News: Pacers forward David West played through his sprained left knee on Thursday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, leading the Pacers with 24 points on 10 of 16 shots. West took advantage of the often significant height advantages he was working with against Miami’s undersized front-line, however he was able to pick up just five rebounds in 41 minutes, as the Pacers fell, 105-93, ending their season.
Analysis: West’s production took a tumble this season, however given the fact that he was coming off a major knee injury and playing in a contracted season due to the lockout, the fact that he was able to play in all 66 games this season as a full-time player says a lot about his toughness. His scoring fell from 18.9 points per game to 12.8 this season, however given that he was going from Chris Paul to Darren Collison at the point, that drop off was to be expected. At 31 years of age, West’s best days are probably behind him, however he should still be targeted in the middle rounds on Draft Day as a solid option at the forward position.
News: As expected, Pacers forward Danny Granger played through his ankle injury on Thursday for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Miami. Granger gutted out 38 minutes in the game, scoring 15 points on 6 of 14 shooting, while grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists, as the Pacers’ season ended, 105-93. He finished the postseason averaging 17.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in 11 games.
Analysis: While the Pacers enjoyed their finest season as a team in some time, Granger had one of his toughest as professional. While he still scored 18.7 points per game on the season, that came on a career-low 41.6 percent shooting, while he posted his lowest rebounding and assist averages since his second season in the league. Granger remained a dead-eye three-point shooter, hitting 38.1 percent of his attempts, so most of the fall off came from inside the arc. Still, he is capable of filling up the boxscore on any given night, and given his career averages, should be able to shoot the ball better next season, so target him with an early-round pick on Draft Day as your No. 2 Fantasy forward.
News: Heat forward Udonis Haslem earned a one-game suspension for his Flagrant foul on Pacers forward Tyler Hansbrough on Tuesday, meaning he will be unavailable for the team's matchup on Thursday in a potentially-decisive Game 6.
Analysis: Haslem insists that the hit on Hansbrough was not intentional, and he plans on appealing the suspension, however that won't change his status for the game. He is averaging just 6.0 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in the series and should not be missed much in Fantasy postseason formats.
News: Celtics center Greg Stiemsma has been playing on an injured left foot for the last month, and on Wednesday it became to much of an issue for him to deal with, as he was only able to play five minutes in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal in Philadelphia. He recorded no stats in the game, afterward telling WEEI.com in Boston, "This is as bad as it's been. I'll stay off it for the next few days. I'll be ready for Saturday."
Analysis: He has managed to play through the injury with very few exceptions since the final few weeks of the regular season, so we have no reason to doubt thathe will be able to go for Game 7, especially with two nights off. Still, he sounds like he is in a ton of pain and might be limited for the game, so avoid him in all Fantasy postseason formats.
News: The Boston Herald reported Wednesday that Celtics guard Avery Bradley "definitely" needs surgery on his injured left shoulder soon, and is not expected to play during the remainder of the postseason.
Analysis: Bradley has been dealing with this injury for a while, and he was trying to play through it until the end of the postseason, however now it looks like he is done for the season. Bradley became a much larger part of the Celtics’ plans this season, logging career highs across the board in his second season in the league. If the Celtics can advance in the postseason, he may try to get on the floor again, however at this point that is not looking likely, so don’t rely on him in postseason Fantasy formats.
News: Little-used Pacers’ reserve guard Lance Stephenson was forced to get X-rays on his collarbone after Tuesday’s Game 5 in Miami, as the result of an elbow from Heat center Dexter Pittman in the waning moments of a 115-83 Heat victory. Stephenson, who drew criticism from Heat players after making a choke sign during Game 3 towards LeBron, appears to have escaped relatively unscathed, as the X-rays showed no fractures. Pittman received a Flagrant 1 foul for the play and may be looking at a suspension.
Analysis: Stephenson had played just six minutes in the postseason prior to Game 5, as he has been used only in blowouts. The injury looked serious at the time, however it appears there was no long-term damage done. Having said that, this may be the last we have seen of Stephenson in the postseason, so he is not worth owning in any Fantasy postseason leagues.
News: Heat guard Dwyane Wade struggled in a major way during the first three games of the Eastern Conference Semifinal against Indiana, with the worst of it coming during a 2 for 13 shooting night in Game 3 when he scored just five points. According to ESPN.com, there is an explanation for that, as he reportedly needed fluid drained from his left knee prior to the game. That seemed to do the trick, as he bounced back in a major way on Sunday, scoring 30 points on 13 for 23 shooting to lead the Heat to a 101-93 victory in Game 4.
Analysis: Wade shot just 31 percent from the field in the first three games of the series, and there had been rumblings that he was dealing with a lower-leg injury that had been limiting him, so this reported certainly seems believable. Wade bounded back in a major way on Sunday, looking very much like a new man. Hopefully he can sustain this production moving forward, as he is a must-start Fantasy option for all postseason formats.
News: Nuggets guard Rudy Fernandez is spending the summer in Spain recovering from back surgery and, as he told TuBasket.com, a Spanish-language website that covers basketball in Spain, he may decide to stay there even when he heals up. Fernandez turned down a contract offer from Real Madrid last summer that would have made him the highest-paid player in Spain, however as a restricted free-agent this year, he plans on weighting all of his options.
Analysis: The contract Fernandez reportedly turned down last summer would have been for six years and $26 million, so it will be interesting to see if any teams are willing to offer him something comparable. Fernandez was unable to emerge as a full-time player in Denver’s deep rotation, averaging 8.6 points in 22.9 minutes per game. He seems to have hit a plateau in his NBA development from his 10.4 point per game campaign as a rookie, so even if he does keep on playing in the NBA, he will likely be just a Fantasy reserve, so don’t plan on targeting him on Draft Day.
News: Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson, who missed the final month of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left ankle, is expected to return to the team for the 2012-13 season, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer speculates that the team will pick up the $4.8 million team option on him.
Analysis: Gibson is expected to be recovered well before the beginning of the season, so the only question heading into next season will be that team option. Gibson struggled with his shot last season, hitting just 35.1 percent of his attempts from the field, however at that price the team should find a place for hm. He missed 31 games last season, however as a backup point guard with range, he gives the team decent production. However as long as Kyrie Irving is around, Gibson won't have anything close to starter's minutes and should be avoided in all leagues on Draft Day.
News: Hornets guard Jarrett Jack, who missed the final three weeks of the season with a stress fracture in his right foot, has been resting the injury and is expected to get back on the floor in preparation for next season by the middle of June. Jack, who is entering the final season of a four-year contract with the Hornets, was expected to rest for six to eight weeks after being shut down for the season.
Analysis: Jack was quite good in replacing Chris Paul this season, average 15.6 points, 6.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game – career highs across the board. The 28-year-old dealt with injuries throughout, missing 11 games, however he was solid whenever he played and should return to that same level of effectiveness in the coming season. He should be considered a solid Fantasy option at the guard position, one worth selecting with an early middle round pick on Draft Day.
