Community Picks: Detroit Pistons 0% vs Dallas Mavericks 0%

First, DeMarcus Cousins handled Dallas down low. Then, Kenneth Faried and DeAndre Jordan dominated with 20-20 performances. The Mavericks' problems containing big men are surfacing at the wrong time as they cling to a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and if those issues persist against Andre Drummond, they could be staring down a season-worst fourth consecutive defeat. Continue to Article

March 08, 2016 8:52:pm EST

Stan Van Gundy gets pretty focused during games. Like, "so dialed in on every single possession that seeing a call go against the Detroit Pistons results in him losing his grip on reality "-level focused. As a result, it can be pretty tough to get his attention in the heat of battle ... even if, y'know, you're his $80 million starting point guard and you've been balling out in a big home game against the red-hot Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers: [ Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Basketball contest today ] That is flat-out remarkable. This isn't even forgetting to walk over and reach out for a teammate after a free throw; this is Jackson standing directly behind Van Gundy, a step away, and yelling for his coach to recognize him ... and nothing . [ Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr:  The best slams from all of basketball] From Rod Beard of The Detroit News : But as Van Gundy explained after the game: "I was concentrating on the game, not on that. Reggie's very social and he was trying to give me some dap and I was focused on the play in front of me. I wasn't trying to shun him; it's just that the game was going on." Said Jackson: "I just wanted a handshake. He was so wound up in the game that I couldn't get my normal dap coming off the court. "The most animated I was [during the game] was trying to get coach to give me a handshake and it didn't happen," he joked. "He definitely got me [a handshake] at the end, so we made up for it." Whew. Glad to hear there's no dissension in the ranks and no cryptic tweet leadership correctives needed here, especially after Jackson more than earned a hearty handshake and a pat on the back, scoring 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting with nine assists, two steals and just one turnover in 34 minutes to lead Detroit to a 123-103 win that improved the Pistons to 32-31. The victory tied Detroit's win total from last season and, more importantly, put them even on record with the Chicago Bulls for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race. A few more performances like that, and maybe Jackson — who's averaging a career-best 19.2 points and 6.2 assists in 30.9 minutes per game in his first full season as a starting NBA point guard — will start to see Stan extend his hand to his man. Reggie, you're on your way. Haha coach was too locked in RT @tobias31 : Lol @Reggie_Jackson maybe next time 😂😂 https://t.co/10TNIfOVYP — Reggie Jackson (@Reggie_Jackson) March 7, 2016 More NBA coverage: - - - - - - - Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YourManDevine Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL , "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more. Continue to Article

