As far as I can tell, it's already 2015 in Australia. That's how a stateside bloke such as myself draws the short straw on Box Score Breakdown duty. In exchange, Josh Lloyd promised to work Memorial Day and Independence Day on my behalf. Now that's how you pull off a two-for-one deal.

JAZZ HANDS ON DECK

Alec Burks will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. He was averaging 13.9 points on 11.1 attempts in 33.3 minutes per game while carrying a 21 percent usage rate. His replacement in the starting lineup, rookie Rodney Hood, is a catch-and-shoot specialist, the antithesis of Burks. With that in mind, let's look at how the key parts function without him:

Usage Rate without Alec Burks

1. Gordon Hayward: 29% (up 5.4 percent)
2. Enes Kanter: 26.8% (up 1.6 percent)
3. Trey Burke: 21.3% (up 0.8 percent)
4. Derrick Favors: 21.3% (down 2.9 percent)

Hayward's usage increases towards top-10 levels, so he'll shoulder more of the offensive load the rest of the season. Burke will also have more assist opportunities. Dante Exum will see an uptick in minutes, but he's still a 19-year-old rookie finding his way. He's a solid finisher at the rim, neutralized by his erratic jump shot. Over his last 10 games, Exum has been averaging 1.9 assists in 19.3 minutes per game, and as a team, the Jazz are averaging the third fewest assists per game (19.4) in the last ten. Removing Burks, a team-high 38 percent three-point shooter, from the equation doesn't bode well for the team's assist totals. If you weren't willing to wait on Marcus Smart, then don't worry about Exum. Hood is going to shoot when applicable. 56 percent of his shots this season have been from behind the three-point line, and 76 percent of his made baskets have been assisted, the highest mark on the team.

Last night, Hood played 19 minutes and picked up five fouls. The Jazz bench scored a combined 15 points against the second worst defense in the league, the Timberwolves. Burke scored a season-high 26 points (10-21 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 3-4 FT) and leads the team with 5.3 assists per game in the past three games which Burks sat. The second-year point guard is owned in 66 percent of Yahoo! leagues and 38 percent of ESPN leagues. If you can shoulder the detrimental field goal percentage, Burke could become a decent pickup who stays on your roster the rest of the season.

BIG WEIRD AL 

Al Jefferson will miss at least four weeks (13 games) because of a strained adductor muscle. The Hornets play six games in the first 10 days of January, followed by eight games over the final 21 days. Truth of the matter is, the timeline falls two weeks shy of the All-Star break. One setback could push him out until February 21st. If Jefferson sits all the way through the All-Star break, he'll miss 20 games over 52 days.

The Hornets are the only team to play a maximum 18 games during the extended fantasy head-to-head playoffs (Week 21-25). Jefferson is a hold in most cases. He'll miss five weeks worth of matchups. The fantasy playoffs are 10 weeks away. If your team can't survive the deadweight, you'll need to look elsewhere. However, his end-of-season's worth in head-to-head leagues deems him a hold or trade for, dependent on your situation.

Kemba Walker's usage rate without Jefferson on the court is 33.7 percent, similar to Russell Westbrook's number with Kevin Durant on the court. This is his team now, especially with Lance Stephenson (pelvis) in the wind. Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo will attempt to fill Jefferson's shoes. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist can play some power forward but only in the right matchup, spelling Marvin Williams if coach Clifford shifts Zeller to center and promotes Williams back to the starting lineup. Jason Maxiell can soak up frontcourt minutes, but you're looking at a wasteland. Gary Neal will be needed more than ever. His offensive prowess should help alleviate the Jefferson loss, and Neal's 26.7 percent usage rate without Jefferson can attest to that assertion. He's a flier candidate if you're looking for offense in deeper leagues.

HOSPITAL WARD

Kevin Love shot 1-of-8 from the field and left the game early because of back spasms. The Cavaliers travel back home to take on the Bucks, followed by a day off. He suffered a similar injury in the past and didn't miss any time, so he claims. We'll just have to wait for the injury update later today. An extended absence won't be terrible since the Cavaliers retain their first-round pick if they miss the playoffs. Otherwise, the Chicago Bulls can swap picks. With the Cavaliers' lottery luck, ain't no shame in trying to acquire cheap talent in the draft.

Nene Hilario lasted 11 games before incurring an ankle injury. He didn't return and any prolonged absence vaults Kris Humphries back into fantasy relevance. The Wizards don't play again until Friday, so brace yourselves for dire news over the next few days.

Wilson Chandler suffered a bruised right quad and didn't return. He's officially day-to-day, but since the lockout, his career's been riddled with injury after injury. Erick Green started the second half.

