Welcome back Razzball! It’s been a long summer, maybe you kept up with my corner infield report, maybe not. This is my third year writing for this esteemed site, and I couldn’t be more raring to go. Fully juvinated, if you will. I love the NBA and honestly, it’s a fun thing to write about for probably the best free fantasy site in the business. Gonna start off with a basic preview from the Atlantic Division.
Boston Celtics:
Remember Kyle Korver?
If as I expect the Celtics reduce the load of the 35 year old Holiday or the two Olympians Tatum (although that was kinda a rest for him) and Derrick White, Sam Hauser and Peyton Pritchard will pick up some spot starts here and there. Hauser is my preferred target here due to his 3 point prowess. He averaged 2.5 per game last season, tied for 37 in the league. BUT…….he did this in fewer minutes than the rest of the league (22, to be precise). Per 36, and of course this isn’t perfect, he would project to 4 per game. If you must know, Mr. Nosey, that’s third in the league. I would take Hauser, stash him if you can, and if he gets an uptick in minutes or a spot start roll him out there. You can do much worse with a late pick.
Aging Gracefully, unlike his Numbers…
Entering his age 34 season, Jrue Holiday is officially in the “better in real life than fantasy” bucket. His points dropped from 19 to 12 per game. Assists dipped from 7.4 to around 4. See what I mean? He’s just not getting the volume in Boston that he used to get. Minutes are another issue; he may be rested more often and play more like 28 per game instead of 32. I’m fully out on Holiday in fantasy this year. Much more valuable player in the Boston uniform than he will be on your phone screen.
New York Knickerbockers:
Build Your Team with Hart
Josh Hart averaged 9-8-6 last season and is now eligible at SG, SF, and PF. With the Knicks down to one true center, and that one true center’s name being Mitchell Robinson, and Mitchell Robinson having the injury history that he does have, Hart looks to be safe for 35 minutes or so per game. The numbers are real and repeatable, and he played 81 games to boot. Very valuable stuff if you play in a roto league. If you can fill your G or F or UTIL slot with Hart, you’re safe for production at his floor. He’s not really a true riser; I don’t see many guys on this team as true breakouts.
To maximize his value he works great in a build of big men, locking down RB, BLK, ST, and minimizing TO. Hart is the perfect second SG for a team like that. Make Hart a target. To top it off, he’s a super fun watch and is absolutely hilarious.
A Bridge to Success
The Knicks signed Mikal Bridges, and with him not being the number 1 or 2, or even 3 option some nights his production should dip back to his Suns days. Don’t expect that 19.6 PPG to last. Aim for around 14, with 4 boards and assists. He probably won’t be taking the same volume of shots (7 3s taken per game, 16 total) but the efficiency should tick back up. Now that I’m a few sentences deep Bridges isn’t as much of a faller NOW as he was viewed as a second round pick by a lot of people, including me. He should settle in the middle rounds and make you very happy there.
The Bridges signing, as least as long as the Knicks are at full health, is not good news for Donte DiVencenzo. Donte’s Inferno will have to heat up from the bench to start the season. Don’t fret. A lot of games are missed by these Knicks. Two of their starters missed over 30 games at the guard and wing position, and I’m guessing Julius Randle gets some run at center. My fallers are accidentally risers! Doh! I love it when the article writes itself and proves the author wrong, although that’s more fun when it’s someone else. I guess what I’m saying is Donte will probably go late in drafts, which makes him a faller, but he’s also a good value pick late in drafts, which means I should just move to the next team.
The Sixers:
I’m Using a Different Process
Let’s get the BIG QUESTION out of the way here. I have no idea why people are still drafting Joel Embiid in the first round. I just can’t. In a H2H league he can kill you for multiple weeks. In a roto, while the stats are elite the volume isn’t enough to make up for the missed games. He’s now 30 and is it okay to say he looked old and slow in the Olympics? I have never owned him because I don’t like to build my team around missed games from my first round star. Third round, of course. Don’t gamble your season with the first round pick though. Be smart out there. If you must, you must, but make sure you get Andre Drummond with Embiid. Then you’re at least covered in the FG% and rebounds categories.
Riser: Caleb Martin, aka the Good Martin Twin, looks to have the PF spot on lock for the Sixers. He put up a 10-4-2 line, but you take him for the possibility of a steal, block, and multiple 3s every game. The man is a frenzy of activity on the court. Being on a team with Joel Embiid for 40 games but then Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, this guy finna get all the garbage buckets you need. The minutes should be over 30. Get him late hoping for a 14-7-2 line with a steal and 3 per game and be happy with it. And don’t draft his brother Cody. Why do parents insist on naming their twins with similar names? Be like the family from my area. Name them DisJuan and DatJuan. Let’s go parents of twins, help us fantasy managers out so we don’t click the wrong guy like I did with these guys last year.
Heat Culture:
Big Bam Theory
Bam Adebayo seems primed for a career year. I’d grab him as my center and not look back. My favorite strategy with him is to pair him with a high block center later. Derrick Lively comes to mind as a guy who’s been healthy, or Mark Williams as a guy who hasn’t, or Rudy Gobert if you want safety. Bam and Rudy make a great pairing; then you can add a high volume shooter and not fret so much about the percentages.
I’m not doing the Jimmy Butler thing. He’s getting older, and even though he’s funny he’s like 35 now and misses a ton of game. Heat Culture will probably use multiple guys you’ve never heard of to fill in adequately and get the six seed again, so Jimmy can rest and be really good in the playoffs. I think Jaime Jacquez is the other guy to get besides Bam, but there will be some other no names that will pop up here.
The Nets:
Wake me up when the selloff ends.
