When you think of the great basketball players this season, who does your mind gravitate towards? James Harden? Paul George? Steph Curry? Karl-Anthony Towns? Giannis Antetokounmpo? There are likely 15-20 other players you would list before arriving at Andre Drummond. The free throw shooting stinks and he doesn’t provide treys, but you know what?
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 21 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9/20 | 3/6 |
That’s what’s up. Dre leads the league in dub-dubs with 58 and has posted a 20/20 game 12 times this season. He’s 10th in blocks per game, 11th in steals per game, 1st in rebounds, and 19th in field goal percentage. On the season, he’s a top 25 player for fantasy. Yes, the free throw shooting and lack of treys put a ceiling on his value, but he does so much in the other categories that…..we must never forget about Dre.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
Thon Maker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1/4 | 2/6 | 2/2 |
Got the start and played 33 minutes because Blake Griffin (rest) did not play.
Thon Thon ThonThonThon. Shout out to Fast Eddie Fear for that one.
Wayne Ellington
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7/13 | 8/15 | 2/2 |
Got the start and played 32 minutes, which were the most since playing 35 minutes in an OT games a few weeks ago. The 13 attempts from downtown were a season high as well. Last night was an outlier game. Expect more like 27 minutes, 12 points, and 7 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Cavs defeated the Pistons, 126-119. Are Cavs fans and management happy or sad with that outcome?
Cedi Osman
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/5 | 7/14 | 5/5 |
Played 38 minutes. Earlier this month, Cedi was back to his old tricks, as he was tanking the percentages. Over the past three games, though, Cedi has shot 50% in each game. Osman! As a result, he’s been a top 50 player.
Brandon Knight
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/4 | 7/13 | 0 |
Played 29 minutes, a season high! Knight has been attempting around 10 shots per game recently and been contributing treys and steals. I don’t think we see the minutes closer to or above 30. Probably around 25 minutes per game seems right.
Collin Sexton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5/6 | 10/16 | 2/2 |
Six straight games with at least 20 points! Ha! Top 50 player over that span. Yes, a ton of Sex please. The usage rate has been 26 and he’s been jacking up 17 shots per game, while shooting 54% from the field! That will likely regress back into the 40s, but enjoy the ride. Don’t expect much in the D department and he only contributes a handful of boards and dimes. Shoot first and ask questions later.
David Nwaba
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5/6 | 3/5 |
Got the start and played a team-high 40 minutes, as Kevin Love (back) did not play. I love seeing Nwaba do well. He’s from the LA area, but I enjoyed the energy and hustle he provided for the Lakers. Nwaba is a low usage player, so don’t expect offensive explosions, but he provides stocks and boards.
Marquese Chriss
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0/2 | 4/8 | 2/2 |
Played 20 minutes off the bench. I miss writing “Jesus F’ing Chriss!” when it came to Marquese. Do I need to replace it with “Chriss is risen?” Naw, he stinks but tempts us from time to time.
Derrick Favors only played 12 minutes due to a hamstring injury.
Rudy Gobert
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6/6 | 2/3 |
Gobert vs Drummond. It’d be like lion Voltron vs. car Voltron. An epic battle that I’d love to see.
Ricky Rubio
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0/1 | 4/7 | 0 |
Played 27 minutes. Since returning from injury, Rubio has played 22, 22, 23, and 27 minutes. Last night’s 57% shooting from the field was better than the previous three games combined (14.3%, 14.3%, and 15.4%). The dimes and steals were good to see. Hopefully the Jazz get his minutes above 30 and he starts balling out again down the stretch.
Jae Crowder
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2/6 | 8/12 | 0 |
Played 26 minutes off the bench. Crowder is meh. I don’t know why but that makes me sad. Is it because I love clam chowder? Anyways, Crowder is a top 100-150 player. That’s his range. He will provide some points, treys, boards, and a smattering of stocks.
Jabari Parker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1/4 | 8/13 | 2/2 |
Played 30 minutes off the bench and led the Wizards in scoring. Top 80 player over the past eight games. Sometimes he’s the best player on the court. Other times, he disappears, as if he has to don a spidey suit and go fight crime.
No other Wizards player stood out. Bobby Portis only played 19 minutes and provided 11 points and 5 rebounds. Makes sense, as the matchup against Gobert was not ideal. Trevor Ariza provided 12 points, 1 board, and 3 dimes. Jeff Green contributed 5 points, 2 boards, 2 dimes, and 2 steals. Bradley Beal produced 15 points, 2 boards, and 2 dimes. Tomas Satoransky furnished 8 points, 2 boards, 6 dimes, and 2 steals.
Paul Millsap
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/3 | 4/7 | 3/3 |
Played 27 minutes. Top 20 player over the past four games. Millsap contributes a little something something in every cat, but don’t expect him to continue shooting 63% from the field.
Nikola Jokic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3/7 | 9/14 | 0 |
Such a Jokic! Remember when people said he wouldn’t contribute D stats? I remember and I can’t recall if I pood yesterday or not.
