[Hache Man]

Don't You Forget About Sammy D
I'm taking a new approach today for Waiver Wired. Or at least that's my plan going in. Just like the Patriots are being hit quickly right now, this is my own version of quick hits.

Smaller To Average-Sized Leagues

These players may or may not be available in smaller to average-sized leagues consisting of 10-12 teams with rosters somewhere around 12-15 players. That should cover a majority of the fantasy hoops leagues in existence. If your league is any smaller than that, the waiver options are endless and it's just too difficult to try to figure out whether you should pick up Kevin Garnett, Luol Deng or Jason Richardson.

Randy Foye G Wizards - Many folks thought Earl Boykins would be 'the man,' but really, has he ever been 'the man' in his NBA career? Foye started his last game, looked great, and should be added in every league. He's scored 18, 20 and 18 in his last three games, hitting four 3-pointers and handing out almost five assists per. He's also in the midst of another huge line on Sunday, with 18 points and six assists at the start of the fourth quarter.

Samuel Dalembert C Sixers - Dalembert has been a bit up and down, as coach Eddie Jordan just can't seem to make up his mind on anything (remember a guy named Marreese Speights?), but has been on fire lately. He's averaging 12 points, 11 boards, a steal and 3.5 blocks over his last five. Jordan getting fired could help or hurt, but Sammy deserves a shot in any league.

Mike Miller G/F Wizards - Started and played 39 minutes in his first game back, going for a devilish 6-6-6, but more good things are coming. He's a candidate to be traded to a contender, but with the Wiz he's got a chance to do big things. And while we're talking Wiz, Nick Young and Boykins still deserve a look. His minutes are way down on Sunday, and Young is getting serious clock, so make sure Miller isn't injured before buying in.

Rafer Alston PG Heat - Started right out of the gate for the Heat and while he didn't play all that well, did have 10 points, four dimes, three boards, a steal and two 3-pointers. If you need a point guard, don't be scared.

Rasheed Wallace F/C Celtics - Kevin Garnett's return date remains a mystery and Wallace has filled in nicely with 11 points, 5 boards, 1.6 steals, 0.8 blocks, and has hit eight 3-pointers in his last five games.

Nate Robinson G Knicks - The 41-point explosion was a fluke, but he's scored 20 and 10 in his last two, hitting five 3-pointers over the stretch. I'm starting him with four games this week, and he's averaging 19 points and two 3-pointers per over his last four games.

Boris Diaw F Bobcats - Diaw has quietly averaged 6.6 points, 5.4 boards, 5.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.2 blocks and has hit three 3-pointers in his last five games. Wow. I still don't trust him, and scoring is obviously an issue, but you can't argue with those numbers.

Courtney Lee G/F Nets - Lee blew up for 28 points in his last game and could finally be getting ready to get hot. He's averaging 12 points, four boards and has hit six treys in his last five games.

Martell Webster G/F Blazers - Webster was a fantastic pickup last week and had the most productive week of his life, averaging 19 points, six boards, a steal and has hit 17 threes in his last five games. My guess is his best work is now behind him, and the return of Rudy Fernandez and Steve Blake will hurt a little, but he's still worth owning in most leagues.

Ersan Ilyasova F Bucks - Ilyasova's second major slump of the season is behind him and he's playing well again. He's averaging 10 points, 7.5 boards, two assists, a steal and has hit eight 3-pointers in his last five games. And the Bucks play four times this week.

Kirk Hinrich G Bulls - Hinrich is at 14 points, six assists, 1.6 steals and has drained 12 3-pointers in his last five, making him worth a pickup.

Tyrus Thomas F Bulls - Thomas is in a major slump, getting crushed by Joakim Noah in about the same number of minutes. Owners are jumping ship on Ty, but he will bounce back. The only problem is that it's anyone's guess as to when it happens.

John Salmons G/F Bulls - Salmons is quietly playing better, averaging 12 points, three boards and a 3-pointer per over his last five. He's not a must-start, but is worth holding in most leagues, as usual.

Peja Stojakovic G/F Hornets - Has been in a bad slump but was playing well on Sunday and is an instant source of threes if you're in need.

Andrei Kirilenko F Jazz - AK-47 is averaging about 11 points, five boards, three assists, two steals and a block over his last five, which should be worth something in most leagues.

Charlie Villanueva F Pistons - Villanueva might be getting healthy again for the terrible Pistons (12 straight losses), and could be headed toward the starting lineup, as his offense is something the Pistons' starting lineup desperately needs. He's hit double digits in four straight, averaging seven boards and two 3-pointers per game in that stretch. Now might be the time to get him in case he does become a starter soon.

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Normal-to-Deeper Leagues

These players may generally be available in 12 to 14-team leagues.

Spencer Hawes F/C Kings - Paul Westphal can't make up his mind on whether or not to start Hawes, but he had 17 points, five boards, a block and a 3-pointer in his last game off the bench and has scored in double digits in two straight. He's still not a must-own or a must-start, but he could be by the end of the week.

Matt Barnes G/F Magic - Barnes was great on Saturday with Vince Carter out of the lineup and had a decent week. He's averaging 13 points, six boards and has hit eight 3-pointers over his last five games, as he continues to start for the Magic.

J.J. Redick G Magic - Redick started for injured Vince Carter Saturday and had 17 points and three 3-pointers in that one. He's actually scored between 11 and 22 points in his last five, hitting 14 3-pointers, and with talk of him possibly replacing Carter in the starting lineup, at least semi-permanently, he deserves a look in any league right now. Just don't expect much besides points and threes.

Mickael Pietrus G/F Magic - Pietrus showed signs of life this week off the bench and is averaging 10 points, four boards, a steal and a 3-pointer over his last five.

Ryan Gomes F Wolves - Gomes may or may not be starting soon, but he's averaging 15 points, six boards, four assists, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer over his last two games.

Flip Murray G Bobcats - Flip has hit double figures in scoring in four straight games and is shooting lights out. He's averaging 15.6 points and has hit 12 3-pointers over his last five, making him worth a look if you need a shooting guard. The question is, can he keep it going?

Jarrett Jack G Raptors - Jose Calderon is back, but it looks like he may split minutes with Jack going forward. He's averaging 12 points, six assists, 1.4 steals and has hit seven 3-pointers over his last five games.

Jerryd Bayless G Blazers - Bayless is still very inconsistent and takes a hit with Blake returning Sunday, but is averaging 12 points, three boards and four assists over his last five, while shooting it poorly.

Grant Hill G/F Suns - Hill was mired in a nasty slump, but broke out in his last one for 18 points, 13 boards and five assists on 7-of-11 shooting. He's not a must-own and could disappear in his next one, but that line should at least catch your attention.

Drew Gooden F/C Mavericks - Erick Dampier is back, but Gooden had been playing well before missing his last game with a finger injury. He is averaging 8.5 points, 11 boards, 1.5 steals and a block over his last four games. Damp is also worth a look, as he's back as the starting center.

Ronny Turiaf F/C Warriors - With Anthony Randolph out for at least a week or two (presumably) with an ankle injury, Turiaf should figure more prominently in the Warriors' game plan. He is averaging just three points, three boards and two blocks over his last five, and is also dealing with a sore knee, but is worth a look in deep leagues.

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Extremely Deep Leagues

Devin Brown G Hornets - Brown was in a couple of my lineups when he went off for a career-high 30 with five 3-pointers to kick off the week. But he's scored just 8 and 5 in his last two games. He is worthy of a roster spot in deep leagues and should hit some threes with four games in Week 12, but is not a must-own player. He's also playing pretty well halfway through Sunday's game. Roger Mason Jr. is a similar player to keep an eye on if you need threes.

Ime Udoka F Kings - Udoka came out of nowhere for two big games in the absence of Donte' Greene, and may have earned more minutes going forward. He's averaging 15.5 points, eight boards, 1.5 steals and has hit six 3-pointers over his last two games. Greene, Kevin Martin and Francisco Garcia are going to come back on rain on this parade, but for the short term in a very deep league, he might be the most promising player on your wire.

A.J. Price PG Pacers - Price had 23 points, three dimes, two steals and three 3-pointers on Saturday and with the Pacers going nowhere, could eventually start over Earl Watson. Off the bench, he's still averaging 12 points, four assists and a steal, and has hit seven 3-pointers in his last five games.

Austin Daye F Pistons - The Pistons have lost 12 straight games and they have nothing to lose by giving the rookie minutes. He had 10 points, seven boards, three assists, a block and two 3-pointers in his last game and should be in line for more minutes. Again, a deep-league possibility.

Jason Maxiell PF Pistons - Max is starting for the Pistons right now, averaging 4.5 points, 6.5 boards and a steal over his last two.

Willie Green G Sixers - With Allen Iverson's knee issues Green is worth a look in deeper leagues. He had 15 points, six boards, four dimes and two 3-pointers without AI on Saturday, so just keep your eye on him.

Marvin Williams F Hawks - Williams is a forgotten man in Atlanta, but is averaging 11 points, a steal and a 3-pointer over his last five games.

Dorell Wright G/F Heat - Wright got hot in his last one, going for 15 points, seven boards, four steals and a 3-pointer, while Quentin Richardson continues to lob bombs at owners who dare to start him. Wright could be on the verge of taking over Richardson's role, making him worth a watchful eye over the next few games.

Sam Young F Grizzlies - Young is all or nothing, scoring 22 points in two of his last five. The problem is the 2, 6 and 8 points he scored in the other three, along with the fact he doesn't do much outside of scoring.

Chris Hunter F/C Warriors - Hunter should get more minutes with Anthony Randolph sidelined indefinitely, but is only an option in 20-team leagues.

Jon Brockman F Kings - Brockman started his last game and had five points and 12 rebounds. My guess is Spencer Hawes will eventually become a full-time starter, but in the meantime, keep an eye on Brockman.

[Hache Man]

Spontaneous Combustion
Much like the helpless succession of drummers in This is Spinal Tap, sometimes in the world of fantasy basketball, people just explode.

One recent example of this fact of fantasy life was Anthony Randolph, who on Friday night – in the midst of an 11-game streak during which he had averaged 13.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.0 spg and 2.4 bpg – simply landed on his ankle in precisely the wrong way.

The good news is that he did not literally spontaneously combust like the drummers from Spinal Tap, but in essence, that's what happened to that particular spot in your fantasy lineup. Here you were with a terrific young drummer who was only beginning to tap (pun intended) his immense well of potential, and suddenly, without warning, he's gone (or at least unavailable for a yet-to-be-determined period of time).

For the record, Randolph's sudden calamity is not to be confused with the phenomenon known as telegraphed combustion, which is precisely what happened to Michael Redd on Sunday night. The difference between the two is that Randolph's injury came completely out of the blue, while Redd – now done for the season – was just about the biggest red flag this side of The People's Republic of China. And not to incite an unwieldy game of I told you so, but on that particular front, you were warned.

So what can you do in the future to avoid the plague of combusting ankles and knees? In the case of Randolph, there was nothing to be done. Bad luck is simply bad luck, and if he exploded on you unexpectedly, I will now channel Robin Williams playing Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting and tell you, "Look at me, son. It's not your fault."

However, there are instances in which it is technically your fault, and Redd represents one of them. There are players on numerous fantasy rosters in every league who are essentially ticking injury time bombs. I often refer to them as "hot potatoes," but will now add the term "combusting drummer" to the lexicon. And if you weren't aggressively shopping the blatantly brittle Redd after he had scored 27 and 24 points in two of his last three games, then at least to some extent, that one is on you.

Taking a forward-looking approach so as to avoid future unwelcome explosions, here are other players who fall in the category of time bomb/explosive band member:

– Kevin Garnett: He's currently hurt, but let this be a reminder to deal him away as soon as he comes back and posts five or so solid games as I don't think this will be his last leg trouble of the season.

– Luol Deng: The latest news on the thumb injury is at least a souvenir-sized red flag.

– Josh Howard: Consider him the current poster child for Hot Potato Syndrome.

– Monta Ellis: He's not a full-blown time bomb, but the fact that he has played 45 or more minutes in 15 of his last 18 games is a concern. I realize that dealing him is easier said than done, and make sure you get a top-15 player in return if you decide to go another direction.

– Danny Granger: He's not as big of a concern as Garnett or Howard, but is officially fragile in the always worrisome foot/knee areas.

– Jermaine O'Neal: Fairly durable thus far, but I only see things getting worse for him as the season goes on.

– Al Jefferson: We're beginning to hear the word "soreness" associated with his surgically repaired knee with more frequency. I don't think he's necessarily going to combust, but I worry about some missed games down the line.

– Jameer Nelson: I own him in multiple leagues and am not actively shopping him at the moment, but I'd be lying if I said I fully believed he was going to last the season in one piece. Since he's in the midst of a small slump, I'd advise waiting until he heats back up before dealing him.

– Allen Iverson: Two words: R thritis.

– Caron Butler: The fact that he has averaged 63 games the last three seasons is always a looming concern, but I'm slightly less worried because I think he has something to prove with Gilbert Arenas out of the picture.

– Marcus Camby: Another player whose injury track record should cause some concern and I understand the logic behind selling high, but make sure you get a significant return. Camby is more valuable than a lot of people think.

– Corey Maggette: Reckless style of play + has averaged 59 games the past five seasons + has averaged 24.5 ppg his last 13 games = sell high.

– Gerald Wallace: It pains me to put him on here, but I have to admit that his insane disregard for human life (particular his own) makes him a risk. Just keep in mind that he's a second-round value right now, so don't sell him short.

(Translation: I know Wallace has a chance to explode like so many other drummers have, but there is no way in the world I can possibly bring myself to stomach the notion of trading him.)

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MORE REDD/RANDOLPH FALLOUT

I wish there was a clear waiver wire winner in the wake of Michael Redd's season-ending injury, but there isn't.

In terms of players readily available on waivers, the two clearest beneficiaries are Charlie Bell and Carlos Delfino. Neither one is much of an option in 10-team leagues, but if you're in a deeper format and need a replacement, I would probably lean toward Delfino. Like Bell, he's going to have some maddening nights, but there's no ignoring the fact that Delfino has averaged 11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.8 spg and 1.8 threes in the 18 games in which he has received 25-plus minutes entering Monday night.

If you own Anthony Randolph (or simply need blocks), I am fully in support of adding Ronny Turiaf.

Turiaf is rather brittle-legged himself and has yet to top eight points or six boards in a game during what has been an injury-plagued season, but he's a more versatile fantasy player than you think. Last season, in the 29 games in which Turiaf played 25 or more minutes, he averaged 8.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.9 bpg, and similar production is feasible for as long as Randolph remains out (though I would set expectations slightly lower in all four categories given the fact that Turiaf has been dinged up).

LET'S GET TRENDY

LaMarcus Aldridge has just seven blocks in his last 18 games, an average of 0.38 per game. I would love to call that an isolated trend, except that he's only averaging 0.44 per game on the season. There's still room for improvement (Aldridge averaged 1.0 bpg last season), but there's also plenty of cause for concern… Samuel Dalembert's numbers the last five games (12.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.4 bpg) are screaming through a megaphone for owners to sell… I know there are some frustrated Josh Smith owners out there because I'm finding myself frustrated as well, but it's worth keeping in mind that even while ostensibly struggling, he has still averaged 13.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, 0.8 spg and 1.2 bpg in his last five. That includes a game the Hawks lost by 17 after apparently falling victim to the South Beach nightlife, and a game the Hawks lost by 32 after apparently falling victim to the temptations of gift shops in Orlando. As slumps go, we should all be so lucky.

[Hache Man]

Spontaneous Combustion
Much like the helpless succession of drummers in This is Spinal Tap, sometimes in the world of fantasy basketball, people just explode.

One recent example of this fact of fantasy life was Anthony Randolph, who on Friday night – in the midst of an 11-game streak during which he had averaged 13.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.0 spg and 2.4 bpg – simply landed on his ankle in precisely the wrong way.

The good news is that he did not literally spontaneously combust like the drummers from Spinal Tap, but in essence, that's what happened to that particular spot in your fantasy lineup. Here you were with a terrific young drummer who was only beginning to tap (pun intended) his immense well of potential, and suddenly, without warning, he's gone (or at least unavailable for a yet-to-be-determined period of time).

For the record, Randolph's sudden calamity is not to be confused with the phenomenon known as telegraphed combustion, which is precisely what happened to Michael Redd on Sunday night. The difference between the two is that Randolph's injury came completely out of the blue, while Redd – now done for the season – was just about the biggest red flag this side of The People's Republic of China. And not to incite an unwieldy game of I told you so, but on that particular front, you were warned.

So what can you do in the future to avoid the plague of combusting ankles and knees? In the case of Randolph, there was nothing to be done. Bad luck is simply bad luck, and if he exploded on you unexpectedly, I will now channel Robin Williams playing Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting and tell you, "Look at me, son. It's not your fault."

However, there are instances in which it is technically your fault, and Redd represents one of them. There are players on numerous fantasy rosters in every league who are essentially ticking injury time bombs. I often refer to them as "hot potatoes," but will now add the term "combusting drummer" to the lexicon. And if you weren't aggressively shopping the blatantly brittle Redd after he had scored 27 and 24 points in two of his last three games, then at least to some extent, that one is on you.

Taking a forward-looking approach so as to avoid future unwelcome explosions, here are other players who fall in the category of time bomb/explosive band member:

– Kevin Garnett: He's currently hurt, but let this be a reminder to deal him away as soon as he comes back and posts five or so solid games as I don't think this will be his last leg trouble of the season.

– Luol Deng: The latest news on the thumb injury is at least a souvenir-sized red flag.

– Josh Howard: Consider him the current poster child for Hot Potato Syndrome.

– Monta Ellis: He's not a full-blown time bomb, but the fact that he has played 45 or more minutes in 15 of his last 18 games is a concern. I realize that dealing him is easier said than done, and make sure you get a top-15 player in return if you decide to go another direction.

– Danny Granger: He's not as big of a concern as Garnett or Howard, but is officially fragile in the always worrisome foot/knee areas.

– Jermaine O'Neal: Fairly durable thus far, but I only see things getting worse for him as the season goes on.

– Al Jefferson: We're beginning to hear the word "soreness" associated with his surgically repaired knee with more frequency. I don't think he's necessarily going to combust, but I worry about some missed games down the line.

– Jameer Nelson: I own him in multiple leagues and am not actively shopping him at the moment, but I'd be lying if I said I fully believed he was going to last the season in one piece. Since he's in the midst of a small slump, I'd advise waiting until he heats back up before dealing him.

– Allen Iverson: Two words: R thritis.

– Caron Butler: The fact that he has averaged 63 games the last three seasons is always a looming concern, but I'm slightly less worried because I think he has something to prove with Gilbert Arenas out of the picture.

– Marcus Camby: Another player whose injury track record should cause some concern and I understand the logic behind selling high, but make sure you get a significant return. Camby is more valuable than a lot of people think.

– Corey Maggette: Reckless style of play + has averaged 59 games the past five seasons + has averaged 24.5 ppg his last 13 games = sell high.

– Gerald Wallace: It pains me to put him on here, but I have to admit that his insane disregard for human life (particular his own) makes him a risk. Just keep in mind that he's a second-round value right now, so don't sell him short.

(Translation: I know Wallace has a chance to explode like so many other drummers have, but there is no way in the world I can possibly bring myself to stomach the notion of trading him.)

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

Another reminder: I'm on Twitter. You can follow me right here.

MORE REDD/RANDOLPH FALLOUT

I wish there was a clear waiver wire winner in the wake of Michael Redd's season-ending injury, but there isn't.

In terms of players readily available on waivers, the two clearest beneficiaries are Charlie Bell and Carlos Delfino. Neither one is much of an option in 10-team leagues, but if you're in a deeper format and need a replacement, I would probably lean toward Delfino. Like Bell, he's going to have some maddening nights, but there's no ignoring the fact that Delfino has averaged 11.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.8 spg and 1.8 threes in the 18 games in which he has received 25-plus minutes entering Monday night.

If you own Anthony Randolph (or simply need blocks), I am fully in support of adding Ronny Turiaf.

Turiaf is rather brittle-legged himself and has yet to top eight points or six boards in a game during what has been an injury-plagued season, but he's a more versatile fantasy player than you think. Last season, in the 29 games in which Turiaf played 25 or more minutes, he averaged 8.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.0 apg and 2.9 bpg, and similar production is feasible for as long as Randolph remains out (though I would set expectations slightly lower in all four categories given the fact that Turiaf has been dinged up).

LET'S GET TRENDY

LaMarcus Aldridge has just seven blocks in his last 18 games, an average of 0.38 per game. I would love to call that an isolated trend, except that he's only averaging 0.44 per game on the season. There's still room for improvement (Aldridge averaged 1.0 bpg last season), but there's also plenty of cause for concern… Samuel Dalembert's numbers the last five games (12.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 3.4 bpg) are screaming through a megaphone for owners to sell… I know there are some frustrated Josh Smith owners out there because I'm finding myself frustrated as well, but it's worth keeping in mind that even while ostensibly struggling, he has still averaged 13.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.4 apg, 0.8 spg and 1.2 bpg in his last five. That includes a game the Hawks lost by 17 after apparently falling victim to the South Beach nightlife, and a game the Hawks lost by 32 after apparently falling victim to the temptations of gift shops in Orlando. As slumps go, we should all be so lucky.

[Hache Man]

Your Attention Please
A little before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, it was looking like the first thing I was going to talk about in this column would be either Stephen Jackson's career-high 43 points, Baron Davis' triple-double or Chris Kaman's back injury.

Then something rather unexpected happened.

With 47.8 seconds left in the third quarter of Clippers-Grizzlies and the aforementioned Boom Dizzle at the free throw line, flashing lights suddenly became visible in the background at FedEx Forum.

"We had a fire alarm here or something and the fans are headed for the exit," said Clippers TV play-by-play man Ralph Lawler.

"Well, I'm just looking at everybody in the building getting up and leaving," chimed in analyst Mike Smith.

Lawler then read an announcement that had also been put up on the big screen in red letters: "May I have your attention please! An emergency has been reported. Leave the building by the nearest exit. Do not use the elevators."

"Does that mean us too?" Lawler asked.

"I would think so," Smith responded.

Lawler added, "We're supposed to get out of here, folks."

Then, silence.

I really can't remember watching a sports broadcast of any kind during which the commentators literally took off their headsets and evacuated, though I can recall many instances in which the commentators no doubt wanted to.

Turns out the emergency was due to a broken water main (those are painful – had one myself back in '82), and they were back playing again about 30 minutes later.

My primarily lingering question here in all of this: Why was the announcement on the big screen made in the first person, and who is this omnipotent "I" who was asking for our attention? Was it a panicked P.R. employee who had little time to write and inadvertently used the singular "I" rather than the plural "we"? Was it a fire safety director with an inflated sense of self-importance? Or was it, perhaps, a Gollum-like creature who lives in the bowels of FedEx Forum and refers to old pulled pork sandwiches salvaged from the trash as "The precious"?

Some things, unfortunately, we may never know.

WHAT WE DO KNOW

As I was planning to point out before the brief water main diversion, Chris Kaman hurt his lower back. According to the Clippers' TV crew, he's not expected to play on Wednesday and is headed for an MRI on Thursday. None of that is encouraging given Kaman's injury history, and it's time to add DeAndre Jordan if you're in need of boards, blocks, incredibly raw upside and horrendously awful free throw shooting (more on Jordan in a few minutes).

Some good news on the injury front: Kevin Martin is now targeting a return to action on Friday, which means its time to start mentally preparing ourselves for Omri Casspi's value to take a hit. There is a chance he'll continue to be worth owning after Martin returns, but that, as a wise man once said, is in the hands of Paul Westphal. Don't do anything rash like dropping Casspi until we see how this shakes out.

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CAPTAIN JACK WILL GET YOU POINTS TONIGHT

Stephen Jackson went ballistic for a career-high 43 on Tuesday, but some might argue that S-Jax's outburst was only the second-most important Bobcats occurrence of the night. The first? The resurgent Boris Diaw notching just his second double-figure scoring game since Dec. 11, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and three blocks. The previously slumping forward has now hit for exactly six assists in five straight games and has averaged 12.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.3 bpg and 1.3 threes in his last three.

In other Bobcats news, Raymond Felton struggled to 2-for-7 shooting, but had four assists, a steal and a block and made some big plays down the stretch. Gerald Wallace also shot an ugly 2-for-10, but had eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

For Houston, the red-hot Aaron Brooks caught wretched shooting fever as well (3-for-14), but at least all three of his makes were threes. Luis Scola had 18 points and 14 boards (not a huge surprise), adding four assists and a block (pleasantly surprising). Trevor Ariza filled up the stat sheet with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two threes, while Carl Landry had an off game with 10 points and three rebounds, but at least added two steals and a block.

YEEEEAAAAAHHHH FOYEEEEEEEEEE

It's not every day that Randy Foye gets a shoutout from Flavor Flav around these parts, but the new Wizards PG earned it with 20 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, two threes, a steal and a block. I thought Earl Boykins was going to have some value with Gilbert Arenas out of the picture, but Foye is currently rendering Boykins borderline useless – Mr. Duffle had just eight points and one assist on Tuesday.

Antawn Jamison had 31 and 10, but the more interesting subplot in Washington involves Caron Butler, who had just 14 points, four rebounds and two assists and still isn't fully rolling in the absence of Arenas. I'm beginning to think that Flip Saunders' offense just isn't Caron-friendly, but I still expect Tough Juice to up his value as we go forward. Stick with him for now.

Meanwhile, Mike Miller sat out due to his recurring calf injury and reportedly could miss another week. Unfortunately, his replacement, Nick Young, is inconsistent (eight points, four assists, two threes on 2-for-9 shooting), but still worth owning in deeper leagues (think 12 or more teams).

Did I mention that the Wizards actually lost to the Pistons, who ended their 13-game losing streak? Charlie Villanueva led the way with 23 points (his most since Dec. 12) and a season-high five threes, while Jonas Jerebko (13 points, seven rebounds, a three and a block) is looking like a nice deep-league option once again. Ben Gordon sat out due to his groin injury, and there's no word yet on his availability for Friday.



AFTER THE FIRE (ALARM)

Memphis came back from 18 down to beat the Clippers behind matching 24's from Rudy Gay (who rolled his left ankle late but had no trouble continuing to play through it) and Marc Gasol. Of the two, Gasol's line was considerably more formidable, featuring 15 boards, two steals and two blocks. Zach Randolph couldn't get anything done early against Marcus Camby, but then finished with 20, eight and four after Camby left due to a stomach virus. Mike Conley returned from a one-game absence and was solid with 13 points, five assists, two threes and a block.

