Five things: Making sense of the hot streaks of the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers

Here are some thoughts from the hoop lab, as we prepare for week 11 of the fantasy basketball season. Keep in mind that the rest of the season rankings are also updated today, so keep an eye on them as you prepare for this week’s games. Between the rankings and this article, we’ll also help you identify some good business candidates. So, without further ado, let’s dive into it.

Nets win nine in a row

The Nets have been in sixth place in this five-part article for the past two weeks, the last story I had to cut before turning it in. This week, it’s about time we paid attention to what’s happening in Brooklyn. , and decide what we, as fantasy basketball coaches, want to do about it.

What is that sound? Oh yeah, that’s what silence sounds like. The Nets have been a megaphone for extraneous noise for the past few seasons, with off-court actions and consequences drowning out the team’s incredible potential. Well, now we’re seeing what happens when they shut down the unnecessary clamor and focus on hoops. They have quietly won nine straight games, 13 of their last 14 and 18 of their last 23. The team that once seemed as if it was one more scandal or losing streak away from blowing up the experiment is now just two and a half games away. from the top seed in the Eastern Conference and has outscored the last two NBA champions by a combined 48 points.

On the fantasy hoops front, stability is yielding some of the best fantasy results we’ve seen for this Nets team. Kevin Durant it has become a month worthy of both the NBA and the fantasy rim MVP. In his last 13 games, he has averaged 31.5 PPG (60.2 FG%, 94.5 FT%, 39.1 3P%), 6.6 RPG, 5.3 APG, 2.1 3PG, 1.2 BPG and 1.0 SPG while only missing one game.

Kyrie has missed just two of his last 17 games and has averaged 26.0 PPG (50.6 FG%, 91.1 FT%, 38.0 3P%), 4.9 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.9 3PG and 0.9 BPG.

Even Ben Simmons it is rounding in shape. While he’s missed five games during this span, in the last 14 he’s played, Simmons’ big three stats round up to 10 as he’s averaged 10.5 PPG (70 FG%), 7.2 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.5 SPG and £0.5. He had 12 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals against the Bucks on Friday, and he looks more and more like his old self as the season progresses.

And yet, if I manage a fantasy basketball team with any of these guys on my roster, I’m looking to trade them immediately.

Your mileage may vary, but there’s no way I want to pin my squadron’s hopes on this incredible renaissance that will last another full four months. Remember, these three players have averaged between 37 and 45 games lost in the last three NBA seasons. For a variety of reasons, for a variety of creative, sometimes groundbreaking reasons, these players have established an astonishing unavailability for three full seasons. And while the off-court reasons may be the most memorable, plenty of those games lost were due to a simple injury, and two of the three are now in their mid-30s and will be at increased risk of injury for the rest of their lives. their careers. .

Yes, I’m enjoying this glimpse of what this team could be if there was silence and the Nets just focused on basketball, but we’re not even halfway through the season yet. We’ve got enough of the marathon left that it would make sense for you to redraft another hoops league this week and get another full experience of fantasy hoops action. There’s just no way he’s going to depend on this Nets team to hold him together for the rest of the season.

If I were you, I’d take those extremely impressive stat lines I laid out above and figure out the most effective way to start offering those players around your fantasy basketball leagues. Work your mouthpiece to get MVP value for Durant, first-round value for Irving, and/or top-50 value for Ben Simmons in deals, and it could really set your squad up for long-term success at a risk. Much less potential distress. during the rest of the season.

76ers win eight in a row

There is another Atlantic Division team that has won eight straight games and is moving up the Eastern Conference standings. The 76ers lost to the Rockets in James Harden’s first game after his long absence with injury, but they haven’t lost since. But my final message is very different for the 76ers than it is for the Nets.

Yes, Joel Embiid he has a dismal injury record, enough to factor the probability of missing games into his season-long projections. But, over the past five seasons, he’s gotten around 15-20 missed games a season without much late-season trouble. That’s something to definitely look out for, but not necessarily something that would make me feel like some fantasy basketball manager that I absolutely had to trade him in immediately before the wheels fell off. Teammates Harden and Tyrese Maxey they’re getting healthier, and it looks like the team has a chance to put together a long-term career toward excellence now that it’s learning to play together.

