The team with the worst record last season, the Timberwolves, defeated the Eastern Conference's best regular season team from last year, the Hawks. The Warriors kept their perfect streak intact, climbing to 8-0 on the season against Stan Van Gundy, the man who turned down their coaching offer last offseason, and the Pistons.

HOSPITAL WARD

Rodney Stuckey aggravated his sprained right ankle. He missed the previous game, but the reoccurrence wasn't detrimental, as he returned later in the contest. Stuckey scored six points and registered four assists in 18 minutes off the bench. It stands to reason he'll play Wednesday in Boston.

M.I.A

If you didn't play last night due to injury, you made this list.

• Chicago
  • Joakim Noah (knee) 
  • Kirk Hinrich (toe)
• Denver
  • Joffrey Lauvergne (back)
  • Wilson Chandler (hip)
  • Jameer Nelson (back)
• Indiana
  • Lavoy Allen (DNP-CD)
• Memphis
  • Brandan Wright (knee)
  • Jordan Adams (knee)
  • Jarell Martin (foot)
• Orlando
  • Nikola Vucevic (knee)
  • Jason Smith (knee)
• Philadelphia
  • Nerlens Noel (wrists)
  • Robert Covington (knee)
• Sacramento
  • Darren Collison (hamstring)
  • Seth Curry (ankle)

ROTATION NOTES

C.J. Miles returned to the starting lineup after missing the last three games with ankle injury. The move shifted Paul George to power forward and sent Jordan Hill to the bench. While the play is to keep George at the four, his spot in the lineup is dictated by the matchup. That uncertainty negatively impacts Miles' playing time.

Channing Frye emerged from the end of the bench to offer sage spacing amenities. His presence was required because Nikola Vucevic (knee) and Jason Smith (knee) were unavailable. Frye played 23 total minutes and accumulated six DNP-CDs prior to last night's 14-point outburst in 23 minutes, most among the reserves. The sustainability is tenuous.

Rookie Richaun Holmes was inserted into the starting lineup with Nerlens Noel suffering from sore wrists. Noel is expected to be ready for Wednesday's game. In his absence, Holmes and undrafted rookie Christian Wood soaked up a majority of the power forward minutes. Neither dented the stat sheet, and prior to Monday's game, Wood was averaging three minutes per game. Both are long-term projects, and Jerami Grant will shift back to reserve power forward when Robert Covington (knee) returns from injury, which could be some point this weekend. Holmes and Wood are guys most relevant in keeper leagues, but with the Sixers sitting on Joel Embiid (foot), frontcourt minutes won't be readily available.

Nikola Mirotic was set to come off the bench for the first time this season until Joakim Noah tweaked his left knee in warmups. Mirotic didn't disappoint; he scored 12 of his team-high 20 points (6-11 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 5-7 FT) in the third quarter and added 10 rebounds, two steals, and one assist in 28 minutes. Mirotic showed last season that he can be productive in less than 25 minutes, and this outburst after three subpar games could tilt the pendulum back in Mirotic's favor. However, the Bulls next opponent, the Hornets, handed them a 130-105 loss last week. Mirotic was a ghastly 2-of-11 from the field, and with the Bulls saddled with three days off, coach Hoiberg may proceed with his new starting lineup.

Tiago Splitter came off the bench after missing one game due to rest. The Hawks don't play a back-to-back set until November 17-18, and that should provide a glimpse into an actualized rotation the next three games.

Kevin Martin returned to the bench after missing one game for a personal matter. Coming in, he was averaging 8.8 free throws per game. He escaped last night's affair with 13 points (4-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT) and one assist in 24 minutes.

J.J. Hickson replaced Will Barton in the starting lineup. The health of Joffrey Lauvergne (back) has forced coach Malone to overuse Hickson. It didn't backfire this time as Hickson recorded 19 points (7-11 FG, 5-11 FT), 13 rebounds, three blocks, and one assist in 30 minutes against the Blazers. I wouldn't run to the waiver wire after this game. The Blazers were playing the second night of a back-to-back in Denver and they just conceded 27 rebounds to Andre Drummond. Clearly, the frontline of Meyers Leonard and Mason Plumlee is susceptible to ball-hawking miscreants. Also, coach Malone isn't afraid to use lineups with Kenneth Faried at center, and that's another ding against Hickson's game-to-game value.