For the Clippers, Davis nearly recorded a triple-double in the first half and finished with a 27-12-12 line, adding five steals and a block. DeAndre Jordan matched his career-high with 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and will be an intriguing option for as long as Kaman is out. Eric Gordon had 18 points and an encouraging six assists after having averaged just 1.0 assists in his last three games.

BAD TIMES AT THE LAKE

Not surprisingly, Lamar Odom (10 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks) and Andrew Bynum (23 points, eight boards, two blocks) had big games with Pau Gasol sidelined. Also not that surprising, the Lakers lost for the third time in four games sans Pau.

Updating FingerWatch '09-10, Kobe Bryant actually shot well (7-for-10), but only played 32 minutes in the 20-point loss and was seen hobbling off late after struggling through back spasms. Kobe sounds confident that he'll be able to play on Wednesday, but his status hadn't been fully determined as of Wednesday morning and owners should check back during the day for updates.

In other finger-related news, Ron Artest (13 points, eight rebounds) is considered questionable for Wednesday due to a sprained right index finger. The guess here is that he pops about 11 ibuprofen and plays through it, but this is another check back during the day situation.

For the Spurs, Tim Duncan posted a beastly line of 25 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals and four blocks, while George Hill was formidable off the bench with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists but is still not an option outside of extremely deep leagues.

WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS?

It wasn't exactly a water main breaking, but the Kings staged an old-fashioned power outage of their own on Tuesday night, shooting just 4-for-22 in the fourth quarter to turn a two-point game into a 21-point blowout loss. Most of the Kings' lines ended up being fairly ugly, with Tyreke Evans' 18 points (on 5-for-16 shooting), Omri Casspi's 11, 11 and five and Beno Udrih's 15 points being the best of a rotten collection. Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes did very little against Dwight Howard, which shouldn't come as a big surprise.

Speaking of Howard, he demolished the undersized Sacramento frontcourt with a season-high 30 points to go with 16 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks. It has been a disappointing season from a scoring standpoint for Howard, but unfortunately I don't think one game against a lightweight frontline has solved his problems getting easy looks.

Mickael Pietrus was big off the bench with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but is still too inconsistent to trust. Meanwhile, the Orlando TV announcers commented that Jameer Nelson was notably in pain due to his surgically-repaired knee, but he actually looked solid en route to 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two threes in just 25 minutes. Those numbers would have looked better had he not sat out the entire fourth quarter after the Magic blew the game open.

In an interesting injury-related subplot, Orlando moved to 5-1 on the season without Vince Carter, who could return on Friday but may or may not have a spot in the starting lineup when he does.

TONIGHT

Eleven games are on the schedule, but much of fantasy-land is focused on one injury: that pesky wrist belonging to Dwyane Wade. His status was uncertain as of Wednesday morning, so keep checking back throughout the day. The smart money (which is not my money, but belongs to someone much smarter than me) says that he'll play, because few scoring-prone human beings in their right minds opt to sit out a matchup against Golden State.

[Hache Man]

Your Attention Please
A little before 10 p.m. on Tuesday, it was looking like the first thing I was going to talk about in this column would be either Stephen Jackson's career-high 43 points, Baron Davis' triple-double or Chris Kaman's back injury.

Then something rather unexpected happened.

With 47.8 seconds left in the third quarter of Clippers-Grizzlies and the aforementioned Boom Dizzle at the free throw line, flashing lights suddenly became visible in the background at FedEx Forum.

"We had a fire alarm here or something and the fans are headed for the exit," said Clippers TV play-by-play man Ralph Lawler.

"Well, I'm just looking at everybody in the building getting up and leaving," chimed in analyst Mike Smith.

Lawler then read an announcement that had also been put up on the big screen in red letters: "May I have your attention please! An emergency has been reported. Leave the building by the nearest exit. Do not use the elevators."

"Does that mean us too?" Lawler asked.

"I would think so," Smith responded.

Lawler added, "We're supposed to get out of here, folks."

Then, silence.

I really can't remember watching a sports broadcast of any kind during which the commentators literally took off their headsets and evacuated, though I can recall many instances in which the commentators no doubt wanted to.

Turns out the emergency was due to a broken water main (those are painful – had one myself back in '82), and they were back playing again about 30 minutes later.

My primarily lingering question here in all of this: Why was the announcement on the big screen made in the first person, and who is this omnipotent "I" who was asking for our attention? Was it a panicked P.R. employee who had little time to write and inadvertently used the singular "I" rather than the plural "we"? Was it a fire safety director with an inflated sense of self-importance? Or was it, perhaps, a Gollum-like creature who lives in the bowels of FedEx Forum and refers to old pulled pork sandwiches salvaged from the trash as "The precious"?

Some things, unfortunately, we may never know.

WHAT WE DO KNOW

As I was planning to point out before the brief water main diversion, Chris Kaman hurt his lower back. According to the Clippers' TV crew, he's not expected to play on Wednesday and is headed for an MRI on Thursday. None of that is encouraging given Kaman's injury history, and it's time to add DeAndre Jordan if you're in need of boards, blocks, incredibly raw upside and horrendously awful free throw shooting (more on Jordan in a few minutes).

Some good news on the injury front: Kevin Martin is now targeting a return to action on Friday, which means its time to start mentally preparing ourselves for Omri Casspi's value to take a hit. There is a chance he'll continue to be worth owning after Martin returns, but that, as a wise man once said, is in the hands of Paul Westphal. Don't do anything rash like dropping Casspi until we see how this shakes out.

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CAPTAIN JACK WILL GET YOU POINTS TONIGHT

Stephen Jackson went ballistic for a career-high 43 on Tuesday, but some might argue that S-Jax's outburst was only the second-most important Bobcats occurrence of the night. The first? The resurgent Boris Diaw notching just his second double-figure scoring game since Dec. 11, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, six assists, a steal and three blocks. The previously slumping forward has now hit for exactly six assists in five straight games and has averaged 12.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.3 bpg and 1.3 threes in his last three.

In other Bobcats news, Raymond Felton struggled to 2-for-7 shooting, but had four assists, a steal and a block and made some big plays down the stretch. Gerald Wallace also shot an ugly 2-for-10, but had eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

For Houston, the red-hot Aaron Brooks caught wretched shooting fever as well (3-for-14), but at least all three of his makes were threes. Luis Scola had 18 points and 14 boards (not a huge surprise), adding four assists and a block (pleasantly surprising). Trevor Ariza filled up the stat sheet with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two threes, while Carl Landry had an off game with 10 points and three rebounds, but at least added two steals and a block.

YEEEEAAAAAHHHH FOYEEEEEEEEEE

It's not every day that Randy Foye gets a shoutout from Flavor Flav around these parts, but the new Wizards PG earned it with 20 points, five rebounds, 10 assists, two threes, a steal and a block. I thought Earl Boykins was going to have some value with Gilbert Arenas out of the picture, but Foye is currently rendering Boykins borderline useless – Mr. Duffle had just eight points and one assist on Tuesday.

Antawn Jamison had 31 and 10, but the more interesting subplot in Washington involves Caron Butler, who had just 14 points, four rebounds and two assists and still isn't fully rolling in the absence of Arenas. I'm beginning to think that Flip Saunders' offense just isn't Caron-friendly, but I still expect Tough Juice to up his value as we go forward. Stick with him for now.

Meanwhile, Mike Miller sat out due to his recurring calf injury and reportedly could miss another week. Unfortunately, his replacement, Nick Young, is inconsistent (eight points, four assists, two threes on 2-for-9 shooting), but still worth owning in deeper leagues (think 12 or more teams).

Did I mention that the Wizards actually lost to the Pistons, who ended their 13-game losing streak? Charlie Villanueva led the way with 23 points (his most since Dec. 12) and a season-high five threes, while Jonas Jerebko (13 points, seven rebounds, a three and a block) is looking like a nice deep-league option once again. Ben Gordon sat out due to his groin injury, and there's no word yet on his availability for Friday.



AFTER THE FIRE (ALARM)

Memphis came back from 18 down to beat the Clippers behind matching 24's from Rudy Gay (who rolled his left ankle late but had no trouble continuing to play through it) and Marc Gasol. Of the two, Gasol's line was considerably more formidable, featuring 15 boards, two steals and two blocks. Zach Randolph couldn't get anything done early against Marcus Camby, but then finished with 20, eight and four after Camby left due to a stomach virus. Mike Conley returned from a one-game absence and was solid with 13 points, five assists, two threes and a block.

For the Clippers, Davis nearly recorded a triple-double in the first half and finished with a 27-12-12 line, adding five steals and a block. DeAndre Jordan matched his career-high with 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and will be an intriguing option for as long as Kaman is out. Eric Gordon had 18 points and an encouraging six assists after having averaged just 1.0 assists in his last three games.

BAD TIMES AT THE LAKE

Not surprisingly, Lamar Odom (10 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, two blocks) and Andrew Bynum (23 points, eight boards, two blocks) had big games with Pau Gasol sidelined. Also not that surprising, the Lakers lost for the third time in four games sans Pau.

Updating FingerWatch '09-10, Kobe Bryant actually shot well (7-for-10), but only played 32 minutes in the 20-point loss and was seen hobbling off late after struggling through back spasms. Kobe sounds confident that he'll be able to play on Wednesday, but his status hadn't been fully determined as of Wednesday morning and owners should check back during the day for updates.

In other finger-related news, Ron Artest (13 points, eight rebounds) is considered questionable for Wednesday due to a sprained right index finger. The guess here is that he pops about 11 ibuprofen and plays through it, but this is another check back during the day situation.

For the Spurs, Tim Duncan posted a beastly line of 25 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals and four blocks, while George Hill was formidable off the bench with 13 points, six rebounds and four assists but is still not an option outside of extremely deep leagues.

WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS?

It wasn't exactly a water main breaking, but the Kings staged an old-fashioned power outage of their own on Tuesday night, shooting just 4-for-22 in the fourth quarter to turn a two-point game into a 21-point blowout loss. Most of the Kings' lines ended up being fairly ugly, with Tyreke Evans' 18 points (on 5-for-16 shooting), Omri Casspi's 11, 11 and five and Beno Udrih's 15 points being the best of a rotten collection. Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes did very little against Dwight Howard, which shouldn't come as a big surprise.

Speaking of Howard, he demolished the undersized Sacramento frontcourt with a season-high 30 points to go with 16 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks. It has been a disappointing season from a scoring standpoint for Howard, but unfortunately I don't think one game against a lightweight frontline has solved his problems getting easy looks.

Mickael Pietrus was big off the bench with 18 points and 10 rebounds, but is still too inconsistent to trust. Meanwhile, the Orlando TV announcers commented that Jameer Nelson was notably in pain due to his surgically-repaired knee, but he actually looked solid en route to 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and two threes in just 25 minutes. Those numbers would have looked better had he not sat out the entire fourth quarter after the Magic blew the game open.

In an interesting injury-related subplot, Orlando moved to 5-1 on the season without Vince Carter, who could return on Friday but may or may not have a spot in the starting lineup when he does.

TONIGHT

Eleven games are on the schedule, but much of fantasy-land is focused on one injury: that pesky wrist belonging to Dwyane Wade. His status was uncertain as of Wednesday morning, so keep checking back throughout the day. The smart money (which is not my money, but belongs to someone much smarter than me) says that he'll play, because few scoring-prone human beings in their right minds opt to sit out a matchup against Golden State.

[Hache Man]

Bye, Bye Blake
I usually handle game news on Wednesday nights, leaving Matt Stroup with the daunting task of trying to summarize a 13-game night in one column, but the tables have been turned this week due to a few schedule changes. Blake Griffin, DeJuan Blair, Brandon Roy, Kobe Bryant, Al Jefferson, Aaron Brooks and even Chuck Hayes all made headlines on Wednesday. Now let's try to figure out what should matter to fantasy owners going forward.

See Ya - Blake Griffin Out For Year

Blake Griffin will not play this season due to the stress fracture in his left knee that will now require surgery. Obviously it would have been a better plan to have the surgery when he was first injured, but the Clips were trying to avoid the worst-case scenario. Go ahead and drop him if you were holding him, and expect for Marcus Camby (20 rebounds after leaving his last one early with the flu) and Chris Kaman (back) to continue to hold things down in the paint. It sounds like Kaman's MRI went well and he is hoping to play on Friday. If you want to pick up DeAndre Jordan in the meantime, feel free to do so. As injury prone as Camby and Kaman are, Jordan should get his chances over the second half.

Kobe can still play when he should be in street clothes

Kobe Bryant played through a sore back and his numerous finger injuries to score just 10 points in 35 minutes last night. Of course, two of his 10 proved to be the game-winning points over Dallas, as his shot with 28 seconds remaining proved to be the difference. I am officially concerned about Kobe missing a game or two, as he almost chose to sit out last night's win. And if you somehow had the sack to bench him this week, congratulations are in order (depending on who you actually ran out there instead). Other things that went down in this game that you need to know about:

Andrew Bynum had 22 & 11 as Pau Gasol missed another game with a hamstring injury.
Gasol is due back on Friday, so Bynum's run could be about to end – again. Ron Artest double-doubled, but is still not a fantastic fantasy option this season, while Lamar Odom also posted one with 18 & 14. Everything is coming up roses right now for fantasy owners of Lakers who aren't named Pau or Kobe. As for Bynum, I'm still going to stick with him, as Gasol is clearly not out of the woods yet and he has shown in the past he can play with PG. We'll see.

For the Mavs, they got 30 points and 16 boards out of Dirk Nowitzki, while Josh Howard finally replaced Juan Jose Barea in the starting five and had 18 points and three 3-pointers. Time to roll with Howard if you can.

DeJuan Blair Needs More Minutes

DeJuan Blair took advantage of a Tim Duncan DNP-CD on Wednesday for career highs of 28 points and 21 rebounds in 31 minutes, as the Spurs beat the Thunder in OT on Richard Jefferson's game-winner. Gregg Popovich acted shocked at what Blair had done after the game, but we're not sure why. Every single time the kid has gotten minutes this year, he's flirted with double-doubles and solid numbers.

The bad news for Duncan is that this might encourage Pop to be more willing to bench him for Blair going forward. We hinted that Duncan's minutes were about to get funky after Tuesday's game, and also had his DNP posted well before the game started on Wednesday, so it pays to keep up with our news blurbs. I've been preaching doom and gloom with Duncan's DNPs all year, and while we've only seen two of them so far, we've got a long way to go. And now it sounds like Duncan could sit either end of several back-to-backs in the future. The Spurs have 10 sets of them coming up, including one this weekend, two in February, five in March and two in April. Let the good times and guess work roll. Tony Parker was solid with 28 points, eight assists and three 3-pointers, while Manu Ginobili was not, going 0-for-10 for two points. Russell Westbrook had another big night for the Thunder with 25 points, six boards and 13 assists in the tough loss.

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Brandon Roy's Hamstring Problem Sounds Serious

Brandon Roy's hamstring tightness is officially a big deal. "I don't want to have to miss two weeks of basketball," said Roy. "After it got really tight, I told coach, 'This could be serious' ... I've strained it before, so I know the feeling, and it's like we are on the cusp again.'' Roy said he wants to keep playing, but the Blazers' training staff will probably have the final word. Consider him questionable for Friday's home game, but it sounds like a couple missed games here and there are better than the alternative.


Other Injury Concerns

Kevin Martin should return from his broken wrist on Friday, freaking out Tyreke Evans owners worldwide. I don't think Martin is going to completely ruin Evans, nor do I think he's going to make him unplayable. Yes, Evans owners should be slightly concerned, but that's about it. But if you own Beno Udrih, prepare for a big drop off.

Steve Nash suffered a nasty lip injury last night that required stitches both inside and outside of his mouth, but played through it to finish with 20 points and nine assists. He should be good to go.

Vince Carter missed Wednesday's game with his shoulder injury and remains day-to-day. That makes three straight games missed, as Matt Barnes blew up for 28 points, nine boards and two 3-pointers last night. Barnes and Mickael Pietrus have both been playing well in Carter's absence, and Carter's availability for Friday will likely be based on what he does at today's practice. Stay tuned.

Dwyane Wade played through a sore wrist and looked great, hitting 10-of-15 shots and 15-of-15 free throws for 35 points, seven boards, nine assists and three steals. Crisis avoided.

Devin Harris also played through a wrist injury and had 15 points and six assists on 5-of-13 shooting. I saw a question on Twitter about trading Jose Calderon straight up to get Devin Harris, which I am in favor of. While I don't trust Harris from an injury standpoint, he at least has upside, while Calderon offers the same injury risk, yet will be locked in a timeshare with Jarrett Jack the rest of the way.

Vladimir Radmanovic left last night's game with an Achilles' injury, which is not cool. After all the time I've spent writing about him and all the times he's been picked up by fantasy owners, it's quite an unfortunate turn of events. We'll hopefully know more on his condition Thursday for Friday. And with Vlad-Rad now down, Anthony Morrow will be forced back into the spotlight. He responded last night with 24 points and four 3-pointers, meaning it's time to jump back on his bandwagon. Andris Biedrins had six points, eight boards and three blocks, and will also be forced into more minutes if Vlad-Rad is down for a while. C.J. Watson also left with a finger injury and is day-to-day.

Al Harrington played through his calf injury to finish with 17 points and seven rebounds, as he continues to defy the odds and play through injuries.

Rudy Fernandez returned from a back injury and had two points on 1-of-5 shooting. He might be worth a deep-league pickup, but will only be truly valuable if Roy were to be shut down with his hammy.

Other Big Performances From Wednesday

Aaron Brooks went off for a career-high 43 points in a triple-OT win over the Timberwolves, adding in five assists and just one turnover in more than 59 minutes. Shane Battier added 14 points, 12 boards, three assists, two steals, five blocks and two 3-pointers the night, while Al Jefferson went off for the Timberwolves by dropping 26 points and 26 boards on the center-less Rockets. Brooks and Jefferson should obviously be starting for fantasy teams, while Battier is worth owning in some instances. We all know he has the potential to post bit numbers every night, but he simply doesn't do it consistently. Ryan Gomes scored 18 points off the Wolves bench and we still think he's worth a close eye, while Chuck Hayes had the night of his life for Houston, finishing with 10 points, a career-high 17 rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks. Keep in mind this was a triple-OT game and that Hayes is simply not an offensive weapon. In other words, he's a sucker bet.

Ersan Ilyasova hit 9-of-15 shots for 24 points, five boards and four 3-pointers last night. Jodie Meeks scored a career-high 21 on 9-of-17 shooting with three 3-pointers, and could be good for more good games with Michael Redd out. Luke Ridnour had 12 points and eight assists, and remains a solid pickup if you need a guard.

Jermaine O'Neal scored a season-high 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting and had seven rebounds. And yes, owners should be thinking "sell high" after this one.

Mike Dunleavy scored 30 and hit four treys for the Pacers, which may or may not have been a fluke, but it does appear that the slump is over.

Marvin Williams had 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two steals and four blocks in a win over the Wizards, and has been playing pretty well lately. Check out his game log and recent stats and see if he might be able to help your team.

Samuel Dalembert stayed hot with 12 points and 21 rebounds, but there are serious concerns about him missing time after last night's devastating earthquake in Haiti. I imagine basketball isn't the No. 1 thing on his mind today.

Peja Stojakovic's most recent slump is over after he scored 20 and hit four threes last night. He's available in many leagues and is worth a grab if you need threes.

Jeff Green double-doubled last night with 16 & 10, and if anyone figures out how to predict what he will do from night to night, just let me know.

Not So Big Nights

Rafer Alston missed all four of his shots and had just one point in 27 minutes. He'll eventually get it going, so just stick him on your bench for now.

Andre Iguodala was just 2-of-9 for four points last night, but should remain in all starting lineups.

Lou Williams had just five points last night on 1-of-7 shooting, and is getting weird minutes from coach Eddie Jordan. I expect him to bounce back, so consider him in a mini-slump for now.

Dwight Howard hit just 1-of-7 shots for eight points in last night's loss. He did have 13 rebounds, but Stan Van Gundy isn't doing something right with Dwight, as opposing big men usually dominate against the Nuggets. And why Dwight is only getting seven shots is beyond me.

A.J. Price had just three points last night, finally cooling off. Dunleavy got hot and Earl Watson played well again, leaving Price without as many touches as he'd been getting. Roy Hibbert was demoted (again) but had 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in a loss to Phoenix. And the fact he did so on a night when Troy Murphy played well (not great, with 9 points, 14 boards), gives Hibbert owners hope for the future.

[Hache Man]

Down Goes Deron
Quiet Riot?

With just two games on the docket for Thursday it figured to be a quiet evening, but Sundiata Gaines made sure we wouldn't forget it anytime soon. After LeBron James led the Cavaliers back from a big deficit late in the game, Gaines hit a 3-pointer in the face of Anthony Parker at the buzzer for the one-point win. The Jazz were down five near the end, but missed free throws from Parker and Zydrunas Ilgauskas left the door open for Gaines to hit his first NBA 3-pointer. The Cavs blitzed the Jazz for a 20-4 run late, with LeBron taking over and scoring 18 of those 20, but it wasn't meant to be for the Cavs. My guess is LeBron is hopping mad at his mates for missing the free throws after he single-handedly brought them back from no man's land. Yeah, LeBron missed a late free throw too, but grabbed the offensive board and knocked down a ridiculous 3-pointer that appeared to win the game.

Despite the win, this was a tough night for the Jazz, as Deron Williams (right wrist aggravation) and Andrei Kirilenko (hyperextended knee) both left the game early and didn't return. I have no idea what the story is with Williams, but it is highly concerning, as this is the same wrist that kept him out of three games recently (not to mention the one he shoots with). And now that it's banged up again, owners have to worry about him shutting it down for a week in order to get fully healthy. That's not a prediction, but it is a possibility. We should have more news this afternoon on Williams.

As for AK-47, hyperextended knees are not good news in fantasy hoops and my guess is he could miss a week. If that's the case, it's a shame, as he was just starting to come on and had been a hot pickup in fantasy leagues. We should also know more about AK this afternoon, but you can bet both players will probably be listed as 'day-to-day.' You know who else is day-to-day? Kevin Garnett, and pretty much has been since Dec. 28, but more on him later. If AK is out for long, C.J. Miles, Ronnie Brewer and possibly Wesley Matthews will all be worth a look.

While Gaines was the hero last night, it's important to remember that this was just his fifth NBA game and he played only nine minutes (scoring nine points). If Williams misses time, Ronnie Price is the guy you'll want to pick up, and not Gaines. Price had 13 points, two dimes, a steal and a 3-pointer last night in 20 minutes. He's not going to save your fantasy team, but owners in deep leagues might be able to plug him in for a few games if Williams is out. Just keep in mind that Price isn't a picture of health himself, suffering from a painful shoulder injury. If both Price and D-Will are out, then Gaines comes into play in fantasy action.

Mo Williams has scored 10 or less in three straight games and hit just 4-of-12 shots last night. I'm not sure what the deal is, but it probably has something to do with the fact that LeBron is setting the fantasy world on fire. He did it again last night with 36 points, nine boards, five assists, five steals and four 3-pointers on 12-of-20 shooting. I can't believe he didn't block a shot, but I actually feel guilty for even mentioning that, as his lines have simply been monstrous. My guess is the guy currently winning your league owns LeBron, and hopefully that's you.

Bullish In Beantown

The Bulls beat the Celtics in Boston, handing them their sixth loss of the year at home. That's significant, as the Celtics lost six times in the Garden in each of the last two seasons, and we're only half way home. Paul Pierce led the home team with 20 points and Kendrick Perkins' stellar play continued with 14 points, 10 boards and five blocks, but Doc Rivers and company couldn't come up with an answer for Luol Deng.

That's right, the guy with the fractured thumb who was supposed to crawl under a rock and never be heard from again hit 8-of-13 shots and 9-of-10 free throws for 25 points, four boards, two steals and two blocks as the Bulls won their third straight game. Joakim Noah had his typical big line (15-11-4) and Kirk Hinrich played well, but the Bulls got nothing (once again) from Tyrus Thomas and John Salmons.

Thomas played just 17 minutes, but still managed four steals and seven rebounds. I have no idea what Vinny Del Negro is doing with him, but Thomas is still a freak despite the limited minutes. The guy has 10 steals in two games! As usual, I'm just keeping him benched and hanging around, waiting for VDN to turn him loose again, but I wish I had something else to say about him. I am guessing this is probably the 20th time in the last three years I've written the same paragraph about TT, and it's getting old.

Salmons is in no better shape after hitting 2-of-9 shots for five points and five rebounds. He also hit a 3-pointer, but didn't have a single assist, steal or block on the night, despite playing 33 MINUTES off the bench. Vinny, if Salmons doesn't care and isn't even going to try, please leave him on the bench and let Tyrus play. Thank you.

News and Notes

Gilly

Gilbert Arenas has been formally charged with a felony, has reached a plea agreement and is set to plead guilty today. He'll likely avoid jail time, but that doesn't mean he's back in the NBA's good graces. I'm not sure if the TNT boys suggested that Arenas could play again this season, or where that's coming from, but I simply can't see it happening. David Stern's indefinite suspension almost certainly includes the rest of this season, and I would be shocked and amazed if he plays again this year. Hold him if you have an IR to stash him on, but I would recommend cutting him for someone actually playing NBA basketball. Additionally, I see almost no way that Arenas will ever play another game for the Wizards, either.

Welcome Back

Pau Gasol is expected to play tonight after missing six games and most of a seventh with a hamstring injury. As an Andrew Bynum owner, I'll be watching closely. I'm going to just pretend like Bynum's last stint with Gasol never happened and hope that he can still produce and be effective playing alongside PG. We've seen him do it before, so hopefully we'll see it again.

Kobe Bryant missed Thursday's practice with his tweaked back, but it sounds like he's a go for tonight against the Clippers. Go ahead and put him down for Warrior of the Week when Kamla and 3D break it down on Monday. We knew he was iffy to play in all three games coming into the week, but I'm still a bit surprised he's actually going to pull it off. But it hasn't been pretty, despite the game-winner he hit in his last one. You know Kobe's hurting by looking at the numbers – 10, 16 and 12 points in his last three, hitting 49-of-132 shots in his last six, good for just 37 percent. If you somehow had the stones to bench him this week, it could have actually paid off, but you've got to give him credit for trying. Kevin Martin would be in the hospital right now and have a cast on his right hand.

