Ron Artest played despite showing up on the Lakers' injury report over the weekend with a sprained left (non-shooting) thumb, and scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting (including a three) with three rebounds, one assist, and three steals.
He's still a low-end play in fantasy leagues at best, but Andrew Bynum's injury could make him more consistent in the deeper leagues that he is being deployed in, and it wouldn't be shocking if he did have a couple of 20+ point scoring games while Bynum is out, either.
Lamar Odom scored just four points on 1-of-4 shooting on Sunday, but supplemented his fantasy evening with a game-high 13 rebounds, a team-high six assists, four steals, and three blocks.
His shoulder was visibly bothering him, and whether or not that can be attributed to his lack of scoring really shouldn't concern owners too much. With Andrew Bynum (Achilles) out, he's poised to put up big numbers as the year winds down.
Pau Gasol tied a season-high with 28 points in the first game with Andrew Bynum (Achilles) out on Sunday, hitting 8-of-14 shots from the field (including 12-of-14 from the foul line) with 12 rebounds, three assists, and a block.
He was an elite fantasy play before Bynum's injury, and the uptick in value should make him a force to be reckoned with. He is a must-start in all formats, regardless of the fact that the Lakers play just three games this week.
Kobe Bryant scored 20 of his 24 points in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Wizards, and finished just one point shy of tying Alex English for No. 12 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
He hit 10-of-17 shots from the field (including four 3-pointers) to go with three rebounds and four assists, and took just one shot in the beginning of the second half with the Lakers up by 26 points. The Lakers' 99-92 win was their sixth in a row after losing three straight on the road.
As expected, Lamar Odom (shoulder) will start Sunday's game at power forward with Pau Gasol sliding over to center as the Lakers face the Wizards.
He has turned any injury to either Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol into consistent production for fantasy owners, and there's no reason that should change this go around. Reports on Bynum have him possibly returning before the end of the month, and until then Odom is a solid play.
Phil Jackson said Sunday that he hopes Andrew Bynum (Achilles) can return before the end of the month, and that he will be traveling with the team on their upcoming 5-game road trip.
"Maybe this will be just a short duration," Jackson said, adding that Bynum felt much better from Saturday to Sunday, helping to spark some optimism. Owners will have a hard time planning with the wait-and-see approach expected from the Lakers, but at least the reports are positive.
An MRI showed no rupture in Andrew Bynum's left Achilles' tendon and he will be re-evaluated in one week.
This is good news for the Lakers, though Bynum still doesn't expect to play until April. He's unlikely to be re-evaluated until L.A. returns from their upcoming five-game roadtrip and by the time he's back it could be too late for fantasy owners.
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