Author: Matt Buser

Taking a closer look at some strong finishes from the 2009-10 season and notable per-36 minute averages.

• Andray Blatche(notes) is likely to be among the most discussed players
leading up to next season. His numbers in the season’s final 32 games
included 22.1 points on 48-percent shooting, 0.3 threes, 8.3 boards, 3.6
assists, 3.4 turnovers, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 37 minutes. While
it was obvious that he would be the major beneficiary of the roster
purge in Washington, most weren’t prepared for production at that level.
Those numbers were good for a per-game rank of 44th over that time, and
single-game highs of 31 points, two threes, 13 boards, 13 assists, four
steals, and three blocks show some pretty serious versatility. What
makes it difficult to project anything for Blatche at this point is the
fact that the Wizards’ roster will look completely different next
season, as they could have as few as five players under
contract at the start of free agency. We’ve got to consider how
he’ll be able to co-exist with Gilbert Arenas(notes) and a revamped depth
chart, but in general he appears to have finally flipped that switch
that he was though to possess as a completely
dominant high school player.

• Marcus Thornton(notes) finished the season as well as just about any
other player. He delivered a second-round impact over the season’s final
26 games, averaging 21.2 points on 48-percent shooting, 84-percent foul
shooting, 2 threes, 3.9 boards, 2.5 assists, 1.5 turnovers, and 1.1
steals in 34 minutes. Simply put, he’s a fantastic offensive player – he
can shoot the three at a high percentage, finish at the rim, and make
his foul shots, so there are few holes here. How the Chris Paul(notes)/Darren
Collison "situation" plays out remains to be seen, but Thornton’s status
as an elite offensive contributor as the team’s starting shooting guard
is all but assured. 

• Terrence Williams(notes) made some noise down the stretch thanks to
his penchant for counting stats. In 20 games where he saw at least 30
minutes of playing time, he averaged 14.6 points, 8.4 boards, and 4.7
assists. Things get a bit dicey beyond that, however, as he also
averaged 41-percent shooting, 71-percent foul shooting, 0.5 threes, 2.5
turnovers, 0.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks in those same games. It needs to
be noted that Williams shot just 40 percent from the field and 60
percent from the foul line over the course of his
four-year college career, and the fact that he did spend four years
in college means that his game is closer to what it will be than most
"prospects". He’s strong, athletic, and versatile, but efficiency counts
in fantasy – his per-game rank after March 1 (22 games, 31.2 minutes)
was just 159th.  

• Before you read any further, make a quick estimate of where you think Derrick Rose(notes) will be drafted in 2010-11. Now take a look at his numbers in 48 games after January 1 this season – 37 minutes, 22.4 points, 51% FG, 75% FT, 0.3 threes, 4 boards, 6.2 assists, 2.7 turnovers, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks – and ask yourself how much better you expect his line to be than that in 2010-11. His per-game rank while posting those stats was 72nd, meaning he was a borderline sixth-round producer. I can already say with a high degree of certainty that there is a zero percent chance that Rose will be on any of my fantasy teams next season (with the exception being points-based leagues).

• Jrue Holiday(notes) showed some pretty serious signs over the season’s final two months, posting a sixth-round impact over his final 21 games (35 minutes, 12.6 points, 1.2 threes, 4 boards, 6.4 assists, 3.5 turnovers, 1.9 steals, 0.3 blocks). What stood out most in his rookie season from my perspective was his 39-percent shooting from three, after making just 31 percent of his college three-point attempts. The fact that Holiday was able to make serious strides as a 19-year-old rookie while his team is in a constant state of flux and turmoil bodes very well for his prospects for 2010-11 and beyond.

• How good was Stephen Curry(notes) as a rookie? Over the last three
months of the season, he was fourth in per-game rank (!) for
nine-category purposes, behind only Kevin Durant(notes), LeBron James(notes), and Dirk
Nowitzki(notes). On the season, he finished seventh overall in season rank and
11th in per-game. Only one player (Jason Kidd(notes)) finished the season with
more combined
threes, steals, and blocks than Curry. Exactly how high he’ll be drafted
next season will largely be influenced by what happens during the
Warriors’ off-season, but there’s a good chance that he’ll merit
first-round consideration. Is that crazy? Another reason for optimism in
general is that, after January 1, he was as effective for fantasy
purposes when playing alongside Monta Ellis(notes) (31 games, 20.3 points, 49%
FG, 2.3 threes, 4.6 boards, 6.2 assists, 3.2 turnovers, 1.9 steals) as
when Ellis was not in the lineup (18 games, 22.5 points, 44% FG, 3
threes, 5.5 boards, 7.8 assists, 3.6 turnovers, 1.9 steals). 

• Below you will find a rundown of names and numbers that jumped out at me while I was poring over per-36 minute stats from the 2009-10 regular season. Before we jump into it, here are per-36s from some of the elite players in fantasy, which you can use for comparison’s sake:

PTS: Kevin Durant (27.5), Monta Ellis
(22.2), LaMarcus Aldridge(notes) (17.2)
3PT: Danny Granger(notes) (2.5), Vince
Carter(notes) (1.9), Andrea Bargnani(notes) (1.6)
REB: Dwight Howard(notes) (13.7), Chris
Bosh(notes) (10.8), Chris Kaman(notes) (9.7)
AST: Steve Nash(notes) (12.1), LeBron James
(7.9), Derrick Rose (5.9)
STL: Rajon Rondo(notes) (2.3), Jason Kidd (1.8),
Rudy Gay(notes) (1.3)
BLK: Dwight Howard (2.9), Josh Smith(notes) (2.2), Marc Gasol(notes)
(1.6)

Note: any reference below to per-36 rankings are among
players that appeared in at least 10 games and averaged at least 10
minutes per game. And keep in mind that any averages posted below are per 36 minutes unless otherwise noted.

• Anthony Randolph(notes) – While it’s true that it was a massively
disappointing season for the 20-year-old Randolph in fantasy circles, he
still managed a per-game rank of 92nd with just 23 minutes of playing
time. His per-game numbers weren’t bad with all things considered (11.6
points, 6.5 boards, 0.8 steals, 1.5 blocks) and his per-36s were
downright excellent (18.5 points, 10.4 boards, 1.4 steals, 2.5 blocks).
Next year’s post-hype discount could be substantial, although we won’t
know exactly how to feel about any of the Warriors until the dust
settles once team ownership
changes hands and a decision is made regarding Don Nelson’s status
for 2010-11. 

• Nicolas Batum(notes) – He’s basically looking like a better version
of Shane Battier(notes) for fantasy purposes, with averages that include 14.7 points, 2.1 threes,
5.5 boards, 0.9 steals, and 1 block. If the 21-year-old can stay healthy
next season and take ownership of the Blazers’ small forward position, he’ll be highly-ranked among fantasy MVPs at the end of the year, much like Battier was at his best.

• Rodrigue Beaubois(notes) – Beaubois
ranked 21st in scoring (20.4) and 24th in threes (2.3), while also
posting 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks. Clearly he possesses Jason Terry(notes)-like
skills and then some, but the problem here is that Terry, Jason Kidd,
and Caron Butler(notes) are all under contract for next season, and Jose Juan
Barea(notes) also can be brought back via a very reasonable team option
($1.8M). While the 22-year-old Beaubois does appear to have a bright
future, his upside is likely to be limited on a healthy Mavericks team
in 2010-11. 

•
Travis Outlaw(notes) – Outlaw’s numbers (15.2 points, 2 threes, 5.9 boards,
0.9 steals, 0.8 blocks) weren’t much worse than Batum’s and he could end
up as the Clippers’ starting small forward if the team were to bring
him into the fold. The next time he has a steady role with any team
will also be the first.

• Charlie Villanueva(notes) – Charlie V actually wasn’t terrible
in terms of per-36s (18.2 points, 1.9 threes, 7.1 boards, 0.9 steals,
1.1 blocks) but he never approached starters’ minutes because of
inconsistency, injury, and the emergence of Jonas Jerebko(notes). Jerebko seems like a
lock to continue to start, so the only hope for Villanueva to see major
minutes in 2010-11 is if the Pistons are able to deal Tayshaun Prince’s(notes) expiring contract
during the off-season. 

• Channing Frye(notes) – Frye was second in the league in threes (2.8)
and also managed 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks. Clearly he won’t be under
the radar in 2010-11, but it’s worth noting that he could start at his
natural position (PF) for the Suns next season if Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) were
to opt out and go elsewhere. 

• J.R. Smith(notes) – He’s basically Manu Ginobili(notes) without efficiency or
consistency. His per-36s included 20 points, 2.7 threes, 4.1 boards,
3.2 assists, 2.4 turnovers, 1.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks. But as with
Ginobili, it looks like it will take an unusual set of circumstances for
Smith to ever consistently see 30-plus minutes per game.  

• Ersan Ilyasova(notes) – Inconsistency aside, there was a heck of a lot
to like here, including 16 points, 1.5 threes, 9.8 boards, 1 steal, and
0.4 blocks. There’s a good chance that he’ll be among my favorite
late(ish)-round picks in 2010-11, but we’re a long way from knowing what
the Bucks’ 2010-11 depth chart will look like. 

• James Harden(notes) – Harden’s numbers were good all around (15.6
points, 1.9 threes, 5.1 boards, 2.9 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 1.7 steals,
0.4 blocks) but the team was fully committed to Thabo Sefolosha(notes) as the
starting shooting guard and designated perimeter defender. The Thunder
may be a bit more inclined to start Harden if they can upgrade their
interior defense, but it’s not likely to happen if it’s Jeff Green(notes) and
Nenad Krstic(notes) as the "bigs" once again in 2010-11. 

• Ryan Anderson(notes) – Compare Anderson’s scoring
(19.1), threes (3.1), and boards (7.9) to Rashard Lewis’(notes) (15.4, 2.6,
4.8) and then take a gander at their 2010-11 salaries (Anderson $1.4M,
Lewis $19.6M). In his six starts, Anderson averaged 15 points, 2.8
threes, and 5 boards in 25 minutes. Lewis’ designation as the league’s
most ridiculously overpriced three-point specialist means he’s not going
anywhere, but Anderson’s strong play could at least lead to an
off-season trade of Brandon Bass(notes) and there would not be a drop-off in
offensive production if Lewis were to suffer an injury. 

• Kevin Love(notes) – Love’s 13.8 boards edged out Dwight Howard for the top mark in the category and he also managed 17.6 points, 0.7 threes, 2.9 assists, 2.5 turnovers, 0.9 steals, and 0.5 blocks. Kurt Rambis apparently likes getting that kind of production in smaller batches, however.

• Andris Biedrins(notes) – Biedrins’ marks of 12.2 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.5 turnovers, 0.9 steals, and 2.1 blocks were actually pretty good considering he played hurt while Don Nelson talked trash on his game the entire time. It would have been nice to see more than 16-percent foul shooting, however.

• Marcin Gortat(notes) – How good Gortat (11.3 boards, 2.3 blocks) might be as a starting center is still up for debate, but you can’t argue that he isn’t productive when he does get a chance to play.

• DeAndre Jordan(notes) – Jordan posted a few respectable numbers (11.1 boards, 2 blocks) despite a reasonable amount of his playing time coming at power forward (read: not his natural position or a very good fit). Chris Kaman is under contract for the next two seasons, so substantial playing time will only come via a trade or major injury.

• Serge Ibaka(notes) – Ibaka’s interior defense (10.8 boards, 2.7 blocks) was a boon for the Thunder and should give the team pause when considering Jeff Green their "power" forward of the future. If Ibaka can add strength without sacrificing much agility and continues a natural progression of skills, then we could be talking about a real difference-maker.

• Hasheem Thabeet(notes) – Everyone’s favorite draft bust finished second in the league in blocks (3.6) while also posting 9.9 boards. He’s got a ways to go before he’s a complete basketball player (8.5 points, 0.5 assists, 1.8 turnovers) but he did at least show a few positive signs on the defensive end.

• Tyler Hansbrough(notes) – Injuries helped produce a small sample size, but Hansbrough’s line was solid (17.4 points, 9.7 boards, 1.2 steals, 0.6 blocks) and there’s a decent chance his career mark in field goal percentage will end up north of 36 percent.

• Amir Johnson(notes) – Johnson is also a free agent, so a potential Chris Bosh departure doesn’t necessarily mean that he would be next in line for the starting spot. One thing that is for certain is that his numbers looked good this season (12.6 points, 9.7 boards, 1.1 steals, 1.6 blocks), and he’s still just 22 years old. Somewhat on-topic: Johnson averaged 8.5 blocks as a high school senior.

• Paul Millsap(notes) – So long, Carlos Boozer(notes)? Millsap’s line included 15.1 points, 8.9 boards, 2.1 assists, 1.8 turnovers, 1 steal, and 1.6 blocks.

• Tyrus Thomas(notes) – Another year, another ridiculous line (15 points, 9.9 boards, 1.9 steals, 2.5 blocks). 

• Some other notable numbers: Marreese Speights(notes)
(18.8 points, 8.9 boards), A.J. Price(notes) (2.5 threes), Bill Walker(notes) (2.4
threes), Chase Budinger(notes) (2.2 threes), DeJuan Blair(notes) (12.7 boards, 1.2
steals, 0.9 blocks), Jon Brockman(notes) (11.7 boards), Kris Humphries(notes) (11.1
boards, 1.4 blocks), Louis Amundson(notes) (10.7 boards, 2.3 blocks), JaVale
McGee(notes) (9.1 boards, 3.8 blocks), Eric Maynor(notes) (7.6 assists, 2.4
turnovers), Sergio Rodriguez(notes) (7.2 assists, 3.9 turnovers, 1.7 steals),
Jeff Teague(notes) (6.1 assists, 2.5 turnovers, 1.7 steals), Joel Anthony(notes) (3
blocks), James Johnson(notes) (2.1 blocks) 

—

Photos
via Getty Images

LeBron James(notes) is looking forward to a few games off once the Cavs are assured the top playoff seed.

• LeBron James is likely to get at least two of the Cavs’ remaining five games off. He’s been dealing with a sore left elbow in recent games and offered the following:

"You’d love to get some rest before the playoffs start. I
think there’s a few guys who want to keep playing but there’s a few guys
who want a little rest and I’m one of them."

Shaquille O’Neal’s(notes) potential availability could also affect which games LBJ does sit out. From The Plain Dealer:

Though the Cavs are not publicly talking about it, the belief within
the locker room is that team doctors could clear O’Neal to play within a
week … That would leave the option of O’Neal getting a game or two in
before the playoffs start in two weeks. It might help the Cavs get some
of the rust out in a meaningless regular-season game with O’Neal,
instead of in a playoff game. If that comes to fruition, it is possible James and some other
regulars would take a look at skipping some of the games this week —
[Tuesday] vs. Toronto, Thursday at Chicago or Friday vs. Indiana — and
then coming back together with O’Neal next week.

There have been no official mentions of James sitting Tuesday as of yet, but clearly it’s looking like his getting some time off is an inevitability. Antawn Jamison(notes) (knee, shoulder) and Mo Williams(notes) (shoulder) also appear to be prime candidates for down time once the No.1 overall seed is clinched. Delonte West(notes), Daniel Gibson(notes), and Jamario Moon(notes) would be the major beneficiaries of the surplus playing time.

• Joe Johnson(notes) will be out for at
least the Hawks’ next two games, as he continues to rest and
rehabilitate his sprained right thumb. Nothing is certain beyond that [schedule], as
his availability will be determined based on how the injury reacts over
the next few days. Johnson offered the following quote on Monday:

"I can’t really get deflections or try and steal or rebound the
ball the
way I want to, because I’m worried about getting hit. I’m just trying
to rest up and do whatever it takes to get it back to
100 percent before the playoffs start."

Maurice Evans(notes) will replace Johnson in the starting five, and he’s
averaged 16 points on 61-percent shooting, 2.7 threes, and 6 boards in
32 minutes during his three starts thus far.

• A Monday MRI of George Hill’s(notes) right ankle showed a strained right peroneal tendon, and the injury puts the rest of his regular season in doubt. The team has yet to announce a potential timetable for his return, although he’s been officially declared out for Tuesday and Wednesday. Tony Parker(notes) has been medically cleared and will return to the active roster Tuesday. He won’t start and Gregg Popovich said "fifteen or so" minutes would be ideal as he works his way back to game shape after missing over a month of action.

• Andrew Bynum(notes) remains out indefinitely.
A Monday MRI showed that his left Achilles tendon remains strained and
there is no timetable for his return. 

• Stephen Jackson(notes) is dealing with a strained hamstring, a turned ankle, a sore hand, and a sore elbow, but plans to play through all of it until the Bobcats clinch a playoff spot. The Bobcats are currently the seventh seed in the East [standings], three games ahead of the ninth-seeded Bulls with six games to play for both teams.

