Fantasy related but good info......
Tantalizing
I have had the luxury of writing Thursday's Dose this season and have had a ton of material to work with. Whether it has been LeBron's return to Cleveland or Tyreke's miracle shot last week – it seems things have been coming to a head on Wednesday nights.
I'm going to take a break from the format and try something new this week, though, not because there are a lack of compelling storylines around the NBA, but to try and give a more condensed version of the previous day's events. Believe me, if the inspiration strikes as it has in the past, you'll be the first to know.
[SIZE=+1]Headliners[/SIZE]
Tantalizing
Tyrus Thomas is on the shortlist of most tantalizing fantasy players to own over the last couple of years, and after Monday's return from a wrist injury that saw him play just 22 minutes despite half the Bobcats team being sidelined – more than a few owners had him benched last night. After all, he added knee tendinitis to his collection of red flags, didn't practice Tuesday, and coming off the bench (still) it was hard to truly know if he would even play. True to form, he went off scoring 21 points on 10-of-18 shooting with 11 rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks in 36 minutes, and was instrumental in the Bobcats' comeback win over the Wolves.
The story here really is quite simple. He has all of the upside in the world – you know it, the other owners in the league know it, you're not dropping him, and chances are you're not trading him. Nobody is going to give you the full price on his upside, and if they will, he's somebody you really have to consider selling given his spotty past. You drafted him because, like every year, you thought 'this is the year.' He's your problem now, and for at least last night, he became a good problem to have.
Rondolicious
Fun with Rajon Rondo stats from last night: 12 points, 10 rebounds, 22 assists, six steals, one block in 43 minutes against the Spurs.
He was just two assists shy of tying the record he holds with Isiah Thomas for the most assists during a triple-double. He became the first NBA player ever to hand out at least 20 assists while grabbing 10 rebounds with at least six steals (since the NBA started tracking steals in 1973-74). The 22 assists were the second-most of his career (he had 24 on Oct. 29), and he becomes the third player in NBA history to record two triple-doubles in the same season that included 20 or more assists. The others? Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.
www.miamiheat.ws
He said after the game that "the more pressure he puts on his ankle the less he tries to think about it." So, to top it off, he's not yet 100 percent. Scary.
The K-Factor
For a guy we have dumped on just about all season for his injury risk, Kevin Martin has done everything in his power to give his owners ammunition to go selling high with. Last night's season-high 45 points was a picture of efficiency. He hit 13-of-18 shots from the field, 6-of-8 from downtown, and 13-of-15 from the foul line. He even added two rebounds and four assists for good measure. Like most things in fantasy sports, hanging onto him is a gamble, and if you wanted to sell he gift-wrapped it for you last night.
The Poster Child and DeAndre the Giant
I'll save the superlatives, since if you're within earshot of an NBA TV broadcast on any given night the Clippers play you know all about it already. But what scares NBA coaches and executives isn't the pending return of Chris Kaman, it's the ongoing development of DeAndre Jordan, who could be found dunking alley-oop passes from Blake Griffin last night on his way to 14 points, a career-high tying 20 rebounds, and six blocks. Jordan played 41 minutes and committed just three fouls, which usually is the Hulkamania to his
Sit-Down Splash or
Big Boot. When the Nuggets wanted to hack-a-Jordan, he even hit 4-of-6 free throws for good measure. He has 19 blocks in his last three games, and with rumors abound that the Clippers are in no hurry to bring Kaman back and may even shop him around, he's well worth an add for his upside potential.
The Poster Child, when not preemptively winning the NBA Dunk Contest, could be found last night scoring 22 points with 18 rebounds, seven assists, and a block. It was his 11th straight 20-point, 10-rebound game, a mark last met by a rookie when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it in 1969-70. Him and Kevin Love both extended their double-double streaks to 22 games last night, and the last time two NBA players had such a streak at the same time was in 1976-77. And since I'm in the statistical mood, he is just the fourth rookie in NBA history to have 22 straight dub-dubs, and the first since Elvin Hayes in 1968-69.
So if it felt like you were watching history in the making this season, this just in, you are.
The Rest of the Best
Dwight Howard – 28 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block
John Wall – 18 points, a career-high tying 14 assists, just one turnover
Jrue Holiday – 26 points, four rebounds, nine assists, two steals, one block, 10-of-14 FGs
Lou Williams – 26 points, 7-of-10 FGs, 10-of-11 FTs, two rebounds, three assists, two steals
Kris Humphries – 20 points (season-high), 11 rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block, 10-of-15 FGs
Jose Calderon – 20 points, 8-of-10 FGs, three treys, a season-high 17 assists, three rebounds, two steals
Antawn Jamison –32 points, five treys, four rebounds, two steals, one block.
