LOGIN

 

Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

No, not Michael. That would be weird and unbelieveable at the same time. Did he travel in time? Or did he sell his shares in the Hornets, pass through waivers, and get signed by an NBA team? He is 56 years old, so it would be quite the feat if he was able to ball in today’s NBA, and go on a scoring binge no less. Vince Carter is 42 years old and still playing, so anything is possible. Plus, if there was one guy who could pull off the feat, Michael Jordan would have to be at the top of the list. That would be one helluva 30 for 30. But alas, Michael is not the Jordan that I’m talking about. That would be Jordan Clarkson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who went 30 in 30 last night:

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
33 6 1 0 1 1 6/8 12/17 3/5

In 30 minutes! Jordan gets buckets. How could he not? In five of six NBA seasons, Jordan has scored at least 30 points in one game. Unfortunately, he’s inconsistent and has never averaged more than 17 points per game. Plus, his last name is Clarkson. Ok, 17 points ain’t bad, as De’Aaron Fox averaged 17.3 points per game last season, which was good for 44th in the NBA. Clarkson just doesn’t do much else, which crimps his overall fantasy value. On the season, he’s a top 140 player.

Here’s what else I saw last night:

 

Jonas Valanciunas

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
14 14 2 0 4 1 0 7/13 0

Played 30 minutes. It’s all about the playing time for JV. When he gets the run, he’s almost a lock for a dub-dub with blocks. The weird thing, though, is that he’s received at least 30 minutes only four times this season. <insert shrug emoji>

Dillon Brooks

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
16 7 4 2 1 1 4/9 5/16 2/2

Over the last four games, Brooks has been a top 70 player for fantasy. On the season, he’s a top 125 player. The difference has come from the increase in defensive stats, shooting efficiency, and rebounds. The crazy thing is that he’s been shooting 42% from the field, an increase from the 40% on the season. Brooks is playing close to 29 minutes per game on a Memphis team that is fourth in offensive pace. If you need tres and steals, saunter on down to the Brooks.

Kevin Love/

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
21 13 1 0 0 2 5/11 6/13 4/6

I’d Love to see him on the Trail Blazers. When Love plays, he’s going to provide plenty of points, tres, boards, and dimes. Unfortunately, there’s so much uncertainty with his situation right now. He could get traded, but even if he doesn’t, how many minutes will Love play on a night-to-night basis because of the Cavs getting blown out?

John Henson

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
3 4 3 0 7 0 0/1 1/4 1/2

In 16 minutes!!! A boards and blocks player. He’s only averaging 13 minutes per game right now, but if Love and Tristan Thompson get traded, Henson could find himself getting much more run.

Markieff Morris

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
10 6 2 1 2 3 2/7 3/10 2/2

Got the start and played 31 minutes because Blake Griffin sat due to the back-to-back. That is all.

Andre Drummond

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
12 11 4 6 0 6 0/1 5/11 2/6

The 6 steals were a season-high, and tied his career high. A smooth criminal he is. Dre is the #11 player for fantasy on the season. The boards, steals, blocks, and field goal percentage are E. L. I. T. E. He even dishes out dimes. The biggest bugaboos are the turnovers and poor free throw shooting.

Svi Mykhailiuk

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
12 2 1 2 0 3 4/ 4/12 0

Got the start and played 28 minutes because Luke Kennard sat because of the back-to-back and knee issues.

Jayson Tatum

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
26 5 3 2 0 0 2/7 10/17 4/4

Channing broke up with Jessie J, but at least brother from another mother, Jayson, balled out to keep the name in high regard. Remember when Celtics fans said they wouldn’t trade Tatum for AD? Those were good times. Anyways, Tatum is a fine player. In fact, he’s a top 35 player for fantasy. Like Channing, Jayson is not an A-lister. At least not yet.

