Rudy Fernandez took a hard tumble late in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Portland Trail Blazers rookie swingman was going up for a layup when Trevor Ariza hit him across the back of his head. After laying on the ground for many minutes, he was eventually taken off the court on a stretcher.
Thankfully, reports after the game indicate that Fernandez wasn’t seriously injured. All X-Rays were negative and he was basically just battered and bruised. At the most, Fernandez could miss a couple of games.
As for Ariza, he got a flagrant foul penalty two and was …read more

Does your fantasy basketball team need more steals? Target these players for production in that statistic.
Mario Chalmers, Miami Heat
At Kansas, Mario Chalmers was known as a player who could swipe steals at a stunning rate. While he’s been on and off in the steals department in the NBA, his overall rate is very encouraging. In a game earlier in the season, he had nine steals.
Trevor Ariza, Los Angeles Lakers
Trevor Ariza has been turning a lot of heads this season. One overlooked aspect regarding his production is his steals. He’s stealing the ball at a very good rate. If his minutes …read more

PER is a formula created by John Hollinger to measure productivity of NBA players on a per-minute basis. In fantasy basketball, you can use PER to find players who may blossom once given more minutes. Here is a look at some early PER sleepers for the 2008-09 fantasy basketball season:
Nick Young, Washington Wizards
In only 23.7 minutes per game, Nick Young is averaging 15.7 points. The Wizards knew he could score but he’s off to an unbelievable start. He is shooting 50% from the floor and has hit all 15 of his free throw attempts. While his other stats outside of …read more

Kobe Bryant injured his back in Game 4 against the Utah Jazz but has indicated that he’ll play in Game 5. Bryant was hurt in the first quarter of the game when taking a jump shot.
The back injury obviously limited Bryant in Game 4. The 2008 NBA MVP was 13-for-33 from the floor for the game. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Bryant was 2-for-13. The Los Angeles Lakers ended up losing to the Jazz in overtime and now stand at 2-2 in the best of seven series.
Although Bryant plans to play in Game 5, his …read more

By using John Hollinger’s Player Efficiency Rating (PER), it’s possible to locate fantasy basketball sleepers. To do so, look for players who have a high PER that don’t play extended minutes. Hypothetically, these players should star once their minutes increase.
Amir Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Despite playing only ten minutes per game, Amir Johnson has a very good PER of 19.6. While he’s stuck behind a group of very talented bigmen, head coach Flip Saunders has been trying to give Johnson more minutes. In a dynasty league, Johnson is definitely worth taking a flyer on.
JR Smith, Denver Nuggets
Lately, JR Smith has been on …read more

Kyle Korver, Utah Jazz
The Jazz traded for Korver and Korver has been playing pretty well for Utah. With Ronnie Brewer’s minutes getting lowered recently, Korver could conceivably find himself in the starting lineup by the end of the season. The Jazz desperately need a three-point shooter and Korver is one of the better shooters in the league.
Martell Webster, Portland Trail Blazers
Webster has played pretty well for the Blazers, however he has a lot of room to improve. When you are looking for sleepers, this is the type of guy to look for. Webster is a very good shooter, a capable …read more

PER is a statistic created by John Hollinger that helps measure have well a player performs per minute. By using this statistic, you can help find players who could potentially produce at a high level if their minutes increase.
Craig Smith, Minnesota Timberwolves
Smith has been on fire as of late and his PER is looking very solid at 19.38, which is 40th in the NBA. While he’s only playing a bit over 20 minutes per game, the numbers point to him being a big producer if his minutes rise. With the Timberwolves being content to get as many …read more