After some early season concerns, it appears that LeBron James is going to be okay after all. Shocker, right? The Cavs are clicking, the Suns' backcourt is still confusing, and Derrick Rose missed another game. Just a standard Saturday in the NBA.
ADD ME! ADD ME!
As hard as it is to get a full grasp on what to do with the Pacers, one guy who is providing fairly solid and consistent value is second-year man, Solomon Hill. Hill had his first career double-double in the upset victory over the Bulls, scoring 21 points (6-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 8-9 FT) with 12 rebounds, one assist, and one steal, and aside from some poor shooting nights, he's been a player worthy of ownership in 12 team leagues. At only 25 percent ownership on both Yahoo and ESPN, Hill is around in a lot of leagues and he is likely to be the guy who retains his value and minutes even when the injury woes subside. He's someone you should be considering as a solid, all-around producer.
M.I.A.
These guys all sat out Saturday's action, for one reason or another.
- Magic
- Kyle O'Quinn (ankle)
- Wizards
- Martell Webster (back)
- Bradley Beal (wrist)
- Drew Gooden (DNP-CD)
- Hawks
- DeMarre Carroll (groin)
- Cavaliers
- Matthew Dellavedova (knee)
- Jazz
- Rodney Hood (foot)
- Pacers
- Rodney Stuckey (foot)
- C.J. Watson (foot)
- David West (ankle)
- George Hill (knee)
- C.J. Miles (calf)
- Bulls
- Derrick Rose (hamstring)
- Pistons
- Jodie Meeks (back)
- Grizzlies
- Quincy Pondexter (DNP-CD)
- Timberwolves
- Thaddeus Young (personal)
- Ricky Rubio (ankle)
- Mavericks
- Raymond Felton (ankle)
- Spurs
- Tiago Splitter (calf)
- Marco Belinelli (groin)
- Nets
- Andrei Kirilenko (DNP-CD)
- Blazers
- Nicolas Batum (knee)
- LaMarcus Aldridge (illness)
- Hornets
- Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (foot)
- Warriors
- David Lee (hamstring)
CASUALTY WARD
James Johnson left Saturday's game in the fourth quarter after spraining his ankle and is questionable to play in the Raptors' next game, Wednesday. Despite his impressive performances, if he is forced to miss any time then Johnson can be dropped in most leagues in which he is owned.
Nikola Pekovic sat out the entire second half with a sore right foot, the same foot that bothered him last season. If he was to miss nay time, which is always a possibility given his history, Gorgui Dieng becomes a must own player.
Gary Neal left the game in the second quarter with a concussion and did not return. As he was diagnosed with a concussion, he'll need to pass the concussion protocol tests to return to action, so we could be looking at a few games absence at the least. Gerald Henderson and P.J. Hairston would likely pick up the slack on the wing.
FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT
It won't be the last line of the night for the Clippers' Chris Paul, who posted a monster line of 32 points (10-13 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT) with five rebounds, nine assists, and two steals in 36 minutes against the Suns on Saturday.Aside from the big counting stats, the efficiency is what really stands out and as long as Paul can stay healthy, he's a bona fide top five fantasy player.
TRIPLE-DOUBLE WATCH
DeAndre Jordan had his best performance of the season, getting close to one of the more difficult triple-doubles, scoring 12 points (4-4 FG, 4-7 FT) with 18 rebounds, and seven blocks.
BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES
Victor Oladipo made his first start of the season and posted as very encouraging line of 18 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. What was also telling, was that Evan Fournier remained in the starting lineup next to Oladipo, relegating Elfrid Payton to a bench role. I imagine this is the way it shakes out for the time being, so if you grabbed Fournier, I wouldn't be concerned about the return of Oladipo. If you own Payton though...
Otto Porter Jr. played 26 minutes compared with Paul Pierce's 22 minutes, and impressed. He scored 13 points (6-8 FG, 1-2 FT) with four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block and he is someone who needs to be on your watchlist for whenever Pierce is forced to miss time.
John Wall's shot was not on, hitting only 6-of-17 shots to finish with 15 points, but added 10 assists, his sixth double-digit assist game of the season.He's currently sitting fourth in the NBA in assists per game behind Rajon Rondo, Chris Paul, and Ricky Rubio.
It was a blowout loss, but the big line from Mike Muscala can't be ignored. Muscala scored 13 points (5-8 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT) with four rebounds and four blocks in 22 minutes. Considering the blowout, most of the performances by the Hawks can't be read in to greatly.
One line that is worth noting was Kyle Korver, who didn't play a minute in the second half, and added just one assist to the boxscore. This is a down night to end all down nights, but it's hopefully the exception and not the rule moving forward.
LeBron James is finding his groove back in Cleveland, scoring 32 points (13-20 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 4-4 FT) with six rebounds, seven assists and one emphatic block.After two shaky performances early, LeBron has reasserted his dominance and is looking like the fantasy basketball killer we know him to be.
Rookie Joe Harris had his best professional game Saturday, scoring 12 points (4-6 FG, 4-5 3Pt) with four rebounds, four assists, and one steal in 21 minutes. Harris has now averaged 20 minutes a game for the last three games and appears to be picking up the slack after the injury to Matthew Dellavedova. He's also hit at least one three-pointer in those three games and is currently a guy for deeper leagues only, but watch this space.
Dion Waiters led the Cavs in assists with eight, not something you'd associate with Waiters very often, considering he'd totaled just six assists for the rest of the season.