• Jermaine O’Neal’s(notes) hyper-extended right knee is getting better. He was a partial participant in the Heat’s Monday practice, will get more treatment Tuesday, and may return to the court Wednesday. Keep in mind that the team will not press him back into service if he’s not completely ready – Joel Anthony’s(notes) defense has been pivotal during their current eight-game winning streak (the past four without O’Neal) and they have a playoff spot all but wrapped up.

• Shawn Marion(notes) (oblique) did not practice Monday, isn’t likely to practice Tuesday, and will be a game-day decision Wednesday.

• The Warriors still have yet to receive the results of medical tests regarding Monta Ellis’(notes) bout with flu-like symptoms, which has now lasted two weeks. Ellis is expected to remain out until at least Saturday at this point.

• For the 76ers: Andre Iguodala(notes) (plantar fasciitis) did not practice Monday but is expected to play Tuesday … Louis Williams(notes) (back) was a full participant in practice and said that
he expects no limitations moving forward … Thaddeus Young(notes) (thumb) was a non-contact participant in Monday’s practice and is being called a game-time decision, although it’s hard to think that he’ll play if he’s not taking part in contact work.

• For the Nuggets: Chauncey Billups(notes) (quad) is probable for Wednesday … Chris Andersen(notes) (ankle) was a limited participant in Monday’s practice and will be a game-time decision Wednesday … Kenyon Martin(notes) (knee) is still hoping to return before the end of the regular season.

• For the Pistons: Richard Hamilton(notes) (ankle) practiced Monday and will be a game-time decision Tuesday … Jason Maxiell(notes) (back) did not practice and is questionable for Tuesday.

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) (calf) is traveling with the Jazz on their
current road trip but is likely to still be a week away
from returning to action.

—

Photos via Getty Images

Setting the stage for the remainder of the fantasy basketball season.

Schedule Grid

Also
see: Basketball
Monster’s team
schedules and ease
rankings | Rotowire’s value
meter

Pickups/Plug-ins –
Players owned in
fewer than 40% of Yahoo! leagues

**Note: below is a collection of notable players with ownership
levels under 40 percent. Whether or not an individual player makes sense
for your roster depends on who you’d be dropping, team needs, and your
opponent’s strengths/weaknesses in the upcoming matchup. Please post
your specific questions in the comments section below.

Contributors: Terrence Williams(notes), Reggie Williams(notes), Carlos Delfino(notes), Wesley Matthews(notes), Nicolas Batum(notes), Jonas Jerebko(notes), J.J. Hickson(notes)

Fringe options or category specialists: Bill Walker(notes), Matt Barnes(notes), Yi Jianlian(notes), Ryan Gomes(notes), James Harden(notes), Quentin Richardson(notes), Hasheem Thabeet(notes), JaVale McGee(notes), Ronny Turiaf(notes), Tyson Chandler(notes), Toney Douglas(notes), Shaun Livingston(notes), Sonny Weems(notes), C.J. Watson(notes), Delonte West(notes), Kyle Lowry(notes), Antoine Wright(notes), Earl Watson(notes), Carlos Arroyo(notes), Darko Milicic(notes)

Deep-league or speculative adds: Ersan Ilyasova(notes), Andres Nocioni(notes), Chase Budinger(notes), Kurt Thomas(notes), Nick Young(notes), Jared Dudley(notes), C.J. Miles(notes), Larry Hughes(notes), Serge Ibaka(notes), Luke Ridnour(notes), Steve Blake(notes), Matt Bonner(notes), Chris Duhon(notes), Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes), Ben Wallace(notes), Jermaine Taylor(notes)

Status Updates

• Chris Andersen(notes) – Andersen missed Saturday’s game with a sprained left ankle and is day-to-day.

• Andrew Bogut(notes) – Bogut’s season is over after he suffered a dislocated right elbow, sprained wrist, and broken right hand on Saturday night. Kurt Thomas had 10 points, seven boards, and two blocks in 31 minutes after Bogut was hurt and will fill in for Bogut at center.

• Andrew Bynum(notes) – While Bynum (Achilles) is technically making progress, he has yet to be cleared for running or jumping. He’ll undergo an MRI on Monday or Tuesday to further update his status.

• Monta Ellis(notes) – Ellis is out again Sunday because of the flu and remains questionable through Saturday, while the Warriors are on their current road trip. He’s currently awaiting blood test results that will ultimately help determine his availability.

• Marc Gasol(notes) – Gasol is out for the season.

• Richard Hamilton(notes) – Rip has missed the past three games with a right ankle sprain and isn’t in a situation where returning to the lineup makes much sense, let alone coming back for major minutes. The Pistons have lost 11 straight and 18 of their past 20 games.

• Spencer Hawes(notes) – Hawes is out for the season.

• Stephen Jackson(notes) – S-Jax pulled himself from Saturday’s game because of the effect his hamstring injury was having on his play (25 minutes, 8 points, 3 of 12 FG) and Larry Brown said he’d consider shutting him down if that’s what it would take to get him healthy for the playoffs. Jackson hopes it won’t come to that, and added that he’d only agree to it if the Bobcats clinch a playoff spot [standings]. Larry Hughes (26 minutes, 14 points, 4 of 14 FG Saturday) would be the major beneficiary if Jackson were to sit.

• Joe Johnson(notes) – Johnson missed Saturday’s game because of a sprained right thumb and his availability for Tuesday has yet to be determined. Maurice Evans(notes) got the start in his place (26 minutes, 10 points, 4 boards).

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) – AK has missed 10 of the past 12 games because of a strained left calf and has already been declared out for Tuesday. He estimated Saturday that he’d be able to return to practice within three or four days, although he declined to say when he might be able to return to the active roster. 

• Shawn Marion(notes) – Marion played just 16 minutes Saturday because of a strained left oblique, but the injury is not considered serious and he’s considered day-to-day.

• Steve Nash(notes) – Nash played just 22 minutes Saturday (10 points, 5 assists, 5 turnovers) because the game was a blowout and he was dealing with a head cold. The Suns are off until Wednesday, so that should be enough time for him to get better.

• Jermaine O’Neal(notes) – O’Neal has missed the past four games because of a hyper-extended right knee but is targeting Wednesday for a return.

• Jason Richardson(notes) – J-Rich labored through back pain Saturday (22 minutes, 0 points, 0 of 4 FG) but is hoping that three consecutive days off will be enough time to get it right.

• Anderson Varejao(notes) – Varejao (hamstring) missed his fourth consecutive game Sunday, with Mike Brown calling it a precautionary move, given the Cavs’ fairly firm grip on the top overall playoff seed.

• Thaddeus Young(notes) – Young (thumb) participated in the team’s walk-through Friday and was called a game-time decision Saturday, but a potential return remains uncertain. 

—

Photos via Getty Images

The season is over for Marc Gasol(notes), one of fantasy’s biggest draft-day bargains.

• Marc Gasol’s season is over. He aggravated his neck injury during Wednesday’s game all parties involved agree that it’s best for him to shut it down and allow the slight tear in the muscle near his collarbone to heal. He originally suffered the injury on March 13 and has not been able to lift his left arm without pain since, so this makes complete sense with the Grizz out of the playoff picture. Gasol’s per-game rank is 33rd on the season, he’ll be among the finalists for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, and will undoubtedly make most post-season lists for best fantasy bargains or biggest overachievers (despite his untimely exit). Hasheem Thabeet(notes) will start at center the rest of the way [schedule], and he’s averaged 7.2 points on 65-percent shooting, 7 boards, and 2.6 blocks in 22 minutes during his five starts thus far.

• Spencer Hawes’(notes) season is also finished a few games early thanks to a left knee injury. What is of note is that he had a microfracture procedure at age 14 and arthroscopic surgery in 2007, both on the same knee. We’ll need to see how his off-season goes before we can start talking about his fantasy draft prospects for the 2010-11 season. This news means that Jason Thompson(notes) will be re-installed as the team’s starting center [schedule] – in his 52 starts, Thompson has averaged 12.9 points, 8.7 boards, 0.6 steals, and 1 block in 33 minutes.

• Anderson Varejao(notes) (hamstring) participated in the non-contact portion of the Cavs’ practice Thursday, but has yet to be cleared by team doctors to ramp up his activities. Mike Brown said that he may continue to rest Varejao even after he’s cleared to make sure he’s 100 percent for the playoffs. J.J. Hickson(notes) will continue to be the beneficiary here – over the past five games, he’s averaged 15.4 points on 64-percent shooting, 7.2 boards, 1 steal, and 0.6 blocks in 27 minutes.

• For the Bulls: Luol Deng(notes) (calf) will be active Friday and should see "a few minutes" of playing time … Joakim Noah(notes) (plantar fasciitis) will return to the team’s starting lineup and will be limited to around 30 minutes … Kirk Hinrich(notes) is still feeling the effects of his ankle injury but will be active.

• For the 76ers:  Louis Williams(notes) (back) and Thaddeus Young(notes) (thumb) will be game-time decisions Saturday … Andre Iguodala(notes) is visibly hobbled by plantar fasciitis and the team’s medical staff has advised Eddie Jordan to monitor his minutes.

• Quick hits: Monta Ellis(notes) (flu) is out again Friday and apparently longer … Stephen Jackson(notes) will try to play through a strained hamstring Friday … Kevin Martin(notes) (shoulder) is questionable for Friday … Andrei Kirilenko(notes) (calf) is out Friday … Jermaine O’Neal(notes) (knee) is outfor at least two more games (Fri/Sat) … Both Richard Hamilton(notes) (ankle) and Jason
Maxiell(notes) (back) are questionable
for Friday …  Carlos Delfino(notes) (neck) will be active on Friday ..

• Today’s trivia: "I will be an All-Star-caliber player, there’s no question." Which NBA player offered up this quote, regarding the 2010-11 season, earlier this week?

—

Photos via Getty Images

Eric Gordon(notes) has been a disappointment, but he’s played most of the season at less than 100 percent.

• Eric Gordon struggled again Wednesday (3 of 13 FG, 1 of 6 3PT) and
clearly needs the season to end soon so that he can rest his nagging
groin injury, which he’s been dealing with since his first inactive
stint in early November. He’s gutted out 36 minutes per game over 58
games, and his playing time has actually been trending upward (37 per
game since the ASB).

I’m only looking at his current season per-game
rank of 131st (212 over the past month) as a solid discount on his draft
price next season – he was a sixth-round pick on average this season (77.3 ADP).
There’s a decent chance he’ll be one of my heavy targets next season,
assuming he has no set-backs during the coming months. He’s just 21 years old and still projects to be a very good offensive player. And given that he made 83 percent of his free throws in college, his current 74-percent average figures to be the exception and not the norm (he shot 85% last season).

• So much for Ben Wallace’s(notes) season being over. He played 20 minutes Wednesday (4 points, 6 boards, 1 steal, 2 blocks) after Jason Maxiell(notes) left the game early with a back strain (4 minutes, 0 points). Maxiell’s status for Friday remains unknown at this point (X-rays were negative), and he’s likely to be expendable between the combination of injury and Wallace’s return … Richard Hamilton(notes) also missed Wednesday’s game with a sprained right ankle and is day-to-day.

• Jermaine O’Neal(notes) (knee) is hoping to return to practice Thursday and be in the Heat’s active roster on Friday.

"It’s still a little sore. But I think at this point I’m not looking for complete
health. You’re not really going to be pain free. You want to be smart
with it."

The team isn’t pushing him to return quickly – their spot in the playoffs is fairly set, and Erik Spoelstra said he won’t be allowed to play "until he can do so without any further damage." When he does return, he’ll be wearing a knee brace.

• DeAndre Jordan(notes) started ahead of Drew Gooden(notes) Wednesday for "matchup reasons" but ended up as a team-low minus-27 in 13 minutes (3 points, 3 boards, 5 fouls). Gooden had another double-double (17 points, 10 boards) and was a plus-1 in his 27 minutes. While I do believe that Jordan could post some Dalembert-at-his-best numbers at some point in his career, it will never happen at power forward (read: while Chris Kaman(notes) is around).

• I can think of worse players to add heading into their weekend back-to-back (Sat @PHI, Sun GSW) than Sonny Weems(notes) and Antoine Wright(notes), with their starting spots secure. The matchups are great and Jay Triano is against playing Hedo Turkoglu(notes) and DeMar DeRozan(notes) in limited stretches these days. Here’s how the minutes were divvied up Wednesday: Weems 31, Wright 27, DeRozan 21, Turkoglu 17. 

• Deep-leaguers will want to consider adding Louis Amundson(notes) Thursday, in advance of the Suns’ upcoming back-to-back (Fri @DET, Sat @MIL), as he’s certainly in for more playing time with Robin Lopez(notes) out of the picture. He played 19 minutes Wednesday (7 points, 4 boards, 1 steal, 1 block) and has averaged 8.5 points on 64-percent shooting, 6.5 boards, and 1.7 blocks in 20 games with at least 19 minutes of playing time.

• Shaun Livingston(notes) is in for as many minutes as he can handle now that Randy Foye(notes) is done for the year. He played 37 Wednesday (18 points, 8 assists, 3 turnovers) and has averaged 26 minutes, 8.6 points, 4.2 assists, 1.9 turnovers, 0.5 steals, and 0.5 blocks over the past 11 games. The Wizards play Friday (CHI) and Sunday (NJN) and then have GSW, NYK, and IND among their final six games [schedule].

• Chris Paul(notes) played 44 minutes Wednesday (8 points, 9 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal) and I’ll freely admit that I didn’t see that coming. I didn’t see the Wiz beating the Hornets by five, either. The thing is, Darren Collison(notes) still played (24 mintues) and had some numbers (14 points, 1 three, 1 steal), so I’m still not ready to write him off in standard leagues.

• Marc Gasol(notes) played only 22 minutes (4 points, 1 board, 1 block) in his second game since returning from his neck strain. He left the game massaging his shoulder and his immediate status is unknown. Hasheem Thabeet(notes) replaced him (21 minutes, 2 points, 4 boards, 3 blocks) and should be of deep-league interest with this news. The Grizzlies play Friday (NOR) and Sunday (@ORL) to end the current week.

• Can you think of a better box score for the current installment of the T-Wolves than we got Wednesday? It’s too bad that it’s not possible to set expectations anywhere near the ideal with this team.

• Bulls
updates: Luol Deng(notes) (calf) has been ramping up his practice
activities and is targeting Saturday for a return to the active roster,
although he expects limited minutes at best … Kirk Hinrich(notes) (ankle) is
"prett encouraged" that he’ll be able to play Friday … Joakim Noah(notes)
played 27 minutes Tuesday (12 points, 10 boards, 2 blocks) and
discussions have now turned to if/when he’ll return to the team’s
starting lineup.  

• Quick hits: Kevin Martin(notes) (shoulder) missed his fourth straight game Wednesday and is questionable for Friday. Jermaine Taylor(notes) could be useful again if Martin were to be out … Monta Ellis(notes) missed his second consecutive game Wednesday because of the flu but is likely to return Friday … Vince Carter(notes) (toe) was a full
participant in Wednesday’s practice and should be back in the
lineup on Thursday … Andrei Kirilenko(notes) (calf) is out Friday but is
hopeful that he’ll be able to return Tuesday … Al Harrington(notes) suffered a severely sprained ankle Wednesday and may be done for the season. Bill Walker(notes) would get more playing time if he were to be out … In case you were waiting for official word: Wilson Chandler(notes)
is done
for the season.

—

Photos via Getty Images

B-Diddy picked a bad week to suddenly disappear from the Clippers’ active roster.

• Baron Davis(notes) will miss at least the
next three games because of back spasms. Steve Blake(notes) makes for an
interesting short-term add in the interim, and particularly if Davis
were to miss even more time. The Clips’ upcoming games are Tuesday
(@MIL), Wednesday (@TOR), Saturday (@DEN), and Sunday (NYK). The
question that remains is how anxious Davis will be to return for the final
few games of the regular season for the 27-46 Clippers, as this news came as a bit of a surprise in the first place.

• Hedo Turkoglu(notes) isn’t expected to miss any more games but he’s also
not expected to rejoin the Raptors’ starting five any time soon.
Jay Triano likes what Sonny Weems(notes) and Antoine Wright(notes) bring to the
starting unit and suddenly feels good about Hedo, Jarrett Jack(notes), and
DeMar DeRozan(notes) being his primary reserves. Tuesday’s box score
should prove to be a pretty good representation of roles and how the
minutes will be distributed for the Raptors the rest of the way. 

• Any hope that Andrew Bynum(notes) (Achilles) would return by the end of the current week has been dismissed. He offered the following quote on Monday:

"I was hoping to, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I’m able to walk with minimal
pain. I can’t really walk very fast without feeling something. I’m just
resting it, trying to stay off it as much as possible."

He’s set to be re-evaluated on Friday, and the earliest he could possibly return would be April 8, as the Lakers play Sunday and then have three consecutive days off. If he were to return on that target date, he’d be available for the Lakers’ final five regular season games (over a span of seven days). If carrying an inactive player will cost you your current matchup, then you need to make a move now. If you can afford to carry him, I’d suggest doing so at least through the Friday update to see what kind of progress he’s made to that point.

