It is said that patience is a virtue. Prepare my domicile in Hell then, Satan. I want instant satisfaction. Toothpaste oozing out? Grrr. Ketchup plastered to the bottom? Arrgh. Take a long drive to enjoy the scenery? Why haven’t we invented teleportation yet? After missing 25 games due to injury, we’ve been waiting for Bogdan Bogdanovic to start balling out. Drip. Drip. Drip. He played fewer than 20 minutes in two of the first three games back. That’s okay. It was expected and it would take some time to get back into the groove. Then 22 minutes. 26 minutes. OMG, it’s happening! 20 minutes. Sad face. 20 minutes. 30 minutes. Womp woooomp. 22 minutes. SAD face. 32 minutes, that frown turned upside down. This is it!!! He’s getting his first start……drum roll, please……21 minutes. WTF?! Last night, though, it finally happened:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4/8 | 8/18 | 2/2 |
Started his third straight game and played 37 minutes. Oh, yeah! It’s on like Donkey Kong. Entering the season, I thought Atlanta would be one of the more fantasy-friendly teams in the league. Interestingly, they are playing at the 22nd-fastest pace after being fifth last season. Regardless, he’s risen to the top of the depth chart, relegating Kevin Huerter to the bench. As long as he gets the minutes, BogBog can provide points, tres, boards, some dimes, and steals. The shooting efficiency may not be great, though, as he’s a career 43% shooter from the field.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
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Chuma Okeke
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1/3 | 7/11 | 3/3 |
Was the only Magic player to score in double figures yet Orlando defeated the Clippers, 103-96. What sorcery is this? Since Operation Tank began in the Magic Kingdom, Okeke has been a top 40 player. He’s played 28, 30, and 37 minutes and garnered a usage rate of 18, 20, and 23.5. He’s attempted 11, 11, and 15 shots while grabbing some boards, dishing out some dimes, and being a smooth criminal with five total steals. The answer to your question is yes because he’s going to get plenty of run.
Terrence Ross
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/4 | 3/12 | 8/8 |
Returned from a seven-game absence and played 26 minutes off the bench. He did Ross things. It’s a discount retailer for a reason. Sometimes you get the hoopty while you are able to strike gold from time to time.
Wendell Carter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1/1 | 4/4 | 2/2 |
Mo Bamba
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2/2 | 4/10 | 2/2 |
Both played 18 minutes. The Carter Administration has been usurped but it’s not like Ritchie Valens has hopped on the stage and got the girls going googly eyes over him.
Ivica Zubac
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7/10 | 0 |
In 36 minutes! Since Serge Ibaka has been out, Zubac has been a top 60 player, averaging 28.4 minutes, 10.9 points, 9.4 boards, 0.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 58% from the field and 89% from the line. Freaking Magic Johnson let this guy go for nothing. Nothing! Aaarrggghhh. When Ibaka returns, the minutes will likely go back down to 20 minutes. Sad face.
Kawhi Leonard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2/4 | 10/20 | 6/6 |
What it do, baby? What it do? The number five player for fantasy. Kawhi is a robot. How do I know? His production lies squarely in the middle of the bell curve. He rarely has a bad game but doesn’t go bonkers either. That’s what algorithms do. The Kawhi 3000 projects for median then executes with expert precision.
Luke Kennard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3/8 | 6/16 | 2/2 |
Got the start and played 33 minutes because had a sore foot. Over the last two games, Kennard has played 33 and 32 minutes, attempted 16 and 11 shots, scored in double figures in each, and contributed tres, boards, and some dimes. He’s viable for as long as PG nurses his booboo.
John Collins
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 4/6 | 1/1 |
Only played 15 minutes due to an ankle injury. Congregation, please open your Bibles to the Book of John, and pray. Pray to the almighty with all your heart. Pray with all your soul. You can do it.
Clint Capela
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8/12 | 0 |
I always appreciated the symmetry. CC. 16 16. It was destined. Capela now has 29 dub-dubs on the season. Freaking Jokic has 42. L. O. L.
Jae Crowder
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5/8 | 5/9 | 4/4 |
Crowder can stuff the stat sheet. He also shot 0% and 27% in the prior two games, so there’s volatility in the scoring. With that said, over the last eight games, he’s averaged 29.9 minutes, 2.6 tres, 4.8 boards, 2.3 dimes, one steal, and 0.6 blocks. The 40% field goal percentage is disgusting, though.
Dario Saric
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/3 | 7/8 | 3/4 |
In 18 minutes off the bench. Mario with a D doesn’t provide the D, unfortunately. He can light it up from the perimeter. With that said, prior to last night, he had scored single-digits in eight straight games. You best learn how to play some D or you gonna be out of the league if you keep shooting 38% from the field. On the season, he’s at 46% so no worries. At least not yet.
Damn, no Sixers starter scored more than 12 points. No blurbs for you!!!
Michael Porter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5/7 | 11/16 | 0/2 |
Like Mike, if I could be like Mike. When are the commercials coming out? MPJ has been a top 40 player over the last four games. He’s averaged 32.9 minutes, 21.5 points, 4.3 tres, 8.8 boards, and 2.3 dimes while shooting 58% from the field. If he can contribute the D and dish out more dimes, then top 25 is attainable.
Jamal Murray
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5/11 | 112/24 | 1/1 |
Murray has been on quite the heater recently. Over the last eight games, he’s been the number eight player. I can’t wait till my Chinese mother-in-law texts me tomorrow after reading this blog and writes that she always liked this Murray kid. Always had a good feeling about him, she says. Okay, MIL. I almost typed F at the end of that. Whew.
Gordon Hayward
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 11 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3/3 | 9/19 | 5/6 |
In 39 minutes. Granted, it was against the Wizards, the slutty girl in high school of fantasy hoops, but whatever. Numbers are numbers. Now, prior to last night, Hayward was a top 200 player because he was shooting 40% from the field and not contributing the D. The slutty girl in high school was always one to give a confidence boost.
Terry Rozier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5/10 | 10/20 | 2/2 |
Top 30 player on the year, shooting 47% from the field. Who woulda thunk it? See kids, anything is possible.
Cody Zeller
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 7/13 | 2/3 |
In 24 minutes off the bench. Zeller has come off the bench in each of the past four games. Prior to last night, he had played 12, 12, and 16 minutes so….<insert shrug emoji> Bizmack Biyombo played 24 minutes and PJ Washington plays some small-ball center, but he struggled last night, which may have contributed to Zeller’s big night. I wouldn’t count on Zeller unless he starts getting mid-20s of run on a consistent basis.
