15 or so years ago, I’m walking through a baggage claim area in the Los Cabos International Airport. It was eerie. The room wasn’t well lit and not another soul was in sight. I think I had to take a piss or maybe I was searching for a friend. I forget, but what will forever be etched in my brain were the two figures that appeared in the distance. I didn’t pay much heed at first, but it was hard not to be transfixed on this couple. The man was a giant and the woman was exquisite. As they got closer and closer, the man just oozed cool. Oh, shit! That’s Kobe freaking Bryant and his wife, Vanessa! Woo sah, woo sah. Be cool. Be cool. Oh, shit! That’s Kobe freaking Bryant. I didn’t know what to do. I was shook, but not as bad as when we all received the horrible news yesterday; that Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
There are so many memories of Kobe. Not flinching against the Matt Barnes inbound fake. The 2005 season in which he scored 81 points in a game, 62 points in another, had four 50-burgers, and 21 40-point outbursts. Kobe was robbed of the MVP that year! The alley-oop pass to Shaq in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference finals. Tearing his Achilles then draining the free throw. The five championships. The 60 points in his final game. Chills. The mic drop. The dunks. The game winners. But what I most treasure about Kobe is encapsulated in Game 5 against the Utah Jazz during the 1997 playoffs when he airballed not one, not two, not three, but four shots as a rookie. Despite the failure, he could not be fazed. He could not be shook, unlike my weak ass. He didn’t slump or put his head down. He just brushed it off and used it as motivation to get better. He was a true student of the game whose sole focus was to get buckets and win. The jump shot form was perfect. The footwork was immaculate. The evolution of his game was poetic. All of that did not happen by accident. It was due to the psychotic work ethic.
41 years old. Gone. Just like that. I wanted to give you a pound when I saw you 15 or so years ago. I wanted to give you a hug. I wanted to take a selfie. I wanted to say wassup, but I was so shook that I just walked on by. Thanks for everything. Rest in peace, Kobe Bryant.
Here’s what happened in the games yesterday:
To pay homage to Kobe, all stat boxes will have his career averages.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
Sabonis messed around for the second time this month, his only two career trip-dubs! He scored 27 points, grabbed 14 boards, dished out 11 dimes, and blocked one. Despite averaging 18.3 points, 11.8 boards, and 6 dimes over the past eight games, Sabonis is still only a top 70 player for fantasy because he contributes no tres and few defensive stats.
Jeremy Lamb
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
28 points, 2 boards, 1 dime, 2 steals, and 1 block in 34 minutes. Not baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. Malcolm Brogdon and Myles Turner were out, so usage was available. Over the past four games, he’s been a top 40 player, but don’t consider this the N. W. O. Will get sheared when the squad gets healthy.
Hassan Whiteside
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
21 points, 14 boards, 1 dime, and 6 blocks! I’d consider that a Mt. Whiteside eruption. The blocks were not even close to a season high, as he swatted 10 back in November! Someone is going to get paid this offseason.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
50 points, 6 boards, 13 dimes, and 1 steal! Whoop whoop….That’s the sound of the police. Whoop whoop. Over the past 15 games, Lillard has been the #3 player for fantasy! He’s been numero uno over the past three games. Now, there will be some regression, especially in the shooting efficiency. He’s shooting over 50% from the field right now. On the season, that number is at 45%, so the points and tres will come down. With that said, he will still be a top 10 fantasy asset.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
32 points, 7 boards, 7 dimes, 2 steals, 1 block, and 10 turnovers! Turnover, good for the buffet, not so good for fantasy. James Harden did not play in this game. With Harden off the court, Russ has a 40.6 usage rate, an increase of 7.7%.
