FANTASY / PLAYER NEWS
Luol Deng: Now Looking Questionable for Friday
Update: One day after expressing optimism he'd play Friday against the Wizards, Deng said his sprained left ankle felt worse Thursday after practicing for the second straight day, the Chicago Tribune's Bulls blog reports. "I didn't feel as good as Wednesday," Deng said. "Most likely, I'm not going to be able to go until I can help the team. I'm pretty close."
Analysis: Deng has missed six straight games after suffering the injury on Dec. 26 in Miami. It's looking now like Deng will not play Friday and there is a good probability that he will also miss Saturday's game against Oklahoma City.
Tony Allen: (Ankle) Will Miss Next Two Games
Update: Allen (ankle) will miss the next two games at least, the Boston Globe reports.
Analysis: Allen did not travel with the team on its two-game road trip, which begins Friday night in Cleveland.
Stephen Jackson: Hamstring Feeling Better
Update: Jackson (hamstring) is projected to be out 2-4 weeks, but says he is already feeling better, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Analysis: "I won't be out that long," Jackson said before Wednesday's game. Hamstring injuries tend to linger (just ask Corey Maggette) so expect the Warriors to be cautious before letting Jackson play again.
Corey Maggette: Starts on Wednesday
Update: Maggette started at small forward Wednesday and scored 19 points in 37 minutes in a loss to the Lakers.
Analysis: The Warriors had planned to bring Maggette off the bench and limit his minutes to avoid further injuries, but that plan changed when Stephen Jackson strained his hamstring. Jackson is out for at least two weeks, so Maggette should continue to start and see solid minutes going forward.
Monta Ellis: Will Begin End Phase of Rehabilitation
Update: Ellis (ankle) will begin more strenuous running and jumping exercises and should be cleared to practice in three-on-three drills when this last phase of his rehabilitation is over, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Analysis: Ellis, who Warriors coach Don Nelson described as "80-85 percent" looks to be on track to return to action in late January or early February.
Quinton Ross: Short Starter
Update: Coach Marc Iavaroni inserted Ross into the starting lineup in hopes of getting more defensive energy Wednesday, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
Analysis: The plan backfired quickly and Ross played just seven minutes, scoring no points. Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay should see the majority of minutes at the forward positions regardless of who starts.
Kirk Hinrich: Non-Contact Practice Wednesday
Update: Hinrich, out since Nov. 7 due to a torn ligament in his right thumb, participated in the non-contact portion of Wednesday's practice, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Analysis: Hinrich is edging closer to a return, which should come in about 10-14 days. Once he does come back, coach Vinny Del Negro will have his hands full trying to find minutes for all the backcourt personnel in Chicago.
Shaun Livingston: No Shot in Memphis
Update: The Grizzlies waived Livingston immediately after acquiring him Wednesday, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.
Analysis: The deal was primarily financial, as the Grizzlies received cash considerations for taking on Livingston. Livingston is now a free agent and could catch on with a team desperate for guard depth.
Steve Blake: Double-Double in Win Over Pistons
Update: Blake went 4-of-9 from the floor, including 2-of-2 from downtown, to finish with 10 points and 10 assists in Wednesday's 84-83 win over Detroit.
Analysis: At this point of the season, it shouldn't come as a surprise to see this type of line from Blake. He has been steady all year, averaging career highs in points (11.5), assists (4.7) and threes (2.1).
Travis Outlaw: Nails Game-Winning Shot
Update: Outlaw scored 14 points, including the game-winning bucket with 8.9 seconds remaining, in Wednesday's 84-83 win over the Pistons.
Analysis: Coach Nate McMillan used Outlaw at power forward and it paid off, as Outlaw was often quicker than his defender and able to create his own shot more easily. Outlaw thrived playing at the four last season and should continue to see action at the position. If his averages start to approach last year's, he'll be worth a look.
Luol Deng: May be Back Friday
Update: Deng participated in the majority of Thursday's practice and, barring a setback, said he planned to play Friday night after missing six games with a sprained left ankle, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Analysis: If Deng is able to play, the Bulls will likely follow the same format they used when Drew Gooden returned Tuesday by having him come off the bench in the first half and possibly have him start the second half on the floor.
Brandon Roy: (Hamstrin) Expected to Return Saturday
Update: Rot (hamstring) met with team doctors on Wednesday and has been cleared to practice Friday. If all goes well at practice, he will rejoin the lineup for Saturday's game against the Warriors, the Oregonian reports.
Analysis: Roy felt as though he could have played Wednesday, but the team decided to be cautious with their All-Star. With the way Roy has performed this season, it should be safe to play him as soon as he returns.
