There were numerous great performances this week from Blue Devil alumni, but Mike Dunleavy, Jr. gets the nod for coming within a basket of his career high Tuesday while leading the Pacers to a dramatic victory over the Denver Nuggets, 112-110. Dunleavy totaled 30 points on 12-of-19 (.632) from the floor and 2-of-5 (.400) from long range, plus 4 rebounds and 3 assists. He followed that up the next night with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals in another win against Portland. There’s more on Mike’s contribution to Indiana’s success below.
Top Performer
Carlos Boozer sat out Friday’s game against the Lakers with a sprained ankle (he is listed as day-to-day), but in the three games prior, he had been playing like an MVP frontrunner, averaging 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting a ridiculous 74.5% from the field. The power forward ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring right now (behind only LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady) and is one of just two big men among the NBA’s top 10 in scoring (Dwight Howard ranks ninth).
Redick Healthy and Contributing for Magic
It was reminiscent of last season, except that this year J.J. Redick was actually able to show the NBA what he could do with a breakout performance in the NBA summer league and a strong preseason before being sidelined with back trouble. Finally, sixteen games into the 2007-08 season, J.J. got significant minutes and, not surprisingly, made a significant contribution with 11 points on 4-for-5 (.800) shooting and 2-for-2 from 3-point land. He received double-figure minutes the following game as well and produced again, with 8 points on 3-for-5 from the field and 2-for-3 from distance. A two-game average of 9.5 points on 80% shooting from long range in only 15 minutes per game might earn him more playing time.
Deng Healthy and Regaining Form
Like the rest of the Bulls, Luol Deng didn’t have the best start to his season. After a less-than-spectacular first five games of the season, Deng seemed to turn it around with a 23-point, 9-rebound performance on November 10th, but he injured his back in the next game, and the Bulls went on to lose their next three in a row while Luol sat out. But since his return to the lineup, his production has been consistently solid, notching 21, 22 and 29 points in three games back. In those last three full games, Deng is averaging 24.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
Maggette Also Back
Luol isn’t the only Blue Devil to come back strong from injury last week. After sitting out four games with an injured hamstring, Corey Maggette has returned for the Clippers and is once again doing his part to make up for the absence of injured All-Star Elton Brand. Corey is averaging 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in two games back while shooting over 50% from the field.
Dunleavy Key to Pacers’ Success
The Indiana Pacers have been an up-and-down team this season. Interestingly, the Pacers’ record seems to depend on Mike Dunleavy, Jr.’s involvement in the offense, or more specifically his shot attempts. When Mike takes more than 15 shots in a game, regardless of his shooting percentage, Indiana is 5-0. When he takes 15 or fewer shots, they are 1-9. Here’s more from IndyStar.com.
Duke Blue Planet NBA Fantasy League Update
Even with the Fantasy League’s top overall performer, Carlos Boozer, missing Friday’s game with a sprained ankle (and of course Elton Brand out for most of the season), the Blue Devils have managed to close in on the top spot almost every day since the healthy return of Luol Deng and Corey Maggette last week. There’s a new leader in the standings, but the Blue Devils are poised to make a move at the top spot.
1. Connecticut Huskies: 3516.5
2. North Carolina Tarheels: 3515.6
3. Duke Blue Devils: 3179.4
4. Arizona Wildcats: 2894.4
5. Florida Gators: 2610.5
6. Kentucky Wildcats: 2428.4
7. Kansas Jayhawks: 2059.9
Scoring summary: one point for each point scored, 1.5 point for each rebound, two points for each assist, steal or block, 0.5 points for each 3-pointer made, and -1.2 points for each turnover. Field-goal percentage is included by subtracting 0.2 points for each field goal attempt and adding 0.5 points for each field goal made, which would mean you break even by shooting 40% from the field.
Article of the Week
“If you have such a thing as a Duke guy, [Grant Hill and Shane Battier] both epitomize that. They’re very talented players, very versatile guys on the floor. But they’re also extremely high-character guys, two of the better leaders in the history of the Duke program, both by example and words.”
-Jeff Capel, former Duke guard and current head coach at the University of Oklahoma, in an article in last week’s Arizona Republic about Battier and Hill when Houston visited Phoenix