Let’s get one thing straight from the jump — until the Sacramento Kings actually conclude the year with a top-6 record (or top-10, if you must) and qualify for the Playoffs in the Western Conference, there is reason to be suspicious that this is finally their year. Yes, at 27-19 they’re currently the number three team in the West, the leader of the Pacific Division, and the winningest team in California. And yes, their overall net rating of +2.7 is good enough for seventh in the NBA, ahead of recent Finals participants like the Bucks, Suns, and Warriors. But these are still the Sacramento Kings, right? Owners of the longest playoff drought in basketball (16 years and counting) and the franchise most closely associated with mismanagement, bad ideas, and poor execution. Dysfunction has been living in the capital city for a long time, and the legacy of failure cannot be overlooked until absolutely proven otherwise. Skepticism, a necessary body armor for long-suffering fans, is warranted and advisable. All that said, there’s also reason to believe the worm has finally turned.
Please, blog, may I have some more?De’AAron Fox
Big bounce-back game for Rui Hachimura who went from scoring 0 against the New York Knicks a few days ago to matching his career-high with 30 points in the win.
All five starters finished in double figures, but Kyle Kuzma led the way with 25 points, ten rebounds, and six assists; Notably, the Wizards’ injury issues continue to plague them. While this was only Bradley Beal’s second game back from his hamstring injury, Kristaps Porzingis was the next to fall as he went down in the third quarter with a left ankle sprain. This team cannot catch a break.
NBA DFS Advice for January 18
January 18, 2023 | 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball, DFS | 1 Commentby: Bball Oracle
Hello Razzball, back again here to break down some NBA DFS. We have a large but not crazy slate on Wednesday with nine games. #1 piece of advice as always is to be up to date on injuries, as the info in this article will only be up to date as of Tuesday night. There is unfortunately not a lot of great value on this slate with the current injury news. To get up to multiple spend up options, we’ll need some value to open up via injuries.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
I’m on a Soapbox and Tuesday Recap
January 4, 2023 | 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 4 Commentsby: Kelder
If you haven’t watched the ending, it’s everything that makes basketball great. Kudos to Will Hardy, the Jazz coach, for not calling a timeout and letting the end game flow.
My first take is that the Jazz may not be as big of sellers as we all assumed they would be. They have a solid young coach, a breakout star in Lauri Markkanen (28 and 8 tonight), and, when Mike Conley (18 points, 7 dimes, 3 swipes) plays, they are downright good. I was monitoring guys like Walker Kessler, but I’m thinking now they keep the group together and figure things out.
Kelly Olynyk (5 points, 6 boards) would be a logical piece to move if they decide to do so, as is the aforementioned Conley. I just give the Jazz some credit for not going scorched earth on this and playing well and hard, even if the end result was a close loss to the surprising…………..
Please, blog, may I have some more?
RazzJam Redux: The Guilt of Tilt
December 20, 2022 | 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball | 2 Commentsby: Mr. Hooper
In this life, do-overs are rare. The opportunity to go back and change the mistakes of the past is reserved for science fiction plots or melancholy discussions over a pint in dimly-lit watering holes. But over this last week, I was presented with an opportunity to do just that – to go back with the knowledge of hindsight and fix where I failed, to atone, to set things right. I had screwed up once and now I was gifted a second chance. Please, I told myself, don’t blow it again.
Please, blog, may I have some more? 11/30 NBA DFS Fanduel/DraftKings
November 30, 2022 | 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball, DFS | 1 Commentby: Bball Oracle
Hello Razzball Nation! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, stuffing your faces and spending some quality time with family. With that wholesome fun over with, it’s time to make some money. Welcome to yet another massive NBA DFS slate for Wednesday. There are 13 games tonight so as always, my #1 piece of advice is to be up to date on injuries. With this many games there are bound to be great value opportunities.
Let’s get down to it. Pricing is always (Fanduel/DraftKings). I mostly play tournaments and my picks will always bias towards volatility and upside.
Please, blog, may I have some more?You can’t win a championship at the beginning of a season, but you can lose one. Much as it pains me to say, I think I’ve already lost.
