Clips hang on over Thunder, who lose Russell Westbrook

LeBron’s return to Cleveland was going to be the top story, but a small fracture in the right hand of Russell Westbrook trumped that story in fantasyland. Westbrook went down after scoring just seven points, and returned to the bench with his right hand heavily wrapped in ice. We still don’t have a timetable for his return and I’m not a real doctor, but my guess is he’ll miss 4-6 weeks. Owners have to hope for the best and prepare to possibly be without their No. 1 pick for several weeks. And it’s also worth noting that the injury is to his shooting hand, which is more bad news. 

The Thunder hung in this game surprisingly well without their stars, but the Clippers didn’t exactly look sharp. The pickup-of-the-day is Perry Jones, who has already been snatched up in a lot of leagues, but not all of them. He blew up for 32 points, seven rebounds, three assists, a block and three 3-pointers. He also hit 10-of-17 shots and 9-of-11 free throws, and is one of the few remaining healthy Thunder players who can score. I started him in my 30-team league, but I have a feeling I’m in rare air there. If you can get Jones, do it. He was already on his way to being a hot pickup since he’s starting for Kevin Durant, who I think will be out until Christmas or so, but now that Westbrook’s also probably going to miss time, he’s a must-own player.

Serge Ibaka had 17 points, nine rebounds and zero blocks, but did hit two 3-poiners. He also missed a three at the buzzer that would have tied the game. The only other player in double figures for the Thunder was Westbrook’s replacement, Sebastian Telfair. He had 11 points, but hit just 2-of-9 shots and a 3-pointer in a whopping 38 minutes. He did have seven dimes, and while the Thunder will probably sign someone to play point guard, Telfair is a guy that can be picked up if you have someone to drop. When four players miss three games due to injury, the Thunder will get a “Hardship Exception,” and I’m sure they’ll probably use it on a point guard. Another thing to keep in mind is Reggie Jackson and his ankle injury. Once he’s ready to roll, he’ll hurt Telfair and could be a stud if Westbrook is going to miss time. Steven Adams was disappointing again with just six points, 10 rebounds and no blocks on 2-of-8 shooting, but he played 29 minutes and is still a guy I’d recommend hanging onto. Deep leaguers may want to keep an eye on Andre Roberson, who played 37 minutes for nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals. He’s not going to score much, but he’s another guy I actually had in the starting lineup in my 30-team league.

For the Clippers, Chris Paul hit 9-of-18 shots for 22 points, four boards, seven dimes, three steals, a block, a 3-pointer and no turnovers in the win. He also missed a couple big free throws down the stretch, but was bailed out by Blake Griffin. Blake had 23 points and seven boards, hitting 8-of-18 shots and 7-of-10 free throws. The only other Clipper in double digits was Jamal Crawford with 16 points and two 3-pointers on 5-of-15 shooting off the bench. J.J. Redick was just 1-of-10 (hold onto him), Matt Barnes made 3-of-6 shots and a 3-pointer for seven points, three boards, a steal and two blocks (a vast improvement), and DeAndre Jordan added eight points and 10 rebounds, but didn’t block a shot. I still think Barnes is going to be worth owning, despite his awful preseason. At least he made some shots tonight.

Knicks stun Cavs 95-90 in LeBron’s Cleveland debut

The Knicks visited Cleveland for LeBron’s debut on Thursday night and it didn’t go quite as planned. The Knicks were destroyed by the Bulls on Wednesday, and had no idea what they were doing in the triangle offense, or so it appeared. So playing on a back-to-back and visiting a raucous Cleveland arena for the Cavs’ debuts of LeBron James and Kevin Love couldn’t possibly end well for New York, right? Wrong.

