Anno Domini

We all know what B.C. is. Before Christ. So, A.D. means After Dagagsfgbaerta[rhfasivgpvhfamrgfviargiusefav. How the F did we end up with A.D., Anno Domini, which means “in the year of the Lord?” Seriously? A.B.C., After Birth of Christ, didn’t work? Easy as 1-2-3. Instead, the powers that be decided to go full Latin on everyone. And not any Latin, but Medieval Latin no less. I guess in that context it kind of makes sense. Anyways, there are people that believe in Jesus Christ and there are people that do not. This post is not about that. What it is, though…..and I need to tread mighty carefully here…..is a post about A.D., Anthony Davis. In the year of the Lord? That’s right. A.D. is our fantasy Lord and the Savior to one lucky owner in your league. Did he sacrifice more virgins than you? Abstain from jerking off for a year? Whatever the case may be, A.D. is currently the #1 player in fantasy. Yeah, I know, lot of games left and he will likely get hurt, but you know what? For all the crap we give him about missing time due to injury, take a look at where his final ranking was at the end of each year: 45th (rookie season), 5th, 2nd, 17th, and 2nd. For those that are not aware, last night A.D. did this:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
53	18	3	1	5	1	0/1	16/29	21/26

As StatMuse tweeted out last night, the number of 50-point, 15-rebound games in the last 17 years has been six. AD has three of them. He also fouled out three Suns. For us mere mortals, all we can do is this. For those of you that have been blessed with good fortune, I’d expect plenty of this the rest of the year.

Here’s what else I saw last night:

Want the best tools and projections to help dominate your league? Check out the Stocktonator, the byproduct of Rudy and machine making love. Click HERE for a FREE 3-day trial.

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?

Devin Booker:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
40	10	7	1	0	3	3/10	14/28	9/11

A forty burger while almost messing around just doesn’t do it anymore. This is how the advancement of game happens. Step up or sit out. Over the last four games: 24 shot attempts from the field, 10.75 attempts from downtown, 6.25 boards, 4.25 dimes, and 31.25 points per game.

Josh Jackson:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
20	12	1	1	0	0	0/3	6/15	8/11

Played 30 minutes. ‘Twas a nice bounceback after playing only 19 minutes against Portland and 23 minutes against the Clippers.

TJ Warren:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
23	6	0	2	2	1	0	9/21	5/5

Played a team-high 42 minutes. He’s scared to shoot from downtown, but is a contributor in every other category.

Alex Len:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
1	2	2	1	0	1	0	0/1	1/2

Got the start at center but only played 21 minutes, due to fouling out. AD 1.

Dragan Bender:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
9	6	7	0	0	1	3/6	3/8	0

Fouled out after 25 minutes. AD 2.

Marquese Chriss:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
7	5	0	0	3	3	1/2	3/5	0/1

Fouled out after 18 minutes. AD 3. Jesus F’ing Chriss!!!!

Rajon Rondo:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
6	5	12	0	0	5	1/2	8/13	3/4

Back-to-back games with 12 dimes and 36 minutes played. As I mentioned yesterday, the Pelicans are playing at the fastest pace in the league right now.

Nikola Mirotic:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
10	8	1	1	1	0	2/9	4/13	0

Played 25 minutes. He’s getting the opportunities. Do not fret, the shots will start falling.

With Jimmy Butler out, Nemanja Bjelica got the start and played 34 minutes.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
12	7	3	4	0	1	2/3	5/9	0

Solid, solid performance. Should produce a high floor with access to a ceiling. That’s the kind of Nemanja I be liking. No downers, please.

Andrew Wiggins:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
22	1	2	1	1	0	1/3	8/15	5/6

Played 37 minutes. Seriously, does he try not to accumulate stats in the periphery categories? I’m expecting a stat change tomorrow to eradicate all the ones he did get.

Karl-Anthony Towns:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
26	17	4	2	2	5	0	9/10	8/8

It’s crazy how efficient he can be scoring the basketball. It’s also crazy that there are games in which he attempts 10 or fewer shots a game. Should be at least 15-20 every, single game. You know what’s even crazier? MIN had this game in the bag for most of the second half, yet…..all the starters were playing up 20 with 2 minutes to go. Crazy, but crazy good for fantasy.

Skal Labissiere:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
20	4	0	1	0	0	1/3	8/11	3/3

Played 31 minutes. I’ve never been a Skal guy. I realize he has sky-high potential and is super young, but he doesn’t do enough outside of scoring for me. With that said, he’s been getting minutes since he returned from injury, but it’s the Kings, the team that still trots out Zach Randolph and Vince Carter on a nightly basis, except for last night.

Bogdan Bogdanovic played 33 minutes and scored 11 points, while Buddy Hield played 28 minutes and scored 16 points. USA! USA! Both did chip in outside of scoring, so that was nice to see.

Tarik Black got the start at center with Clint Capela out due to illness.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
8	4	0	2	1	1	0	4/8	0/1

Only played 18 minutes. Always bet on black? This guy did.

