Fantasy related but good info....
Warrick A Psychic Friend
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Psychic Friend
Hakim Warrick blew up for 20 points and seven boards by halftime in a start for Channing Frye and the Suns, finishing with a career-high 32 points, eight boards, four assists and two steals on 14-of-19 shooting. He was the hot pickup last night and he should be owned in all leagues going forward. He could start the rest of the way and the Suns have a nice fantasy schedule. Go get him.
Vince Carter finally woke up over the last two games, scoring 61 points in them. He had 32 points, six boards, three assists, three steals and five more 3-pointers on Tuesday, and he appears to be out of the funk. Pick him up if he was dumped in your league.
Baby Spanx
Deron Williams is going to miss a couple games due to the birth of his child, which means it's time for me to get back on my soapbox on this issue. I have never missed a day of work at Rotoworld due to illness, or the birth of three kids, in my nine or so years of doing this. And trust me when I say I make peanuts compared to NBA players. I'm willing to give Williams a pass as he really needs to rest his wrists anyway, but missing one game should be the max a player is allowed to miss for a birth, as long as there are no problems. Part of the deal with being paid X-amount of millions a year is you are expected to be at work at least 82 times a year. It just really annoys me when these guys take multiple games off for the birth of a child, and it royally hoses fantasy owners – especially with Williams now going from a two-game week to a zero-game week. Jordan Farmar will start in his absence and makes for a nice pick-and-play this week.
Love For Love
Kevin Love had an MRI on his swollen left knee, but the results were thankfully of the good variety. He's day-to-day and iffy for Wednesday, but hopefully he'll give it a go to keep his streak of 51 straight double-doubles alive. Anthony Randolph will benefit if Love misses time, but also missed Tuesday's practice due to an illness. We should have more updates on Wednesday.
Bobcats Back In Action
Stephen Jackson and Tyrus Thomas will return from their injuries on Wednesday and both players are probably worth getting into lineups tonight. D.J. Augustin tweaked an ankle in practice, but early word is that he's expected to play tonight. I sure hope he does, for personal reasons (aka my fantasy playoffs). If Tyrus is still available in your league, try to figure out someone to drop for him if you need boards, blocks and steals.
Blatche's Shoulder Injury and a Hot Crawford
Andray Blatche suffered a strained right shoulder early on Tuesday and didn't return. Trevor Booker had eight points and eight rebounds and could emerge as a nice play if Blatche is out, but as of midnight, we don't know the severity of Blatche's injury. We do know he'll have an MRI on the shoulder, so stay tuned for updates on Wednesday.
Jordan Crawford scored a career-high 22 points last night on 9-of-17 shooting with four boards, three assists, two steals and a 3-pointer in 27 minutes off the bench. The Wizards, who were without Josh Howard, Rashard Lewis and Cartier Martin (all knee issues), might be ready to turn the kids loose, so Crawford looks like a guy worth adding in most leagues after his big night. Just expect inconsistency from him, and feel free to drop Lewis and Howard, who are both shutdown candidates. In fact, I can't believe Lewis hasn't already been shut down for the year. I mean, what's the point?
JaVale McGee nearly double-doubled with nine points, 13 boards and a block. Yes, he's frustrating to own due to his ridiculous inconsistency, but you risk having to face him and his blocks in the playoffs if you cut him, so try to hang in there.
Scola's Streak Ends
Luis Scola missed Tuesday's loss to the Suns with a left knee injury, which is his first missed game in the NBA, ending his streak at 311. He warmed up and tried to play, but couldn't go, so consider him day-to-day. Jordan Hill started and scored nine points, but it was Patrick Patterson, who hit 9-of-12 shots for 18 points, five boards and three steals, that looked like the better fill-in for Scola. However, I don't think Scola will be out much longer, if at all.
Roy Goes Back-to-Back, Wallace Arrives
Brandon Roy actually played in the second of a back-to-back, logging 24 minutes and scoring 14 points. The problem is he did nothing else, and I still am not a fan of owning him, as another setback seems likely. Maybe in a deep league he's worth holding, but he looks like more of a headache than anything else to me at this point.
Gerald Wallace finally got hot for the Blazers and finished Tuesday's tough win over the Heat with 22 points, nine boards, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer on 8-of-14 shooting. I'm not sure why he's not yet starting, but this could be the game Nate McMillan's been waiting for to make it happen.