Ed Davis suffered a broken nose when Nate Robinson fouled him with less than two minutes left in the game. At worst, he misses the Friday game against Memphis because the team needs to fit him with a mask. Best case has him ready to go after two days off and no mask necessary. In any event, he played out the rest of the game and will probably play Friday.

M.I.A.

• Atlanta
  • Al Horford (illness)
• Brooklyn
  • Kevin Garnett (rest)
• Chicago
  • Kirk Hinrich (hamstring)
• Cleveland
  • LeBron James (knee)
  • Shawn Marion (ankle)
• Denver
  • Darrell Arthur (DNP-CD)
• Golden State
  • Andrew Bogut (knee)
  • Festus Ezeli (ankle)
• Los Angeles
  • Tarik Black (DNP-CD)
• Memphis
  • Zach Randolph (knee)
• Minnesota
  • Ricky Rubio (ankle)
  • Nikola Pekovic (wrist/ankle)
  • Kevin Martin (wrist)
• New Orleans
  • John Salmons (personal)
• Orlando
  • Aaron Gordon (foot)
• Philadelphia
  • Luc Mbah a Moute (calf)
  • Hollis Thompson (illness)
• Portland
  • Meyers Leonard (shoulder)
• RotoWire
  • Josh Lloyd (personal)
• San Antonio
  • Tony Parker (hamstring)
  • Kawhi Leonard (back)
• Toronto
  • Landry Fields (concussion)
• Utah
  • Alec Burks (shoulder)

ROTATION NOTES

Anthony Tolliver made his debut for the Pistons. He shot 1-of-5 from downtown in 11 minutes. D.J. Augustin played 30 minutes to Brandon Jennings' 18 minutes. Even though the game was a blowout win for the Pistons, Jennings lost time because he was 2-of-9 from the field and thoroughly outplayed by Augustin (11 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, one steal, one block). I say it every time whether Jennings has a good game or bad game: coach Van Gundy will continue to run both guards in a time share, assessing Jennings on a nightly basis. If the good Jennings shows, 34 minutes isn't out of the question. When the bad Jennings appears, 22 minutes is a maybe.

LeBron James sat out his second game of the season. The team listed knee soreness as the cause. I speculate he was fighting a hangover on his 30th birthday, but's that neither here nor there. Matthew Dellavedova remained in the starting lineup.

Kyrie Irving returned from a two-game absence due to knee issues. Without James, and Love dropping out early with a back ailment, we were treated to a classic Irving game: tons of shots and a Cavaliers loss. He attempted a season-high 27 shots and scored 35 points to go along with nine assists, six rebounds, two steals, and eight turnovers in 43 minutes.

Al Horford was a late scratch due to illness. The Hawks don't play again until Friday, when they begin a three-game road trip. Pero Antic started. For someone who shoots a ton of threes, Antic sucks at making them.

Brook Lopez replaced Kevin Garnett (rest) in the starting lineup. Coach Hollins chose Lopez over Mirza Teletovic in order to matchup with the Bulls' frontline, not exactly a ringing endorsement for the one-time All-Star. The rest day yields Garnett three days off before the Nets play six games in nine days.

Lopez dominated the Bulls for a season-high 29 points (13-21 FG, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, and two blocks in 33 minutes. Now is a great time to trade him from your fantasy roster. His health will always be in question. If it's not his back then it's his feet. He's a headache to own, so see what the open market bears.

Mirza Teletovic started the second half over Mason Plumlee as a tactical decision. Plumlee ended with six points (2-4 FG, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block in 17 minutes. I'm holding Plumlee until we see how coach Hollins jiggers the rotation when Kevin Garnett returns. Plus, Lopez can suffer a setback at a moment's notice. A hasty decision generally leads to regret.

Joe Johnson added 20 points and a season-high 11 rebounds against Jimmy Butler. He finds a way to be more assertive when Deron Williams is on the bench, which is where you'll find him more often than not recently.

Tyson Chandler returned to the lineup after missing one game due to back spasms. The Mavericks were up 63-45 at halftime, and Chandler grabbed 12 rebounds in 21 minutes. J.J. Barea returned to the bench and was one of eight Mavs to play at least 20 minutes in the blowout win.

LaMarcus Aldridge returned from a two-game illness-derived hiatus. Thomas Robinson went from starting two straight games to accumulating another DNP-CD. Coach Terry Stotts said Aldridge wouldn't see his normal minutes, and he was technically right since Aldridge played 41 minutes in an overtime win. With Portland off until Saturday, I understand the logic to overextend him. Four days is plenty for Aldridge to recuperate.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Andrew Wiggins produced 21 points (10-19 FG, 1-2 3Pt), five rebounds, one steal, one assist, and one block in 40 minutes. It's the third time in four games he scored at least 20 points. The lack of free-throw attempts disturbs me, but his shot chart indicates he wasn't getting any calls because more than half his shots were within eight feet of the basket. We're nearing the Rookie Wall Month, so I'll be keeping an eye on his shot selection. If he starts settling for mid-range jumpers, the field goal percentage will drop.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Pau Gasol was one of the bright spots for the Bulls in their 96-82 home loss to the Nets. He concluded with 10 points (4-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks in 30 minutes. He owns a checkered injury history, and the Bulls are one of four teams with a minimum nine games during the traditional head-to-head fantasy playoff (Week 21-23). If you're already thinking about the endgame, consider a proactive approach with Gasol.

