NBA Fantasy News 2011/2012

[HacheMan]

Long-term value for '11-12 surprises

By Seth Landman | Special to ESPN.com

Now that the trade deadline is far behind us and the dust has settled, it seems like a good time to take a look ahead to next season. This season continues to be a strange one, so it probably comes as no surprise that the top of the Player Rater is chock full of surprises. The real question is how easily these players can sustain their performances for the rest of this season and into next season.


With that in mind, here are the five biggest (positive) surprises in the top 20 on the Player Rater so far this season:


(current Player Rater ranking in parentheses)


James Harden, SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (8): A ton of shooting guards were drafted ahead of Harden coming into this season, but only Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade have outperformed him. That's pretty impressive when you consider the fact that he doesn't even start on his own team and plays just 32.1 minutes per game. Harden does a little bit of everything, contributing in a big way in points, assists, 3-pointers, steals and especially his percentages both from the floor and from the line. His 3-point shooting is his best category, but it's always valuable to find a guy who helps you as much as Harden in both of the percentages. In fact, of players in the top 10 in free throw shooting on the Player Rater, only Harden's teammate Kevin Durant helps you more in field goal percentage. It'll be tricky to know where to draft him next season, as it's hard to pull the trigger on a guy in the first two rounds who isn't even a starter. But given his efficiency and the minutes he plays, as well as the fact that he's missed just seven games total in his three seasons, there's a case to be made for him as a late first-rounder in a deeper league.

Steve Nash, PG, Phoenix Suns (9): Nash's average draft position in ESPN.com leagues was 29.1, and no matter how high you were on his potential coming into this season, you probably didn't have him finishing in your top 10. Nonetheless, Nash continues to play significant minutes at age 38 (he's the fifth-oldest player in the entire league), and continues, somehow, to actually get better in fantasy leagues. He's taking fewer shots, but other than that, his game doesn't really seem to be changing much. He's still averaging more than 11 assists per game, and he's still posting shooting percentages like we've almost never seen before in the NBA. The 54.3 percent he's shooting from the floor this season would be a career high even in his miraculous career, and if that's the result of his taking fewer shots, I would think his fantasy owners are OK with that. I'm not worried about the rest of this season at all, and think he'll continue to find himself in the top 10 on the Player Rater, but next season he's going to slide down in drafts for the same reasons he did this season. Once again, there's a good chance he'll have proven all of us wrong a year from now.


Paul Millsap, PF, Utah Jazz (11): Millsap wasn't even in the top 50 in most drafts heading into this season, probably because we assumed he'd sacrifice playing time with the emergence of guys like Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. In a sense, we were right: he's down from 34.3 minutes per game last season to 32.0 this season, and that's a pretty significant drop-off for a player of his caliber. He's managed, however, to turn himself into an elite fantasy player by getting even better in areas in which he was already great. Last season, he led all power forwards by averaging 1.4 steals per game; this season, he's at 1.8 and no one else is even close. Last season, he averaged 7.7 rebounds per game; this year he's at 9.0 despite the drop in minutes. Yes, his shooting percentage has slipped a bit, but he's made up for that by improving his free throw shooting and turning the ball over a bit less often. He's still not an elite shot-blocker -- in fact, he's not really elite at anything except for grabbing steals -- but in the aggregate, he's been the eighth-best player in all of fantasy basketball this season, and that's no fluke. I can't say I'd be shocked if I saw him taken late in the first round of a draft next season.

Ryan Anderson, PF, Orlando Magic (14): In some ways, Anderson is the most interesting case of all, because his value is drawn so heavily from one category, 3-point shooting, which is notoriously fickle from season to season. While you can expect Steve Nash to put up a relatively similar number of assists given roughly the same number of minutes played, Anderson's 3-point shooting could change drastically given any sort of change to his percentage on such shots. It's a good thing for Anderson that Dwight Howard has agreed to return to the Magic for one more season, as that should mean Anderson will continue getting similar looks next season, but the moment Howard finds himself on another team is the moment Anderson's value takes another hit, so that's another factor entirely out of Anderson's control. He has a bit of value as a rebounder and as a free throw shooter, but other than that his game is remarkably one-dimensional. Add it all up and even if Anderson does wind up finishing this season in the top 15 on the Player Rater, I'd have a really hard time spending a draft pick in the first two rounds on a guy I'm drafting mostly for 3-point shooting; it's just too risky that he has an off-year or that Howard ends up getting traded.


Serge Ibaka, PF/C, Oklahoma City Thunder (20): I thought about writing about Marc Gasol here, because he's outperformed his average draft position even more than Ibaka has, but Gasol's well-rounded game is a natural fit for fantasy leagues, and Ibaka's volatility -- as well as the fact that in many ways he's having a worse season than he did a year ago -- makes him a little more interesting to consider. In 82 games last season, Ibaka wound up 36th on the Player Rater, and yet slipped a little from that number in fantasy drafts heading into this season despite the fact that he's a young player on the rise. Accordingly, his scoring as well as his percentages have declined so far this season, while playing nearly the same number of minutes per game. His rebounding has ticked up a bit, but the truth is that with Ibaka we're really only talking about one category: blocks. Ibaka's value in blocks is the biggest number in any category anywhere on the Player Rater; that is to say, Ibaka carries more value in blocks than any other player carries anywhere. Even stranger, the season didn't start this way. In the month of January, he averaged 2.5 blocks, which looked a lot like the 2.4 blocks he averaged last season. Since then, he's been on a tear, averaging 4.3 blocks in February and 3.5 blocks in March. It's certainly within the realm of possibility that he puts up 4.0 blocks per game for an entire season at some point in his career. It's not as crazy as it sounds; in the 1980s and 1990s, the league leaders in blocks -- one-dimensional guys like Mark Eaton, Tree Rollins and Manute Bol, and superstars like Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Dikembe Mutombo -- routinely averaged better than four blocks per game. Ibaka might be the next guy on that list, and if he is, he's going to be a top-20 fantasy player for a long time, even if the vast majority of his value comes solely from his ability to block shots.

 

[HacheMan]

Daily Dose: Smoke and Mirrors

As you are all aware, the end of the year is bearing down on owners and the plot is thickening up and down the NBA. You know the drill: Shutdowns, playoff seeding, tanking, injuries, and more. Let’s get down to business.



For real-time news and fantasy information, bang it here for my Twitter account.



BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR



A quick word on Amare Stoudemire (back) – I’m not holding my breath. I have not seen a single report that has left much of a chance for him to return during the regular season, and his locker was cleared out on Monday night before he went to Miami. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more at play than just his back, though any issue would be in addition to the injury. Carmelo Anthony (groin) said he would play tonight “for sure” on a New York radio show, while Jeremy Lin (knee) is still questionable. The question of the day is which Knicks wing is going to separate from the rest, and can Melo embrace the challenge of being ‘the man’ and perform like he has in years’ past. I just don’t know if he’s the same guy, and if nearly two years of PR hits have made him tentative. We’ll see.



THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT



Andre Iguodala was a big miss of mine this year, as I thought his right knee would be a problem and sap his explosiveness. He’s dealing with left knee (patellar) tendonitis right now, and aside from the normal concerns for any injury the fact that it’s not his right knee is huge. In a truncated season with the type of struggles he had last year, it’s nothing short of amazing that his knee has held up. He’s officially questionable for Friday’s game, which is a bit of a bad sign so early in the week. I’ve backed off on dropping Evan Turner, who posted 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting with seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks in 31 minutes last night with Iggy out. I figure I can wait until Friday to see where it all heads, but with the proverbial reservation of my right to move on a hot free agent.



The biggest splash last night was made by Jodie Meeks, though, who scored 31 points with seven 3-pointers. I’m only looking at an add in formats in which I need threes after a year of inconsistency. Along with Turner, the real beneficiary for missed time by Iguodala is Jrue Holiday, who scored 19 points with six assists last night. Spencer Hawes continued to post good numbers for owners taking the plunge, scoring 10 points with eight rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes. He is averaging 8.8 points, 8.2 boards, 3.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 1.2 blocks, and 43.5 percent shooting from the field and is well worth a look down the stretch, despite his re-injury risk.



GEE WHIZ



Daniel Gibson (foot) is out for the year and Alonzo Gee (13 points, three treys, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal) should be owned in most, if not all formats. Antawn Jamison suffered a leg contusion and hand injury last night, but stayed in the game and finished with 13 points and seven boards. Just keep an eye on him as it’s late in the year and the Cavs will soon have little to play for. Tristan Thompson continued to underwhelm with just nine points, six boards, and no blocks last night, but owners would have to be pretty desperate to consider a drop. T.T. is locked into minutes for the rest of the year.



HOT ATLANTA NIGHTS



Josh Smith scored 30 points with 18 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block, and has managed to turn around a career’s worth of negative publicity. It’s not just the numbers, it’s the overall package. I venture to say the light bulb turned on. Joe Johnson took a shot to the mouth and needed stitches, and he wasn’t quite himself when he returned to action. He finished with 11 points and eight assists and it would be a surprise if there was any carryover to the next game here.



Marvin Williams is a shaky deep league option right now and had 11 points with six boards and two treys last night. I’m not buying Ivan Johnson’s 17 points, and I’m watching Jeff Teague closely after last night’s seven turnovers. Teague put up 15 points and seven assists, but after two brutal sequences to start the fourth quarter and seven turnovers on the game I’m wondering about his brittle confidence. If he ever got his mental game together he could be a top-tier PG, but it’s fair to wonder if that will happen. His physical skills are in the dominant-to-elite range.



BUCK SHOTS



I’ve watched Monta Ellis up close for a long time, and Bucks fans are in for a treat as there are few players with his scoring ability in the league. Last night he put up 33 points on 15-of-24 shooting with four rebounds, eight assists, and a steal, while Brandon Jennings still scored 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting with six assists, three steals, and two 3-pointers. They’re going to trade off big nights and it remains to be seen if they can steadily improve as they get acclimated to one another. Carlos Delfino’s groin injury doesn’t sound like a walk in the park, which might be a blessing in disguise for owners dealing with his inconsistency. The injury that’s not a blessing was Ersan Ilyasova’s back injury that caused him to miss last night’s game. Maybe that’s the reason for his recent inconsistency, but I’m not going to rule out dissension between him and Scott Skiles, either. After all, Ilyasova wanted to play in Europe this year and after going bonkers for a few weeks his minutes have been yanked around. Put it this way, if it’s not his back, we know what it is.



Ekpe Udoh and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute both started in their place, and will be worth short-term looks for owners that can follow the day-to-day news closely. Udoh put up eight points, 10 boards, two steals, and three blocks, and Mbah a Moute scored 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. The longer-term bet here, particularly because Delfino’s injury appears to be worse than Ilyasova’s on the outset, is Mike Dunleavy. He scored 13 points with four rebounds, three treys, and a steal, in what was a quiet game by his recent standards.



LEFT HUNGRY BY A WOLF



Outside of Kevin Love’s NBA-leading 65^th double-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds, four treys, and a very nice four blocks, there wasn’t much going for the Wolves in fantasy leagues. Luke Ridnour (groin, back) is fairly gimpy right now, but he’s still going to produce as long as he’s playing. He scored nine points with four rebounds and five assists. I have a bit of a conspiracy theory here, and that’s that J.J. Barea (thigh) is being held out because Rick Adelman doesn’t want to be without both guards at once, and that both were banged up enough to where that could be a realistic calamity. If that’s true, when Barea returns look for a shift of duties toward him and away from Ridnour, with a day off for Ridnour a possibility, too.



Martell Webster scored nine points with 10 boards and two steals, but he’s an empty-calorie guy at times. Derrick Williams played 41 minutes and scored 14 points with seven rebounds and not much else, and things aren’t getting any easier whenever Nikola Pekovic (ankles) returns. Wayne Ellington (15 points, two threes) is a deep league guy right now, but really should only be green-lighted if the Wolves remain banged up. Anthony Tolliver hit the waiver wire with a thud after some pretty compelling performances this week, playing just 13 minutes in a forgettable night.



GRIZZLY ADAMS DID HAVE A BEARD



If you’re in an 8- or 9-cat league that rewards games played, then Tony Allen should not be floating around your league’s waiver wire with the Grizzlies staring at two five-game weeks. Allen scored 13 points with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals last night, which is a pretty good baseline expectation for him right now.



Marc Gasol (ankle) was potentially going to miss five games in an early report yesterday, but that was reduced to a questionable listing for the Grizzlies’ next game on Friday. Marreese Speights started for Gasol last night and scored 18 points with seven rebounds, one steal, and two blocks, and is a guy owners will want to keep a close eye on due to the schedule and the slow assimilation of Zach Randolph. Randolph (eight points, five boards, three turnovers) played 22.5 minutes last night and is on the slow-track to getting his wind back. Mike Conley (12 points, five boards, eight assists) sprained his ankle but stayed in the game, and with two full days off in advance of Friday’s game he has a pretty good chance of playing. Dante Cunningham had career-highs of 13 points and 14 rebounds last night, but let’s worry about Speights having value in standard leagues before we go down the ladder to Dante.



DRAGIC’S MAGIC



Goran Dragic gutted out his ankle injury and scored 17 points with four steals and seven assists in 38 minutes. I made a statement on Twitter about Isaiah Thomas being a top-15 PG already, and one of the guys I snuck in ahead of him was Dragic. I snagged Dragic in my big money league and I’m feeling as free as a barn swallow, as Kyle Lowry is not walking through that door (in my opinion). Samuel Dalembert is somebody that I’m not feeling so fresh about, and as I explained somewhere around here, he’s just in a hard spot playing under Kevin McHale. Dally can’t BS one of the better centers of all-time, and for a guy known for his charity work – his work ethic and locker room reputation are awful. It’s clear now that Marcus Camby’s arrival was as much about Dalembert as it was anything else. Dally finished with zero points, seven boards, one steal, and one block in 17 minutes last night, and Camby (four points, four rebounds, zero blocks) wasn’t much better in his 18 minutes. I think Dalembert will improve, but he should only be rostered by teams with real struggles at center. Even then, he should be benched.



Patrick Patterson predictably returned to Earth, as he wasn’t playing a Kings team suffering from too many things to list here. He scored just two points following his 24-point Monday night, highlighting why he’s a deep league option at best right now. Luis Scola continued his recent surge with 22 points, eight boards, and four assists, as did Chandler Parsons, who scored 15 points with nine boards, two threes, and three steals. Both should be in most starting lineups. Courtney Lee continued his poor man’s Kevin Martin act, which coincidentally was a poor man’s version of itself all year long. Back to Lee, he scored 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting with two threes, which should be the baseline expectation going forward and everything else icing on the cake.



ESCHEWS ME



Roddy Beaubois put up another usable line of 14 points, three rebounds, five assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 27 minutes off the bench. His value has been a bit spotty recently due to some poor shooting (38.8 percent over the last five games), but if he gets that right, his averages of 10.0 points, 2.8 boards, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 threes could be a nice boost during the fantasy playoffs. Vince Carter (seven points, 19 minutes) and Jason Kidd (six points, two assists, two threes, 24 minutes) aren’t exactly burning up the charts, and Delonte West (finger) still isn’t cleared for on-court activities.



Lamar Odom made some noise last night, scoring nine points on 4-of-5 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. He was told by Rick Carlisle to eschew the offense and this was the first game in a long time in which observers were impressed by his play. There’s not enough for an add in 12-team formats, but if there was ever a player that could change his fortunes by a light bulb turning on it would be Odom.


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BLOW ON THE DICE



The Spurs are a fantasy mess, but you knew that coming into this column. Danny Green, owner of some intriguing lines lately, put up a one-point, five-rebound outing after going hitless on six shot attempts. The Big Three played, and the way I read (read: magically guess) the way things are being handled is that Gregg Popovich is trying to rotate his DNPs so one guy takes a day off at a time. Last night it was Stephen Jackson, who along with Tiago Splitter are two low-end guys that could range from fantasy playoff busts to dark horse producers when the Big Three sit. Tony Parker (24 points, four rebounds, seven assists), Manu Ginobili (13 points, five rebounds, five assists), and Tim Duncan (26 points, 11 rebounds) were their normal productive selves, and owners just need to be diligent about the schedule, the news, and their options.



DeJuan Blair probably needs both Duncan and Splitter to be out for owners to count on him, and even then it’s likely that his minute-count stays down. Kawhi Leonard is my boy, though he has long since been dropped in my big money league, but he has been more consistent than Green if you’re looking for a wing to roll the dice on. Leonard scored 14 points with seven rebounds, one steal, and one three, and has put up early round value over the past two weeks. The skills are there, and the schedule runs 4-4-5 to finish out the year. Give him a look as long as you can live with the risks. The Spurs turn around and play again tonight and have six back-to-back sets in April.



WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?



Shannon Brown scored a career-high 32 points last night in a start for Grant Hill (knee), and I hardly moved a muscle. Perhaps if we hear that Hill’s injury is serious, which I doubt with what we know right now, then I’ll be more bullish on Brown. But he has not been able to string together value all year long, and he doesn’t do anything besides score and hit threes. Jared Dudley’s stinker of two points and five boards was a direct corollary to Brown’s big night. Marcin Gortat hit all three of his free throws, which might be as good of news as his 21 points, 14 boards, and two blocks. Steve Nash said his back tightened up, but that he plans on playing tonight. Nash had 16 points, five boards, and eight assists last night, and with the Suns in playoff contention he is set up to finish the year strong. For now.



WHAT ELSE IS NEW



Serge Ibaka blocked six shots with eight points and 12 boards last night. Kendrick Perkins, who single-handedly let Kevin Love score 5,012 points last week, went for zero points, seven rebounds, three turnovers, and two blocks. Both played 25 minutes, and both sit on opposite sides of opposing teams' game plans. On one side, teams pray that Scott Brooks doesn’t play Ibaka 40 minutes per night, and on the other, they list ways to encourage Perk to shoot, ways to isolate and attack him when on offense, and none of the opposition is afraid of his so-called toughness. I watched about 10 hours of Thunder tape over the weekend, too, because I’m not going to sit here and continue to call these guys out whenever the light switch goes on for Brooks and the group. Let’s just say it’s plenty dark enough that I won’t be betting my hard-earned salary on them this summer, though, and given their talent if they don’t win 2-of-5 NBA titles in the coming years it should be considered a massive fail.



OH, IT’S YOU AGAIN



I got plenty of questions about J.J. Hickson last night, who scored 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting with four rebounds, three steals, and a block in 26 minutes off the bench. A few things strike me here, including his lack of rebounds since arriving, the near-perfect shooting line, and the need for coach Kaleb Canales to throw defense out the window for Hickson to be truly successful. A few media members in Portland are calling for just that, but regardless Hickson will be worth watching whether or not his defensive issues and basketball IQ are red flags. He certainly has a path to minutes with Joel Przybilla and Kurt Thomas holding down the fort, otherwise.



Nolan Smith (three points, three assists, 1-of-9 FGs, 26 minutes) started for Raymond Felton (personal), and showed immediately why the Blazers couldn’t pull the plug on the Felton/Jamal Crawford combo earlier in the year. Jonny Flynn was a little bit better with 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting (including a three) with three rebounds and five assists in 25 minutes off the bench, but he was still out of position on defense and the like. With Felton apparently returning on Thursday, both can be ignored unless something changes with Felton. Speaking of Crawford, he was awful and it’s possible all the trade talk shook him up. He hit 1-of-7 shots for two points and not much else in 20 minutes. I’m simply benching him in most cases right now. Wesley Matthews (17 points, four steals, two threes) kept up the good work and Nicolas Batum (13 points, one block, one three) continued to underperform. I’ll give the latter a pass due to the PG situation.



LARRY BIRD BYNUM



Initially, I immediately thought Andrew Bynum (11 points, five boards, 23 minutes) was an idiot for walking into a 3-point shot attempt with the game very much undecided last night. It was a sight to see for sure, as he took the shot like he was just another guard getting too much space from his defender. He made a three on Sunday against the Grizzlies, and after he shot this one he was immediately benched by Mike Brown. Of course, Twitter wasn’t on fire like it was when Kobe was benched on Sunday, but it’s fair to say that Bynum will be a story for all of today on the talk show circuit. After the game, Kobe (30 points, 9-of-24 FGs, game-winning fallaway) supported his center by saying “he was testing the limits of his game.” Bynum has been a bit of a hot mess when it comes to in-between the ears stuff in the past 12 months, but I really don’t see this going anywhere too bad. Yes, the inmates are running the asylum and Bynum sincerely thinks he should be allowed to take threes, as crazy as that is. But Brownie doesn’t have the juice to bench Bynum and my guess is that he is fine on Thursday against the Thunder.



Pau Gasol was left to maul ballerina David Lee, scoring 19 points with 17 rebounds, a steal, and a block, while Matt Barnes ran around freely and scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and three treys. I think he’ll have a bit of problem with consistency coming off the bench, but Barnes is worth a look in most formats right now. Ramon Sessions (7-5-4 line) is making the whole Lakers offense more efficient.



RUSH, RUSH



Brandon Rush was a drop of mine in my big money league, mostly because he brings stats I don’t need right now, but I sort of had seller’s remorse after dropping him (for a Sunday flier on Byron Mullens before the report about his PF future). Needless to say that remorse is in full-swing after watching him go for 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting (including two threes) with three rebounds and two blocks. I’ll save the ‘why is Dorell Wright struggling' talk for another day (hint: he’s not in GSW’s plans), and Richard Jefferson (six points, two threes) couldn’t get a shot off against Ramon Sessions tonight. Rush is a favored son in Golden State and is playing well right now, and the Warriors have a sweet schedule to finish the year. Unless you’re stacked, pick him up.



Charles Jenkins predictably came back to Earth, scoring 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting with three assists, and the Warriors will do everything short of telling a healthy Nate Robinson to sit in order to make the guy that sent Jeremy Lin packing look good. It’s the Warriors way to care more about what everybody thinks than to care about what’s happening on the court. I get the sense that Robinson's injury isn't too serious, but that the off-court stuff could make the Warriors play it safe. After all, the goal from fan to franchise owner is to lose games and keep combing thin hair sideways over the scalp.



DON’T MESS UP



The Eric Gordon (knee) situation is fascinating to me, and gets ratcheted up a notch when the local media doesn’t really have a clue what’s going on with him. He went from doubtful for the rest of the season to ‘could play at any time’ at the drop of a hat, and make no mistake, he’s playing for a contract when he returns. The New Orleans Times-Picayune article was very detailed unlike nearly every report we’ve read on Gordon this year, which may or may not be the media's fault. From a fantasy perspective I think owners have to strongly consider making the add here.



If we take him at his word, he’s ready to go and produce for the last two weeks of the year. But that doesn’t mean we should be blind, as I’m bracing for the possibility that he’s over-anxious or over-confident (take your pick). And if he does return, I wonder if he suffers a setback trying to reset the market for his services. Right now that market is as soft as butter, and a good audition could change that. And if you believe a Hornets blog, he was dumb enough to turn down four years and $50-plus million from the team at the extension deadline. If that is even remotely true, and he made the call before his knee situation worsened, Gordon could be chasing his losses. With the way stories were clumsily leaked by Gordon's people to the press before the deadline, too, one got the feel that Gordon's ship wasn't too tight.



THE OBITUARY SECTION



I sort of knew the writing was on the wall when the Raptors signed Ben Uzoh to a 10-day contract, just a day after they signed Alan Anderson to a 10-day contract. So after news came across the wire that Jerryd Bayless was expected to miss the rest of the year with an oblique injury I was more or less prepared. Owners can safely make the drop here, but it wouldn’t shock me to see some sort of funny business revealed through the press, etc. Bayless’ injury has been misdiagnosed by the team (originally a hip pointer), the press (Toronto Star writer Doug Smith said he was “over it”), and while I’m sure he’s hurting badly there’s no difference between yesterday’s injury and how the injury felt days before.



As for Bayless, his season will go down as a disappointing one and he’ll carry the injury-prone tag heading into next year. It’s too bad we never got to see him compete with Jose Calderon for the starting job, and one has to believe that the competition was ultimately his downfall. Similarly to Stephen Curry, the player is always going to want to play – especially if a job is on the line. The Raptors appeared to be more interested in justifying the big contract they gave to Calderon than opening up the job to real competition. Calderon’s defense has been predictably awful this season, and Bayless proved plenty capable of providing offense – even if Calderon’s version was a little slicker. Bayless started for an injured Calderon and posted top-10 fantasy value just weeks ago, but based on results those that stashed him (like me) weren’t paid off nearly enough. But fantasy basketball, like poker, is a game of skill and luck. Unlike some other missed calls I’ve made this year, I won’t lose too much sleep over backing Bayless. It’s the Raptors, backing a player that will not be their PG of the future, who should be checking the cabinet for some Nyquil.



DeMar DeRozan (ankle) is expected to play tonight, though the idea that two 10-day guys have been signed isn’t exactly comforting. I’m tentatively expecting him to go, and I’ll be throwing caution to the win and expecting him to play starter’s minutes. Owners will want to watch Gary Forbes and Linas Kleiza closely over the next few days, as they’ll be nice pickups if DeRozan falters at all, and may have value, regardless.



INJURY ODDS AND ENDS



Richard Hamilton has made “encouraging” process in his return from a shoulder injury, just like I’ve made “encouraging” progress on starting P90x.



Anthony Morrow (shoulder) is questionable for tonight, and with Jordan Farmar (groin) out for the year it’s now or never for him. Gerald Green is still the player to own, here, but carries his own unique risks, too.



D.J. Augustin (knee) is questionable tonight and learning of his knee injury was a pretty nice-sized sign that it’s time to take Kemba Walker more seriously as a stash. The only problem is that nobody knows what exactly is going on in Charlotte. While criticizing Paul Silas for the disarray is a bit steep given the personnel situation, there is no real plan for guys like Kemba Walker, Byron Mullens, and Bismack Biyombo. All of these guys should be getting 35-plus minutes per game, rather than grinding Augustin and Corey Maggette into further decay. You can add Reggie Williams to the 'should be playing' list, too, and along with Gerald Henderson you have the correct starting lineup configuration, while you can let Augustin and Maggette gun off the bench. But that’s assuming common sense is being used in Charlotte, of course.



The daily Stephen Curry (ankle) update came and went with little added clarity yesterday, and the way I look at it this will be a battle of wills between the player and team. It’s a different situation than earlier in the year, when the team should have simply stepped in and forced Curry’s hand. Now, Curry has a somewhat compelling reason to get back onto the court – and that is to see if he can sustain action. Unlike earlier in the year, he can be a bit more selective about what he does and how he does it, now that the Warriors are purposely tanking their season. None of this makes the decision to play on it smarter, and if you read our blurb we make the decision sound elementary that he will not play. I’ll just leave at this – if he’s available and you can stomach it, the time to own Curry is the next two days when a decision on his status will be made. If he folds, owners can simply move on.



