Monday, January 23, 2012

Rotoworld.com Basketball Daily Dose

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Monday's Dose: Dirk Shutdown - 01/23/2012
BY Steve Alexander

LATEST FANTASY BASKETBALL HEADLINES
  • D.J. Augustin (toe) out at least three days   
  • Dwyane Wade out again on Sunday   
  • Pierce erupts for 34-8-10 line   
  • Bargnani (calf) will not play Sunday   
  • Allen sprains ankle, will try to play Monday   
  • Paul ruled out, Butler to play Sunday   
  • Livingston starts again, Bucks win again   
  • Injuries are the story of the season thus far, as stars like Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Stephen Curry, Rajon Rondo, Manu Ginobili, Eric Gordon and Gerald Wallace have all missed games this se! ason.  There is plenty to talk about with those guys, but we’ll save that until the end of the column.  Here are 15 stories to think about heading into Week 5.

     

    1. Dirk Nowitzki Shut Down Until Sunday

     

    I said I’d wait until the end to hit the injury report, but Nowitzki’s surprising shutdown is worthy of top billing for Monday’s Dose.  He’s dealing with a sore knee, but the bigger issue seems to be his conditioning.  I’m guessing the Mavs will run him during his rest period in hopes of getting him back into shape.  His numbers have been hugely disappointing, but his trade value is just too low right now to move him in fantasy leagues.  He should be back on Sunday, so get him benched in weekly leagues.  Expect Shawn Marion to have a big week in his absence, while Lamar Odom, who had a season-high 16 points on Saturday, could also be worth a flier with Dirk out for the next three games.  

     

    2. The Magic Play Five Games in Week 5

     

    The Magic play five times this week, meaning Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson are must-starts, while Jameer Nelson, Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, J.J. Redick and Glen Davis are all worth a look in weekly lineup leagues without game limits.  Turkoglu missed Wednesday and Friday’s game with back s! pasms, but could be back for all five of this week’s games.  His status for Monday’s game at Boston is up in the air, but I’m thinking he should be in starting lineups this week after the time off.

     

    The Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Lakers, Thunder, Kings and Jazz play three games, and all other teams go four times in Week 5.

     

    3. The James Johnson Saga

     

    New Raptors starter Johnson blew up on Friday for a career-high 23 points to go along with six rebounds, two assists, two steals, four blocks and a 3-pointer, and backed it up with seven points, two rebounds, two assists, two steals, three blocks and a 3-pointer on Sunday.  Scoring will be an issue, as will be inconsistency, but the Raptors play four times this week, and Johnson could put up a lot of steals, blocks and threes – which are fantasy gold.  Linas Kleiza had 16 points and two 3-pointers, and could overtake Johnson as the starting small forward at some point, but rolling the dice on JJ could pay big dividends this week.  Do you feel lucky?  Leandro Barbosa had 19 points and three 3-pointers on Sunday, and has hit double figures in eight of his last nine games.  I&r! squo;m rolling him out in some leagues this week, and you should too.

     

    4. Rise Of Bismack Biyombo

     

    Do I trust rookie Bismack Biyombo?  Absolutely not.  But the fact remains he had 11 points, seven boards, two steals and four blocks on Sunday, and 11 points, 12 boards and four blocks on Tuesday.  The Bobcats will use him primarily as a backup center for now, but he’s playing well enough to be picked up in deeper leagues.  He had just four points in 11 minutes on Saturday, but is coming on. 

     

    5. DeAndre Jordan Has Become A Force

     

    Jordan had 16 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks on Sunday and looks like a must-start player going forward.  Jordan has been a bit of a mess thus far, scoring 4, 12, 2, 19, 2 and 16 points in his last six games, but has also racked up more than 10 rebounds per game over that stretch, along with 21 blocks in his last seven games.  The Clips play just three times this week, but Jordan should be able to help you win boards and blocks for the week, despite the limited schedule.

