats pump-faked us by listing Tyrus Thomas (ankle) as active, but then he didn't play. He should be back soon, but there's still that bigger problem of playing time.

Sixers: Andre Iguodala salvaged a 14-6-4 line in an ugly loss, but it remains within the realm of possibility that he'll have to miss some time due to his plantar fasciitis. For the moment he looks okay, though… Marreese Speights had 13 points in 22 minutes and has made a little bit of noise lately, but not enough noise to warrant attention outside of deeper leagues.

MIA 98, DET 81

Heat: Dwyane Wade had an extremely quiet 10-3-1 line in 28 minutes of an easy win for Miami. Simply a poorly-timed off night… Meanwhile, Michael Beasley, who was probably on a lot of fantasy benches, blew up for 28-9-3 with two steals and a block. Unfortunately there's still no sign that he's going to do it consistently… Quentin Richardson had 16 and seven with four threes, but trust him at your own risk… Dorell Wright had 17 points and four threes, but there was some garbage time in this one… Jermaine O'Neal (knee) is hoping to practice on Thursday.

Pistons: Aside from Rodney Stuckey (18 points, five assists, three steals), Tayshaun Prince (17-6-6) and Will Bynum (13 points, three assists), this was a gruesome night for the Pistons. Ben Gordon had just nine points despite the fact that Richard Hamilton (ankle) was out, and Jason Maxiell left after four minutes with a back strain… Meanwhile, Ben Wallace returned to post four points, six rebounds, a steal and two blocks in 20 minutes and could suddenly be relevant again if Maxiell misses any time, which is still TBD at the moment.

WAS 96, NOH 91

Wizards: Mike Miller (27 points, seven boards) is now averaging 16.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 4.3 apg and 1.8 threes in his last four games… Andray Blatche had just one rebound, but made up for it with 23 points, four assists, three steals and a block… The inconsistent but intriguing Shaun Livingston equaled his best line as a Wizard with 18 points and eight assists… James Singleton had a quiet six and four in 25 minutes off the bench, but I wouldn't cut him loose just yet… The Wizards ended a 16-game losing streak with the win.

Hornets: Chris Paul escalated to 44 minutes, but had a relatively modest 8-4-9 line… Darren Collison salvaged 14 points and three assists in 24 minutes, his second straight game below the 25-minute mark. He's still worth owning, but times have changed in the NO backcourt… The maddeningly erratic Emeka Okafor had just five points and six rebounds, which is unfortunately not shocking at all.

MIN 108, SAC 99

T'Wolves: I'm not fooling myself into thinking that Darko Milicic is suddenly blossoming, but he's getting enough run to put up stats for Minnesota, and his 15-10-3 line with a steal and four blocks on Wednesday makes him worth a look if you need big man stats. Just be prepared for some inconsistency… Unfortunately, Darko's productivity hindered Kevin Love, who backed up his monster 23 and 22 game with a quieter 12 and 11… Al Jefferson had 19 points, 12 boards and a season-high six blocks, finishing March with solid averages of 19.3 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 0.8 spg and 1.9 bpg… Ryan Gomes randomly flirted with a triple-double (9-9-8), but averaged just 11.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 2.5 apg in March… Like the Wizards, the Wolves ended a 16-game losing streak on Wednesday.

Kings: Tyreke Evans (20-7-13) is set to finish the season in very strong fashion… Beno Udrih shot just 3-for-10, but finished with a 6-4-9 line anyway… Carl Landry (22 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a block) averaged 18.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 0.8 spg and 0.7 bpg in March… Jason Thompson (15 points, seven rebounds) got the start with Spencer Hawes out due to a hamstring contusion… Donte Greene busted out for 21 points and five threes, but had averaged just 5.3 ppg over his previous three games.

POR 118, NYK 90

Blazers: Portland led by 27 at the half, so no single player had to do much in the way of heavy stat-producing… Of note: Though Marcus Camby has discovered his scoring touch with the Blazers (12.0 ppg in last four games), he has gone without a block in his last three. Considering that he averaged 3.7 bpg in the three games prior to this drought, I'm deeming it a fluke.

Knicks: Not a lot of positives to take away here, other than the fact that David Lee salvaged a 20-10-5 line and Bill Walker took advantage of garbage time with 18 points, six rebounds, two steals and four threes… Al Harrington (13 points) left early with a sprained ankle… Tracy McGrady had a dry heave-inducing two points and nothing else in 21 minutes, which I wish I could tell you is a bad April Fool's joke, but is not.

 

[HacheMan]

Shut 'Em Down
Shut 'Em Down

The big news on Thursday was that Marc Gasol has been shut down by the Grizzlies with a partially torn muscle in his neck. Hasheem Thabeet will start at center the rest of the way for Memphis, and while he won't score a lot of points, is capable of racking up big-time blocks and rebounds. I must admit I felt kind of bad when Gasol returned from his neck injury the first time, as many of you cut him based on my advice. But in the end, it turned out to be the right call.

Al Harrington's year is likely over with a severely sprained ankle, so it's time to fire up the Bill Walker bandwagon again. Hopefully it provides a smoother ride this time around.

Spencer Hawes has also been shut down with a left knee injury. Details are too complicated for me to comment on intelligently, and we still don't know the long-term effects it will have on him. He's a microfracture surgery veteran, but my guess is he'll be fine going into next season. However, if Paul Westphal's his coach again, I'd let someone else draft him.

I'm going to hit a few news and notes from Thursday, and then take a team-by-team look at shutdown candidates. Might I suggest you listen to this new Band of Horses song (new record, Infinite Arms, in stores May 18) while you read.

News and Notes

Stephen Jackson is dealing with a hamstring injury and is a little iffy for the Bucks game on Friday. He's a warrior, and my guess is he'll play. Tyrus Thomas has missed a couple with a sprained ankle, but should be back tonight. We thought he'd play Wednesday, but the Bobcats held him out.

Kirk Hinrich is questionable tonight against the Wizards with a sprained ankle, as is Luol Deng. I'm not too excited about Deng's return, as he should be pretty limited. He will, however, likely cut into the production of Taj Gibson, and make James Johnson (even more) useless.

Miami's Jermaine O'Neal is iffy tonight against the Pacers with a right knee injury. He's missed some time already, and while he's probably anxious to play against his former team, my guess is that he won't play, or be very limited if he does.

Monta Ellis and Ronny Turiaf are iffy against the Knicks with the flu, and both missed their last game. I know a lot of fantasy owners are jonesing for Ellis to get back out there, and I'm hopeful it happens tonight. Corey Maggette had an MRI on his left knee, but it sounds like he'll play through it. But trust me on this. If the Warriors weren't down to just seven healthy bodies, Maggette would done by now, as usual.

Anderson Varejao is questionable against the Hawks tonight with his hamstring injury, and my guess is he'll try to play. I wouldn't start him in fantasy though. This is obviously the game of the night, as the Hawks will try to beat the Cavs for the first time this season, and for the first time their last five tries. If the Hawks win this game, their confidence level will be at an all-time high after beating the Lakers on Wednesday. I would not want to face Atlanta (or Oklahoma City) in the playoffs, as strange as that sounds.

Ben Wallace remains day-to-day for the Pistons with a knee injury, while Jason Maxiell is likely to miss some time with a back injury. Rip Hamilton is also iffy with a sprained ankle, while Jonas Jerebko is tired and might need a rest. At this point, I probably wouldn't start any of them, while it's possible we could have a Kwame Brown sighting soon. Hey, if Darko can do it…

Chris Andersen sprained his ankle in last night's loss to Portland and remains day-to-day. They are reeling, and really need Andersen to play. X-rays were negative, so hopefully he can play through it. He really burned me last week and isn't doing much this week, so from a fantasy perspective, I would try to ignore him.

Kevin Martin, as usual, is questionable with a shoulder injury for tonight's Rockets – Celtics game. If he doesn't play, look for another nice line from Jermaine Taylor. And something tells me Trevor Ariza is going to have a big line.

Team-by-team Shutdown Candidates

I got a couple emails yesterday about the status of LeBron James going forward. With the Cavs primed to lock up the No. 1 overall seed and home court throughout the playoffs, it doesn't make a ton of sense to keep playing him 40 minutes per game. My guess is he'll miss one full game, and see limited minutes over his last four or five. But you have to keep running him out there if you own him.

Atlanta - Battling it out with the Celtics for the No. 3 seed in the East, which should mean they continue to fight until the end.

Boston - In the same boat as the Hawks, but are about 100 years older. Doc Rivers has made it pretty clear he'll sacrifice a few wins to enter the playoffs healthy, so Paul Pierce (shoulder) and Kevin Garnett (knee, old) could see some rest down the stretch. But keep playing them for now. They've clinched the division and aren't likely to be caught by the Bucks, so it's possible they could concede to the Hawks, especially if ATL beats the Cavs tonight.

Charlotte - In the playoffs and fighting for position. Stephen Jackson is very banged up right now, but should continue to play if he's physically able to.

Chicago - These guys are all kinds of hurt, but still struggling to edge out the Raptors for the final spot in the East. They're currently 2.0 games back, so look for an "all hands on deck" philosophy for now. But be leery of most of them, including Derrick Rose, if they are officially eliminated from playoff contention. My guess is Rose is ready for a break.

Cleveland - They are a whopping five games up on the Lakers for the best record in the league and close to clinching the whole ball of wax, which could spell trouble for LeBron's owners. Like I said earlier, you have to keep rolling him out there, as he's the reason your team is still in the fantasy playoffs. But 'Bron, Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams, in my opinion, are likely to miss at least one game each, if not more.

Dallas - The Mavs are still in a four-way battle for position, meaning they should keep playing the regulars until the end.

Denver - Ditto.

Detroit - They are way out of the playoff picture and banged up. Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers are going to get some nice minutes from here on out, along with Will Bynum, while Maxiell, Wallace and Rip Hamilton are shutdown candidates.

Golden State - They're banged up from playing a seven-man rotation for much of the year, but options are limited. C.J. Watson and Anthony Morrow should get nice minutes down the stretch, while Reggie Williams and Anthony Tolliver should finish strong. I don't trust Maggette, and you also have to wonder how much more of a pounding Monta Ellis can take.

Houston - As injured as any team in the league and out of the hunt. Jermaine Taylor, Kyle Lowry, Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill are all going to get extra run, while it probably wouldn't take much to put Luis Scola, Trevor Ariza or Aaron Brooks out for a game.

Indiana - Long out of the playoffs, but the key guys are playing heavy minutes and very well right now. Danny Granger is always a shutdown risk, but so far, so good. The Pacers did a great job of playing just well enough to miss the playoffs, as well as get a crappy draft pick. Congrats.

L.A. Clippers - Playoffs are out, so Chris Kaman and Baron Davis are shutdown candidates. Baron may already be there, but so far, Kaman looks OK. DeAndre Jordan and Steve Blake should be picked up in many leagues, while Drew Gooden still looks pretty healthy to me.

L.A. Lakers - They're going to win the West and finish No. 2 overall behind the Cavaliers. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest could all be in line for a day or two off in the near future, but you have to keep playing most of them for now.

Memphis - Playoff dreams are dead, but the regulars will likely keep playing. Mike Conley is hot and should be started in all formats, along with Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo and Zach Randolph. And as I mentioned, Hasheem Thabeet looks good to go.

</B>Miami</B> - Playoffs are going to happen, and still battling for position – which is good news for Dwyane Wade.

Milwaukee - Ditto.

Minnesota - No playoffs, but Al Jefferson, Corey Brewer, Jonny Flynn, Kevin Love and Darko Milicic (and maybe Ryan Gomes0 are all usable until further notice.

New Jersey - The Nets are done but are still trying to win games. I'm very concerned about Devin Harris, who left his last game with a back injury, but the rest of them should be OK to start.

New Orleans - Playoffs are out, so Chris Paul remains risky, but it does look like he'll keep playing, along with the rest of the regulars.

New York - No playoffs and Wilson Chandler and Al Harrington have already been shut down. Toney Douglas, David Lee, Bill Walker and Danilo Gallinari should be startable the rest of the way.

Oklahoma City - Still in a battle for playoff position and are one of the more reliable rotations in the league. What a great time to own Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

Orlando - Should finish a solid second in the East, but it sounds like the regulars are going to continue to get nice minutes.

Philadelphia - Playoff hopes are dashed, and Andre Iguodala is hurting. I'm also a little concerned about Elton Brand. Don't be surprised if both of them miss some time, while Thaddeus Young still says he's coming back from his thumb injury.

Phoenix - Still in a battle for position, and while Steve Nash's back is a big concern, they're going to keep playing him (and the rest of the regulars) until the end.

Portland - Ditto, although there are no major injury concerns for the Blazers – well, unless you count Marcus Camby, who is always a tweak away from sitting.

Sacramento - Spencer Hawes is done, the playoffs are not happening and Tyreke Evans is banged up. That said, Tyreke, Beno Udrih, Carl Landry and Jason Thompson are all fantasy starters, while Donte' Greene is worth a look. Francisco Garcia may be the next guy to be shut down.

San Antonio - Fighting for seeding and currently in 8th. They don't want the Lakers or Jazz, so should keep playing as hard as they can in hopes of passing OKC for the No. 6 seed.

Toronto - Still fighting to hold off the Bulls, which is great news for Chris Bosh's owners.

Utah - Still in a dogfight for the No. 2 seed, but could finish as low as No. 5 if they stumble. Good looking picture for owners of Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.

Washington - No playoffs, but the regulars should keep playing.

 

[HacheMan]

Scalding Curry
And so begins the last full week of the 2009-10 NBA regular season. As of this Monday, every team in the league has either five or six games remaining, except for the Hornets, who play four times (three games this week, one during the abbreviated Week 25).

Speaking of abbreviations, I'm PH'ing for Dr. A today and will be serving up the weekly ladle of Roundball Stew on Tuesday.

Before we get to Sunday's notable performances and an injury report, here's a quick look at the big headlines from the weekend:

DOWN GOES BOGUT

Andrew Bogut took a vicious fall while finishing off a fast break dunk on Saturday, and will reportedly require season-ending surgery due to a dislocated right elbow, sprained wrist and broken right hand. In addition to being a scary injury, it's an absolutely brutal hit for the Bucks and for fantasy owners, as Bogut was coming off a big March (15.4 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.1 bpg) and had just thrown down a 19-point, 12-rebound, seven-block gem on Friday night.

Kurt Thomas (10 points, seven rebounds, two blocks in 31 minutes on Saturday) looks like the clearest beneficiary and is worth a look in fantasy leagues, but the veteran obviously won't be able to come anywhere close to replicating Bogut's elite center production.

A reminder: For exclusive columns, frequently updated rankings and projections and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

WHITHER MONTA?

Monta Ellis missed his fourth consecutive game on Sunday due to a reported case of the flu, and the prognosis remains rather murky as to when he might return. Sunday evening, the Associated Press reported that Ellis "is expected to miss the remaining two games on this road trip," which means he will at least miss games on Tuesday and Wednesday. (The Warriors actually play another road game on Saturday, but since it's in California against the Clippers, we're guessing that the AP didn't group it in as part of the same road trip.)

The Warriors play four times this week, but Ellis is clearly a very risky start in weekly leagues, while Anthony Morrow (27.0 ppg in his last three) will be extremely difficult to bench. Given the fact that all signs point to Ellis missing at least two more games, I would get Morrow activated and keep Monta reserved for now.

LEBRON + REST = PANIC?

Cavs beat writer Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday that LeBron James is looking for some rest over the team's final five games. Though there's a chance he'll get limited minutes or theoretically even a night off, I see no feasible scenario in which you can bench the No. 1 player in fantasy hoops this week, especially with the Cavs playing four games.

And while we're on the subject of games, there were eight of them on Sunday. Here's a closer look at what went down:

BOS 117, CLE 113

Celtics: All five starters hit double figures, led by a season-high 33 points and six threes from Ray Allen, who had averaged 8.3 ppg over his previous three games… Kendrick Perkins (10 points, 10 rebounds, a steal and a block) posted his first double-double since Feb. 18.

Cavs: J.J. Hickson (14 points, 11 rebounds, one block) continued to produce and looks like a strong play for Week 24, despite the looming possibility that Shaquille O'Neal (thumb) could return to action at some point over the Cavs' remaining five games (according to a tweet from beat writer Brian Windhorst). Shaq's return would definitely hinder Hickson's value, but since we don't know for sure that he'll be back or when he would be back, Hickson remains an intriguing play this week… Anderson Varejao (hamstring) sat out again on Sunday… Antawn Jamison (16 points, 10 rebounds) played through a shoulder stinger, and LeBron unleashed a 42-7-9 line despite going 14-for-22 from the line and 0-for-9 on threes.

NYK 113, LAC 107

Knicks: One game after a masterful 37-20-10 dismantling of Golden State on Friday (the first 30-20-10 line since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1976), David Lee went for 29-10-4… Bill Walker (18-5-3, two threes) has averaged 16.7 ppg over his last three and looks like a solid option with Tracy McGrady possibly done for the year… Chris Duhon got the start again, but Toney Douglas (13 points, four assists, three treys) was more productive… Al Harrington busted out for 26 points, five threes, four steals and a block in a starting role… Sergio Rodriguez had four points and 10 assists off the bench, but is too erratic to trust.

Clippers: Baron Davis (back) returned to action, finishing with a 23-8-11 line in 41 minutes. I see no way fantasy owners can reasonably bench him now, despite the fact that he's still a risk for a random DNP this week… Chris Kaman (22 points, 16 rebounds, two blocks) has averaged 18.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 1.5 bpg in his last four.

SAS 100, LAL 81

Spurs: Manu Ginobili followed up a 43-point game on Friday with a 32-5-5 line, but the big Spurs news pertains to George Hill, who is headed for a Monday MRI on his ankle. Hill is expected to be out at least through Wednesday, but we should know more following that MRI. With Hill out, Ginobili will likely get even more playmaking opportunities, with Roger Mason Jr. and Garrett Temple likely absorbing minutes at PG (though neither is likely to make a significant fantasy impact).

In case you're wondering about Tony Parker (hand), he said during a sideline interview on Sunday that he's feeling great but will have to wait until after the road trip ends on Wednesday to be reevaluated. It remains possible that the Spurs will accelerate his timetable, but that's far from guaranteed.

Lakers: Despite a season-high 32 points from Pau Gasol, the Lakers lost for the fourth time in six games. Making matters worse, their blowout loss to San Antonio clinched home court advantage throughout the playoffs for the Cavs.

GSW 113, TOR 112

Warriors: Are you sure you definitely want to give Rookie of the Year to Tyreke Evans? Evans struggled to six points on 2-for-12 shooting on Saturday, while Stephen Curry posted an obscene 29-8-12 line with five threes, three steals and two blocks on Sunday… As mentioned earlier, Anthony Morrow (25-10-4) is rolling with Monta Ellis out. Ditto Corey Maggette (31-4-4)… Reggie Williams didn't shoot well (4-for-14), but still went for 9-5-6… Ronny Turiaf didn't shoot at all, but still had nine rebounds, three assists and two steals… Anthony Tolliver had just 12 points and two rebounds, in part due to foul trouble.

Raptors: Chris Bosh uncorked 42 points (two short of his season high), adding 12 rebounds, five steals and a block… Sonny Weems backed up two solid games with an ugly 2-for-11, but at least had three steals and a block… Hedo Turkoglu followed up a decent game with a disappointing one (8-4-3 in 20 minutes)… Jarrett Jack (19-4-4) outplayed Jose Calderon (2-4-3), though the reverse happened on Saturday night. You gotta love (i.e., hate) PG platoons.

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WAS 109, NJN 99

Wizards: A matchup between two rotten teams actually held plenty of fantasy intrigue. Andray Blatche shot just 5-for-18, but was otherwise outstanding with 20 points, nine rebounds and a career-high 13 assists… Mike Miller (17-13-3) continued to produce, and there was a random Cartier Martin sighting (16 points in 22 minutes off the bench). Don't get too excited just yet… JaVale McGee got just 17 minutes, but had 14 points, six rebounds and a block… James Singleton has averaged just 4.0 ppg and 2.7 rpg in his last three, while Shaun Livingston has averaged 15.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 6.3 apg during the same stretch.

Nets: Brook Lopez and Devin Harris threw down matching 22's, while the maddening Courtney Lee (five points) struggled for a second straight game… Kris Humphries followed up a four-steal, five-block gem from Saturday with nine points, seven rebounds and two steals in just 22 minutes… After 14 points and a career-high 14 assists on Saturday, Terrence Williams had a modest but still useful 15-3-4 line with a three.

OKC 116, MIN 108

Thunder: Kevin Durant hit for 40 points or more for the sixth time this season, adding nine rebounds, two threes, a steal and two blocks… Russell Westbrook dropped a career-high 16 assists… The erratic but sometimes compelling Serge Ibaka posted 14 points, nine boards and two blocks in just 23 minutes.

