Change. Is good, although it takes time for it to manifest. There are trials and tribulations. There are new things to learn and old things to forget. There will be haters. There will always be haters. But change is vital to reach one’s potential. A caterpiller walks and eats before wrapping itself in a cocoon, then morphs into a butterfly and eventually flies into the sky. Pascal Siakam entered the league in 2016 and embarked upon the journey that all rookies undertake. He flashed his two-way potential early on and continued to climb the ladder. In 2019, after Kawhi Leonard left, he was thrust into a more prominent role and became an All-Star. While the numbers were there, there was some hesitancy. Fred VanVleet put it best: “I think what happened was Kyle [Lowry] was such an immovable object, such a force of who he was in his status as a Hall of Famer, it was like a little tit-for-tat there, even if it was subconscioius….It’s not something where’ I don’t like this guy’ or ‘I’m not passing to him’, it’s a little nuance that you would never understand unless you played at the highest level.” Lowry was traded before the beginning of the 2021-22 season and things became more clear and comfortable for Siakam. He missed the first 10 games of the season but it’s been alllll good this season and last night was the culmination of the season.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 40 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0/4 | 14/29 | 6/8 |
In 47 minutes during an overtime game. Nick Nurse really should change his last name because he is not a good steward for it. Anyways, the 40 points were a season-high and it was the fourth time he’s gone for at least 40 points. In the other three games, he scored 44 points in each contest. His number is 43. I need the nerds at the Numerology Institute to break it all down for me. Siakam is a top 40 player on the season. The blocks seem a little light for someone with his length and athleticism. It’s at 0.6 and I could see that getting to 1. Siakam has the potential to be a 1/1/1 player. Outside of the blocks, the only other bugaboo is the 74% free-throw shooting. He’s been a top 40-ish player over the last three seasons. Can he break into the top 25 range? P.S. – it’s a good possibility.
Here’s what else I saw last night:
Dejounte Murray
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 33 | 7 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2/8 | 11/18 | 9/12 |
Ok, DeMar DeRozan was leaving so the usage rate would increase a bit in 2021-22. But this? Top 10 production? 9.3 dimes with 8.4 boards and 2 steals?
Keldon Johnson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1/6 | 7/17 | 6/7 |
Over the last five games, this Johnson has risen to new heights, posting top 45 production. He’s averaged 32.2 minutes, 18.8 points, 3 tres, 6 boards, 3.4 dimes, 1 steal, and 0.6 blocks while shooting 45% from the field and 78% from the line. The usage rate has been 21.8%. He should finish well within the top 100 for the first time in his young three-year career.
Jakob Poeltl
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8/10 | 1/2 |
If only he could practice his free throws. 49% is laughable. In the history of the NBA with at least 1200 attempts, Ben Wallace has the lowest mark at 41.4%. He is in the Hall of Fame so I will STFU now.
Zach Collins
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0/2 | 6/10 | 1/2 |
In 21 minutes off the bench. Collins will be capped out in this range but he’s been great when on the court. The usage rate has been around 20% and he’s grabbing boards and scoring some. He’s always been an adept passer and is dishing out over 2 per game. I always had high hopes for him before the injuries. I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do when healthy and given a full complement of minutes.
Jalen Green
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6/15 | 10/24 | 4/4 |
The third time Green has scored at least 30 points in a game this season. Jalen “The Flea” Green? Or Jalen “Pogo” Green? His athleticism is off the charts. Man, once he gets the J down, it’s on like Donkey Kong. He’s shooting 41% from the field on the season, but he’s picked it up to 46% over the last month.
Kevin Porter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3/10 | 9/22 | 5/5 |
Think about the food that you crave the most……
Now someone offers you a lifetime supply but with one caveat. You have to eat one bag of shit every day. Welcome to the KPJ experience. He’s shooting 40% from the field and 61% from the line.
Josh Christopher
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 20 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1/2 | 6/10 | 7/7 |
Over the last four games, he’s played 17, 20, 10, and 30 minutes. That’s not a journey that will get him written about in history books but it’s something to keep an eye, especially as we wind down to the end of the season.
The Warriors have now lost six of seven games. They’ve scored fewer than 100 points in three of those contests.
Jordan Poole
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3/6 | 7/17 | 8/8 |
With no Steph Curry, the usage rate has been over 30%. The efficiency has suffered, though, but he’s averaging over 25 points, 4 tres, 4 boards, and a handful of dimes. The defensive contributions aren’t great. This Poole is full with water so no danger of jumping into the deep end.
The Grizzlies are 9-1 in the last 10 games. They are 18-2 without Ja Morant!
