A team-by-team look at the fantasy players making waves in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
Atlanta Hawks
As good a season as Jamal Crawford is having, his performance may still be getting somewhat lost in the sea of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Well, perhaps his game-winning shot against Phoenix two Fridays ago helped open the eyes of a few more people. I know in my league that he is currently still a free agent and I'd surely take him if only I had a need at the guard position. He has scored 20 or more points in four of his last six games and is second on the Hawks in PPG with 17.3. He is also shooting the ball well and is making a very strong case for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Injuries: Joe Johnson (foot) is day-to-day but not expected to miss any time; Josh Smith (thigh) is also day-to-day but not expected to miss any time
Boston Celtics
The winds of change are blowing in Boston and bringing with them the return of Kevin Garnett. Garnett, who missed 10 games with a knee injury, played his first game since December 28th on Friday against Portland and scored 13 points, grabbed four boards and blocked two shots in 30 minutes. He followed that up with 17 points against Portland last night. It shouldn't be too long before he returns to his double-double ways. His return should boost the assists production of Rajon Rondo, too. On a sour note, Ray Allen has failed to reach double-digit scoring totals in three of the last five games, while hitting just 24 of 63 shots from the field and five of 24 attempts from behind the arc over that stretch.
Injuries: Rasheed Wallace (groin) is day-to-day but not expected to miss any time; Marquis Daniels (thumb) is out until after the All-Star break
Charlotte Bobcats
What Scottie Pippen was to Michael Jordan in Chicago, Stephen Jackson is becoming to Gerald Wallace in Charlotte. Not that I'd ever compare the two Bobcats to the two Hall of Fame Bulls, but Jackson is proving, especially of late, to be the perfect complement to Wallace. Since his mid-November arrival in Charlotte, Jackson's performance has been steadily improving and was punctuated with a career-high 43 points against Houston two weeks ago. Together, Jackson and Wallace are averaging 38.5 PPG of the team's 94.16 PPG, accounting for 40% of the output.
Injuries: Raymond Felton (ankle) is day-to-day but not expected to miss any time; Tyson Chandler (foot) is day-to-day and is expected to return to the lineup soon
Chicago Bulls
Joakim Noah started 2010 with double-doubles in six of the first 12 games. He is in the NBA's top 10 in that category, with 21 double-doubles on the season. He trails only Dwight Howard in RPG, with a 12.1 average. And his 1.7 BPG is first on the Bulls. He did, however, miss Saturday's game because of plantar fasciitis of the left foot. Though he played last night, he remains day-to-day at the moment. Not to be outdone, Derrick Rose has rung in the new year in style, averaging 23 PPG, 6.5 APG and 4.7 APG (all above season averages).
Injuries: Joakim Noah (see above)
Cleveland Cavaliers
Having LeBron James, the NBA's best fantasy option, on your team unfortunately doesn't make you immune to injury. The Cavaliers found that out when Mo Williams sprained his shoulder in the third quarter of a game against Toronto last week - a game in which he had already scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists. Fantasy owners of Williams will have to look outside of Cleveland for his replacement during the next 4-6 weeks as Delonte West and Daniel Gibson do not possess enough firepower to warrant insertion into your starting lineup. Look to the waiver wire.
Injuries: Mo Williams (see above); Delonte West (finger) is day-to-day
Detroit Pistons
Richard Hamilton is beginning to look a little like the "Rip" that we remember. He has scored 52 points, dished out 12 assists and grabbed 10 rebounds, and, although his shot from the field needs improvement, he has been solid from the line hitting more than 82% of his free throws this season.
Injuries: Ben Gordon (groin) is day-to-day and is expected to return to the lineup soon; Will Bynum (ankle)is day-to-day and may return to the lineup soon
Indiana Pacers
While Danny Granger has worked hard in the new year toreestablish his golden fantasy status, Troy Murphy has become a double-double machine in 2010. He has record double figures in points and rebounds in five consecutive games and eight of his last 10. He is first on the team in RPG (10.0), second in PPG (14.0), and actually leads the Pacers with a .392 3p%. His prowess from downtown actually outranks many of the league's more noted long-range shooters.
