MIAMI -- Young players in the NBA have a lot to learn as they go. Sean Williams and Josh Boone are getting that chance in New Jersey.

Both Williams and Boone made their second consecutive starts Thursday night in Miami, Williams at power forward and Boone at center, and Fantasy owners should pay close attention to this young promising duo.

Williams, who had eight blocks to go with 11 points and seven rebounds Tuesday vs. Sacramento got into early foul trouble and never really got into the flow of the game in Miami, finishing with just six points and four rebounds to go along with five personal fouls.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity the coach has given me," Williams said after the game. "I'll make the most out of it."

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Boone got off to a slow start from the field and hung tough, finishing with a decent overall line of 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots.

"I had a little slow start last time we were here last year, too, and never really found my way out of it," Boone said after the game. "This year, I think the key thing is that I was getting good looks in the second half."

Boone and Williams are both getting more looks than they were getting at the beginning of the season, due mostly to the slow recovery of Nenad Krstic's surgically repaired knee and the lack of any consistent production from Jason Collins and Malik Allen in his place.

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In these last two games, Allen has found a way to contribute off the bench what he hadn't been able to as a starter. He followed Tuesday's 10-point, four-rebound performance with a season-best 18-point, seven-rebound effort Thursday night.

"Malik was big for us," head coach Lawrence Frank said, but he didn't hint at another possible lineup change.

"You never know who it's going to be. Somebody could have a great game one night and they'll get into the starting lineup," Boone said. "Honestly, it doesn't really matter who starts the game, whether it's me or one of the other bigs, because everybody is getting time right now."

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Boone is right about that. He's averaging over 29 minutes over the past five games while Williams is averaging 24.9 despite playing just 15 minutes Thursday due to foul trouble. Allen is averaging 18.2 minutes during that span and Collins, who is known as a defensive specialist and isn't very productive from a Fantasy perspective, is averaging a little over 13 minutes.

"You really don't care if you start the game, but you want to be in the game at the end of the game when it really counts," said Boone.

And Boone was on the floor when it really mattered during Thursday's overtime win over the Heat, playing all of the extra session and finishing off a big alley-oop dunk from Jason Kidd.

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"He's a good runner. He has quick feet. He can finish around the basket. He knows who he is," Frank said of Boone.

Marcus Williams, who used to play with Boone at UConn and now plays with him with the Nets thinks Boone is gaining confidence, thanks in part to the added playing time.

"Sometimes he doubts himself," said Williams. "I think when he has confidence, he's one of the best young big men in the NBA. He could be one of the best in the NBA one day."

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In case you haven't noticed ... DeShawn Stevenson got off to a good start in the Wizards' first game without Antonio Daniels on Dec. 15 vs. Sacramento, scoring a team-high 19 points. He took a step back Wednesday, though, scoring just eight points with four assists, two rebounds, two steals and four turnovers. Roger Mason, who is seeing most of the minutes directly in place of Daniels, had 13 points and three rebounds on Dec. 15 and followed that up with eight points, a rebound and an assist on Wednesday. Both players are worth using as stopgaps.

Add 'Em

Anthony Johnson, G, Hawks
Owned:
20 percent of leagues
Analysis: Despite starting, Johnson had been mostly useless in Fantasy leagues until about the last week. He's suddenly caught fire and is a great add in most formats. He's averaging 16.3 points, 10.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds over his last three games.

Kenyon Martin, F, Nuggets
Owned:
83 percent of leagues
Analysis: Martin survived an early-season scare when he was shut down after spraining his surgically repaired right knee and he's making the most of his health. In December, he's averaging 14.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.5 assists.

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Nazr Mohammed, C, Bobcats
Owned:
34 percent of leagues
Analysis: Mohammed scored a season-high 17 points with eight rebounds and three blocks in Wednesday's win over Utah. He looked like a player that was starving for the minutes he's getting in Charlotte after being tossed aside like a used towel in Detroit in each of the last two seasons. He should be good for around 10 points and 6-10 boards.

Avoid 'Em

Earl Watson, G, SuperSonics
Owned:
39 percent of leagues
Analysis: Watson was cruising along with Luke Ridnour and Delonte West both less than 100 percent, but Ridnour is slowly creeping back into the thick of things and Watson's numbers have suffered. While Ridnour has scored at least 10 points in five straight games, Watson has been held to single digits in three straight contests.

David Lee, F, Knicks
Owned: 66 percent of leagues
Analysis: Yes, we know. Lee scored 22 points with 11 rebounds Wednesday vs. Cleveland, but Fantasy owners should not get too excited. He's getting more playing time with Eddy Curry struggling, but the Knicks can't continue to play small with Lee and hope to be even slightly competitive. Lee is playing with minutes that don't really belong to him and he'll get back to his 10 points and seven rebounds soon, making him useful in larger leagues as a low-end starter. He's decent, but he's just not a 22 and 11 guy.

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Aaron Gray, C, Bulls
Owned: 3 percent of leagues
Analysis: Gray is getting some added playing time with Ben Wallace banged up and made the most of it Wednesday night at Washington with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Wallace is day-to-day, though, and will be back to take his minutes likely before the start of the next scoring period, making Gray a very limited Fantasy option.

Drop 'Em

Jarrett Jack, G, Trail Blazers
Owned: 47 percent of leagues
Analysis: Jack's ship has sailed as far as Fantasy owners are concerned. After putting together a very steady season a year ago, he started off slowly this year and got demoted to the bench. There, he flourished in a sixth man role. Then, the emergence of Travis Outlaw as the team's primary scoring option off the bench has made Jack an afterthought. He's averaging just 7.3 points, 3.5 assists and 1.5 rebounds in the month of December.

Channing Frye, F/C, Trail Blazers
Owned: 23 percent of leagues
Analysis: The return of LaMarcus Aldridge from his five-game absence due to a foot injury pretty much makes Frye of little help to Fantasy owners once again. He played just 13 minutes on Wednesday night with Aldridge back in the mix.

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Watch 'Em

Jason Kapono, F, Raptors
Owned: 18 percent of leagues
Analysis: Last year's three-point champion at All-Star Weekend is starting to heat up and could find himself playing more of a role if he continues to play like he did on Wednesday at Portland. He had 13 points and was 6-for-9 from the field in 21 minutes off the pine. Monitor his playing time and think about adding him in deep formats.

Mark Blount and Earl Barron, C, Heat
Owned: 9 and 0 percent of leagues
Analysis: The season, and possibly career-ending, injury to Alonzo Mourning appeared to move Blount up the depth chart to No. 2 behind Shaquille O'Neal in Miami. That wasn't the case Thursday night vs. New Jersey. Earl Barron got the heavy load off the bench in place of Shaquille O'Neal while Blount didn't play at all. The way the Heat season is going, and knowing Shaq's propensity for injuries, Blount or Barron could emerge as the starting center at some point down the line. Monitor this situation for possible Shaq insurance. Head coach Pat Riley said after Thursday's game that he intends to use both players. He'd likely turn to Blount as a starter if Shaq misses time, which is bound to happen at some point.

Chris Webber, F/C, Free Agent
Owned: 22 percent of leagues
Analysis: The latest reports have Webber returning to the Pistons some time in January, but we've heard him reportedly going to several teams. The good news is that it does appear he'll land somewhere this season, putting his center eligibility to good use wherever he lands. In Detroit, he'd likely start at center once again.

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