RADIO
Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. Saturday featured a clutch fourth-quarter performance, the return of James Harden and no love lost in the city of brotherly love. Since we are on the topic, let's start in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia 76ers outlasted the Detroit Pistons at home by a score of 109 to 99. Joel Embiid led the way, scoring 39 points with 17 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one three-point basket. But it was his badgering of Andre Drummond that stole the headlines. Embiid posted on Twitter, "I own a lot of real estate in Andre Drummond's head, and I'm on my way to build more." He concluded the post with #Bum and #TheProcess. Well, ok then Mr. Monopoly! Collect your $200 for passing go and build your hotels. Embiid's mouth has gotten him into trouble in the past, but he isn't shy when he can back-up what he says. The 24-year-old has been producing top-10 value all year long so expect him to prolong his trash-talking ways.
The Houston Rockets extended their win streak to two-games by surviving the Chicago Bulls on the road 96 to 88. James Harden returned to action after missing the team's previous three games and contributed 25 points with one rebound, seven assists, four steals and five three-pointers. Harden's eight turnovers were frustrating, but it isn't surprising that the 29-year-old wasn't crisp in his first game back. Houston will need to lean on Harden this season and better defensive performances like tonight's will surely help the 3-5 Rockets get back on track.
And the last game we will recap belongs to the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Miami Heat 123 to 118. Taurean Prince continues to get himself into foul trouble, playing only 22 minutes tonight because of it. He has already fouled out of two games and has been in trouble numerous other times. Prince has had a hiatus in fantasy potency during his previous four contests but remains a player you should be looking to procure at his reduced price tag. On the other side of the ball, Josh Richardson was magnificent for the Miami Heat. Richardson scored a career-high 32 points on an effective 10-of-18 shooting from the field while adding in three assists, two steals, one block and six three-pointers. Richardson's stat-stuffing potential has transformed the 25-year-old into a top-25 option this season. Our three main takeaways on the night are still to come, so without further ado, let's dive a little deeper into Saturday's recap.
Editor's Note: Our incredible team of writers received five total writing awards and 13 award nominations by the Fantasy Sports Writers Association, tops in the industry! Congrats to all the award winners and nominees including NBA Writer of the Year, Best NFL Series, MLB Series, PGA Writer and Player Notes writer of the year. Be sure to follow their analysis, rankings and advice all year long, and win big with RotoBaller! Read More!
Victor Oladipo: Leads Pacers To Victory
Remember when NBA fans were appalled that the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis? Well, it seems as if Pacers fans are getting the last laugh.
It has less to do with Paul George's ability or even his current production level, but George was always leaving Indiana after the 2017 to 2018 season came to a close, and the Pacers ended up pulling off a highway robbery with the value they got in return for an eventual departing free agent.
Oladipo entered the year with an average draft position of 16.3 on ESPN, Yahoo and CBS leagues, but if drafts could be redone, I think the 26-year-old should have been treated as a borderline top-10 selection, especially in category leagues. In fairness, he was going around that range in competitive leagues, but far too often Oladipo would fall towards the middle of the second round in a lot of situations.
On Saturday night, the second pick in the 2013 draft may have had the most memorable moment of the year so far. Oladipo scored 24 points during a thrilling 102 to 101 victory over the Boston Celtics, adding in 12 rebounds, three assists, three steals and four three-pointers in 37 minutes. But it was his insane late-game productivity that stole the show. Oladipo scored the final seven points for the Pacers, secured the game-ending steal and presented the shot of the season with his game-winning three-point basket.
Oladipo has been the most clutch player in the NBA so far in 2018, averaging a usage rate of 37.2 percent in the fourth quarter to go along with a 63.5 true shooting percentage. These numbers have him at a +23.0 net rating. I realize it is going to sound ridiculous to recommend Oladipo as a fantasy player you should acquire because everyone in the world knows it, but if you are lucky enough to have him on your team, enjoy the ride this season.
Gary Harris: NBA's Most Ignored Sharpshooter
The Denver Nuggets have transformed into must-watch television to begin the year. Nikola Jokic has led the way in the team's fast 8-1 start, but Jamal Murray and Gary Harris often play the unsung hero role for one of the brightest young trios in the NBA.
On Saturday night, Harris scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and added in four rebounds, one three-pointer and one assist. Those numbers may not be overly impressive, but it shows that the 24-year-old still has room for improvement. Harris is a lifetime 36.7 percent three-point shooter, which includes 2016's 42 percent effort from deep and last season's 39.6 percent sharpshooting. However, to begin 2018, Harris has only connected on 26.8 percent of his attempts from behind the arc.
The Michigan State product has quietly put together a campaign of 18.9 points per game while contributing 3.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists. It will just be a matter of time before the 6-foot-4 shooting guard sees some positive regression back towards the mean. Once that happens, Harris has the possibility to jump into top-30 value on the season. The 19th pick in the 2014 draft is quietly becoming one of the NBA's best buy-low options and is someone you should try and obtain before his breakout arrives.
Jrue Holiday: The Holiday Season Is Upon Us
Anthony Davis, Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle have garnered most of the headline-grabbing news for the New Orleans Pelicans, but Jrue Holiday has unostentatiously carried the team over the previous four contests.
After a slow start to 2018, Holiday has come roaring back, averaging 22 points per game while adding 7.2 assists, four rebounds, 1.2 steals, one block and 1.7 threes per contest. His shooting has been what is most impressive, connecting on 50 percent of his looks from the field and 85 percent of his foul attempts. His 31.8 percent from three during the four-game duration is slightly under his career average of 35.8 percent, but the 28-year-old has found a way to produce across the board.
Elfrid Payton's absence over the past three and a half games could be what is propelling Holiday to this blistering pace he is experiencing. It will be interesting to see what happens to his value once Payton returns. The 10th pick in the 2014 draft has been ruled out early for all these contests, so it seems possible Payton will miss additional time. As far as Holiday is concerned, enjoy his increased usage percentage and the ability it has given him to find some rhythm on the year. I am still a buyer of Holiday at his current price, but I would let him cool off a little before trying to acquire him.