Kemba Walker

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
2 3 11 1 1 7 0/3 0/6 2/3

Horrifyingly atrocious shooting. Shit happens, though. You never had a bad day at the office? So shut your mouth! I kid, I kid. Just one of those nights. He’s been a top 25 player for fantasy, so he’s provided bliss for season-long owners. For those who rostered him in DFS…..

Image result for shoveling money gif"

Jaylen Brown

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
26 5 5 3 1 3 4/7 9/13 4/5

What can Brown do for you? Apparently a whole lot, especially with Gordon Hayward out. On the season, he’s a top 40 player for fantasy. More recently, over the past five games, he’s been a top 25 player. Brown provides pointes, tres, boards, and steals. As I’ve written before, the improvement in the percentages have been the key to his breakout. He’s shooting 50% from the field and 76% from the line. Last season, those numbers were 46% and 65% respectively.

Grant Williams

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
18 3 0 0 1 1 2/3 8/10 0

Played 30 minutes. Over the last two games, Williams has averaged 26.9 minutes because the Celtics were without Marcus Smart and Gordon Hayward.

Enes Kanter

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
8 18 0 1 1 2 0 4/9 0/2

In 22 minutes off the bench. Kanter is viable in deeper leagues and for stream spots, as he will get around 21-22 minutes per game with Robert Williams out. The three-headed center monster morphs into a two-headed snake. Don’t expect much past points and boards, though.

Aron Baynes

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
7 5 3 0 0 2 1/3 3/9 0

Got the start and played 26 minutes because Deandre Ayton was out with an ankle injury. We know Baynes can ball the F out when Ayton is out, so plug him in for now. Ayton shouldn’t miss too much time, but you never know, as we don’t know the severity of the ankle sprain yet.

Ricky Rubio

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
24 2 8 1 0 0 2/3 9/11 4/4

Second in all of basketball with 9.5 dimes per game! The lack of blocks and poor field goal percentage (38%) are the only things holding down his value (top 70 player).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
32 4 3 1 0 0 2/2 13/18 4/5

So damn Gilgeous-Alexander the Great. For fantasy, not so much, as he’s outside the top 100. The shooting efficiency is meh at 43% and he doesn’t dish out many dimes. If Chris Paul gets traded, then that number likely ticks up. As it stands, SGA provides points, tres, boards, and steals. There’s upside, though, due to trade and just good old fashioned experience.

Dennis Schroder

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
24 9 6 0 0 4 1/4 9/19 5/5

In 34 minutes off the bench. Dennis has been an absolute menace to the regression fairies, as he’s been a top 50 player over the past six games. He’s been shooting 51% from the field! In the end, the regression fairies always get their way. Thou shall not swat at the regression fairies. Let them fly around, do their thing, and just bow your head in reverence.

Bobby Portis

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
30 8 2 3 0 0 4/7 12/17 2/2

In 25 minutes off the bench. Portis was the only one to give the Knicks a fighting chance. I wouldn’t put too much stock into this performance, though. He got hot, while the rest of the Knicks…..just look at the shooting from the starting lineup: Gibson (1/3), Randle (3/11), Morris (5/11), Barrett (1/10), and Ntilikina (1/3).

Mitchell Robinson

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
18 4 1 1 1 0 0 8/9 2/2

Over the past seven games, Mitchell Robinson’s neighborhood has been open 27 minutes per game. As a result, he’s been a top 20 player. That tends to happen when you play your best players. What a novel concept! I’m going to patent the idea.

Jimmy Butler

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
9 5 8 3 1 3 1/1 2/3 4/6

For once, Butler didn’t have to work too much, as he had the help working for him. Plus, the Knicks are just awful. They lost 129-114.

Kelly Olynyk

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
10 10 3 0 0 3 2/5 2/6 4/5

Played 26 minutes, but that’s because the Knicks suck. On most night, the big O will get around 20 minutes of run and provide tres and boards.

