NBA Podcast: Thursday Production Notes

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Published on November 1, 2012

Podcast Notes by James Anderson (@RealJRAnderson) and Kyle McKeown (@RotoWireKyleNBA).

Before we get too deep into all the specifics of the games, we're going to go through some key items that you . . .

Need to know:

James Freaking Harden. In his debut with Rockets, Harden put up a monstrous line of 37 points, six rebounds, 12 assists, four steals, a block, and four three- pointers. Good lord. We said the trade would give him first-round value, but for him to be putting up No. 1 pick numbers is something few were willing to say. If you can trade a big name for this guy, would you do it?
- 44 minutes.
The Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks Thursday game was cancelled.
- Did we fail here James? Should we start checking the weather reports and try to figure out which games might be canceled?
Eric Gordon will be out indefinitely with continued knee soreness. The Hornets want more information on his knee before they allow him to play in a game and risk injuring it further. Both Gordon and the team have been a little cryptic with the injury. GM Dell Demps said he doesn't think Gordon will be out too long, but the team wants to make sure they're covering all the bases. What worries me the most is the fact that Gordon was so noncomittal about his status even as early as the morning of gameday. Not knowing whether or not your body will be ready to play in 12 hours or not tells me there's a lot of maintenance you have to do, and that's scary.
What does this mean for fantasy? Be patient at this time. If you can trade him for something decent, go ahead and do it, but if you drafted him, you likely knew what you were getting into. So, be patient for a couple weeks until we know exactly where this is going.
Anthony Davis had 21 points (6-12 FG, 9-9 FT), seven rebounds, a steal, a block, no turnovers, and no fouls in 29 minutes.
Danilo Gallinari (ankle) sat out Wednesday's game. He went through shootaround but couldn't cut comfortably.
Andrew Bogut (ankle) started at center Wednesday and put up . . . He said after the game that he felt good, and the expectation here should be that he's healthy and ready to play.
Brandon Roy is expected to play an average of 30-32 minutes most nights for the Timberwolves.
Steve Nash was kneed in his lower left leg and was forced to leave with a contusion. He said he plans on playing Friday, and this is good news from the perspective that it explains why he put up such terrible numbers and only played 16 minutes. He put up two points, four rebounds, four assists, and a steal in that time.
Spencer Hawes likes to start the season strong. He is coming off the bench this season, because coach Doug Collins likes to have him beat up on second units from other teams. Hawes put up 16 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals, five blocks, and two three-pointers in 31 minutes.

Wednesday's Games:

Pacers vs Raptors 7:00

David West had 25 points on 12-of-19 shooting but didn't contribute much else. He only had two rebounds and a steal. Good and bad here, but we already know after last year that West isn't going to be a volume rebounder anymore. West did all his damage in 28 minutes. He only averaged 29 mpg last season, and there's little reason to suspect he'll get a bigger load this season. If I owned him in any leagues, I'd be trying to throw him out there and capitalize on this right away.
Paul George had 15 boards, one shy of his career high. He also put up 14 points, five assists, and a block. Five turnovers, too, but the most surprising thing from this box score, to me, was that he didn't attempt any threes and didn't have any steals.
George Hill (hip/thumb) started the game at point and scored the game winner but did little else to speak of. It's great that he was healthy enough to play 33 minutes, but his eight points and seven assists are hopefully just scratching the surface of what he'll offer this season.
Gerald Green will be the starter at small forward while Danny Granger (knee) remains out indefinitely. He struggled, but he should provide decent value in points and threes.
Kyle Lowry had a fantastic stat line, 21 points, seven boards, eight assists, five steals and two three-pointers in 36 minutes.
Jose Calderon played 26 minutes, so they must have had them both on the floor together at times. It seems Calderon was playing off the ball as he finished with just three assists and took six shots from deep, converting three of them.
Valanciunas started off strong, but it appears foul trouble may have resulted in him playing less as the game progressed. He still finished with a great line of 12 points, 10 rebounds, and a block 23 minutes. If he's still sitting on the waiver wire in your league, and your league is 10 teams or deeper, go find a way to pick him up. Do a two-for-one trade to clear space if you have to. He should be a nightly double-double with over a block a game.
Bargnani (flu) started at power forward and put up 16 points (4-15 FG), three rebounds, and three blocks. He had missed the last two days of practice, but he was able to play Wednesday. The blocks are nice, but after Bargnani averaged just 0.5 and 0.7 in the last two seasons, it's not a stat I think we can count on him to provide consistently.
Linas Kleiza was a DNP-CD.
and Terrence Ross only played six minutes despite DeMar DeRozan only playing 28 minutes.

