…and by that, I mean they finally got Chandler Parsons into his stockings and ready to friggin’ play an NBA game again! And stockings is very apt, have you seen his leggings these days?! Looks like an elf! Well, of course you haven’t seen him “these days”, he’s barely played at all! Stupid knees… I tried Googling an image of “Chandler Parsons legs”, but that just got my safe search in all sorts of trouble… Knees; who needs em?! At least he’s not as bad an investment as Ian Mahinmi is looking to be on the Wizards… Awwww, boo, too soon! I’m a little frustrated with knee injuries these days, OK?!
After barely playing 100 total minutes through his first 6 games due to offseason knee operations, Parsons got back on the court last night after over another month off due to a knee bruise to the other knee. My silver lining was always that it gave the surgically repaired knee another stretch to recover, so hopefully after another round of easing-in, we can finally see if he’s going to be that fantasy stalwart I expected on this Grizzlies team. Of course, it doesn’t help his “easing-in” timetable that the Grizzlies are somehow 19-12 despite all their injuries, but ya know! Got 15 minutes off the bench for a paltry 2/2/2/0/0 line, but this was always going to take a minute. So hike up your stockings, activate him off your IL, and if he’s somehow available add him immediately, because 2017 is a new year and right around the corner. Either way, I’ll still find myself Googling Parsons all the time! Here’s what else went down last night in fantasy basketball action:
Giannis Antetokounmpo – 13-14 FT last night, after 13-15 the night before. Stop hacking, Cavs! Remember when FT% was an issue with his game? It’s up to 78.5% now, so everything for Greek is coming nicely together.
Jabari Parker – 27 points and stretched his game again for those newly-found triples. 4-5 from deep, and also just went 1-1 at the FT line, which was nice after blowing Tuesday night’s game at the stripe…
Malcolm Brogdon – Congrats, Broggy, you’ve been just good enough to make no one ownable at PG! 11/5/7/3/0 with a trey in a great 27 minutes, but no way I’d be relying on him in a 12er. And with Matthew Dellavedova down to 25 minutes last night and not doing much of anything lately, we have another team without an ownable PG. Ironic for a Kidd team!
Iman Shumpert – As expected, DeAndre Liggins started for J.R. Smith (thumb surgery, so will be out a while), but Liggins was blah and Shumpert was always the guy you wanted. Well, wanted is relative, more as a streamer… 10/3/4/1/1 with 3 treys from Shump, but I don’t think Shump is going to make your SG great again.
Kyrie Irving – Ugh, stupid monster game! Totally woulda taken him for 30 if I knew on the Pod Smiff would be hurt… 31/6/13.
Karl-Anthony Towns – A 17/18/5 game should count as my 30 pick! Shoulda woulda coulda! Bleh, nice game.
Zach LaVine – Man, he just looks sooooo good out there! 18/4/2/1/1 on 5-12 shooting (4-8 3PTM 4-4 FT). He starts the 2nd quarter (usually, wasn’t watching at that point) and the 4th (definitely did was watching then!) as combo PG with Kris Dunn, and he could totally run a team. If passes aren’t there, he just takes fadeaway threes that seem ill-advised, but he buries him! I’m in love.
Dennis Schroder – Well, only 1 TO, but no steals this time… I don’t think he’s gestalt though, I like his game even though the metrics will hate on it!
Paul Millsap – Started at C since Dwight Howard is old and always has old issues. 18/10/7/2/0 with no TO. Wait, isn’t Millsap older?! Hah!
Kyle Korver – Dude, the Hawks wings – I’m guessing just because I love mentioning that irony – are in some sort of Twilight Zone warp going on right now. Things did get stretched out – Tim Hardaway stretched his groin and only played 1 minute, stretching out Korver and Thabo’s minutes. Korver for 10/5/3/0/4 – yes 4 blocks! – and Thabo Sefolosha went 4/6/1/4/0. Not to mention Kent Bazemore going 9/4/1/0/4… Yes 4 blocks there too! Everyone getting 4’s in the D stats! Hardaway was able to get back to the bench and stayed on the bench all game, so it sounds precautionary. I don’t think I feel good about any of these wings as a must-hold still…
Mike Muscala – Mikey Manbun got 30 minutes with the added need for a big man, going 16/4/0/1/0 with 3 treys, but even with Dwight being old, it sounds like he’s close to returning and there’s not much to see here.
