The average margin of victory in the six games played on Tuesday night was 28 points, the largest average margin of victory on a single day in NBA history (in which at least five games were played). Among these blowouts was the Atlanta Hawks surprisingly drubbing the Oklahoma City Thunder in a game that saw several meaningful fantasy narratives emerge for the young Hawks.
Dynamic rookie playmaker Trae Young produced his sixth game with at least 20 points and 10 assists in the victory, tied for fourth most by a rookie in the past 15 seasons. A frigid shooting hand to start his career saw Young knock down just 37.3 percent of his field goals and only 24.3 percent from beyond the arc during his first 26 appearances. He's since turned a liability into leverage, hitting 38.6 percent of 4.6 3-point attempts per game and 43.5 percent of his overall shots during his past 17 games.
Young is appropriately rostered in 92.4 percent of ESPN leagues but should be considered a strong trade target given an impressive assist rate and the positive regression driving his shooting and scoring surge.
I've celebrated John Collins' emergence as a bona fide statistical star several times recently, and he continued to feast last night in producing his sixth game with at least 25 points after having zero such scoring performances as a rookie. Buy all the Collins stock possible in keeper and dynasty leagues.
It's not just Young and Collins who dazzled for Atlanta last night, as rookie Kevin Huerter scored 17 points on 10 shots and has now produced double-figures in scoring in eight straight with 15.6 PPG and 7.1 combined assists and rebounds with 2.8 3PG during this successful surge as the team's shooting specialist. Unlike Young, the market has wholly ignored Huerter's ascent, with the Maryland product available in free agency in more than 90 percent of ESPN leagues as of Wednesday morning.
Third-year wing DeAndre' Bembry even got in on the fun against Oklahoma City with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 dimes, thanks to his surprisingly rich floor game. Bembry has at least five assists in three of his past five showings and is also averaging two steals during this sample. Bembry is a free agent in more than 95 percent of leagues and should sustain relevance until Kent Bazemore returns to action and Taurean Prince gets back up to speed.
With an eye on important fantasy performances and relevant statistical trends, let's delve into the weekend that was in the NBA.
Tuesday recap
Highlights
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 31 points (10-17 FG), 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 TO
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder: 31 points (10-21 FG), 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 5 steals, 2 TO
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks: 24 points (8-17 FG), 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 7 TO
Lowlights
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns: 8 (4-12 FG), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 TO
Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers: 8 points (2-11 FG), 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 TO
Josh Richardson, Miami Heat: 6 points (3-11 FG), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 TO
Monday takeaways
Giannis Antetokounmpo played just 24 minutes and 52 seconds, and yet recorded a triple-double that included 12 points, 10 boards and 10 assists in the Bucks' easy win over the Heat on Tuesday (the fewest minutes played in a triple-double since 2015). The Bucks have won nine of their past 11 games and are averaging 120.4 PPG over that span. Brook Lopez has become an elite floor-spacer for Milwaukee, spotting up well beyond the 3-point line in a fashion like the role Ryan Anderson served for the Rockets the past few years. Lopez is 11th in 3-pointers and seventh in total blocks, and yet is a free agent in more than 40 percent of ESPN leagues. If you have space and these players are available, go ahead and go double deer with Lopez and Malcolm Brogdon as key fantasy free agents. Brogdon scored 16 on Tuesday and has been a steady source of efficient scoring and helpful peripherals all season.
Jimmy Butler exacted revenge on the Timberwolves Tuesday in epic fashion, as the 76ers won by 42 points in part thanks to his efficient 19 points on 10 shots, tying for the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history. Butler lofted and made multiple catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, something absent from his game in recent weeks, suggesting he could be rounding back into form. Philadelphia made 21 3-pointers (setting a franchise record), while their 149 points are tied for their most in a game since they scored 153 against the Portland Trail Blazers in 1986. Embiid delivered his 19th game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds this season, most in the NBA. Finishing one assist shy of another triple-double on Tuesday, Ben Simmons has now produced 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists in the second-fewest games in NBA history; doing so in 125 games while Oscar Robertson took just 102. Third to reach this milestone was Magic Johnson in 134 games, with LeBron James doing so in 158. The Sixers are about to embark on a brutal stretch of opponents rife with top opponents from both conferences, which means we'll learn a lot more about Butler's fit while also facing the trade deadline (which is fast approaching with a date of Feb. 7 this season).
