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Dose: Bad Day for Rudy Gay
First things first. If you noticed the picture slot blank up here, I assure you, we did that simply to keep our female fans from clogging the servers with marriage proposals. With that little bit of business out of the way, let's dive right into a busy night for NBA news.
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[SIZE=+1]Wednesday Night Rundown[/SIZE]
Bad Day for Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay's owners got the bad news they thought might be coming when it was announced he would miss at least a month with a subluxation of his left shoulder. That makes Tony Allen and Sam Young must-adds in my opinion, in that order, as both had been playing well enough to be owned prior to the injury, anyway. The Grizzlies blog, Three Shades of Blue, threw out a curveball by saying that they believe O.J. Mayo "will" start, but I'm not buying it unless it's a short-term attempt to audition him for a trade. Could it happen? I suppose, but the Grizzlies are winning without him and it's no secret that they're looking to part ways.
The storyline that may get overlooked for the next 12 hours, however, is the likelihood that Zach Randolph gets traded as a result of this injury. His $17 million expiring contract is a valuable trade chip, and now that Gay is out for a significant stretch, the Grizz may decide that their playoff hopes died, too. If you own Randolph, it really is the time to hedge your bets and move him before reports start trickling in that he's being aggressively shopped. The most likely bet is that he lands with a contender, and on a contender his touches are highly likely to take a hit. If I had to guess, Orlando is on the phone with them as we speak.
Lowry flirts with perfection
Kyle Lowry had a game for the ages on Wednesday, hitting 15-of-18 FGs, and was perfect all the way until the fourth quarter when he missed three treys. In the process he hit six 3-point buckets and had four rebounds, seven assists, and a steal. If you dropped him in advance of Aaron Brooks' return about a month ago you're not alone. As for Brooks, he was awful last night, hitting just 4-of-12 shots from the field for nine points and not much else in 18 minutes. As for the trade that's supposed to set him free? Don't bank on it. It could still happen but the talk out of Houston is to the contrary, and while Brooks is a stash-worthy player, I'm not married to the idea.
As for the Rockets, they are poised to be right in the middle of this year's trade deadline madness, and high on their list of to-dos is signing a big man. Chuck Hayes, who has been providing solid value since taking over the center position, is also high on my list of players to sell-high in advance of the deadline. He played just 19 minutes last night after an early bit of foul trouble, but was clearly passed over during the second half, and yet he still finished with a versatile four points, seven boards, four assists, and a steal. Amidst all of the trade deadline confusion, opposing owners may not realize the severity of his situation.
NBA trade deadline update
I may end up updating the trade deadline review before Sunday, given the reality that the league may decide that waiting on Chris Broussard to convince Donnie Walsh to give the farm up for Melo – just isn't worth waiting for. Potential deals are starting to gain steam, including one that would send Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, and Travis Outlaw to Portland for Andre Miller, Rudy Fernandez, and Joel Przybilla, a relatively new deal that would send Ramon Sessions to Atlanta, and a host of other deals I could spend all day on here. Note that neither deal is imminent at this time, and again, be on the lookout for this weekend's trade deadline review and check out Rotoworld's NBA Player News page.
As for the Melo trade, I've held steady on New York as the destination even before the trade to New Jersey was 'imminent,' and the bottom line is that unless Denver does something to harm their own franchise – Melo will be a Knick. As for the reports since last Sunday's trade deadline piece, the only new 'news' is that Denver is acting a bit more erratic than anybody expected, Melo told Chris Broussard to tell everybody he was frustrated the Knicks haven't traded for him yet, and the only thing that will derail this trade are egos at this point. As for the leverage and probabilities, they all remain the same and pointed toward New York. I'll save the mechanics for the piece this weekend, but to sum up my position until further notice, owners of all Knicks not named Amare are (still) on notice.
The Iggy Shuffle
Andre Iguodala hit just 3-of-15 shots from the field last night, but nabbed his fifth career triple-double with 13 points, 12 boards, and 10 assists. He's still dealing with a sore wrist and a sore Achilles' tendon, but his recent play has erased the panic from a month ago. And keeping with the good vibes, Jrue Holiday officially busted out of his slump with 20 points, four rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and two threes to go with an 8-of-11 shooting mark. While it's unclear if he can bring it on an every-week basis, Doug Collins seems to have pushed all the right buttons so far and by that fact alone I'm optimistic about Jrue for the rest of the year.
