With teams facing fewer than 10 games remaining in the regular season the playoff stage is being set for some, while a handful are already eliminated from contention. The varying circumstances account for a key factor in which players continue to deliver notable production, while others are shut down, leading to opportunities for new faces to step up and make their name.
One For The Books
Klay Thompson made history on Saturday night, becoming the second player in NBA history to knock down 200 three-pointers in 10 consecutive seasons, joining his former Splash Brother, Stephen Curry, as the only players to achieve the milestone. Aside from the noted achievement, Thompson has not enjoyed a stand-out campaign, averaging 14.3 points on a career-low 41.3 percent shooting from the field, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 27.6 minutes per game. Nonetheless, his contributions have been sufficient to help keep the Mavs in the playoff hunt, and the return of Anthony Davis to the lineup should give them a significant boost heading into the postseason.
Out For The Season
It was announced on Tuesday that Damian Lillard was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, and that he would be out indefinitely. The unfortunate news puts a wrench in the gears of an already less-than impressive season for the Bucks, as the squad is sitting sixth place in the East and not showing dominance on either end of the floor. In Lillard's absence, third-year guard Ryan Rollins has gotten the call
With teams facing fewer than 10 games remaining in the regular season the playoff stage is being set for some, while a handful are already eliminated from contention. The varying circumstances account for a key factor in which players continue to deliver notable production, while others are shut down, leading to opportunities for new faces to step up and make their name.
One For The Books
Klay Thompson made history on Saturday night, becoming the second player in NBA history to knock down 200 three-pointers in 10 consecutive seasons, joining his former Splash Brother, Stephen Curry, as the only players to achieve the milestone. Aside from the noted achievement, Thompson has not enjoyed a stand-out campaign, averaging 14.3 points on a career-low 41.3 percent shooting from the field, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 27.6 minutes per game. Nonetheless, his contributions have been sufficient to help keep the Mavs in the playoff hunt, and the return of Anthony Davis to the lineup should give them a significant boost heading into the postseason.
Out For The Season
It was announced on Tuesday that Damian Lillard was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, and that he would be out indefinitely. The unfortunate news puts a wrench in the gears of an already less-than impressive season for the Bucks, as the squad is sitting sixth place in the East and not showing dominance on either end of the floor. In Lillard's absence, third-year guard Ryan Rollins has gotten the call to step up and has started in four of the last five games, averaging 11.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals over that span. Rollins should continue to grow into the greater role, while Kevin Porter, AJ Green and Gary Trent are also in line for more opportunity.
Since going down with a calf strain in late-November, LaMelo Ball played no more than seven consecutive games, while moving in-and-out of the lineup with one injury after another. Finally, the Hornets announced late last week that he would be shut down for the rest of the season as a result of nagging ankle and wrist injuries. Ball averaged a career-high 25.2 points per game through his 47 appearances this season. However, he also shot a career-low 40.5 percent from the field, including a career-low 33.9 percent from deep. Ball has been significantly limited by various injury trouble over the last three seasons, playing a total of just 105 games over that span, which should cause fantasy managers to question if it is worth the risk to draft him in the following season.
Standing Out
Despite a rough run for the Kings, who are 3-7 in their last 10 games, Keegan Murray has been playing well lately. He averaged 16.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks over four games last week, including a stand-out performance in a loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, where he knocked down 9-for-13 from long range, on his way to a season-high 28 points. He shot 53.6 percent from deep over the four games on the week, which was a significant step up from his season average of 34.8 percent from downtown. Overall, Murray has not shown much improvement over his sophomore season, as he is averaging 2.6 fewer points per game, while his field-goal percentage is also dwindling in comparison.
After suffering a non-contact injury in his debut game with the Mavericks, Anthony Davis is looking good since making his return from an almost six-week absence, as he averaged 15.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks while playing in three of his squad's four games last week. He delivered his best performance of the bunch in the most recent outing, as he posted 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a steal and two blocks in a one-point win over the Bulls on Saturday. With the Mavs still in the running for a spot in the play-in, Davis can be expected to continue giving it his all, as he looks to help power what would be a stunning postseason run if they were even able to win one round.
Coby White is playing incredibly well lately, averaging 29.2 points on 50.3 percent shooting, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists over the last 10 games, including scoring at least 25 points in all three games played last week and 25-point, 11-rebound double-double in the most recent outing. His play has helped the Bulls earn a firm grasp of a spot in the play-in, and he is in position to continue pushing forward as the team's new scoring leader.
The Lakers' duo of Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic is proving to be a fearsome backcourt, as they are both putting up big-time numbers with efficiency. Last week, Reaves averaged 25.8 points on 50.8 percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while Doncic averaged 30.0 points on 42.9 percent shooting, including 39.0 percent from deep, 8.0 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.3 steals. The squad has adapted fairly well to the blockbuster trade that brought Doncic into the mix, and they should continue to gather momentum with a healthy roster heading into the postseason.
After shining in the G League this season, Drew Timme signed a two-year deal with the Nets on Thursday and carried his impressive play into his NBA. The 24-year-old center turned in 11 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes of action during his debut during a loss to the Clippers. He then followed up with a 19-point, six-rebound, three-assist effort in a win over the Wizards on Saturday. The big man should continue to see plenty of opportunity to prove himself down the final stretch of the season.
The entire Detroit Pistons team gets a shout-out here, as they have become the first team to ever triple their win total from the previous season. The team finished last season stuck last place in the East, with a record of 14-68, while they currently own a 42-33 record, which has them seated fifth place in the conference with seven games left in the season. Cade Cunningham has been the highlight of the team's success this year, averaging 25.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Meanwhile, Malik Beasley, Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren have also been key contributors. The squad has solid depth with guys like Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Simone Fontecchio and Isaiah Stewart providing grit and effort that helps keep the energy high. Additionally, the addition of Dennis Schroder has been great for the team, as he is averaging 12.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.2 assists over the last 10 games. The Pistons are a young team that will surely give their opponents a hassle in the postseason and should be primed for at least a couple more years of relative success.
