Lauri Markkanen among most improved

One happening I'm annually thankful for erstwhile spending Thanksgiving backmost east? That frosty November chill 1 receives whilst dashing extracurricular to harvest the section insubstantial of record. (Today's: The Washington Post. Tomorrow's: The Bucks County Courier Times.)

Come Thanksgiving week, I would instrumentality a shallop crossed the bay to get a tactile newspaper.

Something astir the odor of newsprint, combined with my acold weather-triggered asthma, fires my youthful appetite for what awaits wrong the backmost leafage of a tactile sports section. For therein lies the lagniappe each section insubstantial provides: its generous bounty of NBA container scores.

But with wicked-heartfelt apologies to Dr. Naismith, we play phantasy hoops successful a station peach-basket age. An property wherever voicing a day-old stat emblazons a manager with a scarlet G...for "geriatric."

In this caller world, with a fewer keystrokes, the web whitethorn stitchery an automated cornucopia of immoderate and each indispensable statistics. From minutes played to usage rate, collated, condensed, and pressed -- similar apples from the orchard -- into immoderate configuration we require.

(You get it. I emotion Thanksgiving. I'll halt now.)

So wherefore bash container scores clasp specified allure? Speaking for myself, 3 goals:

1. to imprint a Cliff's Notes connected the communicative of each game

2. the dopamine burst I get erstwhile I spot players defying and surpassing hot-take expectations

3. signs that a subordinate is opening to adhd a caller stat to his phantasy portfolio.

It's 1 of my favourite aspects of the waiver-wire hunt; being archetypal to spot faint signs a subordinate is permanently adding an other steal, 3-pointer, etc. to his per-game averages. Circumstances successful the NBA acquisition changeless change.

Any azygous determination successful a quality cycle's cascade of trades, injuries, coaching changes, rotational tweaks, and caller systems could springiness a subordinate a accidental to amusement thing caller successful his toolbelt.

It starts with an other block. A steal. A mates of further assists. A fewer bonus trips to the escaped propulsion line. Soon... said subordinate starts to supply that other accumulation regularly. That added stat becomes a trend.

Then successful time, it becomes an expectation. The higher slot connected the Player Rater stabilizes. Said player's elevated phantasy estimation ossifies into a caller normal.

For this writer, my box-score panning for added stats inspires a slate of interior phrases. Last nighttime offered 1 "where the ___ did that travel from?": Oshae Brisett's garbage-time-inspired 18 points and 4 3-pointers. Also, A.J. Griffin's 2nd "I spot you" enactment this month; 17 points, 3 3-pointers and 3 steals. (Meaning successful heavy leagues, Griffin's enactment besides yielded a "BWARRGGGGH! Is Griffin inactive available?")

With the 2022-23 play feeling much and much similar a transitional campaign, this season's container scores percolate with myriad caller normals. Let's instrumentality a look astatine 2 caller container scores by 2 players with the imaginable to nutrient caller normals.

Royce O'Neale, SF/PF, Brooklyn Nets

The container score: Nov. 20 vs. Memphis Grizzlies -- 12 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 3s, 1 block.

A consummate deep-league glue guy, O'Neale averaged implicit 30 MPG successful Utah implicit the past mates of seasons. In 2021-22, the surefire playing clip helped O'Neale mean 1.5 3s, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, contempt his single-digit usage rate.

There's been moments wherever O'Neale flashed expanded phantasy potential. But successful Utah's seemingly star-crossed dynamic, thing ever locked into a trend, oregon an added stat. But 3 caller developments are radically upgrading O'Neale's in-game upside: 1) Danny Ainge's summertime demolition of Utah's roster, which landed O'Neale successful Brooklyn 2) Jacque Vaughn's in-season promotion to caput coach, and Vaughn's demotion of Ben Simmons 3) Kevin Durant's nodding astir helium and O'Neale's chemistry.

Struggling, inconsistent, underperforming teams each look for The Lever. Something to propulsion that volition stabilize performances, make consistency, and supply momentum. The Nets already pulled the classical Lever, replacing Steve Nash with the intrepid Jacque Vaughn.

Now, Vaughn is known successful immoderate circles for his plus-10-year NBA career. But successful my cervix of the woods, Vaughn is champion regarded for his legendary generalship of Pasadena's John Muir High School Mustangs.

And Vaughn, evidencing the in-game savvy, adroit strategical acumen, lightning-fast analytic grasp, and sky-high affectional quality celebrated amongst each John Muir High School alumni, instantly recognized his Lever: O'Neale arsenic the facilitator.

(Author's note: Did I conscionable effort to food up my son's guidance counselor? It's Thanksgiving. Leave maine alone.)

This young Nets play has yet to output galore pleasant surprises. But O'Neale arsenic point-forward is surely a blessed development. Over the 3 erstwhile seasons successful Utah, O'Neale posted an identical assist-per-game average: 2.5 APG. So acold for this season, O'Neale is averaging 4.6 APG. Over this past week: 6.7 APG.

Over his past 2 games? O'Neale dished a combined 19 dimes. The archetypal of those games was a triple-double: 11 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists.

Lauri Markkanen, SF/PF, Utah Jazz

The container score: Nov. 19 vs. Portland Trail Blazers -- 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 3s, 1 steal.

To date, my favourite roto occurrence communicative of this play is Markkanen, the subordinate replacing O'Neale successful the Jazz' Aingified lineup. (I've been watching Mr. Ainge since my earliest days of pursuing the NBA. And this roster is scrappy, combustible Peak Ainge.)

Markkanen's my favourite due to the fact that helium topples accepted wisdom; that helium was doomed to his Bulls rep of oft-injured, one-trick agelong four. Not galore noticed the changes afoot during Markkanen's (again, injury-shortened) 2021-22 campaign. In Cleveland, Markkanen began to log clip astatine tiny forward. Jarret Allen's wounded opened up much playing time, and Markkanen began to elevate successful his caller role.

Still, Markkanen's debased ADP belies a deficiency of religion successful his imaginable connected the Jazz. This was conscionable the byproduct of his creaky Chicago rep. This is simply a lawsuit of, implicit a mates of moves, a young subordinate with precocious upside and checkered wounded history, elevating into his perfect role, aligned with an optimized roster.

Markkanen's doing a small much of everything crossed the board. But he's softly ladling connected 2 added stats... to beryllium honest, they're much similar "reclaimed stats."

Markkanen cracked the 60.0 TS% obstruction 1 different play successful his vocation erstwhile helium posted a 61.9 TS% successful 2020-21. But arsenic of this writing, Markkanen is going Steph Curry each implicit his vocation 57.5 TS% with a gaudy 64.2 TS%.

And aft a three-year diminution successful rebounds per game? Markkanen's resurrected his early-career mojo disconnected the glass. Regardless of his different stats, immoderate SF chipping successful 8.5 RPG is worthy rostering. But arsenic the lagniappe to a copious feast including 22.4 PPG, 2.1 3PG, 0.9 BPG, and the aforementioned 64.2 TS%?

Only a phantasy glutton would deficiency the gratitude to hoist their flagon to the harvest satellite and connection Markkanen a toast of autumnal thanks.