Smelly Foot
Tyreke Evans missed his second game in a row with the same plantar fasciitis issue that caused owners to seek fantasy therapy earlier in the year. He's going to see the same specialist that reviewed it for his agent, and like his earlier bout with it, a few different things smell here. First, he's talking about playing in the rookie-sophomore game, which should be the furthest thing from his mind if it's serious. Second, he just got called out by DeMarcus Cousins for being a ball-hog, who incidentally was backed by team leader Francisco Garcia. Games off to get one's head right are no new phenomena, and with Evans' feet needing a mixture of rest and overall conditioning on his part, this two-day break may have been just what doctor Westphal ordered. Why the mental jumping jacks? Because his foot has caused owners to panic and sell, or pilfer and buy, and the guy's value has been right where it was predicted on draft day since he got healthy. Understanding whether this is a real issue, whether he's going to mail the season in, or if he simply is embarrassed that Cousins said what everybody was thinking – are all good things to know if you're going to buy low or sell high. My take on it right now? He's a chance worth taking, though I may buy a vowel with the next report.
Don't call me Roddy
Roddy Buckets, or Rodrigue Beaubois as he wants to be called now, returned to action in an impressive 13-point, six-assist effort that included three steals and a three in 21 minutes. Most impressively, he appears to be in great shape, at one point out-leaping Tyson Chandler for a rebound and starting his own fastbreak. There are a number of problems with his fantasy situation, including the fact that Rick Carlisle played nine guys 20+ minutes last night, as well as the log-jam at shooting guard. One of those objections may end up being removed by Carlisle, however, as it was reported he may actually see some time at PG, with Jason Kidd moving over to SG. That seems like a bit of semantics to me, but if you have dead weight on your roster and can afford to stash someone, he's worth a look. But if you're looking for instant, consistent production, he's probably not your guy.
Click here for the rest of the rundown, Four Quarters of Fury, and Thursday Night Lights….
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Cleveland rocks (the Lakers)
'Rocks' might not be the appropriate term, but when you become just the fourth team in 40 years to beat a team that previously emasculated you to the tune of 55 points earlier in the year – have a party. I've been fairly critical of Byron Scott's folded-arms approach to you-know-who's return to Cleveland, but their efforts against the Clippers and Lakers show they have a spine.
And aside from beating the Lakers, who thought the All-Star break started a day early, the Cavs are a hotbed of fantasy activity right now. Mo Williams returned with both a bang and a fizzle, posting big numbers while limping around the court the past week. Last night he lasted just three minutes after aggravating an ankle injury he suffered on Friday, and Ramon Sessions went nuts with a season-high 32 points on 9-of-16 shooting with eight assists and three steals. Add to the mix a rumor that the PG-needy Hawks are interested in trading for him, the fact that Mo has been on the trading block for a month, and you have a dicey situation. For Williams' owners the call is simple, you hold for the lack of trade value and possibility of upside. For Sessions' owners you hold, as well, but there is also an opportunity to buy-low here. Folks can't draw a straight line between him and fantasy value, but considering that Cleveland is comfortable with him starting, Mo could be traded/injured, and Atlanta as a destination could be favorable – it's the type of manageable risk that could pay off.
Antawn Jamison is also on the trade block, and added a calf injury to his sore knee on the last play of last night's game. His chances of being traded are lessened by his enormous contract, but at least one team in New Orleans has been linked to him. Whether he stays or goes, he will either play in a more crowded field or face the decision of gutting out injuries while the Cavs play for ping-pong balls. Your choice.
Daniel Gibson (quad) returned but had just three points and three assists in 22 minutes. When healthy, he has a very good chance of providing low-end fantasy value, but the fact this injury has lingered has me a tad worried. If reports emerge that he says he is at 100 percent, he'll be worth a pickup if he has been dropped.
That's turrible
And true to form, Baron Davis said before last night's game that his knee feels "terrible." He played through it and hit just 2-of-10 shots for six points, four rebounds, and six assists in 32 minutes, as the answer to the sell-high question with him may have been answered. Fortunately for him, the All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time, though Vinny Del Negro said that he expects Eric Gordon to play next week. Whatever the case may be, if you can still point out his massive value over the last three weeks to another owner, by all means do it.
