Jordan Hawkins: Incredible Game In Fantasy Basketball Pickups
Trey Murphy III, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Zion Williamson were all out for the Pelicans going into their game against Dallas on Saturday. Of course, the Mavericks were missing Luka Doncic and Dereck Lively II, but the Pelicans are the target for tonight’s picks. Because of their absences, Dyson Daniels (6%), Jordan Hawkins (3%), and Jose Alvarado (2%), who was still on the bench, saw an increase in playing time. All of them contributed to New Orleans’ victory over the Mavericks.
As he scored 34 points (career high), pulled down five rebounds, disheveled two steals, and drained six 3-pointers in just 37 minutes, Jordan Hawkins was the standout player. The lottery selection from UConn led all scorers in points after making 11 of 19 field goals and 6 of 8 foul shots. Set as the starting point guard, Daniels ended with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Alvarado added 14 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 3 3-pointers.
Although Alvarado’s output wasn’t as high as it has been lately for T.J. McConnell, this was a respectable performance for a backup point guard who was expected to play a little bit more than normal. Which of these players will survive in the long run in fantasy basketball? No, probably not until Ingram, McCollum, Murphy, and Williamson return, which is expected to happen on Monday when the Pelicans and Mavericks play again.
When the rotation is complete, Daniels and Alvarado play close to 20 minutes a game, but they aren’t given enough chances to consistently add value in fantasy football. Jordan Hawkins is a lower player than those two, and the few occasions he has had to play for long periods have been during blowouts or on occasions when the Pelicans were depleted of players.
Let us examine some further outstanding pickups for Saturday:
Brandin Podziemski (42%) and Jonathan Kuminga (41%)
After Draymond Green was suspended, Podziemski and Kuminga gained additional rotation time, and both played well in the Bucks game on Saturday. In 36 minutes, Podziemski, who started in place of Stephen Curry, finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and three 3-pointers, recording his first career double-double.
In his thirty minutes off the bench, Kuminga scored twenty-eight points, grabbed three rebounds, helped out with two assists, stole one, blocked one, and made two 3-pointers.
Kuminga and Dario Saric shared the court for most of the Saturday game since Kevon Looney is still just marginally useful. Green’s comeback, which may happen as soon as Monday in Memphis, is a wild card, particularly for Kuminga. While it is ideal to see Kuminga lose a lot of minutes, there have been instances when he has suffered setbacks just when it seemed like his development was peaking.
Vince Williams Jr. (32%) and Xavier Tillman (36%)
Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane were all out for the Grizzlies’ game against the Knicks on Saturday. The team was already playing without Ja Morant. Averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, and 1 3-pointer, Williams has been playing well over the past two weeks.
Despite playing just 36 minutes, Tillman finished with a respectable stat line of 12 points, five rebounds, five assists, six steals, and one block. Due to their injuries, both will be durable. Meanwhile, freshman GG Jackson (<1%) took advantage of his chance to play big minutes in the first quarter when Jake LaRavia hurt his ankle. In 27 minutes, Jackson finished with 20 points, six rebounds, one assist, two blocks, and two 3-pointers.
Amen Thompson (10%) and Cam Whitmore (8%)
Though his minute’s limitation left the door slightly open for Whitmore, Dillon Brooks made a comeback to the Rockets lineup on Saturday. Using seven rebounds, one steal, one block, two 3-pointers, and 22 points in only 28 minutes, the youngster made the most of his chance. After scoring 10 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out three assists, and stealing three steals in 25 minutes, Thompson recorded his first double-double of the game.
The game finished with the Celtics winning 145-113, meaning both players spent more than half of their playing time in the second half. For this reason, the statistics should be regarded with caution. Whitmore, on the other hand, may be worth a look in deep leagues until Tari Eason is cleared to make a comeback from his injury to his left leg.
Miles McBride (1%)
Finally, but just as importantly, McBride started the season’s opening game in Saturday’s victory over Memphis because Jalen Brunson was out. In his 38 minutes of play, Deuce scored 19 points, pulled down six rebounds, gave five assists, stole one, blocked one, and made four 3-pointers. Fantasy managers should seek out McBride substitutes ahead of Monday’s 11-game schedule since his future worth is contingent upon Brunson’s availability.
