Bulls 138, Clippers 110: Tre Jones posts 44.6 fantasy points
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Jasmine "Jazz" Porter
University Student · Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Coby White Finally Woke Up and the Bulls Took Out the Clippers' Second String
The Bulls just ran the Clippers out of the gym 138-110, and honestly, this felt less like a statement win and more like watching a team without half its roster get absolutely worked. But here's what matters for your fantasy squad: Coby White remembered he's supposed to be good, Tre Jones looked like a legitimate fantasy asset, and the Bulls' depth made it rain from three. The Clippers were basically running a G League squad out there with Kawhi, Bradley, Bogdan, and Derrick Jones all out, which is a massive asterisk on the whole thing, but fantasy doesn't care about excuses. White went nuclear (27 points, 6 threes) and Jones ran the offense like he'd been waiting his whole career for this moment. Time to figure out what's real here.
Tonight's Top Performers
| Player | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | vs Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tre Jones | 44.6 | 15/8/10 | 12.3/2.8/5.7 | +2.7 pts, +5.2 reb, +4.3 ast |
| Nikola Vučević | 43.6 | 19/8/4 | 17.0/9.2/3.8 | +2.0 pts, -1.2 reb, +0.2 ast |
| Coby White | 41.4 | 27/2/6 | 18.1/3.6/4.5 | +8.9 pts, -1.6 reb, +1.5 ast |
| Matas Buzelis | 36.4 | 21/2/4 | 14.8/5.2/1.8 | +6.2 pts, -3.2 reb, +2.2 ast |
| Kevin Huerter | 36.3 | 14/4/7 | 11.4/3.7/2.5 | +2.6 pts, +0.3 reb, +4.5 ast |
The Winners
Coby White dropped 41.4 Yahoo points, a massive +8.9 above his season average. Look, the Clippers' perimeter defense was basically a wet noodle tonight, but White shot 56% from three and 56% overall. That's not a fluke you can just ignore. He's been averaging 18.1 PPG this season, and while tonight was inflated by matchup, he's clearly the third scoring option on this Bulls team now and the usage is real. Buy the dip if he's still available.
Tre Jones went absolutely bananas with 44.6 Yahoo points, +5.2 assists above his season average. Ten dimes in 25 minutes? That's elite playmaking. This is the narrative-shifting game for Jones. He's been stuck at 12.3 PPG, but his assist total jumped from 5.7 to 10 against a defense that had no answer for his penetration. If this is real minutes for Jones going forward, he's a sneaky waiver wire gem that nobody's talking about yet.
Matas Buzelis posted 36.4 points with +6.2 above average. The 21 points on 8-14 shooting is nice, but the assist numbers are where this gets interesting. He's been a role player (1.8 AST average), and suddenly he's running the offense in spots tonight. Watch the minutes distribution when everyone's healthy again.
The Letdowns
The Clippers got absolutely demolished, so naming one "letdown" feels weird when the whole team was a letdown, but James Harden still managed 33 Yahoo points, just -2.1 below his 26.1 average. That's actually fine. He shot 36% from the field against a Bulls team that was dialed in defensively. Not ideal, but he's still running the offense and getting his points. No panic here, this was a total team loss, not a Harden problem.
The Trends
The Bulls' three-point barrage was real tonight. They had five different guys hitting multiple threes: Coby (6), Matas (4), Huerter (4), Ayo (4), Dalen Terry (2). That's 20 threes on a night the Clippers couldn't guard a peach basket. This is a rotation that can score in bunches, but context matters. The Clippers were basically running backups.
Minutes alert: Tre Jones got 25 minutes and absolutely dominated. Normally he doesn't crack 20. If the Bulls are finally giving him real run with Josh Giddey out, this changes everything for his fantasy value. Vučević got 32 minutes and stayed efficient. Kevin Huerter got 28 and was active in the assist column.
The Moves
Add Tre Jones (if available). The assist upside tonight wasn't a mirage. The guy can run an offense, and 25 minutes is real playing time. He's worth a flyer on the waiver wire right now because if he keeps getting these minutes, he's a league winner at that salary.
Buy Coby White low if he dips. Yeah, tonight was against a skeleton crew, but White's shot creation is real. At 18.1 PPG with legitimate three-point volume, he's got built-in upside. The Clippers matchup inflated his numbers, but the talent is there.
Monitor John Collins for the Clippers. He had 24.5 points off the bench with +10 above his season average (13.0 PPG). Problem is, the Clippers got smashed and his role looks like pure garbage cleanup points. When Kawhi and co. come back, Collins goes back to being the occasional spark. Don't overreact to this one.
Next Up
Watch what the Bulls do with their backcourt when everyone's healthy. If Giddey stays out long-term, Tre Jones just became a real asset. For the Clippers, literally everything depends on when Kawhi comes back. Until then, nobody's safe because the entire team is getting exposed. Harden's still bankable, but the supporting cast is fraud without the stars.