Manu Ginobili – Career-best 20 points in 4th quarter, 24 points total, eight rebounds, five steals
Kevin Love – 35 points, 11-of-16 FG, three treys, 10-of-11 FTs, 15 rebounds, five assists
Michael Beasley – 28 points, 12 rebounds, two threes, one steal
Monta Ellis – 29 points, five rebounds, four assists, three treys, two steals
Chris Paul – 24 points, six rebounds, 13 assists, one steal, 6-of-12 FGs, 2-of-2 threes
LaMarcus Aldridge – 27 points, 11-of-18 FGs, 13 rebounds, one steal
Joe Johnson – 28 points, 10-of-17 FG, 5-of-7 threes, three rebounds, two assists
Jamal Crawford – 26 points, four threes, six rebounds, four assists, NBA career-leading 31st 4-point play
Carmelo Anthony – 31 points, 12-of-26 FGs, nine rebounds, two assists
Eric Gordon – 28 points, four threes, four rebounds, two assists, one steal
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[SIZE=+1]Injury Ward from Wednesday[/SIZE]
Paul Millsap – Missed Wednesday's game with very sore hip. He's a warrior, but iffy for Friday.
Aaron Brooks – Missed Wednesday's game (ankle), Friday or Saturday return very much in doubt.
Lamar Odom – Banged his funny bone, returned after the next timeout.
Daniel Gibson – Returned from groin injury, left with ankle injury, day-to-day for now
J.R. Smith – Sprained toe, X-rays came back negative, questionable for Thursday
Ty Lawson – Sprained his knee, doesn't look too serious, questionable for Thursday
Jerryd Bayless – Missed Wednesday's game with his ankle injury, questionable for Friday
Anthony Parker – Missed Wednesday's game with a back injury, severity unknown
Josh Howard – Returned from knee injury, couldn't make it through the game.
[SIZE=+1]Back in Black[/SIZE]
If you were bleeding in red ink, here are the walking wounded that returned:
David Lee (back) – 25 minutes, 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, buying low risky, but an option.
Jose Calderon (foot) – Huge game, no reports of aggravation so far, but far from in the clear
Spencer Hawes (back) – Looks like he's right back where he was to start the season. Very droppable.
Al Harrington (thumb) – Had he not hit a meaningless three, he would have shot 0-for-6 from the field.
Nicolas Batum (ankle) – Never really in doubt, fairly normal game for him with 37 minutes of run.
Andris Biedrins (foot) – 13 minutes played, no setbacks reported, hold if you've waited this long.
Kirk Hinrich (thigh) – 13 points, three rebounds, four assists, 26 minutes off bench. Future preview?
Jordan Farmar (knee) – 13 minutes, his two points came on a steal-and-dunk. He belongs on waivers.
[SIZE=+1]Wednesday's Takeaways[/SIZE]
Bucks 87, Magic 97
Bucks Takeaways: Keyon Dooling was held scoreless with two assists. He won't be this bad but is now officially only for the desperate. Andrew Bogut (six points, seven rebounds, two steals, four blocks) withered in Dwight Howard's presence. Corey Maggette scored 21 points with seven rebounds and while his scoring seems like a logical fit for the offensively-challenged Bucks, it seems like Scott Skiles doesn't want to open Pandora's Box of optional defense. Using anybody other than Bogut or Brandon Jennings this year is a complete mess.
Magic Takeaways: Jameer Nelson bounced back with 10 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists, and Stan Van Gundy calls him the heart of the team. Times have been trying with him, but I expect his overall post-trade hit to be smaller than it felt like a few days ago. Gilbert Arenas enjoyed his 29th birthday with perhaps his worst game with the Magic, lasting just 13 minutes before getting yanked. SVG is no pushover, so when Arenas has a lapse, it's going to hurt. Just hang onto him while he learns the ropes -- he's dynamic enough to make a push later in the year.