Danuel House Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
11 points, 5 boards, 3 dimes, 1 steal, and 1 block in 27 minutes off the bench. Over the past four games, House has averaged 28.6 minutes, 8.5 points, 2 tres, 5 boards, 1.3 dimes. 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks. That’s been good for top 75 production. The usage rate is low, so don’t expect points on the regular. In addition, the shooting efficiency isn’t great at 42% on the season. The foundation of House consists of tres, boards, and defensive stats.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
Continues to start with Paul Millsap out and contributed 25 points, 4 boards, 3 dimes, and 1 block in 29 minutes. Top 15 player over the past four games, as he’s been averaging 33.2 minutes, 18.8 points, 2 tres, 6.8 boards, 2.8 dimes, 1.3 steals, and 1 block. Millsap and Mason Plumlee have been out, so this production is unsustainable.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
Jokic messing around again. 24 points, 12 boards, 11 dimes, 2 steals, and 6 turnovers. There was a slight window to buy low. That is likely shut now.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
17 points, 7 boards, 4 dimes, 1 steal, and 1 block in 35 minutes off the bench. Hmmmm, when he was starting, Morris was a zero. Off the bench, he’s a hero. I wouldn’t make too much of this performance, especially since Murray should return soon.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
35 points, 8 boards, 3 dimes, and 1 steal in 37 minutes. He’s starting to round into form after missing a bunch of games due to injury. Siakam is a top 40-50 player for fantasy. He does contribute across the board, but will need to increase the dimes and defensive stats a tick in order to vault into the top 25.
Serge Ibaka
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
12 points, 10 boards, 4 dimes, and 2 steals in 22 minutes off the bench. Since the return of Marc Gasol, the minutes have been slashed to 23 minutes per game.
No one on the Spurs scored more than 14 points. LaMarcus Aldridge led the team with 10 boards and DeMar DeRozan dished out a team-high 7 dimes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
40 points, 3 boards, 6 dimes, and 1 steal in 38 minutes. Over the past four games, Beal has been the #11 player for fantasy. The usage rate has been 36.5 and he’s played 34,9 minutes per game. The 59% shooting from the field is unsustainable, so he’s not going to continue averaging 35.8 points per game. There are issues of playing time and such going forward for Beal. I’m not too concerned personally, but if you are, then now is the time to try and trade him away. His value won’t be higher.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
14 points, 12 boards, and 1 block in 19 minutes as a starter. Bruno left the game with a knee injury, which was too bad because he was having a career night against the woefully inept Wizards. Alex Len is out due to injury and Damian Jones sucks, so Bruno will get some run when healthy. John Collins plays some center, so not sure how many minutes Bruno will get, but someone to keep an eye on.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
25 points, 3 boards, 2 dimes, and 1 steal in 28 minutes. Only the fifth time this season that Hunter has eclipsed 20 points in a game, so I wouldn’t take too much from last night, especially since the Wizards suck and allowed the Hawks as a team to score 152 points.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
45 points, 6 boards, 14 dimes, and 1 steal in 39 minutes. Top 10 player over the past six games. For fantasy, Trae is amazing. Real life? Not so much due to his defensive weaknesses, but for us, fantasy is real life so defense schmefense.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
27 points, 9 boards, and 3 dimes. Over the past five games, Oubre has been outside the top 200. The steals haven’t been there and the shooting efficiency has been poor from both the field and the line. A buying opportunity, as Oubre is one of my favorite players because he contributes across-the-board.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
17 points, 15 boards, 2 dimes, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. I don’t like Deandre a little. I like him Ayton, especially if he contributes the D on the regular. Right now he’s a top 30 player on the season. Can be top 20 if the defensive contributions are real.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
36 points, 2 boards, 5 dimes, and 1 block. I just keep getting amazed at the career arc for Booker. Every season, he’s improved in some category. This season, it’s been the field goal percentage. In the past, it was the dimes improving every season. Anyways, since he’s been in the league, Booker has finished as the 204th, 127th, 48th, and 42nd player for fantasy. He’s currently top 25.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
6 points, 12 boards, 2 dimes, and 2 blocks in 29 minutes, as he received the start due to Jae Crowder being out due to injury. Mr. Anderson will never be a points guy, especially since he’s a low usage player, but he can provide boards and defensive stats. Someone to keep an eye on if he gets a substantial role.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
23 points, 5 boards, 8 dimes, and 1 steal. Can Morant be the ROY? Ja. Is he inconsistent? Ja. Will he improve as the season progresses? Ja. Is Morant amazing and awesome? Ja.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
If you saunter on down to the Brooks, you will on occasion find points and tres. Last night, though, you were rewarded with much more. 20 points, 5 boards, 4 dimes, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. Brooks is a points and tres guy. The field goal percentage is only at 42% on the season, so there is inconsistent production. He does provide some steals, but little else on a nightly basis.
