Fantasy Hoops: A. Davis, Celtics, E. Davis, Nance
Many leagues are entering the fantasy playoffs this week, so if your squad made it this far, congratulations! Hoops Rumors wants to help you take down the remaining competition. Here are some fantasy basketball notes and analysis to help you win your matchups:
- Anthony Davis continues to assert his place in the MVP conversation. The Pelicans star posted a triple-double on Sunday against Utah with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 blocks. Yes, 10 blocks. He remains the top option in all season-long formats, as we noted in last week’s edition of Fantasy Hoops.
- While Kyrie Irving‘s latest injury doesn’t sound too serious, we’re beginning to hear rumblings about him taking additional time off to rest his knee in order to get it back to full health for the playoffs. Jaylen Brown is also expected to be out over the next week for the Celtics, so both Marcus Smart and Terry Rozier should see an increase in usage. (Update: Smart will also be sidelined due to a thumb injury.)
- Trail Blazers big man Ed Davis doesn’t get enough credit. Only five players have grabbed more rebounds than his 11.2 per game during the month of March. Throw in his solid field goal percentage (65.4%) and ability to avoid turnovers (only three in five games so far this month), and it’s hard to fathom why Davis is available in over 86% of ESPN leagues.
- Larry Nance Jr. (available in slightly over 34% of ESPN leagues) should be owned in all leagues. During his three starts for injured big man Tristan Thompson, the Cavaliers‘ newbie is averaging 17.0 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
- Keep an eye on Luke Kornet. The big man started for the Knicks on Sunday in place of Enes Kanter and he produced, accumulating 18 points, four rebounds, two assists and one block. Should Kanter miss any additional games, Kornet would be a streaming option and possibly a sneaky daily league play for those contests.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Statistics are current through Monday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Fantasy Hoops: Triple-Doubles, Portis, Hezonja
Anthony Davis was named February’s Western Conference Player of the Month, and he deserves it after averaging an NBA-high 35.0 points per game to go along with 13.0 rebounds (third in the league), 2.5 steals (second), and 2.2 blocks (second among players with at least 10 games).
Many thought the Pelicans would fall in the standings after DeMarcus Cousins went down, but Davis willed them to eight wins in the month and they’re in position to claim homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Davis is almost certainly going to end up on nearly every MVP ballot and he’s the top fantasy basketball player going forward.
LeBron James won the Player of the Month award for the Eastern Conference after he averaged a triple-double during the short month. He’s not the only player to average a triple-double this month, as Russell Westbrook also accomplished the feat. Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic came within one assist per game short of averaging a triple-double himself.
Westbrook is the only player to average a triple-double during a month this season prior to LBJ making the list. The UCLA product averaged one during the month of December and had it not been for his 9.9 rebounds per contest during the month of October, he would have accomplished it earlier in the year as well.
Here are a few more notes, along with additional analysis, to help you take care of the competition in fantasy hoops:
- The Bulls have faith in Bobby Portis – who may be in line for an offseason extension, and you should too. Portis ranked among the top 20 in the league in usage percentage during the month of February and the Bulls inserted him into the starting lineup on Monday against the Celtics after he showcased his talent off the bench for most of the season. In the 12 games entering Monday’s contest, Portis scored 16.3 points per game on 14.3 shots from the field. During that stretch, he added 7.6 rebounds and 1.5 three-pointers per game. Double-check your waiver wire to make sure the former No. 22 overall pick isn’t still available.
- J.J. Barea quietly had the sixth-most assists during the month of February. The Mavericks guard has cooled off a bit since the calendar turned, but he remains a nice fantasy asset.
- Magic forward Mario Hezonja seems to be coming back down to earth, though he remains a useful streaming option. Consistency will be an issue, but Hezonja should be able to chip in several categories for those who continue to toss him into the lineup.
- All teams play three or four games this week except for Minnesota. The Timberwolves only have two contests.
