Finishing on a High Note

Troy Murphy: #4 in the last month, Murphy has averaged 2.6 3s, 17.9 ppg, 13.7 boards, and only 1.8 turnovers. His point production should fall with the return of Danny Granger to the lineup, but he's still a top 10 player down the stretch.

Pau Gasol: Since the Lakers are well ahead of the Western conference competition, some are wondering about starters being rested down the stretch. Of course, the Lakers are still trailing the Cavs for overall home court advantage and that gives them something to play for. Outside of elderly Derek Fisher (who already exists in a near platoon with Farmar when he's healthy), I wouldn't expect many Laker starters to see their minutes cut. This is good news for Pau Gasol owners, who have seen a player peaking at just the right time. In the last month, Gasol is shooting .597 from the floor and averaging 20.6 ppg, 9.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 1.4 blocks, and only 1.9 turnovers. That's good for #6 in the league.

Gerald Wallace: Coming back from a partially collapsed lung, Wallace has been playing out of his mind lately. Shooting .547 from the field and .878 from the charity stripe, Wallace has provided 0.9 3s, 18.4 ppg, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks in the last month.

Andrea Bargnani: Who could have foreseen this type of production at the start of the year? Bargnani is shooting .536 from the floor, .828 at the line, and averaging 20.8 ppg, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks. #8 in the last month ...

Steve Nash: It's been a disappointing year thanks to Terry Porter's slowdown scheme, but all of that is over with. This is something closer to the Nash of 07-08. In his last 12 games, Nash is shooting .555 from the field, with 1.8 3s, 21.2 ppg, 9.3 assists (a number which is still down), and 1 steal. Almost solely on the basis of hot shooting, Nash is #10 in the last month.

Monta Ellis: This is only based on his last 7 games of action (given his earlier ankle injury), but Monta is ranked #13 in the last month. Shooting .573 from the floor and .880 from the line, he has averaged 23.6 ppg, 4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.9 steals. He still doesn't hit 3s and he's averaging 3 turnovers.

Ronnie Brewer: I'm kicking myself because I turned Brewer into a 4th man throw-in while trading earlier this season. Now he's the 17th ranked player in the last month. In his last 15 games, he's shooting .552 from the floor with 15.5 ppg, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals (this type of production was missing for much of the year, but it's back and makes Brewer a must-start), 0.8 blocks (good for a SG-eligible player), and only 0.9 turnovers.

Antonio McDyess: Yet another player who was on my roster and foolishly discarded ... McDyess has been a monster in the last month, averaging 13.1 ppg, 11.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 1.1 blocks, and only 0.8 turnovers. His percentages are great too (.519, .917). A banged up Rasheed Wallace and backcourt health troubles have made McDyess a more prominent piece of the offense. #18 in the last month ...

Al Harrington:I'm a bit skeptical about his placement on this list, partly because Harrington has shot .446 from the floor for the Knicks and averaged 2.2 turnovers. In his last 14 games, those averages are .500 and only 1.5 turnovers, causing him to rise to #20 in the rankings. There's no telling if he can keep this up. Al, who has never seen a shot he did not like, has also averaged 2.4 3s, 20.6 ppg, 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He's only averaging 1.1 assists, however.

Brook Lopez: #23 in the last month, Lopez only figures to become more important while Devin Harris is out. Lopez is averaging 14.2 ppg, 6.9 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 1.9 blocks and only 1.8 turnovers. His percentages are outstanding (.579 FGs, .838 FTs).

Vince Carter: Carter had a hot start, fell victim to the mid-season doldrums, and now he's starting to wake up. The Nets need him to play well down the stretch if they are to have any shot at the #8 seed in the East (the honor of losing to the Cavs in 4 or 5 games) -- which is looking increasingly far fetched. While he's still only shooting .435 in the last month, Carter has averaged 2.6 3s, 22.1 ppg, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists (a bit down vs. his season average), and 1.1 steals. #24 in the last month ...

Ron Artest: Same shooting issues as Carter (.440 -- this actually looks good to Artest owners, who've weathered the sub-.400 storm), but he's also averaging 2.6 3s in the last month, 19.6 ppg, 5.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.8 steals, and only 2 turnovers. #25 in the last month ...

Joe Johnson: Johnson has perked up in the absence of Marvin Williams and the Hawks seem like a sure bet to seal up the #4 seed in the East. In the last month, Johnson is averaging 1.7 3s (actually down vs. his season average of 1.9), 22.3 ppg, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and a modest 2.3 turnovers. He's shooting .453 in this span (vs. .435 on the season). #28 in the last month ...

Al Horford: #30 in the last month, Al is averaging 14.9 ppg, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.5 blocks and only 1.7 turnovers. In short, he is doing it all. There is one category that affects Horford's value and that is FT% (.673 in the last month, .710 on the year). If not for that one liability, Horford would be right up there with McDyess. His FG% (.573 in the last month, .536 on the year) has also been a strength.

Stephen Jackson: #32 in the last month, this is as high as you will ever see him in the rankings. Keep in mind that he is doing this while averaging a whopping 4.0 turnovers. But he is filling up the stat sheet in every other way: 1.7 3s, 22.4 ppg, 5.4 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.6 steals. Even his FG% (.446 in the last month) has not been as awful as it typically is (.413 on the season).

John Salmons: Some worried that the trade to the Bulls would reduce his fantasy value. Instead, Salmons has been even better. #34 in the last month, Salmons is averaging 1.6 3s, 19.4 ppg, 5.3 rebounds, and only 1.7 turnovers. His percentages (.505 FGs, .873 FTs) have improved since leaving Sacramento (.472 FGs, .823). Salmons could still vault up this list, especially if he increases his assists (only 1.6 since joining the Bulls vs. 3.7 in Sacramento).