NBA Fantasy News 2010/2011

[HacheMan]

Westbrook of the Fields: A-OK
The road trip with four kids was a major success, as we probably set a time record for getting from Georgia to Indy. I screwed up in yesterday's Dose, saying the Jazz beat the Blazers, which I will blame on fatigue. Hopefully that won't happen again. And I won my football league, meaning the Short Bus Blues trophy will reside in the Dr. A household for another year. Thanks, Mike and Adrian. Let's roll.

The Season Pass Live Chat has been pushed back to Sunday night at 7 p.m. Eastern. See you then.

Latest Injury News

Russell Westbrook is expected to play against the Nets on Wednesday. Luckily he just suffered an elbow stinger on Monday, which means a crisis has been avoided.

Rajon Rondo (ankle), who missed Tuesday's game, is doubtful for Wednesday, targeting a Friday return. He'll be a true game-time decision in that one, so don't automatically assume he's playing.

Kevin Martin is dealing with a sore knee, but is fully expected to play against the Heat on Wednesday. He's been incredibly consistent and healthy this season, but this, as minor as it might sound, could be a warning sign that things might change.

Andre Iguodala is questionable tonight with his achilles injury, which could linger all season. I don't think we're anywhere near Brandon Roy territory here, but if Iguodala becomes unreliable, it's going to be tough to deal with, especially in weekly lineup leagues. Lou Williams is expected back Wednesday after missing a couple games for the birth of his child. With Iguodala hurting and Evan Turner invisible, Williams is worth a look in fantasy.

Al Horford has canceled an MRI on his sore right hand, which is all you need to know. He's sore, but good to go.

Andris Biedrins (foot) may or may not return on an upcoming five-game road trip for the Warriors, but if it happens, it sounds like it will be near the end of it, if at all. Keep him benched until further notice. This guy has gone from being rock solid to being one of the biggest question marks in the league.

Gerald Wallace practiced on Tuesday despite his ankle injury and should play on Wednesday against Cleveland. Tyrus Thomas, however, is dealing with a sore wrist and isn't expected to play tonight. Start Wallace at your own risk.

Kevin Love is dealing with an eye injury, but it sounds very minor and he should be in all lineups until someone tells you otherwise.

Dirk Nowitzki's right knee injury, while not appearing to be serious, kept him out on Tuesday night and could keep him out for a few more games. You have to be concerned anytime teams aren't sure about a guy's timetable, as Dirk's dream five-game week has pretty much blown up in our faces. Maybe he'll surprise me and play on Thursday, but he seems more likely to sit than play as of now (in my opinion).

Andrei Kirilenko missed Tuesday's practice with a lower back strain and is now doubtful for Wednesday, while my guess is Deron Williams (wrist) is good to go.

Tyreke Evans may or may not have a procedure done on his aching foot. Which is exactly where we were two days ago, and basically all season. I wish I had some advice for his owners, but I don't. I've got him in one league and I think I'm just going to keep running him out there until he breaks.

The Rockets are now in the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes, while the Nuggets are desperately trying to include Al Harrington's contract in any deal for Anthony. Which begs the question, why was Harrington even signed in the first place?

Mike Miller is still useless in fantasy and may stay that way for about another month. And even when he does finally get a "normal role in the rotation," there's no guarantees that means that he'll do anything more than stand outside, watch the Super Friends get theirs, and bomb a couple wide open 3-pointers every other quarter.

Keep reading for Tuesday Game Recaps.
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Tuesday Game News

Magic Gang Up On Cavs

Jason Richardson had 20 points, five boards, two steals, a block and four 3-pointers on Tuesday. Can you say "sell high?" Brandon Bass plummeted back to earth with two points and three boards, and like J.J. Redick, I've been waiting for this to happen. Bass and Redick should have some value going forward, but there's almost no way they play as well as they have over the last month. I think the run is coming to an end. Gilbert Arenas finally broke out for Orlando with 22 points, six boards, 11 assists, three steals and five 3-pointers, while Jameer Nelson mysteriously played better than he had been. The bottom line is that outside of Dwight Howard, the Magic are going to be a tough team to figure out in fantasy, as they just have too many options.

Anderson Varejao had 14 points, nine boards, five steals and three blocks in the loss, while also playing solid defense on Howard. J.J. Hickson is worth putting back on the fantasy radar and had nine points and eight boards.

Celtics Take Out Pacers

Nate Robinson's run has come to an end (almost), and the ride wasn't all that much fun. He had eight points and four assists on 3-of-8 shooting against the Pacers last night, and can probably be turned loose with the return of Rajon Rondo coming soon. Then again, maybe he'll play better once he gets back into his "microwave" role off the bench. Shaquille O'Neal fouled out quickly again, which is happening too often lately, while Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett led their team to another W.

Roy Hibbert still can't throw it in the ocean and hit just 3-of-9 shots in the loss. Hibbert is simply in a slump that should be ending any day now. Danny Granger was even worse, hitting just 5-of-21 shots for 15 points, and you know the Pacers probably lost when you look at the box score and see that Brandon Rush led the way with 17 points. He played well, adding seven boards and a couple threes to his line, but has proven to be unreliable, as usual. Darren Collison was disappointing again with 10 points and three assists, and those of you who thought that Jim O'Brien couldn't ruin him had better think again.

Heat Stop Knicks

Amare Stoudemire had 30 points, seven boards, two steals and two blocks as his dream season continues, but the Knicks couldn't stop the freight train known as the Heat.

Dwyane Wade blew up for a season-high 40, while LeBron and Bosh were solid. Zydrunas Ilgauskas even got into the act with a double-double, but isn't consistent enough to be worth owning.

Bulls Top Bucks

The Bucks lost again, this time to the Bulls. Luc Richard Mbah a Moute moved into the starting lineup and double-doubled, while Corey Maggette actually played well off the bench. I still don't trust Maggette, or any Bucks for that matter, but he might be worth grabbing. Andrew Bogut did a Roy Hibbert impersonation, hitting just 2-of-12 shots for four points, but also had 16 points and four blocks. Earl Boykins missed Tuesday's game due to a one-game suspension for making contact with an official, while Chris Douglas-Roberts was benched for the Prince. I cut CDR across the board, and you should too.

The great Taj Gibson explosion we were expecting to see may never happen. He was 0-for-5 last night with two rebounds, but did manage five blocks in 15 minutes. I've given up on him and moved on.

Spurs Drop Lakers

The Lakers have lost three straight games, sending half of L.A. into a panic. Granted, two of those losses came against the Heat and Spurs, although two of them also have come at home, in embarrassing fashion. The Lakers are going to be fine, although it is interesting that the struggles started when Andrew Bynum returned, which is also about the time that Pau Gasol went into a funk. Gasol was as good as they come to start the season, but isn't playing at nearly the same level.

The Spurs got a monster line of 17 points, 15 rebounds, two steals and a block out of DeJuan Blair, but if you grab him and stick him in your lineup, be ready for those three-point, five-rebound lines to kick in weekly. George Hill is back and had 10 points and nine boards, while Tim Duncan (1-of-7) and Manu Ginobili (3-of-12) both struggled badly, making it even more surprising the Spurs won. Duncan had his worst game of the season, but was probably due after exceeding expectations all year. He's actually been pretty bad in three of his last four games, but should also be ready to get it going again.

Calderon Out, But Raps Beat Dirkless Mavs

Jose Calderon (foot), Andrea Bargnani (calf) and Dirk Nowitzki (knee) missed Tuesday's game with their injuries, as the Raptors held on to beat the Mavs. Jerryd Bayless started, struggled with his shot, put up some decent numbers and then left with a sprained ankle. He left the arena on crutches and if Calderon and Bayless are out again on Friday, say hello to Leandro Barbosa at point guard. However, late reports indicate that Bayless is planning on playing in that one. Linas Kleiza remains hot with Sonny Weems out, and Joey Dorsey continues to start (and play fairly well) at center for Bargnani. Amir Johnson actually played a career-high 42 minutes with 12 points and six boards, as one of the biggest fantasy teases around continues to flirt with having some value.

The Mavs started Shawn Marion for Dirk, but he had just 12 points and five boards. But if you took a five-game flier on Matrix this week, so far so good. Caron Butler is playing through a finger injury and scored 15 points, and is another guy who will benefit from every game missed by Dirk.

Nuggets Beat Blazers

Kenyon Martin played last night, but is out on Wednesday, along with Al Harrington (thumb). And given the fact Carmelo Anthony is out again tonight, Chris Andersen is looking like a solid option. He had eight points, 12 boards and two blocks last night, and while he's unreliable, it makes sense that he'll have a good game tonight. KMart may struggle with playing back-to-backs for a while. J.R. Smith made another start for Melo and scored 17, while Chauncey Billups is finally rounding back into form. Expect Melo back in action on Saturday against the Kings. Ty Lawson struggled last night, hitting just 1-of-7 shots for two points and one assist, but played 22 minutes. I don't care who the player is, but in fantasy, the reason we want to see our guys start so badly is because a dud off the bench is always a possibility. Lawson has been great, and I wouldn't let last night change you're mind about him.

Then again, Wesley Matthews started for the Blazers and had a similar line to Lawson's, hitting just 1-of-8 shots for six points. He'll bounce back. LaMarcus Aldridge, in case you haven't noticed, has been on fire since Brandon Roy's knee problem came to light, and had 18 points, 13 rebounds, three steals and a career-high seven blocks last night. Dante Cunningham started at center for Marcus Camby and had six points and one rebound, so continue to ignore him.

 

[HacheMan]

Turning Point
I have been fairly critical of Tyreke Evans and his handling of the most talked about left foot in the NBA right now. I have gone so far as to openly wonder if he is hurt at all, which is what happens when Kings general manager Geoff Petrie calls his plantar fasciitis "minor," and says he is closer to not having it than having it at all. I've listened as Kings broadcaster Grant Napier has said (and I'm paraphrasing) that you can't tell if he has it half the time, and that he would like to see more medical reporting from the team. Why? He said he had it and that should be that, right? His agent has appeared to be more concerned with his foot (and rightfully so) than the Kings have been at times, calling for second opinions while the Kings have by some measures appeared to be content with the status quo.

Add into the story all of the losing, the reports that Paul Westphal has lost the team, the clear drop-off in his game, the fact that he looks out of shape, the fact that he is out of shape, the fact that the Kings knew about his apparent foot injury and played him heavily during the preseason, and the lack of a clear plan for his future.

Then, chase all that with the fact that his game often portrays selfish tendencies, then add the inaccurate self-reported statuses of his injury, the off-season driving incident, the unfortunate circumstance of his pre-NBA involvement in a murder that his cousin committed in which he was cleared of any and all wrongdoing, and the fact that he has been dealing with "personal issues" for three months – and it's only fair to wonder, is it really the foot?

Or is it something more?

How many of us (raise your hands) sat in a car with a family member that killed another person? It's safe to say he has lived a life many of us will never know. And after possibly the worst game of his career last Thursday, his mother (who was in town for the holidays), had to threaten to break down his bedroom door to talk to her youngest son, who has shut everybody out. Among other things, she told him he was "playing like s**t and (he) just had to deal with it."

Sometimes mom knows best.

He went out Monday and scored a season-high 32 points, including a game-losing miss at the FT line, and then sent reverberations throughout both the NBA and fantasy worlds by saying he was contemplating a procedure that would shelve him for 3-4 months, apparently to be conducted by Dr. Evil with a "laser." Sam Amick of Fanhouse, who also covered the Kings for years, told me Tuesday that while a source said Evans had already decided to have the procedure, that Monday's result could change his mind. Once again, we're in the dark.

Tuesday's practice culminated in a post-practice interview with a sweat-drenched Evans, who seemed at ease, explaining that he may or may not have the procedure and, if so, the timetable would be a more palatable 1-2 months. If he was lying about his foot, he slipped past all of my unofficial Jack Bauer interrogation training and is officially an Oscar award-winning actor. Paul Westphal, for his part, has no clue what the future holds for Evans and his foot. At least we're not the only ones in the dark.

In the middle of it stands the 21-year old Evans, apparently troubled, and left by all of his handlers to confuse the medical terms of "plantar fasciitis" and "stress fracture," who appears to have little interest in understanding the various complicated medical options he has. For the last two months, if I had to guess, he's just trying to make it to the next day. Throughout it all his teammates seem to care. Team leader Francisco Garcia sent him a mile-long text on Christmas in support of him, and has made his case to the team saying, "We go as (Evans) goes." And it's true, and for those keeping score their support shows something that all of Evans' people have failed to – that there is support for his cause.

On Wednesday night he played an incredible game. The box score showed 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, eerily close to the 20-5-5 mark that netted a Rookie of the Year trophy for his mantle. His mother and grandmother were at the game and on the floor before tip-off, whooping it up and taking pictures with players before it started. I just spent a long-awaited week with my mother, and after my grandmother recently passed, the simple fact that she was home for the holidays made it easier. For a young man apparently troubled, with guys like me with no real idea what's going on wondering aloud if he's dogging an injury, and the weight of a losing franchise on his shoulders – having them around may have made 'making it tomorrow' that much easier for one night.

As it goes, O.J. Mayo figured to send the Kings Fans home with their 22nd loss in 24 games with an amazing 18-foot fall-away prayer with 1.5 seconds left to put the Grizzlies up by one. In shades of Stanford-Cal, the Memphis players and a TV guy in a suit started to take the court thinking Paul Westphal had a timeout. He didn't, and fellow conundrum DeMarcus Cousins put the cherry on top of his season-best game with a smart outlet pass to Evans, who took one dribble and buried a 55-footer to win the game. Donte Greene, interviewing for the role of trombone player, came from the bench nearly all the way to the foul line before the shot hit the bottom of the net. To say the place went nuts would be the understatement of the year, and Evans showed no effects of his plantar fasciitis when he leaped to the top of the scorer's table in triumph.

For him, his teammates, his fans, his mother and grandmother, the weight of the world came off his shoulders for at least one moment. I'm not going to say that he won't have a setback, or that his fantasy future is suddenly secure. But sometimes when we feel better we do better. Sometimes history pivots itself in one dynamic moment. The Kings will take Thursday off, and Reke will have some of his Grandma Alice's banana pudding – his favorite dish. Maybe his foot will hurt, maybe it won't.

But if there ever was one, last night was a turning point.

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[SIZE=+1]Wednesday Night Rundown[/SIZE]

Silas Soothes the Soul

Paul Silas is now 2-0 as the new coach of the Bobcats as they took down the Cavs by the score of 101-92, and owners of D.J. Augustin really ought to send him a belated Christmas present. Silas has made Augustin his "pet project," and as the anti-Larry Brown he has chosen to lift and not dash Augustin's wavering confidence. The result? Augustin is now 20-of-29 from the field in his last two games, setting season-highs in scoring in both, scoring 27 points on Monday, and 28 points last night to go with six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The Bobcats' pace has quickened and guys are now free to take shots. Augustin isn't going to play this well going forward, but his fantasy value has gone from shaky to solid and that doesn't figure to change.
www.miamiheat.ws
Stephen Jackson scored 38 points on 11-of-24 shooting (13-of-15 from the foul line) with three treys, four rebounds, and six assists, and Gerald Wallace (ankle) returned from a five-game absence to score nine points with 10 rebounds, a steal, and a block. It's not the glorious line owners were hoping for, but ask yourself how you felt a week ago if you're feeling blue. Better times are ahead. As for Tyrus Thomas, he missed last night's game with a wrist injury, and if his owner is impatient with the early returns, be right there to help them through their trepidation.

The Cavs are a train-wreck in real life, losing 15 of their last 16 games and 13 straight on the road. And though their key fantasy guys are banged up, including Mo Williams, who missed Wednesday's game with a hip injury, and Daniel Gibson, who left with a bruised thigh last night after scoring 11 points with not much else, the rotation is pretty clear cut and, when healthy, guys are producing. Anderson Varejao scored nine points with 10 rebounds and five blocks, and Antawn Jamison scored 18 points and in the spirit of things hit a 70-footer.

Manny Harris started for Mo, who along with Gibson is questionable for Saturday's game, scoring eight points with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, but the play going forward if these two are to miss time is Ramon Sessions. Sessions scored 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting (10-of-11 from the foul line) with five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes off the bench. We know what he can do given the time, and certainly he should be starting in somebody's lineup if Mo stays out. Just don't drop a guy with long-term value for him. J.J. Hickson is back on radars with another decent showing on Wednesday, scoring 12 points with six rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 23 minutes. My take on him is that Byron Scott is going to break him, break him, and then break him some more, and then one day he'll ride him to the finish line. Be the guy that figures out when.

The Wright Stuff

Dorell Wright was a trendy sleeper pick heading into drafts, but still, some owners couldn't bring themselves to fully believe the hype, and Reggie Williams was thought by many to be the right play. Oh boy, does the latter category have buyers' remorse. Last night against the Hawks, Wright scored a career-high 32 points on 13-of-21 shooting with four treys, 11 rebounds, and two steals, as Stephen Curry (nine points) and Monta Ellis (12 points) sported matching 4-of-13 shooting lines and matching ankle concerns. Curry also deal with the flu. Wright is making a concerted effort to shed the spot-up shooter label and is taking the ball to the rack, and he will be the common component on a lot of winning fantasy squads this year. As for the Warriors' backcourt, they could use somebody else stepping up and carrying some of the load, and I'm not overly concerned. Don't do anything crazy in a trade with either of them.

For the Hawks, a home-outing against the Warriors was just what the doctor ordered to get Josh Smith off his butt. He hit 10-of-18 shots from the field (including a three) on his way to 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals in the Hawks' 103-93 win. Larry Drew is in his ear about his shot selection, but no amount of coaching can do what the Warriors can do for a man's confidence. Al Horford also perked up with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting with 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. He waved off an MRI on his sore hand and proved he was fully healthy last night.

Marvin Williams left Wednesday's game with just six points, three rebounds, and three assists in 27 minutes, and once again kills any momentum he had with owners after a nice stretch. Joe Johnson said he still can't extend his right elbow fully and says he is at "90 percent," but had a fine night with 16 points, three rebounds, and eight assists. It's not what you want against the Warriors, but his horses down low were having their way. Jamal Crawford struggled with just 2-of-10 shooting from the field for five points, but had six assists to help ease the pain. As for Jeff Teague? Just three minutes thank you very much, so no, the revolution is not taking place, yet.

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If Paul Silas is the soothing touch, then Jim O'Brien is the answer to whether a former drill sergeant makes a good NBA coach. O'Brien has probably forgotten more than I will ever know about NBA basketball, though Indy fans may disagree, but he has completely wrecked the confidence of anybody not named Mike Dunleavy, who started and scored 20 points with six boards last night. Roy Hibbert hit the 50% shooting mark for the first time since Dec. 7, but it doesn't help when he attempts just four shots. He finished with four points, four rebounds, and two blocks in 15 foul-plagued minutes, and said after the game that he doesn't belong in the D-League. Sigh. Darren Collison scored nine points with four rebounds and five assists, with the assists sadly being just one off from his season-high. As one beat writer put it, you can actually see the voices in his head when he goes up to shoot.

O'Brien decided to shelve Jeff Foster and go with the McPyscho combo, which clearly needs to be added to the Mickey Ds value menu, and McBob responded with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting (no threes), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 27 minutes, while Psycho T (or as his mother calls him Tyler) had seven points and seven boards in 21 minutes. Those in Roto leagues are wise to McRoberts' poor man's Shane Battier-act, but it's still a bit early to trust him. Brandon Rush followed up his 17-point, seven-rebound game on Tuesday with just eight points and four rebounds, which will probably be enough to send him to the waiver wire for most owners. Danny Granger scored just three points after halftime, hitting 7-of-18 shots from the field for 15 points, but did treat owners to nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Saving the best for last, the Pacers dropped this game to the Wizards by 14 points. The Wizards entered last night's game losers in 13 of their last 14 games. Is Obie on the hot seat? Not at all.

The Wizards saw John Wall play his third game since returning from a five-game absence due to his bruised right knee, but due to the exit of Kirk Hinrich (thigh) he played 35 minutes, which wasn't in the Wizards' plans entering the night. He finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists, a steal, and a three, but also cramped up briefly and needs to be watched closely for signs of aggravation to his knee. We know he has yet to show judgment on how and when to shut it down, and his coaches haven't either. Adding an interesting wrinkle is that Flip Saunders is currently out for personal reasons, so in theory stand-in coach Randy Wittman will be more conservative at the first sign of distress. Either way with Hinrich, who left Wednesday's game scoreless after 12 minutes being questionable for Friday's rematch against the Pacers – Wall is near impossible to pull from starting lineups if he plays. He remains one of the league's more intriguing trade-block guys, with all the upside in the world and an early history of being injury prone.

Andray Blatche scored 22 points with 11 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and two blocks, and despite the swirling trade rumors, bar-room shoving matches, and an ugly brand of basketball, he continues to be a solid fantasy asset. His wrestling partner, JaVale McGee, did a number on Roy Hibbert and finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. He's not the most reliable guy but still gives owners enough production and upside to be worth targeting. Nick Young proved he is capable of doing something else other than score, grabbing nine rebounds with three assists, three steals, and added 25 points on an ugly 10-of-26 shooting line. Just like you, I had to shake my iPad to see if it was still working. Rashard Lewis has been named the starter officially (as if there was any doubt), and scored 10 points with six rebounds, three assists, two threes, and a block, and though he's going to be much better than he was in Orlando, I have a hunch this is going to be a pretty familiar line by the end of the year. He'll have his nights, but a rebirth is still in question.

Karma Chameleon

Kevin Garnett upset a few folks when he called Charlie Villanueva a "cancer patient," and the two wasted no time dusting each other up with a few obvious nips and tucks at one another, but Karma was a bitch when KG went out with what turned out to be a calf injury. We've marveled at how good KG has looked this season, but it's amazing how many folks have forgotten about the sight of him dragging his leg up and down the court last year. Doc Rivers says the injury isn't serious, and X-rays were negative, but he did add that he will miss games and doesn't know how many. MRI results will come later today, but Glen Davis looks like a solid add either way. He has performed very well in a bench role, and as a starter he should be a consistent fantasy play for however long Garnett is out.

Paul Pierce scored 33 points as the Celtics fell by the score of 104-92 to the Tracy McGrady-led Pistons, hitting 11-of-16 shots from the field (3-of-4 from downtown, 8-of-8 from the foul line) with five rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. With KG probably out and Rondo iffy for Friday still, Pierce is poised to have some big games. Nate Robinson will continue to get heavy minutes as long as Rondo can't go, but Rondo worked out without his ankle taped on Tuesday and is getting close to a return. Either way, Robinson hasn't been trusted to run the point that much and Marquis Daniels is cutting into his playing time. Shaq scored just five points with one rebound in 16 minutes last night, and with Jermaine O'Neal back the two are completely cancelling each other out. You can do better.

As mentioned, the Pistons started Tracy McGrady at PG with Rodney Stuckey out with a stomach ailment. T-Mac, who some believe runs the team better than Stuckey, went on to set season-highs in scoring (21 points) and assists (eight) to go with four rebounds and three steals. He hit 7-of-11 shots (including a three), and looks like a very good play in any games that Stuckey misses in the future. Coming off the bench, however, he's only for the desperate and can't be used in weekly leagues.

Charlie V didn't get to spar with KG all that long, and had 14 points with five rebounds and a block, and is consistently providing low-end value in most leagues. Tayshaun Prince had 18 points, Ben Gordon had 12 points, and Richard Hamilton scored nine points with six assists off the bench. There was an Austin Daye sighting, as he came in and hit 5-of-7 shots from the field with two threes for 12 points and not much else, and Greg Monroe (nine minutes) appears to have fallen out of the rotation for Chris Wilcox, who looked good and scored 10 points with eight rebounds, three assists, and a block in 27 minutes. Good luck figuring out who is going to emerge from the cluster.

Manna Don't Wanna Get Healthy

The Wolves couldn't get their third straight win against the Nuggets on Wednesday, falling by the score of 119-113, and Darko Milicic added "hip" to his ever-expanding list of ailments. He lasted just 14 minutes, and owners are probably past 'worried' and on to 'annoyed' or 'pissed off.' The good news here is that none of these injuries appear on the outside to be overly serious. And while he could be proving that he's not able to withstand the rigors of playing starter's minutes over the course of a season, his value couldn't be lower and I'm targeting him as a buy low candidate. Yes, there's risk, but winning fantasy leagues is all about identifying risks that you can live with. At his price, it's a risk I'm okay living with.

Kevin Love got his 19th consecutive double-double with 26 points, 14 boards, and five assists, but what else is new. Michael Beasley added 33 points, five boards, four assists, two threes, and a steal, and Luke Ridnour showed he isn't going away with 20 points, four rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a three in 36 minutes. Jonny Flynn (11 minutes) doesn't appear to be cutting into his value anytime soon, but it's worth nothing that his name has been popping up in trade rumors, particularly in a swap for Anthony Randolph and the Knicks. Nothing is imminent, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Martell Webster added 17 points off the bench, but was repeatedly torched by Chauncey Billups.

Speaking of Mr. Big Shot, he's playing like a man being hunted down for his job – because he is on many levels. Billups scored 36 points on 9-of-14 shooting, hitting all six of his 3-point attempts, with two rebounds, five assists, and three steals. The man hunting him down, Ty Lawson, bounced back from his horrid two-point, one-assist effort on Tuesday with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists. George Karl is playing them together in the backcourt with Lawson at the point and Chauncey off the ball, but once Carmelo Anthony returns as soon as Saturday that will become less necessary. As we covered a bunch, Billups has a pretty good chance of leaving the Nuggets via the Carmelo Anthony trade, but for now it looks like he's gotten his act together. As for Lawson, he deserves to be owned in the vast majority of leagues for his future upside, and his standalone production provides a nice little bonus.

In other Nuggets news, they played without Nene (hamstring) last night which was a surprise, and Karl can't say right now if he'll be available for Saturday's game against the Kings. Kenyon Martin was rested last night on the tail-end of the back-to-back, and Al Harrington was out with his thumb injury. Chris Andersen had 30 minutes all to himself last night as a result, and posted a serviceable, yet uninspiring 11-point, seven-rebound, two-block line. With each of these guys and Anthony having a shot to return Saturday, we're not running to the wire to pick him up.

Two Ships Passing in the Night

The Thunder walloped the Nets 114-93 on Wednesday, as they rested their starters in the fourth quarter and won for the 10th straight time following a loss. They forced a season-high 23 turnovers and had a season-high 31 assists, which pretty much sums it up. Russell Westbrook had 17 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, Kevin Durant had 27 points, three treys, and not much else, Thabo Sefolosha had a game-high eight rebounds to go with four points, three rebounds, and two steals, Jeff Green was stymied with just nine points and five assists, and James Harden saw just 11 points with four assists. Nothing to see here, folks.

The Nets had just one player with more than two assists, and it was Devin Harris who had three. He added 19 points and Brook Lopez was the only other fantasy worthy play with 19 points, two steals, and four blocks. He came into the game averaging nine rebounds against the Thunder, but you guessed it, he had just six tonight. I don't recall hearing this over the summer, but a Nets' postgame report said he had mono over the summer and that kept him from playing in the World Championships. Who knows, maybe he still has it, and I just thought he was bored all this time.