Pelicans Sign Walter Lemon Jr. To Second 10-Day Deal
MARCH 4, 12:06pm: The signing is official, the Pelicans announced in an email.
MARCH 2, 6:26pm: The Pelicans will sign Walt Lemon Jr. to a second 10-day contract, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The point guard hasn’t seen much run so far for New Orleans, soaking up 14 minutes of action over his three contests with the team. He made two of his six shots from the field, scoring four points.
Lemon was a G League standout earlier this season, posting 22.7 PPG, 5.9 APG, 4.6 RPG, 2.1 SPG, and a .490 FG% with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Prior to arriving in the league, Lemon, who went undrafted in 2014, played internationally in Hungary, Germany, and Greece.
Tanking The Process: Views From The 2018 MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference
Tanking remains a major topic of debate in the NBA and it was one of several issues that dominated this year’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. The split between those who believe in the strategy and those who loathe it was apparent at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center last weekend.
Former Sixers GM Sam Hinkie headlined a panel conveniently named: Trust the Process? Team Building And Rebuilding In The NBA. While the audience appeared to be a pro-Hinkie crowd, the father of The Process clearly was ready to face some criticism up on the stage.
“If we run out of things to talk about, I’ll just lay on the stage and everyone can just kick me in the ribs,” Hinkie said to begin the panel.
Hinkie didn’t face too much scrutiny during the high-energy event, though Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca made it clear he wasn’t a fan of the former GM’s previous strategy.
“I actually don’t think statistically that the process, as it’s defined to me, actually works,” Pagliuca said. “Because there just [aren’t] enough good odds to get the great player, so if you really bottom out, first of all, you have to get the pick. You have to win the lottery. Second of all, there has to be a great draft where there is a LeBron. Most drafts, the ninth player in one draft is as good as the best player in the next draft. So when you do all the odds, surely going in that direction, to me, is a bad strategy.”
There seems to be optimism around the league that teams can find franchise players in the draft even if their picks don’t fall near the top of the lottery, something I referred to during my appearance on NBAMath’s Hardwood Knocks podcast.
Clippers executive Lawrence Frank touched upon this belief when talking about the Blake Griffin trade. The deal netted Los Angeles a lightly-protected first-round pick from the Pistons, which is currently slotted as the 12th selection, as our Reverse Standings show.
“Steve Nash sat on this panel. What number was he picked? 15th. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 15th. Kawhi Leonard: 15th. You have to be able to nail [the pick]. Donovan Mitchell: 13th,” Frank said.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey can understand why some top talent falls in the draft. “As a league, we are getting worse at drafting,” Morey said during his conversation with President Barack Obama.
Still, acquiring top talent with middling picks means that front offices must sometimes get lucky. Franchises picking far from the top must identify the talent and hope that the teams ahead of them in the draft fail to do so. That’s why tanking remains an active strategy in the NBA.
The league is keeping an eye out for this strategy, promising to take action against teams that abuse the system.
“If we ever received evidence that players or coaches were attempting to lose or otherwise taking steps to cause any game to result otherwise than on its competitive merits, that conduct would be met with the swiftest and harshest response possible from the league office,” commissioner Adam Silver recently said in a memo to all 30 teams.
In an attempt to dissuade tanking, the NBA has revamped its lottery format. Starting in 2019, the odds from top-to-bottom will be altered, with the odds at landing the No. 1 overall pick reducing more gradually from 1-to-14 than in the previous format.
This is all happening while Philadelphia’s maligned plan seems to be working. The Sixers, fresh off of a statement win over the Cavs, appear to be heading to the playoffs for the first time since the 2011/12 campaign. The franchise has two of the league’s brightest young stars and the flexibility to add additional talent without making huge sacrifices. They have a case to present to LeBron James that would, at a minimum, make him think about a relocation to the City of Brotherly Love, though he recently shut down the rumors of him looking to move his family to Pennsylvania.