Until Derrick Rose (groin) can run through non-contact drills at a minimum, owners shouldn’t be treating his return as a foregone conclusion. After watching a promo of Rose shooting set shots on Monday, I dropped C.J. Watson in a weekly league on Monday. After yesterday’s report that he’s only running on a treadmill and that he’s “hesitant” while taking said set shots, I sort of wish I hadn’t done that. At this rate Watson might have a second week of value left in him.



LeBron James’ finger injury is being pointed to by some as a possible reason for his sluggish play over the past week, but owners in any format aren’t going to bite on that and downgrade him. He’s questionable for Thursday’s game but rumors of his and the Heat’s demise should be listened to at one’s own risk.



Trevor Booker has plantar fasciitis in his left foot, and it’s unclear how bad his right knee is, but owners may want to wait until Thursday’s game before dropping him. He’s been playing with the ailment and he’ll be plenty productive if the rest proves to be the difference.

 

[HacheMan]

Can benching stars actually help?

By John Cregan | Special to ESPN.com

Is there ever a situation where a fantasy owner should consider actually sitting one of his top producers, maybe even a top-30 player?


We're getting to the juncture of the season where you can start to ask this question. Because if you own a team that is at the top of your league, or if you're in a head-to-head playoff situation, the answer is yes.


If you're in a rotisserie-based league, within the next couple of weeks you're going to probably (if you haven't already) garner a firm idea of who's going to finish where in several categories. And if you're in a head-to-head playoff scenario (congrats), you may find yourself at a point in the week where the volume-based categories are seemingly decided.


But even if you've put together a first-place juggernaut unseen in the annals of modern fantasy ownership, you still need to watch your back.


Why? Because in tight matchups over field goal percentage, there are situations where one player can single-handedly shoot your way out of a win.



I know, because it's happened to me.


In situations where a 1-for-10 shooting night can mean the difference between victory and defeat, you need to inoculate your lineup from certain players … even if they're players who on the whole are very productive.


It's not enough just to look at players with uninspiring and sometimes terrifying field goal percentages. Because when we're talking about situations where you're trying to nurse a lead for a game or two, you shouldn't just be worried about which players have been bad over the course of an entire season.


You need to be worried about game-to-game streakiness. And when we talk about streakiness, we need to address some misconceptions.


One, that streakiness is directly related to poor field goal percentage. As you're about to see, there are some players sporting serviceable to excellent percentages that are still stunningly inconsistent.


Two, that streakiness tends to be contained to perimeter players who jack up shots from longer distances. Even players who play with their backs to the basket can be susceptible to a boom-or-bust shooting touch.


Three, that streakiness is linked to inefficient, low-PER play. While it certainly can strike with players with a run-and-gun mentality (I'm looking at you, shooting guards) and players who sport painful assist-to-turnover ratios, these traits can also be mutually exclusive.

There are players with streaky reputations. If you were to take a poll amongst NBA observers on which players had the streakiest shooting reputations, I'm guessing you'd see names like Monta Ellis, Stephen Jackson, Brandon Jennings, Jason Terry and J.R. Smith.



But the challenge here was to find an actual statistical means of measuring which players tend to run hot-and-cold. So I, as I do in most of these situations, turned to our marvelous Stats & Info department. I asked for a means to delineate which players fluctuate the most from the field on a game-by-game basis.


What they came back with was the idea of using the concept of Standard Deviation. Most of you who've taken a statistics class probably remember the term. It basically examines the patterns of how numbers are distributed versus the mean (or average) across a period of time.


What was done was to look at which players had the most scattered patterns of distribution on a game-to-game level (we also need to cite NBA.com here for some statistical support).


For an example, let's take a look at a player -- who will remain nameless for a moment -- who happens to be the streakiest shooter in the NBA this season.


For the season, this player sports an admirable 51 percent field goal percentage; he averages 15.9 points per game while needing only 12.3 attempts to get there; he owns a nice average of 1.29 points per shot. By all accounts, this player should absolutely be someone you'd want to plug into your lineup every night.


But let's take a closer look at his performance on a game-by-game basis. Earlier this month, this player went out one game and threw up a 1-for-10 clunker, then went out the next night a posted a sterling 10-for-14.


So, we're talking about a guy who's capable of shifting from a 10 percent shooting night to 71 percent in a 24-hour period. Yes, those are the extremes, but they point to a player who suffers from an extreme case of shooting schizophrenia.


For the month of March, this player still shot 53 percent from the floor. One looks at his totals and thinks that there's nothing to worry about. You'd happily run this guy out on the floor at the tail end of a head-to-head matchup and believe your field goal percentage was safe, maybe even protected due to this player's presence. During the course of a month, you'd be right. But over the course of 24 hours, you'd be playing with fire.


Because in the end, no rim is totally safe from Greg Monroe.

Monroe is absolutely, positively one of my favorite fantasy players for the season. The definition of a skilled big man. I have him on multiple teams. According to the Player Rater, he's the 25th-best producer in fantasy.



But Monroe has posted the most extreme standard deviation in field goal percentage in the NBA this season. It's currently 16 percent. What that means is that Monroe averages a fluctuation between 45 to 61 percent on a game-to-game basis.


And if that's his average deviation, it means that there are still some more 1-for-10 and 3-for-14 outliers in his near future. Yes, there are also more 15-for-20 nights, but there are some situations where you simply cannot afford to take that risk.


If it's a Saturday and I don't need his help in the volume categories and I'm in a tight battle for field goal percentage? I will give him a well-earned night off, because he's capable of going off the reservation in any given game.


And Monroe is not the kind of player you'd peg as streaky. He's a PF/C, he doesn't shoot 3s, and is a high-efficiency, high basketball IQ kind of guy with a sky-high 22.15 PER. But he's got a Jekyll and Hyde streak that runs a mile wide.


Is this something to base your entire fantasy strategy upon? Of course not. But it is a little something to keep in mind down the stretch, especially at those times where there's no margin for error.


Here's the complete list of the worst offenders. And as you'll see, four of the top six are big men:


Largest Standard Deviation, FG% This Season

<table><thead><tr><th> Player </th><th> Std. Dev. </th></tr><tbody><tr class="last"><td> Greg Monroe, PF/C, DET </td><td> .1608 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Chris Bosh, PF/C, MIA </td><td> .1528 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE </td><td> .1516 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Paul Millsap, PF, UTAH </td><td> .1492 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> John Wall, PG, WSH </td><td> .1447 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> Dirk Nowitzki, PF, DAL </td><td> .1411 </td></tr></tbody></table>



Taking a look at the next chunk, you'll see a pattern emerge; that being the lack of the pattern you'd predict. There are players you'd assume would be up here (Jamal Crawford, Nick Young), and then some mildly shocking names on the big-man front. It also helps explain why the idea of Andrew Bynum going all Antoine Walker and suddenly jacking 3s in protest isn't so far-fetched.


Largest Standard Deviation (7-13), FG% This Season

<table><thead><tr><th> Player </th><th> Std. Dev. </th></tr><tbody><tr class="last"><td> 7. Jamal Crawford, PG/SG, POR </td><td> .1404 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 8. Nick Young, SG, LAC </td><td> .1400 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 9. Dwight Howard, C, ORL </td><td> .1394 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 10. Tim Duncan, PF/C, SA </td><td> .1363 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 11. Andrew Bynum, C, LAL </td><td> .1362 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 12. Monta Ellis, PG/SG, MIL </td><td> .1335 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 13. Marcin Gortat, C, PHO </td><td> .1331 </td></tr></tbody></table>



I think there's a particularly interesting range of players ranking from 14 to 24, with some obvious unconscionable gunners, but also some respectably grizzled vets nursing various injuries. You'll also start to realize why Vinny Del Negro's Clippers have a certain reputation for inconsistency.


Largest Standard Deviation (14-24), FG% This Season

<table><thead><tr><th> Player </th><th> Std. Dev. </th></tr><tbody><tr class="last"><td> 14. Mo Williams, PG/SG, LAC </td><td> .1330 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 15. Pau Gasol, PF/C, LAL </td><td> .1326 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 16. DeMar DeRozan, SG, TOR </td><td> .1307 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 17. Jordan Crawford, SG, WSH </td><td> .1301 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 18. Amare Stoudemire, PF/C, NY </td><td> .1298 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 19. Caron Butler, SF, LAC </td><td> .1288 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 20. Al Jefferson, PF/C, UTAH </td><td> .1282 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 21. Josh Smith, SF/PF, ATL </td><td> .1275 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 22. Chris Paul, PG, LAC </td><td> .1264 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 23. Al Harrington, PF, DEN </td><td> .1256 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td> 24. Paul Pierce, SG/SF, BOS </td><td> .1237 </td></tr></tbody></table>



From here on out we finally start to see some more swingmen, but one thing that stands out is that up to this point, the list is bereft of small forwards.


Hopefully, this gives you a better idea of the fluctuation you could be dealing with in the coming weeks in your playoff matchups, and how best to approach it.

 

[HacheMan]

Being Gregg Popovich

I said it to lead off yesterday’s Dose, and I’ll say it again here, today. Things are about to get crazy. Players are tired, breaking down, and the shortened season has condensed all of the ebb and flow of a normal year into a shook up bottle of champagne. The owner that gets to spray that bottle all over the place is going to be the one that isn’t afraid to make bold moves that go against the grain. Start your studs? That worn out piece of fantasy analysis doesn’t apply to serious players, who recognize that there is a correct answer for every situation, and that it’s their job to figure out what that answer is – even if it means benching their first-round draft pick in a five-game week. Make no mistake, it’s about to get hairy and guys like Gerald Green, Kawhi Leonard, and click here to follow me on Twitter.



YOU CAN BE MY KNICKS WINGMAN ANY DAY



Amare Stoudemire (back) is undergoing a “non-surgical” treatment, which includes an epidural injection that he’ll likely receive immediately because it takes a little while for the cortisone to kick in. His timetable is 2-4 weeks, but my guess is that the Knicks are going to look toward the end of that timetable with an eye on the playoffs. For fantasy purposes, I’m not even sure stashing him would produce results before the final 1-2 games of the season.



As for last night’s collision of trade deadline drama queens, the Magic left their dignity at Scores last night and got destroyed by the Knicks. Jeremy Lin (knee) was held out but Carmelo Anthony played through his groin injury, using a stationary bike throughout the night and wincing throughout the game. We can’t say for sure that Melo is going to gut this out – but he sure is setup to take the team by the reins and make a playoff run. As Anthony’s owners proceed with caution the early returns were nice last night, as he put up 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting with a full stat line. Ride him until the wheels fall off.



I’ve talked a lot about which Knicks wing would step up with Stoudemire out, and the leader in the clubhouse is Iman Shumpert, who posted 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and four triples. He should be owners’ first priority and I consider him a must-own player in 12-team formats. From there, the upside guy is J.R. Smith, who put up 12 points, three boards, three assists, two steals, and a three in 30 minutes. By now you know the story, but he thrives playing off of Melo’s isolation game as he can create shots when the play breaks down and the ball swings off double-teams, rather than the pick-and-roll game that Lin orchestrates. Landry Fields (six points, not much else) is a guy owners will want to watch, but until he does something he’s hands off. Lastly, Steve Novak (16 points, four treys) is your guy if you need 3-pointers. All of them have a chance to put up numbers with Amare out, and if Melo goes out then all of them might have a home on rosters.



Baron Davis will be a guy owners will want to look at as a short-term add when one or more key backcourt guys are out, but beyond that it’s hard to get behind a guy with his history that’s limping around the court. He had 11 points, seven boards, and six assists last night.



Jameer Nelson (illness) played and scored 17 points with four assists, and J.J. Redick had 15 points and three treys off the bench. Virtually everybody else in a Magic uniform struggled, and per usual, we take the nights when the Magic mail it in and throw them out for evaluation purposes.



BULLS ON PARADE



I said yesterday that Richard Hamilton (shoulder) had made about as much progress as I had on my P90x regimen, but I failed to mention I setup the garage, bought all the materials, and laid out my meal plan. Hamilton took contact during shootaround and beat writer K.C. Johnson opined that he would play on Friday, but owners should not be running to the wire to grab him. Aside from injury-risk, he’ll be eased in and hasn’t proven anything this year. Derrick Rose (groin) did not play last night and until we hear that he’s moving and cutting in practice, owners should expect more of the C.J. Watson and John Lucas show. Watson is the likely starter going forward, but struggled last night with five points and four assists on 1-of-7 shooting, while Lucas scored 10 points with five assists, two threes, and a block. Lucas will flirt with some big numbers, but Watson is still the play here until further notice. Luol Deng blew up for 22 points and five treys last night, but there isn’t a guy in the league that deserves a rest more than him. Taj Gibson made some noise with 19 points, six boards, one steal, and one block. He’s still just a deep-league special.



The Bulls walked all over a Hawks team that may still be struggling after their 4OT thriller against the Jazz, as Joe Johnson (12 points, 28 minutes), and Kirk Hinrich (three points) were noticeably sluggish and from there the Hawks didn’t have enough firepower. Jeff Teague (13 points, eight assists) played well, Josh Smith struggled from the field with 19 points on 8-of-21 shooting, while Zaza Pachulia (seven points, 10 boards, one steal, one block) and Marvin Williams (10 points, five rebounds) continued to eke out low-end production.



I LOVE YOU, MAN



Kevin Love had yet another masterful night, scoring 40 points with 19 rebounds, four assists, and four treys against a Bobcats team that might have trouble in the Final Four. I’m not going to sit here and wax poetic about how studly his numbers are, but I do recommend that you take in a game on the DVR and just watch him off the ball. He has made a science out of gaining position, and he punishes defenders that take chances off the ball like it’s nobody’s business. Against heady Nick Collison the other day, there were about 3-4 occasions late in which Collison took a half-step to disrupt a passing lane not involving Love – and Love, sensing that, immediately dove without the ball to gain both post- and rebounding-position. He’s basketball judo, using your movements against you to effortlessly glide to where he needs to be. Luke Ridnour added 15 points, five boards, two steals, a block, and a season-high 14 assists, and I think it’s pretty clear now that his career averages have nothing to do with his numbers under Rick Adelman. I’ll be watching to see if J.J. Barea’s return causes Adelman to give Ridnour a break, as he has been pretty banged up.



DINOSAUR EGGS



If your name wasn’t Ty Lawson (26 points, nine assists, two steals, two threes), you struggled if you wore a Nuggets uniform against the Raptors last night. They’ve had a decent amount of upheaval lately, so I’m not reading into the lukewarm performances up and down the roster.



James Johnson (illness) was a late scratch last night after looking like death on Monday, and I’d caution owners not to let their frustration impact their evaluation of him. It happens. DeMar DeRozan (ankle) returned to action and couldn’t hit the barn, going 6-of-20 from the field en route to 17 points, five boards, and five assists. The good news is that he’s going to get plenty of minutes and touches as long as he’s healthy, which appears to be the case. Gary Forbes kept his foot on the gas with 11 points, 10 assist, and three treys, and while owners may want to see how the story ends it’s unlikely to be a happy ending unless something happens to Jose Calderon. Forbes did his damage in 19 minutes and that’s not a recipe for value. Linas Kleiza started for Johnson and wasn’t too impressive, scoring 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, one block, and three treys, and when he gets on a roll he's an interesting risk/reward guy. I’d only downgrade him a little bit when Johnson returns, as Kleiza’s value has never really been hitched to Johnson’s and Jerryd Bayless’ absence has cleared out some minutes. Andrea Bargnani finally got his act together with 26 points on 7-of-14 shooting, two threes, and a normal stat line. It’s been a long, hard road, but hopefully this is him turning the corner.



LOTTERY TICKET



Gordon Hayward is proving those that doubted his lottery status wrong (I’ll admit I was skeptical). He put up 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting (including a three) with seven rebounds, five assists, and two highlight quality blocks. He was a bit tired earlier in the week after the team’s 4OT game against the Hawks, but I don’t see how the Jazz can go away from him after he has proven his mettle since returning to the starting lineup. Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap are still getting theirs more or less, and Hayward’s playmaking ability just complements that. C.J. Miles continued to struggle with three points on 1-of-10 shooting, and owners in 12-team formats should just keep him on the watch list for whenever he starts shooting straight, which might be never.



BEING GREGG POPOVICH



The Spurs snuck out of Sacramento with a win, and each of the Big Three put up decent lines. Tony Parker had 10 points, seven boards, 10 assists, two steals, and a three, Tim Duncan had 18 points, eight rebounds, and a few amazing plays, and Manu Ginobili’s bald spot casually scored 20 points. That’s the good news, and owners won’t feel the bad news until after next Tuesday’s game. From there, the Spurs have 16 games in 24 days and as Doc put it last night, Gregg Popovich is about get medieval on the fantasy world.



So what to do? Owners of the Big Three need contingency plans and should probably plan on 1-2 absences during the rough stretches. But the more interesting fantasy questions come in the form of Kawhi Leonard (19 points, 8-of-11 FGs, nine rebounds, two steals, 33 minutes), Stephen Jackson (eight points, three rebounds, 28 minutes), Tiago Splitter (seven points, six rebounds, two steals, zero blocks, 15 minutes, return from back injury), Boris Diaw (zero points, four rebounds, two assists), DeJuan Blair (eight points, four rebounds, four assists, 23 minutes), Gary Neal (13 points, one three, 15 minutes), and Danny Green (seven points, not much else, 15 minutes).



No matter how Pop slices it, one or more of the latter group is going to play full-time minutes when the peaks and valleys are ironed out over the next three weeks. My first pick here is Kawhi Leonard, who should get some rookie of the year votes, and has also posted early round value over the past two weeks on the strength of 12.5 points, 7.5 boards, 1.1 threes, 1.5 steals, 0.4 blocks, 54 percent FGs, and 85 percent FTs. If he’s available, I know there’s some random Pop risk here, but go run and grab him. The upside is too great to pass up.



From there, things get dicey. Jackson, who needs minutes with his new teammates, is also a conditioning and injury risk, so while I expect him to play decent minutes I don’t know if Pop will let him loose. Jackson has provided low-end value in the past two weeks with 10.0 points, 1.2 threes, and 1.2 steals while hitting half his shots in 23 minutes per game. If you miss out on Kawhi, I think there’s enough beer in the keg to fill your cup with Jackson. The dark horse in this mess is Green, who has struggled lately but provided mid-round value over the past two weeks with 11.8 points, 1.5 threes, 4.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 28 minutes per game. Ironically, I look at Jackson as the safer play between him and Green, with Green showing us lately how he’s both Jekyll and Hyde. The good news is that Pop loves him, and like Leonard he has young legs. For my money, I’m taking the risks and ranking him ahead of Jackson.



From there I’m looking at guys through the lenses of positional needs. Blair often sees his minutes capped regardless of what is going on around him, but he could easily post enough big lines to average himself out as a low-end value, and if Splitter is truly healthy he could go on the same type of run he made during the middle of the year. If you need threes, give Gary Neal a look, and if you’re in a deeper format and in a pinch give Diaw a look. With a 4-4-5 weekly schedule there is room for error, here.


<!--RW-->
EARTH TO MATILDA



D.J. Augustin clearly isn’t himself right now, and whether it’s the knee tendinitis or symptoms of playing in an awful situation – I can’t see how he holds his starting job after last night. He went 0-for-4 from the field and didn’t score, and while he handed out eight assists, his counterpart Kemba Walker went off for 20 points, three boards, four assists, a steal, and two threes on 6-of-13 shooting overall. I’m calling Walker a must-own player, so run and grab him if he’s still available.



I wish the rest of the Bobcats could have such (relative) clarity, as Paul Silas just isn’t ready to play the young guys. Just hours after extolling the benefits of playing Byron Mullens at power forward (something I’ve been chirping about for weeks) – Silas decided to play him just 12 minutes last night. When Mullens did get in the game, he played tentatively and got mixed up on a few defensive assignments, and the Wolves’ small lineup posed a few problems. Still, asking Mullens to defend Anthony Tolliver isn’t a game-changing move, and Silas needs to see if his big man combo can work unless he’s planning on tanking next year, too. Of course, the other half of the combo, Bismack Biyombo, was inexplicably played just 21 minutes, and if I’m a season-ticket holder I’m screaming bloody murder when Corey Maggette (22 points, full line) and Augustin (24 minutes) are getting ‘developed’ at the expense of the young talent. Stay patient with Biyombo, and feel free to drop Mullens if you added him – but be watchful for whenever Silas decides he’s out of the playoff hunt. It doesn’t hurt that the Cats have a 4-5-4 weekly schedule coming up. Tyrus Thomas couldn’t straighten his elbow, so needless to say he couldn’t play last night. D.J. White (14 points, five rebounds, one block) started in his place and played 32 minutes, but owners need to see it again before giving him a look.



KNIGHT AND DAYE



Ben Gordon (groin) did not play and Rodney Stuckey left last night’s game with a left hamstring injury early and did not return. All of a sudden inconsistent Brandon Knight (16 points, four rebounds, five assists, two treys, 38 minutes) looks like an indispensable fantasy play. Tayshaun Prince tied a season-high with 29 points and added eight rebounds, three assists, and four treys, and there is a chance he atones for an awful season with some low-end value if guys stay injured. Austin Daye started the second half in place of Stuckey and finished with eight points, two rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a three in 29 minutes, and barring matchup considerations he looks like the probable starter at two-guard if Gordon and Stuckey remain out. Will Bynum then becomes the swing guard, and in standard formats we’ll need to see more before making an add following his eight-point, three-rebound night.



TRUST YOUR EYES



For the last two weeks I’ve seen Isaiah Thomas dropped as his minutes have been shaky under Keith Smart, and I’d be lying if I didn’t at least consider it in 12-team formats. I didn’t do it, though, as this has been a classic case of trusting one’s eyes when making the final call. Of course, we can’t predict when a coach is going to go all Scott Brooks, and Smart has actually veered dangerously close to that district with his handling of Thomas. Even after Thomas outplayed Tony Parker and posted a career-high 28 points on 11-of-19 shooting with four rebounds, 10 assists, a steal, and just three turnovers – Smart still brought up Jimmer Fredette’s name when discussing the PG position in Sacto. Smart recently told Sam Amick of SI.com that Jimmer was the Kings’ PG of the future, which is laughably ridiculous. I don’t even think Jimmer sees himself as the Kings’ PG of the future, but the key here and the key going forward as we play this great game is to trust your eyes. The Kings look like a completely different team with Thomas on the court, and he literally only makes enough mistakes to count on one hand per game. Defensively he’s a stud, and I said it on Twitter but Thomas is already a top-15 PG in the association. Smart may have pressure from above to keep Jimmer in the PG discussion, or maybe he’s pulling the same stuff he pulled on Stephen Curry. I don’t know. But when you see a player that is a game-changer, a la Serge Ibaka, a la Kevin Love under Kurt Rambis – you trust your eyes and hang tight.



Jason Thompson (ankle) played and finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, three steals, and three blocks, and like with Thomas – owners need to trust their eyes and realize he has taken a step forward this year. This is not a fluke. The only thing that is a concern is that he was limping again last night, so he’s not in the clear just yet. Marcus Thornton was tested for a concussion after taking a shot to the head to end the third quarter, and didn’t do much after returning. He finished with 18 points, two threes, a steal, and a block, and owners will just want to cross their fingers and hope he doesn’t develop symptoms overnight. If I’m betting I don’t think he will.



Perhaps the most interesting development out of Sacto was the curious case of Tyreke Evans (six points, three rebounds, five assists, 30 minutes), who saw his minutes clipped at the expense of Terrence Williams (seven points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal, 17 minutes). In a mixture of speculation and having my ear to the ground over there, it seems the issue of Evans’ minutes is a bit of a touchy situation, and it’s possible the team could be auditioning Williams as a byproduct of Evans’ cloudy future in Sacto. Owners shouldn’t panic or move the needle yet, but it’s certainly a thread to watch and might explain some of Reke’s detached behavior.



CUPCAKES NO MORE



The Pacers got throttled by the Nets of all teams, with Paul George being the lone bright spot in a 22-point, four-rebound, and four-assist effort that included a steal and two blocks. George is a guy I’ve lived and died with all year and I don’t see that changing. I have been pretty low on George Hill all year, mostly because anytime he has produced he has followed it up with a handful of junk, which isn’t a reference to the pictures he floated on the Internet a few years back. Well, I guess it is now. He is no more or less talented than Darren Collison (nine points, seven assists), but Collison has actually produced a bit this season and holds the starting job. I just don’t get the appeal for Hill, even in a five-game week. Danny Granger (five points) and Roy Hibbert (five points, seven boards) also struggled.



Shelden Williams suffered a scary eye injury and was hospitalized overnight, and his status has not been updated. Another Williams hit the injury report, too, when rookie Jordan Williams left the game with concussion-like symptoms. MarShon Brooks finally made some noise, scoring 17 points with four rebounds and three assists in just over 30 minutes. While the injuries to the Nets bigs aren’t related directly to his position, it’s possible the games become more free-wheeling with a smaller lineup and that might be the key to jump-starting Brooks. Anthony Morrow (shoulder) would normally be in a good spot to make some hay before the end of the year, but he can’t get on the court and missed last night’s game. I think I came around on Gerald Green when Jordan Farmar exited stage right, and he affirmed my beliefs last night with another strong showing of 14 points, two threes, three steals, and one block. I think he should be owned in all 12-team formats for his expected production that includes a hint of upside, too. I’m not using Morrow’s status as a gauge for his value, either.



ELEVATE TO EMASCULATE: THE HOW-TO-GUIDE FOR DUNKING



Steve Nash (back) played last night and threatened the record for most assists without scoring a point until he hit a technical foul shot. He finished with the one point and 15 assists, and while we took him off the injury report owners will want to keep an eye on him. Grant Hill (knee) was listed as probable and then was a last-second scratch against the Clippers, giving Shannon Brown another start coming off a 32-point night. As I said in the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ column yesterday, Brown predictably fell off to a more normal 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists. There’s no real value there. Markieff Morris (illness) rounded out the absentee list, and Channing Frye struggled to hit 6-of-15 shots (2-of-11 from deep) for 16 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and a block.



Frye also got destroyed by a Blake Griffin dunk, but in a rare feat Griffin’s emasculating dunk was topped by JaVale McGee doing this to Jose Calderon. As I said on Twitter….Oh. My. God.



Marcin Gortat scored 23 points with seven rebounds and two blocks, and followed up yesterday’s 3-of-3 mark from the line with a 5-of-5 mark. That is until I turned the game on and he promptly missed his next two throws. As an across the board owner of Gortat, I’ll do my best not to watch the games going forward.



As mentioned, Blake Griffin was a dunking machine last night, and scored 27 points with 14 boards, five assists, a steal, and a block. The Clippers have four games per week the rest of the way, putting fringe guys like DeAndre Jordan (13 points, six boards, one steal, one block), Nick Young (nine points), and Caron Butler (14 points, two threes) a half-step ahead in the start/sit spotlight.



