Man, off an emotional win beating the Gizz (I hope that catches on), the Pistons go back-to-back and lose in Philly. Seems like that kind of emotional high/low happens all the time! Shoulda bet some money on Philly with probably a good betting line against em.
And it was pretty easy to see how Detroit lost with Reggie Jackson (4-17), Jodie Meeks (2-12), and Spencer Dinwiddie (2-11) combining for 7-40 from the field! That FG% isn’t even legal at 17.5%! That shooting percentage is statutory rape! But swooning in all cool and ready to rob the cradle was the 44% from my boy Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the only shooter who could hit anything going 7-16. Normally the lead for this game would be R-Jax’s trip-dub (11/11/10/0/0), but with 5 TO and that shooting %, he was pretty poopy. KCP isn’t going to suddenly be a multi-cat stud, but it’s back-to-back 20 point games with a 20/8/2/1/0 line last night and a trey. What I really like was his aggressiveness driving to the hole, netting 5-6 FT and he’s 7-9 from the stripe the past two games after a stretch with virtually no freebies. He’s taken 14+ shots in 6 of 7 games and at least 10 shots in 13 of 15 taking a bigger role in the O with R-Jax able to probe (I can only think of South Park every time I hear a broadcast say that…). Of course the FG% will be a struggle, but if your team build can handle it/if it’s a punt, the low TO and decent steals make him a solid add in the stretch run. Here’s what else happened last night in fantasy basketball:
Deron Williams – 20/6 last night in 28 solid minutes while Jarrett Jack was crying on the bench in a worthless 21 minutes of 11/3/3. Still don’t fully trust D-Will even though he should be owned, and can’t use Jack for nada. I hate the Nets! I don’t care that this was a blowout!
J.R. Smith – This is why the Nets are the worst… Smiff’s 17 tied Timofey Mozgov for a Cavs team high last night… The Nets suck so bad! It’s like the Cavs big 3 could stand around in a de factor DNP rest…. Smiff for 5 treys last night and 5+ in 3 of the past 5. That said, not getting those sweet steals anymore, so he’s a high-end ThrAGNOF.
Kevin Love – Returned from two games of rest for 10/11/4/0/0 with 3 TO and no treys. Wasn’t he a first round pick?! Yawwwwwwwn, now I need rest.
Ish Smith – Started over Isaiah Canaan, and man – if these two could combine into one PG, it’d be an elite one! Ish for 15/1/8/3/1 but is a slasher and had no treys, while Canaan for 9/3/4 with two treys in 22 minutes is a shooter. When our forces combine, we become, CAPTAIN PLANET! I mean, ummmm….
Robert Covington – Yikes. He can be dumped along with that toxic sludge that Captain Planet always had as his kryptonite. 3/2/3/1/0 in 22 minutes only hitting one trey on 6 shots.
Robin Lopez – Sorry Clyde! I’m the Goro Nazi! No Goromotaro for you! 6/6/1/0/1 with 3 TO. Rolo is filled with the same caramel filling as the candy.
Chris Kaman – “Look at how a real man does it!” That’s what Stotts is gonna say in the film room this morning while shaming Rolo… 9/13/2, but yeah, can’t do much with it.
Hassan Whiteside – The swats are back in town! 12/10 with 6 blocks after “only” 7 blocks the past four games. Given one of those he was ejected, so it’s just nice to see Whiteside not hitting anyone in the face. I don’t know if I could’ve repressed the urge to swing at Rolo!
Kyle Lowry – Ruh roh. After that rest really reinvigorated him (too many “re” words!), hurt his back last night and might miss a few more. Greivis Vasquez was only owned in 10% of leagues late last night, and certainly worth a spec add if you have a spot in most leagues.
Kevin Martin – Trying to keep the Wolves relevant! 14-28 FG (5-9 3PTM 4-4 FT) 37/7/0/1/1. No Chapter 11 for this K-Mart!
Justin Hamilton – Ughhhhhh. Came out 30 minutes before tip he would be out with an illness. Here’s a tip! Don’t forget your coat when you’re on the road in Toronto! Well, if it’s warming up like it is here in NC, Hamilton probably got the sniffies somewhere else. I’d certainly try to hold if you can. In his stead…
Chase Budinger – …strawberry blonde beard! I wanna say “fire beard” but it’s not really red and not really blonde… I’d ask him if the carpet matches the drapes, but I still wouldn’t know what color the carpet was! 19/8/3/0/1 in a whopping 36 minutes and 18 shots.
Ricky Rubio – It’s good you got something out of him, but still was passive running everything through K-Mart in a 2/8/8/2/0 line. Palindrome! Hit the glass pretty well though…
Nikola Mirotic – Dude is a monster! Way back in Summer League I clowned Rotoworld for calling him a potential superstar, but hell, who da clown now?! Movie idea! Finding Bozo! “You’re the clown now, dawg!” Rainbowed it up last night for 25/9/2/2/2 with that sweet 8-9 FT and a trey. I love Tony Snell with reckless abandon, but he’s getting 40 minutes to No Minutes Mirotic’s only 31?! Criminal! I guess D can do that for Tibby…
Kyle O’Quinn – The Irishman returns the night after St. Patty’s! I didn’t see anything about an injury for Nikola Vucevic who only went 27 minutes, getting the Irishman in there for 21 minutes of 7/2/2 with a trey. Only bringing it up in case the Magic tanking brings him back into the rotation (led ORL bench minutes last night). Would be a good roto-filler in a tight race.