     

    6. Paul Pierce Is Back

     

    Pierce’s heel injury appears to be behind him and he had 34 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists and three steals on Sunday.  He was pretty bad to start the season, but is clearly back.  Get him in your lineup.

     

    7. Ricky Rubio Is Having Fun

     

    I was offered Danny Granger for Ricky Rubio in one league, but am not taking the bait.  I was really down on Rubio coming into the season, but he’s exceeded everyone’s expectations thus far.  He’s averaging 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.4 steals and nearly a 3-pointer per game, and is shooting 40 percent from the floor.  He hit just 5-of-30 shots in a terrible three-game stretch recently, but broke out of the funk with 5-of-12 hits on Saturday.  Despite the shooting concerns, he’s racked up 30 steals in his last eight games, along with a healthy dose of assists, rebounds, points and threes, and should be in all starting lineups until further notice.  My head tells me to trade him for Granger, but my heart won’t let me do it.  

     

    8. Samuel Dalembert Is Rolling

     

    Dalembert is averaging 16 points, 10 rebounds and more than two blocks per game over his last four games and has been playing very well in his last six.  The Rockets play four times a week from here until the All-Star break, and Dalembert has reached must-start status until further notice.  The Rockets’ first 3-game week won’t happen until the week of March 25th.  

     

    9. Al Harrington Loves George Karl

     

    Al Harrington torched the Knicks, his former team, for 24 points, 11 rebounds and four threes, just a night after gutting the Wizards for 29 points, seven boards and five 3-pointers.  He’s averaging 15.5 points, nearly six boards, nearly two 3-pointers and over a steal per game on the season despite coming off the Nuggets bench.  If he’s available in your league, pick him up.

     

    10. Tiago Splitter Is Worth A Look

     

    Tiago Splitter started in place of Tim Duncan on Saturday, as Duncan was simply given a rest due to the Spurs playing four games in five nights.  Splitter responded with 25 points and 10 boards on 11-of-13 shooting, and has scored in double digits in three straight games.  He’s not a must-own player at this point, but should be watched closely from here on out.

     

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    11. Danilo Gallinari Abuses Knicks

     

    Gallinari is balling after a slow start and torched the Knicks, his former team, for a career-high 37 points to go along with 11 rebounds on Saturday.  He should have a big year the rest of the way for the Nuggets and should be in all starting lineups going forward.

     

    12. Richard Hamilton Ready To Rock

     

    Rip Hamilton had 20 points on Saturday and has quietly scored in double figures in every game he’s played in this year, except for the first one of the season, when he scored just six points.  He’s not doing much outside of scoring, but is getting over his groin injury and should continue to get better from here on out.  If he’s available in your league, grab him.  The Bulls play four times in each of the next three weeks.

     

    13. Dorell Wright Gaining Confidence

     

    Wright had 18 points, five boards and four 3-pointers on Friday, and is averaging 14.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 3-pointers over his last six games.  His season got off to a shaky start, but the confidence is coming back and he should be owned in all leagues.  The Warriors only play three times in each of the next three weeks, so weigh your options carefully when setting lineups.  The Warriors’ schedule of the second half is great, so trading for Wright, or other Warriors, in the next couple weeks makes a lot of sense.

     

    14. Anthony Morrow Could Be Ready For A Run

     

    Morrow had a couple real bad games last week, but has hit double figures in eight of his last 10 games and had 19 points, five boards and three 3-pointers on Sunday.  He’s coming off the bench for the Nets, but with Damion James out indefinitely after more foot surgery, Morrow should get a lot of minutes.  And while we’re talking about the Nets, MarShon Brooks scored 20 points again on Sunday, and should be owned in all leagues.

     

    Bonus: Shaun Livingston played 39 minutes in another start on Sunday (Stephen Jackson off the bench), scoring 10 points (3-of-7 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs) with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and three turnovers. The Bucks have won two straight since Scott Skiles gave Livingston a major role as a starter, so he might not go back to the bench for at least a couple more games.  Injuries are a big concern and with Jackson and Mike Dunleavy back in action, it should only be a matter of time before he's back on the bench.  Just keep an eye on Livingston. 

