Five things to watch this week: Warriors, Lakers back on track?

Here are a fewer thoughts from the Hoops Lab arsenic we hole for Week 7 of the phantasy hoops season.

Keep successful mind, the Fantasy Basketball Rest of Season Rankings besides update connected Mondays, truthful cheque those retired arsenic your hole for this week's NBA games. Between the rankings and this article, we'll besides assistance you place immoderate bully buy-low/sell-high candidates.

So, without further ado, let's excavation into it.

LeBron is backmost and Lakers are rolling?

LeBron James returned aft missing 5 games with a groin issue, and helium picked close up wherever helium near disconnected to the tune of 30.0 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 4.0 APG, 4.0 3PG, 2.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG successful 34.0 MPG successful his archetypal 2 games back.

James came backmost conscionable successful clip for Anthony Davis to beryllium portion dealing with a calf issue. In the six games earlier helium sat connected Saturday, Davis had scored astatine slightest 24 points with astatine slightest 14 rebounds successful each six, averaging 31.8 PPG, 17.0 RPG, 2.7 BPG, 2.5 APG and 2.0 SPG during that stretch. Perhaps astir remarkably, helium was averaging 0.0 3PG during those games, doing each of his harm wrong the arc, which mightiness beryllium wherefore helium was shooting 61.7 FG% successful that span.

The Lakers look to person recovered their level arsenic a team, winning 5 of their past six games, though admittedly the contention level wasn't precisely stellar.

On the phantasy front, it's noteworthy that the different Lakers settled into productive roles with either LeBron oregon Davis putting up video crippled numbers.

Russell Westbrook averaged 15.2 PPG, 10.0 APG, 4.4 RPG and 1.8 3PG successful the 5 games James was out; Lonnie Walker IV (available successful 72.7% of leagues) has averaged 19.4 PPG (52.0 FG%, 88.9 FT%), 2.6 3PG, 1.7 APG, 1.6 RPG and 0.8 SPG successful the past 7 games; and Dennis Schroder (available successful 75.8% of leagues) popped for 21 points, 6 assists, 3 3-pointers and 3 rebounds successful the past crippled with Davis (and the pugnacious Patrick Beverley) sitting. Will determination beryllium country for everyone to nutrient with some LeBron and Davis successful the lineup?

Hopefully, wellness volition let america to commencement answering that question this week.

Warriors uncovering their level?

After starting the play 0-7 connected the road, the Warriors person present won 2 of their past 3 distant from home, including Sunday's 23-point demolition successful Minnesota. More than that, the squad that unexpectedly began the run with a 6-9 people done 15 games has present won 5 of their past six outings, with the 1 nonaccomplishment being the crippled successful which they sat each of their superior players.

The biggest caller contributors to the large turnaround are 2 of the oldest contributors connected the team. Draymond Green (available successful 20.4% of leagues) has averaged 11.0 PPG, 8.6 APG, 5.8 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 0.8 3PG and 0.6 SPG during that stretch, portion Klay Thompson has rediscovered his shooting stroke. Thompson produced his archetypal 40-point crippled of the play during that run, turning successful averages of 24.0 PPG (53.8 FG%, 80.0 FT%), 5.6 3PG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 APG and 1.2 SPG.

While Stephen Curry is amazing, and guys similar Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole are the future, the Warriors (and phantasy rosters) conscionable aren't the aforesaid without Draymond and Klay playing astatine a precocious level arsenic well. Now that they've recovered their levels, I expect that lone wounded would propulsion them backmost disconnected their squares this season.

76ers overcoming issues acknowledgment to Milton & Melton

Five games ago, Tyrese Maxey fractured a ft bony and joined James Harden (foot) connected the sidelines. Four games ago, Joel Embiid (foot) was forced to the sidelines arsenic well.

Yet, somehow, the 76ers person won 3 of their past 4 games, punctuated by their 30-point triumph successful Orlando, Florida, connected Sunday. Tobias Harris has played well, averaging 22.8 PPG (51.3 FG%, 88.9 FT%), 6.5 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.3 3PG and 0.8 SPG during those 4 games, but the existent communicative has been the 76ers' caller backcourt.

Shake Milton (available successful 85.2% of leagues) has led the way, averaging 23.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 6.6 APG, 2.6 3PG and 0.8 SPG successful 38.6 MPG implicit his past 5 outings.

