Fantasy related but good info.....
Odom's Up, Bynum's Down
Just four games, some huge lines, a lack of in-game injuries and Snowtorious B.I.G. were the highlights from a slow Tuesday. Well, and the fact that Andrew Bynum didn't play. Here's what you missed.
[SIZE=+1]Rockets Fall To Lakers in OT, despite no Andrew Bynum[/SIZE]
Andrew Bynum missed Tuesday's OT win against the Rockets with a bone bruise in his left knee, which is good news because that's not the one he had surgery on last summer. But some bad news for owners of Bynum included that he was out, and that Phil Jackson hinted he could miss multiple games with the injury. However, after the game Bynum told the media that he was playing on Thursday. So, Phil says he might not play, but Bynum says he's a go. Consider him a game-time decision and watch for updates throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday.
As I said on Twitter last night, for owners of Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, waking up to find that Bynum is out is like grabbing a coat out of your closet and finding a $20 bill in the pocket. Odom, as Ernie Johnson said last night, went all Barbara Walters with 20 points and 20 boards, while Gasol chipped in with 26 points, 16 boards and four blocks. If you own those guys, you'll be just as interested as Bynum's owners as to whether or not he's a go for Thursday.
For the Rockets, Kevin Martin scored 30 points with four threes, as he continues to defy the odds and stay healthy. Kyle Lowry started again, but had an off-night, hitting just 3-of-11 shots for six points, four rebounds, five assists and a steal in 34 minutes. Aaron Brooks jacked up a bunch of threes, hitting 7-of-19 shots total and 2-of-10 from downtown to finish with 16 points and eight assists in 31 minutes off the bench. These two are officially in a timeshare and this could be a sign that Brooks is going to fight his way back to fantasy respectability. Again, both guards are worth owning, but neither is a must-start fantasy play at this point.
Luis Scola posted a solid double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds, but didn't have a steal or block. His rebounding has been shaky, so this was a great way to start off the week. Chuck Hayes did it again with eight points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block in 44 minutes. And as an added bonus for his new owners, Jordan Hill left with a sprained ankle and did not return, meaning even more minutes for Hayes if Hill is going to miss time. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop on Hayes, but the guy clearly deserves to be owned in many leagues.
I ranked all the hot waiver-wire guards and big men at the end of Tuesday's Dose, so check it out if you missed it. I caught a little Twitter heat, or 'Twheat' for not having more faith in Hayes in the rankings, but I still find it hard to believe he'll be doing this a month from now. But obviously, I've been wrong before.
[SIZE=+1]Easy L.A. – Blazers stun Spurs[/SIZE]
LaMarcus Aldridge has been very hot ever since Brandon Roy went down and blew up for a career high 40 points on 16-of-23 shooting with 11 rebounds, three steals and a block. We'll find out Thursday night if he's going to Dallas for the All-Star Game or not, but it's become pretty clear that he should be there instead of either Tim Duncan or Dirk Nowitzki. Aldridge is having a fantastic season and might go down as the steal of fantasy drafts this year.
Nicolas Batum returned from his knee injury, but hit just 2-of-8 shots for eight points, six rebounds and a steal. This is probably a good time to buy low on him, so make some offers if you're like me and think he's going to be strong the rest of the way. Wesley Matthews added 21 points and a three on 8-of-16 shooting without much else, while Andre Miller chipped in with 18 points and nine assists in the win.
For the Spurs, DeJuan Blair had 14 points, 12 rebounds, a steal and a block in the loss, but pardon me if I'm not jumping for joy. He's as inconsistent as they come and will probably stay that way as long as Duncan is healthy. This makes two straight 14 & 12 double-doubles for Blair, but he scored just 4, 4 and 7 points in his previous three games.
[SIZE=+1]Hornets Take Out Wizards[/SIZE]
Jason Smith started for injured Emeka Okafor (oblique strain) in Tuesday's win over the Wizards and scored a career-high 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting with five rebounds, no assists or blocks, and two steals in 25 minutes in a win over the Wizards. I knew Smith had this game in him, but didn't think we'd see it last night. Okafor is going to miss at least a week, and maybe three, so Smith might be a sneaky add if the other Waiver Wire Centers are not available in your league.
For the Wiz, who are now 0-25 on the road this season, Nick Young stayed hot, hitting 9-of-18 shots to score a game-high 30 points with four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 39 minutes. John Wall hit just 2-of-10 shots from the field on Tuesday (without a three), scoring four points with six rebounds, seven assists and two steals in 37 minutes. I still think Wall is going to stay healthy and have a big second half, making him a great buy-low target after tonight. And the same can be said for Rashard Lewis, who fouled out after 28 minutes on Tuesday, finishing with four points on 2-of-6 shooting. JaVale McGee came off the bench again, despite returning from the flu on Monday, and scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting with three rebounds, no assists and one block in 19 minutes. I am all for owning McGee, but with all the low-end, quality centers heating up right now, McGee should probably be on your bench until he gets it going again. Andray Blatche shot it much better last night, hitting 10-of-17 shots for 21 points, nine boards, two steals and a block. Hopefully this is a sign he'll shoot it better than he has been going forward.
