RotoBaller NBA Recap: Going Harden The Paint

Kev Mahserejian highlights three fantasy basketball takeaways from the NBA's December 13th slate. This recap focuses on James Harden, Bobby Portis, and Montrezl Harrell.

Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games.

There really was not much to get excited about in Thursday's four-game slate. The coolest thing was Chicago vs. Orlando playing in Mexico. The most surprising thing was that the Suns won. Unfortunately, neither Luka Doncic nor Deandre Ayton went off to fuel the always fun narrative of who should have actually gone first overall (it's Doncic and not even close). Other than this, and our Recap's headliner, the day was filled with the same 'ol, same 'ol.

Anyways, let's take it away in the Thursday, December 13th recap with our fantasy highlights.

James Harden: 50 Point Triple-Double

The title says it all as to why James Harden is the headlining player of the day. Houston's frontman blitzed the Lakers at home and took home a victory. Harden finished the night with 5o points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, two steals, four threes, and six turnovers. The turnovers can be stomached thanks to the rest of the numbers as Harden was feasting on Los Angeles inside and out. He drew 19 free throws and hit on 18 while going 14-for-26 from the field.

Nights like tonight aren't quite shocking from Harden but that shouldn't take away from how extraordinary they are. Harden is a usage monster and what he does for his team and fantasy owners is spectacular. A tweet today pointed out that Harden has 167 more made free throws than field goal throughout his career. In comparison, LeBron James and Kevin Durant each have thousands more made field goals than free throws.

This just goes to show the type of gravity Harden has on the court, particularly around the rim. He is a mastermind at drawing calls. He will grab his opponent's arm and make it look like he's being held. There is an art to what he does and no one does it better. No one throws their head back without contact like James Harden and still gets the call. Everything about his game is perfectly crafted and effective. The next step is just getting it to work in the playoffs...

Bobby Portis: Bobby's Back in Action

In his second game back from injury, Bobby Portis showed up ready to play. In 22 minutes, Portis logged 15 points and seven rebounds off the bench. He made a three and grabbed a steal as well. Portis's line is unspectacular in relation to the rest of the league but is notable because his path to minutes has become less clouded. Jabari Parker has reportedly fallen out of the Bulls' rotation which leaves Portis as the beneficiary.

There were question marks coming into these past few weeks regarding the Bulls and their minute distribution once the team got healthy, and it looks like we're getting our answers quickly. With Parker out, the PF/C rotation is Lauri Markkannen, Bobby Portis, Wendell Carter Jr., and Robin Lopez. Of course, it's possible things change in the coming weeks if Parker comes back into favor with the organization, but for now, it leaves Portis as a solid pick-up in most leagues.

Montrezl Harrell: What the Harrell is Going On?!

Harrell was in contention for free agent pick up of the year but has seemingly slowed down in recent games. With no more than 10 points in each of his past five games, Harrell owners are beginning to worry about their favorite high-energy big man's production. Thursday night, Harrell put up just six points on six shots in 19 minutes. He nabbed four rebounds, grabbed a steal and missed both free throw attempts. Typically, you would just chalk this game up as an L and move on, but Harrell has been putting up stinkers for a few games now.

His minutes have gone down each of the past four games and he's shooting the ball a low less often. His lines have resembled his October numbers. Part of this could be attributed to the blow-outs they've been on the wrong side of recently but also it could be a sign that maybe Harrell is not built for heavy minute workloads throughout a full season. This is all purely speculation on my end, however, there is some merit to the idea. Harrell isn't a starter for a reason. It's not for a lack of talent, just a fit, and play-type issue. Harrell, being the high-energy big man that he is, comes as a different breed from the players we're seeing typically drafted nowadays. He can't shoot from outside the paint and he doesn't have a natural position. He's a tweener who relies on his size, strength, and speed to produce.

While this by no means indicates that he is a lesser player than any other, it is a style that takes a toll on one's body, especially at the NBA level. Harrell typically plays the five and is matched up against bigs oftentimes bigger than him. It's not out of the realm of possibility to believe that his dip in production is related to the high usage he received in November. Harrell was playing an uncharacteristic 28.5 minutes per game. While his production was fantastic, this output regression may be associated with general fatigue. The dip in minutes may actually be a blessing in disguise long-term as he may get some well deserved mid-season rest to continue producing down-the-line when it matters more.

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