We’ve seen so many coaches jack it up before. Year after year, coaches fail to play their best line-ups the most minutes due to “fit” or “rotations” or “Kevin Garnett decides what the Timberwolves do.”
But Frank Vogel is quickly becoming my favorite coach. He kept the Pacers decent last year after a really disheartening second half and playoff exit in 13-14 plus losing Paul George, and last night he did the absolutely unthinkable – he played his best players as the starters. ANTI-SKIIIIIILES! Although Aaron Gordon is getting his run lately… Let’s go ANTI-BICKERSTAFFFFFFF!
Getting his first start at PF (and first start ever!) after playing virtually all his rookie minutes at center, Myles Turner got the nod at the 4 next to Ian Mahinmi and went 20/6/1/0/1 on 9-17 shooting in 26 minutes. And the twin towers rotation worked sooooo well, with the Pacers up virtually the whole game and running away with it late. The Hawks reserves in the early 4th quarter made a nice run to take a 2-point lead with 6 minutes left 90-88, then Vogel went back to the same starting 5 and Indiana ended the game on a crazy hot 23-2 run. What a unit! Coach Butthole is like, “suck my unit!” When I made my original crazy rank for Turner in the pre-season, my love was based around his fit for the run-and-gun offense, and the crazy part is we still haven’t seen the perimeter game yet. He didn’t take any treys in this one, but there’s no reason to think this starting line-up doesn’t stick, which means more minutes for Turner and more opportunities on the perimeter. Hopefully you added him when Mahinmi was out and didn’t let go, because, well, NEVER LET GO JACK! I would totally have Myles take me in the steamy car in the cargo hold… Here’s what else went down in fantasy hoops last night:
Jeff Teague – It’s not a monstrous turnaround, but he’s gotten better. Just a nice, sensual reacharound. Well, some sort of “around”. 20/1/5/1/0 on 7-12 FG (2-2 3PTM 4-4 FT). 3 TO are blah, but for how bad it’s been you can’t complain. Dennis Schroder also got only 14 minutes – failed to mach schnell! No idea if I spelled that right, I ain’t fact checkin’ that…
Paul Millsap – Left with a sprained ankle. Ruh Roh. Luckily it seemed like more a tweak, so I’ll file this injury in the “purple nurple” category.
Monta Ellis – Nice return to form after a clunker, going 25/5/6/5/1 on 7-11 shooting including 5 treys. Sure the 3s might not be the most reliable, but he and Myles had a nice little pick-and-roll going on. There honestly isn’t a single person that isn’t in love with Myles Turner right now…
Paul George – …well, maybe PG13 isn’t the happiest… Obviously not the stretch 4 with Myles out there, and had a clunker at the 3. 11/3/3/1/0 with 2 TO on 2-11 shooting. PG13 might want to do some R rated things to Myles, which is actually a lot worse than the XXX things I want to…
Nikola Jokic – Another multi-cat beaut, and another holdback in minutes. 15/10/3/1/1, nary a TO, and shot 7-12 from the field. Gets rewarded with only 25 minutes. Criminal.
Jusuf Nurkic – And it’s not like Nurk is a big factor either, playing 16 minutes of blah. Jamba Juice using some rotten fruit!
Emmanuel Mudiay – It’s everyone’s favorite game! “WHERE! DID! MUDIAY! HURT YOU!!!!!” Used to be MCW’s game then Josh Smith, but now it’s Mudiay. 20/4/4/2/0? Nice! 7-14 FG for 50% shooting? Usable! 5-6 FT. Cha-ching! Butttttt, 4 TO! And I just found out – if you put the extra letters to stress a long pronunciation in your head while you read on the word “but”, it read differently…
John Wall – Poopy with his shot (5-17) and buttery with his fingers (4 TO), but rainbowed it up for 17/7/9/4/2. You would think Mudiay would be the one who hit the wall last night, but it looks like the Wizards are the one hitting a wall…
Garrett Temple – Makes me want to put a drill to my temple ala Pi, that’s for sure! I streamed him for the last game (8/1/0/0/0), then he goes ham for 20/5/3/1/0 and 5 treys against the Nugs last night. Bleh.
