Wire to Wire aims to be your waiver wire resource for all of your fantasy basketball needs. It will dive into playing time trends, injury replacements, and even an occasional category specialist—all of which can be found on a typical waiver wire within your fantasy league at any given time.

With the All-Star break right around the corner, a few teams within the Association cannot wait for it to get here thanks to several big injuries throughout the league.  In fact, we’ve already had an All-Star game replacement as Kevin Garnett’s abdominal injury has opened the door for Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace to take part in the festivities.  While he hopes the Western Conference puts Dirk Nowitzki opposite him on gameday, fantasy owners will be left to fill any void which they may have over the next few days.  Below, you’ll see plenty of options for your backcourt, with a surprise mention for a second-half frontcourt presence.  Could a certain big man ride off into the Sun-set with one last ring?  No pun intended, of course…

Shallow Leagues (Less than 12 teams)

Larry Hughes, PG/SG, Cleveland Cavaliers
We mentioned Hughes in this piece not too long ago, but threw out a caution flag due to his recent bouts with inconsistency.  And by “recent,” we mean “since he was picked up by Cleveland.”  We hate to be a bit late to the party with this one, but after his 40-point outburst on Monday night, he can no longer be ignored in any formats.  Temper your expectations if you think he will be dropping 40 any time soon, but with seven straight games in double figures to go with 10 steals in the same span, Hughes is well worth the add.  Of course, this is assuming you can stomach the occasional 2-for-10 night.

Shaquille O’Neal, C, Phoenix Suns
Typically, recommending a player who hasn’t even suited up in weeks may be looked at as an odd move.  But in this case, discussing Shaq is more of a testament to the ability of Steve Nash than anything else.  Couple this with the presence of Amare Stoudamire and, once healthy, O’Neal will see plenty of man-on-man coverage that will open up plenty of opportunity.  And do not underestimate the psychological advantage of actually believing that he can win another ring.  A bonus if you do not count free throw percentage, O’Neal is worth an end-of-bench addition in all formats until further notice.

Fred Jones, SG/SF, New York Knicks
If it seems like I mention a New York Knick frequently in this piece, it’s because I do.  With the constant barrage of injuries and off-court issues, there has been plenty of play to go around.  Case in point, Fred Jones and his four straight games of double figures to go with a heavy dose of starter’s minutes.  In the same stretch, Jones has drained 10 treys while missing only two free throws.  There’s always a chance that he can disappear at any minute, but if you’re one for riding a hot streak, it may not get much better than the Oregon alum.

Jameer Nelson, PG, Orlando Magic
If you have read my colleague Brandon Haraway’s Beyond the Arc recently, you have seen his commentary on Jameer Nelson.  His poor play and injuries have forced him to be dropped in several leagues, and while I would definitely agree that he’s been “cold” overall, he has drained seven field goals in back-to-back games and is coming off of a 22-point outing.  Figure in a seven assist average over the past three contests, and I think it’s safe to get Nelson back into your guard slot.  Snag him if he’s still available.

(Last Week: Darko Milicic, TJ Ford, Ronnie Brewer, David Lee)

Standard Leagues (12-14 teams)

Earl Watson, PG/SG, Seattle Supersonics
While Seattle’s Watson is a far cry from Jason Kidd, the point guard recorded his first career triple-double against the Sacramento Kings and has been making up for his lack of consistent scoring with a bevy of assists, rebounds and threes.  He has recorded two steals in each of the past two contests, but is struggling to record playing time consistently in the 30s.  If you have owned Watson in the past, you know he can be up and down.  But after his recently play, even the biggest cynics have to raise an eyebrow.

Roger Mason, PG/SG, Washington Wizards
I definitely did a double-take when I noticed that Mason has recorded over 40 minutes in each of the past two games.  It just so happens that he has averaged 20 points per, and is coming off a career night in which he dropped 32 points against the Golden State Warriors.  As fantasy-friendly as the Warriors defense can be, Mason still had six assists and a steal while draining five long-balls.  He may be a three-point specialist from this point forward, but if you can time a four-game week, Mason may be worth the occasional spot start in standard leagues.

Dorrell Wright, SG/SF, Miami Heat
With Shawn Marion coming to town, there’s a good chance that Miami’s Dorrell Wright was given the curb by an unhappy owner.  It will reportedly be a while before Udonis Haslem returns from his sprained ankle, so even the addition of the Matrix hasn’t stopped Wright from producing solid scoring, rebounding and hustle-stat totals.  If a four-game average of 16 points and eight rebounds sounds good, factoring in his steal and block per game with a perfect free throw stroke in the same period makes things that much better.

Mickael Pietrus, SG/SF, Golden State Warriors
There is no denying that Pietrus has been buried on the bench for the Golden State Warriors.  While we can sit there and wonder why Don Nelson even brought back the swingman, the fact that he would like to be traded before the deadline should throw his name back in to the fantasy arena.  The Mavericks and Suns have reportedly shown interest in Pietrus, so a move may be beneficial.  Don’t rush out to pick him up right now, but he is definitely someone to keep on the radar over the next couple of weeks.

(Last Week: Al Thornton, James Posey, Joe Smith, Josh Powell)

Deep Leagues (14+ teams)

Jose Juan Barea, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks
With the injury bug that has bitten the Dallas Mavericks, someone has to start and put up some numbers.  And while JJ Barea has been a roller coaster of a fantasy player, his recent 13-point, five-assist game against the Sixers makes me think that he may be ready to take advantage of the injury to Devin Harris.  Harris is expected to miss a couple more weeks, so Barea’s value as a scorer and three-point threat may still increase for the short-term. 

Nick Young, PG/SG, Washington Wizards
It isn’t often that we can recommend two players from the same team, that also play the same position.  But such is the case with Roger Mason and rookie guard Nick Young.  Antonio Daniels’ ankle injury has opened up a bunch of minutes for Young, and he has responded with three straight double-figure games.  Unless you receive extra points for highlight-type dunks, Young’s value remains solely in scoring; but similar to Mason, his talent may be worth gambling on for a future four-game stint.

Joakim Noah, SF/PF/C, Chicago Bulls
If speculating is your thing, you may want to queue up the Bulls rookie Joakim Noah on to your radar.  Aside from the occasional big game, the former Florida Gator has not done much for prospective fantasy owners, but a possible trade of Ben Wallace may change the entire picture.  The New York Post has mentioned a possible move to New York, and if a big man isn’t sent back in return, expect Noah to get the majority of the beneficial minutes.  (Note: Another option may be fellow rookie/teammate Aaron Gray)

Leon Powe, SF/PF, Boston Celtics
While they’re obviously not alone, a few injuries have started to hobble a few of the Boston Celtics.  With both parts of the starting frontcourt (Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins) experiencing some troubles, 24-year old Leon Powe has had the honor of filling in down low and has responded with a few games in the double-figures to go with decent rebounding totals.  Though the All-Star break is on the horizon, it can’t hurt to look at Powe’s short-term possibilities if the aforementioned injuries continue to linger.

(Last Week: Hakim Warrick, Damon Stoudamire, Thaddeus Young, Sasha Vujacic)