The three-ball has become perhaps the most important part of scoring in the NBA, so we thought we’d take a few shots from downtown as well. Here, fantasy basketball analyst Dan Titus will break down the three things fantasy managers need to know. Or he’ll break down multiple three-point advice, analysis and more – it just depends on how open he is from Deep.
Today I discuss three teams doing three unlikely things during the first week and a half of the NBA season.
The Chicago Bulls lead the race in Pace
The Bulls have run the fastest offense in the NBA through four games, a major development under HC Billy Donovan.
Unlikely to the extreme.
Last year the Bulls ranked 28th in the league (96.7) in Pace and have been mostly in the middle of the pack during Donovan’s tenure.
So what has changed?
Not having to initiate an attack through DeMar DeRozan in the midrange is the first thing that comes to mind. The Bulls have increased possession through faster decision-making and ball movement as their passes per game have increased from 286.7 per game last season to 314.6 per game so far this season, according to NBA Advanced Stats. While subtracting DeRozan would typically result in more volume for Zach LaVine, Coby White and Nikola Vučević, their shot volume is consistent with last season. The difference is that LaVine, White and company are attempting more 3s – a consistent theme we’ve seen in the NBA this season. The Bulls are averaging 44 three-point attempts per game, which is top three in the league.
From a fantasy perspective, Vučević and LaVine’s numbers are improving from a year ago, while White has established himself as a 19-4-4 player. Josh Giddey’s play and facilitating are working well as he heads toward his best fantasy season. He currently ranks 122nd in value per game across category formats.
The question is: will this fast-paced, three-pronged strategy be sustainable? We’ll see!
Are the Charlotte Hornets a top-10 offense?!
It’s easy to attribute Charlotte’s early season success to the LaMelo Ball effect. The Hornets are a completely different team when Ball is in the lineup. The last time LaMelo Ball played in more than 50 games was the 2021-2022 season and the Hornets finished eighth in Offensive Rating that year. However, when evaluating this season, a few areas stand out beyond Ball’s phenomenal play: the Hornets’ new commitment to offensive rebounding and second-chance opportunities.
Looking back at last season, the Knicks had an uncanny ability to clean the glass despite ranking in the bottom 10 in true shooting percentage in the NBA. Those additional offensive options helped the Knicks finish the year seventh in the Offensive Rating.
With a redesigned offensive unit getting a substantial boost from the play of fantasy waiver wire gems Tre Mann and Nick Richards, we have yet to see what this offense can look like when fully healthy. Brandon Miller is still dealing with a hip injury, Miles Bridges isn’t playing well, and there’s still no word on Mark Williams’ return from a foot injury.
And yet somehow this team is in the top 10 in offensive rating.
Nick Richards is essentially becoming the Isaiah Hartenstein of last season, with 4.8 offensive rebounds per game. Interestingly, Richards and Mann average the most second chance points per game in the league, 6.0 and 5.8 respectively.
If the Hornets continue to work on the offensive glass and get their key guys healthy, Charlotte could be one of the most unlikely fantasy-friendly teams this season.
The Orlando Magic’s alter ego as a three-point threat
If you can’t beat them, join them. Two weeks into the season, it appears Orlando has changed its offensive identity from a team that barely attempted threes to one of the best in the league. Last season, the Magic ranked 29th in the NBA in three-point attempts and last in goals per game. It’s no surprise that their 3-point percentage was also the lowest 10 in the league. The lack of three-point shooting was a glaring weakness in their offense.
Fast forward to this season, the Magic attempt the sixth-most 3s (42.6) and rank seventh in 3s made (14.8) per game. Orlando brought in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to help with their range and three-point shooting, but he has yet to get going and is making just 11% of his four three-point attempts per game. The most visible improvements have come from Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Between the trio, they are attempting six more 3s per game and are hitting at a higher rate than last season. Orlando’s defense remains their calling card, but this increase in three-point shooting will also increase the fantasy value of Suggs, Banchero and Wagner (assuming they continue to take them down, of course).
As a side note, seven players in the NBA are attempting to make more than ten three-pointers per game this season. According to Stathead, three is the most we’ve seen in an entire season in modern times.
