CP3 is back, plus we’ve got updates on T.Evans, J.Noah, and A.Iguodala.
• Chris Paul(notes) returned to action Monday, playing 21 minutes (11
points, 3 treys, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal) in a 115-99 win over
Dallas. Marcus Thornton(notes) started alongside Paul (37 minutes, 28 points,
4 threes) while Darren Collison(notes) got plenty of run off the bench (35
minutes, 16 points, 1 three, 4 boards, 8 assists, 3 turnovers, 2
steals). Expect Paul’s minutes to come up a bit and Collison’s to go
down a bit as we move forward, while Thornton should be huge the rest
of the way as the starting shooting guard.
• Tyreke Evans(notes) (concussion) missed his second straight game Monday and will also be out Wednesday. The
team is hopeful that he’ll be in the lineup Friday, but it’s no sure
thing as of yet. If he is able to go Friday, fantasy owners would still
get two games out of him for the week [schedule],
albeit against two very good defenses (@BOS, @CLE). In roto, it’s a
good idea to stay put and see if he has any kind of setback. It’s a
tough spot for h2h owners, particularly those in an underdog role. If
you are guaranteed a loss by carrying an inactive Evans, then a move is
your only option.
• Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) will sign with the Cavaliers Tuesday and return to the team’s active roster as soon as Wednesday. He seems likely to replace J.J. Hickson(notes) as the team’s starting center, and the fact that his ownership level is currently 24 percent and rising indicates that many fantasy owners are counting on exactly that. He’s been away from the game for a month, however, and I wouldn’t be in a rush to drop a productive player for him, as the specifics and scope of his role are up in the air. Keep in mind that Shaquille O’Neal(notes) only averaged 23 minutes in his 53 starts on the season.
• Shane Battier(notes) is out for at least the next ten days with a sprained MCL in his left knee, meaning he’s expendable in most formats. Rockets’ starters should get some serious run Wednesday, as Battier, Jordan Hill(notes), David Andersen(notes), Jared Jeffries(notes) are all expected to be out.
• Terrence Williams(notes) left Monday’s game after spraining his left ankle and foot. He left the arena in a walking boot, but X-rays were negative and he’ll "try" to be back for Wednesday’s game. We aren’t likely to know his status until game day.
• Joakim Noah(notes) says he’s "almost 100 percent" and felt no pain after playing 10 and 12 minutes respectively in the past two games. Vinny Del Negro reiterated that the team isn’t going to rush him back into substantial minutes:
"There still has to be a process. You can’t just
throw him out there for 30 minutes and then the next day his foot is
sore. Let’s try to build it up a little bit, even though time is of the
essence."
It remains doubtful that Noah will be a major factor during the current week [schedule], but this certainly qualifies as good news. What will be particularly interesting to see is how much he plays in the team’s upcoming back-to-back (Sat NJN, Sun @DET) and how his plantar fasciitis reacts.
• Andre Iguodala(notes) has shot 33 percent over the past six games and has made just two of his last 29 three-point attempts, and now it’s been revealed that he too has been dealing with plantar fasciitis for the past couple of weeks. He’ll stay off of it as much as possible (like limiting practice activities), but plans to continue playing through the injury through the remainder of the season.
• Marc Gasol(notes) worked out before the Grizzlies’ Monday matchup with the Kings but sat for the fourth straight game and his return date remains uncertain. Hasheem Thabeet(notes) has averaged 8 points, 8 boards, and 2.5 blocks in 24 minutes during his four starts.
• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) went through Monday’s shootaround with the Jazz but opted to not play in the game. He’s evaluating his calf injury on a game-to-game basis but hopes to play Wednesday.
• Ben Wallace(notes) (knees) is not expected to play Tuesday, and Jason Maxiell’s(notes) fantasy impact seems more secure by the day.
• Louis Williams(notes) was inactive Monday because of continuing issues with his lower back. He’s missed two of the past five games and averaged just 17 minutes when he did play. With two games left on the slate for the 76ers this week [schedule], h2h owners may want to think about swapping him for a more reliable option.
• Anthony Tolliver(notes) has now averaged 15 points, 2 threes, 8.1 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 1.6 steals, and 1 block in 37 minutes over the past seven games. Reggie Williams(notes) has averaged 16.9 points on 58-percent shooting, 1.8 threes, 3.6 boards, 2.3 assists, 1.1 turnovers, and 0.9 steals in 27 minutes over the past eight games.
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