T'Wolves: Jonny Flynn (22-4-5) had his highest scoring output since Jan. 18… Ryan Gomes had 22 points and four threes, but did virtually nothing else… Kevin Love broke his streak of three straight double-doubles with a hollow six points and nine rebounds on 3-for-12 shooting… Darko Milicic didn't play due to a mild concussion, and it's unclear if he'll be available when the T'Wolves play the Warriors on Wednesday.

IND 133, HOU 102

Pacers: Indiana led by 16 at halftime and 26 after three quarters, so garbage time was extensive in this one (hence just 18 points in 22 minutes for Danny Granger and a dynamic 18 and 12 line from Josh McRoberts)… The inconsistent Roy Hibbert dissected the Rockets with 20-11-7 and two blocks.

Rockets: Not a lot of positives to take away from this one from the Rockets' standpoint. Kevin Martin returned from his shoulder injury, but had just three points in 25 minutes… Aaron Brooks followed up a 30-point game on Friday with a quiet 11 and five in limited minutes (limited minutes being a recurring theme for all Houston starters)… The positive Rockets news largely pertains to Kyle Lowry (16-4-3 on Sunday; 17.0 ppg in his last four) and Chase Budinger (17-4-4 on Sunday; 19.3 ppg and 3.0 threes in his last four)… Trevor Ariza shot just 2-for-9 in his return from the flu, but had two threes, four steals and two blocks.

ORL 107, MEM 92

Magic: Dwight Howard got poked in the eye in the third quarter, but returned to the game and finished with eight points, 11 rebounds and five blocks… Vince Carter (26-7-6) cracked the 20-point barrier for the first time since March 18… Mickael Pietrus came in averaging 21.0 ppg in just 21 minutes over his last two games, but underscored his unreliability with a quiet seven points in 22 minutes on Sunday… Jameer Nelson (18-3-5) has averaged a solid 15.5 ppg, 5.5 apg and 1.8 threes in his last four games.

Grizzlies: Zach Randolph bounced back from an off night to post 24 points, 18 rebounds and four steals… Starting center Hasheem Thabeet had zero points, five rebounds and three blocks in 20 minutes, numbers that aren't shocking given his inexperience and matchup with Dwight Howard.

INFIRMARY ROUNDUP (notable injuries not yet discussed elsewhere in this column)

Stephen Jackson (hamstring, ankle, hand, elbow) is questionable for Tuesday.

Joe Johnson (sprained right thumb) was a late scratch for Saturday, but Mike Woodson is hoping he'll be ready for Tuesday.

Jason Richardson (back spasms) told the Arizona Republic that he "couldn't really move" during Saturday's game, during which he went scoreless in 22 minutes. Hopefully the Suns' impressive training staff can wrench his back into shape prior to Phoenix's next game on Wednesday.

James Johnson (foot) sat out Saturday's game, and any potential value has evaporated now that Luol Deng is back and ready for heavy run (12 points, seven rebounds in 38 minutes on Saturday).

Andrei Kirilenko (calf) won't play on Tuesday and his return date remains uncertain. Too risky to start in weekly formats.

Jermaine O'Neal (knee) missed his fourth straight game on Saturday. Also too risky to start.

Andrew Bynum (Achilles) is reportedly not ready to run or jump yet. In other words, he belongs on waivers right now.

Shawn Marion (oblique): Dallas reportedly doesn't think his injury is serious, but he's a risky start in weekly leagues with the Mavs playing just three times.

Chris Andersen (ankle) sat out on Saturday and is being listed as day-to-day after limping off the court against Portland Thursday night.

Antonio McDyess left Sunday's game late with an apparent leg injury. The exact nature of the injury was unclear as of Monday morning.

Rudy Gay (back stiffness) looks like he'll be fine for Tuesday's game against Houston.

Kenyon Martin (knee) reportedly ran and shot around on Saturday, leaving open the possibility that he could return for a few regular season games. However, he belongs on waivers until we hear something more concrete.

Richard Hamilton (ankle) / Jason Maxiell (back) / Ben Wallace (knee): All three sat out for the miserable Pistons on Saturday, and all three represent very risky starts for Week 24 since there's no incentive for them to rush back.

TONIGHT

No games on the schedule, as something called "baseball season" gets underway in North America. Check it out if you have a spare moment.

 

[HacheMan]

The Backup Plan
Now that baseball is officially upon us, I am reminded of a ritual that becomes habit for many fantasy owners over the course of the season.

Some call it "irresponsible." Others deem it "reckless."

I simply call it Spot Starter Roulette.

The rules of the game are somewhat self-explanatory: You pluck a spot starter off waivers, throw him into your lineup and hope that you get a click (solid start) rather than a boom (your ERA and WHIP exploding).

I am reminded of this game because it only took me one day to shatter all discipline and begin playing it in an NL-Only league, where I started Vicente Padilla against the Pirates only to see him get sautéed by Garrett Jones.

If you're finding yourself similarly tempted to play S.S.R. in your baseball leagues right now, don't. It's too early to be annihilating your ERA and WHIP with innings thrown by mediocre pitchers.

However, it is not too early to be streaming spot starters in basketball leagues. In fact, the hour in NBA fantasy leagues is rather late, and with only nine days left on the regular season schedule, the time to steamroll waiver wire options into your lineup is right now.

Here are some options to consider:

(Note: All players listed are owned in less than 20 percent of leagues)

Nicolas Batum (19 percent owned in Yahoo leagues; Next game: @ LAC on Wed.)

A classic boom or bust option, Batum has started 19 straight games, hitting for 20 or more points in five of them (including one 30-point game in late February). However, he's also prone to the single-digit stinker, and has posted 11 of those since joining the starting lineup for good in February. He has also mixed in a small handful of quiet double-digit scoring efforts.

In sum, here's a breakdown of what you might get (based on Batum's 19 consecutive starts between Feb. 23 and April 3):

20-point happiness: 26.3 percent chance (has occurred in five out of 19 starts)

Single-digit stinker: 57.9 percent chance (11 out of 19)

Quite double digits: 15.8 percent chance (three out of 19)

As you can see, the odds point toward getting an ugly single-digit outing from Batum, but this isn't called roulette for nothing. Take a gamble.

Darko Milicic (18 percent owned; vs. GSW on Wed.)

Though recently sidelined by a concussion, Milicic is expected to play against Golden State on Wednesday. Take note of that, because In his last seven games (including an abbreviated 13-minute effort during which he was injured), Darko has averaged 11.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg and 1.9 bpg, and it goes without saying at this point that the Warriors are to fantasy stats as Jolt Cola is to staying up past 3 a.m. when you're 11 years old in the late 1980's.

(Side note: In addition to a great Wednesday matchup, Darko also has the always intriguing revenge game against the Pistons on the final night of the season next Wednesday.)

A reminder: For projections, depth charts, cheat sheets and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

Kyle Lowry (14 percent owned; vs. UTA on Wed.)

I've been touting Lowry for a minute now, so I'll let his numbers (rather than my words) do most of the talking here. In his last four games, Lowry has averaged 17.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.3 spg and 1.5 threes. That's useful.

Chase Budinger (17 percent owned; vs. UTA on Wed.)

I get the feeling that Budinger is due for a stink grenade, but it's hard to ignore the fact that he has averaged 19.3 ppg and 3.0 threes in his last four games. If you need threes, he's well worth using over the final week.

Bill Walker (13 percent owned; @ IND on Wed.)

Walker's last three games: 16.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.3 spg and 3.3 threes. With Tracy McGrady (knee) unable to play hopscotch (let alone suit up for an NBA game), he's a solid source of points, steals and threes right now.

Serge Ibaka (12 percent owned; vs. DEN on Wed.)

A favorite of the Roundball Stew Spot Start Department (R.S.S.S.D), Ibaka has averaged 7.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg and 1.8 bpg over his last nine games. Three of those games have been downright ugly, but three of them have featured three or more blocks. Ibaka is a gamble, no doubt, but it's one that sometimes pays off, as evidenced by his 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks against Minnesota on Sunday.

Ronny Turiaf (10 percent owned; @ MIN on Wed.)

Turiaf is injury-prone and unpredictable (he didn't attempt a single shot in 26 minutes on Sunday), but he's still a very appealing source of blocks. In his last three games, he has averaged 6.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 2.3 bpg. Wednesday's second half of a road back-to-back may not be the best time to deploy him, but since the very premise of this column is that we're all looking to gamble… why not?

Shaun Livingston (7 percent owned; @ ORL on Wed.)

Last three games: 15.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.3 apg. I'm a little wary of starting him for Night Two of a back-to-back on the road in Orlando, but Livingston posted 18-3-8 on 8-for-10 shooting on the second half of a road back-to-back in New Orleans last week. And in case you already have him on your roster as of this column's publication date (Tuesday), make sure you have him active for the matchup with the Warriors.

Sonny Weems (4 percent owned; vs. BOS on Wed.)

The Raptors' starting SG shot a disappointing 2-for-11 (for four points) against the Warriors on Sunday, but still managed five rebounds, three steals and a block on an off night. Despite that slight dud, Weems has averaged 13.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.3 spg and 1.0 bpg in his last three games. The only real downside is that he won't attempt or hit many threes (just 2-for-14 on the season).

Maurice Evans

It has been a quiet season for the Hawks swingman, but with Joe Johnson (thumb) ruled out for Tuesday and Wednesday, Evans gets a chance to start. This is important because in three starts this season, he has averaged 16.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg and 2.7 threes.

Expanding that sample size a little bit more, Evans has played 25 or more minutes seven times this season, and in those games he has averaged 10.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.9 threes. Those numbers aren't wildly exciting, but he's capable of doing more with a starting role and has a thought-provoking matchup against his former team (the Pistons) on Wednesday.

Kurt Thomas

Say hello to the new starting center in Milwaukee (though come to think of it, that should probably be a "Good day, sir" given Thomas' age). But don't be frightened by his seniority – though not particularly dynamic, the second-oldest player in the league (behind only Shaq) is still capable of posting useful stats at age 37. Thomas had 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 31 minutes on Saturday (the day Bogut was injured), and in the six games in which he has received 25 or more minutes this season, Thomas has posted 6.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.0 spg and 1.8 bpg.

Since I'm certain that you're dying to know, we shall end today's column with a list, compiled by the Roundball Stew Research Department (R.S.R.D.). They have been working very hard while surviving primarily on Jolt Cola over the course of the season, and it's high time they received some recognition. So without further ado, here are

THE 10 OLDEST PLAYERS IN THE NBA

1. Shaquille O'Neal (38, DOB: 3/6/72)
2. Kurt Thomas (37, DOB: 10/4/72)
3. Grant Hill (37, DOB: 10/5/72)
4. Kevin Ollie (37, DOB: 12/27/72)
5. Juwan Howard (37, DOB: 2/7/73)
6. Michael Finley (37, DOB: 3/6/73)
7. Jason Kidd (37, DOB: 3/23/73)
8. Theo Ratliff (36, DOB: 4/17/73)
9. Steve Nash (36, DOB: 2/7/74)
10. Marcus Camby (36, DOB: 3/22/74)

For the record, I am fully aware that Shaq and Finley (and Howard and Nash) have the same birthdays, that Thomas and Hill were born one day apart and that Kidd and Camby have birthdays within one day of one another (in separate years). The R.S.R.D. is in the process of determining what this all means, and rest assured, they will not sleep a wink until they have sent along a definitive answer.

 

[HacheMan]

Championship Week
Welcome to Week 24 of the NBA fantasy season, folks. On Monday the NBA took the day off and hopefully you got the opportunity to see the thrilling NCAA championship game in which Butler's Gordon Hayward came oh-so close to banking in a last-second half-court shot that would have sealed his place in basketball history. The Dukeys held off Butler by the score of 61-59, snapping the Bulldogs' 25-game winning streak and ending their Cinderella story in the process. For me, I don't know what was more disheartening – watching Coach K talk (read: pontificate) about not expecting to win an NCAA title on the podium or watching Jennifer Hudson completely butcher One Shining Moment. When I want a montage, I want the soothing tones that only one Luther Vandross can provide, and I don't want to see more of Hudson than I do of the clips. In a word, FAIL.

So you don't FAIL, let's get right into Week 24's action that is stuffed with everything we hate about late-season fantasy business – players that are shutting it down, beat down, or sitting down in anticipation of the playoffs. Dr. A is off today and hopefully dancing in a conga line somewhere sunny enough where fruity drinks are permitted and I'll be your guide for Decision Day, as many leagues' lineup deadlines have yet to pass.

And remember you can follow me on Twitter, where I try to keep up with Doctor A, Stroup, Levitan, and the rest of America.

[SIZE=+1]Don't Bury The Lead[/SIZE]

Ellis Island

In Golden State, Monta Ellis has gone into the FBI's Witness Protection program and apparently can't procure the results of a blood test taken Friday in less than four days, and four is coincidentally the number of games he has missed due to the flu. As for the news coming out of Oakland, there isn't much, and damning enough nobody seems to care. Not Nellie, not his teammates, not the beat writers, nor Ellis himself, and I feel strangely validated by all this as I felt he would shut himself down early – but after he returned on Mar. 8 from a back injury there was no real evidence to act upon. He is ruled out for at least two games, but we'd be shocked if something more substantial regarding his status isn't released sooner or later – and the news probably won't be good. Owners in weekly leagues should drop him, although daily league owners should wait to see if he doesn't miraculously return for Saturday's game.

Why take a two when it feels so good to take a three?

The Cavaliers clinched home-court advantage throughout the playoffs by virtue of the Lakers' loss to the Spurs on Sunday, and his Highness has already said he wants some rest in the Cavs' last five games. What that means is anybody's guess, and many of you (myself included) are rightfully concerned about what to do. Here's the answer: you play him. It's that simple. Even in a three-game week, he could have one game that justifies the decision, and you'll probably jump off a cliff if he goes ballistic.

Fear the Deer

Andrew Bogut's injury sent reverberations around the NBA, and severely damaged the Bucks' chances of going deep into the playoffs. Kurt Thomas will get the starting nod going forward, and has low double-double potential, but the real winner here is Ersan Ilyasova. He has averaged 25 minutes, 13.0 points, 6.75 rebounds, and 1.0 treys in his last four games, which isn't moving the needle much in fantasy leagues, but his role will undoubtedly increase for the rest of the year. With four games this week and the Bucks motivated to develop new team chemistry, he should be deployed in deeper leagues, and deserves a look in normal-sized leagues. The other more-difficult issue to gauge will be how the team's play changes with Bogut out. They've discussed playing Ilyasova at center in a small lineup, which might lead to more possessions and better fantasy numbers for all, with everybody getting a slight bump in value as they pick up the slack.

And a final note on Bogut's injury – look for other playoff-bound teams to get real conservative, real quick now that the seeds of fear have been planted, in gruesome fashion no less.

[SIZE=+1]Injury Headlines[/SIZE]

Stephen Jackson is dealing with a number of ailments including a sore ankle, a sore hand, and a sore elbow, but the one that is holding him back is his hamstring. He said Monday that he wants to play in Tuesday's game, but ultimately the call will be Larry Brown's. Friday's overtime loss in which he played 41 minutes and scored 32 points led to Saturday's eight-point, 25-minute letdown, and Brown will have to balance playoff positioning and off-chance the Raps and Bulls catch up to their two and three-game leads, respectively. And while the Bobcats play four games this week, they have two sets of back-to-backs – a worst-case scenario for Jackson's owners. Owners in weekly leagues probably don't have much choice but to start him and hope for the best, although if a report emerges late Tuesday before weekly lineup deadlines that he'll get a night off, that decision becomes exponentially more difficult.

We learned Sunday that George Hill, who strained a tendon in his ankle that day against the Lakers, would miss the final two games on the Spurs' road trip. What we learned Monday was that when the Spurs return home that he will undergo another evaluation, and could possibly miss more time. This leaves the Spurs in a quandary that appears to be solved by the suddenly unstoppable Manu Ginobili running the point. There are a couple of problems with that. First, he holds the keys to the Spurs' playoff chances – and they might as well not show up if the grinding that comes with running the point wears him down to the point of injury. Second, the Spurs boast just seldom-used Garrett Temple, Roger Mason Jr., and Keith Bogans to fill the void left by Hill.

With this news Ginobili's already booming fantasy value gets a gratuitous bump, and in a bit of wild speculation I'm watching for Tony Parker's timetable to get accelerated. In every interview he's done he has said he feels good, but that Pop won't let him play. He's set to be evaluated along with Hill when the Spurs return Wednesday from their road trip, and owners in daily leagues should be ready to swoop should my bit of reckless speculation pan out. As for the rest of the rag-tag crew, I'm not holding my breath on any of them.

Joe Johnson has been ruled out for both Tuesday and Wednesday due to a thumb injury, which is clearly a blow to owners in this all-important week. That leaves him two games to do damage with, and that's assuming Woody doesn't plant him down for anymore games. Using him in a weekly league would be a calculated risk over a lesser-producing player with three games, and being one-game ahead of Boston for the No. 3 seed they certainly have incentive to bring him back, but a pair of Hawks' wins and Celtics' losses would put them up by three games with four to play come Friday – and in theory could buy Johnson another devastating game on the bench. In his place, Mo Evans will start and his 16-point, six-rebound, and 31-minute average in three starts suddenly becomes a risky alternative in deeper leagues. The big winner, though, will be Jamal Crawford who will be relied upon to fill the void if the Hawks stand any chance of winning with JJ out.


[SIZE=+1]Championship Week Lineup Decisions[/SIZE]

As mentioned, this time of year is brutal for fantasy owners. Keeping tabs on all the various agendas, motivations, health-issues, and the like is a maddening task, and it's done with all the marbles on the line, no less. Here we go:

The Sixers have four games in five days this week, and that could lead to a more even distribution of minutes among players, and those with injury concerns could be particularly susceptible. Andre Iguodala has played admirably through a bout with plantar fasciitis, and is expected to play Tuesday and despite the risk he should be in lineups this week.

Lou Williams (back) returned on Saturday with 12 points and five assists, and appears to have turned the corner but owners should use him with due caution. Jrue Holiday was unaffected by Sweet Lou's return, and had 25 points and seven assists, and may be the safest of all of the Sixers this week.

Baron Davis (back) returned to action Sunday and nearly triple-doubled, and owners have no choice but to run him out there with just three games this week, as his upside is too much to ignore. Of larger concern should be Chris Kaman, who treated owners with a 22-point, 16-rebound line Sunday, but has seen his minutes come and go recently. It's entirely possible that the Clippers decide to give DeAndre Jordan developmental minutes, who has enough upside to be used in deeper leagues but remains a risky play nonetheless.

In New York Toney Douglas looked poised to take the keys to the Knicks' offense two weeks ago, but has seen his playing time trend downward and his production has followed. Complicating matters is the fact that Chris Duhon has come out of nowhere to get playing time, and Spanish Duhon is still in the mix as well. Douglas is the only one worth worrying about in Championship Week, and with four games he is worth a start but carries an equal amount of risk and upside. Weigh your options carefully with him.

Al Harrington (ankle) returned to action against the Warriors and old nemesis Nellie on Friday, but revenge was not in the cards as he scored just nine points, but did turn it around against the Clippers on Sunday with 26 points. The shutdown we all feared was lurking could still be around the corner, but at this time there is no evidence that it's going to happen and based on that he will be hard to bench this week. Bill Walker is also worth a look in deeper leagues, as he has hit three 3-pointers per game over his last five games and appears to be a fixture at shooting guard. It helps that Tracy McGrady (knee) is on his ninth life in New York, and I hope this is the last time I have to write about him this year. His journey this year has been one of annoyance for anybody who covers basketball.
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The Wolves have just three games this week, and are a mess from a fantasy standpoint outside of Al Jefferson. Kevin Love stung owners with a six-point, nine-rebound outing on Sunday, but probably deserves a start as he has shown resiliency all year long. Jonny Flynn and Corey Brewer both bombed on Saturday only to bounce back on Sunday, and Ryan Gomes scored 22 points on Sunday, but none of them are must-starts. I rank them as follows: Flynn, Brewer, and Gomes a distant third.

In Washington Al Thornton's hip injury has opened time for Nick Young, and guaranteed Mike Miller all he can eat on the basketball court, who is a solid option in any format right now. Young has a major knucklehead factor working against him, and even with four games he's probably not worth using outside of deep leagues in which owners need a scorer, especially with Thornton's return a question mark at this point.

Shaun Livingston is everybody's favorite son and flashed a 16-point, eight-assist line Sunday, and is suddenly relevant in more than just really deep leagues. He has played no less than 37 minutes in his last three games, and believe it or not owners should have no problem using him as an injury replacement in normal-sized leagues.

The New Jersey Nets all of a sudden got hot winning four of their last six games. Devin Harris has been hit or miss the last two weeks, and while he claims his back is fine it caused him to exit early on Wednesday. With just three games this week the oft-injured point guard has looked good enough in his last three games to be worth a roll of the dice, despite his ever-present shutdown risk.

The guy that may be on more owners' minds, however, is Terrence Williams who has really turned it on lately. Coming off the bench is doing him no favors by capping his upside, but one can't argue with his numbers and the Nets have every incentive to let him make plays.

