NBA Fantasy Basketball News 2008-2009

[Hache Man]

New Superhero in Town

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Superman's Back But Roy's Twice As Nice

Dwight Howard returned from a two-game absence due to a left knee injury last night and had 14 points, 13 boards and two blocks – which is all he's done for you this week if you started him. Howard's return is certainly a big story and it looks like it's safe to get him back in your lineup, but the bigger story from last night was the 52 points scored by Brandon Roy.

Roy hit 14-of-27 shots, 19-of-21 free throws and five threes to go along with five boards, six dimes and a block. Wow. He didn't even commit a single turnover and is really on a tear, scoring 29 or more points in his last five games. Fifty-two points and no TOs? Ludicrous.

My opponent in one league (Murph) was complaining the other day about having benched O.J. Mayo because he only played two games this week, but I doubt he looked at my bench or he would have seen both Dwight Howard and Rudy Gay sitting there. Many people despise weekly lineup leagues, but they're my favorite. Remember that SNL skit – "Back in my day…"? That's the way we used to do it back when stats were run by hand on Tuesday mornings and then distributed once a week in a small, book-like handout that your commissioner put together in an act of love. I can't imagine how many jobs were lost or divorces were caused by idiots like me running stats out of USA Today by hand, but I know it was about a six-hour job with no benefits, not to mention pay.

Anyway, I love figuring out games-played angles and the accompanying tough decisions that show up when you've got Dwight or Gay for two games, or Kelenna Azubuike for four. Actually, despite the fact that I wrote the blurb stating that C.J. Watson would miss Wednesday's game due to a funeral, I forgot that little nugget of information and had him in a couple weekly lineups. Oops. While daily lineup leagues are less frustrating because you're not stuck with injuries for a week at a time, there's not as much strategizing (and luck) involved.

And that brings me back to Brandon Roy. The Blazers played just two games this week and if you benched him in a weekly league, you're probably still not over it. That's the kind of fantasy pain that can linger for a couple weeks and won't be forgotten if your team comes up just short in the end. Rick Kamla said on his fantasy show Monday that this year may not be the season to bench good players just because they play two games, and I think he's right. We saw Gay and Roy go nuts this week, while Carmelo Anthony's 33-point quarter (which he followed up with 27 points in the next one) came on a two-game week. Guys tend to be more rested than rusty with the extra couple days off in those weeks.

Next week is pretty interesting for weekly leagues, as the Suns play just one game, several teams play twice and the rest go three or four times. Just think twice before automatically benching Amare Stoudemire for that one game. It could be one of those nights he decides to explode for 50 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks.

News and Notes

No blue-light special at Kev-Mart

Kevin Martin's ankle injury remains a bit of a mystery and there's still no timetable for his return to action. Bench him until further notice and consider trying to move him. He's lost a lot of his explosiveness and has no idea when he might be back at full strength. In fact, who knows when he might even play again? I've heard of Francisco Garcia owners worried about Martin's return hurting their man, but at this point, it doesn't sound like it's going to happen any time soon. And if you do try to move Kev-Mart, don't expect much in return. Nothing tougher in fantasy hoops than trying to move a guy with one of those little red crosses next to his name. And if you're wondering if he's a good buy-low target? Maybe, but I really get the sense he's going to be banged up all year and am not interested in owning him unless the league has an injured reserve. www.sacramentokings.ws
Indy Injury Report

No, I have nothing new to report on the status of Mike Dunleavy. But take all the question marks surrounding Martin's ankle and double them for Dunleavy's knee. Marquis Daniels should play through a sore neck tonight, so leave him in your lineup. He left his last game after tweaking it. Troy Murphy (flu) and T.J. Ford (groin) are both questionable tonight, but should be back in action by Saturday's game either way. Meanwhile, Jarrett Jack, Jeff Foster and Brandon Rush should all see some extra minutes tonight.

Brand New Love

Thaddeus Young ran with the starting unit on Thursday and should replace Elton Brand in the starting five for the Sixers. He was going off for the first two weeks of the season and should be picked up in most leagues, but don't cut a D.J. Augustin to get him. In addition, the loss of Brand should mean more touches for Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert, who looks like he's back to being a safe start again. The Sixers' signing of Brand has turned out to be a fantastic disaster and it will be interesting to see what happens with him out of there for a month.

In addition, just because Brand didn't need emergency surgery to put his shoulder back in place doesn't mean that he won't need to go under the knife. The team doctor was quoted as saying Brand didn't need surgery "at this time." I'm not saying he'll have surgery in the near future, but if his shoulder doesn't heal the way they're hoping it does, it's possible. I just traded Brand for Rudy Gay about 48 hours before he got hurt and I actually feel kind of bad about it. Not bad enough to offer to reverse the trade, but it is a really tough break for the other owner. Just like in life, timing is everything in fantasy hoops.

Boozed Up

Jerry Sloan was hoppin' mad before getting tossed out of Wednesday's game and benched C.J. Miles and Ronnie Brewer for most of the second quarter and the entire second half, saying guys were "just looking to shoot" or something to that effect. The Utah beat writers are speculating that Andrei Kirilenko could be moved into the starting lineup soon, which would eliminate Miles from future consideration, not that he was doing much to begin with. So if you own Kirilenko, just hang onto him, while Brewer owners should hold their breath to see what Sloan's going to do with him. We'll find out tonight in Detroit. www.utahjazz.ws

In other news, Carlos Boozer remains out with his quad injury and now says he's not sure when he'll play again. He was hoping the soreness would be gone by now, but it is lingering and he's at 15 misses and counting. Just keep him benched and make sure Paul Millsap, who suddenly has a somewhat real shot at being an all-star this year, has not been cut in your league. And now Boozer has tried to burn a bridge he's still standing on by announcing to the world that he's going to chase the money and will be opting out after this season. Jazz owner Larry Miller is not happy about it and has said Boozer's comments are one of the stupidest things he's ever heard come out of an NBA player's mouth. Fans are beginning to turn on Boozer and if you needed another reason to hang onto Millsap, here it is.

Hood Luhv

Ron Artest is questionable against the Kings with his ankle injury, and will be a game-time decision. The Rockets play four games in five nights starting tonight, so it's entirely possible he sits this one out. And given the fact their next two opponents are the Kings and Timberwolves, I see no reason to rush him out there for either game. Instead, I'd save him for next week, when the Rockets play the Nets, Cavs, Hornets and Jazz. But my name's not Rick Adelman.

As for Tracy McGrady, he might be coming off the best two-game stretch of his entire career. And guess what that means? Sell him and sell him right now. Rafer Alston's been ruled out for tonight, so Aaron Brooks should be a solid play again.

Concussed

Tyrus Thomas should be fine once he recovers from a concussion suffered on Wednesday but won't play tonight and is questionable for Saturday. But what's really questionable is why any of us keep going back to the well for more punishment from Thomas. I feel like I'm the one with a concussion every time I click on the button to pick him back up.

Crystal Wrist

Antawn Jamison says he's going to try to play through a left wrist injury tonight. An MRI on the wrist returned good news, but he's in some pain. Jamison's pretty tough and my guess is he plays.

Hot Shots

Steve Blake tied a season high last night with 22 points and added 10 assists, four steals and four threes, and may have earned himself a spot on my team in League Freak for the upcoming week. He plays four times and I'm torn between going with Blake and J.R. Smith with four games or Nate Robinson with two. Obviously, Robinson for two is the safe play, but I want Blake's assists. I think last night's performance may have settled the argument for me. Most of those assists were off of Roy's big night, but who cares?

Matt Barnes hit five treys and scored 22 points, but it appears he's turned into somewhat of a one-trick pony, or a 3-point specialist.

Jameer Nelson had 24 points and seven dimes last night, and continues to be one of the better fantasy surprises this season.

In closing, I mentioned the Maxell tape ad campaign in my AC/DC Column from Tuesday and was informed by a reader named David that the guy in the chair being blown away by the music is actually Peter Murphy. I had no idea, but I am pretty familiar with Murphy. He was in Bauhaus (Bela Lugosi's Dead) and then had an alt-rock hit in the late 80's with the song Cut You Up off of Deep, although I preferred Crystal Wrists. The rest of the dudes from Bauhaus became Love and Rockets, but I actually saw Murphy with House of Love at a small club in Indy in July of 1990. David thought my AC/DC column was nice, but said he'd be more impressed if I dedicated an entire column to Murphy and his musical tree. I could easily pull it off without much of an effort, but I don't think I'm going there. Then again, most of you are probably just like me and thought that No New Tale to Tell was one of the great discoveries of all time when you saw it on 120 minutes in 1987.

[Hache Man]

Whoa Nellie!
Welcome to another edition of The Week Ahead. Christmas day features five nationally televised games...and for the first time in what feels like decades we have been spared the moribund Kobe vs. Shaq rivalry. That alone is reason to celebrate.

Some of the information below is fantasy-specific, some is not...but it is all fantasy-relevant, in as much as it discusses or affects the performance of the teams and players.

Oh, before we begin...our Season Pass --updated, customizable and chock full of exclusive fantasy content-- is still available. Check it out.

One-game teams -- Suns

Two-game teams -- Hawks, Clippers, Bucks, Knicks, 76ers

Three-game teams -- Bobcats, Bulls, Cavaliers, Pistons, Pacers, Heat, Timberwolves, Thunder, Magic, Kings, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards

Four-game teams -- Celtics, Mavericks, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Lakers, Grizzlies, Nets, Hornets, Trailblazers, Spurs

One Game

Suns

The Suns draw the short straw this week and are the only team to play one game (against the Spurs on Christmas day). That makes them unuseable in weekly leagues, unless you're completely out of alternatives, but at least Shaq and co. will be well rested heading into week 10.

The Suns 15-11 record has them ranked second in the Pacific division, but Shaq recently called their play "(bleeping) unacceptable". They have received the most attention for their awful turnover differential, and rightfully so -- they average the most turnovers in the NBA, but are 29th in forcing TOs.

Unfortunately, rebounds have been nearly as big of a problem. Phoenix currently ranks 28th in offensive rebounds and 22nd in overall rebounds. They have also allowed at least 100 points in 11 straight games, a disturbing trend for a Terry Porter team that is supposedly emphasizing defense this season.

Two Games

Hawks

Marvin Williams' owners who traded him once Josh Smith returned, expecting a drop-off in production, are starting to regret the decision. Though Williams did have a rough stretch after Smoov returned, he has righted the ship in the last two games, averaging 19 points and 8.5 rebounds. His three-point surge to start the season might have been misleading (he's averaging just 0.6 in 10 December games), but he's a solid rebounder who can score at a high percentage while chipping in a few steals and blocks.

The Hawks hyped up last week's game against the Celtics to no end, though in fairness it was mostly the work of a proactive PR and marketing department. "This is not a rivalry," Kevin Garnett said after the Celtics beat the Hawks for their 16th straight win. "They are a very good team, they play with a lot of confidence and swagger...But you have to win for it to be a rivalry." The Hawks fell, 88-85, but it was the closest margin of victory in Boston's ongoing win streak.

Clippers

Marcus Camby has been a monster since December 1st, averaging 12.6 points on 53% shooting, 15.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals, 3.4 blocks and just 1.2 turnovers in 39 minutes per game. Dr. A hit the nail on the head when he said that you probably can't trade Camby for equal value right now -- he's playing at a top-10 level, but rival owners are afraid of his injury history and the eventual return of Chris Kaman (strained foot). While those are two valid concerns, there is reason for optimism -- Camby has been healthy since recovering from his bruised heel and the Clippers are still fielding trade offers for Kaman (though to be clear, nothing is imminent and a trade might never happen).

Everything is pretty rosy in L.A. right now...Zach Randolph picked up right where he left off in New York, Baron Davis is starting to find a comfort zone, Eric Gordon has been solid as the starting SG (though his heavy playing time could spell trouble down the road) and Al Thornton is thriving as the team's third option, scoring 20+ in three of the past four games. The biggest concern is their lack of depth. The return of Chris Kaman and Ricky Davis would be a nice start, but for the moment the starters are playing 40+ minutes on a regular basis. Considering they are coming off two double-overtime games, dead legs and an off night could be right around the corner.

Bucks

Andrew Bogut is playing despite a lingering back injury. He is active but I recommend checking his status this weekend in case he decides to rest it for a few days. "I still can't really move my hips, and I struggle when I go into a hook shot," Bogut said. "It's tough to move at the moment...I have a lot of work to do before the game (Saturday vs. the Clippers) and I've got to see a chiropractor." Again, double-check his status before committing to him next week.
Malik Allen remains day-to-day with a rib injury. He isn't much of a fantasy player, but his return will impact the minutes of Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Charlie Villanueva. The Prince (Mbah a Moute) has been playing very well in his past three games and it will be interesting to see whether Scott Skiles moves him back to the bench in favor of Allen. CV, meanwhile, hasn't outgrown his consistency issues and unpredicable playing time makes him a tough guy to rely on in fantasy leagues. You might as well play him while Allen is out, hope he catches fire and scores 20 off the bench, then reassess the situation once Allen returns.

Knicks

Friday's game against the Bucks was very eventful. Al Harrington got stuck in a snowstorm and arrived late, missing the first seven minutes of the game. Tim Thomas left with the flu. Oh yeah, and the Knicks got crushed.

David Lee has been dominant lately, recording double-doubles in 14 of the past 15 games. Trade rumors pop up occasionally, most recently Linas Kleiza-for-Lee, but he's anchoring the Knicks otherwise non-existent inside game and I doubt he'll be traded for someone of Kleiza's caliber.

Marbury's courtside appearance at the Knicks vs. Lakers game last week also created quite a stir. When interviewed at halftime, Marbury offered a few choice quotes. "I didn't create this, so I can't regret anything I didn't create," Marbury said. "This was their doing." But he wasn't done yet, adding, "I'm still earning my check by doing nothing. This is going to save another two or three years for my career." As if we needed more proof that Marbury is delusional...one year of team-mandated inactivity for conduct detrimental to the team equals...another two or three years at the end of his festering career? One equals two or three? If you're holding onto Marbury and hoping that he gets bought out and lands with a team in desperate need of a PG, please do yourself a favor and let go.

76ers

Elton Brand's dislocated shoulder is going to sideline him for approximately one month, though doctors warn that any setbacks could eventually require surgery. His trade value has absolutely bottomed out, so you might as well hang onto him and hope that when he returns he's playing like the EB of old. Personally I'm nominating him for fantasy bust of the year -- drafted in the first-round in most leagues, he hasn't even offered top-100 value in most formats.

Thaddeus Young has moved into the 76ers starting lineup in Brand's absence, and his numbers should climb accordingly. So should the production of Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller, who are better suited to the fast-paced style Philly rode into the playoffs last season. That doesn't mean the Sixers are a better team without Brand (though you can't argue that he is an awkward fit), just more fantasy-friendly. Lou Williams is also on an absolute tear right now, scoring 20+ points in three of the last four games, and should be owned in all leagues.

Bobcats

All of the Bobcats big men scored 20+ points on Friday – Emeka Okafor scored 25, Boris Diaw scored 26 and Gerald Wallace scored 22. The result was a franchise-record 65.8% shooting from the field. Part of that can be attributed to the Grizzlies woeful interior defense, but owners can expect Okafor and Diaw to be central in the Bobcats offensive gameplan from now on. Diaw's value has skyrocketed since moving to Charlotte, an unforseen boon for owners who suffered through his lousy production in Phoenix.

Rookie point guard D.J. Augustin sprained his ankle on Friday. The Bobcats play on Saturday, so we'll have advance warning if he is compromised for next week. Check our player news for the latest.

Bulls

Rookie guard Derrick Rose suffered a right knee contusion late in the first quarter on Friday. He returned but played just 23 minutes, finishing with 14 points and five assists. This doesn't sound like anything serious, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

Tyrus Thomas is out with a concussion. He is questionable on Saturday, so check back to determine his status for next week. Drew Gooden is day-to-day with a sprained ankle.

From the rumor mill -- the Bulls are reportedly not interested in trading Joakim Noah. Tyrus Thomas was available but his strong recent play has apparently made Bulls management hesitant to trade him. That leaves Drew Gooden --easily Chicago's most consistent big man-- as the most likely frontcourt player to be traded. No trades are imminent, I'm just passing along some rumors.

Cavs

Daniel Gibson hopes to return from his sprained big toe next week. He shed his walking boot last week and there is a chance he will play on Tuesday against the Rockets. LeBron James was two assists shy of a triple-double on Friday, and his owners just have to pray that the Cavs are involved in fewer blowouts from now on.

In the mood to be amazed and disgusted at the same time? Check out how much money the Cavaliers players are making this season, and compare their income to your own. It would take me 10.3 lifetimes to make as much as Zydrunas Ilgauskas makes in one season.

Pistons

Rasheed Wallace has scored double-digit points in just three of the last eight games. He's averaging over 31 minutes during that stretch...the problem is that the Pistons have a ton of weapons on offense. "I just look at who we need to go to at a certain time," said coach Michael Curry. "But if 'Sheed is your fourth option, that's pretty good."

Owners of Rodney Stuckey and Allen Iverson have reason to be pleased -- Stuckey has been terrific since assuming starting PG duties, and Iverson has improved offensively since switching to his more natural SG position. There is some concern about their roles down the stretch, however, based on this statement by coach Curry: "At the end of the game, for the most part we will have Antonio McDyess at the four, Sheed at five and Tayshaun at three. Then we will have to decide which two of our three perimeter guys (Iverson, Hamilton or Stuckey)...We are going to have a good guy sometimes sit out the last six minutes of the fourth or maybe the whole fourth quarter." I don't see that as a reason to panic, and Curry even said he would keep his starters out there against smaller teams.

There was also a threat of the Pistons changing their starting lineup occasionally, switching to a 'big' lineup featuring A.I. at point guard and Kwame Brown at center. So far that has not materialized.

Pacers
www.indianapacers.ws
The Pacers lost Danny Granger, Troy Murphy and Marquis Daniels to a virus on Friday. All three were hospitalized and not expected to play on Saturday, so double-check their status before setting your lineup.

T.J. Ford was supposed to be limited to 12 minutes on Friday, but wound up playing 38 minutes. He had 17 points and six assists, and should be safe to keep active next week. Regarding his status for Saturday, Ford said, "We'll see how I feel, but most likely, yeah."

Pacers rookie center Roy Hibbert has moved into the starting lineup and could be there to stay. He had a career-high 16 points and five blocked shots on Friday. Even with Troy Murphy out of the lineup, that is impressive. Just be aware that Hibbert has struggled mightily with foul trouble, making him very inconsistent.

Danny Granger has scored 30+ points seven times in 25 games this season, after doing it seven times all of last season.

Heat

Joel Anthony has been playing well since moving into the starting lineup. I'm leery about his long-term prospects, but Jamaal Magloire isn't pushing him for minutes and you can do worse than to stash him on your bench. If Alonzo Mourning returns this season you can forget about Anthony, but Zo's return, while probable, isn't a guarantee.

The Heat are 0-5 in the second of back-to-back games. Fortunately they don't have any of those next week.

Wolves

There isn't much to say about the Wolves right now. They are 0-6 under coach McHale and in the midst of an 11-game losing streak. Randy Foye is averaging seven points on 23% shooting in his last three games. Ryan Gomes has four points on 1-of-12 shooting in the last two games. Mike Miller is averaging nine points and 1.2 assists in the past four games. I'm just throwing this out there, but it would be shocking to see Miller stay on the roster until the end of the season. He is a tradeable commodity that any playoff-bound team would covet, and the Wolves have nothing to gain by hanging onto him until his contract expires.

Thunder

Nick Collison and Desmond Mason moved into the Thunder starting lineup on Friday, and the result was a win over the slumping Raptors. Collison had 10 points and nine rebounds, while Mason had seven points and 10 rebounds. Both guys are better options than their predecessors, Johan Petro and Damien Wilkins. Joe Smith also returned to the rotation, but as long as Collison and Wilcox are healthy he's not going to have significant fantasy value.

Robert Swift's sprained left ankle is no longer swollen. Also the back spasms that sidelined him for the past three weeks have subsided. He hopes to practice on Saturday, and I hope that no fantasy owners actually pick him up. He can't stay healthy, and even when he's playing he hasn't been productive.

Magic

Jameer Nelson's 50.7% shooting is second best among guards in the NBA, behind only Rajon Rondo. He carried the Magic while Dwight Howard was out last week, and shows none of the indecision and inconsistency that limited him in past seasons.

Dwight Howard is back from his knee injury and should be active in all lineups. He is averaging 37 minutes per game, but coach Stan Van Gundy does not plan to reduce his playing time. On the other hand, Howard will likely skip practices on days after games, and there is a possibility that he'll miss the second of back-to-back games. That isn't set in stone, and depends entirely upon his comfort level, so check our player news for the latest updates.

Kings
www.sacramentokings.ws
Spencer Hawes, is shooting 34% in his last nine games. "In the past, if I wasn't scoring, I wasn't doing anything," Hawes said on Friday. "Now I realize that if my shot is not falling, I can still contribute by blocking shots, setting guys up, rebounding and other areas." He is tied for fourth in the league with 49 blocks this season, and his three-point range makes him a promising offensive player, despite his recent slump. The Kings continue to field trade offers for Brad Miller, and it seems like he'll eventually be shipped out...if that is the case, Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson would immediately benefit.

The latest on Kevin Martin is that he has pain in the injured tendon in his ankle and his return is unknown. Sorry.

Raptors

The Raptors have lost nine of their past 11 games, and the firing of Sam Mitchell has done nothing to alleviate Canadian fans' suffering. A big part of the problem is Chris Bosh slumping in December, posting averages of 18.1 points on 41% shooting.

Anthony Parker's move to the bench has made him impossible to start in fantasy leagues, though a return to the starting five hasn't been ruled out. "I don't look at it as (Parker's) numbers being down since he shifted to the bench," said coach Jay Triano. "I think they've been down since he missed a couple of games with the ankle injury. He is trying to come back and I don't know if he's 100%." Jason Kapono has been adequate as a starter, but I think a position battle is still raging for the Raptors SG spot.

Jamario Moon's shoddy defense made him the first Raptors starter headed to the bench last Wednesday, after Josh Howard scored the Mavericks first nine points. He has plenty of fantasy potential as a starter, but will need to be more consistent if he wants to fend off Andrea Bargnani and Joey Graham.

Here is a quote from Chris Bosh, who was reacting to the Raptors fans' reacting to the team sucking: "If I wanted to get booed, I'd go on the road. It's real tense right now. When you're down three points at home and you're hearing boos, that's kind of disheartening. Whether the crowd knows it or not, they play a big part in the game." For a guy who is high on every team's 2010 wish-list, it's probably not a good idea for the home fans to boo him.

Jazz
www.utahjazz.ws
Deron Williams is starting to feel like himself again, wonderful news for his patient owners. "My confidence is up, my ankle feels a lot better," Williams said. "The right side of my body now is hurting, but I feel much better, more explosive. I feel like I'm working my way back to my normal self."

Carlos Boozer (strained quad/sore knee), meanwhile, missed his 16th consecutive game on Friday. He recently had another MRI, the results of which are unknown as of Saturday afternoon. "I felt a pain that I haven't felt and I wanted to see what he had to say about it," Boozer said. Between his lingering, mysterious injury, his poorly timed announcement that he will opt out this summer and Paul Millsap's brilliant play, it's been a rough stretch for Booz. Who knows when he'll be back, or whether his role will shrink somewhat? I sure don't.

Four Games

Celtics
www.bostonceltics.ws
The Celtics, quite simply, are dominating. They have a 17-game winning streak, an overall 24-2 record, and the energy they play with on a nightly basis is addictive. The best start in NBA history with two losses is 26-2, a record Boston can break next Thursday against (who else?) the Lakers. Seriously, there isn't much else to say right now...the starting five continues to get the job done, Rondo continues to play like an All-Star and the bench chips in exactly what is needed. Kendrick Perkins deserves a mention for his career-high 25 points on 12-of-15 shooting in Friday's win over the Bulls.

Warriors

Don Nelson, tearing a page out of the NFL handbook, has named assistant coach Keith Smart the team's new "defensive coordinator". Fellow assistant coach Sidney Moncrief will be Smart's "assistant defensive coordinator".

"I'm still the head coach, but we'll make decisions together," said Nelson. "I've decided to identify one of my weaknesses at this point in my life. I'm not tough enough anymore. I'm soft as I get older. I feel like I haven't done a very good job defensively this year." This unorthodox move has been widely interpreted as a precursor to Nellie stepping down, despite the two years remaining on his contract. He has been grooming Smart to succeed him --much as he did with Avery Johnson in Dallas-- so it wouldn't be a startling transition.

Nellie also made headlines this week for reportedly saying to rookie Anthony Randolph, "You should start having your agent look into trades because this isn't working out."

Nellie denied that report. "I talked to (Randolph) about sitting down with his agent because he's got to work at practice, do some things to get better," Nelson recalled. Since when does a coach go to a player and request a sit-down with his agent in order to discuss that player's performance during practice? Draw your own conclusions on that one.

What is clear is that Golden State is a fantasy disaster. Jamal Crawford is all over the place. Stephen Jackson is out for at least three more games with a busted hand. Marco Belinelli exploded on Friday, but who can trust him in Nellie's rotations? Same goes for Brandan Wright, Anthony Morrow, Kelenna Azubuike, C.J. Watson...you get the idea.

Nuggets

One game after getting abused by Yao Ming, Nene finished Friday's game with one point, three rebounds, four fouls and two turnovers. Teams are adjusting to him after a strong start, and unless he gets some frontline support his numbers aren't likely to recover to their November levels.

J.R. Smith felt hyperbolic when asked what might have happened if the Nuggets retained Marcus Camby and still traded for Chauncey Billups. "We'd probably be blowing teams out by a hundred," Smith said. His instant-offense role is wearing thin for his owners, but he's been more consistent lately and coach Karl is considering moving him into the starting five. That would displace Dahntay Jones, who isn't valuable to fantasy owners anyway.

The problem is that Karl is still irked by Smith's wildness on the court. "I can handle his crazy shots, because he makes a lot of them, but it's his decisions with the lead that are very wasteful. Can you talk to him about getting the bad out of his game? The crazy?" Karl asked reporters. I'm assuming none of them volunteered.

Linas Kleiza is frequently mentioned as a trade target, most recently for the Knicks David Lee (which NY declined). The Nuggets want to keep him, but he is a restricted free agent and could play in Europe next season, making him a high-risk property.

Kenyon Martin continues to play despite having a sore left wrist, an injury George Karl feels could "be sore all year long". Keep him active and hope for the best, or seek to trade him while he's still producing.

Lakers

Luke Walton has moved into the starting lineup, but as long as he's limited to 20-25 minutes he's a risky fantasy option. The man he replaced, Vladimir Radmanovic, has basically fallen out of the rotation.

Lamar Odom notched his first double-double of the season filling in for Pau Gasol (strep throat). Gasol is back now, however, and Odom is back on the bench, so use him as you have been.

The Lakers depth is preserving Kobe for the playoffs, but it's not helping his fantasy value. For instance, he is attempting 19.5 shots per game, his fewest since 2003-2004, and 7.0 free throws per game, his fewest since 1999-2000.

Rockets

Yao Ming is on a tear, recently recording consecutive 30-point games for the first time since 2006-07. He is shooting 63% in December, averaging 25 points. "At the beginning of the season, I tried to get some clean shots," Yao said. "I didn't want contact. I think this month, or late last month, I started to try to use my body to try to get inside to draw the foul or draw the contact."

Tracy McGrady came back from his knee injury with a vengeance, nearly recording a triple-double and then, two games later, getting one. While his recent play is very encouraging, I'm still skeptical. This is the same guy who said, on November 16th, "Tonight I went back to square one, like before even surgery. Until further notice I'm going to have to shut it down." He then played an average of 31 minutes in the next four games...and then shut it down. It's pessimistic, sure, but I just don't have any faith in his long-term health.

Grizzlies

O.J. Mayo's streak of double-digit scoring games has been snapped, but he remains a rock-solid fantasy option, rare for a rookie.

Darko Milicic has moved into the starting lineup and has played well. Of course, the frontcourt could change after the Bobcats dismantled them in the paint on Friday. Marc Gasol continues to come off the bench but hasn't been worth starting recently.

Trail Blazers

The Blazers second unit --Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, Joel Przybilla, Sergio Rodriguez and Channing Frye-- has outscored the other team's bench 16 times this season, in which games Portland is 11-5.

Their bench is third in the league in points per game (36.2), second in rebounding (17.0 per game), third in assists (8.4 per game), sixth in blocks (2.4) and ninth in steals (2.9). Not surprisingly, they also lead the league in minutes played (98.2).

But the real story in Portland these days is Brandon Roy. "My confidence level is at an all-time high," Roy said recently. "That's the biggest difference. It's the mentality between the old Brandon and the new Brandon." The new Brandon, he argues, is getting the respect of the referees, to he point where other players "can't touch me anymore."

One conclusive statistic: Roy has scored 182 points in the last five games. That is the most in franchise history over a five-game stretch.

Spurs

Spurs guard Roger Mason Jr. is averaging 9.2 points in nine December games, down from 15.1 points in November. His field-goal percentage has dropped to 42% and his three-point shooting is at 35%. He continues to start, but is averaging nine fewer minutes since the return of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Other than that, everything is pretty much business as usual in San Antonio.

That conludes this edition of The Week Ahead. Does anyone have a guess as to who will be the first player fined for flopping? My money is on Varejao...not because he's the most egregious flopper out there, but his Sideshow Bob hair magnifies his otherwise standard flops.

[Hache Man]

King of Pain
Where You Been?

Glen Davis – back/concussion – Out indefinitely after car accident.
Sean May – knee – Inactive list until further notice.
Drew Gooden – ankle – Out all week with ankle injury. Nocioni looks good.
Tyrus Thomas – concussion – Should be back this week, but very risky.
Kirk Hinrich – thumb – Still not close.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – ankle – Playing through pain, should be safe.
Daniel Gibson – toe - Returned from toe injury, but keep reserved.
Josh Howard – ankle – Back, but where are the boards?
Kenyon Martin – wrist – Injury will linger for awhile, but playing through it.
Stephen Jackson – hand – Wants to play Friday vs. Celtics - risky.
Corey Maggette – hamstring – Ready to rejoin team, but return date unknown.
Monta Ellis – ankle – January's almost here, but still no word on his target date.
Rafer Alston – hamstring – Should return this week, but risky for now.
Brent Barry – calf – He's missed 10 straight and has no value.
Von Wafer – ankle – Had a couple decent lines but now out of rotation.
Joey Dorsey – foot – Out with plantar fasciitis.
Danny Granger – flu – Missed last two w/ illness, hopefully ready.
Marquis Daniels – flu – No word on availability yet. No 3-pointers.
Troy Murphy – flu – Hoping for status update Monday.
Mike Dunleavy – knee – Crickets.
T.J. Ford – groin – Playing through the injury, looking good.
Chris Kaman – foot – Targeting this week or next for return, bench.
Zach Randolph – back – Played through it on Sunday, but struggled.
Ricky Davis – knee – Out again this week, but closer to return.
Mike Taylor – thumb – Out six weeks with broken right thumb.
Jordan Farmar – knee – Not like for the week. Derek Fisher looks great.
Andrew Bogut – back – Playing through gimpy back, a little risky w/ 2 games.
Malik Allen – ribs – Due to return soon, but no value.
Mike Miller – ankle – Shaky for week, I recommend benching.
Jarvis Hayes – head – Might have nice week if Bobby Simmons is out.
Bobby Simmons – shoulder – Too risky to start right now.
Peja Stojakovic – back – Sat Saturday as precaution, should play Tuesday.
Jared Jeffries – leg – Out all week, not worth owning, as usual.
Danilo Gallinari – back – Supposedly closer, but that could mean a month.
Eddy Curry – knee – Yes, he's still a Knick.
Robert Swift – back – Thunder ready to give up on the human injury.
Dwight Howard – knee – He's back – hopefully for good.
Mickael Pietrus – thumb – Back in action, but let him get in groove.
Elton Brand – shoulder – Out for a month – and maybe much more.
Willie Green – ankle – Iffy for the week, but Lou Williams is the play.
Martell Webster – foot – Out for several more weeks. No value this season.
Beno Udrih – hamstring – Questionable for Monday, bench for now.
Kevin Martin – ankle – We should see him again, but who knows when?
Fabricio Oberto – foot – Should return this week, but it's all about Matt Bonner.
Jermaine O'Neal – shoulder – Playing through injuries, but risky as usual.
Nathan Jawai – heart – Back on the court, but no value this season.
Carlos Boozer – quad – Another MRI coming and he's out all week – at least.
Kyrylo Fesenko – back – No fantasy value.
Etan Thomas – ankle – Not getting enough minutes when playing.
Gilbert Arenas – knee – Still no word on when we'll see him again.

Injury Notes

This Carlos Boozer stuff is pretty scary. Not only is he seriously injured, but he told an ESPN reporter that he's definitely opting out this summer. That's the equivalent of telling your boss you plan on quitting in three months, but are going to stick around to collect a paycheck in the meantime. Probably wouldn't happen. Now he's getting his third MRI two days after Christmas and will miss the entire week. The way Paul Millsap is playing makes it very easy for the Jazz to let Boozer have as long as he needs to recover, although it's not really his choice. There seems to be a decent chance Boozer could need surgery, but he could also remain out indefinitely even if he doesn't go under the knife. Don't cut him yet, but get him planted firmly on your bench.

Elton Brand's shoulder injury is also pretty scary, especially after doctors said there's a 50 percent chance he may suffer the same injury when he comes back. And if it happens again, season over. Thaddeus Young is starting in his place and looks like a good pickup.

I am guessing Mike Miller is out all week after aggravating the right-ankle injury that kept him out for a week recently. He was in a lot of pain and it would be surprising if he played, although he's listed as day-to-day.

Beno Udrih has been awful since getting a new coach and now is scared that his minor hamstring injury will turn into a major one. Nothing feels right about owning Beno right now.

Kevin Martin's ankle is messed up and no one, including him, knows when he's coming back. Hopefully we'll get some good news this week and he'll be back on the court in January, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Drew Gooden is out all week with an ankle injury, so look for Andres Nocioni to step up his game for the next three or four.

Stephen Jackson (hand) and Corey Maggette (hamstring) don't sound likely to play in the first couple games this week, but Jackson is targeting a return for Friday's game vs. the Celtics. That gives him a two-game week (at best), so weigh your options carefully. Despite the four-game week, I would be hesitant to start either of them. But of course, in true Warriors' fashion, it wouldn't be surprising if both come back early and render hot pickups Kelenna Azubuike and Marco Belinelli useless this week. It seems like no matter which direction you go with the Warriors the result is always the same – a fantasy nightmare.

Anyone heard from Monta Ellis yet? No? Shocking. Actually, it's not shocking and I still haven't heard a target date, but would be surprised to see him before February, if at all.

Rafer Alston has been out with a hamstring injury but is due back any time. The Rockets play four games so it's possible Skip could have a nice week. But honestly, I'm a little gun shy on him and probably would bench him if I owned him. And if he plays, Aaron Brooks is useless. Feel free to roll the dice on Alston this week and watch for an update later today.

The Pacers were crushed by the flu over the weekend as Marquis Daniels, Troy Murphy and Danny Granger were all DNPs on Friday and Saturday. We've yet to get an update on them and I'm a little nervous with Marquis Daniels in a few lineups. But given the fact that Daniels hasn't hit a 3-pointer in forever, I may just move him out of there for a guy like Trevor Ariza this week.

Andrew Bogut is playing through a back injury but one DNP this week could equal fantasy disaster – and if you own Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, Tampa's D, Torry Holt or Kurt Warner if a football league, you know all too well about fantasy disasters after yesterday. Or, did you play against Jay Cutler, Matt Cassell, DeAngelo Williams or Brandon Jacobs? Ouch. Start Bogut at your own risk.

Carmelo Anthony and Al Harrington have really struggled recently, but look for both players to bounce back strong this week.

Chris Paul set a steals record by grabbing one in his 106th straight game on Friday, breaking Alvin Robertson's record (I spelled it right this time) and the Hornets finally get a four-game week this week. Meanwhile, the Suns play just one time between now and Sunday, while the Clippers, Bucks, Knicks, Sixers and Hawks go just twice.

Housecleaning & Music

If you want more information on setting your lineup or who to pick up this week, check out Waiver Wired if you haven't already.

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Blitzen Trapper is a Portland-based band that toured with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks earlier this year. Their new record, Furr, was ranked No. 1 for 2008 on this cool website, which you should check out. After you check out their Top 50 records (Malkmus comes in at #18), find your way to the Billy Corgan story if you can (under 'Older Entries')…Never been a big fan and reading that didn't do anything to change my mind. And if you like what you hear/read about Furr at Hearya.com, it's at a bargain-basement price at your favorite online digital music store. It's a great record.

Happy Holidays and good luck with your football and hoops leagues. My football season is over, ending in two second-places and a Top 4, but my boys decided not to show up this week. Hopefully yours did.

[Hache Man]

They Call Me Melo's Elbow
My email inbox looks a little bit like my 10-year-old daughter's room. In other words, I can't find the floor, can't open any doors and couldn't find a screaming live animal if it was trapped under the mountain of clothes, Hannah Montana crap and Taylor Swift cds if I had to. I know – you'd think she'd have a little better taste than that, but the power of the Disney Channel should not be underestimated. Oh and then there's the fact she's only 10. It seems like the number of emails I'm getting is through the roof and the amount of time I have to look at them, let alone respond, is dwindling. Sorry about that.

I've got some Christmas shopping left to do and I am mostly representing the skeleton part of the phrase "skeleton crew" this week, so let's dive right in. Oh, there may be a live chat this week, but then again, there might not be. We will let you know.

It was a fairly quiet night in the Association, but that doesn't mean there wasn't any news. Here's what we've got.

Melo's Bad Bow

Carmelo Anthony will be out for most of the week with his lingering elbow injury. We all knew this was a possibility and after stinking up the joint for the last couple games he decided to shut it down. Props to the Rocky Mountain News' Chris Tomasson, who immediately called it a three-game shutdown, while the AP went with two games. Yes, there's a chance he could only sit out two and return Friday, but it doesn't sound likely. And when you're setting your fantasy lineup on Monday, that extra game is a pretty big deal.

I went out and picked up Linas Kleiza in about every league possible and already was holding Chris Andersen in many of them. With Melo out, it was pretty easy to tell that a multitude of folks would have to step up this week. Kleiza quietly hit 5-of-8 shots and two threes on his way to 17 points and Andersen tied a season high by scoring 11 points and set a season high with his six blocked shots in a near win over the Lakers. If Kleiza and Andersen are still out there in a daily league, you could still get a couple decent lines out of them while Melo is down.

Z-Bo's Bad Knee and Camby's Pop

Zach Randolph hurt his left knee last night but it doesn't sound like the injury is devastating. However, he could miss a game or three with the injury. X-rays were negative and he said after the game that he was hoping it was just a bone bruise. Wait a minute…How many times have you caught yourself wishing for a "bone bruise?" Yeah, me neither. Hopefully he doesn't miss much time and the Clippers get the benefit of being off until Sunday. Which is also good news for...

Marcus Camby's dad passed away, causing him to surprisingly miss Monday's game. Is there anything worse than pulling up that box score to see how your guy's doing five minutes in and not seeing him in the starting lineup? You start wishing for things like the flu, personal reasons, stuck in traffic, etc. And when it's Marcus Camby, you really start wishing for things non-injury related. I'm not going to stop and count up the number of games missed due to "death in the family" this season, but I would guess we're on a record pace. Gerald Wallace sadly even got a double dose in one week. Hopefully the bereavement leaves are coming to an end, but that's the danger of playing a guy who goes just two times in one week. In his absence, Brian Skinner started and didn't do much, while DeAndre Jordan was called into active duty with the loss of both big men and finished with eight points, eight boards and three blocks. With the two big men due back soon and Chris Kaman supposedly on the verge of a return, Jordan has no fantasy value.

Skip Due Back Tonight

Rafer Alston is due back from a hamstring injury tonight and will retake his place in the starting lineup. However, Rick Adelman is pretty thrilled with the strong play of Aaron Brooks and is promising to find him more minutes, saying "I got to keep Aaron on the floor." Brooks had a season-high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting last night to go along with six dimes, four treys and a steal. While I'm intrigued by Brooks, if Adelman can't find enough minutes for Ron Artest and Carl Landry, I'm not sure how he's going to find them for Brooks. Artest had just 10 points in 25 minutes last night and if your leagues are like mine, Ron-Ron's owner is firing out trade offers at a pretty high rate. But unlike Artest, Alston is clearly still the starter for Houston.

