Beast of the Night: Stephen Curry followed up his forgettable opening night with 21 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, six steals and a three-pointer. He shot 58 percent (7-12) from the field, 86 percent (6-7) from the free throw line and had four turnovers. Sadly, Curry’s big night ended on a sour note when the guard landed on Kyle Korver‘s foot and reinjured that balky right ankle. Keep an eye on his status.
Lines for Discussion:
Jose Calderon: 5-9 FG (56%), 2-2 FT (100%), 3 threes, 15 Pts, 6 Reb, 11 Ast, 1 TO; This was a vintage line from Calderon. While a miraculous return to form this season shouldn’t be expected, this is definitely an encouraging sign.
Roy Hibbert: 6-11 FG (55%), 4-5 FT (80%), 16 Pts, 14 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Blk, 1 TO; Hibbert started strong last season before running out of steam near the end, so it’s tough to get too excited about this kind of start. Let’s hope he keeps this up.
Tyler Hansbrough: 6-14 FG (43%), 3-4 FT (75%), 15 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Stl; He played 31:47 off the bench for the Pacers in a fairly easy victory, so it’s tough to see this kind of production on a consistent basis, especially given the added frontcourt depth with David West‘s arrival.
Kris Humphries: 9-14 FG (64%), 3-4 FT (75%), 21 Pts, 16 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; He’ll be the new most-booed man in the NBA this season, but it won’t matter. With Brook Lopez out, Humphries is in line for many more of these big nights.
John Wall: 3-13 FG (23%), 7-13 FT (54%), 13 Pts, 8 Reb, 5 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 4 TO; This wasn’t exactly the line most of us expected from Wall, especially after his impressive offseason exhibitions. It’s way too early to give up hope of a breakout campaign, so his owners just have to be patient.
Kyle Lowry: 5-12 FG (42%), 9-10 FT (90%), 1 three, 20 Pts, 7 Reb, 12 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 3 TO; Simply put, Lowry won’t disappoint lofty expectations many placed on him in their drafts. He’s a fantasy stud.
Boris Diaw: 4-9 FG (44%), 1 three, 9 Pts, 11 Reb, 9 Ast, 2 Blk, 1 TO; You have to love this line from Diaw, who started at center and should have three-position eligibility this season. He’s not the most exciting player around, but don’t let that fool you: he’ll have solid fantasy appeal this season.
Ricky Rubio: 2-3 FG (67%), 2-2 FT (100%), 6 Pts, 5 Reb, 6 Ast; Not bad. He played 26:18 off the bench (less than the 27:08 of playing time J.J. Barea got off the bench) and still managed to produce a solid line. Rubio should eventually take the reins of the starting PG job for the Timberwolves.
Ty Lawson: 10-15 FG (67%), 4-4 FT (100%), 3 threes, 27 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO; Lawson played just 31:53 in an easy victory and is clearly going to have a big season for the Nuggets and his fantasy owners, assuming he stays healthy.
Marcus Thornton: 9-13 FG (69%), 5-5 FT (100%), 4 threes, 27 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO; He thrived last night against he Lakers and is reminding fantasy owners why he was such a big deal last season. Still, the abundance of offensive weapons on that Kings roster makes it hard to see these kinds of games on a steady basis from Thornton. That isn’t to say he won’t be a fantasy stud, thanks to his three-point shooting – it’s just a reminder to set expectations at a reasonable level.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
James Johnson: 5 Pts, 1 three, 6 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 Blk, 4 TO; If he wasn’t on your radar in your drafts, he should be now. Feel free to swap out a low-end bench player for Johnson, who should fill up the stat sheet more times than not this season.
Alonzo Gee: 14 Pts, 1 three, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 TO; It’s too early to jump to conclusions, but Gee showed last season that he’s capable of doing damage when given playing time. Keep an eye on him.
Jonas Jerebko: 17 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk; With Charlie Villanueva serving his four-game suspension, Jerebko has the opportunity to showcase his abilities early this season. He remains a contender for sleeper of the season and should be picked up if he’s still available in your league.
Terrence Williams: 13 Pts, 2 threes, 6 Reb, 2 Ast; He played more minutes than Chase Budinger, who started. Keep an eye on his production in the next few games.
Shaun Livingston: 14 Pts, 4 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Maybe it was the motivation he felt playing his former Bobcats squad. Whatever the reason, Livingston had a strong first game. Be skeptical of his health and long-term prospects, but take a flier on him if you really need PG depth.
Tiago Splitter: 5 Pts, 8 Reb, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 2 TO; He got extra run, thanks to an easy victory, but Splitter is worth consideration in most leagues.
Rodrigue Beaubois: 10 Pts, 2 threes, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; Not bad for 14:43 of work. Still, Beaubois will have to show us this kind of stuff on a consistent basis before making himself worth starting, let alone picked up.
Robin Lopez: 21 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 TO; It’s too early to read much into this, but it’s an encouraging sign. Lopez should be on your radar.
Markieff Morris: 7 Pts, 1 three, 9 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; This was a nice line from the rookie, who should be monitored closely.
Spencer Hawes: 10 Pts, 14 Reb, 9 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; This was a fantastic line from a player who won’t approach this kind of production too many more times in his career. Take it with a grain of salt and act (or don’t act) accordingly.
Injuries:
Paul Pierce (heel): he will miss more time, but he noted “I don’t see it being a month or two”
Tyrus Thomas (ankle): lost the protective boot but still day-to-day
Aaron Gray (heart): he was held out of the season opener due to a rapid heart rate
D.J. Augustin (ankle): day-to-day
Stephen Curry (ankle): aggravated the same right ankle; day-to-day
Jeff Foster (back): day-to-day
Josh McRoberts (toe): sprained his left big toe; day-to-day
Pau Gasol (shoulder): should be fine for tonight
Luc Mbah a Moute (knee): day-to-day
Carlos Delfino (wrist): day-to-day
For Tonight:
Watch to see if Rajon Rondo can repeat that Christmas Day magic against the Heat in Miami.
Jeff Teague should start for the Hawks against the Nets in New Jersey.
The Lakers end their back-to-back-to-back set hosting the Jazz. See if Kobe Bryant keeps on gunning with that bum wrist. Also, see if Derrick Favors starts over Paul Millsap.
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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