DeMarcus

Nelson

The Magic will roll out quite an interesting lineup without all three. Rookie Maurice Harkless had a big night in his last game without Nelson or Afflalo, and he should get plenty of playing time once again on Monday without those two and Redick available. E’Twaun Moore and Ish Smith will also see a ton of time in the backcourt, and things could get sloppy against the Sixers with this crew.

After a surprising early run for the Warriors, Nelson ended up getting waived in early January. The move may be an indication of the Bulls’ confidence in backup Lindsay Hunter, or to simply shore up the backcourt. Either way, it will have no fantasy implications.

Johnson signed a pair of 10-day contacts with the Bulls last March and was signed for the remainder of the season, while Nelson was acquired as a free agent last April.

Nelson, a Bay Area native, was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in his senior year at Duke. The Warriors now have 18 players entering training camp, so obviously Nelson, Dowell and Kurz are longshots to make the regular season roster.

Nelson had a sweet coast-to-coast dunk tonight, but isn’t likely to have much fantasy value this season. But Don Nelson wants him to play some point guard so keep your eye on him during the regular season if he is getting minutes.

Nelson started the first five games of the season but quickly dropped down the depth chart. His new team is the world-famous Bakersfield Jam.

Nelson is the flavor of the week in Golden State, but we’re not convinced that he’ll have lasting value. C.J. Watson and Marcus Williams will both be vying for minutes at PG, and coach Nelson will fulfill his yearly ritual by quickly tiring of the rookie he praised throughout the preseason. Take him with a late-round flier if you must...just don’t expect too much.

The experiment means that DeMarcus Nelson will likely have to earn his minutes with production on the court, reinforcing that he’s a long-shot sleeper at best. It also means that Kelenna Azubuike sees a slight increase in value with the increased playing time he’s expected to get. And as for S-Jax, he certainly should see a moderate increase in value, especially in leagues that don’t count turnovers.

DeMarcus Nelson was basically out of the rotation tonight, while Marcus Williams slowly works his way in. We’re guessing Nellie gives Watson a shot for a week or two and then turns to Williams. We’ll see.

Azubuike was in for an injured Corey Maggette, who could miss a few games, while Wright started for disgruntled Al Harrington, who says he has a back injury. Anthony Randolph is also going to get some run tonight, while Watson replaces DeMarcus Nelson, and will hopefully get more mintues than Nelson did when he was starting. You have think we’re still heading toward Marcus Williams taking over at point guard, and we’ll let you know how they all played after the game.