Dallas Mavericks vs. Atlanta Hawks
Mavs Notes:
- The bloom has been coming off the Kristaps Porzingis rose in recent seasons. Thursday’s opener didn’t do anything to dissuade the critics, as the oft-maligned big man tallied just 11 points on 13 field goal attempts, with just five rebounds, zero assists, and four turnovers. A steal and two blocks kept it from being a completely lost night, but he didn’t exactly look like an integrated part of the offense, often forcing bad shots out of rhythm. Managers investing in the artist formerly known as The Unicorn are hoping it was just a case of the game getting out of hand early.
- Jalen Brunson was the one bright spot for Dallas. The diminutive point guard picked up where he left off last season when he was in the running for Sixth Man of the Year. Brunson was the only Mav in the primary 10-man rotation to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, scoring 17 points, hitting three triples, and dishing three assists without turning it over. It looks like he’ll be worth a spot on 12-team rosters again.
| PTS | REB | AST | 3PTM | STL | BLK | TOV | FG | FT |
| 17 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7-13 | 0-0 |
Hawks Notes:
- As long as the Hawks are healthy, it’s going to be tough to find outsized value anywhere on their roster. Even without Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, and Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta went 10 deep with solid contributors. The wing rotation in particular is crowded. Cam Reddish was the one who shone off the bench last night with a game-high 20 points, but it could easily be Kevin Huerter the next night. Or Bogdan Bogdanovic. Or De’Andre Hunter. It’s a good problem to have if you’re the Hawks, but a frustrating one for fantasy managers.
| PTS | REB | AST | 3PTM | STL | BLK | TOV | FG | FT |
| 20 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7-15 | 3-3 |
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Miami Heat
Bucks Notes:
- Not much to take away from this one on Milwaukee’s end, as the defending champs were out of it from the jump. George Hill is probably worth an add as a low-end contributor in assists and threes as long as Jrue Holiday is out. He had a pair of each in 21 minutes. And take your pick of Grayson Allen or Pat Connaughton in Donte DiVincenzo’s absence. Allen has been the nominal starter at the off guard and scored 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting on Thursday. Connaughton delivered 20 points off the bench in the opener but managed just six despite entering the starting lineup against Miami.
Heat Notes:
- Kyle Lowry‘s South Beach debut was quiet, to say the least. The veteran point guard made just one of his eight field-goal attempts and scored a meager five points, but Miami didn’t need him to do much. His age is a slight concern, but don’t let last night be the judge.
- Tyler Herro looks determined to get back to the player who showed such promise as a rookie in the bubble. The Kentucky product led the Heat with 27 points in just 24 minutes. He hit four treys while adding six rebounds and five assists. They’ll need his scoring off the bench this season, and Herro could deliver big.
| PTS | REB | AST | 3PTM | STL | BLK | TOV | FG | FT |
| 27 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10-18 | 3-4 |
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors
Clippers Notes:
- Eric Bledsoe began his second stint as a Clipper in the starting unit and did a good job putting pressure on the rim. He made nine of his 12 two-pointers to score 22 points total, while also adding three steals and a block without committing a turnover. I don’t trust Bledsoe’s production over the course of the season and would sell high on him immediately if possible.
| PTS | REB | AST | 3PTM | STL | BLK | TOV | FG | FT |
| 22 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10-16 | 1-3 |
- Terance Mann came off the bench to play a whopping 39 minutes. That mostly had to do with the Clips turning to him to slow down the red-hot Curry, so don’t expect Mann to get that kind of burn all the time. Still, I do believe that he’s an integral part of LA’s rotation and will supplant Bledsoe in minutes even if he’s not a starter at any point. He’s a low-usage guy who won’t put up eye-popping numbers, but he’s on the streaming radar as a player who won’t hurt you anywhere but can rebound out of position and hit some threes. Mann scored 11 points with a pair of triples and seven rebounds in the opener.
Warriors Notes:
- Stephen Curry dazzled the crowd with one of his patented explosions in the first quarter, when he hit all nine of his shots for 25 points. He also buried back-to-back massive treys to win it down the stretch. His final line saw him finish with 45 points on 16-for-25 shooting, with eight triples, and his second consecutive 10-rebound outing. He’ll be in the mix for the No. 1 overall fantasy player all season.
| PTS | REB | AST | 3PTM | STL | BLK | TOV | FG | FT |
| 45 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 16-25 | 5-5 |
- A longtime personal favorite of mine, Nemanja Bjelica could not repeat his outstanding season debut. The Warriors went small which limited Belly to just 16 minutes. He was still effective with six points and six boards on three-of-five shooting, but he (sadly, for me) can’t be relied upon night in and night out yet.
