fBasketballBlog

Yep, he's still No. 1. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Weekend Wonder: LeBron James averaged 28.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks in two games over the weekend. He shot 57 percent from the floor, hit 94 percent of his free throws and turned the ball over 3.5 times per game. James is shooting 56 percent from the field so far this season, thanks to his apparently deliberate attempts to shoot fewer three-pointers and take shots closer to the rim.

Lines for Discussion:
LaMarcus Aldridge (1/20): 12-25 FG (48%), 9-14 FT (64%), 33 Pts, 23 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 6 TO; he’s quietly putting together top 12 averages so far this season

Stephen Curry (1/20): 5-15 FG (33%), 2 threes, 12 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast, 3 TO; his minutes will likely be limited for a few games, but his owners should feel bold enough to start him

Danilo Gallinari (1/21): 9-19 FG (47%), 18-20 FT (90%), 1 three, 37 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast, 1 Stl, 2 TO; Gallinari is now shooting 46 percent from the field, his highest mark since arriving in the NBA and a big reason for his top 10 value so far this season (continue reading…)

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…)

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…)

By now you’ve surely heard or read that the NBA lockout is all but over. This is, of course, fantastic news.

Now the question is: What does this mean for fantasy basketball this season? (Boy, does it feel good to be able to write “this season” without a cynical smirk plastered on my face and a bitter tear in my eye.) We’ll delve deeper into the fallout through the coming weeks, but here’s a quick rundown of some of the important things to keep in mind for now: (continue reading…)

How will Gay fit in next season? (Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

Depth chart:
PG: Mike Conley, Greivis Vasquez, Ishmael Smith, Josh Selby
SG: Tony Allen, O.J. Mayo, Xavier Henry
SF: Rudy Gay, Sam Young, Shane Battier*
PF: Zach Randolph, Darrell Arthur, Leon Powe*
C: Marc Gasol**, Hamed Haddadi**

* unrestricted free agent
** restricted free agent (continue reading…)