As much as I’d like to take credit for headline pun, all credit here goes Pelicans analyst Antonio Daniels. Well, maybe not all the credit, as Brandon Ingram obviously is in need of some praise as well after getting his team over the hump with huge triples down the stretch. Here’s the winner:
C L U T C H!
Brandon Ingram knocks it down for the @PelicansNBA WIN! pic.twitter.com/C57bQyEUj3
— NBA (@NBA) January 12, 2022
Brandon Ingram
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 33 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 11/19 | 5/5 | 5 |
In the past I’ve mentioned that I don’t feel like I’ve got a great handle on who BI is as a player. There are flashy, stat-stuffing games like this one where it looks like he’s got it all figured out. A three-level scorer with more than a little playmaking ability offensively, and a long, rangy defender who alters shots and flits into passing lanes — there’s a lot to like about the slim 24-year-old with a massive wingspan. Then there are nights when the efficiency plummets and the turnovers, as seen here, balloon on him while the dimes dry up. For fantasy purposes, he’s got enough offensive punch to hang around the top-50 without much trouble, but the lack of defensive contributions and turnovers work like an engine regulator on his overall value. He’s been the 16th best player in the Association over the last week, so if you were wondering what the ceiling looks like, now’s your chance to catch a glimpse.
Speaking of catching glimpses, here’s what else I saw on a mostly-competitive night in the NBA…
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 32 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13/22 | 5/6 | 2 |
The Wizards really didn’t have much at all for SGA in this one. Time and time again, Gilgeous-Alexander would break down the guard in front of him and get to the paint. He had 18 points in the first half, almost all of them coming at the rim. The three-point shooting is way down this year, but why bomb away from deep when you can get all the way to the rack?
Josh Giddey
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8/15 | 0/0 | 2 |
I’ll bet there’s an Australian phrase for just how bad Giddey’s shooting splits look here in year one — 39/27/68 — but here in the US of A I’d just say that they really suck. There’s triple-double potential here for sure, but a rookie guard is gonna rookie guard.
Luguentz Dort
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 17 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6/14 | 3/3 | 0 |
It’s wild to me that Dort is still only 22 years old. His Bubble breakout was simultaneously three seasons and two years ago, so you’ll have to excuse me being a bit scrambled. He’s taken a step forward as a scorer, but the big jump hasn’t happened yet here in year three. Dort is a steady source of triples though.
Kyle Kuzma
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 29 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 12/17 | 4/7 | 1 |
Made his first seven shots and then kept it rolling for the rest of the night. The FT shooting is still somewhat inexplicably bad and doesn’t seem to be improving, but otherwise the good times are rolling. Kuz has scored 20+ points in eight straight while shooting ~50% from the field.
Spencer Dinwiddie
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 22 | 3 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 7/15 | 7/7 | 0 |
Dinwiddie too has been enjoying a decent stretch of ball. Going back to Christmas, Spencer has been good for 18 and 8 with solid efficiency. On the season he’s sitting around 150 overall and is mostly a steals and dimes without turnovers play.
Daniel Gafford
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 6 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/4 | 0/0 | 0 |
Montrezl Harrell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 12 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5/8 | 2/4 | 0 |
It was Harrell’s first game back from H&S and evidently Thomas Bryant is expected back any minute, so the big man rotation in DC is about to get very interesting. Gafford started and played 23 minutes, while Trez was more effective in 24. Rui Hachimura is also back in the rotation, so it’s fair to categorize the situation as messy. Hard to love anyone one (or two) of these guys.
Chris Paul
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 15 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 6/11 | 2/2 | 2 |
With guys like Donovan Mitchell, LaMelo Ball, and Dejounte Muray moving into the overall top 25, it would be easy to forget about the consistent excellence that CP is still delivering in the fantasy game. The swipes are sky-high and the dimes are second to none. Even with all these young guards on the come up, the Point God is a lock for early round value as long as he’s on the floor.
