The end of October is upon us, which means that Thanksgiving is right around the corner and preparations are already being made for Christmas. It’s crazy I tell ya! So, it’s only appropriate that I present a little jingle for you:
Noel, Noel. Noel, Noel. The First Noel, the degens did say. Was to certain poor managers on teams where he lay. In leagues that weren’t too deep. Causing many a restless night’s sleep. Noel, Noel. Noel, Noel. Born was the King of saying farewell….
….to a four-year, $70 million offer in 2017. Doh. The pursuit of self interest is good, but greed? Not always the case. By turning down that $70 million to shoot for a max contract, Noel is now making $1.9 million and is an unrestricted free agent after this season. For all you kids out there: greed is not always good, especially when the career averages are 9.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks. As a result, the fantasy world said goodbye to the King of saying farewell, but like Jason on Halloween, he’s baaaaaack.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9/14 | 2/3 |
With Steven Adams sitting due to injury, Noel got the start and played 26 minutes. He’s still only 24 years old and possesses crazy athleticism. In an uptempo environment with Russell Westbrook leading the action, it’s a prime spot for Noel to succeed. With that said, he was averaging only 14 minutes per game when Adams was healthy, so it’d be tough to rely on him outside of the deepest leagues, but he was a boards and blocks contributer during his limited action. When Adams sits, you know what to do. Cue up the Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel.
Here’s what else I saw yesterday:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 4 | 13 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0/3 | 4/9 | 0 |
Dray is playing fewer minutes, taking and making fewer shots, grabbing fewer rebounds, dishing out fewer dimes, and blocking fewer shots than last year. He is stealing more, fouling more, and turning the ball over more. It’s like the worst nightmare of a fat guy on a diet. Eating less, but gaining more fat. With that said, Dray is still #53 according to Basketball Monster. Last season, he was the 32nd overall player. If Dray was a mental midget, I’d be worried. Beep. Boop. Bop. The Stocktonator liked Dray yesterday. You want to slay the competition like Bobby Flay? Beep. Boop. Bop. You know what to do.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2/6 | 11/20 | 10/11 |
He’s good. Blah blah blah.
Steph Curry
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 35 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7/15 | 11/26 | 6/7 |
He’s good too. Yada yada yada.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/1 | 0 |
Ever been to a business establishment that has a bell on the counter? There’s a reason why someone put it there because no one is ever at the desk. Anyways, I’ve always had the urge to just keep pounding my palm onto the top of the bell to make it ring. That’s basically what we’ve been doing in fantasy for Jordan Bell. Hello? Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding ding ding. Anyone here? Buehler? If you haven’t already, it’s safe to move on.
Alfonzo McKinnie
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/2 | 4/5 | 0 |
Played 17 minutes and could be carving out a little role for himself. Won’t be a high usage guy and consistent minutes may not be in the cards, but McKinnie can shoot, board, and provide the D. I’d keep an eye on him if an injury strikes or the matchup portends for a blowout.
Joe Harris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2/6 | 2/6 | 1/2 |
You telling me Average Joe wasn’t going to continue shooting 54% from the field? Harris is still getting minutes, but the Nets are getting healthy and the shot pie has gotten a lot smaller.
Jared Dudley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0/2 | 3/5 | 0 |
Got the start and played 22 minutes. The Nets have too many guards on their bench. Seriously, one forward goes down and you have to start Dudley? Well, at least Rondae is back and should be starting sooner than later. I guess Atkinson is happy to say that he went with Jared.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5/8 | 9/14 | 2/3 |
Looks like he’s almost done loading….
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4/7 | 9/18 | 1/1 |
Even with DLoading almost done buffering, LeVert still had a 29.6 usage rate yesterday, compared to 28.2 for DLoading.
Allen Crabbe
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4/7 | 4/11 | 2/3 |
Just when I scuttled Crabbe into the ocean, he reappears. Played 28 minutes and put up 11 shots, with seven from behind the arc. 3 & D without the D.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4/8 | 9/15 | 1/2 |
Played 30 minutes. Dude is so good and solid that he’s acceptable entertainment for the young ones.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1/4 | 4/9 | 5/8 |
Played 37 minutes and is now locked in as the starter at power forward. Grant is an athletic big that thrives in transition and has the ability to stretch the floor. Not a usage hog, distributor, or rebounder, Grant will get his block on and drain some threeecolas.
