Danny Granger – Lost teeth, the flu, and a concussion can't keep Granger down. Hopefully we'll know more today, but it is unlikely that Granger's concussion will keep him out more than a few games. UPDATE: It appears that Granger is in the starting lineup for today's Sunday night game.
Cautious Optimism
Stephen Jackson – After initially trying to play through his injuries, Jackson decided it was best to shut it down for a few games. His owners were probably okay with this decision, as Jackson was in a horrible shooting slump. A four-game rest seems to have done him wonders, as he returned to score 28 points in a victory over the Boston Celtics. Assuming he doesn't suffer any setbacks, his minor injury problems seem to be behind him.
Paul Millsap – It's looking increasingly likely that Boozer is out for the year, making Millsap a valuable commodity. Millsap's current injury is not serious (out 7-10 days with a sprained PCL), so now might be a good time to put your trade offers in.
Mike James – Mike James is a 33-year-old point guard who once scored 20.3 points a game for a season (2005-06). Here is far as I'm willing to go with James: he can probably help your team. You will never fall into wild Stuckey love with James, but he probably won't break your heart like a Tyrus Thomas, either. If he's getting more than thirty minutes a game, he should shoot in the low forties and put up 10-15 points and 4-5 assists. At best, think of him as Luke Ridnour-ish.
Kevin Martin – Of all the perpetually injured players on this list, Martin might be the most intriguing. You are essentially deciding if you believe one of two pieces of information on him: 1. That Martin still has pain all around his ankle and 2. Martin has practiced recently and has improved "leaps and bounds" according to his coach. While there is still no timetable for his return, this latest news might change his status from "mostly scary" to "perhaps worth targeting."
Mike Miller in leagues where bad hair doesn't matter – He's missed four straight games in a sprained ankle but should return this week. More problematic, however, is the fact that nearly all Miller's numbers are down. While Miller's ankle is a short-term issue, his minutes and numbers are most likely a long-term issue.
Unmitigated Wariness
Gilbert Arenas – The latest Arenas report is that the Wizards will get Arenas on the court as soon as his knee heals. Apparently, all that talk about the terrible Wizards saving Arenas for next year is bogus.
Tyrus Thomas – Suggesting anything about Thomas is a risk. He's probably been owned and subsequently dropped at least once by every single person reading this sentence. If you still have interest in Thomas, your first question should be, what do we see as Thomas' ceiling? Well, he's actually averaging more points in 20 minutes as a sub then he is in his nine games as a starter with 25 minutes. Which is strange. But if he somehow manages to get 30-35 minutes, it is possible that he'd get 13 to 15 points a game, 6-9 rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. What you need to decide is how much you want to invest in a player who might end up being a guy who is solid in six categories (points, rebounds, blocks, turnovers, steals, free throw percentage) but might hurt you in three (three pointers made, assists, field goal percentage).
Perhaps it will be instructive to compare a guy like Wilson Chandler with Thomas. The first row is Tyrus' current 2008 stats (in 22min/gm), the second column is Tyrus' best case scenario stats (completely made up by me), and the third column is Wilson Chandler's 2008 stats (in 33min/gm):
Player FG% FT% 3PTM PTS REB AST STL BLK TO
Tyrus 40.0 78.8 0.1 7.7 5.5 0.7 1.0 1.6 1.6
Tyrus? 44 78 0.1 14 8 1 1.5 2.0 2.0
Wilson 42.7 81.8 1.2 13.9 5.8 2.0 0.9 0.9 1.9
So yes, I completely made up Tyrus' best case scenario stats, but maybe this will help you believe me when I say that Tyrus will probably never be as good at Wilson Chandler this year, and it is ulikely he'll be a top 100 player this year. Still, he might be able to help your team in the short-term, as half of his teammates are injured.
Active Worry
Carlos Boozer and Mike Dunleavy – Boozer has a third MRI scheduled for this Monday (December 29th), so hopefully owners will get some answers at that time. Not sure what a third MRI will show that the first two did not. As for Dunleavy, there has been absolutely no news on him since we were told that he practiced for ten minutes last week.
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