John Wall is the only point guard in the NBA averaging 10-plus assists per game this season
Choosing only five players is never going to be easy and there will always be a player or two left out, which is probably why the NBA leaves this job to the fans! All in all I think ‘we’ did a good job this year. I won’t argue that Paul Millsap should be starting over Carmelo Anthony or that Jeff Teague deserved more than only 84,000 votes, as we can’t change the past.
So, without further ado, I give you this week’s edition of ‘By The Numbers.’
457: The amount of assists John Wall has this season
Not only is John Wall leading a Wizards team that has a record of 31 – 15, but individually Wall is putting up numbers that fantasy owners only dream about. Midway through the season, Wall was averaging 17.3 points, 10.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals a game. As a matter of fact, he happens to be the only point guard in the NBA averaging 10-plus assists a game, which is impressive considering how many amazing point guards there are in the league. I’m going to make a prediction; John Wall will win the All-Star MVP award this year. Call it a hunch.
11: The amount of double-doubles Kyle Lowry has this season
To say that I was ‘happy’ that Kyle Lowry was named a starter this year is an understatement. As a long-time Raptors fan there is no question – I was ecstatic! This year the Raptors are leading the Atlantic division, have a record of 30 – 15 and it’s in large part because of the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin,’ Kyle Lowry. He’s currently averaging an impressive 19.6 points, 7.4 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. Besides blocks, Lowry is a ‘goldmine’ for fantasy leagues, as he does everything well. Here at FantasyPros, Lowry is ranked eighth among the league’s best. Considering how valuable Lowry has been this season and especially during DeMar DeRozan’s injury, there is no question Lowry is a deserving choice this year.
26.15: LeBron James’ PER this season
No surprise here! Second overall only to Stephen Curry in All-Star votes, LeBron is having another ‘LeBron-like’ year. He’s averaging a whopping 26.4 points, 7.4 assist, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting .492 from the field and .354 from three. As Charles Barkley likes to say, LeBron is a ‘walking triple-double’, a true legend in the making. Oddly enough James’ numbers are slightly down this season but considering all the new teammates and the injuries, he deserves a break. Also, since he’s returned, the Cavaliers have been on a roll. If they continue at this pace, the Cavs could be really scary come playoff time.
8: The amount of times Carmelo Anthony has been selected as an All-Star
There isn’t a player in the league I’d rather watch – Carmelo Anthony can straight up ball! Which is exactly the reason that he was voted as a starter this year. Carmelo is a once in a lifetime scorer, the kind of player that All-Star games were made to showcase. And I mean, it’s not like his stats are bad. Anthony is averaging 24.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game on .450 shooting from the field. Considering the game is being played at the MSG, everyone knew Melo was getting picked regardless of the Knicks’ record. Be honest, you knew it too!
1: The amount of times Pau Gasol has been voted an All-Star starter
At the age of 34, this was Pau Gasol’s fifth time being selected to the All-Star team and first time being named as a starter. Gasol is playing like he drank from the fountain of youth, averaging 18.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.2 blocks per game. He’s currently battling with Nikola Vucevic for the most double-doubles on the season with 28, and how can we forget his epic 46 and 18 game against the Bucks. With the competition in the East, even though Gasol wasn’t thought as a lock, he should have been. There may not be a better ‘Big Man’ in the Eastern Conference this year.
Riley Jones is a correspondent and NBA editor at FantasyPros. To read more from Riley, check out his archive and follow him @RyJones4.