Regardless of opinion, The Process may be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. With the change in lottery format, the distaste for tanking among many owners, and the surreal optimism surrounding a wide-range of draft picks, it appears the league may never see another multi-year, Hinkie-esque strategy — despite the appearance of a proof of concept.
Photo courtesy of MIT’s Andrew Geraghty
Michael Beasley’s Journey Sets Him Up For The Future
Michael Beasley hasn’t lived up to the expectations of a No. 2 overall pick, but it looks like he’s finally found a way to translate his talent to the NBA. He’s found success with the Knicks this season and one league executive isn’t surprised that Beasley turned it around.
“You could see a difference in him once he got back from China,” the executive told Hoops Rumors. “He’s putting it all together.”
Being in a place where it’s difficult to communicate with most people due to a language barrier can direct one’s focus on themselves, and it appears that’s what happened with Beasley. “The talent was always there and experiences like [the China stints] can bring the change needed to progress,” the executive added.
The Kansas State standout spent two seasons abroad and his offense shined. He won the Chinese Basketball Association’s All-Star MVP in each campaign.
Beasley signed a one-year deal with New York over the summer and his play in the Big Apple shows he can make an impact in the league. He’s averaging 21.6 points per 36 minutes and shooting 40.7% from behind the arc this season, though when he becomes a free agent this summer, he’s going to prioritize more than just offensive opportunity.
“[I’m] not satisfied. Like I can score, but that’s not like my main focus. Like I want the opportunity. I want someone, a coach, an organization to believe in me to the point where I can win games,” Beasley recently told Chris Haynes of ESPN.com.
The 29-year-old credits his international experience for his new way of thinking on the court.
“My thing is I don’t want to just score, I want to make players better. And I didn’t even know that about myself until I went to China the first time,” Beasley said. “It became fun to see my teammates’ reaction to things that they didn’t even think that they could do. You know? And to me, that’s like the fun of it. When we all playing the right way, when we all making the right pass.”
“You know, and I’ve always wanted to be the guy, like the KD, the LeBron type to bring that aura and that atmosphere and those type of wins to the city. You know, so I’m still at a place to where I’m hungry.”
Beasley, who has been a fantasy darling, as I mentioned in a previous edition of Fantasy Hoops, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer after making slightly over $1.47MM this season in New York. With the strides he has made, the former No. 2 pick could be looking at much more lucrative offers once the new league year begins, though that’s just my speculation.
Kawhi Leonard Expected To Remain With Spurs Long-Term?
Rumors of friction between the Spurs and Kawhi Leonard developed over the star’s inability to play with his nagging quad injury, but Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders hears that most of the rift is a result of a lack of communication.
Kyler adds that while the relationship is far from unrepairable, the two sides will need to talk things out once the season is over. The scribe hears that the team isn’t going to make the 2016/17 MVP candidate available in trades.
The Spurs have been “fairly open” with Leonard’s representatives about their willingness to let the situation take its course, though the front office would obviously prefer Leonard to return and get re-acclimated with the team. San Antonio’s medical staff had put the small forward on a program earlier in the season and the doctors cleared him to play at one point. However, Leonard remained in pain and sought additional opinions, which irked the franchise.
Leonard remains in pain today, but he wants nothing more than to put this whole situation behind him and return to the floor. San Antonio entered the night with a record of 36-26, good for fifth in the Western Conference. The team appears to be in decent position to make the postseason, though a deep run will undoubtedly depend on the availability of Leonard and recently injured LaMarcus Aldridge.
The small forward will be a free agent during the summer of 2019, but this offseason, he’ll be eligible for the Designated Veteran Player Exception, a vehicle that could net him in the neighborhood of $250MM.
Sources tell Kyler that Leonard’s situation rivals Aldridge’s situation this past offseason, when a sitdown between coach Gregg Popovich and the power forward was needed to hash out some differences. The open communication led to an extension for Aldridge and the sense around the league is that this will be the second offseason in a row where the Spurs sit down to meet with one of their top players and come away signing him to a long-term pact.