Not to beryllium outdone, De'Anthony Melton (available successful 69.7% of leagues) has astatine slightest 3 steals successful 5 consecutive games and has averaged 17.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.8 SPG, 3.8 APG and 3.4 3PG during his past five.

It volition beryllium absorbing to spot if they tin support putting up specified large numbers erstwhile Embiid returns, but until they amusement immoderate motion of slowing (or Harden and/or Maxey return), the Milton/Melton duo should beryllium universally rostered and starting successful astir leagues.

Zion's 100th-game celebration

Zion Williamson is expected to play his 100th vocation crippled connected Monday. In his career, helium is averaging 25.3 PPG connected 60.0 FG%. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, nary subordinate to debut successful the shot-clock epoch has ever averaged 25 points connected 60% shooting done his archetypal 100 vocation games.

In fact, the lone players to bash it implicit immoderate 100-game span successful the changeable timepiece epoch are Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Kevin McHale and Wilt Chamberlain. So, support an oculus out.

If Zion is making shots astatine his accustomed clip connected Monday, helium has a accidental to marque NBA history. And quietly, if you person Zion connected your phantasy hoops team, and helium does acceptable the mark, it mightiness not beryllium the worst thought to enactment immoderate feelers retired successful your league to spot if anyone has involvement successful trading for an NBA history-maker astatine afloat cost.

After all, I mean, he's lone connected his 100th game, and we're good into the 4th NBA play since he's been drafted. Just saying.

Pacers softly balling

One time, connected an awards show, Lil Mama jumped onto the signifier and crashed the show of Jay Z and Alisha Keys. When that show coiled down with each 3 freezing successful a last pose, idiosyncratic connected the aerial described the representation arsenic looking similar Lil Mama had photoshopped herself into the scene.

I'm reminded of that erstwhile I look astatine the Eastern Conference playoff representation a 4th of the mode into the season. The names connected the database work similar an expected who's who of the league -- with the Pacers seemingly photoshopped successful astatine the 4-seed.

The Pacers were expected to beryllium a heavy lottery squad that could trigger a afloat rebuild astatine immoderate 2nd by trading distant veterans Myles Turner and/or Buddy Hield, apt to the Lakers. Instead, the Pacers person won 7 of their past 10 games and are a squad nary 1 peculiarly wants to play.

They're besides a squad with plentifulness of phantasy hoops charisma, led by Tyrese Haliburton. Haliburton leads the NBA successful assists per crippled -- by similar a lot. His 11.1 APG are astir 2 per crippled much than second-place Trae Young's 9.4, and are much than 3 much than fifth-place Mike Conley's 7.9. In class leagues, Haliburton could triumph assists for you by himself.

In points leagues, Haliburton's elite playmaking has helped propel him to the sixth-most phantasy points done the archetypal almost-quarter of the season. But Haliburton is acold from the lone FBA communicative connected the Pacers.

What of the aforementioned Turner and Hield? In his past 10 games, Turner is averaging 20.0 PPG (59.6 FG%, 85.2 FT%), 8.6 RPG, 2.2 BPG and 1.8 3PG successful 29.4 MPG. Hield remains a nonrecreational scorer and has averaged 18.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 3.9 3PG, 2.7 APG and 1.3 SPG successful his past 15 outings.

They are fantabulous for the Pacers, but support successful caput if they were to beryllium traded this season, it's improbable they'd onshore connected a squad with arsenic overmuch abstraction for them to operate. If I person them connected my phantasy hoops roster and I tin plaything it, I'd apt effort to determination either/both portion their values are astatine comparative peaks.

I'd besides support successful caput what a imaginable commercialized mightiness mean for players similar Jalen Smith (available successful 60.7% of leagues) and Bennedict Mathurin (available successful 42.8% of leagues). Both Smith and Mathurin are having fantasy-worthy campaigns already, and there's nary warrant that Turner oregon Smith volition beryllium moved, but if they were, Smith and Mathurin are some precise young players with plentifulness of upside, and their values would spell up rather a spot arsenic the featured players astatine their positions.

Just thing to support successful caput arsenic imaginable tiebreakers if you're deciding betwixt dealing for them vs. different akin caliber players.