RotoBaller NBA Recap: Marcus Smart Has Stolen The Starting Job In Boston

Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. Saturday was a rather docile and quiet day in the NBA, at least when compared to the trade fiasco that we witnessed on Friday between the Wizards, Suns and Grizzlies. While nothing was ever going to top that on Saturday, we did have some quality contests from a viewing perspective -- which included the Los Angeles Lakers thrashing the Charlotte Hornets on the road by a score of 128-100. As usual, LeBron James led the way for the Lakers, recording a triple-double in just three-quarters of action. James ended the night with 24 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, one steal and two three-pointers on 7-for-15 shooting from the field. His 30 minutes of on-court time matched his lowest amount in Los Angeles' previous eight games and nights like these will be crucial for the team's success going forward. The Lakers have now won seven of their last nine games and are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference at 18-11.

The Detroit Pistons outlasted the Boston Celtics 113-104. The victory snapped Detroit's six-game losing streak and put an end to Boston's eight-game winning streak. Blake Griffin finished with a game-high 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting while adding eight rebounds, six assists, one steal and one three-pointer. Griffin has been spectacular this season --averaging career-high totals in points and three-pointers made, but he continues to struggle on the defensive end --averaging under one block and one steal per contest. Those statistics have been minor liabilities in eight-category leagues, but his biggest hit comes from his 3.7 turnovers per game for anyone that owns him in a nine-category setting. If I held Griffin in a nine-category league, I'd likely look to move him in a trade. I think most owners will ignore the deficiencies that he possesses in multiple categories and buy him due to his name value alone, not realizing that he is currently ranked outside of the top-40 because of his inefficiencies.

And the Oklahoma City Thunder outlasted the Los Angeles Clippers 110-104. After a quick start to the season, the Clippers have now dropped five of their past six games. It was probably inevitable for the team to come back down to earth, but they are still right in the thick of the playoff race through about a third of the season. However, if Los Angeles wants to be able to regain some of the success that they found early in the year, they will need to find a way to get steadier production from players such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Boban Marjanovic and Montrezl Harrell. There is still plenty more pertinent fantasy information to go around, so without further ado, let's get into our three main takeaways from Saturday, December 15th.

Marcus Smart: Has Stolen The Starting Job In Boston

Marcus Smart has always been thought of to have more value in real life than fantasy basketball, and while that is still somewhat true, the 24-year-old is beginning to become a valuable commodity to own since moving into the starting lineup over Jaylen Brown.

Smart is a natural fit next to Kyrie Irving because he can focus solely on his defense and not have to take many contested jumpers. On Saturday, the Oklahoma State product scored a season-high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and five three-pointers on 6-for-11 shooting. The five three-pointers were also a season-high, but it goes to show how a little extra spacing on the floor can help any NBA player hit open shots when they aren't contested.

Whatever Smart can add from behind the arc will be an added bonus, but most of his value is directly correlated to his stellar on-ball defense. In his last eight games, Smart has averaged a star-studded 3.0 steals per contest and has recorded at least one steal in his past 14 games. His 39.1 percent field goal percentage isn't ideal, but he is a low-volume shooter that won't plummet the category, taking only 5.8 attempts per game on the year. The former sixth pick in the 2014 draft is still available in 73 percent of Yahoo leagues and has been a top-100 nine-category league option over the past two weeks. Scoring and field goal percentage won't be his strong suits, but if you can afford to take a slight hit in those categories, he should be able to provide a unique boost to your team.

Robert Covington: Has Been Hampered By A Knee Issue

Robert Covington has moderately slowed down over the past few games because of soreness in his right knee, averaging just 9.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.0 steals and 1.0 threes in his previous three games. And while the sample size is small, it is a far cry from his production of 2.1 steals, 1.4 blocks and 2.3 threes per contest this season.

Covington is perhaps the front-runner to be the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year and provides a unique skill set that allows him to currently rank inside the top-25 in nine-category leagues. His field goal percentage does leave something to be desired, but he adds an element of defense and outside shooting that very few other players in the league can match. His trade value is rarely viewed the way it should be, and his recent lull in production should open up a nice buy-low window for the defensive stalwart.

Montrezl Harrell: Still Has A Small Buy-Low Window

As mentioned above, Montrezl Harrell is a crucial piece that the Los Angeles Clippers need to get going again if they want to find success this year. Coming into the game on Saturday, the 24-year-old had struggled in his previous three games, contributing 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game over that stretch. Those averages were a substantial decrease over his yearly production of 15.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.

On Saturday, Harrell managed to get it going offensively, scoring 21 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists, one block and one three-pointer on 8-for-14 shooting. During the game, the Louisville product made his first career three-point basket and recorded more than 10 shots for the first time in six games.

Harrell is one of the names on the short list to be the NBA's Most Improved Player and should also be up for consideration when it comes to the Sixth Man of the Year Award. However, to have a realistic shot to capture either of those titles, the fourth-year pro needs to remain aggressive --even throughout his droughts. Harrell is currently posting around top-75 value in nine-category leagues and remains a quality buy-low option. I don't think tonight's game entirely takes him off the market and there should still be a slight window open when it comes to acquiring him. If you are looking for a boost in blocks and field goal percentage and can afford his dodgy free throw percentage, Harrell is a great player to try and grab.

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