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Discussion 2019 - 2020 NBA RDT
- Thread starter I am FT
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From a quick afternoon of playing around ...
- Two rounds to go (21 and 22)
- Unlimited trades for round 21 (players from teams not involved have already been omitted)
- Round 21 commences on 31 July
- Not sure how trades will work for round 22 yet ...
- No real home or away games as per usual ...
- Games for round 22 not listed in Sportsdeck yet but I have calculated the following:
- Two rounds to go (21 and 22)
- Unlimited trades for round 21 (players from teams not involved have already been omitted)
- Round 21 commences on 31 July
- Not sure how trades will work for round 22 yet ...
- No real home or away games as per usual ...
- Games for round 22 not listed in Sportsdeck yet but I have calculated the following:
Last edited:
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https://www.rotoworld.com/article/basketball-daily-dose/bol-bols-block-party
Paul George looks great in Orlando debut
It's no secret that Paul George didn't look like himself before the pause, and he even talked about some "insecurities" he had with his health after coming off surgery to both shoulders. The long hiatus was just what the doctor ordered for George, who recently told reporters that he feels like himself again. He had a cool 18 points (6-of-13 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) in 19 minutes during Wednesday's scrimmage, adding five rebounds, three assists and four triples. He passed the eye test too, as he was aggressive off the pick-and-roll and was knocking down step-back and pull-up triples with confidence. It's important to remember that the last time George was fully healthy back in 2018-19 that he was the No. 3 player in 9-category leagues, posting 28.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.4 blocks and 3.8 triples. Still in his prime at age 30, I think George will prove in Orlando that he's still one of the NBA's best two-way players. The Clippers are 5.5 games behind the Lakers for the No. 1 seed and are battling Denver and Utah for the No. 2 seed, so I would expect at least one rest-related DNP for George during the seeding games. Just be mindful of that in DFS.
Bol Bol makes noise in his first NBA action
The Nuggets only had eight available players on Wednesday with nearly half their team still making their way to Orlando, creating one of the wildest lineups in recent memory. And Nikola Jokic starting at point guard wasn't even the weirdest part - Coach Mike Malone went full galaxy brain for this game with perhaps the tallest lineup in NBA history, starting Jokic, Jerami Grant at SG, Bol Bol at SF, Paul Millsap at PF and Mason Plumlee at center. The result was exactly what you'd expect with some hilarious and often messy basketball, but at least we got our first look at Bol Bol in the NBA. And let me tell you, all the hype and positive comments about Bol Bol from coach Mike Malone and teammates this week certainly seem warranted after that debut. The 7-2 rookie played a whopping 32 minutes with 16 points (6-of-14 shooting), 10 rebounds, one assist, six blocks, two triples and five turnovers. He reminded me a bit of Mitchell Robinson with the way he baited his opponent to shoot, backing off them slightly and then using his absurd wingspan to swat it out of the bubble. And credit to the Nuggets for playing to his strengths, as they used him as the anchor of a zone defense which kept him mostly in the paint where his lack of mobility on switches wouldn't matter. Bol Bol showed his unicorn skill-set by pushing the ball up the floor after rebounds and even hitting a pull-up triple in transition, and I don't think a lot of people realize just how gifted he is as a shooter -- he hit 52% from 3-point range at Oregon on 2.8 attempts per game. His health was the biggest question mark entering the NBA, but the heavy workload Wednesday is a good sign and there are maybe two or three players in this class with his ceiling. I still think it's a long-shot that Bol Bol is a rotation player when the playo*** come around, but my goodness this front office knows how to find talent. Bol is undoubtedly one of my favorite stashes in dynasty formats and hopefully we'll get more chances to see him in Orlando. And if the Nuggets are willing to use him at three positions, that makes me hopeful that he could be a regular come next season.