Goran Dragic 

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
18 1 8 0 1 2 4/9 6/12 2/3

Returned from injury and played 24 minutes. Prior to going down, Dragic was averaging close to 29 minutes per game. He should get ramped up to that level soon. He won’t start, but will lead the second unit and provide points, tres, and dimes.

Derrick Jones Jr.

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
14 7 0 0 1 1 1/1 5/6 3/4

Top 50 player over the past four games. Airplane Mode has been averaging 29.5 minutes and providing some tres and defensive stats. The field goal percentage is excellent because most of his buckets look like…..

I think he’s carved out a significant role and the minutes floor should be high due to his defensive versatility.

Kristaps Porzingis

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
22 18 0 1 3 2 2/6 10/19 0

Top 20 player over the past four games. Trade Luka!!! Ha, yeah right. It’s only a matter of time before Luktaps Porzincic runs roughshod over the NBA landscape.

Dorian Finney-Smith

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
11 6 4 2 0 3 1/3 3/5 4/4

DFS is not one we talk about much for fantasy, but he’s an asset because he starts, plays a ton of minutes, and provides tres and steals. The prototypical 3-and-D player.

Tim Hardaway Jr.

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
27 4 1 1 0 1 7/11 10/21 0/1

I be loving the Hardaway bets! Not the greatest bets on the craps table, but the payoff is nice. Same with Hardaway Jr. He can get hot and provide a ton of points and tres, but there will be more than enough 37% shooting to make you feel stupid.

Joel Embiid

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
33 17 2 1 1 1 3/7 12/24 6/6

Not much to say. He’s really good. Like really, really good. Top 10-15 player for fantasy.

Davis Bertans

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
10 8 3 1 0 3 2/12 3/15 2/2

Remember what I wrote about the regression fairies? He’s a good shooter, so the floor is relatively high, but here’s something to chew on: In three games as a starter, Bertans is shooting 39% from the field. As a reserve, 47%.

Bradley Beal

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
37 7 6 1 0 2 3/10 12/24 10/12

Because of Beal, I’m going to try veal. Out of respect. That’s how much I respect him. Top 30 player for fantasy.

Ish Smith

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
26 1 2 1 1 0 4/4 9/9 4/4

Played 30 minutes off the bench. I wish for Ish to swish. Last night he flourished, which nourished his fantasy owners. And squished the competition. He deserves a kiss for making those who rostered him in DFS rich. Such heavenly bliss. Do not dismiss and be a bitch. Something is amiss. Is it a glitch in the Matrix? I kid. Soon Ish will return to the abyss from which he came from. Here come the regression fairies again. Ish has been shooting over 50% from the field. He’s more like a 44% shooter. He has been getting 30 minutes of run over the past six games, so if you need some points, tres, dimes, and steals, he’s viable. Meditate and wish.

Serge Ibaka

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
23 10 1 0 3 2 2/3 7/10 7/10

Iblocka made an appearance!!! Serge got the start and played 36 minutes due to the Marc Gasol injury. Nick Nurse has not been doctoring the minutes, as he’s been running his starters into the ground. I’d expect no less for Ibaka until Gasol returns from his hamstring injury.

Kyle Lowry

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
26 4 9 1 0 5 3/7 7/14 9/11

Played 41 minutes. If he can stay healthy, Lowry is going to be a fantasy force. Points, tres, boards, dimes, and steals should be plentiful. The field goal percentage is poor, though.

Fred VanVleet

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
18 9 8 1 0 2 1/4 6/18 5/7

Returned from injury and played 34 minutes. Fred VanELITE. Props to Emac of Awesemo for that. FVV was a top 20 player for fantasy before the injury. No reason to expect anything less.

No one on the Raptors bench played more than 19 minutes. Chris Boucher played 13 minutes and provided 4 points and 5 boards. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson played 19 minutes and contributed 14 points, 2 boards, and 4 dimes. Terence Davis played 18 minutes and provided 8 points, 3 boards, and 1 dime. Malcolm Miller played 14 minutes and didn’t do much.

