Here are the top performers on March 19 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Luka Doncic LAL PG 40 PTS | 9 REB | 10 AST | 63.8 FPS (vs. HOU)
The superstar guard continues to fill up the stat sheet, posting his 12th 40-point game of the season, which is the most in the league, and his 33rd double-double performance. He’s been great all year, but he’s hit another level over his last seven games, averaging 38.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 5.7 threes, and 3.0 stocks.
BREAKOUT:
Christian Braun DEN SG 26 PTS | 5 AST | 4 STL | 52.9 FPS (vs. MEM)
The versatile wing has had some subpar performances this month, but he’s starting to find his rhythm, recording his second consecutive 20-point game while also making a strong impact across the board. He should remain an important piece for the team this year, so he’s likely to have more games like this moving forward.
SLEEPER:
Taylor Hendricks MEM PF 13 PTS | 6 STL | 3 BLK | 41.9 FPS (vs. DEN)
Despite having an incredibly rough night offensively, the forward made up for it with elite production on defense. While his scoring has been up and down for most of the month, he’s been mostly decent on that end and should deliver a much better offensive performance while continuing to be a defensive threat in the coming games.
ELITE ASSET:
Jayson Tatum BOS PF 24 PTS | 5 3PM | 10 REB | 38.0 FPS (vs. GSW)
This was his fifth consecutive 20-point performance and his third double-double since returning from injury. While he’s still not at his best offensively, he should have no trouble maintaining this level of production for the time being.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Jalen Slawson IND SF 17 PTS | 7 REB | 3 BLK | 43.4 FPS (vs. POR)
Over his last four games, Slawson has made his mark on the defensive end, averaging 5.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 2.0 blocks. But he showed that he’s just as capable offensively with his performance today, showcasing his potential as a two-way threat.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
PJ Washington DAL PF 23 PTS | 9 REB | 2 BLK | 38.3 FPS (vs. ATL)
PJ has really struggled with consistency this year, but he remains a solid threat for these kinds of performances. He’s shown that in his last four games, averaging 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.5 stocks.
STREAMER:
Ayo Dosunmu MIN SG 23 PTS | 9 REB | 6 AST | 50.8 FPS (vs. UTA)
Outside of one game, Dosunmu has been highly efficient on offense this month. He’s been even better lately, scoring at least 18 points in each of his last three games. While he may not maintain today’s outstanding stat line, he should continue to see a large offensive role with Edwards sidelined for a few weeks.
FLOPPER:
Josh Giddey CHI PG 9 PTS | 3 AST | 1 STL | 13.5 FPS (vs. TOR)
This performance was a complete drop-off after recording four triple-doubles in his last five games. He tied a season low in assists and also finished under the 10-point mark for the seventh time this year. But given his production this season, he should be able to rebound quickly in the next game.