Kobe Bryant is the Lakers' point guard. I thought it would be the Year of the Lin; instead, I have to wait until Bryant succumbs to a lower-extremity injury (not that I am rooting for one, that's just Lin's only hope for salvageable fantasy value). Bryant recorded his 21st career triple-double, 23 points, 11 assists, 11 rebounds, in 32 minutes while turning the ball over nine times. It's the second straight game he played no more than 32 minutes, a trend that could keep him upright through March. He also shot better than 50 percent from the field for the first time since November 28th. Currently sitting at 38 percent from the field, he'd need to make his next 85 shots in a row in order to raise his shooting numbers to his career 45 percent field goal mark.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Andre Drummond bullied the Magic for 17 points (6-11 FG, 5-16 FT), 22 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals in just 31 minutes. He only picked up one foul, but the game was over by the start of the fourth quarter, so his presence was no longer required. You can point to Josh Smith's departure or D.J. Augustin playing 30 minutes, but either way, the Pistons are married to a three-game winning streak, only five and a half games behind the eight seed in the Eastern Conference.

Tristan Thompson recorded 18 points (9-12 FG, 0-5 FT) and 11 rebounds before fouling out in 42 minutes. Coach Blatt doesn't have many options at center, and with Kevin Love's back acting up, Thompson is a decent pickup if you're looking for a watered-down version of Mason Plumlee. In his last three starts (119 minutes), Thompson has one steal, one block, and zero assists. His double-doubles are buffered by a high field goal mark, making him a three-category specialist at best with bonus points in leagues that use offensive rebounds as a category.

Jimmy Butler scored a season-low eight points (3-12 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-3 FT), and Derrick Rose shot 2-of-15 from the field. You want to trade for one of those players and trade away the other. Mike Dunleavy scored a team-high 23 points (9-15 FG, 5-9 3Pt) in 35 minutes

Mike Conley has stepped up his game without Zach Randolph (knee) in the lineup. He scored 16 of his 30 points (10-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 6-7 FT) in the first quarter. He's shooting above his career averages and scoring a career-high 18.3 points per game. I'm not saying sell Conley because I'm biased and he's one of my favorite players. But I would expect Randolph to carry more of the offense than his replacements, inevitably cutting into Conley's production.

Patty Mills keeps firing away, launching 10 shots and scoring 10 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Cory Joseph and Marco Belinelli scored a team-high 18 points as Tony Parker (hamstring) and Kawhi Leonard (hand) haven't been cleared to return, yet.

Anthony Davis (season-high 18 rebounds), Jrue Holiday (six assists), Tyreke Evans (eight rebounds), and Ryan Anderson (three three-pointers) all scored at least 19 points.

Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic each played 36 minutes and scored 21 and 22 points respectively, effectively negating Isaiah Thomas. Alex Len picked up two fouls in the first four minutes and only lasted 20 minutes because coach Jeff Hornacek prefers Markieff Morris as the crunch time center. Gerald Green scored 15 of his 17 points (6-13 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT) in the first half. This is just a mess of fluctuating fantasy value, especially since coach Hornacek split up Morris twins.

As soon as I'm getting ready to change my thoughts on Bradley Beal, he shoots 4-of-14 from the field in 29 minutes. I'm most familiar with the inefficient version of Beal. His outside shot wasn't falling, and Tyson Chandler thwarted his advances at the rim. Beal did snag another two steals, running his streak to 10 games with at least one steal and averaging 2.1 steals per game in that time.

Richard Jefferson and Charlie Villanueva scored 14 points each. The Mavs decimated the Wizards, 114-87, and Rajon Rondo played a team-high 28 minutes. The garbage time allowed Jefferson and Villanueva to feast.

Kenneth Faried played 21 minutes. I don't need to tell you his stat line for you to know he didn't live up to the hype of his recent games. I can point you to my previous Box Score Breakdowns where I implored you to sell this three-category pony. Heart and hustle can't grab you 15 rebounds every night, but when Brian Shaw is your coach, minutes fluctuate like the NASDAQ.

