Bye, Bye Bynum
Multitude of Casualties
Al Horford – knee – Playing Weds. if practice goes well.
Kevin Garnett – flu – Iffy for Tues @ Philly, may not travel.
Brian Scalabrine – concussion – No fantasy impact.
Gerald Wallace – lung/rib – Who knows? Bench for now.
D.J. Augustin – ab strain – Set back, hopefully returns next week.
Sean May – weight/knee – Will he ever play again?
Drew Gooden – groin/ab strain – Too risky to start right now.
Delonte West – wrist – Cast coming off, could play next week.
Tarence Kinsey – ankle – Out for February.
Richard Hamilton – groin – Playing through it, should be OK.
Rodney Stuckey – thigh – Left Sunday's game, day-to-day.
Kelenna Azubuike – knee – Iffy, both health and playing-time wise.
Monta Ellis – knee/ankle – He's not 100 percent, but is playing.
Marco Belinelli – ankle – Not healing well, ignore for now.
Brandan Wright – shoulder – Out until after AS break.
Tracy McGrady – ankle – Iffy for Tuesday, as usual.
Luther Head – foot – Was due back last week…No fantasy value.
Ron Artest – ankle – Playing through it for now.
Yao Ming – leg – Playing through it for now.
Marquis Daniels – personal – Should be back for Tues, but struggling.
Mardy Collins – calf – Could return soon, but no value w/ Baron back.
Zach Randolph – knee – Day-to-day, complete roll of dice this week.
Mike Taylor – thumb – Getting closer, but no fantasy value.
Chris Kaman – foot – "May" return after AS break. Whatever.
Andrew Bynum – knee – Sounds like six weeks is the answer. Ouch.
Darko Milicic – knuckle – Getting close, shooting for the weekend.
Daequan Cook – thigh – Not likely for Monday's game.
Shawn Marion – groin – Possible for Monday. Use at your own risk.
Dorell Wright – knee – Should be back soon? No fantasy impact.
Michael Redd – knee surgery – Get out your fork.
Andrew Bogut – back – Playing limited minutes, but playing is key word.
Kevin Ollie – elbow – Nearing return, could impact Telfair's minutes.
Vince Carter – ankle – Says he won't miss Tuesday's game.
Bobby Simmons – ab strain – Guessing he's out for week.
Yi Jianlian – finger – Due back some time this month, but not this week.
Stromile Swift – personal – Yes, he's still in the league.
Morris Peterson – foot – Out a couple weeks, Butler should be good.
Tyson Chandler – ankle – Out until AS break.
Jared Jeffries – thigh – Day-to-day. Bench him if you can.
Jerome James – Achilles – Career likely over.
Eddy Curry – knee/personal – May not suit up again this season.
Stephon Marbury – banished – Wade sounds open to him joining Heat.
Desmond Mason – knee surgery – Done, Watson & Weaver playing.
Joe Smith – knee – Getting close, but no value.
Elton Brand – shoulder – Playing through it, getting better.
Shaquille O'Neal – old age – Playing in back-to-backs. Ride him.
Steve Blake – shoulder – Iffy for Monday, but I'd bench him.
Beno Udrih – calf – Day-to-day, but bet you can find a better option.
Brad Miller – ab strain – Likely out Monday, hello, Spencer.
Kris Humphries – broken leg – Still no timetable on his return.
Andrei Kirilenko – ankle surgery – At least a month away.
Carlos Boozer – knee surgery – Probably at least a month away.
Andray Blatche – knee – Not likely for this week.
Etan Thomas – knee – Possibly done for year.
Gilbert Arenas – knee – Nine wins – I just don't see him playing.
Add some spice to your Monday night in the NBA at Snapdraft
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Tidbits
Jeff Van Gundy usually says something that will crack me up once or twice a game. Not sure when I heard this gem, but it was probably Wednesday night. Much has been made about Keith Smart being named Don Nelson's "defensive coordinator," especially since the Warriors defense is easily the worst in the league. Van Gundy said something like "Is there a worse job title in America than being the Warriors' defensive coordinator?" I don't know why, but it struck me.