Drew Gooden: No Ill Effects After Returning from Injury Tuesday
Update: Gooden practiced Wednesday with no aftereffects from his sprained right ankle after returning Tuesday from an eight-game absence, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Analysis: Gooden played 33 minutes Tuesday, first coming off the bench, then starting the second half. Look for him to start Friday, likely replacing Aaron Gray, especially with Luol Deng scheduled to return to action.
Ray Allen: Struggles From Field in Loss
Update: Allen had 13 points on 4-of-13 shooting in the Celtics' loss to the Rockets on Wednesday. He also went 1-of-4 behind the 3-point line.
Analysis: Allen is shooting only 38 percent from the field in the Celtics' eight losses, including only 29 percent from 3-point range.
Kendrick Perkins: Battles Foul Trouble Against Rockets
Update: Perkins was scoreless in 23 minutes of play while battling foul trouble in the Celtics' loss to the Rockets.
Analysis: Perkins has not scored in double figures in the Celtics' last 10 games, and only took one shot Wednesday night.
Paul Pierce: Scores 26 in Loss
Update: Pierce had 26 points, five rebounds and four assists in the Celtics' loss to the Rockets on Wednesday.
Analysis: Pierce is the only Celtic right now who continues to play consistently well, as the rest of the team seems tired and the bench has been nonexistent. Expect more of the same from Pierce, as there seem to be no signs of the C's improving anytime soon.
Trevor Ariza: Scores 17 Against Warriors
Update: Ariza had 17 points and nine rebounds in the Lakers' win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
Analysis: Expect Ariza to take over the starting small forward spot from Vlad Radmanovic, who has struggled mightily in his last two games.
Andrew Bynum: Returns to Form Against Warriors
Update: Bynum had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the Lakers' win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
Analysis: Wednesday was Bynum's best scoring night in over a month, though against the league's worst defense. We'd still be a bit cautious with making Bynum an every-night fantasy starter.
Vladimir Radmanovic: Struggles Again in Second Straight Start
Update: Radmanovic went scoreless in 13 minutes of play in the Lakers' win over the Warriors on Wednesday.
Analysis: With Trevor Ariza playing so well, don't be surprised if Radmanovic is replaced in the starting lineup, even with the injuries suffered by Luke Walton and Lamar Odom.
Anthony Carter: Leads Nuggets with Nine Assists on Wednesday
Update: Carter came off the bench to dish out a team-high nine assists in 26 minutes Wednesday against Miami.
Analysis: With Chucky Atkins now out of the loop, the backup PG job is once again Carter's and Carter's alone. Expect him to get 20-25 minutes on a regular basis, enough to help fantasy teams in need of assists, especially in deep roto leagues.
Kenyon Martin: A Little Bit of Everything on Wednesday
Update: Martin posted 14 points, a team-high eight rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and two assists in Denver's win over Miami on Wednesday night.
Analysis: Martin has been a fairly undervalued quantity all year from a fantasy perspective, but with Carmelo Anthony now sidelined he should definitely become a steady producer. He finished 4-of-8 from the field, 4-of-6 from the line and also went 2-of-2 from downtown, making him 4-of-5 over his last three games from beyond the arc.
J.R. Smith: Scores 21 Off the Bench on Wednesday
Update: Smith didn't get the start in place of Carmelo Anthony, but he did play 27 minutes off the bench and scored 21 points.
Analysis: Smith made 8-of-14 shots, including 2-of-5 3-pointers, and was 3-of-6 from the line. He also added four boards, three assists, three steals and one block in the win over Miami, and should continue to be a nightly contributer as long as Anthony is sidelined with the broken hand.
Linas Kleiza: Starts for Anthony
Update: Kleiza started in place of the injured Carmelo Anthony (broken hand) Wednesday night in Denver's victory over Miami.
Analysis: Kleiza and J.R. Smith are expected to help fill the scoring void created by Anthony's injury, and each player scored 21 points in the victory over the Heat. Kleiza was 6-of-13 from the field, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, with seven rebounds and two assists. He's proved to be a productive fill-in in the past and there's no reason to think he won't be this time.
Steve Nash: Back is No Longer an Issue
Update: Nash, who missed one game and most of another because of a sore back, has played a combined 75 minutes in the last two games for the Suns.
Analysis: Nash is back to where he should be, dishing out 23 assists (seven turnovers) and scoring 25 points with four 3-pointers in the two games.
Tayshaun Prince: Third Straight 20+ Point Performance
Update: Prince logged his third straight 20+ point performance Wednesday night, totaling 26 points and eight rebounds on 13-21 shooting.
Analysis: Prince has done a good job picking up the offensive slack for Detroit while Rasheed Wallace (foot) and Rip Hamilton (groin) are sidelined with injury. The rebounding totals will still be there when the two return but don't expect the 20+ point performances to continue.
