NBA Silly Season Surprise DNPs - 04/17/2012
BY Steve Alexander The DNPs were all over the board in Monday’s 11-game night and Dose will attempt to break it all down. But this is the NBA’s ‘silly season,’ and trying to predict who is going to play from night to night is not an enviable task. Here’s what we know. The DNPs Heat Dwyane Wade, as usual, was rested on the second night of a back-to-back for the Heat on Monday, and given the dogs the Heat play (Raptors, Wizards, Wizards) in three of their six remaining games, he could easily sit out three more. He was a risky start coming into the week, and remains so going forward. LeBron James played through an ankle injury on Monday and went off for 37 points and a full stat line, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him get a night or two off in order to rest his ankle and body. But if you started him in a weekly league, so far, so good. Chris Bosh added 22 points and 15 boards, and appears to be fully healthy. Mario Chalmers was awful in 23 minutes (rest), but should be better on most nights. I started him this week due to his favorable schedule and probable playing time, and am not panicking just yet. Nets Deron Williams sat out last night with a calf injury and with just four games left, the shutdown we’ve been worried about all year might finally be here. And it came out of nowhere, as the Nets don’t even have a back-to-back to worry about. Sundiata Gaines got the start at point guard and had 11 points, seven assists, two steals and a 3-pointer. If Williams is done, Gaines looks like the pickup. Gerald Wallace was held out again with his hamstring injury and has missed four in a row. He’s going to be re-evaluated on Tuesday when a decision will likely be made about whether he’ll play again this year. My guess is he’s done. MarShon Brooks, Gerald Green and Kris Humphries were all big in this one, and should see plenty of minutes going forward. Jordan Williams started and came in hot, but laid an egg with two points and four boards in 32 minutes. He should bounce back. Bulls Derrick Rose was a late scratch on Monday in order to rest his foot, but he is traveling with the team and could play on Wednesday. Then again, they play the Bobcats in that one, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see C.J. Watson get another start. Watson had 17 points, eight dimes and three 3-pointers on Monday, and remains a solid option on nights when Rose will be held out. Luol Deng sat out Monday’s game with a rib injury and will remain day-to-day. The bottom line is the Bulls want them both as healthy as possible for the playoffs, so more DNPs are a real possibility. Hornets Eric Gordon got the night off on Monday for some precautionary rest, as the late-season benchings continue to baffle the fantasy world. They’ve got another back-to-back situation on Wednesday & Thursday, leaving Gordon as a true question mark. Marco Belinelli got another start and scored 13, and is worth a shot anytime Gordon will sit. Chris Kaman was rested on Monday as the Hornets take a look at their young guys. Whether he plays again this season remains to be seen, so just watch for new updates if you need him. Carl Landry made a surprise appearance on Monday and had 14 points and 12 boards despite a calf injury. He could sit at any time, but played well last night. Jason Smith had nine points and six rebounds, and both Landry and Smith will benefit for as long as Kaman is out. And on a related note, PG Greivis Vasquez bounced back with 20 points, four boards and six assists, and should be a must-start the rest of the way. Blazers Raymond Felton sat out Monday’s game and doesn’t even know if he’ll play again this season, as the Blazers want to take a look at Nolan Smith and Jonny Flynn. Flynn started and had four points and six assists, while Smith played 33 minutes and had 14 points, three boards and five assists. Both guards are worth a serious look, as it sounds like Felton’s done for the year. Nicolas Batum sat out with his sore knee and it’s tough to say if or when he’ll play again. The Blazers are a mess right now, and trying to figure out who is going to show up from night to night is not easy. Luke Babbitt started for Batum and had 18 points, five boards and four 3-pointers, and could start the rest of the way for Portland. Wesley Matthews had 19 points and J.J. Hickson went off for 22 points and eight boards, and both might be safe going forward. Jamal Crawford, who was rested on Sunday, came off the bench for 22 points, five boards, four assists and zero 3-pointers, but it’s hard to tell if he’s going to play