Each week, our Fantasy Basketball staff takes a look at situations that Fantasy owners should monitor over the course of the upcoming week. Have a look at the top storylines in Fantasy hoops and how they might affect your team going forward.
Will Kobe Bryant struggle with the broken finger?
Kobe Bryant's finger bent in the wrong direction Friday night against Minnesota, and Fantasy owners were immediately bent out of shape with the thought of the star guard struggling with his production.
Bryant suffered a broken right index finger against the Timberwolves, and Lakers coach Phil Jackson said it could take at least four weeks to heal. He finished the game against Minnesota and also played Saturday night at Utah with his finger wrapped.
Bryant dealt with a similar injury to his pinkie in February of 2008 and did not miss any time. He finished the season averaging 31.3 points in February, 25.5 points in March and 23.4 points in April.
Now, while Bryant said the pinkie injury was painful, the index finger could be worse because of his hand placement on the ball. Bryant was fine after getting hurt against Minnesota with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists while shooting 8 of 18 from the field and 3 of 4 from the foul line. He did have four turnovers.
But in the loss at Utah, just the Lakers fourth loss all season, Bryant struggled through 37 minutes with a season-low 16 points on 7 of 24 shooting from the field. He was a woeful 1 of 9 from the three-point line, but he did contribute six rebounds and five assists with only one turnover.
Bryant also wasn't feeling well in the game due to an upset stomach. He had to take IV fluids before the game and at halftime, so it's hard to say if the finger bothered him or he was sick.
Still, the last thing you want to see is Bryant, who is averaging 27.8 points, struggle with his scoring until some time in early January when the finger heals. There's also the chance he continues to aggravate the problem since it hurts every time he gets hit.
But Fantasy owners aren't going to bench Bryant, especially when he can contribute in so many ways. He is also averaging 5.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.1 steals, and those stats should continue at a similar pace even with the injury.
And knowing how Bryant plays, don't be surprised if he manages to deal with the pain -- or even start to shoot left-handed.
How are the 76ers doing one week into the A.I. experiment?
Allen Iverson returned to the 76ers last week to mixed results for Fantasy owners. In three games, Iverson averaged 14.0 points, 4.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds against Denver, Detroit and Houston.
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We are hoping for more from Iverson, who is starting in place of the injured Lou Williams (jaw), and he should improve with four games this week against Golden State, Cleveland, Boston and the Clippers. He is dealing with a stress reaction in his leg, but he's not expected to miss any time.
The 76ers lost all three games with Iverson last week, but the main stars in Philadelphia did not see a loss in production with Iverson on the court. In fact, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young all played well last week.
Iguodala averaged 24.3 points, 4.7 rebound and 4.7 assists. His averages for the season are 19.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Brand averaged 15.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. His averages for the season are 12.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
Young averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists. His averages for the season are 15.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
As you can see, each player saw a boost in scoring, so Iverson and his reputation for being a ball hog didn't hold true through one week. That should continue, so don't worry about Iverson hurting his teammates.
Once Iverson gets comfortable, his scoring should improve, and maybe then the 76ers will start to win some games.
Will Blake Griffin make an impact this year?
Blake Griffin initially was expected to miss the first six weeks of the year with the left knee injury he sustained in the preseason. We are now entering Week 8, and the Clippers rookie forward and No. 1 overall pick doesn't appear close to a return.
Griffin is still awaiting more tests on the knee to determine when he can start to practice. He has been limited to elliptical and swimming workouts, stretching and shooting without jumping.
Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said Griffin hasn't experienced any setbacks with the knee, but this is starting to feel like Greg Oden all over again. Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in 2007, missed his entire rookie season because of a knee injury and didn't make his NBA debut until 2008.
While Griffin has a more positive outlook and should play this year barring an unforeseen setback, his absence is hurting Fantasy owners. Griffin is owned in 94 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com, so he's taking up an important roster spot if you are in a league that does not have an injured reserve spot.
Our advice is to be patient until January and hope he returns to practice soon with a target date to make his debut. But if he's not back by early January then you might consider releasing him in non-keeper leagues.
While other rookies such as Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans and Jonny Flynn are playing well, Griffin is left on the bench showing off his wardrobe more than his game.
Who is the No. 1 center in Fantasy basketball?
The Nets might have the worst record in the NBA, but they have the best center in Fantasy. That's right, Brook Lopez sits atop the center rankings in standard, head-to-head Fantasy leagues through seven weeks.
Lopez has outplayed Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, David Lee, Zach Randolph, Al Jefferson and all the rest. He is averaging 19.5 points, which is the best at his position, with 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks.
Can Lopez keep this up? There's no reason to suggest otherwise. He has seven games with at least 25 points and 13 double-doubles. And because he plays on such an inept team, he will continue to get plenty of touches.
Lopez is having a sensational sophomore season. He was the No. 4 center drafted behind Howard, Jefferson and Gasol based on his average draft position, but he is currently No. 1 with 777 Fantasy points.
Howard is No. 2 at 766 and could still catch him, but Lopez is off to a great start this season. At least the Nets are No. 1 in something.
Can Raymond Felton keep up his great start in December?
Stephen Jackson has been with the Bobcats for 13 games, and he's starting to have a positive impact on Raymond Felton. After struggling to start the year, Felton has turned the corner for Fantasy owners.
Felton is averaging 17.0 points and 5.5 assists in six games in December, which is up from his season averages of 12.1 points and 5.2 assists. He is only being started in 68 percent of leagues on CBSSports.com, but that number should rise.
His shooting percentage is up and his turnovers are down since Jackson joined the team, and he should continue to play at a high level. And he has a great week ahead with two matchups against the Knicks in four games during this scoring period.
Gerald Wallace has also benefited with the addition of Jackson. He is averaging 18.0 points and 13.3 rebounds in December, and his season average is 16.5 points and 12.2 rebounds.
But Boris Diaw continues to struggle as he adjusts to Jackson, as his stats went from 12.1 points and 4.8 rebounds in 13 games in November to 11.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in December.
You might consider benching Diaw with how he's playing, and his start percentage is down to 33 percent on CBSSports.com. But Felton is finally starting to play well, and hopefully Diaw will follow suit.
It would be nice to see what the Bobcats can do when everyone is playing at a high level.
Do you have a Fantasy hoops question for our staff? You can e-mail us at DMFantasyHoops@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Fantasy Fast Break in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.
