I Am G-Pain - 01/21/2010
BY Matt Stroup Ankle sprains are only a state of mind.
Or at least that's the impression Gerald Wallace gave off on Wednesday. Two days after what appeared to be his first worrisome injury of the season (oddly timed with some of my league mates' efforts to put a written jinx on him), Wallace arrived at shootaround and issued exactly the declaration fantasy owners wanted to hear: "It would have to be broken for me not to play."
He then went out and not only played, but unleashed a vintage Wallace line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, two threes, two steals and five blocks. In his last four games, the Charlotte wrecking ball has averaged 24.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.0 spg, 3.3 bpg and 1.3 threes while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 90.6 percent from the line. And now that he has fixed his free throw stroke and is hitting threes, I see Wallace - already a top-20 talent - ! as a top-15 player going forward.
(For the record, there are some instances in which the phrase "Assuming he stays healthy" should be presumed even if it's not written. This is one of those instances.)
Here's a look at some of the other key headlines from a 13-game Wednesday:
LOPEZ & LOPEZ, ESQ.
The big story in Phoenix on Wednesday was new Suns starter Robin Lopez taking on twin brother Brook Lopez, and neither one disappointed. Brook went for 26 and 13, and Robin had 20 points, seven rebounds and a block, further solidifying his grip on the starting role while Channing Frye played just 14 minutes again. I still think it's too soon to drop Frye, b! ut it's not too soon to be officially quite worried.
For Phoe nix, Jason Richardson broke out for 26 points off the bench, suggesting that a demotion from the starting five may have been just the motivation he needed. Leandro Barbosa had just nine points in 20 minutes and isn't a trustworthy option whether starting or coming off the bench. Also of note: Amare Stoudemire (27 points) had three blocks for the second time in three games, but I'm still not convinced that's going to become a recurring trend.
For New Jersey, Kris Humphries was solid with nine points, seven re! bounds and a block. Lines like that are more in line with what Humphries will do if he continues to get 25 or so minutes off the bench, which is why he is not a must-own player in 10-team leagues.
Other than Humphries, Lopez and Yi Jianlian (14 points, six rebounds, three assists), the Nets are an absolute mess fantasy-wise. Courtney Lee had a steal and a block but not much else, Chris Douglas-Roberts was awful and Devin Harris had 11 points and seven assists but shot just 4-for-14. If I owned Harris in any leagues, I'd be looking for a sell-high point sometime in the next month. The threat of an! eventual injury-related shutdown looms significantly.
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DELFINO: SPANISH FOR "DOLPHIN"?
Not exactly. But Delfino has displayed the intelligence and underrated athleticism of a dolphin lately, averaging 20.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 spg and 4.3 threes in his last three games. Inconsistency has (and will continue to be) one of his calling cards, but he's well worth owning in most formats right now.
Delfino got the starting nod over Ersan Ilyasova (nine points, five rebounds), and at this point I can understand cutting the inconsistent Ilyasova. Just be prepared for him t! o bounce back, because he always seems to find a way to do so.
WHAT ANKLE PAIN? (PART II)
Despite telling the San Francisco Chronicle that he was in "severe pain" at shootaround, Monta Ellis played all 53 minutes of an overtime loss and had 39 points and 10 assists. If you're concerned about injuries with Ellis, make sure you get a top-15 player in return.
Corey Maggette posted a 33-9-6 line and continues to be a percentage monster, while Andris Biedrins had four points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks as a solid follow-up to his huge game on Monday.
Owners in deeper leagues should note that Devean George (ni ne points, a three, three steals) played a whopping 40 minutes and Chris Hunter had nine points, six rebounds and a block, but neither player will be a factor once Ronny Turiaf and Anthony Morrow are back.
For Denver, Chauncey Billups had what would have been the line of the night on another Wednesday, but his 37-8-8 with six threes somehow nearly gets lost in the shuffle. That 37 points ties a career-high for Billups, who is making up for lost time from his groin injury by averaging 26.3 ppg in his last six games.
CB4 GOES BALLISTIC
Speaking of huge lines nearly get! ting buried, Chris Bosh - not to be outdone by Denver's CB1 (Chauncey Billups) - went berserk for 44 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, sinking most other Raptors' productivity with his huge night. The only Toronto players who really salvaged useful lines were Hedo Turkoglu (13 points, four rebounds, four assists, three treys, two blocks) and Jose Calderon (16 points, four rebounds, five assists in just 21 minutes). I have little doubt that Calderon is ready to put up the stats that owners are looking for, but unfortunately I don't see Jarrett Jack disappearing from the picture.