Deandre Ayton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5/7 | 6/6 | 2 |
DA posted a solid if unremarkable in his return from H&S on Saturday, and then built off of that effort Tuesday in Toronto. He’s played 30+ minutes in both, so it’s safe to assume that he’s put any lingering effects behind him. Top-50 production incoming.
Jae Crowder
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 19 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 7/14 | 0/0 | 2 |
Mikal Bridges
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5/12 | 1/1 | 2 |
Devin Booker
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 16 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4/13 | 6/8 | 3 |
It really isn’t hard to understand why the Suns are good, is it? Cam Johnson was out for this one too. Phoenix is just loaded.
Pascal Siakam
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 22 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10/23 | 2/4 | 4 |
A top-60 guy on the season, Siakam has been a top-50 contributor over the last two weeks and a top-25 player over the last seven days. The line, as they say, goes up.
OG Anunoby
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 25 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 9/20 | 3/6 | 2 |
When I watched the Raptors and Bucks in Milwaukee last week, I remarked to my buddy next to me that, “OG has no moves but he can’t stop scoring.” Moves or not, Anunoby is shooting 47/40/88 since New Year’s Eve. It’s clear that OG is finding his way to spots where he can hurt you and then cashing in.
Fred VanVleet
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 21 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7/18 | 3/5 | 3 |
Only 21? FVV has dropped 30+ in five of his last seven, so you’ll understand why my socks haven’t been blown off here.
Chris Boucher
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4/9 | 5/8 | 2 |
The pendulum keeps swinging from end to end for Boucher. It’s hard to know when the good days are coming, but when they do they look like this.
Isaiah Stewart
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4/8 | 3/4 | 2 |
The Pistons lost by 46 points in Chicago, so even getting one blurb wasn’t guaranteed. I only mention Beef here because, despite the blowout, he drew 28 minutes to Trey Lyles’ 15. Bol Bol presumably will get a look for the woebegone Pistons, but Stewart is still the big guy you want to roster…for now.
Lonzo Ball
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 6/9 | 2/3 | 1 |
Nikola Vucevic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 22 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10/18 | 0/0 | 2 |
DeMar DeRozan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 20 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8/13 | 4/5 | 3 |
Even with LaVine coughing up an off night, Chicago’s other stars were plenty good enough to bury the lowly Pistons. Alex Caruso was primed to return from a foot injury last week before being waylaid by H&S protocols. Assuming his bout with the bug isn’t too bad, the Bulls should be getting another important contributor back sooner rather than later. Already sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings, this Chicago group isn’t going anywhere.
Steph Curry
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 27 | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 8/21 | 9/10 | 3 |
Still waiting for the shooting percentages to come back up, but Curry is a top 5 asset despite shooting 50 points below his career FG% Evidently being historically great at something is a high bar to set. Settle for the off-night triple double and be grateful.
Andrew Wiggins
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5/12 | 0/0 | 4 |
Klay Thompson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 14 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5/13 | 2/2 | 3 |
Gary Payton II
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 6/8 | 0/0 | 0 |
Jordan Poole
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3/11 | 5/5 | 1 |
Klay’s return, while a cause for celebration, does not come without some complications. The ask offensively changes a bit for Wiggins, while GP II and Poole will both see their roles and minutes take a bit of a haircut. They’re all important pieces for a championship contender, so cannibalized production from each seems to be the most likely outcome.
Ja Morant
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 29 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 11/23 | 6/8 | 2 |
Not only is Morant an All-Star who is putting up a top-30 season in fantasy hoops, he also leads the league in swag. Even before blowing minds with the superman block a few days ago Morant has been electric watch. The Grizzlies are must see TV while Ja is running the show.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5/13 | 2/2 | 2 |
If he can consistently board like this — he’s averaging 11 REB over his last three — then JJJ is an early rounder. His last week has been nutty — 20 and 7 with 4.8 (!) stocks — and provides a glimpse at the ceiling here. The block party is crazy and unsustainable, but there’s no reason to think that he won’t be going on rejection runs going forward.
