Seth VigdorAnother week of NBA action is in the books. We have drama in Houston, while Golden State is even better than they were last year – if that’s even possible. There’s also a surprise team that looks like they may be able to give the Cavs a run for their money in the Eastern Conference. So, let’s not keep you waiting any longer. Here’s my NBA week in review.
Five takeaways from Week 4
1.) Golden State is pretty, pretty good
Enough can’t be said for just how good the Golden State Warriors actually are. Their smaller lineups are crushing it again this season. As of this writing, the Dubs are 15-0 and they show no signs of slowing down. They are the definition of a team and as long as Steph Curry is playing lights out ball, they’re going to be tough to beat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTG4LNr4mCo
These guys are fun to watch and you can tell that they love every minute of the success that they’re having together.
2.) Rockets fire Kevin McHale
There’s turmoil in Houston. The Rockets have gotten off to a bad start, so they fired their head coach, Kevin McHale and Mrs. McHale didn’t take too kindly to the firing either as she went H.AM. on twitter.
Nice touch with the Kardashian dig at the end. All this to say, the Rockets really need to start to get things going and it all starts with the bearded one, James Harden. So, hopefully for his and the Rockets sake, he can keep his head in the game and not on the booty.
Besides, it’s not just the Kardashian curse that he needs to worry about, it’s the curse of Lil’ B that he needs to be deathly afraid of.
That curse is no joke! Just ask Kevin Durant.
Durant has never been the same…
3.) South Beach Surprise
The Miami Heat have opened the season 9-4 and I have a secret for you. It’s not a fluke. As long as they continue to get a monster contribution from Hassan Whiteside this team is going to present a problem for the Cavs. Whiteside is averaging 14.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and a sick 4.8 blocks per game in only 26.8 minutes per game.
https://vine.co/v/iuKrz606LK5
https://vine.co/v/iuK11u3B9W1
https://vine.co/v/iumYDMUz2ja
It’s a block party!!!
Besides the outstanding play of Whiteside, Dwayne Wade looks rejuvenated, Chris Bosh looks like the really good player that he’s always been and the rest of the team is contributing in all aspects of the game. Don’t be surprised if they make a move at the trade deadline to try to push them over the top. After all, Dwayne Wade doesn’t have many years left in the league.
4.) Mavs Mania
Led by an energized Dirk Nowitzki, the Dallas Mavericks have come out of the gates hitting on all cylinders. They are 9-5 to start the season. Nowitzki is averaging 18 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, while only averaging 22 minutes played per game. The Mavs are getting tremendous play from Deron Williams who so far is holding up, as the Mavs are monitoring his minutes closely. Williams is averaging 14.3 points and 5.6 assists per game. The whole team is playing with confidence right now. DeAndre Jordan might’ve spurned them in the offseason, but that’s not holding them back early on. It remains to be seen if they have any chance to legitimately contend for a title, buy right now, they’re doing just fine.
5.) Kyrie’s Road to Redemption
Kyrie Irving is on his way back from knee surgery. When the injury first happened, it was projected that he’d be back in January of 2016. We’re almost at that point and the Cavaliers will need him later on in the year, as they hope to avenge their Final’s loss to Golden State. Cleveland Is currently sitting atop the Central division at 11-3 and it would be wise to not rush Irving back. He’s an integral piece to the Cavs pie. In his absence, Kevin Love has gotten back to his old school ways and is having a tremendous start to the season. Lebron James is doing what he does best, which is dominate when he’s on the court and that’s all that the Cavs can ask for. You know that when the dust settles and the smoke clears, the Cavs will be contending for the NBA title, so long as they’re healthy. Irving’s recovery has been a long journey, but if he hoists the NBA title, it will all be worth it.
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Your Team, Your Town, Your 76ers Weekly Update
Yep, the Sixers still suck, but here’s their best play of the week…
https://vine.co/v/iB39LFdIDQn
The streak is alive, as your 76ers are now 0-15 and I have a feeling that this streak is far from over.
