News: Knicks guard Jeremy Lin continues to make his presence felt in the NBA as he scored a career-high 38 points on Friday night versus the Lakers. Lin shot 13 for 23 from the field, going 2 for 4 from downtown, and converted 10 of his 13 foul shots for New York. "I didn't try to see this game as any different," Lin said. "I just try to make sure that when I get there on the floor, I play as hard as I can and try to do everything I can to help the team win. I'm not too worried about proving anything to anybody. As a team we're growing and trying to build on the momentum." Even though he committed six turnovers, Lin still did more good than bad. He added seven assists, two steals and four rebounds in his 39 minutes on the court, as well as taking some key charging penalties. The Knicks would hold on for the 92-85 win.
Analysis: Lin has scored 89 points in his first three starts. Lin is averaging 28.5 points and 8.0 assists per game over his last four outings. With the Knicks missing both Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, Lin has stepped up to lead the team to four straight wins. It's hard to believe Lin will be able to keep this kind of production up, especially with him logging so many minutes after hardly playing this season. Still, Lin has captivated fans and Fantasy owners alike, as he's now owned in 88 percent of CBSSports.com Fantasy leagues. As long as he has the starting job and is playing this well, owners in all formats should roll with Lin and his hot hand.
News: Wizards F Trevor Booker was able to notch his first double-double of the season during Friday night's contest against the Heat. Booker finished with 13 points and a season-high 15 rebounds in the 106-89 victory, on 6 of 13 shooting from the field. He went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line and also chipped in with four steals and one assist, while logging 39 minutes of game action.
Analysis: Booker has started each of the last four games for the Wizards and has been taking advantage of his increased playing time. The 24-year-old has scored in double figures in each of his last three contests and is shooting 62 percent from the field over that stretch. Booker excelled last season when filling in for Blatche and looks to have secured his spot in the starting lineup for at least another few weeks. As long as he can maintain his current production, Booker can be considered a more than viable Fantasy F in the majority of formats heading into Week 8 (Feb. 13-19).
News: According to the team's official website, Hornets G Jarrett Jack will miss at least a week due to a knee bruise. He re-aggravated the injury on Wednesday against the Bulls, scoring only four points to go with three assists, well below his averages of about 15 points and seven assists. Greivis Vasquez got the start in his place on Friday night against Portland.
Analysis: Jack missed three games prior to returning on Wednesday due to the injury and it looks as though the Hornets are going to give him some extra time to heal. He has been having the best campaign of his career after coming over in the Chris Paul deal, averaging 15.2 points with 6.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 22 games. Keep an eye on his status going forward but it looks as though he is going to miss most of Week 8 (Feb. 13-19) if not all of it. Jack should be considered a solid option in most Fantasy formats, when healthy, but owners should line up healthier options for the upcoming scoring period.
News: Jazz C Al Jefferson led his team in scoring on Friday night against the Thunder. He finished with 20 points and eight rebounds in the 101-87 loss. He went 9 for 18 from the field and made 2 of 3 free throws while playing 34 minutes. Jefferson also chipped in with four assists and a block in the defeat.
Analysis: Jefferson continues to be a solid option in Fantasy and is starting to pick up his scoring. He is averaging 19 points with 7.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in his last five contests, and is shooting nearly 45 percent over that span. While his shooting percentage is down from years past, the 27-year-old is one of the more productive centers in the league and could be in for a big Week 8 (Feb. 13-19). Jefferson will face off against the Hornets, Thunder, Wizards and Rockets during the upcoming scoring period so keep him active in the majority of Fantasy leagues.
News: Thunder G Russell Westbrook had another solid night shooting the ball on Friday against the Jazz. He finished with 28 points on 10 of 20 shooting and recorded five steals in the 101-87 win. He went 1 for 4 from beyond the arc and made 7 of 8 free throws while playing 34 minutes. Westbrook also chipped in with six rebounds and three assists in the victory.
