Fantasy NBA DraftKings DFS Values (Jan. 22nd)

To fit higher-priced studs into your DFS lineups, it's important to identify lower-priced options to provide some salary-cap relief.

In our DraftKings value posts, we will highlight players with salaries of $6,500 or less. The average salary of their $50,000 cap is $6,250 so the vast majority of the players referenced below are priced below the average salary.

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With that said, here are some DraftKings values for Thursday's NBA games:

PG - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs (at CHI), $5,800: Against the Nuggets on Tuesday, Parker had 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds to score 33.5 fantasy points. He now has 33 fantasy points in two of his past three games. The Spurs are projected to score the third-most points tonight behind the Clippers and Blazers, but their matchup has the lowest point spread (-5) of the night so hopefully the game stays close and Parker sees a full allotment of minutes.

PG - Jarrett Jack, Brooklyn Nets (at LAC), $6,200: The matchup against Chris Paul is far from favorable as the Clippers allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing point guards. In his past three games, Jack has scored 49.5, 38.5 and 35.5 fantasy points, respectively, and he's averaging 21.3 points, 7.7 assists and 1.7 steals during that span. In addition, Jack has averaged more than 37 minutes per game over his past nine games and Deron Williams (ribs) will miss tonight's game.

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SG - Wesley Matthews, Portland Trail Blazers (vs. BOS), $5,700: With LaMarcus Aldridge (and Robin Lopez) out, Matthews will continue to shoulder more of the offensive load. Matthews now has 17-plus shot attempts in each of his past three games and has averaged 33.42 fantasy points per game during that stretch. That said, Avery Bradley is one of the league's best on-ball defenders, but it's possible he guards Damian Lillard instead of Matthews.

SG - Joe Johnson, Brooklyn Nets (at LAC), $6,000: Averaging more than 38 points per game over his past 12 games, Johnson broke out of a six-game slump (23.75 FPPG) with 31.75 and 34.5 fantasy points in his two most recent games. In his past 21 games, Johnson has as many games (two) with 40-plus fantasy points as he has with less than 20 fantasy points (two) and has averaged slightly more than 30 fantasy points during that span.

SG - Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. UTA), $5,200: The Alphabet has played 32 minutes in back-to-back games with 25 fantasy points in each game. Given Jason Kidd's rotations and allotment of minutes, it's hard to trust any Buck not named Brandon Knight to get consistent minutes. But he should be able to reach 5x value if he gets 32 minutes once again and he has 40-point upside considering his stat-stuffing nature of his game. If you play The Greek Freak, however, I'd stick with GPPs over cash games.

SF - Nicolas Batum, Portland Trail Blazers (vs. BOS), $5,300: Breaking out of his slump, Batum scored a season-most 52.5 fantasy points last night after scoring no more than 38.5 in his first 36 games this season. In fact, he had just 67.25 fantasy points in his past four games combined. Knocking down six of eight three-pointers last night, Batum scored 27 points and added 10 rebounds, five assists and a block. It would be unrealistic to expect a repeat performance, but the injury to LMA should continue to lead to increased offensive opportunities for Batum, who does a lot more than just score.

SF - Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. UTA), $5,100: Over his past nine games, Middleton has scored a minimum of 21 fantasy points and averaged 27.42 per game. Before that, however, he had a couple of games with seven or less fantasy points in a six-game stretch. That said, Middleton has averaged 11.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 steals over that nine-game stretch. Until Kidd pulls the rug from under us, Middleton appears safe.

SF - Dorell Wright, Portland Trail Blazers (vs. BOS), $3,000: Getting the start in place of Aldridge at power forward, Wright is a minimum-salary option at SF. Wright played (and fouled out in) nearly 35 minutes and finished with 30.75 fantasy points. Wright scored 15 points and added five assists, three rebounds and two steals and was three-of-six from behind the arc. Like with Batum, I wouldn't expect a repeat of last night's production, but he's certainly a viable punt option.

PF - Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls (vs. SA), $6,100: With Joakim Noah listed as doubtful for tonight's game, Gibson should once again get a heavy dose of minutes as is typical when Noah or Pau Gasol is out. Averaging close to 40 minutes in his past three games, Gibson has averaged 10.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game during that span.

PF - Ersan Ilyasova, Milwaukee Bucks (vs. UTA), $3,700: After playing 12 and 22 minutes in his first two games of the month, Ilyasova is expected to move into the starting lineup for tonight's game. In the past eight games that the oft-injured Ilyasova has played 20-plus minutes, he has scored a minimum of 21.75 fantasy points and averaged 26.78 fantasy points. At his price point, he should easily reach value given starter's minutes.

C - Brook Lopez, Brooklyn Nets (at LAC), $6,400: Over his past three games, Lopez has averaged 35.5 fantasy points as well as 21.0 (real) points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.0 steal per game. In addition, Lopez has been getting to the line with 7.0 made free throws per game over that stretch. Meanwhile, the Clippers have allowed the 10th-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

C - Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (at MIL), $5,900: Starting and playing 33 minutes, Kanter had a monster 24/17 double-double last night and finished a fraction shy of 50 fantasy points. Meanwhile, Rudy Gobert played less than 20 minutes. With starter's minutes, Kanter should be able to reach value tonight.

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2014-15 NBA Power Rankings: Week 5

Here are my Week 5 NBA Power Rankings:

1. Memphis Grizzlies (Record: 12-2, Last Week: 1): Grizzlies center Marc Gasol now has eight games of 20-plus points this season. Gasol had just eight 20-point games (out of 59) last season. Since Gasol returned from injury on Jan. 14, 2014, the Grizzlies have an NBA-best record (45-15, .750).

Surprisingly, the Grizzlies have just the sixth-lowest odds to win the Western Conference based on odds from Sportsbook.ag.

2. Golden State Warriors (Record: 10-2, Last Week: 3): Marreese Speights has played only 158 minutes in 11 games, but he leads the NBA in points per 36 minutes (29.5) and in points per 100 possessions (39.5).

