Thursday's two-game slate provided enough fodder to warrant an emergency Box Score Breakdown. Josh Lloyd's return trip from Denver was derailed by a snow-laden East Coast layover. Fret not; he properly thanked Nuggets' management and should be considered probable moving forward.
HOSPITAL WARD
Wesley Matthews tore his left Achilles and will miss the rest of the season. He averaged 34.0 minutes per game prior to the injury.
While Arron Afflalo inherits more playing time, his game doesn't translate well to fantasy basketball. To call him a must-add ignores 14 months of damning evidence. With the Nuggets, Afflalo played 33.0 minutes per game and contributed 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.1 blocks, and 1.5 three-pointers per game. Ben McLemore and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have similar numbers this season, subpar efficiency included.
The case for Afflalo hinges on Portland's rest-of-season schedule and offensive philosophy. They play the most games (18) after March 15th (Week 21-25) and attempt the second most three-pointers (27.2) per game. Thus far, Afflalo has played 27.8 minutes per game with the Trail Blazers, attempting 3.2 three-pointers per game. His statistical performance has placed him outside top-200 in per game value. Matthews attempted 7.4 three-pointers per game, second most to Stephen Curry this season. If Afflalo takes that many threes per game, he has a shot at top-100 value. Add him if you want help in points, threes, and free-throw percentage. It really comes down to this: did you own him while he was in Denver, and if so, did he justify that roster spot?
Coach Terry Stotts is the wildcard. However unlikely, he may decide to keep Afflalo in a reserve role. This, of course, is the worst case scenario. Stotts started Allen Crabbe at the beginning of the season when Nicolas Batum missed time, playing him around 20 minutes per game. Damian Lillard plays enough minutes at shooting guard when Steve Blake checks in, leading me to believe Afflalo tops out around 33 minutes per game. The playing time warrants fantasy consideration, but his insufficient categorical production allows you use him more as a streamer, easily the first player you drop to pick up the next hot free agent.
Devin Harris injured his right thumb late in the game. I only found reports that he was getting an x-ray on the hand, but no clarification on the results. J.J. Barea's set for a minutes bump if Harris misses games. However, even with his production given substantial playing time, the Mavericks play the fewest games (19) the rest of the season.
M.I.A.
- Chicago
- Jimmy Butler (elbow)
- Taj Gibson (ankle)
- Derrick Rose (knee)
- Dallas
- Chandler Parsons (ankle)
- Oklahoma City
- Kevin Durant (foot)
- Steven Adams (hand)
- Steve Novak (abdomen)
ROTATION NOTE
Tyson Chander pulled down 14 rebounds in his return to the lineup after missing three games due to a left hip injury. He played 32 minutes in a blowout loss, easing concerns of his ailment. The Mavericks play tonight in Golden State.
BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES
Russell Westbrook almost recorded his fifth straight triple-double, falling shy with 43 points on 32 shots, eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and three three-pointers in 38 minutes. It's the third straight games he scored at least 40 points. Since the beginning of February, he's averaging 33.3 points, 10.0 assists, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 35.9 minutes per game. I don't know what else to say.
Serge Ibaka, free from the shackles of Luc Mbah a Moute and Nerlens Noel, regained his form with 25 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and one steal in 46 minutes. He's blocked a league-high 63 shots since January 11th, right around the time Hassan Whiteside emerged.
D.J. Augustin was the only other Thunder to score in double figures, eking out 10 points in 19 minutes. Dion Waiters played 26 minutes off the bench, missing seven of ten attempts. Enes Kanter went for six points and six rebounds, his second poor performance in a Thunder uniform.
Nikola Mirotic did not stop shooting. He attempted 15 shots and 16 free throws in 34 minutes, scoring 13 of his team-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. Tack on eight rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and two three-pointers for a well-rounded evening. The Bulls play six games between today and March 15th, the tentative two-week mark for Taj Gibson's (ankle) recovery. Mirotic has played more than 30 minutes and scored at least 23 points in the last three games without Gibson. I find it difficult to forgo six potential games worth of Mirotic for anyone struggling to earn a fantasy playoff spot.
E'Twaun Moore, former Magic third string point guard, hit the game-winning three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left. Prior to Thursday, Moore played 14 minutes the previous nine games. Last night, Moore played 22 minutes and scored a career-high 19 points (13 in the fourth quarter), grabbed four rebounds, notched two steals, and blocked a shot. He missed one shot on ten attempts. His services were required because Aaron Brooks and Tony Snell struggled guarding Russell Westbrook, true for most of the NBA. Moore did his best to corral Westbrook, holding him to 2-of-9 shooting in the fourth quarter. This performance could open up more minutes for Moore, especially since Brooks is a token point guard; Joakim Noah is more than capable of running the offense, evidenced by his team-high nine assists in 31 minutes.
The Mavericks scored 13 points in the second quarter and 18 points in the fourth, losing 94-75. Rajon Rondo threatened triple-double status, compiling 10 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and one steal in 29 minutes. He and Dirk Nowitzki both shot 5-of-13 from the floor. Monta Ellis and Amar'e Stoudemire each scored a team-high 12 points. Only Stoudemire and Richard Jefferson shot better than 50 percent. With the Mavericks playing tonight, be prepared for Stoudemire to rest, opening up more minutes for Al-Farouq Aminu.
Damian Lillard bounced back from his 1-of-13 outing Wednesday. He shot 4-of-10 but only secured six rebounds. LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, failing to record an assist, steal, and block for the first time since 2012. Since the All-Star break, Nicolas Batum is averaging 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, a team-high 5.6 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.0 block, and 2.0 three-pointers, good for 10th overall in 9-category fantasy leagues. He's one of three players posting at least one steal, one block, and two three-pointers since the break. Sans Wesley Matthews (Achilles), Batum obtains more offensive responsibility.
NIGHTLY LEADERS
Points
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Photo via Sue Ogrocki[/caption]
Rebounds
- Tyson Chandler, C, DAL: 14 rebounds
- Nicolas Batum, F, POR: 12 rebounds
- Pau Gasol, C, CHI: 12 rebounds
- LaMarcus Aldridge, F, POR: 12 rebounds
- Joakim Noah, F, CHI: 12 rebounds
Assists
- Joakim Noah, F, CHI: 9 assists
- Rajon Rondo, G, DAL: 9 assists
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 7 assists
- Aaron Brooks, G, CHI: 7 assists
Steals
- Monta Ellis, G, DAL: 3 steals
- Six tied with two steals
Blocks
- Serge Ibaka, F, OKC: 3 blocks
- Robin Lopez, C, POR: 3 blocks
- Nikola Mirotic, F, CHI: 2 blocks
Three-Pointers
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 3-5 3Pt
- Mike Dunleavy, F, CHI: 3-6 3Pt
- Six tied with two three-pointers
Minutes
- Serge Ibaka, F, OKC: 46 minutes
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 38 minutes
- Mike Dunleavy, F, CHI: 38 minutes