Jimmy Butler III's season-ending knee injury last week was one of the most significant events in the league this season. Butler was playing very well, and the Golden State Warriors had won 12 of their past 16 games as they prepared to make a second-half push up the standings. With Butler out, the Warriors reinserted Jonathan Kuminga into the rotation, and he played well until suffering his own knee injury that kept him out of Saturday's game.
The Golden State Warriors are now at the center of that shift. Jimmy Butler III' s season-ending torn ACL comes just as Golden State had found momentum, winning 12 of its last 16 games and posting its best on-court plus-minus with Butler as the connective piece. His absence removes more than just scoring, stripping the team of structure, late-game decision-making and defensive stability.
hitting nearly five 3-pointers per game, grabbing nearly nine rebounds and picking off 1.5 steals per game while playing 35 minutes a night. MPJ has a long injury history and the Nets are 11-23 on the season. This screams "move him while he's hot and healthy," but the bottom line is he's carrying fantasy teams right now. Managers need to hope he stays healthy and plays through the end of the season while also hoping he's traded at the deadline.
Despite signing a one-year contract just a week before the season -- and coming off the bench for six games -- Westbrook is among the top 40 fantasy scorers, and he certainly is trending in the right direction statistically. The well-traveled future Hall of Famer is easily the fantasy points leader for the downtrodden Kings, who have missed star C/PF Domantas Sabonis (knee) for a month, and there seems no end in sight to the production.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is undeniably awesome. So is Victor Wembanyama. Yet, in a traditional snake draft, getting both is essentially impossible given both are found firmly in the first round. There is a draft format, however, that absolutely allows you to pair SGA and Wemby. Or Nikola Jokic and Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo... you get the idea. Salary cap drafts afford you the ability to assemble compelling collections of superstars.
The most difficult players to project before an NBA season are the rookies, because so much is based upon how prepared they are for the speed, power and explosiveness of the NBA game. There is no other league in the world that can truly compare with what the young players will face when they make it to the league with Jerry West's silhouette on the logo.
Using a high draft pick on an injury-prone player, or any player who misses a lot of games, can ruin a fantasy season in a hurry. The same is true of using a high pick on a player who is set to see their minutes decrease from last season. Savvy fantasy managers are able to sniff these type of situations out in advance, and stay away from those players on draft day. Here are five big names to avoid in your drafts this season.
Charlotte Hornets PG LaMelo Ball averaged a career-high 25.2 PPG last season, along with 7.4 APG and 3.8 3PG. Those are major numbers we love in fantasy hoops, but they lack some context. Deni Avdija and Christian Braun scored more points last season. Bub Carrington and Scotty Pippen Jr. dished out more assists. Gary Trent Jr. drained more 3-pointers. Ultimately, 297 fellows appeared in more NBA games than Ball last season, and 177 played more minutes.
