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Court Report: ...if you don't have your health

matt buser

Andrew Bogut(notes) and John Wall(notes) have been per-game stalwarts, but their impact will ultimately depend on health.

• Andrew Bogut set the tone for the Bucks in their win over the Rockets Friday, posted his fourth straight double-double and his first 20-20 performance of the season (24 points, 22 boards, 1 steal, 5 blocks). Bogut said afterward that his injured arm is "starting to feel better game in and game out." In four games since returning from time off to deal with back spasms, Bogut has averaged 20.8 points, 16 boards, 1.3 steals, and 3.8 blocks in 39 minutes. He's a beast when he plays, so clearly fantasy owners can only hope for continued health.

• Drew Gooden(notes) continues to be sidelined by plantar fasciitis but is hoping to return sometime next week. Neither Larry Sanders(notes) (25 minutes, 2 points, 0-6 FG, 2 boards, 3 blocks) nor Ersan Ilyasova(notes) (26 minutes, 13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block) was a game-breaker in his stead on Friday.

• The Rockets were out of sync against the Bucks and not a huge help to fantasy owners on this night. Kevin Martin(notes) scored 23 points but made only five of 13 shots (12-13 FT), Luis Scola(notes) was just four of 13 (10 points, 6 boards, 2 steals, 2 blocks), and Kyle Lowry(notes) was four of 15 (11 points, 2 threes, 3 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal). Courtney Lee(notes) saw a bit more run (28 minutes) with Ishmael Smith(notes) out of the rotation and was reasonably productive (16 points, 7-10 FG, 2 threes, 1 steal). In the 12 games where Lee has seen at least 20 minutes of playing time, he's averaged 9.6 points, 1.5 threes, and 0.8 steals in 23 minutes.

• The Knicks got 92 points from their starters overall and a gargantuan line from Amar'e Stoudemire(notes) specifically (36 points, 13-24 FG, 10-11 FT, 10 boards, 5 assists, 11 turnovers, 2 blocks) to win their seventh straight game. It wasn't Raymond Felton's(notes) finest performance of the season (13 points, 5-17 FG, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 3 steals), but there were no complaints when it comes to Wilson Chandler(notes) (16 points, 2 threes, 8 boards, 2 blocks), Danilo Gallinari(notes) (16 points, 9-9 FT, 1 three, 1 steal, 1 block), or Landry Fields(notes) (11 points, 2 threes, 6 boards, 1 steal). The speedball attack rolls on.

• Toney Douglas(notes) was the only reserve that got extended minutes and was a mixed bag (27 minutes, 7 points, 3-10 FG, 5 boards, 6 assists, 1 turnover, 4 steals). Those six assists were a season-high and just the third time he's had more than three in a single game. Douglas' long-term value is inhibited by his lack of true point guard skills - he hasn't been the backup to Felton that he needs to be and the team could eventually look to bring in a player they find more suitable.

• John Wall was back in the lineup for the Wizards after sitting Wednesday's game because of a sore left foot. He wasn't at his best in this one (8 points, 4-14 FG, 0-2 FT, 6 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal) but priority No.1 is that he gets and stays healthy. Wall checked into Friday's matchup with the Knicks at 25th overall in per-game rank.

• Gilbert Arenas(notes) made nine of 18 shots versus the Knicks (20 points, 2 threes, 6 assists, 4 turnovers, 4 steals) and it was just the fourth time he's made at least 50 percent of his attempts in a single game. Arenas' numbers have been decent (17.5 points, 84% FT, 2.3 threes, 5.2 assists, 3.5 turnovers, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks) outside of his anemic shooting (40%, 15.6 FGA), but that one negative is no joke. His high volume of shots attempts has him pacing as the fourth-largest negative impact on the category.

• Al Thornton's(notes) inconsistencies continued Friday (14 minutes, 1-5 FG, 4 fouls) and created another opportunity for Nick Young(notes). Young played a reasonable productive 33 minutes (17 points, 3 threes) and has averaged 16.3 points on 47-percent shooting, and 1.8 threes in 28 minutes over his past 12 games. The downside here is a lack of supporting stats (2.3 boards, 0.7 assists, 1 turnover, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks) and the fact that he has no guarantees of playing time when the team isn't dealing with injuries or foul trouble. And while I don't have substantial expectations for Josh Howard(notes), he's expected to return within two weeks and he'll certainly be a factor in how minutes are divided.