Will Barton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2/7 | 9/17 | 0 |
Played 32 minutes. Over the past six games, Barton has been a top 125 player. Not what owners were expecting, but he’s playing over 30 minutes a game and contributing across the board. Just not to the level we know he can.
Gary Harris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4/7 | 5/13 | 2/2 |
Played 29 minutes. I’m more optimistic about Barton than Harris, but he has been steadily improving since he returned. Is it enough, though?
Monte Morris
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 5/9 | 0 |
Only played 19 minutes. I thought his minutes were secure, as he has played 25, 31, 27, and 29 minutes the prior four games. I guess not.
Kyrie Irving
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2/8 | 10/23 | 8/8 |
#2 player over the past six games. #5 over the past 20 games and #9 on the season. Kind of surprising. I knew he was having a good season, but I didn’t realize he was on that level. Do I need to revisit the whole Earth is flat thing?
Al Horford
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4/8 | 8/15 | 0 |
Horford is the perfect complementary big man. He does it all but doesn’t demand a high usage. The production wanes from time to time, but at the end of the season, you know you’re getting top 40 production.
Mario Hezonja
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0/3 | 3/10 | 2/2 |
Got the start and played 27 minutes. After Sunday’s game, I’m sure he had a helluva night. No surprise he wasn’t so Super on Monday.
Kevin Knox
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2/6 | 4/14 | 2/2 |
I respect the DGAF attitude and no memory.
Allonzo Trier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 8/14 | 5/6 |
Played a team-high 31 minutes. He had played 16 and 18 minutes the prior two games so….shrug emoji.
We have no idea what Fizdale will do. The Knicks lost 92-128 last night, so all 12 players received at least 10 minutes of run, with only Trier getting over 30 minutes.
Fred VanVleet
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/4 | 5/9 | 1/1 |
Got the start and played 28 minutes, as Kawhi Leonard was plugged into the charging station. Since returning from injury VanVleet has played 31 and 28 minutes and been….VanElite? Kyle Lowry did leave last night’s game early due to an ankle injury, but it doesn’t sound like it’s serious. With that said, VanVleet could be an interesting pick up.
Jeremy Lin
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1/3 | 7/11 | 5/7 |
He can’t be trusted for fantasy, but whatever. I have a different fantasy so screw your fantasy.
Kelly Olynyk
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 | 7/10 | 3/3 |
Continues to start and played 36 minutes. The minutes and production have been all over the map. The range has been 21-45 minutes and the points from 1-25. Sounds like a traffic report on the radio. Hey all, today’s rush hour traffic will keep you on the highway from 21-45 minutes if you’re heading south on the I-25. Olynyk provides points, treys, boards, and some dimes, but there’s volatility due to his perimeter-oriented game.
Derrick Jones Jr. got the start but only played 17 minutes and produced 8 points, 1 board, and 2 steals.
Bam Adebayo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4/9 | 0 |
Continues to start and played 30 minutes. The real story here is that Hassan Whiteside only played 5 minutes. He picked up a couple of fouls early, then was not seen the rest of the game. I apologize to the commenter that asked between Whiteside and someone else. I forgot. I did not choose wisely. The knives have been sharpened, so I will perform seppuku after I submit this piece. It looks like Bam is the guy going forward, but Mt. Whiteside explosions always occur when we least expect them to, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Spoelstra gives him 30 minutes of run soon.
James Johnson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0/2 | 5/8 | 4/4 |
Played 22 minutes off the bench. Since returning from injury, JJ has played 17 and 22 minutes. If Mt. Whiteside is indeed out of commission, JJ should start seeing some significant minutes. It’s been a brutal season for him, but he does have the game to contribute across the board. Someone to keep an eye on for sure.
Goran Dragic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 5 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6/9 | 9/17 | 2/2 |
Played 29 minutes. Only a matter of time before the Dragic is released.
Dwyane Wade
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1/4 | 10/17 | 4/5 |
Played 33 minutes. T minus 11 games. This is Wade’s…..
Paul George
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4/11 | 9/18 | 9/9 |
Played 39 minutes. No Russell Westbrook in this one, as he was serving his one-game suspension. PG-31.
Jerami Grant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1/2 | 10/16 | 6/7 |
Played a team-high 41 minutes. Damn! I blew plenty of calls this year, but I do feel good that I was somewhat optimistic on both Pascal Siakam and Jerami Grant. I never thought they’d be like this, but I’ll take whatever I can get. Remember, I have to perform seppuku after this post. Grant is a poor man’s Siakam.
Dennis Schroder
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2/5 | 7/16 | 4/6 |
Played 36 minutes. Whether he’s starting or not, Schroder has been getting the minutes and providing points, treys, and dimes. Unfortunately, no D stats and the efficiency has been atrocious. So, yes, he’s been a menace.
Draymond Green
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2/4 | 4/8 | 0/2 |
Since the lede said not to forget about Dre, let’s include Dray as well. The lack of points and poor efficiency have hurt his value big time, but the floor is still high because he contributes across the board.
Kevin Durant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0/4 | 9/18 | 6/6 |
Yawn. He’s good. I like to eat. So what?
Steph Curry
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6/18 | 9/25 | 1/1 |
Yawn squared. He’s good squared. I like to eat squared. I just looked down at my belly and shook my head.
