"I feel I've been managing myself pretty good. I know a lot of people get mad when they see me sit out. But I think a lot of people don't understand that when I sit out, it's not because of this year. I'm thinking about long term. I'm thinking about after I'm done with basketball, having graduations to go to, having meetings to go to."
"I don't want to be in my meetings all sore or be at my son's graduation all sore just because of something I did in the past.''
- Derrick Rose
EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN
Derrick Rose will undergo surgery after tearing the meniscus in his right knee. I'm not familiar with the timeline because Rose hasn't decided whether to repair the meniscus or remove it entirely. Aaron Brooks has already been added in 15,000+ Yahoo! fantasy leagues, a prudent gamble for those in need of production prior to the fantasy playoffs. The Bulls play three more games this week, followed by four games each of the following two weeks. In Week 19, next week, three of their four games are quality games (nights with seven games or less on the NBA docket). Week 20 offers zero such games, by my count, leading into a nine-game default head-to-head fantasy playoff run.
Nate Robinson complicates matters if he signs with the Bulls. The Clippers is another potential landing spot for the diminutive guard who'll need to make a decision before March 1st, the deadline for inclusion on a team's playoff roster. His presence deflates initial optimism for Brooks, a score-first guard with better three-point accuracy.
Below is a production chart for the Bulls in the 11 games Rose missed earlier this season, courtesy of StatMuse. It's sorted by usage rate and confirms coach Thibodeau's love for Kirk Hinrich, playing him 31.1 minutes per game in Rose's absence. Tony Snell has come one lately and averaged 33 minutes per game the last five contests Hinrich sat, noteworthy given Hinrich's injury track record. Jimmy Butler gets more shots, vaulting him back into a 20-point scorer. The player I'm keeping my eye on is Joakim Noah, averaging 4.6 assists per game the last month, tops among centers. He facilitated the offense flawlessly last season, and now that Rose won't return, combined with Noah's improved health, I'd gamble on this guy in a trade if I need help making the fantasy playoffs. The move could absolutely backfire, which is why you need to weigh the risk/reward in your situation.
[caption id="attachment_4783" align="aligncenter" width="750"]
Bulls without Derrick Rose this season (via StatMuse)[/caption]
HOSPITAL WARD
Paul Pierce was helped off the court during the final seconds of the game after getting bulldozed by Draymond Green while attempting to set a pick. He seemed optimistic about playing tonight in Minnesota against former teammate Kevin Garnett. If the training staff restrains him or his knee swells during the plane ride, Otto Porter, Jr., who received a DNP-CD last night, or Rasual Butler would likely step into the starting lineup next to Garrett Temple. I get the vibe that coach Randy Wittman prefers Butler off the bench, making Porter the favorite to start. Either way, Butler's offers more fantasy value if Pierce misses extended time.
Pierce scored 18 of his 25 points in the second half, eclipsing the 20-point mark for the first time since January 14th.
Tyson Chandler suffered an injured hip flexor, potentially explaining his four points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes. He sounded optimistic that he could play tonight against the Hawks, but only if the problem area loosens up. Greg Smith started the game before the All-Star break when Chandler rested due to a sprained ankle, splitting time with Bernard James. Because of Atlanta's five-out system and Amar'e Stoudemire's unknown status on back-to-backs, coach Carlisle can run Dirk Nowitzki at center if Chandler doesn't play.
M.I.A.
- Cleveland
- Shawn Marion (hip)
- Dallas
- Chandler Parsons (ankle)
- Indiana
- Paul George (leg)
- Oklahoma City
- Steve Novak (appendectomy)
- Kevin Durant (foot)
- Steven Adams (hand)
- Toronto
- Tyler Hansbrough (DNP-CD)
- Washington
- Bradley Beal (leg)
- Otto Porter, Jr. (DNP-CD)
ROTATION NOTES
Stephen Curry slotted right back into the lineup after missing one game. He finished with 32 points, eight assists, two steals, and five three-pointers in 34 minutes. Afterward, Curry said, "[My foot is] still not pain free, but it felt fine." His inclusion in the lineup required clearance during the pregame shootaround. I'm sure the team will require similar protocol before Thursday's game against the Cavaliers, or at least until the pain subsides.