Face the Truth

Mike Miller is still listed as day-to-day with his ankle injury but said "Hopefully it will just be a game or two." So why not just call him out for a couple games? I don't know, but as I said all weekend, I'm not expecting to see much of him this week. And just as I was about to post, the news came through that Miller didn't even make the trip to San Antonio for tonight's game. Kevin Ollie will start at PG, Randy Foye will slide over to SG and Rashad McCants will continue to come off the bench. Miller is also not likely to play Friday.

Touch Me, I'm Sick

First of all, is there a better song title out there than this classic by Mudhoney? And is there a more appropriate song title for the flu-ridden Pacers? I know you all are dying for information on what's going on in Indy with Danny Granger, Marquis Daniels and Troy Murphy, but as I'm writing this we still don't know anything. I mean, we do know they're out of hospital, but that was expected. They're home vs. the Nets tonight and will all be game-time decisions based on how they're feeling after shootaround. The other thing we have to worry about is other players on the team coming down with it too. Hopefully we'll have an update before lineup deadlines, but I'm not holding my breath. And don't waste your time emailing me throughout the day to ask. Believe me – as soon as we have information, it goes up on the site.

I'm sure you Mike Dunleavy owners caught yesterday's post about the fact he actually put on a tank top and practiced for 10 minutes for the first time this year. I guess it's all about baby steps, but it's going to take more than 10 minutes in half court to get excited. If he does return in the next month, I'm not expecting him to do much outside of rendering Marquis Daniels useless.

Meltdown in D.C.

Caron Butler has lost it on the sidelines a few times, DeShawn Stevenson has pulled himself out of the starting lineup, there is still no timetable on Gilbert Arenas' return and the Wizards are 4-21. Hello lottery. Hello another lost season from Agent Zero. Hello developing youth. Nick Young looks like the big winner with the benching of Stevenson, so feel free to grab him if you need a guard. He's going to get minutes. Mike James also looks good to go from here on out and I expect they're going to keep running Andray Blatche out there to get him ready for next year. At this point I would not be at all surprised to see Arenas just chill out until next summer. Other guys like Dominic McGuire could also emerge in what should be called nothing more than a lost season in Washington. The team may have even done Eddie Jordan a favor by sending him overboard before the ship completely sinks. But he'd probably still like to have his job back. Bad firing.

Peja's Back?

A back/hip injury is leaving Peja Stojakovic questionable for tonight against the Lakers, but I'm guessing they hold him out for one more game. He could play, but if you read between the lines, I'm thinking Byron Scott wants him to get fully healthy before running him back out there. Scott refuses to rule him out tonight, but also doesn't feel like he has to play. They play again on Christmas Day at noon, and he's much more likely for that matchup with Orlando.

Jameeracle of Christmas

Jameer Nelson backed up his Player of the Week award with 22 points, five boards, seven assists and four threes and is in the running for the MIP award. Dwight Howard is playing through his knee injury and had 11 points, 11 boards and two blocks against the hapless Warriors, while Mickael Pietrus scored 14 points and hit four threes in just 18 minutes off the bench last night. I'm still not sure how, but Pietrus continues to find ways to score in that offense. He's back from a thumb injury and should be picked up in deeper leagues. He should also be back in the starting lineup for their next game, replacing Keith Bogans.

Deron Williams Skips Practice

Deron Williams missed yesterday's practice with a calf injury but it doesn't sound serious. If I were Jerry Sloan, the kid would not be practicing until he's fully healthy.

Monday's Game Tidbits

The Raptors finally got a win over the short-handed Clips. Anthony Parker had 12 points and a couple threes off the bench, while Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh both played very well. Jason Kapono and Andrea Bargnani were useless again, so keep your eye on Parker.

Denver beat the Blazers as Nene double-doubled again and the aforementioned guys played well. Brandon Roy backed up the best week of his life with eight points in 24 minutes due to foul trouble, but should bounce back tonight as the two teams face off again. I played Steve Blake in a few leagues and he's been nice lately, finishing with 14 points, four assists and four treys.

The Spurs crushed the Kings as the starters played limited minutes. That resulted in just 10 points and three boards from Tim Duncan, but Tony Parker had 18 points and six assists. Matt Bonner played a team-high 30 minutes and I ran him out there for four games this week. Nine points, six boards and a trey is nothing to write home about, but who would have thought we'd see real production and fantasy value from Bonner this season? I'm holding onto him.

The Grizzlies really battled the Lakers but couldn't stop Kobe Bryant in the end. Darko Milicic is in a couple lineups for me and had 11 points, eight boards and three blocks, and looked really good again, if you can believe it. Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo all played pretty well in the loss. Kobe had 36 points on 23 shots and posted several fantasy goodies, including a game-sealing 3-pointer and an emphatic jam as the buzzer sounded. I didn't stick around to see if it counted, but I'm pretty sure he irritated the Grizzlies with the play and Kobe was fired up afterwards. Dare I say there's a rivalry brewing between the Gasol brothers' teams? Derek Fisher has played 40-plus minutes in his last two games and with news that Jordan Farmar is probably going under the knife, the minutes will remain for Fisher. He wasn't great last night, but will have some big games is he continues to get 40 mpg. I'm going to hang onto him.

The Nets were blown out early by the Rockets last night resulting in a 10-point night from Devin Harris. He will bounce back. Yao Ming was solid again with 24 points, 16 boards and four blocks and it's time to start thinking about selling high if you own him. I'm not going to sit here and tell you he'll definitely get hurt and you have to move him, but the percentages are in favor of him going down at some point. But so far, so good. Keyon Dooling had 17 points for the Nets, but it was mostly because the game was over after the first quarter and they chose to rest the foul-plagued Harris.

The Warriors were a mess again last night and Anthony Randolph had 11 points, 12 boards and three blocks, while Brandan Wright had just two points in 16 minutes. Wait a minute. Isn't Randolph the guy whose agent Nellie told to start "looking for a deal?" Whatever. Andris Biedrins was terrible, Kelenna Azubuike was quiet, Marco Belinelli hit 4-of-13 shots for 12 points and no threes, Rob Kurz was 0-for-6 and Anthony Morrow had 13 points. What a mess. You have to think Nellie is going to think about stepping down at some point, as there can be nothing rewarding about coaching that team right now. He thankfully gave up the defensive reins already (but you couldn't tell last night) and we can only hope that he gives up the offense soon as well.

That's all I've got. This week we've got 12 games tonight, none on Wednesday, five on Christmas Day (the first is at noon, the last one kicks off at 10:30 p.m.), 10 on Friday, eight on Saturday and six on Sunday. The Christmas matchups include one stinker (Cleveland routing Washington) and four great ones: NO @ Orlando, San Antonio @ Phoenix, Boston @ Lakers and Dallas @ Portland. Enjoy.

[Hache Man]

Smith & Jones Forever
Welcome to another edition of Position Battles. This week we'll explore the ongoing battle between J.R. Smith and Dahntay Jones, determine whether Rasual Butler and Morris Peterson are worth owning, and break down the point guard situation in Washington.

Rotoworld's NBA Season Pass is still available. Dr. A does a ton of work to keep it updated, and there are a plethora of customizable roster settings, schedule grids, player rankings, exclusive columns and other goodies. We're 1/3 of the way through the season, so get cracking!

Nuggets shooting guard -- J.R. Smith vs. Dahntay Jones

Carmelo's elbow injury has changed the dynamic of this entrenched position battle, as suddenly both J.R. Smith and Dahntay Jones are in the Nuggets starting five. That arrangement should only last until Melo returns --next Sunday, by all accounts-- but it gives coach George Karl some food for thought.

Smith played well on Monday, scoring 15 points and grabbing seven rebounds...it was his first start in nearly two years. After the game Karl praised Smith's performance, but when asked whether his strong play could move him into the starting lineup ahead of Jones, Karl replied, "I doubt it." Ironically, Smith's offensive efficiency could be one reason Karl wants to keep him on the bench. Very few players in the NBA pack the instant-offense wallop that Smith does, and the ones than do (Ben Gordon, Manu Ginobili, Jason Terry) are borderline stars. If Smith replaces Jones in the starting five, the Nuggets bench is suddenly a lackluster bunch anchored by Linas Kleiza.

It's possible that Smith will eventually start this season -- the Nuggets have played poorly in the first quarter recently and he could certainly alleviate that problem. While a starting gig would improve his value, Smith has proven this month that he can help fantasy owners even as a reserve -- he has scored double-digit points in all but one game in December, averaging 16 points on 50% shooting, 2.1 three-pointers, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks. His 59% free throw shooting is concerning but not overly so -- he's a 74% FT shooter for his career.

Try to pry Smith away from his owners once Melo returns, as the illusion of a dropoff will be greater than the actual dropoff. Jones, meanwhile, simply isn't worth owning. He's a defensive specialist who continues to hover in the 20-minute range, even as a starter.

Hornets shooting guard -- Rasual Butler vs. Morris Peterson

Neither of these guys are going to be great fantasy options. On the other hand, when you're playing with Chris Paul all you need to do to have fantasy value is spot up and knock down jumpshots. So far, Morris Peterson has struggled to do exactly that -- he started 76 games last season but managed a paltry 8.0 points on 41.7% shooting. This season he's at 7.4 points on 42% shooting, and may have lost his starting job for good after battling a sore left knee for the past few weeks.

Rasual Butler, meanwhile, has taken full advantage of Peterson's sketchy play. He is entrenched as the starting shooting guard, though in his 15 starts he's averaging just 9.3 points in 28 minutes. Is there reason to expect improvement? Not in the FG% department -- Butler is just a career 39.6% shooter. His value lies in his versatility. As a starter he's chipping in 1.8 three-pointers, 2.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks. He has at least one block in six of the past seven games.

Ultimately, these two guys are going to split minutes all season long. Butler's defensive abilities give him a slight advantage, but the presence of Peja Stojakovic (when healthy), Peterson and James Posey is enough to keep his minutes hovering below 30 per game. Don't use him, in other words, unless you're willing to swallow low points on poor percentages for a handful of threes, steals and blocks.

James Posey has actually been the most valuable of the Hornets swingmen, even though he's playing less than 28 minutes per game off the bench. The reason? He's making a career-high 51.3% of his shots, including a career-high 2.0 three-pointers on 47% from downtown. Undoubtedly the ball distribution of CP3 is one reason for Posey's accuracy, but he's a career 42% shooter and won't be able to sustain this all season long. His 81% free throw shooting, 4.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals help support his stats even when his shot is off, but you wouldn't tolerate numbers like those if they accompanied 7.0 points on 42% shooting, would you? Play him --or better yet, trade him-- while he's hot, or expect to get burned.

Wizards point guard -- Mike James vs. Juan Dixon vs. Javaris Crittenton

Mike James is running the show in Washington right now. That's probably nothing to brag about, considering the Wizards are 0-3 since he took over, but it's enough to warrant significant fantasy interest. In those three starts he is averaging 16.3 points on 48% shooting, 2.3 three-pointers, 5.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.7 turnovers in 36 minutes. Those numbers are very impressive, but they are also unsustainable.

James can score, don't get me wrong. He even averaged 20.3 points for the Raptors in 2005-2006. The difference is that in 2005 he was 29 years old, and he shot an unusually high 47% from the field. To clarify, that's unusually high for James, a career 42% shooter. He should be owned, especially in deep leagues, you just shouldn't expect more than 15 points, 2.0 threes, 3.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steals. Still, that's not bad at all.

Javaris Crittenton hasn't had any more luck in Washington than he did in Memphis -- he's averaging less than five minutes with the Wizards. Coach Ed Tapscott said recently that he's waiting for Crittenton to get accustomed to the Wizards schemes, at both ends of the court. Mike James is a veteran and came from a very similar system in New Orleans, so he picked things up almost immediately. Crittenton, on the other hand, might take a while. "If he came in as quickly as Mike James and picked it up, he'd be a prodigy," Tapscott said. "So we just have to go through the process with him."

I still think Crittenton will earn a sizable chunk of minutes before the season is over -- especially with the Wizards playoff hopes dwindling by the day. Unfortunately he isn't worth owning right now, and won't be until we at least see some sparks of life.

Juan Dixon briefly held fantasy owners' interest, but has faded into oblivion over the past four games, averaging 4.5 points and picking up a DNP-Coach's Decision on Sunday. You'd have as much luck picking up Horace Grant.

The title of this week's column, by the way, is a song on the Silver Jews' album American Water. If you like indie rock, check it out. If you already know of them, and like them, check out David Berman's stunning book of poetry, Actual Air. Just a plug for the arts, and my Christmas gift to you.

[Hache Man]

Prisoners in Paradise
It's Christmas Eve and we all have things to do. Let's dive right into Wednesday's Daily Dose with the top fantasy impacts from Tuesday night, as well as some interesting developments on Wednesday morning. No games tonight, but five on Thursday and a full slate on Friday night are heading our way.

Prisoners in Paradise

In the least surprising news I've heard in some time, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette have their agents looking to get them out of Golden State and away from Don Nelson. You have to think Jamal Crawford's agent is also joining the party, while Monta Ellis probably just figures he'll sit out all year, let his ankle get right and then have a new coach next season. The fact that Don Nelson was recently given an extension is still mind boggling to me and it has become abundantly clear that he is no longer fit to run an NBA team. And given the chaos within the Warriors organization on and off the floor, they may or may not actually qualify as one.

In addition to feuding with his three superstars (Al Harrington, Jackson and Maggette) and running Baron Davis out of town, Nelson continues to start a different lineup and use some weird, random rotation every night. And this is not the first time we've seen this happen, as Nellie once imploded the Warriors once he decided he didn't like Chris Webber. He publicly decided long ago that this team had no shot at the playoffs and has already given the job of coaching defense to his assistants, saying "I feel like I haven't done a good job defensively this year." Really, Michael Vick? Really? Talk about an understatement. The wheels are officially off, the train is heading into a lightless tunnel and the Warriors are a bigger disaster (in fantasy and reality) than the Knicks were under Larry Brown or Isiah Thomas, which is really saying something. Nelson is even punting games now, refusing to foul a poor-shooting Heat team on Tuesday night while down just six points late in the fourth. Nellie, it's been a great career, but it's time to shut it down, go back to Maui, play some cards and drink scotch with your boys. However, I wouldn't mind seeing one of those "fish ties" one last time before you go.

I have said all year that Monta may not play a single game this season and it's almost to the point where it would be flat-out surprising if he does. Maybe I'm not crazy after all. Jamal Crawford sat out last night's game with a groin injury he somehow suffered while warming up for Saturday's game. Crawford could miss a few dates with the injury, but you have to wonder how many of these banged up Warriors would be playing right now if they had a different coach. Word on the street is that Jackson shut it down after Nellie was hassling him about his poor play despite the fact that Jackson was playing with one hand. I would tell who the injury replacements are for these guys, but as we've seen, it's literally a different player every night. I threw a dart at the GSW roster this week and landed on Kelenna Azubuike and Marco Belinelli. 'Buike's been solid while Belinelli has hit just 7-of-24 shots and one 3-pointer this week after being the hottest pick up in fantasy leagues last week.

Injury Report and Fallout

Allen Iverson went down with a groin injury last night which allowed Rodney Stuckey to break out for a career-high 40 points to go along with four assists and four steals on 15-of-24 shooting. I caught a lot of heat for drafting Stuckey in the ninth round in almost every industry draft I participated in (as well as for predicting big things from him on this site), but haven't received any apologies yet. Maybe that monster line will do the trick. As for AI's groin, he's being called day-to-day and is hoping to play on Friday.

Mike Miller could miss the rest of the week with a sprained ankle. Randy Foye started at shooting guard last night and exploded for 26 points and 16 boards and set a team record for rebounds by a guard. After last night, Foye owners wouldn't mind seeing Miller get traded, which is always a possibility.

Paul Millsap suffered a knee injury last night but played through it. The bad news is that he said afterward that "I felt like I was just playing on one leg." He'll probably have an MRI today, although X-rays were negative. He's arguably been the best fantasy free-agent pick up this season and could have significant value all year if Carlos Boozer ends up needing surgery.

Mehmet Okur sat out last night with a back injury and the Jazz really struggled at center, as Kyrylo Fesenko was an invisible replacement starter, lasting for just four minutes. Okur says he hopes to play on Friday.

Manu Ginobili tweaked his left ankle last night after scoring just 10 points on 2-of-7 shooting in 20 minutes. He's definitely not the Manu we've come to know and his ankle is definitely not fully recovered from surgery. He says he's going to continue to play on it though, so I'd recommend trading him now. Even though he's struggling, his name recognition is still high enough that he will bring you someone solid in return.

Troy Murphy has lost at least 20 pounds and Marquis Daniels missed his third straight game with the flu on Tuesday. Murphy is going to need some time to get his strength back, but I assume Daniels should return on Friday. Bench Murphy until further notice.

Kevin Martin has now missed eight straight games (and 20 overall) with a mysterious ankle injury, but says he wants to practice on Thursday. Finally, a bit of good news from Martin, but owners now have to hope he looks good in that session. Don't plan on using him next week, but he could be good to go for the start 2009.

Jordan Farmar will have knee surgery, meaning Derek Fisher should get between 35-40 minutes per game the rest of the way. Hopefully he starts putting up some big numbers to match the big minutes.

Delonte West was limited by back spasms last night and Daniel Gibson played well. It might be time to sell high on West, although he will still have fantasy value when healthy, with or without Gibson around.

Rafer Alston returned to action last night with 20 points, four assists, four 3-pointers and two steals after missing time with a hamstring injury. Get him back in your lineup.

Who's Hot

Steve Blake – Five treys Tuesday, 13 in last three games.
Linas Kleiza – Five treys Tuesday, 14 in last six games, no Melo.
Nene – 16 points, 13 boards Tuesday, third straight double-double.
Lou Williams – 16, eight dimes Tuesday, nine straight in double figures.
Dwyane Wade – MVP season continues with no signs of injury coming.
Daequan Cook – Five treys Tuesday, 23 in last six games.
Joe Johnson – 20-11-11 triple-double Tuesday.
Emeka Okafor – Consistently dominant for Larry Brown now.
Vince Carter – 38 last night, showing leadership for overachieving team.
Andres Nocioni – 18 points, eight boards, two treys Tuesday - coming on.
Tyrus Thomas – Don't laugh. 18 ppg, 9 rpg, 2 bpg, 13-of-14 FTM, 20-of-35 FGM in last three full games.

Who's Not

The Wizards – Loss to Bobcats (9 asts, 72 pts), 4-22 start worst in team history.
Andris Biedrins – Failed to hit double digits in points and boards in last two.
Jason Kidd – Eight or less points in 5-of-6 games, single-digit assists in 2-of-7.
Erick Dampier – Great line Tuesday, but first double-digit scoring since Nov. 13.
J.R. Smith – Zero 3-pointers despite starting for Melo in last two.
Matt Bonner – Quiet lately, 3-pointer streak broken at 12 straight games.
Derek Fisher – 40 mpg but not many stats this week. Should regroup.
Luol Deng – Quiet season, 2-of-7 for six points Tuesday, but had 11 boards.
Josh Smith – Tuesday's 19 points were a season high, which says it all.
Greg Oden - had one of the worst lines I've seen from a fantasy starter in some time last night when he scored zero points, grabbed two boards, blocked zero shots and picked up five fouls in eight minutes. Nice. Joel Przybilla stepped in and grabbed 19 boards in 40 minutes, while Oden has now tallied 16 fouls in three games. The kid will get better, but will also start showing up on waiver wires this week. You have to think he'll figure out how to pace himself defensively and have a strong second half if he can stay healthy, but I wouldn't cut one of my regular rotation players to pick him up unless you're desperate at center. If you're starting Matt Bonner every week, take a good look at Oden when he's dumped in your league.

Sugar Pizza

My wife made a pizza a couple nights ago, as she usually does once a week. Since I'm a vampire, I ate my typical 3 a.m. dinner and thought that it tasted very sweet. Not sweet as in "damn, that pizza tasted suh-weet!" No, this pizza had a pretty strong hint of sugar flavoring to it. I asked her if she used a new pizza sauce and she verified that she was out of the normal stuff so she made up her own concoction. I told her that whatever she used must have had some sugar in it, but she didn't think it did. Right about that time, my seven-year-old, Avery, who overheard the conversation, says "Skyler put sugar on the pizza." We were both like, "On her piece, or the whole thing?" You obviously can guess the answer and the end result was us yelling at the 10-year-old and trying to figure out what possessed her to cover an entire pizza with sugar that was still laying out from the baking of cookies. The answer was something along the lines of "if sugar makes cookies that good, I thought it would work on the pizza too." Then we asked her if she friggin' enjoyed her friggin' sugar pizza, and she said "No, it was gross. I gave mine to the dog." Really, Michael Vick? Really?

[Hache Man]

Hell Week for the Blazers
Welcome to another edition of The Week Ahead, focusing on NBA action from Monday, December 29th through Sunday, January 4th. The format has been tweaked this week and will focus much more closely on individual team's schedules...as a result, I have selected teams with notable matchups rather than touching on all 30 teams. While this format emphasizes leagues with weekly lineups, it also serves daily owners by examining factors that might impact player performance. Enjoy!

Two-game teams -- Lakers, Jazz

Three-game teams -- Celtics, Bobcats, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Warriors, Pacers, Heat, Hornets, Knicks, Thunder, Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Kings

Four-game teams -- Hawks, Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Bucks, Nets, Magic, 76ers, Raptors, Wizards

Torture by Two-game Weeks

Oh, before we begin...Rotoworld's NBA Season Pass is still available. Dr. A does a ton of work to keep it updated, and there are a plethora of customizable roster settings, schedule grids, player rankings, exclusive columns and other goodies. We're 1/3 of the way through the season, so get cracking!

The Lakers (UTAH, PORTLAND) and the Jazz (PHILADELPHIA, l.a. lakers) are the only teams with two games next week. As usual, that means only the star players are viable options in weekly leagues. For L.A., Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are safe to start unless your team is truly stacked. Andrew Bynum is probably better off on your bench, despite the fact that he'll be facing an injury-plagued Jazz frontcourt and a struggling rookie in Portland's Greg Oden. Bynum hasn't recorded double-digit rebounds in any of the last five games, averaging 1.2 blocks over that stretch.

For the Jazz, Deron Williams' ankle isn't giving him much trouble...his calf still has a 'knot' in it, but he had 17 points, 13 assists and five steals on Friday and, other than abnormally high turnovers, he's resembling the D-Will of old. The fact that Utah will be playing without Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap means Williams will be plenty busy on offense. Mehmet Okur is a much trickier decision... with a two-game schedule and balky back it is hard to rely on him. He had an epidural on Saturday and remains day-to-day, which in my mind means he's too big of a risk. Andrei Kirilenko could be a nice sleeper pick next week. Despite the shortened schedule, injuries have thrust him into a huge role. He went 1-of-12 from the field on Friday, but otherwise (14 rebound, three assists, two steals, two blocks) looked sharp.

In the Thick of Things with Three Games

The Warriors (TORONTO, oklahoma city, minnesota) are, as we all know too well, a carnival side-show. Things rapidly go from unexpected (Don Nelson assigning two defensive coordinators) to entertaining (the emergence of Marco Belinelli) to ugly (Stephen Jackson's tiff with Nellie) to downright scary (Maggette and Jax both welcoming trades). It's hard to know what to expect out of them on a nightly basis (lose seven out of eight, then beat the Celtics?), but one thing is for sure -- they have one of the more favorable three-game slates next week. They play just one home game, but each of their opponents is in the bottom half of the league in terms of points allowed, opponents' FG% and 3PT%. And the Warriors, for all their problems, haven't struggled to score this season -- their 104.7 PPG ranks second behind only the Lakers.

Stephen Jackson's return from a hand injury went wonderfully and he should be a safe start next week. His presence moved Kelenna Azubuike back to the bench, where Buike is better suited to deep leagues. Andris Biedrins is averaging a mere six points, 8.3 rebounds and zero blocks in his last three games, but he has an impressive 10 steals over that stretch. His stellar FG%, rebounding and improved assists and steals are enough incentive to start him against this week's watered-down defenses. I'm not convinced that Marco Belinelli is going to be a long-term fantasy contributor (Anthony Morrow, anyone?), but you can probably do worse. Jamal Crawford could return from his groin injury as early as Sunday, so watch what happens to Belinelli's production with both Crawford and Jackson in the lineup before making your final decision.

The Pacers (ATLANTA, new york, SACRAMENTO) have had the league's hardest 'strength of schedule' to date, but they catch a break this week. They play the Hawks --who will be playing the second of back-to-back games-- at home on Tuesday before squaring off against the Knicks and Kings. Defense will be optional during those last two games, so make sure you play Danny Granger, Marquis Daniels, Troy Murphy and (possibly) Jarrett Jack. The value of Jack depends upon whether or not T.J. Ford has returned from his back spasms...it's possible that he'll play on Sunday, so watch to see if he comes off the bench or immediately replaces Jack as the starter. Ford has played well lately, but back and groin injuries may have taken him out of his rhythm. While you should watch to see how (or if) he plays on Sunday, I would lean toward starting him given the quality of the competition. Murphy's reported 20 pounds of lost weight were an exaggeration and he should also be safe to get in your lineup, as he's been a nearly automatic double-double this season.

The Cavaliers (miami, CHICAGO, washington) will look to pad their division lead against some soft competition this week. The Bulls and Wizards both rank in the bottom third of the league in points allowed, and Washington allows the second-most assists per game of any team (trailing only Golden State). The Cavs have quietly marched to a 25-4 record, are healthy, and should provide solid fantasy value across the board. LeBron shouldn't ever leave your lineup, of course, but Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Mo Williams and Delonte West are each worthy of starting in a three-game week. Williams has been particularly hot in his last three games, averaging 22.3 points on 56% shooting, 2.7 three-pointers and 4.7 assists. He continues to dominate from the free throw line as well, connecting on a would-be franchise best 95.7% of his freebies. Keep an eye on Anderson Varejao as well -- right now his value is in rebounds and FG%, but any injury to Ilgauskas or Ben Wallace would give him substantial value in all formats.

The Trail Blazers (BOSTON, NEW ORLEANS, l.a. lakers) have, by a wide margin, the toughest schedule of the week. They start out with home games against two of the top three defensive teams in the league, then move on to face the offensive-juggernaut Lakers (who also aren't too shabby on defense). The combined record of Portland's opponents is 68-18, a ridiculous 79% win percentage. Brandon Roy could have it the toughest...while he's an automatic starter in fantasy leagues, his recent scoring outburst has made him the focal point of opposing defenses. Against top-tier teams, he can expect plenty of physical play, double- and triple-teams. Roy averaged 18 points in his four games against these three opponents this season, down from his season average of 22.7. LaMarcus Aldridge had it even worse, averaging 13.3 points in those four games. The bottom line is that Portland's borderline fantasy starters --Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, Greg Oden-- should stay on your bench in Week 10.

Flourishing with Four Games

The Rockets (DENVER, indiana, houston, NEW JERSEY) have a decent four-game slate, playing two on the road but facing only one defense (Atlanta) ranked in the top-10 in points allowed. The big problem for fantasy owners is knowing which players will be healthy enough to run out there. Yao Ming is automatic and Tracy McGrady is worth starting since he's (relatively) healthy, though T-Mac is shooting 4-of-18 in his past two games. Ron Artest is day-to-day with a sore ankle and it appears his status will remain murky for some time. Ankle tendons which are torn (even partially) don't typically heal in a few days, so his owners need to buckle down and show some real patience...or start fielding trade offers with significantly reduced value. As for his status next week, your guess is as good as mine...check our player news on Sunday and hopefully we'll have an update. Shane Battier is in a similar situation, as his sore ankle might force him to "pick and choose" which games to play in, according to team trainer Keith Jones. Considering Battier is shooting just 25% from the field in his last seven games (scoring double-digits just once over that stretch), it's probably wise to avoid him this week.

The Pistons (ORLANDO, NEW JERSEY, SACRAMENTO, l.a. clippers) open up with a home game against the stingy Magic. Allen Iverson and Rodney Stuckey might have a hard time arcing their layups over Dwight Howard, and Rasheed Wallace will have to work hard to avoid foul trouble. After that, however, Detroit faces three of the league's most lenient defenses -- the Nets, Kings and Clippers. It's just what the doctor ordered for a Pistons squad searching for chemistry, and inflated offensive stats are likely...even guys who haven't been playing well (Tayshaun Prince and Rip Hamilton come to mind) should have a nice week. The Kings and Nets are ranked #30 and #29 in opponent's 3PT%, so a deluge of long-balls can be expected. It's worth mentioning that Hamilton didn't leave the bench during the fourth quarter of Friday's win over the Thunder, and Rasheed only played two minutes. Coach Michael Curry has said all along that he'll ride whoever is hot down the stretch in games, so fluctuating numbers are going to be hard to avoid -- even Iverson isn't immune to a random fourth-quarter benching.

The Bucks (san antonio, houston, CHARLOTTE, charlotte) open their four-game week with road games against the Spurs and Rockets, both of whom allow fewer than 94 points to their opponents. The next two games are a home-and-home against the Bobcats...in the past, that would be great, but this season Larry Brown's squad is allowing the fourth-fewest PPG of any team in the league. In other words, despite the four-game slate you should expect muted production from Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, Andrew Bogut and Luke Ridnour.

While those guys remain solid starts, the same cannot be said for Charlie Villanueva. CV is streaky to begin with, and his fluctuating minutes aren't helping. After playing 30+ minutes in four straight games, he has now played less than 15 minutes in three straight. His name is popping up in trade rumors (one has him going to Houston for Carl Landry), so brighter days could be on the horizon. Luc Mbah a Moute is a tricky decision. He is averaging 12.4 points and 8.0 rebounds over the last four games, but the potential return of power forward Malik Allen (ribs) could spoil his value. Allen has been day-to-day since December 9th, but it sounds like he's actually ready to return in the Bucks game on Saturday, so watch to see what happens to Mbah a Moute's role.

The Nuggets (atlanta, toronto, oklahoma city, NEW ORLEANS) start out with three road games, but the Raptors and Thunder should be easily dispatched. The biggest news right now is that Carmelo Anthony is aiming to return on Sunday, giving him a full slate of four games. J.R. Smith will probably shift back to the bench to accomodate Melo, but deserves to be in most starting lineup anyway. New Orleans, Toronto and OKC are each among the 12-worst teams at defending against three-pointers, so Smith should have ample opportunities to knock down 3s...and after hitting seven of them in his last game, his confidence will be sky-high. Nene is also a wonderful start -- in his last three games he is averaging 18.7 points on 72% shooting and 13 rebounds. He might start wearing down, and has admitted that playing center every night is taking its toll on his body, but right now he's a fantasy goldmine.

That is it for this week's preview. Hopefully you're all still basking in the glow of an extended holiday weekend, but don't sleep on your lineups or you'll feel like I did when I accidentally left Jermaine O'Neal on my bench on Friday. 36 points from ol' one-leg? Damn.

[Hache Man]

Man Down - Z-Bo's Knee
I Would Hurt A Fly

The Monday Injury Report

Kendrick Perkins – shoulder – Solid in return on Sunday. Play him.
Raja Bell – groin – Left Saturday's game, questionable – bench him.
Sean May – conditioning – Useless once again.
Luol Deng – ankle – Iffy for the week, bench him.
Drew Gooden – ankle – Doubtful for Monday, could play after that.
Kirk Hinrich – thumb – Still not close.
Wally Szczerbiak – knee – Out at least a week.
Carmelo Anthony – elbow – Sure looked good on Sunday.
Richard Hamilton – groin – Iffy for Monday. Look for alternatives.
Corey Maggette – hamstring – Who knows…Maybe this week?
Monta Ellis – ankle – Who knows…Maybe by the end of February?
Tracy McGrady – knee – Missed Saturday, due back tonight. Good luck.
Ron Artest – ankle – Iffy, as usual. Start at own risk.
Shane Battier – ankle – Iffy for tonight. Good thing Rockets have 6 starters.
T.J. Ford – groin – Missed Sunday, start at own risk.
Mike Dunleavy – knee – 20 min. of practice, now flu-ridden.
Zach Randolph – knee – Suddenly a week to 10 days now? Brutal.
Chris Kaman – foot – Now talking mid-January. Time to cut bait?
Ricky Davis – knee – Now talking mid-January. No reason to hold him.
Jordan Farmar – knee – Out until late February.
Darko Milicic – hand – Out at least a month. Hello, Marc Gasol.
Dorell Wright – knee – Getting closer, but no value.
James Jones - wrist – Probably replaced by Daequan Cook, but getting close.
Charlie Bell – ankle – No value after falling out of rotation.
Mike Miller – ankle – Day-to-day, but not a lock to play this week.
Stromile Swift – personal – No value when playing.
Peja Stojakovic – back – Finally returned Sunday. Should be safe.
Hilton Armstrong – thumb – Ditto.
Quentin Richardson – ankle – Returned Sunday but now off bench.
Danilo Gallinari – back – Supposedly closer, but I'm still not expecting much.
Eddy Curry – knee – We may actually see him soon, but it doesn't matter.
Nick Collison – thumb – Listed as day-to-day, but injury more serious than that.
Rashard Lewis - ankle - X-rays negative, expected to play.
Jameer Nelson – toe – Finished Saturday's game, hopefully ready for Monday.
Brian Cook – personal – Due back Weds. from death in family.
Elton Brand – shoulder – Hoping to return in two weeks or so.
Brandon Roy – hamstring – Doesn't sound like anything to worry about. Play him.
Martell Webster – foot – Could return soon, but has lost spot in rotation.
Francisco Garcia - calf - Left Sunday's game, iffy for the week.
Kevin Martin – ankle – Practiced a little Saturday, bench until further notice.
Fabricio Oberto – foot – Might be close to return w/ Matt Bonner struggling.
Paul Millsap – knee – Don't play him this week.
Carlos Boozer – quad/knee – Jury still out on – 3rd MRI coming today.
Mehmet Okur – back – Iffy for Tuesday, but says he'll play. Careful.
Caron Butler – ankle – Practiced yesterday, sounds like he'll play.
Gilbert Arenas – knee – 5-23 Wiz say he'll play this year. Not holding my breath.
Oleksiy Pecherov – flu – No value when healthy.

Injury Notes

It's a good thing the Rockets have six or seven legitimate starters. Is it just me or do they seem content to just let T-Mac, Artest and possibly Battier rotate nights off for the rest of the season? Sure feels that way and I still think all three are guys you'd be happier with if they were off your team – except for those nights that T-Mac gets in your head with those huge numbers. But really, how many times has he done that in the last two years? Not enough to make him worth the huge fantasy headache he's become, in my opinion.

Zach Randolph is the latest big-named casualty and will probably be sidelined 1-2 weeks. Ouch. Brian Skinner certainly is not the answer and DeAndre Jordan really doesn't look ready to handle a heavy load. That means that the only bigs who should be making an impact in L.A. are Marcus Camby and Al Thornton, and they should be in all lineups with four games. Just look at their guard-heavy roster and you'll see what I mean.

If you own Chris Kaman you have to think about cutting bait. I'm going to hold on for now, but the thought of cutting him has crossed my mind.

The Jazz bigs are still banged up and with just two games this week, should probably all be benched. Deron Williams, Andrei Kirilenko and Ronnie Brewer look playable, but that's about it. Okur says he'll play Tuesday, so give him a look if your options are limited.

Luol Deng and Drew Gooden wouldn't be in my lineup if I owned them this week. But Tyrus Thomas is!

I would not put Mike Miller in your lineup until you see him play a game. Rashad McCants is a sneaky play as long as Miller's out.

Brandon Roy sounds good to go, as does Caron Butler.

Weekend Notes

We posted something Monday about Stephen Jackson recruiting Baron Davis to come back to the Warriors, which seems laughable to me. The Clippers and Warriors have firmly returned to old form this season, with both franchises flirting with becoming laughing stocks. And why would the Clips want Maggette back anyway?

It looks like my "sell-high" call on Spencer Hawes a month ago was right on, although I traded for him around that time. Unless Brad Miller gets traded, which is still a real possibility, Hawes looks like he'll struggle. He's definitely hit a wall and is back on the bench. Keep him on yours for now.

I have the honor of playing Stephen Malkmus in our H2H league this week and he doesn't sound too scared of my team. He probably shouldn't be considering one of my top picks was Shawn Marion, who had four points, 10 boards and four turnovers yesterday. Malk's take on Marion? "I haven't looked at yr team but know Marion sux except for boards. Sugar pizza indeed." Maybe that's my new nickname for Marion – Sugar Pizza – It tastes kinda sweet, but is just wrong in so many different ways. I hope to conduct a hoops-oriented interview with Malkmus and some other rockers in the near future. We'll see if we can put something together.

Fred Jones scored eight points and hit a three on Sunday, the same day he was signed by the Clips. I doubt he hurts Eric Gordon too much, especially since it sounds like there are no immediate plans for the return of Ricky Davis. Gordon still looks like a good guy to own.

Josh Howard exploded for 29-9-7 yesterday in a start at small forward. It will be interesting to see what Rick Carlisle does with Dirk Nowitzki's return from a suspension this week. Howard should be playing small forward, so maybe Carlisle will go with Jason Terry or J.J. Barea at shooting guard and leave Howard at SF. In any case, yesterday's line looks like a good opportunity for frustrated Jo-Ho owners to try to move him.

Nate Robinson, Al Harrington and Quentin Richardson were all benched yesterday in place of Jared Jeffries, Tim Thomas and Wilson Chandler. I doubt Harrington will come off the bench for long and Nate is still a big part of what they're doing. Meanwhile, Thomas and Chandler look good again. With so few players, it probably doesn't really matter who starts anyway.

Jermaine O'Neal scored 36 on Friday - trust me when I say that's your sign to "sell high."

Josh Smith has scored back-to-back season highs, so hopefully he's ready to put his ankle injury behind him and start rolling.

[Hache Man]

The Krstic Connection
Welcome to another batch of NBA Position Battles. This week we will explore two situations in great depth -- the Pistons possible switch back to a 'big' lineup and the Thunder's acquisition of Nenad Krstic. Both circumstances could have significant fantasy fallout, so read on to get to the bottom of things

Pistons small lineup vs. big lineup

The Pistons lineup has been a work in progress all season, thanks in large part to the Billups-for-Iverson trade. Rodney Stuckey has emerged as a rock-solid starting point guard, sliding A.I. to shooting guard, Rip Hamilton to small forward, Tayshuan Prince to power forward and Rasheed Wallace to center. It's a small lineup that Michael Curry likes in a league that's increasingly going the small-ball route...but not always.

When it comes to playing teams like the Raptors (with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal), Suns (with Amare and Shaq) and Lakers (with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum), Curry realizes that Prince and Wallace simply aren't big enough to compete. He has therefore kept his starting lineup fluid, willing to 'go big' by replacing one of his guards with Amir Johnson or Kwame Brown and moving Sheed to power forward. At least that is the theory -- the last time Brown actually started was against the Knicks on December 7th, when he went scoreless in 10 minutes.

Curry's most recent idea is to move Richard Hamilton or Allen Iverson to a sixth-man role, giving the Pistons more size and improved defense in the starting lineup. Kwame Brown seems to have fallen out of favor (no surprise there), and Amir Johnson as power forward would be the most likely outcome of a bigger starting five. Johnson actually started when Detroit snapped Orlando's seven-game winning streak on Monday, which undoubtedly emboldened Curry to even suggest benching an All-Star guard. I wouldn't put it past him, either -- at different times this season he has benched Hamilton, Stuckey and Iverson for most (sometimes all) of the fourth quarter.

Iverson and Hamilton are willing to sacrifice statistics for wins, but coming off the bench is another story. Which one would be most likely to serve as sixth-man? That's tricky...Iverson's mediocre defense makes him the odd-man out in a stout defensive starting unit, but it was Hamilton's absence (because of a strained groin) that precipitated the idea of a lineup shift in the first place. Both guys are capable of playing two positions. Hamilton hasn't been a sub since 2001 and Iverson has been a sub just six times in his career, so the lack of familiarity doesn't favor one guy or the other. Ultimately I would think A.I. is more likely to shift to the bench -- he has morphed into the consummate team player, and his ability to defend opposing shooting guards is questionable at best. Assuming Curry's primary motivation is defense, it's an easy call.

The more pertinent questions, to my mind, are 1) will it even happen? and 2) will it even matter? I think it's quite possible that this will come to fruition -- there's no denying that they are currently undersized on most nights. As to whether it will matter...that I'm not so sure about. Iverson is already averaging a career-low 38 minutes per game, and would still be plugged into a 'small' lineup for long stretches of the game. Hamilton isn't the kind of guy to take a reduction in minutes sitting down (bad pun alert), and there is one more factor worth mentioning -- Amir Johnson averaged 20 minutes in his nine starts this season, up from 14 as a reserve, so it's not like a huge chunk of minutes would vanish overnight. Aaron Afflalo will probably be the hardest hit if this does happen, since his 17 minutes per game will surely dwindle if he's playing second-fiddle to A.I. or Rip off the bench.

