Beast of the Night: Al Jefferson took full advantage of a triple-overtime marathon against the Mavericks, posting 28 points, 26 rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks in more than 54 minutes of burn. He shot 56 percent (14-25) from the floor and had one turnover. For the season, Jefferson has exceeded expectations by producing top six averages. Barring major changes in the Jazz’s roster or Jefferson’s health, he should be viewed as a first-round player in next year’s drafts.
Lines for Discussion:
Ryan Anderson: 11-16 FG (69%), 2-2 FT (100%), 2 threes, 26 Pts, 16 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO; With Dwight Howard likely done for the rest of the regular season, Anderson will be a beast for his owners whose teams are still contending for championships. He’s maintained top 10 value throughout the season and shouldn’t have any trouble finishing with that elite status. His fantasy value next season will be determined by where he plays.
Arron Afflalo: 10-16 FG (63%), 5-6 FT (83%), 1 three, 26 Pts, 3 Reb, 5 Ast; Though Afflalo’s season-long ranking is far from impressive, owners should note that he’s been a top 35 player since Feb. 19.
Samuel Dalembert: 1-5 FG (20%), 3-5 FT (60%), 5 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 7 Blk; He’s had a fairly good season, but Marcus Camby‘s arrival in Houston kind of derailed things for Dalembert. However, with Camby hurt, Dalembert could help owners looking to make one last push.
Dirk Nowitzki: 13-26 FG (50%), 12-12 FT (100%), 2 threes, 40 Pts, 9 Reb, 6 Ast, 3 TO; Like Jefferson, Diggler benefited from the triple-overtime affair Monday evening. Though he started the 2011-12 NBA season off poorly, Nowitzki has pulled his averages up to top 10 status. Should we even be surprised anymore?
J.J. Hickson: 9-15 FG (60%), 4-4 FT (100%), 22 Pts, 8 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 TO; Hickson is peaking too late for most fantasy basketball owners. Despite his strong showing lately, Hickson won’t be worth more than a late-round pick in most drafts, unless he ends up on a more fantasy-friendly team. He’ll be a restricted free agent after this season.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Ben Uzoh: 4 Pts, 10 Reb, 8 Ast, 2 TO; He’s worth a look in deeper leagues until Jose Calderon returns.
James Johnson: 18 Pts, 1 three, 4 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 TO; That’s two strong showing for Johnson, who remains a mostly unreliable player.
Spencer Hawes: 10 Pts, 6 Reb, 9 Ast, 1 Stl; If you need help at the center spot, Hawes is a guy who can help.
Greivis Vasquez: 20 Pts, 4 Reb, 6 Ast, 1 Stl, 4 TO; He gives you everything you want from a guard and should be scooped up if he’s still available in your league.
Derrick Williams: 13 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk, 2 TO; He should fare pretty well while Kevin Love is out.
Gerald Green: 15 Pts, 3 threes, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 4 TO; He’s hit 10 threes in his last three games and is worth picking up.
MarShon Brooks: 24 Pts, 7 Reb, 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 5 TO; He’ll help you pretty much everywhere except threes.
Kevin Seraphin: 21 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Stl, 5 Blk, 3 TO; He’s averaging 16.2 points, 7.7 boards, 1.4 assists and 2.1 blocks so far this month.
Chandler Parsons: 21 Pts, 2 threes, 3 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 1 Blk, 1 TO; He helps in most categories.
Nate Robinson: 30 Pts, 3 threes, 2 Reb, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Pick him up if you need help.
Injuries:
Reggie Williams (concussion): day-to-day
Derrick Rose (foot): questionable for Wednesday
Shane Battier (neck, back): day-to-day
Dwyane Wade (rest): day-to-day
Deron Williams (calf): day-to-day
Chris Kaman (undisclosed): day-to-day
Eric Gordon (rest): day-to-day
Tyson Chandler (knee): expected to play tonight
Grant Hill (knee): day-to-day
Tony Parker (rest): day-to-day
Manu Ginobili (rest): day-to-day
Tim Duncan (rest): day-to-day
Raymond Felton (undisclosed): day-to-day
Linas Kleiza (knee): day-to-day
Zaza Pachulia (foot): could miss the rest of the season
D.J. Augustin (knee): day-to-day
Luol Deng (ribs): day-to-day
Wilson Chandler (hip): day-to-day
Andris Biedrins (concussion): day-to-day
Marcus Camby (back): day-to-day
Kobe Bryant (shin): expected to be out tonight
Marc Gasol (knee): unlikely tonight
Ronny Turiaf (hamstring): day-to-day
Luke Ridnour (ankle): didn’t travel with the team; day-to-day
Gerald Wallace (hamstring): will go through a workout today to see if he can return this season
Amar’e Stoudemire (back): Friday or Sunday would be the earliest he could return
Glen Davis (knee): day-to-day
Jose Calderon (eye): day-to-day
C.J. Miles (calf): day-to-day
Josh Howard (knee): hoping to return April 24
Nene (foot): day-to-day
Joel Anthony (ankle): day-to-day
Joel Przybilla (ankle, knee): day-to-day
For Tonight:
See if Matt Barnes can have another big night for the Lakers, who host the Spurs.
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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