I hope everyone has had a nice week. We’re getting close to the All-Star Game and the Slam Dunk Contest. I’m still excited for both. I want to see Blake Griffin dunk and see Derrick Rose in the All-Star game. Griffin has also been named as an all star so we might get to see some dunks there too.

I saw where Andre Miller took exception to Griffin being named an all star. I know that he wanted his teammate LaMarcus Aldridge on the team and I have no problem with that. But his main point seemed to be that Griffin doesn’t make his team or teammates better. I do have a problem with that statement. The Blazers are really only a couple of games better than the Clippers. Granted, some of that has to do with all of the injuries the Blazers have suffered. But without Griffin, I’m thinking the Clippers would be even more terrible. He has lifted that team and helped them to improve. Not only are they fun to watch now but they also have a shot at winning on any given night. Plus, isn’t this game for the fans? And let’s be honest, if the fans had to choose between Aldridge and Griffin as a player they’d want to watch, I’ll bet Griffin is the choice and it’s probably not even close.

I have another article up now about meeting Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds. He did something nice for the fans and I appreciated it. On the other side of the spectrum, I’ll give you Kevin Garnett. A night or two after hitting Channing Frye in the nuts and trying to put his foot under Frye’s feet after jump shots, he was asked by a ball boy for an autograph. Several sportswriters that were nearby said that Garnett responded with something like “you’d have a better shot at catching Bin Laden”. You stay classy Kevin Garnett.

Let’s get to the list for this week. Instead of repeating some names, I’ll just say that if Greg Monroe, Marcin Gortat, Randy Foye and Nick Young are still available in your league, you should also consider them strongly.

Anthony Morrow (SG/SF, Nets) – Morrow is averaging 16.5 points in his last four games but he’s moved back into the starting lineup and will hopefully be there to stay. He’s getting about 4 rebounds a night during those games and hitting 2.75 threes. The points seem about right but he can have some big nights. If you need help in threes though, he can definitely do something for you.

Ersan Ilyasova (SF/PF, Bucks) – I owned Ilyasova on my team for awhile last year. When he’s hot, he’ll get you points, rebounds and even hit a three or two at the forward position. In his last six games, he’s getting 16.3 a night and that was higher before he just had a 6-point game. He’s also getting 8.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals during that stretch. He’s bound to cool off again but grab him while he’s hot.

Paul George (SG/SF, Pacers) – I’m going to mention him as a player to watch. Now that Jim O’Brien has finally been fired by the Pacers, some younger players are going to get more of a look. They need to spend the rest of the season figuring out who needs to stay and who needs to go for next year. What’s nice about George is that he contributes in several categories. He can get points, grab a few rebounds, get a steal or two and hit some threes. His minutes should go up so the team can see just what they have in him and if they do, he could produce some decent stats.

Ryan Gomes (SF/PF, Clippers) – Ever since Eric Gordon went down, Gomes had picked up his scoring. He’s averaging 11.4 points in his last seven games and only 4.3 rebounds but he’s at just under a steal and hitting 1.4 threes a game. If you need threes, he’s a guy you can put in at the PF position and sneak a few more into your stats.

Jason Smith (PF, Hornets) – This would be if you’re desperate at the PF position. Omeka Okafor will be out for another 1-3 weeks and Smith and Aaron Gray will fill in for him. Smith did start off with 20 points and 5 rebounds in the first game but followed that up with 6 points and 4 rebounds. He doesn’t block many shots but can grab some steals at times. I’m just thinking that he has Chris Paul on his team so if he can get near the rim, Paul can get him the ball.

Tracy McGrady (SG, Pistons) – We know that McGrady has talent. With good knees, he’d still likely be a superstar in the league. But he doesn’t have good knees and he gets hurt…..alot. I’ve drafted him on my team the last two years and I paid for it. So I stayed away from him this year and wouldn’t you know it, he’s actually playing pretty well. If I pick him up, he’ll get hurt again so I think I’ll stay away and maybe he’ll make it through a season. In his last seven games, he’s getting 15.4 points, 5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, a steal and .86 blocks. So he’s giving you something in most categories. He’ll still hit a three but not as many as he used to.

Arron Afflalo (SG, Nuggets) – In his last eight games, he’s averaging 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 threes. He’ll hover around 20 points a game for a stretch and then have a game or two at about 10 points. But to get  a few rebounds and assists is extra. What you’re really looking for is his threes though.

Wesley Johnson (SG, Timberwolves) – In his last seven games, he’s getting 12.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.86 threes. There’s nothing wowing there but the threes and steals are nice. But he’s getting these stats while coming off the bench and he doesn’t always get a ton of minutes. I’ve been hearing that the Wolves might be involved in a 3-team trade involving Carmelo Anthony. In that trade, the Wolves would give up Corey Brewer. If that were to happen, Johnson could move into the starting lineup.

That will do it for me. Here are the top ten dunks of the week. I love the Griffin dunk at #8 and J.R. Smith’s dunk at #3. I’m off to watch the Super Bowl now. And since I hate the Steelers….Go Packers!