Centres

Kendrick Perkins, Boston Celtics: With Kevin Garnett out of action, Perkins has a chance to elevate his production, though that hasn’t really happened yet. Still, he showed in December (11.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG) that he could be a fantasy force, which makes him at least worthy of flier status in deeper leagues.

Best of the Rest

Greg Oden’s knee injury continues to linger, keeping Joel Przybilla in the starting lineup. His work on the boards remains exemplary, though he has logged just two double-digit scoring efforts in 2009…Owners looking for a boost in the shot blocking department needn’t look any further than Denver, where Chris Andersen has marked 25 shots “return to sender” in the last six games…We talked up Roy Hibbert in this space a couple weeks back and we’re not giving up on him yet. The rookie can’t stay out of foul trouble, averaging a disturbing 4.8 fouls in just a shade over 16 minutes a night in Indiana’s last six games. He’s a flier to be sure, but those grasping for straws can think about it…Matt Bonner was a beast from beyond the arc last month, knocking down better than two treys a night and averaging 10.8 points and 6.1 rebounds. Don’t overlook him.

Forwards

John Salmons, Chicago Bulls: Any concerns about a decreased role in the Windy City for Salmons should have been assuaged now that he has logged better than 30 minutes in each of the Bulls’ last three games. Outside of a 25-point effort his scoring hasn’t been what it was in Sacramento, but his production should increase as he becomes more comfortable in Chicago. He’s worth owning in all leagues.

Matt Barnes, Phoenix Suns: Injuries have depleted Phoenix’s frontcourt, which has helped Barnes get back into the flow of the offense. He has also benefited from the coaching change and renewed emphasis on pushing the ball. Barnes reached double figures in four of five games before lighting up the Lakers for 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven dimes on Sunday afternoon. Don’t hesitate to pick him up in deep formats.

Best of the Rest

Everyone’s favourite document forger, Yi Jianlian, returned to the starting lineup for the Nets on February 23, though he hasn’t found the range (12-for-31) just yet. He was scoring well before his injury, which makes him at least an interesting roll of the dice in most formats…Now that Brian Scalabrine has joined KG on the sideline, Glen Davis is getting the starting nod. In three starts, Big Baby is averaging 16.7 points per game – he may not be long for the fantasy world, but he’s worth a short-term roster spot…One of the players heading west in the Salmons trade, Andres Nocioni, seems to be enjoying his relative freedom in the offense. The fifth-year forward is a volume shooter who is too loose with the ball, but he can score, drop threes and even chip in on the glass…It didn’t take long for the Thunder to find a spot in the starting lineup for Thabo Sefolosha, who posted 15 points and 11 rebounds on Saturday. Those in deeper leagues should act now before less informed owners take notice…Who is James Singleton? Anyone that can’t answer that question should take a quick peek at his game logs – we may be on to something here…Dominic McGuire continues to get a ton of burn in DC and averaged seasonal bests in both points (6.2) and rebounds (7.0) during February. That’s not great production, but it might raise some eyebrows in deep leagues.

Guards

Ronnie Brewer, Utah Jazz: Utah’s swingman is morphing into a legitimate fantasy force, scoring 16 or more points in all but one of the team’s 11 February tilts. His range isn’t great, but he shoots an excellent overall percentage for a guard, converting 55.7 per cent of his shots this past month. There’s no reason for him to be available in any league at this juncture.

Anthony Parker, Toronto Raptors: The 33-year-old struggled for much of February but ended the month on a high note, dropping 62 points over Toronto’s final three games. He has been very hit (13.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 4.6 APG in January) or miss (6.9 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.4 APG in December) this season so don’t mortgage your future to acquire him, but when he’s on he deserves a roster spot.

Best of the Rest

Sebastian Telfair averaged 11.9 points per game in February though he continues to misfire with great regularity from the field. Be prepared to take a hit in field goal percentage for his modest contributions in points and assists…Even with Mickael Pietrus returning to action on Friday, Courtney Lee continues to start for Orlando, and why not? Lee has averaged 14.4 points a game in his past five starts and launched a dozen three-pointers (hitting four) his last time out. At the very least he’s worth watch list status in most formats…In two games with the Celtics, Stephon Marbury has scored eight points, all of them coming in his Boston debut. Keep a watchful eye on Starbury.

