With a wife, two kids, and fantasy sports to play and write about, the videogaming has taken a back seat. Wait? Isn’t that where all the action happens? That’s when you know you are washed. Anyways, I always enjoyed fantasy drafting teams, whether it be football, basketball, and/or baseball. I’d spend hours upon hours…..who am I kidding? I’d spend months upon months drafting, playing, scouting, etc. Usually, I’d eschew the awareness categories and just focus on the physical attributes. As a Raiders fan, I probably received drafting strategy from Al Davis via osmosis: size and speed. As we all know, physical attributes are not the end all be all in the real world, though. Remember Harold Miner? Exactly. Fundamentals and IQ are important characteristics for any player, but they are often overlooked, as we always get enamored with the physical traits. Case in point, Nikola Jokic. Pre-draft scouting report from nbadraft.net. Strengths: Very high basketball IQ. Strong personality. A team player. Has a great work ethic. My favorite part was that he “doesn’t drink or smoke.” Ha! Weaknesses: An average athlete lacking great speed and leaping ability. Well, last night, Nikola messed around:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2/5 | 8/15 | 5/6 |
It ain’t about how high you jump or how fast you run. It’s about understanding the game of basketball and making plays. That’s why Nikola ain’t no Jokic. And he’s only 22 years old! He is going to be such a beast.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
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Rudy has been hard at work in the lab. His latest creation? DAILY LINEUPS PAGE. So good. So smooth. So helpful. He decided to go with the Sonny Bono red tint, while I prefer the blue tint. What say you?
James Harden:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 6 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6/10 | 10/20 | 8/9 |
A great game for most. For Harden? Just another day at the office. W for whatever. Is it a coincidence that the W key is usually the up arrow on the keyboard? Me thinks not. Keep going forward, nothing to see here. I feel so numb lately. I need a 50-burger, triple dub so I can get all Harden excited again.
Ryan Anderson:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6/10 | 7/12 | 1/2 |
Played 26 minutes. Came off the bench, as Luc Mbah a Moute and PJ Tucker got the starts at the forward positions. Isn’t it cool that the first two letters of both his first and last name spells his first name? RyAn. Must be one of those nights. Anyways, RyAn does shoot better on the road, will grab some boards on occasion, and drain 3s. Just don’t expect 10 attempts on a daily basis. Think more like the 4-6 range.
Eric Gordon:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/9 | 3/10 | 4/4 |
When everyone is healthy, Gordon is the sniper that just chills in his fox hole and picks off the enemy. When there are injuries, Gordon is forced to step foot on the battlefield with the infantry. It’s nice that he’s able to don many hats, as he was grabbing boards, dishing out dimes, and even contributing D stats. Now, he’s back to just picking off the enemy from his fox hole.
Andrew Wiggins:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0/5 | 2/14 | 3/4 |
Getting Jiggy Wit It was such a happy, upbeat song. Getting Wiggy Wit It is whatever the opposite is. Barely a top 150 player for fantasy.
Karl-Anthony Towns:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 35 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2/3 | 12/16 | 9/9 |
The King of the double-dub with 49 in 59 games. Meow. Yo, Thibs. See those 14 shot attempt that Wiggins shot? Please transfer all of them over to KAT. Thank you.
Jeff Teague:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 | 10/15 | 3/3 |
Only the sixth game this season that Teague has scored over 20 points. He is dropping over 7 dimes a game, so that’s good, but overall is only a top 80 player for fantasy.
Zach Randolph:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2/3 | 10/15 | 0 |
Kings have to play all their young players, so it’s imperative they give the 36-year-old Randolph 26 minutes of run. He’s averaging close to 27 minutes and over 12 shot attempts per game over the last couple of weeks.
Keeping with the “young” theme, the 41-year-old Vince Carter played 27 minutes. I think someone needs to inform Kings managament that the definition of young is: having lived or existed for only a short time.
Bogdan Bogdanovic:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/7 | 8/17 | 0 |
Played 34 minutes. Buddy Hield only played 17 minutes. It’s a BogBog world and we are just living in it.
JJ Barea:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5/9 | 7/13 | 0 |
Got the start and played 32 minutes. That was the first time all season that JJ has received 30 minutes of run. Very interesting, as Yogi Ferrell was the guy getting all the minutes. No more yabba dabba doo.
Dwight Powell:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/1 | 6/9 | 5/6 |
Has scored 18, 18, 19, and 18 the last four games. Must’ve miscalculated that one game. A Stanford education ain’t what it used to be. Ka-Powell did not get the start last night, but still played 26 minutes.
