Shocker Special: Jeremy Pargo stuffs the stat sheet
You've got the turkey defrosted and ready to go. Stuffing, cranberry sauce, a couple of pies, everything is in place. Looks like you can close up shop for the night.
Okay, pick up Jeremy Pargo first. After that, gamer, you can shut it down.
The Cavaliers have backcourt minutes to go around now that Kyrie Irving (finger) is down for a month, and the unheralded Pargo took full advantage of the opening on Wednesday. The second-year pro out of Gonzaga exploded for 28 points, five rebounds and four assists in 38:52 against Philadelphia, adding a 4-for-8 showing from behind the arc. Heady stuff from someone who had all of 134 professional points over 47 games entering the night. Pargo's performance was so impressive, Donald Sloan never got off the bench.
The hoopsters in Yahoo! Nation have responded, quickly pushing Pargo's ownership tag up to 12 percent. That still leaves a lot of room on the bandwagon, of course.
Anyone jumping in on Pargo is basically playing the "add now, ask questions later" card. There's no pedigree to chase here. Pargo had an ordinary four-year career at Gonzaga and wasn't drafted in 2009. He spent two years in Israel, then carved out a small role with Memphis last year (playing less than ten minutes a night over 44 games). You've not going to find anything juicy in that sample: Pargo barely made a quarter of his 3-point attempts and shot 59 percent from the line, and he had a turnover for every 1.3 assists. The Cavaliers only used him in three of their first 10 games this season.
[NBA Power Rankings: Clippers gain ground]
All that said, opportunity remains the most valuable element in the fantasy chase, and Pargo's defensive chops will help protect his playing time. If you have a free roster spot, why not kick the tires and see where the story goes?
A Pargo pickup also makes sense from a volume perspective. The Cavs return to action Friday at Orlando, kicking off a stretch of four games in five days. Mind you, no one expects them to compete at Miami on Saturday, or at Memphis on Monday. But even the mediocre teams are going to put up stats for us. Keep an open mind, amigos.
More sports news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:
Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
• Source: Nets' Reggie Evans first NBA player to be fined for flopping
• Carmelo Anthony's improved defense makes him legit MVP candidate
• Y! News: Pit bull saves baby from kidnapping attempt
