Beast of the Night: Josh Smith gave his owners some love on Valentine’s Day with a line of 27 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, three steals and one three-pointer. He shot 65 percent (11-17) from the floor, 100 percent (4-4) from the free-throw line and had five turnovers. Smith is averaging season-high marks in his shooting from the field, scoring, rebounding and steals so far in February. He’s also shooting free throws a lot better lately.
Lines for Discussion:
Manu Ginobili: 6-14 FG (43%), 8-8 FT (100%), 2 threes, 22 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO; After playing just 8:11 in his previous game, this was a sight for his owners’ sore eyes. Ginobili’s minutes and numbers are down in February, a trend that his owners should have foreseen.
D.J. Augustin: 3-7 FG (43%), 1 three, 7 Pts, 9 Ast; This wasn’t the greatest line ever, but it was actually the best Augustin’s had in a while. He was supposed to sit this game out and maybe miss the entire week with a wrist injury, so it was good to see him tough this one out. Augustin should turn things around after the All-Star break.
John Salmons: 5-13 FG (39%), 5-6 FT (83%), 1 three, 16 Pts, 1 Reb, 12 Ast, 1 Stl; This was a strong line from Salmons, who played 45:07 in a blowout victory. He’s been the mild disappointment many expected him to be and there’s little reason to think he can make any kind of huge comeback this season.
Luis Scola: 3-10 FG (30%), 4-4 FT (100%), 10 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO; Scola’s last two games have been mediocre, but he remains a solid big man. Buy low if you can.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
George Hill: 13 Pts, 1 three, 4 Reb, 2 Ast; He’s going to pay nice returns for owners who are able to stash him.
Jordan Farmar: 10 Pts, 2 threes, 3 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl; He’s been decent lately and deserves a look if you need threes and assists.
Gerald Henderson: 18 Pts, 1 three, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Blk; Henderson’s making enough noise to be worth consideration in deeper leagues.
Nazr Mohammed: 16 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO; He’s a decent center to own when he gets 20+ minutes. Keep an eye on him in deeper leagues.
Mike Bibby: 17 Pts, 3 threes, 6 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Bibby’s last two games have been solid. He could be a nice short-term helper.
Carlos Delfino: 26 Pts, 7 threes, 9 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 TO; He should be a good player to own so long as Corey Maggette is out.
Dante Cunningham: 18 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl; He should be a consideration in deeper leagues and monitored in others.
Martell Webster: 17 Pts, 4 threes, 6 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 TO; If his back can keep up, Webster will be a fine option to own if you need threes and points.
Courtney Lee: 22 Pts, 5 threes, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk; Lee has scored 22+ points in two of his last three games. He’s worth a pickup in deeper leagues, but expectations should be kept low.
Injuries:
Paul Pierce (foot): MRI came back negative; monitor his status
Monta Ellis (thumb): didn’t practice Monday; check his status
Ersan Ilyasova (eye): check his status
Amar’e Stoudemire (toe): didn’t practice Monday but should play Wednesday
Goran Dragic (toe): will play tonight
Ronnie Price (toe): game-time decision tonight
Raja Bell (calf): ditto
Andrei Kirilenko (ankle): out tonight
Carmelo Anthony (shoulder); left last night’s game in the fourth quarter; check his status
Danny Granger (neck): iced his neck in Monday’s practice but should be fine for tonight
For Tonight:
C.J. Miles should have a nice night as a starter as the Jazz visit the Suns.
O.J. Mayo should return to producing disappointing lines as he returns from his 10-game suspension tonight against the Sixers.
If he can stay out of foul trouble, expect Roy Hibbert to have a solid line against the Heat.
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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