RADIO
Our top two headliners this week are a pair of Houston Rockets guards. Both players have seen their opportunities increase while Victor Oladipo (foot) has been sidelined. However, they both showed signs of making positive strides before Oladipo was sidelined about 10 days ago. They should both remain cogs in the team’s rotation when Oladipo returns and both could see their fantasy values rise over the coming years.
Rounding out this week’s column are a rookie point guard in Detroit who’s seen a recent breakout and a potential defensive superstar in Boston.
Make sure all four players are on your radar in dynasty leagues.
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Jae'sean Tate (SG, HOU)
Undrafted rookie shooting guard Jae'sean Tate first entered the team’s starting lineup in mid-January and has seen his production steadily increase ever since.
Over the past two weeks, he’s been exceptional, averaging 14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.2 threes per game while committing just 0.8 turnovers per game and shooting 56.4% from the field. He’s averaged about 33 minutes per game over that stretch.
Compare those numbers to January, when he saw about 25 minutes per game and averaged just 8.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.9 steals, 0.6 threes and 1.1 turnovers per game while shooting 51.5% from the field.
He’s been much more aggressive lately. He’s scored in double-digits in six of his past seven games and he’s attempted at least 10 field goals in five straight. He’s also notched at least two steals in each of his past three games.
Tate is a 6’4” lefty who likes to play physical. He can score in a number of ways. He has a solid jump shot and he’s an able creator off the dribble. Where he excels is in his ability to finish at the rim. He has a strong body and is able to adapt to contact well. Here’s a look at a nifty overhead maneuver he made on a layup after absorbing contact on a play against the Chicago Bulls on Monday:
Tate has a great opportunity to continue earning minutes and continue improving on a Rockets team looking to find untapped potential. Playing alongside John Wall will help develop his game and build his confidence. He has a strong opportunity to be a key member of the Rockets’ rotation over the next few years.
David Nwaba (SG/SF, HOU)
Like his aforementioned rookie teammate, David Nwaba is also an undrafted player who has exceeded expectations in the NBA. The big difference between the two, of course, is that Nwaba’s already had a pretty thorough tour throughout the league.
Nwaba is in his fifth NBA season and playing in his fifth different jersey. He debuted with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2016-17 season, then spent a season each with the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets before landing in Houston this year.
He plays with a lot of heart and hustle, both key attributes for any undrafted player who hopes to make it in the league. He brings a lot to the table when he’s on the court. He has more of a well-rounded game than Tate, but much of that is likely due to his added experience in the league.
Nwaba filled the stat sheet in each of his past three games. Over that stretch, he averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, 1.7 steals, one block and just one turnover per game while shooting 57.6% from the field.
After this year, Nwaba is an unrestricted free agent. Staying in Houston could be the best-case scenario for him as playing time should remain available next year. However, as long as his solid play continues, he has a good shot at earning a rotational spot elsewhere, enabling him to continue providing solid numbers across the board.
Saben Lee (PG, DET)
The Detroit Pistons have seen a number of young players take advantage of the ample playing time the team has made available this year. The most recent breakout of the bunch has been point guard Saben Lee. Lee was taken with the 38th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft after three strong seasons at Vanderbilt. He didn’t make his NBA debut until January 6th and he didn’t see sturdy playing time until the team’s past two games.
This past Sunday against Orlando, Lee logged about 33 minutes and shot 4-for-7 from the field while scoring 12 points and adding five assists, four rebounds and three steals. He followed that game up with a remarkable performance against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday, where he shot 8-for-11 from the field, including 3-for-3 from deep, on the way to 21 points, four assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Lee’s extremely composed and comfortable as a lead ball-handler. He’s a solid distributor and he’s able to finish at the rim as long as he’s not greatly contested. While he’s clearly shown the ability to knock down the long ball, he has a strange shooting form that might need some adjusting. It doesn’t appear to be a shot that will be particularly effective off the dribble, but for now it should at least allow him to catch-and-shoot effectively.
Lee is currently battling for point guard reps with the newly-acquired Dennis Smith Jr. while fellow rookie Killian Hayes (hip) and Delon Wright (groin) are sidelined. Smith has played relatively well over the last few games too, but Lee has logged significantly more minutes. He’s also a more intriguing long-term asset for the team as Smith could be headed out of town after this year.
Hayes was drafted 7th overall by the team this year. The clear goal is for him to be the franchise point guard, but that doesn’t mean Lee can’t play a significant role in the team’s rebuild as well. Lee has a great opportunity to be either a second unit leader for the Pistons in the coming years or even a starting guard alongside Hayes. Either way, keep track of him as he continues to see this extended look with the lottery-bound Pistons.
Robert Williams III (C, BOS)
Many of us have been eagerly awaiting a fantasy awakening from Boston Celtics center Robert Williams III since he first entered the league in 2018-19. The time still hasn’t come, but we might be getting close.
Williams blocked exactly four shots in back-to-back games on Friday and Sunday, despite only averaging about 19 minutes over the two games. He also scored 20 points and grabbed 20 rebounds over that two-game stretch.
Williams rarely sees 20 minutes in a game. He’s averaging just 15 minutes per game on the year, but he’s still managed to average 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals per game this year. His mouth-watering per-36 minutes averages this year: 14.8 points, 13.1 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and 2.3 steals per game.
In a recent interview, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said, “we need him to be able to play higher minutes as the season gets later.” We’ll believe it when we see it, Brad, but even just a hint like this of a late season playing time increase should be enough to get fantasy managers everywhere to jump on Williams.
Fellow Celtics center Daniel Theis certainly presents a short-term problem for Williams. With the way the modern game is played and especially with how the Celtics prefer to operate, Williams and Theis simply can’t be on the court together. They are both pure centers with limited mobility. Both are strong rim protectors and unfortunately for Williams, Theis is the far better offensive player. Williams is better defensively, but the gap on that end isn’t as wide as it is on offense. Offensively, Theis can stretch a defense and knock down threes. He’s hitting 0.8 threes per game this year and shooting 37.5% from beyond-the-arc. Williams, meanwhile, is shooting 72.3% from the field, but all his shots come from within a few feet of the rim.
Luckily for Williams, Theis is an unrestricted free agent after this year and might be headed for a sturdy contract that the Celtics won’t be ready to deliver.
Williams is 23 years old and under contract with the Celtics through next year with a qualifying offer for 2022-23. Holding him in dynasty leagues might continue to be frustrating for a little bit longer due to the lack of playing time, but his immense upside in one of the most elusive fantasy stats – blocks – makes him well worthy of being patient for.
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