fBasketballBlog

Taj Gibson has a chance to do big things this season, and without Mr. Rose around, he’s the most exciting part of the Bulls in 2012-13. (Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)

Depth chart:

Relevant fantasy players and their projected draft round (PDR) and per-game stats:

Can you guess who last night's beast was? (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Beast of the Night: Dirk Nowitzki finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, a block and three three-pointers in just 31:21 of work last night. He shot 63 percent (12-19) from the floor and 75 percent (6-8) from the free-throw line, and had three turnovers. Diggler’s finally clicking and has been a top 15 contributor in the past month.

Lines for Discussion:
Brandon Bass: 4-7 FG (57%), 8 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Blk, 1 TO; he’s been a decent low-end option all season, and now that Jermaine O’Neal’s done for the season, Bass will maintain bench-worthy value in most leagues

Gerald Wallace: 8-14 FG (57%), 10-11 FT (91%), 1 three, 27 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Blk, 1 TO; Wallace will have a higher ceiling in New Jersey than he did in Portland

Carlos Boozer: 12-18 FG (67%), 24 Pts, 13 Reb, 2 Ast, 4 Stl, 1 TO; Boozer continues to struggle with consistency, but his weekly averages make him worth starting in normal-sized leagues (continue reading…)

Granger's ankle seems to be fine. (Elsa/Getty Images)

Beast of the Night: Danny Granger returned from a one-game absence with a bum ankle to put up 32 points, five rebounds, an assist, a steal, a block and four made three-pointers last night against the Nets. He shot 50 percent (10-20) from the field, 89 percent (8-9) from the floor and had two turnovers. Granger is having a great month, averaging 20.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.7 threes through nine games. He’s pulled his value up into the realm of the top 35.

Lines for Discussion:
Paul George: 4-8 FG (50%), 2-2 FT (100%), 1 three, 11 Pts, 5 Reb, 5 Ast, 4 Stl, 2 Blk, 2 TO; he’s struggling with his shooting percentages in February, connecting on just 41 percent of his attempts from the field and 68 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe

Carlos Boozer: 11-15 FG (73%), 1-3 FT (33%), 23 Pts, 15 Reb, 5 Ast, 3 TO; he’s averaging top 50 numbers this season, partly thanks to his 1.6 turnovers per game, his best mark since his 1.3 average in his rookie season

Luol Deng: 7-15 FG (47%), 3-4 FT (75%), 6 threes, 23 Pts, 4 Reb, 10 Ast, 1 Blk, 4 TO; Deng has dished out 21 assists in his last two games and is clearly picking up the slack in ball distribution in Derrick Rose’s absence (continue reading…)

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…)