Getting through a fantasy basketball season can sometimes feel like everyone in the building is against you. Like you’re John McClane. Once you get into April, you finally have a bajillion options helping you, but your feet are bleeding and your shirt is burnt off! Perils of April basketball. If you’re in a H2H league and your championship stretches until game 82, it’s time to change your league settings! Maybe it’s just sour grapes since it’s looking like we’re gonna come up short in the Yahoo Friends & Family championship. Slim could blame me too, because he wanted to welcome Norman Powell to the Razzball party. Welcome to the party, Powell!
As with a lot of these April guys, Powell is putting up some surprising stats. But he’s been getting better and better when given the opportunity, with an absolutely crazy Friday night with the Raps regulars DNPed going 27/6/4/1/0, but on only 11 shots and 5 – FIVE! – field goals made. He hit 3 treys, and apparently bought all the refs dinner before the game, going 14-19 from the FT line. 19 free throws, after 0 trips to the stripe the two games before it. WTF, mate?! Then promptly left the party last night, playing only 21 minutes for 2/1/1/1/0 in a scrubby game as the starting SF, and you guessed it, yet again 0 FTA. What in the wide world of sports?!
I’ve seen a few comments asking about Powell’s keepability for 16-17, and I just don’t know. He’s 6’4 and definitely a SG (even though he was listed as a SF last night), so you’d imagine they’d have to push DeMar DeRozan to the 3. That wouldn’t be outlandish or anything, but remember we saw a couple huge flashes from Terrence Ross before he turned into a Holiday Armadillo. And I’m lazy and didn’t want to rewrite those last couple sentences – I totally forgot about DeMarre Carroll! He’s signed through 2018-19, so it’s really hard seeing much happen for Powell out of the gate next year. And even for the final two Raps games tomorrow and Wednesday, it’s hard to give him a starting nod unless we know the Raps are resting peeps. With Toronto still alive to sneak into the #1 spot, I don’t see that happening if the Cavs beat Atlanta tonight and lock the first seed. Here’s what else went down in fantasy hoops action over the weekend:
Thomas Robinson – The automatic dubdub (and automatic FT% slaughterer) went 16/17 on Friday night with 2-8 FT then had to leave yesterday with a bum knee. The only thing automatic in this situation is a BKN loss!
Kemba Walker – While Charlotte is pumping hard the win with Kemba campaign, they certainly didn’t win with him last night! Lost by 15 @DC, with some irony that he loses in the Nation’s Capital after all these faux-political ad spots. Story here – don’t use politics ever!
Joe Johnson – 12.6/2.8/3.6/0.8/0.1 with 1.4 treys as a member of the Heat. “member” when Slim and I fought about his value on Miami?! After I kinda hopped off JJ needing to be owned in 12ers, when Jarrett Jack got hurt, JJ went 13.4/3.7/4.4 with 1.8 treys in his final 25 BKN games. Yeah, I win this round!
Evan Fournier – Unlike last year, finishing mad strong! 28/7/7 then 21/2/5 over the weekend, and on Friday night – 12-15 FT. The Skiles factor will always loom, but he might be a sneaky solid pick in the mid-to-late-rounds in 16-17.
Jerian Grant – Finally getting some run in the junk time of the season, going 16/5/6 and 19/3/1/3/0 over the weekend. Granting us some late-season pickup-ability!
Tyler Zeller – In textbook Celtics fashion, goes 26/3/2/0/4 on Friday night in absolute beast mode, only to get rewarded with 5 minutes off the bench Saturday. Zeller is probably buying some brass knuckles to get Even Stevens this week…
Reggie Jackson – With no John Wall, Reggie Jackson was like Brendan Frasier in Bedazzled on the court! Yeah, how about that reference?! Mmmmmm, Elizabeth Hurley… 39/4/9 on 14-20 shooting hitting 7-7 from downtown. Hot at the right time!
D’Angelo Russell – After a blistering game @NO on Friday night (32/2/2), got P-Bevved! 8/5/4/3/0 with 5 TO last night. Well, more accurately he got Kobe-ed!
