Fantasy Related but good info....
Not hang time, but hang nail
A sick three-year-old kept me up all night and I wrote this from 4 to 5 a.m. Hopefully you can't tell.
Miami Handles Washington
www.miamiheat.ws
The Heat beat the Wizards in Miami on Monday, keeping the Wiz winless on the road. No, this was not a glorious win for the Heat, but it was a win. If you're interested in all the latest drama, you should really read this column by Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski. He says it's not coach Erik Spoelstra who is scared, but instead LeBron James.
Anywho, I can't wait to see the Heat play at Cleveland on Thursday. Make sure you don't have anything planned for that night, and if you do, get out of it.
Dwyane Wade caught fire in the second half, scoring 22 of his 26 points and finishing with eight rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block on 8-of-17 shooting. The shooting was much better, finally, but he was limited in the first half by a, wait for it…hang nail. I'll let you insert your own joke here, but I guess when an NBA scout once told me that a bee sting would keep Wade out for a couple days, he wasn't kidding.
LeBron had 30 and a full stat line, including seven TOs, while Chris Bosh added 20 points and seven boards, but hit just 5-of-15 shots and didn't have a block.
John Wall was a no show due to a bruised knee and his missed-game trend is not very much fun. Hopefully this is the last one he misses, but it seems like it might take a miracle for that to be the case. He remains day-to-day.
Gilbert Arenas was nice again with 23 points, five boards and seven dimes, while Andray Blatche blew up for 26 points, nine boards, a steal and a block. JaVale McGee played through a back injury and had 10 points, 10 boards and two blocks. I'm not very happy about Flip Saunders bringing him off the bench, as it unnecessarily scared some of us, including me, away from putting him in lineups this week. And now that Hilton Armstrong was ejected for a flagrant, and is facing a one-game suspension, McGee is likely to see even more minutes this week. McGee entered the game very early, so why he wasn't starting just makes no sense. They've also done this in the past with Wall, as well.
Hornets Fall At OKC
Chris Paul had 17 points, 14 assists and five steals, while Russell Westbrook hit 9-of-19 shots and two 3-pointers for 25 points, five boards, 11 assists and five steals, but also committed eight turnovers. It was another classic battle between two great point guards, and Westbrook and the Thunder came out on top. Marcus Thornton didn't get off the bench for the Hornets a night after playing 20 minutes and scoring 11 points. I wouldn't really care, except that I foolishly put him in my 30-team lineup. He had actually played in three straight games, although the minutes were 20, 10 and 12. David West played a fine game, but left late after being poked in the eye. The injury didn't look serious, but then again, I'm not a real doctor.
Kevin Durant's slow start continued as he hit just 7-of-22 shots and missed all five of his 3-point tries. He did have 26 points, 11 boards, a steal and a couple blocks, but he is proving to be a slow starter. Those of you who traded him about this time last year remember the pain that resulted, so if you own him, just be patient. It's coming.
Serge Ibaka was back to the bench with the return of Nenad Krstic, but the good news is he avoided a Flagrant 2 and ejection after officials reviewed his elbow toward Chris Paul's face. Ibaka, who failed to score but had 11 rebounds and three blocks, is going to be one of those guys who bounces all over the waiver wire from team to team this year, offering some value and frustration in each place he lands.
Jeff Green hit just 4-of-14 shots but finished with 13 points, seven boards, three 3-pointers and a block. Owners should just be thankful he's gutting it out through his ankle problem. Thabo Sefolosha has actually scored in double figures in four of his last six games and could be worth a look in many leagues. He's rebounding and stealing the ball pretty well and should start all season.
Rockets Fall To Mavs
Kyle Lowry and Shane Battier, in many lineups due to their hot play and four games this week, both had off nights for Houston. Kevin Martin scored 17 points, but hit just 4-of-15 shots on the night, while Luis Scola had just five rebounds. All of these guys should play better in their next game. Brad Miller was back in the rotation and finished with 11 points, six boards, five assists, a steal, a 3-pointer and two blocks, and if you can figure out when he's going to play and produce, please let me know. He's that guy that's put up huge numbers on your bench and laid eggs in your lineup.
For the Mavs, Dirk Nowitzki went 20-10, Jason Kidd scored eight points and had 11 assists, and Caron Butler scored 19 points in the win. Oddly, a red-hot Tyson Chandler struggled with five points and eight boards, while Brendan Haywood returned from his suspension for six points, nine boards and two blocks. Jason Terry had an off night, hitting just 2-of-7 shots for six points, while Shawn Marion stayed hot with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Marion sure looks like a guy to pick up right now, but I'm just scared the production will stop once you do it. He's scored in double figures in five of his last six games, two of which were double-doubles with rebounds, and is shooting it very well.
