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Spencer Aguiar highlights three fantasy basketball takeaways from the NBA's February 8th slate. This recap focuses on Caris LaVert, Bobby Portis, and Kenrich Williams.
Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. 12 of the 16 teams in action on Friday were playing their first game since making a new acquisition during the NBA trade deadline. It is always exciting to see new faces in new places, and it will be even more intriguing to see if any of the moves have shifted the power in the league.
The Golden State Warriors stood pat throughout the trade deadline, but honestly, what else can the team add to guarantee another title? The addition of DeMarcus Cousins during the offseason was more than they needed, and it is difficult to imagine a scenario where they don't pick up their third-straight title and fourth in five seasons.
The East is much more interesting with the Philadelphia 76ers acquiring Tobias Harris, the Milwaukee Bucks bringing in Nikola Mirotic and the Raptors grabbing Marc Gasol. In my opinion, all three teams jumped the Celtics in likelihood to win the East, but I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the four organizations in the NBA Finals. Our three main fantasy takeaways of the night are still to come, so without further ado, let's dive a little deeper into what happened on February 8th.
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Caris Levert: Returns For the Brooklyn Nets
Caris LeVert made his return to the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, scoring 11 points to go along with two rebounds, four assists and five steals in 15 minutes of action. If I am being honest, when LeVert initially went down with his gruesome-looking injury to his foot on November 12th, I was not anticipating the 24-year-old to play again this season. Frankly, I wasn't sure if he would even be ready to play again next year. And while you should never jump to those conclusions without confirmation of the severity of the damage, I don't think I was the only person to assume the worst. The visuals of the injury were that horrific.
Before LeVert's injury, he was the front-runner for Most Improved Player in the NBA and was the best player for Brooklyn. D'Angelo Russell eventually took that mantle in LaVert's absence, but many people forget Russell wasn't producing anywhere near an All-Star level while the Michigan product was healthy. Russell had trouble staying on the court late in the fourth quarter and wasn't able to be as ball-dominant as he would like.
LeVert is a no-brainer pickup if he is still available on the waiver wire in your standard league. But the more significant question becomes what to do with Russell going forward. He has been presenting top-25 return in nine-category settings in the past month and should continue to provide similar results with LeVert on a limit with his minutes. Most leagues still have about two weeks left before their official deadline will pass and holding onto Russell closer to that period should only help to solidify his current expected return. However, I do believe that LeVert's presence will begin to wane on Russell's upside as the fantasy playoffs inch closer and would be considering moving him for around what his current value is in the market.
Bobby Portis: Makes Strong Debut For Washington
Bobby Portis scored a team-high 30 points on 12 of 18 shooting in his Washington Wizards debut on Friday, adding six rebounds, two assists, one steal and four three-pointers. Portis was hit-and-miss this season in Chicago but appears to be off to a flying start in the nation's capital.
Through injury and erratic play, the 23-year-old has been dropped in about half of Yahoo leagues at the time of writing this article. That number will begin trickling up after his performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers, but what can we expect for the rest of the season? For starters, if you are looking for a big man that is going to provide defensive statistics, you will need to look elsewhere with Portis averaging just 0.5 steals and 0.3 blocks. But aside from his defensive flaws, the former first-round pick in the 2015 draft should be primed for a big finish to end the season. Don't hesitate to pick him up if you need points, rebounds or a big-man that can shoot the three.
Kenrich Williams: A Star Is Born
Stanley Johnson will continue to get acclimated to the offense in New Orleans, and E'Twaun Moore should return shortly after the All-Star break, but Kenrich Williams has become a player that should continue to produce for the Pelicans, despite the stiff competition for minutes.
In his past six games, the 24-year-old has received over 30 minutes in each contest and is averaging 13.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 2.5 three-pointers. Before the past 10 days, Williams had not scored more than five points in any game this season and had only eclipsed two points in a game twice.
Jrue Holiday was asked after the game what he sees in Williams and responded with "a star." Williams seems to have the trust of his teammates, and he did all of this tonight with both Anthony Davis and Julius Randle in the lineup. The rookie is available in 86 percent of Yahoo leagues but is someone that you need to not only have on your rade but also consider picking up.