PANZER ATTACK



Trevor Ariza (ankle) and Chris Kaman (illness) did not play last night, and Gustavo Ayon threw a monkey wrench into his five-game week by being with his wife for the birth of his child. The gall.



Eric Gordon (knee) was chronicled in yesterday’s Dose, and by now he has been scooped up in most leagues that I’ve seen. That doesn’t mean that anything good is going to happen, and you can bang yesterday’s Dose for my in-depth take. Gordon will be a bit of a mystery until further reports come down the chute, but he didn’t make it into last night’s game against the Warriors.



That game, of course, was an exhibition in tanking by the dubs, who lost at home to one of the league’s worst teams that was missing half its starting lineup. Jarrett Jack (20 points, nine assists), Marco Belinelli (22 points, six assists, three steals, four treys), Carl Landry (20 points, eight boards, one block), Greivis Vasquez (six points, four boards, six assists), and Jason Smith (12 points, six boards, one block) were all gifted the chance to play against the league’s worst defense. Stepping from that distorted reality, the only real value changes are Landry’s emergence, Smith’s return, Ayon’s eventual return, and everybody else remains where they stood before last night. The Hornets’ party ends next week when they have three games, before finishing out with two four-game slates.



The Warriors, whose team of the future is only missing Stephen Curry and Andrew Bogut, are an embarrassing mess. The good news is that embarrassing in reality can often lead to greatness in fantasy, and the team will close out on a 4-4-5 weekly schedule. Nate Robinson (hamstring) returned to action and went scoreless with six assists, but he’ll be better on most nights and Charles Jenkins left with an ankle injury. Hang onto Nate. Brandon Rush (12 points, two threes, one steal, one block) is probably a better bet than Dorell Wright (12 points, four threes) because of his relative consistency, and Richard Jefferson (eight points, two threes) is still on the outside looking in. Klay Thompson and David Lee are going to be locked into big minutes and big numbers the rest of the way, and their bad defense will help encourage lots of garbage-time free-for-alls. It’s fantasy gold, Jerry!



As for Curry (ankle), he will miss at least two weeks according to Adrian Wojnarowski, and my read is that collectively everybody is going to wait-and-see if he can get on the court for the final 7-10 days of the year. Respected beat writer Tim Kawakami believes he’s looking at the team’s final two games if he does play, and before that the Warriors have a triple-set of games that would not be conducive to a player playing it safe on a bum ankle. Maybe Curry surprises and returns sooner, but he’d have to return within three weeks to have an honest shot at the final week of the fantasy season. That’s a lot of ‘ifs’ and unless you’re rolling around in roster space it’s time to move on.



FOUR QUARTERS OF FURY



1^ST QUARTER: Tristan Thompson atoned for Tuesday’s stinker with nine points, 11 rebounds, a steal, and three blocks in 30 minutes, giving owners a glimpse of the upside they’ve been stashing him for. Don’t expect consistency, but at least the arrow got pointed in the right direction. Anderson Varejao (wrist) has been pretty vocal about returning for a few weeks this season, and he’s a guy that owners will want to make sure isn’t floating around the waiver wire if you can afford the stash. The Andrew Bynum story came and went yesterday with no big news, as expected.



2^ND QUARTER: Ray Allen (ankle) did not play and like his teammates, will be subject to DNP stress from here on out. If you see him on your league’s wire, though, I’d consider a pickup because I don’t get the sense the injury is overly serious. Raymond Felton was not at practice on Wednesday and it sounds like a confirmation on his status for Thursday’s game will be announced early this morning. Nolan Smith was awful on Tuesday, and while Jonny Flynn posted decent numbers off the bench he was also a mess. For as much as all of Portland would like to water board Felton with nacho cheese, I don’t see either point guard stealing his job without some injury help.



3^RD QUARTER: Nene (back spasms) did not practice on Wednesday, and one has to wonder how life is going from playoff contender to nightly surrender. Kevin Seraphin is the guy to watch here, as Trevor Booker didn’t practice Wednesday and is questionable for Thursday’s game. Disappointing Jan Vesely will likely start if Booker cannot go, but Seraphin is the guy with the value. LeBron James’ finger injury is really a non-story, and he’s fully expected to play on Thursday against the Mavs. As usual, the reporting was light about Carlos Delfino (groin) and Ersan Ilyasova (back), as Scott Skiles told the MJS newspaper that he didn’t know how long either guy would be out. Advantage – Mike Dunleavy, Ekpe Udoh, and in deeper leagues or for those seeking specialists – Luc Richard Mbah a Moute.



4^TH QUARTER: Andre Iguodala’s left knee started bothering him two weeks ago, according to reports, and luckily it’s not the right knee/Achilles combo that sapped his explosiveness and caused him to lose about a fifth of last season. The Sixers still have a motive to get him back onto the court as their playoff push isn’t quite done, and at the same time they need him healthy to try to get out of the first round of the playoffs. It’s a tricky situation, but as I outlined yesterday I’m holding onto Evan Turner and adding Jodie Meeks if I need 3-point shooting, though I’m not expecting the latter to be overly effective.

 

[HacheMan]

Dose: Kemba Walker Rising

On Thursday, the state of North Carolina took a punch to the stomach when Harrison Barnes, John Henson and Kendall Marshall all declared for the 2012 NBA draft. D.J. Augustin’s recent struggles have barely registered on the Richter scale.

But for coach Paul Silas and fantasy owners, the situation has major implications. Over the last five games, Augustin is shooting 5-for-26 and Silas is showing frustration. If it’s the tendinitis in his right knee that’s the issue, Silas wants Augustin to say so.

“One thing D.J. will not do is tell you (when he’s hurting),” Silas said Thursday. “I’ve told him you cannot do that. If you’re not feeling good and you’re hurting, you have to say so.”

Augustin did not practice Thursday, leaving him questionable for Friday’s game against the Nuggets. But even if DJA ends up in uniform, Silas admitted that he doesn’t know who will start. After all, it’s hard to trot a guy out there that’s shooting 19.2 percent with zero wins in his last five.

All this brings us to Kemba Walker, the Bobcats’ No. 9 overall pick this season. Over the last 15 games, Walker has been off the radar as he’s averaged just 22.6 minutes. But when he’s gotten the starting nod this season, he’s been an elite fantasy performer. In Walker’s 17 starts, he’s averaging 15.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 treys and 1.1 steals while playing 35.3 minutes per game. Wowzers.

With Augustin headed for restricted free agency this offseason and Walker obviously the future, Silas’ move should be easy here. Augustin’s knee injury only makes it easier. Walker is going to be a major fantasy factor over the next 10 days at least.

NEWS OF THE DAY #2
While we’re on the subject of highly athletic rookie guards, Iman Shumpert has a big up arrow next to his name as well.

With Amare Stoudemire (back) likely done for the regular season, coach Mike Woodson has committed to going small. Carmelo Anthony is his starting power forward and Shumpert is the starting shooting guard.

"We'll stay with that for a while because you know teams have got to match up to us," Woodson said. "You're not going to find very many teams that have really big fours that we'll match up against coming down the stretch.”

The other thing Shumpert has going for him is his defensive skills. Unlike Mike D’Antoni, Woodson actually cares about defense. Shumpert is already one of the better perimeter defenders in the league. He "changes the game from a defensive standpoint,” as Woodson put it.

In 20 starts this season, Shumpert is averaging 9.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 treys. He has the talent to improve on those numbers.

NEWS OF THE DAY #3
Whenever Rodney Stuckey sits, Ben Gordon is set up for a big game. When Gordon sits, Stuckey gets a boost. When they both sit? The universe might explode.

Stuckey (hamstring) and Gordon (groin) are both highly questionable for Friday’s game against the Bulls. Assuming they both sit, Austin Daye will likely get the nod next to Brandon Knight in the backcourt. Daye’s career has been marred by wild inconsistency, but he does have an extremely roto-friendly game thanks to his 3-point ability and length defensively. Deep-leaguers should be monitoring.

NEWS OF THE DAY #4
The Hornets’ injury situation is turning comical. Let’s get through this as quickly as possible.

Eric Gordon (knee) is nearing a return but wasn’t quite ready Thursday. He’s still a stash in all formats. … Emeka Okafor (knee) remains out indefinitely, probably for the season. … Chris Kaman (flu) was too sick to play for the fourth straight game Thursday. … Gustavo Ayon’s wife had a baby and he’s away from the team. … Trevor Ariza (ankle) is not expected back any time before Wednesday. … Jarrett Jack (ankle) was a late scratch Thursday. The severity of his injury is unknown.

Jason Smith, RANDOM NUMBER OF THE DAY: 2.6
That’s the number of blocks per game Greg Stiemsma has racked up over his last 10. He’s also getting 1.3 steals during that span. It doesn’t get much better when we’re talking about cheap category hunting.

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME THOUGHTS
Trevor Booker (knee, foot) looked fine on his way to 11 points and two blocks in 29 minutes. … Kevin Seraphin is a really nice prospect. Give him a look whenever Booker or Nene sits. … LeBron James’ finger was never a threat. The dude is a monster. … Delonte West only played eight minutes in his return, but it was enough to limit Roddy Beaubois to 14 minutes. Move along. … J.J. Hickson has become the first big off the bench in Portland. There’s deep-league appeal as he’s getting 25-28 minutes now. … As expected, the Andrew Bynum benching was water under the bridge. He was beastly Thursday, posting 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in 40 minutes.

INJURY FAST BREAK: GUARDS
Jeremy Lin (knee) may be cleared for one of the Knicks’ two games this weekend, but his minutes are expected to be limited. … Kyle Lowry (bacterial infection) is eligible to start exercising again, but is nowhere near a return. He’s still on an antibiotic cycle through April 7. … Derrick Rose (groin) is running on the court again, but he’s still not close. … Kevin Martin (shoulder) still doesn’t have a timetable. The Courtney Lee party rocks on. … Ray Allen (ankle) remains a game-time call for Friday. He’s with the team in Minnesota. … Anthony Morrow (shoulder) is expected back Friday, cluttering things for Gerald Green and INJURY FAST BREAK: FORWARDS AND CENTERS
Carlos Delfino (groin) won’t play Friday, but hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday just yet. Give Mike Donleavy a boost in the meantime. … Grant Hill (knee) is going under the knife, opening up the door for Shannon Brown. … Amare Stoudemire (back) may need offseason back surgery. He’ll never be on one of my teams again, the injury risk is far too great. … Tyrus Thomas (elbow) missed practice again Thursday. D.J. White is the extreme deep-league add here. … Andre Iguodala (knee) is a game-time call, but did practice Thursday. … Ersan Ilyasova (back) practiced Thursday and is ready to rock. … Danilo Gallinari (thumb) is hoping to be back in practice early next week. … Spencer Hawes (Achilles) has been cleared to play in back-to-back games and can now play in 7-8 minute stints. He’s feeling healthy.

 

[HacheMan]

The Week's Top NBA Pickups
The season is winding down and injuries are piling up. Hawks play-by-play man, Bob Rathbun and I had a conversation on Wednesday about the state of the league, and the bottom line is guys are tired and worn down. Many players are dealing with five games in six days situations, and the abbreviated schedule is wearing everyone in the league down. There should be plenty of solid options on your waiver wire, and I’ll break down a few of them below.

WEEKLY SCHEDULES

Here are the games played per week over the next three weeks for each team, ranked in order from best to worst.

Memphis 5-5-4 = 14 Games
Charlotte, Cleveland 4-5-4 = 13
Golden State, Miami, San Antonio 4-4-5 = 13
Sacramento 5-4-3 = 12
Boston 4-5-3 = 12
Dallas, Detroit, Indiana, Clippers, Lakers, Oklahoma City, Phoenix 4-4-4 = 12
Houston 3-4-5 =12
Milwaukee, Portland, Toronto, Utah, Washington 4-4-3 = 11
Philadelphia 4-3-4 = 11
Denver, Minnesota, New Orleans, New York, Orlando 3-4-4 = 11
New Jersey 4-3-3 = 10
Atlanta, Chicago 3-3-4 = 10

GUARDS

Iman Shumpert Knicks – Shumpert is officially hot and with news that Jeremy Lin is out again on Friday, and Amare Stoudemire is out indefinitely, he should stay that way. Shumpert, who is only owned in 10 percent of ESPN leagues currently, is averaging 18 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, a steal, 3.5 3-pointers and 33.5 minutes over his last two games, both starts for the Knicks. I have no idea if Mike Woodson will leave him in the starting lineup the rest of the way, but it’s starting to look that way. And with Carmelo Anthony’s groin appearing to be held together with thread and Elmer’s glue, Shumpert could be a beast the rest of the way. Just keep in mind the Knicks only play three times in the upcoming week, but then go 4-4.

Kemba Walker Bobcats – Paul Silas appears to be about done waiting for D.J. Augustin to get his stuff together and Walker has been playing well. He’s averaging 12.6 points, three boards, 5.6 assists and nearly a 3-pointer over his last five games. He only has one steal over that stretch, but it’s time to turn the kid loose, give him a starting job and let him get ready for next year. Especially since DJA is now also dealing with a knee injury, as well as a horrendous slump. The Cats go 4-5-4 over the next three weeks and Walker is still available in about 40 percent of the leagues out there. The latest news is that Augustin’s knee is feeling better and he’ll continue to start, but even off the bench, the minutes should still be there for Walker.

Gerald Green Nets – Green didn’t turn many heads when it was announced he signed a 10-day contract with the Nets last month, but that led to a full-time gig and he’s suddenly very relevant in fantasy, with injuries to Jordan Farmar and Anthony Morrow. Green is averaging 12 points, four rebounds, 1.6 steals a block and 1.6 3-pointers over his last five games, and those numbers jump up to 17 points, four boards, three steals and three 3-pointers in his last two. I don’t really trust him as much as I’d like to, but I threw him into my 30-Deep lineup this week (over Jeremy Lin) and it’s turned out to be a possible life-saving move, at least in terms of fantasy basketball. The Nets play four times next week, but then go 3-3 over the following two. I’m planning on riding him again next week, and then finding another option when the Nets schedule tails off. He’s only owned in five percent of ESPN leagues.

Tony Allen Grizzlies – The Grizzlies go 5-5 over the next two weeks, making Allen look like a great bet in fantasy leagues. Despite the schedule, he’s still only owned in 44 percent of leagues, and is averaging 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.4 blocks and 0.6 3-pointers over his last five games.

Shannon Brown Suns – Grant Hill will have knee surgery, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy, and Brown has gotten the start for him in the last two games. That trend should continue going forward and Brown should post numbers somewhere in between what he’s done in his last two games. He blew up for a career-high 32 points on Tuesday and backed it up with 10 points on Wednesday. Despite coming off the bench for three of his last five games, he’s still averaging 15 points, three rebounds and 1.6 3-pointers over his last five games, and should pick it up in the steals department if he continues to start. He’s available in almost all leagues, but should start showing up on teams as news of Hill’s surgery makes its way through the web. And with the Suns going 4-4-4 over the next three weeks, Brown is closer to a must-add player than anyone would think. <!--RW-->

GUARDS - THE REST

Baron Davis Knicks – Jeremy Lin is out again Friday and Davis should continue to start for as long as he’s out. Davis is dealing with a gimpy hammy and back, as usual, but is worth a look as long as Lin remains out with his knee injury.

O.J. Mayo Grizzlies – He plays five games in each of the next two weeks, and while his scoring and minutes have been a bit inconsistent, he’s worth a roll of the dice due to his schedule.

Nate Robinson Warriors – Robinson failed to score in his last game, but played solid minutes and is over his hamstring injury. He’ll be inconsistent, but should see plenty of minutes as long as Stephen Curry remains on the shelf – which should be for the remainder of the season.

MarShon Brooks Nets – Brooks is starting to come on again and scored 17 in his last game. The Nets have nothing to play for and would be wise to turn Brooks loose and let him finish on a high note.

Jose Juan Barea Timberwolves – Barea had a monster triple-double on Friday with 25-10-14, but hasn’t played since due to a thigh injury. Luke Ridnour is hot again, but is also banged up, and the two could share time once JJB is healthy again.

George Hill Pacers – After a pair of terrible games to start the week, Hill had 14 points, a steal, a block and a 3-pointer on Thursday. He’s going to be inconsistent while coming off the bench, but could still get hot and finish up strong for the Pacers.

Eric Gordon Hornets – The Hornets keep hinting that Gordon is close to a return, but I’m pretty much ignoring him. He just wants to prove to NBA teams that he can still play, but has appeared in just two games this season. And with three games next week, he doesn’t look like an option to me. However, the Hornets then go 4-4 and if he can stay healthy and get more minutes than Marco Belinelli, he could help owners out over the final few weeks. But I’m prepared to let someone else deal with the headaches he could bring with a setback.

Gary Forbes Raptors – Forbes double-doubled on Wednesday despite playing just 19 minutes, and was hot before that one, averaging about 16 points, eight boards and two 3-pointers over his last four. With Jerryd Bayless done for the year, Forbes should be the primary backup for Jose Calderon, but can also play SG and SF.

FORWARDS

Jason Thompson Kings – JT is back from his sprained ankle and had a great line on Wednesday when he had 15 points, seven boards, three steals and three blocks. Prior to the injury, he’d racked up five straight double-doubles, and is averaging 16 points, 12 boards, two assists, two steals and two blocks over his last three. He looks to be locked and loaded as a starter for the Kings and gets a boost with five games in the upcoming week. In other words, he’s a must-own player going forward, at least for the next two weeks, and is only owned in 66 percent of ESPN leagues.

Chandler Parsons Rockets – Parsons is still available in about 40 percent of leagues and is hot for the Rockets, averaging 15 points, nine rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.4 steals and two 3-pointers over his last five games. And with Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin still out indefinitely, Parsons appears locked and loaded for heavy minutes the rest of the way.

Gordon Hayward Jazz – Hayward has really turned it on recently, averaging 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.6 blocks and 0.8 3-pointers over his last five games, and appears to be ready to finish the season on a high note. The Jazz have four games in each of the next two weeks, and he looks like a must-own player to me, but is now available in less than 20 percent of the leagues out there.

Kawhi Leonard Spurs – Leonard has been a model of efficiency lately, easily hitting over 50 percent of his shots and averaging 13 points, eight boards, one assist, 1.2 steals, 0.4 blocks and a 3-pointer per game in 30 minutes a night. The Spurs play six sets of back-to-backs in April and Leonard’s young legs are going to win the favor of Gregg Popovich, while guys like Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker aren’t going to be so lucky. The Spurs go 4-4-5 over the next three weeks and Leonard is still available in about 75 percent of leagues out there.

Alonzo Gee Cavaliers – Gee is still available in 60 percent of fantasy leagues and is averaging nine points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, a steal, 0.2 blocks and 0.8 3-pointers over his last five games. The scoring has been inconsistent, but the rebounds, steals and threes have remained constant for several weeks now. The Cavs finish up 4-5-4 over the next three weeks, making him look like a solid option in most leagues.<!--RW-->

FORWARDS - THE REST

Tayshaun Prince Pistons – With Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon hurting, someone has to score for the Pistons and Prince is a good bet to pick up the scraps. He’s averaging 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, 0.8 blocks and 1.6 3-pointers over his last five games, and looks like a nice pickup right now.

Corey Maggette Bobcats – Maggette appears to be getting healthy again, had 22 points on Wednesday, and has hit double digits in three of his last four games. I don’t trust him – at all – but he could get hot and go on a tear. Or he could go down with another injury and ruin your week. Maggette is a true risk vs. reward player.

Matt Barnes Lakers – Barnes is quietly hot, averaging 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.6 3-pointers over his last five games, and the Lakers finish up 4-4-4 over the next three weeks.

Linas Kleiza Raptors – Kleiza has benefitted lately by injuries/illness to DeMar DeRozan and James Johnson, and has hit six treys over his last two games. It sounds like DeRozan and Johnson will play on Friday, but Kleiza could still have value going forward off the bench. Keep an eye on him.

Marreese Speights Grizzlies – Zach Randolph continues to struggle off the bench in his return from a knee injury and Speights had 18 points and seven boards in a start at center on Tuesday, when Marc Gasol was out with a sprained ankle. Gasol’s still not a sure bet for tonight, and with five games in each of the next two weeks, Speights could have some decent value if you need a big man.

Marvin Williams Hawks – Marvin is heating up, averaging around 12 points, six rebounds and two 3-pointers, as he looks comfortable with his new role off the bench. But the Hawks play just three games in each of the next two weeks, so you can probably find better four-game options off your wire.

Austin Daye Pistons – Daye started the second half on Wednesday due to Rodney Stuckey’s hamstring injury, and with both Stuckey and Ben Gordon (groin) unlikely to play on Friday, Daye could be ready to go on a run. Consider him a deep-league special.

CENTERS

Spencer Hawes Sixers – Hawes is still on a bit of a minutes count, but is good to go in back-to-backs and looks to be pretty healthy. He’s averaging 8.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.2 blocks over his last five games, and those assist numbers go up to 4.5 per game over his last two. If you need a center, Hawes looks like a solid grab right now. The Sixers have four games this week, three the following and then four more the week after, and he’s available in about 40 percent of fantasy leagues.

Tristan Thompson Cavaliers – Thompson’s inconsistency has been tough to deal with, but he’s coming off a nice line of nine points, 11 boards, a steal and three blocks on Wednesday. He’s also averaging 11 points, eight boards and 1.4 blocks over his last three, making him worth adding in most leagues. Add to it that the Cavs go 4-5-4 over the next three, and Thompson could really help owners over the next three weeks. And he’s still available in nearly 70 percent of ESPN leagues. Anderson Varejao could be back in the near future from his wrist injury, but I still think Thompson should get plenty of minutes going forward.

Anthony Tolliver Timberwolves - Tolliver mysteriously played just 13 minutes on Tuesday when he scored two points, but despite that dud, he’ s still averaging 12.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.4 steals, a block and a 3-pointer over his last five games. Take out the two-point disappearance, and he’s scored in double figures in four straight, including his 11-point, 11-rebound, one block and one 3-pointer performance on Wednesday. Nikola Pekovic’s return could hurt Tolliver going forward, but there’s no guarantee Pekovic isn’t shut down for the season. And given that Rick Adelman is done messing around with Darko Milicic (the artist formerly known as Manna from Heaven), and Tolliver looks like a very sneaky add right now. The Wolves go 3-4-4 over the next three weeks and Tolliver is available in most fantasy leagues.

J.J. Hickson Blazers – Hickson is still coming off the bench, but is averaging 16.5 points, five boards, 2.5 steals and a block over his last two in 27.5 minutes. He’s healthy and Joel Przybilla isn’t the greatest option at center for the Blazers, so Hickson should continue to get plenty of run. He’s available everywhere and the Blazers play four times in each of the next two weeks. If you need a center, you could do worse.

Johan Petro Nets – Shelden Williams, Jordan Williams and Brook Lopez are all hurt, meaning Petro is about the last big man standing in New Jersey, outside of Kris Humphries. Petro had four points, five boards and a block on Wednesday, and four points and seven boards on Tuesday, playing just 14 minutes in each of them. He didn’t start in either of those games, so look for his numbers and minutes to increase if he sticks in the starting five going forward. Consider him a deep-league special, as the Nets go 4-3-3 over the next three weeks.

Byron Mullens – Mullens was hot for a minute recently, averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in his two games on Saturday and Monday, but he played just 12 minutes on Wednesday, when he and Bismack Biyombo were run over by a train called Kevin Love. Mullens isn’t trustworthy, but with Tyrus Thomas hurting and Biyombo struggling, Mullens could end up starting at power forward in the near future. Just keep a close eye on him, as the Cats finish up 4-5-4.

 

[HacheMan]

Boo-Boo for Bynum

The NBA playoffs will begin in roughly four weeks. For key players on title-contending teams, the first priority over the next month will be to sustain health.

That’s why seemingly minor injuries are scary for fantasy owners. The Bulls continue to exercise extreme caution with Derrick Rose (groin), who does not appear close to a return. Dwight Howard (back) popped up with a random DNP Sunday. Mike Conley (ankle) and Wilson Chandler (groin) also sat out weekend games.

All this brings us to Andrew Bynum, who has been one of the best values in fantasy basketball all season long. He hasn’t missed a single game due to injury, has logged 35.9 minutes per night and is averaging career-highs in points and rebounds while swatting 2.0 shots.

But during the second quarter of Sunday night‘s win over the Warriors, Bynum came down on the foot of a teammate and turned his left ankle. He immediately motioned for a sub and went to the locker room. The good news is that Bynum walked off under his own power and X-rays came back negative. It’s being called a “moderate” sprain. The bad news is that he was due for a rest anyway and this is a perfect time for the Lakers to give him one.

Consider Bynum very questionable for the Tuesday/Wednesday back-to-back. The Lakers’ priority will be to get him peaking a month from now, leaving Pau Gasol, Troy Murphy and WEEKEND INJURY NOTES
As mentioned above, Derrick Rose (groin) is not close. He still hasn’t participated in a contact practice and he’s still having a hard time running through the scar tissue.

Richard Hamilton is hoping to play on Monday, but he’ll be eased back in very slowly.

Charles Jenkins left Sunday night’s game with a knee contusion. He was technically available to return, but this is a nice little opening for Nate Robinson. Nasty Nate went off for 17 points, seven assists, five 3-pointers and two steals in Jenkins’ absence.

We’ve got a new lame pun for Jeremy Lin: Linjured. He’s got a torn meniscus and is out six weeks. Baron Davis in four starts this season: 8.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 3-pointers. Iman Shumpert also gets a nice boost.

Nikola Pekovic’s ankle injury isn’t season-ending, but the Wolves are playing it safe. They know an aggravation could lead to the need for surgery. Consider Pekovic doubtful for Monday and questionable for Wednesday.

J.J. Barea (thigh) is hoping to return on Wednesday. If healthy, he’ll get plenty of burn despite a bench role.

Eric Gordon (knee) is tentatively expected to get on the floor sometime in the next week, but he’ll be handled with kid gloves. The Hornets have just three games this week and one of them is a back-to-back. Not good.

Wilson Chandler (groin) was a late scratch on Sunday, giving Corey Brewer the start. Danilo Gallinari (thumb) was targeting this week for his return to practice.

Ray Allen (ankle) continues to go through shootarounds, but he’s healing surprisingly slow. The Celtics are off until Wednesday, giving him a decent shot at returning then.

Trevor Booker and Nene Hilario are both battling plantar fasciitis. It’s a great spot for intriguing talent Kevin Seraphin, who can play both center and power forward. The Frenchman is averaging 10.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks while playing just 26.5 minutes over the last 10 games. Whenever Booker or Nene is out, there’s a ton of upside on those numbers.

Dwight Howard was a late scratch Sunday due to back spasms. The Magic say that Dwight got punched in the back by Brendan Haywood on Friday, leading to the injury. Regardless, it doesn’t sound overly serious.