Gordon Hayward
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
23 points, 6 boards, 2 dimes, and 1 steal in 38 minutes. Jayson Tatum did not play due to a groin injury. Hayward is a top 70-ish player for fantasy, as he provides points, tres, boards, dimes, and excellent percentages. Little contributions in the defensive categories, though.
Kemba Walker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
35 points, 5 boards, 4 dimes, 2 steals, and 1 block. With Tatum off the court, Kemba garners a 31.7 usage rate, an increase of 3.5%. Over the past seven games, the Kemba Label has been top notch, producing top 6 value. The big boosts to value have been from the steals, blocks, and increased shooting efficiency. Those will regress, but the Kemba Label will still likely produce top 20 value.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
16 points, 3 boards, 3 dimes, and 1 steal. Since Zion returned to the lineup, the usage rate has dipped three percent while the shot attempts have decreased by three as well. The rebounds have been slashed in half. It’s a small sample size, but things don’t look that great for Ingram. With that said, it’s all relative, right? He’s still going to be good, just not freaking amazing. My biggest concern for Ingram is in the boards department, as Zion should gobble most of them.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
21 points, 11 boards, 2 dimes, and 1 steal in 27 minutes. It’s been three games since Zion returned from injury, and he’s played 18, 21, and 27 minutes. Looks like he will be unleashed very, very soon. CAN’T WAIT!!!
Derrick Favors
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
15 points, 10 boards, 1 dime, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in 28 minutes. Boards, defensive stats, and excellent field goal percentage are what Favors provides. The free throw shooting isn’t great, though, but the fantasy environment in New Orleans is pristine. He could be a top 50-60 player if he can stay healthy.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
8 points, 6 boards, 15 dimes, 1 steal, and 1 block in 36 minutes. Top 45 player over the past four games. It is so on! Points won’t be voluminous, but boards, dimes, and steals should be bonkers with Zion now in the mix. As always, the shooting efficiency will be the big bugaboo.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
25 points, 6 boards, and 5 dimes. Led the team with 20 shot attempts. *waves hello* I’m still here guys. Let’s not forget that he and Zion were able to coexist well when they played together earlier in the preseason.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
23 points, 4 boards, 5 dimes, and 1 block in 32 minutes, as he received the start because Kyrie Irving did not play due to personal reasons. He had been coming off the bench, but he’s still been receiving over 30 minutes of run. The usage and shot attempts are down when Kyrie plays, though.
Rodions Kurucs
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
12 points, 3 boards, 2 dimes, and 2 steals in 21 minutes off the bench. Kurucs has shown potential in the past, but he’s buried on the depth chart.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
22 points, 15 boards, 1 dime, and 1 block in 33 minutes. Led the Knicks with 22 shot attempts. The usage rate has been over 31 the past few weeks and he’s been contributing plenty of points and boards, but Julius is still outside the top 150 because of the low dimes, defensive stats, and percentages.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
I don’t care what his stat line is. The only number we care about is the 24 minutes in a starting capacity. The dirt that he must have on the coaching staff is what was inside the suitcase in Pulp Fiction. That’s the only explanation. As a result, Mitchell Robinson only played 17 minutes off the bench. He did foul out, so that didn’t help.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
31 points, 14 boards, 7 dimes, 1 steal, and 1 block. Remember when the Clippers signed Kawhi and Paul George? Was that a figment of my imagination? Anyways, for fantasy, it’s obviously great for Kawhi that George has been a ghost. Increased usage and plenty of shot attempts, a whopping 23.5 over the past six games. Guess what his fantasy ranking has been over that span? That’s right, numero uno.
Michael Carter-Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
15 points, 7 boards, and 8 dimes in 23 minutes off the bench. Got run due to blowout, as the Clippers made the Magic disappear, 112-97. Also, D. J. Augustin was out due to a knee injury. Could have short-term appeal if you’re desperate.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .5 | 3 | 1.4/4.1 | 8.7/19.5 | 6.2/7.4 |
13 points, 6 boards, and 5 dimes in only 26 minutes. Vuc fouled out of the game.
