It’s NBA All-Star Weekend. Lightning! Explosions! Supernovas!
You should partake in the festivities, of course, but the best fantasy owners will use this moment of respite to build up their teams for the second half of their two-week battles. Which brings to mind another quiet and dedicated worker: Brian Roberts. (It’s also appropriate because Roberts plays for the New Orleans Pelicans and guess where the All-Star festivities are this year?)
Let’s get into a thought exercise of the Bill Simmons variety. Which of the statlines below represents NOLA’s Brian Roberts?
Player A: 2.0 Points, 2.0 Assists, 1.0 Rebounds, 0.0 Steals, 0.0 Blocks, 0.0 Three-Pointers Made, all on 50.0 FG% shooting.
Player B: 5.6 Points, 2.2 Assists, 0.9 Rebounds, 0.5 Steals, 0.1 Blocks, 0.8 Three-Pointers Made, on 39.0 FG% and 100.0 FT% shooting.
Player C: 4.9 Points, 2.1 Assists, 1.5 Rebounds, 0.4 Steals, 0.1 Blocks, 0.5 Three-Pointers Made, on 37.8 FG% and 100.0 FT% shooting.
Player D: 10.8, 3.6, 2.7, 0.4, 0.0, 1.1 3PM, on 47.2 FG% and 89.7 FT%.
And, Player E: 13.9, 4.3, 2.7, 1.4, 0.0, 1.4 3PM, on 44.7% and 100.0 FT%.
The answer? All of them.
The above lists the monthly averages of Brian Roberts for the first half of the season. With Jrue Holiday playing ahead of him through the beginning of January (up to the Player C statline), Roberts wasn’t close to a fantasy asset. In the months of January and February (Player D and E respectively), Roberts has played solid ball and is assuredly a fantasy option until Holiday returns. Just ask our own Josh Collacchi. XN Sports’ Igor Derysh had a nice Week 16 waiver wire list but I would have included BR on there as well as he’s been posting 15.8 Points, 4.3 Assists, 3.3 Rebounds, 1.8 Steals, 2.0 Three-Pointers Made, on a very nice 48.0 FG% (esp. for a point guard) and, yes, his oft-appearing 100.0 FT%.
Holiday, for that matter, has been out for five weeks and still has not timetable for return. Roberts’ shine won’t last forever but he certainly deserves a fantasy exposé for the time being.
