Wrapping up all the news and games from Wednesday, these are the Daily Wraps.
CLE/ATL:
CLE:
Cleveland has committed to playing their starters big minutes and running a shorter bench rotation. This has helped solidify Antawn Jamison, Anthony Parker, Anderson Varejao, Mo Williams, and Daniel Gibson's fantasy value, but it also means that J.J. Hickson, Ramon Sessions, and whoever else they bring off the bench won't play many minutes or value in standard fantasy leagues.
Anthony Parker is averaging 12.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, two three-pointers, and 1.2 steals in 38 mpg over his last five, and those 38 minutes are the stat that should hit you with pop. He's putting up stats and, most importantly, minutes, that beg for ownership in deep leagues. Some standard leagues may have use for him, but, as a whole, he isn't aggressive enough offensively to require universal ownership in standard leagues. I personally don't think he'll keep getting these kind of minutes all season. A trade, losing, or a look towards youth with conspire against him at some point, but he's worth owning for now.
Cleveland's next game is against the Timberwolves on Sunday.
ATL:
Atlanta hasn't shied away from shaking up their lineup a little bit when matching up against opponents this season. As a result, we saw Jason Collins start at center and Marvin Williams come off the bench in their last game. But those mild adjustments are the exception, and Williams was moved back into the starting lineup against the Cavs on Wednesday.
Williams was averaging only 28 mpg coming at the end of November, but the absence of Joe Johnson for two weeks after elbow surgery and the absence of Jamal Crawford over their last five games has forced the Hawks to look at his role differently. He's being used as an everyman, a utility player. They're starting him most nights, but he's been used off the bench and as the shooting guard on some nights as well. His willingness to do whatever the Hawks have needed has given him an extra five mpg in December and helped raise his averages to 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 33 mpg through their first 13 games of December. When Crawford returns, his minutes could be cut slightly again, but owners in deep leagues might be able to use Williams' versatility.
Altanta's next game is against the Hornets on Sunday.
DET/TOR:
DET:
Ben Gordon played his second game as the Pistons' newly anointed starting shooting guard, and we're elated at the long overdue move. However, our expectations for him in the short term are tempered. Coach John Kuester used a 10-man rotation Wednesday. Gordon only played 20 minutes, because Rip Hamilton had the hot hand off the bench. Until Hamilton gets traded, we don't trust Kuester to play Gordon the 30 mintes a night he should have been getting since day one with the Pistons.
Hamilton sat out the Pistons' game on Sunday with an upset stomach, so Wednesday's tilt against the Raptors was his first go off the bench for the 'Stons this season. He came out firing and put up 35 points with six three-pointers in 28 minutes. It was quite a show for the night, but this situation is going to give fantasy owners fits going forward. Not a single Piston played 30 minutes Wednesday. Arguably, that's because the team was taking a wooden paddle to the Raptors' backside, but Kuester has shown a tendency to spread his rotation thick, extending it out, and limiting the value of all the Pistons in fantasy this season.
Tracy McGrady put up a retro line of 17 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in 24 minutes, but it's suspect. He sat the second half of their game on Sunday as a precaution due to soreness in his groin. Injuries, and the specter of injury, has been the story surrounding McGrady, and tainting his legacy, most of his career. He has never played 80 games in a season. If you're okay riding the roller coaster that is T-Mac, feel free to use in extremely deep leagues, just know that he'll have you wanting to drop him one game and pick him back up two games later. My advice with players like McGrady. Put blinders on, keep him in your periphery, and don't get dazzled by the fireworks that come into your line of sight.
The Pistons' next game is against the Bulls on Sunday.
TOR:
Andrea Bargnani, Amir Johnson, Linas Kleiza, Jose Calderon, Sonny Weems, and Jerryd Bayless are all fighting through various ailments that made them game-time decisions Wednesday. Everyone played and started except Weems and Bayless. Weems sat out a third straight game with back spasms, and Bayless missed the game with food poisoning. After the game got quickly out of hand, Johnson left the game with his own back issues and did not return. Bargnani came into the game having missed two of their last three games with a sore knee that lead to sore ankle, and he went out of Wednesday's game briefly with a calf strain. He returned to the court, playing 33 minutes in the loss.
Calderon played in his third straight game after missing four with an injured left foot. The foot is still bothering him, but it's not being reflected much in his offensive performance. He's put up double-digit assists in each of the three games since his return, averaging 13 apg in those contests.
Kleiza needs to be owned in standard leagues. He put up 19 points and five rebounds, to follow the consecutive double-doubles that he had in his two prior games. His minutes may get cut some when Weems returns from his back injury, but Kleiza needs to be owned in the interim.
The Raptors are done for the week and do not play again until Monday against Memphis. With so many injuries slowing down the team, their current stretch of four days off could help Bargs, Johnson, Weems, and Calderon get the rest they need to be healthy going forward.
