News: Clippers forward Blake Griffin rolled his left ankle during the first quarter of Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals on Tuesday night. Griffin, who is also dealing with a sprained left knee, was able to remain in the game, but struggled with his shot in the 108-92 defeat. He made seven of his 17 field-goal attempts, finishing with 15 points to go along with nine rebounds, two rebounds and one block. After the game, Griffin sounded optimistic about his chances of playing in Game 2. "But I'll get back in the training room, get treatment and hope to be better the next game," Griffin said.
Analysis: Griffin estimated that his sprained left knee had him feeling at about 80 percent prior to Game 1, so one can only imagine how he feels now. However, the 23-year-old seemed fairly confident he would be able to play in the next game and the Clippers will need him if they are going to pull off the upset. Griffin actually saw a slight dip in production during his sophomore campaign, but still averaged an impressive 20.7 points and 10.9 rebounds. While his game does need some polishing, Griffin's still has an extremely high ceiling and should continue to develop over the next few seasons. Fantasy owners should plan on spending an early-round pick on him next season.
News: Thunder center Kendrick Perkins was able to play through a hip injury during Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Monday night. Perkins finished with four points and one rebound, making both of his field-goal attempts. He also added two blocks, while logging 17 minutes of game action.
Analysis: Perkins seemed to re-aggravate his hip injury late in the first half, but he was back on the bench for the second half. While he did not re-enter the game, the Thunder were able by 20-plus points at that point, so he wasn't needed. Perkins will be counted on the try and help slow down the Lakers' pair of 7-footers in this series, which will be key for the Thunder to advance. He can be considered a very low-end Fantasy option moving forward.
News: Sixers forward Thaddeus Young was able to play through ankle injury during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Tuesday night. Young finished with four points and four rebounds in the 82-81 win, despite missing on all three of his field-goal attempts.
Analysis: Young was able to play on Tuesday night, but looked limited on the court. However, he will now get a few days to rest until the teams meet for Game 3, which should allow him to remain on the floor. The 76ers need him on the floor if they have any chance to pull off the upset, so we would be shocked if he did not play moving forward. Young can be considered a viable option in deeper mixed formats when healthy.
News: Miami forward Chris Bosh will be sidelined indefinitely because of a strained abdominal muscle, the team announced. An MRI exam performed Monday confirmed the diagnosis. Bosh suffered the injury late in the first half of the Heat's victory over Indiana on Sunday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Game 2 is Tuesday. Bosh's minutes will likely be filled by Joel Anthony and Ronny Turiaf, both of whom played extended stretches Sunday after Bosh departed. "This season has to be extended for me to play," Bosh told The Miami Herald.
Analysis: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra attempted to downplay the severity of the injury, but did not provide a timeline for Bosh's return. "We thought it could be a lot worse," he told reporters after the team's practice Monday. "We're not even going to speculate." Bosh, 28, averaged 18.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for Miami this season. He appeared in 57 of Miami's 66 regular-season games after dealing with minor issues. Fantasy owners should monitor his status during the rest of the playoffs as he is considered an early round option in 2012 drafts.
News: Knicks center Tyson Chandler was named the league’s top defensive player during the postseason, after a season in which he raised the Knicks from 22nd in points per possession to 5th. Chandler averaged 1.4 blocks and .9 steals per game, however it was the other countless shots and passes that he impacted along the way that earned him the award as the Defensive Player of the Year. Often paired with two or more weak defenders at a time, Chandler raised the level of play of all around him consistently in his first year in New York.
Analysis: Chandler also had arguably the finest offensive season of his career, scoring 11.3 points, his second best number, while shooting a career best 67.9 percent from the field. He averaged a career high 5.1 free throw attempts per game, as he managed to draw contact and create offense while often working as an afterthought in the offense when not involved in pick and rolls. Chandler was a nightly double-double threat, averaging 9.9 rebounds per game, and should be considered a low-end No. 1 Fantasy center and an early-middle round selection on Draft Day.
