FanDuel NBA Daily Picks: Fantasy Basketball Lineup For December 25
New York forward Kristaps Porzingis is blocking shots and converting from three-point range at unprecedented levels, making him a vital piece to any FanDuel NBA lineup.
NBA general managers scour the globe in search of players possessing the rare combination of effective three-point shooting and potent shot blocking.
The New York Knicks found a perfect blend of both categories when selecting Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft.
In his sophomore season, Porzingis has already rejected 50 shots and connected 50 times from beyond the arc, a feat previously reached 297 times in league history. While several players have managed the totals, Porzingis has needed just 28 games to post the figures.
With a goal of playing all 82 games, including Christmas Day after leaving Thursday’s contest against Orlando with a knee bruise, Porzingis could join an even more exclusive club.
Only nine players have ever blocked 100 shots and made 100 three-point field goals in the same season and no player has ever compiled 150 of each. The 7’3″ forward is on pace to connect 173 times from three-point range and swat away 148 shots, if he plays in all 82 games.
Porzingis could easily alter those projections with another massive block performance.
Three times in 101 career games Porzingis has blocked seven shots in a game, with his latest coming five games ago against the Lakers.
Before the start of the season, Porzingis even revealed his intention of becoming just the fifth player ever to submit a quadruple-double.
At 1.8 blocks per game, Porzingis is tied with Robin Lopez for the eighth most in the league, with 15 multiple block performances in 29 appearances.
New York anticipated Porzingis providing an immediate impact on the defensive end, but his accelerated development as a scorer has rapidly morphed him into a franchise player.
Porzingis is scoring 19.9 points per game as he has become nearly unstoppable from all over the court. When his size is combined with a rapid release, there is little opponents can do to prevent his shot.
In catch-and-shoot situations, Porzingis is scoring 7.2 points per game, the fifth most in the NBA and connecting on 41.3 percent of his three-point attempts.
Defenders respect the ability of Porzingis to finish at the rim, frequently leaving him alone on the perimeter, resulting in 83 wide open shots from beyond the arc, the ninth most in the league.
Porzingis has converted 62 times, one of the best figures ever submitted by a player standing 7’0″ or taller. Dirk Nowitzki has the most three-point field goals made in a single season by a seven-footer with 151.
The blocks and three-point shots keep piling up for Porzingis, a perfect combination for any lineup, especially FanDuel NBA rosters.