Troy Brown Jr. runs the show for Washington
With no John Wall, Bradley Beal or Davis Bertans in Orlando, it was clear within the first few minutes of Wednesday’s action that this is Troy Brown Jr.’s show in Orlando. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and one triple in 25 minutes in a line that would’ve been much higher with some luck at the 3-point line (he was 1-of-7). “I thought overall, he played a really solid game,” coach Scott Brooks said (h/t Fred Katz of The Athletic). “Some of the shots that he missed, I’m confident he will make some of those shots. A couple of passes he made were really good.” Brooks had always shown Brown Jr. some tough love, but he’s been singing a different tune since training camp and has been pumping his tires for weeks with nothing but praise. And Brown is already seeing the dividends from that, saying that his confidence is “sky high.” He’s hoping to hone his skills as a point guard in Orlando, so he spent the break working on his quickness so he can guard opposing PGs. We also got a glimpse of his new burst in transition, as he was pushing the ball off rebounds. He looked more and more assertive in the pick-and-roll as the game progressed, and he should be among the usage leaders for the Wizards alongside Napier based on what we saw Wednesday. Brown Jr. had a per-36 line of 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3 triples with Beal off the court before the pause, so DFS fantasy managers will want to become very familiar with this guy.
Caris LeVert looking to lead the silly-season Nets
There were two takeaways about Brooklyn that were quite clear Wednesday. The first is that this Brooklyn team could legit go 0-8 in Orlando and get run out of the building several times, and the second is that Caris LeVert should be among the league leaders in usage/shots. He had a 33.3 usage rate Wednesday, way up from his season average of 28.0. He didn’t exactly have the most inspiring stat line with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal while going 0-of-6 from beyond the arc, but you have to love that he attempted 18 shots in 22 minutes. Consider this; When Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie were off the court, LeVert had a per-36 line of 31.5 points, 5.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.9 triples in a 327-minute sample. It’s also important to note that LeVert was red hot before the pause, averaging 24.0 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 2.8 triples in his last 10 games. The Nets have very little to play for, so giving LeVert all the reps he can handle makes too much sense in the hope that he hits another developmental leap. And that sounds like their plan too… "We talked about doing simple better,” Coach Jacque Vaughn said. “That line of thinking will allow him to -- as players say -- ‘get into his bag' a bit, and showcase more than he’s done in the past.” Despite the poor line Wednesday, I think we're going to see some monster lines from him in Orlando.
Paul George looks great in Orlando debut
It's no secret that Paul George didn't look like himself before the pause, and he even talked about some "insecurities" he had with his health after coming off surgery to both shoulders. The long hiatus was just what the doctor ordered for George, who recently told reporters that he feels like himself again. He had a cool 18 points (6-of-13 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) in 19 minutes during Wednesday's scrimmage, adding five rebounds, three assists and four triples. He passed the eye test too, as he was aggressive off the pick-and-roll and was knocking down step-back and pull-up triples with confidence. It's important to remember that the last time George was fully healthy back in 2018-19 that he was the No. 3 player in 9-category leagues, posting 28.0 points, 8.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.4 blocks and 3.8 triples. Still in his prime at age 30, I think George will prove in Orlando that he's still one of the NBA's best two-way players. The Clippers are 5.5 games behind the Lakers for the No. 1 seed and are battling Denver and Utah for the No. 2 seed, so I would expect at least one rest-related DNP for George during the seeding games. Just be mindful of that in DFS.
Bol Bol makes noise in his first NBA action
The Nuggets only had eight available players on Wednesday with nearly half their team still making their way to Orlando, creating one of the wildest lineups in recent memory. And Nikola Jokic starting at point guard wasn't even the weirdest part - Coach Mike Malone went full galaxy brain for this game with perhaps the tallest lineup in NBA history, starting Jokic, Jerami Grant at SG, Bol Bol at SF, Paul Millsap at PF and Mason Plumlee at center. The result was exactly what you'd expect with some hilarious and often messy basketball, but at least we got our first look at Bol Bol in the NBA. And let me tell you, all the hype and positive comments about Bol Bol from coach Mike Malone and teammates this week certainly seem warranted after that debut. The 7-2 rookie played a whopping 32 minutes with 16 points (6-of-14 shooting), 10 rebounds, one assist, six blocks, two triples and five turnovers. He reminded me a bit of Mitchell Robinson with the way he baited his opponent to shoot, backing off them slightly and then using his absurd wingspan to swat it out of the bubble. And credit to the Nuggets for playing to his strengths, as they used him as the anchor of a zone defense which kept him mostly in the paint where his lack of mobility on switches wouldn't matter. Bol Bol showed his unicorn skill-set by pushing the ball up the floor after rebounds and even hitting a pull-up triple in transition, and I don't think a lot of people realize just how gifted he is as a shooter -- he hit 52% from 3-point range at Oregon on 2.8 attempts per game. His health was the biggest question mark entering the NBA, but the heavy workload Wednesday is a good sign and there are maybe two or three players in this class with his ceiling. I still think it's a long-shot that Bol Bol is a rotation player when the playo*** come around, but my goodness this front office knows how to find talent. Bol is undoubtedly one of my favorite stashes in dynasty formats and hopefully we'll get more chances to see him in Orlando. And if the Nuggets are willing to use him at three positions, that makes me hopeful that he could be a regular come next season.
