Beast of the Night: Dorell Wright put up 23 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and hit four threes. He shot 40 percent (8-20) from the field, 75 percent (3-4) from the free-throw line and had no turnovers. Wright continues to play heavy minutes and put up big-time numbers. He’s clearly no fluke and is making his owners look like geniuses.
Lines for Discussion:
Roy Hibbert: 12-19 FG (63%), 5-7 FT (71%), 29 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 2 Blk, 1 TO; It’s crazy to think that just a few weeks ago, Hibbert saw a sports psychologist to get him out of his slump. Kudos to you if you bought low on him or scooped him off of waivers if he was dropped in your league last month. Hold onto him and enjoy the ride the rest of the way.
D.J. Augustin: 4-13 FG (31%), 5-6 FT (83%), 1 three, 14 Pts, 3 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 3 TO; After having a strong showing in January, Augustin has struggled so far in February. He’ll remain the starting point guard for the Bobcats and should eventually dig himself out of his rut, which means it’s a fine idea to buy low on him.
JaVale McGee: 6-11 FG (55%), 4-4 FT (100%), 16 Pts, 17 Reb, 1 Ast, 3 Blk, 1 TO; Finally, a big game from McGee. He’ll be inconsistent the rest of the way, but you already knew that.
Ramon Sessions: 7-11 FG (64%), 6-8 FT (75%), 20 Pts, 6 Reb, 12 Ast, 5 Stl, 3 TO; Sessions has been tearing things up this month, and is making a strong case to maintain his starting gig even when Mo Williams returns. Sell high if you want, but there’s a chance Sessions will have decent value down the stretch, especially given how unhealthy that Cavs backcourt has proven to be this season.
Rodney Stuckey: 6-16 FG (38%), 8-10 FT (80%), 2 threes, 22 Pts, 2 Reb, 4 Ast; This was Stuckey’s second game back from his shoulder injury. He’s gunning to earn back his starting gig and he could get it sooner than later.
David West: 13-23 FG (57%), 6-7 FT (86%), 32 Pts, 15 Reb, 5 Ast, 3 Stl, 4 TO; This was West’s third double-double of the month so far, after accumulating just five in all of January. His minutes and production have steadily increased month-to-month, which means he’s a strong bet to finish the season strong.
Baron Davis: 7-17 FG (41%), 1-1 FT (100%), 1 three, 16 Pts, 4 Reb, 16 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 TO; Davis is playing heavy minutes and putting up great numbers lately. The bad news is that he still owns a frail body, and that Eric Gordon is nearing his return. Sell high if you can.
Waiver-Wire Watch:
Josh McRoberts: 12 Pts, 9 Reb, 7 Ast; His starting gig appears safe, which means his all-around production should be safe for the foreseeable future.
Will Bynum: 17 Pts, 1 three, 7 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; Bynum has played well lately and is worth scooping up if you have dead weight to spare. Just don’t expect him to be a long-term solution.
DeJuan Blair: 28 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 1 TO; If he’s still available in your league, give him strong consideration, especially if you need rebounds and steals.
George Hill: 18 Pts, 2 threes, 5 Reb, 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO; He’ll be a strong player down the stretch and is worth stashing if possible.
Leandro Barbosa: 20 Pts, 1 three, 1 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 TO; He’s back and should be on your radar again.
Sasha Vujacic: 25 Pts, 5 threes, 4 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 TO; He’s been slumping lately but this was huge. Don’t drop anyone too valuable for him, but give him a shot if you’re in a deeper league.
Willie Green: 19 Pts, 2 threes, 1 Reb; Green was a surprise starter last night. If he can keep that job, he’ll be worth considering. Just keep an eye on him for now.
Timofey Mozgov: 18 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 Blk; Mozgov started last night and should continue to start for the foreseeable future, especially in light of Ronny Turiaf‘s latest injury. Pick him up if you need a fix at center.
Randy Foye: 24 Pts, 4 threes, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 2 Stl, 4 TO; His days as a starter are numbered, with Gordon getting closer to returning to reclaim his spot on that roster. Enjoy the ride while it lasts.
Jose Juan Barea: 20 Pts, 2 threes, 2 Reb, 3 Ast; He’s worth a try in deeper leagues, and remains worth monitoring in others.
Injuries:
Delonte West (wrist): participated in his first full-contact practice Wednesday since having surgery on his wrist, targeting a return after the All-Star break
Shaquille O’Neal (Achilles): not expected to play tonight
Leon Powe (knee): practiced Tuesday, getting close to returning
Mo Williams (hip): ditto
Darko Milicic (hip): X-rays came back negative; day-to-day
Trevor Ariza (ankle): out another game or two
Ronny Turiaf (ankle): could be out until after the All-Star break
Goran Dragic (foot): still a couple games away
Marcus Camby (knee): could return before the All-Star break
Brandon Roy (knees): targeting Feb. 16 for his return
Mehmet Okur (back): out at least the next three weeks
Al Thornton (finger): dislocated his right middle finger; day-to-day
Tiago Splitter (hamstring): monitor his status
Stephen Curry (ankle): monitor his status
For Tonight:
Expect David Lee to have something of a bounce-back game as the Suns host the Warriors. Marcin Gortat could make for a nice play, too.
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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