The lowly Charlotte Hornets upset the Magic as Corey Maggette scored 29 points and teenager Bismack Biyombo, matched up against Dwight Howard, had 10 PTS, 15 REB and 7 BLK. Boris Diaw, who wants to be traded or released, was benched in favor of D.J. White. This is fantasy gold in some deep leagues. You can pick up White as a FA, then get Diaw ridiculously cheap and hope he ends up in a better situation. If you already own Boris, my sympathy.
Elsewhere
ATL @ IND: Once again it was Josh Smith (27 & 9) leading the way as the Hawks have won three straight. Jannero Pargo (16 PTS) is outplaying Kirk Hinrich (2 PTS) and may stay in the rotation even when Joe Johnson is back. David West had 24 for the Pacers and George Hill (15 PTS, 6 REB) appears back up to full speed.
HOU @ BOS: With 11 points and 17 boards from Samuel Dalembert in 41 minutes, the Rockets fully extended Boston. Paul Pierce had 30 and Ray Allen 21 as the Celtics won in overtime.
LAL @ DET: Kobe Bryant scored “only” 22 as the Pistons shocked the Lakers despite a monster line from Andrew Bynum (30 PTS, 14 REB, 3 BLK). Rodney Stuckey led the upset with 34 points and Ben Gordon chipped in 15.
NJN @ MIA: Chris Bosh returned with 20 points, Dwayne Wade played just 15 minutes after tweaking his ankle and everyone on both benches saw extra action in this rout. The Nets trailed 64-37 at halftime and are in big trouble with Shelden Williams at C against most teams.
NYK @ DAL: Tyson Chandler got his championship ring but that was the main highlight for the Knicks, along with 26 points by Amare Stoudemire. Dirk Nowitzki had 28 for the victorious Mavs, with the energetic Rodrigue Beaubois adding 18 in less than 20 minutes.
Wednesday Night
The Spin is here Monday through Saturday at 8:00 Eastern and Sundays at noon. Follow me on Twitter for updates or to ask questions. With 13 games this evening, it’s “moving day” in H2H leagues and my WPG (words per game) will be low.
UTA @ CHA: If Maggette and Biyombo stay hot, could the Bobcats win two in a row? Gordon Hayward had a great game as the sixth man in a revamped Jazz rotation.
HOU @ TOR: The Rockets have lost four straight road games (including an OT heartbreaker last night) and the Raptors usually play tough D. Scoring might come from DeMar DeRozan and there are whispers about Andrea Bargnani playing one of the weekend games.
LAL @ WAS: Angry with themselves for losing last night, the Lakers will take it out on the Wizards. Nick Young came off the bench for 25 in his return from a 1-game absence.
BOS @ PHI: Was the Sixers’ lineup shuffle a temporary thing? If Evan Turner keeps starting over Jodie Meeks, the sophomore could finish the season strong.
ATL @ MIA: Dwayne Wade wasn’t needed last night after rolling his ankle but says he’s good to go. LeBron James might still get a few extra touches.
POR @ MIN: Kevin Love scores, rebounds, hits threes and is money from the free throw line. Nikola Pekovic (ankle) is iffy. Derrick Williams has been coming on of late. For the Blazers, sorting out PG between Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford is an ongoing problem.
LAC @ NJN: We always like watching Chris Paul and Deron Williams square off, but the Clippers are way too good up front and the Nets are hurting. Blake Griffin could have a field day.
CHI @ MIL: It’s been a frustrating year for Richard Hamilton, whose latest injury is to his shoulder. Ronnie Brewer will pick up minutes while Rip is sidelined. Brandon Jennings has been playing well for the undermanned Bucks.
PHO @ OKC: The Suns are on a modest win streak, but the Thunder are 16-1 at home. Marcin Gortat is a double-double machine, but Steve Nash could have trouble keeping up with Russell Westbrook.
NYK @ SAS: The Texas trip is never easy. After losing in Dallas last night, the Knicks face another tough opponent. Carmelo Anthony must play better than that 2-12 debacle last night. Manu Ginobili played 24 minutes in his return from an oblique injury and is still getting fit.
CLE @ DEN: Danilo Gallinari and Nene are back, they just need to get into game shape and rediscover their timing. Talented rookie Kenneth Faried should still get minutes. The Cavs rely on Kyrie Irving and Antawn Jamison, but that may not be enough.
NOH @ SAC: Gotta like Tyreke Evans and Marcus Thornton to continue scoring in this one, as the Hornets are slumping. Chris Kaman, very much on the trade block, has been their best player.
MEM @ GSW: The supposedly imminent return of Zach Randolph (knee) remains on hold, so Marreese Speights remains a starter. He might have trouble with David Lee, but the key for the Warriors is whether Stephen Curry is fully healthy.
Draft Street Shuffle
| Sure Things | Over $14,000 |
| L. James | $24,311 |
| K. Durant | $19,373 |
| K. Love | $19,140 |
| T. Lawson | $17,540 |
| Bargains | Under $9,000 |
| E. Udoh | $7,602 |
| N. Young | $7,618 |
| R. Brewer | $7,700 |
| S. Novak | $6,636 |
| Hunches | $9,000 to $14,000 |
| K. Irving | $13,983 |
| T. Evans | $13,979 |
| R. Foye | $7,637 |
| C. Maggette | $9,023 |
Last night I spent $19 total in five leagues and didn’t come close to a payoff. Being down 26 bucks for the week is OK, as the learning curve continues. It was my own fault for using Carmelo Anthony and Kirk Hinrich.
I’ve said the Pick ‘Em format, with eight tiers instead of a salary cap, is good for beginners, because you don’t need to know the 7-8 best players on all 30 teams. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to win, of course, just easy to play. Trying a $5 Pick ‘Em league tonight, along with $2 and $5 Salary Cap leagues.
Today’s salaries for Nick Young and Ekpe Udoh are particularly enticing. It’s predicting which expensive stars will shine that I’m finding more difficult. Given the possibility that D-Wade is not 100%, LBJ may be worth every penny of his high price tag.
It’s easy to join Draft Street where you can try all the versions, including a Snake-Draft, in free leagues that offer credits and prizes.
The Hornets are lowly too, but it was the Bobcats against the Magic last night.