LaMelo Ball is a fantasy force. In Monday's victory over the Houston Rockets, the Charlotte Hornets rookie joined LeBron James and Luka Doncic as the only players 19-or-younger to have recorded multiple games with 20 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds. Ball tied a franchise record with seven 3-pointers and became the first player in NBA history younger than 20 to produce a line that includes 20 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, and five 3-pointers.
Ball has been impressive all season from a per-36 minute context and leads the Hornets in plus-minus, but now he's getting a chance to shine as a key member of the starting lineup. In his last five games -- all starts -- Ball has averaged 22.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 6.6 APG, and 3.8 3PG in 34.3 MPG. Devonte' Graham has been sidelined recently due to a groin injury, aiding Ball's usage and starting status. It will be interesting to see how Ball's role plays out when the backcourt is healthier, but he's making his claim as a worthy starter.
Charlotte has become a friendly roster for fantasy purposes, as center Cody Zeller has produced seven-plus rebounds in 10 of the last 12 games to go along with respectable scoring, assists, and steal rates. Forward Miles Bridges has been key off the bench for the Hornets with 11.8 PPG, 9.2 RPG and solid defensive rates during the last seven days. Both Zeller and Bridges are widely available in free agency in ESPN leagues.
Monday recap
Highlights
Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs: 27 points (10-19 FG), 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 8 steals
Kristaps Porzingis, Dallas Mavericks: 27 points (10-19 FG), 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 blocks
Lowlights
Derrick White, San Antonio Spurs: 2 points (1-11 FG), 2 rebounds, 3 assists
P.J. Washington, Charlotte Hornets: 3 points (1-4 FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 TO
Monday takeaways
Minnesota's Malik Beasley tied a franchise record with six 3-pointers in the fourth quarter of last night's loss to the Mavericks. Beasley has been a rare bright spot for the reeling Timberwolves. Another positive out of Minnesota is the continued strong play of top pick Anthony Edwards, who has produced 42 points over the last two games and has also strung together three straight games with at least four dimes.
The Lakers secured a win over the Thunder, even with superstar Anthony Davis resting. LeBron James produced his 24th triple-double as member of Lakers, tying him with Elgin Baylor for second place in team history, behind only Magic Johnson. The performance marked LeBron's 11th career triple-double with multiple blocks and steals, breaking a tie with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Hakeem Olajuwon for the most such performances since blocks and steals became official stats in 1973.
Oklahoma City kept the game competitive thanks to the strong play of Hamidou Diallo, who produced a double-double and has now scored double-digit points in 10 straight games. With George Hill ailing and Theo Maledon in the league's health and safety protocol, Diallo has emerged as a steady statistical force for the Thunder. Forward Darius Bazley was also productive against the Lakers with 21 points and career-high 16 rebounds. He is still a free agent in roughly 75% of ESPN leagues.
Injuries of note
Toronto's Kyle Lowry left Monday's win over Memphis due to back spasms and didn't return to the floor. Norman Powell picked up the slack and sank a career-high six 3-pointers. He is a strong fantasy add, no matter Lowry's status.
After missing a game against Philadelphia over the weekend due to a finger injury, Brooklyn's Kyrie Irving is listed as probable for tonight's game against Detroit.
Boston's Jaylen Brown has missed the last few games due to knee soreness, but is listed as questionable for tonight's matchup in Utah with some hope that he'll be able to return to action.
The Magic will be without Evan Fournier due to another bout with back spasms. Terrence Ross could take on some extra offensive workload, while Dwayne Bacon becomes a strong streaming candidate.
Minnesota's D'Angelo Russell played under six minutes in the team's loss to Dallas last night due to a recurring quad injury.
Analytics advantage for Tuesday
Goran Dragic and Avery Bradley won't suit up for the Miami Heat tonight against the Knicks. Guard Kendrick Nunn's usage has jumped by nearly 2% with Dragic off the floor this season. Nunn has averaged 19.1 points and more than eight combined assists and rebounds (per 36 minutes) with both Dragic and Bradley off the floor. He's a strong streaming play.
Top players to watch on Tuesday
Without Fournier in the lineup and with key defensive wing Aaron Gordon also sidelined, Orlando is notably thin in regards to perimeter defense. This could lead to another big scoring performance from Portland's Gary Trent Jr. this evening, especially with the Magic allowing 46.6 DraftKings points per game to shooting guards -- second-most in the league.