Injuries: Tyler Hansbrough (ear infection) is day-to-day and his recovery time is undetermined
Miami Heat
While he’s averaging 30.3 PPG over his last three games, Dwayne Wade has, most surprisingly, been shooting the ball well, connecting on 60% of his attempts over that stretch (much better than his 46.5% FG average on the season). Throw in a balanced mix of rebounds, assists, steals and blocks, and Wade remains one of the league's top fantasy threats.
Injuries: none to report
Milwaukee Bucks
Well, I am admittedly one of those who missed the boat on Andrew Bogut when he was a free agent in my league. He's playing beyond expectations, averaging career bests in PPG (15.4), RPG (10.5) and BPG (2.1). He has recorded double-doubles in all but three games in 2010 and posted a career-high six blocks in two separate games. Brandon Jennings is still experiencing problems with his shot but is contributing double-digit point totals on an almost nightly basis. If he can find a way to up his shooting averages perhaps he can make the NBA Rookie of the Year talk less of a debate again.
Injuries: none to report
New Jersey Nets
Devin Harris just can't buy a break. Just when he shows signs of shaking off the injury bug, it bites him again. This time a wrist injury has limited his playing time. Throw in the speculation of a trade that ships Harris to Washington and his value is undetermined at this point. Right now, the most powerful big man in Jersey (aside from Tony Soprano) is Brook Lopez. He is actually one of the most productive centers in the entire league. Be thankful if you have him on your side.
Injuries: Devin Harris (see above)
New York Knicks
David Lee is one of the league's top double-double producers, with a total of 24 on the season. He has recorded one in each of his last five games and missed triple-doubles by a collective two rebounds in two of those games. He is averaging a career-best 19.2 PPG and looks poised to continue his solid campaign as the leader of the hapless Knicks.
Injuries: Wilson Chandler (groin) is day-to-day and could miss a game or two; Nate Robinson (hamstring) is also day-to-day and is expected to miss a game or two
Orlando Magic
Matt Barnes was experiencing a nice January with Vince Carter nursing an injurybut has recently returned to Earth. Really the only fantasy player worth mentioning right now is Dwight Howard. His last two stat lines just make me laugh (in one of those "am I reading this correctly?" ways): 10 points, 20 rebounds, seven blocks; 24 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks.
Injuries: none to report
Philadelphia 76ers
Samuel Dalembert has had a good start to the new year. He followed up a 20-point, 20-rebound performance against Washington on January 5th with double-doubles in five of the next seven games. He is also effective on the defensive end, ranking in the NBA's top 5 in blocked shots (2.18 BPG). His scoring has dipped a little since he returned from a visit to his home country of Haiti on January 20th, as he's averaging 4.5 PPG over the last four games. But expect him to bounce back and continue to produce.
Injuries: Allen Iverson (knee/stomach virus) is day-to-day and it is unknown whether he will miss any time or not
Toronto Raptors
What Chris Bosh may lack on defense he more than makes up for on offense. The seventh-year forward is having a career season and has Toronto playing above .500 and in the hunt for a playoff berth. Bosh is averaging 23.9 PPG (8th in NBA), 11.1 RPG (7th in NBA), and is second in the league with 32 double-doubles. He exploded for a career-high 44 points against Milwaukee last week. But, as good as he is on offense, you just wish the 6'10" Bosh was able to block more than 1.02 shots per game.
Injuries: Reggie Evans (foot) has no timetable for return.
Washington Wizards
While heisn't lighting the fantasy world on fire, Randy Foye is doing an admirable job as the starting point guard since Gilbert Arenas's suspension. The fourth-year player is averaging more than 17 PPG and five APG since taking over the starting rolein early January. His 93.3% average from the free throw line doesn't hurt either.
Injuries: none to report