What should you take from all this? Don't sweat it if you own Iverson or Hamilton. This could all be smoke and mirrors, but even if it happens it's not going to hurt their value too much. Either guy could actually thrive, given more time to spearhead the second unit. Don't go rushing to pick up Amir Johnson, either -- beyond the aforementioned skimpy playing time, he hasn't been the same aggressive shot-blocking machine he was last season. He's actually blocking fewer shots this season despite averaging nearly five minutes more per game.

Thunder frontcourt -- Nenad Krstic vs. Nick Collison, Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith, Robert Swift

Nenad Krstic is unofficially a member of the Thunder after the Nets declined to match Oklahoma City's three-year, $15.6 million offer sheet by Monday's deadline. (The Nets are being coy, but the deal should be announced later on Tuesday). This will obviously rearrange the rotation and change players' minutes, but just as importantly it could set off a chain reaction of trades.

Joe Smith is widely rumored to be on his way out of OKC, as the Thunder suddenly have a stockpile of mediocre big men to bargain with. He is in the final year of his contract and his veteran savvy makes him attractive for playoff-bound teams like the Cavaliers and Nuggets, as well as playoff hopefuls like the Raptors. (The Magic were rumored to have interest, but GM Otis Smith recently denied those reports.) Chris Wilcox --whose career has unfortunately been defined by inconsistency-- is also a likely trade target, and said earlier this season that he expects to be traded by the February deadline.

In a bitterly ironic twist, Robert Swift could burn fantasy owners again -- by actually staying healthy for once. Swift is currently starting at center, though I can't foresee the former 12th overall draft pick actually keeping the job. His inefficiency and inability to stay healthy is one big reason the Thunder signed Krstic in the first place.

There are a few other scrub frontcourt players I should mention, however briefly. Johan Petro had his shot at starting earlier this season and impressed absolutely nobody. Mouhamed Sene hasn't played since November 26th. Rookie power forward D.J. White is out with jaw surgery, and big man Steven Hill will be waived to make room for Krstic.

Is Krstic worth owning in fantasy leagues? Absolutely. He fills one of the Thunder's most pressing needs, for a legitimate center. He's not huge (7'0", 260 lbs.) but he's bigger and arguably better than either Collison or Wilcox (let's not even mention Johan Petro). As a refresher of what he's capable of, here are his averages in 26 starts for the Nets in 2006-2007: 16.4 points on 53% field goals and 71% free throws, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 blocks in 33 minutes per game.

Those are impressive numbers worthy of a spot on most fantasy rosters, especially with his center eligibility. He might not be quite that good this season, at least not right away, but all reports are that he's in great shape and ready to contribute immediately. Unfortunately, he's not even in most fantasy FA pools yet, so keep a close eye out for him on Wednesday, once his return to the NBA is official.

There are always more position battles raging than I can get to in one column, and the two aforementioned situations deserved a full, in-depth treatment. If you have specific questions about other players' roles, just email me and I'll do my best to clear things up. Thanks for reading and have a happy new year! My resolutions: to not pick up Hakim Warrick ever again, and to avoid discussing Eddy Curry in a column. (This doesn't count because it's still December.)

[Hache Man]

Think About the Future
When I was four years old, if you had asked me for a prophecy of what life would be like in the year 2009, I'd have told you that we'd all be flying around in our own individual spacecrafts with laser pistols and helmets and laser grenades and laser rifles and laser-guided vision (I really liked lasers when I was a kid).

Obviously, my vision of life for 2009 was not 100 percent accurate. I don't have a spaceship or a laser gun or even one of those hovering skateboards from Back to the Future II. (Side note: The "Future" in that movie was set in 2015, and if we don't all have hovering skateboards by that time I'm going to be extremely disappointed.)

But I digress. The point I'm trying to make is that while it's impossible to know what life's going to look like in terms of technology and laser-powered gizmos 30-something years from now, it's significantly more feasible to predict what the coming year will bring in the world of fantasy basketball. So as 2008 comes to a close, here are 12 fearless predictions of life to come for fantasy owners in the year 2009:

Prediction #1: Kevin Durant will have top-10 value by season's end.
If you're not yet a Durant believer, it's time to change your outlook. Over his last 11 games (Wednesday night's New Year's Eve game not included), Durant has averaged 26.6 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.7 threes, 1.7 spg and 1.3 bpg while shooting 48.0 percent from the field and 83.4 percent from the line. That, my fellow fantasy basketball junkies, is what we call explosive eight-category production, and there's absolutely no reason to think Durant can't keep it up in the year 2009. In one of my leagues, I've become aware of one owner (an old childhood friend) who isn't focused enough on the day-to-day of his team to realize how disgustingly good Durant has been lately, and I'm doing everything in my power to fleece him out of what he doesn't even realize is his prized possession. If you have a similar opportunity, I'd suggest you do the same, because when you get right down to it, fleecing childhood friends is what fantasy basketball is all about.

Prediction #2: He's no Kevin Durant, but Jeff Green has prosperous times ahead in 2009 as well.
In his last 16 games dating back to late November, Durant's frontcourt sidekick has averaged 18.0, 6.4 rpg, 1.6 threes, 1.1 steals and 0.6 blocks on 49.8 percent shooting, yet he still seems to be somewhat undervalued, underappreciated and under-discussed on planet fantasy basketball. If other people want to overlook Green, use it to your advantage – he can help you in just about any category and is only going to get better as the season goes on.

Prediction #3: Gerald Wallace will perform like a top-20 player in 2009.
Whether it's a because of a finally-completed adjustment to new coach Larry Brown or the addition of frontcourt assist machine Boris Diaw to the team, Wallace has ended 2008 on a prolific run. Over his last six games of the calendar year, he averaged 22.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.8 threes, 1.5 spg and 1.2 bpg on 63.0 percent shooting. Furthermore, Wallace is well on his way to being an eight-category producer now that he's fixed a glitch in his free throw stroke (he's now averaging a career-best 78.7 from the line in 2008-09). Sure, the three-point attempts are down, but assuming he can stay healthy, Wallace looks like a terrific bet to post second-round type stats over the remainder of the season.

Prediction #4: Manu Ginobili will say farewell to mediocrity.
Perhaps the term "mediocrity" is a bit too harsh of a way to describe a man who has averaged 14.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.7 threes and 0.8 spg thus far, but based on what we became accustomed to last year (19.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2.1 threes and 1.5 spg), the term fits. Manu has no doubt started somewhat slowly after offseason ankle surgery and may be spawning impatience among owners who were expecting miracles immediately upon his return. Ginobili is clearly still rounding into form, and the fact that he's playing in the exact same system with the exact same co-stars and the exact same coach as in years past gives plenty reason to believe that his currently lagging stats (particularly in points and steals) will be on the rise before long.

Prediction #5: Speaking of slow-healing ankles, Josh Smith is set to erupt.
Despite the fact that he's still not frequently exploding off the ankle that sidelined him for 12 games and has recently laid in several balls that once would have been ferocious dunks, Smith is starting to gear up his production heading into 2009. In his last four games of the year, he averaged 19.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.5 spg and 1.3 blocks. Yes, it's true that those rebound and block numbers are well short of where they should be, which should only provide more incentive to get Smith, a player with the potential for top-10 stats, onto your squad at a discount. For the record, the same friend who hasn't been paying enough attention to Kevin Durant's recent explosion also has Josh Smith, and I know for a fact that he's been getting bombarded by trade offers from every Hawks fan in the league (of which there are many). Why is this relevant? Because aside from being slightly biased when it comes to players on the hometown squad, Hawks fans also know that Smith's low numbers are an aberration, and it's only a matter of time before he starts posting obscene stats on the regular. Make the move now before it's too late.

Prediction #6: Randy Foye will make 2008's stats look like he was kinda sorta j/k'ing prior to January 1.
The bottom line: Foye's better than a 41.0 percent shooter, he's better than a 14.4 ppg scorer and he's better than the guy who only hit 27 of his first 95 threes (28.4 percent, 0.9 per game). His jumper has been off target early in the year, but lately there have been signs that he's fixed the flaw: Over his last six games of 2008, Foye averaged 19.0 ppg and hit 9-of-21 threes, including 4-of-5 against Dallas on December 30. No more fooling around in 2009.

Prediction #7: Mike Miller will resurface as a solid to very solid fantasy option.
Though the man doesn't even know the meaning of the word "steal" (0.5 per game last year and a total of six in 22 games so far this season, acquiring him in a trade right now could more or less be classified as such. There's been nothing particularly exciting about Miller's fantasy production thus far, but it shouldn't be ignored that he's still averaged 1.4 threes, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Furthermore, his average of 10.7 ppg has to be due for a spike once he gets healthy, and presumably realizes that the whole "defer to new teammates" thing was amusing, but not as much fun as hoisting up a whole bunch of threes.

Prediction #8: Chris Paul will actually become more valuable as the season goes on.
How, you ask? Allow me to explain. Last season, the best point guard on the planet averaged 1.2 threes per game on 37 percent shooting, and this year he's averaged a somewhat disappointing 0.7 threes despite shooting virtually the same percentage (36.4). Threes have been his only notable (and rarely discussed) weakness this year, but more of them should be coming in 2009 – despite going three-less in his last two games, Paul has still hit seven treys in his last six games. Unfortunately, you can't really buy low on CP3 because he's remained disgustingly productive, but it's still important (or at least interesting) to note that his already enormous value stands to get a small boost in the new year.

Prediction #9: Hedo Turkoglu will make sub-40 percent shooting a distant memory.
Over his last three games leading up to Wednesday's game on New Year's Eve, Turkoglu – hitting just 39.6 percent on the year – had gone a combined 20-of-36 (55 percent). He's never been a terrific marksman (42.9 percent for his career), but he's better than what he's shown so far and shot 45.6 percent last year. Buy low if you still can.

Prediction #10: Carlos Boozer will opt to shut it down, and even if he doesn't, he won't be back in time to make a major contribution to your squad.
I actually finished writing this prediction approximately 52 seconds before the headline "Boozer to undergo knee surgery" popped up in the Salt Lake Tribune Tuesday afternoon. Before knowing that Boozer was going to have the ouchie on his knee surgified, I wrote my prediction based on the fact that he was clearly in no hurry to return, a conviction I obviously hold even more strongly now. Sure, he'll need to come back if he plans to opt out of his contract and earn a big paycheck for next year, but will he really do so with enough time left to make a major fantasy impact? Why not just come back with five or eight games left and prove he's still healthy? With Paul Millsap showing himself to be more than capable of holding down the starting power forward job, there's no reason to think the Jazz will rush Boozer back, and we already know Boozer isn't in a hurry to help his team. I still think it's too soon to outright drop him at this point, and at the same time it's going to be tough to trade him for anyone of value. For now, it appears as though your best option may be to stash Boozer on your bench and go take out your frustration on a nearby piñata.

Prediction #11: Jason Richardson is set to unleash a rainstorm in 2009. He's hitting 2.6 threes per game since arriving in Phoenix, and I think that number could still increase. Remember, this is a guy who hit an obscene 3.0 threes per game last year, and in 2008-09 he's hit 47.9 percent from outside the arc. With a green light to fire at will and increased open looks in Phoenix, J-Rich is set to sway the three-point standings like no other player in the coming year.

Prediction #12: Amare Stoudemire will finally harness the ferocity that made him a first-round pick.
Prior to a 14-point, one-rebound dud on December 29 and an eight-point, four-rebound, one-ejection encore a night later, Stoudemire was in the midst of a scalding hot December. In his 10 December games prior to the two-game stink grenade, Stoudemire had averaged 23.6 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.1 spg and 0.9 bpg on 53.7 percent from the field and 82.9 percent from the line. Those would be what are commonly referred to as first-round stats. Sure, we could ask for a couple more points and some more blocks, but let's not get greedy. The blocks will come. And the fact of the matter is that if I have an opportunity to get greedy, the first things I'm going demand are a laser gun and laser-guided vision, not a few extra blocks here and there from a guy who – a couple recent duds aside – is already producing like a first-round pick on a nightly basis.

[Hache Man]

Phoenix Rising
Welcome to The Week Ahead, where we'll be exploring teams' schedules for Monday, January 5th through Sunday the 11th. Each team is listed in order of games played, followed by an in-depth analysis of certain teams whose schedules warrant special attention.

Two-game teams -- Cavaliers, Trail Blazers

Three-game teams -- Hawks, Bulls, Nuggets, Pistons, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Nets, Hornets, Knicks, Suns, Spurs, Jazz

Four-game teams -- Celtics, Bobcats, Mavericks, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Lakers, Heat, Bucks, Thunder, Magic, 76ers, Kings, Raptors, Wizards

Two-game Tribulations

The Cavaliers (CHA, BOS) and Trail Blazers (DET, GSW) are the only teams with a shortened two-game schedule in Week 11.

For the Cavs, it means two chances to defend their flawless home record -- they'll get a warmup against the Bobcats on Wednesday before facing the reigning champ Celtics on Friday. It's never easy to bench your team's superstar, but if LeBron James' owners were ever going to, this would be the week to do it. The Bobcats are a surprisingly stout defensive team, but the bigger concern is a blowout victory. The Celtics offer a different challenge, obviously, as they allow the second-fewest points of any team in the league (behind only the Cavs themselves). Their elite defense will be keyed in on stopping LBJ, and his burden will be even heavier with Zydrunas Ilgauskas (foot) out of the lineup. In three games against Boston last season, LeBron averaged a healthy 32.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks. The only caveat is that he shot 41.4% in those games, which was his worst FG% against any opponent. For what it's worth, he had 22 points on 43% shooting in their first matchup this season.

Owners of Delonte West, Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao shouldn't expect much production next week either. That's unfortunate, considering Varejao led the Cavs on Friday with a career-high 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting with eight rebounds. Lest you think this is a fluke, here are Varejao's averages in 27 career starts -- 10.2 points on 50% shooting, 9.8 rebounds, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks. He's likely to improve those numbers over the next few weeks, as he's playing the best basketball of his life this season. He has become more patient at both ends of the court, and his offensive repertoire has expanded to include a nice mid-range jumpshot. Just don't count on him next week.

The Trail Blazers face the Warriors and Pistons this week. Unfortunately, owing to the light schedule most owners will lose a golden opportunity against the Warriors, the league's most generous defense, which allows over 111 points per game. Brandon Roy is questionable for Sunday's game with a sore hamstring, making him an even riskier start. LaMarcus Aldridge becomes the focal point of the Blazers offense with Roy sidelined, but it's not necessarily a role that works in his favor. In the past two games, with Roy out, Aldridge has averaged 16.5 points on 14-of-40 (35%) shooting. He goes through shooting slumps occasionally, but this is more a result of his facing constant double-teams. Portland doesn't offer any other players who are reliable enough to start in a two-game week, at least in average leagues.

Three-game Threats
The Bulls (SAC, WAS, OKC) have three games next week, all at home, and all against teams in the bottom-10 in team defense (to say nothing about their overall records). They also constitute three of the four worst teams in FG% allowed, so owners should expect big things from guys like Ben Gordon, Derrick Rose and possibly Drew Gooden. Gooden (ankle) is questionable for Saturday's game, making him a reasonable option next week, but Luol Deng (ankle) is still out indefinitely. Larry Hughes has had his moments this season, but he's coming off a 1-of-9 shooting game and hasn't received consistent enough minutes to warrant starting in a three-game week. Derrick Rose is coming off a horrible game on Friday, which he finished with just three points and two assists in 22 minutes. The weak competition should get him back on his feet in no time.

The Pistons (por, den, utah) have three road games, all against mid-tier defensive clubs. Rodney Stuckey began January with a 38-point explosion against the Kings, which basically ensures he'll remain in his owners' lineups this week. Helping his cause is the uncertain status of Richard Hamilton (groin), Rasheed Wallace (foot) and Antonio McDyess (ribs). If you own any of those guys, you'll obviously want to check their status for Sunday's game before setting your lineup for next week. Tayshaun Prince has righted the ship recently -- he still isn't hitting any three-pointers, but his other numbers have recovered after a lull in early-to-mid December. Allen Iverson's numbers are still way off his career averages, and he hasn't made more than 43% of his shots in the past four games, but if you own him you have to keep him active. Besides the questionable status of Sheed and Rip, A.I. will have extra motivation against the Nuggets -- a game being played in Denver, no less.

The Hawks (ORL, orl, PHI) have a tough week because of a back-to-back against the Southeast-division leading Magic. The Hawks are 4.5 games back of Orlando, making these games crucial if they want to close the gap...unfortunately there is one mountain of a man, Dwight Howard, standing in the way. Howard has established himself as one of the league's elite defenders, reflected in his league-leading 3.6 blocks per game. He is anchoring a defense that ranks fourth in points allowed (93), third in opponents' FG% (42.4%) and first in opponents assists per game (a mere 17.8 per game). That means Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson will have a hard time racking up assists, Marvin Williams and Josh Smith will have a hard time finding open jumpshots and Al Horford will have to fight to contain Howard all game long. If you own Johnson, he's obviously going to be active. If you own Smith, Bibby or Horford, odds are you don't have enough alternatives to bench them this week. If you own Marvin Williams, consider keeping him on your bench...he's shooting 8-of-27 in his last three games and hasn't attempted 15 shots in a game since November 14th.

The Suns are offering nice fantasy value lately, primarily because they're scoring more points than any other team in the NBA over the past 10 games (109.3 per game). That's even more impressive when you consider that they played without Steve Nash (back spasms) for most of two games. Nash is healthy now, and should be active in all lineups. Amare Stoudemire was quiet last week after playing limited minutes in back-to-back games -- the first was because of foul trouble, the second because of an ejection. Toss out those two games, however, and he's scored 20+ points in 12 straight games (though never more than 28). Jason Richardson has been adequate since joining the Suns, but I'm worried what will happen once his terrific 3PT shooting cools off. He's averaging 15.8 games with Phoenix, his lowest total since 2002-2003, and is attempting a career-low 13.0 shots per game. He can't sustain 53% shooting from downtown for very long, so give some though to trading him while his value is still relatively high. That said, he's still a safe start in a three-game week, unlike Matt Barnes. Yes, Barnes has been woefully inconsistent lately, and his playing time is starting to dwindle -- he hasn't played 30 minutes in a game since December 12th. Grant Hill is a much more stable fantasy option, though even he is prone to diasppointing stretches. One of the nicest surprises out of Phoenix is the recent play of Shaquille O'Neal -- in the past nine games he is averaging a stellar 22.5 points on 60% shooting, 10.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. Even his free throw shooting is coming around (relatively speaking), as he has made 65% of his freebies over that same nine-game stretch. The Suns do not have any back-to-back sets next week, making Shaq a solid option in the majority of formats.

Four-game Flush


The Wizards (orl, TOR, chi, CHA) are dead last in the Eastern Conference, with no prospects for a turnaround in the near future. Caron Butler is back after missing a few games with an ankle injury, but Gilbert Arenas is still months away from a potential return and we've all but forgotten about Brendan Haywood. A winning record isn't necessary for fantasy value, obviously, but the Wizards lack of success is seeping into the statistical groundwater, so to speak. Over the past 10 games, no team in the NBA has scored fewer points than Washington (88.3 ppg). They also have the third-lowest team FG% (41.4%), third-worst 3PT% (28.7%) and the eighth-worst turnover differential (-3 per game) during that stretch. Guys like Nick Young and JaVale McGee have dropped off fantasy rosters like satisfied leeches. Andray Blatche has been very promising lately, but he sprained an ankle on Friday and you'll need to double-check his status before using him. Butler and Antawn Jamison are automatic starts, of course, and the Wizards lack of talent has been a boon for Jamison's fantasy value. After attempting 20+ shots just twice in the first 23 games of the season, he's now done it in seven of the past eight games. When things are this bleak, you have to take encouragement wherever you find it.

The Rockets (phi, bos, okc, NY) have a favorable four-game slate ahead of them, despite the fact that they face the Celtics on the road. Philadelphia, Oklahoma City and New York are all giving up more than 105 points to their past five opponents, ranking them 30th, 24th and 23rd in team defense, respectively. (New York is surrendering a ridiculous 52% shooting, which can't feel good for Mike "I do preach defense, I swear it!" D'Antoni). Of course, none of that means a thing if they aren't healthy. Yao Ming's owners can breath easy -- the big fella is good to go. Ron Artest (ankle) will remain day-to-day for the foreseeable future -- he is currently active, but check our player news for the latest updates. Tracy McGrady's status is similarly uncertain. T-Mac's current plan is to sit out one of back-to-back games...considering the Rockets play two sets of back-to-backs this week, you should probably keep him benched. On top of the injury and uncertainty, there is the question of effort. After watching Friday's disgraceful loss to the Raptors, Rockets beat writer Fran Blinebury said in no uncertain terms, "Tracy McGrady quit on the Rockets". He looks like a shell of the player he once was, and I once again urge you, for the millionth time, to unload him for whatever you can get. I would be shocked if he doesn't shut it down --yet again-- in the near future (with the disclaimer...that's just speculation). All you need to know about Rafer Alston -- he is averaging 2.6 assists and 8.2 points on shooting 25% over the past five games.

The Clippers are a sinking ship. Zach Randolph is out approximately one more week with a bruised knee, and they've just been taking on water in his absence. No team in the NBA has scored fewer points in the past five games (86.2 ppg) and only one team has a worse FG% (37.8%). They simply do not have any interior scoring with Z-Bo and Chris Kaman (strained arch) both sidelined. Now Baron Davis is on the injured list as well, nursing a bruised tailbone that has been bothering him since November. He is doubtful for Sunday's game, so don't plug him into your lineups unless you're desperate and/or willing to gamble. The inactivity might actually be a blessing, as Baron was averaging 13.9 points on 27.3% shooting in the eight games prior to shutting it down. Two bright spots have emerged for the Clippers amid all their injury woes -- Marcus Camby is dominating (he averaged 12.9 points, 15.4 rebounds and 3.2 blocks in December) and Eric Gordon is coming into his own (averaging 22 points, 2.3 three-pointers and 2.0 steals in the past three games). Al Thornton is still a decent option, despite his inconsistency, and owners in deep leagues should give recently-acquired Fred Jones a long look -- with Jason Hart (elbow tendinitis) out, Jones could actually be running the point for the Clippers.

[Hache Man]

Everybody Hurts
Take Me Down To the Infirmary

Marvin Williams – shoulder – Day-to-day, start at own risk for 3 games.
Kevin Garnett – calf – Injury doesn't look serious, play him.
Raja Bell – groin – No reason to risk it with him this week.
Luol Deng – ankle – Has missed five straight and could miss five more.
Drew Gooden – ankle – MRI Monday, doubtful for Tuesday.
Kirk Hinrich – thumb – Getting closer, but not there yet.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – ankle – Could miss a month, hello Varejao.
Rasheed Wallace – foot – Questionable for Wednesday. Play at your own risk.
Richard Hamilton – groin – Questionable for Wednesday. Ditto.
Corey Maggette – hamstring – Ready to return, but will come off bench?
Kelenna Azubuike – flu – Questionable for Monday, struggled in last game.
Brandan Wright – hand – Sounds likely to return Monday. Risky play.
Monta Ellis – ankle – Who knows?
Tracy McGrady – knee – Back-to-backs mean just two games this week. Bench.
Ron Artest – ankle – Should play Tuesday, but who knows beyond that.
Shane Battier – foot – Could miss whole week. Cut or bench him.
Mike Dunleavy – knee – Here he comes, but don't play him yet.
T.J. Ford – ab strain – Played through it Saturday, a little risky.
Fred Jones – foot – Day-to-day, but could be worth owning if healthy.
Baron Davis – tailbone – Says he could miss a couple more weeks. Great.
Jason Hart – elbow – Starting point guard if he healthy, but likely out for week.
Zach Randolph – knee – Out about 2 more weeks as Clips nightmare continues.
Chris Kaman – foot – MRI in 1.5 weeks. Look for him to start showing up on wire.
Ricky Davis – knee – Now suspended – No value with Eric Gordon blowing up.
Luke Walton – foot – Could miss several games, pick up Trevor Ariza.
Quinton Ross – back – Day-to-day, but not sure why you'd play him.
Darko Milicic – hand – Out a few more weeks.
Shawn Marion – back – Says he'll play Monday, but I almost wish he wouldn't.
Dorell Wright – knee – Getting close, but won't have value.
James Jones – wrist – Ditto.
Andrew Bogut – back – Classic day-to-day. Only start him if you have to.
Kevin Ollie – dislocated elbow – Sebastian Telfair worth a pick up.
Devin Harris – hamstring – Day-to-day. I'm starting him, but am nervous.
Tyson Chandler – suspended – Suspension over, safe to play him if you have to.
Tim Thomas – toe – Could play, but risky off Knicks' bench.
Eddy Curry – knee – Could come back in a couple weeks, but no value.
Nick Collison – thumb – Day-to-day, but no reason to play him this week.
Joe Smith – knee – Value trending down with Krstic in town, should play Tues.
Mickael Pietrus – wrist – Out indefinitely. No reason to own him right now.
Elton Brand – shoulder – Could be getting close, but don't play him.
Shaquille O'Neal – rest – No back-to-backs this week, should play 3 games.
Brandon Roy – hamstring – Will miss both games this week.
Spencer Hawes – abdomen – Bench until further notice. Struggling when healthy.
Jose Calderon – hamstring – Sounds doubtful for two of next four. Bench.
Jermaine O'Neal – knee – Questionable tonight, as usual.
Carlos Boozer – knee – Forget about him until after the All-Star break.
DeShawn Stevenson – back – Will miss a few weeks.
Gilbert Arenas – knee – Kind of practicing, but return date still unknown.

Injury Notes

The Clippers are an absolute train wreck right now. All their point guards are injured except for Mardy Collins, all their big men are injured except for Marcus Camby and Al Thornton, and all their shooters are injured except for Eric Gordon and Steve Novak. Despite all that they battled the Pistons on Sunday to lose by a single point. Camby, Gordon and Thornton are must-plays right now.

Baron Davis played in 82 games last year but is clearly unhappy in Clipperland and has shut it down for a least another week or two. The grass isn't always greener, Baron, and you're killing your fantasy owners. It was obviously a terrible idea to draft Davis this year, at least when you look back on it.

I have Andrew Bogut in a lineup that requires two centers and I don't feel good about it. However, there's nothing on the wire and I also own Chris Kaman, so Bogut it is. As usual, Bucks' coverage is awful and we have no idea what the current status of Bogut's back is. Bucks.com has him currently listed as "healthy," but that report is obviously out of date. Consider Bogut day-to-day for now and start him at your own risk.

I would recommend benching Jose Calderon this week. If he's going to miss two games, he could easily miss a third or a fourth. Not sure about Jermaine O'Neal, but I'd rather see him play before throwing him out there.

Marvin Williams is iffy for the Hawks but with just three games and the fact he's Marvin Williams, I would probably bench him.

I probably would not start Luol Deng, Drew Gooden, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Corey Maggette or Tracy McGrady in weekly leagues. As for Ron Artest? That's a personal decision you're going to have to make.

I own Shawn Marion in a couple leagues and I was disappointed when I saw the report Sunday night that he was good to go for this week. He's been so awful that it would be easier on all of is if we could just bench him without thinking about it. But with four games and the fact he's Shawn Marion, I'll be running him out there as usual.

Kelenna Azubuike was awful in his last game and missed yesterday's practice with the flu, leaving him questionable for tonight. I think I'm going to start him with four games again this week, but I don't feel all that great about it.

Weekend Notes

Don't pay too much attention to those David Lee trade rumors. I would not be surprised to see him moved with Eddy Curry once the Knicks get a chance to showcase Curry, but that rumor of him going to Portland doesn't make a ton of sense. It's not like the Blazers need a power forward, right?

Kevin Martin (45 points recently), Al Harrington (30 and 27 points in last two), Nate Robinson (struggling), Corey Maggette (hamstrung) and Ron Artest are all big-named players who are coming off the bench for their teams. Robinson has cooled off and really struggled Sunday when Wilson Chandler exploded for a career-high 31 points. I'm going to bench Nate this week I think, but fully expect him to bounce back from this mini-slump, which could end this week while he's on my bench.

Darius Miles actually played for the Grizz last night and the team has until Wednesday to sign him for the rest of the season or send him packing. If they release him, he will probably sign some 10-day contracts before it's over, but Miles should never have fantasy value again.

Andrew Bynum's struggles continue after last night's four points, 10 boards and one block, but I'm not giving up on him. Hopefully he breaks out with four games this week.

Nicolas Batum had a rare perfect night for the Blazers Sunday. Didn't miss a shot, three or free throw, scored 17 points and didn't commit a single turnover. Too bad he wasn't in many fantasy lineups when he pulled that one off.

Rodney Stuckey and Eric Gordon are both out of their minds right now. I own Gordon in several leagues and was high on both players coming in. Stuckey is no longer on most of my teams and I keep mentioning it because I'm kind of upset about not sticking to my guns with him and listening to the haters instead. Oh well. It sounds crazy, but if you own both Allen Iverson and Stuckey right now, you have to think about playing Stuckey and benching AI if you have a decision to make.

Tyrus Thomas had a pretty shaky week but those eight blocks on Saturday were huge. Andrea Bargnani had a big week and appears to be back, but I've already said "appears to be back" four times this year regarding AB. I'm starting both Thomas and Bargnani in Kamla's League Freak (where I'm in second place), so wish me well. Talk about playing with fire.

Good luck this week and keep your eye on the news blurbs as we will be posting injury news right up and through game time tonight, just like we always do.

[Hache Man]

Injury Woes? Just Blame Nellie
Up until Monday night, I had been able to laugh off my own bad luck and injuries with my fantasy hoops teams this season. But when I saw that my two high-risk gambles didn't pay off in my main league, which I am winning, something inside of me snapped and I went into some sort of silent roto-rage. I didn't throw any remote controls or kick any dogs, but I simply wasn't pleasant to talk to or deal with, and the littlest thing could set me off.

In a weekly lineup league, I struggled with whether to put Devin Harris (3 games) and Kelenna Azubuike (4 games) in my lineup for about seven hours on Monday. The alternatives were not very attractive – as in Will Solomon, Keyon Dooling or Bobby Simmons, but I had a really, really bad feeling about Harris and 'Buike. Harris was coming off a groin injury and was listed as a game-time decision for Monday, which is the ultimate test of a fantasy owner's mettle in a weekly league. And 'Buike got just 16 minutes in his last game (after scoring a career-high 24 in his previous one) and missed Sunday's practice with the flu. I finally decided that both players were worth the risk and reluctantly threw them into the lineup around 6:45 p.m.

I then posted the following cryptic note on our league message board at 6:51 p.m. "I have not felt this bad about starting two dudes in a long time...I have the worst feeling ever about 'Buike and I'm not convinced Devin is even gonna play." But when 7:15 rolled around, Harris was in the starting lineup and I actually had a private celebration, or moment, if you will, for making the right call.

I'm sure you all know by now that Harris ended up sitting out the second half after aggravating the injury, while 'Buike wasn't even on the active list, leaving my sad team in an 0-8 hole to start the week. Fantastic.

I'm not sure of what lesson can be learned from this, but I'll tell you what made me feel a little better. I simply blocked out the fact that Azubuike was sick, and that I had made a couple bad decisions, and just blamed the whole thing on Don Nelson. I got three months of pent-up frustration with Nellie off my chest in about 10 minutes by doing a few simple exercises and felt much better when I was done. First, I changed the name of our league to something completely rude and inappropriate that blasted Nellie. Then I posted some random messages on the board ripping him a new one for no apparent reason. And I finished things up by responding to some emails by taking cheap shots at Nellie even though he wasn't even part of the author's subject. So if you're fantasy hoops team is struggling, you own Stephen Jackson or Carmelo Anthony, your wife won't let you go out with the boys to watch bowl games, or if you're simply having a bad day at the office, just blame Nellie. It worked for me.

Injury Fest '09 – Jackson and Melo

In addition to Harris and Azubuike going down last night, there is even more concerning news coming out of Oakland and Denver. Stephen Jackson heard a 'pop' in his hamstring and sat out the second half, while Carmelo Anthony suffered a hand injury that could be very serious. Melo was somehow able to finish the game, but had trouble tying his shoes afterwards because of a possible broken bone in the hand.

Jackson's injury doesn't sound good, especially if you listen to Corey Maggette. Maggette, who has as much experience with hamstring injuries as anyone, predicted last night that Jackson will miss three weeks. But the first thing that crossed my mind was "Wait a minute. Isn't Maggette known for missing games and taking longer to recover than the "book" says he should? How is that guy going to tell me when Jackson is coming back?"

There are two reasonable explanations for Maggette's prediction.

1. Maggette still doesn't understand that Jackson is the ultimate warrior who constantly plays through intense pain and injuries. We've seen him out there this season playing with one hand and on one foot in the same game.

2. Maggette has done the math and realized that if he had suffered the same injury that Jackson did last night, he would miss about seven weeks of action. Then he used the fact that Jackson is twice as tough as he is as the multiplier, added in Jackson's pain threshold, divided by the Nellie factor, and came up with the three-week timetable.

So if you own Jackson and he really is going to miss significant time with the hamstring injury, you have to think Maggette and (dare I say) Azubuike, along with Marco Belinelli and a host of other characters are going to see a boost in value.

And a side note on Maggette – He finally returned from his hamstring injury and scored 23 off the bench last night. He looked good, and those of you who rolled the dice on him this week are looking pretty smart right now (good job, Clams). He's having his right knee checked out today after landing awkwardly last night, but I'm guessing it's not serious. Hopefully Jackson will have an update on Maggette's knee injury for us shortly.

As for Melo's hand, it sure sounds like it's broken, although there is no early timetable for how long he might be out. My guess is that it will be measured in weeks instead of days. Linas Kleiza should be picked up in all leagues until we find out more on Melo's status. And if J.R. Smith is still available in your league, he makes sense as well.

Luckily, I had last night off and went to bed early after the Harris/'Buike meltdown, meaning I didn't find out about these two injuries until this morning, when I was nice and calm. I own both Jackson and Melo in Malkmus' league, along with Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion. That team was actually in first place a few weeks ago, but has been on a steady decline since. Now that my Top 4 picks are essentially useless, I'm going to lower my expectations for that league and just pray I get into the playoffs.

Cooking with T.J. and Marquis

Raise your hand if you played Daequan Cook or Marquis Daniels with four games this week? Both of them played last night, but Daniels left with a groin injury, while Cook played just five minutes before leaving with a leg injury. Meanwhile, T.J. Ford didn't even try due to several issues, including his back and groin. If you played Jarrett Jack again this week, congratulations.

Oh, the Drama

Tracy McGrady says he's frustrated that he's become average and people are writing him off, while his teammates have nearly gotten to the point where it sounds like they'd like to see him shut down long term as much as his fantasy owners would. Meanwhile, Ron Artest didn't practice Monday and is questionable tonight with his bum ankle. If the fantasy community is fed up with these two, think about how Rick Adelman and the Rockets must feel.

Glorified G and the Rest of the Injury Round Up

Andrei Kirilenko suffered a bruised left knee but should be fine for his next game. Spencer Hawes could be back tonight after missing several games with an abdominal strain. Oh, and Gilbert Arenas played some 2-on-2 yesterday causing the Wizards to verify that he is very likely to play again this season, although no one can say when. And my guess is that by the time he's ready to finally play there will be no point in putting him out there for the worst team in the league. Andrew Bogut missed last night's game with a back injury, and was another guy in a few of my lineups. He remains day-to-day.

The Heat have released Shaun Livingston. Hopefully he takes the summer to continue to work his way back into basketball shape and the knee allows him to play again. The fact he's made it back this far from that devastating injury is admirable and you have to be pulling for the guy.

Good Things, Proud Man

Did anything good happen last night? Yes! I picked up and started Andrea Bargnani in Kamla's League Freak, and he blew up for 21 points, eight boards, five 3-pointers and a block! I'm still not sure why he was sitting out there with four games after the big week he posted previously, but I was happy to get him.

And just when everyone had written Ramon Sessions off, he comes out of nowhere for 11 points and eight assists, while Luke Ridnour played terribly last night. Charlie Villanueva also blew up for 25 points and Michael Redd stayed hot with 35. About the only thing I can figure out about Scott Skiles is that he must hate fantasy owners. I'm not even kidding.

Danny Granger had another big night for the Pacers, Troy Murphy has become a double-double machine, Michael Beasley, whose minutes have been on the rise, had a nice double-double with 15 points and 12 boards, and Shawn Marion even showed up with 15 points, seven boards and four assists. Yes, that's how bad things have gotten. Marion's owners click their heels and do cartwheels when he gives them 15-7-4.

Matt Bonner had 11 points, five boards and three 3-pointers and could be ready to become relevant again, while Dwyane Wade was stellar, as usual.

Kevin Martin came off the bench for 36 points, four boards, four assists and four threes, while John Salmons had three points on 1-of-8 shooting in 28 minutes. Salmons went off after the game, complaining about the coaching staff running too many plays for Martin and ignoring Salmons, which should make things interesting going forward. But when Martin scores 36 and the next highest scorers have 12 and 10, you have to think things aren't exactly balanced in Sacramento. And Salmons is famous for pouting when things don't go his way, so if you own him, you have to hope the squeaky wheel gets the grease, if you know what I mean.

Yi Jianlian had 22 points, 13 boards, two blocks and a three, but good luck figuring out when he might do that again. My guess is about five games from now.

Deron Williams is back to form and looks 100 percent, while the entire Jazz team looked like an All-Star unit out there against the Warriors last night.

BoH

A few of you have asked how Band of Horses was on New Year's. We had a great time as the entire family enjoyed sound check and then my son and I caught the show. The new songs were solid and the buzz from the folks I spoke with who have actually heard them on tape is very promising. The band is definitely clicking on all cylinders and I have a feeling the days of seeing them in smaller venues are about gone. They played two nights and while I didn't get my favorite song, Monsters, at my show, they did play it the next night. I also got to meet Parker Gispert, lead singer of opener The Whigs, face to face after playing in a fantasy hoops league with him this year. The Whigs are great, too. A three-piece that reminds me of a "southern Nirvana," although I'm pretty sure they're tired of hearing that one.

[Hache Man]

Houston, We Have a Freak Scene
If your fantasy hoops team has avoided major injuries this season, congratulations. I'm pretty sure we say this every single year, but have you ever seen so many big names missing games? Sure you have – each and every year since you've been playing. But it always seems like the current year is more ridiculous than the one before. It's never fun to see your team decimated by injuries and for those of you/us who own Carmelo Anthony and Stephen Jackson, I'm sure the phrase "my team was just turning the corner, too" has been said more than once. Anyway, there's a ton of news to talk about so let's dive right into the good, the bad and the injured.

Felt like something was missing last weekend? Get your fantasy football fix with our new weekly game: Snapdraft. Draft a team this week and their stats for the rest of the playoffs will count. A cash prize for each league doesn't hurt.

Matt Stroup will be chatting today right here at 3 p.m.

The Good

Do any of us even have time to worry about the good? I mean, you know if your guys played well or not last night, but maybe there's something to be discovered here.

Scorers

Kobe Bryant scored 39, David West matched a career high with 40, Chris Paul went off for 32 points, 15 dimes, three steals and zero turnovers (wow) and Eric Gordon (possibly my favorite player right now) scored a career-best 32. Dirk Nowitzki had a game-saving block and game-winning shot on his way to 34 points and four 3-pointers and Kevin Martin stayed hot for the Kings, finishing with 29 points. Russell Westbrook (who should be owned in all leagues, as I've been saying all year) had 22 points and nine dimes, while Kevin Durant and Jeff Green each scored 27 for the Thunder. Green is officially back, but I'm guessing he's rarely still held by his original owner after his super-slow start to the season. Nothing any of us can do about those lines – you either own them or wish you did.

Sleepers

Here are some of the sleepy guys who also had a big night.

Mardy Collins started and had 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and two 3-pointers for the injury-depleted Clippers. Not to toot my own horn, but I actually had Collins listed in the guards in this week's Waiver Wired column. Of course, that wasn't that hard to predict since the Clips only have about six healthy guys and I wasn't smart enough to actually pick him up and use him. I have no idea if he'll still have value next week, but if you're carrying dead weight, he might be worth a look.

Drew Gooden returned from his ankle injury and had 18 points and 10 boards. Not bad after missing a couple weeks with the injury.

Derek Fisher blew up for 19 points, six 3-pointers and six assists last night. That's the type of line I was expecting over the last two weeks with Jordan Farmar gone, but better late than never.

Raymond Felton hit 9-of-17 shots for 25 points and eight assists in last nights, gulp, OT win over the Celtics. That's the most points he's scored since November and he hadn't gone for more than 13 in his previous four, so don't expect this to be a nightly occurrence. Wait, the Bobcats beat the Celtics? Wait, the Celtics have lost five of their last seven games? Better get Stephon Marbury in there quick – He'll fix everything.