Centres

Chris Wilcox, New York Knicks: After originally being included in the deal for New Orleans’ Tyson Chandler, Wilcox eventually ended up in the Big Apple. It’s debatable if Wilcox would’ve been better off on the receiving end of pick and rolls from Chris Paul rather than playing in Mike D’Antoni’s offense from a fantasy perspective, but his potential is interesting at the very least. Those in deep leagues need to add him right away while those in shallower formats should put him on their watch lists.

Best of the Rest

With Greg Oden banged up, Joel Przybilla has been a monster on the glass, hauling in 44 rebounds in his last four games. However, outside of some sporadic blocks, he won’t be much of a help elsewhere…Andray Blatche is back after a nine-game absence, though his minutes have been fairly low in three games since returning. He really looked like he was piecing things together before the injury and would be worth a flier in deeper leagues.

Forwards

Antonio McDyess, Detroit Pistons: Things may be coming apart at the seams in the Motor City, but that certainly isn’t the fault of McDyess, who is playing some inspired basketball. The veteran moved into the starting lineup two games ago and has responded with 37 points and 27 rebounds in that time. His work on the boards should be enough to earn him a spot in most leagues, and his solid scoring and 52.7 per cent shooting from the field is just icing on the cake.

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers: Inexplicably, Young remains available in numerous leagues despite averaging 13.6 points and 5.0 boards per night this season. He’s a capable three-point shooter and has an impressive 16 thefts in eight games this month. Young is worth owning in all leagues.

Vladimir Radmanovic, Charlotte Bobcats: Things continue to go pretty smoothly for Radmanovic in Charlotte as the 6-foot-10 perimeter threat has racked up 66 points (including 13 three-pointers) in five games since joining the Bobcats. His rebounding numbers have even bordered on respectable – well, at least for a featherweight on the glass like Vlad. Take a chance on him if you’re looking for a bump in scoring.

Best of the Rest

Ricky Davis has started the Clippers’ last three games and even though the results haven’t been jaw dropping (26 points, 12 assists combined in the three contests) his scoring acumen is well known. View him as a flier in deeper leagues…In Boston’s first game without Kevin Garnett it was Brian Scalabrine that got the starting nod, logging 37 minutes and dropping 14 points on the Suns. He could have some short-term value for clubs desperate for scoring help…He’s still hit or miss at this point, but Marreese Speights has authored five double-digit scoring performances in his last seven games. The downside is he failed to score in the other two…Shane Battier’s minutes should be secure now that Tracy McGrady is unlikely to return in 2009, which is the good news. The bad news is that Battier is only averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 rebounds in seven February games despite logging nearly 33 minutes a night. He’s only an option in deep leagues…Could the words Thabo Sefolosha and fantasy basketball actually be uttered in the same sentence following his trade to Oklahoma City? Stay tuned.

Guards

Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets: Houston’s decision to ship “Skip to my Lou” off to Orlando moves Brooks into the starting lineup for the rest of the season. The diminutive point guard celebrated with a 19-point, eight-assist and six-rebound effort in his first start of the post-Rafer Alston era on Friday. He has flashed some serious potential at times this year and now with steady run in his future he should be acquired in all formats.

Roger Mason, San Antonio Spurs: The frailty of Manu Ginobili should provide a windfall of fantasy value for Mason, who averaged 15.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in November when Ginobili played in only four games. Mason has dropped 20 or more in two of the three games since Manu went down, and he is an absolute beast from beyond the arc. He should be a great temporary add in most leagues.

Best of the Rest

We at The Troll have been high on Francisco Garcia for some time now, but the dealing of John Salmons should open up more playing time for Garcia and give him additional value. Act now before a rival owner scoops up the 27-year-old swingman…The Kings also tried to move Beno Udrih but were unsuccessful; perhaps that was a blessing in disguise as he has reached double figures in six consecutive games. Consistency and Udrih don’t go hand in hand, so only make a move if you’re looking for short-term assistance…Marquis Daniels dropped 24 points on the T-Wolves in his first start since Januar 5. He’s a legitimate option with both Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy Jr. out of action…Larry Hughes’ absurd contract (along with Hughes himself) was shipped to New York before the trade deadline. Now normally this would be a non-issue, but with D’Antoni calling the shots up there anything is possible, even a Hughes renaissance…On the injury front, Luke Ridnour and Steve Blake both returned to action this past week. Owners should take note…Mike Miller has started Minnesota’s last four games, amassing 55 points, 28 rebounds and 25 assists during that stretch. Optimistic owners can act now, others can wait and see if Miller can sustain his strong play – just don’t wait too long…One last name to consider: Jarrett Jack. He has 69 points in his last four games and has been playing a ton of minutes recently with Indy missing three starters.

