Thunder’s Holmgren pushing Wembanyama in ROY race
The Rotoworld Basketball Show examines the Thunder’s youth movement and Chet Holmgren’s Rookie of the Year outlook behind Victor Wembanyama.
While the rest of the world was watching rivalry weekend in college football, us basketball nerds were focused on Saturday’s six-game slate. The day started off with Joel Embiid and the 76ers out dueling Chet Holmgren and the Thunder. We also saw Trae Young continue his hot streak as the Hawks blew out the Wizards. LeBron James won a close game against his former team. Brooklyn got a win over the Heat without Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Jazz came back to beat the Pelicans, and the night wrapped up with the Clippers beating their archnemesis Luka Doncic. It was a quieter night, so let’s discuss a few players that can help you close out your matchup strong or win next week.
Saddiq Bey- 47% rostered in Yahoo leagues
Jalen Johnson went down early with a wrist injury after taking a hard fall on a dunk attempt. He is set to undergo tests this week, and it is possible that he misses an extended period of time. Bey started the second half in his place and will likely continue to start at power forward as long as Johnson is sidelined. The Hawks play in Boston on Sunday, and there is basically no chance that Johnson plays. The best case scenario is that he is back in Cleveland on Tuesday, but that doesn’t seem likely. Bey should start against the Celtics, and even though they’re a good team, the opportunity is enough for Bey to receive a boost. Unfortunately, he is harder to find on the waiver wire than most players on this list.
Caleb Martin- 10%
Haywood Highsmith went down in this game with a back contusion, and if he remains sidelined moving forward, Martin should slide into the starting power forward spot. If Erik Spoelstra starts Kevin Love, Martin will still play a larger role off the bench. The star of last season’s Eastern Conference Finals brought some of that magic to Saturday’s game with his 22/7/3 line. He dealt with injuries early in the year, but he appears to be ready to contribute.
Max Christie- 1%
With Cam Reddish still sidelined, Christie started for the Lakers on Saturday. He delivered a 12/5/3 line with two triples. This was his second straight start, though he didn’t do much in his first. If Reddish remains sidelined, Christie should continue to play big minutes.
Pat Connaughton- 5%
With Khris Middleton (Achilles) sidelined, Connaughton should start for the Bucks on Sunday. He can only be relied on for 3-pointers, but he should play big minutes against the Trail Blazers.
Keita Bates-Diop- 1%
Kevin Durant (foot) is questionable to play on Sunday against the Knicks. KBD started in his place in their last game and delivered a 6/4/1/1/2 line in 24 minutes. If KD remains out, KBD is worth a look.
Dyson Daniels- 37%
With CJ McCollum still sidelined for the foreseeable future, Daniels will continue to start at point guard for the Pelicans. Daniels swiped six steals in the first half of Saturday’s game and also delivered value in other categories. He doesn’t do much scoring, but he contributes enough rebounds, assists, steals and blocks to be worth rostering until McCollum returns.