DET 137, MIL 111: Duren Coasts to 43 ESPN FP in Blowout
Sarah Kowalski
Orthopedic Nurse ยท Milwaukee Bucks fan
Detroit Manhandles Milwaukee: Bench Depth Wins the Day
This was ugly. The Pistons steamrolled the Bucks 137-111, and it wasn't even that close. Milwaukee's supporting cast got absolutely cooked, and when your best player doesn't show up, you're getting blown out in April. Let me be real: if this is a playoff matchup, the Bucks have serious problems.
But first, the fantasy winners. Because some dudes went absolutely nuclear last night.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jericho Sims | 43.0 | 43.2 | 11/11/10 | 4.7/5.4/1.5 | +6.3 |
| Ryan Rollins | 41.0 | 40.4 | 23/2/6 | 17.3/4.6/5.6 | +5.7 |
| Jalen Duren | 43.0 | 38.3 | 21/9/3 | 19.5/10.6/1.9 | +1.5 |
| Cade Cunningham | 42.0 | 37.0 | 13/5/10 | 24.4/5.6/9.9 | -11.4 |
| Ausar Thompson | 40.0 | 32.8 | 10/4/4 | 9.9/5.7/3.1 | +0.1 |
| Ronald Holland II | 40.0 | 32.6 | 18/3/2 | 8.2/4.0/1.2 | +9.8 |
| Duncan Robinson | 36.0 | 27.7 | 20/1/3 | 12.1/2.7/2.1 | +7.9 |
| Ousmane Dieng | 26.0 | 26.0 | 17/5/4 | 7.4/3.0/2.1 | +9.6 |
| Caris LeVert | 29.0 | 24.6 | 7/3/4 | 7.4/2.0/2.7 | -0.4 |
| Tobias Harris | 25.0 | 24.5 | 10/5/3 | 13.2/5.1/2.6 | -3.2 |
The Sims Breakout Isn't a Fluke, But Let's Pump the Brakes
Jericho Sims putting up 43.2 Yahoo points on 11/11/10 with 2 steals is the kind of performance that makes your league chat explode. The nurse in me always checks the workload first, and 38 minutes for a backup center is real minutes. He was everywhere: double-double, assists, steals, 5-8 from the line.
Here's the thing though. His season average is 4.7/5.4/1.5. Last night he added +6.3 points and +8.5 assists versus his normal output. That's a ceiling game, plain and simple. Don't wake up this morning and trade your first-rounder for Sims thinking you've found a secret. But if he's in your free agent pool and you need center help, he's worth a look in deeper leagues. The Bucks are clearly letting him eat when given the chance, and that's a trend worth monitoring.
Ryan Rollins Went Off (And That Matters More)
Ryan Rollins with 23/2/6 on 8-19 shooting is the more interesting story here. He's your typical role guy averaging 17.3 PPG on the season, but he got opportunities last night and took full advantage. The +5.7 versus his scoring average combined with 6 dimes tells you Milwaukee's offense was broken. When your primary ballhandlers aren't working, the third option gets fed.
That said, 23 points on 8-19 is still solid efficiency in a blowout situation. Rollins is a hold if you have him, but I wouldn't panic-add him everywhere. This looks like a game script thing, not a skill thing.
Cade Cunningham's Bad Night Needs Context
Cade Cunningham scored just 13 points on 6-11 shooting, a full 11.4 points below his season average. The assists were fine at 10, but the scoring disappeared when it mattered. Thing is, he's still All-NBA Third Team for a reason. One trash game in April doesn't change anything. Your league-mates are already dropping him (hence the -0.2% ownership change), which is panic selling at its finest. Don't be that person.
The Real Story: Giannis Didn't Play
This is the elephant in the room that the Bucks and honestly nobody else have explained clearly. Giannis Antetokounmpo went 0/0/0 with zero minutes. He's All-NBA First Team, the reigning MVP contender, and he's sitting out a full game in April.
From an orthopedic standpoint, I need more information before losing my mind. Is this load management? A minor nagging thing? A precautionary hold? The Bucks aren't saying, which either means it's nothing or they're being tight-lipped about something real. The -0.2% ownership drop (93.9% owned) is basically nothing, which tells me the smart money isn't panicking yet. I'm not either. But if Giannis sits out the next game or comes back on a limited minute restriction, that's when we worry.
Ousmane Dieng Is Making the Most of His Minutes
Ousmane Dieng with 17/5/4 on 6-13 shooting plus 4 threes in 26 minutes is a dude who belongs in this league. He's +9.6 from his season average in scoring, and he's hunting threes (4-8 from deep last night). In PPR formats, he's become a legitimate deep league dart throw if he can stay in the rotation.
The Pistons' Bench Depth is Built Different
Ronald Holland II and Duncan Robinson both crushed their season averages. Holland went +9.8 in scoring, Robinson +7.9. These are guys who thrive when there's space and the game gets loose, which it did last night. The Pistons are deep. Real deep. If you're thinking about buying into Detroit role players down the stretch, games like this show why it's worth it.
Bottom Line
Milwaukee got handled. The bench couldn't make up for Giannis's absence, and the Pistons' supporting cast was better. For fantasy purposes, Sims and Rollins had ceiling games you don't chase. Cade's bad night is noise. And Giannis's sit-out needs clarification before anyone loses sleep.
This was a blowout that felt worse than it probably was.