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.

Another week in the books.  Let’s see how I did last time around…

Shallow Leagues:

Luke Walton: Ouch. Two rough games, though one plagued by fouls.  Maybe he can harness some Jerry Garcia?  Miss.
Andrew Bynum: Maybe we can chalk it up to just bad play by the Lakers?  The Memphis game wasn’t terrible, but still.  Miss.
Grant Hill: Aside from getting a rest on the latter half of a back-to-back, Hill’s been about as consistent as you can get.  If I’m taking the miss on Bynum, I’m taking the hit this one.  Hit.
Jarrett Jack: I love the kid….in a fantasy basketball way, of course.  20 and 10 with four steals against the Mavericks seals this one up.  Hit.

Standard Leagues:

Etan Thomas:  Minutes have gone down since my recommendation.  I don’t get it either.  Blocks O’ Plenty – but that’s about it.  Miss.
Martell Webster: Long ball specialist.  Jury’s out on Brandon Roy’s bum heel.  If Webster gets the PT, he’ll turn it up.  I refuse to judge this one yet, but I will get back to you!
Monta Ellis: Double-digit points every game thus far.  A seven assist bonus against Toronto.  Should be a factor all season long, even as a sixth man.  Hit.
Derek Fisher: The emergence of Deron Williams isn’t helping D-Fish.  Kirilenko’s absence may help short-term, but he’ll struggle for playing time.  Miss.

Deeper Leagues:

Tyronn Lue: From Cav-killer to team leading scorer?  Did I read that right?  29?  Can I get a Borat-esque “Nice!”  Hit.  Hit.  Hit.
Fabricio Oberto: How does an 11-for-11 night get rewarded?  Apparently, with 23 combined minutes in the two following games.  Thanks, Gregg Popovich.  Miss.
Thabo Sefolosha:  I thought a shake-up in Chi-town would benefit Thabo.  I thought wrong.  Big time logjam on the wings in the Windy City.  Miss.
David Lee:  Teetering right around 25 minutes a game, and making the most of it.  A double-double threat if he can get around 28…of this, I am certain.  14 points, seven boards, four steals and a block against Houston says that this is a good short and long-term play.  Hit.

(Overall: 5-6-1)

Some were solid recommendations, while others…not so much.  If it isn’t evident by now, deep league waiver wire pick-ups can range from a nice payoff (Lue) to a total flier-turned-bust (Sefolosha).  This doesn’t mean you should pack the bags on these guys if they do not produce right away.  I can’t repeat myself enough: it’s a long season. They all have potential, but need the playing time to produce.  Keep an eye on them, as they may turn some heads going forward.  For now, let us dig in to this week’s waiver wire gems…

Just Getting In…

Tyronn Lue, PG, Atlanta Hawks
7 G; 29.3 MPG; 14.6 PPG; 2.7 RPG; 5.0 APG; 1.3 3PM; 48.6 FG%; 82.1 FT%; 0.3 SPG; 0.0 BPG; 1.1 TO

No longer a deep-league diamond in the rough.  Lue broke the 30-minute barrier against the Cavaliers a while back, and hasn’t turned back since.  Whether he’s starting or not, he’s getting the playing time to warrant a spot in any league at this point.  I feel that we could be a bit late to the party in shallow leagues as well, but check him out.  You’ll still have to worry about Speedy Claxton later on, but for now, he’s rolling.  Jump aboard.

Matt Harpring, SG/SF, Utah Jazz
8 G; 23.4 MPG; 12.3 PPG; 4.5 RPG; 0.9 APG; 0.5 3PM; 57.8 FG%; 80.0 FT%; 0.4 SPG; 0.0 BPG; 2.0 TO

The cure for a slow start?  Well, an injury to the guy playing ahead of you always helps.  With Andrei Kirilenko out for “a few games,” Harpring should be able to take advantage of his increase in playing time.  He is a solid source of scoring and threes, with percentages that you can definitely use on any team.  It may be short-term in nature, but in shallow leagues, you have to roll with what’s working.  Momentum, my friends.  And Harpring’s got it going on.