• Tyreke Evans(notes) practiced with the Kings on Monday and will return to the lineup Tuesday. Expect some rust, as he’s been inactive for 11 days and struggled to deal with a new mouthpiece during Monday’s activities. … Also for the Kings: Spencer Hawes(notes) (back) will play, Francisco Garcia(notes) (wrist) and Omri Casspi(notes) (illness) are out.

• Vince Carter(notes) (toe) is day-to-day and Otis Smith called his
injury "nothing
major." With the Magic off until Thursday, VC has a few more days
to rest and we aren’t likely to know his specific availability until
game day.

• Manu Ginobili(notes) was a surprise scratch Monday
because of back spasms, but as of now he expects to be back in
the lineup on Wednesday.

• Kevin Martin(notes) (shoulder) will miss his third consecutive game Tuesday and his status for Wednesday has to be considered very questionable as well. The Rockets’ remaining games for Week 23 are Friday (@BOS) and Sunday (@IND)

• Jermaine O’Neal’s(notes) status for the team’s upcoming three-game road trip may be determined when the team practices Tuesday. He played just seven minutes Friday and was a DNP Sunday because of a hyper-extended right knee. The Heat play Wednesday (@DET), Friday (@IND), and Saturday (@MIN), and then have three consecutive days off. Joel Anthony(notes) will get the starts if/when O’Neal can’t go – he’s averaged 4.6 points, 5.1 boards, and 2.1 blocks in his 11 starts so far.

• For
the 76ers: Louis Williams(notes) (back) is "ready to go" for Tuesday’s
game. … Andre Iguodala(notes) did not practice Monday because of plantar
fasciitis but will play Tuesday. … Thaddeus Young(notes) (thumb) remains out.  

• I’m not ready to say that Darren Collison(notes) owners should panic after watching him play 21 minutes Monday (17 points, 2 threes, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal). The Hornets pulled out an excellent win over a "big" Lakers squad in front of the home crowd, so Paul’s minutes were a bit inflated (39). They are out of playoff contention, so Paul won’t be seeing that much playing time on a nightly basis. In standard leagues, I’d at least see what Collison’s line looks like against the Wizards on Wednesday before executing an add/drop. 

• Schedule notes: everybody plays Wednesday [schedule], and then only Orlando has three games the rest of the week [team schedules]. You can also get four straight games from one roster spot if you have Barnes active for Thursday/Friday and then add someone from one of five teams for Saturday/Sunday (LAC, MIN, NJN, OKC, TOR).

—

Photos via Getty Images

News of the day (so far) for a Monday, with updates on notables including VC, AK, Monta, and Hedo.

• Vince Carter(notes) "might" be able to return from a sprained right toe when the Magic next take the court, Thursday at Dallas. X-rays revealed no serious damage but he was also playing with a sprained right ankle and the Magic’s attention is squarely on the playoffs at this point. We obviously won’t know for sure if he’s going to be able to play until closer to Thursday, so just stay tuned. J.J. Redick(notes) and Ryan Anderson(notes) will see more playing time if VC (and Mickael Pietrus(notes)) miss more time. 

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) has strained his left calf again, is out Monday, and will be re-evaluated on Wednesday. This puts AK’s status for much of Week 23 in doubt – the Jazz play Monday (NYK), Wednesday (GSW), and Friday (@LAL) – and means that C.J. Miles(notes) looks like a good short-term add, particularly for the matchups with the Knicks and Warriors.

• Monta Ellis’(notes) Sunday DNP (flu) was likely a determining factor in a number of Week 22 matchups, and those of you that advanced anyway aren’t yet out of the woods. He’s still sick and remains questionable for Wednesday’s game – the Warriors are off Monday and his availability for Tuesday’s practice will give us a better read on things. Reggie Williams(notes) and C.J. Watson(notes) stand to benefit from Ellis being out or at less than 100 percent.

• Anderson Varejao(notes) missed Sunday’s game with a sore left hamstring and is currently day-to-day. Mike Brown said the team will be cautious and may rest Varejao more to avoid any potential for the injury to linger. Having the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs all but wrapped up and getting Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) back gives them the option, so be looking for updates on game day.

• Things are getting, shall we say, interesting for Hedo Turkoglu(notes) and the Raptors. He missed Friday’s game because of a stomach ailment but then appears to have been a healthy scratch Sunday because it was later discovered that he was out on the town on Friday night. His status for Monday remains in doubt, as well. Turkoglu has been a disappointment by all measurable standards and has been trending downward – his per-game rank is 112th on the season, but it falls to 143rd over the past month and he’s missed six games since February 1. The Raptors are clinging to a playoff spot and need Hedo to play a bit closer to his potential during a favorable four-game week, so a straight drop may not be in order here. At the very least, weigh your options carefully.

• Jermaine O’Neal(notes) missed Sunday’s game with a hyper-extended right knee and has been tagged with the dreaded day-to-day label. Here’s what Erik Spoelstra had to say in advance of the team’s next game (Wednesday, @DET):

"He is feeling better. He’ll officially be
listed day to day. Hopefully, we have a little bit of rest this week, we
can get him back on the court soon. I don’t know when that will be.
It’ll just depend on when his knee responds."

Joel Anthony(notes) is next on the depth chart here, and he’s averaged 4.6 points, 5.1 boards, and 2.1 blocks in 27 minutes during his 11 starts on the season.

• Robin Lopez(notes) is now expected to miss at least the next two weeks because of bulging disks in his back, ending his fantasy season for all intents and purposes. He’ll be re-evaluated on April 12. Jarron Collins(notes) will start for Lopez (11 minutes, 0 points, 2 boards Sunday) to keep a similar flow in the rotation, but Channing Frye(notes) is the clear beneficiary here (31 minutes, 17 points, 5 threes). 

• For the 76ers: Louis Williams(notes) (back) remains day-to-day. Thaddeus Young(notes) (thumb) says he’d like to be back in the lineup before the end of the week, but it appears to be a stretch.

• Quick hits: Kevin Martin(notes) (shoulder) will have his status for Tuesday
determined after
the morning’s shootaround … Carlos Delfino(notes) (neck, jaw) is doing better
and will probably play Tuesday … Kendrick Perkins(notes) (knee tendinitis) "should"
play when the Celtics return to the court Wednesday but he’s
anything but a sure thing at this point … Randy Foye(notes) is out
for the season because of a torn ligament in his left wrist.

—

Photos via Getty Images

Setting the stage for Week 23 of the fantasy basketball season.

Schedule Breakdown

Four-game teams: CHA, DAL, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIL, NJN, NOR, NYK, OKC, PHO, SAS, TOR, WAS

Three-game
teams: ATL, BOS, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, GSW, IND, MEM, MIA, MIN, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC, UTH

Five
best schedules: Washington (@HOU, @NOR, CHI, NJN), Toronto (@CHA, LAC, @PHI, GSW), New Orleans (LAL, WAS, @MEM, @NJN), New Jersey (SAS, PHO, NOR, @WAS), Oklahoma City (@PHI, @BOS, @DAL, MIN)

Five worst schedules: Cleveland (MIL, ATL, @BOS), Minnesota (SAC, MIA, @OKC), Detroit (MIA, PHO, @ATL), Boston (OKC, HOU, CLE), Atlanta (LAL, @CLE, DET)

Also
see: Basketball
Monster’s team
schedules and ease
rankings | Rotowire’s value
meter

Team schedules through end of season:

10
games: CHA (4,4,2), HOU (4,4,2), MIL (4,4,2), NYK (4,4,2), OKC (4,4,2), SAS
(4,4,2), TOR (4,4,2), WAS (4,4,2)

9 games: ATL (3,4,2), BOS (3,4,2), CHI
(3,4,2), DAL (4,3,2), DET (3,4,2), GSW (3,4,2), LAC (4,3,2), LAL (4,3,2), MEM (3,4,2), NJN (4,3,2), PHI (3,4,2), PHO (4,3,2)

8 games: CLE (3,4,1), DEN (3,3,2), IND (3,3,2), MIA (3,3,2), MIN (3,3,2), NOR (4,3,1), ORL
(3,3,2), POR (3,3,2), SAC (3,3,2), UTH (3,3,2)

Pickups/Plug-ins –
Players owned in
fewer than 40% of Yahoo! leagues

**Note: below is a collection of notable players with ownership levels under 40 percent. Whether or not an individual player makes sense for your roster depends on who you’d be dropping, team needs, and your opponent’s strengths/weaknesses in the upcoming matchup. Please post your specific questions in the comments section below.

Contributors: Jason Maxiell(notes) (25%), Reggie Williams(notes) (28%), James Singleton(notes) (14%), Terrence Williams(notes) (21%), C.J. Miles(notes) (15%), Wesley Matthews(notes) (14%), Delonte West(notes) (23%)

Fringe options or category specialists: Yi Jianlian(notes) (30%), Matt Barnes(notes) (24%), Bill Walker(notes) (7%), Jonas Jerebko(notes) (21%), J.J. Hickson(notes) (16%)

Deeper options and speculative adds: Luke Ridnour(notes) (26%), Kyle Lowry(notes) (9%), Nicolas Batum(notes) (19%), Serge Ibaka(notes) (8%), Jason Kapono(notes) (2%), Jannero Pargo(notes) (1%), Earl Watson(notes) (20%), Eric Maynor(notes) (2%), Carlos Arroyo(notes) (3%), Louis Amundson(notes) (1%)

Status Updates

•
Andrew Bynum(notes) – The Lakers are hopeful that Bynum will be able to return to the active roster as soon as Friday, although his specific status won’t be known until later in the week.

•
Vince Carter(notes) – VC sprained his right ankle on Friday and did not practice Saturday but is expected to be in the lineup Sunday.

•
Carlos Delfino(notes) – All tests on Delfino’s head and neck were negative and he’s currently listed as day-to-day for the Bucks. He did not play in Sunday’s game.

•
Monta Ellis(notes) – Ellis has been dealing with the flu for much of the past week and it will finally cost him a game on Sunday. The Warriors are then off until Tuesday, which should be enough time for Ellis to get closer to 100 percent.

•
Tyreke Evans(notes) – Evans (concussion) missed his fifth consecutive game Sunday and his status for Week 23 will be determined after he is re-evaluated on Monday.

•
Randy Foye(notes) – Foye missed Saturyda’s game because of a bone cyst and damage to the tendons in his left wrist and is likely to be shut down. He’ll have an MRI Monday to determine the specifics of his injuries, but it’s not looking good as of right now.

•
Francisco Garcia(notes) – Garcia was limited to six minutes Friday because of a sore right wrist and was not in the lineup Sunday. His official designation is day-to-day.

•
Marc Gasol(notes) – Gasol was back in the starting lineup Sunday after missing five games with a neck strain.

•
Spencer Hawes(notes) – Hawes was limited to eight minutes Friday because of a lower back strain and was not in the lineup Sunday. He’s being called day-to-day at this point.

•
Brendan Haywood(notes) – Haywood started but played just nine minutes Saturday because of a jammed finger. The injury does not appear to be serious and he was likely held out for the remainder of the game because of matchup purposes against the Warriors as anything.

•
Andrei Kirilenko(notes) – AK sat out Saturday’s game after aggravating his calf injury on Friday. He’ll undergo an MRI Sunday to determine the extent of the injury and it’s likely that he’ll need at least a few more days off before he can return. He’s missed seven of the last nine games and has aggravated injuries in the two games that he did play.

•
Robin Lopez(notes) – Lopez will miss all of Week 23 because of bulging disks in his back and possibly more.

•
Kevin Martin(notes) – Martin has missed the past two games with a sore left shoulder and is day-to-day in advance of the Rockets’ next game (Tue, WAS). 

•
Jameer Nelson(notes) – Nelson has been bothered by a sore right thumb and did not practice Saturday but expects to be in the lineup Sunday.

•
Jermaine O’Neal(notes) – O’Neal played just seven minutes Friday because of a hyper-extended right knee and is questionable for Sunday.

•
Kendrick Perkins(notes) – Perkins has been dealing with knee tendinitis, did not play Friday, and will likely be held out of Sunday’s game as well, although Doc Rivers said that he "may" play.

•
Al Thornton(notes) – Thornton has missed the past two games with a strained hip flexor and could be out a while.  Alonzo Gee(notes) got the starts during the past two games, averaging 12.5 points, 1 three, and 1.5 steals in 30 minutes. 

•
Hedo Turkoglu(notes) – Turkoglu missed Friday’s game because of a stomach illness and will be a game-time decision Sunday.

•
Andersen Varejao – Varejao was not active Sunday because of a sore left hamstring. He’s day-to-day in advance of the Cavs’ next game (Wed, MIL).

•
Louis Williams(notes) – Williams is still dealing with his lower back injury and remains out indefinitely. 

—

Photos via Getty Images

Tyreke Evans will miss the rest of Week 23 after experiencing dizziness during Thursday’s practice.

• Tyreke Evans (concussion) experienced dizziness while attempting to practice Thursday and is out for at least the Kings’ next two games (Fri @BOS, Sun @ CLE). Here’t what Evans himself had to say:

"I just felt weak, a little lightheaded. I was going for
like an hour until we started playing five-on-five, and I started to
feel a headache."

He’ll be re-evaluated Monday, ahead of an excellent back-to-back from a matchup perspective (Tue @IND, Wed @MIN). If you are perched on the precipice in your current h2h matchup, then you may have to cut Evans for a warm body. In most cases, cutting Evans will only net you one game, since it’s already Friday, but make note that three teams play back-to-backs on Saturday/Sunday (CHI, GSW, POR) when perusing your free agent list.

If you aren’t in a position to lose anything by rostering Evans at least through his re-evaluation, then I suggest that you do so. Francisco Garcia will continue to start for Evans, and he’s averaged 11 points, 1.3 threes, 3.7 boards, 1 steal, and 2 blocks over the past three games. Those are not must-add numbers at this point, but add him to your Watch List in the event that he’s still starting when that favorable back-to-back rolls around. Beno Udrih should continue to post good lines with Evans out (19 points, 56% FG, 1.3 threes, 6.3 boards, 10.7 assists, 3.3 turnovers, 1.7 steals over the past three games), although the next two matchups are anything but easy.

• Andrew Bogut is "likely" to miss Friday’s game because of a mid-back strain. Scott Skiles called the injury nothing serious but sore enough that he won’t play. As of this post going live, Bogut had yet to officially be declared out, so be sure to follow up closer to game-time. Kurt Thomas will get the start at center, and Ersan Ilyasova may also be out (flu, questionable), so Luc Richard Mbah a Moute should log plenty of minutes. 

• Al Thornton is questionable for Friday’s game because of a strained left hip flexor, suffered on Wednesday. He’ll be at much less than 100 percent if he remains active, and Alonzo Gee has already been named to the starting lineup in his place.

• Kevin Martin missed Thursday’s game because of a nagging shoulder injury and has been designated with the dreaded day-to-day label. The Rockets are off Friday and play once over the next three days (Sat LAL), so the team may look to hold him out. Keep an eye out for a specific update on Friday. Chase Budinger would get another start (29 minutes, 14 points, 2 threes Friday) if Martin is again inactive, and Kyle Lowry would also see more playing time (30 minutes, 14 points). 

• He played just 19 minutes on Wednesday for the same reason … There’s a chance that Jarrett Jack will replace Jose Calderon in the starting lineup Friday, mostly for defensive reasons. Calderon is already a fringe option in standard leagues even if he continues to start – over the past five games, he’s averaged just 7.8 points on 38-percent shooting in 24 minutes, although some other numbers have been solid (5.4 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 1.6 steals). The one reason to have some hope for Calderon is his favorable schedule next week (@CHA, LAC, @PHI, GSW).

• Will Bynum will continue to start for the Pistons at point guard, as John Kuester said the team is "still weighing everything" while having lost six consecutive games. It may not have a huge impact on playing time as it is, as Bynum played 17 minutes (11 points, 1 three, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal) to Rodney Stuckey’s 32 (11 points, 1 three, 6 fouls) on Tuesday.

• Notes from Wednesday’s games: Taj Gibson (29 minutes, 12 points, 10 boards, 1 steal, 1 block) is playing like his plantar fasciitis has suddenly improved … I give Chris Kaman (25 minutes, 4 points, 12 boards, 2 blocks) credit for staying healthy, but he’s been pretty marginal when it comes to production for a while now … Don’t read too much into Craig Smith’s performance (25 minutes, 25 points, 10 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks), as he’d totaled 13 points over the team’s previous five games … Brendan Haywood got all the playing time (35 minutes, 8 points, 8 boards, 4 blocks) despite coming off the bench behind Erick Dampier (8 minutes) and will produce regardless of role.

• Friday’s other game-time decisions: Andrei Kirilenko (calf), Hedo Turkoglu (stomach flu),
Louis Williams (back), Terrence
Williams (ankle), and Roy Hibbert (jaw).