Carmelo Anthony led the way with 25 points, six assists and two 3-pointers on 9-of-17 shooting, and got help from Iman Shumpert and Jason Smith (12 points a piece), 11 from J.R. Smith (25 minutes), and solid efforts from rookie Shane Larkin (9 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and a 3-pointer in 28 minutes) and Quincy Acy (8 points, 10 rebounds and a block in 22 minutes). Jason Smith was also solid off the bench with 12 points and two rebounds on 5-of-6 shooting in 19 minutes. Meanwhile, Samuel Dalembert played just six minutes and failed to score. I’d like to think it was a match up thing with Sammy D, but it was concerning to see. Let’s give him another game before thinking about pulling the plug on him. The Knicks held on for a tough road win as the Cavs still have to learn how to play together. LeBron just never got into a rhythm tonight, but that will soon change.

Acy is worth a look if you need rebounds in a deep league and Larkin was great. He could play a big role for this team for as long as Jose Calderon is out (three weeks or so). Jason Smith is worth keeping an eye on, but needs to crash the boards to have value. Dalembert may not make it in the long run as the starting center in the triangle, but I need to see more before giving up on him. But if you have your eye on a hot free agent, you might be able to live without Sammy if you’re deep at center. J.R. Smith was dealing with a back issue tonight, but was able to play through it.

For the Cavs, LeBron got off to a 1-of-9 shooting start and ended up hitting just 5-of-15 shots for 17 points, five rebounds, four assists, a 3-pointer and an ugly eight TOs. . Obviously, he’ll be fine. All five Cavs starters were in double figures, as Love had 19 points, 14 rebounds and three 3-pointers, Anderson Varejao had 10 points, four rebounds, a steal and a block, Kyrie Irving was in midseason form with 22 points, five boards, seven assists, two steals, a block and a 3-pointer on 8-of-15 shooting, and Dion Waiters hit 4-of-9 shots and two 3-pointers for 10 points. But their bench was nearly invisible with a total of 12 points (Tristan Thompson and Matt Dellavedova each had six), which was a difference in this game. All five starters are worth owning and Tristan Thompson will be more relevant on many nights. Especially if (or should I say ‘when’) Varejao gets hurt. Other than that, there’s not much to see on the Cavs’ bench.

Wizards beat Magic 105-98

John Wall blew up for 30 points, five boards, 12 assists, two steals and two 3-pointers, Marcin Gortat battled Nikola Vucevic for 20 points and 12 boards on 10-of-13 shooting, and Paul Pierce added 16 points, four rebounds, two steals and two 3-pointers for the Wiz. Pierce was likely a value pick in your league, based on his early results. Nene returned from a one-game suspension and had 12 points, four boards, five assists and three steals, and Garrett Temple rounded out the starter’s scoring spree with 12 points and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes. Otto Porter played just 18 minutes off the bench for four points, three steals and five fouls on 1-of-5 shooting, and things may get even tougher once Bradley Beal is back. If you’re ready to cut Porter for a guy like Perry Jones, I’m OK with it.

The Magic got another monster game from Nikola Vucevic with 23 points and 12 rebounds, and he’s off to a big start. Evan Fournier bounced back from an opening-night dud with 21 points and three 3-pointers on 8-of-10 shooting, and is worth a look as long as Victor Oladipo is out. Ben Gordon came through with 22 points and two 3-pointers off the bench. Yes, Gordon is still in the league, but I’m not expecting him to do this often, especially once Oladipo is back. Let’s see what he does in the next couple before getting excited. Tobias Harris was fair with 14 points, four rebounds and a 3-pointer (don’t do anything dumb with him – he’s fine), and rookie Elfrid Payton was out of his element, missing both of his shots for two points, seven assists and six turnovers in 23 minutes. As for Payton, it’s going to be a series of ups and downs for the rookie, but I could see dropping him for the right guy. Lastly, Channing Frye made a surprise return to the starting lineup from a knee injury, but had just two points and two rebounds in 24 minutes. Now that Frye is back, he should be held/grabbed, as this should end up being the worst game of his season. He can hit treys and block shots, giving him legit value going forward.