Barton played the most minutes off the bench, 23, but he could only muster 11 points (4-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds, and one assist. Most of his damage, close to 70 percent of his points scored, has been obtained in garbage time. This game was close enough that Barton couldn't appropriately pad his stats and inflate his fantasy value. Tsk tsk.

DeMarcus Cousins played 32 minutes after missing the last four games with a sore Achilles. He provided a team-high 21 points (5-20 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 11-15 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block.

Cousins' presence returned Quincy Acy to the bench, where he played three minutes, and Willie Cauley-Stein supplanted Kosta Koufos, both of whom combined for six points and 12 rebounds in 48 combined minutes. Coach Karl has used seven different lineups through the first eight games.

Andrew Bogut came off the bench after missing the last six games due to a concussion. Festus Ezeli started and played 23 minutes to Bogut's 19. Foul trouble may have played a role, but it's expected that coach Walton will allow Bogut as much time as is necessary to work on his conditioning. Since the Warriors are 8-0, the sense of urgency to move Bogut back into the starting lineup doesn't exist, but it shouldn't matter in a fantasy sense. Bogut won't exceed 24 minutes per game regardless of role, but suiting him up with the reserves may negatively affect his assist numbers. Ezeli has blocked a shot in every game this season, but he only played 19.9 minutes per game when Bogut sat.

With Brandan Wright (back) unavailable, Marc Gasol played 37 minutes and Zach Randolph played 40 minutes. Randolph offered a team-high 26 points (12-19 FG, 2-2 FT), a team-high nine rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Gasol, aside from some poorly-timed missed free throws, contributed 18 points (5-8 FG, 8-12 FT), seven rebounds, and three assists. He has yet to record a steal this season, but he is just under one steal per game for his career. Now is the time to pounce on Gasol. I know he was or is currently dealing with a neck issue, but his value is plummeting, and buying low can help salvage your fantasy season. Although his per possession numbers are well below his career averages, it feels like Gasol is going to use the first part of the season to work himself into game shape after deciding to not play with the Spanish National team at EuroBasket. I'll take a few weeks of slumping Gasol to guarantee he's on my team by the time he turns his season around.

Chris Paul jumped back into the starting lineup after missing one game with a groin issue. I remember Lance Stephenson had a similar problem last season, and it forced him to sit a few weeks. The early season injury may be directly attributing to his 3.0 turnovers per game, which is more than LeBron James and Eric Bledsoe. His numbers are down across the board, and it's not entirely minutes related. His jumper isn't falling with regularity, and Blake Griffin is poaching assists. The Clippers have four days off beginning November 15th, and if the struggles continue, that would be the time to try to buy-low on Paul.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

Andrew Wiggins had a "Cee Lo Green, F-You" performance last night. In 38 minutes, he supplied 33 points (15-22 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 2-4 FT), five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block. The peripheral numbers are a welcome addition, but including last night's stats, Wiggins is ranked outside the top-200 on a per game basis. His inconsistency should be considered moving forward, and now is the time to sell-high after two 30-point performances. Wiggins should net you a player in the range where you drafted him. Trade targets include Rudy Gay, Gordon Hayward, Nikola Mirotic, and Marc Gasol. Choose wisely.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

Emmanuel Mudiay scored 18 points (6-12 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-7 FT), grabbed six rebounds, dished out five assists, and blocked two shots in 28 minutes. Considering Jameer Nelson (back) was inactive, I assumed Mudiay would have exceeded 35 minutes. The suppressed minutes allowed him to limit his turnovers to two, of which he was leading the league with 5.3 per game heading into Monday. It was also the first game he made at least 50 percent of his shots, and the first time since the opener when he eclipsed 34 percent shooting from the field. If you disregard percentages and turnovers on your fantasy team, Mudiay's per-game rank of 253 on Yahoo! can generate some interesting trade options. His contributions in the six standard counting stats return a positive standard deviation.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Rajon Rondo played all 48 minutes with Darren Collison (hamstring) and Seth Curry (ankle) inactive. One game removed from a triple-double, Rondo collected eight points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 12 assists, six rebounds, three steals, and nine turnovers as the lone point guard.