Marc Gasol – Absolutely ridiculous. I love that this Grizzly had all sorts of question marks coming off a broken foot in a bad spot, but he takes off into by far a career year, and Parsons, wellllll, yeah… I hate fantasy basketball sometimes! 38/5/4/2/2 for an epic rainbow, shooting an absurd 14-17 FG with 2 treys and 8-11 FT.
Taking Andre Drummond on isos late into the game! Look at poor Dre throwing his arms up in disgust… Marcy Marc was in a little bit of a dry spell shooting 12-44 the 2 games before this, but he’s been phenomenal and one of the biggest surprises to me. Being able to keep the FG% at that 45-46 range – while going from 0.1 to 3.7 3s/per game (making 1.6 per no less!) – and still doing everything else… Man he fits this new NBA landscape of everyone taking 3s and the uptempo Fizdale system.
Mike Conley – Another Debbie Downer going 9/5/4/2/0 with 3 treys. Meh, was in 24 minutes and you kinda expected lower run and definitely expected lower numbers off the injury, but at least he’s out there!
Zach Randolph – Only 19 minutes off the bench, as Fizdale ran 11 guys over 10 minutes. He’s not must-own in 12ers, but I’m still not hesitating to stream him when I need those sweet, sweet Pts/Rebs.
Jon Leuer – StanVan keeps threatening a line-up change, but for fantasy, shizz is working for Leuer! 18/6/1/0/1 with a trey in 30 nice minutes. If you’ve owned Leuer through the ups and downs, you def want him to stay in that 6th man role.
Marcus Morris – Goes into these horrible ruts, but weird game last night… Only 1-11 FG, but 10-14 FT for 12/5/0/0/0. It’s an awful game, but at least he was aggressive!
Russell Westbrook – As his REL owner, he can have 4 TO every game and I’d be fine with that! 42/10/7/1/0 on 12-26 shooting with 16-18 FT. Def employing the “run really fast at people and take a tough layup and get the call most of the time” strategy. I think they teach that at kid’s summer camps…
Alex Abrines – Who?! 30 minutes off the bench playing the extra Victor Oladipo minutes (still out with the wrist), going 18/2/1/1/0 with 5 treys. The rookie from Spain has a nice perimeter shot, but there’s nothing to see here. Maybe an REL style flier in 20ers, that’s about it.
Joffrey Lauvergne – Took a lot of Domantas Sabonis‘s minutes, going 10/6/3/2/0 with no TO in 25 bench minutes. I’d be worried though if I was Lauvergne, I bet his wine will be poisoned after watching a dumb play about him…
Anthony Davis – In the battle of fantasy superstars, 34/15/2/1/2 wasn’t enough… Well, for the 10-21 Pels, it’s really never enough…
Jrue Holiday – 35 minutes and got that dimebag! 23/4/10/1/0 with 2 treys, and it’s so good to see him playing well.
Terrence Jones – 34 minutes off the bench for 21/2/1/1/1. I’d be feeling better if his extended run off the bench was translating a little better to winning basketball, but ya know… At this point, I might be trying to sell high, especially if you’re not a FT punt (3-5 last night). I still have those injury concerns, as every former Tjones owner would…
Kelly Oubre – Only 22 minutes off the bench, and that fun stretch of big minutes seems to be waning. Sure he had 5 fouls, but yeah, you are moving on in 12ers and maybe even 14ers.
Otto Porter – Especially frustrating Oubre didn’t get the added run with Porter only getting through 12 minutes before back spasms flared up, and kept him out the second half. Porter got treatment and maybe could’ve returned, so thankfully this sounds minor.
Taj Gibson – I haven’t really written much on Taj this year… 17/11/2/0/3 in a great game, and he’s quietly having one of his best seasons. Although I don’t understand how vets get worse and worse at FT as their careers go on! 1-3 FT last night, and even though the volume is low, 65% on the year…
Nikola Mirotic – A few Miro comments lately, wondering if there needs to be further patience here. I was low on him coming into the year, but 11/6/0/0/1 last night and another 3 treys, so might as well see where this mini-spurt goes.
Patrick Beverley – YESSSSS!!!! Although he has one of the best games of his career, and it comes WITHOUT a steal?!?!?! What in the world is going on?!??!! 18/9/9/0/1 on 7-11 FG (2-3 3PTM 2-2 FT). What a boss. I’m so happy I was able to scoop him up right when he returned in several RCLs. D’Antoni system! Sure this was against the Suns, but PBev can shower me with these golden stats all he wants!
