RADIO
Justin Carter previews the teams in the NBA's Pacific Division for fantasy basketball impact, breakouts, stars, and sleepers.
We're less than a week away from NBA action, y'all! Things get kicked off on Tuesday night, so you're likely in the final stages of prepping for this upcoming fantasy season.
For the past few weeks, I've been bringing you division-by-division analysis of the upcoming NBA season and providing you with some fantasy nuggets for each NBA team that can help you make the best decisions as you head into your fantasy basketball drafts.
Today, I'll be looking at the NBA's Pacific Division.
Pacific Division Fantasy Preview
Golden State Warriors
Should I pick Stephen Curry or Kevin Durant first?
Four of our six rankers -- me included -- have Durant over Curry at this point, but both guys are worth a top-five fantasy pick, so it ultimately comes down to what you value. I anticipate Curry's long-range ability and assists to make him a better play on a daily basis, but Durant's ability to be a complete mismatch at the four gives him more upside and chances to have an explosive outing.
Is Jordan Bell worth a late pick?
With DeMarcus Cousins out for at least half of the year after tearing an Achilles, someone has to fill in at the five for the Warriors when they aren't going small with Draymond Green manning the position. Right now, it looks like Damian Jones will fill that position in the starting lineup, but expect some good minutes from Bell. His jump shot has looked good lately, plus he's a better passer than Jones and his usage at the five would open things up more offensively for the Warriors. Still, on a team with so many strong options, there's only so much Bell can contribute.
Los Angeles Clippers
Who's the best fantasy option on this team?
Tobias Harris is the Clipper that I like the most from a fantasy perspective. This team doesn't have a real standout star on it, but Harris keeps getting better every year. He's an efficient shooter from outside. He saw an increase in steals and assists after coming to the Clippers in the middle of last season. He'll be the go-to option in the starting lineup, though Lou Williams should see plenty of run off the bench as well. Those two seem to be far and away the best fantasy options on this team, but I learn Harris because Williams in the sixth-man role just doesn't offer the same consistency.
Will either of the rookie guards amount to anything this year?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Yes. He's a good passer and finisher, though the low volume of threes he shot in college is concerning. Still, he can bring some excellent perimeter defense to the table and should learn a ton from Patrick Beverley. Expect Gilgeous-Alexander to contribute early.
Jerome Robinson? Let's just say that if you Google an NBA player right before the season starts and all the results are about how he looks like Brock from Pokemon, he's not going to making a big early impact. Robinson starts the year buried in the guard rotation and I'd expect to see a lot of G-League time for the rookie. He's a fine shooter, but the rest of his skills leave some questions about why the Clippers took him so early.
Los Angeles Lakers
I am not among the vast population of NBA land that hates either of these guys, but I do question the decision to start Rondo over Ball to begin the season. Both guys have similar skills at this point -- potentially-elite passing, can finish inside, can't shoot from the free throw line or beyond -- but Ball has a lot more potential to improve his shooting, plus he's a better rebounder than Rondo. For fantasy purposes, Ball is the clear-cut winner for me, but his upside is lowered as long as the Lakers bring him off the bench. (And I think the Lakers overall upside is limited as well without Ball starting.)
How will Kyle Kuzma fit into things this year?
Kuzma heads back to the bench now that LeBron James is in town, but I'd expect to see a lot of lineups with LeBron at the five and Kuzma at the four. He should put up numbers similar to last season, but I wouldn't expect any kind of leap from Kuzma statistically. He feels like a guy who entered the league with his skill set pretty much developed to the level it'll be at, and the struggle to see more playing time won't allow him to show any major improvement. Maybe the efficiency goes up? But there's only so many ways the ball can be shared around with the Lakers this season.
Phoenix Suns
Is Deandre Ayton the first rookie that should be drafted?
I've been down on Ayton for awhile just because I don't love his defensive upside, but for fantasy purposes he's in a great situation this year, one of the few rookies who starts the season as the undisputed starter at his position and also with a clear path towards being a top-two option on his team. Even Luka Doncic faces some issues because DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr., and Harrison Barnes -- once he's healthy -- will demand scoring chances, but after Devin Booker, Ayton should be the second scoring option for the Suns. I don't take him first in a dynasty rookie draft, but I do take him first among rookies in re-draft.
What's the point guard situation mean for fantasy owners?
HA HA HA HA.
I know a lot about the NBA. I can talk about most team's backups and can even talk about the Suns backup point guard, De'Anthony Melton, but I just had to Google "who is the Suns starting point guard" because they couldn't actually go into the year with Devin Booker manning the position, right?
Oh, I guess they might be. Booker at the point intrigues me, but having an actual, real NBA point guard and using Booker at the two would go a lot better. Give Booker a temporary boost, but expect the Suns to do something at some point about the point guard situation.
Sacramento Kings
Who is the big to own in Sacramento?
A lot of people will talk about Marvin Bagley III this year, because the Kings took him second overall in the draft and he enters the NBA with a lot of hype, but the rookie big I like best in Sacramento at this point wasn't taken in this year's draft -- it's former Duke Blue Devil Harry Giles, who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Giles has shown an ability to score and rebound this preseason and is a good passer for his position. I've been keeping my eye on him since Summer League and he should have a major role in this frontcourt this season.
Let's talk about Buddy Hield
For what it's worth, I have Hield pegged as the NBA's best three-point shooter among the guys who aren't widely considered in the discussion of "who is the league's best three-point shooters," even if it seems a little early t make that declaration. Hield shot 43.1 percent from deep in just his second NBA season, good for ninth-best in the NBA, and the addition of Bagley and Giles should help with the spacing, allowing Hield to get even more open looks. He's also not a terrible rebounder for his position, and he averaged 1.1 steals per game last season. I love Hield as a fantasy sleeper this year in the right build.
