Ah, eight o’clock on a Thursday evening. Prime games on, let’s dive in and see what happened.
Houston Rockets: Steven Adams is out for a while after his ankle spun in a decidedly unnatural fashion. I thought Clint Capela would get more running. Like I don’t understand why he doesn’t do that. He is an excellent performer in rebounds and defense, and could theoretically increase your FG%. I guess he has to be above the 30th percentile if he shoots at the edge as a center? Keep an eye on Capela. Tari Eason has now returned and immediately played more than 20 minutes. He helps with the shares and gets the green light from three. If you can, get Eason. Capela is just a watchlist guy.
Dallas Mavericks: I watched the entire Mavs-Warriors game on Prime (no, they don’t sponsor me) on Thursday night, and the only guy who stood out was Max Christie. 21 points with 5 threes, 4 boards and a steal. Advanced stats love the guy, and the eye test agrees. Do you know who he reminds me of? In the early 2000s, there was a Sacramento king named Doug Christie. Hit some threes, some defense, and when you watch him, you just know he understands the game.
I’m sorry, that was a terrible attempt at humor. Yes, Max is Doug’s child. He doesn’t have the playmaking skills, but shooting and general offensive play are a perfect fit for Cooper Flagg, and that’s all that matters. Strong purchase in all competitions.
Chicago Bulls: Josh Giddey and his extreme amount of hair product returned from injury. No, it wasn’t eye irritation from hairspray dripping into it when he sweats. Also no elbow injury from the insane amount of time he spends pulling his hair behind his ears. Josh, seriously, isn’t it time for a headband?
Here’s how I see the Bulls’ minutes shaking out:
- Giddey: 32
- Coby White: 28
- Tre Jones: 28
- Ayo Dosunmu: 24
- Kevin Huerter: Dumpsville, people YOU!
Tre Jones is simply too valuable to sustain the Bulls’ annual play-in tournament. He will continue his average of around 10/4/7 with maybe a three, but 1-2 steals and very low turnovers. Don’t drop it.
Then, and I’ll write more about this next week, the trade deadline arrives. Coby White is playing well (22-4-4), but he is a free agent. He could be moved at the deadline, which would hurt his value. The Bulls’ fast pace fits well with their numbers accumulation. If he is moved, Ayo Dosunmu (who is also in numerous trade rumors) will get more minutes and production.
Kevin Huerter, also with an expiring contract, played 7 minutes and can easily be forgotten.
Warriors of the Golden State: Jonathan Kuminga just played well and went out with a knee-ankle combination injury. He looked like a big winner after Jimmy Butler’s injury, but for now we’ll just have to enjoy De’Anthony Melton’s insane 24 minutes per game (22-3-2 with 3 stocks). He looks like the big winner with more use. Moses Moody just played last night as a spot-up shooter; I’ll ignore him for now.
Oh boy, I stopped ignoring him for a while and noticed 3 treys, 2 steals and a block in 23 minutes. That will play in a league of 12-14 teams. I must have missed all that! If you want it, go ahead. I’m still skeptical.
That’s all I noticed on the couch last night! Thanks for reading, and ask me questions below!
#Rotation #Notes #sense #playfulness #Christie