After months of rehab and quite a bit of speculation on his eventual return date, Elton Brand still managed to surprise people when he stepped on the court a game earlier than planned Wednesday against Seattle, playing 26 minutes and finishing with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and a block. Brand’s 19 points included a 13-point outburst in the fourth quarter that secured the victory for the Clippers. The following night against Sacramento, Elton again looked like he hadn’t missed a step, finishing with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. With six games left on the season, expect a strong finish for the All-Star forward heading into the summer.
With guys like Carlos Boozer, Corey Maggette, Grant Hill, Luol Deng, and now Elton Brand on the list of former Duke players now starring in the NBA this season, you might not expect Mike Dunleavy, Jr. to be the headliner so often in this blog, but calling this a “breakout season” for the 6’9” silky-smooth forward would be an injustice to the remarkable season that Dunleavy has put together. Friday night against the Bucks, Mike continued to lead the Pacers on a late playoff push with 27 points, including 4-of-6 (.667) from 3-pt range, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in the win, including a clutch 12-point performance in the pivotal fourth quarter. Indiana is now three games behind Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the East with six games remaining, after going 7-3 in their last 10 games behind the stellar play of Dunleavy. If Mike keeps it going, the Blue Devils could be adding another name to their growing list of NBA All-Stars.
Top Performer
You might think that with Elton Brand returning to the Clippers’ lineup, star small forward Corey Maggette, who has emerged as the team’s go-to guy this season in Elton’s absence, would see a dip in his production. That certainly was not the case last week, as Corey averaged 24 points per game in two contests alongside his former Duke teammate. Potential free agency looms in the offseason for both Maggette and Brand as each former Duke player has a player option for next season.
Grant Returns from Injury with Double-Double
After missing two games for the surging Phoenix Suns due to a right groin strain, Grant Hill returned Friday night against the Timberwolves with 16 points and 10 rebounds in an important win. Even more impressive for the veteran All-Star was the manner in which he scored his points. For a guy that has suffered through the injury bug as much as Hill, you might expect him to shy away from contact, but Grant continues to attack the basket with regularity, going to the free-throw lines 11 times and converting 10 of them. Any time you can score 16 points on only four shots from the floor, you know you’re not backing down from anyone. Grant’s aggressive play has helped Phoenix stay within 2.5 games of the top spot on the Western Conference, and only one game behind the Lakers for tops in their division.
Duke Blue Planet NBA Fantasy League Update
With Elton Brand finally back in the Clippers lineup, it will be interesting to see how the remainder of the season plays out in the fantasy league now that Duke’s team is fully healthy for the first time all season. Brand, when healthy, has been one of the top 10 fantasy producers in the NBA for several years now, so he should make an impact on the final point totals, even if he’s too late to impact the final standings.
1. Connecticut Huskies: 19,031.3
2. North Carolina Tar Heels: 18,811.7
3. Duke Blue Devils: 16,054.3
4. Arizona Wildcats: 13,033.3
5. Florida Gators: 12,738.6
6. Kentucky Wildcats: 10,898.4
7. Kansas Jayhawks: 10,297.2
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.
Quotes of the Week
“Michael [Dunleavy, Jr.] has had an extraordinary year for us. Everything we have asked him to do, he has done at a very high level. He’s a clutch performer.”
- Indiana Pacers Coach Jim O’Brien, April 4th
“What Mike did tonight, I wasn’t surprised because I have seen him do it all year.”
- Indiana Pacers teammate Jermaine O’Neal, after Mike scored 27 points against Milwaukee on April 4th
