Augustin has been on fire as of late.
Finding the right fit for your fantasy basketball team is essential. As we near the mid-point of the season know as the Slam Dunk contest, it’s important to evaluate your team. Where are you lacking in stats? Where do you have a surplus? What injuries are holding your team back?
You’ve had plenty of time for your players to establish their identity, now go out and fill the holes that you have. If you’re looking for players to move or make a move for, here are a few names to keep in mind.
Three Up
D.J. Augustin, PG, Charlotte Bobcats
Playing a solid nine games under .500, the Bobcats are a mere game out of the 8th spot in the east and a playoff berth. With that in mind, it appears Augustin has decided to carry the load. He’s averaging 6 ppg over his season average during the last two weeks and he continues to distribute the ball very efficiently (5.4:1 points to turnover ratio). And even with a four of 17 shooting night at Minnesota, he’s still shoot 48.5% from the field over the last five games.
Tony Allen, SG, Memphis Grizzlies
Allen has seen his productivity rise as his minutes have gone up. Over the last five games he has 17 steals and four double-digit scoring games to boot. Plus, with his high-energy game, he’s been averaging 0.8 blocks per game, very high for any shooting guard. While his productivity as a scorer can be inconsistent at times, his ability to get those hard to find stats make him a great bench asset.
DeAndre Jordan, C, Los Angeles Clippers
While Blake Griffin may get all the attention with his high flying acrobatics, Jordan deserves more attention for his productive play. He’s averaging 2.5 bpg over the past month, more than three times what Griffin is doing. He’s also making the most out of his limited number of shots, hitting 74% of his field goal attempts. Add in that his ppg and rpg are both up nearly two per game over the past month, and he’s looking like a very solid play at center.
Three Down
Tim Duncan, PF, C, San Antonio Spurs
The Big Fundamental looks like he needs to get back to basics. Duncan is hitting less than 50% of his FG and averaging under 10 rpg for the first time in his career. He’s also averaging more than six ppg below his career average. Since December 22nd, he’s had over 10 rebounds exactly once, and he’s managed over 20 points only once. If this is the savvy vet’s way of saving himself for the post season, then fantasy owners who drafted him are in for a long season.
Jason Terry, G, Dallas Mavericks
While many fantasy basketball owners are itching for Dirk to get back, Terry is probably covered in hives he misses him so bad. Since Dirk went down, Terry has not gone over four assists in a single game. He’s also only found himself at the charity stripe three times over that five game span, well below his season average. While he has been shooting closer to his season average in the last three, he still can’t wait to see Dirk back on the floor.
Darko Milicic, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
While some were excited to see Milicic performing at a career higher level to start the season, fantasy owners need to remember that it’s all relative. Over the past month, he’s averaging under four rebounds a game. He had four games in December where he scored exactly zero points. Even his blocks per game, which was up near three, has fallen to less than two on average over the past month. It seems that with Beasley and Love doing all the heavy lifting, there is very little work left for Milicic to do.