     

    15. Injury Report

     

    Here we go.

     

    Dirk Nowitzki – knee – Shut down until Sunday.  Bench him, and give Lamar Odom a look.

    Dwyane Wade – ankle – Sat again on Sunday and there’s no word on when he’ll play.  Bench for now.

    Chris Paul – hamstring – Appears close to a return, but only 3 games.  Start him at your own risk.

    Derrick Rose – toe – Feels close and Bulls have 4 games.  Think about starting him, despite risk.

    Carmelo Anthony – wrist – Played through it on Saturday, but iffy for next couple games.

    Stephen Curry – ankle – Struggled on Friday, but appears to be good to go – for now.

    Eric Gordon – knee – Click on his name for a cryptic blurb.  I’d bench him for now.

    Roy Hibbert – nose – Broke nose Sunday, but played well in spite of it.  Start him.

    Andrea Bargnani – calf – Has missed 6 straight, but I’m guessing he’s back Tuesday.

    Spencer Hawes – achilles – Game-time decision for Monday, and I’m leaning toward starting him.

    Tim Duncan – rest – Should be fine for this week and Spurs play four games.

    Rajon Rondo – wrist – He’s missed two straight, but could return Monday vs. Magic.

    Joakim Noah – ankle – Missed Saturday’s game, iffy for Monday.  My guess is he’ll play.

    Luol Deng – wrist – Injured in Saturday’s game, but guessing he plays on Monday.

    Gerald Wallace – finger – Missed Saturday’s game but could play against Sacto on Monday.

    Ray Allen – ankle – Not much swelling, sounds likely to give it a go on Monday.

    Hedo Turkoglu – back spasms – Missed Friday, worth roll of dice with 5 games.

    Arron Afflalo – groin – Sounds likely for Wednesday, but Nuggets only have three games.

    Marcus Thornton – thigh – Left his last game with injury, just 3 games this week.  Bench him.

    D.J. Augustin – foot – Will miss at least three more days, so best to bench him.  

    Rodney Stuckey – groin – Had 28 on Saturday, but says groin will nag him all year.  I’d play him.

    Nikola Vucevic – quad – Doubtful for Monday, useless if Hawes is back anyway.

    Kirk Hinrich – shoulder – Should be back sometime this week, but not a great fantasy option.

    Tristan Thompson – ankle – Scored 16 on Saturday, X-rays negative.  Too inconsistent to start right now.

    Rudy Fernandez – achilles – Andre Miller is a nice play for as long as Rudy is out.

    Ben Gordon – shoulder – No word on his status for Week 5, but I’m guessing he plays.

    Daniel Gibson – personal – Guessing he’s back in action this week.

    Baron Davis – back – Could be starting for Knicks by the end of week.  Pick him up.

    Manu Ginobili – hand – Still looking at mid-February, but might be time to grab him.

    Brook Lopez – foot – Targeting mid-February, probably time to grab him.

    Zach Randolph – knee – Also targeting mid-February, so time to think about grabbing him.

    Vince Carter – foot – Iffy for Monday, I’d bench him until you see him play.

    Jose Juan Barea – ankle – Sat out over the weekend, not worth starting him in fantasy.

    Michael Beasley – foot – Was out over the weekend, role unknown when he returns.

    Iman Shumpert – cramps – I think he’s fine and worth starting with 4 games until All-Star break.

    Markieff Morris – flu – Should be ready to start in 4 games this week.  Weigh options carefully.

    John Salmons – flu – Iffy for Monday, Francisco Garcia will play well if Salmons is out.

    Chuck Hayes – shoulder – Due back in about a week, and worth a pickup if you need a big man.

    Josh Howard – quad – Was out again on Saturday, don’t use him until you see him on the court.

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