Nellie finally tied Lenny Wilkins' for the most career coaching wins (1,332), and for the first time since the Warriors' historic playoff run in 2007 he looked genuinely happy on the court and his players were genuinely happy for him. They have six more games to take the record (and four this week), and a letdown if/when they get their next win wouldn't be surprising. With Monta Ellis (flu) out, Anthony Morrow has been the flavor of the week and has scored 21, 35, and 25 points in his last three games. It's normal to feel that the week that you start Morrow will be the week that C.J. Watson goes off instead, but Morrow is playing too well to bench right now, and you'll just have to live with it if the winds of change, well, change.

Speaking of Watson, he has been getting significant minutes but hasn't been able to turn them into meaningful production, but in deeper leagues he's worth a look because we know that could change at any time. D-League demons Reggie Williams and Anthony Tolliver still disappear from time-to-time, but are gobbling up minutes at a break-neck pace and you don't want to see them on the other side of the lineup card. Corey Maggette has surprisingly played in all but two games since the start of March despite a number of nagging ailments, but after 31 points on Sunday it's all but impossible to bench him. Just try to ignore the voice in your head predicting his shutdown.

The Rockets saw Kevin Martin (shoulder), Trevor Ariza (flu), and Jared Jeffries (Achilles) all return to action Sunday, and the end result was a blowout loss to the suddenly hot Pacers. The biggest loser of this development was Chase "Albino Air" Budinger, who is averaging 19 points and three 3-pointers in his last four games. I'm afraid that the blowout nature of this game combined with substandard play out of Martin and Ariza (among others) masked the hit in value he will undoubtedly take when the starters get their minutes back. I'm not ready to downgrade Budinger completely, especially with four games this week, but I'm finding him out of my lineup more than he is in my lineup.

As for Martin, he said he was fine after Sunday's three-point outing, and as much as it pains me I'll be rolling the dice with him. It would have been nicer if he wasn't struggling to put his T-shirt on when he made the comments, but one gets the sense that if was going to shut it down he would have done it already. Ariza, on the other hand, has been struggling before and after missing Friday's game with the flu. He has enough upside to be given a start by virtue of his four games, but I don't have a problem taking a chance on another player, either.

Speaking of burying the lead, Beno Udrih has been on FIRE with Tyreke Evans out, and after an off-night in Reke's return Wednesday, he got back to work Saturday with a 22-7-6-3-1 line. Working against him is the fact that the Kings will be dead set on Tyreke achieving the 20-5-5 mark (team officials' email signatures go as far as to display graphics advertising the chase), and the Kings play just three games this week. It would have been nicer to see Beno do his damage on a night that Evans, who had his lowest scoring night in two months, also did well, but his upside is great enough that I'll take the chance that he fizzles out on me.

And in case you haven't heard, Jason Thompson is set to get as much run as he can handle with Spencer Hawes (knee) out for the year, and he should be in most lineups this week.

In Charlotte, the guy to keep an eye on is Boris Diaw. Should Stephen Jackson miss any time with his bad hammy, Diaw could see a nice uptick similar to the 18 points, seven boards, and six assists he had when Jackson left the game early on Saturday.

The Bulls are fighting for their playoff lives, all but assuring them of a solid effort by their fantasy-worthy guys during their four-game week, which wraps up on Sunday when they face off with the Raptors whom they trail by 1.5 games for the No. 8 seed in the East.

Luol Deng (calf) returned to play 66 minutes on Friday and Saturday, and despite being sore he survived it and looked effective in the process. He should be in most lineups given the aforementioned circumstances, even if he is playing his way back into shape at the same time. For that matter, Joakim Noah's situation is virtually the same, and now that he is starting and producing he should be in most lineups, as well.

James Johnson sounds like he's going to keep playing through his plantar fasciitis, but with Deng back in the fold he isn't worth using anymore. Somewhere between these two extremes lies Taj Gibson, whose value would theoretically drop with the return of Deng and Noah, but he doesn't want to go away and he might not.

The Mavericks have faltered lately and most notably, Caron Butler has gone from an effective option to an inconsistent option, and last week he was a losing option. Complicating matters is the Mavs' three-game week, and the reprieve owners were hoping for in the form of a potential Shawn Marion (oblique) injury doesn't appear to be serious. I have the dubious distinction of owning Butler in a number of leagues, and I'll be taking a good, hard look at benching him.

As mentioned at the top of the article, there are a few positives that can come out of Andrew Bogut's season-ending injury, which may push a guy like Brandon Jennings into your lineup. It also doesn't hurt that they have four games this week. Jennings has been all over the map lately, and while the minutes and shooting percentage sometimes fail him, he has played well enough for the Bucks in recent weeks that he should be in many lineups this week.

The Suns are a mess right now starting with Steve Nash, who is simply too good to bench despite sizeable risk heading into prime DNP/limited-minute territory, and to top it off they have just three-games this week. Then there's Jason Richardson who appeared to have turned the corner in early March, began sputtering mid-way through, and came to a virtual halt with a zero-point outing Saturday in which he said he could hardly move due to back stiffness. Their next game is Wednesday, which bodes well for both his and Nash's health, but Richardson is far from a must-start right now and owners should be actively looking at other options.

Dwyane Wade is in beast-mode right now and the Heat are winning, but he's the only sure thing in Miami. Michael Beasley is a mental and physical mess right now, and with just three games this week he's a huge risk, and with just two games with more than 20 points in the last month the upside isn't even there to help justify it. If you're looking for a consistent double-double, consider Udonis Haslem who has posted some hefty ones lately and is the yin to Beasley's yang.

Jermaine O'Neal (knee) is trying to return Wednesday, however, and while he's not advisable for use in weekly leagues unless a report emerges with him playing, his return could put a damper on Haslem's parade.

In New Orleans the talk of the fantasy world has been about Chris Paul, Darren Collison, and Marcus Thornton. It's safe to rely on Paul now, even if he has yet to have a breakout game, since his minutes are right up around 35-40 per game. As for Collison, he has settled into about 25 minutes per game and is a rough start in the Hornets' three-game week, as he has averaged in the ballpark of 15 points and three assists in the three games prior to the Hornets' blowout loss to the Nets on Saturday. He has upside, but his performance in each of those three games was virtually identical, leading me to believe that's where could settle in.

Marcus Thornton hasn't had any "wow" games lately, but he is getting heavy minutes and has been hanging around 20 points and five rebounds pretty consistently, and should be in lineups this week.

Richard Hamilton (ankle) is a game-time decision Tuesday and there's no telling if he'll start or come off the bench – if he even plays. The good news is that the Pistons have four games, but any way you slice it Rip is a high-risk guy, although he does present some upside.

Tayshaun Prince and Jonas Jerebko are decent bets to keep their minutes, although if coach John Kuester decides it's time to play the rookies extensively then all bets are off. As for the center position in Detroit, it's to be avoided with Big Ben and Jason Maxiell set to return seemingly soon, and needless to say Kwame Brown is not an option.

The Lakers are a team that is easy to project right now, and they check into Championship Week with three games. Kobe Bryant has been ice-cold shooting the ball, hitting just 13-of-47 shots from the field over his last two games, and after Sunday's loss to the Spurs it's almost cliché to say that you can feel the market correction coming.

Andrew Bynum had another MRI Sunday that revealed no tears in his Achilles' tendon, but there's still no timetable for his return, and as expected he's mostly done for fantasy purposes this year. However, his absence has a much larger impact in making Pau Gasol a top fantasy play, and Lamar Odom a breakout waiting to happen.

 

[HacheMan]

Durantula's Manifesto
After a No Games Scheduled on Monday, the last full week of the NBA regular season got underway Tuesday night with a nine-pack of games. Here's a look at the headlines:

DOWN GOES BOSH

Chris Bosh was hospitalized after being elbowed in the face, reportedly sustaining a fractured nose and jaw in the process. Obviously this does not sound good at all for Bosh's chances of playing again this season, and there's no timetable for his return to Toronto. I might wait for a slightly more definitive update before dropping him, but it it's hard to think he's not done for the season.

In terms of fantasy impact, the move to make is adding Amir Johnson, who had 16 points and 10 rebounds on Tuesday and has shown plenty of potential in his limited playing time. On the four occasions he has received 25 or more minutes in a game in 2009-10, Johnson has averaged 12.8 ppg and 8.8 rpg, and though he hasn't blocked any shots in those games, he has averaged a promising 0.8 blocks in just 17 minutes per game on the season.

A reminder: For projections, depth charts, cheat sheets and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

SHUTDOWN? NOT YET

So far, so good if you started your Cavs this week. Despite looming concerns of DNP's, LeBron James (19-6-13), Mo Williams (14 and 12) and Antawn Jamison (20 points) were all productive on Monday. It remains very possible (even likely) that each will miss a game or two before it's over, but if you were hoping for three games this week, you're one third of the way there.

PASS THE 40

Kevin Durant and Deron Williams had a classic tete-a-tete on Tuesday, with Williams going for 42 and 10 (on 14-for-23 shooting) while Durant countered with one of the year's best lines: 45 points (13-for-29 from the field, 12-for-12 from the line), seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, two blocks and a career-high seven threes. Yahtzee. He also appeared to get fouled on a last-second three-point attempt as the Thunder lost by one, which is a rotten way to end a rather awesome night.

Overall, this game was a complete statistical jamboree, with Russell Westbrook (27-5-9) and Jeff Green (20-7-3 with two steals, two blocks, two threes) posting big lines as well, and no Utah starter scoring less than the 14 tallied by Wesley Matthews (who added four rebounds, four assists, two threes and three steals). Meanwhile, Carlos Boozer (28-15-5) has six straight 20-plus point double-doubles.

THE GOLDEN TICKET

Let's see… JaVale McGee throws down career-highs of 25 points and 15 rebounds (with three blocks), Nick Young uncorks a season-high 29 (with five threes) and Shaun Livingston ties his career-high with 21 points (adding five rebounds and eight assists). Thank you, Warriors D.

As for fantasy impact of this defenseless outing, I would first and foremost ignore Young (who had averaged a hollow 13.0 ppg, 0.0 rpg and 0.5 apg in his previous two). I would then remind myself that McGee, while promising, now faces three much tougher matchups in Orlando, Boston and Atlanta. And I would happily add Livingston, who has averaged 16.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg and 6.8 apg in his last four (though he has no steals and no threes during that run).

The notable Warriors news, in brief summary form: Stephen Curry hurt his shoulder early, but played through it to score 27 points… Anthony Morrow came off the bench, but remained productive with 17 points, seven rebounds and two threes… Reggie Williams scored 18 points with an unexpected defensive contribution of two steals and two blocks… Anthony Tolliver rejoined the starting five and shot just 3-for-13, but still posted a 10-6-4 line with a three, a steal and two blocks.

BACKCOURT, M.I.A.

The Hawks were without their starting backcourt on Tuesday, as Joe Johnson (thumb) and Mike Bibby (ingrown toenail) sat out. Maurice Evans had 20 points, four rebounds and four threes as the starting SG, and Jeff Teague had nine points and six assists as the starting PG. Evans is obviously the better fantasy option, and is worth starting on Wednesday in what could be the last game that Johnson misses.

The Hawks lost Tuesday's game to the Bobcats, who got 28 points (and not much else) from Gerald Wallace, who has reportedly been dealing with shoulder trouble. Boris Diaw nearly had a triple-double (17-9-9) against his former team, and Stephen Jackson continued to gut out his various injuries, finishing with a 15-4-4 line (including two threes and two blocks). Meanwhile, Tyrus Thomas (eight points in 12 minutes) could miss time after suffering a dislocated thumb.

THE EARL OF NY

You know we are officially getting to the strange portion of the regular season when Earl Barron starts at center for the Knicks and goes for 17 and 18 (in 44 minutes) in a win over the Celtics. Obviously it's time to add Barron in fantasy leagues – just don't expect much outside of points and rebounds. (Side note: Emerging in April is kind of becoming Barron's thing. In his final six games for the Heat last year, the 28-year-old averaged 14.8 ppg and 5.3 rpg.)

Also of note for the Knicks: Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 31 despite only hitting one three, Bill Walker had an off night against his former team (10 points on 2-for-10 shooting) and the PG situation continues to be an absolute mess. Chris Duhon started again and posted a 5-4-8 line in 34 minutes, while Toney Douglas (10 points, four assists in 29 minutes) and Sergio Rodriguez (14 points in 18 minutes) were both marginally in the picture. I still like Douglas the best out of the three, but it's tough to start any of them at the moment.

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PISTONS, OPERATIONAL

Detroit has been a real-life and fantasy mess this season, but all five Pistons starters were productive on Tuesday. Rodney Stuckey scored 24, Tayshaun Prince had 14-7-4, Jonas Jerebko went 11-5-4, Will Bynum went for 10 and six and Ben Wallace scored 18, his most since the 2006-07 season. Even Charlie Villanueva overcame some recent team-related turmoil to score 25, his most since Dec. 10 (personally I'm tempering enthusiasm until I see him produce again).

Much of the credit for Detroit's season-high 124 points has to go to the wretched Sixers, whose irksome leader (Eddie Jordan) randomly decided to limit Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand to 13 minutes each while giving extended run to the likes of Jason Kapono (nine points, six assists in 38 minutes), Marreese Speights (21 points, six rebounds in 32 minutes) and Jodie Meeks (19-4-3 in 29 minutes).

You'll forgive me if I'm not running to pick up any of those Sixers, as Jordan simply can't be trusted to do anything rational or consistent with his rotation. I would expect to see Dalembert and Brand come out motivated on Wednesday, but the fact that the Sixers are playing a second straight night on the road in Miami doesn't help. I can understand gambling that Dalembert and Brand will bounce back, but in large part the only Sixers who are 100 percent trustworthy at this point are Jrue Holiday (11 points, nine assists on Wednesday) and Andre Iguodala (who had an off night himself on Tuesday, going for 12 points, three rebounds and five assists).

DEADBALL ERA

The Bucks and Bulls collectively put together an absolute stinker, with Milwaukee winning 79-74 (and clinching a playoff berth in the process). The only Milwaukee players who salvaged solid lines were John Salmons (26 points), Ersan Ilyasova (17 points, seven rebounds, one three, one block) and starting center Kurt Thomas, who had four points, 14 boards and a block.

Obviously there's not a lot of positives to take away from the Bulls side when they scored just 74, but Luol Deng (16 and 10), Joakim Noah (8-11-4 with a steal and two blocks) and Derrick Rose (12-5-11) managed to carve out some semblance of respectability in an otherwise ghastly encounter.

K-MART RE-OPENS

The big headline for the Rockets pertained to one Kevin Martin, who shook off a recent bout with brittleness and ineptitude to post 29 points with three threes and three steals. The other piece of news for the Rockets pertains to Jared Jeffries, who played a productive 28 minutes (12 points, 10 rebounds, four blocks) in just his second game since March 22. With Martin and Jeffries playing well, Chase Budinger (five points, five rebounds in 14 minutes) and Kyle Lowry (four points, three assists in 15 minutes) both suffered considerably after playing very well of late. Both should bounce back, but I can sympathize with cutting them loose.

For the Grizz (which lost to Houston by 10), Rudy Gay showed no sign of back trouble en route to 20 and eight, and Sam Young posted 16 points with four blocks, but remains too inconsistent to trust. Speaking of which, Hasheem Thabeet will get you blocks, but is otherwise tough to rely on (four points, four rebounds, one block on Tuesday). O.J. Mayo (four points) failed to hit double digits for just the 10th time all season.

TONY'S BACK (SORT OF)

Tony Parker returned to action on Tuesday, but not shockingly had just eight points in 17 minutes as he works his way back into game shape. He could be of use in daily leagues at some point this week, but I still don't think he's a great play against Phoenix on Wednesday. As for Garrett Temple (who got the start at PG on Tuesday and posted a 15-3-4 line), we have just witnessed what could be his one and only useful outing of the season.

INFIRMARY REPORT (injury notes not mentioned above)

Jermaine O'Neal (knee) is expected to play on Wednesday.

Al Harrington (ankle) sat out Tuesday's game and his status for Wednesday is unclear.

Tracy McGrady (knee) is listed as questionable for Wednesday, but don't get your hopes up.

Chauncey Billups (quad) is probable for Wednesday.

Chris Andersen (ankle) is a game-time call for Wednesday.

Darko Milicic (concussion) is expected to play on Wednesday.

Ronny Turiaf (flu) sat out on Tuesday, and his status for Wednesday is unclear. Given Monta Ellis' lengthy flu-related absence, I'm not optimistic.

Jason Maxiell (back) didn't play Tuesday and is iffy for Wednesday.

Richard Hamilton (ankle) missed Tuesday's game, but has a chance to return on Wednesday.

Antoine Wright (ankle) left Tuesday's game and did not return.

Thaddeus Young (thumb) wants to return, but appears more likely to be shut down by Capt. Buzzkill, Eddie Jordan.

Delonte West (back spasms) sat out for precautionary reasons on Tuesday.

Zaza Pachulia (hip) sat out the second half on Tuesday, which means even more minutes for Al Horford if Zaza misses additional time.

 

[HacheMan]

Guess Who's Back
A brimming cauldron of 13 games boiled over on Wednesday night, and as a means of bringing meaning to the overflowing box scores, here's a team-by-team look at takeaways from Wednesday night:

WARRIORS: Stephen Curry threw down a sizzling 29-8-14 line with seven steals and three treys on the night that Don Nelson set the NBA record for career coaching wins. What a beast. (I'll let you figure out if I'm talking about Nelson or Curry.)… And speaking of eruptions, Anthony Tolliver broke out for a career-high 34… Corey Maggette got just 17 minutes (no report of an injury as of Thurs. AM), and Ronny Turiaf returned from the flu, but was quiet.

And in Monta Ellis flu news, Warriors beat writer Marcus Thompson cited Nellie as saying that he wants Monta back before the season is over, "But only if he feels better" (as Thompson wrote). The status quo remains the same in that nothing is guaranteed, but at least there remains an opening for Monta to make a return sometime in the Warriors' remaining four games.

A reminder: For projections, depth charts, cheat sheets and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

RAPTORS: Chris Bosh (nasal fracture) is all but finished for the regular season. Hedo Turkoglu stepped into his starting role on Wednesday and promptly received a nasal contusion of his own, which sent him to the hospital for a CT scan. The good news is it's reportedly only a bruise, but Turkoglu's nightmare season continues… Amir Johnson was supposed to thrive in Bosh's absence, but struggled through foul trouble and an apparent leg injury en route to four points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block… Meanwhile, Sonny Weems (21-5-3) and Antoine Wright (17 points, seven boards, two threes) are both worth owning unless your league is extremely shallow.

HORNETS: The other massive injury news from Wednesday was the season-ending ligament tear that finished Chris Paul's season. Paul is not expected to need surgery, but Darren Collison, starting edition is back for an encore – he had 24 points, five rebounds and nine assists on Wednesday… Marcus Thornton dropped 36 points and one absolutely vicious hammer on Gerald Wallace (more on Wallace in a minute).

CAVS: No, they didn't play on Wednesday, but here is your Cavs shutdown update: According to beat writer Brian Windhorst, LeBron & Co. are expected to play on Thursday, but there could be a "wave of inactives" for Friday (including LeBron). Be prepared.

KNICKS: Tracy McGrady is back, but Tracy McGrady is not back (four points, six assists on 2-for-12 shooting)… Waiver wire sensation Earl Barron went for 15, nine and a block… Toney Douglas came off the bench for 20 points and four threes, and Bill Walker was productive off the bench with 15 points, six boards, three treys, a steal and a block.

SPURS: On the same day that he signed a three-year extension, Manu Ginobili was off target with 10 points on 5-for-14 shooting, his lowest point total since March 12… Altogether it was a pretty ugly night for the Spurs (who were led by a random 18 points from Roger Mason Jr.), but at least Tony Parker took a step back toward fantasy relevance with 10 points and five assists in 25 minutes.

SIXERS: Samuel Dalembert (19 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks) responded positively to Eddie Jordan's motivational stifling of his minutes on Tuesday. Elton Brand (a paltry six and three in 35 minutes) did not. Almost surreal to see Brand looking so bad at age 31… Lou Williams got the most minutes off the Sixers bench (26), and posted a 12-4-4 line with two steals and two threes. Sweet Lou has hit for exactly 12 in each of his last three games.

T'WOLVES: Al Jefferson was a late scratch for personal reasons, infuriatingly missing out on a Golden State field day. Kevin Love joined the starting five and posted 17 and 18 in his absence… Darko Milicic returned from his concussion to drop a 16-7-4 line with two steals and a block, while Jonny Flynn had his second straight strong game with 18 points and eight assists.

PISTONS: Detroit snuck out a win against the scuffling, Joe Johnson-less Hawks, led by an unexpected 22 points, seven assists, three steals and three treys from bust-of-the-year candidate Ben Gordon. Gordon's point totals in his last four games: 21, 0, 13, 22… Rodney Stuckey left early due to a rib injury, and his status was unclear as of Thursday morning… With no Richard Hamilton (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (personal), Austin Daye had 13 points, 10 rebounds, a steal, a three and three blocks.