Desmond Bane
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5/6 | 7/15 | 3/4 |
Desmond has been the Bane of existence for Grizzlies opponents but his fantasy campaign has made his owners insane in the membrane, getting them to pop the champagne. Over the last seven games, Bane has been a top 10 player, averaging 22.1 points., 4 tres, 4 boards, 4.9 dimes, and 1.6 steals in only 28.1 minutes.
De’Anthony Melton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5/9 | 8/13 | 0 |
In only 21 minutes. In his career, Melton has averaged 19.7, 19.5, 20.1, and 22.5 minutes per game. The shooting efficiency isn’t great at 40%, but he’s upped the three-pointers to 36% this season. He plays defense and chips in every category. I don’t understand why he doesn’t get more run. Is he too blunt when someone asks him a question? Does he not say thank you when someone does something nice for him? Is Melton going the path of Jonas Valanciunas in that he doesn’t get run early in his career then finally someone realizes, “Hey! This guy is pretty good. Maybe we should play him more.”
No Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Robert Williams, or Al Horford and the Celtics take the Raptors to OT in Toronto. Granted, they lost but….
Seven out of eight Celtics players scored in double-figures.
Daniel Theis
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 13 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0/2 | 5/10 | 3/4 |
With Horford and Williams out, Theis Theis, Baby soaked up most of the center minutes. 41, in fact. That calls for….
Theis will can provide some boards and defensive stats. When everyone is healthy, he probably won’t see more than 24 minutes. That said, Williams is out for a while so the minutes could be very secure.
Marcus Smart
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2/11 | 10/25 | 6/9 |
Maaaaarcus was sexy last night. The usage rate was 38.5%!!! When the Green Jays are back, that number comes down to the 18% range. That said, the field goal percentage can be rough at times but Maaaaarcus prrovides dimes, steals, tres, and some boards on the regular.
Thaddeus Young
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2/5 | 5/9 | 0 |
Played 28 minutes off the bench. Since arriving in Toronto 21 games ago, Young has received 20 minutes of run in only five games. He can provide boards, dimes, and defensive stats if given the run but I’m not sure he gets them on a consistent basis. That said, Nurse will play “his” guys a ton of minutes so keep an eye on if Young becomes one of “his” guys.
DeMar DeRozan
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 37 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1/1 | 12/26 | 12/12 |
DeRozan is a top 30 player despite not providing the D. eMar eRozan it is then! His level of shooting efficiency (50%) is amazing considering the type of shots he takes.
Julius Randle
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 5 | 13 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0/4 | 1/9 | 3/6 |
Over the last five games, guess where Randle has ranked on a per-game basis.
Nope. Higher. Try again. This time with feeling. Nope. Not even close. He’s barely been a top 400 player. Are there even 400 players in the league? He’s grabbing boards and dishing out dimes but he’s shooting 28% from the field. Julius better watch his back walking in NYC because someone is prone to stab him in the back.
Mitchell Robinson
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8/9 | 0/2 |
Played 35 minutes. It’s nice to see Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood open from dusk to dawn. Unfortunately, the authorities often block it off to the public at odd hours of the day. In 25.5 minutes per game, Mr. Robinson’s neighborhood is averaging 8.6 boards, 0.8 steals, and 1.8 blocks while shooting 76% from the field. 48% from the free-throw line, though. It’s akin to walking down the street and seeing trash bags just leaning up against the curb of every house. Filthy and disgusting.
Alec Burks
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5/10 | 9/19 | 4/4 |
In 42 minutes. A top 20 player over the last five games! I need Doris to commentate on her brother from another mother. He’s been shooting 50% from the field so the heater is unsustainable. On the season, Burks is shooting 39%. The boards, dimes, and steals have remained constant, though.
RJ Barrett
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2/3 | 10/24 | 6/7 |
In 43 minutes. The shooting efficiency is literally shit. That said, he’s scoring a ton of points and grabbing some boards. He ain’t doing much of anything else except for doing this to Randle….
Obi Toppin
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3/6 | 6/11 | 2/5 |
In 20 minutes off the bench as Julius Randle only played 28 minutes. Unless Randle does indeed get shanked in the back…or front….Toppin will likely play somewhere in the teens.
Bam Adebayo
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 10/16 | 2/2 |
I’ve been in love with Bam from before Day 1. I will go goo goo ga ga ape shit if he starts making it rain from downtown.
Clint Capela
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11/17 | 0 |
C & C Music Factory is still providing the hits. He was playing in the low-20s when he returned from injury but he’s played over 30 minutes in each of the last two games and over 28 in the prior five games. Capela is great for boards, blocks, and field goal percentage.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 29 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5/7 | 8/14 | 8/10 |
In 27 games as a starter, BogBog is outside the top 200. In 29 games off the bench, he’s top 10. Do with the information what you will. I am but a messenger.
