Rondo Traded, Durant Injured
Rajon Rondo was traded to the Mavericks on Thursday night and there are several (mostly minor) fantasy implications. Let’s take a quick look at them. Follow me on Twitter by clicking here.
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Rajon Rondo PG Mavericks – I'm guessing he’ll start immediately and is going to make the Mavs a very tough playoff team, assuming he can learn to play nice with his new teammates. In fantasy, he won’t need to shoot or score nearly as much as he did in Boston, so his scoring should take a hit, while his poor field goal shooting won’t be as damaging since he shouldn’t be taking as many shots. With guys like Dirk Nowitzki, Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons and Tyson Chandler to target with his passes, and with teammates who have a better chance to finish than his teammates did in Boston, he should be able to keep his assist numbers among the league leaders (he's currently No. 1 at 10.8 per game), as long as he's getting 30 minutes per night. He'll also still steal the ball, as well as turn it over. He’s going to take a scoring hit, and how far his value dips depends on how quickly he gels with his new teammates and learns the offense, which is the key to the whole deal. Expect his rebounding to also take a hit, as Tyson Chandler specializes in defensive rebounding, which is one of Rondo’s strong points. Rondo will likely get off to a slow start in Dallas, but they just want him to have it figured out by the time the playoffs roll around.
Marcus Smart PG Celtics – Smart might be called upon to start at point guard right off the bat, as long as his Achilles injury will allow him to play. He’s had trouble overcoming it, but he’s shown that he can play on both ends of the court, and Brad Stevens really likes him. In short, his minutes and numbers should increase across the board and he should be picked up immediately in all leagues. He’s not a great shooter, but can hit a three and won’t kill you at the free throw line like Rondo does. Just hope he can get, and stay, healthy.
Avery Bradley G Celtics – Bradley was already having a decent season and could see more burn with Rondo gone, especially since Smart is currently banged up. I really don’t see his value making a big move one way or the other, but if anything, I think he gets an uptick.
Devin Harris, Raymond Felton and J.J. Barea G Mavericks – Felton still hasn’t played this season and Harris was playing well off the bench behind Nelson. As long as Rondo is healthy, Harris is going to take a hit, as he was forced into heavy minutes due to Nelson’s incompetence. Barea’s had some nice lines, but his days of playing point guard are probably over with this move, so he’ll basically back up Monta Ellis. And Monta’s not going anywhere.
Brandan Wright C Celtics – Wright can play, but the Celtics have a logjam at center with Kelly Olynyk, Tyler Zeller and Jared Sullinger all capable of playing the position. Because of the logjam, and how well the aforementioned three bigs have played for the Celtics thus far, I just don’t see Wright making much of an impact. Additionally, with the arrival of Wright, minutes may be tougher to come by for the centers already in Boston. Olynyk is still my preferred center to own in Boston, along with Sullinger, who plays more power forward. If Wright starts right away, my attitude about him being in Boston might change.
Evan Turner G Celtics – With Smart hurting and Nelson ineffective, Turner might be called upon to play more point guard. I doubt the trade has a big impact on Turner’s minutes or fantasy value, but he’s worth keeping an eye on going forward.
Jameer Nelson PG Celtics – Is there a chance Nelson can start for the Celtics? Sure there is. Do I think he will? No. He’s old and was playing pretty terribly for the Mavs, and the Celtics are in rebuilding mode, meaning the young guys need to play. He may get loose for some decent games and could even end up starting, but he’s not a player I’m interested in owning going forward.
Jae Crowder F Celtics – The Celtics need a back up for Jeff Green and Crowder could see some run in that capacity. However, he doesn’t know the offense and as long as Green’s not traded, he’s the guy who is going to get the minutes. Like Turner, just put Crowder on your radar for now.
Greg Smith F/C Mavericks – With Wright gone, we simply don’t know who is going to back up Chandler at center. Smith looks like the first option, while Dwight Powell, who came over in the trade, could also get some run for the Mavs. But unless you are in an extremely deep league, there’s nothing to see here.
The bottom line is that the Celtics may or may not be done making moves. Adding a point guard later could ruin Smart (doubtful). Moving a big man or two could clear the way for a guy like Olynyk or Wright to fully break out. Moving Jeff Green could mean Jae Crowder becomes relevant. But for now, the big winner in the deal appears to be Smart. Now let’s see if he can get healthy and live up to the hype.