James Harden:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
26	11	5	3	0	6	1/5	8/13	9/12

An impressive win against the Jazz, after defeating the Nuggets in Denver the night before. You wanna read something crazy? It’s all about the crazy today I guess. Over the past 10 games, the Rockets have been playing at the slowest pace in the league (97.30). Mind. Blown.

Joe Johnson:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
7	4	2	0	0	1	1/3	3/6	0

Played another 30 minutes. Amazing. Eric Gordon missed another game with an illness, so this should not be a nightly occurrence.

Ryan Anderson did not play due a groin injury.

Joe Ingles:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
6	3	3	0	0	3	1/5	1/6	3/4

Played 32 minutes. Since Ricky Rubio has returned, the production and usage have come down for Ingles. It was a nice little run he had there for a bit.

Jae Crowder:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
12	6	5	0	1	1	2/8	4/15	2/4

Played 30 minutes. Derrick Favors played 28 minutes, but the matchup with the Rockets definitely Favors Crowder. Ha! That worked out well.

Thaddeus Young:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
6	14	2	1	0	1	0/2	2/11	2/4

Played 36 minutes. I get why Young can be frustrating to own for fantasy. He rarely puts it all together. One game, he will score 20 with not much else. Another game, he will get five steals and 11 boards, but only score 8. At the end of the day, though, he’s a top 60 player for fantasy.

Myles Turner:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
24	11	2	1	3	1	2/2	10/14	2/4

This is what I was expecting from Myles all season long. It was against Dallas, but whatever. You think the dude hanging out at the bar near closing time gives a F?

Dwight Powell:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
10	14	1	0	0	1	0	5/10	0

Got the start at center and played 33 minutes. Powell is not starting every game, but he seems to have a floor of around 25 minutes. Not someone you can count on for consistency, but does have some upside.

JJ Barea:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
19	2	9	0	0	2	3/5	7/11	2/2

Barea. Korea. One of my good friends is named JJ. His wife is hot. My wife is hot. Coincidences? I think not. Anyways, Barea played 26 minutes and did what he usually does.

Aaron Gordon:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
18	7	1	2	3	0	1/7	7/20	3/4

Since returning from injury, The Commissioner has played 25, 31, and 33 minutes. Looks like he’s ready to protect and serve. You can drop Mario Hezonja, who only played 15 minutes.

Jonathon Simmons:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
19	5	2	4	1	3	0/1	5/7	9/10

Very inconsistent, but has access to a ceiling. Do you like to live dangerously?

Nikola Vucevic:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
15	7	3	1	2	3	3/5	6/13	0

Since returning from injury, Vuc has played 24, 30, and 33 minutes. Looks like he’s ready to get down and busy.

Paul George:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
26	8	3	1	0	2	2/7	9/20	6/7

Nice bounceback game for George. Boy, was getting worried there for a bit.

Russell Westbrook almost messed around.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
8	12	11	1	0	7	0/1	3/12	2/2

The Russell Westbrook special.

Blake Griffin:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
12	1	5	0	0	2	0/3	4/12	4/6

Just another Lake in Michigan.

Andre Drummond:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
18	18	2	4	3	2	0	8/18	2/2

Fantasy owners, especially the Chinese ones, were ecstatic with the line produced by Dre last night.

The Pistons lost 94-123, so dudes like Dwight Buycks played 19 minutes and Luke Kennard actually received 16 minutes of run.

Serge Ibaka:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
19	9	0	2	1	0	3/8	7/14	2/2

Ibaka would be the worst in a cypher. “Yo, Serge. Pass it around, man. Puff, puff, pass. Not puff, puff, puff, puff, puff……”

Jonas Valanciunas:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
2	5	1	1	1	2	0/2	1/6	0

Played 22 minutes. I thought this was a good matchup for him, as he usually perfoms well against big centers and gets the corresponding minutes. I was wrong.

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan both scored 20 points. Awww, so cute.

Klay Thompson:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
26	4	5	1	0	1	4/6	9/13	4/4

Has eclipsed the 20 point mark only three times this month (11 games). With that said, top 30 player for fantasy.

Jordan Bell returned from injury and played 13 minutes. Definitely keep an eye on his minutes and usage going forward, as the Warriors are going to want to get him ready for the playoff run.

Michael Beasley:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
2	4	4	0	0	3	0	1/7	0

Played 26 minutes. Oh….so this is why he’s played for six teams in his career.

Emmanuel Mudiay:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
20	2	7	2	1	0	3/5	8/15	1/2

Played 30 minutes, the first time cracking 30 since being acquired by New York.

Trey Burke:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
18	1	5	1	1	1	1/4	8/15	1/1

Played 25 minutes. The prior two games, Burke played 26 and 30 minutes. He’s averaging 15 shot attempts per game over the last three. At some point, the efficiency will go down, but he’s getting minutes and opportunities.

Frank Ntilikina:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
13	5	1	0	0	1	1/3	6/12	0

Played 28 minutes. There is still hope for the Frenchise!

A loser in the emergence of Mudiay, Burke, and Ntilikina is Courtney Lee.

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
0	0	1	0	0	0	0/1	0/2	0

Played 11 minutes. Damn, oh so close to the first legitimate binary code line. You just had to shoot that one shot, didn’t you? Lee has played 11, 16, and 14 minutes the past three. Uh……

Lauri Markkanen:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
19	6	0	0	0	1	1/3	8/18	2/2

Oh Lauri…….

