This article is part of our NBA Waiver Wire series.
GUARD
Gerald Henderson, G, PHI - Henderson returned from a hip injury Friday and produced 18 points, four rebounds, an assist and a block off the bench. He's likely to return to the starting lineup soon and could well be available on the wire at present in shallower formats. He'd scored in double digits in three of the last four games before being sidelined, and can always serve as a serviceable source of scoring, three-pointers and shooting percentage.
T.J. McConnell, G, PHI - McConnell has been very productive in the starting point guard role while Sergio Rodriguez (ankle) has been out over the last three games, averaging 10.7 points, 11.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals on 48.1 percent shooting, and topping out with a nine-point, 17-assist effort against the Celtics on Friday. Furthermore, even if he's relegated back to the bench upon Rodriguez's return, McConnell has proven capable of filling out stat sheets in modest playing time in the past, averaging 6.1 points, 5.6 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals across 23.0 minutes in the prior 13 contests.
Buddy Hield, G, NOP - A hot commodity in many leagues over the first two weeks-plus of the season, Hield likely fell out of favor with many owners during the following 10 games, when he generated single-digit point totals in seven contests and went scoreless in three other games. However, he's turned it around over the last 11 games, posting double-digit scoring in nine of those contests. He's averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.6 steals on 47.4 percent shooting across 27.2 minutes over the last five, despite the fact that Tyreke Evans has returned to the rotation. While Hield's playing time could take a slight hit as Evans starts to receive more run in the coming weeks, the rookie could certainly force the issue by maintaining his current level of play.
Ty Lawson, G, SAC - Lawson has been inserted into the starting lineup alongside Darren Collison on Friday versus the Clippers, and the move paid off for the former's fantasy production. He generated a full stat line of 17 points, six assists, four rebounds and a steal over 37 minutes, which followed a 15-point effort of the bench against the Heat on Wednesday. Lawson also tallied double-digit scoring efforts in five of the prior seven games, and given the success of head coach Dave Joerger's experiment on Friday, Lawson could be enjoying a sizable bump in minutes going forward.
Spencer Dinwiddie, G, BKN - Dinwiddie has started to see some extra run over the last eight games, playing over 20 minutes on three occasions, and enjoying a 32-minute stint against the Pacers on Thursday. He even received a start at point guard against the Cavs on Friday over Isaiah Whitehead, although he only ended up playing 18 minutes in that contest. He's been particularly productive over the last three, averaging 9.0 points (on 56.3 percent shooting), 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks across 21.0 minutes. Dinwiddie can provide a spark off the bench for the often offensively-challenged Nets, and in turn, offer owners some decent production across multiple categories. It remains to be seen how Jeremy Lin's eventual return – as well as rookie Caris LeVert's gradual emergence – will affect Dinwiddie over the longer term, but he shapes up as a serviceable commodity at present.
FORWARD
Doug McDermott, F, CHI - McDermott has been coming on off the Bulls bench, averaging 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.5 steals over the last six games, while posting 51.1 percent shooting and 1.5 made three-pointers per contest. He's been particularly effective from long range during that stretch, as he's shot 47.4 percent from behind the arc. With seven double-digit scoring efforts in the last nine games, McDermott is an indispensable part of the Bulls' second unit, and makes for a very viable pick-up in any format.
Spencer Hawes, F, CHA - Hawes has finally received some solid playing time over the last three games, seeing 24 to 28 minutes. Cody Zeller's continued absence due to a concussion has certainly played a part in the extended opportunity, but to his credit, Hawes is doing enough to potentially force head coach Steve Clifford's hand even when Zeller returns. He's averaged 12.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 blocks and 0.6 steals over that span, with 46.4 and 55.6 percent tallies from the field and three-point range, respectively. Hawes brings the added dimension of proficiency at scoring away from the basket, giving him considerable fantasy value for a bench player if he's able to carve out a consistent swath of playing time.
Nerlens Noel, F, PHI - Noel's future with the Sixers was very much in doubt in early December, when the team floated talk about evaluating him to see if he was a proper fit on their roster. While Philadelphia's long-term plans with him are still anyone's guess, he's seeing a bump in playing time for now and starting to produce with it. The fourth-year big man has played 19-25 minutes in three of the last four games, scoring in double digits twice during that span. He's averaging 9.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.8 steals over the last five contests, and with Jahlil Okafor currently struggling with both his play and a hamstring injury, Noel could be primed for continued opportunity in the foreseeable future.
Mindaugas Kuzminskas, F, NYK - The 27-year-old Lithuanian has emerged over the last four, averaging 11.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks across 16.0 minutes while shooting 56.7 percent from the field and 50.0 percent from three-point range. While he still has capable veteran Lance Thomas ahead of him on the depth chart at small forward, Kuzminskas' ability to quickly generate offense off the bench figures to continue affording him some decent run for the Knicks, particularly as the season unfolds.
CENTER
Jusuf Nurkic, C, DEN - Nurkic was mostly rolling along over the first month of the season, but his playing time started to see some erratic fluctuations beginning right before Thanksgiving. Things appear to be back on the upswing in that regard recently, as he's played 18 to 21 minutes over the last four contests. The 22-year-old has also scored in double digits in two of the last three games while averaging 12.7 points (on 75.0 percent shooting), 6.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.7 blocks. Although Nikola Jokic rightfully garners the majority of press in the Nuggets' frontcourt, Nurkic has proven capable of big returns across multiple categories on many occasions in the past.
Tarik Black, C, LAL - Black has reclaimed the top backup spot at the five behind starter Timofey Mozgov after battling an ankle injury in December and then being held out of the rotation for some games as well. He's taken the floor in the last four contests, playing between 10 and 25 minutes in those games. He excelled against the Heat on Friday, producing a 10-point, 11-rebound double-double, and with Mozgov's minutes often under 30 (with occasional exceptions), Black should see a consistently solid amount of playing time going forward.
Boban Marjanovic, C, DET - Marjanovic exploded for a 15-point, 19-rebound double-double over just 22 minutes against the Hornets on Thursday, and the superb performance could pave the way for some decent playing time going forward. While Aron Baynes' absence with an ankle injury facilitated the extended opportunity for Marjanovic on Thursday, the results could well force head coach Stan Van Gundy to reevaluate the latter's role in the rotation, at least to the degree that he starts to see the floor on a more consistent basis. This is the speculative pick-up of the bunch this week, but one that could pay off in the coming weeks if the 28-year-old starts to see regular playing time off the bench.