After last night, Draymond Green has narrowly missed a triple-double in six of the Warriors' eight games this season. He produced six points (3-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt), 10 rebounds, nine assists, four steals, and two blocks in 33 minutes. He leads the team in total rebounds (63) and assists (50). The assists exploded after the opening night concussion that replaced Andrew Bogut with Festus Ezeli in the starting lineup. I'm going to keep an eye on Green's assist total if Bogut is reintroduced into the starting lineup. If Ezeli sticks, Green will continue to absorb playmaking duties a.k.a. pass the ball to Steph when he's open.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Paul George scored 19 of his 27 points (7-17 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 10-11 FT) in the first quarter and only converted one of his final eight attempts. He's turned on the switch since C.J. Miles was forced to miss a week of action, and that mojo endured even with the return of Miles.

Monta Ellis was marginalized, and if you focused solely on the box score, you'd think he didn't even play. A 1-of-9 shooting performance is par for the course during his early tenure with the Pacers. Even though he leads the Pacers in assists per game (4.9), he's shooting 38 percent from the field, which would be a career-low. He's not getting to the rim as regularly as he did when Dirk Nowitzki was his pick-and-pop partner, and when he does get there, the results are insufficient and the looks are heavily contested.

Evan Fournier continued his scoring excursion, contributing a team-high 21 points (7-13 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 3-4 FT), two rebounds, two steals, and one assist in 40 minutes. He's played at least 40 minutes in four of the Magic's eight games this season. Other than Victor Oladipo, Fournier is locked into coach Skiles rotation. The golden goose in fantasy, minutes, extends Fournier's shelf life among the community.

T.J. McConnell has played 202 minutes this season and hasn't attempted a free throw. He's reluctant to shoot, and once he gets in the paint, he keeps his dribble alive in search for the open man. Nevertheless, he registered eight assists in 29 minutes and will sustain facilitating duties until Kendall Marshall (knee) returns.

Nik Stauskas is getting the minutes and the shots in Philadelphia. It wasn't a pretty result opposing Jimmy Butler last night, and Stauskas snapped a streak of five consecutive games of double-digit scoring in his 2-of-13 shooting performance. His peripheral numbers are substandard, but he's scoring and hitting enough three-pointers to roster.

Jahlil Okafor grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds, nine of which came in the first half, thanks to the injured Nerlens Noel (wrists). Okafor corralled as many rebounds in this game as he did in the previous three combined. With the rise of his rebounds comes the demise of his free-throw shooting. He converted 1o-of-21 over the past three games. All order is restored in the basketball universe.

Jerami Grant is second on the Sixers with 1.7 blocks in 25 minutes per game. You don't have to add him because he'll lose minutes when injured players return, but you need to be reminded of his defensive prowess with the Sixers playing four games each of the next three weeks.

Pau Gasol blocked six shots. His assignment, Jahlil Okafor, had his shot blocked an average of 1.8 times per game entering the contest. It was a match made in heaven. 12 of Gasol's 19 blocks this season have been recorded in two six-block games.

Doug McDermott is a one-trick pony. He scored 18 points (7-15 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT) and grabbed two rebounds in 28 minutes. Those points and three-pointers come with a combined seven assists, steals, and blocks in the first eight games. Once his shot normalizes, currently holding at 57.5 percent from deep, McDermott's steady contribution in the points category decays.

Karl-Anthony Towns' offensive fate is tethered to Ricky Rubio's health. 21 of Towns' 36 made baskets have been assisted by Rubio this season. When Rubio is on the court, Towns is almost guaranteed to be slotted at center during those stretches. In avoiding early foul trouble this game, Towns played 32 minutes to Gorgui Dieng's 16 minutes. Dieng is only on the court when Towns sits, and Towns' foul woes are the reason Dieng has played over 20 minutes the previous three games. Once Towns can avoid those rookie mistakes, Dieng will be a non-factor in most leagues given a 32/16-minute split between the starter and backup center.

