NBA Blogcast: Tuesday Production Notes

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Published on November 6, 2012

Blogcast notes by Eric Caturia (@ETCat30) and Kyle McKeown (@RotoWireKyleNBA).

Gerald Wallace sat out Monday's game with a sprained ankle and is questionable for Wednesday's game.
Keith Bogans started in his place.
Spencer Hawes is who we thought he was. After putting up a dominant stat line in his first game, he's been mediocre in the Sixers' last two games. If there's one saving grace here, it's that the Knicks and Sixers played a b-2-b set against each other. Maybe he just sucks against this Knicks lineup. Hold onto him for at least one more game before making a move.
J.J. Barea (concussion) was able to return to the lineup, and if there's a corresponding note here that might give fantasy players some hope; it appears players can return from a concussion and pass the necessary tests in quick order. This code bode well from Anthony Davis' status for the Hornets' two games this week. That's purely conjecture, but it may happen. Barea played 30 minutes, putting up six points, three rebounds, and six assists off the bench.
Andrei Kirilenko continues to impress in these early games. He's averaging 14.3 points, 7.7. rebounds, 4.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 three-pointers, and 2.7 blocks in 31 mpg. Congrats if you grabbed him in drafts this season, just don't be surprised if the T-Wolves limit his minutes more as the season wears on and the team gets healthy.
Only owned in 73|PERCENT| of Yahoo leagues. Don't let him sit out there. Go grab him.
Goran Dragic is averaging 14.3 points, 8.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 three-pointers in 34 minutes per game. He's shooting just 40|PERCENT| from the field and 75|PERCENT| from the line. Over his last three season, he's shot 45|PERCENT| from the field, and he shot 81|PERCENT| from the line last season. I'm considering him a buy-low candidate right now, are you?
Kris Humphries has only played 23 minutes in each of the Nets' first two games, and this is right in line with how the team used him in the preseason. If you have him on your teams, I suppose you can wait one more game, but realistically, I think he's going to be the most dropped player in the next week. Either try and trade him or go grab a guy that is getting minutes and deserves to be on your team. If Hump can't crack 30 minutes with Gerald Wallace sitting out, I don't know how he'll do it with Crash healthy, even if he does continue to start.
Deron Williams (bone spurs in his ankle) played 38 minutes and put up 18 points, 14 assists. He's looking good. Ride this horse. If you're worried about his bone spurs, I wouldn't be. The Nets are playing him 38 minutes. They'd limit him if it was an issue.
Manu Ginobili (back) played again Monday. He's still getting limited minutes, but he's playing. Ginobili put up three points, two rebounds, and seven assists. The Spurs blew out the Pacers.
Dion Waiters went off for 28 points (10-17 FG, 7-11 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, and an assist. Currently owned in 66|PERCENT| of Yahoo leagues. He's averaging 16.3 points and 2.8 three-pointers in 29 minutes through four games. We may not see him have another night like Monday all season, but it shows his potential. Don't let this kid sit on waivers. Go grab him.
Blake Griffin has a burst bursa sac in his right elbow, but he plans to play through the pain of the minor injury.

O.J. Mayo tickled the twine yet again, scoring 32 points (12-18 FG, 2-2 FT) on the backs of six three-pointers in 39 minutes, as Dallas pulled away from Portland in a 114-91 victory. He also recorded two rebounds, two steals, one assist, and one block.
Mayo has drained 13-of-18 over the past two games, which is unsustainable, but he appears to be the real deal with the Mavericks lacking scoring due to Dirk's absence.
Shawn Marion posted eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal in 24 minutes before sustaining a left knee sprain and leaving the game for good. The severity of the injury was not yet known, but coach Rick Carlisle said that Marion would be checked out Tuesday to determine the true nature of the injury.
Gerald Green moved to the bench in favor of Sam Young starting at small forward. We see how this worked out. Young played 16 minutes and was largely absent in the box score. Green played 26 minutes and nearly put up a double-double.

Stephen Curry had a poor shooting night, accumulating just 12 points (3-15 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 4-5 FT) during Golden State's tight loss at Sacramento. However, he recorded eight assists (versus three turnovers), six rebounds, and one steal in 39 minutes.
Overall, he's averaging 16.5 points on 32.3 percent from the field, 34.4 percent (10-of-29) from beyond the arc, and 73.7 percent at the free-throw line. These are all well below his career 47.1/43.9/89.5 splits.

Monday's Games:
Knicks vs Sixers - 7:00

JR Smith had another great game against the Sixers on Monday, and he's averaging 15 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2.7 threes in 34 minutes per game. He's owned in just 83|PERCENT| of Yahoo leagues and 97|PERCENT| of ESPN leagues.
Ronnie Brewer had a double-double Monday. Good for him, but that's not typical for him. Stay away. His career per-36 rebound numbers is 4.4. 10 is an outlier.
Pablo Prigioni, the Argentine 35-year-old rookie, put up 11 points, six assists, two steals, and a three in 25 minutes Monday. He was given extra run with the game out of hand as early as the third quarter. It's great to see him making the transition from the foreign game, and if the old Knicks fall prey to injuries, he could have some deep league value at certain times this year.
Kwame Brown returned to the Sixers lineup after missing the last couple weeks with a calf strain, and then he left the lineup after 10 minutes of action with a calf strain. He's hardly of use when he's healthy, so we're avoiding him like the plague.
Dorell Wright moved into the starting lineup with Evan Turner shifting to the two guard spot and Jason Richardson (ankle) sitting out the game. He put up 14 points, nine rebounds, an assist, a block, and two three-pointers in 34 minutes. Wright is getting some minutes at power forward in smaller lineups, and it seems to be helping his rebounding. He won't likely keep rebounding at a rate of 9.4 per-36, but he could average more than his career rebound rate of 6.0 per-36.

