The stage was set.
After having a two-week long stretch of fantastic performances night after night, capped by a 27 point, five assist, seven rebound, and four steal pseudo-revenge game against the Bulls, all signs were pointing to Jimmy going OFF in the real revenge game on Saturday night.
The boos poured down from the Wells Fargo Center as he was introduced. It just felt like he was ready to explode and lead his Heat to their sixth-straight win. But alas, the opposite occurred. Harvard Sports Analysis actually found that superstars perform worse by a pretty good margin in “revenge” games, so maybe we should reverse that narrative. Here’s the line that Jimmy put up:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0-2 | 4-13 | 3-4 |
Here’s what else happened around the league on Saturday night.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4-9 | 7-17 | 2-4 |
The lone bright spot for the Heat last night in a blowout was Herro. He’s hovering around the 15 ppg mark with upside for 20, like he did last night and on the 20th, but his other contributions are sporadic.
Kendrick Nunn
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0-2 | 3-10 | 0-0 |
None came out of Nunn’s performance last night, and he got outplayed by Goran Dragic. It was his first bad game in quite some time, and this doesn’t do anything to jeopardize his role.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2-3 | 8-15 | 5-5 |
Three straight 20-point double doubles and great all-around efficiency in under 30 minutes per game shows Embiid’s terrific start to the season. He rebounded from injury and suspension immediately in both instances.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 32 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6-7 | 11-15 | 4-5 |
The real revenge game here had a much less relevant story line, but a much higher outcome. He returned from a hip injury without missing a beat, and he’s seen increased reliability in his scoring production in his last few outings.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 4 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0-0 | 2-6 | 0-0 |
Two straight games without a three-point attempt has Sixers nation scrambling. What are we supposed to do without our most efficient sniper from beyond the arc?
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 35 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0-5 | 12-26 | 11-11 |
The most impressive thing about this game was that he dropped 35 without making a tre. He’s displaying much improved passing, putting up seven or more assists in six of his last eight games.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3-6 | 7-17 | 8-9 |
Oubre is getting buckets lately, and his ability to rack up steals has been on display after being almost non-existent early in the year. He’s doing it with solid efficiency, as well.
Frank Kaminsky
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3-5 | 3-9 | 0-0 |
Frank the Tank isn’t your conventional center, and the liability presented by his defense manifested itself in a +/- of -18, while backup big Elie Okobo had a +/- of 20. It’ll be interesting to see how they deploy these two moving forward. Kaminsky can probably be dropped even before Baynes’s return.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 31 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6-12 | 11-19 | 3-3 |
Speaking of unconventional centers, Towns continues to make it rain from deep. It doesn’t look like he’ll catch Harden in made threes per game, but he still will shatter the record for centers.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 2-6 | 9-21 | 1-3 |
Make it nine straight with 20+ points for Wiggins, who seems to have one of the highest scoring floors in the entire league. While it’s been a solid aspect of his game all season, the trio of blocks is a pleasure to have in your lineup and he averages over one per contest.
Keita Bates-Diop
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3-10 | 9-18 | 1-2 |
Covington’s absence allowed Bates-Diop to explode in this one, playing 37 minutes from the bench. This game may have been a spark to give him more playing time, but it still would probably cap at around 20 minutes per game in the best case scenario once RoCo returns.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 49 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13-17 | 17-28 | 2-2 |
So the day after I criticize him for his inability to consistently score in a No. 1 role that requires a lot of consistency, he goes and does this. Granted, the Hornets left him wide open for several of these threes, especially those in the corner, but he went into a different mode at the end of the game. That last three was unreal.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4-9 | 12-19 | 0-0 |
White continues to rip the net from deep, and he got 34 minutes in this one, outplaying Satoransky by a good margin. He’s definitely the more enticing option to own out of that duo, and could be largely available if you need help in the scoring and three point departments.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1-1 | 6-10 | 4-6 |
The screws came loose on Friday night for Carter Jr., who had an awful game, but he bounced back really quickly and went back to his double-double ways. I like the latter performance as the norm.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1-3 | 5-11 | 0-0 |
His usage was really, really high on Friday night, but just wasn’t there in this one. Rozier and Graham took more shots than him with Cody Zeller just one behind. If he wants to be that elite option, he’ll need to continue chucking up the ball with as much frequency as he did the other night (12-for-21).