News: Oklahoma City’s season continues as they keep their eye on the NBA title in the postseason, however guard James Harden has already earned himself one piece of hardware, as he was named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year last week. Harden lead the league in scoring off the bench, as he averaged 16.8 points per game in 31.4 minutes per game.
Analysis: Harden has emerged as one of the most efficient scorers in the league, as he scored his 16.8 points per game on just 10.1 field goal attempts. He is hardly the ideal of a reserve, as he finished third on the Thunder in minutes per game, however he often plays with the second unit and came off the bench in 60 of his 62 games. He remains a high-end Fantasy option for postseason formats as the Thunder continue to advance.
News: Last week, Magic forward Ryan Anderson was rewarded for his breakout season by being named the league’s Most Improved Player, in his fourth season in the league. Anderson upped his scoring from 10.6 points per game last season to 16.1, while also adding a couple of rebounds to get to 7.7 per game. He managed to increase his scoring load without a drop in efficiency, as he posted almost identical shooting lines to the season before, hitting 43.9 percent of his shots from the field and 39.3 percent from three-point range.
Analysis: Anderson’s jump in production can be explained almost exclusively by pointing to the fact that his minutes played jumped from 22.3 per game to 32.2, however there is something to be said for a player who can take on a larger role while maintaining his shooting percentage. Unfortunately for the Magic, Anderson’s season ended rather unceremoniously after he was given the award, as he averaged just 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in the Magic’s 5-game series loss to the Pacers. He moves forward next season hoping to show that his regular season production was not a fluke; we bet it isn’t. Anderson should be considered an early-middle round selection on Draft Day.
News: Prior to Sunday’s Game 1 win over the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Heat forward LeBron James was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, his third time in four years winning the award. James was given the award after average 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game in the regular season, and then he went out and dropped 32 points, 15 rebounds and five assists on the Pacers to lead the Heat to a 95-86 victory.
Analysis: There was not much suspense in the unveiling of the award, as James had arguably the best overall season of his career. He shot a career-high 53.1 percent from the field, and lead the Heat to the second best record in the Eastern Conference. The Heat has a 1-0 series lead in the Second Round, as they attempt to get back to the NBA finals for the second year in a row. James has continued his strong play into the postseason and should be considered a must-start Fantasy option in all playoff formats.
News: Lakers forward Metta World Peace was back from his seven game suspension for Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Saturday against the Nuggets, and he made a big difference in the Lakers holding on to a 96-87 win to move on to the second round. World Peace shot 5 of 15 from the field, with four three pointers, to get 15 points, and he added five rebounds, two assists, four steals and two blocked shots in 44 minutes.
Analysis: World Peace and the Lakers go on to face the Thunder, the team he earned the suspension against back during the second to last game of the regular season. He was playing his best ball of the season before the suspension, and he continued that despite the lengthy layoff. World Peace was averaging 14.1 points per game in April before the suspension, and while most of that came without Kobe Bryant, he should be able to continue to play well, so consider him a usable option in postseason Fantasy formats.
News: Clippers guard Chris Paul suffered a re-aggravation of his lingering groin injury during Game 5 vs. the Grizzlies, however unsurprisingly, he played through it on Friday as the Clippers tried to close the series out in Game 6. While Paul was able to play, he seemed limited by the injury, finishing with a personal series-low of 11 points on 4 of 9 shooting. He did grab five rebounds and dish out seven assists, with three steals as well, however he clearly did not seem 100 percent comfortable as he fouled out after 35 minutes and the Clippers fell, 90-88.
Analysis: The best possible thing for Paul’s health would have been for the Clippers to close the series out and hopefully get some extra time off before the next series begins, but now he will have to fight through the pain again on Sunday for Game 7. He will try to push the Clippers to the second round of the playoffs on Sunday, and remains a must-start Fantasy option despite the lingering soreness.
