Around the Association: Embiid Goes Off, LaMelo is Back + More Fantasy Takeaways from the Weekend

This article is part of our NBA Daily Recap series.

Welcome back to another weekend edition of Around the Association.

This weekend may have been the best of the season. Joel Embiid produced one of the most ridiculous stat lines ever, the Thunder and Kings both went 2-0, LaMelo Ball made his return to the court and the Lakers even got a win. Without further ado, let's dive in: 

Weekend Notables

Tatum Keeps Rolling

• The Boston Celtics defeated both the Nuggets and the Pistons over the weekend to improve their record to 10-3 on the season. Jayson Tatum was unstoppable all weekend long, but his best performance came Saturday against Detroit. 
• With Jaylen Brown and Al Horford on the sidelines with minor injury issues, the All-Star forward exploded for 43 points (14-28 FG, 7-14 3Pt, 8-10 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal in 41 minutes. Tatum has recorded at least 30 points in four straight games, averaging 38.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game over that span.
  • Marcus Smart saw more opportunities with Brown out, finishing with 18 points (7-17 FG, 4-10 3Pt), two rebounds, 10 assists, one block and five steals over 43 minutes. Prior to this game, the defensive-minded guard was averaging just 8.9 field goal attempts per game.
  • Grant Williams continues to be the biggest gainer whenever Horford is ruled out. Williams finished Saturday's win with 19 points (7-12 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds and four assists across 45 minutes to mark his first double-double of the season.
    • Grant Williams with Al Horford in the lineup (3 GP): 7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists across 26.1 minutes. 
    • Grant Williams without Al Horford in the lineup (3 GP):14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists across 34.5 minutes 

LaMelo Returns

• After missing the Hornets' first 13 games due to an ankle injury, LaMelo Ball made his return to the court for Saturday's 115-132 loss to the Heat. While Charlotte may have come up short, Ball still ended his debut with 15 points (6-17 FG, 1-9 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds, six assists and one steal across 28 minutes. The second-year pro looked sharp at times but overall was just a bit rusty during Saturday's loss. Since it has only been one game, it is a bit hard to judge how Ball's return will affect the rest of the Hornets' player's fantasy production, but here are some early thoughts:
  • Dennis Smith (ankle) was inactive for Sunday's contest, but one would figure that the veteran guard's production will decrease with Ball back in action. 
  • P.J. Washington finished the loss with just four points (2-7 FG), one rebound and one block across 28 minutes. The forward has been averaging a 20.8 usage rating this season, but that number decreased significantly with Ball back.

Thunder Storm

• This does not feel right to say, but the Oklahoma City Thunder were one of the best teams of the weekend, defeating both the Raptors and the Knicks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was incredible, averaging 28.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.5 blocks across 32.0 minutes per game last weekend. SGA currently sits as the No. 2 overall nine-category fantasy option.
  • Josh Giddey was another Thunder player who impressed over the weekend. The second-year pro dropped his first triple-double of the season with 24 points (10-14 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds and 12 assists in 37 minutes during Sunday's win over the Knicks. Giddey is starting to get back into his rhythm, averaging 19.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists over his last three showings. 
  • Jalen Williams looks like one of the better rookies in his class, averaging 9.5 points and 5.5 assists per game over the weekend. While he is not playing consistently enough to start in fantasy lineups, the rookie out of Santa Clara is someone I am monitoring closely. 

Missing Cade

• Cade Cunningham missed both of Detroit's contests over the weekend due to a shin injury and has already been ruled out of the Piston's next three outings. Jaden Ivey took advantage of the increased opportunities, averaging 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 29.6 minutes per game over Detroit's two matchups. Heading into the weekend with a 20.9 usage rating, the star rookie averaged a team-best 27.5 rating over their two games. 
  • Bojan Bogdanovic is another player who took advantage of Cunningham being out of the lineup. The veteran forward was on fire over the weekend, averaging 26.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 33.5 minutes per game. 
  • Killian Hayes had a sneaky-good weekend for the Pistons. The third-year guard finished the weekend averaging 13.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.5 steals across 34.5 minutes per game. Hayes ranked as the 95th overall nine-category option over the weekend. 
  • Alec Burks and Marvin Bagley both made their season debuts over the weekend. 
    • Burks made his return to the court Friday, finishing with 17 points (5-12 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 6-8 FT), two rebounds and one assist over 25 minutes. The veteran has proved to be an excellent scorer in the past and should have ample opportunities with Detroit moving forward.
      • Burks was held out of Saturday's game for conditioning purposes on the second half of the back-to-back.
    • Bagley returned Saturday, ending with four points (2-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt), four rebounds and one assist over 17 minutes. It will be interesting to see what role Bagley plays with the Pistons this season with the team now having both Bojan Bogdanovic and Jalen Duren, as well as Isaiah Stewart and Nerlens Noel.

