Austin Rivers (PG/SG, LAC) - NBA Waiver Wire Pickups

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ANALYSIS: Chris Paul's body isn't doing his wallet any favors entering his free agency year. Paul can't seem to stay healthy for long stretches— this time suffering a thumb injury courtesy of Russell Westbrook's freakishly high jump shot. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks, making Austin Rivers and Raymond Felton desirable pickups. Rivers has served well as the backup point guard under Papa's tutelage and is shooting a career high .389 from three-point land. Rivers has had a few scoring outbursts this season, mainly when Paul was absent from the lineup. He scored 20 or more points four times in December alone.

Rivers is an offensive-minded ball handler; he averages nearly 12 FGA per 36 minutes. Just 3.4 assists per 36 make him more suitable for the SG or G spot in your lineup. He is no replacement for Paul in that respect, but he can help out anyone in need of a short-term scoring boost. His usage rate without Paul on the floor climbs to 21.8, so this may be a good time to add Doc Jr. if you are an unlucky Paul owner.