Beast of the Night: Derrick Rose put up 31 points, three boards, 11 assists, a steal, two blocks and four three-pointers last night against the Timberwolves. He shot 55 percent (12-22) from the field, 75 percent (3-4) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. For the season, Rose is scoring less than he did in 2010-11, but he’s dishing out 8.6 assists per outing, an improvement of nearly a full assist per game. Rose has put up top 15 averages so far, a bit disappointing given his first-round expectations heading into the season.
Lines for Discussion:
John Wall: 3-12 FG (25%), 2-3 FT (67%), 8 Pts, 2 Reb, 9 Ast, 3 Blk, 2 TO; Wall has been straight-up terrible this season. Except for his blocks (1.2 per game) and turnovers (down just a smidgen to a still-awful 3.7 per game), all of his numbers are down from last season. He’s still a buy-low guy, but expectations should be kept in check for whoever owns him.
Elton Brand: 10-14 FG (71%), 1-4 FT (25%), 21 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Blk; This was Brand’s best line of the season, which isn’t saying much. Most of his numbers are down from last season’s stellar campaign, though he’s still a top 75 player.
Russell Westbrook: 12-20 FG (60%), 6-10 FT (60%), 30 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO; He’s averaging 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, a steal and 0.5 threes in January, while shooting 48 percent from the field and turning the ball over 2.5 times per game. These are mostly better numbers than he was posting in December, but owners still expected more from him heading into the season.
Tim Duncan: 9-12 FG (75%), 2-3 FT (675), 20 Pts, 8 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk, 3 TO; A flashback of the good old days. This was a great line from Duncan, who’s been a downer for his fantasy owners so far this season. These types of big games won’t come often, so owners shouldn’t smile too much with this line. He remains a decent low-end starter in most leagues, but DNPs are a concern late in the season.
Stephen Jackson: 12-17 FG (71%), 7-7 FT (100%), 3 threes, 34 Pts, 1 Reb, 8 Ast, 3 TO; This line sort of came out of nowhere. Even with this hot shooting night, Captain Jack is still hitting just 38 percent of his shots from the floor this season, which drags down his otherwise decent fantasy value.
Andrew Bogut: 7-15 FG (47%), 14 Pts, 11 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; He’s finally back after tending to a family matter back home in Australia. Through five games this season, Bogut is posting top 40 averages, despite his subpar 44 percent shooting from the field and 58 percent shooting from the charity stripe. Most importantly, there have been no concerns about that elbow yet.
Caron Butler: 8-19 FG (42%), 2-3 FT (67%), 2 threes, 20 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 TO; Butler has now posted back-to-back 20-point games. He’s a top 60 guy so far this season, which is a handsome reward for owners who took a gamble on him in their drafts. Interestingly enough, he’s not thieving like we’re used to seeing him (1.1 per game), but he’s hitting more threes than expected (1.6 per game).
Dwyane Wade: 11-23 FG (48%), 12-16 FT (75%), 34 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; By the looks of this line, you would never guess that he’s dealing with a bad foot. His injury will plague him for the foreseeable future, so his owners have the dark duty of monitoring his status for each game.
Dorell Wright: 7-15 FG (47%), 6 threes, 20 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; He’s alive! Kudos to owners who were patient enough to stick with him through his horrendous start to the season. If he’s somehow been dropped in your league, pick him up. Wright’s not completely out of the doghouse just yet, but this is an encouraging sign.
Kobe Bryant: 18-31 FG (58%), 12-13 FT (92%), 48 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO; Welcome to the KobeSystem.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Trevor Booker: 8 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; He started last night and should be picked up if you want help with steals and blocks.
Jordan Hill: 12 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 5 Blk, 3 TO; This is just a blip on the radar. Don’t make drastic decisions with Hill unless he does this again soon.
Chandler Parsons: 20 Pts, 2 threes, 7 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO; He continues to start and is worth a speculative add, but be ready to swap him out once he hits a rough patch.
Byron Mullens: 15 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk; He’s not much more than points on most nights, but at least he’s that.
Evan Turner: 16 Pts, 10 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO; He’s worth a spot on your roster, though he probably won’t be worth starting in most weeks.
Kyle Korver: 13 Pts, 3 threes, 1 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; If you need threes, Korver’s your man.
Kawhi Leonard: 19 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 Blk; That’s two solid games in a row for Leonard, who started at SG in the second half last night. Scoop him up.
Anthony Randolph: 18 Pts, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; He’s the nightmare ex who just won’t go away. Steer clear and let someone else deal with him.
Derrick Favors: 14 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO; He’s still worth stashing in hopes of more run later in the season.
Nate Robinson: 24 Pts, 2 threes, 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 4 Stl, 2 TO; He’s quickly turned into the Warriors’ sixth man and will continue to thrive so long as Stephen Curry is out.
Injuries:
Mickael Pietrus (knee): plans to play tonight
Tyrus Thomas (ankle): day-to-day
Richard Hamilton (groin): day-to-day
Charlie Villanueva (ankle): day-to-day
Rodney Stuckey (groin): day-to-day
Courtney Lee (calf): day-to-day
Beno Udrih (shoulder): day-to-day
Luc Mbah a Moute (knee): day-to-day
Mike Dunleavy (groin): out 2-4 weeks
Spencer Hawes (back): left last night’s game early; day-to-day
Andray Blatche (shoulder): day-to-day
Troy Murphy (illness): day-to-day
Jason Kapono (personal): missed last night’s game for the birth of his twin girls
T.J. Ford (hamstring): day-to-day
Marcus Thornton (thigh): day-to-day
Kwame Brown (shoulder): day-to-day
J.J. Barea (ankle): monitor his status
For Tonight:
After playing a season-high 35:50 last night, expect Duncan to get limited run tonight against the Rockets.
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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