The other night, I told my kids to pick out a book to read before bedtime. My oldest son…yes, he is the son of Son, as is I….Anyways, he grabbed the Tortoise and the Hare off the shelf. I am so conflicted when I read this book to my kids. On one side, the story teaches my kids valuable lessons in persistence, patience, and consistency. Yet, all I see are scenes from the History Channel of Blitzkrieg, aka “Lightning War.” Tanks and planes traversing the battlefield with such force and speed that the the opposition has no time to defend or take any action. The same concept is often applied to the game of basketball. The easiest way to score is when the opposing defense hasn’t had a chance to set up. This is often the “Lightning War,” aka transition buckets. When the defense is set up, though, there are certain players that can strike from land and through the air with such devastating precision and quickness that it brings out the waving of white flags. Last night, James Harden was that player:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 50 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4/12 | 14/26 | 18/19 |
A fifty burger while messing around! Per ESPN Stats & Info, that was Harden’s fourth career 50-point triple-dub. Only three other players have performed the feat: Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor. So crazy. Through 24 games, Harden is the #4 player for fantasy. He’s averaging 35.9 minutes, 30.8 points, 4.1 threeecolas, 5.5 rebounds, 8.3 dimes, and 2.1 steals. Yes, the 5.7 turnovers suck, but the usage rate is a whopping 37.2!
Here’s what else I saw last night:
Clint Capela
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7/13 | 2/3 |
Coming into last night’s game, Capela had been struggling a bit. The prior three games, he was scoring 4 fewer points and blocking 1 fewer shot per game than his season averages. The free throw shooting is usually terrible, but over that stretch, it was especially atrocious (37%). All is good, at least for a game. C&C Music Factory is bumping the beats again so everybody can dance now.
Chris Paul
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3/4 | 3/10 | 5/6 |
Like a good neighbor, Chris Paul was there.
Daniel House Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3/5 | 5/8 | 2/2 |
Was the main guy off the bench and played 29 minutes. With James Ennis III out for a week or two, raise the roof on this House. One can expect threeecolas and a handful of rebounds. He’s a low usage player so he needs to make his shots to have value.
LeBron James
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3/6 | 12/18 | 2/6 |
Top 10 player for fantasy, but that 68% free throw shooting is no bueno.
Kyle Kuzma
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1/5 | 8/17 | 7/7 |
Brandon Ingram who? Over the past seven games, Kuzma has been the #12 player. We always knew he could shoot, but he’s averaged 4 dimes, 0.9 steals, and 0.6 blocks over that span. Earlier in the season, I was worried that he was going to be a one-dimensional player. I’m a big dummy.
Lonzo Ball
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0/6 | 3/9 | 1/2 |
I walked 500 Myles. I can do this.
Josh Hart
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2/3 | 6/8 | 1/3 |
Got the start and played 29 minutes. You’ll get some D stats and threeecolas, but Hart is a low usage player so it’s kind of annoying owning him in fantasy. Plus, he will go back to the bench when Ingram returns.
Lance Stephenson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3/5 | 7/12 | 0 |
Played 23 minutes. Lance will make you dance from time to time. Unfortunately, most of the time he just makes you want to drink…and drink….and drink….and drink….and cry….and drink some more.
Lauri Markkanen
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/6 | 2/10 | 1/2 |
Playing in Mexico City messed with the calibration for the Markkanen. Denver, Colorado is 5280 feet above sea level. Mexico City is 7382 feet above sea level.
Wendell Carter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3/4 | 1/2 |
Only played 18 minutes. Partly due to foul trouble and partly due to…..I’ll just say that this Carter Administration is being bogged down by the bureacracy.
Justin Holiday
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 4/5 | 6/11 | 2/3 |
Played 38 minutes. Top 30 player. Damn, I was so wrong about him…and I’m still looking for reasons to fade him. I should’ve known, though, because all the Holidays be working. We could probably send them to the dark side of the moon, and they’d still be hoopin’.
Zach LaVine
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2/3 | 10/18 | 1/2 |
A team-high 40 minutes. After a blistering start to the season, LaVine has come back down to Earth. He’s still a top 50 player, but over the past seven games, he’s been more like a top 100 player. The usage rate has plummeted from 31.5 down to 27. Makes sense with the team getting healthy.
Bobby Portis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 6/11 | 2/4 |
Played 22 minutes. There was word that Jabari Parker will no longer be in the rotation, so Portis should be the main beneficiary.
