Fantasy Related but good info
LeBron's Big Bump
I haven't gone team-by-team notes in a while, so here goes. Sorry, it's a little long.
Atlanta - The five-game week was a pretty productive one, as Josh Smith capped it off with a triple-double, Al Horford and Marvin Williams finished up strong, Mike Bibby was as productive as could be expected, while Joe Johnson is still looking for his shot. I don't know what Joe's deal is, but the new offense coach Larry Drew has thrown together doesn't seem to be working for him. Am I worried? A little, but I'm still recommending owners of JJ just ride it out. He will get this turned around. The Hawks play three this week, making all but Josh and Horford iffy plays in some leagues. I don't think Bibby's worth holding now that the five-gamer is in the rear-view mirror, but Marvin is coming on and deserves a look.
Boston - Shaquille O'Neal and Kevin Garnett have turned back the clock and are rolling right now. Shaq is actually a solid pickup if you need a center. Rajon Rondo's hamstring is a bit of a problem, but he's expected to play through it. As for when we'll see Jermaine O'Neal again? Probably not until Shaq goes down and he's forced into action.
Charlotte- Gerald Wallace's elbow injury, thankfully, doesn't sound too bad. He's listed as day-to-day and they're off until Wednesday, so I'd probably go ahead and start him this week if I owned him. Nazr Mohammed is still the team's starting center, Boris Diaw and Tyrus Thomas are taking turns putting up big numbers at power forward, and D.J. Augustin remains an underrated fantasy point guard. Captain Jack got ejected early on Saturday, while Shaun Livingston got hot and scored 16 points. Just keep an eye on him.
Chicago- Carlos Boozer will practice Monday and should be back in action this week. Go ahead and plan on saying goodbye to Taj Gibson, and get ready for the great Boozer - Joakim Noah experiment to begin. I can't wait to see how the two of them mesh on the court together, as well as see what happens with Noah's rebounding numbers. Derrick Rose played very well on Saturday despite a neck injury and will hopefully be good to go the rest of the way.
Cleveland- Just after most of us finally gave up and cut him, J.J. Hickson looked a little better on Saturday with 16 points. But he still managed just five rebounds and a block, so don't sweat it too much. If you still have him, you might as well hang on and see how this week goes. Daniel Gibson appears to still be struggling with a shoulder injury. Mo Williams is hot, but there's not a whole lot to love about what's happening in Cleveland right now. They are 7-9, but did beat the Grizz on Saturday.
Dallas - Dirk Nowitzki is quietly having another great season and is ranked 10th on Basketballmonster.com. We're still awaiting the return of Roddy Beaubois, while Shawn Marion is suddenly showing some signs of life off the bench for the Mavs. Tyson Chandler had a big week, racking up points and boards, while Brendan Haywood got suspended for getting into it with his coach at practice. Haywood has no value, but Marion is worth a look in deeper leagues. Jason Kidd is still kicking along, but has been pretty frustrating to own, as usual. Kidd's assists are up from last season, at 9.5 per game, but his FG%, scoring, rebounds and 3-pointers are all down. Eight points per game is tough to swallow from your No. 1 point guard.
Denver - Carmelo Anthony left Sunday's game after just two minutes due to the flu, but is expected to play in his next one, which isn't until Wednesday. J.R. Smith picked up the slack, exploding for 30 points, eight rebounds, six 3-pointers and two steals, and is worth a look after sleeping in a dog house over the first five weeks of the season. George Karl said recently that Smith has been a model citizen in practice recently and rewarded him last night. Of course, Smith is about as trustworthy as a dude asking you for money at the gas station, but the potential is always there. Just hope he can stay out of the doghouse for a couple weeks and see what happens.
Chauncey Billups returned from a two-game absence with a broken nose and wrist injury, but looked very good in Sunday's win over Phoenix. Get him back in your lineup. Ty Lawson had 15 points and seven dimes despite Billups' return, making him worth a watchful eye, while good ol' Gary Forbes (and Arron Afflalo) came through with 15 points. You know who didn't come through? Al Harrington. Despite no Melo, Harrington scored just seven points in 22 minutes, and has scored 7, 5 and 3 points in three of his last four games. It makes no sense to me, especially on a night without Anthony, but I guess Smith just got hot. Hang onto Harrington and see what happens.
Kenyon Martin is working his way back from knee surgery and there is some hype building out there that he's going to come back bigger, stronger and faster, but I'm not really buying it. He's old and playing for a contract can only do so much for old bones. But it sounds like he could be back by the end of December.
