Dose: Love Gets Concussed
With 11 games on the slate and a ton of big news, let’s get this party started during this crucial week of the fantasy playoffs.
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LOVE HOSPITALIZED AFTER ‘MINOR’ CONCUSSION
Kevin Love hit the ground after an unintentional JaVale McGee elbow and teammates immediately called for help from trainers. He was on the ground for a while and then eventually helped from the floor and taken to a Denver area hospital. He has been ruled out for Thursday’s game and suffered what is being called a “minor” concussion, which puts him into the league’s concussion protocol and his season is officially in jeopardy.
J.J. Barea was his normal wonderful self with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, six rebounds, 15 assists, a steal, and a three, and the only complaint about his game right now is the sub-40 percent field goal percentage. Nikola Pekovic is likely still hurting, as evidenced by another night with two rebounds to go with his 12 points. Start him at your own risk and, yes, he’s droppable depending on the situation, but keep in mind that his stock just went way up due to Love’s injury. Derrick Williams went nuts with 27 points, eight boards, a steal, a block, and three triples, while you-know-who Anthony Randolph scored a season-high 28 points with six rebounds and five blocks. Anthony Tolliver was quiet with three points and three rebounds in 22 minutes last night, but all three are going to be worth a look due to Love’s situation with varying expectation levels.
Your flier pick of the bunch is Ant-Rand, and if you’re putting stock in him after years of disappointment you have nobody to blame but yourself if he totally lets you down. I’m not the guy to sit here and say that because he has failed miserably in the past that he’s destined to do it again, but the correct play is to treat him as an upside flier and nothing more. Williams is the strongest pickup of the bunch given his draft status, his relatively stronger play over the body of the season compared to Ant-Rand, and because he also has a hint of game-changing upside, himself. The safe and boring play will be Tolliver, who is trusted the most by Rick Adelman and might be called upon to stabilize the situation. Above all, the season is lost for the Wolves and Adelman may finally be ready to put up with the headaches that Williams and Randolph supply in bunches.
IT'S TIME TO SNUFF THE ROOSTER
The Nuggets have integrated their No. 1 player in Danilo Gallinari quickly, as Gallo scored 18 points with four rebounds, four assists, and three treys last night, though we’ll know his assimilation is complete when he gets to the foul line more than twice. Arron Afflalo (21 points) is probably safe with Wilson Chandler dealing with a groin injury and Al Harrington (11 points, four boards, three treys, 22 minutes) dealing with a knee injury. As for Harrington, ride him until the wheels fall off. Kenneth Faried continued to take no prisoners with 16 points, 12 boards, two steals, and two blocks, and Ty Lawson scored 24 points with five rebounds and eight assists as his yo-yo week continues. Andre Miller missed on all three shot attempts in a scoreless night, but did hand out seven assists. Let’s give him a chance after a strong couple of weeks. JaVale McGee went for eight and four with three blocks, and aside from being a stash he’s also worth a look if you’re simply hunting blocks.
BEATEN AND WOBBLY
The Sixers beat up on an overmatched Raptors squad last night, leading to a wobbly box score that owners shouldn’t read too much into. Jrue Holiday posted eight points, seven boards, and seven assists, Andre Iguodala went fairly quiet with 10 points, two boards, four assists, two steals, a block, and a three, Elton Brand went for 11 and eight with a block, Thad Young scored 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting with five boards, a steal, and a block, and Spencer Hawes put up a mediocre 10 points, four boards, and two assists but did have four blocks. Evan Turner had a confidence-building night with six points, eight boards, and six assists, but we need to see it in a meaningful game before buying in. Likewise, with Nikola Vucevic we’ll need to see another 12 points, five boards, and three assists before recommending him in deeper formats for the upcoming four-game week.
Andrea Bargnani will undergo tests today on his calf, which is an interesting piece of news following his meeting with the Raptors’ “full medical staff” on Tuesday. If the ‘tests’ are on the court then maybe there’s a chance he could return, but again, all signs have pointed to a shutdown for a while now. Only stash if you can guarantee you won’t lose because of it.
Without their main man last night the only thing going for the Raps was Ed Davis, who put up 13 points, 13 boards, and five assists in 33 minutes off the bench. Amir Johnson hit just 1-of-8 shots for two points, but did have three blocks to go with six boards. The two are likely to trade off good nights, with Dwane Casey riding the hot hand just a little bit. I have no problem calling the position battle a day-to-day affair, and while both are risky both are worth a look for the stats they bring.
Jose Calderon took a shot to the same eye which caused him to miss Friday’s game, and finished with nine points, four assists, and a three before calling it an early night after 22 minutes on the floor. Justin Dentmon was signed to a 10-day contract and logged 21 minutes on his way to five points, three rebounds, two assists, a three, and a 2-of-3 mark from the field. While Gary Forbes (10 points, two threes, zero assists, 19 minutes) seems like a good candidate to start if Calderon can’t go in the Raps’ next game on Friday, it’s very possible if not likely that Dentmon, a pure PG, gets a look-see during Tankfest 2012.
James Johnson’s season is ending with a thud as he hit just 2-of-11 shots for five points with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a three in 21 minutes off the bench. As you can see the potential is there, but with just three games next week it will take a big finish this week to perk owners’ interests. Linas Kleiza (five points, 13 minutes) left last night’s game with a right knee injury and did not return, in what should be the last time that you believe that terrorists have Jack Bauer right where they want him.
NOMENCLATURE-GATE
Lester Hudson is the most recent NBA player to have ‘anity’ added to their name, which will go down in the sports writing hall of fame next to 'Team Name' Nation and Whatever-Gate. After a rocky start that included six turnovers and resulted in an 8-of-20 mark from the field (1-of-9 from deep), Hudsanitation cleaned up its act and hit a few key shots late en route to 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a block in 34 minutes off the bench. The volume here is key, and he’ll probably have at least one more outing to chuck it up like this before he gets reeled in if things go bad.
Donald Sloan is still in a backseat role and had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting with six assists and nothing else, and Anthony Parker literally got knocked around all night on his way to seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 37 minutes. As long as he didn’t get too beat up, I still like him during the Cavs’ remaining schedule and consider him a must-own player in 12-team formats.