Gorgui Dieng

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
18 6 0 0 1 1 4/6 6/11 2/4

Got the start and played 24 minutes because Karl-Anthony Towns did not play. Dieng it!!!

Shabazz Napier

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
4 4 5 1 0 1 1/4 1/6 1/2

Got the start and played 20 minutes because Jarrett Culver did not play.

Nikola Jokic

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
22 10 10 0 2 2 2/4 10/16 0

Just a Jokic messing around and having fun. That’s now 38 career trip-dubs for Jokic. Top 10 player over the past seven games and has rightfully reclaimed his throne on the Nikola pantheon.

Jamal Murray

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
28 6 5 3 0 3 3/6 9/19 7/7

It feels like Murray has been in the league forever, yet he’s still only 22 years old and this is his fourth year in the league. Crazy. Anyways, for fantasy he’s solid and has a high floor. Accessing ceiling is the question. You can count on around 4 boards and 4 dimes every game, with 2 tres, 17 points, and a few steals. The free throw shooting is excellent at 89%. The shooting could improve, as he’s converting 43% of his attempts on the season, but that’s usually to be expected of jump shooters.

Jerami Grant

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
5 5 0 0 1 0 1/3 2/5 0

He had 5 on it! Grant played 23 minutes. He and Millsap are essentially splitting the power forward minutes down the middle, capping any upside for either.

Richaun Holmes

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
20 9 0 0 1 0 0 9/10 2/2

Orale, Holmes! Unfortunately, he only received 24 minutes of run, which will likely be the norm going forward.

Buddy Hield

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
7 8 6 1 0 1 1/9 3/15 0

Lot of poor shooting performances last night. Shit happens. With that said, Hield is only shooting 42% from the field on the season.

Marvin Bagley

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
17 5 1 0 3 1 1/2 6/12 4/4

Played 27 minutes off the bench. Since Bagley returned from injury, he’s played 23. 21, 22, 22, and the 27 minutes from last night. The trend is your friend. It’s only a matter of time before he’s ramped up and starts starting.

De’Aaron Fox

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
8 5 6 3 0 2 0/2 3/9 2/2

Played 24 minutes off the bench. The shooting efficiency has been an issue all season long. That doesn’t look like it’s going away this year. We shall see. It’s been two games since Fox returned from injury, so he’s a little behind Bagley in terms of getting ramped up. When he does, points, dimes, and steals should be plentiful.

Justin James

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
14 3 2 0 1 1 3/5 5/11 1/3

Played 24 minutes off the bench. Got run because Trevor Ariza and Bogdan Bogdanovic did not play.

T. J. Warren

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
23 4 1 0 1 0 3/4 10/16 0

Warren regulated the Kings, as he led the Pacers in scoring. For fantasy, he’s a top 90 player, providing points, tres, boards, and steals. The shooting efficiency has been fantastic at 50% for the season. He’s also been an efficient shooter, so shoo regression fairies. The main issue for Warren is health, as he’s never played more than 66 games in a season.

Aaron Holiday

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
11 2 4 2 0 2 3/3 3/6 2/2

Got the start and played 30 minutes because Jeremy Lamb did not play. Coach McMillan loves Holiday and he had been getting some of Lamb’s minutes prior to last night. Holiday is someone to keep an eye on because it’s within the range of outcomes that he gets more run.

T. J. McConnell

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
15 3 8 1 0 2 1/1 7/8 0

T. J. has nice hair and is serviceable when given the opportunity. He primarily contributes in dimes, but gets buckets and his 211 on. Doesn’t get enough run to be viable on a consistent basis, but someone to keep in mind when injury strikes.

Jonathan Isaac

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
10 4 0 4 2 3 1/1 3/9 3/4

The volume on offense has decreased, but the efficiency has increased. With that said, Isaac is only averaging 12 points per game, but it’s all about the defensive stats. 1.2 steals and 2.6 blocks on the season is tremendous. If he can ever get that offense going, I think I’d physically combust.

