Wondering what to make of the Lonzo Ball/JJ Redick trade buzz, Paul George's ailing foot or whether Zach LaVine's lofty efficiency is sustainable? How about the best player to trade away in fantasy basketball today? Or whether Chris Paul has been surpassed by Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball among fantasy point guards?
We picked the brains of fantasy basketball analysts Eric Karabell, Joe Kaiser and André Snellings, and NBA reporters Andrew Lopez and Ohm Youngmisuk, to find the answers.
How likely is it that Lonzo Ball and/or JJ Redick will be traded by the deadline? Is Nickeil Alexander-Walker's potential upside worth a speculative add now, in case they are traded away?
Andrew Lopez: With the way Ball has been playing, I think it's more likely that Redick is the one who gets moved before the trade deadline next month, but maybe Alexander-Walker isn't the player you want to add just yet.
Alexander-Walker appears to have lost his spot in the rotation to rookie Kira Lewis Jr., as Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy is looking to solidify the backup point guard spot in the rotation and Alexander-Walker is more of a 2-guard. If Redick is dealt, Alexander-Walker's value would jump, but Lewis might be worth an add for the time being.
Efficiency could be an issue though. Both Alexander-Walker and Lewis are averaging 15-16 FGA per 36 minutes this season, but both are still shooting poorly: Alexander-Walker has .401/.270/.781 splits while Lewis is at .370/.308/.786.
How do you rank the following point guards for the rest of the season, and what separates them?: Chris Paul, Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball
Joe Kaiser: While each of the three offers different strengths, my order would be Ball, Morant, then Paul.
Ball's numbers are already comparable to the others, even after serving a bench role for the first 20 games of his career and playing lower minutes. With Ball's playing time ramping up to 34.2 MPG since moving into the starting lineup five games ago, neither Morant nor Paul can compete with his combination of not only scoring and assists but also rebounds and 3-pointers. In fact, the rookie has made 17 3s in his past four games.
Morant, as great as he is, has averaged 2.2 RPG and 0.9 3PG this season, and Paul is 35 years old and being asked to play the most minutes per game (32.4) since the 2015-16 season with the Clippers. It's questionable whether he can hold up for the duration of the season.
How concerned should fantasy managers be about Paul George's foot injury?
Ohm Youngmisuk: George will be re-evaluated on Saturday at the earliest. He has been trying to get the swelling to go down in his right toe, and the Clippers do not want it to linger. They won't rush him back.
They have a back-to-back set coming up on Feb. 14 and 15, so if George is cleared to play, perhaps the Clippers will be cautious about playing him in both games and monitor his minutes if he returns.
With a game every other day with some back-to-backs folded into the foreseeable future, George will need his toe to be healthy before he returns.
No matter the format, you have to love Zach LaVine's 50.9 FG%. But considering he has averaged 45.2 FG% for his career and never topped 45.9 FG% in a season (2016-17 with the Wolves), do you expect his shooting percentage to come crashing back down to earth the rest of the way?
André Snellings: Yes, LaVine is shooting by far the highest percentage of his career this season, but upon closer examination, it could be sustainable.
New Bulls coach Billy Donovan has overseen recent renaissance/career-best seasons from Paul, Russell Westbrook, George, Dennis Schroder and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His offense heavily utilizes the on-ball pick with smart off-ball action, freeing up his primary ball-handlers to get either open shots or assist opportunities. We're seeing that with LaVine.
According to Second Spectrum, last season LaVine was the primary ball-handler for 25.5 picks per game (1,531 total, 60 games) and produced a below-average 0.933 points per direct pick. This season, LaVine has upped that to 37.9 picks utilized per game (871 picks total, 23 games) -- and when he does. he is producing a much more robust 1.091 points per direct pick.
Consequently, LaVine is playing the best ball of his career ... and has a reasonable chance to remain at or near this level for the rest of the season.
Who is the No. 1 player you recommend trading away right now and why?
Eric Karabell: Joel Embiid. As a Philadelphia 76ers fan who watches every minute of every game, I truly hate to think this way and hope I am wrong, but be careful about your Joel Embiid expectations.
He is a legitimate MVP candidate, in real life and perhaps fantasy, but literally every game something happens to him physically to make me think, "uh oh, that's gonna cost him the next week."
Embiid's performance has never been better, and it must be for the 76ers to compete among the league giants, but Doc Rivers is a smart coach. He knows only the playoffs matter. Embiid has missed five of 25 games, and has a history that tells us we are lucky to get that percentage, and I doubt we see him in consecutive game situations the final months.
Just in the past week, he has left the court during games holding his sore back and limping on a bad knee. Credit to him as he keeps on performing, but let us admit his big prize is not winning us fantasy championships. It is the postseason. Fantasy managers should consider the considerable bounty his name would attract.