RADIO
Last week’s trade deadline shook up a number of rosters across the league. Fantasy managers should still see ramifications from all the developments play out in the coming weeks.
We’ve reached Week 14 and most leagues will only have about three weeks left after this before the playoffs begin.
The four players featured this week can all provide help for managers looking to compete this year, but it’s their future upside that offers the most excitement. If they’re on your waiver wire, go get them. If they are available in trades, now is a good time to jump on them before it’s too late.
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Chuma Okeke (PF, ORL)
The Orlando Magic shook things up in a big way at the trade deadline, sending Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls, Aaron Gordon to the Denver Nuggets and Evan Fournier to the Boston Celtics. As a result, several deep bench players for the Magic have seen an uptick in minutes lately. None have performed better than rookie power forward Chuma Okeke.
Over his past four games, Okeke has averaged 17.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 steals and 3.0 threes per game while shooting 62.8% from the field and 83.3% from the free throw line.
Last Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers, he dropped a season-high 22 points while shooting 9-for-15 from the field, including 4-for-6 from three-point range.
Okeke has great shooting mechanics and looks to be on the verge of becoming a lethal outside shooter. He’s shot 41% from three-point range on the year. He can also beat defenders off the dribble and utilize his strong 6’8” frame to finish at the rim.
Here’s a look at two buckets from this past week. The first shows his three-point stroke and the second features a great take to the rim:
??? ?????:@chuma_okeke has not missed a shot in his last 2 games.
?-for-? from the floor. ?-for-? from three. pic.twitter.com/Gn60Zld9Jo
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) March 27, 2021
Okeke was drafted 16th overall by the Magic this past year out of Auburn. The Magic made it clear at the trade deadline that they are in heavy rebuild mode now and Okeke should be seen as one of the foundational pieces to that rebuild.
He has a great chance to become a solid all-around fantasy player, particularly boosting fantasy managers in threes.
Jaden McDaniels (PF, MIN)
Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Jaden McDaniels has shown flashes of potential through small glimpses throughout the year. However, this past week has seen his most consistent production after he was promoted to the Timberwolves’ starting lineup.
Over his last four games, McDaniels is averaging 12.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 threes per game while shooting 58.8% from the floor. He also doesn’t have a single turnover over his past four games, a shocking feat considering he’s played 34 minutes per contest.
McDaniels stands 6’9” and weighs about 200 pounds. He is extremely agile and has an extremely promising outside shot. He’s gone 7-for-11 from three-point range over his past three games.
Jaden McDaniels is one of the 5 best shooters on this Wolves roster, and it just feels like these shots are going to go in whenever he shoots them.
Even as a rookie, Jaden is one of the best two-way players on the roster.
He’s going to be so, so impactful in his prime. pic.twitter.com/KuDCAPITGU
— Timberwolves Talk (@threesley) March 30, 2021
But the most exciting aspect of McDaniels’ game from an NBA perspective is probably his defensive potential. He has quick feet and a long 6’11” wingspan that makes him a great defender for wings or taller guards. Here he is moving his feet in front of James Harden on several plays, blocking Harden’s shot in the first two clips:
Wolves fans: take a minute to watch Jaden McDaniels locking down James Harden.
Jaden showed off the quickness, footwork, and shotblocking tonight. He’s got full package on the defensive end.
McDaniels can be a game-changing defensive player, which is rare in the modern NBA. pic.twitter.com/7FFo48jhGu
— Timberwolves Talk (@threesley) March 30, 2021
The Timberwolves have a lot of unrealized talent on their roster. The team is also heavily in the running for a top pick yet again in 2021, which will go a long way in determining the team’s future roster construction. Either way, McDaniels is someone who should be a major part of the team’s plans. He should continue to see at least around 20 to 25 minutes per game the rest of the way this year and should only get better. In a year or two, he could be a fantastic fantasy asset for a combination of threes and blocks while helping in other stats as well.
Theo Maledon (PG, OKC)
Oklahoma City Thunder rookie point guard Theo Maledon has been given the keys to the offense over the past two weeks. Over his past six games, he’s averaging nearly 31 minutes per game. He saw a season-high 37 minutes against the Boston Celtics this past Saturday.
Over the past two weeks, Maledon is averaging 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.3 threes per game. He’s only averaged 1.8 turnovers per game over that stretch and has shot 11-for-12 from the line.
His shooting efficiency has been problematic over the past two weeks. He has shot just 33.8% from the floor over his last six games and is shooting just 38.3% from the field on the year. Maledon is 19 years old and definitely still needs a great deal of development. He’s not ready to be managing the type of workload the Thunder have thrust onto him, but despite this, he’s done a fair job of responding.
Maledon is 6’5” and has a 6’9” wingspan. He has great size for a guard in the modern NBA and should be able to operate as either a primary ball-handler or a secondary guard who specializes in defense. His upside and overall placement in the league will be greatly decided by whether or not he can develop a consistent outside shot. If he can, he certainly has franchise point guard potential.
Hamidou Diallo (SG/SF, DET)
Detroit Pistons general manager Troy Weaver hasn’t been subtle in his attempt to bring some of his favorite players from his days with the Thunder over to Detroit. The latest mover to Motown is high-flying guard/forward Hamidou Diallo.
The 22-year-old Diallo is a remarkable athlete. He stands 6’5” and can jump out of the gym as we all saw when he took home the 2019 NBA Slam Dunk title. This is his third year in the NBA and he was showing significant signs of growth before the trade to Detroit.
Over 32 games with the Thunder this year, Diallo averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. He averaged about 24 minutes per game.
Last year, he played about 19 minutes per game and averaged just 6.9 points per game while shooting 44.6% from the field.
In his second game with the Pistons, Diallo led the team to its 13th win of the year, defeating the Toronto Raptors 118-104. Diallo played 27 minutes in the game and posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds while also adding two blocks, one steal, a three and three assists. He shot 6-for-10 from the field and 6-for-7 from the free throw strike in the game.
Diallo will have every opportunity to prove he is worthy of being a key figure in the Pistons’ rebuild. He’s easily one of the most talented players on the Pistons’ roster. He may lose some playing time to standout rookie forward Saddiq Bey. Both Diallo and Bey are best-suited for the small forward position, but they are very different players and Pistons coach Dwane Casey should be able to find a way to utilize them on the court together.
Diallo has the potential to be a stat-stuffer in a jack-of-all-trades kind of way. He may not standout in any one stat, but he should be able to contribute in minor, but helpful amounts across the board as long as he keeps developing and earning significant playing time.
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