Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs played his second game on Friday night after returning from an ankle injury. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, Ginobili illustrated why he’s such a fantasy basketball force. Despite playing limited minutes, he dominated for San Antonio.

In 17 minutes, Ginobili had 14 points, seven assists, three steals and one block while hitting 5-of-7 shots from the field, 2-of-3 attempts from behind the three-point line and 2-of-2 shots at the charity stripe. As he returns to health and gets in better shape, expect his minutes to return to about 30 to 32 minutes per contest.

Ginobili is the rare fantasy basketball player that you can count on even when he comes off the bench. The Spurs rely on him for production and he comes to play on a nightly basis. If you have him on your roster, keep him active from now on.

The overall impact on San Antonio’s roster will be positive. Tony Parker might not have to carry such a huge load but since Ginobili is such a good passer, his impact will almost entirely positive for the fantasy basketball world.

Here is a Manu Ginobili video showing you highlights of what the Argentine star is capable of doing on the basketball court:

Drew Gooden was recently released by the Sacramento Kings after being traded from the Chicago Bulls. It didn’t take long for him to catch on, landing with the four-time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs.

Although it’s expected that Gooden will come off the bench, there’s definitely a chance for him to carve out a substantial role. Next to Tim Duncan, the Spurs have only a selection of questionably talented role players.

In terms of fantasy basketball, Gooden will only truly hold value if he starts. As a starter and playing thirty minutes per night, Gooden could average somewhere around ten points and eight boards per game for San Antonio.

The players this news could negatively affect are Matt Bonner and Kurt Thomas. Bonner has been a very good source for three-pointers from the bigman positions in both the NBA and the fantasy world. If he finds himself coming off the bench, his stock would plummet.

Thomas doesn’t have much of a fantasy stock as it stands and this news lowers his status to a penny stock.

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs is sidelined once again with an ankle injury. The good news is that the injured ankle isn’t the same one that required surgery this summer. However, the stress reaction in his ankle is expected to keep him out 2-to-3 weeks.

Since Ginobili will have two “bad” ankles once he returns, his fantasy value the rest of the way takes a major hit. Additionally, you can expect head coach Gregg Popovich to play him even fewer minutes than usual to make sure that Ginobili will hold up come playoff time.

With Ginobili out, the player who will get the most added touches is Roger Mason, Jr. The starter at shooting guard for the Spurs should see his scoring average rise around a half dozen points or so with Ginobili sidelined.

Other players who will get more minutes with Ginobili out include veterans Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and Ime Udoka. If you want to take a chance on a sleeper, consider George Hill. Although he’s the team’s backup point guard, he could see some minutes at shooting guard with Ginobili sidelined.

As could be expected, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker will also have to shoulder a larger part of the role until Ginobili can return. Once the Argentine sensation is back on the court, follow him closely to see how healthy he appears and if he gets to play enough minutes to warrant a spot on your fantasy roster.

Roger Mason, Jr. is making a habit of hitting big shot for the San Antonio Spurs. His latest big shot was a game-winning three-point play against the Los Angeles Lakers. You can see the Roger Mason video at the end of this entry and see how he put the Spurs ahead for good after hitting a long two-pointer plus a foul on Derek Fisher.

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:

During the 2008-09 NBA season, Tony Parker has quietly been one of the league’s best clutch players. His clutchness was on display against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday when he hit a turnaround jumper as time expired to pull out the win for the Spurs. You can see the Tony Parker video of his game winning shot at the end of this entry.

For fantasy basketball owners, Tony Parker has been a bit better than expected. His stats are up across the board — especially in scoring and assists. Although he’s had a couple of poor games along the way, overall he’s having his best season to date in his NBA career.

Going forward, Parker should continue to produce. With his outside jumper improved from past seasons, he’s more of a weapon offensively. Additionally, the Spurs are putting the ball in his hands to win games more than ever. So far, that has resulted in a lot of positive outcomes so far this season.

Here is the video of the Tony Parker game winner against the 76ers:

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers
Since Cuttino Mobley has been traded, Eric Gordon has definitely become a fantasy viable player. He’s starting, getting good minutes and producing at a good clip. Since he’s a rookie it’s hard to tell what his ceiling is but he is looking like a player that can average between 13 and 15 points in his rookie campaign.

Kris Humphries, Toronto Raptors
With new coach Jay Triano now in charge of the Raptors after Sam Mitchell got fired, there’s some rumblings that Kris Humphries could see his minutes rise. Andre Bargnani isn’t defending well and Humphries could be the next in line for bigman minutes. His high PER suggests that he could do a good job if asked to take on a bigger load.

Matt Bonner, San Antonio Spurs
Matt Bonner has a good PER and is now starting at center for the Spurs. If he continues to get enough minutes, Bonner is helpful mostly due to his ability to make three-pointers from the center position. He’s also not a bad rebounder and he doesn’t make a lot of mistakes with the ball.

JJ Hickson, Cleveland Cavaliers
Although JJ Hickson is still a raw player, he has produced when the Cavs have put him on the floor. He’s a very good athlete at the power forward position who can score, rebound and block shots. If minutes open up due to injury or poor play, Hickson could step through the door and explode onto the scene.

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Tony Parker returned to the basketball court after missing three weeks due to a left ankle injury. Although he came off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, Parker played extremely well in helping the team beat the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night.

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.

Roger Mason, Jr., San Antonio Spurs
Currently, Roger Mason, Jr. is leading the NBA in three-pointers made and is shooting a sizzling 52% from beyond the arc. Playing off of Tim Duncan, Mason has found plenty of openings to get off his quick release jumper. However, keep an eye on his minutes after Ginobili returns to 100% and Tony Parker returns from his ankle injury.

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.

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Although Manu Ginobili was expected to miss the first 20 to 25 games, he suited up and played for the San Antonio Spurs in their 13th game of the season. Sidelined due to offseason ankle surgery, Ginobili came off the bench against the Memphis Grizzlies.

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.

Luc Mbah a Moute, Milwaukee Bucks
At UCLA, Luc Mbah a Moute looked like an NBA star in the making during his freshman season. But then he had two underwhelming campaigns where he struggled mightily to score the basketball. Now with the Milwaukee Bucks, this second round draft pick is reminding basketball fans why he was once so highly regarded. Mbah a Moute is now starting a power forward for Milwaukee and could hold onto that job for a long time. He’s a very good defensive player, which coach Scott Skiles loves, and is scoring much better than he did at UCLA.

JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards
With the Washington Wizards struggling to win games early in the season, there have been some whispers about moving JaVale McGee into the starting lineup. If that happens, he instantly becomes a fantasy viable center. But even if it doesn’t, McGee is starting to put up very nice numbers. We’ve been calling him a sleeper since preseason and he looks like he’s going to transform from a sleeper to the real thing pretty soon.

George Hill, San Antonio Spurs
Now that Tony Parker is out at least one month, rookie George Hill has taken over at point guard. While his first two starts haven’t been overly impressive, he’s going to get a good opportunity. As long as he keeps getting minutes, he’s a player who can help your fantasy basketball squad in points, assists, rebounds and steals. Overall, he’s still raw but the potential is definitely there.

Anthony Tolliver, San Antonio Spurs
A second Spur on this list, Anthony Tolliver is an unknown quantity with most NBA fans. But with the Spurs struggling to get production from the bigmen next to Tim Duncan, Tolliver has emerged as a legit option. It wouldn’t be too surprising if he eventually becomes a starter next to Duncan. Tolliver is a center who can hit three-pointers and hand out assists. Those unique talents for his position could make Tolliver an interesting fantasy basketball option.

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