Here are the top performers on April 6 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Cooper Flagg DAL SF 45 PTS | 8 REB | 9 AST | 75.1 FPS (vs. LAL)
In his last two games, Flagg has really made his case for the Rookie of the Year award with back-to-back 40-point performances, becoming the first rookie to do so in almost three decades. He now has four 40-point games this season, the most by a teenager in league history, surpassing LeBron James. His overall production in both games was just as impressive. With the way he’s been playing, he has further solidified his status as one of the future superstars of the league.
BREAKOUT:
Luke Kennard LAL SG 15 PTS | 16 REB | 11 AST | 50.7 FPS
Kennard didn’t have the best night shooting the basketball, but he still scored at least 15 points for the tenth time this year. What stood out most was his overall impact, as he finished with a career-high in rebounds and also recorded his first career triple-double. Such production will be difficult to replicate, but he should continue to play a significant role with both Doncic and Reaves out for the rest of the season.
SLEEPER:
Rui Hachimura LAL PF 21 PTS | 7 REB | 1 STL | 33.9 FPS (vs. DAL)
With two Lakers stars sidelined, the team will have to rely more on Hachimura for the time being. He doesn’t usually contribute much across the board, but he should remain a dependable scoring option. He excelled offensively today, recording his sixth 20-point game of the season.
ELITE ASSET:
Kevin Durant HOU PF 31 PTS | 8 REB | 8 AST | 58.6 FPS (vs. GSW)
Offense has rarely been a problem for the star forward. He’s shown that in recent weeks and continued that trend today, shooting efficiently from everywhere on the court and scoring at least 25 points for the eighth time in his last ten games, while also contributing in other areas. He should be able to keep the momentum rolling in the team’s next games.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Dylan Cardwell SAC C 15 PTS | 8 REB | 4 BLK | 42.6 FPS (vs. LAC)
The rookie big man has been solid for most of the year, but he has been especially good lately. Over his last two games, he has totaled 16 rebounds and 9 blocks. Today, he was also efficient offensively, going 7-for-8 from the field to score a season-high. Expect more strong outings from him in the games ahead.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Bones Hyland MIN PG 18 PTS | 6 REB | 6 AST | 41.2 FPS (vs. CHA)
The veteran guard has stepped up on the scoring end lately, posting at least 18 points and five threes in each of his last two games while also getting it done in other areas. With Edwards in and out of the lineup, Hyland should continue to play a major role down the stretch of the regular season.
STREAMER:
Rayan Rupert MEM SG 33 PTS | 10 REB | 10 AST | 71.0 FPS (vs. MIL)
The Grizzlies only had nine available players in today’s game, which opened the door for Rupert to take on a much larger role. He took full advantage, delivering career-highs in multiple areas. While he might not sustain this level of production, he should still continue to make a strong impact in the final few games of the season.
FLOPPER:
Brandon Miller CHA SF 7 PTS | 6 REB | 3 AST | 20.7 FPS (vs. MIN)
Miller had been on a highly productive scoring run lately, reaching the 20-point mark six times in his last nine games while averaging four threes per contest in that span. But he was far from that level today, converting just 1-of-9 from distance and finishing with his least productive performance in the last three weeks.
