Welcome back Razzball Nation to another edition of the weekly column to assist in your quest for league dominance. I’m dedicated to bringing you the goods week to week and I would say if you’ve been following my lead then you’re likely doing well, with the exception of Michael Porter Jr. My bad. Not every player targeted here is going to be a homerun win and not every player is going to offer 50 or more ranking spots of value. As the season wears on it becomes increasingly difficult to find large margins of value but remain strategic in your approach and you will be able to finesse a beneficial deal that provides a high-upside player. Luckily, we are still in the early stages of the season when some players are still performing below their ADP so that managers could be feeling the itch to pull the trigger on a deal.
“Party in the city where the heat is on
All night, on the beach till the break of dawn
Welcome to Miami
Bienvenidos a Miami”.
Want the best tools and projections to help dominate your league? Check out the Stocktonator, the byproduct of Rudy and machine making love. Click HERE for a FREE 3-day trial.
I am not looking through rose coloured glasses when it comes to expecting a return to last year’s form for Bam. With the addition of the G.R.O.A.T. (Greatest Raptor of All Time) Kyle Lowry, the assists were bound to dry up and that is precisely what has happened. Last season Bam finished as the 18th overall player behind averages of:
18.7 points, 9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.0 blocks while shooting 57% from the field and 79.9% from the line.
This season we have seen the assists drop to 3.2 per game and I feel confident in saying they are not coming back with how this Heat team is now constructed.
Over the past week, however, we have seen some of the largest dropoffs in his production, mainly in the free throw percentage, which has been a dismal 43.5% on 5.8 attempts per game. The drag in free throw is the main contributor to his 185th ranking over the past two weeks. This is a number that is bound to rise and increase his value as Bam is not going to shoot this poorly for the season. He is simply too good for that.
Another staggering stat is that Bam has not blocked a shot in eight consecutive games and has only recorded two blocks in his last twelve. Bam is not known as a rim protector or a shot-blocker (1 block per game last season) but seriously fam?! Zero blocks in that amount of games from a center is unacceptable and, while he will never be Rudy Gobert, I do believe he will correct the issue.
Currently, Bam is ranked 67th on the season, and with an increase in free-throw shooting and blocks, that will translate to more points and a higher overall ranking. While a top 20 finish is likely out of the discussion, Bam could end the season as a top 40 player, 27 spots higher than his current ranking.
If you are strong at guard and need a big, I would offer Tyrese Haliburton or Alex Caruso for Bam. I could also see offering Gordon Hayward for Bam if it fits your build. Bam will likely finish higher than both of those players and there is a good chance you can get that type of deal done now with a frustrated manager.
Take my Miami Ad-Vice and make a play for Bam before he starts to string together some good games and the buy-low opportunity evaporates.
As always, hit me up in the comments section with your feedback, agree, disagree it is all welcome.
Good luck,
Peace.