Tayshaun Prince started his 731st game as a Piston, first since January, 2013. He played 31 minutes, limiting Caron Butler to 17 minutes off the bench. From Lawrence Frank to Lionel Hollins to Dave Joerger to Bradley Stevens, Prince was universally loved and utilized, playing meaningful minutes since his second season in the league. Coach Van Gundy signed Quincy Miller to a 10-day contract and claimed Shawne Williams off waivers, sullying the waters at the small forward position if either sticks in Detroit. The Pistons play two more games this week and three games next week, not ideal for risk takers clawing for a fantasy playoff bid.
Kendrick Perkins suited up for his new team, the Cavaliers. He played 2 minutes. Not sure what else you want me say, other than Scott Brooks is no longer his coach.
Patrick Patterson missed one game with a sore knee and played more minutes than Amir Johnson, outperforming him with 12 points, seven rebounds, one assist, one block, and two three-pointers in 28 minutes. Chuck Hayes played 15 minutes in a meaningful game. He consumed Tyler Hansbrough's minutes and then some. Hayes' playing time was the most surprising box score discovery from last night.
Rajon Rondo was benched the final 20 minutes after getting into a shouting match with coach Rick Carlisle, who cited "a difference of opinion." In the post-game press conference, Carlisle confirmed that Rondo will start in Atlanta tonight. Since arriving in Dallas, Rondo's leads the team with 8.1 fourth-quarter minutes per game, even though he was benched four times in 25 games during the final stanza. In his absence, Devin Harris and J.J. Barea combined for 27 points, eight assists, and four steals.
FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT
I'm writing Russell Westbrook's name here now as a placeholder. I'll check back in four hours to confirm my prediction.
Yep, no need to alter the prophesy. Westbrook recorded his 11th career triple-double (20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists), but also received his league-leading 12th technical foul. Accruing four more techs results in an automatic one-game suspension.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH
Reggie Jackson, how I underestimated you. Next time I will estimate you. After a shaky first half in his debut this past Sunday, Jackson finished Tuesday's games with 22 points, nine assists, eight rebounds, and one block in 35 minutes. Spencer Dinwiddie and John Lucas III split the rest of the point guard minutes, lacking the requisite talent to keep Jackson at 30 minutes a night, akin to Brandon Jennings' early season role. However, coach Van Gundy complained about Jackson's defense after the game, a potential sign of contention moving forward. The Pistons have two days off before their next game against the Knicks and three days off at the beginning of March. The time off yields Van Gundy vital practice sessions to hone Jackson's understanding of the offense.
LeBron James turned the ball over nine time and added 27 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and one block in 39 minutes. The Cavaliers have been so dominant lately, it's the first time in six games he played more than 34 minutes. They're fourth in the Eastern Conference, currently one and a half games behind the two-seed Toronto Raptors. Attaining the top spot in the East remains a long shot, so once they clinch the second seed, expect James to rest in preparation for the actual playoffs. It's something he was outspoken about prior to the season, and since the calendar changed to 2015, James' is averaging 34.4 minutes per game, 26th most in that span. Prior to January, James was third in minutes per game (37.5), but the recent additions have eliminated some of the burden to extend himself every night.
BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES
Marreese Speights scored 16 points in 15 minutes and didn't play in the fourth quarter. He scored half those points in a two-minute period at the end of the first quarter on a bevy of jumpers. Contrary to popular belief, Speights didn't shoot the ball every time he touched it, because you can't shoot when inbounding the ball. In 399 minutes in 2015, his attempts-to-assist ratio is 227-to-16, and one of the assists was registered last night.
John Wall recorded 16 points, 11 assists, three rebounds, and eight turnovers against the omnipresent Warriors' defense. Without Bradley Beal (leg), Wall's usage rate rises from 23.2 percent to 27.7 percent, a necessary evil to help boost the Wizards' offense.
Marcin Gortat was benched the entire fourth quarter, but not before compiling 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and one block in 29 minutes. Coach Steve Kerr sat opposing center Andrew Bogut in the fourth as well, a potential factor in the coaching decision. This has been going on all season, with or without Nene Hilario. In fact, in the 57 games Gortat has started, he's failed to play in 22 fourth quarters.
