Fantasy Related but good info....
Turning Point
I have been fairly critical of Tyreke Evans and his handling of the most talked about left foot in the NBA right now. I have gone so far as to openly wonder if he is hurt at all, which is what happens when Kings general manager Geoff Petrie calls his plantar fasciitis "minor," and says he is closer to not having it than having it at all. I've listened as Kings broadcaster Grant Napier has said (and I'm paraphrasing) that you can't tell if he has it half the time, and that he would like to see more medical reporting from the team. Why? He said he had it and that should be that, right? His agent has appeared to be more concerned with his foot (and rightfully so) than the Kings have been at times, calling for second opinions while the Kings have by some measures appeared to be content with the status quo.
Add into the story all of the losing, the reports that Paul Westphal has lost the team, the clear drop-off in his game, the fact that he looks out of shape, the fact that he is out of shape, the fact that the Kings knew about his apparent foot injury and played him heavily during the preseason, and the lack of a clear plan for his future.
Then, chase all that with the fact that his game often portrays selfish tendencies, then add the inaccurate self-reported statuses of his injury, the off-season driving incident, the unfortunate circumstance of his pre-NBA involvement in a murder that his cousin committed in which he was cleared of any and all wrongdoing, and the fact that he has been dealing with "personal issues" for three months – and it's only fair to wonder, is it really the foot?
Or is it something more?
How many of us (raise your hands) sat in a car with a family member that killed another person? It's safe to say he has lived a life many of us will never know. And after possibly the worst game of his career last Thursday, his mother (who was in town for the holidays), had to threaten to break down his bedroom door to talk to her youngest son, who has shut everybody out. Among other things, she told him he was "playing like s**t and (he) just had to deal with it."
Sometimes mom knows best.
He went out Monday and scored a season-high 32 points, including a game-losing miss at the FT line, and then sent reverberations throughout both the NBA and fantasy worlds by saying he was contemplating a procedure that would shelve him for 3-4 months, apparently to be conducted by Dr. Evil with a "laser." Sam Amick of Fanhouse, who also covered the Kings for years, told me Tuesday that while a source said Evans had already decided to have the procedure, that Monday's result could change his mind. Once again, we're in the dark.
Tuesday's practice culminated in a post-practice interview with a sweat-drenched Evans, who seemed at ease, explaining that he may or may not have the procedure and, if so, the timetable would be a more palatable 1-2 months. If he was lying about his foot, he slipped past all of my unofficial Jack Bauer interrogation training and is officially an Oscar award-winning actor. Paul Westphal, for his part, has no clue what the future holds for Evans and his foot. At least we're not the only ones in the dark.
In the middle of it stands the 21-year old Evans, apparently troubled, and left by all of his handlers to confuse the medical terms of "plantar fasciitis" and "stress fracture," who appears to have little interest in understanding the various complicated medical options he has. For the last two months, if I had to guess, he's just trying to make it to the next day. Throughout it all his teammates seem to care. Team leader Francisco Garcia sent him a mile-long text on Christmas in support of him, and has made his case to the team saying, "We go as (Evans) goes." And it's true, and for those keeping score their support shows something that all of Evans' people have failed to – that there is support for his cause.
On Wednesday night he played an incredible game. The box score showed 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, and two steals, eerily close to the 20-5-5 mark that netted a Rookie of the Year trophy for his mantle. His mother and grandmother were at the game and on the floor before tip-off, whooping it up and taking pictures with players before it started. I just spent a long-awaited week with my mother, and after my grandmother recently passed, the simple fact that she was home for the holidays made it easier. For a young man apparently troubled, with guys like me with no real idea what's going on wondering aloud if he's dogging an injury, and the weight of a losing franchise on his shoulders – having them around may have made 'making it tomorrow' that much easier for one night.
As it goes, O.J. Mayo figured to send the Kings Fans home with their 22nd loss in 24 games with an amazing 18-foot fall-away prayer with 1.5 seconds left to put the Grizzlies up by one. In shades of Stanford-Cal, the Memphis players and a TV guy in a suit started to take the court thinking Paul Westphal had a timeout. He didn't, and fellow conundrum DeMarcus Cousins put the cherry on top of his season-best game with a smart outlet pass to Evans, who took one dribble and buried a 55-footer to win the game. Donte Greene, interviewing for the role of trombone player, came from the bench nearly all the way to the foul line before the shot hit the bottom of the net. To say the place went nuts would be the understatement of the year, and Evans showed no effects of his plantar fasciitis when he leaped to the top of the scorer's table in triumph.
