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Welcome to the RotoBaller NBA Recap. In this feature, we highlight three fantasy basketball takeaways from last night's slate of NBA games. Friday night featured a dominant performance from Kyrie Irving, the return of DeMarcus Cousins and a coaching milestone for Gregg Popovich. Since we are on the topic, let's start there. The San Antonio Spurs eclipsed the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road 116-113. LaMarcus Aldridge led the way for the Spurs, who were without DeMar DeRozan on the night. With the victory, the Spurs move up to the number five seed out West and have won seven of their last 10 games. Head coach Gregg Popovich earned his 520th road victory on the night, tying Pat Riley for most road wins by a head coach in NBA history.
Kyrie Irving scored a game-high 38 points against the Memphis Grizzlies to help secure a 122-116 home win. After a slow start to the season for Irving, he has produced top-10 nine-category value on the year and has been exceptional for a Celtics team that has experienced some ups-and-downs. Boston is currently ranked fifth in the Eastern Conference, which is a let down from their perceived odds that placed them as the betting favorites to make the NBA Finals before the season started. The Celtics still have a while to turn the ship around but will need more consistent play if they want to get through the Eastern Conference.
And in the biggest news of the night, DeMarcus Cousins made his long-awaited return, scoring 14 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists, one steal, one block and three three-pointers in 15 minutes. Cousins was always going to be on a restriction with his minutes, but he quickly fouled out of the game in limited action. It is going to take some time for Cousins to get back into basketball shape, but the rest of the league cannot be happy about Golden State having another All-Star at their disposal. We still have three additional fantasy takeaways from Friday night to discuss, so without further ado, let's take a closer look into what happened around the league on January 18th.
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D'Angelo Russell matched a career-high on Friday, scoring 40 points during a 117-115 comeback victory over the Orlando Magic. Russell was able to add two rebounds, seven assists, one steal and eight three-pointers on just one turnover in 33 minutes. The 21-point comeback marked the team's largest rally during the Brooklyn era. Russell scored 19 consecutive points for the Nets in the second quarter and is the first player in franchise history to record 40 or more points, eight or more triples and seven or more assists in a game.
There is a lot to like about the 22-year-old from a fantasy perspective, but there are also negatives to owning him. While he has been a solid points league contributor, Russell is shooting just 43.7 percent on 17 attempts per contest. The hit in field goal percentage is something you can live with because of his three-point ability and production in multiple other categories, but Russell has been hit-and-miss when it comes to closing the end of the game on the court. He didn't get the call during Wednesday's game and could see a reduction in usage when Caris Levert can return from his foot injury. LeVert's timetable has yet to be determined, but it is a situation worth monitoring for owners of Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie. Russell is producing top-35 value in nine-category leagues in the past seven days but could be a potential sell-high candidate. I wouldn't be panicking to get rid of him, but it doesn't hurt to see what you can get in return.
JaMychal Green Could Be In Store For a Larger Role
JaMychal Green scored 12 points to go along with four rebounds, one assist, two blocks, one steal and two three-pointers on 4-for-6 shooting in the Memphis Grizzlies 122-116 road loss to the Boston Celtics. Green is now averaging 14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.2 blocks, 1.0 steals and 1.5 three-pointers in his past four games and could be in store for a more significant role with the impending news of a potential Marc Gasol trade.
Grizzlies owner Robert Pera met with Gasol earlier this week to discuss his future with the team, and with how poorly Memphis has been playing as of late, a trade is surely possible. Green is currently owned in 41 percent of Yahoo leagues and just 17.9 percent of ESPN settings. His play has warranted a roster spot in all standard leagues, but the potential for more minutes makes him one of the better adds of players with under 50 percent ownership. If he is available on your waiver wire, add him and let the situation in Memphis play itself out.
Kenneth Faried Has Short-Term Value In Houston
Kenneth Faried agreed to a contract buyout with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, clearing the way for him to sign a free agent deal with the Houston Rockets. It is a big signing for the Rockets, who will be without Clint Capela for over a month, and Faried could slide right into the starting rotation for the team.
The 29-year-old is available in 94 percent of Yahoo leagues and seems like an ideal short-term fit for the Rockets. If you have a spot that you can open up on your roster, he is worth an add in standard leagues and should be a reliable source of points, rebounds and field goal percentage. Faried will also give you a handful of defensive statistics to boot.
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