Player Notes

George had 22 points (9-16 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 3-3 FT) with six assists in the win over the Heat on Friday.
Recommendation: George had a vicious dunk near the end of the third quarter and was able to get himself open at times. He is looking more and more like a future superstar in the NBA.

Chalmers (shoulder) played 29 minutes and had six points (2-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT) with five assists in the loss to the Pacers on Friday.
Recommendation: Chalmers came into the game with a shoulder injury and took a David West elbow to the injured shoulder. He stayed in the game and provided some decent passing and perimeter defense, but he appears to be performing at less than peak condition.

De Colo expressed frustration over his current role on the Spurs, the San Antonio Express-News reports. "I came here to play," De Colo said. "I prepared all year to be ready for the play-off. Finally, I do not play. The worst is that it is one of the assistants that (tell you) you're in a suit as if it was normal."
Recommendation: De Colo averaged 12.8 minutes during the regular season but has played in just three games this postseason. Coach Gregg Popovich declared De Colo as Tony Parker's backup at point guard towards the end of the season, but it has been Cory Joseph filling that role during the playoffs due to his defensive presence.

Stephenson continued his fine playoff play with 10 points (4-12 FG, 2-4 3Pt), eight rebounds, five assists, and two steals in the win over Miami on Friday.
Recommendation: Stephenson appeared to hit the funny bone in his elbow at one point, but he returned to the game soon thereafter. Even though he has not shot well against the Heat in the first two games, he has played big minutes and offered a wide variety of stats.

Young sprained his ankle in Game 2 against the Heat on Friday. He played 10 minutes and had one point (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT) with two rebounds.
Recommendation: Young provided a few minutes of defense on LeBron James. If he can not play as the series goes back to Indiana, the shallow Pacer bench could be even less effective.

Hill (foot) came through with four steely free throws at the end of the fourth quarter as the Pacers beat the Heat in Game 2 on Friday. He finished with 18 points (6-8 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-7 FT), five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Recommendation: Hill played through a sore foot and was on the court for 41 minutes. He shot extremely well and played effective perimeter defense.

Jones intends to opt into his player option with the Heat for next season, Fox Sports reports.
Recommendation: Jones averaged just six minutes of action in the 38 games in which he appeared with the Heat this season and has mostly become a forgotten man on the team's deep roster. If Mike Miller is released, as has been discussed as a very real possibility, and Ray Allen decides to retire or opt out of his contract, Jones could find himself playing a larger role next season.

Smith has fluid buildup in his left knee that may have contributed to his poor shooting performance in the playoffs, the NY Post reports.
Recommendation: Smith is supposed to get the fluid drained from his knee in the near future and should be fine after that. It is suggested that draining the knee and resting it for a short period of time should relieve any stiffness or swelling. Smith is expected to opt out of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent this summer. He has said he wants to remain a Knick, but it'd be somewhat surprising if Smith isn't able to spin his Sixth Man of the Year Award into a decent long-term contract.

White is unlikely to return with New York next season, ESPN New York reports.
Recommendation: White's agent, William McCandless, noted that White values his playing time, which was certainly lacking in New York. He started 16 games and averaged only 7.6 minutes and 2.2 points per game. White has a team option next season for about $1 million. The Knicks will have to reach a decision on what to do with him by June 30. If they do not choose to accept the team option, he will become an unrestricted free agent. If White is looking to make the most money, he may have to return to his previous career path and play for an international team. McCandless noted that there has been plenty of interest by international teams already and that White would not hesitate to go to these teams.

Prigioni noted that he would like to stay in the NBA next season, but his future with the Knicks is unclear at this point, the New York Post reports.
Recommendation: For Prigioni to return with the Knicks, the team would have to match an offer from another team, considering he is a restricted free agent. It is unclear whether or not the Knicks will do this. He averaged 3.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists during his rookie season.

Beal (leg) is weeks away from commencing basketball activities, CSN Washington reports.
Recommendation: Beal has passed his six week period devoid of any basketball activities but intends to have another X-ray performed on the stress fracture in his left tibia in a few weeks. If it has healed, he will then begin his rehab, which will include lifting weights and basketball activities. Despite enduring numerous injuries during his rookie season, he only missed 26 contests, an impressive number considering the severity of some of them. At the moment, he is being prudent with the concern that held him out for the final eight games of the regular season, which should give him plenty of time to be ready for the Las Vegas Summer League in July.

Whether or not Roberts' team option is picked up depends on how the ping pong balls fall Tuesday, The Times-Picayune reports.
Recommendation: The Pelicans are currently projected for the fifth pick in the draft, which could land them Michigan's Trey Burke. If the Pelicans think they will get Burke-the top point guard in the draft-, then Roberts isn't a necessity for the roster, despite his strong season. Of course, the Pelicans could also decide point guard isn't a need and they could look for a small forward, like Georgetown's Otto Porter.

Leonard scored 12 points (5-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt) with nine rebounds in Tuesday's game against the Grizzlies.
Recommendation: Leonard played a robust 40 minutes in the game two win. His impact is on the defensive side, but Leonard's averaging 14.1 points at an amazing 56.9 percent shooting from the field. Look for Leonard to continue his strong contributions with defenses keying in on Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.

Bayless finished with 18 points (7-18 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 3-4 FT), three assists, three rebounds, and two steals in Tuesday's 93-89 overtime loss against the Grizzlies.
Recommendation: The 18 points were the most Bayless has scored since Game 6 of the first round, but the Grizzlies still lost the game and will head home under the weight of a 2-0 deficit in the Western Conference Finals. Bayless and Quincy Pondexter both saw more playing time Tuesday night, while Tayshaun Prince was on the court for just 16 minutes.

Kidd is expected to play again next season according to Knicks' coach Mike Woodson and GM Glen Grunwald, ESPN New York reports.
Recommendation: Kidd was horrible in the playoffs and even though he is under contract with the Knicks for two more seasons, there was talk he may be considering retirement. Even though nothing is set in stone yet, it appears the signs are starting to point to his return. If he does play again next season, he doesn't expect to carry much fantasy value based on the limited role he would play.

Shumpert intends to play in the Las Vegas Summer League, the New York Times reports.
Recommendation: Shumpert wants to continue working on his game, with the preparation for Las Vegas and the tournament itself providing a great offseason opportunity for contact with the coaching staff. The games will act as the second-year pro's first sniff of summer league, as he was unable to participate heading into his first two seasons due to 2011's lockout and knee surgery in May of 2012.