Marcus Camby stunk it up again with three points, eight boards and one block in 20 minutes on 1-of-6 shooting. He's another cuttable player if you have other options at center, although it's possible that he finally turns it on once you let him go. Would I drop him for Warrick? Yeah, I probably would.
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Kings Dinged Up
Samuel Dalembert (knee) and Marcus Thornton (back) both missed Tuesday's practice for the Kings, while Jason Thompson left early because of a sore ankle. All of them could play on Wednesday, but none are guaranteed to go. Thornton sitting out would be a major buzz kill, so watch for news on Wednesday.
Kobe Passes Moses
Kobe Bryant scored 26 points to pass Moses Malone for No. 6 on the all-time scoring list as the Lakers cruised past the Hawks Tuesday night. With Kevin Love ready to break Malone's record for consecutive double-doubles (they're currently tied at 51), it's been a bad week for Moses.
Super Friends Struggling, But Not In Fantasy
Dwyane Wade hit 12-of-21 shots for 38 points and a full stat line, while LeBron James scored 31 and just missed a triple-double as the Heat fell to the Blazers for their fifth straight loss. Chris Bosh was just 3-of-11 for seven points, and while we don't know who was crying after the Heat's fourth straight loss, it's possible Bosh was in tears after this one. Two more losses for the Heat and they'll finish with a worse regular-season record than the Cavs had last year, but at least LeBron gets to play with his best pal. While they could easily win it all, I can't help but wonder whether LeBron really thinks it was worth it when all is said and done. Mike Miller hit just 1-of-7 shots and is going to be dropped in a lot of leagues. And with so many hot free agents emerging over the last few weeks, it makes sense.
Bogut Is Back
Andrew Bogut returned to action in a big way on Tuesday with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, as the Bucks continue to make a push for the playoffs. Carlos Delfino was also solid, while Luc Richard Mbah a Moute disappeared again, and Larry Sanders went back to a worthless bench role. Cutting either one, or Corey Maggette, for Hakim Warrick is a good idea.
Young Blood
Thaddeus Young scored 18 points again with nine rebounds and two steals, and is worth owning in most leagues, despite coming off the bench for the Sixers.
A Cold Crawford
Jamal Crawford's slump for Atlanta continued as he was just 2-of-8 for nine points. He's another guy struggling badly enough that he can be dropped for a guy like Jordan Crawford or Warrick.
Pacers' Ship Be Sinkin'
Tyler Hansbrough was about the only Pacer who played with any heart on Tuesday, finishing with 26 points, six boards and three steals on 9-of-14 shooting off the bench. Darren Collison was awful, with just 10 points and one assist, while Danny Granger owners are ticked off again after he hit just 4-of-11 shots for 11 points. The Pacers are a mess and while Hansbrough is probably worth owning, I doubt he does anything like this consistently. Collison is being dropped in fantasy leagues due to his poor play, but I still have a feeling he'll get it turned around. And as frustrating as it is to own Granger right now, you can't drop him.
Cavs Rotation
Samardo Samuels started again for the Cavs and had 11 points and nine boards on 5-of-14 shooting. He's not exactly killing it right now, but still deserves to be owned in most leagues. Especially given that J.J. Hickson suffered a dislocated pinkie finger that could be very painful. The good news is it's not broken and he isn't expected to miss any time. We should know more on Wednesday, but the fact he returned late in the game is a good sign.
Daniel Gibson quietly returned from his quad injury, but had just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. Ramon Sessions is a popular drop right now with the emergence of Baron Davis, who had another big line with 19 points, five boards, six assists, three steals, a block and two 3-pointers on 7-of-14 shooting. He should be starting over Sessions any day now, but is still a candidate to be injured again at some point. If you want to drop Sessions for Jordan Crawford or Hakim Warrick, go for it.
DoW Slumping
Dorell Wright's struggles continued for the Warriors, as he hit just 3-of-9 shots for seven points. I don't know what his deal is, but he's slumping badly. He's still starting and will get it turned around, so I'm hesitant to suggest cutting him. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry both absolutely went off last night, and I haven't heard much complaining from Curry's owners lately.
R.E.M.
On a music side note, R.E.M.'s new record, Collapse Into Now, was released on Tuesday and is easily the best thing they've done since Automatic For The People. If you got out of the R.E.M. scene in the last 10 years, get back in with this one.
Warrick A Psychic Friend
If you are interested in following the Rotoworld Hoops team on Twitter, or are looking for the best guys to follow for baseball, football, golf or hockey, just click on 'Home' in the upper left corner of this page and then scroll to the bottom. We're all listed there, as well as the main feed for each sport, while links to all the NBC Sports blogs are there too. Just do it.
