RADIO
First and foremost, I'd like to express my sincerest condolences to Deandre Ayton for the loss of his ankles...
Sheesh. Praying he has a speedy recovery. (Also, the bench reaction was entirely too subdued and the Pacers have officially become my least favorite team due to their lameness.) Oh, and by the way, there were 10 teams in action last night. Issue is, the bar has now been set entirely too high. I'll attempt to highlight my three biggest fantasy basketball takeaways, but I'm already wondering if this space would be better served breaking down this clip - so many levels of dope to be had here. Anyway, begrudgingly...
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Allonzo Trier, You the Real Rookie of the Year
While I do not possess the following to claim I started the Iso Zo bandwagon, I will say I was one of the first to board. And, I bought a first-class ticket. Zo has rewarded the investment by putting up Rookie of the Year type numbers, and honestly, if the award were weighted to value draft position -- he went undrafted -- he'd be the front-runner.
Trier continued his impressive rookie campaign Tuesday night by dropping 24 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists against the Pistons. This was his first career double-double and a new career-high in both rebounds and assists. Clearly, the rebounds and assists are far from the norm, but they do serve as evidence that he not only has the potential to be much more than a scorer in this league but also a valuable fantasy asset as he continues to blossom into the beautiful flower in which he is.
Paul Millsap Is Still The Anchorman
It feels like Millsap played in Utah with Stockton and Malone - it's been a long 13 years. He's one of those Derrick Favors type cats who feel at least 10 years older than they really are -- he's only 33 -- but his game is timeless, and he continues to display the origins of the Anchorman moniker.
Let me preface this by saying Millsap played just 23 minutes last night; he scored 20 points, pulled down 11 boards, and recorded his fourth double-double on the season - becoming one of just six players this season to record a double-double with 20 or more points despite playing less than 25 minutes. You won't impress anyone by bragging about having Millsap on your roster -- he's not exactly wavy -- but he's a consistent contributor and that solid anchor which every successful team needs.
Domantas Sabonis - Like Father, Like Son
There comes a point in every NBA fan's life where instead of simply enjoying a little hoops, you're forced to stare in the mirror and reflect on how life has passed you by as you watch the son of one of the players you grew up watching begin to carve out his own legacy in the league. You may even let out an audible, "Damn! I'm old!"
... If you haven't reached this point yet, don't worry it's coming.
Pound for pound, Arvydas Sabonis (his pops) was one of the most skilled bigs I've ever seen - he did things on the floor you just weren't supposed to do at 7'3" and nearly 300 pounds. Well, like they say, like father, like son... Domas can hoop. Not quite the physical specimen which his pops was -- he's shorter and slimmer, but also quicker -- but we didn't get to see pops in the league until age 31 (he's one of the fossils of this now normal international infusion), so a comparison between the two is not one I'm willing to make at this stage in the game. That's really not the point here, though.
Sabonis put up 21 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists in Phoenix last night and has now notched three-straight double-doubles (giving him nine total on the season). Oh, and never forget, "Indiana got fleeced in that Paul George deal"...
PS - He joined Millsap as one of the six players this season to record a double-double with 20 or more points despite playing less than 25 minutes.