I already mentioned the most relevant Bucks news (Delfino's eruption), but it's worth adding that Andrew Bogut went off for 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks (he'll do that from time to time), while Brandon Jennings killed an otherwise solid night by shooting 5-for-21 (again, not a surprise). Jerry Stackhouse made a decent Milwaukee debut with three points, five rebounds and four assists, but is only worth adding in deeper leagues at the moment.
SACTO SHAKEDOWN
Sacramento lost to the Hawks by 11 on Wednesday, but owners have to be fairly pleased to see Tyreke Evans score 24 (on 9-for-17 shooting) and Kevin Martin score 23 (on 8-for-18 shooting). Similar shot attempts, similar production. That should work just fine.
Meanwhile, Donte Greene and Jon Brockman joined the starting five, but neither did much (in fact, Greene was awful) and neither should be a consideration outside of deeper leagues.
Omri Casspi (16 points, eight rebounds) and Beno Udrih (eight points, eight assists) both showed signs of life off the bench, but neither is a must-start player in 10-team leagues at this point.
MIAMI MELTDOWN
In case you missed it, the Heat were ghastly last night, losing to Charlotte 104-65. You can write off just about every Miami line in this one, though it is worth noting that Dwyane Wade, playing through a wrist injury, is just 12-for-25 from the free throw line in his last three games after going 22-for-22 in the two games before that.
BETTER HERE THAN IN INDIANA
The Pacers are an absolute mess right now. Yes, Danny Granger bounced back from his 2-for-16 game to score 25, and that should not surprise you. And it's nice to see Earl Watson post 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and six steals, but inconsistency is still a huge issue.
Meanwhile, one game after going for an encouraging 17 and 10, Brandon Rush proved that he's still not ready for prime time by going for four points and virtually nothing else. Don't be surprised to see Dahntay Jones (17 points) or Mike Dunleavy (12 points, two threes, two steals) rejoin the starting five, but neither one is a terrific option.
Making matters worse, a report in the Indianapolis Star indicates that Jim O'Brien is considering sending either Roy Hibbert or Troy Murphy to the bench. Hibbert struggled immensely against Dwight Howard on Wednesday, though that's not necessarily a surprise given Hibbert's penchant for inconsistency and the fact that Dwight was no doubt looking for payback after Hibbert got him for 26, eight and four earlier this month. Fantasy-wise, Murphy would likely respond better to coming off the bench, though it won't be good news for either Hibbert or Murphy if one of them is demoted.
Speaking of Dwight Howard, he went for a season-high 32 points and somehow had four steals and no blocks. Matt Barnes was huge with 10 points, 16 boards, six assists and three steals and looks like a player to sell high right now.
Meanwhile, Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson both struggled, and while I think Nelson should be startable most nights, Carter - who claims to have discovered a mechanical flaw in his jumper - needs to be planted on your bench for now.
TEAMS THAT BEGIN WITH THE LETTER "P"
Naturally, when discussing Portland and Philadelphia, we'll begin by discussing some Positives. For Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge looked good again with 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a block, while Andre Miller continued his recent strong play by scoring 24.
The bad news for Portland: Martell Webster came crashing down after a recent hot streak to shoot just 1-for-9, while Brandon Roy left early and looks likely to miss the next couple of games after aggravating his hamstring injury.
For Philly, Samuel Dalembert came directly off a plane from Haiti and finished with 10 points, 15 boards and a block, and Lou Williams had a solid line (11 points, seven assists, two steals and a three) despite again sitting out the fourth quarter. To repeat: Eventually this situation will work itself out, and while you don't necessarily have to start Williams right now, dropping him would not be wise.
Allen Iverson was ineffective with nine points and four rebounds, and this is just speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him miss a game or two coming up ! due to his arthritic knee.
A SOUND OF THUNDER
Oklahoma City got its 24th win of the season (surpassing last season's win total) behind 31 points from Kevin Durant, but fantasy-wise the more significant note pertains to Jeff Green. Green has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, but has averaged 14.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 0.8 spg, 1.0 bpg and 0.8 threes in his last five games. Statistically speaking, think of him as a higher-octane Marvin Williams.
On the Minnesota side of things, Al Jefferson went for 20 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, Jonny Flynn followed up a 29-point, nine-assist game with a quieter 10 points and eight assists and Ryan Gomes played "bad game" on the "good game, bad game" roulette wheel. None of those occurrences should be a big surprise.
More notable for Minnesota was Corey Brewer's huge line of 25 points, five rebounds, six assists, two threes, five steals and a block to continue a recent trend of excellent play. In his last five games, Brewer has averaged 18.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.0 bpg and 2.0 threes. This looks like a solid sell-high point on Brewer, but I can also understand the logic behind sticking with him given the undeniable potential here.
Meanwhile, Kevin Love missed a ! second straight game due to strep throat. No word yet if he'll be available on Friday.
