Dose: Down goes Vic Oladipo
Twenty-two teams were in action on Wednesday night with more news that I can probably fit into this column. Here’s the important stuff that went down last night. You can follow me on Twitter by clicking here!
Hawks beat Pelicans 106-98 – The Hawks improved to 8-2 with the win, while the Pelicans are now a dismal 1-7. Paul Millsap had another monster double-double, Al Horford hit 11-of-15 shots and four 3-pointers for 26 points and Jeff Teague double-doubled in the win. Dennis Schroder had 12 points, four assists and two threes off the bench, and Kent Bazemore scored 10. I’d rather own Bazemore right now.
The Pelicans were without Anthony Davis, who is nursing a hip injury and is iffy for Friday. Ryan Anderson came through with 17 points, 11 boards and two 3-pointers, Ish Smith blew up for 18 points, 10 assists and two 3-pointers (pick him up) with Jrue Holiday sitting this one out (rest), and Eric Gordon added 26 points, two steals and four 3-pointers in the loss. The Pelicans are reeling, but at least they’re coming through with fantasy goodies, sans Davis. Toney Douglas added 12 points, three 3-pointers, four dimes and two steals, and is also worth a look in all leagues. But obviously, both Smith and Douglas are probably going to be better on nights when Holiday is sitting.
Hornets barely hold off Knicks 95-93 – The Hornets got 24 points, two 3-pointers, five boards and a steal from Nicolas Batum, but starters Marvin Williams, Al Jefferson (again) and Kemba Walker all struggled mightily in this one. Jefferson looks real shaky right now, but all three of these guys will bounce back. Jeremy Lin had 17 points, three assists, three steals and a 3-pointer off the bench, while Jeremy Lamb added 14 points, four boards, two steals and two 3-pointers in 24 minutes. He’s been very solid lately and should be picked up in many leagues.
Kristaps Porzingis had 10 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks, and had his apparent game-winning three waived off by the officials. Tough break, and it was close, but even so, he’s a blast to own right now. Carmelo Anthony stayed hot with 29 points, six boards, four assists and three 3-pointers, Robin Lopez disappeared, Jose Calderon was actually decent, and Arron Afflalo finally made his debut with 12 points, six boards and zero 3-pointers. The Knicks bench, including Langston Galloway and Jerian Grant, was quiet, but I still think Grant’s eventually going to come on.
Magic hold off Lakers 101-99, lose Oladipo – In the good news department, the Magic won and got a game-winning shot from Nikola Vucevic. Vuc came off the bench due to his sore knee, but came through with 18 points, five boards and a block, along with the game-winner. Dewayne Dedmon saw just 13 minutes with Vuc back in action, so it’s probably time to move on. Tobias Harris double-doubled, Evan Fournier stayed hot with 16 points, five boards, six assists, a steal and two 3-pointers, and Elfrid Payton had 10 rebounds and eight assists despite hitting just 1-of-13 shots. Channing Frye stayed relevant for the second straight game with 14 points, five boards and two 3-pointers, while Shabazz Napier stepped up with a career-high 22 points, three assists and five 3-pointers for the Magic. The bad news is that they lost Victor Oladipo to a possible concussion, while Aaron Gordon didn’t do much with his 16 minutes. If Dipo is going to miss time (I think he will), Napier might be a nice short-term add, while Frye should at least be on your radar.
The Lakers had no double-doubles and the high scorer was Roy Hibbert with 15 points, six rebounds, a steal and three blocks. This was a much-needed bounce-back for Hibbert. Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell were both decent, while Kobe Bryant sat out again in order to rest a very sore back. Here we go and the 1-7 Lakers are a mess. Larry Nance Jr. hit 6-of-6 shots and a 3-pointer for 13 points off the bench, but it feels pretty fluky.
