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hacheman@therx.com
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Stuckey Just Says No
Wednesday was as wild a night as I can recall for fantasy owners. It was loaded with injuries, upsets, overtime, lineup changes, a triple-double, guys you've never heard of playing well and an entire team recreating the climactic scene from Poltergeist. You know, the one where the house crumbles up and disappears into the cemetery, never to be seen again?

www.Miamiheat.ws

I've decided to only focus on things that will help your fantasy team today, as there's just too much information to cover. So Paul Pierce's milestone gets shelved, Kobe Bryant's great triple-double will get very little love, Dwight Howard's insane line in just 23 minutes gets buried, and more big lines from PGs Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul and Deron Williams will go unnoticed for the most part. And if you're looking for details of the Charlie Villanueva vs. Kevin Garnett high school war of words, you'll need to look elsewhere. If you want the whole story on the night in the NBA, just go check out the 90 or so blurbs we posted last night, as well as a fresh batch of updates this morning.

Detroit Folk Implosion

The Pistons, who fell to 0-5 last night, are in full meltdown mode and Rodney Stuckey is suddenly at the center of the storm. John Kuester twice summoned him to come into the game last night but was simply ignored by the point guard. So Kuester didn't mess with him in the second half and Stuckey finished with just 13 minutes and five points. Kuester called Stuckey and the rest of the team out on Tuesday and has apparently lost them. Joe Dumars really should be on the hot seat for the way he's run the team into the ground over the last five years, while Kuester simply needs to go so fantasy owners can on with their lives. It's a real shame, too, as Stuckey was playing at such a high level this year. Will Bynum is hurt, which left DaJuan Summers to handle the point guard duties in the second-half loss to the Hawks. I have no idea how this is going to end, but they can't fire the players. Stuckey faces disciplinary action, but don't be surprised if Tayshaun Prince or another veteran pulls a similar move, as it's clear the players are fed up with how things are going in the locker room and on the bench.

Lineup Changes

Timberwolves - Corey Brewer and Wesley Johnson started last night while Wayne Ellington was demoted and Michael Beasley was out with a hip injury. I thought Brewer was pretty good with two steals and two threes to go along with 12 points, and he's worth a look if he ends up starting over Johnson, who scored eight in an embarrassing loss. Darko Milicic could be the next one on the way out as 'Manna' missed all six of his shots and failed to score again. Ahh, memories. I still think my favorite part is the fact that Chris Webber won Rookie of the Year. The Wolves suffered a 42-point humiliation at the hands of the Magic, the worst in team history, so it remains to be seen what Kurt 'Nellie' Rambis has up his sleeve for the next one.

Magic - Ryan Anderson started at power forward, sliding Rashard Lewis to SF and Quentin Richardson to the bench. What's not to love about this move? It could finally kick Shard out of the funk he's been in for a year, as well as allow a young and talented player like Anderson an opportunity. Anderson responded with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers and three blocks. I see no reason why Stan Van Gundy won't stay with this lineup for a few more games, and possibly the rest of the way, making Anderson a very hot pickup today.

Warriors - [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1693"]Reggie Williams[/URL], who was starting for injured Stephen Curry, was benched for Rodney Carney last night. Carney was insignificant, but Williams blew up for 16 points, a career-high eight assists and two 3-pointers, and could be ready to start scoring consistently. Dorell Wright was spectacular with a career-high seven 3-pointers and another 25 points, while Monta Ellis threw in 3- with a near triple-double. All of these guys have a bit of a sell-high feel to them, but it's going to take a lot in return to get an owner of Ellis or Wright to move them. I knew Wright was going to get some run and have a shot at success in GSW, but had no idea this explosion was coming. My apologies for sleeping on him early.

Ultimate Sell High?

Rudy Gay had 35 points last night and In five games is averaging 24.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.5 3-pointers while shooting 52% from the floor, 50% from downtown and 86.7% from the line. He's also turning it over just 1.3 times per game. Add in that Zach Randolph is going to return to steal some of those points and boards, as well the fact Gay is playing with a strained oblique, and he looks like the ultimate fantasy sell-high candidate. Start making some offers and see what you can get for him. I still think he'll have a big year, but not this big.

Waiver Wire

Here are some noteworthy performances from non-superstars on Wednesday.

Boris Diaw exploded for 24 points and filled the stat sheet, helping limit Tyrus Thomas to just 16 minutes in a tough win over the Nets.

Troy Murphy returned from a back injury for the Nets, but had just two points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. Think baby steps and he should be grabbed in most leagues.

Eric Bledsoe started again at point guard for the Clippers and was awesome. He hit 7-of-10 and two 3-pointers for 17 points, eight assists and two blocks. I actually feel bad about Bledsoe, as I was getting a lot of questions about him early yesterday, but wasn't very bullish on him. That is my bad, as it's clear that he should at least be owned in all leagues with news that Baron Davis could now miss the next four games. And you have to think he's going to be fairly disgruntled when he is ready to return, while I doubt any Clippers fans even want to see him come back. This story is just beginning.

Richard Jefferson hit all six shots in the fourth quarter, including four 3-pointers, on his way to 28 points. He's got it figured out now and should be grabbed in all leagues.

Hakim Warrick was nice again for the Suns last night as Hedo Turkoglu and Channing Frye both stunk again. It's almost as if they're trying to play their way out of the rotation. Turkoglu may be running out of chances, while Frye is clearly not the same player he was last season. Maybe both guys get it turned around, but it's time for Alvin Gentry to turn to Warrick (19 points, five boards). Robin Lopez was awful again, but I remain convinced he'll figure it out.

Greg Monroe (7 pts, 8 rebs, very active 27 minutes) has played heavy minutes for Kuester two games in a row and it looks like it is time to start thinking about grabbing him. The Pistons might as well blow up the whole team and play the kids, which include Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers. I have no idea if they'll do it or not, but all of these guys, and especially Monroe and Daye, should be watched very closely going forward.

Francisco Garcia came off the bench for 17 points and three 3-pointers after disappearing in his previous two games (4 points in each), while new starter Omri Casspi disappeared last night with just three points on 1-of-3 shooting after going for 20 and 14 in his previous two. I don't know what it is with the small forward job in Sacramento, but maybe it's destined to always be a mess. Whoever is there, on the bench or starting, tends to be extremely inconsistent, including these two guys.

Samuel Dalembert had 10 rebounds and three blocks last night in 28 minutes. The timeshare with De[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1794"]Marcus Cousins[/URL] has started and if you need a big man, it's time to move on Sammy D.

Ersan Ilyasova somehow had 15 points, seven boards and a couple threes off the Bucks bench last night, while Carlos Delfino kept it going with 15 points and seven boards. I can't say this enough, but this team is going to eventually have a different player get hot every night. I am riding the Delfino wave until he cools off, but I have a feeling his fall will be swift and punishing when it happens. I have not moved to pick EI up in any of my leagues.

Marco Belinelli is up and down like a yo-yo, scoring 18, 5, 3 and 18 points in his first four games. Marcus Thornton disappeared and Peja Stojakovic is completely out of the rotation in New Orleans. Belinelli still looks like the guy to own of this group, but don't be at all surprised if he disappears and Thornton has a big line in the next one.

Denver's Arron Afflalo is similar to Belinelli, but more consistent, going 22, 10, 10 and 17. He's hit eight threes on the season and posted a big line last night. He's locked and loaded as a starter and should probably be held in most leagues.

Utah's C.J. Miles played well for the second straight game, hitting five 3-pointers and scoring 19 points in 25 minutes last night. He's a guy you should have your eye on in all leagues, especially with Wesley Matthews finally out of the way.

Jason Smith had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets in 22 minutes off the bench last night. This is just a guy to keep an eye on in deeper leagues, as Monty Williams appears to like him. He may have got some extra run with David West struggling to the tune of 5-of-14 shooting, and he was another big man to put on Yao Ming.

Jordan Hill was the first big man off the bench for Houston and Brad Miller didn't even play. Hill had nine rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes, and is just another guy owners in very deep leagues will want to keep a close eye on going forward. He hadn't played much at all before last night.

Sonny Weems came out of nowhere and ruined Linas Kleiza last night, scoring 23 on 7-of-13 shooting. Kleiza, who was just 2-of-6 with four points in 21 minutes, is still the guy to own until further notice, while DeMar DeRozan hit 6-of-10 shots and a three for 16 points for the Raptors.

Gary Forbes started in place of Nene last night and had 12 points, a steal and a block on 6-of-12 shooting. This is just a nice story, as the rookie spent last year in the Philippines and Israel, and just like you, the Mavericks had no idea who he even was when he was announced the starter for Denver. He might get another shot if Nene's out on Friday with his groin injury, and while I picked him up in my 30-team league, that's about the only place I could see him having fantasy value. And even that is probably a stretch.

Keep reading for the Injury Report.
<!--RW-->
Injury Fallout

Stephen Curry G Warriors – Curry (ankle) sat on Wednesday and could easily do so again on Friday, presenting bad news for those of us who rolled the dice on him this week. He hasn't been ruled out though and is going to see if he can go.

LeBron James F Heat – Missed practice with a sore leg, but should be good to go. www.miamiheat.ws

Gerald Wallace F Bobcats – Wallace sprained his ankle badly enough that he needed X-rays last night, which were negative. He then strapped his shoe back on and re-took the court. We don't have him on our injured list right now, but he could end up there if the ankle swells up.

Tyreke Evans G Kings – Ditto. He left the loss to the Lakers after a nasty fall and even though it sounded like he was done, re-taped it and came back into the game. Again, it could easily swell over night and end up being a problem on Friday.

Antawn Jamison F Cavaliers – The Cavs were off last night, but Jamison's knee really has me worried. I get the sense there is surgery in his future, but that's just a hunch.

Shaquille O'Neal C Celtics – Day-to-day with his knee, but he could miss another week. Jermaine O'Neal was fairly quiet before fouling out last night and Glen Davis had just 14 points and four rebounds, but the Celtics held the Bucks off in OT. Davis is a guy I cut to get Bledsoe in several leagues last night.

Baron Davis PG Clippers – Diddy missed another game with a knee injury and remains iffy for not only Friday, but the next four games. Given the way his replacement, rookie Eric Bledsoe, played last night, and the fact the Clippers beat the Thunder, no one in L.A. is very excited about seeing Diddy back on the court. Especially coach Vinny Del Negro.

Randy Foye G Clippers – Foye will miss another week with a hamstring injury, clearing the way for Bledsoe to continue to get run.

Zach Randolph F Grizzlies – Randolph missed Wednesday's game against the Warriors, as expected, with a tailbone injury. That's four straight games for Z-Bo, who could return on Friday.

Marvin Williams F Hawks – Left Wednesday's game with a sprained right knee and may not be able to make the trip to Minnesota for Friday's game.

Jamal Crawford G Hawks – Missed Wednesday with turf toe and sounds doubtful for Friday's game.

Lamar Odom F Lakers – Odom injured a finger last night and was in some serious pain for a minute, but played through it. It looks like he should be fine.

Andrew Bynum C Lakers – Bynum might be able to make his target date of late November, but Phil Jackson was far from confident it would happen. Bynum will start when he returns (probably in December), but we're guessing his minutes are monitored closely, and Odom still holds value.

Brook Lopez C Nets – Lopez went to the floor on the game's final play, rising from the floor with a left shoulder injury. He was in some pain, but said later that he's OK. We'll see.

Devin Harris G Nets – Harris also left with a shoulder injury, but returned to finish the game. He looked fine, so this was another false alarm.

Nene F/C Nuggets – Nene was a surprise scratch with a groin injury, while Gary Forbes was an even bigger surprise in the starting lineup for Denver. Nene sounds very iffy for Friday, as well.

Richard Hamilton G/F Pistons – Rip missed another game Wednesday with a mysterious foot injury and is hoping to return this weekend.

Michael Beasley F Timberwolves – Beasley was held out with a hip injury but he's probably glad he missed this one, as the Magic were dominant. He should be ready to return Friday.

Will Bynum G Pistons – Remains out with a hamstring injury, which could be significant given the 'Stuckey Situation.'

Jeff Foster F/C Pacers – Foster tweaked his ankle in practice Wednesday and it sounds fairly serious, not that he had much fantasy potential to begin with.

Chris Andersen F/C Nuggets – Andersen (knee) appears to be ahead of schedule for the Nuggets and could be ready to return in November instead of December.

Anthony Randolph F Knicks – Randolph is healthy and ready to return for the Knicks, but I'm not expecting much tonight against the Bulls – unless they plan on showcasing him to help facilitate a trade to Denver.

Kyrylo Fesenko (flu), Jeremy Evans (wrist) F Jazz – Both guys missed Wednesday and are day-to-day, not that it mattered in your league.
 

hacheman@therx.com
Staff member
Joined
Jan 2, 2002
Messages
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Tokens
Stuckey Just Says No
Wednesday was as wild a night as I can recall for fantasy owners. It was loaded with injuries, upsets, overtime, lineup changes, a triple-double, guys you've never heard of playing well and an entire team recreating the climactic scene from Poltergeist. You know, the one where the house crumbles up and disappears into the cemetery, never to be seen again?

www.Miamiheat.ws

I've decided to only focus on things that will help your fantasy team today, as there's just too much information to cover. So Paul Pierce's milestone gets shelved, Kobe Bryant's great triple-double will get very little love, Dwight Howard's insane line in just 23 minutes gets buried, and more big lines from PGs Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul and Deron Williams will go unnoticed for the most part. And if you're looking for details of the Charlie Villanueva vs. Kevin Garnett high school war of words, you'll need to look elsewhere. If you want the whole story on the night in the NBA, just go check out the 90 or so blurbs we posted last night, as well as a fresh batch of updates this morning.

Detroit Folk Implosion

The Pistons, who fell to 0-5 last night, are in full meltdown mode and Rodney Stuckey is suddenly at the center of the storm. John Kuester twice summoned him to come into the game last night but was simply ignored by the point guard. So Kuester didn't mess with him in the second half and Stuckey finished with just 13 minutes and five points. Kuester called Stuckey and the rest of the team out on Tuesday and has apparently lost them. Joe Dumars really should be on the hot seat for the way he's run the team into the ground over the last five years, while Kuester simply needs to go so fantasy owners can on with their lives. It's a real shame, too, as Stuckey was playing at such a high level this year. Will Bynum is hurt, which left DaJuan Summers to handle the point guard duties in the second-half loss to the Hawks. I have no idea how this is going to end, but they can't fire the players. Stuckey faces disciplinary action, but don't be surprised if Tayshaun Prince or another veteran pulls a similar move, as it's clear the players are fed up with how things are going in the locker room and on the bench.

Lineup Changes

Timberwolves - Corey Brewer and Wesley Johnson started last night while Wayne Ellington was demoted and Michael Beasley was out with a hip injury. I thought Brewer was pretty good with two steals and two threes to go along with 12 points, and he's worth a look if he ends up starting over Johnson, who scored eight in an embarrassing loss. Darko Milicic could be the next one on the way out as 'Manna' missed all six of his shots and failed to score again. Ahh, memories. I still think my favorite part is the fact that Chris Webber won Rookie of the Year. The Wolves suffered a 42-point humiliation at the hands of the Magic, the worst in team history, so it remains to be seen what Kurt 'Nellie' Rambis has up his sleeve for the next one.

Magic - Ryan Anderson started at power forward, sliding Rashard Lewis to SF and Quentin Richardson to the bench. What's not to love about this move? It could finally kick Shard out of the funk he's been in for a year, as well as allow a young and talented player like Anderson an opportunity. Anderson responded with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting with four 3-pointers and three blocks. I see no reason why Stan Van Gundy won't stay with this lineup for a few more games, and possibly the rest of the way, making Anderson a very hot pickup today.

Warriors - [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1693"]Reggie Williams[/URL], who was starting for injured Stephen Curry, was benched for Rodney Carney last night. Carney was insignificant, but Williams blew up for 16 points, a career-high eight assists and two 3-pointers, and could be ready to start scoring consistently. Dorell Wright was spectacular with a career-high seven 3-pointers and another 25 points, while Monta Ellis threw in 3- with a near triple-double. All of these guys have a bit of a sell-high feel to them, but it's going to take a lot in return to get an owner of Ellis or Wright to move them. I knew Wright was going to get some run and have a shot at success in GSW, but had no idea this explosion was coming. My apologies for sleeping on him early.

Ultimate Sell High?

Rudy Gay had 35 points last night and In five games is averaging 24.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.5 blocks and 1.5 3-pointers while shooting 52% from the floor, 50% from downtown and 86.7% from the line. He's also turning it over just 1.3 times per game. Add in that Zach Randolph is going to return to steal some of those points and boards, as well the fact Gay is playing with a strained oblique, and he looks like the ultimate fantasy sell-high candidate. Start making some offers and see what you can get for him. I still think he'll have a big year, but not this big.

Waiver Wire

Here are some noteworthy performances from non-superstars on Wednesday.

Boris Diaw exploded for 24 points and filled the stat sheet, helping limit Tyrus Thomas to just 16 minutes in a tough win over the Nets.

Troy Murphy returned from a back injury for the Nets, but had just two points and two rebounds in 18 minutes. Think baby steps and he should be grabbed in most leagues.

Eric Bledsoe started again at point guard for the Clippers and was awesome. He hit 7-of-10 and two 3-pointers for 17 points, eight assists and two blocks. I actually feel bad about Bledsoe, as I was getting a lot of questions about him early yesterday, but wasn't very bullish on him. That is my bad, as it's clear that he should at least be owned in all leagues with news that Baron Davis could now miss the next four games. And you have to think he's going to be fairly disgruntled when he is ready to return, while I doubt any Clippers fans even want to see him come back. This story is just beginning.

Richard Jefferson hit all six shots in the fourth quarter, including four 3-pointers, on his way to 28 points. He's got it figured out now and should be grabbed in all leagues.

Hakim Warrick was nice again for the Suns last night as Hedo Turkoglu and Channing Frye both stunk again. It's almost as if they're trying to play their way out of the rotation. Turkoglu may be running out of chances, while Frye is clearly not the same player he was last season. Maybe both guys get it turned around, but it's time for Alvin Gentry to turn to Warrick (19 points, five boards). Robin Lopez was awful again, but I remain convinced he'll figure it out.

Greg Monroe (7 pts, 8 rebs, very active 27 minutes) has played heavy minutes for Kuester two games in a row and it looks like it is time to start thinking about grabbing him. The Pistons might as well blow up the whole team and play the kids, which include Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers. I have no idea if they'll do it or not, but all of these guys, and especially Monroe and Daye, should be watched very closely going forward.

Francisco Garcia came off the bench for 17 points and three 3-pointers after disappearing in his previous two games (4 points in each), while new starter Omri Casspi disappeared last night with just three points on 1-of-3 shooting after going for 20 and 14 in his previous two. I don't know what it is with the small forward job in Sacramento, but maybe it's destined to always be a mess. Whoever is there, on the bench or starting, tends to be extremely inconsistent, including these two guys.

Samuel Dalembert had 10 rebounds and three blocks last night in 28 minutes. The timeshare with De[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1794"]Marcus Cousins[/URL] has started and if you need a big man, it's time to move on Sammy D.

Ersan Ilyasova somehow had 15 points, seven boards and a couple threes off the Bucks bench last night, while Carlos Delfino kept it going with 15 points and seven boards. I can't say this enough, but this team is going to eventually have a different player get hot every night. I am riding the Delfino wave until he cools off, but I have a feeling his fall will be swift and punishing when it happens. I have not moved to pick EI up in any of my leagues.

Marco Belinelli is up and down like a yo-yo, scoring 18, 5, 3 and 18 points in his first four games. Marcus Thornton disappeared and Peja Stojakovic is completely out of the rotation in New Orleans. Belinelli still looks like the guy to own of this group, but don't be at all surprised if he disappears and Thornton has a big line in the next one.

Denver's Arron Afflalo is similar to Belinelli, but more consistent, going 22, 10, 10 and 17. He's hit eight threes on the season and posted a big line last night. He's locked and loaded as a starter and should probably be held in most leagues.

Utah's C.J. Miles played well for the second straight game, hitting five 3-pointers and scoring 19 points in 25 minutes last night. He's a guy you should have your eye on in all leagues, especially with Wesley Matthews finally out of the way.

Jason Smith had 14 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets in 22 minutes off the bench last night. This is just a guy to keep an eye on in deeper leagues, as Monty Williams appears to like him. He may have got some extra run with David West struggling to the tune of 5-of-14 shooting, and he was another big man to put on Yao Ming.

Jordan Hill was the first big man off the bench for Houston and Brad Miller didn't even play. Hill had nine rebounds and three blocks in 26 minutes, and is just another guy owners in very deep leagues will want to keep a close eye on going forward. He hadn't played much at all before last night.

Sonny Weems came out of nowhere and ruined Linas Kleiza last night, scoring 23 on 7-of-13 shooting. Kleiza, who was just 2-of-6 with four points in 21 minutes, is still the guy to own until further notice, while DeMar DeRozan hit 6-of-10 shots and a three for 16 points for the Raptors.

Gary Forbes started in place of Nene last night and had 12 points, a steal and a block on 6-of-12 shooting. This is just a nice story, as the rookie spent last year in the Philippines and Israel, and just like you, the Mavericks had no idea who he even was when he was announced the starter for Denver. He might get another shot if Nene's out on Friday with his groin injury, and while I picked him up in my 30-team league, that's about the only place I could see him having fantasy value. And even that is probably a stretch.

Keep reading for the Injury Report.
<!--RW-->
Injury Fallout

Stephen Curry G Warriors – Curry (ankle) sat on Wednesday and could easily do so again on Friday, presenting bad news for those of us who rolled the dice on him this week. He hasn't been ruled out though and is going to see if he can go.

LeBron James F Heat – Missed practice with a sore leg, but should be good to go. www.miamiheat.ws

Gerald Wallace F Bobcats – Wallace sprained his ankle badly enough that he needed X-rays last night, which were negative. He then strapped his shoe back on and re-took the court. We don't have him on our injured list right now, but he could end up there if the ankle swells up.

Tyreke Evans G Kings – Ditto. He left the loss to the Lakers after a nasty fall and even though it sounded like he was done, re-taped it and came back into the game. Again, it could easily swell over night and end up being a problem on Friday.

Antawn Jamison F Cavaliers – The Cavs were off last night, but Jamison's knee really has me worried. I get the sense there is surgery in his future, but that's just a hunch.

Shaquille O'Neal C Celtics – Day-to-day with his knee, but he could miss another week. Jermaine O'Neal was fairly quiet before fouling out last night and Glen Davis had just 14 points and four rebounds, but the Celtics held the Bucks off in OT. Davis is a guy I cut to get Bledsoe in several leagues last night.

Baron Davis PG Clippers – Diddy missed another game with a knee injury and remains iffy for not only Friday, but the next four games. Given the way his replacement, rookie Eric Bledsoe, played last night, and the fact the Clippers beat the Thunder, no one in L.A. is very excited about seeing Diddy back on the court. Especially coach Vinny Del Negro.

Randy Foye G Clippers – Foye will miss another week with a hamstring injury, clearing the way for Bledsoe to continue to get run.

Zach Randolph F Grizzlies – Randolph missed Wednesday's game against the Warriors, as expected, with a tailbone injury. That's four straight games for Z-Bo, who could return on Friday.

Marvin Williams F Hawks – Left Wednesday's game with a sprained right knee and may not be able to make the trip to Minnesota for Friday's game.

Jamal Crawford G Hawks – Missed Wednesday with turf toe and sounds doubtful for Friday's game.

Lamar Odom F Lakers – Odom injured a finger last night and was in some serious pain for a minute, but played through it. It looks like he should be fine.

Andrew Bynum C Lakers – Bynum might be able to make his target date of late November, but Phil Jackson was far from confident it would happen. Bynum will start when he returns (probably in December), but we're guessing his minutes are monitored closely, and Odom still holds value.

Brook Lopez C Nets – Lopez went to the floor on the game's final play, rising from the floor with a left shoulder injury. He was in some pain, but said later that he's OK. We'll see.

Devin Harris G Nets – Harris also left with a shoulder injury, but returned to finish the game. He looked fine, so this was another false alarm.

