Fantasy Basketball Around The League From 2/7/11: Carmelo Anthony and More

News

• Just four minutes into the game, Darko Milicic went down with an injury last night and did not return. It’s not clear how much, if any, time he’ll miss, but Anthony Tolliver could benefit greatly from additional playing time.

Game Notes

• It wasn’t D.J. Augustin to lead the Bobcats past the Celtics last night, but rather, it was backup point guard Shaun Livingston, who scored 18 points and had four rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. Livingston has now played back to back games with 20+ minutes and double digit points. If he continues to see upwards of 20 minutes per game, he could hold some value.
• The last time Kevin Love did not have a double-double in a game was November 19^th. Think about that for a moment. 37 straight games with at least 10 rebounds and 10 points. Last night was just another day at the office for Love with 27 points and 17 rebounds.
• The Grizzlies Sam Young is seizing his opportunity with these extra minutes as of late. Young had 18 and 19 points back to back last week, and last night, he put up 22, including knocking down two three’s, which is a part of his game that he’s been missing.
• Last night was the first night for the Mavericks with Peja Stojakovic playing. They threw him right into the mix as the starting small forward, though he only logged 20 minutes. He scored eight points and had five rebounds, but only went 1-for-6 from three. His minutes will increase and hopefully his production as well. He’s a sleeper option for 14 team or more leagues.
• The Cavaliers broke the record for consecutive losses last night, and there is not much to be excited about in Cleveland. But one of the few bright spots is Ramon Sessions. Last night, Sessions had 19 points, 13 assists and two steals. The last five games, Sessions is averaging 18 points and 9.4 assists.
• It was another huge night for Kevin Martin of the Rockets, who had 37 points, four threes, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. This is the third time in four games that Martin has went off for 30 or more points. He doesn’t get the attention of a lot of other guys, but he’s having a fantastic year.
• One of the reasons Martin might not be getting the proper pub is because when he has a huge game like this, Carmelo Anthony is there to upstage him with a 50 point performance. Anthony added in 11 rebounds, three blocks and a steal. It doesn’t matter what team Carmelo plays for; he’s one of the elite scorers in the league.
• In a continuing theme, the superstars were out to play last night and LaMarcus Aldridge dropped 42 against the Bulls. But just as important to the team was Andre Miller’s performance of 27 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and four steals. Miller has had double digit assists in three of his last four games.
• To say that DeMarcus Cousins is coming into his own is an understatement. Another nice game with 25 points and 14 rebounds last night for Cousins. This is the fourth time in five games he has gone over 20 points.