Al Horford is going to practice today and see how the knee responds. If it goes well, look for him to start on Wednesday and play in all three Hawks games this week.
I'm not sure how Doc Rivers knew on Sunday morning that Kevin Garnett was probably not going to play on Tuesday, but that's what he said. It sounds like KG is really sick, so Doc may have already decided to leave him in Boston for Tuesday's game at Philly. He should still play three games this week, although we've seen the flu shut some guys down for an entire week. Of course, those guys weren't named Kevin Garnett.
Delonte West will get his cast off this week and I guess it's possible that he could play this weekend. In Friday's Season Pass Chat, a guy said that "Delonte West fits perfectly on my team and I want to cut Eric Gordon to pick him up." We had some fun at the guy's expense, but I think I now look at West a little differently. Like, if someone was willing to cut EG for him, am I missing something? I somehow feel like I have to pick him up, even though he's still just Delonte West. Don't cut someone like Gordon to pick him up (even if he fits perfectly on your team), but do think about grabbing West if you have someone you've been wanting to drop. My man Earl Watson isn't producing thus far (although it could be coming), and he is someone I would think about dumping for West.
Rodney Stuckey left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter after taking a knee to the thigh. He will be re-evaluated today but the good news is that the Pistons don't play until Wednesday. I think I'm going to roll the dice and play him, although I'm going to go and check my options too.
Tracy McGrady missed his last game and is questionable for the next because Yao Ming stepped on him during practice. I don't know why, but this one puts a smile on my face, especially since Yao and T-Mac weren't said to really be getting along to begin with. Now T-Mac is day-to-day and Rick Adelman is just praying that he won't be out for long. Yao said he didn't think he stepped on him very hard and X-rays were negative, so it would make sense if T-Mac didn't miss much time. Then again, this is T-Mac we're talking about.
My buddy Jeff in one league wants me to give more advice about trading T-Mac than just saying "get what you can" for him, but I'm not sure what else there is to say. Every league is different, every owner's impression of T-Mac is different and I can't really predict whether his ceiling is getting Ronnie Brewer in return, someone like Mike Miller or a good player like Mo Williams. In our league, where everyone reads me bashing T-Mac on a daily basis, my guess is he has less value than in a league where only a couple guys read Rotoworld every day. In any case, there is no reason to try to even trade him while he's not playing. And you really can't cut him, as even I would pick him up if he was dropped in any of my leagues. I might soon regret it, but I would definitely at least get him on my roster just in case. But my guess is that it has to feel quite liberating to cut T-Mac this season. If any of you have a "I cut T-Mac and have never felt better about it" story, please share.
Kelenna Azubuike says he wants to play tonight after missing his last game with a knee injury, but he's a very shaky play right now with the Warriors getting back to full strength.
Zach Randolph could play tonight at Miami, but then again, he may not play at all this week. All we have to go on right now is when coach Mike Dunleavy said "probably in the next week or so" on Saturday. My gut says he's very close and I kind of think he'll play tonight. That said, I would not be one bit surprised if he doesn't and I don't think I would have the guts to start him in a weekly league if I owned him anywhere.
Chris Kaman is on the road to recovery and could come back some time after the break. I cut him three weeks ago in one league and haven't stopped to look back one time. And I'm not thinking about picking him up again, either, until I hear someone say that he will play at all this season.
Andrew Bynum's knee injury simply sucks if you own him. I was cruising along in League Freak last week, but lost Andray Blatche on Monday and then Bynum later in the week. I struggled to a 4-4 tie, but I feel like I should have won. Somehow I was beaten in assists, despite the fact I started Chris Paul and Luke Ridnour. Oh well. As for Bynum, it sounds like the verdict is partially in and he's going to miss at least six weeks with a sprained right knee. I will be punting blocks this week (and many more) by starting Andrea Bargnani at center. If Lamar Odom is available in your league, grab him. In addition, this could be good news for Trevor Ariza as well.