3. Houston Rockets (Record: 10-3, Last Week: 2): James Harden is shooting a career-low 39.1 percent from the field, but he is shooting a career-high 89.5 percent from the line and making a league-high 9.2 free throws per game.

4. Toronto Raptors (Record: 11-2, Last Week: 6): The Raptors currently lead the NBA in point differential (+12.2). They rank second in the league in scoring offense (106.9 per game) and sixth in scoring defense (94.7 per game).

5. San Antonio Spurs (Record: 9-4, Last Week: 5): Tony Parker is a career 32.1-percent shooter from three-point range, but he has made 63.6 percent of his attempts this season. His career-best percentage is 39.5 percent (2006-07).

6. Portland Trail Blazers (Record: 10-3, Last Week: 9): Since starting the season 3-3, the Blazers have won seven consecutive games, the longest active winning streak in the NBA, and will face the winless Sixers on Monday night.

7. Washington Wizards (Record: 9-3, Last Week: 8): In his three games since returning from injury, Bradley Beal is averaging 16.7 points, 4.7 points and 1.3 steals per game in 30.7 minutes per game off the bench.

8. Chicago Bulls (Record: 8-5, Last Week: 7): Derrick Rose, who has missed the past four games due to a hamstring injury, may or may not play Monday night. If he's unable to play tonight, however, he is confident that he'll return for Tuesday's matchup against the Nuggets.

9. Dallas Mavericks (Record: 10-4, Last Week: 11): Brandan Wright had his first double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds) on Saturday against the Rockets and has now scored in double digits in seven consecutive games. Wright has yet to shoot below .545 in any game this season and he leads the league with a .785 field goal percentage.

10. Phoenix Suns (Record: 9-5, Last Week: 16): Among players with no starts this season, Isaiah Thomas (15.4 PPG) and Gerald Green (14.2) rank second and fourth in the NBA in per-game scoring. In addition, Thomas is currently leading all Suns players in scoring.

11. Los Angeles Clippers (Record: 7-5, Last Week: 10): Chris Paul continues to lead the NBA in assist/turnover ratio (6.33). If he continues to average 9.5-plus assists per game and 1.5 turnovers (or less) per game, CP3 will become the first player in league history to do so for a full season.

12. Sacramento Kings (Record: 8-5, Last Week: 13): The Kings lead the NBA in offensive rebound percentage (30.0) and rebound percentage (55.4).

13. Miami Heat (Record: 8-6, Last Week: 14): Over the past six games with Dwyane Wade sidelined, Mario Chalmers has averaged 20.0 points, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record: 5-7, Last Week: 4): Four games last week. Four losses last week. With LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love & Co. are still adjusting to each other, the Cavs averaged just 89.5 points in those four losses.

15. New Orleans Pelicans (Record: 7-5, Last Week: 12): Anthony Davis is averaging 26.3 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game. The last player to average 26/11/3/2 is, well, nobody.

16. Atlanta Hawks (Record: 6-5, Last Week: 15): Fourteen different players have seen the court for the Hawks this season. All 14 of them are averaging double-digit minutes.

17. Milwaukee Bucks (Record: 7-7, Last Week: 17): The Bucks already have seven wins and compared to last season, it's more than a month earlier than they got their seventh win last year, which occurred on New Year's Eve against the Lakers. (And then they went 1-14 in January.)

18. Denver Nuggets (Record: 6-7, Last Week: 28): After a 1-6 start to the season, the Nuggets have won five of their past six games including the previous four games. Having another perfect week will be tough, however, as they face the Bulls on Tuesday and then have a home-and-home with the Suns this week.

19. Indiana Pacers (Record: 5-8, Last Week: 20): Although Roy Hibbert will miss Monday's game with an ankle injury, David West is close to returning and even Paul George has hopes (albeit unlikely ones) of returning this season.

20. Brooklyn Nets (Record: 5-8, Last Week: 18): Deron Williams currently ranks fifth in the league in minutes per game and Williams is one of three players with double-digit games of 15-plus points and five-plus assists this season. The other two are Stephen Curry and James Harden.

21. Utah Jazz (Record: 5-9, Last Week: 23): Only the Lakers (11) have allowed more 100-point games to their opponents than the Jazz (10) this season.

22. Orlando Magic (Record: 6-9, Last Week: 26): Nikola Vucevic currently leads the NBA in double-doubles with 11 of them in 15 games this season.

23. Boston Celtics (Record: 4-8, Last Week: 21): The Celtics rank last in the league in FTA Rate (.220), which measures how often a team gets to the free-throw line in relation to field-goal attempts.

24. Charlotte Hornets (Record: 4-10, Last Week: 19): Expectations were high for the Hornets entering the season, but they have now lost five games in a row and seven of their past eight games.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record: 3-12, Last Week: 22): Although Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant will be back in the near future, Reggie Jackson is one of just two players in the league to currently average at least 20 points, seven assists and five boards per game. The other is Golden State's Stephen Curry.

26. New York Knicks (Record: 4-10, Last Week: 24): The Knicks currently lead the NBA in three-point shooting percentage (40.6 percent). The Knicks have eight players averaging at least one three-point shot per game and five of them are shooting at least 40 percent from behind the arc.

27. Detroit Pistons (Record: 3-10, Last Week: 25): After shooting 60.8 and 62.3 percent from the field in his first two seasons, respectively, Andre Drummond is shooting just 39.7 percent from the field this year although he's shooting a career-high 43.6 percent from the free-throw line.

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record: 3-9, Last Week: 27): The T'Wolves have managed to keep their opponents from scoring 100-plus points in three games. They are tied with the Celtics and Lakers to rank last in the league in that category.

29. Los Angeles Lakers (Record: 3-11, Last Week: 29): Jordan Hill has an active streak of six consecutive games with 10-plus points and 10-plus rebounds, which is tied with Sacramento's DeMarcus Cousins for the longest such streak this season.

