I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care. I’m not supposed to write about the same player in the lede. I’m supposed to change it up and give others a chance. I’m all about equal opportunity but I ain’t no commie. I don’t care. I don’t care. I don’t care. Because what James Harden is doing right now, I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t make him the lede every single night. Since December 13th, 2018, Harden has played 18 games. Over that span, he’s AVERAGING 42 points per game. There’s been three 50-burgers and eight games with at least 40. He hasn’t scored less than 32 points. W. T. F…..He’s AVERAGED 38.7 minutes and had a usage rate of 43.4%!!! The true shooting percentage has been 62% while the assist percentage has been 48.5%! W. T. F….W. T. F…..W. T. F!!!! Last night, in an overtime loss, Harden was ridonkulous:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 58 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5/19 | 16/34 | 21/23 |
He scored 57 the prior night! I’ll never forget 2003 Kobe when he went nine straight games scoring at least 40 points. That was sick. This is…..illmatic. Shout out to Nas.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
The Pistons made the Magic disappear in OT, 120-115.
Nikola Vucevic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2/4 | 11/22 | 0/1 |
The #12 player for fantasy on the season, Vucevic is still on pace to join the 1/1/1 club. The usage rate is in the 27-28 range, which is fine, but….James Harden has a usage rate close to 50! He needs to go into the locker room and do the, “Look at me. Look at me. I’m the captain of this ship now.”
Terrence Ross
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6/12 | 8/14 | 2/3 |
My wife’s favorite store is Ross, so naturally I’m a fan. Of both my wife and Terrence. I’ve gone to great lengths describing the pros and cons of Ross in the past, but bottom line….both are friendly on the wallet. Over the past six games, Ross has been a top 70 player, contributing 16 points, 3.2 threeecolas, 3.5 boards, and 1 steal.
Evan Fournier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3/9 | 7/15 | 1/2 |
Played a team-high 40 minutes. Fournier has not been quenching our thirst for fantasy production this year, but it’s not all doom and gloom. While the usage rate is below 20, he’s still jacking up double-digit shots per game and contributing threeecolas, boards, and dimes.
Aaron Gordon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0/3 | 5/11 | 2/2 |
Do we need to start calling him Ron Gordon because he’s not delivering any A or a performances? Ron it is.
Blake Griffin
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1/2 | 11/18 | 7/10 |
Holy sweet mother of Jesus. Not one, but two blocks. Griffin now has 21 blocks on the season, good for 98th. Damian Lillard has 23 while De’Aaron Fox has 24.
Andre Drummond
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7/15 | 0 |
10th game this season pulling down at least 20 rebounds in a game. The assists and shooting percentages are down from last season, which was probably a ceiling outlier one, but Dre is still doing his thing, good for top 70-ish value.
Reggie Bullock
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3/10 | 5/12 | 0 |
Has scored at least 10 points in eight straight games. Bullock will grab a few boards and dish out some dimes, but his main contribution comes from threeecolas. Over three per game on 7.5 attempts for the month of January. He plays a ton of minutes and serves a vital role for the Pistons; stretch the floor so teams can’t sag down on Griffin and Dre.
Luke Kennard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 | 6/10 | 1/1 |
Played 26 minutes off the bench. Why are they still trying to make Luke a thing?
Giannis Antetokounmpo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0/1 | 10/14 | 7/8 |
I just know that Budhenholzer is saving the Olympic-G handball offense for the playoffs. Ohhh, I can’t wait! Since we on the West Coast rap tip, it’s only appropriate that we listen to….
D. J. Wilson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3/5 | 5/9 | 0 |
Played 23 minutes. Wilson is a stretch big that can drain threeecolas, grabs some boards, and provide the D. He was getting most of his minutes when Ersan Ilyasova was out but….
Ersan Ilyasova
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/6 | 1/8 | 0 |
Played 18 minutes but died during the game….
No wonder D. J. got the run that he did.
Sterling Brown
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2/3 | 4/5 | 1/2 |
Played 28 minutes off the bench. Brown has played 28, 22, 16, 27, and 21 minutes the past five games. Someone to keep an eye on.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0/1 | 2/7 | 3/3 |
Only played 21 minutes because……if you guessed foul trouble, YOU WIN!!! Here’s a smile and a handshake. JJJ is second in total fouls and second in fouls per game. At this point, he may as well push for the top spot.
Marc Gasol and Mike Conley both scored 14 points. That’s cute but not helpful for fantasy. Neither gets a stat box or blurb because my momma said if I didn’t have something nice to write about someone, then I shouldn’t write anything. Thanks momma.
JaMychal Green
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2/5 | 4/11 | 4/6 |
Played 26 minutes. Green is a top 120 player, primarily a points/boards guy, but he does provide a little something something across the board. The main issue is he only averages around 24 minutes per game. Please scroll back up to the Ilyasova blurb.
Omri Casspi
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/3 | 7/13 | 2/4 |
Played a team-high 36 minutes. With Kyle Anderson out for a weeks, it looks like Casspi will be the main beneficiary. Casspi should provide some points, threeecolas, and boards.