Detroit - The Pistons lost to the Knicks in double-overtime on Sunday and are a fantasy wasteland, for the most part. Rodney Stuckey had 29 points and just two assists, but is the most reliable Piston this year. Tayshaun Prince blew up for 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and has surprisingly scored in double digits in all but two games this year. Prince, Richard Hamilton and Charlie Villanueva are all worth a look in fantasy right now, as is Ben Gordon. However, Gordon scored just three points in 29 minutes yesterday, which makes no sense. John Kuester won't play Austin Daye or Greg Monroe much right now, but at some point Joe Dumars is going to have to tell him to forget about this year and start developing the kids. Right? Oh, and speaking of kids, Tracy McGrady came back from sore legs and had 13 points and six rebounds in nearly 29 minutes. Feel free to grab him, but I still wouldn't touch him in most formats.
Golden State - Stephen Curry hasn't blown anyone's socks off this season, but has been quietly great. Believe it or not, he's the No. 8 ranked player at Basketballmonster.com, just in front of Deron Williams. It's the fact he doesn't hurt you anywhere, hits threes and steals the ball that makes him so tough. Just wait until he actually gets it going. Andris Biedrins backed up Friday's monster line of 28 points and 21 rebounds with just two points and 12 rebounds on Saturday, which is the reason he was on so many benches when he put up his line of the year. Dorell Wright scored 30 points and hit nine (yes, nine) 3-pointers on Saturday and should still be owned in all leagues. Nice work if you happened to have both Biedrins and Wright in a fantasy lineup.
Houston - Shane Battier's a hot pick up right now, which I fully support. He hit 7-of-11 shots and four 3-pointers for a season-high 18 points on Sunday, and has been racking up solid stats all season. His FG% has been awful, but most of the damage was done in a handful of off nights. The blocks, steals, threes and boards are there, and if Sunday was a sign of him heating up, good things could be coming for Battier, who has four games this week. No Yao Ming or Aaron Brooks this week, so keep running Kyle Lowry out there until further notice. Lowry has been a pretty sweet waiver-wire claim thus far, as one glance at his game log will tell you. Chuck Hayes, Brad Miller and Jordan Hill have been manning the middle in Yao's place, but it's impossible to figure out who is going to come through each night. Over the last 10 days it's been Hayes, but he was the worst of the bunch on Sunday.
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Indiana - Brandon Rush started over Mike Dunleavy on Sunday, presumably to play defense on Kobe Bryant, which must have worked because the Pacers actually won at L.A. And that never happens, or at least it hadn't since February of 1999, before the Staples Center was even open. Yeah, Rush's defense on Kobe was suspect with Kobe going for 41, but you can bet that Rush and Dunleavy are in a full-blown timeshare after this one. Neither player was great last night, but both are probably worth owning in most leagues. Roy Hibbert was solid again with 24 points and 12 boards, but didn't block a shot. In fact, he's only blocked three shots in his last four games, which isn't fun if you own him. The blocks are coming though, so just hang in there. The Pacers don't have any injuries to report as of now.
Clippers - Blake Griffin beasted his way to 35 points and 14 boards again on Sunday and is out of control. For those of you who own him in points leagues, I'm guessing it's a pretty fun experience. He even hit 9-of-12 free throws and he's only going to get better. As Matt Stroup tweeted this morning, Griffin is averaging close to 30 points, 14 boards, five assists and a block per game over his last five. Eric Bledsoe played through a sprained ankle and will continue to start until further notice. Still no timetable on when we'll see Mr. Baron Davis again, and he's not a lock to start if he ever does decide to come back to work. Bledsoe's value isn't great though and he can be dropped if you have another pick up in mind. Chris Kaman is nearing a return, but suffered a setback with his ankle. He's hoping to play some time this week.
Lakers - The Lakers are cruising along, despite Sunday's bump in the road loss to Indy, when Kobe Bryant scored 41 points but couldn't hit the game-tying three late. Andrew Bynum is still about three weeks away from a return, and Ron Artest is still inconsistent. He was
awful on Sunday and I honestly don't know how those of you who own him can do it. The good games are fun, but they only happen every so often and the rest of the ride is brutal.
Memphis - O.J. Mayo seems to be doing OK off the bench, but there's not ever much to report fantasy-wise from Memphis.
Miami - Tracy McGrady recently called LeBron James and Dwyane Wade a "terrible" pairing because they play the same game. Hmmm. He could be onto something here. LeBron's now famous 'bump' into his coach is making it's way around the web and suddenly the Heat players, LeBron included, are starting to wonder aloud if Erik Spoelstra's the right coach for their team (click on that link if you haven't seen it…trust me). Shocking. Simply shocking. Oh the drama. The Heat trudge into Cleveland on Thursday night and you can bet the world will be watching. I could go on for another hour here, but I am pretty sure the rest of the hoops media world has got you covered. And it's only going to get worse. The Heat are just 9-8 and have lost four of their last five. At least Dwyane Wade is starting to look healthy again.