T-Wolves vs Nets - 7:30

Brandon Roy redeemed himself a little Monday after Sunday's stinker. He put up six points (3-7 FG, 0-2 3Pt), two rebounds, and seven assists in 29 minutes.
We told you not to worry about Nikola Pekovic, and he went out Monday to put up 21 points (9-15 FG, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds (six of those offensive), an assist, a steal, and two blocks in 26 minutes. Those lower minutes may have been due to him having four fouls.
Derrick Williams and Dante Cunningham continue to split the minutes at power forward, so it's going to be a game-to-game thing as far as who is relevant in fantasy. Both player's per-minute stats are pretty good, but neither will be a consistent option in standard leagues as long as they're stuck in a timeshare.
Chase Budinger scored 16 points off the bench in 26 minutes, but if he's only going to get about 20 mpg this season, he won't be consistent enough to rely on in standard leagues.
Rookie guard Alexey Shved is interesting from the perspective that the team has Ricky Rubio sidelined for at least another month and a half and Brandon Roy's health and effectiveness is going to be highly scrutinized. Shved put up 10 points, two rebounds, three assists, a steal, and two three-pointers. He's struggled with his shot, but he's shown flashes of why people are excited about his potential. Definitely put him on your watch lists.
Joe Johnson hit three triples in Monday's game, and this is where I think he can define himself this season.

Suns vs Heat - 7:30

The Suns were blownout by the Heat in this game, so we can't read too much into the numbers. If you have any of these guys on the Suns, I'd just relax and be patient with them. The one guy I'd think about moving is Jared Dudley. He may never be aggressive enough on offense to be a reliable fantasy option from night to night.
General note about this team:
Dragic said they are going to be slowing things down and not running a lot.
Jermaine O'Neal left the team Monday to attend to a family matter and will not be with the team Wednesday, either.
With a lack of size at center behind Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris and Michael Beasley saw some minutes at center Monday. This won't likely happen a lot, but it should ensure Morris some extra minutes in some games.
In the same vein, I don't think we can take a lot from the Heat side of this box score other than to raise the roof for Ray Allen. Dude is ballin. Gettin' his buckets, shuckin', and groovin'.

Jazz vs Grizzlies - 8:00

Paul Millsap tallied 14 points on 5-of-10 from the field, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, and 2-for-2 at the foul line as Utah lost at Memphis. The missed trey was his first on the season - he's knocked down 5-of-6 from deep over four games. He also added eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks in 33 minutes. Averages: 13.7 pts, 9.7 reb, 2.5 ast. 1.7 blk, 1.3 stl, 1.3 3pt in 30.5 min.
Derrick Favors was effective in 26 minutes off the bench, posting 14 points (6-12 FG, 2-4 FT), eight rebounds, three steals, one block, and one assist in Utah's defeat at Memphis. He shot 6-of-12 overall in the first three contests. Now averaging: 7.5 pts, 7.3 reb, 1.5 blk, 1.0 stl in 22.5 min.
Zach Randolph was a beast on the glass, grabbing 18 (nine offensive) en route to a double-double during Memphis' victory over Utah. He totaled 15 points (8-19 FG) to go with one assist and one steal in 38 minutes.Not a bad stat line for starting the game 0-for-6 from the field. Averages: 15.3 pts (on 40.9 percent), 16 reb, 1.3 ast, 1.0 stl in 38 min/game.
Marc Gasol just missed a triple-double, recording 22 points (6-11 FG, 10-10 FT), eight rebounds, and eight assists in 36 minutes as Memphis knocked off Utah. He also swatted three shots. On the year, he's averaging 21 pts (on 56.8 percent), 7.0 reb, 6.0 ast, 1.7 blk in 37.3 min. Furthermore, he's hit 21-of-22 free throws so far, drawing 7.3 freebies per tilt.