CHI/WAS:
CHI:
Taj Gibson was available to play Wednesday after having missed the Bulls' last game with lingering symptoms from a concussion, but he only played 31 seconds in the games. Kurt Thomas was given the start at center again. He played 41 minutes, but he wasn't nearly as statistically impressive in his second spot start. Thomas put up 12 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks in Tuesday, but he was only good for four points, seven rebounds, and two blocks last night. As we touched on yesterday, he has a compound of factors working against him in fantasy. Thomas is 38-years-old; he's only getting extended run due to injuries to the Bulls' frontcourt; and he hasn't averaged over 20 mpg in any of the last four seasons. Deep leagues can roster him as long as he's getting minutes, but most standard leagues shouldn't bother wasting a move on him. Thomas is having a great week, but it won't sustain.
The Bulls have two more games this week: Saturday against the Knicks and Sunday against the Pistons.
WAS:
Rashard Lewis made his debut with the Wizards on Wednesday put up eight points, three rebounds, and a block in 22 minutes off the bench. The Wizards and Lewis have agreed to bring him off the bench until he's acclimated to the team's offense. He's expected to spend most of his time at small forward which should push Al Thornton to the bench sooner than later.
If Nick Young remains unowned in any standard leagues that count three-pointers, he needs to be picked up. Through 10 games in December, Young has averaged 19.5 points, two thre-pointers, and a steal in 31 mpg. Since the trade of Gilbert Arenas, he's been starting at shooting guard. In the past, he failed to captalize on opportunities because he was largely inconsistent with his shot from game to game. However, he's shooting a career-high 48 percent from the floor this season, and it's earned him extra run. Even when John Wall returns to the lineup, we're expecting Young to remain the starting two guard and for Kirk Hinrich to move to the bench to help back up the two backcourt positions.
Josh Howard returned to the Wizards' lineup three games ago, and he's averaged 10.7 points, a steal, and 0.7 three-pointers in 23 mpg in those contests. Deep leagues will want to watch how he is used going forward. It'll be a toss up to see who gets the short end of the stick between Howard and Thornton when the Wizards are fully healthy.
Yi Jianlian missed a fourth straight game with an MCL sprain that is expected to keep him out another one-to-three weeks.
The Wizards' next game is against the Spurs on Sunday.
OKC/NYK:
OKC:
Serge Ibaka started a seventh straight game at center in place of Nenad Krstic. Krstic said his lower back strain is not serious, and he was considering playing in Wednesday's game but did not. Ibaka gets about the same number of minutes whether he's starting or coming off the bench, so his owners need not really be concerned with where his minutes are coming from.
The Thunder's next and last game of the week is against the Nuggets on Saturday.
NYK:
Raymond Felton has put up at least 10 assists in his last five games, and he's been a gift to his owners this season.
After stating that they'd like to start using their bench more to limit the minutes of their starters and further evaluate their roster, the Knicks deployed Ronny Turiaf, Toney Douglas, and Shawne Williams on Wednesday. Turiaf had 11 points, two rebounds, and a block in 22 minutes. Douglas put up nine points, five rebounds, and three assists in 22 minutes. And Williams had seven points, three rebounds, and three blocks in 18 minutes. All three players should be considered in deep leagues going forward.
The Knicks' next and final game of the week is against the Bulls on Saturday.
PHI/BOS:
PHI:
Jodie Meeks continue to struggle offensively, but we don't see coach Doug Collins removing him from the starting lineup right now. Things might change if the Sixers lose their next two games, but he should be safe going into next week. With that said, his struggles have made him drop worthy in standard and deep leagues.
Spencer Hawes hasn't cracked 20 minutes in either of his last two games, earning Collins the ire of everyone that picked up Hawes during his awesome three-game stretch last week. The Sixers don't have anyone threatening to take Hawes' minutes, so we're confident he'll play big minutes and have good value again soon. However, his up-and-downs may be a recurring pattern going forward. He's known for feeding off of his emotions and confidence, and he doesn't have a lot of poise to manage those things. It's something the 22-year-old is still learning.
Tony Battie was given a surprising 26 minutes off the bench Wednesday and put up 10 points, six rebounds, and four blocks. It was the second straight game he got some run in, but Battie has only played in six of the Sixers' 11 games in December. Put those blinders on. Battie's line is not real.
Evan Turner received just the second DNP-CD of his young career, but they've both come in the last week. He's got a ways to go before he'll have value playing for these Sixers. A trade of Iguodala would open up big minutes for him and spur his development, but that's not where the Sixers are looking after their moderate success of late.
Philadelphia's next and last game of the week is Sunday against the Nuggets.
BOS:
Jermaine O'Neal was expected to return to the Celtics' lineup Wednesday, but he came down with the flu and had to be held out.
Rajon Rondo's ankle is improving, but he missed another game Wednesday. The team doesn't expect him to play Saturday against the Magic, meaning the earliest we should plan on seeing him is Tuesday against the Pacers.
Boston's next and last game of the week is Saturday against the Magic.
UTJ/MIN:
UTJ:
Mehmet Okur missed the game with a sprained ankle that he suffered before Monday's game.
The Jazz are done for the week. Their next game is Monday against the Blazers.
