RADIO
When the NBA resumes after the all-star break, the entire league will go from pause to a full sprint. While some teams jockey for playoff position, others will already begin planning for the offseason. It is here where fantasy basketball's future and present collide.
Every year--like clockwork--NBA executives on losing teams make the decision to alter what each respective coach has been doing all year. Lottery teams are blown up, reshuffled, and reorganized with one specific ideal in mind; give young guys some run. Last April we watched Los Angeles Laker rookie Brandon Ingram's usage rate jump from 17.2 percent to 26.9. He scored double digits in 18 of the last 21 games he played, compared to 18 in the first 58.
Georgios Papagiannis played in just four games before the All-Star break his rookie year in Sacramento. He played in 18 after. Papagiannis was a sneaky add the end of the season, averaging over 18 minutes a game while scoring either double digits in points and rebounds in seven of those 18 games. The formula is tried and true. Team A is no longer in contention. Team A decides to play the rookies to evaluate what assets they have, and what they'll have to acquire through draft, trade or free agency. These assets are Fantasy Basketball's Future. They might also be Fantasy Basketball Gold.
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The Future
Josh Jackson was the fourth pick in the draft and made headlines by deciding not to work out for the Celtics. He ended up in Phoenix and despite the Suns drafting in the lottery the last seven years, they are plain awful.
Jackson's start in the desert wasn't that great either. He started four of the team's first 23 games, playing 21 minutes a game and scoring less than 10 points a game.
Since that time, Jackson's usage rate has increased every month. His minutes have increased to a career-high 33 minutes in February. He has started six of the team's seven games in the month.
Whether you're a traditional stat hound, a gut-reaction type of person or an analytics fiend, what Jackson has done leading up to the all-star break should take everyone by notice. There is absolutely no fear in his game, and Phoenix has no chance of making the playoffs.
It all adds up to a lot more Jackson.
Flex if you though Jarrett Allen was going to have the February he just had.
After starting just two games the first four months of the season, Allen has started all seven games in February. His usage rate has increased every month since November. Allen is improving in every statistical category every month. You could argue Allen is having a better 2018 than anyone and anything...including Bitcoin.
In Allen's last game where he played 30-plus minutes, he totaled 13 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal.
There hasn't been this much promise in Brooklyn since Puffy brought out the Big-Mack.
Brooklyn only has two other centers on its roster. Jahlil Okafor and Timofey Mozgov. Seriously.
Allen has already established himself as one of the premier young defenders. With the minutes he's expected to get the rest of the way. Everything else might be next.
Out of all the teams in the NBA, there may be no more depressing team to watch than the Atlanta Hawks--respectfully.
The only thing exciting happening in Atlanta outside the halftime show is Dennis Schroder, and this just happened to him.
The Hawks selected John Collins in the first round and Tyler Dorsey in the second. While Collins has shown promise early, his advanced stats have dropped as his minutes have increased.
On the other hand Dorsey seems to be finding a groove that could prove valuable down the home stretch. He’s played more than 23 minutes in every game he’s played (but one) since February 6th. He had a four-game stretch right before the All-Star break where he averaged 11.2 points, 3.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and making 1.5 threes per game.
His Per 36 minutes numbers would make him mouth-watering to say the least. 13.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.5 threes.
He also can do this:
Tyler ended the game STRONG. pic.twitter.com/TulfgxhFRB
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) January 23, 2018
Sometimes in Fantasy Basketball, investing in the future can have instant gains.
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