YOUNG PLAYERS HEATING UP

 UPSYDE SPORTS PRESENTS:

YOUNG PLAYERS HEATING UP:

It's that time again when tanking teams start giving their young players reps. Between trades, resting, and buyouts, young players can make a difference for a fantasy team and can give people an idea about which players are trending upward into the summer. This information can affect the draft, free agents added, or could be used to leverage a more valuable asset. Here's a list I've put together of players that are surprisingly good over the last two weeks.

PJ WASHINGTON (Drafted 134th) - Washington has had a very up and down season, but with Cody Zeller out, Charlotte has been playing small ball 5 with him and Biyombo mixing it up. Washington being thrust into a larger roll has helped him tremendously, as his rebounding and blocking is up 50% over his season averages. With LaMelo Ball out for the year, he may be asked to take on a larger offensive role as well. While his numbers aren't eye popping - 12/7.5/3 - 1.6 BPG/1.6 3PG - his combination of strong percentages, multi-position eligibility, two way ability, and opportunity down the stretch make him a valuable asset. His turnovers are his big crux, but for a guy that was dropped earlier in the year, he's making you second guess that decision right now.

JORDAN POOLE (Waivers) - He's been phenomenal since Curry went down. With the Warriors starting to slip out of the play-in tournament prospective and New Orleans hot on their coat tails, Poole has been unleashed. The 21-year old has been putting up 19.9 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.9 3PG on 49.5% FG and 92% FT over the last two weeks. While he has almost no turnovers, he doesn't really contribute in any of the defensive categories. It's possible he's just hot right now, but with no other significant scoring threats outside of Wiggins, Poole will likely continue this role until Curry returns. Should Curry get shut down or rested, he could retain a larger role than he had been to this point. Golden State has done admirably considering they have been without Klay all year, yet they need to be realistic with their expectations and allow their young players develop for a run next year.

RJ BARRETT (Drafted 139th) - After a less than impressive Rookie Year, he's bounced back in a big way and has been a major reason why the Knicks are eyeing a playoff lock. Over the past two weeks, he's averaging 21.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.3 APG, with 49.6% FG and 73.7% FT. All of these are major improvements to a guy that looked lost last year. His efficiency and confidence has improved drastically, and the Knicks are hopeful they can add one more guy to allow him to play his game more thoroughly. His turnovers are still not ideal, but if they can add a legit point guard to the mix at the deadline, it could allow him to play more off the ball and improve his efficiency. Derrick Rose was supposed to be that guy, but honestly I think he was brought there more for mentorship than to propel their team to new heights.

NICKIEL ALEXANDER-WALKER (Waivers) - With Lonzo out and actively being shopped, he could be a back-of-rotation guy that you might want to keep an eye on. He's been a productive role player all year, but if he's asked to take on a larger role, he's the guy over Kira Lewis I would focus my attention on. In only 23.3 MPG over the last two weeks he's averaging 13.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 2.3 3PG. He's gotten sporadic defensive stats as well and has a respectable 44.9% FG and 83.3% FT over this period. If Lonzo gets moved he could either end up being the 2-guard with Bledsoe moving to the point, or potentially be tasked to run point all together. He's scored 18 or more points in 3 of his last 4 games, rebounds well for a guard, and doesn't frustrate you with a bunch of turnovers.

DARIUS GARLAND (Drafted 123rd) - He's quickly becoming one of the top point guards in the league - statistically speaking. He's probably not going to be a Damian Lillard / Steph Curry elite scorer, yet his all around game is very advanced for a 21 year old. Over the past two weeks he's averaging 18.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 2.1 3PG on 45.4% FG and 81.8 FT. He's scored 22 or more points in 3 of his last 5 games, including a career-high 29 points. He's on a 6-game streak of one steal per game. As he continues to heat up, he'll continue to get mid-30s minutes per game, and as long as he can stay healthy, he should be a top-75 player the rest of the way.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

I've talked too much about them lately but some other interesting players to keep an eye on:

- Anthony Edwards
- Moses Brown
- Robert Williams III (aka Time Lord)

- Adam Safianow - NBA Analyst - Upsyde Sports [Copyright 2021]

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