Nuggets vs Sixers 7:00

Timofey Mozgov (left knee strain) sat out Wednesday's game. He injured the knee in Tuesday's practice when another player fell into his knee. Consider him day-to-day.
Jordan Hamilton started in place of Galo. He put up four points, six rebounds, two assists in 13 minutes
Kosta Koufos took just three shots, but gathered nine boards, one steal and one block in 30 minutes, while JaVale McGee had four points, seven boards and three blocks in 18 minutes
Jrue and Evan.
Dorrel and Nick.

Rockets vs Pistons 7:30

Jeremy Lin finished with 12 points, four rebounds, eight assists, four steals, a three-pointer, and four turnovers in 35 minutes.
Omer Asik put up 12 points, nine rebounds, a steal, and two blocks in 33 minutes.
Patrick Patterson sat out with the quad injury that has limited him lately.
- Marcus Morris (ankle) started in Patterson's place at power foward.
- Terrence Jones didn't get in the game, and neither did Donatas Motiejunas or Royce White. No rookies rule?
- Greg Smith . . . this is where you say, "Who?" put up 10 points, five rebounds, and two steals in 17 minutes off the bench.
Pistons were Jeckyl and Hyde. It's nice to see their starters getting around 35 minutes after everyone averaging only around 30 last season, and if that continues, all the main guys should see increased production as a result.

Kings vs Bulls 8:00

Kirk Hinrich (groin) started Wednesday's game and dished out seven assists but scored just three points.
Joakim Noah had a monster night, scoring 23 points on 50 percent shooting with 10 boards, five steals, three blocks and three assists in 40 minutes.
Rip Hamilton scored 19 points (7-16 FG) and added three assists and two steals in 31 minutes.
Tyreke Evans had a team-high 21 points (8-13 FG) and eight rebounds and three assists with a block.
DeMarcus Cousins had 14 points, seven boards, three steals and two blocks, but played just 25 minutes (four fouls, seven turnovers).
Isaiah Thomas (25 minutes) and Aaron Brooks (23 minutes) combine for just two assists and 17 points.
Marcus Thornton came off the bench and struggled with his shot, but still scored 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting in 32 minutes.

Spurs vs Hornets 8:00

Austin Rivers (ankle) started at shooting guard in place of Eric Gordon. He struggled with his shot and said he was thinking too much in the first half. Realistically, it's probably going to take him some time to fit in. Rivers is used to having the ball in his hands.
Al-Farouq Aminu won the starting small forward job earlier this week, and he took advantage of the promotion by putting up . . .
Greivis Vasquez doled out 13 assists in 38 minutes. He had six double-digit assist games last season.
Ryan Anderson had 11 points, five rebounds, and one three-pointer in 29 minutes.
Jason Smith (shoulder) was cleared to play Wednesday. Smith had back and shoulder injuries this preseason that he had to overcome. He played 17 minutes and put up . . . Probably the biggest impact he'll have in fantasy is in limiting Robin Lopez' minutes.
Tim Duncan put up 24 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and fie turnovers in 34 minutes.
Kwahi Leonard put up 19 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and five steals in 34 minutes.
Pop gave all of his starters 30 minutes.
DeJuan Blair and rookie Nando De Colo were DNP-CDs.

Mavs vs Jazz 9:00

Marvin Williams had a game-high 21 points (7-13 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT) but didn't contribute much elsewhere
Mo Williams came to play in his first game with the Jazz, scoring 21 points (7-16 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 5-5 FT) to go with six dimes, two boards, two steals and two blocks in 30 minutes Wednesday.
Paul Millsap had a slow night offensively (13 points on 5-of-12 shooting) but corralled 15 boards, including eight offensive rebounds
Al Jefferson grabbed 14 boards to go along with his 12 points (4-11 FG, 4-4 FT), two assists and three steals
Gordon Hayward only played 23 minutes. Chalk that up to the game being a blowout in the second half.
Favors and Kanter continue to provide solid per-minute production off the bench, but until Millsap and Jefferson set sail, these young kids are unlikely to be of use in most standard leagues.
Darren Collison continues to look like the Mavericks' best offseason acquisition, scoring 17 points on 50 percent shooting for the second game in a row and dishing seven assists.
Wright was once again solid in his temporary starting role for the Mavs, scoring 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting. He's 12-of-13 from the field through two games.
O.J. Mayo struggled with his shot and wasn't as aggressive on offense as we expect him to be, but he still had 12 points, three three-pointers, four rebounds, and three assists. Great all-around production.

