Fantasy related but good info.....
Odom's Shoulder A Concern
Thursday was one of the slowest days in the NBA I can remember, which was actually a nice change. TNT's two-game bonanza last night was rivaled only by the Middle Tennessee vs. Miami of Ohio football game on the World Wide Leader. In other words, you picked a good night to go out and do something fun instead of sitting around and watching sports last night. In any case, here are a few things to chew on as we prepare for an 11-game night in the Association on Friday.
Shouldering the Load
Lamar Odom's left shoulder injury didn't sound too bad at first, but I think it's possibly a much bigger deal than anyone's making it out to be. In fact, I probably need to write a new blurb about him as well. First of all, it's his shooting shoulder, as he's a lefty. Secondly, coach Phil Jackson described the injury as "a problematic kind of thing that's going to be affecting him for a while" and may affect his shot. And when you add in this quote from Odom, owners simply have to be concerned. "I'll have to play right-handed," Odom said. "That will be kind of crazy. I don't know how I'll pull that one off. But we'll have to try." Feel free to run him out there tonight if you're feeling lucky, but this could be a lingering injury that really impacts his offensive game. See how things go tonight and then act accordingly.
Where's Boozer?
Carlos Boozer was benched for the entire fourth quarter of Wednesday's loss to the Nets (yes, the Nets) and Tom Thibodeau said it was because he wanted to run a small lineup, using Luol Deng at power forward. This just looks like a terrible coaching decision by Thibodeau and it's hard to imagine Boozer getting yanked again tonight against the Sixers. Owners have to hope that Boozer reacts well to the benching and that he and Thibodeau are able to move forward after Wednesday's disaster. And the fact the Bulls lost a game they clearly should have won should definitely work in Boozer's favor. Keep your fingers crossed that order is restored tonight.
Point Guard Battles
There are several position battles going on within teams, many of which are for the point guard job. Here's a look at some of them.
Patrick Mills vs. Andre Miller
Mills played most of the fourth quarter on Wednesday while Miller sat and watched the Blazers pull off a 13-point comeback win over the Rockets. Mills is worth keeping an eye on, as usual, but the job still belongs to Miller. Miller's numbers have been down and he's played less than 30 minutes in four of his last five games, but he's still the guy to own here, until further notice.
Rodney Stuckey vs. Tracy McGrady
Stuckey will reclaim his starting job on Saturday, which is a relief for his owners. He was slowed by the flu, but should be ready to resume his starting duties, and will hopefully start producing again. If you grabbed T-Mac, you may as well hang onto him and see if he can continue to play well in 30 minutes a night on his bad legs. The Pistons actually look better when he's running the offense, and as long as he can stay healthy, he should continue to put up solid fantasy lines for the Pistons.
Kyle Lowry vs. Aaron Brooks
Brooks is hurt again and while Lowry wasn't great in his last game, he could continue to keep the starting point guard duties for the foreseeable future. If Lowry's available in your league, grab him. And if you own Brooks, just keep him benched until further notice.
Boobie Down
Daniel Gibson, also known as Boobie, which is still just awesome, went down with a sprained ankle that will keep him out at least five games. That's a fairly severe injury and with Anthony Parker also hurting with a back injury, Ramon Sessions should be a nice pick-and-play right now if he's available in your league. Anderson Varejao tweaked his ankle in yesterday's practice and sounds like a game-time decision for tonight against the Warriors. He's been really banged up, so keep an eye on this one.
Hansbrough On Deck
Tyler Hansbrough appears to be your new starting power forward in Indy, which should ruin Josh McRoberts. I have no idea if Hansbrough is going to be worth grabbing or not, but my guess is he will be inconsistent with his fair share of double-doubles. If you've got someone at the end of your bench you've been wanting to drop, grabbing Hansbrough probably makes sense. Just don't stick him in your lineup until we see how tonight goes against the Spurs. As for this whole "small ball" thing Jim O'Brien is talking about, I doubt putting Brandon Rush at power forward is going to somehow make him more consistent or valuable than he already is. I also don't think you'll see much of a change with Danny Granger, while I do think Darren Collison is about to start playing better. And yes, I'm expecting the worst with Roy Hibbert, which depresses me to the point I don't even really want to talk or think about it. He should be on benches this week with just two games, and we should have a better idea of what to do with him after tonight and Saturday's game at Atlanta.
Fine By Me
Tony Allen was fined for going Rocky Balboa on O.J. Mayo, but Mayo wasn't fined. That seems really odd to me, but it also sounds like all the punches were coming from Allen's fists and landing on Mayo's face. I'm also surprised that David Stern hasn't outlawed gambling on team flights for all teams after the Gilbert Arenas meltdown last year, and Allen's this week. As for Allen, he has 17 steals in his last five games and might be worth grabbing if he starts again tonight. He's started in his last two games and could stay there in place of rookie Xavier Henry.
Nuggets Implosion
The Nuggets were a disaster again last night getting worked over by the Kings, and they were also pummelled by the Clippers a night earlier. Carmelo Anthony's trade issues are wearing on the team and it looks like they've given up. Nene, Chauncey Billups and Melo are still worth starting, without a doubt, but this team is a mess. And things could get even worse until Melo is finally moved. Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins are rolling for the Kings, but Cousins has blocked just two shots in his last seven games. Evans tweaked an ankle last night, but played through it and will hopefully be good to go again on Sunday at Toronto.
Missing Dirk
The Mavericks are reeling without Dirk Nowitzki, going just 2-4 in their last six games, which is how many Dirk has missed with his knee injury. Caron Butler is done for the season, as both DeShawn Stevenson and Jose Juan Barea have been picking up his slack. Stevenson has hit 15 threes in his last four games, making him worth a look in most leagues, while JJB has gone for 14, 10, 4 and 29 points in his last four. My guess is Dirk misses Saturday's game, then will take advantage of several days off in hopes of returning Wednesday at Indiana. Shawn Marion, who had a season-high 25 points last night, should continue to play well even when Dirk returns, as he should get plenty of run in place of Butler. The Mavs fell to the Thunder last night and their last two wins were against the Cavaliers and Blazers, which were not exactly breathtaking wins.
Anderson Varejao - F/C - Cavaliers </TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Anderson Varejao strained his right ankle during Thursday’s practice and is questionable for Friday's game against the Warriors.</TD></TR><TR><TD>