Elfrid Payton – Tripdub on the Shelfrid! 15/10/12/2/0 on 6-10 shooting and made both of his FT! But what I love is that 1 – the 1-2 3PTM. 4 treys in his past 4 games after only 4 on the year up until that point. Really turning into a big contributor.
Rajon Rondo – Rather have Elfrid than Rondo! Who played decent for 9/6/11/1/0, but SCRATCH THAT! Dat TO doe! 8 giveaways. Sheesh.
Monta Ellis – Gets a shout for goin’ rainbow! 21/2/4/2/2, but still kinda meh. I’ll likely be passing next year, especially if Rondo is still there. Dimes down to 4.3 after 5.7 last year and 6ish through his career.
Zaza Pachulia – Another weird minutes allocation for a C that I didn’t see any injury updates on… Only 17 minutes of 10/7/2, but barely played in the second half in favor of Miles Plumlee getting some run for 4/11/1/0/1. Hurt John Henson as well, who only played 13 minutes. Ugh, another edition of “Are You Effing Kidd-ing Me!”
Steven Adams – Maybe my luke-warmness is way off, as the The Big Kiwi went 14/13/1/2/0 last night. No blocks though, 4-7 FT, and it was an easy matchup against the Celtics. Plus another 5 fouls. I remain unconvinced he’s a must-own even in 12ers with Serge Ibaka officially gone 4-6 weeks. Bleck.
Kelly Olynyk – Look who brought the O! With a capital O! Showin’ his O face! Putting the O in a belated St. Patty’s themed O’Lynyk! (awesome call from a commenter, but couldn’t find who!) 20/3/2/2/2 with 3 treys, hitting that rainbow whilst missing that FT. 3-8 at the stripe. Eh, still encouraging, but the 3 TO hurt as well. Like Adams, not a must-own for me.
Marcus Smart – Double the Celtics rainbows! There’s a pot of gold somewhere in Massachusetts… 25/9/5/2/2 hitting an absurd 7 treys. 8-14 shooting with 7-12 from deep?! Stevens is like an overbearing father to a tween girl, just let her start driving! I don’t get the insistence on treys-only that I continue to have to harp on all year… Anyway, this game is a mad mad outlier on what he’s done lately, but Smart hopscotches Canaan in the back end of The Fringy PG List. Which was my unsuccessful attempt at a James Spader thriller TV show pitch…
DeMarre Carroll – Whoa, after getting those DNP-rests has evolved into a stretch 4! 16/12/3/0/2 with 3 treys. I’m picturing him getting into an oxygen tank and going into cryosleep, then evolving into one of those zombie type thingies from Pandorum.
Hawks PG Blowing Chunks – Geez, could a better pair of PG have a worse night together?! Jeff Teague gets 2 AST to 6 TO in only 23 minutes while Dennis Schroder shoots only 1-12 FG. Let’s start a slow chant! Shelvin Mack! Shel-Vin-Mack!
Harrison Barnes – Friggin’ unbelievable. I’m going against Barnes’ utter waste of natural talent this week in the REL, and he has the game of his life for 25/4/1/1/0 on 11-13 shooting. Figures.
Andre Iguodala – Might be your biggest benefactor with Klay Thompson out at least a week with a kankle, playing 29 minutes for 21/2/6/3/0 and a couple of treys. Justin Holiday got the start, and while he hit the multi-cat (5/3/5/1/1) only shot 1-6. Still out there in 44% of leagues, I am a little wiggy for Iggy.
Rudy Gobert – Seriously, NBA Defensive MVP. I don’t care he’s only started however many, not-enough-to-the-dumb-NBA-voters games! 9/14/4/1/2 and the Wiz only got to 88 points. Sure the Jazz lost, but they’re in every game right now with Gobert’s D. Although if he makes his 5 missed FT, the Jazz would’ve won! If he’s an 80% FT shooter next year, he might break fantasy. He’d be Brow 2: Electric Bugaloo!
Streamers/Cheap Daily League Picks:
Langston Galloway (19% owned) – I much, much rather Alexey Shved tonight in a revenge game, but Shved should be must-own in all formats right now. The Harlem Renaissance had his own renaissance in that shocking win vs. the Spurs and I think can play well tonight.
Zach LaVine (7% owned) – Sticking with the same game, I highly doubt Rubio goes on the second night of a back-to-back, giving LaVine a start against the lowly Poppycockers. If you are punting or you’re way better in TO, he’s a no-brainer!
I hope everyone had a great Wednesday full-slate worth of games for their squads, and see you tomorrow Razzball Nation!
