2-18, 2-16, 9-19, 8-22.
In the four recaps that I’ve written this year that James Harden was a part of, those have been his three-point shooting lines. For you math whizzes, that averages out to 18.75 attempted threes per game, and expanded across an 82-game season, that means Harden will have chucked up 1,537 threes.
Pause. One thousand, five hundred thirty-seven. The NBA record, held by Harden himself, is 500 fewer than that total.
With that said, the four times I’ve written about Harden happen to be his four highest attempt totals from beyond the arc so far. But maybe it’s not totally coincidental. I write the recaps for Friday night and Saturday night games. Maybe there’s some sort of correlation between looking forward to the weekend and getting three-point happy?
A Reddit user, Angry Centric, found a pretty significant correlation between Harden’s performance and the quality of the strip clubs in the city he’s playing in. When the strip clubs are better, the quality goes down. Maybe, just maybe, this could factor into Harden’s three-point shooting. Could he hoist up more threes when he’s excited to go out to a strip club after the game? We’ll keep looking into this as the season goes on.
I guess Minnesota doesn’t have the best strip clubs, though, as Harden exploded last night:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 49 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16-41 | 8-22 | 9-11 | 4 |
Here’s what else I saw from around the league on Saturday night.
Ben McLemore
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 20 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7-16 | 4-11 | 2-2 | 3 |
McLemore only had 20 dollars in his pocket but had 37 minutes on the court with no Russell Westbrook or Danuel House in the lineup. This is just a case of missing starters, but he would have been a heady DFS play given the circumstances.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 9 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3-3 | 1-1 | 2-2 | 0 |
A very P.J. Tucker-esque game, who has a ridiculous knack for getting little production in 35+ minutes of play. With that said, he is a good rebounder and defender and can be started in fantasy lineups.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 27 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9-15 | 3-6 | 6-6 | 1 |
He’s so good. It’s ridiculous. The fact that a center is top-fve in three pointers made per game is just unfair.
Robert Covington
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 17 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 7-13 | 2-7 | 1-1 | 1 |
The definition of three-and-D of the 2010s, RoCo keeps on delivering good games and is a top-50 player this season, matching where he was drafted. He has 14 steals in his past eight games, and should be valued very highly for that reason.
Jake Layman
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 21 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9-14 | 3-4 | 0-0 | 2 |
Layman is a fantastic shooter who averages over one three-pointer per game. With Wiggins out, Layman took full advantage of the minutes and acts as one of two sixth-men on the team along with Jarrett Culver. He won’t have steady production, but he can have good games like the one you see above.
Jarrett Culver
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 13 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5-11 | 2-5 | 1-4 | 4 |
It was a very rookie-type game for Culver who showed his inexperience from the line and with his turnovers, but so too did he show flashes of excellence on the hardwood. His free throw percentage is 34.5% on the season which means he’s practically unusable for now, but his time will come in later years.