After a successful Writer’s League last year that ended against Kostas in the semifinal and a pretty intensive offseason of thinking about hoops, I came into this year’s draft feeling like I was in decent shape to post a good showing again. But this year ain’t last year. Stats and success don’t carry over, and if you’re resting on laurels rather than applying lessons learned, there’s no way to bank Ws on account of “experience.” If you’ve been following Kelder’s weekly recaps, you might have noticed that my team isn’t anywhere in the mix. Indeed, you’ve got to scroll almost the way to the bottom of the table to see my name. A record of 19-34-1 is good enough for 11th and I feel all but certain the hole that I’ve put myself in is going to be too deep to recover from. I’m not quite ready to quit on some other struggling squads, but I think it’s safe to let go of preseason expectations at this point and set a different goal for the remaining three-quarters of the season here in the Writer’s League.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Max Payne…for CP3 Owners
November 21, 2022 | 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes | 2 Commentsby: Son
Here’s a story of a man with two first names, who hit the age of 30, an age when most players say goodbye to their primes and buckle up for the descent below. And descend the man with two first names did, playing in 58 and 58 games the next two seasons. Many called him injury-prone and swore him off for fantasy. Father Time leaned back in the La-Z-Boy chair, grabbed the bowl of popcorn and just waited. But the man with two first names spit in the face of Father Time and proceeded to play 70, 70 and 65 games in his age 34, 35 and 36 seasons. So far this season, the man with two first names has missed five of 15 games and caused much consternation for those who drafted him. “We can squeeze one more year out of him!!!”, they said. It’s akin to having one taco left with no more freshly cut limes. You rummage through the whole table and squeeze every last drop out of what’s left. Anyways, the pain that has been felt by the Chris Paul owners has been nothing but elation for the Cameron Payne truthers. Over the last five games, he’s averaged 33.5 minutes, 15.6 field goal attempts, 20 points, 3 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.2 steals. On Sunday:
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Fox in the L.A. Hen House
November 12, 2022 | 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |by: PhilOssie
Much to the disappointment of pundits chomping at the bit to argue whether the Lakers play better without LeBron, L.A. lost again Friday night, 120-114 to the Kings, because De’Aaron Fox maneuvered about the roost like the sly creature he is, feasting on chicken defenders and dropping bags of leftover bones through the net left and right. Fox finished with 32 points (13-19 FG, 2-5 3pt, 4-5 FT), 7 boards and 12 assists. He’s averaging about 25-5-6 with a steal and just under 3 turnovers to start the season. His 3-point shooting (36%) has been slightly better than years past, as well as from the line (86%), but it’s inside the arch he’s been lethal, converting 63% of 2-point shots. Also, mark the “Clutch” checkbox next to Fox’s name on the stat sheet, as he led the Kings to victory with 10 fourth-quarter points on 5-of-7 shooting and three rebounds, four assists and a crucial steal.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
NY vs NY, LA vs LA, and Capela vs Adams
November 10, 2022 | 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball, Fantasy Basketball Daily Notes |by: Paul Cawston
Hey Dallas, did you overlook your opponent just because they were 1-9? Was it because they were the Orlando Magic? Was it because their best player this year, Paolo Banchero, was out for the game? You only scored 87 points against a very inexperienced team and 53 of those points came from Spencer Dinwiddie and Luka Doncic. The bench depth as a whole has been a weak point for the Mavericks this season. Outside of Christian Wood, players such as Dwight Powell, Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Maxi Kleber really haven’t been producing for them.
Please, blog, may I have some more?The Atlanta Hawks get some late-game heroics from their All-Star backcourt of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray to pull out the close overtime win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Murray recorded his first triple-double of the season with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists; Young had a game-high 34 points along with 10 assists on 9-of-26 shooting and going 14-of-15 from the free throw line.
Big night for Clint Capela who finished with 21 points, 19 rebounds, and four blocks.
The New Orleans Pelicans got 29 points apiece from the duo of CJ McCollum and Zion Williamson.
Jonas Valanciunas finished with 13 points and 17 rebounds while Herb Jones had a near double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds to along with three steals.
A notable thing to monitor is the play of Brandon Ingram who had a quiet night with 16 points on 7-of-23 shooting from the field in his second game back from injury; Might not be anything, but there is a chance that his stats may fluctuate from night to night as he gets reacclimated.
Welcome to your midweek guidance for Week Three! In this post, I identify widely-available players who can help you win your head-to-head matchup. Ideally, you’ve been able to take advantage of the impatience of your league mates at some point in the first three weeks. Unless a struggling player is at the absolute bottom of your roster in production, I recommend holding in most cases to see if he can turn things around. This especially applies if you drafted a high-profile rookie or a player who is settling into a new team. If he’s your weakest link, however, cut him loose and go streaming
Please, blog, may I have some more?
