Bobman's NBA Compendium: Week 15

The All-Star break can be misleading.

It doesn't actually signify the halfway point of the regular NBA season, and it means that you only have 4/5 weeks of the Fantasy Basketball season left.

It's more of a wake up call than a respite.

So WAKE UP. (Or go back to sleep - if that applies.)

Injuries:

Blake Griffin, LAC, PF/C

He's out anywhere from 3 games to 6 weeks (nobody seems to know) - which is probably the most frustrating thing for his Fantasy owners. The effects of his surgery are ambiguous, and it's unclear whether or not Blake will be back in time for the Fantasy Basketball playoffs...

For keepers/dynasties, it's not even a question: You have to wait it out. For standard, 1-year leagues though, it's trickier.

If you really need to win NOW (bubble playoff teams take note), you could TRY trading him to a team higher up in the standings (who may want him as a stash). But there's a very real possibility you may have to drop Blake Griffin... I would probably wait until after the All-Star break - just in case the rest somehow expedites the recovery process for Griffin. But either way, you've got to decide if you're going to risk your season on Blake's health. It's not worth losing a playoff spot to hold a volatile asset, but timing is everything. You don't want to be the guy who drops Blake the day before he returns...

Spencer Hawes is the obvious add here, but I don't think he'll get all of Griffin's usage. I also like Matt Barnes (if he's still available), and even Austin Rivers is getting quality minutes (mostly because J.J. Redick is also injured). The bench minutes are going to rotate wildly over the next little while, so there may be opportunities in deep leagues for some randoms here. Hell, even Hedo Turkoglu could have some value.

As for Blake, try to hold him as long as possible. He's a guy you only want to drop if you absolutely have to. But at this point in the season, you have to do whatever you can to make the playoffs. If you're in the playoffs, you could win the championship. Records mean nothing then...

Anthony Davis, NO, PF/C

Wanna know how valuable Anthony Davis is to his team?

AD got injured against the Bulls Saturday night, and his team ended up scoring 72 points that evening.

If you're an Anthony Davis owner, you're in another ambiguous situation here.

Most reports are saying it's of the day-to-day variety, but we all know how these types of injuries can linger... Unless there's damning info though, you gotta take the hit. If he's back just after the All-Star game, you're laughing. If not though, you're in a Blake Griffin conundrum (see above).

The more games The Brow misses, the more appealing Alexis Ajinca is. But Davis' major usage will clearly affect the entire team in many ways. More defensive pressure on Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans = less efficient scoring. Check these Pelican box scores daily...

Intrigued:

James Johnson, TOR, SF/PF

JJ has anchored the Raptors' recent quality wins against the Clippers and Spurs. He's basically a defensive stopper with sneaky offensive efficiency. He's a trendy add right now, but the question is: Should he be?

While Johnson has looked fantastic the last couple games, he had missed several games beforehand: some due to injury, some due to the dreaded DNP-CD.

The swing situation in Toronto is congested, to say the least. Here is the list of players competing for minutes in the SG/SF department: James Johnson, DeMar DeRozan, Lou Williams, Greivis Vasquez, Terrence Ross. And since Johnson's versatility also allows him to play power forward, he's also in a logjam with: Amir Johnson, Patrick Patterson and Tyler Hansbrough.

With starter's minutes, James Johnson is a quality add in standard leagues. But he could be demoted at any moment - despite his torrid play. View J2 as a deep league option (leagues of 14 or more), and don't consider him a valuable commodity in dynasties/keepers. He's nothing more than a short term add with potential for more...

Mitch McGary, OKC, PF

The streaky Steven Adams got injured for 3 weeks, and highly touted Mitch McGary came out of nowhere to provide mini beast mode: 19 points, 10 rebounds, 8/9 from the field, 23 minutes.

While McGary was a 2014 first round pick (with solid college pedigree), Sunday's perceived breakout performance against the undermanned Clippers was only the 3rd game he's played all season - and the first time he's played more than 7 minutes in an NBA game. It could signify an undervalued asset, or it could as easily be a statistical anomaly. Sample sizes don't get much smaller than this...

He's worth a speculative add in deep leagues/dynasties, but feel free to drop him at a moment's notice. With that said, McGary was a highly regarded kid outta Michigan. So there is upside here...

Yahoo Friends and Family league:

With 6 weeks to go, yours truly is still holding the #2 seed in Yahoo's Friends and Family league. I came from behind against my good friends at Razzball this week, and you can listen to our midweek analysis at the Razzball fantasy basketball podcast HERE.

In summation, the choices are getting harder and harder.

But that's what it takes when you want to win it all.

Life's not easy.

Try being Kanye West.

So many people to screw with, so little time...

Bobman