We had our first busy Sunday of the season yesterday with eight games on the slate, so we’ve got eight potential waiver wire adds in today’s column, with Marcus Morris being the most attractive from the group. Here are your pickups of the day.
Marcus Morris (26%) returned from a personal absence on Sunday and hit 5-of-12 shots for 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists, two triples, one steal and one turnover in 27 minutes. He’s been flirting with top-50 value on the season behind averages of 14.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 triples, 1.0 steal and just 0.8 turnovers per contest on 57.1% shooting, and he should continue to see a more pronounced role on offense while Kawhi Leonard (knee) eases his way back into things. Make sure he’s not floating around on your waiver wire.
Jock Landale (9%) had another impressive performance in 23 minutes off the bench on Sunday, tallying 16 points (6-of-9 FG, 4-of-4 FT), seven rebounds, one steal, one block and two turnovers in a win over the Rockets. He’s been flirting with top-100 value over the past four games with averages of 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 block per contest on 52.6% shooting from the floor and 90% at the stripe, and it looks like he’ll be more involved in the rotation over the next week while Deandre Ayton (ankle) is out. Give him a look.
Bismack Biyombo (35%) got the start on Sunday with Ayton (ankle) unavailable and sent five shots packing to go with five points, five rebounds and two turnovers in 22 minutes. He should start all three games for Phoenix next week with matchups against Minnesota and Portland, so he’s someone to consider grabbing if you need some boards and blocks. However, Landale looks like the more attractive target between the two.
Naji Marshall (6%) had another productive outing as a starter on Sunday with Brandon Ingram (concussion) and Dyson Daniels (ankle) unavailable, finishing with 17 points (7-of-13 FG), six rebounds, four assists, three triples, two steals and two turnovers through 39 minutes of floor time in a blowout win over the Clippers. Ingram is not traveling with the team, so he’ll miss at least one more game (Wednesday vs. the Lakers), meaning Marshall should have at least one more start and a chance for solid production coming his way. Give him a look.
Larry Nance (10%) received 23 minutes off the bench on Sunday and had one of his best games of the season, hitting 7-of-9 shots for 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one 3-pointer, one steal and three turnovers. He’s been hit-or-miss this season, but there will be some increased opportunity for him while Brandon Ingram (concussion) and Dyson Daniels (ankle) are out.
RJ Hampton (4%) was productive in 21 minutes off the bench on Sunday, scoring 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting to go with four rebounds, one assist, three triples and two steals in a loss to the Mavericks. He’s still being relegated to minutes in the low-20s despite Cole Anthony (oblique), Markelle Fultz (toe) and Jalen Suggs (ankle) all being unavailable, as Orlando has opted to go big and have their forwards take turns running the offense, but it looks like he’ll be able to carve out some low-end value while all the guards are out.
Kevin Love (37%) is making the list because he went off for 29 points (9-of-14 FG, 3-of-3 FT), eight rebounds, eight triples and one assist in 22 minutes off the bench on Sunday, but I still don’t think he’s a great add in most settings. Prior to Sunday’s outburst, he had only cracked double-digits in the points department once, and he ranked well outside the top-150. I wouldn’t be surprised if this stood out as his best game of the season when all is said and done.
Doug McDermott (5%) was hot from distance on Sunday night, as he converted seven of his 14 3-pointer attempts on his way to 23 points, three rebounds, one assist, one block and one turnover in 25 minutes off the bench. He saw some increased opportunity with Devin Vassell (knee), Jeremy Sochan (illness) and Josh Richardson (back) all unavailable, and he made the most of it. McDermott typically won’t do much for you outside of points and triples, but he could be someone to think about streaming next Wednesday if all those other guys are out again.
