The NBA season is just underway and already the injury bug has bit your team. Or maybe that 'sleeper' draft picked has hardly seen the court. Whatever the reason, it pays big dividends to hit the waiver wire early. Don't fret if your sitting on the bottom at the bottom of your league. UPDATE! is here to help you sift through the waiver wire dumps and sort the early season surprises from the busts.


Golden State Warriors, G
Comment: Playing in Don Nelson's up-tempo offense almost always yields interesting results. After barely seeing court time in his rookie season, Azubuike has emerged as a capable replacement for Jason Richardson and posted nearly 19 points and five boards a game while shooting over 50 percent. It remains to be seen how he will fare once Stephen Jackson returns from suspension, but he has played his way into Nellie's good graces for now.

Utah Jazz, G/F
Comment: Brewer spent his rookie campaign at the end of the bench. But on a Utah team loaded with talent, he has worked his way onto the starting lineup this season. He's putting up 15 points on 58 percent shooting and grabbing three steals a game. He hasn't hit the boards particularly hard, but at 6-7 it's only a matter of time before he starts grabbing enough rebounds to round out his game.

Indiana Pacers, F
Comment: The Pacers came into this season lacking a true go-to guy. Enter Danny Granger, who has emerged as a legitimate multi-faceted threat. Defenders are swamping Jermaine O'Neal under the basket, freeing the 6-9 Granger to muscle his way through defenders and find easy buckets. He's a serious contender for 20 points per game, and with the Pacers lack of depth he should see plenty of minutes.

Sacramento Kings, G/F
Comment: Mike Bibby lost the first two months of the seasons with a thumb injury, and John Salmons is making the most out of his absence. He's averaging 20 points on 49 percent shooting, four boards, four assists, two steals and a svelte 94 percent from the charity stripe. Salmons is the type of waiver wire addition that makes you look like the genius of your league.

Seattle Supersonics, G/F
Comment: The Sonics might be the worst team in the league. They've opened the season with seven straight losses and look like they'll be lottery winners again this off-season. Wilkins has emerged as the second option behind Kevin Durant with some healthy numbers: 15 points on 46 percent shooting, five rebounds, three assists, a steal and a trey.

New Jersey Nets, G/F
Comment: Richard Jefferson is playing like a man possessed and Jason Kidd is his normal triple-double self this season, but the real surprise is this third-year man out of Texas A&M. He's earning starters minutes and posting nearly 12 points, three rebounds, a steal and a three a game with healthy percentages (51% FG, 36% 3PT). And with Vince Carter suffering an early season ankle injury and Nenad Kristic in the dog house, he will be called on to provide balance to the Nets offense.


Houston Rockets, PG
Comment: Alston went out and won a starting gig ahead of Mike James in training camp this season. He's been horrific since then, averaging 6.6 points on 30 percent shooting and just four assists in 26 minutes of court time. Expect Mike James to supplant Alston as the starting point guard sooner than later.

Chicago Bulls, PG
Comment: The Bulls were touted as a Top 3 team in the East coming into this season. They're just 1-5 though and something is amiss. Maybe it has something to do with Kirk Hinrich, who has averaged just nine points while shooting 32 percent from the field (and 15 percent from behind the arc). Aside from a lone 14 assist outing, captain Kirk has been a big bust.

Cleveland Cavaliers, SG
Comment: It looks like Hughes' success in Washington was an aberration. So far this season he's piled up three DNPs and topped 10 points just once, while shooting under 35 percent from the floor. Daniel Gibson and Sasha Pavlovic have outperformed Hughes, whose injury prone physique makes him a liability. There's little chance he will snap out of his prolonged slump and change his game to suite the Cavs needs.

Milwaukee Bucks, PF
Comment: Villanueva played his rookie season in Toronto with a chip on his shoulder; critics had labeled him soft and he was out to prove them wrong. But nothing has gone right for Villanueva since moving to Milwaukee. The injury bug struck last season and limited him to just 39 games, and the Bucks seem content to sit him in favor of Yi Jianlian. While Yi has yet to wow, the Bucks want to appease the Chinese star and will do so at Villanueva's expense.

Lamberti is UPDATE! Editor-in-Chief.

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