Troy Brown Jr. runs the show for Washington
With no John Wall, Bradley Beal or Davis Bertans in Orlando, it was clear within the first few minutes of Wednesday’s action that this is Troy Brown Jr.’s show in Orlando. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and one triple in 25 minutes in a line that would’ve been much higher with some luck at the 3-point line (he was 1-of-7). “I thought overall, he played a really solid game,” coach Scott Brooks said (h/t Fred Katz of The Athletic). “Some of the shots that he missed, I’m confident he will make some of those shots. A couple of passes he made were really good.” Brooks had always shown Brown Jr. some tough love, but he’s been singing a different tune since training camp and has been pumping his tires for weeks with nothing but praise. And Brown is already seeing the dividends from that, saying that his confidence is “sky high.” He’s hoping to hone his skills as a point guard in Orlando, so he spent the break working on his quickness so he can guard opposing PGs. We also got a glimpse of his new burst in transition, as he was pushing the ball off rebounds. He looked more and more assertive in the pick-and-roll as the game progressed, and he should be among the usage leaders for the Wizards alongside Napier based on what we saw Wednesday. Brown Jr. had a per-36 line of 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.3 triples with Beal off the court before the pause, so DFS fantasy managers will want to become very familiar with this guy.
Caris LeVert looking to lead the silly-season Nets
There were two takeaways about Brooklyn that were quite clear Wednesday. The first is that this Brooklyn team could legit go 0-8 in Orlando and get run out of the building several times, and the second is that Caris LeVert should be among the league leaders in usage/shots. He had a 33.3 usage rate Wednesday, way up from his season average of 28.0. He didn’t exactly have the most inspiring stat line with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and one steal while going 0-of-6 from beyond the arc, but you have to love that he attempted 18 shots in 22 minutes. Consider this; When Kyrie Irving and Spencer Dinwiddie were off the court, LeVert had a per-36 line of 31.5 points, 5.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 3.9 triples in a 327-minute sample. It’s also important to note that LeVert was red hot before the pause, averaging 24.0 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 2.8 triples in his last 10 games. The Nets have very little to play for, so giving LeVert all the reps he can handle makes too much sense in the hope that he hits another developmental leap. And that sounds like their plan too… "We talked about doing simple better,” Coach Jacque Vaughn said. “That line of thinking will allow him to -- as players say -- ‘get into his bag' a bit, and showcase more than he’s done in the past.” Despite the poor line Wednesday, I think we're going to see some monster lines from him in Orlando.
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https://www.rotoworld.com/article/basketball-daily-dose/nurk-alert
Giannis Antetokounmpo only needed 22 minutes and 13 shots to produce 22 points, three rebounds, four assists, three steals and two turnovers in a win over the Spurs. San Antonio couldn’t do anything to stop him (see shot chart below), as his only misses came from 3-point range and the charity stripe (3-of-8 FT), and he didn’t seem to have a speck of rust on him in his first game back after a four-month layoff. The Bucks being a young, but polished team may give them a slight edge with regards to making the Finals, as their star players are technically more physically capable to handle the brutal schedule that is ahead of them. On the other end of the floor, Becky Hammond unleashed the Dejounte Murray-Derrick White starting backcourt, and while the offense took a little bit to get going, their defense was smothering. Murray finished with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with one 3-pointer, four rebounds, three assists and two turnovers across 19 minutes while White contributed 11 points (4-of-7 FG, 2-of-3 FT), three boards, five dimes, one steal, one block and two turnovers in 20 minutes of play. Lonnie Walker also got the start at small forward with DeMar DeRozan shifting over to PF sans LaMarcus Aldridge (shoulder surgery) and Trey Lyles (appendicitis), and while he was extremely passive to start, he came out of halftime firing and finished with 14 points (5-of-10 FG, 2-of-2 FT), two triples, three boards, two dimes and two turnovers across 25 minutes. With DeRozan spending more time at the four-spot out of necessity, that opened up some additional wing minutes and rookie Keldon Johnson made the most of them, producing 11 points (3-of-6 FG, 4-of-6 FT), five boards, two assists, one 3-pointer, one block and one turnover in 19 minutes off the bench. Johnson was seldom used during the regular season, but now could be his time to shine if the Spurs truly go with a youth movement over their final eight games. He did have a 29-point game during Summer League, so the potential is there for him to put up big stat lines when given the opportunity. Hammond said she’ll be using different lineups during the exhibition games, but Walker and Johnson are guys I’ll be closely monitoring to see how their roles develop.