Brandon Clarke
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 14 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6/9 | 2/3 | 0 |
Could it possibly be happening? Clarke has been marooned on the bench for much of the early schedule, but the minutes are finally starting to come his way consistently. Since New Year’s Eve, Clarke has played 22+ minutes in five out of six contests. It’s still far from the lion’s share, but there’s a baseline of production here that’s very attractive. I added Clarke last week for the schedule, and I think he has to be hold at this point. Even with a modest allotment of minutes, there’s a top-100 player here, though Steven Adams looms.
Tyus Jones
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 17 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 6/8 | 0/0 | 1 |
Last week I called Tyus Jones “Cory Joseph Jr.” This week? I’m apologizing for calling him Cory Joseph Jr. The minutes ceiling is real, so don’t go crazy in adding him, but there’s no reason to jump off this hot streak now.
Ziaire Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6/12 | 2/2 | 1 |
Following the news of Dillon Brooks’ ankle injury, I took the bait one more time on De’Anthony Melton (12 MP). That was the last time. Williams now has a chance to start and play serious minutes over the next few weeks, and I’m doing my best to swap my Melton shares for Ziaire.
Karl-Anthony Towns
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 26 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9/16 | 7/11 | 3 |
Anthony Edwards
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 28 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 10/21 | 2/2 | 3 |
Edwards had set himself up the be the hero for Minnesota by canning massive triples for the road Wolves, but BI had other plans. From an aesthetic point of view, I would prefer it Edwards settled less and used his substantial athletic gifts to get to the rack more often. Then again, if you’re hitting six triples in a game, I can see how you fall in love with it. Either way, the bottom line is a top-30 second-year player on a direct path to fantasy stardom.
D’Angelo Russell
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6/15 | 2/2 | 2 |
I didn’t realize what a run DLo had been on until I had come up with something to say about him here. Now that I’m looking at his game logs, it’s evident that he’s been balling. He’s double-doubled in three straight, recorded at least one steal in each of the last four, and the turnovers have been minimal. I don’t really believe the 52% FG shooting of the last two weeks is here to stay, so Russell’s days as a top-30 player are winding down sooner or later.
Malik Beasley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6/10 | 0/0 | 0 |
It’s gotten to the point with Beasley that if his point total is divisible by three then you can pretty safely assume how many field goals he made. It is production though, by God, even if it’s an extremely specific kind.
Josh Hart
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 21 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8/14 | 4/6 | 3 |
The recent scoring uptick is okay, as Hart seems to be scoring his way out of a recent slide. The FG% had been tumbling and the stocks have really dried up. The rebounding is steady as ever though.
Jonas Valanciunas
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 13 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/7 | 7/9 | 4 |
When looking at what Valanciunas has done this year against previous seasons, it becomes clear that there’s an appetite for a dip in FG% in exchange for indulging the triples. Considering he’s hitting 42% from out there, it’s something you live with, but the overall FG% is lower than it ever has been.
Aaron Gordon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 30 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11/16 | 7/7 | 4 |
Whoa. I don’t know where this one came from and I can’t imagine it coming back again anytime soon, especially considering AG is a 15 and 5 guy on the season. If he’d managed to record even a single defensive stat I would have had to set up my Charlie Day conspiracy board and get to work exposing this imposter, but the lack of work defensively is something of a calling card for Gordon.
Give it a rest, Charlie.
Nikola Jokic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 21 | 13 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 9/14 | 2/2 | 5 |
Yawn. I’m so bored by this excellence. I could really go for a cup of…
Amir Coffey
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3PM | FG | FT | TO |
| 18 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 6/11 | 3/3 | 1 |
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. The only West Coast game on Tuesday night was a weird one. The Nuggets took advantage of a brutal offensive night — the Clippers scored 28 points in the first half! — and built a huge lead in LA. Then they managed to give it all back to Amir Coffey and Reggie Jackson, and ended up losing 87-85. Needless to say, this rock fight yielded very little in the way of fantasy value. Reggie Jackson played the hero role for the Clips, but Coffey’s line was the strongest by far.