—

Photos via Getty Images

James Singleton(notes) could be headed for the starting five in the wake of his monster Wednesday line.

• Flip Saunders said he’ll probably
have to start James Singleton after his 19 points and 21 boards in
35 minutes on Wednesday.

"The only bright spot we had [Wednesday] was James. He was unbelievable. We probably have to start him. He’s playing too good.
We’ve been in a situation here, where you’re trying to evaluate players.
But at some point, you have to still evaluate, but you have to reward
the guys that are doing things and producing in a limited time and give
them the minutes."

The obvious candidate for the bench is JaVale
McGee(notes), since Andray Blatche(notes) apparently can
do no wrong. In the 10 games where he’s seen at least 25 minutes of
playing time with the Wizards, Singleton has averaged 8.8 points, 9.5
boards, and 1.6 blocks. He certainly becomes a player of interest in all
formats as a starter – his career per-36s include 10.6 points, 0.4 threes, 10.1 boards, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks. McGee’s inconsistent fantasy contributions don’t
figure to improve in a reserve role, and he’s largely expendable at this
point.

• Andrew Bynum(notes) (Achilles) is apparently feeling better but it still appears that he’s going to be out another week or so. Phil Jackson was fairly non-committal when it came to projecting an early return to the active roster.

• Dwyane Wade(notes) (quad), Jermaine O’Neal(notes) (ankle), and Udonis Haslem(notes) (ankle) all were at least partial participants in the Heat’s Wednesday practice and expect to be active on Thursday. 

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) (calf) played it safe Wednesday but expects to be back in the lineup on Friday. We won’t know for sure until game-time, however.

• Tyreke Evans(notes) (concussion) will practice with the Kings Thursday and, if all goes well, he’s expected to be active on Friday. The final decision will be left up to team doctors.

• Roy Hibbert(notes) missed Wednesday’s game with a sprained jaw but is expected to be in the lineup Friday. Josh McRoberts(notes) filled in admirably at center against the Wizards, collecting 14 points, 12 boards, one steal, and two blocks in 20 minutes.

• Tony Parker’s(notes) broken shooting hand is healing more quickly than expected, but a best-case scenario still remains returning for just a few regular season games.

• Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) will not replace J.J. Hickson(notes) as the Cavs’ starting center, and Mike Brown’s goal for Big Z is to get him around 20 minutes per game as a reserve. That means his season averages (20 minutes, 7.4 points, 5.3 boards, 0.7 blocks) aren’t likely to change for the better during the fantasy stretch run. In his first game back, Ilgauskas played 17 minutes (1 point, 3 boards) while Hickson played 26 (20 points, 9 boards).

• Marc Gasol(notes) (neck) is targeting Sunday for his return. 

• Terrence Williams(notes) hopes to play Friday but he’s due for more tests on his foot and ankle Thursday:

"The MRI said I need a CAT scan. A little piece fell off in my foot but I
could have played [Wednesday]."I was running in my house [so I]
hopefully try to play [Friday]."

I have no idea what the phrase "a little piece fell off in my foot" means, but he certainly doesn’t sound concerned with the extent of the injury.

• Hedo Turkoglu(notes) played just 19 minutes Wednesday because of a stomach illness and is day-to-day.

• There’s nothing to read into the Bucks’ minutes distribution Wednesday – like Andrew Bogut(notes) only getting 20 – other than it was a bad night for the team all around. They were down to the 76ers by five after one quarter, by 13 after two, and by 18 after three.

• James Harden(notes) was big in his first game back from a hamstring injury (26 minutes, 23 points, 3 treys, 2 steals, 1 block) but it was a blowout win and the Rockets went small, perfect conditions for his sixth man role. My opinion hasn’t changed much: I really like him as a player, but he’s too inconsistent off the bench and Thabo Sefolosha’s(notes) defense means his role isn’t going to change this season.

—

Photos via Getty Images

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. 

—

Photos via Getty Images

Setting the stage for Week 22 of the fantasy basketball season.

Schedule Breakdown

Four-game teams: ATL, BOS, CHI, DAL, DEN, GSW, HOU, IND, MIA, MIL, MIN, NJN, OKC, ORL, SAC, SAS, TOR, UTH, WAS

Three-game teams: CHA, CLE, DET, LAC, LAL, MEM, NOR, PHI, PHO, POR

Two-game teams: NYK

Five best schedules: Orlando (@PHI, @ATL, MIN, DEN), Golden State (PHO, MEM, DAL, @LAC), Dallas (@NOR, LAC, @POR, @GSW), Phoenix (@GSW, NYK, @MIN), Charlotte (@WAS, MIN, WAS)

Five worst schedules: Philadelphia (ORL, @MIL, ATL), New York (DEN, @PHO), New Orleans (DAL, CLE, POR), LA Lakers (@SAS, @OKC, @HOU), San Antonio (@OKC, LAL, CLE, @BOS)

Also see: Basketball
Monster’s team
schedules and ease
rankings | Rotowire’s value
meter

Team schedules through end of season:

14
games: HOU (4,4,4,2), MIL (4,4,4,2), OKC (4,4,4,2), SAS (4,4,4,4,2), TOR (4,4,4,2), WAS (4,4,4,4,2)

13
games: ATL (4,3,4,2), BOS (4,3,4,2), CHA (3,4,4,2), CHI
(4,3,4,2), DAL (4,4,3,2), GSW (4,3,4,2), NJN (4,4,3,2)

12 games: DEN (4,3,3,2), DET
(3,3,4,2), IND (4,3,3,2), LAC (3,4,3,2), LAL (3,4,3,2), MEM (3,3,4,2), MIA (4,3,3,2), MIN (4,3,3,2), NYK
(2,4,4,2), ORL
(4,3,3,2), PHI (3,3,4,2), PHO
(3,4,3,2), SAC (4,3,3,2), UTH (4,3,3,2)

11
games: CLE (3,3,4,1), NOR (3,4,3,1), POR (3,3,3,2)

Pickups/Plug-ins –
Players owned in
fewer than 40% of Yahoo! leagues

**Note: Once again, I’ve called out a number of notable
players under 40-percent ownership. Whether or not you should consider
any one of these players depends on team needs and who you’d be
dropping, so the specifics of your particular situation are likely to be
better addressed in the comments section.

• James Johnson(notes) – He’s averaged 12.2
points, 1 three, 4.7 boards, 1.2 steals, and 1.5 blocks in six starts
and is locked into the starting five now that Luol Deng(notes) has had a
setback (see below). Week 22: HOU, MIA, NJN, @DET

• Toney Douglas(notes) – Douglas has averaged 16.8 points on 54-percent shooting, 2.2 threes, 3.2 boards, 3.5 assists, 2 turnovers, and 1.5 steals in his six starts at point guard and is all but guaranteed the spot for the rest of the year. H2h owners will only get two games from him this week, but four next week. Week 22: DEN, @PHO

• Jonas Jerebko(notes) – He’s been an
underrated source of steady and diverse production. In 10 March games,
he’s averaged 11.7 points, 0.5 threes, 8 boards, 1.7 steals, and 0.5
blocks in 30 minutes. Week 22: IND, @NJN, CHI

• Jason Maxiell(notes) – Maxiell went for 16 points, nine boards, and a block on Sunday
as Ben Wallace(notes) sat because of knee pain. Maxiell should remain the
starter the rest of the way, regardless of Big Ben’s specific
availability. Week 22: IND, @NJN, CHI

• Wesley Matthews(notes) – Averages over the past eight games: 30 minutes, 13 points, 55% FG, 100% FT, 1.3 threes, and 1.6 steals. Week 22: BOS, @TOR, @IND, @WAS

• Anthony Tolliver(notes) – Tolliver has
been very inconsistent but continues to play plenty for Don Nelson. In
11 games during March, he’s averaged 12 points on 38-percent shooting,
1.8 threes, 6.7 boards, 2.7 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 0.9 steals, and 1.1
blocks in 35 minutes. Week 22: PHO, MEM, DAL, @LAC

• Terrence
Williams(notes) – Williams has averaged 13 points, 7.5 boards, 3.5 assists, 3
turnovers, and 1.5 steals in two games since moving into the starting
five, but also shot just 33 percent from the field and 67 percent from
the line.Week 22: MIA, SAC, DET, CHI

• Francisco Garcia(notes) – He filled in
admirably for Tyreke Evans(notes) on Sunday (37 minutes, 16 points, 2 threes,
1 steal, 1 block) and has playing fairly consistent minutes lately (26
per game in March). Obviously he would be in for more usage if Tyreke
Evans’ injury situation ends up to be worse than it appears (see
below). Week 22: MEM, @NJN, @BOS, @CLE

• Delonte West(notes) – Looks to be all the
way back from a knee sprain and has averaged 13.8 points on 49-percent
shooting, 3.9 assists, 1.6 turnovers, and 1 steal over his past eight
games. Week 22: @NOR, @SAS, SAC

• Reggie Williams(notes) – Has averaged
17.3 points on 54-percent shooting, 2.3 threes, 5.7 boards, 3 assists,
1.7 turnovers, and 1.3 steals in 33 minutes over the past three games,
and even got the start on Saturday at small forward. Disclaimer: he’s a
Warrior, so expectations need to be fluid. Week 22: PHO, MEM, DAL, @LAC

• Robin Lopez(notes) – Lopez had a big game Friday (34 minutes, 19 points, 10 boards, 4 blocks) but it was his first outburst in almost a month. In 28 starts, he’s averaged 11.6 points on 60-percent shooting, 6.4 boards, and 1.2 blocks.Week 22: @GSW, NYK, @MIN

• Nicolas Batum(notes) – Batum has been
very inconsistent but reasonably productive overall as a starter (11.5
points, 55% FG, 1.8 threes, 0.7 steals, 0.9 blocks in 13 games). Week 22: DAL, @NOR, @OKC

• Bill Walker(notes) – Will see an uptick
in playing time with Wilson Chandler(notes) sidelined (see below) and would
also benefit if T-Mac were to shut it down any time soon. Week 22: DEN, @PHO

• C.J. Miles(notes) – Averaging 12.4
points, 1.3 threes, and 2 steals in March and would be a major
benefactor if Andrei Kirilenko(notes) stays gimpy (see below). Week 22: BOS, @TOR, @IND, @WAS

• JaVale McGee(notes) – He’s averaged 2.5 blocks over the past four games, but just 6.5 points and 22 minutes, as well. Week 22: CHA, @IND, @CHA, UTH

• Taj Gibson(notes) – Gibson followed up a huge game on Friday (20 points, 13 boards, 3 steals, 1 block) with more modest numbers Saturday (7 points, 7 boards, 1 block) and his nagging plantar fasciitis makes him a less-than-ideal option. Week 22: HOU, MIA, NJN, @DET

• Ersan Ilyasova(notes) – Ilyasova has made
some noise over the past two games (13 points, 1 three, 10.5 boards in
33 minutes) and the Bucks have a four-game week. Luc Richard Mbah a
Moute(notes) seemed locked in at power forward, but it’s at least worth
watching. Week 22: ATL, PHI, MIA, MEM

• Hasheem Thabeet(notes) – Only viable
if/when Marc Gasol(notes) sits, but how much longer Gasol will need has yet to
be determined (see below). Week 22: @SAC, @GSW, @MIL

• Ryan Gomes(notes) – A pretty boring option but he gets steady minutes and the T-Wolves have a four-game week. Week 22: TOR, @CHA, @ORL, PHO

• Earl Watson(notes) – Watson comes with well-defined strengths and weaknesses. In 10 games during March, he’s averaged 8 points, 0.8 threes, 5.6 assists, 3 turnovers, and 1.9 steals in 31 minutes. Week 22: @DET, WAS, UTH, @ATL

• James Singleton(notes) – It’s really a coin toss as to what you’ll get from him on any given night. Week 22: CHA, @IND, @CHA, UTH

Status Updates

• Andrew Bynum(notes) – Bynum is expected to miss the next six games as he recovers from a strained left Achilles’ tendon. That timeline puts a serious damper on his fantasy impact [schedule], and as of this point he’s scheduled for a re-evaluation next Thursday (April 1). He’s "hoping" to be back in the lineup on April 2, but it will depend on how quickly the injury heals. Lamar Odom(notes) stands to benefit from Bynum missing time.

• Wilson Chandler – Chandler’s season may or may not be over, but he’s certainly going to miss the next week to 10 days as he rests a strained groin that has been bothering him for the past six weeks. There is little to be gained by bringing Chandler back at this point, especially with Bill Walker being perfectly capable of filling in.

• Luol Deng – Deng has suffered a setback in his return from a right calf strain and is now expected to miss two to three more weeks, and possibly the remainder of the regular season. This news means that he’s droppable and James Johnson merits consideration in most formats.

• Tyreke Evans – Evans has a slight concussion, bruised jaw, gum laceration, and chipped teeth, but he does not have a fractured jaw. He didn’t play Sunday but what happens beyond that won’t be known until after he is re-evaluated on Monday. It does at least appear that he’s avoided any injury that would cost him significant time. Regardless, his fantasy owners should stay tuned for the results of his re-evaluation.

• Marc Gasol – Gasol has missed the past three games because of a slight tear in the muscle in the left side of his collarbone, and his immediate status remains murky. He’s officially day-to-day, but this seems like the kind of situation that could drag out a bit. Hasheem Thabeet has averaged 7.3 points, 8.3 boards, and 2.3 blocks in 22 minutes during his three starts.  

• Andrei Kirilenko
– AK has missed four of the past five games due to a left calf strain and his status for Monday is unknown at this point. C.J. Miles has averaged 18 points, 1.5 threes, 4 assists, 1 turnover, and 1.5 steals in 33 minutes over the past two games in AK’s spot in the starting five.

• Kenyon
Martin(notes)
– Martin (knee) is still a ways away from any kind of meaningful basketball activity and remains likely to have already made his final fantasy contributions of the season.

•
Joakim Noah(notes)
– Noah played nine minutes on Saturday (7 points, 4 boards) and the plan for now is to keep him in the neighborhood of 10 minutes per game. It’s unlikely that he’ll be helping fantasy owners in standard leagues any time soon.

• Lamar Odom – Odom is due to join the Lakers’ starting five while Andrew Bynum is sidelined, but he’s not 100 percent himself. His left shoulder has been bothering him since an injury on February 18, and he’s said that he doesn’t expect to shoot or rebound well in the short-term.

• Mehmet Okur(notes) – Okur missed Saturday’s game with a stomach illness – he had arrived at the arena for the game but was sent home to rest and recuperate. He seems likely to return on Monday, but that is only speculation at this point.

• Jermaine O’Neal(notes) – O’Neal missed Saturday’s game with a sprained left ankle and is day-to-day. 

•
Chris
Paul(notes) – Paul is hoping to return to the lineup on Monday, but we won’t know for sure until at least after the team’s morning activities. Jeff Bower says he’s "very close." The Hornets have three games in Week 22 (Mon DAL, Wed CLE, Sat POR).

• Louis Williams(notes) – Williams played only 12 minutes Saturday because of lower back tightness and has only averaged 17 minutes over the past three games. His status for Monday won’t be determined until game day, and Willie Green(notes) would be the beneficiary if he were to miss a game (or more) [schedule].

• Thaddeus Young(notes) – Young is out indefinitely with a right thumb fracture and seems a lock to miss most of Week 22 at the least. It’s his non-shooting hand, but the 76ers have no real reason to rush him back.

—

Photos
via Getty Images

D.Granger, G.Wallace, and R.Stuckey were back on the court, but it wasn’t all good news on Friday.

• Rodney Stuckey(notes) (27 minutes, 25 points, 2 threes, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals) and Ben Wallace(notes) (24 minutes, 1 points, 7 boards, 3 steals, 1 block) returned to the lineup for the Pistons Friday, both coming off the bench. Stuckey’s presence should largely remove Will Bynum(notes) (21 minutes, 9 points, 4 assists, 1 turnover) from fantasy consideration, while Wallace’s return coincided with the end of a string of double-doubles for Jason Maxiell(notes) (27 minutes, 10 points, 5 boards, 2 blocks). Maxiell certainly has a reasonable chance to hold on to the starting job, but expectations for minutes should come down from the 30-plus he’s been seeing nightly.

• Danny Granger(notes) was a late addition to the Pacers’ starting lineup Friday, as he was cleared to return by team doctors after an examination following the team’s morning shootaround. Whew. He was very productive in the game (39 minutes, 29 points, 2 threes, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 steals) and looks to be fine moving forward.

• Gerald Wallace(notes) returned after three games to deal with a left ankle sprain and had a great line (43 minutes, 20 points, 1 three, 16 boards, 3 steals, 1 block), and there was much rejoicing … Theo Ratliff’s(notes) solid play (31 minutes, 9 boards, 3 blocks) kept Tyrus Thomas(notes) from logging major minutes (20 minutes, 11 points, 4 boards).