Kobe Bryant – 35 Pts on 10-22 FG with 4 treys and 11-11 FT. Whoopty doo. Lakers lose by 20 since he’s playing gloryball. While the Lakers go into a gloryhole.
Tony Allen – Huge game from the usually D-minded vet, going 25/7/1/3/1 Friday at the Mavs. Shockingly hit 8-14 FG and even more shockinglyer hit 9-9 FT. Unfortunately he sat Saturday with a sore hammy, so he might sit the final few days. This is why April NBA is poopy.
JJ Barea – One of the more blistering finishes from a barely-owned guy this season, Barea apparently went at it too vigorously and strained his groin Friday night. ¡Ay, caramba! Opened a big door for Raymond Felton (and by big door, I mean wide door for him to be able to waddle through) going 11/6/14 on Friday off the bench post-JJB injury and 21/4/5/0/2 last night. Barea is a game-time decision tonight, but if he can’t go and you can make daily moves, I think you kinda gotta play Felton.
Justin Anderson – I shoulda asked Nick Van Exel more about Justin Anderson when he was on the show! Playing pretty well in a late-season callup, with his best game Friday night going 19/10/0/1/3. Unfortunately he came up with a dud following his career-high (3/6/2/1/0), but hey, at least he’s in the NBA right now!
Jusuf Nurkic & Nikola Jokic – A match made in heaven! As Slim mentioned on the Pod (and I’m sure we’ll talk some on it on the wrap up show Thursday), the two multi-cat bigs have started next to each other the past two games! Glimpse of the future?! I sure hope so! 21/9/1/2/2 then a dud 6/4/1/0/2 for Nurk over the weekend, with Jokic going 8/15/4/1/1 then 19/11/4/2/1. They’re both super young – just look at Jokic’s passport – so if this sticks for next year, I’m gonna have some cray excitement. Viva la Nugs!
Cole Aldrich – Man, I’m not putting it out there because it’s negative joojoo, but should DeAndre Jordan ever get hurt, I’m gonna invest harrrrrrd into Aldrich next year. He’s signed with the Clip through 16-17, and in a spot start with DJ a DNP-rest Friday went 21/18/2/5/1 on 10-15 FG. In deeper leagues I might even draft and stash him.
Paul Millsap – He’s just incredible. 31/16/3/2/5 – another monster rainbow line – and he’s averaging a rainbow line since March. From Mar 1 until now, 16.5/10.1/3.4/2.1/2.5 with 1.1 threes. Insanity.
Draymond Green – Not to be overshadowed as one of the league’s best multi-cat 4s, Dray had a pivotal tip-in Saturday night at Memphis before the Warriors beat the Spurs to win game #72. I know that the Warriors are the lead everywhere else, but this is fantasy talk, not real life talk! Unfortunately the game @SA was a dud for Dray, but the Warriors somehow won in the unwinnable arena. At least the final NBA Wednesday will have a super-drama game as the Warriors hope to get 73!
Seth Curry – Yup, THAT Curry! 20/2/3 with 6 treys in a very ThraGNOFfian line last time out. The Spurs have two left – tonight and the final Wednesday – so if you need ThrAGNOF, he’s an easy pick!
Khris Middleton – The Duchess went royal against the Sixers yesterday in OT, willing the Bucks to a W going 14-24 FG for 36/6/9/4/0. Don’t tell him that the Bucks aren’t playing for anything!
Myles Turner – You’re my boy, Myles! 28/10/1/1/2 last night, with a lot of minutes a little junky as the Pacers were up over the Nets by 20 after the first quarter. But stats be stats! They’ve locked up their playoff spot, but I bet they let the rook play the final 2 games.
Sad face – this is going to be my last daily notes of the season! We’ll be recapping the final few games on the Thursday morning Pod, and we’ll be unveiling some of the first Way Too Early Ranks this week as well. Basketball 24/7 365 baby! I hope you had a good weekend, Razzball Nation!
