As we mentioned a few months ago, the Philadelphia 76ers D is bad. Like D League bad. They could use some D league! At one point, they were close to 8 points a game worse than the the 29th worst team defense. But with the Lakers having all sorts of problems, they’ve entered the bottom feeders with Philly giving up a league worst 109.9 a game, LA now 29th at 106.2, then third is at 103.8. Suffice to say – soft D. Kinda like in the word djent. Any metal fans out there? Or in Django Unchained. The big benefactor last night was another huge game from Jeff Green, who shot 11-18 (5-7 3PTM 9-12 FT) for 36/8/2/0/2. Should’ve been doing this all year! Green had that even bigger 39-point outburst two weeks ago against the Wizards, so that’s two biguns sandwiched with cold cuts of bleh. Kinda like a $5 footlong when you choose meatball but have to eat it later… Stevens said a couple of days ago that they need to get Green the ball in the post and in transition more. I guess that equals making 5 of your 7 threes! Hah. While I do think Green will be better, and the return and minutes exansion of Rajon Rondo to help create better oppotunies will help, if you can get some really solid top-60ish value in a sell-high, run and do it. You may be saying, “top-60, this JB is reaching too high!” Heading into the year, ranked 63 in Yahoo and ESPN at 58! And I had him at… Yeah I don’t wanna talk about it. So getting draft day value at 100% would be very nice. Much lower than that and I’m still holding. Here’s what else I saw on a busy night of NBA action:
Steve Blake – Wtf a trip-dub?! Who had Blake in their triple-double pool last night? Anyone? 11/10/15/3/0 shooting 2-7 with all of those 3-point shots. Did have 7 TOs, but anything is forgivable on a trip-dub… So what do you do here? Steve Nash was sitting out the second game of the back-to-back and Cleveland looked downright awful most of this game. The crowd was even booing em. Drew Carey rewrote the open to his former show to chant “Cleveland Sucks!” With all the injuries, Blake is going to get minutes either at the 1 or 2 and I’m hopping him up to 12-team ownable re-thinking it from the assessment yesterday. Not a must-add, but will help most teams.
Nick Young – We’ve had a lot of fun dogging him, but let’s hope the MRI he’s getting today on his knee comes back negative. Never rooting for injuries. Besides, a healthy Young we can all enjoy to make fun of again!
Wesley Johnson – 20/9 with two blocks. Also 4 threes. Is this Andrea Bargnani? 41 minutes and don’t think that changes, also bumping him up to 12-team worth.
Robert Sacre – “C’mon ref, that wasn’t a foul! Let me play, I don’t care if I have 6!” “Ughh, I guess so Robert…” This was like a rec league game. All the other Lakers were hurt or injured, so Sacre to the rescue! Even if he did foul out!
Jordan Farmar – Great, another Razzball article all about Lakers… 21/1/8/2/0 as there couldn’t be a bigger burst of semi-fantasy relevance of so many players on one team this late in the season since… Well it would have to be some sort of trade most likely… Anyway, not too interested in the FarmarVille App.
Ryan Kelly – Slim is doing a song and dance all over the place! 26/6/0/1/0 with three treys. Rather all the Lakers above to Kelly. Hah, just kidding Sacre, ain’t touchin’ ya!
Kendall Marshall – “Awww, JB, does that mean you like me less than Kelly!” Sadly, yes, Marshall is done-zo for right now. 25 minutes for 12/4/7 is nice, but shot 4-6 with all of em threes and don’t expect many shots or treys to continue. Or 25 minutes when Nash isn’t playing dominoes at the senior center too.
Tristan Thompson – 13/8/1/0/0. Well crap, but did only play 21 minutes. Mike Brown just benched everyone in frustration. Team is in such disarray…
Luol Deng – 1-10. Ouch. Raining cats and labradoodles!
Anderson Varejao – The one Cleveland contsant… Well, when he’s healthy. Man, tough stretch for Cleveland fans! 15/13/5/2/0 and you likey that.
C.J. Miles – Stepped up given everyone else quit and put up 27/3/3. So avoiding this team, if possible.
Anthony Bennett – 14/8/1/2/0. Shot 6-6 from the FT line and like Miles, played well given how this game went. Nothing I’m doing in most redraft leagues, but has me slightly encouraged in dynasties.
Victor Oladipo – No starting line-up, no problem! 20/4/3/2/0 – sure not his best line of the year- but shot 8-10, 4-4 FT and only 1 TO. EfficientOladipo!
Kyle O’Quinn – Sheesh, shut down the block party because my parents just got home! Wait, that’s the least cool fake saying in the world… 6 blocks in 20 minutes. A near rainbow as well for 8/5/1/2/6. Either blocks a ton or none. 4, 0, 0, 0, 6 his last 5. The Pistons must’ve dropped some Irish Potato Famine smack talk last night, and the Irishman was having none of it!
Tobias Harris – Started, but only played 19 minutes. #StartingLineupFail. Got into early foul trouble and just didn’t get reintegrated.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Sadface. Benched and got only 13 minutes. Kyle Singler got the start?! And did nothing in 32 minutes. Not that KCP was doing much either, but camon!
Josh Smith Stole My Talent! – Like in Space Jam, Josh Smith was one of those minions and snuck into Brandon Jennings‘ body and they switched shooting ability. Or wait, would it be Jennings accidentally stealing Smith’s? This metaphor makes no sense, they both can be brutal shooters! Smith for 11-19 and a solid line, BJ, well, sucked. Hah! 5-23. 2-10 from deep. “Hey BJ, it’s that far back for a reason!”
