Fractions. Math. It’s hard…
Kinda like variables… Is it IT2?! Is it IT3?! I feel like I’m taking crazy pills!
Apparently it’s “IT2” when alluding to his non-related, same-named NBA legend Isiah Thomas. For like a year I thought Isaiah Thomas was legit his son! But then Thomas flashed the “IT3” nickname because he… shoots a lot of 3s? Eesh. Originality is lacking! So I have officially donned him IT2/3 to solve all the confusion, and to reference his diminutive size.
After returning from elbow and back injuries, IT2/3 was atrocious last Wednesday for 4 Pts and 3 TO against the Heat. I was passing on him in at least 2/3 of comments! But IT2/3 had a monster weekend with 18/1/6 and 19/0/7 lines with a combined 17-19 at the stripe. Getting a foul called on 2/3 of his drives! Certainly a must-own down the stretch, it has also made Marcus Smart a dumpster fire. Hopefully those of you still alive in Razzball Nation ignored my 2/3-of-the-time wrong advice and can ride IT2/3 through the H2H Finals! Here’s what else happened over the weekend in fantasy basketball action:
Reggie Jackson – Man, that game a few weeks ago where he was held without an assist sure seems like a distant memory! 9+ dimes in 7-straight including tripdubbing Friday for 26/11/10 then 31/6/9 last night. Hopeful 15-16 R-Jax owners are like, “stop going so ham, I want to get you at a value next year!”
Andre Drummond – Career high alert! I mean, with no Whiteside and Udonis Haslem starting at the 5, you better bring the big boy pants! 32/14/2/1/2 on 14-17 FG in the kind of line we were hoping for every other night from Drummo. After shooting sub-45% through November, he’s been a boss the past 4 months.
Hassan Whiteside – Speaking of no Whiteside, he almost played bouncing back from the stitches in the webbing between his fingers. Maybe he’s related to Dr. Evil… “My mother was a 15-year-old French prostitute named Chloé with webbed feet.”
Dwyane Wade – Wade is not moving into that shade! After a report he had a lot of fluid buildup in his knee, Wade still suited up last night and was a monster for 40/6/4 on 14-27 FG and 12-13 FT. After the game he was like, “gimme the hose, I need more fluid in my other knee!”
Nerlens Noel – Captain N bringing the career high game! Unreal 12-17 from the field Friday night for 30/14/2/2/0. Imagine that line with 3, 3, 2, 4, or 6 blocks on it! Because that was his blocks tally the previous 5! Slim might be right… “Mini-Brow!” With that 69% FT in the second half, he really has become the big I had hoped. Look at that #1 human ranking not being so dumb after all!
Mo Williams – I tried to tell ya to keep the Mo from off the Flo! As in, hold onto him… Nice bounce back weekend for a rainbow/near-tripdub 26/9/10/2/2 Saturday night and 18/1/4 last night with 4 treys in both. Going to remain a big part of the O the rest of the way!
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – Will be a much lesser part of the O, after suffering an ankle sprain and will miss 7-10 days. Ugh, rough finish, and injury concerns might follow MKG as a deeper league prospect next year.
Drew Gooden – With the exorbitant amount of DNPs and injuries this past month, we should’ve all expected a big line from Drew Gooden, amiright?! 15/17/4 Saturday, but Nene was playing nono good in that one.
Jeremy Lin – Sat last night an upper respiratory infection (just say flu teams! it’s so much shorter!) and Jordan Clarkson had another solid 18/6/7 line. If Lin sits again tonight, it’ll open up some G minutes for someone pretty sexy! More below!
Josh Smith – The run is nice and the counting stats – as always – are helpful, but Smoove without fail finds a way to kill ya. 16/9/11/0/3 with 3 treys Friday (but 6 TO), then 14/10/3/1/2 with 2 treys yesterday (but 4 TO). Luckily only 1-2 FT these past two games in his upticked 76 minutes over the weekend, but if TO and FT aren’t concerns, he should continue to play big minutes and contribute while Donatas Motiejunas (1-2 weeks with a bad back) and Terrence Jones (rib and collapsed lung) miss games.