Darko Milicic is close to returning and could play this weekend. I honestly have no idea how he'll fit into Lionel Hollins' plans, but the fact that Hollins is excited to get him back is good enough for me. We at least know he'll get some minutes, boards and blocks. And he looks like he could be a decent pick up if you are still reeling from the Bynum news you just read.
Shawn Marion is saying he may decide to grace us with his presence tonight after taking the last couple weeks off with a groin injury. I'm not sure whether to he happy or sad, but I can tell you that I beat Sergio in 30-deep last week even with a big, fat zero from Marion. My team is locked into the playoffs, which I'd say is a pretty amazing feat considering that I took Marion with my first-round pick. I backed him up with Horford and Mike Bibby with the 53rd and 68th picks. Six "world" teams make the playoffs along with six CBS teams. The "world" will be represented by NBA TV's Rick Kamla, ESPN's Eric Karabell, Rotoworld's Matt Stroup (and me), and as of now, Brian Flood and Mike Yam fill out the list of playoff teams. This is the last week of the regular season in that league so the playoffs start next week. As for Marion? I'll start him again in 30-deep and in my daily leagues, but I would not rely on him in a normal-sized weekly lineup league.
Andrew Bogut is back from his back injury and has looked great in limited minutes. His two-game week is almost a blessing, and owners have to just hope he is ready to go for the start of the next week. So far, so good.
Vince Carter says he'll play Tuesday through his tweaked ankle, so I'd go ahead and run him out there. Bobby Simmons is day-to-day with an ab strain, but I'd be surprised if he plays much this week. Ryan Anderson and Jarvis Hayes are probably each going to have a couple of nice lines this week.
Steve Blake's shoulder injury still hasn't gone away and while I think he'll play this week, he may not be reliable enough for fantasy use until after the break.
You can probably cut Beno Udrih if you need to, but I bet he gets hot again at some point. But he really wasn't doing that much lately before going down with another calf injury. Brad Miller is not likely to play tonight which should mean good things for Spencer Hawes. I'm not sure how long Miller will be out, but ab strains are nothing to mess around with and he could miss the whole week (or play over the weekend). Bench Miller, but only use Hawes if you're desperate.
Multitude of Casualties
Al Horford – knee – Playing Weds. if practice goes well.
Kevin Garnett – flu – Iffy for Tues @ Philly, may not travel.
Brian Scalabrine – concussion – No fantasy impact.
Gerald Wallace – lung/rib – Who knows? Bench for now.
D.J. Augustin – ab strain – Set back, hopefully returns next week.
Sean May – weight/knee – Will he ever play again?
Drew Gooden – groin/ab strain – Too risky to start right now.
Delonte West – wrist – Cast coming off, could play next week.
Tarence Kinsey – ankle – Out for February.
Richard Hamilton – groin – Playing through it, should be OK.
Rodney Stuckey – thigh – Left Sunday's game, day-to-day.
Kelenna Azubuike – knee – Iffy, both health and playing-time wise.
Monta Ellis – knee/ankle – He's not 100 percent, but is playing.
Marco Belinelli – ankle – Not healing well, ignore for now.
Brandan Wright – shoulder – Out until after AS break.
Tracy McGrady – ankle – Iffy for Tuesday, as usual.
Luther Head – foot – Was due back last week…No fantasy value.
Ron Artest – ankle – Playing through it for now.
Yao Ming – leg – Playing through it for now.
Marquis Daniels – personal – Should be back for Tues, but struggling.
Mardy Collins – calf – Could return soon, but no value w/ Baron back.
Zach Randolph – knee – Day-to-day, complete roll of dice this week.
Mike Taylor – thumb – Getting closer, but no fantasy value.
Chris Kaman – foot – "May" return after AS break. Whatever.
Andrew Bynum – knee – Sounds like six weeks is the answer. Ouch.
Darko Milicic – knuckle – Getting close, shooting for the weekend.
Daequan Cook – thigh – Not likely for Monday's game.
Shawn Marion – groin – Possible for Monday. Use at your own risk.
Dorell Wright – knee – Should be back soon? No fantasy impact.
Michael Redd – knee surgery – Get out your fork.
Andrew Bogut – back – Playing limited minutes, but playing is key word.
