Remember the first videogame system you got as a kid? The excitement you felt when you unwrapped it at Christmas? For many of us, the first gaming system was like the Red Rider BB gun of our childhoods. That’s how Doc Rivers probably feels watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander blossom before his eyes.
The Bucks and the Clippers squared off in an epic afternoon overtime battle yesterday and fantasy owners reaped the benefits. Probably, the biggest takeaway from this one was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander getting the start and getting 40 minutes of run going 2-16-6-4-1-3-2 on 5-of-13 shooting and 4-for-4 FTs. SGA is in the Genesis of his career and Doc Rivers has expressed his love for this kid. His percentages are very good and he gets those out-of-position blocks we all love. His arrow is pointing up and he should be owned in most leagues going forward.
Sorry for burying the lede, because the real news in the NBA is that Jimmy Butler got traded to the 76ers in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and Jerryd Bayless. I think Covington and Butler’s value should remain relatively in tact, while Saric’s value can only go up. This may put a pretty big damper on Taj Gibson however. Keep an eye on Wilson Chandler, who could slide into the four-spot for the Sixers.
It was a busy Saturday Night so let’s dive on into into the Daily Notes!
Patrick Beverley – 5-21-5-3-0-0-1 on 7-of-11 shooting and made both free throws. He got 30 minutes due to overtime, but his season-long numbers are pretty underwhelming. In other words, P-Bev has been what-evs. He’s more of a streaming option in his current role.
Lou Williams – 1-12-5-10-1-0-2 on 5-of-15 shooting and made his only free throw. His first dime bag of the year, and I wouldn’t expect many more.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – 27-18-4-5-2-6 on 11-of-19 shooting and just 5-for-11 from the line. Greek Freak was a beast on the boards. The free throw shooting has seemingly regressed from last year, which is sad. However he’s been grabbing about 3.5 more boards per game so you can hang your hat on that I guess.
Brook Lopez – 6-20-4-2-2-3-0 on 6-of-12 shooting and made both free throws. A Bro-Lo perfect game! If boxing out opponents was a fantasy category, he’d be a first rounder.
Malcolm Brogdon – 1-23-4-3-0-0-1 on 8-of-16 shooting and 6-for-6 from the line. 20+ points in back-to-back games. Sell high!
Mitchell Robinson – 4-5-0-3-2-1 on 2-of-3 shooting and 0-for-2 from the line. He got 28 minutes and the start. I love this kid for his blocks upside, but expect lousy percentages and erratic minutes.
Tim Hardaway Jr. – 2-27-4-2-1-0-2 on 11-of-17 shooting and 3-of-5 FTs. Knicks fans complained about his contract, but he’s actually the 14th highest paid SG in the league. I’d say he’s actually a value, averaging 24.5 PPG on the young season. Remember when this guy was waiver fodder?
Kevin Knox – 2-12-2-1-0-1-0 on 4-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench. Fort Knox is another Knick who is just oozing with potential.
Enes Kanter – 15-15-2-0-0-2 on 5-of-14 shooting and 5-for-5 from the line in just 20 minutes off the bench. He can have value starting or coming off the bench. Obviously, I’d prefer the former, but he’s valuable either way for the boards and percentages.
Pascal Siakam – 3-23-3-2-0-0-2 on 6-of-7 shooting and 8-of-9 FTs. Having a breakout year. Great FG% without killing your FT%, and a trickle of everything else.
TJ Warren – 4-25-5-1-1-3-1 on 7-of-15 shooting and 7-for-7 from the line in 37 minutes. Regulators! Mount up! Hopefully, I won’t regret dropping him for the rest of the season… Right now, my most regrettable drops are between him and Derrick White. Who will win? Tune in each week to find out!
Anthony Davis – 26-13-6-1-2-1 on 7-of-18 shooting and 12-for-12 from the charity stripe. An off night for the Brow. His FT% has actually been down a bit from past years.
Julius Randle – 1-22-15-3-0-2-5 on 9-of-19 shooting and 3-for-4 FTs. He’s growing on me as a fantasy player. The FT% and high TOs hold him back, but in the right team-build, he can be a stud.
E’Twaun Moore – 1-17-2-2-0-1-1 on 7-of-10 shooting and 2-of-3 FTs. Moore Money!
John Wall – 3-28-2-9-1-1-2 on 9-of-20 shooting and 7-of-9 FTs. I know he’s looked kind of out of shape, but when did he forget how to make free throws? I feel like some veterans just stop caring about them once they’ve become established players.
Jeff Green – 2-19-10-0-1-0-2 on 8-of-12 shooting. Got 34 minutes off the bench. Pick him up if the last guy on your bench is terrible.
Rodney McGruder – 3-22-2-2-1-0-2 on 8-of-14 shooting and made 3-of-5 FTs. Still ripping throats!
Hassan Whiteside – 15-14-3-1-4-1 on 6-of-10 shooting and 3-for-4 from the line. I hate myself for not drafting him…
Goran Dragic – 0 Points on 0-of-7 shooting. More like Goran Tragic! Amirite!?
