With only two games on the schedule Tuesday night (thanks Jeff!), the big fantasy-related story is the timeshare in Toronto at the point guard position. In one corner you have a 6-3 point guard out of Georgia Tech. In the other corner, a 6-3 Spaniard with nothing to lose!
Jarrett Jack has been starting for the Raptors since Dec. 5 of last year and has played well enough to lead the team to a 12-7 record. Jose Calderon, before going down with a hip injury (not a “cool” one, but the body part), was the starter and in most leagues drafted in the late-second or early-third rounds. Jay Triano has insisted that Jack will remain as the starting point guard even as Calderon has returned. However, right now we’re looking at a timeshare in which both players are logging almost the exact same amount of minutes. At least up until three games ago…Calderon has logged a few more minutes than Jack in each of the last three games, and on Tuesday night in Cleveland he played 26 minutes to Jack’s 21.
It's only a matter of time before Calderon grabs the bull by the horns...
The Spaniard came off the bench to score just six points on 2-of-9 shooting, but also added a team-high six assists and two steals. Jack was more efficient from the field going 4-of-6 for 11 points, but he played less of a role as a ball distributor dishing out only three dimes.
I think we might see Calderon regain his starting gig sometime in the near future. I’m not saying that he’ll come back to play as a second-round talent, but he’s much more valuable now than he was a week ago and his stock should continue to rise. I’m thinking about buying low on Calderon when I can. I’m not selling the farm, but I’ll give up a sell-high point guard to get him.
Enough about these two fine men…let’s talk action!
Raptors vs. Cavs
Hedo Turkoglu’s game is nasty! Ugly! He scored three points on Tuesday in Cleveland on 1-of-6 shooting. I’ll continue to urge you to sit him. The idea that he’s less comfortable in Toronto since he’s not playing much point-forward seems to be spot on. He’s lost in the offense and essentially useless to fantasy owners.
Marco Belinelli (flu) returned to the basketball court after missing the last two games. He came off the bench to play 20 minutes and shoot the ball pretty effectively — 6-of-12 from the floor and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc for 14 points. Belinelli is essentially splitting time with DeRozan, so his value is mainly for deep leagues only.
LeBron James just missed picking up his third triple-double of the season — 28 points on 8-of-18 shooting, 12-of-14 from the line, nine rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and three blocks. Damn he ‘s good. If there’s one aspect of his game you can complain about it’s his three-point shooting — 0-of-7 from beyond the arc. Other than that…he was unstoppable.
Mo Williams chipped in with a double-double, his third of the season — 22 points on 7-of-15 shooting, four 3-pointers and 10 assists. Williams has been steady all season long. More valuable than his current trade value. Guys seem to feel that he’s worth Jason Terry on the market. Try again.
Pacers vs. Heat
Brandon Rush was back in the starting lineup for the Pacers. I’m fairly certain he’ll remain there for some time after he lead the team in points and minutes — 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 10 rebounds, one 3-pointer and a steal in 36 minutes. He’s a nice add right now.
Danny Granger missed 11 straight shots on Tuesday to finish 2-of-16 from the floor. He scored just eight points, which is the first time he’s failed to hit the double-digit scoring mark since December 5, 2008. Granger’s on a 6-of-29 slump over his last two games. What can you say? You have to keep starting him.
Tyler Hansbrough sat out with an inner ear infection. He is still listed as day-to-day. I just felt that I needed to mention his status. He doesn’t have much fantasy value right now.
Rafer Alston keeps putting up mediocre numbers — eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, two 3-pointers, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block in 27 minutes. It’s a bit disheartening to see him not take advantage of the opportunity he’s been given in Miami. The good news, though, is that Mario Chalmers is not making much of a case to move himself back into the starting lineup.
Michael Beasley has logged 39 minutes in back-to-back games. On Tuesday he doubled-up going for 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting and 10 rebounds. You have to love his recent play.
Dwyane Wade could not be stopped by the Pacers — 32 points on 12-of-20 shooting, four 3-pointers, three assists, two steals and three blocks.
Thirteen games for Jeff on the schedule tonight! Here are a few notes…
Kevin Garnett will not play, but he is looking at a possible Friday return.
Brandon Roy (hamstring) said he’ll play, but it’s worth checking in on his status.
Gerald Wallace (ankle) did not practice on Tuesday and is questionable for Wednesday night’s game against the Heat.
It’s still possible that the Warriors will dress only seven players against the Nuggets. If that’s the case, Cartier Martin could be a nice flier in deep leagues.
Damn Lies & Statistics 