Wizards 97, Sixers 109
Wizards Takeaways: John Wall may be ready to grab headlines once again after career-high tying 14 assists with just one TO. Rashard Lewis had a nice night with 18 points, 10 rebounds, two threes, a steal, and a block, but will need to keep Josh Howard and Al Thornton at bay like he did last night to keep it up. Both Howard and Thornton played 12 minutes each. JaVale McGee had an off-night with four points, six rebounds, and a block. He's still not immune to those. Nick Young scored another 21 points last night, despite the return of Kirk Hinrich. The Bizarro year continues.
Sixers Takeaways: Jrue Holiday wants to be a top-tier PG. I'm not convinced that he can't be. Spencer Hawes has no real idea what is wrong with his back. Couple that with his inconsistency and you can do better. Andres Nocioni proved to be a valuable fantasy fill-in once again with 10 points, 10 rebounds, and a three. Evan Turner is getting minutes but they're like empty calories. He had just two points and four boards in 27 minutes. It was only a matter of time before Sweet Lou started producing again, as the Sixers need his scoring punch with or without Andre Iguodala in the lineup.
Bulls 94, Nets 96
Bulls Takeaways: The team plane arrived in N.J. at four a.m. early Wednesday, and the Bulls clearly overlooked the Nets here. Admittedly, I was driving the Taj Gibson bandwagon yesterday and got charged with Reckless Driving by many of you I'm sure, as he lasted just 11 minutes and finished with six points, two rebounds, and that's it. If there's going to be a game in which I issue a pass, it will be the one that leaves the entire team's box score decimated with the type of extenuating circumstances that we had here. Carlos Boozer was benched down the stretch for poor defense and wasn't happy about it, but Tom Thibodeau does have some history with moving Luol Deng to PF when he goes small. It's probably not that big of a deal. As for Deng, he had 17 points with eight rebounds last night, and has gone from buy-low to sell-high after regaining his scoring touch. Thibs is running him into the ground right now, playing him more than 40 minutes in 5-of-7 games. Selling him as a bonafide No. 3 option with Joakim Noah out works.
Nets Takeaways: It's still a fantasy wasteland, with Brook Lopez's 14 points, three (yes, three) rebounds, two steals, and two blocks being the second-best line from the starting unit (Devin Harris was No. 1 with 18 points and 11 assists). Derrick Favors was moved into the starting lineup, and if you extrapolate his stats into a 36-minute line he would have had 28 points, 20 rebounds, and four blocks. Of course, he lasted just nine minutes and racked up four fouls. Avery has all-but committed to him in the starting lineup going forward, however, and he should be owned in most leagues as a roster stash. Moving to the bench Kris Humphries went off and owners need to just ride this wherever it goes, and if you can sell-high by all means do it. Sasha Vujacic hit the game-winning shot with 5.3 seconds left, and stayed relevant with 13 points, four rebounds, and three treys, but only deserves consideration in deeper formats.
Raptors 120, Cavs 105
Raptors Takeaways: Andrea Bargnani (25 points, eight rebounds, a steal, a block) has completely ruined Linas Kleiza, who had three points on 1-of-4 FGs in 20 minutes. Regardless of Sonny Weems' (back) status, that type of downside can easily be dropped. Leandro Barbosa is worth a look in many formats as long as the Raps' PGs are so banged up. He scored 22 points on 8-of-17 FGs with two threes, three steals, and a block, and has been playing pretty well all month. There was a Julian Wright sighting, as he had a season-high 15 points with nine rebounds, five assists, and a steal in 31 minutes off the bench. He needs to prove himself a few more times before I raise an eyebrow.
Cavs Takeaways: Byron Scott has used an even-keel approach throughout his entire coaching career, but one has to wonder how he couldn't have seen his team's
laissez-faire attitude coming prior to LeBron's return, and one also has to wonder how different their season may have been had Scott not decided to downplay the importance of the game. They went from playoff hopeful to fishing with Chuck and Ernie in January, and clearly guys don't care not knowing who will be there in a few months. The good news is that their porous defense is leading to high-scoring games, and the fantasy roles are mostly predictable. Daniel Gibson's ankle injury last night keeps Ramon Sessions on the fantasy radar, and he pitched in another 16 points with five boards and six assists. As long as Gibson or Anthony Parker (back) is out, Sessions is worth starting consideration, and if both are out he's very close to a must-start.
J.J. Hickson missed a mandatory practice Monday, and one gets the sense he's fed up. Though sarcasm doesn't always travel well in print, his quote about his 'meeting' with Scott the other day may have come from the "both teams played hard" playbook. "As a young player, it's up to me to be humbled by the whole situation and listen to him," said Hickson. "He played in the league for a long time. Who am I to question his actions?" Coming from a guy that has questioned his actions all season long, I'm not buying it. This isn't ending well.