Results for the Week:
11/16/2015 L 92-86 against Dallas
11/18/2015 L 112-85 against Indiana
11/20/2015 L 113-88 against Charlotte
11/21/2015 L 96-91 against Miami
Your team leaders for the season:
Points – Jahlil Okafor 18.4 PPG
Rebounds – Nerlens Noel 8.5 RPG
Assists – T.J. McConnell 6.5 APG
Steals – Robert Covington 1.8 SPG
Blocks – Jerami Grant 1.7 BPG
Well, that’s all I have that I don’t say every week – except for perhaps this glimpse into the Sixers future:
https://vine.co/v/izgMvahlhBA
Yes, please! Give the Sixers some of that!
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Waiver Wire Watch (*Keep an eye on, **Time to consider it, *** MUST Grab)
Each week, I will supply you with a list of players that you should consider adding from the waiver wire. Above, I listed the three tiers of players they are. So let’s take a look at the guys that you should be paying attention to. To qualify as a Waiver Wire guy, I’ll only consider those players that are owned in less than 60% of Yahoo! leagues at the time of this writing.
**Jose Calderon – (NYK – PG) – 35% owned – Calderon is already off to a better start this year than last year. He’s averaging 7.3 points and 3.4 assists per game and while those numbers aren’t the sexiest, he can contribute in many categories. Health is always a concern, but there’s nothing wrong with having a solid PG to plug in your lineup.
**Jordan Hill (IND – PF/C) – 18% owned – Jordan Hill stepping up as one of the key bigs on this Pacers team was inevitable. He faces no legit competition and is capable of putting up double doubles every night. Grab him! You know you want to.
**Ish Smith (NO – PG) – 36% owned – With Jrue Holiday’s minutes being monitored, Ish Smith has stepped in and proved to be quite the backup PG. He’s averaging 11 points and 7.9 assists, while getting great playing time. Pick him up because if you don’t, someone will use him to burn you.
*Festus Ezeli (GS – C) – 20% owned – If you need a solid center, than Ezeli could be your guy. He’s not going to put up flashy stats, but he can give you solid defensive numbers, if that’s your type of thing.
*Gary Harris (DEN – SG) – 9% owned – A player that is coming on strong is Denver’s SG, Gary Harris. The Nuggets are a mess and that helps free up playing time for some of the younger guys, like Harris. He’s averaging 9.9 points on the season and he’s really starting to get it in gear. Ride him while he’s hot.
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Daily Fantasy Sports
Each week I will give you my value picks that can be used for both FanDuel and DraftKings. Since NBA teams play more than one time a week, my five value plays will be plays that are recommended for the whole week based off of their salaries to start the week. While I won’t list their salary (as they may change multiple times during the week), I consider my value plays usually on, around or below $6,500 at the start of the week for both sites. Another thing to pay close attention to is injuries. Always make sure you check the status of the player prior to your official picks. Lastly, at the end of the day, the final decisions are yours to make, but I’m here to guide you through some value picks. Without further hesitation, let’s get into my DFS value picks.
Deron Williams (DAL– PG – 4 games in week) – I touched on Williams earlier and with a four game week and his value, you’d be foolish not to roll him out there.
Victor Oladipo (ORL – SG – 3 games in week) – For a limited time only, you can get Oladipo at a value salary. Get him in your lineups, especially on Wednesday night at home against the Knicks.
Jae Crowder (BOS – SF – 3 games in week) – Crowder only plays in three games this week, but he’s been hot as of late and with a game against the winless Sixers this week, you’ll want to take full advantage of him.
Dirk Nowitzki (DAL– PF – 4 games in week) – Dirk Diggler doesn’t have many years left in the NBA and you can tell he’s playing with a sense of urgency this year. The price is right for him in a four game week.
Marcin Gortat (WAS– C- 4 games in week) – Gortat has gotten off to a low start this year. However, he’s a threat for double doubles every night and can break you off with some defensive stats as well. Roll with Gortat while his salary is low.
Here are a few more parting gifts from me to you, until we meet again next week:
The Greek Freak dunks on Lebron…
https://vine.co/v/iuDQnlA7ma3
Steph with the pretty touch…
https://vine.co/v/iuIBvQFvlwi
Steph with the ridiculous assist…
https://vine.co/v/iuEiubVgpWW
Nerlens Noel getting fancy…
https://vine.co/v/izzjhUYTq36
You can stay up to date with everything Fantasy Sports related by following me on Twitter(@ViggieSmalls765) and Instagram.