📈The NBA Dynasty Report - November 3, 2023📈 (Patreon)

Victor Wembanyama

38 PTS | 3-6 3PT | 10 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 2 BLK | 12-20 2PT | 5-6 FT | 34 MIN

🔸Rookies are always inconsistent, but occasionally they flash a preview of what their prime will look like - and this is what Victor will be doing regularly across his prime. Absolutely dominant at the rim (10-11) and hit a couple of ice cold jumpers in the 4th. The peak version of Victor Wembanyama will break fantasy basketball.

Paolo Banchero

30 PTS | 1-2 3PT | 9 REB | 5 AST | 3 STL | 2 BLK | 8-11 2PT | 11-15 FT | 36 MIN

🔸We missed this version of Paolo. What was the difference? A team-high 73 touches, 13 drives, and a perfect 6-6 at the rim (all of which were in transition or abusing Kelly Olynyk and John Collins).  Loved to see the defensive playmaking too - 11 contested shots! Let’s hope to see this Paolo against the Lakers on Saturday night.

Scottie Barnes

24 PTS | 2-7 3PT | 8 REB | 8 AST | 7-9 2PT | 4-4 FT | 35 MIN

🔸Scottie’s 3PT volume is up to 4.9 attempts per 75 possessions (3.1 last season) and he’s shooting 39.3% from deep. The midrange shooting is probably unsustainable - 54.3% (94th percentile) - but a lot of those attempts have been drives where Barnes is creating space and getting relatively easy looks in the paint. No blocks in this one but did contest seven shots, so expect more in the future.

Tyrese Maxey

18 PTS | 0-3 3PT | 1 REB | 4 AST | 2 STL | 7-13 2PT | 4-4 FT | 40 MIN

🔸Maxey might lead the NBA in minutes this season and he has every opportunity to be a top 25 fantasy producer. There’s nothing unsustainable in Maxey’s stat profile so far - this is the natural consequence of a supremely talented young player moving into a bigger on-ball role. Like Tyrese Haliburton after the Sabonis trade, we need to fully reassess Maxey’s value in dynasty leagues.

Cade Cunningham

22 PTS | 2-7 3PT | 2 REB | 11 AST | 1 STL | 6-15 2PT | 4-5 FT | 34 MIN

🔸Cade went 2 of 6 in the paint - smothered by Herb Jones and clouds of other Pelicans’ defenders because the Pistons’ spacing remains atrocious. Cade’s shooting and playmaking are exactly where we want them to be and his role is enormous (5th in the NBA in touches, 6th in time of possession), so I have no concerns here - Detroit just needs to put a roster around him like Dallas has for Luka.

Franz Wagner

21 PTS | 2-5 3PT | 4 REB | 5 AST | 4 STL | 7-16 2PT | 1-2 FT | 38 MIN

🔸Franz had some strong finishes over Walker Kessler in this one and the “Aggressive Franz” trend continued, even on a night where Paolo had a bigger role. This is what we needed to see from Wagner in Year 3.

Ausar Thompson

16 PTS | 0-6 3PT | 7 REB | 5 AST | 1 BLK | 5-11 2PT | 6-7 FT | 25 MIN

🔸Limited minutes due to foul trouble but still stuffed the stat sheet. Had a career-high six 3PT attempts and 17 field goal attempts, which is impressive confidence for someone shooting 6.3% (not a typo) from three this season. On the bright side, Ausar is shooting 78.9% at the line on 19 attempts, which signals shooting improvement on the horizon.

Walker Kessler

4 PTS | 10 REB | 1 AST | 5 BLK | 2-6 2PT | 25 MIN

🔸The blocks and boards returned - as we predicted in yesterday’s report. But Kessler continues to struggle at the rim (2-6 against ORL and 62.5% on the season) and he’s barely involved in the Jazz’s offense compared to last season. Look for the Jazz to get Kessler more involved as a screener as in the coming weeks.

Jalen Duren

12 PTS | 5 REB | 1 AST | 5-8 2PT | 2-2 FT | 25 MIN

🔸Five fouls and a late-game ejection against the Pels but it was good to see Duren back from the ankle injury. Maybe he won’t stick at the heights of his first three games, but I think he’ll be much better than this going forward.

Jeremy Sochan

14 PTS | 5 REB | 9 AST | 1 BLK | 7-13 2PT | 26 MIN

🔸Career-high 9 assists for Sochan who was limited by foul trouble against the Suns. Vassel’s absence will require Sochan to be more aggressive offensively (he’s only attempted eight 3PT all season).

Dyson Daniels

10 PTS | 2-2 3PT | 7 REB | 6 AST | 1 STL | 1-2 2PT | 2-2 FT | 25 MIN

🔸Some really nice development from Dyson here - hit a big three above the break with time running down to ice the game in the 4th, a smooth floater in the lane over Bagley, and demonstrated the quick trigger connective passing that we love from him. This is the player we’ve been waiting for.