And that’s my final conclusion, from a futures betting perspective. In preseason, our Basketball Power Index (BPI) had the Celtics as the No. 1 team in the league, but the 76ers at No. 2. The Sixers had a nightmare start to the year, but now they’re just three games away. out of first place in the East and Maxey hasn’t even returned yet. Caesar’s Sportsbook still has the 76ers as outside bets for the championship (+2200, 11th longest odds in the NBA). The 76ers have +1000 to win the East, exactly the same odds they have to win the Atlantic Division (+1000) and exactly the same odds that Joel Embiid will win MVP (+1000).

Those are all very interesting to me. We still have a long season left, and the 76ers are for real. And as they mount, Embiid’s outbursts of video game stats will soon begin to remind MVP voters who have voted Embiid second for MVP two seasons in a row. If he keeps up with him and the 76ers finish in the top three, Embiid could be the biggest threat to Tatum taking home his first trophy.

All in all, the 76ers are a team that should be high in your future plans soon, before the sportsbooks catch up.

Warriors up seven straight at home

The Warriors are in the midst of one of the most…unique…seasons we’ve ever seen. The defending champions are 13-2 at home, tied for the best home record in the NBA, with a +10.6 PPG point differential. On the other hand, they are a woeful 3-16 on the road, last in the NBA, with a -10.1 PPG score differential. The 20.7 PPG difference between the Dubs home and away is on pace for an NBA record.

The good news? The Warriors’ next seven games, spanning the next two fantasy-filled weeks plus one other game, will be at home, where in their last two games they have beaten one of the best teams in the West in the Grizzlies, and the best team by NBA record Boston Celtics for a combined 30 points.

For fantasy rim managers and top tier managers alike, this is great news and well worth watching. For the next two weeks or so, the Dubs should be playing at championship level from their friendly confines. This means an extended stretch of mega-fantasy production from jordan poole, klay thompson, Andrew Wiggins (when he returns) and even dramond green. It means two weeks of heavy production of fantasy streamers from players like Donte Di Vincenzo. And it means the Warriors should be favored to cover most of the spreads during this period, unless the sportsbooks overcompensate. Be sure to check out our fantasy hoops and daily betting notes for commentary on the Warriors’ odds on each game.

About six weeks ago, I wrote about how Bane was making the superstar leap. In the eight games leading up to the article, Bane averaged 28.5 PPG (53.4 FG%, 89.5 FT%, 53.7 3P%), 5.1 RPG, 4.5 3PG, and 4.4 APG. Unfortunately, he was injured soon after and has spent much of his time on the shelf ever since.

Well, Bane quietly returned on Friday and has played two games under the minute limit while recovering. He may no longer have a 30 PPG lead, with Jackson Jr. years. back and dillon brooks playing nice. But, Bane absolutely has fantasy star power ahead of him, and this could be the end of the window to trade for him while his value is still low. It might be worth making the offer to the manager who has him in his league.

Markkanen was once considered the future of the Bulls during a promising rookie season, before things fell apart and he ended up becoming a journeyman. This season, in Utah, Markkanen has rediscovered the game that he showed so much edge and emotion. When it comes to fancy hoops, he’s been wielding the torch all season and he’s showing no signs of cooling off. In fact, he is accelerating.

Over his last 10 games, Markkanen is averaging 25.1 PPG (56.3 FG%, 86.0 FT%, 55.4 3P%), 7.3 RPG, 4.6 3PG, 1.7 APG, and 0.8 SPG. He’s the focal point of the Jazz’s offense, and he’s young enough to be their main component going forward, so he shouldn’t worry about being usurped if they start playing with more young talent to focus on the future. Markkanen is a fantasy hoop that makes a difference, and I’m not sure the market value of him and the name recognition of him have caught up with the real value of him yet. It might be worth contacting the fantasy rings manager in your league that has Markkanen to see if you can trade him for him as “just a guy,” when in fact he appears to be a fantasy rings star this season.