In basketball news, reigning MVP Kevin Durant should return to action in 1-2 weeks, completely changing Oklahoma City's game plan. The Durant-less Thunder have been riding Russell Westbrook during his incredible hot streak, so implementing him back into their offense could be quite difficult.
Since Durant began to miss time due to a foot injury, the team has gone 7-4 and is currently tied for 8th in the Western Conference with the New Orleans Pelicans. Russell Westbrook has stepped up in his absence and questions have surfaced about their ability to be truly effective when playing together. Moves made before the trade deadline completely changed the look of the Thunder team, and it may be possible that they are now better suited for Westbrook, but not Durant.
Westbrook has been playing better than ever before, and Durant may be what was limiting his potential. They both need the ball in their hands to be at their best and maybe it's about time that they move on. For now, Durant will be back and they will have to work on their team chemistry, but he could be gone in the offseason.
Rumors have surfaced that Durant could be on the move to avoid having him walk into free agency after next season, leaving them with nothing. As far as his outlook for the rest of the season, Durant should be considered a top fantasy NBA option as he provides owners with points, threes, rebounds, assists, FG% and FT%. He should be considered one of the best fantasy NBA players in leagues across the board and can be unleashed the second he returns to the court.
Keep reading ASL for the best fantasy basketball news!
Basketball News
Lakers PF/C Jordan Hill has been relatively successful since his return from a hip injury, putting up solid numbers in his first 5 games back. He has been strong on the glass and with Coach Byron Scott calling out his bigs for being soft, Hill's minutes are sure to rise.
Hill is having his best NBA season to date, with career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and free throw percentage. Since returning from injury, his numbers have been pretty consistent, and his value in standard fantasy basketball formats is legitimate, with a chance of steady increase.
His 12.4 points and 8 rebounds per game make him worth an add if your team is in need of a big man. The Lakers have zero chance of making the playoffs and will look to continue to develop the players they look to keep in the years to come.
With Robert Sacre and Carlos Boozer most likely not in the plans for the future, Hill's minutes should extend upwards of 30 per game, making him one of the more exciting NBA players to keep on your radar. Kobe Bryant's season-ending surgery also leaves the Lakers struggling to find scoring options Hill might have to step up in that area as well. With an uptick in court time, it is not too far fetched to expect 9-10 rebounds, in addition to 14-16 points per game.
For the latest in fantasy NBA news and advice, stay tuned to ASL!
Basketball News
Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope cooled off last night against the Wizards, but has been on fire for the past two weeks making him one of the more popular fantasy NBA plays. Before Saturday night's game, he scored in double digits in five straight games with a windfall of three pointers mixed in. Despite KCP's stellar play, the Pistons are limping out of the gate since the All-Star break and have dropped 6 of their last ten games.
Despite Detroit's struggles, Caldwell-Pope has quietly averaged 16.6 points, 3.4 3-pointers and is shooting just under 45 percent. Caldwell-Pope is widely available in Yahoo fantasy basketball leagues seeing an ownership of about 35%. If he keeps scoring and nailing 3-pointers the way he has been, he won't be left on may waiver wires at all.
The scary thing is that Caldwell-Pope is still light years away from reaching his full potential and he could become one of the better NBA players. He has a hard time finishing inside the paint and still needs to work on his consistency. But he's really broken out during his sophomore season. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy obviously likes what he sees with KCP averaging more than 32 minutes per contest.
The Pistons probably won't make the playoffs this year, but Van Gundy has a young team that boasts size and athleticism and could become a power in the East next season.
Basketball News
Newly acquired point guard Isaiah Thomas looked comfortable during his first two games with the Celtics scoring 21 points in back-to-back nights against the Lakers and his former team, the Phoenix Suns. Although he's been turning the ball over too much, he's already made a home in Boston and his role with the Celtics should continue to grow.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens seems more than happy to give the 26-year-old a full workload after Thomas played him 25 minutes on Sunday and 27 minutes on Monday. If he keeps up his current form, he will likely finish the season as a top 30 ranked fantasy NBA player and one of the top NBA players.
This season had been a rough ride for Thomas as he struggled to establish his role in a crowded Phoenix Suns backcourt with Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. Now he's out to prove that he can be a leader when given the opportunity. In 2013, the 5'9" guard broke out as the starter for the Sacramento Kings, averaging 20 points, 6 assists and 3 rebounds per contest. With the Celtics' roster being much less talented, specifically in the backcourt, Thomas should get the green light to take over the offense.