The Pacers got the win, but Victor Oladipo looked bad, going just 3-of-10 from the field on his way to eight points, two 3-pointers, six rebounds, one assist and three turnovers across 19 minutes. He struggled to get into a rhythm, bricking his first four shots, and he was so out of sorts that one of his turnovers came from stepping out of bounds. The reports coming out of the mini-camp were that Vic looked great, but he did not live up to the hype in his first scrimmage of the restart. It's important to remember that Oladipo is coming off a very serious injury that not many other NBA players have experienced, so while he was starting to find his rhythm just as the season hit pause, it could take him a while to get that back. I’d expect him to continue to be extremely hit-or-miss over this final stretch of the season, so I wouldn’t really recommend him in DFS. Malcolm Brogdon also got off to a rough start, but he flipped the switch after halftime, assisting or scoring on 13 of Indiana’s first 17 points to start the third quarter. He finished the game with 11 points, three triples, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and three turnovers across 19 minutes, and as long as he can just stay healthy, he should be putting up some juicy stat lines down the stretch. T.J. Leaf did a nice job on the glass with his 11 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench, but he also went 1-of-9 from the field, adding just two assists and four points to the rest of his stat line. He could be looking at more consistent minutes in the rotation with Myles Turner (calf), Domantas Sabonis (foot) and Goga Bitadze (knee) all banged up, although Turner’s injury is quite minor and he might play in the next scrimmage. Still, Sabonis presents an opportunity, so he’ll be someone to monitor during these exhibition games.
Jusuf Nurkic (leg) made his long-awaited televised debut of the 2019-20 season and he was fantastic, registering 14 points (6-of-10 FG, 2-of-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one turnover in 20 minutes. Hassan Whiteside, unfortunately, sat out Thursday’s scrimmage with a minor Achilles issue, but Terry Stotts said he was planning on starting Whiteside and Nurkic together. Nurkic struggled in jumbo lineups with Nikola Jokic during his Denver days, so I remain skeptical that the pairing will work with a guy like Whiteside, but it’ll be a fun experiment to watch. The main takeaway was that Nurkic showed no hesitation with his surgically repaired leg and he looks ready to handle a minimum of 20 minutes a night, so even if him and Whiteside have to split minutes at the five-spot, it’s possible both could sustain some value given they are both per-minute monsters. Zach Collins started at power forward in his first game back since the shoulder injury, but he wasn’t all that impressive with just six points, four boards, one assist, one block and one turnover in 19 minutes. Performances like that aren’t going to do much to convince Stotts that he should be the starter, instead of Nurkic or Whiteside. For the sneaky guys, Gary Trent Jr. and Wenyen Gabriel had productive outings, with Trent Jr. contributing 12 points (5-of-12 FG, 1-of-3 FT), three rebounds, three assists, one 3-pointer, three steals and one turnover in 20 minutes off the bench; and Gabriel ending his evening with six points, two rebounds, one assist, four blocks and a turnover. There’s a massive hole to fill at the three-spot with Trevor Ariza (opt-out) and Rodney Hood (Achilles) unavailable, so these guys could make some noise as under-the-radar value plays down the stretch.
For the Jazz, Mike Conley remained a mixed bag, starting cold but finishing with 12 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and zero turnovers in 21 minutes. He’s had a brutal season, but perhaps, he’ll finally get it going with Utah needing some more offense now that Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist) isn’t there. A man can dream… but Thursday night wasn’t exactly encouraging. Joe Ingles will also probably benefit a bit sans Bogdanovic, and he finished Thursday’s scrimmage with six points, five assists, one steal and two turnovers in 22 minutes. If you can catch him on a night when his shot is dropping, he can be a DFS winner. Donovan Mitchell was solid, as usual, scoring 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting (4-of-4 from the stripe) to go with three triples, one rebound, four assists, one steal, one block and one turnover in just 22 minutes of play. He’ll be shouldering an even larger load on offense sans Bogdanovic and will be a popular DFS target whenever he’s available.
