Have you seen what’s going on in San Antonio with the perennial contender Spurs? Thursday night the Spurs dropped their third straight game to slip to 4-6 – the first time they’ve had a losing record through 10 games since 1996. But stranger yet, it was Utah that walked into the AT&T Center and emerged victorious, the first win for the Jazz in San Antonio in a decade – snapping a run of 20 straight losses.

In the second game of a back-to-back, San Antonio was missing both Manu Ginobili, who started at shooting guard Wednesday, and Tony Parker, who’s been out four of the past five games because of his nagging ankle injury.

With Ginobili out of action for another week or so because of his groin, it was Keith Bogans getting the start at the two guard. Uh, ya. May I suggest you do not stop reading this and go pick him up? Don’t do it. Please. Bogans has shown flurries of minimal value over the years, most recently coming off the Buck bench last season, but even as a starter in San Antonio, he’s just not getting it done.

Bogans did manage a season-high seven boards and three assists while adding a block despite playing in foul trouble, but he wasn’t exactly lighting it up. He’s actually shooting very well this season (50 per cent from the field), but simply isn’t getting enough touches for anyone to care. Besides, as a career 39.5 per cent shooter, his numbers can only go down from here, and he’s never been a rebounder. The Spurs really struggled with their perimeter game on Thursday, sinking just 4-of-20 from downtown, and Bogans did manage to play a big part in that, missing all three of his attempts from beyond the arc. There….see? He did do something after all.

Meanwhile, George Hill has been starting for Parker, but he’s struggling with his shot, sinking just 13-of-32 the past two games. Richard Jefferson shot better on Thursday, sinking 6-of-12, but with just 16 points, he didn’t exactly pick up the slack. How about getting a little aggressive, RJ? Eight trips to the line in the past three games? No wonder he’s struggling to put up points since arriving in San Antonio. This isn’t what the Spurs paid for, is it?

Another big free agent acquisition that hasn’t exactly paid dividends yet is Antonio McDyess. He’s shot the ball well this year, but is getting so few touches that no one has noticed. For instance, he’s drained 10-of-15 over the past three games. Obviously, five shots a game isn’t going to offer any Fantasy value.

Off the bench, Roger Mason is finally getting a bit of burn the past two games, and he showed some life Thursday, sinking 2-of-5 from 3-point range. It’s about time, dude. The normally excellent source of 3-balls has been ice cold this season, sinking just 23.5 per cent from downtown.

I’m sure no one is panicking in San Antonio. This team spun its wheels at the start of last season, yet still wound up winning 54 games and finishing first in their division.

Still, it is kind of weird to look at the Western Conference standings and see the Spurs sitting in 10th place, looking up at…the Thunder?

All the talk today is on what rookie Brandon Jennings did Saturday as Milwaukee rebounded to outlast Golden State in a good old fashioned shootout.

But one Buck I’ve had my eye on all year is Ersan Ilyasova. He didn’t get a lot of burn Saturday as the Bucks went small against the run-and-gun Warriors, yet he still managed to go a perfect 5-for-5 from the line while scoring nine points with four boards and a block off the bench. Not bad considering how little he played.

Ilyasova is battling starter Richard Luc Mbah a Moute for minutes at SF, with Carlos Delfino and Joe Alexander also in the mix. Alexander, of course, is out for several more weeks with a hamstring injury, while Delfino took a DNP-CD Saturday.

I really think Ilyasova could be a serious producer given more PT. On Wednesday, he put up 17 points, eight boards and two blocks off the bench. The game before that, he pulled down 13 rebounds.

I’m not recommending picking him up yet, unless your league is quite deep, but Ilyasova should be on your watch list. There’s tremendous upside here.

Game of the Night

Toronto @ Phoenix

If that Buck-Warrior game was a shootout, what the hell will this one be? Bring out your marginal Fantasy players for this game…there’s going to be some serious fireworks.

Consider that the Raptors are 5-4 yet have one of the worst defenses in the league, having surrendered 106.4 PPG. That tells you how much they’re scoring this year. And we all know that the Suns can light it up every night.

If Toronto is going to avoid dropping back to .500, however, it will have to end a seriously sick skid against Phoenix. The Raps have dropped 10 straight against the Suns, a fact that must make current Toronto GM (and ex-Sun head man) Bryan Colangelo fly into a rage. Come to think of it, he sort of always looks like he’s about to lose it.

Chris Bosh is again da man for the Dinos. He’s making an early case for a fifth All-Star appearance with 28 points and 11.8 RPG per game, both career highs. Uh, can you say contract year? On Friday, Bosh only got to the line eight times – the first time all season that he hasn’t reached double digits in trips to the charity stripe, a fantastic indication that he’s being extremely aggressive in the early going.

How about that 6-for-6 performance from beyond the arc so far? Bosh tied his career high with a dozen treys last season, and he’s already halfway there. If this truly is becoming a bigger part of his arsenal, Bosh may be ready to take the next step and join the truly elite players of the game.

There hasn’t been much to be overjoyed about so far this season if you’re a Memphis Grizzlies fan. This team has dropped six straight, Allen Iverson is already a major distraction and they have to play Wednesday in Houston, a place where Memphis has lost six straight times.

I wondered about how much better – if at all – Memphis would be with the addition of volume shooters Iverson and Zach Randolph, and the early answer is not at all, as the team is off to its worst start since 2005-06.

Iverson started the year on the sidelines with a torn hammy, missing the first three games. He came back and was unimpressive in three games off the bench and the whining about being a reserve started almost immediately. Now, AI has left the team for personal reasons and is apparently at home in Atlanta. And the way the team is talking, it’s not a sure bet that he’ll be back.

“If we get to that place, and it’s good, then if Allen does come back, then obviously, he has to fit into that place,” said Coach Lionel Hollins. Note the key phrase in this sentence: “if Allen does come back.”

Hell, if his own freaking coach doesn’t know if he’s coming back or not, what’s a Fantasy owner to think?

Iverson is only owned now in just over half of Yahoo! leagues, and I can see that number falling rapidly as his leave of absence extends.

Meanwhile, the defense in Memphis has been a joke. The Grizz are giving up 112 points per game after showing progress in that area last year. Of course, The Answer isn’t the answer to that problem whether he’s there or not.

This team has such a great young core, but the mistakes they made this offseason that everyone seemed able to spot except them are coming back to haunt them already. No, obviously it’s not too late to salvage this season, but Memphis has serious work to do to get off the schneid. And it’s going to have to start with some good old fashioned D.

With Minnesota continuing to struggle, especially defensively (Sunday the T-Wolves let Portland shoot 50 per cent from the field and were outrebounded 49-39), isn’t it time to give someone else a chance to fill in for the injured Kevin Love? Sure, Oleksiy Pecherov had that one big game last week, but he’s disappeared since. And on Sunday, Ryan Hollins saw more action than Pecherov. Might Minny give the young big a chance to start? I’m not suggesting you run out and pick up Hollins, who is clearly still a project, but I’m keeping my eye on this situation. We expected Hollins to be a key bench player for the Wolves, but perhaps he’ll emerge with some value if he gets a chance to start. Deep sleeper alert.

Speaking of the Blazers, coach Nate McMillan has refused to send Steve Blake to the bench, so instead, he’s shifted two-guard Brandon Roy to SF (sending Martell Webster to the bench) so he can finally insert Andre Miller into what is now a three-guard starting lineup. Well, it’s weird, but it’s working as the Blazers have won both games since the change. Roy isn’t off to a great start, and not surprisingly — given all the PG turmoil — he’s struggled with his shot. Sunday, he sunk just 1-of-6 in his worst offensive game of the young season. He didn’t even get to the line once, which really sucks considering he’s been superb from the charity stripe so far, draining a career best 85 per cent. On the plus side, Roy was able to pitch in despite the offensive stinker. He matched his season high with six boards and set a new season high with seven assists. Yes, it’s been a somewhat sluggish start for the hugely popular Roy, but don’t worry – you’ll get a great return on your first round investment soon enough.

Game of the Night

New Orleans, surprising many with their struggles in the early going, visits the Clippers, who are surprising no one with their losing record. However, this is a chance for the Clippers to get back to .500 against a team that is floundering. And they come in to this game hot, having won three straight games to shake off an 0-4 start. Unbelievably, this matches the longest winning streak LA had all of last season. Yes, the Clips are pathetic. But how about some love for Chris Kaman? I grabbed him in the ninth round this year, and so far am loving the results. He is LA’s leading scorer and rebounder and, with Blake Griffin still MIA, Kaman is getting as much PT as he can handle and he’s making the most of it. I’m sort of torn here…I keep cringing when I see the workload he’s tackling, knowing full well that he’s among the most injury-prone men in the game. But how can I help but be overjoyed at all those minutes when Kaman is suddenly the go-to guy in the Clip offense? He’s averaging 16 FGAs per game, a huge boost considering his previous high was 12.5. His FT shooting has even improved (career-best 79.5 per cent) and the big mountain man is scoring a shocking 23 PPG. I’m loving the production, but am wondering if I should sell high. The Hornet D has been pretty sad so far, so Kaman could be in for another big night Monday.