Trail Blazers vs Mavs - 8:30

Damian Lillard endured his first subpar effort of the season, scoring 13 points on 2-of-13 from the field, including 1-for-8 from beyond the arc, and 8-of-8 at the charity stripe, as Portland failed to stick with Dallas. He also dished out five assists (versus one turnover), pulled down three rebounds, and picked up a steal in 33 minutes of action.
As he did on occasion in the preseason, he picked up two early fouls, which may have kept his natural aggressiveness at bay, despite no fouls the remainder of the game. To date, he's posted five-plus assists and hit at least one trey in all four tilts this season.
Nicolas Batum continues to be hit-or-miss, especially from three-point land, as he missed all five attempts during Portland's defeat at Dallas. He posted 14 points (6-13 FG), five rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. On the year, he's drained three, one, four, and zero treys over the first four contests, shooting a mere 32.0 percent from deep - last season, 39.1 percent; career, 37.1 percent.
Wesley Matthews drained three three-pointers en route to 20 points (8-15 FG, 1-3 FT) as Portland faltered in defeat at Dallas. He also had three rebounds, one steal, and five turnovers. No matter, he's producing across the board in the 2012-13 season, averaging 18.7 points (on 45.8 percent), 3.3 treys, 3.3 boards, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 assists in 37.5 minutes.
Leonard pulled down a career-high nine rebounds in 23 reserve minutes in Portland's loss in Dallas. He also scored a career-best six points (3-7 FG) to go with one assist and one block.
While his play has been sporadic this season, it was nice for him to show a nose for rebounds, which the Blazers lack somewhat as the 17th ranked team in the NBA (42.3 boards per game) and the sixth ranked squad in rebound differential (minus-7.0) entering Monday night. Leonard's performance helped the team win the rebounding battle, 48-37.
Collison tallied his second consecutive double-double with 14 points (5-8 FG, 4-5 FT) and 13 dimes in 34 minutes as Dallas poured it on against Portland.
He has increased his assists in each of his four games with the Mavs (4 to 7 to 10 to 13), while shooting better than 50 percent from the floor and nabbing a swipe in every contest.
Chris Kaman has scored 16 points in each of his two tilts this season. So far, he' shot 8-of-9 and 8-of-10 from the field, while playing 20 and 24 minutes, respectively. (Minutes restriction...)

Pacers vs Spurs - 8:30

David West recorded his second double-double in a row with 10 points (4-9 FG, 2-2 FT) and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes as Indiana was blown out of the water at San Antonio. After his 18-rebound performance Saturday, this was nice to see, but he's been quite inconsistent outside of scoring in double figures in all four games en route to 16.7 points per contest.
DeJuan Blair notched a double-double -- 14 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes -- in his first significant run of the season as San Antonio dominated Indiana. He also tallied four assists and two steals, but considering he's had two DNPs, while seeing the court for 11 minutes in the Spurs other outing, fantasy owners shouldn't not run to the waiver wire and snatch him up.
Best thing from this game, even in a blowout, and with him having a terrible statistical game, Paul George played 40 minutes.

Warriors vs Kings - 10:00

Klay Thompson had his highest scoring output of the season, racking up 22 points (7-17 FG, 3-9 3Pt, 5-6 FT) to go with seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 39 minutes as Golden State lost in Sacramento. Averages so far: 16.5 pts (on 38.3 percent), 6.5 reb, 3 ast, 2.5 3Pt, and 1.0 stl in 34.8 min over four games.
Wait, Carl Landry fell back to earth: six points (2-4 FG, 2-2 FT) and six rebounds in 20 reserve minutes. This after averaging 20.0 points (on 65.7 percent shooting), 11.7 field goal attempts, and 7.3 rebounds in 26.3 minutes over the first three games.
Harrison Barnes played 30 minutes. He's still a bit player in the offense, but the more he plays, the more we'll see him establish a bigger role on the team.
DeMarcus Cousins posted a dominating double-double, scoring 23 points (10-16 FG, 3-5 FT) and 15 rebounds (five offensive) in 34 minutes, during Sacramento's close win over Golden State. He also picked up two blocks, two steals, and one assist, versus three turnovers.
He appears to be rounding into form after averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 boards in 25.0 minutes in the first two contests. Further, he's averaging 2.3 swipes and 1.3 swats over the first four games.
Tyreke Evans earned 29 minutes, but failed to produce - three points (1-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), three rebounds, and two assists, versus two turnovers, along with three fouls.
Here are his point totals to start the season: 21 - 6 - 14 - 3, as he's hit 33.3 percent from the field in 35.5 minutes per game.

Cavs vs Clippers - 10:30

Tyler Zeller took an elbow to the face from DeAndre Jordan. He was down for a few moments but was able to walk off the court. The team took X-rays. His brain is now a fried egg, but they confirmed that he doesn't have any facial fractures. Zeller will be reevaluated Tuesday, probably to see if he remembers who he is. Before Zeller left the game, he was having a great night, putting up 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 24 mintues.
Tristan Thompson is going to be inconsistent. It's who he is right now. I'm OK dropping him in a lot of leagues. He played 32 minutes, so that's still great, but he went 0-of-6 from the field, put up eight rebounds, and added three steals and a block. That's really not that bad for fantasy, but I understand if owners are getting frustrated with him.
It'll be interesting to see if Zeller (if healthy) will start to push into Thompson's minutes and threaten to take the starting job. I think we're a long ways off there, but I might flag Zeller on my watch lists now.
Varejao was Varejao. 15 and 15. Congrats again.
Eric Bledsoe played 26 minutes and put up 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals, and a block. He's a player to watch very closely. If he gets consistent minutes, he could be a breakout player in fantasy. Unfortunately, it's unlikely to happen on a healthy Clippers team that is still awaiting the return of Chauncey Billups and Grant Hill.