Semih Erden was helped off the court with an ankle injury (X-rays negative), but Byron Scott doesn’t even like him let alone want to play him. Samardo Samuels (13 points, five boards) could pick up the 11 mpg Erden was logging in April, but my guess is that they go to Tristan Thompson (10 points, eight boards, one steal, one block), but it’s anybody’s guess if Thompson can do anything substantial with them.
EXPLOSIONS IN THE EYE
Darren Collison (groin) apparently didn’t go because he “didn’t have the explosion” that he would have liked before the game, and apparently could have played last night if he had to. George Hill (17 points, five assists, two blocks, two threes) is still worth owning until we get confirmation that Collison will play on Friday, but if you want to make the switch for a hot free agent it’s a pretty strong idea. Roy Hibbert’s ankle injury wasn’t a big deal last night as the big man finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and four blocks. David West showed some life before the game poking the Cavs’ mascot (accidentally) in the eye, and then poking the Cavs in the eye with 19 points, five boards, two steals, and two blocks. After the year West has had, it’s a gift owners likely won’t forget.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
The Clippers and Thunder played a tight, exciting game last night that included plenty of highlights, including a facial by Blake Griffin on Serge Ibaka. It wasn’t a Perk-asol-gov, but it sent a similar message. Chris Paul hit the game-winning layup with 8.8 seconds left and posted 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting (including two threes) with six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. I’m not worried about his so-called hurt arm/elbow at all. Griffin flirted with the idea of a triple-double, scoring 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting with 12 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block, and the rest of the Clippers’ box was pretty uninspiring.
Since Nick Young (10 points, nothing else, 26 minutes) is more trouble than he’s worth on the basketball court, Randy Foye continues to get heavy run despite his shooting slump. He hit just 2-of-10 shots for seven points with four rebounds, three assists, and a three in 36 minutes, and since Mo Williams (toe) felt pretty sore after Tuesday’s practice and missed last night’s game – Foye still has a puncher’s chance of helping owners for now. DeAndre Jordan didn’t have a steal or block last night, making his eight points and four boards more irrelevant than they normally are. I can’t believe the Warriors mortgaged their future for the chance to swing (and miss) on this guy. If you’re relying on Jordan for blocks I don’t see how you make the drop unless you have a guy on the wire that you think gives you a better chance nightly. Caron Butler scored nine points with nothing else, and isn’t worth gambling on in my opinion.
The Thunder box showed a lot of bad shooting, but there were no revelations, as usual. Russell Westbrook hit just 3-of-14 shots for 20 points, four rebounds, and seven assists, while Kevin Durant mirrored his futility with 22 points on 7-of-21 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks, and three triples. Serge Ibaka got 34 minutes of run, scoring 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting with seven boards, one steal, and three blocks. James Harden added 17 points with a full line in the loss.
GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH
Shannon Brown and his owners are getting their money’s worth while Grant Hill (knee) is still on the shelf, even if getting their money’s worth isn’t all that exciting at times. Brown scored 18 points with a steal, a block, and four threes last night, but hit just 6-of-17 shots with one rebound and one assist. It’s an all-too-familiar line and one that doesn’t reflect well next to teammates Jared Dudley (two points, 1-of-6 FGs, 27 minutes) and Channing Frye (five points, 2-of-6 FGs, 21 minutes). Some players make their teammates better and others don’t – and Brown falling into that latter category tells me that Alvin Gentry will want to get folks into their prior roles sooner rather than later. Owners will want to ride Brown until the wheels fall off, but have those contingency plans ready.
TRENDING TOPICS
The Grizzlies will be a trendy pick in the Western Conference and for good reason, they have a big, effective front line and a stifling defense. Mike Conley is a big part of that, and the good news for his owners is that he’s dishing the rock again. He had 12 points with two rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks and is fully on track again it appears. Marc Gasol dealt with foul trouble and finished with eight points, seven boards, and four assists in 25 minutes. Rudy Gay went nuts with a season-high 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting and a relatively full line, Zach Randolph went for 17 and nine, and O.J. Mayo kept his foot on the gas with 15 points and three treys. Marreese Speights showed signs of slowing down with five points, eight boards, and two blocks in just 22 minutes, and this will probably be his last useful week in fantasy leagues. Tony Allen got the stitches removed from the gash in his mouth yesterday, and that could mean a return for tonight’s game against the Spurs is in the cards.
KATE UPTON'S SHOULDER BLADES
By now you guys know I am the national writer banging the Isaiah Thomas drum, and I’ll do this anytime I see a player that is underappreciated, getting benched, and the like. I also do this with narratives that are derived from lazy analysis, but that’s another story for a different day. My phone blows up anytime Thomas has a slow night in the box score now, and since I don’t want to bang the drum for a guy that may fall off or not deserve it, I went to the tape following his two-point, seven-assist, 21-minute outing. The local blogs said that Thomas struggled and our blurbs said that he struggled, too, so I was expecting to see some turnovers and frankly, it’s about time he had a rookie night.
Nothing. It was like trying to find the pimple on Kate Upton’s shoulder blade – you just don’t care. He was nearly flawless on defense, allowing zero penetrations while displaying excellent team defense principles. Offensively, he was ordered to bring the ball up the court and hand it to one of his offensive-minded teammates, and from there the Kings were a horror show. Tyreke Evans had a great game in the box, scoring 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting with five rebounds, eight assists, and four steals, but he was simply brutal in terms of decision-making with the ball. Marcus Thornton’s takes were a bit less offensive, and he put up 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting with three steals, but DeMarcus Cousins has officially gone way past peeing in front of your girlfriend and into the territory of Leslie Mann in The Change Up. He has been jacking up outside shots, fadeaways, and one fast-break-spin-move turnover was more breakdance fighting than basketball manuever. He finished with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting with four rebounds, two assists, and four steals before being benched after 20 minutes of action.
As for Thomas, he took 2-3 semi-questionable shots and my only complaint about his recent play has been that he looks 1/10<sup>th</sup> of a step slow, and maybe the minutes have caught up to him. It hasn’t impacted his effectiveness, and my hope is that Keith Smart did in fact give him a rest. We know that isn’t true, but if you go to the tape from last night you’ll see a player that did practically nothing wrong and was given a seat on the pine. And if he’s running the team with a directive from above that he’s the man, his teammates don’t turn to hero ball in New Orleans on a sleepy Wednesday night.