Nemanja Bjelica, the prodigal son, chipped in 11 points (3-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), five rebounds and four assists in the 30 minutes Kevin Garnett sat. The Timberwolves play five games in seven nights this week, including four games in five nights that could result in a few rest games for Garnett. Nothing is official at this point, but if coach Mitchell wants to excuse Garnett from playing back-to-back days, Bjelica is a solid bet to join the starting lineup and play over 30 minutes. His long-term fantasy appeal is limited by his reluctance to shoot or contribute sufficient defensive stats.

Zach LaVine notched six assists, five of which occurred in the first half. He is still the primary backup point guard, notching 4.0 assists per game during his apprenticeship. His superior, Ricky Rubio, scored eight of his 10 points (4-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT) in the first seven minutes of the game.

Kent Bazemore decided it was a good night to nab five steals before fouling out in 31 minutes. I suspect Thabo Sefolosha will eventually slot into the starting lineup, but Bazemore is doing his damnedest to retain the role.

Meyers Leonard snatched a season-high nine rebounds, a number that exceeds his sum total over the previous three games. I liken Leonard to the Suns' version of Channing Frye. You'll be happy when an occasional steal or block shows up in the box score, but at this point, percentages and three-pointers are the primary fantasy attributes.

Damian Lillard maintained his assault on the league, scoring 30 points (9-22 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 9-9 FT) and supplying seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal in 38 minutes. His three-point shooting is back on track after a down year where he shot 34 percent due to sprained fingers on his shooting hand. Now that that's behind him, Lillard has knocked in 43 percent of his three-pointers thus far, and he's second only to Stephen Curry in made threes.

Kawhi Leonard is the Spurs' offense. Don't let anyone tell you different. He's led the team in scoring five out of seven games, and his usage rate is a career-high 28.8 percent. His assist numbers are at an all-time low even though he's playing a career-high 33 minutes per game.

Patty Mills is doing work on the second unit. He regained his shooting stroke from two years ago, hitting 46 percent of his three-pointers in 21 minutes per game. Out of the norm, Mills recorded a team-high eight assists and accumulated four steals - the first time he's met both benchmarks in the same game.

Marco Belinelli likes his meatballs spicy. As do I. Belinelli, with Darren Collison (hip) unavailable, played 32 minutes off the bench and scored 17 points (7-13 FG, 3-4 3Pt) with five assists. Belinelli has played at least 32 minutes in the past two games without Collison, and that minute distribution shall hold steady because Ben McLemore and James Anderson are no match for Belinelli's shooting and playmaking.

Stanley Johnson played a season-high 32 minutes and scored a career-high 20 points (9-14 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 0-1 FT). He's going to have value in head-to-head leagues at the end of this week with the Pistons playing on both Saturday and Sunday. Coach Van Gundy is adamant about limiting Ersan Ilyasova's minutes this season after a taxing offseason. On the second night of a back-to-back, Ilyasova played 17 minutes. Look for similar treatment on Sunday when the Pistons play the Lakers.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Andrew Wiggins, G, MIN: 33 points
2. Damian Lillard, G, POR: 30 points
3. Paul George, F, IND: 27 points

Rebounds

1. Andre Drummond, C, DET: 15 rebounds (5 offensive)
2. Jahlil Okafor, C, PHI: 15 rebounds (6 offensive)
3. Tim Duncan, C, SAS: 14 rebounds (4 offensive)

Assists

1. Rajon Rondo, G, SAC: 12 assists
2. Jeff Teague, G, ATL: 9 assists
3. Draymond Green, F, GSW: 9 assists

Steals

1. Kent Bazemore, F, ATL: 5 steals
2. Draymond Green, F, GSW: 4 steals
3. Patty Mills, G, SAS: 4 steals

Blocks

1. Pau Gasol, C, CHI: 6 blocks
2. DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC: 4 blocks
3. Six players tied with three blocks

Three-Pointers

1. George Hill, G, IND: 4-6 3Pt
2. Klay Thompson, G, GSW: 4-7 3Pt
3. Evan Fournier, F, ORL: 4-9 3Pt
4. Channing Frye, C, ORL: 4-9 3Pt

Minutes

1. Rajon Rondo, G, SAC: 48 minutes
2. Marcus Morris, F, DET: 43 minutes
3. Zach Randolph, F, MEM: 40 minutes
4. Evan Fournier, F, ORL: 40 minutes