Nene F/C Nuggets – Nene was a surprise scratch with a groin injury, while Gary Forbes was an even bigger surprise in the starting lineup for Denver. Nene sounds very iffy for Friday, as well.

Richard Hamilton G/F Pistons – Rip missed another game Wednesday with a mysterious foot injury and is hoping to return this weekend.

Michael Beasley F Timberwolves – Beasley was held out with a hip injury but he's probably glad he missed this one, as the Magic were dominant. He should be ready to return Friday.

Will Bynum G Pistons – Remains out with a hamstring injury, which could be significant given the 'Stuckey Situation.'

Jeff Foster F/C Pacers – Foster tweaked his ankle in practice Wednesday and it sounds fairly serious, not that he had much fantasy potential to begin with.

Chris Andersen F/C Nuggets – Andersen (knee) appears to be ahead of schedule for the Nuggets and could be ready to return in November instead of December.

Anthony Randolph F Knicks – Randolph is healthy and ready to return for the Knicks, but I'm not expecting much tonight against the Bulls – unless they plan on showcasing him to help facilitate a trade to Denver.

Kyrylo Fesenko (flu), Jeremy Evans (wrist) F Jazz – Both guys missed Wednesday and are day-to-day, not that it mattered in your league.
 

hacheman@therx.com
Staff member
Joined
Jan 2, 2002
Messages
139,222
Tokens
Vintage Brand
Thursday marked Day 10 of the 2010-11 NBA campaign, and I may be alone in this, but to me it feels like the season has already lasted about 17 weeks. I mean that mostly in a good way, and largely hold that sentiment because there have been so many developments and changing player values to digest early on. And with that in mind, let's get directly to the business at hand:

[SIZE=+1]Trendspotting[/SIZE]

Three on the Rise:

Elton Brand: Is he back to what he used to be in his Clippers heyday? No, and at age 31, chances are he never will be. But make no mistake, the Doug Collins regime has been positively fantastic for Brand, who heads toward the weekend averaging 18.0 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.2 apg, 2.6 spg and 1.8 bpg with glorious percentages, numbers that placed him No. 2 overall in Basketball Monster's rankings for eight-category leagues. On some level that makes him a blatant sell-high consideration, but aside from an obvious drop in steals and a slight dip in percentages, I don't expect his numbers to fall off dramatically if he stays healthy. That said, if you can get a top-25 player for him right now, you have to seriously consider it.

Eric Bledsoe: With Baron Davis (knee) and Randy Foye (hammie) sidelined, Bledsoe got consecutive starts on Monday and Wednesday and made a striking impression: 13.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.5 apg, 2.0 spg, 2.0 bpg and 1.5 threes. And beyond the stats, he looked absolutely dynamic on tape, elevating high to block shots, uncorking some impressive assists and yes, occasionally throwing up a wretched shot attempt, but we'll cut him a break there because he's a 20-year-old rookie. The bottom line: All Baron owners need to have Bledsoe stashed, and he's worth a look for non-Dizzle owners as well. Though it's unlikely he'll steal Davis' job outright, Bledsoe needs to be on rosters right now to see how this pans out.

Rudy Gay: Forget on the rise, he has absolutely peaked. Don't get me wrong, I'm an appreciator of Rudy as a fantasy player, but with averages of 26.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.2 spg and 2.0 threes, he's currently the No. 1-ranked player in non-turnover leagues. He's definitely primed to improve on his No. 43 ranking from last year, but considering that Zach "The Shot Gobbler" Randolph has played all of 15 minutes this season, it's time to see if you can package Rudy for a player who was drafted several rounds earlier.

Three on the Plummet:

Chris Bosh: Just about everyone envisioned his scoring average dropping while playing alongside Wade and LeBron, but at 13.0 ppg as of Thursday, it has been notably worse than anyone would have anticipated. On a positive note, I do see Bosh's average rising up from its current gutter as the season goes on, but expecting much more than 17 or so ppg is probably unrealistic. www.miamiheat.ws

Nicolas Batum: Just when it looked like Batum was going to get consistent minutes from Nate McMillan and showcase his considerable potential in threes, steals and blocks, he averaged just 2.5 points in 16 minutes over a two-game stretch heading into Thursday night. Some of that has to do with Wesley Matthews finding his legs, but ultimately this is eerily reminiscent of Batum last season – very large on some nights but overall too inconsistent to trust.

Trevor Ariza: It's not a full-blown disaster for Ariza thanks to his 1.0 threes and 2.8 steals per game, but the fact that he has averaged just over seven FG attempts per game is somewhat alarming. With that said, he is still adjusting to a new team and I do expect him to eventually transition into an 11-13 ppg happy zone with nice peripheral stats. Try to stay patient for now.

[SIZE=+1]Three Random but Hopefully Useful Observations[/SIZE]

1. There's absolutely no need to worry about Paul Millsap's long-term productivity. In talking to a few avid NBA observers recently, I've been surprised to hear some of them voicing concern about what will happen to Millsap when Mehmet Okur (Achilles) comes back. Let me just say, I'm not concerned about Okur remotely. In fact, the last time I was this unconcerned about something was a recent bout I had with Glass Joe in Punch Out for *** – and we all know how those end. Even if Okur returns in December, Millsap is too productive and locked-in to take a major hit.

2. Pardon me while I completely avoid the Kings' small forward situation. Omri Casspi, Francisco Garcia and even Donte Greene will all have their moments over the course of the season, but predicting who will be good on any given night is like trying to win a game of three-card monte with one of those Jedi training helmets on. Not a discipline I'm interested in pursuing.

3. If you can trade Dwyane Wade for a slightly gimpy Stephen Curry right now, do it. Wade's season stats still look solid (22.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.6 spg, 1.0 bpg, 1.0 threes), but his scoring, minutes, shot attempts and assists are down, leaving him as the 36th-ranked player overall in non-turnover leagues. The owner who has Curry may not jump at the offer, but it's worth checking to see if the ankle injury has him concerned (and for the record, in the long run, I am not worried about it). www.miamiheat.ws

[SIZE=+1]10 Quick-Hitting Statements of Fact and/or Opinion[/SIZE]

1) Jrue Holiday's first two games this week: 12.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 9.0 apg, 2.5 spg. Time to put that early-season slump to rest.

2) Rajon Rondo is awesome – a legit top-20 fantasy player – but in the long run I would still prefer Deron Williams or, yes this might sound crazy, probably even Jason Kidd. The bottom line is Rondo still doesn't consistently hit threes, is still shaky from the line and simply cannot sustain this insane production in assists. And when the assist numbers drop from 16.4 per game back toward 10 or 11 (a much more logical expectation), Rondo's rating (No. 9 in non-turnover leagues) should slide back into the 15-20 range.

3) Blake Griffin's free throw percentage (52.5) is a legitimately huge issue, as is his lack of blocks (just one in five games thus far), but if you've seen him play you should know that A) he won't be this bad of a FT shooter (picture more like 60 percent), and B) his upside is considerably higher than his current 17.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 0.8 spg and 0.2 bpg.

4) Devin Harris is producing nicely in New Jersey, but let this be your reminder to begin testing his trade market ASAP while he's still relatively healthy (speaking of which, Harris is reportedly listed as questionable with a shoulder injury for Friday's game). If he plays through it, start shopping.

5) I would not add Hedo Turkoglu off waivers if you dropped him in one of my leagues.

6) Richard Jefferson looks good so far in San Antonio, but does very little other than score and get some threes and won't shoot 65.9 percent all year.

7) Be my guest if you want to add Glen Davis' hollow 13 points and five rebounds, but there should definitely be better options on your wire unless you're playing in an extremely deep league.

8) It's time to stop giving Rashard Lewis big-name credit based on his past performance. Sure, he'll eventually break out of this wretched slump and is a good source of threes, but I consider him surpassing last season's averages of 14.1 ppg and 4.4 rpg a longshot.

9) Perhaps it's ill-advised loyalty, but I'm giving Austin Daye at least one more chance on Friday before I cut him loose.

10) Antawn Jamison is a classic "hot potato" this year. Get him out of your hands at the first reasonable opportunity before he combusts while still in your possession.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Bye, bye Baron, hello Bledsoe?

Last week's Waiver Wired was massive, and while this one isn't quite as in depth, it's still a big one. Each of the positions start with the guys who should be owned in all leagues and then trickles down to deep-league specials. Let's dive right in.


Point Guards

Eric Bledsoe Clippers
Lou Williams 76ers
Kirk Hinrich Wizards
Roddy Beaubois
Will Bynum/Jordan Farmar Pistons/Nets


Eric Bledsoe has already been hyped quite a bit here but he's still available in over half the leagues out there. He has made two straight starts and played very well in them, and should get at least four more of them with Baron Davis iffy with his knee injury over the next week or so. Then you add in the fact that Davis is still not in good graces with Vinny Del Negro and they actually beat the Thunder with Bledsoe running the show, and this could officially be the start of the changing of the guard. Am I worried that Davis will come back and take over the job, leaving Bledsoe in his dust? Yes, but Bledsoe is worth the gamble in any league where starting point guards are tough to come by. And should you cut Davis? I'd just try to stash him on your bench, but he is being dropped at an alarming rate right now. In other words, if you cut the cord, you are not alone.

Lou Williams is no longer a point guard, but still qualifies there in most leagues. He's averaging 18 points, four assists and two 3-pointers off the Sixers' bench and looks like the most reliable PG/SG you'll find on waivers right now. Still available in 30 % of leagues.

Kirk Hinrich is an interesting player. He had a nice preseason and has played reasonably well while starting for injured Gilbert Arenas. And even though Arenas is ready to get his year going tonight, he'll come off the bench. And if Arenas flakes out again, Hinrich will be there to pick up the pieces. He's at nine points, five dimes and two 3-pointers per game, but those numbers could rise if Arenas falls. Available in 40% of leagues.

And speaking of Arenas, he's owned in 99% of CBS leagues but he could start showing up on wires quickly if he doesn't live up to the hype this weekend.

Roddy Beaubois is still recovering from a broken foot and may not play until December. I think he should be owned if you have a true injured reserve in your league, where you can deactivate him and pick up another player. But if you're in a deeper league with a large bench, he is also a guy who can be stashed now and held for later. He's going to be a hot pickup once he's close to playing again.

Jordan Farmar and Will Bynum are not guys who should be owned in most leagues, especially since Bynum has been out all year with an injury. But Farmar has looked very good when he's on the court for the Nets and seems like a perfect backup for Devin Harris, who is hurt again (shocker). Bynum could become very relevant if this John Kuester vs. Rodney Stuckey feud is not resolved quickly. Either way, based on what may happen in the next two days, both guys should be on every owner's radar. Bynum has proven he can be a beast when Stuckey is not playing, and is finally set to debut on Friday. And his arrival couldn't have come at a better time, as Stuckey will not start that game after refusing to acknowledge Kuester in a loss in Atlanta Wednesday.

Shooting Guards

Arron Afflalo Nuggets
Marco Belinelli Hornets
Nicolas Batum Blazers
Toney Douglas Knicks
Corey Brewer/Wesley Johnson Timberwolves
James Jones Heat
George Hill Spurs
Terrence Williams Nets


Arron Afflalo is a 3-point specialist for the Nuggets and has had two very good games and two mediocre ones thus far. He looks locked and loaded in the starting job and should have a good season. If you're looking for a 3-point shooter who should be guaranteed minutes, look no further. Owned in 70% of leagues.

Marco Belinelli has held his own in the starting lineup for the Hornets and given the struggles of both Trevor Ariza and Marcus Thornton, should be owned and possibly starting in all leagues. He'll be a little inconsistent, but is still worthy of a look across the board for his scoring, threes and starting gig. And he's only owned in 32% of CBS leagues.

Nicolas Batum's minutes have been up and down for Nate McMillan, but he played a team-high 47 minutes on Thursday. He's owned in about 80% of fantasy leagues, but if he's available in yours, I'd recommend grabbing him. Hopefully the minutes are coming and he turns out to be a stud in rebounds, steals, blocks and threes.

Toney Douglas blew up for 30 points, five 3-pointers, four assists and four steals on Thursday. His minutes have been very consistent, falling between 25 and 31 in all four games and he's only owned in 35% of fantasy leagues. Given his playing time consistency, he looks like a safe add in any league. And if you want to cut starter Landry Fields for him, I'm good with it.

Corey Brewer and Wesley Johnson should be watched closely for the hapless Timberwolves. If Brewer ends up winning the starting job I think he should be owned in all leagues, while Johnson is going to have to get minutes for the league's biggest mess.

James Jones has hit 18 3-pointers in five games and is shooting over 50% from the floor. He won't do much else, but man, that's a lot of threes.
www.miamiheat.ws
George Hill is currently sidelined with a neck injury but will resume sixth-man duties when he returns. He was playing well (11 points, 5 assists in two games) before he went down and should do so again when healthy.

Terrence Williams is a guy I'm simply holding onto until further notice. He's only worth a spot start for now and is probably better served on your bench. But I can envision him getting hot and becoming a fantasy beast at some point in the near future, and I don't want to see him become a one-man wrecking crew for someone else.

Keep reading for Small Forwards, Power Forwards and Centers
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Small Forwards

Dorell Wright Warriors
[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1693"]Reggie Williams[/URL] Warriors
Carlos Delfino Bucks
Linas Kleiza Raptors
Antawn Jamison Cavaliers
C.J. Miles Jazz


Dorell Wright is on fire, averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.3 blocks and 4.5 3-pointers per game. Yes, he will cool off and yes, Stephen Curry will come back, but Wright will continue to start at SF until further notice. And while he's a sell-high player, he's also a guy who could continue to be a solid performer all season long. Unfortunately, he's owned in 91% of leagues now.

[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1693"]Reggie Williams[/URL] had 16 points, eight assists and a couple threes off the bench on Wednesday and is now locked into the sixth-man role. He got off to a slow start and is only owned in 20% of leagues, but now is a great time to take a flier on him.

Carlos Delfino has been very solid for a deep Bucks team, averaging 16 points, 5 boards, 2 steals and three 3-pointers per game. Once Corey Maggette and John Salmons get rolling, I'm worried about Delfino becoming inconsistent, not to mention that Ersan Ilyasova is going to get minutes on nights when he's hot. Delfino's owned in 80% of leagues, but that number should probably be higher given his fast start.

Linas Kleiza has been inconsistent, but should be a reliable source of points, threes, boards and steals this season. He was awful in his last game, as Sonny Weems came out of nowhere to ruin his night, but is still a guy I am in favor of hanging onto in most leagues. He's owned in 68% of leagues.

Antawn Jamison is still owned in 94% of leagues, but that's down from 97% in Week 1. And given his knee injury and bench role, I expect he's going to start being dropped heavily if he doesn't get it going this weekend. It's hard to imagine him sucking all year, that is, as long as he doesn't need knee surgery. If he's dumped in your league, he's worth a grab-and-stash.

C.J. Miles has played very well in two straight games, averaging 20 points and four 3-pointers over that stretch. He's the sixth man in Utah and looks like a solid add right now. And he's available in 87% of fantasy leagues right now.

Power Forwards

Tyrus Thomas Bobcats
Ryan Anderson Magic
Udonis Haslem Heat
Hakim Warrick Suns
Taj Gibson Bulls
Greg Monroe Pistons
Tyler Hansbrough Pacers
Chris Andersen Nuggets


Tyrus Thomas only saw 16 minutes of action in his last game as Boris Diaw got very hot and stayed in the game. However, Thomas still appears to have a bright future in Charlotte, where he should be able to rack up some points, boards, blocks and steals, while shooting it well from the field and line. He's still available in more than 20% of CBS leagues.

Ryan Anderson started for the Magic at power forward Wednesday and went 6-of-10 with four 3-pointers, three boards and three blocks on his way to 19 points. He'll start again on Friday, but keep in mind, he played just 19 minutes on Wednesday. Then again, that game was over at the end of the first quarter, as the Magic romped all over the Wolves. Anderson's available in 90% of fantasy leagues and could be a great pickup if he ends up starting all season.
UPDATE: Anderson got just seven minutes Friday and didn't play in the second half. At this point, disregard him.

Udonis Haslem is playing about as well as teammate Chris Bosh, which makes Bosh's owners whimper and cry. Haslem's only owned in 50% of fantasy leagues and is averaging seven points and nine boards thus far. And for the record, Bosh is averaging 13 points, 6.5 boards and a block per game. Haslem is not a must-own player, but could be a better option that a guy like Reggie Evans, who will only get rebounds.

Hakim Warrick appears to be poised to take over the starting power forward duties for Hedo Turkoglu in Phoenix. The Suns are grossly undersized and outmanned in the paint, and Warrick would help fix that problem. He's had a couple of nice lines and should be scooped up in most leagues if he ends with the starting job. Turkoglu looks like a player who belongs on the bench, if not the D-League.

Taj Gibson double-doubled on Thursday and has been pretty inconsistent thus far. He'll lose all value when Carlos Boozer returns in three weeks or so. But Gibson is capable of 15 points and 10 boards every night out until that happens.

Greg Monroe has gotten some solid run in his last two games and the hapless Pistons could be ready to turn him loose. He's not going to be a monster, but will be a serviceable power forward if he gets 25-30 minutes per game. He's only owned in about 25% of leagues, but that number is on its way up. I didn't list Austin Daye here today, but he's also going to (probably) continue to start and I bet he eventually gets it going.
www.miamiheat.ws
Tyler Hansbrough is getting healthy and ready to give Josh McRoberts a run for the starting job in Indy. He's going to be primarily a source of points and rebounds, but should probably only be considered in very deep leagues right now. Just keep an eye on him.

Chris Andersen is on his way back from knee surgery and should be playing by the end of the month. He'll specialize in boards and blocks, while also hurting the value of Shelden Williams. But Williams, who has been a bit inconsistent after a hot start, should continue to start in Denver.

Centers

Samuel Dalembert 76ers
Serge Ibaka Thunder
Andrew Bynum Lakers
JaVale McGee Wizards
Robin Lopez Suns
Ronny Turiaf Knicks
Nazr Mohammed Bobcats
Joel Przybilla Blazers
Jordan Hill Rockets


Samuel Dalembert is now starting at center for the Kings and should be a very nice source of boards and blocks. And with all the talk this summer about how he was the missing piece in the middle for a team ready to run, the offense could be there too. He's healthy and only owned in 60% of fantasy leagues, so grab him if he's there and you need a center.

Serge Ibaka's a shot-blocking specialist who is going to rack up boards and some points, too. He's only available in about 30% of leagues, but in my opinion, that number should be closer to zero.

JaVale McGee is only owned in 71% of fantasy leagues after an inconsistent start to the season, mainly due to foul trouble. I really don't know if he'll get it going or not, but the odds are still in his favor, mainly because Hilton Armstrong just isn't very good. McGee had seven blocks in one game recently and if he can stop hacking people early, he should end up being fun to own.

Robin Lopez has had one good game and a bunch of bad ones. I have no idea what his problem is, but until he figures it out, the Suns are going to struggle. Owned in 74% of leagues, so it may not matter.

Ronny Turiaf looked good against the Bulls on Thursday and Timofey Mozgov clearly isn't the answer in the middle for the Knicks. If you need boards and blocks, or a center, it's time to move on Turiaf, who is going to get plenty of minutes as long as he's healthy. And he is available in 85% of leagues out there.

Nazr Mohammed is not a great center pick up, but did have 12 points, six boards and a steal and a block in his last game. If you're in a real deep league and there are no healthy centers available on your wire, he might be your best bet. And if he's not available in your league, you are probably in my 30-team league.

Joel Przybilla is nearing a return for the Blazers and while Marcus Camby is walking and running right now, he may not be next week. He is, after all, a Blazer. Przybilla will kind of be a white version of Reggie Evans, with less boards and a few blocks thrown in for good measure. But he's not going to score many points and could struggle as he returns from a pair of devastating knee injuries.

Jordan Hill is a guy I'm keeping a close eye on. He, and not Brad Miller, relieved Yao Ming in the last game and had nine rebounds and three blocks. This is your super-deep league special, as Hill had only seen a few minutes of garbage time prior to the 26-minute game. If you're in a deep league and need a big, watch him closely.
 

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Monta's Raw Deal
While the Steelers and Bengals were battling it out last night in Monday's lone football game, Monta Ellis went down and four out of six NBA games came down to the wire. Catch up on what you missed in Tuesday's Dose.

Warriors Handle Raptors, Lose Monta

The Warriors beat the Raptors 109-102, but the game wasn't nearly that close. The Warriors were all set to win and hit the road when Monta Ellis went down with an awkward and strange back injury. He was on the floor for several minutes, but was eventually able to walk off, very gingerly, under his own power. He stayed in Toronto for X-rays leaving the rest of his week in doubt. I'm hoping he just scared himself and will be fine, but this could be a tough week for the league's leading scorer and his fantasy owners.
Update: X-rays came back clean and Ellis simply has a back strain. Whether that means he'll play the rest of the week remains to be seen.

Reggie Williams played just eight minutes and scored two points last night, but would see a significant boost if Ellis is out for a while. Dorell Wright has finally come back to earth and cooled off, hitting just 1-of-5 shots for seven points, two rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. He won't be this bad on most nights, but he also isn't as good as his early numbers suggest. If you sold high on him already, congratulations are probably in order. But he's another guy who will be big if Monta is out. Stephen Curry came through last night after a slow start, finishing with a season-high 34 points to go along with five boards, four assists, three steals and two 3-pointers. He appeared to hurt his ankle again, but he simply needed to have it re-taped. In other words, he is starting to look healthy, as long as he can avoid stepping on other people's feet going forward.

For the Raptors the strange rotations continued. Jarrett Jack caught fire and had his best game of the season with 24 points, eight assists and three steals, while Jose Calderon didn't even score in 10 minutes. I have been a Jack fan all year, and while these two will continue to share the job, Jack is the starter and the one with true fantasy value. Andrea Bargnani has officially cooled off after scoring 20 or more points in their first four games, but has scored just 14, 12 and 11 in his last three. He was on the bench down the stretch last night and in some foul trouble, and while all clearly isn't well in Toronto, I'm not ready to panic on Bargnani yet. While he was sitting, Linas Kleiza and Amir Johnson were getting big minutes. Kleiza hit 8-of-16 shots and two 3-pointers on his way to 20 points, seven boards and four assists, while Amir had 12 points, five boards, a steal and a block in 29 minutes. I get a lot of "what do I do with Kleiza?" emails, but it's clear that you just have to hang onto him. And Amir is a guy worth picking up right now, as his minutes have skyrocketed to an average of 25 per game over his last three. And lastly, Leandro Barbosa left last night's game with a left shoulder injury, leaving him day-to-day.

Kidd Struggles, But Mavs Win

Jason Kidd failed to score on Monday night and has scored a total of 11 points over his last three. While his other numbers are still pretty nice, it's tough to think of a guy who simply can't (or won't) score as a No. 1 fantasy point guard. Kidd will erase these bad memories with a huge line in the near future, but less than four ppg over the last week is a tough pill to swallow.

Jason Terry came off the bench and DeShawn Stevenson started, but their numbers didn't change much. Keep starting Jet (17 points) and keep ignoring DS (six points). Tyson Chandler had 12 points, 13 boards and two blocks, effectively sticking a fork in Brendan Haywood – at least until Chandler goes down with an injury. Speaking of which, Caron Butler left after scoring 11 points due to back spasms, leaving him iffy for his next game.

For the Celtics, who lost this game 89-87, Rajon Rondo hit just 5-of-15 shots but finished with 11 points, six boards, 15 more dimes and five steals. It's pretty easy to forgive his inability to shoot with so much else going on. And while Rondo's feet are a concern, it looks like he's not having much trouble playing through it. Kevin Garnett's resurgence continued with 18 points and 15 boards, while Jermaine O'Neal sat out the second half with his bum knee. He recently had an MRI on the knee and it would not be shocking if he has to go under the knife at some point this season. His knee, as usual, is a mess. Shaquille O'Neal is still out with his own knee injury, but would like to play Thursday. If the Celtics had a serviceable center, they would have won this game.

