RADIO
Leonard Francis II highlights three fantasy basketball takeaways from the NBA's December 18th slate. This recap focuses on Vince Carter, Trevor Ariza, Victor Oladipo, and Larry Nance Jr.
Vince Carter knocked down two three-pointers in the Hawks 118-110 victory over the Wizards Tuesday night, and in doing so passed Paul Pierce to become No. 7 on the NBA's all-time three-pointers made list. Currently in his 21st season, the timeless Carter has one obvious advantage over many NBA players - longevity. In fact, when he hit his first career three on February 21, 1999, Marvin Bagley III, Wendell Carter Jr., Kevin Knox, and Luka Doncic were still in the womb. But, let's not pretend that his latest feat in what will go down as a legendary career is anything to scoff at as the transformation of his game over the years has been marvelous.
Carter won't land on many people's list of all-time greatest shooters and you'd likely be hard-pressed to find many folks who wouldn't struggle to think of Carter when asked to name the NBA's all-time three-point leaders. I'm not quite ready for my AARP membership, but I am old enough to remember his career in its entirety (and long before) and the Vinsanity moniker was derived from his freakish athleticism/dunking ability - not his shooting. Don't believe me? Just search Vince Carter on YouTube and see how long it takes you to find a three-point montage. As further evidence, Carter made just 442 threes over his first five seasons in the NBA - 97th among all players in their first five during the three-point era. For a little perspective, guys like Anthony Morrow, Mario Chalmers, and Jae Crowder all knocked down more threes over their first five seasons. Hell, Bojan Bogdanovic and Nikola Mirotic have hit 583 and 561, respectively, and are currently in Year 5 while Devin Booker has hit 443 and is currently in Year 4. Father Time may be undefeated, but Carter's transition from Mr. Jump Out the Gym to Mr. Knock Down Shooter -- in a successful effort to prolong his NBA career -- has them in a tightly contested game, and it's late in the fourth quarter. Hats off to VC.
Although far less important than Carter's accomplishment in the grand scheme of things, four games went in the books on Tuesday night. Larry Nance Jr. tossed Victor Oladipo aside -- an obvious offensive foul -- prior to tipping in the game-winner for the Cavs in a 92-91 victory over the Pacers. The Nets handed LeBron James and the Lakers their second-straight loss to a sub-.500 team. And, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic retained their crowns as the best basketball playing ics in the universe... Let's have a look at three fantasy basketball takeaways from all of the action around the association on Tuesday, December 18th.
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Trevor Ariza Balls Out in Wizards Debut
Playing for the Suns has to be more depressing than listening to Ben Stein talk about rainy weather, while sitting in the rain, for 72 consecutive hours. Ariza was able to break the chain Saturday -- landing in Washington in a deal which sent Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Suns -- and if Tuesday night was any indication, he's found his second wind.
Ariza logged 38 minutes in his Wizards debut putting up 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and six steals - easily his most productive all-around game of the season. He's not likely to flirt with a quadruple-double on a nightly basis for the remainder of the season, but it appears the 15-year veteran has found new life in D.C. and is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the upcoming weeks.
Buy-Low: Victor Oladipo
In his fourth game back from a knee injury which sidelined him for 11 games, Oladipo scored 12 points and added five rebounds/assists against the Cavaliers Tuesday night. The prolific scorer has now failed to score more than 14 points in three of his four contests since returning to the lineup - dropping his season average to a still impressive 20.4 points per game. Should you own Oladipo in your fantasy league, it's not time to panic as he looks to be healthy and has seen 32.4 minutes per game since his return. In the same breath, his value may be about as low as we'll see at any other point this season so it's definitely time to send out some low ball offers should he not be on your squad. It's only a matter of time before he finds his rhythm, and if you can find an impatient owner who's willing to part ways with the young star, don't hesitate to pull the trigger.
Sell-High: Larry Nance Jr.
Nance provided 15 points, 16 rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block, and the aforementioned offensive foul game-winner for the Cavs Tuesday night bringing his averages to 9.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 2.5 steals, 1.3 blocks, and 40.7 fantasy points in the four games since Tristan Thompson went down with a sprained foot. He's also added two double-doubles over this four-game stretch -- he now has a total of three on the season -- while leading the Cavs in rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. Thompson is just one week in on an initial diagnosis which slated him to be out anywhere from two-to-four, and there is no sign of Nance slowing down in his absence. However, it might just be the prime time to flip him as he has twice as many double-doubles over the last four as he did throughout the entire season prior, and with Thompson's impending return likely falling sooner than later, his value is on the verge of returning to that of the solid role player of which he is.