Tristan Thompson – 22-12-1-2-0-1 on 10-of-14 shooting and 2-of-4 FTs. Did he break up with Khloe? He’s having his best season in like five years.
Collin Sexton – 2-20-4-3-0-0-1 on 8-of-16 shooting and made both FTs. Started and got 34 minutes. With George Hill out, we’re gonna get a good look at what Sexton can do. Buckle up, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
Wendell Carter Jr. – 15-5-1-0-3-2 on 5-of-6 shooting and 5-of-8 FTs. If he can sustain his 76.7% from the line, he’s gonna be a stud.
Zach LaVine -1-24-8-5-2-0-1 on 9-of-22 shooting and 5-of-5 from the line. Do it for LaVine! Love the single turnover.
TJ McConnell – 16-3-7-1-1-3 on 7-of-8 shooting and made both FTs. Got 34 minutes of run due to the Sixers being shorthanded from the Jimmy Butler trade.
Mike Conley – 4-32-4-6-2-1-1 on 12-of-24 shooting and 4-of-6 FTs. This game went into OT so some of the lines got inflated a bit, and yet no one else’s stat lines really jump out at me on the Grizzlies.
Garrett Temple – 3-17-2-0-2-0-1 on 50% shooting. He got 37 minutes. Legend of the Hidden Temple! Well, he’s not really a legend, but he is hidden in the way that you don’t really notice he’s in the league.
Chris Paul – 2-13-4-4-3-1-1 on 4-of-13 shooting and 3-of-4 FTs. Okay, my worry level is officially rising. Either he’s in a really bad funk, or he’s hiding an injury.
PJ Tucker – 1-3-7-0-0-0-1 in 39 minutes… Could you do any less with 39 minutes? Sadly, he’s ownable because of the minutes volume, but he’s not going to be much of a reason to tune into Rockets games.
Derrick White – 1-14-4-8-2-0-2 on 4-of-9 shooting and made 5-of-6 free throws in 30 minutes. Got the start and made the most of it. I’m not sure what to expect going forward, but this is a good sign.
Joe Harris – 4-24-1-2-1-0-2 on 9-of-12 shooting and made both free throws. Got the start and played only 21 minutes, but Average Joe has been a good notch above average for fantasy. He’s the rare combination of 3-pointers and great FG%.
Jarrett Allen – 6-7-1-2-0-1 on 2-of-2 shooting and made both free throws. He only played 23 minutes but the Nets played the Warriors on a back-to-back, so this was cruel scheduling by the league. Most of the Nets had bad lines tonight.
Quinn Cook – 3-27-3-5-1-0-0 on 11-of-16 shooting and 2-of-2 from the line. When Curry sits out Quinn Cooks!
Klay Thompson – 2-24-1-1-2-1-3 on 11-of-20 shooting, but somehow missed both free throws.
Kevin Durant – 1-28-5-11-2-1-2 on 9-of-15 shooting and 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. KD had his way with the Nets, and the Dubs just out-talented them. I’m sure if Durant wanted he could have got 40-50 points, but that’s him on most nights. Hard to believe he’s getting 6.5 assists per game. (Career High)
Dennis Schroder – 1-19-6-3-2-0-4 on 8-of-21 shooting and 2-of-3 FTs. Westbrook was out again, so the Dennis system go the start and put in work. It wasn’t enough to beat the Mavs, but you gotta trust the Dennis system to work on most nights.
Harrison Barnes – 1-11-1-0-0-0-2 in just 17 minutes. I thought he might have been injured, but it was just foul trouble. Could be a slight buy-low.
JJ Barea – 3-21-3-5-1-0-2 on 8-of-14 shooting and 3-of-4 FTs in just 22 minutes. He’s like the anti-PJ Tucker. If he got 39 minutes of run he’d probably be a top 5 assists-guy in the league.
Nemanja Bjelica – 2-7-1-0-2 on 1-of-6 shooting. Still starting, and he got 26 minutes so I’d still hold, but three bad games in his last four is not encouraging.
Willie Cauley-Stein – 12-12-0-1-1-4 on 6-of-14 shooting. The scoring has been way up since last year, but his blocks are down. Still, he’s been a nice value if you go him in the later rounds. Draft WCS? Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda…
Bogdan Bogdanovic – 6-4-2-1-0-0 on 1-of-6 shooting and 4-of-5 FTs. Only got 20 minutes off the bench, and it looks like he will be eased back slowly into the mix. He got the night off last night on the front end of a back to back. I would still consider adding in most leagues if he’s available.
Lonzo Ball – 4-3-1-4-0-0 on 2-of-10 shooting. Only played 20 minutes and went 0-for-6 from downtown. Him and Rondo are killing each other…
Tyson Chandler – 3-12-0-1-1-4 on 1-of-2 shooting and 1-for-4 from the line. If you’re really desperate for rebounds, he could be worth the speculative add. He’s such a LeBron Guy.
