Fantasy Related but good info......
Miller Time? Not Tonight.
[SIZE=+1]Injury News and Notes[/SIZE]
I wanted the title of this column to be; Miller Time? Tonight, Let It Be Lowenbrau but didn't have enough room. And if you're old enough to understand any of that, I, unfortunately, am right there with you.
Blazers' point guard Andre Miller will serve a one-game suspension Tuesday night for retaliating against Blake Griffin after Griffin gave Miller a couple unwelcomed shoves. Here's the video in case you missed it. Patrick Mills is expected to start in his place, and snuck his way into my 30-deep lineup when I learned of Miller's suspension at the last minute on Monday.
Chris Kaman missed Monday's game after aggravating his ankle injury and will have an MRI today. He apparently tried to come back too soon and sounds depressed about the state of his ankle. He could easily miss more time going forward. The Clippers' Brian Cook has been suspended for two games after a flagrant foul on Joel Przybilla, followed up by some pushing and shoving on Sunday night.
Darko Milicic hit his first four shots but left Monday's game after just eight minutes due to a quad contusion and did not return. No word yet on his status, but you guys know my feelings for Darko this year. I need him back ASAP and you probably do too. Anthony Tolliver will miss six to eight weeks with a knee injury, which could mean more minutes for Wesley Johnson, but he scored just five points again on Monday. Additionally, Martell Webster could play Wednesday in his return from back surgery, further clouding the shooting guard situation for Minnesota. Johnson, Corey Brewer and Webster are all going to see minutes there, hurting all of their values.
Shane Battier was sent home by the Rockets on Monday with the flu, but we're guessing he'll play tonight against Detroit. Check Rotoworld.com throughout the day for updates. Yao Ming (leg) missed Monday's practice, although details are sketchy, This should be considered a setback, although he's still probably close to getting back on the court. If you picked him up, just continue to sit on him until further notice. Aaron Brooks (ankle) said Monday he hasn't even been cleared to practice for the Rockets, so a return this week is not guaranteed. But once he comes back, I don't expect Kyle Lowry to hold much, if any value.
Andrew Bynum could be hoping for a Sunday return for the Lakers if he practices on Saturday, so pick him up if he's available in your league. Pau Gasol's hamstring is in good shape and he should be good to go this week.
Peja Stojakovic is not even traveling with the Raptors due to his knee injury and has missed four straight games.
Drew Gooden missed another game for the Bucks with plantar fasciitis on Monday and that injury could linger for some time. If you've had your eye on Larry Sanders and want to pick him up, it probably can't do any harm.
Brandon Roy's availability in the second of back-to-back games for the Blazers is once again up in the air, and it's also possible he will come off the bench in the second half of games in order to be fresh down the stretch. He's playing through his bad knees, but this story doesn't sound like it's going to have a happy ending.
Terrence Williams could be called up from the D-League and be back in New Jersey for Thursday's game against Dallas. T-Will has two 30-point games and two triple-doubles in the D-League, but that doesn't mean Avery Johnson will set him free. But if you've got an open roster spot, as usual, he's probably worth stashing. Just know that like any other AJ player, he'll be a headache to own.
Keep reading for Monday's Game Recaps
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[SIZE=+1]Game Notes[/SIZE]
Knicks Knock Wolves
Raymond Felton hit a career-high five 3-pointers to finish with 18 points, 11 assists and four steals in Monday's win over the T-Wolves. Amare Stoudemire had 34 points, five rebounds and two blocks to hit the 30-point plateau for the fifth straight game and he's even been rebounding this season, although not last night. Amare and Felton have turned into fantasy beasts this season, just as we predicted would happen under D'Antoni. And looking back on it, it's hard to believe Felton couldn't do much of anything in the preseason. Toney Douglas had 11 points and six rebounds on a night when Landry Fields finally struggled, hitting just 1-of-7 shots. But if the Knicks are searching for a back up point guard like they say they are, that could spell very bad news for Douglas, who hasn't been playing well since Week 1 anyway. Ronny Turiaf (knee) returned for the Knicks and had four points and zero rebounds, while Shawne Williams had 13 points, three 3-pointers and two blocks off the bench, and looks like he is officially part of the rotation (for now).
Wesley Johnson played through the flu and had five points for the Wolves, while Michael Beasley played through a sprained ankle and had 25 points and six rebounds in 44 minutes in the loss. Luke Ridnour had 16 points and four assists on 6-of-9 shooting, but you know the drill. He's already inconsistent and Jonny Flynn will be back at some point. Kevin Love set a team record by hitting eight 3-pointers in a row, but finally missed one on Monday. He finished with a beastly 33 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three 3-pointers in the loss, and could be even better if Darko is going to miss time.
Pacers Punk Raptors
Brandon Rush got hot early, despite coming off the bench, and hit six 3-pointers on his way to a season-high 26 points, four rebounds and two steals in 32 minutes. It's official. He should be owned in all leagues. Josh McRoberts had 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, three blocks and a 3-pointer on the night, and he's also a guy worth a pickup right now, as he's been playing much better over his last few. Darren Collison left with a leg/foot injury late and didn't return, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting, but just one assist. Check Rotoworld throughout the day for an update on his status.
