Fantasy Basketball: Greg Monroe (Finally) Unleashed
The biggest news in fantasy basketball this week? How about the Detroit Pistons cutting ties with Josh Smith?
While Smith was not particularly good for the Pistons, he was still worth an investment for fantasy basketball owners in head-to-head category formats.
Despite his horrendous percentages with Detroit this year (39.1 percent from the field, 46.8 percent from the free-throw line) Smith was actually a commodity, with averages of 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.7 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game.
His buffet of sheet stuffing stats are counted on by owners that either drafted or traded for him, so seeing him get cut was likely not a great moment.
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However, it looks like everybody is going to get to win in the end.
Josh Smith has since signed (and played for) the Houston Rockets, where he was promised a starting power forward position. In his first game with his new club, Smith had a stat line of 21 points (42.9 percent from the field, 100 percent from the free-throw line), eight rebounds, and three assists.
Ultimately, his new role should see him sitting around the same amount of points (if not more) along with solid contributions in all the other categories outside of the percentages.
On the Detroit side of things, the logjam of bigs has finally been cleared up. Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe are now free to wreak havoc on teams, and Stan Van Gundy can now breathe a sigh of relief (or breathe in general).
The overall flow of the offense in Detroit should get better without the clunky look of Smith, Drummond, and Monroe all planting in the post, and with Van Gundy’s new ability to surround Drummond with shooters a la Dwight Howard in Orlando.
If you have any of the three (Drummond, Monroe, Smith) then you should see their values rise over the coming weeks.
Three Pick Ups To Make
Greg Monroe, Power Forward / Center, Detroit Pistons – Odds are that Monroe is long gone in most leagues, but this is a reminder for the 13.2 percent of ESPN.com leagues that have Monroe available on the waiver wire. PICK HIM UP. NOW. For those of you that are not lucky enough to have him sitting in free agency, the window to buy low on Monroe has likely closed, but if you can work quickly you can still get him cheaper than you will be able to after a few more weeks. In his first game post-Smith, Monroe recorded a stat line of 19 points, 15 rebounds, one assist, one block, and three steals.
Ricky Rubio, Point Guard, Minnesota Timberwolves – After his nasty ankle injury, Rubio was dropped to the depths of the waiver wire due to his lengthy recovery process. Well, he’s a bit ahead of schedule, and we should see him back on the court in early January. Rubio was a fantasy basketball dynamo before his injury, averaging 9.4 points, 10 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest. He’s available in 43.8 percent of ESPN.com leagues, and anyone who is savvy enough to grab him now will be getting a game changer in a very short period of time.
Tristan Thompson, Power Forward, Cleveland Cavaliers – Anderson Varejao is done for the season with an Achilles injury, and Thompson is likely to fill the void created by his absence barring any free agency moves or trades. As a starter, Thompson provides nightly double-double upside and will play in an offense orchestrated by LeBron James. That means easy buckets, and with Thompson already adept at getting those for himself via the offensive rebound, he is working his way into must-own status.
Deep League Fliers
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Forward, Charlotte Hornets – Kidd-Gilchrist hasn’t really done much in the NBA, and as a result has not really been of interest for fantasy basketball purposes, but in deep leagues you could do worse. He’s putting up well-rounded lines for a player of low ownership, and could be useful for those in deeper formats. On his best days, Kidd-Gilchrist is something of a homeless man’s Josh Smith, putting up points, rebounds, steals, and blocks for those that are looking for bench depth.
Jarrett Jack, Guard, Brooklyn Nets – The fire sale is coming in Brooklyn, and whether Jack stays or goes, he should be a beneficiary. He’s getting playing time with Deron Williams struggling with injuries, and he’s playing well enough to warrant deep league consideration. If Williams gets shipped somewhere, or if Jack gets dealt as a result of his play during this time, he’s a solid player that can provide points above all else.
Shawne Williams, Forward, Miami Heat – The Heat are a team plagued by injury, and Williams is one of the few still standing. He’s not exactly impressive statistically, but he can provide three-pointers and points if he gets hot. The most intriguing part is his viability going forward, as he should continue to see minutes with Josh McRoberts sidelined for the season with a knee injury.