CHURNING PISTONS
The Pistons have now won four out of five after Rodney Stuckey (27-11-6) led the way in a win over Boston. Statistically, Stuckey is like Derrick Rose plus steals, minus some field goal percentage. Fantasy-wise, it's truly a shame that neither one of them hits threes.
Richard Hamilton returned from a one-game absence due to illness and posted 12 points, four rebounds and eight assists, while Ben Wallace returned to his scoring norm (six points), ! but added 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. With Hamilton back, Austin Daye returned to the bench but still had nine points, eight rebounds, a three, a steal and a block in 25 minutes. Jonas Jerebko didn't do much for a third straight game, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him lose his starting job when Tayshaun Prince returns this weekend.
JAZZ 4, SPURS 0
The Jazz beat the Spurs for the fourth and final time this regular season behind 31 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks from Mr. Contract Year, Carlos Boozer, who could end up staying in Utah beyond the trade deadline with the Jazz suddenly having won six of eight. Also beastly for th! e Jazz was Andrei Kirilenko (26 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block), but you just can't trust him for strong production consistently.
On a slightly disconcerting Utah note, Deron Williams (18 points, 10 assists) says his wrist is still bothering him, but the good news is that Utah plays just one time in the next four days.
For the Spurs, Manu Ginobili was big off the bench (22 points, five rebounds, eight assists) and has averaged 6.7 assists in his last six games despite some erratic scoring lately. Tony Parker had 20 points, but continues to deal with heel trouble, making him ! someone owners should consider shopping.
Starting center DeJuan Blair was solid but unspectacular with four points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, while Richard Jefferson returned to score 12 points but failed to get his starting job back from George Hill (16 points), who has become an intriguing waiver wire option, particularly in deeper leagues.
THE MEMPHIS FAB FIVE
Memphis has one of the most balanced starting fives in the league, so it should come as no surprise that Mike Conley (15 points, two threes, three steals), O.J. Mayo (15 points, eig! ht assists), Marc Gasol (15 points, two steals, four blocks), Rudy Gay (26 points) and Zach Randolph (25 points, 12 rebounds) can all post useful fantasy lines on the same night.
For the Hornets, Chris Paul went without a steal for the second straight game, but I think we're nitpicking considering that he had 21 points, six rebounds and 13 assists. Marcus Thornton scored 12 to extend his double-figures streak to seven games. Thornton has averaged 12.9 ppg and 1.7 threes during that stretch, making him a u! seful option in deeper leagues.
THAT PESKY TOE< br/>
The biggest headline from the Clippers' win over the Bulls was Eric Gordon leaving early with a toe injury. There's no word yet on the severity, but toe injuries can linger, so we're going to have to watch this one closely and hope it's not serious. If Gordon's out, Ricky Davis (eight points, seven rebounds, six assists) and Al Thornton (17 points) would be the main beneficiaries, but neither is a very exciting option in 10-14 team leagues.
Did I mention that Marcus Camby had 25 rebounds, three steals and two blocks? I certainly can't argue with the notion of selling high given his track re! cord with injuries, but I will repeat myself for what feels like the hundredth time on the Camby front: Don't confuse selling short with selling high. If you're dealing Camby, you need to get a big return.
As for the Bulls, John Salmons was out with the flu, Derrick Rose was huge, the good Tyrus Thomas showed up and Kirk Hinrich shot a wretched 3-for-14. As for Thomas, I can understand not wanting to deal with his inconsistency, but lines like Wednesday remind us why he still needs to be owned in most leagues.
ONE POINT? NO PROBLEM
Dallas is remarkably now 9-0 in its! last nine one-point games, with the notable fantasy developments from a win over Washington being Josh Howard sitting out with an illness and Drew Gooden posting 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in just 22 minutes off the bench. Starter Erick Dampier had just six points and four rebounds, and while this is still a platoon, Gooden is a sneaky deep-league option despite coming off the bench.
Speaking of sneaky, Mike Miller had eight points, four assists and two threes on just 3-for-5 shooting and needs to be more selfish. Antawn Jamison had an ! off night, but Randy Foye was large again with 26 points and Brendan Haywood had 13 and 18. Caron Butler shot just 7-for-20 on his way to 20 points and 10 rebounds, but the encouraging note here is that he got 20 shot attempts. The outlook quietly continues to trend upward for Tough Juice.
TONIGHT
Two games on the schedule: Lakers at Cavs, where the surprise news from Thursday morning is that Mo Williams is expected to sit due to a shoulder sprain, making Delonte West an intriguing sh! ort-term option. The late tipoff features Clippers at Nuggets, a game that threatens to get ugly with the Clips playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road in high altitude, possibly sans Eric Gordon. Nevertheless, look for Marcus Camby to wreak some big-time havoc against his former team even though the Clips will probably lose by about 18. |