Brandon Roy sounds very iffy tonight against Orlando with his hamstring injury, and this quote has me thinking he'll sit for a game or two. "I don't want to have to miss two weeks of basketball," said Roy. "After it got really tight, I told coach, 'This could be serious' ... I've strained it before, so I know the feeling, and it's like we are on the cusp again.'' Maybe he'll play, but I'm not expecting him.

Ben Gordon is iffy with a groin injury as the Pistons (and Nets) continue to be a fantasy black hole. I'd be surprised if he goes against the Hornets tonight, but he hasn't been ruled out. Ditto for Tayshaun Prince and Will Bynum.

Monta Ellis is dealing with a sprained left ankle, but has been playing through it. And with only eight guys available tonight, he's going to have to have a big game against the Bucks. We posted a blurb about Anthony Morrow losing minutes to Cartier Martin, but I'm not sure we hit the intent of the information. Morrow is going to play at both SG and SF, and had 24 points and four treys in his last game. Three of the healthy eight are Martin, Chris Hunter and Devean George. That's right – two D-League specialists and George, who has pretty much been MIA for the past two years. C.J. Watson (finger), Ronny Turiaf (ankle) and Vladimir Radmanovic (ankle) are all doubtful tonight, meaning Morrow, Ellis, Stephen Curry, Corey Maggette and Andris Biedrins will likely start, with Martin, Hunter and George coming off the bench. If you're in a super-deep league, Martin's probably worth a look, while I think Morrow is a solid and sneaky fantasy play right now.

Allen Iverson (knee) practiced on Thursday and sounds like a go tonight against the Kings.

Kevin Martin is set to return to action tonight in Philly and is already plugged into the starting lineup with alongside Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jason Thompson and Spencer Hawes. In short, I assume Evans will remain a valuable fantasy point guard, while Beno Udrih's run is likely over. Omri Casspi will take a hit with the return of Martin, but it's great news that he's starting. I also still think Hawes is going to bounce back soon, and recommend grabbing him if you have room. I guess Martin's a decent fantasy play tonight since he's starting, and I can't wait to see how things shake out for the Kings.

Ty Lawson (ankle) won't play again tonight and has limited potential as long as Chauncey Billups is healthy.

Rasheed Wallace is targeting a Monday return from his foot injury, meaning this week was a lost cause for those of you who rolled the dice on him with no Kevin Garnett. And speaking of KG, Doc Rivers said there's an "outside chance" Garnett will return a week from today against the Blazers. That's obviously not a stone-cold lock, but there is at least some light at the end of the tunnel.

Tim Duncan will hopefully be back on the court tonight at Charlotte after a surprise DNP, but all eyes will be on DeJuan Blair, who had 28 points and 21 boards in his last one. My guess is he goes back to his old ways and puts up about eight points and seven boards in 18 minutes, but we'll have to see.

Josh Howard should start for the Mavs tonight against the Thunder, and should be picked up in all leagues now that he's back in the starting unit.

No word on whether Vince Carter will miss his fourth straight game tonight, as he's simply listed as day-to-day. Look for him to come off the bench upon his return from a shoulder injury. I'm guessing his availability will be determined after shootaround.

We also still don't know Chris Kaman's status for tonight, but the last we heard his MRI went well and he's going to try to play through his back injury. Consider him a game-time decision.

Trading LeBron

I was asked on Twitter what a LeBron owner can expect in return for trading him, and my short answer is that I simply don't think it's even worth the time to look at trading LeBron. You would need to get a Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant or Chris Paul in return, as well as another Top 10-15 player like Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace or Carmelo Anthony. And given the fact that LeBron is healthy and some of those guys aren't, I wouldn't even think about it. LeBron was traded recently in one of my leagues for Vince Carter, Jason Thompson and Trevor Ariza. Yep, I'm serious. And the kicker is that I'm playing the new LeBron owner, who didn't even have to give up Andre Iguodala, Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Kendrick Perkins or Corey Maggette. Yes, it's ridiculous and as you can probably imagine, things aren't going all that well for me in that league this week. Way to go, Mr. Seitz. So if you own LeBron, don't make a mistake and move him, unless you get Chris Paul and a true stud in return. And even then, it's probably not worth it.

[Hache Man]

Nervous Shakedown
I'm not sure where to even start to recap 24 teams worth of goods from Monday. We had some stellar surprises, some new lineups, some duds, some surprise DNPs and plenty of other goodies. Let's take a look at 10 things fantasy owners need to know from MLK Day.

Matt Stroup will be chatting NBA hoops today at 3 p.m., so check him out here.

And if you missed his marathon blog session on yesterday's action, it's worth a look.

1. Shake up in Phoenix

Jason Richardson and Channing Frye are out of a starting job in Phoenix, replaced in the lineup by Leandro Barbosa and Robin Lopez. The end result was the same for the Suns, as they lost to the red-hot Grizzlies. And the plan is the same for the next game, as Alvin Gentry appears to like what he saw yesterday, despite the loss. Barbosa wasn't much better than normal, while Richardson (8 points, 24 minutes) and Frye (3 points, 14 minutes) both really struggled. Then there was Lopez, who was featured in Monday's Waiver Wired column, blowing up for 19 points, seven rebounds, a steal and three blocks on 8-of-10 shooting. J-Rich's mind has been "boggled" and he thinks it is "unfair." Maybe he should have thought about that before stinking up the joint in every other game for most of the season. Bottom line – Lopez is worth a pickup of you need blocks. J-Rich and Frye should be benched. Barbosa is 50-50 for having solid value, but probably worth a grab if you have someone to cut, and if he keeps the starting job. But how long this experiment lasts is anyone's guess, and it's possible that it actually works to motivate Richardson.

2. Wired's Crystal Ball

I got a ton of props email for the calls on Kris Humphries and Robin Lopez in Waiver Wired. I'm not sure what got into me, but it seems like nearly every player I put in Monday's column went off. Some of the highlights:

Ben Wallace – season-high 16 points, 14 boards.
Carlos Delfino – double-double, 2 stls, 2 blks, 3 threes
Kris Humphries – career game
Robin Lopez – career game
Jonas Jerebko – another solid start
Anthony Tolliver – 24 min., 8 points, 6 boards for GSW
Marcus Thornton – 16 points – Not in Wired, but was Season Pass Pickup of the Day

There were a few duds like DeShawn Stevenson and Ersan Ilyasova mixed in, but it was a good day, and I hope that some of you were able to grab a couple of the hot guys and get them into your lineups. And now I'm hoping they can keep it going.

3. Looks like I picked the wrong week to start…

Brandon Roy (hamstring), Richard Hamilton (flu), Kevin Love (flu), Gerald Wallace (ankle), Richard Jefferson (back), Kirk Hinrich (flu), Al Thornton (ankle), Andrew Bynum (stomach flu) and Chris Wilcox (back) all did not play or suffered an injury on Monday.

Roy and Hinrich were game-time decisions and couldn't go, Love and RJ were surprise DNPs, while Wallace, Wilcox and Bynum went down during their games. Most of these guys are going to be fine for the next one (Bynum included), but here's what you need to worry about.

Wallace sprained his left ankle late in the game and seemed very concerned about it afterwards. The good news is he played through it and was walking on it, but I would not be at all surprised if he misses at least a game or two. We should know more about his condition tonight.

Love has strep throat, which kept his teammate, Ryan Hollins, out for six games. My guess is Love will be back a whole lot sooner, but you never know.

In an odd twist of something, Austin Daye, Ryan Gomes and George Hill started for Rip, Love and RJ, and all scored 16 points, and had ridiculously similar lines.

Daye – 16 points, 6 rebounds, 0-for-6 from 3-point land
Gomes - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 3-pointers
Hill - 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 3-pointers

Weird, huh?

4. Many happy returns

Mike Miller, Allen Iverson, Chris Kaman, Paul Pierce and Rasheed Wallace all returned from injuries and played pretty well last night. Miller is the hot pickup here and he had 13 points, four boards, four assists, a block and a 3-pointer, while hitting all four of his shots and all four of his free throws.

5. Fire and Ice in NYC

Nate Robinson, who was on three of my benches, caught fire and hit five treys and 11-of-18 shots for 27 points, while Chris Duhon might as well have stayed in bed. Duhon missed all three of his shots, failing to score and finishing with five assists and four turnovers. He's failed to score in two straight, has lost his legs again, and continues to be one of the most annoying fantasy point guards to come along in recent memory. Do you cut him? Bench him? I'm not sure what the answer is, but either way, you need to get him out of your lineup. And the same dilemma applies to Nate. Do you dare start him? Given Duhon's ineffectiveness, it looks like it's time to roll with him again, but beware that Mike D'Antoni doesn't exactly trust him still.

6. Got ROY?

Tyreke Evans had 34 points, seven assists, two steals and three blocks. Still think Kevin Martin (9 points) is going to kill his value? I don't either. Stephen Curry now looks like his main competition for the ROY award, as he went off for 26 points, 10 boards, six dimes, five 3-pointers, a steal and a block in another unlikely GSW win. And Brandon Jennings had 25 points, seven assists and four 3-pointers in the Bucks' OT loss to the Rockets. Jennings is playing a little better, but still struggling with his shot, while Evans and Curry are must-starts every time they play. Evans is still leading the ROY race by about a mile as far as I'm concerned.

7. Career Day

Jonny Flynn, John Salmons, Luis Scola, Kris Humphries, Robin Lopez and Shannon Brown all had big lines. Flynn scored a career-high 29 as the Wolves overcame a 20-point deficit to beat the Sixers, and may have gained some much-needed confidence in that one. Salmons had 25 points, four boards, four assists, four 3-pointers and two steals, but was not only playing the Golden Sieve Warriors, but got a start in place of Hinrich (flu). Scola scored a career-high 27 (but didn't have a block, as usual), Humphries scored a career-high 21, Lopez had the huge line mentioned above, and Brown scored a season-high 22 in a tough Lakers win.

I don't think Brown is worth owning in most leagues, but all of these other guys are.

8. Opposite of Career Day

Tyrus Thomas, Emeka Okafor, Eddie Jordan, Josh Howard and Vince Carter all had bad days on Monday.

Many folks are done with Thomas and are dropping him. Frankly, I'm tired of writing about him and will leave it at this. I'm just keeping him around on benches for now, but will not be starting him until something gives/changes.

Okafor played just 14 minutes for two points, two boards and a bock yesterday. He's not hurt, but simply couldn't defend the pick-and-roll or Tim Duncan, and was having some foul issues. Hopefully he bounces back in the next one. Josh Howard's struggles continued as he scored just three points, while Vince Carter struggled with his shot to score nine in a loss to the Lakers.

Howard has hit just 6-of-31 shots in his last three, while Carter is just 4-of-18 in his two games since returning from a shoulder injury. He's still starting for now, but I'm not sure that Stan Van Gundy's not on the verge of bringing him off the bench.

As for Eddie Jordan? His Sixers blew a 20-point lead to the Timberwolves, which could easily be the final straw for president Ed Stefanski. And once Jordan is fired, it will be very interesting to see what happens to guys like Samuel Dalembert, Lou Williams and Marreese Speights.

9. GSW Bonanza

The Warriors are really fun to watch right now, as they consistently are running out of bodies by the end of their games. But because they are so thin right now, the numbers have been a bit ridiculous. Monta Ellis shot the ball 39 times yesterday and scored 36 points to go along with a fat stat line (or is it phat?). Corey Maggette hit 11-of-14 shots and 10 more free throws for 32 points, six boards and five assists. Andris Biedrins torched the Bulls for nine points, 19 boards and eight blocks, and was on pace for a triple-double at halftime, Curry posted the big line listed earlier in this column, and D-League specialists Cartier Martin and Anthony Tolliver were effective off the bench.

Tolliver had six points and eight boards, but tweaked his knee in the second half. He has no value in most leagues, but is in my starting lineup in my 30-team league. And I couldn't be happier with his first game as a Warrior. Hopefully he can keep playing through his injury. As for Martin, he's certainly worth a look as long as the GSW is so injured. And props to them for beating the Bulls yesterday. Ellis is playing 48 minutes a night and proving he's got heart. He may run out of gas at some point, but I'm not sure that owners should even think about trading him right now.

10. Grizzly Bear

The Grizzlies continue to roll along, winning nine straight at home and posting a 15-5 record in Memphis. Remember when everyone (including me) was blasting them for acquiring Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson? AI did them a huge favor by bailing, and Randolph is playing at an incredibly high level. They got big lines from four of five starters, while Mike Conley is doing a nice job of quietly driving the train.

Zach – 27 & 11
Gay – 31 & 9, plus a steal, three blocks and three 3-pointers
Gasol – 19 & 7, two blocks
Mayo – 28 points, five boards, five assists, three blocks and five 3-pointers

They've won four straight, eight of their last 10 and sit 4.5 games behind the Mavericks at 22-18. Only four teams in the Eastern Conference have a better record, but they play in the West, where they barely trail the Jazz, Thunder, Rockets and Suns for a playoff berth. Now let's see if they can keep it going.

Tuesday

Only two games on the docket tonight as the Raptors visit Cleveland, and the Pacers are at Miami. Enjoy

[Hache Man]

Tough Decisions
Waiver Wired, The Sequel

The sudden hot play by Robin Lopez, Kris Humphries and Carlos Delfino has caused my email and Twitter to blow up. Additionally, Tyrus Thomas, Erick Dampier and Yi Jianlian are being dropped like hotcakes due to their poor play. What is the right answer when looking at adding one of these hot free agents? I'm not sure I have the answer, but I'll attempt to make some sense of it.

I'm also sure I'll be answering plenty of questions regarding this situation in Wednesday's Live Season Pass NBA Chat at 3 p.m.

Lopez is now starting over Channing Frye, who has been terrible lately, and blew up for 19 points, seven rebounds, a steal and three blocks on MLK Day. He's averaging 15 points, five boards and four blocks over his last three games after not doing much the first half of the season. I have no idea if he's going to stay in the starting lineup for long or not, but if you need blocks, he might be your guy.

Lopez was taken with the 15th overall pick in the 2008 Draft and the Suns appear ready to use him. He's been great over these last three, but could easily disappear again in the near future. While that doesn't seem likely, it is possible. But if you need a center and have someone to cut, he's an automatic pickup right now. You have to think that Frye and Jason Richardson (who has also been benched), are going to end up back in the starting lineup at some point. But until it happens, Lopez looks like nearly a sure bet to at least put up serviceable big-man numbers going forward.

Leandro Barbosa will start again over Richardson and also deserves a close look in all leagues. I just don't see J-Rich's move to the bench as permanent. At least not yet.

Humps had a career-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds on MLK Day, and is averaging 15 points and eight rebounds in his three Jersey games. Now, do I understand why a team with just three wins and a bunch of youth is giving this guy heavy minutes? No way. If I was running the show in loserville, Terrence Williams, Courtney Lee and CDR would be getting all the touches, while Devin Harris and Brook Lopez would go through the motions while trying not to get hurt. Seriously Kiki, your team is 3-37 and you're all fired up about Humps? Weird. I have no idea how long it will last, but I had him in several lineups this week and am pretty happy about it. If you own Ersan Ilyasova or Omri Casspi, Humphries is a good-looking alternative.

Delfino is suddenly hot again, as Ilyasova has been disappearing every other game or so. Delfino has hit double digits in scoring in three straight, including MLK Day's double-double, and is averaging 17 points, seven rebounds, two steals and three 3-pointers over his last three games. Scott Skiles is very fickle and could shut him out again at any time, and Jerry Stackhouse is en route to Milwaukee, but I still think Delfino is a guy to grab right now. Just keep in mind that he's only hit double digits in scoring in consecutive games three or four times this season.

So, in summary, all three players are worth adding. It just depends on whom you're going to cut to get them. And I would not recommend cutting Frye or J-Rich, but get them on your bench until we see how this plays out.

In most cases I'd also recommend holding onto guys like Tyrus Thomas and Yi Jianlian, but I don't have as much faith in Erick Dampier getting hot again. Other guys who are cuttable right now include Ilyasova, Casspi and Chris Duhon. There are plenty of other candidates out there who can be dropped, but you need to weigh your decision carefully. Lou Williams, Rafer Alston and Allen Iverson are three other players being dropped right now. I think I'm OK with dumping AI and Rafer, as the injury risk and lack of production are annoying and ever present. But with a new coach likely to arrive in Philly at some point, I'm not ready to give up on Sweet Lou yet.

I know that doesn't answer everyone's question, but at least gives you something to chew on when looking to make a move.

Tuesday's Games

There were only two games on the slate Tuesday night.

Heat Blast Pacers

The Heat crushed the Pacers on Tuesday, led by Dwyane Wade's 32 points, four 3-pointers, three assists, two steals and three blocks on 12-of-20 shooting – and he did all of that in just three quarters of the blowout. Wade is shooting 58 percent over his last five games, hitting 53-of-92 shots. He blames his wrist injury for him putting more arc on his shots, and if he needs to hit his wrist with a hammer every week or so to keep banging jumpers, I'm good with it.

Michael Beasley, who has been inconsistent all year, had 20 points and 10 boards, while Jermaine O'Neal added 10 points and six boards in the blowout. I still think Beasley is going to come on in the second half, so just stick with him.

For the Pacers, Danny Granger a big problem tonight, hitting just 2-of-16 shots for eight points. He's 6-of-29 in his last two, but is reportedly healthy. He'll get it turned around, but it could be too little, too late for owners this week, as the damage has been done.

Brandon Rush was solid with 17 points, 10 boards, a three and a block, and could be ready to turn it on - maybe. He's been highly disappointing all season, but maybe…Dahntay Jones is coming on again and had 13 points, Roy Hibbert scored 12 and Troy Murphy had 11 points. Jones can be used in very deep leagues, but there are better guys to pick up in regular-sized joints. And Hibbert is another guy I think should be held onto for the rest of the season.

Luther Head (ankle) and Tyler Hansbrough (ear) were out again for the Pacers, and Head will hurt the value of Dahntay Jones, and possibly Rush, upon his return.

Cavs Beat Raptors

The Cavaliers beat the Raps 108-100 Tuesday, led by LeBron James and his near triple-double. He finished with 28 points, nine boards, 11 assists, three, steals and three blocks, and hit 8-of-18 shots and 12-of-14 free throws. He's averaging career highs in field goal percentage (51), free throw percentage (78), 3-point percentage (37) and assists (7.7), and is showing no signs of slowing down. He shot nearly 82 percent from the line in 13 November games, and his free throw shooting is not nearly the issue it used to be, giving him the most fantasy value of his career.

Mo Williams left briefly with a left shoulder injury but it doesn't appear to be serious. He had 22 points, four 3-pointers and 10 assists, marking just the third time this season he's had 10 dimes in a game. Oddly, he hasn't had a nine or 11-assist game yet, and has handed out eight of them just once this season.

Shaquille O'Neal hit 7-of-10 shots to score 16 points, becoming just the fifth player to score 28,000 points in his career. The other four are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. It's scary to think about how many points he would have scored had he not missed about 5,000 free throws in the last 15 years.

Shaq also made some waves late Tuesday by saying that he could get LeBron James into the Dunk Contest if Kobe Bryant and Vince Carter joined him, giving the prize money to Haitian relief. An interesting concept, but it's probably too late to make it happen for this year's All-Star Game. Then again, maybe it's not.

Hedo Turkoglu was useless for the Raptors, who came in hot, winning 10 of their previous 13 games. Turkoglu hit just 1-of-6 shots for three points, but did add three rebounds, three assists and two steals in the loss. He's really struggling right now, hitting just 14-of-50 shots in his last six games. I'm also getting questions as to whether or not he should be dropped. I guess owners can if they're so inclined, but he's a guy I'd rather see benched than flat-out dropped.

Jose Calderon cooled off, hitting just 2-of-9 shots for six points and six assists, while starter Jarrett Jack had 11 points and three dimes. Calderon's trade value is kaput, but at least he was playing fairly well coming into this one.

Andrea Bargnani continues to produce for Toronto and had 19 points, six boards, three 3-pointers and a block in the loss. I caught some heat for being so high on Bargnani coming into the season, but he's producing, just as I had hoped. He's ranked 18th in the league in blocks, 22nd in 3-pointers, 38th in scoring and 45th in rebounding this season, and his ability to score, block shots and hit from downtown give him exceptional value at center.

Quick Change

The Kings announced on Tuesday that Spencer Hawes and Omri Casspi will be benched in favor of Jon Brockman and Donte' Greene. If your waiver wire is bare, Greene is probably worth an add (cutting Ilyasova?), but don't cut another productive starter for him. Hawes is another guy I'd recommend benching over cutting, but if you've owned him all year, it might be time to let go. He's been as frustrating as anyone to own. Brockman's a solid rebounder, but it's hard to see him offering long-term value. We'll see.

Injury News

Will Bynum (ankles) is out again for the Pistons on Wednesday, Richard Hamilton (flu) and Chris Wilcox (back) are probable, and Ben Gordon (groin) is questionable. Charlie Villanueva says his foot injury is feeling much better thanks to a massage therapist. I have no idea if Gordon is going to play or not, but my guess would be 'not.'

Blazer Brandon Roy says he'll play through his hamstring injury on Wednesday, but he's still not a guarantee. It will come down to a game-time decision and the training staff, and keep in mind he thought he'd play on Monday, too. He even removed himself from the bench in the second half to avoid the urge to run out there. Having said all that, my gut says he'll play.

Rasheed Wallace has been dealing with a groin injury in addition to his foot problem, but is playing through it. He'll take a hit when Kevin Garnett returns on Friday. There's possibly an outside chance that KG will play on Wednesday after a good practice session on Tuesday, but the Celtics are saying he won't play until Friday at the earliest.

Kirk Hinrich should be good to go for the Bulls tonight after a bout with the flu, while John Salmons is now extremely iffy after not traveling with the team due to his own bug. If he sits it will be a shame after Monday's nice line.

Andrew Bynum missed Lakers' practice on Tuesday dealing with a gastro issue, which also limited him on Monday. Hopefully he's good to go against the Cavs on Thursday. The couple days off should mean he plays.

Kevin Love missed T-Wolves practice Tuesday with his strep throat and everyone is a little antsy after Ryan Hollins missed six games with the same illness. The Wolves host the Thunder tonight, and will need Love if he's able to go. Consider him a game-time decision.

Josh Smith (Achilles) and Joe Johnson (foot) are both on the injury report for the Hawks, who have managed to stay incredibly healthy this season. Joe says he won't miss any games with the foot problem, while Smoove doesn't sound in much jeopardy of missing this one, either.

Charlotte's Gerald Wallace missed practice with his sprained left ankle and it sounds like he'll be a game-time decision tonight against the Heat.

For the Warriors, Ronny Turiaf still doesn't know when he'll go through a full practice with his ankle injury, Anthony Morrow will miss 1-2 weeks with a knee injury, and Vladimir Radmanovic is doubtful for Wednesday with his Achilles injury. That means we'll see more Cartier Martin, who is expected to sign another 10-day contract any day now, while Anthony Tolliver is probably questionable with his knee injury. The fact that Tolliver wasn't listed on the injury list is either because I'm the only person who knows he's playing for the Warriors, or because the injury isn't enough to keep him out tonight.

And while it's not an injury note, expect for Jerry Stackhouse to make his Bucks debut tonight. I'm not expecting much, but if you're in a deep league and need a warm body, think about grabbing him if he plays well.

[Hache Man]

I Am G-Pain
Ankle sprains are only a state of mind.

Or at least that's the impression Gerald Wallace gave off on Wednesday. Two days after what appeared to be his first worrisome injury of the season (oddly timed with some of my league mates' efforts to put a written jinx on him), Wallace arrived at shootaround and issued exactly the declaration fantasy owners wanted to hear: "It would have to be broken for me not to play."

He then went out and not only played, but unleashed a vintage Wallace line of 20 points, 10 rebounds, two threes, two steals and five blocks. In his last four games, the Charlotte wrecking ball has averaged 24.5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 2.0 spg, 3.3 bpg and 1.3 threes while shooting 57.1 percent from the field and 90.6 percent from the line. And now that he has fixed his free throw stroke and is hitting threes, I see Wallace – already a top-20 talent – as a top-15 player going forward.

(For the record, there are some instances in which the phrase "Assuming he stays healthy" should be presumed even if it's not written. This is one of those instances.)

Here's a look at some of the other key headlines from a 13-game Wednesday:

LOPEZ & LOPEZ, ESQ.

The big story in Phoenix on Wednesday was new Suns starter Robin Lopez taking on twin brother Brook Lopez, and neither one disappointed. Brook went for 26 and 13, and Robin had 20 points, seven rebounds and a block, further solidifying his grip on the starting role while Channing Frye played just 14 minutes again. I still think it's too soon to drop Frye, but it's not too soon to be officially quite worried.

For Phoenix, Jason Richardson broke out for 26 points off the bench, suggesting that a demotion from the starting five may have been just the motivation he needed. Leandro Barbosa had just nine points in 20 minutes and isn't a trustworthy option whether starting or coming off the bench. Also of note: Amare Stoudemire (27 points) had three blocks for the second time in three games, but I'm still not convinced that's going to become a recurring trend.

For New Jersey, Kris Humphries was solid with nine points, seven rebounds and a block. Lines like that are more in line with what Humphries will do if he continues to get 25 or so minutes off the bench, which is why he is not a must-own player in 10-team leagues.

Other than Humphries, Lopez and Yi Jianlian (14 points, six rebounds, three assists), the Nets are an absolute mess fantasy-wise. Courtney Lee had a steal and a block but not much else, Chris Douglas-Roberts was awful and Devin Harris had 11 points and seven assists but shot just 4-for-14. If I owned Harris in any leagues, I'd be looking for a sell-high point sometime in the next month. The threat of an eventual injury-related shutdown looms significantly.

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

Another reminder: I'm on Twitter. You can follow me right here.

DELFINO: SPANISH FOR "DOLPHIN"?

Not exactly. But Delfino has displayed the intelligence and underrated athleticism of a dolphin lately, averaging 20.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.7 apg, 2.3 spg and 4.3 threes in his last three games. Inconsistency has (and will continue to be) one of his calling cards, but he's well worth owning in most formats right now.