Jusuf Nurkic scored a career-high 16 points (7-10 FG, 2-2 FT), grabbed eight rebounds, and added two assists, steals, and blocks in a career-high 27 minutes. He's just another roadblock in Faried's path to minutes. In the last ten games, Nurkic is averaging 8.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks while shooting a team-high 53 percent from the field in 16.1 minutes per game. They're not mind-blowing stats, but his consistency in limited run could translate into a bigger role as the season dwindles down. I will stipulate that his career night occurred against the Lakers, for what that's worth.

Nate Robinson and Aaron Brooks were ejected in separate games after picking up two technical fouls. By my count, Brooks has amassed six techs on the season, one behind the leader, Tyson Chandler.

Shabazz Muhammad scored a career-high 30 points (10-17 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT) and grabbed seven rebounds in 38 minutes. In December, he's averaging 18.1 points and 2.1 offensive rebounds per game. I say keep riding him until at least Kevin Martin returns, if not longer. Ricky Rubio's (ankle) impending return helps everyone, excluding Zach LaVine.

James Johnson continues to start with Landry Fields (concussion) unable to play. Some nights he plays over 30 minutes and other nights he barely gets 20 minutes of court time. In the overtime loss to the Trail Blazers, Johnson played 32 minutes and contributed 14 points (7-11 FG), 11 rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Coach Dwane Casey is using an eight-man rotation, subject to change when Fields and DeMar DeRozan (groin) return.

The Warriors defeated the Sixers, 126-86.  Henry Sims put forth 19 points (9-13 FG, 1-2 FT) and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. Michael Carter-Williams and Sir Robert Covington combined for 14 points on 5-of-20 shooting in 76 minutes. Marreese Speights scored a team-high 23 points (9-13 FG, 5-6 FT) and blocked four shots in 24 minutes against his former team. Draymond Green doubled-up with 10 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, three blocks, and three assists in a team-high 29 minutes. And of course, Furkan Aldemir was a minus 23 in 16 minutes.

DAN FORDEN AWARD*

Jodie Meeks had himself a ballgame. He scored 20 of his season-high 34 points (11-16 FG, 9-11 3Pt, 3-4 FT) in the second quarter. His career-high nine three-pointers are the most in a single game this season. It's only the third game in his career where he scored at least 30 points. This is why Stan Van Gundy brought him to Detroit. In the long run, this type of game will be few and far between. But if you're a stat-chaser, then you've already added him with high hopes. Just don't expect him to hoist 16 shots per game on the reg. He's the best long-range shooter at Van Gundy's disposal. Most teams know that and won't lose track of him easily.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Kyrie Irving, G, CLE: 35 points (13-27 FG, 3-10 3Pt, 6-7 FT)
2. Jodie Meeks, G, DET: 34 points (11-16 FG, 9-11 3Pt, 3-4 FT)
3. Mike Conley, G, MEM: 30 points (10-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 6-7 FT)
4. Shabazz Muhammad, G, MIN: 30 points (10-17 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 5-5 FT)

Rebounds

1. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 22 rebounds (9 offensive)
2. Anthony Davis, F, NOP: 18 rebounds (5 offensive)
3. LaMarcus Aldridge, F, POR: 13 rebounds (2 offensive)
4. Tristan Thompson, F, CLE: 13 rebounds (3 offensive)

Assists

1. Kobe Bryant, G, LAL: 11 assists (9 turnovers)
2. Jeff Teague, G, ATL: 11 assists (5 turnovers)
3. D.J. Augustin, G, DET: 10 assists (2 turnovers)

Steals

1. Draymond Green, F, GSW: 4 steals
2. Monta Ellis, G, DAL: 4 steals
3. Twelve tied with three steals

Blocks

1. Joel Anthony, C, DET: 4 blocks
2. Marreese Speights, GSW: 4 blocks
3. Paul Millsap, F, ATL: 3 blocks
4. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 3 blocks
5. Danny Green, G, SAS: 3 blocks
6. Draymond Green, GSW: 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Jodie Meeks, G, DET: 9-11 3Pt
2. Shabazz Muhammad, G, MIN: 5-6 3Pt
3. Mike Dunleavy, F, CHI: 5-9 3Pt
4. Kyle Korver, G, ATL: 5-8 3Pt
5. Ronnie Price, G, LAL: 5-6 3Pt
6. Wesley Matthews, G, POR: 5-10 3Pt

Minutes

1. Damian Lillard, G, POR: 46 minutes
2. Kyrie Irving, G, CLE: 43 minutes
3. Nicolas Batum, F, POR: 43 minutes

*The Dan Forden Award is given to the player with the best long-distance shooting performance. It is named the Dan Forden Award after Dan Forden, audio technician for the Mortal Kombat series and the guy who popped up from the bottom right corner of the game and excitedly proclaimed "Toasty!"