This article is part of our Rebound & Rant series.
Even though I hate Los Angeles, I have to admit the Clippers have received loads of bad luck. And now, with Blake Griffen already out due to a knee injury, Doc Rivers' gang will be without Chris Paul for six to eight weeks. Ugh! Paul tore a ligament in this thumb trying to guard Russell Westbrook. See it happen here:
Yeah, I'd kick a chair, too. (Side note: despite having Paul for only 14 minutes, the Clippers still destroyed the Thunder 120-98. How does that happen?)
This is obviously devastating news for Clippers fans and Paul owners, and it's as good excuse as any to debate up-and-coming point guards. Even if you don't own Paul, you must always maintain a continual hunt for assists. Let's look at some PG options:
Austin Rivers
"Hey, Dad, can I start now?" Rivers is the obvious replacement for Paul in La La Land.
Let's assume Paul's injury forces him to miss seven weeks. Since that will include the All-Star Game, Paul will miss "only" 16 games and return March 1. With most fantasy playoffs starting March 12 or 19, that means Paul owners pretty much need to drop him and focus on making the playoffs. Obviously, if you've got an IR option, use it.
Rivers was already averaging 16.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 made threes per game over his last 10 appearances, getting a nice usage boost with Griffin out. He played 34 minutes per game over that span, so on the downside, his minutes don't have much room to grow. (Insert standard "the Clippers have a terrible bench" joke here). But the offense will now clearly need Rivers to help set up DeAndre Jordan, J.J. Redick, Jamal Crawford and…wait for it, wait for it….
Raymond Felton
Yes, Raymond Freakin' Felton. I know, it's insane, right? Did anyone think he'd recover from the weight gain and the gun charge ? I can't help reposting this from 2012:
Lol wow is he fat RT"@2DaySports: Raymond Felton better get in shape before the season starts pic.twitter.com/tJC9aQpt"
— Mike (@Toms_Son_mp) July 18, 2012
Maybe he's just big boned? Felton was a respectable bench player for Rick Carlisle in Dallas last year, averaging 9.5 points, 3.6 assists, 3.2 boards and 0.8 triples in 27-plus minutes per game, and he has banged out 15 points in each of his last two games. Could he possibly be the new starting small forward, while holding an In-and-Out Burger in his left hand? Coach Rivers can go small with Jordan patrolling the paint. Crazier things have happened.
Everyone who expected the 24-year-old second round rookie to start for Milwaukee, please step forward. Whether Brogdon, Matthew Dellavedova or Giannis Antetokounmpo should be labelled the Bucks' true point guard is debatable, but there is no debating the 5.6 assists per game Brogdon has averaged over his last 10 appearances. Brogdon is owned in only 61 percent of Yahoo leagues, so grab the UVA product while you can.
Tyler Johnson
The Heat are terrible. They'd be crazy not to deal the 30-year-old Goran Dragic and the three-plus years remaining on his contract, especially with 24-year-old Tyler Johnson on the bench and Justise Winslow out for the year. At 12-30, it's time for Miami to plan for the future. Johnson is owned in 69 percent of Yahoo leagues, but he's a nice buy-low fantasy-trade candidate before the real February trade deadline.
John Wall
Obviously, Wall isn't really available in any leagues, but he is a point guard, which is reason enough to show this photo that started the end-of-game tussle at the Garden last Wednesday after the Celtics beat Les Boullez.
T.J. McConnell and Sergio Rodriguez
One of these two should be racking up huge assists, and it's driving me crazy trying to figure out which one. First Rodriguez missed three games and came back slowly from an ankle injury. Then McConnell missed Monday's game due to a wrist ailment. This spot has been mess for three years, made worse by Jerryd Bayless' season-ending left wrist surgery. Both have shooting issues, and McConnell currently has the starting role. But if forced to choose I'll go with Rodriguez's 1.5 made threes per game. The 76ers badly need outside shooting to space things for The Process.
In a side note, I've decided T.J. McConnell is "The Cockroach" because he will just not go away. Say it with me, it's fun..."Embiid with the monster throw down on the lob from THE COCKROACH!!!
J.J. Barea
OK, this is the "super deep leagues" portion of the column, so if you're in a standard league and for some reason still reading this article (wow, thank you!), you can now gracefully exit early. But if you're in a really deep league, remember that Barea was averaging 33 minutes per game in his first nine appearances of the season before getting hurt. The Mavs are atrocious and old and Rick Carlisle has very few options. Deron Williams is having a nice under-the-radar season, but doesn't he feel due for an injury?
Wow, this list of supposed up-and-comers demonstrates why point guard is so important come draft/auction time. Well, passengers, this nutty fantasy train has hit the END OF THE LINE! Please give Felton a hug for me. CHOO-CHOO!!!
P.S. – Ever wonder how they quickly flip stadiums back and forth from hockey to basketball games? Yeah, me too. Well, the Bruins and Celtics recently had a double-header, and here's the cool footage of TD Garden quickly going from hockey to hoops:
