by: PhilOssie
I’m back from a two-week hiatus in which I was driving a minivan around Cleveland hunting for Bucks. No, wait, that was Georges Niang Wednesday night. Niang picked up the Minivan nickname during his college days in Utah. Shouldn’t it be the Suburban? Well, his Cleveland teammates have given him a less-soft moniker – G-Wagon. […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: PhilOssie
Scottie Barnes’ second season in the NBA was so disappointing that the fantasy realm considered renaming “Sophomore Slump” to “Scottie Slump.” Well, Barnes has busted through that slump like a nerdy virgin kid who just hit the lottery hanging out at a bar full of gold diggers. Scottie’s been hotty this season, and is currently […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: PhilOssie
Sam Merrill made it back-to-back career scoring highs Wednesday night, hitting 8-of-14 from behind the arch and finishing with 27 points, 3 boards, 2 assists and a steal, helping the Cavs pull away from the Jazz in the fourth quarter. The casual NBA fan would hear the name Sam Merrill and just assume we’re talking […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: PhilOssie
[Hits play on The Zombies classic hit song … “boom boom boom, buh-kah AHH …”] It’s the time of the Eason [““boom boom boom, buh-kah AHH”] … Tari Eason gave his believers reason to celebrate with a second-straight 14-rebound night, adding a career high 25 points (10-16 FG, 3-4 3PT, 2-4 FT) and singles in […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Paulo Banchero crossed the 40-point mark for the first time in his young career on Wednesday night, finishing with 42 points on 16-of-26 shooting (1-5 3PT, 9-12 FT). Sure he was stingy, dishing just one dime to go with his 6 boards and 2 blocks. But it’s a nice opportunity to highlight his jump in […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: PhilOssie
I’m going to take the opportunity of a light 7-game Wednesday NBA slate to a quick scream therapy session so I can just get over this and move on for the season. Dear Nick Nurse, AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…. Ok. So, Nurse did it again. Joel Embiid was a late scratch, and we got another edition of Marcus […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: PhilOssie
Back in my day [classic way to captivate an audience from the get-go], we just called it the night before Thanksgiving. But kids these days [mmk, Gramps] have to slang up everything [even my Zyn] to make ‘em feel special. So now they call it Blackout Wednesday, or Drinksgiving. Well those days are a bit […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: PhilOssie
I started writing a movie plotline starring Damian Lillard in Canada as a male counterpoint to Stella in the Bahamas, but decided to spare you fine readers that pending trainwreck (and possible violation for racial insensitivity from the Razzball board of directors) and get right down to basketball. With Giannis taking the night off, Lillard […]
Please, blog, may I have some more? by: PhilOssie
The end of each year is now deemed “Silly Season,” when resting vets on contenders and breakout youngsters on tanking teams play havoc with lineup decisions. Three weeks into the season, I now declare this time of the year “Wacky Season,” with Wednesday night a perfect example. There are players who started injured coming back, […]
Please, blog, may I have some more?Last night we saw the transition from Shaedon Sharpe the cool shiny gadget that’s just for show, to the I Gotta Have This In My Daily Life type of tool.
With Anfernee Simons out 6 weeks [sad face] and Scoot Henderson injured mid-game, Sharpe took over with 25 points in the second half, scoring on all three levels and finishing with a 27-7-5-1-2 stat line (9-16 FG, 3-6 3PT, 8-10 FT).
Sharpe has been hitting the glass early on this season, averaging nearly 6 per game (including several smooth offensive putbacks) and has 9 stocks in five games. I still need to see him continue to be aggressive, as the youngster tends to stand around and wait for his turn. If he can, this could be one of the better breakouts of the first couple months of the fantasy season.
Here’s what else was noteworthy to me on another packed Wednesday slate, with some boring blowouts and a couple nail biters.
Please, blog, may I have some more?The Bergens are coming, AHHH. The Bergens are coming, AHHH. The Bergens are coming, AHHH. The Bergens are coming, AHHH.
For those without kids, that’s Branch in “Trolls” overreacting because he’s scared of success (and friendship), just like so many fantasy basketball players will overreact to the first couple games, when regular bench rotations guys will be proclaimed breakouts of the season, and busts will be said to abound as the rust gets knocked off the boots.
However, while we definitely don’t want to overreact, let’s remember: Branch ended up being right. You don’t want to be caught with that average penny stock and telling yourself, “any day now, it’s gunna go crazy!” [Checks portfolio, sighs with depression, gets back to basketball.] Keep an eye on minutes, rotations and usage more than the general stat lines in these early going.
And with that piece of nonsensical advice, let’s get on with the show! Here’s what caught my eye in the 12 games of the unofficial official opening night in The Association.
Please, blog, may I have some more?Drafting rookies in fantasy basketball can be a lot like the fishing game at carnivals. The unknown of what’s going to happen is kinda fun and whimsical, you know you’re going to walk away with some sort of “prize,” but whatever rinky-dink toy or stuffed animal you get probably will depreciate in your mind faster than a new car off the lot.
Long before I was the expert Razzball analyst you’re reading now [“psshh above-average amateur at best”; “Shut up voice in my head, too early for you!”] I never trusted rookies much. The more I read, it was nice to learn this was the correct take to have in this realm.
Rookies traditionally underwhelm because they’re, well, rookies [DUH!]. They struggle with efficiency, which doubles in leagues counting turnovers, and lack the experience and game knowledge at the NBA pace that leads to an extra rebound here or assist there, or what have you that creates a reliable fantasy asset.
Last season was a classic example. There was a Rookie of the Year in Paolo Banchero putting up headline-earning stats, yet finished ranked 211 per game in 9-cat. There were studs who started hot and heavy like Benedict Mathurin but never improved on average-to-weak counting stats. Per usual, the big guys fared the best, with a fun breakout campaign by Walker Kessler (57) and some usable players at the end of the season in guys like Mark Williams (128), Jalen Duren (135) and Jabari Smith Jr. (144) – sniffing a double-double with a block can go a long way for guys on rebuilding teams. And then we had the surprise breakout of an older, more seasoned rookie in Jalen Williams, who finished ranked 73 in 9-cat, and was a top 20 player in the last two months of the season.
As the headline attempts to wittingly suggest, no matter how good the rookie, the general rule is to expect inconsistent fantasy production day-in and day-out. There will be some exciting bit lines and inevitable mistake-laden stinkers.
So let’s take a look at some of the class of 2023-24, as I’ve compiled a list of sure-fire analysis of steady that I’m 100% certain of….
Please, blog, may I have some more?