For him, his teammates, his fans, his mother and grandmother, the weight of the world came off his shoulders for at least one moment. I'm not going to say that he won't have a setback, or that his fantasy future is suddenly secure. But sometimes when we feel better we do better. Sometimes history pivots itself in one dynamic moment. The Kings will take Thursday off, and Reke will have some of his Grandma Alice's banana pudding – his favorite dish. Maybe his foot will hurt, maybe it won't.
But if there ever was one, last night was a turning point.
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[SIZE=+1]Wednesday Night Rundown[/SIZE]
Silas Soothes the Soul
Paul Silas is now 2-0 as the new coach of the Bobcats as they took down the Cavs by the score of 101-92, and owners of D.J. Augustin really ought to send him a belated Christmas present. Silas has made Augustin his "pet project," and as the anti-Larry Brown he has chosen to lift and not dash Augustin's wavering confidence. The result? Augustin is now 20-of-29 from the field in his last two games, setting season-highs in scoring in both, scoring 27 points on Monday, and 28 points last night to go with six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The Bobcats' pace has quickened and guys are now free to take shots. Augustin isn't going to play this well going forward, but his fantasy value has gone from shaky to solid and that doesn't figure to change.
Stephen Jackson scored 38 points on 11-of-24 shooting (13-of-15 from the foul line) with three treys, four rebounds, and six assists, and Gerald Wallace (ankle) returned from a five-game absence to score nine points with 10 rebounds, a steal, and a block. It's not the glorious line owners were hoping for, but ask yourself how you felt a week ago if you're feeling blue. Better times are ahead. As for Tyrus Thomas, he missed last night's game with a wrist injury, and if his owner is impatient with the early returns, be right there to help them through their trepidation.
The Cavs are a train-wreck in real life, losing 15 of their last 16 games and 13 straight on the road. And though their key fantasy guys are banged up, including Mo Williams, who missed Wednesday's game with a hip injury, and Daniel Gibson, who left with a bruised thigh last night after scoring 11 points with not much else, the rotation is pretty clear cut and, when healthy, guys are producing. Anderson Varejao scored nine points with 10 rebounds and five blocks, and Antawn Jamison scored 18 points and in the spirit of things hit a 70-footer.
Manny Harris started for Mo, who along with Gibson is questionable for Saturday's game, scoring eight points with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, but the play going forward if these two are to miss time is Ramon Sessions. Sessions scored 22 points on 6-of-13 shooting (10-of-11 from the foul line) with five rebounds and four assists in 31 minutes off the bench. We know what he can do given the time, and certainly he should be starting in somebody's lineup if Mo stays out. Just don't drop a guy with long-term value for him. J.J. Hickson is back on radars with another decent showing on Wednesday, scoring 12 points with six rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 23 minutes. My take on him is that Byron Scott is going to break him, break him, and then break him some more, and then one day he'll ride him to the finish line. Be the guy that figures out when.
The Wright Stuff
Dorell Wright was a trendy sleeper pick heading into drafts, but still, some owners couldn't bring themselves to fully believe the hype, and Reggie Williams was thought by many to be the right play. Oh boy, does the latter category have buyers' remorse. Last night against the Hawks, Wright scored a career-high 32 points on 13-of-21 shooting with four treys, 11 rebounds, and two steals, as Stephen Curry (nine points) and Monta Ellis (12 points) sported matching 4-of-13 shooting lines and matching ankle concerns. Curry also deal with the flu. Wright is making a concerted effort to shed the spot-up shooter label and is taking the ball to the rack, and he will be the common component on a lot of winning fantasy squads this year. As for the Warriors' backcourt, they could use somebody else stepping up and carrying some of the load, and I'm not overly concerned. Don't do anything crazy in a trade with either of them.
For the Hawks, a home-outing against the Warriors was just what the doctor ordered to get Josh Smith off his butt. He hit 10-of-18 shots from the field (including a three) on his way to 22 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and two steals in the Hawks' 103-93 win. Larry Drew is in his ear about his shot selection, but no amount of coaching can do what the Warriors can do for a man's confidence. Al Horford also perked up with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting with 15 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. He waved off an MRI on his sore hand and proved he was fully healthy last night.
