My wife’s favorite store is Ross, as she loves to find a good bargain. I could drop her off, go play some hoops, return, and she’d still be merrily rummaging through the racks. I always clown her, but she does find good deals, so respect. Plus, she enjoys it. I don’t get how she could get so into shopping for clothes, though, but that’s exactly what she says when I spend countless hours on fantasy. We all have our thing. Anyways, last night I asked my wife, “Can you believe that Terrence Ross has been a top 40 player over the past seven games, and he’s only owned in 57% of leagues? What a bargain!” As you can well imagine, no sexy time for me, but at least I derived some satisfaction from the performance Ross exhibited last night.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6/13 | 13/23 | 0 |
In 31 minutes. Despite coming off the bench, over the last seven games, Ross has been averaging 29.4 minutes, 20.3 points, 3.9 tres, 4.9 boards, and 1. He’s had a usage rate of 26 and been jacking up 17 shots per game! The dimes are a paltry 1.3, but what do you expect? Shooters shoot. In fact, back in 2013, Ross produced a 51-burger, so he’s always had the ability to score. Now, there will be bouts of inconsistency, especially from a fantasy persepective, as he is a jump shooter (only 10.6% of his shots come from within 10 feet of the basket) who derives most of his value from scoring. Ross has scored in single digits 12 times this season. With that said, he does get the minutes, shot attempts, and opportunities to produce. And he’s cheap! Nothing beats a good bargain.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
Nikola Vucevic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1/2 | 9/16 | 2/2 |
Wake me up when he doesn’t have a good game. Looking at his career-arc, it’s refreshing to see hard work quantified, as you can see when he started expanding his range to beyond the arc and how long it took to become more than proficient. Also, looking at the assist rate gives a look at the increased awareness and IQ, which doesn’t happen by osmosis.
Jonathan Isaac
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1/1 | 3/6 | 2/2 |
Isaac is not an offensive force, but the contributions in the peripheral cats give him a high floor. Over the past seven games, he’s been a top 45 player, averaging 27.3 minutes, 10.3 points, 0.6 tres, 8.4 boards, 1.3 dimes, 1.4 steals, and 1.9 blocks. It’s happening! It’s happening!
Andrew Wiggins
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0/2 | 10/28 | 3/5 |
Led the Wolves in shot attempts…..again. And the Wolves lost….again. This bothers me way more than it should, but I get so tilted, especially when…..
Karl-Anthony Towns
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2/3 | 12/16 | 1/1 |
I’m no math major, but I do know that 75% is much better than 35%. One of these days, I’m going to see how many games the Timberwolves have won/lost when Wiggins took the most amount of shots. Then, I will somehow get in contact with Glen Taylor and have his people talk to my people and we can all have a sit down. Forget about the stupid wall. This is way more important.
Jerryd Bayless
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/5 | 0/6 | 0 |
Got the start because Jeff Teague, Derrick Rose, and Tyus Jones did not play. I wrote this two days ago, “The efficiency has been impressively bad (38% the past six games and 34% on the season).” Some things change, while others remain the same. Something to monitor is that he left the game in the fourth quarter due to a toe issue. Jeff Teague was close to returning on Thursday, but if can’t go, then Isaiah Canaan (13 pts/6 ast in 21 min) is the next man up.
The power forward spot continues to be an annoyance, as Taj Gibson (10 pts/4 reb/1 stl) got the start and played 21 minutes, while Dario Saric (17 pts/8 reb/ 1 ast) played 21 minutes.
Ivan Rabb
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1/1 | 6/8 | 2/3 |
Got the start and played 31 minutes. With Jonas Valanciunas added to the squad, Rabb will likely return to a reserve role, but should still get minutes in the low 20s.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1/2 | 12/18 | 2/3 |
Just don’t foul JJJ and everything will be alright.
Julian Washburn
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0/2 | 0/5 | 2/2 |
Played a team-high 37 minutes. When I saw his name in the box score, I thought it was a bootleg version of Jamal Mashburn. Anyways, he had played 31, 20, and 16 minutes the prior three games. Who knew? Washburn is 6′ 8″ and 220 pounds. He played his college ball at UTEP and went undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft. He’s spent three years in the NBA Developmental League and G-League.
Bruno Caboclo played 30 minutes and produced 16 pts/5 reb/1 ast. Yuta Watanabe played 27 minutes and produced 10 pts/5 reb/1 ast/1 stl. Shoutout to all the asians in the house. To all the non-asians, give it to us guys. We don’t get the opportunity often.
With all the trades and injuries, the Grizzlies had eight players available.
Paul George
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6/13 | 7/16 | 7/7 |
I’m curious. Is George in the MVP discussion?
Russell Westbrook
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1/4 | 5/16 | 4/6 |
That’s now eight straight trip-dubs. One more to tie Wilt and two to pass him for the most consecutive times messing around. The odds of that happening are about as good as rich people not voting for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Pascal Siakam
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2/5 | 12/20 | 7/9 |
Played a whopping 40 minutes. Damn, what a performance. MIP! MIP! With his length, hustle, and athleticism, it’s surprising he doesn’t block more shots. Regardless, he contributes in every other cat.
P. S. – he’s really really good.
Kyle Lowry
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3/11 | 3/13 | 4/6 |
The shooting efficiency has been laughably bad (33%), but he’s been providing plenty of tres, boards, dimes, and steals. Gotta think he will get back to the 40% range sooner than later.
Fred VanVleet
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4/11 | 11/22 | 4/5 |
Got the start and played 37 minutes because Kawhi Leonard was out. VanVleet was elite last night. One of the better backup fantasy guards because he gets run regardless if he’s starting or coming off the bench, but has ceiling games because he does get the occassional start (23 on the season).