BOBCATS: The good news: Stephen Jackson dropped 29 points and Tyson Chandler got his starting job back from Theo Ratliff (absent for personal reasons), posting 16 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks against his former team. The bad news: Charlotte clinched a playoff berth, which could mean rest for the dinged-up Jackson, and for Gerald Wallace, who had a hollow eight points and six rebounds while dealing with lingering shoulder trouble… Tyrus Thomas (thumb) didn't play on Wednesday, and Larry Brown told the Charlotte Observer that he could be "out a while."

ROCKETS: Aaron Brooks and the rejuvenated Kevin Martin posted matching 28's, and Luis Scola added 24 as the trio accounted for 80 of Houston's 113 points on the night… Kyle Lowry and Chase Budinger were quiet again, but Lowry did play 30 minutes and should get back on track soon… Trevor Ariza has averaged just 8.7 ppg in his last three games… Chuck Hayes had six points and a random 18 rebounds, but still remains on waivers outside of deeper leagues.

WIZARDS: The Wizards got crushed on the second night of a back-to-back in Orlando, and there aren't many positives to take away aside from a 16-9-5 line from Mike Miller and 21 points from the momentarily locked-in Nick Young… Andray Blatche (13 points, 5-for-19) has shot a wretched 34.2 percent (25-for-73) over his last four games.

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HEAT: Jermaine O'Neal (knee) returned to action, but was off target with four points and nine rebounds on 2-for-10 shooting… Michael Beasley had been playing well of late, but did a vintage disappearing act with four points on 2-for-9 shooting in 16 minutes (no word of an injury as of Thursday morning)… Deep league alert: Dorell Wright (19 points, four threes) has averaged 12.5 ppg and 2.8 threes in his last four games.

JAZZ: Utah trailed by 19 after three quarters playing the second night of a back-to-back, so it's not worth reading too much into off nights for Jazz starters. And I wouldn't quite give up on Wesley Matthews, who came in averaging 14.5 ppg, 2.0 spg and 2.0 threes in his last four games, but came up with a major whammy on Wednesday (zero points on 0-for-5 shooting in 27 minutes)… In positive news, Paul Millsap took advantage of the game's lopsided nature and threw down a formidable 13-11-3 with four steals and four blocks, a line that is commonly known as a "13-11-3-4-4."

On the Jazz injury front, Mehmet Okur (Achilles tendinitis) reportedly left the arena in a walking boot and is being called a game-time decision for Friday… Not surprisingly, Andrei Kirilenko (calf) is being called doubtful for Friday.

NUGGETS: Chauncey Billups dismissed quad issues and unleashed 31 points, his most since Feb. 25… Backcourt sidekick Arron Afflalo scored 17, his highest total since Jan. 25… J.R. Smith was off shooting (4-for-13, 0-for-5 on threes), but decided to muscle up on defense with four steals and two blocks… Chris Andersen (ankle) missed his second consecutive games.

BUCKS: Carlos Delfino posted a disappointing seven points on 2-for-9 shooting, but the Bucks won by 19 over the Nets and didn't need their starters to play extended run… Kurt Thomas (12-10-3 with two steals and a block) quietly continues to look like a very nice waiver wire add… Ditto Ersan Ilyasova (15 points, nine rebounds, a three and a block)… Jerry Stackhouse broke out with 18 points, two threes and two blocks, but it was just his fifth double-digit scoring effort in the last five weeks.

GRIZZLIES: The Grizzlies ultimately lost by 26, but only trailed by 12 entering the fourth quarter, so Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph got enough minutes to produce… Hasheem Thabeet was serviceable with nine points, seven rebounds and a block, but remains a very risky option… O.J. Mayo had another quiet night with 11 points and four rebounds, but should get it going soon.

THUNDER: One night after the three-point foul that wasn't, Kevin Durant dropped 33 points (with 11 rebounds, four assists, a steal and three blocks) in a losing effort to the Nuggets… Nick Collison had a nice line with 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, but remains too inconsistent to trust.

SUNS: Amare Stoudemire (29 points) and Grant Hill (17-8-4) both had nice nights, but the big takeaway here pertains to Jason Richardson, who went scoreless in his last game on Saturday due to back spasms, but scored 20 in Wednesday's win over the Spurs.

</U>MAGIC:</U> An easy win for the Magic meant that no starter played more than the 29 minutes given to Dwight Howard, who led the team with 17 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks… Vince Carter played despite toe trouble, but didn't need to do much and finished with 10 points and three assists in 22 minutes.

MAVS: DeShawn Stevenson got the start in place of Shawn Marion (oblique; return date uncertain), but did almost nothing with his 26 minutes (two points on 0-for-4 shooting)… Meanwhile, Caron Butler scored 23, his first time topping 14 points since March 25.

NETS: An absolutely ragged loss for New Jersey meant fairly hideous stats across the board, but Devin Harris managed to salvage 25 points playing in his hometown of Milwaukee… The wildly erratic Courtney Lee was also solid with 19 points and three treys, but is still just a hit-or-miss fantasy spot starter at the moment… Terrence Williams (six points on 2-for-13 shooting) failed to hit double figures for just the third time in his last 19 games.

BLAZERS: Brandon Roy played through mild back trouble and scored 23 points… Marcus Camby (two points, nine rebounds, a steal and two blocks) left early with a hamsring strain. He reportedly doesn't expect to miss any time, but missing time obviously remains a possibility… LaMarcus Aldridge (27-12-5 with a steal and a block) played despite a sinus infection and had his highest point total since Feb. 26.

CLIPPERS: Rasual Butler (14 points, two threes) had exactly two steals and two blocks for a second consecutive game… Eric Gordon came in averaging 20.0 ppg over his last two, but had a disappointing nine points on Wednesday… Steve Blake had 14 points, six assists, two threes, a steal and a block off the bench, but remains hard to trust (witness his three points and four assists against the Knicks in his last game on Sunday)… DeAndre Jordan (eight points, 11 rebounds and a block) has averaged 7.3 ppg, 8.9 rpg and 1.1 bpg in his last seven games.

 

[HacheMan]

Shutdown Surprise
Early Thursday reports emerged out of Cleveland that the Cavs' starters were a go for their TNT matchup against the Bulls, and all was well. I smiled to myself knowing my ace in the hole was ready to go. I sat down for my pregame news routine for Thursday night and no faster than I could open up my Twitter account did I learn that an hour before tip-off LeBron opted out of the game. Then, as if he took a page out of LeBron's book, Kobe Bryant decides to sit out of the late game with the news coming out five minutes before tip-off. Prior to that Lakers reporter Mike Trudell tweeted an ominous message, saying that Phil Jackson wouldn't rule out resting anybody down the stretch. Little did we know that what would appear to be a fairly innocuous comment turn out to be a warning to all of us. Two studs down in two different leagues, and my championship hopes hinging on a quick return by both. Oh no.

As of this writing, LeBron's status is still being held secret by coach Mike Brown, and owners should have backup plans in place and treat any game he plays out of the Cavs' remaining three contests as a luxury. If there is a silver lining, it's that Brown wants to either play him a full slate of minutes, or not at all. If you follow the reports as they come in, you should avoid playing him in a limited-minute game. And I'm just guessing, but the Cavs probably don't want him missing over a week of game-action heading into the playoffs, and if that logic holds true then you may be able to squeeze one or two games out of him. Whether or not that happens within your league's schedule is another story.

As for Kobe, late Thursday night Phil Jackson said that he doubted that he would play on Friday against the Wolves, but that he would leave the decision up to him. And while everybody tends to overreact when things aren't running well in Tinsel Town, it's safe to say that they could be playing better. If Kobe believes his presence can help snap them out of their funk and be an overall positive, he'll play. But that's not to say that the obvious reasons of rest and caution won't win out, because those are equally compelling arguments for him to sit, especially after all of the big names that have gone down to injury. Like with LeBron, owners need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

And remember you can follow me on Twitter, where I try to keep up with Doctor A, Stroup, Levitan, and the rest of America.

And another reminder: For projections, depth charts, cheat sheets and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

[SIZE=+1]Thursday Night's Results[/SIZE]

Cleveland Cavaliers 108 – Chicago Bulls 109

After news broke late that LeBron wouldn't play, and Delonte West and Daniel Gibson were also scratched, it looked like the Cavs were handing the game to the Bulls. In return for that kindness the Bulls did everything they could to hand the game right back. Aside from letting the Cavs hang around in a game they had conceded, Derrick Rose and Luol Deng both missed two free throws in the game's final moments, while Mo Williams in his own words started to "play like LeBron," scoring a season-high 35 points with six 3-pointers on an assortment of big shots. In the end the Bulls did just enough to hang on, but it wasn't pretty.

Antawn Jamison also predictably stepped up with 23 points, but left early with an ankle injury. He is questionable for Friday's game, and did nothing for the rest of the fantasy world as coaches got yet another reminder to bench their studs before the playoffs. Nobody else stepped up their fantasy games for the Cavs, including their 3-headed big-man monster of Anderson Varejao (seven points, five rebounds), J.J. Hickson (five points, three rebounds), and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (eight points, five rebounds), nor did the group that filled in for LeBron of Jawad Williams (three points, four rebounds), Jamario Moon (14 points, four rebounds), and Anthony Parker (four points, six rebounds, three assists).

Even with LeBron a question mark for Friday and Jamison leaning towards not playing, one or more of the supporting cast will likely have a big game, but there's little chance of guessing which one it will be.

The Bulls were much more conventional from a fantasy standpoint, as Rose finished with 24 points and 10 assists and even hit a three, Kirk Hinrich went off for 23 points but not much else, Joakim Noah appeared to be in mid-season form with 17 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks, and Luol Deng scored 22 points with 10 rebounds and a block. The only line to stand out was Taj Gibson's forgettable 1-of-9 shooting line, but his defense was stellar as he accumulated four rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. He has had two slow games in a row now and it's starting to look like the return of Deng and Noah could be getting to him.

L.A. Clippers 94 – Sacramento Kings 116

This game was probably over before the Clippers took the team flight to Sacramento after Wednesday's loss to the Blazers, and coach Kim Hughes called the team's effort "dismal." The good news is that if you owned the Clips you didn't get spanked quite as hard as they did. Baron Davis scored just 11 points but had 10 assists, Eric Gordon scored 21 points with five assists, four treys, and three rebounds, Chris Kaman scored 23 points but managed just six rebounds, and Drew Gooden scored 17 points and was also afraid of rebounds with just four.

Davis' owners are just happy that he's playing at this time of the year, and even without any report to suggest it, owners ought to be watching him for signs of a shutdown. Kaman's playing time looked like it may start being limited in order to develop DeAndre Jordan last week, but it never ended up happening. Everything else appears to be business as usual.

On the other side, the Kings set forth to secure Tyreke Evans both the Rookie of the Year award, as well as the coveted 20-point, five-rebound, and five-assist per game averages that would put him in the company of Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and LeBron James as the only players to have done it in their rookie years. He responded with 28 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, and even if he goes without a rebound or assist in his last three games as long as he scores 51 points he'll get the mark. Expect the Kings to put all of their eggs in that basket to end the year.

A casualty of that situation appears to be Beno Udrih, as he has finally cooled off now that Evans is back and chasing history. The good news is that Evans could easily score the 51 points in two games and back off a bit, but the bad news is that the one game in which he's not chasing history would be the season finale when most leagues have ended. Also of note is that Francisco Garcia may be headed towards significant playing time, having played 19 minutes in his return-game Tuesday and 27 minutes last night. Nobody's too confident about his wrist, but his playing time may be the nail in the coffin for Udrih's upside.

Jason Thompson started with a bang once Spencer Hawes called it quits for the year, but saw a sag in his rebounding to start the month of April, and may have figured it out last night as he went for 22 points and 15 rebounds. He's going to get as much run as he can handle to wrap up the year and is a solid play.

L.A. Lakers 96 – Denver Nuggets 98

The Lakers found out they would be without Kobe for Thursday night, and Andrew Bynum most likely for the rest of the season. As expected, Pau Gasol went off for 26 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. That's about normal for him these days, and the only thing that can stop him now is a surprise day off for rest.

Lamar Odom has been a force with Andrew Bynum out in the past, but can't seem to get his act together this time, and last night his five points, 13 rebounds, and one assist exasperated that fact. I normally won't reach for the easy target, but he sure does a lot of media now that he's with reality "star" Khloe Kardashian, and if I can't handle watching her for 10 minutes when my girlfriend steals the remote how is he supposed to triple-double with Bynum out? It's overly simplifying the situation I'm sure, but it mirrors the criticism facing the team that they're too lackadaisical heading into the playoffs.

Ron Artest asserted himself in Kobe's absence with 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, and three 3-pointers, and I actually like him to step up if Kobe misses more time as it seems he will. Artest has the personality to be a go-to scorer on the perimeter, and stays on the court long enough to make an impact there. I see one or two good lines in his future.

The Nuggets looked like Lakers slayers earlier in the year, and now they're just plain injured. Chauncey Billups could be sputtering to the finish line, and had just 12 points and six rebounds. He reportedly had a quad contusion but it's probably just dead legs. Carmelo Anthony bounced back from his bizarre unconsciousness episode from Wednesday night to score 31 points with four boards, four assists, and three blocks, including the game-winning block of Derek Fisher's last-second heave on a busted play. On that play he landed on Fisher's foot, and almost became the next big name to go down in the last week of the season. He said, however, that the injury wasn't serious, and with the Nuggets needing every win they can get right now it would be surprising to see him miss any games.

Chris Andersen returned from his ankle injury to post his normal two blocks with a lackluster scoring and rebounding total (four points, seven rebounds), but also appeared to have hurt his hand. He has more injuries than tattoos these days, and he's only recommended as a blocks specialist. Watch his injury status on a day-to-day basis. J.R. Smith also hit the radar with 26 points and five 3-pointers, breaking the Nuggets' career-record for 3-pointers made, passing Michael Adams (631).
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[SIZE=+1]Friday Night Lights[/SIZE]

This Friday there will be 13 NBA games with just 15 to go after that. The majority of leagues are wrapping up their playoffs this week, and Roto leagues are nearing completion. This Friday also stands out as a fantasy roster's last chance to make an impact before scores, and the categorical advantages or disadvantages that they are comprised of, start to get set in stone. And for daily league owners, this is your last and best chance to position yourself while options are still fairly plentiful. With all that in mind we'll go game-by-game and figure out who stands the best chance of helping you win that trophy.

Milwaukee Bucks @ Philadelphia 76ers

Big game favorite: John Salmons – The undisputed go-to guy has been good for 20+ points per game and a smattering of other stats lately.
I'm optimistic about: Ersan Ilyasova – He has carved out a nice deep-league niche. Jrue Holiday – Coming off a quiet performance, he has survived Eddie Jordan's quirks most of the time.
I'm queasy about: Brandon Jennings – His quickness could be matched by Holiday. Andre Iguodala – Two quiet games + plantar fasciitis * Eddie Jordan = beads of sweat.
Injury outlook: None of importance

New York Knicks @ Orlando Magic

Big game favorite: Dwight Howard – Earl Barron is better defensive matchup than David Lee, but Dwight could shoot 20 free throws if the game doesn't get too out of hand.
I'm optimistic about: Toney Douglas – I'm hoping a stop-and-go relationship exists with his playing time, and that D'Antoni might have him on "go" to finish the year. Rashard Lewis – Van Gundy knows he needs Lewis hitting on all cylinders entering the playoffs, and who better than the Knicks to ignite him.
I'm queasy about: David Lee – Within reason, he could have trouble with Howard patrolling the lane and Rashard Lewis' size-speed combo could bother him as well.
Injury outlook: Tracy McGrady – His knee was noticeably swollen on Wednesday, which isn't a huge departure from normal, but if NY wants to placate him once more he could be a thorn in everyone else's side.

Detroit Pistons @ Miami Heat

Big game favorite: Other than Dwyane Wade, I'll go out on a limb and take Will Bynum without a Rodney Stuckey (ribs) update.
I'm optimistic about: Tayshaun Prince – The one-game personal absence doesn't bother me, even if the situation in Detroit is unsettling. Udonis Haslem – The vet could have his way with the Detroit rookies on the second unit.
I'm queasy about: Rodney Stuckey – If he guts out his rib injury, or if Richard Hamilton (ankle) returns he has a few things working against him. Jermaine O'Neal (knee) – He's talking like he needs each of MIA's remaining games to get up to speed.
Injury outlook: There's not much noise out of Detroit regarding Hamilton, but his return could crowd the lineup. Stuckey is a warrior but rib injuries can be meddlesome. Big Ben could sit at any time. Jason Maxiell smells like an early shutdown.

Washington Wizards @ Boston Celtics

Big game favorites: Rajon Rondo – Shaun Livingston won't be able to check him. Andray Blatche – I don't see KG or Perkins being able to match up with him.
I'm optimistic about: Mike Miller – He is a glue guy that is now being relied upon to score. Ray Allen – Notoriously lazy and mostly undisciplined defender Nick Young is responsible for making sure he doesn't shoot 3-pointers all day, which figures to be long for Young.
I'm queasy about: Shaun Livingston – If he draws Rondo, he may not be able to use the dribble very well. And if Boykins gets called in to keep Rondo in front of him on the other end of the floor, it could cut into his minutes.
Injury outlook: None of consequence, but Paul Pierce and KG could see rest if the Celtics can blow them out, which nobody should be counting on with the way they're playing.

Toronto Raptors @ Atlanta Hawks

Big game favorite: Al Horford – Andrea Bargnani despises defense and rebounding, although the effort should be there tonight.
I'm optimistic about: Jose Calderon – Jarrett Jack could be out or limited with an ankle injury, which would make Calderon a solid play -- especially with the extra touches he'll get with Bosh out and Hedo possibly out. Josh Smith – I could have gone with him in Horford's place, and he should dominate on both sides of the court.
I'm queasy about: Andrea Bargnani – Playing an athletic team without Bosh around is a recipe for a slow night. Joe Johnson – With the No. 3 seed on the line, he could come early and play at less than 100%.
Injury outlook: If Johnson doesn't go then Mike Bibby and Marvin Williams become deep-league options, and Jamal Crawford has big-game potential. Hedo Turkoglu traveled with the team and is questionable to play, and Sonny Weems and Antoine Wright benefit from his absence, and have leapfrogged him for value, too. Amir Johnson's knee injury has put him in a time-share with Reggie Evans, and both are to be avoided. With the playoffs on the line Jack is more likely to play through pain.

Indiana Pacers @ Cleveland Cavaliers

Big game favorite: Danny Granger – He's shooting in volume, although the Cavs have a lot of length they can throw his way.
I'm optimistic about: Mo Williams – He's hot right now and the healthiest of the Cavs' big guns. Troy Murphy – Should the Cavs rest their guys he could break free more often due to missed defensive assignments, and he's playing well.
I'm queasy about: J.J. Hickson – Good point brought up by TNT crew that his game looks much better with LBJ drawing defensive attention. Roy Hibbert – Foul magnet probably will see his fair share of flopping Anderson Varejao down low, and he may not stay on the court long.
Injury outlook: (Guys not covered in above) Delonte West (back), Daniel Gibson (foot) – Both should be watched if starters get benched, especially West. Shaq is out, leaving the other three "bigs" to scrap for playing time. The Pacers are mostly healthy, with the exception of T.J. Ford (back) who looks like he's headed for a shutdown.

L.A. Lakers @ Minnesota Timberwolves

Big game favorite: Pau Gasol – As long as there isn't a surprise, precautionary benching, you can chalk him up for somewhere in the ballpark of 25-10-5 with two blocks. Kevin Love – Al Jefferson missed practice for personal reasons Thursday (which Kurt Rambis has called a legitimate absence), leaving Love to prove that he should have been a starter all year.
I'm optimistic about: Jonny Flynn, Corey Brewer – Derek Fisher has to cover somebody. Lamar Odom – A bounce-back effort against a hapless Wolves' defense after loss Thursday seems likely.
I'm queasy about: Darko Milicic – Should be overmatched inside, and numbers from Wednesday look good at a glance but came vs. Warriors.
Injury outlook: Andrew Bynum is most likely out for the regular season, leaving Odom and Gasol to patrol the paint. Shannon Brown is playing through a thumb injury, and otherwise would be a favorite to pickup value if Kobe rests again. Wayne Ellington (strep throat) will return but isn't worth a look.
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Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Big game favorite: Aside from Kevin Durant and Amare Stoudemire, Russell Westbrook – Steve Nash is notoriously slow footed so we could be looking at a huge helping of assists.
I'm optimistic about: Steve Nash – In a huge game for playoff seeding, the rest of his starting teammates minus Amare have tough defensive matchups. Expect a million pick-and-rolls and max minutes for Nash. Jeff Green – His athleticism could be the X-factor in the open spaces available against the aging Suns.
I'm queasy about: Jason Richardson – He draws defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha.
Injury outlook: Just Nash's ailing body, but this game has been circled for full effort.