Marvin Williams left Wednesday's game with just six points, three rebounds, and three assists in 27 minutes, and once again kills any momentum he had with owners after a nice stretch. Joe Johnson said he still can't extend his right elbow fully and says he is at "90 percent," but had a fine night with 16 points, three rebounds, and eight assists. It's not what you want against the Warriors, but his horses down low were having their way. Jamal Crawford struggled with just 2-of-10 shooting from the field for five points, but had six assists to help ease the pain. As for Jeff Teague? Just three minutes thank you very much, so no, the revolution is not taking place, yet.
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<!--RW-->Jack-wagons
If Paul Silas is the soothing touch, then Jim O'Brien is the answer to whether a former drill sergeant makes a good NBA coach. O'Brien has probably forgotten more than I will ever know about NBA basketball, though Indy fans may disagree, but he has completely wrecked the confidence of anybody not named Mike Dunleavy, who started and scored 20 points with six boards last night. Roy Hibbert hit the 50% shooting mark for the first time since Dec. 7, but it doesn't help when he attempts just four shots. He finished with four points, four rebounds, and two blocks in 15 foul-plagued minutes, and said after the game that he doesn't belong in the D-League. Sigh. Darren Collison scored nine points with four rebounds and five assists, with the assists sadly being just one off from his season-high. As one beat writer put it, you can actually see the voices in his head when he goes up to shoot.
O'Brien decided to shelve Jeff Foster and go with the McPyscho combo, which clearly needs to be added to the Mickey Ds value menu, and McBob responded with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting (no threes), eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block in 27 minutes, while Psycho T (or as his mother calls him Tyler) had seven points and seven boards in 21 minutes. Those in Roto leagues are wise to McRoberts' poor man's Shane Battier-act, but it's still a bit early to trust him. Brandon Rush followed up his 17-point, seven-rebound game on Tuesday with just eight points and four rebounds, which will probably be enough to send him to the waiver wire for most owners. Danny Granger scored just three points after halftime, hitting 7-of-18 shots from the field for 15 points, but did treat owners to nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Saving the best for last, the Pacers dropped this game to the Wizards by 14 points. The Wizards entered last night's game losers in 13 of their last 14 games. Is Obie on the hot seat? Not at all.
The Wizards saw John Wall play his third game since returning from a five-game absence due to his bruised right knee, but due to the exit of Kirk Hinrich (thigh) he played 35 minutes, which wasn't in the Wizards' plans entering the night. He finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists, a steal, and a three, but also cramped up briefly and needs to be watched closely for signs of aggravation to his knee. We know he has yet to show judgment on how and when to shut it down, and his coaches haven't either. Adding an interesting wrinkle is that Flip Saunders is currently out for personal reasons, so in theory stand-in coach Randy Wittman will be more conservative at the first sign of distress. Either way with Hinrich, who left Wednesday's game scoreless after 12 minutes being questionable for Friday's rematch against the Pacers – Wall is near impossible to pull from starting lineups if he plays. He remains one of the league's more intriguing trade-block guys, with all the upside in the world and an early history of being injury prone.
Andray Blatche scored 22 points with 11 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and two blocks, and despite the swirling trade rumors, bar-room shoving matches, and an ugly brand of basketball, he continues to be a solid fantasy asset. His wrestling partner, JaVale McGee, did a number on Roy Hibbert and finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. He's not the most reliable guy but still gives owners enough production and upside to be worth targeting. Nick Young proved he is capable of doing something else other than score, grabbing nine rebounds with three assists, three steals, and added 25 points on an ugly 10-of-26 shooting line. Just like you, I had to shake my iPad to see if it was still working. Rashard Lewis has been named the starter officially (as if there was any doubt), and scored 10 points with six rebounds, three assists, two threes, and a block, and though he's going to be much better than he was in Orlando, I have a hunch this is going to be a pretty familiar line by the end of the year. He'll have his nights, but a rebirth is still in question.
Karma Chameleon
Kevin Garnett upset a few folks when he called Charlie Villanueva a "cancer patient," and the two wasted no time dusting each other up with a few obvious nips and tucks at one another, but Karma was a bitch when KG went out with what turned out to be a calf injury. We've marveled at how good KG has looked this season, but it's amazing how many folks have forgotten about the sight of him dragging his leg up and down the court last year. Doc Rivers says the injury isn't serious, and X-rays were negative, but he did add that he will miss games and doesn't know how many. MRI results will come later today, but Glen Davis looks like a solid add either way. He has performed very well in a bench role, and as a starter he should be a consistent fantasy play for however long Garnett is out.