Andrew Bogut
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3/4 | 1/1 |
Got the start and played 19 minutes because DeMarcus Cousins (ankle) did not play.
LaMarcus Aldridge
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1/3 | 8/12 | 6/6 |
LMA with the O! Took the W from the arriors. Top 10 player over the past six games. No laughing matter.
DeMar DeRozan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9/17 | 8/9 |
Played a team-high 38 minutes. Top 15 player over the past six games. The Spurs are 5th in the West with a 42-20 record. Pop for President. Seriously.
Rudy Gay
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 7/16 | 2/2 |
Played 27 minutes off the bench. Delivers across-the-board production. Since returning from injury, Gay has played 19, 24, and 27 minutes, so the trend is our friend. Prior to the injury, there were games he was receiving minutes in the mid-30s. With that said, the minutes did fluctuate.
The Pelicans defeated the Mavs, 129-125 in OT.
Anthony Davis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1/2 | 8/11 | 3/3 |
Played 21 minutes. Over the past 10 games, AD has played 21, 22, 21, 21, 21, 22, 21, 21, 21, and 20 minutes. Ha! 5….4….3….2….1….beepbeepbeep beep. Get him out of the game NOW! It’s been 21 minutes. I said NOW!
Julius Randle
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/4 | 14/24 | 0/1 |
Randle has been on an absolute tear, like a rhino that’s been freed from its cage and running roughshod over everyone and everything. Over the past four games, he’s scored 30, 21, 45, and 23 points while grabbing 9, 11, 11, and 6 boards. With that said, he’s been outside the top 100. Why? 4.3 turnovers and 41% shooting from the free throw line on 6 attempts.
Elfrid Payton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 10 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2/6 | 5/12 | 7/8 |
All he does is mess around. If there’s a Mrs. Payton or Girlfriend Payton, not like that! Five….and I said….five…..not one, not two, not three, not four, but five trip-dubs in a row! He went anti-Samson on us. Cutting the hair unleashed the power!
Frank Jackson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2/6 | 7/17 | 3/4 |
Played 40 minutes. Over the past seven games, Jackson has averaged 34.8 minutes and 15.4 shot attempts per game. He won’t provide many stocks, boards, or dimes, but he scores and provides treys.
Kenrich Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2/8 | 3/10 | 0 |
Played 40 minutes. The Pelicans are going to ride or die with Williams, so that’s good for his playing time. If you can stomach the awful efficiency, Williams can provide D stats, boards, and treys.
Cheick Diallo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3/7 | 2/2 |
Played 27 minutes. Diallo has played 25 and 27 minutes the past two games. A boards and blocks specialist, he should continue getting the minutes, as the assistant that monitors AD’s minutes is on point. Cheick please!
Dwight Powell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 6/8 | 3/4 |
Played 35 minutes. Top 40 player over the past seven games. Powell is averaging 33.4 minutes, 16.6 points, 0.7 treys, 7.1 boards, 1.6 dimes, 0.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks. 64% shooting from the field and 79% from the line tops it off.
Luka Doncic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 13 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1/7 | 10/26 | 8/11 |
And the trip-dubs rained down from the heavens like manna for the Israelites crossing the Sinai Desert.
Tim Hardaway Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3/9 | 7/18 | 4/4 |
The last three games, THJ has played 34, 36, and 37 minutes. He’s jacked up 18, 18, and 15 shots! Our shooter is back guys! Ride him until he 7 outs!
Robin Lopez
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11/14 | 2/2 |
Ha! Is he going to lead teams to the Promised Land? Top 40 player over the past four games.
Zach LaVine
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2/4 | 5/10 | 5/5 |
I’m putting LaVine and Devin Booker into the same group. Both are legit scorers, but both have impressed me with the development in their overall games. I think Booker is ahead of LaVine at this point, but I’ve come around on LaVine.
Deandre Ayton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 12/17 | 1/1 |
Yes, it was against the Bulls, but whatever. Impressive performance. We know he can score and rebound. It’s all about the D.
Devin Booker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1/8 | 9/24 | 6/10 |
Hey, I was just talking about you. Both with 8 boards and 7 dimes. I swear I did not look at the box scores before I wrote what I did in the LaVine blurb. Call me Sonstradamus.
Josh Jackson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2/4 | 6/13 | 4/6 |
Played 32 minutes off the bench. I don’t think he’s a particularly good player, but there are moments when he gets minutes and produces.
Myles Turner
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2/6 | 9/17 | 8/10 |
Top 25 player on the season. He hasn’t been producing at that level lately, primarily due to the poor shooting efficiency, but he turned that frown upside down last night.
Jusuf Nurkic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8/15 | 2/2 |
Played 31 minutes, while Enes Knater only received 16 minutes of run. Nurk is kind of annoying due to the inconsistency, but he has top 40 upside and the floor is relatively high.
Damian Lillard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 2 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 4/9 | 9/16 | 8/9 |
Lillard has a usage rate of 28 normally. When C. J. McCollum doesn’t play, that number spikes up to 39.5! Guess what happened last night?