Alec Burks double-doubled for the Jazz, scoring 10 points with 10 rebounds. Don't expect that sort of rebounding from the fourth-year guard often, but you can expect solid double-digit scoring on a regular basis.
Jonas Valanciunas finally got things going, scoring 17 points with 14 rebounds, and more importantly, played 34 minutes. If he gets the minutes, this is what we can expect, but Dwane Casey hasn't been that forthcoming this season for the Lithuanian.
Patrick Patterson scored a season-high 16 points off the bench, but he's streaky nature makes it hard to rely upon him in 12 team leagues, even though he has been productive.
A.J. Price comprehensively outplayed Donald Sloan, scoring 21 points (7-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 5-7 FT) with three rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 24 minutes and Price's addition is cutting into Sloan's playing time and fantasy value. When C.J. Watson and George Hill return, both guys will become irrelevant and for now, I'd be comfortable dropping Sloan in a 10 team league f there's someone you must grab of the wire.
Kirk Hinrich was the point guard who took advantage of Derrick Rose's absence, scoring 15 points (7-17 FG, 1-4 3Pt) with seven assists. Previously, it had been Aaron Brooks who had posted the big lines in Rose's stead, and he does seem like the more reliable option in these scenarios.
Andre Drummond was plagued by foul trouble yet again, scoring just six points with 10 rebounds in 20 minutes. Owners have to hold tight, no matter how frustrating his play is at the moment.
Zach Randolph got an emphatic double-double, pulling down a season-high 22 rebounds to go with 17 points. Another other statistic Randolph gives you is a bonus, so owners would be loving the extra four assists he handed out tonight.
Kevin Martin led all scorers Saturday with 34 points and is obviously not hurting from Ricky Rubio's absence. With no Kevin Love, Thaddeus Young or Rubio, much more hinges on Martin, so expect some more solid performances in the coming days.
Zach LaVine played just 19 minutes compared with Mo Williams' 29 minutes, but still drew the start. Until Saturday, it appeared LaVine would be give the larger of the opportunity, bu Flip Saunders put an end to that line of thinking. I'd still rather have LaVine over Williams, but neither are a must own.
Brandan Wright put up a very strong stat line again, scoring 13 points (6-6 FG, 1-2 FT) with five rebounds and one block in just 21 minutes. He's a must own if Tyson Chandler misses any time and even in his backup role, he's been so efficient that he can be considered in some 12 team leagues.
Tim Duncan, who was a rest candidate before the game, scored 15 points with eight rebounds and five blocks in 34 minutes, while fellow veteran, Manu Ginobili also excelled with 21 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Ben McLemore cooled off, scoring just eight points (3-8 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT) with four rebounds after scoring at least 10 points in his last five times out. It's likely an off night, as the minutes were still there and McLemore remains a solid consideration in most leagues.
Meyers Leonard started in place of LaMarcus Aldridge, and grabbed 12 boards in 30 minutes. Consider this an opportunity-based performance and when Aldridge returns, Leonard will go back to irrelevance.
The Suns' backcourt is a still a confusing fantasy mess, with Gerald Green (28 minutes), Isaiah Thomas (27), Goran Dragic (33), and Eric Bledsoe (34) cutting in each other's value. All guys should be owned in 12 team leagues, but if you drafted Bledsoe and Dragic, you are likely disappointed. Bledsoe scored just one point, after missing all six of his field goal attempts, but did add six rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals.
Alex Len outplayed Miles Plumlee, pulling down a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds with a steal and a block in 26 minutes. His minutes are inconsistent, but when he does assume the starting role, he'll be a player who needs to be owned across the board.
Matt Barnes returned to the starting lineup after a two game absence and had his best game of the season, scoring 12 points with two three-pointers. Given his insipid start to the season, Barnes can be left on the waiver-wire despite Saturday's encouraging game.
The Hornets-Warriors game was a blowout, so there is little to be read into the stat lines and minutes distribution across the board.
NIGHTLY LEADERS
Points
- Kevin Martin, G, MIN, 34 points
- LeBron James, F, CLE, 32 points
- Chris Paul, G, LAC, 32 points
- Jimmy Butler, G, CHI, 32 points
Rebounds
- Zach Randolph, F, MEM, 22 rebounds
- DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC, 18 rebounds
- Tyson Chandler, C, DAL, 16 rebounds
Assists
- Damian Lillard, G, POR, 10 assists
- John Wall, G, WAS, 10 assists
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 10 assists
Steals
- Dion Waiters, G, CLE, 4 steals
- Klay Thompson, G, GSW, 3 steals
- Kyrie Irving, G, CLE, 3 steals
- Al-Farouq Aminu, F, DAL, 3 steals
- Steve Blake, G, POR, 3 steals
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 3 steals
Blocks
- DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC, 7 blocks
- Tim Duncan, F, SAS, 5 blocks
- Josh Smith, F, DET, 4 blocks
- Mike Muscala, C, ATL, 4 blocks
Three-Pointers
- Chris Paul, G, LAC, 5-6 3Pt
- Kyle Singler, F, DET, 5-7 3Pt
- Eight players tied with 4 3Pt
Minutes
- Channing Frye, C, ORL, 42 minutes
- Jimmy Butler, G, CHI, 41 minutes
- Kawhi Leonard, F, SAS, 40 minutes
- Ben McLemore, G, SAC, 40 minutes