Fantasy Hoops: Crawford, Collins, Pacers, Millsap
The Timberwolves will try to maintain a playoff position without the aid of Jimmy Butler. The All-Star’s knee injury means other players are going to have to step up offensively, and Jamal Crawford appears to ready for the task at hand. The 37-year-old guard scored 19 points off the bench in Minnesota’s victory over Chicago on Saturday. 
“He’s still playing like he’s 22 years old,” Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said of Crawford. “He was playing by himself out there for a while. When he gets rolling, he’s a hard guy to stop.”
Crawford, who joined the Wolves on a two-year deal worth approximately $8.87MM prior to the season, is averaging 19.7 points and 4.3 assists per game in three contests without Butler this season. He’s available in slightly over 94% of ESPN leagues.
Here are a few more fantasy notes from around the league:
- With the Hawks set to finalize a buyout for Ersan Ilyasova, rookie center John Collins needs to be owned in all leagues. Collins posted nine points, nine rebounds, and two blocks over 30 minutes of action against the Pacers on Friday night and if he can stay out of foul trouble, the big man should see even more run on a nightly basis.
- Keep an eye on the status of Darren Collison. The Pacers point guard isn’t expected to come back until early March — while he’s out, Lance Stephenson (available in slightly over 89% of ESPN leagues) and Cory Joseph (available in nearly 98%) will continue to be streaming options. Going forward, I prefer Stephenson of the two, though once Collison returns, both players belong on waivers.
- Check your waiver wire to see if Paul Millsap is available, as he is in over 36% of ESPN leagues. The Nuggets‘ prized offseason acquisition went through a full practice last week and although he’ll likely be on a minutes restriction upon returning, he’s worth adding in all leagues.
- The Kings are the only team with five games this week. The Spurs only play two. Every other team plays three or four contests.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Statistics are current through Monday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Fantasy Hoops: Cavs, Crowder, IT, Payton
The Cavaliers made a pair of deals at the deadline that added some youth to the NBA’s oldest roster while also addressing the team’s shooting and defense. The move paid dividends on Sunday when the Cavs went up to Boston and took care of business, blowing out the Celtics by 22 points.
Jordan Clarkson was active off the bench, making seven of his 11 shots en route to 17 points. Rodney Hood and Larry Nance Jr. also played key roles off the pine, with Hood racking up 15 points. George Hill started the game and came away with 12 points. All four additions are useful in fantasy, though if I had to pick one, I’d take Clarkson for the rest of the season. He should lead the second unit and get the most volume from here on out.
Let’s take a look at some of the other players who changed addresses at the deadline:
- Jae Crowder hit three shots from behind the arc on his way to 15 points for the Jazz on Sunday. Crowder was inconsistent for Cleveland and that hurt his fantasy stock, but it appears he’ll see more run in Utah, as he played 29 minutes in his debut (compared to 25.4 minutes per game in Cleveland). The extra playing time and volume should Crowder elevate his value on nights when his shot isn’t there.
- Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points and dished out six assists in his debut for the Lakers over the weekend. Thomas’ stock is up, as he should get much more offensive opportunity in Los Angeles than he did in Cleveland.
- During his debut for the Suns, Elfrid Payton looked like someone who should have garnered more than a second-rounder in a trade. The point guard stuffed the stat sheet in 35 minutes against the Nuggets over the weekend, scoring 19 points while adding nine assists and six rebounds. Payton should have free reign in Phoenix for the rest of the season and should be owned in all leagues (available in slightly under 45% on ESPN).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Fantasy Hoops: Love, Hernangomez, Murray
Isaiah Thomas‘ return has had its highlights and lowlights. His season began with an efficient 17-point showing, but he followed up his Cavaliers debut by making just four of his next 22 shots from behind the arc. Thomas is shooting 39.1% from the field since putting on a Cavs uniform and it’s clear that he’s not 100% recovered from his hip injury. 