Sleeper of the year Ryan Anderson sprained his right ankle late in Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets. He’s officially day-to-day.

Carl Landry missed both weekend games with a sprained ankle. With Chris Kaman, Gustavo Ayon and Jason Smith all healthy now anyway, there’s not much reason to mess around here.

With Grant Hill (knee) out at least two weeks, Shannon Brown has a big up arrow. In five starts this year, Brown is averaging 18.4 points and 2.2 treys per game.

J.J. Hickson is doing an excellent job of humiliating the Kings for cutting him. Now that Joel Przybilla’s knee issues are acting up again, Hickson is locked into big minutes. Over the last four games, Hickson is averaging 19.2 points and 8.0 rebounds.

Kyrie Irving (shoulder) was very close to playing Saturday. He should be fine for Tuesday.

Corey Maggette (Achilles) is predictably sidelined again, possibly for a week. Reggie Williams is going to start at small forward and be an asset in the 3-point department. Elsewhere in Charlotte, Byron Mullens replaced Tyrus Thomas as the starting power forward.

Ben Gordon (groin) and Rodney Stuckey (hamstring) remain day-to-day, but WEEKLY GAME COUNT (April 2 to April 8)
5 - Grizzlies, Kings
4 - Raptors, Jazz, Wizards, Sixers, Suns, Blazers, Spurs, Heat, Thunder, Bucks, Nets, Celtics, Bobcats, Mavericks, Pistons, Warriors, Pacers, Clippers, Lakers, Cavaliers
3 - Rockets, Nuggets, Bulls, Hornets, Knicks, Magic, Wolves, Hawks

Five-game notes: Mike Conley (sprained right ankle) is questionable for Monday. O.J. Mayo is a nice option in weekly formats. … Marreesse Speights in 39 starts this year: 9.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks. Close your eyes and expect that kind of production despite the wild inconsistency. … The rapidly improving Jason Thompson is over his ankle injury and ready to party.

Three-game notes: Marcus Camby has seized the starting center job from Sam Dalembert. More on that in Rotating Rotations Tuesday. … No news is bad news on Kevin Martin (shoulder). Courtney Lee continues to impress. … JaVale McGee has a shorter leash in Denver. He saw just 11 minutes Sunday. … C.J. Watson is really struggling, turning the backup point guard gig into a timeshare with John Lucas. … The Hornets are suddenly showing some signs of health. Jarrett Jack (ankle), Chris Kaman (illness) and Gustavo Ayon (personal) all played Sunday. Kaman and Jason Smith project as the usual starters up front. … Even with just three games, Iman Shumpert has major upside. The Knicks are suddenly desperate at point guard and both wing spots.

 

[HacheMan]

Rush Hour

We have officially arrived at a juncture of the season at which previously irrelevant players are suddenly emerging (or in some cases, re-emerging) with notable value, a juncture otherwise known as April in the NBA. Here’s a close look at some obscure late-season options you might find yourself considering:

Say hello to Kevin Seraphin. With Trevor Booker and Nene both currently advancing the fashion trend known as the walking boot, Seraphin posted 16 points and seven rebounds in 35 minutes on Sunday, giving him averages of 13.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 1.4 bpg in his last five games. With Booker and Nene both looking very fragile – and with four games both this week and next – Seraphin is looking like a strong play during the upcoming fortnight.

Please welcome back Byron Mullens. At the outset of the year, there were few (if any) players who were less on my radar than Mullens. But the 2009 first-round pick – still just 23 years old – has proven himself to have legitimate NBA jump-shooting ability, and a recent move to power forward looks like an excellent fit. In his first start at PF this year, Mullens posted 20 points, nine boards, two steals, two blocks and a trey in 40 minutes. With improving shot-blocking ability (1.2 bpg in 17 games in March) and an excellent schedule (4-5-4 the next three weeks, including a full slate of three games during the season’s final half week), Mullens is worth serious consideration across many formats.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

It’s time to take Charles Jenkins seriously – with one small caveat. Owned in just 13 percent of Yahoo leagues as of Monday morning, Jenkins got his fourth start in the last five games on Sunday night, posting 10 points, six assists and two steals in just 22 minutes before leaving due to a bruised knee. And therein lies the caveat: If healthy, Jenkins looks like Mark Jackson’s preferred choice as the starting PG (and has posted 16.8 ppg, 6.8 apg and 1.3 spg in his last four starts), but it’s at least of mild concern that he didn’t re-enter Sunday’s game even though the Warriors said he was available to return. I’m still all for adding Jenkins given Golden State’s upcoming schedule (4-4-5 beginning this week), but starting the rookie PG comes with at least a small amount of injury-related uncertainty this week.

Speaking of Warriors, a few words on Brandon Rush. The backup swingman reminded the people of Earth that he’s still wildly inconsistent by dropping a complete dud against the Lakers on Sunday (four points on 1-of-6 shooting in just 20 minutes, his fewest minutes since Feb. 22). However, assuming he wasn’t injured – and no word of an injury had surfaced as of Monday morning – Rush’s schedule and recent production (12.0 ppg, 2.0 bpg and 1.4 3s in his last five games) make him an intriguing source of 3s and blocks down the stretch.

Jason Smith has been playing well, but his fun may be ending soon. Smith has averaged 14.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.8 spg and 1.2 bpg in his last six games, but has been helped by absences from Chris Kaman (bronchitis), Gustavo Ayon (personal) and Carl Landry (ankle). Smith still started despite the returns of Kaman and Ayon on Sunday, but finished with a hollow 14 points, two rebounds and no blocks in 28 minutes. I wouldn’t object to adding Smith in hopes that he’s one of the last people standing in the New Orleans frontcourt a week or two from now, but he’s not an especially strong play with just three games this week.

The good news and bad news on Shannon Brown: The good news is that Brown is starting, and producing well in a couple of areas. The bad news is that despite his propensity for explosive dunks, Brown’s overall fantasy potential isn’t all that dynamic. Yes, Phoenix’s starting SF has averaged a strong 18.5 ppg and 2.0 treys in his last four, but has accompanied it with just 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg, 0.8 spg and 0.3 bpg during that stretch. It’s a statistical profile that all-too-closely resembles the production of Nick Young, which is nice if you need a boost in scoring and 3s, but needs to be weighed carefully with the rest of your roster, as Brown’s lack of versatility (especially in rebounds and assists) is a liability.

And if you’re desperate for 3s and steals with a somewhat decimated waiver wire, this is the last-best week to consider using Gerald Green. Why now? Because the Nets play four games this week before just three games in each of the two weeks that follow, and Green has posted 15.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.2 spg and 2.0 3s in his last four games. The backup swingman is coming off a somewhat disappointing line on Saturday (six points, seven rebounds, two steals, no 3s in 22 minutes), but should have plenty of motivation (and quite possibly some garbage time) to put up stats against the team that waived him in training camp, the Lakers, on Tuesday night.

Other Random Thoughts: I know Greg Stiemsma is good for defensive stats (1.3 spg, 2.6 bpg in his last nine games), but beware that the hit you’ll take in points and rebounds (4.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg in his last nine games) probably outweighs the benefits … J.J. Hickson’s 29 and 13 in LaMarcus Aldridge’s absence on Friday was a mirage, but he has still posted a solid 16.0 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 1.0 bpg in his last three games playing alongside Aldridge.

 

[HacheMan]

March stats: Shumpert heating up

By Brian McKitish | Special to ESPN.com

With March in the books, it's time for another game of fun with numbers, this time focusing on trends since the All-Star break and splits for the month of March.

Numbers to love


The Top 130

Note: Brian McKitish's top 130 players are ranked for their fantasy value from this point forward in the 2011-12 NBA season. Previous rank is indicated in parentheses.1. Kevin Durant, SF, OKC (1)
2. LeBron James, SF, MIA (2)
3. Chris Paul, PG, LAC (3)
4. Kevin Love, PF, MIN (4)
5. Dwyane Wade, SG, MIA (5)
6. Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC (6)
7. Dwight Howard, C, ORL (7)
8. Deron Williams, PG, NJ (8)
9. Josh Smith, PF/SF, ATL (9)
10. Al Jefferson, C/PF, UTAH (11)
11. DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, SAC (19)
12. Pau Gasol, PF/C, LAL (13)
13. Paul Millsap, PF, UTAH (20)
14. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, POR (14)
15. Kobe Bryant, SG, LAL (10)
16. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, DAL (15)
17. David Lee, PF/C, GS (22)
18. Marc Gasol, C, MEM (17)
19. Andrew Bynum, C, LAL (16)
20. Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE (26)
21. Blake Griffin, PF, LAC (21)
22. Marcin Gortat, C, PHO (24)
23. Rudy Gay, SF, MEM (23)
24. Rajon Rondo, PG, BOS (25)
25. James Harden, SG, OKC (27)
26. John Wall, PG, WSH (18)
27. Ty Lawson, PG/SG, DEN (29)
28. Paul Pierce, SF/SG, BOS (31)
29. Kevin Garnett, PF/C, BOS (36)
30. Marcus Thornton, SG, SAC (32)
31. Ryan Anderson, PF, ORL (34)
32. Greg Monroe, PF/C, DET (28)
33. Steve Nash, PG, PHO (30)
34. Serge Ibaka, C/PF, OKC (38)
35. Goran Dragic, PG, HOU (66)
36. Carmelo Anthony, SF, NY (52)
37. Joe Johnson, SG/SF, ATL (39)
38. Tony Parker, PG, SA (35)
39. Danny Granger, SF, IND (40)
40. Derrick Rose, PG, CHI (12)
41. Gerald Wallace, SF/PF, NJ (44)
42. Klay Thompson, SG, GS (41)
43.Nene Hilario, C/PF, WSH (42)
44. Andre Iguodala, SF/SG, PHI (43)
45. Roy Hibbert, C, IND (46)
46. Brandon Jennings, PG, MIL (48)
47. Nicolas Batum, SF/SG, POR (49)
48. Joakim Noah, C/PF, CHI (45)
49. Jordan Crawford, SG, WSH (51)
50. JaVale McGee, C, DEN (50)
51. Carlos Boozer, PF, CHI (56)
52. Kris Humphries, PF, NJ (55)
53. Monta Ellis, PG/SG, GS (33)
54. Tyreke Evans, PG/SG/SF, SAC (53)
55. Mike Conley, PG, MEM (54)
56. Chris Bosh, PF/C, MIA (58)
57. Jose Calderon, PG, TOR (67)
58. Luol Deng, SF, CHI (59)
59. Manu Ginobili, SG, SA (61)
60. Ersan Ilyasova, SF/PF, MIL (70)
61. Ramon Sessions, PG, LAL (60)
62. Tyson Chandler, C, NY (62)
63. Andrea Bargnani, C/PF, TOR (68)
64. Jarrett Jack, PG/SG, NO (74)
65. Paul George, SF/SG, IND (65)
66. Wesley Matthews, SG/SF, POR (78)
67. Drew Gooden, PF, MIL (64)
68. Luke Ridnour, PG, MIN (75)
69. Zach Randolph, PF, MEM (37)
70. Jason Terry, SG, DAL (71)
71. Tim Duncan, PF/C, SA (77)
72. Jrue Holiday, PG, PHI (72)
73. Raymond Felton, PG, POR (84)
74. Eric Gordon, SG, NO (122)
75. Jeff Teague, PG, ATL (88)
76. Isaiah Thomas, PG, SAC (86)
77. Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, UTAH (106)
78. Arron Afflalo, SG, DEN (87)
79. Antawn Jamison, PF, CLE (69)
80. Wilson Chandler, SF/SG, DEN (73)
81. Channing Frye, PF/C, PHO (82)
82. Ray Allen, SG, BOS (79)
83. Luis Scola, PF, HOU (85)
84. Chris Kaman, C, NO (63)
85. Evan Turner, SG, PHI (89)
86. Jared Dudley, SF/SG, PHO (81)
87. Nikola Pekovic, C, MIN (80)
88. DeMar DeRozan, SG/SF, TOR (93)
89. Brandon Knight, PG/SG, DET (91)
90. Al Harrington, PF, DEN (94)
91. Elton Brand, PF, PHI (96)
92. Rodney Stuckey, PG/SG, DET (92)
93. Lou Williams, PG/SG, PHI (83)
94. Jameer Nelson, PG, ORL (104)
95. Amare Stoudemire, C/PF, NY (57)
96. David West, PF, IND (103)
97. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC (90)
98. Alonzo Gee, SG/SF, CLE (97)
99. Devin Harris, PG, UTAH (99)
100. Gerald Henderson, SG, CHA (101)
101. Iman Shumpert, PG/SG, NY (NR)
102. Jason Kidd, PG, DAL (109)
103. Jason Thompson, PF, SAC (117)
104. Mike Dunleavy, SG/SF, MIL (NR)
105. Chandler Parsons, SF, HOU (NR)
106. D.J. Augustin, PG, CHA (108)
107. Kevin Martin, SG, HOU (98)
108. Nick Young, SG, LAC (107)
109. Tristan Thompson, PF, CLE (105)
110. Kenneth Faried, PF, DEN (118)
111. Thaddeus Young, SF/PF, PHI (110)
112. Andre Miller, PG, DEN (114)
113. Kyle Lowry, PG, HOU (95)
114. James Johnson, SF/PF, TOR (126)
115. Brandon Rush, SG, GS (NR)
116. Kawhi Leonard, PF, SA (NR)
117. Mario Chalmers, PG, MIA (116)
118. Carlos Delfino, SF/SG, MIL (115)
119. Jose Juan Barea, PG, MIN (111)
120. Zaza Pachulia, C, ATL (124)
121. Spencer Hawes, C, PHI (119)
122. Nate Robinson, PG/SG, GS (76)
123. Baron Davis, PG, NY (NR)
124. Shawn Marion, SF/PF, DAL (128)
125. Tony Allen, SG, MEM (129)
126. Derrick Williams, PF, MIN (120)
127. J.J. Hickson, PF/C, POR (NR)
128. Samuel Dalembert, C, HOU (127)
129. Carl Landry, PF, NO (NR)
130. Darren Collison, PG, IND (130)

 

[HacheMan]

Dose: Injury Bugging

For fantasy basketball owners in head-to-head leagues, the playoffs are underway. And for many of those owners, that means pain. Lots of it.

To me, a league that locks rosters every Monday is insane. This week is a perfect example of why. In the most crucial time of year, we have star after star dealing with injury. Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, Luke Ridnour, Andrew Bynum, Marcus Thornton, and WEAK WADE
Dwyane Wade was the most surprising scratch of the night. The Heat are saying that he bruised his left knee in Sunday’s loss to the Celtics and was still feeling soreness on Tuesday night. That might be true, but Wade surely would have played if this was a vital game.

No one in the Heat’s organization flashed much concern, making this seem like a simple maintenance day. Wade likely knew a showdown with the Thunder loomed on Wednesday. He’s got a solid chance to return for that one.

Of course, with Wade out LeBron James took a heavier offensive load on his shoulders against the Sixers. James scored 41 points to go with six rebounds and four assists. It’s the kind of line he could put up nightly if needed.

NOT A MAGIC MAN
We knew that Dwight Howard has been dealing with back spasms for a few days now. However, the condition is not overly serious. Howard has been a game-time call in two straight games and coach Stan Van Gundy expects both Dwight and Jameer Nelson (calf) back sooner rather than later.

Ryan Anderson’s ankle situation is much murkier. Anderson was ruled out early in the day Tuesday and admitted that his ankle has swelled to the size of a softball. He was also sporting a walking boot. Fantasy’s clear sleeper of the year can only be considered very questionable for Thursday’s game against the Knicks.

Meanwhile, Glen Davis is showing that he has starting-caliber talent. Big Baby put 31 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and a block on the Pistons, showing a dominant mid-range jumper and soft hands around the hoop. On Sunday, Davis went off for 18 points and 16 rebounds against the Nuggets. He’s a must-start anytime Anderson or Howard sit.

BOOGIE BYNUM
KICKING FOR APPLES
On Monday night, Marcus Thornton was accidentally kicked in the left calf by Luke Ridnour. This sounds mild, but Thornton said after that “it feels like my leg is about to explode,” Yikes.

Thornton was ruled out very early on Tuesday morning for the night game against the Suns. It’s a sign he’s going to need some time to heal. Although Terrence Williams came off the bench behind Donte Greene, it’s clear that the versatile Williams is the preferred sub here. T-Will posted 16 points, six rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes Tuesday.

A SEASON SAVIOR?
Eric Gordon (knee) participated fully in a physical practice Tuesday. He emerged from that workout saying he feels great and he fully expects to finally return on Wednesday. Stop the presses.

However, it’s worth noting that coach TUESDAY NIGHT GAME THOUGHTS: EARLY EDITION
No one should be surprised by Baron Davis’ modest lines (six points, three assists Tuesday). He’s a shell of himself and on a minutes cap. … The Spurs absolutely destroyed the Cavs, leading to limited minutes across the board. … Kyrie Irving returned from his mild shoulder injury and looked fine in 29 minutes. … Byron Mullens continues to show rapid improvement. The 20 points, 14 boards and two blocks he put on the Raptors is for real. We know the minutes and deft shooting touch will be there the rest of the way. It certainly didn’t hurt that backup PF Tyrus Thomas left with a jaw injury. … I wouldn’t be worried about Kemba Walker’s off night. He’s starting and coach Paul Silas is committed. … James Johnson saw 20 minutes or less for the fourth straight game. It’s now a trend.

TUESDAY NIGHT GAME THOUGHTS: MIDDLE EDITION
Andre Iguodala got scratched/poked in the left eye by Mario Chalmers in the third quarter and didn’t return. His status going forward is unclear, but it sounds like he was more shook up than anything. … Evan Turner’s 26 points were fluky as his wayward jumper was actually going, but he has now scored in double figures in five straight. A 10-13 point range is the normal expectation. … Ronny Turiaf supplanted Joel Anthony as the Heat’s starting center Tuesday. Turiaf finished with six points, six rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes. It’s an idea for those extremely desperate for blocks. … Ben Gordon (groin) returned from injury but Rodney Stuckey didn’t. Of course, that meant Gordon went off for 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds. It’s really that simple -- Gordon starts, Gordon plays enough minutes to do damage.

TUESDAY NIGHT GAME THOUGHTS: LATE EDITION
Charles Jenkins (knee) started, but had just seven points in 22 minutes. Nate Robinson came off the bench for 18 points in 25 minutes. It’s a hot-hand situation, with Jenkins locked in as the starter. … Mike Conley (ankle) returned to action and played well without any aggravation. … Zach Randolph played just 15 minutes. The only logical explanation here is that there’s more going on than meets the eye. … DeMarcus Cousins went off for 41 points and 12 boards against the Suns. Attitude issues aside, he’s one of the best talents in the NBA. Period. … Jason Thompson is certainly improved, but he was playing over his head during that binge. Now he’s nursing an ankle injury and dealing with his usual foul trouble again. Two points, 17 minutes Tuesday.

INJURY FAST BREAK: GUARDS
Luke Ridnour (ankle) is expected to be out for “a while.” Meanwhile, the Wolves are hopeful that J.J. Barea (thigh) can play Wednesday. Make the switch. … Derrick Rose (groin) is going to practice on a limited basis Wednesday. He could be targeting Sunday for his long-awaited return. … Trevor Ariza (ankle) returned to practice and is expected to play Wednesday. … Ray Allen (ankle) is fully expected to return Wednesday. He’ll get his starting job back even though the Celts have been red hot with Avery Bradley at shooting guard. … Devin Harris (ankle) is headed for a game-time call Wednesday. … Mo Williams (toe) is hoping to play “soon.” Note that he was originally expected to miss at least two weeks from March 26.

INJURY FAST BREAK: FORWARDS AND CENTERS
Wilson Chandler (groin) missed practice Tuesday and is questionable for Wednesday. Corey Brewer is worth a look if Chandler sits. … Anderson Varejao (wrist) isn’t going to get back in practice this week. … Amare Stoudemire’s timetable hasn’t changed. He’s still out 2-4 weeks from last Thursday. … Trevor Booker (foot) and Nene Hilario (foot) remain questionable for Wednesday. But note that the Wiz have a back-to-back-to-back. It’s a really bad schedule for plantar fasciitis. … Carl Landry (ankle) returned to practice. He’ll be the third or fourth big along with Chris Kaman, Jason Smith and Gustavo Ayon.

 

[HacheMan]

Top 2011-12 fantasy disappointments

By Seth Landman | Special to ESPN.com

Last week, we looked at this season's biggest positive surprises so far on the Player Rater, but there have been plenty of players who haven't fared as well. This week, we'll look at the players who have been the biggest disappointments (excepting those players who have disappointed only because of missed time due to injury), and see whether there might be brighter days on the horizon for their fantasy owners. For the sake of the article, I'm going to avoid talking about guys you should avoid owning in fantasy leagues at this point (Stephen Jackson, Lamar Odom, and Andray Blatche, for instance) in the interest of talking about guys who still maintain at least a little of the value they once had.


(Player Rater ranking in parentheses)

Anthony


Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks (66): Yes, Anthony has missed 10 games due to injury, but that's only a small piece of the reason he hasn't lived up to his average draft position of 12.3 in ESPN.com fantasy drafts. No matter how you look at it, this has been the worst season of Anthony's entire career even when he's managed to get into the lineup. His ranking only moves up to 52nd if you look at his per-game averages; he's averaging fewer points than ever, and his rebounding average of 6.0 is his lowest since 2006-07. Anthony is one of my favorite players, but there's little reason for optimism here. His post-All-Star-break numbers are actually worse than his numbers on the season as a whole, and the Knicks have been better without him most of the time. I hope he turns it around, but one of the most interesting questions heading into next season in fantasy leagues will be where to draft Melo. In fact, that question also goes for his teammate Amare Stoudemire, who certainly belongs on a list like this, but will be out for the next few weeks with a back injury.

Rondo


Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics (94): Like Anthony, Rondo has missed 10 games due to injury, and also like Anthony, that's not the major reason why he's slipped so far down in the rankings. Rondo has managed to get more assertive this season in terms of looking for his own shot, but that's cost him in his field goal percentage and means he's killing your free-throw shooting more than he ever has. Additionally, he's down from 2.3 steals per game last season to 1.7 this season. For a point guard who doesn't make 3-pointers, Rondo is starting to run out of things he can do to help you in fantasy leagues besides his innate ability to rack up assists. In his 20 games since the All-star break, things have only gotten weirder. He's averaging just 9.7 points (after averaging a career-high 14.8 to that point) on 40.9 percent shooting from the floor, but he's also averaging a ludicrous 12.7 assists per game over that stretch. If he keeps up that sort of stat line for the last few weeks of the season, it's going to be hard to justify another top-50 pick on him (his ranking based on his per-game numbers only climbs to 65th, so the 10 games missed can't be entirely to blame for this) next season.

Evans


Tyreke Evans, PG/SG/SF, Sacramento Kings (48): His ranking might not seem that terrible for a guy who was drafted 30th on average in most leagues, but there was a consensus heading into this season that Evans was going to bounce back from last season's dismal performance and show some of the talent that allowed him to average better than 20 points, five rebounds and five assists as a rookie. That hasn't been the case. Instead, he's starting to look like a man without a position. Rookie Isaiah Thomas looks a better point guard, Marcus Thornton looks like a better shooting guard, and Evans has shown little of the superstar potential that made him so exciting in the past. He hasn't had a 30-point game once this season, and has recorded just one double-double (though that did come in a game against the Miami Heat). It feels like ages, but it was just two off-seasons ago that we were having serious debates about whether Evans or Derrick Rose had better potential as a fantasy player; those debates aren't happening any more, and while Evans is a good player, he's no longer someone I'm excited to have on my roster.

Holiday


Jrue Holiday, PG, Philadelphia 76ers (63): Holiday, like Evans, was supposed to become an elite player at some point this season, and it simply hasn't happened. The 76ers have been great, and Holiday is certainly a capable player and an important part of their success, but his game seems to have hit a lull as he's rebounding less, finding his teammates less, getting to the line less, and shooting the ball worse than he did last season. Considering the fact that he was drafted ahead of guys like Ty Lawson, Kyle Lowry and Brandon Jennings, one would have expected a third-year player like Holiday to make the sort of leaps those players have made. Instead, he's become an afterthought, ranked 20th among point guards on the Player Rater, behind guys like Jeff Teague, Luke Ridnour, Mario Chalmers and Jarrett Jack. There's nothing in his recent numbers that suggest this phenomenon is changing, either; it would appear that Holiday might only be as good as he is right now, and that means he certainly shouldn't be a top-50 pick again next season.

Harris


Devin Harris, PG, Utah Jazz (93): Amazingly, Harris has actually been healthier this season than he's been in years. If he keeps going at this pace (unlikely, actually, as he's questionable for Wednesday night's game against the Phoenix Suns), he'll play more games in this shortened season than he has in most of his full NBA seasons. And part of the blame, to be sure, is due to the fact that he's playing the fewest minutes since 2006-07, but it should also be noted that his decreased play time is in large part due to his decreased basketball skill. While he's actually shooting the ball as well as he has in years, he's also posting one of the lowest usage rates of his career (certainly his lowest since he became a full-time starting point guard). To put it simply, he's less assertive. Harris' best skill for years was his ability to dart into the lane and earn himself trips to the foul line, and part of the reason he's staying healthier this year might be the fact that he's shooting only about half as many free throws per game as he has in the past three seasons. Overall, he's still a useful player, but the days of his being a feared offensive weapon and important fantasy option are over.

 

[HacheMan]

Daily Dose: Big Wednesday

I’ll tell you, when you’re deathly ill and it’s the first time you’ve been sick in three years, any little thing helps. Over-the-counter stuff wasn't working for my sinus infection, so I resorted to eating jalapenos. Some of you told me to eat wasabi, so I ate a pound of wasabi last night. Apprently there is no daily limit to how much of that stuff one can eat. Still, nothing has worked to clear me up.



Needless to say every breath of mine is made in pain and I'm hacking up a lung. So when the NBA put on perhaps its best night of the year -- it was THE single-best thing that could have happened to distract me. Between the big-time matchups, the Blake Griffin destruction of Pau Gasol, and a seemingly non-stop series of big plays and close endings – I made it through the night.



I probably could have called in sick (ha), but I wouldn't have had it any other way since we are knee deep in it right now,. I’ve expanded the analysis a bit here, so let’s not waste anymore time as we go through a HUGE 12-game night.



For all of your fantasy news and information in real-time, click here to follow me on Twitter.



80 MINUTES OF MEDIOCRITY



The double-header on the four-letter network was simply awesome last night, and it kicked off with a battle of athletes in the Thunder at the Heat. It was the type of game I didn't really 'watch,' enjoying it instead. Ultimately the Thunder came up short, and you can blame Kevin Durant's nine turnovers if you want, but of course it came down to substituations and philosophy. Serge Ibaka played an inexplicable 24 minutes and still racked up four points, seven boards, two steals, and five blocks. Meanwhile, ineffective Thabo Sefolosha, Kendrick Perkins, Derek Fisher, and Nazr Mohammed combined for nearly 80 minutes. I know that Brooks is a good guy and everybody’s buddy, and that the media doesn’t want to have to backtrack on their narrative-driven Coach of the Year vote – but for the love of crumb cake.