Chicago Bulls @ New Jersey Nets

Big game favorite: Brook Lopez – With Noah and Co. coming off a tough start Thursday to their back-to-back, and Lopez coming off a quiet game, look for NJ to get him involved early and often.
I'm optimistic about: Derrick Rose – Should have the healthiest legs of the Bulls' crew, and could be relied upon more than normal. Devin Harris – Has been playing well recently, and surely the Bulls didn't look great last night.
I'm queasy about: Luol Deng, Joakim Noah – Their hearts are in the right places, but can they handle the back-to-back coming off injury?
Injury outlook: Each of the Bulls' starting five is banged up, but all of them are expected to play. Devin Harris is always a candidate to be shut-down, so owners should watch for that out of the corner of their eye.

Utah Jazz @ New Orleans Hornets

Big game favorite: Deron Williams – He still has the taste of Wednesday's 3-of-9 effort in his mouth, and he'll be able to body up Darren Collison. Marcus Thornton – He'll draw the rookie Wesley Matthews or C.J. Miles, and neither scare me.
I'm optimistic about: Paul Millsap – With Mehmet Okur a game-time decision and still wearing a walking boot Thursday, this game has the makings of a Millsap special. Emeka Okafor – The Jazz's frontcourt is not at full strength, so he should be able to take advantage.
I'm queasy about: Darren Collison – Not that I wouldn't start him 95 times out of 100, but it's a big game for the Jazz and Deron Williams is an underrated defender. Mehmet Okur – As mentioned, even if he does play he won't be at 100%.
Injury outlook: Other than Okur, Andrei Kirilenko is doubtful to play, ensuring that Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles continue to start (and swap having good games). Kyrylo Fesenko is a game-time decision with the flu and despite the fact that the Jazz could use him, he won't be a huge factor. Peja Stojakovic (abdomen) looks like he's headed for a shutdown.

Charlotte Bobcats @ Houston Rockets

Big game favorite: Aaron Brooks – I'm not convinced that Raymond Felton can handle him, whereas Stephen Jackson should be a good cover on Kevin Martin and Boris Diaw should be able to follow Luis Scola around.
I'm optimistic about: Stephen Jackson – His hamstring didn't affect him Wednesday as he poured in 29 points, and if Gerald Wallace (shoulder) is out or limited he'll see more touches. Trevor Ariza – If Wallace is out or limited, the Bobcats don't have a real good backup plan to defend him.
I'm queasy about: Tyson Chandler – A good game Wednesday, but aside from Theo Ratliff and Nazr Mohammed's return, I'm not sure the CHA centers can make HOU pay enough for going small. CHA could be forced to go small and play D.J. Augustin and Larry Hughes as they have been doing. Gerald Wallace – For all the reasons listed above.
Injury outlook: Other than Wallace, Tyrus Thomas (thumb) is doubtful and David Andersen (back) is questionable. Having Tyrus would be helpful if Wallace is out, but other than Wallace nobody's injury should affect the way this game is played.

Memphis Grizzlies @ San Antonio Spurs

Big game favorite: Other than Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan – It's doubtful that rookie Hasheem Thabeet will be able to keep from fouling the crafty veteran. Mike Conley – The point guard position is a mess for SA, which he should be able to capitalize on.
I'm optimistic about: Rudy Gay – While Z-Bo will have to bang with Antonio McDyess and DeJuan Blair, and the crafty Ginobili will follow O.J. Mayo around, there's nobody on the SA squad that can keep up with Gay. Tony Parker – Every game is a stepping stone and this one should be better than the last. And he should be able to push the Grizzlies' backups around a bit if he comes off the bench.
I'm queasy about: Richard Jefferson – His game is supposed to be based on athleticism, but he's proven this year that it's gone downhill. The Grizzlies have a lot of young athletes to keep him in check.
Injury outlook: George Hill (ankle) is still out, but we knew that coming into today.

Dallas Mavericks @ Portland Trailblazers

Big game favorite: Not counting Dirk, LaMarcus Aldridge – He has been on a tear lately, and his speed/size combo will present the slow-footed Nowitzki issues.
I'm optimistic about: Caron Butler – With Shawn Marion (oblique) out, he gets to play his natural SF position and also gets a few more touches. Brandon Roy – Deshaun Stevenson is not the defender he once was, and at home he should be in for a big night.
I'm queasy about: Jason Kidd – He has averaged just eight points and seven assists against POR this year, and the Mavs have lost all three games. Andre Miller – It will be a battle of wits between him and Kidd, and while Kidd won't shut him down he'll be able to counter some of the crafty moves we've grown accustomed to.
Injury outlook: Marion is getting handled with kid gloves right now, and his absence is opening things up for Butler and Jason Terry. Marcus Camby (hamstring) – All signs point to him playing, and he should be able to handle Brendan Haywood and Erick Dampier, who have both been struggling.

 

[HacheMan]

Is Durant the Fantasy MVP?
My vacation is over and I'm back at it, although the Georgia pollen tried to take me out today. I'm hopped up on some allergy meds and ready to go, but I'm also nearly at a loss in trying to figure out where to start this column. Every team plays two more games except for the Cavaliers and Timberwolves, who only have one game left. And there are still plenty of guys being shut down, as well as guys like Monta Ellis, who returned from a seven-game absence with the "flu" on Sunday. Let's dig in.

Thanks to Matt Stroup, Ryan Knaus, Aaron Bruski, Adam Levitan and Joel Harris for filling in for me while I was out. The schedule for this week should produce plenty of game news on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night, a final Daily Dose on Tuesday and Wednesday, an NBA Mock Draft and Stroup's Roundball Stew on Tuesday, and a Fantasy Awards column on Wednesday. See you there.

And if your league is still using Weeks 24 and 25, I'd highly recommend ditching them in the future. I don't know if you can eliminate them in Yahoo! leagues, but you certainly can in CBS leagues.

[SIZE=+1]Team Notes For Week 25[/SIZE]

Click on the link for the Rotoworld Injury Report.

Atlanta - Joe Johnson is back from a thumb injury and the Hawks' playoff position is still being decided. As far as I know, the usual suspects should be fine to start for Week 25.

Boston - Kevin Garnett missed his last game and Paul Pierce is in line to miss at least one of this week's games as well. Ray Allen will play twice, and my guess is Rajon Rondo will too, but using KG or Pierce is truly a roll of the dice at this point.

Charlotte - Raymond Felton (flu), Gerald Wallace (shoulder) and Stephen Jackson (hamstring) are all listed by the Charlotte Observer as 'projected starters' for Monday's game, which is all we really know. It's risky, but I would probably recommend rolling the dice on all of them this week. I get the sense Tyrus Thomas is done for the year, while the Bobcats are in the playoffs and secure in their seeding.

Chicago - The Bulls got a huge win on Sunday night by destroying the Raptors, and everyone played, including Joakim Noah, who blew up for 18 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists and a block. It looks like the Bulls will make the playoffs, but it also looks like they should play their starters in the final two games of the regular season, as they are still being tracked by the Raptors.

Cavaliers - Shaquille O'Neal (thumb) could possibly perform a playoff warm-up against the Hawks on Wednesday, but he'd be a pretty risky play at this point. LeBron James has missed his last two games simply to rest, and there's still no indication of whether or not he'll play on Wednesday. All signs are pointing to him sitting again, but my gut says he might start the game in order to avoid going into the playoffs cold. But that's just a guess. Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams, Delonte West and J.J. Hickson all played in Sunday's loss to the Magic, and may or may not play again on Wednesday. Zydrunas Ilgauskas nearly double-doubled, but would take a hit if Shaq plays.

Dallas - Shawn Marion is dealing with a "Chipper," which is my way of saying he has a strained oblique. It's a pretty serious injury, so don't be surprised if Matrix is shut down until the playoffs. Brendan Haywood didn't finish Saturday's game with a tweaked ankle, and is also dealing with a sore finger, leaving his status for tonight a mystery. Dirk Nowitzki, who is probably the most underrated fantasy player of the last decade, and Jason Kidd both went off on Saturday, and the Mavs are still fighting off the Nuggets for the No. 2 seed in the West. I would plan on using them unless we get some late-breaking news on Monday.

Denver - As stated above, the Nuggets are trying to catch the Mavericks for the No. 2 seed in the West, while also trying to get some of their mojo back after temporarily losing coach George Karl to a fight with cancer. Kenyon Martin is back in action and I would lean strongly toward playing any of my Nuggets this week. Nene was awful in his last one, but it was mostly because he fouled out.

Detroit - The Pistons have nothing to play for and it looks like Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey have been shut down for good. Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince, Will Bynum, Jason Maxiell and Jonas Jerebko are all worth consideration, but I wouldn't use Ben Wallace even though he's playing. As for Charlie Villanueva? Your call.

Golden State - I still have no idea how or why, but Monta Ellis returned from a supposed seven-game bout with the flu on Sunday, and played well. Stephen Curry, who is now my pick for Fantasy ROY, was great again, while Reggie Williams, Anthony Tolliver, Corey Maggette and Ronny Turiaf all produced. All of these guys, and possibly Anthony Morrow, should finish out the season for the Warriors.

Houston - Aaron Brooks, Luis Scola, Chase Budinger, Trevor Ariza, Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry have all been playing for the Rockets and my guess is that they will continue to do so.

Indiana - Somehow Danny Granger and company are still kicking along and all the regulars have played fairly well (or at least decent minutes) in the last two games. I would recommend starting Pacers for Week 25.
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Clippers - Baron Davis (wrist) and Drew Gooden (knee) sound like they're done (at least to me), while Eric Gordon (viral infection) might be ready to join them in street clothes. Craig Smith, Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake and DeAndre Jordan all become a little more interesting over these last two games, while Rasual Butler and Chris Kaman also get a boost – if they bother to play.

Lakers - All the regulars played for the Lakers on Sunday, and while Andrew Bynum's regular season is over due to an Achilles' injury, Phil Jackson says he will not bench his starting five. Kobe Bryant is always a candidate to miss a meaningless game, but the fact he played on Sunday could mean he will play in the remaining two games, as well.

Memphis - The Grizzlies have nothing to play for, but since O.J. Mayo is listed as probable with his sprained ankle, it bodes well for their other starters this week.

Miami - Dwyane Wade got banged up on Sunday and Erik Spoelstra is going to be under a lot of, um, heat to rest him this week. I read somewhere that Stan Van Gundy even said Wade should not be playing right now. But they're still tied with the Bucks for the No. 5 seed, which should mean that Wade keeps on playing through his various maladies. All of the Heat's regulars started on Sunday, so go ahead and plan for more of the same going forward. Just don't be surprised if Wade (or O'Neal) end up sitting out a game.

Milwaukee - The Bucks are still battling for playoff position and all the regulars look like safe plays right now. Brandon Jennings and John Salmons are must-starts, while Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova and Jerry Stackhouse are all usable. If you live in a cave, Andrew Bogut is done for the season.

Minnesota - The Wolves thankfully have just one game left this year and "the regulars" (shout out to Paul Westerberg) all played on Sunday. Al Jefferson shot just 1-for-6 and was terrible, but played 30 minutes, while Kevin Love continues to be misused. They'll mop up the season on Wednesday against the highly disappointing Pistons, but may be motivated by the fact they could end the season on a high note. Go ahead and use the regulars if you need them. Ramon Sessions has been coming on a bit as well, so give him a look.

New Jersey - Brook Lopez continues to pour it on as the Nets are looking to leave fans with an impression that they've still got a good young nucleus. Terrence Williams has been a late waiver-wire Fantasy MVP, and even Devin Harris is (surprisingly) still gutting it out. All five starters are worth using in fantasy leagues at this point.

New Orleans - Darren Collison will go down with Andray Blatche as the best waiver-wire pickup of the season and should continue to roll with Chris Paul down. David West is one of the most underrated players around, while Emeka Okafor, Marcus Thornton and Julian Wright are all worth a look down the stretch.

New York - The Knicks are impossible to figure out, but the bottom line is that the seven guys who got minutes on Sunday (David Lee, Danilo Gallinari, Earl Barron, Tracy McGrady, Toney Douglas, Sergio Rodriguez, Bill Walker and, yes, Chris Duhon) are going to play. Mike D'Antoni may be spotlighting Duhon in hopes of getting a team interested in the veteran, but I would not start T-Mac if you are in a dogfight, unless you have no better options.

Oklahoma City - Is Kevin Durant this season's fantasy MVP? I still haven't decided if it's him or LeBron, but Durant played more games, put up more points and was a very strong free throw shooter. And in my leagues, teams with Durant fared better than teams with LeBron. Find out who I go with on Wednesday. Durant had 40 points and 10 boards on Sunday and the OKC are going to try like hell to get out of a first-round meeting with the Lakers. It won't be easy, but continue starting the usual suspects – which now include Nick Collison (starter) and Serge Ibaka (bench).

Orlando - The Magic's playoff position is locked in and while my guess is the starters will play out the rest of the season, it's also a possibility that SVG will give some regulars a day off. But if you own Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis or Vince Carter, you almost have to play them. Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick are also nice sleepers right now. Ryan Anderson could also be worth a flier in a deeper league.

Philadelphia - Elton Brand is really struggling, while Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks, Jason Kapono, Willie Green and Marreese Speights are worth a look at right now. Andre Iguodala continues to play through injuries, but Eddie Jordan is unpredictable as they come. In a very deep league, even a guy like Rodney Carney could be worth a look.

Phoenix - The Suns are in a three-way tie for the No. 3 seed, which is great news if you own any of them.

Portland - Brandon Roy had an MRI on his injured right knee, which revealed a bone bruise. He's been ruled out for Monday and might miss the finale, as well. They're still fighting to stay out of the No. 8 spot in the West (currently in a three-way tie) so LaMarcus Aldridge, Andre Miller, Martell Webster, Marcus Camby, Rudy Fernandez and Jerryd Bayless are all worth using in many leagues.

Sacramento - Tyreke Evans is still trying to prove that he, and not Stephen Curry, is the ROY, so play him. Beno Udrih, Jason Thompson and Carl Landry remain must-starts, while Andres Nocioni and Omri Casspi are also worth a look.

San Antonio - The Spurs are in a three-way tie for the No. 6 seed (or, you could say No. 8) and the regulars, minus injured George Hill, all played nice minutes on Saturday. Garrett Temple makes for an interesting sleeper pick, but the Spurs will likely play the regulars in an effort to avoid the Lakers in Round 1. And in case you missed it, Tony Parker is back in action for the Spurs. He came off the bench on Saturday, but could start the remaining two games over Temple.

Toronto - The Raptors were throttled by the Bulls in Toronto on Sunday, which was their most important game of the year. Sonny Weems is worth using for the final two, as are Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Andrea Bargnani, Hedo Turkoglu and Amir Johnson. And if you're looking for a deep sleeper in Toronto, it could be Marco Belinelli, who played 23 minutes in Sunday's blowout, but failed to score. Antoine Wright's ankle injury could mean he's done for the season, so don't use him.

Utah - The Jazz are in a three-way tie for the No. 3 seed which should mean the regulars continue to see heavy minutes. It also sounds like Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko are on track to play in the final two games, so put them in your lineup if you're feeling lucky. Kirilenko sounds much more questionable than Okur, so Wesley Matthews remains an interesting sleeper pick, along with Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap and C.J. Miles.

Washington - The feel-good story that is Shaun Livingston is back and should be in lineups this week. He can also be picked up in keeper leagues, as he could make some noise again next season. Andray Blatche, Nick Young and Mike Miller should all be in starting lineups, while JaVale McGee is worth a shot as well. James Singleton had zero points and seven boards against the Hawks on Saturday, and isn't playing well enough to be used in fantasy leagues in Week 25.

 

[HacheMan]

Blazers Curse, Continued
I'm going to hit the headlines and major injury news, but when you're setting your lineup on Tuesday and Wednesday night, it might help to take a look at these Playoff Scenarios to determine how much each game matters. If a game doesn't matter, there's a decent chance your regular starter could see weird minutes or even a DNP. The Thunder are the No. 8 seed in the West after Monday's loss, making the starters a bit risky for Wednesday against the Grizzlies. The OKC has lost five straight, so they may go full bore to try to get a win heading into a meeting with the Lakers, or they could decide to give the regulars some rest and take a loss.

Injury Headlines

There were two stories of the day on Monday. The first was the news that Kobe Bryant's regular season is over, as he's going to rest his broken finger (and sore body) in order to prepare for the playoffs. Shannon Brown should be the primary beneficiary in Kobe's absence.

Later on Monday night, news broke that Brandon Roy has a tear in the meniscus of his right knee. Some reports are calling him day-to-day, while others are painting a more bleak picture. The bottom line is that Roy's regular season is over, he'll eventually need knee surgery, and that it will probably take a "remarkable" recovery for him to even play in the playoffs, according to beat writer Jason Quick. Rudy Fernandez started in Roy's place on Monday and had just nine points, while Martell Webster came off the bench for nine points. The Blazers managed to beat the Thunder last night, and got a monster line from Marcus Camby (30 points, 13 boards, 1 steal, 1 block, 12-of-16 shooting), but have almost no shot in the playoffs without Roy (and Greg Oden). My guess is Roy will try to play in the playoffs, but Blazers' management is going to have to take a hard look at whether or not it's worth it.

Injury News

Caron Butler was a surprise DNP for the Mavs with a hip injury, while Shawn Marion returned to hit 9-of-12 shots for 21 points from an oblique strain. The Mavs have just one game left (Wednesday), so don't be surprised if Butler takes that one off as well. Rodrigue Beaubois would be the guy to start in his place, and he had 11 points, six boards, five assists and two steals in just 18 minutes last night.

Gerald Wallace was held out by the Bobcats in order to rest his sore shoulder, while coach Larry Brown says he will play all of his starters on Wednesday if their meeting with the Bulls has playoff implications. It should, so I think Wallace will go – especially if the Bulls lose to the Celtics tonight. Tyrus Thomas returned from an injury and had 13 points and three boards on Monday.

Jamal Crawford missed Atlanta's win over the Bucks with a sprained toe, and is very iffy for Wednesday. The Hawks are nearly locked into the No. 3 seed at this point, so it's not essential that he plays.

Jermaine O'Neal missed the Heat's win with a sprained ankle and I would not count on him playing Wednesday at home against the Nets. However, the Bucks hold the tie-breaker for the No. 5 seed and will bump Miami to No. 6 if the Heat lose and Bucks win. Therefore, owners can probably expect all hands on deck for both the Bucks and Heat on Wednesday.

Shaquille O'Neal has been cleared to play against the Hawks on Wednesday, and my guess is that he'll play. As for LeBron James, it's up to he and Mike Brown's discretion. He's missed three straight and the Cavs have nothing to play for. However, I wouldn't be surprised if LeBron plays a quarter or two just as a warm up to the playoffs. As for LeBron's sitting out these three games while Kevin Durant powers fantasy teams to championships, you may be surprised at my choice for Fantasy MVP, which will come out in a Fantasy Awards column later this week.

Paul Pierce will likely miss Tuesday or Wednesday, while it sounds like Kevin Garnett will play tonight for the Celtics. The Celtics are destined to finish as the No. 4 seed in the East unless they win Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Hawks lose to Cleveland on Wednesday. If the Celts lose to the Bulls tonight, look for the starters to potentially sit on Wednesday.

Tracy McGrady's season is likely over due to a sore knee, and it would be shocking to see him play for the Knicks on Wednesday after sitting out on Monday.

George Hill returned for the Spurs last night from an ankle injury and had six points and three dimes in 17 minutes. I wouldn't count on much from him in the finale, especially with Tony Parker back. Keith Bogans led the Spurs with 17 points, so give him a look for Wednesday.

Travis Outlaw returned from an injury last night and had 13 points and eight boards for the Clippers. Craig Smith also returned for 15 points. Baron Davis, Drew Gooden and Eric Gordon were all out, and I don't expect them to play in the finale.

Rodney Stuckey was back for the Pistons last night, but had just four points. Ben Gordon and Will Bynum are better plays at this point.

JaVale McGee suffered a thumb injury for the Wizards last night, but played through it for eight points, eight boards and six blocks. If you picked him up and put him in there in hopes of getting some blocks, he might have won you a ring last night.

Continue reading for Monday's Noteworthy Performances.
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Noteworthy Performances

Amir Johnson had 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting for the Raps and might be worth using on Wednesday. Andrea Bargnani had 33 points, five threes, seven boards and a block to lead the Raptors over the Pistons, and they have to win again on Wednesday to have a chance to get in the playoffs.

Shaun Livingston had 18 points and seven dimes for the Wizards and is averaging 16 points, four boards and six assists in April. I can't really explain how happy this makes me, and I don't even own him. But after watching him go down a couple years ago, it's impossible not to be happy for the kid. He might play for the Knicks next season and while there are still plenty of risks involved with owning him in fantasy and reality, there's no denying how good he looks right now. Well done!

