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Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. Friday featured the NBA champs in action, a bounce-back performance from the Rockets and the return of a superhero, Well, at least the man they call Superman. But let's instead start things off with the Memphis Grizzlies impressive 110 to 100 road win against the Utah Jazz. Marc Gasol led the way with a near triple-double, scoring 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, one block and two three-pointers. Gasol is a fabulous center and has always carried category league value, but it wouldn't hurt to see what the big man could garner you in a trade. Don't undersell him, but the younger Gasol is about to turn 34 in January and is carrying a premium on the market right now. It never hurts to shop around.
The Houston Rockets found their way back to the winner's circle, rallying late to top the Brooklyn Nets 119 to 111. Chris Paul was on fire during the contest, scoring a season-high 32 points with seven rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks, two steals and five three-pointers. James Harden is set to return on Saturday, but that shouldn't affect Paul too much. The player that will most likely suffer the most significant impediment will be Carmelo Anthony. Anthony was brilliant on Friday, scoring 28 points off the bench while adding in six three-pointers. However, production like this will not last with Harden returning to the lineup. Melo's value is the highest it has been all season, and it most likely will plummet as soon as Saturday. If you can flip him for anything useful, do it as soon as you can.
And while the Golden State Warriors versus Minnesota Timberwolves remained competitive for three and a half quarters in the defending champions 116 to 99 home victory, the game of the night belonged to the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls. Darren Collison hit the game-winning jumper to propel the Pacers to a 107 to 105 road win, but the star of the night belonged to Victor Oladipo, who scored 25 points to go along with a season-high 14 rebounds. Oladipo has scored 20 or more points in eight straight games and is showing why he should be viewed as a borderline top-10 category league option this year. There is still plenty more pertinent fantasy information to go around, so without further ado, let's get into our three main takeaways from Friday, November 2nd.
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Myles Turner: Hosts A Block Party
The emergence of Domantas Sabonis has hampered Myles Turner's upside this season, but the stat-line the 22-year-old produced on Friday serves as a good reminder of what Turner is capable of when he remains aggressive on offense.
Turner scored 18 points in 27 minutes of action while adding in three rebounds, three assists and a career-tying six blocks, which included the game-ending swat on Antonio Blakeney as time expired. Turner's rebounding numbers have left a lot to be desired this year, averaging only 5.1 boards per game, but the former University of Texas product has been a shot-blocking savant, contributing 2.6 blocks per contest, good for fourth best in the NBA.
The former 11th pick in the 2015 draft has never been a great rebounding center, but these numbers have been particularly ineffective for the rising star. Turner is on pace for the lowest rebounding total of his career, currently producing 1.3 rebounds per game less than last season. The 2014 Mcdonald's All-American has been able to keep his value afloat with elite contributions in blocks while adding in steady shooting percentages, but a performance like this presents the possibility for Turner's maturation process to go into hyperspeed. He has a built-in floor in category leagues based on his elite contributions in blocks and could rival top-30 value if he can add a little more offensively to go along with a couple more rebounds per game. Turner is a player to put on your radar if you do not own him.
Dwight Howard: Superman Returns, Unable To Save The Day
Dwight Howard's long-awaited return from his back injury went about as well as one could have hoped. Howard contributed 20 points, three rebounds, one assist and two steals in 23 minutes of action against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The former No. 1 pick in the 2004 draft also shot 7-of-8 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the charity stripe. Ok, Dwight. We see you don't want to be outdone by DeAndre Jordan's remarkable free throw shooting revival. Not too shabby big man, not too shabby at all.
The 32-year-old was without restrictions on the night but was still limited to 23 minutes because of Washington's blowout loss, a defeat that drops the Wizards to 1-7 on the year. But Washington shouldn't remain this bad, and all their players are intriguing buy-low candidates. Especially Otto Porter, who is struggling to get anything going right now but carries immense upside in category leagues.
As far as Howard is concerned, he remains an interesting fantasy option also. If Dwight can stay healthy, he is a walking double-double threat. But don't let tonight fool you, the eight-time All-Star is still a liability from the line and is a player that can plummet your team's percentage. Because of this, I wouldn't touch Howard in a category-based league unless free throw percentage was my team's primary punt. He does intrigue me as a top-40 potential option in points-based leagues, but I do worry that his health will not be able to withstand the grueling season. I am fine holding him in points leagues, selling in all other formats and taking a watch and see approach if I don't own him.
Derrick Rose: Every Rose Has Its Thorn
After Derrick Rose's 50 point explosion on Wednesday, Friday didn't provide the same exuberance for the 30-year-old. Rose was only able to play five minutes against the Warriors before leaving the game due to left ankle soreness.
Oh no, not the news Timberwolves or Rose fans wanted to hear. Rose's injury history has been well-documented so any issue, no matter how small, always raises an eyebrow for the 2011 Most Valuable Player. Rose dealt with left ankle problems last season, and with the amount of time it usually takes him to heal, he could be looking at an extended absence.
There is a possibility that Rose's removal from the game could have been the Timberwolves being extra cautious, but Tyus Jones becomes a great short-term streaming option if Rose is set to miss any time. It's been a long road back for the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft, and another substantial injury would be demoralizing to him. Too many potential NBA greats have had their careers cut short because of damage that couldn't be repaired so let's hope Rose can find some stable footing this year and get himself back onto the court quickly.