Devonte’ Graham
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 18 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4-9 | 6-13 | 2-2 |
This man can do no wrong this year. Except for turn the ball over a liiiittle bit less.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3-6 | 8-12 | 9-12 |
He’s at his scariest when the game is competitive all the way through. Seeing him go 8-12 was really nice, as he has been hovering around the 40% mark this year, which is his biggest issue.
Bismack Biyombo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 5-9 | 1-2 |
Bismack Attack! His minutes fluctuate up and down every game, but he made the most of a season-high 23 in this one with a good all-around effort. He’s maybe worth a look if this type of play time continues, as he’s been pretty good when given 16+ minutes.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4-6 | 10-16 | 1-2 |
This is a game that makes fantasy owners beam with joy. His defense was never a question, but 25 points and 4-6 shooting from deep should help to reassure owners that this guy is capable of doing it all. He’s a top-20 fantasy commodity going forward in my mind.
Evan Fournier
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4-10 | 11-23 | 0-0 |
Even without getting to the line, his usage continues to be high in the Magic’s system, and he’s absolutely making it rain from deep lately, hitting 4+ threes in four of his last six games.
Markelle Fultz
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0-1 | 6-11 | 1-1 |
The 29 minutes he was given in this one are a high for this month, and it only seems to be getting better every game, with five straight games of increased playing time. He should continue to score in the low double figures, and nine assists won’t be replicable, but could indicate he’s becoming a more mature point guard in the system.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0-0 | 9-15 | 7-7 |
So close. Just one rebound shy of his ninth straight double-double. Either way he’s been absolutely dominant and is skyrocketing up the leaderboards. He hasn’t had a bad game the entire month of November.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2-6 | 4-9 | 0-0 |
It’s been a block party ever since Turner returned from injury, as he now has 10 blocks through three games in November. His efficiency will need to improve, but the sporadic nature with which he contributes all across the board is a unique mix of stats for a big man.
T.J. Warren
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-1 | 1-4 | 0-0 |
Where’s Waldo is always a pressing question, but where’s Warren was the bigger issue Saturday night. Seriously… where did he go? 28 minutes and this as the outcome is really disappointing, especially after a month-long stretch of near 20 ppg production.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 34 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4-6 | 11-18 | 8-9 |
I’m really hoping they make Siakam easier to use in 2k now that he’s an absolute beast. He was so hard to figure out in 2k19.
Marc Gasol
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 3 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1-3 | 1-5 | 0-0 |
He hasn’t done anything exciting in a stat sheet for quite some time now, unless you count his nine point, four block performance from a couple weeks ago. Not sure he’s even worth a roster spot given his incredibly low usage and his just bad FG percentage of 33%.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4-11 | 11-23 | 4-4 |
Take notes, because that, my friends, is how you bounce back from a bad game.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6-10 | 10-17 | 0-0 |
Hunter is beginning to light it up from three, knocking in multiple tres in the majority of games this month. He can up his scoring total to around 15 per game in pretty quick fashion if he plays like he is now.
LaMarcus Aldrige
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2-2 | 8-15 | 5-7 |
Another good bounce back performance in this weekend’s slate. It’s sad seeing Aldridge play for such a struggling team… it certainly hasn’t been his fault. He needs to maintain the above level of activity if he wants to continue to be a top-25 threat.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0-0 | 8-14 | 5-5 |
Not much to say here. Should the Spurs turn it around with this win, he’s more likely to stay in town and will perform at a similar level.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 2-2 |
I don’t really get why Taj Gibson is starting over him, but who knows with the Knicks. They’re wasting a lot of potential with Robinson.
Frank Ntilikina
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 9 | 3 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1-4 | 3-9 | 2-2 |
Six steals! He’s only owned in 24% of leagues but has the starting job locked down for now (yikes, DSJ).