Warriors Retool Lineup

• The Golden State Warriors are off to a slow start, sitting at 5-8 after splitting their contests over the weekend. The sluggish start certainly has not been Stephen Curry's fault. The star point guard carried his team to a 106-101 comeback win over the Cavaliers on Friday, finishing with 40 points (15-23 FG, 6-11 3Pt, 4-6 FT), four rebounds, five assists and one steal over 34 minutes to become the oldest player to score 40 points in consecutive games since Michael Jordan. The team then fell to the Kings by a score of 122-115 Sunday. Steve Kerr has made some rotational adjustments I want to highlight:
  • James Wiseman did not see the floor throughout the entirety of the Warriors' three games last week. Kevon Looney averaged 5.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game over that span and ranks as the 62nd overall nine-category option over the past week. Crazily enough, Wiseman is still more widely rostered than Looney on most fantasy platforms, including ESPN and Yahoo.
  • Anthony Lamb is starting to see the floor more, averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 18.0 minutes per game over the past week. Lamb is highly unlikely to be fantasy-viable, but he seems to have the trust of Kerr over Moses Moody and even Jonathan Kuminga.

Wiz Kids

• The Washington Wizards are on fire after, extending their winning streak to four games after defeating both the Jazz and Grizzlies over the weekend. Even more impressive, this has all been done without Bradley Beal (COVID-19).
• Kristaps Porzingis has been a force for Washington during the win streak, averaging 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.7 blocks per game over that span. Even with Beal returning, Porzingis should continue to produce solid fantasy numbers. In their first nine games together, the two former All-Stars nearly had identical usage ratings. Porzingis currently ranks as the 22nd overall nine-category fantasy player to begin the season. 
  • Corey Kispert had a great weekend for the Wizards, averaging 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals across 30.5 minutes per game. While it will be interesting to see how his role changes once Beal returns, Kispert should remain a key piece in the rotation. He likely won't have much standard-league appeal, but the 2021 first-rounder could be an option for managers in deep leagues.

Embiid Erupts

• Perhaps the headline of the weekend was Joel Embiid's all-time performance against the Jazz. The All-Star center went off for a career-high 59 points (19-28 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 20-24 FT) to go with 11 rebounds, eight assists, seven blocks and one steal across 37 minutes. Embiid's dominant performance marked the seventh-best Basketball-Reference GameScore ever recorded. It was truly an incredible weekend for Embiid, who averaged 50.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.5 blocks per game. 
  • Tyrese Maxey had a solid weekend himself, averaging 22.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.5 steals across 36.5 minutes per game. Maxey continues to act as the lead ball-handler for Philadelphia with James Harden still out with an ankle injury.
    • Tyrese Maxey with James Harden in the lineup (9 GP): 24.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals across 37.5 minutes 
    • Tyrese Maxey without James Harden in the lineup (5 GP): 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.2 steals across 37.0 minutes.

Fox and Sabonis Shine, Kings Sweep 

• The Sacramento Kings have officially corrected their poor start to the season and are now 6-6 on the season after defeating both the Lakers and Warriors this weekend. De'Aaron Fox showed out once again, averaging 27.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 10.0 assists and 2.5 steals across 35.0 minutes per game.
• Fox ranked as the 14th overall nine-category option over the weekend. The 24-year-old guard is averaging career-highs across the board and is certainly a candidate to make his first All-Star appearance come February. 
  • Domantas Sabonis was nearly just as good, if not better than Fox over Sacramento's two games. The 26-year-old center averaged 23.5 points, 16.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists across 33.0 minutes per game over the weekend. Sabonis ranked as the 20th overall nine-category option this weekend. The All-Star center may have started the season slow, but Sabonis now has recorded at least 20 points in five out of his last six showings.

Garland Goes for 50, Cavs Lose

• One of the best games of the weekend came in Cleveland on Sunday when the Timberwolves took on a Cavaliers team without the likes of Donovan Mitchell (ankle) and Jarrett Allen (ankle). Minnesota ended up winning 129-124, but Darius Garland finished with a career-high 51 points (16-31 FG, 10-15 3Pt, 9-13 FT), six assists, two rebounds and two steals in 40 minutes. Twenty-seven of his points came in the fourth quarter as he attempted to will Cleveland to a win. 
  • This outing marked Mitchell's second missed contest of the season. While it is clear that Garland is in line for more opportunities without Mitchell, Lamar Stevens is a more under-the-radar player who seems to benefit from Mitchell's absence.
  • The Penn State product started and finished Sunday's loss with 15 points (5-10 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes. Stevens is averaging 10.5 points and 3.0 rebounds across 24.5 minutes in his two appearances without Mitchell this year. 
• D'Angelo Russell snapped in the win over Cleveland, finishing with a season-high 30 points (11-13 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 4-6 FT), two rebounds, 12 assists and one steal across 35 minutes. Overall, it has been a huge down year for Russell who is averaging just 14.4 points per game -- his lowest mark since his rookie season. While I still think Russell is a very talented player, it is hard to envision a major fantasy turnaround for him due to his diminished his role in the offense.
  • Karl-Anthony Towns also finished with a season-best 29 points (11-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 4-6 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists, one block and one steal across 37 minutes. 