The Celtics hope that Thomas will give the organization a player to build around now that he's signed to a 3-year, $19.3 million dollar contract. Look for the undersized point guard to exceed 20 points per game, and reach 5-7 assists per game as his value is sure to increase. His fantasy basketball ceiling is very high, and he's certainly worth a look through trade in standard formats for points, threes and assists.
Keep reading ASL for the best basketball news around!
Basketball News
The Portland Trail Blazers might be in better shape after acquiring SG Arron Afflalo from the Denver Nuggets, but his fantasy basketball value will almost certainly take a hit. Afflalo's played more than 30 minutes per game in Denver, but will be coming off the bench for the Blazers. Portland gave up 2 draft picks and three players to acquire Afflalo, Alonzo Gee and this roster move should pay dividends as the playoffs creep closer.
The 29-year-old posted solid numbers in Denver this season, but for Portland, his on-court value will far supersede his value in fantasy basketball leagues. Afflalo is averaging 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game and can use his scoring to make him an effective sixth man and a leader for the second unit.
His presence will also take some pressure off star NBA players PG Damian Lillard and PF LaMarcus Aldridge to get all of the scoring done. Aldridge will be the major benefactor, as he is dealing with a severe thumb injury that will require surgery at the end of the season.
Afflalo should fit in well, adding to the 3-point shooting culture. The Trail Blazers rank 3rd in the league, hitting 10 threes per game and Afflalo averages about 1.5 per game. Portland is currently 4th in the Western Conference and an offensive upgrade was necessary to have a chance at making it to the NBA Finals. It's difficult to predict how much of an impact the scoring guard will have, but it should be enough to at least secure a top 5 seed in the West.
Pacers PG George Hill should be avoided in standard fantasy basketball formats as his fantasy basketball upside is limited by his inability to stay on the court. Hill has played in just 15 games as he has battled injuries all season long and cannot be expected to stay healthy enough to produce consistently.
Hill has been plagued with a groin injury for most of the season and has recently been nursing a bum leg. Despite having his minutes limited, he's still not been able to battle back from his nagging injuries. The other problem is that the underwhelming Pacers roster cannot alleviate the pressure in order to ease him back into action.
One of the better NBA players in Indiana, PF David West, could be on the move before the trade deadline, leaving George Hill with even more of a workload to take on. The guard's scoring is up 3.8 PPG (from 10.3 to 14.1) from a season ago, but his sample size is too small to suggest he can put up decent numbers every game.
Hill is coming off a good performance against the Pelicans, putting up 17 points and 9 assists, so now might be the right time to convince another fantasy NBA owner to take the bait and strike a deal. It's only a matter of time before one of his injuries becomes re-aggravated and he misses time yet again.
Stay tuned to ASL for the most updated fantasy basketball news and advice!
Basketball News
Pelicans PG Jrue Holiday may be close to returning from a 16-game absence and fantasy owners are praying that he's worth the wait. Owners in most fantasy NBA leagues are hoping he can provide some kind of spark during the second half of the season.
If he returns, Holiday could also provide a major lift for a Pelicans team that only trails Phoenix by a game and half for the final playoff spot in the West. Holidays' presence on the offensive end has been severely missed, and his return could give the Pelicans the boost they need to make a significant run.
Holiday has very impressive statistics when he's on the floor, averaging 15.2 PPG, 7.1 APG and 3.5 APG in 37 appearances. His ability makes him an important asset for any basketball organization, but his role may have changed since he went out with an injury.
He had been their facilitator, but it seems that Tyreke Evans has solidified himself as the primary ball handler and distributor. Evans is averaging 7.9 assists, in addition to 16.6 points and 5.3 rebounds after taking over at point guard for his injured teammate (9-7 in the stretch).
Due to Evans' thriving in the PG role, Holiday may have to become more of a scorer, similar to the way NBA players such as PG Kyrie Irving has given up some of his ball-handling duties to SF LeBron James in Cleveland. With his quickness and long-range jump-shot, he could be seeing a decent rise in points per game. Expect Holiday to be getting more looks than before he went down to injury, and possibly a reduction in assists per game.
Jrue Holiday is worth an add in standard fantasy basketball formats if he's still available, and is a great buy-low candidate as his production is sure to be solid in points, assists and threes.
In recent basketball news, Magic forward Tobias Harris sat out the last two games with a knee injury, but is in no danger of missing any more time after All-Star Weekend. Harris was just starting to put together a solid streak of impressive performances, so fantasy basketball owners had to look elsewhere for temporary production in his absence, but they have nothing to worry about in reference to his availability.