MIN:
Darko Milicic was questionable coming into Wednesday's game with a sprained ankle. The team was going to bring him off the bench due to his struggles with the ankle in their last game, but he convinced coach Kurt Rambis to start just before the tip. He finished with six points, four rebounds, and two blocks in 24 minutes. Darko had a dominant stretch in November, but he's come back down to earth in December and should continue to average his more typical line of about 10 points, six rebounds, and two blocks going forward this season.
Martell Webster has played some stellar basketball in his first six games with the Timberwolves. He's averaging 15.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 three-pointers, numbers worthy of ownership in most standard leagues. Webster is shooting an unsustainable 54 percent from the field, which will make his scoring average drop when he naturally starts missing more shots, but much of his success should be attributed to his new-found thirst for layups. He's attacking the basket and getting to the line a career-high 5.2 times per game. This focus is no doubt a large reason why his scoring has been so consistent and his field goal percentage is so high. Feel free to grab him in deep leagues, and consider grabbing him in standard leagues.
The Timberwolves' next game is against the Cavs on Sunday.
NJN/NOH:
NJN:
Coach Avery Johnson says he's settled on an essential nine-man rotation that includes Stephen Graham in line starting lineup. What remains to be seen is how things will shake out when Anthony Morrow returns from a hamstring injury in a week or two. Sasha Vujacic has played well since being traded to the team two weeks ago. A squeeze is going to happen somewhere between Graham, Morrow, Travis Outlaw, Quinton Ross, and Vujacic in the near future, and someone will be left with the short end of the stick. Although, all of that could work itself out depending on how all of the trade rumors surrounding New Jersey unfold.
We don't usually put much credence in trade talk until the deals go down, but the Nets have been making rotation decisions based on possible deals. Troy Murphy and Derek Favors have been splitting minutes with Kris Humphries, because they're all potentially going to be on the move sometime soon. Outside of Devin Harris and Brook Lopez, it's hard to trust anyone's fantasy value on the Nets right now.
Quinton Ross missed Wednesday's game.
The Net are done for the week. Their next game is against the Magic on Monday. Ross is expected to return for that game.
NOH:
Willie Green is expected to be out the rest of the week for personal reasons after the death of his sister and cousin in a car accident Sunday.
Marcus Thornton will see extra looks off the bench while Green is out, but Thornton's value remains tentative. Coach Monty Williams has been critical of his defense even in complimenting that Thornton's offense can erase some of the mistakes he makes on defense. As long as Marco Belinelli is getting most of the shooting guard minutes out of the starting lineup, Thornton's value will variate.
The Hornets' next game is against the Hawks on Sunday.
DEN/SAS:
DEN:
Carmelo Anthony missed Wednesday's game and is not expected to rejoin the team until sometime next week after the death of his sister Wednesday.
J.R. Smith stepped into the starting lineup in Anthony's absence and gave everyone a preview of the kinds of lines he might put up if he's still on the team after Anthony is traded. He put up 22 points, seven rebounds, and four three-pointers in 38 minutes.
Chauncey Billups, Kenyon Martin, and Chris Andersen returned from their various injuries. Billups' return sent Ty Lawson back to the bench, but Lawson still got plenty of run with Anthony out. Martin started at power forward, pushing Shelden Williams, not just to the bench but, clear out of the roation. Wednesday's game was Martin's debut this season. He played 17 minutes and is expected to continue to play about 15 mpg as the team works him back into game shape. He put up eight points, five rebounds, and a block in his 17 minutes. Andersen had seven rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes.
The Nuggets have tow more games this week: Saturday against the Thunder and Sunday against the Sixers.
SAS:
George Hill missed a third straight game with a sprained right big toe Wednesday and did not make the trip to Orlando for Saturday's game.
Gary Neal has picked up the slack off the bench and would be a nice spot start Saturday, but his value won't stick when Hill returns.
Tiago Splitter returned to the rotation Wednesday after missing their last game with a pelvic contusion. He's been injury prone this season, limiting his exposure and opportunities, but he came through with 12 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes off the bench Wednesday. He should be on your watch lists, but don't invest in him unless he's playing consistent minutes.
The Spurs have two more games this week: Thursday against the Magic and Sunday against the Wizards.
HOU/LAC:
HOU:
Terrence Williams received another DNP-CD Wednesday and should be dropped in most leagues.
Houston is done for the week. Their next game is against the Wizards on Monday.
LAC:
The Clippers signed Ike Diogu to help them navigate through the recent injuries to Brian Cook and Craig Smith. Mere hours after being signed, he played 17 minutes off the bench Wednesday and put up eight points and three rebounds. Don't get excited, Diogu has a special talent of disappointing and finding ways to get benched.
Randy Foye has played a couple minutes off the bench the last three games. Very deep leagues will want to watch that situation in case Baron Davis gets moved in a trade.
The Clippers' next game is against the Suns on Sunday.
OTHER NOTES:
ORL:
Ryan Anderson (foot) practiced Wednesday and is expected to play against the Spurs on Thursday.
Daniel Orton underwent arthroscopic left-knee surgery Thursday and should be out at least a month.
Pick up of the Day:Martell Webster
Drop of the Day:Jodie Meeks
Thanks for reading Thursday's Daily Raps.
Kyle McKeown