Ty Lawson was a hot pickup in Week One after his great NBA debut, even making an appearance in our first NBA Wire Troll of the season. But let’s take a bit of a chill pill here. While Lawson deserves to be on your watch list and has already exhibited that he’ll be a huge pickup if Chauncey Billups gets hurt, right now he’s only worth rostering in deeper leagues. Tuesday night, for instance, Lawson saw only 13:25 worth of action, even though Denver won easily in Indy. I love the fact that the former Tar Heel has gotten at least one steal in every game so far, so clearly he’ll be a great source of steals once he lands a steady 20 to 25 MPG gig, but like I said, for now, just watch.

We all knew that Kevin Durant was poised for superstardom this year, but how about the leap that Jeff Green has taken? He’s getting seriously heavy minutes this season and has responded brilliantly. Green is employing his perimeter game more, but he’s not simply settling for outside shots – he’s also getting to the line more often. His rebounds and steals are up too, and Green is truly proving to be an across-the-board talent in the early going, so kudos to those of you who drafted him. It’s early, but what a combo: heavy minutes, over 50 per cent shooting from the field, 83.3 per cent from the line, two treys per game, 7 RPG, 2 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG and over 19 PPG. Wow. Can you say Fantasy stud? And he’ll play the entire season as a 23-year-old! No wonder we were so bullish on the young Thunder corps when we previewed the team in September.

As we expected, Matt Barnes is starting to have an impact off the Magic bench, making him a decent wire target as long as Rashard Lewis is suspended (another six games to serve) and Vince Carter is out. In the last two games, Barnes is starting to get more touches and has picked up the rebounding, assists and blocks while scoring in double figures in both contests. Barnes is averaging 1.5 SPG, but all six of his thefts came in one game, so that’s an anomaly. If you need a short-term boost, Barnes makes for a nice pickup for the next week or two.

Game of the Night

The Golden State Warriors are seeking their first win of the season – one of just three teams still winless so far – and will get a good opportunity Wednesday at home against the Grizzlies, who have only won once in their first four games. Defense is once again the issue in the early going for the Warriors. Last season, they gave up more points than any other NBA team, and through their first two games this year, they’re even worse. Fortunately, the Grizzlies are coughing up even more points than Golden State, so tonight could be a serious offensive bonanza – bring out your fringe Fantasy players! Look for a big night from Monta Ellis, who’s off to a fine start. He’s taken a bigger role in the offense, and although he no longer shoots many from downtown – he’s used to put up almost two 3-ball attempts per game, but has only hoisted one try in the first two games – he’s improved his scoring by being more aggressive. Ellis is getting to the line more often, upping his average to 22.5 PPG along the way. It’s a tradeoff Fantasy owners are probably willing to take, although having a guard that doesn’t sink 3-pointers does force you to seek treys from a non-traditional source.

His FG percentage has dipped in each of his three seasons, and judging by his performance Monday (4-for-12), he’s not about to start draining them soon. The fact that this stinker came against New Jersey – one of the worst teams in the NBA as far as opponents’ FG percentage goes – makes it even more alarming. Felton showed signs of life when he shot the ball very well down the stretch last season, but he has not carried that over into this campaign. Felton’s six assists to 14 turnovers in the last two games can’t be thrilling you, either. more

The NBA season is barely out of the starting gate, but already some patterns are beginning to emerge that may affect Fantasy rosters for at least the near future. Injuries and suspensions have claimed a couple of stars, leaving the door open for their replacements to rack up a bevy of Fantasy points. Meanwhile, a few rookies have stepped to the fore and served notice that the class of ‘09 just might have as many pleasant surprises in store as their counterparts from a season ago. more

Entering the season, there are only five or six teams you must mention when discussing potential NBA champions: Boston, Orlando, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio and Cleveland (Denver is No. 6). Playing in a shaky division should help the Cavs stay in the hunt for home court advantage, and if they can get enough support for James this could be the year Cleveland finally breaks through. more

Given Granger’s recent injury history, I opted for the durable Bryant, despite my distaste for having to root for him. Sure, his name may be bigger than his slowly declining numbers these days, but Kobe still provides plenty of points, he’s a great FT shooter and will be a very good source of steals. There’s no real downside to owning Bryant, so I had to bite the bullet. more