Jerryd Bayless hit just 2-of-10 shots for five points for the Raptors, and could be a guy who only plays well during garbage time. Fortunately for his owners, the Raptors are likely to get blown out in many more games this season. Amir Johnson had 15 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes, and has now played well in three straight. Hopefully he's good to go the rest of the way. Jose Calderon overcame the flu and had 21 points and four assists on 8-of-12 shooting in the loss to the Pacers.
Heat Bake Bucks
The Heat got a career-high 14 rebounds out of Dwyane Wade in Monday's win, in addition to 25 points, five assists and a block on 9-of-20 shooting. Wade is back, while LeBron James and Chris Bosh are also playing well right now. Carlos Arroyos had a season high of 18 points on 6-of-6 shooting and hit a couple threes, but don't be fooled into grabbing him right away. Just put him on your radar.
Corey Maggette scored 20 points off the Bucks bench. Ersan Ilyasova's hot streak is over, while Larry Sanders got another start for the injured Gooden. Larry had 10 points, six boards and two blocks, and could be inching his way into the rotation permanently. Just keep an eye on him too, but know he'll take a hit when Gooden and Carlos Delfino are finally back from their injuries.
Hawks Surprise Magic
Josh Smith had 19 points, 13 rebounds, three dimes, one steal, four blocks and a 3-pointer in a rare win at Orlando. In fact this was a rare win period, as the Magic had won 10 of their last 11 against the Hawks. Marvin Williams, who had been hot coming in, hit just 1-of-6 shots for two points on Monday, while Mo Evans was moved to the bench so that Jason Collins could guard (and foul) Dwight Howard.
Dwight Howard, Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick all returned from the flu last night, while Jameer Nelson missed another game with the illness. Vince Carter scored 18, Howard had a solid all-around game and Redick scored 11, but it wasn't enough to beat the Hawks.
Bulls, Boozer Beat Thunder
Joakim Noah had just six points, but added six assists and 12 boards in a win over the Thunder, while Carlos Boozer officially broke out with 28 points and 12 boards for his new team. As for the point guard matchup everyone was waiting for, Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook were OK, but nothing to write home about last night.
Nenad Krstic had a season-high 18 points and six rebounds in the Thunder's loss to the Bulls on Monday, but isn't worth owning yet, while Jeff Green hit just 1-of-9 shots for seven points. He'll bounce back in his next one. Kevin Durant had 29 points and a full stat line, but Serge Ibaka played just 18 minutes after one of his better lines in recent memory, and is truly becoming a roll of the dice from night to night in fantasy.
Jazz Juke Grizzlies
C.J. Miles caught fire for the Jazz, as he's apt to do, and had 20 points, three 3-pointers, two steals and two blocks in the win over Memphis. He's been highly inconsistent, but when he's on, is very fun to own. Deron Williams was huge again, as usual, as the Jazz sent the Grizzlies packing for their fourth straight loss. Andrei Kirilenko hit just 1-of-10 shots, while Paul Millsap was just 3-of-11, yet the Jazz were still able to win the game. Millsap and AK-47 will be fine.
O.J. Mayo had six points as his 'off the bench' nightmare continues. He's scored a total of 10 points in his last three games and could end up showing up on waiver wires any day now. If you can, hang in there with him. The Grizzlies are losing again and the experiment is not working as well as it was. Mayo could end up getting his job back in the next week or so. But if you feel like you have to make a move to stay competitive, then do what you have to do.
Clippers Take Out Kings
Eric Bledsoe kept his starting job over Baron Davis Monday night and could keep it for even longer, as Davis left the game with a hamstring injury. Davis finished with just four points on 2-of-8 shooting, but did have eight assists. Again, Diddy's lack of offseason conditioning is coming back to haunt him this season, and his fantasy owners are paying the price. Hopefully he'll be back for his next game, but you can bet Vinny Del Negro is not happy – again. Bledsoe had 15 points, two 3-pointers, three rebounds, three assists and a steal, while DeAndre Jordan started for injured Chris Kaman and had four points, seven boards and two blocks. Eric Gordon scored 29 (which it seems like he does every night), while Ryan Gomes scored 17 points off the bench to go along with nine boards. This was a rare performance for Gomes, who was probably helped by the absence of Brian Cook. Just keep an eye on him. As for Bledsoe, with Baron going down again, it makes sense to keep holding him.
Tyreke Evans struggled last night, hitting just 5-of-19 shots for 16 points, one rebound and three assists in the loss. The Kings are an absolute mess, as usual, with Donte Greene and Jason Thompson getting very limited minutes last night, and possibly falling back out of the never-ending rotation, and Omri Casspi stepping up as the offensive weapon with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Beno Udrih hit just 1-of-10 shots before giving way to Pooh Jeter late, but I still think Beno's a very solid pickup right now. I will be cutting Greene and Thompson later today, and am about ready to give up on any and all Kings going forward. Carl Landry scored 15, Samuel Dalembert and DeMarcus Cousins both had solid lines, and Jeter scored 11 points in 17 minutes. And they lost to the Clips. I am pretty sure Paul Westphal no longer even has a plan. Instead, he's determined to try every combination of players together until he finds one that works. And trust me. That plan could take months, if not all season, to complete.
