LAC 115, MIN 96: Leonard Picks 4 Pockets
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student · Dallas Mavericks fan
Kawhi Just Reminded Everyone Why He's a Problem
Kawhi Leonard put on a clinic last night and it wasn't even close. 41 points on 14-30 shooting with five threes and perfect free throw shooting (8-10). That's 63.6 Yahoo points, and he did it in just 33 minutes. The man was +13.0 on his season scoring average and honestly could've gone for 50 if the game stayed competitive. This is what peak Kawhi looks like, and if you own him, you're feeling good about life right now.
The Clippers demolished the Timberwolves 115-96, and while the blowout is relevant, what matters for your fantasy squad is this: Kawhi validated every reason you drafted him high. This wasn't a fluke game. He was efficient, he was aggressive, and he finished. Bookmark this performance.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kawhi Leonard | 66.0 | 63.6 | 41/8/2 | 28.0/6.3/3.7 | +13.0 |
| Anthony Edwards | 24.0 | 31.8 | 23/4/2 | 29.6/5.2/3.7 | -6.6 |
| Julius Randle | 24.0 | 28.6 | 17/8/2 | 22.1/6.9/5.4 | -5.1 |
| Yanic Konan Niederhäuser | 30.0 | 27.2 | 15/6/2 | 3.8/2.3/0.3 | +11.2 |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 33.0 | 26.8 | 5/4/4 | 10.1/2.7/1.2 | -5.1 |
| Kris Dunn | 29.0 | 26.0 | 9/5/6 | 7.9/2.9/3.3 | +1.1 |
| Naz Reid | 24.0 | 25.3 | 8/9/3 | 14.4/6.4/2.5 | -6.4 |
| John Collins | 27.0 | 22.8 | 15/4/0 | 13.8/5.0/0.9 | +1.2 |
| Rudy Gobert | 17.0 | 19.4 | 10/7/2 | 10.7/11.3/1.7 | -0.7 |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 20.0 | 18.7 | 11/1/1 | 15.0/3.0/3.6 | -4.0 |
Clippers' Role Players Ate
Beyond Kawhi, this was a team effort in the best way. Kris Dunn (26.0 Yahoo FP) ran the offense efficiently with 9 assists, 5 rebounds, and 6 fantasy points on minimal shot attempts. That's the kind of quiet performance that wins games.
Derrick Jones Jr. delivered 26.8 Yahoo with steals (3) and solid positional versatility, even though his scoring was low at 5 points. The defensive value is what matters here.
The wildcard was Yanic Konan Niederhäuser (27.2 Yahoo FP). I'll be real, I don't have much tape on this guy, but 15 points on 5-5 shooting with 5 free throws made in just 17 minutes is insane efficiency. If he's getting minutes in a blowout, he's worth monitoring. That's +11.2 on his season scoring average for a reason. Check league percentages before you move, but this dude might be a waiver grab in deeper leagues.
John Collins (22.8 Yahoo FP) chipped in 15 points with three threes. Solid contribution without needing to be the focal point.
Minnesota's Offense Looked Broken
This is where it gets concerning for Anthony Edwards owners. He put up 23 points but it took 18 shots to get there. That's not efficient, and he was -6.6 on his scoring average despite putting up decent raw numbers. When the Timberwolves got blown out, there wasn't rhythm on offense. Edwards tried to carry, but the volume matters less when your team gets destroyed.
Julius Randle also underperformed, dropping -5.1 vs his season average with 17 points on 6-14 shooting. He's supposed to be a stabilizing force in Minnesota's offense, and this game showed the opposite. When the Clippers' defense is locked in, Randle doesn't have clean looks.
Naz Reid was -6.4 on scoring in limited minutes (23). He grabbed 9 boards which kept the game from being a complete disaster for him, but 8 points isn't what you want to see from your bench center.
The Gobert Problem
Rudy Gobert had 10 points and 7 rebounds, and honestly that's closer to his baseline than anything exciting. The Timberwolves got outpaced and he couldn't impact the game on defense the way he normally does when Minnesota is playing competitive basketball. This is a lesson about roster context: even elite players have floor games when their team isn't competing.
What to Do Monday
If you have waiver claims to make, the Clippers' bench depth is worth investigating. Yanic Konan Niederhäuser specifically needs a closer look. In a 12+ team league where he's under 5% owned, that's a swing-for-the-fences add if your wire is thin.
For the Timberwolves, hold your guys. One bad loss doesn't break their season, but this game exposed offensive flow issues that Minnesota needs to fix. Edwards is still a top-15 player, Randle is still a guy, but they're not suddenly league-winners in games where the team plays sloppy.
Kawhi keeps doing Kawhi things. If he's on your roster, sit back and enjoy it.