In the end, I blame the fans. Fans keep watching the All-Star game, and so long as they do, the NBA will keep interrupting its regularly scheduled programming so we can watch the best players get uncontested dunks for 48 minutes. Please, I am begging you, do not watch this year.
There are two reasons why the All-Star break bothers me so much. First of all, it interrupts fantasy basketball. An entire week without roster moves or daily games makes Steve a dull boy. That is my second issue: The All-Star break now lasts an entire week. All-Star weekend was boring enough, but at least you knew the real games would come back soon enough. The only reason any sports league should skip an entire week in the middle of the season is the Olympics.
I’m still going to do my regular schedule preview, albeit a bit abbreviated with only three days—plus one game on Thursday—on the docket. Before I get to that, I decided since the All-Star break dominates the schedule, I should take some time to look at the impact of this week off on the fantasy landscape. While I still think the break is too long, there is no denying it comes at the perfect time for several players. Here are the players most in need of a week off:
Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
Derrick Rose can come out after every Bulls loss and say the team needs to play harder, but the truth is the Bulls are struggling because had coach Tom Thibodeau has worn out Jimmy Butler. Butler leads the NBA with 39.8 minutes per game, nearly two minutes more than the next closest player, Kyrie Irving. This is not new; Butler tied Carmelo Anthony for most mpg last season. With Mike Dunleavy out and Derrick Rose playing like he is the second-best point guard on the Bulls roster, Butler has to carry Chicago on both ends of the floor while playing more minutes than anybody. It has clearly showed in his performance. Butler averaged 21.9 ppg in November and 21.5 in December before dropping all the way to 17.9 in January. He missed his second game of the season last week with an illness and tied his career-high with 35 points two days later. Butler is unfortunately playing in the All-Star game, but even so he should benefit greatly from some time off. I think he will be very good coming out of the All-Star Break, at least for a few games.
Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis, Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are probably the shallowest team in the NBA, and Thursday’s game at Sacramento is their seventh in 10 days. Monta Ellis has combined to go 14-of-40 from the field over the last two games while Dirk Nowitzki, who is averaging 18.2 ppg on the season, hasn’t scored more than 16 in any of his last six games. I don’t know if you can buy low on those two guys after the break, but you should probably try.
Markieff Morris, Phoenix Suns
Morris is averaging nearly four more minutes per game than last season, and it is beginning to show in his performance. Over his last seven games, Morris is averaging 13.6 points on 44 percent shooting, both well below his season averages. He has actually been dropped in some shallow leagues, but he should bounce back after the break.
Before we get to the break, however, we do have three days of games plus Bulls/Cavaliers on Thursday. Here are a few nice pickups for those games:
Tristan Thompson, Cleveland Cavaliers (Home vs. Heat, Road vs. Bulls) Thompson has 23 rebounds in two games against the Bulls this season, including 12 offensive rebounds on Halloween. The Heat are susceptible to rebounders as well, with the fifth-lowest rebound percentage in the NBA despite the insane play of Hassan Whiteside. The Bulls are also the fifth-most blocked team in the NBA, which bodes well for Thompson.
DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta Hawks (Road vs. Timberwolves, Road vs. Celtics) Only four teams have allowed more points per game than the Celtics, with the Timberwolves leading the way. DeMarre Carroll has scored 12 or more points in five of his last six games. Dennis Schroder is a good play in deeper leagues, as the Timberwolves have allowed the most points per game and highest field goal percentage inside five feet of any team in the league. Schroder should be able to get to the rim in both games.
O.J. Mayo, Milwaukee Bucks (Home vs. Nets, Home vs. Kings) Mayo is probably worth a pickup on his own merit, as he is averaging 14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists on 47.5 percent shooting over his last 10 games. It doesn’t hurt that the Nets and Kings are both playing dismal basketball right now. The only team to allow more points over their last 15 games than the Kings are the Magic, with the Nets not far behind. John Henson, Jared Dudley and Jerryd Bayless should be good plays this week as well.
I am already looking forward to next week’s schedule breakdown, as I will have one more day of games to preview. Until then I have to figure out what to do with all the time I will have not watching NBA games. Should I start doing yoga again? Is it time for me to finally read Slaughterhouse Five? How do you plan on passing the time until the games matter again? Let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.