• The Nuggets and Raptors traded offense all night, but the Nuggets eventually prevailed 123-116 and got George Karl his 1000th career win as a head coach in the third try. Denver got big games from Al Harrington(notes) (31 points, 12-19 FG, 6 threes, 6 boards), Nene Hilario(notes) (26 points, 9-12 FG, 6 boards, 1 steal, 1 block), and Chauncey Billups(notes) (21 points, 11-13 FT, 2 threes, 8 assists, 4 turnovers). Carmelo Anthony(notes) missed his second straight game because of right knee soreness and remains day-to-day.

• The Raptors got a season-best line from Linas Kleiza(notes) (31 minutes, 26 points, 11-16 FG, 4 threes, 12 boards, 1 steal) and a combined 67 points from Andrea Bargnani(notes) (24 points, 2 threes, 3 steals), Leandro Barbosa(notes) (26 minutes, 22 points, 8-12 FG, 2 threes), and Sonny Weems(notes) (21 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 1 turnover, 2 steals). Jerryd Bayless(notes) got the start for the injured Jose Calderon(notes) but didn't impress (23 minutes, 3 points, 1-9 FG, 5 assists, 0 turnovers). Calderon sat with a sore foot and will also be out on Saturday, so Bayless will get at least one more start (@DET).

• As odd as it sounds, the Pacers are winning with defense these days. They entered Friday's matchup with the Bobcats as the league leader in opponent field goal shooting (42.7%), and Charlotte shot just 41 percent in the 100-92 Indiana win. Danny Granger(notes) led the Pacers in scoring (18 points, 1 steal, 1 three, 1 block) and Roy Hibbert(notes) provided the big line (13 points, 14 boards, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 3 blocks), but the Pacers' production ran deep. Mike Dunleavy (15 points, 3 treys, 2 blocks), Darren Collison(notes) (10 points, 7 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal), and Brandon Rush(notes) (16 points, 4 threes) contributed, and Josh McRoberts(notes) was okay despite just one rebound (11 points, 2 threes, 1 steal, 1 block).

• Gerald Wallace(notes) logged his seventh double-double of the season in the loss (26 points, 13 boards), compared with 14 double-doubles through 22 games last season. His averages through 22 games include 39 minutes, 17.1 points on 44 percent shooting, and 8.4 boards; averages at the same point last season included 41 minutes, 16.5 points on 44-percent shooting, and 12.2 boards … Tyrus Thomas(notes) missed his second straight game with a left quad injury, and his availability for Saturday remains uncertain. Dominic McGuire(notes) got extra run with Thomas sidelined (24 minutes, 10 points, 6 boards, 1 block).

• The Bulls got shots when the needed them, mostly from Derrick Rose(notes) (29 points, 3 threes, 9 assists, 4 turnovers), in their 88-84 win over the Lakers. There weren't many substantial lines otherwise, although Carlos Boozer(notes) did log his second double-double (10 points, 11 boards). Keith Bogans(notes) was largely ineffective once again (11 minutes, 0-3 FG, 2 fouls) and it's certainly conceivable that he'll be replaced in the starting five by Ronnie Brewer(notes) at some point (24 minutes, 10 points, 2 steals, 1 block). If Brewer had a jumpshot, the move would have already been a done deal.

• The Lakers got a combined 62 points from Kobe Bryant(notes) (23 points, 9-23 FG, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals, 1 block), Pau Gasol(notes) (21 points, 9-15 FG, 8 boards, 4 blocks), and Lamar Odom(notes) (18 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks). Matt Barnes(notes) was the only other notable, as he had 10 points, seven boards, two steals, and a block in 24 minutes off the bench. Combine Barnes and Shannon Brown's(notes) lines on the season and you get 19.4 points, 2.4 threes, 7.7 boards, 1.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks in 39 minutes.

