FANTASY / PLAYER NEWS
Jianlian Yi: 33 Minutes on Saturday
Update: Yi had 16 points (6-for-15 shooting), eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks in Saturday's win over Chicago.
Analysis: A solid outing for Yi who played 33 minutes to Charlie Villanueva's 14 minutes on Saturday. Yi will be inconsistent this year (only two points in his last game), but has the potential to be a solid fantasy contributor if you're in a deep league.
Francisco Garcia: Gets Start at Point Guard
Update: Garcia started at point guard for the Kings on Saturday and responded with 23 points and six assists in a loss to Dallas.
Analysis: Garcia played a team-high 40 minutes and could continue to start at point guard with Mike Bibby out (thumb) and Orien Greene and Quincy Douby ineffective.
Jose Juan Barea: First NBA Start A Success
Update: Barea, starting for the Devin Harris (thigh), scored a career-high 25 points in Saturday's win over Sacramento.
Analysis: A huge night for Barea who shot 9-for-12 from the field (4-for-4 from 3-point range) and also handed out five assists. He will return to his back up point guard role soon, though, as starter Devin Harris (thigh)is day-to-day.
Devin Harris: Misses Game With Thigh Bruise
Update: Harris missed Saturday's game against Sacramento due to a bruised thigh, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Harris, who bruised his thigh in Friday night's game against Atlanta, is listed as day-to-day. Jose Juan Barea started at point guard in his place.
Josh Howard: Comes Back Strong From Suspension
Update: Howard (wrist) made his season debut on Saturday and scored 27 points in a win over Sacramento.
Analysis: Howard, who missed the first two games of the season due to a suspension for fighting, also had seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal on Saturday.
Kyle Lowry: Splits Minutes with Stoudamire on Saturday
Update: Lowry played 25 minutes on Saturday and responded wtih 19 points and six assists in a loss to Indiana.
Analysis: Damon Stoudamire got the lion's share of the point guard minutes in the Grizzlies first game but Stoudamire and Lowry both played 25 minutes on Saturday. Lowry's strong play probably earned him extra minutes but this could develop into a time share sooner than later.
Mike Miller: Flirts With A Triple-Double
Update: Miller scored 14 points, pulled down ten rebounds and handed out seven assists in Saturday's loss to Indiana.
Analysis: Miller, who played a team-high 41 minutes, has recorded double digit rebounds in the Grizzlies first two games.
Mike Dunleavy: Strong Play Continues
Update: Dunleavy scored a team-high 27 points (11-for-17 from the field) in Saturday's win over Memphis.
Analysis: Dunleavy, who also had eight rebounds and four assists, is off to the best start of his career. The good news for fantasy owners is that even with Jermaine O'Neal and Danny Granger in the lineup, Dunleavy still attempted a team-high 17 shots.
Gilbert Arenas: Off The Mark Again
Update: Arenas struggled from the field for the third consecutive game, only scoring ten points (5-for-15 shooting) in Saturday's loss to Orlando.
Analysis: Arenas is shooting 33.3% from the field (20-for-60) only his last three games. He did have six assists and two steals on Saturday but this marks the second consecutive game where he hasn't made a 3-pointer. No need to panic as Arenas will surely bounce back in the upcoming games.
Brendan Haywood: Three Straight Double Doubles
Update: Haywood scored ten points and tied a career-high with 16 rebounds in Saturday's loss to Orlando.
Analysis: Haywood, who also blocked five shots, is averaging 10.0 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks this year.
He should continue to be a strong play with Etan Thomas (heart surgery) out indefinitely.
Hedo Turkoglu: Shows All Around Game
Update: Turkoglu had 25 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals in Saturday's win over the Wizards.
Analysis: Turkoglu looks to be entrenched as the Magic's starting small forward and has scored 17 or more points in every game this year.
Richard Jefferson: Continues To Roll
Update: Jefferson scored a team-high 22 points (9-for-18 from the field) in Saturday's win over Philadelphia.