Marcus Camby had a huge line (see above) and may do it again on Wednesday. Portland takes the No. 6 seed with a win, and also hold the tie breaker over the Spurs, so it's unclear whether or not they'll risk getting him injured on the finale. My guess is Camby plays.

Tyreke Evans had 24 points on 8-of-23 shooting to go with six rebounds, four assists, and three steals, and missed 10 shots in row, but locked up a 20-point, five-rebound, five-assist average as a rookie. He joins Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson and LeBron as the only other rookies to do so. He'll likely win the ROY award, but in fantasy, I think Stephen Curry was a better player to own this year – at least in the second half.

Arron Afflalo had 22 points, 13 boards and two 3-pointers for the Nuggets, while J.R. Smith added 26 points and six treys on Monday. Both are worth using in tonight's finale against the defenseless Suns.

Mike Miller had 23 points, five 3-pointers, seven boards and five assists, and along with Shaun Livingston, JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Andray Blatche, is worth a play on Wednesday.

Ben Gordon scored 24 points for the Pistons, who lost to the Raptors, despite a guaranteed win from Charlie Villanueva. First of all, why in the world is CV guaranteeing wins for such a pathetic team? No one would have even known he had done so if not for Twitter. CV scored 16, while Tayshaun Prince and Will Bynum also played well. Any of these guys are probably worth a look for Wednesday's finale.

Terrence Williams stayed hot in Monday's loss with 21 points, 13 boards and six assists. T-Will is averaging 17 points, eight boards and five assists over his last five and looks like a keeper for next year after his late-season run. We kind of jumped on him just as he got hot and pimped him as a hot pickup, so hopefully he helped your team down the stretch. All five Nets' starters (Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Williams, Brook Lopez, Yi Jianlian) were solid last night and should be started for fantasy teams on Wednesday.

Mike Dunleavy scored 18 points, A.J. Price had 19 and five 3-pointers and Roy Hibbert somehow hit two 3-pointers in last night's loss for the Pacers. These guys, along with Danny Granger, Brandon Rush, Troy Murphy and Earl Watson can all be used on Wednesday.

Jodie Meeks had 21 points and five 3-pointers for the Sixers last night, while Jason Kapono went off for 24 points and four threes on 10-of-12 shooting. The starters all played well for the Sixers and I'd roll with any of them, plus Meeks, on Wednesday.

Quentin Richardson had 15 points, 12 boards and two threes for the Heat, and he can be used again on Wednesday, if you're feeling lucky.

The Knicks finish up the season on Wednesday, with David Lee, Danilo Gallinari, Earl Barron, Chris Duhon, Bill Walker, Sergio Rodriguez and Toney Douglas all worth a look after getting nice minutes last night.

The Grizzlies starters can all be used on Wednesday, while Darrell Arthur and Hamed Haddadi are also decent wire sleepers after playing well last night.

Trevor Ariza, Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry were all big for the Rockets on Monday and, along with Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks and Chase Budinger, can be used on Wednesday.

The Kings starters, including Andres Nocioni, as well as bench player Donte' Greene, can all be used in tonight's finale against the Lakers.

Housecleaning

I should post an NBA Mock Draft some time on Tuesday night, and Matt Stroup's Roundball Stew season finale will be posted sometime today. We will also be back on Wednesday morning for a final Daily Dose, as well as have a Season Fantasy Awards column out tomorrow or Thursday. It's been a fun season (as usual), and I hope that Rotoworld was able to help you post a solid performance in your fantasy leagues

 

[HacheMan]

Fantasy Hoops Awards
Matt Stroup's Roundball Stew will likely hand out season-ending awards as well, and it will be interesting to see how much we agree or disagree, as we have not discussed them at all. Look for Stroup's column in the very near future. In the meantime, here's my take.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy MVP: Kevin Durant SF Thunder[/SIZE]

Up until a week ago, I thought the fantasy MVP award would easily go to LeBron James this season. But that was before he missed his last three or four games in order to rest. After looking at how many teams in my leagues won behind the incredible season by Kevin Durant, handing out the MVP award is not that easy. Here are the numbers, heading into Wednesday's games:

LeBron: 76 gms, 29.7 ppg, .503 fgp, .767 ftp, 129 3-pointers, 7.3 rebs, 8.6 asts, 1.64 stls, 1.01 blks, 3.3 tos

Durant: 81 gms, 30.1 ppg, .474 fgp, .899 ftp, 124 3-pointers, 7.6 rebs, 2.8 asts, 1.36 stls, 1.0 blks, 3.43 tos

As you can see, points, threes, rebounds, steals, blocks and turnovers are virtually even. LeBron's five and a half extra assists are a big difference, but so is Durant's .899 free throw percentage. LeBron hit shots at a better rate, but when you add in Durant's extra five or six games, especially during the fantasy playoffs, I think Durant edges out LeBron for the award. If you drafted LeBron and had solid point guards, his extra assists probably just added to your stats, where as Durant's free throw percentage likely helped carry your team.

Can I sit here and tell you to take Durant over LeBron with the No. 1 pick in next year's drafts? No. But the fact LeBron shut it down when his owners may have needed him most, and Durant kept playing like a beast all the way through the playoffs, is just too much to overlook. If you do draft LeBron next year, you may not need that third point guard, but by the time October rolls around next year, loyal Durant owners who won their league this year will probably take him with the No. 1 pick. And if he plays on Wednesday, he didn't miss a game this season, which is worth its weight in gold in fantasy leagues. LeBron had a truly great season, but my guess is more Durant owners won in the end.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Most Improved Player: Aaron Brooks PG Rockets[/SIZE]

I think the candidates for this award included Andray Blatche, Joakim Noah, Beno Udrih, George Hill, Andrew Bogut, Danilo Gallinari and Aaron Brooks. Blatche was pretty close to getting my vote here, but in the end I'm going with Brooks.

He averaged 19.7 points, 5.3 assists, hit 207 3-pointers, shot 43 percent from the floor, 40 percent from downtown and 82 percent from the line. Brooks was taken between the Round 7 and 9 in most of my leagues, but was a consistent and very productive fantasy point guard throughout the season.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Rookie of the Year: Stephen Curry G Warriors[/SIZE]

This looked like Tyreke Evans' award nearly all the way, but Stephen Curry had a huge second half. Let's look at the numbers, as this was another tough call.

Curry: 78 gms, 17.2 ppg, 4.4 rebs, 5.9 asts, 1.9 stls, .23 blks, 161 3-pointers, .462 fgp, .874 ftp, 3.08 tos

Evans: 71 gms, 20.3 ppg, 5.3 rebs, 5.8 asts, 1.52 stls, .37 blks, 36 3-pointers, .456 fgp, .748 ftp, 3.03 tos.

Curry was dominant in 3-point shooting, played in at least seven more games and shot it much better from the free throw line than Evans did. Curry was also peaking over the last few months of the season, while Evans hit a bit of a wall and missed some games. In my opinion, Curry wins this one pretty easily because of the 3-pointers and extra games played – despite playing for Don Nelson.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Waiver Wire Pickup of the Year: Darren Collison PG Hornets[/SIZE]

This was a dead heat between Darren Collison and Andray Blatche. Maybe it's because I was able to get Collison and missed out on Blatche that I went with Collison. But the bottom line is that Collison became valuable much earlier in the season than Blatche did, and basically went off for the months of November, February, March and April. He did a more than serviceable job filling in for Chris Paul when he was injured. In fact, he played so well that many owners of both Paul and Collison were hoping Paul wouldn't come back late in the season. And if you drafted Paul with a Top 5 pick this year, getting Collison was absolutely key in keeping your hopes alive for a championship.

Blatche's numbers were incredible, and he was also a key pickup for many owners, putting up monster digits in the months of February, March and April. Owners of Blatche will disagree with me on this one, which I can live with. He was also a great pickup.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Sixth Man of the Year: Jamal Crawford G Hawks[/SIZE]

This is a pretty boring fantasy award, but Crawford was essential to the Hawks' success this year and helped many fantasy owners with his 18 ppg and 163 3-pointers in 79 or 80 games this season. He should also easily win the real Sixth Man of the Year award.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Sleeper of the Year: Andrew Bogut C Bucks[/SIZE]

I'm not sure what the difference is between the Sleeper and Most Improved awards, so don't ask. But Andrew Bogut deserves some love, nonetheless. He proved to be one of the best centers in fantasy, despite being taken in Round 9 or 10 in many leagues, averaging 16 points, 10 boards and 2.5 blocks per game. Yes, he only played in 69 games this year and suffered a gruesome elbow injury to end his season, but the fact he was so effective coming off of major back surgery was inspiring.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Bust of the Year: Jose Calderon PG Raptors[/SIZE]

Calderon was taken in the first or second round in almost every league, but wasn't even the Raptors' starting point guard for much of the season. Teammate Hedo Turkoglu was right there with Calderon in this category, but JC was the guy taken higher. Sixty-eight games, 10 points and six assists just didn't cut it, especially when he wasn't even worth starting for much of the season.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Underrated Player of the Year: Dirk Nowitzki PF Mavericks[/SIZE]

Dirk Nowitzki just gets no respect. He's boring to own, is getting older and hasn't proven he can win big games in real life. But the numbers are simply fantastic, and instead of being a late first-round pick, he should probably be going in the Top 5. People will sleep on him again next year, so don't hesitate to use a late first-round pick on him. As usual, he didn't miss games, averaged 25 points and eight boards, and contributed nicely in threes, blocks, assists, steals and percentages.
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[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Pleasant Surprise of the Year: Beno Udrih PG Kings[/SIZE]

Everyone, and I mean everyone, wrote Beno Udrih off before this year's fantasy drafts, and then wrote him off again once Tyreke Evans started going berserk. But the fact of the matter is that Beno just kept on defying the odds and producing, and was actually fun to own for much of the season. He played in 78 or 79 games, averaged 13 points, nearly five assists, a steal and a 3-pointer per game, and was actually a better player to own this year than Jose Calderon. Enough said.

Other candidates here included Jeff Green, Danilo Gallinari and Channing Frye. Maybe Gallinari deserved this award, but my guess is expectations were higher on him than they were for Beno.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Late Riser of the Year: Terrence Williams G/F Nets[/SIZE]

Terrence Williams wasn't treated with much respect by the Nets for much of the season, but they finally turned to him in March, and rode him to several wins over the final 23 games of the season. He averaged 14 points, 7 boards and 5 assists in March, and 16 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7 assists in April, helping many owners win a championship. Consider him a nice keeper prospect for next year.

John Salmons is also a big-time candidate for this award after being traded from the Bulls to the Bucks. He averaged 20 points, three boards, three assists, a steal and a 3-pointer after being shipped to the Bucks, and helped transform then into one of the best teams in the league, before Andrew Bogut went down.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Coach of the Year: Mike Woodson, Hawks[/SIZE]

Woody graced us with the same lineup and rotation all year, and trainer Wally Blase kept everyone healthy for the most part. Yes, Joe Johnson missed some crucial games, but you could almost always rely on the regular Hawks to put up numbers for you from week to week.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Point Guard of the Year: Jason Kidd, Mavericks[/SIZE]

Kidd actually averaged more than 10 points per game this year, along with 9.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 1.84 steals, more than two 3-pointers and just 2.44 turnovers per game. He put up some monster lines and was probably the best point guard to own in most fantasy formats.

Others to consider were Deron Williams, Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis, Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo, Tyreke Evans and Derrick Rose, but in my opinion, Kidd was the best of the bunch.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Shooting Guard of the Year: Dwyane Wade, Heat[/SIZE]

Who would have thought that Dwyane Wade would play in 77 or 78 games this year? He put up 20 points, 5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, nearly 2 steals, a block and a 3-pointer per game. Kobe Bryant missed too many games for my liking, and Stephen Jackson, Joe Johnson and Manu Ginobili finished far behind Wade for this award.

If you own Wade going into Wednesday's game, beware…The Heat could tank in order to finish as the No. 6 seed and face the Hawks instead of the Celtics in Round 1.

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Small Forward of the Year: Kevin Durant, Thunder[/SIZE]

We've already covered Durant and LeBron's fabulous season, while Josh Smith and Gerald Wallace were in the ball park (if you consider Smoove a SF).

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Power Forward of the Year: David Lee, Knicks[/SIZE]

David Lee and Carlos Boozer were the two best PFs this year, but I think Lee offered better value this year. Neither of them blocked many shots, which is a shortcoming, but Lee came in at 20 & 12, while Boozer was at 20 & 11. Lee won't be this good next year though, regardless of where he lands. Boozer was also a steal in fantasy drafts, as a potential trade out of Utah never happened (much to the chagrin of Paul Millsap's owners).

[SIZE=+1]Fantasy Center of the Year: Brook Lopez, Nets[/SIZE]

I'm going with Brook Lopez over Dwight Howard at center. Howard's lack of free throw shooting and high turnovers are a killer, while Lopez put up solid numbers all the way through the end of the season.

 

[HacheMan]

The Final Countdown
There is exactly one day left in the NBA's regular season, and therefore, the fantasy NBA season. I'm going to skip most of what happened on Tuesday night, as you already know that Derrick Rose had a big night, or that Carlos Boozer got hurt – if you own them. Let's take a game-by-game look at Wednesday.

Wednesday's Schedule

Cavs @ Hawks - The Hawks have wrapped up the No. 3 seed in the East, while the Celtics are No. 4 after Tuesday's loss to the Bulls. The Hawks and C's could rest their starters tonight, so consider all players on both teams a bit risky for Wednesday. Shaquille O'Neal is likely to play in this one, so start him at your own risk. Jamal Crawford (toe) and Josh Smith (groin) are gimpy, making them especially risky plays, although Smith played through his injury in the last game. Mike Woodson has been a steady fantasy coach thus far, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some weird DNPs tonight.

Bucks @ Celtics - The Bucks have something to play for, while the C's are locked into the No. 4 seed. I expect the Celtics to rest most of their regulars, while the Bucks should be going all out. Brandon Jennings, John Salmons, Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova and Jerry Stackhouse should all be playable, while I'd be nervous to start any Celtics. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett played on Tuesday, but should both be considered iffy for Wednesday with nothing left to play for.

Spurs @ Mavericks - Both teams are fighting for some position, so all the regulars should be playable. But keep in mind that Caron Butler missed his last game with a hip injury.

Hornets @ Rockets - There are no playoff implications at stake here, so the usual suspects should all play.

Nets @ Heat - The Heat may try to flop in this game against the Nets in order to avoid the Celtics in Round 1 and finish as the No. 6 seed, but that's not guaranteed – especially since the Celtics look like an easier out than the Hawks. Dwyane Wade is a pretty risky play, but he could see minutes. Tough call for the Heat regulars, but the Nets will try to end the season on a positive note. Play your Nets, and watch for news on the Heat. Jermaine O'Neal is very iffy with an ankle injury.

Pistons @ Timberwolves - No reality impacts here, so just go ahead and play the guys who have been producing lately. But keep in mind that Rodney Stuckey is out, so Will Bynum looks like a strong play.

Sixers @ Magic - The Magic could rest their starters with nothing to play for, while the Sixers should continue to roll with scrubs, like Jason Kapono and Jodie Meeks.

Grizzlies @ Thunder - The Grizzlies are out and the Thunder are locked into a meeting with the Lakers. Given the fact the Thunder have lost five straight, my gut tells me they'll try to end on a positive note and play the stars. Watch for updates on Rotoworld.com, but my guess is all the regulars, including Kevin Durant, will play.

Pacers @ Wizards - Both teams are out of the race, but the regulars have been playing well. Go ahead and start them here.

Knicks @ Raptors - The Knicks are done, but the regulars should play, while the Raptors have to win to have a chance at the playoffs. Chris Bosh is out for the regular season, but I'd plan on starting the rest of the regulars for Toronto.

Bulls @ Bobcats - This game means a lot to the Bulls, who will make the playoffs over Toronto with a win. Derrick Rose scored 39 on Tuesday, while Larry Brown has said he'll play his Charlotte regulars in order to keep the league's integrity intact. But I have no idea if Gerald Wallace (shoulder) will play. Watch the Rotoworld.com news blurbs prior to the game for updates on Charlotte, and expect the Bulls to go full steam. Kirk Hinrich had a season-high 30 points last night, so go ahead and play him. Flip Murray didn't score on Tuesday, so think about benching him.

Lakers @ Clippers - Shannon Brown is now a must-start after Tuesday's 24-point performance (Kobe Bryant is also out on Wednesday), while Pau Gasol could get a rest. The Clippers are done, so DeAndre Jordan, Travis Outlaw and Steve Blake all look like interesting plays. Drew Gooden and Baron Davis are out for Wednesday, while I'd be shocked if Eric Gordon plays.

Warriors @ Blazers - The Blazers are still fighting for playoff position and are looking to hold off the Spurs, so look for the regulars, as well as Rudy Fernandez and Martell Webster to play well (Brandon Roy is out with a knee injury). As for the Warriors, Anthony Morrow is done, but anyone who played well on Tuesday should also have a nice line on Wednesday. Ronnie Turiaf missed the second half on Tuesday with a knee injury, so it's probably best to bench him. Corey Maggette (hand) and Anthony Morrow (knee) are also done for the Warriors, so make sure they're not in your lineups on Wednesday.

Suns @ Jazz The Suns won big on Tuesday, but my guess is both teams (Suns/Jazz) play their guys tonight, as they remain tied, with Denver sitting just a half game back. Roll with them, as both teams are in a battle for playoff position. This game will determine who the No. 3 seed is in the West. Carlos Boozer suffered a rib injury on Tuesday, leaving him doubtful for Wednesday, along with Andrei Kirilenko (calf). Paul Millsap had a career-high 24 rebounds and 10 points in Tuesday's win, so go ahead and roll with him, as well as Wesley Matthews, C.J. Miles and possibly Ronnie Price.

Sacramento and Denver ended their seasons on Tuesday.

Injury News

Mehmet Okur returned to score 23 points and should be a safe start against the Suns.

Carlos Boozer will have an MRI on Wednesday -- the initial diagnosis is a strained muscle in his rib cage. I'd call him doubtful for Wednesday.

Andrei Kirilenko missed another game with a calf injury on Tuesday and I'd be surprised to see him play on Wednesday. Hello, Wesley Matthews and Paul Millsap.

Lakers' guard Jordan Farmar suffered a hamstring injury, but Shannon Brown is the way to go here.

J.R. Smith rolled his ankle on Tuesday and did not return. The Nuggets' season is over, so it doesn't matter.

LeBron James is expected to sit out of Wednesday's finale against the Hawks. He killed many owners with his late DNPs, but still had a great (fantasy and reality) season.

Tyreke Evans had 10 points in 16 minutes before being ejected from Tuesday's game, buzz hassling his owners in a big way. The Kings are done for the season after Tuesday's loss.

LaMarcus Aldridge will play through a left calf contusion in the Blazers' season finale on Wednesday.

Rodney Stuckey (ribs/chest) is out for Wednesday's game, making Will Bynum a sneaky play on the final day.

Jonny Flynn left Monday's loss to the Spurs with a left hip flexor injury and is status for Wednesday's season finale for the Wolves is in jeopardy. Ramon Sessions is a sneaky-good play on Wednesday.

Kevin Love left Monday's game with two minutes remaining after injuring his thumb, which could mean extra run for Darko Milicic and Ryan Hollins on Wednesday.

 

[HacheMan]

The 30-21 Club
Though none of us will be making any waiver moves or lineup changes in our hoops leagues today, the Thursday Dose is not ready to ride off into the sunset on an alpaca just yet. Here's a quick look at the headlines from an odd final night of the regular season:

A TEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

One thing that made Wednesday strange was that some teams (like the Bulls) were playing in a must-win situation, while others (such as the Hawks and Cavs) were playing under a must-not get hurt scenario. As a result, LeBron James (no shock), Mo Williams and Shaquille O'Neal sat for the Cavs, while all four Hawks starters except for Marvin Williams (11 points in 28 minutes) sat for the Hawks.

Under those unusual circumstances, rookie PG Jeff Teague topped 25 minutes for the first time all season, then went all the way to 48 minutes en route to a 24-5-15 line in an easy win for the Hawks. Here's hoping that Teague sees far more run next season than the 10 minutes per game he got as a rookie in 2009-10.

A reminder: For projections, depth charts, cheat sheets and more, check out Rotoworld's MLB Season Pass.

Another reminder: I handed out season-ending awards in the season's final Roundball Stew. Dr. A has already dished out his awards as well, and you can check out the winners here.

STREET CLOTHES EPIDEMIC

In no particular order, here's the roll call of prominent names who sat for precautionary reasons on Wednesday night: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant, Mo Williams, Shaquille O'Neal, Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, Mike Bibby, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Gheorghe Muresan, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Jermaine O'Neal and Marcus Camby. I for one was truly devastated by the Muresan DNP. Did not see that coming.

(Speaking of things we didn't see coming, more on Duncan and Ginobili in a minute.)