Giannis Antetokounmpo only needed 22 minutes and 13 shots to produce 22 points, three rebounds, four assists, three steals and two turnovers in a win over the Spurs. San Antonio couldn’t do anything to stop him (see shot chart below), as his only misses came from 3-point range and the charity stripe (3-of-8 FT), and he didn’t seem to have a speck of rust on him in his first game back after a four-month layoff. The Bucks being a young, but polished team may give them a slight edge with regards to making the Finals, as their star players are technically more physically capable to handle the brutal schedule that is ahead of them. On the other end of the floor, Becky Hammond unleashed the Dejounte Murray-Derrick White starting backcourt, and while the offense took a little bit to get going, their defense was smothering. Murray finished with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with one 3-pointer, four rebounds, three assists and two turnovers across 19 minutes while White contributed 11 points (4-of-7 FG, 2-of-3 FT), three boards, five dimes, one steal, one block and two turnovers in 20 minutes of play. Lonnie Walker also got the start at small forward with DeMar DeRozan shifting over to PF sans LaMarcus Aldridge (shoulder surgery) and Trey Lyles (appendicitis), and while he was extremely passive to start, he came out of halftime firing and finished with 14 points (5-of-10 FG, 2-of-2 FT), two triples, three boards, two dimes and two turnovers across 25 minutes. With DeRozan spending more time at the four-spot out of necessity, that opened up some additional wing minutes and rookie Keldon Johnson made the most of them, producing 11 points (3-of-6 FG, 4-of-6 FT), five boards, two assists, one 3-pointer, one block and one turnover in 19 minutes off the bench. Johnson was seldom used during the regular season, but now could be his time to shine if the Spurs truly go with a youth movement over their final eight games. He did have a 29-point game during Summer League, so the potential is there for him to put up big stat lines when given the opportunity. Hammond said she’ll be using different lineups during the exhibition games, but Walker and Johnson are guys I’ll be closely monitoring to see how their roles develop.
The Pacers got the win, but Victor Oladipo looked bad, going just 3-of-10 from the field on his way to eight points, two 3-pointers, six rebounds, one assist and three turnovers across 19 minutes. He struggled to get into a rhythm, bricking his first four shots, and he was so out of sorts that one of his turnovers came from stepping out of bounds. The reports coming out of the mini-camp were that Vic looked great, but he did not live up to the hype in his first scrimmage of the restart. It's important to remember that Oladipo is coming off a very serious injury that not many other NBA players have experienced, so while he was starting to find his rhythm just as the season hit pause, it could take him a while to get that back. I’d expect him to continue to be extremely hit-or-miss over this final stretch of the season, so I wouldn’t really recommend him in DFS. Malcolm Brogdon also got off to a rough start, but he flipped the switch after halftime, assisting or scoring on 13 of Indiana’s first 17 points to start the third quarter. He finished the game with 11 points, three triples, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and three turnovers across 19 minutes, and as long as he can just stay healthy, he should be putting up some juicy stat lines down the stretch. T.J. Leaf did a nice job on the glass with his 11 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench, but he also went 1-of-9 from the field, adding just two assists and four points to the rest of his stat line. He could be looking at more consistent minutes in the rotation with Myles Turner (calf), Domantas Sabonis (foot) and Goga Bitadze (knee) all banged up, although Turner’s injury is quite minor and he might play in the next scrimmage. Still, Sabonis presents an opportunity, so he’ll be someone to monitor during these exhibition games.
