I was high on Precious Achiuwa in the offseason, as he showed flashes at the end of last season, both offensively and defensively. He improved his shooting and was able to make it rain from downtown. In addition, he exhibited the ability to make life difficult for Joel Embiid while also being able to switch on the perimeter against guards. Most importantly, though, Nick Nurse spoke glowingly about him over the summer, commenting on his work ethic and finally “getting it.” Then the season started, and it didn’t go as planned. He had two monster games while playing over 33 minutes in each, but after that, was relegated to playing in the teens. To stick a rusty knife into my belly, Achiuwa then succumbed to injury and missed the next 24 games. My Precious once had bling that blinded the eyes, but now was as dull as my jokes. Upon returning to action, he was once again playing in the teens, but slowly but surely, the playing time increased. Christian Koloko was sent down to the G League and my Precious began to glisten once again. Over the last five games, he received 28, 21, 26, 21 and 37 minutes, starting in the most recent contest and putting up 17 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
On Sunday, he got the start again, played 35 minutes and went for:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2/4 | 8/10 |
I liked Precious when he was a reserve player getting around 24 minutes. He wasn’t going to win any weeks or anything like that, but could provide utility for my fantasy squads. Now that he’s starting and playing in the mid-30s, I’m not sure my heart can take it.
Here’s what else I saw yesterday:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1/4 | 4/7 | 2/2 |
I love Double-Ds! <SMACK> Get your mind away from those things you’re thinking about it. I do like those things, but Double-Ds are too much for me. For fantasy hoops, though, Double-Ds are mighty fine. You got double-doubles, DeMar DeRozan and, now, the newest addition to the club: Dyson Daniels. What a beast he’s going to be. At 6-foot-8, 200 pounds, he has the length, but more importantly the agility and IQ to potentially be one of the better defenders in the league. He can initiate offense and rebound. It all comes down to the shooting, which has gotten better. He’s started the last five games and there is some uncertainty as to what his role will be when everyone is healthy. Maybe he goes back to a reserve role. Regardless, he’s a significant part of the rotation and should only get better. He’s still only 19 years old!
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0/2 | 7/14 | 0 |
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5/7 | 2/2 |
The Pelicans have a great center rotation. JV is a beast of a human and can bang down low with the best of them. He even has range from downtown. On the season, he’s 7th in dub-dubs. LNJ is a human pogo stick who can Statue of Liberty anyone on any given night. He allows New Orleans to go small and play fast, with a ton of long, twitchy athletes. For fantasy, it kind of sucks because it lowers the ceiling for both. That said, JV and LNJ can still be productive. LNJ was injured and had played fewer than 20 minutes in five straight, but he got 27 minutes on Sunday. JV played 25 minutes. The playing time will likely fluctuate, depending on the matchup and game, so keep that in mind if thinking of utilizing either.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4/10 | 10/22 | 2/2 |
And then a Herro comes along. With the range to shoot the ball. From a long, long way. Showing that he belongs.
The defensive stats are lacking, but the points, boards and dimes are bountiful. Herro is a top 50 player on the season and garners a 26% usage rate. He’s a professional getter of buckets and has shown that he can thrive as both a starter and the microwave off the bench.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 5/7 | 8/10 |
Butler is one of my favorite players in the league. He’s overcome all obstacles that life has thrown his way to get to where he is now. He’s a tough SOB and I’d want him on my squad any day. He plays the right way and can lead a team to victory in a multitude of ways. That said, for fantasy, he’s frustrating. Sitting out games is one reason. The other is that sometimes he is too unselfish to a fault. He can dominate and stuff the stat sheet on any given night, but rarely does so. Only when he’s needed.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3/4 | 10/18 | 7/7 |
Uh, guys. The Kawhibot has downloaded the new Operating System, the guidance chips have been recalibrated, the nuts have been tightened and the joints have been oiled. Over the last six games, he’s been a top 5 player.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/3 | 2/7 | 2/2 |
Mann replaced Reggie Jackson as the starting point guard eight games ago. That’s good, and he’s averaged 31.5 minutes per game. He’s also shot 50% from the field. That is also good. What is not so good are the lack of defensive stats and 69% from the line. More importantly, though, he was playing huge minutes with Paul George out. Now that he’s back, Mann has played 26, 22 and 18 minutes over the last three games.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2/5 | 6/12 | 5/5 |
In 30 minutes off the bench. Stormin’ Norman is the general of the second unit. Hold up. We have footage of Powell in action…
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5/10 | 8/17 | 1/4 |
The THJ Experience is either….
or….