Terrence Williams bought himself another day with fantasy owners with his 16 points, five boards, one assist, and two threes in 23 minutes, and Jason Thompson bounced back with 18 points, seven boards, one steal, and one block. Get him back in lineups – the ankle looks like it’s holding up.
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PING PONG THEATRE
Eric Gordon (back) did not play last night, and while it’s possible he’s resting on his laurels after a one-game audition – that doesn’t exactly scream ‘I’m healthy.’ Monty Williams said he sees no reason to bring back Emeka Okafor (knee) this year, which isn’t exactly breaking news. Gustavo Ayon has been dealing with both a shoulder and foot issue, and all of this is good news for the triumvirate of Chris Kaman (eight points, 10 boards, three blocks), Jason Smith (22 points, six rebounds, one steal, 10-of-12 FGs, 27 minutes), and Carl Landry (eight points, three rebounds, two assists, 21 minutes). Especially if Gordon stays out, look for Kaman to stay in fantasy lineups with Smith and Landry trading off big nights. Al-Farouq Aminu got another start and there’s no telling how long that will last, but he’s worth a look in deep leagues after seven points, six boards, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Trevor Ariza’s owners are getting the shaft as he’s being sat for the young guys, but he could pick it up at any time if Monty Williams decides he deserves some run. Marco Belinelli scored 21 points with three treys, three boards, and three assists, and is worth a look while he’s hot and Gordon is out.
TODAY IN BYNUM
Andrew Bynum may actually be trying to be an idiot. After a historic 30-rebound effort he told the cameras that he “shot the ball like s***.” If that wasn’t enough, he played defense on Steve Blake as the clock expired in the Lakers’ 14-point win. It’s true, he did shoot the ball like s***, hitting 7-of-20 shots on his way to 16 points to go with two blocks. Pau Gasol hit just 9-of-24 shots for 21 points, 11 boards, four assists, a steal, and a block, and Metta World Peace scored a season-high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting with five threes and two steals. Everyone wants to make a big deal about Kobe Bryant’s absence, and that has certainly helped Metta, but the real helper for MWP’s value has been Ramon Sessions (10 points, five assists). Matt Barnes has also enjoyed Sessions’ presence, and put up another nice night with 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, three treys, and a block. World Peace has been worth owning in 12-team leagues and Barnes has been a 14-team guy, and both are upgraded for however long Kobe is out.
Mike Brown said that he has “no idea” if Kobe Bryant (shin) will be available on Friday, which isn’t that surprising if you know the way Kobe operates. Brown added that Kobe hasn’t been bugging him, either. For those contemplating a drop on Kobe, I think you really have to get the abacus out and figure out what he’s going to give you versus what you’re going to get in terms of a replacement – and how it impacts your current standings. There is no one cookie cutter answer.
BEING GREGG POPOVICH
I think we’ve established that Gregg Popovich is a roll of the dice right now, and he proved everybody right again in last night’s loss to the Lakers. Tony Parker (four points, 2-of-12 FGs, eight assists), Manu Ginobili (nine points, four rebounds, five assists, 26 minutes), and Tim Duncan (14 points, two boards, three blocks, 24 minutes) struggled on their own accord, but it’s the fringe guys that deserve all the attention as fantasy owners scamper to find value within the Spurs’ tempting playoff schedule. Danny Green was the big winner with 22 points, five threes, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes, while DeJuan Blair (zero points, four boards), Kawhi Leonard (two points, five boards, two blocks), Stephen Jackson (six points, five boards, two threes), and Tiago Splitter (six points, two boards, 15 minutes) were losers. Gary Neal did not play due to stomach issues, and fantasy owners’ stomach issues will continue as we shake the whole thing up and do it again tonight against the Grizzlies.
PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME
Ray Allen was a late scratch due to his lingering ankle issue and owners have to at least have the option of dropping him on the table. We can explain away the absence due to the back-to-back, but at some point all that ‘splainin has to pay the bills. Avery Bradley continued his disappointing showing during the C’s five-game week, scoring seven points on 3-of-7 shooting with four rebounds and a three. The fantasy story, however, was Rajon Rondo’s 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 20 assists in the Celtics’ overtime win over the Hawks. Kevin Garnett continued to put in a good word for old guys with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals, and Paul Pierce struggled on his way to 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting and an otherwise full line. Brandon Bass shook off yet another leg/knee tweak to finish with 21 points, 10 boards, one steal, and one block.
Just like the Celtics, the Hawks have become a stable fantasy outfit lately, as Jeff Teague (21 points, full line) has turned his season around at the right time. Joe Johnson (14 points, 5-of-17 FGs) is usually productive even if his shot is off like last night, Zaza Pachulia (13 points, seven rebounds) puts up low-end center numbers, and Josh Smith (20 points, 11 boards, five assists, two blocks, six turnovers) is usually a monster. After two straight three-game weeks they’ll get a four-banger to finish things off next time out.
FACT AND FRICTION
The Rockets started the night in the sixth slot in the west and the Jazz were in the tenth slot, but the Jazz came out gunning and took out the Rockets on their home court. At the center of the effort for the Jazz was none other than Gordon Hayward, who I’ve basically tried to wedge into owners’ rosters despite some dark times throughout the year. Brian Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune pointed out the newfound respect Hayward has gotten from officials on the floor, “he’s finally starting to get calls,” and calls or not he has come into his own down the stretch. Hayward put up a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting (including four threes) with two rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Paul Millsap is fully over his flu bug and posted 21 points, seven boards, four assists, three steals, and a block, and young starter DeMarre Carroll bounced back from his awful Monday with 10 points, seven boards, two steals, and one block. I can’t promise consistency for Carroll, but he’s starting with little competition and by virtue of that he’s worth a look. The real winner of the small forward shortage might be Derrick Favors (10 points, 11 boards, three blocks), who is doing his part to help the Jazz field the biggest lineup I’ve seen this side of the Lakers. Devin Harris played just 22 minutes last night, scoring six points with five assists and proving that the timeshare is still on in Utah no matter how well he plays.