I'll be live chatting hoops for Season Pass Subscribers here today at 4 p.m. See you then.
Psychic Friend
Hakim Warrick blew up for 20 points and seven boards by halftime in a start for Channing Frye and the Suns, finishing with a career-high 32 points, eight boards, four assists and two steals on 14-of-19 shooting. He was the hot pickup last night and he should be owned in all leagues going forward. He could start the rest of the way and the Suns have a nice fantasy schedule. Go get him.
Vince Carter finally woke up over the last two games, scoring 61 points in them. He had 32 points, six boards, three assists, three steals and five more 3-pointers on Tuesday, and he appears to be out of the funk. Pick him up if he was dumped in your league.
Baby Spanx
Deron Williams is going to miss a couple games due to the birth of his child, which means it's time for me to get back on my soapbox on this issue. I have never missed a day of work at Rotoworld due to illness, or the birth of three kids, in my nine or so years of doing this. And trust me when I say I make peanuts compared to NBA players. I'm willing to give Williams a pass as he really needs to rest his wrists anyway, but missing one game should be the max a player is allowed to miss for a birth, as long as there are no problems. Part of the deal with being paid X-amount of millions a year is you are expected to be at work at least 82 times a year. It just really annoys me when these guys take multiple games off for the birth of a child, and it royally hoses fantasy owners – especially with Williams now going from a two-game week to a zero-game week. Jordan Farmar will start in his absence and makes for a nice pick-and-play this week.
Love For Love
Kevin Love had an MRI on his swollen left knee, but the results were thankfully of the good variety. He's day-to-day and iffy for Wednesday, but hopefully he'll give it a go to keep his streak of 51 straight double-doubles alive. Anthony Randolph will benefit if Love misses time, but also missed Tuesday's practice due to an illness. We should have more updates on Wednesday.
Bobcats Back In Action
Stephen Jackson and Tyrus Thomas will return from their injuries on Wednesday and both players are probably worth getting into lineups tonight. D.J. Augustin tweaked an ankle in practice, but early word is that he's expected to play tonight. I sure hope he does, for personal reasons (aka my fantasy playoffs). If Tyrus is still available in your league, try to figure out someone to drop for him if you need boards, blocks and steals.
Blatche's Shoulder Injury and a Hot Crawford
Andray Blatche suffered a strained right shoulder early on Tuesday and didn't return. Trevor Booker had eight points and eight rebounds and could emerge as a nice play if Blatche is out, but as of midnight, we don't know the severity of Blatche's injury. We do know he'll have an MRI on the shoulder, so stay tuned for updates on Wednesday.
Jordan Crawford scored a career-high 22 points last night on 9-of-17 shooting with four boards, three assists, two steals and a 3-pointer in 27 minutes off the bench. The Wizards, who were without Josh Howard, Rashard Lewis and Cartier Martin (all knee issues), might be ready to turn the kids loose, so Crawford looks like a guy worth adding in most leagues after his big night. Just expect inconsistency from him, and feel free to drop Lewis and Howard, who are both shutdown candidates. In fact, I can't believe Lewis hasn't already been shut down for the year. I mean, what's the point?
JaVale McGee nearly double-doubled with nine points, 13 boards and a block. Yes, he's frustrating to own due to his ridiculous inconsistency, but you risk having to face him and his blocks in the playoffs if you cut him, so try to hang in there.
Scola's Streak Ends
Luis Scola missed Tuesday's loss to the Suns with a left knee injury, which is his first missed game in the NBA, ending his streak at 311. He warmed up and tried to play, but couldn't go, so consider him day-to-day. Jordan Hill started and scored nine points, but it was Patrick Patterson, who hit 9-of-12 shots for 18 points, five boards and three steals, that looked like the better fill-in for Scola. However, I don't think Scola will be out much longer, if at all.
Roy Goes Back-to-Back, Wallace Arrives
Brandon Roy actually played in the second of a back-to-back, logging 24 minutes and scoring 14 points. The problem is he did nothing else, and I still am not a fan of owning him, as another setback seems likely. Maybe in a deep league he's worth holding, but he looks like more of a headache than anything else to me at this point.
Gerald Wallace finally got hot for the Blazers and finished Tuesday's tough win over the Heat with 22 points, nine boards, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer on 8-of-14 shooting. I'm not sure why he's not yet starting, but this could be the game Nate McMillan's been waiting for to make it happen.
