We just had a wild NBA trade deadline week and multiple teams’ roster compositions changed and while players are transitioning to new situations and learning the offensive flow, reserve players often see a few more minutes especially with the All-Star break right around the corner. There will be a lot of short-term solutions to take shots on as players are auditioning for more minutes during this very short open window in which rotations are resetting. As we head down the stretch and start putting our teams into playoff-clinching situations, look at player stats from the last week if a new impactful injury occurred and the last two weeks to find the trends. Don’t use season-long stats as a crutch.
 

 


42% Rostered: Bazley’s production has exploded in February as he’s scored 13-plus points in 5 straight games. Some of this is due to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being out but even when he comes back, Bazley is a frontcourt player and the Thunder need as much help as they can get with any kind of interior scoring. Bazley has taken 10 or more field goals in 5 of his last 7 contests and he’s playing consistently in the mid-30s. He’s also improved his rebounding recently grabbing eight-plus in five of his last seven games. Bazley will be a mainstay in the Thunder’s rotation for the rest of the season and we thought we’d be seeing more of these stat-lines all season long. He’s absolutely a long-term add and he’s even blocked four shots combined in his last two games and he’s blocked 1.2 shots per game and has also grabbed steals in 7 straight outings.
 

 


36% Rostered: Clarke’s production has been up and down throughout the season, but he’s been given 20 minutes or more in his last few games. This recent production uptick should keep his minutes over 20 as he’s blocked shots in 3 straight games and is swatting away 1.1 shots per contest. Clarke has been averaging double figures in scoring and has hit the 10-point mark in 5 straight battles, but it’s the defense that will keep Clarke afloat as the Grizzlies have other forwards that can provide offense. Clarke has posted four games of grabbing seven or more rebounds in his last five. He’s even produced steals in four of his last six games. Clarke is good at working the post and attacking the rim from the elbow and getting himself in good position to keep plays alive for Memphis. If his minutes start to dip release him back out and find another forward.


 

 


28% Rostered: Thomas could end up being a short-term solution as the Nets just acquired Seth Curry in the Ben Simmons-James Harden trade, but we have to remember that Joe Harris is still hurt and we don’t know when we’ll see him take the floor again, the Nets have limited offensive weapons upfront until Kevin Durant comes back (no clear timetable) and we can’t forget that Kyrie Irving still can’t play home games and that certainly leaves room for Thomas to still play 20-25 minutes most nights. He’s hit the 20-point mark 4 times in his last 5 battles and he took no fewer than 16 shots in any game. Thomas has been feisty on the perimeter and that has resulted in him grabbing more steals and he’s posted swipes in five straight outings. He’s even pulled down four pr more rebounds in each of his last three games.
 

 


27% Rostered: Winslow is a must-add because the Blazers traded away a lot of depth to begin their partial re-build and they are very limited in forward and center depth and we should see Winslow play 30 minutes or more in most games for the rest of the way. He’s hit double figures in scoring and took 10 or more shots in his last 3 games and he dished at least 3 dimes in all 3 contests. He’s been helpful on the defensive end as well grabbing seven or more boards in three of his last four games. He’s stolen the ball seven times combined in his last three outings and he’s blocked shots in three of his last four games. Let’s not forget that back when Winslow was with the Heat he was helping run the point and he’s looking at a lot of time with the ball for the remainder of the season.

 

 


17% Rostered: Mann has been heating up again and this could very well be a short-term solution, but we can’t deny that even after the arrival of Norman Powell and Robert Covington, Mann is still getting a good amount of minutes and familiarity with the offense is on his side because he’s been with the team. We also don’t know when Paul George will take the court again but we should know more about his future in the next couple of weeks, but it’s looking like he’ll at least miss another month of action and we won’t see Kawhi Leonard meaning Mann can continue playing 28-30 minutes per game. Mann has scored 13 or more points in his last 3 games and he’s posted 3 multi-steal games in his last 4. He’s pulling down 5.2 rebounds per game. Seeing him take double-digit shots is very encouraging that he won’t lose minutes.

 

 


25% Rostered: February has been a fun month for Kuminga as he’s enjoyed the extra playing time being given to him due to Draymond Green’s health issues. Andre Iguodala and even Otto Porter Jr. being banged up has given Kuminga more breathing room in the Warriors rotation and he’s able to work with the Warriors fast pace of play. He’s scored at least 12 points in 6 straight contests and he’s grabbed 5 or more boards in 3 of those games. He’s even blocked shots in back-to-back games. Kuminga has opened a lot of eyes and even when Draymond Green comes back, he’ll still need to help out Kevon Looney at center until James Wiseman is ready to roll and that itself has been a slow process. Kuminga has taken nine or more field goals in five of his last six contests.

 

 


6% Rostered: We’ve seen Williams start to get a bit more aggressive on the glass and as I said before, there is room for minutes to go around in the Thunder’s frontcourt and at least for a few more games, Williams should see a few more shots as he’s scored 10 or more points in 3 of his last 6 contests and he’s even dished 4 or more assists in 4 of his last 6 games. Williams has posted two games in which he’s grabbed 10 or more rebounds in his last 3. Williams is good at going after loose balls and he posted a steal in three of his last four battles and he blocked shots in four of his last five games. Williams has been playing 21-22 minutes per game and he’s seen more minutes in his last 4 games and if he keeps coming through defensively, he’ll play 25-30 minutes per game for the rest of the season.

 

 


23% Rostered: Crowder is finally starting to look like he’s shaking the rust from being out towards the end of January and Crowder has grabbed seven or more rebounds in five straight games and he scored in double figures in three of his last four games. Crowder will help stretch the floor, but he’s also good at getting open right inside the arc. The Suns can rely on Cam Johnson for instant offense off the bench if they want, but the reason they are so strong is because of their defense, and Crowder and Mikal Bridges are very strong defenders on the perimeter. Crowder has also produced swipes in four of his last seven contests. He’s hit the 30-minute mark when it comes to playing time in three of his last four games.

 

 


4% Rostered: The departure of Spencer Dinwiddie and Bradley Beal having season-ending Wrist surgery leaves a few voids to fill and when it comes to who will be running the point for the rest of the way for Washington, it’ll come down to Neto and newly-acquired Ish Smith. We have to give the edge to Neto for now and he’s looking at 28-32 minutes for the rest of the season. Once Kristaps Porzingis is ready to play, he’ll have a very big target to feed that’ll help boost his assist numbers. Neto has played 28-plus minutes in both of his last 2 games and has scored in double-digits and dished 4 or more dimes. He’s also posted swipes in two of his last four outings. He’s quick and has no problem sacrificing his body when he’s driving. He’s a good guard to have at the end of your fantasy basketball bench.

 

 


23% Rostered: The Pacers have holes to fill in the post as Domantas Sabonis is traded, Myles Turner is hurt, T.J. Warren is still out and until we see how exactly Jalen Smith (just traded to the Pacers) is utilized, we can put full trust in Brissett. He’s scored 15 or more points in both of his last 2 contests and he’s grabbed 6 or more boards in 3 straight contests. He’s even coming off of a two-block game and he’s grabbed steals in two of his last three outings. We should start to see him take eight to 10 shots per game and he’s knocked down three-pointers in 3 straight outings. We’ve even seen Brissett play 29 or more minutes in both of his last 2 contests. At least until Turner comes back, Brissett should see a lot of PF minutes with Torrey Craig traded away. Smith can back up Goga Bitadze as the big man in the middle for now.