I grew up before cable television was prevalent, when a remote control was, “Son, get your ass off the couch and change the channel.” The number of channels could be counted on two hands. So, many of my fond memories were from watching infomericals. Tom Vu was one and will always have a special place in my heart, while the other one was Billy Blanks and his Tae Bo. That was the OG. Seriously, everything now should pay homage and pay royalties to Blanks. Anyways, after more than 20 years, Tae Bo is still going strong. There are fitness centers and classes all across the county and Billy Blanks still has, not only an operational website, but one that looks legit. Which brings me to Zach Randolph, aka Z-Bo. He’s so OG that his friends…in middle school….named him Z-Bo after Deebo. This is his 18th season in the NBA, yet, like Tae Bo, is still going strong. Last night, Z-Bo went:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3/6 | 11/23 | 1/2 |
He played 32 minutes. So, that thing about the Kings going young. Yeah…..Z-Bo has actually played 32, 32, and 28 minutes the past three games. But he did not see the court the two games before that. He’s only a streaming option or a DFS play in the right matchup. He must’ve been licking his lips when he saw that Dante Cunningham would be guarding him last night. He went so OG that he knocked him out of the game with injury. I’m getting all nostalgic and will try one of the Tae Bo workouts. Shit, I shouldn’t have done that. Still effective, like Z-Bo.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
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Rudy has been hard at work in the lab. His latest creation? DAILY LINEUPS PAGE. So good. So smooth. So helpful. He decided to go with the Sonny Bono red tint, while I prefer the blue tint. What say you?
James Harden messed around in a big way.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 60 | 10 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5/14 | 19/30 | 17/18 |
What. The. Bleeeeeeeeeep. A 60-burger with a triple-dub?! A block and four steals?! Now, CP3 was out and Eric Gordon left the game after 10 minutes. And the Magic are one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico collided with cool, dry air from Canada to create the perfect storm and unleash the Harden tornado. All his owners will be Harden excited for days.
Russell Westbrook:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 1/4 | 5/18 | 2/2 |
Russ would’ve messed around, but Tomas Satoransky wore his Under Armour and protected his house.
GET SOME. Tomas Satoransky just caught Russell Westbrook with a sick block.
LIVE STREAM: https://t.co/Uvk3ibqA3C pic.twitter.com/H8KTXydDko
— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) January 31, 2018
Paul George:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4/8 | 8/14 | 8/10 |
Curious that he didn’t notch an assist, steal, or block. No matter, as he is a top 15 player for fantasy. Save your energy for when you get to LA, Paul.
Steven Adams:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6/11 | 4/7 |
Has double-dubbed in seven of the last nine games. Interestingly, he only has 18 on the year, as it took a while for the whole Thunder team to get in a groove. A top 50 fantasy player, despite shooting under 60% from the free throw line. Contributes a steal and block per game. An awesome moment in the game last night was when Adams got called for an illegal screen and rushed over to the ref to complain and explain. One of the announcers got scared and was like, “I felt anxious from my seat in the stands when Adams rushed the referee.” A seven-foot dude that probably boxes kangaroos for fun? Yeah, I’d be too.
Carmelo Anthony:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2/12 | 7/21 | 3/5 |
Too many 3s for my brain to handle. 3 assists. 3 blocks. 3 turnovers. 3 personal fouls. 3 free throws made. 21 divided by 7 equals 3. Melo is 33 years old. He’s number 3 in the pecking order.
Markieff Morris:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1/4 | 7/14 | 3/3 |
Has really played well the last three games, scoring 18, 23, and 20 points. In terms of shot attempts: 7/14, 9/12, and 7/12. He’s also been playing a little small ball center. With Wall out for a while, Morris should continue to get opportunities to get busy.
Tomas Satoransky:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0/2 | 0/4 | 4/4 |
A popular pickup by many with Wall going down. He has some value, as he will play a ton of minutes and contribute a little something something across the board. Keep expectations in check, though. He just doesn’t shoot enough or get enough usage to access any kind of ceiling. That block on Russ was awesome, though.
Otto Porter Jr.:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1/3 | 8/13 | 8/8 |
Will always contribute steals and boards, but if you’re an owner, you Otto be excited about the 13, 11, and 11 shot attempts the past three games. Should continue to get opportunities with Wall down.
Bradley Beal:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2/5 | 8/19 | 3/5 |
As I mentioned in the pod, which you can conveniently listen to HERE, Beal’s usage rate goes from 29% to 34% without Wall. He’s probably better with Wall, though, as he can score on spot ups and work off screens. With that said, he is getting more experience facilitating the offense as the primary ball handler and could become more comfortable and proficient in that role going forward.
Kelly Oubre Jr.:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2/5 | 2/7 | 4/4 |
Only played 22 minutes. With Wall down and Oubre being the main scoring option off the bench, I would’ve expected more minutes for him. I’m not too concerned, though, and think Oubre will get significant run going forward.
Kosta Koufos:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7/12 | 3/4 |
With Willie Cauley-Stein out, Koufos got the start at center and played 37 minutes. WCS should return soon, so no need to run out to get him. Just keep him in mind when he does get the occasional start.