Bulls Beat Nuggets By Two

Joakim Noah had 13 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks as the Bulls held off the Nuggets. You're sick of hearing it, but it's almost impossible to ignore the fact that Carlos Boozer has averaged between 10.4 and 11.7 rebounds in each of the last four seasons. Something's got to give when Boozer is back.

Carmelo Anthony had a big night with 32 points, eight rebounds, four steals, two blocks and a three. Shelden Williams hit just 1-of-5 shots for two points and five rebounds, and while things were looking up for him at the start of the year, the clock struck 12 and he's turned back into a pumpkin. Arron Afflalo got off to a terrible start last night but finished up strong with 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Nene returned from his groin injury for eight points and seven rebounds, but sat out the fourth quarter after aggravating the injury. Not great news if you own him, but at least he played a little last night.

Memphis Shocks Suns

Zach Randolph had 23 points, 20 boards and three steals, meaning he's clearly over his tailbone injury (even though he says he's not yet 100 percent). Darrell Arthur returned from a knee injury but had just two points and two rebounds, as his flame has finally run out. Xavier Henry played 25 minutes and scored 14 points for the Grizz last night, so just keep an eye on him going forward.

For the losing Suns, Steve Nash was nice again with 16 points, 11 dimes and 'just' four turnovers. The four TOs are an improvement over the massive TO numbers he was posting earlier this season. If you've been looking to move Nash, now is the time to do it. Robin Lopez was awful again with just two points, two boards, two blocks. I have no idea what he is doing, but he's been terrible in all but one game. Centers are tough to come by, but he's clearly not helping. Hedo Turkoglu was not great either, finishing with just eight points and almost nothing else, but it sounds like he'll continue to start for the Suns. Which is bad news for Hakim Warrick, who had 16 points and five boards, and looks like a much better nightly play than Turk or Lopez. Grant Hill bounced back from some struggles with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and is a guy who should be given a look in most leagues, despite the fact he's a pretty boring player to own.

Keep reading for more Recaps and News and Notes.
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Magic Take Down Hawks

Vince Carter played through a hip injury and had 19 points, Dwight Howard added 27 & 11 and the Magic didn't even need Jameer Nelson (ankle) to beat the Hawks by four. Chris Duhon started at point guard for Nelson, but had just two points and four assists in the win. Ryan Anderson started at PF again, but had just four points in 15 minutes, while Rashard Lewis' struggles continued with four points on 2-of-7 shooting. Really? I mean, can you just drop a guy like Lewis? I don't think so, but his max contract is looking worse by the day. Nelson isn't like to play on Wednesday, so look for him on Friday against the Raptors.

Josh Smith had 13 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, a steal, a block and another 3-pointer in the loss.

Spurs Hold Off Bobcats

Manu Ginobili had 26 points, five boards, three assists, two steals and five 3-pointers as the Spurs beat the Bobcats. He looks like one of the bigger fantasy steals from draft night this year and is finally healthy. George Hill returned from a neck injury but failed to hit any of his four shots in 21 minutes, while little known Gary Neal hit five 3-pointers for 15 points. Hill will get it going again and be a decent fantasy player as the Spurs' sixth man, but I am not expecting much from Neal. Richard Jefferson, who has been a very popular pick up lately, struggled to hit just 3-of-6 shots for six points, but should be a solid guy to own going forward.

For Charlotte, Gerald Wallace's quiet season continues as he hit just 2-of-11 shots for seven points, three boards, two steals and two blocks. This is a good time for a savvy owner to move in for the kill and steal him. Boris Diaw and Tyrus Thomas were both nice for the Bobcats, although it's impossible to figure out when Thomas is going to play well and when he's going to stink. Stephen Jackson (4-of-13, 15 points) and D.J. Augustin (3-of-15, 37 minutes, seven points, six boards, six assists) also struggled, so it's hard to even figure out how the Bobcats lost by just four points. I get a lot of questions about Augustin, but I'm sticking with him as long as the minutes are there. He's got to get hot eventually, right?

News and Notes

Luke Ridnour missed Monday's Wolves practice with a hamstring injury and could miss several games. With Jonny Flynn still out and no target date set, Sebastian Telfair looks like a sneaky add right now.

Eric Gordon has a left shoulder injury, but is expected to play tonight.

Terrence Williams will not receive further punishment for this hit on LeBron James Saturday – and I couldn't be happier about it. He's iffy tonight with an ab strain and should be benched until he gets hot. It will eventually happen.

Deron Williams will play tonight, but is bothered by a sore hip and back.

Jeff Green still doesn't know if he's playing Wednesday on his bum ankle, so continue to keep your fingers crossed if you own him.

Andre Iguodala doesn't sound sure about Wednesday with his Achilles injury, but Doug Collins thinks he'll play.

Carlos Delfino is expected to play tonight through a neck injury.

Antawn Jamison is also expected to be a go tonight for the Cavs, despite his bulky knee.

Brandon Rush will make his first appearance of the season off the bench for the Pacers after a five-game suspension. He could replace Mike Dunleavy as the starter, but he's let us down too many times for me to get excited about it.

Mehmet Okur (ruptured Achilles) still doesn't have a target date and I think he's still a ways away. And as was well documented over the summer, I'm not expecting too much upon his return with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap around. Oh, and I benched Andrei Kirilenko this week, so you're welcome if you played him – I'm sure he'll go off.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Job Security
Dr. A said to me, "if I see Kurt Rambis, I might…," and that might be the best way to sum up what is going on in Minnesota. The team had lost 36 of their last 39 games entering last night. They're the laughing stock of the NBA. GM David Kahn gets more street-cred for the (unintentionally) hilarious things he says than he does for, well, just about anything. So where do you think they go from there?

They bench their best player, religiously. After 23 points, 24 rebounds, five assists, two 3-pointers, and who knows, two Lakers girls the night before, Kevin Love found himself on the bench. Nevermind the fact that he almost single-handedly delivered Rambis a win at Staples Center. Nevermind that the Wolves were in a dogfight for their first road win in six tries, after winning just five road contests the year before. Kurt Rambis has a point to make.

For 12 straight minutes from the middle of the third quarter to the middle of the fourth, Kevin Love sat the bench. Perhaps Nikola Pekovic was playing extraordinary defense.

And so yes, John Wall made history last night with a triple-double that put him in elite company, and Michael Beasley scored a career-high 42 points. We expect to see that from Wall and we don't expect to see it from Beasley. But that's where the story ends. Within 24 hours, Love and Rambis went all the way in a full circle and the end is nowhere in sight. Owners – they have no choice but to stick him in their lineups and hope for the best – and frankly he's doing fine. The real losers in this are the fans in Minnesota, who have to put up with a bar so low that the GM and coach can keep their jobs after losing 90% of their games, while their best player gets reduced to being a symbol of Rambis' stubbornness.

Of course, Love entered the game with seven minutes to go in the fourth, hit a big shot immediately and then drew a foul on a 3-point shot attempt. His key rebound late helped secure the Wolves' fourth win since Valentine's Day. He finished with eight points and nine boards. And now that I got that off my chest, onward to a jam-packed Dose!

To read less irate rants, get breaking news, and have your questions answered in real-time, you can follow me on Twitter here.

[SIZE=+1]The 6 Things We Learned Last Night[/SIZE]

1. John Wall is really, really good

Okay, we already knew that. But last night's 19-point, 10-rebound, 13-assist triple-double put him in some elite company. He became the fifth rookie to go 2x3 in his first six games, joining Oscar Robertson, Hambone Williams, Connie Hawkins, and none other than Magic Johnson. He also joined Magic in becoming just the second NBA player to have a triple-double in their first six games AND have a game with six or more steals. If you're not gonna hambone after that, then you never will.
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2. Michael Beasley may be worth a couple of second round picks after all

Michael Beasley played through a sore left hip and went off for a career-high 42 points on 17-of-31 shooting (including a three) with nine rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 41 minutes of action. In shades of Rudy Gay earlier in the week, the Kings tried to defend him with everybody on their roster and a zone. They're having trouble defending the forward positions, but make no mistake, Beasley was on fire.

Now I don't own Michael Beasley in any of my 10 leagues, but if I did, I would be on the horn all morning long offloading him. Not to beat a dead horse, but I don't trust a thing in Minnesota right now. And if Love, with no real record of issues on or off the court, can't win Rambis' trust how the heck is the Beez going to? Maybe he does, but I'd rather see what I can get in return at this high-water mark.

3. Just a couple of months without Nellie and the Warriors grew a pair

Where to start? Let the jury see Exhibit 'A,' one Monta Ellis. He returned to action after doing the limbo in Toronto on Monday, staying overnight in the hospital on Tuesday, and went to New York on Wednesday and scored 22 points with two rebounds, six assists, and four steals in 40 minutes. This comes from a guy who missed two weeks at the end of last year with the flu.

Not impressed? Exhibit 'B,' Stephen Curry, had to have play stopped twice because he was bleeding all over the place, once for a bloody nose and once for a bloody elbow. And despite all of that, and the ankle he has tweaked just about every game he has played this year, he still cranked out 25 points, eight assists, and six rebounds.

Not enough blood? I give you Exhibit 'C,' one David Jebediah Lee (I have no idea what his middle name is, maybe Jake Stephens the fantasy guy does). Going back to his old stomping grounds, video tribute and all, he out-beasted Amare Stoudemire with 28 points, 10 boards, four assists, and took two of Wilson Chandler's teeth in his elbow a la Dirk. With blood soaking through his bandage he got the final rebound, hit the key foul shots, and won the game. To quote Anchorman, he was the balls.

Keep reading for the next three things we learned, and the Four Quarters of Fury…
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[SIZE=+1]The 6 Things We Learned Last Night[/SIZE]

4. Houston has a problem

Reports coming out of Houston yesterday said that Yao Ming wanted to play more minutes, and that the Rockets were actually considering it. They've got to feel cursed waking up this morning, as Yao quickly went out and strained a tendon in his left leg during the first half of Wednesday's game. He didn't look too happy in the locker room after the game, and maybe he sees the writing on the wall. You should.

In his place Brad Miller started the second half, but him and Jordan Hill split time going forward. I had high hopes for Miller coming into the year, but it just isn't working out. Neither are good options until one of them can prove themselves.

The good news for owners of other Rockets is that the less Yao there is – the more of everything else there will be. The pace of play will pick up, and guys like Kevin Martin, Aaron Brooks (when he returns), and Luis Scola will all benefit. Martin (ankle) scored 31 points with seven boards with six assists after being held from Tuesday's practice, and with his injury history that's about as good of a sell-high line as there is.

And as for the PG situation in the wake of the Aaron Brooks injury, we saw Kyle Lowry (back) return for a predetermined, shortened workload. He struggled and shot just 2-of-11 from the field for four points, three boards, and four assists in 21 minutes. Rookie Ishmael Smith started and was better than Lowry on this night, scoring 12 points with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and in the short-term could hold onto the job while Lowry gets up to speed. There's no doubt he'll be on a short leash, though, as Rick Adelman sounded rather desperate in his pleas to see Lowry healthy and running the team the other day. For my money, I'd rather have Lowry long-term but Ish will also do over the next week or so.

5. Something is up with the twins

The Lopez brothers both entered the league and were known for their tough, bruising style of play. Fast forward to this year and both have been accused of being timid, and lacking aggression. So maybe there's something to the twins thing, and while I can see why Robin would be hesitant to assert himself with less polish to his game, Brook's step back is a bit of a mystery. Big Z had his number in Miami earlier in the week and so has Anderson Varejao in back-to-back games against the Cavs. He's now shooting 39% on the year after his 1-for-5 effort last night, which saw him get two quick, lazy fouls followed by a benching so career backup Kris Humphries could man the paint throughout much of the second half.

For his part Humphries, who started at PF for Troy Murphy (foot), was solid with 13 points, 18 rebounds, a steal, and two blocks. If Murphy, who could be an injury-risk all year long, misses any time then Humphries will probably start so they can keep rookie Derrick Favors coming off the bench where they can monitor his minutes. Add it up and the Humpty-Humph is worth a long look if you're in the market for a big man.

But back to Lopez, it's a bit concerning that toughness issues are popping up after a year of not having any. The only real difference in New Jersey is at coach, and as we know, the little general is a my-way-or-the-highway type of guy. Maybe he's in Brook's head. Brook is either going to respond, or owners are going to be in for a long year. For my money I'm betting on the former and I'll be floating the buy-low offers out all week.

In other Jersey news, Terrence Williams (ab strain) missed Wednesday's game and a few different guys were there to fill the vacuum. Jordan Farmar scored 12 points with six rebounds, six assists, and two steals, and while he will go back to mostly irrelevant when T-Willie returns, the fact that he did it while Devin Harris scored 31 points with nine assists is encouraging. Speaking of Harris, he appears over his shoulder injury and owners can resume trying to dump the injury risk onto somebody else.

Anthony Morrow had another nice night with 21 points including five 3-pointers, but one look at his game log will tell you that he can't be trusted. And what about Travis Outlaw, who scored 27 points on Tuesday? He scored five on Wednesday, without Williams around no less, and is about as erratic as anybody in the league. And yes, we're still holding Williams for his massive breakout potential.

6. The Knicks are a nice set of New York Boobs

Dave Chappelle does an awesome skit where he interviews a bunch of women and tells them that they "have a nice pair of New York boooooobs.". My girlfriend who watches nothing that I watch on T.V. and still thinks that it is literally always sunny in Philadelphia, saw this and now runs around telling her friends that they have great, well you get the point. And if she ever watched the Knicks, there's no doubt that she'd run around calling them the New York Boobs.

So why compare the Knicks to mammary glands? At 3-5 the Knicks aren't quite reeling, but they're pretty darn close. They make dumb plays. They lack effort and leadership. Amare talked trash to Scott Skiles the other night when he should have been worrying about Andrew Bogut. Wilson Chandler nearly shut down a 4-on-1 fastbreak last night with under a minute left in a one-point game, and nobody ran back to help him. All of this will largely get masked due to the numbers some of them put up against the Warriors last night, but for all of the improvement the W's have shown on defense, they are still a plus-matchup for fantasy purposes.

Stoudemire scored 33 points with 10 boards, three steals, a block, and a three, but hasn't been near the late-first, early-second round draft pick owners thought they were getting. Raymond Felton scored 20 points with six boards and six assists. That's good, right? Yes, but he can't get the Knicks' offense working the way it needs to be, and after the game writers posed the question of whether or not Landry Fields or Danilo Gallinari would be better executing the pick-and-roll because, frankly, Felton can't do it right now. So if you're wondering why Gallo and Amare have struggled, and why everybody is mostly inconsistent, there you go. Once Felton and Amare can get on the same page, guys will start getting open shots (hello Italian Stallion, hello Toney), and until then they're going to be hard to watch at times.

One positive note was Wilson Chandler's move into the starting lineup at PF, moving Amare to center and Timofoul Mozgov to the bench. Chandler went off for 27 points and played through getting two of his teeth knocked out. If he's available in your league you need to run and pick him up, even though Mike D'Antoni could change his mind a few more times. As for Mozgov, he simply hasn't adjusted from European refereeing, and racked up three fouls in two minutes. Jumanji!

Last but not least Anthony Randolph, who teased owners with a near double-double on Tuesday over 27 minutes, played just seven minutes on Wednesday despite Ronny Turiaf (knee) being out and Mozgov being a non-factor. Randolph took a shot at Nellie before the game, saying he wished he was on the sideline so he could stick it to him, which is just sort of funny knowing that D'Antoni probably has his plane ticket to Denver already purchased. One N.Y. beat writer said after the game, "thanks for the 6-foot-11 guy who can't play," and he wasn't referring to Turiaf. Others have experienced the last straw sooner, and some will part ways later, but I'm done with him.

Keep reading to see the Four Quarters of Fury…
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[SIZE=+1]Four Quarters of Fury[/SIZE]

Wednesday's are usually jam-packed with news, and this one was no different. Here we go.

First Quarter: Mo Williams left Wednesday's game with the same type of groin injury he suffered over the preseason, but on the other leg, and sounded pessimistic about his chances to play Saturday. Daniel Gibson is probably already owned, but him and Ramon Sessions should be picked up. Dirk Nowitzki tweaked his ankle but played through it to finish with 12 points and 10 boards, and always bounces back from these sorts of injuries. Eric Gordon (shoulder) missed Wednesday's game but sounds confident that he'll play Friday. We'll see. The reports have been erratic out of Los Angeles, and it may be due to his optimism. Baron Davis did not play Wednesday, and could be held out of back-to-backs or could have had a setback. Eric Bledsoe sported a nice line for a guy off the wire with 11 points, seven assists, a steal, a block, and a three, and should be held until Baron proves he can stay on the court. Rasual Butler scored 18 points with five boards and three treys. Give him a look if Gordon can't go Friday. Jeff Green sat out Wednesday's game with his ankle injury, but it's not believed to be serious and he should play Friday. Serge Ibaka had another solid start in his absence with 12 points, seven boards, and four blocks, but will head back to the bench when Green returns. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant played like a couple of guys that just won a world championship. Westy went for 31 points, five rebounds, and 12 assists, and when that kind of line gets buried this low in the Dose it's a sign that he has arrived. Durant scored 31 points and everybody is all up in arms about his 39.4 percent field goal shooting. After shooting 47% the last two years I'd be willing to bet my kid (if I had one) that he'll improve. Now's the time to float a guy like Dwyane Wade or Kobe Bryant to a frustrated owner.

Second Quarter: Andre Iguodala (Achilles) is iffy for Friday's game, and Evan Turner continues to post serviceable lines in his place. He had 15 points and eight boards on Wednesday, and Doug Collins said he could stick in the lineup when Iggy returns. Lou Williams left Wednesday's game with a shoulder injury, and Jodie Meeks had 17 points in his place. Watch him if Williams misses any time. There was no update on Brandon Roy's knee, other than to tell us that the update could take a up to a week to come, and that he will play reduced minutes in the meantime. I'm still bullish on guys like Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum, and Wesley Matthews, but admittedly the two guys not named Batum are a bit harder to pull the trigger on until we learn more. Amir Johnson probably deserved more pub in this column, but consider this our gift to you, the owner that reads until the end. He scored 16 points with nine rebounds, a steal, and two blocks, and with Reggie Evans leaving during the fourth quarter with a hip injury, he's a must-add in all formats. He's playing 25+ minutes per game right now as is. Deron Williams had another spectacular outing with 30 points, five rebounds, and 14 assists. This just in – he's good.

HALFTIME: Looking to get a jump on the competition with Pickups of the Day, member-only live chats, projections, and exclusive articles like Buy-Low/Sell-High, and The Week Ahead, look no further than the Rotoworld Fantasy Basketball Season Pass.

Third Quarter: Gilbert Arenas hasn't had a game since Saturday, but was just 1-for-7 from the field with five points in 23 minutes off the bench. He was a game-time decision with his ankle injury, so it's nice that he played, but it's a stark reminder that he's still a work in progress. Al Thornton had a nice night with 20 points and six boards, and outside of trying to offload him owners should just ride him until the wheels fall off. Carlos Delfino (neck) didn't travel with the team for Wednesday's game against the Hawks, and the good news is that it's a long time between now and the next game on Saturday. On the flip side, that's bad news for Corey Maggette, who finally made some noise with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting on Wednesday, and Ersan Ilyasova, who had 17 points and 10 boards last night for his second strong outing in a row. They're all about to cancel each other out. Sebastian Telfair started again at PG for the Wolves and played 40 minutes, but had just one assist to go with his 16 points. He probably has a few good starts left in him before Luke Ridnour (hamstring) returns, and he's a pretty good desperation option. Wesley Johnson looks locked into the starting SG spot, for whatever that's worth under Kurt Rambis. He scored 12 points with seven boards, two threes, and two assists in 31 minutes. Those type of numbers will start to get him into some starting lineups.

4th Quarter Crunch Time: Ryan Anderson started Wednesday's game at PF but lasted under two minutes before Brandon Bass subbed him out. It's strange, but frankly I don't care. Bass' 14-point, four-rebound line doesn't even raise an eyebrow for me. There's too much stress in the open spot in Stan Van Gundy's lineup. Jameer Nelson (ankle) returned to action and had a nice night with 19 points, five boards, and seven assists. Get him back into your lineup. Antawn Jamison had another good night with 14 points and nine boards. Grab him if he's available. Shawn Marion started for injured Caron Butler (back), and turned back the clock with 20 points, seven boards, and two blocks, but he'll be a pumpkin in no time. DeAndre Jordan had six points with six rebounds and two blocks, which is what owners should count on while Chris Kaman (ankle) is out. If he does more, then great, but these numbers make him a must-add in many leagues. The late game saw Tyreke Evans have one of the worst nights he'll have all year, as he finished with just five points, three boards, but did have nine assists. He made dumb mistakes and fouled out early. Beno Udrih picked up the slack for 16 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, which looks great considering where he was drafted. Samuel Dalembert is a must pickup and looks like he has a pretty good grip on the center position in Sacto, at least for now. He scored 14 points with nine boards and two blocks, while De[URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1794"]Marcus Cousins[/URL] struggled and was frustrated in his 14 minutes, scoring just seven points with six rebounds, a steal, and two blocks. Cousins is the definition of roster stash right now. Carl Landry looks hopeless right now, and had just four points and five rebounds in 19 minutes last night. Feel free to drop him, but do so knowing he may turn it around at some point.

Thursday Night Lights

Tonight's slate looks pretty enticing, and I'm putting the over/under on Slim Chin ads at about 46, but I'm cool with that for at least another week. Then his ad needs to go where LeBron's ad should have gone after the first two days. And speaking of the devil, him and his buddies square off with the Celtics at home. A few people might watch that one. Off to the side is a tasty matchup between the Bulls and Warriors, and the late TNT game is the Lakers and the Nuggets. The O'Neals are questionable to play for the C's, and Nene's groin injury are the only major question marks. That, and the over/under on Slim Chin. I'll be counting.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Cisco Climbing the Charts
Week 3 of the NBA campaign, and for many of us, our fantasy roster is like an apartment we just recently began to occupy: it has some upside, but is being weighed down by the boxes of sweater vests and other excess junk that's cluttering the floor. In fantasy hoops, as in real life, there is only one option – dive in and attack.

[SIZE=+1]Trendspotting[/SIZE]

Three on the Rise:

Tony Parker: In case you hadn't noticed, the Spurs PG has averaged 16.8 ppg, 9.2 apg and 2.6 spg in his first five games this month, notable because he has never averaged more than 7.5 assists in an entire month for his entire career. On the whole, I'm not convinced he can keep up his lofty assists average (8.4), nor do I think he'll continue to average close to 2.0 steals when his career-best is 1.2. With that said, Parker clearly looks re-energized this season and I can easily see him finishing with top-50 value – he's currently No. 38 in Basketball Monster's eight-category rankings after plummeting to No. 136 overall last season.
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Amare Stoudemire: Season-highs of 33 points and 14-for-16 from the free throw line on Wednesday are a great sign, even if they did come against Golden State. Amare has had a ton of defensive attention thrown his way early this season, but he and Mike D'Antoni will figure it out. And even though his scoring touch has been diminished a bit early on, you have to love the fact that he's averaging 1.8 blocks and 0.5 threes per game. Good days are ahead.

Francisco Garcia: While Omri Casspi has shuttled his way on and off a lot of rosters already this season, Garcia has quietly been the Kings' most reliable option at small forward. There's nothing spectacular happening here, but Garcia's sneaky averages of 13.7 ppg, 1.3 spg, 1.3 bpg and 1.9 threes rank him No. 43 in eight-category leagues. I have seen him on the wire recently in some formats, so make the move if he's still sitting out there in yours.

Three on the Plummet:

Baron Davis: My irritation level is so elevated with Le Baron and his wobbly, swollen knee right now that I have seriously entertained thoughts of dropping him after news broke that he suffered a setback during his brief stint on the court Tuesday night. There's still a chance that this could turn around for the positive just as quickly as it went south, but things are very quickly headed in the wrong direction and I wouldn't call anyone crazy for selling low in this instance.

