For many years, the Sacramento Kings have been the laughing stock of the NBA and a great example of how not to rebuild, multiple years in a row. And to be more specific, it has been 16 years since the Kings have made the playoffs and had a winning season. That was until this year, when they decided to introduce a new “ritual” after each homecourt win.
“Light the Beam!” “Light the Beam!”
This is the chant that echoes in the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento in anticipation of a Kings player pushing the big purple button to light the beam situated at the top of the stadium and the laser shoots into the sky. The laser is visible from most places in town and is a clear indication that the Kings won. And boy they have been winning a lot this year, with the beam being the perfect celebration for it.
And after waiting for 17 years, the first winning season is a reality in Sacramento, a feat that they accomplished last week behind All-Star performances from both De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Much respect must be given to coach Mike Brown, who took a 30-52 team and is on his way to flipping this number to something like 50-32.
Regarding last week’s suggestions, it was one of the best weeks as both Austin Reaves and Josh Green provided excellent performances, with Reaves scoring a career high 35 points in his last game and Green filling in admirably for Luka Doncic. Patrick Beverley was also pretty solid and the absence of Alex Caruso should keep him relevant for standard leagues for the upcoming week as well.
Buy
Kris Dunn: Collin Sexton is not yet ready to return in the lineup and that leaves Kris Dunn as the only true playmaker in Utah, despite not starting. He has been excellent since joining Utah despite averaging only 23 minutes per game, as he is producing 4.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks with good percentages. Those are top 60 numbers and he has the opportunity, at least this week, to continue producing at this level, and that makes him a priority stream (26% owned).
Royce O’Neale: Schedule is key when looking at streaming opportunities, especially during the fantasy playoffs and that is exactly the reason why O’Neale is a suggested player for this week. He can be picked up tomorrow and has three more games remaining this week, with a back-to-back during the weekend, so you can bank on him for rebounds, assists and some steals and triples. Those can be invaluable contributions in tight matchups, so give him a long look if those interest you (32% owned).
Josh Richardson: Another player that gets extra points due to his schedule is Josh Richardson, as the Pelicans play six times in the next 11 days. Richardson has definitely not wowed with his performances after a particular hot start in his career in New Orleans, but is a reliable source of triples and steals, so have him in mind when looking for potential streamers if you are targeting those categories (16% owned).
Sell
Everyone: Most, if not all fantasy leagues are already in the midst of their playoffs and this is the time to make brave decisions, if your matchup is a tight one. Few players are untouchable and schedule takes precedence over production in a lot of cases, so don’t be afraid to drop a player that has no games remaining this week with the thought that he has a great schedule next week. Because frankly, there might not be a next week for your team, with the top teams in your league all competing among each other. Be bold, be brave and may the fantasy gods be on your side this fantasy playoffs’ season.
