fBasketballBlog

Ellis was a professional thief last night. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Beast of the Night: Monta Ellis put up 30 points, one rebound, five assists, six steals and a block, and hit two three-pointers last night against the Nets. He shot 55 percent (11-20) from the field, 86 percent (6-7) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. Ellis is having a solid season for the most part, especially if your league doesn’t count field-goal percentage (41 percent) and turnovers (3.9 per game). Even when Stephen Curry returns, Ellis’ value should remain intact.

Lines for Discussion:
Dwight Howard: 9-15 FG (60%), 6-10 FT (60%), 24 Pts, 25 Reb, 1 Ast, 1 Stl, 3 Blk, 2 TO; his fantasy value is improved from last season, mostly thanks to more assists (2.4 per game versus 1.4 last season) and fewer turnovers (3.3 per game versus 3.6 last season)

Andre Miller: 12-20 FG (60%), 1-2 FT (50%), 3 threes, 28 Pts, 8 Reb, 10 Ast, 2 Stl, 3 TO; he’s averaging 10.5 points, 3.5 ‘bounds, 6.4 dimes, 1.3 thefts and 0.5 treys

Serge Ibaka: 3-5 FG (60%), 6 Pts, 10 Reb, 1 Stl, 2 Blk, 3 TO;this was Ibaka’s first time grabbing double-digit rebounds this season (continue reading…)

JJ is finally deciding to play at a level closer to what his contract would seem to demand. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Beast of the Night: Joe Johnson posted 27 points, five rebounds, six assists, two steals, three blocks and three three-pointers last night. He shot 45 percent (9-20) from the field, 86 percent (6-7) from the free-throw line and turned the ball over once. Johnson has really turned things up a notch lately and is putting up top 40 numbers so far this season, a notable improvement from last year’s disappointing averages. There’s not much reason to think he can’t keep this up.

Lines for Discussion:
Mike Conley: 9-13 FG (69%), 1-1 FT (100%), 1 three, 20 Pts, 7 Reb, 8 Ast, 4 Stl, 5 TO; he’s shooting 92 percent from the charity stripe and is stealing 2.5 balls per game, which helps his top 30 value so far in 2011-12

Ryan Anderson: 11-19 FG (58%), 1-1 FT (100%), 7 threes, 30 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl, 1 TO; he leads the league with 3.6 threes made per game and maintains top 10 value

Kemba Walker: 6-21 FG (29%), 1-2 FT (50%), 1 three, 14 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, 4 Stl, 2 Blk, 2 TO; the Bobcats need all the scoring help they can get, so Walker should continue to have the green light to launch shots (continue reading…)

Nope, ain't no one taking this man's "Beast" honors. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Beast of the Night: Derrick Rose put up 31 points, three boards, 11 assists, a steal, two blocks and four three-pointers last night against the Timberwolves. He shot 55 percent (12-22) from the field, 75 percent (3-4) from the free-throw line and had three turnovers. For the season, Rose is scoring less than he did in 2010-11, but he’s dishing out 8.6 assists per outing, an improvement of nearly a full assist per game. Rose has put up top 15 averages so far, a bit disappointing given his first-round expectations heading into the season.

Lines for Discussion:
John Wall: 3-12 FG (25%), 2-3 FT (67%), 8 Pts, 2 Reb, 9 Ast, 3 Blk, 2 TO; Wall has been straight-up terrible this season

Elton Brand: 10-14 FG (71%), 1-4 FT (25%), 21 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Blk; most of his numbers are down from last season, but he’s still a top 75 player

Russell Westbrook: 12-20 FG (60%), 6-10 FT (60%), 30 Pts, 6 Reb, 4 Ast, 1 Blk, 2 TO; he’s averaging 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, a steal and 0.5 threes in January, while shooting 48 percent from the field and turning the ball over 2.5 times per game (continue reading…)

Mr. Anderson is a top 10 fantasy basketball player so far this season. (Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

The “buy, sell, hold” ratings should be approximately interpreted as follows:

• Buy: the player is a solid trade target because his value is underappreciated yet reliable, or because he’s in a slump
• Hold: if you own the player, try to hold onto him, either because he’ll maintain solid value or to see how his value stabilizes before dealing him away; if you don’t own the player, wait until his stock drops a bit or until his uncertain value is clearer before trying to get him in a trade
• Sell: don’t believe the player’s recent production and sell high if you own him

With that, here’s the stock watch for Week 2: (continue reading…)

Curry was a beast -- a beast who reinjured a bothersome ankle. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Beast of the Night: Stephen Curry followed up his forgettable opening night with 21 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, six steals and a three-pointer. He shot 58 percent (7-12) from the field, 86 percent (6-7) from the free-throw line and had four turnovers. Sadly, Curry’s big night ended on a sour note when the guard landed on Kyle Korver’s foot and reinjured that balky right ankle. Keep an eye on his status.

Lines for Discussion:
Jose Calderon: 5-9 FG (56%), 2-2 FT (100%), 3 threes, 15 Pts, 6 Reb, 11 Ast, 1 TO; vintage Calderon, probably not a trend

Roy Hibbert: 6-11 FG (55%), 4-5 FT (80%), 16 Pts, 14 Reb, 2 Ast, 3 Blk, 1 TO; great start, but is another burnout season in the cards?

Tyler Hansbrough: 6-14 FG (43%), 3-4 FT (75%), 15 Pts, 13 Reb, 1 Stl; probably not the norm for him this season (continue reading…)