Travis Outlaw: Rising or plummeting, who can rightly say? Shall we just refer to it as oscillating? His scoring output this season has gone 5, 18, 0, 6, 17, 5, 27 (cue me getting overexcited and adding him in multiple leagues) and 5, clear symptoms of the affliction commonly known as good game/bad game. Personally, I'm going to give him one more chance this weekend because I like the opportunity he has this season, particularly with Avery Johnson openly saying he wants Outlaw to be more aggressive. With that said, I do think he's droppable if there's another direction you want to head (I'll probably be there before long).

Brook Lopez: Through his first five games this month, Lopez has averaged 11.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 1.8 bpg on an uncharacteristically rotten 28.8 percent shooting, reaching a new season-low with just four points and six rebounds on Wednesday night. But before we go any further, stop panicking. This is still an elite center who will be fine in the long run. His field goal attempts are up in Avery Johnson's offense (15.8 this year vs. 13.8 a year ago), his free throw percentage is up (86.1 percent vs. 81.7 percent) and he'll work this shooting slump out sooner rather than later. Stay patient if you own him, and float a buy-low offer if you don't. Lopez should still finish the season as a top-25 player.

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[SIZE=+1]Three Random but Hopefully Useful Observations[/SIZE]

1. O.J. Mayo appears to be suffering from LaMarcus Aldridge syndrome. In case you're not aware, this is the condition in which a promising young player frustratingly reaches a statistical plateau very early in his career. And actually, plateau might be too kind of a word in Mayo's case. Consider his numbers the past two seasons and the first nine of 2010-11:

2008-09: 18.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg, 0.2 bpg, 1.8 threes, 43.8 FG%

2009-10: 17.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.2 bpg, 1.7 threes, 45.8 FG%

2010-11: 16.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.2 spg, 0.6 bpg, 2.2 threes, 41.1 FG%

As you can see, aside from an increase in threes and a slight increase in blocks, Mayo has been worse across the board this year. He can easily recover to reach last season's numbers, but any hopes of a major breakout in his third season should be gone.

2. I have seen signs of life from Darko Milicic (sort of). Don't get me wrong, he's still not a very good NBA player, but in his last four games, Darko has averaged 7.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 apg, 0.8 spg and 2.3 bpg. Repeat: Not a very good player, but he's fifth in the league in blocks per game (2.4), is decent for a center in assists and could be reasonably useful once he figures out how to get some short-range shots to fall (and at 29.0% from the field so far, he has missed a lot of them already this season).

3. I could not be less concerned about Kevin Durant's field goal percentage. As of Thursday, the reigning NBA scoring champ (and current scoring leader) was shooting just 39.4 percent from the field. But in his last three games he's shooting 45.3, and should be back near his 47.6 clip from the past two seasons (and accordingly, back above 30 ppg) in no time.

[SIZE=+1]10 Quick-Hitting Statements of Fact and/or Opinion[/SIZE]

1) Anthony Randolph is the ultimate fantasy hoops conundrum: too infuriating to own and way too promising to drop.

2) I sense a lot of people jumping off the Blake Griffin bandwagon in fantasy leagues, but I'm not one of them. With 11 points (on 5-for-18 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block on Wednesday, he was a few made shots from having a big game, and making shots is not going to be a long-term Griffin issue.

3) I personally cut Austin Daye in my leagues, but don't think I didn't notice his 15 points, eight rebounds and three treys with a steal and a block the other night.

4) Luis Scola has six blocks in his first seven games (0.9 average), but there's no way a guy with a career average of 0.3 keeps that up.

5) J.J. Hickson is averaging a maddening 0.3 spg and 0.3 bpg this year. I don't expect much more than 0.5 in either category.

6) Shopping Michael Beasley (who doesn't do much in threes, rebounds or assists) after his 42-point game is a good idea.

7) Call me crazy, but I still think Spencer Hawes is going to eventually have value this season (but still belongs on waivers right now).

8) Brandon Jennings is shooting 42.2 percent. I'll take the under.

Editor's note: For exclusive articles, chats, projections and more, check out the Rotoworld NBA Season Pass.

9) Al-Farouq Aminu has caught my eye by averaging 15.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.5 spg and 1.5 threes in his last two games, but I need to see a few more solid outings in a row before I'm convinced it's time to add him.

10) Even though he had a huge game on Wednesday (19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, four blocks), Gerald Wallace – at No. 45 in Basketball Monster's eight-category rankings – is still way below where he'll end up in final value. Thursday wasn't the best day to make an offer, but if he has a relatively quiet game this weekend, be prepared to look into acquiring one of the league's most delightfully reckless players via trade.
 

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Wired Week 4: Rudy Can't Fail
Welcome to Waiver Wired for Week 4. What better way to get fired up for the upcoming week then looking at guys who might help your team out next week, or down the road.

Point Guards

Eric Bledsoe – Clippers
Daniel Gibson – Cavaliers
Ishmael Smith - Rockets
Ramon Sessions - Cavaliers
Jonny Flynn - Timberwolves
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Baron Davis recently suffered a setback with his knee and I am seriously beginning to wonder if he'll start another game this year. No, Bledsoe's not killing it like Deron Williams, but for a guy who will cost you nothing to pick up, he's certainly worth owning. As for what to do with Baron? If you have to, cut him and don't look back. He's officially a train wreck this year.

Gibson plays both guard spots and with Williams shaky right now, should be even better than he's been. He should already be owned in most leagues with averages of 13.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.8 3-pointers, but my guess is he might still be available in yours.

Ish Smith is now starting and could hold the job for a month or so with Aaron Brooks out. Of course, he'll be pushed by Kyle Lowry, who also deserves a look, but Smith is the guy I like. For one, he's starting. 2. He's healthy. 3. He looks explosive and could end up being a solid point guard for the next four weeks. Lowry's still not fully healthy, but could be ready to steal the job from Smith if he ever gets back to full strength. But I don't think that's automatically going to happen unless Smith, who had 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and two 3-pointers in his last start, struggles.

Sessions is likely going to start on Saturday for Mo Williams, who is sounding doubtful with another groin injury. Williams has been pretty down mentally this year too and sounds like a guy who could be battling some issues with depression. In any case, the vibe is not great around Mo-Will these days and Sessions is the guy who would take over if Williams is shut down again. He's not a must-own player at this point, but definitely worth a grab-and-stash.

Flynn is due back any time now from hip surgery and should immediately render Sebastian Telfair useless. But once Luke Ridnour is back from his hamstring injury, you've got a 3-headed point guard monster for Kurt Rambis to play with. And really, nothing sounds quite as troubling as that scenario. But even so, Flynn is still worth grabbing if you need a PG, but I am not expecting much as long as the other ones (as well as newcomer Sundiata Gaines) are healthy.

Others to consider: Will Bynum, Sebastian Telfair

Shooting Guards

Brandon Rush/Mike Dunleavy - Pacers
Rudy Fernandez/Wesley Matthews - Blazers
Evan Turner - Sixers
C.J. Miles - Jazz
Shannon Brown – Lakers

Rush became a hot name earlier in the week when rumors surfaced that he would overtake Dunleavy for the starting gig in Indy. Then, a funny thing happened in the greatest game the Pacers ever played, as Dunleavy blew up for 31 points and six treys on 9-of-13 shooting. Rush was also solid with 16 points, seven boards and a couple threes of his own. This is probably a healthy position battle for both players, meaning it makes sense that they both be owned in most leagues. The job is Dunleavy's until further notice, but it's also hard not to get the sense that Rush is coming on strong now that his suspension is over.

Brandon Roy's knee is a mess and he could be undergoing surgery in the near future. Yes, he might check out to be just fine, but it sure doesn't feel like that's the way this thing is heading right now. In any case, Rudy might end up with the starting job if Roy is out, while Matthews would also see a big boost in minutes. I'm not sure either player is a must-own in standard 10 to 12-team leagues, but owners in anything larger than that should probably be stashing these guys away.

And while we're talking about the Blazers, Nicolas Batum hasn't exactly been a consistent fantasy beast (at all) this season, but I still think it's coming. And if Roy goes down, I'd probably pick up Batum in front of Rudy as of now.

Turner started in place of Andre Iguodala recently, but might be heading back to the bench now that it sounds like Iguodala is going to play Friday. However, I don't see Andres Nocioni as a long-term option as a starter, while Turner has done enough in his minutes to warrant serious consideration for the job. Yes, he's a guy you can cut for someone you really have to have, but once you let Turner go, you may not get another crack at him this year.

Miles has been pretty quiet, terribly inconsistent and somewhat injured for much of this season. However, he's going to get it going and become a solid bench player for the Jazz. He's only an option in deep leagues right now, but he's a guy we should all be keeping a close eye on going forward.

I can't believe I'm writing this, but I think Shannon Brown actually has some fantasy value with the Lakers. He had 19 points on Thursday as Lamar Odom struggled and is averaging 10 points, 1.6 threes and a steal per game, and while those are not mind blowing numbers, they could be heading up as he seems to have won the confidence of his coach and teammates. In deeper leagues, he might be worth a roll of the dice.

Others to consider: Arron Afflalo, Linas Kleiza, DeMar DeRozan, Marco Belinelli, [URL="http://fantasyfootball.usatoday.com/content/playerpages/player_main.asp?sport=NBA&id=1693"]Reggie Williams[/URL], George Hill, Sonny Weems and Kirk Hinrich

Keep reading for Small Forwards, Power Forwards and Centers.
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Small Forwards

Al Thornton/Josh Howard - Wizards
Grant Hill - Suns
Francisco Garcia - Kings
Antawn Jamison - Wizards
Andres Nocioni – Sixers

How about Thornton this year? Sixteen points, six boards and a steal per game is nothing to shake a stick at, and those of us who took Marcus Thornton took the wrong guy in drafts. Yes, Josh Howard is eventually going to come back and get some minutes, but I bet he gets hurt again. Thornton looks like as safe of a short-term pickup as there is right now.

Hill was dropped in many leagues after his two-point dud on Nov. 5, but bounced back with 14 and 19 points in his next two games. He's averaging 12 points, seven boards, two assists and a steal per game this year, which is even better than he did last season. I see no reason not to pick him up.

Garcia is averaging nearly 14 ppg to go along with three boards, more than a steal and block per game, as well as nearly two 3-pointers a night. I don't really trust him, but the numbers don't lie. He has two four-point duds to his credit this season, but has scored between 10 and 22 points in his other five games.

Jamison's knee is not in great shape, but he's bounced back, averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and two 3-pointers in his last two games after missing three straight. He's still risky, but probably worth owning in most leagues as long as he keeps playing through the injury.

Nocioni is currently starting for the Sixers and while I don't expect it to last, he's a guy who could help owners in deeper leagues. He's hit double figures in scoring in three straight and is capable of getting steals, blocks and 3-pointers. Not a must-own player, but is a guy worth a shot if your wire is thin.

Others to consider: Dante Cunningham (if Roy goes down in Portland).

Power Forwards

Amir Johnson - Raptors
Austin Daye/Greg Monroe - Pistons
Udonis Haslem - Heat
Tyler Hansbrough - Pacers
Channing Frye/Hakim Warrick – Suns
Brandan Wright - Warriors

Amir Johnson is the guy I have been targeting the most over the past week. He's averaging 26 minutes, 11.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in his last four games and Reggie Evans is dealing with a hip injury. I see no reason why the Raps, who have just one win, won't keep playing him, and I think he should be added in almost all leagues and formats given his strong play of late.

Daye and Monroe are quietly plugging along, the key word being quietly. Daye is still the guy I like best and it is starting to feel like he's about to break out. He's still not must-own material, but if you already own him, hang on and see what happens over the next couple days. And if you want to pick him up, go for it. Monroe is more of a project, but should get better with each week going forward.

After three straight game in single digits scoring, Haslem blew up for 21 points and 10 boards on Thursday. He's averaging 8.4 rebounds per game on the season and if you need boards, he could be your guy. Yes, the fact Chris Bosh is in Miami makes me leery of Haslem, but Bosh hasn't been playing too well and Haslem is killing him on the glass. Just don't expect a ton of scoring or blocks.

Hansbrough is going after the starting job of Josh McRoberts and is finally healthy. He had 20 points and nine boards in his last one and should keep it going. If nothing else, dropping McBob to pick up Hansbrough probably makes sense. I see almost no way he doesn't win the starting job in the near future.

Frye has been awful this season, but still has time to turn it around, and I think he will. Warrick has really been coming on though, and while there's no talk of him starting over Hedo Turkoglu anytime soon, he's worth a look. He's at 12 points and five boards on the season and has hit double figures in scoring in six of his eight games. He won't block shots and isn't the greatest rebounder around, but is clearly more helpful to fantasy teams right now than Frye is. But like I said, keep a close eye on Frye. He's going to get hot at some point.

With David Lee out for two weeks with an infected elbow, Wright is going to get some nice run. His numbers haven't been great thus far, but he is a true shot blocker and could have a nice line every other night or so. If you're in a deep league and need a big man, go for it.

Others to consider: Ersan Ilyasova, Kris Humphries, Brandon Bass

Centers

Samuel Dalembert - Kings
Serge Ibaka - Thunder
Darko Milicic - Timberwolves
Brad Miller/Jordan Hill - Rockets
Ronny Turiaf - Knicks
Robin Lopez – Suns

Dalembert is starting for the Kings and is averaging 11 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks in his last two games. Yeah, that's a small sample size, but he's clearly in must-grab territory now. Just expect inconsistency in his scoring output.

Ibaka may be on this list all season. The minutes are there and his shot-blocking and rebounding are key. If he ever lands a starting job, it's going to be a fun ride.

Darko was about to be left for dead but is turning it on again. He's averaging nine points, six rebounds, two blocks and a steal over his last three games, which is much better than he was doing in his previous six outings. If you need blocks, he might be your guy.

Miller and Hill are going to get run with Yao Ming out for a week with a leg injury, although neither player is all that exciting. Both should only be targeted in deep leagues, and should be watched closely over their next two games.

Turiaf will likely start once he's healthy again, but he might not be ready to play through a knee injury until next week. He'll be solid in blocks and rebounds, but scoring, as usual, will be an issue. If you need a center that is going to get minutes, now might be the time to think about moving on Turiaf.

Lopez is being dropped in many leagues as he continues to struggle. He's blaming his inept play on a back injury, but sounds confident that he will get it going at some point. He's not playable right now, but if he was dropped in your league, now might be the time to go get him.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Knee Deep In Portland
In case you slept through the weekend, the highlight for me was Kevin Love's 31 points and 31 rebounds on Friday night against the Knicks. Kurt Rambis finally set him free and Love's big night helped me defeat Rick Kamla 5-3 in an epic fantasy hoops battle. Love backed that up with 22 & 17 against the Hawks on Sunday, making it feel like even Rambis and David Kahn can't slow him down right now.

www.miamiheat.ws

Brandon Roy's knees are in bad shape. He has no meniscus left to operate on which is also causing an uncomfortable bone-on-bone situation, which just sounds painful. He shut it down on Saturday after just a few minutes as the Portland Knee Curse continues to rage on, taking no prisoners. Roy is questionable for Tuesday, and will probably be day-to-day until further notice. I don't think he's a buy-low target because there is just too much risk involved. And he's also not a guy you can cut – at least yet. Seeing what you can get for him after he has another good game is probably the only option owners have.

Carlos Delfino (concussion), Linas Kleiza (achilles), Terrence Williams (groin) and Austin Daye (benched) are all guys who can be dropped if you have to make a move. Any of them could play in their next game, but there are no guarantees as to when they'll return or what kind of minutes they'll get. I'm not saying any of these guys should automatically be cut, but they can be if there are better options on your wire. Also, keep your eye on marginal guys like Nazr Mohammed, Jason Maxiell, Brad Miller, DeAndre Jordan, Shannon Brown, Kris Humphries, Mickael Pietrus, Brandon Bass, Rudy Fernandez, Nicolas Batum, Wesley Matthews, DeJuan Blair, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson, C.J. Miles and Al Thornton. They've all been getting extra opportunities lately.

Baron Davis will be out until Thanksgiving with his knee injury. One of my readers wanted to know what sources I had that indicated Baron would come off the bench when he returns. And the answer is that I don't have any. But the Clippers and Vinny Del Negro weren't happy with Baron's conditioning when he showed up for training camp, his attitude has been suspect, the Clippers are basically still one of the worst teams in the league and Eric Bledsoe is doing a nice job of holding down the fort. Baron may or may not even care when he's ready to play again and the Clippers may just bag this year and prepare for the future, which will be a Baron-less one. Yeah, he could easily start when he's finally ready to play again, but there are no guarantees that it happens.

David Lee's out for a few games due to an elbow infection that set in immediately after Wilson Chandler's tooth dug into his arm. It prompted Sam Coomes to write a pretty sweet post to the message board in one of my leagues, aptly titled "Noxious Saliva."

John Wall is iffy for Tuesday with his foot injury, as is Jeff Green, who finally returned to action on Sunday, but then sat out the final 18 minutes. Robin Lopez has a knee injury and Channing Frye finally showed signs of life last night, so now could be the time to roll with Frye. Andray Blatche has a knee injury but I'm playing him in weekly leagues, Caron Butler is iffy with a lingering back injury, Lamar Odom will have an MRI on his foot, and Mo Williams (groin) and Anderson Varejao (ribs) remain iffy for the Cavs.

Tim Duncan's minutes have been very shaky in two straight games as his production has tumbled. However, he was suffering from the flu in one and may have still been dealing with it in the next game. DeJuan Blair saw a bit of a boost as a result, but my guess is Duncan bounces back this week. Keep reading for the full injury report.

Monday Morning Injury Report

Jermaine O'Neal – knee – Wear and tear, more rest coming. Tough to own.
Delonte West – suspension – He'll be back on Wednesday.
Tyrus Thomas – personal – Should be back Monday from death in family.
Kwame Brown – ankle – Could play Monday, not that it matters.
Carlos Boozer – hand – Still targeting early December.
Anderson Varejao – ribs – Shaky play with 3 games, but could go in all of them.
Mo Williams – groin – He's day-to-day, but could miss whole week.
Caron Butler – back – Hoping to play on Monday, start at your own risk.
Roddy Beaubois – foot – Now sounding more like mid-December return.
Kenyon Martin – knee – Still looking at January.
Chris Andersen – knee – Could be back in a week to 10 days.
Chris Wilcox – hamstring – Could make debut tonight vs. GSW. No value.
David Lee – elbow – Out for a couple, hoping to play on Friday.
Aaron Brooks – ankle – Out for a few more weeks. Hello, Kyle Lowry.
Chase Budinger – ankle – Not effective enough to start with injury.
Yao Ming – leg – Bench him for the week, could return over weekend.
Tyler Hansbrough – ankle – Shouldn't miss any time.
Jeff Foster – ankle- Could play this week, but not much value.
Baron Davis – knee – Out until Thanksgiving.
Chris Kaman – ankle – Out at least a couple more weeks, or longer.
Randy Foye – hamstring – Could be back anytime.
Steve Blake – flu – Iffy for Tuesday with "intestinal inflammation."
Lamar Odom – foot – MRI coming Monday, I'm guessing he's OK.
Andrew Bynum – knee – Should practice next week. Might be time to pick him up.
Dwyane Wade – shoulder – Missed practice but guessing he'll play.
Udonis Haslem - knee – Missed practice, ditto.
Mike Miller – thumb – Out at least another month.
Carlos Delfino – concussion – Lack of info out of Milwaukee maddening.
Chris Douglas- Roberts – eye – Still out another couple weeks.
Michael Redd – knee – Won't play again for Bucks.
Nikola Pekovic – ankle – Day-to-day, but not much fantasy value.
Wayne Ellington – thigh – Was once starting, but no current value.
Luke Ridnour – hamstring – Could play on Wednesday, hurts Telfair.
Martell Webster – back – Still weeks away.
Jonny Flynn – hip – Hoping to debut on Weds, too many PGs in Minny.
Terrence Williams – groin – Nets aren't sure about injury, could play Monday.
Ronny Turiaf – knee – Missed 3 straight, but could start on Tuesday.
Eddy Curry – hamstring – Yes, he still wears a Knicks jersey occasionally.
Kelenna Azubuike – knee – Could be out until January.
Jeff Green – ankle – Played Sunday, but sat out 4th quarter. I'm starting him.
Robin Lopez – knee – Getting MRI, iffy for Monday, struggling.
Brandon Roy – knee – Traveling, questionable for Tuesday. Risky.
Joel Przybilla – knee – Could debut on Tuesday. Worth a look.
Greg Oden – knee – Still hoping to play around Christmas, but who knows?
Reggie Evans – flu – Only useful if you need rebounds.
Linas Kleiza – achilles – Missed Saturday, iffy for Tues at Washington.
Leandro Barbosa – shoulder – Likely out another week. Hello, Sonny Weems.
Mehmet Okur – achilles – Looking at a December return.
Andray Blatche – knee – Limited him Saturday, hopes to play through it.
John Wall – foot – Iffy for Tuesday, but I'd play him as of now.
Yi Jianlian – knee – Bone bruise and hyperextension. Best to bench him.
Josh Howard – knee – Still about a month away.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Sneak Attack: Iguodala Out
Monday was a relatively quiet night in the NBA, but that doesn't mean we didn't learn anything. Injuries are more abundant than ever, the Hornets finally lost and there are still guys emerging on a daily basis that can help your team.

And while this is a basketball column, I must say it was pretty cool owning Michael Vick in a couple leagues last night. That was an epic performance and reminded me of owning Shaun Alexander when he scored five first-half touchdowns in Week 4 of 2002. And if Vick was on your bench, I'm really sorry.

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

The late breaking news today is that Andre Iguodala will not play for the Sixers tonight. His achilles injury doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon, and while this is simply devastating news for his owners, it's good news for those of you who have Lou Williams, Evan Turner and even Jrue Holiday in your lineup. Iguodala remains day-to-day for now.
www.miamiheat.ws
John Wall (foot) is out tonight for the Wizards, along with teammate Yi Jianlian (knee). Both players are day-to-day, while Andray Blatche, also dealing with a sore knee, looks like a go. I haven't actually heard he's playing, but he wasn't in the same report that told us Wall and Yi are out. Gilbert Arenas will start and I bet he has a big game with Wall in street clothes.

Brandon Roy (knee) is out for Tuesday's game but says he wants to play for the Blazers on Thursday. We'll see. If you can trade him for a decent player right now, like a Darren Collison, I'd go ahead and do it.

Chris Paul is healthy, although he played with a sleeve on his arm last night. But if you own him, you may (or may not) want to read this column regarding his knees.

Kevin Love suffered a thigh contusion last night but returned to finish the game and said it was no big deal. Crisis avoided. Love's minutes were weird last night, but he got in some early foul trouble.

Andrei Kirilenko missed Tuesday's practice with a knuckle injury and is now a game-time decision for Wednesday. Let's hope this isn't the start of an injury run for Kirilenko.

The Bucks' Carlos Delfino will be out for a couple weeks with a concussion and I just cut him for C.J. Miles in a daily league where I can't wait on Delfino.

Terrence Williams said he could have played through his abdominal injury for the Nets last night, but Avery Johnson held him out. Hopefully that's the last game he misses.

Lamar Odom's MRI results say his foot is OK and he should be in the lineup for the Lakers tonight at Milwaukee.

Jeff Green was out again for the Thunder on Monday with his ankle injury and is questionable for Wednesday. He's in most of my lineups and I'm now hoping that wasn't a mistake.

Caron Butler was out for the Mavs with his back injury but I'm feeling confident that will be the last game he misses. Shawn Marion started, but was awful with just five points. Hopefully you didn't pick him up, as Butler's return should ruin Matrix.

Tyreke Evans missed Kings practice with a sprained ankle, but it sounds like he'll play against the Knicks on Wednesday.

Jonny Flynn (hip) won't be ready for Wednesday's game after all, while Luke Ridnour is expected back for the Wolves that night from his hamstring injury. Kurt Rambis said he doesn't think Flynn is "physically ready to play." I still think Flynn, Ridnour and Sebastian Telfair are all going to get minutes when they're all healthy, which is going to make for a rough fantasy ride.

Darren Collison hurt his ankle in Monday's practice but that's all we know at this point. I guess no news is good news out of Indy, but I'd sure like to know some details.

