It would be wise to add Marcus Smart to your fantasy team. Last night, the defensive-minded combo guard locked down Brooklyn's D'Angelo Russell, playing a pivotal role in forcing several of the six turnovers from the Nets' guard in Boston's comfortable win.
Since moving to Boston's starting lineup in late November, Smart has been a top-75 fantasy asset in basically all formats, thanks to not just a gaudy steal clip (2.4 per game), but also 4.5 APG and 1.7 3PG on above-average efficiency (37.6 percent from beyond the arc) during this 19-game sample. Perusing box scores on Monday night, you'd likely overlook Smart's solid line, but this statistical snapshot embodies the valuable level of production he's sustained as a starter: 12 points thanks to 4 3-pointers, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Steals, like blocks, often prove difficult to source from free agency. Smart helps to solve such scarcity concerns with at least one steal in each of his starts and multiple steals in 14 of 19 starts. I stand behind my endorsement of Smart and have him rostered in our staff rotisserie league, a format where his amazing raw steal production -- Smart is tied with James Harden for fourth in the NBA with 72 steals -- stands out.
With an eye on meaningful fantasy performances and relevant statistical trends, let's delve into the night that was in the NBA.
Monday recap
Highlights
Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans: 36 points (14-20 FG), 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 2 TO
DeMar DeRozan, San Antonio Spurs: 26 points (12-21 FG), 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 TO
Brandon Ingram, Los Angeles Lakers: 29 points (12-21 FG), 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 2 TO
Lowlights
Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies: 7 points (3-10 FG), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 TO
D'Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets: 5 points (2-6 FG), 1 rebound, 5 assists, 6 TO
Wesley Matthews, Dallas Mavericks: 5 points (2-8 FG), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 TO
Monday takeaways
- In what is becoming a thematic part of the notes section, the Spurs continued to play well on Monday, have now won five straight games and are 13-3 since Dec. 7, the best record in the NBA during that span. DeMar DeRozan is averaging a career-high 6.4 assists per game this season and has at least nine in three of his past four games. In Monday's win over the Pistons, DeRozan produced his 12th game this season with at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists this, the most in a season during his career. Rising fantasy free agent Derrick White flashed again as a scorer, delivering 17 points, thanks to a season-high nine free throws.
- The Lakers improved to 2-5 without LeBron James and snapped a three-game losing streak in beating a struggling Mavericks team that is 3-11 in its past 14 games. Brandon Ingram tallied a season-high 29 points and has produced at least 20 points in four of seven games without James active, as opposed netting at least 20 points in just four of 23 games with James active. As another sign of the Mavericks' porous interior defense, something I witnessed in person this past Saturday in Philadelphia, Ingram produced 24 of his 29 in the paint, the most by a Lakers player this season. Josh Hart joined Lonzo Ball as the only other Laker this season with at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in a game. Before this season, the last Lakers player to produce a 10/10/5/5 line was current head coach Luke Walton.
- Davis submitted his 95th career 30-point, 10-rebound game on Monday in downing the reeling Grizzlies, the most such performances in the NBA since 2012-13. New Orleans now has consecutive wins for the first time since winning three straight from Nov. 16-19. Davis tweaked his shoulder in that game but played through the ailment with great effectiveness.
- Speaking of Memphis, the Grizzlies have lost a season-worst six straight games, this despite Mike Conley producing his 16th career 20-point, 10-assist game on Monday night, passing Mike Bibby for most in franchise history. Memphis recently acquired Justin Holiday, who was thriving in a busy 3-and-D role for Chicago, but Jrue's older bro was allocated just 12 minutes and three shots last night, even in a game when you'd think his shooting prowess would become a factor. It's likely safe to move on from Holiday. It will prove interesting to see if the Grizzlies genuinely pivot to a rebuild; Marc Gasol is struggling of late but still would have value on the trade market, given he has just one year left on his deal. Memphis is likely going to part ways with Chandler Parsons whether via trade or buyout, while they get their first-round pick only if they are among the top eight picks in the 2019 draft (Boston gets it otherwise). These next few weeks of play could prove pivotal for the future of this franchise. I'd go ahead and stash shares of gifted rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. in case Gasol is eventually put on the block.
- A name to consider in pivoting from Holiday, besides Smart, of course, would be the Knicks' Noah Vonleh. The post-hype breakout campaign Vonleh is putting together for New York is impressive; he's made one 3-pointer per game on solid efficiency (just shy of 36 percent) while averaging 9.2 PPG, 10.1 RPG and, most valuable, 1.8 combined steals and blocks in 29.6 MPG the past 15 games, all starts. Vonleh tallied 16 points and tied a season high with 14 rebounds to go with three 3-pointers in the loss to his former team, the Blazers.
- James Harden's 10-game streak of at least 35 points ended last night -- all he could do was muster 32 points and 14 assists in beating the Nuggets. The Rockets are now 14-1 in their past 15 games. Clint Capela set yet another career best with 31 points in the key win, as he and Harden have helped turn the Rockets' season around after a sluggish start. With Chris Paul due to return near the end of January, it will be interesting to see how the team integrates him back into the fold and staggers their trio of stars.
- Managers in deep leagues should note the rising value of Brooklyn rookie Rodions Kurucs showed in tying his career high with 24 points. Kenneth Faried also saw some action and produced his second double-double of the season and even lofted a series of 3-pointers.
Injuries of note
- The Pelicans' Nikola Mirotic is nearing a return from a lingering ankle injury and could see the court later this week.
- Portland's Maurice Harkless left Monday's win over the Knicks with left knee soreness. Jake Layman and Evan Turner should see more work if Harkless misses more time.
- Devin Booker has faced a series of maladies again this season, with offseason hand surgery giving way to a sprained finger, multiple hamstring ailments, a big toe injury and now a lower back strain. Booker is a gamer and often fights through injury, but his high-usage role as the team's key backcourt playmaker might prove cumbersome at times. Regardless of the long-term implications, Booker is considered questionable tonight hosting the Kings. With the game currently off the board in terms of Vegas, it's clear Booker's status remains unknown and important to track heading towards tip tonight.
Analytics advantage for Tuesday
The Timberwolves debut new coach Ryan Saunders tonight in Oklahoma City and sit as sizable eight-point underdogs on the road. One analytics advantage to consider is how frontcourt minutes around Karl-Anthony Towns might play out. Taj Gibson was a favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau, while Dario Saric presents a more complementary offensive game to Towns. I'm also intrigued to see if Tyus Jones, who has proved quite productive from an advanced-metrics perspective, can compete with Jeff Teague for more opportunities at point guard. Essentially, tonight offers a compelling window into not just how Saunders will manage the rotation, but also how long-held dynamics such as space and shooting frequency might shift under this new regime.
Top players to watch tonight
The return of Jimmy Butler to the floor for Philadelphia appears likely. The mercurial wing missed the past two games with an upper-respiratory infection but returned to practice on Monday and appears headed for the start against the Wizards tonight.
Per a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, Butler recently challenged coach Brett Brown for more empowerment on offense, specifically in regards to pick-and-roll usage. Butler's usage and shot rate for Philly are similar to his clips with the Wolves, but his drive rate and pick-and-roll frequency have suffered in joining a motion-driven offense in Philadelphia.
I'll be watching how Butler is used on offense, particularly with his ability to initiate offense instead of playing a role as a floor spacer in the corner. I'll also want to see how Butler handles high-usage combo guard Bradley Beal on defense. Beal has averaged 27.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 5.8 APG, 2.4 SPG and 2.8 3PG on a gaudy 23.6 shots per game the past five starts in the wake of John Wall's injury.
