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| The Washington Wizards have been taking it easy on Gilbert Arenas since his return from knee surgery, but the team is ready to let him play on Saturday in what will be his first back-to-back days played since his return, according to the Washington Post. "He's been recovering pretty good after the last two or three games, so we'll see," said Coach Eddie Jordan. "We'll stay with his minutes, 20 minutes or so, and since he's been recovering, we'll see if he can play (Saturday night). We think he will be able to." |
Our View: This could be good news for those with Arenas in the order for the fantasy playoffs, assuming Arenas hits the floor with some desire. With the NBA playoffs right around the corner, who knows what we'll get.
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| Young big man LaMarcus Aldridge has earned a ton of playing time in recent weeks as the Trail Blazers play out the string and look towards next year, and the opportunity has helped him become one of the more reliable power forwards in the West. In the Blazers' 86-103 loss tot he Sacramento Kings tonight, Aldridge shot 11-of-21 from the floor to score 24 points, posting an impressive 15 rebounds, three steals, and three blocked shots along the way. |
Our View: The former Longhorn has posted double-digit rebound totals in seven of his last 10 games, averaging over 20 points per game during that same span.
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| The Houston Rockets put a nice win on the board by taking out the Phoenix Suns, 90-101, today, and Tracy McGrady had his tricks working in full force. McGrady shot 10-of-23 from the floor, 0-for-2 from the three-point line, and 2-of-6 from the charity stripe to score 22 points, adding six rebounds, and seven assists. |
Our View: The team has played well since losing Yao Ming to injury and McGrady deserves all the credit in the world, both for his own prowess and for helping guys like Luis Scola and Rafer Alston step their games up to the occasion.
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| Amare Stoudemire has shot forward this season and seems all too happy to be playing power forward and sharing the court with Shaq, and tonight was no exception. In the Suns 90-101 loss to the Houston Rockets, Stoudemire came through on his end with 14-of-24 from the floor and 9-of-11 at the free-throw line, scoring 37 points with 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots. |
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| For the Seattle SuperSonics, the season can't end soon enough, and the same can be said for rookie Kevin Durant . Expected to run away with the league's Rookie of the Year award, Durant has fallen well short of hope but continues to serves as one of few bright spots for his team. In tonight's 74-95 loss to the Spurs, Durant shot 9-of-19 from the field and 2-of-3 from the free-throw line to finish with a team-high 20 points, adding six rebounds and three assists to the effort. |
Our View: Get this: Seattle attempted just two three-point shots all night long COMBINED. The lack of interest from the team is troubling, but Durant continues to do what he can.
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| With Manu Ginobili resting for the playoffs and nursing a mild adductor strain, PG Tony Parker is getting more minutes and doing what he can to boost his own numbers in the process. Parker shot 10-of-18 from the floor this evening to score 20 points, his third 20-point performance in his last five games. |
Our View: Parker also added seven assists, two steals, and three rebounds to the stat line for the evening.
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| The Atlanta Hawks showed no mercy this evening, putting three of their best players among the top NBA performers of the day while another made a strong bid to join them as Atlanta beat up on the Knicks, 116-104. Forward Josh Smith went 7-of-12 from the field and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line to score 24 points, also posting 6 rebounds and four assists. Guards Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson were also up to their offensive best, Bibby going 10-of-19 from the field and 3-of-6 from long range to score 24 while Johnson went 13-of-21 from the field and 6-of-9 from three-point range to finish with a team-leading 34. |
Our View: Rookie Al Horford also put his two cents in, going 6-of-10 from the field and 7-of-9 from the charity stripe to finish with 19 points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
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| Luol Deng continues to led the Chicago Bulls and hopes to be building towards a better tomorrow. Deng went 6-of-14 from the field, 3-of-4 from the three-point line, and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line to score 21 points. |
Our View: Deng is getting it done in scoring, but he posted just two rebounds this evening and registered just one assist. Fantasy owners should love his game, but his ability to lack essential stats at times is frustrating.