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Spurs 103, Celtics 105
Spurs Takeaways: DeJuan Blair, who had three solid games in his last four contests heading into last night, dropped an 11-minute, two-point, four-rebound reminder onto his owners that Gregg Popovich does not do fantasy leagues.
Celtics Takeaways: Ray Allen is a machine, hitting 13-of-16 shots from the field to finish with 31 points and six assists, but uncharacteristically missed two key FTs late. Chances are he went to the gym and put up 1,000 of them later that night. Glen Davis scored a season-high 23 points last night but had just two rebounds, giving him three rebounds in his last two games. Coming off a near triple-double, I don't know what his next trick is, but he'll be worth trotting out there as long as KG is out.
Bobcats 108, Wolves 105 (OT)
Bobcats Takeaways: D.J. Augustin has a florescent green light under new coach Paul Silas. After missing 11 of his first 12 shots, Silas encouraged him to keep shooting and he ended up bringing the Bobcats a comeback win with 12 points in the fourth quarter and overtime (including eight in the final 2:08 of regulation). Kwame Brown, while being the butt of jokes nearly every time his name gets brought up, was quietly showing some toughness in his limited action this year. He finally put that toughness to use last night with eight points and a season-high 14 rebounds, though he didn't record a block. With Nazr Mohammed out indefinitely with a knee injury, don't let Brown's reputation stop you from considering him if you need a big man in a pinch. He has a puncher's chance at keeping this up.
Wolves Takeaways: After a period of peace and tranquility in Minnesota this past month, I get the sense that Kurt Rambis wants to rein his guys in. He had a mini-spat with Kevin Love on Monday, stared down Michael Beasley (who ignored him) after he blew the game's final play on Wednesday, and benched struggling Darko Milicic (three points, seven rebounds, three blocks) and a serviceable Luke Ridnour (eight points, four rebounds, four assists) in a tight game for much of the second half only to use them extensively in overtime, instead using Kosta Koufos and Jonny Flynn down the stretch.
Flynn has shown nothing and been on and off the shelf since returning from hip surgery, and may have been getting auditioned for a trade, but with Love possibly interested in bucking an extension to 'play for a winner' and the team giving up more leads than
Wikileaks these days – he should be playing the guys that give him a chance of winning. Letting both guys, particular Milicic who is coming off a handful of injuries, get ice-cold and then asking them to win him a game in overtime sounds like a Rambis head-game. And we know what happens when Rambis starts playing head games. As for Darko, he was outplayed by Kwame Brown last night, in what was the first non-injury related red flag he has shown since his decline. Of course, the thought of Brown having his way with Manna is going to send owners into a tizzy, but hang onto him if you can. If he's still struggling in a week, though, I'll be singing a different tune.
Warriors 110, Hornets 103
Warriors Takeaways: Stephen Curry is almost back to form, and scored 21 points on 6-of-11 shooting with one three, three rebounds, four assists, and four steals in 40 minutes. The buy low window is shut. David Lee's back and elbow injuries don't worry me too much, and he's another buy-low guy to target. Ekpe Udoh's line is hardly impressive (six points, two rebounds, one block, 17 minutes), but he is really turning heads with his play. He's a guy to watch in the second half, especially with Andris Biedrins no lock to stay healthy or effective. Louis Amundson scored seven points with a season-high 12 rebounds, but has been much too inconsistent to be added outside of very deep leagues. Just watch him for now.
Hornets Takeaways: One of the league's most consistent fantasy teams, the only real storyline is Trevor Ariza's recent smattering of productive games. He scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting (including two threes) with 10 rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Maybe somebody knocked him on the head and reminded him that he plays with arguably the league's best PG and to let the game come to him, or it's a fluke. If I have to bet I'm taking the latter.
Blazers 103, Rockets 100
Blazers Takeaways: Andre Miller didn't play bad according to Nate McMillan last night, but Patty Mills played that much better, and either way owners need to keep on top of what appears to be a growing timeshare. I'm not buying it just yet, but you can bet Miller's owners aren't so sure. Miller played 19 minutes and missed a key FT when he was brought in late, after Mills, Rudy Fernandez, and Dante Cunningham all played down the stretch instead of Miller, Wesley Matthews, and Marcus Camby. As it went, the Blazers' bench ended up bringing home the win, too. Nicolas Batum (ankle) played and had a fairly normal line, while Rudy finally showed some signs of life with 12 points, five assists, and two steals. Be ready to move on him if he heats up.