every night going forward. Rockets Marcus Camby was held out on Monday due to his new back injury and will be day-to-day from here on out. I imagine he’ll play again at some point, as the injury doesn’t sound too serious. Samuel Dalembert got the start and had five points, nine rebounds, a steal and seven blocks, while Patrick Patterson added nine points and seven boards. It looks like Sammy D may have a little left in the tank on nights when Camby sits. Kevin Martin actually dressed for Monday’s game, but didn’t play through his shoulder injury. He’s been out for several weeks, but it is possible the Rockets bring him back before the end of the regular season to get him ready for the playoffs. Goran Dragic, Courtney Lee, Luis Scola and Chandler Parsons remain must-starts until further notice. Raptors Jose Calderon (eye) dressed on Monday, but didn’t play, and it now sounds like he might be a long shot for Wednesday, as well. They didn’t re-sign Justin Dentmon, so Ben Uzoh got the start at point guard and had four points, 10 rebounds and eight assists on 2-of-11 shooting. As long as Calderon is out, Uzoh looks like a safe play, as they simply have no one else to play point guard. James Johnson, Alan Anderson, Amir Johnson and Ed Davis are all worth a look and played well on Monday. Pacers Darren Collison actually returned and played 19 minutes on Monday, but it now sounds like he’ll be shut down for the rest of the regular season with his groin injury. George Hill remains nearly a must-start player the rest of the way. He had 11 points and four assists on Monday in just 22 minutes, but will play a lot more going forward if Collison is shut down, as reported. Paul George finally bounced back on Monday with 18 points and a full stat line, so I’m hoping you didn’t bench him after his recent slump. Bobcats D.J. Augustin sat out Monday with his bum knee and you have to think the shutdown might be coming. Kemba Walker was back in the starting five and had 14 points, five rebounds and three assists on 6-of-16 shooting. If DJA is finally done, Walker should be a strong play going forward. Reggie Williams suffered a concussion on Sunday, meaning he could be done for the season. Derrick Brown played 34 minutes on Monday, but hit just 3-of-10 shots for seven points, six boards and three steals. The minutes are going to be there, so I’d recommend hanging in there with Brown, if you picked him up for the seven-game finale. Byron Mullens started over D.J. White last night and had four points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and many of you, like me, are wondering where this was last week. Magic Glen Davis missed Monday’s game with his knee injury, but hopes to play on Wednesday. Ryan Anderson went off for 26 points, 16 rebounds, two 3-pointers and a block, while Daniel Orton started and had six points, six boards and a block for the Magic. Earl Clark came off the bench for a career-high 14 points, 11 boards, a steal and two blocks, and both big men could continue to get run with Dwight Howard out indefinitely. Mavericks Roddy Beaubois sat out on Monday due to a calf injury, despite an early report that he might play. Delonte West had 16 points in a thrilling triple-overtime win, and remains a decent option for as long as Roddy B is out. Jason Kidd played well, while Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Vince Carter looked like All-Stars. And right on cue, Brandan Wright disappeared, playing just six minutes. He came in hot, and we can only hope he was given some rest tonight. Hawks Zaza Pachulia’s foot injury sounds like it will keep him out for the rest of the regular season, and Ivan Johnson went off for a career-high 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting Monday, and had eight rebounds in 27 minutes. If you’re holding Pachulia, dumping him for Johnson makes sense. Wizards Nene & Trevor Booker were held out again due to plantar fasciitis and Kevin Seraphin went off again for 21 points, 13 rebounds, a steal and five blocks. He remains a must-start until further notice. There is talk of Nene and Booker playing again, but don’t flinch until you see it happen. Nuggets Wilson Chandler sat out Monday’s game with his sore groin and will be babied the rest of the way. Ignore him for now. Lakers Kobe Bryant (shin) wasn’t a DNP on Monday, only because the Lakers had the night off. But he’s not expected back for Tuesday’s game, which would be his sixth straight miss. Ron Artest has been hot in his absence, so give him a look. As for when we’ll see Kobe again? He says he’ll be back before the playoffs, but after Tuesday, the