The Daily Dose: Dose: Brow Goes Beastmode
Games Played Week 18
4 Games: CLE, DET, GSW, IND, MIA, MIN, NYK, ORL, PHI, POR, TOR, WAS
3 Games: ATL, BOS, BRK, CHA, CHI, DAL, DEN, HOU, LAC, LAL, MEM, MIL, NOP, OKC, PHX, SAC, SAN, UTA
Line of the Night
Anthony Davis showed everyone why he was fantasy basketball’s consensus No. 1 overall pick on draft day during Sunday’s 111-106 win over the Pistons, as he erupted for a career-high 59 points on 24-of-35 shooting (9-of-10 from the line) to go with 20 reBrownds, four assists, two 3-pointers, one block and two turnovers through 43 minutes of work. Davis’ 50+ point, 20-board performance was the first such performance since Chris Webber’s 51-point, 26-rebound gem back in 2001; and it was just the third time in NBA history that a player has recorded at least 50 points and 20 rebounds in a game (Shaquille O’Neal did it first back in 2000). Probably one of the more important parts of this stat line for Davis was the fact that the Pelicans got the W, which improved their record to 22-33 on the season. New Orleans now sits just six games out of the No. 8 seed out West, which is great news for Brow owners, as he’s much less likely to sit out random games down the stretch as long as the Pelicans are within striking distance of a playoff berth.
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For the advanced stats lovers, Brow finished the game with a true shooting percentage of 76.8 to accompany his 38.8 usage rate, and through the fourth-quarter he posted video games stats with a 98.5 true shooting percentage and an ungodly 45.9 usage rate. Here’s a look at his ridiculous shot chart:
Rotating Rotations
Archie Goodwin was replaced by Ronnie Price in the starting lineup for Sunday’s game vs. the Spurs, but he still finished with 14 points (5-of-14 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), seven rebounds, one assist, one 3-pointer and two turnovers in his 24 minutes of action. He had been producing as Phoenix’s starting point guard, but his effectiveness in that role was questionable at best (1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio). He didn’t log a single minute at the point on Sunday, and it looks like he may be confined to a 20-minute role moving forward as Devin Booker’s backup. That’s not a great sign for his fantasy value, but given how good he was as a starter, it’s worth waiting out a few more games before making the cut.
Price fouled out in 20 minutes, finishing the game with 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, three assists, one 3-pointer, one board and one block. Foul trouble and consistency are major issues for Price, so he’s not worth picking up in most leagues despite the starter-tag.
Tobias Harris started the second-half of Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans with Anthony Tolliver going down with a knee injury, and I would be shocked if Harris didn’t make his first start in a Pistons’ uniform Monday vs. the Cavs. With Harris in the starting five, there’s going to be fewer touches on offense for Marcus Morris, and Stanley Johnson is going to struggle to get much more than 20 minutes a game. Both Morris and Johnson are trending in the wrong direction with the arrival of Tobias.
Jon Leuer came off the bench behind Kris Humphries on Sunday, although he still managed to put up a relevant line with 13 points, seven boards, two assists, one 3-pointer, one steal and one block in 18 minutes. While Leuer was able to get it done in limited minutes vs. San Antonio, it’s unlikely he’ll be able to consistently produce relevant stat lines while coming off the bench in Phoenix, so he’s far from being a must-own guy in standard leagues. Humphries wasn’t great in the start, producing just seven points, three boards, one 3-pointer, four assists, one steal and one turnover during his 24 minutes on the court. He did have a nice double-double on Friday, but Humphries is just too inconsistent to get excited about in standard leagues.
Courtney Lee made his Hornets’ debut as the team’s starting two-guard, and finished the game with five points, one 3-pointer, one rebound and one assist in 21 minutes. The line wasn’t very impressive at all, but Steve Clifford is a big fan of Lee and his minutes should start creeping up as he gets more familiar with Charlotte’s system. If you swooped up Lee after the trade, it makes sense to give him a few more games before making the cut. Frank Kaminsky returned to the bench with Lee in the starting five and did nothing of note during his 17 minutes of floor time.
D’Angelo Russell finally replaced Lou Williams in the starting lineup, and he finished Sunday’s loss to the Bulls with 15 points, six assists, two rebounds, two 3-pointers, one steal and two turnovers in 34 minutes. Lou Williams struggled in the return to the bench, tallying 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting, with two boards, one assist, one 3-pointer, one steal and one turnover in just 25 minutes of floor time. Byron Scott said after that game that Russell will be the Lakers’ starting point guard moving forward, so while Russell is trending up, Sweet Lou’s fantasy arrow is pointing down. Williams might not be much more than a late-round guy operating as Los Angeles’ sixth man.
Elfrid Payton looks to be locked into a timeshare with Brandon Jennings, as he played just 23 minutes on Sunday on his way to four points (1-of-5 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), four assists, two rebounds, two steals and three turnovers. Meanwhile, Jennings earned 25 minutes off the bench and produced 12 points, seven assists, four boards, two 3-pointers, two steals and five turnovers. Payton really hasn’t been worth owning in standard leagues this season, and now with his upside capped by a timeshare, it’s probably time to move on in most leagues. Swapping out Payton for Jennings makes sense to me.
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