Bynum is Back

The Lakers' faithful had a coronary after three straight losses this week, but got relief as Andrew Bynum returned order to the universe and returned to his starting role. The Lakers went on to beat a Hornets team not nearly as good as their record, and Phil Jackson got to take a shot a Chris Paul by questioning whether or not the league should own the Hornets when Chris Paul makes his next trade demand. Is it just me, or is Phil up in everybody's business much more this season?

Bynum played 31 minutes last night, and scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting with six rebounds and a block. Get him back into your lineup. Pau Gasol continued his string of lackluster nights with just 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, five assists, and a block. If you think he's going to continue getting just five shots per game I have some waterfront property to sell you for just $25,000 dollars. I doubt his owner is that ill-informed, but it doesn't hurt checking. Kobe remembered what it felt like to pass the ball and dished out seven assists to go with 20 points on a more palatable 8-of-14 shooting, but the real fantasy story here is Lamar Odom scoring the most points off the Lakers' bench in five years. He scored 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting (including a three) with five rebounds, two assists, and if you've been on the fence about selling high here's a great line to do it with.

Outside of Chris Paul, who scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting (including a three) with three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, there wasn't much cooking for the Hornets. Marco Belinelli scored 15 points, Emeka Okafor had 10 points, seven rebounds, and a block, and Trevor Ariza greeted his old team with four points, no rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Who wants to bet that he bought a raffle ticket for Ron Artest's ring?

The big news for the Hornets, however, was David West's ankle injury. He left briefly during the first half and returned to start the second half, but couldn't make it through the rest of the game finishing with eight points, four rebounds, and two assists. We're calling him questionable for Friday's game in Boston.


Click Here for the rest of the rundown and Thursday Night Lights….
<!--RW-->Hold the Mayo

The flip side of the Tyreke Evans shot last night was O.J. Mayo losing big time momentum following his would-be game-winning shot. He finished with a paltry 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists, and coach Lionel Hollins certainly would have faced more pressure to play him had that been the last highlight in the reel. It wasn't, and it's probably safe to bet that things aren't changing for him until he gets traded, which seems more and more likely by the day. Until it happens, however, projecting his fantasy value is pretty futile. Just keep him reserved and hope he lands somewhere good.

Zach Randolph was virtually unstoppable last night with 35 points on 15-of-27 shooting with 17 rebounds, three assists, and two steals, Marc Gasol was held in check by DeMarcus Cousins with just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting to go with five rebounds, four turnovers, one steal, and one block, Rudy Gay had 16 points and not much else, and Mike Conley disappeared with just five points, four rebounds, and seven assists. Regardless of tonight's results, their fantasy values are some of the most desirable in the league for the consistency they bring.

DeMarcus Cousins had his best game of the year last night, scoring a season-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and tied a season-high with 16 rebounds to go with three assists and two steals in 36 minutes. He was huge down the stretch and is the big man to own in Sacto. He'll struggle for consistency, but expect these big lines to pop up with more frequency, and expect a few more bumps in the road, too. Jason Thompson started but played just 15 minutes, Carl Landry went back to the bench and played just 18 minutes but did manage to rack up seven points with two rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block, while Samuel Dalembert was good for three blocks and seven rebounds, but scored just two points in 24 foul-plagued minutes. It's a situation to avoid in fantasy outside of Cousins. Beno Udrih scored a team-high 24 points with four rebounds, six assists, and two threes, and is looking more and more like a must-start every day.

Steve Nash is gonna F'n punch one of these MF'ers in the face

Or so he said as he walked past the scorer's table last night, as the Suns allowed a Sixers team that has mostly struggled offensively to score 27 points more than their average (87.3 ppg), shoot 10 percentage points higher than their average (44.6), gave up a season-high in scoring to Andres Nocioni (22 points), a career-high to Evan Turner (23 points), the second highest scoring game of Jrue Holiday's career (25 points), and they did it all without Andre Iguodala (Achilles).

Holiday added seven assists to go with his 25 points, and looks like he's shaping up to be the player owners hoped for, but it's worth keeping in mind that Iguodala was out last night. Nocioni added 12 rebounds and two assists to his 22 points, and as long as Iggy is out he'll be worth a look in spot starts, but isn't worth owning beyond that. As for Evan Turner, he took a big step forward last night, and at least for one night he was dominant. Given the Suns' defensive woes and his overall lack of consistency and confidence, I'm not even considering him as a roster stash right now. There's a very good chance he'll be available on waivers at some point in the future. Spencer Hawes double-doubled with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and now has nice games against the Warriors and Suns. He is the epitome of the term 'matchup-play' right now.

Vince Carter made his Suns debut last night, scoring 18 points with not much else on 8-of-20 shooting (1-of-6 from downtown), but the story here is that the Suns are reeling. The new guys are making public comments about how great their old team was on defense, Steve Nash wants to punch things (and I'm only 94.6% sure he wasn't talking about his own team), and Alvin Gentry literally said he is out of answers for their problems.

Marcin Gortat scored 13 points with six rebounds off the bench, proving he is worth stashing to see if he can oust the other impotent Lopez twin, who managed just eight points and two rebounds and doesn't have mono as far as I know. Mickael Pietrus scored 15 points off the bench before fouling out after 26 minutes, hitting 5-of-8 shots from the field (including three treys) to go with two rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. Coming off a 25-point outing on Sunday, he's well worth a look given the fact that he can play defense and is a natural fit for the Suns' system. Jared Dudley's time in the sun is officially over, as he scored seven points with four assists, while Grant Hill had a good fantasy outing with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a three. Nash was his normal awesome self, scoring 23 points with five rebounds, 15 assists, and three treys. Where they go from here is anybody's guess, but don't be surprised if things stay fluid until they find a combo that works.

Just Spot Me Ten Points

The Jazz won after being down by 10 or more points for the 11th time this year, taking down the Clippers by the score of 103-95. Big Al Jefferson scored a season-high 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting with 10 rebounds and three blocks. Gordon Hayward started for injured Andrei Kirilenko (back) and scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting (including three treys) with six rebounds and three assists, and also benefited from C.J. Miles' absence due to the flu. While it's encouraging to see Hayward progress from being a complete zero when he plays to tonight's result, he will only have value in a spot-start if both of these guys stay down.

Miles, on the other hand, could see a nice boost in value if Kirilenko's back continues to be a problem. Kirilenko revealed last week that he has been instructed to leave a game if he starts to feel any pain at all, which is a reminder of how sensitive his back is and how injury-prone he has been over his career. Once he returns and has a solid couple of weeks under his belt, owners should go on an all-out blitz to sell him. Speaking of back injuries, Mehmet Okur added one to his list of ailments after his back caused him to leave after just 16 minutes. On one hand he was showing some hope with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting, three rebounds, and a trey, but he has a long way to go before his body can handle the rigors of everyday NBA basketball.

Blake Griffin probably deserves more pub for the achievements he's going to get, but I'm to the point where even his most vicious dunks and gaudy lines, while they still cause me to yell at the T.V., they're not headlining anymore. He had his 20th straight double-double on Wednesday with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and a block, and his consecutive 2x2 streak is the most for a rookie in 40 years. The only active players to have more consecutive dub-dubs in the last 10 years are Kevin Garnett (37) and David Lee (24). I think I speak for all of us in saying we're spoiled watching him and Kevin Love (who has 19 straight) operate right now.

Chris Kaman told Clippers beat writer Eric Pincus that he's still a couple of weeks away from returning, and we know how overly optimistic he has been already this year, so we wouldn't close the book on DeAndre Jordan prematurely. Jordan flashed some of the upside we've been waiting patiently for with 14 points and seven blocks, and is well worth owning if you need a big man even if Kaman can get back in the next 10-14 days. Rookie Al-Farouq Aminu has posted two nearly identical lines in his last two games, and had 13 points with eight rebounds, three treys, one assist, and a steal in nearly 30 minutes off the bench. In deeper leagues he's certainly worth a look, and while we see him starting over Ryan Gomes (three points, 18 minutes) at some point, he's only a borderline roster stash in standard-sized leagues. He's likely to be much too inconsistent to use coming off the bench, but his future is bright. Baron Davis was useable with nine points and nine assists and a three, and has now played 25 minutes or more in six straight games, averaging just under 30 minutes during that span. He has effectively moved Eric Bledsoe (16 minutes, three points, two assists) into a backup role, and barring a trade he looks like a second or third fiddle in Clipper-land. That type of projection doesn't usually justify a guy with so many red flags, so move him if you can.

Heat 25-9, Threatening Bulls' 72-10 Record

The Heat set a franchise record with their 10th road win of the month, extended their road winning streak to 10 games, and became the first team in NBA history to win their first 10 road games in a calendar month. They are 15-1 in the month of December with their two-point loss to Dallas as their only blemish. Say what you want (and I have) about LeBron James, or his intelligence-insulting comments that he didn't know what "contraction" meant, but these guys are officially scary. Of course, we knew this before, during, and after their getting-to-know you period, and ironically the limp play of the Cavs will ultimately be the turning point for their season.

Dwyane Wade topped his season-high 40-point game from Tuesday with 45 points on Wednesday, hitting 17-of-24 shots from the field with seven rebounds, six turnovers, a perfect 10 FTs, two steals, and a three. James scored his normal 20 points with six rebounds and nine assists, and Chris Bosh had 21 points with an uncharacteristically low four rebounds. Wade, with all of his injury risk and playing at a high-water mark, looks like a real nice sell-high candidate, as him and LeBron will likely pass the baton back and forth all year.

Kevin Martin played through his sore knee after missing Tuesday's practice, and by now there's not a Rotoworld reader alive that doesn't know we'd sell him high. He scored 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting (1-of-5 from downtown) with four steals. Kyle Lowry hasn't let go of the starting spot yet, scoring 11 points with seven rebounds, seven assists, and three treys, while Aaron Brooks was also good off the bench with 20 points and nine assists. There's enough history here for Lowry's owners to say to trading partners that there's a chance he can keep the job, but nothing has come out of Houston to indicate it's possible, and I'm planning for Brooks to be the starter anytime now. Chuck Hayes has displayed low-end fantasy value over his last four games, and had 13 points with eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal last night. With no Yao around those desperate souls who could use a line like that can start to view him as a longer-term option, albeit with no guarantees. Terrence Williams is still out of the rotation, but Rick Adelman said he will be making a serious push to figure out his role. He has been dropped in a ton of leagues, and will be worth a stash as soon as Adelman says he's going to make his debut.


[SIZE=+1]Thursday Night Lights[/SIZE]

The Knicks go to Orlando for the early TNT game, and neither team has any big question marks. We'll look for more of the same out of the Knicks and to see how the Magic's rotation continues to shake out.

The Spurs head into Dallas to play the Dirk-less Mavs, and Utah heads into the Rose Garden to play the Blazers. Mehmet Okur is a game-time decision with his back injury, so if C.J. Miles (flu), and Andrei Kirilenko (back) looks doubtful as he's targeting Saturday's game. Look for rookie Gordon Hayward to build off his career-best night on Wednesday. Brandon Roy (knee) will not play, which is bad news considering he was to be evaluated when the team returned home and he clearly didn't pass the test. We're still waiting on reports for Marcus Camby (ankle) and Joel Przybilla (ankle), and Dante Cunningham will get the nod if those guys can't go.

 

[HacheMan]

Griffin, for Three?
The end of any calendar year is an appropriate time for reminiscing, but you shall find none of that in the paragraphs below. Unfazed by end-of-year sentimentality, Roundball Stew, as always, is focused on the trends affecting the world of fantasy hoops right now. And with that in mind, let's get directly to the business at hand:

[SIZE=+1]Trendspotting[/SIZE]

Three on the Rise:

Andray Blatche: Since returning from his suspension, Blatche (19.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg, 3.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 2.0 bpg in his last two) is finally looking like the player many of us deemed worthy of a high draft pick before he drove us loopy with frustration the past two months. I can understand the impulse to try to sell high, but I'm feeling reasonably confident that his solid run can continue.

D.J. Augustin: Along with Stephen Jackson (30.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4.0 apg, 2.0 spg, 3.5 threes in his last two games), Augustin has been a very happy beneficiary of the Paul Silas regime, averaging 27.5 ppg, 5.0 apg and 4.5 threes under the new coach. And yes, I am a little bit salty about this development given that I dealt him away during the unproductive days of the Larry Brown regime.

James Harden: He's always been a great bet to put up stats if given an opportunity, and finally, Scott Brooks has given Harden (27 minutes per game this month) consistent run. The result: 13.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.5, apg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 threes in December. Though far from spectacular, those quietly solid numbers make Harden worth consideration in most leagues.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

Three on the Plummet:

Roy Hibbert: Frustration is very understandable given some of Hibbert's duds of late (including a five-point, four-rebound stink bomb on Wednesday night), but some perspective here is needed. Even during a mostly ghastly month of December (10.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 41.2 from the field and 63.6 from the line), Hibbert has still blocked 1.7 shots per game. Small consolation, you say? Okay, I kind of agree. But I'm still optimistic that Hibbert will get out of this slump, and as is usually the case, TWF (trading while frustrated) is not the ideal way to go.

Boris Diaw: Unlike his teammates positively mentioned above, Diaw has shown the same tiresome lack of aggressiveness under Paul Silas (8.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.0 apg). Too capable of big lines to outright drop and almost too maddening to live with, he's making a case for starting PF on the Rick's Migraine Powder All-Headache Team.

Jeff Green: He has averaged just 11.8 ppg and 4.2 rpg in his last five games, compiling just one total steal and one total block during that stretch. However, unlike Diaw, Green is not listed here to highlight how irritating he is, but rather as a reminder that he's a nice buy-low consideration who has the potential to be a top-50 caliber player when he gets his current struggles turned around.

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

1. The three may be legitimately becoming a part of Blake Griffin's statistical arsenal. In addition to posting 23.0 ppg, 13.5 rpg, 3.9 apg, 0.9 spg and 0.8 bpg this month, he has suddenly hit four threes in his last six games (0.7 average). Though that's a small sample size, his shot from deep looks effortless and is absolutely within his range if Vinny Del Negro continues to give him the occasional green light. Over the last two weeks, Griffin – free throw woes and all – is the No. 27-ranked player on Basketball Monster's leaderboard for eight-category leagues.

2. Chauncey Billups' wrist is definitely feeling better. In the last two weeks (spanning five games for Billups), the Nuggets PG has been the top-ranked fantasy player overall in the aforementioned eight-category rankings. His numbers during that stretch: 25.6 ppg, 5.6 apg, 1.4 spg and 3.0 threes (including 58.1 from the field and a high-volume 97.6 from the line).

I did say last week that I was planning to test Billups' trade value given the fact that he still has torn ligaments in his right (shooting) wrist, but I'm finding that's easier said than done when he's carrying my/your squad. At this point, I'm leaning toward keeping him on the roster and hoping that his wrist stays in tact.

3. Brook Lopez's rebounding is kind of embarrassing for a 7-footer, but at least he's still useful. We can certainly all agree that 6.2 rpg (and just two double-figure rebounding efforts all season) is a huge disappointment for a starting center who plays 35 minutes per game.

But the news isn't all bad – Lopez has posted 20.4 ppg, 0.9 spg and 1.3 bpg over the last month, numbers that rank him No. 62 overall in eight-category leagues. He's obviously not the value owners expected and doesn't appear likely to remember how to rebound this year, but he's still a legit fantasy starter and it makes perfect sense to float a buy-low offer if his owner in your league is among the upset.

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

1) Charlie Villanueva in his five games as a starter: 17.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 0.8 spg, 0.8 bpg, 2.0 threes. Please, John Kuester, leave him in the starting five.

2) Tracy McGrady's last four games: 13.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.5 spg and 0.8 threes, including a 21-4-8 line on Wednesday night. I definitely had my finger on the "Add" button in one of my main leagues (a 10-team league with deep rosters), but suddenly came to and wondered what I was thinking. No argument if you want to add him, but be reminded that he could shatter at any moment.

3) Chris Wilcox's last two games: 12.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 spg, 2.0 bpg. There's no way he keeps up anything close to those defensive stats, but he's worth a look if you're desperate for points and boards in a deeper format. And yes, I did just write three comments about Pistons players in a row.

4) After a brief three-game scoring lull earlier this month, Jrue Holiday has dropped 23.3 ppg in his last three.

5) With Xavier Henry (knee) currently sidelined, Tony Allen has nine steals (and 12.0 ppg) in his last two games. Regular minutes aren't guaranteed once Henry is back, but Allen is an intriguing flier at the moment.

6) Despite all the headaches and continually rotten percentages, DeMarcus Cousins is still at 12.2 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.6 spg and 0.7 bpg this month. I expect inconsistency and some frustration, but after his 21-point, 16-rebound game on Wednesday, he should once again be owned in all leagues.

7) He shot just 8-for-20 from the field and 1-for-6 on threes (for 18 points) in his Suns debut, but I have a feeling that playing for Phoenix – and with Steve Nash – is going to be very kind to Vince Carter.

8) Gordon Hayward's 17-6-3 line with three treys in 44 minutes on Wednesday was definitely eye-catching, but it's tough to get too excited considering that Andrei Kirilenko and C.J. Miles were both out.

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

9) Kenyon Martin has looked every bit his vintage athletic self when on the court for Denver, so it's pretty frustrating (though somewhat understandable) that the Nuggets are being so cautious with him. I'm trying to remain patient for a bit longer in my deeper leagues, but I can understand if some owners can't do so.

10) Wesley Johnson watch: 12.8 ppg, 1.3 spg, 3.3 threes in his last four games. He's still inconsistent and not fully trustworthy on a game-to-game basis, but remains a player to watch closely for a potential breakout in the season's second half.

 

[HacheMan]

KG And Others Are Down & Out
Friday's New Year's Eve schedule is tricky, as there are four 3 p.m. Eastern tip offs. Hornets @ Celtics, Nets @ Bulls, Wizards @ Pacers and Warriors @ Bobcats all go early today. Then you've got Toronto @ Houston at 7, Atlanta @ OKC at 8, Detroit @ Phoenix @ 9, and the Sixers at Lakers @ 10:30. In other words, don't wait any longer than necessary to set your lineup.

Things Just Getting Good…

Kevin Garnett's MRI was negative, meaning he doesn't have a devastating injury, but it does sound like he'll miss a couple weeks with his calf injury. Things were just going too well for KG, who looked like a vintage version of himself until going down in Wednesday's game. Two weeks might be optimistic, as Doc Rivers is pretty conservative with his injured stars. And KG's recent history suggests there's no reason to rush him back, while it's also worth noting that he was day-to-day with a knee injury before sitting out for months and months a couple years ago. Bench him until further notice and grab Glen Davis if he's still available in your league.

Rajon Rondo is a game-time decision for Friday with his lingering ankle injury. I'm guessing he sits out this afternoon, so keep him benched unless we have a good-news update shortly before game time. The Celtics play at 3 p.m. on Friday.

Shut 'Em Down

Brandon Roy and the Blazers are now considering shutting him down for the entire season. Even if he decides to keep playing through his knee injury he's a low-end option going forward. I would probably cut him in most leagues, unless I could stash him long-term without hurting my team. This is a pretty sad story, but it's starting to look like he will never be the player we all thought he would before his chronic knee problems put a stop to such a promising career. He's been on waiver wires in a couple of my leagues, and I expect to see him showing up on more and more of them in the near future.
www.miamiheat.ws
Achilles Last Stand?

Andre Iguodala missed Thursday's practice and remains iffy for Friday's game against the Lakers due to his achilles injury. He sounds like a game-time decision, but I'm guessing there's a better chance he's out than playing. If he is in street clothes, Andres Nocioni is a decent option if you need someone to plug up a hole in your lineup.

Dinosaur Jr.

Jose Calderon (foot), Sonny Weems (back) and Jerryd Bayless (ankle) all missed practice on Thursday. All three are iffy for Friday, but only Calderon should be given the green light in fantasy on Friday if we learn he will play. And if he and Bayless are out, Leandro Barbosa looks like a great short-term fantasy option. Andrea Bargnani (calf) hasn't even rejoined the team and isn't likely to play on Friday. Joey Dorsey, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson will all get extra minutes in his absence.

Darko On The Edge Of Town

Darko Milicic sat out practice with his hip injury and is day-to-day. He's so banged up right now with various injuries it's best to get him benched and wait until he's healthy again. Hopefully the Wolves give him a couple days off to get his body right.

Injury Roundup

Marvin Williams is out for Friday's game at OKC with a back injury. The Hawks will probably start their big lineup, featuring Jason Collins at center. Marvin is day-to-day with a back injury, but could miss the Hawks four-game road trip.

Kirk Hinrich is listed as day-to-day with a left thigh contusion, meaning John Wall and Nick Young remain must-starts, and are probably worth using whether Hinrich is healthy or not.

Chuck Hayes left Thursday's practice in a wheel chair with an ankle injury and is expected to miss anywhere from two to four weeks. He had been playing very well, but Brad Miller and Jordan Hill are going to see a boost with Hayes out for an extended period.

Carlos Boozer missed Friday's practice for personal reasons but is expected to play on Friday. Keep him active, but watch for updates to make sure he's good to go against the Nets.

Jordan Farmar will have an MRI on his bum knee and is not expected to play for the Nets on Friday. He's really cooled off, which means this injury news isn't likely to hurt many fantasy teams, as Farmar should have already been on the bench.

Andrew Bynum will remain the starting center for the Lakers as long as he's healthy. This isn't an automatic death sentence for Lamar Odom's fantasy value, but it's also not ideal. If you remained patient with Bynum over the last month or so, he's going to start paying off (if he can stay on two legs).

Keep reading for Fantasy Game Recaps from Thursday.
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Leaving New York Never Easy

Gilbert Arenas and Jameer Nelson split minutes evenly on Thursday, each scoring 10 points in a win over the Knicks. The timeshare between Arenas and Nelson is becoming annoying, and owners can expect serious inconsistency from both players until further notice. Jason Richardson scored nine, while Hedo Turkoglu had 17 points, nine rebounds and two more 3-pointers in the win. Brandon Bass, J.J. Redick and Ryan Anderson each added 14 points in the win, and while all three are worth a serious look given their recent play, it just doesn't feel like it's going to last. Eventually, you have to think JRich and Arenas are going to turn it on, while Bass and Anderson will cancel each other out. You also have to think Arenas, Nelson and Richardson will eventually drown out Redick, but it hasn't happened yet. Let's just keep in mind this team has only been together for about a week. As for Turkoglu, he actually looks like he will continue to keep playing well for the Magic, which is apparently the only team he can play for.

The Knicks got 30 out of Amare Stoudemire, 29 out of Wilson Chandler and 15 out of Shawne Williams, who won't go away. Williams has been doing this every couple games or so, but would have to replace Landry Fields in the starting five to have real value. Raymond Felton struggled with his shot, Danilo Gallinari somehow attempted just five shots in 41 minutes, and Fields disappeared for the second straight game. Toney Douglas injured an ankle and is now iffy for Sunday. Felton will obviously bounce back, but I am getting a little concerned about Fields after two of his worst lines of the season. Let's give him a couple more games before panicking, as I'm guessing he's got a double-double coming soon. If he continues to struggle, his dream run could be over. But his coach loves him, he's earned his job and will probably bounce back once his slump is over. As for Gallinari, I have no idea how he got just five shots tonight. He had 10 points and seven rebounds, but this is not what his owners need from him. He'll bounce back, and will be especially effective if Fields is going to continue to struggle.

Texas Never Whispers

The Spurs took advantage of the absence of Dirk Nowitzki and beat the Mavericks in Dallas for the battle of Texas on Thursday. Tim Duncan, who has been written off by many for his recent slump, had 17 points and 11 boards on the night, while Gary Neal stole the show with 21 points, five rebounds and five 3-pointers on 6-of-10 shooting. I'm as surprised as anyone that Neal is still producing with George Hill back from his injury, but he did it tonight. Neal is worth a look in fantasy, but is going to be inconsistent as long as Hill is healthy. Hill had 12 points, while Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili had decent lines. DeJuan Blair was the odd man out tonight with just four points and one rebound in 12 minutes, and it's becoming clear that Gregg Popovich isn't going to play along with fantasy owners trying to squeeze juice out of Blair and Duncan. Good luck trying to figure out which player is going to go off and get minutes from night to night. Richard Jefferson struggled for seven points on 3-of-10 shooting, and can be owned or dropped in most leagues. He's the textbook definition of a borderline fantasy player.

Dirk remains day-to-day, but don't be surprised if the Mavs hold him out for another game or two in order to make sure his knee is fully healthy before running him back out there.

Jason Kidd had his 106th career triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, and also kicked in two steals, two blocks and two 3-pointers in the loss. Yeah, he hit just 5-of-15 shots, but fantasy owners should bow down to Kidd for saving his best week of the season for his five-game slate. I say trade him on Monday. Caron Butler, who was also a popular play this week with Dirk's injury, had a season-high 30 points and hit 9-of-9 free throws, but Shawn Marion struggled with just 10 points and two boards. But in a five-game week, Marion has still been worth starting, despite his last two lines of mediocrity. Brian Cardinal started for Dirk and had nine points on 3-of-3 shooting from downtown, but should be ignored in fantasy.

Short-handed Blazers Shock Short-handed Jazz

Andrei Kirilenko (back), C.J. Miles (flu) and Mehmet Okur (back) all missed Thursday's game against the Blazers, which probably contributed to the loss for Utah. Okur is awaiting results of an MRI, and while his injury isn't thought to be serious, I think fantasy owners might be chasing fool's gold by hanging onto him. He's been hurt too much this season and it's going to take him several weeks of healthy play to become a real contributor in fantasy leagues.

The Blazers made this win happen without Brandon Roy, getting a career-high 30 points from Wesley Matthews, who torched his former team, and big lines from LaMarcus Aldridge (27 points) and Andre Miller (16 & 10). Nicolas Batum had just nine points on 3-of-7 shooting, but with Roy being shut down indefinitely, he should be picked up in most leagues. Marcus Camby bounced back from a sprained ankle and exploded for four points, a season-high 20 rebounds, five dimes, two steals and two blocks in 35 minutes. Hopefully you were brave enough to start him in this one.

Deron Williams, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap all played well for the Jazz, while Gordon Hayward scored 11 points in another start for Kirilenko. Utah is off until Saturday, while the Blazers don't play until Sunday.

 

[HacheMan]

Matrix Reloaded
Injuries to Caron Butler and Danilo Gallinari have brought some new faces to light on the waiver wire, while DeShawn Stevenson had a big game on Sunday night. Does that mean you should pick him up?

Stevenson blew up for a season-high 21 points with five 3-pointers on Sunday, prompting me to think about putting him in this column. Especially given the fact that Caron Butler is going to likely miss an extended period of time with a serious knee injury. Stevenson's been an effective source of threes all year, but not really worth owning. I'm not going to declare him a fantasy presence after one nice line, but he at least deserves to be put on your radar in case he starts doing this on a regular basis.

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[SIZE=+1]Guards[/SIZE]

Luke Ridnour Wolves

He's still starting and could stay there all year, despite the return of Jonny Flynn. He's not the most exciting point guard in the league to own, but is playing well enough to be owned in almost all leagues. He averaged 11.5 points, 6.5 assists and had more than a steal and three per game in December.