Lakers only have four regular-season games left. Suns Grant Hill missed Monday’s game as he’s still recovering from knee surgery, and he’ll likely be day-to-day the rest of the way. Shannon Brown had 16 points, four boards, three dimes, a steal and two 3-pointers on 7-of-10 shooting, while Jared Dudley added 19 points and two 3-pointers on 8-of-10 shooting. Channing Frye also answered the call, hitting 8-of-11 shots and two 3-pointers for 19 points, six boards and two blocks. Welcome back, Channing. Now we’ll have to see if he can keep it going. Markieff Morris had 14 points and six boards in 23 minutes, and is also worth a look as he shares time with Frye. The Suns are still in a serious hunt for the playoffs, so expect the same crew to continue to get solid run the rest of the way. Steve Nash played through his back/hip thing on Monday and had six points and 13 assists in the win. Phoenix now sits just a half game behind Houston for the final playoff spot in the West, so Nash should continue to play going forward. Sixers Nikola Vucevic was benched on Monday due to a coaching decision, as Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young got the start against the Magic. Spencer Hawes came off the bench for 10 points, six boards, nine assists and a steal, and all three are worth starting for fantasy owners on nights when they play. The Rest of the Injury Report Grizzlies Marc Gasol’s knee injury isn’t as bad as it could have been, as he didn’t suffer any ligament damage, but when he’ll play again is anyone’s guess. There’s almost no chance he’ll play on Tuesday and it would be surprising to see him out there on Wednesday, as well. With this news, Marreese Speights should be a solid play the rest of the way. Knicks Tyson Chandler is dealing with a knee injury but fully expects to play on Tuesday. Keep him in your lineup. Amare Stoudemire is now targeting Friday or Sunday from his return from a back injury. And Iman Shumpert’s owners can only hope he does something with his minutes the rest of the way. Timberwolves Nikola Pekovic will finish out the season before having foot surgery and had 10 points, four boards and a block last night. Derrick Williams showed up for 13 points and 10 boards (despite hitting just 3-of-15 shots), and Michael Beasley added 13 points and five boards, as the duo came off the bench. It only took three games for Anthony Randolph to hose his host of new owners, as he hit just 1-of-7 shots for six points, five rebounds, two blocks and four fouls in 18 minutes. He could bounce back in the next one, but this is the reason I was so reluctant to tout Ant-Rand as a must-own player. Kevin Love remains out with a concussion, and it’s unknown if he’ll play again this season. I’m leaning towards ‘no,’ meaning Randolph could start the rest of the way. Jazz DeMarre Carroll made a surprise start for the Jazz and had 15 points, four rebounds, six assists, a steal and a 3-pointer in 45 minutes of a triple-overtime thriller. As the only small forward left standing in Utah, he’s worth a look since he escaped a concussion. Al Jefferson blew up for 28 points and 26 boards, while Gordon Hayward, Devin Harris and Paul Millsap all came through with big lines. Sadly, Derrick Favors never got going last night, and had just two points in 13 minutes after picking up five fouls. He’ll be better in the next one. Spurs The Spurs, once again, played all 13 guys with Gary Neal getting a team-high 25 minutes, and Tim Duncan getting a team-low 11. Neal had 17 points, five assists and three 3-pointers, and Tiago Splitter had 15 points, eight boards and two blocks to lead the Spurs to an easy win. Danny Green played 19 minutes and Kawhi Leonard played 16, and it’s simply become impossible to figure out whom, if anyone, is going to get run the rest of the way. But if nothing else, I’m pretty certain that Gregg Popovich is a genius, as he’s resting his stars, winning games, and moved into a tie with OKC for the West’s best record. Warriors Nate Robinson had 30 points, Klay Thompson scored 29, Dorell Wright had 17 points, six boards and three 3-pointers, and Jeremy Tyler added 11 points and 10 boards in the loss. Brandon Rush played 23 minutes, but never got going, finishing with six points. All but Tyler remain must-starts, and after tonight, Tyler is going to be a hot pickup with David Lee shutdown for the year. Clippers Spank Thunder The Clippers crushed the Thunder 92-77, but there isn’t really any fantasy news to report from this one. However, the Spurs and Thunder are now tied atop the West, so expect the Thunder to keep running the studs hard. |
