I try not to use the same player twice as the lede for this post. You’d think with over 300 players in the NBA, that wouldn’t be a problem. Unfortunately, teams do not play every day and most of the players are not worthy. Sure, I could write up Nik Stauskas and how he didn’t score, rebound, assist, steal, or block in eight minutes of run. I could go into detail how he turned the ball over twice and picked up a personal foul, but even Momma Stauskas would be like, “I had to pause the curling match for this crap?” So, as much as I try not to use the same player for the lede, sometimes a performance is just too good. Last Wednesday, Devin Booker was The Razzballer after he dropped 33 points on the hapless Bulls. That was nothing compared to what he did to the Philadelphia 76ers:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 46 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5/8 | 17/32 | 7/8 |
Booker started the game shooting 1-for-8. So, according to my handy dandy desktop abacus, he shot .666 the rest of the way. Ahhhh, the Devil lives!
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Here’s what else I saw last night:
Tyler Ulis –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/3 | 4/10 | 3/4 |
Played 37 minutes while Mike James only received five minutes of run. For those that picked Ulis over James earlier in the season…..congratulations! You chose wisely.
Marquese Chriss –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/2 | 1/5 | 1/2 |
Played 23 minutes, but that’s not why I’m writing him up. I finally had a chance to watch him play yesterday and….the first shot from the top of the arc…..was drilled straight into the backboard juuuuuuuuuust a bit wide. Jesus Chriss!
Tyson Chandler played 37 minutes while Greg Monroe DNP. Alex Len played 11 minutes. The center position is a true shituation. I feel like I’m watching a street hustler perform the shell game, except he’s tricking himself.
Josh Jackson played 23 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1/2 | 2/8 | 2/3 |
He can’t shoot, but you can see the athleticism. Hmmm, sounds like Chriss. I wonder if they play bizarro H.O.R.S.E at practice. “Dude, that was a helluva brick. I can totally top that garbage.” CLANG! BANG! BONG!
Ben Simmons –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9/18 | 2/2 |
Have you ever watched handball? Not playground handball, but Olympic handball. Watching Simmons play basketball makes me think he’d be an amazing handball player. He’s so long and can jump so far that he could jump behind the line and be right in front of the goal to shoot. That gets me to think that at some point coaches will draw up handball plays for the NBA. Think about this. Run some screens at the top of the arc so that Simmons can dribble around them, pick up steam, then jump behind the three point line and finger roll a layup in the key. The layup would be worth three points because he jumped from behind the line. Philadelphia, I’m available for hire.
Robert Covington –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2/10 | 3/13 | 2/2 |
Lord Covington strolls around the court like he has diplomatic immunity. Jacks up shots whenever he wants and performs thievery with no fear of repurcussion. His defense will always keep him on the court and he contributes across the board. He’s a top 25 player for a reason.
With TJ McConnell out, Jerryd Bayless played 22 minutes, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot played 26 minutes. Don’t go chasing waterfalls.
The Jazz beat the Wizards 116-69.
Otto Porter led the Wizards with 14 points, while Markieff Morris, Bradley Beal, and Kelly Oubre Jr. all scored 11 points. That’s all the Wizards deserve in this blurb.
Rudy Gobert returned from injury and played 21 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2/4 | 0 |
Rodney Hood out. Shocker. Alec Burks balls the F out. Ho hum.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/5 | 9/13 | 6/6 |
That’s three straight games that Burks has scored over 20 points. He’s shooting a ridiculous 64% from the field. Where’s Rodney? He’s silently being transported to a Public Storage in the Hood somewhere. Now, the question that must be asked: Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? The one thing I learned at the craps table is that you keep pressing and parlaying because you never know.
Ricky Rubio –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0/4 | 1/6 | 2/4 |
Donovan Mitchell –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3/6 | 8/13 | 2/2 |
Mitchell’s awesomeness has neutered Rubio. Maybe that’s why he transformed himself into a White Walker over the offseason. He knew that Mitchell was coming.
Reggie Jackson –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2/4 | 12/21 | 1/4 |
I’m sorry Ms. Jackson that I ever thought that Ish Smith (14 minutes) would overtake your son.
Avery Bradley –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0/4 | 1/9 | 1/1 |
He’s been terrible recently, but I’m not too worried. We knew the rebound numbers would come down from the ridiculous 6.1 he grabbed last season. Outside of that, the rest of the numbers are pretty much in line. Scoop him up if available.
Stanley Johnson –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 | 4/10 | 5/7 |
Played 30 minutes. We know by now that SVG loves Johnson so……I’d keep an eye on him, like “just put Hot Pockets into the microwave” eye on him. Let’s not forget that he’s only 21 years old.
With Kyle Anderson out, Rudy Gay got the start and played 32 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1/3 | 5/12 | 1/1 |
Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Maybe I should’ve just dedicated this post to all the Rudys of the world.
