Offseason Beat: Who's Trending? LaVine's Land
NBA basketball is officially back with preseason games underway, and that means fantasy owners are ready to sink their teeth into a brand new season. The games may have just begun, but there has been no shortage of fantasy fallout in the early going. Injuries are already having a major impact, and it’s important to track trends from the onset of the action in order to properly leverage your standing as the 2015-16 campaign begins.
Nicolas Batum, G/F Charlotte Hornets
It was inconceivable to undersell Nicolas Batum’s fantasy stock prior to Michael Kidd Gilchrist’s shoulder injury. Now that MKG has undergone surgery for a torn labrum that will result in him missing most (if not all) of the 2015-16 season, it’s impossible to put a limit on Batum’s brand new ceiling.
After a trade to the Charlotte Hornets ahead of his contract season, Coach Steve Clifford made no secret that his team would play through its newest player. Now severely comprised on the wing with just Marvin Williams, an unproven Jeremy Lamb and whatever P.J. Hairston can provide behind Batum, there is no reason to believe that the French forward won’t provide a spectacular return on investment. Charlotte was going to struggle to score points before MKG went down, and Batum should really only leave the floor when absolutely necessary during his stint in Buzz City. So long as his health holds up—which is admittedly a recurring concern—Batum could very well be among the league’s leaders in usage rate by season’s end.
Stanley Johnson, F Detroit Pistons
At this time, there is not a hotter name in the 2015 rookie class than Stanley Johnson. Despite a widespread expectation that Detroit would bring him along slowly after drafting him eighth overall, Johnson has done everything possible to force Stan Van Gundy’s hand from the onset of the season.
After tearing the roof off of summer league with averages of 16.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks on an electric 57.7 percent shooting, including 41.7 percent from deep, it’s been virtually impossible to find anyone with a negative thing to say about the 19-year-old. With Van Gundy warming up to the idea of Johnson playing an immediate role and spending time at multiple positions, it’s increasingly difficult to find a later-round target that possesses this much upside. Although Johnson is going to have to work his way into consistent minutes, he’s one of my favorite stashables moving forward due to his ability to contribute across the stat sheet.
Zach LaVine, G Minnesota Timberwolves
Thrown into a starting role he wasn’t truly ready for as a rookie last season, Zach LaVine averaged 13.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.1 3-pointers over 40 contests, playing 33.5 minutes per game. Now entering his sophomore season as the freshly crowned starting shooting guard, LaVine is going to be playing for a brand new Timberwolves team. With Andrew Wiggins first in the pecking order, No. 1 overall pick Karl Anthony-Towns right behind him and Kevin Garnett lurking loudly on the perimeter, LaVine isn’t exactly going to get the same opportunities he did last season on a club that was wrecked by injuries and devoid of talent. Although he now has more around him, LaVine is shaping up to be a much more intriguing selection than he was even just a week or two ago now that he has a guaranteed starting role in hand.
Ryan Anderson, F New Orleans Pelicans
With the news that New Orleans backup center Alexis Ajinca (hamstring) is likely to be out until right around mid-November, many were quick to assume that it will simply mean more of Anthony Davis. And while that’s undoubtedly fact—not opinion—considering the human pterodactyl/condor/alien has no comparable currently in the league and can exploit any and all matchups, what has been routinely overlooked is what Ajinca’s injury means for teammate Ryan Anderson.
After an extremely disappointing 2014-15 season in which Ryno shot just 39.9 percent from the field, Anderson is one of my favorite bounce back candidates who can still be had at a dramatic discount. With Davis spending more time at the five in Alvin Gentry’s up-tempo offense, Anderson has an obvious opportunity to solidify big minutes at power forward. An excellent free throw shooter, a capable enough rebounder and a marksman from behind the 3-point line, Anderson offers very solid value at his current ADP.
Joffrey Lauvergne, C Denver Nuggets
As one of the most unknown commodities in the entire NBA, Joffrey Lauvergne is about to get a whole lot popular.
With Jusuf Nurkic (knee) still sidelined and looking highly unlikely to make any kind of impact during the early portion of the season, Lauvergne looks ready to take advantage of a clear opportunity. The current favorite to start at the center position for however long Nurkic remains out, Lauvergne has averaged 15.0 points and 12.5 rebounds on an otherworldly 72 percent from the field. While preseason numbers should obviously be taken with a grain of salt, Lauvergne’s ability to hit the 3-point shot elevates his appeal to the next level.
New Nuggets head coach Mike Malone has made no secret that he plans to give everyone a shot to impress, and Lauvergne is doing just that so far. With most still overlooking him in 10-12 team leagues, take a gamble and roster Lauvergne at the back end of your draft rather than the low-ceiling veteran you’re going to wind up waiving anyway.
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