Carmelo Anthony did nothing but shoot Tuesday.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade once again did nothing.
If you have James and/or Wade and you're deep in head-to-head league playoffs, you have my sympathies. Not that those will do you any more good than the accumulating DNPs will.
Wade's absence is a little easier to take. He is 31 now, and he reportedly has multiple minor maladies. Of course, Wade owners are still missing his production. Despite having sat out four of the past six games, D-Wade has averaged 22.3 points, 2.5 steals and 55.5 percent shooting since the break. He remains one of the top players in fantasy.
As for you James owners, here's the only advice I can offer: Avert your eyes -- and your mouse -- and do not under any circumstances read this Miami Herald piece, because, to paraphrase Lewis Black, blood might start shooting from your nose. Herald writer Joseph Goodman paints a pretty clear picture of LeBron James kicking it back for a spell. Not that the world's best basketball player hasn't earned his time off, but geez, fantasy championships are on the line here.
After noting that Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said James originally injured his leg in the first quarter against the New Orleans Hornets on March 29, Goodman helpfully points out that LeBron still managed to swish six 3-pointers by halftime and amass 36 points in just three quarters of action. James sat out the final period in the blowout win at New Orleans, and he has been sitting since.
And here's the kicker: The Herald item concludes by saying that Spoelstra isn't committing to playing James, Wade or Mario Chalmers on Friday, either. And because Friday is the day when the Heat visit the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, I'd say there's a solid chance that those fellas will be in street clothes once again.
If you're looking to make this work for you, Mike Miller might be a worth a flier. He finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 triples and a couple of blocks against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. If the enigmatic Miller does indeed make another start, you couldn't ask for a better matchup than the Bobcats, who allow a league-high number of treys. Needless to say, keep following the news on the playoff-prepping, Popovich-mimicking Heat.
Looking back
• As for Melo, the takeaway from his 50-point outburst against Chris Bosh and the Heat reserves is that he's healthy now. After missing six of nine games in early March, Anthony is averaging 30.4 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 3s over his past eight.
• The Knicks also welcomed back Tyson Chandler on Tuesday. Clearly limited after missing 10 games with a bulging disk in his neck, Chandler managed only one point and two rebounds in 24 minutes. Afterward, Chandler said he felt stiff and sore, but was pain-free. He added he wasn't sure if he would play Wednesday, when the Knicks visit the Atlanta Hawks.
• Bradley Beal is also struggling with a lingering injury. After sitting out five games with an ankle sprain, Beal put up 24 points against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, an outburst that had fantasy owners scrambling to add him for the stretch run. On Tuesday, however, the Washington Wizards rookie managed only eight points on 3-of-11 shooting against the Chicago Bulls, and said that his ankle bothered him during warm-ups.
• Speaking of the Bulls, Joakim Noah (foot) missed his sixth straight game Tuesday. However, he did say that he hopes to play "in the next couple of games." While the Bulls are another team that's looking ahead to the postseason, losing Taj Gibson (who injured his knee against the Wizards) might hasten Noah's return.
Looking ahead
• Joe Johnson (heel, quad) practiced Tuesday. While he might play Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a return Thursday against the Bulls seems more realistic. After missing the past four games, Johnson isn't expected to play both nights.
• Nothing is certain yet, but it's looking as though both James Harden (ankle) and Chandler Parsons (food poisoning) will play for the Houston Rockets, who visit the Sacramento Kings.
• Paul Pierce is expected to play when the Boston Celtics visit the Detroit Pistons. Pierce missed Sunday's game with the Minnesota Timberwolves due to personal reasons.
