Fantasy related but good info...
Dose: Kobe MVP, Beasley Ankle
All-Star Weekend is behind us and other than Dwyane Wade's ankle, which doesn't sound too bad, players came out of the weekend healthy. There are no games on Monday so other than the weekly Yahoo! leagues, lineups aren't due until Tuesday night. There are several different Carmelo Anthony rumors still out there, as well as conflicting reports about how meetings with the Nets and Knicks went over the weekend. Mikhail Prokhorov seems to be talking out of both sides of his mouth, saying that the Nets had a fantastic meeting with Melo, while also trying to say that he is still trying to stay out of the race for Melo, but was just being a team player by attending the meeting. Whatever happens, it sounds like the battle for Melo may not end until Thursday's trade deadline. And it still sounds like both the Nets and Knicks have a shot at him, but either way, there are only four more shopping days left, thankfully. The latest news is that Melo plans on giving the Nets an answer on Monday, so stay tuned.
Isiah Thomas is also in the news right now, as several reports suggest he's the way in the Knicks' efforts to land Melo. Either way, the fact that he's even involved to some extent should be a major concern for Knicks fans. It took Donnie Walsh two years to clean up the mess left by Isiah and if he ends up replacing Walsh at some point, the Knicks could be doomed as long as James Dolan owns the team. Just my opinion.
My All-Star predictions were pretty unsuccessful, but in case you missed it, here's the short version of what happened this weekend.
Atlanta won the Shooting Stars competition (parade downtown today).
Stephen Curry won the Skills Challenge.
James Jones won the 3-point Contest.
Blake Griffin jumped the shark – er, I mean car – and won the Dunk Contest.
The West beat the East as Kobe Bryant won MVP of the All-Star Game.
Deron Williams rebuked a report that he wants to go play in New York after next season, but I'd put the chances of him staying in Utah at 50-50.
Aaron Bruski has updated his Trade Deadline Breakdown column, so check it out for the latest.
And follow me on Twitter here.
Injury Report
Joakim Noah is ready to return on Feb. 23, which is Wednesday. He's said to be in great shape and I expect him to come in and contribute right away. If you've been holding him all this time, I think it makes sense to get him into your lineup right away.
Mo Williams missed all but three minutes of his last game, when Ramon Sessions torched the Lakers for one of the most surprising outcomes of the season. I'm guessing he's fine for Wednesday against Houston, but that doesn't mean that he's a must-start. Then again, while it sounds like Williams isn't likely to be traded prior to Thursday's deadline, the same can't be said of Sessions. If Sessions goes to Atlanta, or another team, Williams then regains must-start status.
Eric Gordon will be re-examined on Monday before we know his status going forward. Until you get some good news, and by that I mean a definitive date that he will be back in uniform, keep him benched. Randy Foye remains a must-start player until Gordon is back.
Baron Davis' knee allowed him to play 30-plus minutes in his last game before the break, and I'm hoping he got plenty of rest and treatment on it over the weekend (when he wasn't throwing alley-oops to Blake Griffin through a sun roof). Diddy should be safe to start, but my concern is him aggravating the injury at some point.
Rudy Gay, in my opinion, isn't likely to play another game for the Grizzlies this season. Again, that's just a guess and if you're planning on hanging onto him the rest of the way, you have to hope the Grizzlies stay in the playoff hunt. Either way, Sam Young and Tony Allen are going to get as much run as they can handle between now and April 1, and should be owned in most leagues. I dropped Andris Biedrins for Young in one league last night.
Dwyane Wade left the All-Star Game after tweaking his left ankle and said afterward that he was fine. He's done a pretty nice job of playing through his nagging injuries this season and should be on the court Tuesday against the Kings.
Mike Miller got good news over the weekend and does not have a concussion. That doesn't mean he's a lock to return on Tuesday, but things are looking up. If he's stuck in your lineup for the rest of the week, there's at least a decent chance he'll play. But if you can set a new lineup before Tuesday's games, I'd put him on the bench if you have options.
Jonny Flynn should miss another game or two with general fatigue and it appears to be another lost season for him.
Michael Beasley has now missed five straight games with his ankle injury, and while the hope is that he'll be ready for Tuesday at Milwaukee, it's not a guarantee. Hopefully the Wolves are back at practice on Monday and we'll get some good news from Jerry Zgoda. But as of now, I'd only plan on starting him if we hear that he will play on Tuesday.
Ersan Ilyasova missed his two games heading into the break with an "eye contusion" and remains day-to-day. My guess is he'll be ready to go for Tuesday night, but we haven't heard that from anyone in Milwaukee. Ilyasova, along with Corey Maggette, John Salmons and Carlos Delfino remains an intriguing fantasy option, but each of these guys could cancel the other out from night to night.
Troy Murphy is not injured, but will be moved at some point soon. If you want to pick him up for the stash, I'm now on board, but it all depends on where he ends up as to whether or not he will help your team down the stretch. But if he's in shape, the odds are in your favor.
Trevor Ariza tweaked his ankle at the end of Wednesday's game, leaving him iffy for Wednesday against the Clippers. My guess is he'll play, but he's another guy to watch for updates on over the next 24 hours as the Hornets get back to practice.
Emeka Okafor is another big question mark with his left oblique strain. It sounds like there's a pretty good chance he'll play on Wednesday, but I need to see one more positive report out of New Orleans before declaring him good to go. Keep your eyes peeled for news.
Anthony Randolph is another guy who is not injured, but not playing much for the Knicks. As I said in Waiver Wired, it sounds like he's going to Minnesota, which certainly can't hurt. If Troy Murphy is gone and you want to stash Ant-Rand, I'm in. He could at least get decent minutes off the bench for the Wolves, meaning he will block some shots, rebound, steal and score. At least he should.
Spencer Hawes left Wednesday's game with a sprained ankle after posting one of his better lines of the season. He's another guy we're anxiously awaiting a fresh report on, so just keep an eye on news updates until we hear something.
Marcus Camby is now threatening to retire if he's traded, while he also remains day-to-day with his knee injury. Given that he doesn't want to be traded, it's possible he keeps himself shelved until after the deadline, so just keep him on your bench until we get an update.
Brandon Roy plans on playing Wednesday against the Lakers after a pair of knee surgeries. Start him at your own risk, but look for him to come off the bench and see somewhat limited minutes when he does play. Chances are you have a more reliable option to go with this week, so don't get sucked in by his big name, which isn't quite as big as it once was.
Tyreke Evans is another big one, as he missed his last two games with plantar fasciitis and there's now talk that he could miss an extended period of time. He's meeting with a specialist again on Monday and we should know more after that happens. Keep him benched for now, and hope for good news tonight.
Andrei Kirilenko has been out with an ankle injury but does sound prepared to play on Wednesday. I'm not brave enough to throw in him into a lineup just yet, but could change my mind if we get good news on Monday or Tuesday.
Rashard Lewis and Nick Young should both practice on Monday despite knee injuries, but make sure it happens before putting them into lineups. Lewis is probably going to have problems with his knee the rest of the way, but if healthy, Josh Howard will come off the bench. Again, watch for updates from the Wizards' practice on Monday night and then weigh your options carefully.
