Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls / Cleveland Cavaliers: Deng played well for the Bulls in their win over Atlanta Saturday, scoring 17 points and notching 11 boards. But with Derrick Rose out for the year and the team out of contention, the Bulls made a move for the future Tuesday, shipping Deng off to Cleveland in a deal for Andrew Bynum—who was then waived for cap space—and three draft picks mid-week. There, he’ll join up with Kyrie Irving on the Cavaliers as they make a playoff push, who sit just two games out of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers: After missing three games with a knee injury, Kyrie returned Tuesday with a strong showing, netting 16 points and eight assists in a win over Philadelphia. Irving gets his first chance to team up with new Cavalier Luol Deng on Friday, and how well these former Blue Devils mesh will likely determine if Cleveland sniffs the postseason this year.
Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Chicago Bulls: The 33-year-old vet notched 20 points in Chicago’s win Saturday, and he was on his way to another solid performance—eight points, seven boards—Tuesday night when he hurt his elbow and had to go to the locker room. He seems to be fine, though, and for a Chicago team drowning in turmoil, he’s one of the best bets to keep the team afloat—if he isn't the next player shipped out of town.
Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls: Boozer sat out both of the games this past week with right knee discomfort. He’s expected to return Friday against Milwaukee. On the year, he’s averaged 14.7 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Seth Curry, Memphis Grizzlies: Seth Curry’s NBA career both started and stalled this week, as he received his first minutes of action Sunday—logging, in the words of Mark Titus, a “quadruple trillion”. That same day, however, after the Grizzlies acquired Courtney Lee from the Celtics, Curry was placed on waivers. Curry has rejoined the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League, but now that the NBA has entered the period of the season with 10-day contracts, look for Seth to make appearances in the big leagues in the coming weeks.
Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns: Plumlee, much like the Phoenix Suns, continues to tread water and prove his worth against tough competition. He averaged more than nine points and nine rebounds per game in four contests last week, and he received 30-plus minutes in three of the four games. If Plumlee continues to be a capable frontcourt option, the Suns should feel good about their ability to nab a playoff spot, even in the brutal Western Conference—though guard Eric Bledsoe's injury could throw a wrench in that plan.
Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets: One player who hasn’t been a part of Brooklyn’s recent resurgence has been the middle Plumlee, who has received three consecutive DNP-CDs from Nets head coach Jason Kidd. Plumlee is averaging 6.1 points and 3.3 boards per game for Brooklyn, but as the squad begins to turn things around, it’ll be interesting to see where Mason falls into the rotation, if at all.
Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Bobcats: It was a scorching week for Henderson, who averaged just fewer than 20 points per contest across three games, while managing to shoot better than 50 percent in each matchup. Tuesday against the Wizards, Henderson notched a season-high in points with 27, while also accumulating seven rebounds. The Bobcats are currently slated in seventh in the Eastern Conference almost halfway through the year, much in part to his work alongside Kemba Walker.
Josh McRoberts, Charlotte Bobcats: McRoberts has done a little bit of everything for Charlotte this season, but lately the emphasis has been on the “little.” Averaging 7.7 points and 4.1 assists per game on the season, he managed just 4.6 points on 30 percent shooting this week while only dishing out 1.7 dimes. He did have a good rebounding effort against Sacramento Saturday, grabbing 11 boards in the Bobcats’ sole win in two contests.
Elton Brand, Atlanta Hawks: In Al Horford’s absence, Brand’s minutes have jumped up, and he’s starting to take advantage of the opportunity. He averaged 7.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in four games this week, and he shot better than 63 percent from the field—10 percent better than his season average.
JJ Redick, Los Angeles Clippers: Redick, who has missed 21 games this year due to a fractured right wrist, may return to the Clippers lineup Friday when they take on the Lakers. The sharpshooter will be a welcome sight for the Clips, who are also without backcourt mate Chris Paul for the foreseeable future.
Ryan Kelly, Los Angeles Lakers: R-Kelly has joined the Lakers’ rotation, having played double-digit minutes in eight consecutive games. His production has been moderately disappointing, as he has only averaged 4.8 points per in these contests, and his shooting has declined in 2014 to 27 percent from the field. Kelly’s contract is not guaranteed past Tuesday, and with the Lakers’ season in turmoil and the direction of the franchise in doubt, rumors have suggested that he may be in danger of being cut as the Lakers front office formulates a plan for the near future. However, the waiving of former starting stretch-four Shawne Williams may bode well for Kelly's future in Hollywood.
Shane Battier, Miami Heat: Since his 11-point outburst against Golden State, Battier has been sidelined with a quadriceps injury and has missed four consecutive contests. So far, his place in the starting lineup has gone to Rashard Lewis. Battier has averaged 4.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per game this season.
Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have struggled as of late, but Singler has still managed to produce. In three games this week, the second-year man has averaged 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Notably, his shooting has improved as well—he shot an even 50 percent on 18 attempts this past week.
Austin Rivers, New Orleans Pelicans: Rivers received his first playing time in four games Wednesday, logging three points in 13 minutes against Washington. His minutes have seen a significant decrease with the return of Tyreke Evans to the crowded Pelicans backcourt. On the season, Rivers is averaging 4.2 points in 12.3 minutes per game.
Eliot Williams, Philadelphia 76ers: Williams has played his best ball of the year over the past two contests, averaging 10 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2 assists per game in that stretch. His 12-point outburst Tuesday against Cleveland was a season-high for the third-year guard.
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