This article is part of our NBA Category Strategy series.
We've reached the halfway point of the head-to-head regular season. You have 10 more weeks and nine more matchups before the playoffs begin in standard leagues.
The Jazz play five games this week, the Suns play twice and the rest of the league is scheduled for three or four contests. Eight teams engage in three games this week, leaving 19 teams slated for four games and endless possibilities.
Beginning Monday, the Suns play three games over an 11-day span. That constitutes the most advantageous moment to fire coach Jeff Hornacek and allow the replacement, interim or otherwise, sufficient practice days to institute his system. Should Hornacek survive a potentially demoralizing loss Sunday against the Lakers, the All-Star break doubles as another firing checkpoint.
Teams may begin signing players to 10-day contracts Tuesday. The D-League Showcase, a yearly tournament that displays the best talents of the D-League, commences Wednesday and lasts five days. Scouts will mine the talent looking to sign this season's Langston Galloway. As long as the player isn't under an NBA contract, they can sign with any team regardless of D-League affiliation.
On Jan. 10, the same day the D-League Showcase wraps, non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed. Players like JaVale McGee, JaKarr Sampson, T.J. McConnell, Tim Frazier and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (full list here) will have their rest-of-season fate decided. Should a team waive a player on a partially guaranteed deal by next Sunday, that team may re-sign the player
We've reached the halfway point of the head-to-head regular season. You have 10 more weeks and nine more matchups before the playoffs begin in standard leagues.
The Jazz play five games this week, the Suns play twice and the rest of the league is scheduled for three or four contests. Eight teams engage in three games this week, leaving 19 teams slated for four games and endless possibilities.
Beginning Monday, the Suns play three games over an 11-day span. That constitutes the most advantageous moment to fire coach Jeff Hornacek and allow the replacement, interim or otherwise, sufficient practice days to institute his system. Should Hornacek survive a potentially demoralizing loss Sunday against the Lakers, the All-Star break doubles as another firing checkpoint.
Teams may begin signing players to 10-day contracts Tuesday. The D-League Showcase, a yearly tournament that displays the best talents of the D-League, commences Wednesday and lasts five days. Scouts will mine the talent looking to sign this season's Langston Galloway. As long as the player isn't under an NBA contract, they can sign with any team regardless of D-League affiliation.
On Jan. 10, the same day the D-League Showcase wraps, non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed. Players like JaVale McGee, JaKarr Sampson, T.J. McConnell, Tim Frazier and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (full list here) will have their rest-of-season fate decided. Should a team waive a player on a partially guaranteed deal by next Sunday, that team may re-sign the player once they clear waivers. Keeping that player beyond the deadline merely guarantees their salary for the final three months.
Arbitrary Suggestion Thresholds:
Yahoo! & ESPN - less than 40 percent owned
POINTS
Rodney Hood (SG/SF)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 47; ESPN - 26.1)
Hood is finding his stride at an opportune time. He scored a career-high 32 points Saturday night and is averaging 15.6 points per game over the last eight, coinciding with the loss of Alec Burks (leg) and absence of Derrick Favors (back). Hood struggled with his outside shot the entire season prior to hitting nine of 17 threes the last two games and 35 percent since Dec. 8. He continues to struggle in catch-and-shoot situations because he overthinks the wide open shot. When Hood is creating his own offense, the accuracy on his attempts rise. Trey Burke is a fallback option because he's scored at least 10 points in 14 of the last 16 games and averaged 14.2 points per game in December. Both guards top the suggestion box due to the Jazz's five-game week. For those seeking longer term prospects, T.J. Warren has scored 20.5 points per game over the last four - all without Eric Bledsoe (knee). The Suns play twice this week, hence the long-term sanctuary.
REBOUNDS
Bobby Portis (PF)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 34; ESPN - 12.4)
Joakim Noah (shoulder) will be evaluated Monday and could be cleared to play this week. That would cripple Portis' playing time. Regardless, coach Fred Hoiberg confirmed that Portis will remain in the rotation when Noah returns. The Bulls' front office seems intent on trading one of Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson or Noah. The immediate uncertainty and frontcourt knot designates Portis as a solid rotisserie stash, but his luster doesn't behoove teams floundering at the bottom of the standings in head-to-head leagues. The Bulls are one of three teams scheduled for a maximum 52 games in the 2016 portion of the NBA season. The surplus action bodes well for Portis' statistical production. For immediate help, consider Trevor Booker due to the Jazz's schedule or Taj Gibson because he entered the starting lineup before Noah's shoulder injury.
ASSISTS
Shane Larkin (PG)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 7; ESPN - 1.6)
This suggestion doesn't require much analysis. Jarrett Jack sprained his right knee and could miss an extended period of time. The MRI is scheduled for Sunday. Larkin will likely slide into the starting lineup and attempt to match Jack's 7.4 assists per game. If savvy owners in your league already claimed Larkin, target J.J. Barea due to Deron Williams' hamstring aggravation Saturday night. If neither Larkin nor Barea are available, I will continue to suggest Matthew Dellavedova and Jameer Nelson as stopgaps.
STEALS
Marcus Smart (PG)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 47; ESPN - 17.8)
Avery Bradley was limited to 11 minutes Saturday night after sustaining a left hip contusion. The Celtics play four games this week, including one against the Nets, the team Smart recorded three steals against Saturday in 24 minutes. The sophomore guard was set to have his minutes restriction lifted sooner, but he missed a team shootaround prior to last Wednesday's game against the Lakers, resulting in a first quarter benching. Smart or Evan Turner will slide into the starting lineup should Avery miss the upcoming week. Both reserves will vie for 24-30 minutes per night, and Smart will equip his trademark tenacity on defense to accumulate steals in bunches.
BLOCKS
Bismack Biyombo (C)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 29; ESPN - 44.4)
I nearly suggested Cody Zeller in this spot before confirming his blocks over the past two weeks without Al Jefferson (knee) and Spencer Hawes (back) were misleading. He's never compiled elite block numbers because he prefers to use verticality. Instead, I present Biyombo, who has swatted six shots in the three games since Jonas Valanciunas returned from a fractured left hand. A four-game week combined with Valanciunas' minutes restriction portends one final hurrah before the Raptors travel to London to play one game in Week 12.
THREE-POINTERS
Jerryd Bayless (PG)
(Ownership percentages: Yahoo - 27; ESPN - 21.8)
Bayless has made at least one three-pointer in 20 consecutive games. After missing 12 of 16 games in December with an ankle injury, Bayless returned to the lineup on Dec. 28 has made seven three-pointers in the last four games. Even if Bayless doesn't eventually replace Michael Carter-Williams as the starting point guard, he'll receive adequate minutes off the bench as the lead playmaker, salvaging a chunk of his early season fantasy value. The Bucks play four games each of the next two weeks, adding to Bayless' case as a three-point savior.