Kevin Love continues to raise his stock, just in time for you to sell-high. After posting 16 points and 16 rebounds against the Knicks, Love supplied 24 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and eight three-pointers against the Pistons. Greg Monroe did a terrible job shadowing Love to the perimeter, consistently dropping into the paint to prevent a Kyrie Irving drive. The last time the Cavaliers play the Pistons, Love posted 20 points and 10 rebounds, hitting just 1-of-7 three-pointers. Waiting until after Thursday's game against the Warriors is sub-optimal in trying to receive as much value as possible in a trade, considering they use small lineups and play terrific team defense.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope popped off for 21 points, two steals, two rebounds, one assist, and five three-pointers in 33 minutes. Before you add Caldwell-Pope because of the hot streak, remember his only positive categories are points (when his shot is falling), three-pointers (because he takes so many), steals, and turnovers (inflating his overall rank). He's shooting 47 percent from downtown over the last 10 games, as opposed to 34 percent the first 47 games. I'm just asking you not to grow attached to him since the recent surge goes against everything we've seen up to this point in his career, summer league notwithstanding. Working in his favor is Jodie Meeks' season-long slump, which probably should just be considered the norm at this point.
Dion Waiters shot 5-of-18 in 29 minutes, accumulating 14 points in the win. Someone needed to shoot while Kevin Durant (foot) sits, and Waiters fits the bill. D.J. Augustin and Mitch McGary probably carry equivalent or better fantasy value, but they won't unflinchingly hoist jumpers the moment they touch the ball. Even Enes Kanter has included passing into his repertoire, a road excluded from Waiters' GPS.
C.J. Miles scored 15 of his 21 points in the 3rd quarter. That's been his story all season: one strong quarter that makes his box score stats look like he had a good game. Rodney Stuckey was limited to five points after consecutive 30-point outings. The Pacers' next two opponents, the Sixers and the Cavaliers, are two teams Stuckey has had varying success against this month, producing 30 points and two points respectively. The upcoming schedule is littered with top-10 and bottom-10 defenses, so you may want to pick and choose your spots if you own or plan on owning Stuckey.
With Ian Mahinmi returning to the lineup one game prior to the All-Star break, Roy Hibbert is back to 20-25 minutes per game. Prior to, Luis Scola was the only reserve capable of pilfering frontcourt minutes.
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry scored a combined 29 points on 11-of-36 shooting. The rest of the team shot a combined 56 percent from the field in the loss. It's not that I feel vindicated asserting I'd rather own Andrew Wiggins over DeRozan, but Wiggins leads the league in minutes per game (38.7) since the start of January and shoots a much better percentage than the inefficient DeRozan. Lowry has shot better than 50 percent from the field three times in 2015, converting just 36 percent of his shots and 29 percent of his three-pointers since January 1st. They're a jump shooting team that forgets to feed Jonas Valanciunas after the first quarter, occasionally living and dying by the Lou Williams iso.
NIGHTLY LEADERS
Points
- Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 32 points
- Paul Pierce, F, WAS: 25 points
- Kevin Love, F, CLE: 24 points
Rebounds
- Greg Monroe, F, DET: 14 rebounds
- Al-Farouq Aminu, F, DAL: 12 rebounds
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 11 rebounds
- Marcin Gortat, C, WAS: 11 rebounds
Assists
- John Wall, G, WAS: 11 assists
- LeBron James, F, CLE: 11 assists
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 10 assists
Steals
- Klay Thompson, G, GSW: 5 steals
- Devin Harris, G, DAL: 4 steals
- Eight players with three steals
Blocks
- Timofey Mozgov, C, CLE: 4 blocks
- Serge Ibaka, F, OKC: 3 blocks
- Mitch McGary, F, OKC: 2 blocks
- Al-Farouq Aminu, F, DAL: 2 blocks
Three-Pointers
- Kevin Love, F, CLE: 8-14 3Pt
- Stephen Curry, G, GSW: 5-9 3Pt
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, G, DET: 5-7 3Pt
Minutes
- LeBron James, G, CLE: 39 minutes
- Monta Ellis, G, DAL: 37 minutes
- Reggie Jackson, G, DET: 35 minutes
- Klay Thompson, G, GSW: 35 minutes
- DeMar DeRozan, G, TOR: 35 minutes