30. Philadelphia 76ers (Record: 0-13, Last Week: 30): This tweet says it all:

Your weekly @numberFire update: Sixers favored in ZERO of remaining 69 games. Best win odds are 44.6% on March 30 at home against ... Lakers
— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) November 24, 2014

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Spurs PF Tim Duncan exercises option for 2014-15 season

It's not a huge surprise, but it's now official.

The retirement party will be postponed by at least one year.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo!, Spurs power forward Tim Duncan has exercised his player option on the 2014-15 season and will return to the Spurs for a chance to defend their title.

One of the greatest players — and perhaps the most unassuming superstar — in NBA history, Duncan has 24,904 points (19th all-time), 13,940 rebounds (11th all-time) and 2,791 blocked shots (seventh all-time).

The other two members of the Big 3, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, are both entering the final years of their contracts as well.

At the moment, other key Spurs free agents include Patty Mills, Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner.

Last season, Duncan averaged 15.1 points and 9.7 rebounds during the regular season and 16.3 points and 9.2 boards in the postseason.

Based on early odds from Sportsbook.ag, only the Heat (9/2) have lower odds to win the NBA title next year than the Spurs (11/2).

(Of course, those odds could change dramatically if LeBron James opts out and enters free agency and his wife created a little bit of drama with this Instragram post.)

Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Final Rankings

With the NBA regular season over and the playoffs beginning this weekend, this will be our last edition for this season of our NBA Consensus Power Rankings.

Therefore, it makes sense to get the NBA Finals predictions from our rankers.

John Trifone: Heat over Spurs in seven games

The NBA Finals matchup appears a little less predictable than it has in recent years.

The East had been looking like a two-horse race for much of the season, but both the Pacers and Heat have been mediocre at best for the last quarter of the year. The Nets, as well as the Bulls, have emerged as a possibility to challenge for the Conference. The Raptors are the forgotten team, and most disrespected three seed in recent memory, but they, too, could be considered as in the mix.

The West has some terrific first-round match-ups, and although the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, and maybe Rockets are favorites to come out of it, it really wouldn't be all that surprising if any of the other four teams were to make a run. Earlier in the year, I predicted that the Warriors would make the Conference Finals, but with Andrew Bogut out, that's a pretty big blow to their chances.

For my Finals matchup, I'm going to go way out on a limb and take the Heat and Spurs for the second year in a row. For a team like the Pacers to falter the way that they have, that shows real concern. I don't feel that's the case for the Heat, though. Miami hasn't been taking the end of the regular season seriously, and I'm confident that they will turn it on for the playoffs. San Antonio, on the other hand, has been the best team in the NBA for the majority of the year. The West is a real powerhouse, and although it's a lot tougher to predict than the East, I'll take the team that has been the most consistent, and done it before.

In the Finals, I'm going to take Miami to three-peat in seven games. I think it's a really even series, and I might actually favor the Spurs, but I'm less confident that they will make the Finals than I am with Miami. So I'm taking a repeat of last year with Miami in seven.

Sean Beazley: Spurs over Bulls in five games

I've changed my NBA finals pick multiple times during the year, and I am going to do it again heading into the playoffs. I am going to go with the chalk in the West and say that San Antonio will beat Chicago in five. The Spurs have the best coach in the NBA. They have by far the most depth, and their nucleus has the most experience. The Bulls are the best defensive team in basketball, and I think both the Heat and Pacers slip up before the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dan Yanotchko: Spurs over Heat in six games

I think this year's NBA Finals, will be a rematch of last year's epic showdown between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are still alive and kicking, as most thought that last year would be their final in real contention, but they had a league-best 62 wins this year. The Miami Heat are limping into this year's playoffs, although most are speculating that they are sandbagging, and just waiting for the playoffs to start. This year, I think Miami is too banged up with Dwyane Wade not at 100%, and the Heat just do not have an inside big man to deal with San Antonio's length. This is the year that Tim Duncan makes that bunny lay up, and gets ring number 5 for the best coach in the league Gregg Popovich. Spurs will win in 6 games.

Kevin Hanson: Heat over Spurs in six games

There is quite a bit of intrigue with the NBA playoffs this year. The West is stacked; so much so that I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the eight teams emerge and represent the West in the Finals. Despite missing the playoffs in the West, the Suns have an identical record as the Raptors and Bulls, who are the third and fourth seeds in the East, respectively. As John noted earlier, it seemed to be a given that we would see a Heat-versus-Pacers Eastern Conference Finals, but that is no longer a lock with how those teams have struggled down the stretch.

While Kevin Durant deserves to win league MVP, LeBron James is still the best player in the NBA and the Heat know exactly what's needed to close the deal to emerge from the East as back-to-back league champions. (On a side note, I have the Bulls — not the Pacers — getting to the Eastern Conference Finals.) Perhaps in a bit of a surprise, I have the Grizzlies "upsetting" the Thunder and Clippers to advance to the Western Conference Finals as Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley have the Grizz playing well at the right time. Unfortunately, I see the Grizzlies losing a Game 7 at The Alamo as the Big Fundamental, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili get another shot for a title.

As much as I dislike (yet respect) Popp, I'll be rooting for Duncan and the Spurs. That said, I expect the Heat to make it a three-peat and win in six games.


- Check out our final 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings this season.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Values for March 14th

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn't these days?!), you know that one of the keys to success is uncovering undervalued players to allow you to load up on studs elsewhere.

In case you've never played daily fantasy basketball, every player has a salary and your roster cannot exceed the game's salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Friday's games, Timberwolves ($11,800) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

There are a number of benefits compared to traditional full-season re-draft leagues, such as:

• you don't have to worry about being saddled by players sidelined by injury;
• having a late pick doesn't rule out owning studs like Kevin Durant or LeBron James;
• you get the instant gratification of winning your league(s) that night.

And you know that enthusiasm you have after drafting your fantasy team(s)? Well, you get to experience that feeling on a nightly basis with daily fantasy basketball.