Harris has been tearing it up as of late, averaging 22.5 points, 6 boards and 3.25 assists per game over his last four games played. His knee injury does not seem to be holding him back, and once he's truly healthy, he should be unstoppable. With Elfrid Payton gaining confidence and spreading the floor well, Harris should continue to get more opportunities to put up points.
Tobias Harris is having his best season as a pro, posting averages of 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal per contest. The 22-year-old stretch forward is one of many young players on the Orlando Magic roster, but seems to have the most upside with his athleticism and ability to score from anywhere on the court.
The Magic are currently sport a 17-39 record, and are a long shot to make the playoffs as they are 7 games behind the 8th seeded Miami Heat. If they have any chance to at least make it close, along with C Nikola Vucevic, Orlando will have to lean on Tobias Harris to make late-game shots and big plays down the stretch.
It's not as though Tobias Harris is a buy-low candidate due to his recent play, but his potential to continue to improve makes him worth the hefty investment. He is holding mid-round fantasy NBA value, but could become one of the top 60 NBA players during the second half of the season.
Cleveland now has the longest active winning streak with 11 straight after Monday night's win over the Sixers, and their recent success can be attributed to Kyrie Irving's stellar play. LeBron James has been in and out of the lineup while dealing with some minor injury issues, but Irving has proven his ability to lead this new-look Cavaliers franchise in one of the best NBA players' absence.
In particular, Irving's scoring has really picked up the slack in reference to scoring, putting up 30 PPG in his last 5 appearances. He hasn't just been scoring, but scoring effectively at 49% over that span, with a remarkable effective field goal percentage of 61 (due to his 25 3-point field goals).
The major highlight of this stretch came during the Cavaliers' win at home against the Portland Trail Blazers, when Irving scored a career-high 55 points, as well as a personal best 11 3-pointers made while LeBron James was sidelined. With James' status up in the air on a nightly basis, and with PF Kevin Love struggling, Kyrie Irving's potential ceiling is very high from here on out.
Kevin Love seems to be dealing with some confidence issues, and even looks uncomfortable at times when looked upon to get some scoring production. Though he is averaging 16.9 points per game on the season, he has only eclipsed 15 points in 2 of his last 7 games. Coach Blatt has even gone with smaller lineups down the stretch late in games, leaving Love on the bench.
Irving has been a major benefactor of this new and improved Cleveland Cavaliers team, and he finally seems to be living up to all the hype that surrounded him since his rookie season. He should be able to stay present and dominant as a force on the offensive end, and his production should be steadily high for as long as he can stay healthy. This is definitely not an easy player to buy-low in standard fantasy basketball leagues, but his consistency going forward could be worth the asking price as he can contribute heavily in points, threes, and field goal percentage.
For the latest in fantasy NBA advice and basketball news, keep reading ASL!
When it comes to fantasy basketball, it's never easy to unload a top notch player who is known for filling up the stat sheets. After putting up four straight 24+ point games, this may be the best time to sell high on Carmello Anthony and get something of value in return. With rumors of the Knicks star being shut down for the season floating around the basketball news arena, owners should get out while they still can!
Anthony, one of the better NBA players, has been dealing with multiple injuries during the first season of his new 5-year, $124 million contract and his season could be coming to a close very soon. The Knicks are currently 11 games out of 8th place in the Eastern Conference, with virtually no shot of making the playoffs. New York will continue to ride out this season with one of the worst records in the league, as they hope to secure a top 3 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Ideally, the Knicks would like to get their hands on the potential number one pick Jahlil Okafor from Duke University. After watching Duke take down St. John's at Madison Square Garden, Anthony praised Okafor, saying "he's got a great feel for the game and a great touch." In today's sports world, the stars of the team usually get what they want in terms of personnel (ex: LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kevin Love, etc.), and the Knicks will do all they can to please Carmelo Anthony by acquiring Okafor.
In addition to the draft, the Knicks will look to make major roster improvements through free agency, as they currently only have approximately $34 million in contracts for next season. The Knicks players have already tried recruiting the likes of Suns PG Goran Dragic, and Grizzlies C Marc Gasol, but the appeal of coming to New York would certainly be diminished with an unhealthy Carmelo Anthony on the roster.
Exacerbating Carmelo Anthony's injury woes could only make the Knicks' situation worse, and they will most likely look to avoid that issue by shutting him down for the season in the recent future (2-3 weeks). Even if they decide to keep him on their active roster, Anthony missing games every so often is reason enough to dish him out for someone of equal and even slightly lesser fantasy NBA value.