Pau Gasol: Monster Performance in Win
Update: Gasol turned in his best performance of the season Wednesday against Golden State, finishing with a season-high 33 points and season-high 18 rebounds.
Analysis: Golden State has the tendency to allow big men to wreak havoc on them so don't read too much into this monster performance.
Andray Blatche: Starting Again
Update: Blatche, who was replaced in the starting lineup on Tuesday, was back as the starting center Wednesday night in Washington's loss to Toronto.
Analysis: Blatche continually needs attitude adjustments and this was just another case of that. He had 12 points in the loss the Raptors, but pulled down just one rebound along with one steal and one blocked shot in 27 minutes. He'll need to do more hard work off the boards if he wants to retain his starting spot and minutes.
Al Harrington: Too Selfish
Update: Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said his team has gotten into bad habits with Harrington being the biggest violator, Newsday reports.
Analysis: Essentially, the coach feels the Knicks are not running enough and they get stalled into playing one-on-one basketball at times. "The tendency is we dribble too much, we hold it too much," D'Antoni said. "We have to try to get back to where the ball is flying around and guys are touching it and making the extra pass ... I like a good, quick shot, but it's got to be a good shot. We're just jacking shots up sometimes." D'Antoni installed some set plays for end of game situations, which he said had carried over to whole games. He'll get back to the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense that was so successful in Phoenix and at times in New York. How this impacts Harrington's playing time is probably up to the player himself. Will he respond the way D'Antoni wants?
Andris Biedrins: Near Triple-Double in Loss
Update: Biedrins was only two assists short of logging a triple-double in Wednesday's loss against the Lakers. He finished with 12 points, 17 rebounds, eight assists, three blocked shots, and three steals.
Analysis: Biedrins is having the best season of his five-year career and is averaging 14.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.5 blocked shots, and 1.4 steals in 37 games. The scoring average may go down when Monta Ellis (ankle) and Stephen Jackson (hamstring) are back to full health but he should remain an excellent source of rebounds and blocks.
Brandan Wright: Leaves Game With Partially Dislocated Shoulder
Update: Wright left Wednesday's game against the Lakers late in the first half with a partially dislocated left shoulder, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Wright will undergo an MRI on Thursday. Additional updates on his status to come as soon as we have more information about the extent of his injury.
Eddy Curry: (Knee) Thursday Debut
Update: Curry (knee) is expected to make his season debut Thursday against Dallas, Newsday reports.
Analysis: It was thought that Curry would be available Tuesday in Oklahoma City, but he did not play in the loss to the Thunder. Interestingly enough, Curry is expected to return just as coach Mike D'Antoni has avowed to return to his run-and-gun style the team got away from in the last few games. We don't expect a lot of minutes for Curry right away, so hold off on activating him.
Stephen Graham: Starts In Place of Injured Daniels
Update: Graham got the start at shooting guard on Wednesday in place of an injured Marquis Daniels (groin).
Analysis: Graham finished with 13 points and seven rebounds in 34 minutes of action. He has done an admirable job filling in for Daniels and has proven he can be productive when given minutes, but his playing time is anything but stable moving forward.
Marquis Daniels: Misses Wednesday's Game With Groin Injury
Update: Daniels missed Wednesday's game against Phoenix with a strained left groin.
Analysis: Consider him day-to-day, but check back for additional updates on his status.
Danny Granger: Three-Straight 35+ Point Games
Update: Granger logged his third-straight 35+ point performance. He finished with 37 points in Wednesday's win against Phoenix, including a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
Analysis: Granger also added six assists, five rebounds, five treys, and four steals. He has been a fantastic all-around contributor and is quietly putting up top-10 production this season.
Fred Jones: Clippers to Re-Sign
Update: The Clippers will re-sign Jones (foot) on Thursday, the Los Angeles Daily News reports.
Analysis: The Clippers learned that Jones will be healthy enough to play for them in Thursday night's game against San Antonio, and will sign him to a 10-day contract.
CJ Miles: Rolls Ankle
Update: Miles suffered a moderate sprain of his right ankle when he came down on James Posey's foot in the third quarter of Wednesday's game the Salt Lake Tribune reports. He has been the only starter to not miss a game yet this year for the Jazz.
Analysis: He had to be helped off the court, but did walk to the locker room and left the arena in a walking boot. "When I tried to get up the first time, I thought for sure I had broken it or something because I couldn't feel it," Miles said. He took x-rays and they came back negative. For now we are going to list him as day-to-day as ankle sprains can be tricky to judge and he could come back for the next game or be out for weeks.
