Eric

Piatkowski

High ankle sprains can sideline a player 4-6 weeks, but the Rockets don’t believe this one is too severe.

The Rockets will practice Sunday, so Piatkowski could be active next week.

Team trainers say it’s not likely Piatkowski will return by Monday’s game. The Rockets will not practice again until Thursday, which would be when they would take a look at Piatkowski’s readiness.

Trainer Keith Jones said Piatkowski (sprained left ankle) and Griffin (right knee surgery) are day-to-day. Both are practicing.

Piatkowski had career-lows for games played (20), minutes per game (7.9) and three-point shooting percentage (.273) last season in Chicago. With Phoenix’s run-and-gun offense, he could get some sporadic minutes to bomb away from the perimeter.

Piatkowski had a disappointing lone season in Houston, but he can still be an asset while playing about 20 minutes per game. Expect the Bulls to use him.

He had just one point in his last game, but if he continues to start, he could have some nice value if you need threes.

He’s completely out of the rotation for now.

Here’s an odd twist on lineup logic for you -- Corey Maggette had a very good January as a starter, averaging 20.1 points and 7.0 rebounds for the month. However, Piatkowski has done so little as a reserve since coming off the IL (5.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists in eight games), coach Alvin Gentry thinks the team may be better served with Piatkowski starting and Maggette coming off the bench.

He won’t have any fantasy value when healthy, although he’ll be good for the occasional three.