Beast of the Night: Channing Frye posted 31 points, 11 rebounds, one assist, one steal and hit six three-pointers last night. He shot 75 percent (12-16) from the field, 50 percent (1-2) from the free-throw line and had two turnovers. Through seven games in February, Frye is averaging 16.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.1 threes and 1.1 blocks per game. The rebounds and threes will come down a bit before the end of the month, but there’s no denying Frye’s turnaround from his struggles earlier this season.
Lines for Discussion:
Dwyane Wade: 16-29 FG (55%), 8-10 FT (80%), 1 three, 41 Pts, 12 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; Wade has traded off good game with bad ones lately but he’s still averaging Wade-like numbers.
DeMarcus Cousins: 7-14 FG (50%), 7-9 FT (78%), 21 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 5 TO; Cousins picked up right where he left off before his one-game suspension. This line was especially impressive given that he only played 29:15 in a blowout loss. Cousins should be able to average strong numbers the rest of the way, but his real-life immaturity is a concern for his fantasy value.
Luol Deng: 10-19 FG (53%), 3-4 FT (75%), 1 three, 24 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; Deng deserves props for staying healthy and being one of the steadier Bulls this season, but his good run could be nearing its end, as Joakim Noah is set to return after the All-Star break. Monitor how much Noah’s return affects Deng.
Zach Randolph: 7-17 FG (41%), 7-8 FT (88%), 21 Pts, 10 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk; This was an uncharacteristically solid all-around line from Randolph. The assists were a season-high. Randolph continues to have a great season, plain and simple.
Al Jefferson: 14-23 FG (61%), 4-5 FT (80%), 32 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Blk, 1 TO; This was a nice bounce-back game for Jefferson, who struggled from the field and finished with just four points in his previous game. He’s having a very strong month and seems to have finally found his niche in Utah.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Tyler Hansbrough: 16 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 TO; He’s not going to give you much more than points and rebounds, but if you need those stats in a deeper league, Psycho-T is worth a look.
Pooh Jeter: 13 Pts, 1 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 4 TO; He got extra run thanks to the blowout loss and Tyreke Evans’ absence. He could have another good game in him should Evans miss tonight’s game.
James Harden: 12 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 Blk, 2 TO; Harden remains a mildly appealing guy to own, thanks to his decent overall value.
Gerald Henderson: 22 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO; Henderson deserves a look in deeper leagues.
Shaun Livingston: 13 Pts, 1 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk; Livingston’s value is tied to D.J. Augustin’s struggles. Augustin’s wrist injury should get time to heal over the All-Star weekend, which means Livingston is only worth a flier in deeper leagues, if at all.
Spencer Hawes: 6 Pts, 8 Reb, 2 Blk, 1 TO; Hawes has very limited value, but is worth consideration if you need a center in a deeper league.
Sam Young: 12 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO; O.J. Mayo’s return did little to nothing to affect Young’s strong run. He’s worth a look as a short-term fix.
C.J. Miles: 19 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 TO; He started again, thanks to DNPs for Raja Bell and Andrei Kirilenko. Miles is worth owning so long as he starts, but will revert to being a points-and-threes specialist when he heads back to his bench role.
Injuries:
Daniel Gibson (quadriceps): questionable tonight
Ersan Ilyasova (eye): check his status for tonight’s game
Corey Maggette (back): could return tonight
Michael Redd (knee): could rejoin the team as early as Monday, but don’t get too excited
Kelenna Azubuike (knee): coach Mike D’Antoni says Azubuike is “getting closer” to returning, which isn’t much to get keyed up about
Brandon Roy (knees): a surgeon says he thinks Roy has one or two seasons left in his career; enjoy the ride while it lasts, fantasy owners
Rashard Lewis (knee): doubtful tonight
J.J. Barea (flu): not expected to play tonight
Roddy Beaubois (foot): will make his long-awaited season debut tonight
Jeff Foster (ankle): day-to-day
Rudy Gay (shoulder): day-to-day
Mike Miller (eye): monitor his status
Nick Young (knee): expected to play tonight
For Tonight:
Blake Griffin visits Kevin Love – rebounds will be had.
Roddy Beaubois returns tonight and should get extra minutes with J.J. Barea out.