Kris Dunn
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1/1 | 2/5 | 0 |
Played 26 minutes and should be the starter sooner than later. Arcidiacono! Sounds like bye in Italian to me.
Aaron Gordon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/5 | 2/11 | 3/4 |
I would’ve figured that he of all players would perform well in elevated altitude.
Jonathan Isaac
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1/3 | 2/7 | 5/5 |
Got the start and played 26 minutes. He did have foul trouble or the night could’ve been bigger. Those D stats are B. U. T. ful. Now, we just need the usage to increase.
Nikola Vucevic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3/6 | 11/21 | 1/2 |
Vucevic scoffs at altitude, defenders, regression, etc.
Luka Doncic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1/5 | 6/12 | 0/2 |
I heart Lu. I can’t wait until the triple-dubs start flowing like the water in the Nile Delta.
DeAndre Jordan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5/5 | 4/7 |
DJ would make a terrible censor. Or a pop-up blocker.
Dirk Nowitzki
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 1/2 | 0 |
Played 6 minutes. I know we are a fantasy site, but have to pay respects to one of the greatest.
Dorian Finney-Smith
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0/1 | 0/5 | 1/2 |
Finney-Smith is a super-low usage player, but he contributes in all but dishing out dimes. In addition, he’s averaging around 25-26 minutes per game and has appeared in every game so far. The contributions in the peripheral cats give him a decent floor, and when he makes his shots, there’s access to some ceiling.
Trevor Ariza
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3/6 | 4/7 | 2/2 |
Got the start and played 37 minutes. Will be on a new team soon.
TJ Warren
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3/4 | 11/17 | 5/6 |
Warren is always a G and regulating. He has really improved both his range and efficiency. Last season, he averaged 0.3 threeecolas and shot 49% from the field. So far this year, 1.7 threeecolas and 52% from the field.
Deandre Ayton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3/13 | 1/2 |
The spike in D contributions is a welcome sight. Yet, he still needs Ayton of work with the rest of his game.
De’Anthony Melton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0/2 | 0/4 | 0 |
Got the start, but only played 21 minutes. I ain’t scared. Just weeding out all the unbelievers. Stay strong.
Richaun Holmes
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5/7 | 1/1 |
Over the past eight games, Holmes is a top 75 player. He’s averaging 20.7 minutes, 11.3 points, 5.5 boards, 0.8 steals, and 1.6 blocks. Odale Holmes.
Josh Jackson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3/6 | 5/18 | 1/2 |
He’s young and can stuff the stat sheet, but he’s so painful to watch, as he jacks up some horrific shots. I don’t think he’s a very good basketball player, but he can be productive for fantasy. Opens a tab. #236 player over the past eight games while averaging 30.6 minutes. Ok, maybe not. He’s shooting 32% from the field!
Jamal Crawford
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0/3 | 6/14 | 5/5 |
Played 27 minutes. Why? Why?! Why?!! Why is he on this team?!!! Nothing against Craw, as he can still ball with the best of them, but he has no business being on this Suns team. Is the plan to trade him to a contender and get assets for him? Ok, good luck with that.
The Clippers lost 87-125 in San Antonio. The Spurs either blow out or get blown out. There is no middle ground for them.
Danilo Gallinari scored 15, while Tobias Harris scored 17 points.
Avery Bradley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/4 | 5/9 | 2/2 |
When Avery gets a stat box, you know it was not a good day for the Clippers. In fact, Ice Cube probably had to use the AK.
LaMarcus Aldridge
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1/1 | 12/14 | 2/4 |
LMA! I was shocked to see that he’s been a top 45 player over the past eight games. I don’t remember him having any good games, but the numbers don’t lie. Over that span, he’s been shooting 58% from the field, so that explains it. I feel confident in saying that I’m going to be LMAO sooner than later.
Rudy Gay
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 8/10 | 4/4 |
I used to reserve this for Gobert, but Gay deserves it….
Top 50 player for the season and top 25 over the past eight games.
Derrick White
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1/2 | 5/9 | 0 |
Got the start and played 25 minutes. Won’t be leading any fantasy teams to the promised land. Maybe if he rounded up Mr. Orange, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blue, and Mr. Brown.
Jakob Poeltl
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 3 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1/3 | 1/2 |
Played 21 minutes. It’s so hard to evaluate Poeltl because the Spurs are involved in so many blowouts. I want to believe. I really do, but I can’t get that play out of my head when he comes down with the offensive rebound, turns around towards half court, then fires the ball straight into the scorer’s table.