Monta Ellis, PG/SG, Golden State Warriors
8 G; 30.2 MPG; 15.9 PPG; 2.3 RPG; 3.1 APG; 1.0 3PM; 50.6 FG%; 75.0 FT%; 0.9 SPG; 0.4 BPG; 2.9 TO

Yet another guy that bumps up the rankings in terms of a repeat from last week.  From deep league diamond to shallow league star, Ellis is putting up statistics that are better than some starters within the league.  While a seven assist night won’t happen very often, it’s tough to turn away the scoring along with a 50% from the floor thus far.  If Jason Richardson misses any time, look out.  You could do a lot worse on your bench.

Mickael Pietrus, SF, Golden State Warriors
7 G; 30.4 MPG; 11.1 PPG; 5.9 RPG; 1.7 APG; 1.9 3PM; 50.0 FG%; 61.1 FT%; 1.0 SPG; 0.7 BPG; 1.6 TO

Nothing flashy here…unless you’re one of those owners who likes two three balls, a steal and a block a game – which should be everyone!  The second Warrior on this list, Pietrus will put up some weird lines every once in a while. However, underneath all of the hype of his teammates, you can find some solid numbers mixed in there.  If Troy Murphy is hobbled by his heel (who isn’t hobbled by a heel these days?) for any extended time, look for Pietrus to be the main beneficiary.

Getting Deeper…

Fred Jones, SG, Toronto Raptors
7 G; 30.0 MPG; 11.3 PPG; 3.3 RPG; 2.3 APG; 1.3 3PM; 45.9 FG%; 93.3 FT%; 0.7 SPG; 0.6 BPG; 2.1 TO

Apparently, Morris Peterson isn’t cutting it as a starter in Toronto.  Enter, Fred Jones.  He won’t give you Kobe numbers, but he has the potential for 20 a night, and is a solid source of threes and free throw percentage.  Any guy getting 35 minutes a night deserves a roster spot – and Fred Jones is now one of those guys.  If you can endure a few nights of rough field goal shooting here and there, take a swing at this pitch.

Randy Foye, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves
7 G; 12.5 MPG; 5.3 PPG; 1.1 RPG; 1.1 APG; .1 3PM; 37.5 FG%; 92.3 FT%; 1.3 SPG; 0.0 BPG; 0.7 TO

Little minutes early on lead to Foye being dropped in a lot of leagues.  Save yourself the forehead slapping later on and give him a shot.  The Timberwolves are struggling out of the gate, and we all know (well, should know) that Coach Casey doesn’t have a lot of patience with struggling players.  His minutes have gone from single-digit to low 20’s in a matter of a few weeks.  Kid can flat out score, as seen in the summer league.  Add him to the bench, and thank yourself in a few weeks.

Jerry Stackhouse, SG/SF, Dallas Mavericks
7 G; 30.2 MPG; 13.6 PPG; 3.4 RPG; 2.7 APG; 0.6 3PM; 44.6 FG%; 100 FT%; 1.0 SPG; 0.1 BPG; 1.7 TO
If there were any more wing men named in this week’s edition, I’d have to call it Top Gun II.  You won’t find Goose, Iceman or Maverick here, but you will find A Maverick – and this one has been on fire lately.  Since Josh Howard has gone down with his injury, the Mavs have turned to the veteran as a main scoring option behind Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry.  Huge scoring option, and his free throw shooting is spot on.  It may be pushing it to hope he’s still available on your standard wire at this point, but jump all over it if he’s there. 

Nate Robinson, PG, New York Knicks
9 G; 22.5 MPG; 13.4 PPG; 2.3 RPG; 1.1 APG; .9 3PM; 52.9 FG%; 77.8 FT%; 0.7 SPG; 0.0 BPG; 1.8 TO

Let it be known that how a 5’9” guard can get more rebounds than assists just blows my mind.  However, with the departure of Jalen Rose, there’s one less guard to in the way of Big Nate’s playing time.  The little man has been getting to the bucket as good as anyone this year, and has shown a ton of improvement from his rookie season of dancing around the arc and launching prayers (FG% is up 12% so far this year).  It’s hard to own anyone that dons the blue and orange of the Knickerbockers, but with a nice scoring average to go with a few boards (and an assist), go New York, go New York, go!