Portland's Joel Przybilla's (knee) return date has been pushed back to Nov. 26.

Raja Bell missed last night's Jazz game with a thigh injury and is day-to-day. Rookie Gordon Hayward started in his place and scored four points.

Chicago's Kyle Korver's knee injury isn't serious and he's now a game-time decision for tonight.

Robin Lopez will be out for a month or so with his sprained knee ligaments, making Channing Frye a guy who should be picked up in most leagues. Hakim Warrick is also worth a look but isn't doing anything but scoring. I see no reason to hold Lopez unless you're in a really deep league.

Jermaine O'Neal is going to miss two to three weeks due to general wear and tear on his knees and legs. This should come as no surprise, as he is the oldest young guy in the league.

Dwyane Wade sat out yesterday's Heat practice with a sore shoulder, but is fine. Udonis Haslem did the same with a knee injury, but both players are expected to play for the Heat Wednesday against the Suns.

Anderson Varejao (ribs) and Mo Williams (groin) are game-time decisions for the Cavaliers tonight against the Sixers, although it sounds like Varejao has a much better chance of playing.
www.therx.ws
Keep reading for Waiver Wired, Murphy's Benching and News and Notes.
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Waiver Wire Fodder From Monday Night

Guys I think are worth a look on the wire right now include:

Charlie Villanueva: 18 points, 2 threes, 8 boards last night.
Austin Daye: 14 points, 2 threes, 5-of-7 shooting last night.
Eric Bledsoe: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals.
Al-Farouq Aminu: Started again, 14 points, 5 boards.
Travis Outlaw: 23 points, 4 threes – Mr. Inconsistency.
Kris Humphries: Starting over Murphy, 12 & 13 last night.
Channing Frye: 15 points, 2 threes, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block.
Hakim Warrick: 21 points, but just 3 rebounds.
C.J. Miles: 7-of-14 shooting, 16 points, 0 threes, but will hit a 3-pointer per game.
Peja Stojakovic: 17 points, 4 threes as Hornets showcase him for trade.
Nazr Mohammed: 11 points, 4 boards, 2 blocks after 20-20 game.
Darko Milicic: 13 points, 12 boards, 5 assists, 4 blocks vs. nemesis Larry Brown.

Are any of these guys must-own players? I think Villanueva and Bledsoe qualify, while I really like the idea of grabbing Frye, Miles and Darko right now. The others are good guys to put on your radar and keep a close eye on going forward. I am also quite intrigued by Aminu, but until Vinny Del Negro settles on a starting lineup, I'm still leery of him. Aminu has started in two straight, but I'm still not convinced he's ready to be turned loose.

[SIZE=+1]News and Notes[/SIZE]

C'mon, Avery J

Troy Murphy didn't play for the Nets last night but it wasn't due to an injury. Avery Johnson simply seems to like Kris Humphries better right now. "We've seen Joe Smith start; we've seen Humphries start; we've seen Murphy start. We think, to help protect Brook (Lopez), the skill set that Humphries has seems to be working out. But it could change,'' said Avery Johnson. "It really doesn't matter how I feel, to be honest,'' Murphy said. "That's (Johnson's) decision…"I'm a grown man. I'm not a baby. It is what it is.''

What it is is that Avery Johnson is at it again and is going to be a very frustrating fantasy coach again this season. Should you buy low on Murphy? I have zero interest in owning him at this point, although it still feels like he will earn Johnson's trust back at some point.

Metal Circus

John Kuester and Tayshaun Prince go into it in the first half last night – again – yet Prince started the second half. One Pistons player has called his team a traveling circus and it's hard to argue with that take. The Pistons needed a 3-pointer last night late, yet Austin Daye, who had hit 10 straight this season until a miss last night, was nowhere to be found. The rotations make no sense, the players aren't listening to their coach and they're not winning games. I still have no idea how they came back to make up a 32-point deficit on the Warriors, but it still wasn't enough in the end. Daye started again last night after being benched in his previous game, and the madness isn't going to end until Tayshaun or Rip Hamilton are traded, or Kuester is given his walking papers.

Quick Hits

Blake Griffin had just 11 points and three rebounds last night, which makes no sense. His free throw shooting is a killer, and nights like Monday make him even more painful to own. He's being dealt in many leagues by owners looking for more than he's offering, and my guess is most of those teams will improve by losing Griffin.

Carmelo Anthony had 20 points and 22 rebounds for the Nuggets last night, which was a career high off the glass for him.

Serge Ibaka, who should now be owned in every league, hit 9-of-13 shots for the Thunder to finish with a career-high 22 points, 11 boards and four more blocks. What a great pickup he has been.

Jason Terry just keeps rolling along and hit three 3-pointers on his way to 26 points last night. Jason Kidd chipped in with 16 points, three 3-pointers, eight rebounds, six assists and a steal as the Mavericks finally handed the Hornets their first loss. If you get annoyed by Kidd's bad lines, now is a good time to try to move him. Brendan Haywood, who had 17 rebounds in his previous game, had one point and zero boards in 25 minutes last night. Um, really?

Rudy Gay cooled off last night, hitting just 4-of-17 shots for nine points and nine rebounds. You knew he couldn't stay at that pace all season and the cool-down period has started.

Tyrus Thomas got hot after missing a game for a funeral and had 20 points, 10 boards, two steals and four blocks last night, while Boris Diaw had just six points in limited minutes. Larry Brown can't make up his mind on this position battle, but both players have responded when the minutes are there. If Charlotte were to trade Diaw, Thomas would likely become a complete monster.

Gerald Wallace hit 17-of-19 free throws to set a franchise record, while Kwame Brown made his season debut with three points, three rebounds and three blocks.

Darko Milicic's big line last night probably had more to do with Larry Brown than anything else. Brown was Darko's coach in Detroit as a rookie and he rarely got off the bench. Still, Darko's shot-blocking has been nice this season and he showed that all-around game last night that David Kahn has been talking about for six months. Now, let's see him do it again.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Tale Of Woe In Portland

Wednesday, as usual, was a big night with one major headline after another. Greg Oden will miss another entire season due to microfracture surgery, this time to his left knee. Brandon Roy's MRI results are in on his knee injury, yet we don't know much more than we did before. John Wall and Andre Iguodala missed another game, LeBron James posted an amazing line in just 23 minutes, Sonny Weems had a career night, Paul Westphal tried to get creative in Sacramento and C.J. Miles went down for the Jazz. And that's not even all of it.
On a side note, my e-mail volumes are out of control this year and I'm having trouble getting to all of them. I've been pretty on top of emails for the last eight years or so, but that run might be coming to an end.

Pain & Suffering In Portland

As if Brandon Roy's knee injury wasn't enough for Portland fans to worry about, the surprise announcement that Oden's season would never start was just sad. The press conference in which the Blazers' brass talked in detail about Oden and the knee injury was emotional and you have to think he's, if there is such a place, beyond devastated. Maybe it would have been tougher news to swallow had this happened to a healthy and dominant Oden who had never been injured before and was just coming into his own while challenging Kevin Durant for the MVP award. Unfortunately, that is the fairy tale version of his career. It's been a nightmare since he suffered that wrist injury in college and his body – especially his knees - apparently wasn't meant for professional sports. Add in the fact that he doesn't have a contract extension and you have to think there's a decent chance Oden has played his last game for the Blazers. We will at least see him in an NBA uniform again, as many teams are going to take a chance on him in hopes that he can finally get healthy one day – he's still just 23 years old. But whether he ever makes it out of training camp and into a real NBA game again remains to be seen. Did you really think Michael Vick would be back as the best player in the NFL three years ago? Hopefully Oden has a similar fate. I think he deserves it.

As for Roy, he's out the next two games and will be evaluated again in about a week. He doesn't need surgery right now, but again, that's simply because he has no meniscus to repair. The bone-on-bone situation isn't going away any time soon and Roy's season could be a long mess for both the Blazers and his fantasy owners. Portland has just two games next week, so Roy should be benched for both of those. And then we'll have to hope that we have a better feel for what his outlook will be going forward. But if you can still trade Roy for a decent player, it's a good idea to unload him. And if you're not depressed enough after all of that, just take a look at this.

Shake It Up

Paul Westphal decided to throw a monkey wrench into his lineup, or possibly consult a Ouija board, and came up with a nearly unthinkable plan to start Jason Thompson, who hadn't played in the two previous games, and Luther Head, sending Omri Casspi and Beno Udrih to the bench. Beno still managed to score 18 points, but I still have no clue as to what he did to earn the demotion. He'd started every game since late-February of last season, but that streak was broken last night. Thompson and Samuel Dalembert were useless, Carl Landry was solid in a start at small forward (and should be owned in all leagues again), while Head played fairly well in the start. I can't imagine Head holding much fantasy value, but you never know. I'm pretty sure Westphal is currently writing each of his players' names down on an index card and taping them to the wall. Then he'll either use a set of darts or put on a blindfold and play pin-the-tail-on-the-starter in order to figure out his next lineup. Until then, ignore players not named Tyreke Evans or Carl Landry in Sacramento. If I own Beno, I'm just going to sit tight for a couple days and see what happens next.

Injury Round Up

Andre Iguodala spoke about his achilles injury yesterday and basically said he is day-to-day and unsure of when he'll be back. It could be Friday against the Bucks or he could be out several more games. He's a good buy-low target right now as his owners are probably panicking, while we've yet to see him at full strength yet. Doug Collins has said he hasn't looked right all year. Is there some risk involved? Yes, but unlike Roy, gambling on Iguodala seems to make sense.

John Wall was out for a second straight game with a foot injury and whoever made the call to allow him to return to Saturday's game after he suffered the injury – well, let's just say that person should probably be held accountable. It was a terrible decision, obviously. Wall will hopefully be ready to return on Friday against Memphis, but we still don't know for sure.

Steve Nash nearly missed last night's game against the Heat with a groin injury, but decided to gut it out. He had 17 points, but just two assists, and is now a game-time decision for tonight against the Magic.
www.therx.ws
C.J. Miles, who I had just picked up and thrown into a couple lineups, went down with a lower back strain last night and is a game-time decision for Friday.

Jeff Green is questionable for Friday with his lingering ankle injury.

Darren Collison sounds doubtful for Thursday with a sprained left ankle, which is a tough pill to swallow for his owners. Collison, after the injury and a freakish assist-less game last week, could at the lowest price he'll be at all year.

Mo Williams remains iffy for Friday at New Orleans with a groin injury.

Andrew Bogut says he will play through his arm pain on Friday night.

Carlos Delfino's status remains a mystery, but it does appear that he's not likely to play this week due to a concussion, or neck injury, depending on whom you believe.

Toney Douglas has been playing with a strained back for the last two weeks, which might help explain his slump.

For the entire injury report click here.

Keep reading for News and Notes, Ice Cold and Free Agent Report.
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News and Notes

LeBron James had 20 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and three steals in just 23 minutes last night. He now has nine or more assists in seven straight games and it's scary to think what last night's line might have looked like if the Suns had actually shown up to play with the Heat.

Chris Bosh finally woke up and went off for 35 points and six rebounds on 12-of-17 shooting, and also hit 11-of-11 free throws. My thoughts are that LeBron and Dwyane Wade made a conscious decision to feed him the rock yesterday, and this was somewhat of a fluke.

Avery Johnson told the Utah media yesterday that Troy Murphy isn't fully healthy, hinting to that as a reason he's been on the bench lately. But his story isn't consistent, as he didn't even mention Murphy's health when he talked about him on Tuesday. "Troy wants to play. But right now, we're trying to get to a starting rotation we can live with. Get a bench rotation we can live with," said Johnson. "Just unfortunately the last two games, he's totaled eight minutes and hasn't been a major part of it." And then there's this from back on Nov. 3, when things were looking much brighter. "He brings a lot of stability there," Johnson said of Murphy starting. "He's a proven NBA starter." Am I trying to buy low on Murphy right now? Nope. He's not in Indy anymore and it's obvious that Johnson is going to play mind games with him. Maybe he'll suddenly win Johnson's heart and start posting monster numbers, but with Kris Humphries playing well and Derrick Favors on the bench, I'm not holding my breath. (Thanks to Neil Elman for help with the quotes).

Michael Beasley had 33 points and the game-winner for the Wolves and is now averaging 32.6 ppg over his last five games. Yes, those are sell-high numbers, but since you basically got him for free to begin with, it probably makes just as much sense to hold on and let him ride out his dream season. Kevin Love added 24 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two steals, two threes and a block, and has finally been freed. Both players have been fun to own this year and I expect that trend to continue. Luke Ridnour returned from a hamstring injury for a nice stat line, but with Jonny Flynn on the verge of a return, the three-headed point guard (Ridnour, Flynn, Sebastian Telfair) is going to get ready to take over in Minnesota.

Derrick Rose hit 15-of-27 shots and two more 3-pointers for 33 points and four assists in a loss to the Spurs. He's hitting threes, can shoot the ball and the sky is now officially the limit on Rose.

Byron Scott gave J.J. Hickson a vote of confidence, saying that he will continue to start at power forward. But if he doesn't start rebounding soon he's going to start being dropped in a lot of fantasy leagues.

Anthony Randolph was a DNP-CD last night against the Kings and, as we've been saying, appears to have no hope unless he's traded out of New York.

Ice Cold

There were plenty of players who struggled last night, including…

Kyle Lowry was outplayed by Ishmael Smith for Houston, but is still guy to own.
Amir Johnson fouled out in just 13 minutes and can probably be dropped.
DeMar DeRozan disappeared last night, but will bounce back.
Linas Kleiza has a bad case of Sonny-itis right now.
Jarrett Jack looked like he forgot how to play basketball last night, but I'm holding.
Lou Williams was 0-for-7, but is still trying to get healthy.
Hakim Warrick had just five points, but the Heat stifled the Suns last night.
Gilbert Arenas hit just 3-of-9 shots for nine points. He's hit or miss this year.
Andray Blatche had just 10 points and three boards, but says his knee is better.
Ron Artest hit just 1-of-3 shots for three points, and I have zero interest in him.
Caron Butler returned from 3-game absence, but had just five points.
Travis Outlaw's on-again, off-again year continues – 1-of-12, three points.
Terrence Williams returned from injury, but failed to score in six minutes.
Taj Gibson is now 1-of-16 in last two as Drew Gooden nears a return.
Tiago Splitter was a DNP-CD and should be dropped in most leagues.

Free Agent Fodder

Sonny Weems had a career-high 25 points and is now near the top of heap when it comes to guys you should pick up. He's started in four straight, two of which included a healthy Linas Kleiza. He hit 10-of-18 shots and a three, and may have permanently locked up the starting SF job. He's scored in double figures in six straight games and may have rendered Kleiza, who hit 1-of-7 shots last night, useless for the time being.

Al-Farouq Aminu started again for the Clippers and hit 7-of-11 shots and three 3-pointers for 17 points and some other goodies last night, and is another guy we should no longer be sleeping on.

Channing Frye had 14 points, six boards, a steal and two threes for the Suns.
Evan Turner double-doubled again for the Sixers.
Kris Humphries had 15 rebounds while Murphy rots on the inactive
Landry Fields came back to earth with 10 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes.
George Hill woke up with 14 points and a nice line for the Spurs.
Marco Belinelli bounced back with 17 points and three 3-pointers for the Hornets.
Austin Daye had 12 points, 7 boards, 2 blocks and a 3 in another Pistons loss.
Delonte West returned from suspension for 12 points and a full stat line, but the game was a blowout. Just put him on your radar.
 

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Aminu-Mania
It is Week 4 of the NBA campaign, and attempting to follow all of the changing early-season trends and fluctuating values has made yours truly age at the pace of a dog (which is to say that through nearly four weeks, I am now 28 months – or 2.3 years – older than I was less than one month ago). Trying times, indeed.

[SIZE=+1]Trendspotting[/SIZE]

Three on the Rise:

Al-Farouq Aminu: The Clippers' starting SF du moment (and potentially for a very long time), Aminu has averaged 13.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 threes and 1.8 steals in his last five games entering a matchup with the Pacers Thursday night. Not a lot of analysis necessary here – if you need threes and steals and have room on your roster, make the move. The only thing that has kept me from adding him in my main leagues is that A) I already have multiple Clippers and B) I didn't want to drop someone like Travis Outlaw or Carlos Delfino for him.

Tyrus Thomas: In last week's column, I referred to Anthony Randolph as "the ultimate fantasy hoops conundrum" (too infuriating to have on your roster and too promising to drop). For the record, I have since updated that stance on Randolph – I think he's droppable for a productive FA – but I digress. Let's get back to Thomas.

A reader emailed me this week to suggest that Tyrus should be considered for ultimate conundrum status, but the 2010-11 edition of Thomas is in fact quite close to graduating from Conundrum University. Sure, there will still be those maddeningly random disappearances, but Tyrus has actually been pretty reliable for a player averaging just 21 minutes per game, hitting double-figure scoring in seven out of 10 games and averaging 12.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.2 spg and 1.9 bpg for the season. It's frustrating that Larry Brown won't fully turn him loose, but all things considered, there's plenty to be happy with here.

Sonny Weems: Yes, the new Raptors' starting SF is on a scoring binge (17.0 ppg in his last six), and in that regard he's definitely worth an add if you need points. Just keep in mind that Weems is not showing himself to be particularly versatile. During this current hot streak, Weems is at just 3.2 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.8 spg and 0.8 threes with exactly zero blocks. You could do far worse, but don't expect much more than points and good FG shooting (he's at an unsustainable 59.4 percent during this streak) with a light smattering of threes and steals.

Three on the Plummet:

Troy Murphy: Whether it's injury, incompatibility with what Avery Johnson wants from his starting PF or some combination of both, Murphy has played a grand total of eight minutes and 26 seconds in the last four games. Meanwhile, that same stretch has seen Kris Humphries average 9.5 ppg, 13.0 rpg and 2.3 bpg, giving Avery every reason to continue featuring Prince Humperdinck semi-prominently in the rotation. I still wouldn't drop Murphy yet, but I would add Humphries wherever available while we wait to see how this plays out. At the very least, Humphries looks like a solid play (and solid hindrance to Murphy's value) for the foreseeable future.

Francisco Garcia: Last week he was on the rise, this week he's plummeting after averaging just 5.0 ppg and 19 minutes in his last three games. Such is the sad, maddening existence of players teetering on the cusp of value in fantasy leagues. Garcia still has plenty of potential and could just as quickly reemerge in a volatile Kings' rotation, but as of this moment he has been dismissed from my rosters (and could be added again the second Paul Westphal changes his mind and gives him more minutes). In sum: Kings/Westphal – maddening; me – still easily roped onto the Garcia bandwagon.

Amir Johnson: Everyone loves Amir's potential, but as evidenced by his averages of 4.5 ppg and 3.0 rpg in Toronto's last two games, he's simply too inconsistent to trust right now. Part of the problem is that he's an absolute foul magnet: Amir (which, incidentally, has the exact same number of letters as "foul," with both words being composed of two consonants and two vowels) has collected either five or six personals in five of his last seven games. Any way you look at it, that spells inconsistency.

[SIZE=+1]Three Random but Hopefully Useful Observations[/SIZE]

1. As far as 2010-11 fantasy hoops conundrums are concerned, Baron Davis is very near the top of the list. If you drafted Baron (and I am one of those people), you are definitely having your patience tested, particularly if you added Eric Bledsoe as insurance. Quite simply, it's an awful feeling to have two players occupying one roster spot, especially at this juncture of the season, when rotations are still very much in flux and new options are surfacing on the waiver wire frequently.

As for Baron's outlook, I honestly don't know what to think. I have both convinced myself that he's going to get shut down for a very long time (clearing a path for Bledsoe to continue starting), and that he's going to be back relatively soon to reclaim the starting job. I'm guessing other owners have had the same confusion, and my recommendation is this: In shallow leagues where good players get cut all the time, I think it's okay to drop Baron if you need to. But in 10-team leagues with deep rosters or any formats deeper than that, I would advise waiting it out for now, as maddening as the situation is.

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[SIZE=+1]Random but Hopefully Useful Observations (Cont'd.)[/SIZE]

2. This "Derrick Rose, for three" thing is starting to have a nice ring to it. Having gone 6-for-9 on threes his last two games after starting the season 7-for-29 (24.1 percent), Rose is now up to 34.2 percent and 1.3 threes per game on the season. Is it legit? Rose's jumper has been plagued by flatness in the past, but a recent look at the Bulls PG on video shows that he has clearly worked on improving his arc. I still expect some inconsistency on threes from game to game, but the important thing from a fantasy perspective is that he clearly has the green light to fire away from deep. It's a huge boost to his value, and a big part of the reason he's sustaining second-round value (No. 15 in Basketball Monster's rankings for eight-category leagues).

3. A quick word on Blake Griffin's shot-blocking (or lack thereof). We know for a fact that Griffin can jump. We also know for a fact that he has blocked shots in the past – 1.2 per game in his final season for Oklahoma and 1.2 per game this preseason. Those of us who watch too many Clippers games also saw him rise up to pin a shot in nasty fashion against the Pistons (if memory serves correctly) last week (and never mind that he got away with grabbing the net a little bit – it was still a fierce block).

All of this is a long way of saying that Griffin – who has had some issues with foul trouble limit his defensive aggressiveness early in the season – should easily average around 1.0 bpg once he finds a groove, which will give his already promising value (annoyingly bad FT percentage aside) a considerable boost.

[SIZE=+1]10 Quick-Hitting Statements of Fact and/or Opinion[/SIZE]

1) Chauncey Billups is way too good a three-point shooter to keep hurling bricks like this (14-for-48, 29.2 percent on threes entering Thursday night). The rest of his numbers will come around once those shots start falling.

2) He's not the same dynamic option he used to be, but Hedo Turkoglu is at least beginning to function as a three-point specialist in Phoenix (11.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.9 apg and 2.4 threes in his last seven games entering Thursday night).

3) Luol Deng has sacrificed FG percentage (down from 46.7 last year to 41.1 this year) for a spike in threes (up from 0.5 to 1.7), a tradeoff I would gladly accept if Deng were on any of my teams.

4) This neck injury (or is it a concussion?) has been frustrating, but you will not find me dropping Carlos Delfino right now. He's still a big part of Milwaukee's rotation when he returns.

5) Dirk Nowitzki's three-point attempts are declining for a fourth straight year (220 in 2007-08 --> 170 in 2008-09 --> 121 in 2009-10 --> just 2-for-11 so far this year). He may escalate his pace somewhat (he's on course for around 90 attempts this season), but on the whole it's no longer a big part of his game.

6) Michael Beasley has surged to No. 59 in Basketball Monster's eight-category rankings while averaging 32.5 ppg in his last five games. He obviously won't stay this hot, but I'm a believer that he can continue maintain solid value all year.

7) In my chat the other day I told an owner to ask for more than Wilson Chandler in exchange for Brandon Roy. The more I think about it, I'm pretty sure I would gladly take Chandler (19.4 ppg, 1.8 threes and 3.4 bpg in his last five games) for a frighteningly gimpy Roy right now.

8) Nice to see Chris Bosh bust out for 35 on the same day he was called out via video on Internet.com, but I still think his realistic long-term upside playing alongside LeBron and D-Wade is somewhere in the range of 16-17 ppg and 8 rpg.

Editor's note: For exclusive articles, chats, projections and more, check out the Rotoworld NBA Season Pass.

9) I still like Mike Conley to retain good value, but his early-season steal binge looks like a fluke. Conley is averaging 2.6 spg on the season, but has dropped to a more realistic 1.5 in his last six games.

10) If you're not looking to deal Gilbert Arenas while he's still healthy, relatively happy and averaging 19.7 ppg, 2.0 spg and 4.0 threes in his last three games, then I don't know you anymore.
 

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Way Out Wes
Brandon Roy Jr.?

Wes Matthews may be the most interesting man in fantasy hoops. After he backed up a surprise 30-point outburst on Tuesday with a double-double on Thursday that included 20 points, 10 rebounds, three triples, one steal and two blocks, Matthews is finding his way onto more fantasy rosters with every game.

