Beast of the Night: Tyreke Evans put up 29 points, four rebounds, eight assists, five steals, two blocks and a three last night in a loss against the Hawks. He shot 58 percent (11-19) from the field, 67 percent (6-9) from the free-throw line and had just one turnover. Evans totaled just 18 points in his previous two games and has had a forgettable season so far, thanks in part to foot and ankle injuries. His health remains shaky, so his owners should try to sell high after this performance.
Lines for Discussion:
Wilson Chandler: 13-19 FG (68%), 2-2 FT (100%), 3 threes, 31 Pts, 9 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Who doesn’t miss Danilo Gallinari? This guy. Chandler broke the 30-point mark for the first time this season and appears set to absolutely thrive with Gallo out of the lineup for the next couple weeks.
Tony Parker: 9-15 FG (60%), 8-11 FT (73%), 26 Pts, 2 Reb, 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; Parker rolled into New York City and continued his solid season. He’s putting up dandy numbers, averaging career-high marks in assists (7.1) and steals (1.4) per game. Who needs Eva?
DeMar DeRozan: 7-14 FG (50%), 4-4 FT (100%), 18 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 5 TO; DeRozan has really stepped up his game lately and has hit double figures in points in all his games since Dec. 11. He’s got the starting SG spot locked up and though he’s likely to hit another cold streak sooner or later, the kid from Compton is worth starting in many leagues right now.
Marcus Camby: 5-10 FG (50%), 10 Pts, 20 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 TO: Camby has grabbed 53 rebounds in his last three games. He’s on an absolute tear right now and though he’s a good sell-high candidate, he’ll get all the minutes he can handle in Portland the rest of the way.
Jamal Crawford: 10-17 FG (59%), 8-9 FT (89%), 3 threes, 31 Pts, 2 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO; His last three games have been solid, but the three games before them were stinkers. Crawford’s owners should consider selling high and trading him for someone who’s less volatile.
Al Horford: 4-14 FG (29%), 2-2 FT (100%), 10 Pts, 8 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 3 TO; He’s hit a rough patch in his last three games, which makes him a buy-low target.
DeMarcus Cousins: 11-22 FG (50%), 1-1 FT (100%), 1 three, 24 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Cousins has been productive in his last four games. He’s still unreliable, but lines like these are a fresh breeze for his owners. He stands a decent shot at getting more consistent as the season wears on.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
DeJuan Blair: 17 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Stl; Blair continues to hold mildly appealing value in deeper leagues.
Taj Gibson: 16 Pts, 14 Reb; It wasn’t the most dynamic line, but Gibson appears to be finally getting over that concussion. He’ll be worth starting in most leagues until Joakim Noah returns.
Jerryd Bayless: 11 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 TO; He’s always worth a start when Jose Calderon sits.
James Harden: 17 Pts, 3 threes, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk, 2 TO; The bearded man has hit double digits in points in 12 straight games and should be owned in most leagues.
Tony Allen: 19 Pts, 2 threes, 2 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; He benefited from the absences of O.J. Mayo and Xavier Henry, and is worth a look in deeper leagues. Allen’s a good source of steals.
Omer Asik: 13 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 5 Blk, 4 TO; He got extra burn thanks to a blowout victory for the Bulls, and should only be considered in deep leagues.
DeShawn Stevenson: 18 Pts, 4 threes, 3 Reb, 2 Ast; He’s suddenly putting up big offensive numbers, but don’t get too excited just yet – see what happens to his minutes and stats when Dirk Nowitzki returns.
Jose Juan Barea: 10 Pts, 1 three, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 TO; If you missed out on the Shawn Marion sweepstakes, Barea is a dark horse to benefit from Caron Butler‘s season-ending knee injury. He’s worth a look in deeper leagues.
Omri Casspi: 10 Pts, 1 three, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; That’s his second-straight double-double, but it’s hard getting excited about anyone in Sacramento. Consider giving him a chance only if you’re in a deeper league.
Greg Monroe: 14 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl; This line was nice, but it came in a blowout loss to the Lakers. He’s only worth consideration in deep leagues at the moment.
Injuries:
Kevin Garnett (calf): GM Danny Ainge said he expects KG back before the Celtics’ road trip that begins Jan. 27
Anderson Varejao (face): he’s expected to return tonight, and will wear a mask
Daniel Gibson (thigh): expects to play tonight
Caron Butler (knee): done for the season
Al Harrington (thumb): says he’ll play tonight
Andris Biedrins (ankle): fully took part in Tuesday’s practice, monitor his status
David Lee (back): ditto
Udonis Haslem (foot): targeting a return in late March
Jose Calderon (foot): day-to-day
Sonny Weems (back): could return Sunday at the earliest
Paul Millsap (hip): didn’t practice Tuesday, game-time decision tonight
Stephen Jackson (knee): day-to-day, check his status for tonight
O.J. Mayo (bronchitis): word is that he got into an altercation with Tony Allen over some debt issues and got a swollen face; monitor this situation
Nicolas Batum (ankle): questionable for tonight
For Tonight:
See if Stephen Curry can get back on track against the Hornets.
Enjoy the Spurs vs. Celtics matchup. Glen Davis will see plenty of minutes and could have a nice game.
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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