Hold Your Breath…

Sasha Pavlovic, SG/SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
6G; 18 MPG; 7.5 PPG; 2.2 RPG; 1.2 APG; 0.8 3PM; 41.7 FG%; 90.9 FT%; 0.0 SPG; 1.0 BPG; 1.3 TO

Yet another “as I’m writing this” update!  Unfortunately for owners of Larry Hughes, he just suffered an ankle injury at home against the Trailblazers.  Ironically, he was tied up with Martell Webster (who I have apparently talked about enough lately to earn some sort of man-crush reputation).  Nonetheless, for deep league owners, this opens the door even wider for Sasha Pavlovic to showcase his talents that he’s shown in limited minutes.  The early season struggles of Damon Jones and David Wesley have allowed Pavlovic to shine.  If Hughes is to miss any time, I would look for Sasha to get close to starter’s minutes.

LaMarcus Aldridge, SF/PF, Portland Trailblazers
3G; 22.2 MPG; 10 PPG; 6.7 RPG; 0.7 APG; 0 3PM; 68.4 FG%; 5.00 FT%; 1.0 SPG; 1.0 BPG; 0.0 TO

Aldridge went from one of the highest touted rookies in this year’s draft to an afterthought at the hands of fellow rookie teammate, Brandon Roy.  Though firmly behind Zach Randolph at the power forward spot, the loss of Darius Miles for the season should allow some solid playing time for Aldridge long-term.  His play will be spotty at first, but if you like the potential for 15 points, 10 boards and a few blocks thrown in the mix, LaMarcus might be your LaMan. 

Paul Millsap, SF/PF, Utah Jazz
8 G; 14.2 MPG; 4.4 PPG; 3.8 RPG; 0.5 APG; 0.0 3PM; 46.7 FG%; 70.0 FT%; 0.6 SPG; 0.9 BPG; 0.8 TO

Ronnie Brewer and C.J. Miles were the sought after sleepers going into this season.  While both may get their shots at the two-guard, it has been Millsap that has stepped up in the absence of Andrei Kirilenko.  He won’t put up too much on the offensive end – despite 15 points the other night - as that’s dominated by Carlos [Boozer] and Company.  However, once Millsap gets back on defense, he’s filled up the box score to the tune of four blocks, four steals and six rebounds in 20 minutes of playing time.  Jerry Sloan loves hustle, and while this could be a huge flier, it may pay dividends if Kirilenko is to miss any more time – which we all know is very probable.

Quinton Ross, SF, Los Angeles Clippers
7 G; 27.4 MPG; 8.6 PPG; 3.6 RPG; 1.0 APG; .00 3PM; 50.0 FG%; 80.0 FT%; 1.1 SPG; 0.3 BPG; 0.4 TO

Meet the reason why the Clippers think that trading Corey Maggette is a good idea.  It’s no secret that Maggette’s defense leaves a lot to be desired.  The Western conference packs a lot of shooting guards and small forwards that can light you up on any evening (a la Bryant, Marion, etc), so the Clips like to have Ross on the floor as much as possible.  He won’t give you a lot on the offensive end, but this guy could be a steals specialist if given a consistent 30 minutes.  Five rips in the last two games is nothing to ignore.

Bonus Deep-League Special!

Earl Watson, PG, Seattle Supersonics (for now!)
9 G; 19.4 MPG; 5.8 PPG; 2.0 RPG; 3.9 APG; 0.7 3PM; 31.7 FG%; 80.0 FT%; 1.0 SPG; 0.3 BPG; 1.6 TO

Watson was thought to be the man getting the starters minutes in Seattle this season.  After career resuscitation by Luke Ridnour, that seems to be no longer the case.  However, I know of a certain team in the East, that just so happens to rhyme with “Bleveland,” that could use a point guard.  This team was interested in him last season, and just didn’t pull the trigger.  While this is a shot in the dark, Watson may be worth a deep league pick-up if he’s been dropped after his recent string of stink bombs.  You heard it here first, folks!