BOS 148, BKN 111: BOS Cruises as Jaylen Brown Leads With 67 ESPN FP
Tommy Flanagan
Journeyman Electrician · Boston Celtics fan
Celtics Absolutely Demolished the Nets: Here's Who's Going to Your Waiver Wire
Look, I'm a Celtics guy, so take this however you want, but that 148-111 beatdown last night was nasty. Not just because we're up 37 on the road, but because the fantasy implications are actually wild. Let me break down who ate and who got force-fed a sandwich.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | 67.0 | 56.9 | 28/7/9 | 29.1/7.1/4.9 | -1.1 |
| Nikola Vučević | 57.0 | 49.2 | 28/11/4 | 16.2/8.9/3.5 | +11.8 |
| Derrick White | 42.0 | 34.1 | 12/3/7 | 17.1/4.5/5.7 | -5.1 |
| Payton Pritchard | 44.0 | 31.5 | 22/0/5 | 17.3/4.1/5.4 | +4.7 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | 31.0 | 28.4 | 18/2/2 | 24.4/7.0/3.2 | -6.4 |
| Nolan Traore | 31.0 | 27.9 | 8/2/7 | 8.0/1.6/3.7 | +0.0 |
| Baylor Scheierman | 34.0 | 25.6 | 10/3/6 | 4.2/3.0/1.1 | +5.8 |
| Danny Wolf | 22.0 | 21.9 | 16/2/1 | 8.6/4.6/2.1 | +7.4 |
| Hugo González | 26.0 | 20.9 | 8/2/1 | 3.9/3.3/0.6 | +4.1 |
| Neemias Queta | 26.0 | 19.9 | 8/2/1 | 9.8/8.2/1.5 | -1.8 |
The Vučević Game-Changer You Need to Talk About
Nikola Vučević dropped 28 points on 9-13 shooting with 11 boards and went 7-7 from the line. That's 49.2 Yahoo points, and here's what matters: he went +11.8 on his season average. The dude is averaging 16.2 PPG on the year, and he just turned in a 28-point night. This wasn't a blowout where he stopped trying either, he was actually engaged the whole way.
For a big man, that shooting line is almost confusing in how clean it was. Not jacking up 15 shots to get 28, going 9-13. That's efficiency. If you've got him, hold him. If he's on your waiver wire in a 10-team league, something is wrong with your league and you should add him immediately.
Jaylen Brown Did His Thing (But It Wasn't Flashy)
Look, I love Jaylen Brown. Biased as hell, but I don't care. The man went 9-12 from the field with 28/7/9 and 56.9 Yahoo points. That's the kind of efficient night you want from your guy. He was -1.1 versus his season average, which is basically a met expectation. Not a "went off" night, just a "did his job" night.
Here's the thing though, he got 9 assists on a night when the Celtics were up 30+ for most of the second half. That kind of usage in garbage time tells me he was still fully engaged instead of taking a victory lap. That's the stuff that makes him a solid fantasy hold even on nights when the box score doesn't look crazy.
Payton Pritchard is Your Tuesday Pickup
Payton Pritchard hit 9-12 from the field, nailed 4 threes, and finished with 22/0/5 for 31.5 Yahoo points. That's +4.7 from his season average. The man went 0 rebounds though, which is honestly hilarious on a night when the Celtics had no defensive pressure in the fourth quarter.
But real talk, if he's available in your league, he's a solid grab for explosive games like this. He's not getting consistent usage every night (season average is 17.3 PPG on way less efficient shooting), so don't panic if he goes 5-15 next time. But when the Celtics get rolling and he gets the green light, this is the ceiling you're looking at.
Derrick White Left Meat on the Bone
Derrick White finished with 12/3/7 and was -5.1 versus his season average. On a night when Boston is running the entire Nets offense out of the building, the All-Defensive Second Team guy should be getting more usage. He only played 32 minutes, which is pretty standard, but he went 4-9 from the field. The 4 threes kept him respectable at 34.1 Yahoo points, but this wasn't his night to dominate.
When the blowout is established that early though, even the best guards get less touches. Not a panic situation, just a "well, that could've been better" situation.
The Nets Side: Nobody Cooked
Michael Porter Jr. was the best thing Brooklyn had going and he still underperformed his season average by 6.4 points. That's what happens when you're getting blown out by 37. He finished 18/2/2, which in any other context is a fine game. In a 37-point loss where the other team is scoring 148, it's basically a waste.
Danny Wolf had a decent floor game with 16 points and 21.9 Yahoo points (+7.4 from his average), but against a team that was running a layup line for most of the second half, that's not sustainable. Same with Nolan Traore getting 7 assists. When you're getting destroyed, garbage time assists don't mean the guy is suddenly a fantasy monster.
The Real Story
This was a straight execution game. Boston came in and let the Nets know why they're one of the best teams in the league this year. From a fantasy perspective, the Celtics guys got their numbers because the game was never in doubt. If you're streaming guys off Brooklyn's roster hoping for big games, you need matchups that are closer.
For next time around, keep Vučević on your radar as a solid big man, Pritchard works in deep leagues or on nights Boston is favored heavy, and understand that blowouts are great for stat-stuffing but weird for sustainability. Nobody's selling their draft picks off one good game against a terrible Nets team.