Beast of the Night: Andray Blatche finished with 25 points, nine rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block last night against the Nuggets. He shot 57 percent (8-14) from the field and 100 percent (9-9) from the free-throw line. Blatche is inconsistent but has a high ceiling. If you’re looking for more steady production, try to move him after he gets on another hot streak.
Lines for Discussion:
Al Harrington: 7-12 FG (58%), 1-2 FG (50%), 6 threes, 21 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO; He’s had his moments this month but remains frustratingly unreliable. Like Blatche, owners should feel free to move Harrington once he gets rolling.
J.J. Hickson: 6-10 FG (60%), 0-2 FT (0%), 12 Pts, 17 Reb, 5 Ast, 4 Blk, 2 TO; This was a very solid line considering he only played 24:16 in a blowout loss to the Celtics. Hickson is another guy in the same vein as Blatche and Harrington. He’ll put up decent totals on any given week, but he’s the walking definition of a fantasy roller coaster.
Jason Terry: 11-22 FG (50%), 2-2 FT (100%), 4 threes, 28 Pts, 1 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; His shooting touch has been cold for most of the month, so this game doesn’t signal a shift in value just yet. Let’s see if he can do this a couple more times before the end of the month.
Andrei Kirilenko: 3-10 FG (30%), 2-2 FT (100%), 1 three, 9 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; He came off the bench again. AK-47’s minutes and, consequently, fantasy value are now capped with a lower ceiling, though there’s still a chance he’ll reclaim his starting job.
Deron Williams: 8-13 FG (62%), 0-1 FT (0%), 1 three, 17 Pts, 8 Ast, 2 Stl, 5 TO; Williams is having a mediocre month, by his standards. He’s struggling from the field, is rebounding less and is turning the ball over more often. That doesn’t change his elite status, but makes him a good buy-low guy.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Ty Lawson: 17 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; Lawson’s on a nice little roll right now, but as we all know, his fantasy potential is limited by his bench role.
Kendrick Perkins: 7 Pts, 6 Reb, 3 Ast; He came back about 10 days early and played 17:10. Don’t expect too much from him yet, but Perkins is worth stashing if you have room to spare.
Joey Graham: 10 Pts, 2 threes, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 TO; He’s doing just enough to warrant consideration, especially in deeper leagues.
Christian Eyenga: 15 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO; He should be on your radar if you’re in a deeper league, but that’s about it.
Randy Foye: 15 Pts, 2 threes, 1 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 TO; He started last night and should remain a starter for the next few weeks, thanks to Eric Gordon‘s absence. Foye is worth a pickup.
Jose Juan Barea: 25 Pts, 3 threes, 1 Reb, 4 Ast; Barea is still only worth consideration in deep leagues.
Kwame Brown: 13 Pts, 18 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Brown is worth consideration in deeper leagues.
Jason Thompson: 14 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; He’s worth a look, but his inconsistency limits his appeal.
C.J. Miles: 14 Pts, 2 threes, 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 3 Stl, 4 TO; He started in place of Kirilenko and did well for himself. Miles is worth a pickup if you have dead weight to spare.
Injuries:
Andrew Bogut (illness): he revealed on Twitter that a scratch from another player will affect him for months; he’ll play through it but should be monitored
Eric Gordon (wrist): out 3-4 weeks
Marvin Williams (back): will return tonight
Al Horford (ankle): ditto
Danny Granger (ankle): day-to-day
Chris Bosh (ankle): could miss another 1-2 weeks
LaMarcus Aldridge (hip): MRI results were negative; monitor his status
Josh Howard (knee): hoping to return Monday
Paul Pierce (ankle): probable for Thursday, but worth keeping an eye on
Blake Griffin (elbow): X-rays were negative, questionable for tonight
Kenyon Martin (knee): out Wednesday
Stephen Curry (ankle): game-time decision tonight
For Tonight:
Chris Paul should have another nice outing against the Warriors. If Curry can’t go, Reggie Williams should have a nice night.
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
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