The Week Ahead

Welcome back to The Week Ahead! Every Monday I’ll touch on some of the major storylines across the NBA and will take a brief look at what’s in store for us during the coming days. If you guys have any questions or just need some advice, be sure to follow me on Twitter!

Week 3 Games Played

5 Games – MIN

4 Games – ATL, BOS, CHA, DAL, DEN, DET, GSW, LAC, LAL, MEM, NOP, NYK, ORL, PHI, POR, SAC, TOR, UTA

3 Games – BRK, CLE, HOU, IND, MIL, OKC, SAS

2 Games – CHI, MIA, PHX, WAS

Things to look for:

Will the Knicks shake up their starting lineup?

Absolutely. A change was coming anyways because Arron Afflalo (hamstring) could be back this week, meaning Sasha Vujacic will have to grab some bench. The bigger question is what the Knicks plan to do with Jose Calderon. Before Sunday’s game against the Lakers he was averaging less than 21 minutes per game, but he responded with 14 points, five boards, three assists, two steals and two treys in 35 minutes. That should help him keep the job for a little bit longer, but Jerian Grant is right on his heels and I’d much rather own the rookie going forward.

Is Scott Skiles going to bring some consistency to his rotations?

Nope. I have to say, as a proud owner of Aaron Gordon in a bunch of leagues, I’m starting to think that I’m going to have to wait until the second half of the season before he gets consistent playing time. However, it’s not just Gordon who is suffering, as we have seen several players including Elfrid Payton and Tobias Harris fall victim to Skiles’ messy rotations. To make things worse, Skiles even admitted that he won’t have a set rotation in the near future. "I don't think we have the type of team that's going to have a set rotation," Skiles said. "There isn't much difference between our starters and our bench players until people emerge.” Fantasy owners will have to be patient this season if you own any Magic players, but here’s to hoping things get better soon. Thanks, Scott.

Joakim Noah might start Monday?

Noah was working with the starting unit at Monday’s shootaround, but coach Fred Hoiberg wouldn’t show his hand and it’s still unclear what his plans are. Nikola Mirotic has been in a mini slump over his past three games, but I think his minutes will be safe regardless of whether he starts or not. Noah and Pau Gasol haven’t played well together in the past, and I still think the Bulls are better off keeping Mirotic in the first unit to space the floor. The Bulls are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Wolves, so it’s pretty obvious why Hoiberg is at least entertaining the idea of a change. I wouldn’t mind to see some Bobby Portis, but that isn’t going to happen for a while. Mirotic will be fine.

How much worse can things get for Brook Lopez and the Nets?

After losing the first seven games of the season, the Nets had a scare when Brook Lopez suffered a right foot injury on Saturday against the Bucks, and that is the same foot that he has had multiple procedures on. X-rays came back negative and the Nets said he is just sore, so hopefully he will be fine moving forward. The reason I’m so concerned is because the Nets clearly aren’t going to compete for a playoff spot, so you have to wonder if they reduce his workload as the season progresses. The only glimmer of hope for his owners is that the Nets don’t have a first-round draft pick, so tanking won’t be a viable option. Lopez is also dealing with back spasms, but it sounds like he will play against Houston on Wednesday.

Injury roundup

Jae Crowder (knee) and Marcus Smart (toe) are both expected to play on Tuesday vs. the Bucks, and head coach Brad Stevens made it clear that both players will be in the starting lineup moving forward. Isaiah Thomas will return to the bench, but he is actually averaging more points per game when he comes off the pine anyways.

Update: Smart said he had lingering pain in his toe during practice on Monday and is not expected to play against the Bucks on Tuesday anymore. In fact, he may not even travel. Owners in weekly leagues should probably bench him to be safe.

LeBron James aggravated his thigh in Sunday’s win over the Pacers, leaving his status up in the air for Tuesday’s contest against the Jazz. My guess is that he will play, but the Cavaliers need to give some serious thought about resting him at some point because the guy looked absolutely gasses in the NBA Finals last season. If LeBron sits, Kevin Love will be one of my favorite plays in daily leagues.

J.R. Smith has now missed three games in a row because of a knee contusion, but the injury isn’t serious and it’s probably a matter of how much pain he can tolerate now. He was a game-time decision on Sunday, so it appears that he is very close to a return.

Brandon Jennings (Achilles) will graduate to full-contact drills this week, but Stan Van Gundy ruled him out for the rest of the November. Jennings could return around Christmas, but Reggie Jackson is lighting it up right now and Jennings’ role will be a huge question mark upon his return. Those of you who are stashing him should be rooting for the Pistons to trade him.

Andrew Bogut (concussion) is expected to return on Monday vs. the Pistons, and it couldn’t have come at a better time because Andre Drummond has been a monster this season. It’s unclear if Bogut will start because Festus Ezeli has played fantastic, but Bogut’s minutes will likely be limited early on anyways while he gets his legs under him. If you own Ezeli, just hold onto him until we see how this position battle plays out.

Chris Paul (groin) is doubtful for Monday’s game against Memphis, so his owners should have a backup plan ready. The Clippers will play three more times after Monday, so hopefully CP3 will be ready for Wednesday vs. the Mavericks. Austin Rivers will likely draw another start on Monday, but you would have to be incredibly desperate to use him in most leagues.

Update: Chris Paul was updated to probable on Monday afternoon and it sounds like he will return to the court after a one-game absence. Head to the bench, Austin.

Nikola Vucevic (knee bruise) is still feeling some pain as expected, and he has already been ruled out for Monday’s game vs. the Pacers. The Magic have every right to be cautious with their star big man, so don’t be surprised if he sits out the whole week. Dewayne Dedmon is averaging 11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks as a starter, so give him a look if you need short-term value.

Darren Collison (hamstring) was expected to be out indefinitely after he revealed that his MRI results were “not good,” but the Kings later announced that he is dealing with a strain and is considered day-to-day. Collison will not play on Monday against the Spurs, but his owners should definitely hold onto him until there is some more clarity on his timetable. Rajon Rondo will play big minutes in his absence.

DeMarre Carroll (plantar fasciitis) sat out of Sunday’s game vs. the Heat, and the bad news is that plantar fasciitis tends to linger if you don’t rest. That leaves his Week 3 status completely up in the air, meaning James Johnson could have some nice short-term value because of his ability to rack up steals and blocks.

DeMarcus Cousins (Achilles) said that he expects to play on Monday against the Spurs after missing the last four games, but there is no indication if he will be on any kind of restrictions. Those of you in weekly leagues can go ahead and activate him in your lineups, but he is a risky play in daily leagues on Monday.

Bradley Beal (shoulder) is questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Thunder, but the bad news is that the Wizards haven’t given an update on his status and he did not practice on Monday. For now, it sounds like we won’t know more until Tuesday’s shootaround. Give Gary Neal a look in deeper leagues if Beal sits, while John Wall will be a stud in DFS.

Exciting matchups to look for this week:

Pistons vs. Warriors (Nov. 9)

Grizzlies vs. Clippers (Nov. 9)

Jazz vs. Cavaliers (Nov. 10)

Thunder vs. Wizards (Nov. 10)

Jazz vs. Heat (Nov. 12)

Hawks vs. Celtics (Nov. 13)

Mavericks vs. Rockets (Nov. 14)