Kevin Ollie – elbow – Nearing return, could impact Telfair's minutes.
Vince Carter – ankle – Says he won't miss Tuesday's game.
Bobby Simmons – ab strain – Guessing he's out for week.
Yi Jianlian – finger – Due back some time this month, but not this week.
Stromile Swift – personal – Yes, he's still in the league.
Morris Peterson – foot – Out a couple weeks, Butler should be good.
Tyson Chandler – ankle – Out until AS break.
Jared Jeffries – thigh – Day-to-day. Bench him if you can.
Jerome James – Achilles – Career likely over.
Eddy Curry – knee/personal – May not suit up again this season.
Stephon Marbury – banished – Wade sounds open to him joining Heat.
Desmond Mason – knee surgery – Done, Watson & Weaver playing.
Joe Smith – knee – Getting close, but no value.
Elton Brand – shoulder – Playing through it, getting better.
Shaquille O'Neal – old age – Playing in back-to-backs. Ride him.
Steve Blake – shoulder – Iffy for Monday, but I'd bench him.
Beno Udrih – calf – Day-to-day, but bet you can find a better option.
Brad Miller – ab strain – Likely out Monday, hello, Spencer.
Kris Humphries – broken leg – Still no timetable on his return.
Andrei Kirilenko – ankle surgery – At least a month away.
Carlos Boozer – knee surgery – Probably at least a month away.
Andray Blatche – knee – Not likely for this week.
Etan Thomas – knee – Possibly done for year.
Gilbert Arenas – knee – Nine wins – I just don't see him playing.
Add some spice to your Monday night in the NBA at Snapdraft
<!--RW-->
Tidbits
Jeff Van Gundy usually says something that will crack me up once or twice a game. Not sure when I heard this gem, but it was probably Wednesday night. Much has been made about Keith Smart being named Don Nelson's "defensive coordinator," especially since the Warriors defense is easily the worst in the league. Van Gundy said something like "Is there a worse job title in America than being the Warriors' defensive coordinator?" I don't know why, but it struck me.
Al Horford is going to practice today and see how the knee responds. If it goes well, look for him to start on Wednesday and play in all three Hawks games this week.
I'm not sure how Doc Rivers knew on Sunday morning that Kevin Garnett was probably not going to play on Tuesday, but that's what he said. It sounds like KG is really sick, so Doc may have already decided to leave him in Boston for Tuesday's game at Philly. He should still play three games this week, although we've seen the flu shut some guys down for an entire week. Of course, those guys weren't named Kevin Garnett.
Delonte West will get his cast off this week and I guess it's possible that he could play this weekend. In Friday's Season Pass Chat, a guy said that "Delonte West fits perfectly on my team and I want to cut Eric Gordon to pick him up." We had some fun at the guy's expense, but I think I now look at West a little differently. Like, if someone was willing to cut EG for him, am I missing something? I somehow feel like I have to pick him up, even though he's still just Delonte West. Don't cut someone like Gordon to pick him up (even if he fits perfectly on your team), but do think about grabbing West if you have someone you've been wanting to drop. My man Earl Watson isn't producing thus far (although it could be coming), and he is someone I would think about dumping for West.
Rodney Stuckey left Sunday's game in the fourth quarter after taking a knee to the thigh. He will be re-evaluated today but the good news is that the Pistons don't play until Wednesday. I think I'm going to roll the dice and play him, although I'm going to go and check my options too.
Tracy McGrady missed his last game and is questionable for the next because Yao Ming stepped on him during practice. I don't know why, but this one puts a smile on my face, especially since Yao and T-Mac weren't said to really be getting along to begin with. Now T-Mac is day-to-day and Rick Adelman is just praying that he won't be out for long. Yao said he didn't think he stepped on him very hard and X-rays were negative, so it would make sense if T-Mac didn't miss much time. Then again, this is T-Mac we're talking about.