• Joe Johnson(notes) was back in the starting five for the Hawks after two games off while dealing with a sore Achilles. He had some good and bad in terms of numbers (41 minutes, 18 points, 7 of 21 FG, 1 three, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, 3 steals) but nobody is complaining about having him back.

• Tyreke Evans(notes) left the game against the Bucks late after taking
an elbow to the mouth and then falling to the floor. What we know is
that he has a concussion, gum laceration, and chipped tooth and has
already been declared out
for Sunday’s game. What we don’t know yet is if he has a fractured
jaw, and he’ll undergo X-rays Saturday in order to make a determination.
Francisco Garcia(notes), Donte Greene(notes), and Omir Casspi will share his minutes
for as long as he ends up being out. 

• Another tough night for the Raptors, as they were down 14 to
the Thunder after the first quarter, down by 27 after the second, and
down by 32 after the third. Understandably, Jay Triano went 12 deep in
the rotation and only gave Chris Bosh(notes) (30 minutes, 22 points, 10 boards,
1 block) anything resembling starter’s minutes. The Bulls would be
looking at the eighth spot in the East if they could win any games at
all – Toronto (33-34) is 2-8 over the past ten games, but the Bulls
(31-37) have now lost 10 straight.

• Kevin Love(notes) put his issues
behind him Friday and posted a strong line (36 minutes, 19 points, 1
three, 11 boards, 4 assists, 2 turnovers) after two down games. The big
minutes were obviously a key and let’s just hope Kurt Rambis does
nothing but keep them coming. And no, I don’t think we’re in for more
double-doubles from Darko Milicic(notes) (29 minutes, 16 points, 12 boards, 1
steal, 1 block).

• Plenty of notables in the Knicks’ 92-88 win over the 76ers, including but not necessarily limited to: another solid showing for Jrue Holiday(notes) (42 minutes, 15 points, 2 threes, 8 boards, 2 steals) … another start for Willie Green(notes) (29 minutes, 3 points, 1 of 7 FG) at the expense of Louis Williams(notes) (21 minutes, 14 points, 3 assists, 0 turnovers, 1 steal) … although the counting stats have been fine, it was another bad shooting night from Andre Iguodala(notes) (7 of 20 FG, 0 of 4 3PT, 3 of 6 FT) and his percentages are 38/14/60 over the past eight games … Tracy McGrady(notes) was awful (29 minutes, 0 points, 0 of 7 FG) while Danilo Gallinari(notes) was great (44 minutes, 25 points, 2 threes) … Toney Douglas(notes) was solid despite foul trouble (24 minutes, 22 points, 4 threes, 5 boards, 2 steals), while Bill Walker(notes) was solid despite not starting (33 minutes, 15 points, 3 threes, 2 steals) … David Lee(notes) was a late scratch for the Knicks because of right knee tendinitis and is listed as day-to-day. Jonathan Bender(notes) got the start in his place but broke a bone in his hand after nine minutes of action.

• For the Bulls: Luol Deng(notes) will be out at least another two weeks after suffering a setback in his recovery from a right calf strain. That makes him expendable in most leagues and makes James Johnson(notes) a player of interest in all formats. Johnson was solid again on Friday (36 minutes, 16 points, 1 three, 8 boards, 2 steals, 1 block) and should be in line for heavy minutes for as long as Deng is out. Over the past five games, Johnson has averaged 12.8 points on 57-percent shooting, 1 three, 4.8 boards, 1 steals, and 1.8 blocks in 32 minutes … Taj Gibson(notes) played like his plantar fasciitis wasn’t bothering him (36 minutes, 20 points, 13 boards, 3 steals, 1 block) but all reports are that it most certainly is … Neither Derrick Rose(notes) (wrist) nor Joakim Noah(notes) (plantar fasciitis) were in the lineup for the Bulls Friday, but all indications are that both will be on Saturday. Keep in mind that Noah will be in for very limited minutes if he does actually return.

• The Spurs steamrolled the Warriors 147-116, so Gregg Popovich gave at least 18 minutes to six reserves and got plenty
of rest for his regulars. Manu Ginobili(notes) had 23 points and 11 assists in just 22 minutes, while Tim Duncan(notes) crammed 17 points, six boards, and five assists into just 14 minutes … Stephen Curry(notes) missed his second straight game because of a left ankle sprain and his status for Saturday is currently unknown. 

• Carlos Delfino(notes) returned from a left ankle injury and played
huge minutes in the double-overtime win over the Kings (47 minutes, 10
points, 1 three, 4 boards). Brandon Jennings(notes), John Salmons(notes), and Andrew
Bogut(notes) combined for 143 minutes, 83 points, 11 threes, 23 boards, 14
assists, eight turnovers, five steals, and two blocks. 

• Jordan Hill’s(notes) line from Friday certainly jumps out at you (27 minutes, 11 points, 7 boards, 5 blocks) but he had played 102 minutes over the past five games without blocking a shot and his averages over the past six are still fairly modest (22 minutes, 8.8 points, 54% FG, 6.8 boards, 0.8 blocks). 

• Injury info for the Jazz: Deron Williams(notes) is playing hurt and sat out the fourth quarter after 31 so-so minutes (4 of 14 FG, 6 assists, 3 turnovers) … Andrei Kirilenko(notes) sat because of his calf injury and his status for Saturday is unknown at this point … Mehmet Okur(notes) lasted only 12 minutes in the game because of a stomach illness and received IV fluids during the second half.

• A big night for James Singleton(notes) (36 minutes, 10 points, 16 boards, 1 steal), and he’s the reason JaVale McGee(notes) doesn’t need to play a ton these days. McGee saw just 23 minutes of action Friday, but he they were a productive 23 (9 points, 9 boards, 3 blocks).

• A few Saturday status updates: Both Devin Harris(notes) (illness) and Yi Jianlian(notes) (ankle) are expected to be back in the lineup for the Nets on Saturday … Nothing specific on Marc Gasol(notes) (neck), as he’s still listed as day-to-day, but he did not practice Friday. 

—

Photos via Getty Images

D.Granger’s fantasy owners are seeing their season flash before their eyes, while K.Love’s are wondering what Kurt Rambis’ deal is.

• Danny Granger(notes) missed Wednesday’s game and is out indefinitely after taking a hard elbow to the cheek on Tuesday. A CT scan of his head and neck came back negative but the team is taking no chances and "will evaluate him on a day-to-day basis." This is obviously gut-wrenching for his fantasy owners, but I can’t condone a drop in standard leagues before waiting at least a few days for more specifics. Dahntay Jones(notes) started Wednesday (29 minutes, 10 points, 6 boards, 1 steal) and certainly looks like a decent short-term play [schedule] if you have a roster spot in play. Granger owners: keep your fingers crossed and update your Watch List in the event that a move will eventually be necessary.

• Wilson Chandler(notes) has shut it down in an effort to rest a nagging groin injury that first occurred in mid-January. Although his season hasn’t officially ended, neither he nor the Knicks are interested in risking a major injury while playing out the string for this disaster of a team. Here’s a telling Mike D’Antoni quote:

"He will take as long it needs," D’Antoni said. "He needs to have a good
summer of work. We don’t want to rush him back and risk any injury. I’m
hoping two, three weeks. But if it’s the rest of the year, it’s the
rest of the year."

Fantasy owners that were only going to get two games from Chandler next week as it was [schedule] and he’s droppable in standard leagues. Bill Walker(notes) is next in line on the depth chart – he started Wednesday but dealt with foul trouble (23 minutes, 8 points, 4 fouls). His career per-36s are useful (14.8 points, 0.8 threes, 4.2 boards, 1 steal) and he showed in college and the D-League that he can at least score.

Chandler had been averaging 38 minutes since the All-Star break, so we’re talking about substantial minutes being up for grabs. If T-Mac were to shut it down at some point, it would mean even more available minutes for players like Walker and Toney Douglas(notes). Even Eddie House(notes) is hurting right now. With the Knicks only playing two games (DEN, @PHO), you can’t plan on much more than 30 points, two threes, eight boards, and two steals this coming week. If it comes to it, you can drop him on Friday for someone with a Saturday game and still get a three-game week from the roster spot. Week 23 brings four games (@UTH, @POR, @GSW, @LAC), so both he and Douglas will be factors at that point.

• Chris Paul(notes) is getting closer to a return, and his current targets are either Saturday (@UTH) or Monday (DAL). Figure on the trio of Paul, Darren Collison(notes), and Marcus Thornton(notes) monopolizing the minutes at both guard spots moving forward, and there’s room for all three players to produce even after Paul gets back. All three players should fall between the high 20s and mid 30s on any given night.

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) lasted just 17 minutes (9 points, 1 steal, 1 block) Wednesday before aggravating a left calf injury that had cost him the previous two games. He left the arena in a walking boot and will be re-evaluated before the team’s back-to-back on Friday/Saturday (@PHO, NOR). He’s officially day-to-day, but there’s certainly a chance that he won’t be able to go Friday. C.J. Miles(notes) and Kyle Korver(notes) stand to benefit for as long as AK is less than 100% … Deron Williams(notes) is also banged up. He came down awkwardly on his left ankle early in Wednesday’s game and then aggravated a left shoulder injury late in the game. He’ll have a precautionary MRI on the shoulder Thursday but isn’t expected to miss any time as of yet.

• Stephen Curry(notes) missed Wednesday’s game with a sprained left ankle and is day-to-day. He was a late scratch, as he didn’t feel right shortly before game-time despite no problems at shootaround earlier in the day. We’ll need to see a Friday update before we know his status for the Warriors’ upcoming back-to-back (Fri @SAS, Sat @MEM). C.J. Watson(notes) and Reggie Williams(notes) are both viable options with Curry out. 

• Luol Deng(notes) suffered a set-back while testing his calf injury and was limping noticeably on Wednesday. His original target was Saturday but that now appears to be in jeopardy, barring a sudden turnaround in two days. We don’t know exactly how much longer Deng will need to recover, but James Johnson(notes) (30 minutes, 13.3 points, 1.3 threes, 3.5 boards, 1 steal, 1.5 blocks in four starts) makes for a reasonable option for the team’s upcoming back-to-back (Fri CLE, Sat @PHI) and possibly beyond … Also for the Bulls: all involved parties are hopeful that both Derrick Rose(notes) (wrist) and Joakim Noah(notes) (plantar fasciitis) will return Saturday. Noah would see very limited minutes if he were able to return. And Taj Gibson(notes) keeps playing while his plantar fasciitis gets worse, making him a pretty risky option at this point.

•  If he believes that Kevin Love(notes) is healthy, then why did
Kurt Rambis play him for only 17 minutes in the team’s 22-point loss to
the Jazz? Could it be that some recent
comments rubbed Rambis the wrong way? This is how Rambis explained
what Love needs to be doing these days:

"He’s just got to continue to fight through with whatever
frustration
he’s feeling now. That’s what guys do at this level.
You’ve got to let go, move forward. Whatever is frustrating him, you let
it go and continue to do the things that are his strengths. "

What remains to be seen is if he’s allowed to move forward with
playing time commensurate to his place in the team’s talent depth chart.
If the current trend continues against the Lakers on Friday [schedule],
then his already tenuous relationship with fantasy owners may be pushed
to the brink.

• Carlos Delfino(notes) sat out Wednesday game with a left ankle bone bruise but would be "surprised" if he missed another [schedule], calling it "nothing big." Charlie Bell(notes) got the start Wednesday but was not a factor (24 minutes, 3 points). 

• Thaddeus Young(notes) is officially day-to-day with a right thumb fracture, but Eddie Jordan said that he didn’t expect him to play any earlier than a week from now. He’s waiver material in standard leagues. Jason Kapono(notes) (23 minutes, 10.7 points, 2 threes over the past three games) is in line for more playing time with Young out. 

• Marc Gasol(notes) has a slight tear in a muscle on the left side of his collarbone and appears likely to sit through the weekend, and possibly longer. Gasol had this to say:

"It’s kind of detached. Every time I try to stretch with
my arm and reach, it hurts pretty bad. Hopefully, it’s not
(season-ending). It’s a very painful thing, but we’re going to see how
it feels from day to day."

Hasheem Thabeet(notes) has averaged 9 points, 9.5 boards, and 3 blocks in two starts and could be a solid add if that season-ending talk suddenly turns less hopeful (and Thabeet then stays out of foul trouble). It’s worth noting that the Grizzlies only play four games in the next 12 days [schedule]. 

• For the Pistons: both Rodney Stuckey(notes) and Ben Wallace(notes) were full participants in Thursday’s practice and will be in the lineup Friday. Both players will come off the bench, meaning Will Bynum(notes) and Jason Maxiell(notes) will remain in the starting five. While Stuckey figures to start again very soon, the specific plans for Wallace remain up in the air. It’s doubtful that the Pistons would demote Maxiell if he continues his current level of production (five straight double-doubles), but Wallace’s contract is expiring and he’s something of a franchise icon.

• Game 1 for the "new-look" point guard situation in Toronto: Jose Calderon(notes) 28 minutes, 9 points, 1 three, 6 assists, 0 turnovers, 2 steals; Jarrett Jack(notes) 20 minutes, 7 points, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal. Jack’s fantasy potential has not completely disappeared, but he’s definitely on shaky ground at the moment.

• Devin Harris(notes) has missed the past two games with an upper respiratory infection but hopes to play on Saturday … Terrence Williams’(notes) first game as a starter had some good (33 minutes, 13 points, 7 boards, 1 steal) and some bad (4 of 16 FG, 3 turnovers), but that’s the exchange you have to be comfortable making. His recent performances have certainly been solid, but you can’t really white-wash his 39-percent shooting on the season. 

• Status quick-hitters: Gerald Wallace(notes) (ankle) has been medically cleared and will
play Friday … Joe Johnson(notes) (Achilles) remains questionable
for Friday. Maurice Evans(notes) (35 minutes, 16 points, 4 threes, 5 boards
Wednesday) would get another start if he can’t go … Andray Blatche’s(notes)
ankle sprain has been called mild and he
expects to play on Friday … Yes, Louis Williams(notes) anticipated a
return to the starting lineup as much as you did. Your move, Eddie
Jordan … Chris Andersen(notes) (finger, ankle) will "try"
to play Thursday.

—–

Photos via Getty Images

Bullet points from an NBA Tuesday for your viewing pleasure. Please post your specific questions in the comment section below.

• Thaddeus Young(notes) has a fractured right thumb and is out
indefinitely. The silver lining here is that it’s his non-shooting
hand, but he’s out Wednesday and certainly is immediately expendable if
your are fighting for your playoff/championship life and need an active
player. Young’s per-game rank is 109th over the past month, thanks to moderate averages across the board (31 minutes, 13.2 points, 50% FG, 74% FT, 0.7 threes, 5.1 boards, 1.2 assists, 1.8 turnovers, 1.4 steals, 0.3 blocks). The 76ers play three games in each of the next two weeks, so
you’ll have the opportunity to add another game or two to those totals in the
exchange. Jason Kapono(notes) and Rodney Carney(notes) figure to see more time in his absence … Also for the 76ers: Louis Williams(notes) missed Monday’s game
with back spasms and will be a
game-time decision Wednesday. 

• Joe Johnson(notes) missed Tuesday’s game with a sore Achilles and is also likely to miss Wednesday’s game. Jeff Teague(notes) got the start (20 minutes, 5 points) but Jamal Crawford(notes) (29 minutes, 25 points, 2 threes) and Maurice Evans(notes) (27 minutes, 12 points, 2 threes, 4 boards) were the ones that picked up the slack.

• Devin Harris(notes) missed Tuesday’s game with an upper respiratory
infection and we won’t know his status for Wednesday until closer to game time. Terrence Williams(notes) led the Nets in shot attempts (16, but only 5 makes) and turned in another useful line (32 minutes, 15 points, 6 boards, 4 assists, 2 turnovers) … Yi Jianlian(notes) has been out for 10 days with a high ankle
sprain and is still
a few days away from rejoining the Nets at practice. 

• While no official announcement has been made, all signs point to Jose Calderon(notes) being back in the starting lineup when the Raptors take the court on Wednesday. Before you annoint Calderon as the savior of your season and jettison Jack from your roster, keep in mind that this has been a true platoon all along. Jack has averaged 28 minutes since the All-Star break, while Calderon has been only slightly behind the pace at 26 per game, and it’s doubtful that either one is headed for a major swing despite the role change.

• Chris Paul(notes) has been ramping up his activities and it now appears that the latest he’ll return to the active roster will be Monday. He’s been running with no visible signs of a limp and the possibility remains that he could be activated by Thursday (@DEN) or Saturday (@UTH), but Monday’s home game (DAL) appears to be the more likely option.

• Gerald Wallace(notes) (ankle) will miss his third straight game Wednesday but hopes to return to the lineup on Friday.

• Mike Dunleavy reached double-figures for the first time in the month (28 minutes, 15 points, 3 treys, 4 boards) but only played as much as he did because Brandon Rush(notes) dealt with foul trouble (21 minutes, 4 points, 5 fouls). He might actually get another shot at numbers Wednesday, as Danny Granger(notes) will not play after taking an elbow to
the cheek late in Tuesday’s game.

