Fantasy Related But Good Info...
Shut 'Em Down
Shut 'Em Down
One of my favorite Public Enemy songs is also a very fitting way to kick off a Tyreke Evans paragraph. First news broke on Twitter that Doc, Tyreke's brother, said he was shutting it down for "a while" due to his plantar fasciitis. Then Jason Jones, beat writer for the Kings, hopped on board and verified through the team that it was true. Evans will not travel with the team on its upcoming three-game road trip, but could possibly be ready to play again on Sunday. Get Evans on your bench, hope that he comes back in a more healthy form and starts playing like the guy you thought you were drafting.
As for who steps up in his absence? My guess is Francisco Garcia, but it could be Pooh Jeter, Luther Head, Donte Greene or even Omri Casspi. I'm picking up Garcia and running him out there for four games. We'll see what happens.
Welcome Back?
Andrew Bynum
should practice today and
should play on Tuesday, but we'll have to see what Phil Jackson decides. I would not be brave enough to put Bynum in my starting lineup this week, but the good news is they want to keep his knee warm out of pregame warmups, meaning he'll start when he plays.
Robin Lopez practiced for the Suns on Sunday and it sounds like he'll play on Wednesday. My guess is the starting lineup will be Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, Channing Frye and Lopez. Just keep in mind that RoLo wasn't exactly tearing it up before going down with a knee injury and is by no means a must-start player right away. In fact, I'm not even racing to pick him up right now. But if you need a center, grab him, stash him, and hope he looks a lot better than he did five or six weeks ago.
Jose Calderon is supposed to practice today and the Raptors' training staff will then determine if his foot is ready for real-game action again. If you own Jerryd Bayless, who led a ridiculous late 25-point comeback win over the Pistons on Saturday with 31 points, you have to be hoping JC will sit out for another few games, or forever. BTW – I'm going to start Bayless this week again in a league where I also own JC, Tyreke and Joe Johnson, simply because I don't have much of a choice.
Other Big Injury Concerns
Chris Kaman's out for the Clippers for at least another couple weeks with an ankle injury meaning DeAndre Jordan has a chance to do some damage again this week.
New starter in New Jersey, Damion James, broke his foot and will have surgery today. Quinton Ross started on Sunday but it is
possible that Terrence Williams could fall into the job at some point soon. Do I think it's going to happen? Not really, but it could. I don't think Ross is the answer and I also don't think the Nets are ready to throw Travis Outlaw back in the starting five anytime soon, either.
Danny Granger turned his left ankle at the end of the Hawks game on Saturday and is listed as 'day-to-day.' The good news is we haven't heard a word about it since and he's been tweeting some pretty funny stuff, with no mention of the ankle. Yes, it's possible he misses tonight's game, and possibly more, but we should know something before game time if it happens. I am planning on starting him as I normally would for now.
www.miamiheat.ws
Darko Milicic left Saturday's game early for several reasons. He got into early foul trouble, was hobbling around out there on his bad quad, was being abused by Joakim Noah, and the Wolves were no match for the Bulls. I'm starting him this week, but it is a risky move. They play four games and if I can get three games worth of blocks out of him, I'll be happy.
Aaron Brooks has still not practiced and there's still not a target date for his return. He should be back by the end of this week, but for now, I'm starting Kyle Lowry and waiting for more news on Brooks' ankle before putting him back into my lineup.
Stephen Curry appears to have been ruled out for Monday with his ankle injury, meaning the most games he'll play this week is two. Unless you're in a daily lineup league, or one that counts averages, I think you need to get Curry out of your lineup. I am. In the meantime, now is your chance to wind up Reggie Williams in and watch him go.
John Wall (foot) and Andray Blatche (knee) both missed Wizards practice on Sunday leaving them questionable for Tuesday against the Lakers. Wall's foot is pretty mind boggling, as he just can't seem to get it healthy, and I'm starting to wonder about his tolerance for pain, or lack thereof. Then again, I'm also hoping he's not more seriously injured than the Wiz are letting on. I'm guessing he plays on Tuesday, only because he played in his last game on Friday.