Raptors run Philly 119-103 – Luis Scola had 21 points, five boards, a steal and a block in just 19 minutes, Jonas Valanciunas double-doubled, and Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan both played relatively well in the win. James Johnson is starting and had eight points, five boards, three assists, a steal and a block, and is pick-up worthy in many leagues right now, at least for as long as DeMarre Carroll is out with his plantar fasciitis. Bismack Biyombo came off the bench for 10 points, 10 boards and three blocks, so just keep an eye on him. Cory Joseph played 31 minutes and hit 6-of-9 shots for 15 points and five assists, and is another guy who might be worth a pick up right now, as Terrence Ross is out indefinitely with a serious thumb injury. I would not be afraid to pick up Joseph right now.
Jerami Grant had 12 points, 10 boards, a steal and two blocks in another start for Robert Covington (knee), and a timeshare could be brewing when Covington returns. Jahlil Okafor celebrated another night without Nerlens Noel (wrist) and had 26 points, seven boards and four blocks as his ROY campaign continues, and T.J. McConnell had 13 assists, but just two points on 1-of-5 shooting. His lack of scoring might be tough to stomach for many of you, but the assists have been fun. Nik Stauskas’ shooting woes continued to the tune of 3-of-11 and two 3-pointers for eight points. I’m hanging in there with him. Isaiah Canaan had 18 points and five 3-pointers in 29 minutes off the bench, while Hollis Thompson added 19 points and five treys. Both players are likely to be hit-or-miss until further notice, so grab them at your own risk.
Pacers pound Celtics 102-91 – Paul George stayed hot with 29 points, 10 boards, two 3-pointers and six more turnovers, and George Hill finally cooled off with seven points and five dimes. C.J. Miles played well, finishing with 18 points, two steals and a 3-pointer, and is worth a look as an Indy starter, while Myles Turner suffered a fractured left hand that could keep him out indefinitely. Ian Mahinmi (11 points, 3 blocks) will continue to start, while Jordan Hill is worth a look after going for 12 points and eight boards in 23 minutes.
Jared Sullinger had 11 points, 11 boards and a 3-pointer, and even played decent minutes last night (33). Evan Turner was busy again with 20 points, three boards, three assists, a steal and two blocks on 9-of-13 shooting. Avery Bradley is nursing a calf injury and it’s possible that Turner could be on the verge of stealing his starting spot, either way. As I said in yesterday’s Dose, give Turner a close look. Marcus Smart hit just 1-of-6 shots, but is probably still be worth hanging onto.
Mavericks down Clippers 118-108 in Dallas – Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 with 11 boards and five 3-pointers, Wesley Matthews bounced back big time with 25 points, a full stat line and his best game of the season, Zaza Pachulia double-doubled, and all five Mavs starters scored in double figures, while the bench didn’t do much of anything. Dwight Powell played just 16 minutes, which isn’t going to cut it. Let’s see what he does in the next one.
DeAndre Jordan was constantly booed in Dallas, but still had nine points, 11 boards and a block, Chris Paul double-doubled and Blake Griffin went off for 21 and a full stat line. J.J. Redick left early with back spasms and is doubtful for Thursday, allowing Austin Rivers to go for 16 points and two 3-pointers, while Jamal Crawford scored 11 with a triple. Rivers would likely start if Redick is going to miss time, so think about him as a cheap DFS option.
Nets finally win, beat Rockets 106-98 – Joe Johnson flirted with a triple-double, Brook Lopez double-doubled, while Thaddeus Young and Jarrett Jack both played well for the Nets. Shane Larkin had 15 points, eight boards and three 3-pointers off the bench, while Bojan Bogdanovic blew up for 22 points, nine boards and two 3-pointers. These were easily two of their best lines of the season, so at least put them on your radar going forward.
Marcus Thornton got another start and hit 9-of-15 shots and three 3-pointers for 21 points, seven assists, four steals and a block, but Terrence Jones is back. However, Jones was 0-for-3 in 16 minutes, so Thornton may actually have some gas left in the tank. James Harden’s shot was off again, but he packed the stat sheet, and Dwight Howard went nuts with 20 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks in a return to yesteryear.
Warriors wax Memphis 100-84 to stay undefeated – Stephen Curry had 28 points, five rebounds, assists and steals, and three 3-pointers, Harrison Barnes added 19 points and a full stat line, and Andre Iguodala came off the bench to fire up 20 points and four 3-pointers. Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were both kind of invisible in this one, and as frustrated as owners might be getting with the duo, it’s probably best to just ride out the storm and not making a bad trade.
Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Tony Allen all played well for the Grizz, while Mike Conley and Courtney Lee combined to make just 2-of-22 shots in an ugly loss. It was nice to see Gasol bounce back, and disturbing to see Conley stink it up this badly. And the Memphis bench was essentially nonexistent in this one.
Denver downs Bucks 103-102 – Emmanuel Mudiay double-doubled, Danilo Gallinari broke out of a funk, Kenneth Faried stayed hot and J.J. Hickson cooled off in another start. Hickson still had 12 points, two rebounds, a steal and a block in 29 minutes, as the Nuggets wait for their centers to get healthy. Will Barton took a hit in this one, playing just 17 minutes for eight points. The starters all played pretty heavy minutes last night, so that will need to change if Barton’s going to stay relevant.
Jerryd Bayless came through with 22 points, four assists and three 3-pointers on 7-of-10 shooting and looks like a must-own until Michael Carter-Williams is back from his ankle injury, but that could happen this weekend, which is also bad news for Greivis Vasquez, who added 15 points and nine dimes off the bench. Johnny O’Bryant was the surprise of the night for the Bucks with 10 points, nine boards and a block in 34 minutes and a start. Jabari Parker was being rested, so don’t get too excited about O’Bryant just yet.
Kings trump Pistons 101-92 behind big night from Boogie – DeMarcus Cousins went off for 33 points, nine boards, a block and four more 3-pointers, and also apologized for throwing a fit and screaming at George Karl on Monday. It looks like he avoided a suspension. He also hit four 3-pointers in the opener and has shot at least two in every game thus far. It looks like he’s going to try his best to make it a part of his game. Rudy Gay went off with 25 points and a full line on 10-of-14 shooting, and Rajon Rondo had a monster triple-double for the Kings. Darren Collison (hamstring) was out again and could miss Friday, which helps Rondo. However, Willie Cauley-Stein struggled again with four points, five boards, a steal and a block in just 17 minutes. He might continue to share time with Kosta Koufos, which is not ideal, but he’s also still learning the NBA game. Don’t start him in weekly leagues until his minutes creep up toward 22 per game.
Four of the five Pistons starters played well, and you probably guessed that Ersan Ilyasova was quiet again with eight points in just 17 minutes. Meanwhile, Stanley Johnson played 27 minutes, but hit just 3-of-11 shots for eight points and a decent line. This looks like the changing of the guard to me and I’ve dropped Ilyasova for a hot free agent in the leagues where I own him.
Spurs stall Blazers 113-101, Kawhi has a scare – Kawhi Leonard took a scary fall but powered through it to finish with another big stat line for the Spurs. LaMarcus Aldridge torched his former team for 23 points, six boards and a block, while Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Danny Green all hit double digits in scoring. Green finally showed signs of life, hitting 4-of-6 shots and three 3-pointers for 11 points and four boards, but didn’t have a steal or a block. I’m just going to hang tight with him.
Meyers Leonard had seven points and five boards before leaving with a dislocated left shoulder. This is not good news and if you cut him just before he started to heat up, you should feel better about it now. Moe Harkless, Ed Davis and Al-Farouq Aminu all benefit from his loss, which could be several weeks, if not months. Mason Plumlee was solid again with nine points, nine boards, two steals and a block, Damian Lillard had 22 points, six boards, nine dimes, a steal and five more 3-pointers, playing through a thumb injury, and C.J. McCollum kept at it with 21 points and a 3-pointer on 9-of-21 shooting. He didn’t do much else in this one, but played 36 minutes, so I’m still all-in on him. Davis had 11 points, six boards, two steals and a block in 18 minutes, and is a guy you’ll want to think about adding with the Leonard news. The same goes for Harkless, but he played just 16 minutes and missed both his shots. Gerald Henderson came off the bench for 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting in his debut, but played just 18 minutes. I just don’t see him being a legitimate threat to CJM.