LOST IN TRANSLATION



Dwyane Wade’s knee emerged as the biggest fantasy storyline in the Heat locker room, as the swelling due to his bruise has indeed been an impediment to his recent play. The team has a game against the Grizzlies on Friday, so they don’t play a cupcake, but owners need to be watching the situation closely as we wrap up the year. He’ll be sat if there’s any concern that his effectiveness in the playoffs will be jeopardized. LeBron James was a beast in the box score last night, scoring 34 points with seven rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, one block, and three treys. He’s going to win the MVP award unless Durant goes nuts and the Heat lose an inordinate amount of games. James' numbers are just that insane.



As for the MVP talk, I find it incredibly brain-numbing as everybody in the basketball media has different criteria for what the MVP award should be, but we all press along comparing apples and oranges. Are we voting on the guy whose teammates suck the most? The guy whose No. 2 player is a big step down in terms of production? Would in-his-prime Michael Jordan still not be the most valuable player on the planet if he was surrounded by (gulp) his present-day Bobcats? Kobe Bryant has won just one MVP award. If MVP voting was a job they’d all be fired.



MOUNTING EMBARRASSMENT



The nightcap to Thunder/Heat was the Battle of L.A. and it took about one second to take over Twitter, as Blake Griffin made it his personal quest to emasculate Pau Gasol in ways never thought possible on a basketball court. To Gasol and the Lakers’ credit they won the game, and that’s all that matters, but I find it very telling that not even hot head Matt Barnes would retaliate after Griffin literally threw Gasol to the ground after dunking all over his face. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Griffin is already the best in-game dunker of all-time.



For the Clippers, it looks like Vinny Del Negro might be loosening the leash on DeAndre Jordan, as Jordan played a whopping 40 minutes and posted 11 points, 13 rebounds, one steal, and four blocks. He is averaging nine points, eight boards, and two blocks over his last five games, and hopefully Del Negro realizes that Jordan needs to stay on the court if the team wants him to develop at all. Caron Butler rejoined the rest of the world with 28 points, and maybe this is a sign that he’s ready to produce again, but calling him a better than 50/50 bet to do so is a bit optimistic in my opinion. Chris Paul was electric and scored 22 points with a season-high 16 assists while dicing up the Lakers’ inexplicable strategy of switching big-men onto him so he could blow by them.



The Lakers, who seem to have identity issues now that Phil Jackson is gone and the kids are running the show for Dr. Jerry Buss, they were their normal entertaining selves. Andrew Bynum continued to make an ass of himself by saying that he’s going to continue shooting threes, and he even caught a pass with time expiring at the half – and instead of putting up a shot right away he dribbled out to the 3-point line just to be that guy. You don’t need me to tell you that he missed.



The good news is that Bynum would have to really escalate things in order to stop being a fantasy beast. He posted 36 points with eight boards, one steal, and four blocks. Ramon Sessions was cool as a cucumber with 16 points, six rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and two threes, Kobe had 31 points and a full line, and Pau Gasol picked up his manhood up off the ground and put it on display for 12 points, seven boards, and two blocks. For Gasol's effort, Bynum made the funniest face I've seen on a human being in at least two weeks.



Z-BO NO SHOW



O.J. Mayo kept his foot on the gas with 17 points and four treys, and the real question out of Memphis is what’s wrong with Zach Randolph. He played another listless 23 minutes last night with four points and five boards, and until he can be a No. 2 or 3 guy then Mayo and others will continue to step up. Tony Allen went down with a nasty cut on his mouth, but he should be okay going forward. As for Randolph’s owners, I had mentioned last week that Randolph would have two five-game weeks to put up low-end numbers while finding his groove. I prefer a stash by far, but this isn’t the time to be tied to any given idea. He is droppable for teams that can’t afford to bench him, even with the five-game week ahead.



Delonte West started for Jason Kidd (groin) and will do so for the rest of the week, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, two threes, two assists, and a block against the Grizz. Backup PG Roddy Beaubois played 22 minutes on his way to eight points, two rebounds, five assists, on steal, and two blocks. The two are nothing better than low-end plays with equal parts upside and downside in 12-team formats, and both are only short-term options, obviously. West is still the preferred play because he is starting and doesn’t draw the coaches’ ire with nearly as much frequency as Buckets does.



A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME ISN’T NAMED DERRICK



Derrick Rose went through a full practice on Wednesday and C.J. Watson was revealed to be dealing with a host of nagging injuries, which may or may not explain his nosedive in recent games. Regardless, Rose is questionable for Thursday’s game against the Celtics, but really we shouldn’t believe anything that comes out of Chicago. I read a Chicago Sun-Times report that said it was more likely that he would return against the Knicks on Sunday, for what it’s worth. Just be ready to move as the situation calls, and feel free to drop Watson if you haven’t already.



SOFTBALL



Ryan Anderson (right ankle) will likely be out another five or six days and is wearing a walking boot. He said his ankle is the size of a softball, but is reportedly “optimistic” about his prognosis. He has also missed time in the past due to the same ankle. Owners can rely (loosely) on this timetable right now but I’ll be watching for any funny business. From Tuesday’s game, Glen Davis (31 & 10, no Dwight Howard), J.J. Redick (four points), Quentin Richardson (nine points), Earl Clark (five points) were the minute-moppers and as you can see none of them are exciting. Dwight Howard (back) and Jameer Nelson are both questionable for Thursday’s game against the Knicks.



IDENTITY CRISIS



Players develop their own injury identity, which gets tossed into a coach and organization’s mentality toward such things, and out pops a loose guideline for fantasy owners on how to handle their guys. Kyrie Irving (shoulder) sounds like a guy that that’s going to fib about his injuries a bit, at least right now, which is common for a younger player trying to prove themselves under a no-nonsense coach like Byron Scott. It doesn’t hurt that he lost all that time at Duke, either. He convinced Scott to put him back into action on Tuesday, and proceeded to reinjure the shoulder right away. I’m not sure if the 10-day timeline released yesterday is conservative or not, but I know the Cavs will be decidedly so when dealing with their franchise player from now on.



Donald Sloan put up 10 points, seven boards, four assists, and two steals in his first start for Irving on Tuesday, and backed it up with 12 points with eight assists in Wednesday’s loss to the Bucks. Backup Lester Hudson also put up an interesting line last night with nine points on 3-of-13 FGs (0-for-6 3PTs), five rebounds, six assists, and a block in 28 minutes. Part of why these guys’ lines were fatter was that the Bucks now employ a small backcourt/lineup with an up-tempo game plan, and the other part is that newer additions to a rotation often create on the fly until they get the concepts of the offense down.



Anthony Parker, of course, led the way with a season-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting, seven boards, four assists, and three steals, and he has to go in front of the two youngsters in fantasy leagues because he’s both better and more apt to produce. The only upside the young guys have is that the Cavs could indeed phase Parker out during the last 10 days of the season. I’m calling Parker a must-add player in 12-team formats, and I'm calling Sloan a must-add player if you need a guard or guard stats in those formats. Hudson is worth a look by the same guard-needy group as a desperation stash.



THAT’S FUNNY HOW WE DRAFTED SO MANY POINT GUARDS



Luke Ridnour will miss a week with his ankle injury and I don’t see him returning for any other reason than that the Wolves are desperate. If the team can find a stop-gap I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ridnour shelved for most if not all of the year. I hope you guys heeded my calls to go all-in on J.J. Barea earlier in the week. I know we were a little soft in our blurbage on Wednesday, which should have read ‘run, don’t walk’ in the event he was available in your league. Barea posted a predictable line of 15 points, six boards, eight assists, and three treys in 37 minutes, and the only roadblock he has is his health. So far we haven’t heard of any extraordinary news about an aggravation to his thigh last night, just normal rust and pain coming off injury.



Wayne Ellington scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting (including three treys) with seven rebounds and a steal in 28 minutes off the bench. He is creeping up on 13 points and two threes per game over his last three contests, which all told equals some late-round value over that span. I don’t trust him, but the Wolves are so beat up that he could end up playing a role for owners with two four-game weeks upcoming.


<!--RW-->
MERCENARY



Eric Gordon finally returned to action in time for his new Adidas commercial to launch, and I have to applaud his management this time for rolling out the promotion in the right way. Most casual basketball fans don't know who Gordon is, and for him to get a big money deal the new GM has to be able to sell it to the fan base. He scored 15 points on 3-of-11 shooting with four rebounds, four assists, a steal, and two threes in 34 minutes, and as long as he can handle the workload -- productivity shouldn’t be an issue. Gordon is a mercenary right now, so there is a lot to like about him if you ignore the durability concerns. As I’ve mentioned in a few places, I just hope he knows what he’s doing.



Chris Kaman (14 points, 10 boards, five blocks) is back in the starting lineup and that has revised the pecking order, knocking Gustavo Ayon (11 minutes, two points) off the fantasy radar. Jason Smith posted a nice low-end line of 10 points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block, and I like him a whole lot more than Carl Landry, who scored 12 points with five boards and didn’t have his heart questioned by his coach. Baby steps. When picking between the two, I can only go with the fact that Smith does more things right on his worst day than Landry does on his best day. That has to pay off somewhere. Trevor Ariza returned from his ankle injury and scored 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting with six rebounds, one steal, and a three in 25 minutes. We’re hearing reports of better shot selection, and we’ve seen a bit of it ourselves, and on the whole he should be in most lineups as long as he is reported as healthy.



ASS HAT OF THE AFTERNOON



The Ass Hat of Wednesday afternoon was Deron Williams, who not only decided that he had the flu with no real mention of sickness at any point in time prior to tip off – but he also decided to go out of his way to embarrass a well-intentioned, and probably younger writer in Portland’s media group. Williams has historically gotten a pass for most of his asshattery, in part because of how good he is, but it's sort of funny to think about all the talk of Melo running a coach out of town – and Mike D’Antoni couldn't hold Jerry Sloan's protective gear.



Sundiata Gaines bombed with zero points and one assist in his start for Williams, and needless to say the Nets are a mess without their star PG. MarShon Brooks was benched at one point for not passing in a 3-on-1 situation, and I'd bet that Avery Johnson completely obliterated his confidence at some point during the year. Brooks’ effortless defense was surely the catalyst, but there are few coaches that send a situation like that to the circular file like the Little General. Drop Brooks until he shows a shred of hope. Anthony Morrow continued to play hit-or-miss and was a ‘hit’ last night with 20 points, but can only be a risky 3-point specialist unless he really picks it up going forward. Gerald Green was great again with 20 points, seven boards, and a three, but the two three-game weeks ahead are total buzz kills. He’s not an auto-drop, but he’ll need to do some real convincing before next week.



THEMS ARE FIGHTIN WORDS



Raymond Felton told reporters where he lived and invited those that criticize him to come over for some punch and pie, and in other news he also neared a triple-double with 14 points, eight boards, nine assists, two steals, and a block. Nicolas Batum is back on track and posted 20 points, 10 boards, two steals, and four treys, and J.J. Hickson bounced back to help remove owners’ doubts with 18 points, eight boards, a steal, and three blocks. Yep, he found a home. Jamal Crawford (knee) played but scored just seven points with one three. I know the value could be there, but you can almost certainly do better at this stage of the game.



STASHABLE



Jarrett Jack (ankle) was a surprise late-scratch for the Hornets, putting Greivis Vasquez back in the spotlight and giving the small group of folks that stashed him some hope. Admittedly, I was not able to hold on in about two-thirds of the situations in which I owned him. Vasquez posted 11 points, five boards, 11 assists, and a three in 37 minutes, and I think he needs to be owned unless owners are completely desperate to fill his roster spot with a safer play. There’s just too much upside at this time of year to care about the timeshare risk.



GOODEN PLENTY OF QUESTIONS



Drew Gooden (back) was a surprise absence and a lot of owners are panicking here. Scott Skiles said, “He can barely move, so if we give him a couple of days. He’s had yesterday, today and tomorrow.” This, of course, sounds like he’ll be targeting either Friday or Saturday’s game to return, but Skiles also said that Gooden “couldn’t move,” which could mean a number of things.



Ekpe Udoh has been playing well since his arrival in Milwaukee and posted 11 points, eight boards, one steal, and two blocks over 32 minutes in his spot-start last night. I don’t want to understate the job that Gooden has done for Skiles in many regards, but his stats are fairly inflated because of the system he plays in. I point this out not to take a dig at him, but to give a little credibility to the idea of a timeshare or extra rest for Gooden where the team can get it. That said, they are currently one game out of the eighth slot so they can’t get too cute.



The real issue facing Gooden’s owners is that he and Udoh are complementary pieces due to their opposing styles of play, and that always lends itself to a timeshare element. If I own Gooden, I’m going to do what I can to hang on until news about his status for Friday and Saturday arrives via carrier pigeon. The Bucks have four games next week and three after that – so if he can’t prove that he’ll be ready for next week then his value drops significantly. As for Udoh, I need to get a sense that Gooden’s injury is serious before I’ll be taking him too seriously unless I’m desperate for a big man.



Carlos Delfino did not play due to his groin injury, and I can’t think of too many players that I would be less willing to deal with on an injury basis. He could be back on Friday or never, and we won’t know until the tip-off in most cases. I’d much rather own Mike Dunleavy, despite his five-point, four-rebound outing last night, as his mid-round value has worked nicely and I haven’t seen any other red flags.



FAILURE TO TANK



The Warriors can’t even tank right, as they walked into Minnesota and had a 20-point comeback win in a game which featured no defense. Charles Jenkins (19 points, four rebounds, seven assists) had the ‘good’ night and Nate Robinson (two points, four assists) had the ‘bad’ night, and that’s something that’s going to continue until the Warriors finally decide to stop developing Lil’ Him. My take is that both should be owned for the chance the peaks and valley iron out to at least late-round value with the upside that comes with playing in a ton of garbage time games.



Klay Thompson has seen his minutes scaled back, which I actually agree with in the sense that the Warriors were just sticking him on the floor for all those minutes to show how smart they were for planning their future around him. The problem with that was that his defense was actually worse than David Lee’s, which I didn’t think was possible, but Thompson was just developing bad habits on both sides of the court.



The Warriors might come out and say that his five-game stretch without cracking the 30-minute mark was for rest purposes, but it’s much more likely that it’s a combination of reeling him back a bit and also management’s reaction to all the tanking talk. Klay has still provided late-round value over the past two weeks during this downturn, and I’m guessing we’ll see a re-do of his initial explosion (barring injury) -- once the Warriors figure out that they're going to lose the top-7 protected draft pick they based their late-season strategy on. They currently have eight teams that enjoy a worse record than them heading into tonight’s games. What a disaster.



Jeremy Tyler (six and four, two steals, three blocks) is starting to make some noise, averaging a steal and block over his last five games. Those numbers jump up to two steals and two blocks over his last two contests, but any way you slice it this kid is going to be risky. But his competition for minutes in GSW is nil and though he’s a disaster in many respects, his athleticism allows for stat explosions like we’ve seen in the last two games. He’s a stash if you’re desperate for a big man or big man stats in 12-team formats, but nothing more at this time.



FAMILY VACATION



We may one day learn why Paul Silas is coaching like he’s on vacation, but for now we just have to go with our guts. And our guts were telling us that we have no clue why he flip-flopped and decided to start D.J. Augustin at the last second last night. The only good news from a fantasy perspective is that DJA left with a knee injury, and that just creates better odds that Silas will unleash Walker, who put up 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting with four rebounds and five assists. I rate Walker higher than Greivis Vasquez on the stashables list, but like most things we discuss here, that could change at any time.



ODDS AND ENDS



James Johnson (upper respiratory) illness did not play last night, and this could unfortunately be a sad ending that didn’t have the pop that most of us were looking for. At this juncture of the season, with Johnson never hitting a bankable stride, my take is you have to be willing to move – even if he gets well and tears it up. There have been late rumblings that it may be a personal issue that kept him out, too, which just muddies up the waters.



Trevor Booker and Nene both missed last night’s game with their plantar fasciitis, allowing Kevin Seraphin (19 points, 10 rebounds, no blocks) to continue providing solid low-end value. Rookie Jan Vesely (eight points, three rebounds, one steal, 34 minutes) is still an inconsistent mess, but has a chance on any given night to put up something serviceable. Jordan Crawford is doing it again after carrying teams during the end of last year, as he put up another 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting with five treys and just two turnovers.



On the other side the Pacers appeared to cruise in their win over the Wizards, which is really the only explanation that can be found for why Paul George (21 minutes) and Roy Hibbert (20 minutes) played so little. Darren Collison has picked it up a bit and had 17 points and 11 assists, and while owners should be wary he’s well worth starting consideration. Indy finishes on two four-game weeks.



Kawhi Leonard (zero points, 18 minutes) has burned the owners that took a chance on him so far, which was a risk everybody was aware of, and also a risk that I presented as a viable option heading into the Spurs’ hectic schedule. Now I'm not a fan of chasing bad beats and at the same time I could totally be wrong here, but it sure seems like we’re in a soft spot in that hectic schedule and better days are ahead for Leonard. It’s also possible Gregg Popovich just wanted to match wily vets up with wily vets when playing the Celtics last night.



Nobody tore up the box score for the Spurs, though Danny Green (14 points, two threes) and Gary Neal (13 points, three rebounds, four assists, five turnovers) were on the right side of the ledger, while Manu Ginobili (five points, two boards, two assists, five turnovers) was not. Owners have to take a ‘micro’ approach here and view everything in 24-hour segments, and take risks over the long-term with wide-ranging outlooks.



Ray Allen (ankle) returned from a six-game absence, posting five points, seven boards, two steals, and a three. Among the league’s most durable and well-conditioned athletes, he’s about as safe a play as one can find when considering a player in his shoes. The Celtics will play it safe (and probably already have) and his age is a back-burner issue. Avery Bradley went back to the bench but he still scored 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting, but it’s a stretch to think he can maintain any real fantasy value. He has, however, earned playing time because of his tenacious defense and may have a future in the association.



Spencer Hawes (Achilles) has had his playing time restriction lifted, and I’m willing to split the difference on his step forward vs. Elton Brand’s step backward. Neither guy was as good nor bad as it seemed earlier in the year. But to give credit where it’s due I’ve watched a decent amount of tape on Hawes since he returned and I like what he’s doing, but he wouldn’t be doing as much of it if Brand wasn’t declining.



J.R. Smith did not get suspended for his flagrant foul, keeping him near the top of a wing group that should produce 1-2 guys with value. That group includes Iman Shumpert, Smith, Landry Fields, and Steve Novak, and that’s the order I like them in (8/9 cat).



Earl Boykins signed a second 10-day contract yesterday, which doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know, but now there’s a 10-day timer on the Rockets tipping their hand regarding Kyle Lowry. The next contract they offer Boykins has to last the rest of the year.



Devin Harris (ankle) did not play and Earl Watson posted a strange line of two points, three boards, five assists, two steals, and two blocks on 0-for-1 shooting. So if Harris stays out I suppose Watson is worth a look, but you almost have to be hunting assists, steals, and blocks on a total lark. Deep leagues only I say.



C.J. Miles was the biggest fantasy news maker for the Utah side last night, as he finally got his shot on track with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting, five rebounds, three assists, one block, and one three in 37 minutes. The story with Miles is pretty simple. When he hits his shots he gets playing time, and he has yet to show any real consistency this season. He still qualifies as a desperation play in 12-14 team formats, only. By the time he gets hot enough to prove his consistency, he's ready to go back cold. Paul Millsap kept up this recent hot streak with 25 points, eight boards, six assists, three steals, and two blocks. He is a top-6 play in 9-cat leagues on the year and a top-12 play in 8-cat versions on a per-game basis.



Danilo Gallinari (thumb) did not play last night and is targeting Friday’s game, and the hope here is that he works through enough of the kinks out to be used next week. I don’t know if he can get that done. Wilson Chandler is still missing time due to his groin injury, and Corey Brewer is worth a look in some situations but do your best to keep from looking at last night’s bagel-laced line. He’ll be better going forward, but that’s ugly.



Andre Iguodala (eye) ended up playing and finished with six points, four boards, six assists, a steal, and two blocks, while Evan Turner fizzled out with four points and three boards, and Jrue Holiday bounced back from a tough Tuesday with 20 points and a full stat line. Look for Iggy to get his and for the remaining two to fight over the scraps, with Jrue being a relatively startable character for owners. With Turner it’s all about how lucky you feel whenever his teammates are healthy.

 

[HacheMan]

Underrated 1+1+1 players

By John Cregan | Special to ESPN.com

I don't really relish ripping players and highlighting the negatives. So I felt a little guilty writing last week's column, calling out otherwise productive players who could, across a small sample size, absolutely destroy your team's season.


So this week, I want to flip the script and focus on a favorite group of players who are here to help, especially for those of you still involved in the fantasy season (and if you're reading this, I assume you are), and readily available on waiver wires everywhere.



A type of player who offers something his owners every night without relying on just points scored.



I'm talking about some of the rarest, most elusive, subtly statistically rewarding players out there.



I'm talking about 1+1+1s. A "1+1+1" is my personal shorthand for a player capable of posting at least one 3-pointer, one steal, and one block per box score.



(Please note the use of the word capable. If I were to write about players actually averaging a 1+1+1 for the season, this would be reduced to a brief, poignant sonnet on Kevin Durant.)


Here's a quick list of some 100 percent-owned players who have logged more than 10 1+1+1s to date (thanks for counting these, ESPN Stats & Information):


Kevin Durant: 25
Danny Granger: 19
Nicolas Batum: 17
Rudy Gay, Paul George, Josh Smith, Channing Frye: 16
Luol Deng: 14
Jason Richardson, Brandon Rush, Jeff Teague, Dorell Wright: 12
Randy Foye, Antawn Jamison, Markieff Morris: 11
Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant, James Johnson, Deron Williams: 10


Basically, this a short list of my most favorite and most underrated NBA players, and Carmelo Anthony.

While it's important to keep these guys in mind when drafting, it's just as vital to pay attention to them in the latter stages of the season, the stage where the waiver wire is your only friend.


You always want to hold on to as great a degree of versatility and flexibility as your lineup will allow. Versatility -- whether via multipositional eligibility or well-distributed box scores -- is key because it opens you up to more avenues to improve your roster in-season.



In head-to-head situations, it also allows you to shape your lineup choices and match up strengths based on your opponent's stats. When you're in a playoff push, and trying to maximize your game limits in the most efficient way possible, these players will be your best friends.


These players are also valuable because they don't require heavy minutes or points scored totals to be productive. If they get them too, that's wonderful, but many of these players can help owners even when stuck in the 22-27 MPG range.



By definition, they offer out-of-position production. Unless you're an elite small forward (who offers many variations of deep and diverse production), any other position that can offer 1+1+1 potential is going to give you a rare statistical boost. We're talking about guards who can block shots. centers who can hit 3s, and power forwards who generate steals. 1+1+1s inoculate your lineup against injury, suspension, and one-dimensional players such as DeMar DeRozan.


Because many of these players aren't known for their scoring, they can be a little off the radar, which means many of them are on the wire. Let's talk about some who still might be available in your league.


Channing Frye, PF/C, Phoenix Suns (98.7 percent owned, 16 1+1+1s): Centers are the hardest 1+1+1s to find, the rarest of the rare. Frye might only be averaging 10.7 points on the season, but he's also throwing up 1.5 3s, 0.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks in just 26.6 minutes per game. He's had an off shooting season, but has been warming up as of late, and just posted another 1+1+1 Wednesday.

Jason Richardson, SG, Orlando Magic (37.5 percent owned, 12 1+1+1s): Yes, Richardson is gimpy, and may be a long ways removed from his statistical heyday, but he's a great example of a glue guy who can help you in a single-game pickup. He's posted two 1+1+1s in the last week alone. He seems to actually be upping his game in the blocks department, and any shooting guard generating blocks is worth owning, even if just for an occasional game.


Brandon Rush, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors (44.5 percent owned, 12 1+1+1s): There isn't a better shot blocker at shooting guard than Rush. Unfortunately, just like his stint with the Pacers, he's mired in a timeshare, meaning peaks and valleys in his box scores. He's just winding down from a huge tear (11.1 PPG, 1.7 BLK, 0.5 STL, 1.5 3PM over his past 10 games), but he still has time for one more hot stretch over the final month of the season.


Markieff Morris, PF, Phoenix Suns (1.4 percent owned, 11 1+1+1s): Next to Kenneth Faried, Morris has been my favorite rookie sleeper this year, more based on 1+1+1 potential than actual production. I think Channing Frye has rubbed off on him a little; he's hitting 0.7 3s in just 18.7 MPG, but would get more minutes if he rebounded a little better. But he's someone to watch, as I think he could be in line for a larger role once the Suns start shutting it down. It's very, very impressive he's generated 11 1+1+1s in such a limited role.


James Johnson, SF/PF, Toronto Raptors (25.7 percent owned, 10 1+1+1s): I've discussed Johnson so many times this season, so I'll just throw out his current per-36 minute numbers; 12.6 PPG, 0.4 3PM, 1.7 STL, 2.0 BLK and 2.7 AST. He's still only 24 years old, and his PER has risen every season.


Metta World Peace, SF, Los Angeles Lakers (3.4 percent owned, 9 1+1+1s): There's a planeload of baggage to navigate when discussing Metta World Peace, but keep one key stat in mind; he's averaged 30.0 MPG over his past 10 games. His minutes have subtly been on the rise in the Ramon Sessions era, and he's eking together just enough stats to warrant consideration in deeper leagues. His 3-point shot is heating up as well, as it's up to .356 over his past five games after being stuck at .282 for the season.


Courtney Lee, SG, Houston Rockets (13.0 percent owned, 9 1+1+1s): Lee's numbers are obviously way, way up in the wake of Kevin Martin's shoulder injury. The only surprise here is that Lee isn't owned in more leagues, perhaps due to Kevin Martin's nondescript, day-to-day injury status.

Wesley Johnson, SG/SF, Minnesota Timberwolves (1.6 percent owned, 8 1+1+1s): Johnson's current and future value is tied to one thing: his confidence in his ability to hit shots. When his 3 is falling, it suddenly turns him into a serviceable fantasy player. Look at his line Wednesday versus the Warriors: 12 PTS, 5-11 FG, 2 3PM, 2 STL, 3 BLK. If he can smooth out his shot and figure out how to get to the rim with more frequency, there could be some mini-Evan Turner upside here.


Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, Utah Jazz (96.8 percent owned, 7 1+1+1s): If you're in the 3.2 percent of leagues where Hayward is still available, you need to find some more competitive friends. And while he didn't manage a steal or a block Wednesday, he did eke out his first double-double (20 points, 10 rebounds) while adding two 3-pointers as icing. The rising assist totals are also a nice bonus.


