Here are the top players on January 4 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Jaylen Brown BOS SF 50 PTS | 3 REB | 5 AST | 59.1 FPS (vs. LAC)
Over the past five weeks, Brown has been incredibly consistent, scoring 29+ points in 13 of his last 15 games. He raised the bar again today, going 18-for-26 from the field and 6-for-10 from three-point range to post his best scoring performance of the season and the second 50-point outing of his career.
BREAKOUT:
Sandro Mamukelashvili TOR PF 13 PTS | 12 REB | 8 AST | 51.9 FPS (vs. ATL)
The forward turned in his strongest all-around outing of the season, posting his best numbers in rebounding, assists and stocks. In his last 10 games, he’s averaging 12.3 points, close to seven rebounds, and two stocks per game.
SLEEPER:
Payton Pritchard BOS PG 12 PTS | 4 REB | 8 AST | 31.8 FPS (vs. LAC)
The former Sixth Man of the Year continues to do a fantastic job for the Celtics this season. He’s putting up solid numbers across key areas, now averaging 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.6 three-pointers per game.
ELITE ASSET:
Kevin Durant HOU PF 34 PTS | 7 AST | 3 BLK | 57.5 FPS (vs. DAL)
KD continues to be one of the most skilled offensive players in the league, scoring 30+ points for the third time in his last four games and putting up 20+ points for the tenth consecutive game. He’s also made his mark as a playmaker, finishing with his 15th overall five-assist performance and his fifth straight.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Isaiah Collier UTA PG 8 PTS | 7 AST | 3 STL | 35.5 FPS (vs. GSW)
Despite inconsistent minutes this season, Collier has remained productive. He finished with a useful all-around line today but once again stood out as a playmaker, notching his 17th five-assist game of the season and averaging 8.5 assists over his last 11 games.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Max Christie DAL SG 24 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK | 40.4 FPS (vs. HOU)
Max delivered again on offense to help stop the Mavs’ five-game losing skid. He’s been on a roll, scoring 18+ points in each of his last three games and totaling 11 threes. He’s also providing positive numbers in other areas, posting 5+ rebounds thrice and 5 assists twice in his last five.
STREAMER:
Clint Capela HOU C 8 PTS | 8 REB | 5 STL | 40.6 FPS (vs. DAL)
The Rockets are currently thin in the frontcourt with Steven Adams missing his second straight game and Sengun sustaining an injury which forced Capela into a significantly larger role. He came up big on defense today and should continue to be a reliable asset in rebounding.
FLOPPER:
Shaedon Sharpe POR SF 6 PTS | 3 REB | 3 AST | 13.1 FPS (vs. SAS)
Sharpe ranks inside the top 30 in scoring this season with a total of 683 points, but he had a difficult time on offense today, going 3-for-16 and finishing with his worst scoring game of the season. His three-point shooting also continues to be a problem, hitting only 1 of 12 shots over his last three games.