Blatche is suffering swelling in his left knee and couldn't even bend it on Sunday. However, both he and Flip Saunders think he'll be ready for Tuesday. Blatche said the swelling comes and goes, but is a little worse each time it comes back, which is very concerning. With only three games for the Wiz this week, I'm benching Blatche in weekly leagues for safer four-game options, and you might want to do the same. As for my concerns about his knee swelling? Yep, I'm concerned, but not sure what to about it. It's not like his trade value is sky-high right now anyway, so I'm just going to hold on and hope for the best.
Keep reading for Deep Thoughts and the Injury Breakdown.
<!--RW-->
[SIZE=+1]
Deep Thoughts, Reality Based[/SIZE]
Heckler Spray
So Clippers owner Donald Sterling is
really taunting and heckling Baron Davis from the front row during games? Really? This deserves it's own SNL treatment, but it's not funny. Look, I'm not a big Baron guy, but this is just nuts. Could you imagine your boss sitting nearby and heckling you? I know Sterling has always had some pretty serious issues, but this has to be considered a new low, even for him. "Why are you in the game?, You're out of shape," and "Why did you take that shot?" are some of things Sterling has yelled at Baron during games. "There's nothing I can say," Davis said of Sterling's taunts. "I have no comment on that. You just get to this point where it's a fight every day. It's a fight. You're fighting unnecessary battles. I'm fighting unnecessary battles."
I'm just hoping alcohol's a factor here, because then I might at least be able to wrap my head around this story. Yeah, it really makes it no better, but at least would offer an explanation as to why it might be happening.
Melo Yellow
I guess I'm almost obligated to talk about Carmelo Anthony going to New York at some point, but it just reminds me of the Summer of LeBron, which I'd like to forget. He's telling folks he'll only sign an extension with the Knicks, and while that makes a trade to New York likely, it doesn't mean he couldn't end up somewhere else, either. Landry Fields, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler are potentially on the block in the deal, while Anthony Randolph could be heading to the Rockets for a No.1 pick to help facilitate the deal. Fantasy fallout? Um, let's wait and see if it happens and who is involved before going down that path. And happy Knicks fans just have to hope that they don't end up moving some key pieces, possibly messing too much with chemistry and karma.
Short People
Avery Johnson once again put Troy Murphy on the inactive list Sunday, infuriating the seven guys who still own Murphy in fantasy leagues. Look, we're entering dead horse territory here. Avery doesn't like Murphy. Avery has no plans on playing Murphy significant minutes any time soon. Avery has no plans on starting Murphy this year. Derrick Favors is a better player to own right now. Hell, Jerryd Bayless is a better player to own right now, as is nearly anyone with a pulse. Where does Avery rank on my all-time list of annoying fantasy coaches? Pretty high. I didn't have time to really dive into this list, so I'm sure it's not perfect.
1. Avery Johnson
2. Don Nelson
3. Isiah Thomas
4. Hubie Brown
5. Larry Brown
Honorable Mentions: Paul Westphal, Scott Skiles, Nate McMillan, Jim O'Brien, John Kuester
Even the Losers
When will the Cavaliers win again? Let's see, they've lost eight straight, the latest setback coming on Sunday night in a blowout at OKC, and they're showing no signs of life. And Byron Scott can tinker with the lineup all he wants, but as long as the same individuals are on the roster, it's not going to matter. I feel sorry for the fans.
@ Miami Weds. – Um, no.
@ Indiana Fri – Probably not.
Knicks Sat – Second of back-to-back? Blowout.
Utah 12/20 – Nuh uh.
@ ATL 12/22 – Don't see it happening on the road.
MIN 12/26 – At Cleveland, coming off three full days of rest. I'm thinking this is the one, but Minnesota's not the pushover they were a few weeks ago.
I Melt With You
That 25-point, late third-quarter lead the Pistons blew to the Raptors (yes, the Raptors) is up there with some of the worst meltdowns we've ever seen. And the fact that Jerryd Bayless is the guy who did it is even tougher to fathom. The Pistons are a complete mess, stopped listening to John Kuester long ago and have won a total of seven games this season. They're already 8.5 games back in their division and Kuester will probably keep his job all year because they're already paying a couple other coaches (Michael Curry, anyone?), the team's sale is pending, and because it probably won't make them any better this season. But if there was any hope of the Pistons turning things around this season (And there really wasn't), it was lost with that collapse on Saturday.
