In Houston, The JET has been taken out of its hangar, dusted off and is ready for departure. In Toronto, Greivis Vasquez is about to become much more useful to fantasy owners than just serving as an entertaining sound bite and Jabari Parker looks poised to start delivering for those who took an earlier-than-anticipated gamble on him prior to the season beginning.
Editor’s Note: Rotoworld’s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $200,000 Fantasy Basketball league for Tuesday’s NBA games. It’s $25 to join and first prize is $20,000. Starts at 7:00pm ET on Tuesday. Here’s the FanDuel link.
3-Pointers
Greivis Vasquez, G Toronto Raptors
Before DeMar DeRozan (groin) went down, Greivis Vasquez was an integral part of what made Toronto successful. Now without DeRozan, Vasquez is about to take on an even larger role for a team that needs him desperately while their second-best player is forced to watch from the bench.
In the first game without DeRozan, Vasquez drew the start and logged an impressive 34 minutes in an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. In addition to the minutes, Vasquez also produced on the stat sheet: 8-of-16 from the field (with a three) for 19 points, five assists and a steal.
With Lou Williams, James Johnson and Terrence Ross also in the picture, Vasquez is going to battle some inconsistent moments within and between games, but if you’re looking for someone to replace the underwhelming Austin Rivers on your roster (like I did), Vasquez makes a lot of sense.
Vasquez has made eight three-pointers over his last three games, and he’s taken a whopping 16 in the process. He has a clear green light to floor it from deep.
Jason Terry, G Houston Rockets
It’s been a long (long) time since I’ve advocated for clearing the runway for the JET to takeoff, but consider the Rockets situation at point guard and you can understand why we’re here. Patrick Beverley has struggled with hamstring problems since the start of the season, and Isaiah Canaan recently went down with an ankle injury that looks like it will have him watching in street clothes for the foreseeable future. After that, it’s Terry, rookie Nick Johnson and Troy Daniels as options at the point.
In Houston’s first game without their top two point guards, Terry was dusted off for a whopping 35 minutes of action in a start. The veteran responded emphatically with 18 points, six boards and five assists (four triples) without a single turnover. It’s worth noting the Rockets were without Dwight Howard (knee) in that one, but the most important item for owners should be Terry’s 35 minutes. He’s got no challenge at the position so long as Beverley and Canaan remain injured.
For a team that loves to launch the three, the Rockets are going to need Terry to pour some high-octane gasoline in the vintage turboprop plane and keep the throttle at full thrust. Realize Terry is a short-term option at best, but it’s often those additions that can impact the seeding in a season-long postseason race.
Steals
Jabari Parker, F Milwaukee Bucks
Parker was overdrafted in the majority of fantasy basketball leagues because of the cache his name came with following a historical 2014 NBA draft, but the second overall pick has shown recent signs of coming on to illustrate the potential value he can have to owners savvy enough to buy low on him in the early portion of his inaugural season.
Coming off his best game as a pro with 19 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals on just seven shots, Parker has now had at least one steal in every game since November 19. In addition to his thievery on the defensive end, Jabari has now exceeded 30 minutes in two of his last three games. After Jason Kidd pulled an Aaron Rodgers and told everyone to basically R-E-L-A-X about Parker’s minutes, it appears the second-year head coach is growing more comfortable with his first-year player.
With four steals over his last two games and a bigger role seemingly coming his way, Parker makes a lot of sense as an investment for those willing to go through the growing pains with the 19-year-old.
Wesley Johnson, SF Los Angeles Lakers
Johnson received his fair share of eye rolls when he promised to be a new-and-improved version of himself recently. That’s deserved considering the same story has followed Johnson throughout his NBA career to date—one of failed promise and untapped potential. However, if his last two games are even an indication that he might be showing signs of life, Johnson is a player to monitor very carefully moving forward.
Johnson has at least one steal in every game since November 16. Over his last two games, not only is Johnson chipping in a little on defense, but he’s also producing on the offensive end with averages of 16 points, three rebounds, a steal and 2.5 triples. Another thing working in Johnson’s favor is the Lakers’ roster, and specifically the small forward situation. The Lakers have two players who are going to see minutes at SF right now: Johnson and Swaggy P. There isn’t a lot of competition for Johnson to fend off.
And maybe, just maybe, that’s exactly what Johnson needs to finally inspire the confidence that he’s lacked. The Lakers brought Johnson back for a second season, routinely ask him to defend the other team’s best player and Kobe Bryant has now willingly spent two offseasons mentoring him. There is something real here, even if Johnson’s talents haven’t fully displayed themselves yet.
Blocks
Danny Green, SG/SF San Antonio Spurs
In 16 games this season, Green has amassed 36 triples, 20 steals and an impressive 22 blocks. That would be good for anybody, but it’s especially good for a wing player who averages (just) under 30 minutes per game.
I put Green in the Kyle Korver category—not to suggest their games are similar, but they’re both players who are criminally undervalued in fantasy circles. While they’re certainly not stars by any stretch, they offer a very real and definable skillset that can really help strengthen a roster. These role players serve a role. Imagine that.
Green is one of those rare players who averages more than a three, a steal and a block per game. There’s a special place for those types of talents, and it’s especially valuable when those players are eligible at multiple positions like Green is. He’s not going to light up the box score, and he’s almost never going to be your team’s top producer, but for a steady contributor who helps across the board, Green makes a ton of sense as a trade target.