The Rockets could be headed for some frictional chemistry issues, as Kyle Lowry’s return necessarily means that guys will be moved into places they’re not used to playing if the Rockets plan on keeping Goran Dragic at the point full-time, as expected. Lowry came off the bench and however the cookie crumbles, both he and Dragic will likely play a lot next to each other. Dragic hit just 3-of-13 shots but made 13-of-14 freebies and finished with 19 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and a steal, while Lowry put up 15 points, four rebounds, and five assists in just 20 minutes. Dragic is a must-start player and Lowry is a game away from being one, if he isn’t already. Courtney Lee scored just nine points with no threes in 29 minutes, and the end is probably near. Moving him for a hot free agent makes sense, though you’ll want to note the Rockets’ upcoming five-game week when making your decisions.
MY NECK AND MY BACK
Heading into the Knicks/Bucks game last night, it was reported that Baron Davis had a sore neck, so if you had ‘neck’ in your office pool you win a free video of Davis roller skating on a basketball court. Davis (five points, three assists) only logged 19 minutes last night, and it does look like Iman Shumpert has indeed become PG Iman Shumpert. He put up 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, rewarding owners that have held him on principle while he has been putting up slow line after slow line. Carmelo Anthony added a hurt right wrist and hurt fingers on his left hand to his list of ailments, but finished the game with 32 points, 10 rebounds, two threes, and a block and does not appear to be slowing down. J.R. Smith, a player I’ve touted as a must-own guy recently, hit a big shot late and finished with 14 points and two threes, which is par for the course lately. Had the Knicks lost this game to the Bucks, they’d have been tied in the standings and Scott Skiles’ squad would’ve held the tiebreaker for the eighth slot.
Amare Stoudemire (back) appears to be progressing in his return, as he participated in Tuesday morning’s practice and has been seen shooting around before games. The most recent report I’ve seen has him potentially returning on Wednesday against the Nets, but based on some of the prior reports I had read I was beginning to think a weekend return was possible. Regardless, I’m not breaking my neck to make the add, but I’ll be watching just like you folks will be.
VENDETTA
The Bucks had been rolling along so nicely and have fallen apart at precisely the wrong time, which if you think about it, fits well with Scott Skiles’ vendetta against fantasy owners. Drew Gooden started but played just five minutes last night, with only a casual mention of his back injury in the AP postgame report. Of course, the Milwaukee papers don’t care about it if it doesn’t wear cheese on its head, so Gooden’s injury will likely be a mystery for the rest of the year. And with three games next week, both Gooden and Ersan Ilyasova (three points, two boards, 14 minutes) are on the table as drop candidates. I’d just exercise patience with Ilyasova, if possible, as his problem is more Skiles-related than injury-based.
The guard backcourt is a bit less stressful, as Brandon Jennings (22 points, four boards, seven assists) and Monta Ellis (35 points, six rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, three treys) are trading off big nights and generally getting it done. Carlos Delfino is a mess and had two points on 1-of-3 shooting in 22 minutes, while Mike Dunleavy bounced back with 19 points, six boards, three assists, two threes, and a steal. I’ll be putting my faith in Mike D for what it’s worth, assuming all risks and games played situations are accounted for. Ekpe Udoh (eight points, five boards, three blocks) is worth a look if you need swats, given Gooden’s murky situation.
29 TEAMS' GARBAGE IS GOLDEN STATE'S TREASURE
Any game that the Warriors play in for the rest of the year should be considered 48 minutes of garbage time, and you’ll want to get your guys going against them. Raymond Felton scored 16 points with 10 assists against them last night, Joel Przybilla awoke for 14 rebounds, Wesley Matthews scored 18 points with two threes, new likely starting power forward J.J. Hickson went for 23 and 13, Nicolas Batum shook off a quad injury to score 14 points with five boards, four threes, two steals, and two blocks, and Jamal Crawford went off for 34 points. It’s science.
LaMarcus Aldridge has an “abnormality” in his hip and according to acting GM Chad Buchanan surgery hasn’t been ruled out. Shut. Down. J.J. Hickson shouldn’t have been unowned, but if he somehow is go run and pick him up. This also makes the rest of the usual suspects must-own characters in my book, including Raymond Felton, Wesley Matthews, Jamal Crawford, and Nicolas Batum.
The Warriors have put a cap on Klay Thompson a bit after the rookie displayed more bad habits than a Reno card room, but he still put up 12 points, four boards, and two threes. I suspect they’ll loosen the leash down the stretch. Charles Jenkins (five points, two assists) has really struggled and I don’t know if it’s his talent level or the fact the Ws let him run hard on an ankle injury, but he’s droppable after the last week or so of eyesore lines. Nate Robinson has emerged as the clear cut guy to own and had a nice night with 19 points and eight assists. Brandon Rush is making his case for ownership during the upcoming five-game week with 13 points, two threes, five boards, a steal, and a block, and I’ll have picked him up just about everywhere I can by the time I’m done inking this column. The same goes for Dorell Wright (11 points, five boards, two steals, one three), who does just enough of everything to be dangerous with five games.
And if you hear report X,Y, or Z about the Warriors being interested in player A, B, or C, it's probably a bad idea. That's how we roll.
ODDS AND ENDS
Derrick Rose’s ankle injury appears to be of the less serious variety, and he’s a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Heat. I’ve been waving the caution flag all year on Tom Thibodeau’s injury reporting, but my gut says he’ll go.
Dwight Howard (back) didn’t play on Tuesday because the Magic didn’t want him taking contact in the post, and he’s questionable for Friday’s game against the Hawks. I made myself clear yesterday and I’ll do it again I guess – only Dwight knows how hurt or not hurt he is right now. All of these reports should be taken with a grain of salt until the report hits the wire that he’s going to play.
Rodney Stuckey’s (knee) status went from “fine” to “unknown” somehow yesterday, and I have a feeling that not a darn thing changed in the interim. If I’m still betting money I’m still betting he plays, though I’d have liked to have seen a positive report.
Both Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Anderson Varejao (wrist) have been ruled out until Sunday at the soonest, which is a non-news news update if I’ve ever seen one. I’d call them both a coin toss to play another game this season.
With 11 games on the slate and a ton of big news, let’s get this party started during this crucial week of the fantasy playoffs.