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.

Raymond Felton continues to struggle from the floor as an NBA point guard. 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.

D.J. Augustin has a chance to make hay with Felton struggling, and he’s sunk 46.4 per cent of his shots in the past three games. Note that Augustin almost played as many minutes as Felton did on Monday. This could brew into a position battle very soon – especially with the Bobcats’ offense in such desperate need for a kick start. As long as the team is doing okay (2-2 so far), coach Larry Brown probably won’t rock the boat, but if the Cats slip into a losing skid, there could be changes.

Not much attention has been paid to Chuck Hayes in the wake of Yao Ming’s injury. While guys like Luis Scola and Carl Landry have been hyped, no one is talking about Hayes. Well, have you noticed that it has been Hayes getting the starts at centre for the Rockets? Okay, so he’s not going to be lighting it up with 20-point games, but he’s a solid rebounder who will pitch in given the minutes he’s been getting. Monday, Hayes shot very well (6-for-8), scoring 12 points with nine rebounds, three steals and three assists. You could do worse from your centre spot, so I suggest at least putting Hayes on your watch list. Just saying…

Brook Lopez was a ridiculously hot commodity during the drafting season, and with good reason – he’s poised to take a major step forward. So far, so good for the sophomore centre, but we need to remember that he’s a very young big man, and with that comes inconsistency. So you’ve got to rein in your expectations somewhat and learn to take the good with the bad. Monday, for instance, as the Nets fell to 0-4 on the season, Lopez shot very well, going 8-for-14 for 18 points while swatting another four shots. Fantastic, right? But then you see that he only managed five rebounds, failed to get an assist or steal and worst of all – committed seven turnovers. Gulp. That’ll leave a mark.

Didn’t it seem like Darius Songaila might have a chance to have value with the Hornets this year? Uh, maybe not. Now that Emeka Okafor is healthy, Songaila isn’t seeing nearly enough PT off the bench to be worth tracking. In fact, he’s never been more useless.

The Sacramento Kings finally busted their victory cherry Monday, beating the equally woeful Memphis Grizzlies in overtime. Andres Nocioni has been quiet so far, but he did pitch in with a pair of treys plus two blocks on Monday as he managed a 13-point game. Not bad, but he’s seeing less PT than needed to provide a serious boost for your team. Has he already been passed on the depth chart by rookie Omri Casspi? Given the amount of minutes Casspi’s gotten the past couple of games, that seems to be the direction this team is headed. I’d recommend giving Nocioni another couple of games and then cutting bait if he doesn’t start getting closer to 25 MPG.

Tuesday’s Action

The Jazz is off to its worst start in seven years and things don’t get any easier with a trip to Dallas on Tuesday night. What’s going on with Utah? Well, for starters, the defense has been atrocious. The Jazz D wasn’t great last year, but so far this season it’s been ugly, with the team giving up more than 108 PPG. On offense, team leader Deron Williams has been struggling with his shot. Two years ago, D-Will shot 50.7 per cent, but last year he slipped to 47.1 per cent. Okay, maybe the ankle was a problem last season, but he’s over that now, right? Well, he’s hit just 14-of-39 (35.9 per cent) in his last two games, dropping him to 42.6 per cent for the season. It’s early, but this is a troubling trend for those of you who spent your first rounder on Williams.

I’ll be interested to see how the Wizards — who are definitely improved so far, despite all the injuries — match up against the Cavs in Cleveland Tuesday. Antawn Jamison won’t be back for another couple of weeks, but Washington will get Caron Butler (bruised left kneecap) back, so make sure he’s in your lineup. Butler’s return will likely mean that Randy Foye heads back to the bench, while Mike Miller returns to SG after starting at SF last game.

The Detroit Pistons failed to get back to .500 for the first time since late-March as they lost 106-102 in Indiana Saturday, ending a three-game winning streak, the team’s best run in over a month.

The eighth-place Pistons’ recent surge has gone for naught, with the Chicago Bulls surging of late, and soaring over Detroit and into seventh place with their win over the Bobcats Saturday. Saturday’s loss not only ensures Detroit’s first non-winning season since 2000-01, but also seriously damages the Pistons’ chances of regaining the seventh seed and avoiding Cleveland in the opening round. How much do you think the Pacers – a team with an ugly recent history with Detroit – enjoyed hurting the Pistons chances?

Of course, Detroit still has a golden opportunity with the Bulls coming to town on Monday night – a game that will likely seal both teams’ fates.

Clearly, the Pistons’ days of being a power in the East are over. They won 59 games last season – a seventh straight year of at least 50 Ws – but have yet to even reach the 40-win mark this season, with just two games to go. The Allen Iverson trade was a fiasco, making it obvious that it’s time to blow this thing up. Fortunately, there’s been some pleasant developments among some of the team’s younger players, specifically in the backcourt.

Rodney Stuckey has maintained his starting job despite some recent competition from Will Bynum. However, his minutes are down lately (he spent the entire fourth quarter on the bench Saturday) and he hasn’t exactly been lighting up the scoreboard. Of course, 5-for-17 shooting over the past two games will do that. On the plus side, Stuckey continues to facilitate, dropping almost seven dimes per game over the past three contests. And his less than normal workload will keep him fresh come playoff time. Stuckey isn’t getting the same number of touches he did last month, but his owners have to be pleased with the fact that his perimeter game is showing signs of life with five treys in six April games so far. While Stuckey hasn’t exploded like many of us predicted heading into the season, he has made significant progress, becoming a much bigger part of the Detroit offense and showing glimpses of being an outside threat.

Speaking of Bynum, he’s emerged as one of the team’s best players over the past month, gaining nice traction in fantasy leagues as a result. In fact, if you need a last-gasp push, Bynum could provide it for your team. He turned in another fine outing Saturday, scoring 16 points in 21 minutes with six assists, four boards and a key steal late in the game. He was on the floor at crunch time – scoring or assisting on 18 of Detroit’s last 22 points – so it’s obvious he’s truly ingrained himself as a key component of the team. Could you use 15 points and 4.5 assists per game? That’s what Bynum is providing his owners so far in April, and he’s even starting to hoist up the occasional long bomb, averaging one attempt per game from beyond the arc. After spending the past two seasons playing in Israel, Bynum has followed the Anthony Parker model, and like the Raptor guard, looks like he’s back in the NBA for good.

Veteran Richard Hamilton said Saturday’s loss didn’t matter because the Pistons are already in the playoffs and apparently don’t care who they play — according to Rip anyways. Hamilton’s been inconsistent of late, but he brought his game Saturday, scoring a team-high 23 points with five assists, four rebounds and two 3-pointers. Rip only sunk 10-of-23 (missing a key shot with about a minute and a half to play that would have put Detroit up by three), but owners can’t complain, as he’s shot the ball well lately (46 per cent in April). Hamilton also seems to have calmed down from his barrage of long distance shots; last week, he put up 14 treys in a two-game span, but has attempted a much more reasonable seven 3-pointers in the three games since. Although it’s been a strange season for Hamilton, spending some time as the sixth man after having been a full-time starter his entire run in Detroit, he still has managed to get starter-type minutes, with 34 per game. And with 15.5 FGA per game, any thought that AI’s presence would cut into Rip’s touches has also been unfounded; in fact, he’s gotten enough plays to be the team’s leading scorer – something he’s done every single season since landing in MoTown seven years ago. Unfortunately, after enjoying an excellent season shooting the ball in 2007-08, Hamilton has struggled this year.

After enduring his first single-digit scoring night of April on Friday, Tayshaun Prince bounced back Saturday, sinking 7-of-9 from the field and all three of his attempts from the charity stripe for 18 points in 42 minutes. He even had a play called for him by coach Michael Curry out of a timeout with less than a minute to play, however, he had it stolen from him – one of four TOs — and he managed just three boards and one assist with no blocks or steals. Then again, as we observed last month, a lack of steals is nothing new for Prince. It’s a damn good thing Prince was shooting the lights out Saturday, because he’s not getting many touches lately. His 10.5 FGA in April is the lowest it’s been this season, as Prince is being affected by the emergence of Bynum. He’s only scoring 13.5 PPG in April, and unfortunately the rest of his numbers are suffering as well. The durable Prince has enjoyed a fine year – his best since 2004-05 – setting a career high in MPG and FGA, but he’s been generally ineffective when owners need him the most as they battle in their fantasy playoffs.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs square off Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., will we be witnessing a preview of the NBA Finals? Of course, the Cavs are in serious danger of dropping their third straight for the first time all season. On Friday, when Cleveland was soundly thrashed by the Magic, LeBron James was held to 26 points and shot just 7-of-20 from the field. He dropped just five dimes, had only one steal and failed to block a shot. On the plus side, he was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line, pulled down nine boards and canned two treys. Hey, even when the King is having an “off” game, he’s still helping his fantasy owners.

