Shane Battier, Miami Heat: In a down-week for the Heat (2-2), Battier has struggled to find his shooting touch. He shot just 6-of-22 from the field this week and failed to contribute in other ways. Battier accumulated only three rebounds and one assist in Miami’s four games, although he did manage four combined blocks.
Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls: In the four games this week, Boozer averaged a double-double, dropping in more than 18 points per game to complement his nightly 10 rebounds. It has been tough sledding for the Bulls in the face of injuries, but Boozer’s efforts have kept the short-handed squad competitive.
Elton Brand, Atlanta Hawks: Brand has found more playing time recently—double-digit minutes in the past four games—but he’s failed to do much with this extended run. He didn’t score in either of two games this week, and only averaged three rebounds per game in his stints off the bench.
Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls: After playing well in a win Thursday against the Heat—in which he tallied 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists—Deng has missed the past three games with an unspecified Achilles injury. Not coincidentally, the Bulls have dropped each of the past three games in his absence.
Mike Dunleavy, Chicago Bulls: With the Bulls decimated by injuries (Deng, Derrick Rose, and Joakim Noah all missed time this week), Dunleavy’s minutes and production have picked up accordingly. In the past three games—in which Deng hasn’t played—Dunleavy has averaged 20.0 points and more than six rebounds per game. He hasn’t been the most efficient—shooting 7-for-24 in the catastrophe that was the Bulls-Knicks game Wednesday night—but on a team that hasn’t cracked 80 points in Deng’s absence, Dunleavy’s efforts are appreciated.
Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Bobcats: Henderson played some of his best basketball Monday night, torching the Warriors for 24 points in a 115-111 barnburner. His 18-point, 4-assist, 3-rebound against Philadelphia Friday was instrumental as well in keeping Charlotte treading water in the putrid Eastern Conference.
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers: Irving’s play bottomed out on Friday in a scoreless effort against Atlanta, in which he shot 0-for-9 from the field and 0-for-3 from the charity stripe. Since then, however, he’s more than turned it around: he dropped 20 points and six assists on the Clippers in a surprise Cavaliers’ win, and on Tuesday he torched the Knicks for 37 and 11 while only committing one turnover. His crossover on a helpless Pablo Prigioni was vintage Uncle Drew, and the recent turnaround bodes well for the rest of the season.
Ryan Kelly, Los Angeles Lakers: Although recalled from the D-League in last week, Kelly did not seen any playing time in the big leagues for the Lakers.
Josh McRoberts, Charlotte Bobcats: McRoberts has hit double-digits in four of the past five games, and he did a little bit of everything in the Bobcats’ win over the Warriors, tallying a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, as well as six assists. He shot well again in Wednesday’s loss against the Magic, notching 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns: Miles’ production has steadily fallen to earth after a torrid start, but he’s still a key contributor on a surprising Phoenix squad. In two games this week, he averaged 7.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, as the Suns knocked off both of their opponents.
Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets: Mason’s minutes still fluctuate amid the tumultuous Nets season—his healthy scratch Saturday was sandwiched by 16-minute and 11-minute stints against the Knicks and Celtics, respectively. He hasn’t managed to fill the stat sheet, only grabbing one board and dishing one assist in two games this week. Most surprising to Duke fans will be his free-throw shooting: in his two appearances this week, Mason managed to go 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.
J.J. Redick, Los Angeles Clippers: Redick still remains sidelined with a broken right hand and torn wrist ligaments suffered on December 2. His timeline for return is roughly 5-7 weeks.
Austin Rivers, New Orleans Pelicans: With backcourt mate Tyreke Evans nicked up, Rivers was expected to pick up some of the offensive slack. However, in two games this week, he hasn’t done much to take advantage of the opportunity: Rivers has shot just 1-for-8, while providing minimal production elsewhere—only two boards and one assist in total. However, in the most recent game Rivers overtook Brian Roberts as the Pelicans' backup point guard. Head coach Monty Williams reportedly likes Rivers' defense.
Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons: The week started off well for Singler, as he shot well in a win over the Bulls and a loss to the Heat—two games in which he cracked double-digits. However, he didn’t register a shot attempt in a loss to Minnesota Tuesday, and he struggled from the field in a loss to the Pelicans Wednesday.
Elliot Williams, Philadelphia 76ers: Williams played in three out of the four games for the Sixers this week, totalling nine points, one rebound, and one assist for his efforts. He's averaging 9.3 minutes per game this season.
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