Paul Pierce scored 33 points as the Celtics fell by the score of 104-92 to the Tracy McGrady-led Pistons, hitting 11-of-16 shots from the field (3-of-4 from downtown, 8-of-8 from the foul line) with five rebounds, eight assists, and four steals. With KG probably out and Rondo iffy for Friday still, Pierce is poised to have some big games. Nate Robinson will continue to get heavy minutes as long as Rondo can't go, but Rondo worked out without his ankle taped on Tuesday and is getting close to a return. Either way, Robinson hasn't been trusted to run the point that much and Marquis Daniels is cutting into his playing time. Shaq scored just five points with one rebound in 16 minutes last night, and with Jermaine O'Neal back the two are completely cancelling each other out. You can do better.
As mentioned, the Pistons started Tracy McGrady at PG with Rodney Stuckey out with a stomach ailment. T-Mac, who some believe runs the team better than Stuckey, went on to set season-highs in scoring (21 points) and assists (eight) to go with four rebounds and three steals. He hit 7-of-11 shots (including a three), and looks like a very good play in any games that Stuckey misses in the future. Coming off the bench, however, he's only for the desperate and can't be used in weekly leagues.
Charlie V didn't get to spar with KG all that long, and had 14 points with five rebounds and a block, and is consistently providing low-end value in most leagues. Tayshaun Prince had 18 points, Ben Gordon had 12 points, and Richard Hamilton scored nine points with six assists off the bench. There was an Austin Daye sighting, as he came in and hit 5-of-7 shots from the field with two threes for 12 points and not much else, and Greg Monroe (nine minutes) appears to have fallen out of the rotation for Chris Wilcox, who looked good and scored 10 points with eight rebounds, three assists, and a block in 27 minutes. Good luck figuring out who is going to emerge from the cluster.
Manna Don't Wanna Get Healthy
The Wolves couldn't get their third straight win against the Nuggets on Wednesday, falling by the score of 119-113, and Darko Milicic added "hip" to his ever-expanding list of ailments. He lasted just 14 minutes, and owners are probably past 'worried' and on to 'annoyed' or 'pissed off.' The good news here is that none of these injuries appear on the outside to be overly serious. And while he could be proving that he's not able to withstand the rigors of playing starter's minutes over the course of a season, his value couldn't be lower and I'm targeting him as a buy low candidate. Yes, there's risk, but winning fantasy leagues is all about identifying risks that you can live with. At his price, it's a risk I'm okay living with.
Kevin Love got his 19th consecutive double-double with 26 points, 14 boards, and five assists, but what else is new. Michael Beasley added 33 points, five boards, four assists, two threes, and a steal, and Luke Ridnour showed he isn't going away with 20 points, four rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a three in 36 minutes. Jonny Flynn (11 minutes) doesn't appear to be cutting into his value anytime soon, but it's worth nothing that his name has been popping up in trade rumors, particularly in a swap for Anthony Randolph and the Knicks. Nothing is imminent, but it's worth keeping an eye on. Martell Webster added 17 points off the bench, but was repeatedly torched by Chauncey Billups.
Speaking of Mr. Big Shot, he's playing like a man being hunted down for his job – because he is on many levels. Billups scored 36 points on 9-of-14 shooting, hitting all six of his 3-point attempts, with two rebounds, five assists, and three steals. The man hunting him down, Ty Lawson, bounced back from his horrid two-point, one-assist effort on Tuesday with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists. George Karl is playing them together in the backcourt with Lawson at the point and Chauncey off the ball, but once Carmelo Anthony returns as soon as Saturday that will become less necessary. As we covered a bunch, Billups has a pretty good chance of leaving the Nuggets via the Carmelo Anthony trade, but for now it looks like he's gotten his act together. As for Lawson, he deserves to be owned in the vast majority of leagues for his future upside, and his standalone production provides a nice little bonus.
In other Nuggets news, they played without Nene (hamstring) last night which was a surprise, and Karl can't say right now if he'll be available for Saturday's game against the Kings. Kenyon Martin was rested last night on the tail-end of the back-to-back, and Al Harrington was out with his thumb injury. Chris Andersen had 30 minutes all to himself last night as a result, and posted a serviceable, yet uninspiring 11-point, seven-rebound, two-block line. With each of these guys and Anthony having a shot to return Saturday, we're not running to the wire to pick him up.
