Fantasy related but good info.....
Flash Gordon or Crash Gordon?
[SIZE=+1]Injuries and Lineup News[/SIZE]
Clippers Hurting As Gordon, Griffin Go Down
Clippers star Eric Gordon will miss three to four weeks with a sprained wrist that includes a bone chip in his right (shooting) hand. The only good news is that he doesn't need surgery and that his back and finger will have time to heal. If you're going to struggle waiting for him to return, think about trading him if your league has playoffs. A high-ranking owner will likely still pay for his services down the stretch.
Randy Foye, who will start in his absence (for now) looks like the big winner after Tuesday's game when he finished with 15 points, two threes and four assists in 28 minutes. Ryan Gomes added 14 points and two threes of his own, and both players look like decent adds right now. Eric Bledsoe might also come on, but had just three points in 16 minutes, so ignore him for now. Baron Davis stayed hot with 21 points, four 3-pointers, six assists, three steals and seven TOs last night, and has emerged as a must-start player again.
Blake Griffin suffered a left elbow injury last night but X-rays were negative, explaining that collective sigh of relief you thought you heard when you were sleeping. It's being called a left elbow contusion, leaving him iffy for Wednesday at Houston. The elbow is swollen and my guess is he's a game-time decision tonight. He still managed 22 points and 11 boards for his 36th double-double in 44 games this season. Hopefully he's a go tonight, but the Clippers are clearly banged up right now.
Déjà vu All Over Again For Curry
Stephen Curry suffered a mild right ankle sprain in practice Tuesday and is questionable for tonight. This is the same ankle that's been bothering him all season, but the fact it's a mild sprain works in his favor. He's a game-time decision tonight, but I'm planning on starting him for now.
LaMarcus Escapes Serious Injury
LaMarcus Aldridge has a hip contusion and dodged a bullet when an MRI and X-rays didn't show any serious damage. He's probable for tonight, so keep rolling him out there unless we get bad news later today.
Rose's Back Sore
Derrick Rose is playing with a sore back, going so far as to say it's "killing" him right now. He's playing through it, but owners will want to keep a close eye on this situation going forward.
Welcome Back, Perk
Kendrick Perkins (knee surgery) made his season-debut for the Celtics ahead of schedule last night and had seven points and six rebounds. It may take him a couple weeks to get in a groove, but he should rack up plenty of boards and blocks once he's feeling it again. Just don't expect many nights of 10 points or more from the grumpy big man.
Mario C Likes To Keep It Clean
Mario Chalmers is the new starting point guard for the Heat, but is going to struggle to get shots as long as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and eventually, Chris Bosh are playing. Bosh is out until at least a week from Thursday with a high ankle sprain, and while I like Chalmers more than Carlos Arroyo, he's still not likely to be a fantasy savior. But he could be nice add in a deep league if you need a guard. And as for Bosh's injury? Bigs like Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Joel Anthony and Juwan Howard are going to get some extra minutes, my guess is that Mike Miller will be the biggest beneficiary in his absence. I'm all for picking him up and seeing how the next week goes with Bosh in street clothes. Wade has been practicing wearing shades and should be good to go on Thursday after missing a game with a migraine.
News and Notes
Anthony Morrow, who had 16 points (and not much else) on Monday, is close to rejoining the starting lineup for the Nets and looks like a solid add in all leagues.
Kirk Hinrich missed another game on Tuesday with his arm/elbow injury and we're still awaiting MRI results. My guess is he's going to miss several games, if not weeks, which works in heavy favor of John Wall and Nick Young.
Peja Stojakovic will join the Mavericks soon, but may not play this week. I'm not expecting any miracles from him, as he's bound to get injured again if he starts racking up minutes. Just put him on your watch list.
Al Horford (ankle), Joe Johnson (knee), Marvin Williams (back) and Josh Smith (knee) are all good to go for the Hawks on Wednesday, meaning Horford, Joe and Smoove should be back in lineups. Williams is worth monitoring, but is still Marvin Williams.
Paul George is reportedly on the verge of making some noise in the rotation for the Pacers, replacing Brandon Rush in the rotation, and possibly Mike Dunleavy in the starting five. I like him as a pickup until we see what he does for Jim O'Brien. He's not a must-start in fantasy, but if your waiver wire is bare, he looks like he has enough upside and potential for minutes to add to fantasy rosters in most leagues.
Josh Howard wants to return from his knee injury on Jan. 31, but Flip Saunders (and I) have our doubts. Even when he does return, he's a highly risky guy to throw in your lineup, especially if it's a weekly league.
Keep Reading For Fantasy Game Recaps
<!--RW-->
[SIZE=+1]Game News[/SIZE]
Nuggets Beat Wiz
J.R. Smith was benched for the entire game last night after being late to shootaround. Here we go again. Al Harrington blew up for 21 points and six 3-pointers in 27 minutes, which was probably a direct result of Smith's benching, but I'm still expecting plenty of inconsistency from Harrington going forward.
