The Daily Dose: Dose: Warriors Make History
The Warriors made history on Sunday night as they tied the NBA record for the most wins to begin a season with 15 in a row after their win over the Nuggets. With the 2-11 Lakers next on their schedule, I’m guessing that they break that record. There were some awesome games on Sunday’s schedule with only a few injuries to talk about, so let’s not waste any time and get right to it!
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Raptors 91, Clippers 80
The Clippers have now lost three straight games and are currently just 6-7 overall, and there was a report after the game that Josh Smith got into a heated verbal exchange with an unspecified coach in the locker room. Tensions are clearly boiling in Los Angeles, but it’s a little worrying that they are panicking this much considering it’s still very early in the season. Call me crazy, but I think that there are some positives to take from all this. For starters, we all know just how competitive the Western Conference is going to be this season, and the race for playoff seeding is going to come down to the wire. Due to their slow start, the Clippers will have no choice but to play their key players heavy minutes down the stretch, so I think this really bodes well for the outlook of guys like Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.
As for Sunday’s game, Griffin got off to a shaky start due to some early foul trouble and wasn’t able to score in the first half, finishing with nine points, six boards, four assists, two steals and six turnovers in 29 minutes. This was just his second bad game of the season and he is still returning second-round value, so I’m not concerned and you shouldn’t be either. Jordan was great with 13 points, 15 boards and five blocks, but to nobody’s surprise he hit just 1-of-4 from the free throw line. Even I can hit 1-of-4 from the free throw line and I probably wouldn’t have made my high school JV team back in the day.
Paul double-doubled with 13 points, 11 assists, five boards, two steals, one 3-pointer and three turnovers, and it’s safe to say that his groin issue is a thing of the past. The Clippers have limited him to an average of 31.3 minutes over his last three, so expect that number to rise in the coming week. J.J. Redick scored 17 points with three treys, while Jamal Crawford scored just eight points on 1-of-8 shooting from the field.
The Raptors learned on Sunday that they would be without center Jonas Valanciunas (hand) for at least six weeks, so they predictably went with Bismack Biyombo in the starting lineup. The big man didn’t have any blocks which is what he is known for and scored just six points, but he did manage to be a savage on the glass with 14 rebounds. The encouraging thing for his value is that he logged 31 minutes instead of the Raptors choosing to go small, so I think any owner in need of a low-end center should pick him up. Keep in mind that he was averaging 0.9 blocks in 16.9 minutes per game prior to Sunday. Luis Scola also benefited with 20 points and eight boards in 31 minutes, but I have a hard time believing that the 35-year-old veteran will be anywhere near this good on a nightly basis.
Kyle Lowry has been the fifth best player in fantasy and scored 13 points with 10 assists and three steals, while DeMar DeRozan chipped in with 21 points and six boards. However, DeMarre Carroll had the most impressive line of the game with 21 points, five boards, four steals and two 3-pointers. His buy-low window is officially shut and he should be a mid-round guy going forward.
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Nets 111, Celtics 101
The Nets got some revenge on the Celtics after they were beaten by them in their previous outing, and they were led by Brook Lopez who scored 23 points with 10 boards and one steal. His owners will probably have to live in fear because of his injury history, but he’s returning top-40 value right now and should be fine as long as things don’t get too crazy in Brooklyn. Jarrett Jack was solid as usual with 22 points, four boards and four assists, but don’t be surprised to hear his name come up in trade rumors at the deadline. Thaddeus Young double-doubled with 11 points and 12 boards, while Joe Johnson finished with 17 points and three treys in 36 minutes. I hope he enjoys his last season in Brooklyn, but I don’t even want to pay him attention in fantasy leagues. Rookie Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was wonderful with nine points, seven boards, four assists and five steals, and he saw 31 minutes of action for the second straight game. If you want him you will probably have to act now, and I do like his outlook for the rest of the season.
With Marcus Smart (leg) out for at least a couple weeks, Avery Bradley jumped back into the starting lineup and exploded for 27 points, seven treys, four boards and two steals in 40 minutes! The guy is unconscious right now and has been flirting with top-50 value, so sell high if you can. His averages of 20.2 points, 3.2 treys, 2.0 steals and 2.0 assists over his last five games are unsustainable, but be sure to ride him while he is hot. Isaiah Thomas also had 27 points with six assists in 31 minutes, and Smart’s absence will ensure that Thomas and Bradley will have huge workloads for Boston’s upcoming four-game week.
Pelicans 122, Suns 116
Watching Anthony Davis play when he is healthy is a thing of beauty. The superstar scored 32 points with 19 rebounds, one assist, two steals and four blocks to help the Pelicans claim their second straight win. As long as the Pelicans can stay somewhat competitive in the West and Davis can stay healthy, he should be a top-3 asset the rest of the way. Ryan Anderson was coming off two straight 30-point performances and stayed hot with 29 points and four treys in 33 minutes. Even with Davis healthy, Anderson will still get his minutes and is a must-start player. He won’t stay this hot forever, though.
Eric Gordon had another great game with 20 points, four assists and five treys, but you have to wonder how much of a hit his value will take when Tyreke Evans (knee) returns next week. The same can be said for Ish Smith (11 points, nine assists, eight boards, three steals), but he’s been terrific and has even been outplaying Jrue Holiday (eight points, four assists) lately. Smith’s owners should probably be looking to sell high while they still can, but it’s possible that he could still have a nice role when Evans is back.
There was a scary moment on Sunday for the Suns when Eric Bledsoe left the game with a leg injury, but he quickly returned and finished with 29 points, six assists, seven boards, four treys and five turnovers. His leg is fine and his owners have to be thrilled that he is returning first-round value despite a high rate of turnovers. Brandon Knight was solid with 19 points, seven assists, two steals and two treys, but I’m sure Bucks’ fans are thrilled that they traded him away for Michael Carter-Williams, right? Jason Kidd has some explaining to do. Anyways, Markieff Morris got back on track with 17 points, eight boards, one steal, one block and one trey, so this will be a welcome sight for his owners after he failed to score in double digits in his last two outings.
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