Two Ships Passing in the Night
The Thunder walloped the Nets 114-93 on Wednesday, as they rested their starters in the fourth quarter and won for the 10th straight time following a loss. They forced a season-high 23 turnovers and had a season-high 31 assists, which pretty much sums it up. Russell Westbrook had 17 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, Kevin Durant had 27 points, three treys, and not much else, Thabo Sefolosha had a game-high eight rebounds to go with four points, three rebounds, and two steals, Jeff Green was stymied with just nine points and five assists, and James Harden saw just 11 points with four assists. Nothing to see here, folks.
The Nets had just one player with more than two assists, and it was Devin Harris who had three. He added 19 points and Brook Lopez was the only other fantasy worthy play with 19 points, two steals, and four blocks. He came into the game averaging nine rebounds against the Thunder, but you guessed it, he had just six tonight. I don't recall hearing this over the summer, but a Nets' postgame report said he had mono over the summer and that kept him from playing in the World Championships. Who knows, maybe he still has it, and I just thought he was bored all this time.
Bynum is Back
The Lakers' faithful had a coronary after three straight losses this week, but got relief as Andrew Bynum returned order to the universe and returned to his starting role. The Lakers went on to beat a Hornets team not nearly as good as their record, and Phil Jackson got to take a shot a Chris Paul by questioning whether or not the league should own the Hornets when Chris Paul makes his next trade demand. Is it just me, or is Phil up in everybody's business much more this season?
Bynum played 31 minutes last night, and scored 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting with six rebounds and a block. Get him back into your lineup. Pau Gasol continued his string of lackluster nights with just 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, five assists, and a block. If you think he's going to continue getting just five shots per game I have some waterfront property to sell you for just $25,000 dollars. I doubt his owner is that ill-informed, but it doesn't hurt checking. Kobe remembered what it felt like to pass the ball and dished out seven assists to go with 20 points on a more palatable 8-of-14 shooting, but the real fantasy story here is Lamar Odom scoring the most points off the Lakers' bench in five years. He scored 24 points on 10-of-15 shooting (including a three) with five rebounds, two assists, and if you've been on the fence about selling high here's a great line to do it with.
Outside of Chris Paul, who scored 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting (including a three) with three rebounds, seven assists, and three steals, there wasn't much cooking for the Hornets. Marco Belinelli scored 15 points, Emeka Okafor had 10 points, seven rebounds, and a block, and Trevor Ariza greeted his old team with four points, no rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Who wants to bet that he bought a raffle ticket for Ron Artest's ring?
The big news for the Hornets, however, was David West's ankle injury. He left briefly during the first half and returned to start the second half, but couldn't make it through the rest of the game finishing with eight points, four rebounds, and two assists. We're calling him questionable for Friday's game in Boston.
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<!--RW-->Hold the Mayo
The flip side of the Tyreke Evans shot last night was O.J. Mayo losing big time momentum following his would-be game-winning shot. He finished with a paltry 10 points, six rebounds, and two assists, and coach Lionel Hollins certainly would have faced more pressure to play him had that been the last highlight in the reel. It wasn't, and it's probably safe to bet that things aren't changing for him until he gets traded, which seems more and more likely by the day. Until it happens, however, projecting his fantasy value is pretty futile. Just keep him reserved and hope he lands somewhere good.
Zach Randolph was virtually unstoppable last night with 35 points on 15-of-27 shooting with 17 rebounds, three assists, and two steals, Marc Gasol was held in check by DeMarcus Cousins with just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting to go with five rebounds, four turnovers, one steal, and one block, Rudy Gay had 16 points and not much else, and Mike Conley disappeared with just five points, four rebounds, and seven assists. Regardless of tonight's results, their fantasy values are some of the most desirable in the league for the consistency they bring.
DeMarcus Cousins had his best game of the year last night, scoring a season-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and tied a season-high with 16 rebounds to go with three assists and two steals in 36 minutes. He was huge down the stretch and is the big man to own in Sacto. He'll struggle for consistency, but expect these big lines to pop up with more frequency, and expect a few more bumps in the road, too. Jason Thompson started but played just 15 minutes, Carl Landry went back to the bench and played just 18 minutes but did manage to rack up seven points with two rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block, while Samuel Dalembert was good for three blocks and seven rebounds, but scored just two points in 24 foul-plagued minutes. It's a situation to avoid in fantasy outside of Cousins. Beno Udrih scored a team-high 24 points with four rebounds, six assists, and two threes, and is looking more and more like a must-start every day.