Welcome to the first edition of The Hidden Truth, a new NBA fantasy column in which I will be focusing on exposing the stats and players that win fantasy leagues. For instance, everyone knows Allen Iverson can hoop, but what are the consequences of starting him in your fantasy league? Does he shoot a high percentage? For those Roto-lovers out there, all categories are equal. First place in steals is the same as first place in points. So let’s dive in!

The first edition of this column will focus on field goal percentage. It is evident that if you take more shots farther from the rim, your shooting percentage is usually lower, so you have to take these rankings with a grain of salt. Just because Chauncey Billups shoots a low percentage does not make him a worse fantasy player than Ronnie Brewer, who is in the top 10 in FG percentage. To build a championship fantasy hoops squad, you must be balanced, but it does help to have guys with high field goal percentages at all positions.

Today we will look at the guards.

Top 10 High Percentage Finishers

1. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics (50.3%): The Celtic point guard is a solid fantasy player as he puts up decent points, assists, rebounds, and steals, but he shines in the field goal percentage category. This is a product of taking good shots in a good system, but man has he ever come a long way from his rookie season when his shooting was considered a major weakness.

2. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets (49.6%): Mr. Do-it-all also does not miss too often.

3. Ronnie Brewer, Utah Jazz (49.5%): Jerry Sloan likes this slasher because he gets good shots. People may see him as a role player, but he is averaging over 13 PPG this season.

4. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors (49.4%): Calderon does it a little differently — even though he is more of an outside shooter than Rondo or Tony Parker, he will help you in FG percentage just as much.

5. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs (49.4%): The Frenchman has perfected his 15-to-18 foot jumper from dead-on. This compliments his drives to the basket which create high percentage layups.

6. Ray Allen, Boston Celtics (49.1%): For a guy who chucks up threes at an alarming rate, it is a surprise that Ray-Ray clocks in at sixth on the list. I think people discount all of the layups he gets on baseline drives after doing a pump fake.

7. Andre Miller, Philadelphia 76ers (47.9%): The steady point guard always finds a way to take good shots.

8. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (47.8%): Flash is back and he is doing his thing.

9. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (47.5%): Kobe makes more difficult shots than anyone in the league.

10. Brandon Roy, Portland Trail Blazers (47.4%): Roy has a nice jumper, but he also can finish near the rim, as we saw on his dramatic game-winning bucket against the Knicks recently.

Honourable mention: Derrick Rose (47.3%), Leandro Barbosa (47.2%), Mike Miller (47.2%), Deron Williams (47.2%), Steve Nash (46.8%), Mo Williams (46.8%)

Note: Jameer Nelson was shooting over 50 per cent from the field, but he is now out for the season, so he was not included on this list.

Top 10 Clankers

1. Baron Davis, Los Angeles Clippers (35.2%): Too many bad shots coupled with injury problems has left B-Diddy as a bust this season.

2. Tracy McGrady (38.8%), Houston Rockets: T-Mac loves to shoot and can be very streaky. Now, he’s on the shelf.

3. Raymond Felton, Charlotte Bobcats (39.4%): Will learn to take better shots.

4. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (40.7%): The former UCLA guard will get better with time as he works off Durant.

5. Randy Foye, Minnesota Timberwolves (40.9%): Nobody in American has seen all of the misses. Have the Timberwolves ever played on national TV?

6. Chauncey Billups, Denver Nuggets (41.6%): Mr. Big Shot is also Mr. Big Miss, but in fairness, he shoots a lot of three balls, and that hurts his percentage.

7. Jason Kidd, Dallas Mavericks (41.6%): His jumper is as ugly as his kid.

8. Jamal Crawford, Golden State Warriors (41.7%): This baller could drop 30 points or shoot under 30 per cent on any given night.

9. Kevin Martin, Sacramento Kings (41.9%): He forces it a lot, but then again the Kings do suck, so who else is going to chuck it up?

10. Allen Iverson, Detroit Pistons (42.1%): AI has always been a “volume” shooter…everywhere he goes.

Dishonourable mention: Mike Conley (42.4%), Chris Duhon (42.4%), Derek Fisher (42.4%), Mario Chalmers (42.6%), Roger Mason (42.7%), Joe Johnson (43.3%), Nate Robinson (43.8%), Vince Carter (43.9%).

