In the middle of last season, a new sheriff came to town and a new way of life was established in the East Bay. One of his past transgressions caught up to him and for that he had to endure his punishment. After seemingly a lifetime of exile (actual time missed: 7 games), the enigmatic Warrior returned to battle with designs for glory. With Golden State’s season spiraling out of control already, this savior’s return couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.

The Fig Cap: I’m only going to tell you this once

Stephen Jackson is back and he hit the floor running. Nellie immediately inserted his emotional swingman into the starting five and Stack Jack paid dividends like Microsoft stock with a team-high 41 minutes. Though he shot a disciplined 9 FGA, Jackson posted 17 points and rounded out the line nicely with 5 dimes, 1 steal and 2 blocks. Along with Baron Davis, Jackson was the veteran team leader during the Warriors’ magical playoff run last year so you know the minutes and fantasy production will continue to be there.

Jackson’s return spells bad news for Matt Barnes, who isn’t on this five-game road trip anyway due to the failing health of his mother. His minutes are destined for a decline and Monta Ellis isn’t fairing any better, trapped firmly behind Davis as the backup PG in Nellie’s mad-genius mind. Kelenna Azubuike continues to get the starting nod and now has long-term potential as a versatile swingman with upside.

You might have noticed that someone named Moon is starting at SF for the Toronto Raptors. While I’m sure there are some fans of semi-provocative underage Japanese anime character Sailor Moon  who they wouldn’t mind having for their fantasy, we’re keeping the focus strictly on fantasy basketball. The player in question is actually 27-year-old rookie Jamario Moon and Sunday was his third productive start in four games since ascending to the starting role. Moon had 9 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, 1 steal and 3 gravity-defying blocks, making him someone to watch. And not just for his moonwalk. T.J. Ford finished with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists in the loss.

Dwight Howard badly outplayed MVP frontrunner Kevin Garnett as the Magic dealt the Celtics their first defeat this season. It was something like a phenomenon the way Howard bulled his way to 24 points, 3 steals, 3 blocks and a ridiculous 20 trips to the free throw line. Unfortunately he canned just 10 of those though. KG double-dipped with 14 points and 11 boards, but managed just one dime and one block before fouling out.

Pistons point man Chauncey Billups retuned from his knee injury to post 14 points, 9 boards, 2 3PM and 1 block and steal in 29 minutes. Still the Pistons were bested by the Kings who were led by the newly installed starting point guard Beno Udrih. Schooled by Gregg Poppovich and Tony Parker in the Spurs’ system for three seasons, Udrih is showcasing his abilities with the extended run he’s getting in Sac-town. Proving to be a better scorer than distributor, Udrih ended the evening with 23 points, 4 boards and 6 dimes.

Meanwhile, early season surprises John Salmons and Francisco Garcia have been relegated to backup duty with their fantasy value dropping off a cliff like it was Wile E. Coyote chasing the Road Runner. Salmons managed just 6 points and 1 assist in only 18 minutes of burn. Garcia didn’t fare much better with 10 points and 4 boards in 21 minutes. It’s time to seek a new blood on the waiver wire.

In the evening’s final game, the Lakers manhandled the hapless Chicago Bulls likely erasing any chance of Kobe Bryant agreeing to any deal the two teams might ever work out. Bryant had a subpar fantasy game (18 points, 5 boards, 3 assists) as the Lakers featured a balanced attack with an amazing five bench players scoring in double digits. Kwame Brown was forced from action early on with moderate sprains of his left ankle and knee. Will this finally allow Andrew Bynum to step into the starting lineup where he so desperately deserves to be? Perhaps Phil Jackson will relent after his 14-point, 10-board effort. Kid is 0.3 rebounds away from averaging a double-double in only 23 mpg off the bench!

Lastly, the biggest reason for the Bulls’ lack of offense was the absence of Luol Deng to a sore back. It’s been speculated on ESPN that Deng will miss a week of action with the injury, which makes him a strong bench candidate this period in weekly lineups as the Bulls finish up their “circus” road-trip.