IND 115, BKN 110: Day'Ron Sharpe Posts Double-Double, 59 ESPN FP
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student · Dallas Mavericks fan
Pacers Escape Brooklyn with Wire-to-Wire Bench Explosion, Nets Get Exposed Without Their Guys
Pacers 115, Nets 110. That's the kind of game where depth saves you in fantasy. Indiana walked into Barclays short-handed and got carried by a bench unit that looked absolutely unhinged. Brooklyn threw everything they had at a five-point deficit and still couldn't close it. For your fantasy teams, this is a masterclass in who to trust when the usual suspects don't show up.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day'Ron Sharpe | 59.0 | 51.9 | 19/12/5 | 8.3/6.6/2.2 | +10.7 |
| Micah Potter | 48.0 | 43.9 | 19/12/1 | 7.0/4.0/1.5 | +12.0 |
| Jarace Walker | 38.0 | 37.5 | 23/5/3 | 10.3/4.5/2.0 | +12.7 |
| Ethan Thompson | 40.0 | 34.5 | 15/5/3 | 4.5/1.7/1.4 | +10.5 |
| Ziaire Williams | 40.0 | 33.5 | 19/5/1 | 9.5/2.5/0.8 | +9.5 |
| Nolan Traore | 35.0 | 32.4 | 20/2/8 | 7.0/1.6/3.4 | +13.0 |
| Jay Huff | 38.0 | 32.3 | 11/4/1 | 8.6/3.8/1.3 | +2.4 |
| Egor Dëmin | 35.0 | 31.5 | 13/5/5 | 10.7/3.1/3.3 | +2.3 |
| Taelon Peter | 35.0 | 29.3 | 14/4/3 | 1.9/1.0/0.9 | +12.1 |
| Danny Wolf | 13.0 | 20.6 | 14/8/0 | 8.2/4.6/2.0 | +5.8 |
The Pacers' Bench Went Absolutely Bonkers
This is the story. Indiana's second unit combined for massive production and it wasn't close. Micah Potter put up 19/12 on clean 6-8 shooting with 6-8 from the line. That's a +12.0 pts above his season average in just 26 minutes. Jarace Walker matched 23 points while pulling down five boards, another +12.7 vs his norm. These aren't role players having one decent game. These are guys finding their role in a shorthanded lineup and capitalizing hard.
The real wildcard here is Taelon Peter. I'm looking at 1.9 PPG season average and then 14 points on 5-11 shooting with four threes in 26 minutes. That's +12.1 above his typical line. In deeper leagues, this is the add. He's not dropping 14 every night, but when Indiana's rotation gets compressed, Peter's playing time becomes legit. Watch his minutes next game. If they're in the 25-30 range, he's a streaming play in 14+ team leagues.
Jay Huff got 30 minutes and delivered the quiet reliable stuff: 11/4/1 with two blocks and three steals. That's floor-raising production even if it's not flashy. He's your reliable fourth big when the starters rest or get hurt.
Brooklyn's Bench Couldn't Match It
Day'Ron Sharpe was Brooklyn's only consistent source of points off the pine, dropping a legitimately strong 19/12/5 on 8-11 shooting. That's your 51.9 Yahoo FP and he was +10.7 above season average. The issue? He was basically alone. Everyone else either had a quiet game or didn't move the needle.
Ziaire Williams chipped in 19/5/1 with five threes, which looks decent on paper. But that +9.5 above his 9.5 PPG season average tells you this was an outlier night. He went off, that happens, but he's not becoming a league-winner off one good shooting game.
Nolan Traore led the Nets in playmaking with 20/2/8 and that +13.0 scoring bump is the highest mark for any Nets player. Still, 8 assists is solid but not earth-shattering. He's getting minutes and opportunity, but he's not a priority add unless your league is super deep and your PG situation is dire.
The depth bench options like Ethan Thompson for the Pacers (+10.5 pts) and even Taelon Peter at +12.1 were genuinely more impactful than most of Brooklyn's contributors. That's the difference in this game. Indiana had multiple guys step up. Brooklyn had flashes.
The Real Story: Pacers Without Their Stars Still Found a Way
You can't ignore who didn't play. The fact that Indiana still wins a road game with this particular bench means their rotation is more plug-and-play than we thought. Micah Potter isn't going to go 19/12 every night, but if he's getting 26 minutes consistently, he's a hold in 12-team leagues and an add in deeper formats.
For Brooklyn, it's a tougher look. Day'Ron Sharpe put up great numbers but it still wasn't enough. The Nets' core contributors didn't show up enough, and their depth got exposed. This isn't a "panic on Brooklyn players" situation yet, but if this becomes a pattern, you might want to shop some depth pieces and consolidate talent.
What to Do Monday Morning
Add in deeper leagues: Taelon Peter (if under 50% ownership in your league), Micah Potter if anyone let him slip through. Both showed enough volume and minutes to matter. Jay Huff is a fine streaming option if you need bench depth.
Don't overreact to Ziaire Williams and Nolan Traore having strong games. One good outing doesn't make the waiver wire. They're depth with occasional pop, not reliable contributors.
Keep Day'Ron Sharpe on your radar but don't force him into a league where you already have solid centers. He's the wire add if your fifth big got injured or someone dropped him.
The Pacers showed they can grind out wins with their bench mob. That's valuable intel if you need to stream guys down the stretch.