NBA Barometer: Rubio, Thomas Among Point Guards on the Rise

NBA Barometer: Rubio, Thomas Among Point Guards on the Rise

This article is part of our NBA Barometer series.

Point Guard

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Ricky Rubio, UTA: Prior to a Tuesday night clunker against the Pistons, Rubio had rattled off seven consecutive double-digit scoring efforts, topping out with a spectacular 30-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist performance against the Pelicans on Sunday. His transformation from a pass-first point guard to a more aggressive offensive asset has been notable this season, although he's certainly still capable of serving as a skilled facilitator when called upon. Rubio is currently averaging career highs in points (12.3), shooting percentage (40.3), shot attempts (10.7) and three-point attempts (3.4) on the season. While the boost in scoring has brought an overall drop in assists, he's still averaging 7.0 dimes over the last seven games, and his solid complementary production in rebounds and steals makes him an increasingly well-rounded component of fantasy rosters.

Isaiah Thomas, LAL: Thomas increasingly looks like he has the hang of this fast-paced Lakers system now, as he's scored 19 to 29 points in six of the last eight games while putting up a robust 16.4 shot attempts across 30.3 minutes over that span. That degree of playing time is highly encouraging as well, and he's notably logged at least 30 minutes in each of his last three games. Given the sheer volume of possessions Los Angeles typically churns out, and his increasing comfort level, Thomas' arrow is undoubtedly pointing up at present.

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George Hill, CLE: There was some thought that a move to a postseason contender might revive Hill's season,

Point Guard

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Ricky Rubio, UTA: Prior to a Tuesday night clunker against the Pistons, Rubio had rattled off seven consecutive double-digit scoring efforts, topping out with a spectacular 30-point, 10-rebound, seven-assist performance against the Pelicans on Sunday. His transformation from a pass-first point guard to a more aggressive offensive asset has been notable this season, although he's certainly still capable of serving as a skilled facilitator when called upon. Rubio is currently averaging career highs in points (12.3), shooting percentage (40.3), shot attempts (10.7) and three-point attempts (3.4) on the season. While the boost in scoring has brought an overall drop in assists, he's still averaging 7.0 dimes over the last seven games, and his solid complementary production in rebounds and steals makes him an increasingly well-rounded component of fantasy rosters.

Isaiah Thomas, LAL: Thomas increasingly looks like he has the hang of this fast-paced Lakers system now, as he's scored 19 to 29 points in six of the last eight games while putting up a robust 16.4 shot attempts across 30.3 minutes over that span. That degree of playing time is highly encouraging as well, and he's notably logged at least 30 minutes in each of his last three games. Given the sheer volume of possessions Los Angeles typically churns out, and his increasing comfort level, Thomas' arrow is undoubtedly pointing up at present.

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George Hill, CLE: There was some thought that a move to a postseason contender might revive Hill's season, but the Cavaliers aren't exactly looking very much playoff-worthy of late, while Hill's usage has been down as well. He's scored no more than 10 points in the last six games while averaging just 6.3 shot attempts, leading to lackluster averages of 7.8 points, 3.8 assists and 1.8 rebounds over that span. With Cleveland having trouble beating quality opponents at present and so much of the offense flowing through LeBron James, it's hard to see an uptick in Hill's future.

Shooting Guard

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C.J. McCollum, POR: McCollum has proven adept at circumventing backcourt mate Damian Lillard's typically massive usage rate to carve out a sizable offensive role over the years. He sports more than enough upside to generate some nice spikes in production, and his current, six-game stretch is one such example. The fifth-year sharpshooter is averaging 24.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists over that span, while draining 46.7 percent of his 17.8 field goal attempts per contest, including 45.2 percent of his 7.0 tries from distance.

D'Angelo Russell, BKN: Russell has gone through a few downturns since returning from his extended absence earlier in the season due to a knee injury, but it appears he's beginning to click on a much more consistent basis. He's now scored 20 to 32 points in three of the past four games, and he's shooting a solid 44.7 percent over his last three, including 50.0 percent on 7.3 three-point attempts during that stretch. Russell is still handling the ball plenty despite currently being deployed at two-guard, and he's clearly a much more dynamic player overall than current point guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who he's now consistently outperforming.

Nicolas Batum, CHA: Batum has never quite regained the shooting form he displayed over his first six seasons, but when he does heat up from the field, his fantasy value notably shoots up due to his above-average contributions elsewhere. The veteran two-guard has posted six double-digit scoring efforts over his last seven games, capped off by a 10-point, 10-rebound, 16-assist triple-double Thursday night.

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Courtney Lee, NYK: Lee mostly enjoyed a strong pre-All-Star-break portion of the season, but he's seen a downturn since. That includes three games in single digits and a pair of scoreless outings over the seven games he's played since the layoff, and he's averaging a minuscule 3.8 shot attempts over his last five contests. His playing time has also taken a hit, as he's logged minutes in the teens in four games during the former sample. With younger backcourt options receiving more opportunity and the Knicks devoid of any postseason aspirations, it wouldn't even be inconceivable for the veteran to be shut down as the end of the campaign draws closer.