R.J. Barrett
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0-2 | 6-11 | 1-4 |
He’s way too inconsistent to be relied on. He’s highly owned due to that upside, but I’m not sure the Knicks can possibly be good enough to allow him to be a good fantasy option.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4-9 | 7-20 | 5-6 |
Must be nice to watch a Blazers game when the starters actually play! And Dame played well in this one, doing his thing and continuing his high usage.
C.J. McCollum
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2-7 | 8-19 | 4-4 |
Lillard’s sidekick continued his torrid stretch, dishing the ball out really well over a span of five games with 30 assists.
Carmelo Anthony
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0-8 | 5-15 | 1-2 |
It’s gonna be hard to give Melo 30+ minutes like the Blazers have been doing if he goes 0-8 from deep. But at least he’s shooting confidently, as that’s always something that Melo really struggles with. All jokes aside, though, he doesn’t need to be owned but can be useful if you need scoring.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0-0 | 9-17 | 7-7 |
Thompson brought back his early November magic, getting back over 20 points for the first time in a few weeks. He won’t dominate in the post against better defensive opponents, but he sure did in this one.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6-6 | 6-9 | 10-12 |
What a display of shooting! He gets enough minutes off the bench (31 in this one) in most cases to provide a good amount of scoring and he’ll chip in in other categories a little bit as well.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2-9 | 14-27 | 0-0 |
Business as usual, except he put up 30 without being effective from deep or going to the line. And yet he finds a way.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3-6 | 7-14 | 5-6 |
God, he is good.
Rajon Rondo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 14 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1-5 | 6-15 | 1-2 |
He’s only 27% owned, so he’s definitely available in a decent amount of leagues. The question is whether or not this game is an anomaly or will be his normal output from the bench going forward. I don’t trust his role enough to want a piece of Rondo, but this performance sure was nice.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 1-2 | 10-16 | 5-6 |
Ja is Jawesome, but the Grizzlies committed a ton of turnovers which eventually may have done them in during a really close game against the Lakers. With that said, Ja is scoring with ease right now as he brings his FG percentage up higher and higher.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4-9 | 8-13 | 1-3 |
He’s a streaky scorer, reaching 20 for the first time this season. He rebounds well though, and will provide assists and steals at a good number for a forward. He should be owned more highly than he is at 33%.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 8 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 4-7 | 0-0 |
Clarke outplayed Valanciunas in much less playing time and still fights for a larger time share, one which he certainly seems deserving of. He’s averaging around 14 per game in the last week with solid rebounding numbers and great efficiency, with a FG percentage around 65%.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0-0 | 5-10 | 2-4 |
Just an absolute double-double machine, even in a game where his usage was relatively low. No other way to put it.
Derrick Rose
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2-5 | 8-17 | 2-2 |
This type of game is exactly what you can expect from Rose. Scoring, decent passing, and high bench usage. It helps Rose’s fantasy value that he’s on the same team as such an injury prone star in Blake Griffin to allow Rose to take over as the primary option.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1-3 | 12-22 | 3-9 |
Business as usual. The free throw struggles are pretty bad actually, reaching a new low with this 33% effort. It’s pretty wild that two of the league’s brightest star that aren’t big men, in Giannis and Ben Simmons, may have FG% that near or better their FT% by year’s end.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4-7 | 12-24 | 5-5 |
Do not sell high. I’m begging you.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3-9 | 12-24 | 1-1 |
A near flawless game for the vet who is a perennial fantasy star without the deserved recognition.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0-2 | 1-4 | 0-0 |
You have to be a pretty good player to get as much playing time and a starting spot without providing much if anything in the way of scoring as Williams. But he knows his role as a great defender and rebounder, and the Pelicans love him for that. For fantasy? Meh. He’s a decent play for rebounding and defense, but isn’t likely to boost any teams to a championship.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 37 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6-13 | 12-26 | 7-7 |
There’s that usage we like to see. Mitchell should be a top-20 player the rest of the way, as long as he can contribute in some way outside of scoring, which he did in this game.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3-7 | 10-17 | 5-7 |
He should be owned in all leagues. He’s an elite deep threat and the Jazz somehow find a way to use him at a high rate even with Mitchell… another benefit of Conley’s leadership.