Eric Gordon – Another 7 treys off the bench. 3.7 treys a game. I didn’t apply my D’Antoni boner to him! I guess I need to remember several people can fit under a pitched tent…
Montrezl Harrell – 28 minutes as the starting C this time. D’Antoni said it would be matchup based on who he would play at the 5, and it worked well this time! 17/3/3/0/3 on 8-11 shooting. I literally just took a 3 minute break and tried to get him in all my RCLs, stupid Razzball readers being ahead of the curve! Available in 1, waivers in 1, owned in 3. Ugh, stop being good at fantasy basketball adds, Razzball Nation! …wish I stayed up late enough to watch this game though… Anywho, I’m not the biggest Harrell guy, but in 28-30 minutes (when he gets that kind of run), he should fall his way into stats.
T.J. Warren – Well, that changed quickly! After Slim and I had a moment of silence for Warren recapturing his early-season magic, he bounced back suddenly last night for 19/5/0/1/1 on 9-17 shooting. Maybe the Rockets cure all evils?! I think I’m flip flopping and buying back in, I’m seeing 31 minutes from P.J. Tucker and no other real hurdles to get 30ish MPG again if he’s feeling right. That said, this nebulous “head injury” he returned from still scares me a little.
Devin Booker – 28/6/7/0/0 with only 1 TO. Hit 2 treys, and got the D’Antoni effect in this one! Still love his upside, but 41% shooting with 2.6 TO to 3.1 AST isn’t getting my motor going in redraft. I might try to sell high off this one.
DeMarcus Cousins – Fresh off mouthpiecegate, 21/8/3/0/1 on 5-18 shooting and somehow the Kings still won this game…
Ty Lawson – Sadly, here’s one of your key reasons why… 19/5/1/1/0 on 7-11 shooting in 26 minutes, and Joerger was pitching his own tent for him in his postgame remarks. Darren Collison gets only 22 minutes of 8/1/1/0/0 and didn’t play in the 4th. There’s no way I would rely on Lawson, it’s just enough to make me think Colly can go in 10ers. I’d hold out in RCLs though.
Garrett Temple – 28 minutes again! 11/2/2/0/0 on 4-7 shooting with 3 treys is semi-usable, as the Kings are finding the weirdest way to string a couple wins together.
Gordon Hayward – Finds his shot again after Labradoodle-central 2 nights ago, going 9-18 for 28/10/3. Still, losing to the Kings at home?!
Rudy Gobert – His scoring is mad surprising! 17/14/1/1/3 with no TO, and turning into an absolute stud. Why couldn’t you do this last year, Rudy?! Stupid FIBA wearing out his legs… Up to 12.4 PPG on the year and it’s at 14.8 in December.
C.J. McCollum – Man, the Blazers are in a tailspin… Losing at home to the Mavs?! They’ve now dropped 8 of their last 9 and searching for answers… Didn’t help C.J. McYiddish went 5-16, but at least got some swats going 13/2/2/0/2.
Al-Farouq Aminu – Returned after 9 days off due to a back issue, going 5/6/2/2/0 on 1-4 shooting. Yawn.
Allen Crabbe – Stotts kept his rotation tight with only 8 guys picking up minutes, and Crabbe got 37 mins for 14/6/1/0/0 and 4 treys. ThrAGNOF streamer!
J.J. Barea – Left after 9 minutes due to Achilles soreness. Yes, same issue as Dirk Nowitzki, although Barea did have a lower calf strain that kept him out prior to these last few games, which is connected to your Achilles. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the kid’s gloves come out here too, I mean, Barea is the size of a child!
Dwight Powell – Nothing else too interesting for the Mavs, except Powell is suddenly bringing the blocks, going 9/8/0/3/2 in 24 minutes on only 1-2 FG. 7-9 FT though! After 0 blocks in 6 straight games, he has 5 the past two. Meh, still feels more like a 12er streamer at best for me.
We’ve got our Pod coming out on Christmas eve, but for the Daily Notes, this will be my last one until after Christmas… So have a very happy holiday with your family, curl up around the fireplace with some NBA on, and I’ll catch you next Tuesday morning!
