Catching Up with the 'Cats: Week 16

Randy Foye

It's been a solid start to the second half of the season for Randy Foye. After limping into all-star break with an ankle injury, the Denver Nuggets shooting guard picked up right where he left off. In the five games since the League's weekend hiatus, Foye has averaged just under 18 points and about 4 assists per contest. He lit up the scoreboards during the Nuggets face-off with the Sacramento Kings, netting 27 points on 6-11 shooting from distance.

As Ty Lawson continues to miss time with broken ribs, Foye has done a respectable job of managing point guard duties for his squad. In a win against the Milwaukee Bucks, Randy dished out 10 dimes to go along with 12 points; it was his third double-double of the season.

Perhaps most importantly, Foye has ensured that he lives up to the shooting aspects of his position title. He's knocking down just under 46% from downtown since the all-star break.

But not all is well on the Denver front. A multitude of injuries and locker room strife has rendered the Nuggets roster lacking at best. After their defeat agains the Portland Trailblazers on Tuesday, the Nuggets have now lost eight of their last nine. At six games under.500, they are firmly out of the playoff picture.

But Foye is maintaining his optimism. "Everyone goes through times like this during the season. It's important for us to keep fighting, to continue to push."

Kyle Lowry

Ugh. I guess there's a reason you're not supposed to pay any attention to gossip. After weeks and weeks of trade rumors swirling around Kyle Lowry, the trade deadline proved to be a quiet occasion for the Toronto Raptors. GM extraordinaire Masai Ujiri decided the potential haul he could receive for his star point guard wasn't enough to tilt the scales in the favor of making a trade.

Ujiri's decision has been justified by the Raptor's performance. The friendly team up North now sits a comfortable seven games above .500 and is firmly entrenched as the third or fourth seed in the Eastern Conference.

So now, we can finally focus fully on some basketball. Lowry continued his torrid pace in his return from all-star break. The former Villanova guard is lighting up the league and filling up the stat sheet in the process. Lowry's averages post-break are right in line, even slightly better, than his season norms. In his five most recent games, Kyle is putting up 19 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds per contest. And you're telling me those numbers aren't deserving of an all-star bid??

He's got the stats. He's got the flash:

Cavaliers vs Raptors Kyle Lowry Finds Jonas Valanciunas NBA (via NBAGAMES)

He's got the hustle:

Kyle Lowry Picks Luol Deng's Pocket Cavaliers vs Raptors February 21, 2014 NBA 2013 2014 (via NBA 2014)

But for now we'll just sweep his 0-9 from deep performance against the Cavaliers under the rug...

Dante Cunningham

Sometimes all you need is a chance, right? That's certainly the case with Dante Cunningham and his exploits with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Injuries have ravaged the Wolves lineup, sidelining starting center Nikola Pekovic and backup center Ronny Turiaf. The thin front court has forced Coach Rick Adelman to turn to his bench to lift the team, resulting in some surprisingly nice play.

Cunningham has started at center the past four games for the Wolves. During that time, the former Villanova forward has done his fair share in covering for his team's roster shortcomings. In each game, Dante has reached double digit scoring numbers. Most recently, he turned in a very solid all around performance against the Phoenix Suns. Cunningham impacted the game in a variety of ways, dropping 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals, and 2 assists.

While Dante will most likely return to the bench when Pekovic and Turiaf recover from their ailments, his brief time in the starting lineup has been valuable nonetheless. He reinforced the notion that, if given adequate playing time, he can provide quality minutes for a contender with all around skill and some serious hustle.

Maalik Wayns

We found him! Maalik Wayns signed with the Rio Grande Vipers the past week. It marks his second stint with the Vipers. He will compete for playing time with Murray State standout Isaiah Canaan. The Vipers coach noted that "It’s going to be hard. Isaiah’s going to be the starter, but Maalik is going to be playing for minutes, and I even think we can play them together a bit. It’ll be tough. Hopefully they know it’s a process and we go from there."

For now, Maalik will continue to pursue his dream of making it in the NBA. If his time in the D-League is spent well, we could be seeing him on another NBA roster soon.

Maurice Sutton

Not much to report for Mr. Sutton and his recent games with the Tulsa 66ers. Sutton's minutes have regressed back to the low teens during the last string of contests, and his scoring numbers have consequently dwindled. Unless a major breakthrough occurs, expect for of the same for our beloved Villanova center.

But hey, check out this reunion between former teammates!

Thanks for reading everyone!