In a game that won’t exactly be met with the same anticipation, the Lakers host the Clippers Sunday night in the classic “Who’s House is this Anyways?” battle. But make no mistake, the Clippers have gone right back into their traditional role as LA’s “other team” the past few seasons after capturing the city’s imagination during that huge 2005-06 season. The Lakers, meanwhile, have not only run away with the Pacific Division, they are also making a mockery of the entire Western Conference, having already clinched the conference title. Now the Lakers have their sights set on winning the team’s first NBA title in seven seasons. And with seven straight wins, they still have a chance to secure the NBA’s best record overall. A 32-5 home record has helped this team reach 60 wins for the first time since 1999-2000, which was a championship season, by the way. Kobe Bryant, the only player still with the team from its last title in 2002, hasn’t been at his best lately, but Friday he did shoot well (7-for-11, including 4-for-6 from beyond the arc, 2-for-2 from the line) and dropped seven dimes while adding two steals. Against the Clippers, he tends to have off games (20.3 PPG in three games this season), but then again, that’s not a shock considering the Lakers have won those games by an average margin of over 22 points.

Dwight Howard is one superstar who isn’t slowing down at all as he led his Magic to a second straight win Saturday. Give Orlando eight wins in nine games and 11 of 13 as it has crept within a half game of the Boston Celtics for second place in the East. Superman went ballistic again Saturday, with 21 points and 23 rebounds (tying his season high). He now has nine 20-20 games this season. To put that in perspective, since the beginning of the 2004-05 season, no one has that many 20-20 games in total. Howard has recorded 23 of them since then, while Kevin Garnett is next with eight. No one else has more than five. Is this guy Howard any good? How’s this for sick? On Saturday, in addition to being the leading scorer and rebounder for the Magic, Howard also paced the team in assists (five), blocks (four) and steals (three). Bring it, big guy! He’s now averaging a steal per game for the first time in his career, as if he didn’t help you in enough cats already.

Owners of Dwyane Wade have to be happy that Miami is jostling for playoff positioning, as that means that Flash is unlikely to get any games off before the playoffs. Miami exploded for a franchise record eight treys in the fourth quarter (three by Wade) to take over the game Saturday for a win in Washington, the Heat’s second straight road victory. More importantly, Miami kept pace in the race for fifth place in the East, one game back of Philadelphia. Wade, who may very well be the league’s MVP this season, did his thing as always, sinking 7-of-13 from the field and 15-of-17 from the line for 33 points. He added eight boards, five assists and four treys. Sure, Flash coughed it up six times, but who the hell can complain about that when he’s throwing up this kind of line?

New Orleans also plays a huge game Sunday night when struggling Utah pays a visit. The Hornets blew a chance to move into fourth place in the West when they lost to the Warriors on Friday. So this sets up a big game against the Jazz as New Orleans looks to fend Utah off for sixth place. The Hornets still have a shot at home court advantage, but they have a tough schedule to finish out the season. More importantly, they can clinch a playoff spot with a win Sunday. Don’t blame Chris Paul for the loss Friday; he went crazy, sinking 16-of-28 from the field and 7-of-8 from the line for 43 points. He added four 3-pointers and three steals despite foul trouble. Paul has missed a few more games than he did last season and he hasn’t shot as well from beyond the arc (notwithstanding Friday’s explosion from downtown), but CP3 just keeps getting better. If the Hornets were enjoying as good a season as they did last year, Paul would be more involved in the MVP discussion. As things stand, he still gets my vote, at least for Fantasy MVP.

The Bulls have won eight of their past 11 games to take over sole possession of the seventh place, now a half-game up on the Pistons. Derrick Rose, a slam dunk for Rookie of the Year despite the bounty of great freshmen performers this season, wasn’t at his best with just 15 points and five assists. However, he shot well (7-for-12 from the field and 1-for-1 from the line) and added two steals and four rebounds. Rose’s rebounding in particular has been picking up lately. On Tuesday, he pulled down a career-best 11 boards. Rose is poised to be the first Chicago player to be Rookie of the Year since Elton Brand did it in 1999-2000.

We’ve been so focused on the 2009 RotoRob MLB Draft Kit, that we’ve been remiss with our basketball coverage in the past couple of weeks. I thought I’d rectify that situation today by checking in on the NBA’s best team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Cavs are simply unstoppable right now. Sunday afternoon, they kicked the shit out of the Dallas Mavericks, a team fighting to maintain its playoff spot, 102-74. Make that an even dozen straight wins for Cleveland, now five and a half games ahead of Orlando and Boston for the top spot in the East.

LeBron James got a (ho-hum) double-double and the Cavs not only reached 60 wins for the first time in franchise history, but set a new club record for consecutive wins in the process. The question that will soon face the Cavs, currently a game and a half ahead of the Lakers for the NBA’s top overall record, is whether getting the top seed is more important than getting King James some rest down the stretch. It’s a big consideration for his fantasy owners, as well.

Home court is huge for Cleveland. The Cavs are now 35-1 at The Q, but have yet to beat the Lakers, Magic or Celtics on the road this season. The other consideration here is that Cleveland went 0-7 when James sat last season.

The Cavs showed the ability to come back on Sunday. The Mavs built a 30-20 lead after one, and still were up by a bucket at the half. Then Cleveland exploded, outscoring Dallas in the third quarter by a 30-11 margin. Game over. It gets even scarier though: the second half margin was Cleveland 55, Dallas 25. Or how about Cleveland 82, Dallas 39? That was the score from the 10:13 mark of the first quarter onwards. Yikes.

Coach Mike Brown has become the fourth youngest coach in NBA history to guide his team to a 60-win season (in total, 61 teams have hit this mark). Pretty impressive stuff, but now Brown has to decide whether his team should look to match the NBA record 40-1 home season Boston holds or to rest key players with the bigger picture in mind. Then again, after getting knocked out by the Celtics in Game 7 in Boston last season, and three years ago falling to the Pistons in Detroit in Game 7, the Cavs may decide to go full throttle ahead and do whatever is necessary to secure that top seed. Almost more so than in any other sport, home advantage is king in the NBA.

By the way, this was the biggest beatdown Cleveland has laid on Dallas in 56 games. Man, have the Mavs ever fallen from grace. Their record against the elite teams (8-20 against clubs that are .600 or better) says it all.

The Cavs, meanwhile, are now 15-1 in March and 20-2 since the All-Star break. Talk about finishing strong.

Mo Williams’ sprained finger, suffered Friday night, was not a factor. After slumping offensively this week, he’s now put up back-to-back 22-point games, adding five dimes, two steals and committing just two turnovers Sunday. Mo’s enjoying his finest month of the season offensively, averaging 19.9 PPG despite seeing less touches than he had in February. The key for Williams this month has been his work from downtown – he’s averaging 3.3 treys per game in March. Overall this season, his PT is down, he’s averaging just 4 APG – too low for a starting PG – and his shooting percentage has dipped after last season’s career best showing (although he’s still among the best shooting guards in the game). Despite this, Williams is averaging a career-best 18 PPG this season, providing Cleveland with a much-needed secondary source of scoring behind James.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas bounced back from a bit of an offgame Friday with 14 points, nine board and no turnovers on Sunday, although he failed to block a shot after averaging three swats per game over the past three games. Big Z’s PT has been dropping the past couple of months, but he’s done a better job of getting to the line in March (although on Sunday, he failed to get to the charity stripe). Injuries have been a factor this season for Ilgauskas, and his overall PT (27 MPG) is at its lowest since 2001-02 as Cleveland tries to keep its veteran big man fresh for the playoffs. Again one of the better shooting centres in the game — the Big Z can still knock down that jumper – he’s suddenly stepped out beyond the arc this season and started to can the occasional trey. After hitting just five career three-pointers in his first 10 NBA seasons, Ilgauskas has nailed 14 of them this season, and is draining them at a 40 per cent clip. Not too shabby, big guy! His turnovers are down this season, but the fact is that at the age of 33, Big Z’s decline looks like it has begun.

If you’re in a deeper league, it may be time to start paying attention to Joe Smith, who enjoyed his finest game in this go around as a Cav, scoring 12 points and adding 13 boards, three assists and a block on Sunday. Damn, the old guy even canned his second trey of the season. Smith’s minutes are on the rise, and if he can regularly garner close to the 27 he played Sunday, he’ll be worth a look.

While the Cavs have dominated the East this season, the true measure of a contender is how they fare against the Western Conference teams. Well, after humiliating Dallas, Cleveland is now 25-4 vs. the West. Can you say Championship calibre?

The Cavs are always among the best in the league at taking care of the rock, averaging just 13 turnovers per game (eighth best in the association), but on Sunday, they put on clinic of how to protect the pumpkin with a mere five turnovers. James was particularly impressive in this department, playing 31 minutes without a single TO.

The Orlando Magic is having a fantastic season, building on last year’s success and riding an improved defense towards what could be a 60-win campaign. However, it’s reasonable to wonder if Orlando is hitting a wall, after losing six of 14 games in February, a record that might have been .500 for the month had it not been for a great comeback against the Sixers Saturday night.