Nikola Vucevic

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
23 12 1 6 2 0 0/3 9/20 5/7

Saw what Jokic did and tried his bestest to reclaim the throne on the Nikola pantheon, but not enough. Maybe next game. Anyways, Vuc has played 33 minutes in each of the past three games. The Magic are taking minutes management to another level. Coach! Vuc is currently on pace to play 34 minutes tonight. Time out! Hey, Bamba. Get your ass in there. Coach! Vuc is at 32 minutes and 46 seconds. Wait…..hooooooooooooooollllllllllldddddddd……aaaaaaaaaand…….56…..57…..58…..59…..TIME OUT! TIME OUT!!! Bamba! Get your ass in there!

Carmelo Anthony only played nine minutes due to a knee injury. It doesn’t sound bad, but keep an eye out for updates. Anthony Tolliver replaced him and played 19 minutes. He provided 3 points, 1 board, 1 dime, and 1 steal.

Hassan Whiteside

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
10 17 1 0 5 5 0/1 3/9 4/6

Mt. Whiteside just keeps oozing out the fantasy goodies. He’s a top 10 player for fantasy on the year. Over the past 11 games, he’s been the #3 player!!! So many points, boards, blocks, and excellent field goal percentage. He’s shooting 76% from the line!!! For perspective, last season, that number was at 44%.

C. J. McCollum

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
31 8 4 1 0 2 4/8 12/20 3/3

Damian Lillard

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
36 3 6 1 0 5 7/13 13/21 3/3

The dynamic duo.

Derrick Favors

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
10 9 1 0 1 1 0 5/8 0

Not a great statistical line, but it’s all about the playing time. Favors received 26 minutes of run, the first time over 21 since returning from injury. Now, Coach Gentry said that he will likely be capped around 28 minutes per game, but in that environment, that’s more than enough to provide plenty of points, boards, and blocks.

Brandon Ingram

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
25 3 6 1 0 4 0/3 9/17 7/9

Jrue Holiday

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
25 8 4 0 0 3 3/6 10/20 2/4

Dynamic-er duo?

Lonzo Ball

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
14 4 2 6 0 4 2/4 6/11 0/3

In 22 minutes off the bench. The percentages or beyond awful (37% from the field and 56% from the line), but Lonzo can provide some tres and steals, with plenty of boards and dimes. There’s also the playing time issue. So, there are plenty of warts with Lonzo, but also tons of upside. The Ball is in your court.

Draymond Green

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
10 4 8 2 0 3 0/1 3/6 4/4

31 minutes. He’s going to be frustrating to own, but you can’t drop his ass. Dray provides boards, dimes, and steals. The percentages are poor, but at least the volume is low.

Damion Lee

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
20 6 1 0 0 0 4/7 6/13 4/4

Got the start and played 33 minutes. Coach Kerr likes Lee and he could stick in the starting lineup. This is something to monitor. As for fantasy impact, points and tres with a smattering of counting stats are what you can expect. The shooting efficiency will likely be poor.

D’Angelo Russell

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
25 2 7 2 0 5 4/12 9/20 3/4

Still loading….

Since returning from injury, Russell is shooting 37% from the field and 66% from the line. The usage rate has been fine at 31 and he’s been providing pionts, tres, dimes, and steals. The internal targeting and guidance system is still calibrating.

Alec Burks

PTS REB AST STL BLK TOV 3PT FG FT
18 8 3 4 0 2 0/4 7/12 4/4

Played 30 minutes off the bench. Top 80 player over the past 14 games and top 50 player over the past five games. Burks isn’t starting, but getting the run regardless. He’s been averaging around 30 minutes per game and providing points, tres, boards, some dimes, and steals. The free throw shooting has been excellent. The field goal percentage hasn’t been great, though. 42% on the season and there are stretches when he shoots in the low-30s. Regardless, he’s been solid and shouldn’t be on wires.