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Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games.
Unfortunately, there were only two games played on Thursday. There were a few notable moments from the night, but mostly just the usual. The overtime thriller in Portland was fun but felt like a free throw fest. Indiana put up a fight against Milwaukee but ended getting routed as most would predict. A couple of oddities with OKC. Russell Westbrook shot well and Paul George shot like Russ usually does. Overall, not much to write home about.
Anyway, let's take it away with the Thursday, March 7th recap with these fantasy highlights!
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Damian Lillard: Dame Time
Overtime is always a plus. Lillard dropped 51 on the Thunder in 47 minutes. What was most impressive was the efficiency. He shot 15-for-28 and made three threes. The 20 free throw attempts certainly boost his night as well given that he only missed two. Lillard was a huge reason why the game went into overtime with his late-game heroics. He was constantly driving and drawing contact. Selling out his body to try and win, but ultimately falling short.
On top of the scoring, Lillard provided nine assists, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal. He has been a bit streaky with the stocks, but it is forgivable with the rest of his usual production. Lillard and the rest of the Trail Blazers are fighting for home court through at least the first round of the playoffs, expect them to go all out these next few weeks and rest assured that there will not be any "load management."
Myles Turner: Rebound Regression
22 points and 17 rebounds for Turner in 31 minutes. He is making up for the games in which he underperformed after his hip injury. His rebounding and scoring have been sporadic all season but at least his stocks are as handy as ever. With three blocks and a steal Thursday night, Turner provided his typical numbers. His shooting efficiency has not been platable of late, however, given that a large share of his shots are coming from deep, it should be forgivable (for now). Turner drained four threes on eleven attempts and knocked down both of his free throws.
His minutes have jumped since Domantas Sabonis went down and they should stay above 30 per game on average until he returns. He's fully capable of winning blocks by himself, as he fully demonstrated it in the prior game with seven smackaroonis. Turner's provided incredible ROI given his fourth/fifth round ADP and should be drafted even higher next year. Enjoy him while you got him.
Nikola Mirotic: Droppable?
Two points, six rebounds, no threes, and 1-for-6 shooting is not going to cut it for Mirotic. He is playing fewer than 24 minutes per game since joining Milwaukee and the transition's been bumpy these past few games. Mirotic only managed to score three points against the Jazz on Saturday. His field goal percentage the past three games is below the Mendoza line but at least more than half of his shots have come from three-point range.
If this were the middle of the season, there would not be much of an issue with Mirotic's lines. Unfortunately, with the playoffs on the horizon (or in play for some), these games are unacceptable. The best bet with Mirotic is to hold if you have a bye and let him work through his slump. If he returns to form, great, if not, drop city.
For owners who need to win now, Mirotic has back-to-backs on Saturday and Sunday. He's probably still a better option for anyone in a points league, but for those negatively affected by his FG percentage, letting go might be best. To be fair to him, Utah and Indiana defend well, so it may just be a matter of matchups.
