Here are the top performers on February 21 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Luka Doncic LAL PG 38 PTS | 6 REB | 11 AST | 71.7 FPS (vs. LAC)
Luka was incredible in his first game back from a hamstring injury. He was on fire from deep, knocking down eight threes for his 30th 30-point game of the season. He also finished with his 18th game with 10+ assists for his 26th double-double performance of the year.
BREAKOUT:
Julian Strawther DEN SG 19 PTS | 6 REB | 4 AST | 34.2 FPS (vs. POR)
The Nuggets are still missing key players, which should continue to result in additional minutes for the third-year guard. He’s been making the most of his opportunity, scoring at least 18 points for the fourth time in five games.
SLEEPER:
Brook Lopez LAC C 16 PTS | 10 REB | 3 BLK | 44.5 FPS (vs. LAL)
Maintaining consistency has been a challenge for the veteran big man this season, but he remains capable of this kind of performance. His production has also seen an uptick over his last three games, averaging 13.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.7 stocks.
ELITE ASSET:
Jamal Murray DEN PG 25 PTS | 6 REB | 6 AST | 42.2 FPS (vs. POR)
Murray is dealing with a hamstring issue but he continues to play at an elite level, averaging 22.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 8.6 assists, and nearly 3 threes per game in his last five.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Rudy Gobert MIN C 22 PTS | 17 REB | 3 BLK | 53.9 FPS (vs. DAL)
Gobert dominated the Mavericks, posting his third 20-point performance and his eleventh game with 15 or more rebounds this season. He’s been one of the best defensive big men in the league this year, ranking 4th in total blocks, and is now 1st in total rebounds.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Jarace Walker IND PF 12 PTS | 12 REB | 6 AST | 33.4 FPS (vs. WAS)
The Pacers have seemingly been tanking since the break, so Walker should be in line for a larger role moving forward. While he hasn’t been the most consistent offensive option, he continues to flash his all-around upside, averaging 18.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals over his last three games.
STREAMER:
Cason Wallace OKC SG 8 PTS | 6 AST | 4 STL | 29.8 FPS (vs. BKN)
It was a bad offensive showing for Wallace, but he was able to make up for it in many different areas. He’s taken on a much bigger role with SGA sidelined and delivered, averaging 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.4 steals over his last eight games.
FLOPPER:
Jerami Grant POR PF 6 PTS | 3 REB | 1 BLK| 10.6 FPS (vs. DEN)
Grant was off to a solid start this month, averaging close to 19 points per game. But he was unusually quiet today, finishing with fewer than 10 points for just the third time in the last two months.