Keyon Dooling Bucks

Dooling got off to a slow start in place of injured Brandon Jennings but is averaging 10 points, five assists, a steal and a three in his seven starts this season.

James Harden Thunder

Harden has been rolling, scoring in double figures in 10 straight games and outplaying teammate Jeff Green recently. Eventually, Green is going to get hot again and probably hurt Harden's fantasy value, but for now, Harden is worth owning in most leagues.

Evan Turner Sixers

Turner is suddenly hot and could stay that way with Andre Iguodala out for the next several games. He scored 23 on Wednesday and had 12 on Friday, and got more than 30 minutes in each of them. Do I trust him? Not really, but if Doug Collins is ready to turn him loose, he should be grabbed again in most leagues.

Tony Allen Grizzlies

Allen could be a new starter for the Grizzlies, although the picture is a bit murky since Rudy Gay missed his last game with the flu, which prompted:Lionel Hollins to put O.J. Mayo back in the starting five. Allen started at shooting guard again on Sunday and if he is going to permanently replace rookie Xavier Henry (who is bothered by a sore knee), he's worth a look in most leagues. Before Saturday's disaster, Allen averaged 12 points and 4.5 steals in his previous two games.

Jose Juan Barea/Dominique Jones/Roddy Beaubois Mavericks

Caron Butler could miss the rest of the season with a potentially serious knee injury, meaning someone is going to step up. It was JJB on Saturday night, and he looks like a good pickup with Butler out. Jones was called up from the D-League and is getting some nice run on Sunday, and is worth a look in deeper leagues. Barea was just 2-of-8 in 20 minutes on Sunday, while Jones was 2-of-10 in 21 minutes. There is no clear-cut winner here, although Shawn Marion could be the guy who really benefits in Butler's absence. More about him in 'Forwards.'

Roddy B. has been on everyone's radar since draft night, but still isn't back from a foot injury. In fact, there's still not even a timetable for his return. So I guess instead of him being a decent waiver-wire option, we'll just say that he would have been the guy to get here if he were healthy. Even in deeper leagues, Roddy B. is probably only worth holding if you have a large bench to plant him on. That will change if and when he actually gets a target date on a return.

Ramon Sessions Cavaliers

Mo Williams was back on Sunday but Sessions caught fire and is having a great game as I write this. He's shaky as long as Williams is healthy, but is still worth a look in many leagues – especially since Daniel Gibson is out with a thigh injury (day-to-day). Sessions played very well in four straight games and with Williams' injury being of the groin variety, there's a decent chance Sessions could stay hot for another week or so. I'm not racing out to pick him up, but he might be worth it in your league.

Toney Douglas/Landry Fields Knicks

Danilo Gallinari will have an MRI on his knee on Monday, although he says his left knee sprain isn't serious. He could even play on Tuesday, which is great news for him and his owners. If he is going to miss time, it looks like Douglas is going to be a guy who sees a big boost in value, as he's the designated 3-point shooter off the bench right now. Douglas got some nice run on Sunday to finish with 12 points, seven dimes and two 3-pointers. Landry Fields would also see an expanded role if Gallinari is out, and he might also be available in your league after some recent struggles.

[SIZE=+1]Forwards[/SIZE]

Glen Davis Celtics

With Kevin Garnett out with a calf injury Davis should continue his stellar play. He averaged 13.5 points and six boards in December and his January numbers could be bigger with KG out. He also just missed a triple-double on Sunday with 15 points, 11 boards and eight dimes.

Shawn Marion Mavericks

Marion started for the Mavericks on Sunday, who are currently missing Dirk Nowitzki and Caron Butler. With Butler out, possibly for the rest of the season, Marion figures to get more minutes and production, even if he doesn't become a full-time starter. He's no longer the Shawn Marion we drafted in the first round four or five years ago, but without Butler around, should be scooped up in all leagues.

Jason Thompson Kings

Thompson is suddenly starting over Carl Landry for the Kings and I swapped the two where I could recently. He picked up five quick fouls in his start on Wednesday, but the had 17 points and seven boards in his next one. See how things go tonight for him and think about grabbing him if you need a big man. He should also qualify at C in many leagues.

Mickael Pietrus Suns

We still don't know if Pietrus is a full-time starter or not (replacing Channing Frye), but he's going to see a nice role for Suns either way. I'm not dropping Frye yet, and he could still keep his starting job, or make spot starts when the Suns go big. But Pietrus, a guy who can get steals, threes, boards and points, looks like a good player to grab off waivers right now until we see how it plays out.

Tyrus Thomas Bobcats

With Gerald Wallace bothered again by a bone bruise in his ankle, someone is going to have to pick up the slack. Dominic McGuire is useless and Gerald Henderson is not the answer. Even though Thomas hasn't shown us much yet (outside of inconsistency), he could be the guy who benefits.

Keep reading for the rest of the Forward, as well as the Centers.
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J.J. Hickson Cavaliers

Hickson has hit double digits in scoring in five of his last eight games and had 21 on Saturday. He benefited from the absence of Anderson Varejao, but he's expected back on Wednesday. Hickson is worth a look, but is not a must-own player currently.

Ryan Anderson Magic

Anderson could see a big boost in Brandon Bass ends up having knee surgery. Anderson has been playing pretty well, but is still not worth starting in fantasy leagues unless Bass goes under the knife and misses a month. Keep an eye out for more information on Monday, and keep in mind that he qualifies at center in Yahoo! leagues. I am not grabbing him just yet, but if a Bass surgery announcement hits, I'm going after him.

Martell Webster/Wesley Johnson Wolves

Webster has proven to be a consistent scorer while Wes Johnson has unlimited upside. I think WJ keeps the starting job in hopes of getting him ready to breakout next season, but Webster is worth grabbing if you need a consistent 14 ppg. Both players are worth fliers, but are not automatic fantasy starters by any stretch.

Amir Johnson Raptors

Amir has now double-doubled in two straight games and got a boost last week with Andrea Bargnani sidelined with a calf injury. Bargnani's eventual return will hurt Johnson, but as usual, he might be worth owning if you need a big man and boards. Just be prepared to be letdown by him in some fashion.

Ersan Ilyasova Bucks

Ilyasova blew up for 16 points and 17 rebounds on Saturday, but has been very inconsistent for the Bucks. He has posted three double-doubles since Dec. 1, but also tends to disappear without notice. Like most Bucks players, I don't really trust him, and he will also take a hit once Drew Gooden is back from his foot injury. However, his game on Saturday is just too nice to ignore. He has started eight games in a row and the Bucks play four times this week, so if you're going to take a flier on him, now is the time.

Shawne Williams Knicks

Williams has scored 15 and 5 points in his last two games, but gets a mention here because of the knee injury to Gallinari. Gallo may only miss a handful of games, but if you're in a very deep league, Williams is another guy who could see a boost if Gallo's out for long.

Patrick Patterson Rockets

Patterson had career highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds on Friday with Chuck Hayes out for the Rockets. Patterson is another deep-league flier type of player, as he's not reliable. In fact, he scored a total of five points in the entire season (all in December) before Friday's explosion.

[SIZE=+1]Centers[/SIZE]

Brad Miller Rockets

Chuck Hayes is going to miss three to four weeks with his injury and Yao Ming is done, meaning Miller is simply going to have to get some serious run. Jordan Hill will too, but Miller is the guy I'd think about grabbing at this point. He hasn't started a game since November, but that could be changing soon, and he had 11 points, seven boards and six assists in his last game.

DeAndre Jordan Clippers

I love watching Jordan play and he's been fun to own. He averaged nearly eight points, eight boards and two blocks in December, and including Sunday, he's racked up 13 blocks in his last two games. The Clippers only play two games this week and then Chris Kaman will likely return shortly thereafter. And both of those are problems for Jordan.

Serge Ibaka Thunder

Ibaka is an iron man in this column and it's mainly due to his inconsistent minutes and production. He had 14 points, 13 boards and four blocks against the Spurs on Saturday for his second straight double-double, but is just as capable of throwing up a nine-point, three-rebound, one-block line like he did on Dec. 29. He's still worth owning in almost all leagues, but is one of those guys who will likely bounce around the wire, constantly dumped by guys in need of scoring and picked up by those in need of blocks.

Marcin Gortat Suns

Gortat's minutes have been nice for the Suns lately and I suspect the production will start coming. Maybe it will happen on Sunday against the Kings, but either way, Gortat is worth hanging onto in almost all leagues. He could be starting soon and as we've seen in the past, has great potential to rack up serious points, boards and blocks.

Spencer Hawes Sixers

I don't really trust Hawes, but he's got a chance to put up some nice numbers as the starter for the Sixers. He's been very up and down all season and only hit four 3-pointers in December, so don't be fooled into thinking he's going to automatically help you win that category. But the Sixers have four games this week and Hawes is looking more start than bench at this point, especially since he's been flirting with double-doubles lately.

 

[HacheMan]

Help Me Obie Wan
I had a bit of a lost weekend, driving, hanging out with family, working, driving and then driving some more. I missed all of Saturday's action, when Trevor Ariza actually made some shots, JaVale McGee posted a monster line, Dorell Wright hit six more 3-pointers, the Super Friends all went off, Brook Lopez, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Arron Afflalo stunk, Carmelo Anthony returned, Caron Butler and Brandon Bass got hurt, and Earl Boykins went off in his return from a suspension.

Here's a look at some of the headlines as we enter Week 11 of the fantasy hoops season.

Two

</B>Two ways to tell the story (no one worries)
Two silver rings on our fingers in a hurry
Two people talking inside your brain
Two people believing that I'm the one to blame
Two different voices coming out of your mouth </B>

The above lyric is from the song Two, by The Antlers. The Clippers and Pacers play just twice in the upcoming week, making it tough to start any of them. I think Blake Griffin and Danny Granger are probably must-starts, but after Roy Hibbert was benched in real life on Sunday, this is a great week to bench him in fantasy and hope Jim O'Brien stops messing with his head. Hibbert got just 16 minutes on Sunday and should be reserved (not cut) until further notice.

What About The Voice Of Geddy Lee?

The latest news to hit my in box is that David Lee is now doubtful for Monday with a lower back bruise. As soon as he hit Golden State over the summer and broke his hand, you could almost sense an injury disaster was coming. He's got a bad elbow, ankle and now back, and might not fully recover this season from the freak accident that left Wilson Chandler's tooth and a nasty infection in his arm. In any case, it's probably best to leave Lee on your bench this week. According to my man Marcus Thompson, he's "walking like a 60 year old man."

Lightning Crashes

Gerald Wallace is out on Monday after aggravating an injury to his left ankle. He missed five games with a bone bruise and will now miss at least one more, if not another entire week. I'm benching him where I own him and if I were you, I'd look into trading him. This is the type of injury that will linger and stay in his head for the rest of the season. He's been a bit disappointing to begin with and I don't think things are going to get better any time soon now that he's got a chronic situation developing in his ankle. I also think this is (yet another) chance for Tyrus Thomas to show us something. I would be inclined to start him this week, even though we still have no idea how Paul Silas is going to use him. He'll be back from his wrist injury tonight, so he's not exactly a stone-cold lock to go off. But I'm guessing he has a good week.

Revolution 9

Andre Iguodala's achilles injury will keep him out for another full week. Bench him until further notice and think about picking up Evan Turner if you need to add a player this week. I have no idea how or why, but Doug Collins has turned ET loose over the last two games and he looks good.

Crushed Butler

Is there a more appropriate music reference than that one? Caron Butler's knee injury sounds serious and we will find out tonight what the diagnosis is. Actually, in one of the worst kept secrets ever, I can almost guarantee you he has a torn patella tendon and is going to miss a lot of time with the injury, if not the rest of the season. Maybe the MRI will tell a different story and the rumors surrounding his injury are terribly inaccurate, but at this point, I'll be surprised if Tough Juice plays another game this season. Jose Juan Barea, Dominique Jones, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion are all players who will see a bump in minutes going forward, with Marion the best player to pick up. Roddy Beaubois would be a great pickup right now, except that there is still no target date for his return to action from his foot injury.
www.miamiheat.ws
Dirk Nowitzki is another story altogether. He is dealing with a right knee injury and has already missed four straight games, and there is still not timetable on his return. If I own Dirk, who turned out to be one of the greatest five-game week disasters of all time, he's on my bench this week, and this is just another reason to start Shawn Marion.

Six Pack Rings Around His Neck

Danilo Gallinari suffered a left knee injury on Sunday and my guess is he'll miss anywhere from two to four games. Then again, he's yet to be ruled out for Tuesday's game and says the injury is no big deal. His MRI results will come in tonight and while all indications are that he will be fine, we won't know for sure until then. The Knicks play just three games this week, meaning you should bench Gallinari unless we get some very good news tonight.

He's already listed as doubtful for Tuesday and it sounds like Ronny Turiaf will start in his place. Turiaf suddenly looks healthy, despite his shoulder popping out of place briefly on Sunday, and will start with Gallinari sidelined. Additionally, Toney Douglas, Shawne Williams and Landry Fields will see a boost in minutes and production with Gallo in street clothes. As for Turiaf, he's another guy I forgot to mention in Wired, as he went off for 10 rebounds and six blocks against the Pacers on Sunday. And if he's going to start all week, he might be worth an add with three games.

Continue reading for more tidbits and a full injury report link.
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Welcome Back?

Anderson Varejao and Daniel Gibson are expected back from their injuries on Wednesday, which will hurt the minutes of J.J. Hickson and Ramon Sessions. Both players have been hot lately, and while they're still possibly worth a pick up, the return of the starters is going to hurt.

Bass Song

Brandon Bass suffered a knee injury on Saturday night and is talking about having surgery to fix the problem. He made it through Monday's shootaround and his plan for now is to try to play through the injury. I'm benching him where I own him and would consider cutting him to pick up a hot player off the Waiver Wire. And if Bass does miss time, Ryan Anderson, who actually qualifies at C in Yahoo! leagues, will be the guy to grab.

Ticket To Ride

Kevin Garnett is probably going to miss the whole week with his calf injury, so make sure he's on your bench. Big Baby Glen Davis, who nearly had a triple-double last night, looks like a fantastic play this week. Rajon Rondo returned to action on Sunday and should be good to go if you want to get him back in your lineup. Paul Pierce, who had the dunk of the night, tweaked an ankle, but my guess is that he's fine. And after watching that video a few times, I can't decide if that was a dunk or not. I also can't figure out how it went in.

ReMemo

Mehmet Okur is now dealing with a back injury and it sounds to me like it could be a problem all season. Okur is in the same category with guys like Mike Miller and Roddy Beaubois. Man, it sure would be nice if they'd play and be productive, but chances are you'll go insane while waiting for it to happen. Let someone else deal with them. At least Miller and Roddy B have a chance at being productive, but I just don't see Memo getting enough run to make it happen.

Pork and Beanos

Beno Udrih hurt his knee on Sunday and didn't return to the game. And unfortunately, that is truly all we know at this point. The Kings have three games this week and I guess the best advice I can give is to bench him unless we get an update this afternoon. Jason Thompson is now starting over Carl Landry, but of course, Landry, Francisco Garcia and Omri Casspi were the guys who double-doubled last night, while DeMarcus Cousins went off for 28 points, eight rebounds and six dimes in a win over the reeling Suns. I didn't put Garcia in Waiver Wired, but probably should have.

I'm Sticking With You

Rodney Stuckey is due back from the flu on Monday, although he'll be limited and won't start tonight. The Pistons seem to love Tracy McGrady at point guard, but I don't think even John Kuester can bench a healthy Stuckey, can he? We'll soon find out. The Pistons play three games this week, meaning Stuckey is a somewhat risky play in most leagues.

Bargain?

Andrea Bargnani missed last week with a calf injury and there is no specific word on when he'll be back. The Raps play four times this week, so it's possible owners get two, three or four games out of him this week, but he's an extremely risky start. If your lineup deadline doesn't happen until game time, keep watching for updates throughout the day on Bargnani. Jose Calderon appeared to tweak his foot last night, but will continue to try to play through the lingering injury. He's still a bit risky, but I am starting him where I own him.

The Injury Report

For the rest of the injury rundown, Just click on this link.

Tidbits

Ersan Ilyasova was great on Saturday and it was probably because Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Drew Gooden were out with injuries. Feel free to pick up EI, but be warned that he's inconsistent.

Mickael Pietrus started in place of Channing Frye again on Sunday, but neither player was very effective. Pietrus played 35 minutes, while Frye got just 18 ticks, which is hard to believe. Maybe I'm naive, but I haven't cut Frye yet. Maybe I will when I'm done posting this column, but I still think he's going to get back into the rotation before too long. But Pietrus, despite struggles, is getting serious run right now and could have some big games this week. I'm starting him.

 

[HacheMan]

They come to snuff the Rooster
10 Things We Learned On Monday

1. Hedo Turkoglu can still play basketball.

I can't explain it and my guess is Turkoglu can't either. But he looks like a different player in Orlando than he did in Phoenix or Toronto over the past two seasons and posted a triple-double last night, finishing with 10 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and five steals. He shot it terribly, but if you picked up Turkoglu after the trade, or have been somehow holding him for months, you probably deserve some sort of award.

On a side note, Brandon Bass started and played through his knee injury, and while he wasn't great, he is going to try to keep playing through it, which will also hurt the potential value of Ryan Anderson for now. Anderson did manage 13 points in 19 minutes, while Bass finished with 10 points and three boards in 25 minutes. Like most Magic players not named Dwight or Hedo, both Bass and Anderson are tough starts right now.

2. Danilo Gallinari will miss a couple weeks with his left knee sprain.

Toney Douglas looks like the winner to help replace Gallo's outside shooting, while Shawne Williams will see more minutes and Ronny Turiaf will replace him in the starting lineup. Landry Fields, who might have hit the rookie wall, should also get more opportunities and if he doesn't break out of his funk this week, his great run might officially be over. Douglas should hit a bunch of threes, Williams is worth a look in deep leagues and Turiaf has potential after his 10 boards and six blocks in his last game. And as for Landry, I say just keep holding him for the next six days and then decide which way you want to go.

3. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are good.

Monday was a great day for the Heat. Erik Spoelstra was named Coach of the Month for December, LeBron and Wade were named Co-players of the Month, and Wade won Player of the Week honors. The duo also each scored 30-plus points in an easy win over Charlotte and the Heat have now won 18 of their last 19 games and went 15-1 in December. Remember when Spoelstra was on the hot seat and the Heat didn't look like a very good basketball team? Obviously, those days are long gone.

Mike Miller snuck into last night's game for a few minutes, but did nothing. Even when he's fully up to speed and getting decent minutes, all the points and production on that team is going to run through the Super Friends. I see no reason to hold Miller unless you're desperate for threes in a deep Roto league.

4. Tyrus Thomas still can't play for Bobcats.

Thomas played just 22 minutes on Monday, hitting 4-of-14 shots for eight points, five rebounds and one block. Even with Nazr Mohammed (knee, day-to-day), DeSagana Diop (achilles, out for season) and Gerald Wallace (ankle, day-to-day) out, Thomas still couldn't live up to the hype. He's got a few more games to prove himself this week, but I'm not going to hold my breath. However, if you own him, you can't cut him with all those big men out. He's basically alone on an island with Kwame Brown and Boris Diaw as the only bigs left standing in Charlotte. And when you add in the late news that Stephen Jackson is suddenly dealing with a knee injury that will also leave him day-to-day, the news gets even better for Thomas.

5. Rajon Rondo is back.

Rondo handed out 16 dimes last night, but scored just six points. The scoring will come but the bottom line is that he appears to be nearly at full strength and picked up right where he left off before badly rolling his ankle a couple weeks ago.

Glen Davis had 17 points but just one rebound last night, which makes no sense. Davis should be crashing the boards with Kevin Garnett currently sidelined, but maybe Kevin Love, who had a TD Banknorth Garden record-setting 24 rebounds last night, stole them all. Love hit just 3-of-11 shots and also got into an argument with coach Kurt Rambis on the bench, which makes me cringe to even think about. As of now, Love is as solid as they come and I'm hoping that not even Kurt Rambis has the power to derail him. And as for Davis, look for him to bounce back on the boards in his next game.

6. Spencer Hawes hates his fantasy owners.

Hawes was just starting to get back in a groove and was preparing to start for the Sixers for four games this week, meaning many of us had him in our lineups. And around 7:30 last night, well after many lineup deadlines had locked, news broke that Hawes would not play due to a sore back. He tweaked it in warm-ups and while the injury doesn't sound all that serious, there is no guarantee he'll play on Wednesday against Washington. And if he does sit out all four games this week, there will be no disputing the above headline.

7. Trevor Ariza can't shoot a basketball

He was just 2-of-11 again last night and why the Hornets continue to let him shoot at will makes no sense to me. Not only is he shooting 37 percent on the season, he is hitting just 25 percent of his 3-point shots. And if those numbers don't hit home with you, the actual totals might. He's 33-of-133 from downtown this year and 131-of-351 from the floor. Trade him for whatever you can get, as he was 394-of-999 from the field last year, and just 136-of-407 from downtown.

8. Kyle Lowry is still > than Aaron Brooks.

Brooks was just 1-of-3 for four points in 16 minutes on Monday, while Lowry had 21 points, seven boards, four assists and three steals. I can't explain it, but if Brooks hasn't gotten his job back by now, you have to start wondering when he will. Like most of you, I dropped Lowry a couple weeks ago thinking the timeshare was on and his value would disappear with Brooks back. It hasn't happened yet, but even if Lowry keeps the starting job, it still looks like a lock that Brooks will get healthy and hot, and at least guarantee a timeshare at some point.

Brad Miller is relevant again and had 10 points, 11 boards, five assists, a steal and two blocks in 30 minutes. I picked him up Sunday and threw him in some lineups, and hope you did too. Chuck Hayes is out for at least a couple more weeks, meaning Miller should get plenty of run between now and when Hayes returns. Kevin Martin was a disaster last night, hitting just 3-of-15 shots for eight points, and was benched for parts of the second half. He should be fine in his next one.

9. Rodney Stuckey is < T-Mac?

Stuckey came off the bench for three points in 14 minutes on Monday after missing time with the flu, while Tracy McGrady, whom the Pistons seem to really like at point guard, just missed a triple-double with 11 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists in the start. Stuckey should bounce back and is helped by the fact T-Mac will get hurt again any day now, but if you want to pick up McGrady and throw him in your lineup until he breaks, it probably makes sense. As for Stuckey, he's probably in many lineups already, but if you have other options, you might want to bench him until he plays well in a game or two.

10. Jose Calderon is a mess.

Late news out of Toronto is that Calderon is now doubtful for tonight's game at Chicago due to a strained left foot and sprained right ankle. Hello, Jerryd Bayless. I don't get the sense that Calderon's injuries are serious enough to shut him down long term, but you never know. Get Calderon out and Bayless into your lineups if you can.

In other Raps news, Sonny Weems (back) isn't likely to play this week, Amir Johnson will continue to try to go through his sore back and Andrea Bargnani is due back tonight from his calf injury.

Tidbits

There are rumors that the Suns might trade Steve Nash. If it were to happen, Goran Dragic would be a must-add, and while I think he's worth keeping a close eye on right now, it's probably too early to make the move.

Paul Millsap missed Tuesday's practice with a bruised right hip and will be a game-time decision for Wednesday against the Hawks.

Dirk Nowitzki is out again on Tuesday, while the Mavs are expecting to announce Caron Butler's status later today. I'm not expecting good news.

In case you missed it above, Stephen Jackson has swelling in his knee and is now listed as day-to-day. Paul Silas has some serious injury issues to deal with.

 

[HacheMan]

Truth Or Dare
There are several prevailing ideas about certain NBA players in fantasy circles, but things are not always as they seem. Let's take a look at some of Tuesday's studs and duds, and try to determine if their performances were fact or fiction.

Myth: DeMarcus Cousins is a punk who can't be coached, has a terrible attitude and will soon find himself in the D-League because he is basically a lost cause.

While parts or all of the above statement might have some merit, the thing people seem to have forgotten while tearing Cousins down is that he's a damn good basketball player. After struggling for a week, when it looked like the end was near, savvy owners grabbed Cousins off the wire just before he went on a four-game explosion, when he's scored between 16 and 28 points, averaged 10 boards and has been shooting it lights out from the floor. In case you haven't noticed, the Kings stink, and playing Cousins and getting him ready for next year is all they should care about right now. And whether or not he's coachable or has a bad attitude really shouldn't matter at this point. Paul Westphal isn't making any friends in Sacramento and Cousins will likely be dominating the paint there long after Westphal is gone. All of this is great news for the owners of Cousins, but after his last four games, I seriously doubt he's available in any leagues. If he is, go for it.

Myth: Rodney Stuckey is and will be the starting point guard for the rest of the season in Detroit.

Stuckey was the starting point guard in Detroit before suffering a toe injury and going down with a bad case of the flu, but his hold on the job could be slipping away. And if you'd have told me two months ago that Tracy McGrady was not only the team's most effective point guard, but also possibly their best player, I would have laughed. But the Pistons are terrible and T-Mac is just healthy enough to be playing a little bit like he used to. He just missed a triple-double on Monday and played well on Tuesday, although the six turnovers were a concern.

But what is more of a concern is the fact he's averaged 30 minutes over his last four games, which is going to catch up with him. I picked him up in my daily leagues, but intentionally ignored him in a couple weekly leagues that are very important to me. T-Mac is going to miss games due to his weak legs. There's just no getting around it and he might be the poster child for a Monday injury to ruin your week. But if you can pick your spots with him and take advantage of when he's hot and healthy, he's going to offer value. Long time readers know that I have never been a McGrady guy, but at least for now, I'm willing to take a chance on him.

As for Stuckey owners, just sit tight with him. T-Mac will break down at some point and Stuckey will get his job back, but it's best to bench him now until further notice. If Will Bynum didn't look so terrible this year, I'd be much more concerned about Stuckey, but as of now, I don't thing Bynum poses a real threat to Stuckey's minutes.

Myth: DeShawn Stevenson is a terrible NBA starter.

You've heard by now that Caron Butler's season is over for the Mavericks, meaning someone is going to have to step up in his place. When Butler initially went down, it was believed that one of a trio of Shawn Marion, Jose Juan Barea and Dominique Jones would supposedly step up and fill the void. DeShawn Stevenson, who hasn't really done anything other than start a bunch of games and talk smack about LeBron James for the last three years, was an afterthought. But it's Stevenson who might have the last laugh after Tuesday's 18 points and four 3-pointers, as well as Sunday's 21 points and five treys. That's as solid of a back-to-back performance as Stevenson has mustered over his entire career and while I really don't trust him at all, he's the hot hand for now. I still think Marion and JJB could emerge with more long-term value, but if you're looking for a short-term hot hand to pick up, Stevenson might be worth the flier.

Myth: Taj Gibson forgot how to play basketball.

Gibson came out of nowhere for a first-half double-double last night and finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds. And while it's true he didn't forget how to play basketball after suffering a concussion, the fact he didn't have any assists, steals or blocks last night leaves something to be desired. As is usually the case, his concussion was more serious than anyone thought initially, and slowed him down quite a bit. He appears ready to bounce back and start playing well again for the Bulls, but I'm still not rushing to pick him up. Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng are going to eat up most of the minutes, rebounds and production in the Bulls front court and I just don't see Gibson getting many double-doubles. But if you're suffering through guys like Channing Frye, Carl Landry or Jason Thompson, taking a flier on Gibson probably makes sense.