Patrick Patterson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/5 | 6/10 | 3/4 |
Played 30 minutes off the bench. If you need a big that will drain some threeecolas and provide nothing else, then Pat Pat is your man.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0/1 | 4/10 | 4/6 |
Played 27 minutes. Dennis can only be a menace when Russ is off the floor.
Ryan Anderson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1/4 | 4/10 | 6/6 |
Got the start and played 31 minutes. I see you Suns. Will anyone bite?
Josh Jackson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0/3 | 4/10 | 0 |
Played 21 minutes and got the start at shooting guard. Still only 21 years old, but needs a lot more work. I think he needs the fro back.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8/17 | 0 |
A double-dub in 4-of-6 games. Not bad young fella. Shooting 69% from the field? 85% from the free throw line? 4 assists per game? The only appropriate response is…..
Isaiah Canaan left yesterday’s game after six minutes due to spraining his ankle. As a result, Elie Okobo played 31 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3/6 | 5/9 | 5/6 |
It’d make sense for the Suns to just let their young kids play, but who knows what they will do. In addition, when Devin Booker returns, he may soak up some of the point guard minutes. With that said, Okobo is a nice lottery ticket.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9/13 | 5/6 |
Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! The #9 overall player according to Basketball Monster. Beep. Boop. Bop. Guess who? The Stocktonator loved Rudy. Not surprising since it’s playing Rudy on repeat 24/7.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3/7 | 4/11 | 1/1 |
Jingle bells. Jingle bells. Jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to ride. With an eight-cat contributer. Hey! Jingle bells….
Ricky Rubio
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1/3 | 2/9 | 1/2 |
Rubio would make Elvis proud. One night to the left. And a one night to the right. Uh huh huh.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0/4 | 3/13 | 1/2 |
Played 34 minutes. Still getting back into the swing of things. Speaking of swinging things…I always have to go back to 2015. If Barnes doesn’t get scared of his own shadow during the playoffs, then Golden State maybe re-signs him and doesn’t have enough money to pursue Kevin Durant?
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2/6 | 5/13 | 2/2 |
The Doncic is so fun to watch already. I envision him messing around on a nightly basis.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4/5 | 4/4 |
A line deserving of the lede, but when Noel does what he did, gotta hook the brother up, ya know? Man, almost messed around and perfect from the charity stripe! DJ is shooting 85% from the line for the season!
Dennis Smith Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3/4 | 12/19 | 0 |
Love seeing that efficiency, but contributions in the periphery cats would be nice. Regardless, there will be ups and downs for DSJ, but I still believe in Steve Francis 2.0.
Wesley Matthews
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/4 | 5/17 | 10/12 |
Has scored in double digits every game this season and hit the 20-point mark in four straight. I thought the return of Barnes would affect his usage, but he’s still jacking up a ton of shots. Now, he will give a touch of rebounds and assists, but he’s mainly a points and threeecolas player. When he shoots poorly, then it’s crapoooola.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/3 | 0/4 | 0 |
Left the game due to suffering a concussion after playing 14 minutes.
Otto Porter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/2 | 3/9 | 0 |
The good? Played 30 minutes after getting 22 and 24 minutes of run the prior two games. The bad? Everything. It’s a complete shituation in Washington right now. I blame Dwight, but it’s been six games. I’m staying strong.
John Wall
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0/2 | 8/20 | 2/3 |
What’s that I hear blowing through the streets of DC? We don’t need no stinking Wall.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1/7 | 2/12 | 4/4 |
Last four games: 26, 29, 30, and 39 minutes. Has averaged 12 shots per game and had been shooting lights out prior to last night’s debacle. With that said, Oubre is a career 41% shooter from the field, so there will be regression from the 52% mark he’s currently sporting. Will grab some boards, but not much else.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2/4 | 9/14 | 2/3 |
Played 30 minutes. Clippers beat down the Wizards by 32, so his night could’ve been bigger. Good job Wizards.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1/1 | 4/8 | 1/2 |
Played 28 minutes. Clips won by 32. During the prior game against Houston, SGA played 31 minutes in a game the Clips won by 20. It’s not all blowout run, though, as he was averaging close to 25 minutes per game before the two laughers. Everyone at Razzball is high on SGA.