Patrick Beverley – More Rox more injuries, and PBev is probably out for the season according to Kevin McHale. Jason Terry and Pablo Prigioni will split some PG minutes down the stretch, and I ain’t got time for dat!
Gorgui Dieng – Just what the Wolves needed as well, more injuries! Left early last night with a facial contusion, but had 3 blocks in 9 minutes! On his way to 12 blocks! Ughhhhhh.
Chase Budinger – He’s going to have to start playing 48 per game during this plague of Minnesota, and given Budinger’s injury-past, it’s shocking HE’S the healthy one! Only 10/5/2 last night with no treys, but didn’t commit a TO and has been pretty much must-own the past 2 weeks.
Justin Hamilton – The migraine issues that cost J-Ham some games were really untimely, as he was on a roll and looking at monster minutes. He’s still getting eased back, but if Dieng misses any more action, Hamilton just has to play. 5-6 FG 11/5/0/1/1 in 23 minutes last night, and would be an interesting stream if The Dieng Train remains off the rails.
Anthony Bennett – After playing only 9 minutes since Feb 11, Bennett finally got back into the fold and missed all 4 shots in 11:30 last night. Rusty McGusty! He’s not going to get pushed; only worth a look in deepers.
Jameer Nelson – On an absolute tear! He’s a G version of Budinger, an off-the-bench scorer that’s had 9-straight of must-own. 18/1/3 and 22/2/5 this past weekend with 4 treys in both.
Brandon Knight – The Knight hath save us! Anddddddddd shot only 1-10 FG in his 22 minutes last night, after missing a few weeks with that kankle. Like IT2/3, I won’t make the same mistake twice! Be sure he’s owned if you’re still alive.
Kevin Durant – Mannnnnn, well the 2014-15 season will forever be subtitled: The Collapse of KD. Early drafts had him BY FAR the consensus #1! Heading for another foot surgery and will be held out of basketball activities 4-6 months. All we’re going to talk about through the first month or two of the ranks is KD and the risk…
Dennis Schroder – Back-to-back starts for resting/kankled Jeff Teague, and dubdub dimebags in both! 12/3/11 then 17/4/11 in a smorgasbord of stats! Numbers as tasty as schnitzel! Dude, when I was in Germany last year I had jager-schnitzel and mmmmmmmm, I’m hungry now…
Jordan Hill – Well, after Byron Scott said there’d be no Hill for 4-5 games, he comes back after 3 with Ed Davis getting a DNP-tanking (nice terminology, Rotoworld!). Hill made his run count, too! 22/16/1/0/1 on 10-17 shooting. But you can’t add him in any normal leagues, it’s very likely another DNP next time out.
Rajon Rondo – Monta Ellis sat last night with a calf issue, and was on crutches over the weekend so easily could miss a few more. And with the extra G usage-rate floating around, Rondo actually looked like an NBA PG again! 17/7/10/2/1 on 8-14 FG and made his 1 FT. Rondo is out there in a lot of leagues, and I actually like him for these next few games without Ellis.
Streamers/Cheap Daily League Picks:
Adreian Payne (2% owned) – If there’s indeed no Dieng, it’s going to be a Major Payne to watch the Wolves tonight, that’s for sure! But he’ll get run, and I trust the minutes more than other streamer candidate J-Ham.
Jabari Brown (0% owned) – Slim’s new D-League love affair! Slim loves him some Jabari Brown, who went bonkers in 31 minutes last night for 11/4/3/4/1. He’s a really solid looking player, and another 30 minutes should be coming his way if there’s no Lin. And the Lakers opp? The Sixers tonight. Mmmmmm, the hottest Jabari in the NBA right now, that’s for sure!
I hope everyone made it to their H2H Finals or are still in the running in their Roto leagues, and we’ll see you tomorrow for a special edition post Razzball Nation!
