Beast of the Night: Monta Ellis finished his big night with 35 points, six rebounds, 10 assists, four steals and three three-pointers. He shot 56 percent (14-25) from the floor and 80 percent (4-5) from the free-throw line, and had five turnovers. This was a nice bounce-back game from his 9/1/7 clunker on Monday. Ellis’ fantasy value has dropped since he arrived in Milwaukee, but he’s still a solid source of points, assists and steals.
Lines for Discussion:
David West: 6-9 FG (67%), 7-8 FT (88%), 19 Pts, 5 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 3 TO; This was a solid line from West, who has been a disappointment for his fantasy owners this season. He’s been a top 100 player, which is fine except for the fact that he was drafted in the fifth round of most drafts.
Gordon Hayward: 9-14 FG (64%), 7-7 FT (100%), 4 threes, 29 Pts, 2 Reb, 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 TO; Since re-entering the starting lineup for the Jazz, Hayward has put up top 30 numbers. He’ll be an interesting player to consider in the first half of your draft next season.
Andrew Bynum: 7-20 FG (35%), 2-4 FT (50%), 16 Pts, 30 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Blk; Bynum continues to steamroll the competition and is making us all wonder how high his ceiling would be without Kobe Bryant around.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Lester Hudson: 19 Pts, 1 three, 6 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk, 6 TO; He remains a must-own player at the moment.
Ed Davis: 13 Pts, 13 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 TO; If Davis continues to get solid minutes down the stretch, he’ll help fantasy teams to championships.
Markieff Morris: 17 Pts, 1 three, 6 Reb, 1 Ast; That’s three solid games in a row for Morris, who deserves a look.
Kenneth Faried: 16 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; Make sure he’s not still available in your league.
Derrick Favors: 10 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Blk, 2 TO; That’s his third double-double of the month, making him worth picking up if you need a big.
Chandler Parsons: 13 Pts, 2 threes, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk; Parsons continues to fill up stat sheets and is worth consideration in most leagues.
Danny Green: 22 Pts, 5 threes, 3 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk; He’s a bit erratic, but Green is worth picking up if you want threes and steals.
Derrick Williams: 27 Pts, 3 threes, 8 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 5 TO; If Kevin Love misses time, Williams is definitely worth a pickup.
J.J. Barea: 12 Pts, 1 three, 6 Reb, 15 Ast, 1 Stl, 4 TO; If you need a point guard, you won’t find many better options than Barea right now.
J.J. Hickson: 23 Pts, 13 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Blk; With LaMarcus Aldridge out, Hickson is pretty much a must-add guy.
Injuries:
Ray Allen (ankle): day-to-day
Semih Erden (ankle): day-to-day
Kevin Love (neck, concussion): monitor his status
Wayne Ellington (back): day-to-day
Gary Neal (flu): day-to-day
Hassan Whiteside (ankle): day-to-day
Jose Calderon (eye): got stitches above his right eye and didn’t return to the game last night; monitor his status
Linas Kleiza (knee): day-to-day
For Tonight:
If Love can’t go tonight, expect Derrick Williams to get a nice boost in value, as the Timberwolves host the Clippers.
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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