Jusuf Nurkic (leg) made his long-awaited televised debut of the 2019-20 season and he was fantastic, registering 14 points (6-of-10 FG, 2-of-2 FT), eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and one turnover in 20 minutes. Hassan Whiteside, unfortunately, sat out Thursday’s scrimmage with a minor Achilles issue, but Terry Stotts said he was planning on starting Whiteside and Nurkic together. Nurkic struggled in jumbo lineups with Nikola Jokic during his Denver days, so I remain skeptical that the pairing will work with a guy like Whiteside, but it’ll be a fun experiment to watch. The main takeaway was that Nurkic showed no hesitation with his surgically repaired leg and he looks ready to handle a minimum of 20 minutes a night, so even if him and Whiteside have to split minutes at the five-spot, it’s possible both could sustain some value given they are both per-minute monsters. Zach Collins started at power forward in his first game back since the shoulder injury, but he wasn’t all that impressive with just six points, four boards, one assist, one block and one turnover in 19 minutes. Performances like that aren’t going to do much to convince Stotts that he should be the starter, instead of Nurkic or Whiteside. For the sneaky guys, Gary Trent Jr. and Wenyen Gabriel had productive outings, with Trent Jr. contributing 12 points (5-of-12 FG, 1-of-3 FT), three rebounds, three assists, one 3-pointer, three steals and one turnover in 20 minutes off the bench; and Gabriel ending his evening with six points, two rebounds, one assist, four blocks and a turnover. There’s a massive hole to fill at the three-spot with Trevor Ariza (opt-out) and Rodney Hood (Achilles) unavailable, so these guys could make some noise as under-the-radar value plays down the stretch.
For the Jazz, Mike Conley remained a mixed bag, starting cold but finishing with 12 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal and zero turnovers in 21 minutes. He’s had a brutal season, but perhaps, he’ll finally get it going with Utah needing some more offense now that Bojan Bogdanovic (wrist) isn’t there. A man can dream… but Thursday night wasn’t exactly encouraging. Joe Ingles will also probably benefit a bit sans Bogdanovic, and he finished Thursday’s scrimmage with six points, five assists, one steal and two turnovers in 22 minutes. If you can catch him on a night when his shot is dropping, he can be a DFS winner. Donovan Mitchell was solid, as usual, scoring 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting (4-of-4 from the stripe) to go with three triples, one rebound, four assists, one steal, one block and one turnover in just 22 minutes of play. He’ll be shouldering an even larger load on offense sans Bogdanovic and will be a popular DFS target whenever he’s available.
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https://www.rotoworld.com/article/basketball-daily-dose/domantas-leaves-orlando-while-zion-returns
76ers 90, Grizzlies 83
Philadelphia rolled out a new starting lineup for its first scrimmage in Orlando, with Shake Milton taking over at the point and Ben Simmons shifting to the power forward spot. Of the 17 minutes that Milton played just over seven were with Simmons, and he finished the game with a line of six points, one rebound, three assists and two steals. As for Simmons, moving off the point doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s giving up the ability to serve as a playmaker. He posted a line of nine points, seven rebounds, nine assists, three steals and one 3-pointer in 22 minutes. Both 3-point attempts were from the corner, and Simmons’ willingness to at the very least entertain the possibility of taking those shots is worth keeping an eye on. The respect from opposing defenders won’t come overnight, but it in time it could give them something to think about when it comes to attempting to slow down Simmons. Joel Embiid was limited to 12 minutes, which isn’t a surprise given the medical history, and his workload should increase gradually in the 76ers’ next two scrimmages. Brett Brown used each of his players for at least three minutes Friday, which won’t be the case once the seeding games begin.
Memphis only went ten players deep, with each of the five starters playing at least 22 minutes. Jaren Jackson Jr. (13 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer), Dillon Brooks (6/1/1/2 with two 3-pointers) and Ja Morant (7/5/8) led the way minutes-wise, with Jonas Valanciunas (20/11/2/1/1 with one 3-pointer) and Kyle Anderson (14/8/1/1/1 with four 3-pointers) playing 22 minutes apiece.
Thunder 98, Celtics 84
Boston was without Kemba Walker (knee) and Brad Stevens did not play any of the starters after halftime, which gave the reserves plenty of time to shake off the rust and state their cases for spots in the team’s rotation once the season resumes. Marcus Smart (eight points, three assists, three steals) and Jayson Tatum (three points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals) played 18 minutes apiece to lead the way, with Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters playing 16 apiece.
Billy Donovan also went deep into his roster, with 11 players getting at least 11 minutes led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 minutes). He was the only player to surpass the 20-minute mark in this scrimmage and he led the Thunder in scoring, finishing with 17 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Raptors 94, Rockets 83
As noted above Russell Westbrook played in Houston's first scrimmage, starting the game and playing 15 first-half minutes. He finished with a line of ten points, nine rebounds, one assist and four turnovers. James Harden looked good in his Orlando debut, pumping in 24 points in 25 minutes while also tallying four rebounds, ten assists, two steals and three 3-pointers.
