Most of my attention was on Monday Night Football with my favorite team, the Texans, in action. Luckily, there were only six games on the NBA docket.
HOSPITAL WARD
Derrick Rose sprained his left ankle with less than six minutes left in the game and didn't return. The Bulls play five games the rest of the month, offset by four road contests. It's not the end of the world if Rose misses a few; most players don't return immediately from a sprained ankle. If the x-rays are negative, I wouldn't be shocked if he missed the next two games and returned next Tuesday. He's still dealing with blurred vision as a result from a fractured orbital bone suffered during training camp, and last night was the first time this season he shot at least 50 percent from the field. Rose finished with a team-high 23 points (9-18 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six assists, two rebounds, two steals, and one block in 33 minutes. Assuming time off, Aaron Brooks will be the starting guard, but Joakim Noah will likely pilfer the assist opportunities. Brooks received a DNP-CD last night, but he's preferable to E'Twaun Moore and Kirk Hinrich.
M.I.A.
- Chicago
- Mike Dunleavy (back)
- Dallas
- JaVale McGee (leg)
- Houston
- Donatas Motiejunas (back)
- Patrick Beverley (ankle)
- Indiana
- George Hill (illness)
- Myles Turner (thumb)
- Rodney Stuckey (ankle)
- LA Lakers
- Kobe Bryant (back)
- Memphis
- Brandan Wright (knee)
- Oklahoma City
- Kevin Durant (hamstring)
- Philadelphia
- Richaun Holmes (hamstring)
- Kendall Marshall (knee)
- Tony Wroten (knee)
- Carl Landry (wrist)
- Phil Pressey (illness)
- Christian Wood (DNP-CD)
- Phoenix
- Markieff Morris (knee)
- Ronnie Price (concussion)
- Portland
- Meyers Leonard (shoulder)
ROTATION NOTES
Wesley Matthews (rest), Chandler Parsons (rest), and Dirk Nowitzki (rest) all returned to the starting lineup after missing Saturday's games against the Rockets, displacing Justin Anderson, Raymond Felton, and Charlie Villanueva. The Mavericks don't play another back-to-back set until next week.
Parsons played a season-high 20 minutes and scored 11 of his 20 points (8-11 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT) in the first six minutes. He started the second half and only played the first three minutes before sitting the rest of the game. His playing time is incrementally rising, but the Mavericks are proceeding cautiously in hopes of minimizing a setback. It took three weeks for them to upgrade him from 15 minutes a night to 20, and it will probably take another month before all restrictions are lifted. The only move is to hold him until such time, because I doubt anyone will offer you fair rest-of-season value.
Robert Covington played for the first time since aggravating a knee injury three games into the regular season. He was capped at 20 minutes, but Covington provided seven points (2-8 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), five rebounds, two assists, and one steal in limited action. He's an add in all situations. The inclusion of a post threat like Jahlil Okafor should open up the offense and increase Covington's open looks. My only concern is Covington suffering another setback from returning too early.
Chase Budinger started with George Hill suffering from an upper respiratory infection. He was scoreless in 18 minutes. The Pacers get one day off before facing the Sixers, and if Hill can't recover in time for that game, he should be fine by Saturday.
Tony Snell started over Doug McDermott, presumably to matchup against Paul George. Snell was the starter at the beginning of the season until coach Hoiberg replaced him with McDermott six games into the regular season. Snell and McDermott both play less than 24 minutes a night, but McDemott has separated himself with his league-leading three-point shooting. Aside from that, McDermott is averaging 0.8 assist, steals, and blocks combined. Neither moves the fantasy needle.
Dwight Howard (rest) joined the starting lineup after recently sitting the second game of a back-to-back. Clint Capela resumed reserve duties, and the only starter to play at least 30 minutes was Trevor Ariza after the Rockets squandered a first-quarter 15-point lead. Howard pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds against an inferior Celtics frontline, but he only scored five points on four attempts. He'll sit again later this week, and this trend will likely continue for most of the season. The Rockets play a league-high 20 back-to-backs, capping Howard to a maximum 62 games if he stays healthy.
Andre Roberson was battling the flu, and Kyle Singler started in his absence. Singler and Anthony Morrow combined for two points in 40 minutes. Dion Waiters played 38 minutes off the bench and provided 14 points (6-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, and one steal. With the news of Kevin Durant (hamstring) missing the next two games, Waiters will continue to hoist. His usage rate sans Durant is 10 percent higher, and he's shooting above league average in every basic zone not including the restricted area.
Chris Kaman was reinserted in the starting lineup over Noah Vonleh, both of whom have alternated that responsibility since Meyers Leonard dislocated his left shoulder. Coach Stotts is wary of playing Ed Davis next to starter Mason Plumlee, as evidenced by their six total minutes on the court together. Because Al-Farouq Aminu gets minutes at power forward and Vonleh is now in the rotation, Davis has been marginalized.
Kawhi Leonard (illness) and Manu Ginobili (groin) assumed their usual roles after sitting out Saturday's games against the Sixers. Kyle Anderson, who started the last game, was limited to seven minutes off the bench. Leonard assaulted the box score for 19 points (8-15 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 0-1 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 31 minutes. Ginobili, as is the norm, played 23 minutes and added 17 points (7-14 FG, four rebounds, three assists, and one block. The Argentinian leads the team in three-pointers made and is second on the team in assists per game. You ride him for however long the ride lasts.
With Kobe Bryant resting the second game of a back-to-back, Metta World Peace earned another start. The 36-year-old scored 10 of his 12 points (4-6 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-4 FT) in the first quarter and played 21 minutes. Bryant has three days off before the Lakers' next game, but it's no guarantee he suits up.
FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT
Brandon Knight earned his first career triple-double against the Lakers. He finished with 40 points (11-23 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 5-7 FT), 15 assists, 10 rebounds, and four steals in 41 minutes against a rickety defensive unit. Coach Hornacek let Knight finish the game as the lead guard and played Eric Bledsoe only 28 minutes. When Bledsoe and Knight play together, Knight's assist percentage is 16.5 percent, 30 percentage points worse than when Bledsoe is off the court. You can use this game to trade Knight at an inflated price because people overemphasize triple-doubles, but he's been playing well this season and attempting 6.8 three-pointers per game, sixth most in the NBA.
ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT
T.J. McConnell, he of zero free-throw attempts in 326 minutes this season, acquitted himself well against the Mavericks. In 34 minutes without Phil Pressey (illness), McConnell provided a career-high 13 points (6-9 FG, 1-3 3Pt), seven rebounds, six assists, two steals, and one block. McConnell had been scuffling entering this game, and their's news that Kendall Marshall (knee) and Tony Wroten (knee) will not return until December. That extends McConnell's fantasy shelf life a few more weeks, but his long-term prospects are bleak. Don't hang onto him if someone on the waiver wire tickles your fancy.
BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES
The Philadelphia 76ers turned the ball over 27 times.
Nik Stauskas was held under 20 minutes for the second straight game, and he's only played a combined nine second-half minutes over the last two games. He made 13-of-54 three-pointers in the last eight games, and now his playing time has been commandeered by Isaiah Canaan, Stauskas is a firm drop. Most of his attempts have been open, but if he's not making shots, much like Eric Gordon at the start of last season, it's time to move on.
Taj Gibson (31 minutes) and Joakim Noah (21 minutes) ate into Nikola Mirotic's playing time, limiting him to 17 minutes. Mirotic was on the bench for the final 16 minutes. Gibson recorded nine points (3-8 FG, 3-6 FT), a season-high 11 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks, while Noah contributed eight points (4-7 FG, 0-1 FT), six rebounds, four assists, and one steal. Noah is eventually going to supplant Mirotic in the starting lineup, and I envision it happening on the upcoming four-game road trip. I don't know if it'll be a permanent move, and Noah's knees will limit his playing time regardless, but Gibson entering the game as player three cramps the rotation.
Mirotic had one great month last season. That March shoehorned him into the Rookie of the Year discussion. During that month, where he averaged 20.8 points and a usage rate of 30 percent in 30.8 minutes per game, Mirotic played a total of 59 minutes with Jimmy Butler in the lineup and zero minutes with Derrick Rose on the court. Rose missed the entire month due to knee surgery and Butler was absent with an elbow injury. Gibson was also limited to five games that month with a severe ankle injury. Mirotic took advantage of his increased opportunity and offered a glimpse of his offensive potential.
Mirotic began this season with four solid outings alongside Butler and Rose, only to revert to his true self: a terrible outside shooter and non-existent defender. Over the last six games, he's averaging 20.2 minutes per game and shooting 20 percent from downtown, an 11-percent drop-off from last season's accuracy. That's why it was important to not overreact to his early season shooting, as Nate Duncan did after a three-game sample size. Mirotic is shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc this season, a marginal improvement. Even with backlash I'm spewing in Mirotic's general direction, I can't endorse dropping him three weeks into the season. He was a valuable fantasy commodity in limited minutes last season, and 12-team league owners should ride it out.
https://twitter.com/NateDuncanNBA/status/660991878133714944
C.J. Miles runs hot and cold when he's not injured. He scored 19 points and hit five three-pointers in 27 minutes, but only added two rebounds and a steal. Miles is 10th in three-pointers made per game (2.4), and he includes 1.6 steals per game. You start Miles when he's rolling, you sit him when he's scuffling, and you drop him when he's injured.
Ian Mahinmi missed both free-throw attempts, moving him to 4-of-20 from the free-throw line on the season. While it can be infuriating to roster him based on his mishaps from the charity stripe, Mahinmi has played at least 25 minutes in four consecutive games, overlapping with the injury to Myles Turner (thumb). In that timeframe, Mahinmi is providing 1.8 blocks and 8.0 boards per game. The stats are mind-numbing, but they're serviceable if you ignore free-throw percentage.
Marcus Smart shot 1-of-11 from the field, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out six assists, and recorded five steals in 30 minutes. He was the only Celtic starter to play in the fourth quarter. Jae Crowder added another two steals to his league-leading total, and Isaiah Thomas scored 23 points (9-12 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 1-1 FT) in 24 minutes. I believe Thomas will eventually return to a reserve role. Avery Bradley (21 points, four three-pointers) is not being overexerted because he's two games back from a calf injury. The minutes won't fluctuate much, but Thomas will be able to feast on opposing second units, increasing his efficiency.
Mario Chalmers posted a scoring-heavy line: 29 points (6-13 FG, 4-7 3Pt, 13-15 FT), two rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 23 minutes. In his three games with the Grizzlies, Chalmers is averaging 18.7 points, 2.3 assists, 1.7 steals, and 9.0 free-throw attempts in 20.3 minutes per game. Chalmers, like most of the NBA, had his best run as LeBron James' teammate. As I've previously written, In the 282 games they played together, Chalmers shot 39 percent on three-pointers versus 32.4 percent in the games James wasn't around. It's foolhardy to expect Chalmers to sustain 58.3 percent accuracy from distance. I can't think of anyone I want to discard for Chalmers. His stats aren't retroactive; adding him only highlights your need for instant gratification. The Grizzlies don't play for another three days, and in that time, you'll likely drop Chalmers for the next emerging fantasy asset.
Russell Westbrook couldn't carry the Thunder to the playoffs without Kevin Durant (hamstring) last season, and the trend has continued. Even though he recorded 40 points (13-19 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 9-13 FT), 14 assists, four rebounds, three steals, and eight turnovers in 39 minutes, the Thunder have now lost two consecutive games. Enes Kanter (17 minutes) and Steven Adams (27 minutes) combined for 30 points and 14 rebounds, but they're barely getting enough minutes to label them must-owns.
LaMarcus Aldridge was held to a season-low six points (2-8 FG, 2-2 FT) in a team-high 34 minutes. Performances like this are when you pounce with a buy-low offer. Aldridge had been playing better over the previous week, and this terrible game adds to the frustration.
P.J. Tucker (11 points), Mirza Teletovic (11 points), Alex Len (10 points), Archie Goodwin (12 points), and T.J. Warren (career-high 19 points) all scored in double figures against the Lakers.
NIGHTLY LEADERS
Points
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 40 points
- Brandon Knight, G, PHX: 30 points
- Mario Chalmers, G, MEM: 29 points
Rebounds
- Pau Gasol, C, CHI: 13 rebounds (3 offensive)
- Nerlens Noel, F, PHI: 12 rebounds (2 offensive)
- Dwight Howard, C, HOU: 12 rebounds (4 offensive)
- Jordan Hill, F, IND: 12 rebounds (4 offensive)
- Ian Mahinmi, C, IND: 12 rebounds (2 offensive)
Assists
- Brandon Knight, G, PHX: 15 assists
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 14 assists
- Mike Conley, G, MEM: 9 assists
Steals
- Marcus Smart, G, BOS: 5 steals
- Brandon Knight, G, PHX: 4 steals
- Devin Harris, G, DAL: 4 steals
Blocks
- Taj Gibson, F, CHI: 4 blocks
- Serge Ibaka, F, OKC: 3 blocks
- Tim Duncan, F, SAS: 3 blocks
- Alex Len, C, PHX: 3 blocks
Three-pointers
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 5-8 3Pt
- C.J. Miles, F, IND: 5-8 3Pt
- Seven players recorded four three-pointers
Minutes
- Damian Lillard, G, POR: 42 minutes
- Brandon Knight, G, PHX: 41 minutes
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 39 minutes
- Paul George, F, IND: 39 minutes