Fantasy related but good info.......
Wednesday's Wounded
Chris Paul has been an enigma this year. Whereas he had previously enjoyed a Kevin Durant-like image, his summer of trade demands and hanging out with LeBron James took away some of that goodwill. And with rising stars Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, and Rajon Rondo nipping at his heels, he has lost ground in the 'best PG in the NBA debate.'
In fantasy, however, he has quietly been a top performer all year long, despite many NBA observers saying in hushed tones that he doesn't look quite right, usually as a bullet point in the middle of game notes. The concern has been his left knee, which underwent surgery last season to repair a torn meniscus, but ultimately ended in one of two meniscuses getting removed. The result? He is halfway to where Brandon Roy is currently, ineligible for microfracture surgery in the area that the meniscus was removed, with a bone-on-bone situation in half of his knee.
Fast forward to this season, and I need more fingers to be able to count the number of times I've seen Paul limping. Knowing his desire to win at all costs, I've hoped he's simply luring his opponents into false-confidence, while refusing to give credence to the early signs of 'old-man game.' Not him, not now. Of course, the maladies all go away, often within minutes. On Tuesday it was a shin injury, and last night he was carried off the floor with an ankle injury, leaving owners reaching for what we call in one of my leagues – the
Triple-P (Pepto, Pabst, and Peppermint Schnapps – for child-like adults only).
True to form he returned to game action, and dropped 15 points, five assists, a three, and two steals in 32 minutes. The Hornets don't play until Saturday, and while it's too early to say, it's hard to believe he won't tip-off against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
Here at Rotoworld, we've treated his injury risk with kid gloves. After all, sending owners into a panic over the No. 1 player in fantasy basketball at times is not something we take lightly. I just offer owners this one piece of advice – think about it. Don't bury your head in the sand and hope it all works out. Start making plans now, figure out what you are comfortable getting in return for a player of his caliber, and make sure it's a lot. Again, I'm not saying that you must trade him, but sometimes a hedge against a risk is worth the cost to insure that you don't find yourself holding a total loss.
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[SIZE=+1]Wednesday's Wounded[/SIZE]
Last we saw Deron Williams in action he was going off for a season-high 39 points last Wednesday, and of course by now you know that his wrist injury was more serious than previously reported. Frankly I'm not surprised, as I warned owners last week at about this time to consider the possibilities that it is serious, and the current state of affairs is that he can't shoot the ball past 12 feet. My best advice for owners is to be skeptical when MRI results get delivered by P.R. departments more than 24 hours after the test is taken, as was the case last week. Why? Because it sometimes means there's a level of spin involved, perhaps to sell more tickets, keep opponents off-balanced, or whatever. Who knows, maybe that's why Carlos Boozer was seemingly one game from returning his entire time in Utah. Either way, owners are stuck with the waiting game for now, and while there is no 'structural' damage apparently, there is also no timetable for his return. Just hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and Earl Watson should be owned in all leagues for his short-term value, as he posted 11 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and two steals last night.
Trevor Ariza had the most serious injury from last night, suffering a sprained ankle that is being called "severe." There should be a report today giving an indication of how severe it is, but owners should be braced for at least a week, if not more. Rookie Quincy Pondexter replaced him in the lineup and scored 10 points with four rebounds, two steals, and a three in 33 minutes, and has a bit of a sleeper quality to him, but isn't somebody to rush out and grab in most leagues just yet. As for Marcus Thornton, he played just 10 minutes last night, and while he may get a few more minutes and touches he's still to be left alone in most formats. Across the locker room, Emeka Okafor (oblique) admitted he is likely out until after the All Star break, but replacement center Jason Smith turned back into a pumpkin last night with just six points and four rebounds. Smith, David Andersen, and Aaron Gray figure to cancel each other out here. Meanwhile, Chris Paul's owners may want to think about adding Jarrett Jack as a handcuff if they have dead weight, and certainly if any bad news comes out of the Hive.
Rivaling Ariza's injury in terms of pure visual disturbance was Wesley Matthew's ankle injury last night, which looked like what we like to call 'a monther.' Like Paul he was carried to the locker room, and just like Paul he returned to start the second half. Before you know it he was back out again in just 19 seconds after knocking knees with Chauncey Billups, and returned to finally finish with 19 points, four boards, two assists, three steals, and three 3-pointers. He said after the game that he's been dealing with the ankle for a while, heard "pops," and doesn't plan on missing any time. Wow. Owners can cautiously hope that he can gut this out, but the takeaway here is that Nicolas Batum should be owned in all leagues, and Rudy Fernandez should be watched like a hawk. Rudy has been struggling mightily lately, and been dealing with a back injury of his own, but could be thrust into action if the Blazers curse takes anymore victims. And on that note, Nate McMillan said that Marcus Camby (knee) is "weeks" away from returning, which is a bit less rosy than Camby saying he's "close."
