The Nets were mired in a two-game losing streak, dropping games to the Hawks and Wizards no less. Then he heard the news that Kevin Durant would miss the next four games due to COVID protocols. Frustrated, Nash stood up from the couch, heel kicked the soccer ball conveniently laying on the floor, then began heading it against the wall. At first, it was a slow rhythmic pace….thump…..thump…..thump
Then thump..thump..thump..thump..thumpthumpthumpthumpthump. The woodpeckers in the neighborhood all flocked to the noise and gawked in amazement at the display of pecking dexterity. Then he heard it. “Honey, rewind that. And turn up the volume.”
If it worked for them, why not give it a try. Nash immediately set up a Zoom call with Mike D’Antoni, Ime Udoka, Amar’e Stoudemire, Jacque Vauhn, Adam Harrington, Jordan Ott, Tiago Splitter, and Ryan Forehan-Kelly. “Gentlemen,” he announced, “We are starting Jarrett on Tuesday.” There were mixed responses. Some believed that Jarrett Allen should have been starting all along, while others thought going to Jared meant that one was cheap and/or had poor or unsophisticated taste in jewelry. After hours of ferocious debating, compromises were made and the starting lineup for Tuesday consisted of Kyrie Irving, Bruce Brown (who was in his camp?), Taurean Prince, Jeff Green, and Allen, but it was Jarrett who blinged the brightest of them all.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8/9 | 3/7 |
In 32 minutes, as the Nets broke their losing streak with a decisive 130-96 victory over the Jazz. I don’t know how Nash doesn’t keep going to Jarrett after last night’s performance.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
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Kyrie Irving
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5/7 | 12/19 | 0 |
Kyrie was an animal from the get-go in this one and was instrumental in pacing the Nets to a 21-point lead after one quarter. It’s too bad that the Jazz couldn’t make any music or his night could’ve been earth-shattering. Kyrie had a 30.9 usage rate last night, and in games without Durant and Dinwiddie this season, he’s garnering a 31.8 usage rate. Durant will miss the next three games against the 76ers, Grizzlies, and Thunder.
Caris LeVert
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2/5 | 9/18/ | 4/4 |
Only played 21 minutes due to the blowout but had a 40 usage rate while on the court! Chicks like buckets, not passes to teammates. I respect it. Without Durant and Dinwiddie, LeVert has a team-leading 34 usage rate. He came off the bench, so Nash is going to keep him leading the second unit as long as one of Kyrie or Durant is playing.
Donovan Mitchell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3/8 | 10/22 | 8/10 |
On the season, Mitchell is outside the top 100. The main culprits being the 38% shooting from the field and 77% shooting from the line. Both of those numbers will improve, but I don’t think Mitchell gets much higher than finishing as a top 50-ish player come season’s end.
Anthony Davis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4/10 | 10/20 | 2/3 |
Currently the 33rd player on a per-game basis, AD has been a top 15 player over the past three games and is slowly creeping up back to the top 3 where he belongs. It reminds me of when I turn on the pan, crack the eggs, then go to my computer real quick. Shit, what’s that smell and why is there smoke everywhere?
Kyle Kuzma
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/2 | 2/5 | 1/2 |
Got the start and played 30 minutes in place of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who is still nursing an ankle injury. Kuzma plays more minutes as a starter, but the usage rate is 10 points higher when leading the second unit. It’s a better place for him to thrive.
LeBron James
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1/4 | 11/20 | 3/3 |
I’m so sick of writing about this guy every night. He’s great, awesome, leading the league in this, leading the league in that, blah, blah, blah.
PPPPPSSSSSYYYYYCCCHHHHHHH!!!!! I love it! It doesn’t hurt that I’m a Lakers fan. With that said, I’ve always admired him as a basketball fan, from his days at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. He was literally a man amongst boys and would produce insane highlights, but what I appreciated were the passes and interactions with his teammates. He knew he was a basketball God, but always tried to be one of the boys and lift up their games too. You hear that noise in the background? Yeah, I purchased mini violins that are being played by nano-drones that are floating in the air.