D.J. Augustin came out of nowhere for 20 points and two 3-pointers, hitting 12-of-12 free throws and scoring 11 points in the extra session. I get the feeling D.J.'s been dropped in a lot of leagues, but did you know he's scored 20, 12 and 15 points in three of his last four games? He's still not getting enough run to be relied upon, but at some point the Cats need to give him the keys. I'm just going to keep holding him for now.

Luis Scola had 18 points and 17 rebounds for the dysfunctional Rockets last night. If you could know in advance when Scola's good games were coming, he might be your best player. But he's playing very well right now, hitting double figures in scoring in nine of his last 11 games and hitting double digits in rebounds in four straight, and five of his last six.

Tyson Chandler returned from his one-game "thug-life suspension" and had 12 points, eight boards and, of course, no blocks. How tall is he again? And check this out – Joel Przybilla's 83-year-old grandmother-in-law even wants a piece of TC and David Stern.

The Bad

Here's where this job gets tough. Do I really want to tell you to drop guys like Samuel Dalembert, Mike Miller and Marquis Daniels? No. Should I? Maybe.

Mike Miller hit 1-of-4 shots last night for two points, leaving briefly after tweaking his tender ankle, but returning to finish. Talk about a wasted roster spot this year. But he's still Mike Miller and if he ever gets healthy, he could start posting some numbers. But unless he's traded I just don't see him blowing up in Minnesota, who has to be thinking youth movement at this point. If you want to hang onto him and hope for the trade, do it. But if you want to cut him, you might sleep better at night.

Samuel Dalembert – I mean, what can I even say? He's terrible this year. Awful. Sucks. The only reason any of us are even holding him is for boards and blocks right? He had five boards and zero blocks (again) last night. The Sixers play four games this week and I didn't even consider getting him off my bench. Marreese Speights had 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks last night and I think it's finally time for the Sixers just to turn the kid loose. Dalembert isn't even helping much in boards and blocks, which would be the only sane reason we'd still be hanging on. I'm not prepared to cut him just yet in my league, but if you want to make the move in yours, no one would argue with you.

Marquis Daniels had an MRI on his injured groin and is questionable tonight after leaving his last game with the injury. With the return of Mike Dunleavy and a nasty groin injury, it might be time to cut bait on Daniels. Then again, if he recovers quickly from it and Dunleavy only lasts a couple games or so, you're going to wish you still had MD. Play this one by ear, but if you want to cut him, it won't be the end of the world either way.

Spencer Hawes returned from his abdominal strain last night and had three points and two rebounds. I still think he's going to be an effective second-half player, but again, if you feel like you need to move on, then do so.

Nate Robinson hit just 4-of-18 shots and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts on his way to a 12-point night. You can be as mad as you want to at Nate but you can't cut him. We have not heard the last from him.

Andray Blatche came off the bench last night for (reportedly) disciplinary reasons and had eight points, seven boards and a block. Darius Songaila started in the middle and had eight points and five boards. I find it hard to believe that this move is permanent, so I am not all that anxious to cut Blatche just yet. Of course, given his minutes and performance over his last three games, it might be warranted. Again, it depends on your team and your situation, but you can feel free to cut or keep Blatche at this point.

Trevor Ariza and Vladimir Radmanovic haven't exactly lived up to the hype with Luke Walton out, but now that Lamar Odom is also down, they almost have to start producing.

Marvin Williams is expected to play for the Hawks despite a shoulder injury tonight.

Mike Dunleavy is expected to make his season debut for the Pacers tonight. It's going to be a very interesting story to keep an eye on.

The Injured

Here we go…

Carmelo Anthony is out 3-4 weeks with a broken shooting hand but won't need surgery. As if he wasn't shooting it poorly enough to begin with, right? Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith should be "the guys" in his absence.

Stephen Jackson is out for at least a couple weeks with a strained hamstring. That sound you hear is bubbles surfacing as a couple of my teams sink to the bottom of the ocean – glub, glub.

Monta Ellis is "close to being able to practice" according to Don Nelson. Then again, Monta Ellis is also not a fan of being a Warrior right now, nor is management all that happy with him (check out our news blurbs for both stories). I'm not rushing out to see if he's available in any of my leagues, but I'm sure many of you will. That's probably the smart approach to take, but I'm sticking to my guns for now.

Lamar Odom suffered a hyperextended knee last night and will have an MRI today. Again, if he's out, Ariza and Radmanovic have to produce.

Elton Brand is a couple weeks away from returning from his shoulder injury. There's a pretty decent chance he'll re-injure it when he returns so I'm not getting too excited. Plus, if you forget about his name and look at the numbers he was putting up, they weren't all that great before the injury.

Jamario Moon will miss tonight's game due to the birth of a child while Jermaine O'Neal (knee) and Jose Calderon (hamstring) are out again tonight. Aren't you glad you drafted JO? And I read somewhere yesterday that the Raps are trying to trade him now, which is pretty comical. I'm still trying to figure out why they traded for him in the first place, although T.J. Ford's pretty banged up as well.

Devin Harris (groin) is out tonight but is hoping to play this weekend.

J.R. Smith is not injured, but has a court date set for Tuesday in New Jersey. The problem with that? The Nuggets have a game in Denver that night. If you're in a weekly lineup league and he misses that game, it's a two-game week for Smith. File that one away.

Luol Deng remains out with his sprained ankle but would like to play Friday.

O.J. Mayo had 25 points, eight boards and five assists last night but suffered a shoulder injury. It's not thought to be serious though, so keep him active unless we get more news on him.

Corey Maggette practiced on Tuesday but wore a brace on his gimpy right knee. It sounds like he should be fine to keep active for now.

Keith Bogans missed last night's game with an ankle injury allowing Courtney Lee (8 points) to start. Lee could emerge as the shooting guard to own in Orlando, so keep your eye on him.

Eddy Curry is very close to a return for the Knicks and we should see him on the court this week. I just realized I had a dream about him last night and he weighed about 250 and scored like 37 points in his season debut. I think he also had 9 turnovers, zero blocks, zero assists, two rebounds and missed 17 free throws. Maybe it wasn't a dream, although if he weighs 250 I'll send Nellie a box of chocolate for Valentine's Day. On a serious note, do not kid yourself into thinking that Curry will be worth owning this year. I just don't see how it's possible unless your league is ridiculously deep and you are alternating Erick Dampier and Matt Bonner at center. And even then it might be a stretch.

Houston, We've Got A Freak Scene

Tracy McGrady hit 5-of-15 shots for 14 points last night. Awesome! Can you cut T-Mac? Maybe. Can you trade him for Mike Dunleavy or anyone else who's breathing? Sure! NBA sources have told me some stories in the last day of the mindset of the teammates of T-Mac and Ron Artest and it's not very pretty. All I have to say is that I'm thankful I didn't draft either one of these guys this year so I don't have to deal with them. Artest missed his second straight game last night and is questionable for tonight's game. I'm not sure if he or T-Mac realizes it or not, but the Rockets have one of the most talented teams in the league and these two jokers are treating this season as some kind of bad joke. I can't even imagine how their teammates must feel. Well, actually I can, but it's getting ridiculous. Add in the money they're getting paid and the whole scene is pretty pathetic. As J Mascis once sang, "So beeped I can't believe, if there's a way I wish we'd see it, how could it work just cant conceive it, oh what a mess."

[Hache Man]

Pleading the Fourth
For much of the season, there's been a clear-cut top three at the apex of the fantasy basketball rankings: Chris Paul, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

It appears that we're getting close to adding a fourth.

On Wednesday night, Danny Granger lit up the Suns for 37 points, five threes (the last one a game-winner), five rebounds, six assists, four steals and a block, giving him 35, 36 and 37 points in his last three games. And while the scoring is terrific (as it has been all year), it's been the evolution of Granger's passing game that has vaulted his all-around credentials to another level. Since the start of December, Granger has averaged 4.5 assists and is now at 3.5 on the year after averaging just 2.1 last season.

Coming into the year, Granger wasn't expected to belong on the same statistical plane as CP3, LeBron and D-Wade, but it's time to acknowledge that even if Granger's not quite there yet, the fourth man is not far away from stepping onto the top platform.

Now, a look at all the happenings from a 12-game night in the NBA:

The Sublime

Randy Foye: A career-high-tying 32 points, six threes, six assists, two steals and another block in just 29 minutes. His last 10 games: 20.7 ppg and 2.2 threes per game on 50.7 percent shooting.

Shawn Marion: 25 points, 13 rebounds, two steals and a three. This wouldn't qualify as "sublime" for most, but for Marion 2008-09, it most certainly does.

Andrea Bargnani: 25 points, four threes, two blocks. Has decisively proven that he can play with Jermaine O'Neal out, but there's unfortunately not much reason to think he can keep it up when J.O. returns.

Antawn Jamison: 32 points, seven rebounds, four steals, three treys. Second 30-plus point game this year.

Andre Miller: 28 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two threes. Any time you get even one three from Andre '76, it's a memorable night. He now has nine of them on the season, and four in his last four games.

Pau Gasol: A season-high 33 points, a season-high 18 rebounds and two blocks (which was not a season-high, but just be happy that he blocked any shots at all – the only damper on Pau's solid season is a disappointing 1.0 blocks per game).

Andris Biedrins: 12 points, 17 rebounds, a career-high eight assists, three steals and three blocks. Has remained remarkably Nellie-proof.

Paul Millsap: 27 points, 14 rebounds, five assists. That would be 19 consecutive double-doubles.

A reminder: For exclusive stat projections, player rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.

Notably Good Performances

Hedo Turkoglu: 20 points (on 6-for-12 shooting), seven boards, eight assists, two threes, two steals. Other than a 1-for-14 night on January 2, has been shooting very well lately.

Josh Smith: Fourth consecutive 20-plus point game despite shooting 0-for-4 from the line. Zero blocks, but don't worry – those are coming.

Rudy Gay: Had averaged 14.3 ppg in his previous eight games, but 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block on Wednesday is more like it.

O.J. Mayo: Minor shoulder injury doesn't seem to be a problem. 26 points (and four threes) gives him three consecutive 20-plus point games.

Brook Lopez: 17 points, eight rebounds and five blocks to follow up one of his worst games of the season.

Yi Jianlian: 20 points, six rebounds, two steals and a block. I'm still nowhere close to a believer that he can keep it up, but that's two straight big games.

Yao Ming: 26 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks. He needs to assert himself like this every night.

Von Wafer: The mohawked McGrady fill-in got embarrassingly rim-checked on a baseline dunk attempt, but has averaged 15.3 ppg and 2.8 threes in four January games and should be productive whenever T-Mac is out.

Paul Pierce: Celtics are struggling, but he's absolutely locked in. Last five games: 27.8 ppg, 2.8 threes.

Russell Westbrook: Small bright spot (16 points, 12 assists) in a 42-point Thunder loss.

Kevin Love: 16 points, 15 rebounds and a block in 23 minutes. Averaging 14.5 ppg and 10.5 rpg in four January games despite averaging just 23 minutes in said games. The broken record says: Time for Kevin McHale to turn him loose.

Mike Dunleavy: 14 points, four assists and a block in 21 minutes of a long-awaited season debut. He may be ready to hit fantasy lineups sooner than we anticipated.

Louis Amundson (yes, we're talking about Louis Amundson): Nine points, 14 rebounds, a steal and a block despite shooting 1-for-7 from the line. It helped that Shaq was out, but owners in 20-plus team leagues will want to pay attention to Walter Herrmann's long-lost brother. (Side note: Did you know that Herrmann shaves his armpits? I noticed this late in Wednesday's game against the Blazers. Upon seeing it I very nearly vomited up a sizable chunk of turkey burger.)

Linas Kleiza: 21 points, seven rebounds, four threes. With Carmelo out three to four weeks, it's game on for Kleiza (and J.R. Smith, who had 21 points, two threes, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block).

Kenyon Martin: 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals, three blocks and two threes. For the record, he's now hit 10-of-17 threes on the season, including four in his last three games. It should be noted that a couple of those came in garbage time, but regardless, this is a trend worth watching. K-Mart shoots the three effortlessly, and if he has something resembling a green light when wide open, it's an added wrinkle to his quietly solid all-around production.

Tayshaun Prince: 26 points, eight rebounds, a steal and a block. Three games so far in January: 23.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 2.3 bpg. Time to think about selling high.

Andrew Bynum: 18 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 30 minutes. It wasn't particularly pretty to watch at times, and yes it was the Warriors, and yes he had rail-thin Anthony Randolph guarding him part of the time, but production is the bottom line and this is the sort of game Bynum should be posting more regularly.



More Notably Good Performances

Trevor Ariza: I like him as a real-life player but still don't think he's a great fantasy option, though I admit he should be more productive with Lamar Odom out. Ariza had a season-high 17 points to go with nine rebounds on Wednesday.

Andre Iguodala: 20 points, five rebounds, seven assists, three steals. Until further notice, lines like this should be expected.

Richard Jefferson: 27 points, five rebounds, a three and a block. Second-highest scoring total of a disappointing first season in Milwaukee.

Charlie Villanueva: 26 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three treys and a block. On the 14 occasions he's received 25-plus minutes in a game this year, Charlie V. has averaged 19.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.5 threes and 1.2 bpg. Memo to Scott Skiles: Give this man his 25-plus minutes.

Notably Bad Performances

Mike James: Had 10 points and four assists in his fourth straight mediocre game, and more importantly, Javaris Crittenton (three points, six assists and three steals) played a season-high 27 minutes. Washington has no reason to give extended playing time to a veteran unless he's playing at a high level, and right now, James is not playing at a high level.

Rafer Alston: Had just two points and three assists in 25 minutes, while backup Aaron Brooks had 19 points, four assists and two threes in 37 minutes. This was Brooks' first good game in a while so Alston's job is probably safe for now, but he should still be planted on your bench until he gets it going.

Rajon Rondo: Five points, five assists and 1-for-4 from the free throw line. Buy low now if the Rondo owner in your league is angry.

Kendrick Perkins: Zero points, three rebounds, two blocks. He's still gonna help you in boards and blocks – this was just a bad night. Stay with him.

Kevin Durant/Jeff Green/Most of the Thunder players: They lost by 42 to Minnesota, which is obscenely bad, but they've actually been playing pretty well lately. Do your best to forget this game happened.

Mike Miller: Eight points, four rebounds, three assists, a three, a steal and a block in 22 minutes off the bench. Sebastian Telfair (nine points, five assists) looks good at the point right now, which means Randy Foye is playing shooting guard and Miller is coming off the bench. I still think he'll get it going eventually, but for now you have to bench him (and avoid dropping him if you can).

Samuel Dalembert: Six points, three rebounds, three blocks. Are we even surprised at this point? He's getting perilously close to droppable, but just remember it was only a couple weeks ago that he had eight points, 13 rebounds and three blocks against Boston. He may not be completely cooked yet.

Peja Stojakovic: Seven points, two rebounds in 28 minutes. Aside from hitting a lot of threes and being decent in points, he is not a good fantasy player.

Ronnie Brewer: As a shooting guard who doesn't hit threes, he's not a terrific fantasy asset, but he's usually better than what he showed Wednesday (five points, three rebounds, two assists in 27 minutes).

Greg Oden: Four points, one rebound in 13 foul-plagued minutes. He should be nowhere near your starting lineup right now.

The Injury Report

Luol Deng: Hoping for a Friday return, but shouldn't be in your lineup right away.

Andrew Bogut: Return isn't imminent, but probably not far off either. Be patient.

Daequan Cook: Missed Wednesday, but sounds likely to start hoisting threes again on Friday.

C.J. Miles: Suffered an ankle sprain Wednesday. If he misses any time, Andrei Kirilenko could join the starting five, which would give his value a notable boost.

Lamar Odom: Diagnosis of a bone bruise was considered relatively positive news, but he could still miss a number of games.

Devin Harris: Aiming for a Friday return from his hamstring injury.

Brandon Roy: Aiming for a Saturday return from his hamstring injury.

T.J. Ford/Marquis Daniels: Both sat out Wednesday and are being called day-to-day.

Rasheed Wallace: Sat out Wednesday, but it doesn't sound serious and he should be back this weekend.

Richard Hamilton: Unlikely to return this weekend.

Jose Calderon/Jermaine O'Neal: Missed Wednesday, but could return sometime this weekend. Enjoy Willie Solomon and Andrea Bargnani while it lasts.

Shaquille O'Neal: Sat out Wednesday with back spasms. Has been relatively healthy this year thanks to extra rest, so hopefully this isn't the start of a negative trend.

Brandan Wright: Dislocated his shoulder Wednesday, which means increased playing time for Anthony Randolph. Don't get too excited.

Monta Ellis: Preparing for "end stage" of his rehab. That sounds rather ominous, like he's facing an amputation or something, but it's actually positive news. Even though Ellis continues to progress, we still may not see him until next month.

Tonight
Two games on the schedule this evening, as the short-handed Clippers will likely get fricasseed by the Spurs in a game that could feature extensive garbage time (hello, Mardy Collins!) Meanwhile, I'm expecting the Knicks to be competitive against a Dallas squad that narrowly defeated the aforementioned Clippers on Tuesday night. This game will of course feature the oddly anticipated season debut of Eddy Curry, who – in case you had forgotten – is not a very good fantasy player. As always, Dr. A will be here tomorrow to let you know how it all went down. In the meantime, I'm off to make a series of futile trade offers for Danny Granger (much to my dismay, it seems that most people out there have figured out that he's actually pretty good.)

[Hache Man]

D-Miles = D-Rama
Congratulations to the Florida Gators…again.

I'm doing a live Season Pass Subscriber chat today at 3 p.m. See you there.

Let's not mess around today as we gear up for a 12-game night in the Association, featuring a marquee match up of the Celtics at Cleveland. The Cavs are 18-0 at home and the Celtics have been reeling, losing six of their last eight games. Boston is going to be pretty fired up after reading that the Cavs were openly rooting for the Rockets as they watched the end of Wednesday's game (as Houston won in Boston). Game time is at 8 p.m. and I'm guessing you can figure out which network to catch it on.

After losing a heartbreaker to the Magic in the ATL on Wednesday, the Hawks are at Orlando tonight for another heaping of Dwight Howard. Other notable match ups tonight include Yi Jianlian's return to Milwaukee to face the Bucks, Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups will square off in Denver and the Mavericks visit the Suns.

Injury Round Up

Luol Deng is unlikely to go through a sprained ankle tonight, which will be his seventh straight miss.

Andrew Bogut is not likely to play again tonight through a sore back, although he's hopeful for Saturday. I was left with no choice but to play him in one league this week and it's obviously not going well.

Brandan Wright is going to miss at least three weeks with a dislocated shoulder which is going to force our friend Nellie to play Anthony Randolph, whether he wants to or not. Nellie snapped at the media the other day when they were busting his chops for being so tough on the kid. Nellie basically told them to (Michael Scott voice) 'shut it' and let him run his team the way he sees fit. My buddy Emry suggested yesterday we start referring to Nellie as 'Dr. Moreau,' but I'm not sure if I feel like typing that out every day. I kinda enjoy just calling him Nellie. Yes, maybe Randolph and Ronny Turiaf will go on a run and be worth owning, but your guess is as good as mine. Oh and my friend Dan actually sent me the following email yesterday.

"How do you see the Warriors lineup shaping up for the rest of the season?"

The funniest thing about that question is that he was serious. If I had any clue as to what Nellie was going to do next you can believe that I wouldn't be wasting my time with this nonsense. I'd be traveling from state to state playing the lotto, hanging out at the track picking superfectas and then finishing things off in Vegas by putting the entire farm on the winner of the NBA championship this year. My response to Dan was something along the lines of "Hahahahahaha."

Then fellow fantasy hoops writer Matt Satten, who does some work for CNN/SI.com, sent me a fairly intense email about Monta Ellis. Satten says I'm dead wrong (and probably insane, although he didn't actually write that) about Ellis not coming back strong and being a highly productive fantasy player. He also says he has several reasons as to why this is going to happen, but I think he may have been too fired up to even get into them. Satten is dead set on the belief that Ellis is close to returning and is going to be a beast when he does show up. This will be a very interesting debate in fantasyland until we see what happens with Ellis. I still find it hard to believe that he's going to be worth much prior to the All-Star break, although it is possible that he'll help owners in playoff leagues. But honestly, I'm still really not too excited about the return of Monta. And if he shows up and averages 20-plus points per game with a ton of goodies thrown in, I shall stand corrected.

Daequan Cook (knee) and James Jones (wrist) are both questionable for tonight. Jones has been out all season and is a 3-point shooting small forward, while Cook has been one of the league's best 3-point shooters this year at shooting guard. My guess is Jones may hurt Cook's value some, but won't offer much of his own. In other words, Miami only needs one 3-point specialist and they've already got a good one in Cook.

Devin Harris is not a lock to play tonight through a hamstring injury, so those of you/us banking on at least two more games out of Harris this week could be out of luck. Even though he's playing in his home town of Milwaukee, he's still going to be very careful to not come back to soon and risk missing more time. But believe me when I say I'm crossing my fingers that he goes tonight.

Tony Allen is out for the Celtics on Friday and Sunday with his lingering ankle sprain. It must be a doozy.

Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton could possibly play for the Pistons tonight. Rip's been out almost two weeks with a groin tear, while Sheed has been sitting with a painful foot injury. Sheed sounds like he'll play for sure, while Rip is a little more questionable. Both players are game-time decisions. Rodney Stuckey is also a little iffy with a sore back, although if he was able to play through it on Wednesday, my guess is he'll be good to go today.

Courtney Lee will start again for the Magic tonight as Keith Bogans and Mickael Pietrus remain sidelined. Keep your eye on Lee.

Carlos Boozer is expected to return to action sometime on or around Feb. 11. I took over for Matt Stroup in Wednesday's chat and had someone ask me why I am "so down" on Boozer. Hmmm. Let me think about this.

1. Boozer's injury history is simply not pretty.
2. He's having knee surgery, which is always tougher to come back from than people think it will be, unless your name is Amare.
3. No timetable has even really been set because they are waiting for him to have the surgery. Who's to say more problems won't be found when the get in there today?
4. Can you say Paul Millsap, the potential all-star and owner of 19 straight double-doubles?

I mean really, why is there any reason to be "up" about Boozer? If you're holding him in hopes of a triumphant return in March, go for it. But if you want to let go and pick up a guy like Linas Kleiza, that seems to make more sense. Just keep in mind I'm not a real doctor.

And if you missed that chat, just click on the link above to check it out in the archives.

Jermaine O'Neal is out again tonight with a knee injury. I don't want to hear any complaining from JO's fantasy owners. You knew this was going to happen coming in, you knew the huge risk you were taking by drafting him and you now know that you should have traded him after that hot three-game run he went on just before going down for the count. My guess is that JO got added to about 50,000 "I will never draft that guy again" lists this year.

No word yet on the status of Jose Calderon and his hamstring, which leads me to believe he may not be ready. Hopefully we'll know more this afternoon, although he sounds like a classic "game-time decision" tonight.

Raja Bell's groin is finally healed and he's expected back in the starting lineup for the Bobcats tonight. He's off to really slow start for the Cats, but is a guy I'm going to keep an eye on for the next couple weeks in case he gets going. And keep in mind that his return could mean an end to the little run that D.J. Augustin has been on lately.

News and Notes

Jason Thompson is going to start for the Kings on Friday, replacing Mikki Moore at power forward. If you've had your eye on JT and have been wanting to pick him up, now is the time to make your move. Yes, Spencer Hawes could end up starting at PF at some point, but Thompson is certainly worth a flier with this news.

Jason Kidd is now daydreaming about joining the Knicks to be paired up with coach Mike D'Antoni. I'm sure Mike D would love that, just like I'm sure that Mark Cuban hates the fact that Kidd is talking this smack while the Mavericks prove to be a mediocre team in the West.

Larry Hughes is clearly on his way out of Chicago and his days of having fantasy value should be coming to a close. He's had his moments over the last couple seasons, but I'm guessing fantasy teams were generally better off without him than with him.

The Blazers sent out an unprecedented email to the other 29 NBA teams this week threatening legal action if a team signs Darius Miles for the sole intention of burdening the Blazers' financially. If Miles is active for two more games this season the Blazers will have $9 million added to their cap in each of the next two seasons. While I understand the team's goal here, I'm not sure sending out a threatening email to the rest of the league was the right way to go. That may just prompt someone to challenge the Blazers to see if they'll follow through. You don't think that a letter like that isn't an intriguing challenge for a guy like Cuban? He probably got excited when it hit his inbox, sorta like you or I would be if someone had just handed us courtside seats to an NBA game. How do you prove in court that Miles was picked up specifically to hurt the Blazers financially? That's right – you can't. In addition, as the Toronto Star's Doug Smith pointed out this morning, doesn't this clear the way for Miles to file his own grievance against the Blazers for effectively making him untouchable? Blazers' president Larry Miller sent the e-mail and you have to wonder if he had full support on it from Kevin Pritchard. In any case, Miles still has no fantasy value and never will again. Which reminds me – I need to go drop him in my 30-team league.

Thursday's Highlights

Mardy Collins had another nice line of 16 points, five boards and three dimes for the Clippers last night, who were rocked by the Spurs. Eric Gordon scored 21 and has now scored at least 20 in six straight games, while Al Thornton also scored 21. Fred Jones is back on a 10-day contract after being released earlier in the week and had 11 points in 33 minutes. For the Spurs, Roger Mason had 18 points and four 3-pointers, and has played well in a couple straight games now. If you need threes chances are he's available in your league after struggling for a few weeks. Kurt Thomas had nine points and nine rebounds, but that means nothing more than keep him on your radar.

Chris Duhon scored 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting as the dream season continues. He's second in the league in minutes per game and added four treys and seven dimes to his stellar line last night. Eddy curry is back and had two points and two rebounds in two minutes and change. He even managed not to commit a turnover, miss a free throw or block a shot. Yee Ha! Nate Robinson's struggles continued as he hit just 4-of-16 shots and 1-of-9 3-pointers to finish with nine points in the loss to Dallas. As bad as you might want to cut him right now, I still don't think you should. Brandon Bass had 12 points, 11 boards and four blocks for the Mavs and it's just too bad he doesn't get more consistent minutes. Jason Terry has scored just nine and 10 points in last two games, so those of you who recently sold high on him are doing a bit of a victory dance today. And Jason Kidd must have gotten sick of me bashing him, as he posted a very solid line last night. Don't be surprised if he's on the verge of getting hot. After all, he's got to show D'Antoni something if he's going to make his dreams come true.

[Hache Man]

The Reign of King James
Welcome to the Week Ahead. There are some tough decisions to be made, especially since more teams have two-game schedules than during any other week this season (excluding the first, last and All-Star weeks). There's a lot to get through, so let's dive right in.

Two-game teams -- Bobcats, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves

Three-game teams -- Hawks, Celtics, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Lakers, Magic, 76ers, Spurs, Kings, Wizards

Four-game teams -- Bulls, Pistons, Heat, Bucks, Nets, Hornets, Knicks, Thunder, Suns, Trail Blazers, Raptors, Jazz

Bobcats -- (det, POR)

The Bobcats two-game slate makes most of their players unusable -- the exceptions, depending upon the format of your league, are Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, Boris Diaw and Raymond Felton. Wallace is shooting just 41% from the field in January, and the tough defenses of Detroit and Portland aren't going to make things any easier on him. Felton came off the bench behind Sean Singletary on Friday but should resume starting immediately -- coach Larry Brown gave Singletary and Matt Carroll "courtesy starts," apparently because they are from Philadelphia. Raja Bell has returned from his groin injury but is still working his way back and shouldn't be relied upon in a two game week.

Warriors -- (SAC, ATL)

If you play in a daily league, make sure you have your Warrior players active when they face the Kings on Wednesday -- Sacramento yields the fourth-most points of any team in the league, and gives up the second-highest 3PT%. In weekly leagues, you'll want to avoid most Warriors, though Andris Biedrins stands out as a possible play. In his two games vs. the Hawks and Kings this season, Biedrins averaged 15.0 points, 16.5 rebounds, five assists, one steal and 1.5 blocks. A quick reminder...Stephen Jackson is still out but Corey Maggette is back...he was supposedly going to play limited minutes, but in his first two games back he averaged 21 points in 34 minutes.

Rockets -- (LAL, MIA)

The Rockets are treading water at this point, and have become a money pit for fantasy owners trying to build a championship team. Tracy McGrady is far too unreliable to use in a two-game week, and Ron Artest isn't much better (though at least Houston doesn't play a back-to-back set). Coach Rick Adelman is considering letting both players sit out until they're healthy, as he feels the Rockets are taking "one step forward and two steps back" as long as they bounce in and out of the lineup. Avoid them this week. Luis Scola followed up his 18-point, 17-rebound game by averaging seven points and four rebounds in the next two games. Avoid him. Nobody else even gets close to being playable in a two-game week, with the obvious exception of Yao.

Clippers -- (ATL, MIL)

The Clippers are injured, tired, and riding a 10-game losing streak. Eric Gordon has been wonderful since injuries took out Baron Davis and Zach Randolph, scraping together just enough versatility to make him a consideration in a two-game week. My only concern is, if his shot is off, will 1.4 three-pointers, 1.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 blocks be enough? You be the judge. Marcus Camby should be active in all lineups, regardless. In a sure sign of how bad things are for the Clips, Mardy Collins is actually an intriguing pickup in deep leagues. His value is short-term, and he's not a good option with just two games, but averages of 16 points, 1.3 three-pointers, five rebounds, four assists and 1.7 steals per game are hard to ignore.

Grizzlies -- (CLE, UTAH)

It's hard to like the Grizzlies' fantasy prospects this week, as they start their shortened schedule against the NBA's stingiest defense. Cleveland is giving up just under 89 points per game to their opponents, holding them to 42% from the field, including 34% from downtown. They also outrebound their opponents by 3.5 boards per game, third-best in the league. O.J. Mayo was 4-of-14 from the field before leaving Friday's game with a hip injury, making him a dubious start next week. On top of that, he's shooting just 41% from the field in January and 31% from the field when he has three or more days' rest before a game -- which will be the case against the Cavs. Rudy Gay can be used in a pinch, but Hakim Warrick and Marc Gasol are suitable for deep leagues only.

Timberwolves -- (MIA, pho)

The run-and-gun T-Wolves? Kevin McHale has loosened the reins on his young squad, and they have responded with an overachieving stretch of six wins in eight games, including four straight. In the past 10 games, only five teams have scored more points than Minnesota, though they somehow have the fifth-fewest assists. Randy Foye is on fire lately, has hit 10 three-pointers in the past two games and deserves serious consideration with the lax defense of Phoenix on the horizon. Al Jefferson is playing like an All-Star and is a safe bet, considering how many teams have two-game schedules. Mike Miller is sucking the life from his owners -- stake him to your bench this week. Ryan Gomes is actually playing well enough to warrant consideration, but I don't like his chances in average leagues.

Hawks -- (pho, lac, gs)

The Hawks shoot nearly five percentage points worse on the road than they do at home, and their scoring drops from 100.2 to 95.7 -- they also average seven fewer assists. Those numbers aren't encouraging, but they're also not overwhelming. Atlanta has a good chance of improving them, moreover, with three of the league's top-10 worst defenses on tap this week. We're still waiting on an update about Al Horford's knee injury, so double-check his status before committing to him.

Celtics -- (TOR, NJ, nj)

This three-game schedule might be the perfect cure for what ails the Celtics. Not only are the Nets and Raptors both beatable teams, fantasy owners will be delighted to know that they rank #1 and #2 in three-pointers allowed, respectively. That spells great things for the owners of Ray Allen and Paul Pierce, especially since Pierce is on a three-point tear lately, hitting 15 in his past five games. Kevin Garnett is also a safe start, but owners of Rajon Rondo have to give some thought to sidelining him until he straightens himself out -- so far in January he is averaging 7.8 points on 36% field goals and 55% free throws, 3.0 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.8 steals and 3.2 turnovers.

Cavaliers -- (mem, chi, NO)

How good are the Cavs right now? By dismantling the Celtics on Friday, they increased their league-leading points-differential to an astounding 12.4 per game. (The Lakers are a distant second at 9.0.) There is nothing too noteworthy about the competition this week -- only the Hornets should put up a fight, but hopefully the Grizzlies and Bulls will be competitive enough to keep LeBron in the game for four quarters (it probably helps that both are road games). LeBron's beautiful line on Friday is worth repeating -- 38 points, seven rebounds, six assists, four steals, three blocks. With Zydrunas Ilgauskas still sidelined, Anderson Varejao is good for close to a double-double and 1.5 steals per game. Ben Wallace's production is relatively unchanged.

Mavericks -- (den, NO, UTAH)

The Mavs are coming off a brutal loss to the Suns on Friday, and they don't have an easy road in Week 12. Josh Howard's wrist injury is probably the biggest fantasy news here, and it could herald the resurgence of J.J. Barea. Then again, Rick Carlisle might give extra minutes to current starter Antoine Wright, who is playing well lately, so keep an eye on Sunday's boxscore for indications about next week. As of Saturday afternoon it's unclear how long Howard will be sidelined, so bench him and don't put much faith in his replacements. Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 14.5 points on 32% shooting in his last two games -- maybe a concern for lesser players, but not the ex-MVP.

Nuggets -- (DAL, PHO, ORL)

The Nuggets are averaging five more points and five more asissts in their home games this season, though the absence of Carmelo Anthony means all bets are off. Chauncey Billups still has enough weapons to pass to and Nene and Kenyon Martin will do their thing against some competitive frontcourts (Dampier not so much, but Shaq and Dwight Howard is a rough stretch). The 'X-factors' that most owners are wondering about are Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith. You can't glean much from their previous performances, since Melo being out thrusts them both into larger roles. In my opinion, Smith (off the bench) is a safer start than Kleiza (as a starter), but both guys are borderline. Smith's value actually doesn't increase tremendously with Melo out -- he gets a few more shots, maybe, but his numbers and production haven't significantly changed in the past two games. Kleiza plays an automatic 30 minutes and is a solid source of points, threes and rebounds -- if you can, try to ignore his one-point, 0-of-6 dud from Friday.

Pacers -- (utah, DET, TOR)

The Pacers hold the distinction of both scoring and allowing the most points of any team in the league over their past five games. Their defense isn't helped by the fact that they commit the third-most fouls and give up the second-most free throws of any team. One bright note is that Mike Dunleavy has looked great since returning. His minutes are still limited to around 25 per game, but a move into the starting lineup is inevitable. The flip side of that equation is that Marquis Daniels, who remains out with a groin injury, is going to lose minutes and production, and might not be worth owning in average leagues. T.J. Ford is still day-to-day with a sore back (or abdomen or groin, I've lost track)...he might return soon, but right now he's too risky to bother with.

Lakers -- (hou, sa, ORL)

The Lakers have the highest-scoring offense in the league and are tied with Cleveland for the best overall record, so you can basically ignore their seemingly treacherous schedule this week. Kobe Bryant has elevated his game recently, and it's worth noting that although his points are down this season (27.2), he is shooting a career-best 48.4% from the field. Derek Fisher's shot has been off in January (35% from the field), but he's getting huge minutes and is a solid source of threes, assists and steals. Andrew Bynum had his first 20-point game of the season on Friday, though he added just five rebounds and one blocked shot. I'm still hoping that a breakthrough is right around the corner, and with Lamar Odom (knee) sidelined he'll need to step up his game.

Magic -- (sac, lal, den)

Orlando has the best road record in the NBA, so don't let their unfriendly schedule throw you. On top of that, all three of their opponents are in the bottom-half of the league in terms of points allowed, so some high-scoring games can be expected. Dwight Howard had 29 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks against the Kings earlier this season, and will also give the Nuggets frontcourt all they can handle. Good news if you own Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis -- all three of these teams also give up plenty of three-pointers (L.A. is 26th in the league at 7.3 allowed, Denver is 24th and Sacramento is 20th)

76ers -- (POR, SA, ny)

Over the past five games, Philadelphia is averaging 99.8 points per game, 14th most in the league. That doesn't seem like much, but it's 4.5 points above their season average (95.3, good for 24th in the league). The conclusion is obvious -- without Elton Brand, the Sixers can run and gun like they did last season, and it's hard to argue that they haven't had more success since his shoulder injury (they aren't a better team, but that's another column in itself). Much of the credit goes to Andre Miller, whose January averages are delightful -- 20.8 points on 62% shooting stop listening

Wizards -- (MIL, ny, NY)

It looks like a relatively easy slate this week, but these days there is no such thing for the hapless Wizards. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison are automatic starts in a three-game week, and Butler should have no trouble bouncing back from what he described as "the worst game of my life" on Friday (two points on 1-of-8 shooting). Andray Blatche, for all his promise, is too risky for my tastes -- he hasn't played more than 28 minutes, scored more than 12 points or grabbed more than eight rebounds in any of the past five games. On a more hopeful note, the Knicks give up more rebounds to their opponents (47 per game) than any other team besides the Warriors, meaning Jamison and Blatche (assuming he stays out of the doghouse) should pile up the boards.

Four-game teams (some of them, anyway)

Bulls -- (POR, tor, CLE, SA)

The Bulls face a double-whammy this week -- three road games and a slate full of tough defensive teams. The Blazers and Raptors may not have reputations as strong defensive clubs, but they have both allowed fewer than 92 points in the past five games. That means the Bulls are facing four of the six toughest defenses in the league, when isolating January games...stiff is an understatement. Don't expect fringe guys like Larry Hughes to contribute much, in other words. Stick to known commodities like Ben Gordon and Derrick Rose. Drew Gooden is also a decent start, as he's moved into the starting lineup and posted two consecutive double-doubles since returning from his ankle injury. You might as well roll with Tyrus Thomas also...he's playing great lately, and has a sizeable margin for error in a four-game week.

Pistons -- (CHA, ind, okc, NO)

The two home games, vs. Charlotte and New Orleands, are both against solid defensive teams, which could be especially troublesome if Detroit is forced to play without Rodney Stuckey (sore back). Indiana and Oklahoma City, on the other hand, each yield more than 103 points per game. The biggest hurdle if you own a Piston is figuring out who's going to play. Rip Hamilton is hoping to return on Tuesday, but hopefully we'll have confirmation on Sunday, so check back soon. Rasheed Wallace is expected to return as soon as Saturday, making it likely that he'll have four full games of production. Rodney Stuckey is day-to-day with a sore back...if he can't suit up, Allen Iverson will probably get more minutes at point guard, and therefore more assists.

Heat -- (min, mil, hou, okc)

One positive for the Heat is that their numbers this season are virtually identical at home and on the road. They also face a few sub-par defenses in Minnesota and OKC, which will offset the difficulty of the Skiles-infused Bucks and the Rockets. Dwyane Wade is simply unbelievable, and I'd recommend playing him in a half-game week at this point. Shawn Marion is just not the same player that he was with the Suns...it's hard to overemphasize how ineffective he is in the halfcourt offense. The player formerly known as the Matrix is averaging 11.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals, all his lowest totals since 2000-2001.

Nets -- (OKC, bos, POR, BOS)

After the cupcake game against the Thunder (not that it's a sure win, just sure to be statistically generous), New Jersey faces two games against the Celtics, who will show no mercy after their recent string of embarrassing losses. Devin Harris is day-to-day with his sore hamstring, so check our player news for the latest. Vince Carter's owners are probably hoping Harris never returns -- in the past two games, VC is averaging 7.5 rebounds and 13 assists to go with his usual 24 points.

Trail Blazers -- (chi, phi, nj, cha)

The Blazers play four road games against Eastern Conference teams this week, but all of their oppents have sub-.500 records. The return of Brandon Roy should give them a nice boost, while moving Jerryd Bayless to the bench and infringing on Rudy Fernandez's minutes. Fernandez is also questionable for Saturday's game with a sore foot, so check his status before using him. LaMarcus Aldridge is averaging 20 shot attempts over the past four games, his most active stretch of the season -- Roy's absence required him to be more active, but hopefully he'll continue to be this aggressive. One bonus for the Blazers' big men is that all of their oppenents rank among the top 11 teams in having their shots blocked -- the Sixers are 11th, Nets 10th, Bulls 4th and Bobcats 2nd (the Bobcats get blocked 6.1 times per game, behind only the Timberwolves).