Delfino got the starting nod over Ersan Ilyasova (nine points, five rebounds), and at this point I can understand cutting the inconsistent Ilyasova. Just be prepared for him to bounce back, because he always seems to find a way to do so.

WHAT ANKLE PAIN? (PART II)

Despite telling the San Francisco Chronicle that he was in "severe pain" at shootaround, Monta Ellis played all 53 minutes of an overtime loss and had 39 points and 10 assists. If you're concerned about injuries with Ellis, make sure you get a top-15 player in return.

Corey Maggette posted a 33-9-6 line and continues to be a percentage monster, while Andris Biedrins had four points, 13 rebounds, four assists and three blocks as a solid follow-up to his huge game on Monday.

Owners in deeper leagues should note that Devean George (nine points, a three, three steals) played a whopping 40 minutes and Chris Hunter had nine points, six rebounds and a block, but neither player will be a factor once Ronny Turiaf and Anthony Morrow are back.

For Denver, Chauncey Billups had what would have been the line of the night on another Wednesday, but his 37-8-8 with six threes somehow nearly gets lost in the shuffle. That 37 points ties a career-high for Billups, who is making up for lost time from his groin injury by averaging 26.3 ppg in his last six games.

CB4 GOES BALLISTIC

Speaking of huge lines nearly getting buried, Chris Bosh – not to be outdone by Denver's CB1 (Chauncey Billups) – went berserk for 44 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, sinking most other Raptors' productivity with his huge night. The only Toronto players who really salvaged useful lines were Hedo Turkoglu (13 points, four rebounds, four assists, three treys, two blocks) and Jose Calderon (16 points, four rebounds, five assists in just 21 minutes). I have little doubt that Calderon is ready to put up the stats that owners are looking for, but unfortunately I don't see Jarrett Jack disappearing from the picture.

I already mentioned the most relevant Bucks news (Delfino's eruption), but it's worth adding that Andrew Bogut went off for 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks (he'll do that from time to time), while Brandon Jennings killed an otherwise solid night by shooting 5-for-21 (again, not a surprise). Jerry Stackhouse made a decent Milwaukee debut with three points, five rebounds and four assists, but is only worth adding in deeper leagues at the moment.



SACTO SHAKEDOWN

Sacramento lost to the Hawks by 11 on Wednesday, but owners have to be fairly pleased to see Tyreke Evans score 24 (on 9-for-17 shooting) and Kevin Martin score 23 (on 8-for-18 shooting). Similar shot attempts, similar production. That should work just fine.

Meanwhile, Donte Greene and Jon Brockman joined the starting five, but neither did much (in fact, Greene was awful) and neither should be a consideration outside of deeper leagues.

Omri Casspi (16 points, eight rebounds) and Beno Udrih (eight points, eight assists) both showed signs of life off the bench, but neither is a must-start player in 10-team leagues at this point.

MIAMI MELTDOWN

In case you missed it, the Heat were ghastly last night, losing to Charlotte 104-65. You can write off just about every Miami line in this one, though it is worth noting that Dwyane Wade, playing through a wrist injury, is just 12-for-25 from the free throw line in his last three games after going 22-for-22 in the two games before that.

BETTER HERE THAN IN INDIANA

The Pacers are an absolute mess right now. Yes, Danny Granger bounced back from his 2-for-16 game to score 25, and that should not surprise you. And it's nice to see Earl Watson post 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and six steals, but inconsistency is still a huge issue.

Meanwhile, one game after going for an encouraging 17 and 10, Brandon Rush proved that he's still not ready for prime time by going for four points and virtually nothing else. Don't be surprised to see Dahntay Jones (17 points) or Mike Dunleavy (12 points, two threes, two steals) rejoin the starting five, but neither one is a terrific option.

Making matters worse, a report in the Indianapolis Star indicates that Jim O'Brien is considering sending either Roy Hibbert or Troy Murphy to the bench. Hibbert struggled immensely against Dwight Howard on Wednesday, though that's not necessarily a surprise given Hibbert's penchant for inconsistency and the fact that Dwight was no doubt looking for payback after Hibbert got him for 26, eight and four earlier this month. Fantasy-wise, Murphy would likely respond better to coming off the bench, though it won't be good news for either Hibbert or Murphy if one of them is demoted.

Speaking of Dwight Howard, he went for a season-high 32 points and somehow had four steals and no blocks. Matt Barnes was huge with 10 points, 16 boards, six assists and three steals and looks like a player to sell high right now.

Meanwhile, Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson both struggled, and while I think Nelson should be startable most nights, Carter – who claims to have discovered a mechanical flaw in his jumper – needs to be planted on your bench for now.

TEAMS THAT BEGIN WITH THE LETTER "P"

Naturally, when discussing Portland and Philadelphia, we'll begin by discussing some Positives. For Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge looked good again with 23 points, nine rebounds, four assists and a block, while Andre Miller continued his recent strong play by scoring 24.

The bad news for Portland: Martell Webster came crashing down after a recent hot streak to shoot just 1-for-9, while Brandon Roy left early and looks likely to miss the next couple of games after aggravating his hamstring injury.

For Philly, Samuel Dalembert came directly off a plane from Haiti and finished with 10 points, 15 boards and a block, and Lou Williams had a solid line (11 points, seven assists, two steals and a three) despite again sitting out the fourth quarter. To repeat: Eventually this situation will work itself out, and while you don't necessarily have to start Williams right now, dropping him would not be wise.

Allen Iverson was ineffective with nine points and four rebounds, and this is just speculation, but I wouldn't be surprised to see him miss a game or two coming up due to his arthritic knee.

A SOUND OF THUNDER

Oklahoma City got its 24th win of the season (surpassing last season's win total) behind 31 points from Kevin Durant, but fantasy-wise the more significant note pertains to Jeff Green. Green has been maddeningly inconsistent this season, but has averaged 14.2 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 0.8 spg, 1.0 bpg and 0.8 threes in his last five games. Statistically speaking, think of him as a higher-octane Marvin Williams.

On the Minnesota side of things, Al Jefferson went for 20 points, nine rebounds and two blocks, Jonny Flynn followed up a 29-point, nine-assist game with a quieter 10 points and eight assists and Ryan Gomes played "bad game" on the "good game, bad game" roulette wheel. None of those occurrences should be a big surprise.

More notable for Minnesota was Corey Brewer's huge line of 25 points, five rebounds, six assists, two threes, five steals and a block to continue a recent trend of excellent play. In his last five games, Brewer has averaged 18.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.0 bpg and 2.0 threes. This looks like a solid sell-high point on Brewer, but I can also understand the logic behind sticking with him given the undeniable potential here.

Meanwhile, Kevin Love missed a second straight game due to strep throat. No word yet if he'll be available on Friday.



CHURNING PISTONS

The Pistons have now won four out of five after Rodney Stuckey (27-11-6) led the way in a win over Boston. Statistically, Stuckey is like Derrick Rose plus steals, minus some field goal percentage. Fantasy-wise, it's truly a shame that neither one of them hits threes.

Richard Hamilton returned from a one-game absence due to illness and posted 12 points, four rebounds and eight assists, while Ben Wallace returned to his scoring norm (six points), but added 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. With Hamilton back, Austin Daye returned to the bench but still had nine points, eight rebounds, a three, a steal and a block in 25 minutes. Jonas Jerebko didn't do much for a third straight game, and it wouldn't be shocking to see him lose his starting job when Tayshaun Prince returns this weekend.

JAZZ 4, SPURS 0

The Jazz beat the Spurs for the fourth and final time this regular season behind 31 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks from Mr. Contract Year, Carlos Boozer, who could end up staying in Utah beyond the trade deadline with the Jazz suddenly having won six of eight. Also beastly for the Jazz was Andrei Kirilenko (26 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block), but you just can't trust him for strong production consistently.

On a slightly disconcerting Utah note, Deron Williams (18 points, 10 assists) says his wrist is still bothering him, but the good news is that Utah plays just one time in the next four days.

For the Spurs, Manu Ginobili was big off the bench (22 points, five rebounds, eight assists) and has averaged 6.7 assists in his last six games despite some erratic scoring lately. Tony Parker had 20 points, but continues to deal with heel trouble, making him someone owners should consider shopping.

Starting center DeJuan Blair was solid but unspectacular with four points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, while Richard Jefferson returned to score 12 points but failed to get his starting job back from George Hill (16 points), who has become an intriguing waiver wire option, particularly in deeper leagues.

THE MEMPHIS FAB FIVE

Memphis has one of the most balanced starting fives in the league, so it should come as no surprise that Mike Conley (15 points, two threes, three steals), O.J. Mayo (15 points, eight assists), Marc Gasol (15 points, two steals, four blocks), Rudy Gay (26 points) and Zach Randolph (25 points, 12 rebounds) can all post useful fantasy lines on the same night.

For the Hornets, Chris Paul went without a steal for the second straight game, but I think we're nitpicking considering that he had 21 points, six rebounds and 13 assists. Marcus Thornton scored 12 to extend his double-figures streak to seven games. Thornton has averaged 12.9 ppg and 1.7 threes during that stretch, making him a useful option in deeper leagues.

THAT PESKY TOE

The biggest headline from the Clippers' win over the Bulls was Eric Gordon leaving early with a toe injury. There's no word yet on the severity, but toe injuries can linger, so we're going to have to watch this one closely and hope it's not serious. If Gordon's out, Ricky Davis (eight points, seven rebounds, six assists) and Al Thornton (17 points) would be the main beneficiaries, but neither is a very exciting option in 10-14 team leagues.

Did I mention that Marcus Camby had 25 rebounds, three steals and two blocks? I certainly can't argue with the notion of selling high given his track record with injuries, but I will repeat myself for what feels like the hundredth time on the Camby front: Don't confuse selling short with selling high. If you're dealing Camby, you need to get a big return.

As for the Bulls, John Salmons was out with the flu, Derrick Rose was huge, the good Tyrus Thomas showed up and Kirk Hinrich shot a wretched 3-for-14. As for Thomas, I can understand not wanting to deal with his inconsistency, but lines like Wednesday remind us why he still needs to be owned in most leagues.

ONE POINT? NO PROBLEM

Dallas is remarkably now 9-0 in its last nine one-point games, with the notable fantasy developments from a win over Washington being Josh Howard sitting out with an illness and Drew Gooden posting 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks in just 22 minutes off the bench. Starter Erick Dampier had just six points and four rebounds, and while this is still a platoon, Gooden is a sneaky deep-league option despite coming off the bench.

Speaking of sneaky, Mike Miller had eight points, four assists and two threes on just 3-for-5 shooting and needs to be more selfish. Antawn Jamison had an off night, but Randy Foye was large again with 26 points and Brendan Haywood had 13 and 18. Caron Butler shot just 7-for-20 on his way to 20 points and 10 rebounds, but the encouraging note here is that he got 20 shot attempts. The outlook quietly continues to trend upward for Tough Juice.

TONIGHT

Two games on the schedule: Lakers at Cavs, where the surprise news from Thursday morning is that Mo Williams is expected to sit due to a shoulder sprain, making Delonte West an intriguing short-term option. The late tipoff features Clippers at Nuggets, a game that threatens to get ugly with the Clips playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road in high altitude, possibly sans Eric Gordon. Nevertheless, look for Marcus Camby to wreak some big-time havoc against his former team even though the Clips will probably lose by about 18.

[Hache Man]

West Side Story & Puppet Show
Muppet Show

The Lakers and Cavaliers squared off in Cleveland on Thursday's two-game night and as usual, LeBron James posted a monster fantasy line to lead the home team to a win. LeBron went off for 37 points, five boards, nine assists, two steals, a block and one 3-pointer on 13-of-25 shooting. He hit just 1-of-9 3-pointers, but who's counting? Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, but in what has become a disturbing trend since his finger injury, needed 31 shots to get the job done. He also added just two rebounds and four assists in the loss, but probably sold a lot of shoes last night. And was it just me or did it feel weird watching Kobe play before 10 p.m. in the East?

West Side Stories

Despite the matchup of everyone's favorite hand puppets, the story of the day was the late news that Mo Williams will miss 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury. This went down when many East Coasters were driving home from work, so it's possible many of you missed the 'opportunity' to grab Delonte West, who now looks like the starter for the next month or so. However, what you really missed was a mess of a line from Redz, who had just three points on 1-of-4 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a 3-pointer despite playing 43 minutes, and a mess of a situation.

West suffered a left finger injury late in the game that is still being evaluated. I stupidly said it wasn't his shooting hand initially, but he's a lefty, making matters worse. So, with a terrible stat line and a brand new injury to the hand he shoots with, things can't get much worse for West, right? Wrong.

He also has to worry about getting suspended for his Raising Arizona Lone Biker of the Apocalypse imitation over the summer. He's supposed to be in court today for a pretrial hearing and then the real deal is supposed to get underway in February. I have no idea when David Stern is going to kick Delonte to the curb Gilly style, but you have to think it's coming at some point. The Cavs are obviously worried and are looking for point guards, with Nate Robinson rumored to be topping the list. I don't know about you, but I'd pay to watch Nate and LeBron play together.

So, in summary, if you missed out on picking West up last night, it might not be a big deal. He should still be owned in most leagues, as there's a 55% chance he will start at point guard for the next six weeks. He will play much better than he did last night (although he's not a true point guard), but this whole legal mess is a huge concern. This also means that Nate should be held onto, as usual, in case he gets traded to a team that needs him.

J.J. Hickson had 11 points and 14 rebounds, but I'm still not sure how, and Pau Gasol struggled for the Lakers, hitting just 5-of-14 shots for 13 points, eight boards and no blocks. Andrew Bynum returned from his gastro problem, but had just seven points, eight boards and two blocks. Daniel Gibson (19 minutes, three points, two assists) is another guy to keep an eye on in this Delonte saga, while Anthony Parker should get some extra minutes as well.

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Golden Nuggets

The Nuggets rolled the Clippers last night as Carmelo Anthony did his best LeBron impression with 28 points, 10 boards, two assists, two steals, a block and two 3-pointers on 7-of-18 shots. Kenyon Martin continues to quietly put up solid numbers and had 13 points, 14 boards, two steals and two blocks last night. Ty Lawson got 20 minutes of burn for 11-6-4 and two threes, but still isn't worth owning or playing as long as Chauncey Billups is healthy. J.R. Smith was awful, hitting just 1-of-7 shots for three points. I was wrong about Smith this year (add him to the Jason Richardson file) and I'm really not sure one huge night out of every five is a good reason to hang onto him. But the same rules that apply to Tyrus Thomas work for Smith. Bench him and he'll score 41 with 10 3-pointers. Cut him and he'll get hot and turn his season around.

For the Clips, the big news is that Eric Gordon is out with a toe injury, but is traveling with the team and considered day-to-day. Ricky Davis (yes, Ricky Buckets is still around) got the start and had nine points on 3-of-11 shooting. It would have to be a pretty deep league for me to roll with Buckets, but he was better than Rasual Butler (35 minutes but just two points) and Al Thornton (started over Butler, but 2-of-7 shooting in 19 minutes). In my opinion, Butler is the guy to own of these three despite last night's weirdness.

Marcus Camby backed up a 25-rebound show with seven points, six boards, zero steals and zero blocks. Ouch. I had no idea that Nene and Chris Andersen were that intimidating. Craig Smith went off for 21 points, six boards, a steal and block on 9-of-14 shooting and is suddenly very hot. To steal directly from today's Pickups of the Day column, Smith has somehow scored 17, 16, 18, 6 and 21 points in his last five games, averaging 15.6 points and 5.0 boards over that stretch. I'm still not sure why or how, but if your league's wire is really thin, he could be worth a look. The dude's nickname is 'Rhino' and he frequently takes his teammates out in practice, so let's just hope that Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby come out of his hot streak in one piece. And for the record, Smith is not my pickup of the day, but just one of many guys covered in that column for Friday.

News and Notes

Tayshaun Prince will be worked back into the mix slowly when he returns to the Pistons from his knee injury. He and Ben Gordon (groin) are still quite iffy for tonight's game, while Will Bynum is out again with his ankle problems. If you're sitting on Prince and a guy like Delonte or Carlos Delfino is sitting out there, make the move.

The Nets came out and said they have no interest in trading Devin Harris, although Rod Thorn also said "never say never." But a Harris for Caron Butler deal doesn't look likely. In other trade news, Josh Howard is clearly on the block, as the Mavs would love to find a way to get Kevin Martin for him.

The Bobcats are 10-3 since Tyson Chandler went down (for a week, remember?) with his foot injury. My guess is that his fantasy owners' teams got better about the same time, and I'm still shocked by how many "Ty Chan is available in my league, should I cut so and so to pick him up?" emails I get. He's pretty useless, but does serve a purpose in leagues where centers are tough to come by. He should get his starting job back up on his return, but I am not looking to own him in any of my 12 leagues.

Kevin Garnett should play tonight for the Celtics, Tyler Hansbrough is out again for the Pacers with an inner-ear infection and Josh Howard should play through an illness, although it could be off the bench. Kevin Love (strep throat), Shawn Marion (funeral), Jameer Nelson (rest/knee), Josh Smith (achilles/thigh) and Joe Johnson (foot) are all probable for Friday night.

And lastly, Jerryd Bayless is expected to start for Brandon Roy, who will miss at least the next FOUR games with a hamstring injury. Roy isn't seeing another doctor until next Thursday, so he's going to miss a full week and possibly longer after aggravating the injury on Wednesday night. In other words, Bayless is probably worth an add in deeper leagues.

[Hache Man]

Wired For Sound
Smaller To Average-Sized Leagues

These players may or may not be available in smaller to average-sized leagues consisting of 10-12 teams with rosters somewhere around 12-15 players. That should cover a majority of the fantasy hoops leagues in existence. If your league is any smaller than that, the waiver options are endless and it's just too difficult to try to figure out whether you should pick up Kevin Garnett, Luol Deng or Jason Richardson.

Andrei Kirilenko F Jazz - Kirilenko is finally starting again and had 26 points in his most recent game. He's still nowhere close to the form that gave him Top 20 fantasy value a couple years ago, but he's averaging 13 points over his last five, and still has the ability to contribute in every single category.

Robin Lopez C Suns - I will admit I was a little slow to jump on the Lopez bandwagon and it cost me, as I don't own him in a single league. Will he start the rest of the way? I have no idea, but it's quickly become clear that the Suns would rather have him clogging the middle than have their center stand outside the arc like a shooting guard. Maybe the answer is to start Channing Frye at small forward, but it hasn't happened yet. Frye is now cuttable (although he could come back strong at any time), while Lopez looks like a must-own for points, boards and blocks.

Matt Barnes G/F Magic - Barnes has been hot since he moved into the starting lineup for the Magic and should be owned in just about all leagues by now. However, he's still available in 45 percent of CBS leagues and isn't starting in many of the ones where he's owned. He had 10 points, 16 boards, six assists and three steals on Wednesday, and there should be plenty more where that came from as long as he continues to start. And he also hits a lot of threes, despite not having one the other night.

Delonte West G Cavs - I covered him pretty thoroughly in today's Daily Dose, but the late-breaking update (pun intended) is that he fractured the ring finger on his left (shooting) hand. He's day-to-day, but won't play on Saturday, thrusting Daniel Gibson into the spotlight. West is still the guy to own if he can play through the injury, but Boobie now deserves a look in deep leagues as well. West still has a ton of legal problems and could be facing a suspension, so lower your expectations if you grab him.

Carlos Delfino G/F Bucks - Delfino has been a hot pickup for a week now, but is still only owned in about half of the leagues out there. He's a 3-point shooting fiend and has been scoring well lately. He's averaging 15 points, six boards, one-plus steals and nearly three 3-pointers over his last five games, while Ersan Ilyasova has become nearly useless.

Jerryd Bayless/Martell Webster/Rudy Fernandez/Steve Blake - With Brandon Roy out for at least five games (and remember that Pau Gasol missed 11 straight with his hammy) it looks like Jerryd Bayless will start, while Steve Blake and Rudy Fernandez will see a bump off the bench. Webster is already starting and playing well, although he was awful on Wednesday at Philly. Guys like Ilyasova and Rafer Alston could be cut to acquire any of these players, which I'd rank as Webster, Bayless, Blake and Fernandez. I don't really trust Rudy too much, but he's going to play and hit a bunch of threes without Roy around. Despite the fact that the Blazers appear to be cursed (Greg Oden, Joel Przybilla, Travis Outlaw, Nicolas Batum and now Roy), they are doing an admirable job of hanging in there at 26-17 and the fifth seed in the tough West. And while he should no longer be sitting on wires anywhere, Andre Miller is getting ready to start playing like an All-Star.

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Normal-to-Deeper Leagues

These players may generally be available in 12- to 14-team leagues.

Tyrus Thomas F/John Salmons G/F Bulls - These two jokers have been a mess all season and have bounced from team to team and in and out of lineups all year. Salmons was finally starting to show signs of life until an illness kept him out of the last one, but he is set to play Friday night. Like a broken record, I've been saying all year he needs to be held onto until he gets it fixed. As for Thomas, I'm about out of energy, but he had a big second half on Wednesday to finish with 18 points, six boards, two steals and three blocks. Which is just enough to make him worth keeping around in fantasyland.

Nate Robinson G Knicks - Robinson's name continues to be linked in several trade rumors, including signing with the Celtics or Cavaliers. He's also sort of back in the rotation for Mike D, and is capable of dropping 40 on any given night. Does that mean he should be in your lineup every night? Probably not. But should he be owned? Yep.

Marcus Thornton G Hornets - Thornton has quietly hit double digits in scoring in seven straight games and has hit between one and three 3-pointers in each of those. Do I trust him to still be doing this in March? Maybe.

Tyson Chandler C Bobcats - I am not a big fan of picking Chandler up, but bad centers have inflated value in many leagues and Chandler qualifies as one. He'll probably get hurt again, and could easily be outplayed by Nazr Mohammed off the bench, but give him a look if you're dying at center. This is assuming he finally returns from his one-week foot injury that is now close to a month, and counting.

Craig Smith F/Rasual Butler G/F Clippers - I have no idea why or how, but Smith is suddenly ballin' for the Clips. He's not doing a whole lot outside of scoring, but did have 21 points, six boards, a steal and a block on Thursday. He's averaging about 16 points and five boards over his last five games, and is shooting lights out. By the time you pick him up and get him in your lineup for next week it could be too late, but he's probably a current better option than Spencer Hawes or Marreese Speights.

Butler is also worth a look. He's been starting at small forward but Al Thornton got the call in the last one. Butler did almost nothing, but did play 35 minutes. If you need threes and a guy who can score 20 on any given night, he's worth a look. Ricky Davis started in place of injured Eric Gordon on Thursday, but should only be considered in real deep leagues.

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Extremely Deep Leagues

George Hill G Spurs - Hill is suddenly starting over Richard Jefferson, or at least he did in his last one. In any case, he's started in two straight games and has scored 16 in both of those, while scoring in double figures in six of his last seven. If Gregg Popovich is obsessed with keeping the old dudes healthy, running Hill until his wheels fall off makes perfect sense. I think I'm nearly sold, although he's not great in many categories outside of scoring, to go along with some threes and dimes.

Omri Casspi/Donte' Greene/Jon Brockman - Casspi has fallen from the starting five, but still managed to finish with 16 points and eight boards in 30 minutes. He was dropped in many league when he was dumped from the starting unit, but could easily still get 30 mpg and put up similar numbers to what he's done all year (points, boards, threes).

Greene and Brockman are intriguing as starters, but their efforts on Wednesday were horrendous. But in deep leagues where warm bodies are at a premium, they're certainly worth keeping an eye on.

Arron Afflalo G/F Nuggets - Afflalo has somehow avoided this list all year but has quietly been effective as the Nuggs' fifth starter. He's averaging 11 points, three boards, two assists, nearly a steal and two 3-pointers in 28 minutes per game over his last five. If that helps your team, go for it.

Dorell Wright G/F Heat - Wright has long been an intriguing fantasy player to keep an eye on for most of his career and blew up for 16 points, seven boards, two blocks and a 3-pointer in Wednesday's role as the star of the Washington Generals. The Heat were blown off the floor in a 39-point humiliation by the Bobcats, who played the role of the Globetrotters. Who knows if or when he'll do it again, but he's a guy worth grabbing in a 20-team league, and is worth keeping an eye on in most others.

Jerry Stackhouse G/F Bucks - Speaking of warm bodies, Stack returned to the league via the Bucks on Wednesday and had three points, five boards, four assists and a 3-pointer in 17 minutes. He will get better if he can stay healthy, so give him a look in a real deep league.

[Hache Man]

Guards Letting Us Down
Marching Into Miami

Congratulations to the Colts and Saints. If you are a long-lost Manning uncle and have some old family footage of the boys running around in the driveway/yard/street from 1975, I'm sure you can sell it for a ton of cash. Even if you only have video of two-year old Cooper stumbling down the street in his diaper, that will be good enough. The networks are going to go on an all-out Manning blitz, given Archie's ties to NO and Peyton on his way to another SB ring (I hope). I'm really happy for the Manning family though, as they might finally get a chance for some air time.

Letting Your Guard Down - Injuries to guards seem to be all the rage right now. Devin Harris, Leandro Barbosa, Brandon Roy, Jerryd Bayless, Derrick Rose, Delonte West, Mo Williams, Jason Kidd, Ben Gordon, Will Bynum, Monta Ellis, Anthony Morrow, Sebastian Telfair, Eric Gordon and Nate Robinson are all on the injury report heading into Week 14. Big man Joakim Noah has a foot problem that will give owners a headache this week as well. The latest report is that he doesn't sound too optimistic about playing on Monday. If you own any of these players, be sure to check out the latest news blurbs about them on Rotoworld.

Devin's Gonna Be All Right - Devin Harris' MRI on his wrist was negative and he remains day-to-day. This is good news, as nothing is broken, but he's probably too risky to use this week.

Half Monta? - Monta Ellis' ankle injury remains mysterious, although we're suppoed to get an update this afternoon. With four games, I think you go ahead and start him, but owners looking for some field goal percentage relief might want to give him a week off.

Melo Yello - Carmelo Anthony has already been ruled out for Monday's game due to a sprained ankle. That leaves him with three more games this week and my gut says he'll play in those. But he's an extremely risky start in weekly leagues and owners have to weigh their options carefully. I own him in several weekly leagues and have still not made up my mind on him yet.

