We will soon see what Luka Doncic can do with the Lakers. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images/File Photo)
This week, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ditched his agent and will represent himself; the men who robbed the home of Bobby Portis – among other athletes – have been charged; and Lonnie Walker IV has come back to North America and signed a two-year deal with the 76ers. Some other Fantasy basketball stories we’re following include…
Luka About to be Set Free
Since missing the playoffs in 2021-22, the Los Angeles Lakers have been a team on the rise and this season are headed towards their best campaign since 2019-20 – their last championship.
Heading into the unofficial second half, the Lakers are as hot as any team in the NBA and have pulled within a half-game of Denver for the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. However, with six games over the next 10 days, Los Angeles is going to be severely tested.
The good news? They are ready to set their prized trade acquisition free as Luka Doncic (calf) will no longer be on a minutes restriction following Wednesday’s game. Having said that, here’s a virtual preview of what he might do Wednesday…
The newest Laker star has certainly dealt with his share of injury issues this season, and going back to his final outing with the Mavs, he has not played more than 24 minutes in any game since Christmas. In fact, his PT has dipped each month, so he’s really going to have to start ramping up with the playoffs just a few weeks away.
After posting career bests in points, three-pointers, assists and steals in 2023-24, this season has been a rough one for Doncic and his Fantasy owners. If there’s a buy low opportunity here, it may be about to close. We’re talking about a great source of treys who can help out on the glass and do a solid job of taking care of the ball relative to how many assists he racks up. Really, about the only thing Doncic doesn’t do is block many shots.
While the trade from Dallas is still sending shockwaves through the basketball world – hell, even the agent for Anthony Davis didn’t have a clue this was coming — Doncic has yet to show what he’s fully capable of for the Lake Show. We all know his ability to stuff the stat sheet, but it may be the intangibles he brings that ultimately really swing this trade in L.A.’s favour.
Jayson Tatum Has Boston Gearing Up
The Lakers aren’t necessarily expected to win the Western Conference this season, but if they did, could we get another chapter of their timeless rivalry against the Boston Celtics (who are currently -150 to win the Eastern Conference as per FanDuel)?
The defending champion Celtics have had a rough go at times this season, and are really still significantly behind last season’s 64-win pace, but are heading in the right direction. They entered the All-Star break as one of the league’s hottest teams, even if they haven’t been able to cut into Cleveland’s big lead atop the conference.
As usual, Jayson Tatum is leading the charge for Boston, pacing the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. After bagging his first ring in his second try, he has not rested on his laurels.
In the final game before the break, Tatum went off for 32 points and 14 boards, his third straight game with at least that many points. He’s enjoying his best month in terms of buckets, and has also been getting more points from the line recently (even if his FT percentage hasn’t been as good as usual).
Tatum’s overall shooting has regressed a bit this season, and for the second straight season his FT attempts and percentage have dipped, but his scoring has bounced back a smidge, and he’s never been better with his boards and dimes. He’s also set personal bests in assist ratio, R/40 and A/40.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Jaxson Hayes, PF/C, Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN: 8 per cent; CBS: 30 per cent): It’s been nearly three years to the day since we last pimped Hayes, and it was a decent pick as he continued to produce down the stretch. Unfortunately, it’s been downhill since as his role diminished in his final season with the Pelicans and last season with the Lakers. Recently, however, Hayes has taken over as the starting centre and has provided some value, flirting with (and getting one) double-double while helping out in blocks and steals. His bucket count is up this month and he’s done a better job on the glass, but the key here is the starting assignment – while he’s got the job, he’s worth consideration. Yes, the Lakers tried to land Mark Williams at the deadline, but given their current personnel, Hayes may fit in better with what this team is trying to do.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
American singer/actor Michael Parks was active from 1960 until his death in 2017. In 1970, he released the single “Long Lonesome Highway,” and the B-side was “Mountain Hi,” which was used in the TV series Then Came Bronson.