But Matthews is equally mysterious as he is interesting. As the past two games indicate, he is capable of impersonating Brandon Roy in the short-term, although it's difficult to imagine him keeping up this level of production without a track record of doing so. However, this could be Matthews properly introducing himself to the fantasy world now that Roy's chronic knee pain is allowing him to log 40-plus minutes a game, an opportunity he didn't often receive as a rookie in Utah last year.

Everyone will soon learn if Matthews is the genuine article or not, as Roy's creaky left knee could give him the chance to turn his two-game breakout into a full-blown breakthrough. For the time being, however, Matthews is an interesting man – interesting enough to be a must-own at this stage of the season.

No Collison, No Dunleavy, No problem for Pacers

On Thursday, the Pacers were without their starting backcourt of Darren Collison (ankle, day-to-day) and Mike Dunleavy (birth of child). Enter T.J. Ford and Brandon Rush, who helped the Pacers thump the Clippers by a 107-80 score, dropping the "other" Los Angeles team to a 1-12 record on the season.

No one can fault a guy for skipping work so he can witness the birth of his child, but Dunleavy's absence does jeopardize his role with the team. Rush seized his opportunity and scored 14 points on four three-pointers, five rebounds, two steals and five blocks. Although the blocks are nice, they are clearly an aberration, as defense isn't the strength of Rush's game. Undoubtedly, the performance raises the competition between he and Dunleavy for the starting job a notch.

In Collison's stead, Ford was adequate, scoring 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting with three rebounds, five assists and one turnover in 26 minutes. Tyler Hansbrough outproduced Josh McRoberts in fewer minutes, compiling seven points and eight rebounds to McRoberts' three points and five rebounds. Danny Granger registered 22 points, four treys, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Roy Hibbert continued his steady play, going 9-of-13 from the field to score 18 points with eight rebounds, three blocks and six turnovers. Jeff Foster also made his highly un-anticipated season debut, contributing two points, four rebounds and two blocks in 12 minutes. He isn't worth fantasy consideration as a rebounding specialist until he starts playing 20-plus minutes a night.

Blake Griffin was pedestrian on Thursday, scoring 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting with eight rebounds and nothing else. But most importantly, he averted disaster after stepping on McRoberts' foot and appearing to twist his ankle. It wasn't anything the training staff couldn't fix though, as Griffin continued playing after a quick tape job on the sidelines.

Seeing his first game action since Oct. 29, Randy Foye returned from a hamstring injury and played 13 minutes. He finished with four points and two assists, but he had a bigger impact on Eric Bledsoe than he did the actual game, as Bledsoe saw fewer than 35 minutes (32 on Thursday) for just the second time this month. Foye was logging between 22-26 minutes prior to the injury, so one has to expect that he'll work his way back into that range, which will cut into Bledsoe's run even more so.

DeAndre Jordan entered the game with a 77.8 field-goal percentage, but that number fell all the way to 65.1 percent after an 0-for-7 shooting performance. Roy Hibbert's size was obviously something that he didn't have an answer for. Jordan, who has minimal fantasy value until Chris Kaman (ankle) returns in early December, finished with zero points, five rebounds and a block.

Al Farouq-Aminu continued to produce as a member of the starting five, contributing 12 points on 3-of-9 shooting with eight rebounds and two steals, while Eric Gordon struggled, going 5-of-17 to score 19 points with two rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block.

Suns flounder in Florida
www.miamiheat.ws
Dwight Howard's 20 points and 12 rebounds led the Magic to a convincing 105-89 victory over the Suns on Thursday. Howard, who has averaged between 13.2 - 14.2 boards per night in each of the last three seasons, is receiving criticism for not rebounding as effectively (11.0 through 11 games) as he had previously. Owners shouldn't be worried.

Jameer Nelson notched 15 points and 12 assists for his first double-double of the season, going 6-of-8 from the floor with two three-pointers. Quentin Richardson also did some work from deep, knocking down three triples to score 15 points with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter each scored 13 points and added little else.

Steve Nash took a sick day on Thursday to nurse a strained groin, which thrusted Goran Dragic into starting duty. Dragic finished with 10 points, four rebounds and four assists, although the six turnovers in 27 minutes are excessive. The excitable Slovenian often plays too fast for himself, and head coach Alvin Gentry is trying to rein him in so he can succeed Nash in Phoenix as the starting point.

Nash's absence meant that Grant Hill had to shoulder more of the scoring load, and he did with an unexpected 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Conversely, Hedo Turkoglu basically hit rock bottom on Thursday, missing on all eight of his shot attempts and scoring just two points. Jason Richardson didn't bring his game either, going 3-of-7 to manage just seven points with one rebound and one steal.

Double-doubles from Matthews, Aldridge propel Blazers

While Wes Matthews cooked up his double-double, LaMarcus Aldridge whipped up his own with 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Blazers scratched out an 86-83 win over the Nuggets. Aldridge and Marcus Camby, who added five points, 14 boards and three blocks, combined to play 77 minutes. Considering Camby's age and the prolific recent history of knee troubles in Portland, the organization would probably like to see that number come down. And it will when Joel Przybilla (knee) returns next week. If your league's rosters are deep enough to accommodate an injured player, adding the Vanilla Gorilla now isn't a bad idea, as his rebounding and blocks will be useful in most formats once he conditions himself into game shape.

Including Thursday's DNP-CD, J.R. Smith has now played just one minute over the last three games. "Doghouse" might not be appropriate enough to describe what is going on here. Head coach George Karl is preferring the energy and hustle of international journeyman Gary Forbes as the first swingman off the bench, even despite the fact Smith is definitively the more talented of the two. The situation needs to be monitored, but neither are rosterable at the moment.
 

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Calderon Back In Spotlight
Waiver Wired is back with a look at the guards, forwards and centers that should be given consideration for pick up in fantasy leagues. I've divided players into Tiers this time. Players in Tier 1 won't be available in some leagues, while the later tiers should be where those of you in deeper leagues will find some available names. Landry Fields, Wesley Matthews and Darko Milicic are some of the players highlighted this week.

Want to be the first to know about breaking injury news and lineup changes? Follow me on Twitter.

[SIZE=+1]Guards[/SIZE]

Tier 1

Jose Calderon Raptors

This was a last-second addition, as it sounds like Jarrett Jack has been traded to the Hornets to back up Chris Paul. While this is disastrous news for Jack and his owners, it's fantastic news for Calderon, who should now get control of the offense again. I'm sure he'll let us down just as he always does, but that doesn't matter right now. The potential for greatness is there and he should be grabbed in all leagues.

Tier 2

Marco Belinelli Hornets, Landry Fields Knicks, Anthony Morrow Nets, Arron Afflalo Nuggets

I put these shooting guards in the order I like them, although I can't guarantee you that I would pick up Belinelli in front of Fields if given a real-life choice. Fields had a monster game this week with 21 points and 17 rebounds, but has also been hitting some threes and stealing the ball. Fields has been starting all season and there haven't been any signs of that changing anytime soon. He's the only rebounder in this group, while the other guys are mainly 3-point specialists. Belinelli and Morrow have been particularly hot lately, while Afflalo continues to be locked into the starting job in Denver.

Tier 3

Lou Williams Sixers, Wesley Johnson Timberwolves

Sweet Lou finally played well Friday after struggling through a shoulder injury and it's time to give him a look if he was dropped. Johnson has been hit or miss for the Wolves and may have a tough time finding shots as long as Michael Beasley, Kevin Love and Darko Milicic (I'm kidding, kind of) keep firing away.

Tier 4
www.miamiheat.ws
Luther Head Kings, Ramon Sessions Cavaliers, Kyle Korver Bulls, Kirk Hinrich Wizards, George Hill Spurs, Shannon Brown Lakers

Head is suddenly a starter in Sacramento and has filled the stat sheet in his two starts. He's certainly not a must-own player, but he's going to start for a while and deserves at least a glance in most leagues. Mo Williams struggled through his groin injury Friday as the bad vibes continue for the Cleveland point guard. I don't love his mindset, health or teammates, and Sessions will be there to pick up the pieces if Mo shatters.

Korver is going to hit threes for the Bulls, while Hill should start coming around after getting over a recent neck injury. Shannon Brown has been playing at a pretty high level and we haven't even seen what he will do when the Lakers suffer an injury. Brown hurt his eye on Friday, but it doesn't sound serious. As for Kirk Hinrich, he's been playing well all season. The problem is that he was starting over Gilbert Arenas early and has been filling in for John Wall lately. Once both those guys are locked and loaded, I have a hard time seeing Arenas playing at his current level. Of course, I could be wrong.

Tier 5

James Posey Pacers, Shaun Livingston Bobcats, Matt Barnes Lakers, Gary Forbes Nuggets

Posey is suddenly in the mix for the Pacers and will hit threes and rebound off the bench, Livingston finally showed signs of life on Friday as D.J. Augustin suffered through an off night, and Barnes had the game of his life on Friday, hitting every shot he took and racking up serious stats in limited minutes. Forbes has had a few nice games but is still only useful in the deepest of leagues. In fact, each of these guys is in that same boat, which is why they're in Tier 4.

Keep reading for Forward, Centers and Darko
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[SIZE=+1]Forwards[/SIZE]

Tier 1

Wesley Matthews Blazers

Matthews gets his own tier, as I recently saw a headline on an Oregon website calling him the 'New King of Portland.' He's killed it in two straight games and as you know by now, the outlook on Brandon Roy is not great. I don't think you can just cut Roy if you own him, at least until we see what happens next week, but either way, Matthews should be owned in every league. Just don't plan on much from him this week, as the Blazers play just two games. Matthews could become a legit 20-point scorer if Roy's knee problems linger all season.

Tier 2

Al-Farouq Aminu Clippers, Sonny Weems Raptors, Donte Greene Kings, Kris Humphries Nets

Take your pick here. All four are currently starting and Aminu, Weems and Humphries are all playing well. Especially Humps. The problem is that Troy Murphy is currently in a hell that only Avery Johnson could create, which has allowed Humphries to get it done over the last couple weeks. But unless Murphy is traded, it's hard to imagine him playing behind Humphries all season. I think Humps is a guy who should be owned in most leagues right now, but as far as long-term, he's probably got a short shelf life.

Aminu and Weems have been hot and their success has been well documented on Rotoworld, while Donte Greene really hasn't done anything this season. However, he is starting now for the Kings and Paul Westphal swears it's not a passing fad. I know that it probably is, but Greene can't be ignored because of his ability to hit threes and block shots. And in most leagues, he's the only one of these four who will actually be available to pick up. That may not be the case a week from now.

Tier 3

Marvin Williams Hawks, Linas Kleiza Raptors, Grant Hill Suns, Austin Daye Pistons, C.J. Miles Jazz, Shane Battier Rockets, Hakim Warrick Suns, Reggie Williams Warriors

Marvin is too high on this list, but the Hawks have five games this week. Given the fact Portland only plays twice, Marvin might be a better fantasy bet than anyone on the Blazers this week. Kleiza and Hill have had solid seasons, and Kleiza has bounced back in his last two games after being demoted after suffering an achilles injury. Daye has yet to breakout, but I'm predicting it happens on Sunday against the Wizards. He still needs some of his teammates to get traded, but has kept the starting power forward job and is hanging in there on the edge of having decent fantasy value because of his 3-point shooting.

Miles is getting ready to come on off the Jazz bench and should hit a lot of threes, while Battier has quietly posted a couple very nice Roto lines this week. If he does it again in his next one, he could emerge as a nice source of threes, steals and blocks. Warrick would be fine if he could rebound or block shots, but he's primarily a scorer thanks to Steve Nash. Williams had his best game of the season on Friday, scoring 16 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, when he hit four 3-pointers. Maybe this is a sign he's ready to break out.

[SIZE=+1]Centers[/SIZE]

Tier 1

Serge Ibaka Thunder, Channing Frye Suns, JaVale McGee Wizards, Darko Milicic Timberwolves

Here's your weekly Ibaka alert, although I have no idea how he's still available in some leagues. Frye was a hot pick up when Robin Lopez went down and he has righted the ship, hitting double digits in scoring in four straight, canning 10 threes over that stretch and has pulled down six or more rebounds in each of them. Add in a smattering of steals and blocks, and it's been a great week to own Frye.

McGee has had a real nice week and has done a better job of staying out of foul trouble. He's averaging nine points, 10 rebounds, two steals and three blocks in his last three games, and is No. 2 in the league in blocked shots.

Darko is the talk of the town after Friday's 23 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, two steals and six blocks. One hit wonder? Maybe, but my guess is he's just heating up. He had 11 points, a steal and three blocks in his previous game, and 13 points, 12 boards and four blocks in the one before that. That means he's double-doubled in two of his last three games and scored in double figures in three straight. So in his last three, he's averaging about 16 points, 10 rebounds, one steal and close to 3.5 blocks. I don't care that he's burned me/us before. David Kahn loves him, he was a beast last night, and he's No. 3 in the league in blocked shots. It is probably going to be a rough ride, but I'm buying what Darko is selling. Pick him up. Darko was No. 3 on the list of centers in last week's Waiver Wired column and is having as good a week as anyone in fantasy – Well, except for Mike Vick.

Tier 2

Brad Miller Rockets, Ronny Turiaf Knicks

Miller should do an admirable job of filling in for Yao Ming, whose nickname should just be changed to 'Setback,' and should hand out some assists and hit some threes in addition to scoring and rebounding. Just don't expect many blocks. Turiaf is now starting for the Knicks and had a nice line Friday, somehow handing out eight assists to go along with his seven points and three blocks. Just don't expect much scoring out of Ronny.

Tier 3

Joel Przybilla Blazers, DeAndre Jordan Clippers, Zydrunas Ilgauskas Heat

These guys are only worth a look in deeper leagues. Przybilla gets a boost from the fact that Greg Oden won't play this year, although JP is not quite healthy himself just yet. Jordan and Ilgauskas are both currently starting but are only options for owners who are desperate for a warm body to use in a pinch in deep leagues.
 

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Miami Meltdown?
Fire and Ice

What is going on in Miami? The Heat are 8-6 after losing their second straight game on Monday, this time at home to the Pacers after getting beat at the buzzer by Rudy Gay and Memphis on Saturday. I'm pretty sure Bron, D-Wade and Bosh had circled those two games as easy wins prior to the season, but things aren't going according to plan.
www.miamiheat.ws
Dwyane Wade has been fighting through the flu and injuries, LeBron James has been quietly doing a little bit of everything and Chris Bosh is finally playing well. But on nights when James Jones doesn't hit a bunch of threes, things aren't going well for the Heat. Add in the fact that Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem are out, and it's going to possibly be a struggle for the Heat going forward. I still think they're going to get it figured out and LeBron is eventually going to snap and simply start taking over the entire offense, but it hasn't happened yet.

You have to wonder why Wade even bothered last night. His wrist injury is clearly a problem and he hurt his fantasy owners, and the Heat, a lot more than he helped. He was just 1-of-13 from the floor and 1-of-5 from the line for three points in 37 minutes, and I'm now concerned about his availability for the next one, although nothing has been reported that he might miss it. As usual, Wade's injuries are an early concern and are clearly hindering his game. In any case, the loss of Haslem, who could miss the whole season after foot surgery, is big. They're bringing in Erick Dampier to start at center and I still think the Heat are going to be a very dangerous and good team, but it's not going to happen until LeBron stops playing nice and starts taking over games for four quarters.

World Party – Way Down Now

The Hawks looked as bad as any NBA team I've ever seen play last night. They didn't look ready to play before the game, they didn't look ready to play just after tip off and the game against the Celtics was literally over midway through the first quarter. The Celtics couldn't miss, the Hawks couldn't get an open shot, let alone a basket, and it pretty much ruined my plan of sitting and enjoying an NBA game without having to worry about working. Kevin Garnett and Nate Robinson each double-doubled in the cakewalk.

How bad was it? Coach Larry Drew is opening an investigation to find out what kind of partying his boys are doing on nights before they have games. Atlanta is notoriously a great place to have home-court advantage in the NBA because of the late-night antics of the competition, but now it looks like it could also be negatively impacting the home team. As for that 5-game week I was so excited for? It's now a 4-gamer after nearly every player in a Hawks uniform, including Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and Al Horford, laid an egg. Whatever. Hopefully they can bounce back tonight against the, ahem, Nets. In fact, their next four are nearly must-win games with the Nets, Wizards, Knicks and Raptors on the schedule. That 6-0 start against non-winning teams is now a distant memory, and I'm not going to lie. I miss Joe Johnson.

Injury Returns

Kevin Durant (28 points, 3 blocks) and Jeff Green (24 points, 6 rebounds) both finally returned from their sprained ankles on Monday. We had plenty of notice that they'd play so hopefully you got them in your lineup. It's amazing how much better my teams look with Durant and Green back in the mix.

Steve Nash looked fine in his return from a groin injury with 24 points, nine dimes and five turnovers.

Chris Andersen's hair/tattoo combo was simply amazing last night, and much better than his seven points, three boards and a steal in his return from knee surgery. The numbers weren't there, but he looked good.

Things didn't go so well in Darren Collison's return from an ankle injury for the Pacers. He had just four points, two rebounds and three dimes in 21 minutes, and was clearly outplayed by T.J. Ford (13 points, six boards, five assists). Over the summer I tried to warn against expecting too much from DC after his awesome season in New Orleans, but Jim O'Brien might be getting to him. I really don't know what to tell you on Collison, other than to hold on and hope everything turns out all right. This was his first game back from injury and he's still the starter. But any time a guy you blew a 4th-, 5th- or 6th-round pick on has a game like that, it's tough to swallow.

Injury Roll Call

John Wall remains iffy for tonight after experiencing soreness in his left foot after Monday's practice. We should know more before game time, but the latest report makes it sound like he will finally play. And it also sounds like Kirk Hinrich will continue to start, with Gilbert Arenas coming off the bench for the Wiz.

Andrew Bogut is experiencing back spasms to go along with his sore right hand and elbow, and is very iffy for Wednesday. Consider him a game-time decision.

Chauncey Billups was out last night with his wrist injury, allowing Ty Lawson to go for 14 points, four boards, five assists and two 3-pointers. Billups is questionable for Friday, but it does sound like he is going to try to play that night.

Rajon Rondo was out last night with his hamstring injury, which might be the best decision the Celtics have ever made since the Hawks were no-shows. They get the Nets on Wednesday, which will be the second of a back-to-back for New Jersey, so it's possible they give Rondo one more day off. I assume he'll be a game-time decision for that one.

David Lee is hoping to play next Tuesday, but he also expects to take things slowly coming back. It's hard to believe that a thing as simple as Wilson Chandler's tooth is causing this much fantasy devastation, but it's true.

Chris Kaman would like to play on Thursday, but it sounds like he's being a little overly optimistic. But whether he plays that night or not, he's getting close to a return from a severely sprained ankle.

Andre Iguodala should be back in action tonight from his achilles injury, while it also sounds like Evan Turner is going to stick in the starting five, along with Spencer Hawes. Turner and Hawes aren't fantasy beasts, but are both worth consideration in many leagues.

Deron Williams is pretty banged up for the Jazz, but keeps on playing through it.

Mike Bibby is dealing with a sore achilles, but hasn't been forced to miss any time. With five games this week, he's in a lot of lineups, so fingers are crossed.

Baron Davis will be re-evaluated on Thursday but Vinny Del Negro still doesn't sound too psyched about his return. "The plan is to get him back here Thursday, and I won't have an answer [about his return date] until I see him in practice and see where he is physically and how his knee reacts," Del Negro said. He added that while Davis has done individual work, the PG "hasn't gone full throttle," and "he's not at the level right now that I think he's comfortable at."

Taj Gibson is unlikely to play for the Bulls tonight with a foot injury, which should mean more goodies for Joakim Noah, and an appearance from James Johnson.

Vince Carter left Monday's game with a sharp pain under his knee, which doesn't sound great. He's being re-evaluated today and is very iffy for Wednesday at Miami. If this turns out to be more than just knee soreness, both Rashard Lewis and J.J. Redick are going to get a boost.

George Hill left last night's game for the Spurs with cramps in his calf, but should be fine.

Kelenna Azubuike (knee surgery) is scrimmaging with the Knicks although no return date has been set. When he does play, I worry about it hurting Landry Fields and Toney Douglas.

Andrew Bynum could be practicing with the Lakers soon and it sounds like Dec. 17 is a possible target date for his season debut. That's about three weeks, so if you're thinking about picking him up, make sure you can survive with a hole in your roster for that long.

Keep reading for News and Notes from Monday night.
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News & Notes From Monday

Darko Milicic didn't crash the boards Monday, but hit 9-of-14 shots for 21 points, four boards and three blocks. I had him in most of my lineups and am now just hoping this isn't a fluke. If you've watched him play in the last couple games, it sure doesn't look like the same old Darko. Luke Ridnour came off the Wolves bench for 17 points, five boards and seven assists, but don't take the bait. The timeshare with Jonny Flynn and Sebastian Telfair is getting ready to happen. Kevin Love stole Darko's boards to finish with 24 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high four 3-pointers. Deadly combo.

Kyle Lowry had 13 points, eight boards and six steals as the Rockets lost another one, while Jordan Hill double-doubled and Chuck Hayes started at center. Lowry is still good to go for a few more weeks, while Brad Miller is still my favorite big man in Houston while Yao Ming is out for another 10 days or so.

Serge Ibaka saw just 18 minutes off the OKC bench, which completely goes against what Scott Brooks said yesterday. Which was that Ibaka will get his minutes whether starting or coming off the bench. It didn't happen last night, but it's clear he wants to play him. Hang in there with Ibaka.

Grant Hill is quietly hot again and had 17 points, seven boards, seven assists, a steal and a block on Monday. He's not the most exciting pickup in the world, but should be effective. Channing Frye is still playing well for the Suns and has been very consistent over his last six games. He's averaging 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 3-pointers, 1 block and .75 steals over that stretch, and is shooting it much better. Congratulations if you picked him up.

Dwight Howard had 26 points, 18 rebounds, three steals and two blocks on 11-of-16 shooting. He also hit 4-of-7 free throws, and some of the fantasy heat has been lifted off his shoulders now that Blake Griffin shoots his free throws in the NBA.

Tony Parker is still killing it for the hot Spurs and had 29 points and 10 assists last night, while Manu Ginobili added 25 points, six boards, nine dimes and three 3-pointers. Don't sleep on the Spurs. Matt Bonner blew up for four 3-pointers on his way to 15 points and seven rebounds, and is another reason why DeJuan Blair and Tiago Splitter are going to be tough to own this season. Bonner's worth a look in very deep leagues, but that's about it.

Tyreke Evans hit just 3-of-12 shots for 11 points, four rebounds and four assists last night. He's clearly a better basketball player when Beno Udrih is starting next to him, but Paul Westphal is choosing to shake things up. I got a couple emails from guys saying we had Evans ranked way to low in the Guide, but he's starting to have some real issues. He's played terribly in two straight and has scored 11 or less in three of his last seven games. He'll get it turned around, but I'd feel better about him if Beno was still starting at point guard.

Donte Greene had 10 points and five boards for the Kings last night, but I still think he's a guy who should be added in many leagues, as long as he hangs onto the starting job. And don't look now, but DeMarcus Cousins had 18 points and nine boards last night, is racking up rebounds and minutes right now. I don't fully trust him, but he is worth a close look with all the minutes he's getting lately. He's played 29 or more in three of his last four.

C.J. Miles, who we touted as a solid pick up last week, backed up his seven 3-pointer game with 20 points, four boards, four assists, a steal, two blocks and a three on Monday for the Jazz, hitting 8-of-13 shots. Again, another guy worth owning in most formats.

Al-Farouq Aminu made another start on Monday and had 16 points, four rebounds, two steals, two blocks and two 3-pointers on 6-of-11 shooting. He also played 37 minutes and the Clippers actually beat the Hornets. He should now be owned in most leagues until further notice.

Arron Afflalo hit three 3-pointers for 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks for Denver, while Carmelo Anthony had 39 points, nine boards, five assists and hit all 17 of his free throw attempts in a win over the Warriors. Al Harrington hit five 3-pointers for 19 points and eight rebounds.