West of the Fields - David West is iffy for Monday with his sprained ankle, although it's only considered to be "mild." He's another very tough call for the week

Delonte West is not likely to play on Monday with his fractured ring finger, but it does sound like he plans on playing with the injury at some point. With Mo Williams out for until March with a shoulder injury, I think Delonte is still worth hanging onto, but I wouldn't start him this week. Daniel Gibson will continue to start until West is ready to play, but LeBron will be the guy doing most of the dishing in Cleveland. Gibson's worth a look in very deep leagues, but I don't trust him enough to start him in most of mine.

I was asked why LeBron's not considered a guard since he basically is the point guard in Cleveland. While it's true that LeBron basically runs the offense in Cleveland, he starts at small forward and logs 90 percent of his minutes at forward. He's also roughly the size of a cement mixer and is the truest definition of a forward in the entire league. Of course, he runs like a gazelle and passes like a point guard, but that's not going to be enough to get him guard eligibility in our lifetime.

Where You Ben? - Ben Gordon is finally expected to come back from his groin injury on Wednesday. I'll believe it when I see it, but it does sound like he should play. Gordon is actually being dumped in many leagues and regardless of how useless he's been this season, he's still Ben Gordon, and should be owned in most leagues.

Skin Trade - Amare Stoudemire is being heavily shopped by the Suns and he could literally end up anywhere. Cleveland, Detroit, Golden State and Minnesota have all been mentioned, while we're guessing that just about every team in the league has talked to the Suns about Stoudemire in the past week. There's no sense in worrying about where he's going or what it will do to his value, as there is no way of knowing what will happen. His game shouldn't change much regardless of where he lands, although you'd have to think his numbers would go up in Detroit or Golden State, and down in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers are also said to be interested in acquiring Troy Murphy or Antawn Jamison, as they continue to try to add pieces in order to win LeBron James a championship. The Blazer said recently that they have no intentions of trading Andre Miller, but I bet they wouldn't hesitate moving him for the right offer. Speaking of Miller, it's hard to believe how useless he was earlier in the season, but Nate McMillan has finally gotten on the same page as the rest of the world and is using Miller properly these days.

About Last Night

The Knicks got housed at home by 50 points to a Dallas Mavericks team who got 15 minutes from Josh Howard, and zero minutes from Jason Kidd and Erick Dampier. Kidd was out for personal reasons and Damp with a knee injury, but both players are expected back for the next one. The fact they were beaten by 50 at home to that team is just shocking, even for the Knicks. Dallas' leading scorers were Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry with 20 a piece, while seven players were in double figures. Kidd and Damp took the right day off. As for the Knicks? They were led by Jared Jeffries' 14 points, which should tell you everything you need to know. Nate Robinson and his hamstring are a pretty tough call again in weekly leagues, and I just don't know what I'm going to do there, either.

Kobe Bryant's near triple-double wasn't enough against the Raptors, who won on some last-second free throws from Hedo Turkoglu. He still stunk it up with nine points on 1-of-6 shooting, as he simply can't figure out how to play for his new team. Andrea Bargnani, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol all put up incredibly similar lines on the day, which carried several of my teams to late wins. Each player scored 21 or 22 points, had 8 or 9 rebounds and 1 or 2 blocks. Bynum has been a solid player since the second return of Pau Gasol and is a must-start player again. Jose Calderon played just 15 minutes for five points and five dimes, as his miserable season continues.

The Clippers easily handled the Wizards on Sunday getting double-doubles from Baron Davis and Marcus Camby, and 20 points from Chris Kaman. The Wiz got 18 points, 12 boards and three blocks from Brendan Haywood, which was a huge relief for us Haywood owners after he did almost nothing in his previous game. Randy Foye finally came back to earth from a hot run and had just six points and three dimes on 3-of-9 shooting. Antawn Jamison had 20 & 10, while Mike Miller came off the bench to score eight points, with a rather full stat line in limited minutes. If DeShawn Stevenson is still starting over him by the end of the week it would be a travesty. Eric Gordon was out again for the Clippers with a toe injury, and while it doesn't seem to be a serious injury, the lack of information about it is a little disturbing. The Clips play four games this week but I'm not sure I'd feel too secure about starting Gordon.


Monday Morning Injury Report

Brian Scalabrine – shoulder – No reason to use him if healthy.
Kevin Garnett – knee – Seems to be good to go for now.
Marquis Daniels – wrist – Out until All-Star break.
Tyson Chandler – foot – Iffy for week again, I'd bench him.
Raymond Felton – ankle – Played through it on Saturday, should be safe.
Joakim Noah – foot – Surprise scratch Sat., not sounding likely for Monday.
Derrick Rose – flu – Not feeling well, sounds like GTD.
Brad Miller – knee – Doesn't sound serious, could be nice if Noah sits.
Delonte West – finger – Broken finger, iffy for the week. Bench him.
Mo Williams – shoulder – Out 4-6 weeks, West, Gibson benefit.
Jamario Moon – abdomen – Could play Monday, but not much value.
Leon Powe – knee – Getting closer, but not this month.
Erick Dampier – knee – Sounds likely for Tuesday.
Jason Kidd – personal – Should be back for Tuesday, as far as we know.
Carmelo Anthony – ankle – Ruled out for Monday, very risky in weeklies.
Ben Gordon – groin – Targeting Weds, but Pistons play just 3 games.
Will Bynum – ankles – Could play this week, but very risky.
Monta Ellis – ankle – More info coming today, very risky.
Anthony Randolph – ankle – Will miss extended time. Bench or cut him.
Anthony Morrow – knee – Could miss another week. Hello, Cartier Martin.
Vladimir Radmanovic – Achilles – Day-to-day, but still Vlad-Rad. Avoid.
Chuck Hayes – knee – Sound like he'll continue to play through soreness.
Tracy McGrady – personal – Won't play for Rockets while they try for trade.
Tyler Hansbrough – ear – Will play again, but no reason to risk him now.
Jeff Foster – back – Ditto. No hurry to rush him back.
T.J. Ford – healthy – Fourth-string point guard, inexplicably.
Sebastian Telfair – groin – 4-6 weeks means more P/T for Baron.
Eric Gordon – toe – Day-to-day, but pretty risky fantasy start.
Blake Griffin – knee – Season over.
Michael Redd – knee surgery – Season over.
Joe Alexander – hamstring – Chillin' in the D-League.
David West – ankle – Iffy for Monday, but sprain is "mild."
Morris Peterson – back – No value when healthy, Thornton looking good.
Devin Harris – wrist – MRI negative, remains day-to-day after missing Sat.
Nate Robinson – hamstring – Iffy for week, I'm benching him.
Vince Carter – shoulder – Playing, but really struggling.
Allen Iverson – knee – Still playing through it, risky, as usual.
Leandro Barbosa – hand – Out until Feb., good news for J-Rich.
Brandon Roy – hamstring – Out another week, hello Webster.
Jerryd Bayless – ankle – GTD Monday, but should have decent week.
Travis Outlaw – foot – Not due back til late in year.
Nicolas Batum – shoulder – Could play on Monday.
Greg Oden – knee – Could possibly play late in year?
Francisco Garcia – wrist – Targeting return at All-Star break?
Michael Finley – ankle – Still out with injury, not much value healthy.
Reggie Evans – foot – Could play soon, but not much value.
Andrei Kirilenko – finger – Sounds like he'll play, locked in starting 5.
Gilbert Arenas – suspended – Suspension news coming this week?

[Hache Man]

Monta's Deal
Monday night offered plenty of action, some memorable performances and some head scratchers. Here's what you missed. And don't forget about Ryan's live chat today at 2 p.m.

Take Me Down To the Infirmary

Monta Ellis is slated to miss Tuesday's game with a sprained right ankle but says he will be ready to go on Wednesday night. There have also been some trade rumors about Ellis, but it doesn't sound like he's going anywhere.

David West had 18 points and seven boards on 4-of-13 shooting in Tuesday's win, admirably playing through his sprained ankle. Congratulations if you rolled the dice on him this week.

Chris Andersen injured his ankle last night and didn't return to the game. He blocked five shots and is now day-to-day. Kenyon Martin is healthy, but saw his night cut short thanks to an ejection, while Carmelo Anthony sat out with his sprained ankle. K-Mart and Melo should be back on Wednesday, meaning Arron Afflalo's incredible night isn't likely to happen again.

Joakim Noah had 11 points, five boards and a block in a valiant effort despite his sore foot, while Derrick Rose played through the flu and had 27 points, six assists and a rare 3-pointer on 13-of-23 shooting.

Al Horford left Monday's game to get stitches in his left thumb, but played through the pain to finish with 10 points, nine rebounds and zero blocks. He should be good to go for the next one.

Eric Gordon missed last night's game with his ongoing toe issue and remains day-to-day. Rasual Butler had 17 points and two threes in the loss.

Grant Hill last just four minutes last night before leaving with a bruised heel. With Leandro Barbosa also hurting, look for big minutes for Jason Richardson and Goran Dragic.

Delonte West and Mo Williams were both out for the Cavs yesterday, allowing Daniel Gibson to go for 15 points and four 3-pointers in a tough win over the Heat.

Jerryd Bayless played 13 minutes through a sprained ankle, but was clearly still bothered by the injury. If you started him this week, it could be a long six days.

Al Harrington (knee) Wilson Chandler (groin) and Nate Robinson (hamstring) are currently all hurting for the Knicks. Harrington's a go on Tuesday, Chandler looks like a game-time decision and Nate is not supposed to play tonight. All should be considered day-to-day for now.

Jason Kidd is expected to return from his personal absence tonight, while Erick Dampier should play through his sore knee.

Ron Artest is expected to play tonight after missing Monday's trip to the White House with the flu.

X-Rays were negative on Devin Harris' wrist, but he's still day-to-day and very iffy for Wednesday.

Ben Gordon and Will Bynum practiced for the Pistons on Monday and my guess is both will play on Wednesday night. Start them at your own risk.

Big Star(s)

Chris Paul had 24 points, seven rebounds, 12 assists, five steals and three 3-pointers in Monday's win over Portland. Oh, and he hit the game-winner as well. Marcus Thornton moved into his new role of starting shooting guard and had 19 points and three 3-pointers. I am quickly becoming a huge fan of his work.

Wesley Matthews scored a career-high 21, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter as the Jazz came back to beat the Suns. He's scored a total of 22 in his previous four games, so I'm not ready to declare him a pickup just yet. Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 20 rebounds, and is averaging 21 points, 13 boards, 2 steals and nearly a block per game over his last five. Andrei Kirilenko was also strong with 25 points despite a jammed finger. AK-47 is locked and loaded into the starting lineup going forward, so make sure he's not available in your league.

Goran Dragic went off for a career high for the second straight night, hitting 10-of-13 shots and 6-of-7 3-pointers for 32 points. I think it's safe to say he may never play that well again, but with Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa hurting, he is nearly an automatic pickup right now. Channing Frye also proved he's not done, hitting five treys and scoring 21 points in the loss. Steve Nash added 15 points and 15 assists to become the eighth player in history to hand out 8,000 assists, while the Suns blew a big, late lead to lose to the Jazz. Jason Richardson also looks decent again and had 14 points, six boards, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers in the loss.

Arron Afflalo went off with all the injuries in Denver and hit six 3-pointers to tie a career high of 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting. Afflalo has quietly been starting for much of the season and is worth a look in almost any league, although last night was probably as good as it gets with him.

Josh Smith quietly had 22 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and four blocks on 9-of-16 shooting, while his performance was nearly overshadowed by the fact his coach showed up with his eyebrows missing. Here's what Smoove did while using Woody as a human Mr. Potato Head. If any of you were Arrested Development fans, you have to think of Stan Sitwell and his fake eyebrows.

Zach Randolph went off again for 23 points and 19 rebounds while Dwight Howard countered with 27 points, 15 boards and six blocks in the loss. Don't look now, but Howard has hit 38-of-51 free throws in his last four games, but I don't expect him to keep it going. And in case you've been sleeping on the Grizzlies, they are a good team. They're 24-19 and 7-3 in their last 10.

Lou Williams came off the bench for 16 points, five assists, two blocks, a steal and two 3-pointers for the Sixers, as Eddie Jordan continues to keep everyone guessing with his strange rotations. If Lou was cut in your league, he's still worth owning for now. Allen Iverson had 20 points, six dimes and a three in the loss to the Pacers, as he continues to work himself into shape.

The Pacers got 16 points, three 3-pointers, four boards, two steals and a block from Brandon Rush. Rush is averaging 13 points, two threes and a block per over his last six games. Dahntay Jones was also solid with 18 points, four boards, four assists and a steal in the win, while Roy Hibbert came off the bench for a quiet line.

I'd probably be breaking some sort of NBA writer's law if I didn't mention LeBron James and Dwyane Wade squaring off in a classic battle that saw each player score 32 points last night, and the Cavs win the game. But there wasn't anything all that brilliant about either player's line, and Wade scored just two points after going off for 30 in the first half.

Two Points for Honesty

Elton Brand is starting for the Sixers but had just 12 points, six boards, zero steals and zero blocks last night. Samuel Dalembert was on the bench for the fourth quarter (usually where Lou Williams is at that time) and finished with just two points, 13 boards, a steal and no blocks. I think I speak for most of us when I say life will get easier once Eddie Jordan is out of there.

Robin Lopez had just eight points, four boards and zero blocks in the loss. He continues to start, and is still likely worth owning, but his hot start after his promotion was probably too good to be true. Frye is not going away quietly.

J.R. Smith was not suspended by the Nuggets and had 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals, a block and two 3-pointers in a win over Charlotte, but hit just 5-of-14 shots on the night. He's one of those guys who tends to blow up when you're least expecting it, so don't be surprised if he has one of the monster games in his next three.

Richard Jefferson was 1-of-8 for two points in 26 minutes last night, and it's hard to believe just how bad he's been. If you've been holding on and waiting for him to get it turned around, this might have been the final straw. If I owned him, I'd probably cut him on principle.

Trevor Ariza was flat-out benched against the Hawks last night, hitting 4-of-11 shots for eight points in just 23 minutes. I have been waiting patiently for him to get it going, but my patience is wearing thin. Hopefully the benching works as a wake-up call, but I'm not holding my breath.

J.J. Hickson had been hot for the Cavs, coming into Monday averaging 10 points and 11.5 boards over his last two. Of course, as soon as you get him into your lineup he disappears for zero points and one board in 13 minutes. He'll be better than that on most nights, but is not likely to become a double-double guy anytime soon.

[Hache Man]

Kevin Martin's A Hot Mess
Tuesday Wrap Up

Kings of the Wild Frontier

Beno Udrih had 24 points, four boards, five assists and two steals in 31 minutes as the Kings beat Golden State last night. Spencer Hawes got a start due to Jon Brockman missing the game with a hip injury, and responded with 18 points, 13 boards, three blocks and a 3-pointer in the win. Both of these guys have been dropped by most owners over the past few weeks, and while both lines were encouraging, they did come against the Warriors. And there's no D in GSW. However, Kevin Martin didn't have anything to offer against the Warriors and appears to have lost his swagger. He has no confidence, can't figure out his shot and could even be a little intimidated by Tyreke Evans. Whatever Martin's problem is, he's not helping his trade value and should be benched until further notice in fantasyland. Jason Thompson could be in the same boat after last night's 14 minutes and four points.

Vladimir Radmanovic returned for the Warriors but failed to score in seven minutes. Why he was in the starting lineup is only a question that Nellie can answer, although I'm not even sure he has a reason. Andris Biedrins played just 23 minutes (8 & 6) despite a tasty matchup with the Kings, while Cartier Martin continues to play well and had 20 points in 34 minutes. The ROY showdown between Stephen Curry and Evans was won by Curry and his 27 points, nine boards, six assists and three 3-pointers. Evans had 23 points, six boards and four assists, but Curry is currently the hottest rook, averaging 25 points, six boards, five assists, two steals and a three 3-pointers over his last five games. Corey Maggette came crashing back to earth Tuesday, hitting just 3-of-22 shots. He also hit a bunch of free throws, as usual, to finish with 19 points and 12 rebounds, but this could be a sign that the run is coming to an end.

Black Hole Suns

The Bobcats beat the Suns in OT getting solid games from Raymond Felton, Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, while Boris Diaw awoke from a slumber with 24 points, 11 boards, five assists, a steal and a block. Diaw had been ice cold, but got things turned around. Speaking of ice cold, Jason Richardson continues to boggle the mind as he had six points on 2-of-12 shooting in 45 freaking minutes. I know a lot of you are holding me liable for how Richardson does this season, and I take responsibility for my pimping actions, but it's not really my fault the guy can't do better than six points in 45 minutes. Goran Dragic came back to earth after a couple of career nights with 12 points, three dimes and one 3-pointer on 3-of-7 shooting. He's still worth a pickup, but I think it's safe to say his best games of this season are behind him. Jared Dudley made a start over injured Grant Hill and blew up for 18 points, 10 boards and four 3-pointers. Dudley was hot earlier in the year and has been a 3-point machine, but was not worth owning after disappearing recently. This may not change things too much, but he should definitely be back on your radar screen.

The Buck Pets

The Bucks put up a valiant effort last night but fell to the Mavs by a point. Carlos Delfino stayed hot with 22 points, six boards, five assists and four more 3-pointers on 8-of-12 shooting. He still looks like the real deal, but I wonder if he'll still be doing it a month from now. Andrew Bogut had the line of the night with 32 points on 13-of-14 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and a block. What a season he's having after back surgery. Oh, and late-breaking news - Brandon Jennings still can't shoot (5-of-16).

The Mavs saw the return of Jason Kidd (personal) for 11 points, four boards, 12 assists, two steals and three 3-pointers in the win. Drew Gooden was sent back to the bench with the return of Erick Dampier, and had just six points in 13 minutes, while Dampier had 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. Jason Terry stayed hot with 21 points and four threes in another start at shooting guard.

Love Comes Tumbling

Kevin Love was not in the starting unit and played just 17 minutes in last night's blowout loss to the Knicks. I have no idea what Kurt Rambis is doing with Love and his minutes, but I think this is nothing more than an opportunity to buy-low on him. Ryan Gomes started and had 13 points, seven boards, two steals and two 3-pointers, which means he's worth keeping an eye on. Jonny Flynn cooled off after some big games, hitting 3-of-11 shots for six points, four assists and six turnovers. Someone begged on Twitter for me to stop Flynn's TO-fest, but I'm not sure how to do it. Al Jefferson was also bad last night, with just four points and 10 boards. Two bright spots? Corey Brewer with 22 points, four 3-pointers and 9-of-10 shooting, and Ramon Sessions with 20 points, five boards and three assists. No player has been as up and down as Brewer this season, as his highs are through the roof and his lows are pretty low. Good luck trying to figure out when to play him.

For the Knicks, Nate Robinson made a surprise return from a hamstring injury with 13 points, four boards, six assists, two steals and three 3-pointers, while Al Harrington blew up for 26 points, 10 boards and four 3-pointers. I didn't think Nate would play, while Harrington was probably on a lot of benches after stinking it up for the last couple weeks. Wilson Chandler scored 20 despite a groin injury, while Chris Duhon continued to amaze with zero points and 13 assists in the win.

Boom, Boom, Pau

Pau Gasol returned to form to lead the Lakers to a win over the Wizards with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Kobe Bryant proved he can still shoot it by draining 8-of-15 shots for 26 points, four boards and eight assists, while Ron Artest played through the flu. As he has for much of the season, Artest disappointed with five points, one rebound and two assists. Ouch.

Antawn Jamison had 27 points and nine rebounds despite playing through a sprained foot, while Mike Miller moved into the starting lineup and had 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and a 3-pointer on 7-of-12 shooting. Miller is the pickup of the day, as he should be a very solid producer in the starting five for the Wiz – if he can stay healthy. Randy Foye's hot streak is officially over, as his minutes and production have been dropping. He had 11 points and four assists last night, and while he's still worth owning in all leagues, he's no longer a must-start.

News and Notes

Eric Gordon now says he'll play tonight against the Nets after missing several games with a toe injury.

Will Bynum (ankle) doesn't sound likely for tonight, while Ben Gordon remains a game-time decision with a groin injury.

Courtney Lee is questionable for the Nets tonight due to a wisdom tooth problem, while it doesn't sound like there's a chance Devin Harris will play through his wrist injury. And really, why risk it for a three-win team?

Chris Andersen is probable with a sprained ankle, while Carmelo Anthony remains questionable with his sprained ankle. All signs are pointing to him playing tonight, although I benched him in two of my weekly leagues, thinking he could miss more time. We'll see.

DeMar DeRozan is dealing with a pair of sprained ankles, leaving him questionable.

Tyson Chandler has been fitted with a new orthotic for his shoe and plans on testing out his foot on Wednesday. Yippee!

J.R. Smith says he's made an attitude adjustment and will play nicely with his team and coach now. We'll see if it helps.

The Jazz are 6-1 since moving Andrei Kirilenko back into the starting five, and I have no idea why it took Jerry Sloan this long to figure out it was the right thing to do.

Jerryd Bayless and Juwan Howard should both be back in the starting lineup for the Blazers tonight, replacing Steve Blake and Jeff Pendergraph. Blake still has value, while Pendergraph never did. Howard was solid on Monday, but I still can't see him being worth it in most leagues. As for Bayless? He's still a bit of a mystery but there's no denying the kid has talent. I think he's a fine fantasy play on nights when he's starting, but who knows how many more of those are coming his way this year? Brandon Roy is still out with his hamstring injury, and while the plan is for him to return next week, a target date has still not been set.

Francisco Garcia remains out with the Kings (wrist) and no return date has been set. It sounds like he's probably out until the All-Star break.

[Hache Man]

Two Tickets to the Gun Show
Compared to last Wednesday's 13-game gargantula (made-up word), this Wednesday's 11 games look relatively light. Then again, it's easy to have that outlook in the first sentence of the column, and there's only one way to truly find out how much less digestion is involved with 11 games rather than 13: begin digesting.

AU REVOIR, GILBERT

As you probably saw, Gilbert Arenas (and Javaris Crittenton) are now officially done for the year. No major surprise in either instance, and if there's good news here it's that Arenas has a chance to hit the "Reset" button on his career beginning in 2010-11 rather than try to cobble together the patchwork remainder of this season after the turmoil of a long suspension and potentially switching teams. However, considering that Agent Zero has played a grand total of 47 games the last three seasons, you probably won't find him on any of my fantasy squads next year, regardless of where he ends up.

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

Another reminder: I'm on Twitter. You can follow me right here.

BEASTLY (not to be confused with Beasley)

Tim Duncan went for 21 points, a career-high 27 boards and added six assists, but shot just 5-for-20 from the field while hitting 11-for-11 from the free throw line. An odd but altogether delightful evening, and a great chance to try to cash him in for top-15 value if you're worried about missed games later in the season (and you should be).

Chris Paul was a little careless with the ball (seven turnovers), but otherwise demolished the Warriors with 38 points, one shy of his season-high.

It's not really news when Kobe Bryant scores 29 points (with nine rebounds and seven assists), but 10-for-15 represents his best shooting night of the month.

The Thunder lost by 10 to Chicago and only scored 86 points, but there's no complaining about Kevin Durant's line: 28 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, two threes, two steals and three blocks. Beast-ly.

Dwyane Wade had 35 points and 10 assists (and hit 8-for-8 from the free throw line after some recent struggles in that department), but the Heat lost to the Raptors, who got 24 and 18 from Chris Bosh and 27 points on 13-for-19 shooting from Andrea Bargnani.

Deron Williams was outstanding on Wednesday (24 points, five rebounds, seven assists), but will miss Friday's game to attend a funeral.

Meanwhile, LeBron James was rather quiet with 13 points and 11 assists, but that will happen when a team like the Cavs plays a team like the T'Wolves.

ALMOST FAMOUS

They aren't players on par with the LeBrons and Kobes of the world, but in a fantasy sense it's normal and understandable to be expecting big things on a nightly basis from Josh Smith, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. So while on some level it's newsworthy that J. Smoove went for 14 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists and Randolph and Gasol went for 24 and 13 and 25 and 12, respectively, it should not be a surprise whatsoever. They're all top-30 fantasy players this season and have the potential to finish even higher.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Andrew Bynum responded after an off night to drop 27 points and 12 rebounds (12-for-14 shooting) on the helpless Pacers, and it's important for the slightly impatient among us to remember that he just turned 22 last October (I was startled when reminded of that the other day).

Also recovering nicely after recent slumps were J.R. Smith (22 points) and Trevor Ariza (19 points, 10 rebounds). Ariza will continue to be a field goal percentage assassin (8-for-21 Wednesday), but it looks like he's ready to go back to contributing in other categories across the board.

Elsewhere, Kris Humphries busted out for 25 and eight in a rare (and I mean E. coli rare) Nets win (they're now 4-40). Humphries is worth owning in 12-team leagues, but is only worth of regular starting consideration in deeper formats due to inconsistent minutes and production.

For the Thunder, Jeff Green (24 points, nine rebounds) has clearly rediscovered his form after some rough games at the end of December and beginning of January. He'll still be prone to the occasional stink bomb, but hopefully you stuck with him (or bought low) during the slump.

And if you were worried about Kevin Love after his six-point, five-rebound grenade on Tuesday, 20 and 10 on Wednesday are a timely reminder that he'll be just fine.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED (PART II)

Corey Brewer – With a re-tooled shooting stroke, he's an automatic starter in most leagues right now (22 points on Wednesday).

Roy Hibbert / Brandon Rush – Two maddening Pacers were pretty good on Wednesday. Hibbert followed up two bad games by going for 21 points, six rebounds and two blocks, while Rush had 13 points, 11 rebounds and a block. I still don't quite trust Rush, but he has averaged 15.5 ppg and 3.0 threes in his last four games.

Richard Hamilton – You have to love the playmaking (10 assists on Wednesday and a career-best 5.1 on the season).

Jermaine O'Neal – He has actually been pretty durable and useful, but I still consider him a sell-high option after going for 22 points, eight boards and three blocks.

Elton Brand – On a frustrating night for most Sixers (more on that in a second), Brand recorded a season-high 26 points with 10 rebounds, his first double-digit rebounding effort in January.

Andrei Kirilenko – Don't look now but he's averaging 18.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 spg and 2.3 bpg in his last four games. Those look like sell-high numbers to me.