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LOVE HOSPITALIZED AFTER ‘MINOR’ CONCUSSION
Kevin Love hit the ground after an unintentional JaVale McGee elbow and teammates immediately called for help from trainers. He was on the ground for a while and then eventually helped from the floor and taken to a Denver area hospital. He has been ruled out for Thursday’s game and suffered what is being called a “minor” concussion, which puts him into the league’s concussion protocol and his season is officially in jeopardy.
J.J. Barea was his normal wonderful self with 12 points on 5-of-13 shooting, six rebounds, 15 assists, a steal, and a three, and the only complaint about his game right now is the sub-40 percent field goal percentage. Nikola Pekovic is likely still hurting, as evidenced by another night with two rebounds to go with his 12 points. Start him at your own risk and, yes, he’s droppable depending on the situation, but keep in mind that his stock just went way up due to Love’s injury. Derrick Williams went nuts with 27 points, eight boards, a steal, a block, and three triples, while you-know-who Anthony Randolph scored a season-high 28 points with six rebounds and five blocks. Anthony Tolliver was quiet with three points and three rebounds in 22 minutes last night, but all three are going to be worth a look due to Love’s situation with varying expectation levels.
Your flier pick of the bunch is Ant-Rand, and if you’re putting stock in him after years of disappointment you have nobody to blame but yourself if he totally lets you down. I’m not the guy to sit here and say that because he has failed miserably in the past that he’s destined to do it again, but the correct play is to treat him as an upside flier and nothing more. Williams is the strongest pickup of the bunch given his draft status, his relatively stronger play over the body of the season compared to Ant-Rand, and because he also has a hint of game-changing upside, himself. The safe and boring play will be Tolliver, who is trusted the most by Rick Adelman and might be called upon to stabilize the situation. Above all, the season is lost for the Wolves and Adelman may finally be ready to put up with the headaches that Williams and Randolph supply in bunches.
IT'S TIME TO SNUFF THE ROOSTER
The Nuggets have integrated their No. 1 player in Danilo Gallinari quickly, as Gallo scored 18 points with four rebounds, four assists, and three treys last night, though we’ll know his assimilation is complete when he gets to the foul line more than twice. Arron Afflalo (21 points) is probably safe with Wilson Chandler dealing with a groin injury and Al Harrington (11 points, four boards, three treys, 22 minutes) dealing with a knee injury. As for Harrington, ride him until the wheels fall off. Kenneth Faried continued to take no prisoners with 16 points, 12 boards, two steals, and two blocks, and Ty Lawson scored 24 points with five rebounds and eight assists as his yo-yo week continues. Andre Miller missed on all three shot attempts in a scoreless night, but did hand out seven assists. Let’s give him a chance after a strong couple of weeks. JaVale McGee went for eight and four with three blocks, and aside from being a stash he’s also worth a look if you’re simply hunting blocks.
BEATEN AND WOBBLY
The Sixers beat up on an overmatched Raptors squad last night, leading to a wobbly box score that owners shouldn’t read too much into. Jrue Holiday posted eight points, seven boards, and seven assists, Andre Iguodala went fairly quiet with 10 points, two boards, four assists, two steals, a block, and a three, Elton Brand went for 11 and eight with a block, Thad Young scored 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting with five boards, a steal, and a block, and Spencer Hawes put up a mediocre 10 points, four boards, and two assists but did have four blocks. Evan Turner had a confidence-building night with six points, eight boards, and six assists, but we need to see it in a meaningful game before buying in. Likewise, with Nikola Vucevic we’ll need to see another 12 points, five boards, and three assists before recommending him in deeper formats for the upcoming four-game week.
Andrea Bargnani will undergo tests today on his calf, which is an interesting piece of news following his meeting with the Raptors’ “full medical staff” on Tuesday. If the ‘tests’ are on the court then maybe there’s a chance he could return, but again, all signs have pointed to a shutdown for a while now. Only stash if you can guarantee you won’t lose because of it.
Without their main man last night the only thing going for the Raps was Ed Davis, who put up 13 points, 13 boards, and five assists in 33 minutes off the bench. Amir Johnson hit just 1-of-8 shots for two points, but did have three blocks to go with six boards. The two are likely to trade off good nights, with Dwane Casey riding the hot hand just a little bit. I have no problem calling the position battle a day-to-day affair, and while both are risky both are worth a look for the stats they bring.
Jose Calderon took a shot to the same eye which caused him to miss Friday’s game, and finished with nine points, four assists, and a three before calling it an early night after 22 minutes on the floor. Justin Dentmon was signed to a 10-day contract and logged 21 minutes on his way to five points, three rebounds, two assists, a three, and a 2-of-3 mark from the field. While Gary Forbes (10 points, two threes, zero assists, 19 minutes) seems like a good candidate to start if Calderon can’t go in the Raps’ next game on Friday, it’s very possible if not likely that Dentmon, a pure PG, gets a look-see during Tankfest 2012.
James Johnson’s season is ending with a thud as he hit just 2-of-11 shots for five points with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a three in 21 minutes off the bench. As you can see the potential is there, but with just three games next week it will take a big finish this week to perk owners’ interests. Linas Kleiza (five points, 13 minutes) left last night’s game with a right knee injury and did not return, in what should be the last time that you believe that terrorists have Jack Bauer right where they want him.
NOMENCLATURE-GATE
Lester Hudson is the most recent NBA player to have ‘anity’ added to their name, which will go down in the sports writing hall of fame next to 'Team Name' Nation and Whatever-Gate. After a rocky start that included six turnovers and resulted in an 8-of-20 mark from the field (1-of-9 from deep), Hudsanitation cleaned up its act and hit a few key shots late en route to 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a block in 34 minutes off the bench. The volume here is key, and he’ll probably have at least one more outing to chuck it up like this before he gets reeled in if things go bad.
Donald Sloan is still in a backseat role and had eight points on 4-of-6 shooting with six assists and nothing else, and Anthony Parker literally got knocked around all night on his way to seven points on 2-of-8 shooting, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 37 minutes. As long as he didn’t get too beat up, I still like him during the Cavs’ remaining schedule and consider him a must-own player in 12-team formats.
