Fantasy Weekend: OKC Thunder roar into Black Friday
By Sinjin Snope
After a big win over the Warriors, the OKC Thunder set their sights on a pair of big weekend games
The OKC Thunder are riding high at this current moment. When once more all seemed lost following another collapse against New Orleans, the Thunder rose up and toppled the mighty Warriors. Now, this team is primed to take the next step to becoming a more complete basketball team.
Opportunities to grow have already arrived, with two big match-ups for OKC this weekend. The Detroit Pistons are in town Friday night while the Thunder head south to Dallas to take on the Mavericks the day after. Both of these games are potential building blocks for this team.
Now it’s time to put down that turkey leg and set aside the mashed potatoes, your weekly Fantasy Weekend is finally here.
Steven Adams
The Big Kiwi has been having a fantastic season thus far, averaging 13 points and 8 boards per game. I chose Adams as a sneaky sleeper Fantasy pick for this weekend because he has dominated and has earned his due.
With all the focus on OKC’s big three, Adams is left with bountiful opportunities at the rim and in the pick and roll. He also has had great success in the past against Andre Drummond, the Piston’s center, which is another reason he could be primed for a big stretch of games.
Avery Bradley
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I was initially shocked when the Boston Celtics traded away Avery Bradley in the offseason. The Texas product is a defensive wizard and has a knack for scoring the basketball. He only averaged 17 points a game against the OKC Thunder last season. But, with an increased roll in Detroit, he could be in line for a good game against the boys in blue.
Alex Abrines
After two straight weeks of picking nothing but “OK3” players for this weekly column, I decided to shake things up a bit. That’s where Alex Abrines comes in.
While he hasn’t been particularly great this season, it feels like any game could be the Spaniard’s coming out party. With the way Billy Donovan is improving his use of substitutions, I would not be surprised to see Abrines make headlines against the Pistons and Mavericks.
Harrison Barnes
Barnes lead the Mavericks in scoring last time these two teams played each other. So, that bodes well for his fantasy outlook against Oklahoma City. He also averaged around 19 points per game against the Thunder last season.
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Given this, he has a pretty solid track record against the Thunder. Let’s just hope he leaves his clutch shooting touch in Memphis, and doesn’t break OKC’s heart on Saturday night.