Full disclosure: your boy here will be away for a few weeks. I’m taking my huge Razzball paycheck and taking the family on a trip to a tropical beach. In an effort to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime trip (hopefully it’s with my in-laws, I’m not sure how much more of this I can tolerate!) I’m going to unplug and take a break. Or I might fire one if the in-laws go too far! We’ll see.
Hornets
LaMelo Ball came back and we see what the Hornets rotation looks like at full strength. It appears Ryan Kalkbrenner has won the starting center job. Moussa Diabate is on shaky, shaky ground, playing just 17 minutes. So this is a simple team. The five starters are locked and can be started. Sion James is the best backup, but he’s not exactly fantasy-friendly (7-3-1.5 slash). So now we know. Colin Sexton is a good stock, but the backups are safe to ignore.
Hawks
Trae Young came back and we quickly see that this is Jalen Johnson’s team now. I’ll say if I’m wrong, but I have to make my best decision of the season:
https://x.com/TheEducator23/status/2001851778581848479?s=20
And with more than 40 points scored, we have a bona fide star on our hands.
Kristaps Porzingas has had some unfortunate health issues with a terrifying illness last year. Onyeka Okongwu clearly makes his owners happy. Keep an eye on Young’s impact. Johnson is safe, but the fallout hasn’t happened yet if Trae lasts more than 20 minutes.
Pelicans
Not much, but I suspect Jordan Poole’s minutes will steadily decrease as we progress. He’s not that good at actual basketball. His net plus minus is negative; they are better with him off the court with an EPM of -2.1 (estimated plus minus). Poole isn’t in the deep end of efficiency either. All of his shooting percentiles are in the bottom fifth of the league. He doesn’t turn it over, but it’s hard to get turnovers when all you’re doing is shooting! I’m away from Poole, if you can’t tell.
Outsiders
Ryan Nembhard and Brandon Williams are battling for point guard minutes. Whoever Cooper Flagg works with, that’s your starter. It’s a real timeshare, and deep leagues will value them more than shallow ones. But both are actually solid players, and I wouldn’t make you mad if you chose one. I’m going with Nembhard since he starts now. Williams is more of a stock to me.
Blazers
Donovan Clingan is back and played 34 minutes last night. He’s becoming foul-prone and has a history of low minutes. I’m holding Robert Williams. He only dunks and gets blocks and boards and doesn’t hurt you in any other way. Last night, Williams only played 17 minutes, but the rebound rate (6 in that time) was great and he scored a block. Remember that the floor. The ceiling is a double double machine as Clingan misses the time. I’m in a points system in one league, and he’s the perfect guy for that kind of situation.
Magic
Tyus Jones moved into the starting line-up in the absence of Franz Wagner, but played only 20 minutes. He was left safely on the wire.
Bucks
Ryan Rollins is on the bench, but still played 28 minutes. Gotta hold on. He’s still a positive plus/minus guy and while his numbers at the perimeter are down, he’s a three-point threat. The support rate is also at the 90th percentile. Kevin Porter Jr. has him beat according to the stats (+3.2 EPM) and he has been helpful if you can understand his past.
Hair clippers
It’s a hot mess, but the numbers still count for us in our silly game. Look for James Harden and Kawhi Leonard (shocking, I know) to rest as the team seems likely to reload with trades. Kris Dunn is playing a lot of minutes and is decent at building points (14-5-5 last game). If Harden goes, Dunn is the man. When Leonard leaves, Derrick Jones Jr. returns. will be back soon and will be a good experience.
#Week #Rotation #Notes #Melo #Times