Small Forward

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Dillon Brooks, MEM: Brooks has progressively been making an impact as the season has unfolded, and he's currently in the midst of one of his best stretches of the season. The 2017 second-round pick has benefitted from a plethora of injuries on the Grizzlies roster, which have opened up ample opportunity for the Oregon product. He's averaged an impressive 19.3 points (on 47.3 percent shooting, including 42.4 percent from distance), 2.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists across 30.9 minutes over the last six, and he's taking almost seven more shot attempts per game (15.2, as opposed from 8.6 for the season) within that period.

Kyle Kuzma, LAL: Kuzma is thriving in place of Brandon Ingram (groin), as he's averaging 17.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals across 39.4 minutes in the last five games, shooting a solid 45.7 percent overall, including 41.4 percent from distance. The rookie had been on an upswing prior to that as well, as he'd scored in double digits in nine of the previous 10 contests. While he's currently dealing with an ankle sprain and could soon head back to the second unit, the Lakers as a whole are peaking, and Kuzma's ability to contribute across the stat sheet should continue affording him the 25-30 minutes per night off the bench.

ALSO TRENDING UP:Bojan Bogdanovic, IND; Justise Winslow, MIA

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Stanley Johnson, DET: Johnson was headed in the opposite direction from late January through the first game following the All-Star break, racking up nine double-digit scoring efforts in 11 games over that stretch. A subsequent combination of injury and poor shooting has led to a significant downturn in the following seven contests. Johnson has only hit double digits in the scoring column once during that stretch, and he's shot 39.0 percent – including 31.3 percent from distance – over the last five. His below-average rebounding out of the small forward spot doesn't help his cause, either, as it prevents him from making up for the lost production when his shot goes cold.

Power Forward

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Carmelo Anthony, OKC: Anthony's role has understandably fluctuated this season, but he's been trending in the right direction lately. The veteran forward has eclipsed 20 points in three of the past five games, and on five occasions over the last 12 contests overall. Moreover, he's put up 14 to 22 shots in 10 of those games, including double-digit tries from behind the arc in four instances. That type of usage from long distance in particular hasn't been there all season, and with the Thunder fighting for playoff positioning, he figures to remain aggressive during the stretch run.

Markieff Morris, WAS: Morris has picked it up after the All-Star break, scoring in double digits on eight occasions. He's also shot a blistering 56.3 percent over the last 10, and 50.0 percent from distance over the last five. Equally encouraging is the fact he's taking more than two shot attempts over his season average in the last three contests, a level of usage that has helped lead to averages of 16.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists during that span.

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Thaddeus Young, IND: Young appears to have hit a veteran wall recently, as he went through a seven-game stretch in which he was held scoreless or posted single-digit tallies in four outings. He's bounced back in his most recent two games, but he'd seen a decline in usage prior, taking over three shot attempts fewer per game during the aforementioned five-game span (7.2) in comparison to his 10.6 season average. The reduction went hand-in-hand with poor shooting, as Young drained just 30.6 percent of his tries during that sample, including an atrocious 16.7 percent of his attempts from behind the arc. While his one-game resurgence offers some hope, the expanded offensive profile of Bojan Bogdanovic and the recent return of Darren Collison to the lineup could continue eating into Young's opportunities.

Center

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Brook Lopez, LAL: Lopez has been a different player since the All-Star break, rattling off nine consecutive double-digit scoring efforts and scoring over 20 points in three of his last four games. The Stanford product is also averaging five more shot attempts per contest over the last five (15.6) than his 10.6 season-long figure. With his ability to space the floor and the extra possessions the Lakers typically generate, Lopez's value should remain robust for the remainder of the season if he keeps up his current level of involvement.

ALSO TRENDING UP:Jonas Valanciunas, TOR; Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN; DeAndre Jordan, LAC

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Alex Len, PHO: We've see Len's fantasy value take some drastic swings within the same season before, and his current downturn undeniably invokes a case of good old-fashioned déjà vu. His outlook was much brighter just a few weeks ago, when he'd posted three straight double-digit scoring efforts -- including a pair of double-doubles -- and looked to be on the verge of claiming the starting center spot for good. Instead, he's gone to the other end of the spectrum, now having posted single-digit scoring tallies in eight straight and putting up just 2.2 shot attempts across 7.4 minutes per contest during his last five. With his minutes in single digits on three occasions over that latter sample, there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel at the moment.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juan Carlos Blanco
Winner of the FSWA 2016 Newcomer of the Year Award, Juan Carlos Blanco has been playing fantasy sports for over 20 years and covers NBA, MLB, NFL, CFL and Arena Football for Rotowire.com, including serving as the beat writer for teams in multiple sports. He has previously written for KFFL.com and remains an avid season-long and daily fantasy player in multiple sports as well.
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