Beast of the Night: DeAndre Jordan finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and four blocks last night. He shot 78 percent (7-9) from the field and shot not free-throw attempts and had no turnovers. This was Jordan’s third straight game with double-digit rebounds. He remains a fantasy stud for owners punting free-throw percentage.
Lines for Discussion:
Chris Kaman: 7-18 FG (39%), 3-4 FT (75%), 17 Pts, 11 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Blk, 4 TO; Since Feb. 13, Kaman is averaging 17.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and a block per game. However, in that stretch he’s shooting just 40 percent from the field and is averaging 3.6 turnovers per game. His value will take a hit when Emeka Okafor returns.
Derrick Rose: 11-24 FG (46%), 9-11 FT (82%), 1 three, 32 Pts, 2 Reb, 9 Ast, 3 Stl, 2 Blk, 2 TO; His owners have to be happy to hear that Rose didn’t get any treatment on his back during the All-Star break. Still, his health should be closely monitored.
Brook Lopez: 17-28 FG (61%), 4-5 FT (80%), 38 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 TO; This was a very encouraging sign for Lopez’s owners. While it’s a bummer to see that his habit of poor rebounding might continue this season, Lopez remains a must-start fantasy center when healthy. Monitor those trade rumors.
Isaiah Thomas: 6-12 FG (50%), 4-4 FT (100%), 2 threes, 18 Pts, 2 Reb, 8 Ast, 1 Stl, 5 TO; He’s not quite Jeremy Lin, but Thomas has been a hugely helpful fantasy pickup since Feb. 15. He’s been a top 30 asset since that date and should continue to be valuable so long as he starts.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Tristan Thompson: 13 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Blk; The rookie continues to get enough minutes to do damage and should be scooped up for owners in need of a power forward who can block shots.
Tyler Hansbrough: 15 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO; He remains appealing only in deep leagues.
Taj Gibson: 5 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Stl, 5 Blk, 1 TO; Gibson is a decent source of blocks for owners in deep leagues.
Chris Singleton: 16 Pts, 2 threes, 9 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk; He has flashes like this, but good luck trying to guess which nights they’ll happen.
Trevor Booker: 20 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO; His 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game so far in February are impressive.
Mike Dunleavy: 28 Pts, 5 threes, 2 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 TO; He’s streaky but is worth having on your bench.
James Johnson: 16 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; Johnson’s steals and blocks make him a valuable player to have on your roster, making him worth a pickup in most leagues.
Brendan Haywood: 18 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Stl, 3 Blk; Haywood is a decent low-end center, though he’s not worth dropping anyone too valuable for.
Derrick Williams: 27 Pts, 4 threes, 5 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO; Pick him up if you’re feeling up for a gamble; otherwise, monitor him closely.
Injuries:
Al Horford (chest): no longer wearing a sling, could be cleared to start rehab today
Joe Johnson (knee): game-time decision tonight
Corey Maggette (knee): practiced without a setback Tuesday; monitor his status for tonight
Gerald Henderson (hamstring): practiced Tuesday and should be ready for tonight
Lamar Odom (personal): day-to-day
Ty Lawson (back): expected to return tonight
Rudy Fernandez (back): ditto
Charlie Villanueva (ankle): practiced Monday; day-to-day
Kobe Bryant (nose, head): monitor his status for tonight
Zach Randolph (knee): hasn’t resumed contact drills yet
Jordan Farmar (groin): could return Friday
Jason Smith (concussion): day-to-day
Emeka Okafor (knee): out tonight; day-to-day
Nick Collison (quad): will play tonight
Manu Ginobili (oblique): partially practiced Tuesday; day-to-day
Andrea Bargnani (calf): day-to-day
Raja Bell (groin): day-to-day
Andray Blatche (calf): day-to-day
Zaza Pachulia (calf): expected to play tonight
Drew Gooden (back, elbow): returned last night but left early after a hard fall; monitor his status
Gary Neal (hamstring): questionable tonight
Rashard Lewis (knee): day-to-day
For Tonight:
Dwight Howard should have another nice line against the Wizards.
The Knicks and all their storylines host the Cavaliers. See if Jeremy Lin has fresher legs thanks to the All-Star break.
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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