Donovan Mitchell is piling up the points. (Erik Drost)
This week, Joel Embiid’s knee issues are not improving (see below for the Fantasy opportunity this provides); Karl-Anthony Towns was somewhat quiet offensively as the Knicks got handed their hats by the Eastern powerhouses; and Andre Iguodala had his number retired by the Warriors – despite spending less than half his career with them and only being a shell of his former self while there. Other Fantasy basketball stories we’re tracking include…
Donovan Mitchell On Fire
After breaking through two seasons ago with their first 50-win effort since 2017-18, the Cleveland Cavaliers took a small step back in 2023-24, but this season has been the greatest in franchise history… and they aren’t slowing down.
In beating Memphis on Sunday in an expected high scoring affair, Cleveland has run its winning streak to seven games. With a 9-1 mark over the last 10, the Cavs are now 47-10, 10 games up on the third-place Knicks, who as alluded to above cannot beat the big boys in their conference.
With Darius Garland (hip) out vs. the Grizzlies, it cleared the decks for a big game from Donovan Mitchell. He didn’t disappoint. Playing bigger minutes than usual, he poured in a game-high 33 points while adding six assists.
Mitchell now has three straight games of at least 26 points with 11 combined dimes and nine treys over the last two. His shooting has been inconsistent this season (and we saw him slumping early on), but he’s been on it lately, perhaps coinciding with not settling for three-pointers as often in recent weeks.
As Cleveland has developed a deeper squad, Mitchell hasn’t had to carry as big a load, as evidenced in his bucket count dipping in each of the last two seasons, but he’s done a better job of both staying out of foul trouble and protecting the ball, so that’s balanced itself out.
Still, Mitchell is ready to do battle to help Cleveland win games and it’s not as if he isn’t capable of lighting it up on the regular, with 17 games of at least 30 points this season.
When he was drafted out of Louisville (13th overall in 2017), we knew that athleticism and defense would be his calling cards, but that he may struggle as an undersized (6’3”) two-guard. Clearly, that has not held Mitchell back from being a primary scoring option in the NBA.
Glimmer of Hope in Dallas
After racking up 50 wins and going to the NBA Finals last season, the Dallas Mavericks have fallen on a world of hurt both on the court – where they have struggled to stay healthy and build on last season – and off the court, pissing off their fan base with the Luka Doncic trade.
Getting hammered by the Warriors on Sunday didn’t help considering they’re right behind Dallas in the standings. It’s hard to find a lot of positives with Dallas spinning its wheels lately while the Lakers are rolling since the trade.
But one thing that’s gone right? The play of Max Christie since he arrived in the otherwise ugly Luka-Anthony Davis deal.
Although on Sunday he put up his first dud in Dallas, since the trade Christie is seeing way more PT, is getting more touches and is shooting better from the field.
He’s actually not sinking as many three-pointers this month, but is more than compensating by taking more shots from inside the arc and getting to the line much more often. In fact, Christie has gotten so much better that he’s actually on the radar now as one of the NBA’s most improved players (+10000 to win the award as per FanDuel).
For someone considered to be a minor component in the trade, he’s really stepped up. Even though Christie has returned to the bench since the All-Star break, he’s still playing heavy enough minutes to provide Fantasy value.
Waiver Wire Pick of the Week
Guerschon Yabusele, PF, Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN: 12 per cent; CBS: 46 per cent): If Embiid gets shut down for the season, Yabusele will benefit big time. When Embiid was limited on Saturday, Yabusele played the entire final quarter, and even when he’s come off the bench, he’s proved capable of delivering. In Saturday’s game, Yabusele flirted with a double-double while adding three steals and two blocks. His bucket count is down this month, but if Embiid is out that will change, and overall this season, Yabusele has responded well to seeing more action than ever before.
RotoRob Tune of the Day
Songwriter Bjork has among the most distinctive voices in music. In 1995, she released her second solo album, Post, and the fourth single was “Hyperballad,” which reached the top 10 in the U.K.