Marcus Thornton – 18 points, a three and two steals are nice numbers for the new starter. Just don't expect any contributions in rebounds (two) or assists (zero).

C.J. Watson – Got the start at small forward and had 23 points, five assists and two threes. Has some value in deeper leagues but will be inconsistent.

Terrence Williams – Seven points, nine rebounds and eight assists should get your attention, but before anyone gets too excited it's worth remembering that Devin Harris (wrist) and Courtney Lee (wisdom tooth) were both out. Even so, Williams is worth a look in deeper leagues.

Brandon Jennings – Hit the decisive bucket and shot a respectable (for him) 8-for-18 en route to 18 points and seven assists.



BACK FROM INJURY

Eric Gordon – 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.

Monta Ellis – Not a vintage Monta line, but no one should argue with 19-6-9 in his first game back.

DOWN WITH INJURY

Marcus Camby – Left early due to bruised ribs. It doesn't sound serious, but consider Craig Smith (18 points, eight rebounds) as a fill-in if Camby does miss time.

Tony Parker – This one looks like it could be serious. Add George Hill (15.0 ppg in last five games) pronto.

Carlos Boozer – He's headed for a visit to the doctor with a calf injury. No word yet on the severity, but this is the break (or strain, as the case may be) that Paul Millsap owners have been waiting for.

Carlos Delfino – Aggravated his ankle sprain and left early.

Jerryd Bayless – Scored 16, but headed for the locker room after apparently tweaking his ankle.

Michael Beasley – Hyperextended his knee but plans to play on Friday.

Brandon Roy – Won't play this weekend and is scheduled to be reevaluated Monday.

Devin Harris – Didn't play Wednesday and is doubtful for Saturday, meaning that Keyon Dooling (18 points, eight assists, two threes, two steals on Wednesday) is an intriguing short-term fill-in.

Carmelo Anthony – Sat out on Wednesday, but is expected to play on Friday.

Ben Gordon – Sat out again on Wednesday but will hopefully be back soon. Massive buy-low opportunity here.

DeMar DeRozan – Sat out with ankle trouble, but this should not have a measurable impact in most leagues.

FLAT-OUT STRUGGLING

Baron Davis – He'll lay an egg from time-to-time. Wednesday was one of those nights.

Andre Iguodala / Lou Williams / Allen Iverson – All three were varying degrees of bad on Wednesday, and much of the blame for that rests with Eddie Jordan, who inexplicably played 11 guys against the Bucks. I'm benching Lou for now, glad I don't own Iverson, expecting Iguodala to bounce back soon and impatiently waiting for Jordan to get canned.

Arron Afflalo – Shot a brutal 0-for-7 after his 24-point game on Monday, a reminder of why he should only be owned in deeper leagues.

Mehmet Okur – Somehow he only attempted three shots in 36 minutes. An extended Boozer absence would be a good thing for his production.

Andre Miller – Just an off night (seven points, four assists, three steals on 2-for-11 shooting).

Corey Maggette – Followed up 3-for-22 game with a quiet 5-for-13, 14-point night. Hopefully you sold high when the chance was there.

Andris Biedrins – He looked good when he was on the court (12 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block), but Don Nelson inexplicably only gave him 23 minutes.

Mike Bibby – Zero points, one assist on 0-for-7 shooting is about as unproductive a 27 minutes as you can play.

Yi Jianlian – Bad night due to foul trouble. He fooled many of us with some big performances when he came back from injury, but is still the same intriguing but inconsistent talent.

Hedo Turkoglu – Has now failed to hit double-digit points in five of his last six. It's ugly right now, but I do believe he'll get it turned around and I would consider buying low if there's a chance to acquire Turkoglu cheap.

Mike Dunleavy – I've said this before and I'll say it again: I don't see the point in owning Dunleavy in 10- or even 12-team leagues. Deeper leagues, yes, but it's just not worth the headache in shallow formats.

Ron Artest – My guess is he may get dropped in some shallow leagues after averaging 4.0 points in his last three games. Wretched as he has been, I still see benching him as the smarter option.

POSSIBLY ON YOUR WAIVER WIRE

Taj Gibson – Has averaged 8.5 ppg, 11.0 rpg and 2.3 bpg in his last four.

Ersan Ilyasova – Had 15 points and six rebounds, but his value will continue to be iffy unless Carlos Delfino misses some time.

J.J. Hickson – I'm not gonna get too excited about a random 23 and eight against the T'Wolves, but Hickson has posted decent scoring and rebounding numbers in four of his last five games.

Nicolas Batum – Busted out for 16 points, two threes, a steal and a block in just his second game of the season. For now he's only worth adding in deeper leagues.

Kyle Korver – 16 points and four threes in 18 minutes represents nice production, but Ashton's minutes are way too spotty for consistent production.

Antonio McDyess – Got the start over DeJuan Blair (four points, nine rebounds in 16 minutes) and responded with 17 points, four rebounds and a block. No reason to consider him unless your league has 16 or more teams.

Jamario Moon – Could see some increased opportunities with the Cavs dinged up and had 14 points, two rebounds, three assists and two threes on Wednesday. Again, only in a deep league.

TONIGHT

Three games on the schedule, and I'm curious to see which Knicks team will surface vs. the Raptors – the one that lost by 50 to Dallas, or the one that lambasted Minnesota by 27 two nights later. Considering that Toronto played last night, this has the look of an easy and productive Knicks win.

In the late games, my focus is entirely on Amare Stoudemire. Reports have been swirling that he's not giving 100 percent effort in anticipation of being traded, and the recent numbers bear that out (14.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg in his last three games). A nationally televised matchup against Dallas could be precisely what this under-motivated individual needs.

[Hache Man]

Super Snub
While there wasn't any earth shattering news on Thursday, there is plenty to talk about heading into the weekend. We'll start with All-Stars.

All-Star Chatter

East: Dwyane Wade, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Gerald Wallace, Rajon Rondo, Al Horford and Joe Johnson.

Notable Snubs: Josh Smith, David Lee, Brook Lopez, Mo Williams, Andre Iguodala

Some people are upset that Al Horford made the team instead of Josh Smith. Horford got in as a reward for the Hawks solid season, as well as the fact centers are lacking in the East. Smith was probably only going to get in if Gerald Wallace was snubbed, and frankly, Wallace has had a better, more consistent season. David Lee was also painful because he's played so well again, but that record in New York hurt him. Would I rather start Lee over Horford in my fantasy league? Yep. Lopez has been great, but those three wins (now up to four) gave him no shot, while Mo-Will's five dimes per game don't do a lot for me. Iguodala also didn't stand much of a chance given the way Eddie Jordan uses him, and having to compete with guys like Wallace and Josh. And if Iverson wasn't voted in by the so-called "fans," Mo would have made it.

West: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol, Kevin Durant, Zach Randolph, Dirk Nowitzki and Brandon Roy.

Notable Snubs: Chauncey Billups, Carlos Boozer, Chris Kaman, Monta Ellis

Billups lost out to Deron Williams and it's a shame there wasn't room for both. I was pulling for Williams though, who simply deserves the honor. It's also important to note the Jazz are suddenly the hottest team in the league. Which makes Boozer's omission that much more interesting. Tough to deny Zach, Dirk or Pau, but Pau's missed a lot of time. I would have taken Boozer. Of course, he's hurt now, but more on that in a minute. Kaman was also a real possibility and I would have easily taken him over Amare, had the "fans" not voted him as a starter. Did you catch that Amare blurb from the other day? He's playing his way out of Phoenix, hasn't had more than five rebounds in a game over his last five, and had ONE rebound last night. I don't even see how that's possible. Again, Kaman could have been chosen over Pau, but that Lakers' record is tough to ignore. And yes, Monta is having a huge year, but it takes him 22 shots a game to score 26 points, he's averaging 4.1 TOs and is a one-man, 48-minute wrecking crew for a bad team. He had no shot.

NBA News and Notes

Mr. Superlove

It's funny how quickly things change. When prepping for this column I noted that Kurt Rambis was standing behind his decision to bring Kevin Love off the bench so that things won't fall apart when he deploys his second unit. Of course, a day later Rambis is now talking about putting Love back in the starting five – which is exactly where he belongs. Minnesota is going nowhere fast, and having a bad second unit doesn't mean much when they should be trying to develop guys like Love. Buy low on him today before he's starting again.

Skintrade

There's talk in Phoenix about a potential Amare for Iguodala swap, which would be huge for Iguodala. There's also talk about every other team in the league aiming for Amare who, again, had 22 points and ONE rebound last night in a win over Dallas. That's 21 rebounds in his last five games. Nice job, Amare.

Chris Bosh, according to the Toronto Star's Doug Smith, will not be traded this season. I'll believe it when I see it, but he should know better than the rest of us, as he covers the team for a living.

I Hurt Myself Today

Brandon Roy is hoping to play for the Blazers on Monday, although his status is still clearly up in the air. Hopefully we get a more definitive report over the weekend. Jerryd Bayless says his ankle's OK and that he'll continue to play through it. He's clearly hobbled right now, making him a risky fantasy play, despite the absence of Roy.

Deron Williams is out tonight in order to attend a funeral, meaning Ronnie Price will get a start for the Jazz.

Boozer's calf injury has not yet seen him ruled out for tonight's game, but my guess is he won't play. We're still awaiting the full disclosure of the severity of his injury via an MRI, and owners have to be hoping for good news. It's also a little concerning that Kosta Koufos was recalled from the D-League, so cross your fingers and hope for the best. If Boozer's injury is serious, hello Paul Millsap.

Spurs point guard Tony Parker is expected to miss a few games with his left foot/ankle injury, meaning George Hill is a solid pickup right now. And knowing Gregg Popovich, he's going to take his time bringing Parker back.

As far as I know, Denver's Carmelo Anthony is going to play through his ankle injury against the Thunder tonight. Hopefully we'll have a definite answer later in the day.

Chris Kaman (left ankle), Marcus Camby (rib) and Baron Davis (knee) are all iffy for the Clippers tonight. Watch for updates.

Michael Beasley is iffy for the Heat tonight with a knee injury and my guess is he won't play. Udonis Haslem gets a boost if Beas is out.

Jared Jeffries, and more importantly, Al Harrington will both have MRI's on their knee injuries. Harrington has suddenly played well in two straight games for the Knicks and benefits from the absence of Jeffries. But, obviously, only if his own knee is OK.

Bucks swingman Carlos Delfino, who continues to be red-hot and one of the hottest pickups in fantasy, is still dealing with a sprained ankle, leaving him a little iffy for Saturday against the Heat.

Courtney Lee (tooth) and Devin Harris (wrist) are still iffy for tonight against the Wizards, and if I had to guess I'd say Harris probably won't play.

Ben Gordon (groin), Will Bynum (ankles) and Chucky Atkins (chest) are all iffy for the Pistons tonight. Gordon has been as annoying to own as any player this season and he's still not fully healthy. He's been dropped in many leagues, which may appear strange if you don't own him. But if you had dealt with his 'ish' all year, you'd probably be tempted to dump him too.

Anthony Morrow is hoping to return from his sprained knee tonight, so just keep an eye on him. He'll hurt the minutes of Cartier Martin when he returns. And speaking of the Warriors, Corey Maggette has cooled off over the last two games, and it's possible the run is over. He's also an injury magnet, so look into selling high on him while you still can.

Tyson Chandler is targeting a return next week from his foot injury, but still hasn't practiced. Put it this way…I'm not rushing out to pick him up.

And in case you live in a cave, Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton are done for the season due to their gun suspensions. Hopefully you dropped Arenas a few weeks ago.

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My Humps

Kris Humphries, coming off a 25-point, 8-rebound performance, will probably continue to see 25-30 minutes per game, making him worth pickup if you need a forward. Terrence Williams is also worth keeping a close eye on. He just missed a triple-double Wednesday with 7 points, 9 boards and 8 assists, and has played at least 25 minutes in three straight games. If you're in a deeper league, it could be time to move on him.

Legal Man

Delonte West's trial date has been pushed back to late April, meaning he's not likely to be suspended this season. His finger is still broken and he'll struggle to shoot with the injury when he does return, but at least the legal problems shouldn't be an issue while Mo Williams sits for the next month with a bum shoulder.

Thursday Game Notes

Raptors Beat Knicks 106-104

The Raptors beat the Knicks 106-104 last night despite Andrea Bargnani's worst game of his life. He was 1-of-9 for two points and one rebound, which killed me in a few leagues. He did have three blocks, but is apparently dealing with a foot injury, making him a bit iffy for Sunday against the Pacers. Hedo Turkoglu blew up for 26 points, 11 boards, two steals, a block and three 3-pointers in the win. I'm not a genius, but it's possible that Bargnani is the reason for Turkoglu stinking it up this year. If Turk was dropped in your league, go for it.

For the Knicks, Chris Duhon's struggles continue, as he's scored a total of 10 points in his last five games, shooting just 4-of-26 from the field. While his slump has hit the ridiculous stage, he's diming at a rate of 7.8 over that stretch. I wouldn't trust putting him in my lineup right now, but you can't argue with the assist numbers and he could break out of his slump at any time. Nate Robinson played through his hamstring injury and scored 14 points. He has now scored 14, 13 and 27 points in three of his last four games. And with Duhon struggling, Robinson is going to get run. David Lee went off (again) for 29 points and 18 boards, making a statement that he's not pleased with the AS snub.

Magic 96, Celtics 94

The Magic won despite Vince Carter's stellar 2-of-13 shooting performance for six points, four boards and two assists. It's probably no coincidence that Rashard Lewis finally looks like a player again, as he's making up for all of Vince's misses. He's averaging almost 19 points, six boards and three 3-pointers over his last five games. To me that's a sign to sell high on him, as Vince should eventually start doing something again at some point, and we saw how things went early when Carter was actually playing. Matt Barnes has become useless lately and had just five points in 23 minutes last night. He was facing a tough defense and should bounce back at some point, but if Carter ever gets hot, Barnes is also going to take a further hit, at least theoretically. Marcin Gortat got some run and had six points, eight boards and three blocks. It's possible the Magic will play him or Bass more at PF, so keep an eye on him.

Kevin Garnett's knee didn't look great last night and he hit just 2-of-8 shots for six points, seven boards, three assists and two steals. This is a red flag, as Doc Rivers won't hesitate resting him if his knee becomes a problem again. Rasheed Wallace had 17 points, three steals, three 3-pointers and a block last night, and would be the main beneficiary of a KG injury.

Suns 112, Mavs 106

The Suns beat the Mavericks last night and got 22 points from Amare. Did I mention he had ONE rebound? He also kicked in five turnovers for good measure. Steve Nash was solid and Jason Richardson scored 17, while Robin Lopez continues his downward slide. He had four points, six boards and no blocks, while Channing Frye wasn't much better with 7 & 6. I'd rather own Frye at this point. Goran Dragic cooled off, getting just 16 minutes for 13 points, two assists and two 3-pointers. He's still probably worth owning, but is not an everyday fantasy starter. Grant Hill returned from his heel injury for seven points. The Suns snapped an 18-game losing streak on TNT, which is simply amazing.

Dirk Nowitzki banged up his wrist and elbow again, but played through it. Just something to be aware of. Erick Dampier had 12 points and four rebounds, but appeared to tweak his knee again. I'm not a big fan of using Damp in fantasy right now, but he might still be worth owning if he can get healthy. Josh Howard continues to struggle off the bench and had just seven points and six boards last night. At some point, you have to think he'll get going.

Have a great weekend!

[Hache Man]

Panic Room
If memory serves correctly (and it does at least 57 percent of the time), the movie referenced above was not very good. But for the moment we're going to put the cinematic success of Panic Room aside, because though none of us has ever gone tete-a-tete with Forrest Whitaker or a menacing Dwight Yoakam in and around our own home, most of us do have our very own panic room reserved for fantasy basketball.

You could characterize a fantasy hoops panic room in any number of ways, but for the purposes of this column I would like to posit the definition: "A section of our brain reserved for panicking about various players in the league who happen to be on our respective fantasy rosters."

It goes without saying that being in the panic room of your mind can cause some rather haunting and confusing thoughts, and in an effort to ameliorate said thoughts I shall now take a look at the situation regarding some notably panic-inducing players around the league:

Vince Carter

The problem: You don't have to look that closely at an Orlando game these days to realize that V.C. looks O-L-D. He's slow, clearly lacking explosion off the dribble and is hindered by a suddenly unreliable jumper (Carter has averaged a dismal 8.7 ppg while shooting just 22.4 percent – 11-for-49 – on threes in 14 games this month). Quite simply, if you've seen him in action lately, it should come as no surprise that the Magic are 5-2 without Carter this season.

What to do: I tend to air on the side of optimism when it comes to slumps for established players, but I am not feeling positive about this one at all. Of course Vince can recover from whatever combo of shoulder trouble and damaged confidence he's dealing with, but given Orlando's crowded perimeter and Carter's age (33 going on 47, from the looks of it), I don't see him topping 17 or 18 ppg for any sort of prolonged stretch.

In sum, obviously you don't trade him right now because you probably can't get anything good in return, but I would begin bombarding league mates with offers the second he drops his next 20-point game (which may require more patience since he only topped the 20-point mark once in January).

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Kevin Garnett

The problem: If Alex Rodriguez truly has paintings of himself as a centaur in his bedroom, then K.G.'s sleeping quarters are most likely adorned with tapestries of himself as a pirate proudly standing on a pegleg.

In case you missed it, the aged Celtic was hobbling around as though his leg had been gnawed off by a shark during the loss to Orlando last Thursday, and he played on Sunday with a knee brace approximately the size of David Wright's batting helmet.

What to do: Enough baseball analogies – the bottom line here is that you have a window to sell K.G. while he's still gutting it out, and I would highly recommend doing so. Sure, you would be selling slightly low based on the theoretical value he could achieve – and I normally advise against selling players short – but this is once instance in which I think dealing Garnett for a safer, healthier option is the wisest move.

Can you get someone like Danilo Gallinari or Jamal Crawford for Garnett based on his reputation and his averages of 12.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 1.0 spg and 1.0 bpg in the last two games entering Monday? If so, I think you have no choice but to make it happen.

Marcus Camby

The problem: It seems like the overwhelming outlook on Camby is that it's time to unload the productive but injury-prone big man before the next significant injury hits.

What to do: Continuing the pirate/seafaring analogy from a minute ago, I'm actually taking a 100 percent about-face on conventional wisdom here, to the point that I went out and traded for Camby in two leagues last week.

Why would I do that, you ask? To be clear, I understand the concern about Camby missing time down the road, but I also want to look at this practically. The last three seasons, he has played 70, 79 and 62 games, an average of 70. That's not ideal, but it's also an important reminder that while brittle, he's very far from being a delicate vase at this point.

I also understand that there may be some concern about Camby and his expiring contract getting dealt to a less fruitful situation, but to that I say Camby should be able to thrive on most rosters, and any contender dealing for him is still very likely to give him 30 minutes a night.

Ultimately, I can understand being a little bit hesitant, but overall I think it's a worthwhile gamble. Not only is he a major force in two tough categories (third in the league in rebounding at 12.0, eighth in blocks at 1.9), he also produces above-average PF/C stats in assists (2.9) and steals (1.3), and will unleash, seemingly every 3-5 games, a line that makes you say "Yahtzee."

And yes, there is some risk, but don't you often have to gamble a little bit to win fantasy leagues? Or am I just saying that because I enjoy gambling? Either way, get on board this Camby experiment with me – there's a pretty good chance you won't regret it.



Andris Biedrins

The problem: After unleashing an inspired 19 rebounds and seven blocks on Jan. 18, Biedrins has topped 30 minutes only once, averaging just 5.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg and 1.0 bpg in his last five games.

What to do: I know you're technically in a panic room, but try not to panic. Biedrins' per-minute production remains solid, but for whatever reason Don Nelson is Eddie Jordan-ing his minutes. In the long run I think he's too useful and the Warriors are too thin up front for Biedrins not to play 30 minutes – even for a notorious mad scientist of a coach – so get him benched for now and let the situation sort itself out.

Danny Granger

The problem: You're concerned that one of his multiple past foot/knee ailments is going to resurface and shut him down before the season ends, especially since the Pacers stink.

What to do: I don't think this is a red-alert, deal-Granger-at-once situation, but I do think that some concern about his durability is valid. With that said, if you want to deal him, don't make the offer today (Monday) after he shot a combined 9-for-36 in his past two games. That reeks of desperation. Wait until he strings together a handful of big games, then shop him in an effort to upgrade to a more durable first-round type of player.

For instance, if I had Granger, I'd be seeing whether I could package him and another lesser starter, maybe a Luis Scola type, for Kevin Durant. Granted, that kind of offer might get promptly rejected, but as Jodie Foster's character said in Panic Room, "Our lives are filled with different rooms. If we don't try to go into some of them and turn on the lights, then what's the point of living?"

(Note: That is not an actual quote from the movie.)

Chris Paul

The problem: Your No. 1 player (and the consensus No. 2 player in fantasy hoops) appears likely to miss 1-2 months due to knee surgery.

What to do: Weep for a minute. Scream. Bang fist on desk. Throw chicken Caesar wrap against K.G. peglegged pirate poster.

Now catch your breath and go trade for Darren Collison.

The latter part of that advice may sound obvious, but my point isn't that Collison is someone you should consider trying to acquire; he's someone that you, the person who has Chris Paul on your fantasy squad, must go out and get.

How else are you going to replace a league-leading 11.2 assists on your team? Go out and trade for Steve Nash, Rajon Rondo or Deron Williams? That will be costly, and you'll likely deplete another area of your team too significantly in the process.

Meanwhile, Collison has averaged 7.7 apg (not to mention 15.1 ppg and 1.0 spg) in his nine starts this season. And better yet, the owner who got him off waivers probably views the acquisition as found money after randomly happening to be near a computer Sunday night when the news on CP3 broke. So while you probably can't acquire Collison for the worst player on your roster, you may be able to get him at a slight discount given that owners are generally happy to get decent offers for guys that they just happened to discover on waivers about 11 seconds ago.

I know, it probably doesn't feel terrific having to trade for CP3's backup. In fact, it's sort of like sheepishly calling an insurance company to attempt to buy a policy just minutes after your car careened into a tree as you attempted to swerve around an unruly pack of alpacas. However, it doesn't have to be a sad, meek maneuver. Your team just took a big hit, but now it's time to go back on the offensive. And the first step is to pony up and get Collison, whose name, it should be noted, is one letter away from spelling "collision."

(And yes, I did just drop "sheepishly," "alpaca" and "pony" in the same paragraph. And we're all just going to have to live with that.)

THREE RANDOM THINGS I FIND AMUSING

1) In his first game after famously explaining his season-high 26 points with the one-word response "Ball," Hedo Turkoglu played exactly one minute.

(I realize you probably don't find that too amusing if you're a Turkoglu owner.)

2) Robin Lopez got his second assist of the season last Tuesday. He now has a 2:21 AST:TO ratio in 2009-10, and 10:49 for his brief career. Fun idea for a Vegas prop bet: When will Lopez get Assist No. 3? (The drought between his first and second assists this season lasted 41 days.)

3) If you've always dreamed above all else of seeing Leandro Barbosa with his face painted blue stuffed into an overhead bin on an airplane, you may now consider your life's work officially complete.

[Hache Man]

Bye, Bye CP3!
Darren Collison Frenzy

Chris Paul's knee injury appears to be serious and he's supposed to undergo surgery Monday that could cost him the rest of this season. Darren Collison, the rookie point guard who backs him up, blew up for 17 points and a career-high 18 assists on Saturday night, before we knew just how serious CP3's knee problem was. My guess is Collison was grabbed as Paul insurance in many leagues after the 18 dimes. Additionally, he was probably the hottest player on the fantasy planet Sunday night around 10:30 when the Paul news broke. I'm not sure how, but I happened to walk in the door and sign on right as the news was breaking, and scooped up Collison in several leagues. Will he go 17 & 18 every night? Of course not. But he's now a starting point guard who can certainly do no worse than Earl Watson or Chris Duhon. If he's still somehow available in your league, make the move ASAP.

Durantula

Kevin Durant missed just five shots on his way to scoring 45 points on Sunday night. He hit 16-of-21 shots from the floor, made all 11 of his free throws and chipped in with a couple steals and 3-pointers in the win. The Thunder are now 26-21 and 14-10 at home, and Durant is ready to take over the scoring lead from Carmelo Anthony. Melo, who didn't play last week, is at 29.7 and Durant's at 29.6. Had Melo played last week, I'm pretty sure Durant would have taken the lead already. As reader Cbarghini2 so eloquently put it on Twitter last night: "I drafted KD third in both my leagues and don't regret it one bit." With Dwyane Wade's odd season, CP3's knee surgery and Danny Granger's sudden love of taking ill-timed, long-distance bombs, Durant is now probably the automatic No. 2 pick in all fantasy leagues next year.

Devin Nearing Return

Devin Harris is hoping to play on Tuesday, but actually sounds like somewhat of a lock for Wednesday. I guess that means you play him in weekly leagues, but he is a guy you simply want to do your best to avoid in the future, as injuries have become his middle name.

Odds and Ends

Carmelo Anthony missed last week with an ankle injury, but it does sound like he's going to play on Monday. I took a guess and benched him last week, which was apparently the right move. However, I'm going to go ahead and run him back out there this week.

Chris Kaman was out on Sunday for the Clippers with a sprained ankle. DeAndre Jordan started in his place and had a solid double-double. Kaman is day-to-day and I honestly don't know what you do with him if you own him in a weekly league. He was fairly optimistic that he was going to play on Sunday, so my guess is he's back sooner than later.

Carlos Boozer could play "by the end of the week," which means he should be benched in most leagues for now. Paul Millsap looks like a pretty solid play right now. Deron Williams is also expected back in action for the Jazz after missing Friday for a funeral, so get him back in your lineup.

Tyreke Evans left Saturday's game with a hip injury and his status for Monday's game is "uncertain," although the latest news is that he won't start. My guess is the injury isn't terribly serious, but the lack of information is a concern. With the news that he may not play on Monday, I'm leaning toward benching him in weekly leagues.

Al Harrington's knee has him iffy for Wednesday and he's not sounding all that optimistic about playing through the injury. "Obviously they want me to play, but I can't stop," said Harrington, referring to pulling up on drives. "I wouldn't be effective." He might be fine by mid-week, but start him at your own risk.