Baron Davis reminded owners last night who he was, leaving the game for about a six-minute span in the second half due to back pain he picked up after banging around for a rebound in the first quarter. My take on Baron has been mostly the same since the Eric Gordon (wrist) news came down – sell him while the going is good. Sure, prior to last night everything was humming along, but passing along a known injury risk when his touches/production were sure to be up seems like a safe play to me. Should this back injury come and go without much fanfare, consider moving him after a big night.
Speaking of Gordon, a couple of reports emerged that he was "day-to-day" and that he would travel with the team on their upcoming road trip. While a few in the know privately questioned if he had turned the corner, Gordon cleared matters up when he said last night that his timetable "is about the same," which was 3-4 weeks from Jan. 25. Obviously, Randy Foye should continue be owned until it's clear that Gordon is ready to return to action.
Raymond Felton, who has literally shot himself out of an All Star berth over the last month, gave owners insight as to why that's occurring. Apparently he has suffered from an ankle injury for the last six weeks. On one hand that's good news, giving him an excuse for the falloff, but a little advance notice might have helped him with both owners and the All Star voting crowd.
www.therx.ws
Nenad Krstic left Wednesday's game in a walking boot, but before Serge Ibaka's owners travel back in time to tell Ibaka that one day he'll be playing with Kevin Durant, I'll rain on your parade by telling you the boot was precautionary. He will have an MRI today, and while Ibaka (eight points, 12 boards, six blocks last night) should probably be owned for the off-chance that he can win over Scott Brooks during any missed time by Krstic – we may be looking at the same old situation two weeks from now. Ibaka looks like a great Post-Hype All Star for next season.
Andrei Kirilenko continues to frustrate owners with the timing of his injury, and hinted that he may not be able to play in Friday's game. Given his frailty, owners should already be tabbing alternatives, and C.J. Miles (18 points, four rebounds, four assists, one three last night) will continue to be the guy to pick up the slack in his place. Meanwhile, Paul Millsap became a lock for Rick Kamla's Warrior of the Week by playing through his left pinkie and right thumb injuries, and scored 20 points with 11 rebounds, a steal, and three blocks.
Click here for Four Quarters of Fury….
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[SIZE=+1]Four Quarters of Fury[/SIZE]
First Quarter: Amir Johnson started living up to some of the hype, scoring 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting with 14 rebounds, a steal, and a block. Hopefully Reggie Evans doesn't ruin his fun. Andrea Bargnani was benched for a portion of the fourth quarter last night – it's nothing to worry about, but his inefficient play is. Joe Johnson scored a season-high 37 points, and along with Tyreke Evans are two guys I like to reclaim the respect they had on draft day. Josh Smith (knee) and Al Horford (ankle) are still playing through their respective ailments, which don't appear to be a concern. Sweet Lou Williams scored 26 points last night and deserves to be owned in most leagues until he cools off. Jrue Holiday got the first triple-double of his career last night, scoring 11 points with 10 boards and 11 assists. Maybe he'll live up to that hype after all.
Second Quarter: The Cavs lost their 22nd straight game last night and go to tie the NBA record on Friday night against Memphis. I know many folks will point to LeBron James' exit as the reason why, but this team was competing for the No. 8 seed until they turned in their man cards that fateful Thursday night. Anybody that uses the resulting wreckage as justification that Cleveland couldn't surround him with talent is missing the point. Meanwhile, Daniel Gibson will return either Friday or Saturday it looks like, and he should be owned in all leagues unless he has another injury-related setback. He will go unchallenged for minutes when healthy, and has proven to be a go-to guy for them for most of the year. Opinions vary here, but he could emerge as a focal point. Starting SF Christian Eyenga is turning some heads, and scored 12 points with four rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks, and a three. He comes with no guarantees but makes for a nice flier-type pickup right now. Anthony Parker (back) came off the bench for 17 points and a full stat line, and while he will return to the starting lineup at some point he is still on a minute limit. He's also drawing interest from the Bulls in some rumors, which is another reason that Eyenga looks good right now. Ramon Sessions scored a season-high 25 points with nine assists, and with Mo Williams still a ways off in his recovery is a must-own and must-start. Wrapping up the Cavs update, Manny Harris started and scored 19 points with eight boards, and will be useful at least until Gibson returns.
Halftime: New Pacers coach Frank Vogel says he isn't recognized in public, but he may become a favorite with fantasy owners after unshackling Roy Hibbert and Co. He dropped another friendly nugget last night when he said that he was going to rely on his PGs much more, that he wants to run pick-and-rolls in the half court set, enter the ball into the post to Hibbert, and run Danny Granger off screens. I immediately issued a 'buy now' order on Collison, as it seems like a foregone conclusion that his scoring and assist totals increase over the second half. My belief is that while most owners are optimistic about Collison's chances under Vogel, they might not have the conviction that I do after learning this news. Something that appears like an even-value offer right now will in all likelihood be a steal at the end of the year.