Gerald Green, SF/SF, New Jersey Nets (12.0 percent owned, 6 1+1+1s): I've been plugging Green since his callup -- he's in a perfect situation for someone with his skill set and athleticism -- but I've been pleasantly surprised by his defensive numbers. He's averaging over a block, a steal and a 3-pointer over his last ten games.


Shane Battier, SF, Miami Heat (0.5 percent owned, 6 1+1+1s): The original 1+1+1. If Wade gets rested down the stretch, Battier could be in line for a nice boost in his production.


Chris Singleton, SF, Washington Wizards (0.2 percent owned, 5 1+1+1s): I will own up to being a little too much in the tank for Singleton. But we're talking about a defensive stopper who's a consistent jump shot away from being a real fantasy threat.


Wilson Chandler, SG/SF, Denver Nuggets (34.9 percent owned, 2 1+1+1s): It's only taken Chandler a couple of weeks to remind us in Fantasyland why he's been such a favorite, yet still so frustrating to own. He logged two 1+1+1s in his first two games, then turned around and pulled his groin. Owners have been tripping over themselves to drop Chandler, but with Danilo Gallinari on the shelf, Chandler's going to have to gut it out sooner than later.

 

[HacheMan]

The Dwightmare Continues

I was listening to the TNT halftime show when Chuck, Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq were discussing the Dwight Howard/Stan Van Gundy situation, and like many of the voices on Twitter I wasn’t buying what they were selling. Shaq was simply grinding his axe with SVG, but Kenny and Chuck kept going on and on about the code of ethics in keeping things behind closed doors, etc.



If you haven’t checked in for a while, Dwight Howard has been lobbying to get rid of Van Gundy, which isn’t exactly a surprise. Van Gundy got confirmation from management that Howard had made the request, and since rumors surrounding the situation have been swirling for a few days now, questions about it were posed to him during shootaround. Now this is where it gets funny. Van Gundy, never one to hide what he’s thinking, finally got fed up I presume and answered the reporter’s question honestly, saying that he got confirmation from management that Howard did indeed try to get him fired. And throughout the evening multiple sources confirmed what Van Gundy said.



So Van Gundy starts to go on his rant about not caring if he’s going to get fired, expressing indirectly what we all know – that Dwight is pretty much a phony – and who else but D12 himself comes trotting into the press session, not knowing that Van Gundy had just dropped a news bomb. Howard put his arm around the coach and when he realized what was going on, he tried to blame some other guy for starting the rumor, despite multiple reports confirming what Dwight had done.



Awkward.



Van Gundy pretty much bolted from the presser and that setup another ‘Dwightmare’ of a game, to borrow a term from SI.com’s Sam Amick. Howard decided to mail it in and didn’t score until the very end of the third quarter, and that energy spread over to his teammates as the game was over early in the fourth.



Back to the TNT guys, they spent so much energy talking about how Van Gundy shouldn’t have brought it out in the media – and there is a case to be made for that – but it’s pretty clear that Howard has been a grade-A ass probably since the first time a sneaker rep slid money underneath his front door. In this player’s league, you can only hope to get a team guy like Kevin Durant or Derrick Rose, but more times than not you’re going to get a Howard, a Melo, or a LeBron. It’s just the nature of the beast for guys that ride the wave of fame and fortune in a gladiator environment.



And that’s fine – it is what it is. I just don’t think we should be talking for one second about Stan Van Gundy and how he has handled the petulance of a guy in Howard who has single-handedly run the Magic into a state of dysfunction.



For more on that dysfunction, check out Amick’s piece over at click here.



THE DWIGHTMARE, CONTINUED



Jason Richardson was the only real fantasy news on the Orlando side, as he finally woke up with 16 points on 7-of-18 shooting with four rebounds, four assists, and one steal. I don’t know how much this was a reflection of Howard playing keep away from the ball, but it’s something. I can only call Richardson a risky speculative add right now, after a few weeks of being just awful. If he does it again, though, it might be a sign that he’s ready to go. Glen Davis posted 15 points with seven rebounds, and with Ryan Anderson possibly playing on Saturday his window is closing soon. Hedo Turkoglu (seven points, zero assists, 18 minutes) hit his funny bone and suffered a cut under his eye, and I don’t think the elbow injury will be serious.



Because this game was a laugher, Baron Davis was able to play just 19 minutes which is actually great news for whatever you want to call his fantasy value. He posted five points, three boards, five assists, and two steals, and while he’s not a good bet to make it out of each game he plays, he’s worth a look if you’re desperate at PG.



The real issue for me is how the wing situation is clearing up, as the offense from the old Denver days has now been loosely installed in New York. And in this system, the players take turns taking isolation possessions, which benefits guys like J.R. Smith who can play that type of game. Smith scored 15 points with four rebounds and nine assists, and I like him as a must-own player in 12-team leagues going forward. Yes, he’s going to be up and down and flaky as anybody, but I think the numbers will level out at low-end value, at least.



I also think that this new offense is bad news for Iman Shumpert (nine points, zero assists) and Landry Fields (10 points). Fields is a motion guy and there isn’t much of that now, and while Shumpert isn’t afraid to play isolation ball, he is deferring to the veterans right now. I expect Shumpert to have a few big games here and there, but he needs a Baron Davis injury before he’ll provide consistent numbers.



THE WIZARDS AND PISTONS, BEACONS OF BASKETBALL PLAY



I have a hard time watching Magic and Knicks games in general because it’s just bad basketball from an Xs and Os point of view, so combining the two teams I had to change the channel to the Wizards and Pistons game. The quality of play wasn’t much better, but it was better, which is saying something but I can’t exactly figure out what. Both Trevor Booker and Nene were unable to go last night because of their plantar fasciitis issues, and both are unlikely to play tonight’s game, either.



On cue, Kevin Seraphin scored 15 points with nine boards, two steals, and no blocks, which is a good representation of what owners can expect when Booker and Nene are out. Jan Vesely is a deep league option, and he had one of his ‘good’ nights with 10 points, five boards, one steal, and one block. Theoretically he could improve, but I think what we see is what we get for this year. He could benefit dramatically from a real offseason. Jordan Crawford has been hot and John Wall has not, and the roles flipped last night with Crawford hitting just 2-of-13 shots for nine points and not much else, and Wall posting 28 points, four rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals.



Rodney Stuckey (hamstring) returned to action last night and scored 15 points in 19 minutes, hitting 6-of-7 shots with three assists. We’ll have to see more minutes before saying unequivocally that he should be in starting lineups, and it’s possible he was held back knowing the Pistons had to turn around and get on a plane for tonight’s game against the Hawks. If I’m in a daily league I’ll definitely be weighing my options with Stuckey carefully. If I had to throw a blind guess out there, I’d say he plays 26 minutes and does fairly well.



Ben Gordon (13 points, 6-of-14 FGs, no threes) started and is worth a look while that is the case, but he’s a shaky fantasy asset in general. Brandon Knight is regressing before our eyes and I wonder how the veterans are taking to him in Detroit. He’s certainly not playing a real PG role, and he was making silly mistakes during his six-point, one-assist, four-turnover effort that included a 2-of-8 shooting mark. Knight is playing tentatively and he probably hasn’t earned the guys’ trust, making the highs somewhat high and the lows very low for Knight. I do think he’s worth owning down the stretch and I also think that the Pistons may game plan him the ball or just hand him the keys. But he certainly isn’t a must-start player by any stretch.



TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL



Derrick Rose (groin) didn’t play last night against the Celtics, as expected, but it genuinely seems like he’ll be a go for Sunday’s game against the Knicks. C.J. Watson (elbow, wrist, ankle) might have let it fly knowing he can take a break soon, as he scored 15 points with two rebounds, eight assists, two steals, one block, and six turnovers in 39 minutes. With Rose returning and Watson's health an issue (not to mention the signing of Mike James), I think owners can drop him with relative confidence. Richard Hamilton is about halfway toward being worth pickup consideration, scoring nine points on 4-of-11 shooting with three rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 20 minutes. Just watch him for now. Luol Deng is hot right now and scored 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting (no threes) with six rebounds, three assists, four steals, and one block, Joakim Noah scored 17 points with nine boards and three blocks, and Carlos Boozer scored 12 points with 14 boards in a pretty much normal night.



The Celtics were ripped by their coach for playing like the “cool Celtics,” but from a fantasy perspective everything was pretty much in place. Paul Pierce scored 22 points on 8-of-21 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists, and three 3-pointers, Kevin Garnett scored 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting with 14 rebounds and four assists, and Rajon Rondo scored 10 points with four boards, 12 assists, and a steal. If you took the chance on the old guys this year it totally paid off. Ray Allen may or may not keep coming off the bench, but his value will remain relatively similar. He scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting with a steal and a three and should be in most lineups. Brandon Bass (15 points, five boards, three steals, one block) hyperextended his left knee but it wasn’t serious, and he can continue to be used as he was being used going forward. Avery Bradley scored nine points with a three and a steal, and if those numbers work for you give him a look. Expecting more is a bit optimistic.


<!--RW-->
FLOPPY DONKEY



The Clippers showed up in Sacramento after last night’s slugfest with the Lakers and didn’t come out too flat, but the Kings were unable to really jump on them and make them pay for expending energy the night before. Blake Griffin, for all his unworldly talents, is really developing a con-artist, cheap-shot game and it’s too bad. Along with his aloofness, I wouldn’t be surprised if he loses a bit of his marketing appeal as people get turned off. DeMarcus Cousins, a perfect target for the types of things that Griffin does – the needling, prodding, etc., was frustrated all night by Griffin’s antics and a few questionable calls put him on the bench for the most of the night (eight points, three boards, 18 minutes). On one play, Cousins swiped his hand down in the general vicinity but not close to Griffin’s face, and Griffin acted like he was raked in the eyes and went to the ground in pain. Cousins was called for the foul, and after the game he called Griffin an actor, too. That’ll be a fun matchup to watch over the years. Griffin finished with 14 points, nine boards, three assists, a block, and four missed free throws.



Randy Foye stayed hot with 20 points on 7-of-17 shooting with six boards and two assists, but Mo Williams (toe) could return for Saturday’s revenge match to cloud things up. Just keep trotting him out there for now. Nick ‘Swaggy P’ Young continued to struggle with just seven points on 3-of-10 shooting, but he did add a steal and block. It will be interesting to see if the Clips are willing to cut into Young’s minutes when Williams returns, which would be an early indictment of their acquisition. DeAndre Jordan played just 21 minutes, but got a steal and block to go with his four points and four boards so owners weren’t totally screwed. Things are never easy with Jordan, but we all know it’s Del Negro pulling the strings there. Caron Butler chilled out after his big Wednesday night, scoring 14 points with two threes, three boards, a steal, and five turnovers. The Clips have two four-game weeks upcoming, so Butler is on the fantasy radar despite all of his recent troubles.



Isaiah Thomas got his hand up by the top of the square on a would-be block attempt, and it’s his athleticism that allows him to compete with the top PGs in the league. He held Chris Paul to 4-of-16 shooting last night, though Paul did finish with 13 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and five steals to go with his five turnovers. Thomas didn’t play as well as he normally does, either, as I thought he was a bit star-struck playing next to Paul. He finished with 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting (including three triples) with five rebounds, two steals, and just one assist. While Paul shut down Thomas’ penetration game a bit, Thomas only had two turnovers in a battle of similarly statured guards. Tyreke Evans posted a normal looking 14 points with a full stat line, and Jason Thompson shrugged off ankle concerns with 15 and 16 with two blocks. Get Thompson back into lineups for the revenge match on Saturday barring a negative report. Terrence Williams should have seen more than 24 minutes, but he still posted 11 points with three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. The Kings are dead set on playing Jimmer Fredette minutes he doesn’t deserve right now, but Williams has plenty of support and deserves starting consideration until further notice. Jimmer probably cost the Kings the game late with some careless defense and turnovers, but he’s going to need to learn somehow. Unfortunately that comes on fantasy owners’ dimes elsewhere, of course.



THE SAME OLD SONG AND DANCE



Byron Scott said he has already thought about shutting down Kyrie Irving (shoulder) for the season, but that sounds more like regret than anything at this point. Scott bought Irving’s song and dance about being healthy enough to play, and proceeded to get hurt right away on Tuesday. Scott said that by “the time that he could probably return, there might be two weeks left in the season. So I've thought about [sitting him]." If your team has needs, I hate to say it but you have to make the drop. You can wait 24 hours and see if something gets clarified out of Cleveland that indicates the situation is better, but the odds are right now that he’ll return later than that two-week mark, if he returns at all.



CHILLIN’



Jarrett Jack is still experiencing pain in his right foot/ankle and is very questionable for tonight’s game against the Spurs. Jack said he’s trying to get as much treatment as possible, indicating that he’s not thinking about shutting it down, too. While Jack may end up returning and complicating Greivis Vasquez’s value, I can’t think of too many players I’d rather have chillin’ on my bench.



PAY YOUR DUES



We finally got some, but not a lot of clarity about James Johnson’s situation when it was reported that he was held out of Wednesday’s game due to an “internal matter.” That ‘internal matter’ is code for 'Johnson messed up', as Dwane Casey said that he sat Johnson to send him a message. Johnson seems to be taking it in stride saying that he has to “pay his dues,” adding “Whatever he thinks I deserve. I just have to deal with it like a man.”



Johnson said that he wasn’t sure if the debt had been paid, and my guess is that the debt has been paid – but unfortunately, he’ll be a dice-roll going forward. And while often times the player in this case will return and play well, there is also a lot that can go wrong. If you own him you may want to wait and see if he will suit up for tonight’s game and produce.



FOUR QUARTERS OF FURY



1^ST QUARTER: J.J. Barea (thigh) said he was not yet at 100 percent, and while he’ll be a bit of an injury risk, he is a must-start player until further notice. Danilo Gallinari (thumb) is targeting Monday’s game against the Warriors for his return … I’m pretty sure the whole league has that team circled on their calendars. Eric Gordon (knee) came out of Wednesday’s game with no problems, and while he’ll have some risk no matter how you slice it he should be in lineups. Kobe Bryant is wearing a boot to protect his shin, and I don’t know exactly how that works but I know it’s not a concern.



2^ND QUARTER: Metta World Peace is dealing with an ankle injury, but it doesn’t sound too serious yet. Drew Gooden (back) is expected to return tonight and that is the good news that I was telling owners to hold out for, so he’s a definite ‘hold’ until we see how things go tonight. If he has another stinky outing, then we’ll talk. Devin Harris (ankle) is a game-time decision for tonight’s game against the Warriors, and if he plays, he’ll likely do pretty well. Joel Przybilla is day-to-day with an ankle sprain, which is more good news for J.J. Hickson.



3^RD QUARTER: Kyle Lowry (bacterial infection) went through a limited practice yesterday, which is big news for him, but there’s still no timetable and that means his season is still in doubt. The way I’d put it is that he has hit every deliverable he needs to hit in order to have a chance of returning, and Goran Dragic owners can still be fairly optimistic that he’ll ride strong to the finish. Luke Ridnour’s ankle “swelled up a lot more” on Wednesday, and nothing has changed my opinion that his season is all-but done. The Suns hope Grant Hill (knee) can return in the middle of April, but there’s not a lot for fantasy owners to plan for here.



4^TH QUARTER: The earliest Amare Stoudemire (back) would return is April 13, but that doesn’t sound likely according to a Newsday report. If he can suit up for the playoffs, I’d call that a win. Jordan Farmar (groin) is out for the year, which was the assumption, anyway. Shelden Williams (eye) will play tonight, so the Johan Petro era mercifully comes to an end. Wilson Chandler (groin) is a game-time decision for tonight’s game, and with Danilo Gallinari (thumb) targeting Monday’s game I’m cool with owners dropping him for a hot free agent. Also consider that he could have some juice left in him if he is healthy over the short-term, however.

 

[HacheMan]

Fantasy Forecaster: April 9-15

By Neil Tardy | Special to ESPN.com


Before getting into the forecasting, let's do a bit of backtracking. Last week, I listed NBA teams that should make for the most favorable matchups for the remainder of this season. Well, two other teams belong on this list: the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
First, this fantasy analyst's sad tale of his favorite team, the Timberwolves. The boys from Minnesota have spiraled since losing Ricky Rubio. If you check the past 10 games table (below), you'll see that the Timberwolves have yielded 106.6 points a game. That figure is slightly misleading because it includes that incredible 149-140 double-overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 23. Remove that outlier, though, and the Wolves are still allowing 103.2 points over their past 10 contests that didn't include Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden combining for 110 points.
The Cavs also are wilting in this demolition derby of a season. As you can see from the aforementioned table, they've surrendered 103.8 points over their past 10, better than only the Wolves and Sacramento Kings. In addition, five of the past seven Cavs opponents have shot at least 49 percent.
Speaking of the Cavs, guess who plays a ton of games in the week ahead?

Week 16 at a glance


The Cavaliers are one of four NBA teams that play five times from April 9-15. They're joined by the Boston Celtics, the Charlotte Bobcats and, for the second straight week, the Memphis Grizzlies. While there are no must-have fantasy free agents here, these teams do offer some possibilities for leagues of at least 12 teams.

With Kyrie Irving (shoulder) likely to miss the entire week, Cleveland's backcourt is down to a three-man rotation consisting of veteran Anthony Parker and unproven youngsters Donald Sloan and Lester Hudson. I don't want to make too much of Parker's most recent outing (27 points on 11-of-14 shooting versus the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday), but of the three, the 36-year-old has the most value. The Cavs play the Indiana Pacers twice along with the Bobcats, Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic. Bobcats and Wizards opponents are second and seventh, respectively, in shooting percentage, while Pacers opponents are eighth in 3-pointers. I realize there are better, or at least safer, free-agent options in most leagues, but I believe Parker can produce at least 70 points with a half-dozen treys and steals in the week ahead.
Avery Bradley has impressed the Celtics enough that they started him over a healthy Ray Allen against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, but it doesn't seem like his game translates well to fantasy. Over his past seven games, Bradley is averaging 14.4 points and 1.1 steals while shooting better than 50 percent, but that's about it. Three of Boston's opponents -- the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors and Bobcats -- are in the bottom eight in steals. On the other hand, New Jersey Nets and Bobcats opponents are Nos. 1 and 2 from the field. The C's also face the Miami Heat, whose opponents are second in 3s and seventh in steals.

Meanwhile, Byron Mullens will apparently finish the season as a Bobcats starter. Mullens posted back-to-back 20-point performances against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday and the Raptors on Tuesday but had just eight points in 22 minutes in a blowout loss to the Hawks on Wednesday. Mullens' schedule looks pretty good, though. Pistons, Cavs and Wizards opponents are all in the top seven in shooting, while Celtics opponents are a plus-5.1 in rebounds over their past 10 games.
<style type="text/css">.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</style><table style="margin: 0px; width: 100%;"><thead><tr><th style="width: 30px; vertical-align: bottom;"><center></center></th><th style="width: 150px; vertical-align: bottom;"> Team </th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Mon
4/9 </center></th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> Tue
4/10 </center></th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Wed
4/11</center></th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Thu
4/12</center></th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Fri
4/13</center></th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Sat
4/14</center></th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Sun
4/15</center></th><th style="width: 12%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center>Games
T / H </center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hawks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @BOS
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @ORL
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> TOR
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 / 1
R: 2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Celtics </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIA
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> ATL
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @TOR
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NJ
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CHA
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 / 1
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bobcats </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> WAS
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CLE
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> DET
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIA
R: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> BOS
R: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 / 3
R: 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bulls </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> NY
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> MIA
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @DET
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 / 2
R: 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Cavaliers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> CHA
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> IND
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @IND
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @WAS
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> ORL
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 / 3
R: 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mavericks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> SAC
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @GS
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @POR
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @LAL
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 1
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Nuggets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> GS
R: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> MIN
R: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @LAL
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> HOU
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 3
R: 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pistons </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @ORL
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CHA
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> MIL
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> CHI
R: 1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Warriors </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @DEN
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @POR
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> DAL
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @LAC
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 1
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rockets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @POR
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> UTA
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> PHO
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @DEN
R: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pacers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> TOR
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CLE
R: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> CLE
R: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIL
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clippers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MEM
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @OKC
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIN
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> GS
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 1
R: 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lakers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NOR
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @SA
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> DEN
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> DAL
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Grizzlies </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> LAC
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> PHO
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @SA
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> UTA
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NOR
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5 / 3
R: 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Heat </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> BOS
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CHI
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> CHA
R: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NY
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bucks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> OKC
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> NY
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @DET
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> IND
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 3
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Timberwolves </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> PHO
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @DEN
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> LAC
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> OKC
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 3
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Nets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> PHI
R: 2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @PHI
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> BOS
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 / 2
R: 1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hornets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> LAL
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> SAC
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> UTA
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> MEM
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 4
R: 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Knicks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CHI
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIL
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> WAS
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> MIA
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Thunder </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIL
R: 8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> LAC
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> SAC
R: 10 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIN
R: 9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 10 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Magic </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> DET
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @WAS
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> ATL
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CLE
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> 76ers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NJ
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @TOR
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> NJ
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3 / 1
R: 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Suns </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MIN
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MEM
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @HOU
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @SA
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 0
R: 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Trail Blazers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> HOU
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> GS
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> DAL
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @SAC
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 3
R: 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kings </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @DAL
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NOR
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @OKC
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> POR
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 1
R: 6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Spurs </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @UTA
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> LAL
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> MEM
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> PHO
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 3
R: 8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Raptors </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @IND
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> PHI
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> BOS
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @ATL
R: 4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jazz </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> SA
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @HOU
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NOR
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @MEM
R: 7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 1
R: 7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wizards </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @CHA
R: 6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> ORL
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> @NY
R: 3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle; background-color: rgb(248, 248, 242);" align="center"> CLE
R: 5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> OFF </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4 / 2
R: 5 </td></tr></tbody></table>"R" matchup ratings are based upon a scale from 1 (poor matchup) to 10 (excellent matchup) and are calculated using a formula that evaluates the team's year-to-date and past 10 games' statistics, its performance in home/road games depending on where the game is to be played, and its opponents' numbers in those categories. The Games T / H column lists the team's total number of games played and home games (T / H) and lists the overall rating from 1-10 for that week's matchups.




Players to watch


J.J. Barea, PG/SG, Timberwolves (PHO, @DEN, LAC, OKC): With Luke Ridnour sidelined by a badly sprained ankle, Barea tallied 15 points, three 3-pointers and eight assists (along with seven turnovers) against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. Denver Nuggets opponents are tops in treys and second in assists, but with major minutes, Barea should accumulate stats against anyone. Just keep in mind some of the stats he could accumulate include missed shots and turnovers. Barea is available about in about 75 percent of ESPN.com leagues.
Charles Jenkins, PG, Warriors (@DEN, @POR, DAL, @LAC): Though Jenkins was recently slowed by injury, he seems to have surpassed Nate Robinson in Oakland -- much to my chagrin. Even though I expected Robinson to thrive for the rest of this season, it makes sense that the Warriors would want to see what they have in their rookie. What's tough is figuring out his fantasy value, given his limited experience. About all I can tell you is that he hasn't been attempting 3s, so that greatly reduces the appeal of the Nuggets matchup. Still, Jenkins is shooting better than 50 percent over his past eight games, and Nuggets opponents are sixth in field-goal percentage, while Portland Trail Blazers opponents are eighth.
Kevin Seraphin, PF, Wizards (@CHA, ORL, @NY, CLE): Seraphin has been terrific (15.8 points, 7.2 rebounds and 55.1 percent shooting) in the absence ofNene (foot), who's doubtful for Friday. While his place in the starting lineup may be tenuous, Seraphin seems worth the gamble, given the lingering nature of plantar fasciitis injuries. With Cavs and Bobcats opponents third and eighth, respectively, in rejections, his mini-drought of four games without a block should see a quick end. Seraphin remains available in more than 50 percent of ESPN.com leagues.
J.R. Smith, SG/SF, New York Knicks (@CHI, @MIL, WAS, MIA): Smith has played better since Mike D'Antoni's departure, and he has played more since Jeremy Lin got hurt. With Baron Davis lasting just 19 minutes against the Magic, Smith finished with a team-leading nine assists. As I've often said, the opposition is of minimal consideration with Smith, but for what it's worth, Heat and Bucks opponents are second and fourth in triples. At 70 percent availability, Smith might be your league's best free-agent option (but I've said that before).
Delonte West, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks (SAC, @GS, @POR, @LAL): Jason Kidd could return soon, but until then, West is a sneaky deep-league play with these matchups. Kings opponents are tops in assists, while Warriors opponents are third in treys. West is available in more than 95 percent of ESPN.com leagues.
Terrence Williams, SG/SF, Kings (@DAL, @NOR, @OKC, POR): Williams is in a similar situation to West, in that his value is tied to the status of Marcus Thornton (calf). As long as Thornton remains sidelined, Williams is worth playing. Most inviting about this schedule is that Mavs and Thunder opponents are second and sixth, respectively, in steals. Williams is averaging 1.3 takeaways over his eight-game tenure with the Kings.


<style type="text/css">.mod-inline td img {margin: 0px;}</style>Opponent Performance, Past 10 games

<table style="margin: 0px; width: 100%;"><thead><tr><th style="width: 30px; vertical-align: bottom;"><center></center></th><th style="width: 150px; vertical-align: bottom;"> Team </th><th style="width: 15%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> PPGA </center></th><th style="width: 15%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> FG%A </center></th><th style="width: 15%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> 3PT%A </center></th><th style="width: 15%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> RPG
diff. </center></th><th style="width: 15%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> SPGA </center></th><th style="width: 15%; vertical-align: bottom;"><center> BPGA </center></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hawks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44.2% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34.9% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -1.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Celtics </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39.2% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 26.3% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -5.1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.9 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bobcats </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 103.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 49.6% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34.8% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -8.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.6 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bulls </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 85.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43.0% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29.9% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Cavaliers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 103.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48.4% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -0.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.0 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Mavericks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36.4% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -5.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Nuggets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 103.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pistons </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44.3% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30.6% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -1.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 9.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Warriors </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 101.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36.0% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -10.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Rockets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44.4% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29.8% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 1.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Pacers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45.4% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39.0% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Clippers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46.6% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32.5% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -1.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Lakers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45.2% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38.0% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8.1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Grizzlies </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46.2% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 33.2% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Heat </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45.3% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 39.5% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 0.2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.0 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Bucks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42.9% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -2.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3.8 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Timberwolves </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 106.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47.8% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30.0% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -1.1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.9 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Nets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 47.2% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 34.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -0.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3.5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Hornets </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 92.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 43.9% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 32.5% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.0 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Knicks </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 87.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42.9% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 27.7% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.0 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Thunder </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 42.0% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 38.3% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 8.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.7 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Magic </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 37.6% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -3.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3.1 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> 76ers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 90.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44.3% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31.5% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -2.1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.0 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Suns </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 97.2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46.7% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31.3% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -2.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.3 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Trail Blazers </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 99.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 48.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 35.8% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -2.2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.9 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.4 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Kings </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 107.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46.6% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 31.5% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 0.8 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.1 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.0 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Spurs </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 94.6 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45.8% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36.8% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.2 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 4.5 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Raptors </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 96.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 45.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 30.8% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 2.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 5.2 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Jazz </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 102.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 44.0% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 36.5% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3.0 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.3 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 6.0 </td></tr><tr class="last"><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center">

</td><td style="vertical-align: middle;"> Wizards </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 93.5 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 46.1% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 29.6% </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> -1.4 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 7.7 </td><td style="vertical-align: middle;" align="center"> 3.9 </td></tr></tbody></table>All statistics are for teams' past 10 games played and are defensive numbers. PPGA: Points per game allowed. FG%A: Field goal percentage allowed. 3PT%A: 3-point percentage allowed. RPG diff.: Rebounds per game differential. SPGA: Steals per game allowed. BPGA: Blocks per game allowed.

