What DeRozan’s Injury Means for the Dinos

DeMar DeRozan has been sidelined indefinitely with a torn left adductor longus tendon, meaning at best DeRozan will be sidelined 4-6 weeks, and possibly longer depending on how it’s treated. While DeRozan is optimistic he can return to the court as soon as possible, it’s hard to determine how effective he will be if he rushes back too soon. Injuries like these tend to linger in a player, and it may not be until the offseason that DeMar can properly rest and put the setback behind him.

Fantasy Spotlight: November 29th

Fantasy Studs

Tyson Chandler, Dallas Mavericks: Chandler has seen a career turnaround since being shipped away by the Knicks, and his skills were on full display against the Sixers. Chandler finished with a team high 20 points on 7-9 shooting, making 6-7 free throws, while adding 13 boards, 4 steals, and 3 assists, He surprisingly didn’t have any blocks, but after going for a season high 25 boards earlier this week, Chandler has played a big part in Dallas’s return to the Western Conference elite.

Fantasy Spotlight: November 28th

Fantasy Studs

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls: Noah was a game time decision for the matchup against the Celtics, and fantasy owners must be happy he decided to give it a go in this one. Noah finished with 15 points on 4-12 shooting, making 7-8 free throws, while adding 14 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 6 assists. Noah displayed his do-everything game that made him an MVP candidate a season ago, and made some timely baskets as the Bulls held on for the victory.

Fantasy Spotlight: November 26th

Fantasy Studs

Al Jefferson, Charlotte Hornets: While the Hornets backcourt continues to underwhelm, Big Al looks to be regaining his double-double form. Jefferson scored 21 points on 9-19 shooting, making 3-3 free throws, while adding 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. He helped limit All-Star LeMarcus Aldridge to just 3-18 shooting, but the Blazers backcourt carried them over Charlotte. The Hornets are falling fast in the East, and even a resurgence from Jefferson doesn’t seem to be enough right now.

Fantasy Spotlight: November 25th

Fantasy Studs

Jeff Teague & Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks gutted out a big win against the division rival Wizards, with Teague and Millsap doing much of the heavy lifting. Teague finished with a game high 28 points on 8-19 shooting, making 12-14 from the line while missing both 3-pointers, adding 3 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and a blocked shot. Millsap double-doubled with 17 points on 7-14 shooting, making 1-2 3’s and 2-3 free throws, while adding 11 rebounds, 4 steals, a block, and an assist. Both stuffed the stat sheet and accounted for most of the starters points.

Fantasy Spotlight: November 24th

Fantasy Studs

Blake Griffin & Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers dynamic duo rebounded after a shellacking against the Grizzlies, as LA easily handled the Hornets. BG flirted with a triple-double, notching 22 points on 10-23 shooting, including 2-3 from the line, to go with 16 rebounds and 9 assists. CP3 mirrored his partners output, scoring 22 points on 10-16 shooting, including 2-5 from deep, to go with 15 assists, 5 rebounds, and a blocked shot. They combined for just 3 turnovers, and Griffin far exceeded his 6-8 rebounds per game. Maybe that Memphis game was just what the Clippers needed to get their team going.

NBA Power Rankings: Week 4

The West returned to their dominant selves this week on the power rankings, with the likes of New Orleans, currently out of the playoff picture in the West, slotted in the #12 spot. The Magic, the East’s current #8 seed if the season ended today, fall in at #19 with a 6-9 record. Clearly their remains a huge gap between the East and West when it comes to competitiveness, and the injuries that have hit the Bulls, along with the Cavs struggles, makes the East even harder to predict. With the reigning champs coming of a 4-0 week and breaking into the top 10, it looks like another year of Western Conference dominance in the NBA.

Fantasy Spotlight: November 23rd

Fantasy Studs

Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: The Clippers and Grizzlies renewed their rivalry, and again Gasol showed his worth in leading his team to victory. Marc scored 30 points on 13-18 shooting, including 4-5 from the line, to go with 12 boards, 2 blocks, and an assist. Gasol limited DeAndre Jordan’s effectiveness by getting him in foul trouble, and had his way down low. Gasol’s been on a tear and has been an elite fantasy big man now that he’s taken on more of a scoring role in the offense.

These Raptors Have Claws

As a long-time Toronto Raptors fan, the start of their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers was an all-too-familiar scene. Toronto came out flat, while LeBron, a man who had won 16 straight games against the dinos, was leading his new group of teammates to a 12-0 lead. The Raptors didn’t get their 1^st bucket until 4 minutes into the frame, and it already looked like the trap game was set. Both teams were coming off a back-to-back, with the Raptors winning a laugher against the Bucks, while the Cavs dropped a matchup with the Wizards, and were no doubt hungry for a win.

Fantasy Spotlight: November 22nd

Fantasy Studs

Chris Bosh, Miami Heat: The Heat’s bench keeps shrinking as the injuries pile up, so a big game from Bosh is just what they needed to move back above .500. Bosh finished with 32 points on 13-20 shooting, making 4-6 from deep and 2-2 from the line, adding 10 rebounds, an assist, and a blocked shot. Josh McRoberts has yet to return to form, leaving Bosh to do much of the heavy lifting in the Heat’s frontcourt, so seeing him score efficiently is a great sign moving forward.