Fantasy related but good info....
Gimme A Break!
First of all, thanks to all of you who sent a Happy Birthday note to me yesterday on Twitter or email. Very cool. Especially since I worked all day and night. And that night isn't over yet, as I'm cranking out this Dose at 1 a.m. in hopes of hitting the road, Griswold style, for a 10-hour trip to Indy with four kids in the morning. Wait, it is already morning. In any case, here are the major fantasy developments, game-by-game from Monday night.
Clippers Clip Kings, While Tyreke Talks Surgery
Let's get the pleasantries out of the way. Eric Gordon scored 31 as the Clippers have won two straight, and remarkably, five of their last six games. Blake Griffin was a beast again, Baron Davis was serviceable and Ike Diogu and Al-Farouq Aminu played well off the bench. Keep an eye on Diogu in real deep leagues. For the Kings, Beno Udrih, Samuel Dalembert, Carl Landry and Francisco Garcia were solid in starts, while Omri Casspi had 16 points off the bench.
Now to the Tyreke Evans situation. I'm going to try to keep this short. He had 32 points and plenty of goodies in one of his best games of the year, but missed a free throw near the buzzer that would have tied the game. He then said afterwards that he's considering three options for his foot. Having surgery very soon, having surgery around the All-Star break, or not having surgery at all. A couple weeks ago he told beat writer Jason Jones he had a stress fracture, but doctors came back and said he has "minor plantar fasciitis" instead. If that's the case, he's going to have a tough time finding a doctor to do an operation. Reporters who heard his comments also said they appeared to be "off the cuff," so who knows how much of this is real, and how much of this is just an immature kid playing for a five-win team with a sore foot, who just missed a free throw to lose another game for his team? Whatever the case, this has turned into a nightmare in both fantasy and reality, and I really have no idea what will happen next.
Medical reports suggest there's no need for surgery and I imagine the Maloof brothers are about ready to step in and go off. Maybe he's really hurt and needs surgery, but that just doesn't sound like the case. I hate to say it, especially if he's really hurt, but this reminds me more of an unhappy "drama King" than an NBA player. If you own Evans, I guess you try to trade him for what you can get and hope he goes under the knife. And if you want to buy low on him, once this blows up on Tuesday, it shouldn't be hard to get a deal done. He looked pretty great in last night's game and I wouldn't be surprised to see him play through the season. But then again, who knows? Either way, Garcia is a guy I'd think about picking up.
In any case, if you own Tyreke, I'd recommend reading this. It mentions some personal problems that may be going on with Evans, as well as a midnight talk with his mother. That came out after I went off in the previous few paragraphs, so Evans' problems could run much deeper than anyone imagined. Or he's just unhappy playing in Sacramento for coach Paul Westphal. We'll likely find out in the next couple weeks what the real story is.
Magic Beat Nets To Win Third Straight
I was apparently wrong about Hedo Turkoglu, as he came through with 20 points and four threes in the win, along with seen boards, five dimes and a steal. I have no idea why he can play for the Magic and Stan Van Gundy, but no one else, but that appears to be the case. Pick him up if he's still out there. Gilbert Arenas and Jameer Nelson both struggled a bit, and it will be interesting to see how they perform going forward. Neither should be cut for now. Ryan Anderson and J.J. Redick both played well again, and while both look like solid pickups right now, I just don't see it lasting.
The Nets got a solid line out of Devin Harris, but the rest of the night was pretty much a throwaway. The Brook Lopez jokes continued on Twitter, as he managed just seven boards despite a hot start. This team is a bit of a fantasy wasteland in many cases, while we also learned that Anthony Morrow is going to be out for longer than expected with his hamstring injury.
Mavericks Beat Thunder Despite Loss of Dirk
Dirk Nowitzki left Monday's game with a right knee injury and will have an MRI in the morning. It doesn't sound serious, but you never know. I can't think of a bigger nightmare than losing Dirk on the Monday of a five-game week, so hopefully he's fine. Shawn Marion and Caron Butler both played well, and will continue to exceed expectations if Dirk is going to miss time. Jason Kidd just missed a triple-double and is going to have a big week, making my choice of using him as the cover boy on Monday's Dose to be a good one.
Russell Westbrook left with a right elbow injury and we're calling him day-to-day, although I haven't seen much information on the injury. We should know more on Tuesday, but he's tough, and I bet he plays on Wednesday unless it turns out to be serious. Jeff Green has been quiet, making him a nice buy-low candidate, while James Harden stayed hot and should be given a serious look in all leagues. And while Serge Ibaka is maddening to own, this might have been the block of the year. If Westbrook is going to miss time, Eric Maynor will become a hot pickup.