• The Russell Westbrook(notes) train just keeps rolling after another excellent line Friday night (29 points, 10-18 FG, 7-8 FT, 2 threes, 10 assists, 7 turnovers, 1 steal), and that's with Chris Paul(notes) defending him … Kevin Durant(notes) had another sub-par shooting night (8-20 FG) but was very good overall (25 points, 2 threes, 5 boards, 6 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals). Durant stands at 42-percent shooting on the season, but overall his numbers are looking fantastic, including his league-leading free throw percentage impact (92%, 9.1 FTA) … Serge Ibaka(notes) got another start in place of Nenad Krstic(notes) (back, day-to-day) and was big-time (32 minutes, 18 points, 9 boards, 1 steal, 3 blocks)

• Chris Paul was good, but not Westbrook good, on this night (18 points, 1 three, 7 assists, 3 turnovers, 5 steals). David West(notes) posted a complete line (24 points, 11-18 FG, 13 boards, 4 assists, 4 turnovers, 4 steals, 1 block) and Marco Belinelli(notes) added 15 points and two threes, but the numbers were hard to come by for the Hornets otherwise.

• How giddy are Kevin Love's(notes) fantasy owners these days? He was a beast again Friday (27 points, 10-14 FG, 2 threes, 18 boards), pushing his streak of games with 15-plus boards to nine. His averages during those games include 24.9 points on 49-percent shooting, 90-percent foul shooting, 2 threes, 18.9 boards, 2.8 assists, and 2 turnovers.

• Elsewhere for the T-Wolves: Michael Beasley's(notes) night was limited by foul trouble (25 minutes, 12 points, 7 boards, 5 fouls), Luke Ridnour(notes) couldn't have been much more productive (20 points, 3 threes, 10 assists, 2 turnovers, 3 steals), and Darko Milicic(notes) returned from a quad injury and blocked a career-high seven shots in 37 minutes (11 points, 5 boards) … Jonny Flynn(notes) was back playing in the d-league Friday and will once more Saturday before rejoining the team next week. Can you see the timeshare coming? Also, Martell Webster(notes) will practice with the team this weekend in the hopes of rejoining the active roster on Tuesday.

• Notables for the Pistons on this night: Richard Hamilton(notes) (26 points, 2 threes) and Rodney Stuckey(notes) (19 points, 6 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals) got their numbers, but it was pretty thin otherwise as the team shot just 39 percent. Greg Monroe(notes) made his first start of the season at center and responded with eight points, 15 boards, one steal, and one block in 35 minutes. Ben Wallace(notes) got a night off with the team in the midst of four games in five nights.

• The Spurs kept it rolling in their 108-92 win over the Hawks, getting between 12 and 16 points from each of the top six players in their rotation while shooting 53 percent from the field and 48 percent from three. Richard Jefferson(notes) made a season-high five threes and has averaged 13.8 points, 3 threes, and 5.8 boards in the past five games. And DeJuan Blair(notes) posted his second consecutive double-double (26 minutes, 16 points, 12 boards, 4 steals, 1 block), a feat he's only accomplished one other time in his career. Blair's playing time has been erratic - like any other non-Tim Duncan(notes) big on this team - but he's averaged 11.4 points, 9.9 boards, 2.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks in the seven games where he's played at least 25 minutes.

• The Hawks got production from Al Horford(notes) (19 points, 9 boards), Jamal Crawford(notes) (23 points, 2 threes, 5 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 2 blocks), Marvin Williams(notes) (15 points, 2 threes, 7 boards, 1 steal), and Josh Smith(notes) (15 points, 2 threes, 3 steals, 2 blocks). Smith left the game mid-way through the fourth quarter with leg cramps but expects to play Saturday. Check for updates closer to game time.

• The Magic took the night off on defense and the Jazz took advantage of what is usually not a favorable matchup. The Jazz shot 54 percent from the field, 63 percent from three, and had 30 assists versus just seven turnovers. Deron Williams'(notes) exceptional play continued (32 points, 4 treys, 9 assists, 2 turnovers, 1 steal) and Andrei Kirilenko(notes) posted his best overall line of the season (17 points, 6-8 FG, 2 threes, 13 boards, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 2 steals, 3 blocks). Gordon Hayward(notes) started while Raja Bell(notes) rested a strained thigh muscle, but Hayward did little (18 minutes, 0 points, 4 fouls) while C.J. Miles(notes) caught fire like he does from time to time (22 minutes, 26 points, 9-13 FG, 4 threes). Miles would certainly benefit if Bell's injury turned into a nagging situation.

