fBasketballBlog

George threw down some mean stuff this past weekend. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Weekend Wonder: Paul George averaged 21.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 4.0 steals, 1.5 blocks and 4.5 threes in two games over the weekend. He shot 48 percent from the field and 100 percent from the line, while averaging 1.5 turnovers in that stretch. For the season, George is averaging top 25 numbers. While none of his categorical averages are phenomenal, he’s an all-around helper who doesn’t hurt his owners anywhere. He’s far exceeding the sleeper tag placed on him heading into the 2011-12 NBA season.

Lines for Discussion:
Jared Dudley (2/3): 5-10 FG (50%), 3-4 FT (75%), 2 threes, 15 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Stl; he was on a bit of a roll in his four games before his injury

Dirk Nowitzki (2/3): 12-17 FG (71%), 5-6 FT (83%), 1 three, 30 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 TO; he seems to be finding his bearings again

Trevor Ariza (2/4): 9-12 FG (75%), 6-6 FT (100%), 2 threes, 26 Pts, 7 Reb, 4 Ast, 3 Stl, 4 TO; Ariza’s been maddeningly inconsistent this season, but he does have solid all-around value for owners who don’t mind his terrible FG%

Anderson Varejao (2/4): 8-13 FG (62%), 1-2 FT (50%), 17 Pts, 17 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 TO; Vareajo is averaging 16.3 points and 17.3 rebounds in his last three games

Tony Parker (2/4): 16-29 FG (55%), 10-12 FT (83%), 42 Pts, 3 Reb, 9 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk; we’ll have to see how Manu Ginobili’s eventual return affects Parker’s production

Carlos Boozer (2/4): 4-6 FG (67%), 8 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 TO; Boozer has looked shaky lately, alternating good games with mediocre ones

Dorell Wright (2/4): 8-13 FG (62%), 4-4 FT (100%), 4 threes, 24 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl; he’s been better lately but looks very unlikely to justify the second- and third-round draft picks spent on him in most drafts

DeMarcus Cousins (2/4): 8-18 FG (44%), 5-5 FT (100%), 21 Pts, 20 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 5 TO; Cousins is averaging a double-double for the season, and his only major weakness is his assists-to-turnovers ratio (1.0 assists to 2.8 turnovers)

Marcus Thornton (2/4): 11-24 FG (46%), 2-2 FT (100%), 4 threes, 28 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Thornton has accumulated 48 points and six three-pointers in his two games since returning from a thigh injury

Rajon Rondo (2/5): 2-6 FG (33%), 1-2 FT (50%), 5 Pts, 5 Reb, 14 Ast, 2 Stl, 5 TO; Rondo is finally back and shouldn’t take too long to work the rust off

Waiver-Wire Watch (four stars = must add; one star = keep an eye on him):
Alonzo Gee: he continues to put up solid across-the-board numbers and warrants a pickup in many leagues (***)

Amir Johnson: his 18/13 line on Friday was promising and could be a sign of better things to come from Johnson (**)

Trevor Booker: he’s blocked two shots in each of his last four games and is worth a look for owners in need of a power forward (**)

Ersan Ilyasova: if you missed out on Drew Gooden, Ilyasova isn’t a terrible consolation prize (**)

Nikola Pekovic: his 27/11 line on Friday doesn’t indicate the norm for Pekovic, but he’s still worth a look if you need a center (***)

Vince Carter: he’s been mostly decent lately and is worth a look in deeper leagues (*)

Ivan Johnson: he’s a meat-and-potatoes fantasy player but is worth a look for owners who need a power forward in deep leagues (*)

Jeremy Lin: his 25/5/7 game was impressive, but owners should wait to see what he does in the coming days before dropping someone too valuable for him (**)

Greivis Vasquez: he continues to put up good lines, especially with Jarrett Jack out (***)

Reggie Williams: he’s worth a flier if you have dead weight to spare, especially while Gerald Henderson is out (**)

Injuries:
Jason Collins (elbow): out at least two weeks

DeSagana Diop (knee): day-to-day

Corey Maggette (hamstring): should begin practice shortly

Richard Hamilton (groin): day-to-day

Daniel Gibson (neck): day-to-day

Anthony Parker (back): day-to-day

Will Bynum (foot): hopes to practice today

Ben Gordon (shoulder): ditto

Charlie Villanueva (ankle): expected to miss most of the season

Darko Milicic (quad): day-to-day

Jarrett Jack (knee): day-to-day

Jason Smith (head): monitor his status

Thabo Sefolosha (foot): return date is unknown

Elton Brand (thumb): day-to-day

Brandon Bass (knee): hopes to play Tuesday

Tony Allen (hip, knee): day-to-day

Derrick Rose (back): said he’ll play tonight

Brandon Knight (nose): expected to play Wednesday

Nate Robinson (groin): monitor his status

Ekpe Udoh (wrist): day-to-day

Carl Landry (knee): expected to miss 3-4 weeks

Jared Dudley (thigh): day-to-day

Raymond Felton (foot): questionable tonight

Chuck Hayes (shoulder): monitor his status

Timofey Mozgov (ankle): day-to-day

Glen Davis (suspension): expected to return tonight

Marquis Daniels (ankle): day-to-day

For Tonight:
See if Amir Johnson can put up another strong line, as the Raptors visit the Wizards.

Ditto for Lin, as the Knicks host the Jazz.

[See another version of this post on DimeMag.com]