Analysis: Westbrook has posted eight 20-point performances over the last nine games and is starting to heat up for owners. He is averaging 27.6 points with six rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.2 steals in his last five contests, and is shooting 51 percent over that span. While he continues to struggle from beyond the arc, there are few point guards in the league that can score like him and he should only continue to get better at age 23. With Utah, Houston, Golden State and Denver on the schedule for Week 8 (Feb. 13-19), continue to view Westbrook as a must-start option in Fantasy.
News: Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said standout G Manu Ginobili will play against New Jersey on Saturday after participating in a full-contact practice Friday. Ginobili, who has been sidelined since Jan. 2 after breaking a bone in his left hand, will not start and his minutes are expected to be limited. “I don’t have great expectations for the first few games. I just want to contribute, help a little bit, don’t change anything of what the team’s doing, just try to fit in again,” Ginobili said. “I think at the beginning I’m not going to play 30 minutes (but) come back slowly."
Analysis: The original timetable for Ginobili's return was six to eight weeks, but a return Saturday would mean he missed just under six weeks after the injury. Ginobili, 34, averaged 17.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in his five appearances before the injury. Fantasy owners should not expect him to fire away once he hits the court as he'll likely need time to develop a rhythm. Consider him a solid Fantasy G option when active.
News: Grizzlies F Rudy Gay scored 20-plus points for the fifth time in his last seven games on Friday against the Pacers. He finished with a team-high 21 points on 8 of 15 shooting in the 98-92 win. He missed his lone attempt from beyond the arc but was able to go 5 for 6 from the charity stripe while playing 38 minutes. Gay also posted three rebounds and two assists in the victory.
Analysis: Gay has endured a couple of scoring slumps so far this season but he has looked better of late and is starting to put up more points. He is averaging 20.4 points with seven rebounds and 1.8 steals in his last five contests, and is shooting nearly 44 percent over that span. The 25-year-old has become adept at filling up the stat sheet on a nightly basis and has some favorable matchups in Week 8 (Feb. 13-19). With Houston, New Jersey, Denver and Golden State on the schedule, continue to roll with Gay as a solid option in Fantasy.
News: Grizzlies C Marc Gasol did a solid job of filling up the stat sheet again on Friday night against the Pacers. He scored 15 points, hauled in seven rebounds and dished out four assists in the 98-92 win. He went 4 for 8 from the field and made 7 of 8 free throws while playing 35 minutes. Gasol also chipped in with three blocks and two steals in the victory.
Analysis: Gasol has not been rebounding as much of late but he is making up for it by contributing in other categories. He is averaging 16 points with 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals in his last five contests, and is shooting 45 percent over that span. The 27-year-old is on pace for a career year and will head to the All-Star game for the first time. With Houston, New Jersey, Denver and Golden State on the schedule for Week 8 (Feb. 13-19), continue to view Gasol as a solid option in all Fantasy formats.
News: New Jersey center Johan Petro scored 16 points on Friday night against Detroit. "I didn't pay any attention to the score," Petro said. "I just tried to work hard on both ends of the floor and get something positive out of a bad night for the team." He shot 6 for 10 from the field and nailed all four of his foul shots. Petro added an assist and five rebounds in his 20 minutes of action. The Nets would still lose the game to the Pistons, 109-92.
Analysis: Petro got extended playing time as the Nets are depleted on the frontcourt with Brook Lopez and Mehmet Okur both sidelined. This was his best game of the season and third time he's scored in double digits for the Nets. Despite his nice outing, Fantasy owners should leave Petro on waivers as he's just not a player that will impact a game that often.
News: Timberwolves forward Kevin Love returned from his two-games suspension on Friday night with a bang as he recorded his league-leading 23rd double-double. Love scored 32 points, grabbed 12 boards and dished out three assists in his 41 minutes. Love's efforts wouldn't be enough though as Minnesota lost to Dallas, 104-97. Love shot 50 percent from the field, missing all three of his attempts from long range, and knocked down all 14 of his freebies at the charity stripe.
Analysis: Love was suspended for stepping on Houston F Luis Scola last weekend, and has said he doesn't want to be known for that. As long as he keeps producing like he did on Friday night, people will start to forget about that incident real quick. Love entered Friday averaging 25 points and 13.7 rebounds per game, so he was right on par. Fantasy owners should view Love as a must-start forward option now that he's back from suspension.
