Fantasy related but good info....
Durant Love
Wake up. Work out. Play video games. Rinse, lather, repeat.
Like a mother telling her children to look both ways before crossing the street, NBA megastar Kevin Durant gives those instructions to his basketball brethren, but with one key difference.
He doesn't say a word, nor does he want to.
He doesn't scream into the phone, "show me the money!," or hold hour long specials proclaiming that he's taking his Xbox 360 controller to 'the OK state.'
He rams a career-high tying, NBA season-high tying 47 points down your throat – and later tweets to the world that BYU guard Jimmer Fredette, who earlier scored 43 points in a college game, is "the best scorer in the world."
And then he fires up another game of
John Madden before turning in for the night.
The best part about his most recent attempt to deflect the praise is that none of us are surprised. It's old news. We have the same confidence in his ability to say and do all the right things as owners had -- when they selected him No. 1 overall in fantasy drafts around the nation this year.
And guess what? That confidence was rewarded when Durant overtook Chris Paul as the No. 1 player (per game) in 8-cat leagues after last night's performance.
Here's hoping the rest of his colleagues look both ways before crossing the street.
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[SIZE=+1]Wednesday Night Rundown[/SIZE]
Durant Love
It takes quite a game to overshadow the 30 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and two 3-pointers that Michael Beasley treated viewers to, but that's what happens when you have 21 ties, 19 lead-changes, a game-tying shot by Jeff Green, a game-winning shot and career-best game by Kevin Durant, a 30/20 game from Kevin Love, and an encyclopedia of big shots and big plays. Here's the fallout:
As mentioned, Durant tied both the NBA season-high and his career-high with 47 points on 15-of-28 shooting (4-of-8 from downtown, 13-of-14 from the foul line). He also set a career-high with 18 rebounds, and added two steals and two blocks for good measure. To get the blemishes out of the way, he snapped a streak of 45 straight made free throws when he missed on a technical foul, he started the game by missing 9-of-14 FGs, and failed to hit a shot late with 12 seconds left with the Thunder down by one point. Blemishes like those would make Cindy Crawford blush.
He finished the game on a 10-of-14 tear, including what would hold up as the game-winning shot in overtime with 29 seconds left. His final 16 points either tied the game or gave the Thunder a lead, and his final bucket was a thing of beauty. His step-back two against Corey Brewer, who defended him admirably, covered about 4-5 feet of ground. It was the second 40/15 game of his career (tied for 2nd among active players, behind Shaquille O'Neal who has 19), and it shuttled him right back to the top of the MVP race.
Kevin Love, not to be outdone, had his third 30/20 game of the season, and the first 30/20 game that included three 3-pointers since Kevin Garnett did it in 2003. He pushed his NBA leading double-double streak to 31 straight games and consequently leads the NBA with 40 of them total. It was the 22nd time he has accumulated a double-double in just one half of play, a feat that has happened just 10 times by other players. He went toe-to-toe with Durant down the stretch, and though he missed a shot at the end of regulation that would have won it, he officially made anybody that does not vote for him to play in the All Star a game a complete tool. Sadly, there's a decent chance he doesn't make it. Sigh.
Other news to come out of this game included Jeff Green's second straight big night, as he hit a game-tying shot to send the game into overtime and finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and a three. If the momentum from the last two games doesn't get him out of his funk, I don't know what will. Corey Brewer seemingly was the only thing between Durant and a Kobe-like 82 point game, and finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Unfortunately, it looks like he and rookie Wesley Johnson are going to cancel each other out. Johnson followed up his 19-point effort from Monday with 13 points, five rebounds, two threes, and two steals. Serge Ibaka (four points, four boards, one block) and Darko Milicic (seven points, four boards, one block) were victims of foul trouble and small ball, and Luke Ridnour had a nice game with 12 big points, eight assists, and three steals, but took an ill-advised three late that ultimately decided the game.
In injury news, Kevin Love hit his head late which may be worth watching out for, and Michael Beasley finally looks like he's turning the corner on his ankle injury.
Click here for the rest of the rundown….