Keep reading for more myths, as well as some news and notes quick hits.
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Myth: Nicolas Batum stinks.

With Brandon Roy's season and career in limbo due to his knee injury, it's time for someone to step up in his absence. We've been waiting for Batum for a few weeks now and while he hasn't lived up to the hype (again), he's showing signs of life. He tweaked an ankle last night but played through it, finishing with 13 points, seven boards, two assists, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer. He's in the starting lineup, scored 21 on Sunday and could finally be ready to break out. If you're looking for a player who might be killing it a couple weeks from now, Batum, who can do a little bit of everything in fantasy, might be your guy.

Myth: Tyreke Evans' foot is going to fall off.

Evans is apparently a huge fan of self-diagnosis and has gotten it wrong several times this season. And just when he made his latest announcement that he was probably going to have foot surgery, sending his owners into a full blown panic, he decided to start playing real basketball for the first time this season. He blew up for 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting with four boards, eight assists, five steals, two blocks and a 3-pointer against the Hawks last night. Keep in mind he was playing the Hawks, and had just six and 12 points in his previous two games, but he also had 21 and 32 before that. The bottom line is that the only problem with his foot is that he has a minor case of plantar fasciitis, and now that he's playing well again, he isn't even thinking about shutting it down. If you stole him when he was talking surgery, congratulations. And if you gave him away, what goes around usually comes around in fantasy hoops.

Myth: Tony Allen is a bad man.

Tony Allen has street cred. He always has, especially after a shooting incident (Allen was not the triggerman) at his birthday party in Chicago in 2006 that helped derail his career, just as a pair of serious knee injuries did. And in keeping with the 'bad man' theme, he apparently used teammate O.J. Mayo's face as a punching bag on the team flight on Sunday. Memphis, who has lost plenty of games this season, was actually coming off a huge win AT THE LAKERS that night, which makes the fight even more interesting. My guess is that some playing cards, benjamins and possibly beers were a part of the night's festivities leading up to the fracas, but only the guys who were there know. In any case, I don't think I'd want to have either Allen or Mayo ticked off at me.

And not only did they beat the Lakers on Sunday, but they then knocked off the Thunder last night, with Allen exploding for a season-high 19 points with two 3-pointers, three steals and two blocks. Mayo has lost his job and will be a fixture off the bench for as long as he's in Memphis. Maybe he'll be traded soon, but that, of course, is not guaranteed. Allen has now hit double figures in scoring in five of his last eight games and has racked up 18 steals over that stretch. He's also started in three of his last four games due to a knee injury to rookie Xavier Henry, and given the fact they're only three games under .500 and playing better, it's possible Allen has won the job for good. And if he has, he should be watched very closely going forward, as he is a steals machine who will also get you some threes and blocks. Which, as Rick Kamla likes to say, is fantasy gold.

Notables

Andrea Bargnani returned to action last night and looked great, but also appeared to wreck Linas Kleiza in the process. Hopefully Kleiza bounces back in the next one. Speaking of the next one, it sounds like Jose Calderon is likely to play, while Jerryd Bayless may not.

Greg Monroe double-doubled for the Pistons last night, but it's anyone's guess whether John Kuester will stick with him. It would be great if the Pistons would give Monroe and Daye 30 minutes a game and stop worrying about keeping the old, grumpy guys content.

Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao are both expected back tonight for the Cavs.

Jeff Green's slump is annoying, while James Harden looks like a mini-stud. I don't agree with cutting Green, but he needs to be benched until he gets this worked out.

Toney Douglas played 29 minutes last night but hit just 3-of-10 shots. The minutes were there in the absence of Danilo Gallinari, who will miss a couple weeks with a knee injury, but it was Wilson Chandler and Landry Fields who had the better lines last night.

There's still no word on the possible return date of Andre Iguodala, while Dirk Nowitzki and Gerald Wallace also continue to miss games.

I'm getting a lot of Andris Biedrins questions now and it sounds like he should be back at some point in the next week. If you've been holding him this whole time, it's probably not a great idea to bail out at the last minute. But if you're looking at him on waivers, I'd probably let him sit there until he comes back and proves he'll be a part of the GSW offense going forward. Unless you're just desperate at center.

If Darko Milicic was cut in your league, my crystal ball tells me he's going to have his best game in weeks tonight against the depleted Bobcats. And I'd like him even more if his former coach, Larry Brown, was still running the Cats.

The Suns are at home against the Lakers tonight and this might be the last chance I'm giving Channing Frye. I really don't want to drop him, but his inexplicable fall from grace is becoming more reality than trend.

 

[HacheMan]

Odom's Shoulder A Concern
Thursday was one of the slowest days in the NBA I can remember, which was actually a nice change. TNT's two-game bonanza last night was rivaled only by the Middle Tennessee vs. Miami of Ohio football game on the World Wide Leader. In other words, you picked a good night to go out and do something fun instead of sitting around and watching sports last night. In any case, here are a few things to chew on as we prepare for an 11-game night in the Association on Friday.

Shouldering the Load

Lamar Odom's left shoulder injury didn't sound too bad at first, but I think it's possibly a much bigger deal than anyone's making it out to be. In fact, I probably need to write a new blurb about him as well. First of all, it's his shooting shoulder, as he's a lefty. Secondly, coach Phil Jackson described the injury as "a problematic kind of thing that's going to be affecting him for a while" and may affect his shot. And when you add in this quote from Odom, owners simply have to be concerned. "I'll have to play right-handed," Odom said. "That will be kind of crazy. I don't know how I'll pull that one off. But we'll have to try." Feel free to run him out there tonight if you're feeling lucky, but this could be a lingering injury that really impacts his offensive game. See how things go tonight and then act accordingly.

Where's Boozer?

Carlos Boozer was benched for the entire fourth quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Nets (yes, the Nets) and Tom Thibodeau said it was because he wanted to run a small lineup, using Luol Deng at power forward. This just looks like a terrible coaching decision by Thibodeau and it's hard to imagine Boozer getting yanked again tonight against the Sixers. Owners have to hope that Boozer reacts well to the benching and that he and Thibodeau are able to move forward after Wednesday's disaster. And the fact the Bulls lost a game they clearly should have won should definitely work in Boozer's favor. Keep your fingers crossed that order is restored tonight.

Point Guard Battles

There are several position battles going on within teams, many of which are for the point guard job. Here's a look at some of them.

Patrick Mills vs. Andre Miller

Mills played most of the fourth quarter on Wednesday while Miller sat and watched the Blazers pull off a 13-point comeback win over the Rockets. Mills is worth keeping an eye on, as usual, but the job still belongs to Miller. Miller's numbers have been down and he's played less than 30 minutes in four of his last five games, but he's still the guy to own here, until further notice.

Rodney Stuckey vs. Tracy McGrady

Stuckey will reclaim his starting job on Saturday, which is a relief for his owners. He was slowed by the flu, but should be ready to resume his starting duties, and will hopefully start producing again. If you grabbed T-Mac, you may as well hang onto him and see if he can continue to play well in 30 minutes a night on his bad legs. The Pistons actually look better when he's running the offense, and as long as he can stay healthy, he should continue to put up solid fantasy lines for the Pistons.

Kyle Lowry vs. Aaron Brooks

Brooks is hurt again and while Lowry wasn't great in his last game, he could continue to keep the starting point guard duties for the foreseeable future. If Lowry's available in your league, grab him. And if you own Brooks, just keep him benched until further notice.

Boobie Down

Daniel Gibson, also known as Boobie, which is still just awesome, went down with a sprained ankle that will keep him out at least five games. That's a fairly severe injury and with Anthony Parker also hurting with a back injury, Ramon Sessions should be a nice pick-and-play right now if he's available in your league. Anderson Varejao tweaked his ankle in yesterday's practice and sounds like a game-time decision for tonight against the Warriors. He's been really banged up, so keep an eye on this one.

Hansbrough On Deck

Tyler Hansbrough appears to be your new starting power forward in Indy, which should ruin Josh McRoberts. I have no idea if Hansbrough is going to be worth grabbing or not, but my guess is he will be inconsistent with his fair share of double-doubles. If you've got someone at the end of your bench you've been wanting to drop, grabbing Hansbrough probably makes sense. Just don't stick him in your lineup until we see how tonight goes against the Spurs. As for this whole "small ball" thing Jim O'Brien is talking about, I doubt putting Brandon Rush at power forward is going to somehow make him more consistent or valuable than he already is. I also don't think you'll see much of a change with Danny Granger, while I do think Darren Collison is about to start playing better. And yes, I'm expecting the worst with Roy Hibbert, which depresses me to the point I don't even really want to talk or think about it. He should be on benches this week with just two games, and we should have a better idea of what to do with him after tonight and Saturday's game at Atlanta.

Fine By Me

Tony Allen was fined for going Rocky Balboa on O.J. Mayo, but Mayo wasn't fined. That seems really odd to me, but it also sounds like all the punches were coming from Allen's fists and landing on Mayo's face. I'm also surprised that David Stern hasn't outlawed gambling on team flights for all teams after the Gilbert Arenas meltdown last year, and Allen's this week. As for Allen, he has 17 steals in his last five games and might be worth grabbing if he starts again tonight. He's started in his last two games and could stay there in place of rookie Xavier Henry.

Nuggets Implosion

The Nuggets were a disaster again last night getting worked over by the Kings, and they were also pummelled by the Clippers a night earlier. Carmelo Anthony's trade issues are wearing on the team and it looks like they've given up. Nene, Chauncey Billups and Melo are still worth starting, without a doubt, but this team is a mess. And things could get even worse until Melo is finally moved. Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins are rolling for the Kings, but Cousins has blocked just two shots in his last seven games. Evans tweaked an ankle last night, but played through it and will hopefully be good to go again on Sunday at Toronto.

Missing Dirk

The Mavericks are reeling without Dirk Nowitzki, going just 2-4 in their last six games, which is how many Dirk has missed with his knee injury. Caron Butler is done for the season, as both DeShawn Stevenson and Jose Juan Barea have been picking up his slack. Stevenson has hit 15 threes in his last four games, making him worth a look in most leagues, while JJB has gone for 14, 10, 4 and 29 points in his last four. My guess is Dirk misses Saturday's game, then will take advantage of several days off in hopes of returning Wednesday at Indiana. Shawn Marion, who had a season-high 25 points last night, should continue to play well even when Dirk returns, as he should get plenty of run in place of Butler. The Mavs fell to the Thunder last night and their last two wins were against the Cavaliers and Blazers, which were not exactly breathtaking wins.

 

[HacheMan]

Changes Brewing For Wolves
Welcome to another week of Waiver Wired. We're getting ready for 'Snowmageddon' here in North Georgia, which means five inches of snow could shut down schools the whole week. The Raptors took out the Kings early on Sunday, getting 30 points from Andrea Bargnani, 28 from DeMar DeRozan and 18 from Leandro Barbosa, while the Kings, who were without Tyreke Evans (ankle), were led by Beno Udrih's 25 points. Carl Landry and Jason Thompson, for once, both played well in the same game, while DeMarcus Cousins had another big double-double.

I'm also hearing this 17-player, three team deal to get Carmelo Anthony to the Nets has a decent chance of happening in some form, but it's such a huge deal that it could break down at any time. Chris Broussard is also reporting that Melo sounds open to joining the Nets, which is probably the biggest key to getting something done.

[SIZE=+1]Guards[/SIZE]

DeShawn Stevenson Mavericks

I'm as shocked as you are that Stevenson now has value, as it looked like those days were long behind us. He scored 24 points on Saturday and went for 14, 18 and 21 points in his previous three games, and has hit 19 3-pointers over those four games. Caron Butler's done for the season and while Stevenson is going to cool off at some point, he looks like an automatic add right now.

Trevor Ariza Hornets

Ariza was dropped in many leagues after basically sucking for the last two years, but is suddenly playing better. He was just 2-of-11 from the floor on Jan. 3, but in the other three games he's played in January, Ariza has hit 22-of-39 shots in his three 'good games' and averaged 18 points, eight rebounds, three steals, two 3-pointers in them. He's still going to be

Corey Brewer Timberwolves

Brewer is the new starting shooting guard for the Timberwolves, replacing rookie Wesley Johnson. We'll see how things work out with the new move on Sunday, but Brewer should be able to score 13 ppg to go along with 1.5 steals and 1.5 threes per game. If your waiver wire is dry and there's no much to choose from, a starting Brewer could be a nice score.

Leandro Barbosa & Linas Kleiza Raptors

Barbosa has hit double figures in scoring in 20 of his last 24 games and hit eight 3-pointers in his last three games heading into Sunday. He's been pretty consistent over the last month or so and is worth a look if you need points and threes. Kleiza was a mess at the start of last week, going for 7, 8 and 3 points before scoring 17 points on Friday. Sonny Weems is eventually going to come back, which is going to make minutes tight again in Toronto, but Kleiza appears to have locked down the starting gig, while Barbosa looks loaded as the team's sixth man.

Shannon Brown Lakers

With news that Matt Barnes will miss several weeks after knee surgery Brown now might become relevant again for the Lakers. However, I think he's only worth grabbing in deeper leagues, as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Ron Artest and Derek Fisher are all higher on the food chain than Brown is.
www.miamiheat.ws
Tony Allen Grizzlies

Allen has been a steals master since replacing Xavier Henry in the starting lineup, racking up 11.5 points and 2.5 steals in six starts. We still don't know if he is now the permanent starter for the Grizzlies, but it's starting to feel that way. He's not a must-own player by any stretch, but if you need threes or are in a very deep league, he's worth a look.

Other Guards To Consider

Jordan Farmar for as long as Devin Harris is out.
Keyon Dooling and Earl Boykins as long as Brandon Jennings is out.

[SIZE=+1]Forwards[/SIZE]

J.J. Hickson Cavaliers

Hickson got a DNP-CD recently for missing a mandatory practice, but was back out there the next game with 17 points, nine boards, a steal and two blocks. He's averaging 15 points, six boards, a steal and a block in his three January games and looks like a hot pickup again.

Tyler Hansbrough Pacers

Hansbrough is now the starting power forward in Indy while Roy Hibbert is ready to go to the shrink. However, that's another story. Psycho T had 23 points and 12 rebounds in his first start on Friday, and backed it up with 10 points and five boards on Saturday. It's going to be a bit of a roller coaster ride with Hansbrough, but at this point in the season, the same can be said of any of the guys in this column. Including…

Derrick Favors Nets

Like Hansbrough, Favors moved into the Nets starting five recently and is averaging 10 points, six boards and two blocks in his three starts. He's going to have some huge games as well as some terrible ones, but it does sound like he will start for the Nets until further notice. He could take a hit if he ends up as a Carmelo Anthony trade refugee, but that's probably not worth worrying about right now.

Chris Douglas-Roberts Bucks

CDR got hot for a few games a month ago, was picked up in most leagues and then vanished, losing his starting job in the process. He's suddenly on fire for the reeling Bucks, going for 24 and 30 points in his last two games. I have no idea if it will last, nor do I trust him. But he at least deserves a look after his last two games. As I've said before, using players from the Bucks, Magic or Pistons is always a roll of the dice, especially if they're not even in the starting lineup.

Austin Daye Pistons

Daye is finally back in the rotation for the Pistons, but as I said, owning guys on this team who don't start is risky business. Daye's scored 15, 7, 7, 9 and 12 points in his last five games and is averaging about 20 minutes over his last four. He really needs 30 minutes to become a must-add player, but he's at least getting off the bench again.

[SIZE=+1]Centers[/SIZE]

DeAndre Jordan Clippers

After Jordan's recent run he shouldn't be available in any leagues. All you need to know is Chris Kaman's not 'walking through that door' anytime soon, and that he's averaging 10 points, 16 boards and six blocks in January. He also averaged eight points, eight boards and nearly two blocks in December, and while his January numbers will level out quickly, he looks like a different player than he did a month ago.

Channing Frye, Marcin Gortat & Robin Lopez Suns

Frye has been dropped in a ton of leagues since losing his starting job and struggling badly with his shot and spot in the rotation. But with Sunday's news that he'll be back in the starting five for at least the next 10 games, he should be picked back up again. Robin Lopez, and not Marcin Gortat, is also locked into the starting five until further notice, and both players, as usual, are worth a look. I think Frye has the best chance for success in the next couple weeks, while Gortat will have to fight Lopez for minutes. I still think Gortat is worth hanging onto, but he's far from being a must-start player. Especially since Alvin Gentry still has no plans to start him anytime soon.

Greg Monroe Pistons

Monroe has suddenly emerged as a player for the Pistons and has posted double-doubles in two straight games. He hasn't blocked any shots in those two games, but had five steals and hit 12-of-31 shots. Keep in mind he had scored seven or fewer points in his previous nine games and don't forget who he plays for.

Kwame Brown Bobcats

I'm sure this will generate some laughter and for the record, I have not really considered picking him up myself. But Kwame is starting for the Bobcats and could do so for the foreseeable future. As a starter for the Bobcats he's averaging right around eight points and eight boards, and while he hasn't been racking up steals or blocks, then could be coming. Nazr Mohammed is out with a knee injury and DeSagana Diop is out for the season with an Achilles injury. And since the Bobcats seem to have no interest in using Tyrus Thomas at center, Kwame is the only real option for the time being.

Brad Miller Rockets

Miller is impossible to figure out, getting wildly sporadic minutes over the last four games. He played 30 minutes on Monday, double-doubled and filled the stat sheet, but then got just 11 and 14 minutes in his next two games. And just as all hope was lost, get got 37 minutes on Saturday. His line wasn't great, but he did have a couple steals and a couple blocks. With four games in the upcoming week, Miller is a true risk vs. reward fantasy option

 

[HacheMan]

Melodrama

(mel-uh-drah-muh)

–noun
1. A dramatic form that does not observe the laws of cause and effect and that exaggerates emotion and emphasizes plot or action at the expense of characterization.
2. (In the 17th, 18th, and early 19th centuries) a romantic dramatic composition with music interspersed.
3. In the 21st century, when NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony becomes a case study in leverage, Collective Bargaining Agreement realities, and post-LeBron player transaction fatigue syndrome.

We're tired. Maybe it's just the writers, but I sense a growing fatigue among those covering the matters that once may have captivated our minds and imagination. Of course, we can thank The Decision for much of that, and plenty of decisions before that fateful day in June of 2010, for we are tired of the messy business that is at the heart of the sports we love.

Thankfully, the Carmelo Anthony trade saga is drawing to a close. Allegedly. The reports started flooding in on Sunday that he is close to becoming a New Jersey Net in an ever-expanding 13-player deal apparently sweetened by the inclusion of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton. And while this saga isn't LeBron slinking away from the O.K. Corral with Paula Cole's Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? blaring over the Madison Square Garden speakers – it has the same NBA power broker taste to it.

It tastes like chicken if you're wondering.

And not the type of chicken that saw Melo dance backward from a raging Jared Jeffries after he sucker punched Mardy Collins during the Nuggets and Knicks' infamous 2006 brawl.

Rather, it's the game of chicken currently being played by the Nuggets, Nets, Knicks, and team Anthony, with the latter party maintaining for most of the year that he would not sign a contract extension anywhere else but in New York. His position has softened in recent weeks, as he said he would consider extending with New Jersey if they surrounded him with enough talent to begin with, and based on current reports he has already decided to extend with New Jersey in a trade that is imminent.

The only problem? Melo says he hasn't agreed to it, and frankly, nobody will believe it until the deal is completely done and filed with the league office.

Will Melo sign a contract extension to play in New Jersey, and build the new Brooklyn arena with a pair of wily vets fresh out of the Hot Tub Time Machine, a 7-footer that can't rebound, an otherwise forgettable roster set to be cleared out, and a coach that is unwilling and unable to defer to a superstar?

That's the story right now.

Without getting into the gory details, if Anthony wants to become a Knick, he can become a Knick. All he has to do is tell the Nuggets and the Nets that he will not extend with them, and it would take a gamble of historic proportions for Mikhail Prokhorov to mortgage their future in hopes he can impress Melo with his entourage of models, his impressive jet skiing skills, and maybe even his vision for the future.

The bottom line is that we'll know soon what the answers to these questions are. And by the time you read this, it may all be old news. Owners need to follow the Rotoworld basketball crew on Twitter (links posted below), and Rotoworld's NBA Player News page for the most recent updates.

Follow the entire Rotoworld NBA crew right here:

@docktora
@mattstroup
@adamlevitan
@aaronbruski

Click Here for all the Melodrama and the rest of Monday's dose….
<!--RW-->[SIZE=+1]Melo Stock Report[/SIZE]

Keep in mind that I'm assessing values based on the reports released Sunday night and that this trade has not yet been consummated. The following is the structure of the deal as it was being reported last night:

Denver gets: Two 1st round picks, Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Quinton Ross, Ben Uzoh, and Stephen Graham.

New Jersey gets: Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Carmelo Anthony, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, and DaJuan Summers.

Detroit gets: Troy Murphy and Johan Petro.

Denver Nuggets

Devin Harris – It's hard to project whether or not he would start right away, but he most certainly will operate in a time-share. Denver likes Ty Lawson too much to let him play less than 20 minutes per game, and Harris' owners should look at this as a possible downgrade for that fact. Given how much Denver likes Lawson, it would make sense that a rebuilding team looks to move Harris to a PG-needy team, but that's pure speculation.
Update: In the time it took me to publish this, the first trade rumor involving Devin Harris getting immediately traded after landing in Denver popped up. Clearly, the Nuggets are comfortable with Lawson as their future and he should be owned as a well-positioned roster stash.
Ty Lawson – He still has to contend with Harris, but he is well worth a look as a roster stash right now. If his situation is going to develop into something meaningful, there is a strong chance that now is the time. Should the dust settle with Harris and Lawson in the same backcourt, he should be able to keep his current role at a minimum – making the deal a wash. He will be playing behind one of the most injury prone players in the league, however.
Arron Afflalo – He'll see a slight bump in value with more touches to go around. He'll also be a foundation guy amidst some serious renovations, further enhancing his value.
J.R. Smith – He may fall underneath the radar, but if you're Denver and you need to replace Melo's 19 field goal attempts per game, Smith has the playmaking ability to keep defenses honest. Surely George Karl isn't giving him the keys to his bike lock let alone the Nuggets' car, but the corresponding bump in value should be enough that he is owned for both his expected production and his upside.
Anthony Morrow – He shoots well enough to get some floor time, but he enters a crowded situation with no clear path to value.
Gary Forbes – He has started in the past when Melo has missed time, and he has produced decent numbers on a handful of occasions. He has impressed George Karl throughout the year and seems like a decent fit to start at small forward if this trade goes down. If you're in a deeper league, taking a flier on him makes some sense. In standard leagues, however, there are enough question marks to hold off on him in advance of any trade. Should the trade go down as constructed, though, we're fine with taking a flier on him.
Al Harrington – He finally looks like himself after a brutal slump that coincided with a thumb injury, and after 20 points and seven boards on Sunday he should be owned in all formats. Falling into the same category as J.R. Smith, he's more than willing to take on some of Anthony's load and that should buoy his value. However, keep in mind that Denver was desperately trying to get rid of him (and early Monday morning Denver is trying to force him onto the Nets), so needless to say they're not exactly thrilled with what they have. How that manifests itself on the court is anybody's guess, but it tempers the enthusiasm. If he stays in Denver, perhaps they audition him over the next month while the new guys figure out where their lockers are. In New Jersey, he projects as the backup power forward to Kris Humphries, and his value should remain similar, though I'd be lying if I said I wasn't really concerned about him fitting in with Avery Johnson.
Derrick Favors – His value remains mostly unchanged. He's going to get as much playing time as his foul trouble will allow, and has massive upside in both fantasy and reality. The Nuggets are going to be even more eager than the Nets were to justify their investment, as Favors will forever be linked to the curator of the Carmelo Anthony-era.
Kenyon Martin, Nene, Chris Andersen – Their rotation remains largely unchanged, though in theory the arrival of Derrick Favors would hurt down the road. By removing Anthony from the equation, Harrington gets to slide over a bit and the confluence of the two factors should be a net positive, but there's no real reason to change your perspective a whole lot.

New Jersey Nets

Chauncey Billups – Once you get beyond the possibility that he could be bought out, which is getting less likely by the hour, you begin to realize that his value should remain fairly consistent. After all, I doubt Anthony will sign onto the Nets to play with the Lakers' old bench mob.
Jordan Farmar – He goes from playing behind an injury-prone starter to a more reliable version in Billups, who projects to be somebody that Avery Johnson will have a harder time screwing with. There is a slight chance that Billups goes nuts after being uprooted, or if Avery tries to put his foot down with him, but owners should plan on Farmar being the clear backup with no real value unless Billups were to go down.
Richard Hamilton – He will be the sexy beneficiary of this trade, but he still doesn't do much besides score and hit threes. That said, he should be owned in all leagues for his expected productivity. He has just Sasha Vujacic, Farmar, DaJuan Summers, and Anthony Carter to contend with if this trade goes down, and with Billups, is the apparent reason Melo is willing to extend.
Carmelo Anthony – The Nets have even less firepower than the Nuggets, though Avery Johnson's gameplan isn't as up-tempo as George Karl's, and Melo will largely be used the same way he was in Denver (hand him ball, get out of way). Adjusting for his value at this point would be a reach.
Travis Outlaw – This trade would in theory kill his value, but you can't lose something you never really had. From a reality basketball perspective, the move returns him to the bench where he is probably a better fit, but for fantasy purposes he is on the outside looking in.
Kris Humphries – Another winner here, he loses both threats to his playing time in Derrick Favors and Troy Murphy, though he'll face stiffer competition for rebounds now from Anthony. If Al Harrington ends up in New Jersey, however, things get a bit tighter. Overall, he still needs to be owned in all leagues with the expected starter's minutes he will receive, though a report that New Jersey is willing to take on Harrington will curb our enthusiasm.
Brook Lopez – Should Johan Petro end up in Detroit, the Nets' frontcourt will consist of Humphries, backup Shelden Williams, and Lopez. And that's it. Look for the Nets to add another frontcourt player, but Lopez should get as many minutes as he can handle. And while it's true his touches will go down, it's possible he could find himself banging down low more while Melo takes his man one-on-one. An increase in higher percentage shots and rebounds could be in order, but we're not banking on it.

