The second half of the season has begun and as you’ll see below, there’s still a lot of potential to be found on the waiver wire. Some teams are tanking while others are looking for a second-half spark to try to clinch the playoffs. Players used the All-Star break to heal and now they’re ready to return from injury. There’s still plenty of time to get back in the game. With players who are returning, look how it’ll impact their entire rotation. Be a Coach!
OWNERSHIP PERCENTAGES: Yahoo! Sports
Al-Farouq Aminu F POR-40% Ownership: The scoring hasn’t been in double figures, but he’s been rebounding better and the Blazers lack of front-court depth gives Aminu a long leash no matter how much he struggles. Aminu is a good slasher, but the shooting is still inconsistent. He’s secured double-digit rebounds in three of his last five games. He’s good at grabbing steals at the elbow and has four multi-steal games in his last five. Aminu should play steadily in the mid to late-20’s and he has a long-range game. He relies on that long-range game a little too much but owners can expect him to hit at least one three-pointer whenever he plays. Aminu has good reach and he’ll also grab boards at the top of the paint. Expect his shooting percentage to rise over the next few games and he’ll be scoring more frequently in double figures.
Ish Smith PG DET-32% Ownership: Reggie Jackson still needs another month to recover and Smith continues to see playing time in the 20’s and 30’s. Smith’s main competition for minutes is Jameer Nelson until Jackson gets back. Smith is a more reliable mid-range shooter. Smith is very consistent at dishing 4.5 assists per game and he has 2 multi-steal games in his last 4. Smith has also grabbed at least four boards in his last two games. Smith will fight for loose ball at the elbow. He has a long-range game, but tries to push the ball inside. Smith is currently auditioning for playing time as the Pistons are in competition for a playoff spot and once Jackson comes back, Smith will be in a major timeshare. Smith has a quick drive to the rack and draws a lot of contact. Expect him to take around 10 shots per game on average and his attacking style will keep the offense running at a high pace and Blake Griffin works well in a fast-paced offense.
Marcus Morris F BOS 32% Ownership: Morris has battled injuries all season, but he’s game and getting consistent playing time in the 20’s and 30’s. Morris has been seeing a lot of open jumpers. Teams forget about his range and he hit three three-pointers in both of his last two games. Morris is aggressive on both sides of the ball and grabbed seven or more boards in three of his last four games. Morris has a good post game and follows up his moves in the post by rolling to the basket to keep plays alive. Greg Monroe shouldn’t impede too much on his playing time. Morris is better than Monroe at running the floor and he’s able to get open at the elbow. Morris is often used as a mid-range bailout option and gets fed when teams are doubling Al Horford under the basket. The injuries look behind him for now.
Jeremy Lamb SG/SF CHA-40% Ownership: Lamb’s playing time has gone down lately which shows that Nicolas Batum is healthy and Lamb will sub in for Batum and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Lamb should still be able to keep his minutes at 20 per game. He’s been helpful not only with shooting and hitting three’s, but he’s also been beneficial on the glass and he’ll continue to be the first guard off the bench. Lamb has scored in double figures in three of his last four games and he recently had a four-steal game. Obviously, Lamb’s defense will keep him in the game longer. He’s actually blocked shots in two of his last three games. Lamb is a good player to have on transition because he’s quick and he won’t settle on three-pointers and will look to drive. Lamb will also provide assist help to a lesser extent. Lamb has a quick release on his shot and that makes them hard to contest. He’s good at reading screens and popping out for open treys and he’ll still be in the Hornets rotation.
Trey Burke PG NY-3% Ownership: Burke is in a major timeshare, but with the Knicks looking more like a lottery-bound team, they’ve started the process of letting the younger players play. Burke can be a very useful volume scorer off the bench. He hits a lot of contested long range jumpers and will help out with steals on the defensive end. He’s scored in double figures in three of his last five games. He’ll be battling Emmanuel Mudiay and Frank Ntilikina for minutes, but Burke can also rotate to the shooting-guard spot briefly throughout games if needed. He can serve as a bailout option on the perimeter and he’s good at running the point. Burke will come off the bench and with his speed he should be able to take advantage of a lot of second units in the league. He also is very familiar with teammate and new top shooting option for team Tim Hardaway Jr. The familiarity should be able to help with their on-court communication and Hardaway Jr. will be able to hit Burke when he’s doubled at the elbow.
