I like the number 10. It is the first double-digit number. If you turn two 10s to the right, you get eyes with brows. Basketball games are usually played with 10 players. Bo Derek’s 10. 10 is the base of the decimal system. 10 10s is 100. My first crush was at 10. We have 10 fingers and 10 toes. On Sunday, Kevin Love was all about the 10s:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2/8 | 4/10 | 0 |
I really wish he had 0 turnovers, then it would’ve been a perfect 10. It is what it is, though. 2 + 8 = 10. He played 20 minutes, which is 10 + 10. Keviin Love has 10 letters in it. Ok, fine. I’m stretching things here but that’s the beauty of being the head of Razzball Hoops. I can write anything I want and there’s not a damn thing you can do about it. I just wanted to show Love some…..well, love. He’s averaging 19.8 minutes per game this season but, at 34 years of age, he’s had flashes of brilliance. On Friday, he went for 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 10 assists. There’s that 10 again. Just missed messing around by 2 measly rebounds. At the end of October, he put up 29 points. He’s had a positive plus/minus in every game but two. The Cavs have won eight straight games and love is in the air in Cleveland!
Here’s what else I saw yesterday:
Jarrett Allen
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5/13 | 6/6 |
Allen has dub-dubbed in six of nine games this season. He’s had at least two blocks in five contests. The field-goal percentage has been light by his standards. It’s at 54% after being over 60% in the last three seasons. It should be way over 60% by the end of the season. He is shooting 77% from the line, though. That’s B. U. T. ful. He is one of the most solid big men for fantasy.
Donovan Mitchell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1/7 | 10/17 | 12/13 |
DM has scored at least 30 points in six games. He’s had at least one block and one steal in the same game four times. I did not slide into the DMs once during draft season, so I cannot fully appreciate this exquisite play. It will subside, though. I’m not being a hater. Just a realist. He is not going to be a top 10 player for fantasy the entire season.
Darius Garland
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3/9 | 7/18 | 7/7 |
Second game back since returning from the eye injury. He’s scored 24 and 29 points in those contests, garnering a 28.2% and 25% usage rate. He dished out 7 and 12 dimes. I fronted too much on the impact Mitchell would have on Garland. I did the same thing in Atlanta. Lesson learned.
Russell Westbrook
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3/5 | 6/13 | 4/5 |
Ladies and gentlemen. Let me introduce you to the 2023-23 Sixth Man of the Year, Russell Weeeeeeeeeeestbrooooooooooooook. You laugh, but over the last five games, Westbrook has come off the bench and averaged 30.2 minutes, 19.2 points, 2 treys, 5.8 boards, 7.2 dimes, 1 steal and 0.6 blocks while shooting 50% from the field and 76% from the line. The usage rate has been 28.7%.
Lakers are 2-3 over that span. Yuck. Because I’m a glass-is-half-full kind of guy at times, they were 0-5 prior to that.
Anthony Davis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7/12 | 5/9 |
I have written the commissioners office for a uniform exemption for the Lakers. AD will now be wearing this:
LeBron James
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/4 | 13/23 | 0/3 |
In the James Pantheon, William James is #1. Henry James is #2. C’mon, man! When’s the last time tens of thousands of people have packed a stadium to watch a psychologist and novelist perform their craft? LeBron James has to be #1. IDC, IDC.
Kendrick Nunn
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/4 | 0/5 | 0 |
Got the start and played 18 minutes.
Nunn is shooting 28% from the field. L. O. L. I want Nunn of this garbage. Why does he stink? Nunn ya business.
Lonnie Walker IV
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/3 | 3/7 | 0 |
Only played 19 minutes. Had foul trouble and went to the locker room due to a sore wrist. We are not the same. Usually, my wrist is sore after I leave the bathroom. I kid, I kid. The Force has been strong with young Walker, as he’s averaged a career-high 30.9 minutes, 15.1 points, 1.6 treys, 2.8 boards, 2 dimes, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks while shooting 44% from the field and 80% from the line. The usage rate has been 20.4%.
Matt Ryan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 | 2/6 | 2/3 |
After Ryan was benched for Sam Ehlinger in Indianapolis, he thought to himself, “I can still get buckets. Let me take my talents to Los Angeles.” Oh, different Matt Ryan. This Ryan was a DoorDash delivery driver while working in a cemetary a year ago. He balled out during the summer, though, and showed that he could make it rain from downtown. He’s appeared in seven games and played in 17, 10, 18, and 12 over the last four. He’s drained 11 treys on the season.
The Raptors received disheartening news before Sunday’s game against the Bulls. Pascal Siakam will be out indefinitely after suffering a right adductor injury.
True to their name, though, the Raptors became a pack to pick up the slack.
Fred VanVleet
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5/13 | 9/22 | 7/7 |
Returned from a three-game absence due to injury and balled the Fred out.
Christian Koloko
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0/1 | 4/8 | 3/4 |
Got the start and played 31 minutes. The drumbeats were slow and steady in the offseason as the vets were asking to play with Koloko during runs at UCLA due to his screening ability and IQ. Initially, I think the plan was to have Koloko develop down in the G-League. With all the injuries and his play, Koloko will likely be an integral part of the rotation. Grab him if he’s on the wire. He provides an element to the Raptors defense that cannot be replicated by anyone else on the squad.
Otto Porter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 1/3 | 0 |
Returned from injury three games ago and has played 11, 21, and 19 minutes on Sunday. With Siakam out, he will likely be an significant part of the rotation.