 

[HacheMan]

Barea, Camby among late risers

By Brian McKitish | Special to ESPN.com

In one of the strangest fantasy week's in recent memory, fantasy owners were left scrambling as star after star succumbed to injury, poor play, or a coaching feud (or all three in Dwight Howard's case). Particularly frustrating about the timing off all of this is the fact that many owners in head-to-head leagues are smack in the middle of their fantasy playoffs.


The Top 130

Note: Brian McKitish's top 130 players are ranked for their fantasy value from this point forward in the 2011-12 NBA season. Previous rank is indicated in parentheses.
1. Kevin Durant, SF, OKC (1)
2. LeBron James, SF, MIA (2)
3. Chris Paul, PG, LAC (3)
4. Kevin Love, PF, MIN (4)
5. Dwyane Wade, SG, MIA (5)
6. Russell Westbrook, PG, OKC (6)
7. Josh Smith, PF/SF, ATL (9)
8. Deron Williams, PG, NJ (8)
9. Al Jefferson, C/PF, UTAH (10)
10. DeMarcus Cousins, PF/C, SAC (11)
11. Dwight Howard, C, ORL (7)
12. Paul Millsap, PF, UTAH (13)
13. Pau Gasol, PF/C, LAL (12)
14. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, POR (14)
15. Andrew Bynum, C, LAL (19)
16. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, DAL (16)
17. David Lee, PF/C, GS (17)
18. Derrick Rose, PG, CHI (40)
19. Marc Gasol, C, MEM (18)
20. Blake Griffin, PF, LAC (21)
21. Marcin Gortat, C, PHO (22)
22. Rajon Rondo, PG, BOS (24)
23. John Wall, PG, WSH (26)
24. Paul Pierce, SF/SG, BOS (28)
25. Danny Granger, SF, IND (39)
26. Ty Lawson, PG/SG, DEN (27)
27. Carmelo Anthony, SF, NY (36)
28. James Harden, SG, OKC (25)
29. Rudy Gay, SF, MEM (23)
30. Kevin Garnett, PF/C, BOS (29)
31. Gerald Wallace, SF/PF, NJ (41)
32. Greg Monroe, PF/C, DET (32)
33. Steve Nash, PG, PHO (33)
34. Kobe Bryant, SG, LAL (15)
35. Serge Ibaka, C/PF, OKC (34)
36. Joe Johnson, SG/SF, ATL (37)
37. Roy Hibbert, C, IND (45)
38. Ersan Ilyasova, SF/PF, MIL (60)
39. Brandon Jennings, PG, MIL (46)
40. Nicolas Batum, SF/SG, POR (47)
41. Tony Parker, PG, SA (38)
42. Goran Dragic, PG, HOU (35)
43. Klay Thompson, SG, GS (42)
44. Monta Ellis, PG/SG, GS (53)
45. Joakim Noah, C/PF, CHI (48)
46. Jordan Crawford, SG, WSH (49)
47. Andre Iguodala, SF/SG, PHI (44)
48. Kris Humphries, PF, NJ (52)
49. Tyreke Evans, PG/SG/SF, SAC (54)
50. Mike Conley, PG, MEM (55)
51. Jose Calderon, PG, TOR (57)
52. Carlos Boozer, PF, CHI (51)
53. Ramon Sessions, PG, LAL (61)
54. Luol Deng, SF, CHI (58)
55. Chris Bosh, PF/C, MIA (56)
56. Eric Gordon, SG, NO (74)
57. Manu Ginobili, SG, SA (59)
58. Wesley Matthews, SG/SF, POR (66)
59. Tyson Chandler, C, NY (62)
60. Raymond Felton, PG, POR (73)
61. Jose Juan Barea, PG, MIN (119)
62. Paul George, SF/SG, IND (65)
63. Andrea Bargnani, C/PF, TOR (63)
64. Danilo Gallinari, SF/PF, DEN (NR)
65. Jason Terry, SG, DAL (70)
66. Tim Duncan, PF/C, SA (71)
67. Isaiah Thomas, PG, SAC (76)
68. Kemba Walker, PG, CHA (NR)
69. Nikola Pekovic, C, MIN (87)
70. Jeff Teague, PG, ATL (75)
71. Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, UTAH (77)
72. Arron Afflalo, SG, DEN (78)
73. Drew Gooden, PF, MIL (67)
74. Byron Mullens, C, CHA (NR)
75. Channing Frye, PF/C, PHO (81)
76. Jrue Holiday, PG, PHI (72)
77. Ray Allen, SG, BOS (82)
78. Antawn Jamison, PF, CLE (79)
79. Nene, C/PF, WSH (43)
80. Luis Scola, PF, HOU (83)
81. Chris Kaman, C, NO (84)
82. Elton Brand, PF, PHI (91)
83. Zach Randolph, PF, MEM (69)
84. DeMar DeRozan, SG/SF, TOR (88)
85. Evan Turner, SG, PHI (85)
86. JaVale McGee, C, DEN (50)
87. Rodney Stuckey, PG/SG, DET (92)
88. Brandon Knight, PG/SG, DET (89)
89. Al Harrington, PF, DEN (90)
90. Marcus Camby, C/PF, HOU (NR)
91. Kyle Lowry, PG, HOU (113)
92. Lou Williams, PG/SG, PHI (93)
93. Randy Foye, SG/PG, LAC (NR)
94. Jameer Nelson, PG, ORL (94)
95. David West, PF, IND (96)
96. Devin Harris, PG, UTAH (99)
97. Gerald Henderson, SG, CHA (100)
98. Amare Stoudemire, C/PF, NY (95)
99. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC (97)
100. Iman Shumpert, PG/SG, NY (101)
101. Ryan Anderson, PF, ORL (31)
102. Mike Dunleavy, SG/SF, MIL (104)
103. Marcus Thornton, SG, SAC (30)
104. Jason Thompson, PF, SAC (103)
105. Jared Dudley, SF/SG, PHO (86)
106. Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE (20)
107. Jarrett Jack, PG/SG, NO (64)
108. Alonzo Gee, SG/SF, CLE (98)
109. Kevin Martin, SG, HOU (107)
110. Kenneth Faried, PF, DEN (110)
111. O.J. Mayo, SG, MEM (NR)
112. Andre Miller, PG, DEN (112)
113. Brandon Rush, SG, GS (115)
114. Darren Collison, PG, IND (130)
115. Caron Butler, SF, LAC (NR)
116. Charles Jenkins, PG, GS (NR)
117. Mario Chalmers, PG, MIA (117)
118. Kevin Seraphin, PF, WSH (NR)
119. Zaza Pachulia, C, ATL (120)
120. Tayshaun Prince, SF, DET (NR)
121. Spencer Hawes, C, PHI (121)
122. Thaddeus Young, SF/PF, PHI (111)
123. Nate Robinson, PG/SG, GS (122)
124. James Johnson, SF/PF, TOR (114)
125. J.R. Smith, SG/SF, NY (NR)
126. Shannon Brown, SG, PHO (NR)
127. Shawn Marion, SF/PF, DAL (124)
128. Tony Allen, SG, MEM (125)
129. Brandon Bass, PF, BOS (NR)
130. Terrence Williams, SF/SG, HOU (NR)




When stars like Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, Ryan Anderson, Marcus Thornton, Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum all sit out games with injury, I can't help but feel for owners in head-to-head leagues that dominated all season only to see their dreams come crashing down in just a few short days. Even those in Rotisserie formats were impacted heading into the last few weeks of the season as healthy teams were able to close the gap. There is no worse feeling in fantasy sports than suffering a late season collapse. If you happened to rely on any of the aforementioned players, the only way you made it through last week was by playing waiver wire roulette. With that said, let's take a look at a few unheralded players that were recent pickups, or are still on the wire that could help win your league over the next few weeks.


Jose Juan Barea, PG, Minnesota Timberwolves: Barea might be dealing with a sore thigh himself, but with Luke Ridnour on the shelf for the foreseeable future with a severe ankle sprain, Barea should be a major asset for points, assists, steals and 3-pointers down the stretch. His value will diminish once Ridnour returns, but we still don't have an indication as to when that will be. Barea has averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 assists and 2.5 3-pointers in two games since Ridnour's injury, but somehow is owned in just 38.7 percent of ESPN.com leagues.


Gordon Hayward, SG/SF, Utah Jazz: Hayward has been fantastic for about a month know so I'm not quite sure that the "unheralded" moniker fits anymore, but just in case you missed it, he's averaging a versatile 16.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 3-pointers over his past 10 games. He's turned himself into quite the multi-category producer for fantasy leaguers, providing a little bit of everything, including blocks. Hayward only swatted 0.3 shots per game last year (in 16.9 minutes), but he did average 0.9 blocks per game at Butler during his collegiate career. I figure he could settle in to somewhere around 0.6 or 0.7 blocks per game in the future. Those playing for next year should make it a point to get an extended look at Hayward


Kemba Walker, PG/SG, Charlotte Bobcats: He already proved that he could be a viable fantasy option as a starter when he averaged 14.6 points, 4.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 3-pointers in the month of February. Now starting again in the place of the injured D.J. Augustin, Walker should be able to hold the starting gig for the rest of the season. The Bobcats have a great schedule the rest of the way, and Kemba is a must-add in fantasy leagues unless you are unable to take on his horrendous 36.7 percent shooting from the floor.


Byron Mullens, C, Charlotte Bobcats: With the Bobcats going full youth movement the rest of the way, Mullens has seen 33.8 minutes averaging 19.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game over his past five. Mullens displayed signs of a breakout earlier this season when he posted 11.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 24.2 minutes during the month of January, but he wasn't able to secure enough minutes to be considered a long-term fantasy addition. Now that minutes are no longer a question, fantasy owners should be running to the wire to add Mullens for the stretch run. He's still owned in just 31.1 percent of ESPN.com leagues.


Randy Foye, PG/SG, Los Angeles Clippers: Most people expected Nick Young to cut into Foye's playing time, but Foye has risen to the occasion with 20.2 points and 4.0 3-pointers over his past five games. Mo Williams' return might complicate things, but Foye is on an incredible hot streak that just might carry on the rest of the way.


Caron Butler, SF, Los Angeles Clippers: After a horrendous shooting slump immediately after the All-Star break, Butler was dumped by many a fantasy owner after he posted just 9.3 points, 0.6 steals and 0.7 3-pointers in the month of March. But Butler has come roaring back with 15.0 points and 1.8 3-pointers per game over his past five contests. Remember, Butler was returning borderline top-100 value prior to his second half slump.


Charles Jenkins, PG, Golden State Warriors: Jenkins is stuck in a time-share with Nate Robinson at the moment, but that hasn't stopped him from providing value as an assist and steals specialist for the Warriors. With 11.5 points, 5.5 assists and 0.8 steals in 26.8 minutes over his past five games, Jenkins will continue to be a fine option unless Stephen Curry returns to the lineup.


Marcus Camby, C/PF, Houston Rockets: Don't look now but Camby is playing out of his mind with 9.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.4 blocks per game over his past five. Camby might be 38 years old, but he can still be a force on the defensive side. He has soundly outplayed Samuel Dalembert, and is locked into the starting center spot unless injury forces him out of action.


Nikola Pekovic, C, Minnesota Timberwolves: Owners have been slow to re-add Pekovic (51.8 percent owned in ESPN.com leagues) after his ankle scare a few weeks back, mostly because he's earned just 22.7 minutes per game in three contests since his return. But Pekovic has stated that his ankles feel fine, and his minutes have increased in each of his three games. With averages of 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in those games, I have no doubt that he'll be earing 30-plus minutes per game again in the near future.

 

[HacheMan]

Dose: 3 Games for Derrick Rose

I somehow survived against NBA TV’s Rick Kamla in my 30-team league and beat him 5-4 in Week 2 of our Finals showdown, edging him out by one steal and five rebounds to take the championship in the hardest fantasy league I’ve ever played in. My starting roster of Marcus Thornton, Dwyane Wade, James Johnson, Greg Monroe, Spencer Hawes and Gerald Green survived nine missed games, while Kamla had to live without Kyrie Irving for four games. Kamla is one of my best friends and I almost feel bad for taking the title from him – almost. He’s been in the playoffs in this league every year, but just hasn’t been able to get over the hump. If James Johnson wouldn’t have played again last night, I would have lost by two rebounds and we’d be playing a tie-breaker this week. But as it stands, I’m the champ. It’s not a green jacket, but is the arguably the biggest accomplishment in my fantasy career. I picked up Jeremy Lin and Green off waivers, which were huge keys to my success, while drafting Johnson in Round 7 with the 187^th pick turned out to be the key move for me in the draft. I eliminated David Klyce of Hoopsklyce.com, CBSSports.com’s Jamey Eisenberg, Patrick Madden of Givemetherock.com and Kamla in the playoffs to take the title. You could say it was a good day. I’ll update the rest of my leagues at the end of this column, if you’re interested.



Atlanta – The Hawks go just three times this week, meaning only Josh Smith and Joe Johnson are must-starts in most leagues. The good news is the team is healthy, and they have four games the following week.



Boston – The Celtics go five times this week, and Brandon Bass and Avery Bradley look like sneaky plays, while Greg Stiemsma might be able to help deep-leaguers with steals and blocks, but not many points.



Charlotte – The Bobcats have five games, so Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson and Byron Mullens look like your must-starts. D.J. Augustin is dealing with a sore right knee, so I’d bench him, while guys like Bismack Biyombo, Corey Maggette, Derrick Brown and Cory Higgins should only be given a look in deep leagues. Reggie Williams was looking like a solid option, but has been out with a knee injury.



Chicago – The Bulls play just three games this week, but Derrick Rose looked pretty good on Sunday (29 points, 8-of-26 shooting). Rose, Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah are all possibilities, but Rose is the only one I’d classify as a must-start, and he still needs to prove he’s healthy.



Cleveland – The Cavs play five times and Donald Sloan (14 assists Sunday) and Lester Hudson (26 points, six 3-pointers Sunday, 23 points on Friday) are suddenly the talk of the town. I have no idea if Hudson can keep this up, but with five games this week, I’m willing to roll the dice to find out. Antawn Jamison, Alonzo Gee and Tristan Thompson all look like decent starts, while Kyrie Irving, Anthony Parker and Anderson Varejao are all too banged up to play. Manny Harris has been starting for Parker, but I don’t trust him.



Dallas – The Mavs play four times this week and next, meaning Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry are must-starts. Jason Kidd still has no definite timetable on a return, so I’d leave him benched, while Delonte West, Brandan Wright, Shawn Marion, Roddy Beaubois and Brendan Haywood are all low-end fantasy options. And yes, I meant to ignore Lamar Odom on purpose.



Denver – The Nuggets go four times making Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo must-start, while Al Harrington, Kenneth Faried and Andre Miller are possibilities. JaVale McGee seems to be in the doghouse, and Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari are banged up. Gallo sounds like he’ll start on Monday against the Warriors, and maybe he plays in all four, but I’d be pretty cautious about starting him this week after he’s missed the last 10 games.



Detroit – The Pistons play four times and Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey look like strong plays, while Tayshaun Prince and Brandon Knight should also be solid. Jason Maxiell and Jonas Jerebko are worth a look, but are too inconsistent for my blood unless you’re in a pretty deep league.



Golden State – Charles Jenkins and Nate Robinson have been trading good games, Brandon Rush, Dorell Wright and Klay Thompson have all been inconsistent, and Jeremy Tyler has actually looked pretty good at center. With four games this week, all of these guys will be in fantasy lineups, but none qualify as must-starts. Be prepared to take the good with the bad this week, except in the case of David Lee, who is a must-start player, as usual.



Houston – Yes, Kyle Lowry is back, but played just 18 minutes for one point and seven assists on Sunday. Yes, I am worried about Goran Dragic going forward, but my guess is he’ll be rock solid for at least the upcoming week. The following five-game week, however, is another story. Dragic, Courtney Lee, Luis Scola and Chandler Parsons are all solid prospects with four games this week, while Marcus Camby, Samuel Dalembert and Patrick Patterson are all worth a look, but are simply not trustworthy.



Indiana – With four games, Darren Collison, Paul George, Danny Granger, David West and Roy Hibbert are all pretty solid fantasy options this week. George Hill and Tyler Hansbrough can be given a look, but you can probably find a better player on waivers.



Clippers – Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are your must-starts, while DeAndre Jordan should also be in there for the blocks and boards. Caron Butler is finally hot and also worth a start, along with Randy Foye, who looks like a much better option than Nick Young.



Lakers – Kobe Bryant’s status is up in the air due to a shin injury and his replacement, Devin Ebanks, can’t be trusted. Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Ramon Sessions are your plays, while Ron Artest might be worth a look in some leagues. As for Kobe, we’ll hopefully have a positive report on Monday afternoon, but you know he doesn’t want to miss more games with a measly shin injury, right?



Memphis – With five games this week, the must-starts are Mike Conley, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol, with O.J. Mayo, Marreese Speights and Zach Randolph being decent options – especially Mayo. Tony Allen should be solid, but has missed two straight games with a mouth injury. I dropped Speights for Lester Hudson around 1 a.m. Monday. We’ll see how that pans out.



Miami – The Heat go four times this week and my guess is Dwyane Wade (missed Saturday with a tweaked ankle) will play in three of them, likely sitting out the home game against the Bobcats (which is just my opinion). I think you play Wade and hope for three games this week. LeBron James and Chris Bosh are must-starts, while Mario Chalmers is worth a look in deeper leagues. James Jones went off for six 3-pointers on Sunday without Wade, but hadn’t even scored in his previous eight games. Just keep an eye on him.<!--RW-->



Milwaukee – The Bucks have four games, but are just a mess with Scott Skiles running the show. Brandon Jennings, Monta Ellis and Ersan Ilyasova look like strong plays, with Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Delfino, Ekpe Udoh and Drew Gooden all worth a look. Udoh is hurting Gooden’s minutes, and I’m benching him where I have options. Beno Udrih and Larry Sanders could be worth a look if you’re in a real deep league.



Minnesota – The Wolves play four times and Luke Ridnour still remains out with a sprained ankle. Jose Juan Barea looks like a strong play (if he can make it through the week), along with Kevin Love and Nikola Pekovic. Michael Beasley is interesting after 20 points on Saturday, but I’d stay away from Derrick Williams, Wes Johnson and Wayne Ellington, despite their ability to get hot occasionally.



New Jersey – Gerald Wallace went down with a hamstring injury on Sunday, making him iffy for his next game and the week. Gerald Green, Anthony Morrow and MarShon Brooks would all benefit from him being out, while Deron Williams and Kris Humphries are your normal must-starts. But keep in mind the Nets play just three times this week and next, making all of them a little shaky, although Deron and Humps should still both be solid.



New Orleans – The Hornets go four times and I’m not holding my breath for Jarrett Jack to come back from his swollen foot, although it could happen sooner than later. This is the toughest team to read in the league, but Greivis Vasquez, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza, Jason Smith and Chris Kaman should all be solid options, while Carl Landry and Marco Belinelli might be worth a look. If you’re still holding Gustavo Ayon, it’s time to cut bait. And keep an eye out for news on Ariza, as he was a surprise DNP in the second half of Saturday’s game.



New York – Iman Shumpert is playing some crazy minutes lately and had 15 points, nine boards, six dimes, four steals and two 3-pointers on Sunday in 45 minutes. He’s playing some point guard, shooting guard and small forward, and he looks like a must-start until further notice, along with Carmelo Anthony (43 points on Sunday) and Tyson Chandler. Feel free to roll the dice on Baron Davis (playing through sore hamstring and back), Landry Fields and J.R. Smith, but Smith is the only player in this group I’d feel comfortable starting right now.



Oklahoma City – Unlike the Hornets and Spurs, the Thunder is the most reliable fantasy team around. They play four times and you can pretty much write down in ink what you’re going to get from Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka for the week.



Orlando – My guess is Dwight Howard plays in all four games this week after missing time with a back injury and being embarrassed by walking in on Stan Van Gundy’s bombshell presser, while Ryan Anderson’s ankle injury is a little more mysterious. He should be close to a return, but is a roll of the dice in weekly leagues. Hedo Turkoglu’s season is basically over with a facial fracture, clearing the way for J.J. Redick to get some nice run the rest of the way. Glen Davis has been a beast lately, but a healthy Anderson and Howard could derail his train. Jameer Nelson and Jason Richardson are also decent options, but only Howard is a must-start for the Magic.



Philadelphia – Elton Brand and Spencer Hawes disappeared on Sunday, while Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young all struggled. In fact, you know it was bad if Nikola Vucevic led the team with 14 point off the bench. Andre Iguodala is still a must-start player in many leagues despite the three-game week, but I’d try to find other options instead of his teammates.



Phoenix – The Suns play four games this week so Steve Nash and Marcin Gortat are your must-starts, while Jared Dudley, Shannon Brown and Channing Frye should also be in most lineups. I’ve got Brown in several leagues and am going all-in with him. Grant Hill should miss another week after knee surgery.



Portland – News broke recently that Nicolas Batum has been playing on a bad knee, but it’s not a new injury and he says he wants to finish out the season. Batum, Raymond Felton (who has been on fire for the most part), LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews all look like must-starts with four games, while the inconsistent Jamal Crawford and J.J. Hickson are also decent options. And Luke Babbitt should at least be on your radar after heating up over the past week.



Sacramento – The Kings play four games this week and Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins are your must-starts. Cousins has been quiet over his last few games, but I’m expecting him to bounce back in his next one. Terrence Williams has been hot, but could stumble if and when Marcus Thornton returns from his calf injury. He basically missed all five games last week, but sounds close to a return. I’m benching him in weekly leagues, at least for now. Tyreke Evans disappeared on Sunday but there was no report of an injury. I’d lean toward starting Evans and Williams this week, but weigh options carefully. Jason Thompson has been a disaster for two games, but should bounce back soon.



San Antonio – DeJuan Blair had started in all 50 games for the Spurs this season until Sunday, when Gregg Popovich benched him for Boris Diaw in a win over the Jazz, just because he could. Stephen Jackson also sat that one out, and as I write this, the Spurs are flying to Utah for Monday’s rematch. Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green all played very well in Sunday’s win, the 11^th straight for the Spurs, but with a long flight and road game on a back-to-back? Put on your blindfold and play pin-the-tail-on-the-Spurs-to-be–benched-on-Monday. They play four games this week, but Monday’s starters are a huge question mark, as are Wednesday’s and Thursday’s due to Popovich’s love for playing his cruel version of fantasy-roulette. Start any and all Spurs at your own risk, and if you own Blair, hope he hasn’t lost his job to Diaw.



Toronto – Andrea Bargnani left Sunday’s game after his left calf tightened up, and yes – it’s the same one he’s had trouble with all season. James Johnson returned from a trip to the doghouse and could be a sneaky play if Bargnani misses time, while Amir Johnson started for Bargs in the second half last night (but didn’t do much). Jose Calderon and DeMar DeRozan are must-starts, but I’d be hesitant to put any other Raptors in my starting lineup at this point.



Utah – C.J. Miles went down last night with a calf injury, while Josh Howard and Raja Bell were already out with injuries of their own. DeMarre Carroll started the second half and went off for 16 points, four boards, two assists, a steal and three 3-pointers on 6-of-8 shooting in the loss to the Spurs. I love him as a sneaky pick-and-play this week with four games, if Miles is going to miss time with his injury. Devin Harris, Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Gordon Hayward should all be in fantasy lineups this week. Millsap disappeared on Sunday, but there were no reports of an injury and he should bounce back on Monday night. If something is wrong with Millsap, Favors will be worth a look in all leagues, as usual.



Washington – John Wall and Jordan Crawford are your must-start with four games, while Kevin Seraphin has been red-hot for a couple weeks, and also qualifies. Sure, Nene could return from his plantar fasciitis, but I’m not holding my breath. Roger Mason Jr., Jan Vesely and maybe Chris Singleton are all worth a look in deeper leagues, but I’d look for other options. Trevor Booker has also missed time with plantar fasciitis, so he’s not a great option right now, either.



My Other Leagues



League Freak – Eliminated in first round, thanks to Carmelo’s funk before he got hot.

UBC Expert League – Got beat in Final 4 last night by ESPN’s Tom Carpenter.

Planet Lovetron – In Finals of Carpenter’s personal league, facing his wife this week.

Kelin’s $ - My main league of 20 years – Lost in Round 1 of playoffs due to injuries.

Charity Stripe – Eliminated in playoffs this week by Tommy Beer – It was tight.

Rock & Roll – Stephen Malkmus and I had bye weeks, in Final 4 this week.

Puppies – Bo from My Morning Jacket’s league – In Finals this week.

Malkmus’ league – Coming off bye, in Final 4 this week.



Good luck to you this week, and may you avoid surprise DNPs!

 

[HacheMan]

The Lowry-Dragic Situation
If there was ever a fantasy hoops season that seemed destined to have its playoff outcome altered by an obscure backup guard named Lester, this would be it.

Say hello to Lester Hudson.

On Sunday, the day his first 10-day deal expired, the Cavs guard busted out a career-high 26 points (with six treys, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 29 minutes), giving him averages of 17.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.8 spg and 2.0 3s in four games so far this month.

Considering that run, and his upcoming schedule, the immediate question obviously becomes: Is it valid to start Hudson right now during the Cavs’ five-game week?

The short answer, I would say, is yes. Sure, Kyrie Irving could still make it back at some point from his shoulder injury, and Anthony Parker could return from a bruised sternum, but those concerns should be alleviated somewhat by two other facts:

1) Byron Scott sounds like he intends to continue giving Hudson an extended look, telling the Akron Beacon Journal that “I love what he’s giving us off the bench right now. It doesn’t matter that much about starting. It’s about finishing. He’s out there when it counts at the end of the game and that’s the most important thing.” (Agreed.)