Rajon Rondo – Almost joined the Steve Blake trip-dub club! 8/9/11 with two steals. Coming together right-nicely.
Jared Sullinger – JB loves Sully! JB loves Sully! Mulder loves Scully! 19/10/5/1/4 with two treys. Long live the Philly terrible D! But I like Scully, er, um, Sully.
Brandon Bass – Eh, not a big Bass guy. Trout, mmm, love me some Mike Trout, who doesn’t?!
Tony Wroten – Makin’ those free throws! 7-8 from the stripe for the terrible FT shooting G, getting a 18/2/4/1/0 line and a trey in 29 minutes off the bench. James Anderson got a little banged up, so Wroten might get some big run pending news there. Still think he’s a big playoff stash with an impending Michael Carter-Williams shut down, gonna keep saying it until it’s true!
Tim Duncan – Rainbow line! 31/11/5/2/3 and still so smooth for a grandpa.
Tony Parker – Back tightness. I think Shaq might have an icy hot patch for him…
Danny Green – Whoa, welcome back to fantasy relevance! 5 treys for 22/7/2/1/2. 46 minutes in the 2OT as well, which while not huge given 56 mins of PT, is big for Popp. Popp was sweating it out this whole game. Shaq might have some Gold Bond for him…
Mike Scott – Omg, omg omg omg omg omg! So many highlights! Haha. Looked good out there, air-balled a three, but confidently too a pivotal one later in the game and made it. 16/5/1 with four treys and playing very well.
Paul Millsap – Well speaking of real highlights, this is one of my top 5 dunks of the year. Nasty. Sorry Greg Stiemsma, but the poster shop now has your rights! Near rainbow of 26/10/3/1/2, three treys, a Sportscenter top 10, what can’t he do?!
Jeff Teague – Shot wasn’t perfect but 11/13 – likey likey!
DeMarre Carroll – Looked pretty flippin’ good out there. Fringe must-own in 10-teamers. 22/7/4/3/0 with four treys. If he was in your list of pickups as with a few questions this week, moving him ahead of most answers.
Channing Frye – Empty as nails 8/0/2/0/0. Is that the saying? Empty as nails? Nails aren’t empty! I’m probably wrong on that. All over the place today. Frye is such a ThrAGNOF.
Dwight Howard – Almost a killer rainbow, but has to learn to dish the ball! 34/14/0/3/2 and didn’t obliterate your FT% with 12-18. Bet he wishes he was against Miles Plumlee every game! Hey-oh!
Dante Cunningham – Whoa, where’d this come from?! Always thought Cunningham was decent, but a spot-start rainbow-and-a-half stuffer?! 18/8/3/3/3 shooting 9-13. Kevin Love should be back by the Wolves next game, but is interesting to note Cunningham has some nice potential should Love no longer be in the air.
Ronny Turiaf – I Quoted yesterday that he’s at 2 blocks a game the past 7, and another 4 last night! BlockNOF!
Brandan Wright – Even though he’s not blocking, double-digit scoring in the past 3 capped off by 17/4/1 last night. He’s tall and lanky, so think the blocks come. “If you build it, they will come!”
Nick Calathes – Mr. Alopecia! 16/5/5/3/0 but did rack up 6 TOs. Hey, his hair is falling out, sometimes some passes get away from him too! Really, really encouraging what he’s doing given the role.
James Johnson – I love, LOVE, that he got more minutes than Tayshaun Prince last night. 25 for 17/1/1/0/4 with two treys. Increasing minutes in 4 straight with 22+ the last 3. Coming around on this with the solid impact again last night.
Khris Middleton – Give him starting minutes, stats will come! 25/5/3/2/0 with 5 treys in 44 minutes. It’s ebbed, it’s flowed, right now it flowin’! Grab him where you can and enjoy the ride until Drew screws it up.
Larry Sanders – Whoa, he can play basketball! 12-19 FG for 25/15/2/1/1. Breakout alert! Another guy to grab, but definitely everywhere you possibly can.
John Henson – Anddddd, only 17 minutes for the returning Henson. Still like him though. Ersan Ilyasova looked awful then hurt his back, all of which helps keep the Henson upside hopes alive.
Randy Foye – Shedding the ThrAGNOF label like a snakeskin! 20/3/6/1/4 in a near-rainbow. 4 blocks? Really Milwaukee?! How is Randy Foye gonna be able to rack up 4 blocks on ya?! Geez!
Jonas Valanciunas – Some blocks! Finally! If you build the tall players, blocks will come! I’m so “court of dreams” today… 12/11/0/0/3 in only 21 minutes after racking up 3 fouls in 5 minutes in the first half. So not worried there.
Kyle Lowry – Well, so much for knee concern…21/7/8/1/2. Having a preposteroni year.
Kings – Took 51 team FTs. The whole team gets an anti-flopping letter the next day.
Blake Griffin – Season-high 43 Pts in a huge 43/15/6/0/0 game. Not enough to beat the Heat!
Next Game: TNT OT night! Spurs @ BKN then Yahoo highlights for CHI @ GSW. It’s a good night for streaming, so ThrAGNOF with some Danny Green or Mirza Teletovic in the early game! Be sure to set your line-ups and good luck tonight!
