Beast of the Night: Paul Pierce finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, one steal, one block and a three-pointer last night against the Spurs. He shot 50 percent (8-16) from the field, 80 percent (4-5) from the charity stripe and had two turnovers. Pierce has exceeded expectations by averaging top-20 numbers throughout the season. He’s a candidate to see some rest at the end of the season, so his owners should keep a watchful eye on that.
Lines for Discussion:
Rajon Rondo: 11-20 FG (55%), 0-2 FT (0%), 22 Pts, 5 Reb, 14 Ast; Fourteen assists and no turnovers is pretty nasty – 22 assists and just one turnover in his last two games is also pretty nasty. Rondo is rewarding owners who were patient with him when he slumped earlier this month.
Glen Davis: 8-12 FG (67%), 16 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl; With yet more injuries hitting the Celtics’ frontline, Davis could see extra run in this final stretch of the season. Give him a look if he’s still available in your league.
Andrew Bynum: 6-9 FG (67%), 6-8 FT (75%), 18 Pts, 13 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Blk; Bynum has transformed into a top-12 fantasy stud this past month. This shouldn’t overshadow his health risks when owners assess his fantasy value for next season, but we’re clearly seeing what he can be if he stays healthy.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Peja Stojakovic: 13 Pts, 3 threes, 1 Reb; If you need some scoring and threes, he’s worth a look.
J.J. Barea: 10 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 TO; Barea’s doing enough to earn consideration in deeper leagues.
Injuries:
John Wall (suspension): will serve his one-game suspension tonight
Nenad Krstic (knee): he’ll have an MRI Saturday; monitor his status
Al Horford (ankle): says it’s “real sore;” monitor his status
Shaquille O’Neal (Achilles): expected to play Sunday or Tuesday
Joel Przybilla (knee): out for the rest of the season
Shaun Livingston (back): doubtful tonight
Tyrus Thomas (knee): ditto
Stephen Jackson (hamstring): ditto
Arron Afflalo (hamstring): game-time decision tonight
Monta Ellis (ankle): could be a high ankle sprain; monitor his status
Roy Hibbert (knee): should be fine, but keep an eye out for any unfavorable updates
Elton Brand (illness): didn’t practices Thursday; monitor his status
Jose Calderon (hamstring): the shutdown watch begins; day-to-day for now
Raja Bell (foot): questionable tonight
Devin Harris (hamstring): ditto
Nick Young (knee): out tonight
For Tonight:
Tyreke Evans will be set free tonight, so whether he starts or not, expect him to have a big night as the Kings host the Nuggets.
The Wizards will be without Wall, which means Jordan Crawford, Maurice Evans, Othyus Jeffers and Cartier Martin should each get bigger roles against the Cavs.
For Next Week:
4 games: BOS, CHA, CHI, CLE, DEN, DET, LAC, LAL, MIL, NJ, NY, OKC, PHO, SAC, TOR, WAS
3 games: ATL, DAL, GS, HOU, IND, MEM, MIA, MIN, NO, ORL, PHI, POR, SA, UTA
Throughout the season, be sure to leave your questions, comments, concerns, trade offers, roster problems and more in the comments below.
Follow Jason on Twitter at @fbasketballblog.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
