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Fantasy Basketball: Is Paul George’s Return Valuable?

By Robert Moodispaugh

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Following one of the busiest trade deadlines in recent history, the NBA has certainly taken on a new shape. For trade deadline help, go ahead and take a look at some of Dave Fuqua’s and Mike Marteny’s articles from the end of last week. Now that the dust has settled, what are we left with on the waiver wire?

*All league ownerships are courtesy of ESPN.com

Paul George (Ind SF, 27.7% of leagues): There have been rumors that George could miraculously return in mid-March, possibly on March 14 against the Celtics. That would leave 18 regular season games (depending on how they handle back-to-backs). Obviously, we’re not going to be looking at the Paul George who averaged 21.7 points per game last season. With an injury as severe as the one George suffered this past summer, I’m sure the Pacers will be extremely careful with George’s usage in those games. I for one am absolutely shocked that the Pacers are pushing him back like this. Indiana is currently a half game behind Brooklyn for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Obviously making the playoffs is important, but could you actually see the Pacers faring well against Atlanta? If I was Larry Bird, I would not want to risk anything with my franchise player. If you don’t make the playoffs, move on and hope you earn a good draft position. But the fact of the matter is that George is confident enough to return, and that means that he is relevant in fantasy. By that time, you’ll most likely be near or in the playoffs. A player like George (even not at 100%) could make the difference between winning and losing.

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Grade the trade: Clippers deal Paul George to GSW in absurd mock trade /

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    • Ed Davis (LAL PF/C, 17.5% of leagues): In the abyss that is the Los Angeles Lakers this season, there really has not been much to cheer about. It’s been a rotunda at seemingly every position based on lack of performance and injuries. Just to put that into perspective, not one player averaged less than 18 minutes per game in February and only one averaged more than 30 (Wayne Ellington). Davis has most recently been the biggest beneficiary of an injury to Jordan Hill. Keep in mind that Hill just returned from said injury that had kept him out most of February. Despite not starting a single game in February, Davis led the team in rebounding (9.6), blocks (1.63), and field goal percentage (.564). Somehow, the Lakers feel that Ryan Kelly and Robert Sacre are the better starting players, but hey, I don’t know what’s going through the heads of the Lakers’ coaching staff at this point. Hill’s return does put a damper on Davis’ value and don’t forget about Carlos Boozer, but Davis seems comfortable in his role, so I would continue to ride him while he’s hot.

    James Johnson (Tor SF, 8.5% of leagues): Who the heck is James Johnson? Well, he is a middle-of-the-road small forward on his fourth team in six seasons. Additionally, this isn’t even his first stint with the Raptors. He played for them in the second half of 2010-11 and for all of 2011-12 before going to the Kings. All of this for a guy who has never averaged more than 9.2 points in a season. All of this seems pretty negative, so why even have Johnson on this list? The original starting small forward for the Raptors this year was Terrence Ross; however, he’s doing what anyone should’ve seen coming for Ross and that is struggling to put the ball in the basket. In February, Ross is shooting an abysmal .309 from the field. Compare that to Johnson’s unbelievable .756. He has missed only TEN shots in February. That’s like an average night for Russell Westbrook. Now you might be thinking that this is a small sample size and it certainly is. It’s not likely that Johnson is going to continue this hot streak. But the biggest hindrance in his career has been consistent playing time. If Ross continues to struggle, head coach Dwane Casey will have no other choice than to give Johnson his well-earned minutes.

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    Isaiah Canaan (Phi PG, 17.9% of leagues): Mike Marteny wrote a lovely article about Canaan’s trade to Philadelphia and I would agree with him. Canaan figures to step right into the starting job because in all honesty, who in their right mind would trust JaKarr Sampson with their point guard duties? Canaan becomes valuable almost by default. I don’t necessarily think Canaan has a bright future in this league, but while he’s on the court in a leadership role, he will be valuable.

    Guys I’ve mentioned previously who are still worth a pickup: Rodney Stuckey (Ind SG/PG, 10.4% of leagues); Khris Middleton (Mil SF, 48.3% of leagues); Jusuf Nurkic (Den C, 18.5% of leagues); Elfrid Payton (Orl PG, 36.2% of leagues); Rudy Gobert (Uta C, 44.0% of leagues); Mo Williams (Cha PG, 38.8% of leagues)

    Guys I would be comfortable dropping or trading: Darren Collison (Sac PG, 68.5% of leagues); Roy Hibbert (Ind C, 66.0% of leagues); Jeff Green (Mem SF, 70.0% of leagues); Mason Plumlee (watch to see if Thaddeus Young moves into the starting lineup over Plumlee in the near future)(Bkn PF/C, 33.2% of leagues)

    Next: Goran Dragic Wins Big At Trade Deadline

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