Mason Plumlee PF/C DEN-17% Ownership: Prior to injuring his Calf, Plumlee was doing a good job pushing the ball in and serving as a solid compliment to Nikola Jokic. Jokic starts his attack on the perimeter while Plumlee immediately set his first screen and would lineup in the post. Plumlee should be able to play steadily in the mid-20’s for the next month. Trey Lyles will be his main competition for minutes. Wilson Chandler could rotate to the position, but Plumlee brings true size and Jokic is always double-teamed. With Jokic constantly doubled, Plumlee will feel a limited amount of defensive pressure in the post and should be able to score in double figures. Plumlee should be utilized fully until Paul Millsap comes back. Before he got hurt, Plumlee had blocked shots in his last three games. He’ll also provide help with steals. Plumlee’s a smart player and he’s auditioning to stay in that rotation once Millsap returns. He’s a steal of a pick up right now.
Delon Wright PG TOR-7% Ownership: Why are the Raptors in 1st place in the Eastern Conference right now? Depth! The Raptors have a lot of it and Wright is a committed member of the Raptors rotation. Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan need to rest too at times. Wright has scored in double figures in four of his last six games. He’s got good shooting range and he balances it out nicely with driving to the rim. Wright has dished six dimes in two of his last three games. Wright plays excellent perimeter defense. He’s recorded steals in his last six games. Wright has also blocked shots in two of his last three games. Wright will be sharing time with Fred VanVleet, but there’s room for both to get love in the rotation. Wright is good at going reverse when he drives which causes the defense to shift on the drive. He doesn’t always go up with the ball as once he goes to the opposite side under the basket, he’ll often kick the ball back out.
JaMychal Green PF/C MEM-17% Ownership: Green has had an up and down season and he’s had his share of injuries, but with Memphis playing for the lottery, Green should get heavy usage moving forward. Expect more 30-minute games as the Grizzlies still see him as the PF of the future and he’s shown flashes of being a good inside player. He recorded two double-digit rebounding games in his last four. He’s grabbing 7.5 boards for the season. He scores just under 10 points per game and has a long-range game. Green gets a lot of open looks at the elbow and often passes off. The Grizzlies need all of the help they can get and when Marc Gasol is lined up on the perimeter, the paint becomes Green’s for the taking and he should be able to have higher scoring games moving forward. Green has recorded steals in three of his last five games and blocks in two of his last five games. Green doesn’t have much competition for playing time at the position and don’t be surprised if the Grizzlies rest Gasol a bit more down the stretch.
Wilson Chandler SG/SF/PF DEN-40% Ownership: Chandler got hot going into the All-Star break. He played a ton of minutes in his three games before the break and scored in double figures in all three of them. He’s able to hit shots from both short and long-range. He’s got good agility and is able to fight through screens. Chandler can play multiple positions and even when Paul Millsap returns next month, his minutes shouldn’t be impacted too much. Chandler’s stolen the ball in five of his last six games. He’s blocked shots in his last two games. He’s grabbing 5.1 rebounds per game this season. The Nuggets have a lot of scoring options, but he uses his size nicely and has tremendous quickness once he steps into the lane. Chandler’s main competition for minutes will be Will Barton. Barton often rotates to other positions on the floor and that’ll benefit Chandler and keep his playing time in the 20’s and 30’s.
WILD CARD PICK UP: Cameron Payne PG CHI-1% Ownership: Payne was very impressive in his debut and he was able to score a little while dishing seven dimes. He even blocked a shot. Payne will be getting a good amount of playing time moving forward as the backup PG. Jerian Grant’s minutes are about to drop and the Bulls want to see what they have in Payne. He’s quick and a good driver. He has an outside game, but is a much bigger threat on offense when he drives. He’ll be helpful with steals on the defensive end as he moves through screens quickly. Getting 20 minutes in his first game back is a good sign that he’ll stay in the rotation consistently. Payne has good instincts as a PG and he makes quick passes in the lane and then cuts to the rim. His quickness is his biggest strength and he’ll be able to take advantage of second units.