Charlie Villanueva's back seized up on Sunday just before tip off causing him to sit out. He's truly day-to-day for now, but surely you can find a more reliable player to roll with this week.

Hedo Turkoglu took an elbow to the face early on Sunday, causing him to miss nearly an entire game after his best performance of the season on Thursday. He has a small non-displaced fracture of his right orbital bone and the Raptors are hoping a mask will be enough to allow him to play on Tuesday. If you have another option, I'd probably recommend going with it.

Tony Parker didn't play Sunday and we've yet to hear a timetable for his return from a sprained ankle. Given the fact he plays for Gregg Popovich, I would make sure he's firmly planted on benches this week. Hello, George Hill.

Brandon Roy is now not supposed to play on Monday night due to his hamstring injury, but will be evaluated today. He could play mid-week, but you can also bet the Blazers are going to play it safe with Roy. If I had to make a decision in a weekly league, I'd bench him until further notice.

Full Monday Morning Injury Report

Marquis Daniels – hand – Targeting Feb. 16 return.
Tyson Chandler – foot – Should play this week, but don't start him.
Joakim Noah – foot – Missed practice, expected to play Monday.
Brad Miller – knee – Ditto.
Taj Gibson – foot – Ditto.
Delonte West – finger – Still day-to-day, keep benched for now.
Mo Williams – shoulder – Out for at least another month or so.
Tim Thomas – personal – Not much info, not much value.
Carmelo Anthony – ankle – Sounds likely for Monday – I'm going w/ him.
Charlie Villanueva – back – Very risky play, use someone else.
Will Bynum – ankle – He's been out forever, will be very rusty.
Ben Gordon – groin – 25 min., 2-of-11 Sunday. Yuck.
Anthony Morrow – knee – Out for this week, re-evaluated next Saturday.
Kyle Lowry – knee – Not likely for Week 15, Aaron Brooks should be huge.
Tyler Hansbrough – ear – Still out with ear infection so bench him.
Jeff Foster – back – Sounds like season is over, surgery pending.
Chris Kaman – ankle – Missed Sunday, iffy for next one. Risky.
Sebastian Telfair – abductor – Out for a month.
Dwyane Wade – back – Says he's going to play through it. Start him.
Mario Chalmers – thumb – Out indefinitely, hello, Rafer.
Michael Beasley – knee – Not serious, MRI negative. Hoping to play Monday.
Devin Harris – wrist – Iffy Tuesday, says he'll play Wednesday. Your call.
Chris Paul – knee – Surgery coming, season in jeopardy. Hello, Collison.
James Posey – Achilles – Hello, Thornton and Peja.
Al Harrington – knee – Iffy for his next one, bench him if you have options.
Mickael Pietrus – ankle – Not likely for week, good news for Matt Barnes.
Jameer Nelson – knee – Plans on playing through injury. Risky.
Leandro Barbosa – wrist – Out for another month. Dragic, Hill, J-Rich benefit.
Brandon Roy – hamstring – Out Mon., risky for week. Bayless, Rudy benefit.
Tyreke Evans – hip – Won't start Monday, risky for week. Hello, Beno.
Francisco Garcia – wrist – Aggravated injury, no target date on return.
Tony Parker – ankle – No target date, too risky in weekly leagues. Hello, Hill.
Hedo Turkoglu – face – Hopes to play w/ mask. Check options carefully.
DeMar DeRozan – ankle – Missed Sunday, risky for the week.
Reggie Evans – foot - Targeting after All-Star break.
Deron Williams – personal – Get him back in your lineup.
Carlos Boozer – calf – Iffy for week, play Millsap instead.
Gilbert Arenas – suspension – Done for year.
Javaris Crittenton – suspension – Ditto.

[Hache Man]

Wired for Week 15
Smaller To Average-Sized Leagues

These players may or may not be available in smaller to average-sized leagues consisting of 10-12 teams with rosters somewhere around 12-15 players. That should cover a majority of the fantasy hoops leagues in existence. If your league is any smaller than that, the waiver options are endless and it's just too difficult to try to figure out whether you should pick up Kevin Garnett, Luol Deng or Jason Richardson.

Darren Collison PG Hornets - Collison is the new starting point guard for the Hornets and had 17 points and 18 assists on Saturday. Chris Paul will more than likely have knee surgery, leaving his season in doubt, meaning Collison is a must-own in all leagues.

Mike Miller SG Wizards - Miller is starting for the Wizards and had 25 points, nine boards, eight assists and seven 3-pointers on Saturday. He was probably already grabbed in your league, but if he wasn't, make the move.

Beno Udrih PG Kings - Tyreke Evans isn't likely to play on Monday, meaning Beno Udrih will likely start at point guard. He had a big game against the GSW last week, but wasn't playing all that well after losing his starting job. However, he should be a decent fill-in this week if Evans misses a few games with his hip injury. Sergio Rodriguez is also worth a look deeper leagues.

George Hill G Spurs - Hill was playing well before Tony Parker went down with a severely sprained left ankle, and regardless of when Parker plays again, Hill is worth owning in all leagues right now. He's averaging more than 15 points and shooting over 50 percent from the floor over his last five.

Rafer Alston PG Heat - Mario Chalmers is out indefinitely with a thumb injury meaning Alston will get the point guard minutes going forward. He's not the most reliable guy around, but the potential is there for him to produce. He has only totaled seven points and nine assists in his last two games, so he's far from a must-start player. However, he could have a decent week in Week 15.

Rasheed Wallace F/C Celtics - Kevin Garnett is still not fully healthy and Sheed is going to continue to get run. He had just three points in 21 minutes on Sunday, so don't automatically throw him into your lineup. Just keep an eye on him.

Tyrus Thomas PF Bulls - Thomas is only playing around 21 minutes per game right now but has still scored in double digits in his last two. If the minutes ever get back up around 30, he'll be worth starting.

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Normal-to-Deeper Leagues

These players may generally be available in 12 to 14-team leagues.

Jerryd Bayless G Blazers - Bayless should get another start for the Blazers on Monday, as Brandon Roy's week is still in doubt with a hamstring injury. Bayless has been solid recently and is still worth a look in most leagues. He's dealing with an ankle injury of his own, but is averaging 14 points, 3.5 assists and shooting it very well over his last four games.

DeAndre Jordan C Clippers - Chris Kaman's ankle injury could keep him out for a few more games and Jordan double-doubled in Sunday's start. If you're desperate for a center, check him out.

Brad Miller C Bulls - With Joakim Noah hurting (foot), Miller has been productive lately. He'd only be worth using if Noah is ruled out for a few games, but you can't ignore the fact he's scored between 10 and 25 points in his last four games. He could even be a better pickup than Tyrus Thomas, but something about that notion just doesn't feel right.

Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson G Knicks - These two are still struggling for consistency, but Duhon is a reliable source of assists, while Nate has big-game potential every time out. They're not auto-starts in fantasy, but both players should probably be owned.

Jared Jeffries F Knicks - Jeffries had the game of his life on Sunday with 14 points, six boards, five assists, three blocks and three 3-pointers and has played pretty well in five straight games. The Knicks play just three games this week, but with Al Harrington iffy with a knee injury, Jeffries at least deserves consideration in most leagues.

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Extremely Deep Leagues

Kris Humphries F Nets - Humps probably isn't available in real deep leagues after the 25 points and eight boards he posted in last week's win over the Clippers, but has scored just 10 total points in his two games since. He's too unreliable to use in many leagues, but is worth holding, and possibly starting, in deep ones. Just keep in mind that a 2-point game is always a possibility with Humphries.

Jason Williams PG Magic - Jameer Nelson's knee is still not right and could be a problem all season. If it is, Williams is going to get run. He's really struggling right now, but could be worth a grab-and-stash in case Nelson finally goes down.

Keyon Dooling PG Nets - Devin Harris is due back from his wrist injury on Tuesday or Wednesday, but will likely get hurt again. Dooling has averaged 13 points and seven dimes over his last three games and is a nice insurance policy for Harris.

Antoine Wright – G/F Raptors - Hedo Turkoglu and DeMar DeRozan are both hurting for the Raptors, meaning Wright could be in line for heavy minutes this week. He's scored between 9 and 15 points in each of his last three games, knocking down seven 3-pointers over that stretch. He's a sneaky play this week, while Marco Belinelli also deserves a look.

Will Conroy PG Rockets - Kyle Lowry is going to miss time with a knee injury and isn't likely to play this week. Aaron Brooks should be in line for a huge week, while unknown Will Conroy will back him up. Again, not a player for everyone, but those of you in very deep leagues could benefit by scooping him up.

[Hache Man]

King Kobe
New, No. 1

Kobe Bryant blistered the Grizzlies to tie a season high with 44 points Monday and become the Lakers all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 25,208 points. So from a reality standpoint, Kobe looks like a real-life version of Superman. And from a fantasy perspective, the fact he's playing through the finger, finger, finger, ankle, knee, elbow and back problems, never taking a night off, is worth it's weight in gold. Kobe's not the best fantasy player around these days (it's not really even close), but he might be the most reliable one. Congratulations, Mamba.

The Lakers lost to the Grizzlies, who now sit with a 26-21 record. Congratulations to them, but it's too bad they play out West. That record is good enough to make them the No. 8 seed in the West, but the same record is the East would give them the No. 5 seed and a virtual lock for the playoffs.

And while we're talking about records, keep in mind that if the playoffs started today the Hornets would not make it. And with Chris Paul out for at least a month, I see almost no way they'll be in the hunt when he comes back. And because of that, you have to at least consider that his season might actually be over. I'm fine with making a trade for him for the fantasy playoffs, but don't give up much for him, as there are no guarantees CP3 plays again this season.

Too Far Down

Rafer Alston, Randy Foye, Josh Howard, Jason Thompson and Jason Richardson may have all hit new lows last night, while Chauncey Billups and Antawn Jamison also struggled.

Alston was 0-for-4 with zero points and one assist in 19 minutes last night. Wait a minute…wasn't he supposed to play well with Mario Chalmers out indefinitely with a thumb injury? This is clearly rock-bottom for Alston, who is either going to bounce back and redeem himself in the next one, or be dropped in 80 percent of the leagues he's owned in. And if you're wondering if you should rush out and pick up Carlos Arroyo (10 points, 2 assists), the answer is 'no.'

Lonely Afternoon

Randy Foye played just 18 minutes Monday due to being a defensive liability. He finished with just two points and four assists while, according to coach Flip Saunders, struggling to guard Rajon Rondo. Flip appears to love Earl Boykins, although I'm still not sure why. Boykins was solid with 14 points and three assists, but I still can't recommend picking him up. What I can recommend is benching Foye, who has scored six or less points in three of his last five games and is now averaging less than eight points and four dimes over that stretch. He may bounce back in the near future, but Flip clearly trusts Boykins more than Foye, which is just sad. If Foye is not producing for you a week from now, it might be time to cut bait.

Hardly Getting Over It

Josh Howard played just 11 minutes on Monday and has become completely useless. I picked him up a couple weeks ago in one league and was kind of excited about getting him for free. He's scored 7, 7 and 2 points in three of his last five games and is not worth using in most leagues currently. He could eventually turn it around and would obviously benefit from being traded, but owners have to consider moving on at this point if there's someone on waivers who can help your team.

Terms of Psychic Warfare

Jason Thompson played just 18 minutes for four points and four rebounds, and isn't worth starting for fantasy teams right now. I have no idea what Paul Westphal is doing with him right now, but I wouldn't cut him. Just bench him until further notice.

Ice Cold Ice

Jason Richardson did it again last night – 1-of-6 shooting for three points. Perhaps no player in the league has been as inconsistent this season as JRich, who sometimes looks like an all-star, and other times looks like my grandpa in Nikes. I have no idea what he's thinking, what his mindset is or what his teammates think, but he's become too unreliable to start for most teams. I doubt that means you should cut him, but think about moving him for whatever you can get the next time he puts together back-to-back solid outings.

Chauncey Billups hit just 6-of-25 shots but scored 23, while Antawn Jamison was just 2-of-17 for eight points and eight boards. It's hard to be mad at these two though, as they've had solid seasons and simply had an off night. Jamison's knee is a little banged up, so keep an eye on that. And look for Billups to replace Chris Paul on the Western All-Star Team.

59 Time the Pain

Hedo Turkoglu won't play on Tuesday due to a broken bone just below his eye. He's being re-evaluated and owners have to hope that surgery is not a possibility. A more likely scenario is that he just plays through the injury with a mask, but either way, it doesn't sound like he'll play tonight.

Carmelo Anthony (ankle) missed his fifth straight game on Monday, which seems like enough to me. Hopefully he'll be out there and ready to go Wednesday against the Suns, but my guess is we won't know until Wednesday afternoon. And be careful who you believe regarding injuries. The opposition's beat writer made it sound like Melo was a lock to return last night, but Chris Tomasson came through with some words of caution before Melo was finally ruled out.

Tyreke Evans missed last night's game with his hip injury and now we all have to hope the injury isn't serious and doesn't linger. We're still awaiting word on what the final prognosis is, but I guess no news should be considered good news at this point.

Brandon Roy's bum hamstring will be evaluated on Thursday now, meaning Jerryd Bayless and the suddenly hot Nicolas Batum will have some life left in their batteries. Bayless started and scored 15 last night while Batum had 15 points and nine boards. Batum has quietly been solid in three of his last four games and is worth a look in deeper leagues.

Paul Pierce sat out the fourth quarter of Monday's game with a mild left ankle sprain that seemed to bother him for the most of the night. He'll have X-rays today and my guess is that he'll be day-to-day with the injury. If he misses any games, Tony Allen should see a boost in minutes.

Makes No Sense At All

The Kings are a fantasy mess right now, with Spencer Hawes up and down like a yo-yo (23 points, 7 boards, 40 minutes), Jon Brockman making a nice showing every now and then (11 & 11 last night) and Beno Udrih now starting for the injured Evans. As mentioned above, Jason Thompson is useless right now, Kevin Martin appears to be getting it turned around, while Omri Casspi (14 points) and Andres Nocioni (11 points) are both capable of playing well or laying an egg on any given night. But as we discussed on RotoRadio last night, the only two reliable Kings seem to be Martin and Evans (when he's actually playing).

You're A Soldier

Kenyon Martin had 24 points, 12 boards and two blocks, and has now double-doubled in three of his last four, just missing a fourth straight by one point. He's averaging 16 & 10 over his last five games, while Nene's rebounding numbers have taken a hit with the emergence of K-Mart. Nene's averaging 13 points and just five boards over his last five games. I'm still kind of surprised neither of these guys has suffered an injury yet, and K-Mart looks like a strong sell-high candidate with things going so well.

Visionary

Paul Millsap was at it again last night with 25 points, nine boards and four blocks, and should be owned and started in all leagues until we see Carlos Boozer back in uniform again. Boozer has a calf injury, and while he says he'll be back soon, his track record speaks for itself. I'll believe he's healthy again when I see it.

These Important Years

Darren Collison went off again to the tune of 16 points, 14 assists, a steal and a 3-pointer for the Hornets, while Marcus Thornton had 25 points, four boards, four assists and five 3-pointers. We've been hyping both players recently and both should have been in starting lineups this week. Amare Stoudemire and the Suns beat the Hornets last night, and Amare looks like he's ready to start playing again. He had 25 points, 14 boards and a block last night, and 36 points, 11 boards and two blocks in his previous game. He wasn't rebounding at all over his previous five, but I'm hopeful you left him in your lineup for this week. If he keeps this up he could win the Player of the Week Award.

[Hache Man]

You say Kobe, I say Coby!

Check me out for a live chat today at 3 for Season Pass Subscribers.
Update: It's been confirmed that Chris Paul will have knee surgery, will be out for at least a month and miss the All-Star Game. Hello, Darren Collison.

The GSW – Where Dreams Really Do Come True

When a guy I like and respect as much as Yahoo's Matt Buser jokingly asked me to talk him off the ledge in regards to picking up Coby Karl last night, it got my attention. My guess is half of you are asking yourself "Who is Coby Karl?" while another large chunk of you didn't even know he was playing NBA basketball. Well, I'm not sure it qualifies as NBA basketball all of the time, but George Karl's son has signed a 10-day contract with the Warriors and got a ton of minutes (38) in last night's loss to the Rockets. In fact, he nearly had a triple-double (12-7-7) and even started the second half over Stephen Curry. I know, you're still waiting for the punch line and I want to give you one. But I'm not making this up.

Dreams come true in America, at Wally World, Disney World and apparently on the Warriors' bench, where guys like Anthony Morrow, Chris Hunter and Anthony Tolliver have all made a living when no one else would give them a chance. And now Coby Karl, the son of a coach and a cancer survivor, is living a dream for coach Don Nelson. But my guess is that this run will be short-lived and Karl will not be playing much or flirting with triple-doubles too many more times in his career. In other words, unless you're in a 20-team league, I see no reason to pick him up. But really, this is just another opportunity for Nellie to make me look like a fool.

Tweets of the Night regarding Coby Karl

@NickRinaldi – Nellie really is insane. I don't even think George Karl would play his son over Curry!

@Cjones187 – Know what I think? Nellie hates fantasy and is now making it his mission to ruin it any way he can.

Those are nice thoughts gentlemen, and for those of you who have been with me for a while, you know that I have proposed Nellie-free fantasy leagues. I've still never followed through with the idea, but the plan would be to ban any player wearing a GSW uniform from your league. It would not have been fun to watch Monta Ellis go nuts this year on the waiver wire, but that's the sacrifice you'd have to make if you want to live a Nellie-free existence. At least until he finally shuts it down and moves to Maui full time.

Milestones

Josh Smith became the youngest player in league history to block 1,000 shots on Tuesday at age 24. Unfortunately, the guy he passed is Benoit Benjamin, who took as much abuse from the media as anyone after being a major bust after being taken with the No. 3 overall pick by the Clippers in 1985. Benjamin is still the Clippers' all-time leader in blocked shots, while Smith should continue to rack them up at an alarming rate for the next 10 years or so.

Ben Wallace became the shortest player (6' 9") to reach 2,000 blocks last night. Congratulations to both defensive stalwarts.

Injury News

Paul Pierce's foot/ankle injury was all the rage yesterday afternoon, but order was restored when a report broke that he only had a sprain, and not a broken foot or ankle. He's being called day-to-day, but if I owned Pierce, I would still be pretty nervous about when he might play again. My guess is we won't see him until next week, or possibly not until after the All-Star break. In any case, it sounds like he avoided a catastrophe either way, but owners in weekly leagues are going to feel the sting of this one.

Jose Calderon sprained his left ankle at the end of last night's game and X-rays are coming. I'm not a real doctor, but this one didn't look great. If Jarrett Jack is available in your league, pick him up right now. You may end up cutting him if Calderon's ankle is OK, but you'll be glad you have JJ if JC is out for a few games, days or weeks.

Hedo Turkoglu will not play tonight due to his orbital injury and owners have to hope he'll be back soon. What a buzz hassle this is, as he finally played well just before getting hurt. It's been a long season for his owners and the Blazers have to be pleased that he's not in Portland. Marco Belinelli is worth a look as long as Turk is out.

Tyreke Evans is reportedly probable for Wednesday against the Spurs after missing his last game with a hip injury. I played it safe and benched him in my weeklies, but that may end up being a mistake.

Carmelo Anthony is expected to finally return tonight after missing five games with his sprained ankle. I went ahead and started him this week, so I've got my fingers crossed that we get three games out of him. Chauncey Billups is also expected to play through a sprained ankle.

Allen Iverson is out tonight due to an illness to one of his children. Maybe the rest will do his knees some good, and I hope his child is OK.

Corey Maggette missed last night's game with a hip pointer, but reportedly could have played if he had to. I'm not sure what would qualify as a must-play situation under Nellie, and it hurts my head to even think about it. But given the injury and his terrible play of late, hopefully you moved Maggette before the nosedive.

Vladimir Radmanovic started last night but didn't see many minutes and Nellie is now talking about shutting him down with his Achilles injury. If you still own him, abandon ship.

After GM Otis Smith came out and said Jameer Nelson (knee) and Mickael Pietrus (ankle) shouldn't miss any time with their injuries, they both sat last night. If you own Nelson, Jason Williams is worth holding as insurance. J-Will had 11 points, five boards, five assists and two threes last night, while Pietrus isn't worth owning right now.

Ben Gordon (groin) and Charlie Villanueva (back) played through their injuries on Tuesday, sort of. They combined for a whopping 22 minutes and both players should still be considered day-to-day. In other words, keep them out of your lineup until they prove they are healthy and ready to contribute. Will Bynum finally returned from his ankle injury and had 10 points, three assists and a steal, and is worth keeping an eye on. Richard Hamilton (22 points) continues to play very well, while Tayshaun Prince also had a solid game with 15 points and eight boards. Along with Rodney Stuckey, these three are the only Pistons worth trusting right now. Ben Wallace is also startable if you need a big man, but don't expect many points from him.

Keyon Dooling was out with his lingering hip issue, just in time for Devin Harris to come back in a big way. Harris owners may want to keep Dooling around, just in case.

Delonte West was out again with his broken finger and remains day-to-day until further notice. It would be nice if the Cavs could give us a target date for West, but we've yet to see one.

No word yet on Jermaine O'Neal's availability for tonight after missing Monday with back spasms. He also sat out Tuesday's practice and given the fact the Heat plays Boston, he might be better off on your bench anyway. Michael Beasley (knee) played Monday and will hopefully be able to go again.

We're expecting to get the verdict on Chris Paul's surgery today, but both Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton should be owned regardless of what the news is.

Ronnie Brewer (back) missed Tuesday's practice and is a game-time decision for Wednesday's game against the Blazers. Brewer's back is simply bruised, according to the Jazz.

Al Harrington is questionable for Wednesday's game with a swollen left knee. The Knicks' coaching staff was apparently hoping he'd play on Sunday. "Obviously they want me to play, but I can't stop," said Harrington, referring to pulling up on drives. "I wouldn't be effective." That's not much to go on when setting weekly lineups, so use him with caution.

And there's still no word on target dates for the Blazers' Brandon Roy (hamstring) or the Spurs' Tony Parker (ankle), so keep them benched until further notice.

Tuesday's Game Notes

The Cavs beat the Grizzlies as LeBron James tied a career high with 15 assists. Shaquille O'Neal is officially hot and had 13 points, 13 boards and four blocks last night. He's averaging 17 points, eight boards and 1.6 blocks over his last five and should be owned in all leagues again. J.J. Hickson had 15 points and eight boards, but had scored a total of 11 points in his previous two games, while Daniel Gibson chipped in with 16 points. The Grizzlies were awful after a tough win over the Lakers on Monday, and were led by Rudy Gay's 15 points.

Pacers Wax Raptors - The Pacers got 15 points and 11 assists from PG Earl Watson and scored a 130 points in the win. Watson had 11 points and six assists in his previous game, but is very unreliable – congrats if he was somehow in your lineup this week. Troy Murphy had 20 points, 14 boards and two 3-pointers, meaning it looks like a good time to sell high on him. Roy Hibbert was back in the starting lineup and had 18 points, nine boards, a block and five fouls. If the Pacers would just put him in the starting five and leave him there the world would be a better place. Danny Granger hit just 8-of-19 shots and missed all five of his 3-point attempts, but finally had a solid line with 23 points, seven boards, four assists, two steals and three blocks. If you're looking for a sign to sell high on Granger, that was it. Brandon Rush had 13 points and continues to be worth owning, while Mike Dunleavy and Luther Head also hit double figures.

The Raptors got a season-high 34 points from Andrea Bargnani, but I'm pretty sure he's the only center in NBA history just as likely to hit four threes as he is to grab four rebounds. And he had four of each last night. Chris Bosh had 35 points and 15 boards, while Marco Belinelli had 21 points, five boards and three 3-pointers in a start for Turkoglu. If Turk is going to miss much more time, Belinelli is worth a look. Outside of those three, the Raptors were useless. But in case you missed what I wrote above about Calderon, Jack should be picked up in all leagues.

Magic Handle Bucks - The Magic got 22 points, 11 boards and five more blocks from Dwight Howard, while Vince Carter suddenly came to life with 17 points, 10 boards, seven assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers. If you just bought low on him, congratulations are probably in order. Now, let's see him do it again. Six Magic players scored in double digits last night.

The Bucks were pretty awful, with Brandon Jennings hitting a new low with two points on 1-of-7 shooting. Ouch. I just traded him for Andris Biedrins last week, but neither of us is very happy with what we got in return. Charlie Bell and Luke Ridnour led the Bucks with 13 points each, which should tell you how bad they looked last night.

Pistons Hang On To Beat Nets - The Pistons got solid lines from Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey in a win over the Nets. The Nets got 27 points, seven boards and two blocks from Brook Lopez, while Devin Harris returned from his wrist injury for 24 points, five boards and 14 assists. I can almost guarantee he'll get injured again, so look into moving him after another big night. Jarvis Hayes started over Chris Douglas-Roberts and had 13 points and three boards. If you want to pick Hayes up, be my guest, but don't expect much in return. Yi Jianlian was awful, hitting just 1-of-12 shots for three points. Courtney Lee, however, finally had a nice line with 15 points, three 3-pointers, five boards, three steals and a block, and is probably worth owning going forward.

Clips Clip Bulls - The Clippers got 21 points and 11 boards in the return of Chris Kaman, while Marcus Camby added 11 points, nine boards, four steals and four blocks. I don't trust either guy too much, but they're tough to let go of when healthy. Eric Gordon also woke up with 24 points, three 3-pointers, six boards, four assists and two steals. He's struggled this season and is also another guy I'd think about selling high on after last night.

The Bulls got two points on 1-of-4 shooting from John Salmons, who will likely show up on your waiver wire again after this one. A trade could open things up for him, but he's not worth a spot in your starting lineup right now. Tyrus Thomas had nine points, nine boards, a steal and a block, but played just 15 minutes. His minutes have been ridiculously low for a couple weeks now, but I still think he's worth hanging onto. Come on, Vinny. Just let him play. Taj Gibson, Joakim Noah and Brad Miller all played through their various injuries.

Thunder Ground Hawks - The Thunder beat the Hawks behind Kevin Durant's 33 points, 11 boards, two steals and a block, and he's now tied with Carmelo Anthony for the scoring lead at 29.7, while LeBron sits at 29.3 ppg. I fully expect for Durant to win the scoring title this year. Russell Westbrook flirted with a triple-double with 12 points, nine boards and nine assists in the win.