Steve Nash is gonna F'n punch one of these MF'ers in the face
Or so he said as he walked past the scorer's table last night, as the Suns allowed a Sixers team that has mostly struggled offensively to score 27 points more than their average (87.3 ppg), shoot 10 percentage points higher than their average (44.6), gave up a season-high in scoring to Andres Nocioni (22 points), a career-high to Evan Turner (23 points), the second highest scoring game of Jrue Holiday's career (25 points), and they did it all without Andre Iguodala (Achilles).
Holiday added seven assists to go with his 25 points, and looks like he's shaping up to be the player owners hoped for, but it's worth keeping in mind that Iguodala was out last night. Nocioni added 12 rebounds and two assists to his 22 points, and as long as Iggy is out he'll be worth a look in spot starts, but isn't worth owning beyond that. As for Evan Turner, he took a big step forward last night, and at least for one night he was dominant. Given the Suns' defensive woes and his overall lack of consistency and confidence, I'm not even considering him as a roster stash right now. There's a very good chance he'll be available on waivers at some point in the future. Spencer Hawes double-doubled with 10 points and 11 rebounds, and now has nice games against the Warriors and Suns. He is the epitome of the term 'matchup-play' right now.
Vince Carter made his Suns debut last night, scoring 18 points with not much else on 8-of-20 shooting (1-of-6 from downtown), but the story here is that the Suns are reeling. The new guys are making public comments about how great their old team was on defense, Steve Nash wants to punch things (and I'm only 94.6% sure he wasn't talking about his own team), and Alvin Gentry literally said he is out of answers for their problems.
Marcin Gortat scored 13 points with six rebounds off the bench, proving he is worth stashing to see if he can oust the other impotent Lopez twin, who managed just eight points and two rebounds and doesn't have mono as far as I know. Mickael Pietrus scored 15 points off the bench before fouling out after 26 minutes, hitting 5-of-8 shots from the field (including three treys) to go with two rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. Coming off a 25-point outing on Sunday, he's well worth a look given the fact that he can play defense and is a natural fit for the Suns' system. Jared Dudley's time in the sun is officially over, as he scored seven points with four assists, while Grant Hill had a good fantasy outing with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a three. Nash was his normal awesome self, scoring 23 points with five rebounds, 15 assists, and three treys. Where they go from here is anybody's guess, but don't be surprised if things stay fluid until they find a combo that works.
Just Spot Me Ten Points
The Jazz won after being down by 10 or more points for the 11th time this year, taking down the Clippers by the score of 103-95. Big Al Jefferson scored a season-high 31 points on 13-of-22 shooting with 10 rebounds and three blocks. Gordon Hayward started for injured Andrei Kirilenko (back) and scored a season-high 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting (including three treys) with six rebounds and three assists, and also benefited from C.J. Miles' absence due to the flu. While it's encouraging to see Hayward progress from being a complete zero when he plays to tonight's result, he will only have value in a spot-start if both of these guys stay down.
Miles, on the other hand, could see a nice boost in value if Kirilenko's back continues to be a problem. Kirilenko revealed last week that he has been instructed to leave a game if he starts to feel any pain at all, which is a reminder of how sensitive his back is and how injury-prone he has been over his career. Once he returns and has a solid couple of weeks under his belt, owners should go on an all-out blitz to sell him. Speaking of back injuries, Mehmet Okur added one to his list of ailments after his back caused him to leave after just 16 minutes. On one hand he was showing some hope with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting, three rebounds, and a trey, but he has a long way to go before his body can handle the rigors of everyday NBA basketball.
Blake Griffin probably deserves more pub for the achievements he's going to get, but I'm to the point where even his most vicious dunks and gaudy lines, while they still cause me to yell at the T.V., they're not headlining anymore. He had his 20th straight double-double on Wednesday with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and a block, and his consecutive 2x2 streak is the most for a rookie in 40 years. The only active players to have more consecutive dub-dubs in the last 10 years are Kevin Garnett (37) and David Lee (24). I think I speak for all of us in saying we're spoiled watching him and Kevin Love (who has 19 straight) operate right now.
