The latest out of San Antonio is that Ginobili will miss another week or two. If you are a betting man, expect him to return at some point in the last week in March.

Until Ginobili, Tony Parker and Roger Mason, Jr. will see their values retain their current level. Parker has had a few monstrous games as of late and is a good fantasy player to have on your team. Mason is streaky but his scoring and three-point shooting can definitely help.

The Spurs should also debut Drew Gooden at some point in the coming week. Keep a close eye on that situation to see how he affects the shot distribution in San Antonio.

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As for Mason’s fantasy basketball value, it has been hit and miss lately. Since the return of Manu Ginobili, Mason is starting but he’s not getting the same amount of looks as he was earlier in the season. The good news is he’s proving a lot of three-pointers, shooting for a great percentage and help out in the assist department without turning the ball over too much.

Against the Lakers, Ginobili had his best game of the season. If you are a Ginobili owner, you have to be excited with how he played — especially through the first three quarters.

On top of all that, San Antonio’s two likely All-Stars are playing well. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker haven’t been fantastic over the last few weeks but they are steadily producing both for the Spurs and fantasy owners.

Here is the video of Roger Mason, Jr.’s and-one jumper against the Lakers that won the game:

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Parker finished with 15 points and seven assists in 17 minutes of action. Best of all, he looked healthy and ready for big minutes. He could be back in the starting lineup as quickly as Saturday against the Houston Rockets.

Even though rookie point guard George Hill has been impressive, Parker is in no danger of losing his grip on the Spurs’ point guard duties. His minutes might be cut a little bit but his numbers should remain looking very good.

Earlier in the season, Parker was leading the league in scoring and even had a game in which he scored 55 points. If Manu Ginobili healthy and Hill and fellow newcomer Roger Mason, Jr. playing well, Parker won’t have to score as much as before. The good news is that his assists could receive a bump and his shooting percentage should remain high.

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Quentin Richardson, New York Knicks
Under Mike D’Antoni once again, Quentin Richardson is in line to have a huge year from beyond the three-point line. He already has made 35 threes and is shooting a very respectable 38%. If he stays healthy, there’s a good chance he could lead the league in three-pointers made.

Rashard Lewis, Orlando Magic
Although his touch isn’t quite there yet, Rashard Lewis is already shooting a ton of threes. He easily leads the league in three-pointers attempted and once he regains his touch, he will undoubtedly finish amongst the league leaders in three-pointers made. With Dwight Howard drawing a lot of attention, Lewis gets freed up for many good looks per game.

Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers knew Rudy Fernandez had a good jumper but they didn’t know he’d be among the league leaders in three-pointers made while shooting better than 43% from deep. If Fernandez gets more playing time, he’ll be able to drop even more long distance bombs.

Photo credit: Newscom

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In his comeback game, the Spurs and Ginobili couldn’t have script it any better. In 11 minutes, he scored 12 points, pulled won four rebounds and helped the Spurs post a 94-81 victory.

Although he wasn’t as explosive as usual, Ginobili played quite well in his 2008-09 debut. As he continues to get into basketball shape, he should get more and more minutes.

Fantasy-wise, expect Ginobili to be a valuable player. However, don’t expect him to play nearly as many minutes as he did last season. Cut about five or six minutes off of his minutes per game average and that’s what you can expect for the rest of the season.

It’s unknown whether or not Ginobili will go back in the starting lineup, though there’s a good chance that Roger Mason, Jr. could start for the rest of the season. Luckily, Ginobili plays equally as well in the starting lineup or off the bench.

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For the Spurs, this is a devastating blow. Parker will join Manu Ginobili on the sidelines and now Tim Duncan will have to fend for himself. With Ginobili out another 3-to-5 weeks, winning is going to be a difficult task for San Antonio.

As far as fantasy owners are concerned, the player to pounce on is Roger Mason, Jr. While he won’t start at point guard right off the bat, he’s going to get plenty of offensive opportunities and should be a very good option for the next month. Even with Parker, he 16.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

Rookie George Hill will likely start at point guard for the Spurs with Parker out. While Hill is a decent prospect, it’s not a sure thing that he will produce enough to be on a fantasy basketball team roster. He’s more of a defender and his offensive game is very raw. However, he’s made great strides since summer league so he may be able to surprise.

Backing up Hill at point guard will be Jacque Vaughn and Mason. If Hill struggles, expect one of those two players to get the nod as a starter.

Photo credit: Newscom

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In the 2007-08 season, Mason averaged 9.1 points, 1.7 assists and 1.6 rebounds per game. He shot 44.3% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the three-point arc. Mason split most of his time between shooting guard and point guard.

For the Spurs, Mason will play mostly shooting guard for the Spurs. In fact, there is a chance that Mason could start for the Spurs at shooting guard. With the unknown futures of Michael Finley and Brent Barry, Mason could start so that reigning Sixth Man of the Year Manu Ginobili can continue to come off the bench.

Mason doesn’t currently look like a guy who will have a lot of fantasy basketball value but that would change quickly if he’s named a starter in San Antonio. As a starter, Mason brings to the table a guy who can score, hit three-pointers and shoot for a high percentage.

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