RADIO
Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we will highlight one key fantasy basketball takeaway from each night during the past week. These viewpoints can be both positive and negative and will hopefully help to provide insight into different roster moves you should consider making.
Fantasy basketball has a lot of moving pieces with all the different scoring settings that are possible to play under, so I will always do my best to spotlight where players gain or lose value in certain game types.
Without further ado, let's get right into the 15th week of the season and try to figure out how to take advantage of what we saw transpire.
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Monday, January 27th
Eric Gordon Erupts For Career-High 50 Points
With James Harden and Russell Westbrook both out of the lineup, Eric Gordon exploded for a career-high 50 points against the stingy Utah Jazz. Gordon was scalding hot throughout the contest, making 14-of-22 shots from the field, including 16-of-20 free throws and six-of-11 baskets from behind the arc.
Westbrook was given the night off for rest, while Harden missed his second straight game with a thigh bruise. Owners that want to jump ahead of the duos return might want to consider Gordon as a sell-high candidate.
The veteran sharpshooter does add a decent floor for points and threes in deeper leagues, but it is difficult to expect much else out of him at this point in his career. Games like this typically will make someone overreact in your league, and it doesn't hurt to see what you can get in return.
Tuesday, January 28th
Malik Monk's Positive Momentum Gets Somewhat Stifled
Malik Monk entered the contest on Tuesday averaging 25.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.5 triples in 28.0 minutes in his previous two outings but was unable to keep the train fully rolling against the New York Knicks.
Monk struggled from the field throughout the game, scoring 13 points on 33 percent shooting and was only able to provide two rebounds and two assists on the day.
The thing the former Kentucky Wildcat has going for him is that the Hornets have decided to transform into a team that will feature their youth. There is a chance that the team is also attempting to highlight him for trade purposes before the deadline, so I don't mind the idea of holding onto him for another week and seeing how this situation plays out.
Wednesday, January 29th
Victor Oladipo Comes Up Clutch In Return
It wasn't the most efficient stat line for Victor Oladipo, who had missed the previous year after suffering a ruptured right quad in early January of 2019, but the Pacers superstar made his impact felt when he was able to drain a three-pointer with 10.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime and eventually into the win column.
It was moderately surprising that Oladipo was given the clearance to play over 20 minutes in his first game back (21 minutes to be exact), but head coach Nate McMillan did say that his star will remain on a 24-minute limit through the All-Star break.
Expect Oladipo to be ruled out for back-to-back sets for the immediate future, but the former second pick in the 2013 draft is finally back to having a bright future in front of him, which is good for not only the Pacers but also all NBA fans.
Thursday, January 30th
Bradley Beal Takes Out All-Star Snub on Charlotte Hornets
Bradley Beal played like a man that was informed earlier in the day that he did not make the All-Star team.
Beal erupted for 25 points in the first half against the Charlotte Hornets and eventually settled in on 34 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and six three-pointers.
The Washington Wizards star is set to be the first player in 35 years to score 28-plus points per game and not make the All-Star team, but not everyone in the NBA world is underestimating Beal's talent. Fantasy owners have a potential league-winner on their hands, and his new seek-and-destroy mentality should only help to add to his production.
Friday, January 31st
Mamba Mentality Is Displayed Across NBA
The Los Angeles Lakers were looking for a night of celebration after a week of grieving, and while I hurt for the fans that weren't able to see their team win on the evening they recognized the late, great Kobe Bryant, there is something poetic about Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers pulling the upset on the road.
Bryant built his legacy off of hard work and a no-quit demeanor. That carriage made him Los Angeles' favorite child, but it also earned him status as a hero and icon to millions of people around the world. We see traces of Bryant in countless young players in the league today. He is Kyrie Irving's go-getter attitude of 'clear out and let me go one on five.' And in perhaps the most beautiful elegy that Irving could have bestowed upon his friend and mentor on Friday night, the six-time All-Star dropped 54 points in Brooklyn's 133-118 victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Bryant is also personified in Lillard's killer instinct, which inspired and led his team to a victory over Los Angeles. Knowing Kobe the way that we all feel like we knew him, I can't think of a better competitor for the Lakers to face in their first game since tragically losing the 18-time All-Star than Lillard. Bryant wouldn't have wanted to see an opponent lie down and give less than 110 percent, and I think Lillard made the 'Black Mamba' proud with his performance against his former team.
Even though number 24 might not be with us in the flesh anymore, his game lives on in the players he inspired, and that is something that we are going to have to hold onto during our time of mourning. As LeBron James said during his speech, "In the words of Kobe Bryant, 'Mamba Out' ... but in the words of us, 'Not Forgotten.' RIP Kobe. Your legacy lives on through all of us.