Jevon Carter
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2/6 | 3/9 | 0/1 |
Played 28 minutes. Scored 8 points the prior game as well, which is getting all the Chinese excited. Shelvin Mack, who played 18 minutes, and Carter have been in a little depth chart battle recently. Neither is particularly exciting to think about from a fantasy perspective, but if injury strikes or one starts getting 28 minutes per night, then we have to pay attention, even if they do play for the Grizzlies.
LaMarcus Aldridge
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4/11 | 0 |
Played 23 minutes. LMA has been great lately, like top 15 great. Regardless, I can never not get some satisfaction from a LMAO! game.
Rudy Gay
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6/11 | 2/2 |
Returned from injury and played 22 minutes. Will take some time to get back into the groove, but Gay was playing at a top 50 level prior to the injury.
DeMar DeRozan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6/13 | 2/2 |
Played a team-high 40 minutes. Over the past seven games, DeRozan has been a top 200 player, primarily due to the 40% shooting from the field and 4 turnovers per game. He’ll be fine. And so will you.
Patty Mills
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4/10 | 5/13 | 0 |
Played 24 minutes. Over the past seven games, Mills has averaged 23.5 minutes, 12.1 points, 2 threeecolas, 2.4 boards, 3.1 dimes, 1 steal, and has had a usage rate of 21.5. Top 125 production. That ain’t bad, yo.
Marco Belinelli
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3/8 | 5/11 | 4/4 |
Played 24 minutes and led the Spurs in scoring. A excellente. A Marco. A Belinelli! Over the past four games, Belinelli has shot 5/11 for 17 points, 8/10 for 24 points, 6/10 for 19 points, and 5/11 for 14 points. That ain’t bad either, yo.
Maxi Kleber
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2/4 | 2/4 | 1/2 |
Played 28 minutes and continues to start with Dennis Smith Jr. out (illness).
Luka Doncic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3/9 | 10/21 | 2/2 |
Sooooooo close. Those trip-dubs are so close to avalanching down the fantasy mountain. Prepare your hearts, minds, and souls when that happens. It’s going to be glorious.
Dirk Nowitzki
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/4 | 2/5 | 0 |
Played 10 minutes. Who cares.
For his career. His jokes. His step back J. His playoff run in 2011.
P. J. Tucker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3/6 | 7/12 | 3/6 |
It hasn’t been exciting, but Tucker has been a fine fantasy asset. Over the past eight games, he’s been a top 50 player. He’s a low usage player who won’t shot much or create his own offense, but he drains threeecolas, grabs boards, and gets his 211 on.
Austin Rivers
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3/9 | 5/14 | 0 |
Led the Rockets in minutes played with 46! Ha! Rivers is the not-so-pretty girl who puts out.
Eric Gordon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4/8 | 6/11 | 4/4 |
Returned from injury and played 21 minutes. It will take a few games to get fully ramped up, but he should be hucking-and-chucking without remorse soon.
Gerald Green
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5/15 | 5/15 | 0 |
Played 41 minutes. Green had 5 on it!
Jarrett Allen
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 24 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0/3 | 10/19 | 0/1 |
Played a team-high 43 minutes. No Capela meant a good ole fashioned feast for Allen. Nom nom nom.
D’Angelo Russell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/7 | 4/11 | 0 |
Back to Loading again….
As Nate Jones on the Twitter machine said, Russell is inconsistent and needs to learn how to get to the line more in order to enter that next level of ballers. Mr. Jones is a wise man.
Treveon Graham
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3/4 | 7/9 | 4/5 |
Got the start and played 32 minutes. He got hot. It happens. He has played 32, 27, and 29 minutes the past three games, though, so someone to keep an eye on.
DeMarre Carroll
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4/6 | 6/13 | 6/7 |
Played 35 minutes off the bench. ‘Tis the season to be jolly.
Spencer Dinwiddie
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4/8 | 13/22 | 3/4 |
Played 32 minutes off the bench. It’s been a while since Dinwiddie did anything of significance, but he reminded us all last night what’s possible.
Serge Ibaka
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/3 | 10/21 | 2/3 |
Oh where, oh where has my Iblocka gone? Oh where, oh where has he gone? I miss him, but the dub-dub and 21 field goal attempts are nice, though.
Kawhi Leonard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2/8 | 10/19 | 11/11 |
If I can write up Harden as the lede every night, then I sure as hell can embed that Kawhi video. Gives me a chuckle every time. It’s faaaaaantastic.
Greg Monroe
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4/6 | 3/4 |
Played 15 minutes. Someone has to play center.
Norman Powell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 5/9 | 0 |
Probably got some extra run because O. G. Anunoby was out (personal). Regardless, while he’s inconsistent and the minutes fluctuate, Powell can be a useful source of offense off the bench for the Raptors and will jack up 11-12 shots on any given night.
Jayson Tatum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1/3 | 6/16 | 3/3 |
With Tatum sporting those new Nike shoes that cost $350, I personally was expecting some Space Jam shit. I feel duped.