Analysis: Jefferson, who also had six assists and four rebounds, has led the Nets in scoring in every game this year.
Vince Carter: Struggling With His Shot
Update: Carter scored 18 points on Saturday, but only shot 4-for-12 from the field in a win over Philadelphia.
Analysis: Carter, who shot 45.4% from the field last year, is shooting 30.7% from the field (12-for-39) in his first three games this year. He is also averaging six less shot attempts a game, a sign that the Nets are trying to get more people (especially Richard Jefferson) involved in the offense.
Jason Kidd: Records Triple-Double
Update: Kidd (back) had the first triple-double of the NBA season on Saturday, scoring 16 points, handing out 10 assists and grabbing 14 rebounds in a win over Philadelphia.
Analysis: After averaging 13.0 ppg, 9.2 apg and 8.2 rpg last year, Kidd is a threat to throw up a triple-double almost every night.
Thaddeus Young: No Season Debut Yet
Update: Young has not played in any of the 76ers first three regular season games. He has been a DNP-CD for all three.
Analysis: Young is a work in progress and will only see limited time if he does get into a game over the next couple of weeks. He currently has no fantasy value and would need to play over 30 minutes a game to make an impact.
Louis Williams: Played Just 18 Minutes Saturday Night
Update: Williams played just 18 minutes Saturday night in a loss to New Jersey and finished with 13 points (6-9 FG) and three assists.
Analysis: Williams is a talented player but sees limited minutes behind Andre Miller. He is not roster worthy unless the 76ers suffer injuries at the guard position.
Kyle Korver: Had a Double-Double Saturday Night
Update: Korver played 33 minutes Saturday night in a loss to New Jersey and finished with 11 points (3-9 FG, 2-4 3PT, 3-4 FT) and 11 rebounds.
Analysis: Korver is a streaky player but will consistently get you three-pointers and occasionally post some nice rebounding numbers. He is roster worthy in leagues that reward you for multiple three point field goals.
Andre Miller: Didn't Shoot Well Saturday Night
Update: Miller had 12 points (6-16 FG), five rebounds, three assists and two steals Saturday night in a loss to New Jersey.
Analysis: Besides Andre Iguodala, Miller will be the most consistent option on the 76ers from night to night. He's no longer a stud at the position, but you can expect average to above average numbers from him on a daily basis.
Willie Green: Started Third Straight Game Saturday Night
Update: Green started at shooting guard for the third straight game Saturday night but shot just 3-of-11 from the floor and finished with six points, three rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes.
Analysis: Rodney Carney played just 17 minutes in the game so Green owners shouldn't have to worry about him just yet. Keep an eye on the situation but neither player is roster worthy at this point.
Samuel Dalembert: Played 36 Minutes Saturday Night
Update: Dalembert (foot) played 36 minutes Saturday night and finished with 13 points (2-8 FG, 9-14 FT), nine rebounds, two assists and four blocks in a loss to New Jersey.
Analysis: Dalembert was looking healthier than he has in a couple of months taking the ball to the hoop throughout the game and staying aggressive on the offensive end. He continues to have some soreness with his left foot after games but so far so good.
Mikki Moore: Moore Opens at Four
Update: After coming of the bench in the first two games, Moore started at power forward for Sacramento on Saturday.
Analysis: He took the place of Kenny Thomas in the lineup against Dallas. Thomas played like a zombie in a blowout loss to San Antonio on Friday night, precipitating a change by Kings coach Reggie Theus.
John Salmons: Starts at Point in Dallas
Update: Salmons opened at small forward for Sacramento's first two regular season games, but will start at point guard against Dallas on Saturday night.
Analysis: An ineffective Orien Greene was replaced at point guard by Salmons after starting the first two games, both losses for Sacramento. Francisco Garcia slid into the small forward spot vacated by Salmons.
