Here are the top performers on April 11 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Victor Wembanyama SAS C 40 PTS | 13 REB | 5 AST | 70.1 FPS (vs. DAL)
The superstar center was back in the lineup after missing the previous game with a rib injury. He continued his dominance, recording his third 40-point outing in five games and his fifth of the year, becoming the only player in the franchise to achieve the feat in three decades since David Robinson. He was just as incredible on the boards, posting his seventh 10-rebound performance in eight games and recording his 42nd double-double overall, which is the fourth most in the league this season.
BREAKOUT:
Jonas Valanciunas DEN C 23 PTS | 17 REB | 2 BLK | 52.4 FPS (vs. OKC)
The Nuggets were without their starters in today’s game, which resulted in a much larger role for the veteran big man. He stepped up to the occasion, leading all players in both points and rebounds. While Valanciunas has mostly played backup minutes this year, he has remained a key contributor in the paint. He has scored in double figures 26 times and has also finished with double-digit rebounds four times.
SLEEPER:
Andre Drummond PHI C 10 PTS | 16 REB | 1 STL | 33.7 FPS (vs. IND)
Drummond continues to be a force on the boards, posting consecutive 15-rebound outings and recording his 26th game this year with double-digit rebounds. With Embiid sidelined indefinitely, this production will be crucial for the team in the coming games.
ELITE ASSET:
LeBron James LAL SF 28 PTS | 12 AST | 4 STL | 63.2 FPS (vs. PHX)
The superstar forward has handled an even heavier workload with both Reaves and Doncic out due to injuries. He’s been up to the challenge, averaging 28.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals over his last three games. He’s been even more impressive as a playmaker, posting double-digit assists in each of those games to bring his total to 17 this year, which is tied for seventh in the league. With that, he also achieved another career milestone, reaching 12,000 assists and becoming just the fourth player in league history to do so.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
AJ Green MIL SG 35 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST | 53.0 FPS (vs. BKN)
The guard has established himself as one of the top shooters in the league this year, and he continued that today, setting a franchise record with 11 threes while finishing with a career-high in scoring.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Payton Pritchard BOS PG 21 PTS | 3 REB | 10 AST | 41.6 FPS (vs. NOP)
Though inconsistency is still a problem for Pritchard, he has clearly made a name for himself this year, averaging career-best marks of 17.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He will continue to be an important offensive contributor for the Celtics in the playoffs, and he has shown that he is very capable in that area, reaching the 20-point mark in 27 games this season.
STREAMER:
Brandin Podziemski GSW SG 30 PTS | 3 REB | 1 STL | 36.1 FPS (vs. SAC)
Despite the loss, Podz still delivered the best scoring performance of his career. He was excellent from the field, shooting 60% and was nearly flawless at the line, converting 9-of-10 attempts. Overall, it’s been an excellent year for the wing, and the team will need him at his best for the upcoming play-in tournament.
FLOPPER:
Stephen Curry GSW PG 11 PTS | 5 AST | 2 STL | 25.1 FPS (vs. SAC)
The star guard had a really rough night in his third game back from a knee injury. During the first quarter, he appeared to injure his foot within the first few minutes of the game. While he was able to play through it, he could no longer get anything going and finished with one of his worst games of the season.