The Magic is firmly entrenched in first place in the Southeast Division, and isn’t really being challenged for third overall in the Eastern Conference, but with Cleveland not slowing down, Orlando is slipping a bit further away from the Cavs and is not gaining on Boston, either. Is this a legitimate contender? The talent is definitely there, but is this team tough enough to go deep in the playoffs? That’s the big question facing the Magic as the season winds down.

Adding Rafer Alston at the deadline was a stroke of genius, plugging a big hole left by the injured Jameer Nelson. Hedo Turkoglu is starting to play more like the man who was the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season as opposed to the inconsistent, often poor-shooting performer he’s been most of the season. Orlando lost Mickael Pietrus to another injury, but Courtney Lee has stepped in admirably and, with his recent performance, is providing the Magic with the most consistent play it’s gotten out of the two-guard spot all season.

Best of all, Orlando comes home for a pair of games this week in the hopes that it can start to string some wins together after a middling few weeks. If it hopes to successfully chase down Cleveland or Boston, the Magic can’t afford any more letdowns this season.

While the Magic offense isn’t quite as good as it was last season, when it was the top-scoring team in the East, it’s not exactly chopped liver this year, remaining among the best in the association.

Rashard Lewis was a big part of that attack earlier this season. In fact, he was on a serious tear the last time we checked in on him, but his touches have been down the past couple of months, and February was a real bust, as his shooting went into the tank. Less shots + less makes = unhappy fantasy owners. On the plus side, Lewis snapped a slump and ended the month on a high Saturday, leading the way with 8-for-12 shooting from the floor and 2-for-2 from the line for 23 points. Orlando, one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, was filling it up Saturday with 15 treys, and Lewis led the way, canning five of them (on eight tries) and pitching in with three assists as well. And with shootout inducing Phoenix coming to town Tuesday, Lewis has a chance to put together back-to-back solid efforts for his owners for the first time since January. Lewis still isn’t getting any more touches than he did last season, and when he is getting the looks, the fact that his shot has been in decline for three years running is a concern. He remains an amazing source of 3-pointers – give him at least one in 52 straight games – but I could see him slipping into the fourth round in next year’s drafts.

Like I said, the Magic likes to employ the deep ball. In fact, Orlando tied a franchise mark last night when it heaved up 37 shots from beyond the arc Saturday. Holy long distance attack, Batman. Lee wasn’t exactly red hot, but he led the parade with 12 attempts among his team-high 18 shots for the game. That’s the most touches the rook has ever had in a game – a fantastic sign for his owners. By the way, you can count me among his newest owners, as I got fed up waiting for Rudy Fernandez to earn more PT in Portland, dumping the Spaniard for a different freshman. So far, I’m pretty stoked about the results.

Saturday’s win over Philly was huge. Coming off a disheartening home loss to a severely struggling Detroit team on Friday, there was definitely reason to begin questioning whether Orlando was a contender or pretender. But coming back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter in Philly against a Sixers team that plays pretty well at home will help shut up the critics. The Magic dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Philadelphia 36-20, with Lee draining 13 points himself, the most he’s ever scored in a single stanza. Orlando is now 21-9 on the road, third best in the NBA, and that’s got to scare the crap out of any potential playoff opponent because stealing wins on the road during the postseason is what makes a champion. So as long as the Magic maintain its no fear policy on the road, it will be handful for anyone.

If the season ended today, Orlando would meet the 76ers in the first round — a match up that the Magic would probably be chomping at the bit over. Orlando has now won four straight and eight of its past nine games over Philly. By taking all three games against the Sixers this year, Orlando has swept them for the first time since 1997-98. That Magic squad was a .500 team led by Penny Hardaway, by the way.

The thing about the Magic is it really lives and dies by the 3-ball. It had made just 10-of-30 through three quarters, well below its season average of 39 per cent. So you’d think Orlando would scale back on the perimeter game in the fourth quarter, right? Uh, maybe not. The Magic attempted another seven treys in the final quarter, hitting five of them to change the complexion of the game. Like any jump shooting team, Orlando is prone to slumps, but full marks for plowing through on Saturday.

The Indiana Pacers showed modest improvement in 2007-08, but this year has been a bit of a disappointment thanks to an awful start that buried the team. Believe it or not, with three wins in their past four games, the Pacers are actually over .500 (14-13) since the start of 2009, but injuries to All-Star Danny Granger, Mike Dunleavy and Jeff Foster (who returned Sunday) have ripped a whole in the starting five. It could be an ugly finish in Indy. Then again, this isn’t the first time this season that the team suddenly starting chalking up Ws with the deck stacked against it.

Granger’s foot injury will cost him as many as two more weeks; Dunleavy could be just plain Dun for the season in what’s essentially been a completely lost year for him after last season’s breakout campaign.

The team’s overall record is completely underwhelming, yet somehow, the Pacers are the only NBA club to post wins over the Lakers, Celtics, Cavs and Magic this season. The up-tempo offensive system under coach Jim O’Brien continues to show improvements, but defensively, this team has been in free fall for a few seasons. Good defensive efforts have been few and far between, and until the team develops some kind of defensive consistency, it will be hard pressed to take the next step and become a playoff contender in the East.

Of course, if they could win a bit more often than seven times in 30 tries on the road, that would be a good start. At home, Indy has been tough to beat; away from Conseco, they’ve barely been a match for a high school team.

After pulling off the win against Chicago Sunday (despite going 11 minutes without a FG during the second half), Indy is now just two games back of the Bulls, but sans Granger and Dunleavy, it’s hard to see the Pacers escaping the Central cellar. But as I mentioned, this team seems to rise to the occasion when its backs are against the wall. When Granger is out, Indy is 5-1; when both Granger and Dunleavy are sidelined, the Pacers are 4-1. What’s the deal with that?

They travel to MSG to take on the Knicks Monday night, a team that’s been struggling recently, but plays pretty well at home. Indy had held its own lately, vaulting over Charlotte recently (giving themselves a chance to pass New York with a win Monday), and the playoffs are still a possibility (hey, it’s the East!), but again, without their two main scoring options, it’s going to be a very tough haul to expect this recent winning to continue down the stretch.

With the two big guns out, Troy Murphy has moved into a primary scoring role, and he responded in a huge way on Sunday, canning 8-of-16 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line for a season-best 27 points. He drained a trio of treys, hauled in 14 boards (that’s 33 double-doubles for the season, just four shy of his career high), dropped three dimes and pitched in with a steal. Murphy owners are going to enjoy the next few weeks. He’s already been on fire in February, averaging 18 PPG, but now you can expect even more. Murphy’s having a superb season, averaging a career-high 11.5 RPG and shooting a career-best 46.4 per cent from the field. Hell, he’s even draining 80 per cent of his free throws for just the second time in his eight-year career.

T.J. Ford also figures to see an uptick offensively, and Sunday, he came through with 19 points, helping to ice things by scoring nine in the final four minutes — a stretch during which Chicago simply couldn’t stop the speedy PG from getting to the basket. He added eight boards, two steals and a 3-pointer that gave Indy the lead for good, all in 37 minutes of action. Yes, I’d definitely like to see more than 11 assists over the past three games from a point guard, but before this recent skid, Ford had actually been doing a better job of distributing the rock of late. He’s always injury prone, but is just one game from matching his games played total from all of last season, so that’s been huge. What else has been big for Ford this season is his more aggressive play, leading to a career-best 4.5 trips to the charity stripe per game — two more per game than he had in his last season with Toronto. Small wonder he’s enjoying his finest offensive season to date.

We slagged Indy’s defense before, so we suppose it deserves some props for Sunday’s effort. Chicago scored just 14 points in the paint all game — the lowest number by an opponent all season long for the Pacers.

As mentioned above, Foster was back Sunday after missing five games with a wonky back. He came off the bench behind Roy Hibbert, and didn’t play much, but it’s probably just a matter of time before he starts seeing bigger minutes and takes the starting job back — unless Indy goes into the tank and falls out the race, at which point it would behoove the Pacers to run with the rook down the stretch. Foster looked rusty, shooting just 2-of-6 for only four points and five boards, but he did chip in with a steal. He looked good back in November, but he’s been slipping the past few months, so I’m not sure how much value he’ll have unless you’re super desperate for a big man. Foster has always been one of those players that just teeters on the edge of fantasy value, as he’s been a starter about half the time over his career, but just never quite gets enough minutes on a consistent basis to warrant keeping on your roster for longer than brief stretches during a season.

At one point on Sunday, the Pacers missed 13 straight shots. And yet, they came away with the win in the end. Go figure.

While the Chicago Bulls have ridden a better offense to slight improvements over last season, they have failed to garner any real momentum this season. In fact, judging by their month-by-month record (1-1 in October, 7-8 in November, 6-9 in December, 7-9 in January and 2-3 so far in February), this team is maddeningly and consistently middling. The Bulls tend to have a nasty habit of finding ways to lose, and turnovers have been a problem. Sure, they are good enough to be within striking distance of a playoff spot after missing out on the postseason last year, but it’s also a small wonder why GM John Paxson is rumoured to be ready to resign from his post.