Bucks Lose At Utah
Brandon Jennings had 27 points, four threes and just four assists, while Ersan Ilyasova stayed hot with 18 points, six boards, two 3-pointers and three steals. But keep in mind the Bucks were once again without Andrew Bogut (back), Drew Gooden (ankle), Carlos Delfino (head) and Corey Maggette (flu), which helped EI. He's scored between 14 and 18 in his last three and deserves a look. I just think his production comes to a grinding halt if and when the Bucks get healthy. Chris Douglas-Roberts is back from an eye injury and had 19 points and three 3-pointers, but you have to think he's going to disappear as well. And like most Bucks, John Salmons is an impossible player to figure out and hit just 1-of-11 shots last night. He appears to be almost more trouble than he's worth.
The Jazz got nice lines out of Deron Williams, Al Jefferson and Andrei Kirilenko, while Paul Millsap (8 points, 9 rebounds) and C.J. Miles (6 points, 2-of-9 shooting) struggled. Miles has been inconsistent, but should have a couple good games this week, while we know Millsap will be just fine.
[SIZE=+1]
News and Notes From Monday[/SIZE]
Two New Starters For Tuesday
What we thought might happen became official on Monday afternoon, as Sacramento's Carl Landry and Portland's Nicolas Batum were demoted to the bench, with Jason Thompson and Wesley Matthews being named as starters. I can't tell you the number of email/Twitter questions this raised with fantasy owners, but my in box was flooded. The main one being: 'Would you rather own Thompson, Matthews or Amir Johnson going forward?'
My answer is that we know Thompson can play and he's going to block shots and rebound, while Amir is still unproven (and not starting). We've also seen what Matthews can do when the minutes are there, and he's an excellent pick up as well. So I'd say it's a toss up between Thompson and Matthews, depending on your needs, and then Johnson. If you can still get JT or WM in your league, do it. Johnson is also worth having if you can't get those two.
As for Landry and Batum? It all depends on the size of your league. Many folks think Batum is worth keeping around, and he might be. But he'd scored just seven total points in his last two games, hitting 2-of-11 shots, and Nate McMillan decided it was time for a change. I'm a very impatient owner, so in most situations, I would cut Batum. With Landry, who knows how soon Paul Westphal will change his mind again, but if Landry's not getting much run in the next two games, you're probably going to have to look elsewhere for it.
More Sacto In The News
Not only did Landry get benched for Thompson, but DeMarcus Cousins got kicked out of practice for getting into it with Westphal, Tyreke Evans missed practice with the flu, Francisco Garcia returned to practice from the flu, and they sent rookie Hassan Whiteside to the D-League. Other than that, a quiet day in Sacramento. We'll get a look at the new lineup when they host the Pacers tonight.
Many Happy Returns
Carlos Boozer practiced today and is targeting Wednesday for his Bulls debut. I'd be shocked if it doesn't happen.
Andrew Bynum went 4-on-4 in Lakers practice Monday and looked fantastic. He's ahead of schedule and is hoping to play around Dec. 8. If you need a center and he's out there, it's time to move on him.
Oops
Shaquille O'Neal got his times confused and missed Monday's practice, but won't be disciplined and was on the plane to Cleveland. I wonder what would have happened if the Celtics had someone else to play center, but Doc Rivers said Shaq's never had a history of tardiness so they're going to let this one slide. He also said he has no timetable on the return of Jermaine O'Neal, while Rajon Rondo's hammy is fine, but his feet are still bothered by plantar fasciitis.
Quick Hits
Vince Carter's knee appears to be improving and it doesn't sound like his minutes are going to be chopped, as earlier rumors suggested. He's still a game-time decision for Tuesday, but my guess is he's going to try against the Pistons.
Jonny Flynn expects to spend a game or two in the D-League this weekend as he works his way back to the Wolves from hip surgery.
Gerald Wallace practiced for the Bobcats on Monday and sounds good to go Wednesday despite his elbow injury. D.J. Augustin missed the practice with the flu, but will hopefully be feeling better by then.
Mike Miller - G/F - Heat </TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Mike Miller (thumb) still hopes to play in Miami's game on Christmas Day, but he's more likely to return in January.</TD></TR><TR><TD>