Hawks Down Bucks In Milwaukee
Marvin Williams came off the bench for matchup purposes last night but still had 14 points, five boards and a three, and has scored in double digits in four straight, and eight of his last 10. Jamal Crawford scored 14 and appears to be over his back injury, while Josh Smith continued his underperforming ways of late. He'll be fine, but isn't killing it like he was early.
Keyon Dooling had 15 points, nine assists and a three, and looks like an auto-snag with Brandon Jennings out for another month, while Chris Douglas-Roberts needs to be kicked to the curb ASAP. Drew Gooden was out again with plantar fasciitis and is targeting a Jan. 1 return.
Jazz Beat Blazers, But Deron, Kirilenko Injured
Deron Williams (right wrist sprain) and Andrei Kirilenko (strained lower back) both suffered injuries as the Jazz fell to the Blazers, and Kirilenko never returned to the game. Williams was big with 31 points and six treys, and while both are day-to-day, Williams' injury doesn't sound like a big deal. Kirilenko is pretty iffy for Wednesday at this point, so check back for updates on Tuesday and Wednesday. If he's out, Mehmet Okur and C.J. Miles are worth a look. Memo returned from a sprained ankle and had six points and five boards in 17 minutes.
Nicolas Batum was quiet in a start for Brandon Roy, but I bet he bounces back in the next one. He's worth owning in most leagues for now, with Roy starting to come to grips with the fact he's lost a step and will play in pain for the rest of his career. Marcus Camby left with a sprained ankle and is iffy for the rest of the week, while Dante Cunningham (9 points, 5 boards, 2 blocks) may be forced to fill in at center.
Keep reading for more fantasy goodness from Monday night.
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Rockets Wax Wizards
Kirk Hinrich had 19 points and five boards, Nick Young had 18 points and two threes, and John Wall had 13 points, five boards, six dimes and two blocks in Tuesday's loss to Houston. All three guards are worth owning and could be for the rest of the season. Young is scoring and hitting threes, but the dude doesn't rebound or dime, at all, while Wall's owners just have to hope he makes it through the week in one piece (or vice versa if you benched him). Andray Blatche had 17 & 14 in his return from suspension, while JaVale McGee managed just two points, seven boards and three blocks under the same circumstances. McGee is still starting for now and I bet he finishes the week with a couple good games. Rashard Lewis started and while he didn't shoot it well, the signs are there. He's getting ready to turn it on, so make sure you hang onto him if you own him.
Kyle Lowry started over Aaron Brooks again, but both players contributed in the win. Lowry had eight points, four boards, six dimes, a steal, two blocks and a three in 32 minutes, while Brooks had 15 points, four boards, five assists and a three on 5-of-15 shooting in 22 minutes. Hmmm. Similar production and Brooks played fewer minutes. My guess is Brooks will be starting soon, but then again, the Rockets have won five straight. Of course, those opponents were basically of the doormat variety, but it still might take a loss or two before Rick Adelman decides to mix it up. I know that I'm superstitious enough that I wouldn't change my starting five on a five-game winning streak, right? But Miami is next up, which should be the trigger to get Brooks back into his starting job. Shane Battier has been shooting better over his last four or five games and had 15 points, six boards, a steal, two blocks and two more threes last night, and deserves to be owned in most leagues. Just be ready for another slump in the future, as he will probably never be a must-start fantasy player over an entire season. But this is as close as it gets.
Paul Silas 1-0 As Bobcats Coach
The Bobcats looked great in Silas' new running offense, with D.J. Augustin going off for 27 points, four dimes and four threes on 10-of-15 shooting, Stephen Jackson scoring 23 with nine boards, four threes and (gulp) nine turnovers, and Tyrus Thomas going for 15 points four boards, a steal, five blocks and six turnovers in the win. If you took my "somewhat bullish" advice and took a flier on Thomas, so far, so good. And if he or Augustin are still available in your league, grab them. They're going to be much more fun to watch now, although I'm curious to see what happens when the honeymoon period ends. Gerald Wallace is out until Friday with his sprained ankle.
The Pistons got 25 points and 5-of-5 3-point shooting from Charlie Villanueva, 17 points and four treys from Ben Gordon, 17 points from Tayshaun Prince, and 15 points and eight boards from Chris Wilcox in the loss. Gordon also had three steals and might be ready to start playing like an NBA starter, but I'll believe it if he's still doing it a week from now. Rodney Stuckey was disappointing, while Ben Wallace disappeared and Richard Hamilton hit just 4-of-10 shots for nine points and five assists. The bottom line with the Pistons, as usual, is that you can't trust any of them in fantasy from night to night. But Villanueva looks like a must-own player (since I cut him 10 days ago), while Gordon is probably worth an add. If you want to take a flier on Wilcox, be my guest. But I need to see it several more times before seriously putting him on my radar. Tracy McGrady played just 10 minutes and probably overdid it with his strong play lately. As usual, you can't trust the guy farther than you can throw him.