For the Raptors, both Marc Gasol and Patrick McCaw were given the night off with the expectation being that they'll be good to go for the team's second scrimmage on Sunday. Pascal Siakam shot the ball well, scoring 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, but the five turnovers were a sign of rust (no shame in that, as he isn't the only one dealing with that issue).
— Domantas Sabonis (left foot), Austin Rivers (family reason) leave the bubble
There were two noteworthy departures from the bubble Friday, with one being for injury reasons. Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, who had been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, departed to meet with a specialist in order to address the issue. This is bad news for Indiana on multiple fronts. First and foremost, it isn’t easy for any time to account for the loss of an All-Star. At the time that the season came to a halt, Sabonis was averaging 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. That isn’t easy production to replace for healthy teams, much less one as banged up in the post as the Pacers currently are. Myles Turner has returned to practice since injuring his calf and he’s considered to be day-to-day, while Goga Bitadze remains out indefinitely due to a knee injury. If Turner is good to go once the seeding games begin Indiana can easily slide him into the center spot, thus allowing him to spend more time around the basket than he did when sharing the floor with Sabonis. No Sabonis would also move JaKarr Sampson into the starting lineup, and while he can produce some defensive/rebounding stats it isn’t enough to justify using him in any fantasy leagues.
— Zion Williamson (personal matter) returns to Orlando
Queue up the “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme (or Mase, if you prefer), as Zion made his return to the Orlando campus Friday afternoon after leaving to attend to a family emergency. The rookie forward was tested for COVID-19 each day of his absence and was negative for each, but he will still need to quarantine for at least four days (and produce two more negative tests) per league rules. Given the timeline Williamson won’t be available for either of the Pelicans’ final two scrimmages before their first seeding game on July 30. With that being the case, will he be available for that game given the lack of live reps (and his missing a major portion of the pre-stoppage slate due to the knee injury he suffered in Summer League)? New Orleans faces Denver in its second scrimmage Saturday night, so maybe more will be learned then. Nicolo Melli is the player most impacted by Williamson’s status, as he moved into the starting lineup for Wednesday’s win over the Nets.
— Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn practice for first time
Three days after arriving in Orlando, Heat starters Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn went through a full practice for the first time. Both looked good per multiple reports, with Erik Spoelstra saying that he was open to both playing in Saturday’s scrimmage against the Jazz. Neither stands to play much if they do participate, but in the case of Adebayo he sounded like a player that is willing to take his time.“I would say I’m ready. But that’s ‘cause I’m a freak of nature and I just want to play,” Adebayo said according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “That’s the bottom line. But I got to take it one day at a time, so I don’t think I’m going to play tomorrow.” Counting Saturday the Heat have two more scrimmages to play, so there’s no reason for either player to rush back.
76ers 90, Grizzlies 83
Philadelphia rolled out a new starting lineup for its first scrimmage in Orlando, with Shake Milton taking over at the point and Ben Simmons shifting to the power forward spot. Of the 17 minutes that Milton played just over seven were with Simmons, and he finished the game with a line of six points, one rebound, three assists and two steals. As for Simmons, moving off the point doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s giving up the ability to serve as a playmaker. He posted a line of nine points, seven rebounds, nine assists, three steals and one 3-pointer in 22 minutes. Both 3-point attempts were from the corner, and Simmons’ willingness to at the very least entertain the possibility of taking those shots is worth keeping an eye on. The respect from opposing defenders won’t come overnight, but it in time it could give them something to think about when it comes to attempting to slow down Simmons. Joel Embiid was limited to 12 minutes, which isn’t a surprise given the medical history, and his workload should increase gradually in the 76ers’ next two scrimmages. Brett Brown used each of his players for at least three minutes Friday, which won’t be the case once the seeding games begin.
Memphis only went ten players deep, with each of the five starters playing at least 22 minutes. Jaren Jackson Jr. (13 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and one 3-pointer), Dillon Brooks (6/1/1/2 with two 3-pointers) and Ja Morant (7/5/8) led the way minutes-wise, with Jonas Valanciunas (20/11/2/1/1 with one 3-pointer) and Kyle Anderson (14/8/1/1/1 with four 3-pointers) playing 22 minutes apiece.