[Hache Man]

The Hits Just Keep On Comin'
Good New For People Who Like Bad News

Al Horford – knee – Out indefinitely w/ bone bruise, hello Zaza.
Paul Pierce – knee – Game-time decision tonight. Start at own risk.
Kendrick Perkins – Shoulder – Missed Sunday, iffy for Monday. Risky.
Tony Allen – ankle – Has missed four straight, no reason to risk using him.
Matt Carroll – Achilles – Just another reason to like Raja Bell right now.
D.J. Augustin – abdomen – Out at least 10 days, likely more.
Sean May – conditioning – Still 10 pounds away from 260.
Thabo Sefolosha – flu – Missed last game with illness – no reason to risk him.
Luol Deng – ankle – Hoping to play tonight, but should be rusty.
Kirk Hinrich – thumb – Nearing return – Time to pick him up if you want him.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – ankle – Out for several weeks, hello Varejao.
Josh Howard – wrist – Will miss at least one more game, bench him.
Carmelo Anthony – hand – Out for a couple more weeks.
Richard Hamilton – groin – Planning on Tuesday. Start at own risk.
Rasheed Wallace – foot – Aggravated injury Sunday, bench if you can.
Marco Belinelli – ankle – Left last game w/ injury, two games = bench.
Brandan Wright – shoulder – Out a couple more weeks.
Stephen Jackson – hamstring – Should miss at least another week.
Monta Ellis – ankle – Sounds closer but still no target date.
Ron Artest – ankle – Ruled out Tuesday. Bench until further notice.
Tracy McGrady – knee – Hou has 4 games in 12 days – Could be shut down.
Marquis Daniels – groin – Missed last week, no current word on status. Bench.
Mike Dunleavy – knee – So far, so good.
T.J. Ford – groin/back – Played well Sunday, should be usable again.
Baron Davis – back – Return date unknown, bench until further notice.
Zach Randolph – knee – Ditto.
Mike Taylor – thumb – Out several more weeks.
Chris Kaman – foot – Lost season? Out until at least All-Star break.
Ricky Davis – knee – Suspension over, but no word on injury status.
Kobe Bryant – eye – Took stitches Sunday, should be fine.
Lamar Odom – knee – Traveling with team, but way to questionable to start.
Luke Walton – foot – Out another week – Ariza and Vlad-Rad to get run.
Jordan Farmar – knee – Still about a month or so away.
O.J. Mayo – hip – Left Friday's game, Grizz play just two this week. Risky.
Darko Milicic – knuckle – Still not close to return.
Dorell Wright – knee – Getting closer but nowhere to play.
James Jones – wrist – Back in action, but behind Daequan Cook.
Malik Allen – back – Remains day-to-day with injury, but no fantasy value.
Andrew Bogut – back – Back in action, should be fairly safe play.
Kevin Ollie – elbow – Out at least another week-to-10 days. Hello, Telfair.
Mike Miller – ankle – Playing through pain, ineffectively.
Yi Jianlian – finger – Ryan Anderson to start in his place. Yi can be dropped.
Devin Harris – hamstring – Practiced Sunday, ready to start on Monday.
Stromile Swift – ankle – Been out for a month, but nearing return.
Eddy Curry – conditioning – Don't expect much this year.
Danilo Gallinari – back – Practicing, but still at least a week away.
Mickael Pietrus – wrist – Still not close, Courtney Lee is intriguing.
Elton Brand – shoulder – Still hasn't practiced with contact. Bench.
Jose Calderon – hamstring – Out Monday, four games this week. Your call.
Jermaine O'Neal – knee – Won't play Monday. Don't use until you see him.
C.J. Miles – ankle – Hoping for Monday, but why risk using him?
Carlos Boozer – knee surgery – Out at least a month – Hello, Millsap.
Antawn Jamison – knee – Missed practice, should play this week.
DeShawn Stevenson – back – Should be out another week.
Gilbert Arenas – knee – Says he'll play this year, but he says a lot of things.

News and Notes

Tracy McGrady is leading Chris Paul in All-Star votes and Yi Jianlian is closing in on Kevin Garnett for a starting job. If you didn't think the system was flawed, this should do it. I'm not sure who exactly is voting for T-Mac but he's played like an All-Star for about a total of one hour over the last two seasons. Yes he's hurting and it appears to be bothering him that he can't perform like an All-Star, but just because Yao Ming is a teammate doesn't mean an entire country has to vote for him. T-Mac and Ron Artest are both talking about shutting it down indefinitely in order to get healthy. With the Rockets only playing four times in the next 12 days, it would (sort of) make sense to just put them on ice for the next two weeks and try to bring them back near full strength in February. If you own either player right now, I don't think you can use them.

The player I forgot in my second run through of Waiver Wired last night was Kirk Hinrich (instead of Mike Dunleavy). He's getting closer to a return from thumb surgery and now is probably the time to move on him. I don't think he'll have much value unless the Bulls make a trade. But you have to think they will either move Hinrich or Larry Hughes, which should clear some playing time for the former Kansas star one way or another. Don't plan on being able to use him any time in the near future, but if you're thin in your back court, now is the time to grab him.

Josh Smith owners have to hope this Al Horford injury gets Smith going. I guess he's still not fully recovered from his ankle injury, or he just doesn't care very much. But his play and production have been less than stellar this season and it hasn't been fun to watch. I am not rushing out to pick up Pachulia anywhere, but he could have some fantasy value over the next couple weeks. And if you're in an extremely deep league, Solomon Jones should block a lot of shots in that timeframe as well.

Ryan Anderson gets the start at power forward tonight and I'm anxious to see if he's going to break out or bust. Speaking of the Nets, Vince Carter has been a saint this year. When I saw him play in Atlanta in November I noticed he really seemed to be teaching the young guys throughout the game. Every break in the action saw him pulling a younger player aside and tutoring him. I told a couple people at the time that Vince looked pretty happy and as long as the Nets kept winning, he was going to stay that way. Well, the Nets are still a pretty decent team and I think Vince is taking some pride in proving the doubters wrong. And I'm definitely one of them, as I thought the Nets would stink and Vince would be doing whatever he could to not be playing right now. Instead he's still leading the charge and helping the Nets maintain a legitimate shot at the playoffs this season. They get Devin Harris back at full strength tonight, so let's hope he leaves the game in the same condition.

Check back throughout the day on Monday for injury updates.

Don't Call It A Comeback

Beno Udrih and Jason Terry bounced back last night with solid fantasy lines and Andrew Bynum suddenly looks like he's ready to turn it on. Bynum played 37 minutes last night, so maybe Phil Jackson is starting to have some faith in his big man. I'm still not sold that Udrih is good to go, but am playing him in a few leagues this week out of necessity.

And I didn't get to see it, but I'm sad I missed the Jamal Crawford vs. Danny Granger showdown last night. Granger is a complete fantasy beast this season so congratulations if you own him.

My Squads

I had Devin in one lineup for the entire week and Melo in another and still managed to hang on for a pair of 4-4 ties. I'd rather win, but not a bad result when my two best players were out. Here's a quick update on my squads.

UBC Expert League (H2H points) – I was placed in the wrong division in this one. Three of us are tied for first at 9-2 with the fourth team in our division at 8-3. In the other two divisions, there is one winning team (7-4) while 5-6 is actually leading the other one.

League Freak (H2H categories) – I'm in second place, six games out of first. Have been holding things together with waiver-wire pickups and now have Melo and Horford down. It's all about Bargnani and Tyrus Thomas here, which is kind of funny.

Ode to Trinkle (H2H categories) – This is the league I started in 1992 – I'm in first place currently and am starting Ryan Anderson this week. Yikes.

30-Deep Expert – (H2H most cats = 1 win) – I'm in fifth place (3.5 games back) in the 15-team division but think my team is better than our record. Dealing with injuries to Horford and M. Daniels in this one.

Rotoworld Expert League (roto scoring) – I'm firmly in second place.

I'm in three Yahoo! leagues and then another Rock and Roll CBS league and none of these are going so well right now. The Malkmus and the other Rock and Roll league are probably the most frustrating as I sit in the middle of the pack with teams that probably don't have the horses to finish Top 3. Uninspiring performances from Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion got things off to a shaky start, and then the loss of Melo and Stephen Jackson have put me behind the 8-ball. Oh well.

[Hache Man]

Really, Eddy Curry?
Tracy McGrady is shutting it down for a couple weeks due to his sore knee. In a season chock-full of injuries to big names, T-Mac is just another drop in the bucket. However, based on how strange a season it's been for him and how unwilling he has been in trying to play through his pain, he's probably the early favorite for most annoying player to own. Other candidates include his teammate Ron Artest, who after weeks of shooting owners into oblivion is now skipping games at an alarming rate, and is also talking about shutting it down. My buddy T.J. Ford is getting on my last nerve, not that we didn't see that one coming, Jermaine O'Neal is borderline useless, Carlos Boozer's season is almost down the drain and who knows when we'll see Chris Kaman again? At least Zach Randolph played like an all-star before going down and you have to think he'll be back at some point in the near future. Baron Davis and Elton Brand played early but neither player lived up to the hype when they were healthy. Luol Deng has been a mess this season, Josh Howard's ankle and wrist have caused many owners to sell him for a six pack of Natty Light, Carmelo Anthony wasn't exactly winning MVP nominations before going down, and the Pistons' big names have been battling apathy and inconsistency all season. Rasheed Wallace? Calling, Rasheed Wallace. And Allen Iverson's been a bit of a let down after the trade. Lamar Odom has to be one of the more frustrating players in the league, while Shawn Marion probably qualifies as the biggest bust for a player who was healthy coming in. What if you'd taken Danny Granger instead of Shawn Marion in your draft? I guarantee Granger was there for the taking in every single one of them, but who thought Marion could really fall this far off the cliff? Anyway, I'm sure there are plenty of other disappointments to discuss here, but I've already taken this farther than I had planned.

After all that, the question keeps coming up in my various leagues as to whether or not there are more injuries this year than ever before. My guess is 'no.' It seems like every year at this time we think that this year is worse than the one before, but I'm thinking it's about the same. Now compared to 10 or 15 years ago? I think we're dealing with a great deal more injuries, as guys back then were more likely to play through pain. There wasn't as much money involved, the players had less power, etc. But over the last five years, I'm pretty sure this year's number of devastating fantasy injuries is about the same as it has been over the last few. But if you own Stephen Jackson, Carmelo Anthony, Elton Brand and Al Horford right now, but you probably don't believe me. And I haven't done any research – I just remember writing how bad the injuries are "this year" every time January rolls around.

As you read yesterday, I've got serious technology issues again, so don't be surprised if I don't touch many emails this week.

Injury News and Notes

Charlie Bell sat out last night's game with an ankle injury, along with C.J. Miles and Tony Allen, and Etan Thomas went down with a knee injury. But onto guys who matter in fantasyland.

Paul Millsap missed Monday's win with a knee bruise, which was not a pleasant experience for his owners. He was a "late scratch," meaning he was expected to go just before game time, so hopefully he'll be ready for his next one.

T.J. Ford played well in his previous game but took last night off with lingering back issues. Given his injury history, he could be shut down indefinitely at any time. I'm still not sure how I ended up with him on a couple teams, as I made it a point not to draft him, but I'm sure he looked like an attractive throw-in in a couple trades. He's day-to-day but he may not play in back-to-backs going forward. My suggestion is to trade him after his next good game.

Kendrick Perkins missed another game with a shoulder injury last night and remains day-to-day.

Jermaine O'Neal, as expected, didn't play again last night as Andrea Bargnani continues to shock the world, and I'm not really sure when we're going to see JO again. Jose Calderon was out again with his nagging hamstring injury and owners just have to hope he sits down until he's fully healthy. At least we knew prior to lineup deadlines that he wouldn't play on Monday.

Rasheed Wallace is now probable for tonight after practicing yesterday, but did aggravate his foot injury in his last game.

Marco Belinelli is officially day-to-day with a sprained ankle, but coach Don Nelson is suggesting he could be out for "a while" with the injury.

News and Notes

Eddy Curry's former driver is suing him for unpaid wages, sexual harassment and making racial slurs, much to the shock of Curry. David Kuchinski says that Curry called him a "cracker," "white slave," "white devil" and "grandmaster of the KKK." In addition, Kuchinski claims that Curry approached him naked on a couple occasions and "kept asking him to look and to touch him," said Kuchinsky's attorney. "This is absolutely false," Curry said. "It's incredible. I can't even believe it." Yes, Eddy. It is incredible all right. My guess is Curry writes this guy a fat check and it never goes to court, but we shall see.

J.R. Smith is expected to start over Linas Kleiza tonight, which makes me a little sad. Maybe Kleiza will produce off the bench, but as someone who picked him up in multiple leagues, I would prefer to have Kleiza in the starting unit.

Gilbert Arenas hinted yesterday that he might not play at all this season, which you've heard me say a few times this year. The Wiz lost again last night and now have a total of seven (count 'em) wins on the season. If anyone can come up with a reasonable explanation for why it would make sense for Arenas to come back this season, especially after all of last year's setbacks, I'd like to hear it. Oh, the $114-or so million? Well there's that. But isn't your huge investment better off in his pool at home getting ready for next year than going through the motions for nothing? I say 'yes.' I really thought the same logic was going to apply to Monta Ellis, but it looks like I could be wrong on him. He sounds like he's going to come back and play this season, but the jury's still out on for how long or how well. We'll see.

Richard Hamilton is expected to return to action tonight, but either he or Allen Iverson is going to have to come off the bench. That's right. My main man, Rodney Stuckey, is sticking in the starting five for the rest of the year. Not to say I told you so, but…I just wish I wouldn't have listened to all the doubters and haters. Oh well. My guess is Rip will come off the bench, as I just don't see AI as a sixth man. Do you?

There's a trade rumor out there that Ramon Sessions is headed to Memphis and I get the sense that many of you think he has a real chance of becoming the starter there. There's a chance the trade happens and a chance Sessions takes over for Lowry, but I really doubt Lowry would go to the bench. There's a reason that Sessions is still playing behind Luke Ridnour. I'm still not sure what it is, but there is something about the kid that rubs coaches the wrong way.

Monday's Action

Utah beat the Pacers behind Mehmet Okur's career high of 43 points to go along with nine boards, three assists and three 3-pointers. Wow. Andrei Kirilenko was huge in a start for Paul Millsap, going for 23 points, 13 boards, three assists, three steals and three blocks. Man, AK-47 is fun to own when he's on. Mike Dunleavy had 20 points, seven rebounds and three 3-pointers for the Pacers last night while Danny Granger went off again – 30 points, six 3-pointers, seven assists, two blocks. Basketballmonster.com has him ranked as the No. 4 fantasy player this season behind Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. And based on where you drafted Granger, I think that makes him worthy of the fantasy MVP award. I mean, it's possible that you own one of the "Big 3" and Granger. Nice.

The Blazers beat the Bulls as Greg Oden (17 points, 13 rebounds, one block) posted his second nice line in a row. Get ready for a couple off games now, but maybe he can keep it going. Travis Outlaw blew up for 33 points, seven boards, four 3-pointers and three blocks, and is averaging 22 points over his last three games. He's still a little shaky coming off the bench, but is certainly worth a flier if you have someone you can cut for him. Kirk Hinrich returned to action for the Bulls and had four points and three assists. He's worth owning, but will only (probably) have value if the Bulls make a trade. Luol Deng finally returned from his bad ankle and had 14 points and five boards. Maybe he can stay healthy and have a productive second half. Tyrus Thomas is suddenly quiet again, going for just three points, two rebounds and two blocks last night. I was hoping for more given the fact he was facing his arch nemesis, LaMarcus Aldridge, but it wasn't meant to be. Hopefully it's just a slump and not the start of another extended run of mediocrity and disappointment.

The Knicks beat the Hornets last night as Al Harrington buried a big 3-pointer late to seal the deal. Harrington struggled with his shot again, but possibly got his confidence going by making the big three. Rasual Butler was strong for the Hornets a game after scoring 27, finishing with 18 points, seven boards and two 3-pointers. David West can't shoot it right now (15-of-46 over his last three) but had 25 points and 14 boards last night, while James Posey was a major disappointment with just two points and five rebounds. You can probably tell by those numbers he didn't hit a 3-pointer last night, but came in averaging nearly 13 ppg over his last seven. I started him in a couple leagues, so I feel your pain if you did too.

The Nets beat the Thunder in overtime as Brook Lopez torched the centerless OKC with a career-high 31 to go along with 13 boards and two blocks. I don't know if you've watched him play for the Nets yet, but he looks fantastic and I still can't believe the Bobcats passed him over in the draft. Vince Carter had a career-best six steals last night, while Bobby Simmons struggled through a bout with the flu. At least he played. Ryan Anderson struggled with his shot (as usual) to finish with six points, nine boards and two steals. He was just 3-of-13, but the shots were there for him. I watched him miss at least three layups, and he played better than his line showed. Devin Harris returned from his hamstring injury, hopefully for good this time, and had 17 points and eight assists. Earl Watson played a ton of shooting guard for OKC last night, finishing with 11 points and nine assists. You have to think EW is going to be traded soon, but he might be worth a pick up in the meantime, if OKC is going to continue to showcase him like this.

The Celtics beat the Raptors in overtime last night behind Paul Pierce's season-high 39 points. Pierce also had nine boards, four assists and three 3-pointers despite playing through a knee injury. Doc Rivers said before yesterday's game "We're still going to get it checked, because he clearly wasn't moving right." Hopefully that wasn't enough for you to bench him, but I would understand if you did. I just wish Doc would have never said that, as I'm sure there are plenty of guys regretting they ever read that news blurb yesterday. Oh well. Andrea Bargnani had 23 points, eight boards and two threes but didn't block a shot. Think I'm going to complain about that one? No way. In fact, I'm just going to shut up right now, knock on some wood and move on. Roko Ukic scored 16 points and Willie Solomon had 10 points and five dimes filling in for Calderon.

Milwaukee beat the Wizards behind Andrew Bogut's 18 points, 10 boards, two steals and a block and it's probably time to trade Bogut while he's still standing. Luke Ridnour had 14 points and 10 assists, while Nick Young led the Wizards with 30 points and three 3-pointers on 12-of-19 shooting. Caron Butler hit just 2-of-13 shots for six points, seven boards and two steals and has now posted complete dogs in three of his last seven games. Let's see, Tough Juice was one of the big-named injuries last year, the Wizards have won seven games and are on a road to nowhere. It's time to trade him.

[Hache Man]

Raptor Redux
Welcome to another edition of Position Battles. Unfortunately this will be the last one I'll write this season, but both The Week Ahead and Buy Low, Sell High are going strong. If you haven't read Buy Low, Sell High, it's probably because you don't have Rotoworld's Season Pass. What are you waiting for?

Bulls backcourt -- Kirk Hinrich vs. Larry Hughes

This is a one-round K.O. for Hinrich. The Bulls had been using Hughes as their backup point guard, due to sheer necessity. For his career, Hughes is averaging 3.2 assists and 2.2 turnovers -- not exactly the ideal ratio. Look no further than the minutes played in Hinrich's first game back -- Hughes dropped from 41 minutes in a loss to the Thunder on Saturday (without Hinrich) to just seven minutes on Monday (with Hinrich). Coach Vinny Del Negro was supposed to limit Captain Kirk to just 10 minutes in his first game back, but ended up playing him over 20. Hinrich isn't a threat to Derrick Rose or Ben Gordon, but Hughes' run as a relevant fantasy player is officially over.

On a brief side note, the return of Luol Deng crushes Thabo Sefolosha's playing time and, therefore, his fantasy value. Thabo barely had value in deep leagues anyway, so it shouldn't be an emotional breakup for his (handful of) owners.

Pacers swingmen

If you traded Marquis Daniels at any point this season, congratulations. You almost definitely came out ahead, considering Daniels' value has plummeted in the past week. A lingering groin injury is one thing -- nearly every player in the league will sidelined by injury at some point this season. The biggest problem facing Daniels' owners is Mike Dunleavy's terrific play since returning from his knee injury. Coach Jim O'Brien absolutely loves Dunleavy, saying he counts the minutes until he can put him in the game. Right now Dunleavy is still restricted to around 20 minutes per game, but that will increase in four- and five-minute increments over the next few weeks, hopefully resulting in regular starters' minutes. Assuming that goes as planned, i.e. without any setbacks to his knee, he will move into the starting five before long.

One hopeful note is that O'Brien hasn't ruled out using a small lineup featuring T.J. Ford or Jarrett Jack, Danny Granger, Daniels, Dunleavy and Troy Murphy. On the strength of that possibility, I recommend hanging onto Daniels as long as you reasonably can. Dunleavy's return has reduced Daniels' value, no doubt, but it hasn't destroyed it entirely.

Timberwolves sixth-man Mike Miller vs. Rodney Carney

So it's come to this for Mike Miller -- battling with Rodney Carney for minutes off the Timberwolves bench? At least things can't get much worse, though that's not saying much. Miller's ankle injury triggered his move to the bench, but the strong play of Sebastian Telfair at point guard (and/or the strong play of Randy Foye as a shooting guard) is likely to keep him there. The Wolves' rotations aren't likely to change for at least a few weeks -- they have won five consecutive games, and there's no reason to mess with success.

One thing that jumps out at me is just how expendable Miller is right now -- the Wolves could trade him without missing a beat. He has been rumored to be on the trading block, and I'll be very surprised if he isn't moved before the deadline. The likelihood of a trade is even more reason to think he won't rejoin the starting five any time soon -- if you own Telfair or Foye, expect their value to remain at its current level, unless of course the Wolves trade Miller for another talented guard.

As for Carney, he's worth a pickup in deep leagues and worth watching everywhere else. Two solid games aren't enough to qualify him as a solid option, but his numbers in limited minutes suggest lurking versatility. In just 12 minutes per game this season, he's averaging 4.4 points, 0.6 three-pointers, 1.4 rebounds, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks. As I said, it's hard to read much into such a small sample size, but at least the potential is there.

Meanwhile, if you haven't already given up on Rashad McCants, please do so now. He has fallen completely out of the rotation and is a streaky, inconsistent player even when he's getting regular minutes.

Raptors center -- Jermaine O'Neal vs. Andrea Bargnani

This might not even become an issue -- once O'Neal's knee is healthy (that's a relative term, and when it will be is anyone's guess) it's probable that he'll resume starting at center. But you can't overlook how much Andrea Bargnani has elevated his game recently, and not as a small forward. That's right -- Bargnani has been effective at center. He's not backing down or shying from contact, he's staying out of foul trouble and he's evolving into a key cog for the Raptors' offense.

This is just a guess, but Toronto will probably want to keep Bargnani in the starting five, which means he'll slide back to small forward once J.O. is healthy. Jamario Moon hasn't been doing much to keep the starting gig anyway, so that side of the equation is no difficulty. I imagine Toronto is having buyer's remorse after trading for O'Neal this past summer. They aren't even close to being a contender in the Eastern Conference, and owe him a lot more money than they owed to T.J. Ford. Even slow-as-molasses Rasho Nesterovic is suddenly looking like a pretty solid backup center.

But getting back to the present day...many Raptors fans are already calling for O'Neal to be traded, with the understanding that Toronto would have to take on a horrible contract to get it done. Beat writer Michael Grange actually floated the idea of swapping J.O. and Anthony Parker for Stephon Marbury and Malik Rose. That's obviously never going to happen, but it highlights just how ineffective O'Neal is at this stage of his career.

There is also a chance that O'Neal will start coming off the Raptors bench. I haven't heard anything about that happening, but logic dictates that Bargnani's growth as a player is more important than stroking O'Neal's ego. If you can trade O'Neal for anyone of value, pull the trigger.

That's it, folks. Position Battles is no more, at least under my watch. Thanks to all of you for reading along these past few months. I know some of you have expressed your appreciation for the column, and I hope that our other columns --mine, Dr. A's and Matt Stroup's-- will keep you informed and entertained for the rest of the season. And of course, if you ever have specific questions or comments, I'm just an email away. Have a great week. RK

[Hache Man]

The Stephen Malkmus Interview
Welcome to my interview with Stephen Malkmus – lead singer and founder of the classic indie-rock band Pavement. My favorite bands in 1993 were Pavement, Sebadoh and Sugar. Bob Nastanovich taunted me with a set list written on a small paper plate after Pavement's performance at Lollapalooza in Indianapolis in '95, but didn't hook me up. Who knew that I'd end up playing in a fantasy hoops league with a couple members of the band 13 years later? I'm just glad I didn't get hit with a rock-filled mud cake while I was standing near the stage.

I was pretty stoked (and surprised) to be invited into Malkmus' league this year. He commissions the league and is one of those guys who will always field a strong fantasy team, regardless of the sport. He's smart, committed, does his research and is active on the waiver wire. Regardless of what else you have going on, those ingredients are the start to a recipe for fantasy success. I'm dealing with some major injury woes and probably don't have the horses to win this thing, but Malkmus' team is coming on, giving him a legitimate shot at a championship.

Our league is of the 12-team, nine-category variety with daily lineups and owners include several more names familiar to the indie-rock masses. I hope to post interviews with Bob, Janet and Joanna from the Jicks, Doug Martsch and a few others throughout the season.

20 questions with Stephen Malkmus

1. How long have you played fantasy hoops and how many leagues are you in? Do you also play baseball and football?

Stephen Malkmus: Just two hoops leagues that I've been in for about five years or so. The first year we played just five categories – and Allen Iverson was the king of five-cat!!! I also remember Brevin Knight being quite the stud in five-cat as well. As for fantasy, I play all three sports. It's a tossup between baseball and B-ball for me. Different fish. Baseball is all about the roto, basketball is all about head-to-head match ups...

Steve Alexander: That might be the first and last time we've heard the words 'Brevin' and 'stud' in the same sentence. Thanks.

2. What is your team name and why?

SM: It was initially "Widespread Patrick," but I changed it to "Widespread Perkins" after the season started because one of the other owners in the league displayed some HUGE man-love for Kendrick Perkins. I think he is in love with him so I gave him something to fantasize about...It's essentially a tribute/reference to the jam band, Widespread Panic.

3. How do you keep up with your leagues/setting lineups when you're on tour? Has touring ever cost you a championship?

SM: Last year (or was it the year before?) I picked up Ron Artest (after he decided to play again in March) on my laptop while standing in line at the X-ray machine in the security area at the airport. I later found out I beat a guy to Artest by five minutes - that is dedication!!!!!

4. How does your family feel about your fantasy sports addiction? I've been married for 18 years - Once we got the first five fantasy-sports filled years out of the way it was all gravy.

SM: My wife gets pissed when I'm on the waiver wire or live scoring on the computer when I'm cooking dinner...but it's better than internet porn, right??? - especially during dinner!

SA: Who are we to say that dinner and internet porn don't mix?

5. You and many of the league members are in Portland. Who is your all-time favorite Trailblazer and why? (mine is Clyde the Glide).

SM: Without a doubt--Jeff Lamp. He played for UVA right before I got there. He RULED!

SA: I think I saw Lamp and the Virginia Cavaliers play in the 1981 Sweet Sixteen with Ralph Sampson in Market Square Arena. Lamp was drafted in the first round (15th overall) by the Blazers in 1981.

6. Do you draft with your head or your heart? Is it better to have a bad team full of guys you like to root for, or would you rather own players you don't care about and win at all costs?

SM: Heart, within reason. I'm not a fan of guys who get hurt all the time, except Caron Butler. I don't think I have a (stud) guy on my team I can't root for-- except Shawn Marion in one league. Fact is there are mostly cool dudes in the NBA. Off the top of my head I'd skip Melo, Baron, Garnett, Artest, Yao, Kobe, Pau, Boozer, Vince Carter, Marion, Brad Miller, Zach Randolph and Jason Kidd if at all possible. Those cats are not my bag.

7. Who is consistently the savviest owner in our league? Who are the people to beat in this league every year?

SM: It's hard to say. Matt Hogan knows his hoops, Billy Slater has a roto mindset, cold - very math. There is a method to Sam Coomes' madness. Joanna Bolme is always in the playoffs, give Dimitri Dziensuwski LeBron James and he won't screw it up. Maybe Dimitri is the best, but, like Joanna, he's not out to win at all costs - not so busy on the wire, maxing games played, etc. We all have our blind spots, that's for sure.

8. What player did you draft that you're most disappointed with? Will you ever draft him again?

SM: I did fine in the early rounds – Josh Smith, Al Jefferson, Rashard Lewis, Jason Richardson (so-so), Andris Biedrins, Ben Gordon, David Lee – But then I wimped out on the rookie PGs (I sorta decided to punt dimes when they irrationally flew off the board). I guess Beno Udrih was pretty damn bad in retrospect.

9. Will Tyrus Thomas or Andrea Bargnani ever become reliable fantasy studs?

SM: Bargnani has more rope, more hope in Toronto. Hard to get a handle on Chicago's rotation, let alone Tyrus. I'm pulling for Tyrus though - I really want him to make it.

10. What is your dream word to post in a game of Scrabble? Or better yet, do you recall the one you're most proud of?

SM: It's still when I spelled "chutzpahs" for a double-double word Bingo! That was deep.

11. What comes to mind when you see the Rotoworld column entitled "Roundball Stew?" And speaking of Rotoworld, would you classify yourself as a junkie?

SM: I check Rotoworld out every day. You all do a KILLER job. As for Roundball Stew, I guess I'm just not a fan of the word "Stew." Other words I'm generally against include husky, moist, and cuddle.

SA: A message-board bonanza discussing the title of Matt Stroup's "Roundball Stew" column took place earlier in the season and Malkmus offered the following snippet. When this thing shows up on a future Jicks record, I hope Rotoworld gets some props in the liner notes…

Roundball Stu
Thought he could screw
All the tight ends in Frisco
But he couldn't get through
and so on - with something that rhymes with " pee-you"

12. Where does Tyson Chandler's punk move on Joel Przybilla's broken wrist rank in all-time punk moves made by an NBA player?

SM: I didn't see it, but I'm pretty sure Matt Barnes is also capable of such actions. Or he just blows kisses at the Blazer bench. Barnes is the epitome of punk in today's NBA. No more Laimbeers.

13. What song have you not covered yet, but want to? Doug and Built to Spill's cover of MIA's Paper Planes was an impressive effort - my daughters loved it. And Stephen/Jicks' Funk 49 with Blitzen Trapper? That is pure, blissful insanity.

SM: My friend suggested "American Pie" by Don McLean. You must admit, it would be a bit of a conceptual checkmate.

14. What was the first concert you attended and what was the first record you remember owning?

SM: Elton John, in the house the Golden State Warriors played in. I saw Pistol Pete play there as well, and Slick Watts with the New Orleans Jazz. Boogie fever was my first cherished single, or was it Convoy?

15. What music are you listening to these days?

SM: Crushed Butler. Seriously, this band is sick, and not just because of the Caron Butler reference.

16. Do you have time for video games? We got a Wii for Christmas and I find myself hitting golf drives at bulls-eyes on island greens at 4 a.m. You feel me?

SM: I know its lame, but there is something Zen about Pong.

17. What projects are you working on? What can we look forward to in the next year?

SM: Not much - more jams.

18. We've seen bands like Band of Horses and Of Montreal catch some heat for having their songs used in television commercials and now some Iron & Wine fans are groaning because one of Sam Beam's greatest tunes is getting a ton of exposure in the film Twilight. I'm happy these people are making cash and getting noticed for their work, but many people still resent this so-called "selling out," even when it's clearly the road many artists need to take to get paid in today's music industry. Your thoughts on selling songs for commercial use?

SM: No problems - to each his own. Gotta put bread on the table, within reason. It's like owning Kobe. Sometimes you gotta do it.

19. What is the best live act going right now? The popular answer seems to be My Morning Jacket, and I tend to agree.

SM: No - Endless Boogie.

20. What is the best thing about living in Portland?

SM: Good times roll here. Schools are close to our pad. You can walk around. Pretty scenery. The people.

Stephen's latest album is called Real Emotional Trash (and is excellent). Pavement's deluxe reissue of Brighten the Corners is out from Matador and currently available in stores. If you're unfamiliar with Malk's work and Pavement, BTC is a pretty good place to start. However, I'd recommend you just go for it and buy the whole package - pick up the four-pack from Matador for a discounted price.

[Hache Man]

The Young and the Relentless
In case you missed it, the on-court highlight of the past several calendar days (at least from what I've seen) was the spin cycle Nick Young unleashed on Gerald Wallace Saturday night. To review: Starting near the top of the circle, he crosses over left, then – with Wallace staying right with him – he does some sort of crazy hocus pocus whereby the ball appears to hit the inside of his leg either once or twice before he immediately brings the ball low (like ground-level low) for a rapid succession of crossovers. This coaxes Wallace into lunging for the ball, at which point Young spins to his left, leaves Wallace on the ground, heads to the basket to draw a double team and dishes to JaVale McGee for a dunk.

It was a rather ridiculous play, the kind you need to watch multiple times to even comprehend (and even then, it's still somewhat befuddling). As discussed Wednesday in the Washington Post, there's actually been some debate between Young and the man who used to play basketball for a living known as Gilbert Arenas as to whether or not Young did the move on purpose. Arenas insists he simply lost the ball, while Young claims it was a deliberate move.

Whatever the case, the important thing to know here is that Nick Young has been positively out of his mind. In his last four games, the second-year pro from USC has averaged 25.8 ppg and 2.0 threes on rather absurd 71.2 percent shooting (yes, you read that correctly).

Before we go any further, yes, you should pick up Young if he's available in your league. But there are two things to understand: 1) As you can see, he is ridiculously locked in right now, and there's just no way he can keep shooting like this; 2) As good as he's been in scoring, threes and field goal percentage the last four games, he's also averaged 1.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.3 steals during that time. That, in case you're completely blinded by the other stats, is not particularly good. So as you run out to scoop up Young (which I can't argue with at this point), just understand that while you are getting a relentless scorer with crazy dribble moves, you're not getting an across-the-board fantasy gem.

Now, on to Wednesday's games:

A reminder: For exclusive stat projections, player rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.

Sublime Performances

Chris Paul: We don't usually spill ink for superstars doing their thing (because we already know they're really good), but this is just silly: 33 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, seven steals.

Brad Miller: A season-high 30 points, a career-high 22 rebounds in a three-OT win over… drum roll please… the Warriors. Even though it came against a notoriously porous D, no one will complain about this recovery from a three-point, two-rebound outing against Dwight Howard one night earlier.

John Salmons: Same triple-OT win produces 25 points, 14 boards, seven assists and four threes. With an average of 19.3 ppg over his last four, reports of his Kevin Martin-related demise have been exaggerated.

Rodney Stuckey: 30 points, nine rebounds, six assists, three treys. I have something to confess: I dropped Stuckey in two leagues earlier this year when he was struggling. Rodney, I'm sorry.

Andrea Bargnani: A season-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and two threes. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo desperately works the phones trying to get someone to take on Jermaine O'Neal's absurd contract.

David Lee: Not even shocked by the points (30) or the rebounds(10) or the blocks (zero), but the season-high six assists are a pleasant surprise.

Notably Good Performances

T.J. Ford: 23 points, six rebounds, four assists. Posting good stats when healthy hasn't been the issue; staying healthy has been the issue.

Allen Iverson: 23 points, seven assists. One of the great unanswered questions of this season is why he can't do this every night.

Brandon Roy: 27 points, five boards, six assists. Hamstring is very clearly no longer an issue.

Andre Iguodala: 29 points, four rebounds, six assists and a season-high four treys. Three-point stroke may finally be rounding into form – he's now hit nine in his last three games.

Samuel Dalembert: Sounds crazy, but at this point I'm happy with four points, nine boards and three blocks. Embattled center has averaged 8.0 boards and 3.7 blocks in his last three.

Derrick Rose: Scoffs at the notion of a rookie wall (for now) with 25 points and 10 assists.

Kirk Hinrich: 12 points, five rebounds, six assists and three treys in 33 minutes. Not sure he'll play this much every night, but if Vinny D. finds him 30 minutes regularly, he'll be worth owning in most leagues.

Luol Deng: 16 points, 14 rebounds, four assists in his second game back. He was looking good in December prior to his injury and appears to have rediscovered his groove already.

Caron Butler: 25 points represents his second-highest total of January. Can we have a hot streak please?

Mike James: 20 points, five assists, four threes. He's been pretty bland in January, but may not be finished yet.

Rajon Rondo: 11 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists, three steals. Aside from a couple ugly games, he's been terrific in January.

Quentin Richardson: 26 points and six treys in his second straight strong outing. Worth a look if he's available in your league; just keep in mind he probably won't sustain it.

Al Harrington: At the risk of ruining any leverage in my own leagues, I'm trying to deal him pronto after a 27-point, four-three, two-steal, 8-of-12 shooting night. He had shot an atrocious 25.5 percent in three games prior to this one, and will continue to hoist shots regardless of circumstance, leading to some good (but many ugly) shooting nights.



More Notably Good Performances

Nenad Krstic: 14 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks in 32 minutes. Nick Collison still started and played well (13 points, 11 rebounds), but Krstic will take his job before long.

Daequan Cook: 24 points, six treys. A limited fantasy player, but he can single-handedly make up a lot of ground in threes in a hurry.

Michael Beasley: 21 points, four rebounds and a three in just 23 minutes. Not playing a ton of minutes right now, but he's emerged from a December slump to average 17.8 points and 6.9 boards in his last seven.

Luke Ridnour: 25 points, nine rebounds, four assists, two threes. He'll do things like this from time to time, and will probably balance it out with a rotten game in the next week or so.

Tyson Chandler: 10 points, 14 rebounds and a block. Still not blocking many shots, but he has averaged 11.0 ppg and 12.3 rpg in his last three.

Manu Ginobili: Equals his season high with 27 points, adding four threes and three steals. Games like this should be popping up far more frequently in the weeks to come.

Josh Smith: 26 points (with eight rebounds, three steals and a block) gives him an average of 20.1 ppg this month. He's still not blocking shots (just four in his last seven games), but fear not, those are coming.

Mardy Collins: 15 points, eight assists, three steals. He's cruising right now, but the fun will be over once Baron Davis returns.

Al Thornton: Averaging 18.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.9 threes and 1.0 blocks in January after a 25-point, nine-board, two-block game against ATL.

Beno Udrih: Nets 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists (on 7-of-21 shooting) in 56 minutes of three-OT win over Warriors. The frustrating PG has been strong in two of his last three.

C.J. Watson: A season-high 26 points, but don't get too excited. Don Nelson likes to randomly tinker with his minutes, and he'll take a big hit once Monta Ellis returns.

Joe Alexander: There's a chance it means nothing, but 13 points, five rebounds, five assists and a block in 17 minutes got my attention.

Notably Bad Performances

Richard Hamilton: Nine points, one rebound, one assist in 30 minutes. It'll take a second to find his groove after a long layoff.

Greg Oden: Two points, three rebounds in 18 minutes reaffirms what we already knew: He's still not ready to consistently produce.

Travis Outlaw: Eight points, five rebounds in 30 minutes. He'll bounce back, but he won't be revisiting Monday's 33-point glory that often.

Tyrus Thomas: Six points, five rebounds, four assists in 22 minutes isn't a disaster, but it's not a sign of progress, either.

Andray Blatche: Six points, three rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes against the Knicks is cause for some concern.

Nate Robinson: Had just four points in 19 minutes, but I remain adamant that you should bench him (not drop him) and weather the storm.

Vince Carter: Tweaked a knee in one of his worst games of the year (1-of-10 shooting, four turnovers), but returned to the game and should be fine.

Ronnie Brewer: Two points, two rebounds in 21 minutes. The Jazz got lambasted by the Thunder, and Jerry Sloan is probably not pleased with the likes of Brewer today.

Mario Chalmers: Went scoreless in nine minutes, and should be planted on your bench in hopes he turns it around soon.

Charlie Villanueva: Scored just six points in 12 minutes but will probably erupt for 26 in Milwaukee's next game.

Rasual Butler: He'll have his moments, but he's known to disappear (six points and nothing else in 21 minutes on Wednesday).

James Posey: He'll have his moments, but he too is known to disappear (five points, three rebounds on Wednesday).

Injury Rundown

Steve Blake: Separated his shoulder and could be out a long time. Still not clear who would start between Jerryd Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez, but both have potential.

Paul Millsap: MRI says… it's just a bruise! And there was great rejoicing. The bad news: He still could miss the rest of the week.

Stephen Jackson: Warriors broadcast team says he's planning to return against the Hawks Friday. Get him active as he attempts to torch his former team.

Drew Gooden: Missed Wednesday with ankle and groin injuries, but shouldn't be out long.

Kendrick Perkins: Hoping to return from shoulder injury Monday, but that's not guaranteed.

Marquis Daniels: Was reportedly hoping to return Wednesday, but didn't. When he comes back, he'll have some minutes, but he won't have a starting job (and a good day to you, Mike Dunleavy).

Rudy Fernandez: Missed Wednesday, likely out Thursday, hoping to return from sore foot Saturday.

Tonight
A three-game Thursday in the NBA, beginning with Portland in New Jersey, where Vince Carter will hopefully post a big line after a most dreadful Wednesday. The second tipoff of the night has Cleveland in Chicago, so prepare for several Bulls to have rotten games thanks to the fun-ruining Cavs D. In the late game, Phoenix is in Denver, where there should be many points for everyone. I'm specifically looking for Jason Richardson (seven points his last game) and J.R. Smith (1-for-14 his last game) to make amends, but I also won't be surprised to see J.R. throw a shaving cream pie in his fantasy owners' faces once more, because he seems to oddly enjoy tormenting us. Regardless of what happens, you can look for the good Doctor (that would be Dr. A) to return to the office on Friday to give you the entire lowdown on what transpired.