LOVELY PARTING GIFTS

As I've mentioned before, I am of the strong opinion that the final half week of the regular season should not be counted in fantasy leagues – and the list of names who sat on Wednesday is clear evidence why.

However, if your league was still compiling stats on Wednesday (and I know that many were), I hope that you had Trevor Ariza and Steve Blake in your lineup. Fully embracing the "Anything can happen – it's Game 82" spirit, Ariza and Blake notched their first career triple-doubles on Wednesday – 26-10-10 for Ariza and 23-10-11 for Blake.

As a side note, I would be very angry if I lost a fantasy league on a triple-double by Steve Blake.

THE POPOVICH PUMP FAKE

Before we move on to some more positive things that happened on Wednesday, let's quickly complete our roundup of the dubious, an area that shall belong most prominently to one Gregg Alouicious* Popovich.

In case you somehow missed it, Popovich gave every indication earlier in the day that he would not be resting his starters for the season finale, then proceeded to leave Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in street clothes. Then, in his post-game press conference, Popovich said, "How you like me now, fantasy owners?"

Okay, that last quote is completely fabricated, but the Popovich pump fake still hurts. Granted, I understand why he did it – make Dallas think they have to prepare for Duncan and Ginobili – but that doesn't lessen the salty stinging wounds if you bit on the fake and started T.D. or Manu.

By the way, with the top two Spurs resting, DeJuan Blair went for 27 points and a career-high 23 rebounds with four assists and three steals. And if you somehow saw the Duncan DNP coming and started Blair, I say to you: bravo.

*Not actually his middle name.

AU REVOIR, EDDIE

It's hard to believe that any coach could be more infuriating to fantasy basketball owners than Don Nelson, but that was arguably the case this season with Eddie Jordan, whose constant tinkering and bizarre rotation choices caused many a fantasy owner to lose multiple gaskets during the 2009-10 campaign.

But if published reports are any indication, Jordan's dreadful reign in Philly is expected to come to an end, possibly as soon as Thursday. To their credit, the Sixers did everything they could to save Eddie's job, winning five out of their last 26.

(Update: Eddie officially got canned moments after I published this column.)

DU-RANT. DU-RANT. DU-RANT DU-RANT DU-RANT DU-RANT DU-RAAAAAAANT

If you read the punctuation very carefully there (and somehow managed to read my mind), you'll realize that I was attempting to fit Kevin Durant's last name into the theme song from The Pink Panther.

The reasons for that effort can only be attributed to what is commonly known as "82 Game Delirium Syndrome," and we won't dwell on its hideous side effects here. Instead, let's focus on the fact that Durant (a 30-7-4 line with two threes, two steals and two blocks on Wednesday) became the youngest player in league history to lead the league in scoring (30.1 ppg) at age 21. He also played all 82 games, scoring 25 or more points in 73 of them. To paraphrase White Sox announcer Ken "Hawk" Harrelson, "He good."

SPICY CLOSING STATEMENT

It's almost to the point where I'm going to be mad if Stephen Curry doesn't win Rookie of the Year, and I don't actually care that much about the award. And yes, I know that Tyreke Evans had a very good year, but can we talk for a brief moment about how Curry finished his season? I'm talking in part about the 42-9-8 masterpiece (with two steals, a block and four threes) he dropped on Wednesday. But I'm also talking about what he did over the final three and a half months of the season. Take a look at his numbers for January through April:

Jan.: 19.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5.1 apg, 2.0 spg, 2.4 threes
Feb.: 21.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.6 spg, 2.1 threes
Mar.: 19.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.3 apg, 1.8 spg, 2.9 threes
Apr.: 26.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 8.1 apg, 2.6 spg, 3.1 threes

Give this man an award.

PLAYOFF TIME

Eight first round playoff matchups. One sentence on each:

East

#1 Cavs vs. #8 Bulls: Chicago gets one game.

#2 Magic vs. #7 Bobcats: Dwight Howard plays like he wants that gold jacket.

#3 Hawks vs. #6 Bucks: No Bogut sinks Bucks despite Woody's inability to gameplan for John Salmons.

#4 Celtics vs. #5 Heat: The only series I probably wouldn't pay to see.

West

#1 Lakers vs. #8 Thunder: Hoping that Durant & Co. can give scuffling Lakers a scare.

#2 Mavs vs. #7 Spurs: Regardless of outcome, Popovich still laughing about his hilarious Duncan/Ginobili prank on final night of season.

#3 Suns vs. #6 Blazers: Somehow I think Portland keeps it close despite likely not having Brandon Roy.

#4 Denver vs. #5 Utah: As good as a 4-5 matchup gets. Could be most entertaining series of first round.

 

[HacheMan]

Finishing Kick
After a pleasant but exhausting 170-day journey from late-October to mid-April, the behemoth commonly known as the NBA regular season came to an end on Wednesday.

In accordance with established Roundball Stew protocol, it is time now to hand out some awards (of both the celebratory and dubious variety) while also taking a brief gander in the direction of next season.

2009-10 FANTASY MVP: LeBron James

For the sake of not being influenced I haven't yet read Dr. A's fantasy awards column, but I did take a brief peek at the very top and saw that he chose Kevin Durant as fantasy MVP. Hard to argue that one, especially with Durant playing all 82 games while LeBron sat out the last four.

With that said, I'm still giving the nod to LeBron, simply because he was still the best fantasy player out there in 2009-10 (albeit by a slim margin). Take a look at the top two players' respective stats:

LeBron: 29.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 8.6 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.0 bpg, 1.7 threes, 3.4 TO's, 50.3, 76.7

Durant: 30.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.0 bpg, 1.6 threes, 3.3 TO's, 47.6, 90.0

Durant is considerably better in free throws (and both shot about 10 per game), but in my book that still doesn't outweigh LeBron's enormous advantage in assists – almost six per game. Every other stat is fairly close to identical, and I'm somewhat willing to write off LeBron sitting out the final handful of games because I remain of the very strong opinion that fantasy leagues should not be decided by the final week to week and a half of the season. Too many shutdowns, too many random stats.

BEST FANTASY ROOKIE, BEST REAL-LIFE ROOKIE AND BEST OVERALL DRAFT VALUE: Stephen Curry

Because number comparisons are fun, let's take a look at Curry versus Tyreke Evans (his chief rival for Rookie of the Year, but actually nowhere close to him from a fantasy standpoint). Consider:

Curry: 17.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.9 spg, 0.2 bpg, 2.1 threes, 3.1 TO's, 46.2, 88.5

Evans: 20.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 5.8 apg, 1.5 spg, 0.4 bpg, 0.5 threes, 3.0 TO's, 45.8, 74.8

Curry largely separates himself from Evans in threes and free throw percentage, but it amounts to a considerable difference. Curry finished the season as the No. 7 overall player in Basketball Monster's rankings for eight-category leagues (excluding turnovers), while Tyreke was No. 42. And no, I don't think it's crazy to draft Curry in the top-10 next season, but more on that in a minute.

WAIVER WIRE DISCOVERY OF THE YEAR: Andray Blatche

Tough to really debate this one, so I won't. Now let's just hope that the Wizards don't bring in some veteran big men to compete with him for frontcourt minutes and render this glorious run a quickly-forgotten blip.

MOST IMPROVED FANTASY PLAYER: Aaron Brooks

With kind regards to Marc Gasol (who was a significant liability from the free throw line and missed 13 of the Grizzlies' last 15 games), the nod here has to go to Brooks, who took a dramatic leap in playing time and productivity in 2009-10. Here's a comparison between Brooks '08-09 and Brooks '09-'10:

'08-'09: 11.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 0.6 spg, 1.4 threes, 1.6 TO's, 40.4, 86.6

'09-'10: 19.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 5.3 apg, 0.8 spg, 2.6 threes, 2.8 TO's, 43.2, 82.2

You have to love a guy getting a major increase in playing time and shot attempts and still improving his field goal percentage. You also have to love the fact that Brooks was the most reliable source of threes in the NBA this season. Not only did his average of 2.6 tie Danny Granger for the league lead, but he hit at least one three in 73 of his 82 games and hit five or more threes in a game 11 times during his breakout season.

IS THIS SOME KIND OF A BUST? (Biggest disappointment of the year): Ben Gordon

There are a lot of choices here: Vince Carter (No. 91 in Basketball Monster's rankings), Elton Brand (No. 100), Hedo Turkoglu (No. 117), Ron Artest (No. 120), Jose Calderon (No. 126) and Tony Parker (No. 136), to name a few. But it's very hard to top the act that Ben Gordon pulled in his first season with the Pistons, dropping from No. 43 in the 2008-09 rankings to No. 142 overall in 2009-10. He did his best to salvage some value by averaging 20.0 ppg, 4.3 apg, 1.6 spg and 2.1 threes through seven games in April, but added one last gut shot by missing the season finale due to personal reasons.

I wouldn't be at all shocked to see Gordon bounce back nicely next season, but let this be a reminder that Year One of big contract is a season that should generally be avoided.

THE UNBREAKABLE AWARD: Gerald Wallace

Okay, so he wasn't the most durable player in the league this season, but considering his completely reckless style of play, you have to appreciate the fact that Wallace played in a career-best 76 games this season. Sadly, I'm taking the under on that number for 2010-11, but it was an altogether outstanding season for Wallace, who maintained strong second-round value for most of the year.

PLAYERS I DEFINITELY WON'T BE DRAFTING NEXT SEASON

Carlos Boozer: He was motivated this season as free agency approached, but I want no part of Boozer in the first year of a new contract.

Kevin Garnett: I'm surprised (and somewhat impressed) that he made it through 69 games this season. I see that number going down in 2009-10.

Andrew Bynum: I have seen enough injuries to decide that he's always going to be brittle, despite his young age.

Greg Oden: Ditto.

Gilbert Arenas: Ignore the causes – he has played in a total of 47 games the last three seasons. That's a trend I don't want to gamble against.

Vince Carter: A career-low 16.6 ppg in 2009-10, and he is not getting any more spry at age 33.

A VERY EARLY LOOK AT NEXT SEASON'S TOP-10

1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Chris Paul (comes back motivated and healthy)
4. Dwyane Wade
5. Dirk Nowitzki
6. Stephen Curry (last two months: No. 3 overall player behind Durant, LeBron)
7. Kobe Bryant
8. Danny Granger (drops because of durability concerns)
9. Carmelo Anthony
10. Deron Williams

Also worthy of first-round consideration: Jason Kidd, Monta Ellis, Pau Gasol, Steve Nash

Notably snubbed: David Lee. Though he was the No. 8 overall player this season, I simply don't see his numbers maintaining their current level if he's not in New York next season.

And on that note, we have reached the bottom of yet another pot of fantasy basketball-related Stew. Let's all pause to reflect for a moment on our achievements during the season – remembering both the highs and lows – and now let's punctuate it by sitting back to unleash a very noisy, self-satisfied burp.

 

[HacheMan]

Welcome To The Playoffs
Welcome to my annual playoff preview. This year feels different than recent ones, in that there don't seem to be any locks – especially in the West. The Lakers and Nuggets come in slumping, the Suns come in on fire, the Mavericks look tough, no one wants to play the Spurs, and I'm not sure anyone knows what to make of the Thunder. In the East, the Cavaliers are the obvious choice to take the title this year, with the Magic being their main competition.

I've got a fantasy playoffs draft tonight with some guys in the industry, while I also plan on playing NBA.com's AutoTrader 'one-and-done' game again. I plan on providing updates of both leagues via my twitter account, so check it out. Here are my picks.

[SIZE=+1]Eastern Conference[/SIZE]

No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Bulls

The Bulls are just happy to be in the playoffs and Vinny Del Negro has a better chance of knocking John Paxson out with a right cross than the Bulls do at beating the Cavs. LeBron James should be the No. 1 pick in all fantasy playoff drafts, while Mo Williams and Antawn Jamison should also go pretty early, simply because there's little reason to think the Cavs won't still be playing in June.

Prediction: Cavs 4-1

No. 2 Magic vs. No. 7 Bobcats

Like the Bulls, the Bobcats just have to be thrilled to finally be playing in the postseason. Dwight Howard should manhandle Tyson Chandler and Theo Ratliff, as the Magic should roll through this one. The Bobcats will likely see Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace get hot for a couple games, but will be lucky to win more than one in this series.

Prediction: Magic 4-1

No. 3 Hawks vs. No. 6 Bucks

This should end up being another first-round win for the Hawks. The fact the Bucks lost Andrew Bogut is going to be very tough for them to overcome. Additionally, the Hawks have far superior athletes and should be able to run on the Bucks at will. Add in the Highlight Factory home-court advantage for the ATL, and the fact they won a first-round series last year, and the Hawks should roll through the Bucks.

Prediction: Hawks 4-2

No. 4 Celtics vs. No. 5 Heat

Perhaps no recent champion has fallen from grace faster than the Celtics have. They're no longer dominant at home, are banged up, don't scare anyone defensively and most of the key players are simply ancient. That said, the Celtics seem to always find a way turn it on when it matters, and the banged up Heat couldn't even get out of the first round last year, losing to the Hawks. Dwyane Wade's a great player, but he still needs a lot more help – especially with no guarantees that Jermaine O'Neal will even be healthy enough to play in all these games. Remember, he missed the last two games of the Hawks series last year with an injury.

Prediction: Celtics 4-2

[SIZE=+1]Western Conference[/SIZE]

No. 1 Lakers vs. No. 8 Thunder

I'm not sure anyone wants to face Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green in the playoffs, but if any team can handle it, it's the experienced Lakers. The Thunder have no one to stop Pau Gasol, which should mean a relatively easy Lakers win, despite the fact they haven't exactly been dominant lately. Add in the return of Andrew Bynum, the defense of Ron Artest, the experience of Lamar Odom, and the fact that Kobe Bryant missed nine games this year, basically to rest, and it looks like this series will end quickly and quietly.

Prediction: Lakers 4-0

No. 2 Mavericks vs. No. 7 Spurs

The Mavericks should beat the Spurs, but I don't think it's a given. In fact, this could end up being a big upset for Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. I'm not going to actually go there, but it would not surprise me. Dirk Nowitzki arguably had an MVP season, Jason Kidd is still one of the best point guards in the league, and Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and Brendan Haywood all know their roles with the Mavs. I'm going with Dallas simply because of home court, but the Spurs are not going to be a pushover, and might even win the thing.

Prediction: Mavericks 4-3

No. 3 Suns vs. No. 6 Blazers

The Suns come in cooking, while the Blazers come in without their best player. Brandon Roy will have had knee surgery by the time this series gets underway, and I just don't see how the Blazers have a chance against the Suns. And while I haven't heard anyone talk about the Suns winning it all, they could if they can stay hot and find a way to beat the Lakers and Mavs. And what a story that would be.

Prediction: Suns 4-1

No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Jazz

The Nuggets are reeling from the loss of coach George Karl (cancer treatment), which will be an even bigger deal in the playoffs. The Jazz have looked unstoppable at times this year, while the Nuggets are more of an underachieving team, struggling once Karl left. Andrei Kirilenko, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozerwill have to get and stay healthy, but I'm going with the Jazz even though they don't have home court.

Prediction: Jazz 4-3 (upset)

[SIZE=+0]Round 2 through the Finals[/SIZE]

I'll be back with a more detailed version of Round 2 once Round 1 is winding to a close, but here are some early predictions.

Semifinals Round 2

Cavs vs. Celtics: Cavs 4-2
Magic vs. Hawks: Magic 4-2

Lakers vs. Jazz: Lakers 4-2
Mavericks vs. Suns: Suns 4-3 (upset)

Conference Finals Round 3

Cavs vs. Magic: Cavs 4-3
Lakers vs. Suns: Suns 4-3 (upset)

Finals Round 4

Cavs vs. Suns: Cavs 4-3 to win it all.

So as you can see, I'm going to be focusing on drafting Cavs and Suns tonight, but I'm not going to neglect the Lakers, Mavs or Magic, either. I wish the Hawks got the Celtics or Heat in Round 2, as they have almost no hope of stopping Dwight Howard and the Magic.

 

[HacheMan]

Up, Up and Andre
Injuries, hot hitters and players returning from the DL are all covered in the Week That Was.

Andre Ethier: Andre Ethier has come back from his ankle woes with a vengeance. Friday night, Andre hit two jacks in the Dodger win. Thus far, Ethier is hitting .387 with 3 HR and 12 RBI despite missing a few games. At 28 with four seasons under his belt and 50 HR in the last two years, Ethier is clearly a star on the rise. Buy him and Kemp with full confidence for years to come. If the message is not clear yet – young players who become fulltimers in their early 20's become superstars in their late 20's – stars you can buy under market if you are smart.


Alex Gordon: KC activated Alex Gordon from the DL to take the place of newly injured Chris Getz. What does this mean? First, Gordon will reclaim his role as Royals 3B and Alberto Callaspo will return to 2B. While Callaspo is not much with the glove, he has hit .300 at every level and there is no reason to think that will stop. Buy with confidence. As to Gordon, I expect him to get off to a slow start after missing the spring. Once that happens, pounce. Gordon is the classic case of a very talented guy (number 2 overall draft pick) coming to the show early and getting labeled as something less than he is. At just 26, he is barely in his prime. Buy low now while you still can. Gordon may not fulfill the sky high promise pundits have been raving about, but he is likely to exceed the artificially low baseline that has been set.


Aaron Rowand: According to reports, Giants CF Aaron Rowand has a concussion and two small facial fractures courtesy of a Vincente Padilla fastball. It had seemed that Rowand was settling in to his role as leadoff hitter. It is not clear whether Rowand will be forced to the DL. If so, then Eugenio Velez becomes a major buy. Velez has big time potential speed. Add that to the fact that he is eligible at 2b and you have a flexible cheap speed source with sudden added playing time. Buy!


Mark Reynolds: Mark Reynolds had a tough night Friday, going 0-4 in a loss to San Diego. Thus far, Reynolds is riding the interstate (a batting average that starts with a 1 for those who don't know). Is Reynolds going to hit under .200? No. Is Reynolds going to get his HR? Yes. Will he kill your average? Yes. For those of you who drafted Reynolds thinking he will hit .260 again despite the massive numbers of K's he posts, well shame on you. Prepare for a .230 season and hope the average is not worse than that. If you own Reynolds, make sure you don't own Carlos Pena, Dan Uggla or Adam Dunn. Also, make sure you roster high average players to offset Reynolds – you will need them.


Yuniesky Betancourt: Yuniesky Betancourt had a big Friday night, going 3-4 with a dinger and two RBI. Nice start for a player many wrote off. What do we make of this? Will he hit 50 taters? Not a chance. Can he be a productive everyday player who could still be had on many waiver wires? Yes. Betancourt has not struck out in 37 AB this year. Ok, think about it. Despite the fact that Yunie swung at every ball with seams until this year, he still managed to hit around or over .280 in each of 06-08. Now, with newfound patience and a new home, this upswing at 28 could be for real. Buy!


Josh Beckett: Josh Beckett was throwing darts Friday as he struck out 8 and gave up no earned runs. Now is the time to buy. Beckett is one of the best pitchers in the game. Period. No ifs, ands or buts. Call up the Beckett owner in your league, carp about the high 1.39 WHIP and how the Yankees hit him on opening night and then steal him. When October comes, Beckett will have won 15+ games, struck out close to 200 and posted solid ratios. Watch this guy pitch and you will be convinced. His stuff is filthy and he gets stronger as the game goes along. That just shouldn't be allowed. However, it is and he does. Buy.


Oliver Perez: Oliver Perez had a pretty good outing Friday, giving up just one run in 6 1/3 innings against the redbirds. Thus far, Perez has not put up the big K numbers he has in the past, but he does have nice ratios (3.75 ERA and 1.25 WHIP). The bottom line is that you have to have a strong stomach to own Ollie. He is like the girl with the curl. When he is good, he is very good, but when he is bad, he is very bad. In deep NL leagues, Perez is worth the cheap gamble. He pitches half his games in a pitcher's park and has a few quality seasons already under his belt. Yes, I know he has trouble repeating his motion and he can get out of whack. However, the cheap pitching in deep leagues all comes with warts. At least this frog has been and can again be a prince.


Jeff Francoeur: Sticking with the Mets, Jeff Francoeur is off to a hot start. His two hits Friday raised his average to a gaudy .457. Three reasons I think this will last (of course, not .450, but probably .290 with power). First, Francoeur is taking walks this year. That means he will be more patient, put more balls in play and get better pitches to hit if he is ahead in counts. Second, he had a very strong run in NY after coming over from Atlanta last year. That means he is comfortable in the glare of NY and even in the cavernous expanse of Citi Field. Third, he is just 26 and already in his 5th fulltime major league season. Yes, upswing to be expected. Get on the ride.


Felix Pie: In the just can't catch a break category, Felix Pie landed on the DL with a back strain. This guy has been on the verge for quite a while. First, they put too much pressure on him too early in Chicago. Then he comes over to Baltimore and finds himself in a crowd with Markakis, Jones, Scott and Reimold. Then, once he gets his chance with Reimold still hurting, he hits .400 but gets hurt. Pie is just 25, combines power and speed and will outproduce the pittance you need to pay. Buy.