Tyrese Haliburton
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4/9 | 9/19 | 3/4 |
Haliburton is providing a great ROI for all his investors. The dividends that he’s been paying out have been….
Top 25-ish player on a per-game basis. Keep acquiring that stock. The fundamentals look super solid.
Buddy Hield
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5/7 | 10/15 | 1/2 |
Since arriving in Indiana 19 games ago, our Buddy has been a top 70 player, averaging 35.7 minutes, 18.1 points, 5.1 boards, 4.8 dimes, and 1 steal with 2.9 tres.
Keifer Sykes
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 16 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4/6 | 6/9 | 0 |
Got the start and played 34 minutes because Oshae Brissett was a late scratch. From a fantasy perspective, Keifer is as good as Wanda is a comedian.
Operation Tank has fully commenced for the Thunder, as they shut down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the rest of the season. Tre Mann was also a late-scratch but the Thunder still won, 134-131 in overtime. Portland is blazing no trails these days and would be giving the Thunder a run for their money right now if not for the beginning of the season before they went into tank mode themselves.
Isaiah Roby
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 30 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4/5 | 11/13 | 4/8 |
A career-high! In the hallway, Isaiah overheard Sam Presti yell, “Send them all to the IR!” Roby heard that and started licking his chops. “I’m getting fed tonight, baby!” And boy, did he make the most of the opportunity.
Theo Maledon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 23 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4/9 | 7/17 | 5/6 |
With Shai out, Maledon will presumably start the rest of the way. He’s shooting 35% from the field in 47 games this season and converted 36% of his attempts in 65 games last season. He will provide dimes with some boards and steals. God speed.
Aaron Wiggins
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2/6 | 11/19 | 4/5 |
Wiggins has been poor for much of the season but he did contribute over 20 points in three other games. I think this has more to do with the porous Portland defense. That said, he should get plenty of opportunities the rest of the way during Operation Tank.
Vit Krejci
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 12 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4/6 | 4/6 | 0 |
Got the start and played 32 minutes. Yep, that’s where we are now.
Drew Eubanks
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 14 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 12/14 | 3/4 |
Top 50 player over the last eight games. You can take that to the Eubanks! He’s been shooting 67% from the field and 76% from the line. Who knew that this Drew could accrue so much fantasy revenue?
Brandon Williams
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 4 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 5/8 | 8/20 | 4/6 |
Over the last eight games, he’s averaged 31 minutes, 15 points, 1.6 tres, 3.4 boards, 4.6 dimes, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks. Daayyam. That said, the percentages haven’t been good at 35% from the field and 71% from the line. Do you remember the scenario I posed earlier? How much shit are you willing to eat?
Ben McLemore
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 28 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8/18 | 10/22 | 0 |
Thrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeecola! Portland was extremely shorthanded so he played 32 minutes. In his career, he’s scored over 25 points eight times, so he’s better than a broken clock.
Seven Magic players scored in double figures with no one exceeding 15 points.
Wendell Carter Jr.
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 15 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0/4 | 7/14 | 1/6 |
This Carter Administration has seen its approval ratings plummet recently. Top 100 player over the last 10 games. He’s scoring and grabbing boards. The 3 dimes are nice and so are the contributions in tres. The defensive stats are lacking though. So is the poor free-throw shooting. If he wants another four more years, he’s going to have to appease the constituents.
Darius Garland
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 25 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 5/10 | 7/17 | 6/6 |
Scroll up to the Dejounte Murray and read verbatim. The only difference is that Garland is a top 30-ish player.
Evan Mobley
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3/3 | 0/2 |
Only played 13 minutes due to suffering an ankle injury.
Kevin Love
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 19 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4/12 | 7/15 | 1/1 |
Replaced Mobley and played 32 minutes. Love is in the air.
Nikola Jokic
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 26 | 19 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 9/17 | 8/12 |
Didn’t drain a tres. Scrub.
19th time that Jokic has messed around this season and 76th time of his career. Slut.
Aaron Gordon
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 21 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1/3 | 9/16 | 2/4 |
This is the ceiling for Gordon, and the version that we all used to mental masturbate over. Unfortunately, these performances don’t happen on the regular. They happen just enough to keep him in our consciousness and hearts. What a tease.
Miles Bridges
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 27 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 2/101 | 12/22 | 1/1 |
Top 30 player on the season. Is this the ceiling? Or is there more room to elevate?
LaMelo Ball
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | 3PT | FG | FT |
| 22 | 6 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4/11 | 8/21 | 2/2 |
Despite the poor field goal percentage (42%), LaMelo is a top 20 player for fantasy. 20 points, 2.9 tres, 6.8 boards, 7.4 dimes, and 1.5 steals while shooting 86% from the line will do it.