Grizzlies Stop Raptors
DeMar DeRozan scored 18, Linas Kleiza stayed hot with 22 points, and Amir Johnson stunk it up again as the Raptors lost in Memphis. Andrea Bargnani could miss the whole week, meaning Joey Dorsey, who had 10 points, 13 boards, a steal and a block, is probably worth a short-term add at center. Jose Calderon nearly double-doubled and it looks like he might make it through the whole week on his bum foot.
Sam Young started over Xavier Henry, who sat out with a sore knee, but scored just two points. Rudy Gay played a lot of point forward in this one and had 18 points, five boards, six assists, five steals, a block and a three, and is officially on fire. Tony Allen came off the bench for 14 points, eight boards and six steals in 34 minutes, and is officially worth a look in many leagues. But let's see what he does in the next one before declaring him a fantasy savior. If you have a roster spot, go ahead and grab him and see what happens.
Wolves Slap Hornets
Chris Paul had 22 points, 13 dimes and five steals, but the Hornets couldn't beat the Timberwolves. Paul has to be privately fuming and I wouldn't be surprised if he starts banging the 'trade me' drum again any day now. Trevor Ariza actually played well and is possibly worth an add since he was dropped in so many leagues, while Emeka Okafor and David West also played well in the loss.
The Wolves got a career game out of Wesley Johnson, who had 24 points and six treys on the night. He's had a couple great games lately, but is still pretty inconsistent. Luke Ridnour is holding some value and double-doubled, Darko Milicic may finally be healthy and bounced back with 14 points, five boards, a steal and two blocks, while Michael Beasley posted a monster line of 30 points, nine boards, seven assists and three 3-pointers. Kevin Love was quiet, but still had 16 points, 11 boards and a three, while Martell Webster played through a quad contusion for nine points. This was his first game of the season where he didn't score in double figures. If Johnson or Darko are available in your league, I'd recommend picking them up. Darko is a keeper, while WJ is a flier. That's two straight road W's for the Wolves, and they get Denver at Minnesota on Wednesday, when Carmelo Anthony is expected to return to action.
Warriors Wax Sixers Without Iguodala
Andre Iguodala was surprise scratch due to his nagging achilles injury and I'm officially concerned. He should play through it on most nights, but it may bother him all year. Andres Nocioni started in his place and had six points, while Jrue Holiday double-doubled with 23 points, 11 dimes, two threes and seven turnovers. Yes, it was probably because I benched him in League Freak for DeMar DeRozan and the extra game. But despite his inconsistent play, Jrue should probably be starting in fantasy on most nights for the potential of games like this one. He looked fantastic, sans the TOs. Elton Brand had 16 & 16, Jodie Meeks took some anger out on those of us who cut him recently, scoring 19 points with two 3-pointers, while Spencer Hawes remembered he could play basketball with nine points, 12 boards, a steal and a block in the loss.
Monta Ellis had 22 points, a season-high 12 dimes and two threes and two steals, Stephen Curry looked to be over his ankle injury with 17 points, five boards, eight assists and four threes, while Dorell Wright led all scorers with 28 points, six boards, four assists, two steals and five treys. Put Wright on your list of draft-day and waiver-wire steals, as he's been money all year. Andris Biedrins should be back in the next few games, while David Lee came through with 21 points and 16 boards in the win. And if you're in a deep league, keep an eye on Vladimir Radmanovic, who played 26 minutes for eight points, six boards, three steals, a block and two 3-pointers. If you're still holding Reggie Williams, it's time to let go. Zero points in 12 minutes isn't going to work (as long as Curry, Monta and Wright are healthy).
Be Careful What You Wish For
I spent time over the past two weeks bashing my little brother Gary for failing to set his daily lineup in my main league. He's 1-7 and I'm 7-1, yet he has Chris Paul, Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley in our points league. Well, after telling me to go you-know what-myself, he is now setting his lineup. And guess who plays him this week? This guy. Paul, Durant, Beasley, Francisco Garcia, Andray Blatche, D.J. Augustin, Tyrus Thomas, Brandon Bass and Boris Diaw ganged up on me to give him a 37-17 lead after night one, and I'm going to have serious trouble digging out of the hole to keep my stellar record intact. The lesson? If you're going to blast a guy in your league for not paying attention, do it just after he plays you, and not right as you're entering the battle. Duh.
