A Late Start
The Celtics, Pistons and Clippers are the last remaining undefeated teams,
Chris Kaman is leading the NBA in rebounding and
Kevin Martin currently ranks No. 4 in the league in scoring.
Amare Stoudemire and
Gilbert Arenas are dealing with knee issues early on, while
Dwyane Wade,
Lamar Odom and
Erick Dampier are close to returning from their injuries.
Kevin Garnett, who has 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in all three games,
Ray Allen (24 PPG) and
Paul Pierce (22.3 PPG, 5 RPG, 5 APG) look like the real deal in Boston the one week's play. They look like they
cannot be beaten. It's very conceivable that the Celts could have three players average 20 PPG they might coast through the regular season.
Flash is targeting a return by Sunday, Nov. 11 in New York, so he should be active for Miami's four-game period.
Lamar Odom should be available for four games in Week 3,
Ron Artest should get three games and
Stephen Jackson will be limited to just one.
The Week Ahead takes a look at everything heading into Week 3 of the fantasy hoops season, including the schedule, injury report and some marquee matchups.
Nice start to the season: (statistics from October 30 November 7) Chris Kaman, LAC 16.8 PPG, 16.5 RPG, 50% FG
Damien Wilkins, SEA 15.8 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.2 APG
John Salmons, SAC 21.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG
Danny Granger, IND 21.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG
Daniel Gibson, CLE 14.4 PPG, 15 3-pointers, 59.5% FG
DeSagana Diop, CLE 7.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.5 BPG, 61.9% FG
Salmons will get regular play because of the absences of
Ron Artest and
Mike Bibby. When they're both back, Salmons will likely see a major decrease in production. Bibby could be back in a month, so it would best to start shopping him around then when his value is at its apex.
With
Elton Brand sidelined until around February, Kaman is picking up the slack on the boards. Injuries slowed him to an off-year last season, but he looks poised for a big year.
Diop has been getting a ton of playing time and is producing at a high level in the first week. However,
Erick Dampier was just cleared to return to practice, so expect Diop's nice numbers to be short lived.
Keep An Eye On: Francisco Garcia, SAC 14.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.5 SPG
Ronnie Brewer, UTA 16.2 PPG, 58.5 % FG
Martell Webster, POR 17.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, nine 3-pointers
Paul Millsap, UTA 11.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 69.2% FG, 1.4 SPG
Kelenna Azubuike, GS 16.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 54.5% FG
Darko Milicic, MEM 10.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 57.1% FG
After
Kevin Martin enjoyed a serious breakout season last year, many people believe Garcia will be that guy for the Kings this year. Minus two 20 PPG scorers, he's been one of Sacramento's go-to guys early on. He's got an all-around game too, making him very attractive in fantasy.
Millsap was an absolute monster Wednesday night against the Cavaliers, scoring a career-best 24 points and picking up five steals in the two-point win. Early on, it appears he's cutting into some of
Mehmet Okur's production at center. Consider Millsap a strong backup center at this time.
Slow out of the gate:
Shaquille O'Neal, MIA 12.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.5 BPG
Jermaine O'Neal, IND 12.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 37.8% FG
Kirk Hinrich, CHI 11.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 4.0 APG
Ben Wallace, CHI 3.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 30% FG
Nenad Krstic, NJ 8.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 37.5% FG
Amare Stoudemire, PHO 15.0 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 40% FG (three DNPs)
Without
Dwyane Wade, the Heat look absolutely atrocious. Shaq is a shell of his former self as Miami is smack dab in the middle of a 17-game losing streak dating back to last season. Flash should be back in Week 3 though, so it won't be long before they are leading the Southeast division.
Big Ben is slowed by a sprained ankle and his numbers are greatly affected by it. He hasn't had 10+ points or rebounds in any of his games. He can't really jump with the injury and that's a big reason why the Bulls have stumbled out to a 0-4 start.
There's no timetable for Stoudemire's return with the Suns. His surgically repaired knee continues to bother him so Phoenix is being cautious and letting him rest.
Boris Diaw is getting more time at center in his stead and is averaging an all-around 10.6 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 5.6 APG.
Game Totals in Week 3: Four games: BOS, DET, HOU, IND, LAL, MEM, MIA, NJ, NO, NY, ORL, POR, SAC, SEA, UTA
Three games: ATL, CHA, CHI, CLE, DAL, DEN, GS, LAC, MIN, PHI, PHO, SA, TOR, WAS
Two games MIL
Interesting Matchups: Monday, Nov. 12 - Cleveland @ Denver: We get two of these matchup every season; it's time for
Carmelo vs LeBron. The Nuggets have won the last three matchups between the two teams. King James registered a triple-double Tuesday vs Utah and he accomplished it with six minutes left in the third quarter. Meanwhile, Melo is trying to bounce back from the 26-point pounding to the Celtics on Wednesday.