Precious Achiuwa
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 | 2/6 | 1/2 |
Only played 14 minutes off the bench. The play of Koloko has rendered my Precious unappealing for fantasy. When new information is presented, one must pivot and not be attached.
Alex Caruso
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 11 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0/6 | 1/11 | 2/2 |
Got the start with Zach LaVine sitting and played 32 minutes.
Patrick Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3/6 | 5/16 | 0 |
In 29 minutes. Sunday was only the second time this season that the usage rate has been above 20% and the fifth time he’s scored double-digit points. He’s still only 21 years old so the trend is our friend here. As long as he continues to develop and maintain the aggressiveness, good things could sprout. Williams could sneakily be a 1/1/1 player. He’s currently averaging 1.1 treys, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks.
Goran Dragic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4/6 | 6/10 | 0 |
Dragic rarely plays more than 20 minutes in a game. In fact, it’s happened only three times this season. Makes sense because he’s like 365 years old. When he’s on the court, though, the usage rate is high at 22%. He’s scored double-digit points five times this season.
Bradley Beal was out due to health and safety protocols so Corey Kispert got the start and played 24 minutes. No blurb for him but he did contribute 6 points and 3 rebounds. The only Coreys worthy of a blurb are Haim and Feldman.
Kyle Kuzma
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2/9 | 5/14 | 0 |
As a Lakers fan, it’s been kind of cool watching Kuzma grow and develop. Like a proud parent in an odd sort of way. He’s averaging 13.5 field-goal attempts, 16.9 points, 2 treys, and 7.6 boards on the season. The usage rate is 23.4%.
Kristaps Porzingis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1/6 | 3/13 | 3/4 |
Poopzingis.
Jordan Goodwin
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/4 | 4/7 | 0 |
What a name! It must be hell after a win in the locker room, though. Coach screams into the locker room, “Good win!” Goodwin responds, “Yeah, coach?” How long do you think it took him to handle it? Coach screams into locker room, “Goodwin!” <crickets> “God damnit, Goodwin! Why aren’t you answering me?”
Goodwin is 24 years old, 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. He played his college ball at Saint Louis and went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Dillon Brooks
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/4 | 4/14 | 1/1 |
Brooks is the ugly girl in the club, who’s dressed as slutty as slutty, and has supreme confidence, struts onto the dance floor and does her thing. I think it’s within the range of outcomes that Ziaire Williams replaces him in the starting lineup when he gets healthy.
Desmond Bane
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4/8 | 9/16 | 6/6 |
Bane is a top 25 player on a per-game basis. He’s averaging 24.6 points, 4.1 treys, 5 boards, and 4.6 dimes while garnering a 27.6% usage rate. I’m sick to my stomach for selecting Zach LaVine over Bane in my Main Event. Lesson learned, though. Lean towards the young player who has an upward trajectory over an older player who has injury issues.
Break up the Jazz! They win their 8th game of the season, 110-102 over the Clippers.
Lauri Markkanen
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1/3 | 5/9 | 7/7 |
Currently, the 16th overall player on a per-game basis. You don’t know how happy this makes me. Granted, I have him on my Main Event team, but I thought big things were going to happen for Markkanen after I watched him play during EuroBasket before his rookie season. Then he kind of fizzled. Don’t get me wrong. He wasn’t like “Send this guy to China bad” but he just didn’t meet my lofty expectations. Now he has.
Collin Sexton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2/5 | 6/13 | 8/9 |
After averaging 16.9 minutes per game over his first six contests, Sexton has played 32, 24, 31, 29, and 27 minutes. He was coming back from an injury so it looks like the team was just being cautious with him. He is the microwave off the bench and should continue to fill that role. The usage rate is 25.7% on the season.
Marcus Morris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1/7 | 8/16 | 1/1 |
With Kawhi out, Morris is a top 75 player on a per-game basis. He’s averaging 30.9 minutes, 14.8 points, 1.9 treys, 5.8 boards, 2.5 dimes, and 1 steal while shooting 50% from the field and he hasn’t missed a free-throw yet. I don’t think the efficiency will stay this high, as he is a career 43% shooter from the field. I’m heading to Vegas this weekend so my mind is on craps right now. Ride this hot streak and press the bets until the inevitable 7 OUT! is declared.
Paul George
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5/14 | 11/22 | 7/8 |
Since recovering from an illness, PG has been a top 10 player on a per-game basis over the last four games. The usage rate has been 33.4% without Kawhi on the court. The turnovers are high at 4.5 per game, but he’s averaging 32.3 points, 4.3 treys, 5.8 boards, 5.8 dimes, and 2.3 steals while shooting 56% from the field and 81% from the line. Those are X-Rated stats and make me want to have sexy time.
John Wall
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0/4 | 6/15 | 0/4 |
After averaging 20.8 minutes over a four-game stretch, and not playing back-to-backs, Wall received 15 minutes in the game against Houston. Since then, he’s played 28 minutes in back-to-back games. Me likey that, since I have a ton of Wall shares. The Great Wall he will likely not be but, he can be serviceable as long as he remains healthy. I wonder if they ramp him up at some point in the season.
Ivica Zubac
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6/12 | 0 |
Played 35 minutes. On the season, he’s at 30.1 per game. He averaged 24.4 and 22.3 the past two seasons. This is the outcome I expected heading into the season. As a result, he’s a top 50 player, averaging 10.2 points, 11.3 boards, and 2.6 blocks while shooting 60% from the field. The free-throw percentage is only 58% though. I’m hoping he continues to get over 30 minutes per game. Why wouldn’t he? Regardless, even if the playing time comes down, he should play way more than he has the past few seasons.