The Hawks got 37 points on 13-of-20 shooting from Joe Johnson, who also hit three 3-pointers, but it wasn't enough. Marvin Williams is really struggling and had just four points on 2-of-7 shooting. I have him in a lineup with four games this week, but wish I didn't.

Rockets Blast Warriors - The Rockets crushed the Warriors behind 24 points from Aaron Brook and Carl Landry, while Trevor Ariza added 18 points, one 3-pointer, five boards, two assists and a steal on 6-of-16 shooting. Not great, but better. Shane Battier is still worth a look in most leagues and had 12 points, five boards, five assists, two 3-pointers and two blocks, while Chuck Hayes added seven points and 13 boards. Hayes does this occasionally, but isn't worth owning in most leagues.

The Warriors got 34 points on 13-of-22 shooting from Monta Ellis, who added two 3-pointers, two steals and two blocks in the loss. He's back. Andris Biedrins had just four points, eight boards and a block, and Nellie seriously needs to turn him loose again. But I don't know if or when it's going to happen. Stephen Curry overcame a second-half benching in favor of Coby Karl for 14 points and two 3-pointers, but hit just 6-of-18 shots. I suspect he'll be just fine.

[Hache Man]

LeBron Starts At PG for Cavs
Rotoworld hoops-news specialist Aaron Bruski is going to take a stab at Friday's Dose and may occasionally help fill in here in the future. Enjoy.

No Boobie, No Problem

When news broke that Daniel Gibson's fiancée (Keyshia Cole) had been hospitalized for precautionary reasons due to her pregnancy, coach Mike Brown didn't look to Delonte West or 10-day contract signee Cedric Jackson. Instead he looked no further than current fantasy MVP LeBron James to run the point. True to form (unlike the form he shows when guaranteeing participation in dunk contests, or when being dunked on by college kids over the summer), he guided the Cavs to a 102-86 win over the Miami Wades on his way to 36 points with a season-high 17-of-21 free throws made to go along with seven rebounds and eight assists. The Cavs didn't start a player shorter than 6'6", and Rafer Alston and Dwyane Wade didn't have what it took to slow down King James in this one. Wade responded with 24 points and nine assists, but this game was essentially over once J.J. Hickson did this to Wade.

Kobe Bryant Reporting for Duty, Melo Not So Much

While it would take an act of God to keep Kobe Bryant off the court, perhaps Phil Jackson can be the next best thing. The left ankle injury Kobe aggravated in Wednesday's game kept him from practicing Thursday, and the Zen Master told reporters that it may be time to give him a rest. He then added that the decision lies mostly with Kobe, which probably means there not much chance he takes any time off. At least not yet. But at some point Kobe's going to wake up, crawl out of bed, look in the bathroom mirror and decide that he needs to get fully healthy again for the playoffs. Or maybe he won't.

Speaking of Friday's Nuggets/Lakers game, Carmelo Anthony's status is still up in the air. After several false alarms about his return date many folks are starting to question his toughness. We're about to give him the Carlos Boozer treatment, but a big game against the Lake Show is probably all Melo needs to put his big boy pants on. But unfortunately, it sounds like he's more likely for Tuesday because he doesn't want to play unless he's "100 percent." It's a good thing every player doesn't have that attitude, or the league probably would never have enough healthy players to exist. C'mon, man.

Noah's Ark

Joakim Noah was shelved through the All-Star break with plantar fasciitis on Thursday, and it couldn't have come at a better time. He'll get about two weeks off to rest the injury, which will hopefully be all the time he needs to get right. Maybe this is the kick in the pants Vinny Del Negro needs to unleash Tyrus Thomas, but then again maybe not. Brad Miller will start and get his fair share of minutes, and the Bulls have even signed Chris Richard to a 10-day deal to help fill the void. While logic would dictate that this is the time for Thomas to shine, don't count on it.

Doc On Pierce's Foot

Coach Doc Rivers isn't a doctor, and we're not sure if he's stayed at a Holiday Inn Express recently, but he doesn't sound one bit interested in letting Paul Pierce (foot) play at less than 100%. "I don't want to hear that, 'I can get through a game.' That's not good enough for me or for him," said Rivers. And while Pierce says the injury isn't serious, we're not ready to call him good to go for Sunday's game against the Magic, let alone any game prior to the All-Star break. That doesn't mean he won't play, but we'd prefer to wait until we hear more concrete news before selecting him over a more reliable option.

CP3's Knee

Chris Paul underwent successful knee surgery on Thursday and initial reports are that he will be out for 4-6 weeks, and on crutches for three weeks. If he could go from crutches to the court in one week we'd be pretty shocked, so five to six weeks sound more realistic. And that means he probably has somewhere around 10 games left in his season for fantasy owners. The obvious fear is that the Hornets fall all the way out of playoff contention (if they're not already there), and Paul is shut down for the rest of the season. We wouldn't recommend cutting him, but if you can get a solid and healthy player in return, a trade seems to make sense. And just wondering aloud here. When was the last time a player did not have "successful surgery?" Anytime he comes out of it alive it's a success, right?

Dunleavy Saga Finally Over For Clips – Sort Of

Coach Mike Dunleavy was canned, relieved, or quit depending on how you choose to look at it, but is no longer the head coach of the Clippers. This doesn't have any immediate impacts in fantasy leagues, although he will stay on as GM for now. Clippers have told teams that they will deal Marcus Camby if and only if they are out of the playoff chase, which means that for now he should stay put. Camby has gone from a bona fide sell-high candidate when Blake Griffin was set to return, to a strong sell-high candidate even with Griffin out for the year. And now to quote Dr. A in a random note to me on Thursday – "Selling Camby high is a very hard call, he's so hard to let go of when he's playing well, but then before you know it he's down...might be excited to play for new coach...if I owned him I'd probably just ride it for as long as he lasts." We all know he is an injury risk, and that a trade could put him in an unfavorable situation, but he's no longer a must-sell guy. And hopefully all this Camby chatter didn't just cause him to pull something.

Thursday Night Lights

As we mentioned earlier the Cavs trounced the Heat in a game that wasn't as close as the score suggested. Rafer Alston was pulled after 15 minutes of run after the Heat opted for a combination of Dwyane Wade and Carlos Arroyo at the point. Alston's up and down like a ping-pong ball right now, so don't be surprised to see more Wade running the point, which would be good news for Quentin Richardson and Dorell Wright, who need all the help they can get. Q-Rich dropped a goose egg on 0-for-7 shooting Thursday, which probably means he'll blow up for 20 points in his next game, while Wright continued to flirt with providing some value in deeper leagues with nine points, six rebounds, and two assists.

Despite migraines, Shaquille O'Neal looks as close to his old self as we've seen in years, and the Cavs actually need him to take pressure of LeBron right now, as there's no telling when Delonte West and Mo Williams will return. It will also be interesting to see how Shaq plays when Williams comes back. Gibson returned to start the second half after missing the first half, finishing with 12 points and not much else. His fantasy ride is about to end when West returns, and that could be any day now.

The Blazers came back from 10 down in the fourth quarter to beat the Spurs 96-93 on Thursday. Tony Parker (ankle) returned to action, which moved George Hill over to shooting guard and returned the lineup to normalcy for the time being. Parker scored 18 points with six assists in 30 minutes, which has to be considered a victory for his owners. Parker didn't join the crunch-time theatrics until there was less than two minutes left, which was a curious decision by coach Gregg Popovich on the road with momentum slowly swaying to the Blazers' side. Hill's transition back to shooting guard yielded 16 points, but he had just one rebound and no assists. He wasn't shy in taking his shots (6-for-12 from the field), but owners should still be thinking about selling high since it's doubtful he returns to the numbers he had with Parker out, at least in the near-future. Manu Ginobili turned back the clock with 21 points, three rebounds and five assists, but missed a wide-open three to tie the game, and then a long-distance three with 15 seconds left on the shot clock in the last two minutes. Somehow I think Pop let him know the latter wasn't appreciated.

For the Blazers, LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 & 13, and has averaged more than 20 points per game with Brandon Roy out. Speaking of Roy, he is expected to play Saturday against the Lakers, but owners should check out how he looks after practicing Friday. Martell Webster made a final case for owners to sell high after scoring 20 points on Wednesday, and then 21 points on Thursday on a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc. With Nicolas Batum playing well and the combination of Roy and Travis Outlaw on their way back, Thursday was a Vegas-sized neon sign to sell him Webster. Jerryd Bayless tweaked his hamstring, and we're almost sure the kid has suffered a new injury in every game he's played. It seems like he makes a trip to the locker room in each one as well, and his status is now in doubt going forward. And with Roy coming back, it's time for owners to move on.

Other News and Notes

Dirk Nowitzki practiced Thursday, and said he wouldn't miss any games as the result of his thumb sprain. Also, coach Rick Carlisle said that Rodrigue Beaubois has taken over backup point guard duties for J.J. Barea. Barea has not been a fantasy option for a while, but owners shouldn't fall asleep at the wheel with Beaubois. Should Jason Kidd ever go down with an injury, he could become a starting fantasy option a la Darren Collison, and he has proven he can produce when given the minutes.

Caron Butler is dealing with a nagging knee injury, and is a game-time decision for Friday's game against the Magic. While we're leaning towards him playing, watch for Nick Young to get the start if he doesn't. Antawn Jamison also has a sore knee and shoulder, but has been playing through it.

Nate Robinson will start at point guard for the Knicks on Friday and should be locked and loaded into lineups for now. For all of you who held on through the dark period, congratulations. Let's just hope he can keep on coach Mike D'Antoni's good side. And keep an eye on Larry Hughes, who is also going to get some run and possibly end up replacing Lil' Him once he ticks off D'Antoni again.

Marcus Thornton suffered a back bruise on Wednesday and has now been ruled out for Friday's game.. He's very sore and the team is highly concerned about the injury, which obviously concerns us. They're also planning on signing a guard to help fill the gap for as long as he's out, which hopefully won't more than through All-Star Weekend. James Posey is actually worth a close look as a short-term fill-in for Thornton.

Jameer Nelson (knee) and Mickael Pietrus (ankle) both appear to be ready to play Friday. Nelson's knee is of particular concern since his numbers have been down, and it seems like his knee is more "hurt" than it is "healthy." Next time he puts up a string of good games might be a good time to move him. Pietrus showed his first signs of life with 14 points before he injured his ankle, but until he proves he can be a fantasy asset we're not putting much energy into him. What we're really interested in tonight is seeing if Vince Carter bounces back from his best line in forever tonight. If he does, someone in your league probably got a steal on him, as his trade value was at an all-time low before Wednesday's wake-up call.

Charlie Villanueva (back) worked on the side of Thursday's practice with the Pistons' trainers, and although he didn't practice, says he's playing Friday. He played just eight minutes in the same type of situation on Tuesday, and it's doubtful owners want to mess around while he tries to get himself back into game shape. But if he lands on your league's waiver wire, don't hesitate to scoop him up and hold him.

Allen Iverson is questionable for Friday's game for personal reasons, with Willie Green likely to start in his place if he's out. Whether or not coach Eddie Jordan lets Lou Williams see any of those minutes is another story all together.
A.J. Price will start the Pacers' next two games at point guard with Earl Watson out for personal reasons. Consider this his big audition, but it's hard to get too excited about anybody in Indiana, especially with Watson returning soon and T.J. Ford dusting off and getting back on the floor.

Kyle Lowry is close to returning for the Rockets, so watch him if you're in need of a point guard

[Hache Man]

T.J. Ford Back In Action
It's Super Bowl Sunday and while most of us have our eyes on the big game, there are two NBA contests today and lineups need to be set for the upcoming short week leading into All-Star Weekend.

I was born and raised in Indianapolis, and was a Colts season-ticket holder until we moved south in 2004. I'm a homer, no doubt, but I just can't see the Saints stopping Peyton Manning today. My official prediction is Colts 38, Saints 24. We'll see.

Smaller To Average-Sized Leagues

These players may or may not be available in smaller to average-sized leagues consisting of 10-12 teams with rosters somewhere around 12-15 players. That should cover a majority of the fantasy hoops leagues in existence. If your league is any smaller than that, the waiver options are endless and it's just too difficult to try to figure out whether you should pick up Kevin Garnett, Luol Deng or Jamal Crawford.

Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Delfino, Darren Collison and Randy Foye may all still be available in some leagues, but shouldn't be. Make sure they're not sitting on waivers in your league, and if they are, pick them up.

T.J. Ford PG Pacers - Ford is suddenly back in the rotation in Indy and had 20 points on Saturday. Earl Watson was out with a personal issue, but will return on Tuesday, while A.J. Price suffered a concussion on Saturday. He's also expected to be available on Tuesday, but it sure feels like Ford has earned his backup job back, and could even possibly be given the starter's job. Either way, my guess is that Price is now the odd man out in Indy's forever changing rotation, and I think Ford should be picked up in all leagues right now. Just don't expect any miracles.

John Salmons/Tyrus Thomas Bulls - These two underachieving Bulls continue to bounce from fantasy team to fantasy team, as they simply cannot put together any consistency this season. Salmons has had some solid games to go along with some terrible ones, while Thomas is coming off a one-game suspension. I still think both players are worth owning, but I wouldn't put them into starting lineups until they get hot. And it's a real possibility that won't happen anytime soon. They still look like good guys to stash on the bench until something changes.

Courtney Lee G/F Nets - Chris Douglas-Roberts suffered from back spasms on Friday and is quickly falling out of the rotation. He's also a candidate to be moved in a deadline trade. Lee has taken advantage of extra opportunities lately, averaging 11 points, three boards, nearly two blocks and more than a 3-pointer per game over his last five and should be primed for a big second half. I think he should be owned in nearly all leagues, as he could quickly heat up after the break.

Donte' Greene G/F Kings - Greene blew up for a season-high 31 points on Sunday to go along with seven boards, a three and two blocks. Jason Thompson is set to return from a personal leave, but Greene appears to have earned more minutes. I think he's a sneaky play with two games in this short week, and could get more run in the second half. His ability to block and hit threes is the key here, but it's impossible to tell how much Paul Westphal is going to play him going forward.

Jonas Jerebko F Pistons - Jerebko is back in the starting five for the Pistons and hit all nine of his shots on Saturday to finish with 20 points, seven boards and two 3-pointers, but had scored a total of just 10 points previous two games. He looks locked into the starting lineup at power forward and while he's not a must-own player, he's certainly worth a look.

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Normal-to-Deeper Leagues

These players may generally be available in 12 to 14-team leagues.

Ryan Hollins C Wolves - Hollins has been starting at center for the Timberwolves, averaging 12 points, three boards and a block over his last five. He scored between 15 and 19 points in three straight, but scored just four points on Saturday, and six before the double-digit streak started. He doesn't get many rebounds, but might be able to help owners in deeper leagues who need a starting center.

Luc Richard Mbah a Moute F Bucks - I really don't trust the Prince too much while starting for Scott Skiles, but he scored a season-high 18 points to go along with 11 boards on Saturday, and had 16 points, six boards, two steals and two blocks in his previous game. He's obviously heating up and while I have no idea how long it will last, he's probably worth a shot right now.

Kyle Lowry G Rockets - Lowry is back from a sprained ankle and has averaged 10 points, three boards and three assists in his last three games. He's averaging nearly nine points and five assists on the season, and could help owners who struggle each week in assists now that he's healthy again.

Anthony Morrow G/F Warriors - Morrow's been out with a knee injury but returned for Saturday's loss. He scored just five points in 16 minutes, but is capable of going on a 3-point and scoring barrage on a moment's notice. Don't plan on putting him in your lineup right now, but consider grabbing him in case Don Nelson decides to make him a focal part of the offense again in the near future.

James Posey G/F Hornets - Posey has played very well recently, averaging nine points, 10 boards and four assists in his last three games. Marcus Thornton has missed two of those games and could be out until the break with a back injury. Posey looks locked in as the team's sixth man now, and has also six treys in his last three.

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Extremely Deep Leagues

Shannon Brown G Lakers - Known mostly for dunking, Brown has hit double digits in three straight games, averaging about 10 points, three boards, three assists and a 3-pointer per game over his last five. He'd look a lot better if Kobe Bryant or Derek Fisher were to go down for a stretch, but has passed Jordan Farmar on the depth chart. Again, he looks like a solid pickup in deeper leagues.

J.J. Hickson/Leon Powe F Cavaliers - Hickson continues to start for the Cavs and has scored in double figures in three straight games, going for 10 & 5, 12 & 5 and 15 & 8 points and boards over that stretch. Powe is due back from knee surgery after the break, which could hurt the numbers of Hickson and Anderson Varejao, and is also worth a look in the deepest of leagues.

Joey Dorsey F Rockets - Dorsey has played 18 and 19 minutes in his last two games and appears to be primed for more minutes going forward. Again, not a guy you want to own in most leagues, but for deep ones with a limited waiver wire, Dorsey could surprise people if he continues to get minutes. He had four points and seven boards in Saturday's game, and added seven points, 12 boards, a steal and a block in the previous game.

Rodrigue Beaubois G Mavericks - Roddy had 17 points and four threes on Friday night, but had scored just a total of 14 points in his previous four games. He's passed Juan Jose Barea on the depth chart and is at least worth a watchful eye going forward.

JaVale McGee C Wizards - McGee isn't doing much for the Wizards, but is clearly available on trading block. If he were to land some place like Minnesota, he could make a quick fantasy impact and even start. He's not a must-own player by any means, but he might be worth stashing in a deep league until we see what happens at the trade deadline. Additionally, he would likely start for the Wizards if they were to move Brendan Haywood.

[Hache Man]

C'mon, Melo!
I was wrong and my football team lost. It was a bad week all the way around, as Carmelo Anthony also hurt me badly in several leagues after deciding to take another week off. Congratulations to the Saints, who were simply the better team on Sunday.

It's a short week in the NBA with action grinding to a halt on Thursday night as the All-Star Game will take place on Sunday in Dallas. The Magic are the first team I remember having three games during All-Star week, so make sure a guy like Matt Barnes isn't sitting out there in your weekly-lineup league. There are several looming injuries that will probably result in more guys getting into the game. While Monta Ellis is a popular pick to replace Brandon Roy, it's also possible that Chris Kaman, Carlos Boozer or Aaron Brooks could get the call over him.

There are a lot of trade rumors out there too, with guys like Andre Iguodala, Amare Stoudemire, Kevin Martin and Caron Butler topping many teams' wish lists, but again, they're just rumors at this point.

There is also talk of a work stoppage coming in 2011-12 and it doesn't look to promising right now. These things have a way of working themselves out, but if the league really does want to chop salaries by 30 percent, or some other substantial number, things are going to get ugly. I'm sure we'll hear a lot more about this after the break.

Out of all the things mentioned above, the only thing we have control of as fantasy owners is setting a healthy lineup and letting the chips fall where they may. Here are some of the bigger injury headlines you need to be aware of today.

Lake of Fire

The Lakers have two pretty big injury concerns right now, as Kobe Bryant (ankle) and Andrew Bynum (hip/knee) both remain iffy for Tuesday's game. Kobe sat out his last one, while Bynum was ineffective and left early. The problem here is the Lakers didn't practice or meet on Sunday, so we don't have much of an update. Phil Jackson is leaving the decision on whether to play or sit up to Kobe, which leads me to believe he'll play in both games this week, as well as the All-Star Game. Of course, I also believed Melo would crawl out of his hole and see his shadow last week, too. As for Bynum, our latest report lists him as doubtful, but he really sounds more like a game-time decision. He had trouble running with the Blazers, but would be used in more of a half-court setting against the Spurs. I'm benching Bynum as of now, but could change my mind if we get better news later in the day.

Via Chicago

Joakim Noah had blood injected into his ailing foot which could keep him out for weeks after the break. He's a tough kid and I'm not panicking just yet, but it is definitely a concern. Don't plan on playing him any time soon. Taj Gibson, Brad Miller and Tyrus Thomas all will see a boost in minutes as long as Noah is out. Thomas is due back from his suspension on Tuesday and now that we've all just about given up on him again, it's probably time for a big game from him.

We Are Family

There's still not timetable for the return of Allen Iverson from his family emergency, so just keep him benched until further notice. Unfortunately, this has not meant a big boost for Lou Williams, as Willie Green tends to start in his place.

The Hold Steady sing Hornets! Hornets!

Chris Paul is obviously out after knee surgery. The question becomes, should owners hang on to him or drop him? I think it's become pretty clear that the Hornets will be out of the playoff race when he returns, making me believe he might not play again this year. And if he does play, it may just be in an effort to prove to himself and the team he can still play. It's a gamble either way, but I'd recommend moving CP3 for whatever you can get. And for those of you lucky enough to get Darren Collison, he sure looks like the real deal so far.

Marcus Thornton has missed two straight games with a bruised back, but has not yet been ruled out for Monday. He tried to play in his last one, trying his back out in warm-ups before shutting it down, and is a game-time decision for Monday as well. My gut is telling me he'll probably play tonight, but I'm still not brave enough to start him in a weekly league without confirmation that he'll play. If he's out or still hurting, James Posey should continue to put up solid numbers.

Hats Off To (Roy)

Brandon Roy will have another injection into his hamstring on Monday and is out until at least the first game after the All-Star break. We should get more information on him by the weekend, and owners have to cross their fingers and hope he's ready to go after the break.

Rocky Mountain Low

Carmelo Anthony has now missed two straight weeks with an ankle sprain that I'd hardly classify as 'severe.' He decided, for whatever reason, that he was going to sit out until he felt 100 percent, as Kobe Bryant and several other players have continued to play through similar injuries. I mean, did you see Tony Parker's sprain? To say I've lost some respect for Melo is putting it mildly and this little episode could land him on my "never again list." As I basically wrote one week ago, all signs point to Melo playing on Tuesday and you can believe he will be in the lineup in all my leagues this week. After suffering through one week from Marvin Williams, and another week with zero production from Melo in my lineup, there's no way I'm going to have him on the bench so I can helplessly watch him go off for 40 points or whatever tomorrow night. And if he somehow sits until the All-Star game, I feel sorry for the people and animals who have to deal with me this week.

Chauncey Billups missed his last game with a sprained ankle and will be a game-time decision for Tuesday. Since his name's not Melo, my guess is he'll play. Chris Andersen, Arron Afflalo and Nene are all banged up with minor injuries as well, but George Karl doesn't sound too concerned. I do think Nene's a pretty risky play, as he couldn't really run in his last game with a foot injury.

Devin Harris (shoulder), Corey Maggette (finger) and Trevor Ariza (hip) are other guys you'll have to make decisions on this week. Here's the entire injury report.

I had Kyle Lowry listed as a good pickup in Waiver Wired, but didn't realize he severely injured his ankle again. He could miss a couple more weeks, so abandon ship on him if you picked him up.

Additionally, Nate Robinson looks like he'll return to a bench role as Mike D'Antoni wants to continue to play Chris Duhon at point guard, using Nate at SG. He's still worth starting in most leagues, but weigh options carefully now that he's not starting (again).

Continue reading for the Injury Report.

Take Me Down To The Infirmary

Joe Johnson – flu – Iffy for Tuesday depending on how he feels.
Zaza Pachulia – flu – Ditto.
Tyson Chandler – foot – Still on the verge of playing again, supposedly.
Joakim Noah – foot – Blood injection a setback. Bench until further notice.
Tyrus Thomas – suspension – Due back for next one. Start at own risk.
Delonte West – finger – Still day-to-day, might sit until after break.
Mo Williams – shoulder – Still about a month or so to go.
Leon Powe – knee – Should be back right after break. Worth a look.
Erick Dampier – knee – Iffy for Monday, I'd bench him.
Tim Thomas – personal – Missed Saturday, out for Monday.
Carmelo Anthony - ankle – It's time to get back on the court, Melo.
Nene – foot – Muscle injury, but Karl not concerned, but day-to-day.
Chauncey Billups – ankle – Game-time decision for Tuesday.
Arron Afflalo – ankle – Injured in last game, hit 1-of-9 shots.
Chris Andersen – knee – Should play on Tuesday.
Charlie Villanueva – ankle – Played on Saturday, hopefully he keeps playing.
Ben Gordon – groin – Playing, but went from 26 to 5 points in last two.
Corey Maggette – finger – X-rays negative, a little risky unless more info comes.
Vladimir Radmanovic – Achilles – Shut down through break, at least.
Anthony Randolph – ankle – Sounds like season is over.
Anthony Morrow – knee – Back in action, might take some time to groove.
Trevor Ariza – hip – Was in ton of pain after Sat., doubtful for Tuesday.
Kyle Lowry – ankle – Aggravated injury on Sat., could miss weeks.
Earl Watson – personal – Should be good to go, but will he start?
A.J. Price – concussion – May be third string with rise of TJF.
Luther Head – flu – Missed last two, might be sneaky play if healthy.
Tyler Hansbrough – ear – Still no timetable. Dump him for healthy body.
Jeff Foster – back – Could require surgery, dump him.
Kobe Bryant – ankle – Finally missed a game, iffy for Monday.
Andrew Bynum – hip/knee – Risky, but could play tonight. Check options.
Darrell Arthur – chest – Cleared to return, keep an eye on him.
Mario Chalmers – thumb – Remains out indefinitely, while Rafer still stinks.
Chris Douglas-Roberts – back – Not getting enough minutes when healthy.
Devin Harris – shoulder – Day-to-day again. Risky play, as usual, but playing well.
Jarvis Hayes – shin – I don't expect him to play this week.
Marcus Thornton – back – Could play Monday, start at own risk.
Chris Paul – knee surgery – Season in jeopardy, hello, Collison.
Larry Hughes – toe – Missed Saturday, too risky to use right now.
Eddy Curry – knee surgery – Says he's ready, but Knicks won't play him.
Jameer Nelson – knee – Playing through it so use him if you need him.
Allen Iverson – personal – Still not timetable on return.
Leandro Barbosa – wrist – Still out a few more weeks.
Brandon Roy – hamstring – Out through AS break, at least.
Travis Outlaw – foot surgery – Targeting Feb. 21 return.
Jerryd Bayless – groin – Played on Saturday, but sounds pretty banged up.
Francisco Garcia – wrist – Will play at some point, but not ready yet.
Beno Udrih – foot – Playing, but deep in rotation now, hurting value.
Hedo Turkoglu – eye – Played fairly well on Saturday, startable.