Daily Notes for the Weekend: Ryan Anderson rising
| Saturday Matchups | |||||||||||
| Time | Visitors | Opp. PPG | Opp. FGP | RPG Diff. | Home | Opp. PPG | Opp. FGP | RPG Diff. | |||
| 1:00 p.m. |  | Toronto Raptors | 101.3 | .463 | -1.4 | @ |  | New York Knicks | 108.3 | .483 | -3.8 |
| 2:00 p.m. |  | New Jersey Nets | 101.1 | .463 | -1.8 | @ |  | Chicago Bulls | 102.7 | .456 | -0.3 |
| 3:00 p.m. |  | Detroit Pistons | 94.6 | .451 | +0.7 | @ |  | Philadelphia 76ers | 96.7 | .460 | +2.1 |
| 7:00 p.m. |  | Orlando Magic | 94.8 | .433 | +1.3 | @ |  | Atlanta Hawks | 96.2 | .452 | -1.8 |
| 7:00 p.m. |  | Miami Heat | 98.2 | .455 | -2.8 | @ |  | Washington Wizards | 103.4 | .483 | -1.7 |
| 8:30 p.m. |  | Memphis Grizzlies | 99.7 | .472 | -1.5 | @ |  | Milwaukee Bucks | 100.2 | .458 | +0.3 |
| 9:00 p.m. |  | Los Angeles Clippers | 104.3 | .474 | -4.0 | @ |  | Denver Nuggets | 100.7 | .440 | +0.4 |
| Sunday Matchups | |||||||||||
| Time | Visitors | Opp. PPG | Opp. FGP | RPG Diff. | Home | Opp. PPG | Opp. FGP | RPG Diff. | |||
| 1:00 p.m. |  | San Antonio Spurs | 93.0 | .451 | +0.5 | @ |  | Cleveland Cavaliers | 90.7 | .428 | +3.0 |
| 3:30 p.m. |  | Phoenix Suns | 107.2 | .465 | +0.9 | @ |  | Dallas Mavericks | 99.8 | .453 | +1.1 |
| 6:00 p.m. |  | Charlotte Bobcats | 94.6 | .453 | +0.9 | @ | | Detroit Pistons | 94.6 | .451 | +0.7 |
| 6:00 p.m. | | New York Knicks | 108.3 | .483 | -3.8 | @ | | Toronto Raptors | 101.3 | .463 | -1.4 |
| 7:00 p.m. |  | Portland Trail Blazers | 95.1 | .463 | +4.9 | @ |  | Houston Rockets | 94.8 | .446 | +2.7 |
| 7:00 p.m. | | Denver Nuggets | 100.7 | .440 | +0.4 | @ |  | Minnesota Timberwolves | 103.1 | .475 | +0.5 |
| 7:00 p.m. |  | Utah Jazz | 100.0 | .458 | +0.8 | @ |  | New Orleans Hornets | 93.7 | .449 | +0.4 |
| 7:00 p.m. |  | Indiana Pacers | 105.8 | .457 | -0.6 | @ |  | Oklahoma City Thunder | 102.9 | .475 | +1.8 |
| 7:30 p.m. | | Philadelphia 76ers | 96.7 | .460 | +2.1 | @ | | New Jersey Nets | 101.1 | .463 | -1.8 |
| 9:00 p.m. |  | Golden State Warriors | 112.9 | .470 | -5.0 | @ |  | Sacramento Kings | 109.1 | .483 | -5.0 |
| 9:30 p.m. | | Los Angeles Clippers | 104.3 | .474 | -4.0 | @ |  | Los Angeles Lakers | 99.7 | .449 | +2.7 |
All times are ET.
Key: Opp. PPG = Points per game allowed to opponents. Opp. FGP = Field goal percentage allowed to opponents. RPG Diff. = The difference between a team's rebounds per game and its opponents' rebounds per game.
