Ahhhh weed jokes. The Pacific Northwest. Their team is the Blazers. Rasheed Wallace used to play for them! But I don’t think Oregon has legalized it yet. What’s the world like in Colorado and Washington these days? Something like Amsterdam? Although, even though I went there, I hardly remember it. If you have Damian Lillard though, you’re surely remembering the night he put up last night! 11-23 shooting, 8-12 3PTM for 36 points, a surprising 8 boards, and a dimebag right on the nose with 10 assists. Plus a game-winner! The near triple-double moves Lillard to 10th overall in Total Value according to Basketball Monster, and a true American Hero! And by that, I mean my 19 overall rank of him got flack more than a few times through the rankings iterations, and looking peachy keen now. He’s lowered his TOs almost a full turnover a game since his rookie year, upped the 3PT% and my favorite – is becoming an elite FT% guy going 5.2-5.6 a night at 91.8% for the season. Getting to the line and making em, pretty much the antithesis of Andre Drummond! Hey o! Oh wait, I mean, I’m jinxing Drummond, he’s the bast center in the world and will all the sudden shoot 95% from the stripe once he adopts the Barry granny shot… Here’s what else I saw last night in fantasy hoops:
LaMarcus Aldridge – There is no Escape from LA if you’re facing him this week, putting up 26/15/4/1/1 last night and even an injury scare sounds like it won’t cost him any time. Got an X-Ray on his hand that reportedly had been bothering him for several weeks, which came back negative. So if his hand feels better but his game suffers, bust out the hammer Joe Pesci!
Robin Lopez – Sideshow got into foul trouble, racking up 5 in just over 20 minutes for an 8/6 night. I’m as much a Lopez hater as there is, but yeah, just a foul trouble game and he was still useful.
Kyrie Irving – 25/10. I’ve seen a lot of comments regarding selling Irving. I think he’s a good buy low, three really nice games out of the past four.
Dion Waiters – What is C.J. Miles still doing as a fake starter?! Always starting and never gets to 20 minutes?! Who is this guy, Willie Green?! Anywho, Waiters got the majority of the 2 run, racking up 25 points on 11-19 shooting. He’s been dealing with a sore knee, and dealing with drama. I ain’t got time for dat!
Andrew Bynum – I ain’t got time for Bynum, neither! 13/9/2/2/0 on 6-12 shooting. Had a really good run of four games in early December, then reminded everyone his knees wobble like when half the Jenga blocks have been pulled out. The line last night is sadly his 4th or 5th best line on the year.
DeMarcus Cousins – Boogie make all points! 9-13 (12-15 FT) for a monstrous 30/17/6/3/0 night. Andddd… the Kings lost by 8 to the Bobcats. Sheesh. Next thing you know he’s going to be leaving the court with two minutes left, and defend himself by saying he didn’t want the other team seeing him cry.
Rudy Gay – Accidentally injected his knee with Viagra. Ruh roh. Got stiffy on him. But he’s already said he’s hoping to play today. Stay tuned.
Isaiah Thomas – Dude this curse of the lead topic is starting to gain momentum! Worst game since the Vasquez trade of 21/2/4 on 8-23 shooting. Not worried in the slightest.
Jeffery Taylor – The Bobcats 3 position is a black hole of soul-sucking athletic talent. Taylor can make some huge dunks, stroke threes, but can do none of it as a starter. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist wasn’t delivering before his hand shattered. No one can run with it! Taylor only 3-9 8/3/2 last night, but I still have faith in the upside in the deeper leagues.
Gerald Henderson – A steal away from a rainbow line. Hoping something is sparked here for some multi-cat!
*Guess the Kobe Bryant Stat Line!* – Kobe had a better game than the last, that’s for sure, for 21/5/4/1/1. And man, did we have two spot on guesses from matt and Jake VZ, with Jake the winner! Both you guys were 2 points off up and down, but Jake a little closer on everything else. Nice work Jake! Good to see Kobe “only” have 4 TOs and shoot 50% if you stashed him. Now, he tweaked his knee here, so all bets or off if he sits, but the Lakers don’t play again until Friday, so I’ll put a reminder on Friday morning’s recap and we’ll place our bets then if it’s looking like he plays!
Jordan Hill – I didn’t see any of this game, but only 7:31 as the starting 4, but racked up four fouls. Had to be some foul trouble issues cutting down his game here. But still, tough to like any of the Doh-Toni’s on the front line after Pau Gasol in shallower leagues.
Xavier Henry – The prophecy is coming true! As I said yesterday, Wheels is playing well in December only on every other game. It’s like Alex Rios’ career! 5/3/1/2/1 for a solid multi-cat line in 20 minutes, but shot 2-8, and a down one. Friday will be another barometer, he has to go off there!
Jon Leuer – Well, I guess as opposed to IT2, Leuer has been huge since that lead a few weeks ago, and marched onto even shallow league teams. Leuer-ed in! 13/7/1/1/1 last night with three treys from a big man. Starting 4 Tayshaun Prince played 9:09 (although an injury may be involved, no news yet) and starting 5 Kosta Koufos played 13:03. Leuer for 27:28 and that front court is hungry for minutes for a decent while until Marc Gasol is back. Hook, Leuer, Sinker! Wait, it’s line not lure right? The only fishing I do is grabbing the last yellowfin off the tray!
Tony Allen – No Mike Conley last night, and Allen had a solid night of 16/7/5/2/1 near rainbow-glory. Deeper leagues can keep him on the radar if no Conley around next game.
Kenyon Martin – Missing at least the next two weeks with a strained ab. Keeps Andrea Bargnani looking at a starting role even with the return of Tyson Chandler. Amar’e Stoudemire also going to get some rest, tweeting he’s not hurt. Just so many old, over-the-hill big men with drama I don’t know what to do! It’s like that De Niro movie where they get hammered in Vegas…
J.J. Hickson – While Timofey Mozgov gave it a tiny bit of a run a few weeks ago, Hickson has remained solid and huge 20/14 last night. Not much of anything else past points and boards, but staying useful and I think solid ROS.
Russell Westbrook – Almost t-dubbed himself for 21/13/8. But had 8 TOs. AKA Kentavious Caldwell-Pope‘s season total. Man I love that KCP stat…
Steven Adams vs. Jordan Hamilton – Fight! Fight! Who ya got?! Who ya got!? Dude, I got so pumped when I saw that Hamilton got ejected for “trying to punch Adams” and it was lammmme. Lammmmme! Adams didn’t even see what happened. Let’s get these guys riled up! “Hey Adams, Hamilton said the All Blacks are a bunch of wankahs!”
Harrison Barnes – Now there’s someone that got hit in the face! Took a blow from Lou Amundson, who took a page from Gerald Henderson in how to hit tar heels in the face.
Andre Iguodala – Returned last night, but still not gettin’ Iggy with it. Shaking off the rust, and still like him decently moving forward, although maybe not at that pace he was at in the very beginning of the season.
Austin Rivers – He’s a Dookie so I’m obviously not a fan, but shot 4-12 last night for 11/4/0/2/0 in 27 minutes off the bench with no Tyreke Evans nursing his oft-injured ankles. In a very deep league and need a scoring stream over the next few days? Keep on eye on Evans’ status and Rivers could be an option.
Next Game: MEM @ DAL tonight! Woop woop, ready to get my Leuer on! Thanks for stopping by!