Tuesday, Nov. 13 - Seattle @ Orlando: After spending his first nine seasons as a Sonic,
Rashard Lewis hosts his old teammates on Tuesday. Along with
Dwight Howard, the Magic have a new identity in the Magic Kingdom, while
Kevin Durant is now the new face of the Sonics franchise. Orlando is off to a 4-1 start, while Durant's Sonics remain winless.
Wednesday, Nov. 14 - L.A. Lakers @ Houston: ESPN showcases another classic confrontation on Wednesday as
Kobe Bryant faces off against
Tracy McGrady. The two perennial All-Stars have combined to win four of the past five Scoring titles.
Thursday, Nov. 15 - San Antonio @ Dallas: Duncan will find himself matched up with 7'
Dirk Nowitzki at times this Thursday, as the Spurs travel to Dallas.
This game will be on TNT. Then,
Friday, Nov. 16 - Houston @ San Antonio: After Dirk, Duncan will find himself up against 7'6"
Yao Ming at times Friday.
This game will be on ESPN. 1. Trivia: What player has the second-highest salary in the NBA this season? Answer at end of column Friday, Nov. 16 - Miami @ Boston: This contest could represent five representatives for the Eastern Conference All-Star Game. Don't be surprised if you see Shaquille O'Neal,
Kevin Garnett,
Paul Pierce,
Ray Allen and
Dwyane Wade in the starting lineup in New Orleans either although LeBron will probably be the lone exception.
Team-by-Team Injuries/Schedule: Atlanta Hawks CHA, SEA, @mil
Zaza Pachulia (knee) out indefinitely
Speedy Claxton (knee) out indefinitely
The Hawks have decided that
Acie Law will be their starting point guard from now on. With
Tyronn Lue the likely backup,
Anthony Johnson and Claxton are either going to have to be used at shooting guard or not at all if they are going to get playing time now. One of those guys should get traded to Denver with three point guards in street clothes they could definitely use some help.
Boston Celtics @ind, NJ, MIA, @orl
James Posey (back) day-to-day
The Big Three will be tested this week with four quality Eastern Conference opponents. With three impressive wins, Boston's role players have performed admirably as well.
Rajon Rondo,
Eddie House and
James Posey will need to play prominent roles if Boston is going to make a run at their 17th championship.
Charlotte Bobcats MIA, @atl, SEA
Adam Morrison (knee) out for the season
Sean May (knee) out for the season
Raymond Felton (leg) day-to-day
Chicago Bulls @pho, @lac, @lal
Cleveland Cavaliers @den, ORL, UTA
Donyell Marshall (wrist) out indefinitely
Eric Snow (knee surgery) return mid-November
Larry Hughes (knee) day-to-day
Dallas Mavericks PHI, SA, MEM
Erick Dampier (shoulder) return in mid-November
Devean George (foot) day-to-day
Devin Harris (thigh) expected to return Thursday vs GS
Brandon Bass (ankle) day-to-day
It sounds as if there's a chance
Josh Howard could miss Thursday's contest against Golden State due to a sprained right ankle. He turned it bad at the end of last game and was in serious pain Wednesday. He was able to return to practice Thursday though and will be a game-time decision.
Eddie Jones (right leg) is also questionable for the contest. That means
Jerry Stackhouse and/or J.J. Barea could be in store for a bigger role.
Denver Nuggets CLE, POR, NY
Chucky Atkins (groin) return early January
Anthony Carter (hand) return early December
Mike Wilks (hamstring) day-to-day
Nene (thumb) day-to-day
Detroit Pistons @por, @gs, @lal, @sac
Rodney Stuckey (hand) return early December
Golden St. Warriors DET, LAC, @tor
Stephen Jackson (suspension) out first seven games
Troy Hudson (hip) out indefinitely
Austin Croshere (back) return mid-November
Jackson will return to the Warriors lineup on Sunday, Nov. 18 and will be restricted to just one game in Week 3. Keep him sidelined another week, but the Warriors are slated for four games in Week 4 so Jackson should return to all lineups then.
Houston Rockets @mem, LAL, @sa, PHO
Steve Francis remains out of the Rockets rotation, but for how long? Although Houston has jumped out to a 4-1 start,
Rafer Alston has struggled early on as the starting point guard. Skip to My Lou is averaging 6.2 PPG and 4.6 APG on 35.3% FG shooting through five contests, while
Mike James is getting 13.2 PPG off the pine. Franchise has yet to play a minute
After his 15-point, 14-rebound effort,
Bonzi Wells is averaging a respectable 7.4 PPG and 7.2 RPG off the bench as well. If Alston continues to struggle, expect to see Francis get a chance soon.
Indiana Pacers BOS, @was, @tor, UTA
Ike Diogu (calf) out 4-6 weeks
Diogu sustained a torn calf muscle in practice on Tuesday and is expected to be sidelined until early December. Feel free to drop him, but he did look pretty strong in the early going. Taking on a bigger role, he was averaging 13.7 PPG and 4.3 RPG through three contests.
