Highlight Performances:
Danny Granger, IND– Granger was outstanding Wednesday Night, scoring 36 points with 7 boards and 2 assists. George Hill, the sharpshooting 6th man, suffered an ankle injury last night, and is out indefinitely. Granger and Paul George figure the main beneficiaries of this injury, however production-wise, Granger seems destined for the biggest uptick. He will be leaned on more heavily for scoring production, so consider his value on the rise.
Serge Ibaka, OKC– This is not to say that there weren’t any other great performances tonight, especially considering how well Russell Westbrook and even Kevin Durant played on his own team. However, it’s not very often you witness what Ibaka did last night. Although he only produced 4 points, Ibaka posted 11 boards and an unbelievable 10 blocks. It’s unfortunate he couldn’t get even close to 10 points to have an impressive triple-double, however 10 blocks is quite a statistical number. Ibaka was a block machine Wednesday Night, stuffing the Mavericks every time they came near the basket. Ibaka really hasn’t been great in terms of rebounds and points, but his block upside is unparalleled.
Performances to Forget:
Kemba Walker, CHA– Walker had a very impressive college career, and is a very likable guy. Although I was not buying into him this season in terms of NBA production, following D.J. Augustin’s injury and lack of other options in Charlotte, I hopped on the Walker bandwagon, hoping for him to “stuff the stat sheet” as he’d been doing. Well, he let me down in a big way, scoring just 4 points on 1-11 shooting, and just 2 rebounds and 3 assists. I’m not completely off the wagon yet, as his last two games were impressive. However, until he rips off many strong performances, I’m not going to put my money on him, especially on DraftStreet.com.
Joakim Noah, CHI– I’m a big fan of the way Noah plays. Let’s just get that out of the way. However, this particular, reckless play-style seems to be quite detrimental to his production from a consistency standpoint. Noah was very quiet, scoring just 2 points and grabbing just 7 boards. After he has posted such great outings, this was quite disappointing. (Actually, the whole Bulls team seemed to take a night off, except C.J. Watson. Noah can post great numbers on any given night, but at the same rate, he could devastate you with a very paltry one.
Player’s to Watch:
Rashard Lewis, WAS– Lewis has been written off by most people as a player on the tail end of his career with very little left in the tank. Yet, he is getting starter minutes with the Wizards, and scored 20 points along with 8 rebounds last night. The key with Lewis is that not only is he a good rebounder and scorer, he is a very good 3-point shooter, and can be deadly from behind the line at any time. With Andray Blatche out, he should see more time, and may be able to produce effectively for the lowly Wizards.
Injuries:
Gerald Henderson, CHA– Hamstring, Day-to-day
Shawn Marion, DAL– Knee, Probable for Friday
Brandon Haywood, DAL– Back, Day-to-day
Lamar Odom, DAL– Illness, Day-to-day
Rodney Stuckey, DET– Ankle, Day-to-day
Anthony Morrow, NJ– Ankle, Day-to-day
Linas Kleiza, TOR– Knee, Day-to-day
Devin Harris. UTA– Hamstring, Day-to-day