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| LeBron James scored 24 points in the first quarter against the Chicago Bulls tonight, but he managed to post just 10 more over the next three as the Cleveland Cavaliers managed to loss yet another game against a lackluster opponent, 95-100. LeBron finished going 13-of-21 from the floor, just 2-of-6 from the three-point line, and a worrisome 6-of-12 off the Charity stripe to score 34 points, posting just six rebounds, two assists, and three steals today. |
Our View: LeBron won't put too many 34-point stinker on the board, but this could have been oh so much more.
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| The big boys in Detroit saw limited time on the floor tonight but won, 74-102, behind the surprising jump from second-year forward Jason Maxiell . Maxiell was an amazing 11-of-13 from the floor and 6-of-9 from the free throw line finish with 28 points on the evening. Maxiell also found eight rebounds and two assists on the day. |
Our View: Maxiell isn't going to see significant playing time with the starting rotation this club carries, but tonight's performance shows he can play and the Detroit Lions need to be feared, if for nothing more, for their depth.
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| Argentinian guard Carlos Delfino put forth an amazing night of the bench as the Toronto Raptors took down the New Jersey Nets, 85-113. Delfino was an amazing 7-of-10 from the field, 6-of-8 from the three point line, and a perfect 4-of-4 from the charity stripe to finish with 24 points. He appears to be on the road towards a promising role in the Toronto offense next season. |
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| In an odd turn of events, amidst a floor bloated with potential Hall of Fame inductees, SG Rajon Rondo led the Boston Celtics as the offensive force in an 86-102 win. Rondo shot 8-of-12 from the floor without laying victim to a single foul, scoring 26 points 2ith 10 rebounds. |
Our View: Rondo has enjoyed dramatic progress this season, tonight leading a Boston team that saw seven different players score in double figures this evening. If he's hitting his stride, the Celtics are virtually unstoppable.
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| Michael Redd continues to enjoy strong individual performances despite another disappointing season for the Milwaukee Bucks. Redd shot 7-of-18 from the field, 2-of-5 from the three-point arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line to score 18 points, also adding four rebounds. Redd tends to go higher, so this ranks as a disappointment, but Redd knows how to get his shots and will come with his top game more often than not. |
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| SG Randy Foye put his best effort into a 102-101 win over the Orlando Magic this evening. Foye went 10-of-21 from the field, 3-of-5 from three-point range, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line to score 25 points with 6 assists, 4 assists, and a steal. Foye is struggling for consistency, but the potential to work as an every-night fantasy headline is there. |
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| The Orlando Magic lost in disappointing fashion, 102-101 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but the failure is not due to phenom center Dwight Howard . Howard went 8-of-13 from the field and 4-of-9 from the free-throw lie to score 20 points with 14 total rebounds and four assists to work as one of few players of note in this troubling loss. |
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| Rookie Thaddeus Young made a step forward this evening in the 76ers' 85-76 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Young went 10-of-19 from the floor and just 1-of-5 from the charity striped to score 21 points, also adding five rebounds and two steals to the effort. Young has scored this high only once this season, but the effort behind youth in Philadelphia could bring him further opportunity next season. |
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| PG Andre Miller continues to work as the lone voice of offensive consistency for the Philadelphia 76ers, falling to the Indiana Pacers 85-76. Miller went 11-of-21 from the floor and just 1-of-2 from the free-throw line to score 23 points. Miller also added 7 rebounds, two assists, and one steal to an otherwise lackluster night for Philly fans. |
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| SG Danny Granger enjoyed a wonderful evening on the hardwood as the Pacers beat up on the Philadelphia 76ers, 85-76. Granger lead the Pacers, going 13-of-25 from the floor, 3-of-9 from long range, and 1-of-2 (that's right, just one foul) from the free-throw line to score 30 points. |
Our View: However, adding 12 rebounds is nothing short of suprising for a man averaging just 6.00 boards per game.