March 07, 2016 3:47:pm EST

As the fantasy basketball regular season nears completion, with owners now facing off in fantasy playoffs, it’s time to reflect on the 2015-16 campaign. For people who drafted Marc Gasol (who sputtered before being shut down for the season following foot surgery) or lost Eric Bledsoe to injury or held strong with potential upstarts who started the season strong only to flame out, it was likely a season to forget. Of course, injuries aren’t the only variable that could flip a fantasy basketball season on its ear. To that end, the PointAfter team pegged three of the NBA’s biggest overachievers (and underachievers) relative to their preseason Yahoo fantasy rankings, focusing on those who didn’t miss substantial time. With help from PointAfter’s interactive data visualizations, we’ll break down an overachiever and underachiever at guard, forward and center. Note: “Current” rankings are accurate as of March 6, 2016. Stud Guard: Rajon Rondo, Kings Preseason Ranking: 104 Current Ranking: 53 Though many pundits and fans were skeptical about Sacramento’s decision to sign Rondo to a one-year, $9.5 million deal prior to the season, the enigmatic floor general delivered for the Kings this season (despite a lackluster win-loss record). Though the 30-year-old veteran continued to struggle at the free throw line (56.7 percent) and wasn’t extremely efficient as a scorer, he’s cruised to be the NBA leader in assists. 2015-16 NBA Assists Per Game Leaders | PointAfter Rondo’s fantasy value has primarily been tied to his ability to dish out more dimes than any other player in the league. Of course, his averages of 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals (the latter of which ranks him No. 8 in the league) provide plenty of value. Honorable Mentions: Kyle Lowry, Kemba Walker Dud Guard: Danny Green, Spurs Preseason Ranking: 54 Current Ranking: 132 The season has not been kind to Green. Usually a reliable sharpshooter (he converted at least 41 percent of his three-pointers in each of the last four seasons), Green’s made just 35 percent of his attempts this year — the lowest since his rookie year. Danny Green's Been Mired in an Ugly Shooting Slump | PointAfter Provided that Green hasn’t added much in terms of rebounds, assists or steals, the dips in his shooting percentages have really hindered his fantasy value. San Antonio has still been one of the strongest teams in the NBA despite Green’s struggles, but it would be ideal if he could shake this shooting slump in time for the playoffs. Dishonorable Mentions: Derrick Rose, Ty Lawson Stud Forward: Jae Crowder, Celtics Preseason Ranking: 132 Current Ranking: 23 The maturation of Crowder not only pegs him as one of fantasy basketball’s biggest surprises, but also puts him in the conversation to win the league’s Most Improved Player award. Crowder's Breakout Year in Boston | PointAfter Even though he wasn’t playing as many minutes as he would in each following month of the regular season, Crowder averaged 2.3 steals per contest through November. That stat alone was enough for fantasy owners to give him a look, and he’s since blossomed into a complete two-way player. As of March 6, the former second-round pick is averaging career highs via 14.5 points and 5.2 rebounds (all while sinking a career-best 35.1 percent of his threes). In addition to acting a glue guy on a number of fantasy teams, Crowder has been a catalyst for coach Brad Stevens and the Celtics — who currently sit No. 3 in the Eastern Conference standings. Honorable Mentions: Marvin Williams, Will Barton Dud Forward: Markieff Morris Preseason Ranking: 97 Current Ranking: 228 After the Phoenix Suns took a risk by trading a package including Marcus Morris to the Detroit Pistons to free up cap space in the pursuit of free-agent big man LaMarcus Aldridge — a transaction that didn’t come to fruition — Markieff Morris did not hide his displeasure. “Keef” took to Twitter back in September to say his future would not be in Phoenix . From there, he played the worst basketball of his career, shooting a career-low 39.7 percent from the field and career-worst 28.9 percent from beyond the arc while in the desert. Markieff's 2015-16 Shot Chart | PointAfter As the visualization above shows, Morris hasn’t converted at a league-average clip from anywhere on the court this season. He was mercifully traded to the Washington Wizards at the deadline, but the change of scenery hasn’t yet helped his fortunes. In 10 games played for the Wizards, Morris has sunk just 3-of-17 three-pointers and averages fewer points per contest than he did with Phoenix. He chose not to fit in with the Suns by being a malcontent all season, and those frustrations carried over to his fantasy owners — well, those who opted not to drop him for better options. Dishonorable Mention: Serge Ibaka, Kobe Bryant Stud Center: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets Preseason Ranking: 220 Current Ranking: 79 Karl-Anthony Towns has positioned himself as the heavy favorite to take home Rookie of the Year honors at season’s end. Kristaps Porzingis has also gained plenty of notoriety while winning over the New York Knicks’ rabid fan base. But while those two rookies have led their peers by racking up double-doubles (they rank first and second, respectively, in that category among rookies), another first-year player has shattered expectations: Nikola Jokic. Rookie Comparison: Promising Big Men | PointAfter Though Jokic hasn’t been handed quite as a big a role from the get-go compared to Towns and Porzingis, his player efficiency rating (PER) ranks No. 22 in the entire league. That’s ahead of All-Stars like Jimmy Butler, John Wall and Draymond Green. Honorable Mentions: Kristaps Porzingis, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zaza Pachulia Dud Center: Tyson Chandler, Suns Preseason Ranking: 73 Current Ranking: 208 During the offseason, the Suns’ front office inked Tyson Chandler to a four-year, $52 million deal with hopes he could provide a veteran presence and anchor the team’s defense. Fast-forward to March, and the signing is really difficult to defend. Chandler has looked like a sieve defensively for the Suns. He’s averaging just 0.6 blocks per game (the first time he’s averaged less than a block per contest in his career). Additionally, Suns opponents score more points per 100 possessions at a more efficient clip when Chandler plays. Considering the 7-foot-1 skyscraper has held the team back in a big way on offense as well, that’s not a good precursor to the rest of his contract. Phoenix's Stats With and Without Tyson Chandler | PointAfter Alex Len (averaging 20.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in March) proved to be a much better fantasy option throughout the season. Drafting Chandler with hopes of him at least grabbing double-digit rebounds and blocking plenty of shots backfired on fantasy owners. Dishonorable Mentions: Meyers Leonard, Dwight Howard Ben Leibowitz is a writer for  PointAfter , a sports data aggregation and visualization website that's part of the  Graphiq  network. PointAfter is a platform for shot charts, scatterplots and other data visualizations about NBA players, NFL teams and dozens of other topics. Continue to Article

March 07, 2016 11:06:am EST

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Reggie Jackson scored 30 points in another big game against Portland, and the Detroit Pistons beat the Trail Blazers 123-103 on Sunday night. Continue to Article

March 06, 2016 8:50:pm EST