Here are the top performers on January 31 and the stats to highlight their impact:
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Luka Doncic LAL PG 37 PTS | 11 REB | 13 AST | 73.7 FPS (vs. WAS)
The superstar guard was on the injury report after twisting his ankle in the loss to the Cavs. But he showed no signs of slowing down today, posting a 25-point triple-double in just the first half. This performance also marked his 28th 30-point game, 17th 10-assist outing and 13th 10-rebound performance of the season.
BREAKOUT:
De’Andre Ayton LAL C 28 PTS | 13 REB | 3 BLK | 59.1 FPS (vs. WAS)
DominAyton was almost unstoppable today, going 12-for-14 from the field and finishing with his 10th 20-point game and his 17th double-double of the season. While he’s clearly capable of these performances, he’s had a harder time producing them against the better teams in the league.
SLEEPER:
Kyle Filipowski UTA C 14 PTS | 12 REB | 1 BLK | 35.4 FPS (vs. BKN)
Despite his inconsistent playing time, the big man has stayed productive with contributions across the board. He kept going today, finishing with his 20th double-digit scoring performance and his eighth game with double-digit rebounds this season.
ELITE ASSET:
Nikola Jokic DEN C 31 PTS | 12 REB | 5 AST | 60.9 FPS (vs. LAC)
The Joker immediately dominated in his return, finishing with his 14th 30-point game and his 29th double-double of the season. He currently ranks just outside the top 20 in total points, 10th in rebounds, and 3rd in assists this season, despite missing nearly a month with an injury.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Egor Demin BKN PG 25 PTS | 10 REB | 4 AST | 42.0 FPS (vs. UTA)
Inconsistencies aside, Demin has been a legit threat from long range, averaging 3 triples on 46.8% this month. He was even better today, knocking down 6 threes in his best scoring performance of the season.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
De’Anthony Melton GSW SG 18 PTS | 4 REB | 2 STL | 31.3 FPS (vs. DET)
In his last four games, the veteran guard is averaging 16.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals. Melton has been a solid addition for the Warriors this season and should continue to be a key part of the rotation.
STREAMER:
Collin Murray-Boyles TOR PF 12 PTS | 6 REB | 3 STL | 32.2 FPS (vs. ORL)
The forward continues to be productive, averaging 5.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 stocks since his return from an injury. With Poeltl still without a timetable for his return, CMB should continue to see a bigger role in the rotation.
FLOPPER:
DeMar DeRozan SAC SF 6 PTS | 1 REB | 2 AST | 10.2 FPS (vs. BOS)
DeRozan is averaging 19.0 points per game on 50.3% shooting, ranking just outside the top 50 in the league. While he’s capable of big scoring nights, he’s also prone to rough shooting performances like today, shooting just 2-of-10 from the field.
