Fantasy Related But Great Info.........
Give It A Rest, Nellie
More Drama In Nellie-land
Monta Ellis looked pretty good before being benched for the entire fourth quarter of Wednesday's win over New Jersey and said his ankle was feeling pretty good. After the game, Don Nelson went out of his way to squash any optimism anyone was feeling about the return of Ellis, saying:
"Monta complained three different times that he had soreness in his ankle. So he missed five games or some number of games and then he was supposed to see a doctor and come back. Then he went to visit his mother. I don't know what's happened. That's fact. There was pain in his ankle or stiffness or something. Or he would have continued to play, would he not?"
Who knows, Nellie? You make the calls, not Monta. Nelson went on to say that Ellis looked "all right," "OK," and a "little rusty." As usual, I have no idea what Nellie's point was here, and then he went on to praise
Jamal Crawford for the job he did running the point in the fourth quarter (after saying that he would be forced to opt out or be traded this summer, and that Ellis would play exclusively at point guard the rest of the way). I don't really even know what my own point is here, as Nellie has me as confused as ever, but it's just another example of why we should take everything that Nellie says (and I mean
everything) with a grain of salt. I guess this means Ellis is questionable for tonight's game against the Mavericks, but I'd be very surprised if he doesn't play. Wait a minute…No I wouldn't. It also sounds like Nellie may be laying the groundwork for Ellis to be shut down for the year. We'll see.
Brandan Wright, who hasn't played since Jan. 7, could return from a shoulder injury tonight.
Stephen Jackson was limited at yesterday's practice with a toe injury, but should play against the Mavs, while
Marco Belinelli is questionable with a toe injury, but was able to practice yesterday.
Surely, You Can't Be Serious
I don't know where
J-Rich's attempt at a 360 dunk to tie last night's game in the fourth-quarter ranks on the list of stupidest things I've ever seen in the NBA, but it has to be somewhere near the top. In case you missed it, J-Rich appeared to be all alone with about eight minutes remaining in Thursday's loss to the Cavaliers, so he decided to throw down a 360-dunk in an effort to ignite the crowd and tie the score. However,
LeBron James never gave up on the play and basically came out of nowhere to swat the shot away in what has to be one of the most embarrassing things Richardson has ever done. So instead of tying the game with a layup or regular ol' dunk, the Cavs turn around and bury a 3-pointer at the other end to make it a five-point game. And to top it off, Richardson, incensed at the no-call (LeBron did appear to hit his wrist), picked up a technical to make it a six-point game. The Cavs never looked back, and I'm afraid this one falls on the shoulders of Richardson.
He was thinking he'd fire up the crowd with an emphatic jam, but he should have been thinking about tying the game instead. I mean, how many times have you seen a 360 dunk get blocked? It just doesn't happen. And yes, Richardson was probably fouled, but didn't really deserve the call. Props to LeBron for the crazy hustle and fun defensive play. Onto the news and notes.
News and Notes
Three Is The Magic Number
LeBron finished last night's game with 34 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, three steals and three blocks, good for his third straight triple-double. Rick Kamla ripped LeBron a new one in this week's fantasy show on Monday, saying that he rarely answers the call in big games. I'm not sure that these three have necessarily met the criteria to be considered "big," but LeBron may have gotten mad enough to show us all what he can do. In addition, he has to be feeling some D-Wade heat in the MVP race, which may have played a part in the recent explosion as well.
Mo Williams, who torched the Suns for 44 points in their last meeting, had 30 points, five boards, three dimes, two steals and six 3-pointers last night, while
Sasha Pavlovic chipped in with 16 points and three 3-pointers of his own. Pavlovic could be on the verge of getting hot, as
Delonte West went to the bench with a back injury. As if losing West wasn't bad enough, he had seven turnovers and just six points before leaving. West has been hugely disappointing since breaking his wrist, averaging just nine points, four boards, two assists, two steals and a 3-pointer in seven March games since returning from the wrist injury. I got an email from Chapin this morning asking me to rip West for ruining his fantasy season, but I'm not sure how mad we can be at the guy for getting hurt on a hustle play and trying like hell to return as soon as possible and contribute. But if you've been holding West all this time, his latest back injury could be what you need to let him loose. But as of now, he's simply listed as day-to-day. If West is going to miss time, Pavlovic might be worth grabbing.