Bulls 103, Knicks 97
Jimmy Butler was one of the stars of the night with a career-high 35 points, but he also had five rebounds, seven assists, four steals, a block and four 3-pointers, with just two turnovers. Derrick Rose sat this one out and is not traveling to Memphis for Friday’s game due to an illness, meaning he’ll miss two straight after playing in 11 in a row. His absence was big for Butler tonight, but Jimmy B will have a tougher time against the strong D in Memphis. However, if Tony Allen doesn’t play due to his eye injury, Butler should have another very good night. Pau Gasol had 20 points, seven boards and five blocks, and Joakim Noah, who originally said he wouldn’t play in this one, was in the starting lineup and had four points, 13 rebounds and a block on 1-of-8 shooting. It was nice to see him back from his ankle injury, but better shooting would have been nice. Hopefully he’s ready to go again tonight. Kirk Hinrich started in place of Rose and had eight points, three assists and two 3-pointers in 32 minutes, but Aaron Brooks outplayed him off the bench with 18 points, five dimes and three 3-pointers. Look for more of the same tonight. Mike Dunleavy disappeared with just five points and four boards despite playing 29 minutes, which is the problem with him. Two nice games followed by a dud, rinse, repeat. Taj Gibson aggravated his ankle injury and missed this game, and is questionable tonight in Memphis. Because of that, Nikola Mirotic got loose for 13 points, three steals, a block and two 3-pointers. Gibson traveled with the team, so he could play tonight.
Carmelo Anthony is being told to shut it down by associates and he got the night off due to his sore knee. My guess is his season is over by Jan. 15, if not sooner, so owners should try to move him for whatever they can get. Unfortunately, at this point, that may be nothing more than a 30-pack of Natty Light. J.R. Smith missed another one with his sore foot, so Tim Hardaway Jr. got loose for 23 points, five dimes and five 3-pointers in 40 minutes. With Melo’s season on the brink, I think THJ should be owned across the board. Amare Stoudemire wasn’t expected to play last night (rest), but that changed with Melo’s absence. Amare started and had 16 points, six boards, two steals and four blocks. Jose Calderon, despite the missing pieces, managed just 12 points and two assists, while Travis Wear and Cole Aldrich drew starts. Wear had eight points and isn’t worth much of a look just yet, while Aldrich had 13 points, 10 rebounds, a steal and a block in 26 minutes. If he continues to start at center, he’ll be worth a look in deep leagues. The Knicks are off until Saturday, which will be a revenge game for Stoudemire against the Suns in the Garden. We should know whether Melo is in or out in plenty of time before tip off.
Pelicans 99, Rockets 90
Anthony Davis went all Anthony Davis on the Rockets, dropping 30 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and five blocks on 10-of-17 shooting. Stubbed toe, schmubbed toe. Austin Rivers started and had 10 points and six assists, as Tyreke Evans sat out with a sore knee. Rivers just isn’t very good and I wouldn’t even recommend him daily leagues while Evans, who is day-to-day, is out. Evans is questionable for Saturday vs. the Blazers. Ryan Anderson had 16 points, six boards and a 3-pointer off the bench, and starter Omer Asik had 11 rebounds, but just two points and no blocks in the start. Dante Cunningham played 34 minutes off the bench for 15 points, five boards and a 3-pointer, and is simply worth keeping an eye on for now.
The Rockets got 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two 3-pointers from James Harden, but he hit just 8-of-23 shots in what was a disappointing line for him. Dwight Howard had 17 points, 11 boards and three blocks, and he’s officially back from his knee injury. Patrick Beverley had nine points, three boards, four assists, three steals, a block and a 3-pointer, but hit just 2-of-8 shots, and Trevor Ariza hit just 4-of-12 shots and no 3-pointers for 10 points, eight boards and four steals. His shooting slump is becoming an annoyance. Donatas Motiejunas also struggled, hitting 4-of-13 shots for nine points and four boards, but this was just an off night for him and several of his teammates.