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| Chicago forward Drew Gooden will miss the remainder of the season due to a lower abdominal strain, according to SLAM Sports. Gooden has missed the Bulls’ last seven games and, while he played well for Chicago in a brief stint off health following the trade from Cleveland, is going to take a rest as the Bulls go quietly into that good night. |
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| The Denver Nuggets have signed G/F Bobby Jones on Friday, according to the Sports Network. Jones, a former 2006 2nd-round draft pick, has averaged 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in spending time with five different teams this season, floating around on 10-day contracts. |
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| LeBron James dropped a 24 spot on the Bulls in the first period on Friday night as he hit all 10 of his shots from the field. LeBron finished one point off the United Center's scoring record for one period held by Jalen Rose. We will update how this game turns out for King James later tonight. |
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| Ben Gordon will miss the rest of the season with a lower abdominal strain, this according to the AP. “It just really wasn’t improving all that much,” interim coach Jim Boylan said. Gordon finishes the year averaging 18.9 points on 43.1% shooting and both he and the Bulls will hope to improve in 2008 on this disappointing effort. |
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| Dirk Nowitzki wants to continue playing down the stretch for the Mavericks even though their place in the playoffs is now secure and his ankle is still at less than 100%, this according to the Dallas Morning News. "Once the adrenaline is flowing during the games, it actually feels good. I'm moving a lot better than I did last week." Nowitzki continues to put up solid numbers and he should at least see enough time on the court to contribute to fantasy squads down the stretch. |
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| DerMarr Johnson, who has spent the majority of the year with the Austin Aeros of the NBA's Developmental League, signed a contract to join the Spurs, this according to the team's Official Site. Johnson has played for four teams in the NBA after being selected in the first round of the 2000 Entry Draft but has no fantasy value whatsoever. |
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| Steve Nash is currently dealing with some back issues that are the result of a rib slipping out of place, an issue that has plagued him for years, this according to the East Valley Tribune. "I'm hoping I'm on the back end of it now and that by the time the playoffs come I can get past it." Nash will continue to lead the Suns regardless of the bumps and bruises, and he should still put up solid numbers the final week of the NBA season. |
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| Sebastian Telfair, who has been out of the Wolves lineup since injuring his ankle on March 7th, had hoped to be able to play on Friday, but he did not accompany the team on its two game round trip, this according to the Star Tribune. Telfair may or may not play again this season, but the bottom line is that you certainly shouldn't be counting on him for any substantial production the rest of the way. |
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| Tracy McGrady will continue to play despite a sore shoulder and he hopes that the treatment he is receiving will help him to improve his recent poor shooting, this according to the Houston Chronicle. "I still have some soreness, but I will be playing (Friday). I really can't tell because when you get an injection it makes your arm a little sore. We'll see as the days go by and hopefully that soreness will get out of there." As McGrady goes, so go the Rockets. McGrady is a good enough player that he can contribute even when he isn't scoring, though it certainly would be nice to see him improve on his 42.5 shooting percentage. |
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| Craig Smith strained the joint that connects his collarbone to his breastbone during Wednesday's loss to New Orleans, missed practice on Thursday, and is listed as day-to-day, according to the Star Tribune. He provided solid depth and support to Minnesota this season, as he averages 9.4 points and 4.6 boards over 20.1 minutes per contest. |
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| Brian Cook will likely miss the first round of the playoffs, according to the Orlando Sun-Sentinel. He is nursing a broken bone in his hand, and Coach Van Gundy commented that he probably won't be available for the first round. He only averaged 4.7 points over 12.4 minutes per game, and the Magic will be fine without him. |
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| Brad Miller will have surgery today on his injured elbow, according to the Sacramento Bee. Miller will miss the rest of the season with the injury, as well as a stress fracture in his left leg, and he commented, "I fell on the elbow after the Miami game March 2. They are just going in to clean it up." He averaged 13.4 points and 9.5 boards per contest, and his services will be missed.
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| Manu Ginobili is out of action for Friday due to his strained groin, according to the SA Express News. Coach Popovich noted, "I just don't want to take any chances with him. I don't know how long he will be out, but he definitely won't play against the Sonics." He averages 19.6 points per contest, and his services will be missed. |
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