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Milwaukee - Andrew Bogut's arm was the thing I was really worried about this season, but his back has kept him out of three straight games and he didn't fly to Utah for tonight's contest. They're saying it's spasms, but four games is quite a bit of missed time and I'd get him benched until he plays again. As for the rest of the team? Brandon Jennings has been hot or cold lately, but is a must-start, while the rest of them are pretty much a cluster you-know-what. I don't trust anyone in a Bucks uniform right now. As for Carlos Delfino and his head injury, it sounds like he's at least another week away, while the once hot Bucks had lost five straight before beating Charlotte on Saturday. I'd like to tell you Larry Sanders, who started on Saturday and had 10 points, is a great young player to keep an eye on, but unfortunately he plays for the Bucks. Drew Gooden and Corey Maggette were out with foot injuries, which forced Sanders into the starting five.
Minnesota- Kevin Love had a big week, Darko Milicic was solid again and Luke Ridnour returned, but the Wolves have lost four straight games. Jonny Flynn will be back at some point from hip surgery, but still isn't ready. Love, Michael Beasley and Darko are pretty much automatic starts until further notice.
New Jersey - Troy Murphy played 10 minutes and had four points a day after directly disputing coach Avery Johnson, and saying he was in great shape. Johnson has also banished Terrence Williams to the D-League and our man Brook Lopez had a whopping four rebounds in a win over the Blazers. How can a man as big and talented as Lopez not have a single double-double this season? How? Hell, Landry Fields – yes – Landry Fields has five of them and has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in three straight games. Lopez grabbed 10 boards in one game this year and, of course, it was the one where he scored seven points. Whatever. If the Nets want to land some big-named free agents they better find a way to make Johnson lose the dictatorship attitude and start being cool with people, but I don't think he has it in him. If you're still holding Murphy and T-Will feel free to, but you're probably in for a long and painful journey.
New Orleans - The Hornets have suddenly dropped three of their last four games, but at least Trevor Ariza is playing better. He's hit 22 of his last 50 shots over five games, which is marked improvement. I'm running him out there for four games this week. Marcus Thornton played 20 minutes on Sunday and had 11 points. No need to rush out and pick him up or put him into your lineup, but this is at least a place to start with him. Let's see what Monty Williams does with him in the next one.
New York - As I said, Landry Fields has 10 or more boards in three straight and five double-doubles on the year. Pick him up. Toney Douglas was out Sunday, but should be back from a thigh injury on Tuesday, while Ronny Turiaf remains iffy with a knee injury. That's still, of course, not enough to force Anthony Randolph into serious action, and you're much stronger than I am if you're still hanging on there. Raymond Felton is having a dream season, which shouldn't come as a surprise given the coach he plays for, while Danilo Gallinari's inconsistent campaign carries on. Oh, and Amare Stoudemire blew up for 37 points, 15 boards and seven assists in Sunday's double-OT win, and even blocked a shot.
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Oklahoma City - Jeff Green, thankfully, fought through his ankle problem on Sunday and played pretty well. Hopefully that will not be an issue for much longer. Serge Ibaka, just after being dropped in many leagues, started for injured Nenad Krstic last night and scored 12 points in the first quarter. He finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, but I will only feel bad for cutting him if he plays 30 minutes off the bench once Krstic is back. And that wasn't happening before, so it may not happen again. Oh, and Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are good basketball players.
Orlando - Vince Carter has now missed three straight games with a knee injury and J.J. Redick has looked fantastic in his absence. Carter remains day-to-day, and is obviously a risky start this week. Unfortunately, I doubt we know his status until Tuesday just before game time. You have to wonder if the Magic, in an effort to limit Vince's minutes, decides to bring him off the bench and let Redick keep starting. If it happens, Redick will be a hot pick up. Quentin Richardson scored a season-high 20 points on Saturday, but it feels like a fluke.
Philadelphia - Jodie Meeks had a big game for the Sixers on Friday and then crawled back under his rock on Saturday. The Sixers play three games this week, but I'm going to sit Elton Brand in a couple leagues. He double-doubled on Saturday but that was his first one since Nov. 16 and I think I have better options. Andre Iguodala, who might be asking for a trade out of Philly, and Jrue Holiday are must-starts, as usual, while Lou Williams, like Brand, is on the bubble as a fantasy starter in most leagues.