Thank goodness we got the former on Sunday.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4/4 | 1/2 |
In 21 minutes as the starter. Since Christian Wood went down with an injury, Powell has played 33 and 18 minutes. Shrug. If you have a fantasy emergency, you could think about breaking the glass, but it’s probably best to just run down the hallway and look for another option.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/6 | 9/21 | 3/6 |
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4/8 | 8/19 | 8/8 |
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6/10 | 9/17 | 0 |
The new Big 3 led Toronto to the 125-116 victory over the Knicks! Scottie Barnes also had himself a good game but he only scored 19 points, so no stat box for him. I don’t make the rules. Actually, I do. Score 20 points, Scottie, and I won’t be having this conversation with myself. Barnes also contributed 7 boards, 6 dimes, 1 steal and 2 blocks.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2/6 | 8/14 | 5/8 |
Randle is East Coast Domantas Sabonis. Or is Sabonis West Coast Julius Randle?
Both score a shit ton of points, grab boards, and dish out dimes. Neither contributes much in the defensive categories. Both are lefties. The only differences are that Randle drains more treys and has different skin color.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5/5 | 0 |
In 33 minutes. Sims has now started two games in lieu of injured Mitchell Robinson. Isaiah Hartenstein played 15 minutes. The last time Hartenstein played at least 20 minutes was on December 21st. Thibs hates Hart. Or maybe Thibs has no heart.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4/8 | 10/18 | 6/9 |
The Barrett Experience is either….
or…..
Thank goodness we got the former on Sunday.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1/2 | 13/21 | 7/8 |
Oh, Shai. Not Oshae. Shai, you are so gorgeous and as great as another Alexander in history. You are top 5 on a per-game basis for fantasy and are quite possibly the perfect fantasy player. You score over 30 points a game, are a 1/1/1 player, grab boards, dish out dimes, take care of the ball while garnering a 32.3% usage rate and shoot 51% from the field and 90% from the line. I need a freaking cigarette now, and I quit years ago. I have a little concern about Shai getting shutdown if the shadow of Wembanyama gets big enough, but the Thunder are 11th in the Western Conference and are in play for the play-in game. It will be interesting to see how the Thunder manage that situation. In my rest of season rankings over at The Athletic, I put Shai in the 20’s due to that risk. If he plays, he could finish top 5.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0/1 | 9/17 | 0 |
Giddey has great hair, but he’s not just something for women to drool over. He scores, grabs boards, and dishes out dimes. Both the ladies and men will be disappointed that he doesn’t provide the D, though. After shooting 41% from the field last season, Chip Engelland has reconstructed Giddey’s shot and he’s now shooting 48% from the field. Over the last seven games, Giddey is shooting 55%!
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2/3 | 3/5 | 4/8 |
Over the offseason, the Denver coaching staff raved about Nnaji. He bulked up and seemed to have figured things out. One of the allures of Nnaji’s game was that he could make it rain from downtown. Then the season started and he was relegated to the end of the pine. He finally entered the rotation a month ago, although he was playing in the teens. With Jokic out, though, he has started the last two games. I’m not sure why it took so long for him to overtake De’Andre Jordan but whatever. We are here now. Nnaji allows the Nuggets to switch everything on defense and he spaces the floor.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1/6 | 11/23 | 3/4 |
With Jokic out the last two games, Murray messed around in one and did what he did yesterday with a 30.8% usage rate. His presence has allowed the Nuggets to be a true contender but has dinged the fantasy prospects a smidge for Jokic. Remember, he literally had to do it all last season.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3/9 | 4/7 |
Adams has his warts, but he proudly walks around with them like a peacock in heat. 36% free throw shooting! Gross. But what he provides puts me in heat: 11.6 boards, 2.3 dimes, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks while shooting 59% from the field.
