Catching Up with the 'Cats: Week 13

Randy Foye

Randy Foye had a mild week when compared to the gaudy shooting performances he had posted in the preceding ten games. After he was held out of a contest against the Phoenix Suns due to a stomach ailment, Foye returned to the court for three games in the past seven days.

While his statistics won't blow you away, Randy averaged a solid 13 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds; his most impressive performance came against the Portland Trailblazers, where he netted 14 points (on 4-9 from deep), dished out 5 dimes, and collected 3 boards. While I'm normally not one to advertise Villanova players getting dunked on, former Big East foe Wesley Matthews put Foye on a poster midway through the third quarter:

Wesly Matthews Dunks on Randy Foye (via NBA Highlights Full)

After winning two games in a row, the Nuggets continue to fight for the eighth seed out in the Western Conference; they trail the Dallas Mavericks by two and a half games. To see Foye get major minutes during a playoff series would be quite a treat.

Kyle Lowry

I feel like words can't do him justice. Just check out these videos to see what Kyle Lowry is doing to the NBA this season:

Kyle Lowry Beats the Halftime Buzzer with the 60-Footer! (via NBA)

Not impressed? Maybe a triple-double will pique your interest...

2014.01.24 - Kyle Lowry Triple-Double Full Highlights at 76ers - 18 Pts, 10 Reb, 13 Assists (via GD's Latest Highlights)

But that triple double might not have even been his best game of the week! Against the Brooklyn Nets, Lowry scored a season high 31 points, 7 assist, 5 rebound, and 5 steal performance. Maybe he was thinking quadruple double? Lowry has raised his season averages to 16 points, 8 dimes, and 4 rebounds coupled with a PER rating north of 20. While he wasn't named a starter for the Eastern Conference all-stars, Kyle will almost certainly earn his first appearance as a reserve this year.

Alas, with great success comes great trade rumors. Lowry once again finds himself the subject of numerous trade rumors. The new batch of potential suitors include the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, and Houston Rockets. The International Business Times lays out the possible trade scenarios here. Of these two, I imagine the Nets are the more likely destination due to their "win now" mentality, hence they're not as concerned with Lowry bolting in free agency after the conclusion of the season.

ESPN believes that the more likely scenario is for Kyle to be shipped off to Houston. Despite being traded away from the Rockets about two years ago (in large part due to differences in opinion between Lowry and coach Kevin McHale), Amin Elhassan argues that Lowry's tenacious perimeter defense and ability to play the pick and roll fit well into the Rockets system.

Regardless of what eventually happens, Lowry looks ready to continue to burn up the NBA.

Dante Cunningham

Not much to report on statistically for Cunningham. Despite appearing in all three games this past week, Dante only managed to score 4 total points and pull down 5 rebounds in 33 minutes of action. Slowly but surely, it appears that the forward's role is diminishing.

Dante's fortunes could change sometime before February 20th, the date of the NBA trade deadline. The Minnesota Timberwolves, like the Nets, are in a win now mentality in hopes of retaining their star big man, Kevin Love. Expect some activity out of Minnesota during the upcoming weeks. Although a trade would most likely not center around Cunningham, a new destination should still prove beneficial to his season.

Maalik Wayns

No word yet on Maalik's future. After being waived once again by the Los Angeles Clippers, it remains unclear whether Wayns will continue to try his fortune in the NBA or take his talents overseas. As the season wears on and players succumb to injury, it's possible that Wayns can sneak onto a roster with another ten day contract. Until then all remains quiet on the Western (conference that is) front.

Maurice Sutton

Whoa! Where did that come from?! After weeks of slowly losing minutes and production during his time with the Tulsa 66ers, Sutton exploded for a 16 point (on 7-9 shooting), 15 rebound performance in only 25 minutes against the Idaho Stampede. We'll see if Sutton can leverage this outburst into increased minutes during the upcoming games. Because who doesn't want some Mo'?!

Thanks for reading everyone!