IT’s presence on the court has caused Kevin Love‘s fantasy stock to take a hit. The power forward is scoring 1.27 points per possession and has a 26.6% usage rate when Thomas is not on the floor this season, per NBAWowy. When the two players share the floor, Love’s numbers drop to 1.07 and 19.2%, respectively.
Cleveland is sliding down the standings and one would think the duo’s struggles on defense may force the team to send Thomas to the bench in order to stagger their minutes. That’s not happening yet — for now, Jae Crowder is the only player being pulled from the starting lineup by coach Tyronn Lue. Love will shift to power forward, and as long as he continues to share the court with the ball-dominant point guard, I’m not confident that Love’s fantasy stock will improve in the immediate future.
The potential addition of George Hill, who remains a fantasy asset despite Sacramento’s odd veteran rest plan, could push Thomas to the bench, though the deal to acquire him is far from a sure thing. Hill hasn’t been good on defense this season, but he has shown in the past that he’s more than capable of being a plus defender. He’s also not a player who needs the ball to make an impact, so he would mesh well with Love.
Again, the Hill trade is not imminent. Cleveland is looking to get better defensively either by making internal changes or by acquiring a defensive-minded player like Hill or DeAndre Jordan. An improved defense would mean fewer offensive possessions for everyone on the team and that might counteract any boost that Love gets from a reduction in court time with IT.
Of course, reports that Love was a target during a tense team meeting are also worth considering, though it sounds like he was far from the only Cav who was questioned behind closed doors. If there’s more to the rumors than the team is letting on, the Cavs could ostensibly demote Love to the bench and reduce his minutes — or they could deal him. A Love trade appears very unlikely at the moment, as does a demotion to the pine, but this has been another peculiar season for Cleveland. Would anything short of a LeBron James trade really be that surprising?
- The Jazz are reportedly among the teams that have shown interest in Willy Hernangomez, and if the Knicks deal him to Utah or any team, his stock would drastically rise. Pick him up now as a speculative stash, as the trade deadline is less than two weeks away.
- Pick up Clippers big man Montrezl Harrell. In the five games DeAndre Jordan missed, the Louisville product put up 15.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 58.7% from the field. Jordan, who has been the subject of trade rumors, returned on Thursday and Harrell remained productive, knocking down four of seven shots while grabbing seven rebounds.
- If Dejounte Murray is somehow available, as he is in over 64% of ESPN leagues, scoop him up. He’s the Spurs‘ new starting point guard and has the potential to produce top results every night, as he did in his 19-point, 7-steal, 10-rebound performance against the Cavs earlier this week.
Fantasy questions? Take to the comment section below or tweet me at @CW_Crouse.
Missed an earlier edition of Fantasy Hoops? Check out the entire series here.
Statistics are current through Friday morning. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
2018 NBA All-Star Game Reserves Announced
Kristaps Porzingis, Victor Oladipo, Bradley Beal, and Karl-Anthony Towns will join Joel Embiid (voted in as a starter) as first time All-Stars after the league announced its reserves for the 2018 contest (via NBA.com).
In addition to Towns, Russell Westbrook, LaMarcus Aldridge, Jimmy Butler, Draymond Green, Damian Lillard, and Klay Thompson got in as reserves in the Western Conference.
In the Eastern Conference, John Wall, Kyle Lowry, Al Horford, and Kevin Love join Porzingis, Beal and Oladipo as reserves.
The league previously announced that the format for this year’s contest will differ from how its been in the past. The two players with the most tallies from the All-Star starter vote will be named as captains and they will draft a team from the remaining starters and reserves. LeBron James and Stephen Curry earned the honors of being names captains this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Kyrie Irving, and Embiid were named starters alongside James in the East. Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Kevin Durant, and James Harden were selected along with Curry to be the Western Conference All-Stars.
The West has several notable players who didn’t receive an invite, including Paul George, Chris Paul, and Lou Williams, while the East also had a few snubs, such as Andre Drummond and Ben Simmons.
Do you agree with this year’s All-Star selections? Would you have liked to see another player in the game? If so, who are you leaving out? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!