NBA Power Rankings: Tracy McGrady and 15 Players Poised for a 2nd-Half Breakout
We're now on the downside of the NBA season. Coaches are getting fired. Players are getting traded. Injuries are getting healed.
All of these things mean that there are going to be some breakout second-half performances.
Which players are poised for a second-half breakout? Which players are going to affect your fantasy teams? Who are the players who might have found their way to the waiver wires that could be worth picking up?
Here's your one-stop shop to find out the best players to keep an eye on if you want to find that extra push to put your fantasy team over the top.
15. Chuck Hayes
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At a less than towering 6'6", it's hard to believe that Chuck Hayes has been aptly replacing Yao Ming, who is a full foot taller, but he is.
He's also getting better. His January splits are up to nearly 10 points and over eight boards, while hitting on over 64 percent of his shots from the field.
He's not going to win you your league, but he's going to give you some help on the rebounds and maybe even give you a bump in field goal percentage. He's still available in 85 percent of ESPN fantasy leagues.
14. J.J. Hickson
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It's become clear that Hickson is not the replacement for LeBron James. Why this would surprise anyone I have not the faintest idea, but somehow it's come as a surprise to some. He is, however, a nice replacement for Anderson Varejao.
In January he's been a double-double machine that works half the time. Maybe not quite up to Kevin Love or Blake Griffin standards, but he's gotten double-doubles in six of his last 11 games, and he's averaged 13 points and 11 boards in January.
He's another source for some solid production over the rest of the season, as Varejao is gone for the year.
13. Kwame Brown
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OK, stop laughing.
Waits for several minutes.
No, really, I mean it.
Several more minutes pass while readers roll helplessly around the floor, literally laughing themselves into so much pain that the pain finally stops the laughing.
OK, now that you've had your laugh, let me explain.
Michael Jordan appears to be set to prove that he didn't make a huge mistake in drafting him No. 1 overall, so he's going to use him whether he deserves it or not. Since the Paul Silas takeover, Brown has had four double-doubles and nearly had two more.
He's been a solid rebounder, averaging 10 per game to go along with 10 points in the Silas "era." He's also shooting 60 percent from the field. He actually could be on his way to his best half-season as a pro.
12. Ryan Anderson
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Ryan Anderson has been seeing a steady boost in playing time through the season. In November he was only getting eight minutes a game, but the Marcin Gortat trade has opened things up for him.
In December he averaged 17 minutes, and in January it's been over 25. That increase in time correlates directly with an increase in production.
In January he's been averaging 15 points, seven rebounds and a block while shooting at 46.8 percent from the field. Admittedly that's not great for a big man, but the extra points can be a nice boon in a roto league depending on who you are replacing.
11. Peja Stojakovic
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Peja has only played eight games this season because of "injury" problems. Look for some miraculous healing now that he's no longer a Raptor but a Maverick. Playing for a team that isn't bad has wonderful healing properties.
Peja is not going to win any MVPs this year or re-enter the debate over whether he or his new teammate Dirk Nowitzki is the best Euro, but he is going to be able to do what he does best: Get open for the three and shoot.
Look for him to "net" you "buckets" of threes for the remainder of the season.
10. Darren Collison
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Collison has already been showing signs of being the player the Pacers traded for—the guy who surprisingly almost duplicated Chris Paul's production last season with the Hornets. His averages have gone up by three points and his assists by two since the new year.
Normally when a coach gets fired, the players respond with even better production.
Last year as a Hornet, when he started, Collison was averaging 19 and nine. Look for production like that as his team steps up its game for the rest of the year, and it helps pay off for Collison, who is just a better player than the numbers so far have indicated.
9. Marcin Gortat
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When the Suns traded for Gortat, they got what may very well have been the best non-starting center in the game. While he technically hasn't been starting for Phoenix, he's been getting starter minutes of late and providing starter-type production.
In five of the last six games where he's played 20 minutes or more, he's gotten a double-double and averaged 11.5 rebounds and 14 points. He's getting more comfortable with one of the best passers and shot creators in the league, Steve Nash. He's been getting more playing time and providing more production than resident starter Robin Lopez.
It's only a matter of time before he gets the starting gig. Even if he doesn't, it doesn't really matter as long as he's getting the minutes.
8. Nick Young
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Gilbert Arenas leaving has opened up things for Nick Young, who has been starting since December 20 and is doing a heck of a job.