Life without LeBron

• LeBron James suffered an adductor injury last week and was held out of both the Lakers' contests this weekend. James' next chance to return comes Friday against the Pistons. With James on the sidelines, Anthony Davis stepped up big time over the weekend.
• The All-Star big man's best outing of the season came Sunday when he dropped a season-best 37 points (15-25 FG, 7-7 FT), 18 rebounds and two assists in 34 minutes to defeat the Nets 116-103. This outing also snapped Los Angeles' five-game losing streak. Overall, Davis averaged 30.5 points, 16.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game over the weekend. 
  • Russell Westbrook appears to be in line for more play-making work if James is forced to miss more time. The veteran point guard finished the weekend averaging 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game. Westbrook still averaged 4.5 turnovers per game over that span which continues to hinder his fantasy value. 
  • Lonnie Walker took advantage of his increased opportunities on the offensive side, averaging 22.0 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals across 31.8 minutes per game over the weekend. While he relies heavily on his scoring ability, Walker ranks as the 93rd overall nine-category fantasy option this season.

Quick Hitters

• Cameron Payne has certainly taken advantage of his increased opportunities with Chris Paul (ankle) on the sidelines. The veteran guard has started the Suns' last two games, averaging 22.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. 
  • Paul is questionable for Monday, but if he does not play, fire up Payne in your fantasy lineups. 
• Paolo Banchero has missed the Magic's last two contests, opening the door for Chuma Okeke to see more opportunities. Okeke has started Orlando's last two contests, producing 9.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists across 31.0 minutes per game.
  • Banchero is officially a game-time decision for Monday's contest against Charlotte.
• Chris Boucher put in a great weekend off the bench for Toronto, averaging 19.5 points and 9.5 rebounds over 29.5 minutes per game. With Pascal Siakam (groin) and Precious Achiuwa (ankle) both out, Boucher is one of my favorite fantasy adds this week. 
• Isaiah Hartenstein has officially entered the Knicks' starting lineup with Mitchell Robinson (knee) on the sidelines. Hartenstein averaged 10.0 points and 9.5 rebounds over the weekend. The 24-year-old center ranks as the 85th overall nine-category fantasy option this season.
• Luka Doncic dominated in his only appearance of the weekend, finishing with 42 points (13-22 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 15-18 FT), 13 rebounds, 10 assists, one block and two steals over 38 minutes during Dallas' 117-112 win over the Trail Blazers. Doncic has simply been unstoppable this season, recording at least 30 points in all but two of his games thus far.
• Jerami Grant shined in Portland's loss to Dallas, ending with 37 points (13-22 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 6-6 FT), six rebounds, two assists and two blocks across 39 minutes. It is certainly encouraging to see Grant produce these numbers even with Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons in the lineup.
• Buddy Hield impressed again over the weekend, finishing with 22 points (8-15 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 1-2 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and one block across 28 minutes during Indiana's 118-104 comeback win over the Raptors. Hield has recorded at least 20 points in four out of his last five showings.
• If you are in need of rebounds, keep your eye out for Charles Bassey. With Zach Collins (leg) sidelined, Bassey is starting to see the floor more. Over his last three outings, Bassey is averaging 6.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks across 16.7 minutes. While he is not playing nearly enough to be considered for fantasy lineups yet, his impressive production in such a short amount of playing time has me intrigued.
• Kevin Durant did Kevin Durant things over the weekend, averaging 29.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 blocks across 36.2 minutes per game. KD ranks as the third overall nine-category fantasy option this season.

Best and Worst of the Weekend

• Best of the Weekend: Joel Embiid - 50.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 4.5 blocks across 38.5 minutes per game.
• Worst of the Weekend: Gary Trent - 9.0 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 21.7 percent from the field across 21.5 minutes per game.
• Rookie of the Weekend: Jaden Ivey - 18.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists across 29.6 minutes per game.

Monday Night Look-Ahead

• LaMelo Ball plays his second game of the season when the Hornets battle the Magic in Orlando.
• The Suns and Heat are set for a fun, cross-conference matchup in Miami.
• The Thunder look to win their third straight game against the red-hot Celtics in Boston.
• The Hawks and Bucks square off for the third time already this season.