The last time we checked in on the Bulls, it was pretty well the same story, but the good news is it won’t take a big push to make a real difference for them given the middling nature of the Eastern Conference. They enter the break just two games back of the eighth place Bucks, setting up a big game in Milwaukee on Wednesday to kick off the unofficial second half of the season. Despite losing three of its last five, Chicago has been holding its own lately, keeping pace with both the Bucks and Nets and even pulling within striking distance of the slipping Pistons. Chicago has recently passed the slumping Knicks and has managed to put a wee bit of distance between itself and the rest of the Eastern Conference also-rans.

Point guard Derrick Rose, the No. 1 overall pick last year, has proved to be all that in his rookie season, spurring a nice improvement in Chicago’s offensive game. There remains plenty of room for growth here, as it’s still a somewhat middling offense, but at least they are headed in the right direction. The defense, however, is another story. In two short seasons, the Bulls have gone from having one of the truly elite defenses in the NBA under defensive whiz Scott Skiles to being saddled with one of the worst Ds under new head man Vinny Del Negro. And this, is a nutshell, is why the team’s overall improvements this season are extremely modest.

Tyrus Thomas, whom we recommended last month, has been living up to the hype lately, entering the break with a streak of nine straight double-digit scoring games, including five double-doubles. While the recent turnover binge (11 in the past two games) hurts, Thomas has been providing superb overall value, and needs to be picked up if he’s still out there on the wire in your league. Given plenty of PT with Drew Gooden out, Thomas has shot the ball much better this month, and he’s put it all together, proving he can help you in points, boards, blocks, steals and FG percentage. He’s avoided a major injury so far this season and has taken a big step forward as a force on the glass. Even when Gooden returns (although surgery remains a possibility there), I’m expecting Thomas to maintain his value. Sure, he’s still learning on the job, and has come under fire for his missed defensive assignments at times, but the upside remains huge for Thomas.

Ben Gordon also enters the break on a real run, averaging 28.7 PPG in the last three after shooting 10-of-21 from the field and 14-of-16 from the field for a game-high 34 points on Thursday. He slipped in January, but has ridden some hot perimeter shooting (he’s sinking 48 per cent of his five attempted treys per game) this month to a stellar 25 PPG in February. For the season, Gordon is now up to 45 per cent from the field, a nice improvement over last season’s effort, and that’s helped him return to the 20+ PPG territory. Better yet, he’s re-emerged as a serious clutch player, saving his best for late in the game.

As mentioned previously, Rose has been tremendously impressive, doing enough to earn consideration for a 2008 RotoRob Award as Fantasy Rookie of the Year. There’s some concern about the amount of pressure on him as a rookie PG, but he was showing no signs of hitting the wall as we reached the break, averaging 21 PPG over the past four games and shooting particularly well (58.6 per cent) in the last two games. Rose hasn’t done quite as well getting to the line in the past couple of months, but he’s compensated for that by shooting better once he does make it to the charity stripe. Despite the huge competition in such a phenomenal rookie class, something tells me that the Skills Competition trophy won’t be the last piece of hardware Rose hoists this season.

One Bull we expected to be a potentially useful reserve this season is Thabo Sefolosha, but his PT has been on the decline big time of late. And given that he only played six minutes Thursday yet managed to commit the turnover that led to the game-winning shot for Miami, I’m not expecting Sefolosha to carve out more action for himself any time soon. He’s been discussed in trade rumours, and at this point, that’s the only chance he’ll have to emerge with fantasy value this season.

Andres Nocioni, on the other hand, has provided some fantasy value off the bench for Chicago. We recommended him just before the New Year, when he was getting hot, and recently, he’s been on a similar streak, scoring double digits in points in six straight games until Thursday. Be aware that Nocioni’s PT has dipped the past couple of months, but he’s maintaining his value right now by shooting extremely well from beyond the arc. Once his percentages normalize, he won’t be nearly as useful. The fact is, Nocioni’s value has been in decline the past couple of seasons, as he’s become a less and less important part of the Bull offense. Once a key component of the team’s long-term rebuilding plan, Nocioni would now probably best be served by starting over elsewhere.

The Phoenix Suns must be pretty damned happy to be heading home for the All-Star Game, secure in the knowledge that at least someone will be engaging in some stunning play this weekend when Phoenix hosts the festivities. Because, man, Phoenix fans sure as hell haven’t been treated to a hell of a lot of good play from their Suns lately. This is a team that’s been built for a run at the title for several seasons now, but is in free fall mode and could very well be on the verge of being blown up. From 61 wins two seasons ago, to 55 last year, and this season? Thanks to an ugly 6-10 run over the past month, including back-to-back 17-point losses, Phoenix is only on pace for 45 wins for the season. The Suns looked pretty good heading into Christmas, but now look overmatched.

Currently, Phoenix is in ninth place in the Western Conference and on the outside looking in at the playoff picture. Fortunately, eighth-place Utah doesn’t exactly look ready to pull away and, below them, the Suns have no one to fear. But if Phoenix doesn’t get its act together real fast, I think we could be looking at a major rebuilding program in the desert very soon. Working to their advantage, the Suns have an easy go of it coming out of the break, with a home and home against the pathetic Clippers and then another easy home game against Oklahoma City before Boston pays a visit.

Of course, coming off serious beatdowns in Philly and Wednesday night in Cleveland, nothing can be considered easy for these Suns. But they do have a chance to start the second half on a run, so optimism is warranted. Sort of.

Getting hammered by the Cavs especially stung, considering how much Phoenix has had Cleveland’s number in recent years. In fact, the 109-92 loss snapped the Suns’ four-game winning streak against Cleveland. Dating back even further, Phoenix had been on 15-4 run against Cleveland. But as we have all seen this year, these are not your father’s Cavaliers.

Steve Nash definitely is ready for the All-Star break. The dude has been so badly beaten up of late, that Coach Terry Porter decided to give him Wednesday off to get an extra couple of days rest before the second half. A right shoulder problem that he says has caused him pain for weeks has made him a bit gun-shy from downtown. Have you noticed that Nash is attempting just two 3-pointers per game this month? Worse yet, he’s only sinking a fifth of them. Captain Canada definitely needs some downtime, but I’d be very worried about his prospects in the second half, especially if Phoenix starts to slide out of the playoff chase. Wait for a couple of nice lines and then peddle him. Speaking of peddling Nash, he’s been discussed in trade rumours, but the team says that he’s untouchable.

With Nash out, Amare Stoudemire got extra touches – 21 of them to be exact. He only sunk nine, but combined with his excellent work at the line, that was good enough for 27 points – his highest scoring game since January 29. Stat hasn’t exactly been dominating the glass the past three games, but he did record his second straight three-block game. Still, it’s pretty obvious that he’s mentally checked out of this situation given his recent comments. The rumours are flying fast and furious now, and a trade out of Phoenix can’t happen soon enough for both him and the team. Stoudemire has stayed healthy again this season, but after shooting a career best 59 per cent last year, he hasn’t come close to matching that, and his scoring has dropped off substantially as a result. He’s also struggled to share frontcourt touches with Shaquille O’Neal, as the two of them tend to trade big nights, but rarely have good games together.

Grant Hill, who we recommended as a decent wire pickup back in December, has proved to be a bit inconsistent lately, but he came through with an efficient 14 points Wednesday on 6-of-8 shooting, adding five boards, three assists and a block. Hill has been playing a bit less the last couple of months, but he’s been highly efficient (he’s now shooting a career best 52.5 per cent from the field) as his scoring just keeps rising each month. Another untouchable (according to the Suns’ brass), Hill could be in for a big hike in offensive responsibilities depending on how the trade deadline shakes out for Phoenix.

Phoenix, the best-shooting team in the NBA, shot 65 per cent in the first half on Wednesday, yet somehow trailed 64-52 heading into the second half. What’s up with that?

Normal second-unit offensive sparkplug Leandro Barbosa — another apparent untouchable on the Suns — got the start at PG with Nash out. And while being the floor general seemed to affect his offense (he was just 4-for-10 for nine points and one 3-pointer), he did manage to drop seven dimes and pick up four boards with two steals, so all was not lost for his owners. Barbosa has cooled off from downtown tremendously after his blazing January, but he’s still filling it up from beyond the arc better than he was to start the season. Overall, however, this has been an incredibly disappointing season for the Brazilian Blur, who has simply not been able to build on his breakout campaign of two years ago. Clearly, he’s no longer a must-own fantasy asset in standard sized leagues.

As we discussed last month, at this point, regardless of what happens in the second half, this has been a successful season for the Heat. But with five losses in seven games and a game Thursday night in Chicago against a Bulls team that’s gunning for a playoff spot and is tough at home, Miami must be relieved that the All-Star break is almost upon us.