• Michael Beasley(notes) returned from his bruised left thigh but was (presumably) still limited by the injury (19 minutes, 3 of 10 FG, 5 boards). 

• Another big night from Jason Maxiell(notes) (39 minutes, 10 points, 15 boards, 1 steal, 2 blocks), and that makes four double-doubles in a row. It’s hard to not recommend an add here, even though Ben Wallace’s(notes) status regarding his right knee remains vague … Rodney Stuckey(notes) could return
to practice with the Pistons Thursday and, if he has no set-backs,
could return to the lineup as early as Friday. Stuckey has said that he
wanted to get at least one practice in before he tried to return to game
action. 

• Delonte West(notes) was inactive Tuesday as a precaution. He suffered a knee sprain on Sunday against the Celtics, so he may have just been held out because the team is playing a back-to-back. Look for an update on his status Wednesday. Neither Anthony Parker(notes) (18 minutes, 7 points) nor Daniel Gibson(notes) (22 minutes, 5 points) did much in his absence.

• James Johnson(notes) didn’t get another start Tuesday because he was late
to Monday’s practice. With Derrick Rose(notes) (wrist), Kirk Hinrich(notes) (suspension) and Luol Deng(notes) (calf) all out, the Bulls went with Acie Law(notes) (32 minutes, 18 points), Jannero Pargo(notes) (36 minutes, 12 points, 8 assists, 5 turnovers), and Flip Murray(notes) (38 minutes, 25 points, 5 steals) as starters … Deng isn’t likely to play Wednesday, either. Rose won’t
know if he’ll be able to go Wednesday until gameday. Joakim Noah(notes)
has been running a little, but he appears to be at least another week
away and probably
more.

• Marc Gasol(notes) missed his first game of the season with a strained neck muscle and is day-to-day. Everyone’s favorite draft bust, Hasheem Thabeet(notes), made his first start and played a very productive 28 minutes (10 points, 9 boards, 2 blocks, +21). It may or may not comes as a surprise to you, but Thabeet is second only to JaVale McGee(notes) in blocks per 48 minutes (5.1) among players that average at least 10 minutes per game.

• Shaun Livingston(notes) (19 minutes, 4 points, 5 boards, 6 assists Tuesday) will likely continue to start ahead of Randy Foye(notes) (18 minutes, 2 points, 2 assists) the rest of the way, assuming his health allows, but he certainly won’t see big minutes and neither appears to be rosterable at this point … Alonzo Gee(notes) got run on Tuesday and turned in a decent line (27 minutes, 13 points, 2 threes, 10 boards, 2 steals). His D-League numbers can be found here.

• Andray Blatche(notes) left Tuesday’s game with an ankle sprain but expects to play Friday … JaVale McGee has now averaged 7.5 points on 45-percent shooting, 5.7 boards, and 1.2 blocks in 24 minutes over the past six games. The Wizards schedule is great and he’s still starting but those kinds of numbers probably aren’t going to put you over the top even in a competitive standard league.

• It’s tough to figure out the mess on the wings in Sacramento, particularly now that Andres Nocioni(notes) is back in the mix. The minutes were divvied up as follows on Tuesday: Nocioni 22, Francisco Garcia(notes) 21, Donte Greene(notes) 20, Omri Casspi(notes) 18. If this keeps up, then none of the involved parties are rosterable.

• This just in: the T-Wolves are bad. Have you ever seen so many +/- numbers in the teens and twenties in one box score?

• Jason Terry(notes) went through practice Monday with no issues and appears
on track to return to the lineup on Wednesday.

—

Photos via Getty Images

There may be a changing of the guard in Toronto, as the Raptors attempt to stop their free-fall in the standings.

• The Raptors have lost five in a row and nine of ten games,
and they now stand at eighth in the Eastern Conference, just one game up
on the struggling Bulls. Jay Triano has promised
to shake things up and will continue to have "a shorter leash" for some
of his starters:

"We’ve got guys who want to come and play and do the right thing,
and if
guys aren’t doing the right thing I told them before the game: ‘I’m
going to pull you. I’ll put you back in but you’re going to come out and
you’re going come out and you’re going to think about it for a bit and
you’re going to give somebody else a chance to go in and do the right
thing.’ And that’s why we were a bit quicker with some of our
substitutions."

Most of the speculation for fantasy purposes centers around Jarrett
Jack(notes) and Jose Calderon(notes). Jack has totaled just 39 minutes over the past
two games (averaging 7 points, 1 three, 4 assists, 1.5 turnovers), with
Calderon coming off the bench in the early-going in both games (averages
of 31 minutes, 17.5 points, 3.5 threes, 9.5 assists, 1.5 turnovers).
While Triano said that Calderon is playing "pretty darn well" and is
clearly unhappy with his team’s performance in general, he’s not yet
indicated specifically that he’ll make a change in the starting five.

• Toney Douglas(notes) has earned his minutes at point guard for Mike D’Antoni and the Knicks and, not surprisingly, will get another start Monday against the 76ers.

• Devin Harris(notes) missed Monday’s practice with an upper respitory infection and is questionable for Tuesday.

• A down game for Delonte West(notes) Sunday (20 minutes, 4 points, 3 boards, 3 assists), but you would hope that his whopping +22 was not lost on the Cavs’ coaching staff.

• Eddie Jordan replaced Willie Green(notes) with Jason Kapono(notes) in the 76ers’ rotation Sunday, and Kapono responded with 17 points and three treys in 25 minutes (Green was a DNP-CD). Deep-leaguers should take note here, but it’s impossible to tell what Jordan will do down the stretch for the monumentally disappointing 76ers. 

• Carlos Arroyo(notes) showed some inconsistency Sunday by actually having a productive game for a change (38 minutes, 12 points, 10 assists, 0 turnovers). In 20 starts on the season, he’s averaged 5.8 points on 39-percent shooting, 4.1 assists, and 0.8 turnovers in 27 minutes. I would be careful to not read too much into his double-double against a Philadelphia team that packed it in a while ago – a better read on whether or not he’s actually going to do something down the stretch may be Tuesday’s matchup with the Spurs.

• Mickael Pietrus(notes) has a big game Sunday (42 minutes, 20 points, 5 threes, 5 boards), filling in for the injured Matt Barnes(notes). With Barnes (toe) expected back Wednesday, it’s doubtful that Pietrus will have another such opportunity to produce.

• Hello, Wesley Matthews(notes)! He’s been a reliably low-ceiling fantasy option as a starter (32 games, 29 minutes, 10.5 points, 49% FG, 1 three, 0.7 steals), but exploded for 29 points and six threes on Sunday. Matthews took advantage of Mehmet Okur’s(notes) absence from the lineup (with back spasms, day-to-day) and hit his shots (9 of 11 FG, 6 of 7 3PT, 5 of 6 FT), but this line is the exception and not the rule.

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) missed Sunday’s game with a left calf strain and will undergo an MRI Monday. For what it’s worth, AK is "optimistic" that he doesn’t have a muscle tear and will miss only two or three days. Paul Millsap(notes) and C.J. Miles(notes) would stand to benefit if Kirilenko’s optimism proves to be… overly-optimistic.

• For some video of Chris Paul(notes) working out before Sunday’s game,
click here. 

• Derrick Rose(notes) (wrist) was a limited participant in practice
Monday and "probably"
won’t play Tuesday, according to Vinny Del Negro, although the
coach did add that the final decision will come on gameday. Rose himself
said that he wants to play because it’s in Memphis, but he’ll defer to
the team’s wishes. 

• Kevin Love(notes) missed his second consecutive game Sunday due to a
foot sprain. His level of participation in Monday’s practice will
help determine his status for Tuesday. 

**For a complete rundown of team schedules moving forward, the best available players in your league, and a complete injury wrap, see the Week 21 Dashboard.

—

Photos via Getty Images

Setting the stage for Week 21 of the fantasy basketball season.

Schedule Breakdown

Four-game teams: ATL, BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, GSW, HOU, IND, LAL, NOR, NYK, PHI, SAS, UTH

Three-game teams: LAC, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, NJN, OKC, PHO, SAC, TOR

Two-game teams: DAL, ORL, POR

Five best schedules: Lakers (@GSW, @SAC, MIN, WAS), Jazz (WAS, MIN, @PHO, NOR), 76ers (NYK, NJN, @NYK, CHI), Cavaliers (@DET, IND, @CHI, DET), Celtics(DET, NYK, @HOU, @DAL)

Five worst schedules: Orlando (SAS, @MIA), Dallas (CHI, BOS), Miami (SAS, ORL, CHA), Portland (WAS, @PHO), Sacramento (LAL, MIL, @LAC)

Also see: Basketball Monster’s team
schedules and ease
rankings | Rotowire’s value
meter

Team schedules through end of season:

18 games: HOU (4,4,4,4,2), SAS (4,4,4,4,2), WAS (4,4,4,4,2)

17 games: ATL (4,4,3,4,2), BOS (4,4,3,4,2), CHA (4,3,4,4,2), CHI (4,4,3,4,2), GSW (4,4,3,4,2), MIL (3,4,4,4,2), OKC (3,4,4,4,2), TOR (3,4,4,4,2)

16 games: DEN (4,4,3,3,2), DET (4,3,3,4,2), IND (4,4,3,3,2), LAL (4,3,4,3,2), NJN (3,4,4,3,2), NYK (4,2,4,4,2), PHI (4,3,3,4,2), UTH (4,4,3,3,2)

15 games: CLE (4,3,3,4,1), DAL (2,4,4,3,2), LAC (3,3,4,3,2), MEM (3,3,3,4,2), MIA (3,4,3,3,2), MIN (3,4,3,3,2), NOR (4,3,4,3,1), PHO (3,3,4,3,2), SAC (3,4,3,3,2)

14 games: ORL (2,4,3,3,2)

13 games: POR (2,3,3,3,2)

Pickups/Plug-ins – Players owned in
fewer than 40% of Yahoo! leagues

**Note: I’ll skip most of the pleasantries this week and just call out a bunch of notable players under 40-percent ownership. Whether or not you should consider any one of these players depends on team needs and who you’d be dropping, so the specifics of your particular situation are likely to be better addressed in the comments section.

• Jrue Holiday(notes) – His upcoming schedule is great, his playing time is up over the past four games
(38 minutes), and his current level of production (13.6 points, 51% FG,
1.9 threes, 5.4 assists, 3.4 turnovers, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks over the
past seven games) certainly should keep Willie Green(notes) on the
bench. Can you hear us, Eddie Jordan? Week 21: NYK, NJN, @NYK, CHI

• Jonas Jerebko(notes) – Locked in as a starter and flourishing
alongside Tayshaun Prince(notes) (12.3 points, 0.6 threes, 9 boards, 1.3
steals, 0.8 blocks over the past eight games). Week 21: @BOS, CLE, @IND< @CLE

• Delonte West(notes) – He’s finally in a groove (15.3 points, 52% FG,
0.5 threes, 4 boards, 4.4 assists, 1.5 turnovers, 0.9 steals, 0.6 blocks
over the past eight games) and his productive streak continued with
LeBron James’(notes) return (31 minutes, 17 points, 1 three, 4 assists, 2
steals Friday). Week 21: @DET, IND, @CHI, DET

• Terrence Williams(notes) – As long as he keeps his head in check,
there is no good reason for him to not see 30 minutes for the
rest of the season, even if his production falls off a bit (30 minutes, 15 points, 51% FG, 0.6 threes, 6.7 boards, 4.9 assists, 2.1 turnovers over the past seven games). Week 21: ATL, @PHI, TOR

• Toney Douglas(notes) – Saturday’s performance (31 minutes, 21 points, 4
threes, 8 assists, 0 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block) earned him at least a
few more starts, and it doesn’t hurt that he also happens to be Mike
D’Antoni’s last option. The downer here from a fantasy perspective is
that the Knicks only have two games in Week 22. Week 21: @PHI, @BOS, PHI, HOU

• Brandon Rush(notes) – He’s been playing plenty and the the the threes are falling (34 minutes, 2.2 threes over the past nine) but he needs to pick it up elsewhere (40% FG, 11.5 points, 0.6 steals). Week 21: CHA, @CLE, DET, OKC

• JaVale McGee(notes) – He’s losing time when the Wizards go with their
smaller lineup, but the schedule looks good down the stretch and so do
his averages overall as a starter (13 G, 25 minutes, 9.6 points, 53% FG,
5.6 boards, 1.9 blocks. Week 21: @UTH, DEN, @POR, @LAL

• Will Bynum(notes) – At the very least, he can help you play the role
of spoiler in your first h2 playoff matchup (38 minutes, 11.8 points,
51% FG, 10 assists, 2.3 turnovers, 1.5 steals over the past four
games). Week 21: @BOS, CLE, @IND, @CLE

• Taj Gibson(notes) – His plantar fasciitis has become a problem again
but he’s playing through it and his production over the past month (10.6 points, 57% FG, 9.1 boards,
1.4 blocks) can’t be ignored. Week 21: @MEM, @DAL, CLE, @PHI

• Bill Walker(notes) – Walker has been productive (29 minutes, 13.5
points, 65% FG, 1.4 threes, 1 steal over the past eight games), but how
much upside he has is up
to T-Mac. As with Douglas, you need to note that the Knicks only
play twice in Week 22. Week 21: @PHI, @BOS, PHI, HOU

• C.J. Miles(notes) – He’s been outplaying Wesley Matthews(notes) and Kyle
Korver(notes) lately (22 minutes, 12.8 points, 1.6 threes, 54% 3pt, 1.5 steals
over the past eight games) and would move up this list if AK’s calf
injury isn’t nothing major (see below). Week 21: WAS, MIN, @PHO, NOR

• Travis Outlaw(notes) – Making some noise as a starter (11.5 points,
2.3 threes, 3.5 boards, 0.5 steals, 0.8 blocks in four games), but his
role certainly will change when/if Eric Gordon(notes) returns (see below). Week 21: NOR, MIL, SAC

• Quentin Richardson(notes) – Will he keep it up (34 minutes, 16.7 points, 54% FG, 4.2 threes, 6.3 boards, 1.3 steals over the past six games) this time? What needs to be noted is that he’s playing for a playoff spot and a contract. Week 21: SAS, ORL, CHA

• Anthony Tolliver(notes) – He’s playing a ton because of the Warriors’ injury woes but has been all over the map lately and only so productive overall (11 points, 1.2 threes, 6 boards, 0.5 steals, 0.9 blocks in 13 starts). Week 21: LAL, NOR, @SAS, @MEM

• Jason Maxiell(notes) – Should it matter when Big Ben might actually be
healthy? Over the past six games, Maxiell has averaged 11 points on
54-percent shooting, 10.8 boards, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks in 32
minutes. A short-term option, at worst. Week 21: @BOS, CLE, @IND, @CLE

• Julian Wright(notes) – He’ll see plenty of minutes while Peja it out
(see below) and was very productive in the Hornets’ most recent game (37
minutes, 13 points, 8 boards, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 5 steals). Week 21: @LAC, @GSW, @DEN, @UTH

• James Johnson(notes) – Johnson has shown good overall potential in his three starts (32 minutes, 14 points, 64% FG, 1.3 threes, 3.7 boards, 1.3 steals, 1.7 blocks) and Deng is out for at least a few more games (see below). Week 21: @MEM, @DAL, CLE, @PHI

• D.J. Augustin(notes) – Larry Hughes(notes) won’t be active until the end of the week, leaving DJA an opportunity to step up while G-Wall is sidelined (see below). Week 21: @IND, OKC, @ATL, @MIA

• Matt Bonner(notes) – Inconsistent minutes but the threes are falling (2.3 per game, 49% in March) and the Spurs play Golden State on Friday. Week 21: @MIA, @ORL, GSW, @ATL

• James Singleton(notes) – While he’s not relevant in all formats, there are certainly leagues where his numbers with the Wizards (5.6 points, 5.9 boards, 1.8 blocks) matter and you can’t do better than the Wizards’ schedule in terms of quantity. Week 21: @UTH, @DEN, @POR, @LAL

• Nicolas Batum(notes) – Inconsistent but certainly useful in most
formats in 11 starts thus far (11.2 points, 54% FG, 1.6 threes, 0.7
steals, 0.7 blocks). That said, the Blazers only play twice this coming
week. Week 21: WAS, @PHO

• Reggie Williams(notes) – The Warriors will need at least a few minutes from him with so many players out with injuries (23 minutes, 12.7 points, 52% FG, 1.4 threes in seven games). Week 21: LAL, NOR, @SAS, @MEM

• Earl Watson(notes) – Deep-leaguers will want to think about Watson
with T.J. Ford(notes) out (see below), but there’s only so much usefulness here
(7.6 points, 5.4 assists, 2.4 turnovers, 1.1 steals in 35 starts).  Week 21: CHA, @CLE, DET, OKC

Status Updates

• Leandro
Barbosa(notes)
– Barbosa (wrist) will miss Sunday’s game and is now targeting Tuesday for his return to the Suns’ active roster.