Al Horford
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3/4 | 9/12 | 3/3 |
Just saying hello and reminding us all that he actually contributes for fantasy.
Kyrie Irving
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 5 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 3/6 | 11/19 | 2/2 |
Played a team-high 38 minutes. The world is flat? Ok, where do I sign.
Gordon Hayward
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/5 | 8/13 | 0 |
He’s going to be a fantastic value next year.
Rodney Hood
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/2 | 7/15 | 6/6 |
Going to the Hood isn’t as bad as most make it out to be. You just have to know what to expect.
Jaron Blossomgame
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/2 | 4/8 | 0 |
Played 29 minutes off the bench. Is he real? I feel like he played next to Jesus Shuttleworth.
Ante Zizic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5/8 | 6/7 |
Played 27 minutes off the bench. Why not? Might as well.
Jordan Clarkson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/4 | 9/17 | 2/2 |
Played 29 minutes off the bench and led the Cavs in scoring. Over the past six games, Clarkson has been a top 75 player. The usage rate has been 28.5 and he’s been jacking up over 15 shots per game. What’s really elevated his value, though, have been the contributions in the D cats.
Jake Layman
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 8/11 | 0 |
Continues to start and played 18 minutes. That is all.
Jusuf Nurkic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3/6 | 4/4 |
Messed around with 5 blocks! Unfortunately, it was against the Cavs so it doesn’t count. In order to officially mess around, all stats must meet the criteria of “x2”.
Damian Lillard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4/6 | 11/19 | 7/7 |
Y’all know what time it is. So nice on and off the court.
Rudy Gobert
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7/10 | 9/10 |
Gobert has two 20 rebound games, and they’ve come in the last two games! He’s also 15-for-18 from the free throw line over that span. Someone go back in time and deconstruct what happened from the time after the Bulls game on Saturday to the start of the game on Monday against the Pistons. Find it then bottle that shit.
Donovan Mitchell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0/5 | 10/22 | 8/8 |
The injuries to Ricky Rubio, Dante Exum, and Raul Neto have contributed to this recent outburst from Mitchell, but it’s always been there inside. ‘Twas just a matter of getting it out.
Jae Crowder
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5/11 | 8/15 | 2/4 |
Crowder has these ceiling games once or twice a month. See you guys next month.
Kyle Korver
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4/5 | 5/8 | 5/6 |
Played 24 minutes. With all the injuries, Korver has actually been useful for fantasy. Over the past four games, he’s averaged over 26 minutes, 15 points, a tick under 4 threeecolas, and 3 boards. Don’t laugh.
Lou Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 11/18 | 1/2 |
A professional getter of buckets. Too bad he doesn’t get more run, as he’s only averaging 27 minutes per game.
Tobias Harris scored 17 points, while Avery Bradley scored 15 points. The Clippers got punked at home, 109-129. I could’ve just left it at “Avery Bradley scored 15 points” but wanted to make sure people got it.
Anthony Davis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 18 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1/4 | 11/26 | 7/8 |
Played 41 minutes. Yawn. I need to bring out Tiger Mom. Antony, James-a Harden scored 58 points last night. Only 30 points for you? How can I show my face at the mah jong game tomorrow? Why you no triple-double? But mom, I passed the ball and my…..SLAP! Don’t talk back to me!!! You get 3 more assists. That’s it. End of conversation. And go outside and practice shooting. Miss 15 shots and 1 free throw. Hmmmph.
Julius Randle
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/3 | 6/8 | 8/8 |
Got the start but only played 22 minutes because….
Nikola Mirotic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6/10 | 9/14 | 5/6 |
He’s baaaaack. Played 29 minutes.
It’s like one of the weight measuring scales. One side goes down, the other side goes up. It’s a dance that’s performed until harmonious balance is achieved. Randle’s value was sky high, but now that Mirotic is back into the mix, that’s going to come down. By how much? We will find out when the harmonious balance is achieved.
Elfrid Payton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 5 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1/3 | 3/10 | 0/1 |
Top 100 player since he returned from injury. The usage rate is low, but the Pelicans play at such a fast pace that he should contribute plenty in dimes and steals with some boards mixed in.
Jrue Holiday
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4/9 | 8/19 | 5/8 |
Played 41 minutes. Top 20 player on the season and the #11 player over the past five games.
Draymond Green
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 6 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4/7 | 6/9 | 1/2 |
Oh snap! He’s baaaaaaaack.
Kevin Durant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5/10 | 10/24 | 5/5 |
Freaking robot. I’m on to you KD.
Stephen Curry
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 41 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9/17 | 11/22 | 10/10 |
I’m trying to find something witty to write, but I just keep looking at his stats and I’m….mezmerized and paralyzed by the insanity of what I see. Yet, I don’t think he’s a robot like Kawhi or KD. No. He’s more like Greek mythological figure. I’m thinking it’s Icarus. He actually did make it to the sun. And when the sun spit him back out towards earth, Steph Curry was born. Sun=hot. Curry=spicy. 1+1=2. Mind blown.