For the Suns, they might have won the game had Shaquille O'Neal not fouled out with a ton of time still on the clock.
Steve Nash finished with 20 points and six assists, marking the seventh straight game he's scored at least 20 points. And that's the longest stretch of his career.
Matt Barnes, who I was very high on in the preseason, scored 21 and is definitely hot right now. Better late than never, I guess.
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Odom Double-Doubles In Return
Lamar Odom had 12 points, 10 boards and a couple blocks in his return from suspension as the Lakers beat the Spurs last night.
Trevor Ariza is now in the starting lineup and could stay there all season. He scored 10 last night, but, as usual, is a guy you'll want to keep a close eye on.
Michael Finley led the Spurs with a season-high 25 points and
Drew Gooden made his Spurs' debut, finishing with two points and four boards in three minutes. He could end up with a little value by the end of the year, but I seen no reason to rush out and pick him up in normal-sized leagues.
The Return?
Rajon Rondo said earlier today that he's playing tonight. I haven't heard Doc Rivers say as much, and it's fishy because Rondo had originally been ruled out for tonight with his sprained right ankle. Anyway, it sounds like he'll play, while
Kevin Garnett and
Glen Davis have no shot at playing tonight.
Return of the Kings
Kevin Martin is expected to play tonight after leaving his last game early with an ankle injury, while
Spencer Hawes is also expected to play through his knee injury.
Beno Udrih (foot) is working out again, but isn't likely to play until he gets a full practice in.
Lil' Nate To Start?
Nate Robinson could end up starting at point guard for the Knicks if
Chris Duhon's back and ankle injuries continue to limit him. Duhon was completely ineffective in his last game and could be ready to take a game or two off. If it happens, Nate should start at point guard, although Mike D'Antoni isn't thrilled with the prospect of Nate being a facilitator instead of instant offense off the bench. But you have to think Robinson would have even more potential for big lines if he was in the starting five.
Foye Should Be Back
Randy Foye is expected to return to action from a sprained ankle tonight, although Kevin McHale said he wouldn't know for sure until after tonight's shootaround.
Granger A Go?
All indications are that
Danny Granger will try to play tonight against the Hawks after missing 10 games with a foot injury. The good news is that the time off has given his knee time to heal, but he's still a "shut-down" candidate once the Pacers are eliminated from the playoff hunt. If Granger can't go tonight, he's expected back for Sunday at Toronto.
With the return of Granger,
Marquis Daniels is expected to go back to the bench. However, coach Jim O'Brien has said that he'll still continue to get heavy minutes even if he's not starting. We'll see.
Turk Still Iffy
Hedo Turkoglu is questionable for Friday at Washington due to his Achilles' injury. The bad news is that the Magic are playing the hapless Wizards and shouldn't need Turkoglu. The Wizards have just 15 wins and are competing with the Clippers (15 wins) and Kings (14 wins) for the league's worst record. If I was Stan Van Gundy, I'd give Turk the night off and hope that he's ready to go for Sunday at home against the Jazz, when they might actually need him.
Shut Down Candidates
Marvin Williams will not have back surgery, but is expected to miss about four weeks (at least) and may not play in another regular-season game for the Hawks. Cut him.
Mavs' forward
Josh Howard is seeking opinions on his left ankle injury and could miss the rest of this month. Then again, he could play again at some point, so I would just bench him until we get more information.
Kenyon Martin could possibly play Saturday through his back injury, but there is also talk from George Karl that K-Mart could miss a significant amount of time with the injury. I would not start him right now and owners can consider dropping him. We'll have to see what happens Saturday, but if you can pick up a hot free agent for him, it probably makes sense.
There are 11 games tonight, which is Friday the 13th. Are you superstitious?
</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=subHead vAlign=top colSpan=3>Lebron a same-day decision for Fri vs. Kings </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD class=vaLabel colSpan=3>LeBron James - F - CLE - Mar. 13 </TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=3>Lebron James, who briefly stayed on the floor after a collision with Grant Hill on Thursday, told Craig Sager of TNT in his post-game interview that he would see how his leg felt Friday before determining his availability.