OK, with the preliminary stuff out of the way, here are some value plays to consider for Friday (March 14th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAL), $6,600: Despite the favorable matchup against the Blazers, Parker had a disappointing performance on Wednesday with only 17.3 fantasy points (nine points, five assists, four rebounds and four turnovers). In his previous two games, Parker had 35-plus fantasy points and gets another favorable matchup against the Lakers to redeem himself. Only the Sixers and Cavs have allowed more fantasy points to opposing point guards.

PG - George Hill, Indiana Pacers (at PHI), $4,800: In his past two games, Hill has averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Tonight, Hill and the Pacers face the Sixers and Hill has a great opportunity to exceed the 29.05 fantasy points he's averaged in those two games.

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SG - Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAL), $4,800: Even though he played only 18 minutes on Wednesday, Ginobili scored 27.2 fantasy points and he now has at least 24.9 fantasy points in three consecutive games. The Lakers allow more fantasy points to opposing shooting guards than any other team in the league.

SG - Austin Rivers, New Orleans Pelicans (vs. POR), $3,700: Rivers has seen 26-plus minutes in back-to-back games and he has produced with at least 24.9 fantasy points in each game. In those two games, he has avergaed 13.5 points,7.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

SF - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs (vs. LAL), $6,400: The theme continues as another Spur with a fantasy-friendly matchup vs. the Lakers makes this list. In his eight games since returning from injury, Leonard has scored more than 25 fantasy points in all eight games played. During that stretch, Leonard has averaged 14.63 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.38 steals and 1.5 blocked shots.

SF - Ryan Kelly, Los Angeles Lakers (at SAS), $4,500: Kelly continued his hot streak last night with 28.8 fantasy points against the Thunder. During a three-game stretch, he has averaged 35.5 fantasy points per game. Even though the Spurs are tough against small forwards, he's still worth consideration here due to his modest salary and (recently) immodest production.

SF - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (vs. CLE): Green has a much more favorable matchup than Kelly as the Cavs have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards. Green does a bit of everything and he has scored more than 20 fantasy points in five of his past six games.

PF - David West, Indiana Pacers (at PHI), $6,700: At roughly the average cost of a nine-man FanDuel starting lineup, West is an above-average option. Over his past 10 games, West has averaged 31.94 fantasy points per game. The Sixers have allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards.

PF - Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors (vs. MEM), $5,200: With Patrick Patterson out, Johnson should be in line for another productive outing at his modest cost. Johnson has scored 36.0 and 37.3 fantasy points in his two most recent games and has averaged 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals per game.

PF - Thomas Robinson, Portland Trail Blazers (at NOP), $4700: With LaMarcus Aldridge (back) out for tonight's game, Robinson should see an increase in minutes against the Pelicans. As we saw with a game last month, Robinson showed his potential for a monster game (14 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes vs. MIN). If Robinson gets 20-plus minutes vs. the Pelicans, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards, Robinson could deliver for DFSers.

PF - Drew Gooden, Washington Wizards (at ORL), $3,500: In his past four games, Gooden has played only 17 to 19 minutes per night, but he has averaged nearly 20 fantasy points (19.83) per game. The Magic have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season.

C - Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns (at BOS), $4,100: Plumlee has averaged 26 minutes and 24.65 fantasy points in his past two games. In those two games, he has averaged nearly a double-double (10.5 points and 9.5 rebounds) and a block per game.

C - Henry Sims, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. IND), $3,900: Of course, Sims is not going to give fantasy owners 20 points, 10 boards, three assists, three steals and two blocks every night like he did on Wednesday against the Kings. That said, Sims has played 20-plus minutes in eight consecutive games and has scored at least 20 fantasy points in three of his past five games.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: FanDuel Values for March 12th

If you play daily fantasy sports (and who doesn't these days?!), you know that one of the keys to success is uncovering undervalued players to allow you to load up on studs elsewhere.

In case you've never played daily fantasy basketball, every player has a salary and your roster cannot exceed the game's salary-cap maximum.

For FanDuel leagues, rosters consist of nine players and the salary cap is $60,000, which averages to roughly $6,667 per player. To give you an idea of the range for Wednesday's games, Heat SF LeBron James ($11,100) has the contest's highest salary while many are tied for the lowest at the game-minimum salary ($3,500).

There are a number of benefits compared to traditional full-season re-draft leagues, such as:

• you don't have to worry about being saddled by players sidelined by injury;
• having a late pick doesn't rule out owning studs like Kevin Durant or LeBron James;
• you get the instant gratification of winning your league(s) that night.

And you know that enthusiasm you have after drafting your fantasy team(s)? Well, you get to experience that feeling on a nightly basis with daily fantasy basketball.

OK, with the preliminary stuff out of the way, here are some value plays to consider for Wednesday (March 12th) FanDuel leagues:

PG - Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. SAC), $7,100: Only the 13th-highest priced point guard, MCW had a triple-double on Monday against the Knicks. While he may not score 53.6 fantasy points again on Wednesday, he has a favorable matchup against the Kings, who have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season.

PG - Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies (at NO), $6,600: Conley has scored 30-plus fantasy points in five of his past six games although the exception was a 4.1-point outing against the Nets on March 5th. That said, Conley has a favorable matchup tonight against the Pelicans, who have allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to point guards.

PG - Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs (vs. POR), $6,600: Like Carter-Williams and Conley, Parker is another option in the mid-tier price range of talented point guards with favorable matchups. In fact, Parker's matchup is more favorable as the Blazers have allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing point guards this season. While Parker has 35-plus fantasy points in back-to-back outings, I do worry about his playing time since he is playing on back-to-back nights and the last thing Pop cares about is your/my fantasy team(s).

PG - Darren Collison, Los Angeles Clippers (vs. GS), $5,900: With Jamal Crawford playing 10 minutes in his return and then sitting out on Monday, the hope for Collison from a fantasy perspectivie is that Crawford misses another game. In his past six games, Collison is averaging 18.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.33 rebounds and 1.83 steals (and 28.97 fantasy points) per game.