• Michael Beasley(notes) – Beasley missed his second consecutive game Sunday because of a bruised left thigh, but he’s feeling better and "should be fine" Tuesday.

• Luol Deng(notes) – Deng is expected to miss most of Week 21 with a right calf strain, although a specific timeframe has yet to be determined. James Johnson will continue to start in his place and makes for a solid short-term plug-in.

• T.J. Ford – Ford is expected to miss a week to 10 days with a left groin injury and is expendable in most formats. Earl Watson will return to the starting lineup for the Pacers as a result.

•
Eric
Gordon
– Gordon has missed five straight games with a vague injury (sore right leg), made worse by a lack of updates from the Clippers on his status (he’s been day-to-day for over a week). He had a Wednesday MRI that revealed no structural damage (allegedly) but his immediate status remains up in the air.

• James Harden(notes) – Harden is expected to miss two to four weeks because of a strained right hamstring, effectively ending his fantasy season.

• Kirk Hinich – Hinrich will serve a one-game suspension Tuesday for making contact with a referee with a referee after he was ejected from Friday’s game. Jannero Pargo(notes) and Flip Murray(notes) will fill in for Hinrich.

• Yi Jianlian(notes) – Yi has missed the past four games with a high ankle sprain and we should see an update on his status in advance of the team’s matchup with Atlanta on Tuesday.

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) – AK will miss Sunday’s game because of a left calf strain and undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. Although he is currently fitted with a walking boot, there haven’t been any indications as of yet that it’s a serious injury, so don’t make any moves before an official update is given.

• Kenyon
Martin(notes)
– The timeline for Martin’s return from his left knee injury is not specific, but he’s expected to miss at least a couple of weeks, largely limiting his potential to help most fantasy owners.

•
Joakim Noah(notes)
– The Bulls targeted March 24 as a loose date for a possible return when they shut Noah down a few weeks back. He’s made some progress (including a bit of running on Sunday) but his situation remains tenuous. Vinny Del Negro offered the following on Sunday:

"As soon as possible is the answer, but we have to be smart about it. We’ll just have to monitor him, see how he feels
tomorrow. Then if he’s feeling fine, we’ll give him a little bit more.
If he’s not, that won’t be a very good sign. He didn’t do much today, he
just got up and down a little bit without any contact."

• Mehmet Okur(notes) – Okur had a pain-killing injection to help him deal with back spasms but appears to be a game-time decision Sunday.

•
Chris
Paul(notes) – Paul has been medically cleared to begin running and speculation is could be about a week away from returning if he has no setbacks. His workload will be elevated as his progress warrants, and officially he remains on an indefinite timetable. Although it’s looking more likely the he will indeed return this season, neither Paul’s nor Darren Collison’s(notes) fantasy owners should expect him to play massive minutes with the team out of contention for a playoff spot.

• Derrick Rose(notes) – There is a decent chance that Rose (sprained left wrist) will be back in the lineup Tuesday at this point. If not, Jannero Pargo will get another start at point guard.

• Peja Stojakovic(notes) – Peja is expected to miss at least another ten days because of a lower abdominal strain, meaning he’s expendable in most formats. Julian Wright will continue to start in his place. 

• Rodney Stuckey(notes) – Stuckey is likely to miss at least two more games for the Pistons, but is hoping to practice with the team Thursday and get a better read on a possible return Friday or shortly thereafter [schedule].

•
Jason Terry(notes) – Terry returned to practice with the Mavs Friday, wearing a mask in the wake of
his March 5 facial surgery. He’s targeting one of the Mavs’ two games in the coming week (Wednesday CHI,
Friday BOS) for a return.

• Gerald Wallace(notes) – The news regarding G-Wall’s ankle certainly could have been much worse. A Saturday MRI showed no structural damage, although he’s expected to miss at least the next two games [schedule]. Current targets for a return are Wednesday (OKC) and Friday (@ATL). There’s no single recipient of minutes with Wallace out – Stephen Graham(notes), D.J. Augustin, and Gerald Henderson(notes) figure to all see an uptick in playing time.

—

Photos
via Getty Images

The forthcoming update on Gerald Wallace’s(notes) ankle injury could make or break a number of fantasy seasons.

• Gerald Wallace packed a lot of production into 21 minutes
(17 points, 6 boards, 2 assists, 0 turnovers, 4 steals) before leaving
with an ankle injury thanks to a completely unnecessary foul by Baron Davis(notes).
From the AP recap:

Wallace was driving for a fast-break layup after a steal when Davis

grabbed
him around the waist and knocked him to the floor with 1.5 seconds
remaining.
Wallace – who was unavailable for comment after the game – laid there for
several minutes, holding his head as team medical personnel worked on
him, but
he returned to hit a free throw and stake the Bobcats to a 16-point
halftime
lead.

"He was going so fast to the hole that I was just trying to cut him

off,"
Davis said. "I had no intentions of trying to hurt him or flagrant foul
somebody, especially when they’re fighting for a playoff position … I
was
just trying to give a foul to stop a basket. I guess his momentum was
just
carrying him too fast, and I kind of misjudged it."

X-rays were negative but Larry Brown said that the team will "see
what happens tomorrow" before making any comments about his
availability. Wallace’s fantasy owners should just keep their fingers
crossed (or pray,
as Stephen Jackson(notes) suggested) – Tyrus Thomas(notes) and D.J. Augustin(notes) would
see a bump in minutes if Wallace were to miss any length of time.

• Chris Paul(notes) was cleared Friday to begin participating in
drills
with teammates at 75 percent. No news has not been good news in Paul’s
case, so it’s definitely a positive, even if he remains on an indefinite
timetable. He missed his 20th consecutive game Friday and a look at the Hornets’
schedule shows two sets of back-to-backs (on the road) over the next
six days, which doesn’t leave much time for Paul to fit in the "with
teammates" portion of this latest step in his rehabilitation.

His
owners shouldn’t anticipate his returning the active roster before that
string of games end, and that also means that Darren Collison(notes) should be
huge during at least the first week of the h2h playoffs. Conspiracy
theorists may just see this as just another carrot by the Hornets to
keep the fans interested, as they are in a hopeless position in terms of the playoffs, but I’m still not convinced that is the case.
The Hornets’ upcoming off days (Saturday, Tuesday, Friday, next Sunday)
should be when we find out how much progress Paul is making, or if he has
any setbacks.

• Julian Wright’s(notes) Friday production (37 minutes, 13 points, 8
boards, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 5 steals) represents a best-case scenario
for his line while Peja Stojakovic(notes) sits for another 10 days or so, but
the talent to deliver some defensive stats is definitely there. The fact
that he’s seen 37 minutes in back-to-back games at least illustrates
that he’s going to get plenty of run in the interim.

• Jason Terry(notes) returned to practice with the Mavs Friday, wearing a mask in the wake of his March 5 facial surgery. He won’t play Saturday but is "definitely" targeting one of the Mavs’ two games next week (Wednesday CHI, Friday BOS) for a return. He wasn’t a fan of the mask Friday, saying "he couldn’t see the basket," he’ll have a number of practices over the next week during which he can adjust.

• LeBron James(notes) called his downtime over the past week a blessing that allowed him to regenerate with rest and treatment, and he certainly didn’t miss a beat upon his return Friday (23 points, 3 treys, 6 boards, 10 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 3 blocks) … Delonte West(notes) scored in double figures for the sixth consecutive game (31 minutes, 17 points) and his averages in those games include 17 points on 52-percent shooting, 0.3 threes, 3.3 boards, 4.5 assists, 1.5 turnovers, and 1 steal in 30 minutes.

• Antawn Jamison(notes) (knee) missed Friday’s game, as was largely expected, but
he said previously that he
won’t miss Sunday’s matchup with the Celtics. Leon Powe(notes) got the start Friday but did very little (15 minutes, 0 points, 3 boards), while Anderson Varejao(notes) was once again big-time off the bench (33 minutes, 12 points, 12 boards, 3 assists, 1 turnover). 

• Eric Gordon(notes) missed his fourth consecutive game with a "sore right leg", and the continued lack of substantive updates doesn’t bode well for his playing Saturday, either. Steve Blake(notes) returned to the bench and gave way to Travis Outlaw(notes) on Friday, who started at small forward and pushed Rasual Butler(notes) to shooting guard. Outlaw was effective (38 minutes, 16 points, 4 threes, 1 steal, 1 block) and certainly has value with starters’ minutes, but his playing time is obviously directly tied to Gordon’s availability.

• Derrick Rose(notes) missed the Bulls’ game on Friday because of a
sprained left wrist, and he’s currently listed as day-to-day. An MRI of
the wrist showed no
fracture or ligament damage and the hope is that he’ll be back in
the lineup for the Bulls’ next game Tuesday at Memphis. Jannero Pargo(notes) started in Rose’s place (37 minutes, 20 points, 2 threes, 1 steal) … James Johnson(notes) had another productive game in Luol Deng’s(notes) stead, going for 20 points, two threes, six boards and two blocks in 43 minutes. Deng (calf) is currently expected to be back for Tuesday’s game, however.

• Quentin Richardson(notes) hit seven threes (34 minutes, 23 points, 7 boards) for the third time this season and the second time in just over a week. Q-Rich is suddenly consistent from a relative perspective in that he only went two games without reaching double figures. His averages over the past six games include 16.7 points on 54-percent shooting, 4.2 threes (on 8.3 attempts), 6.3 boards, and 1.3 steals in 34 minutes. Dorell Wright(notes) isn’t doing himself any favors, which at least bodes well for Q-Rich to maintain that level of playing time … Michael Beasley(notes) missed the game with a bruised left thigh and is day-to-day.

• Mario Chalmers(notes) had his shot falling for a second consecutive game (29 minutes, 17 points, 5 threes) and easily out-produced Carlos Arroyo(notes) (36 minutes, 5 points, 2-of-10 FG). There’s no indication that he’ll push Arroyo for the starting gig in the near future, and it’s unwise to expect consistency in minutes or production as a reserve.

• Another reasonably productive game for Terrence Williams(notes) (14 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 block), with the most important number being 32 minutes played. Trenton Hassell(notes) started once again at small forward but played only 18 minutes.

• James Harden(notes) will miss the next two
to four weeks with a strained right hamstring, effectively ending
his fantasy season. The No.3 overall pick had his fantasy impact limited
while playing behind Thabo Sefolosha(notes), but has showed good signs overall
– his per-36 minute averages on the season include 15.6 points, 1.9
threes, 5 free throws, 5.1 boards, 3.1 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 1.6
steals, and 0.4 blocks. Sefolosha and Eric Maynor(notes) will see surplus minutes while Harden is out.

• Tim Duncan(notes) played just 25 minutes in the easy win over the T-Wolves Friday, which could improve his chances to stay in the active lineup Saturday in the second game of the team’s back-to-back, but keep an eye out for game-day updates … Richard Jefferson(notes) was back in the starting five for the Spurs and took advantage of the favorable matchup (34 minutes, 19 points, 1 three, 9 boards, 3 assists, 0 turnovers, 1 steal, 2 blocks). R-Jeff has clearly struggled to this point, but perhaps he’s ready to step up and help fill the void that Tony Parker’s(notes) injury has created on offense.

• Kevin Love(notes) was a late scratch against the Spurs because of a sprained left foot,
and he’s currently considered day-to-day. 

• The JaVale McGee(notes) roller coaster ride continued Friday. He followed up Thursday’s 20 points and nine boards in 38 minutes with four points and four boards in 23 minutes. He’s also failed to block a shot in three games following a five-game stretch during which he averaged 3.8 blocks. The advice here is to continue to roll with it, as his role isn’t going to change and averages of 10/6/1.5 are certainly useful, particularly with the Wizards playing four games in each of the next three weeks.

• It’s hard to beat the short-term boost that Will Bynum(notes) is providing while Rodney Stuckey(notes) is sidelined, particularly in light of Friday’s gem (5 points, 3 boards, 20 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, 1 block). Stuckey has done some light drills with the team but has yet to return to practice on a full basis and remains out indefinitely. The Pistons [schedule] travel to Atlanta Saturday and then have another back-to-back on Monday/Tuesday, and it’s certainly difficult to envision Stuckey being active for either of those games at this point … Jason Maxiell(notes) has very quietly put together a string of nice games while filling in for Ben Wallace(notes). Friday was his second consecutve double-double (12/10) and he’s averaged 9.4 points on 51-percent shooting, 10.6 boards, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 31 inutes over the past five games. Wallace (knee) may not be too far from returning – John Kuester said that he’s moving around better – but there’s still no specific timetable for a return.

• Another start for Tracy McGrady(notes) produced another poor line (24 minutes, -25, 4 points, 1 of 5 FG, 4 assists, 3 turnovers), while Bill Walker(notes) (33 minutes, 21 points, 2 threes, 4 boards, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 2 steals) and Toney Douglas(notes) (26 minutes, 19 points, 2 threes, 6 boards, 1 steal) were effective off the bench for the Knicks. Sergio Rodriguez(notes) put up some numbers (11 points, 1 three, 4 assists, 1 turnover) relative to his playing time (17 minutes), but it wouldn’t be a shock to see roles change for any of the four players on Saturday. Nor would it be a shock if nothing changed at all. 

• The Bucks continued their serious roll Friday, beating the Jazz for their 11th win in 12 games. During that stretch, their opponents are averaging 87 points per game. Brandon Jennings(notes) has put together three straight solid performances (20.3 points, 45% FG, 3 treys, 5.3 assists, 2.7 turnovers, 1 steal), Andrew Bogut(notes) is beasting on everyone (16.9 points, 53% FG, 77% FT, 11.1 boards, 3.6 blocks since the ASB), and John Salmons(notes) has proven to be a tremendous acquisition (19.3 points, 1.5 threes, 86% FT, 1.2 steals as a Buck).

• Andrei Kirilenko(notes) left Friday’s game with a strained left calf and is questionable for Sunday’s game. C.J. Miles(notes) (31 minutes, 17 points, 4 steals) stands to benefit if AK ends up missing any length of time.

• Another stinker for Robin Lopez(notes) Friday (18 minutes, 6 points, 0 boards), and he’s now averaged 6 points on 42-percent shooting, 5.2 boards, and 1.7 blocks in 21 minutes in six games since his 30-point, 12-rebound effort against the Clippers. His starting role is most certainly not in jeopardy, but he’s a pretty shaky fantasy option these days … Friday marked one of those occasions where Louis Amundson(notes) has a really productive game (28 minutes, 11 points, 10 boards, 1 steal, 4 blocks), as Channing Frye(notes) was serving a one-game suspension.

• Now that we’ve got a bit more of a sample size, let’s take a look at Nicolas Batum’s(notes) numbers as a starter: in 11 games, he’s averaged 11.2 points on 54-percent shooting, 1.6 threes, 3.1 boards, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 24 minutes. Those are certainly useful numbers but not huge. The Blazers have a number of options on the wing, so he’s only going to play so much if he’s not established as a hot hand early.

• Friday’s line is exactly the kind of production that makes Francisco Garcia(notes) so appealing for fantasy purposes (30 minutes, 17 points, 3 treys, 2 steals, 1 block) and he’s getting fairly settled in the Kings’ rotation (27 minutes per game during March). With both Donte Greene(notes) and Omri Casspi(notes) floundering these days, it’s getting easier to make a case for Garcia to be rostered by the game … Jason Thompson(notes) once again played more minutes (26) than Spencer Hawes(notes) (17), but neither turned in a line that was a significant help to fantasy owners and this timeshare isn’t going anywhere any time soon.

—

Photos via Getty Images

Terrence Williams(notes) is finally putting up numbers, while Chris Paul’s(notes) owners still don’t know when he’ll be back.

• Terrence Williams has been generating a lot of interest in recent days, thanks to averages of 30 minutes, 14 points on 50-percent shooting, 0.8 threes, 7.8 boards, 5.4 assists, and 2.2 turnovers over the past five games. Yi Jianlian’s(notes) high ankle sprain has opened up some playing time, and the fact that the 7-57 Nets are trotting 31-year-old Trenton Hassell(notes) out with their starting five can’t be hurting his chances either. Williams appears to have emerged from early-season issues, ready to contribute where he can. There’s upside for any player with some ability on a team this desperate for production, but my only caution would be to owners who can’t afford to take a hit in efficiency. Williams shot 40 percent from the field and 59 percent from the line over the entirety of his four-year college career. 

• Chris Paul appears to be two weeks away from returning at a minimum. He still has yet to begin running, although he’s going through daily rehabilitation and re-evaluation. Jeff Bower offered the following:

"When his knee is ready to begin running, then he’ll be cleared to
begin with that phase. To beginning to run, I think
we’re getting close. But I don’t want to say when until I know. I don’t
have (specifics) as to when he’s able to safely begin half-speed,
three-quarter speed, full-speed running. Progress is being made."