Jaden Ivey

12 PTS | 1-3 3PT | 7 REB | 1 BLK | 3-3 2PT | 3-4 FT | 22 MIN

🔸The low minutes are hiding the fact that Ivey is making real progress from his rookie season. 66.7% at the rim, 40.9% from three and 83.3% at the line are HUGE leaps forward if they can hold. The increased efficiency is stemming from Ivey playing off-ball significantly more (only 38.9% of his shots were unassisted last year; 65.4% this season). I know this is frustrating but do not sell Jaden Ivey.

Cole Anthony

18 PTS | 2-4 3PT | 7 REB | 7 AST | 2 STL | 3-6 2PT | 6-6 FT | 31 MIN

🔸Is Cole Anthony the best guard in Orlando? We’re about to find out - Anthony saw expanded minutes with Fultz out with knee swelling and Gary Harris suffering a groin injury and his fantasy stat set popped once again. I continue to think Anthony is going to be a starting PG again and the shooting improvement we saw in 22-23 seems to be sticking this season.

Herb Jones

21 PTS | 0-1 3PT | 5 REB | 3 AST | 3 STL | 4 BLK | 6-6 2PT | 9-9 FT | 34 MIN

🔸Career-high 4 blocks and a career-high 9 free throws gave Herb one of the best stat lines of his career. We saw Herb flash this expanded game during the Pelicans’ ugly stretch in March/April last year but it’s important to note that his six makes were all at the rim, largely with little resistance from the Pistons’ defense.

Keyonte George

6 PTS | 1-1 3PT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 0-1 2PT | 3-5 FT | 17 MIN

🔸The slow build to Keyonte’s shot at the starting PG job continues - I loved the chemistry that he showed with Markkanen in this one (all three of his assists were to Lauri). That two-man game is vital to the Jazz’s future.

Anthony Black

9 PTS | 3 REB | 1 AST | 2 STL | 4-4 2PT | 1-3 FT | 16 MIN

🔸Black saw the first extended minutes of his career and instantly looked like the defensive disruptor we saw at Arkansas (4 deflections). All four of his makes were at the rim - on cuts and in transition - so it remains to be seen if he can be a viable halfcourt player yet. Should see rotation minutes if Fultz and Harris are going to miss more time.

Paul Reed

6 PTS | 5 REB | 1 BLK | 3-4 2PT | 12 MIN

🔸The Paul Reed Breakout is on pause if he’s going to be a straight backup to Embiid. But remember that Reed is just 24 years old, entering his prime, and locked into a long-term contract. BBall Paul’s moment is coming and his defensive improvement will drive more minutes in the future.

Jalen Suggs

6 PTS | 4 REB | 3 AST | 4 STL | 1-7 2PT | 4-4 FT | 21 MIN

🔸Suggs was 1-6 at the rim against the Jazz, but his elite steal rate (3.7%, 97th percentile) carried his fantasy performance. Not attempting any threes just isn’t going to work if Suggs is going to remain a starter but minutes were down due to foul trouble.

Gradey Dick

0 PTS | 1 AST | 0-2 2PT | 14 MIN

🔸Got the short end of the timeshare with Gary Trent Jr. against the Sixers and won’t be fantasy relevant until the Raptors move on from Trent. Unusual to see Dick not attempt a three in 14 minutes.

Marcus Sasser

19 PTS | 5-8 3PT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 1-2 2PT | 2-2 FT | 23 MIN

🔸Yesterday’s report flagged Sasser as a strong candidate to move into a big rotation role and that’s exactly what happened against the Pels. Once Monty Williams’ obsession with Killian Hayes ends, Sasser could maintain these minutes even with Burks, Bogdanovic and Morris returning.

Malaki Branham

3 PTS | 1-6 3PT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 1 BLK | 0-1 2PT | 20 MIN

🔸Branham will step in for Devin Vassell and he immediately understood the assignment in this game - getting up six three pointers. Branham can at least be a 20% usage player during Vassell’s absence and has a huge opportunity to establish his three-level scoring game.

Jordan Hawkins

6 PTS | 1-5 3PT | 1 REB | 0-2 2PT | 3-3 FT | 29 MIN

🔸Started again but was ice cold. Instead, we got 35 minutes and six threes from Matt Ryan. Hawkins will keep getting opportunities, but this team clearly needs Trey Murphy III’s shooting back in the lineup.

Jaden Springer

0 PTS | 2 REB | 1 AST | 0-1 2PT | 9 MIN

🔸Springer is likely on the outside of the rotation now that the Sixers have a deeper depth chart after the Harden trade. He remains a strong dynasty stash in leagues rostering 200+ players because of his upside as a big per-minute steals producer.

Kira Lewis Jr.

6 PTS | 0-1 3PT | 3 REB | 4 AST | 1 STL | 1-4 2PT | 4-4 FT | 20 MIN

🔸Playing well as a pick-and-roll operator and flying in transition - I continue to see Kira as at least a long-term backup point guard, even if it’s not in New Orleans.