Bucks 108, Kings 107
With Jabari Parker (knee) and Ersan Ilyasova (nose) out, and Larry Sanders suspended, the Bucks started Johnny O’Bryant at power forward and Zaza Pachulia at center. They combined for just 13 points and six rebounds, so I hope you didn’t take the bait and use them in daily leagues, although I got stung by Zaza. Brandon Knight led the way with 20 points, five boards, four dimes, two steals and three 3-pointers, while O.J. Mayo added 19 points and three 3-pointers on 7-of-13 shooting. However, his night should have been much bigger, as he scored 17 of those points in the first quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to play through his ankle injury and had 11 points and a full (but minimal) stat line. He did play 37 minutes though, which is all you need to know. Keep riding him. Khris Middleton was one of the biggest disappointments of the night and burned me in daily leagues with one point on 0-of-3 shooting in just 18 minutes. I really thought he’d get more run with Jabari out, but it was Jared Dudley who got hot off the bench with 19 points, five boards and two 3-pointers on 7-of-10 shooting. If Jason Kidd can’t figure out his rotation, I’m not sure how we’re supposed to be able to. Jerryd Bayless was also nice, hitting 6-of-12 shots and three 3-pointers for 17 points and five assists in 29 minutes. I need to see him (and Dudley) do it again before buying in. Sanders will be back for the next one, Parker is out for the season, and we still don’t know when Ilyasova is going to play again, but it’s clear they need him. If you want to stash Ilyasova in case he’s not going to be a total headache, it makes sense, while I expect Middleton to be more relevant on most nights. Middleton had scored in double figures in three straight before tonight’s disaster. They play the Clippers on Saturday.
The Kings welcomed back DeMarcus Cousins, who actually looked fresh after missing nine games with a serious illness. He had 27 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and a steal on 8-of-12 shooting, and was heartbroken after missing the game-winning jumper, so I hope he was in your lineup. Jason Thompson and Carl Landry disappeared in his return, while Reggie Evans was out with knee and hip injuries. Ben McLemore scored 22, and Rudy Gay hit 9-of-15 for 20 points, nine boards and six dimes in the loss. They’re off until Sunday when the welcome the Lakers to Sleep Train.
Warriors 114, Thunder 109
Stephen Curry pulled an Anthony Davis with 34 points, seven rebounds, nine assists, four steals, a block and five 3-pointers, hitting 14-of-24 shots. He looks like the early MVP to me. Klay Thompson added 19 points, five assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers, and Draymond Green added 16 points, nine board, nine assists, a steal, a block and a 3-pointer on 7-of-14 shooting. He also led the team with 44 minutes, and I’m still not worried about David Lee eventually returning. Harrison Barnes might take the Lee hit thought, but did have 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two 3-pointers, and should be owned until further notice. Andrew Bogut (knee) is now out indefinitely and not expected back until January at the earliest, and Marreese Speights had 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks in just 19 minutes. Andre Iguodala played 30 minutes, but had just seven points, four boards, five assists, a steal, a block and two 3-pointers, while Shaun Livingston stayed relatively hot with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He’s scored 12 points in three straight games. Both the Warriors and Thunder went small in this one, so I think Speights should get more run on most nights that Bogut is out. Pick him up.
The Thunder saw Kevin Durant become the first player in league history to score 30 points in less than 20 minutes, but the good news ends there. He came down on Speights’ foot, rolled his right ankle pretty severely and didn’t return after just 19 minutes. He’s listed as questionable for tonight against the Lakers, but I’ll be surprised if he plays in that one, especially since they shouldn’t need him to beat L.A. X-rays were negative and it’s being called a mild sprain, which is great news, considering that’s the same foot he broke early in the season. Russell Westbrook had 33 points, eight assists, two steals, three 3-pointers and six turnovers on 11-of-30 shooting. Serge Ibaka was disappointing again with 12 points, six boards, a steal, three blocks and two 3-pointers, but it could be worse. Owners just have to be patient and wait for him to get it going, or risk selling low. Fortunately, his name recognition is big enough to get value in return from an owner banking on him getting it turned around. Perry Jones played just 19 minutes and Jeremy Lamb 14, so there’s not a real go-to guy if Durant is going to miss time. Reggie Jackson has bottomed out and had four points in 23 minutes. If you want to drop him for Smart, it might work out in your favor.