Semih Erden was helped off the court with an ankle injury (X-rays negative), but Byron Scott doesn’t even like him let alone want to play him. Samardo Samuels (13 points, five boards) could pick up the 11 mpg Erden was logging in April, but my guess is that they go to Tristan Thompson (10 points, eight boards, one steal, one block), but it’s anybody’s guess if Thompson can do anything substantial with them.
EXPLOSIONS IN THE EYE
Darren Collison (groin) apparently didn’t go because he “didn’t have the explosion” that he would have liked before the game, and apparently could have played last night if he had to. George Hill (17 points, five assists, two blocks, two threes) is still worth owning until we get confirmation that Collison will play on Friday, but if you want to make the switch for a hot free agent it’s a pretty strong idea. Roy Hibbert’s ankle injury wasn’t a big deal last night as the big man finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and four blocks. David West showed some life before the game poking the Cavs’ mascot (accidentally) in the eye, and then poking the Cavs in the eye with 19 points, five boards, two steals, and two blocks. After the year West has had, it’s a gift owners likely won’t forget.
CLASH OF THE TITANS
The Clippers and Thunder played a tight, exciting game last night that included plenty of highlights, including a facial by Blake Griffin on Serge Ibaka. It wasn’t a Perk-asol-gov, but it sent a similar message. Chris Paul hit the game-winning layup with 8.8 seconds left and posted 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting (including two threes) with six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. I’m not worried about his so-called hurt arm/elbow at all. Griffin flirted with the idea of a triple-double, scoring 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting with 12 rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and a block, and the rest of the Clippers’ box was pretty uninspiring.
Since Nick Young (10 points, nothing else, 26 minutes) is more trouble than he’s worth on the basketball court, Randy Foye continues to get heavy run despite his shooting slump. He hit just 2-of-10 shots for seven points with four rebounds, three assists, and a three in 36 minutes, and since Mo Williams (toe) felt pretty sore after Tuesday’s practice and missed last night’s game – Foye still has a puncher’s chance of helping owners for now. DeAndre Jordan didn’t have a steal or block last night, making his eight points and four boards more irrelevant than they normally are. I can’t believe the Warriors mortgaged their future for the chance to swing (and miss) on this guy. If you’re relying on Jordan for blocks I don’t see how you make the drop unless you have a guy on the wire that you think gives you a better chance nightly. Caron Butler scored nine points with nothing else, and isn’t worth gambling on in my opinion.
The Thunder box showed a lot of bad shooting, but there were no revelations, as usual. Russell Westbrook hit just 3-of-14 shots for 20 points, four rebounds, and seven assists, while Kevin Durant mirrored his futility with 22 points on 7-of-21 shooting, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks, and three triples. Serge Ibaka got 34 minutes of run, scoring 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting with seven boards, one steal, and three blocks. James Harden added 17 points with a full line in the loss.
GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH
Shannon Brown and his owners are getting their money’s worth while Grant Hill (knee) is still on the shelf, even if getting their money’s worth isn’t all that exciting at times. Brown scored 18 points with a steal, a block, and four threes last night, but hit just 6-of-17 shots with one rebound and one assist. It’s an all-too-familiar line and one that doesn’t reflect well next to teammates Jared Dudley (two points, 1-of-6 FGs, 27 minutes) and Channing Frye (five points, 2-of-6 FGs, 21 minutes). Some players make their teammates better and others don’t – and Brown falling into that latter category tells me that Alvin Gentry will want to get folks into their prior roles sooner rather than later. Owners will want to ride Brown until the wheels fall off, but have those contingency plans ready.
TRENDING TOPICS
The Grizzlies will be a trendy pick in the Western Conference and for good reason, they have a big, effective front line and a stifling defense. Mike Conley is a big part of that, and the good news for his owners is that he’s dishing the rock again. He had 12 points with two rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks and is fully on track again it appears. Marc Gasol dealt with foul trouble and finished with eight points, seven boards, and four assists in 25 minutes. Rudy Gay went nuts with a season-high 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting and a relatively full line, Zach Randolph went for 17 and nine, and O.J. Mayo kept his foot on the gas with 15 points and three treys. Marreese Speights showed signs of slowing down with five points, eight boards, and two blocks in just 22 minutes, and this will probably be his last useful week in fantasy leagues. Tony Allen got the stitches removed from the gash in his mouth yesterday, and that could mean a return for tonight’s game against the Spurs is in the cards.
KATE UPTON'S SHOULDER BLADES
By now you guys know I am the national writer banging the Isaiah Thomas drum, and I’ll do this anytime I see a player that is underappreciated, getting benched, and the like. I also do this with narratives that are derived from lazy analysis, but that’s another story for a different day. My phone blows up anytime Thomas has a slow night in the box score now, and since I don’t want to bang the drum for a guy that may fall off or not deserve it, I went to the tape following his two-point, seven-assist, 21-minute outing. The local blogs said that Thomas struggled and our blurbs said that he struggled, too, so I was expecting to see some turnovers and frankly, it’s about time he had a rookie night.
Nothing. It was like trying to find the pimple on Kate Upton’s shoulder blade – you just don’t care. He was nearly flawless on defense, allowing zero penetrations while displaying excellent team defense principles. Offensively, he was ordered to bring the ball up the court and hand it to one of his offensive-minded teammates, and from there the Kings were a horror show. Tyreke Evans had a great game in the box, scoring 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting with five rebounds, eight assists, and four steals, but he was simply brutal in terms of decision-making with the ball. Marcus Thornton’s takes were a bit less offensive, and he put up 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting with three steals, but DeMarcus Cousins has officially gone way past peeing in front of your girlfriend and into the territory of Leslie Mann in The Change Up. He has been jacking up outside shots, fadeaways, and one fast-break-spin-move turnover was more breakdance fighting than basketball manuever. He finished with seven points on 3-of-12 shooting with four rebounds, two assists, and four steals before being benched after 20 minutes of action.
As for Thomas, he took 2-3 semi-questionable shots and my only complaint about his recent play has been that he looks 1/10<sup>th</sup> of a step slow, and maybe the minutes have caught up to him. It hasn’t impacted his effectiveness, and my hope is that Keith Smart did in fact give him a rest. We know that isn’t true, but if you go to the tape from last night you’ll see a player that did practically nothing wrong and was given a seat on the pine. And if he’s running the team with a directive from above that he’s the man, his teammates don’t turn to hero ball in New Orleans on a sleepy Wednesday night.