Phoenix - Hakim Warrick is now the starting power forward and should be picked up in many leagues. Hedo Turkoglu is coming off the bench and scored 13 points, but didn't do much else. I'd still probably hang onto Turk, but it depends on your league and who else is available. He's been pretty awful. Warrick had eight points and nine boards after hitting double figures in his previous five games. But the nine boards were his high for the month and he should score on most nights. Jason Richardson scored 39 and hit seven treys, while Steve Nash double-doubled and Josh Childress came off the bench for 15 points and five rebounds. It's about time, Josh. Keep an eye on him.
Portland - Brandon Roy is playing through his knee injury but will be iffy for back-to-backs. They play Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, Thursday and Friday of next week, and follow that up with a Sunday-Monday combo on Dec. 12 & 13. All of that makes Roy pretty dicey in weekly leagues, although it hasn't been confirmed that he won't play both nights in a back-to-back. It just sounds like a decent possibility. And if you're counting at home, the Blazers also go back-to-back on Dec. 17 & 18, as well as Dec. 27 & 28.
Wesley Matthews managed 25 points and five 3-pointers off the bench, but started the second half over Nicolas Batum, which is big news. If Nate McMillan decides to make that move permanent, Batum should be dropped for Matthews. He was a hot pickup when Roy went down, but doesn't offer as much value with Roy playing, and could have been dropped again. But if he's going to start, it's all good with Matthews. He had just four points in his previous game, but has played very well in five of his last six – four of which were starts for Roy. As for Batum, the super-sleeper role isn't working out. Joel Przybilla's debut has been delayed due to the flu so look for the boards/blocks specialist later this week.
Sacramento - Tyreke Evans bounced back on Saturday, easing fears of his owners, while Jason Thompson got a start over Carl Landry and blew up for 18 points and nine boards, while Landry played just eight minutes off the bench. Landry was penalized for missing shootaround, which gave his coach a reminder of just how good Thompson can be. Who knows what lineup move Westphal will try next, but don't be surprised if he gives Landry a try off the bench. Donte Greene is still starting at SF and finally broke out with 13 points, seven boards, two 3-pointers, two steals and two blocks, which is what we told you he would do if he gets minutes. Let's see if Westphal sticks with him or not. Beno Udrih is still struggling off the bench, while Samuel Dalembert's roller coaster ride continues. He had 12 points, six boards and five blocks on Saturday night.
San Antonio - Richard Jefferson and George Hill can be picked up off waivers for the Spurs, while Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker keep plugging along for the League's BEST team. That's right, the Spurs are 14-2.
Toronto - Joey Dorsey started at power forward on Sunday, while Amir Johnson and Linas Kleiza came off the bench, and Peja Stojakovic sat out with a swollen left knee. Dorsey, Johnson and Kleiza all played around 20 minutes and were all quietly average in a bad loss to the Hawks. I still think Amir is the guy to own here. He's the one they're paying, he's the true power forward and he's the future. Now we just have to remind Jay Triano of that. Reggie Evans foot injury is expected to keep him out at least a month. Oh, and just when you were getting ready to believe that Jose Calderon could do no wrong, he goes 1-for-7 with three points and five assists. Against Mike Bibby of all people. Tough guy to figure out, but he'll bounce back in the next one.
Utah - C.J. Miles has been inconsistent but was back on track Sunday with 16 points and a packed stat sheet. Not a must-own player, but should help your fantasy team on most nights. Mehmet Okur is nearing a return for the Jazz, but there's still no target date and he's likely coming off the bench. I'm not expecting him to be much more than a 3-point specialist, although he could hurt the value of Miles and Andrei Kirilenko.
Washington - John Wall was out again on Saturday, this time with a knee injury. He's now missed five of 16 games in his short career, but the good news is that his foot should be fully healed when he comes back. The bad news is that he wasn't able to practice on Sunday and is apparently dealing with a pair of bruised knees, not just the right one. The fact he missed practice is a concern and he's quickly gone from the Rookie of the Year to the Fantasy Headache of the Month. He's very questionable for Monday's game at Miami, so check back for updates throughout the day on that one. JaVale McGee has been hot and should be owned in all leagues, although he cooled off in his last couple. Nick Young has scored 18 or more in six of his last seven games and should stay hot with Wall iffy. And speaking of hot, Gilbert Arenas has scored between 17 and 31 points in his last five games, while racking up assists and turnovers. He's a much better option when Wall's not playing, obviously, but looks like he could have a pretty big season if he can stay healthy. We'll see.
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