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.

Greg Oden, Portland Trail Blazers: While he’s still experiencing some growing pains in his first season on the court, Oden showed exactly what he is capable of with his 24-point, 15-rebound performance against the Bucks on Monday – he also sandwiched a pair of six-block efforts on either side of his work against Milwaukee. There are still going to be nights where he disappears, but he should be owned in all leagues. If he’s available in yours he should be added immediately.

Kendrick Perkins, Boston Celtics: Last Sunday I noted that Perkins wasn’t expected back for about a month. Well, disregard that as the bruiser is already back in action after missing only five games. Thanks for the accurate injury information <site name withheld>. Douchebags. But I digress; Perkins would make an excellent addition if another owner cut him loose a couple weeks back. He’s not much of a scorer, but he does strong work on the glass and is a capable shot blocker.

Best of the Rest

There’s no denying things are a mess in Clipperland right now, but rookie DeAndre Jordan might be worth a watch list designation – in three starts, he’s averaging 11.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game…Former Florida Gator Joakim Noah has started Chicago’s last six games, and while his scoring has been underwhelming, he recently logged 29 rebounds in a two-game stretch. If you’re hurting on the glass he could be worth a flier in deeper leagues…I liked Amir Johnson coming into the season, and while he hasn’t done a lot to justify my pre-season endorsement thus far, his insertion back into the starting lineup creates a glimmer of hope. Take note…Al Horford’s continued absence allows Zaza Pachulia to retain his modest value, though he has had as many poor games as good ones during his ongoing seven-game stint as a starter.

Forwards

Charlie Villanueva, Milwaukee Bucks: A popular sleeper candidate entering the season, Villanueva has had more than his fair share of snooze-inducing performances thus far. However, since re-entering the starting lineup on January 16, the former UConn star has averaged 22.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in six games – that includes four double-doubles. He has tantalized with his talent before and is a must own in all leagues based on his enormous potential.

Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks: The rookie returned January 17 after missing nearly three months. He has played sparingly thus far, but performed well in his limited run. He’s a quality shooter and could post strong numbers in Mike D’Antoni’s offense if he gets enough minutes, which is something the Knicks figure to provide him given their 18-25 mark. Add him if you’re looking to roll the dice on some upside.

Best of the Rest

Travis Outlaw has had some big games this month, highlighted by his 33-point outing on January 12 – overall he has reached double figures in seven of his 10 January games. However, his peripheral numbers could still use some work, which makes him an option only for owners trolling for scoring…Don’t let the fact that he looks like a mid-’80s villain in a Jean-Claude Van Damme flick dissuade owners in deep leagues from taking a look at Louis Amundson. He’s ringing up 5.9 points, 5.4 boards, 1.1 blocks and 2.4 bottles of pony tail wax per night this month – not bad…Could a rash of front court injuries in the Big Easy actually be enough to make Melvin Ely a fantasy factor? Unlikely – but just in case owners in deep leagues should place him on their watch list.

Guards

Ramon Sessions, Milwaukee Bucks: A season-ending knee injury to Michael Redd should mean we’ll be seeing the back court pairing of Luke Ridnour and Sessions quite a bit in the coming weeks. Sessions has been quiet in January (6.8 points, 3.8 assists per game) but has shown before to be capable of posting very strong fantasy numbers. He deserves consideration in all leagues. Charlie Bell (ankle) should also appear on your radar, though he continues to deal with an ankle injury of his own and hasn’t played in the team’s last three games.

Kirk Hinrich, Chicago Bulls: The 28-year-old continues to impress off the pine in the Windy City, pouring in 43 points and 22 assists in his last three games combined. He isn’t shy from beyond the arc either (12-for-30 in seven games this month), making him a solid three-category addition even in shallower formats.

Anthony Parker, Toronto Raptors: December was a terrible month for Parker, who averaged 6.9 points per contest in 14 games. He has bounced back since the calendar changed to 2009, returning to the starting lineup and posting respectable point (13.3 PPG) and rebounding (4.9 RPG) numbers. His overall shooting has been solid, though he continues doing masonry work beyond the three-point line, heaving up bricks at a 27.8 per cent clip. If you’re adding him, make sure your three-point percentage can take the hit.

Best of the Rest

Injuries have forced Sasha Pavlovic into the starting lineup for the past four games, during which he has logged nearly 34 minutes per night. His numbers (11.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG) aren’t stellar, but his minutes suggest those in need of back court help find a spot for him…In seven games since returning from injury, Raja Bell has launched 31 triples – unfortunately he has only hit nine of them. Still, that kind of volume makes him a possibility for teams searching for a boost from downtown…A strong December gave way to a brutal January for Mario Chalmers, but he has shown signs of playing out of his slump recently. If a less patient owner gave him his walking papers you can consider bringing him on board.