On Tuesday night, Denver was the latest team to take out the Heat, and really, that’s nothing new. Somehow, Miami has been swept by the Nuggets in each of the last four seasons, losing eight straight overall (and nine of 10) to Denver. What’s the dealio? Okay, I get that Denver is an awesome team this year and last season Miami was totally crap. But the teams were fairly evenly matched in 2006-07 and the season before that, Miami was among the jewels of the East while Denver was middling. So why the hell can’t the Heat beat the Nuggets? Can someone explain it to me, please?

Luckily for the Heat, during its recent struggles neither of the two teams they are realistic chasing – Detroit and Atlanta – were able to take advantage, so the four through six slots in the East remain a dogfight (in fact, despite spinning its wheels lately, Miami has actually gained on Detroit). Miami, however, will need to pick things up pronto to avoid being passed by the seventh place Sixers, who have played well lately.

Miami’s turnaround this season has taken some of the spotlight off Shawn Marion’s dismal year, and given that we haven’t taken the opportunity to rip into the Matrix, it’s high time we did. Man, did we ever miss the boat when we ranked him as the fourth best forward heading into the season. The way things stand now, he’s not even a friggin’ top 40 forward! While Marion had a decent offensive effort in Tuesday’s loss (7-for-13 for 14 points), he managed just five boards, one assist and no steals, blocks or three-pointers. Remember when he was a fill-the-stat-sheet fantasy stud? While his shooting has been better since the calendar switched to 2009, Marion still doesn’t get enough touches to put up big-scoring nights. He no longer logs 40 MPG and what in the hell happened to his once strong perimeter game? Marion can’t hit from outside anymore (20.5 per cent) and he barely employs that part of his game. In fact, he’s sunk just eight lousy 3-pointers all season. This is a dude who once canned 141 in a season. Boy, does Marion ever need a change of scenery. To be honest, this is the worst he’s looked as a fantasy asset since he was a rookie with the Suns way back in 1999. Pathetic. The trade sure hasn’t worked out for either team. Phoenix no longer has an identity without Marion, and the Matrix left his game in the desert. But hey, at least he managed to hack Chris Andersen out of the game with a flagrant foul. If you can’t beat ‘em, knock ‘em out, right?

Did you happen to check out the American flag band aid Dwyane Wade was wearing to cover up his six-stitch cut? Nice look, dude! Of course, it didn’t stop him from pouring in 33 points.

There’s virtually no reason to own Joel Anthony, even when he’s seeing starter type minutes (as he has in the past two games, averaging 35 MPG). But if you are desperate for help in blocks, give him a look. Anthony’s five blocks Tuesday were just one shy of the Miami record for a non-starter. In less than 23 MPG of action this month, Anthony is averaging 2.2 swats per game. It’s certainly something to at least watch, especially with new starter Jamaal Magloire unable to gain any traction.

What the hell is wrong with the Los Angeles Clippers? Badly beaten up, and just plain beaten down, this team has nothing to look forward to except the lottery, yet suddenly – in the midst of a brutal seven-game road trip – they decide to go on a run. Saturday, the Clippers absolutely molested the Hawks, just one night after bitchslapping the Grizzlies. Are you trying to hurt your chance at Blake Griffin, people?

Don’t look now, but this two-game winning streak has vaulted the Clippers out of the Western Conference cellar and past the Kings. The Clips finish their road trip Tuesday in Charlotte against the struggling Bobcats before heading home for a date against the Knicks, who have cooled off tremendously. It’s not inconceivable that LA will run the table between now and the All-Star break. And if that’s the case, the Clippers will likely catch the 13th place Thunder, which is also playing decently lately.

Hell, this is a team that had dropped 11 straight games away from Staples Center before Friday. Now, it’s won two in a row without the need for home cooking, improving its road mark to 7-19. And it’s one thing to beat Memphis, but Atlanta? The Hawks haven’t exactly been tearing it up lately, but are still one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Get this: the last time the Clippers put together back-to-back wins was December 16 (26 freaking games ago). Break up the Clippers, baby!

One thing that has confused me about this winning streak: where the hell has this shooting been all season for the Clippers? We are talking about the NBA’s worst shooting team, yet they managed to drain 59 per cent against Memphis (a middling defensive team) and sink 49-of-86 (57 per cent) against Atlanta, which isn’t a bad defensive team either. Saturday, Marcus Camby drained 6-of-7 for the second time in three games; Al Thornton continued his recent hot streak by canning 13-of-22; Ricky Davis, who has also found his stroke the past couple of games, nailed 4-of-7 off the bench. Charlotte isn’t quite as good defensively as the Hawks, so maybe we’ll see more of this on Tuesday.

Could Davis be worth a pickup now? He scored a dozen points Saturday (thanks to four 3-pointers) while adding three assists, two rebounds and a steal. Buckets has been an awful disappointment this season, and a knee injury last month didn’t help matters, but he’s now reached double digits in scoring in back-to-back games, providing the Clipper second unit with a much-needed offensive kick in the ass. Davis is starting to see more PT, and if he is regularly receiving 25 minutes or more (and can shoot nearly as well as he has been lately), he can definitely provide a boost for your squad, especially if his outside game – a major bust so far this season – is coming around (and 10 treys in two games suggests it is). It’s worth noting that much of Davis’ production has come in the back-to-back blowout wins, and he might have gotten more burn than normal as a result, yet he’s done enough to deserve extra PT as the sixth man, so see if his minutes remain high in closer games.

Before we scoff at the Clippers’ sudden success, remember that they are almost finally back to full strength after a season-long battle with health issues. The only significant member of the rotation still missing is Chris Kaman, a thorn in my side, and I’m sure plenty of other fantasy owners. The latest report on Kaman still has him on track to return after the All-Star break, leaving us no choice but to be patient. If you’ve held him this long, what the hell else can you do? Pick up JaVale McGee off the wire? Oh wait, I already did that once I learned that Andrew Bogut’s back was conspiring against my team.

You think Zach Randolph is enjoying life back on the West Coast? In 80 games with the Knicks last season and this season, he never once scored 30 points in a game. Yet, despite his injuries, he’s done it five times in just 18 games as a Clipper. We’ll see what happens when (if) Kaman returns, but for now Z-Bo is a scoring machine.

Baron Davis has struggled offensively in recent games, but he’s still facilitating – dropping eight dimes for the second straight game.

Back when we recommended him as a wire pickup in November, we suggested that Eric Gordon would experience the normal rookie ups and downs. For the most part, he’s been quite steady, but the return of Randolph has definitely affected Gordon’s touches, as he’s taking an average of six shots less per game so far this month. Hope you sold high when you could. Don’t get me wrong. The kid is still valuable (especially if he keeps shooting as well as he has lately), but Gordon won’t be carrying the team offensively the way he did in January, when he put himself in the thick of the ROY race by averaging 21.9 PPG.

The Philadelphia 76ers, one of the hottest teams in the NBA in January, hadn’t exactly been building on this success during their current seven-game homestand. In fact, heading into action Thursday, the Sixers had dropped two of the first three games of the stand. But Thursday, Philly withstood a late run by the Pacers to snap a two-game losing skid and get back to .500 for the season.

It’s been a season of slight progress for the Sixers, but certainly not to the extent that many had expected. After makes strides offensively last season, the team’s scoring hasn’t developed any more. The defense is slightly better, but again, nothing earth shattering. The Sixers are second in the division, but only because Toronto has tanked this season. They currently hold down the seventh seed in the East and have been inching closer to sixth-place Miami, setting up a big game Saturday night when the Heat comes to town.

Of course, the big news in Sixer Land is that Elton Brand’s shoulder – you know, the one expected to keep him out for a month back before Christmas — has now sidelined the team’s big off-season acquisition for the remainder of the year. He managed to return and play five games last month and one in February, but wasn’t seeing significant enough minutes to really be a fantasy factor, so essentially – from his owners’ standpoint – he has just been a waste of space for almost two months now. Well, at least you can now cut him without fear he’ll come back to bite you.

With Brand out, look for Andre Miller to take a more important role in the offense in the coming weeks. He’s been dropping dimes like mad lately, dishing a dozen Thursday and averaging 8.4 in the past five. But he’s also logging heavy minutes since Brand shut it down. There have been rumours he could be dealt, so that’s something to keep an eye on. Miller hasn’t shot the ball quite as well this season, and that’s a trend that doesn’t seem to be turning around after his 3-for-9 performance Thursday dropped him to 40 per cent for the past three games. As Miller’s touches rise, it appears his FG percentage won’t come along for the ride. Still, I’m sure you’re not complaining about the double-double he dropped Thursday – just his fourth of the season after he racked up 14 last season. Overall, Miller has had a decent season, probably good enough to justify the fourth round pick you likely spent to obtain him, but I’m not sure how much more he’s going to help you now that Brand is done.