Otto Porter – Man, if you want a lesson – prospective NBA parents – don’t name your son with an old-man name. They are much more prone to old man injuries, like further hip soreness. Played 15 minutes, and just wasn’t good at all before exiting. Not a huge beneficiary out there, except it solidifies friggin’ Temple’s minutes for disheartening streams…
DeMarcus Cousins – Boogie so Goodie! 26/10/6/1/5, and the expected 6 TO. No Goodie…
Ben McLemore – 26 points of “WHAT IN THE WORRRRRLD?!” Also a +15 in 31 minutes to a -24 for Marco Belinelli in 20 minutes. Yikes. How much does Karl want a consistent SG you wonder?!
Willie Cauley-Stein – So much for consistent minutes! 6/1/1/0/1 in only 15 minutes with Ryno going dyno… mite. A mtachup thing for me, I’m not too worried about it, unless you’re heavily relying on him in like a 10er…
Ryan Anderson – Speaking of Ryno, lit it up! God damn Fall out Boy song is in my head now, GET OUTTA HERE! 36/9/4/0/0 with 5 treys. Remember when the Kings were rumored they wanted to give Rudy Gay for him? Way to boost your trade stock so you don’t have to go to SAC, Ryno!
Norris Cole – Hmmmm, eyebrow raised… Maybe he does have to be in consideration for 12ers when Tyreke Evans is out… 17/7/10 in 38 minutes. Although I wonder how many assists were turned into immediate jump shots by Ryno…
Bryce Dejean-Jones – Who? Not only gets the start at the 2 rather than play Toney Douglas who had been playing well (only 9 minutes off the bench), BJ middle D (ewwww, that’s a bad nickname…) goes 14/2/2/2/1. He had 8 career minutes before this one, and while he shines as an attacker, he might not even be on the team when his 10-day is up. REL flier at best (20 team leagues).
Kristaps Porzingis – The Poison Goose got grounded with the bird flu.
Carmelo Anthony – Grounded by old man knees.
Langston Galloway – Picks up the start with Jose Calderon also out (groin – ay caramba!), and goes a very boring 12/4/2. But does sneak in 2 blocks, had no TO, and shot 6-10. Metrics whore! I’m streaming him in a couple leagues while old man Calderon is on his siesta.
Jonas Valanciunas – 11/18 in his usual dose of only 28 minutes. The weird part is he shot 4-16. C’mon [formerly] Luminescent Lithuanian, Rolo is awful on D! Can’t be missing like that!
Jeff Green – Blasphemy! I streamed him in a league as a ThrAGNOF… And hey, it worked, with the terrible Green going 21/5/1 with 3 treys. His shade of Green is diarrhea.
Mario Chalmers – 7/4/10 getting 27 minutes, as old-man-Mike Conley shot 1-8 and didn’t do anything interesting except have 9 dimes. Sheesh Milwaukee, play some defense on the PG! Oh wait, it’s MCW…
Milwaukee Bucks – Speaking of, every one of them was terrible. Let’s get Joel Przybilla out of retirement!
Jimmy Butler – Dammit Buckets! I lean on you for 30 points, and you score 26 while handing out 10 dimes?! Be a ball hog, ya pansy!
Bobby Portis – Free Bobby P! That has a nice flow for a bumper sticker… 22 minutes for 4/7/1/2/0. Very meh in a Lakers matchup… Still not a guy I’m holding in redraft 12ers unless it’s more a stash spot if you’re cruising to the playoffs.
Los Angeles Lakers – I’m running behind this morning, so sticking with the Bucks analysis – they’re all terrible! Let’s get Kurt Rambis out of retirement…
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – Ummmm, is he Wolverine?! Might make his debut tonight, shattering his… out-for-the-season timetable?! JFC, was the Hornets medical staff trained by the Pelicans?! He doesn’t have much upside, so I’m not going too nuts for him in 12ers. Deeper leagues than that might wanna scoop him up though.
I hope everyone is crushing it so far this week in their matchups, and are getting prepped for next weekend! Super Bowl baby! Just a warning – Monday Feb. 8th’s daily notes might be a little incoherent… Have a great weekend Razzball Nation!
