RADIO
It's time for round three of my Under-Performing Stars series! All-Star voting has concluded and its clear that this league is dominated by point guard play. If Damian Lillard can't even make the All-Star game without an injury to another player, then the state of point guard play must be pretty good. By no fault of his own, Lillard was simply over-matched by the performance of other top point guards, and the same goes for the likes of Reggie Jackson and Kemba Walker. To us, they are fantasy All-Stars though. But let's now turn our attention towards the struggling point guards as we climb towards the championship. Three new names make the list in the third go-around of the series.
NBA Under-Performing Stars: Point Guard Edition
Kyrie Irving (PG, CLE)
Uncle Drew is one of the most interesting fantasy assets for the remainder of this season as he settles back into playing shape. He has struggled, but that was to be expected from someone who missed the beginning of the season. However, an uneasy trend has developed with Kyrie Irving. His efficiency has been very disappointing, as he has only shot 42% from the field and 26% from three. If Irving fails to provide great efficiency from the field, his value becomes extremely limited as a pure scorer. The assists will usually be unavailable as Lebron James and the other point guards of the Cavaliers take on a lot of the ball handling duties. Given Irving's last two games in which he has scored 28 and 21 points respectively, is it time to sell high?
Trade him.
Irving should get you a great return based on name value alone. You will certainly have some bargaining power because there was an inherent price in holding on to Irving throughout the first half the season. You can use this responsibility and Irving's recent scoring explosions to net yourself a great return. The issue with Irving is that he can't be expected to live up to his numbers from last season. The Cavaliers will look to limit his minutes as they head towards the playoffs. He is perhaps the biggest injury risk of the big three, and this current aggressiveness in attacking the basket won't last down the stretch. If you play H2H, I would try to trade him now as he will likely be rested come fantasy playoff time. If you play Roto, you can still throw around a few offers for guys like John Wall or Kemba Walker.
Jeff Teague (PG, ATL)
Jeff Teague was an All-Star last season but he has failed to live up to last year's numbers. Similar to Irving, Teague has struggled to provide the consistency of years past. The sporadic single-digit scoring performances are also putting a damper on his value, as splitting minutes with emerging back-up Dennis Schroder has limited Teague's production. After averaging 15.9 points and 7.0 assists last season, Teague has only averaged 14.5 points with 5.5 assists this season. Instead of the third to fourth round ADP, he has turned into more of a mid-to-late round asset. Teague's name has also come up in trade rumors so that Schroder may take over as the point guard of the future. Possible landing spots include the Jazz, Knicks, Rockets, and the Celtics. Given all this turbulence, should you look to sell high on Teague before an impending dip in production?
Trade him.
The trade rumors are really concerning with Teague, as ending up on another team will almost certainly cut down his production even further. All the possible destinations listed already have primary scoring options. Teague's assists may only go up if he ends up on the Knicks or the Jazz, as the ball will certainly be out of his hands during crunch time in the other trade scenarios. The only way Teague may receive an uptick in scoring production is if he somehow ends up on a lottery team. There is truly a risk in holding on to Teague, as his numbers may bottom out quickly on a new team. His numbers haven't even been impressive this season as the Hawks have struggled to perform like they did last year. Look to sell on him.
Mike Conley (PG, Mem)
Mike Conley has always been a steady choice at point guard. He leads a slow-pace Grizzlies team that has a very distributed style in terms of scoring. The recent good play of guys like Jeff Green and Courtney Lee has made Conley a bigger distributor as there is now less pressure for him to score. However, from a fantasy owner's perspective, this is very frustrating as he has three single-digit performances in his last four games. He is simply not taking shots, and often missing them when he does. It's not like you can expect a very high ceiling out of Conley either, as the style Memphis plays will make Conley a tertiary option almost every game. Should you look to move him?
Hold him.
Conley's lack of scoring seems like a problem that will likely last given the current team structure. There are just too many guys who need to score, and the relatively low amount of possessions that the Grizzlies have each game prevents Conley from claiming high-end fantasy status. The Grizzlies are bottom five in the NBA in terms of pace, and this will only continue to get worse as the team will look to play slower down the stretch. It will be an effective way to prevent tough injuries, as well as a practical counter for tough offenses that the Grizzlies may face in the playoffs. You may be simply not find an opportunity to sell high on Conley after a hypothetical good week of production. The reason why you shouldn't trade Conley is that you won't get equal value for him back. His lack of scoring is instead supported by an uptick in assists, and his lack of flashiness will not make others appreciate his value. Expect his efficiency to improve as he settles back into game-shape. Fish around for offers if you want, but you'll likely only be offered waiver-wire material.