PG - Tony Wroten, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. SAC), $5,600: Wroten has averaged 26.5 (real) points and 33.1 (fantasy) points per game in his past two games. As noted earlier, the Sixers have a favorable matchup tonight and it wouldn't surprise me if Wroten has a similar outing to his average(s) over his past couple of games.

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SG - Alec Burks, Utah Jazz (vs. DAL), $5,300: The matchup is middle of the pack, but Burks has been extremely consistent with at least 23.4 fantasy points in four consecutive games. During that four-game span, Burks has averaged 17.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.75 rebounds and 1.25 steals per game.

SG - Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs (vs. POR), $4,800: It's unclear if Danny Green (wrist) will play tonight after getting only 10 minutes last night. Considering Manu got only 21 minutes last night, I'm not sure how much it matters when it comes to Ginobili, who still managed to score 22 points last night. In his past two games, he is averaging 23.0 points (and 30.5 fantasy points) per game.

SG - James Anderson, Philadelphia 76ers (vs. SAC), $4,500: In his past three games, Anderson has averaged 17.67 points, 3.33 rebounds, 2.0 assists and a steal per game. During that stretch, his fantasy production has been consistent: 24.9 to 25.9 in each game. With a favorable matchup tonight against the Kings, who allow the third-most fantasy points to SGs, perhaps Anderson breaks above that range tonight.

SG - Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings (at PHI), $3,600: Despite scoring less than 20 fantasy points in seven consecutive games and only reaching double digits three times during that span, it is never a bad idea to start players facing the Sixers. And with a salary only $100 above the game minimum, the potential reward exceeds the risk.

SF - Matt Barnes, Los Angeles Clippers (vs. GS), $5,700: Unlike guards and power forwards, there are fewer modestly- or low-priced small forwards that I like for tonight. While he hasn't been as productive in his past two games (23.5 FPPG) as he was in the previous three games (38.77 FPPG), Barnes is a lock for at least 20 fantasy points with upside for more. In his past five games, he has averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 boards, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.

SF - Maurice Harkless, Orlando Magic (vs. DEN), $4,800: Harkless has played 30-plus minutes and has scored 22-plus fantasy points in seven consecutive games, but there is a chance that streak ends with guys Victor Oladipo and Arron Afflalo back from injury. With a modest cost, he's still worth consideration. Over his past seven games, he has averaged 14.29 points, 4.86 rebounds, 1.86 steals and a block per game. The Nuggets have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing small forwards this season.

SF - Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (at LAC), $4,400: Green played a five-game low of 18 minutes last night, but he has scored 21.7-plus fantasy points in four of his past five games.

PF - Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies (at NO), $7,000: With 10 power forwards priced higher, ZBo is an excellent option as a mid-priced player. Averaging a double-double (17.1 points and 10.3 boards) on the season, Randolph has a favorable matchup against the Pelicans, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing four's this season.

PF - Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets (at ORL), $6,900: The Manimal had a relatively quiet night in his last outing — 15 points and nine boards for 24.8 fantasy points. In his previous five games, however, he averaged 36.90 fantasy points with 20.21 points, 9.64 rebounds and 1.31 blocks per game. The Magic have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards this season.

PF - Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz (vs. DAL), $6,100: Only seven teams have allowed more fantasy points to opposing power forwards than the Mavs have. After a three-game slump averaging 13.63 fantasy points per game, Favors has bounced back with solid outings in back-to-back games. With 33.8 fantasy points per game in those two performances, Favors has averaged 14.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game.

PF - Amar'e Stoudemire, New York Knicks (at BOS), $5,200: Over his past five games, Stoudemire is averaging 18.0 points, 6.6 boards and 1.4 blocks per game. In four of those five games, he has scored at least 29.2 fantasy points. With Tyson Chandler (personal reasons) missing a second consecutive game, Stoudemire is a worthwhile option in Fanduel leagues.

*** Note: Stoudemire won't play tonight and obviously shouldn't be in any of your lineups. ***

PF - Amir Johnson, Toronto Raptors (vs. DET), $5,200: Johnson is coming off a huge fantasy performance with 16 points, five rebounds, four blocks, two steals and two assists for 36.0 points. Johnson has scored more than 20 fantasy points in each of his past 10 games. With Patrick Patterson out for roughly a week, Johnson is in line for another quality outing.

PF - Marcus Morris, Phoenix Suns (vs. CLE), $4,100: After playing more than 25 minutes only one in his previous seven games, Morris has played at least 29 minutes in three consecutive games. With P.J. Tucker (suspension) out, it's likely that Morris extends the streak to four games. That said, he has scored less than 20 fantasy points in back-to-back games.

PF - Reggie Evans, Sacramento Kings (at PHI), $3,800: An effort guy, Evans gets to face his former team, or I should say one of his former teams, tonight. Evans has at least eight rebounds in seven of his past eight games and he has five steals in the past two games.

C - Marcin Gortat, Washington Wizards (vs. CHA), $6,900: The Polish Hammer is an underrated option at center and if you disagree, he'll knock you out. All (bad) jokes aside, Gortat had a big game on Monday against the Heat with 14 points and 18 rebounds plus four assists. Gortat gets another favorable matchup against the Bobcats tonight.

C - Andrew Bogut, Golden State Warriors (at LAC), $5,900: Bogut played 30 minutes, a five-game high, last night and finished with a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) while scoring 29.5 fantasy points. Other than a 14-minute outing against the Suns on Sunday, Bogut has scored at least 28.6 fantasy points in three of his past four games. The Clippers have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing centers this season.

C - Kyle O'Quinn, Orlando Magic (vs. DEN), $4,700: Even though he has started two games in a row, O'Quinn has played between 16 and 22 minutes in his past five games. That said, he has still performed well with more than 20 fantasy points in all five games despite the modest minutes. Denver has allowed the third-most and fourth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards and centers, respectively.

C - Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns (vs. CLE), $3,900: In his second game back following a two-game absence, Plumlee played 26 minutes and scored just as many fantasy points (26.8). He missed a double-double by one rebound (12 points, nine boards) and added two blocks.