Chris Kaman told Clippers beat writer Eric Pincus that he's still a couple of weeks away from returning, and we know how overly optimistic he has been already this year, so we wouldn't close the book on DeAndre Jordan prematurely. Jordan flashed some of the upside we've been waiting patiently for with 14 points and seven blocks, and is well worth owning if you need a big man even if Kaman can get back in the next 10-14 days. Rookie Al-Farouq Aminu has posted two nearly identical lines in his last two games, and had 13 points with eight rebounds, three treys, one assist, and a steal in nearly 30 minutes off the bench. In deeper leagues he's certainly worth a look, and while we see him starting over Ryan Gomes (three points, 18 minutes) at some point, he's only a borderline roster stash in standard-sized leagues. He's likely to be much too inconsistent to use coming off the bench, but his future is bright. Baron Davis was useable with nine points and nine assists and a three, and has now played 25 minutes or more in six straight games, averaging just under 30 minutes during that span. He has effectively moved Eric Bledsoe (16 minutes, three points, two assists) into a backup role, and barring a trade he looks like a second or third fiddle in Clipper-land. That type of projection doesn't usually justify a guy with so many red flags, so move him if you can.
Heat 25-9, Threatening Bulls' 72-10 Record
The Heat set a franchise record with their 10th road win of the month, extended their road winning streak to 10 games, and became the first team in NBA history to win their first 10 road games in a calendar month. They are 15-1 in the month of December with their two-point loss to Dallas as their only blemish. Say what you want (and I have) about LeBron James, or his intelligence-insulting comments that he didn't know what "contraction" meant, but these guys are officially scary. Of course, we knew this before, during, and after their getting-to-know you period, and ironically the limp play of the Cavs will ultimately be the turning point for their season.
Dwyane Wade topped his season-high 40-point game from Tuesday with 45 points on Wednesday, hitting 17-of-24 shots from the field with seven rebounds, six turnovers, a perfect 10 FTs, two steals, and a three. James scored his normal 20 points with six rebounds and nine assists, and Chris Bosh had 21 points with an uncharacteristically low four rebounds. Wade, with all of his injury risk and playing at a high-water mark, looks like a real nice sell-high candidate, as him and LeBron will likely pass the baton back and forth all year.
Kevin Martin played through his sore knee after missing Tuesday's practice, and by now there's not a Rotoworld reader alive that doesn't know we'd sell him high. He scored 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting (1-of-5 from downtown) with four steals. Kyle Lowry hasn't let go of the starting spot yet, scoring 11 points with seven rebounds, seven assists, and three treys, while Aaron Brooks was also good off the bench with 20 points and nine assists. There's enough history here for Lowry's owners to say to trading partners that there's a chance he can keep the job, but nothing has come out of Houston to indicate it's possible, and I'm planning for Brooks to be the starter anytime now. Chuck Hayes has displayed low-end fantasy value over his last four games, and had 13 points with eight rebounds, three assists, and a steal last night. With no Yao around those desperate souls who could use a line like that can start to view him as a longer-term option, albeit with no guarantees. Terrence Williams is still out of the rotation, but Rick Adelman said he will be making a serious push to figure out his role. He has been dropped in a ton of leagues, and will be worth a stash as soon as Adelman says he's going to make his debut.
[SIZE=+1]Thursday Night Lights[/SIZE]
The Knicks go to Orlando for the early TNT game, and neither team has any big question marks. We'll look for more of the same out of the Knicks and to see how the Magic's rotation continues to shake out.
The Spurs head into Dallas to play the Dirk-less Mavs, and Utah heads into the Rose Garden to play the Blazers. Mehmet Okur is a game-time decision with his back injury, so if C.J. Miles (flu), and Andrei Kirilenko (back) looks doubtful as he's targeting Saturday's game. Look for rookie Gordon Hayward to build off his career-best night on Wednesday. Brandon Roy (knee) will not play, which is bad news considering he was to be evaluated when the team returned home and he clearly didn't pass the test. We're still waiting on reports for Marcus Camby (ankle) and Joel Przybilla (ankle), and Dante Cunningham will get the nod if those guys can't go.
C.J. Miles - G/F - Jazz </TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>C.J. Miles (flu) is considered a game-time decision for Thursday's game against the Blazers.</TD></TR><TR><TD>