Garrett Temple:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3/5 | 5/12 | 2/2 |
Played 32 minutes. Will have the outlier game from time to time (1/23: 40 minutes, 34 points on 14-of-17 shooting). More often than not, he will make you offer sacrifices to the local Temple.
George Hill:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/2 | 5/8 | 3/3 |
Very impressive. Not. Played 28 minutes. This smells like a Showcase Showdown. Vivek probably talked to him pre-game and was like, “George, we need to show other teams that you can score, but don’t do anything to put yourself in danger.” I didn’t watch the game, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he just stayed right in front of the Kings bench and launched.
Buddy Hield played 22 minutes, while Bogdan Bogdanovic played 18 minutes. Vince Carter played 15 minutes because…….
What the hell are the Kings doing? Feels tap on shoulder. Sees finger point to….the scoreboard. Kings 114. Pelicans 103. I’ll shut up now.
Anthony Davis:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2/3 | 6/16 | 9/10 |
My parents’ house has wood floors. Sneaking in and out at night was ninja time. Walking on the balls of my feet, ever so slowly, trying to mitigate any creaks of the floor, elevated heart rate, anxiety…..Woo sah. Woo sah. Is that how owners of AD feel right now?
Dante Cunningham got the start at power forward but exited the game after 10 minutes due to injury. Earlier in the day, a trade was in place to bring Nikola Mirotic to the Pelicans, which would’ve been an awesome fit. Alas, nothing happened. I still think there’s a chance that Terrence Jones gets called up from the G-League at some point.
Ian Clark:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1/2 | 9/10 | 1/2 |
Played 30 minutes. I’m not going to get too excited about the performance. Guys get hot. It happens. If he starts getting close to 30 mpg and hoists up 10 shots per game on a consistent basis, then I’ll reevaluate.
Rajon Rondo played 18 minutes. Jameer Nelson played 19 minutes. Nelson had more points and assist. Do what needs to be done Rondo owners, if there are any of you left.
The Jazz pummelled the Warriors, 129-99.
Klay Thompson led the way with 27 points. Steph Curry scored 14, Kevin Durant scored 17, and Draymond Green scored eight.
Derrick Favors:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 9/11 | 0/2 |
Even with Gobert back in the mix, Favors has been beasting on the boards and getting his block and 211 on. Is an UFA next year and owed $11.75 contract this year. He’s more than likely going to get moved at the deadline. He’s been doing Favors for both himself and the Jazz with his stellar play of late.
Ricky Rubio:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2/4 | 9/16 | 3/4 |
The uptempo pace definitely helped, but Rubio always has the potential for this kind of game. Unfortunately, potential often doesn’t mean shit, but it’s within the range of outcomes, so you have to live with the ups and downs.
With Mason Plumlee out, Darrell Arthur got the start at power forward and played 19 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/2 | 4/6 | 1/1 |
Uh, ok Malone.
Trey Lyles:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 7 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1/2 | 3/10 | 0 |
I guess Malone likes Lyles off the bench to provide some punch for the second unit. Uno. Dos. I’m sad.
Will Barton:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1/4 | 4/13 | 4/4 |
Played 39 minutes. Last four games: 39, 44, 39, and 39 minutes. Contributes across the board but is inconsistent.
Nikola Jokic almost messed around.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1/2 | 6/11 | 0 |
Till death do us part.
Emmanuel Mudiay:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 7/10 | 0 |
Played 14 minutes, so don’t expect much from Mudiay going forward. With that said, two words. Mike. Malone.
LaMarcus Aldridge:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 14/23 | 2/2 |
LMA ain’t no joke.
Kyle Anderson and Pau Gasol both scored 18 points. So cute. Pau played 22 minutes, while Kyle played 35 minutes filling in for Kawhi.
Dejounte Murray:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 0 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0/4 | 0 |
One of the best rebounding guards out there. Four shot attempts, though? Tough to access any kind of ceiling with those numbers, regardless of the periphery stats.
Danny Green:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0/6 | 3/11 | 0 |
Played 26 minutes. Inconsistent, but Green is getting the minutes and shot attempts. Will also contribute across the board.
With Aaron Gordon sitting, Mario Hezonja got the start and played 25 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3/5 | 7/12 | 0 |
More than capable of producing when given the minutes. Just doesn’t get the minutes.
Elfrid Payton played 18 minutes, while DJ Augustin played 28 minutes and Shelvin Mack played 25 minutes. Frank Vogel, ladies and gentlemen.
Marreese Speights:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4/8 | 6/11 | 1/1 |
Played 21 minutes. Two assists! Has to be a stat error or the ball must’ve slipped out of his hands while he was in the act of shooting. Mo buckets. No passing. Mo buckets. No passing. Mo buckets.
With Trevor Ariza out, Luc Mbah a Moute got the start at small forward and played 39 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/5 | 2/6 | 3/6 |
Played 39 minutes. Next.
PJ Tucker:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 0 |
Played 36 minutes. Next.