Obviously, the other player who will be leaned on more now is Andre Iguodala. Let’s hope the extra touches helps Iggy continue to elevate his game after he endured a very sluggish start to the season. We had the dude pegged as a top 10 forward this year, but despite his recent turnaround, he’s still not playing like a top 15 forward. That could change in the second half, making him an excellent buy-low candidate. He’s been scoring well lately (20 PPG in the past five) and racking up the steals (seven in the past two games), but until Thursday, hadn’t been doing much in the way of boards and assists recently. However, Iguodala just missed out on a triple double – something he hasn’t accomplished in a couple of seasons. He settled for his ninth double-double of the season, which – surprisingly – is a new career high, and we’re only in February. Most people have been moaning about his down year, but really, he’s not far behind what he accomplished last season, and there’s still time for him to exceed it. Iggy’s been getting more touches as the season has progressed, and that’s a trend that should definitely continue in the wake of Brand’s shut down. The fact that Iguodala has shot the ball better this season (47.5 per cent) bodes well for a big second half, offensively.

In both of the losses during its two-game skid, Philly coughed up leads late. Thursday, the Sixers held their own. That’s a trend that will have to continue if this team hopes to keep moving up the Eastern Conference standings. But as long as they keep finding ways to win (11 in the past 15 games), the Sixers are going to be a team no one is interested in meeting come playoff time in April.

The 76ers took over the game in the third quarter, outscoring Indy 26-13 and you can thank Willie Green for this run. He poured in 11 of his season-high 23 points in the quarter. With Brand out, perhaps it’s time to consider Green in a deeper league as a possible wire pickup. Sure, he’s been inconsistent as hell (he scored a 20 points last Friday, but just 12 in the next two games before his explosion Thursday), but you’ve got to figure his waning PT should turn around now. I mean, with season highs in points twice in the past four games, Green deserves a bit more burn and if he starts regularly seeing 25 or more minutes, he’ll be worth a pickup. Even though he’s a backcourt player, Green’s value has been directly tied to Brand’s status. Green lost his starting job to Iggy this year, as Iggy moved from the three to the two to accommodate Brand in the frontcourt, but Green is back starting since Brand got hurt, and now it looks like he’ll hang onto the role for the remainder of the season. One note, however: I’d watch how the minutes shake out between Green and Lou Williams before making a claim on either.

With Brand toast, Philly needs a more balanced attack like it received Thursday when five players hit double-digits in scoring. In addition to Green, Iguodala and Miller, Samuel Dalembert came through with a big night (18 points and 20 boards) while Thaddeus Young (also expected to benefit from Brand’s injury), pitched in with 14 points.

The Dallas Mavericks aren’t ready to fold the tent just yet, apparently. The Mavs have won three straight games, including sweeping their tour of the State of Florida and now head home for a match against a very hot Blazer team that tends to be middling on the road. Don’t look now, but Dallas has passed the Suns to move into seventh in the West, and is breathing down the back of the fifth-place Hornets. Rumours of Dallas’ death have proved to be premature.

While Dallas isn’t dominating defensively like it has in the past, Rick Carlise’s crew is slightly improved its offensive numbers this season.

And clearly, the Mavs have Orlando’s number. After kicking the Magic’s ass Monday, Dallas has now won five of the past six games in this series. The fact that it was in Orlando makes it even more impressive a win for Dallas, because typically no one beats the Magic on its homecourt. Actually, lately no one has been beating Orlando anywhere, so this was a big win for a Dallas team that has had a tough time beating top clubs.

Jason Kidd flashed a bit of O Monday with 13 points while adding four steals and a block, but he continues to be horribly inconsistent, disappearing offensively for games at a time before occasionally showing up with a nice touch like he did Monday (6-for-9). For J-Kidd to start February with a fine shooting performance is a great sign as he rebounded in January (41 per cent) after a bitterly cold December (31.6 per cent). If Kidd can build on this, we might actually start seeing him reach double digits in scoring a bit more regularly. Remember that as bad as he was shooting last year before the Nets dealt him (36.6 per cent), he turned it around upon arriving in Dallas (42.6 per cent). So while Kidd hasn’t been able to match that, keep in mind that his 41.5 per cent shooting this season is actually a fair bit over his career norms.

Good sign for Dallas: The Mavs, not exactly a strong perimeter defensive squad, held the best three-point shooting team in the NBA in check, as Orlando sunk just 3-of-20 from beyond the arc on Monday (including a mere 1-for-7 in the first half). Of course, Dallas couldn’t contain the Magic’s outside game and stop Dwight Howard from going crazy (35 points, 11 rebounds). But a W is a W.

This had some shades of Dallas’ great run in recent years, when defense led the way to some huge seasons. While the Mavs are only on pace to win 48 or 49 games this season (after a disappointing 51-win season last year), their late-January run, that has carried on into February, bodes well for a possible turnaround in the second half.

Erick Dampier pulled down seven boards and scored six points before fouling out Monday, but his PT has dipped in recent weeks, and I’d only recommend him as an option in a deeper league. In fact, his PT has been dropping for a couple of seasons now, making him one of those starting centres that simply doesn’t offer enough value to be a viable fantasy option. Think guys like Zaza Pachulia and Matt Bonner. Dampier fits into that category – if you didn’t need X amount of centres on your team, none of these players would ever find their way off the wire.

Were any of you seriously worried about the Boston Celtics when they hit a bit of a rough patch a few weeks ago? Since dropping four straight games earlier this month (and enduring a 2-7 stretch), all the Men in Green have done is rhyme off 10 straight wins, surging back to the top of the Eastern Conference and reclaiming their status as the NBA’s best club with a mind-blowing 39-9 record.

In fact, they’ve not only silenced the naysayers, but the Cs are now on pace to possibly top last season’s record of 66 wins (currently headed for 66.7 victories). While the defense hasn’t been quite as suffocating at 2007-08 (even so, only Cleveland is giving up fewer points), Boston has improved its offense by almost a point per game this season.

Toss in Boston’s 19-game winning streak earlier this season and it already has put together a pair of runs that have lasted at least 10 games. And it’s not even February yet! This is the first time the Celtics have turned in a pair of double-digit win streaks since 1985-86, a season, by the way, which resulting in a title for them. That bodes well for a second straight championship parade this year.

Boston gets an interesting test Sunday afternoon with the Timberwolves visiting Beantown. Minny’s resurgence in recent weeks has been well documented and the Wolves are still playing well, but they head in a bit cold, having dropped two straight games. After that, Boston heads out of the road for a date in Philadelphia against a very hot Sixer squad.

Rajon Rondo hasn’t shot the ball quite as well this month, hence his scoring has dipped, but he continues to mature as a facilitator, upping his assists per game average every month so far. And he ain’t exactly slowing down, dropping 12 dimes in Friday’s win over the Pistons. In the past three games, he’s averaged almost a dozen assists per game, while protecting the pumpkin like it was a Faberge Egg (just five TOs during this stretch). As for Rondo’s weaker shooting, it hardly qualifies as a slump – he’s been quite consistent with his shot this season, and his overall numbers – a career best 51 per cent from the field – have helped make the concerns about his shooting ability back when he was a rookie seem like ancient history. As big as a leap as Rondo made as a soph, he’s almost undergone a similarly sized improvement this season. The only things holding him back from true elite PG status are his lack of an outside game and his weak FT shooting. Even without those components, the kid’s a top 10 point guard and rising.

Of course, ball distribution has been a major strength for the Celtics all season, as the team has averaged 22.6 APG, good for fifth in the association. All they did Friday was pick up 25 assists – on 31 field goals. Talk about sharing the rock. Coach Doc Rivers has his squad firing on all cylinders right now.

The downside to Boston’s recent domination – before Friday, it had won seven straight by at least 10 points and three by at least 20 points – is that, from a fantasy perspective, the Big Three is getting plenty of rest, and that always means lower numbers across the board. Kevin Garnett has continued to score, but his boards are down recently and his blocks have been almost non-existent of late as he’s been playing over a minute less than normal over the past five games. Paul Pierce is seeing over 3 MPG less over the past five, and his scoring is way down as a result. Ray Allen has had a couple of sub par games in a row, but generally speaking, has maintained his seasonal averages of late.

How’s this for freaking mind blowing? Boston struggled through that well-publicized 2-7 skid, but has taken 37 of 39 beyond that. Thirty-seven and two. That’s a .949 winning percentage for those of you scoring at home.

By the way, Boston is now 3-0 against the Pistons, the team it squared off against in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. I simply can’t write the Pistons off completely this season, but man, they are sure making it hard not to with their recent struggles.

No one is going to try to tell you that the New Orleans Hornets aren’t a great team, one capable of challenging for the Western Conference title this spring. However, despite the team’s success – they have won five of their past six (and six of eight), have a chance to finish a perfect 3-0 on their current home stand with a win over the pathetic Warriors on Friday, and are likely headed for a second straight 55-win season – the Hornets are not nearly the powerhouse they were in 2007-08, at least offensively.

Last season, the team had a top 10 offense and top five defense, but can make only one of those claims this season. While the defense is even better this year – only Cleveland and Boston are giving up less points per game – the Hornet offense is now among the league’s worst with just over 96 PPG. While the addition of James Posey has helped, none of the team’s big four – Chris Paul, David West, Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler – are doing better this season, and in the case of the latter two, are actually doing much worse offensively.

