The Daily Dose: Dose: Injury Fest 2016
Guys started dropping early on Wednesday with Dwight Howard, Nerlens Noel and Hassan Whiteside exiting, while Dwight Powell, filling in for Dirk Nowitzki, was a no show. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
Sixers 96, Magic 87 – Nerlens Noel left with a head injury and didn’t return, JaKarr Sampson left with a hip injury and Nik Stauskas sat out with a shoulder injury. They’re all day-to-day. Robert Covington, Jahlil Okafor and Ish Smith all played well in the starting lineup and Smith double-doubled with 13 & 11. Jerami Grant, Isaiah Canaan and Hollis Thompson all played well off the bench, and Canaan is worth a look after scoring 14, 15 and 16 points with eight 3-pointers over his last three games. Canaan could take a hit once Stauskas is back, and I was wrong about Covington. He’s rolling again and should be owned.
For the Magic, Victor Oladipo sat out again with a knee injury and is day-to-day. Elfrid Payton started and went off for 21 points, six boards, 10 assists and a couple steals on 8-of-13 shooting. Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris double-doubled, while Aaron Gordon stayed on the bench to finish with seven points and eight boards in 32 minutes. Scott Skiles wants to bench Channing Frye and start Gordon, but the numbers tell him the Magic fare better with Frye starting. Ignore the numbers, Scotty! I still think Gordon’s worth holding right now.
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Wizards 106, Heat 87 – Drew Gooden (calf), Otto Porter (hip) and Kris Humphries (knee) were all out for the Wizards. Nene turned back the clock and had 16 points, six boards and five steals for his best game of the season. He’s played in six straight, so his next missed game might be right around the corner and I don’t trust the guy. Marcin Gortat and John Wall double-doubled, and Garrett Temple scored 11 in another start. Jared Dudley scored 10 points with an empty stat line, and Bradley Beal took a step forward with 18 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Temple’s value clock is ticking.
The Heat are hurting, as Hassan Whiteside left with an oblique injury and will be reevaluated (it didn’t look good), Dwyane Wade sat with a very sore shoulder and could miss more time, Luol Deng left with an eye injury and is day-to-day, Beno Udrih sat out again with a neck injury and could miss more, and Goran Dragic missed another with a calf injury, leaving him iffy for Friday. Gerald Green started, but hit just 2-of-10 shots for four points, while Tyler Johnson bounced back with 14 points, five assists and two 3-pointers. He looks like a safe own right now with most of the Heat guards hurting. Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson both played 35-plus minutes, and Winslow had nine points, six boards, six assists and a 3-pointer. He’s worth a look if Wade and Deng are going to sit.
Cavaliers 91, Nets 78 – Kevin Love had 17 points and 18 boards, LeBron James had 17 with a thin stat line, and Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith struggled, combining for 13 points. Tristan Thompson had 14 points and 10 boards off the bench, but has lost value now that Timofey Mozgov is starting at center.
Thaddeus Young, Brook Lopez and Donald Sloan all played well for the Nets, and Sloan (12 & 9) now looks like a must-own player in the starting lineup. Joe Johnson finally cooled off with three points on 1-of-7 shooting, but had been playing better. Shane Larkin had seven points and seven dimes off the bench, but Sloan’s the guy you need to pick up.
Knicks 118, Jazz 111 OT – Lance Thomas was out with a knee injury, while Kristaps Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony, Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo all played well in the overtime win. Porzingis hit a huge three late, while Ro-Lo went off for 22 points, 12 boards and three blocks on 11-of-14 shooting (he’s become a must-own player). Melo scored 30 and nearly triple-doubled, and Derrick Williams played clutch down the stretch and in overtime, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds. He was fading hard, so don’t get too excited about this line. However, he’s going to get bench run as long as Thomas is out. Melo passed Larry Bird on the all-time scoring list tonight.
For the Jazz, Derrick Favors missed his 15th straight game and remains “day-to-day” with his back injury, which apparently should have originally been listed as ‘week-to-week.’ So frustrating. Gordon Hayward had 27 and Rodney Hood bounced back after being ejected in his previous game, hitting five 3-pointers on his way to 29 points, six boards and five assists. He’s scored in double digits in seven straight games. Rudy Gobert had 11 points, eight boards and two blocks, and Trey Burke hit 5-of-13 shots and two 3-pointers for 12 points, three boards and three dimes. Trey Lyles stayed relevant with 13 points, four boards, a steal, a block and three 3-pointers, and is worth a look as long as Favors, who has supposedly been day-to-day for a month, is out.
Raptors 115, Celtics 109 – Luis Scola, Jonas Valanciunas, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan (34 points) all played very well for the Raptors, who are in second place in the East. James Johnson’s still not getting it done in lieu of DeMarre Carroll (knee surgery), and Terrence Ross had 14 points and four 3-pointers off the bench. Ross and Patrick Patterson (6 points, 7 boards) are worth keeping an eye on, but neither is a must-own player.
Amir Johnson has really struggled in his last three games for the Celtics and Kelly Olynyk had 18 points and a fun stat line again. If you want to drop Amir for Oly, do it. Especially since Amir couldn’t get up for a revenge game against his former team. Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas were all solid starters, while Jared Sullinger hit just 1-of-7 shots for three points in 13 minutes. I still like him, but Olynyk is the big man playing well right now for Boston. Marcus Smart was quiet with six points, but also had four rebounds, four assists and a steal, and looks like a nice grab right now, while Evan Turner stayed relevant with 11 points, five boards and five assists.
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