Andre Iguodala: Plays a Team-High 44 Minutes Friday
Update: Iguodala had 22 points (8-17 FG, 6-7 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks in 44 minutes Friday night in a win over the Bulls.
Analysis: Iguodala also had six turnovers but this type of game is exactly what fantasy owners were hoping for. Playing a team-high 44 minutes always helps.
Oleksiy Pecherov: Out Six Weeks
Update: Further tests revealed that Pecherov suffered a broken ankle and he'll miss six week as result, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: Look for him to return some time in December, although his role will likely be very limited until he's able to earn some minutes once he's 100 percent healthy again.
Donyell Marshall: Won't Play Sunday
Update: Marshall will miss Sunday's game against Phoenix because of a sprained right wrist, the Associated Press reports.
Analysis: He's traveling with the Cavs on their six-game road trip, so it doesn't appear as though his availability beyond Sunday's game has been determined. Consider Marshall "day-to-day" for now.
Jerome James: Surgery Likely
Update: James said he's close to deciding on having knee surgery that will keep him out of action for half the season, the New York Post reports.
Analysis: James will meet with team doctors next week and make his decision after that. He missed all the preseason and was inactive Friday night because of swelling and pain.
Michaela Pavlickova: Could Play Sunday
Update: Pavlovic is expected to play Sunday against Phoenix, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.
Analysis: Pavlovic, who had to straighten out his U.S. visa before playing for the Cavs, will practice for the first time with the team on Saturday.
LaMarcus Aldridge: Sub-Par Game
Update: Aldridge scored just eight points on while converting just four of his 12 field goal attempts Friday night against New Orleans.
Analysis: Aldridge is human after all. He was scorching hot in the preseason which cared over to opening night. He also missed both shots from the charity stripe, a place he was shooting nearly 90 percent in preseason. Expect him to bounce back Saturday night against Houston.
Joel Przybilla: Slowed by Foul Troubles
Update: Przybilla scored two points with one block and four rebounds in only 15 minutes of play Friday night against New Orleans.
Analysis: The main reason he only played 15 minutes is because he was in foul trouble for the majority of the game. Expect to see his minutes to be around what he got on opening night (31) barring fouls trouble.
Brandon Roy: Bounce Back Game
Update: Roy hit 10 of 15 shots from the field including a three-pointer and added three assists, one steal, and 23 points Friday night against New Orleans.
Analysis: After his disappointing performance on opening night, Roy really showed why he is the go-to-guy for this team, scoring when was struggling. A night like this makes heal issues negligible.
Eric Piatkowski: Inactive For First Two Games
Update: Piatkowski was inactive for the second straight game Friday.
Analysis: He's been passed on the Suns' guard depth chart by the likes of DJ Strawberry, and it'll probably take some injuries to get him back into the rotation on a regular basis.
Leandro Barbosa: Leads Suns in Scoring Friday
Update: Barbosa (ribs) played under 26 minutes Friday, but scored 23 points on 10-for-14 shooting including 3-for-5 from three point range.
Analysis: He was an ugly, and uncharacteristic, 0-for-4 from the free throw line, but otherwise seemed unaffected by his lingering rib problem.
Raja Bell: Another Poor Shooting Night
Update: Bell (ankle) played almost 30 minutes in Friday's loss to the Lakers, but shot just 1-for-8 from the field and finished with just five points.
Analysis: He hasn't looked like his normal self at either end of the court so far, likely due to the ankle tendinitis that flared up at the end of the preseason. If his numbers remain down for a few more games, he could provide a great buy-low opportunity.
Grant Hill: Solid Effort on Friday
Update: Hill scored 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting in Friday's 119-98 loss to the Lakers.
Analysis: He also went 4-for-5 from the free throw line. Hill's been playing pretty big minutes so far for the Suns (34 on Thursday, 27 on Friday with the starters resting in the second half), so if he can maintain that pace in Phoenix's uptempo system he should be able to at least duplicate the averages he put up for the Magic last season.