Detroit Pistons

Ben Gordon – Another big winner, he is theoretically freed to take the starting SG position and run. Make sure he is owned in your league.
Tayshaun Prince – Hamilton wasn't getting a tremendous amount of touches, but Prince will also benefit from added stability to the lineup and rotation. Of course, he could also be on the way out, but it's not worth worrying about until his name is at least popping up in trade rumors. For not, it's not.
Troy Murphy – There's a lot of excitement out there about Murphy, but he joins a crowded situation including rookie Greg Monroe, starting center Ben Wallace, quasi-PF Austin Daye, and starting PF Charlie Villanueva. If you want to take a flier on him feel free, but dropping a player with good long-term value doesn't make much sense.
Charlie Villanueva – This trade would be bad news for him, as the Pistons add another player that profiles exactly like him. Owners shouldn't expect him to wilt in Murphy's presence right away, but if you can move him now it's something to consider.
Greg Monroe – He's just now starting to make some inroads to fantasy value, but Murphy isn't great news for his value, either. Look for the Pistons to continue deploying him as they normally would, but there is yet another able body for them to turn to in the event that Monroe struggles.
Austin Daye – While he has been labeled a PF by John Kuester, this move would seemingly send him toward the backup SG and SF minutes, and Saturday's 25-minute, 15-point, six-rebound effort that included three treys is a good place to start when evaluating his value. If those numbers can help you, with a healthy dose of upside if/when the Pistons go young, then give him a look.

Click Here for all things not-Melo….
<!--RW-->

[SIZE=+1]Elsewhere in the NBA[/SIZE]

Anderson Varejao was put on injured reserve for the season, and J.J. Hickson returned to the fantasy conversation in a big way, starting at center and scoring 23 points with a career-high 17 rebounds, and chances are if you're reading this for the first time he is long gone off your league's wire. If not, stop what you're doing and pick him up. He has literally no challenge for minutes going forward and his time has seemingly come.

Manny Harris was the other headline out of Sunday's Cavs game, as he scored a career-high 27 points with eight rebounds, four threes, two assists, one steal, and just one turnover, and at least for one day was the player to own between him and Ramon Sessions (four points, three assists, 18 minutes). Anthony Parker's (back) absence has opened things up for both of them, and Daniel Gibson is out for at least a week. Both of them are worth a look this week, though I suspect they'll be inconsistent and trade off good games. The Cavs, who also started athletic Christian Eyenga (eight points, five boards, one steal, two blocks, 27 minutes) at small forward, should be watched closely this week. The loss of Varejao effectively changes the dynamic of their season, and the young guys could be let loose.

LeBron James scored a season-high 44 points on 17-of-26 shooting (including three treys) with 13 rebounds, six assists, and two steals while turning away the Blazers in overtime. He looked a little like Michael Jordan out there, except for the time he started slapping his own ass. That was regrettable.

Channing Frye and Robin Lopez are set to start the next 10 games for the Suns, and both of them showed up in a big way on Sunday. Frye scored 16 points with 12 rebounds, four threes, two assists, two steals, and two blocks, while Lopez had 15 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in 27 minutes. Frye should be owned in all leagues with this result, and Lopez is worth watching to see if he can duplicate the effort. Marcin Gortat (11 minutes) and Mickael Pietrus (12 minutes) see their value crushed with this bad news/bad results combo, and while Pietrus can be dropped across the board I'll be hanging onto Gortat just to see how fluky this result really is. That said, I won't be passing on any hot free agents to find out.

Blazers PG Andre Miller is into the 'call your coach out' portion of his stay in Portland, and I can't help but thinking his shrinking playing time is a function of Nate McMillan preparing for life without Miller. Backup Patty Mills, who is playing well but in a normal scenario would not push Miller for playing time, has logged 54 minutes during the fourth quarter in the last five games compared to Miller's 17 minutes. When asked if he had gotten an explanation for his lack of playing time recently, Miller vented, "Man, there's no explanation for nothing around here." Miller's name has popped up in trade rumors for much of the year, but they'd really have to concede that their season is over to entrust it to Mills. The Blazers play three games this week, and barring any response by McMillan to those comments, Miller still looks like a worthy play this week but isn't a must-start. Whatever the future may hold, Miller and McMillan have never really been fans of one another, and it seems like just a matter of time before the other shoe drops, in whatever form it may be.
www.miamiheat.ws
Darko Milicic, who has done everything in his power over the last couple of weeks to get dropped, finally showed up on Sunday with 11 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and five blocks against the Spurs. Yes, he hit just 5-of-16 of his shots in the process, but he pulled out of his nosedive just in time for many owners I'm sure. I've been beating the drum to buy him low and/or hang onto him where possible, and I needed a win after I drove the Taj Gibson bandwagon off the cliff last week.

[SIZE=+1]Manic Monday[/SIZE]

The Warriors, Thunder, Sixers, and Jazz all play two games this week. Plan accordingly.

Injury Headliners

Be sure to check Rotoworld's Player Injury page for all the most recent injury information.

Andre Iguodala (Achilles) – Should resume on court activities Monday, and in a two-game week he belongs on benches. The Sixers play next on Tuesday against the Pacers.
Gerald Wallace (ankle) – He will miss Monday's game, but is targeting Wednesday's game against the Bulls for his return. He carries some risk, but will play in three games this week if he can go Wednesday, and for what it's worth I'll be trotting him out there.
Nazr Mohammed (knee) – Updates are far and few between, but if you're relying on Kwame Brown (didn't think I'd be typing that this year), you can probably use him with four games on the slate and Mohammed a pretty big question mark.
Andrew Bogut (virus) – Missed Saturday's game and is looking at a three-game week starting with the Hawks on Tuesday. Sitting a player with the flu is always tough to do, but with Bogut being a bit of a risk in general and Milwaukee not being known for their injury reporting, owners may want to evaluate him as if he has a two-game week.
Drew Gooden (foot) – He has been out since December 22, so owners should be looking elsewhere for help. His absence only helps the mess in Milwaukee, but face it, Ersan Ilyasova, Corey Maggette, and Chris Douglas-Roberts are risks any way you slice it.
Anthony Parker (back) – A fringe option when healthy, you should be able to do better in most leagues during his three-game week. His absence is propping up the value of Ramon Sessions and Manny Harris.
Kevin Garnett (calf) – He said he is "real close" to returning and was itching to play Saturday, and while there is some risk in using him he looks like he could play this week. The fact that the Celtics play the Rockets on Monday should help get owners an update before weekly lineup decisions are due.
Chris Kaman (ankle) – He may begin participating more in practice this week, which is code for let's see what DeAndre Jordan can do. Expect the Clippers to take their time in getting Kaman back, who has jumped the gun on his rehab in the past.
Marvin Williams (back) – He missed Saturday's game, but is targeting a return Tuesday. Owners would be wise to stay away until he proves he is ready to produce.
Mehmet Okur (back) – He should be far from owners' lineups until he proves he can stay healthy.
Tyreke Evans (ankle) – The Kings play four games this week and he'll be a tough guy to bench. Paul Westphal doesn't sound so confident that he'll play in the Kings' first game on Tuesday, while Evans is predictably a bit more optimistic, and owners may want to treat him as if he has 2-3 games this week, depending on what your gut is telling you.
Dirk Nowitzki (knee) – He released some cryptic tweets that said he hopes "to be back on our four game road trip next week," which could have him returning anywhere between Wednesday's game against the Pacers all the way until next Monday's game against the Pistons. Owners would be wise to stay away until they are sure he will play.
Devin Harris (quad) – He said he "totally" expects to be at practice on Monday, and in a vacuum we would expect him to suit up and play on Wednesday in Phoenix. However, with the surrounding trade bonanza going on, owners will want to weigh their options very carefully. The Nets play three games this week.
Chauncey Billups (wrist) – X-rays taken of his left wrist were negative and he is fine. With the Nuggets playing four games this week, owners have no real choice but to play him and hope a trade doesn't wreck his week.
Arron Afflalo (ankle) – He rolled his ankle on Sunday and is questionable for Tuesday's game, but if healthy is a great start in a four-game week, with the added benefit of getting heavy run in the event a trade goes down. Absent a report before lineup decisions are due, owners will have to trust their gut.
Ty Lawson (knee) – He isn't offering great standalone value anyway, and if the Nuggets are planning on giving him the keys to the car, they may want to keep him healthy. He belongs on benches this week without a clean bill of health.
Chris Andersen (knee) – As a fringe option, owners should take caution. But if you're using him in a very deep league the injury doesn't sound too serious. Ditto Kenyon Martin, who is a risk any way you slice it these days.
Sonny Weems (back) – Don't expect him to push Linas Kleiza for playing time anytime soon.
Aaron Brooks (ankle) – His workout on Friday didn't permit him to play on Saturday, and needless to say this isn't the week for owners to count on him. As for Kyle Lowry's owners, they should still use him during the Rockets' four-game week despite his slump. Brooks isn't likely to challenge him too much this week, and Lowry is due for a bounce-back.
Grant Hill (knee) – He won't practice Monday but could play Tuesday, and nobody appears overly worried about his injury in Phoenix. Already a fringe option when healthy, the Suns play three games this week, and owners may want to err on the side of caution with a 38-year old man.
Brandon Roy (knee) – A recent report says he is 'unlikely' to shut it down, but a return this week seems unlikely, regardless.

 

[HacheMan]

Brooks In, Kev-Mart Out
Extra Pickle, Hold the Melo

Monday had to be one of the busiest non-news days in the history of fantasy hoops. We had a million Carmelo Anthony updates, only to be told near the end of the run that nothing is likely to happen until the trade deadline. I almost got the sense that Henry Abbott was fantasizing he was the Wizard Of Oz and just sitting on his bomb until everyone had unleashed their firecrackers throughout the day. And then I was mad that I wasn't smart enough to say the same thing. Which was that the Nuggets and Melo have little motivation to get a deal done immediately. Melo going to a team as terrible as the Nets still doesn't feel right. Yeah, it's an OK deal for Melo and there's a chance the team could look completely different (and awesome) when playing in Brooklyn in a few years, but then again, there's a chance it won't. In other words, Melo has until late February for another team to swoop in, blow Jersey's offer out of the water and sweep him off his feet. In any case, it now appears that a deal is not likely to happen in the near future, which means we can all stop worrying about whether or not Troy Murphy is going to have fantasy value in the wasteland formerly known as the home of Deee-Troit Basket-Ball!

And while we're talking, just like with the Super Friends all landing in Miami together, make no mistake about it. Melo is likely in constant communication with Chris Paul to make sure they both end up in the same place in 2012. Which is why it really doesn't matter if the Nets are good or not right now. In my opinion, the deciding factor on where Melo goes is how flexible the team will be in order to make sure they can also land Paul and another superstar (Dwight Howard?). Everything else probably doesn't matter to Melo. These guys are playing a different kind of game and money, believe it or not, is no longer the main objective. Creating a super team of friends is. Just my two cents.

Here's what we learned on Monday.

Down Goes Kevin Martin

Kevin Martin stole Melo's headlines around 6:10 p.m. last night, when he was scratched from Monday's game against Boston with a sore wrist. The good news is that X-rays were negative, but the bad news is that he could hardly move his wrist, and that wrist is attached to Kevin Martin. We can't seem to write his name without putting the words injury prone in the same sentence, but hopefully this is just a one-game deal. We should know soon enough and the only thing keeping us off the ledge is that X-rays were negative.

Brad Miller was also out for this one with a sore knee (day-to-day), while Aaron Brooks returned from his sprained ankle. In fact, Brooks started in place of Martin and blew up last night. See more about his performance in Game Notes.

Where's Wallace?

Gerald Wallace missed another game on Monday with his ankle injury, but is hoping to be back on Wednesday. He's not going to be at full strength, but I rolled the dice on him in a couple leagues and am just hoping he plays on Wednesday and makes it through the game in one piece. Nazr Mohammed is hoping to return from his knee injury on Friday.

Iguodala Iffy Tuesday

Andre Iguodala actually practiced and might play on Tuesday against the Pacers. He's not going to be in game shape and I would have benched him in weekly leagues (especially with just two games), but at least he's close to playing again. Is he a good buy-low candidate? I really don't know, but his Achilles injury is a scary thing and the fact he missed seven straight games isn't promising. Maybe he's over it for good, but I think at this point, especially given his struggles when he was 'healthy,' I'd let someone else deal with him the rest of the way.

Tyreke True Game-time Decision

Tyreke Evans is very iffy for tonight with a sprained ankle that kept him out of Sunday's game, and while he's saying he feels better, coach Paul Westphal's last take on the situation was that he wasn't expecting to have Evans available. He's probably a true game-time decision, and I'm just hoping we have update before tonight's lineup deadlines.

Thanks For Nothin'

Dirk Nowitzki may or may not play this week with his knee injury. Rick Carlisle, as usual, was very helpful to fantasy owners when sharing his knowledge with the media. "There aren't going to be any Dirk updates," he said. "We'll let you know when he's going to play. I would welcome another question on another topic." Thanks, Rick. Maybe Dirk will play on Wednesday, and maybe he won't. He says he "hopes" to be back on their four-game road trip which starts on Wednesday, but that obviously tells us about as much as Carlisle shared.

Injury Roundup

Kevin Garnett missed yet another game with his calf injury, which was a mild surprise. All signs over the weekend were pointing to him playing last night, but when he didn't show up at shootaround, things weren't looking good. Now he's shooting for Wednesday, but the best thing to do with KG is leave him benched until you see him play a game, or preferably two.

Kobe Bryant missed Monday's practice with a sore knee but it doesn't sound like a big deal. As usual, unless you see a headline on Rotoworld stating he's doubtful or out, keep rolling him out there.

Monta Ellis missed Monday's practice with the flu, leaving him iffy for Wednesday's game against the Lakers. That's really all we know at this point, and given the fact the Warriors play just two games this week, Monta's not necessarily a must-start player anyway. After running numbers in one of my head-to-head leagues, I realized that by starting both Monta and Kevin Durant (also two games), I was projected to lose 6-2 and get crushed in points scored for the week. So I'm punting points, hit the waiver wire and grabbed Carl Landry for four games and Manny Harris for three in hopes of winning rebounds, threes, blocks, and the two shooting percentages for a 5-3 win. I will get killed in scoring for the week, but it may not matter. I'll let you know how it works out.

Michael Beasley missed Monday's practice after playing just 12 minutes on Sunday due to a sprained ankle and hip injury. My guess is he's ready to go for the Spurs, but that's only because he's a warrior and doesn't want to miss the game. He's banged up, but it would be surprising to see him miss tonight's game. If he does, he's probably really hurt.

Grant Hill's knee is sore but it sounds like he's going to play tonight. He missed most of Sunday's game with the injury.

Josh Howard will be out another week to 10 days with his sore knee and I don't see any point in counting on anything from him in fantasy this season. He's been one of the most unreliable players we've seen in the last five years and hasn't been right since he came out and said that he smokes weed during the offseason a few years ago. Maybe David Stern got a hold of his stash and put a voodoo whammy of some sort on it (or in it), because Howard hasn't had any luck since.

Andrew Bogut (illness) and Drew Gooden (foot) could both play against the Hawks in Atlanta on Tuesday, if the game happens. Bogut sounds like a lock, while Gooden will probably be worked back into the mix slowly.

Keep reading for a weather update from ATL and Game Notes.
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ATL MIA?

The Hawks-Bucks game is in a bit of jeopardy due to weather, but from what I understand, since the Bucks are already in the ATL and the Hawks and officials should be able to get to the arena, the game should go on as scheduled – with or without fans. In case you missed it, Atlanta was hit by a pretty hefty snowstorm and hasn't really begun to dig its way out. It would have been considered an average snowfall in Indy or Milwaukee, and no one would have missed a beat, but in Georgia, five inches and lingering cold temperatures are going to cause problems through the weekend. The sun, and not salt trucks and plows, is what takes care of these problems in the South, but temperatures are going to stay around freezing for a few days. And I'll let you come up with your own jokes about what the attendance might look at tonight.
www.miamiheat.ws
Fresh Faces

In case you missed it, Christian Eyenga is the new starting small forward for the Cavaliers. Actually, 'was' is more like it, as Eyenga was in a walking boot for a sprained ankle on Monday, leaving him doubtful for tonight against the Lakers. My guess is Joey Graham would start in his place, while Manny Harris, who has been ON FIRE, would also see a boost in Eyenga's absence.

As for Harris, I think he's worth grabbing until we see what happens, but once Anthony Parker and Daniel Gibson are back from their injuries, it's hard to imagine Harris holding real value. But I grabbed him and started him in a couple leagues this week and I'm guessing I'm not alone. Come on, Manny!

Game Notes

Cats Take Grizzlies

Tyrus Thomas somehow fouled out in 17 minutes on Monday, but still had eight boards, a steal and four blocks in a win over Memphis. Come on, Ty. So close, yet so far, as usual. Gerald Wallace is due back Wednesday, but the Cats are still banged up, so Thomas should continue to get plenty of run, if he can keep his hands to himself. Kwame Brown had eight points, six boards and a block, and will likely hold some value the rest of the way. Nazr Mohammed is due back on Friday though, which is going to make it tough for any sane person to put Kwame into a starting fantasy lineup. And D.J. Augustin continues to look rejuvenated with Paul Silas pulling the strings, going for 18 points, nine dimes and two threes in the win over Memphis.

O.J. Mayo hit 1-of-8 shots for four points last night. Yuck. Meanwhile, Tony Allen got another start for Xavier Henry and had 12 points, five steals and two blocks. The Grizzlies aren't happy about Henry's knee problem keeping him out of games, as they seem to think he should be playing through it. Allen may have solidified himself in the starting lineup and should probably be picked up if he's available in your league.

Rockets Stun Celtics In Boston

Aaron Brooks started at shooting guard for injured Kevin Martin and blew up for 24 points, five dimes and five 3-pointers, which was his best performance in a long time. Maybe Martin's wrist will be slow to heal and Brooks will start a few more games at SG, but it doesn't sound likely right now. And while I'd like to believe Brooks will replace Lowry at point guard soon, I'm not really convinced of that either. The bottom line is that Brooks needs to be owned in all leagues, but should probably be benched until he ends up with a permanent starting job, or stays healthy and starts producing off the bench. Lowry had 17 points and eight dimes on the night, which was also a nice line. Rick Adelman is probably more confused than anything right now, especially since his team beat the Celtics in Boston without their best player.

Marquis Daniels blew up for season highs of 19 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-8 shooting in the loss to Houston. Sometimes a guy just gets hot and that appears to be what happened here. Glen Davis had 12 points and five boards, but is about to take a KG-sized hit when Garnett returns.

Pistons Fall To Bulls

Greg Monroe double-doubled for the third straight game on Monday with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Ben Wallace left after two minutes with an ankle injury, forcing John Kuester to stick with the young gun. I started Monroe in a couple leagues this week, but it was a gamble. But Kuester may have finally come to the realization it's time to play the kids. Austin Daye had 14 points in the first half with two threes, but didn't do anything in the second half. Richard Hamilton, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince and Tracy McGrady all got nice run again, as usual, but weren't impressive in the loss to the Bulls. Charlie Villanueva and Rodney Stuckey oddly saw very limited minutes, and struggled as a result. If you're wondering why CV stinks all of a sudden? I picked him up recently. For those of you scoring at home, he caught fire the same day I said on Twitter "Cut Charlie V today and it felt really good." I bet both Stuckey and CV get it going and get more minutes the rest of the week.

Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 29 points, five boards and seven dimes, while Carlos Boozer added 27 points and 11 boards, and Luol Deng had 17 points, eight boards and four assists in the win. As usual. Taj Gibson underwhelmed with eight points, five rebounds and two blocks. Drop him for a hot free agent if you haven't already.

 

[HacheMan]

Youth & Young Manhood
I'll be Season Pass live chatting today at 4. See you there.

Quote of the Year?

You all know I'm not a big Avery Johnson fan, but his quote about Brook Lopez that surfaced yesterday is one of my favorites of all time. If you catch my "on pace for" tweets about Lopez on Twitter and enjoy them, then I'm sure you'll like this too.

"I dream about our center getting 10 rebounds," Johnson said, when asked if he dreamed about Carmelo Anthony playing for the Nets. In case you haven't been paying attention to just how bad Lopez has been, he has just one double-double this season. Pathetic.

Injury Updates

Dirk Nowitzki (knee) is still a game-time decision for Wednesday against the Pacers and I'm guessing the Mavericks aren't going to let us know his status until lineups are due 10 minutes before the game. I'm also going to go out on a limb and guess he doesn't play tonight.

Kevin Garnett (calf) is now doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Kings, according to Doc Rivers. This one is kind of weird, as it sounded like he was good to go for Monday at one point last weekend. Maybe he suffered a setback, or maybe he was just overly optimistic.

Monta Ellis missed another practice on Tuesday with the flu and is iffy for tonight against the Lakers, although Keith Smart says he's a go for tonight. Make sure he's in your lineup unless we hear differently before game time.

Tyreke Evans missed Tuesday's game with his sprained ankle, leaving him questionable for tonight against the Celtics. He says he's going to try to play through it, but Evans has a recent habit of consistently letting us down.

Gerald Wallace is set to return to action tonight from his ankle injury, and while I'm not expecting a monster line, I think he should be in lineups tonight.

Andray Blatche left last night's game with a sprained shoulder after scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. He's day-to-day and questionable for Thursday night at Minnesota.

Michael Beasley tried to play through his sprained ankle on Tuesday and aggravated the injury, which is not good news. He could miss several games now, and probably shouldn't have been in uniform last night. I'll be surprised if he plays again this week.

Danilo Gallinari is hoping to return from his knee injury on Friday or Monday, so think about grabbing him if he was dropped in your league.

Kevin Martin (wrist) and Brad Miller (knee) have been ruled out again for the Rockets on Wednesday.

Ben Wallace is out tonight, so look for more goodies from Greg Monroe, who has three straight double-doubles. Now that Monroe is coming on and Austin Daye is seeing some minutes, my 30-team league is suddenly heating up.

The Hawks were able to fly into Toronto so they should be good to go tonight.
www.miamiheat.ws
Melo

The supposed deal that would send Carmelo Anthony to the Nets for Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and 15 players may never happen. It doesn't sound like Melo really wants to go to Jersey, but then again, I'm not sure he even knows what he really wants. And now the Knicks are fully back in play, with Amare Stoudemire chirping in Melo's ear in hopes of recruiting him. In any case, as with all trade rumors, it doesn't make a lot of sense to waste time trying to predict the future or figure out who is going where. Yes, Melo, Chauncey Billups and Troy Murphy are all very likely to be moving at some point, but where and when is anyone's guess.

Keep reading for fantasy game recaps.
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Game News

Lakers Dismantle Cavs

The Lakers destroyed the Cavaliers last night by a score of 112-57, prompting LeBron James to hit Twitter, rambling of 'God' and 'Karma.' Kobe Bryant played through his sore knee and had 13 points, while virtually every Laker had a good time last night. The Cavs were led by Alonzo Gee's 12 points and eight boards, and the fact Byron Scott's team laid this kind of egg in front of his people at Staples Center is not going to sit well with him or the Lakers. And while it's not likely, it's even possible that this single loss could negatively impact Scott's chances of taking over for Phil Jackson in L.A. when he finally shuts it down. The Cavs are bad. Real bad. And things aren't going to get better for a long, long time. And they basically have one person to thank. And it's not God or Karma. And according to the responses I got to this one on Twitter, it's a toss up between LeBron, Danny Ferry and Dan Gilbert.

Young Outshoots Beno

Beno Udrih had 26 points on 10-of-13 shooting in a tough, OT loss to the Wizards, who got a career night from Nick Young. Remember when Paul Westphal was jerking Beno's chain and screwing with his playing time? It looks like he's figured out he needs Beno on the court. As for Young, he blew up for 43 points and seven 3-pointers on 14-of-22 shooting. Hopefully you had him in your lineup, as I get the sense he was dropped in a lot of leagues last week. Francisco Garcia stayed hot with 26 points and deserves a look in most leagues. He's averaging 15.3 points, 1.1 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.2 threes in nine games as a starter, so it would be nice if Paul Westphal would listen to my man @MattStroup and keep him in the lineup. Carl Landy scored a season-high 23, and DeMarcus Cousins struggled to hit just 4-of-19 shots in the loss. And Landry's nice line means that Jason Thompson played just 12 minutes and picked up four quick fouls. It seems like these two are going to trade good games the rest of the way.

John Wall had 22 points, six boards and nine dimes despite some cramping late in the win. If he can stay healthy the rest of the way he's going to have a huge second half, making him an excellent buy-low snag for those of you lucky enough to have picked him up over the last few weeks.

Pacers Beat Sixers

Darren Collison blew up for 21 points and a season-high 13 assists in a win over the Sixers. It's about time, as Collison finally showed us what he's capable of for the first time this season. It's nice to know we weren't delusional when predicting big things for him this year, and it's possible that he's finally come to terms on how to deal with the head games that Jim O'Brien has been playing with him. Tyler Hansbrough had 12 points and nine boards in another start, while Danny Granger had a full stat line in the win.

Andre Iguodala finally returned to action last night, but missed all seven of his shots, finishing with just a single point and seven assists. It's great news that he's back, but that Achilles injury is going to linger all year and he deserves some consideration, along with my man Brook Lopez, for fantasy bust of the year. Andres Nocioni admirably tried to play through his broken finger, but lasted just three minutes. Jrue Holiday flirted with another triple-double last night. He's having a very nice season after a shaky start and I hope he was in your lineup with just two games this week.

Spurs Spank Wolves

Kevin Love had 20 points and 20 boards for his sixth 20-20 game of the season. Dwight Howard led the league with three of them last year, which should tell you that Love is a very, very good player. He's also knocking down a ton of threes, and if he ever figures out how to squeeze a block per game into his line, he becomes a Top 5 fantasy player.
Darko Milicic stunk it up again and can be dropped if you're in good shape at center. I'm hanging onto him, but it's probably because I don't like myself. Darko says he's got a sinus infection that has bothered him all season, which would be one of the longest sinus infections of all time. Come on, man. The Spurs and their boring fantasy box score were led by Richard Jefferson's 17 points.

Nuggets Crush Suns

Arron Afflalo, playing through a sore ankle, blew up for a career-high 31 points last night, hitting 11-of-14 shots and two threes. He's having a real nice season, although he also tends to be inconsistent, as most shooters are. He also stands to see a boost in value if Carmelo Anthony gets traded, so make sure he's on a roster in your league. Ty Lawson had 16 points off the bench to go along with six boards and five assists. If Chauncey Billups ever gets shipped out of Denver, Lawson will be the man. Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen returned from sore knees but combined for just six points and six boards. Stay away.

Channing Frye had 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting last night, but he should be owned in most leagues now that he's back in the starting lineup for the Suns. Marcin Gortat and Robin Lopez continued to stink it up, and neither of them should be considered must-own players at this point. Grant Hill sat this one out with a sprained ankle, but has missed just two games in his last three seasons. He wanted to play, and shouldn't be out long. Jared Dudley, who has been hot, hit just 2-of-6 shots for seven points. I get a lot of questions about picking him up, or owning him, but as long as he's coming off the bench, I really don't trust Dudley.

Knicks Cruise Over Blazers

Raymond Felton suffered what is being called a "high ankle sprain" last night, but played through it. He also says he's playing tonight, which tells me he probably doesn't have a true high ankle sprain. He also had 14 dimes and zero turnovers, which will quietly go down as one of the best point guard lines in Knicks history. Hopefully his ankle allows him to play tonight. Ronny Turiaf blew up for a season-high 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds, three steals and a couple blocks in the win. His knee is finally getting healthy and Mike D'Antoni might finally be ready to start using the big man. I still don't think he's a guy you break down doors to get to, but if you have some excess baggage on your roster and could use a center, grab him.