The Buck Pets
Someone on NBA TV the other night said something like, 'What's wrong with the Bucks? They have the same team from last year." Um, no they don't. They're starting Larry Sanders, have Drew Gooden and Corey Maggette to mess up team chemistry, Carlos Delfino has been injured forever, Andrew Bogut has been in and out of the lineup, John Salmons seems confused by his role, and they have been losing games they should win. I heard someone say recently that the Bucks have been infiltrated by some "me first" guys and the team will no longer run through walls for Scott Skiles. Shocking? Not at all. From what I can tell, Maggette is close to the bottom of the wish-list as far as potential teammates go in the NBA. After a hot start they're 9-13, but have won two straight games since getting Bogut back.
Makes No Sense At All
The Hornets, who once had the best record in the league, lost again on Sunday in embarrassing fashion as Chris Paul looked like the only guy on the team who knew how to play basketball. They're 3-7 in their last 10 and are 13-9 on the season. My guess is CP3 probably won't be happy for much longer if things don't change in a hurry. And while it's probably unrelated, it is interesting that their slide started as soon as Jarrett Jack showed up from Toronto.
I'm On Top of the World
The Knicks have won eight straight, nine out of 10 and Amare Stoudemire has racked up eight straight 30-point games. Coincidence? Not at all. I don't know how long he can keep it up, but this has been a fun stretch for the Knicks and their fans, and I'm truly happy for them. Yes, I've been down on the Knicks in the past, but it was so easy with Isiah Thomas, Larry Brown and Stephon Marbury around. I love Landry Fields and like the team they've put together, and Mike D'Antoni is doing a nice job of making it work. Yes, Anthony Randolph is getting the squeeze, but you could see that coming in the preseason. And with the Jets imploding just before the playoffs, the Knicks are just what the doctor ordered.
Daysleeper
The Spurs became the first team to 20 wins and are a team that most people were sleeping on heading into the season. We shouldn't have been, as they play better than we think they will every year.
[SIZE=+1]
Monday Morning Injury Breakdown[/SIZE]
Joe Johnson – elbow – Out another three weeks or so.
Shaquille O'Neal – calf – Iffy for Wednesday, but should play.
Rajon Rondo – hamstring – Iffy as usual, keep starting him.
Jermaine O'Neal – knee – Should be back sometime in December.
Delonte West – wrist – Target date still unknown.
Kendrick Perkins – knee – Targeting February.
Tyrus Thomas – quad – Missed Sat., too risky to start unless we hear more.
Roddy Beaubois – foot – Still no target date.
Chris Andersen – back – Still out for a few more games.
Kenyon Martin – Hoping for a Jan. 1 return. Watch for news.
Stephen Curry – ankle – Out Monday, bench in weeklies.
Yao Ming – leg – Still no target date. Ignore for now.
Aaron Brooks – ankle – Should practice soon, but need more info.
Danny Granger – ankle – Iffy for Monday, stay tuned.
Chris Kaman – ankle – Out a couple more weeks.
Randy Foye – hamstring – Hasn't played in a while, ignore him.
Andrew Bynum – knee – Could play on Tuesday, I'd bench him.
Udonis Haslem – foot – Out until April.
Mike Miller – thumb – Could play late December.
Drew Gooden – foot – Day-to-day, but too risky to play.
Carlos Delfino – head – Who knows when, if we'll see him again?
Darko Milicic – quad – Limping, four games, a little risky.
Martell Webster – back – Could be back Tuesday. Watch him.
Jonny Flynn – hip – Should be back Tuesday, or this week.
Damion James – foot – Surgery, out indefinitely. Hello, T-Will?
Ryan Anderson – foot – No fantasy value, but helping Bass.
Chris Duhon – back – Day-to-day, no fantasy value.
Robin Lopez – knee – Could be back Weds., worth look if you need C.
Tyreke Evans – foot – Sounds like he'll miss at least next 3 games.
Jose Calderon – foot – Hoping to practice today. Stay tuned.
Peja Stojakovic – knee – Has missed 8 straight, no end in sight.
Reggie Evans – foot – He's still at least a month away.
Raja Bell – thigh – Bench/cut until further notice.
Kyrylo Fesenko – ankle – He's going to miss several more games.
Mehmet Okur – achilles – He's getting closer, time to stash.
John Wall – foot – Guessing he'll play through it this week.
Andray Blatche – knee – I'm a little worried, but says he'll play.
Josh Howard – knee – Getting close, time to stash if you need him.