L.A. Clippers NY, @gs, CHI
Shaun Livingston (knee surgery) out for the season
Elton Brand (Achilles') might return in February
Ruben Patterson (finger) day-to-ay
Cuttino Mobley (groin) out indefinitely
Expect Mobley to be sidelined "for a couple games or a week" with his recent groin injury. The Clippers have a very deep veteran rotation, so somebody else will just pick up the slack.
L.A. Lakers @sa, @hou, DET, CHI
Lamar Odom (shoulder) day-to-day, hoping to return Friday vs MIN
Kwame Brown (back) day-to-day
Odom is expecting to make his season debut Friday against the winless Timberwolves.
Luke Walton or
Ronny Turiaf will return to the bench, while Odom joins the starting-five. Get him back in all active lineups asap.
Memphis Grizzlies HOU, @mil, NO, @dal
Stromile Swift (back) day-to-day
Miami Heat @cha, SEA, @bos, @nj
Dwyane Wade (shoulder, knee) targeting a Nov. 11 return
It's just a matter of time before the Heat get a much-needed kick-start with the return of Flash. He was involved in pregame drills Wednesday in San Antonio, and should return either for Friday's contest vs Phoenix or Sunday's game in New York. Nevertheless, get him plugged back in your active lineups for Week 3.
Milwaukee Bucks MEM, ATL
The Bucks are the lone NBA team that plays just twice in Week 3 (incidentally, no team plays two times in Week 4). Consider reserving your Bucks for the week with the lone exception
Michael Redd. He's still worth starting in most formats because of his immense upside.
Minnesota Timberwolves SAC, WAS, NO
Randy Foye (knee) out indefinitely
Rashad McCants (ankle) day-to-day
Gerald Green (flu) day-to-day
NOK Hornets @nj, PHI, @mem, @min
New Jersey Nets NO, @bos, ORL, MIA
Marcus Williams (foot) return in December
New York Knicks @pho, @lac, @sac, @den
Jared Jeffries (knee) return mid-December
Orlando Magic SEA, @cle, @nj, BOS
J.J. Redick (back) out indefinitely
Tony Battie (shoulder) out for the season
Philadelphia 76ers @dal, @no, POR
2. Trivia: who is the Sixers highest-paid player this season? Answer at end of column Phoenix Suns NY, CHI, @hou
Amare Stoudemire (knee) day-to-day
Stoudemire has missed the past three contests with continuing soreness in his surgically repaired knee. He's optimistic he'll be able to return to action on Friday, but nobody can predict how his knee will respond. There is a slim chance that this could linger and be a major concern all season long. Closely monitor how his knee responds once he returns to see if he suffers another setback.
Portland Trailblazers DET, @den, @phi, @was
Greg Oden (knee surgery) out for the season
Darius Miles (knee surgery) return date uncertain
Josh McRoberts (ankle) day-to-day
The Blazers shook up their lineup this week, adding C
Channing Frye and PG
Steve Blake to the starting lineup, while PG
Jarrett Jack and C
Joel Przybilla came off the bench. Blake dished out nine dimes in his first start and Jack didn't lose any value in his reserve role, scoring a season-best 20 points. After beginning 0-3, the shakeup produced their first victory of the season. I think Blake will probably be the teams leader in assists, but Jack will still have more overall value. Consider both players decent No. 3 fantasy guards.
Sacramento Kings @uta, @min, NY, DET
Mike Bibby (thumb) targeting late January return
Ron Artest (suspension) out first seven games
Beno Udrih (finger) day-to-day
Artest will rejoin the Kings on Wednesday, Nov. 14 that means he'll play three games in Week 3. Artest is
always a bit of a gamble. He might want a couple more games off to manage a female rap group it's happened before. Regardless though, he's probably a decent gamble with three contests. Expect him to
come back ferociously. San Antonio Spurs LAL, @dal, HOU
Brent Barry (ankle) day-to-day
Robert Horry (personal) day-to-day
Jacque Vaughn (calf) day-to-day
Seattle Sonics @orl, @mia, @atl, @cha
Kurt Thomas (hamstring) day-to-day
It shouldn't be long before
Luke Ridnour joins the Sonics rotation and starts posting solid stat lines again. He's been extremely limited with the face mask he's been forced to wear due to a broken nose. However, he should shed the mask in the next week and see his minutes and numbers greatly increase. A lot of owners have given up on Ridnour now is a nice time to make a bid to acquire him dirt-cheap.
Toronto Raptors UTA, IND, GS
Utah Jazz SAC, @tor, @cle, @ind
Washington Wizards IND, @min, POR
Etan Thomas (heart) likely out for the season
Gilbert Arenas (knee) probable for Thursday's game vs NJ
Arenas had his knee drained and sat out his third straight practice Wednesday. He still plans on playing against New Jersey on Thursday. The discouraging soreness after a major knee operation is typical; there are going to be setbacks throughout the course of the season. The Wizards play three times in Week 3 so his injury will continue to be tested.
Antonio Daniels would be a nice fantasy pickup if Arenas does have to miss some games. He averaged 10.2 PPG and 8.6 APG in the final 10 games when Arenas went down last year