A look back at last night’s NBA action from a fantasy basketball perspective.
Star of the night: Phoenix Suns Eric Bledsoe
- Bledsoe has his first career triple-double with 27 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds. That wasn’t enough for the Suns star — he also had two steals, two blocks made 8-of-16 shots, 9-of-9 free throws and nailed two threes. The only negative was the five turnovers. In Bledsoe’s last five games he is averaging 21.8 points on 46 percent shooting with 7.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, two steals and 1.4 for threes. An absolute monster.
The guy who ruined the star’s night: Los Angeles Clippers Blake Griffin
- Not only did Griffin make the shot, but watch closely and see how he trolled P.J. Tucker so hard after doing it. Griffin exploded for 45 points on 14-of-24 shooting with two from deep. He added eight rebounds and two assists. Griffin’s play has also picked up recently — in his last five he’s posted 29.4 points and shot 62 percent from the field along with 7.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and knocks down 78 percent of his free throws.
Feel-good story of the night: Washington Wizards John Wall
- I don’t know a ton about the back story there, but a touching moment when we get to see an athlete show true emotion is always something to see. Wall was incredible in the second OT, posting 10 of his 26 points. He also finished with 17 assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Wall did hurt you with the nine turnovers. He is averaging 14.4 assists in the five games he’s played in December. That’s not too shabby.
The awakening or one-night wonder? Cleveland Cavaliers Dion Waiters
- In a night that featured “I can’t breathe” t-shirts and a prince or something like that at Barclays Center, Dion Waiters was the one who went off on the court. Well, LeBron James controlled the game and initiated much of the offense, but Waiters box score looked awfully good at the end of the night. Waiters made 11-of-21 shots on his way to 26 points with four assists and two steals. He was a team-high plus-32 in 30 minutes. Will this get Waiters going or is it just a blip? It was only the second 20-point game of his season and the first time he reached double figures since Nov. 26.
The overshadowed fantasy asset: Golden State Warriors Draymond Green
- With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson getting most of the attention when it comes to the Warriors, Green often gets overlooked. His under the radar feel no longer accounts to analyzing his importance to Golden State, but from a fantasy basketball point of view he doesn’t get much love. The former Spartans star is averaging career highs pretty much across the board this season. Points, rebounds, assists, blocks, free throw percentage, three-point percentage and field goal percentage are all the best they’ve been in his three seasons in the NBA. Green followed up a 31-point and knocking down seven three pointers over the weekend with a solid 10-point, 10-rebound, three steals and two block performance Monday night. I had established in my head Green would be a good basketball player yet I never really thought of him for fantasy hoops. He’s good in this realm too.