Third Quarter: Dirk Nowitzki slammed the buy-low window shut last night with 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting and 11 rebounds, despite not yet looking to be at full speed. Timofey Mozgoz, or as Doc likes to call him TinaFey, looked more like the latter last night with just four points and one rebound in 16 minutes. Toney Douglas came through with 22 points and three treys off the bench, which was needed after Landry Fields and Raymond Felton combined for a 6-of-25 mark from the field. Fields still grabbed nine boards, however. Danilo Gallinari had a big night with 27 points, and has now scored 20 or more points in 4-of-6 games. Wilson Chandler (calf) was a late scratch, but is expected to play Friday. Stay tuned. Stephen Jackson returned to the scene of the Malice at the Palace, and while mock-crying to the adoring crowd he also added a season-high 39 points to his resume. No beer was thrown. Kwame Brown double-doubled for the fifth time in 11 games, while Gerald Wallace and Boris Diaw continued to struggle under Paul Silas, especially Diaw. Diaw had no points, four boards, and nine assists, and is creeping toward drop territory if he doesn't get his act together. Wallace, while frustrating, is still likely to bounce back. Ben Gordon started again and scored 20 points, but the real test will be when Rodney Stuckey (shoulder) returns. Tracy McGrady struggled badly on defense lately last night, so there may be a sliver of hope that Stuckey returns to PG, which would benefit Gordon quite a bit.
Fourth Quarter: Kevin Durant put up his NBA leading 5th 40-point game, scoring 43 points on 14-of-19 shooting with five treys, 10 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block. He also rescued a puppy from a burning house, or so the legend goes. Sam Young started for the Grizzlies and made some noise, scoring 18 points with four rebounds, six assists, three steals, and a block on 9-of-16 shooting in 40 minutes. Those numbers look nice, but I'm not biting just yet. Zach Randolph silenced Kevin Love just in time for the All Star voting, holding the fragrant one to just 10 points and 10 rebounds, barely keeping his double-double streak intact at 34. Darko Milicic struggled mightily and will likely bounce back, so keep an eye out for him if he gets dropped after a three-point, two-rebound, no-block effort. Jonny Flynn started for Luke Ridnour (personal), and scored 11 points with four rebounds, five assists, and two steals, but the offense bogged down and he didn't have a breakthrough moment. It's Rid's job until further notice. Milwaukee got their hats handed to them last night and haven't won in Phoenix since Al Bundy debuted on Fox. Brandon Jennings played up to a 24-minute limit, John Salmons (hip) returned, Andrew Bogut (knee) did not play, Drew Gooden (foot) announced he would be out 4-6 weeks, and only Jennings and Bogut are must-own players. Marcin Gortat, on the other hand, is a must-own player and topped 16 points for the fourth straight game with a 19-point, 11-rebound, one-steal, two-block line. I'm firmly convinced the only reason he isn't starting is that Robin Lopez may lose the little confidence he has if he gets benched. Vince Carter played just 21 minutes last night and killed owners with a two-point night, which may have been the result of the blowout, his balky knee, ineffectiveness, or all of the above.
Overtime: The last game of the night featured two of the league's most exciting players, Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin. They didn't disappoint. Rose scored 32 points with 11 assists, and Griffin logged his 40th double-double of the year with 32 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, and a block on 14-of-26 shooting. While neither result is surprising, I would bet my massive Rotoworld salary that this is.
[SIZE=+1]Thursday Night Lights[/SIZE]
We get All Star reserve announcements to nitpick over for the next 24-48 hours, the Heat head into the Amway Center, the Spurs go into Staples Center, and the Bucks limp into Oracle Arena. Brandon Bass (ankle) is out and we'll get to see if Stan Van Gundy starts Ryan Anderson or Hedo Turkoglu at PF. Either way, Anderson is set to do damage in fantasy leagues. J.J. Redick (shoulder) is expected to play and resume his 26-28 minutes off the bench. Andrew Bynum (knee) said that he's going to play, but owners will still want to check on him after Phil Jackson wasn't so sure a couple of days ago. Andrew Bogut (knee) is a poor fit to play against the Warriors' up-and-down style, just as he was when he didn't suit up against the Suns last night. Bogut, Brandon Jennings (foot, potential minute-count), and Keyon Dooling (food poisoning) are all iffy plays, and as usual, the reporting out of Milwaukee is bound to be dicey. All in all, we're in for a nice night of fantasy hoops.
Eric Gordon - G - Clippers </TD></TR><TR><TD>
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodyCopy>Eric Gordon said his injured wrist feels about the same.</TD></TR><TR><TD>
