Despite being half out of it for a while, I know Kyle Lowry‘s owners are getting antsy. Lowry didn’t see 15 minutes last night, and I can sense the panic. What’s the rolling down your cheek, the sweat of concern or a tear for a lost season? Don’t worry, friends, he just hurt his ankle and left the game for a while, hence the lack of time. Nevertheless, he came back and still led his team with 21 points (thanks in large part to 4 of 5 shooting from beyond the perimeter). He also had 1 rebound and 2 assists, which isn’t much, but that has to do with the lack of minutes.
Al-Farouq Aminu – If you play Yahoo Brand All-Natural Fantasy Sports, you may have seen them promoting (pimping, even) Al-Fa. I don’t hate the guy, but I’m not sure I’m going to tell you to run out and buy him. Okay, yes, he had 5 games in a row of at least 10 rebounds, but that also went with 6 points per game. Last night, he had 5 points, 8 boards, and 1 assist. Those early days in November when Alpha was the bee’s knees saw him averaging the opposite (about 10 points, 6 rebounds). I’m basically saying he is a slightly better Zaza Pachulia, not David Lee.
Spencer Hawes – So as we began to believe that Spence was for real, he reminded us that he plays for the Sixers and everything about them is like opening a bag of chips in the rain. Mmm, potato chips…aww, damn it. Hawes’ soggy chip line was 5 points, 2 rebounds, and, well, a three.
George Hill – Once the new year came around, he basically disappeared with 2012. Last night was a good sign thanks to 16 points (2-4 from downtown), 7 boards, 4 assists, and a steal.
Gerald Henderson – I spent a solid 5 minutes looking at the Bobcats production from last night and trying desperately to find at least one guy worth talking about. Henderson led the team with 15 (yes, 15) despite horrendous 3 of 10 shooting. Most of his points came from 8 of 12 free throw shooting, which isn’t THAT great, but still helpful. That’s the value of making free throws, and he is solid at .821 on the season.
Kris Humphries – The Nets exploded last night, and there were so many big performances to talk about, but I wanted to take the time to remind you that Kris should not be owned in any league. He went 0/1/0 with no blocks in less than 5 minutes, and despite 10 points and 9 boards on the 13th, he only saw 17 minutes that time around and 10 minutes the game before that. Of course, those are the games he actually played in. You could blame his absences on a lingering ankle injury, but the fact is, he has quite possibly been the most disappointing active player this season, and he is a complete non-factor on the Nets.
DeAndre Jordan – Rough night for the big guy, finishing with 9 points, 4 rebounds and a block. He’s usually a better source for grabbing missed shots, so I wouldn’t sweat this performance.
Carlos Delfino – He’s only at 21% owned despite averaging 12 points and 3 threes per game over the past week (actually, over the past 2 weeks, really). He just went for 16 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 threes (sadly, he also missed 5 of them).
LaMarcus Aldridge – I’d be hard pressed to name a better starting 5, and I could talk about any one of their gems against the Nuggets, but LaMarcus will do: 28 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block.
Andre Iguodala – He had 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal, which is his first time failing to reach double digit points since Christmas day. Despite that, he also hasn’t reached 20 points since December 28th. His name value has certainly exceeded his actual value. Oh, well.
Monta Ellis – Finished with a team high 17 points despite hitting a mere 2 of 8 from beyond the arc and 3 of 9 from the free throw line. That’s what we call a Mr. Magoo line. Ellis did have 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal to help round things out.
Antawn Jamison – Wow, look who popped his head out for 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. It’s still a little too early to ask if we’ll have 6 more weeks of winter. However, this month he has been logging serious minutes, and has double digit points over the last 3 games. I was already burned on rolling with Jamison last year, and the Lakers are too volatile for me to try him again, but if you’re feeling lucky, he’s probably available.