LeBron James:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 37 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3/7 | 14/23 | 6/10 |
Played 40 minutes and had a 38.2 usage rate. LeJuggernaught is rejuvenated.
JR Smith:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6/9 | 6/10 | 0 |
Played 31 minutes. You just know JR is LeBron’s dude when they go out.
Larry Nance Jr.:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5/10 | 3/6 |
Played 25 minutes. It wouldn’t surprise me if the minutes get up closer to the 30s soon. Such a good fit for this Cavs team.
Jordan Clarkson played 24 minutes and scored 14 points. Rodney Hood played 24 minutes and scored 14 points. That’s so cute. George Hill also played 24 minutes, but only scored 7 points. Kyle Korver, though, only played 8 minutes.
Carmelo Anthony:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/9 | 10/22 | 1/2 |
All is right in the world when I see a big fat bagel in the AST column.
Steven Adams:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8/12 | 6/10 |
If you had the choice: fight Adams or a momma bear that thinks you just took her cub?
Dewayne Dedmon:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/3 | 5/8 | 1/1 |
Has double-dubbed in two straight games and made at least one downtowner in nine straight. Played 28 minutes after getting 31 minutes the night before.
John Collins:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2/5 | 0 |
Played 23 minutes. So much suck that the Hawks weren’t able to unload some of the vets. Looks like we are going to have to wait until next year for Collins to get unleashed.
All 11 Hawks players received at least 12 minutes of run. Hahahahahahahahahahahaahwks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0/4 | 7/16 | 1/2 |
There’s an awkward period when many of the superheros are figuring out their powers. This is that time for Giannis. I’m both frightened and excited to see what he unleashes upon the league in the next few years.
Thon Maker played 25 minutes and scored 12 points, while Tyler Zeller played 23 minutes and scored 14 points. That will be the center rotation until John Henson returns.
Hassan Whiteside:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5/9 | 0 |
Played 23 minutes and did not see run in the fourth quarter again. Bam!
Bam Adebayo:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3/6 | 5/5 |
Played 25 minutes and got the fourth quarter minutes at center. He’s the future.
Goran Dragic:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3/5 | 10/19 | 5/6 |
I love Dragic from a real life perspective. He’s a tough SOB. From a fantasy perspective? He’s a tough SOB to roster at times. Last six games: 28, 6, 30, 13, 33, and 10 points. He has only one game each with double digit rebounds or assists. It doesn’t help that the Heat play at the third-slowest pace.
Wayne Ellington:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5/11 | 5/11 | 0 |
Played 31 minutes. Still getting run and hoisting up shots. Threeeeeeee-cola!
Serge Ibaka:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 5/7 | 4/4 |
I always felt like Serge would be a freaking animal. Early in his career, he would fly around the court with reckless abandon. Now, he just chills and shoots jumpers from the perimter. A younger Marreese Speights.
Kyle Lowry:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4/8 | 8/17 | 2/3 |
Top 35 player for fantasy. He’s not flashy or spectacular. I rarely write him up for that reason. With that said, he delivers the goods in all but blocks.
DeMar DeRozan:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1/7 | 11/25 | 4/6 |
Top 30 player for fantasy. It’s been a while since I’ve talked about DeDe, but like Lowry, delivers the goods in all but blocks.
Fred VanVleet played 23 minutes and scored 10 points, while Delon Wright played 21 minutes and scored 10 points. Awwww, so cute. Man, the Raptors are super deep in the backcourt.
Kyle Anderson:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1/3 | 0/2 |
Played 21 minutes. Deuces were wild!
Dejounte Murray:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 6/10 | 0 |
Played 27 minutes. Stat sheet stuffer. He’s not at “sliding into the DMs” level like Donovan Mitchell. Needs to work on that J, but I think he develops one as time goes on. Chip Engelland is one of the best shooting coaches in all the land.
Joffrey Lauvergne:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12/15 | 2/4 |
Played 24 minutes. He must really love Denver. <wink wink> Hey, put those donuts down! Season-high in both points and rebounds. He must’ve smoked us all into a parallel universe.
Wilson Chandler:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0/5 | 8/19 | 1/2 |
Played 34 minutes and got the start at power forward. Don’t look now, but that’s consecutive good games for Chandler. If you’re desperate, Chandler is getting the minutes and shot opportunities. He can contribute across the board and be a top 100 player. Just keep in mind that Paul Millsap will be returning sometime in March.