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For those that play in DraftKings leagues, check out my values post from earlier today.

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Daily Fantasy Basketball: DraftStreet Advice for March 4th

In order to help you set your DraftStreet lineups in daily fantasy basketball leagues, Sean Beazley has a list of some players that he likes for Tuesday's games:

Here are some early leans on some players for Tuesday's action:

Cleveland Big Men - Spencer Hawes $11,610 / Tristan Thompson $11,842

I'm not a huge fan of this matchup against the Spurs, but I do think both have a very good shot at making value on Tuesday. Both should be in double/double range with Anderson Varejao still a game or two away from returning.

David Lee F - Golden St. $14,509

This is another tough matchup vs. the Pacers, but Lee at 14.5 is downright larceny. Lee is one of the top PF in daily fantasy formats, especially on Draft Street where efficiency comes into play.

Tyreke Evans F - Hornets $12,601

I'm riding the Tyreke express until he fails me. Evans is one of those fill-the-stat-sheet guys that I like and he has a very juicy matchup against the Lakers.

Wesley Johnson F - Lakers $12,093

Johnson has been one of the best-kept secrets the past week or so in the DFS world. He has been as consistent as they come. New Orleans is in the bottom third in the NBA in defending opposing forwards.

Darren Collison G - Clippers $9,660 / Matt Barnes F - Clippers $9,511

Jamal Crawford is likely out for Tuesday's game vs. the Suns, which should mean extra minutes for Collison, and Barnes. I like the value on each player and will be playing them in a couple GPP's and cash games.

Caron Butler F - Thunder $8,865

Butler could be moved into the starting lineup with Thabo Sefolosha being sidelined with an injury. This is a very intriguing game. I'd almost want to stay away from the Big 3 (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka) of the Thunder because you could see all three of them on the bench the entire 4th quarter. Butler could be a sneaky value start.

Tony Parker G - Spurs $13,495

Parker is very undervalued in this game vs. the Cavs. We all know about Kyrie Irving's problems on the defensive end. I think Parker has a field day against the All-Star MVP. Parker is one of my must plays in all formats.

Put Sean's advice to use in a DraftStreet league for tonight's games.

If you play in full-season leagues, check out our site's rest-of-season Fantasy NBA rankings.

Keep track of our Fantasy NBA updates by following us on Twitter, "liking" us on Facebook and/or adding us to your Google+ circle.

Patty Mills scores season-high 32 points

Coming off the bench, San Antonio Spurs point guard Patty Mills led the team in scoring with a season-high 32 points in only 25 minutes.

Mills connected on 10-of-13 shots from the field including four three-pointers and added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals.

In all five games this month, Mills has played between 20 and 25 minutes, but he has made the most of his playing time in his past few games.

Mills, who is currently owned in only six percent of Yahoo! leagues, has averaged 23.7 points and made 10 three-pointers in his past three games.

After missing the previous game, Tony Parker returned to the starting lineup and scored nine points on three-of-13 shooting.

NBA Predictions for the 2013-14 Season

With NBA preseason under way and the start of the regular season only a few weeks away, Kyle Baillargeon makes his predictions for NBA awards and playoffs below:

2013-14 NBA Postseason Award Winners

MVP - LeBron James, Miami Heat

I wouldn't be surprised to see Derrick Rose here if he leads the Bulls to one of the best records in the league, if only because MVP voters have shown that they tend to grow tired of giving the award to the same person over and over again.  That said, LeBron is the clear frontrunner for MVP.  The Heat will be in the championship hunt once more, but Dwyane Wade isn't getting any younger, and this team still looks pretty thin outside of LeBron.  I expect James to have the best statistical season of his career, with his fith MVP to boot.

Most Improved Player - Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

Leonard already started to make the leap last year, especially in the playoffs.  With the Duncan/Manu/Parker era winding down in San Antonio, Leonard stands to become the face of the franchise's next era of basketball.  Entering his third year in the league, he has plenty of room for improvement and could very well become a household name before the season is over.

Sixth Man of the Year - Tyreke Evans, New Orleans Pelicans

Evans could certainly start in New Orleans, but a backourt rotation of Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon, and Evans could be devastating.  The big question would be if Evans is willing to sit to start each game. But if he can get over that, then he would be a huge contributor off the bench.

Don't be surprised, however, if a member of the Brooklyn Nets winds up with this award.  The expectation is that one of either Paul Pierce or Andrei Kirilenko will come off the bench this year.  If it turns out to be Pierce, then the award will be his.

Rookie of the Year - Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings

McLemore will have plenty of opportunity to light it up on the court, and that's what he does best.  Greivis Vasquez will be looking his way often.  The Kings still have work to do to become a contender, but McLemore will prove himself to be a great piece to the puzzle.

Defensive Player of the Year - LeBron James, Miami Heat

James is so good at everything, that it seems easy to overlook how dominant he is on the defensive end.  One of his personal goals has been to win the award, and hopefully voters will finally recognize what many smart observers in the league already know: LeBron James is unquestionably THE best defender in the league.

NBA Finals Predictions

Eastern Conference Finals - Miami over Chicago in 7 games

As long as LeBron James is at the height of his powers, there is no reason to believe that anyone will stop Miami.  This Chicago team will have an overwhelming defense, and combined with a returning Derrick Rose could very well go on to a number one seed in the East.  I fully expect both teams to pummel their competition all the way to one of the biggest heavyweight battles the NBA has seen in years.  This one could go either way, but ultimately the tie-breaker goes to the team with the greatest player of the last 25 years.

Western Conference Finals - San Antonio over Los Angeles Clippers in 6 games

It might be a little overzealous to send the Clippers to the WCF in Doc Rivers' first year at the helm, but this team does have Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, along with a good bench.  Once Doc figures out his rotation, and as long as the team buys in to playing legitimate defense, the Clippers could knock on the door of the title.  That said, the Spurs will not go down without a fight.  Greg Popovich is smart enough to understand exactly what his team needs and when, and his team should be healthy and well-rested leading into the playoffs.  He knows he needs to save the firepower for the playoffs, and they should be able to make it through the tough Western Conference one more time in their Big Three era.  Once these two squads meet, Popovich's knowledge of his own team, combined with Tim Duncan's front-court dominance and Tony Parker's ability to go toe-to-toe with Chris Paul, will lead the Spurs to victory.