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Pop goes the weasel cause the weasel goes 'pop'
There were two pretty significant 'pops' from Wednesday night, the worst of which belonged to Rodney Stuckey, who left his game after saying he heard a 'pop' in his shoulder when running into Carmelo Anthony. He downplayed it after the game and says he's going to try to play Friday in Miami but it sure sounds like he could miss some time. In his absence Will Bynum scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and added four rebounds with four assists. Ben Gordon did not impress when given the chance, though his 15 points might massage the fact. He did not play for the game's last nine minutes, and as usual has left doubts in owners' minds as to whether or not he'll eventually step up. Meanwhile, Tracy McGrady picked up the slack for 14 points, six rebounds, eight assists, a steal, and a three on 4-of-9 shooting, and needs to be owned in most (if not all) leagues for the growing recurrence of these types of nights.
Depending on how long Stuckey will be out, if at all, it still looks like time to pick up Gordon regardless of his lack of initiative last night. Richard Hamilton could conceivably be activated if need be, but one has to think that the decision to keep him out of harm's way was made a while back – and it would be surprising if Rip or the Pistons allowed for him to go in and out of limbo. Add into the mix that McGrady is not a good bet to stay healthy or play heavy minutes all year, and Gordon's stock just went up enough to be worth a prospective add. Then again, if we find out that Stuckey is fairly healthy, he returns to being a borderline player to own, as usual.
Bynum, on the other hand, could be in for an extended look at either PG or SG, depending on how John Kuester wants to play things, and is also worth a short-term add if Stuckey is to miss some time. In other Pistons news, Charlie Villanueva (ankle) returned to action and played just 15 minutes, but did hit three treys on his way to 11 points. Once he's healthy, he could go back to being a nice low-end option, but nobody should be breaking through any walls to grab him.
In a development that has flown mostly under the radar, Greg Monroe has kept his starting job since Ben Wallace (ankle) has returned, and posted a 14-point, seven-rebound, one-steal, two-block line last night. He took a hit in Wallace's first two games back, but we've probably seen the passing of the torch and the future is bright for the youngster. Don't count on him for value on an every-night basis for now, but I could think of worse players to have at the end of your bench.
The other 'pop' belonged to none other than Deron Williams, as he claimed he heard it when he hyper-extended his wrist last night. Of course, he went off for a season-high 39 points on 16-of-24 shooting (16-of-19 on two-point FGs, 0-for-5 on treys) with four rebounds, nine assists, and one steal, so this little 'pop' is going to go largely unnoticed by the fantasy public. Just like I said last week about Eric Gordon's hand injury, I think owners need to be very careful with any future reports about it. We're all familiar with Williams' history in playing through injuries, but wrist injuries can have debilitating effects and if the Jazz have any illusions of competing in the playoffs they may get careful with it. Just sayin.
Paul Millsap was not nearly as kind to owners while playing through his severely sprained thumb, scoring just eight points with three rebounds and four fouls in 19 minutes. Owners would be wise to consider him day-to-day for now, even though like Williams, he is a warrior. Andrei Kirilenko rejoined the starting lineup last night, scoring 10 points with six rebounds and two assists, and despite the fact that the Jazz lost their sixth straight game he'll probably stick there. The fact is that the Jazz were even worse without him there, and their loss to the Spurs last night was actually a step forward. Feel free to keep using him like you have been. Unfortunately for C.J. Miles' owners, his return to the bench sends him back toward being an on-again, off-again scorer, rather than the versatile player he showed he was on Tuesday.
Chuck 'D' is Public Enemy #1
Why? Because the Poster Child Blake Griffin entered the game with exactly 100 dunks and left Wednesday's game with just 101. Why? Because Chuck 'D,' a.k.a. Chuck Hayes, doesn't believe in T.V. ratings, and he refused to let Griffin have his way like he has for most of the year. Yes, Griffin still double-doubled, but the 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting with 11 rebounds is a bit leaner 2x2 than owners are accustomed to. Griffin said after the game that his elbow was "all right," and it was easy to see that he was simply outplayed and outhustled by Hayes, who got the first public recognition for his play since, well, ever. For Season Pass subscribers, though, Tuesday's Pickup of the Day has been on radars for at least a week. Since returning from an ankle injury he has provided low-fifth round value in 8-cat leagues, entering last night's game with averages of eight points, eight rebounds, four assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 60% from the field. He has essentially been a poor man's Marc Gasol, and though Marc has been a poor man's version of himself at times this year, both of them have fantasy friendly games because of their versatility. Hayes scored five points with 11 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and two blocks last night, and while it broke a streak of five straight games with four or more assists, now is not the time to complain for owners. He's playing great, has the trust of his coach, and his main threat comes in the form of Brad Miller, who can't seem to stay healthy. If Hayes isn't owned in your league, pick him up.
