From left to right: Kendrick Nunn, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), LaMelo Ball
Booms, Busts, Battlestar Galactica is getting an NBA facelift prettier than the episode-to-episode changes on WandaVision.
For this version, we want to focus on booms that are widely available on the waiver wire so we can give you a leg up on the competition and busts you may want to consider getting rid of. All is fair in love and fantasy.
Let's get started with a look back at the last week of the NBA fantasy season.
Booms
Daniel Theis, Center, Boston Celtics
Since Kemba Walker's return against the Knicks on January 17, Theis is averaging 13.5 points on an incredible 79.2 percent shooting from the field with 6.3 rebounds and one made three-pointer a game.
When paired with Walker, Theis nets +14.8 points per 100 possessions on the strength of the pick and roll they run together. Only 46 percent of teams on Yahoo have the big German on their roster, but with his PnR partner back, that number should increase in the coming weeks.
Kendrick Nunn, Guard, Miami Heat
With Tyler Herro nursing a neck injury, and Avery Bradley and Jimmy Butler in the health and safety COVID protocol, someone needed to step up like Neville Longbottom against Voldemort. Kendrick Nunn has been that dude.
Kendrick Nunn off the bench tonight: 28 PTS 8 REB 5 AST 75 FG% 66 3P% He’s back. 👀 https://t.co/pBJXdUHYi6— Hoop Central (@Hoop Central) 1611197705.0
Since January 18, Nunn has averaged 35 minutes a game while putting together a .561/.444/.833 slash line and compiling 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Only 49 percent of managers on Yahoo have ridden this amazing wave, but with Butler and Avery on their way back, the chance to capitalize on his hot stretch may be over.
Naz Reid, Center, Minnesota Timberwolves
With COVID once again gripping Karl-Anthony Towns, Reid has been holding down the center position in Minneapolis. Reid has averaged 14 points per game with a .588/.500/1.000 slash line the last four games to go along with 2.3 blocks and 1.5 made threes.
A season-high 20 PTS, and a PERFECT 8-8 from the line. Naz Reid. https://t.co/wmFbibzdIC— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Minnesota Timberwolves) 1611504425.0
You would like to see something higher than the 4.3 rebounds he grabbed during that stretch and with Towns' 10-to-14-day quarantine on the verge of ending, he may see a dip in numbers, but as long as KAT is out, he will continue to produce.
David Nwaba, Guard/Forward, Houston Rockets
Nwaba's game is about as sexy as The Thing from the Fantastic Four, but the little things he does are finally showing up in the stat sheet, giving him some fantasy value. His 11.8 points a game the last week isn't anything to write home about, but his 2.0 steals a game, 4.3 rebounds and 58.6 percent shooting from the field at the guard position gives him plenty of value.
With such a short bench in Houston, he will get plenty of minutes to improve on those numbers as the season continues.
Busts
Terry Rozier, Guard, Charlotte Hornets
Rozier started the week off with a 24-point, nine-rebound performance, but then cratered the next two contests. By week's end, he finished shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 13.7 points per game. Not exactly the Scary Terry numbers people were hoping for.
However, one thing Rozier won't do is stop shooting, and while he will have those terrible shooting nights, he will follow that up with a couple of strong shooting games. Welcome to the roller coaster of Rozier management.
Steven Adams, Center, New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans' center is one of the leaders in field goal percentage, which has been something fantasy managers could lean on, but not this week. Adams struggled with consistency, shooting 46.2 percent from the field while turning over the ball 2.5 times per game and only getting one block in four games.
I remember that year Russ had Steven Adams looking like an all star. https://t.co/nE9kLhVpuN— Tiffany (@Tiffany) 1611293392.0
Thankfully, his rebounding numbers floated him, but one category isn't going to cut it for a player who is owned in 88 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Blake Griffin, Power Forward/Center, Detroit Pistons
Griffin isn't the same player he was five years ago, but he is definitely better than the 34.6 percent shooting, 9.7-point averaging player he has been the last week. The fall has been very quick for the former Rookie of the Year the last two seasons, but on a bad Pistons team, he will at least have plenty of minutes to succeed.
Blake Griffin dunks by season: 2010-11: 214 2011-12: 192 2012-13: 202 2013-14: 176 2014-15: 84 2016-17: 68 2017-18… https://t.co/V1ZEvdZbbB— Joey Linn (@Joey Linn) 1611121762.0
Whether he does or not is left to be seen.
LaMelo Ball, Guard, Charlotte Hornets
Ball's hot start got him a lot of fans at the beginning of the season, but the middle of January has not been kind to the rookie. He only averaged 9.7 points on 37.9 percent shooting and 3.3 turnovers a game. The third Ball brother is not the first rookie to hit a wall in his first year and he won't be the last, but only the most patient of managers will tolerate a stretch like this for long.