I know this has been coming for a few years now, but is anyone else having a tough time adjusting to a world in which the Atlanta Hawks are a very good team? Case in point – this team was cruising through the 2008 portion of the schedule, with a 21-10 record as of New Years, but then they slumped, losing five of six, including four straight. Ahah! Here comes the great fold, right? Uh, maybe not. Atlanta has quickly turned things right around, taking three of its past four, including both ends of a back-to-back earlier this week.

Now the Hawks fly home for a two-game set with a very good opportunity to build on this roll. Friday, Milwaukee pays a visit, and while the Bucks have been decent lately, they are not exactly a powerhouse on the road. Sunday evening, the Hawks will host Phoenix, a decent road club, but one that isn’t exactly setting the world on fire in recent games.

It’s not too late for the Hawks to make a move on Southeast Division leading Orlando, but the way the Magic has been going, Atlanta will have to really turn it on over the final two and a half months of the season.

Improved defense has been the key as Atlanta has moved up the ranks this season, bridging the gap on the elite teams in the East. There’s been nothing wrong with the team’s O, but it has been D driving the improvement.

The Hawks have already had to deal with their share of injuries this season, and things aren’t currently easing on the health front. A concussion has kept Marvin Williams sidelined for the past couple of games and, considering he has yet to practice, there’s still no clear indication when he’ll be back. Al Horford (knee) will probably miss his seventh straight game Friday. Acie Law missed the last game with a bruised quad, and he remains day-to-day, although that shouldn’t have much of an effect on the team (other than the fact that starting PG Mike Bibby will see a few extra ticks of action).

Atlanta has had its way in its own building against Milwaukee, winning four straight (average margin of victory of 13.5 points), and considering the Bucks have only won nine of 26 on the road, I don’t expect a different result Friday. Atlanta is a superb 16-4 at home, having won seven of the past nine at Philips Arena, while Milwaukee has gone down in five of its last seven tries on the road.

The injury to Williams must be particularly frustrating to owners as it continues a disappointing season from the former Tar Heel standout. He got out of the gates strong this season, but has been sliding since, and his PT has slipped along with his play. We ranked Williams as the 35th best forward heading into the season and were calling for a season of growth from him. Well, it hasn’t happened, and he’s barely a top 50 forward now as a result. I’m encouraged by his slightly improved shooting this season, and there’s still plenty of time for him to bounce back, but concussions are tricky beasts, and that has to have you worried if you own him.

Law, by the way, has completely evaporated as a fantasy entity, having not played more than eight minutes in a game in the last two weeks. Before getting hurt, he was shooting the ball better, but with starter Bibby enjoying a great rebound year, Law’s PT has dropped so precipitously, that at this point, there’s no reason to mention him again. So I won’t.

Bibby, by the way, has provided great value for a guy you probably snagged with a seventh round pick. On Tuesday, he went off for a season-high 31 points with six assists, five steals and five treys. Sick! Bibby has really picked up his defense lately, recording 11 steals in the last three games. Holy Thievery Corporation, Batman. While he’s been the Hawks’ second-leading scorer this year (16.6 PPG), the best part of Bibby’s recovery for you playing in 9-cat leagues is his turnover rate. He’s never been better at protecting the pumpkin (1.5 TOs per game) than he’s done this season. All things considered, Bibby is almost all the way back to the level of play he showed in his glory seasons with the Kings. One concern: we did allude to the extra PT he’s seen with his backup out, but coach Mike Woodson is seriously riding his starting PG lately, with Bibby averaging 43.3 MPG in the past three, including 45 minutes on Tuesday. He’s played at least 40 minutes in half of his games this month. That worries me a bit, as while extra PT can be sweet, this is a bit much.

With Horford out, Zaza Pachulia has gotten a chance to start and he responded Tuesday with his best offensive output of the season – 18 points – and a block. As we projected, Pachulia has been the Hawks’ top big off the bench, but even when he’s starting, he doesn’t exactly rack up fantasy-worthy numbers, especially considering that he doesn’t block enough shots for a big man. He’s having a better season than last year, we’ll give him that, but Pachulia simply isn’t being aggressive on a consistent basis to get easy points at the line. If you’re desperate for help at centre, give him a look. But expect plenty of frustrating nights.

Look for Bibby to turn in another big night Friday against Milwaukee. Not only is he absolutely balling right now (20.5 PPG in his last six games), but he loves beating up on the Bucks, averaging over 19 PPG in his 17 career tilts against them.