I respect this comeback, though.

I really like Markkanen’s game. Can shoot from downtown, work defenders off screens, post up, drive, and hit the mid-range, but what I’ve liked since watching him in the EuroLeague over the summer was his toughness. He’s going to be a good one.

Kris Dunn:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
23	3	4	2	2	4	1/1	9/15	4/5

Played 30 minutes. Since returning from concussion, Dunn has played 20, 19, 28, 29, and 30 minutes. I thought we were Dunn with Kris, but looks like he’s back to make his money. I was a little worried that he would cede some time to Cameron Payne, but I forgot that Payne kind of sucks. 18 minutes and 1-of-10 from the field.

Denzel Valentine:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
11	13	3	1	0	1	3/7	4/16	0

Played 30 minutes. He had been quiet the previous four games, so a matchup with the defensively-challenged Nets does not make a trend. With that said, someone to keep an eye on just in case.

Jarrett Allen:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
18	9	2	0	3	1	0	8/11	2/2

Only played 23 minutes but…..Please scroll up to the Markkanen blurb. You’re welcome.

Spencer Dinwiddie:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
5	5	9	1	0	1	1/5	2/6	0

Usage rate of 10.4%. That ain’t good. While this is probably a floor game for Dinwiddie, with D’Angelo Russell almost fully back, this could become a more viable outcome.

D’Angelo Russell:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
6	3	8	0	0	2	2/6	2/9	0

Still loading……..91%

Allen Crabbe:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
21	3	1	1	0	0	4/9	7/13	3/3

Played 23 minutes. This is the Crabbe I was expecting when I ranked him pretty aggressively in the preseason. Over the past couple of weeks, he’s been a top 60 player for fantasy.

Joe Harris:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
15	7	0	0	0	3	3/6	6/11	0

Played 30 minutes. Making all those at the NYS Laborers Union proud.

JaMychal Green:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
21	11	0	0	0	1	2/4	8/12	3/3

Played 34 minutes. Three straight double-dubs and at least 10 shot attempts in each game. Will contribute some downtowners, which is nice from a big man, but there will be zilch in the block, steal, and dime bags.

Andrew Harrison:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
14	7	7	0	0	1	0/5	4/12	6/11

Played 33 minutes and continues to produce. Granted, the range of outcomes is pretty wide with Harrison, but at least he has access to some sort of ceiling. Unfortunately, there’s access to the basement as well.

Tyreke Evans did not play due to his rib injury.

Al Horford:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
5	5	4	0	0	1	0/3	1/7	3/4

Not even a top 150 player for fantasy over the past few weeks. Five games this month in which he’s scored in single digits. He’s grabbed 10 boards only twice and dished out more than five dimes twice. With that said, he still contributes across the board and has a decent usage rate. Just don’t expect any ceiling games from Al.

Marcus Smart:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
6	1	5	3	0	0	1/7	2/9	1/3

That’s the Smart we all know and missed. Has played 22, 28, and 26 minutes since returning from injury. Continues to contribute across the board and shoot terribly.

With the return of Smart, Terry Rozier has seen his minutes go from 29 down to 19 minutes a game.

Marcus Morris:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
13	8	2	0	0	0	1/6	6/15	0/1

Played 34 minutes, a team-high. Won’t wow you with anything, except for the fact that he has an identical twin brother with the exact initials as him. Mind. Blown. Is basically Al Horford without the passing acumen.

Julius Randle:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
19	10	2	1	1	3	0	8/13	3/3

Who shot JR?

Brandon Ingram:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
21	10	6	1	3	3	0/1	10/16	1/2

Chugga chugga…..chugga chugga…..choo chooooooooo!!!!! It’s hapenning! I’ve mentioned in the past that I fronted on Ingram when the Lakers drafted him. I hated him his rookie year, but I saw signs of growth during the Summer League and…..now, here we are.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
10	14	3	2	0	3	2/5	4/12	0

Third time this season that KCP has grabbed at least 10 boards. Last night was a season-high. Not surprising since he’s from the Atlanta area and close to 25 family and friends attended the game. Can’t look like a chump in front of friends and family.

Kyle Kuzma:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
10	9	3	1	0	2	3/7	3/10	1/2

Played 28 minutes. Didn’t shoot well, but it’s nice to see him contribute in the ancillary categories.

Lonzo Ball:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
13	7	5	3	0	2	3/3	4/4	2/2

Came off the bench and played 24 minutes. What a pretty line.

Isaiah Thomas:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
13	2	5	0	0	1	1/5	4/10	4/4

Played 27 minutes. Is the Lakers microwave off the bench, a role that’s perfect for IT.

John Collins:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
6	9	0	1	1	1	0	3/8	0

Played 24 minutes because?

Taurean Prince:

PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	3PT	FG	FT
24	3	3	3	0	1	4/11	7/18	6/7

Ha! I guess this is why you stick it out with young players on crappy teams that get over 30 minutes a game. They are going to hoist up shots and, every once in a while, they will go bonkers.