Dwight Howard played, without much enthusiasm: 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 5 turnovers and a swirling controversy about his relationship with Stan Van Gundy. Jameer Nelson also played, without much success (10 PTS on 3-14 shooting) and Glen Davis (15 & 7) got another start in place of Ryan Anderson (ankle). Carmelo Anthony led the visitors to a convincing win with 19, Tyson Chandler (12 PTS, 12 REB) was strong and J.R. Smith (15 PTS, 9 AST) continued to be the best Knicks guard to own.
In Other Games
BOS @ CHI: No Derrick Rose, no problem. The MVP is close to a return, but C.J. Watson (15 PTS, 8 AST) filled in capably and Luol Deng was on a mission: 26 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 4 STL. The big men were energetic too, with Joakim Noah (17 PTS, 9 REB, 3 BLK) and Carlos Boozer (12 & 14) combining to win the battle against Kevin Garnett. KG double-doubled (12 & 14) but missed 11 shots. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 22, and in an interesting lineup move, Ray Allen (14 PTS in 31 min.) came off the bench behind Avery Bradley (9 PTS in 27 min.) — both should be owned.
WAS @ DET: The return of Rodney Stuckey (15 points in 19 min. off the bench) slowed down Ben Gordon (13) and Brandon Knight (6) but the Pistons were much better up front. Greg Monroe (18 PTS, 7 REB) led the way and Jason Maxiell (11 & 11) chipped in with his usual hard work. Washington never gave up, with John Wall going off for 28 points and 10 assists and another solid effort by young Kevin Seraphin (15 & 9) in the middle.
LAC @ SAC: That was clever. Go right at DeMarcus Cousins, force turnovers (5) and get him in foul trouble (6, in only 18 minutes.) Blake Griffin had 14 points and 9 boards in addition to taking the Kings’ best big man out of the game. The other Clippers weren’t spectacular, just good enough to win; Randy Foye had 20 and Caron Butler 14. For Sacramento, Jason Thompson had 15 PTS, 16 REB and 2 BLK in 38:30, trying to make up for Cousins’ absence.
Freaky Friday
OKC @ IND: It’s not like the Thunder to lose two in a row, let alone three. Expect huge games from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as they try to avoid another defeat. Serge Ibaka might also be a good fantasy play. Indiana is on a bit of a roll, so this could be fun. I’m just not keen on Darren Collison and Danny Granger matching up against highly-motivated superstars.
DET @ ATL: The Hawks had a very easy win on Wednesday and have been waiting at home; Detroit played last night. Josh Smith should be ready, Joe Johnson is due for a scoring outburst and Jeff Teague can be useful to fantasy owners. I’m passing on the Pistons tonight.
WAS @ NJN: Assuming that Deron Williams (upset stomach) is recovered from the virus (or food poisoning) that kept him out of Wednesday’s game, the Nets should win. Washington lost a road game last night and they are still without Nene and Trevor Booker, leaving some tired, inexperienced young men in the frontcourt. Shelden Williams (eye) is expected to return as the starting C and Kris Humphries might be an unstoppable force. Gerald Green, a volume bench scorer, is a nice play.
MEM @ MIA: The Grizzlies, who won two of three in as many nights, now face a very tough task in Florida. LeBron James has been playing like an MVP at both ends of the floor, and Dwyane Wade’s knee bruise is getting better. Ronny Turiaf is now the starting C ahead of Joel Anthony, but the Heat play Udonis Haslem at the 5 more than either.
CLE @ TOR: Break up the Raptors! They should easily win a fourth straight game tonight, as the reeling Cavaliers, losers of nine straight and with their leader Kyrie Irving (shoulder) unavailable, visit the ACC. Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan do the scoring, Jose Calderon runs the show and coach Dwane Casey has the Dinos playing D for the first time in years. Anthony Parker, fondly remembered by Toronto fans, might be the main scoring option for Cleveland.
CHA @ MIL: This looks like a cakewalk for the Bucks. Charlotte is a mess, though Kemba Walker, Gerald Henderson and Byron Mullens can be used in fantasy leagues. Milwaukee may give Drew Gooden (back) another night off; he’ll be needed down the stretch and Ekpe Udoh has filled in well. Ersan Ilyasova should have a big night, while Brandon Jennings and/or Monta Ellis could run wild — the trick is predicting which one(s).