The Grizzlies were down by 25 points at halftime in Phoenix. They held the Suns to 25 points in each of the last two quarters and ended up scoring 35 and 38 points themselves. Unfortunately, they lost 112-110 but what a comeback, thanks to their backcourt:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1/2 | 9/17 | 8/10 |
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0/6 | 9/19 | 6/6 |
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3/6 | 6/11 | 1/2 |
In 26 minutes off the bench. I think I’m infatuated with Ziaire. From a fantasy hoops perspective of course. He’s athletic, has length and was drafted high by a Memphis team that knows what they are doing. In addition, they gave him playmaking responsibilities over the summer to expand his role, kind of what they did for Bane. He’s a part of the rotation but likely won’t get more than 20 minutes a contest, so my optimism likely won’t manifest this season. For dynasty leagues, though, I’m all in.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3/9 | 8/18 | 3/3 |
Returned from a seven-game absence and played 38 minutes. Dude is 37 years old and still dominating. Not sure many of you remember, but in his prime, Paul was Speedy Gonzalez, whizzing around the court at both ends. The fact that he’s able to ball the F out without that speed is a true testament to his skill level.
Deandre Ayton has missed the last two games due to an illness. Bismack Biyombo got the start and played 16 minutes while Jock Landale came off the bench and received 23 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4/6 | 7/9 | 2/2 |
Craig has played 345 career games in the NBA. He’s scored at least 20 points in now six games.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0/1 | 4/5 | 6/7 |
In 21 minutes off the bench. Prior to last night, he had played eight minutes in both contests. He is Super Mario no more, but can be useful when injuries strike.
Nic Claxton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9/13 | 6/15 |
Hack a Clax! Anyways, Claxton is a lesson learned for the future. Hindsight is 20/20 but he was one of the more obvious candidates to break out. The depth chart was cleared ahead of him, he’s young, athletic, and showed that he could play. I’m really kicking myself over Claxton because I knew the playing time was going to be there. He was being drafted outside the top 100. Now, did I ever expect a top 35 season? Niet. Kudos to Claxton for elevating his game. But inside the top 100 should’ve been a no-brainer.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 38 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5/7 | 12/22 | 9/9 |
Kyrie struggled the first few games without Kevin Durant. He’s now humming. Over the last three games, he’s gone for 30, 48 and 38 points, while contributing in all the periphery categories. He’s attempted at least 20 shots in each of the last seven games he’s played.
TJ Warren
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 2/8 | 0 |
I thought there was a slight chance that Warren could get more run and start regulating, but the Nets are going to be cautious with him and Vaughn has decreased his role recently. Warren has now played 8, 18 and 11 minutes over the last three contests.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1/2 | 4/7 | 0 |
Will he go down as the greatest role player in NBA history? Who’s his competition? Over the last six games, Dray has been a top 30 player.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3/6 | 5/11 | 4/4 |
Steve Kerr changed things up recently, going with three guards and Dray at center. The new Lineup of Death? We shall see. The most important thing for Poole is that he’s played 37, 44, 41 and 29 minutes over the last four games. He will lose usage playing alongside Curry and Klay, but minutes are half the battle. Yo, Joe!
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5/7 | 4/8 |
In 20 minutes off the bench. Despite no longer being a starter, Looney is still grabbing a ton of boards. He’s now grabbed 12, 17 and 10 over the last three games. More bricks from the second unit perhaps?
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 9/15 | 2/3 |
The new microwave off the bench? Naw, doesn’t shoot well enough from the perimeter, but he’s a freaking beast when he gets to the rim. Definitely someone to keep an eye on going forward, though, because his athleticism is off the charts.
The Lakers went up by 7 after one period in Portland. Then they got blitzed, 45-13 in the second. In the third, they bounced back and won the quarter, 40-20, then finished off the 121-112 comeback by winning the fourth by 14 points. Crazy.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 37 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2/7 | 14/24 | 7/10 |
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4/5 | 12/15 | 3/3 |
What a freaking game! The playing time had dissipated starting five games ago, going from 28 down to 18. While he played 33 minutes on Sunday, I think it was an outlier and wouldn’t chase the performance, as Anthony Davis is set to return soon, which will relegate Bryant back to a reserve role.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/5 | 6/13 | 10/10 |
The shooting efficiency is always a concern with Dennis the Menace, but he’s playing over 30 minutes per game and contributing a decent amount of points, boards and dimes with a sprinkling of steals. The usage rate is around 18% and he’s taking good care of the ball.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1/3 | 0 |
Only played 16 minutes as he encountered some foul trouble in the first half and Drew Eubanks played well, so Billups stayed with him. Eubanks put up 6 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist and 6 blocks.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7/13 | 12/20 | 0 |
Damn, talk about staying in yo lane!
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 24 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/13 | 5/17 | 11/13 |
13th player on a per-game basis. Over the last seven games, he’s 2nd. Here is Lillard staying in his lane:
