Kobe Bryant dunked on Clint Capela. It was his first dunk of the season. Bryant is shooting 49 percent from the floor over the last six games. Playing fewer minutes and shaking off a preseason ankle injury, he's changed up his approach, leading to much better results.

HOSPITAL WARD

No players were harmed on a physical level.

M.I.A.

• Charlotte
  • Nicolas Batum (illness)
  • Al Jefferson (suspension)
• Cleveland
  • Kyrie Irving (knee)
  • Iman Shumpert (groin)
  • Mo Williams (thumb)
• Houston
  • Marcus Thornton (DNP-CD)
  • Sam Dekker (back)
• Oklahoma City
  • Anthony Morrow (personal)
• Toronto
  • Jonas Valanciunas (hand)
  • DeMarre Carroll (knee)

ROTATION NOTES

Nicolas Batum took the night off due to an illness. Insert Jeremy Lin, who recorded a season-high 35 points (13-22 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 7-9 FT), five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks in 47 minutes. Lin was primarily guarded by Terrence Ross, and I use the word "guarded" loosely. The paint was open almost the entire game with coach Clifford rolling out Spencer Hawes and Frank Kaminsky for large stretches. Ross would duck under screens, permitting Lin open jumpers, and when Cory Joseph took his turn on the Lindenberg, Lin blew past him for floaters and layups.

The Hornets play again on Saturday, offering ample recovery time for Batum. In three additional games, Al Jefferson will return from suspension. Lin's minutes have been climbing because Jeremy Lamb acts as Batum's main backup, a departure from his role earlier this season as P.J. Hairston's understudy. Now that Lin replaces Hairston, his playing time will fluctuate between 24-28 minutes a night. Under those conditions, assuming they hold true, Lin projects for 10 points, three assists, three rebounds, and a steal a night when he returns to the bench. I'm not running to the waiver wire to add those stats in a standard league. He's useful while the minutes are flowing, but once Jefferson clogs the paint, and there's no guarantee he jumps back into the starting lineup, Lin's outside shooting won't nurture his perceived fantasy value. Lin is shooting 8-of-34 (24 percent) in the 95 minutes he's played with Jefferson, a match made in hell.

Clint Capela replaced Donatas Motiejunas in the starting lineup, confirming my suspicions from the previous Box Score Breakdown. My thoughts on the Rockets' frontcourt situation can be found in said BSB - no one emerges until an injury or trade occurs. Because Dwight Howard accrued four fouls in 16 minutes, Capela played 28 minutes and Terrence Jones played 21 minutes against the Lakers. Motiejunas only competed for 19 minutes, and all three performed well with Roy Hibbert picking up four fouls in 17 minutes and fouling out in 22 minutes. Jones added 13 of his 16 points (5-7 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 5-6 FT) in the third quarter by hitting over 80 percent of his free throws. Capela supplied 10 points (4-6 FG, 2-4 FT), 12 rebounds, four blocks, two steals, and one assist. Again, I caution that this game occurred against the Lakers and Howard sustained foul trouble.

FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT

LeBron James: 33 points (12-27 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 7-8 FT), 11 assists, nine rebounds, two steals, seven turnovers, 40 minutes

James is going to have a cloud hanging over him all season - the Cavaliers will selectively rest him when the schedule permits. With Kyrie Irving (knee) and Iman Shumpert (groin) slated to rejoin the rotation, James won't need to play 37 minutes a night. Of course, playing time falls on coach Blatt. The Cavaliers have 11 more back-to-back sets this season, including five in March, a pivotal time for head-to-head leagues. James is adamant about playing a ton of minutes and as many games as possible. Nonetheless, the Cavaliers are first in the Eastern Conference without Irving's help. Once they lock up a playoff berth, many of their regulars will rest. This is something to think about now while James is playing well.

ROOKIE OF THE NIGHT

I had three options: Frank Kaminsky, D'Angelo Russell, or Larry Nance Jr. After admitting fault in assessing Russell's early season woes, he handed out seven assists and shot 1-of-9 in 26 minutes, reaffirming my original suspicions. Because coach Scott is starting Lou Williams and Jordan Clarkson, Russell isn't expected to play more than 25 minutes on a typical night. Kaminsky played 27 minutes off the bench, most among the Hornet reserves, and contributed six points (1-6 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 4-6 FT), six rebounds, three blocks, and one assist. He played a bunch of minutes next to Spencer Hawes because Cody Zeller succumbed to foul trouble and only play seven minutes in the first half. Nance produced 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one steal, and one block in 28 minutes as the Lakers starting power forward. I write all this to conclude that rookies will eventually struggle if they haven't already, so give their coaches some slack when maneuvering the season. Most of these kids played fewer than 35 games last season over the course of five months. Sitting out portions of games won't stunt their growth or inhibit their development. This is an 82-game season, and not every game has to play the same way every time.

TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH

Kemba Walker: 27 points (10-24 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 7-8 FT), seven assists, six rebounds, two blocks, one steal, 44 minutes

It was the second straight game Walker compiled at least seven assists, but Nicolas Batum (illness) was limited to 20 minutes the previous match and didn't play the second game of a back-to-back. Walker is shooting career-high 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from downtown. The improved efficiency on fewer attempts has translated into a career-high 18.2 points. He's no longer the lone offensive threat tasked with heaving shots at the end of the shot clock to bail out teammates. Walker spent the summer working on his outside shot, and now that he's no longer the sole focus of the defense, Walker can sustain his All-Star caliber numbers.

Kevin Love: 11 points (4-10 FG. 2-5 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, 32 minutes

Love is quickly losing steam. He's shooting 35 percent from the field in December while playing 31 minutes a night. Imagine what'll transpire when Kyrie Irving (knee) returns to the lineup and takes 14 shots a night, six more than placeholder Matthew Dellavedova. The offensive dynamic will change, but Love will still have about a month's worth of value retention because Irving will have his minutes capped and availability on back-to-backs restricted. I think you can wait for another big game before shopping him, an inevitability for when coach Blatt decides to leave him on the bench in favor of Tristan Thompson late in games.

James Harden: 25 points (7-24 FG, 2-9 3Pt, 9-10 FT), six rebounds, six assists, one steal, one block, 36 minutes

Harden struggled from the field, converting 2-of-8 shots inside the restricted area. As mentioned last time, Harden is only the seventh player in NBA history to average at least 28 points, six rebounds, and six assists per game. His shot was falling prior to this game, a good sign that he's back on track and getting into basketball shape.

BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES

Kyle Lowry had an off night. He missed his first nine shots and scored five points through the first three quarters. In 42 minutes, he finished with 20 points (6-29 FG, 3-17 3Pt, 5-7 FT), seven assists, four rebounds, and one steal. His 23 missed shots are a season-high for anyone this season. There were multiple times where he tossed up hopeless three-pointers, especially in overtime with the Raptors falling behind early. Coach Casey has been utilizing an eight-man rotation of late, and that's forced Lowry to play exorbitant minutes. If he continues to falter, consider him a buy-low candidate. Both Jonas Valanciunas (hand) and DeMarre Carroll (knee) will eventually return, allowing Lowry to return to his early season form.

Bismack Biyombo played his first game against the team that drafted and let him walk in free agency. Against the Hornets, Biyombo registered eight points (2-4 FG, 4-6 FT), a career-high 18 rebounds, a season-high seven blocks, and one steal before fouling out in 40 minutes. He grabbed a ton of rebounds with little resistance as the Hornets adhere to a floor spacing frontcourt and he turned away their diminutive guards on their forays to the basket, resulting in a finger wag, a la Dikembe Mutombo. It sounds as though Jonas Valanciunas (hand) will return in early January, yielding at least six more games for Biyombo to start. Nevertheless, the Raptors play twice next week, muting his streaming potential in head-to-head leagues. Adding Biyombo will help secure rebounds and blocks, but that only lasts as long as Lucas Nogueira stays shackled to the bench. Biyombo was losing minutes to Nogueira last week, and he'll likely sit at 28-30 minutes, not the 40 he registered last night.

Terrence Ross scored the quietest 17 points (6-12 FG, 5-10 3Pt) in 38 minutes I've seen all season. Technically, I only saw the first half, but I was confused when I checked the halftime box score and Ross scored nine points on three three-pointers. For good measure, Ross added a steal, rebound, and assist. Ross and Bojan Bogdanovic are in the same boat in terms of immediate value, but you're better off streaming that slot than committing to either on the off chance they figure it out.

P.J. Hairston found his shot. Maybe. Probably not. Over the last two games, Hairston has converted 7-of-14 three-pointers and scored 14 points in both instances. Hairston typically subs out for Jeremy Lin when Nicolas Batum (illness) plays, but with Lin in the starting lineup, Hairston played a season-high 34 minutes, up from his season average of 17 minutes a night. As a career 29 percent three-point shooter, it's unlikely Hairston retains a firm role in the rotation.

The Thunder possess three standard-league relevant players. All three scored over 20 points last night, and no one else on the team scored more than six. Enes Kanter holds bench value in rotisserie leagues at 20 minutes a night. Kyle Singler recorded his first assist of the season.

Matthew Dellavedova is making his case for primary backup point guard once Kyrie Irving (knee) returns to the lineup. Not only does Dellavedova lead the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio, he's also making 44 percent of his three-pointers while playing better defense than Mo Williams (illness). In 39 minutes, Dellavedova added 11 points (3-10 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 assists, and five rebounds. Dellavedova is owned in less than 10 percent of fantasy leagues because most people don't consider him a viable option. When you see him getting minutes ahead of Williams, his 5.5 assists will come in handy, especially on the Cavaliers' upcoming four-games-in-five-nights Western Conference road trip.

I nearly wrote off Tristan Thompson last time because of Timofey Mozgov's ascension. Well, Thompson contributed 13 points (7-10 FG, 0-2 FT), 15 rebounds, one assist, and one block in 35 minutes. He accumulated 11 offensive rebounds, two more than the Thunder and tied for most this season with Andre Drummond. Thompson is grabbing 9.9 rebounds per game, 11th most in the NBA and his solitary positive production in standard fantasy leagues outside of field goal percentage. He's averaging a combined 1.8 assists, steals, and blocks per game while shooting 49 percent from the free-throw line in 27 minutes a night. Mozgov is a real threat to Thompson's playing time, a threat that rings true depending on the matchup and Mozgov's health.

Julius Randle is a double-double threat whether he starts or comes off the bench. In 23 minutes, he amassed 18 points (6-15 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 5-6 FT), 10 rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Randle is playing fewer minutes as a reserve and averaging more points and rebounds against opposing second units. He's actually improved his fantasy value after coach Scott's decision to separate the young guys from Kobe Bryant. This circumstance will last another five games before Scott alters the starting lineup. Regardless of role, Randle is a limited fantasy producer who holds relevant value in leagues that tally double-doubles. Otherwise, you're dealing with a Tristan Thompson-type contributor.

Patrick Beverley continues to provide standard league value. In 29 minutes, he provided 13 points (5-12 FG, 3-7 3Pt), four rebounds, two steals, and one assist against the Lakers. He doesn't offer many assists or free-throw attempts, limiting his appeal. However, Beverley is a stable producer of steals and three-pointers. Ty Lawson isn't a threat to Beverley's perch, thus reaffirming my position until Beverley misses time due to injury, which has happened each of the last two seasons.

NIGHTLY LEADERS

Points

1. Jeremy Lin, G, CHA: 35 points
2. LeBron James, F, CLE: 33 points
3. DeMar DeRozan, G, TOR: 31 points

Rebounds

1. Bismack Biyombo, C, TOR: 18 rebounds
2. Tristan Thompson, F, CLE: 15 rebounds
3. Dwight Howard, C, HOU: 15 rebounds

Assists

1. LeBron James, F, CLE: 11 assists
2. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 10 assists
3. Matthew Dellavedova, G, CLE: 10 assists

Steals

1. Russell Westbrook, G, OKC: 3 steals
2. Trevor Ariza, F, HOU: 3 steals
3. Spencer Hawes, C, CHA: 3 steals

Blocks

1. Bismack Biyombo, C, TOR: 7 blocks
2. Clint Capela, F, HOU: 4 blocks
3. Andre Roberson, G, OKC: 3 blocks
4. Frank Kaminsky, F, CHA: 3 blocks

Three-Pointers

1. Terrence Ross, F, TOR: 5-10 3Pt
2. P.J. Hairston, G, CHA: 4-7 3Pt
3. Five players with three three-pointers

Minutes

1. Jeremy Lin, G, CHA: 47 minutes
2. DeMar DeRozan, G, TOR: 44 minutes
3. Kemba Walker, G, CHA: 44 minutes