He's averaging 20.5 points per game as a starter, and he's getting even better. He's averaging 21.1 points per game in January and continuing to rise in the conversation for Most Improved Player.
One caveat to this conversation, though, is his abysmal 38.7 shooting percentage in January. He's not providing much in the way of rebounding or assists, either. He can shoot you down in the roto spots more than he can carry you in the scoring, so keep an eye on that.
He might give you a ton more value as a sell-high trade commodity right now than he will as a permanent part of your team. You can accomplish two things with it: Sabotage someone else's FGP and get a player at the same time.
7. Ramon Sessions
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Sessions is now in session. If you don't count the Bulls game, where he only played 11 minutes because of injury, since taking over the starting job after Mo Williams went out, Sessions has been playing solid in his absence, averaging 14 points and eight assists and throwing in three boards for good measure.
The best thing is Cleveland's roster is so bad that he doesn't have to worry about anyone lurking behind him to take over the temporary starting gig. The steady production should continue, and particularly if you need assists, Sessions is a good grab.
6. Baron Davis
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Baron Davis isn't going to be available on any waiver wires, but he might still be able to be obtained in a "buy low" situation. He's been key to the Clippers turnaround, averaging 16 points and seven dimes in January. He's more comfortable sitting back and letting Blake Griffin be the man.
With Eric Gordon sitting out for a while due to injuries, you can expect to see his scoring go up even more as well. A 20-ppg February, or close to it, isn't that far out of the question. Davis should finish strong as he tries to help the Clippers into the playoff hunt.
5. David Lee
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Over his last 13 games the Warriors' David Lee is looking more like the player they were hoping to sign. He had some early season injury problems, and it's taken him a bit to get here, but he's arrived. Those splits show 18 points and 10 boards.
He's getting closer, and is pretty much here. He's one you might want to look at trading for. Look at your roster for a sell-high player to dump off on someone who has endured the worst part of Lee's season, only to frustrate your opponent even further by watching the player you gave him slump while Lee finally takes off.
A great candidate might be Manu Ginobili, who has played terrific this season but might find some extra bench time as the season winds down. Gregg Popovich likes to rest his players before the postseason, and with the Spurs running away with things in the Western Conference, look for that trend to continue.
4. Andrew Bynum
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Look for Andrew Bynum to continue to recover. However, the recent sit-down might have some owners who have already missed a large portion of the season with him on injured reserve ready to bail. The Lakers aren't concerned, and neither should you be. If you can get him in a trade, do so.
He should be averaging closer to last year's average of 15 points, and his rebounding should go up, too, as Pau Gasol might be grabbing some extra bench time. Clearly he's been tired and sore and needs time to rest.
That coupled with the need to get Bynum going should lead to a lot of double-doubles for the Laker center. Look for him to go 15 and 10 the rest of the season.
3. Joe Johnson
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If you haven't looked at Joe's January splits, you should. They're disgusting good. He's posting 26 points, five boards and five dimes. That's more than an eight-point improvement from December. Clearly he's back and ready to vindicate that max contract he signed.
If you can trade for him, do. He's another case where you might be able to pawn off one of your Spurs studs to get him.
2. Tyreke Evans
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Tyreke Evans hasn't been what we were expecting this year, let's be honest. The 2010 Rookie of the Year was down from last year across the board, but his January splits indicate he's getting over his injury issues and is ready to step into the huge future we were expecting.
He's been posting 19 points, five boards and six dimes over the last month. Obviously you're not going to be getting him on the waiver wire, but you might be able to hustle him away from a frustrated owner who will be glad to get rid of the 20/5/5 production he'll be producing the rest of the season.
1. Tracy McGrady
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In case you're not aware of it, Tracy McGrady has found his way back into the starting lineup...as a point guard. He's also been doing it pretty well. He fell just short of a triple-double the other night, missing by just two boards. He also had four blocks the same game.
You can expect a lot of that across-the-board production and a lot of blocks from him in the future. There aren't too many 6'8" point guards in the NBA.
The only catch is that Detroit isn't going anywhere, T-Mac isn't a part of their long-term plan and, with the way he's playing on a $680K contract, he's about as "trade bait" as they come. Chicago?
If he does go somewhere else, though, the rejuvenated T-Mac should maintain his value. He's still available in over 10 percent of leagues. You should snatch him up while you can. His 15 points, six boards and six dimes per game over the course of the remainder of the season should be awfully sweet for free.
