Add Nash to the injury list
My apologies in advance that the Dose is late today, and that it's completely dominated by injuries. Let's just dive in.
Steve Nash is very iffy for tonight with a sore back, shoulder and hamstring. Initially it sounded like his injuries weren't a big deal, but it now sounds like he could miss tonight's game @ Cleveland - the Suns' last before the break.
Quentin Richardson thought he had a broken rib but X-rays show that it's a bruise. He's out on Wednesday, so look for
Danilo Gallinari and/or
Wilson Chandler to get another start for the Knicks.
Chris Duhon left last night's game with a sprained left ankle, finally breaking down after racking up a ton of minutes this season.
Nate Robinson scored 30 as a result, and Duhon will be very iffy tonight against the Clippers. I can't imagine anyone looking forward to the break more than Duhon.
Tim Thomas left the game with a groin injury and just hasn't been able to put it all together for more than a game or two this season.
Vladimir Radmanovic will start for Charlotte on Wednesday as
Juwan Howard's toe is still not healthy.
Gerald Wallace will be back just after the break, which is going to make it very tough for Vlad-Rad to offer much long-term value for the Bobcats.
Tyson Chandler is out for tonight's game against the Celtics with his ankle injury, while
Chris Paul remains a game-time decision with his groin injury. The good news is that it sounds like both players will be back in action for the Hornets after the break.
Yi Jianlian is hoping to return on Tuesday from a broken finger, but I bet it takes him a couple weeks to get back into a groove. Add in the fact that
Ryan Anderson plays the same position (PF), and it should be tough for both of them to produce consistently.
Vince Carter returned from an elbow injury and played well on Tuesday night.
Rodney Stuckey left last night's game late with a sprained right ankle and didn't return. He committed a pretty bad foul on
Ben Gordon as he shot a 3-pointer and the Bulls went on to win the game.
Tyrus Thomas blew up again for 22 points, 10 boards, three steals and a block, while
Joakim Noah had 12 points, 16 boards and a block. Noah could end up having value the rest of the way, as they are now talking possible surgery for
Drew Gooden's sports hernia. Surgery isn't a foregone conclusion for Gooden, but it is certainly a possibility.
Derrick Rose was unable to finish last night's game after a nasty collision with
Antonio McDyess that resulted in a sore neck for Rose. He says it's not a big deal and is hoping to play against the Heat on Thursday.
Chris Kaman has now been ruled out through the Feb. 19 trade deadline with his foot injury. I keep getting emails about him, but I am not sure why. I have no interest in holding him this year and you should only be thinking about doing so in 14-20 team leagues if you're thin at center. But I chalked this up as a lost season for Kaman a month or so ago.
Mario Chalmers hurt his knee last night, but it doesn't sound like a serious injury. But he is a bit iffy for tomorrow against the Bulls.
LaMarcus Aldridge is dealing with a sore hip and is a little shaky for tonight's game, but it sounds like he should play through it.
Mike Miller reportedly tweaked his right ankle again last night. Very little has been said about it, but it might not matter because the Wolves are done until next week.
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Darius Songaila left last night's game against the Hawks with a numb arm after a collision with a teammate, allowing
JaVale McGee to go off for 18 points, 11 boards and two blocks. I actually had McGee in a couple lineups last night, which is kind of fun. Freakish athlete, but still doesn't know how to play in the NBA.
Mike Bibby returned from a sprained foot for the Hawks, who blew out the Wizards. But you wouldn't know the Hawks won by looking at the box score. Apparently you don't even need a front line to beat the Wizards this season.
Chris Andersen left last night's win over the Heat with a left wrist and hip injury, although X-rays were negative. That leaves him a little questionable for tonight @ Orlando.
Paul Millsap says his knee is still not healthy and is really limiting what he can do on the court. He should bounce back at some point, but if
Carlos Boozer's really coming back, Millsap's knee could land him out of the rotation. But as you know, I won't really believe Boozer is back until I see it with my own eyes.
Non-injury News
There was a lot of talk yesterday about a
Jamaal Tinsley for
Raymond Felton trade, but local papers in Indy and Charlotte don't seem convinced that it will happen. In any case,
D.J. Augustin should be owned in all leagues right now. He's playing very well with all the Charlotte injuries and could become a second-half beast if Felton is moved.
Tuesday's Action – Condensed Version
Nick Collison had just two points and four rebounds last night. I'm not too thrilled about it as he was in several lineups, and I'm not sure where the line came from. He had scored in double figures in four straight, two of which were double-doubles. Hopefully he'll turn it around tonight at Portland, but if he doesn't, I have a feeling it will cost me a couple wins in this short week.
Jason Kidd had a nice line of 15 points, seven boards, 12 assists, four steals and three 3-pointers. It seems like he's either on or off this season, but his big games are just big enough to help offset his bad ones.
Joey Graham tied a career high with 24 points again last night and is worth a look with
Chris Bosh hurting. But the only way he'll maintain value after the break is if the Raptors make a trade.
Randy Foye went off last night for a career high of 33 points to go along with eight boards, two assists, a steal, a block and three 3-pointers. He's had a great season and if
Al Jefferson can fully heal from his knee surgery, things could be looking up in Minnesota next season. And keep your eye on
Craig Smith…He could start at power forward and become a nice fantasy player once he's back from his broken ribs.
Matt Bonner is hot again, hitting 8-of-10 shots and four 3-pointers last night to finish with 22 points and five boards. He's played well in a couple straight games, but is just like a streaky-shooting 2-guard. His shot and production can leave him at any time.
The Cavaliers – Pacers game was a classic last night, with the Pacers getting a controversial win at the buzzer.
Danny Granger hit just 5-of-18 shots for 16 points but didn't appear to have any problems with his knee.
Troy Murphy, who is probably the steal of your fantasy draft at this point, hit 7-of-9 shots for 18 points, 15 boards and four 3-pointers. As a friend of mine said recently, it's fun to wake up in the morning and look at Murphy's stat lines.
Mike Dunleavy sat out with a knee injury and won't play tonight at Milwaukee either.
Marquis Daniels (back) and
Jeff Foster (back) also sat out last night and may not go again tonight.
Cleveland was led by
LeBron James and his 47 points on 15-of-21 shooting. He hit four threes and was simply spectacular at Indy. However, because he's LeBron, he drew a terrible foul call on
Danny Granger with less than a second remaining. Granger might have made some contact with the King, but it really should have been a no-call with the came on the line. LeBron buried both free throws, but then was called for an even worse foul on the other end when Granger tried to make the same play. LeBron didn't even touch Granger and the call sent coach Mike Brown into a ridiculous post-game tirade as Granger's free throws won the game. Yes, Brown had every right to be upset about the call, but only if he acknowledged that the first call against Granger was just a bad. All this whining (the foul, being disrespected, the
Mo Williams all-star calamity, LeBron to the Knicks) is making it tough to love the Cavs if you're not a true fan, but they still look like the team to beat this season. And maybe the whining will finally stop, as
Mo Williams has been selected to replace
Chris Bosh in the All-Star Game. We can all rest easy now.
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>CP3, Chandler game-time decisions on Wed. </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>Chris Paul - G - NO - Feb. 11