Eric Gordon got the start with Chris Paul sitting. Left the game after 10 minutes due to injury.
Gerald Green:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2/7 | 4/11 | 1/2 |
With Eric Gordon moving to the starting lineup and then getting injured, Green played 32 minutes and did what he do. Only has value when there are injuries in the Houston back court.
Kevin Love left the game after five minutes, due to a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his left hand. It’s believed that he will be out for 6-8 weeks. Love hurts.
Tristan Thompson:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4/9 | 0 |
Played 27 minutes. If you need boards or are a fan of the Kardashians.
LeBron James:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2/7 | 9/20 | 1/2 |
Played 38 minutes. The Cavs lost 114-125 to the Pistons. Ruh roh. With Love off the court, LeBron’s usage rate goes up 3%. At some point, LeJuggernaught is going to get unleashed. It’s probably a little too early. LeBron has played enough video games to know that you hold onto the turbo until you need it at the end.
Channing Frye:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4/7 | 6/9 | 4/4 |
Played 21 minutes. Unless the Cavs do something in the trade market, Frye will see elevated minutes going forward.
Isaiah Thomas:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1/4 | 3/10 | 12/13 |
I’ve been skeptical of IT since the offseason, but I’m getting kind of bullish on his prospects. Yes, he’s looked like shit at times but it’s still only been 11 games since he’s come back from injury. So, physically he’s getting back into the groove, but he’s learning to play in a new system with a new bunch of guys. Remember Jimmy Butler earlier in the year? I’m not saying IT is Butler and acknowledge that the injury aspect is a big thing. But, from a new guy coming into a new situation, it’s very similar.
Dwayne Wade:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1/1 | 6/8 | 5/9 |
Played 28 minutes and will probably be needed to start stepping up his playing time.
Anthony Tolliver got the start at power forward and played 37 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3/6 | 6/9 | 5/5 |
Has played 37 and 40 minutes the past two games. Scored 20 points in each game. The opponent for both? The Cavs. As soon as Lake Griffin is ready to go, it’s Tolliver for Anthony.
Reggie Bullock got the start at shooting guard and played 30 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4/6 | 9/15 | 0/1 |
Our very own Brent has been pimping Bullock. So did Mel in his most recent article. 1+1=2.
Stanley Johnson:
EXHIBIT A:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1/4 | 10/21 | 5/8 |
Played 40 minutes. You want to know how bad the Cavs defense is? I present to you EXHIBIT A. How many nuts do you think SVG busted last night while watching the tape?
Andre Drummond:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9/12 | 3/7 |
Ish Smith:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/1 | 8/17 | 3/5 |
Should give a percentage of his game check to Isaiah Thomas.
Karl-Anthony Towns:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4/7 | 3/3 |
Seriously. What the F. Shot attempts the last seven games: 7, 8, 16, 24, 9, 7, and 7. Someone needs to tell Wiggy Wiggy Wiggins what’s up. 22 shot attempts? C’mon KAT. Get some dog in you.
Jimmy Butler:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2/3 | 9/17 | 5/10 |
Butler will miss a spot once in a while. Doesn’t happen often, though. As solid as a rock.
An interesting development over the past week or so is that Thibs has expanded his rotation. Bjelica played 19 minutes, Dieng 19 minutes, Jones 17 minutes, and Crawford 16 minutes. It’s about time Thibs.
Jonas Valanciunas:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 8/12 | 2/2 |
Was plagued with foul trouble the last time these two teams met. Good to see him bounce back and get 29 minutes of run. That’s now four straight double-dubs and he’s been contributing D stats.
DeMar DeRozan:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1/6 | 6/18 | 10/11 |
Seventh in free throw attempts at 7.48 per game. Has now attempted six three-pointers in back-to-back games. Top 40 player now. Could be a top 25 player next year.
Jarrett Allen got the start at center and played 20 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6/6 | 0 |
Jahlil Okafor played 25 minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2/7 | 1/1 |
Is it happening? Are you an Allen or Okafor supporter? Will probably be a committee, ensuring that they nuke any upside for either.
The Nets are a clusterfuck now. No player received over 25 minutes of run, while 10 players got at least 20 minutes. Good times.
Kristaps Porzingis:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6/8 | 9/19 | 4/4 |
Is there anything Porzingis cannot do? I believe that’s what they’d call a rhetorical question.
Enes Kanter:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8/10 | 4/4 |
Kanter should PayPal half his game check to Okafor. Or maybe divvy it up. Half to Atkinson and half to Okafor. I had to squint to make sure the stat line was for real.
Frank Ntilikina played 26 minutes. Jarrett Jack played 20 minutes. Trey Burke played 17 minutes. I wish I could announce that it’s happening for the Frenchise, but the game was a blowout and Burke is still in the mix. I’m sad.
Michael Beasley:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0/1 | 4/11 | 4/5 |
Played 23 minutes. Beasley is the chick that you don’t spend time with during the daytime. Strictly for the business.
Willy Hernangomez and Ron Baker both played one minute. That ain’t right.
