News: Portland F
LaMarcus Aldridge will not travel with the team to Golden State, putting his status for Wednesday's contest against the Warriors in serious doubt, reports the
Oregonian. Aldridge sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of Tuesday night's contest against the Wizards after stepping on
Trevor Booker's foot . He immediately hobbled off the floor and was unable to return in the 124-109 loss.
Analysis: Aldridge is officially being considered day to day with his injury, although he still could end up missing some time. With he Trail Blazers playing in their first of three games over three consecutive nights on Tuesday, Aldridge isn't going to have much time to rest his ankle. Owners should keep an eye on his status moving forward, but since he won't be traveling with the team on Wednesday, it appears he will at least miss one contest. Keep an eye on his status moving forward. Aldridge can be considered a must-start option in all formats, when healthy.
Young goes off for Wizards
Nick Young, SG, WAS
1:02 AM
News: Washington guard
Nick Young scored season-high 35 points on Tuesday night against Portland. He shot 12 for 17 from the floor, knocking down seven 3-pointers, and connecting on all four of his foul shots. Young added three boards and two steals in his 40 minutes of action. His efforts helped the Wizards beat the Trail Blazers, 124-109.
Analysis: Young has been hitting on all cylinders lately -- despite having one lackluster game in the past week. Over his last five outings, Young is averaging 23.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He's hitting 46.9 percent of his attempts from beyond the 3-point arc over that stretch as well. Even though he's scoring at a good clip, Young doesn't contribute in all categories, which makes him more of a No. 4 Fantasy guard option -- one that can score a ton.
News: Suns F
Markieff Morris continued his recent run of solid play on Tuesday night against the Nuggets. The rookie scored a career-high 21 points and hauled in six rebounds -- including five on the offensive glass -- in the 109-92 loss. He went 8 for 16 from the floor, including 2 for 4 from downtown, and made 3 of 4 free throws. Morris also chipped in with four steals, two blocks and an assist while playing 29 minutes off the bench.
Analysis: Morris scored in double figures for the third straight game on Tuesday and has responded well to his recent increase in playing time. He is averaging 10.6 points with four rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals in his last five contests, and is shooting nearly 43 percent over that span. While he continues to come off the bench, the 22-year-old has been playing with the starters late in games and still has some solid upside in Fantasy. Keep an eye on his progress and consider Morris as more of a low-end Fantasy option at this point.
Lin plays hero for Knicks
Jeremy Lin, PG, NY
2/14/2012
News: New York guard
Jeremy Lin hit the game-winning shot on Tuesday night against Toronto, giving the Knicks the 90-87 edge. Lin, alongside
Amar'e Stoudemire for the first time since becoming a starter, dished out a career-high 11 assists and scored a team-high 27 points. Lin shot 9 for 20 from the field, hitting both his attempts from long range and converting 7 of his 11 foul shots. "He continues to impress every night," New York's
Jared Jeffries said. "Every game he plays better, he does more and more to help us win basketball games. You can't ask any more of a kid coming into this situation." He chipped in a steal and two boards in his 43 minutes on the court. Lin also had half of his team's 16 turnovers on the night.
Analysis: As good as Lin has been for the Knicks during this six-game win streak, turnovers are frustrating Fantasy owners. His eight on Tuesday didn't help owners in head-to-head formats. He's averaging 27.2 points, 8.8 assists and 6.0 turnovers per game over his last five games. Lin is also getting to the foul line a lot -- nine times a game -- over that span. The big question now is can Lin keep performing up to this level once Carmelo Anthony returns. He played well with Stoudemire on Tuesday and Anthony should be returning this week. Fantasy owners should keep rolling with Lin as he's showing everyone he's a viable guard option in all formats.
News: Bulls G
Derrick Rose missed his third consecutive game due to a lingering back injury on Tuesday against the Kings. He told the
Chicago Tribune that he tooks some shots before the contest and plans on running Wednesday. "Every day it's getting better," he said. "I shouldn't have any problem in the long run. This back pain should be behind me in a couple of days." Chicago plays again on Thursday against Boston.
Analysis: Rose was examined Monday by a specialist, and Bulls general manager Gar Forman said no structural damage was found. That’s good news for the Eastern Conference-leading Bulls, but Rose remains day to day with the persistent back issue. Keep an eye on how things go on Wednesday as it will likely determine his status for Thursday's contest. Rose, who is averaging 22 points with 7.8 assists thus far, should be considered a must-start option in Fantasy, when active.