Anderson is out for a few weeks and we have no idea when Kawhi Leonard is returning, so Rudy should get the bulk of the minutes. Just be aware of the occasional Spurs Siestas.
Danny Green –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3/6 | 4/9 | 0 |
Atta boy, Danny! Green is very inconsistent, but has the ability to contribute across the board. Reminds me of eating at Denny’s.
Wilson Chandler returned to action, got the start at small forward, and played 27 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/4 | 1/11 | 2/2 |
The line looks ugly, but it’s good to see him hoisting up shots. Shooters shoot baby! With Millsap and Jokic out, Chandler should get plenty of run.
Will Barton played 41 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4/6 | 9/20 | 1/3 |
Talk about shooters shooting. The 20 attempts were a team-high. Barton may be a bench guy, but in name only.
Gary Harris –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3/8 | 7/17 | 4/4 |
I feel like Harris has been kind of disappointing this season, but he’s a top 40 player.
Harrison Barnes –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 9/18 | 3/3 |
I think this is the first time I’ve written up Barnes. My quota has been satisifed. See you next year Harrison.
Dennis Smith Jr. –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2/4 | 9/16 | 0 |
My boo. I think as the season progresses, both the shooting efficiency and assists will increase.
Seriously, why does Maximilian Kleber get the start every game and play minutes? I was joking about Abby Carlisle having influence over this situation, but now I’m beginning to think it’s reality. Anyone else have any theories?
Draymond Green –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 3/5 | 6/12 | 4/5 |
Stat Sheet Stuffer.
Steph Curry –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5/11 | 9/19 | 8/9 |
Golden Curry. Mmm, mmm good.
With Zaza Pachulia out, Javale McGee got the start and played 11 minutes. Jordan Bell played 12 minutes. It’s been said that Kerr wants to get Bell more minutes, but it looks like he’s only going to get substantial run if Green is out. He has a ton of potential, though, so keep an eye on his usage, like “look in rear view mirror when driving” eye.
Jrue Holiday –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4/11 | 13/21 | 4/5 |
The 34 points tied a season-high. Jrue has the capacity for monster games, but more often than not, he lives in the land of mediocrity. It’s possible that this could be a NWO with AD out, but Rondo and Cousins are such usage monsters that I’d fade that notion. With that said, Jrue is a top 75 player.
E’Twaun Moore got the start at small forward and played 38 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5/6 | 11/18 | 0/1 |
Moore please! 52% from the field and 42% from downtown on the season. With Cousins, Rondo, and Holiday garnering much of the attention from defenses, Moore will get plenty of open looks.
Darius Miller –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2/6 | 3/8 | 1/1 |
Three point specialist that is shooting 48% from downtown on the year. He’s played 34, 34, and 28 minutes the last three games and attempted eight shots in each.
Dante Cunningham got the start at power forward with AD out. He played 32 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/3 | 5/11 | 1/2 |
Cunningham is not good, but sometimes it gets late and the bar/club is about to close.
Jimmy Butler –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2/7 | 11/21 | 6/7 |
Karl-Anthony Towns –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 2/6 | 2/2 |
Can a KAT be an alpha? I’d chalk this game to Marc Gasol defense, which is really good. On the season, there has only been two other games in which KAT had fewer than 10 shot attempts. He’ll be fine.
With Mike Conley out, Tyreke Evans continues to start at point guard. He played 33 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2/4 | 6/14 | 2/2 |
Can Reke hold up the whole season with this workload? He’s on a one-year deal, so I guess the Grizzlies are going with the “use em, abuse em” strategy. Reke has played more than 61 games in a season just twice in his eight year career. If you can get a top 50 player, I’d look to sell. His value won’t get much higher than it is. I’ll be honest, he’s beginning to scare me.
JaMychal Green –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/3 | 4/11 | 6/7 |
Started at power forward and played 37 minutes. Green will score some buckets, grab a few boards, and shoot from downtown.
Kevin Love –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3/6 | 8/13 | 5/5 |
He did all that in 23 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2017 Chicago Bulls. Love was in the air, but not literally, because we all know that white men can’t jump. I know I say the same joke everytime, but I just can’t help myself.
Jose Calderon –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1/3 | 2/5 | 0 |
Not fantasy viable, but it should be noted that he played 27 minutes and continues to get run because of his defense. He’s really been an important part of the Cavs resurgence.
Dwayne Wade –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 9/13 | 5/5 |
REVENGE!!!!
Jeff Green –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 | 6/10 | 1/1 |
There have been plenty of times when I’ve travelled to a different city and looked for restaurants on Yelp. I’ll find one with nice pictures, but the reviews are all over the map. Some are excellent, while others are terrible. That is the Jeff Green experience.
David Nwaba played 16 minutes. Denzel Valentine played 30 minutes, but could begin to cede minutes to Nwaba. Keep an eye on this situation, like a “gazelle drinking from a watering hole and looking for predators” eye.