Despite the offensive struggles, the Hornets sit just one game out in the Southwest Division, with a huge game in San Antonio on Saturday for division supremacy.

We suggested considering Devin Brown back in November, for he had been promised extra minutes. Sure enough, he got them, averaging over 20 MPG in December, but Brown failed to impress and he’s barely played so far in 2009. In fact, he had taken three straight DNP-CDs before an injury to Morris Peterson in the first half Wednesday opened up a chance for Brown. And take advantage he did, to the tune of a season-high 18 points with three treys and a steal. Everything he heaved up was falling (6-for-7), so don’t expect that to happen very often. Brown hasn’t had the opportunities to earn starts and play significant minutes this season like he did last year with Cleveland, but that could change. Put him back on your watch list and see how things play out.

As for MoPete, his injury won’t exactly send any owners scurrying to the waiver wire. Jeez, has he ever fallen off the map — Peterson hasn’t even played as many as 10 minutes in over three weeks. While he’s getting into more games this month, he’s so low down in the rotation that it doesn’t matter at all. And the fact that Peterson hasn’t been as aggressive this season – and hence has not been able to take advantage of his solid FT shooting when he does play – has only helped exacerbate the fact that he’s never been more irrelevant.

The hallmark of any great team is its ability to dominate at home. Well, after a rough start (splitting its first six games), New Orleans has been virtually untouchable at the refreshingly corporate-name-free, yet-screaming-for-some-marketing-touch-to-its-moniker New Orleans Arena, winning 13 of 15 since, including the past four after taking out Denver Wednesday night.

How good has Paul been? Can you believe this dude has dropped at least 10 dimes in 30 of 40 games this year? Sick. Fantasy MVP? Me thinks so, despite King James’ exploits.

New Orleans can definitely thank the second unit for this latest win. While Denver’s starters were outscoring the Hornet front five by 14, the battle of the benches was a completely different story, as the Hornets won this by a whopping 29 points, 42-13. And that was despite the fact that sixth man Posey absolutely stunk the joint up (1-for-13, six points). Brown’s huge night and continued solid work from Sean Marks (six points, seven boards and a block) made the difference on this night.

The incredibly frustrating year continues for Chandler and his owners as he missed his fourth straight game Wednesday because of an ankle injury. We mentioned above that his offense had taken a beating this year, but if his fall were limited to scoring, it would be only half bad. Heading into the season, we had Chandler pegged a shade below top 10 centre status, but thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness, he’s barely in the top 50 now, and to wit, has been winding up on the waiver wire in smaller leagues. Chandler had been shooting well recently before getting hurt, but he gets so few touches per game, that it’s hardly noticeable. The bottom line here is that with his no-longer dominating rebounding totals, Chandler contributes in far too few categories. His FG percentage has dropped significantly this season, he’s never sunk a three-pointer in his entire career, he’s a lousy FT shooter who has gotten worse this year, he’s scoring three less points per game, and his assists have been cut in half. Damn, the only thing Chandler’s doing better this year is blocking shots. He’s swatting 1.4 per game, up from just 1.1 BPG last season, but still down from his career-best 1.8 BPG which he matched in his first season in The Big Easy. He’s supposed to be back before the All-Star Game, so no point in cutting him yet, but if I owned him, I’d wait for him to post a double-double or two, then I’d shop him like mad.

Also MIA for the Hornets lately is West, out the past five games because of back spasms. We ranked West as a top 20 forward this season, but he has not quite been able to build on his career year in 2007-08. The timing of West’s injury was particularly lousy, as he had been putting up his best numbers of the season in January, averaging almost 22 PPG. While West’s TOs have dropped this year, unfortunately so have all the rest of his numbers. At this point, he’s day-to-day, but despite his decreased output this season, West remains a must-own player.

Best sign of the night for the Hornets: they shot 48.6 per cent from the field even though Paul had a crappy 3-for-12 game. Despite their less than impressive offensive numbers, the Hornets haven’t been a bad shooting team (46.01 per cent, good for 11th in the NBA), but to have a night like this against a tough Denver defense (the Nuggets are fourth best in the NBA at limiting opponents’ FG shooting) when Paul struggled with his shot definitely bodes well.

Three seasons ago, the Clippers won 47 games with an exciting young team that not only made the playoffs, but actually finished ahead of the Lakers. Suddenly, the Clips were no longer simply LA’s “other team.” However, that distinction has been seriously short-lived, especially with the Lakers back in championship contention over the past couple of years. Since then, the Clippers have slipped to 40 wins and then just 23 last year. This season, they will be extremely hard-pressed to even reach 20 wins, and a third straight season on the sidelines come playoff time is pretty well assured. Just two teams are scoring fewer points, and the defense – while slightly better this season – is still among the worst in the NBA. They’ve dropped two straight games (including a 25-point bitch slapping at the hands of Portland on Monday), and 16 of their past 18. Simply put, there’s not much hope here. But wait…with the underachieving and currently struggling badly Bulls (winners of just five road games) heading to town Wednesday night, LA has a pretty darned good chance to earn its 11th win of the season. Eight-place Dallas better start looking over its shoulder. Uh…maybe not.

Unfortunately, beating the Bulls at home hasn’t been easy for the Clips – they’ve dropped two of their past three games against Chicago at the Staples Center. Overall, LA has lost its past two games vs. Chicago.

LA actually had a decent chance to win on Monday against a powerful Trail Blazer team. It was down by only four points headed in the final stanza, but didn’t exactly start that fourth quarter like it meant it, with Portland opening up on a 15-3 run and outscoring the Clippers 36-15 for the quarter. Ugh. LA couldn’t defend a thing in that game, with Portland shooting 58 per cent from the field – the highest any opponent has scored against the Clips this season. That’s an area LA has actually been middling at this season, holding opponents to 45.44 per cent for the season, good for 15th in the NBA. If that component of the Clipper game starts to fold, things may get even uglier and they may soon find themselves having an even better chance in the Blake Griffin sweepstakes.

Coach Mike Dunleavy must be ready to pull his hair out. Oh, wait…never mind. Injuries have decimated this team – currently, Marcus Camby, Mardy Collins, Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Zach Randolph and Mike Taylor are all out. Jason Hart just returned after missing five games with an elbow injury, and Brian Skinner lost a pair of tilts on the weekend because of the flu. But it’s not as if they were kicking ass when healthy. This team jumped out of the gates with an 0-6 record and only got worse from there.

Randolph has been out since late-December with a knee injury. He started the season with the Knicks and was scoring well (20.5 PPG) before a big trade sent him west. After joining the Clips, Z-Bo lost some of his aggressiveness (just 4.5 trips to the line per game), but he was scoring even more and had been playing seriously heavy minutes in the weeks leading up to his injury. Randolph was well on his way to justifying our pre-season pick as a top 15 forward, but the injury has robbed him of his value, and he’s barely in the top 75 now. Fortunately, he’s expected back within the week, so keep your fingers crossed that he’ll be able to bounce back.

Despite missing nine games this season – I guess it was insane to imagine he’d be able to match the career-high 79 games he played in last season – Camby has delivered on our projection as a top 10 centre. He’s been out the past week and half with an ankle injury, and the timing was awful, as Camby was getting more touches than usual with all the wounded Clippers. He’s expected to return some time during the upcoming road trip – great news because the Cambyman was in the midst of a career year, so his owners have to be praying he can avoid another serious injury for the rest of the season. We have our doubts – especially since there’s really nothing to play for this season.

Kaman’s foot injury is one that I have personally been affected by as he was helping to anchor my frontcourt until going down on November 26. You can’t replace a wild Mountain man, and I haven’t given up on him being able to help me bounce back towards a playoff spot, so I’ve hung on to him and sucked up a roster spot for the past two months. Fun! Of course, long-time Kaman owners know that injuries are nothing new. In fact, since playing all 82 as a rook, he’s been unable to avoid injury in the five subsequent seasons. In the early going, Kaman had not been building on his career performance from 2007-08, not a shock considering he had been seeing less action with Camby and Z-Bo in town. There had been plenty of talk that Kaman was on the block – something that would have helped all three players – but the injuries to the entire trio has nixed that for the time being.

Sophomore Al Thornton has been asked grow up real fast, and for the most part, he’s done well in this baptism by fire. His hot January continued on Monday with 23 points and three steals, the third time in the past four tries he’s reached 20 or better. Thornton’s numbers are up virtually across the board this year, and I’m most impressed by the fact he’s turned himself into a block per game man. There’s a chance in a shallower league that he’s available, so take a peek if you’re in one of those mini leagues.

Here’s a Clipper to put on your radar and possibly even scoop up if your league is deep enough: Steve Novak. We’ve always known he’s a tremendous shooter, but getting PT hasn’t been easy for him so far. However, he’s another one who has benefited from all the injuries, playing significant minutes lately, and responding with five straight double-digit scoring efforts. Novak canned five 3-pointers for 21 points in 29 minutes Monday, pitching in with two boards. Don’t look for anything beyond scoring and 3-pointers from this kid, but if that’s where you need help, I’d suggest Novak could be a useful short-term addition.