Granger leaves with sprained ankle
Danny Granger, SF, IND
2/14/2012
News: Pacers F
Danny Granger left Tuesday night's contest against the Heat with a sprained right ankle. Granger sustained the injury in the first quarter of the blowout loss and did not return. He finished with three points and one rebound prior to leaving the contest and is being considered day to day at this point. The Pacers are scheduled to play the Cavaliers in Cleveland on Wednesday night. "Yeah, that's my anticipation," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said of Granger. "I don't think he can play (Wednesday at Cleveland)."
Analysis: Granger's injury could not come at a worse time for Fantasy owners, as the Pacers are in the first game of a back-to-back-to-back set. That means the 28-year-old won't have much time to rest his ankle, which could force him to miss a few games. Fantasy owners should keep an eye on his status moving forward to see when he will be able to get back on the court. Granger can be considered a high-end Fantasy option in most formats, when healthy.
News: Portland coach Nate McMillan benched guard
Raymond Felton during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 124-109 loss to Washington. "Coach’s decision. Nothing I can say about it. Do I like it? No. Nobody likes to be on the bench," Felton told
The Oregonian after the game. "You want to be out there fighting with your team. But it’s a coach’s decision. Do I know why I was on (the bench)? No. I have no clue. You’d have to ask (McMillan) about that." Felton scored four points on a dismal 2-for-5 shooting display in his 28 minutes on the court. He dished out six assists, grabbed one rebound, had a steal and committed two turnovers.
Analysis: Felton didn't have the scoring touch, but he still had six assists for the Trail Blazers. McMillan had said he was keeping Felton in as the starter on Monday, but had been considering inserting Jamal Crawford in the starting lineup. If this happens, Felton will likely see plenty of action off the bench, but it is hard to tell how his numbers will be affected. With his role in flux, Fantasy owners should view Felton as a No. 3 guard option -- although his stock could fall depending on how far he falls down the depth chart.
Irving awaiting final clearance
Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE
2/14/2012
News: Cavaliers G
Kyrie Irving (concussion) was a full participant in practice Tuesday and is hoping to receive clearance from the team's medical staff to play in Wednesday's game against Indiana. Irving has missed the past two games after being diagnosed with a concussion last Wednesday. Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said Irving would start and play his normal minutes if cleared. "He’s getting back in the groove," said fellow G
Ramon Sessions, who has started at the point while Irving recovered. "He looked back to normal, and we’re happy to have him back."
Analysis: Irving completed two days of light workouts prior to Tuesday's practice and appears poised for a return on Wednesday. “He went through everything today, full contact and looked pretty good," Scott said. “We still have to wait on NBA protocol to when he can play. We have to make sure everything is OK.” Irving leads all rookies with 18.0 points per game this season and is also averaging 5.1 assists through 23 games. With his return approaching, he should be viewed as a low-end No. 2 Fantasy G in most formats when active.
News: Trail Blazers F
Nicolas Batum was inserted into the starting lineup in place of the
Wesley Matthews for Tuesday night's contest against the Wizards. Batum, who was told about the decision on Monday night, responded by scoring 33 points in the 124-109 defeat. He made 12 of his 24 shot attempts in the loss, including going 3 for 8 from downtown. “He said, ‘You’re moving into the lineup, but your job is the same,’” Batum said. “Bring defense and do what you do on offense. Be a stopper on defense ... and on offense, take the open shot, try to drive the ball and be aggressive.”
Analysis: Batum also added four rebounds, one assist, one steal and a block to his stat line in his second start of the season as he was one of the few Trail Blazers who actually played well. The question will now become how long will Batum be able to hold on to his starting gig? Fantasy owners should obviously keep an eye on how coach Nate McMillan decides to set his lineup moving forward. Obviously if Batum remains a starter, owners can expect his production to increase, especially if LaMarcus Aldridge miss an extended amount of time.
News: With F
LaMarcus Aldridge suffering a sprained left ankle in Tuesday night's contest against the Wizards, Trail Blazers F
Craig Smith could be in line to see a boost in playing time in the short term. Smith, who has appeared in 24 games this season, finished with six points, while logging nine minutes in the 124-109 loss to Washington.
Analysis: Smith has been used sporadically off the bench of late, but that could change depending on how long Aldridge is out for. However, keep in mind coach Nate McMillan could also opt to use veteran Kurt Thomas, so owners will have to keep an eye on how things play out moving forward. While Smith likely won't supply any jaw-dropping numbers -- even if he does get a few starts -- owners looking for some cheap help at the forward spot may want to think about scooping him up if he gets some extra run. Stay tuned.