Fred Lewis: Finally, in news only fantasy players will follow, the Blue Jays acquired Fred Lewis from the Giants. What does this mean? Well, he was not going to play in SF, so it is a good move for Lewis. Is he worth a flyer in AL-only leagues? I say yes. First, Travis Snider has not yet proven he is ready. Second, Edwin Encarnacion looks shaky after surgery. Third, Jose Bautista, who would move to 3B for Edwin rarely breaks .250. So, there should be opportunity. Yes, last year was a disaster for Lewis. However, he is just 29 and hit .280+ with 20+ SB as recently as 2008.


And last, but not least, Schultz says: "April is the cruelest month. A simple two week slump that can be normally be subsumed into the morass of stats that accumulate over the course of a season if it happens in August stands out like a modest person on Facebook or a self-reflective apologetic comment from Milton Bradley. Experienced roto-practitioners know not to panic at this stage of the game - after all, it's a marathon not a sprint - but sometimes emotions take over. Face it, some players just don't handle the opening weeks with grace and aplomb.

Right out of the gate, Mark Teixeira has been atrocious . . . and that would be putting it kindly. The censorious overlords that keep this fine site free from obscenity and pottymouthed utterances wouldn't stand for a true expression of Tex's start. The career .290 hitter has never really bloomed in April but with his average currently sitting at .083, his owners have to be getting antsy. Especially when you consider a 6 for 6 performance on Saturday would still leave him below the Mendoza line. Funny thing though, this happened last year too. Think back to the snickers and chuckles directed towards the Bronx when Tex struggled while A-Rod recuperated. Who got the last laugh there? Just keep that in mind.

NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan is also doing a poor job of ingratiating himself to his current owners. Detractors will jump over Coghlan's poor start, boast about his unproven track record and proclaim his rookie season a fluke. You would be wise to keep Coghlan's Law in mind: never show surprise and never lose your cool. Last year, this too happened to the Marlins young outfielder, only no one was paying any attention to him because he hadn't yet become the American version of Ichiro. As he's nursing a nagging side injury, Schultz wagers that Coghlan has many more laws to propound and you would be ignoring him at your detriment.

It would also be to your detriment to ignore the numbers CC Sabathia has posted in his last two starts.The Big Man is a notoriously poor April performer and perennially worries those unfamiliar with his tendencies that the previous season's workload has produced a bit of a hangover effect. His yearly numbers tend to be a bit skewed as his bloated April ratios tend to obscure his dominance as the season progresses. Well, after a typically bland outing on opening day, Sabathia has leaped into mid-season form. Following a near no-hitter against the Rays, CC's abbreviated outing against Texas last night may have been more impressive. Of the 73 pitches he threw, 58 were strikes -- that's nearly 80% for those of you that are mathematically challenged. Not sure what Sabathia's diet is consisting of these days. I can tell you that it's likely something more substantial then cocktails and dreams. "

 

[HacheMan]

Round 1 Playoff Notebook

With Round 1 of the playoffs well underway, but far from over, now seemed like as good a time as ever to post a Playoffs Notebook column. Look for a new and improved Mock Draft in the near future as well. And check me out on Twitter if you haven't yet. Sometimes I get fired up and probably post too much for some of your liking, which is something I'm working on. In any case, enjoy the playoffs, and I'll tell My Morning Jacket you said hello when I see them play tonight in Atlanta.

[SIZE=+1]East[/SIZE]

No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Bulls - Cavs lead 2-1, Game 4 @ Chicago Sunday

Kirk Hinrich hit 9-of-12 shots and 4-of-4 3-pointers, and added five boards and five assists in Game 3, while Derrick Rose 31, Luol Deng had 20 and stud Joakim Noah added another double-double in the win. Noah famously blasted the city of Cleveland, saying "I never heard anyone say I'm going to Cleveland on vacation," which is kind of funny. The Cavs couldn't have played worse, yet still nearly came back and won the game late. LeBron has been his usual unbelievable self in this one, but hasn't gotten much help from his big guys – especially Shaquille O'Neal. Shaq was awful on Thursday, while they also missed too many free throws as a team. The Game 3 win was nice for the Bulls, but I still see no way they win this series. Not a chance. LeBron says the Cavs need to play small ball due to Shaq's slide, and he's probably right. And Shaq's probably not happy with being dissed, but then again, LeBron didn't need to even say it, as the whole world watched it happen on national television.

Side note on LeBron – He's already played 22,000 career minutes, which is more than half as many as Michael Jordan played in his career. In other words, he's not going to be around forever, so make sure you don't sleep on watching him while you can (Thanks @SteveKaysNBA for the stat).

Original Prediction: Cavs 4-1 – Sticking with it.

No. 2 Magic vs. No. 7 Bobcats - Magic lead 2-1, Game 3 @ Charlotte Sunday

Raymond Felton and Boris Diaw have been no-shows for the Cats, while Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson have carried the load in a pair of losses in Orlando. Dwight Howard has blocked a million shots in the two games, but has been in serious foul trouble as well, keeping him from doing much offensively. This series still has sweep written all over it, although I wouldn't be surprised to see the Cats win a game if Felton ever shows up and outplays Jameer Nelson.

Original Prediction: Magic 4-1 – Sounds about right, if Magic don't sweep.

No. 3 Hawks vs. No. 6 Bucks - Hawks lead 2-0, Game 3 @ Milwaukee Saturday

As expected, the loss of Andrew Bogut (elbow) is going to make it tough on the Bucks. They were manhandled in the two Atlanta games and NBA TV's Steve Smith has already said the Hawks will sweep the Bucks. Josh Smith's numbers are off the charts and he's playing like a man possessed now that he doesn't take stupid shots anymore. Joe Johnson, Mike Bibby, Al Horford and Marvin Williams have stuck to the game plan and the Hawks should take at least one of two in Milwaukee on Saturday and Monday. John Salmons and Brandon Jennings have been non-factors thus far, struggling with a swarming Hawks defense. And thanks to my buddy @Hawksvoice for the Game 2 hookup.

Original Prediction: Hawks 4-2 – If I had a do-over I'd say Hawks 4-1.

No. 4 Celtics vs. No. 5 Heat - Celtics lead 2-0, Game 3 @ Miami Friday

From the original column: The Celtics seem to always find a way turn it on when it matters, and the banged up Heat couldn't even get out of the first round last year, losing to the Hawks. Dwyane Wade's a great player, but he still needs a lot more help.

This has turned out to be especially true, as Wade continues to try to do it all by himself. Kevin Garnett was suspended for Game 2 after trying to behead Quentin Richardson, who really can't stand the Celtics, and vice versa, but they didn't need him in a massive blowout. Jermaine O'Neal has hit just 4-of-24 shots in the two games, but promises he'll show up for Game 3. I'll believe it when I see it, and as long as Rajon Rondo continues to apply devastating full-court pressure to the Heat's inadequate point guards, Miami will be lucky to win a game.

Side notes: I think there's a very good chance Wade stays with the Heat, as they'll be a top player in free agency this summer. I also don't know how long Michael Beasley will be around, as Wade might be just as sick of playing with him, as he is answering questions about why Beasley's still not 'getting it.'

Original Prediction: Celtics 4-2 – I'd go with 4-0 if I had it to do over again.
Continue reading for the Western Conference. <!--RW-->[SIZE=+1]West[/SIZE]

No. 1 Lakers vs. No. 8 Thunder Lakers lead 2-1, Game 4 @ OKC Saturday

Kobe and company held on to win Games 1 and 2 at home, albeit not in dominant fashion. The Lakers just did what they had to do, and it looked to me like they were still waiting for the playoffs to start after two wins. They played in OKC on Thursday, broke out to a big lead and controlled the game for much of the first three quarters. But the Thunder got an outstanding Game 3 out of Russell Westbrook, while Kevin Durant switched out to guard Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter, which turned out to be key. Kobe hit just 2-of-10 shots in the quarter and was dominated by Durant as he continued to try to go 1-on-5 to no avail. Neither Kobe nor Durant shot it well in this one, but Durant still had 29 points and a whopping 19 rebounds in a thrilling win.

This was the game of the playoffs thus far and the raucous OKC crowd – completely decked out in blue – was a big part of the story. In my opinion, this was the wake-up call the Lakers needed. They now realize they're in the playoffs and are secretly very worried now that the Thunder have figured out that Durant may be the new 'Kobe Stopper.' I'm still not sure why Scott Brooks, the coach of the year, didn't figure out that using Durant on Kobe was a good idea earlier, but better late than never. Look for Kobe to pass out of double-teams a ton in Game 4, and look for the Lakers to find a way to win this series, even if it happens to take seven games. They still don't believe a team as young and inexperienced as the Thunder can hang with them, but are at least starting to comprehend that they're not going to go quietly.

Durant hit 12-of-13 free throws and the Thunder shot 33 of them, while Kobe was 0-for-0 from the line and the Lakers shot it just 12 times from the stripe. Phil Jackson wisely blamed his team's aggressiveness and not the refs, but that is an eye-opening statistic, and just one of several problems the Lakers have right now.

Original Prediction: Lakers 4-0 – I'd go with Lakers 4-2 if I could change it.

No. 2 Mavericks vs. No. 7 Spurs Tied 1-1, Game 3 Friday @ San Antonio

I am now pulling for the Spurs simply because of fantasy, and have been quickly reminded that it's sometimes tough for me to get into a game if I don't have any fantasy players involved. I ended up with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in a playoff league, so the farther they go, the more numbers I rack up. The Spurs snuck out a win in Dallas in Game 2 and now have home-court advantage. However, I fully expect the Mavs to get one back in San Antonio, meaning the Spurs would have to win another one at Dallas to take the series – likely Game 7 in Big D next Saturday. This is probably the best rivalry in the league and there's no doubt in my mind that they will play that Game 7, and it should be a classic. Dirk Nowitzki and Duncan are obviously the keys to how this thing ends, as Dirk was awesome in Game 1, and Duncan the same in Game 2. Tony Parker finally looks healthy again, while Jason Kidd has been fairly quiet in both games. If Parker and Duncan stay healthy and dialed in, this is anyone's series.

Original Prediction: Mavericks 4-3 – Sticking with it due to Game 7 being @ Dallas, but not so secretly pulling for the Spurs and my fantasy guys.

No. 3 Suns vs. No. 6 Blazers Suns lead 2-1, Game 4 in Portland Saturday

My original take: The Suns come in cooking, while the Blazers come in without their best player. Brandon Roy will have had knee surgery by the time this series gets underway, and I just don't see how the Blazers have a chance against the Suns. And while I haven't heard anyone talk about the Suns winning it all, they could if they can stay hot and find a way to beat the Lakers and Mavs.

After the Blazers shocked the Suns and the world by taking Game 1 at Phoenix, Jason Richardson has become the second best player in the playoffs, scoring at least 20 points in the first halves of Games 2 and 3 – both easy wins for the Suns. J-Rich scored 29 in Game 2 and 42 in Game 3, amazed at how wide-open he was in the latter, when he drained eight 3-pointers. Brandon Roy, the designated "J-Rich Stopper," is still out after knee surgery, but it sounds like he'll possibly try to play in Game 4. He has a much more realistic chance for Game 5, but it's hard to imagine him being too effective when he does return. The Suns once again look unstoppable, should go on to easily win this series and will give their next opponent a helluva fight.

Nicolas Batum's shoulder injury is still a major concern for the Blazers, as he's their best defender. Given how sore the surgically-repaired shoulder is, and how much pain he was in during Game 3 before being shut down, my guess is he's done for the series. I've got J-Rich and Steve Nash on the fantasy team, which could end up working out if Phoenix can stay hot. And for those of you who ripped me for being so high on J-Rich coming in? He started slowly and was inconsistent, but turned it on late (when it matters) and is beasting through the playoffs thus far.

Prediction: Suns 4-1 – Sticking with it.

No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Jazz Tied 1-1, Game 3 in Utah on Friday

The Nuggets came in reeling from the loss of coach George Karl (cancer treatment), but a surprise visit to his team on Thursday should go a long way as far as giving them an inspirational lift. They probably need it after losing at home to a make-shift Jazz team, featuring Kyrylo Fesenko at center. Wesley Matthews and C.J. Miles have also been clutch, while Deron Williams looks like the best point guard in the league right now. The Jazz have had several days to get Carlos Boozer (strained oblique) and company somewhat healthy, but Andrei Kirilenko (calf) isn't likely to play in this series, and Mehmet Okur is done with a ruptured Achilles. Had we known about Okur's injury beforehand, I probably would have taken the Nuggets.

Denver has gotten solid production from Carmelo Anthony, but is really going to need to get big games out of Chauncey Billups, J.R. Smith and Nene every night if they're going to win this one. Additionally, Kenyon Martin's bum knee is once again an issue, causing him to miss Thursday's practice. He's a game-time decision for Friday, but my guess is he'll play. Part of the reason the Nuggets struggled down the stretch is that Martin was out for most of March and April – and he appears to be the key straw stirring the Nuggets' drink. If K-Mart's knee becomes a serious issue – and it might already be one – my guess is the Jazz hang on and win this one.

Original Prediction: Jazz 4-3 (upset) – It's going to be tough for the Jazz to pull this off without Okur, but taking Game 2 in Denver was a big first step. If Utah wins at home in Games 3 & 4, they should win it.

[SIZE=+0]Round 2 through the Finals[/SIZE]

I'll be back with a more detailed version of Round 2 once Round 1 is winding to a close, but here are the predictions I made a week ago.

Conference Semifinals

Cavs vs. Celtics: Cavs 4-2
Magic vs. Hawks: Magic 4-2

Lakers vs. Jazz: Lakers 4-2
Mavericks vs. Suns: Suns 4-3 (upset)

Conference Finals

Cavs vs. Magic: Cavs 4-3
Lakers vs. Suns: Suns 4-3 (upset)

Finals

Cavs vs. Suns: Cavs 4-3 to win it all.

 

[HacheMan]

Round 2 Preview
Round 1 came to a halt on Sunday when the Hawks finally put away the Bucks. It looked for a minute like the Hawks weren't going to get out of the first round, but they turned things around to take Game 6 at Milwaukee, and then easily take Game 7 at Atlanta. The Lakers and Cavaliers are quickly off to a 1-0 lead in their second-round matchups.

I've got a fantasy football dynasty rookie draft tonight, but I have the 12th pick, so I'm not expecting much. Check outmy twitter account if you haven't yet. I think I've stopped treating it as a play-by-play forum.

First Round Results

[SIZE=+1]East[/SIZE]

No. 1 Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Bulls
Prediction: Cavs 4-1, Reality: Cavs 4-1

No. 2 Magic vs. No. 7 Bobcats
Prediction: Magic 4-1, Reality: Magic 4-0

No. 3 Hawks vs. No. 6 Bucks
Prediction: Hawks 4-2, Reality: Hawks 4-3

No. 4 Celtics vs. No. 5 Heat
Prediction: Celtics 4-2, Reality: Celtics 4-1

[SIZE=+1]West[/SIZE]

No. 1 Lakers vs. No. 8 Thunder
Prediction: Lakers 4-0, Reality: Lakers 4-2

No. 2 Mavericks vs. No. 7 Spurs
Prediction: Mavericks (incorrect) 4-3, Reality: Spurs 4-2

No. 3 Suns vs. No. 6 Blazers
Prediction: Suns 4-1, Reality: Suns 4-2

No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Jazz
Prediction: Jazz 4-3 (upset pick), Reality: Jazz 4-2

[SIZE=+0]Round 2 Semifinals Predictions[/SIZE]

Round 2

I made these predictions prior to the playoffs starting, and stuck with them here.

Cavs vs. Celtics: Cavs 4-2

Cavs 4-2 was my original prediction at the start of the playoffs and I'm sticking with it. If I was re-doing it today, I think I'd go Cavs 4-3, but then again, it's possible they could end up sweeping the Celtics, although I doubt that's going to happen. The Cavs got off to a 1-0 lead with a tough win on Saturday, as LeBron James put up another ridiculous line and didn't show any problems with his elbow – which the world is sick of hearing about (sorry @Lebronselbow). This series is going to be very entertaining, but I still think LeBron just makes too much of a difference for the Cavs, as long as he stays healthy. Shaquille O'Neal and Mo Williams played well in Game 1, and will have to continue to do so if the Cavs are going to take this series in six games.

Magic vs. Hawks: Magic 4-2

Since 4-2 was my original pick, I'll stick with it. But honestly, after watching the Hawks against the Bucks, I don't have much faith in them right now. Their lack of a center is a big problem, and team chemistry/coaching seems to possibly be another issue. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford and Marvin Williams will all probably have to play well on the same night for them to win a couple games, but I'm not holding my breath. 4-1 is probably more realistic, but this Hawks team is unpredictable, and could get hot and win a couple games. I'm guessing Dwight Howard puts his foul problems behind him and is the dominant force in this series, like he usually is when the Magic play the Hawks. The Hawks only beat them one time this season and it took a miracle dunk by Josh Smith to make it happen. And if Dwight's teammates are hitting their threes, this series could end in four games instead of six. But regardless of how well the Hawks play, I can't see them winning more than a couple games.

Lakers vs. Jazz: Lakers 4-2

The short-handed Jazz had a lead late in Game 1 on Sunday, but Kobe Bryant took over and Lamar Odom made some key plays to secure a late victory for the Lakers. People have written the Lakers off, especially after they struggled with the Thunder, but I think they'd have a more realistic chance of losing this series if they were playing San Antonio or Phoenix. Lakers in six sounds about right, as Utah is a tough place for a road team to get a win. With three of my eight players in a fantasy playoff league playing for the Jazz, I'm obviously rooting for them.

Spurs vs. Suns: Suns 4-3 (upset)

I had the Mavericks playing the Suns, but the Spurs pulled off the upset over Dallas. The Spurs suddenly look great, as usual, and this series is going to be a dogfight. The Suns are pretty hot coming in too, and this is going to be another classic offense vs. defense battle. I'm taking the Suns in an upset, but don't feel all that confident in the pick. We'll see. If Jason Richardson and Amare Stoudemire stay hot, the Suns could easily pull this off. Since I have the Suns losing to the Cavs in the Finals, I'd like to see it happen. But I also wish the Suns were playing the Jazz, and we could let the Spurs and Lakers slug it out in this round.

Round 3 Conference Finals

Cavs vs. Magic: Cavs 4-3
Lakers vs. Suns: Suns 4-3 (upset)

Finals

Cavs vs. Suns: Cavs 4-3 to win it all.

All eight players I drafted in a fantasy playoff league made it out of the first round, and my team was the only one to have that kind of luck. I've got Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Carlos Boozer, Wesley Matthews, C.J. Miles and Matt Barnes. Obviously, I'm going to lose my Spurs or Suns in this round, so I really need the Jazz to upset the Lakers. The Jazz are in a 0-1 hole early, so my chances don't look great. We'll see.

 

[HacheMan]

Conference Finals Preview
Well now. The Celtics threw a little wrench in everyone's postseason predictions, including mine. I had the Cavaliers beating the Suns in the Finals, so it's back to the drawing board. I think we're going to see a new champion this year, meaning I'm going against the grain and taking the Magic and Suns into the Finals. Here's why.

Eastern Conference Finals – Magic over Celtics 4-3

The Magic have three big advantages here: rest, home court and Dwight Howard. Howard is going to be a nightmare for the Celtics inside, while Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus are going to cause problems on the outside. The Magic have better options to help contain Rajon Rondo than the Cavaliers did (Barnes, Pietrus), and will also come in well rested. No one saw the Celtics getting this far, so I'm not going to jump on their bandwagon just yet. This should be a very good series, but my guess is Orlando's home court prevails in the end.

Western Conference Finals – Suns over Lakers 4-2

This one is tricky and I don't feel great about it, especially with the Lakers having home court. But I took the Suns to the Finals before the playoffs started, so I'm sticking with it. They're still the hottest team left in the playoffs and are coming off a surprising sweep of the Spurs. They'll also get Robin Lopez back from a back injury, which will be key in competing with Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. However, he hasn't played in nearly two months, so it's hard to say how helpful he's going to be. Jason Richardson is probably the key to this series for the Suns, while they'll also need at least one big game out of Jared Dudley, Goran Dragic, Leandro Barbosa, Channing Frye and Grant Hill. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have the experience and rings, but the Suns should, at the very least, make this an intense dog fight.

NBA Finals Suns over Magic 4-3

That's right. The Suns win it all. Or at least I think they do. It's quite possible it could be Lakers vs. Celtics again this June, in which case I'll just start over.

Also, if you haven't seen this ridiculous video of Clevelanders trying to get "you know who" to stay, take a look. Just beware that it's about three minutes of your life you'll never get back.

And if I had to guess on "you know who," I'd say he will not be returning to Cleveland next year. New Jersey, Chicago, Miami and New York are my Top 4 candidates for his services.