Out
Andris Biedrins, C, Warriors (ankle)
Andrew Bynum, C, Lakers (knee)
Marcus Camby, PF/C, Clippers (ankle)
Tyson Chandler, C, Hornets (ankle)
Luol Deng, SF, Bulls (leg)
Luther Head, SG, Heat (hand)
Mike James, PG, Wizards (pinkie)
Ben Wallace, C, Cavaliers (leg)
Thaddeus Young, SF, 76ers (foot)
Day-to-day
Leandro Barbosa, PG/SG, Suns (knee)
Marco Belinelli, SG, Warriors (ankle)
Marquis Daniels, SG/SF, Pacers (wrist)
Juan Dixon, SG, Wizards (Achilles)
Francisco Elson, C, Bucks (hip)
Rudy Fernandez, SG, Trail Blazers (back)
Jeff Foster, C, Pacers (foot)
Randy Foye, PG/SG, Timberwolves (hip)
Kirk Hinrich, PG/SG, Bulls (ankle)
Josh Howard, SF, Mavericks (wrist)
Larry Hughes, SG, Knicks (ankle)
Bobby Jackson, PG/SG, Kings (knee)
Corey Maggette, SG/SF, Warriors (concussion)
James Posey, SG/SF, Hornets (elbow)
Quentin Richardson, SG/SF, Knicks (ankle)
John Salmons, SG/SF, Bulls (groin)
Craig Smith, PF, Timberwolves (calf)
Peja Stojakovic, SF, Hornets (back)
Tyrus Thomas, PF, Bulls (undisclosed)
Brandan Wright, PF, Warriors (shoulder)
Chris Duhon hasn't bounced back to quite his peak performance from earlier in the season, but he is averaging a robust 8.6 assists in his past five games, along with his usual contribution in 3-pointers (1.6 per game). With Larry Hughes and Quentin Richardson battling injuries, and with Nate Robinson rotating in and out of coach Mike D'Antoni's doghouse, Duhon once again is looking like the Knicks' most consistent backcourt option. … Ryan Anderson seems to be getting a little better with each start, doing enough things -- four steals Monday, and two blocks and 3-pointers Wednesday -- to make himself a streaming option in deeper leagues. Yi Jianlian and Trenton Hassell picked up a couple of DNP-CDs in their last game, so Anderson's minutes could be on the verge of increasing. … Coming off the bench, Brad Miller has been on quite a streak in the past week, averaging 14 points, seven rebounds and an especially impressive five assists in his past four games. Whether that's coach Vinny Del Negro leaning toward the veteran presence as the playoffs near or just the inconsistency of Joakim Noah is uncertain, but at the very least, Miller has earned a heavy role in the rotation as the team prepares to shorten its bench. Another favorable matchup versus the Nets should ensure another impressive performance from the big man. … The Magic might have the most stifling perimeter defense in the game, at least when it comes to defending 3-pointers -- they limit opponents to 15.7 3-point attempts per game, fourth in the NBA, and hold them to 34 percent, which is third-best. That results in a poor matchup for many Hawks, such as Mike Bibby, who is shooting 14.3 percent from beyond the arc in three games against, and Joe Johnson, who's not much better at 33.3 percent. They could be prime percentage killers this weekend. … It's a home game for the Wizards, so Gilbert Arenas should start, and with 20 assists to one turnover in his first two games, he's starter worthy. His burst isn't there yet -- he has yet to grab a steal and made only six of his first 23 shots -- but at least he's not chucking up a ton of shots, and he should only get better.
Leandro Barbosa is expected back in time for the Suns' biggest game of the season, a must-win road contest against the Mavericks. It's hard to believe the Suns would risk hurting their chances by putting Barbosa on the court if he wasn't healthy enough to contribute, so Friday's game against the Kings could tell a lot. If anything, it puts Matt Barnes' playing time at risk; since Barnes runs hot and cold, his minutes have declined recently. The Suns can't afford to run him out there for unproductive minutes, so adding another body to the team just makes his playing time that much more unpredictable. … The Pistons' struggles on Sundays have become epic, and considering they'll be coming off a road affair against the 76ers on Saturday, not to mention that they have lost eight of their past 11 coming into the weekend, owners in the midst of tight final stretches might want to play it safe and bench some of the more questionable starters with such a full slate of games. The fantasy upside is low no matter how you cut it, since the Pistons are last in possessions per game, and the Bobcats aren't much quicker, sitting 26th and an even more startling seventh in defensive efficiency. … Shane Battier has hit at least two 3-pointers in five consecutive games, making 66 percent of his shots in that span. If you've been lucky or shrewd enough to grab him, he's been a savior, and with the Trail Blazers allowing opponents to convert 38 percent of their 3-point attempts, his surge should continue. … It might have been a coincidence that Lou Williams logged 31 minutes Thursday, his most minutes since December, and that Thaddeus Young had to miss his first game with his ankle injury, but I'm of the inclination that Young's injury will open up more minutes for Williams. Without Elton Brand or Young around, Williams becomes Philly's second-best scorer; on a per-minute basis, he gets to the line more than any other Sixer. His opponent, the Nets, should be tired as they play the second of a back-to-back, and New Jersey sends quite a few players to the line, sporting a foul rate that is second only to the Bucks'. … Jason Thompson had 19 rebounds Wednesday against the Warriors -- and nine in 22 minutes against them back in January -- so he makes a nice stream candidate for the rematch if you need boards.
Adam Madison is a fantasy basketball analyst for ESPN.com.