Marcus Camby stunk it up again with three points, eight boards and one block in 20 minutes on 1-of-6 shooting. He's another cuttable player if you have other options at center, although it's possible that he finally turns it on once you let him go. Would I drop him for Warrick? Yeah, I probably would.
<!--RW-->
Kings Dinged Up
Samuel Dalembert (knee) and Marcus Thornton (back) both missed Tuesday's practice for the Kings, while Jason Thompson left early because of a sore ankle. All of them could play on Wednesday, but none are guaranteed to go. Thornton sitting out would be a major buzz kill, so watch for news on Wednesday.
Kobe Passes Moses
Kobe Bryant scored 26 points to pass Moses Malone for No. 6 on the all-time scoring list as the Lakers cruised past the Hawks Tuesday night. With Kevin Love ready to break Malone's record for consecutive double-doubles (they're currently tied at 51), it's been a bad week for Moses.
Super Friends Struggling, But Not In Fantasy
Dwyane Wade hit 12-of-21 shots for 38 points and a full stat line, while LeBron James scored 31 and just missed a triple-double as the Heat fell to the Blazers for their fifth straight loss. Chris Bosh was just 3-of-11 for seven points, and while we don't know who was crying after the Heat's fourth straight loss, it's possible Bosh was in tears after this one. Two more losses for the Heat and they'll finish with a worse regular-season record than the Cavs had last year, but at least LeBron gets to play with his best pal. While they could easily win it all, I can't help but wonder whether LeBron really thinks it was worth it when all is said and done. Mike Miller hit just 1-of-7 shots and is going to be dropped in a lot of leagues. And with so many hot free agents emerging over the last few weeks, it makes sense.
Bogut Is Back
Andrew Bogut returned to action in a big way on Tuesday with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, as the Bucks continue to make a push for the playoffs. Carlos Delfino was also solid, while Luc Richard Mbah a Moute disappeared again, and Larry Sanders went back to a worthless bench role. Cutting either one, or Corey Maggette, for Hakim Warrick is a good idea.
Young Blood
Thaddeus Young scored 18 points again with nine rebounds and two steals, and is worth owning in most leagues, despite coming off the bench for the Sixers.
A Cold Crawford
Jamal Crawford's slump for Atlanta continued as he was just 2-of-8 for nine points. He's another guy struggling badly enough that he can be dropped for a guy like Jordan Crawford or Warrick.
Pacers' Ship Be Sinkin'
Tyler Hansbrough was about the only Pacer who played with any heart on Tuesday, finishing with 26 points, six boards and three steals on 9-of-14 shooting off the bench. Darren Collison was awful, with just 10 points and one assist, while Danny Granger owners are ticked off again after he hit just 4-of-11 shots for 11 points. The Pacers are a mess and while Hansbrough is probably worth owning, I doubt he does anything like this consistently. Collison is being dropped in fantasy leagues due to his poor play, but I still have a feeling he'll get it turned around. And as frustrating as it is to own Granger right now, you can't drop him.
Cavs Rotation
Samardo Samuels started again for the Cavs and had 11 points and nine boards on 5-of-14 shooting. He's not exactly killing it right now, but still deserves to be owned in most leagues. Especially given that J.J. Hickson suffered a dislocated pinkie finger that could be very painful. The good news is it's not broken and he isn't expected to miss any time. We should know more on Wednesday, but the fact he returned late in the game is a good sign.
Daniel Gibson quietly returned from his quad injury, but had just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. Ramon Sessions is a popular drop right now with the emergence of Baron Davis, who had another big line with 19 points, five boards, six assists, three steals, a block and two 3-pointers on 7-of-14 shooting. He should be starting over Sessions any day now, but is still a candidate to be injured again at some point. If you want to drop Sessions for Jordan Crawford or Hakim Warrick, go for it.
DoW Slumping
Dorell Wright's struggles continued for the Warriors, as he hit just 3-of-9 shots for seven points. I don't know what his deal is, but he's slumping badly. He's still starting and will get it turned around, so I'm hesitant to suggest cutting him. Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry both absolutely went off last night, and I haven't heard much complaining from Curry's owners lately.
R.E.M.
On a music side note, R.E.M.'s new record, Collapse Into Now, was released on Tuesday and is easily the best thing they've done since Automatic For The People. If you got out of the R.E.M. scene in the last 10 years, get back in with this one.