Paul maintains that he’ll return this season, if only for one game, and it’s looking like we’ll be down to single digits by the time he is cleared to return. Two weeks from Thursday (today) is March 25, and the Hornets have nine games remaining after that date. Darren Collison(notes) owners would continue to glean huge numbers from the rookie in the interim (Wednesday’s line aside). My advice for Paul’s owners remains the same: you should continue to hold him as long as his being inactive doesn’t remove you from the championship picture in your league.

• LeBron James(notes) (ankle) is expected to be back in the lineup Friday, but the Cavs aren’t so sure about Antawn Jamison(notes). Jamison is still dealing with stiffness (and a fluid-filled cyst, on occasion) in his left knee and his status for Friday’s game has yet to be determined, although he’s said he absolutely won’t miss Sunday’s matchup with the Celtics.

• Rodney Stuckey(notes) went through every test possible – a complete cardiac evaluation at three separate facilities – and everything came back normal. He was a light participant in practice Thursday and is listed as questionable for Friday, but remains on an indefinite timetable given the delicate nature of the situation. Will Bynum(notes) remains the handcuff/speculative add here, but there have not been indications that the team is leaning towards shutting down Stuckey as of yet.

• Peja Stojakovic(notes) will miss a minimum of two weeks with a lower abdominal strain. He suffered the injuty trying to keep up with the pace in the 135-131 win over the Warriors on Monday and missed Wednesday’s game. Given the level of his contributions at this point, he’s a safe cut in the majority of formats – there are usually a few low-FG% three-point specialists available on the wire. Julian Wright(notes) will start for him in the interim (37 minutes, 10 points, 3 boards, 1 steal Wednesday) and should get a look in the deepest of leagues. With Morris Peterson(notes) and James Posey(notes) offering so little these days, he’s really their only option at small forward, and his per-35 minute averages on the season include 10.1 points, 6.4 boards, 1 steal, and 0.8 blocks. 

• Monta Ellis(notes) is leaning towards returning to the active roster Thursday, having missed the past six games with back pain. Ellis fully participated in Wednesday’s practice but will wait to see how he feels after the Warriors’ game-day activities before making a decision. Ellis also revealed that his back pain can be linked to a condition called spondylosis, as he was born with a small hole at the base of his spine. While he’s been bothered by back pain periodically since high school, the Warriors said they aren’t concerned with this news having long-term ramifications. Perhaps they will at least be a bit more inclined to not allow him to average 42 minutes per game? … Also for the Warriors: C.J. Watson(notes) (family funeral) and Ronny Turiaf(notes) (knee) both missed Wednesday’s practice and are questionable for Thursday.

• Luol Deng(notes) and Taj Gibson(notes) are dealing with injuries for the already short-handed Bulls. Deng has a strained right calf, won’t play Thursday, and is likely to miss Friday’s game as well. James Johnson(notes) and Hakim Warrick(notes) will see extra time while Deng sits. Gibson’s plantar fasciitis has flared up (he played just 13 minutes Tuesday), but he’s going to fight through it Thursday and give what he can.

• Leandro Barbosa’s(notes) percent-owned number has climbed to 42 percent in recent days, with news that he’s returned to practice, but I’m not sure there’s much reason for it. Barbosa’s right wrist is still weak enough that he won’t try to play Friday, and he doesn’t know how much more time he’ll need to get right. But the real question I have is how many minutes will be there for him when he does return. Alvin Gentry offered this quote:

"I talked to [Barbosa] the other day about it and said, ‘When you get in, if
you’re going good and making baskets obviously we’ll ride that. But in
certain situations you may not play the minutes you want to play.’"

It’s unwise to be expecting consistent minutes for Barbosa, let alone a role significant enough to warrant standard-league ownership. Barbosa has certainly been great as a reserve in the past, but I’m not expecting him to help fantasy owners much at all over the remainder of the current season, particularly from a big-picture perspective.

Notes from Wednesday’s games:

• Another solid line from Jrue Holiday(notes) (13 points, 2 threes, 4 boards, 8 assists, 5 turnovers, 3 steals), and the real win here was that he played 38 minutes despite some foul trouble. Keep playing the kid, Eddie Jordan.

• The Clippers started Baron Davis(notes) (36 minutes, 10 points, 1 three, 4 boards, 9 assists, 2 turnovers) and Steve Blake(notes) (36 minutes, 12 points, 4 threes, 4 boards, 5 assists, 1 turnover) in the backcourt, with Eric Gordon(notes) out again. Gordon’s "sore right leg" remains something of a mystery. He’s missed three straight games but remains day-to-day with no specific updates from the team. Blake clearly has value in any injury situation here, as the Clippers have limited options past their top three guards. 

• The difference in the fantasy potential of Carlos Arroyo(notes) (20 minutes, 4 points, 2 assists, 0 turnovers) and Mario Chalmers(notes) (30 minutes, 12 points, 4 threes, 6 assists, 0 turnoves, 2 steals) was on full display Wednesday, although there’s no indication that there will be a change in roles … Michael Beasley(notes) left the game with a bruised left thigh and will be a game-time decision Friday.

• Signs of life from Charlie Villanueva(notes)? He’s now scored in double figures in three straight games, the first time he’s done so since late-January. Jonas Jerebko’s(notes) minutes aren’t going anywhere, but the Pistons desperately need Charlie V to give them some offense off the bench.

• Serge Ibaka(notes) posted another solid line (26 minutes, 12 points, 9 boards) and has been playing pretty well for the Thunder. Over the past seven games, he’s averaged 11.1 points on 64-percent shooting, 6.7 boards, and 1.6 blocks in 20 minutes, and he brings energy on defense that Nenad Krstic(notes) can’t match.

• Manu Ginobili’s(notes) averages in two games as a starter: 35 minutes, 33 points, 54% FG, 4.5 threes, 87% FT, 6.5 boards, 5 assists, 1.5 turnovers, and 1.5 steals. Sweeeeeet … The Knicks are terrible, so I wouldn’t read much into Antoni McDyess’ excellent line (23 minutes, 10 points, 12 boards, 2 steals, 1 block).

• I certainly never thought I’d be saying/typing this, but Jose Calderon’s(notes) percent-owned number needs to come way down from 84 percent. Jarrett Jack(notes) is playing excellent ball and averaging 30 minutes per game, while Calderon has settled in as a very underwhelming option off the Raptors’ bench (9.7 points, 0.9 threes, 5.2 assists, 1.4 turnovers, 0.6 steals in 23 minutes as a reserve). Calderon is only going to help you win your fantasy league if Jack were to suffer an injury.

—

Photos via Getty Images

Trevor Ariza(notes) and Marcus Camby(notes) returned to the court Tuesday, but it doesn’t look like Kenyon Martin(notes) is coming back any time soon.

• Trevor Ariza returned to the active roster for the Rockets Tuesday, his first game action since February 21. His shot was off (4 of 13 FG) but he was reasonably effective as a reserve (28 minutes, 13 points, 3 treys, 2 steals), given the circumstances, and he’s likely to push Shane Battier(notes) to the bench once he’s back to game speed. I don’t anticipate a serious drop-off in his fantasy impact with Kevin Martin(notes) in town. He’ll certainly lose some usage but is better suited as a supporting offensive player, and he should offset the drop in quantity of looks with an uptick in quality, with no drop-off in opportunities for defensive stats. 

• What to do with Randy Foye(notes)? Tuesday’s line (19 minutes, 2 points, 1 of 6 FG) dropped his averages over the past 12 games to 10.7 points on 36-percent shooting, 1 three, 2.1 boards, 5.7 assists, 1.4 turnovers, and 0.3 steals in 29 minutes. With both Shaun Livingston(notes) and Earl Boykins(notes) around to poach minutes on his off-nights, you will not be faulted if you drop Foye for a better option, regardless of the quality of the Wizards’ schedule moving forward.  

• An off night for JaVale McGee(notes) (17 minutes, 4 points, 7 boards, 0 blocks), as well, but he saw pine for much of the game as the teams ran opposing small lineups against each other. James Singleton(notes) was the beneficiary on this night (28 minutes, 12 points, 4 boards, 2 steals, 3 blocks). 

• The Clippers’ starting backcourt on Tuesday consisted of Steve Blake(notes) (30 minutes, 11 points, 3 treys, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal) and Rasual Butler(notes) (35 minutes, 9 points, 1 three, 5 boards, 2 blocks), as Baron Davis(notes) dealt with an illness and Eric Gordon(notes) dealt with a nagging leg injury. Davis ended up putting in a very effective 26 minutes off the bench (16 points, 2 threes, 4 boards, 9 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block).

• Chris Kaman’s(notes) extended slide continued Tuesday (26 minutes, 12 points, 6 boards, 3 turnovers, 1 block). His per-game rank is 200th (!) since January 20, a span of 22 games. During that time, he’s averaged catchy numbers like 17.5 points and 9.5 boards, but it’s been all bad otherwise (46% FG, 72% FT, 1.4 assists, 3.3 turnovers, 0.3 steals, 1 block). 

• It’s not often when a starting point guard doesn’t merit fantasy consideration, but Carlos Arroyo(notes) has largely been just a placeholder for the Heat. He did next-to-nothing in 31 minutes Tuesday (2 points, 5 assists, 1 turnover) and has averaged 5.6 points on 39-percent shooting, 0.2 threes, 3.9 assists, 0.8 turnovers, and 0.9 steals in 26 minutes during his 17 starts. 

• How many of you picked up Quentin Richardson(notes) just in time for Tuesday’s stinker (7 points, 2-of-8 FG, 2 boards)? He did hit two threes, though, so I suppose it wasn’t a total loss…

• So that makes two consecutive very good lines for Jrue Holiday(notes) (36 minutes, 21 points, 2 threes, 1 steal, 2 blocks Tuesday), albeit with two favorable matchups (@TOR, @IND). Still, there is potential here, especially when you consider that he’s made 51 percent of his threes over the past 14 games. He’s clearly comfortable playing off of Louis Williams(notes), so now we just need Eddie Jordan to give him a bit longer of a leash and keep Willie Green’s(notes) minutes in the 20ish range.

• Speaking of Jordan, he opted to bench both Andre Iguodala(notes) (30 minutes, 5 points) and Elton Brand(notes) (20 minutes, 7 points) in the fourth quarter of the loss to the Pacers, saying that he felt the second unit was bringing more energy. I’m not one to wish unemployment on anyone in the current economic climate, but my guess is that most 76ers fans and fantasy owners are at least close to making an exception.

• It took long enough that it tested the limits of even the most patient of fantasy owners, but Boris Diaw(notes) is finally back to consistently putting up Diaw-like numbers that we’ve come to know and love. Tuesday’s line was big-time (11 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 3 blocks) and he’s averaged 13.9 points on 51-percent shooting, 0.9 threes, 6.6 boards, 4.6 assists, 2.3 turnovers, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 37 minutes over his past 14 games. At his lowest point (late December and early January), he had a 12-game streak of not reaching double figures in scoring, while also failing to record a steal or block in eight of those games.

• Danny Granger(notes) served a one-game suspension Tuesday for his part in the fracas with the Suns on Saturday (Channing Frye(notes) will serve his Friday). Picking up the slack in Granger’s absence were Brandon Rush(notes) (40 minutes, 24 points, 4 threes, 9 boards) and Dahntay Jones(notes) (29 minutes, 25 points, 4 boards, 2 blocks). Maybe this will be a springboard for Rush to finish the season strong, not unlike how he did last season? He’s been playing consistent minutes (32 per game over the past 14), but his jumpshot has been an entirely different story (38% FG over the same stretch).

• The Bucks got strong performances from a number of starters in their impressive 86-84 win over the Celtics. Andrew Bogut(notes) led the way again (42 minutes, 25 points, 17 boards, 4 blocks, but he got plenty of help from Carlos Delfino(notes) (41 minutes, 19 points, 5 threes, 8 boards, 2 steals), John Salmons(notes) (43 minutes, 16 points, 2 threes, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals), and Brandon Jennings(notes) (40 minutes, 13 points, 5-of-10 FG, 1 three, 4 assists, 2 turnovers). The Celtics got limited contributions from Ray Allen(notes) (34 minutes, 3 points, 0 of 3 FG) and Paul Pierce(notes) (35 minutes, 12 points, 3-of-13 FG) in the loss. The Bucks have now won 10 of their past 11 games and have overtaken the Raptors for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

• Defense was not the name of the game in the Jazz/Bulls matchup. Both teams shot 54% from the field, with rebounding and foul shots proving to be the deciding factors in Utah’s 132-108 win. The usual suspects got it done for the Jazz, but C.J. Miles(notes) went nuts (19 minutes, 26 points, 6 threes) and Wesley Matthews(notes) was also in fine form (26 minutes, 12 points, 2 threes, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 5 steals). In the loss, Derrick Rose(notes) continued his scoring spree and notched (just?) his third double-double of the season (25 points, 13 assists), Brad Miller(notes) continued his strong offensive play (33 minutes, 20 points, 3 treys), and Taj Gibson(notes) fouled out in only 13 minutes (0 points, 1 board, 3 turnovers).

• How about a quick reset of the Kings’ major contributors? Tyreke Evans(notes), Beno Udrih(notes), and Carl Landry(notes) are locked in. Spencer Hawes(notes) has been hit-or-miss since taking over for Jason Thompson(notes) (who has since returned), so it’s hard to have tremendous faith in either player when it comes to consistent minutes at the center spot. At small forward, Omri Casspi(notes) needs rest and may or may not return to the rotation, Donte Greene(notes) has been starting but is as inconsistent as a player can possibly be, and Francisco Garcia(notes) has been playing consistently but barely moving the needle in terms of actual production. 

• Marcus Camby was back in the starting five for the Blazers Tuesday and his fantasy owners can’t be too displeased with the production (33 minutes, 6 points, 8 boards, 1 steal, 5 blocks). His ankle will be tested again soon, as the team plays a back-to-back on Thursday/Friday (@GSW, @SAC).

• Jarrett Jack(notes) has been playing some fantastic basketball lately, averaging 17.4 points on 59-percent shooting, 1.6 threes, 89-percent foul shooting, 3.1 boards, 6.1 assists, 2.7 turnovers, and 1.6 steals in 29 minutes over the past nine games. His per-game rank over the past month is 35th, but clearly not everyone has noticed, as his percent-owned number is currently 57 percent.

• An MRI on Antawn Jamison’s(notes) knee revealed nothing serious and he is day-to-day in advance of Friday’s game. LeBron James(notes) will be in the lineup Friday, with the two games off to rest his ankle (and everything else) having given him a full six days days between games before we hit the stretch run.

• Rodney Stuckey(notes) was with the Pistons Tuesday and, although he did not participate in the team’s practice, he said everything is good and he’s just waiting for doctors to let him play. 

"They ran a lot of tests on me and everything came back good. I’m just taking it day by day. When the doctors tell me I’m right to play, I’ll be ready to play. It’s my job."

There are two schools of thought in terms of whether or not the team should let him return to the court this season (yes and no), but I do anticipate a decision coming regarding his availability soon. We do know that he won’t play Wednesday, meaning that Will Bynum(notes) will get at least one more turn in the starting lineup. The team has Thursday off and then plays four games in five days, with two sets of back-to-backs (Fri/Sat and Mon/Tues). 

• Kenyon Martin’s fantasy season appears to be largely finished, as he’s been declared out indefinitely with patella tendinitis and will undergo platelet rich plasma therapy. The Nuggets plan to have him back "this season," but their focus for his return is the playoffs at this point. He’s a fairly safe drop, particularly for those of you in default h2h leagues, where the championship matchup ends on April 4. If carrying him as dead weight won’t affect your standing for the next week or so, then you can wait and see if surprisingly positive updates emerge during that time, but I personally wouldn’t hesitate to drop him for someone like Jonas Jerebko(notes) if the opportunity were there.

Johan Petro(notes) got the start at center on Monday (pushing Nene Hilario(notes) to power forward) and contributed six points and 10 boards in 23 minutes. He’s never shown an inclination to do much more than grab a few boards, so only consider him in the deepest of leagues. Chris Andersen(notes) is already rostered in most competitive leagues at this point, but he still merits a mention based on his real fantasy potential. In 17 games where he’s seen at least 25 minutes of playing time, he’s averaged 8.6 points on 57-percent shooting, 8.4 boards, 0.9 steals, and 2.2 blocks. It makes sense for everyone to check the wire to be sure he’s not currently available.

• It sure was nice of Don Nelson to acknowledge that injuries – more specifically, playing with a sports hernia and muscle tear in his abdomen – were at least part of the reason that Andris Biedrins(notes) wasn’t his usual productive self this season. Stay classy, coach. [If you follow that second link, you’ll find Nelson answering "Yes" to the question of whether Biedrins was 100 percent healthy just over two weeks ago.]

—

Photos via Getty Images