Shawn Marion: Second Straight Double-Double Friday
Update: Marion was one of the few Suns to put up a solid statistical line on Friday, scoring 14 points and adding 10 rebounds, four steals, three three-pointers and two blocks.
Analysis: He was ineffective on defense in the 119-98 loss to the Lakers, but the same could be said for most of the Suns on the night. Marion remains an elite, multi-category fantasy force.
Amar'e Stoudemire: Poor Effort on Friday
Update: Stoudemire had a miserable night against the Lakers Friday, scoring just seven points on 2-for-10 shooting and hauling in just one rebound while committing four fouls.
Analysis: It was a far cry from his 23-point, 11-rebound effort on Thursday. The Suns as a team seemed disorganized at both ends of the court, so just write this one off as "one of those nights."
Steve Nash: Out-of-Synch on Friday
Update: Nash scored 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting, but had just three assists against five turnovers, in Friday's 119-98 loss to the Lakers.
Analysis: The Suns looked out of sorts at both ends of the court, and Nash ended up playing under 28 minutes with the game out of reach in the second half. He looked fine opening night against the Sonics, and there's no reason at this point to think the hamstring injury that bothered him at the end of the preseason is still bothering him.
Jamaal Tinsley: Off the Mark
Update: Tinsley followed his season-opening near triple-double by scoring only five points on 2-of-12 shooting in Friday night's win over Miami.
Analysis: The poor shooting percentage is something that Tinsley's long-time owners are well familiar with. It's part of the tradeoff that you get with Tinsley - he's going to give you good assist and rebound numbers, but he shoots often and potentially poorly.
Chris Bosh: 20 Games To Get Up To Speed?
Update: Rpators head coach Sam Mitchell estimated that it could be 20 games before Bosh is able to play 35+ minutes on a regular basis, the Toronto Sun reports.
Analysis: Bosh missed most of the preseason due to a left knee injury, which has affected his conditioning to start the year and still must be watched carefully during practice. "If his knee feels good, he'll practise the entire (length of practice). And if it doesn't, he won't," Mitchell said. Bosh's production will likely continue to be less than his owners expect until he can stay on the court longer.
Mike Wilks: Gets Second Half Start at PG
Update: Wilks got the start at PG in the second half of Friday's game at Minnesota with Allen Iverson moving to SG.
Analysis: The original starter at SG, Yakouba Diawara, was completely ineffective in the first half prompting the switch. Wilks came in and finished with eight points, three assists and two rebounds in 30 minutes. There is no word on whether Denver coach George Karl will give Wilks a shot at starting, but it's worth checking back on because it could have drastic effects on Iverson's stat line.
Vince Carter: Cold Start
Update: Carter, who went several minutes without touching the ball in the first quarter, was just 2-of-6 from the field Friday night, scoring seven points in New Jersey's 106-69 loss to Toronto, the Bergen Record reports.
Analysis: The game was bloodbath early on, so Carter only played 25:22, but it looks like the Nets' new offense, designed to give everyone touches, limited Carter's opportunities. Plus, Richard Jefferson was the hot man offensively. "RJ was rolling," Carter said. "Our team now is predicated off of who's [got it] going and he definitely was rolling so you've got to put the ball in the guy's hands who's hot and who's rolling and who's really keeping us in the game. You just have to be patient; just get shots where I could, if there were any. He's making plays for us, finding guys and it just wasn't our night all the way around." Through the season's first two games, Carter is shooting 29.6 percent (8-for-27) from the field.
Yakhouba Diawara: Gets Benched in Second Half
Update: Diawara, who had started the first two games at SG for the Nuggets, was benched in the second half of Friday's game against the Timberwolves.
Analysis: Diawara filled up the stat sheet with goose eggs during his seven first-half minutes before head coach George Karl replaced him with Mike Wilks in the second half. Diawara had practically zero fantasy value before the benching and, if he continues to sit, is completely fantasy irrelevant.