Rudy Fernandez scored 18 off the bench, Marcus Camby had 16 boards and six blocks, while Wesley Matthews struggled on 2-of-13 shooting. Nicolas Batum quiety scored 13 points, but played a whopping 41 minutes. I still think he's on the verge of blowing up.

 

[HacheMan]

Bragging Wright
Week 12 challenge: Write a 12-word intro to this column.

Success.

[SIZE=+1]Trendspotting[/SIZE]

Three on the Rise:

Darren Collison: He brought many fantasy owners great anger during the first two months of the season, but let us not ignore Collison's spike in productivity of late. In his last six games, the Pacers PG has averaged 17.2 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.7 spg and 0.8 threes. That may not be what you expected when you drafted him, but at least he's looking solid and productive in his current allotment of 30 or so minutes a night.

Trevor Ariza: We'll give Ariza a cameo in the most complimentary section of this column, because based on his January stats (14.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.5 threes on 52.2 percent shooting), he is technically on the rise. But make no mistake, Ariza is still a bad shooter, still shooting too many threes (4.3 per game this month) and will sabotage your field goal percentage over the long run. He is worth owning right now based on the combo of points, threes and steals, but if I were looking for those stats, I would personally prefer a Leandro Barbosa (more on him below).

Greg Monroe: In his last four games (one start), the No. 7 overall pick in last year's draft has posted 13.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg and 2.3 spg in 34 minutes per night. Known as a good passer, Monroe hasn't yet incorporated that into his NBA repertoire (just three assists total in his last four games) and isn't blocking shots (only three total in his last 12 games). But for points and rebounds with the upside for production in other categories, Monroe should be vacating the waiver wire in most competitive leagues right now.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

Three on the Plummet:

Richard Jefferson: R.J. in January (seven games): 9.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.9 apg, 0.4 spg and 1.3 threes, punctuated by a scoreless 28 minutes on Wednesday night. On the whole, he's just decent enough to convince you that he's worth a roster spot, but maddening to the point that you likely consider dropping him every day.

Keyon Dooling: Though averaging 27 minutes per game this month, his numbers in January (6.3 ppg, 5.0 apg, 0.7 spg, 0.8 threes on 35.9 percent shooting) have been atrocious. Forget using him as a handcuff to Brandon Jennings and look for value elsewhere.

Roy Hibbert: Unlike Jefferson and Dooling (two players I would find it therapeutic to jettison to waivers), I place Hibbert here as a means of encouragement. Yes, his minutes are down (22 per game this month). Yes, his shooting has been bad lately (37.0 percent in January). However, despite those issues, he's still posting 9.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 1.2 bpg in the calendar year 2011, which is actually considered thriving in the Tyson Chandler household. Stay patient with Hibbert and it will get better.

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

1. Though he operates quietly, Dorell Wright is something of a statistical wrecking ball. For the season, he's No. 30 in Basketball Monster's eight-category rankings, and over the last month, Wright's 19.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.9 spg, 0.6 bpg and 3.1 threes rank him 12th overall. I ran directly into his 27-7-4 line with three steals, two blocks and five threes in one of my main leagues on Wednesday (which, for the record, was not pleasant), and would legitimately rank him as a top-25 option going forward. And speaking of the Warriors…

2. Buy low on Stephen Curry while you still can. The preseason first-round pick has posted a relatively quiet 14.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 5.7 apg, 2.3 spg and 1.5 threes in six games so far this month, numbers that rank him No. 26 overall on Basketball Monster's leaderboard for eight-category leagues. However, his very reachable upside for the second half of the season remains the top 10, and it's possible that mild frustration has set in for owners who have been carrying Curry on their roster this whole time.

3. The Baron Davis rejuvenation is in full effect. Davis (13.2 ppg, 8.3 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.7 bpg, 0.8 threes in his last 10) looked highly energized en route to a 20-4-9 line in Wednesday's win over the Heat, even shedding his current ground-bound ways at one point for an emphatic dunk. Though still not accurate from outside, his vision and scoring touch are very much in tact, and the only thing that's going to derail his productivity at this point is an injury.

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

1) Leandro Barbosa since Dec. 10 (16 games): 16.4 ppg, 3.1 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.8 threes. He needs to be owned right now in all but the most shallow of leagues.

2) Kris Humphries since Derrick Favors became a starter (four games): 16.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg, 29 minutes. Derrick Favors since Derrick Favors became a starter: 10.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 20 minutes. Point, Humphries.

3) The aforementioned Tyson Chandler has seen a nice rise in scoring this month (12.0 ppg with 11.0 rpg and 1.2 bpg through six games), but those points will likely take a dip downward once Dirk Nowitzki returns.

4) Boris Diaw under the Paul Silas regime (eight games): 9.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, 1.1 threes. Those are actually solid numbers, but unfortunately the coaching change doesn't appear to have fully awakened Diaw's oft-dormant offensive aggressiveness.

5) Not that his slump was ever that bad, but Pau Gasol is officially rolling again after averaging 19.5 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.8 spg and 1.3 bpg in his last four games.

6) Nice to see Ben Gordon score 25 points off the bench on Wednesday. But the fact that he only got 23 minutes and had averaged just 5.7 ppg in his last three are reminders of why he still belongs on waivers.

7) Vince Carter has taken on a Jason Richardson-style shooter's role in Phoenix, averaging 17.9 ppg and 2.4 threes in his first eight games with the Suns. Don't expect much in any other category, but it's a definite improvement on his statistical upside in Orlando.

8) When getting 25-plus minutes this season (three games), Marreese Speights has posted 13.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 1.0 bpg. I'm not convinced that the Sixers see him as a long-term answer, but with Spencer Hawes struggling, Speights is worth a close look – especially in deeper leagues.

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

9) Three scoring surges from Wednesday that I noticed but will ultimately be disregarding outside of deep leagues: Shawne Williams (25 points, seven threes), C.J. Miles (24 points, four threes), Raja Bell (18 points, four threes).

10) Jodie Meeks has bounced back to average 16.0 ppg and 3.0 threes in his last three, but we've seen these kinds of short-term outbursts from him before, and as much as I want to buy in, I ultimately don't trust him any further than I can throw a life-sized replica of a woolly mammoth.

 

[HacheMan]

Karma Police

It was the tweet heard around the NBA world on Tuesday night.

"Crazy. Karma is a b****. Gets you every time. It's not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"

These were the words that came out of LeBron James' Twitter feed moments after the Cavs suffered the second-worst loss in their franchise's history, a 55-point drubbing at the hands of the Lakers. The NBA's newest, and perhaps most reviled heel of all time, added to his growing resume of public relations snafus a new bullet-point – gutless bully.

Never mind the obvious ignorance of presuming that God recognizes The King's place in His Kingdom, and struck down upon the Cavs with great vengeance and furious anger those that attempted to re-sign thee.

James had a score to settle with the nerdy, 110-pound weakling with an affinity for Comic Sans, who had placed upon him the dreaded 'Cleveland Curse' and all of the associated Karma that came with it – even if settling the score came at the expense of his former teammates, coaches, associates, and 'friends.'

And apparently, you will know that his name is the Lord when he attempts to persuade thee.

"I don't think there was no intent at all," the former Cavs star said before Wednesday's game. "I think everyone looks into everything that I say. Everybody looks too far into it. ... It's just how I was feeling at the time. It wasn't even a comment from me. It was someone who sent it to me and I sent it out so."

And here I was thinking that 'contraction' was the gag-reflex your teammates and coaches have every time you open your mouth, LeBron. Boy, am I dumb. And apparently, so are all of us.
www.miamiheat.ws
Sure, LeBron's sneaker reps, his inept handlers, his agent, the one local media suck-up, and all of his scared NBA colleagues (hello Jalen) who haven't the fortitude to tell him that he is being a buffoon – it's expected that they stroke him. After all, there's no such thing as a free lunch. But for His Highness, these explanations are sufficient to brush off those pesky peasants, at least until the Heat's media staff can intervene and threaten to end the interviews if another Twitter question gets asked.

So while he cannot bring himself to respond to Paul Pierce leaving Miami with both a win and a zing, as Pierce tweeted from the tarmac, "It's been a pleasure to bring my talents to south beach now on to Memphis," he has all of the guts in the world when the score is 55-0.

As the story goes, LeBron was right, 'Karma' is a b****.

LeBron James both tweaked his ankle last night and lost to the lowly Clippers just 24 hours after his sermon on 'Karma.' He is questionable for tonight's tilt against the Nuggets. Maybe before the game he will tell us that he didn't know what the word 'God' meant.

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Click Here for the 7 things we learned last night and Wednesday night action….
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[SIZE=+1]The 7 things we learned last night[/SIZE]

1. The Carmelo Anthony trade is not worth following

I say 'bah' to the so-called sources from the New Jersey area and elsewhere that tried to ram the Carmelo Anthony trade through by using the press on Sunday. A full-scale assault was made on the "inexperience" of the Denver executives, and stories were released saying a trade was imminent. Surely, the Denver brass has a role in how all of this is going down, but the bottom line is that until Carmelo says that he'll accept an extension to New Jersey all of this is a moot point. Yes, fantasy owners need to be abreast of the details for the fact that the entire league may get included in the trade should it happen, but living and dying by every report right now is not recommended. The Knicks have the best 'actionable' offer on the table, with Houston creeping into the mix, and the Nets are the clear favorites if they can get Melo's John Hancock. Focus on the extension, or lack thereof, and you'll know what to do.

2. Monty Williams does not like Marcus Thornton

Entering Wednesday's game Monty Williams said he wasn't even planning on playing Marcus Thornton, but as it would go Marco Belinelli sprained his ankle one minute into the game and his hand was forced. Of course, Thornton was the best player on the court at times and led New Orleans to an overtime win with a season-high 22 points with nine rebounds, two threes, a steal, and plenty of clutch baskets. He scored seven of the Hornets' 11 points in overtime, including two clinching free throws with 8.2 seconds left. In equally unsurprising fashion Williams started Willie Green to start the second half, and will likely do so going forward according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Belinelli was seen riding a stationary bike before he was ruled out for the rest of the game, and unfortunately, my gut is telling me that this isn't the breakout we're all hoping for. No matter how much Chris Paul gushes about him after the game, or how much the Hornets fans love him, or any of the basketball-related reasons he could help the impotent Hornets offense – I fear Monty is dead set against setting him free. I added him in a bunch of leagues based solely on the chance for upside, but I'm not holding my breath that he'll pan out.

3. Paul Silas is a fantasy god-send

Can you name the highest scoring backcourt in the NBA since December 27? That's right, Captain Jack and revitalized D.J. Augustin hold the honor, while the Bobcats are 6-2 under new leadership. Augustin outplayed Derrick Rose last night in the Cats' 96-91 win over the Bulls, scoring 22 points on 6-of-12 shooting with a career-high 12 assists, two threes, and just one turnover. The Bobcats have enjoyed a pretty easy schedule since Silas joined up, and have nine of their next 12 games on the road with Miami, Dallas, and Boston on the schedule following that stretch. Is it time to sell high? I don't think so. Yes, his value is sky high and could take a hit if the Bobcats begin to struggle, but he is virtually unchallenged at his position and the trade-winds have died down. He should be able to perform near this level for the rest of the season as it stands.

Similarly, Tyrus Thomas' owners had to be thrilled with his 17 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 29 minutes. He hit 7-of-14 shots from the field against his old team, and while I'm far from trusting him, the headway he's making is very encouraging. More importantly, the vibe feels good for once in his career. A players' coach is exactly what he needed. Gerald Wallace (ankle) returned to action last night, as well, and looked healthy on his way to 14 points, seven rebounds, a steal, and two blocks. If you own any Bobcats – congratulations for staying away from the ledge.

4. Gilbert Arenas is not walking through that door (yet)

Gilbert Arenas played just 14 minutes last night, which wouldn't have hurt owners as bad had the crew of Brandon Bass, J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson, and Hedo Turkoglu not combined for 8-of-43 shooting and just 21 points in the Magic's overtime loss to the Hornets. There are so many different ways to go with the discussion on this topic, but clearly Stan Van Gundy isn't ready to turn him loose, whether it's his defense, fit within the system, attitude, or all of the above. Drop him if you absolutely have to, but there's still a lot of season left and it's hard to imagine GM Otis Smith taking on that big of a contract only to let him rot on the bench.

5. John Kuester didn't get a Christmas card

I used the word 'buffoon' earlier, and while I can see myself using it aggressively over the next week now, it only came to mind when Tayshaun Prince called his coach one. Yes, when talking about Richard Hamilton's DNP-CD from Wednesday night, Prince called the situation "buffoonery," which is defined by Webster's Dictionary as behavior that is ridiculous but amusing. We'll see how amused Kuester is what that, and clearly Rip was not amused after the game. With the Carmelo Anthony trade a 50/50 endeavor in the respect that Hamilton lands back with his backcourt buddy Chauncey Billups, which indeed is a rosy scenario, Hamilton is not the rock-solid stash he appeared to be days ago. If he did more than just score and hit threes, I'd be more impassioned about keeping him, but feel free to drop him for a productive player if you must.

6. Don't make Blake Griffin angry

Silly Mario Chalmers decided it was time to man up on Blake Griffin, which deserves credit in a Scrappy-Doo sort of way. The two were assessed double-technical fouls and the Poster Child was overheard shouting 'don't make me angry' repeatedly, before voice-of-reason Baron Davis intervened and kept Griffin from mutilating the fellow. The best part? The subsequent man-dunk and stare-down that can be found here. Griffin finished his 13th straight 20-10 game with 24 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, a steal, and a block, which was also good for his 24th straight double-double (and 30th overall). He did leave briefly with some back spasms, which is certainly worth keeping an eye on, but free throw percentage or not he is making his mark on a first-round draft pick next season.

7. Kobe vs. Monta is must-see television

If you're a fan of big shots, degree of difficulty, and a frenetic pace, then the Lakers-Warriors game last night was right up your alley. Monta Ellis played after missing two days of practice with the flu, and didn't leave the game as he racked up 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting with four 3-pointers. He became the first player in NBA history to play all 48 minutes in a game and not get a rebound, but who really cares. Him and Kobe Bryant, who scored 39 points with six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two threes, traded baskets in a tight game that the Lakers ultimately wrestled away late. Kobe said after the game that he thinks Ellis deserves a spot on the All Star team and I would agree, but also wouldn't be surprised to see him snubbed in a crowded field. Interestingly, a news item came through late last night that the Warriors may possibly be amenable to trading him while his value is sky-high, which is just crazy enough to make sense in Warrior-land. This is miles away from being an actionable piece of news, but something to watch for as the trade deadline nears.

Click Here for Wednesday's highlights and Thursday Night Lights….
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[SIZE=+1]Game Highlights[/SIZE]

Brandon Rush started and scored 20 points with two threes last night and played good defense, but as somebody on Twitter told Dr. A last night the only person you can trust on the Pacers is Danny Granger. Granger was relatively quiet with 17 points, six assists, a block, and a three, but has been pretty hot lately in the Pacers' new 'small lineup,' which looks like their normal lineup but surely owners don't care about the semantics.

The most interesting news out of Pacer-land, however, is the ongoing mental rollercoaster that is Roy Hibbert, who was broken by Jim O'Brien about three weeks ago. Hibbert may not be the most mentally tough guy to enter the league, but I haven't seen a player so mixed up in a while. He is seeing a sports psychologist, and I can't help but visualize Obie and Larry Bird grumbling about it over a six-pack. Hibbert has taken baby steps in the last two games, hitting a big shot late on Tuesday while nearing double-doubles in both. Buying low on him would take a decent leap of faith, but depending on the offer could make some sense right now.

Leandro Barbosa has been a nice low-end option for a couple of weeks now, and by the looks of things will get the opportunity to keep his hot streak going in spite of the return of Andrea Bargnani, and most recently Sonny Weems (back). He scored 26 points on 11-of-16 shooting (including a three) with four rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 30 minutes off the bench. He should be owned in all leagues at least until he cools off.

Josh Smith struggled last night and also tweaked his ankle, hitting just 3-of-15 shots from the field to finish with nine points, nine boards, four assists, and two steals. He played through the ankle issue, and we're not really all that concerned. Like always, he needs to be mindful of his 3-point shooting, which does more to take away his aggressiveness than the otherwise nice percentage (38%) would suggest. If there's an owner in your league that is worried about him, be ready to take that problem off their hands. Frontcourt mate Al Horford also suffered a minor ankle injury, but like with Smith's ankle we're not that worried.

Jamal Crawford took over in the Hawks' 104-101 win over the Raps with a season-high 36 points on 12-of-23 shooting (4-of-11 from deep) with three rebounds and two assists, and continued to prove that he is a solid fantasy option whenever a Hawks' key guy goes out. And while we wouldn't peg Marvin Williams' (back) absence as being a huge hole to fill, Crawford seems to approach teammates' absences like an NFL running back. Give him a little bit of daylight and he's gone. He's not going to disappear by any means when Williams returns, but his numbers will take a small hit. Plan accordingly.

Briefly, the Hawks-Bucks game that was postponed on Tuesday will be replayed on March 15 at 7 p.m. ET. That will bump both teams up from 3-game weeks to 4-game weeks at a critical time in the fantasy season.

Tracy McGrady started Wednesday's 107-99 loss to the Grizzlies at point guard with Rodney Stuckey moving over to shooting guard, which of course was John Kuester's stated reason for benching Rip. Regardless, Stuckey has long-thought to possibly be a better fit at SG than PG, and with T-Mac running the offense so well one could see this coming. McGrady scored 16 points with six rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block in 36 minutes, and if they stay with the current configuration that could start to be a familiar line. Stuckey still handled the ball, although he struggled switching gears into PG mode by driving with his head down, but still managed 15 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Like with McGrady, that's a good representation of what to expect if this plan sticks, minus the rebounds.

Other storylines out of Detroit included Greg Monroe's fourth straight double-double and Ben Gordon's explosion in the fourth quarter. Monroe scored 14 points with 11 rebounds, two steals, and a block, and I've probably added him and dropped him a total of 10 times in all of my leagues, which is by no means a knock on him. He has been on the two steps forward, one step back plan, but for now he should be owned in all leagues for his current production and his upside, and hopefully Big Ben's (ankle) return doesn't hurt him too badly. As for Gordon, he was scoreless until the 2-minute mark of the third quarter, and then went on to score 25 points on 8-of-17 shooting (including four threes) with four assists. With Rip and Tayshaun Prince being persona non-grata, picking him up just feels right even though there's a decent amount of risk that he'll be inconsistent.

Dwight Howard had his fourth 20-20 game of the year with 29 points, 20 rebounds, one steal, and two blocks, but also got his 12th technical foul and missed two key free throws late. In a close overtime it proved to be the difference, but again, it wouldn't be surprised to see the league rescind this one, too. He does appear to be a target for refs this year, but then again, for his level of whining he deserves it. Impressively, the man he got a technical for shoving, Emeka Okafor, did a good job heads-up against Howard with 18 points and 14 rebounds. He's quietly having a nice year.

The Knicks-Jazz game was a shootout, and ultimately the Knicks' tired legs couldn't keep up with the fresh Jazz after playing three games in four nights. Raymond Felton reportedly struggled with his 'high-ankle sprain,' which is miles away from what it sounds like, scoring 23 points with seven rebounds and 11 assists.

The real story here for the Knicks, though, were the season-best scoring efforts out of bench players Shawne Williams and Bill Walker. Williams, in particular, was on fire and didn't miss on seven 3-point attempts in the second half, scoring 25 points with two rebounds and a steal. Walker also added 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting (including three treys) with one rebound and one steal. Williams is the player to own between the two right now, but while both should be watched as Toney Douglas (four minutes last night) struggles with his shoulder injury, neither are worth an add outside of very deep leagues right now.

And speaking of shoulders, Amare Stoudemire tweaked his but stayed in the game. He scored 22 points with just three rebounds, five assists, a block, and a three in 27 foul-plagued minutes, and while the rebounding numbers are a bit of a red flag owners shouldn't be too concerned.

Deron Williams was his normal dominant self with 24 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, and a three, while Raja Bell showed up with 18 points to solidify his spot in the starting lineup. C.J. Miles got back on track with 24 points and Andrei Kirilenko is back to being starting lineup material for owners, scoring 14 points with six rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks. I've been railing on this for over a week now, but once his back concerns have been gone for a couple of weeks he's a guy I'm looking to move for exactly that reason.

Russell Westbrook got hot and scored 23 points with eight rebounds, 13 assists, and two steals, but the main takeaways from Wednesday's 118-112 win over the Rockets were the various bumps and bruises for his teammates. Kevin Durant, who scored 30 points with six rebounds, two assists, and four threes, may have suffered a groin contusion, but it doesn't sound serious at this time. Jeff Green, who scored 16 points, left the game for eight minutes after taking a shot to the head from Luis Scola, but that doesn't fully explain his second game this season without any rebounds. Beat writer Darnell Mayberry said he looked good all night, so I'm cautiously optimistic that Green's recent slump has a chance of ending, so hang in there and stay the course. Lastly, James Harden had the fingers on his shooting hand evaluated before the game and that may have contributed to his 0-for-3 FG shooting mark, which he supplemented with a perfect 8-of-8 mark from the foul line to finish with eight points, three rebounds, and one assist. Scott Brooks called for more defense from his squad, and unfortunately that doesn't bode well for Harden's low-end fantasy value, nor did Thabo Sefolosha's career-high tying 13 rebounds that went with six points, three assists, one steal, and three blocks in 35 minutes.

The Rockets started both Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks together again with Kevin Martin out, and both played reasonably well. Lowry had 18 points, three rebounds, and four assists, while Brooks had 17 points with no rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Rick Adelman will have a tough decision on his hands when Martin returns about who to start and who to bench, and it could seriously go either way. A lot will come down to how guys like Courtney Lee and Terrence Williams can handle their assignments, since Lowry is capable of playing SG. Should either guy falter, then Adelman would conceivably turn to Lowry off the bench for his ability to backup both guard spots. Lee scored a season-high 19 points with four rebounds and three assists last night, while Williams played just five minutes, for what it's worth.

Devin Harris scored 15 points and had a career-high 15 assists last night in the Nets' 118-109 overtime loss to the Suns. He's a must-start right now and with the Melo trade a mess right now owners would be wise to avoid jumping to conclusions with him, aside from his ever-present injury risk. Steve Nash went off for 23 points, seven rebounds, 16 assists on the other side, and also passed Mark Price for the NBA career FT% record (90.4%) while hitting his 41st straight freebie. Vince Carter had his first 20-point game since December 4, scoring 23 points with five rebounds and not much else, and Channing Frye kept things rolling with 21 points, seven rebounds, a steal, a block, and two threes. Frye looks well-positioned for the time-being, so enjoy.

Eric Gordon had another big night with 26 points, five rebounds, and six assists, and is quietly having a great year in both fantasy and reality. DeAndre Jordan struggled with just five points, four rebounds, two steals, and a block, but late breaking news last night pegged Chris Kaman as being questionable for the Clippers' road trip starting February 4-23. As one writer put it, Kaman would have to buy a ticket to get into Staples Center right now.

Baron Davis threw down a vintage dunk and, as mentioned, acted as peacemaker on his way to a season-high 20 points, five rebounds, nine assists, a block, and a three. It's funny how things work out – a superstar (Griffin) and a solid team guy (Gordon) take the reins and the culture changes, and now Davis looks like he's buying in, trying hard, and all of a sudden his value is on the rise. It's going to be tempting to hold onto that after all that owners have been through, but I'm still selling here knowing that the odds are in my favor.

Lost in all of the Kobe-Monta madness last night, Dorell Wright treated his owners to a 27-point, seven-rebound, four-assist, three-steal, two-block night that included five 3-pointers on 11-of-24 shooting. It's the stuff fantasy championships are made of.

[SIZE=+1]Thursday Night Lights[/SIZE]


We've got the Wizards vs. the Wolves in a regional TV matchup, the Magic vs. the Thunder in the early TNT game, and the Heat vs. the Nuggets in the late game. Andray Blatche (shoulder) is doubtful for the Wizards and Al Thornton looks like the starter if he can't go. For the Wolves, Michael Beasley (ankle) says he is questionable but Kurt Rambis says he's doubtful. After tweaking it in three straight games, I'm thinking coach wins here. The Thunder are dealing with all the aforementioned bumps and bruises while the Magic come in relatively healthy. As for the late-game, LeBron James' ankle and mouth will give Kenny and Charles plenty to talk about and the Nuggets come into the game healthier than they have all year. See you guys on Twitter for all of the festivities.

 

[HacheMan]

Matrix Reloaded?

Here's what we learned on Thursday and Friday morning. LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Ryan Anderson and Gerald Wallace are all making headlines.

Dwight's Magic act

Dwight Howard went into beast mode against Nenad Krstic and Serge Ibaka, going off for 39 points and 18 rebounds, and hit 17 of his 20 free throw attempts. It's scary to think what Dwight might do if he played for a coach who ran the offense through him. Just scary.

Hedo Turkoglu is looking much more like Hedo Turkoglu lately, and hit just 2-of-9 shots for seven points last night. That's two bad games in a row, but he'll probably bounce back in his next one. I got a Twitter question asking if Hedo should be traded for Afflalo, which is clearly a case of the Afflalo owner trying to buy low on Turkoglu. I'm not really a big fan of his, but he's certainly worth owning now that he's been reunited with Stan Van Gundy. Gilbert Arenas had nine points in 19 minutes and I'm still trying to figure out why they acquired him.

Ryan Anderson could possibly be moving into the starting lineup soon, as Stan Van Gundy talked about a possible lineup change. Of course, it was in the heat of the moment after the Magic lost a tough game, but it's possible he's thinking about swapping Brandon Bass out and putting Anderson into the starting five. I don't think it' makes Anderson an automatic pickup, but this is a situation you'll want to keep a close eye on.

Triple shot of Westbrook

Russell Westbrook went off for 32 points, 10 boards and 13 dimes for his first triple-double of the new year and second of the season on Thursday night. After a mini-slump in December, Westbrook is clearly feeling it again.

Kevin Durant also wrapped up a spectacular two-game week with 36 more points on 13-of-17 shooting. I got cute and benched him in one league, and it will be interesting to see if it was the right call or not. I was punting points, but his field goal percentage, 66 points and six threes in two games was pretty sweet.

Karmic Sans

LeBron James missed Thursday's game with his karmically sprained ankle, but it doesn't sound serious. I'm guessing he'll play on Saturday against the Bulls, but he should be considered a game-time decision. Mike Miller had four points on 2-of-7 shooting last night, but also had eight boards and eight assists in the loss. Once Bron is back, I can't see Miller being worth holding. At least for now.

Be Easy's Ankle

Michael Beasley missed Thursday's game with his sprained ankle, which is clearly an issue going forward. He's pretty iffy for Saturday against Orlando, so check back for updates between now and then. Kevin Love enjoyed Beasley's absence by dropping 35 points and 11 boards on the Wizards, while hitting five 3-pointers and shooting lights out. How fun is this guy to own? If only he could block shots.

Matrix Reloaded

Shawn Marion will start at small forward the rest of the way, which should be music to his owners' ears. If you ran out and picked him up when Caron Butler went down, or for that five-game week he had, congratulations. If he could somehow get back to that Matrix form from a few years ago, he'd responsible for a lot of fantasy championships.