In other Rockets news the time-share between Kyle Lowry and Aaron Brooks didn't get any easier for Brooks' owners to swallow, as Lowry put up a nice line of 20 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and two threes, and Brooks hit just 5-of-14 shots (including a three) with four assists. In tweeting with Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen, he basically told me that Brooks' play and attitude have kept him on the bench. So yes, he has lost his job, and it's time for owners to deal with that fact. Brooks' effort from last night buys him a stay of execution with me for another night, but if I'm hurting elsewhere on my roster I'm not opposed to dropping him for a player that can help me. Obviously, the hope is that he gets it together or can get traded, as his name has popped up in Sacramento and the Rockets are one of the more active trading teams in the NBA. As for Lowry, keep trotting him out there as a low-end PG play. The ups and downs aren't going away, but he's proving the ups outweigh the downs for now.
Kevin Martin played just 21 minutes last night and there was no word of an injury, as he finished with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, five rebounds, and two threes. This is one of the more drastic examples, but he has been on a pseudo minute-count for about a month, dipping below the 30-minute mark six times during January. In one case he was benched due to a big night from Aaron Brooks, but our guess is that most of these scenarios are simply cases of rest, and if he wasn't playing so well it would be more tempting to raise the red flag. He's always going to be an injury risk, but seeing the pattern for over a month has somehow desensitized me to this sort of thing.
For the Clippers, Randy Foye emerged as the leader to replace Eric Gordon's production, scoring a season-high 20 points with one rebound, one assist, one steal, two threes, and four turnovers to go with a 7-of-17 mark from the field. Is he worth an add? Sure, if anything to see if his motivation to score and prove himself can give the Clippers what Gordon was providing. I'd just offer the disclaimer that he has had hamstring issues all season, and has had confidence and consistency issues his whole career. A best-case scenario for him probably looks a little less posh than last night's numbers. Ryan Gomes and Eric Bledsoe both failed to show up last night, with Gomes scoring seven points and not much else, and Bledsoe having an interesting but mostly uninspiring five points, six assists, three steals, and two blocks in 22 minutes. Just keep an eye on them for now.
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As the Melo Turns and Four Quarters of Fury….
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As the Melo Turns
Thankfully the Carmelo Anthony fiasco quieted down over the last week, but unfortunately owners of Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and a number of others are still on red-alert. The fear is that Melo will be traded to New York, suck up touches and boards, and send guys that were happy and producing to places with big question marks. The short-version of events is that the Knicks still have the best actionable offer on the table, and that's assuming they don't tell Melo to shove it and sign with them as a free agent under the new CBA. He's trying to convince them that he'll sign an extension somewhere else, so he can implore the Knicks to make a deal with Denver that will beat any of the teams' offers that may 'rent' him. That way, he gets his extension, and ultimately the Knicks get their guy without giving up too much. Can the Nets convince Melo to sign and increase the offer? It's doubtful. And yes, Donnie Walsh would rather have him for less during free agency, but I do think that if they want Melo – they'll want a happy Melo and that means doing the extension. I know that all of that sounds like speculation, but the details are gory and they haven't really changed enough to warrant a blow-by-blow. If you hold any Knicks, now is a real good time to start making some $0.90 on the dollar offers as a hedge to the risk that Melo blows your fantasy team up.
[SIZE=+1]Four Quarters of Fury[/SIZE]
First Quarter: Zach Randolph got his career-high 12th double-double in a season with 20 and 16. Anthony Morrow came off the bench for 19 points, four rebounds, and three treys, and is worth a look if you need 3-pointers. Marreese Speights went nuts in just 17 minutes, scoring a season-high 23 points with nine rebounds on 10-of-12 shooting. Don't bite. Like a game of Tecmo Bowl the Sixers ran the same play against the Raptors' zone repeatedly until they figured it out. Amir Johnson scored 15 points with six rebounds, a steal, and three blocks, and is once again worth owning until further notice. Jose Calderon returned (illness) and had eight points, five rebounds, and 13 assists. Get him back in there. DeMar DeRozan has been on fire lately, scoring 29 points with five rebounds and an assist, and has scored 23 or more in 5-of-9 games. I do believe he'll come back to the center a smidge as guys get back, but the upside is there. Paul George replaced Brandon Rush in the rotation, and whether you want to call it Rush's ankle injury or not is your choice. He scored 10 points with seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 33 minutes, and he's worth a pickup in deep leagues, but the jury is still out in standard leagues. Danny Granger jacked up shots and dogged it on the court last night, putting up a 6-of-19 shooting line on his way to 27 points, five rebounds, one assist, and three treys. The trade talk surrounding him is heating up, and I can think of a number of reasons to sell him high. Roy Hibbert disappeared with Dwight Howard in the house, but my gut is telling me that both him and Darren Collison will have their leashes lengthened. Jim O'Brien's job just might depend on it.