2) Five games in one week is a lot. Quite simply, Hudson doesn’t have to go off every night, and really only needs a couple of noisy performances to end up being quite valuable this week.

Granted, it is a bit unnerving to put this obscure of an option into a weekly lineup during the playoffs, and I remain concerned about his field goal percentage (39.0 during his recent four-game run). However, the simple fact is that many fantasy owners are probably in a position where gambling on Hudson right now makes a lot of sense.

And speaking of interesting fantasy basketball playoff conundrums…

What to make of the Kyle Lowry-Goran Dragic situation? The timing of Lowry’s return on Sunday (one point, seven assists in 18 minutes) was not exactly ideal for those who have enjoyed Dragic’s obscene numbers the last month (18.3 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 8.8 apg, 1.9 spg and 1.9 3s, stats that have made him the No. 4 overall player on Basketball Monster’s 9-category leaderboard during that stretch, behind only Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and Chris Paul).

So what to do if you have one of those two players (or both)? First off, you can’t bench Dragic. Not the way he has played, and not with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reporting that “For now at least, Lowry will continue to work his way back off the bench,” with Kevin McHale telling the paper that “Goran going forward is going to play some long minutes.”

Next question: Is Lowry startable this week independent of Dragic? I would say yes. Lowry told the Houston Chronicle that he felt “awesome” in his first game back, was in the game during a key stretch of the fourth quarter and can still be plenty productive (even if not as productive as he was earlier this season) as he ramps up into the 25-30 minute range.

And what about – dare I say it – starting both of them this week? Personally, if you’re short on reliable options, I don’t think it’s absurd to consider. McHale told the Houston Chronicle over the weekend that “A lot of times, our best lineups this year are (with) Goran and Kyle playing together,” and the Houston coach almost has no choice but to find plenty of minutes for both, given that Lowry was the Rockets’ best player before missing a month, and given that Dragic has been the team’s best player while Lowry was out. It’s obviously not an ideal situation in fantasy leagues, but I think there’s room for both Houston point guards to have productive weeks.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattStroup

What’s going on with DeAndre Jordan? The Clippers’ starting center has been maddeningly inconsistent for over a month now (6.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.4 bpg in 24 games since March 1), and has been especially miserable in his last two, averaging 2.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.0 bpg. Notably, both of those duds came against Sacramento and DeMarcus Cousins, giving Jordan averages of 2.0 ppg and 4.0 rpg in three games against Cousins and the Kings this year. That doesn’t entirely account for Jordan’s struggles, and he is certainly no longer a must-start. However, the Clippers have no matchups left with Cousins and the Kings, and I can understand starting Jordan (four games this week) if you need rebounds and blocks. I would still expect a dud or two this week, but I’m optimistic that he can put together a small-scale resurgence.

Is Kawhi Leonard a wise choice in standard formats this week? In short, no. In his last five games, the rookie has posted a miserable 5.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg and 0.2 3s. And even when he was playing well before this slump, he was more of a low-level contributor than high-upside option (11.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.7 spg, 1.1 treys during his 15-game run in March). I realize that Leonard could get it going soon – and might end up being a nice play with five games next week – but there should be safer options right now unless you’re in a much deeper format.

I’m not a huge fan of starting borderline waiver wire players for three-game weeks, but if you must deploy a three-game waiver option this week, I would strongly consider Gerald Green. In his four games last week, Green ended up posting 18.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.8 treys, punctuated by a season-high 32 points on Sunday. With averages of 16.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.4 spg and 1.9 3s on 52.0 percent shooting in his last eight games, and with Other Random Thoughts: I wouldn’t rush to start him this week, but with five games next week, it’s worth watching Danny Green (13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.2 treys in his last four games). … Shannon Brown is averaging 16.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.8 3s in five games this month, but his value is still limited elsewhere (0.6 spg, 0.0 bpg, 40.8 percent from the field in his last five). Make sure points and threes are an area of need if you’re planning to start him. … Similarly, J.J. Redick has a nice opportunity right now, but keep in mind that he’s really only useful if you need points and 3s (14.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 0.5 spg and 2.4 3s in 13 games as a starter this year). … According to my research, Lester Hudson only the second player in NBA history named Lester (the other was Lester Conner).

 

[HacheMan]

It's Lester Hudson's World

It’s Lester Hudson’s world and we’re all just living in it. The well-traveled point guard spent time in China and the D-League before getting the call for the Cavs, and boy has he made the best of it. Hudson poured in 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting with eight rebounds, six assists, a steal, a block, and two threes in 36 minutes off the bench last night. Granted, last night’s monster came against the Bobcats, and his previous two monsters came against Jose Calderon and Deron Williams-led squads, with the former being a defensive sieve and the latter not really caring much these days. Hudson does some of his damage against opposing backup PGs and two-guards, too, but it doesn’t matter who he nails when the end result looks like this 3-game output: 24.7 points, 4.7 boards, 5.3 assists, 2.0 steals, 2.7 threes, 44.4 percent FGs, 90.0 percent FTs (20 attempts). He’s a must-add player if I’ve ever seen one, and I can’t believe I’m typing that.



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I WAS PLAYING PING PONG IN DING DANG



Donald Sloan started again and had his first extremely quiet night with four points, three rebounds, five assists, and two steals, which actually still works if you started him during the five-game week. Beyond that logic, though, he’s a total crapshoot with Hudson playing lights out. Speaking of crapshoot, I am going to spend the rest of the week pounding my head into my desk after adding Anthony Parker on Sunday in my big money league (for $1), but not having the nads to activate him on Monday. I ended up going with Terrence Williams, and the fear was that Parker was going to give me an O-fer as a brittle veteran on a go-nowhere team. As for being productive if in the lineup, I had no questions there, and he proved me right with 19 points, four threes, two rebounds, and two steals in 27 minutes. As the veteran of the bunch, he will be called upon a lot to handle tempo and guide the youngsters. He is a must-own player if you can rifle him into lineups for the remaining four games the Cavs have this week.



Tristan Thompson disappointed with six points, seven boards, and a block, while Antawn Jamison (17 points, 7-of-19 FGs, three rebounds, four assists) and Alonzo Gee (13 points, 5-of-9 FGs, six boards, two steals, one block, one three) continued to keep their foot on the gas.



It’s hard to watch the Bobcats these days, as any rhyme or reason that could be employed when discussing them has gone out the window. Paul Silas, for everything he did to be the counter to Larry Brown’s ragged coaching style, has completely face-planted and I’d seriously demand a refund if I was a Bobcats season ticket holder. D.J. Augustin was given a start at the expense of Kemba Walker last night, and I don’t care if Augustin was both Huey Lewis and the News he wouldn’t be stealing developmental minutes from my lottery pick. And let's just say the Cats are literally trying to 'lose now for the Unibrow' -- I understand that tanking can be good for business, but as a strategy it’s still a gamble and the Cats would be better served picking a strategy (youth) and finding consistency within it.



Augustin scored 16 points with 11 assists and is worth a look going forward, but your guess is as good as mine as to what will go down going forward. Luckily for Walker’s owners he still managed to put up 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting with two threes in 24 minutes, but his production elsewhere suffered as he had just one rebound and two assists to go with a steal. I’m hanging tight with Walker until he becomes a real liability, and my thoughts go out to the poor fans in Charlotte who are forced to watch this train wreck up close.



Bismack Biyombo bounced back nicely from a wretched Monday night and posted 12 points, eight boards, one steal, and three blocks, while Byron Mullens continued to go cold at precisely the time most folks got him in their lineups with zero points, five rebounds, three assists, and a block on 0-for-3 shooting. Gerald Henderson continues to do his thing with 21 points, five boards, and two steals, while Corey Maggette backed up his 23-point night from Monday with four points on 1-of-7 shooting, one rebound, and two steals in 16 minutes off the bench, and Derrick Brown (five points, two boards) has yet to make any noise in the starting lineup. Reggie Williams (knee) is being called probable for Thursday night, but has yet to do anything truly noteworthy this season other than waste opportunities.



ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION



The Magic are such a mess right now, but the removal of Hedo Turkoglu from the rotation due to injury is fairly interesting for fantasy heads like us. While Hedo is a facilitator by nature, he does it on his own terms and the results are often choppy and slow. Insert J.J. Redick, who has a pretty by-the-book glue game, and the Magic become a nice little fantasy squad once the addition by subtraction is complete.



Redick scored 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting with two threes, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals, and I’m calling him a must-own player in 12-team formats and 10-team owners will want to give him a look, too. Jason Richardson hit just 4-of-16 shots last night for 10 points, two threes, and not much else, but he’ll get that crooked number straightened out. He also needs to be owned under the same conditions as Redick.



Jameer Nelson has officially been freed and put up another 19 points, four boards, seven assists, and three treys, while Ryan Anderson struggled in his second game back from an ankle injury to finish with seven points on 2-of-10 shooting, four boards, two steals, and one three. Big Baby scored 12 points with 10 boards, two assists, and three steals, which will be customary for however long Dwight Howard is out. Howard (back) has already been ruled out for Thursday’s practice. Only Dwight knows how bad his back was or wasn’t hurting. I’ll just leave it at that. Big Baby is the man until Howard returns, which could be as soon as Friday’s game.



WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARDS



The post-trade deadline Wizards have been a joy this year, with an assist in the form of injuries to Nene, Trevor Booker, and indifference by Andray Blatche. Kevin Seraphin had a career-night against the Magic, scoring 24 points with 13 boards and four blocks. After a dry spell with the swats he has averaged three blocks in his last three contests. I don’t know if or when we’ll see Nene and Booker, so Seraphin is a must-own player in my book.



‘Bad’ Jan Vesely showed up last night, scoring five points with nine boards and a steal. James Singleton put up a reasonable 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting with eight boards and a steal in 23 minutes off the bench, which is a more realistic expectation if you shave off two field goals from last night’s totals. Cartier Martin scored 12 points on 5-of-11 shooting with two threes, three rebounds, and three assists, and I’m okay with expecting that type of performance going forward. He’s a borderline producer best suited for 14-team leagues and streaming owners. John Wall (15 points, full line) and Jordan Crawford (21 points, full line) played to the status quo.



STABILITY, THE OTHER WHITE MEAT



The Celtics and Heat are always good reality television, but the fantasy stability is what keeps owners coming back. Rajon Rondo scored 18 points with 15 assists and a rare three, Kevin Garnett scored 24 points on 11-of-14 shooting with nine boards and two blocks, Paul Pierce put up 27 points with three treys, seven boards, and a steal, and Brandon Bass double-doubled with 12 points, 10 boards, a steal, and a block.



On the Miami side, Dwyane Wade (ankle) returned from his one-game absence to score 20 points with a relatively full stat line, and owners simply need to be on ankle watch – especially in advance of Friday’s game against the Bobcats. Mario Chalmers scored 18 points with three treys, three steals, and a block. Give him a look if he isn’t owned in your 8- or 9-cat league. LeBron James put up an incredibly normal looking 36 points, seven boards, and seven assists with a steal, block, three, and 13-of-14 mark from the foul line. For the love of crumb cake. Chris Bosh added 13 points and nine boards in the win.



Aside from Wade’s ankle, in the fantasy news department from this game Ray Allen is still putting up quiet numbers with ankle issues of his own. He posted nine points on 3-of-7 shooting (including two threes) with one rebound and three assists in 35 minutes off the bench. Look for him to slowly improve, but if you’re not hunting threes there’s a lot not to like right now. Avery Bradley continues to start and post efficient, low-end numbers. He scored 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting with two rebounds and a three, but he needs to steal the ball and get to the foul line more to truly be a fantasy asset. Greg Stiemsma is a guy worth watching for category hunters as he put up another two blocks, seven boards, and a steal last night.


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SHAKE ME UP



Doug Collins has suddenly become an embattled coach following news that the locker room has turned on him to some degree, and while I’m personally taking a wait-and-see approach with those reports – Collins didn’t wait to take action on his end by jumbling up his lineup. Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner were sent to the bench and Jodie Meeks and Nikola Vucevic were moved up to the ‘ones.’ We’ll soon learn the primary motivations, but if I had to guess it was to get a struggling Turner out of a full-time role without putting the full spotlight on him, killing his confidence more than it’s already shot. Regardless, the move paid off as the Sixers dispatched the Nets easily and got the ship moving in the right direction.



There was plenty of status quo to go around as Jrue Holiday scored 14 points with four rebounds, three assists, a three, and a block, Andre Iguodala flew around the court and put up 13 points with four boards, seven assists, two steals, and a three, Elton Brand went for nine and seven, Lou Williams put up 20 points, eight boards, five assists, two threes, and a steal, Thad Young went for 19 and eight with two blocks, and Spencer Hawes got his with 19 points, eight boards, two assists, one steal, and three blocks. The Sixers aren’t going to be this effective every night, but Turner’s removal is certainly going to move production capability to guys that will know what to do with it. Turner (two points, two boards, one steal, one block, 19 minutes) can be dropped, obviously, and Meeks (five points, one three, 26 minutes) and Vucevic (four points, eight rebounds, one block, 16 minutes) should just be watched from afar.



GREAT EXPECTATIONS



Gerald Wallace (hamstring) did not play last night, and folks were expecting big things out of Gerald Green despite his potential absence due to oral surgery. Green ended up playing but did not deliver, scoring eight points on 4-of-11 shooting with one rebound and one assist. Anthony Morrow also disappeared with four points on 1-of-8 shooting and one steal in 20 minutes. MarShon Brooks posted a semi-respectable 10 points with five boards, three assists, three steals, and one block in 36 minutes, but in reality if your name isn’t Deron Williams (14 points, five assists) or Kris Humphries (20 and 10 with four assists) you probably shouldn’t have been in weekly lineups. In a three-game shot there is just too much that can go wrong with inconsistent players, even though Green was about as hot as they come heading into this week. Unfortunately, we’ll do it all over again with the Nets playing just three games next week, too.



KISSING COUSINS



The Kings have settled into being a somewhat consistent fantasy operation, despite Keith Smart’s incessant tinkering. The good news is that Smart has chilled out a bit, and my guess about Jason Thompson’s move to the bench is that it is ankle-assisted. Thompson has bottomed out lately and posted just eight points with five boards and two blocks, which actually represents an improvement over recent days. Keep a close eye on Thompson, as when he’s healthy he can be a fantasy mover and shaker. The only fantasy loser for the Kings from last night was Terrence Williams, who played just 15 minutes on his way to two points, three boards, three assists, and a steal. I’m guessing, but I don’t think this is the last we’ll hear of him this season, but admittedly owners are between a rock and a hard place with him going forward. Do what you have to do.



Isaiah Thomas scored 16 points with four rebounds, five assists, and two steals, DeMarcus Cousins scored 25 points with 18 boards, three assists, six steals, and two blocks, and easily could have led this column, while Tyreke Evans scored 16 points with a nice full stat line. Jimmer Fredette put up 13 points with three treys, three rebounds, and four assists in 21 minutes off the bench, but he needs to add 20 pounds, get better handles, and stop playing scared before I’ll sign off on his NBA future. The good news is that he couldn’t have landed in a worse situation than in Sacramento after a lockout, so a change next season isn’t totally out of the question. If you’re hunting threes or in a deep league give him a look, as the Kings look hell-bent on running him even though he gives up more points than he creates right now.



OLD MAN TRICKS



Jason Kidd returned from the groin injury that he has apparently dealt with all year long, playing 22 minutes on his way to seven points, six rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and two blocks. Just keep in mind that the youthful Kings tend to fall for Kidd’s assortment of old man tricks. I’m concerned about his minutes and his ability to produce in a less-than-primary role for the Mavs. Though some of the other guards’ lines were semi-productive, the Kings tend to bring the best out of other teams so I’m passing on Delonte West’s 13 points, Roddy Beaubois’ 15 points and five boards, and Vince Carter’s seven points, seven boards, and five assists. Brandan Wright posted nine points with four boards, two steals, and two blocks, and with Lamar Odom in the doghouse he could be worth a look if you’re hunting blocks. Shawn Marion double-doubled with 10 and 14, Jason Terry scored 13 points with five assists and three treys, and Dirk Nowitzki added 15 and eight in the win.



LET’S RUN IT BACK ONE MORE TIME



The Bulls and Knicks did it again last night, and this time the better team won without its best player, Derrick Rose (ankle). Rose apparently fell on a foot in Sunday’s game and the reality is that the team is going to play it safe with him, though this injury certainly sits on the ‘minor’ side of the scale to me. C.J. Watson scored nine points with seven assists and probably won’t make it to next week in fantasy leagues unless Rose aggravates something. Richard Hamilton made his presence felt with 20 points, four rebounds, five assists, and a three. The Bulls have four games next week and while Rose’s return will necessarily cut into Rip’s value, he’ll be worth the proverbial look heading into next week. All was normal in the rest of the Chicago box, with Carlos Boozer scoring 10 points with eight boards and three steals, Luol Deng putting up 19 points with 10 boards and four assists, and Joakim Noah bringing up the rear with seven points, nine boards, and two blocks. Kyle Korver made some noise with 14 points, seven boards, and three treys, but one has to wonder how he’ll look once Rose returns. Either way, give him a look if you’re hunting threes.



The Knicks’ box didn’t offer any surprises, either, with Iman Shumpert scoring 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting with two threes, one rebound, and three assists. His numbers haven’t been eye-popping or even good at times, but he may be the Knicks’ most important player other than Carmelo Anthony. With Baron Davis (eight points, six assists, 26 minutes) being held together by duct tape, we could be looking at PG Iman Shumpert at any time. It’s hard to call him a must-own player with so few games left and his production obviously at a borderline level, but I’m treating him like a must-own player with my own 12-team rosters, for what it’s worth. Anthony continued his tear as the one-man show, scoring 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting with two rebounds, five assists, four steals, and one three. Apparently the roller coaster will end on a high note for his owners. J.R. Smith fits next to Anthony as a safety valve that can create his own shot, and last night he scored 14 points with two threes and two steals in 34 minutes off the bench. He’s posting solid mid-round value over the past two weeks and I have him pegged as a must-own player for the rest of the season. If Tyson Chandler has a broken hand it didn’t look like it last night, as he put up 10 points with 15 boards, a steal, and three blocks.



PORTLANDIA



LaMarcus Aldridge traveled all the way to Vail, Colorado on Tuesday for further evaluation of his strained hip. Let’s not mince words; this is all bad for owners. The Blazers play in Portland tonight against the Warriors, which doesn’t exactly scream ‘race home from hip consultation,’ but the real issue is whether or not Aldridge guts out a meaningless season. If J.J. Hickson isn’t owned in your league, he should be now. If you own Aldridge, it’s time to start looking at Plan B.



Nicolas Batum (quad) did “light work” at practice on Tuesday and that’s fairly good news for owners. I’d venture to guess that Aldridge’s absence could help nudge Batum back into the lineup, too, but that’s a pure guess. Regardless, he’s shaping up to be a game-time call tonight and the fact that he’s doing light work suggests that he’s not heading toward a shutdown. I’m going to be patient indefinitely unless I hear some sort of negative report.



FOUR QUARTERS OF INJURY FURY



1^ST QUARTER: Darren Collison (groin) met with a specialist yesterday and the minute I heard this wasn’t a true day-to-day injury I added George Hill across the board. I don’t know how long DC will be out, but it wouldn’t be shocking for him to be held out as long as possible. Kobe Bryant (shin) has already been ruled out for Wednesday’s game against the Spurs, highlighting that Kobe’s bravado does in fact have limits. The takeaway here, if there is one, is that Bryant isn’t going to jeopardize his future for an injury. In this case the tendon near the shin, if re-injured, would be a permanent injury and possibly derail his career. Going back to his wrist injury, the same thing was said by doctors – but Kobe opted to play through the injury. My guess is that the wrist injury was overstated and that’s why there are two different approaches to the same problem.



2^ND QUARTER: Rodney Stuckey (knee) said he was fine, and if I had to bet money I’d say he plays on Thursday. Eric Gordon (back) is heading toward a game-time decision tonight, and we’re working on a slippery track for the rest of Gordon’s season. The hope for owners is that he just needed a day or two off to get the soreness out of his system, which of course begs the question of why the Hornets let him go full tilt upon his return. Trevor Ariza was benched so other guys could play more on Monday, which needless to say is the kiss of death in fantasy leagues. If you want to watch the reports leading up to game-time and spot-start him, that’s just about the only way I can envision using him for now.



3^RD QUARTER: Ramon Sessions was fitted for a splint after Monday’s game. It’s on his right index finger but the injury didn’t seem to bother him at all on Monday night. Grant Hill could return by Friday’s game after minimally invasive knee surgery a few weeks back. This means that Shannon Brown’s ride should come to an end, though let’s not treat it as a foregone conclusion just yet. Hill will be eased in and could see his minutes taper off if the Suns fall out of playoff contention (they’re currently 1.0 games out of eighth). Luke Ridnour appears to have jumped the gun on his return from an ankle injury, and I personally have him in the out indefinitely column. Tony Allen has no timetable for his return and anybody that saw the picture of his mouth can understand why. It looks like a chainsaw got up in there.



4^TH QUARTER: Kevin Martin (shoulder) isn’t close to a return, but my sense is that things could change at any time with that situation. So needless to say, I think there's a bunch we don't know there. Amare Stoudemire (back) participated in portions of shootaround, but he’s still nowhere near returning and doesn’t have a timetable. Wilson Chandler (groin) says that he’ll play before the end of the season, and that means it’s safe to count him out of the Nuggets’ rotation for evaluation purposes. Andrea Bargnani (calf) met with the Raptors’ full medical staff yesterday and I fully expect to hear a report about him being done for the year soon. Amir Johnson looks like a solid pickup and the entire rotation will be helped by this news. Al Harrington (knee) is listed as probable for tonight’s game, and if there is going to be an acute issue we’re likely going to find out about it tonight. Cross your fingers.

 

[HacheMan]

Hot players worth picking up

By Seth Landman | Special to ESPN.com

With most teams having 10 or fewer games left to play in the 2011-12 NBA season, it truly is time to get desperate if you have a chance to make a move up the standings in your fantasy league. Time is running out, and you have little to lose dropping a mediocre player for one who has a chance at being special these last few weeks. With that in mind, here are some players who have a good chance at getting (or staying) hot down the stretch.


Greivis Vasquez, PG, New Orleans Hornets: Despite him being available in over half of ESPN.com fantasy leagues at the moment (he was added in quite a few over the past day), Vasquez has been a top-20 player on the Player Rater over the past week with Jarrett Jack out of the lineup. Jack will likely miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot, and Vasquez lit up the Los Angeles Lakers for 18 points (including five 3-pointers) and 11 assists on Monday night to bring his averages over the past five games to 11.8 points and 7.6 assists in 31.6 minutes of playing time. Actually, in 18 games as a starter this season, he's averaging 12.1 points and 6.8 assists, so his recent success is no fluke. If you're looking to make a move in the assists category, there's no one else on the waiver wire with his potential, which makes him worth a shot in most leagues.

Lester Hudson, SG, Cleveland Cavaliers: Hudson has made the most of his latest NBA opportunity and has been taking over games for the Cavs off the bench over the past week. On Tuesday, he played 36 minutes off the bench and put up 25 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and he's averaging 24.6 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.7 3s over his past three games (all off the bench). Yes, Kyrie Irving may return soon, but the Cavs might also choose to be cautious with their star rookie and take the opportunity to see what they have in Hudson. In any case, he's providing monster all-around production lately and is certainly worth a look if you need guard help.


Shannon Brown, SG, Phoenix Suns: With Grant Hill out indefinitely, Brown has been putting up some big numbers of late out of the Suns' starting lineup. Always a willing shooter, Brown has been getting plenty of opportunities, averaging 16.4 points on 15.6 shot attempts over his past five games. As such, his field goal percentage numbers are nothing to write home about, but production is production, and Brown is averaging 2.0 3s, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists over that same five-game stretch. He's a good bet to keep putting up similar numbers for the rest of the season, so if you need help in 3s and want a guard who rebounds, he's worth a look.


Michael Redd, SG, Phoenix Suns: Redd is not as good an overall fantasy option as Brown, but as long as Hill is out, Redd might be a useful player in certain situations. Amazingly, he's getting up 14.0 shots per game in just 20.2 minutes over his past five games, which is a pretty ridiculous ratio for a guy who had played well under a full season's worth of games combined over the past three years. Redd, at this stage, is just going to get you points and 3s, but as a career 38 percent shooter from long range, he has an excellent chance of staying hot as the Suns finish out the season. There's no reason to add him unless you're desperate for 3s, but if you are he's a good get for now.


Charles Jenkins, PG, Golden State Warriors: Jenkins has certainly had his ups and downs of late, but he's been a top-100 guy on the Player Rater over the past 15 days, and most of that value is coming from his ability to rack up assists. With Stephen Curry out indefinitely (and the Warriors all too happy to risk losing games by giving inexperienced players extended playing time), Jenkins has been playing 25.8 minutes per game so far in April and is averaging 5.8 assists per game as a result. That's one of the best ratios in the league over that period of time, and it'd be hard to find anyone better on the waiver wire (save Greivis Vasquez, who is also on this list). Jenkins doesn't score much, but he's shooting 51 percent from the floor on the month as well, so at least he won't hurt you there, and the 1.2 steals per game are a nice bonus. In deep leagues especially, he's definitely worth a roster spot.


Jan Vesely, SF, Washington Wizards: I'm really reaching here, but if you're looking to take a big risk on a guy who could have a lot of value, Vesely is worth a look. Trevor Booker,Nene, Andray Blatche and Rashard Lewis are all out indefinitely for the Wizards, and those injuries have allowed Vesely to work his way into the starting lineup. Mostly, he's just playing a lot of minutes and not doing a whole lot else; he's averaging just 7.6 points and 6.6 rebounds in 29.2 minutes over his past five games, and while that's a decent total in the rebounds category, most of his performances haven't exactly been fantasy-worthy. On the other hand, he's a rookie with a ton of talent, and his 11 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks against the Bobcats on Monday were a look at the kind of numbers he's capable of if he starts figuring things out over the next couple weeks. The Wizards are going to want to give him as many chances as they can, so his minutes should stay steady, and he's capable of helping you a lot in rebounds and blocks if he can string together a few decent performances. If you have any dead weight on your roster, wouldn't you rather take a flier on Vesely?


Courtney Lee, SG, Houston Rockets: Kevin Martin, as usual, is injured, and that means Lee is playing a ton of minutes lately, and he's been pretty productive when he's been out there as well. He's averaging 16.0 points, 1.8 3s, 1.6 steals, 3.0 assist, and 50 percent shooting from the floor over his past five games, and it's worth pointing out that only two of the Rockets' final nine games come against teams in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency. If he can come close to averaging those numbers for the rest of the season, he'll be a huge factor in lots of fantasy leagues, and right now he's widely available for some reason. Pick him up while you still can.