T-Wolves pound Pistons 97-91

The Wolves were led again by Thaddeus Young, who had 19 points, five rebounds, two assists, three steals and two 3-pointers on 7-of-13 shooting, and is primed for a monster season. Nikola Pekovic bounced back with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and is worth using as long as he’s healthy. Ricky Rubio filled the stat sheet with 11 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, a steal and just one TO, and Mo Williams chipped in with 13 points and four assists off the bench. Mo-Will should be on your radar, as he’s getting minutes and has played well in both games. Kevin Martin returned to action from an ankle injury and added 12 points and a 3-pointer in 20 minutes off the bench. He could be back in the starting lineup soon once he’s fully healthy, but that’s not guaranteed, either. I think Martin is probably worth owning in most leagues, but he’s not really a must-own player if he’s coming off the pine. Andrew Wiggins started again and had eight points and four rebounds on 4-of-9 shooting, and Corey Brewer also started, finishing with eight points, four boards, two steals and a 3-pointer. I’m advising you to hold onto Wiggins and let him grow, while Brewer is probably going to be worth a shot on your team if he starts over Martin. Gorgui Dieng played just 17 minutes for four points, five rebounds and two blocks off the bench. His true value will only be realized if Pekovic goes down. And that is probably more a matter of ‘when,’ than ‘if.’

The Pistons started Brandon Jennings again, but he lasted just 16 minutes before being benched by Stan Van Gundy. He had four points and six assists, but D.J. Augustin came off the bench for 20 points, six assists and a 3-pointer in 33 minutes, despite hitting just 6-of-18 shots. If you want to drop Jennings, or add Augustin, I can get behind both moves. Caron Butler led the team in scoring off the bench with 24 points (16 in the fourth quarter), eight rebounds and four 3-pointers, as two bench players led the Pistons in scoring tonight. Butler can be grabbed after this one, but could take a hit now that Greg Monroe’s suspension is over (Josh Smith could start at SF, or it could be Butler if they decide to bring Smith or Monroe off the bench). Andre Drummond had 11 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, but hit just 5-of-14 shots. He shot less than 40 percent just twice all of last season, so I’m not worried – at all. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit 5-of-13 shots and a 3-pointer for 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals, but also played a team-high 41 minutes. KCP remains a must-own player in my book. Kyle Singler also started, but had just five points on 2-of-6 shooting in 24 minutes. With Monroe coming back, it’s hard to imagine Singler starting for much longer.  

Mavericks drop Jazz 120-102

Dallas got 21 points from both Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons, but Dirk had just three rebounds, while Parsons had seven. Al-Farouq Aminu had 16 points, 10 boards and a 3-pointer off the bench, and Brandan Wright had 14 points, three boards, a steal and two blocks on 6-of-7 shooting, also off the bench. Both players are worth a look in deeper leagues, but I’m not convinced either will be worth starting anytime soon. And as my favorite show ‘The League’ mocked this week, both guys did a lot of their damage in “garbage time.” Monta Ellis added 14 points, three boards and six assists, but didn’t have a steal or a 3-pointer, Tyson Chandler had 13 points, six boards, a steal and a block, hitting all five of his shots, and Jameer Nelson was quiet again with five points, five assists, two steals and a 3-pointer in 21 minutes. Devin Harris played 24 minutes off the bench and had 12 points, three assists, a steal and three 3-pointers in 24 minutes. Yes, I’d rather own Harris than Nelson, and I even dropped Jose Calderon for Harris in a daily league where I can’t afford to carry marginal, injured players. It will only be a matter of time though, before Harris is limping and missing games, if history holds true.

All five Jazz starters were in double figures and four of them looked good. PG Trey Burke, SG Alec Burks, SF Gordon Hayward and C Derrick Favors all played well and came through for their owners. Enes Kanter, on the other hand, hit 4-of-10 shots and had 11 points, but managed just four rebounds and zero blocks in 20 minutes. He wasn’t in foul trouble, but I don’t see Trevor Booker (19 minutes, nine points and five rebounds) stealing his job. I’m of the opinion that you should ride it out with Kanter for another few games before dumping him. The Jazz bench was nearly invisible, so their starting five are the guys you want to own here. And somehow, the Jazz didn’t block a single shot tonight, despite starting Favors and Kanter.