Dennis Schroder
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1/4 | 5/15 | 1/1 |
Dennis was a menace to opposing teams early in the season. Now, he’s being a menace to managers who roster him. Over the past week, he’s been a top 200 player. He can score, provide tres, and dish out some dimes, but the shooting efficiency is poor and he doesn’t provide much in the defensive cats.
Jonas Valanciunas
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0/1 | 4/13 | 5/5 |
The Grizzlies have played seven games. JV has dub-dubbed seven times. Give him another patch for his varsity jacket. Why he doesn’t get more than 28 minutes per game is baffling. Can someone explain that to me?
Tyus Jones
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/4 | 3/8 | 1/2 |
Ja Morant he is not, but Jones is starting, playing a ton of minutes (32 last night), and providing those precious dimes. He also contributes steals and tres, but not much else.
Brandon Clarke
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1/2 | 5/11 | 1/2 |
Got his third start in a row and played 29 minutes. The percentages have been awful. Like free throw shooting is the same as the field goal percentage awful. Now, 60% is great for field goal percentage, but terrible for free throw percentage, so net net, bad. How about at 50%? Turrable. Now we get to Clarke’s numbers on the season. Whatever you’re thinking, go lower. Yes, lower. He’s shooting 43% from the field and 44% from the line. For perspective, he shot 60% from the field and 72% from the line last season. Everything gonna be alright. If not, then we are going to have to pair him with Lewis and explore.
Juancho Hernangomez
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5/8 | 10/14 | 0/1 |
In 34 minutes as he got his second start of the season. For you inquiring minds, Juancho’s career-high is 27 points. No offense to Juancho, as I’ve always had a soft spot for him and thought he could be a sleeper if he started and got the minutes this season, but this performance says more about the Nuggets defense than anything. They are dead-last in defensive efficiency.
D’Angelo Russell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4/9 | 10/21 | 9/10 |
Snitches get stitches unless they play the Nuggets, then the red carpet gets rolled out and the cake is gotten and eaten. The past two seasons, Russell has been a top 60 player, as he averaged over 6 dimes per game and hoisted up close to 19 shots per game. This season? 4.5 dimes and 15.7 shots per game.
Jarred Vanderbilt
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4/5 | 3/7 |
Played 23 minutes due to foul trouble for the rest of the front court. Prior to last night, Vanderbilt had not received more than 15 minutes in a game. He should be playing and can stuff the stat sheet, but Ryan Saunders doesn’t want to play him. <insert shrug emoji>
Nikola Jokic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 35 | 15 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1/1 | 12/20 | 10/12 |
What a Jokic! Look at these averages: 22.3 points, 1.2 tres, 11.3 boards, 12.8 dimes, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks with 61% shooting from the field and 81% from the line. Hahahahahahahahhaah. What a Jokic!
Will Barton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2/7 | 7/14 | 3/5 |
In 36 minutes. It’s been an inconsistent start to the season, but Barton can contribute across the board. He just needs to find his stroke. Maybe the bloodhound the Nuggets hired is getting thrown off by all the pungent weed floating in the Denver jet stream.
JaMychal Green
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/3 | 5/8 | 4/6 |
Played 20 minutes off the bench, while Paul Millsap got the start and played 16 minutes. Start Green, you cowards!!
Facundo Campazzo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0/3 | 3/7 | 5/7 |
In 26 minutes off the bench. That’s now back-to-back games receiving over 20 minutes. The numbers haven’t been eye-popping like the highlight passes, but Campazzo can provide some tres, dimes, and steals.
LaMarcus Aldridge
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/6 | 6/16 | 0 |
Got the start and played 26 minutes after missing the past three games. Injuries are no laughing matter. Neither was the 6-for-16 shooting performance.
