The Daily Dose: Dose: Derrick Rose down again
The Warriors finally lost again, albeit without Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose is having issues and Al Jefferson is having surgery. Happy (or sad) New Year’s Eve! Follow me on Twitter by clicking here!
Clippers 122, Hornets 117 – Chris Paul’s shot was off (4-of-13) but he still had 19 points and 11 dimes (11-of-12 FTs), DeAndre Jordan had 13-13-1, and J.J. Redick bounced back from a bad game with 26 points and five 3-pointers. Paul Pierce scored 13 and had a nice stat line in 21 minutes, and might be worth a deep-league look now that he’s starting for Blake Griffin/Josh Smith. Austin Rivers somehow had 22 points and four 3-pointers in 20 minutes off the bench, but it was a fluke. Smith didn’t even play and should be dropped immediately if you grabbed him.
Al Jefferson will have knee surgery and miss at least six weeks (drop him), so Cody Zeller is still a guy to own. Kemba Walker had 29 points, seven assists, two steals and two 3-pointers, Nicolas Batum played through a toe injury and had another big game, and Zeller added 12 points, eight boards, three steals and a block in the loss. Frank Kaminsky had 20 points, four rebounds and two 3-pointers, despite hitting just 5-of-15 shots, but Zeller is clearly the guy I’d like to own, at least for now. Jeremy Lamb had a fluky 19 points, five boards and a 3-pointer off the bench, while Marvin Williams added just five points and five rebounds as his fade continues. Maybe Kaminsky will supplant him soon, but I don’t really trust Frank the Tank as long as he’s coming off the bench. Then again, I certainly don’t trust Marvin, either. Jeremy Lin sat this one out with a sprained ankle and is day-to-day.
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Magic 100, Nets 93 – Nikola Vucevic was nice with 20 points and nine boards, Tobias Harris and Evan Fournier were solid, and Elfrid Payton lasted just five minutes and didn’t score before leaving with an ankle injury and an illness, leaving him iffy for Friday. If Payton misses time, Victor Oladipo should step up and had 12 points, seven boards, three assists, a steal and two 3-pointers last night, despite hitting just 3-of-11 shots. Aaron Gordon was decent with 10 points, seven boards, a steal, two blocks and a 3-pointer in 26 minutes, but I’ll need to see him do it again before becoming interested.
Brook Lopez was large with 24 points, 15 boards, three steals and five blocks, Thaddeus Young was solid and Bojan Bogdanovic had one of his best games with 20 points, six boards and a 3-pointer on 9-of-17 shooting. He’s shown signs all season, but has yet to be consistent enough to trust. Maybe that’s about to change. Jarrett Jack had 10 assists and five boards, but hit just 2-of-11 shots, Joe Johnson was terrible again, and Wayne Ellington turned back into Wayne Ellington (9 points, 17 minutes) after Monday’s 26-point explosion. I’m not even starting Joe Johnson in a 30-team league, which should tell you all you need to know.
Lakers 112, Celtics 104 – Kobe Bryant said goodbye to Boston and had 15 points, 11 boards and two 3-pointers, despite hitting just 5-of-18 shots (his first double-double of the year). Roy Hibbert missed all five of his shots and was awful again, while Jordan Clarkson (24 points) and Lou Williams (19) both played well. Julius Randle had 15 points and 12 boards off the bench, and is coming on again, and D’Angelo Russell had 16 points and a very nice stat line off the bench. If you need to cut Hibbert for a hot free agent, do it. Larry Nance Jr. played just 17 minutes for six points and six boards. Blah.
Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger all did good things for the Celtics, but Amir Johnson was scoreless in 18 minutes. Evan Turner had a nice line off the bench and is playing well again, while Kelly Olynyk didn’t do much with his 21 minutes off the pine. I am still intrigued by Olynyk. Marcus Smart played just 11 minutes and I’m just not feeling him. I’m dropping him for a hot free agent if I own him, while I’m thinking about grabbing Turner right now.
Raptors 94, Wizards 91 – DeMar DeRozan went off for 34 points, six boards, five assists, two steals, two blocks and a 3-pointer in one of the lines of the night, and also hit 15-of-15 from the stripe. Jonas Valanciunas started and had eight points, nine boards and a block, yet Bismack Biyombo stayed relevant off the bench with a solid line of 12 points, 12 boards and two more blocks. Hold him until the wheels fall off. Kyle Lowry was bad, hitting 2-of-12 shots for 11 points and six dimes, Luis Scola cooled off with four points and seven boards, and DeMarre Carroll still doesn’t look right, hitting 2-of-10 shots for seven points and seven boards. Hang in there with all of them, at least for now. Terrence Ross played 29 minutes off the bench and had 14 points, six boards and two 3-pointers, and is also worth hanging onto for now.
John Wall flirted with a triple-double and added five steals, despite hitting just 8-of-23 shots and missing all six of his 3-point attempts. Otto Porter Jr. was big with 20 points, nine boards and three 3-pointers, and has played very well in two straight, Jared Dudley had one of his better lines with 17 points, three steals and three 3-pointers, and Marcin Gortat was solid again with 12-9-3. Garrett Temple has fallen off and had just four points on 1-of-6 shooting, while Ramon Sessions had 11 points, seven boards and four assists in 28 minutes off the bench. Flip a coin on those two right now. Dudley was terrible in his previous two games, so I’m not overly excited that he showed up last night.
Bulls 102, Pacers 100 OT – Derrick Rose was a late scratch with a hamstring injury and his status is in doubt for Friday against the Knicks. Aaron Brooks came off the bench, but went off for 29 points, five assists and four 3-pointers, but also had six turnovers. If you were able to start him in any format, you did well, and he’s worth a look on Friday if Rose is out. Jimmy Butler went off with 28 points and a fun line, and Taj Gibson had 14 rebounds, two steals and a block to go along with just six points. He’s worth attention as long as Joakim Noah is out. Nikola Mirotic was a disaster in 20 minutes and failed to score, and no player is as frustrating to mess with right now. Bobby Portis had 16 points, seven boards, a steal and a block in 26 minutes, and it appears that he’s coming out. He’s a luxury own, but might be worth a flier given his huge upside. As for Mirotic, I don’t know what to tell you, and owners have to hope that a Chicago big man is traded at some point.
George Hill led the Pacers with 20 points, seven boards, three assists, four steals and three 3-pointers. His lack of assists is annoying, as is his inconsistency, but he’s still worth owning. Paul George hit just 7-of-20 shots for 19 points, but still had a decent line, even though he hasn’t been nearly as good lately as he was a few weeks ago. Lavoy Allen started and had 10 points and 12 boards, so just keep an eye on him. Myles Turner also had eight points, five boards and three blocks, and with Jordan Hill out with a mouth injury, Allen and Turner are worth a watchful eye over the next couple games. George has cooled, averaging 20.9 points and 36 percent shooting in December, which is a far cry from what he did in November. You might be able to still sell high based on his name value, but I’m not surprised he’s cooled. Ian Mahinmi had seven points and seven boards, but left with a sore knee and didn’t return, which is more good news for Allen and Turner.
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