[SIZE=+1]Celtics Hold Off Kings[/SIZE]
Kendrick Perkins played 24 minutes off the bench in Tuesday's win over Kings and scored eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with 10 rebounds, one assist and no steals or blocks. Perkins is a guy who can be grabbed in many leagues, but this is probably about his ceiling, except he should block some shots regularly. Shaquille O'Neal played 16 minutes and had just three points on 1-of-3 shooting with four rebounds and a block. He's old and probably very tired.
For the Kings, Samuel Dalembert blocked five shots in a start at center and added four points on 2-of-9 shooting with seven rebounds, one assist and two steals in 38 minutes. It's hard to complain about the boards and blocks, as he appears to be a must-own player for now, while he should score more on nights that he's starting. DeMarcus Cousins started at power forward alongside Sammy D and scored 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting (including a three) with six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks in 39 minutes. Cousins is having a terrific rookie season, although he may not win a Rookie of the Month award as long as Blake Griffin is healthy.
Donte Greene scored 15 points off the Kings' bench, hitting 6-of-11 shots from the field (including a three) with two rebounds, one assist and one block in 21 minutes. Omri Casspi (8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 3-pointers) is still the guy you want to own here. Carl Landry disappeared on Tuesday, despite the absence of Jason Thompson (ankle), scoring three points with two rebounds and a block in just 16 minutes. He'll be better than this on most nights, but for now, it's all about big men Sammy D and Cousins in Sacramento.
[SIZE=+1]Planes, Trains and Automobiles[/SIZE]
The Raptors, who are scheduled to play in Atlanta on Wednesday, tried to get out of Indianapolis for several hours on Tuesday, but to no avail thanks to the ice storm sweeping the Midwest. This puts tonight's game in serious jeopardy, as Indy, and its airport, are covered in ice. This could be the second postponement for the Hawks this season, as well as a terrible blow to owners of Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Jamal Crawford, not to mention the fantasy stars on Toronto.
And this is not the only game in jeopardy due to SnOMG. IND @ CLE, PHI @ NJ, CHA @ DET, DAL @ NY, NO @ OKC and MEM @ MIN all have the potential to be postponed, although none have been as of yet. Watch for weather news regarding these games throughout the day at Rotoworld.
[SIZE=+1]Injury Updates[/SIZE]
Bucks beat writer Gery Woelfel tweeted late Tuesday that Andrew Bogut (knee) appears to be "OK," and wrote that he "could be a game-time decision" for Wednesday's game against the Suns. While that's clearly not all that helpful to fantasy owners, it doesn't sound like his MRI turned up any serious problem with his knee. Maybe we'll get a better update on Wednesday, but since it's Milwaukee, we're not holding our breath.
Daniel Gibson (quadriceps) hopes to return to action on Wednesday against the Pacers, but his status is still very questionable.
Marcus Camby may or may not travel with the Blazers for their upcoming three-game road trip, but is not expected to play. Keep him benched until further notice.
Marvin Williams, who is out again on Wednesday due to a two-game suspension, will move back into the starting lineup for the Hawks upon his return, making him worth a look in deeper leagues.
[SIZE=+1]Injury Roundup[/SIZE]
John Salmons – Close to returning from hip injury for Bucks, but iffy for Wed.
Taj Gibson – Practiced Monday, should be back tonight from ankle sprain.
Mo Williams – (Hernia) Could return at AS Break, but I'm not convinced he'll play for Cavs again.
Eric Gordon – (Wrist) Likely sidelined several more weeks, meaning Randy Foye is nearly must-own.
Andrei Kirilenko – Sat out practice with sprained ankle, very iffy for tonight.
Paul Millsap – Skipped practice with dislocated pinkie, game-time decision for tonight.
Deron Williams – Skipped practice and is also very iffy for tonight with lingering wrist injury.
Jason Thompson – Could miss several games with sprained ankle.
Francisco Garcia – Nearing return, but I'm not stashing him for now with Casspi starting.
Wilson Chandler – Probable tonight despite calf injury, so watch for updates.
Shawne Williams – Will return from suspension tonight. Return of WC & SW hurts Timofey Mozgov.
Brandon Bass – Ankle injury sounds severe, so good news for Ryan Anderson's owners.
Al Harrington – Foot injury could sideline him all week. Can be cut if necessary.
Brandon Rush – Should miss about 10 more days with sprained ankle. Cut candidate.
Rodney Stuckey – Won't play tonight with shoulder injury, could miss weekend too.
Richard Hamilton – "Probable" for tonight after flu, but that doesn't guarantee he'll play.
Ben Wallace – Returned to practice from personal leave, bad news for Greg Monroe.
Jason Maxiell – Likely out tonight with back injury for Pistons.
Wesley Johnson – Missed Monday's practice with knee injury, but has been hot for Wolves.
Chris Kaman - C - Clippers </TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Chris Kaman (ankle) said Tuesday that he is unsure when he will return to action.</TD></TR><TR><TD>