The Lakers shifted their starting lineup in seemingly minor ways by moving Tyson Chandler and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope into the fold while removing JaVale McGee and Josh Hart. The result was a close win over the Bulls, pushing Los Angeles to a 4-7 record sans LeBron this season while sending Chicago to its eighth-straight loss. Chandler and Caldwell-Pope posted the team's two highest net ratings in response but don't claim much fantasy value. It was nice that Lonzo Ball registered 19 points with 14 combined assists and rebounds, but another challenge awaits as we'll want to see the second-year guard's production pattern once James and Rajon Rondo return to the rotation. I don't think we learned much new about this group with James sidelined; between Ball, Hart, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma, all respectively stepped up at times, but no single player established a new level of sustained play.
The Warriors somehow keep setting new offensive peaks, scoring a league-record 51 points in the first quarter in Denver last night. Golden State went full NBA Jam with 10 3-pointers in the opening frame, yet another NBA record for a first quarter. The 89 combined points in the first quarter marked the second most in a first quarter in the shot clock era. Not able to keep pace with this ridiculous offensive showing from the Warriors, the Nuggets suffered their largest loss this season. A rare positive for Denver might have been Malik Beasley, as the depth wing scored 22 points and hit a career-high six 3-pointers. Beasley is a fun DFS play until Gary Harris returns to action.
Injuries of note
Kyrie Irving sat out Monday's loss at Brooklyn with a bruised right quadriceps but is considered probable for tonight's matchup with the Raptors.
In addition to the sting of getting blown out in Philly on Tuesday, the Wolves lost backup point guard Tyus Jones to the dreaded high ankle sprain.
An update directly from the Jazz on Twitter Tuesday shared that Ricky Rubio (hamstring) will be reevaluated in a week, meaning his investors will need to look for reliable sources of assists and steals until then, making Justise Winslow or Tomas Satoransky excellent options for those in need.
Marc Gasol can be considered questionable with a hand ailment ahead of tonight's visit from the Bucks. The game is currently off the board, signaling his status is truly unknown until closer to tip. JaMychal Green and Jaren Jackson Jr. both become worthy streaming and DFS options if Gasol sits.
Analytics advantage for Wednesday
The Raptors visit the Celtics in a potential Eastern Conference finals preview on Wednesday at 8 ET on ESPN. Toronto has won five straight games and is a league-best 33-12 this season, its best 45-game start in franchise history. The Celtics have lost three straight, tied for their longest losing streak of the season, and sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 25-18 record.
Kawhi Leonard has impressively been in attack mode this season, averaging 14.6 drives per game per Second Spectrum, ninth-most in the league. The league's best laugher has been efficient on those plays, averaging 1.15 points per direct drive, tied for third among the 105 players with at least 200 drives this season. It will be interesting to see how Boston's bevy of wings approach Leonard's drive-centric agenda. I'm interested in shares of both Leonard and Pascal Siakam in DFS play today.
Jayson Tatum is averaging a team-leading 20.4 points in the five games Kyrie has missed this season but is a tough play in daily competition, given the caliber of defensive opponent and the likelihood Irving returns to action. Marcus Morris is shooting a career-high 44.8 percent from 3-point range this season, seventh best among qualifying players, and yet he is a free agent in more than 35 percent of ESPN leagues.
Top players to watch tonight
The Warriors host the Pelicans on Wednesday at 10:30 ET on ESPN. Stephen Curry (29.5) and Kevin Durant (28.2) have combined to average 57.7 points per game this season, which would be the most by a duo in a single season since 1964-65. Jerry West (31.0) and Elgin Baylor (27.1) combined to average 58.1 points for the Lakers that season.
The Pelicans are 6-3 over their past nine games after starting the season 15-20. New Orleans is averaging an impressive 120.1 points per 100 possessions during this 6-3 stretch, which ranks second behind only the Warriors (125.9). Anthony Davis is averaging 37.5 points and 14 rebounds during his past four games, as he, Curry, and Durant make for stellar building blocks tonight in a game with a slate-best total of 240 points.