Andray Blatche

Andray Blatche is expected to play on Saturday against the Raptors, despite a shoulder injury that sidelined him on Thursday night. He dressed, but wasn't allowed to play, but it does sound like he'll be back tomorrow. Al Thornton had 14 points in his absence.

Roy, Matthews, Batum making headlines

Brandon Roy will have both of his knees scoped and could miss anywhere from three to eight weeks, depending on who you believe. What I believe is that he's going to see a very limited role the rest of the way and I see no point in holding him. So yes, I'm telling you to drop Brandon Roy. The dream is over.

Wesley Matthews sprained his ankle while playing one-on-one at the end of practice on Thursday, leaving him a bit iffy for tonight against the Suns. I don't think Matthews' injury is serious and he might play tonight. With Roy going under the knife and recent news that the Blazers consider Nicolas Batum untouchable, I still think Batum is a great pickup right now.

Kwame & Crash

Michael Jordan has possibly been pushing for Kwame Brown to start at center all season, which would make sense since he famously (or should I say infamously) drafted him for the Wizards in 2001. Kwame is starting and actually playing decently right now, but with Nazr Mohammed due back tonight against the Celtics, thinking Kwame could be a fantasy savior is foolish.
Gerald Wallace is the subject of trade rumors today with sources putting him with the Cavaliers. However, we don't know who Cleveland would send to Charlotte, so it's tough to say what ramifications the deal would have. All I can tell you is that it's unlikely that Wallace would lose any fantasy value in that deal, and could even play better after a fresh start. Whether he goes to the Cavs is anyone's guess, but it does sound like he's going to be moved by the deadline in order for the Bobcats to save money.

Kev-Martin

Kevin Martin practiced on Thursday and is expected to play through his wrist injury on Friday against the Hornets. It's Aaron Brooks' birthday, and it will be interesting to see if he starts or comes off the bench behind Kyle Lowry.

Old man, take a look at my life

It sounds like Jermaine O'Neal is going to have left knee surgery, which will wipe out any potential fantasy value he had. He's the youngest old man in the league.

Boobie Trap

Daniel Gibson practiced Thursday, but is not likely to play this weekend with his sprained ankle. That means Manny Harris should continue to get some run for the Cavs, as Anthony Parker is also out until further notice.

Darko

Darko Milicic somehow managed 14 points, 11 boards and two blocks last night, after being dropped by a ton of fantasy owners. I'm hoping his injury run is over and that he's ready to start playing like this on a nightly basis, but as usual, this was just one good line from Darko. Let's see him do it four times in a row.

B Jennings nearing return

Brandon Jennings is due back from left knee surgery sometime in the next two weeks, which will render Keyon Dooling useless. Then again, given how poorly Dooling has been playing, he's basically already there. If Jennings was cut in your league, it's time to grab him.

 

[HacheMan]

Fantasy related but good info......


Jam Sessions

I made some gambles last week that may or may not have paid off, benching studs like Kevin Durant and Monta Ellis for scrubs like Carl Landry, Charlie Villanueva and Manny Harris for a games-played advantage. I wasn't going to win points with or without the studs, but also didn't plan on seeing Durant and Monta shoot lights out from the field in their two games, which would have helped much more than Manny's dreadful week of field goal percentage. It looks like that game's going to end in a 4-4 tie, so I'm content with the move, but I probably could have won 5-3 had I just rolled with one or both of my big guns. And this is why people will tell you time and time again to blindly play your studs.

I do try to subscribe to that theory, but I also spend a lot of time running numbers in my big matchups to make sure I'm giving myself the best shot at winning. And given the fact Durant and Monta combined for the following totals for the week, my madness was somewhat justified.

Rebounds: 10
Assists: 13
Steals : 5
Blocks: 1

And on that note, in a week where almost all players have four games, LeBron James and the Heat play just twice. LeBron and Chris "Like A" Bosh are banged up, making both of them a little risky in weekly leagues. And if you own a guy like Andrei Kirilenko, who has four games, you really need to crunch some numbers and make a decision as to which to play in a weekly league. And without really sitting down and looking at, my guess is I'd be starting Kirilenko in most instances. But it also sounds like LeBron will play and has two possible games without Bosh around, which could easily mean two triple-doubles. Good luck with whatever decision you make. It's a tough call.

Anyway, onto Waiver Wired, which I'll be writing while you're watching the Seahawks and Bears go at it. There's only two NBA games on Sunday because nearly every team plays on Monday, which is MLK Day. Games tip off very early tomorrow, which means you should set your lineups as soon as possible.

Guards

I'm going to assume that Nick Young, Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry are already owned in your league.

Ramon Sessions Cavaliers

Mo Williams went down with a hip injury on Saturday and has been talking about shutting it down. The guy's head hasn't been right since he saw his world collapse the night of "The Decision," and while he was easy to make fun of that night, he might be one of the few people to actually know within five seconds just how bad life was going to be for anyone associated with the Cavaliers. And if he does indeed shut it down, Sessions is going to be the guy to own here.

Ben Gordon Pistons

It's been a terrible year for him, but he's still Ben friggin' Gordon, right? My guess is he's already owned in your league. And if he isn't, no one may have noticed that he's actually showing a pulse over the last three games, scoring 25, 11 and 16 points in them. And with Richard Hamilton done in Detroit and T-Mac hurting, it could very well be Gordon time. If he's available, he should be a top priority for pick up at this point.

Tracy McGrady Pistons

T-Mac was cruising along last week, helping my teams, as well as a lot of others, to fantasy wins. That is until he went down with a (surprise) leg injury very early in Saturday's game. The injury doesn't sound serious, but that's not saying much with McGrady. He's now the ultimate risk-reward player, as he can drop at any time, but was starting to look like a very good basketball player before going down. He's a really risky endeavor in weekly lineup leagues, but if you're in a daily league, I wouldn't hesitate to own him and play him whenever he's healthy.

Lou Williams Sixers

Sweet Lou is heating up again for the Sixers, averaging 17 points in six January Games. If you need a scorer, he's probably the best one available in your league right now.

C.J. Miles Jazz

Or it could be Miles, who is averaging 20 points over his last three games (with eight 3-pointers and three blocks). Both Miles and Lou come off the bench, making both of them a little risky, and while I trust Lou more, Miles is another guy who might be worth grabbing for a four-game week if you need a scoring guard.

Daniel Gibson Cavaliers

Gibson is hoping to return on Wednesday, but the Cavs only play twice this week. He should retake the starting shooting guard job once he's back and is eventually going to be a must-own player. Then again, he plays for a sinking ship known as the Cavs, and anything is possible. But my guess is Boobie's almost back, meaning the Manny Harris era is about to quiet down.

Sasha Vujacic Nets

Don't look now, but Vujacic has hit double figures in scoring in 10 of his last 13 games and is averaging 14 points and two 3-pointers in January. And if you take out a 1-of-14, three-point implosion at Washington on Jan. 7, those numbers come in at 16 ppg on nearly 50 percent shooting (38-of-80). Leave it to Avery Johnson to find a way to squeeze value out of a guy like Vujacic while completely ruining most of the good players on his roster.

Earl Boykins Bucks

Do I trust little Earl Boykins? Not at all. Did he help a couple of my fantasy teams last week? He did. He's averaging 13.6 points and 4.4 assists in seven January games, and while the clock is ticking until Brandon Jennings returns, you can probably squeeze another week or two out of Boykins. The same can be said for Keyon Dooling, but Boykins has actually been outplaying him in my opinion.

Jose Juan Barea Mavericks

If you don't own DeShawn Stevenson you may not have noticed that he fell off a cliff recently. He looked upstoppable for a minute, but has scored 10, 3 and 0 points in his last three games. Meanwhile, JJB is quietly averaging 12 points, three assists and a three per game in January. He's not a great option, but deserves some attention in deeper leagues.

Corey Brewer Timberwolves

Brewer is now starting for the T-Wolves and while he hasn't done anything too exciting, he's an interesting pick up right now, as he should rack up some steals and threes. In fact, he had 23 points, five steals and two threes on Saturday, but keep in mind that Michael Beasley sat that one out with a sprained ankle. Also keep in mind the Timberwolves play just two games this week, which actually increases the chances of him being available in your league.
Check me out on Twitter if you dare.

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Forwards

I'm going to assume that J.J. Hickson and Channing Frye are no longer available in your league.

Nicolas Batum Blazers

This is the guy I've been chirping about, probably too much, recently and he's starting to come on. Actually, maybe my timing was just right, as he has scored 22, 13, 18 and 23 points in his last four games, with six treys, three blocks and close to five boards per game. And I still think there are more steals, threes and blocks coming, and that his confidence is going to continue to grow. I've been saying it for two or three weeks now, and I'll say it again. Pick him up.

Ryan Anderson Magic

The Magic have a great schedule over the next several weeks, getting four games a week until the All-Star break, and Anderson is suddenly their most productive bench player. After not even being a part of the rotation, he's hit double figures in 10 of his last 12 games and is averaging a crazy 13 points, six rebounds, 2.6 3-pointers and 1.0 block per game in his seven January contests. I don't fully trust him coming off the bench and Stan Van Gundy has been ripping his defense, but no one can argue with those numbers. He looks like an automatic pick up to me right now. Just know that he'll throw up an occasional dud from time to time.

Grant Hill Suns

Hill is back from a two-game absence with a sore knee and had 21 points, seven boards and a couple threes on Friday. That's substantially better than he had been doing before 'the trade,' but there's no reason he shouldn't get hot again as long as he can stay healthy.

Charlie Villanueva Pistons

Charlie V has pretty been a hit or miss fantasy player this season, but is suddenly hot again, averaging 16 points, five rebounds and two 3-pointers in his last two games. And with Rip sitting in street clothes until further notice, it should mean more minutes for CV. Just beware that he's unreliable, as coach John Kuester gave him 20 minutes or less in two straight games before turning him loose in the last three.

Ersan Ilyasova, Corey Maggette Bucks

As you know, I trust most Bucks about as far as I can throw them, including these two. Ilyasova is starting, while Maggette could end up in the first unit at anytime. Ilyasova's double-doubled in two of his last three games, while Maggette's had three nice games and two really bad ones in his last five. Both of these guys are worth a look, but they're also not trustworthy enough to be started on a regular basis. Like the Magic, the Bucks play four games a week until the All-Star break, so now's probably as good a time as ever to grab one of them.

Jason Thompson, Carl Landry Kings

Jason Thompson's last two lines basically sum up the big-man situation in Sacramento. He had 0 points and eight rebounds in 11 minutes on Friday, and then backed it up with 22 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes on Saturday. The bottom line is these two dudes are averaging the following numbers in January, making them worth a look. Good luck.

Thompson: 10.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.7 steals, 0.6 blocks, 59% shooting
Landry: 14.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, 55% shooting

Centers

I'm going to assume that Roy Hibbert is already owned in your league.

DeAndre Jordan Clippers

Jordan had a quiet game against the Heat but is still playing well and we still have to see what Sunday brings. There's no guarantee Chris Kaman is going to get his job back when he's finally healthy and I think Jordan should be owned in almost all leagues until further notice.

Greg Monroe Pistons

Monroe saw his streak of double-doubles end at four on Friday but had 11 points and seven boards in his two games after the streak stopped. Kuester has finally turned him loose and Monroe looks like a completely different player than he did last summer. I picked him up wherever I could, and you should too.

Darko Milicic Timberwolves

Just as Darko was being left for dead in fantasy leagues all over the land, he's starting to show signs of life again. He's scored in double figures in three of his last four games and has hit double digits in rebounds in two of his last four. Add in the 12 blocks and four steals over that stretch, and he probably should have been in fantasy lineups last week. Yes, his field goal percentage is about as bad as it gets (like Roy Hibbert's FGP, or Brook Lopez's rebounding, or Chris Bosh's whining), and TOs remain a concern, but the rest of those numbers are pretty nice. Now let's see if he can stay healthy and keep it going.

Samuel Dalembert Kings

Sammy D finally got back into the rotation recently and has turned the Kings into a confusing front-line mess with DeMarcus Cousins, Jason Thompson and Carl Landry also in the mix. But Sammy deserves a look after playing 18, 30 and 22 minutes in his last three games. Here are the lines.

12 points, 6 boards, 1 block, 18 minutes
8 points, 8 boards, 6 blocks, 30 minutes
8 points, 6 boards, 0 blocks, 22 minutes

Not game changing, but he's going to block a lot of shots if he's going to get 20-30 minutes a night.

Kwame Brown Bobcats

I think Kwame was on this list last Sunday and wrapped up his week on Saturday with a 12 & 14 double-double. He's not blocking shots, but is averaging around nine points and eight boards in January, and is starting over Nazr Mohammed. He's obviously a low-end option, but an option nonetheless.

Chuck Hayes Rockets

I'm not a big Hayes fan, but he's back and had 12 & 8 and 9 & 7 in his two games last week. He was playing well before he went down and is a much better player than he was a year ago. Again, a low-end option, but an option.

 

[HacheMan]

Happy MLK Day!
I really didn't sleep last night, other than falling asleep in the middle of Robert DeNiro's speech at the Golden Globes around midnight and then waking up at 2 a.m., when I picked up where I left off in the show. I'd like to say that my insomnia was from the thrill and excitement I always have before the MLK Day hoops bonanza, but I'm really not sure what the reason is. I do know that when I was working in a cubicle-world for a boss who hated sports, there was nothing better than being able to monitor my fantasy team's performance during the day on Monday at work. Now that I can do it from home and the "wrongness" factor has been removed, combined with the fact that it's my job, MLK Day hoops don't have quite the Christmas Day feel they once had. But I still clearly remember all the good times and sneaking around on the web at work, and I hope most of you still feel like you're getting away with something and are able to follow what's going on throughout the day. Or better yet, you just took the day off.

I'll probably be on Twitter more than normal today, as Ryan and I are tag-teaming the games. They basically will run from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m. and in today's Dose I'll go over the schedule, along with news and notes for each game, as well as all the relevant fantasy news regarding teams that are off.

Waiver Wired has all the hot pickups of the week in case you missed it on Sunday, while the Injury Report is something you'll want to check out before setting lineups. Games are at 1 p.m., so make sure you get your lineups in before 12:30 ET.

Melodrama

Late on Sunday night news broke that Carmelo Anthony supposedly knows nothing about a potential meeting with the Nets, and said that he doesn't plan on talking to them, nor that a deal is about to go down. He even said he expects to play in all three games for the Nuggets this week, although he's mired in a slump. It's clear the trade talk is wearing everyone down (Chauncey Billups and yours truly, included) and at this point we should probably just pretend like this trade isn't going to happen. Just keep playing Nuggets like you would without all the rumors. This is a mess and I'm pretty certain Melo doesn't have a clue as to what he wants. And if he's watched the Nets lately, I can see why he's reluctant to go there.

The Nuggets have three games this week, so I'd go ahead and roll Melo, Chauncey Billups (who was awful on Sunday), Nene, and possibly J.R. Smith, Al Harrington, Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo out there. But with just three games, Smith, Harrington, Lawson and Afflalo are a little shaky depending on your other options. I still think Lawson is worth a stash in case Melo is dealt, but I'm not sure he's a must-own player if it's going to cost you games played every week. As for Billups and his shaky play of late, he was the Player of the Week in the West recently and it could be a mistake to bench him. Your call.

[SIZE=+1]Injury & Schedule News[/SIZE]

Tyrus Thomas – Watch for a possible suspension, taking him down to 3 games.
Carlos Boozer – Will miss a couple games, so bench him. Taj Gibson starts.
Chris Bosh – Day-to-day w/ ankle sprain. Risky with just 2 games.
LeBron James – Should play Tuesday, but just 2 games. Must-start if Bosh is out.
Mo Williams – Iffy w/ hip injury, shaky mindset. I love Sessions this week.
Daniel Gibson – May be back Wednesday, but a risky start this week.
Kevin Garnett – Hopeful for Monday, but still a risky start after last week's DNPs.
Tony Allen – Missed last two with knee, hopefully you have a better option.
Marco Belinelli – Missed last two with ankle, very risky start.
Danilo Gallinari – Expected back from knee injury Monday, but still risky.
Ronny Turiaf – Questionable with hip injury. Find another starting center for now.
Tyson Chandler – Missed last one with flu. I'm guessing he's OK, but not sure.
Tracy McGrady – Left with a sore leg Saturday, very risky start. Go Ben Gordon.
Leandro Barbosa – Will miss a couple weeks with hammy, helps Linas Kleiza.
Michael Beasley – Missed last one w/ ankle, 2-game week. I'd bench him.
Corey Brewer – Missed practice for personal reasons, but should play in both.
Brandon Roy – Surgery on Monday, both knees. Cut him.

The Wolves and Heat play two games this week, while the Spurs, Kings, Cavs, Nuggets, Lakers and Thunder play three times. The rest of the league goes four games.

For the two-gamers, LeBron (if a go Tuesday) and Wade look like guys who should be in all starting lineups, while Kevin Love is probably the only Minnesota player I would start.

As for an update on my game last week where I foolishly benched Kevin Durant and Monta Ellis (2 games each) for Carl Landry and Manny Harris for the extra three games? It backfired, as I tied 4-4 but would have won 6-2 had I stuck with my studs. Twenty years in and I still do some stupid things, but I also didn't see those guys having the massive 2-game weeks they both had. Oh well. My team was outmatched either way, and I'll take the tie and my lumps, and move on.

Continue reading for a game-by-game breakdown of Monday's slate.
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[SIZE=+1]MLK Day Schedule[/SIZE]

1 p.m. Utah @ Washington

Utah should roll behind Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko, Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and C.J. Miles, all of whom look like must-starts with four games this week. The Wiz should get a solid four games out of John Wall, Nick Young, Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee, so get them in your lineup as well. No Josh Howard, who will have a cortisone injection on his bum knee, meaning he should not be owned in most leagues right now.

Bold Prediction

Kirilenko posts a monster line against the Wiz, flirting with a 5 X 5 game in an easy win.

1 p.m. Phoenix @ New York

This should be a great game as the Suns visit their former coach in New York. Both teams play four times this week, meaning Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Channing Frye, Amare Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari and Landry Fields look like solid starters, while Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez and Ronny Turiaf (hip injury) are all luke-warm, at best.

Bold Prediction

Channing Frye hits six treys today as the Suns shock the Knicks in the Garden.

1 p.m. Chicago @ Memphis (ESPN)

Derrick Rose is licking his chops with the Mike Conley matchup, while Carlos Boozer will miss a couple games. Both teams play four this week, meaning Rose, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson, Conley, Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol are all solid plays, with Tony Allen (knee) being a big question mark. The only one of those guys who is not an auto-start is Taj Gibson, who is shaky even when starting for Chicago. But he should be effective.

Bold Prediction

Derrick Rose will double-double with 30 points and four 3-pointers for the fantasy line of the day and an easy Bulls win.

2 p.m. Charlotte @ Philadelphia

Tyrus Thomas might be suspended for this one (I think he will be), while Gerald Wallace, Boris Diaw, D.J. Augustin, Stephen Jackson, Jrue Holiday, Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams and Elton Brand are all nearly must-starts. Once again, the centers (Kwame Brown & Spencer Hawes) should only be started if you have no other options.

Bold Prediction

Boris Diaw flirts with a triple-double in Thomas' absence, but Sixers win behind a near trip-dub from Jrue Holiday.

3 p.m. Milwaukee @ Houston

Two more four-gamers with John Salmons, Andrew Bogut, Ersan Ilyasova, Kyle Lowry, Aaron Brooks and Kevin Martin looking like must-starts. Corey Maggette, Keyon Dooling, Earl Boykins, Shane Battier and Chuck Hayes are all worth a look, but are far from must-start players. Weigh your options carefully.

Bold Prediction

Andrew Bogut torches Chuck Hayes and company for a monster line of 25 points, 15 boards and four blocks in a win.

3 p.m. Toronto @ New Orleans

Both teams play four times this week so Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, Chris Paul, David West and Emeka Okafor are all must-starts. DeMar DeRozan and Linas Kleiza look like solid plays for Toronto, while I'm guessing Trevor Ariza comes through for the Hornets. Willie Green will likely start for injured Marco Belinelli, but I'm hoping that Marcus Thornton has a nice week off the bench. However, I'm not that bold (or stupid). Amir Johnson is worth a look, as usual, if you need boards.

Bold Prediction

Trevor Ariza scores 22 points with four steals and three 3-pointers in a win. <!--RW-->3:30 p.m. Indiana @ Clippers

Another pair of four-game teams, making Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Blake Griffin, Baron Davis, Eric Gordon and DeAndre Jordan must-starts, while Mike Dunleavy, Brandon Rush, struggling Roy Hibbert (maybe that should be his full name) and Ryan Gomes can be started in a pinch. I wish I could tell you Hibbert is a must-start with four games, but he just hasn't played well enough in the last three weeks.

Bold Prediction

DeAndre Jordan gets Hibbert into foul trouble early, going off for 15 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks as the Clippers win again.

3:30 p.m. Dallas @ Detroit

Again, both teams go four times this week with Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler, Rodney Stuckey, Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince and Greg Monroe looking like must-starts. Tracy McGrady's played very well lately, but his leg injury is a concern and I'm benching him. If Charlie Villanueva can play like he did in his last two, he'll have a big week, but that's a big 'if.' DeShawn Stevenson is in a two-game slump, making Jose Juan Barea intriguing, while Richard Hamilton is glued to the bench for the Pistons. Maybe Jason Maxiell has a nice week on the boards, but I don't have the guts to risk putting him in my lineup.

Bold Prediction

Pistons shock the Mavs behind 30 points from Ben Gordon and a double-double from Monroe.

4 p.m. New Jersey @ Golden State

Another four-game combo here, with Devin Harris, Brook Lopez, Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry, David Lee and Dorell Wright being the must-starts. Desperate owners might want to run Sasha Vujacic out there, as he's been hot, while Kris Humphries looks like a much better option than starter Derrick Favors. Andris Biedrins, Vladimir Radmanovic and Reggie Williams are all worth a look in deep leagues, but I'd try to find someone else to roll with this week.

Bold Prediction

Stephen Curry breaks out of his funk with 25 points, four threes and nine dimes today in an easy win for GSW.

4 p.m. Sacramento @ Atlanta

The Kings have three games this week while the Hawks go four times. Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, DeMarcus Cousins, Joe Johnson, Jamal Crawford, Al Horford and Josh Smith are your must-starts, while Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, Samuel Dalembert, Francisco Garcia and Mike Bibby are all possible useful fantasy plays.

Bold Prediction

Samuel Dalembert has another big game against the centerless Hawks and emerges as the hot pickup this week. Hawks win easily.

8 p.m. Orlando @ Boston (TNT)

Both teams go four times this week with Dwight Howard, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen being your must-starts. Jameer Nelson, Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson, Gilbert Arenas, Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis and Shaquille O'Neal are the Tier 2 guys, but all are somewhat risky. I think Garnett is going to play and if he does, he should probably be bumped up to must-start status, while I'm feeling big things from Anderson this week. As I said in Waiver Wired, Anderson looks like a nice pickup right now, especially since the Magic go four times per week until the All-Star break.

Bold Prediction

The Celtics beat the Magic as Dwight Howard dominates Shaq, with Rajon Rondo posting a triple-double in the close win.

10 p.m. Minnesota @ Portland

The Wolves only play twice this week while the Blazers go four times. Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum and Andre Miller are your must-starts, while Michael Beasley, Darko Milicic and Rudy Fernandez at least need a look. With two games and Beasley so banged up and iffy, I'd probably bench him.

Bold Prediction

Darko torches the centerless Blazers for 15 points, 11 boards and five blocks as the Wolves stun the Blazers on the road.

10:30 p.m. Oklahoma City @ Lakers (TNT)

Both the Thunder and Lakers have three games this week, leaving Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom as your must-starts. Jeff Green and Serge Ibaka are worth a look, but I bet you can find a four-gamer who is a better option. I'd leave James Harden on the bench this week. Ron Artest might be worth a shot for the Lakers, but he's far too inconsistent for my blood.

Bold Prediction

Kobe Bryant wills the Lakers to a win against their new rivals, but Kevin Durant scores 40 in the loss.

 

[HacheMan]

Another Reason For Batum Love?
There were only two games on the Tuesday after the busiest NBA weekday of the year and we saw a couple of big road wins from teams in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The Hawks beat the Heat in Miami, sending them to their fourth straight loss since LeBron James' "karma tweet," while the Bobcats won in Chicago. Dirty South, y'all!

Marcus Camby To Have Knee Surgery

Blazer forward/center Marcus Camby takes the headlines, as he'll soon have surgery on his left knee for a partially torn medial meniscus. My guess is he'll miss about a month of time, while Joel Przybilla and Dante Cunningham will take over the center duties, which is probably bad news for their future health. I don't know that either guy becomes a must pickup in fantasy, simply because Przybilla has no offensive game and a shaky knee, while Cunningham is unproven. It is, however, probably good news for my man, Nicolas Batum, who I have been telling you all to pick up for weeks. Batum was 1-of-11 on MLK Day, but is going to have to crash the boards and continue playing heavy minutes for the jinxed Blazers. If you have Camby, get him benched ASAP and watch for updates on how long he's going to be sidelined. Przybilla will probably start and get some boards and blocks, but you might be better off looking at a different player off your waiver wire. And I think Batum is the guy you should go get.

On a side note, Aaron Bruski (@aaronbruski on Twitter), who along with a few guys at Rotoworld is my second right-hand, had a Twitter exchange with Cunningham after Monday's game, and suggested that his comments about a Camby "bounce back" concerned him. To make a long story short, Cunningham accused Bruski of trying to "make a story" out of nothing, yet a day later Camby is going under the knife. When teammates come out of the locker room wishing their buddies the best and predicting that they'll 'come back strong,' you can pretty much assume that the affected player is really hurt. Even as late as Tuesday afternoon there was hope from Camby that he'd play on Wednesday, but obviously he was trying to put on a happy face. Props to Aaron, and all the best to Camby in his recovery. Now it's time to see what Przybilla and Cunningham can do.

Rudy Fernandez is now questionable for tonight wit a bruised right knee of his own. Which is just another reason to love Wesley Matthews and Batum.

[SIZE=+1]Tuesday's News Roundup[/SIZE]

Hawks Knock Off Heat, LeBron Plays, Horford Injured

LeBron James returned to action from a sprained ankle and got hot in the fourth quarter after a pretty mediocre effort, finishing with 34 points, 10 boards, seven assists, two steals, two 3-pointers and six turnovers while hitting just 11-of-30 shots (2-of-10 from downtown). He's back, so get him in your lineup. Dwyane Wade had 27 points, six boards and six turnovers, but hit just 8-of-20 shots, while Chris Bosh sat out with a sprained ankle of his own. Joel Anthony didn't attempt a shot, but grabbed 16 boards and blocked three shots in the OT loss. Anthony is still not worth a pickup, in my opinion. Mike Miller got just 10 minutes and zero points. Are you still holding him? I wouldn't, but maybe he'll break free for some threes. I'm not holding my breath any longer.