In other Clippers news, Chris Kaman (ankle) returned to action and looked great in the 10 minutes he played, scoring four points with six rebounds and three blocks. He has been a hot name on the trading block, and wherever he plays you have to think he can carve out low-end fantasy value. 7-footers with his skill-set are hard to bench. As for DeAndre Jordan, his recent play has lightened the bandwagon, but from a strictly fantasy perspective it would be wise to hold him through the trading deadline. It's probable that he will be dropped like a rock if Kaman sticks around, but likewise be worth owning should Kaman be sent packing.
Kevin Love, All-Star, NBA record-holder
For as much as I believe LaMarcus Aldridge is a better basketball player at this stage in the two players' careers, it would have been a travesty had Kevin Love broken George Mikan's NBA record for double-doubles before the All-Star break (50, 1950) – without actually being in the big game. His 51st double-double came with a bit of heartburn when he lost feeling in his right arm after it got hit, but he stayed in the game and finished with 18 points and 18 boards for his 51st double-double of the year, and 42nd in a row.
[SIZE=+1]Four Quarters of Fury[/SIZE]
First Quarter: Thaddeus Young has now scored 16 or more points in 5-of-7 games. He doesn't have my trust but he's worth a look. Spencer Hawes got his fifth 2x2 of the year, scoring 17 points with 10 boards. He left with an ankle injury but returned and should be okay. DeMarcus Cousins returned to the starting lineup, and wasted no time with 16 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks. Get him back in there. Samuel Dalembert started next to him and had a nice night with 10 points, nine boards, two steals, but didn't have a block. That's the part of his game I worry least about, and while Paul Westphal is prone to change, he's certainly worth an add if you need a big man. Jermaine Taylor was a poor man's Tyreke Evans while filling in for the aforementioned with a career-high 17 points, three boards, five assists, four steals, and a block. He'll only be worth a look if Evans misses more time.
Second Quarter: Dirk Nowitzki scored just 13 points with three rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes, and the buy low window has opened up again. Make it happen. Speaking of buy-low, Stephen Curry combined bad shooting with foul trouble and ended up with four points, four assists, and five fouls in 22 minutes. For a guy that hasn't left the top-20 all season long, there is a ton of panic out there. Meanwhile, Monta Ellis put on a clinic with 35 points, four boards, and seven assists. The team the Warriors beat last night, the Jazz, are reeling right now. Somewhere Jerry Sloan just cracked a beer. Deron Williams' wrist is still a concern, as he struggled through pain for another night and ended up with 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting with seven rebounds, 11 assists, three steals, and a block. He has been a monster throughout, but I don't like my Round 1 assets gutting out wrist injuries on sinking ships.
Third Quarter: Ty Lawson was held scoreless in 12 minutes last night and there has been trade talk that would result in him sharing the car keys with an older brother. My take? There's only a week or so left to go – stay the course. Kenyon Martin had a nice stroll down memory lane with 11 points, nine boards, seven assists, and five blocks. I'll wash your dog if he does it again (you have to mail me the dog). Arron Afflalo disappeared and has been running hot-or-cold lately, scoring three points last night. He is a boom-or-bust guy depending on the you-know-what. Corey Maggette returned to ruin Carlos Delfino's good time, as Maggette scored 16 points with five boards, two assists, and a three, and Delfino scored 12 points with not much else. I think you know my thoughts by now, but if not, I'd rather stash Anthony Randolph than deal with that mess. And I want to stash Anthony Randolph like I want to wash your dog. John Salmons was the man of the hour last night for the Bucks, scoring a season-high 33 points. He has had a huge week and even gone without a turnover to boot – sell, sell, sell. Next thing you know Michael Redd will come out of hibernation and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute will play 40 minutes a night. And leave it to Andrew Bogut to sum up the Bucks' season with 20 rebounds and five blocks with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting.
Fourth Quarter: Trevor Ariza may have tweaked his ankle last night, but it didn't sound serious and the break is here in time. Willie Green scored 24 points on 11-of-19 shooting with five boards. The Hornets are looking for SGs and Green hasn't proven consistent just yet, but he's worth a look, especially in 14-team formats. Chris Paul got blanketed last night by Nicolas Batum, scoring just eight points on 2-of-6 shooting with five assists. Speaking of Batum, he had 14 points with five rebounds, two assists, two steals, a block, and two threes. I consider him a must-own player given Portland's commitment to him and his ability to cover opposing 'ones' through 'fours.' He shouldn't leave the court. Andre Miller had 18 points, four rebounds, and seven assists, and as detailed in the trade deadline guide he's one to sell-high before he gets sent to a less certain future.