NBA Finals - Miami over San Antonio in 7 games

It may seem like a cop-out to go with the repeat in the Finals, but after last year's amazing seven-game set, is anyone going to complain about seeing it again?  As stated before, it wouldn't make sense to pick against LeBron James.  He is the best in the world and will lead the Heat to victory again.

Soon, we will release our 2013-14 fantasy basketball rankings.

Visit our NBA home or follow us on Twitter (@HitTheBoards) for updates.

NBA Finals Prediction: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (Trifone)

I had both winners of the Conference Finals, picking the Spurs and Heat to advance, but I had the quality of the series' flip-flopped.  San Antonio was the better team in all four games against the Grizz, a series I expected to be much tighter than it was.  The Heat, on the other hand, struggled much more than expected; not because the Pacers aren't a good team, but because the Heat had just been on another level.  Not only did they rattle of 27 wins in a row earlier in the year, but they were 8-1 in the playoffs going into the series, and seemed poised for another championship run.  Roy Hibbert, Paul George, and David West proved to be a pretty formidable Big Three, but ultimately, the Heat were able to dispatch of them in a lopsided Game Seven in Miami.

Much has been made of the long layoff that San Antonio has had between sweeping Memphis, and Game 1 of the NBA Finals coming up on June 6th.  Personally, I think the Spurs are a team that the rest will greatly benefit.  Last year, the Spurs were playing tremendous basketball, and I still have no idea what happened for them to lose four consecutive games to Oklahoma City.  This year, the Spurs did not have the same steam coming in to the playoffs, but they have clearly been the best in the West, and earned their trip to the Finals.  Tim Duncan seems to have found the fountain of youth, and at 37 is playing just about as well as he ever has, which is certainly saying something, considering he is thought of by most to be the best power forward in NBA history.  Tony Parker is also back to the MVP form from early in the year.  For the Spurs, this will be their fifth Finals appearance in the Duncan-Poppovich era.  They won all four previous trips, with the most recent title coming against LeBron James and the Cavs.

The Heat have been the team with a target on their backs the entire year.  They are the defending NBA Champions, and have had to take everyone's best shot all year long.  Although they have had lingering injuries, specifically Dwyane Wade, for much of the year, and an aging cast of shooters who did not really show up in the Eastern Conference Finals, Miami found a way to get back for the third consecutive year.  Since joining the Heat, LeBron is 3/3 in Finals appearances, and could become a champion for the second year in a row.

In many ways, this series is a referendum on LeBron's place in history.  Many analyst's have defended LeBron, saying that his supporting cast has been as bad, if not worse, than the one he had in Cleveland.  History, however, is not going to remember that supporting cast in the same way.  As good as Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, etc. have been, none of them are going to be compared to the elite of the elite, and talked about in the discussion for the GOAT.  For LeBron, however, not getting a ring, for ANY reason, is going to be in paragraph one of his bio when all is said and done for him.

I think this has the makings of a fantastic series, and it's a matchup we really haven't seen.  In the two games that the Spurs and Heat played this year, San Antonio rested all their big guns in Miami, and the Heat did the same thing on the road at San Antonio.  I'm expecting a back-and-forth series, but I think that ultimately, LeBron and Miami will be up to "not two" as far as championships go.  The Pacers defense exposed some of the Heat's flaws, but they were still able to make adjustments and advance.  I don't see the role players like Allen and Battier to be as bad as they were against Indiana, and D-Wade showed us in Game 7 that he still has something left in the tank.  Bosh was mentally defeated by West and Hibbert, but will get a fresh start against Duncan and the Spurs.  It is going to be another tall task, but I think he will fare better.

And at the end of the day, the Heat have a weapon that no team in the league has.  LeBron is as intelligent of a player as there is in the league, and his ability to  be either Magic or Michael, depending on what the team needs, gives them an advantage that is tough to counter.  If anyone can figure out a way to stop him, it's Pop, and I'm looking forward to the coaching matchup as much as anything else.  But at the end of the day, I'll take LeBron and the Heat in 6.

Prediction: Miami Heat in 6 Games

[Note: This post is from John Trifone.  See his other basketball posts here and/or follow him on Twitter @JohnnyT0122.]

Western Conference Finals Prediction: Spurs vs. Grizzlies (Trifone)

I have absolutely no idea who is going to come out of the West.  I typically have a pretty strong opinion on who I feel is going to come out of a given matchup, but these two teams are as evenly matched as they come.  Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph have been dominant in the playoffs, exposing a flawed Oklahoma City Thunder team.  Clearly, Russell Westbrook has meant more to that team than people may have thought, because when asked to carry the load on his own, Kevin Durant fell short of where we had become accustomed to seeing him succeed.

As for the Spurs, they are a tough team to predict.  Last year, they were playing close to perfect basketball, and rolling through the playoffs, only to go cold and lose four straight games to OKC.  This year, they steam-rolled the Lakers in four, and then looked like the inferior team in their first two games at home against the Warriors.  Personally, I thought that they weren't going to get past that series after Golden State left San Antonio with a 1-1 series tie, thoroughly outplaying them in each of the first two games.  The Spurs bounced back, though, and were the better team the rest of the way.

Now, the Spurs face another younger team, but one with a drastically different style than they played in last year's Conference Finals, or this year's Semi-Final matchup.  Memphis has a strong inside game and plays very tough defense.  It promises to be a much lower-scoring series with less transition offense and more fundamental basketball.

Since I have to make a pick, I'm going to take San Antonio.  Both teams have been very impressive, but the Spurs may have just a slight edge.  They have more experience, they have guys who have already won multiple championships, and they have home court advantage.  It's a series that is likely to go seven games, and I'd be surprised if we see any real blowouts.  I'll take Tony Parker and the Big Fundamental to help lead the Spurs to the NBA Finals.

