It was the calm before the storm, with just two games on Thursday, before an incomprehensible 14 games Friday. Even though there were only two games, it didn't stop the stars of the NBA from turning on a show. Let's take a look at what went down.
LENSANITY
I'm baffled that Alex Len is owned in just 43 percent of leagues on Yahoo. He was at it again Thursday, adding 12 points (6-11 FG) to his 11 rebounds and three blocks in 38 minutes against the Thunder and since returning from his ankle injury, he's been lights out. Well, the lights-out equivalent for a big man. In those five games, Len is averaging 9.4 runs, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks in 32 minutes, shooting 49 percent from the field and 71 percent from the line. With Miles Plumlee now in Milwaukee, it's Len's job, despite the presence of Brandan Wright, and there's hardly a format in which I wouldn't want Len at the moment.
M.I.A.
These guys all sat out Thursday's action, for one reason or another.
- Thunder
- Steven Adams (hand)
- Kevin Durant (foot)
FANTASY LINE OF THE NIGHT
So many options tonight, but I decided to go with Eric Bledsoe. You could make an argument for Russell Westbrook, who notched his second straight triple-double, or LeBron James, who exploded for 42 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and one block, but Bledsoe's performance, just tops it. The Suns' main man had 28 points (11-16 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 4-8 FT) with 13 rebounds, nine assists, one steal and four blocks. That sort of all-around production is hard to top and it wouldn't surprise if Bledsoe is a top 20 player from now until the end of the season after the changes the Suns' rang during the last week.
ROTATION NOTES AND QUIRKS
All four teams in action ran the same starting fives as their last time out, with all of the minutes making sense given recent trends. You'll notice an increase in minutes in the Suns and Thunder game, as it went to overtime.
BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS AND ODDITIES
Draymond Green had his best game in a while, ending with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and five steals. Despite his recent slump, head-to-head players would want to avoid the temptation to sell after this big game, given his ability and the great playoff schedule. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson were both okay, but not spectacular, with Klay chiming in with three block to go with his 13 points and Steph had 18 points with six assists.
Kyrie Irving dealt with a should issue and he is considered doubtful for Friday's game against Indiana and is going to get an MRI on Friday morning. Hopefully nothing serious comes out of it, but even if he's given the all-clear, a Kyrie-less Cleveland for Friday is a distinct possibility. No-one is worth picking up as basically every team is playing, meaning any pickup you make, will just be sitting on your bench. Irving had 24 points with two steals in the easy victory over the Warriors.
Enes Kanter had another nice game, playing 37 minutes and finishing with 18 points and six rebounds. His percentages are great for roto and if you own him now, I wouldn't be dropping him as soon as Steven Adams returns, as I'm not totally convinced that Kanter returns to a bench role. Kanter and Serge Ibaka are working well as a tandem and their games tend to suit each other. Regardless, Kanter's lack of defensive numbers limit his fantasy usefulness.
Mitch McGary played only 10 minutes and had just three rebounds and that's the risk with him. While he can be a per-minute beast, the minutes may not be there at all and that costs you. He's only a deep league option for now.
D.J. Augustin played 27 minutes, scoring 13 points with three assists and he will have a little bt more value than we thought when the trade went down. He's not a guy for most standard formats, but a deep 12 team league or a 14 team league could benefit from Augustin, especially with Andre Roberson playing only 15 minutes a game recently.
Markieff Morris bounced back from three straight single-digit scoring games, to post 29 points and 11 rebounds, including a couple of three-pointers, one steal and one block. His output has looked bleak recently, but there's no denying the talent and owners must hope he turns it on the next couple of weeks. I have confidence.
NIGHTLY LEADERS
Points
- LeBron James, F, CLE, 42 points
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC, 39 points
- Markieff Morris, F, PHX, 29 points
Rebounds
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC, 14 rebounds
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 13 rebounds
- LeBron James, F, CLE, 11 rebounds
- Markieff Morris, F, PHX, 11 rebounds
- Alex Len, C, PHX, 11 rebounds
Assists
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC, 11 assists
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 9 assists
- Steph Curry, G, GSW, 6 assists
Steals
- Draymond Green, F, GSW, 5 steals
- J.R. Smith, G, CLE, 4 steals
- LeBron James, F, CLE, 3 steals
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC, 3 steals
Blocks
- Eric Bledsoe, G, PHX, 4 blocks
- Alex Len, C, PHX, 3 blocks
- Serge Ibaka, F, OKC, 3 blocks
- Klay Thompson, G, GSW, 3 blocks
Three-Pointers
- LeBron James, F, CLE, 4-9 3Pt
- Klay Thompson, G, GSW, 3-5 3Pt
- Kevin Love, F, CLE, 3-5 3Pt
- Steph Curry, G, GSW, 3-9 3Pt
- Brandon Knight, G, PHX, 3-8 3Pt
- Harrison Barnes, F, GSW, 3-5 3Pt
- Dion Waiters, G, OKC, 3-4 3Pt
Minutes
- Brandon Knight, G, PHX, 48 minutes
- Markieff Morris, F, PHX, 44 minutes
- Russell Westbrook, G, OKC, 43 minutes