For the Warriors, Dorell Wright disappeared with two points on 1-of-6 shooting, while Reggie Williams and Rodney Carney each scored 16 off the bench. I still think Williams should be owned in many leagues, while we'll have to wait and see if the Wright party is coming to an end. Wright had scored 16 points in three straight, so he should bounce back. Dan Gadzuric had eight points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, but it's hard to imagine him every having real value.

Brandon Rush started over Mike Dunleavy and played the best game of his career, finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while also playing solid D on Dwyane Wade. Dunleavy added 11 points and these two are going to share minutes, regardless of who wins the job.

It sounds like Joey Graham will replace Jamario Moon in the starting lineup for Cleveland on Tuesday night, which will be worth keeping an eye on - especially in 14- to 16-team leagues.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Darko + Kevin = Man Love
[SIZE=+1]Happy Thanksgiving![/SIZE]

Thankful For Darko & Love

I'm pretty thankful for Darko Milicic and Kevin Love, who have quickly become two of the most loved fantasy players this year. They were both at it again on Wednesday, with Love racking up a career-high 32 points to go along with 22 rebounds, and Darko going off on Tim Duncan for 22 points, eight boards, four assists and five blocks. Darko would have done even more, but fouled out at the start of overtime. I watched this entire game and can tell you a few things.

1. The Wolves played well enough to win the game and didn't give the Spurs a lead until overtime. I felt bad for my buddies Mike and Sonia who were at the game.

2. Darko is legit. He looks so confident on the court that it's scary. He hit a fadeaway jumper in Tim Duncan's face with the game on the line, dribbled through his legs, made some great passes and looked like a true team leader on the floor. If he is still available in your league, drop whomever you need to and pick him up. He's averaging 18 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 4 blocks over his last five games.

3. David Kahn gets a break from me. I've blasted this dude for a year, but it's hard to argue with what's happened since Darko, Love and Michael Beasley have been turned loose. Kurt Rambis hasn't ticked anyone off lately and the team is playing at a high level. Yeah, they're still losing games, but they're entertaining as heck and not an automatic W for the opposition anymore. If you haven't had a chance to see them play lately, make it happen.

4. Beasley has cooled off a bit, averaging just 13 points and eight boards over his last two games on 12-of-32 shooting. He's lost some touches to Love and Darko, but is still going to rack up minutes and production from night to night. Hang in there with him.

More Minutes Please!

Tyrus Thomas got a surprise start at center on Wednesday after playing just 12 minutes in his previous game. And guess what? He went off for 26 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. It's a pretty well known fact that Thomas is a fantasy beast as long as he gets minutes. The problem is he's never gotten them consistently enough in his career and there's no guarantee he's going to get them from Larry Brown going forward, either. But after last night's explosion, Thomas should probably be in fantasy lineups until further notice.

Mo Wins

Mo Williams had a nice game and hit the game-winner for the Cavs last night. The team needed a win and Mo put them on his back in the second half, when he scored 21 of his 25 points. Antawn Jamison and J.J. Hickson were both pretty awful, and at this point, Hickson can be dropped in many leagues. The two are going to split minutes and Hickson hasn't played well up to this point. I'm hanging onto him in a league where he qualifies at center, but wouldn't be opposed to dropping in some situations.

Logjam in Toronto

The Raptors are tough to get a handle on at the wing positions. DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems started, but DeRozan saw limited minutes and both players struggled. Linas Kleiza, Leandro Barbosa, Jerryd Bayless and Peja Stojakovic all saw minutes last night, which is creating fantasy problems. I still think DeRozan and Weems may still have some fantasy value, but they're becoming unreliable. If you feel like you need to drop one of them, it's probably OK. As for Kleiza, he was awful again. I really thought coming into the season he was going to be a great sleeper, but Weems killed that dream by stealing his job. Bayless played well in limited minutes last night with three 3-pointers and 13 points, so just put him on your radar.

In other Raptors news, Jose Calderon's owners are thankful for the trade that sent Jarrett Jack to New Orleans, as Calderon had 16 points, nine assists, two steals and two threes. And Reggie Evans feasted with a career high of 22 rebounds and even had 12 points for a rare double-double – his first of the season. He's averaging just 3.8 points on the season, but also 12.6 rebounds. If you want to pick him up, it doesn't look like he's going anywhere.

Bucks News

Brandon Jennings hit just 1-of-10 shots last night, Keyon Dooling came out of nowhere for 18 points and five assists, while Andrew Bogut sat out with a sore back. Carlos Delfino will be out for a couple more weeks with his concussion symptoms and can be dropped in many leagues. As for Dooling, that just looks like a fluke.

Keep reading for more notes from Wednesday night.
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Miami (S)heat

The Heat lost for the third straight time last night, this time falling to the Magic. Chris Bosh suffered from back spasms but played through it, while LeBron James threw up a standard 25 points. Dwyane Wade played better, but hit just 6-of-21 shots. He's 7-of-30 in his last two games, but is at least playing through his sore wrist. You know the Heat are going to figure this out and get it going at some point, but the question is when?

Jameer Nelson stayed hot with 17 points and a career-high 14 assists before being ejected, while Brandon Bass hit 9-of-12 shots for 18 points and six rebounds in 26 minutes. More minutes, please. Vince Carter was out with a knee injury and while it's not considered to be serious, it is concerning. J.J. Redick started and had 20 points and three 3-pointers. More minutes, please.

Shaq's Back, Delonte's Done

Shaquille O'Neal turned back the clock for 25 points and 11 boards against the Nets, his second straight double-double. How long it will last is anyone's guess. I'm not picking him up, but that doesn't mean he's not worth a look. Delonte West broke his right wrist in a nasty fall and could be done for the season. And while he didn't have fantasy value, I do hope the time off that's coming doesn't lead to any more trouble for him. Rajon Rondo was out again with his hamstring injury and doesn't sound likely for Friday.

Hold the Mayo

O.J. Mayo came off the bench again for the Grizzlies, who blistered the Pistons. I don't think you could pay me to sit through a Pistons game right now as John Kuester's rotation and team are just awful. As for Mayo, he played just 23 minutes and scored nine points. Coach Lionel Hollins says he wants more scoring punch off the bench, meaning this move is permanent for now. Don't drop Mayo yet, but don't put him in your lineup, either. Xavier Henry is the new starter, but I'm not expecting much. Mayo's not happy about the demotion, but could still emerge as a solid sixth man. He could also end up back in the starting five if the experiment fails.

Knock Your Block Off

Serge Ibaka had just 12 points and four rebounds in last night's loss to the Mavs, and didn't block a shot for the third time in four games. Scott Brooks keeps saying he's going to give Ibaka minutes and that the production will be there, but I'm starting to have my doubts. I'm going to try to hang on where I own him, but if I could cut him for Darko, I'd do it.

For the Mavericks, Tyson Chandler got hot and posted season highs of 17 points and 18 rebounds. He also had a steal and a block, while Brendan Haywood went down with a leg injury.

Rocket Men

Kyle Lowry has been on fire lately, constantly filling stat sheets and making owners smile. He had 14 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and a three again last night as the Rockets beat the Warriors. Lowry is a must-own player until Aaron Brooks returns. Another Rocket making noise is Shane Battier, who had 13 points, six boards, two steals, four blocks and two 3-pointers last night. Just take a look at Battier's game log over the past two weeks and you'll want to pick him up. I cut Sonny Weems to grab him in one league last night. Chuck Hayes started at center again and had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Perhaps the biggest sign he's a different player this season is the fact he hit 8-of-8 free throws, and while I still think it's a mirage, he's a guy we all need to keep an eye on. At least until Yao Ming is back.

No. 1A and No. 1B?

Deron Williams outplayed Chris Paul last night and is starting to look like the best point guard in the league. Paul's steals still give him the edge in fantasy, but Deron's no slouch, obviously. Andrei Kirilenko hurt owners with a disappearing act, failing to score a point, or do much of anything, in 26 minutes.

Bulls Beat Suns In Double-OT

Derrick Rose had 35 points, 12 boards and seven assists before fouling out, leading the Bulls to a tough double-OT win at Phoenix. Joakim Noah added 17 points and 15 rebounds in the win, and is a popular topic for debate right now. It's easy for us to say he's a sell-high player with Carlos Boozer coming back, but only time is going to tell. Noah has had some huge lines when Taj Gibson has crashed the boards and it's entirely possible that he keeps playing at his current pace with Boozer. However, Gibson is averaging just 7.7 boards per game and I think you're crazy if you think Boozer is going to average just eight per game. Noah is averaging 13.4 boards thus far, and that number almost has to fall once Boozer is back. But the drop off shouldn't be severe enough for owners to go out looking to move Noah for whatever they can get. In other words, expect a drop off, but not a huge one.

Luol Deng had 26 points and 10 boards as he stayed hot, while Kyle Korver exploded for 24 points and three 3-pointers. Feel free to grab him if you need threes, but I'm expecting more like 10 points and two threes a night.

For the Suns, Grant Hill had a season-high 27 points and eight rebounds, and has been killing it lately. He's scored 20 or more in three of his last six and is averaging 19 points over that stretch. I think he's an automatic pick up in most formats right now.

Thursday Night

TNT has the Wizards @ Hawks tonight, followed up by the Kings @ Clippers. Here's hoping the Hawks show up ready to play, JaVale McGee stays hot and that the Kings – Clips is better than anyone's expecting it to be. Once you've had your fill of football and turkey, crank up some hoops and enjoy.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Trouble For Tyreke What We Learned On Turkey Day

The Hawks can be a pretty good team when they actually try. Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and Al Horford all came to play against the Wizards last night, dominated the boards and put the game away early. They snapped a three-game losing streak, while keeping the Wizards winless on the road. Monday was a fantasy disaster for all Hawks, but things have been back to normal over the last two games, while they still have two more to play this week.

As for the Wizards, there were some issues.

1. John Wall looks anything but healthy. He was 3-of-12 on the night and never got it going. He complained of soreness in his left foot again prior to the game and my guess is that it bothered him during the game. He was better on Tuesday, when he returned from the foot injury that cost him the previous four games, but I still get the sense his foot is not right. Hopefully he bounces back Saturday vs. Orlando. www.miamiheat.ws

Update: Just as I was posting this, news broke that he's dealing with leg and knee soreness. You have to wonder if that came from him overcompensating for the foot injury, although he says it happened when he was hit on Tuesday. He also said his foot is good to go, although that conflicts with a report from yesterday when he said it was hurting. The good news is that none of these injuries sound too serious, so he'll hopefully be back on track Saturday.

2. Andray Blatche left the game after being poked in both eyes and did not return. It didn't sound like a serious injury and I thought he was going to re-enter the game. He didn't, but the Wiz were being blown out and it was getting kind of late in the game. My guess is he's good to go on Saturday.

3. With Al Thornton out, Gilbert Arenas got the start and looked like vintage Agent 0 with 21 points, six boards, eight dimes, three steals and four 3-pointers on 7-of-18 shooting. And yes, it's possible that his strong line was part of Wall's problem. It sounds like Thornton will miss another game, or three, meaning Arenas should continue to start – at least for the near future.

4. Nick Young scored 20 points and has somehow scored between 18 and 20 points in five of his last six. I don't trust him and he doesn't do much besides score and drain threes, but give him a look if you're thin at guard in a deep league.

Are You There God? It's Me, Tyreke

The Kings were embarrassed by Blake Griffin and the Clippers, and the No. 1 problem fantasy owners are struggling with this morning is what to do with Tyreke Evans? He doesn't look healthy (his elbow and ankle have been an issue recently), isn't playing aggressively and looks nothing like the kid who didn't seem to have any problems scoring at will, or doing anything else he wanted to, last year.

Maybe defenses are keying on him, keeping him from going right and forcing him to shoot jumpers. Maybe he has tuned out Paul Westphal and doesn't like his teammates. Maybe he's hurting more than anyone knows. Whatever his problem is, there are no easy answers. His trade value has never been lower than it is right now and he's never looked worse than he has over his last three games. If you own him, ignore the ridiculously low trade offers that are going to be coming your way, but consider sitting him until he gets this figured out. About the only good news I can think of with him is that Westphal probably doesn't have the power to bench him. At least I hope he doesn't.

The Kings looked dreadful. Francisco Garcia was out with a virus, Samuel Dalembert had two points, three boards and two blocks in nine minutes, Luther Head and Carl Landry are becoming the stars of the team and Beno Udrih has been buried on the bench. If Westphal has a plan, I'd like to know what it is, but then again, he doesn't exactly have talent oozing out of the locker room, either.

For the Clippers, Griffin put on another highlight show, hitting 7-of-11 shots on his way to 25 points, 15 boards, five assists and a steal. He even hit 11-of-15 free throws, which has to be considered his best performance at the line this season, but didn't block a shot. He's hasn't blocked a single shot in 11 of his 16 games thus far and his poor free throw shooting is a buzzkill. But he's arguably the most fun player in the league to watch on TV, as well as own in fantasy when he's clicking on all cylinders, as he was last night. If he ever becomes decent at the line, he's going to be a scary fantasy player.

No Baron Davis, no Chris Kaman last night. But they should both be back in action some time next week. Eric Gordon was money again, going for 28 points, four boards, six assists and a 3-pointer. He's gone for 20 or more in 11 of his 14 games thus far, making him a true value pick.

Keep reading for Friday's Game Previews.
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Friday Night Lights

Cavs @ Magic

This one should get ugly early, although Vince Carter is now out with his knee injury. Dwight Howard should have a field day against the undersized Cavs, while Jameer Nelson will look to stay hot. And keep an eye on Brandon Bass, who scored 18 in his last one.

Rockets @ Bobcats

Can Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes keep it up? Will Larry Brown free Tyrus Thomas again? We'll soon find out.

Sixers @ Heat

Elton Brand is back from his suspension, while the Heat will try to snap a three-game losing streak. Dwyane Wade's shooting has been dreadful, while Chris Bosh tweaked his back in the last one. Bosh says his back is better and it sounds like all the key pieces will be playing tonight. And if the Heat lose this one, the media frenzy will officially go to a level we've never seen in an NBA regular season, if it hasn't already.

Raptors @ Celtics

Keep an eye on the Raptors' wings. Too many players, not enough minutes for any of them, eating each other's stats. Rajon Rondo is likely out again with his hamstring injury, but it shouldn't matter. The Celtics are cruising and Shaquille O'Neal is coming off back-to-back double-doubles. If you want to start Nate Robinson tonight it makes sense.

Bucks @ Pistons

Brandon Jennings was 1-of-10 in his last one, while Andrew Bogut is iffy and could miss his second straight game with a back injury. Carlos Delfino should also remain out with a head injury for the Bucks. The Pistons are an absolute mess and Rodney Stuckey, who had just one assist in his last one, is the only guy I have any real faith in on that team. The Bucks looked pretty awesome at the start of the season, but have lost four straight. This could be just the game the doctor ordered for Scott Skiles.

Thunder @ Pacers

Opposing centers have been feasting on the Thunder, which could be good news for Roy Hibbert, who has been very quiet in his last couple games. His head is feeling better, so he should be good to go. Jeff Green is over his ankle injury and this should be one of the better matchups of the night, as the Pacers are much better than anyone thought they'd be. Keep an eye on the Brandon Rush vs. Mike Dunleavy fight for minutes in Indy.

Mavs @ Spurs

No injuries to speak of for either team, but I doubt Tyson Chandler backs up his monster line from his last game, when he torched the Thunder for 17 points and 18 boards. Brendan Haywood plans on playing through a leg injury. This should be a good test for the hot Spurs.

Lakers @ Jazz

Here's your game of the night. Personally, I'm hoping for a C.J. Miles bounce-back game this evening.

Clippers @ Suns

Second of a back-to-back on the road for the Clippers. We should find out what they're made of tonight. Grant Hill and Channing Frye have been hot for the Suns.

Bulls @ Nuggets

Circus trip continues for the Bulls, who may or may not have Taj Gibson due to a foot/ankle injury. Consider him a game-time decision. And in case you haven't noticed, Derrick Rose is playing about as well as anyone in the league thus far. For the Nuggets, Chauncey Billups is hoping to return from a wrist injury and is a game-time decision. Sadly, Ty Lawson may be better equipped to hang with Rose these days.

Warriors @ Grizzlies

O.J. Mayo will come off the bench again, which is tough if you drafted him. I am very curious as to how long that arrangement lasts. The Grizzlies won their last one with Mayo off the pine, so I don't think he's going to start any time soon. We're still waiting for Stephen Curry to have his breakout game this season, while Monta Ellis will look to get back on track after a very hot start to the season. He's hit just 16-of-53 shots over his last three games. David Lee is working out but won't be back until next week.

Hornets @ Blazers

Chris Paul could be angry after losing to Utah (again) in his last one, while the Blazers are still wondering if Brandon Roy (knee) is going to play or not. We should have an update later today, but for now, I'd call him a game-time decision. Joel Przybilla was in the hospital with a virus last we heard, but could still make his season debut tonight.
 

hacheman@therx.com
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Trouble For Tyreke
What We Learned On Turkey Day

The Hawks can be a pretty good team when they actually try. Josh Smith, Joe Johnson and Al Horford all came to play against the Wizards last night, dominated the boards and put the game away early. They snapped a three-game losing streak, while keeping the Wizards winless on the road. Monday was a fantasy disaster for all Hawks, but things have been back to normal over the last two games, while they still have two more to play this week.

As for the Wizards, there were some issues.

1. John Wall looks anything but healthy. He was 3-of-12 on the night and never got it going. He complained of soreness in his left foot again prior to the game and my guess is that it bothered him during the game. He was better on Tuesday, when he returned from the foot injury that cost him the previous four games, but I still get the sense his foot is not right. Hopefully he bounces back Saturday vs. Orlando.

Update: Just as I was posting this, news broke that he's dealing with leg and knee soreness. You have to wonder if that came from him overcompensating for the foot injury, although he says it happened when he was hit on Tuesday. He also said his foot is good to go, although that conflicts with a report from yesterday when he said it was hurting. The good news is that none of these injuries sound too serious, so he'll hopefully be back on track Saturday.

2. Andray Blatche left the game after being poked in both eyes and did not return. It didn't sound like a serious injury and I thought he was going to re-enter the game. He didn't, but the Wiz were being blown out and it was getting kind of late in the game. My guess is he's good to go on Saturday.

3. With Al Thornton out, Gilbert Arenas got the start and looked like vintage Agent 0 with 21 points, six boards, eight dimes, three steals and four 3-pointers on 7-of-18 shooting. And yes, it's possible that his strong line was part of Wall's problem. It sounds like Thornton will miss another game, or three, meaning Arenas should continue to start – at least for the near future.

4. Nick Young scored 20 points and has somehow scored between 18 and 20 points in five of his last six. I don't trust him and he doesn't do much besides score and drain threes, but give him a look if you're thin at guard in a deep league.

Are You There God? It's Me, Tyreke

The Kings were embarrassed by Blake Griffin and the Clippers, and the No. 1 problem fantasy owners are struggling with this morning is what to do with Tyreke Evans? He doesn't look healthy (his elbow and ankle have been an issue recently), isn't playing aggressively and looks nothing like the kid who didn't seem to have any problems scoring at will, or doing anything else he wanted to, last year.

Maybe defenses are keying on him, keeping him from going right and forcing him to shoot jumpers. Maybe he has tuned out Paul Westphal and doesn't like his teammates. Maybe he's hurting more than anyone knows. Whatever his problem is, there are no easy answers. His trade value has never been lower than it is right now and he's never looked worse than he has over his last three games. If you own him, ignore the ridiculously low trade offers that are going to be coming your way, but consider sitting him until he gets this figured out. About the only good news I can think of with him is that Westphal probably doesn't have the power to bench him. At least I hope he doesn't.

The Kings looked dreadful. Francisco Garcia was out with a virus, Samuel Dalembert had two points, three boards and two blocks in nine minutes, Luther Head and Carl Landry are becoming the stars of the team and Beno Udrih has been buried on the bench. If Westphal has a plan, I'd like to know what it is, but then again, he doesn't exactly have talent oozing out of the locker room, either.

For the Clippers, Griffin put on another highlight show, hitting 7-of-11 shots on his way to 25 points, 15 boards, five assists and a steal. He even hit 11-of-15 free throws, which has to be considered his best performance at the line this season, but didn't block a shot. He's hasn't blocked a single shot in 11 of his 16 games thus far and his poor free throw shooting is a buzzkill. But he's arguably the most fun player in the league to watch on TV, as well as own in fantasy when he's clicking on all cylinders, as he was last night. If he ever becomes decent at the line, he's going to be a scary fantasy player.

No Baron Davis, no Chris Kaman last night. But they should both be back in action some time next week. Eric Gordon was money again, going for 28 points, four boards, six assists and a 3-pointer. He's gone for 20 or more in 11 of his 14 games thus far, making him a true value pick.

Keep reading for Friday's Game Previews.
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Friday Night Lights

Cavs @ Magic

This one should get ugly early, although Vince Carter is now out with his knee injury. Dwight Howard should have a field day against the undersized Cavs, while Jameer Nelson will look to stay hot. And keep an eye on Brandon Bass, who scored 18 in his last one.

Rockets @ Bobcats

Can Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes keep it up? Will Larry Brown free Tyrus Thomas again? We'll soon find out.

Sixers @ Heat

Elton Brand is back from his suspension, while the Heat will try to snap a three-game losing streak. Dwyane Wade's shooting has been dreadful, while Chris Bosh tweaked his back in the last one. Bosh says his back is better and it sounds like all the key pieces will be playing tonight. And if the Heat lose this one, the media frenzy will officially go to a level we've never seen in an NBA regular season, if it hasn't already.

Raptors @ Celtics

Keep an eye on the Raptors' wings. Too many players, not enough minutes for any of them, eating each other's stats. Rajon Rondo is likely out again with his hamstring injury, but it shouldn't matter. The Celtics are cruising and Shaquille O'Neal is coming off back-to-back double-doubles. If you want to start Nate Robinson tonight it makes sense.

Bucks @ Pistons

Brandon Jennings was 1-of-10 in his last one, while Andrew Bogut is iffy and could miss his second straight game with a back injury. Carlos Delfino should also remain out with a head injury for the Bucks. The Pistons are an absolute mess and Rodney Stuckey, who had just one assist in his last one, is the only guy I have any real faith in on that team. The Bucks looked pretty awesome at the start of the season, but have lost four straight. This could be just the game the doctor ordered for Scott Skiles.

Thunder @ Pacers

Opposing centers have been feasting on the Thunder, which could be good news for Roy Hibbert, who has been very quiet in his last couple games. His head is feeling better, so he should be good to go. Jeff Green is over his ankle injury and this should be one of the better matchups of the night, as the Pacers are much better than anyone thought they'd be. Keep an eye on the Brandon Rush vs. Mike Dunleavy fight for minutes in Indy.

Mavs @ Spurs

No injuries to speak of for either team, but I doubt Tyson Chandler backs up his monster line from his last game, when he torched the Thunder for 17 points and 18 boards. Brendan Haywood plans on playing through a leg injury. This should be a good test for the hot Spurs.

Lakers @ Jazz

Here's your game of the night. Personally, I'm hoping for a C.J. Miles bounce-back game this evening.

Clippers @ Suns

Second of a back-to-back on the road for the Clippers. We should find out what they're made of tonight. Grant Hill and Channing Frye have been hot for the Suns.

Bulls @ Nuggets

Circus trip continues for the Bulls, who may or may not have Taj Gibson due to a foot/ankle injury. Consider him a game-time decision. And in case you haven't noticed, Derrick Rose is playing about as well as anyone in the league thus far. For the Nuggets, Chauncey Billups is hoping to return from a wrist injury and is a game-time decision. Sadly, Ty Lawson may be better equipped to hang with Rose these days.

Warriors @ Grizzlies

O.J. Mayo will come off the bench again, which is tough if you drafted him. I am very curious as to how long that arrangement lasts. The Grizzlies won their last one with Mayo off the pine, so I don't think he's going to start any time soon. We're still waiting for Stephen Curry to have his breakout game this season, while Monta Ellis will look to get back on track after a very hot start to the season. He's hit just 16-of-53 shots over his last three games. David Lee is working out but won't be back until next week.