Joe Harris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 22 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 8-15 | 2-8 | 4-4 | 0 |
Look at that assist-to-turnover ratio! It was a great game for Harris, but don’t expect this assist production on a consistent basis, and look for the three point efficiency to be better in most games.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 11 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5-5 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0 |
A great, clean, all-around game for the throwback-style big. Watching him takes me back to the ’70s (as if I was alive during the ’70s) with the afro and all.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 24 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5-11 | 14-15 | 0-4 | 4 |
Those free-throw numbers are elite and though you can’t expect that every game, you have to love being rewarded by Dinwiddie being the option to go to the line at the end of close games. He had 13 points with under three minutes remaining and turned it into a 24-point night.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11-24 | 3-10 | 11-12 | 3 |
LaVine played with heart and kept the Bulls in this one. His scoring will be among the league leaders at the end of the year, but you’d like to see more consistent displays of passing, rebounding, and all-around contribution from the guy that the Bulls are trying to build into a legit No. 1 option.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 18 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5-10 | 8-8 | 2 |
The previously sub-70% free throw shooter is now up above the 70% line (barely), and Carter continues to be a double-double machine. Unfortunately, he doesn’t provide too many other stats.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 16 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4-10 | 2-6 | 6-6 | 1 |
Markkanen isn’t performing up to the preseason expectations yet, but games like this will help him get closer to that mark. He has to be a more efficient scorer, as he is hurting himself significantly with a 37% clip from the field.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 26 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 10-17 | 3-6 | 3-5 | 5 |
It’s going to be a really interesting MVP race this season. As the No Dunks podcast said (which is awesomely entertaining, by the way), it will be nearly impossible to vote against James Harden if he scored 40 per game. But Giannis’s case will certainly be hard to vote against, as well.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 15 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6-10 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 0 |
Lopez said nope-ez in the lo-post with five rejections and some good scoring and rebounding numbers to build a strong stat line.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 16 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6-14 | 3-7 | 1-1 | 2 |
Turner has the ability to be a top-25 fantasy player this season. Even In this bad loss, Turner was a bright spot for the Pacers in his return from injury.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 11 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3-13 | 2-3 | 3-4 | 3 |
A sloppy game, yet still an effective stat line for Sabonis. He flew under the radar last season and was a complete steal to whoever picked him up in the late rounds, and somehow slipped pretty low down the preseason big board at No. 82. He seems to be capable of keeping up his top-50 pace this year.
Devonte’ Graham
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 29 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 10-19 | 9-16 | 0-0 | 5 |
Nine threes and a game winner. Graham is a beast.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 19 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 7-9 | 4-6 | 1-2 | 0 |
An efficient, smart game from Washington who has completely surpassed everyone’s expectations this year. He was limited in the two games before this one due to an ankle injury, but played 37 minutes in this one and is back on track.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-8 | 0-5 | 0-0 | 1 |
Charlotte’s Bridges fell down in this one, as he only get 15 minutes of playing time and was outperformed by Marvin Williams, Malik Monk, and Nic Batum off the bench. We’ll see if he retains his starter minutes, but he should have a somewhat long leash after a stretch of good performances.
R.J. Barrett
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 22 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8-16 | 2-4 | 4-5 | 4 |
I don’t know how I feel about Barrett’s rookie season so far. It’s a mess of a franchise that he was thrown into, but he definitely shows glimpses of future all-star talent. It’s just tough to gauge in such a crappy environment, and whether or not that’s hurting or boosting his overall stats.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 17 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6-8 | 5-7 | 0-0 | 1 |
Coming off of an injury and tweaking his ankle in this one, Robinson put up a double-double and played 27 minutes. When he gets a lot of playing time, he’s a reliable double-double threat with 20-12 potential.
Frank Ntilikina
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2-7 | 0-2 | 2-2 | 2 |
His offensive efficiency has been atrocious, but there is value to be had in the young guard’s dishing and swiping ability.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 14 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5-12 | 4-5 | 0-0 | 6 |
With practically his whole starting corps injured (Williamson, Ingram, Redick, Ball, Hart), Holiday wasn’t able to shoulder the full load in a bad loss to the Heat. He didn’t play badly, per se, but he needs some pieces around him.