Kris Dunn –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2/4 | 6/13 | 1/3 |
Dunn is inconsistent, but has a ton of upside and is getting minutes. Played 31 last night. Warm it up, Kris!
Justin Holiday –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3/8 | 4/11 | 3/3 |
Outside of assists and shooting percentage, his numbers are close to those of his bro, Jrue.
Giannis Antetokounmpo –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 40 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0/1 | 14/24 | 12/14 |
Remember what I said about Simmons? G would be the Michael Jordan of handball. Anyways, paging Jason Kidd. Please run the handball sets for G. I do think he could dunk from the three-point line.
John Henson –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0/6 | 0 |
A pretty impressive terrible performance by Henson. Or was it terribly impressive? I’ll use the English is my second language excuse, even though it’s my first. Anyways, Henson played 21 minutes and Thon Maker only eight, so Henson is still the guy. Unfortunately, G is a freak of nature and can play center as well. Plus, there are rumblings that the Bucks could acquire DeAndre Jordan. Wouldn’t that be some shit?
Malcolm Brogdon –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2/6 | 4/13 | 0 |
Played 32 minutes. His usage and minutes are all over the map, but he could provide a little something something.
Al Horford played 35 minutes and almost messed around.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1/2 | 8/10 | 3/4 |
Love and marriage….love and marriage….
Kyrie Irving –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 32 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2/4 | 13/24 | 4/5 |
The crazy thing about Kyrie is that I’m not sure you can replicate some of his moves in 2k.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1/3 | 6/14 | 3/3 |
Second game back from injury and played 29 minutes. RHJ does it all.
Spencer Dinwiddie –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/6 | 5/10 | 0 |
Dinwiddie has the point guard position locked down.
Allen Crabbe got the start at shooting guard and played 23 minutes. Caris LeVert played 28 minutes and Joe Harris played 31 minutes. Crabbe scored eight, LeVert 17, and Harris 11. The odd man out is Sean Kilpatrick, who only played five minutes.
Tyler Zeller got the start at center, but Jarrett Allen received 21 minutes of run.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1/1 | 5/6 | 0 |
He’s now 1-for-2 from downtown! Ha! Don’t be getting cute now Jarrett. We need you down low cleaning the glass. I still believe it’s only a matter of time before he gets the majority of minutes. May have to be patient, though.
Ersan Ilyasova received the start but only played 20 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 | 2/5 | 0 |
Thanks for playing.
The Hawks lost to the Nets 110-90. As a result, Tyler Cavanaugh received 23 minutes, DeAndre’ Bembry 27 minutes, and Isaiah Taylor 20 minutes.
With Kristaps Porzingis out, Michael Beasley got another start and played 14 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0/1 | 6/10 | 1/1 |
Porzingis is expected to be back for Wednesday’s game.
The Knicks got smoked by the Pacers 115-97. As a result, Frank Ntilikina played 27 minutes, Ron Baker 22 minutes, Joakim Noah eight minutes, AND…..Willy Hernangomez played 17 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0/1 | 7/10 | 0/1 |
Holy shit balls. Seeing Willy play and post a double-dub is like hearing/seeing fireworks on any other night besides July 4th. Someone needs to get the scoop with Willy and Jeff Hornacek’s daughter. Seriously, what else can it be?
With Tim Hardaway Jr. out, Damyean Dotson got another start and played 29 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2/5 | 3/8 | 1/2 |
I just can’t get the Datsun 240z out of my head when I think of Damyean. It’s making me have a negative bias towards him no matter what. Sorry.
Thaddeus Young –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2/2 | 9/11 | 0/1 |
Having a solid season, as he contributes across the board. Borderline top 50 player. The FT% still stinks, but he’s attempting and making more shots from downtown.
Domantas Sabonis –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5/11 | 2/2 |
Played 24 minutes, so still getting run. Arvydas lives!
Lance Stephenson –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1/3 | 3/7 | 2/2 |
Jonathon Simmons –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1/3 | 7/12 | 0 |
Continues to start at small forward and played 34 minutes. Is getting a ton of minutes and opportunities, so should continue to produce the juice.
For some reason, Arron Afflalo has played 18, 19, 18, and 16 minutes the past four games. Your guess is as good as mine.
Kemba Walker returned to action and played 34 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1/8 | 7/16 | 14/14 |
You play Kemba at home. Especially when the opposing team gives up the third-most fantasy points to the point guard position.
Nicholas Batum –
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0/2 | 3/8 | 5/8 |
That’s now three straight games that Batum has logged 30+ minutes. Batum is solid across the board. Hopefully he can stay healthy.
The Magic had six players score in double figures. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (11), Dwight Howard (12), Walker (29), Batum (11), Frank Kaminsky (14), and Jeremy Lamb (12). The Magic are 23rd in defensive efficiency. Moral of the story? It’s probably a good idea to stream against them.