DeMar DeRozan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3/9 | 0 |
DeRozan scored in double figures every game last season. He has played 827 games in his career and has now scored in single digits 96 times. As my momma used to always say to me, “Shit happens, Son.”
Rudy Gay
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/5 | 6/11 | 1/2 |
Played 25 minutes off the bench. Even with the return of LMA, Gay maintained his playing time. On the season, he’s averaging 24.8 minutes, 12.7 points, 1.9 tres, 4.9 boards, 1.6 dimes, 0.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks on 41% shooting from the field and 72% from the line. That’s been good for top 110 production.
Patty Mills
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8/12 | 8/16 | 3/4 |
In 29 minutes off the bench, tied for a season-high. The 16 shot attempts were also a season-high, as he kept heat checking and getting a positive result in return. That is the best feeling in the world. Too bad it didn’t happen often for me but I will always treasure the times it did. Mills is a baller and can get buckets with the best of them. Everytime I watch him play for Australia against the USA, he’s freaking the Aussie Steph Curry.
Nicolas Batum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2/5 | 8/12 | 3/3 |
Continues to start and played 36 minutes. He’s been a top 70 player, contributing in every cat but blocks, but will likely lose playing time when Marcus Morris is ready to go.
Kawhi Leonard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/3 | 13/22 | 3/3 |
Kawhi is the number 12 player on a per-game basis right now. Over the past seven seasons, he’s finished as a top 10 player in five of them. One of those years, he only played nine games while in the other one he finished as the 15th player. He’s going to be fine. The craziest stat is that he’s only turning the ball over 1.2 times per game while garnering a 30.8 usage rate. SkyNet obviously values efficiency and limiting mistakes.
Luke Kennard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1/5 | 3/10 | 2/2 |
Got the start and played 38 minutes because Paul George is nursing an ankle injury. Man, he had so many open looks in this game and couldn’t convert, which is uncharacteristic because he’s a career 40% shooter from downtown. He does offer some playmaking ability but hasn’t really figured out his role yet in LA. I had some optimism entering the season, but if he’s not dishing out dimes or hitting tres, he’s useless because he doesn’t provide the D. All the ladies in LA are sad now.
Patrick Beverley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6/9 | 7/10 | 0 |
Beverley has been en fuego the past four games, shooting 53% from the field and posting top 60 production. Don’t expect the good times to continue, though, as he’s a low-40s shooter on the regular.
Otto Porter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4/7 | 7/14 | 1/2 |
We Otto take notice of what Porter has been doing lately, starting the past four games and posting top 20 production. Unfortunately, the Bulls said that Otto will return to the bench when Lauri Markkanen returns. <shrug emoji> He may still get plenty of minutes off the bench, though. We shall see and something to keep an eye on.
Coby White
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2/7 | 8/19 | 3/4 |
Coming into this game, White was more like Mr. Black Hole, as he was shooting 37% from the field. That wasn’t going to continue all season long. The Theory of Shooting Dynamics said it was so. White is a points, tres, boards, and dimes player who won’t contribute much in the defensive cats.
Robert Covington
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4/9 | 5/10 | 0 |
The Lord had enough of hanging with the peasants, so he finally decided to hang out in his Manor and provide the delectables that we are so accustomed to. He’s a top 100 player on the season, but over the past four years, with three different teams, he was a top 40 player in each season. My money is on him finishing closer to top 50 than top 100 come season’s end.
Jusuf Nurkic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 | 6/15 | 0 |
Patience grasshoppers. It’s happening. I know it’s like watching paint dry while getting punched in the balls, but eventually the paint does dry and the balls stopped getting punched.
CJ McCollum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 6/14 | 10/21 | 0 |
Damian Lillard
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/11 | 6/17 | 9/11 |
True BFFs as they match stat lines on a nightly basis. McCollum is the number six player on the season, while Dame is 36th. Picture a see-saw. At some point one end hits the ground and stops the momentum, then it bounces off the ground and moves in the other direction. One side goes up, while the other goes down.