[Hache Man]

Redz Rain Is Coming Down

Thursday's are traditionally a slow day in the NBA, but there's still plenty of news to write up on Friday. And I'll be hosting a live Season Pass subscriber chat at 3 p.m. today..

News and Notes

Delonte West broke his right wrist and gashed his head in a nasty fall during last night's OT loss to the Bulls. While this is potentially devastating news for West's owners, it could bring a windfall of production Mo Williams' way. Mo-Will got things started last night with 26 points and five threes, and should be ready to go on a scoring spree without West around. Daniel Gibson is another guy to keep a close eye on while West is out, and Wally Szczerbiak could make some noise as well. West says he's going to tape it up and play through the injury, but you have to think his shooting and ballhandling will take a hit, if he is able play through it.

Jose Calderon will miss another game tonight with his hamstring injury. He's still day-to-day, but it looks like they're going to give him enough time to fully heal. Hopefully he'll be a safe play for next week, but we'll have to see how he progresses through the weekend.

Jermaine O'Neal took some pressure off coach Jay Triano by volunteering to come off the bench when he returns to action. That will probably happen tonight, but a red-hot Andrea Bargnani could be in line to start at center for the rest of the season. That's not an easy pill to swallow if you once owned Bargnani and recently cut him, but then again, there are no guarantees that Bargnani won't hit a wall in the near future, either. He's rolling right now and will keep his job, so just keep running him out there.

On a side note, reader Barron pointed out this morning that O'Neal's contract is not expiring. He's got a player option for 2009-10 and it's almost a given that he'll play on that next year. So while there is talk of him being trade bait because of his expiring contract, he's not really likely to become a free agent until the Summer of LeBron - oops - I mean 2010.

Paul Millsap (knee) and C.J. Miles (ankle) are game-time decisions for the Jazz on Friday. Miles really doesn't have any fantasy value, but the owners of Millsap are surely praying for his return. Millsap's knee injury is just a bruise, so even if he doesn't play tonight, the problem shouldn't be around long term.

Shaquille O'Neal and the Suns decided to sit him during last night's loss to the Nuggets, meaning he should play tonight against the Timberwolves. We don't think Shaq's hurt, but why he chose to take last night off against a conference rival with a winning record just makes no sense. The Suns could easily handle the Timberwolves without Shaq (at least on paper) so we'll have to see if Shaq decides to play tonight. He's on fire and great to own when he's actually playing, but is apparently content to take back-to-backs off for the rest of the season. I had no idea Nene and Chris Andersen were so intimidating. If the Suns happen to lose to the T-Wolves tonight, the decision to sit Shaq against Denver will look even more ridiculous. And in case you haven't looked yet, the Suns go back-to-back again on Sunday and Monday, and then again on the same days the following week

Stephen Jackson went through yesterday's practice and is expected to play tonight against the Hawks. That probably means bad news for Kelenna Azubuike's owners.

Kendrick Perkins isn't expected to play until Wednesday at the earliest. His shoulder injury is apparently more serious than we were first led to believe, but it sounds like he'll be back at some point in the near future. But if you own him in a weekly league, start making other plans for the upcoming scoring period.

Carmelo Anthony is targeting a return date of Jan. 30 from his broken hand. If you own him, go ahead and circle that date on your calendar.

Thursday's Action

The Trailblazers welcomed back Rudy Fernandez and beat the Nets 105-99. Rudy scored six points and continues to just barely hold fantasy value. He's really only a sure start when the Blazers are dealing with injuries, although I don't think the loss of Steve Blake should help Rudy too much. Blake's out for 7-10 days with a separated shoulder, ruining the week for many of us. I have him in my lineup against Rick Kamla and I'm barely hanging on to a 4-4 tie right now. Bargnani is carrying my team, and that's just scary. In Blake's absence, rookie Jerryd Bayless blew up for a career-high 23 points last night on 6-of-9 shooting. He also hit 11-of-11 from the stripe and added three boards and three dimes. He's worth a pick up, but might not be worth it with Blake coming back relatively soon. In addition, Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez could trade big nights until Blake's return.

Greg Oden was useless again last night, finishing with just two points and one rebound. It wasn't long ago (like, four days or so?) that he sort of looked like an all-star wannabe, but he's back in a funk. Brandon Roy scored 29 to lead the Blazers, while Vince Carter hit just 4-of-14 shots for 13 points. He did have nine boards, five assists and two steals, but if you're scoring at home, he's now 5-for-24 in his last two games as he struggles through an ankle injury.

The Bulls beat the Cavs 102 to 93 in overtime as Derrick Rose played well again down the stretch. Rose had hit a wall, but appears to be getting his second wind. Drew Gooden returned from a groin/ankle problem and had 11 points and six boards. Not a great line, but at least he played. My man Tyrus Thomas bounced back once again with 15 points, seven rebounds and four blocks, and has actually been worth owning and using lately, despite the inconsistency. Luol Deng is suddenly hot, going for 22 points and eight boards in the win.

As I mentioned earlier, Delonte West broke his wrist allowing Mo-Will to step up and go off with his 26 points and five treys on 9-of-16 shooting. I gave Mo away for a song a month ago and have been regretting it ever since. Seriously – the day I traded him he had one of his best games of the season and it hasn't stopped. Anderson Varejao had just four points and five boards. It looked like he was going to be a beast with Zydrunas Ilgauskas out for a month, but those plans have backfired on us. Even with Ben Wallace out again with the flu, AV just couldn't get it going. I'm thinking about dropping him, which means he could be on the verge of blowing up if I do. I'll keep you posted. Wallace remains questionable for tonight's game as well.

Denver held off Phoenix 119-113 in OT to end the night. Think the Suns could have used Shaq? Kenyon Martin had 24 points, eight boards and a career-best seven steals, while Chauncey Billups scored 26. CB only hit 1-of-10 threes or his line would have been sick. Nene had 17 & 14 and continues to get it done despite the fact there is a loud, steady ticking sound coming from his body and a flashing red light on top of his head. J.R. Smith had 19 points, five boards, seven assists, two steals and three 3-pointers, while Linas Kleiza bounced back for 18 points. Warning on J.R. – I picked him up in League Freak after the game, so beware.

For the Suns, Steve Nash flirted with a triple-double (20-7-14) and Grant Hill scored a season-high 25 on 10-of-18 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds. Leandro Barbosa, who looked great in his previous game, hit just 1-of-11 shots for six points.

Wowee Zowee
To those of you who read and wrote to me regarding the Stephen Malkmus interview, I want to say thanks (and if you missed it, hit the link). I had a pretty rough weekend after losing my hard drive and struggled to get that piece together. In addition, it was the first interview I had ever conducted or posted, and the positive response and comments were much appreciated. That thing was picked up and posted by at least 25 other websites (some of them being of the 'huge' variety) and almost every one of them referred to us as fantasy geeks or nerds. I'm fine with the whole geek/nerd thing still being associated with fantasy sports, but I'm not sure it's really accurate.

Out of all the people I've met in the industry and through this job, not one had masking tape holding their glasses together or a pocket protector full of pens. Most of them like to go out, watch sports and drink beer. It seems like every NFL-related television commercial you see during football season is pumping fantasy. And at work, your general manager, their assistant, all your buddies and the hot girl sitting in the cube next to you are all possibly in your fantasy leagues. Then you add in the fact that all these well-respected musicians are playing in leagues that I'm in, and that many pro athletes have publicly stated their love of Rotoworld, and the whole geek tag just doesn't seem to work anymore. But then again, what do I know? I'm probably just blinded by the fact that I'm one of the leaders of the geeks. Which seems like a pretty 'cool' place to be.

[Hache Man]

Unlucky #7
There are 22 teams that play four times this week, and as usual there is no shortage of difficult decisions to be made. With so many favorable schedules, should you start someone like Shawn Marion, who plays just twice, in an average league? My suggestion is no...and not because I'm afraid he'll get traded mid-week.

Two-game teams -- Heat, Thunder, Magic, 76ers

Three-game teams -- Nuggets, Nets, Hornets, Trail Blazers

Four-game teams -- Hawks, Celtics, Bobcats, Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Bucks, Knicks, Suns, Spurs, Kings, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards

Two Games

Heat (BOS, ORL)

Miami's schedule could hardly be more demanding. Two home games, yes, but their opponents have a combined record of 64-17. The Celtics and Magic are both ranked in the top-five defensively, so it will be a challenge for players like Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley to do much this week. Dwyane Wade is a safe bet, but everyone else is a gamble. (And yes, that includes Shawn Marion, who could be headed to Toronto for Jermaine O'Neal, according to recent reports.)

Thunder (gs, lac)

The Thunder are surging lately, and should have a good chance of picking up two wins against struggling teams with suspect defenses. No team in the league has allowed more points over the past 10 games than the Warriors (118 ppg), and the Clippers (101 ppg) aren't much better. Kevin Durant is on a tear lately, and the last time he faced the Warriors he dropped 25/10/6 -- it's hard to bench him even in such a short week. Jeff Green has also been solid lately, but his steaky jumpshot (30% shooting in past four games) makes him a very risky start. Owners of Nenad Krstic shouldn't be upset -- this makes the decision to bench him an easy one, and we get to see how his role evolves once Nick Collison returns from the flu.

Magic (BOS, mia)

Orlando's recent road trip, including wins over the Spurs and Lakers, has moved them into the national spotlight. It didn't hurt that they scored 139 points while making an NBA-record 23 three-pointers against the Kings on Tuesday. The Celtics are one of the league's best defensive teams, the Heat are middle-of-the-road. Ultimately, two-game schedules often come down to a simple equation: are two games from Dwight Howard (or Hedo or Rashard or Jameer) better than four games from Player X. I'll give you a head start...Dwight Howard has played one game each against the Celtics and Heat this season. Those numbers, combined, add up to 29 points, 30 rebounds, four assists, two steals and six blocks. So that's about what you should expect.

76ers (DAL, NY)

The Sixers have won six consecutive games, and seem to have finally found a rhythm. I don't think that they are a better team without Elton Brand, but clearly his absence allowed some players (Andre Iguodala, most notably) to rediscover their aggression. With E.B. expected to return against the Knicks on Saturday, it will be interesting to see how he impacts the stats of other players. I mentioned Iguodala, but Samuel Dalembert (who we all hope can't get much worse) and Thaddeus Young also stand to see their roles changed substantially. This two-game week might be the ideal time to bench them and monitor Brand's impact. It's worth noting that the Sixers will play the Knicks next Saturday on four-day's rest. So far this season, on 3+ days rest, they are averaging 89.2 ppg, shooting 41.7% from the field and just 22.4% from downtown.

Three Games

Nuggets (hou, SAC, UTAH)

Whenever a team plays the Kings these days, you want to have them active. Sacramento is yielding a ridiculous 123 ppg to their last five opponents, and they don't have the personnel to reverse that trend any time soon. With Carmelo Anthony sidelined, both Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith seem like ideal starters. Just be aware that neither Kleiza (11.3 ppg) nor Smith (13.3 ppg on 31% shooting) have been particularly solid since Melo went down.

Nets (no, sa, mem)

The Nets have had problems at home all season (possibly because the Izod center is cavernous and devoid of energy), and the numbers reflect it. Many of their stats are actually higher on the road, including points (+3.7), FG% (+1.5%), 3PT (+0.7) and blocks (+0.5). Those numbers aren't too substantial, as you can see, and are easily offset by the fact that NJ will open the trip against the Hornets and Spurs -- ranked #3 and #8 in points allowed, respectively. You might want to think about benching Vince Carter this week -- he is still bothered by a lingering ankle injury and is 7-of-32 (22%) from the field in the past three games.

Hornets (IND, NJ, min)

The prospect of New Orleans facing Indiana at home is wonderful for owners still stinging from Friday's all-around dud against the stingy Cavaliers. The Pacers are giving up the third-most points of any team this season (107 pgg), a number that has only gone up in the past 10 games (115). Chris Paul and David West are automatic starts, but the other guys are iffy. Tyson Chandler has been awful this season (his rebounds have plummeted from 11.8 per game last season to just 8.4 this season). Peja Stojakovic is shooting a career-worst 39.7% from the field. The only thing going for Peja (and Rasual Butler and James Posey) is that the Nets give up 8.0 three-pointers per game, tied with Toronto and Washington for most in the league.

Trail Blazers (MIL, CLE, WAS)

Three consecutive home games bodes well for Portland. Their numbers are better at home than away, virtually across the board -- points (+6.6), FG% (+2.6%), FTs (+3.5 attempts, + 2.9 makes), rebounds (+3.2), assists (+1.9), steals (+1.4) and blocks (+0.9).Milwaukee and Washington are both mediocre defensive teams, but the Cavaliers are fearsome. They are holding their opponents to sub-42% shooting this season, and Brandon Roy will have a rough night if LeBron James is assigned to stopping him.

Four Games

Hawks (TOR, chi, MIL, PHO)

The Hawks get a fairly easy schedule in Week 13. Toronto, Chicago and Milwaukee all have sub-.500 records, and none of Atlanta's opponents rank better than 13th in points allowed. The Suns (102.7 ppg allowed) and Bulls (102.5 ppg) are ranked #26 and #25, respectively. Al Horford remains out indefinitely with a bone bruise in his right knee, so don't roll the dice on him. Zaza Pachulia has an easier task since Jermaine O'Neal is hobbled, Drew Gooden isn't 100%, Andrew Bogut is questionable w/ back spasms and Shaquille O'Neal is perpetually day-to-day. Marvin Williams did indeed suffer a concussion on Friday. He is questionable for Monday's game and I recommend avoiding him if at all possible.

Celtics (PHO, mia, orl, DAL)

Boston has followed their four-game losing streak with a convincing four-game winning streak. The disclaimer is that the wins came in consecutive home-and-home sets with the lowly Raptors and Nets. This week will provide a much stiffer test, especially with Kendrick Perkins (shoulder) and Tony Allen (ankle) both questionable. The Celts are a fairly simple team to gauge from a fantasy perspective. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo are all automatic starts in a five-game week. Perkins' shoulder injury makes him an easy player to bench and his fill-in, Brian Scalabrine, shouldn't even be owned.

Bobcats (SA, MEM, PHO, ind)

Toss out the San Antonio game and the Bobcats have a golden opportunity to improve their league-worst 91.1 scoring average. Indiana gives up the 3rd most points of any team in the league at 107 per game -- Phoenix (102.7) is right behind them and Memphis (99.4) is just about average. That means good things for Boris Diaw, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor and Raymond Felton. Felton looks particularly good this week since D.J. Augustin (strained abdomen) is still out.

Bulls (ny, ATL, TOR, min)

The Bulls' perimeter players should keep their wrists nice and limber this week -- New York and Toronto each give up slightly more than 8.0 three-pointers per game, more than any other team in the league. On top of that, Atlanta's opponents are making a staggering 46% of their 3-pointers over the past 10 games. In other words, Ben Gordon is about to barrage his owners with three-pointers.

Cavs (lal, por, gs, utah)

The Cavs average seven fewer points on 3% worse shooting when they're on the road, but it's hard to care about that having watched them dismantle team after team in recent weeks. Their amazing +11.9 point differential is worth another mention...it's within striking distance of the all-time record of +12.3 by the Lakers in 1971-72. Delonte West's fractured wrist is a tough blow for the Cavs and fantasy owners alike -- Sasha Pavlovic looks like the primary beneficiary, but Mo Williams is also going to see his shot attempts go up. Zydrunas Ilgauskas will soon be cleared for basketball activity, but he's not a good bet next week -- get Anderson Varejao in your lineups while you still can.

Mavericks (phi, mil, det, bos)

The Mavs' numbers are virtually identical at home and on the road, which leaves us to consider the quality of the competition. Over the past 10 games, none of their oppenents are allowing over 100 points per game -- Milwaukee (99.2) and Philadelphia (95.6) are both respectable defensively, while Boston (92.1) and Detroit (88.8) are among the elite. In other words, you might not want to gamble on Antoine Wright this week. One of the few nice things about owning Erick Dampier is that his numbers don't require any scoring whatsoever -- use him as you normally would.

Pistons (mem, TOR, DAL, HOU)

The Pistons only road game comes against a Grizzlies team that has allowed their opponents to shoot better than 52% over the past five games. That's great news, because the Pistons are scoring just 87.6 points on 42% shooting over that same stretch. I wouldn't be surprised if Michael Curry made his much-anticipated lineup change sometime next week, sending either Richard Hamilton or Allen Iverson to the bench in favor of another big...just don't expect that big (whether it's Kwame Brown or, more likely, Amir Johnson) to have value in average leagues.

Warriors (WAS, OKC, CLE, LAC)

The Warriors score more points (111.9) at home than any other team in the NBA, so this four-game homestand promises great things for Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette and co. The return of Jax makes Kelenna Azubuike a likely bust candidate next week. It's unclear whether C.J. Watson (inflamed toe) will be able to play, so check for updates before deploying him.

Rockets (DEN, UTAH, ind, det)

Neither Tracy McGrady nor Ron Artest should be used this week, which isn't a surprise. That leaves Yao Ming to carry the Rockets, and hopefully your fantasy teams. Shane Battier is poised to play big minutes, but his ankle might not allow it -- he's averaging six points on 29% shooting in his two games back. Von Wafer has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat, but Carl Landry should also be watched closely -- he's playing some SF and is a sneaky play next week.

Clippers (MIN, LAL, OKC, gs)

You still can't use Baron Davis (tailbone), Zach Randolph (knee) or Chris Kaman (foot) next week, but at least it sounds like Davis could return soon. In the meantime, expect Eric Gordon to continue to lead the team in scoring -- his numbers are bound to slip once Z-Bo and Davis return, so I recommend trading him while his value is peaking.

Bucks (por, DAL, atl, SAC)

It's hard to gamble on Andrew Bogut (back spasms)...he's ruled out of the Portland game and I imagine he'll be questionable beyond that. Considering the frequency of his setbacks, I'd wait until he's playing consistently before deploying him. Dan Godzilla isn't even useful in 30-team leagues, even with Bogut sidelined. Michael Redd freaked out for 44 points on Friday...I just hope the unavoidable extra attention from defenses won't limit him. Richard Jefferson's campaign of mediocrity is going strong -- he's averaging 16.8 points on 42% shooting in January, and his three-pointers have fallen to 0.7 per game.

Knicks (CHI, PHO, MEM, phi)

We might get a rare Danilo Gallinari sighting this week, which is like catching the titan arum in full bloom. I'm willing to bet neither he nor Eddy Curry are worth owning at any point this season, though that's not exactly a bold prediction. Jared Jeffries is starting to heat up, if slightly -- in the past two games he's averaging eight points, 9.5 rebounds and two blocks in 36 minutes per game. I'm not ready to recommend him just yet, even in a four-game week, but you could certainly do worse. If he's still floating on your waiver wire, it might be the time to stash him away.

Suns (bos, ny, cha, atl)

Phoenix hits the road this week, and some stiff defense is in store -- Boston (91.7) and Charlotte (94.0) are each ranked in the top-six in points allowed, while Atlanta (96.8) ranks 12th. Fortunately the woeful Knickerbockers are sandwiched in there, and the Suns should have a field day with their cushy 106.5 points allowed. Remember, for all the talk of how stodgy the Suns offense has become since the acquisition of Shaq and the departure of Mike D'Antoni, they still rank 4th in the NBA with 104.5 ppg. From the "Shaquille O'Neal back-to-back watch" comes this report -- only Sunday's game is the first of a back-to-back, so it's possible Shaq will be inactive.

Wizards (gs, sac, lal, por)

The Wizards stole a win from the Knicks on Friday, but they're still reeling and aren't likely to show much life on their extended road trip. Nevertheless, there is cause for optimism -- the Warriors and Kings are #1 and #2 in points allowed over the past five games, so some gaudy offensive numbers could be in store. The Kings have been especially horrific -- they gave up 139 points and a record 23 three-pointers to the Magic recently, and continue to give up the league's worst 3PT% to their opposition (41%). Nick Young stands out as a particularly hopeful option this week -- his primary value is his ability to score, so hopefully he'll be able to continue his recent string of double-digit scoring games.

[Hache Man]

Unlucky #7
There are 22 teams that play four times this week, and as usual there is no shortage of difficult decisions to be made. With so many favorable schedules, should you start someone like Shawn Marion, who plays just twice, in an average league? My suggestion is no...and not because I'm afraid he'll get traded mid-week.

Two-game teams -- Heat, Thunder, Magic, 76ers

Three-game teams -- Nuggets, Nets, Hornets, Trail Blazers

Four-game teams -- Hawks, Celtics, Bobcats, Bulls, Cavaliers, Mavericks, Pistons, Warriors, Rockets, Pacers, Clippers, Lakers, Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Bucks, Knicks, Suns, Spurs, Kings, Raptors, Jazz, Wizards

Two Games

Heat (BOS, ORL)

Miami's schedule could hardly be more demanding. Two home games, yes, but their opponents have a combined record of 64-17. The Celtics and Magic are both ranked in the top-five defensively, so it will be a challenge for players like Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley to do much this week. Dwyane Wade is a safe bet, but everyone else is a gamble. (And yes, that includes Shawn Marion, who could be headed to Toronto for Jermaine O'Neal, according to recent reports.)

Thunder (gs, lac)

The Thunder are surging lately, and should have a good chance of picking up two wins against struggling teams with suspect defenses. No team in the league has allowed more points over the past 10 games than the Warriors (118 ppg), and the Clippers (101 ppg) aren't much better. Kevin Durant is on a tear lately, and the last time he faced the Warriors he dropped 25/10/6 -- it's hard to bench him even in such a short week. Jeff Green has also been solid lately, but his steaky jumpshot (30% shooting in past four games) makes him a very risky start. Owners of Nenad Krstic shouldn't be upset -- this makes the decision to bench him an easy one, and we get to see how his role evolves once Nick Collison returns from the flu.

Magic (BOS, mia)

Orlando's recent road trip, including wins over the Spurs and Lakers, has moved them into the national spotlight. It didn't hurt that they scored 139 points while making an NBA-record 23 three-pointers against the Kings on Tuesday. The Celtics are one of the league's best defensive teams, the Heat are middle-of-the-road. Ultimately, two-game schedules often come down to a simple equation: are two games from Dwight Howard (or Hedo or Rashard or Jameer) better than four games from Player X. I'll give you a head start...Dwight Howard has played one game each against the Celtics and Heat this season. Those numbers, combined, add up to 29 points, 30 rebounds, four assists, two steals and six blocks. So that's about what you should expect.

76ers (DAL, NY)

The Sixers have won six consecutive games, and seem to have finally found a rhythm. I don't think that they are a better team without Elton Brand, but clearly his absence allowed some players (Andre Iguodala, most notably) to rediscover their aggression. With E.B. expected to return against the Knicks on Saturday, it will be interesting to see how he impacts the stats of other players. I mentioned Iguodala, but Samuel Dalembert (who we all hope can't get much worse) and Thaddeus Young also stand to see their roles changed substantially. This two-game week might be the ideal time to bench them and monitor Brand's impact. It's worth noting that the Sixers will play the Knicks next Saturday on four-day's rest. So far this season, on 3+ days rest, they are averaging 89.2 ppg, shooting 41.7% from the field and just 22.4% from downtown.

Three Games

Nuggets (hou, SAC, UTAH)

Whenever a team plays the Kings these days, you want to have them active. Sacramento is yielding a ridiculous 123 ppg to their last five opponents, and they don't have the personnel to reverse that trend any time soon. With Carmelo Anthony sidelined, both Linas Kleiza and J.R. Smith seem like ideal starters. Just be aware that neither Kleiza (11.3 ppg) nor Smith (13.3 ppg on 31% shooting) have been particularly solid since Melo went down.

Nets (no, sa, mem)

The Nets have had problems at home all season (possibly because the Izod center is cavernous and devoid of energy), and the numbers reflect it. Many of their stats are actually higher on the road, including points (+3.7), FG% (+1.5%), 3PT (+0.7) and blocks (+0.5). Those numbers aren't too substantial, as you can see, and are easily offset by the fact that NJ will open the trip against the Hornets and Spurs -- ranked #3 and #8 in points allowed, respectively. You might want to think about benching Vince Carter this week -- he is still bothered by a lingering ankle injury and is 7-of-32 (22%) from the field in the past three games.

Hornets (IND, NJ, min)

The prospect of New Orleans facing Indiana at home is wonderful for owners still stinging from Friday's all-around dud against the stingy Cavaliers. The Pacers are giving up the third-most points of any team this season (107 pgg), a number that has only gone up in the past 10 games (115). Chris Paul and David West are automatic starts, but the other guys are iffy. Tyson Chandler has been awful this season (his rebounds have plummeted from 11.8 per game last season to just 8.4 this season). Peja Stojakovic is shooting a career-worst 39.7% from the field. The only thing going for Peja (and Rasual Butler and James Posey) is that the Nets give up 8.0 three-pointers per game, tied with Toronto and Washington for most in the league.

Trail Blazers (MIL, CLE, WAS)

Three consecutive home games bodes well for Portland. Their numbers are better at home than away, virtually across the board -- points (+6.6), FG% (+2.6%), FTs (+3.5 attempts, + 2.9 makes), rebounds (+3.2), assists (+1.9), steals (+1.4) and blocks (+0.9).Milwaukee and Washington are both mediocre defensive teams, but the Cavaliers are fearsome. They are holding their opponents to sub-42% shooting this season, and Brandon Roy will have a rough night if LeBron James is assigned to stopping him.

Four Games

Hawks (TOR, chi, MIL, PHO)

The Hawks get a fairly easy schedule in Week 13. Toronto, Chicago and Milwaukee all have sub-.500 records, and none of Atlanta's opponents rank better than 13th in points allowed. The Suns (102.7 ppg allowed) and Bulls (102.5 ppg) are ranked #26 and #25, respectively. Al Horford remains out indefinitely with a bone bruise in his right knee, so don't roll the dice on him. Zaza Pachulia has an easier task since Jermaine O'Neal is hobbled, Drew Gooden isn't 100%, Andrew Bogut is questionable w/ back spasms and Shaquille O'Neal is perpetually day-to-day. Marvin Williams did indeed suffer a concussion on Friday. He is questionable for Monday's game and I recommend avoiding him if at all possible.

Celtics (PHO, mia, orl, DAL)

Boston has followed their four-game losing streak with a convincing four-game winning streak. The disclaimer is that the wins came in consecutive home-and-home sets with the lowly Raptors and Nets. This week will provide a much stiffer test, especially with Kendrick Perkins (shoulder) and Tony Allen (ankle) both questionable. The Celts are a fairly simple team to gauge from a fantasy perspective. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo are all automatic starts in a four-game week. Perkins' shoulder injury makes him an easy player to bench and his fill-in, Brian Scalabrine, shouldn't even be owned.

Bobcats (SA, MEM, PHO, ind)

Toss out the San Antonio game and the Bobcats have a golden opportunity to improve their league-worst 91.1 scoring average. Indiana gives up the 3rd most points of any team in the league at 107 per game -- Phoenix (102.7) is right behind them and Memphis (99.4) is just about average. That means good things for Boris Diaw, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor and Raymond Felton. Felton looks particularly good this week since D.J. Augustin (strained abdomen) is still out.

Bulls (ny, ATL, TOR, min)

The Bulls' perimeter players should keep their wrists nice and limber this week -- New York and Toronto each give up slightly more than 8.0 three-pointers per game, more than any other team in the league. On top of that, Atlanta's opponents are making a staggering 46% of their 3-pointers over the past 10 games. In other words, Ben Gordon is about to barrage his owners with three-pointers.

Cavs (lal, por, gs, utah)

The Cavs average seven fewer points on 3% worse shooting when they're on the road, but it's hard to care about that having watched them dismantle team after team in recent weeks. Their amazing +11.9 point differential is worth another mention...it's within striking distance of the all-time record of +12.3 by the Lakers in 1971-72. Delonte West's fractured wrist is a tough blow for the Cavs and fantasy owners alike -- Sasha Pavlovic looks like the primary beneficiary, but Mo Williams is also going to see his shot attempts go up. Zydrunas Ilgauskas will soon be cleared for basketball activity, but he's not a good bet next week -- get Anderson Varejao in your lineups while you still can.

Mavericks (phi, mil, det, bos)

The Mavs' numbers are virtually identical at home and on the road, which leaves us to consider the quality of the competition. Over the past 10 games, none of their oppenents are allowing over 100 points per game -- Milwaukee (99.2) and Philadelphia (95.6) are both respectable defensively, while Boston (92.1) and Detroit (88.8) are among the elite. In other words, you might not want to gamble on Antoine Wright this week. One of the few nice things about owning Erick Dampier is that his numbers don't require any scoring whatsoever -- use him as you normally would.

Pistons (mem, TOR, DAL, HOU)

The Pistons only road game comes against a Grizzlies team that has allowed their opponents to shoot better than 52% over the past five games. That's great news, because the Pistons are scoring just 87.6 points on 42% shooting over that same stretch. I wouldn't be surprised if Michael Curry made his much-anticipated lineup change sometime next week, sending either Richard Hamilton or Allen Iverson to the bench in favor of another big...just don't expect that big (whether it's Kwame Brown or, more likely, Amir Johnson) to have value in average leagues.

Warriors (WAS, OKC, CLE, LAC)

The Warriors score more points (111.9) at home than any other team in the NBA, so this four-game homestand promises great things for Stephen Jackson, Corey Maggette and co. The return of Jax makes Kelenna Azubuike a likely bust candidate next week. It's unclear whether C.J. Watson (inflamed toe) will be able to play, so check for updates before deploying him.

Rockets (DEN, UTAH, ind, det)

Neither Tracy McGrady nor Ron Artest should be used this week, which isn't a surprise. That leaves Yao Ming to carry the Rockets, and hopefully your fantasy teams. Shane Battier is poised to play big minutes, but his ankle might not allow it -- he's averaging six points on 29% shooting in his two games back. Von Wafer has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat, but Carl Landry should also be watched closely -- he's playing some SF and is a sneaky play next week.

Clippers (MIN, LAL, OKC, gs)

You still can't use Baron Davis (tailbone), Zach Randolph (knee) or Chris Kaman (foot) next week, but at least it sounds like Davis could return soon. In the meantime, expect Eric Gordon to continue to lead the team in scoring -- his numbers are bound to slip once Z-Bo and Davis return, so I recommend trading him while his value is peaking.

Bucks (por, DAL, atl, SAC)

It's hard to gamble on Andrew Bogut (back spasms)...he's ruled out of the Portland game and I imagine he'll be questionable beyond that. Considering the frequency of his setbacks, I'd wait until he's playing consistently before deploying him. Dan Godzilla isn't even useful in 30-team leagues, even with Bogut sidelined. Michael Redd freaked out for 44 points on Friday...I just hope the unavoidable extra attention from defenses won't limit him. Richard Jefferson's campaign of mediocrity is going strong -- he's averaging 16.8 points on 42% shooting in January, and his three-pointers have fallen to 0.7 per game.

Knicks (CHI, PHO, MEM, phi)

We might get a rare Danilo Gallinari sighting this week, which is like catching the titan arum in full bloom. I'm willing to bet neither he nor Eddy Curry are worth owning at any point this season, though that's not exactly a bold prediction. Jared Jeffries is starting to heat up, if slightly -- in the past two games he's averaging eight points, 9.5 rebounds and two blocks in 36 minutes per game. I'm not ready to recommend him just yet, even in a four-game week, but you could certainly do worse. If he's still floating on your waiver wire, it might be the time to stash him away.

Suns (bos, ny, cha, atl)

Phoenix hits the road this week, and some stiff defense is in store -- Boston (91.7) and Charlotte (94.0) are each ranked in the top-six in points allowed, while Atlanta (96.8) ranks 12th. Fortunately the woeful Knickerbockers are sandwiched in there, and the Suns should have a field day with their cushy 106.5 points allowed. Remember, for all the talk of how stodgy the Suns offense has become since the acquisition of Shaq and the departure of Mike D'Antoni, they still rank 4th in the NBA with 104.5 ppg. From the "Shaquille O'Neal back-to-back watch" comes this report -- only Sunday's game is the first of a back-to-back, so it's possible Shaq will be inactive.

Wizards (gs, sac, lal, por)

The Wizards stole a win from the Knicks on Friday, but they're still reeling and aren't likely to show much life on their extended road trip. Nevertheless, there is cause for optimism -- the Warriors and Kings are #1 and #2 in points allowed over the past five games, so some gaudy offensive numbers could be in store. The Kings have been especially horrific -- they gave up 139 points and a record 23 three-pointers to the Magic recently, and continue to give up the league's worst 3PT% to their opposition (41%). Nick Young stands out as a particularly hopeful option this week -- his primary value is his ability to score, so hopefully he'll be able to continue his recent string of double-digit scoring games.

[Hache Man]

Only the Week Survive

The first fantasy basketball league in which I partook – back in the season commonly known as 1997-98 – was something of an unmitigated disaster.

In part, this was due to an ill-fated first-round pick of Penny Hardaway (who played just 19 games that year) and the presence of plodding lummoxes like Rik Smits and Christian Laettner on my squad. But it was also due in part, I have since come to realize, to the league format: 10-teams, eight categories, rotisserie, with daily lineup changes.

To be clear, I have no objection to a 10-team league, I have no issue with rotisserie leagues (though I do prefer head-to-head for basketball), and for a while I didn't have any problem with daily lineup changes.

But my outlook has since changed. Quite simply, daily lineup leagues for basketball are rather mundane, especially compared to the alternative. If your daily league has a games played limit, you go through the season occasionally rotating in a few guys off your bench, but otherwise – barring injury or trades – your lineup is relatively static (i.e., you're going to start the same 10 or so players every night). And if you're in a head-to-head league with no games played limit, all you do is simply rotate in as many guys as is humanly possible, occasionally making a tough choice when there are 11 games on the schedule and all of your guys are playing that night.

There's a little bit of strategy there, but when I've been in leagues like that, the biggest challenge has been waking up the earliest to scoop up the best free agents and stream them into your lineup for the following day. And as someone who's actually sprung out of bed at the unsightly hour of 5:30 a.m. to get a jump on the free agent wire, you don't feel that terrifically accomplished about yourself afterward.

Weekly leagues, on the other hand, are perfectly constructed to extract a high level of strategerie out of the somewhat nonsensical NBA calendar. The madness of two-game weeks following four-game weeks (and one-game weeks, as happened earlier this season with Phoenix) can drive you nuts, but that's precisely the fun of it.

Just this week in one league, I had to choose between four games of Francisco Garcia and two games of Andre Iguodala. After letting Garcia sit in the lineup for approximately six hours, I came to my senses, remembering that in Week 9 I had plugged in waiver wire pickup Shane Battier for a four-game week instead of a two-game week from Iguodala, only to have Battier score 25 total points and get one total steal compared to 38 points and eight steals for Iguodala, which prompted me to throw a large chair through a rather small window.

If this discourse hasn't made it clear, all I'm saying is this: It may seem like there's less activity and excitement going on in a weekly lineup league, but in many ways it's more exciting. It's a compelling challenge to get the lineup filled with as many productive games as possible each week, and – as is the case with fantasy football – there's something strangely fun about having your lineup completely set for the week no matter what, at which point all you can do is see how your various decisions play out.

Obviously, if you're in a daily league right now, there's not a lot you can do for this season. But for next year, do yourself and your league mates a service by forcing the issue of a weekly league, regardless of whether or not you do roto or head-to-head. It is a highly enjoyable endeavor, and far more entertaining than the comparatively mindless task of rotating in one or two guys off your bench a few times per week.

One other piece of advice: If through some strange rift in the time-space continuum you happen to accidentally wander into a vortex and end up in the year 1997-98, do not under any circumstances spend valuable draft picks on the likes of Penny Hardaway, Christian Laettner and Rik Smits. It is not a winning combination.

A reminder: For exclusive stat projections, top 250 rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.

Now, let's take a look at some notable trends from around the league:

Trend #1:Kenyon Martin's three-point shooting.

In case you haven't noticed, K-Mart has now hit 13-of-24 threes on the season, including 7-of-12 in 10 January games. For the record, that would give him nearly twice as many threes as Shawn Marion (7-for-36) this year, which is rather ridiculous considering that Marion once hit 141 threes in a season for Phoenix. But Marion's long-range incompetence is not the subject here. The subject here is Martin, who has unexpectedly gone on a three-point binge after hitting just 14 threes between 2003-04 and 2007-08. So, what in the wide world of sports is going on here?

Well, Martin is spotting up, getting wide open and – despite shooting something of a line drive set-shot – he's knocking them down. The obvious question is, can he keep it up? And the answer to said question is both yes and no. While I do think he'll keep shooting wide-open threes, I also think his recent output of seven treys in 10 games is something of a fluke. If nothing else, it's clear now that when checking a Denver box score, you can at least be on the lookout for a Kenyon Martin three, which you sadly can no longer say for the former fantasy dynamo known as Shawn Marion.

Trend #2: Nate Robinson's minutes.

We all know about Nate Rob's recent shooting slump: During a six-game stretch from December 28 to January 8, he shot a horrific 20-for-80 (25 percent). The good news is that he appears to have his confidence, if not his shooting stroke, all the way back. Though he shot just 13-for-33 (39.4 percent) over his last three games, Robinson looked like his normal assertive self while scoring 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting in Monday's win over Chicago. The bigger issue now is playing time.

In the past five games, Robinson averaged less than 21 minutes after averaging just under 33 minutes from December 13 to January 10. So what's going on? Unfortunately for Nate, his mojo rediscovery has coincided with a hot streak for Quentin Richardson, who's averaging 32 minutes and 17.0 points over the last five. Fortunately for Nate, we're still talking about Quentin Richardson, who is more than capable of going off for brief stretches but has not shown the ability to sustain it this season. So, once again to Nate Robinson owners: Stay patient. The season is still under construction, but should be fully operational soon.

Trend #3: Josh Smith's aversion to shot-blocking.

Smith averaged 2.8 blocks per game last year (and 2.9 the year before), but is at just 1.5 this year and 0.7 in his first 10 January games. I don't have a definitive explanation for this, but I will say that in observing a number of recent Hawks games, Smith has looked pretty passive on defense. Normally eager to challenge just about any shot at the rim, he's been watching quite a few field goal attempts float up and in instead of rising up to stuff them.

The good news is, the rest of his game looks strong (he's averaging 19.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg in January), which indicates it's not so much a health issue as it is a ferocity issue. And as frustrating as this trend has been for Smith's fantasy owners (myself included), I remain adamant that a hailstorm of blocks will soon rain down upon an NBA arena near you.

Trend #4: Mike Miller's inability to score.

For those (angrily) keeping score at home, Miller's last double-digit scoring game came on December 17, over a month ago. Granted, he did miss the last five games of December, but nevertheless, he has averaged a paltry 5.3 ppg in his first nine games of January. I think we can all get on the same page in saying: that's awful. However, based on recent observations, I do remain strangely encouraged.

I watched significant stretches of both Sunday's T-Wolves game (when Miller had six points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks) and Monday's game (five points, eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks), and while he shot just 5-for-12 in those two games combined, he looked quite a bit like the Mike Miller of old. There's no question he's nearing full health after the ankle injury, as he was going hard to the basket off the dribble and finished one drive with an unexpected dunk.

The only issue now is that Miler clearly doesn't have much faith in his outside shot, which I will remind you is perennially one of the best in the league. He's hit just 2-of-15 in his last four games, but rest assured, that will turn around. And I still contend that Miller is a nice buy-low target, under the assumption that you can acquire him at a scant price.

Trend #5: Tyrus Thomas' insanely erratic performance.

In case you blacked out, Thomas' first 11 games in January have gone like this: bad game, great game, decent game, good game, bad game, bad game, bad game, good game, bad game, good game, bad game. A small percentage of you have probably short-circuited some brain synapses or developed cataracts reading the preceding sentence, and that's what having Thomas on your fantasy team will do to you.

Actually, in fairness, Tyrus Thomas has not yet been definitively linked to cataracts, but he has been clinically proven to cause headaches. And despite a couple of gems this month (including a 15-point, eight-rebound, eight-block game against Minnesota on January 3), he remains the same promising yet wildly inconsistent talent. The fact is, when he goes for 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks (as he did against the Knicks on Monday), nothing ultimately changes, as proven by his follow-up of six points, one rebound and four blocks against the Hawks one night later. In his first 11 games of the month, Thomas averaged 10.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 2.5 bpg, which is great if you need blocks, bad if you hate headaches and rather pedestrian otherwise.
Feel free to employ Thomas in your lineup as you hunt for those wildly exciting statistical gems, but don't be surprised when he kicks you directly in the shin and runs off – which, come to think of it, I must do right now (though in fairness, I leave you now without the aforementioned kick to the shin).

[Hache Man]

The Defense Rests
On a night when scoring outbursts ran rampant, no single eruption stood out like the one Andrew Bynum unleashed on the Clippers.

