NBA Fantasy: All-Star Storylines
Nikola Jokic enters the All-Star break averaging a triple-double.
We’ve hit the All-Star break in the NBA, giving fantasy managers a chance to catch their breaths before we hit the home stretch. As we preview what to expect moving forward, let’s look at a few of the All-Star participants and discuss some trends that should significantly impact the fantasy landscape.
Nikola Jokic on pace to average a triple-double
Coming off back-to-back MVP awards, it was going to be difficult for Jokic to win a third straight. However, it’s hard to argue against him being the leader at this point. The Nuggets are having another excellent season, holding a five-game lead over the Grizzlies for the top seed in the Western Conference. Their +4.4 points differential is also the third-highest mark in the NBA.
Jokic has taken his game to an even higher level, averaging 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 10.1 assists per game. Also helping fantasy managers greatly is his 63.2% shooting from the field and his 82.2% mark at the free-throw line. Jokic was the first pick in many fantasy drafts this season, and if he averages a triple-double for the entire season, he could carry many of the fantasy managers who selected him to a title.
Lauri Markkanen’s scoring surge
Lauri Markkanen was selected to the All-Star Game for the 1st time in his career.
The Jazz traded away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert in the offseason, ushering in a new era in Utah. Markkanen was one of the new players they brought in, and with Mitchell gone, there were a lot of shot attempts up for grabs. Markkanen has assumed plenty of them, resulting in a 25.4% usage rate nearly six percentage points higher than the mark he had with the Cavaliers last season.
Markkanen is not just hoisting up a lot of shots. He is shooting a career-high 51.2% from the field, including 41.2% from behind the arc. The result has been averages of 24.9 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.0 3-pointers per game. The Jazz dove further into their rebuild at the trade deadline, dealing away Mike Conley Jr., Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. That should secure Markkanen’s leading role for the stretch run.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has remained healthy
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.8 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 5.7 APG this season.
It’s no secret that the Thunder have been in the midst of a rebuild for the last few seasons. The centerpiece of that rebuild is Gilgeous-Alexander, who usually receives all the shot attempts he can handle. His usage rate is up to 32.5% this season, which would be the highest mark of his career.
Not only is Gilgeous-Alexander jacking up a lot of shots, but he is shooting 50.8% from the field in addition to shooting 91.2% at the free-throw line. His excellent scoring comes with valuable averages of 4.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
In the last two seasons, he appeared in a total of 91 games. He’s been healthy this season, playing 53 games already. The Thunder are also still in the hunt for a Play-In spot, so with the potential for fewer rest days down the stretch compared to seasons past, Gilgeous-Alexander could be on his way to a monster finish.
The blocks king, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the league in blocks with 3.3 BPG.
Jackson made the All-Star team and has made strides on the offensive end, shooting 50.2% from the field. That’s a vast improvement over the 41.5% he hit last season. That has helped him average 16.9 points and 1.6 3-pointers, with 6.7 rebounds per game.
As good as those numbers are, Jackson’s shot-blocking prowess makes him so valuable in fantasy. He has provided 3.3 rejections per game, which is on pace to be the highest mark of his career. Not only does he lead the league in that department, but the next closest player is Nicolas Claxton, who is averaging 2.6 blocks per game. Only four players other than Jackson are averaging at least 2.0 blocks per game, which further illustrates how far ahead of the crowd he is.
When will Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant return?
Stephen Curry was selected as an All-Star starter but will miss the game due to injury.
It’s not all sunshine and rainbows for some of the league’s All-Stars. Curry (lower leg) and Durant (knee) will miss the game because of injuries. The question is when they will be able to help fantasy managers again. Durant may be the closest to making his return, taking part in his first practice sessions with the Suns earlier in the week. He hasn’t played since Jan. 8, so when he does return, expect the Suns to take a cautious approach with his minutes for at least a few games. Still, he has the potential to be at full strength for the fantasy playoffs.
Curry is likely behind Durant. He already said that he would not only miss the Warriors’ first game out of the break but also expects to miss a few more games after that. Even though the Warriors are fighting to stay in the Play-In hunt, don’t expect them to rush their star back. If there is some silver lining to his injury, it’s that his being out has resulted in Klay Thompson playing both games of a back-to-back set for the first time this season. If that continues, he will have more opportunities to help his fantasy managers.
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Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