Series Prediction: Spurs in 7 Games 

[Note: This post is from John Trifone.  See his other basketball posts here and/or follow him on Twitter @JohnnyT0122.]

Western Conference Finals Prediction: San Antonio Spurs vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).  John was a believer in the Spurs back in February; read below to see if that's still the case.]

This looks to be the best match up of the entire playoffs.  The Spurs have not lost a game since April 11, and more than that, haven't been challenged in many of their wins.  So far in the playoffs, they easily disbursed of the Jazz in the first round, and just kept rolling against the Clippers, who played very well in the first round to oust Memphis.  Even after falling behind by 24 points into the 2nd quarter of game 3, they went on to destroy LA for the remainder of the game, and won by double digits.

The Spurs look like the perfect team.  Tim Duncan is playing like he's 28 again, Tony Parker is having an outstanding season at the point, and they have few, if any, weaknesses.  They have a great coach, a deep bench, and play unbelievable team basketball.  They always seem to find the open man, and everyone on the floor is a reliable shooter.

The Thunder, on the other hand, have been pretty impressive in their own right.  I do think they have looked more vulnerable, as they have been in several very close games that could have gone either way.  In the first round of the playoffs, they swept Dallas, but realistically, could have easily gone down 0-2 at home.  In the second round, they blew the doors off against the Lakers in Game 1, but the next three contests could have, and maybe should have, gone to the Lakers.  Game 2, for example, had the Lakers leading by seven with just two minutes to go.  The flip side of the argument, of course, is that they keep finding ways to win these close games, which, of course, they have.

Clearly, Oklahoma City knows how to play well down the stretch and has several guys that can close.  While Durant is the biggest star on the team, Russell Westbrook and James Harden are perfectly capable of taking a game over when necessary, which makes it more difficult for defenses.  If you double up on Durant, you're looking at potentially leaving another stud with an open look.

While the Spurs and Thunder are a combined 16-1 in the playoffs thus far, this one certainly doesn't look like it's going to be a short series.  I'd guess that most people will be calling for a seven-game series and virtually flipping a coin on the winner.

Durant and Westbrook are the youthful superstars and future of the NBA, while the Spurs, though much less sexy, have pretty clearly been the best team in basketball for the last two months.  I think that the Thunder are a formidable opponent, but I just can't see them beating San Antonio.  In fact, I believe the Spurs will win in 5.

OKC has been a little inconsistent at times, and sometimes just start throwing up three-pointers in an attempt to make a quick run.  I don't think that's going to fly against the Spurs, and if the Thunder fall behind after three quarters, I don't expect them to be able to make the kind of runs they've made in the past in this series against San Antonio.  Don't get me wrong, OKC is incredibly athletic, they're fairly deep, they have some size, and they have multiple threats to score.  But Poppovich always seems to come up with a good scheme and I definitely give the Spurs the coaching advantage.  I also feel that the Spurs are so consistent that if OKC gets sloppy from time to time during the game, the Spurs will take advantage.  Ultimately, I like the Spurs to continue the amazing run they're on and advance to the NBA Finals over Oklahoma City.

Prediction: San Antonio in 5

NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 8

Over the weekend, John Trifone wrote about the odds to win the Western Conference and Eastern Conference based on futures from Sportsbook.com.

The team that he liked (likes) the most is the San Antonio Spurs, who have 5/1 odds to win the Western Conference.

San Antonio is a dangerous team. As John put it yesterday, "Many, including myself, had written off the Spurs going into the season, as a team that was just too old to be a factor in the shortened season," but they are "poised to prove everyone wrong."

Not only are they are a 10-game winning streak, point guard Tony Parker is quietly having a great season. He's playing as well as anyone in the month of February: 25.8 points, 7.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 8.8 free throw attempts per game this month.

That said, the Spurs are still fourth in our power rankings and the top three teams have been there the entire season (although the order has not always been the same): Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder and Chicago Bulls.

Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: New York Knicks (+4.50)
- Biggest drop from last week: Denver Nuggets (-4.00)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors (4)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Of the teams currently seeded 9th (or lower), which team has the best chance to make the playoffs?

John (follow on Twitter): Portland Trail Blazers

I think that the Eastern Conference is actually set the way it is. There may be some swapping of position, but I don't see one of the teams on the outside looking in making a serious run at the playoffs. Milwaukee had a chance, but when Bogut went down and Jeremy Lin showed up in New York, I think that pretty much sealed it for the Bucks. I'd also be very surprised to see any of the other bottom feeders in the East get in. The West is a little more open, with some pretty decent teams currently out of the playoffs. Utah, Portland, and Minnesota all have a reasonable chance to dislodge either Memphis, Houston, or Denver. I'd give Portland the best shot at it. They're playing relatively mediocre ball at the moment, just 4-6 in their last 10 games and only a game above .500 for the season, but they have the talent to make a push down the stretch. Denver has severely cooled off since over-achieving in the first month of the season and is currently the eight seed, although they are actually tied with Houston and Memphis in record. Portland is just a game back from all three teams, so they are certainly right in the mix. I think LaMarcus Aldridge and Company have the best chance of any team currently on the outside looking in to make the playoffs.

[Note: John sent this to me before the Nuggets lost a thriller in Oklahoma City last night.]

Kevin (follow on Twitter): Minnesota Timberwolves

One of the teams that I think could surprise some folks is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are a deep team -- only three players are averaging more than 30 minutes per game this season: Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour. They have 12 players that are averaging more than 15 minutes per game. While Love is a double-double machine, Rubio has been the biggest difference from last year to this year. He is averaging 8.5 assists per game, which ranks fifth in the NBA, and 2.3 steals per game, which is tied for second in the league with Chris Paul.

[Note: Dan is on a cruise through Central America and won't participate in our consensus rankings this and next week. Sean had to travel unexpectedly and will miss this week only.]

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 8, click here.

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