Rockets Takeaways: Kyle Lowry didn't land the knockout blow his owners hoped he would following news of Aaron Brooks' (ankle) setback, scoring just eight points with four rebounds and seven assists. I personally don't think Brooks' situation has changed unless his ankle proves to be an ongoing problem, and then I could see him coming off the bench. Nevertheless, whereas Brooks was a buy-low candidate earlier in the week, this most recent setback makes him hands-off in that regard.
Hawks 110, Jazz 87
Hawks Takeaways: The Hawks appear to be buying into Larry Drew's motion offense, and Joe Johnson's isolation play is actually working within its framework. The result? They blew out the Jazz, who didn't have Paul Millsap, but it may not have mattered if they did. Jamal Crawford always picks up the slack when a key teammate goes out, in this case Marvin Williams (back), so expect his numbers to come back a little bit when Williams returns.
Jazz Takeaways: Andrei Kirilenko (back) put up a familiar good line with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting (3-of-3 from deep) with six rebounds, one steal, and three blocks in 29 minutes. It's too soon now, but if he can keep this up owners will want to think long and hard about moving him while he's healthy. Back injuries are tenuous, especially his, and he will walk out of any non-playoff game or take time off if he feels the slightest twinge.
Nuggets 93, Clippers 106
Nuggets Takeaways: Guys are playing hard, but there is no camaraderie among them with Melo on his way out, who of course is jacking up shots left and right with no conscience. It wouldn't be surprising to see the team struggle until the trade finally goes down. Keep an eye on the trade winds and try to beat the news to the punch. If a guy like Chauncey Billups (for example) gets moved to a less favorable situation, you may have an opportunity to move him beforehand if you read the tea leaves correctly.
Clippers Takeaways: Baron Davis appears to be getting on track, which of course is your signal to start up those trade engines. Chris Kaman (ankle) could be back anytime in the next two weeks, but don't be surprised if DeAndre Jordan's strong play causes the Clippers to be extra careful in his return. It doesn't hurt that he already cost himself a month by jumping the gun.
Lakers 99, Suns 95
Lakers Takeaways: Another easy-to-gauge fantasy squad, the assimilation of Andrew Bynum is going along as expected. He scored 14 points with seven rebounds and two blocks last night while dealing with some foul trouble, but is producing enough to be used while he gets back up to speed. Lamar Odom is mixing good lines with some mediocre ones, but the fall-off is not going to be like last year's. Pau Gasol got caught up in small-ball last night but played fairly well, with a pedestrian six points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks. Well, pedestrian by his standards, and owners concerned about his slowdown should not worry about this one.
Suns Takeaways: Raymond Felton said it best when he said maybe folks should be wondering how Steve Nash would be doing without Amare Stoudemire, and not vice-versa. And it's not really Nash's play that's a concern, it's that this team looks nothing like last year's Western Conference finalists. Against the Lakers' big lineup, the Suns started both Robin Lopez, who is mostly useless now, and Marcin Gortat. Gortat continued to show promise with 12 points, nine boards, a steal, and a block, and should be owned in most (if not all) leagues. Jared Dudley had 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting with six rebounds and three treys, but is way too inconsistent to fully trust those numbers. Just watch him for now. Mickael Pietrus, whose move to the starting lineup has not lived up to the hype, saw just 15 minutes off the bench on his way to eight points and not much else. With the Suns in disarray, owners should count on Nash playing just under 30 mpg, and both Vince Carter and Marcin Gortat getting starter's minutes. Expect Alvin Gentry to tinker everywhere else until they can turn things around.
[SIZE=+1]Thursday Night Lights[/SIZE]
The Thunder head into Dallas and the big question is whether or not the Big Germ will play. Jeff Green is slumping, James Harden is humming, and we're all waiting for DeShawn Stevenson to turn into a pumpkin. I'm guessing he has one more game in him.
In the late game the Nuggets limp into Sacramento, who has suddenly found life with their young core getting their minds and bodies right. Tyreke Evans appears to have some of his quickness back, and things are going so well with DeMarcus Cousins that Samuel Dalembert's agent flew in to talk trade. Omri Casspi has a couple double-doubles under his belt so it will be interesting to see if he can keep it up.