Mike Dunleavy: Scores 14 Points in Season Debut
Update: Dunleavy made his season debut Wednesday night, coming off the bench to score 14 points in 20 minutes of action.
Analysis: This was a very encouraging debut for Dunleavy after he missed the first 34 games of the season with a left knee injury. It will take a bit of time for Dunleavy to shape back into last season's form but he certainly should be owned in the majority of standard leagues right now. Hopefully we have seen the last of his injury problems and he will have no additional problems moving forward.
Kyle Korver: Good Shooting Night Off Bench
Update: Korver went 3-for-5 from three-point range and scored 15 total points in 21 minutes off the bench Wednesday night. He also added six rebounds and four assists.
Analysis: Korver had not been shooting the ball too well in the last couple of games but appeared to find his shot against the Hornets. He is supposed to be scoring punch off the bench for the Jazz and certainly displayed that ability.
Paul Millsap: Adds to League Leading Double-Double Streak
Update: Millsap had another big night Tuesday against the Hornets with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists. It was his 19th double-double in a row.
Analysis: Millsap has played great for the Jazz at the forward position since replacing All-Star Carlos Boozer (knee) in the starting lineup. "He's just a monster down there," teammate Kyle Korver said "He's scoring. I think the question marks about him in the past were 'Can he put up points?' It's obvious he can."
Charlie Villanueva: Scores 26 Points Off the Bench
Update: Villanueva came off the bench in Wednesday's loss against Philadelphia to score 26 points, grab seven rebounds, and dish out four assists.
Analysis: Over the past four games, Villanueva has averaged 21 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.8 treys. Although Villanueva has stretches of games where he displays tantalizing fantasy potential, he can hardly be relied upon to provide consistent production. Just take a look at the stretch between December 9 and December 15 and the seven-game slump that followed it for further evidence of his inconsistency.
Andre Miller: Great Effort in Win Against Milwaukee
Update: Miller led all scorers with 28 points in Wednesday's win against Milwaukee to go along with nine rebounds, six assists, and two treys.
Analysis: Miller was also extremely efficient from the field (8-13) and the line (10-11). He has put together a solid month of production where he has averaged 16.1 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.9 rebounds on 51.5% shooting from the field.
Marc Gasol: Another Double-Double
Update: Gasol logged his fourth double-double in his last seven games, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds in Wednesday's loss against New Jersey.
Analysis: During that seven-game stretch where Darko Milicic (knuckle) has been sidelined, Gasol has taken full advantage, averaging a solid 14.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
Luis Scola: Off Night for Scola
Update: Scola failed to score in 15 minutes Wednesday night.
Analysis: This wouldn't be noteworthy except that Scola is coming off a huge game on Tuesday. He'll bounce back, but given the Rockets' fluctuating lineups, it's hard to count on him for consistent production.
Ron Artest: Back in Action
Update: As expected, Artest (ankle) was back in action Wednesday against the Celtics. He scored 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting in 30 minutes before fouling out.
Analysis: Artest is still day-to-day on the ankle, but that he was productive on Wednesday is a good sign.
Tracy McGrady: Sits Out Wednesday
Update: McGrady (knee) missed Wednesday's game against the Celtics.
Analysis: This is par for the course as he's sitting out the back end of back-to-backs for the time being.
Rashad McCants: Plays Just Six Minutes
Update: McCants scored three points in six minutes in Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City.
Analysis: He hadn't played the previous two games due to a coach's decision. Avoid him while he's in coach Kevin McHale's doghouse.
Rodney Carney: Scores 14 Points
Update: Carney scored 14 points with four rebounds in 26 minutes in Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City.
Analysis: Carney seems to be taking over Rashad McCants' role off the bench as McCants has fallen out of favor with head coach Kevin McHale. Carney's playing time is still too erratic, but watch to see if this game starts a trend.
Mike Miller: Comes Off Bench Again
Update: Miller scored eight points with four rebounds in 22 minutes in Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City.
Analysis: Miller continues to come off the bench in part to ease him back into action after spraining his right ankle twice in the past month, and in part due to that role working during Minnesota's recent four-game winning streak.
Randy Foye: Scores 32 Points
Update: Foye scored 32 points with six assists and three rebounds in Wednesday's win over Oklahoma City.
Analysis: Foye has been on a roll by averaging 23.3 points per game during Minnesota's four-game winning streak.
Jianlian Yi: Back-to-Back Strong Performances
Update: After a near month-long slump, Yi has put together back-to-back strong performances.
Analysis: Over the last two games, Yi has averaged 21 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks on 15-27 (55.6%) shooting from the field. At least part of this increase in his production can be attributed to Devin Harris' injury but it is an encouraging sign nonetheless to see him finally step up and show some sign of life.
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