Fantasy related but good info....
Toney Douglas Drains Nine 3s
On the first day of the NCAA Tournament, the NBA did us a favor and scheduled three pretty bland games. That didn't stop Toney Douglas from stealing the show, or the Cavaliers from embarrassing themselves against the Blazers. Here's what you missed on Thursday as Rick Pitino and the Cardinals jacked up our brackets.
But first, here are the remaining Games Played Weekly Schedules, running Monday through Sunday.
ATL 4-3-3-2
BOS 4-4-4-2 (nice)
CHA 3-4-4-2
CHI 4-4-4-2
CLE 4-4-4-2
DAL 3-4-3-2
DEN 3-3-4-2
DET 3-3-4-2
GSW 4-3-3-2
HOU 2-4-3-2 (yuck)
IND 4-4-3-1 (Paul George?)
LAC 3-3-4-1
LAL 3-3-4-2
MEM 4-3-3-2
MIA 3-4-3-2
MIL 3-4-4-2
MIN 3-3-3-2
NJN 4-4-4-2 (Brook's owners fired up)
NOH 3-3-3-2 (yuck)
NYK 4-3-4-2
OKC 3-4-4-2
ORL 3-4-3-2
PHI 3-4-3-2
PHX 4-4-4-2 (Frye!)
POR 3-4-3-2
SAC 4-4-4-2 (Cisco, Tyreke, Sammy D)
SAN 4-4-3-2
TOR 4-3-4-2
UTA 4-3-3-2 WAS 4-4-4-2 (Jordan. Crawford. And maybe Trevor Booker & Yi Jianlian)
3-Ball, Corner Pocket
Toney Douglas hit nine 3-pointers and 10-of-14 shots for 29 points to help the Knicks crush the Grizzlies, as well as set a franchise record with 20 3-pointers. Douglas has played very well for several weeks, outside of Sunday's 1-of-12 performance against the Pacers. He was money when starting for Chauncey Billups and has been the first guard off the Knicks bench in the three games since Billups returned from his hamstring injury. I think he should be owned in most leagues as long as he continues to get between 25-30 minutes off the bench. Billups played well and should be back in all starting lineups.
For Memphis, Marc Gasol played through his sprained ankle, although we didn't know he would until game time. We scoured the Internet for information on Gasol over the past three days, but there just wasn't much out there. In any case, if he was in your lineup, at least he played, but finished with just seven points, six boards and two blocks. And if he was on your bench, you didn't miss out on much. Go ahead and get him back in your lineup if you need him.
Zach Randolph was quiet with just 14 points and six boards, while Darrell Arthur played well off the bench with 15 points, seven boards and four assists. Guys like Arthur, Tony Allen, Sam Young and O.J. Mayo are constantly on the fantasy fringe, but are just not reliable enough to be considered must-own players.
Bulls Win 8th Straight
The Bulls beat the Nets to win their eighth straight game and somehow got 11 points and a career-high 16 boards from big man Omer Asik, who came off the bench. This obviously wouldn't have happened if Carlos Boozer played, but he missed another game with his ankle injury. He's hoping to play tonight against the Pacers, but remains a game-time decision.
For the Nets, Deron Williams hit just 1-of-12 shots on the night, finishing with 11 assists. He admitted afterward that his wrist is still bothering him, which is not news. His right wrist will be a problem for as long as he keeps playing through the soreness, and owners not only have to worry about his constant poor shooting, but a shutdown as well. And if he is shut down, Jordan Farmar becomes relevant again. Very relevant.
Kris Humphries had another big game with 13 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks, and is now averaging a tidy 16.8 points, 16.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists in March. If I threw those numbers at you and asked you to guess the player they belonged to, my guess is it would take some time for you to come up with Humphries. He doesn't get as much love as guys like Kyle Lowry and Dorell Wright for waiver pickups of the year, but he's right there.
Damion James returned to the lineup from a concussion and took back his starting job from Sasha Vujacic. He hasn't done much with his opportunities this season, and may not ever be worth owning, while Vujacic takes a hit with the demotion.<!--RW-->Blazers Humiliate Cavs 111-70
I was out watching college ball last night and got a text from my buddy Brian that read:
"portland 33
cleveland 4
go oregon"
While we say "this one was over in the first quarter" too often, it was certainly the case tonight. Headlines from this game start with Baron Davis' return from a personal leave, and end with the fact he left early with back issues. Baron had a nice run in January and half of February, but he's been a train wreck the rest of the season. Leave him benched until we get some more information, but healthy or not, Baron remains a top shutdown candidate as well.
Ramon Sessions didn't have an assist last night, but scored 14 points in another start and should be held in all leagues as Baron insurance. Amazingly, this wasn't the worst loss of the year for the Cavs, who actually lost 112-57 to the Lakers in January.
The Blazers put six guys in double figures, led by Gerald Wallace and his 17 points, six boards, six dimes, two steals and two blocks, which is the line his owners have been waiting for. Andre Miller is slumping and averaging 11.6 points and 5.9 assists in March, which are his lowest numbers of the season. I'm not quite sure why he's struggling, but he's no longer a must-start point guard – at least for now.
Brandon Roy played just 14 minutes and had two points, playing the role of human headache for his fantasy owners. But it's tough to blame this one on Roy, as there was no reason for a guy with shaky knees to be wasting his time in such a ridiculous game. He should get more run in the next one, but again, I still think he's more trouble than he's worth in general.
News and Notes
We're still awaiting Andray Blatche's MRI results, but as of Wednesday he couldn't even shoot a ball. It might be time to let go, but I'd still recommend waiting until the MRI results are in. It would not feel good to drop him now and then see him on the court on Sunday against the Nets. But if you feel like you need to drop him for someone hot and healthy, do it.
Channing Frye is 50-50 for tonight's game with his shoulder injury, so stay tuned. My man Paul Coro is always on top of it, so we should have an update on Frye's status in plenty of time.
Andrew Bynum is hinting that his knee is still not right, but he's playing very well and should continue to do so. He's taking anti-inflammatory medication for it, but other than a possible night or two off late, I think you have to plan on sticking with him until further notice.
Danilo Gallinari (broken toe) is expected to play tonight, at least according to his coach. We'll know more after Denver's shootaround.
Andris Biedrins is out for the next week and possibly longer with a severely sprained ankle. Ekpe Udoh is going to be thrust back into the spotlight at center for Golden State, and while I don't think he's worth owning, he commands attention in a starting role. Just keep an eye on him.
Luis Scola practiced on Thursday, which is a huge step in his return to action from a knee injury. My guess is he'll play tonight against the Celtics, so stay tuned.
Andrei Kirilenko missed Thursday's practice due to a sore back, which put the same thought in every owner's head - the clean version being, 'Here we go again.' It's very possible that the banged up Jazz are just trying to keep him healthy, but this is precisely the reason I'm scared to put him in a weekly lineup. He constantly misses games and has trouble staying healthy, but the Jazz are off until Sunday.
Paul Millsap, who has now missed five straight games with his knee injury, actually practiced as well and could play on Sunday. Then again, he might not. Hang onto him through the weekend and hope he can go. If he misses Sunday, it could be time to let go, but the fact he practiced is a huge step in the right direction.
Richard Hamilton is out tonight due to the death of his grandfather, but is hoping to be back on Sunday against the Hawks. Those plans could change, but as of now that sounds like the plan.
We've got a full 12-game slate tonight, in which many fantasy owners will have their immediate future decided. Good luck in making it to the next round in your playoffs.