Terrence Williams bought himself another day with fantasy owners with his 16 points, five boards, one assist, and two threes in 23 minutes, and Jason Thompson bounced back with 18 points, seven boards, one steal, and one block. Get him back in lineups – the ankle looks like it’s holding up.
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PING PONG THEATRE
Eric Gordon (back) did not play last night, and while it’s possible he’s resting on his laurels after a one-game audition – that doesn’t exactly scream ‘I’m healthy.’ Monty Williams said he sees no reason to bring back Emeka Okafor (knee) this year, which isn’t exactly breaking news. Gustavo Ayon has been dealing with both a shoulder and foot issue, and all of this is good news for the triumvirate of Chris Kaman (eight points, 10 boards, three blocks), Jason Smith (22 points, six rebounds, one steal, 10-of-12 FGs, 27 minutes), and Carl Landry (eight points, three rebounds, two assists, 21 minutes). Especially if Gordon stays out, look for Kaman to stay in fantasy lineups with Smith and Landry trading off big nights. Al-Farouq Aminu got another start and there’s no telling how long that will last, but he’s worth a look in deep leagues after seven points, six boards, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Trevor Ariza’s owners are getting the shaft as he’s being sat for the young guys, but he could pick it up at any time if Monty Williams decides he deserves some run. Marco Belinelli scored 21 points with three treys, three boards, and three assists, and is worth a look while he’s hot and Gordon is out.
TODAY IN BYNUM
Andrew Bynum may actually be trying to be an idiot. After a historic 30-rebound effort he told the cameras that he “shot the ball like s***.” If that wasn’t enough, he played defense on Steve Blake as the clock expired in the Lakers’ 14-point win. It’s true, he did shoot the ball like s***, hitting 7-of-20 shots on his way to 16 points to go with two blocks. Pau Gasol hit just 9-of-24 shots for 21 points, 11 boards, four assists, a steal, and a block, and Metta World Peace scored a season-high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting with five threes and two steals. Everyone wants to make a big deal about Kobe Bryant’s absence, and that has certainly helped Metta, but the real helper for MWP’s value has been Ramon Sessions (10 points, five assists). Matt Barnes has also enjoyed Sessions’ presence, and put up another nice night with 13 points, six rebounds, four assists, three treys, and a block. World Peace has been worth owning in 12-team leagues and Barnes has been a 14-team guy, and both are upgraded for however long Kobe is out.
Mike Brown said that he has “no idea” if Kobe Bryant (shin) will be available on Friday, which isn’t that surprising if you know the way Kobe operates. Brown added that Kobe hasn’t been bugging him, either. For those contemplating a drop on Kobe, I think you really have to get the abacus out and figure out what he’s going to give you versus what you’re going to get in terms of a replacement – and how it impacts your current standings. There is no one cookie cutter answer.
BEING GREGG POPOVICH
I think we’ve established that Gregg Popovich is a roll of the dice right now, and he proved everybody right again in last night’s loss to the Lakers. Tony Parker (four points, 2-of-12 FGs, eight assists), Manu Ginobili (nine points, four rebounds, five assists, 26 minutes), and Tim Duncan (14 points, two boards, three blocks, 24 minutes) struggled on their own accord, but it’s the fringe guys that deserve all the attention as fantasy owners scamper to find value within the Spurs’ tempting playoff schedule. Danny Green was the big winner with 22 points, five threes, three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes, while DeJuan Blair (zero points, four boards), Kawhi Leonard (two points, five boards, two blocks), Stephen Jackson (six points, five boards, two threes), and Tiago Splitter (six points, two boards, 15 minutes) were losers. Gary Neal did not play due to stomach issues, and fantasy owners’ stomach issues will continue as we shake the whole thing up and do it again tonight against the Grizzlies.
PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME
Ray Allen was a late scratch due to his lingering ankle issue and owners have to at least have the option of dropping him on the table. We can explain away the absence due to the back-to-back, but at some point all that ‘splainin has to pay the bills. Avery Bradley continued his disappointing showing during the C’s five-game week, scoring seven points on 3-of-7 shooting with four rebounds and a three. The fantasy story, however, was Rajon Rondo’s 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 20 assists in the Celtics’ overtime win over the Hawks. Kevin Garnett continued to put in a good word for old guys with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals, and Paul Pierce struggled on his way to 14 points on 6-of-19 shooting and an otherwise full line. Brandon Bass shook off yet another leg/knee tweak to finish with 21 points, 10 boards, one steal, and one block.
Just like the Celtics, the Hawks have become a stable fantasy outfit lately, as Jeff Teague (21 points, full line) has turned his season around at the right time. Joe Johnson (14 points, 5-of-17 FGs) is usually productive even if his shot is off like last night, Zaza Pachulia (13 points, seven rebounds) puts up low-end center numbers, and Josh Smith (20 points, 11 boards, five assists, two blocks, six turnovers) is usually a monster. After two straight three-game weeks they’ll get a four-banger to finish things off next time out.
FACT AND FRICTION
The Rockets started the night in the sixth slot in the west and the Jazz were in the tenth slot, but the Jazz came out gunning and took out the Rockets on their home court. At the center of the effort for the Jazz was none other than Gordon Hayward, who I’ve basically tried to wedge into owners’ rosters despite some dark times throughout the year. Brian Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune pointed out the newfound respect Hayward has gotten from officials on the floor, “he’s finally starting to get calls,” and calls or not he has come into his own down the stretch. Hayward put up a season-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting (including four threes) with two rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Paul Millsap is fully over his flu bug and posted 21 points, seven boards, four assists, three steals, and a block, and young starter DeMarre Carroll bounced back from his awful Monday with 10 points, seven boards, two steals, and one block. I can’t promise consistency for Carroll, but he’s starting with little competition and by virtue of that he’s worth a look. The real winner of the small forward shortage might be Derrick Favors (10 points, 11 boards, three blocks), who is doing his part to help the Jazz field the biggest lineup I’ve seen this side of the Lakers. Devin Harris played just 22 minutes last night, scoring six points with five assists and proving that the timeshare is still on in Utah no matter how well he plays.
