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Andre SnellingsESPN
Listed below are a couple of Monday ideas from the Hoops Lab, as we put together for Week 8 of the fantasy basketball season. Bear in mind, the Fantasy Basketball Remainder of Season Rankings additionally replace on Mondays, so verify these out as your put together for this week’s video games. Between the rankings and this text, we’ll additionally allow you to determine some good add, drop, or commerce candidates. So, with out additional ado, let’s dig into it.
When watching the Lakers’ first sport of the season, I tweeted (@ProfessorDrz) how excellent Anthony Davis seemed. A part of that was that he was lastly (!) beginning at heart, the place that is been his future for a decade. However one other half was that he seemed locked-in, in a means we hadn’t seen because the championship run in 2020. He seemed fast, explosive, and decisive on each ends of the courtroom and I believed the Lakers can be in for good issues this season if he continued to play like that.
The following sport, he injured his again and dragged himself round at perhaps 50% for the following couple of weeks. The Lakers additionally could not discover a shooter that would hit the broad aspect of a barn from 3-point vary, have been nonetheless having hassle determining what to do with Russell Westbrook, misplaced LeBron James to a groin challenge, and could not purchase a win. The season seemed over.
Then, Davis received wholesome. And every thing modified.
In his previous 9 video games (which span the previous 10 Lakers video games), Davis has averaged 35.3 PPG, 15.6 RPG and 64.8 FG%. Based on ESPN Stats and Data, Davis is the tenth participant in NBA historical past to common 35 factors and 15 rebounds over a 9-game span, and the primary to do it since Moses Malone within the 1981-82 season.
Not solely has it not been achieved in additional than 40 years, however the different gamers on the record additionally embrace names like Bob Petit, Walt Bellamy, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and GEORGE MIKAN! Mikan performed earlier than the invention of the shot clock! Mikan performed for the Lakers again after they nonetheless performed in Minneapolis, the land of precise Lakes! I am unable to cease utilizing exclamation factors!
Davis is enjoying in a means that hasn’t been seen because the NBA equal of medieval instances, and he is displaying no indicators of letting up. He is recent off dropping a ho-hum 44 and 10 on Giannis and the Bucks on Friday, then following that up with a double-nickel 55 and 17 on the Wizards on Sunday. The potential for damage will all the time be a query mark for Davis and I am unable to lie, if he is on my fantasy group I am strongly contemplating buying and selling him whereas he is enjoying like one of the best participant within the league however generally it’s a must to simply take pleasure in watching a participant catch their wave.
Davis is squarely in his wave proper now, and we must always all be watching.
Timberwolves w/o KAT
Karl-Anthony Towns suffered a scary wanting damage final week, a non-contact challenge that brought on him to look again at his decrease leg like somebody had kicked him. That’s typically the hallmark of a tragic Achilles damage, and in reality ‘Achilles’ was trending on Elon Musk’s Twitter that complete night time. Fortunately, Cities’ damage was recognized as a strained calf as a substitute, and he is anticipated again subsequent month. However, within the meantime, we’re attending to see the Timberwolves with out the Huge Kat, and the early outcomes look very attention-grabbing.
First, Anthony Edwards is able to pop. He was already percolating earlier than Cities’ absence, and has now scored 25 or extra factors in 5 straight video games with averages of 27.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3.0 SPG, 2.0 3PG and 0.6 BPG in 37.4 MPG throughout that stretch. Edwards jumped eight spots in my season-long rankings this week, up into the top-25, and for at the least the following month he may outplay that rating. However, he is not the one Timberwolves participant on the rise.
D’Angelo Russell has been a forgotten man for the Timberwolves, a scoring lead guard on a group with two different guys able to averaging 50+ PPG between them. Russell, like Edwards, was already beginning to play higher earlier than KAT’s damage, notably as a distributor, however for the following month he additionally resumes his position as a lead scorer. In his previous 10 video games, Russell has averaged 17.2 PPG and seven.8 APG, however within the two video games with out KAT it has been 21.0 PPG and eight.0 APG. He is received nightly 20-10 upside for the month of December.
One would assume KAT’s absence may be a boon for the numbers of Rudy Gobert, and it could show to be, however Gobert was pedestrian with some foul hassle in opposition to the Grizzlies then received tossed with a flagrant-2 foul in opposition to the Thunder.
That opened the door for a participant that I used to be already searching for: Naz Reid. Reid, accessible in 98.7% of ESPN leagues, was the primary participant I picked up after I noticed KAT’s damage. I’ve had my eye on Reid because the preseason, as a result of after I watch him play it simply looks as if the sport has slowed down for him. I did not draft him as a sleeper this season as a result of I did not see any means he might get sufficient minutes behind each KAT and Gobert, however now the trail is obvious for him to get at the least sturdy sixth man minutes for the interim. When Gobert was ejected in opposition to the Thunder, Reid responded with a career-high 18 rebounds, 13 factors, 4 blocks and three assists in half-hour. He will not get that a lot run each sport, but when he is enjoying 25 or so minute per sport, he has nightly double-double upside.
Chris Paul hasn’t performed since November 7, however the Suns actually have not missed a beat as a result of Devin Booker has stepped as much as “that dude” standing.
In his previous 9 video games, Booker has averaged 33.1 PPG (51.4 FG%, 86.6 FT%), 6.2 APG, 5.7 RPG, 2.7 3PG and 1.0 SPG. And that is together with Sunday’s 20 factors in 28 minutes of a sport the Suns received by 38 factors, he might’ve given extra if remotely wanted.
Booker has scored 40 or extra factors 4 instances in these 9 video games, and was averaging 45.3 PPG within the three main as much as the blowout. Booker is enjoying at must-see-TV degree of late, however I am going to actually be awaiting what he does when Paul comes again. Paul is reportedly moderately near a return, and I am fascinated by seeing if Booker will absolutely keep his that-dude-ness as soon as CP3 retakes the reins of the group.
One more Splash Brother
Final season, Jordan Poole lastly earned a legit declare on the “Third Splash Brother” moniker for the Warriors.
This season, we are able to add Andrew Wiggins in as Splash Bro quantity 4 (in my head I pronounced that ‘quantity fo’ to rhyme with Bro, however I digress).
Wiggins has hit at the least one 3-pointer in each sport this season, and has now made at the least six 3-pointers in three of his previous seven video games. After pulling down a season-high eight treys on Saturday, he is upped his common to 4.1 made 3-pointers over that seven sport stretch.
Giddey splashing too?
Watching the Thunder-Timberwolves sport on Saturday, one of many greatest issues that stood out was Josh Giddey taking – and making – three 3-pointers within the second half. The absence of the long-range shot has lengthy been the most important weak point in Giddey’s fantasy resume, and the made treys have been his first since November 23, however for him to confidently take seven photographs from behind the arc and make three of them strongly suggests he is been engaged on his shot.
Giddey has made two 3-pointers in 5 completely different video games this season previous to Saturday, and if he can add that to his repertoire he turns into a a lot stronger all-around menace. Giddey additionally has three points-rebounds double-doubles in his previous 5 video games, and continues his Jason Kidd-like improvement in his sophomore season.