Thunder 98, Celtics 84
Boston was without Kemba Walker (knee) and Brad Stevens did not play any of the starters after halftime, which gave the reserves plenty of time to shake off the rust and state their cases for spots in the team’s rotation once the season resumes. Marcus Smart (eight points, three assists, three steals) and Jayson Tatum (three points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals) played 18 minutes apiece to lead the way, with Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, Carsen Edwards and Tremont Waters playing 16 apiece.
Billy Donovan also went deep into his roster, with 11 players getting at least 11 minutes led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22 minutes). He was the only player to surpass the 20-minute mark in this scrimmage and he led the Thunder in scoring, finishing with 17 points to go along with three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Raptors 94, Rockets 83
As noted above Russell Westbrook played in Houston's first scrimmage, starting the game and playing 15 first-half minutes. He finished with a line of ten points, nine rebounds, one assist and four turnovers. James Harden looked good in his Orlando debut, pumping in 24 points in 25 minutes while also tallying four rebounds, ten assists, two steals and three 3-pointers.
For the Raptors, both Marc Gasol and Patrick McCaw were given the night off with the expectation being that they'll be good to go for the team's second scrimmage on Sunday. Pascal Siakam shot the ball well, scoring 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, but the five turnovers were a sign of rust (no shame in that, as he isn't the only one dealing with that issue).
— Domantas Sabonis (left foot), Austin Rivers (family reason) leave the bubble
There were two noteworthy departures from the bubble Friday, with one being for injury reasons. Pacers center Domantas Sabonis, who had been dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, departed to meet with a specialist in order to address the issue. This is bad news for Indiana on multiple fronts. First and foremost, it isn’t easy for any time to account for the loss of an All-Star. At the time that the season came to a halt, Sabonis was averaging 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. That isn’t easy production to replace for healthy teams, much less one as banged up in the post as the Pacers currently are. Myles Turner has returned to practice since injuring his calf and he’s considered to be day-to-day, while Goga Bitadze remains out indefinitely due to a knee injury. If Turner is good to go once the seeding games begin Indiana can easily slide him into the center spot, thus allowing him to spend more time around the basket than he did when sharing the floor with Sabonis. No Sabonis would also move JaKarr Sampson into the starting lineup, and while he can produce some defensive/rebounding stats it isn’t enough to justify using him in any fantasy leagues.
— Zion Williamson (personal matter) returns to Orlando
Queue up the “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme (or Mase, if you prefer), as Zion made his return to the Orlando campus Friday afternoon after leaving to attend to a family emergency. The rookie forward was tested for COVID-19 each day of his absence and was negative for each, but he will still need to quarantine for at least four days (and produce two more negative tests) per league rules. Given the timeline Williamson won’t be available for either of the Pelicans’ final two scrimmages before their first seeding game on July 30. With that being the case, will he be available for that game given the lack of live reps (and his missing a major portion of the pre-stoppage slate due to the knee injury he suffered in Summer League)? New Orleans faces Denver in its second scrimmage Saturday night, so maybe more will be learned then. Nicolo Melli is the player most impacted by Williamson’s status, as he moved into the starting lineup for Wednesday’s win over the Nets.
— Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn practice for first time
Three days after arriving in Orlando, Heat starters Bam Adebayo and Kendrick Nunn went through a full practice for the first time. Both looked good per multiple reports, with Erik Spoelstra saying that he was open to both playing in Saturday’s scrimmage against the Jazz. Neither stands to play much if they do participate, but in the case of Adebayo he sounded like a player that is willing to take his time.“I would say I’m ready. But that’s ‘cause I’m a freak of nature and I just want to play,” Adebayo said according to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. “That’s the bottom line. But I got to take it one day at a time, so I don’t think I’m going to play tomorrow.” Counting Saturday the Heat have two more scrimmages to play, so there’s no reason for either player to rush back.
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- Joined
- 3 Jul 2017
- Messages
- 36,856
- Likes
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- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- Joined
- 3 Jul 2017
- Messages
- 36,856
- Likes
- 119,434
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide
- Joined
- 3 Jul 2017
- Messages
- 36,856
- Likes
- 119,434
- AFL Club
- Port Adelaide