Warriors vs Suns 10:00

Andrew Bogut (ankle) got the start at center in his debut for the Warriors and scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting to go with six boards
David Lee had an atrocious shooting night Wednesday, scoring six points on 2-of-16 shooting to go with nine rebounds
Carl Landry of all people led the Warriors in scoring in the season opener Wednesday, tallying 17 points (7-9 FG, 3-4 FT) and adding six boards in 23 minutes
Stephen Curry (ankle) struggled offensively Wednesday, scoring just five points (2-14 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 1-3 FT) and adding just three assists in 30 minutes.
Harrison Barnes got the start Wednesday in his first regular season game, but played just 14 minutes and scored six points (2-5 FG, 2-2 FT) to go with three boards and an assist
Brandon Rush scored 14 points (6-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-3 FT) in 24 minutes off the bench
Goran Dragic contributed across the board Wednesday in his debut for the Suns, scoring 17 points (4-12 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 8-10 FT) to go with six boards, eight assists, three steals and one block
Luis Scola had 15 points (7-13 FG, 1-2 3Pt), 11 rebounds, one assist, three steals and three blocks in 32 minutes Wednesday in his first game with the Suns.
Marcin Gortat barely missed a double-double Wednesday scoring 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting and adding nine boards while dominating on defense with five blocked shots in 34 minutes.
Michael Beasley struggled with his shot and played only 22 minutes. Don't overreact. He will get it going. P.J. Tucker will not play 23 minutes ever again.

Grizzlies vs Clippers 10:30

Lamar Odom (foot) played Wednesday and was very productive, especially on defense, grabbing six boards to go with two steals and four blocks in 17 minutes off the bench.
Jamal Crawford had 29 points (10-14 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 6-8 FT), two rebounds, one assist and one steal in 30 minutes off the bench
Eric Bledsoe tallied 13 points (5-8 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds and four assists in just 17 minutes off the bench
Chris Paul had 12 points (4-10 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 12 assists, four rebounds and four steals in 34 minutes
Zach Randolph had a very impressive 15-point/16-rebound double double on 5-of-15 shooting in 40 minutes
Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 25 points (11-21 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT) and added seven boards, three assists, two steals and one block in 38 minutes

Lakers vs Trail Blazers 10:30

Nicolas Batum had a fantastic start to the season Wednesday, scoring a team-high 26 points (9-16 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 5-7 FT) to go with six boards, one assist, three steals and one block in 40 minutes.
Damian Lillard was better than advertised on Wednesday, scoring 23 points (7-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 8-8 FT) to go with 11 assists, three rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes in his pro debut.
Wesley Matthews was very productive and efficient Wednesday, scoring 22 points (7-11 FG, 4-6 3Pt, 4-6 FT) to go with two boards, two assists and four steals in 37 minutes in the season opener.
J.J. Hickson had a 13-point/10-rebound double-double, shooting 5-of-10 from the floor and adding two blocks and a steal in 25 minutes Wednesday.
Myers Leonard played 23 minutes. He only posted four points and three rebounds, but the fact he's getting that many minutes shows the team wants him to develop, thought some of that run may have been with Hickson in foul trouble.
Ronnie Price (ankle) did not play. He's the third point guard. Yawn.
Dwight Howard was dominant Wednesday, dropping 33 points (9-15 FG, 15-19 FT) and grabbing 14 boards to go with five assists, one steal and one block in 41 minutes.
Bryant scored 30 points (10-20 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 6-7 FT) and grabbed six boards to go with three assists in 38 minutes Wednesday. He said his foot bruise was very sore after back-to-backs, but he said he'll continue to play through it.

News, Injuries, and Other Junk

Kevin Seraphin is expected to return from his strained calf injury within the next week. He has been sidelined the last couple weeks. If Trevor Booker continues to struggle, and Nene is still out with the plantar fasciitis injury, we could see Seraphin get some good run. I like Seraphin's long-term potential. If he and Okafor are healthy, I think there's a chance Seraphin could challenge Okafor for the starting job at center.
Dante Cunningham is expected to start at power forward in place of Kevin Love, not Derrick Williams. Ultimately, we'll probably see the Timberwolves use a timeshare at the position. People were investing pretty highly in Derrick Williams stock after K-Love's injury was announced, but if Williams doesn't get 28- or more minutes a night, it'll be hard for him to be worth owning in most leagues. Potential can't payoff without minutes.
Tony Parker said that he thinks Manu Ginobili (back) will play Thursday. This is nice to hear, but until we hear from Manu or Pop, it doesn't mean a whole lot.
John Salmons is away from the Kings for personal reasons. We don't expect him to have a significant role on the Kings this season, so this is really only a concern for ultra deep leagues.

Today's Lesson:
Lots of games makes for a long podcast.

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