Kenyon Martin: Minutes Remain Limited
Update: Martin started his second straight game on Friday night but once again he only saw 18 minutes of court time.
Analysis: Martin contributed just six points and five rebounds during his time on the court while fellow PF Nene put up six and six in his 23 minutes. When each player is fully healthy it will be interesting to see who ends up getting the bulk of the minutes or if head coach George Karl will continue with a even rotation between the two.
Allen Iverson: Continues to Play Well, Starts Second Half at SG
Update: Iverson posted 25 points, eight assists, three rebounds, three steals, one block and one turnover during the Nuggets' 99-91 win at Minnesota on Friday.
Analysis: Iverson was moved to SG at halftime as original starter Yakouba Diawara was benched and Mike Wilks was allowed to play PG. Through the first two regular season games in which he's started at PG, Iverson averaged 24.5 points, 11.0 assists, 4.0 boards, five steals and four turnovers a night. Granted, it's early, but as long as he's at PG and getting 40+ minutes a night we don't see any reason why these types of numbers won't be the norm for A.I. However, if Wilks maintains the starting role and Iverson stays at SG, his assist numbers will suffer and it's likely that his shooting percentage will also go down. We'll update this situation as it continues to develop.
Bostjan Nachbar: Slow Start
Update: Nachbar made just 3-of-11 shots Friday night on his way to seven points in New Jersey's loss to Toronto.
Analysis: Nachbar is expected to get a lot of playing time off the bench, but will have to do better than the 6-for-20 (2-for-11 3pt) he's posted in the first two games. He had a good preseason and is entering the final year of a contract before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. That's normally the right mix for a big fantasy year.
Sam Cassell: Splits Time With Knight
Update: Cassell (knee) scored 10 points (3-of-7 FG, 4-of-4 FT) and added three rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes on Friday night.
Analysis: The 37-year-old point guard, who was limited in the preseason with a sore left knee, started, but split time with Brevin Knight. Knight is very injury-prone, so the Clippers currently employ two creaky players to guide their offense. It's a roll of the dice to see if either will be able to stay healthy this season.
Sean Williams: Four Blocks in Friday's Blowout Loss
Update: Williams made his regular season debut, playing 20:35 and blocking four shots Friday night in New Jersey's 106-69 loss to Toronto.
Analysis: You obviously can't use the game as a gauge to Williams' future playing time, but you can get an idea of the type of production you can expect once he does get regular minutes. He added four rebounds in the loss.
Nenad Krstic: Set to Play in Back-to-Back Games
Update: Krstic (knee), who played 17:45 in Friday night's blowout loss to Toronto, is expected to play in Saturday's meeting with the Sixers, the New York Daily News reports.
Analysis: Krstic played in just one game of two preseason back-to-back sets the Nets played in, so this will be a good test for his left knee, which underwent ACL surgery last year. "There's no reason not to (play Krstic Saturday) unless he doesn't feel up to it," Nets coach Lawrence Frank said before Friday night's game. "But there are no restrictions with Nenad in regard to that." Perhaps no restrictions as far as playing in consecutive games, but Krstic has not cracked the 20-minute mark in either of the first two games.
Marcus Camby: Has Monster Night at Minnesota
Update: Camby grabbed 21 rebounds to go along with his 14 points, six blocks, three assists and one steal Friday night at Minnesota.
Analysis: We have to believe those back-spasm issues are well behind Camby as he played 39 minutes on Friday and looked great. He remains a must-start player at center.
Carmelo Anthony: Scores Big Again
Update: Anthony had a game-high 33 points on 13-of-22 FGs (2-of-5 3-pt) and 5-of-7 FTs Friday night against Minnesota.
Analysis: Anthony also contributed six assists, five rebounds, one block and one steal in his 44 minutes while committing seven turnovers.
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