Beast of the Night: Tim Duncan finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, two steals and five blocks. He shot 64 percent (9-14) from the floor, 100 percent (1-1) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. Truth be told, Duncan’s having himself a fine season so far, giving his owners about the value that was expected of him heading into the season. Nevertheless, whenever Duncan has a strong string of games, he’s a good sell-high candidate.
Lines for Discussion:
Andrew Bynum: 8-13 FG (62%), 4-6 FT (67%), 20 Pts, 20 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Blk, 5 TO; Bynum’s having a strong season, playing a career-high 34:30 per game and averaging 17.1 points, 12.4 boards and 2.0 blocks per game. He’s a top 40 stud and will remain that so long as he’s healthy.
Lou Williams: 7-12 FG (58%), 7-8 FT (88%), 3 threes, 24 Pts, 2 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; Though his low field-goal percentage is a downer, Williams has been a mostly reliable fantasy asset this season. His scoring, threes and assists are luxuries to have on your bench or utility spots.
Dwight Howard: 15-21 FG (71%), 3-8 FT (38%), 33 Pts, 14 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO; If you exclude his 48.3 percent accuracy from the free-throw line, Howard is just as valuable a fantasy asset at LeBron James this season — no small feat.
Jason Richardson: 8-15 FG (53%), 1-1 FT (100%), 3 threes, 20 Pts, 1 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; He’s showing signs. J-Rich is averaging 18.7 points and three three-pointers in his last three games. His weak knees and consistency are still concerns, so his owners should look to sell high.
John Wall: 10-19 FG (53%), 11-14 FT (79%), 31 Pts, 5 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 4 TO; After some offseason buzz about an improved three-point shot, Wall has hit just one of his 13 attempts from beyond the arc this season. This season will go down as a disappointment for Wall, but he remains a solid keeper.
LaMarcus Aldridge: 14-28 FG (50%), 11-11 FT (100%), 39 Pts, 6 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO; Aldridge has managed to slightly outperform his stellar 2010-11 NBA campaign and is putting up top 10 averages so far this season.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Jameer Nelson: 15 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 12 Ast, 3 TO; This was Nelson’s first double-double this season, though he remains mostly unappealing this season.
Linas Kleiza: 30 Pts, 4 threes, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 TO; He’s getting hotter and hotter, so pick him up if you can.
C.J. Watson: 14 Pts, 2 threes, 7 Reb, 11 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; So long as Derrick Rose is nicked up and the Bulls are blowing out opponents, Watson is worth stashing.
Markieff Morris: 7 Pts, 1 three, 7 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk; He’s worth a look in deeper leagues.
Jeremy Lin: 28 Pts, 1 three, 2 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 Stl, 8 TO; Scoop him up if he’s still available and hope that Baron Davis takes his sweet time.
Steve Novak: 19 Pts, 5 threes, 2 Reb; Strong game, but he’s still not worth a look unless you’re in a very deep league.
Isaiah Thomas: 17 Pts, 3 threes, 5 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl; He has bursts of usable lines and could be worth a stash in deeper leagues.
Chris Kaman: 10 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Blk, 2 TO; Take a flier on him if you need a big man.
Chase Budinger: 16 Pts, 4 threes, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk; He’s looked better lately and is worth stashing if you have dead weight to spare.
Injuries:
Danilo Gallinari (ankle, foot): monitor his status
Corey Brewer (personal): day-to-day
Arron Afflalo (ankle, toe): day-to-day
Nene (heel): day-to-day
Chauncey Billups (Achilles): will have an MRI today; it doesn’t sound good, but monitor his status
Kevin Love (suspension): suspended for two games, will return Friday
Anthony Morrow (personal): monitor his status
DaJuan Summers (knee): day-to-day
Carmelo Anthony (groin): day-to-day
Amar’e Stoudemire (personal): monitor his status
Jamaal Tinsley (personal): out tonight
Rashard Lewis (knee): day-to-day
Richard Hamilton (groin): day-to-day
Daniel Gibson (neck): out tonight
Anthony Parker (back): ditto
Jason Kidd (calf): didn’t practice Monday; return is up in the air
Will Bynum (foot): practiced Monday; monitor his status
Ben Gordon (shoulder): ditto
Nate Robinson (groin): didn’t practice Monday
Tony Allen (hip, knee): day-to-day
Mehmet Okur (back): will have another procedure on his back
Jason Smith (concussion): day-to-day
Jarrett Jack (knee): day-to-day
Baron Davis (back, elbow): isn’t expected back until next week at the earliest
Elton Brand (thumb): day-to-day
Raymond Felton (foot): day-to-day
For Tonight:
Nikola Pekovic will have even more value with Kevin Love and possibly Darko Milicic out, as the Timberwolves host the Kings.
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