Hornets @ Blazers
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Chris Paul could be angry after losing to Utah (again) in his last one, while the Blazers are still wondering if Brandon Roy (knee) is going to play or not. We should have an update later today, but for now, I'd call him a game-time decision. Joel Przybilla was in the hospital with a virus last we heard, but could still make his season debut tonight.
 
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New Faces In Toronto
With the devastating foot injury suffered by Reggie Evans on Friday night, we're going to kick things off with forwards today, instead of guards. Three guys have a real chance at a big boost in value in Toronto, but my money's on Amir Johnson taking most of Evans' minutes and production – if he can stay out of foul trouble.

Jarrett Jack was traded a week ago, causing me to add Jose Calderon to this column right as the news was breaking. I hope it helped you acquire Calderon, especially after Friday's 12 points, 15 assists, four steals, five rebounds and two 3-pointers. He could end up turning around your fantasy team if he keeps this up.

I've included a "Potential Cut List." Just because someone is mentioned there doesn't mean that they are a worse player than one of the "pickups" listed in this column. It's simply a general list of players who are being dropped in many leagues due to poor performance, as well as guys I would consider cutting myself. Should you cut Samuel Dalembert or Serge Ibaka? As usual, it all depends on whom you would be picking up and the size of your league, so don't read too much into it. Having said that, would I cut J.J. Hickson? Yes, yes I would. And while I didn't enjoy putting Wesley Matthews on that list, it had to happen after Brandon Roy's triumphant return on Friday.

Want to be the first to know about breaking injury news and lineup changes? Follow me on Twitter.

[SIZE=+1]Forwards[/SIZE]

Amir Johnson Raptors

Johnson has been coming off the bench for a couple reasons. He was initially put there in order to help keep him out of foul trouble, but the rebounding prowess of the ageless Evans didn't help his cause. In any case, Evans is now out for the foreseeable future, meaning there are now and extra 12 rebounds and 27 minutes up for grabs at the position. Those minutes are likely going to be split between Johnson, Linas Kleiza and newcomer Peja Stojakovic. More on those three in a minute.

Johnson should start in Evans' place and is the guy most likely to start posting true power forward numbers, as in consistently flirting with double-doubles with some solid shooting and blocks. Foul trouble might be an issue, but this is the opportunity he's been waiting for. He's an automatic pick up in any league.

Linas Kleiza Raptors

Kleiza outplayed DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems last night, and while he's not a true power forward, he should see a boost in minutes. But the Raptors have too many wing players for any of them to be consistent on a nightly basis. Guys like DeRozan, Weems, Leandro Barbosa, Stojakovic and even Andrea Bargnani all play a wing-type of game. Weems stole Kleiza's starting job, but Kleiza could win it back at some point, especially if he continues to play well and Weems struggles like he has the last couple games. He should also end up seeing some minutes at power forward, although it's not his natural spot. He had 18 points, seven boards and a 3-pointer Friday night, and could be ready to finally start producing like we were expecting all along.

Peja Stojakovic Raptors

Peja has played just two games for the Raptors but his name keeps popping up as a possible fill-in for Evans. Again, he's not a natural power forward either, and having both Peja and Andrea Bargnani on the court together could be a defensive disaster that opposing bigs will thrive on. But it sounds like Peja could end up being the No. 2 PF on the team behind Johnson. If Peja were younger and less injury prone, I'd have him ranked in front of Kleiza. My guess is the extra minutes will take their toll and his back will seize up at some point in the next month or so. But he's going to see minutes, he's going to hit threes, he's going to rebound and he's going to score points for as long as he's healthy. And that means he's at least worth a flier.

Shane Battier Rockets

Battier has been a hot pickup and 'rewarded' his owners with two points on 1-of-9 shooting on Friday. He was 0-for-6 from downtown, but did have five dimes and a couple blocks. But the reason he has been a hot pickup is that he's been racking up points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and threes over the past couple weeks, and should continue to do so. In November he's averaging 8.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.6 blocks and 1.3 3-pointers per game. He's shooting just 34 percent for the month, but much of that can be blamed on Friday's fiasco, along with a couple other off nights (3-of-13 & 1-for-6). Before Friday he'd hit double figures in three straight and four out of five games, and he's blocked a shot in 10 straight games. He's also averaging over 30 minutes per game, which can be difficult to find on the wire.

Joey Dorsey Raptors

Dorsey's the guy I picked up in my 30-team league, as he was basically the best player available. Even GSW's Jeff Adrien wasn't available when I went to get him last night. Anyway, Dorsey is probably going to be the No. 3 PF on the Raps' depth chart and is at least going to get a chance to play now. "Joey Dorsey's been working hard and he's going to have a chance to play," said Triano. Don't mess with him unless you're in a very deep league, but don't be surprised to start seeing his name popping up in recaps and box scores.

Others To Consider: Kyle Korver, Matt Bonner, Shawn Marion, Chase Budinger, Chris Andersen, Hakim Warrick, Ryan Gomes.

Potential Cut List: J.J. Hickson, Glen Davis, Terrence Williams, Anthony Randolph, Reggie Evans, Troy Murphy, Travis Outlaw, Taj Gibson, Joey Graham, Austin Daye, Carlos Delfino, Marvin Williams, Al Thornton, Shelden Williams, Hedo Turkoglu, Francisco Garcia.

Keep reading for Guards and Centers.
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[SIZE=+1]Guards[/SIZE]

Trevor Ariza Hornets

Ariza has played poorly enough that he's been dropped by some frustrated owners. He scored a season-high 18 on Friday and scored 16 a couple games before that. Of course, he had a couple 9-pointers sandwiched in between those, but he's hit double figures in all but five games this season, and it feels like he's starting to play better. He's still an excellent source of threes (1.3 per game) and steals (1.5) and is also averaging 11.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The biggest problem is the terrible shooting, which sits at 38.6 percent right now. But if he ever gets it going and starts hitting 45%, the rest of his numbers are going to follow. Despite the disappointment he's caused over the last two seasons, he should still be owned in almost all leagues.

Jonny Flynn Timberwolves

I'm not a big Flynn guy because he's still not healthy, has Kurt Rambis for a coach and will have to deal with Luke Ridnour and Sebastian Telfair when he returns. But it still sounds like the Wolves want to start him and there is potential for value there. But there's still no actual target date for his return and he could end up being one of those starting point guards who doesn't do enough to start for most fantasy teams. But until we know for sure how he's going to mesh with Michael Beasley, Kevin Love and Darko Milicic, Flynn is worth a flier.

Kyle Lowry Rockets

Lowry has been packing the stat sheet for the Rockets and will continue to do so for a couple more weeks until Aaron Brooks is back from a severely sprained ankle. Lowry should already be in most fantasy lineups given his play over the last 10 days, but make sure he's not available in your league.

Ben Gordon Pistons

There's a chance Gordon will replace Richard Hamilton in the starting five for Detroit, but I'm not rushing out to pick him up. The Pistons have generally been a fantasy wasteland this season, with only Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva, and sometimes Hamilton being reliable enough to start in most leagues. But a move to the starting five could prove to be a huge deal for Gordon, as he is a prolific scorer and nice source of threes when firing on all cylinders. Hamilton played better last night and probably saved his job for now, but if you ever see a blurb on Rotoworld saying that Gordon is moving to the starting unit, grab him immediately.

Nick Young Wizards

Young has scored between 18 and 20 points in five of his last six games and is a good source of threes. He's coming off the bench and playing well for the Wiz right now, but I don't fully trust him to keep it going. Especially if Gilbert Arenas and John Wall ever land on the same page.

George Hill Spurs

Hill finally got hot Friday, hitting 6-of-11 shots and a 3-pointer on his way to 21 points, three boards and three steals. He's hit double figures in three straight games and is finally over a neck injury. He's not a must-own player, but is one of those guys, along with Landry Fields, Marco Belinelli and Daniel Gibson, that deserves a look in deeper leagues.

Jodie Meeks Sixers

Meeks came out of nowhere Friday to hit five 3-pointers and score 21 points in just 25 minutes of action. Evan Turner, the team's starting shooting guard, has scored two points in his last two games, when he totaled 39 minutes and just two field goal attempts. Would Turner be better off coming off the bench for the three-win Sixers and could Meeks provide a spark to a struggling team's starting five? I sure think so. Now we just need Doug Collins to buy in, and Meeks could become a very hot pick up. Keep an eye on him, and don't be afraid to go for it if he lands in the starting five, or sees a bigger role at some point in the near future.

Others To Consider: Nate Robinson, Landry Fields, Jordan Farmar, Mike Dunleavy, Ramon Sessions, Marco Belinelli.

Potential Cut List: Delonte West, Evan Turner, Toney Douglas, T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush, Will Bynum, Mickael Pietrus, Jeff Teague, Kirk Hinrich, Marcus Thornton, Ishmael Smith, James Harden, Wesley Matthews, Steve Blake, Beno Udrih, Eric Bledsoe.
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[SIZE=+1]Centers[/SIZE]

Chris Kaman Clippers

If he was dropped in your league and is still available, pick him up right now.

Darko Milicic Timberwolves

I've written enough about Darko over the past couple weeks that I'm not going to say much here. But he's been on a tear for about five straight games and is finally playing with confidence, while leading the league in blocks. If he's somehow still available in your league, this is your last call.

Channing Frye Suns

Frye has started seven straight games since Robin Lopez went down and has scored in double figures in every one of them. He's also hit a 3-pointer in 11 straight and is averaging 14 points, 5.9 boards, 0.7 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.0 3-pointers per game over his seven starts. Lopez isn't coming back any time soon and may not have a starting gig when he returns. Frye should be owned in all leagues.

Kris Humphries Nets

I don't really trust Kris Humphries with Troy Murphy lurking in the background, but then again, I trust Avery Johnson less. We still haven't seen much of Murphy, who has been shut down by the Little General for the last six games, and really the entire season. Who knows when Murphy will ever play again, let alone make an impact for the Nets. Humps is averaging 7.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and a block per game, and while he's cooled off a little lately, is still the best power forward to own in New Jersey. Just be ready to jump off the train if and when Murphy ever shows his face for 25 minutes in a game.

Mehmet Okur Jazz

I was not high on Okur over the summer, in preseason or in the regular season, but he's finally nearing a return from a ruptured achilles tendon. His role will be different this season, as Al Jefferson is starting at center and Paul Millsap locked in at power forward. But Okur could come off the bench and become a 3-point specialist. He still hasn't given us a target date but is getting close, and while I don't think he's a must-own player, he is probably worth picking up until we find out exactly what his role will be.

Shaquille O'Neal Celtics

Shaq is averaging 12 points and seven boards in games that he's started for the C's and has nearly double-doubled in three straight games. He's averaging about 18 points, 10 boards and a steal over those three and has hit 20 of his last 23 shots. He's white-hot right now and while he's blocked just seven shots this season, he deserves a fantasy look as long as he's the only center left standing in Boston. Just beware that his free throw shooting is still deadly (57.4 percent), although he only shoots five per game. That's a lot less damaging then he was in the days when he was shooting 13 per game, but his poor shooting at the line will still hurt in most formats.

Chuck Hayes Rockets

I can't believe I'm putting Hayes in a Waiver Wired column. Nothing personal against him, but he's just never done much in the past with the opportunities he's had. But this year is different, and it might start at the free throw line. He hit 8-of-8 in one game this week, which I can almost guarantee is a career best without looking it up. He shot 37% and 55% over the last two seasons from the line, but is at 73% this season. If he keeps that up, he deserves some props for the offseason work. Then you look at the fact he's averaging 11.5 points, 8.3 boards, 4.0 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.5 blocks in his four games as a starter and there's a lot to love. Yao Ming is still "weeks" away and Brad Miller is no longer the center of choice for Rick Adelman. If you need a center, Hayes looks like a good pickup right now. There, I said it.

Joel Przybilla Blazers

Przybilla's going to be back next week and should rack up some rebounds and blocks. He won't score much but if you need boards and blocks in a deeper league, he might be worth a flier.

Others To Consider: Ronny Turiaf, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Nazr Mohammed.

Potential Cut List: Brad Miller, Nenad Krstic, Serge Ibaka, Ronny Turiaf, Spencer Hawes, Josh McRoberts, Ben Wallace, Greg Monroe, Tiago Splitter, DeJuan Blair, Brendan Haywood, Samuel Dalembert, DeAndre Jordan
 
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Farmar in the Dell, or Devin
[SIZE=+1]Injury Roundup[/SIZE]

Nets point guard Devin Harris suffered a left knee injury on Tuesday and will have an MRI on Wednesday. It sounds like he's certainly out for Wednesday's game and could miss several weeks. And if the MRI turns up a torn meniscus, which is the fear, Jordan Farmar is going to be a very hot pick up in fantasy. If you have an open roster spot, it makes sense to go ahead and add Farmar now. As we've said in the past, injuries are always a big concern for Harris and it was just a matter of time before something like this happened. Farmar had 17 points, three boards and four assists, and is a safe add right now if you have someone to cut. Also, expect Terrence Williams to get a call up from the D-League, but don't expect big production from him.

Stephen Jackson has been suspended for Wednesday's game for berating officials and will be back on Friday against New Jersey. That could mean some extra minutes for several players, but we're guessing Tyrus Thomas will have a nice line tonight.
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Vince Carter returned for the Magic on Wednesday after missing three games with a knee injury. He had 13 points in 27 minutes, while J.J. Redick had 10 points and two threes in 21 minutes. Keep your eye on Redick off the bench and get Vince back into your lineup.

Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut will likely miss his fifth straight game with back spasms on Wednesday, and has missed six games already. His troublesome arm hasn't shut him down yet, but it's possible that will become his next issue. Expect to see him back in the fold on Saturday, if things go well.

The Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony skipped Monday's practice but is still hoping to play Wednesday through the flu.

Clippers center Chris Kaman is hoping to return from his knee injury this weekend. Don't put him in your lineup until you see him play a game. And if he was dropped in your league, pick him up.

Baron Davis (knee) could play on Wednesday if Tuesday's practice went well for him. "Baron will play tomorrow," Clips coach Vinny Del Negro said. But then he backtracked. "I should say this: I want to see how Baron feels [Wednesday] after today's practice … and I'll make that decision." Davis hasn't played meaningful minutes in a month and it remains to be seen if or when he'll get back into the starting five.

Carlos Boozer's pinkie isn't feeling well but it still sounds like he's on track to make his Bulls debut tonight. Feel free to start him, but it could make sense to keep him benched if you have other options. Either way, the great Joakim Noah-Boozer experiment is about to begin. Taj Gibson practiced Tuesday through a foot injury, but loses fantasy appeal with the return of Boozer.

Gerald Wallace (elbow) practiced Tuesday and should be good to go for Wednesday night for Charlotte. Ditto with D.J. Augustin, who is limited by a sinus infection.

Hornets forward David West's eye injury doesn't appear to be an injury at all and he should be in starting lineups.

Hawks star Joe Johnson is dealing with a sore right elbow, which probably explains his poor play of late. He's not a must-start player right now, but I still think he'll get it turned around once he's fully healthy.

Mike Miller (thumb surgery) started shooting on Tuesday and would like to play for the Heat on Christmas Day, but a January return is looking more realistic.

There's still no timetable on the return of Suns center Robin Lopez (knee), so Channing Frye should keep rolling until further notice.

Joel Przybilla is now targeting a Friday return for the Blazers vs. Washington. If you need boards and blocks, and are fine in points, JP might be worth a look in deep leagues.

Yi Jianlian is practicing again for the Wizards and nearing a return from his knee injury.

Kenyon Martin is making progress from his knee injury and could return for Denver within a few weeks. Yeah, he's playing for a contract, but we're not expecting any miracles.

The Grizzlies' Darrell Arthurs was out Tuesday with a groin injury and is day-to-day.

Kevin Garnett rolled an ankle on Tuesday but played through it, finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. He should be OK, but is worth checking out on Wednesday to make sure it doesn't swell up.

Samuel Dalembert left Tuesday's game with right patella tendinitis and didn't return. We're guessing it's just general knee soreness, but his injury is probably a reason DeMarcus Cousins went off for a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds after being thrown out of Monday's practice. Cousins is a complete fantasy crapshoot, but looked good tonight. Maybe he'll be the big winner in the Landry benching, but we'll have to wait to find out. Francisco Garcia returned to action for the Kings after a bout with the flu and had six points on Tuesday.

Keep reading for Tuesday night game notes.
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[SIZE=+1]Tuesday Game Notes[/SIZE]

Philadelphia Freedom

One look at the Sixers box score from Tuesday night will tell you the Sixers lost to the Blazers. However, despite just four shots from Andre Iguodala, two rebounds from Elton Brand, one assist from Jrue Holiday (fouled out), and 3-of-12 combined shooting from Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, the Sixers won the game. Yuck.

For the Blazers, Wesley Matthews replaced Nicolas Batum in the starting five and had 26 points and two 3-pointers on 9-of-16 shooting. Pick him up. Batum struggled again, missing all four of his shots in 13 minutes to finish with two points. Batum has been awful in three straight and I'm thinking he can be dropped now that Matthews is starting. Brandon Roy played 33 minutes but had just 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting. The Blazers have three sets of back-to-back games coming up, starting Dec. 13, which will make it tough to start Roy in those weeks. We don't know if he'll miss one game of back-to-back sets, but it's quite possible he will.

Dwight Shut Down, But Magic Beat Pistons

Dwight Howard was somehow limited to a season-low nine points to go along with 14 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and six turnovers on 4-of-8 shooting by the Pistons on Tuesday. We have no idea how the likes of Greg Monroe and Jason Maxiell were able to contain the big man, but it happened.

Rondo Leads C's Over Cavs

Rajon Rondo had 23 points, five rebounds and 12 assists on 11-of-17 shooting to lead the Celtics over the Nets. Foot pain? What foot pain? Glen Davis added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and it would have been nice had he done this was he was in fantasy lineups a couple weeks ago. Marquis Daniels came out of nowhere for 16 points, four rebounds, two steals and a block on 7-of-10 shooting, but don't expect that type of line very often.

The Cavs got 16 points and 12 boards out of Anderson Varejao, who should be owned in most leagues despite some inconsistent play. J.J. Hickson had 11 rebounds, which were offset by the single point he managed. I dropped him in most leagues and don't feel bad about it – yet. Antawn Jamison struggled off the bench, hitting just 3-of-10 shots for six points and three rebounds, and is as frustrating to own as any player in fantasy. Daniel Gibson had his best line in recent memory with 16 points and a 3-pointer on 5-of-6 shooting, but he obviously got hot. Ramon Sessions continued his strong play off the bench with 14 points and four dimes, and is worth a look in deep leagues.

Knicks Down Nets

Raymond Felton, who is ranked at No. 5 on Basketballmonster.com, between Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry, had 21 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, three steals and a 3-pointer on 10-of-15 shooting. Wow. We knew he'd be a stud under Mike D'Antoni, but it was tough to see this type of production coming. Congratulations if you own him. Amare Stoudemire had 35 points, nine rebounds, two steals and a block, and is now averaging 36 points, 12 boards and a block over his last two games, and has scored in double figures in every game this season. He is living up to the hype after a slow start. Wilson Chandler started with Ronny Turiaf (knee) out again and had 27 points, 11 boards, three blocks and a 3-pointer, while Danilo Gallinari's shooting woes continued. He hit just 3-of-11 shots for two 3-pointers and 13 points. Surely, he'll start making his shots, right?

For the Nets, aside from the Devin Harris injury, Brook Lopez scored a season-high 36 points and added three blocks on 14-of-24 shooting, but had just five rebounds. How this guy doesn't have a double-double this season is one of the great NBA mysteries.

Lakers Lose Again, This Time To Memphis

The Lakers have lost three straight (Jazz, Pacers, Grizzlies), yet I doubt you will hear the media freaking out about it, which is what happened when the Heat went on a recent losing streak. Ron Artest, who hit 5-of-11 shots and two 3-pointers for 12 points, added just one rebound and one assist, and missed a 3-pointer that would have won the game. It was a terrible shot with Rudy Gay in his face, and he also missed a wide open three at the end of the Indiana loss. Making matters worse is the fact Kobe Bryant (29 points) passed it to Ron-Ron and then demanded the ball back for a three to win it. He was ignored and Artest's shot never had a chance, thanks to great defense by Rudy Gay. Suffice it to say that Kobe is not happy about it.

For the Grizzlies, Mike Conley torched Derek Fisher and Steve Blake to hit 10-of-13 shots and four 3-pointers on his way to 28 points, three boards, three assists and two steals. The Lakers are having serious problems with opposing point guards, and made Conley look like Deron Williams tonight. Trust that Phil Jackson is aware of the problem and will be trying to find a way to fix it. I just don't know that they have the personnel at point guard to find a solution.

Granger Torches Kings As Pacers Win Again

Danny Granger, who is having a great fantasy season thus far, had 37 points, seven boards, two assists, two steals, a block and three 3-pointers on 12-of-19 shooting Tuesday. He also hit 10-of-11 free throws for the Pacers, who have shockingly won four of their last five, which includes wins at Miami and the Lakers. They have a tough road coming up with games at Utah and Phoenix up next, but suddenly look like a playoff team in the East. Brandon Rush had six points and Mike Dunleavy had seven, making for a painful fantasy timeshare. Roy Hibbert had 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a block, but has blocked just five shots in his last six games. He's playing well, but his fantasy owners are begging for more blocks. They should be coming.

Tyreke Evans hit just 4-of-14 shots and committed six TOs, but finished with 16 points, seven boards, nine assists and a 3-pointer in the loss. Hopefully he's on the verge of getting hot. Jason Thompson's debut as a starter left something to be desired, as he had just seven points and seven rebounds. Carl Landry had eight points, five boards and two blocks, and it will be interesting to see how this timeshare works out. DeMarcus Cousins played well (as previously mentioned), while Beno Udrih got hot and hit 9-of-12 shots and two 3-pointers for 24 points. He had just one assist, but it's nice to know he's still alive. I still find it hard to believe he'll come off the bench all season, and this could be a sign that it's time to pick him up and stash him until Paul Westphal comes to his senses. Donte Greene had six points and nothing else, and it's beginning to look like he's going to be inconsistent despite starting at SF (at least for now).

Tim Duncan's Third Career Triple-Double Leads Spurs

Tim Duncan exploded for 15 points, 18 rebounds, 11 assists and two blocks in Tuesday's win over the Warriors. It's good to know the Warriors are still going to give up career lines to the opposition on any given night. This was just the third trip-dub of Duncan's career. Manu Ginobili stayed hot with 27 points, six boards, three assists, five steals and three 3-pointers on 8-of-13 shooting. He's been fantastic and will continue to get it done as long as he stays healthy. DeJuan Blair started at center and had 16 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year, but had been terrible - as in unplayable - in his previous four games. We're going to blame this one on the Warriors, and need to see him do it a couple more times before taking the bait. I will say that it was impressive to see him do this on a night when Duncan went off.

For the Warriors, Stephen Curry stayed hot with 32 points, three rebounds, five assists, a steal, a block and three 3-pointers on 13-of-22 shooting. He's clearly a Top 10 fantasy player despite the fact he's not had one of those "wow" games yet. It's coming. Monta Ellis hit just 6-of-16 shots for 12 points, three assists and no threes, but had scored between 18 and 26 points in his previous four. Yes, he's cooled off, but will get it going again. Andris Biedrins had just four points and zero blocks, but added 18 rebounds in the loss. If you can figure out what nights Biedrins is going to do this, you should play the lottery. David Lee had 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals on 7-of-12 shooting. He's back.

[SIZE=+1]LeBron: Will He Or Won't He?[/SIZE]

There are 12 games on Wednesday night, but everyone's attention is turning to Thursday when LeBron and the Heat visit Cleveland. LeBron has said he will "probably" break out his formerly popular powder toss, but left the door open to chicken out. Either way, his quote regarding the matter is a classic. "I probably will," he said. "That's a ritual for myself." Yes, LeBron. That is a ritual for yourself, so let's see you do it. Odds of someone trying to foul him on the way up, or throwing beer at him, are high, but one thing's for sure. You, me and any other hoops fan we know is going to be watching on Thursday. Can't wait.
 

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