The Rockets could be headed for some frictional chemistry issues, as Kyle Lowry’s return necessarily means that guys will be moved into places they’re not used to playing if the Rockets plan on keeping Goran Dragic at the point full-time, as expected. Lowry came off the bench and however the cookie crumbles, both he and Dragic will likely play a lot next to each other. Dragic hit just 3-of-13 shots but made 13-of-14 freebies and finished with 19 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and a steal, while Lowry put up 15 points, four rebounds, and five assists in just 20 minutes. Dragic is a must-start player and Lowry is a game away from being one, if he isn’t already. Courtney Lee scored just nine points with no threes in 29 minutes, and the end is probably near. Moving him for a hot free agent makes sense, though you’ll want to note the Rockets’ upcoming five-game week when making your decisions.
MY NECK AND MY BACK
Heading into the Knicks/Bucks game last night, it was reported that Baron Davis had a sore neck, so if you had ‘neck’ in your office pool you win a free video of Davis roller skating on a basketball court. Davis (five points, three assists) only logged 19 minutes last night, and it does look like Iman Shumpert has indeed become PG Iman Shumpert. He put up 16 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals, rewarding owners that have held him on principle while he has been putting up slow line after slow line. Carmelo Anthony added a hurt right wrist and hurt fingers on his left hand to his list of ailments, but finished the game with 32 points, 10 rebounds, two threes, and a block and does not appear to be slowing down. J.R. Smith, a player I’ve touted as a must-own guy recently, hit a big shot late and finished with 14 points and two threes, which is par for the course lately. Had the Knicks lost this game to the Bucks, they’d have been tied in the standings and Scott Skiles’ squad would’ve held the tiebreaker for the eighth slot.
Amare Stoudemire (back) appears to be progressing in his return, as he participated in Tuesday morning’s practice and has been seen shooting around before games. The most recent report I’ve seen has him potentially returning on Wednesday against the Nets, but based on some of the prior reports I had read I was beginning to think a weekend return was possible. Regardless, I’m not breaking my neck to make the add, but I’ll be watching just like you folks will be.
VENDETTA
The Bucks had been rolling along so nicely and have fallen apart at precisely the wrong time, which if you think about it, fits well with Scott Skiles’ vendetta against fantasy owners. Drew Gooden started but played just five minutes last night, with only a casual mention of his back injury in the AP postgame report. Of course, the Milwaukee papers don’t care about it if it doesn’t wear cheese on its head, so Gooden’s injury will likely be a mystery for the rest of the year. And with three games next week, both Gooden and Ersan Ilyasova (three points, two boards, 14 minutes) are on the table as drop candidates. I’d just exercise patience with Ilyasova, if possible, as his problem is more Skiles-related than injury-based.
The guard backcourt is a bit less stressful, as Brandon Jennings (22 points, four boards, seven assists) and Monta Ellis (35 points, six rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, three treys) are trading off big nights and generally getting it done. Carlos Delfino is a mess and had two points on 1-of-3 shooting in 22 minutes, while Mike Dunleavy bounced back with 19 points, six boards, three assists, two threes, and a steal. I’ll be putting my faith in Mike D for what it’s worth, assuming all risks and games played situations are accounted for. Ekpe Udoh (eight points, five boards, three blocks) is worth a look if you need swats, given Gooden’s murky situation.
29 TEAMS' GARBAGE IS GOLDEN STATE'S TREASURE
Any game that the Warriors play in for the rest of the year should be considered 48 minutes of garbage time, and you’ll want to get your guys going against them. Raymond Felton scored 16 points with 10 assists against them last night, Joel Przybilla awoke for 14 rebounds, Wesley Matthews scored 18 points with two threes, new likely starting power forward J.J. Hickson went for 23 and 13, Nicolas Batum shook off a quad injury to score 14 points with five boards, four threes, two steals, and two blocks, and Jamal Crawford went off for 34 points. It’s science.
LaMarcus Aldridge has an “abnormality” in his hip and according to acting GM Chad Buchanan surgery hasn’t been ruled out. Shut. Down. J.J. Hickson shouldn’t have been unowned, but if he somehow is go run and pick him up. This also makes the rest of the usual suspects must-own characters in my book, including Raymond Felton, Wesley Matthews, Jamal Crawford, and Nicolas Batum.
The Warriors have put a cap on Klay Thompson a bit after the rookie displayed more bad habits than a Reno card room, but he still put up 12 points, four boards, and two threes. I suspect they’ll loosen the leash down the stretch. Charles Jenkins (five points, two assists) has really struggled and I don’t know if it’s his talent level or the fact the Ws let him run hard on an ankle injury, but he’s droppable after the last week or so of eyesore lines. Nate Robinson has emerged as the clear cut guy to own and had a nice night with 19 points and eight assists. Brandon Rush is making his case for ownership during the upcoming five-game week with 13 points, two threes, five boards, a steal, and a block, and I’ll have picked him up just about everywhere I can by the time I’m done inking this column. The same goes for Dorell Wright (11 points, five boards, two steals, one three), who does just enough of everything to be dangerous with five games.
And if you hear report X,Y, or Z about the Warriors being interested in player A, B, or C, it's probably a bad idea. That's how we roll.
ODDS AND ENDS
Derrick Rose’s ankle injury appears to be of the less serious variety, and he’s a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Heat. I’ve been waving the caution flag all year on Tom Thibodeau’s injury reporting, but my gut says he’ll go.
Dwight Howard (back) didn’t play on Tuesday because the Magic didn’t want him taking contact in the post, and he’s questionable for Friday’s game against the Hawks. I made myself clear yesterday and I’ll do it again I guess – only Dwight knows how hurt or not hurt he is right now. All of these reports should be taken with a grain of salt until the report hits the wire that he’s going to play.
Rodney Stuckey’s (knee) status went from “fine” to “unknown” somehow yesterday, and I have a feeling that not a darn thing changed in the interim. If I’m still betting money I’m still betting he plays, though I’d have liked to have seen a positive report.
Both Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Anderson Varejao (wrist) have been ruled out until Sunday at the soonest, which is a non-news news update if I’ve ever seen one. I’d call them both a coin toss to play another game this season.