As mentioned before, this list does not determine a player’s overall worth. It is just one factor you should consider when building your fantasy lineup. Also, bear in mind that I tried to focus on fantasy relevant players. I am not going to argue if you say Daniel “Booby” Gibson should be on the list because his percentage is lower than Billups. However, in my mind, anyone named Booby should be a fantasy free agent.

Next: On Wednesday, we’ll take a look at the top-shooting and worst-shooting Forwards.

Centres

Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers: The Georgetown alum hasn’t exactly set the league on fire during his inaugural campaign, but he is averaging 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in five February tilts – both of which are monthly bests. The Pacers (4 1/2 games out of the eighth seed) aren’t going anywhere and may be more inclined to give the rookie some additional run in the final months. Chalk him up as a second-half sleeper in deeper leagues, especially since none of the other centre options on the Pacers have exactly grabbed the job and run with it.

Best of the Rest

While the Wizards have been exiled to hoops purgatory this season, JaVale McGee was a bit of a bright spot heading into the All-Star break. The University of Nevada product has averaged 11.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game over his last seven contests, though his propensity to rack up the whistles (28 fouls in that stretch) is limiting his minutes…Those in very deep leagues might want to sneak a peek at Sean Marks if Tyson Chandler’s ankle injury lingers…The situation is a bit murkier for constant Troll resident Joakim Noah this week as Amare Stoudemire could be headed to the Windy City. If Noah stays his minutes could be cut, if he goes who knows what his role will be in Phoenix? He’s still a solid addition, but don’t view him as a season-long option just yet.

Forwards

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves: The loss of Al Jefferson (knee) will almost certainly push Love into a more prominent role offensively for the Wolves. In his first game without Big Al, Love played a career-high 38 minutes and launched 14 shots (his second-highest total), finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds. If for any reason he remains available in your league, add him immediately.

Travis Outlaw, Portland Trail Blazers: He has already been a pretty steady performer this season, but Outlaw has ramped up his play in February, totaling 16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He’s absolutely deserving of a roster spot in all but the shallowest of leagues.

Ryan Gomes, Minnesota Timberwolves: Love doesn’t figure to be the only statistical beneficiary from Jefferson’s injury as Gomes should carry a larger offensive load going forward. He’s averaging 14.3 points and north of 36 minutes a night this month and is a capable three-point shooter to boot. Gomes’ peripheral numbers are modest at best, but those looking for a scoring boost needn’t look any further.

Best of the Rest

Wilson Chandler is back in the starting lineup after a six-game hiatus and hung 27 points on the Clippers on Wednesday. If someone discarded him when he went to the bench feel free to snatch him off the waiver wire…The Lakers recently shipped Vladimir Radmanovic to the Bobcats, where the veteran figures to see a lot more playing time. He has scored 34 points and gone 8-for-15 from downtown in two games since the move and could be worth a flier for his scoring potential…Marreese Speights poured in 49 points in Philly’s final three games before the break – put him on your radar…With Andris Biedrins out with an ankle injury, Ronny Turiaf is putting up 10.7 points and 7.0 boards a night. He’s worth a look in deep leagues, but Biedrins is expected to return immediately after the All-Star break…Jason Kapono has tallied 51 points in his last three contests and is a great natural shooter. However, he hasn’t produced with any consistency this year. Proceed with caution.

Guards

Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies: Everyone that was ready to write off the former fourth overall pick needs to take a step back and re-evaluate what’s going on in Memphis under the stewardship of Lionel Hollins. Conley has started the team’s last 13 games and over the last eight he’s averaging 14.5 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per contest. Those aren’t ideal assist totals for a point guard, but he has huge talent and is a great second-half sleeper.

Best of the Rest

Charlie Bell dropped 21 and 20 points, respectively, in Milwaukee’s last two games and knocked down 17 of his 26 shots in the process. He figures to see plenty of time at least until Luke Ridnour returns, making him a solid addition…A pair of injured players (Cleveland’s Delonte West and Dallas’ Jerry Stackhouse) should be returning soon and could immediately step into prominent roles. Those hurting for backcourt depth can consider either man as a possible flier…Kyle Weaver has started the last seven games for the Thunder. His numbers haven’t impressed thus far, though the fact that he’s averaging nearly 31 minutes a night makes him worthy of watch-list status in deep leagues.

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.

