Bloopers are one of my favorites in the NBA, as long-time readers are well aware of. Today, I am happy to present one that happened last week and shows the reason why the Timberwolves are off to such a mediocre start. What are you concentrating on, D’Angelo Russell?
Love the fact that even after the whole court realizes something is wrong after the missed three, it still ends up as a 5-4 for the Suns. We knew Russell was not that good of a defender, but this takes it to another level.
And as always, whenever I have the chance, a tribute to the awesomeness of NBA refereeing.
https://youtube.com/shorts/hAElw8jX6m4?feature=share
It was indeed a very aggressive clap from Tatum. God forbid he might have also said a bad word to himself there in frustration. Thankfully, the referee protected him from further harming himself. And this is complete sarcasm, in case it wasn’t obvious enough. I would love to see if the referee would have given the technical, if it was his second one, but history suggests he might have and thus deprive fans from seeing Tatum for a clap. Ridiculous…
Regarding last week’s suggestions, Anthony Edwards had a good and two mediocre games last week and is still a good buy low, Malik Monk was unspectacular but solid and Jabari Smith showed improvements. There is still a long way to go but I firmly believe in him and the rebounding is really nice.
Buy
Larry Nance Jr: Although he has not started a single game this season, Nance Jr. is inside the top 80 in per game value and is starting to challenge starter Jonas Valanciunas for more minutes each game. His statline does not jump out of the page but he is a steady contributor for big man stats with above average steals so he is worth a pickup to see how this positional battle plays out (31% owned).
Jevon Carter: Who would have thought at the start of the season that Carter, a player the Bucks got as a free agent in the middle of last season, would be their starting point guard and produce top 100 value for the season. Of course, his value has been enhanced by the constant absence of Khris Middleton and the recent injury to Jrue Holiday, but he is a good streaming option for backcourt stats, until the wheels fall off and the Bucks return to full strength. His last two weeks have been especially juicy with 14.1 points, 2.4 triples, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals, good for 34th overall (38% owned).
Charles Bassey: This is more about the volume of games played this week (5 games) and less about Bassey’s minutes, but he has the ability to accumulate stats in limited minutes and I presume the Spurs might rest Jakob Poeltl in one of those games this week. Zach Collins is without a timetable to return so Bassey is getting all the backup minutes and can be a good source of big man stats (38% owned).
Sell
Jerami Grant: Grant was a player I targeted in the middle rounds in this year’s draft and the early returns are very encouraging. He is a top 60 player for the season but, especially during the last two weeks, he has been on fire, shooting 53% from the field and scoring 26.1 points. His usage has been through the roof and has been increased by Lillard’s absence, so I think this is the perfect time to try and test the market for Grant and see if you can get a top 30-35 player in return. Don’t move him for something that you are not really happy with, but his usage is bound to drop with Dame Time returning.
Onyeka Okongwu: It looks like the breakout is not happening this season as Okongu is straight up the backup of Clint Capela and is averaging only 19.7 minutes with all of them coming at the center position. I think his spot can be much more valuable for streaming and he will only be relevant if Capela is sidelined or traded. But keeping players for potential scenarios is not a very prolific fantasy strategy (44% owned).
