LAL 101, PHX 73: LeBron James's Active Hands: 4 Steals
Hiro Tanaka
Physical Therapy Assistant · Los Angeles Lakers fan
Lakers Demolish Suns 101-73, LeBron Reminds Everyone He's Still Him
Look, I'm not gonna pretend I'm objective here. I'm a Lakers guy through and through, so watching LeBron James absolutely go off against the Suns felt like eating at my favorite restaurant after a long week. But this wasn't just good fantasy basketball, this was the kind of performance that makes you remember why he's still All-NBA at his age.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LeBron James | 73.0 | 63.2 | 28/6/12 | 21.0/6.1/7.2 | +7.0 |
| Luke Kennard | 38.0 | 32.7 | 19/1/3 | 8.4/2.4/2.2 | +10.6 |
| Royce O'Neale | 33.0 | 31.9 | 11/7/3 | 9.8/4.8/2.7 | +1.2 |
| Marcus Smart | 32.0 | 29.5 | 6/5/7 | 9.4/2.8/2.9 | -3.4 |
| Deandre Ayton | 23.0 | 22.0 | 10/5/0 | 12.3/8.0/0.8 | -2.3 |
| Oso Ighodaro | 18.0 | 21.0 | 8/10/2 | 6.5/5.1/2.2 | +1.5 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 19.0 | 18.9 | 6/7/1 | 4.4/4.5/1.3 | +1.6 |
| Rui Hachimura | 18.0 | 17.9 | 13/2/3 | 11.3/3.2/0.9 | +1.7 |
| Dillon Brooks | 8.0 | 15.9 | 12/2/1 | 20.2/3.6/1.8 | -8.2 |
| Collin Gillespie | 15.0 | 15.5 | 5/5/3 | 12.7/4.1/4.6 | -7.7 |
LeBron was unstoppable tonight. 28 points on 10-16 shooting, 12 assists, 4 steals, and 32 minutes of work in a blowout. That's not padding stats in garbage time, that's just pure dominance. The +7.0 over his season average for scoring doesn't even capture how clean the efficiency was. He shot 62.5% from the field, got to the line (6-9 FT), and ran the offense like he was conducting a symphony. This is the version of LeBron that reminds everyone why he made All-NBA second team last year.
Now here's the thing about big blowouts in fantasy: they create weird performance spikes that don't always repeat. But LeBron's tonight wasn't fluky. He was in control the entire time, which is different from just being on a hot shooting night. If you own him, you feel comfortable starting him every night. If you don't, yeah, good luck finding a way to add him at 93.6% ownership.
Luke Kennard is the real story here though. The guy went 19 points on 6-12 shooting with perfect 5-5 free throw shooting. That's a +10.6 from his season average in scoring. For a bench guard who averages 8.4 points, this is massive. He also chipped in 3 assists and 3 steals in 28 minutes. The ownership bump to 43.6% makes sense, but I need to be real with you, this is the kind of game Kennard has maybe twice a month. His season average is what you should expect going forward. Don't overpay to acquire him thinking this is his new normal.
Marcus Smart did exactly what you want from a defensive specialist off the bench. 7 assists, 2 steals, and solid minutes (18) in a blowout where the game was never close after the first quarter. The 6 points on 2-5 shooting is fine, and Yahoo scoring loves his playmaking and defense. This is his typical ceiling, so if you added him off waivers, you got what you paid for.
Deandre Ayton is frustrating in a different way. He pulled down 5 boards and hit 4-8 from the field for 10 points, but that's still -2.3 from his season average. In a game where Phoenix got absolutely demolished, you'd think the big man would get more opportunities, but the Lakers defense was suffocating. Ayton stayed on the court (30 minutes), so it's not a minutes thing. This is more about matchups and pace. Against stronger defenses, his production will dip.
On the Suns side, this was a disaster that fantasy managers needed to see coming. Dillon Brooks cooked himself right out of a good day, going 5-14 from the field for just 12 points. That's a -8.2 from his 20.2 season average. When he's not hitting shots, he doesn't create value anywhere else (1 assist, 1 steal). He's not a guy you can trust in bad matchups, and the Lakers obviously had his number tonight.
Oso Ighodaro was the only Sun who really showed up, pulling 10 boards and 8 points in just 20 minutes. That's a +4.9 rebound bump over his season average, which is real. He's been getting ownership added (trending at 38.4% league-wide), and frankly, this is exactly the kind of game that makes people add backup bigs who have upside. Just know that this is ceiling performance for a bench player.
Royce O'Neale rounded out the top performers for Phoenix with 11 points, 7 boards, and 3 steals in limited time (22 minutes). The 3 steals is where his fantasy value landed, but again, in a blowout where Phoenix was getting smoked, he didn't get the opportunity to score more. This is a bounce-back game for him after underperforming earlier in the season.
The real story: The Lakers depth is working. You had LeBron, Kennard, Smart, Rui Hachimura (13 points on 4-8 shooting, 2 threes), and Jarred Vanderbilt all contributing. When a team is rolling like this, injuries elsewhere start to become a bigger concern. I noticed Luka Dončić didn't play for the Suns (0 minutes), and that wasn't listed in the injury report I received, which is concerning. Same with Jalen Green, Devin Booker, and others. If any of those are out due to load management heading into the playoffs, that changes everything for Suns fantasy managers. I'd be DMing your league mates to get confirmation on what's really going on there.
Bottom line: LeBron owners are good. Kennard was a one-night wonder, don't get excited. Ayton is fine but not a breakout. The Suns got exposed badly, and if their main guys are healthy, they need better games fast. For waiver purposes, Ighodaro might be worth a look in deeper leagues, but don't blow your budget on him. This was a 28-point margin game, and those performances don't always translate.