Centres

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls: The second-year Florida product has taken up a semi-permanent residence on the Wire Troll by continuing to produce solid totals both in points and rebounds. The big test will come once Drew Gooden (groin) is back in action, but at this juncture owners in all but the shallowest leagues should make room on their rosters for Noah.

Darko Milicic, Memphis Grizzlies: Everyone’s favorite bust returned to action on Wednesday after missing 18 games with a broken knuckle. He has produced modestly in his first two games back, but prior to getting injured he had reached double figures in scoring in five of seven games. Owners that find their roster depleted by the recent rash of injuries in the NBA can consider rolling the dice on Milicic.

Best of the Rest

Injuries continue to mount for the Bucks, who will now be without Andrew Bogut for the next two-plus months. That’s a bitter pill for fantasy owners to swallow as Bogut (11.7 points, 10.2 rebounds per game) was a rock solid contributor when healthy. Francisco Elson should see most of the minutes in Bogut’s stead – he’s not much of a scorer, but he can contribute on the glass…Other options for Bogut owners are Oklahoma City’s Nick Collison and Nenad Krstic. Collison is the starter and the better choice at this point, though Krstic figures to continue cutting into his minutes as he rounds into shape. Neither man is an ideal selection, though at this point beggars, can’t be choosers…An abdominal strain will keep Brad Miller out until at least the All-Star break, giving Spencer Hawes a chance to start some games. In three starts since Miller’s injury, Hawes is averaging 9.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest.

Forwards

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers: Well, well, well…it looks as though Andrew Bynum’s pesky labia injury has flared up again, sidelining the 7-foot pink taco for 2-to-3 months. That should be great news for Odom, whose minutes have been way down this year with Bynum and Pau Gasol holding down the five and four positions, respectively. Odom is no star, but most of his shortcomings (clutch play, toughness) don’t affect the way he fills up a box score. He’s an immediate must own.

Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves: Much like Noah, Love has earned a recurring role on “As the Troll Turns,” though his value is already much higher than that of Noah. Love has reached double digits in rebounds in five of his last seven games, which includes four double-doubles. After such a long run on here there’s not much more to say about Love, whose stellar play dictates he should be owned in all leagues, but especially now with Craig Smith — his main competition — out for the next couple of weeks.

Best of the Rest

Anyone in the market for rebounds? If so, check out what’s going on in Motown where Antonio McDyess has averaged better than 10 boards per game in 2009…Ryan Anderson has scored 17 or more points in three of his last four games (while hauling in a tidy 7.5 rebounds a night). He has done a nice job in the absence of Yi Jianlian, who is fairly close to returning. Yi’s return could severely undermine Anderson’s value, so be aware of that when considering a move…Andrei Kirilenko appears to be ahead of schedule in his recovery from ankle surgery and may return shortly after the All-Star break. If someone else cut him free you should consider stashing him on your bench.

Guards

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee Bucks: What the hell is going on in Milwaukee? With Luke Ridnour joining Michael Redd and Bogut on the injured list, Sessions becomes a focal point of the Buck offense — so much so that he dropped 44 points and 12 assists on the Pistons on Saturday. Fantasy owners will be quick to remember the huge numbers he put up on a depleted Bucks team late last season so don’t delay another minute in adding him to your roster.

Francisco Garcia, Sacramento Kings: The return of Kevin Martin was supposed to spell the end of Garcia’s fantasy usefulness, but more than a month later Garcia is still racking up the points. He hit a little dry spell in late January – scoring 19 points over the month’s final three games combined – though for the most part he has continued to produce respectable totals. Still, at a deep position like shooting guard he’s more suited to larger leagues.

Best of the Rest

The loss of Jameer Nelson down in Orlando should create fantasy value for some combination of Courtney Lee, Anthony Johnson and Tyronn Lue – Lee is the best option for points, but don’t overlook Lue, who averaged double figures in scoring in four of his last five seasons…Owners on the prowl for cheap assists should check out Earl Watson, who is dropping nearly six dimes per game this season…Our third visit to Brew City reveals Charlie Bell and newly acquired Keith Bogans as options in deep leagues – Bell has scored 46 points in his last four games and Bogans logged 26 minutes (scoring eight points) in his Milwaukee debut…D.J. Augustin returned on Friday after missing roughly three weeks of action. He was up and down before getting hurt, making him more of a watch list candidate for now…Another rookie to keep an eye on is Mario Chalmers, who has scored 10 or more points in seven of his last nine games…Mike Miller has made 20 of his last 28 shots – we’re just saying.

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.