It’s like he never missed a minute.
Paul George has surged back onto the scene in 2015-16 with averages of 25.3 points on 44.2 percent shooting, 2.7 3-pointers, 8.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists (all career-highs) in 36.1 minutes for Indiana. He has tallied 26-plus points in eight-straight games, which is a career-high streak for George and the second-longest such streak in Indiana franchise history. He ranks eighth in points per game, seventh in Yahoo’s fantasy rankings and is the only player in the NBA to average 25-plus points, eight-plus rebounds and one-plus steals this season.
“His work ethic is second to none,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after the Pacers’ victory over the Sixers on Wednesday. “His focus is great. He’s moving really well. Hard work breeds confidence and he’s playing at a high level right now.”
If he can keep up this level of play, George will be an All-Star, All-NBA selection and one of the best players in fantasy as his unique combination of points, 3-pointers, rebounds and steals put him in a class all to himself. George was drafted on average with the 18th pick in Yahoo! fantasy drafts, which makes it likely your team is doing quite well if George is on your roster.
Stat Line Of The Week
Brandon Knight vs. Lakers
30 points (11-23 FG, 5-7 FT), 15 assists, 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 turnovers
Weekend Pickups
Mario Chalmers, Grizzlies (27 percent owned)
Chalmers erupted for 29 points (6-13 FG, 13-15 FT), four 3-pointers, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in his third game with the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. He has gotten to the line 10-plus times in back-to-back games and it looks like he will have a significant role as an offensive punch off the bench for Memphis. Don’t expect 29-point outbursts often, and he likely won’t provide many assists. But if you need points and 3-pointers this weekend, Chalmers is worth a look as the Grizzlies face the Rockets on Friday and the Spurs on Saturday.
C.J. Miles, Pacers (23 percent owned)
The Pacers’ guard/forward has seen his usage increase since teammate Rodney Stuckey went down with a sprained ankle. In the four games since Stuckey’s injury, Miles is averaging 16.0 points (on 50.0 percent shooting), 2.8 3-pointers, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 26.7 minutes. He tallied season-highs for points (20) and assists (4) on Wednesday against the Sixers and will look to continue his hot streak against Milwaukee on Saturday. Miles isn’t a long-term add, though, as Stuckey should return soon.
Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (13 percent owned)
The six-foot-11 rookie center from Serbia had the best game of his career against the Spurs on Wednesday when he tallied 23 points (8-13 FG, 6-6 FT), 12 rebounds, two steals and three blocks in 32 minutes of action for Denver. He played one minute in the previous game, so it’s hard to expect lines like this consistently from the rookie. But as long as Joffrey Lauvergne (back) and Jusuf Nurkic (patellar tendon) remain out, Jokic should continue to split the center minutes with J.J. Hickson. He’s worth a look if you needs rebounds and blocks this weekend as Denver faces the Suns on Friday and the Warriors on Sunday.
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