• The Jazz also did an excellent job on defense against Dwight Howard(notes), limiting him to one of his least productive lines of the season (14 points, 5-15 FG, 12 boards, 0 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 blocks). Brandon Bass(notes) got the start at power forward and the arrangement worked out well for him (28 minutes, 18 points, 8-11 FG, 8 boards) and Rashard Lewis(notes) (15 points, 6-9 FG, 2 threes), but the move was made to match up with the Jazz's big frontcourt and figures to be temporary.

• Brandon Roy(notes) rebounded from a string of poor shooting nights to post one of his better overall lines in the 101-94 win over the Suns (41 minutes, 26 points, 10-19 FG, 2 threes, 6 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals). In nine games since returning from his three-game hiatus in mid-November to rest his knee, Roy has averaged 18.1 points on 43-percent shooting, 1.2 threes, 2.7 boards, 3.6 assists, 1.6 turnovers, and 0.7 steals in 36 minutes. Roy doesn't appear to be on a minutes restriction any more, but he certainly has appeared to be on a production restriction on most nights.

• Wesley Matthews(notes) continues to rack up the threes and steals. His two threes and four steals Friday pushed his averages over the past eight games to 2.6 threes and 2.1 steals, along with 20.6 points on 52-percent shooting and 92-percent foul shooting. Matthews' per-36s last season added up to a combined 2.2 threes and steals, but that number has risen to 3.4 so far this season … Marcus Camby(notes) reached season-highs in both points (16) and rebounds (18) against the Suns, while Nicolas Batum(notes) had his worst showing as a reserve (20 minutes, 0 points, 0-7 FG).

•Jason Richardson's(notes) shot was off for the third consecutive night (2-9 FG, 0-4 3PT), and he's averaged 6 points on 21-percent shooting and zero threes in those three games. In the seven games immediately preceding this terrible trio, J-Rich averaged 25.9 points on 57-percent shooting and 3.8 threes on 60-percent shooting … Steve Nash(notes) was able to manufacture some offense for himself (24 points, 11-19 FG), but the Suns aren't going to win many games in which Nash tallies only five assists.

• The Heat won their seventh game in a row with another big line from Dwyane Wade(notes) (34 points, 12-20 FG, 9 boards, 7 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 steal), another big line from LeBron James(notes) (25 points, 10-18 FG, 3 threes, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block), complementary numbers from Chris Bosh(notes) (16 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 4 steals, 1 block), and do-what-you-can production elsewhere … Wade has now scored at least 22 points in eight of the past nine games, averaging 24.7 points on 56-percent shooting, 7.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 4 turnovers, 1.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks in that span.

• The Warriors didn't have much for the Heat on Friday and have now lost 13 of 15 games following a 6-2 start. Monta Ellis(notes) wasn't the problem (20 points, 2 threes, 7 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block), but the rest of his teammates shot just 35 percent from the field, "led" by Dorell Wright(notes) (4-15) and Reggie Williams(notes) (4-11 FG) … Wright's shooting was certainly atrocious, but he posted his fourth double-double in the past five games (12 points, 10 boards) and didn't skimp on supporting numbers (4 threes, 4 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 steals). Over the past 11 games, Wright has been brutal from the field (37% FG, 14.6 FGA) but excellent elsewhere (14.5 points, 2.3 threes, 6.9 boards, 3.3 assists, 2.2 turnovers, 1.4 steals, 1.1 blocks). Wright also ranks fourth in the league on the season with 39.5 minutes per game.

• Stephen Curry's(notes) timeline remains vague. Keith Smart said he expects him to be out "for a little bit," but the official word at this point is that he's scheduled to be re-evaluated in a few days, after the swelling subsides. At that point, we should see a more definitive prognosis come to light.

A few other injury updates:

• The Clippers announced Friday that Chris Kaman(notes) is expected to miss at least three more weeks because of a bone bruise and ligament sprain in his left ankle. This update means more starts for DeAndre Jordan(notes) and continued opportunities for Blake Griffin(notes) to assert himself.

• An MRI of Tyreke Evans'(notes) sore left foot revealed no stress fracture and "just" plantar fasciitis. There are no plans to rest Evans at this point, but it certainly seems like a prudent and likely course of action if neither his health nor the Kings' winning percentage (.250) improves during the coming weeks and months.

• Devin Harris(notes) (shoulder) and Derrick Favors(notes) (thigh) are both currently questionable for Saturday's game. Jordan Farmar(notes) and Troy Murphy(notes) would benefit from their respective absences.

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