For what it's worth, we blurbed that LeBron would probably play at 11:41 a.m. on Tuesday. While Ira Winderman was responsible for breaking that information, it's amazing how quickly our staff comes up with news in all sports, and I can't even remember what life was like before the Internet and Rotoworld. Actually, I can. I once called the Suns' beat writer from work to find out if Kevin Johnson would be playing that night, as I had a fantasy championship on the line in 1992. I somehow got through to him in the newsroom and he assured me KJ was good to go. And, of course, he came down with Chicken Pox a day later and crushed my dreams and hopes, but it happens.

For the Hawks, Al Horford left early with a right ankle injury, but initial reports are that it's not serious. I am expecting him to man-up and play in the next one. Jamal Crawford hit a huge late three and finished with 19 points, while most of the regulars did their thing for Atlanta, who has won five straight on the road. Josh Smith double-doubled with 15 points, 12 boards and three steals, but hit just 6-of-18 shots and didn't block a shot.

Bobcats Stun Bulls in Chicago

The Bobcats beat the Bulls despite 33 points, five rebounds, four assists, a block and two more 3-pointers on 14-of-28 shooting from Derrick Rose. Taj Gibson matched his career high in blocks for the second straight game with six of them to go along with nine points and nine boards, but my guess is Carlos Boozer is back Thursday against Dallas. We'll see. Kyle Korver was silenced after a big game on Monday, hitting 2-of-6 shots and a three for six points, while Luol Deng (10 points) and Ronnie Brewer (12) were the only other Bulls to hit double digits. Keep an eye on Korver, but like Gibson, his potential for value takes a hit with a Boozer return.

Charlotte was led by D.J. Augustin with 15 points and five assists, but he didn't hit a three, while Gerald Wallace had 13 points and 16 boards on 5-of-14 shooting. Boris Diaw came back to earth with the return of Tyrus Thomas (suspension) for just 12 points and two rebounds. Thomas had eight points, two steals and a block, but played a disappointing 22 minutes. He had a key block to help save the game for the Bobcats, which will hopefully be worth something in the eyes of Paul Silas. Kwame Brown had six points and four boards in just 15 minutes, so as I said yesterday, there's a very good chance his recent run is nothing more than a mirage. Kwame has been playing well enough that owners should probably give him another shot, unless there's a lock available for pickup. And I'm not sure Joel Przybilla or Dante Cunningham count as locks.

Keep reading for Tuesday's news recaps, as well as your name in lights.
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[SIZE=+1]Tuesday's News Recap[/SIZE]

There's a late report that the Nuggets already know whether or not Carmelo Anthony will sign an extension, as well as another that the deal to New Jersey is about to happen. Maybe it will, or maybe it won't. There's another report that George Karl may actually limit Melo's playing time if he becomes too big of a distraction. Really? Could he be a bigger distraction than what he is already, in regards to what the Nuggets are trying to do? As usual, take all trade rumors for what they are. It's even possible Melo could finish the season with the Nuggets. I know, right?

Michael Beasley sounds as if he'll play on Wednesday against the Clips despite not being 100 percent with his tweaked ankle. He was mediocre on Monday, but if he's going to play, you almost have to run him out there.

Darko Milicic is coming off a big game, but the duo of DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin is no laughing matter. Plus, Darko was bad against the Clippers last time out. If you have options on Wednesday, think about benching Darko.

Mo Williams didn't practice on Tuesday and isn't likely to play on Wednesday. If you picked up Ramon Sessions recently, we're going to see what he can do against the Suns. Daniel Gibson is also due back and he's a decent pickup option, while Anthony Parker will likely miss another game for the hapless Cavs.

Corey Maggette will start again against the Wizards tonight and looks like a fixture in the Bucks' starting five, at least for now. I picked him up where I could, and suggest you do the same. Drew Gooden, who double-doubled on Monday, will be evaluated game-to-game until further notice, which leads me to believe he's not a guy you want to count on right now.

And while we're talking add/drops, the Roy Hibbert questions have been rolling in. Again, I'm not cutting him yet. And I'm also not putting him in my lineup. You can cut him if you want, as Jim O'Brien doesn't appear to have any interest in giving him more than 15-20 minutes per game, but I just can't bring myself to drop a guy who was so productive early in the season, when the Pacers were actually a decent team.

Francisco Garcia is still very iffy on Wednesday for the Kings with his calf injury and should be benched if you have options.

We have taken liberties with some Joakim Noah quotes and listed his target date as February 24 for a return from thumb surgery. That's still a ways away, although it also puts him back in action sooner than expected. If you can afford the DNPs that will come with owning him over the next month or so, feel free to move on him. But I'd rather pick him up in a couple weeks.

Linas Kleiza missed practice on Tuesday and he could miss the whole week for the Raptors. Jerryd Bayless returned to practice from a sprained and ankle and could play Wednesday, but as long as Jose Calderon is in there, Bayless is a forgotten man.

Ben Wallace (ankle) is questionable for the Pistons tonight, which I only mention because his return could/should hurt Greg Monroe slightly. But I still have a pretty sizable man-crush on Monroe, and hope to keep it.

Rudy Gay was 1-of-10 on Monday while dealing with a hand/arm injury, but put in a nice workout after the loss. I suspect he's good to go against the Hornets tonight.

Kirk Hinrich is on the trading block and the Wizards are receiving inquires. You know who else is on the trading block? Carmelo Anthony. Trade rumors are just that - rumors. Hinrich is a borderline fantasy player right now with Nick Young so hot, and I'm not sure Hinrich could have much more value than he has right now in Washington. And as his owners know, he's not a must-own guy with John Wall and Young going off nightly.

Chris Paul is dealing with a left ankle sprain, but looked fine on Monday, despite a poor shooting performance. We're more worried about his knee, as rumors swell that he could have some serious problems down the line. Then again, we've heard the same thing about Amare Stoudemire, and both are Top 5 fantasy players this season. Paul sure looks better than Stephen Curry right now.

 

[HacheMan]

Held Hostage
Face it, you've been held hostage, and there's no Stockholm syndrome to cure the ills created by all of the Melodrama.

And every story that you have read that said, unequivocally, that Carmelo Anthony would be traded to the New Jersey Nets had an agenda. Sometimes the agendas were reported by media 'arms,' armed and ready to do the business of their masters. Sometimes the agendas were fed out of a clear and resolute duty to report the news.

But none of those so-called reports were written without a purpose.

The purpose, of course, was to land Carmelo Anthony in New York with the extension that he sought, which has become a more complicated task for Anthony as he has realized that he needs the Knicks more than the Knicks need him. In step, the Knicks have slow-played their hand, refusing to up the ante based on any reports that he would imminently sign, while Denver desperately (and over-aggressively) tried to arrange a deal with New Jersey in hopes the whispers in their ears were true.

Meanwhile, Anthony's handlers and agents may not share the same self-interested purpose of their client, but they were going to at least try to get New York to budge, and if Donnie Walsh wouldn't blink then they would try their best to deliver their client the option of a shiny new arena, a deep-pocketed owner, and a chance to play in his hometown – all while gaining access and control of the 'new' New Jersey empire for a tidy 10% commission.

The only problem with that? Melo never wanted to play for the Nets, and that chance ended yesterday when Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov held an unprecedented press conference to end the Nets' pursuit of Anthony. Call it dumping your girlfriend before she can do it first, but Prokhorov knew Melo wasn't on board the minute he heard his frustrated remarks bemoaning their apparent meeting. The last thing he was going to do was fly across the country to meet with a disinterested 26-year old.

So why is Melo frustrated? Isn't it his agents that are doing all the wheeling and dealing? Can't he tell them to stop? He can, and that frustration you see is what happens when the PR machine gets too close to the fire. Use the Nets to strong-arm the Knicks into giving him an extension? Sure, but whatever you do, don't get me traded there, please.

Of course, the collateral damage in all of this has been the paralysis of at least three franchises, the holding up of almost all NBA trade traffic, and the tarnishing of reputations all around.

And while he can pretend that his teammates haven't been affected, he only needs to look a few lockers down to see Denver hometown hero Chauncey Billups, whose family has the boxes packed and is waiting to hear where the trade winds will send them. The same uncertainty holds (or held) true for Richard Hamilton, Troy Murphy, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph, Devin Harris, Al Harrington, and a who's who of NBA journeyman.

Anthony has tried (and failed) to appear above the fray, but his calculated decision to use his leverage indirectly through his handlers and the media rather than simply saying, 'I'll sign here, and not here' has backfired. He's now LeBron Light, with the only difference being that he hasn't called ESPN or Jim Gray to film the whole thing.

Instead, his handlers have instructed him to say 'Did I do that?,'" and once again, another NBA superstar has asked us to believe that he has somehow morphed into Urkel.

The problem for all of the actors in this Melodrama isn't their tactics – it's that their tactics don't work anymore in the Twitter age. In the old days, media plants and public statements took weeks to disseminate and sway stakeholders' opinions, and by then the line between fact and fiction was sufficiently blurred. In the past, a report from a reputable source may have been enough to scare a team like New York into making a move. After all, they read the same newspapers as we do. But surely the brass in New York knew this was a bluff, and like LeBron James' camp planting the 'Erik Spoelstra can't coach' story in broad daylight, all of these media machinations have become too easy to dissect when there's a digital trail to follow.

And you may then wonder why all of these parties go through the hassle and take on all that collateral damage if it's ultimately fruitless. The answer is that the Twitter age is so new that LeBron, Melo, Creative Artists Agency, World Wide Wes, the reporters that cover it, you, us, and everybody in between, we're like little kids figuring it all out. They needed an edge in negotiations and they went for it, but the fallout is all new territory for these guys.

The result is that we will all go through the exercise of following the reports and debunking the reports – and the damage will continue to mount until he's traded. The Nuggets want to get the best deal possible, Melo wants to make as much money as he can and put himself in the best possible situation, and New York wants to pay as little as possible. And to add to the layers of confusion, Melo wants the Knicks to give up as little as possible because he has to go win there.

It's just business 101, but the difference is that we get a blow-by-blow account that gives us a headache. And while many owners are going to complain of the headache, if you're serious about winning you may want to read the tea leaves – after all, Gilbert Arenas was a pretty good fantasy asset in November. It's not all bad though. Some of us signed up for a little light fun, but many of us signed on to feel the thrill of being a real GM.

With Twitter, things move pretty fast, like they would for a real GM – and away we go…..

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Click here for the value changes brought about by yesterday's news and Wednesday's highlights….
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[SIZE=+1]Melo Stock Report[/SIZE]

Overall Change: The Nets are out of the picture. Some folks have floated the possibility that Mikhail Prokhorov's statements were a negotiating ploy, but nobody thinks that is the case. In fact, most are adamant that it is NOT the case, so you can rule it out.

The Knicks remain the favorites for his services, and there will be a number of teams that will be interested in 'renting' him for the rest of the season. Houston has already been identified as a candidate and Dallas has been brought up enough times to be considered a part of the process. Melo's agents literally stopped what they were doing after the press conference and called Chicago to try to make them an interested party, but Chicago isn't exactly breaking down doors to get in this thing.

Where does that leave us?

I've compiled a list of the parties that can be impacted by the current trade winds, and again, owners should not go buying or selling guys like their pants are on fire. Just keep these things in mind, and keep up with events on Rotoworld's NBA Player News page and take part in our live chats to stay ahead of the curve.

New York: As the current favorites to obtain Melo's services, owners of Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire are on notice, with Felton's production being at greater risk between the two. Simply put, Melo's touches and rebounds have to come from somewhere. Again, do not fire sale these guys or even sell-low, just be a step-ahead of the game and consider your options.

Guys like Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Landry Fields who have been mentioned in a possible Melo trade, whether they're in Denver or New York, will face an uphill battle. All of them are wings, and could land in Denver next to Arron Afflalo, J.R. Smith, and Gary Forbes, and if they stay in New York they could be playing next to Melo. Unless the dynamic of a potential deal changes, their opportunities seem destined to decrease.

The only other Knick worth discussion is Anthony Randolph, who has been in the rumor mill for a while now, and just to clear it up right off the bat I'm not running to go pick him up. Donnie Walsh is confident he can get a first round pick for him to use in the Melo trade, and Indiana, Minnesota, and Portland have all been floated as destinations. One has to think that Portland's interest just went up after Camby went down, which would also theoretically help his value there. Randolph could be worth stashing in deeper formats (read: deep), but keep in mind that Taco from The League might learn a new offense faster than Randolph would.

Denver: Perhaps the biggest question on owners' minds is, 'does Ty Lawson deserve to be stashed?' I think so, but if you're in a league in which games played is a factor, or are in desperate need for a productive player – then it's okay to let him go. Just keep all of this in mind: Denver is rumored to be interested in buying out Chauncey Billups' contract for next season at their $3.7 million option, rather than the $14.2 million they would owe him if they kept him. With that reality staring them down, they may want to season their future PG even if Billups is around, especially if the Nuggets fall out of contention. And yes, they can buy Billups out and bring him back, too, but that will be contingent upon whether or not the Nuggets are contending or rebuilding.

So when you add up the chance that Billups is moved, plus the chance that the keys are given to Lawson as the year goes on, and factor in all of the overtures being made by the people in Denver that they are ready for the Lawson-project to begin – yes, he still makes sense to stash away until the Melodrama comes and goes. He's just not the awesome stash that he was 24 hours ago.

As for Billups, his value has been mostly the same throughout this whole mess. If anything, it may have improved in New Jersey where Ty Lawson's equivalent was going to be Jordan Farmar. Now, the chance that he gets moved to a team with a less desirable situation comes into play. This chance doesn't move the needle much with him right now since his name isn't attached to a trade, but how long that holds true is anybody's guess.

Al Harrington is an interesting case simply for the fact that Denver is treating him like a one-night stand, and isn't about to make him an omelet. I don't know what Mike D'Antoni has to say about it, but Denver could easily tell New York to take their Harrington and shove it right up into their rotation at backup PF. Harrington has been mostly radioactive lately with his sub-par play and the 'just got dumped' syndrome, but hanging onto him with the possibility he lands in New York or comes out of the Melodrama ahead makes some sense right now.

The rest of the Denver cast should be handled like normal, and if names start popping up owners can deal with it then.

New Jersey: Devin Harris' value returns to normal without the uncertainty of a bad landing spot, Kris Humphries loses the chance to have the PF job to himself, Derrick Favors is still the raw and somewhat underperforming talent he's been the whole time, Brook Lopez still rebounds like Brooke Shields, Sasha Vujacic is still amazingly relevant, Travis Outlaw is still a mess, and Avery Johnson is still there to make everything unbearable for the most part.

Troy Murphy finally requested a trade out of New Jersey through his agent and the Nets are going to grant it from what it looks like. Detroit is not in the picture barring a new development, and his expiring contract is actually a pretty good trade chip. Stashing him may make some sense, but he has a ton of red flags including his conditioning and the chance he lands somewhere undesirable. I haven't even checked into his availability in 12-team leagues for what it's worth.

Detroit: It's back to the drawing board for them, and all they have to show for their work is a fractured team and one unhappy Rip. They may put him back in the rotation or they may not, and he may just pop up with some sort of minor ailment to stick it to Detroit. Who knows. The bottom line is that he was barely worth stashing when it was "imminent" that he was going to New Jersey, and he's waiver wire fodder now.

Charlie Villanueva, Greg Monroe, and 'power forward' Austin Daye benefit from news that Troy Murphy won't be arriving, but really their value wasn't threatened by news of his arrival too much. The footnote gets removed, that is all.

Other teams: There's really nothing you can plan for. If Melo lands in Dallas his value could take a turn for the worse. He would survive in Houston and elsewhere, and to figure it out you'll have to tune into Where the Melo Turns.


Click here for Wednesday's highlights….
<!--RW-->[SIZE=+1]Wednesday's Highlights[/SIZE]

The Poster Child's streak ends

Blake Griffin a.k.a. the Poster Child had his double-double streak end at 27 games, and also nearly did the splits and may have some trouble with his groin as a result, but did stay in the game and finish with "just" 29 points, eight rebounds, and six assists on 10-of-21 shooting. Kevin Love's double-double streak did stay intact at 29 straight games, despite the fact that he did not have a rebound at halftime. He bounced back with his 20th double-double this year in just a single half of basketball play, and finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds. This just in, they're good.

Baron Davis is a team player

I'll scratch that off the list of things I swore I'd never say this season, but it's true. The emergence of new leaders Blake Griffin and Eric Gordon has effectively given Baron no choice but to play the part of willing veteran. The result? On Wednesday it was 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals, three blocks, and three 3-pointers. Always mercurial, Davis has gone from malcontent to omnipotent in just over two weeks. Last week I placed a sell-high/hold recommendation on him, and while I wouldn't blame you for cashing in now, the needle has moved to 'hold.' The fact that Eric Gordon hurt his finger last night doesn't hurt, either. Which leads me to…..

Eric Gordon hurt his finger

He tore the tendon from the ring finger on his shooting hand during the first half of last night's game, and after a long period in the locker room, he returned to start the second half and looked great finishing with 23 points and three 3-pointers. He swears that he'll be able to play through the pain and it would be surprising to see the Clips run him back out there last night if he needed surgery, but however you slice it this is not good news for him and his owners. Hopefully it won't affect his shooting or keep him out, and he's a guy that you may want to float in trade offers if he plays well but his finger continues to hurt.

Time to take the Sammy D out of the fridge

As expected with DeMarcus Cousins' development, he is on No. 2-3 of the five major headaches he's bound to cause owners this season. Aside from the worst inbounds pass I've seen this side of Isiah Thomas-to-Larry Bird on Monday, he has been playing increasingly sloppy, shooting 28-of-86 from the field (32.5%) over his last six games with 22 turnovers (3.7 per game). Last night he hit just 2-of-11 shots from the field for five points, four rebounds, two assists, and four turnovers in 25 minutes, and left without speaking to reporters after the game. Maybe that's because Samuel Dalembert looked great with a season-high 15 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks in 28 minutes, and Paul Westphal might have given him some bad news. It's not time to drop Cousins by any means, but we wouldn't be surprised to see Westphal send him back to the bench or rein him in a little bit. Meanwhile, Dalembert should be picked up and owners shouldn't hesitate to throw him in lineups, though he's nowhere near must-start status, obviously.

It smells like a diaper filled with Indian food in here

Based on the Twitter comments and emails we get from owners who took Stephen Curry in the first round, the metaphor is appropriate. It's also appropriate for the level of whining I hear from Curry these days, who doesn't believe that his defense is a problem and doesn't believe he should be leaving the court. It is a problem, and Warriors TV color man Jim Barnett, who knows the Warriors about as well as anybody has a pretty good theory. He believes Curry taxed himself playing 48 minutes a game at times for Nellie last season, followed by his stint with Team USA over the summer. The fatigue, he says, combined with the ankle injury, has caused him to develop bad habits on defense and caused him to foul more often. Defense and foul trouble are the only reasons he has left the court according to Keith Smart, so it all adds up to me.

All of that said, I find it somewhat surprising that a player that is providing high-end second round value in most formats is getting so much hate. He's survived a nasty ankle injury, his backcourt mate has gone ballistic, and he hasn't played well – yet he's still returning near first round value. If this is his low-water mark, sign me up. But if you feel this is more trend than it is trough, there will be more than enough speculators in the Curry market to get you a deal done. I think he has enough pedigree and sense to make the necessary adjustments and get back into owners' good graces.

Batum Vacuum

Doctor A has been hyperventilating at the prospect to add Nicolas Batum wherever he can find him, and a day after making him his poster boy in yesterday's Dose, Batum led the Blazers with a season-high 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting with six rebounds, three assists, two threes, two steals, and a block. The idea was that he looked like a good pickup before Marcus Camby went down, and looked even better afterwards, and after last night's effort he needs to be owned in all formats until he gives owners a reason not to believe.

What's eating Gilbert?

Stan Van Gundy, apparently. The fragile guard admitted that Stan Van has been in his head, sharing with reporters that after he experienced some early success, Van Gundy started to expect more out of him and basically started berating him 24/7. While it sounds like he might have been griping, he wasn't, he was merely stating facts. Jameer Nelson's job security with the Magic is what it is in part because he has survived Van Gundy's tough love, and Arenas has yet to earn that badge of honor. This explains Arenas' disappearing act, and he's going to start showing up on waiver wires soon after he had another disappointing two-point, 13-minute line last night. Meanwhile, Nelson gave his owners some relief with 16 points, six rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and two treys. While Nelson got back into owners' good graces with this performance, Arenas' owners need to weigh the cost-benefit of waiting for him to earn Van Gundy's respect. It's going to happen – they aren't paying him all that money to ride the bench. But it's going to happen on Stan's terms and nobody else's.

[SIZE=+1]Pickup Lines[/SIZE]

Ramon Sessions – I feel for Mo Williams. More than anybody else on the Cavs, his heart was broken the most when LeBron left. And that has carried over into this year, and his injuries may or may not be a manifestation of the depression he showed over the summer. He sounds like a guy that's on a walkabout, and Sessions should be owned in all formats for the chance he can continue with nights like the 19 points, five rebounds, eight assists, three steals, and a block he put up last night. We've been hearing some pretty wild add/drop questions lately, though, so do keep in mind that Mo could easily return.
Corey Maggette – He scored 21 points with five rebounds, four assists, and two steals on 7-of-18 shooting last night. The Bucks offense needs scoring and that's what he brings. Scott Skiles held off as long as he could, perhaps to keep the smell of Nellie's cigars off of his players' uniforms, but has decided to give Maggette an extended look. Picking him up for the chance that he can keep it up makes a ton of sense.
Ryan Anderson – It's been a good week for many of our recent recommendations, and Anderson fell into that category with 20 points, four boards, two assists, and four more 3-pointers on 8-of-15 shooting. Though he's stuck in a time-share, he's creeping into must-own territory with his combination of 3-point shooting, rebounds, and blocks, though he didn't have a block last night.
DeMar DeRozan – He scored 28 points last night with four steals, and is only owned in 80% of CBS leagues out there. He's averaging 19 points per game in January and though he doesn't hit threes, rebound much, or pass the ball, he does get you about a steal and block per game.
Keyon Dooling – Finally, he showed up with a season-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting with three assists and three 3-pointers, and gets a bit of good news with Brandon Jennings opting out of the dunk contest. Sure, the Bucks probably don't want their star PG dunking if he's not fully healthy, but the takeaway is that Jennings' Jan. 31 return date looks less rosy. Nevertheless, Dooling has not played well and his backup, Earl Boykins, who had 19 points with three rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two threes has actually been better. They're nowhere near must add, but give them a look.
Marcin Gortat – A career-high tying 16 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocks will get you noticed, especially when you're the guy that everybody thought would explode two weeks ago. Robin Lopez scored nine points, but lasted just 11 minutes while racking up four fouls, and was thoroughly outplayed by Gortat last night. Keep in mind Gortat did his damage against J.J. Hickson, Antawn Jamison, and Alonzo Gee, but it's time to pick him up – especially if you need a big man.
Marcus Thornton – If coach Monty Williams gets paid by the win, then he owes Thornton at least a trip to Sizzler. Thornton went to Sizzler on his own dime for the second time in the last two weeks last night, single-handedly winning another overtime game with his offense and his defense. After hitting a key bucket to tie the game in overtime, he stole an inbounds pass and then collected the ball on the other end to put the Hornets up for good. Will Monty give him regular playing time after this stellar performance? Probably not, but if you want to roll the dice feel free, just keep in mind the odds of success are not in your favor.
Lou Williams – 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block work in all formats, and he has been averaging 18 points in 10 January games. As with Maggette in Milwaukee, the Sixers need his scoring punch.
Daniel Gibson – Like the kid from Role Models, I love me some Daniel Gibson, who returned from his ankle injury after missing five games. He's going to have little to no competition for minutes, starter or not, and has already proven what he can do when healthy. I personally don't think he should have been dropped, and owners should grab him now that he's back and producing.
Greg Monroe – He had another typical night with 13 points and nine rebounds on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting. His arrow is pointing up and is well worth a pickup.
DeJuan Blair – He set a season-high in scoring for the second time in three nights with 22 points to go with 11 rebounds, a steal, and a block. The game before? Three points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. I'd be more willing to bet that he'll flop in his next one than build off of it.
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[SIZE=+1]Wednesday's Injury Ward[/SIZE]

Darko Milicic – Darko! left Wednesday's game during the third quarter after tweaking his ankle. X-rays taken were negative but it quells the enthusiasm following his 22-point, eight-rebound, two-steal, and four-block night from Monday, but he still managed the same number of steals and blocks in 23 minutes last night, and also chipped in six points and three boards. None of his various injuries have been all that serious, and he should be held, but he's no longer a buy low candidate because of his durability issues.
Tyson Chandler – He played through the flu on Wednesday, which he has been suffering from for some time. He'll get over it, obviously.
Carlos Boozer (ankle) – He "still appears to be a couple of days away, at least," and Taj Gibson should be owned by somebody in your league. We wouldn't cut a player with long-term value for him, though it does feel like we've been through this before with Boozer – because we have. Consider Boozer very questionable for tonight's game.
Brandon Jennings – As mentioned earlier, his absence in the dunk contest calls into question his self-proclaimed Jan. 31 return date. Plan accordingly.
Michael Beasley (ankle) – He played and finished with 21 points, three rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block, though he didn't hit a three. He logged 31 minutes before getting ejected for arguing with the refs, and was limping down the tunnel as he left. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't try to get his money's worth knowing that his ankle could use the rest with the game no longer in question. Either way, he's shown enough productivity to be started until he gives us a reason not to, but he has hardly turned the corner on this ankle injury.
Roy Hibbert – He missed Wednesday's game with the flu. Jim O'Brien said before the game that "when you lose a guy like Roy you try not to change up your entire rotation." Really? REALLY?!? I don't want to condone violence, but I went all Dewey Cox on my fork set. And I only own the guy in one league.
Linas Kleiza – He missed last night's game with his knee injury, and he has worked his way out of most owners' lineups. He stopped being valuable the moment that Andrea Bargnani returned, and has no guarantee of future value.
Mo Williams – As alluded to, Mo is out after getting a cortisone shot for his hip and is out indefinitely until his mind and body heal.
John Salmons – Owners were the victims of the Milwaukee press corps forgetting about the other team in town, as he did not play due to hip soreness. Too bad we didn't know until after game-time. Consider him day-to-day, and hopefully we'll get an update before too long.
Francisco Garcia – He was held from Wednesday's game with his calf injury, and I'm just holding onto him in the one league I own him in. I should probably be more aggressive with that roster spot, since there are no guarantees with the SF position in Sacto, but he is the team's undisputed leader and was providing me a nice mixture of threes, steals, and blocks before he went out.
Andrew Bynum – He suffered a slightly hyper-extended right elbow, but doctors have already checked him out and he will be playing Friday in Denver. Unless something changes, don't worry about it.
Tracy McGrady – He's still playing on a sore leg and hit just 2-of-9 shots from the field to finish with five points, four boards, and seven assists. He's still worth owning and could get hot at any time.

[SIZE=+1]Thursday Night Lights[/SIZE]

Philly heads into Charlotte on local television and NBA League Pass, which I believe is still free this week so check it out. The early TNT game pits the Mavs against the Bulls, and the late TNT game gives us the Clippers at Portland. Carlos Boozer (ankle) is the only big name that is iffy, though Blake Griffin (groin) and Eric Gordon's (finger) owners will want to watch the news closely.