Ty Lawson had 17 points off the bench and continues to barely hang onto fantasy value. But he's only worth starting, at least for now, on nights when we know Chauncey Billups won't play. But he's healthy and playing well again. Arron Afflalo played through a hand injury and had 18 points and two threes, while Nene was nice with 21 points, nine boards and a block on 8-of-9 shooting in the win over the Wizards.
Andray Blatche bounced back from Monday's awful game with 25 points, nine boards, four dimes, three steals and a block on 8-of-14 shooting, and even hit all nine of his free throws. He's back on track, at least for now. John Wall had 10 points and 13 assists, while Nick Young threw in his usual 26 points and five boards, but didn't hit a three. Rashard Lewis was quiet with just eight points, but did have a steal, three blocks and two threes to salvage a decent fantasy line.
Bobcats Beat Kings
Kwame Brown had 13 points, a season-high 18 boards and a block on Tuesday against the Kings. This was his third double-double in his last six games and it looks like he may hold some value going forward if you need a center. Michael Jordan may be out to prove that he wasn't a wasted pick, even if we are 10 years into the experiment.
Jason Thompson had 14 points, eight boards, a steal and a block in another start for the Kings, while Carl Landry had 19 points, three boards and two steals off the bench. It's rare to see these two jokers play well on the same night, but as usual, DeMarcus Cousins was in foul trouble, while Samuel Dalmebert managed just four points, four boards and a block in 22 minutes. Thompson and Cousins still look like the two safest bets here, but Landry is hot again, and could send JT into another cold spell. With Paul Westphal pulling the strings, who knows?
Mavs Down Clips
Jason Kidd was awful on Tuesday, finishing with one point, two rebounds and seven assists on 0-of-4 shooting. He's had some nice games this year, but plenty of dogs too. Let's just say I'm glad I don't own him anywhere – that's a headache none of us need, but he's obviously too valuable to cut.
Jose Juan Barea blew up for 25 points and three 3-pointers on 9-of-12 shooting off the bench. He's just too inconsistent to be trusted in fantasy, but is at least worth a look going forward. Jason Terry (28 points with four threes) and Tyson Chandler (21 points, 5-of-5 FG, 11-of-11 FT, two rebounds) both notched season highs in the win over the Clippers. Dirk Nowitzki hit just 6-of-15 shots for 20 points last night and has hit just 24-of-70 shots in his last four games, as his knee is probably still bothering him. He'll be fine, but isn't playing like a first-rounder right now.
Lakers Wax Jazz
Andrei Kirilenko was replaced by C.J. Miles in the starting five last night (after Gordon Hayward started in the previous game) and hit just 3-of-10 shots for nine points in 24 minutes. Miles had 14 points and a couple threes, but the Jazz were throttled by the Lakers as their dreadful slump continues. Kirilenko could easily end up back in the starting five at any time. Miles is probably worth a pick up, but try to just keep Kirilenko on the bench if you can. Paul Millsap was dealing with a sore hand last night but played through it and finished with 11 points and six boards. This team is in complete chaos and turmoil right now, and no one seems to be able to come up with an answer. Obviously the new lineups are producing as poorly as the old one did, as the Jazz have now dropped five straight games. Last night's final was 120-91, so Jerry Sloan may have to go back to the drawing board.
Andrew Bynum had 19 points, 11 boards and three blocks in the easy win and is proving his worth for those of you who sat on him when he was out with his surgically repaired knee. Congratulations if you held onto him.
Cavs Trounced By Celtics
Manny Harris and Ramon Sessions both scored 14 points in last night's blowout loss to the Celtics, their 18th straight L, which also set a franchise record of 22 straight road losses. Things aren't going to get any easier anytime soon, as the Cavs have Denver in Cleveland on Friday, and then go to Orlando and Miami to finish out the month. Ouch.
Daniel Gibson struggled to hit just 1-of-3 shots for four points, in what had to be the most disappointing line of the night. I can't explain it and owners are just going to have to hope he bounces back in the next one. Sessions and Gibson are worth owning in all leagues, but I'd stay away from Manny as long they're healthy. J.J. Hickson went off for 12 points, 17 rebounds, five dimes and four blocks, and looks like a tremendous pickup for those of you lucky enough to get him over the past few weeks.
Kevin Garnett played just 18 minutes in the blowout, taking a well deserved night off, while Paul Pierce led the slaughter with 24 points and Rajon Rondo double-doubled with 11 & 10.
Good luck for Wednesday's 10-game slate.
Michael Redd - G/F - Bucks </TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Michael Redd (knee) is hoping to return during the first week of March.</TD></TR><TR><TD>