My buddy Jeff in one league wants me to give more advice about trading T-Mac than just saying "get what you can" for him, but I'm not sure what else there is to say. Every league is different, every owner's impression of T-Mac is different and I can't really predict whether his ceiling is getting Ronnie Brewer in return, someone like Mike Miller or a good player like Mo Williams. In our league, where everyone reads me bashing T-Mac on a daily basis, my guess is he has less value than in a league where only a couple guys read Rotoworld every day. In any case, there is no reason to try to even trade him while he's not playing. And you really can't cut him, as even I would pick him up if he was dropped in any of my leagues. I might soon regret it, but I would definitely at least get him on my roster just in case. But my guess is that it has to feel quite liberating to cut T-Mac this season. If any of you have a "I cut T-Mac and have never felt better about it" story, please share.
Kelenna Azubuike says he wants to play tonight after missing his last game with a knee injury, but he's a very shaky play right now with the Warriors getting back to full strength.
Zach Randolph could play tonight at Miami, but then again, he may not play at all this week. All we have to go on right now is when coach Mike Dunleavy said "probably in the next week or so" on Saturday. My gut says he's very close and I kind of think he'll play tonight. That said, I would not be one bit surprised if he doesn't and I don't think I would have the guts to start him in a weekly league if I owned him anywhere.
Chris Kaman is on the road to recovery and could come back some time after the break. I cut him three weeks ago in one league and haven't stopped to look back one time. And I'm not thinking about picking him up again, either, until I hear someone say that he will play at all this season.
Andrew Bynum's knee injury simply sucks if you own him. I was cruising along in League Freak last week, but lost Andray Blatche on Monday and then Bynum later in the week. I struggled to a 4-4 tie, but I feel like I should have won. Somehow I was beaten in assists, despite the fact I started Chris Paul and Luke Ridnour. Oh well. As for Bynum, it sounds like the verdict is partially in and he's going to miss at least six weeks with a sprained right knee. I will be punting blocks this week (and many more) by starting Andrea Bargnani at center. If Lamar Odom is available in your league, grab him. In addition, this could be good news for Trevor Ariza as well.
Darko Milicic is close to returning and could play this weekend. I honestly have no idea how he'll fit into Lionel Hollins' plans, but the fact that Hollins is excited to get him back is good enough for me. We at least know he'll get some minutes, boards and blocks. And he looks like he could be a decent pick up if you are still reeling from the Bynum news you just read.
Shawn Marion is saying he may decide to grace us with his presence tonight after taking the last couple weeks off with a groin injury. I'm not sure whether to he happy or sad, but I can tell you that I beat Sergio in 30-deep last week even with a big, fat zero from Marion. My team is locked into the playoffs, which I'd say is a pretty amazing feat considering that I took Marion with my first-round pick. I backed him up with Horford and Mike Bibby with the 53rd and 68th picks. Six "world" teams make the playoffs along with six CBS teams. The "world" will be represented by NBA TV's Rick Kamla, ESPN's Eric Karabell, Rotoworld's Matt Stroup (and me), and as of now, Brian Flood and Mike Yam fill out the list of playoff teams. This is the last week of the regular season in that league so the playoffs start next week. As for Marion? I'll start him again in 30-deep and in my daily leagues, but I would not rely on him in a normal-sized weekly lineup league.
Andrew Bogut is back from his back injury and has looked great in limited minutes. His two-game week is almost a blessing, and owners have to just hope he is ready to go for the start of the next week. So far, so good.
Vince Carter says he'll play Tuesday through his tweaked ankle, so I'd go ahead and run him out there. Bobby Simmons is day-to-day with an ab strain, but I'd be surprised if he plays much this week. Ryan Anderson and Jarvis Hayes are probably each going to have a couple of nice lines this week.
Steve Blake's shoulder injury still hasn't gone away and while I think he'll play this week, he may not be reliable enough for fantasy use until after the break.
You can probably cut Beno Udrih if you need to, but I bet he gets hot again at some point. But he really wasn't doing that much lately before going down with another calf injury. Brad Miller is not likely to play tonight which should mean good things for Spencer Hawes. I'm not sure how long Miller will be out, but ab strains are nothing to mess around with and he could miss the whole week (or play over the weekend). Bench Miller, but only use Hawes if you're desperate.
