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% (continue reading…)

Johnson is down, way down. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris Young)

Buy Low:
Carmelo Anthony

Amir Johnson

Andre Iguodala

Chauncey Billups

Gerald Wallace

Dwyane Wade, Al Jefferson, Marcus Thornton and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates. (continue reading…)

The one in the front might look awesome in this photo, but he should be sold high; the one in the back should be bought low. (AP Photo/Bahram Mark Sobhani)

We’re going back to the tried-and-true “Buy Low, Sell High” posts for Fridays. Cheers!

Buy Low:
Dirk Nowitzki

Paul Pierce

Serge Ibaka

DeMar DeRozan

Carlos Delfino

Zach Randolph, Marcus Thornton, Jason Kidd and any other productive fantasy players who are injured should be considered buy-low candidates. (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…)

Chandler gives the Knicks what they've lacked for a long time: a legitimate center. His fantasy value remains tied to his ability to stay healthy. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

It’s been a crazy week for the NBA. David Stern’s c-blocking aside, fantasy owners have had a lot to pay attention to — maybe too much. I know for me, my real-life work (you know, the stuff that pays the bills and gets in the way of this penurious passion) has gotten in the way of keeping up with all the chaos, but I finally got a chance to sit down and process the madness a bit.

Though trade rumors are all fine and dandy, we have a long list of free-agent signings to examine. Below is a quick rundown of the signings so far, broken down by team:

Atlanta Hawks:

• Tracy McGrady (PG/SG): one year, veteran’s minimum
  • If (and probably when) Jamal Crawford leaves town, T-Mac could have inconsistent value here and there. Don’t expect him to get the 25-30 minutes he notched for a few months last season with the Pistons.
• Vladimir Radmanovic (SF/PF): details undisclosed
  • You know the deal with Radmanovic: If he somehow gets minutes, he’ll hit some threes and get nearly a steal a game, but that’s a big “if.” He’s worthless for the time being. (continue reading…)