Second Quarter: J.R. Smith returned from his benching and scored eight points with three rebounds. Yawn. Call me when he heats up. Nene (calf) did not play and he's another guy I'd consider selling, one, for his injury risk, and two because he may force a trade out of Denver. He has things pretty good in the Mile High city. Ty Lawson scored four points last night, and you'd have to be pretty hard-pressed not to find space for him on your roster. Pretty soon Chauncey's parking space will have his name on it, too. Hold onto Al Harrington if you can. Should he find his way into a situation where his jack-it-up mentality is encouraged, he has decent potential. The dominos should start falling soon. The Hawks were horrible last night, which they tend to do without warning. Josh Smith (6-of-20 FGs) took heavy criticism for his shot selection, so hopefully he'll listen to it, since it affects the entire team. It doesn't help that he's dealing with a sore knee, either, but he'll bounce back. He always does. Al Horford played through his ankle injury and is good to go after 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Joe Johnson is also dealing with a sore leg/knee, but his bad game was a function of his environment.
www.miamiheat.ws
Third Quarter: The Bucks are still a mess, and will always be a mess. Andrew Bogut is dealing with some sort of "energy-sapping" virus that he's going to play through, which begs the question, did he hang out with the Lopez twins this summer? Let's hope not. Carlos Delfino finally starting hitting the shots he's taking, 5-of-11 (all threes) in total, and is worth a look. However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that nobody on the Bucks can be trusted. Corey Maggette showed back up with 22 points, while Chris Douglas-Roberts sat back down with four points, four assists, and a minor wrist injury. No thank you to all Bucks not named Bogut or Jennings, the latter of which had his return-date pushed back another week. The Bobcats are shaping up to be one of the better fantasy squads out there. Gerald Wallace told us that his ankle stiffens up at halftime of games, leaving him "75 percent" for the second half. That certainly explains how he hasn't been himself since returning, and combined with that news his 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and a steal put him in clear-cut 'buy low' territory. His ankle and health will always be a concern, but the price is right currently. All of the Cats, including Kwame Brown, made their cases to owners last night. All aboard the Paul Silas Positivity Bus.
Fourth Quarter: Marcin Gortat tied a career-high with 16 points, seven rebounds, and a block, and it's just a matter of time before Alvin Gentry gives up on Robin Lopez. Lopez, who fancies himself a comic book guy and Disney fan, is probably too fragile for Gentry to bench him without ruining him, so Gentry will wait until the last minute to pull the trigger. I'm holding the Hammer wherever I can. Steve Nash had the NBA's first 25-point, 15-rebound line last night. His time-travel commercial is way less creepy than Kevin Durant's. Vince Carter celebrated his 34th birthday with 22 points, six boards, and five treys, and best of all there was a bunch of good news about his knee. This just in, he's old and that knee isn't ever going to be completely healthy. Plug him in and hope for the best.
Overtime: Manu Ginobili had been slumping, but is averaging 23 points, five rebounds, and seven assists in his last two games. I was asked if I would trade away Blake Griffin for him in 8-cat leagues, and sadly, the answer is yes. Trevor Ariza broke out of another funk with 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, four steals, and two threes on 7-of-11 FG shooting, and has had a nice 2-3 week stretch by his standards. Chris Paul went for 18 points and 17 assists against the Warriors, and the knee/ankle combination look fine for now. Speaking of ankle injuries, Stephen Curry played through his and scored 20 points with three rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a three, and Keith Smart said he may deal with it all year long. Ya think? Am I panicking? A little, but I can't bring myself to move him right now when his name value is somewhat down and his production is still up.