Derrick Favors
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 2 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 |
Favors joined the list of injured Pelicans after a three-game stretch of all double-doubles. Hopefully it’s not a prolonged absence.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 27 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10-18 | 6-9 | 1-2 | 3 |
If you need a temporary boost in scoring and threes, Alexander-Walker isn’t a bad guy to look at while there are still injuries in the Pelicans’ depleted lineup.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 16 | 8 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 4-11 | 1-2 | 7-7 | 6 |
THIS is the game that the Heat wanted to get Butler for. He shut down the opponent on the defensive end, and though they were the backup wings for the Pelicans, his ability to run the offense and play defense make him so valuable.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 18 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 8-11 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 3 |
We knew there was potential for a good year from Bam… I certainly didn’t know there was potential for this type of year. Replacing Whiteside has been a rather pleasurable experience in Miami, and Adebayo is averaging a double-double, nearly five assists, and more than a block and a steal in every game.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 13 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5-7 | 3-5 | 0-0 | 2 |
He nearly doubled the minutes of Meyers Leonard even though he was the center off the bench. With minutes like these, he can produce and get you a little bit of everything. His floor is unexciting, but it’s consistent as long as he’s getting 24+ minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 15 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6-24 | 2-10 | 1-3 | 5 |
Another emerging MVP candidate, Siakam had an off-night tonight. Not to fear. It happens to the best of us, and that’s what Siakam is.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 26 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9-15 | 6-8 | 2-3 | 2 |
Powell poured it in from deep, which is surprising considering he only averages 1.4 per game. If he can become more consistent, he may be worth the temporary add while Kyle Lowry misses time.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 24 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 8-18 | 4-11 | 4-4 | 3 |
VanVleet’s maturity has been a really cool thing to witness, and he’s been able to take over the Raptors offense in games like these, where Lowry was out and Siakam was struggling. It shouldn’t have been as close a game as it was given all the circumstances, but VanVleet kept Toronto in it.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 26 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5-14 | 15-19 | 1-5 | 7 |
Is there anyone you’d rather start a franchise with right now?
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 20 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7-20 | 1-7 | 5-6 | 1 |
While a good amount of his game takes place outside the paint, Porzingis is able to crash the boards and had six on the offensive end of the court. He’ll usually perform much better from beyond the arc, where he is shooting at a 36% clip.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 15 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5-7 | 3-5 | 2-2 | 2 |
Mario is out, but don’t forget about Luigi. Well, often times he is forgettable, like in the two games that preceded this one where he totaled four points and didn’t hit a three. The inconsistency is maddening and makes him hard to trust.
C.J. McCollum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 32 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 13-25 | 6-11 | 0-0 | 2 |
This is pretty much C.J. McCollum at his best, which isn’t a bad thing. And he usually performs near this level. When he and Lillard are playing in sync, it’s a 1-2 punch that can match up with anyone in the league.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 22 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4-19 | 1-9 | 13-13 | 2 |
Luckily for Lillard, McCollum was playing in sync with him while Lillard was out of sync with his shot. He still stuffed the stat sheet even in a poor shooting performance.
Hassan Whiteside
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 21 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8-12 | 0-0 | 5-5 | 1 |
Whiteside rounds out the pseudo-Big 3 that Portland has to offer, and he can put up numbers like these as we’ve seen. His consistency is terrific, as this one was his seventh straight game of double-digit scoring and seven rebounds, and most of the aforementioned games have been double doubles.
LaMarcus Aldridge
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 30 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12-20 | 2-5 | 4-4 | 2 |
You love to see the double-double here for the veteran, who hadn’t put up double-digit rebounding numbers for the entire season. His scoring, however, has been consistent, and he is a great low-post defender for fantasy purposes, racking up blocks this year.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 4-6 | 0 |
Dejounte Murray got the night off to rest, and it’s actually been White who has been getting more minutes as of late. He did a little bit of everything last night, with the exception of three pointers, and was largely mistake-free. He’s around 50% owned in Yahoo! leagues, but that number remains low due to the widely-accepted thought that Murray will be the true point guard of this team before too long.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 20 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4-16 | 2-7 | 10-12 | 3 |
Only 20 points?! What the hell is this?
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 12 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4-15 | 1-4 | 3-4 | 0 |
25% from the field is pretty pathetic. He would certainly like his hot-cold chart to be a bit more red-ish than blue.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 37 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10-17 | 6-11 | 11-11 | 3 |
The Clippers put up 150 points. I’m scared of this team. Talk about a slow start from injury by George, who just adds another MVP candidate to the relatively large pool.
Lou Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG-FGA | 3p-3pA | FT-FTA | TO |
| 25 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5-13 | 0-4 | 15-15 | 3 |
Lou did all this in 22 minutes. Did I say that the Clippers scored 150? My finals prediction from a month ago isn’t looking so bad (at least for the West… the Sixers are a different story for my East pick).