Thanks to a constant stream of point-blank looks, Bynum stormed to 21 points and eight boards just over three minutes into the second quarter, had 25 and 10 at halftime and ultimately steamrolled the Clips for a career-high 42 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks on 17-of-24 shooting.

Of course, even on his best night, it wasn't all good – despite getting three blocks to equal his highest total of the month, Bynum also gave up approximately 26 dunks to Clippers' rookie center DeAndre Jordan (more on him in a moment).

All told, Bynum has been a somewhat frustrating fantasy player this year, in part because he hasn't seemed inclined to unleash the fury every night. Naturally, it helped that he was facing the Clippers sans Marcus Camby, a luxury he won't enjoy every night. Regardless, let Wednesday's dominating performance serve as a reminder that despite his inconsistency, the 21-year-old's prospects for the future – and for this season's second half – hold a massive amount of potential.

For exclusive stat projections, top 250 rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.

Now, a look at all the other notable performances from Wednesday:

Notably Good

DeAndre Jordan: Looked like an absolute beast against a less-than-beastly Lakers defense. His final line: 23 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks on 11-of-12 shooting (if memory serves correctly, all 11 field goals were dunks). Obviously Jordan, not Brian Skinner (eight points, five rebounds, one block) appears to be the most valuable Clippers big man with Marcus Camby out. It won't be this good every night, but Jordan is an intriguing short-term add.

Kobe Bryant: Who needs 10 fingers, anyway? 18 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists gives him two triple-doubles in his last three and an average of 11.3 assists in his last four.

Lamar Odom: A season-high 19 points (yes, you read that correctly) to go with nine boards and three blocks. Major signs of life in his last three games.

Rudy Gay: 26 points (with a steal and two blocks) against Charlotte represents his highest point total in over a month. He's still shooting too many jumpers, but also looked effective going to the rim in this one. Hopefully this is the start of a long-awaited hot streak.

Emeka Okafor: Some owners out there seem unhappy with Okafor, but the fact is he's now averaging 14.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 1.7 bpg in January after a 20-point, 12-board, three-steal, three-block game against Memphis.

Gerald Wallace: 13 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, four steals and a block. Threes aren't a big part of his game this year (0.5 per game), but he is shooting an unexpected career-best 80.4 percent from the line.

Raja Bell: Has scored 25 in back-to-back games, but doesn't do a lot other than score and hit threes.

Steve Nash: A season-high 19 assists, three days after he set his previous season-high with 18. Watch out.

Jason Richardson: Concerns about his demise were clearly premature (27 points, nine rebounds, two treys, three steals).

David Lee: The ankle appears to be just fine, say the 25 points and 16 rebounds.

Nate Robinson: 20 points, four rebounds, four assists, four steals and two threes in a vintage performance. Yes, I'll say it: He's back.

Danilo Gallinari: Not a mandatory add at this point, but if you have roster room and patience, Gallinari is an intriguing prospect. He looked great in his 18 minutes (10 points, four rebounds, two threes and a block) and it seems inevitable that he'll earn more playing time going forward.

Charlie Villanueva: 32 points, 10 rebounds, four threes, two steals. He still doesn't have 100 percent immunity from a random Scott Skiles benching, but Villanueva is currently a must-start after scoring 23 or more points in seven of his first 12 January games.

Richard Jefferson: 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists marks a third straight strong game. The real challenge is sustaining that production, which he's been unable to do so far this year.

Peja Stojakovic: Impersonated a bona fide fantasy starter for the second straight game and collected his first double-double of the year: 20 points, 10 rebounds, four threes, a steal and a block. Enjoy any stats you can get aside from points and threes, because you won't get a lot of them.

Deron Williams: At this point, 32 points and 11 assists is not even particularly surprising. He's now topped 25 points five times this month.

Ronnie Brewer: 23-point, three-trey outing highlights his most glaring weakness as a fantasy player: solid scorer and steal-collector has hit just 14 threes on the year.

Paul Millsap: 20-point, 12-rebound night puts his latest double-double streak at two games and counting.

Rafer Alston: He's uncharacteristically accurate right now (7-of-13 for 23 points, five threes, four rebounds, eight assists and two steals Wednesday), but should be well worth starting even after he cools off.

Von Wafer: Now averaging 16.9 ppg and 2.0 threes in January after hitting for 21 points and three treys Wednesday.

Mo Williams: Owners would love to see big scoring outbursts (such as his season-high 33 points and six threes Wednesday) more often, but unfortunately those stats aren't usually necessary for the Cavs to win, largely because of some guy named…

LeBron James: Who just so happened to have 34 points, seven rebounds and a season-high 14 assists Wednesday (which isn't remotely surprising but still worth mentioning).

Greg Oden: What, were you expecting 24 and 15 again? 10 points, eight rebounds and a block isn't bad, especially against the Cavs. The bigger issue is, he's been largely unable to string together three strong games in a row. Oden's next chance comes Saturday against the Wizards.

Caron Butler: His first huge line in over two weeks (32 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and a three) is hopefully the start of a long-term binge.

Antawn Jamison: But then again, it also helped that Butler and Jamison (33 points, nine rebounds) got to play against the Kings.

Andray Blatche: Nothing spectacular (20 points, three rebounds, three assists and a block), but productivity is productivity, even if much of it comes against a man (Brad Miller) who is clearly making no effort to play defense.



More Notably Good Performances

Dominic McGuire: Eight points, 12 rebounds, four assists and two blocks is compelling, but he remains wildly inconsistent. If nothing else, he's worth monitoring.

Beno Udrih: 24 points, three treys, two steals. He's not bringing it every night, but is more helpful than not at this point.

John Salmons: Turns out he and Kevin Martin (22 points) can coexist quite reasonably. Salmons has now hit for 24 points or more in three of his last four.

Russell Westbrook (30 points, seven assists), Kevin Durant (27 points, 12 rebounds, five assists) and Jeff Green (26 points, three treys, and a game-winner): Because fun things happen when you play against the Warriors.

Stephen Jackson: If his FG% and turnovers have been driving you crazy, now is the time to sell. He's averaging 26.3 ppg and shooting 45.4 percent in three games since coming back from his hamstring injury. (Perhaps those numbers will distract the other guy from Jackson's 5.3 turnovers per game during that same span.)

Kelenna Azubuike: Looks good right now (21 points on 9-of-10 shooting Wednesday), but no telling what happens when Monta Ellis returns.

Ronny Turiaf: He'd be a terribly interesting fantasy player if he regularly got 30-plus minutes (witness eight points, six rebounds, eight assists and five blocks in 40 minutes Wednesday), but he only played extensively because Andris Biedrins (sprained wrist) was out.

Eddie House: 25 points in 26 minutes is nice, but don't overreact. It's the first time he even topped 15 points this year.

Michael Beasley: Hard to be mad about 17 points and 11 rebounds in 41 minutes, but keep in mind Beasley played just 10 minutes in the Heat's last game and got an added opportunity thanks to the fact that Shawn Marion (groin) only played eight minutes. Which leads us to…

Notably Bad

Shawn Marion: At this point it's unclear if we'll see him Saturday against Orlando, and what is clear is that Marion owners have to be furious. Try to remember that he was averaging 15.8 ppg, 9.8 rpg and 1.7 spg in his last six games before this injury.

Devin Harris: Shot just 1-of-11 and left after aggravating his rib injury. More info to come, but at this point you have to think he's going to miss some games.

Allen Iverson: Allen Iverson is not walking through that door. (11 points, six assists, three steals on 3-of-9 shooting.)

Rasheed Wallace: Just a flat-out bad night (three points, two rebounds in 24 minutes).

Richard Hamilton: Just a flat-out bad sign: only played 21 minutes (and had seven points) in his first game coming off the bench.

Quentin Richardson: The hot streak is over. There will be another, but no telling when.

Wilson Chandler: Gallinari era is not treating him well – he's averaged just 21 mpg in his last two.

Luke Ridnour: Ramon Sessions had a field day (21 points, seven assists) in a blowout win, but Ridnour (six points, seven assists in 21 minutes) is still the starter and Milwaukee PG to own, albeit a frustrating one.

Brad Miller: Looked completely disinterested in playing good basketball on Wednesday. No telling whether Happy Brad or No Fun Brad will show up for the next game.

Nick Young: He'll have more big games at some point, but is very droppable right now.

Mike James: Now that's an unproductive 39 minutes (eight points, one assist).

Spencer Hawes: If he can't post respectable stats in 23 minutes against the Wizards, he can't post respectable stats against anyone right now. He'll be back, but for now he's droppable.

Nenad Krstic: You'd hope for more than nine points, five rebounds and a block against the Warriors.

Injury Notes

Andrei Kirilenko (ankle): Missed Wednesday, had a cortisone shot and is now questionable for the weekend.

David West (back): Likely out the remainder of the week.

Tyson Chandler (ankle): Could be out up to two weeks.

Jose Calderon (hamstring): Could play Friday. Regardless, his return is near. Say farewell to Anthony Parker's assists.

Elton Brand (shoulder): Appears ready to return Saturday, but minutes will be limited initially.

Tonight
Two games on the schedule this evening, beginning with one of the most anticipated matchups of the season: the 35-9 Celtics taking on the 33-8 Magic in Orlando. The Celtics crushed the Magic in Boston early last month and have been slaughtering opponents lately, but this one should be much closer in Orlando. Also, if Kevin Garnett wants to block a few shots (he has just one in his last three games), I would have no objection. The late game figures to be obscenely less competitive, as the Wizards are in L.A. on the second night of a back-to-back. Andrew Bynum owners (myself included) will no doubt be drooling at the prospect of what he might do to the Wiz one night after dropping 42 and 15 on the Clippers, but at this point I'd be very happy with 18 and 10 with a couple blocks. Regardless of whether Bynum goes ballistic or disappears, Dr. A will be here Friday, as always, to let you know precisely how it all went down.

[Hache Man]

Begin the Begin
Alonzo Mourning retired yesterday, and while that means nothing in today's fantasy world, it is kind of sad to see him go. He completed an amazing comeback from a kidney transplant, but the devastating knee injury he suffered in Atlanta last season was too much for him to overcome. I'm pretty sure his shot blocking and rebounding helped me win at least one or two fantasy titles back in the day.

I'll be here for a live Season Pass Subscriber chat today at 3 p.m.

Thursday's Action

There were only two games last night, and very little fantasy relevant news out of them, as the Lakers beat up the Wizards and the Celtics handled the Magic.

Kobe Bryant scored just 11 points last night, which should tell you everything you need to know about how easy this game was for L.A. Andrew Bynum went off for the second straight game, busting Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee for 23 points, 14 rebounds and a block on 8-of-12 shooting. As a Bynum owner, I seriously want to drop everything I'm doing and go make it rain somewhere to celebrate his last two monster lines. We've been waiting all season for him to start looking like a beast on the glass and it has finally happened. But before you go to the bank and grab a wad of cash, you may want to stop and consider that Bynum did this against the Clippers and the Wizards. You guys are fantasy ballers, so you probably know who Andray Blatche is, but even the average fantasy hoops owners isn't all that familiar with JaVale McGee, DeAndre Jordan and Brian Skinner. All I am saying is to expect Bynum to come back to earth when he faces some real competition. Is that disrespectful to those other guys? Absolutely. Could I play against them? Absolutely not.

Lamar Odom suddenly looks much better as well, and he had 16 points, five boards and five assists last night. As I wrote yesterday, he's at least playable again for owners and could be on the verge of a nice second half.

For the Wizards, the aforementioned McGee, who made a fantasy mini-splash a couple months ago (causing me to lead many of you blindly over a cliff), blew up for 18 points, nine boards, two steals and two blocks. Meanwhile, starter Blatche was held to just five points in the loss on 2-of-9 shooting. I don't think McGee is set to retake the starting job from AB, but he could be in line for some more minutes. And why not? The Wizards generally can't beat anyone and have nothing left to play for outside of prepping for next season.

Caron Butler was at it again last night, scoring just 12 points. Kobe does that in a blowout win? I'm fine with it. CB doing it in another loss? Not cool with me or his owners. Let's look at the points scored by CB over his last several games: 12, 32, 22, 11, 25, 6, 19, 2, 15, 29, 19, & 8.

That is mostly 12 games of frustration and with the ship sinking in Washington, I'd suggest selling Butler as soon as he puts up another big line. I just can't see him finishing the season. I'm not saying that shutting it down is the right thing for him to do, or that I agree with it, but it's hard for me to see him continuing to go out there and beat himself up every night with no light at the end of the tunnel.

Rashard Lewis had 20 & 10 and Dwight Howard had a "dollar value menu" double-double in the Magic's loss to the Celtics. Howard's line was fine with 11 points, 11 boards and three blocks, but that's like the $2.99 double-cheeseburger value meal instead of the $6 Big Mac biggie-size deal at you know where. And trust me, with four kids I am quite familiar with the various $1 menus out there. If you're wondering how to feed a family of six for nine bucks, there's your answer.

Paul Pierce played through a tweaked ankle and had 27 points, 10 boards, four dimes and two steals in the win. Eddie House, who blew up for 25 points on Wednesday, failed to score last night, while Glen Davis had a season-high 16 points. Don't get excited about Davis, as he'll come back down for the next one.

News and Notes

Iavaroni Fired

I'm not going to tell you that I'm happy that Marc Iavaroni was canned last night, but as a Rudy Gay owner in several leagues, I can't say that I'm sad, either. I had trouble finding it, but I remember writing about the coaching cluster in Memphis after I saw them play in Atlanta back on Dec. 3. Tension was high on the sidelines and it only seemed like a matter of hours before Iavaroni would be let go back then. It was more than a few hours, but Lionel Hollins will now coach the team. I have no idea what that means for Gay, O.J. Mayo, Hakim Warrick, Marc Gasol, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley, but I'm fairly confident that part of Gay's problem was playing for Iavaroni. I'm not going to celebrate just yet, but I would be lying if I said I didn't expect Gay to get this thing turned around soon.

Hello, World

Monta Ellis is going to play for the Warriors tonight. He'll probably get between 20-30 minutes of run which should be plenty of time for him to look good and for you guys to have a good excuse for an "I told you so." I have not been sold on Monta all year and would still argue that he was not worth holding on your bench this whole time in most cases. But, if you're like my boy Murph in one league, that's not true. Monta's been using up a valuable roster spot on his team all year, but he's currently sitting a couple spots behind me in third place. If Monta plays well (and not like Manu Ginobili has been doing in his return from ankle surgery), he is really going to help some fantasy owners, including Murph, who could easily track me down if Monta lives up to the hype. But it remains to be seen how the ankle will respond, how Monta will look and how much he'll play once the Warriors are officially eliminated. If I'm wrong about Monta, at least I still have the disaster known as Gilbert Arenas to hang my hat on.

The Trade

Pat Riley talked at length about the potential trade that would send Shawn Marion to the Raptors for Jermaine O'Neal, but didn't really say anything. I think it will be miracle if Marion is still with the Heat at the end of February and it's possible they're just waiting to see if O'Neal can go out there and play in four games in a row on his bad leg. What's really annoying though, is that there has been very little news about Marion's groin injury. He missed Sunday's game and played just eight minutes on Wednesday because of it, and apparently missed Thursday's practice as well. He's questionable for Saturday against the Magic, but is hopefully safely planted on your bench.

Dissing Del Negro

Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro is clearly in over his head. He's been openly mocked by several of his players this season (Joakim Noah, Tyrus Thomas, Larry Hughes) and has now fined Ben Gordon for missing a deadline for a flight and for shouting obscenities at the rookie coach. I imagine Del Negro gets about as much respect from those guys as I do from my 13-year-old son. Then you add in the fact that the Chicago media feels the same way and you almost have to feel sorry for him. He was ripped when he was hired, he's been ripped for most of the year and he'll be ripped when he is fired. Then again, it's hard to stand up for him, as he is usually outcoached every night and clearly has no real control over most of his players.

Doctor's Report

Devin Harris had a CT scan on his ribs and is technically listed as day-to-day. But if you've read the New Jersey media, it really sounds like the Nets are planning on being without Harris for "a while." Get ready for a heavy dose of Keyon Dooling and think about grabbing him if you need a short-term fill in. Dooling is dealing with an ankle problem of his own, but it sounds like he should play through it. A reader keeps emailing me every other day asking if I now feel like he should trade Harris for Jose Calderon. I keep saying no, but next time I may just tell him to pull the trigger.

Speaking of JC, he's due back tonight for the Raptors after missing nine of his last 10 games with a hamstring injury. Hopefully he's back for good this time.

The Bulls' Drew Gooden saw a specialist for his groin injury and could also be out for several more games. That just means more run for Tyrus Thomas – insert your own joke or snicker here.

Elton Brand is "on target" to return to action on Saturday but don't play him until you see how he looks on the court. It could be slow going for him to return to form.

Marcus Camby may actually play tonight, which is somewhat shocking news. He's got a badly sprained ankle, but it sounds like he might try it tonight. If he does, that means you might be able to use him next week.

Lloyd and Harry – oops, I mean Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest both did some practicing with the team on Thursday and appear to be nearing a return to the court. T-Mac is hoping to play on Sunday or Tuesday, but has apparently been ruled out for tonight's game. Artest's ankle injury is improving but there's still no target date for his return. All I have to say if you own these guys is good luck.

Baron Davis tweaked him hamstring the other day, adding, um, injury to injury. He was already out with a bruised tailbone and the hamstring issue is just another setback. He's already been ruled out through the weekend and I don't think you should plan on risking him again for the upcoming week, either. Mardy Collins still looks like a decent pickup and play if you need a point guard.

Andrew Bogut's back is reportedly feeling better but he is not likely to play tonight or on Saturday. As a fellow Bogut owner, let me just say that I feel your pain. Hopefully he returns Monday and is good to go, but who knows?

David West is out for the Hornets tonight with his bad back, but is hoping to play in the upcoming week. Tyson Chandler's ankle injury is going to keep him out for at least a week (I think) and Hilton Armstrong (ankle) doesn't sound all that likely for the Hornets tonight either. All of this means that Melvin Ely is likely to put up some solid numbers in boards and blocks again this weekend.

Marvin Williams still hasn't practiced with his concussion and remains out until further notice, and Al Horford is not likely to play tonight with a knee injury. Horford worked out yesterday, but neither of these Hawks have a return date set yet.

Enjoy your 10-game Friday night. And if you're going to be out making it rain, I'll be here to log everything you missed.

[Hache Man]

There's No Gettin' Over Me
What better to help you recover from an inauguration overdose than the Daily Dose? Here's the injury report, followed by a recap of last night's action.

Marcus Camby could miss up to two weeks with his ankle injury. If you saw video of him going down, this should not come as a surprise. In fact, the only surprising thing about his injury is that he wasn't ruled out for a month.

Shawn Marion is expected to play through his groin injury tonight. In my 30-team league I gambled and played Marquis Daniels for four games instead of risking Marion for just one or two. Daniels hasn't done anything in his two games thus far so I am obviously regretting the decision with this news. Feel free to throw Marion in your lineup tonight if you can.

Jose Calderon is traveling with the Raptors right now, but there's still no word on whether he'll play tonight against the Pistons. My guess is we don't see him until Friday so that he can get tomorrow's practice under his belt.

Devin Harris had X-rays taken on his ribs yesterday but is still hoping to play tonight. Is it just me or does Harris seem about half as valuable (and fun to own) as he was a month ago? Hopefully Lawrence Frank's brave move of benching Harris Saturday has him extremely motivated from here on out.

Tyson Chandler and David West are both doubtful for tonight's game. Chandler appeared to severely sprain his left ankle on MLK day, while West sat out with back spasms. Get both of them on your bench for now.

Chris Duhon missed another practice with his back injury but is going to continue to play through it. I'd recommend trading him before his the injuries start becoming serious. But as of now, my guess is he won't practice at all and play as long as he can each night. He's racking up major minutes and will lead the league in that category until he starts missing games. David Lee also practiced through his sprained ankle and should play tonight as well.

Kevin Durant is dealing with a sore shoulder but continues to play through it. He might miss some practices, but I get the sense he's going to keep on playing regardless of how bad his shoulder feels.

Andrei Kirilenko wrecked his right ankle last night and is not likely to play again until Sunday. And if he's targeting Sunday as his hopeful return date, he's not guaranteed to play that day, leaving him iffy for next week. Get him on your bench for now and watch for updates.

Andrew Bogut is not expected to play again tonight, making it four straight games that he's missed with his back injury. If you own Bogut, this is obviously bad news. If you are starting Charlie Villanueva right now, this is the exact news you wanted to hear. This will make four straight missed games for AB and he will have sat out eight of his last 11. Don't trade him while he's hurt, but feel free to ship him once he starts playing again. Let's just hope he comes back healthy and starts getting it done.

Drew Gooden sat out last night's game with his groin injury. It's curious as to why the Bulls brought him back early for Monday's game when he was clearly not ready. Just another notch on Vinny Del Negro's tightening belt, I guess.

Ron Artest is having an MRI on his ankle and doesn't know when he'll play again, although he apparently practiced yesterday. However, the practice was just a "walk through," so I'm guessing that Dick Cheney could have even participated in it.

Tracy McGrady says he's going to play through is various injuries on either Sunday or Monday. Thanks for playing, T-Mac. Please forgive my negative attitude about McGrady, but despite not even owning him, he's officially my least favorite fantasy basketball player right now.

Carlos Boozer says he hopes to be back by the All-Star break but admits that might be too lofty a goal. Um, if you've been reading me this year, you know that I am not surprised. In fact, I don't even see a reason to hold Boozer in most leagues. Yes, Utah has a five-game week in the fantasy playoffs, but do you really want to use up a roster spot on him all year for that one week? Your call. Jazz Fantasy Playoff Games-played Schedule – Weeks 21-24: 2-3-5-3

There is a sweet games-played grid and schedule breakdown of the second half and the playoffs in the Season Pass.

Richard Hamilton is likely to start coming off the bench for the Pistons. It looks like Amir Johnson, who I was pretty high on in the preseason, will start on most nights. After Amir's disappointing starting gig to start the season, I'm not in a hurry to run out and pick him up.

Dahntay Jones separated his shoulder in warmups yesterday and will be out for about a week. I'm not sure how something like that happens, but it just means more run for J.R. Smith.

Tuesday's Action

Paul Millsap is back! He blew up for 28 points, 15 boards and two steals. Hopefully you had him in your lineup after his struggles with a knee injury. The Jazz beat the Timberwolves who saw a nice 20 points and eight boards from Craig Smith. Don't get too excited, as he had just six points and three boards in his previous game. Mike Miller stunk up the gym again, but did hit 2-of-3 shots from the floor. Actually, he had eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks, but five points is still nothing to get excited about. Miller is eventually going to figure this out and be productive for his owner, but I don't have the time or patience to wait on him.

The Nuggets beat the Kings last night behind a season-high 27 from Linas Kleiza. With Carmelo Anthony due back at the end of January and Kleiza's up-and-down play, I cut him in most leagues. But now I'm kind of regretting that decision. He hit 11-of-17 shots and also had six boards, but did nothing (and I mean nothing) else. J.R. Smith didn't hit a three last night (and threes are the reason for which you have him in your lineup), but did manage 19 points, seven boards, six assists and four steals. He hit 7-of-9 shots and committed six turnovers, but I doubt there are too many complaints out there. Rookie Jason Thompson, who was one of yesterday's Pickup of the Days in the Season Pass, had 18 points, 11 rebounds and a block in the loss. Brad Miller was 0-for-4 for two points and three rebounds. Check his points and boards over his last four games:

2 & 3
20 & 9
30 & 22
3 & 2

Good luck figuring out which days to play Miller on.

Josh Smith had 17 points and 14 boards as the Hawks beat the Bulls, but didn't have a block or a steal. In case you're wonder, that makes 16 straight games that Josh has had two or less blocks in a game. And no, I don't have any answers for what his problem is and can't simply blame it on his ankle any longer. Zaza Pachulia had a season-high 18 points, but managed just four boards and a block. Still no word on when we'll see Al Horford or Marvin Williams again, but Mike Bibby helped make up for their absence last night with one of the best fantasy lines of his career: 31 points, five 3-pointers, six assists and five steals. He's been one of the fantasy steals of the year.

The Bulls got 13 points and eight dimes from Kirk Hinrich, who looks as good now as he has in a couple years, although that's probably because our expectations have been taken down to the basement. Luol Deng posted another double-double with 12 points, 10 boards and five dimes, but my man Tyrus Thomas struggled for six points and four blocks. At this point, you just have to run him out there every day and be prepared to take the good with the bad, as there has been plenty of both lately.

The Spurs rolled over the tired Pacers as Manu Ginobili racked up a whopping line of 26 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in just 21 minutes. Those of you waiting for Manu to finally show up got a visit from the real deal last night. He's really been struggling, so this is hopefully a sign that he's finally over his ankle injury.

T.J. Ford finally played in back-to-back games for the first time in a while and had 10 points and three assists on 4-of-14 shooting. He's a really shaky play right now and should only be used if you don't have other options. Danny Granger struggled against the Spurs' stout D and hit just 5-of-15 shots for 17 points. What's more disturbing is that he didn't record a steal, block or 3-pointer, but I'm not too worried. The Spurs were obviously aimed at shutting him down last night. Mike Dunleavy, who scored 15, is going to put a little bit of a damper in Granger's numbers, but DG should still be an eight-category stud.

And if you were able to figure out the connection in the headline of today's Dose without using the internet, I'm not sure whether to be sad or impressed.

[Hache Man]

Sequestered in Memphis
Welcome to another edition of The Week Ahead! The information below is valid from Monday, January 26th through Sunday, February 1st. There's plenty to get to, as usual, so I'll keep the introduction short. As in, this is it.

Two games -- Mavericks

Three games -- Spurs, Rockets, Pistons, Hornets, Bulls, Bobcats, Warriors, Trail Blazers, Suns, Raptors, Nuggets, Magic, Lakers, Knicks, Jazz, Grizzlies, Celtics

Four games -- Bucks, Thunder, Kings, Hawks, Cavaliers, 76ers, Wizards, Timberwolves, Pacers, Nets, Heat Clippers

Two games

Mavericks (GS, mia)

The Mavs two-game slate is rough, but a date with the fantasy-friendly Warriors is tantalizing for owners of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Jason Kidd. Dirk is probably a safe bet, despite the light workload, but the other guys should be started at your own discretion.

Three games


Rockets (ny, PHI, GS)

The first order of business is detailing the Rockets injuries. X-rays were negative on Yao Ming's knee, as you know, and he is questionable for Sunday's game at Detroit. Tracy McGrady is also questionable -- he has vowed not to bounce in and out of the lineup once he returns, but I don't believe a word he says (T-Mac and Jermaine O'Neal should co-found an injury support group...the first step is admitting you're injured). Ron Artest isn't sure whether he'll play before the Rockets return home on Wednesday, so I recommend shelving him unless a more positive report surfaces. T-Mac's uncertain status makes Von Wafer a risky start. It's almost a given that Rafer Alston will return from his out-of-body experience this week -- in the past four games he's averaging 20 points on abnormally high 50% shooting. Did someone just say Bill Nye? Oh, sell high?

Pistons (min, BOS, CLE)

The Pistons have a huge task ahead of them this week -- already averaging the third-fewest points of any team in the league (93.2), they will face the NBA's two best defensive teams, in terms of points allowed and point differential. Between the player's adjustments to the recent lineup change and the quality of the competition, fantasy owners should consider all their options before committing to their Pistons this week. (Disclaimer: Rasheed Wallace should be relatively unaffected, since his value stems from his ability to get rebounds, steals, blocks and the occasional three-pointer.)

Bulls (lac, sac, pho)

The Bulls are in the midst of a west-coast road trip next week, though they couldn't have a much easier schedule -- Sacramento and L.A. have a combined record of 20-65. The Kings give up more than 40% shooting from beyond the arc, great news for Ben Gordon, and all three of the Clippers opponents yield 100+ points per game. On the injury front...Drew Gooden's status is unknown, so keep him shelved. Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah are probably too inconsistent to start in a three-game week, but use your own judgment.

Bobcats (lal, por, den)

The Bobcats have shown mild improvement offensively since trading away Jason Richardson, but they're still the lowest-scoring team in the league at 91.6 ppg. That figure drops to 90.2 points when they're on the road, and shouldn't have much opportunity to recover with the Lakers, Blazers and Nuggets on the schedule. Boris Diaw and Gerald Wallace are both safe starts, Raymond Felton and Emeka Okafor are serviceable and Raja Bell can be played in a pinch.

Warriors (dal, no, hou)

Monta Ellis has returned, and he's still not talking about the moped incident. The latest reponse to reporter's questions : "I don't remember it." He can be as evasive as he wants as long as he's scoring 20+ points per game, and the early returns are very promising. He doesn't hit many threes, and it could take a while to fully gel with backcourt mate Jamal Crawford, but the Warriors already high-octane offense just got a fuel injection. Ellis' return probably means good things for Stephen Jackson, too. Jax said after Friday's game that he felt fresher in the fourth quarter than he has all season...hopefully that freshness will translate to a field goal percentage, as his 39.7% shooting is killing owners in eight- and nine-category leagues

Trail Blazers (lac, CHA, UTAH)

The Blazers should have no trouble defeating the Clippers, and even the improved Bobcats should be little trouble at home. Unfortunately, Charlotte is playing inspired defense lately (allowing just 84.6 points in their last five games) and the Clippers could be getting Marcus Camby back in time for Monday's game. The Blazers already average fewer possessions per game (88.7) than any other team in the league, which makes it tough for guys like Travis Outlaw and Rudy Fernandez to post consistent offensive numbers...avoid them in a three-game week, if possible.

Suns (was, SA, CHI)

The Suns recent slump has Amare Stoudemire's owners praying for a trade, while Jason Richardson's owners are suddenly wishing he was never traded from the Bobcats (gulp). If the Suns don't gobble up the candy-coated Wizards on Monday --especially if they're coming off a loss to the Hawks on Sunday-- we can expect some fireworks. Someone will question coach Terry Porter (Amare and Matt Barnes are the most likely suspects). But for fantasy purposes, stats are stats, even in losses. The Wizards and Bulls are both among the 12 teams giving up 100+ points this season, giving Phoenix (whose "offensive efficiency" ranks fourth in the NBA) a chance to pile up points, threes, free throws and assists. A few facts you may not have known -- the Suns lead the NBA in field goal percentage (49.5%) and are seventh in assists (21.7), but only the Spurs get fewer steals per game (6.3).

Raptors (nj, MIL, ORL)

The Raptors begin the week in New Jersey, against a Nets team that gives up a higher 3PT% (40.6%) than any team in the league (the Kings are a close second). Their second opponent, the Bucks, are surrendering a ridiculous 46.8% to their opponents over the last 10 games (apparently they've forgotten how to close out). The only downer is that their third game is against the Magic, who sport the league's toughest 3PT defense at 33.3%. All in all, the competition should benefit the 3PT totals of Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono and Jamario Moon -- whether you should deploy Parker, Kapono or Moon depends of course on the size and format of your league.

Nuggets (mem, no, CHA)

The Nuggets have three healthy players with consistent value -- Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin and Nene. Then there is the B-team, led by J.R. Smith, Linas Kleiza and Chris Andersen. If you own Smith or Kleiza, I recommend using them this week -- the Hornets and Bobcats are tough defensively, but Carmelo Anthony's return is right around the corner. Melo is shooting without pain and is on pace to return on Friday, January 30th. It's the last game of the week, but at least we'll be able to use him with confidence in Week 15.

Grizzlies (DEN, okc, LAL)

The firing of coach Marc Iavaroni can only be welcome news to fantasy owners not named Marc Iavaroni, Jr. Will new coach Lionel Hollins play Marc Gasol more than 30 minutes per game...even after Darko Milicic (knuckle) returns? Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick and Kyle Lowry have all played for Hollins before, under ex-coach Hubie Brown, and could see their value rise if the Grizzlies successfully loosen the reins offensively. Point guard Mike Conley actually stands to gain the most -- recently promoted to the starting lineup, he has responded with a few nice games and should thrive now that Iavaroni isn't calling the plays every trip up the court. If he's still available in your league, get him while you can. Sadly, despite all the optimism of a new coaching regime, Gay and O.J. Mayo are the only sure things next week.

Celtics (SAC, det, MIN)

The Celtics are doing their best to make fans forget about their recent win/loss slump -- in the past five games their suffocating defense has allowed an average of 84.2 points per game, fueling their ridiculous +/- margin of +18.8. The huge margins of victory haven't had much effect on Paul Pierce's playing time, but Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett played sub-30 minutes three times in the past five games. On a curious side note...do you need proof that the Celtics love to talk --or berate-- the opposition and the referees? They have a league-leading 64 technical fouls this season, almost 30 more than ninth-place Detroit (36). The Spurs (14) have the fewest of any team.

Four games

Hornets (PHI, DEN, GS, sa)

The Hornets have a tough schedule this week, but the three homes are helpful -- they average a few more points on slightly better shooting at home, consistent with the league average. Golden State yields a league-high 112.1 points per game to their opponents and Denver has given up 105.2 over the past 10 games. The road game versus San Antonio is obviously the toughest challenge, especially since Tyson Chandler isn't expected to be available until around the All-Star break. David West and Hilton Armstrong are both questionable for Monday's game, but I can't recommend Melvin Ely or Sean Marks in good faith. The fact that Chris Paul leads the NBA in assists is even more amazing when you consider that New Orleands is second-to-last in possessions per game (89.6).

Bucks (MIN, ind, tor, ATL)

All four of the Bucks opponents this week rank in the bottom half of the NBA in 3PT defense, so expect Michael Redd and Charlie Villanueva to jack up plenty of three-pointers. Andrew Bogut won't play on Saturday and is questionable beyond that -- personally I'd avoid him, considering he has already aggravated the injury and is committed to playing fewer minutes than he was prior to getting hurt.

Thunder (NJ, MEM, utah, sac)

Speaking of three-pointers...the Kings and Nets are #29 and #30 in three-point defense, and Indiana (#21) and Toronto (#19) aren't much better. Kevin Durant and Jeff Green should have a field day against this slate full of watered-down defenses, and Russell Westbrook should also see a boost in scoring and assists. Extra steals might be available, too, since the Jazz and Pacers are both in the top-three in turnovers per game.

Kings (cle, bos, CHI, OKC)

Beno Udrih cracked the 20-point barrier for the second time all season last Wednesday, but don't expect the good vibes to last long -- the Kings, like the Pistons, are cursed with back-to-back games against the league's two toughest defenses. Kevin Martin and John Salmons are safe and Brad Miller and Francisco Garcia are worth a shot in a four-game week. Rookie forward Jason Thompson is also worth a look -- he has been somewhat inconsistent, but is still averaging 11.5 points on 53% shooting with 7.2 rebounds in his 17 starts.

Pacers (orl, MIL, MIA, NY)

The Pacers mercifully conlude their week with three games at home, where they average 6.4 more points per game. Part of that disparity is due to free throws -- they attempt 26.3 per game at home, but just 21.3 on the road. Do home teams get more beneficial calls from the refs? It sure looks that way -- team averages for free throws attempted at home range from 34.1 (Nuggets) to 20.5 (Spurs). On the road, those averages dwindle to a high of 28.2 (Suns) and a low of 19.0 (Knicks). Indiana also closes with a favorable matchup against the Knicks, who give up 41 field goals and 47.5 rebounds per game to their opponents -- both of those numbers are second-highest in the NBA, behind only the Warriors.

Clippers (POR, CHI, cle, was)

'Decimated' is an understatement -- the most vivid illustration of the Clippers injury woes is that they're relying on Ricky Davis as their point guard. Hah! The joke could be on me considering he had 11 assists in their last game, but I'm going nowhere near Ricky this week, even in four games. DeAndre Jordan came down to earth on Friday, and with Marcus Camby on the verge of returning it's hard to like Jordan too much this week. Mardy Collins (strained calf) is day-to-day...if he were to miss a few more games, Fred Jones might emerge as a decent short-term option. Check Rotoworld's player news on Sunday for the latest injury updates. I didn't even have to mention Eric Gordon or Al Thornton...with four games on the slate, you know what to do.


That's it for this week. I leave you with a link to the compiled statistics of NBA referees in 200-2009 . If it sounds weird...that's because it is. I give my compliments to NBAstuffer.com nonetheless-- unfortunately referee assignments aren't announced until 9am on game days, so the information can't be used in my weekly projections. Oh well.

[Hache Man]

Take off your coat and stay?
Touch Me, I'm Sick

Al Horford – knee – Targeting Feb. 4 return.
Acie Law – flu – You must be in a deep league if you care.
Tony Allen – ankle – Must be a nasty injury. Forget him for now.
D.J. Augustin – abdomen – Getting close, but not there yet.
Sean May – conditioning – Only 7 pounds from 160. Good luck.
Drew Gooden – groin – Could be awhile, bench him for now. Noah will play.
Delonte West – wrist – Not close yet.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas – ankle – Shocked at number of emails about him. Not yet.
Shawne Williams – personal – Left Mavs for personal reasons, did you notice?
Carmelo Anthony – hand – Still targeting Friday, Jan. 30.
Jamal Crawford – hamstring – Sat on Sunday, says he's playing Weds.
Marco Belinelli – ankle – Still iffy for the week.
Brandan Wright – Out until the All-Star break.
Yao Ming – knee – All indications are he'll play Monday. We'll see.
Ron Artest – ankle – Fantastic on Sunday, but could be a sucker bet.
Tracy McGrady – knee – Solid Sunday, but glass jaw always a concern.
Luther Head – knee – With T-Mac and Artest back, useless.
Roy Hibbert – concussion – Day-to-day and no value right now.
Mardy Collins – calf – Day-to-day, but risky play.
Brian Skinner – flu – Missed two straight w/ flu…yeah, killed me, too.
Baron Davis – tailbone – Wednesday return? Risky, but playable if you must.
Zach Randolph – knee – Running, but no target date set yet.
Chris Kaman – foot – Remember him? May be back after break.
Jordan Farmar – knee surgery – Back way early – Grab in deep leagues.
Darko Milicic – hand – Should be real close – get ready to grab him.
Shawn Marion – groin – Iffy to plays four games this week. Weigh options.
Dorell Wright – knee surgery – Forget about him for now.
Michael Redd – knee surgery – Hello, Sessions and Bell.
Andrew Bogut – back – Hopeful for Monday, but risky.
Mike Miller – left arm – Was in pain Sunday, but might be ready to bust out.
Al Jefferson – ankle – Tweaked ankle Sunday, but played through it.
Devin Harris – ribs – Playing through injuries, so play him.
Trenton Hassell – calf – Shouldn't matter in most leagues. Day-to-day.
Yi Jianlian – finger – Still out a few more weeks, too early to grab him.
Stromile Swift – personal – Should only be watched in 30-team leagues.
David West – back – Backs are tricky, but should during the week.
Tyson Chandler – ankle – Don't use him until after the All-Star break.
Hilton Armstrong – ankle – Should play this week and could produce. Risky.
Jerome James – Achilles – Done for year, not that it ever started.
Eddy Curry – knee – Season might be over due to personal problems.
Stephon Marbury – buyout – Dude, he's got a deal lined up – whatever.
Joe Smith – knee – Day-to-day with knee, no fantasy value.
Robert Swift – flu – The flu is the least of his problems.
Mickael Pietrus – wrist – Cast removed, but no timetable on return.
Elton Brand – shoulder – He's back for 4-game week. Are you ready?
Reggie Evans – flu – Rebounds and that's all.
Steve Blake – shoulder – Getting closer, but not this week.
Martell Webster – foot – Forgotten man in Portland.
Donte' Greene – personal – On baby duty, but no value any way.
Shelden Williams – wrist – His girlfriend is better than he is.
Kris Humphries – leg – Out for a long time.
Jermaine O'Neal – knee – Playing…sort of. I would not use him.
Andrei Kirilenko – ankle – They're now talking surgery. Bench for now.
Carlos Boozer – knee surgery – Sometime after the break? Maybe?
Etan Thomas – knee surgery – Done for the year.
Brendan Haywood – wrist surgery – Done for the year?
Gilbert Arenas – knee surgery – Done for the year?

Random Notes Off the Top of My Head

Here are some story lines related to fantasy hoops that I'm just going to free style off the top of my head with some help from the latest updates available. Sorry for the random order, but that's how I'm rolling this morning.

It sounds like Andrei Kirilenko is thinking about having surgery on his ankle sooner than later. It's been long known that he needs to have a procedure done, but he was trying to hold off until after the season. It's too late to trade him with a good conscience (or at least it should be) so owners are going to have to suck it up and prepare to be punched in the gut if he goes under the knife. I'm guessing we'll know something today or tomorrow.

Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest returned for the Rockets yesterday and both played pretty well. The most shocking thing to me about Houston though is the tear that Rafer Alston has been on, averaging 13 points, 6.5 dimes, 1.2 steals and 1.5 threes in January. Yao Ming was out last night but all indications are that he will play tonight. I'm not sure why everyone is treating Monday's game in New York as a definite start for Yao, but that seems to be the thinking. He sat out Sunday because team doctors didn't think his knee could handle playing in the game and then flying to New York without significant swelling. So the plan is for him to go against David Lee and Jared Jeffries (and possibly Al Harrington) tonight and then see how he feels. Yao could be a little shaky for back-to-backs, but the Rockets only have one between now and March (Feb. 3 and 4). Houston's "Big 3" should all be ready to go tonight, but you have to wonder how T-Mac and Artest are feeling this morning.

Sorry about the lack of Marcus Camby (ankle) updates on Sunday, but there just wasn't anything there. He missed last night's game, which isn't really a surprise since he was trying to come back a week earlier than anyone thought he would in the first place. I'm still not even sure why everyone got so fired up after he had one strong practice, but the reports that he was good to go were clearly wishful thinking, and not reality. Now owners are left with a tough decision on Camby, who has four games on the schedule this week. DeAndre Jordan racked up 20 rebounds last night and is one of the more intriguing free agents to come along in a while. I like the kid and would love to pick him up, but I get the sense that the second you get him in the lineup, he'll post one of those three-point, two-rebound, zero-block lines. And with Camby so close to coming back, it just doesn't seem possible that Jordan will keep producing. But in leagues with 14-20 teams, I would hang onto him until we see how this all plays out. I've got Camby in a couple weekly lineups as of now, but I am a little nervous. After all, what does he really even have to play for if he's hurt? His return should mean the Clippers have a chance to win any game they play in, but at 10-32, why does it even matter? Clipsnation.com says Camby is unlikely to play tonight against the Blazers, for what it's worth.

As for Baron Davis and Zach Randolph? Baron says he should be back on Wednesday, but he seems to be about as motivated to play for these Clippers as my son is when we ask him to empty the dishwasher. I would not use Baron until you see him play in a game (if you can help it). Randolph's return is a little more unclear. He's doing some running, but that's about all we know. Hopefully our buddy Lisa Dillman of the L.A. Times will clear up all these questions for us later today.

That Celtics-Mavs game was a joke and Rick Carlisle can't be feeling too good right now. Even if the Mavericks get hot, I can't imagine them being able to hang with the league's better teams. They keep saying they're not trading Dirk (4-of-17 shooting yesterday), but something has to give in Big D. The Jason Kidd for Devin Harris trade looks incredibly bad right now and Dirk doesn't seem to have the mental toughness to win a championship. I could have hit five treys against Dallas yesterday.

Josh Smith appears to be back. He's a double-double machine and I bet he keeps it going when Al Horford returns on Feb. 4 (target date). Smith's dunk over Steve Nash last night was just sick. I don't know what Nash was even thinking, nor could I figure out why Dominique Wilkins only gave it a 9.5 on his Dunk-o-meter. We eventually convinced 'Nique to change his score to a 10 after Smith threw another monster down in traffic. The Hawks lost a tough game to the Suns, folding up shop down the stretch, but most of the guys had solid fantasy lines.

Jamal Crawford sat out again last night, allowing Anthony Morrow to get another start. Morrow is great when he gets minutes, but no one knows when that is going to happen. The GSW are off until Wednesday and Crawf says he'll play in that game, so he should be all right to play this week. Hopefully you didn't have a combo of owning Stephen Jackson and being in a tight field goal percentage race last night. Jackson missed his first eight or so shots and finished up hitting just 3-of-14 from the floor in the win. Of course, he still salvaged a decent line, but a shooting night like that in the last game on Sunday can break the spirit of a fantasy owner.

Vinny Del Negro has hinted at a lineup change for the Bulls, but I'm not sure he has the guts to do it. Is it just me, or do you think he might be scared to death that one of his players might beat him up in the parking lot if he keeps screwing with them?

Speaking of getting beaten up in parking lots, Amare Stoudemire played well in the second half yesterday to beat the Hawks, but he looked terrible in the first half. He is simply not feeling it right now and I wonder how he really feels about coach Terry Porter. As long as Porter is running the show in Phoenix I have little faith that Amare will get this thing turned around. Shaquille O'Neal has played in two sets of back-to-backs and it sounds like Porter's done allowing him to take a day off whenever he feels like it. Shaq was running the floor really well yesterday and looks as good as he has in years. He's also flirting with a career-best free throw percentage, reverting back to the form he showed off in high school. First of all, he probably weighs 150 more pounds now then he did then, so I'm not sure why it's effective for him. And secondly, as Bob Rathbun asked on last night's telecast, why in the world did he wait 17 years to go back to shooting them that way? Peace out.

In case you didn't read Waiver Wired or see any hoops news yesterday, Michael Redd is out for the year with a torn ACL and MCL, meaning Ramon Sessions should be picked up in all leagues. Andrew Bogut is still iffy with his back injury and I'm not sure how I feel about starting him in weekly leagues. He should return this week, but he's a pretty risky play with that bad back.

In addition, new Memphis coach Lionel Hollins plans on using Mike Conley as the engine of the Grizzlies' new run-and-gun offense, so he should also be grabbed in all leagues.

Francisco Garcia is hot again. I didn't really even notice that he was, but he has been scoring for eight straight games and is averaging 18.5 over his last two. He's averaging 13 points in January, but the rest of the numbers aren't all that great. He'll get you a three and a steal per, but less than three boards and two assists is a little painful. I am not sad that I don't own him anywhere, but will give him a look if he's sitting out there and I have a useless player at the end of my bench. Matt Barnes, anyone?

Stephon Marbury says he has a verbal agreement to join the Celtics just as soon as the Knicks buy him out. A. We still don't know if the Knicks are ever going to do so, and I'm still not sure why they even would. B. Remember when you got excited and picked Sam Cassell up last year when he signed with the Celtics? Actually, you don't because you've blocked it from memory, but Rajon Rondo is the point guard in Boston. And just because Marbury says he has a verbal agreement with Danny Ainge doesn't mean that Ainge will sign him. I kind of wish Steph would just take his wife, move to Italy and play over there starting tomorrow.

Al Harrington looks like he's about ready to replace Wilson Chandler in the starting lineup, which makes complete sense. I don't claim to be a very smart person, but why Mike D'Antoni thought bringing Al off the bench was ever a good idea is beyond me. He has a fragile ego and is clearly a starter in the NBA. Once the artist formerly known as Baby Al started coming off the bench his numbers dipped and he forgot how to shoot it. Starting the inexperienced Chandler wasn't really working for him, either. Hopefully Harrington gets the starting gig and starts beasting on people again, and Chandler regains his confidence moving out of the spotlight. There's no doubt that Chandler is a future stud for the Knicks, but there is no reason to force it to happen right now.

Did you buy low on Kevin Durant in November? If you did, nice work. He's one of the most fun players to own in the league I imagine, but I wouldn't know. Instead, I have Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion in a few lineups. Sigh. If you can trade Danny Granger for him in a keeper league, do it.

I might play Sean Marks in my 30-team league this week, but then again, I may not. It depends on if I feel like rolling the dice on Shawn Marion, who is iffy again after receiving treatment on his groin injury. If you would have told me that I'd be trying to decide between Matrix and Marks in October…Well, let's just say I would not have believed you. I think I'm going to roll Marion out there, but I'm in fourth place with the top six in my division making the playoffs, and I don't want to blow it. And in case you don't know the deal with Marks, Tyson Chandler (ankle) is out until the break, David West is dealing with a bad back and Hilton Armstrong has a bum ankle. Marks has been starting, but will be almost useless when West returns. West is out tonight, but is listed as day-to-day.

Al Jefferson torched the Bulls for 39 points last night, while my main man Kevin Love went off for a career-high 15 boards to go along with 19 points last night. My League Freak game came down to Love vs. Gordon last night and I held on for a 6-2 win. Our head-to-head match up was within one or two in nearly every category, but Love pushed me over the edge. My sanity was questioned for starting Love over Rudy Gay (who had a solid 3-game week), but it was the right decision in the end. Any time you have a big man playing against the Bulls, I'd suggest running him out there. Mike Miller hurt his left arm late and will probably be day-to-day again. Jefferson also tweaked an ankle, but played through it. Just keep an eye on him, but I expect him to play this week.

Eddy Curry did not attend the Knicks shootaround on Monday and is unlikely to join the team for tonight's meeting against the Rockets. Curry might be headed to Chicago after the tragic murder of his ex-girlfriend, and it's unknown when he will resume basketball activities. For what it's worth, I really question if he'll play again this season and I'm not alone. And while it's great news that his son was spared in a vicious double murder in Chicago, it is odd. Curry has had some serious misfortune over the last few years. A potential career-ending heart scare, a controversial trade to the Knicks, a home burglary in which he was bound and gagged, and his former assistant accusing him of racism and sexual misconduct all led up to the murder of his ex-girlfriend and her young daughter. The mother, Nova, has claimed that the daughter was Curry's, but he has denied it. The only thing we can do is wish the sensitive big man well.

[Hache Man]

La La Land of the Lost
The Clippers and their pathetic injury situation take up a good deal of my time on a daily basis and I noticed last night that of the 10 "most searched" players on the front page of Rotoworld, five of them were Clippers. This morning it's down to four, as Baron Davis somehow fell off the list, but there's no doubt the Clippers are causing more fantasy headaches than any other team.

There was plenty of Clippers news that broke late last night but I don't think any of it was good. Marcus Camby now doesn't sound too likely for Wednesday and will return at some point on their upcoming seven-game road trip. As you can imagine, that could mean he's out for 7-10 more days, although I am still holding out hope that he plays on Friday at Cleveland. DeAndre Jordan continues to start in his absence and will probably post one eye-opening stat line every three games he starts. And last night was not one of those.

Baron Davis is now dealing with chest congestion to go along with his tweaked hammy and bruised tailbone. He is slated to play on Wednesday or Friday, but obviously comes with no guarantees.

Zach Randolph is reportedly still alive and with the team, but outside of a "running on the court" sighting a week or so ago, I haven't heard a word about Z-Bo. You have to think he'll return to action at some point in the near future, but I have no idea when.

Chris Kaman – aw, forget it…He's out until after the All-Star break and I'm scared to even guess what kind of shape he'll be in when he returns. I think his downfall started at the Olympics when he played alongside Dirk Nowitzki for Germany. He looked absolutely terrible in Beijing and caught some flak for using the "Grandparent clause" to play with Dirk. I would guess his Olympic experience is unrelated to his foot problem, but you never know.

Mardy Collins is now likely to be out for a couple weeks with a calf injury and Fred Jones posted a great line last night. Jones might be a trap-pick though, as he'll take a big hit when Baron Davis comes back.

While I could also spend another few paragraphs talking about Eric Gordon's disappointing line or Steve Novak's prowess from beyond the arc (five more treys last night and 24 in his last seven games), I just can't do it. I am all Clippered out. Oh, and props to Ricky Davis for backing up his 11-assist game with absolutely nothing last night.

If you missed my Schedule Breakdown column with the Snapdraft plug I posted around 4 a.m., check it out here.

Fantasy Headlines

CP34MVP

How sick was that line from Chris Paul last night? Dude put up stats in every single category for his fifth triple-double of the season, shot over 50 percent from the floor, hit all 12 of his free throws, committed just four turnovers while handing out 15 dimes, and rocked the boards and the scoring. I haven't done the research and I know there have been some big lines out there by guys like LeBron and Danny Granger this year, but when you throw in the SEVEN steals for CP3 last night, it has my early nod for 'line of the year.'

Glorified G

I tend to fill my columns and headlines up with music-oriented crap, but nothing brings the email from fans like a relatively obscure nod to Pearl Jam. OK, maybe relatively obscure is not the right term for anything related to one of the biggest bands on the planet, but I digress. Andrei Kirilenko's MRI on his foot/ankle showed nothing new and the Jazz are still trying to figure out if he is going to have surgery now or later. They're going to let the world know the decision in the next 48 hours, but based on the amount of pain he's in and the fact he can't play on it right now, I'm going to guess we end up with the "surgery now" option – not to be confused with the Costanza catch phrase, "serenity now". If it happens, he should miss about a month of action.

Off He Goes

Ramon Sessions scored 18 points last night and had a very solid line in a start at shooting guard. This was far from unexpected, but I'm amazed that I still get emails asking if he should be picked up. An email I'd rather enjoy would go something like this:

Hey man, I have several six-player trades I'd like to ask you about. I'm also interested in a job with Rotoworld, would like to get your thoughts on whether you think I should drop Tyronn Lue for Mike Conley, and to know what stats you think Yao Ming will post in the month of March and why. But instead, all I need from you right now is for you to tell me why in the hell Ramon Sessions is still sitting on my waiver wire?

Thanks,

Harold in Maine

Rearview Mirror

Andray Blatche left last night's game after getting run over by a 350-pound Mack truck named Shaquille and injured his left knee. It sounds hyper-extended to me, but then again…wait for it…I'm not a real doctor. X-rays were negative but he was in some serious pain and could possibly miss the rest of the week with the injury. I picked him up and played him in League Freak this week, so I'm pretty nervous. We only start six guys in that league and I was way out matched in threes and scoring this week. So I started two point guards and four giants in hopes of taking rebounds, field goal percentage and blocks, and then rely on Luke Ridnour and CP3 to win assists and steals for me. So far, so good, but losing Blatche for the last three games of the week would really hurt my chances. If you're in a deep league or are a permanent Blatche owner, look into picking up JaVale McGee until we learn the extent of Blatche's injury.

In Hiding

Yao Ming (knee) was a no-show last night after the Houston media nearly guaranteed that he would play. I wrote yesterday that "I'm not sure why everyone is treating Monday's game in New York as a definite start for Yao, but that seems to be the thinking," and it turns out I was right. Now Yao is saying that he's good to go for Wednesday, but I'm not biting until I see him on the court. However, I will not officially start worrying about Yao unless he misses that one too.

Shawn Marion (groin) failed to suit up last night and is basically just taking it one day at a time. As frustrating as it has been to own Marion when he's actually playing and not getting it done, it's even worse now that he's been shut down. The Heat have three more games this week and I would settle for him playing in two of them. Hopefully he's where he belongs and on your bench, but I didn't have much of a choice other than rolling the dice on him in my 30-team league this week. It was him or Matt Barnes.

Andrew Bogut was also out again with his back injury and hopes to play sometime this week. Really, Michael Vick? I should hope so, as he's only missed seven straight games and 11 of the last 14 with the injury. They're being especially cautious with Bogut because he said recently that he came back too soon the last time. The good news is that the more time he spends on his couch pounding oil cans of Fosters, the more run Charlie Villanueva is going to get. I don't know who it was, but thanks again to whichever one of you emailed me the Bogut "out on Monday" link yesterday.

Steve Blake returned for about 10 minutes last night before jacking up his shoulder again in a collision with the Clippers' Brian Skinner. I don't think the injury is serious, as he was reportedly cleared to re-enter the game, but should be considered day-to-day.

Come Back

Zydrunas Ilgauskas sounds determined to play on Thursday, just in time to crush the spirit of those of you who were counting on four solids from Anderson Varejao this week. I'm included in that group, although it could take Z the entire week to get back in the groove.

Given To Fly

John Salmons is the center of a pretty serious trade rumor right now, supposedly heading to Portland for a first-round pick, Raef LaFrentz and a box of donuts. It's not a done deal and may or may not happen, but that would be a pretty tough move for Salmons, although my guess is he would start over Nicolas Batum. There just aren't enough balls to go around as is in Portland and Salmons would just be another offensive weapon looking for the rock. Then again, he could also shift his entire focus to defense and kill his fantasy value in the process. I wouldn't pull a panic deal to get rid of Salmons, but if you can make a trade that will get you a solid player in return, it might be worth thinking about.

Brad Miller is still in the center of trade rumors as well, although there's nothing concrete out there on him. I keep holding onto Spencer Hawes, regardless of what a painful endeavor that has become, in hopes of Miller getting moved. I still think it will happen.

Go

We've written about all we can write about Mike Conley, but if you picked him up, or are thinking about it, you'll enjoy readingthis.

Final Monday Game Notes

Shaquille O'Neal was huge again last night, going for 29-8-3 on 10-of-14 shooting and hit 9-of-10 free throws. Wow. Steve Nash was also solid with 14 & 15, while Amare Stoudemire finally broke out in January with 22-15-3. And Matt Barnes and Mike James were so collectively bad in this game (despite getting minutes) that they were probably run out of fantasyland at the same time last night. They combined for 0-of-9 shooting and absolutely nothing else. Ok, James had four dimes, but who cares?

Ron Artest was just 4-of-19 and 1-of-10 from downtown last night. Shooters usually keep shooting when their shot's not falling, but Ron-Ron really isn't a shooter, is he? And why in the world is he shooting 10 threes for the Rockets? Someone needs to put a leash on the guy. Rafer Alston finally fell back to earth last night, ending his hot streak.

Al Harrington started at forward for the Knicks last night, but didn't play well. As long as he keeps starting, he'll get it going again. Nate Robinson played well and Wilson Chandler scored 18 in his new role off the bench. Looks like he might actually be worth hanging onto. I have cut Danilo Gallinari because I think he's going to be in and out of the lineup for awhile and there were just better players on my wire.

The Hawks scored a team-record of just 27 points in the first half last night and failed to score during a 13-minute stretch. Joe Johnson was decent last night, but is not playing nearly as well as he was earlier. And no, I don't know what his problem is. Dwyane Wade went off on the Hawks and Jamaal Magloire started at center. Keep an eye on him.

Devin Harris and Vince Carter were terrible for the Nets. Vince came in playing pretty well, but Harris hasn't looked right in a couple weeks. I hope his rib injury doesn't shut him down again soon.

Nick Collison played well in another start at center and should continue to get better as his thumb heals. I picked up Nenad Krstic, who was decent last night, but am now kind of wishing I had Collison instead.

Elton Brand failed to score in 18 minutes and had just three rebounds. I still doubt he's going to finish the season in one piece. Thaddeus Young scored 22 points in 41 minutes and will continue to be worth playing as long as Brand is struggling to get back to form.

Mike Miller was awful again, hitting just 1-of-2 shots but did have 10 boards. I am fine with cutting him for Sessions or Mike Conley, if they're still out there. Ryan Gomes caught fire, while Rodney Carney really struggled in the win.

Greg Oden was 7-for-7 for 16 points, six boards, two steals and a block and is on a bit of a hot streak. He is going to be inconsistent the rest of the way, but should continue to get better. Next season is looking pretty good for him if he can stay healthy.

[Hache Man]

Crash Test, Dummy

So I'm working on some non game-related writing last night and catch a headline on another website (that shall remain nameless) reading "Artest out until break." My initial reaction was something along the lines of "That sucks…glad I don't own him," and I didn't think too much of it. But then I checked Rotoworld and didn't see such a headline blasted across the top of our home page so I asked Ryan Knaus to look into it, as I dug into the story a little further as well.

Basically, Artest was quoted right after his 4-of-19 (1-of-10 from downtown) shooting night Monday and was saying stuff like "shutting me down is something the trainers will think about" and what not, but nowhere did I see anyone other than Artest talking about this. Nor did I see anywhere a mention of him definitely being shut down, which is what the headline suggested. Throw in the facts that it was clearly stated that he didn't aggravate any injuries during the game and the Rockets hadn't said a word about shutting him down, and something wasn't adding up. And then after about two minutes of research, Ryan comes up with this quote from Artest's agent: "There hasn't been any conversation about shutting it down. I think he was venting a little bit." Ya think? Wouldn't you start throwing out excuses if you went 4-of-19 and didn't have the good sense to stop shooting until you ended up 1-of-10 from beyond the arc and probably cost your team a win against the Knicks?

I'm not going to sit here and tell you that Rotoworld is perfect, because we're not. What I am going to tell you is to be careful about reading a random headline and then doing something drastic like cutting an Artest. Truthfully, that headline should have read something more like "Frustrated Artest hints at sitting again" which sends a much different message than "out until break." Hell, maybe the Rockets will announce today that he really is going to be shut down until the All-Star break, but I seriously doubt it. And one of the nice things about Rotoworld is the source for the story is usually attached to the blurb.

I got an email this morning from a guy wanting to know if Andray Blatche was really out 2-4 weeks because yet another website said he might practice on Tuesday and was day-to-day. I simply clicked on the link at the bottom of Blatche's blurb and saw the following headline from the Washington Post: "Blatche to Miss Two to Four Weeks" and then the story said the exact same thing and gave details. And a headline from the Washington Post is going to carry a lot more weight with me than a headline from the typical fantasy website.

Anyway, had I read that headline, cut Artest and then seen our news blurb saying that Artest was simply venting and that no decisions had been made, I'd be pretty unhappy right now. Then again, there might be something to be said for getting Artest off your team by any means necessary, but this was a little extreme.



Snapdraft
In addition to filling out a bunch of random squares with a single-digit number, why not add Snapdraft to your Super Bowl plans?

Crash and Burn

Gerald Wallace finally came crashing down last night, thanks to an Andrew Bynum elbow, and the initial reports are not good. Any time you see Wallace go down, you have to expect the worst. Then you see words like hospital, broken ribs and collapsed lung, and you have to assume the worst. Wallace had missed just four games up to this point, but it sounds like more are coming. I avoided GW this year for this exact reason, and it's really pretty sad because he was playing so well. If he's going to be out for an extended time period, this is just more good news for Boris Diaw and Raja Bell, while Shannon Brown will also get some run off the bench. D.J. Augustin is set to return from his injury as well, and should have more minutes available than normal if Wallace is out. And speaking of Diaw, he went off again last night with 23 points, nine boards and nine assists. Expect a lot more of the news for Wallace is as bad as it sounds.

Golden Child

Speaking of Bynum, hopefully you showed patience with him this season, as he is rocking it right now. He blocked a season-high six shots last night to go along with 24 points and 14 rebounds, and has scored in double figures in 11 straight games, including a career-high 42 on Jan. 21. In addition, he's averaging 26 points, 13 rebounds and 3.5 blocks over his last four. Sell high if you want, but this is the Bynum I've been waiting on all season, so I'm just going to ride it out. That may not be the correct course of action, but I don't care.

I just watched some replays of the shot he put on Wallace last night, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. But the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell is none too pleased.

"After 21 years of covering the NBA, I think I know the difference between rugged and dirty. What Andrew Bynum did to Gerald Wallace Tuesday was dirty," Bonnell writes. "There were many things Bynum could have done to avert Wallace dunking. Most of them would not have involved Wallace going to the hospital. Hopefully, this was about youthful indiscretion, not malicious intent. Because as talented as Bynum is, I'd hate to think his destiny is to end up a hockey goon."

Pretty strong remarks from Bonnell. And while I agree there were some other things Bynum could have done to stop him, I seriously doubt his intent was to crack ribs, collapse lungs or even hurt Wallace. Bynum had a fraction of a second to make a decision and he raised his arm to keep Wallace from crashing into him. My guess is the league will review the play and no penalty will be given. If you want to see it and decide for yourself, here's the link.

[Hache Man]

Granger?...Wallace?...Bueller?
There were many standout performances, and in turn, there were a number of ugly outings during Wednesday night's slate of 12 games. But in many ways, the biggest news of the night didn't pertain to on-court statistical performance so much as it related to who was playing and who wasn't. With that in mind, there's only one proper way to start this particular edition of the Dose: an old fashioned roll call.

Danny Granger: ABSENT
The top-five fantasy talent missed Wednesday due to a right knee injury, and the Indianapolis Star reported early Thursday that the knee has been bothering Granger for the past six or seven games, and was even giving him trouble over the summer. If that's not enough to make you concerned, it's still uncertain whether he'll be able to play on Friday.

The way I see it, there are three ways to go here: 1) If you have Granger on your team, you wait it out, hope that a game or two off gets the problem under control and he's ready to go; 2) Fearing that it's serious, you trade Granger away and get the best return you can (at this point I still wouldn't deal him for anything less than a top-10 type of talent); 3) If you don't own Granger, you take a gamble and try to get him at a discount.

If it were me (and I do have Granger on one team), I'd stand pat. We don't know exactly what the nature of this injury is, but he's gotten through it before and can hopefully do so again. But if you're panicked and feel like you have to trade him now, don't shave too much off the price tag or you may regret it.

Gerald Wallace: ABSENT
In case you missed it, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer wrote on Wednesday night that Wallace (broken rib, collapsed lung) will be hospitalized until at least late Thursday, and will miss "a week or more of games" after his release.

It's easy to be optimistic when you look at the "a week" portion of that statement, but I have a feeling we'll soon find out exactly what "or more" means, and the definition of the phrase will not be to our liking. At this point, I definitely wouldn't be surprised to learn that he'll be out three weeks to a month, or longer. Keep in mind that's only my instinct, and the prognosis could prove to be better than that, but I don't have a great feeling here. In the meantime, hang onto Wallace and hope the news will be better than what I'm expecting.

Drew Gooden: ABSENT
We already knew Gooden wouldn't play Wednesday, but then he dropped the news that he has not only a groin pull, but an abdominal strain, a combo he referred to as a "double whammy" (no whammies, no whammies, no whammies, no whammies… double whammy). He's expected to be out another week, which means more fun for Joakim Noah (10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks Wednesday night).

Baron Davis: PRESENT
The Clippers PG returned from a 13-game absence and picked up where he left off with his Field Goal Annihilation initiative, going 1-for-10 (three points, four assists) to drop his season percentage to a dismal 35.5. The rest of his game should soon round into form, but the dreadful marksmanship will most likely continue unabated.

Marcus Camby: PRESENT
He returned after a five-game sprained ankle-induced absence, and though the line wasn't exceedingly Camby-esque (six points, six rebounds, no blocks in 22 minutes), it should be safe to get him back in your lineup.

Jamal Crawford: PRESENT
Returned from his hamstring injury and had just three points and one assist in 23 minutes, but several Warriors (Andris Biedrins and Monta Ellis included) had bad games as they got blown out by Dallas. Crawford should be fine going forward.

Yao Ming: PRESENT
He's back from his knee injury and had 13 points and nine rebounds Wednesday. Now just hope he stays healthy, or alternatively, wait until he heats back up and then deal him before one of his feet explodes.

Ron Artest: PRESENT (sort of)
Yes, Artest showed up for class, but he spent most of the time making pencil carvings in his desk and lobbing spit balls at classmates. Artest had just nine points on 3-of-10 shooting with two threes and two steals in 23 minutes off the bench. Hopefully it'll get better soon so you can look to deal him before it gets worse.

For exclusive stat projections, top 250 rankings and more, check out Rotoworld's Season Pass.

Now, onto the rest of the action from Wednesday:

Outstanding

Kevin Durant: If you haven't yet acknowledged that he's a top-10 fantasy player, now would be an appropriate time to do so (35 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four blocks on 14-of-23 shooting).

T.J. Ford: He'll produce if healthy, but you may want to act before the next malady strikes (34 points, three assists, two steals on 14-of-21 shooting).

Charlie Villanueva: He's now averaging 23.8 ppg in his last six after a 28-point, eight-rebound, four-assist night. He should maintain some value all year, but is also inordinately hot right now, so feel free to attempt selling high.

Josh Smith: The 2-for-10 free throw shooting is forgivable considering everything else (26 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, two blocks).

Marvin Williams: Now averaging 20.7 ppg in his last three after a season-high 28 points (along with seven rebounds, three treys, a steal and a block).

Rudy Gay: Yes, it was against OKC, but 25 points, eight rebounds, three treys, two steals and a block is precisely the type of line owners have been looking for.

Tracy McGrady: 24 points, five rebounds, six assists, three treys, two steals and a block. Quite simply, not shopping him right now is a huge mistake.



High Marks

Elton Brand: 14 points, seven rebounds and six blocks. Here he comes.

Samuel Dalembert: Still got it done with Brand in the mix (six points, 13 rebounds, three steals, four blocks).

Ramon Sessions: Posted solid stats as the starting SG (16 points, three boards, three assists, a steal and a block), and now it appears he'll get some starts at PG due to Luke Ridnour's concussion.

Nate Robinson: 24 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals two threes in 25 minutes. What slump?

Rasheed Wallace: His best nights are good enough to make the bad ones tolerable. (25 points, 10 rebounds, two threes, five steals and a block.)

Anthony Parker: Surprisingly continues to pile up assists, even with Calderon back (21 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three treys).

Devin Harris: 25 points, 10 assists, three steals inspires much-needed confidence in the wake of his rib injury.

J.R. Smith: On a great run (21.0 ppg in his last five); hopefully Carmelo Anthony's return won't disrupt his flow.

Kenyon Martin: Free throw shooting (2-for-5 Wednesday) has been miserable lately, but K-Mart otherwise looks great (22 points, six rebounds and two blocks on 10-of-12 shooting).

Wilson Chandler: Adjusting nicely to life off the bench (12 points, four rebounds, four assists).

Peja Stojakovic: Hit the 26-point mark for the third time in five games. David West's absence has been very kind to him. Sell high now.

Mike Conley: 15 points, five rebounds and nine assists is obviously a plus, but he's had some isolated good games already this year. Let's see him do it again.

Marc Gasol: Lionel Hollins as head coach may not crush his value after all (15 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block in 44 minutes).

Jason Thompson: An impressive 21 points, 11 rebounds and four assists against the Celtics front line. He doesn't block many shots, but is a solid source of points, rebounds and percentages.

Eddie House: He's obscenely hot (28 points and eight threes in 20 minutes Wednesday gives him 22 threes in his last four games), but it can't last.

Mario Chalmers: He looks good right now (10 points, five boards, six assists, two threes and three steals), just be prepared for an off night soon.

Michael Beasley: No problem with 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks, but inconsistency is still an issue.

Kevin Love: No problem with 17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, but lack of blocks is still an issue.

Jeff Green: Quietly posts another big line (23 points, nine rebounds, four assists, five threes, a steal and a block).

Nenad Krstic: Don't give up yet (nine points, eight rebounds, two blocks).

Luol Deng: All systems go (23 points, nine rebounds, three steals and a block).

Tyrus Thomas: 16 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block (on 5-of-15 shooting). No complaints, but a bad game is probably imminent.

Eric Gordon: Looked good in Baron Davis' first game back (19 points, four rebounds, seven assists, three treys on 6-of-16 shooting).

Greg Oden: Has been productive for five straight games. Now all he has to do is keep it going (14 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, three blocks).

Less Than Satisfactory

Beno Udrih: Not surprisingly got shut down by the Celtics D (four points, three assists), but he's still averaging an unacceptable 6.0 ppg in his last three games.

Kendrick Perkins: Yes the Celtics crushed the Kings, but you'd still like to see him attempt a shot (zero points, four rebounds, two blocks in 24 minutes).

Mike James: Continues to play big minutes, but continues to do nothing with them (five points, three assists in 32 minutes).

JaVale McGee: Not a good sign that Darius Songaila (10 points, three rebounds) played 31 minutes to McGee's 17. More minutes are in his future, but it's unclear when.

Andrea Bargnani: He was due for an off night, but seeing him struggle even for one game is unsettling (eight points, one rebound in 22 minutes).

Mike Bibby/Joe Johnson: Both are struggling, but will emerge from their slumps.

Sebastian Telfair: Had just eight points and three assists in 20 minutes, but was dealing with a bruised thigh from Monday night and got into foul trouble.

Tonight
Two big games on the schedule this evening, with Cleveland in Orlando, where I'll be looking to see how Mo Williams follows up his 43-point near triple-double from Tuesday. And in the late game, San Antonio is in Phoenix, where I know owners are eager to see Jason Richardson establish some consistency. J-Rich is averaging just 12.8 ppg in his last nine and has alternated single-digit and double-digit scoring every single game during that span. San Antonio isn't the best opponent to try to bust loose against, so patience may be required at least one game longer. Regardless, our in-house M.D. (Dr. A) will be here on Friday to let you know exactly how it all transpired.

[Hache Man]

Closer You Are

Surgical Focus

Andrei Kirilenko will have surgery on his foot on Friday, shutting him down for about a month. Normally when a star drops like that, there's someone ready to come in and go off. Like when Carlos Boozer left, Paul Millsap nearly became an All-Star. But the Jazz are going to divvy up AK-47's minutes between Ronnie Brewer, C.J. Miles, Kyle Korver and Matt Harpring. Brewer is a guy that should be owned in most leagues, especially now that Kirilenko is out. But the other three are not guys I'd worry about grabbing unless you in a league with 14 or more owners. The biggest beneficiary to AK's absence is probably Mehmet Okur, who should go on a double-double run now. Hopefully Kirilenko will only miss a month, but I'm guessing it could take him a little longer to return than he is planning on.

Desmond Mason also went down yesterday and will have season-ending knee surgery. Since Mason wasn't on many fantasy rosters, the impacts are minimal. And just like the situation in Utah, the Thunder have multiple options to fill the void of the former starter. I like Earl Watson, who was almost worth owning before Mason went down. Chris Wilcox is also intriguing again, while Nenad Krstic and Damien Wilkins should also see a few more minutes. Krstic has been getting off to hot starts lately, but isn't playing or doing much after half time – and I'm not sure why. Wilkins has gotten very little run under Scott Brooks, so he's the last guy I'm thinking will have value here, but you never know what will happen.

I'd rank them: Watson, Krstic, Wilcox, Wilkins

If you're not ready to pull the trigger on Watson yet, keep a close eye on tonight's game and be ready to jump on the guy that fills the void.

Injury Report

Welcome Back, Mr. Melo

Carmelo Anthony is set to return from his broken hand and will hopefully be good to go tonight. I'm playing him, and am also hopeful that the time off allowed his elbow to heal. Maybe a big second half is coming for Melo.

Built To Spill

Gerald Wallace is probably going to be out for a few weeks. Could be more, could be less, but it's probably too late to do anything with him other than bench him. Poor guy is always getting hurt, and while it really wasn't his fault this time, he was driving hard to the hoop when it happened. His style of play will always keep him flirting with injuries and his have been as serious as any NBA player's. He's had more concussions than some NFL quarterback and has hurt nearly every body part possible. Now he has a cracked rib and collapsed lung, which is hard to believe. The Bobcats still haven't put a timetable on his return, but that may be because Wallace was still in the hospital yesterday and no one knows if or when he'll be back. Boris Diaw will play a lot of small forward, while Adam Morrison got the start on Wednesday. And please don't send me emails asking if you should pick up Morrison (don't pick him up).

Rip This Joint

Rip Hamilton is iffy for tonight's game with a groin injury. There are 11 games tonight so chances are you can fill your roster without including him. In other words, if you have other options, use them.

Standing On The Edge

My impression after reading some stuff at Pacers.com today is that Danny Granger will play tonight. If he doesn't, it's officially time to PANIC and I would seriously think about moving him if you own him. Maybe that's a little drastic, but lingering knee problems and teams that miss the playoffs don't mix. If Granger's knee wasn't jacked up, I would not be advising anyone to think about moving him. He's a warrior and will play through almost any injury. And if he sits tonight (again, I will be very surprised if he's not in the starting lineup), it probably means he's really hurting. Add in the fact that it's bothered him since last summer? I don't mean to cause chaos in the streets here, but that sounds like it could lead to the "s word" at some point in the next two years. But then again, I'm not a real doctor. Granger owners should take a deep breath, put everything I just wrote out of their minds, get ready for a full 11-game slate and confidently refresh the Rotoworld home page just before 7 p.m. tonight so you can confirm that he started against the Heat.

Update on Granger: Shortly after posting this column, the Indy Star reports that Granger said this morning that he will be in the starting lineup tonight. You may kindly step off the ledge now and return to your TPS reports.


Z-Bo Show

Zach Randolph is traveling with the Clippers and hopes to play through a bone bruise in his left knee on Monday. He's going to be out of shape, but it shouldn't take him long to get it going. Won't it be weird to see Z-Bo, Marcus Camby and Baron Davis all play in the same game? Yes, I'm a little worried about what that much offense returning to the lineup will do to Eric Gordon, but I don't care. I love Gordon and am going to roll with him until he stops scoring. But yes, I am prepared for him to take a hit in the near future. But the outlook may not be so bleak when you consider that any of those guys could get hurt again at any time.

Highly Suspicious

Luke Ridnour is supposedly going to play tonight. That's big news for me because I've got him in a couple weekly lineups and am in some tight battles. With a possible broken nose and concussion, I still can't really believe what I read this morning on the Wisconsin Radio Network's website, but it was pretty clearly stated that he is "probable" for tonight and had been medically cleared by team doctors. Having said all that, it would not surprise me too much if he doesn't play tonight, either.

Ice Cold Ice

Monta Ellis was icing his sore knee yesterday but I doubt the injury will cause him to miss any time. Ellis owners should prepare for inconsistency along the way as he works his way back from ankle surgery. Not only is he dealing with that, but you all know by now that there is usually no rhyme or reason to Don Nelson's rotations.

Lonesome, Crowded West

David West says he'll play tonight after missing several games with back spasms, although Byron Scott has not backed him up on that yet. If I had to guess, I'd say West will play. But the key to that sentence is the word 'guess.'

Chris Paul is dealing with some calf soreness, but I doubt it's anything that would cause him to miss a game. If there is a 20 percent chance Paul will play, you have to have him in your lineup every time. And I'm guessing the chances of him going tonight are around 90 percent.

Hope You're Feeling Better

Shawn Marion says he's feeling better. I hope that means he's near 90-95 percent so that he'll finally get on the floor again. He's got a groin injury and while I've got him stuck in one lineup for the week, I would not use him tonight if you can put another player in his place. I will never, ever draft Marion again. And the fact he wanted out of Phoenix so he could be the Man? Whatever.

Trevor Ariza is traveling with the Lakers despite a concussion, but he could miss a few games. Get him on your bench.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas is set to make his return tonight, but expect the Cavs to bring him along slowly from his ankle injury.

Hockey Goons R Us

Andrew Bynum, as I predicted yesterday, will not be suspended for his foul on Gerald Wallace. It was upgraded from a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2, but that's all the further this will go. If Bynum starts putting the hurt on opponents, it could make a huge difference for the Lakers. They've been labeled a soft team for years now, but that could change if Bynum becomes known as an enforcer, or, as Rick Bonnell put it yesterday, a hockey goon. The hockey goon apologized and was remorseful for putting Wallace in the hospital with dangerous injuries. But as the replays showed (in my opinion), it didn't really look like Bynum's intent was to bust apart Wallace's innards.

I'll Stick Around

Darius Miles and Fred Jones have both been (or will be) signed for the rest of the season by the Grizzlies and Clippers, respectively. Congratulations to them both and I'm anxious to see if I'll ever get to use Miles in my 30-team league. In retrospect, I probably should have started him over Marion this week, but I wasn't sure if he was going to be cut loose after his second 10-day contract expired.

Thursday Roundup

Manu Ginobili finally broke out last night with 30 points, nine boards and 18-of-18 free throws. It's about time and hopefully he's finally back for good from his ankle problems. Tim Duncan was money, as usual, with 20 & 15 and Tony Parker chipped in with 26 points and five dimes in the win. Matt Bonner backed up his big game from Wednesday with three points last night in a win over the Suns.

Grant Hill (20 & 10) and Amare Stoudemire (28 & 10) both double-doubled last night while we had a Matt Barnes sighting. Barnes had 13 points and three 3-pointers, but played just 19 minutes. It's hard to do anything well in 19 minutes so I fully expect him to implode in the next one. Shaquille O'Neal passed Hakeem Olajuwon for No. 7 on the all-time scoring list, but only had 13 points and six boards in the process. He hasn't skipped a game in a while and is probably getting tired. Then again, those Spurs know how to defend him, too.

Jason Richardson was awful again, scoring just seven points, while Steve Nash stayed hot with 16 points and 18 assists. Nash is putting up some crazy dimes right now, but the Suns are just 4-6 in their last 10 games. And while I guess I expected JR to take a scoring hit in Phoenix, this is getting ridiculous. Add Terry Porter to the list of coaches fantasy owners probably want to stay away from.

The Magic beat the Cavaliers last night behind Dwight Howard's 22 & 18. Hedo Turkoglu had 19 points and 11 boards of his own, but hit just 8-of-22 shots last night. I did not see Hedo single-handedly bringing down fantasy teams in field goal percentage this season, but he is somehow managing the feat. Mickael Pietrus backed up that crazy double-double in his return from wrist surgery with four points in 27 minutes on 2-of-4 shooting last night. I cut him a minute ago and said hello to Earl Watson.

J.J. Hickson is playing pretty well for the Cavs, but will take a hit when Zydrunas Ilgauskas makes his return from a sprained ankle tonight. Hickson had 13 points, seven boards and a block on 6-of-9 shooting and has played at least 20 minutes three straight games. But he's really a guy you'll want to look for late in next year's drafts, as opposed to getting fired up about him this year. Wally Szczerbiak had 14 points and three 3-pointers on 5-of-6 shooting. If you can figure out when he's going to play well, let me know how you do so. I thought Mo Williams would go off last night due to his all-star snub, but he hit just 4-of-15 shots for 12 points and handed out just three dimes. And that, my friends, is why the Cavs lost.