POR @ DAL: The Mavericks look nothing like champions, but are still good enough to beat Portland. I do like LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum and Wesley Matthews for fantasy purposes and can even consider J.J. Hickson. For Dallas, beyond Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry, there is inconsistency, with Shawn Marion the next-best choice.
NOH @ SAS: Eric Gordon is back, though he may need some time to get up to full speed. Chris Kaman is an underrated value at C, Jason Smith seems to be the starting PF and while Jarrett Jack (foot) is out, Greivis Vasquez is the PG. All are possible fantasy plays this evening, though they have little chance to win the game. Not even Gregg Popovich knows which of his many weapons will be fired the most, so it’s pure guesswork for me. Patty Mills can have 20 points one night and not play at all the next. Boris Diaw gets 25 minutes, or a DNP-CD. Start the big three, cautiously.
PHO @ DEN: There’s a great PG matchup between Ty Lawson and Steve Nash. I drafted Lawson this year in a league where Nash has been a keeper for a long time, and there will be a changing of the guard on that roster next season. I don’t like the rest of these Nuggets. JaVale McGee is still a head case who annoys coaches and teammates. Wilson Chandler (groin) is iffy and his replacement Corey Brewer not good enough. I’m using Marcin Gortat with confidence and keeping a close eye on Markieff Morris, who really deserves more minutes.
GSW @ UTA: Devin Harris has a sprained ankle, Earl Watson and Jamaal Tinsley are well past their prime and the Jazz are desperate. They will try to win this one with Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap dominating David Lee and rookie Jeremy Tyler up front. I think Gordon Hayward may be the difference-maker. Unheralded second-rounder Charles Jenkins seems to have asserted himself as the starting PG (Nate Robinson played less than 15 minutes on Wednesday) and is a great pickup in midsized fantasy leagues, or where you need a streamer.
HOU @ LAL: There has been a tendency lately for the Lakers to play just well enough to win. They had better not underestimate the Rockets, who are well rested since a huge road upset in Chicago. It’s good news that Kyle Lowry has returned to practice, but Goran Dragic will be running the show for a while longer. Luis Scola is consistent and Marcus Camby has been terrific as the starting C. I still like the L.A. superstars, along with Ramon Sessions.
The Spin is here every day before 8:00 EDT except for Sunday, when we post by noon. Follow me on Twitter in between.
DraftStreet Walker
| Sure Things | Over $14,000 |
| L. James | $20,669 |
| Jo. Smith | $18,879 |
| K. Durant | $20,050 |
| R. Westbrook | $17,482 |
| Bargains | Under $9,000 |
| G. Vasquez | $8,704 |
| T. Ariza | $8,297 |
| A. Parker | $7,579 |
| C. Jenkins | $7,723 |
| Hunches | $9,000 to $14,000 |
| J. Calderon | $13,647 |
| E. Ilyasova | $13,506 |
| M. Ellis | $13,029 |
| G. Hayward | $11,499 |
Last night, with only four NBA games, I played in my “everyday” $2 and $5 GPP leagues, then on a whim, joined a $5 Pick’Em league. It went awry in Tier 1, when I chose DeMarcus Cousins. Boogie was on all my teams, had a horrible night, and that’s that. We turn the calendar page and get a fresh start.
With 11 games on the NBA slate, we’ll test the $11 Salary Cap waters (a $1,500 Guaranteed Prize Pool with $375 to the winner) and try the multiple-teams approach again at the $2 level — that paid off handsomely on Wednesday.
It’s interesting that I’ve had two “big” nights in five weeks and that’s been enough to turn a profit. Week 1 was a success and Week 5 has been great so far, as I’m ahead $82 and counting. In between was a lot of woulda, coulda and shoulda with very few payouts. This daily fantasy game is challenging and it definitely requires skill, but you can never be completely confident.
Even on a day when you “love” your picks, you still need all eight players to produce. Luck, in the form of late lineup changes, an ejection, foul trouble or one poor shooting night, can derail anyone. I’m not as keen as a couple of weeks ago on the Snake-Draft format. It’s a lot of fun, but the random draft order adds another element of luck. Some days, first pick is an advantage. Other days, it’s the kiss of death.
My weekly team sits third of ten, 12 FPTS behind the leader heading into the weekend. Although not as exciting as the daily game, it does use my preferred Salary Cap format; we might give that another try next week. Good luck with all your teams tonight!
Draft Street is always free to join and no deposit is required — you can try free leagues for credits and prizes.