Dose: Lowry Hits 7 Treys - 02/20/2012
BY Steve Alexander I received word Sunday that I have press credentials for All-Star Weekend, which should mean plenty of live Tweeting while standing right next to the game’s biggest stars, as well as plenty of war stories from the whirlwind adventure I’m about to embark on. I’m not sure if I’m more excited about the action, or meeting some of the guys in the media I’ve developed relationships with over the last 10 years, yet never met face-to-face. It’s going to be fun and I’m pretty pumped about it. With that said, here’s what’s happening around the league, including another heroic performance from the human TO machine known as Jeremy Lin, and a slew of stunning fantasy lines from Sunday night. Atlanta Week 9/10 3-3 – Tracy McGrady is ticked off about playing time, not that it matters in fantasyland. Josh Smith continues to roll along at an All-Star level, while Zaza Pachulia is now worth a look in most leagues if you’re hurting at center. He’s averaging eight points, eight boards, two steals and a block over his last five games. Jeff Teague has cooled off, but is still worth using in most leagues, especially with three games in Week 9. Joe Johnson’s dealing with knee tendin! itis, but has played through it. Boston 2-4 – Kevin Garnett missed Sunday’s game and is doubtful for Monday, making him unplayable in most weekly leagues. Rajon Rondo got the first ejection of his career for arguing on Sunday, while Chris Wilcox had 14 points and six rebounds in place of Garnett. Deep leaguers need to give Wilcox a look, while Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and possibly Jermaine O’Neal are worth a look in weekly leagues. Charlotte 1-3 – With one game this week the entire Bobcats’ roster should be benched in fantasy, and probably in reality as well. Bismack Biyombo continues to mix in huge lines with small ones, Reggie Williams and Corey Maggette are intriguing, and D.J. Augustin looks like a must-own player. But this team is a mess, and I’m not going to pretend to have them figured out under Paul Silas and Michael Jordan. Chicago 2-4 – Derrick Rose is still iffy for Monday with his back spasms and has now missed five straight, and 10 games on the season. I’m benching him in weekly leagues unless we get better information on Monday. Richard Hamilton remains out with a thigh injury and has missed 11 straight and 12 of his last 13 games. Joakim Noah stumbled with zero points and six rebounds Saturday as his season of inconsistency rolls on. If Rose is out, C.J. Watson should continue to play well for the Bulls. Cleveland 2-4 – Tristan Thompson finally had the breakout we were waiting for with 15 points, 12 boards and three blocks on Sunday, and should continue to play well with Anderson Varejao injured for the Cavs. Ramon Sessions remains relevant off the bench with Anthony Parker and Daniel Gibson gimpy, while Antawn Jamison remains a strong play. Alonzo Gee continues to start at shooting guard due to injuries, and is worth a deep-league flier, depending on options. Kyrie Irving remains a must-start guard in most leagues. Dallas 2-4 – Dirk Nowitzki is officially back and rolling, so get him in your lineup. Jason Terry returned on Sunday and had 13 points and a full stat line, so get him back in your lineup. Roddy Beaubois is likely out until the break, meaning Jason Kidd should be a safe play – especially with Delonte West out indefinitely with a broken finger. Dominique Jones is worth a deep-league look off the bench, while Shawn Marion and Vince Carter are also worth using in many leagues. Denver 3-3 – With three games, Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo are must-starts, while Andre Miller bounced back on Sunday with a strong line. Al Harrington, Timofey Mozgov, and Chris Andersen all played well on Sunday, and Kosta Koufos had a big game, but will be inconsistent now that Mozgov is back and starting again. Wilson Chandler will be in town on Monday to discuss a return to the Nuggets, which should render a hot Corey Brewer useless, eventually. Detroit 2-3 – With two games, Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe, Tayshaun Prince, Ben Gordon and Brandon Knight all deserve consideration. Jason Maxiell and Jonas Jerebko are also worth a look in deep leagues. Golden State 2-4 – Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry blew up on Sunday, while Dorell Wright laid an egg. I still think owners should hang in there with Wright, but if you have a more reliable starter on your bench, make the move. Houston 2-4 – Kyle Lowry (seven 3-pointers, 32 points) and Luis Scola went off on Sunday, while Samuel Dalembert was benched due to missing the team’s walkthrough. This team is a mess and with just two games in All-Star week, Lowry and Scola are the only sure bets in Houston. Indiana 2-2 – The Pacers rolled the Bobcats on Sunday and Darren Collison, Paul George, Danny Granger, David West and Roy Hibbert are all solid options with two games, but you might be able to find a 3-game option that looks better in a weekly league. Clippers 2-4 – Blake Griffin had his first 20-20 game with 22 points and 20 rebounds on Saturday, and could be a sell-high candidate if the free throws are hurting you. Randy Foye had a season-high 21 points in that one, which probably stopped all the talk about dropping him. DeAndre Jordan is still suffering a minutes hit after the arrival of Kenyon Martin, but is still too good to drop, while Caron Butler and Chris Paul remain solid fantasy st! arters. Lakers 3-3 – The Lakers got thumped by the Suns on Sunday, but Kobe Bryant is beasting again for the Lakers. Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are must-starts, but I wouldn’t touch any other Laker in fantasy right now. Gasol is unhappy about ongoing trade rumors, but you have to keep playing him if you own him. Memphis 2-3 – Marreese Speights is feeling it and has played well in seven straight games, and should be owned now in most leagues. Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol are playing like All-Stars, Mike Conley and Tony Allen are solid, and O.J. Mayo had 18 points on Saturday. Zach Randolph probably won’t be back until March from his knee injury, giving some more life to Speig! hts. Miami 2-3 – Chris Bosh has been struggling with his shot, but is still doing enough in scoring and boards to remain a must-start. LeBron James (or Littlebron, as my 4-year-old calls him) is playing like the best player in the league and Dwyane Wade looks to be as healthy as he’s been in some time. Mario Chalmers is also a fantasy option since his hand injury doesn’t appear to be limiting him. As for their teammates, continue to ignore them for now. Milwaukee 2-4 – Ersan Ilyasova was the toast of Milwaukee on Sunday when he exploded for 29 points, a career-high 25 rebounds, two 3-pointers, a steal and a block in a win over the Nets. Brandon Jennings, Ilyasova and Carlos Delfino look like sold two-game options, while Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy have fallen off the face of the earth. Shaun Livingston remains a deep-league options if you’re desperate at shooting guar! d. Minnesota 2-4 – Nikola Pekovic, Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love are probably must-starts despite the two-game week, while Luke Ridnour and Jose Juan Barea are worth a look in deeper leagues. Pekovic is right there for top waiver-wire pickup of the year. New Jersey 2-3 – Deron Williams, Brook Lopez (nine points in 22 minutes Sunday), MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries and Anthony Morrow (inconsistent, but 17 points, two steals and two 3-pointers Sunday) all look like safe plays this week. Mehmet Okur (back injury) becomes an afterthought with the return of Lopez. New Orleans 3-4 – The Hornets play max games over the next two weeks, making Trevor Ariza and Chris Kaman are the only sure bets in fantasy right now, which tells you just how bad they are. Jarrett Jack and Greivis Vasquez are going to split time, but are both decent options, while Marco Belinelli and Gustavo Ayon will be popular additions with the fat schedule over the next two weeks. New York 3-2 – Tyson Chandler injured both his wrists and tailbone on Sunday but X-rays were negative. However, with a game against the Nets on Monday, he’ll be very iffy, possibly turning his three-game week into a two-gamer, or less. J.R. Smith hit 6-of-16 shots and three 3-pointers for 15 points in 30 minutes off the bench Sunday, so that Mike D’Antoni talk about bringing him along slowly was, uh, garbage. Carmelo Anthony may or may not play on Monday, meaning I’ll have him on my bench yet again. Oh, and Jeremy Lin racked up a measly 28 points, four rebounds, 14 assists, five ! steals, a block and three 3-pointers as the world watched them beat Dallas. Yes, he had seven TOs, but should anyone really care about that right now? Steve Nash had seven TOs in his last game, and has racked up four or more in nine straight. And as an FYI, that 2-game week after the All-Star break is going to be a painful one for those of you in weekly leagues. Baron Davis might play Monday, but if a tree falls in the woods… Oklahoma City 3-3 – The Thunder got a career-high 51 from Kevin Durant, 40 from Russell Westbrook (ankle) and a 14-point, 15-rebound, 11-block triple-double from Serge Ibaka in Sunday’s OT win against the Nuggets. Durant and Westbrook ridiculously outscored seven of 20 teams in action on Sunday, by themselves. James Harden is also a must-start with three games, but I’d ignore the rest of the Thunder this week. Orlando 3-3 – Jason Richardson was out on Sunday with chest pains, so J.J. Redick started and had 17 points and five treys. Keep a close eye on J-Rich’s status going forward, and give Redick a look if he’s out. Hedo Turkoglu disappeared on Sunday but had been playing fairly well, so I’d keep him active. Dwight Howard and Ryan Anderson remain must-starts, while Jameer Nelson and Turk are intriguing options with three games during All-Star week. Philadelphia 2-4 – Jrue Holiday woke up with 20 points, five boards, two assists and three steals in Sunday’s loss, and is a decent two-game play for Week 9. Andre Iguodala is a must-start player, while Elton Brand is dealing with a sore thumb that he appeared to aggravate on Sunday. Check back for an update on his status, but my guess is he’s good to go. Nikola Vucevic and Lavoy Allen are worth looks in deep leagues, while Th! addeus Young is an iffy fantasy starter for two games. Phoenix 2-3 – Steve Nash is on an assists roll, Jared Dudley broke out of a funk with 25 points, a steal, two blocks and two 3-pointers on Sunday, while Marcin Gortat continues to beast along. Grant Hill is worth a look in deep leagues, while Channing Frye and Markieff Morris continue to be locked into a deadly timeshare. Portland 2-3 – LaMarcus Aldridge played through his sprained ankle on Saturday, Raymond Felton finally played well, and Nicolas Batum added his name to the buzz list along with Lin, Ilyasova and Isaiah Thomas after averaging 21 points and a ton of goodies over his last five games. Wesley Matthews appears to be the forgotten man, making him an iffy start for two games this week. Sacramento 2-4 – Combo-guard Isaiah Thomas blew up on Sunday for 23 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, a block and three 3-pointers, making himself the pickup of the day in fantasy leagues, along with Ilyasova. He’s starting, and there’s even a chance the Kings could decide to start him at point guard, Marcus Thornton at shooting guard, and Tyreke Evans at small forward. The Kings have two games this week, and I’m rolling the dice on Thomas, Evans, Thornton and DeMarcus Cousins (who is playing through a sore back). Jason Thompson is worth a look in deeper leagues, but I’d think twice before starting him. San Antonio 3-3 – Manu Ginobili is hurt again, but the oblique injury isn’t as bad as initially feared. However, we still don’t know when he’s going to play again. Gary Neal looks like a nice fill-in for three games, while DeJuan Blair should see a boost if Tiago Splitter will miss time with his calf injury. And as you know, Tony Parker is a beast when Manu’s out, so he’s a must-start, along with Tim Duncan. Toronto 1-4 – With just one game in All-Star week, Jose Calderon, James Johnson, Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan are all possibly better served on benches in weekly leagues. And we still don’t know when Linas Kleiza will return fro |