Taurean Prince
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5/8 | 7/12 | 0 |
Got the start and played 37 minutes, his third straight. Over the past four games, Prince has been a top 55 player. The usage rate is low (14), but he contributes in everything but blocks.
The Hawks are kind of annoying because they play so many player. 13 different players saw the court, with 10 receiving at least 15 minutes of run.
Montrezl Harrell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 9/13 | 1/2 |
Got the start and played 29 minutes. With Boban Marjanovic and Marcin Gortat off the roster, Harrell should see most of the center minutes, whether it be as a starter or reserve.
Johnathan Motley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0/1 | 4/10 | 2/3 |
Played 29 minutes, as the Clippers were thin in the front court. The coaching staff loves him, but significant minutes may be hard to come by with Ivica Zubac in the mix now. Maybe he gets some power forward minutes.
The Clippers got spanked, 92-116 in Indiana. Only four players scored in double figures. NO MORE BLURBS FOR YOU!!!
Thaddeus Young
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2/3 | 6/9 | 0 |
Played 24 minutes. Young has been bouncing between top 25 and top 60 value all season long. The great thing to see has been the shooting efficiency, as he’s been above the 50% mark for most of the season. Hopefully he stays….
Bojan Bogdanovic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3/6 | 12/19 | 2/2 |
Bojan has been a top 30 player over the past four games. Shooting 58% from the field will do that, as he’s averaged 24.5 points and 3.3 tres. He’s also grabbed 4 boards, dished out 2.8 dimes, and stolen 1.5. He accesses this ceiling from time to time, but more often than not, he resides in the top 90-100 range.
Myles Turner
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3/3 | 7/8 | 0 |
Man, I can’t wait to see if Myles can put it all together and access his ceiling. Mutombo with a jump shot?
Cory Joseph
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1/3 | 6/10 | 0 |
Played 32 minutes. Joseph is meh, but he can help those who need dimes and steals. He also rebounds well for a guard.
Tyreke Evans
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0/1 | 3/6 | 2/2 |
Played 16 minutes. P. U. With the Pacers likely to sign Wes Matthews, it’s sayonara to that stench.
Kyle Kuzma
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5/8 | 10/21 | 0 |
Kuzma can score and grab some boards, but his contributions are paltry in the rest of the cats. As a result, he’s been outside the top 200 the past four games.
LeBron James
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 12 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5/10 | 11/21 | 1/5 |
Messed around as he led the Lakers to a 129-128 victory in Boston. I was watching the DaVinci Code the other day, so I’m all anagram crazy right now. A B C D. Any guesses?
JaVale McGee
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7/11 | 3/5 |
With Zubac on the Clippers, McGee should soak up most the center minutes.
Rajon Rondo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3/4 | 7/11 | 0 |
Played 35 minutes. REVENGE! Is it revenge if he likes the team? Probably not, but whatever. There are no rules on Narrative Street. Rondo is going to be the guy at point guard for a while and is a threat to mess around on any given night. Unfortunately, there are many nights when he looks uninterested.
Jayson Tatum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1/1 | 9/14 | 3/3 |
Over the past seven games, Tatum has been a top 25 player. 2019 New Orleans Pelicans Jayson Tatum.
Kyrie Irving
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2/6 | 6/21 | 10/10 |
A bad Kyrie game is a ceiling one for most humans.
Daniel Theis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2/2 | 9/11 | 0 |
Played 23 minutes. Theis has played at least 20 minutes in a game just eight games this season and scored at least 20 points twice. Outlier is spelled Theis.
Terry Rozier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5/7 | 5/9 | 4/4 |
Played 19 minutes. Usually, Rozier only plays well when he starts. I’m changing the spelling of outlier to Rozier.
Jaylen Brown
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2/4 | 7/10 | 2/2 |
Played 25 minutes and has been a top 100 player over the past seven games. The shooting efficiency has improved from both the field and free throw line, but he’s only averaging 25 minutes per game and doesn’t dish out many dimes.
Rudy Gay
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5/6 | 10/15 | 0/1 |
There have been seven players to be a part of the 50/40/90 club, which is 50% shooting from the field, 40% from downtown, and 90% from the line. The list is: Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, and Larry Bird. Gay is currently at 51/40/87. Top 50 player on the season for fantasy.
DeMar DeRozan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 35 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14/28 | 7/8 |
First time eclipsing the 30 point mark since December. Earlier in the season, DeRozan was producing at a top 50 clip. Recently, though, the points, dimes, steals, efficiency, and usage have all been down, resulting in top 100 production.
Jusuf Nurkic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9/15 | 4/4 |
Nurkic had been shooting poorly before last night’s game (around 30%), but that could be attributed to the knee soreness he was experiencing. When healthy, Nurkic is more like a 50% shooter from the field and top 40 player.
Damian Lillard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0/7 | 10/20 | 4/4 |
Usually it’s Dame Dolla time, but…..
C. J. McCollum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7/13 | 10/21 | 3/3 |
C. J. has been a top 10 player over the past three games, averaging 30.3 points, 4 tres, 6 boards, 4.3 dimes, and 1.3 steals. He’s been shooting 53% from the field and has had a usage rate of 32.9! He’s also outshined Lillard the past two games.
Rodney Hood
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2/3 | 6/7 | 0 |
Played 25 minutes in his Portland debut. I always have a tough time going to the Hood, but let’s see how he operates in Portland.
Jake Layman
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1/5 | 5/10 | 2/2 |
Played 31 minutes. Layman has been a top 90 player the past four games. For the season, he’s shooting a robust 52% from the field and provides tres, boards, and a handful of dimes. He’s getting the minutes and producing. The question is will he keep getting the minutes? Moe Harkless has been brutal, so there’s a good chance that he does.
