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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% (continue reading…)

High-fives all around for Jennings and his hot (but maybe unsustainable) start. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Beast of the Night: Brandon Jennings put up 30 points, three boards, six assists, three steals and a block, and hit three treys along the way to a big line last night. He shot 59 percent (13-22) from the field, 50 percent (1-2) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. This was a nice bounce-back game from his 7/3/2 clunker the night before. Jennings is having a much-improved season so far, and he’s putting up top 30 averages to date. Nevertheless, it’s tough to fully trust his ability to maintain this kind of pace, and his owners should at least explore his trade value.

Lines for Discussion:
Dorell Wright: 4-11 FG (36%), 2-2 FT (100%), 10 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 Stl; patience

Gerald Henderson: 7-10 FG (70%), 8-10 FT (80%), 22 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Ast, 1 TO; his lack of threes limits his fantasy appeal

Richard Jefferson: 0-3 FG (0%), 2 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; don’t say I didn’t warn you (continue reading…)

What else can J-Smoove do to convince you that he's back? (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Weekend Wonder: Josh Smith averaged 24.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.5 steals, 4.0 blocks and 0.5 threes in two games over the weekend. In that stretch, he shot 63 percent from the field, 60 percent from the free-throw line and turned the ball over twice a game. After a slow start to the season, J-Smoove has really found his groove lately. In his last four games, Smith is averaging 20.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.8 blocks.

Lines for Discussion:
Ray Allen (1/6): 7-11 FG (64%), 5-6 FT (83%), 4 threes, 23 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 TO; Mr. Shuttlesworth is averaging 20.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 3.7 threes per game, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 86 percent from the charity stripe

D.J. Augustin (1/6): 8-16 FG (50%), 3-4 FT (75%), 2 threes, 21 Pts, 2 Reb, 12 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 TO; his poor shooting from the field holds him back from being a truly elite fantasy player

Chris Kaman (1/6): 3-9 FT (33%), 6 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Blk, 4 TO; he has started the past two games at PF (continue reading…)

Lawson is a fantasy beast, through and through. (Flickr/Keith Allison)

Beast of the Night: Ty Lawson finished with 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, eight steals and two three-pointers last night in a loss to the Trail Blazers. He shot 63 percent (10-16) from the field, 75 percent (3-4) from the free-throw line and had two turnovers. Lawson is off to a very solid start in his first three games of the season. Though he’s not dishing out many assists (3.0 per game), he’s shooting like a center (62 percent from the field), hitting threes (1.7 per game) and thieving like Winona Ryder (4.0 per game). There’s little standing in his way to giving his owners top 30 value this season.

Lines for Discussion:
Deron Williams: 2-12 FG (17%), 6-8 FT (75%), 10 Pts, 4 Reb, 7 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk, 6 TO; flawed lines could be the norm for D-Will this season

Dwight Howard: 7-9 FG (78%), 2-9 FT (22%), 16 Pts, 24 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 Stl, 3 Blk, 3 TO; I don’t think he wants to play in Jersey anymore

DeJuan Blair: 8-17 FG (47%), 6-8 FT (75%), 22 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast; some steals and blocks (zero total so far this season) would be nice (continue reading…)

Yep, this will be fun. (Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images)

The 2011-12 NBA season is finally within reach, ready to be ripped open by the childishly eager fingers of ravenous fans. For fantasy basketball owners, the joy comes with a bit of business. Once they cut through the excitement of seeing the first tip-off of the season, they’ll immediately wonder how their draft picks will pay off, what clues they can pick up in the early going and which players sitting in the free-agent pool might be worth a pickup.

While making heavy-handed conclusions after just the first day of games isn’t recommended, it doesn’t hurt to have a list of things to watch and hope for during the first official day of this unique NBA season. Below is a Christmas Day wish list for fantasy basketball owners who have players participating in the first day’s games. (continue reading…)