The "glue guy" is often overlooked. You know, the player who fills in gaps on defense or binds an offense while serving multiple roles? Well, Josh Hart has been this player for the New Orleans Pelicans since joining the team a few years ago. While he's often asked to help initiate the offense, on Sunday we saw Hart produce the first 25-point double-double of his career in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Villanova product has recently increased his scoring production with both Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson out of the lineup with respective injuries. Hart has been averaging 23.7 points with stellar peripherals (including 4.7 assists and 2.7 steals, during his last three games. What the squad needs, the glue dude abides.

Rostered in only 35.5% of ESPN leagues, Hart is likely going to be busy on both sides of the ball tomorrow against the Cavaliers.

Weekend recap

SATURDAY

Highlights

James Harden, Brooklyn Nets: 36 points (10-25 FG), 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 blocks

Patty Mills, Brooklyn Nets: 34 points (11-17 FG), 2 rebounds, 7 assists

Lowlights

Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Lakers: 13 points (4-20 FG), 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 TO

SUNDAY

Highlights

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: 36 points (12-17 FG), 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks

Caris LeVert, Indiana Pacers: 27 points (9-22 FG), 4 rebounds, 9 assists

Lowlights

Tyler Herro, Miami Heat: 2 points (1-5 FG), 2 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 TO

Coby White, Chicago Bulls: 8 points (3-10 FG), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 TO

Weekend takeaways

  • Kemba Walker's return to the New York Knicks starting lineup and his subsequent resurgence as a playmaker over the last month has been one of the better stories this season. On Saturday, Walker became just the seventh player ever with a triple-double on Christmas day and the first since Draymond Green in 2017. Walker went seven years and 265 days between triple-doubles, the eighth-longest span between triple-doubles in NBA history. Walker also became only the second player in Knicks history with a 40-point effort followed by a triple-double in consecutive games, joining Carmelo Anthony from April 2012.
  • The Nets haven't fielded a complete rotation all season, but Mills has been a steady force throughout. The Australian combo guard set a new Christmas day record with eight made 3-pointers against the Lakers on Saturday evening and is now averaging 23.8 points and five 3-pointers over his last five games. With Brooklyn being short-handed entering the week, Mills is an ideal waiver target. Harden, meanwhile, joined Oscar Robertson (three times) as the only players to have ever posted a 30-point triple-double on Christmas.
  • The Toronto Raptors fielded a roster filled with depth options and G League additions on Sunday in a blowout loss to the Cavaliers. However, likely lost in the box score is the fact that center Chris Boucher played 28 minutes for Toronto. Having been pushed to the fringes of the rotation for the first two months of the season, Boucher has been playing more and more of late and should serve as one of the better sources of blocks if he can retain a meaningful role once the roster is healthy.
  • The Memphis Grizzlies kept rolling on Sunday in a drubbing of the Kings. Desmond Bane remained hot from the floor with 28 points, giving him at least 20 in four of his last six games. Second-year players often take a leap, but I'm not sure anyone saw Bane becoming this efficient and effective this early in his career.

Injuries of note

  • The Hornets won't have Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, or P.J. Washington for tonight's game against the Rockets.
  • For Houston, the team could finally have its young backcourt back in action if both Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. can return from their respective injuries. Both are listed as questionable after missing several weeks of action. Porter is one of my favorite free-agent targets, given the creation equity he's given as the lead distributor in this young rotation.
  • Portland won't have CJ McCollum in the lineup tonight as he recovers from a collapsed lung. Robert Covington is in the league's health and safety protocol, tasking Larry Nance Jr. with a potentially rewarding role against a depleted Dallas frontcourt.

Analytics advantage for Monday

The Atlanta Hawks list a dozen players as being out for tonight's game against the Bulls, including the likes of Trae Young and John Collins. This leaves second-year wing Cam Reddish as a primary scoring option for this very depleted rotation. The Duke product is a free agent in roughly 90% of ESPN leagues, yet has consumed a usage rate of 27.2% during the team's last three games. That's a significant surge from the 22.2% clip he sported in 25 appearances prior to this recent uptick.

In other words, Reddish is now commanding more than 25% of Atlanta's offensive possessions while also playing a lot more minutes. That's very often the formula for a major spike in fantasy production.

DFS discussion

  • Malik Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves: With Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell, and Anthony Edwards all in the league's health and safety protocol and sidelined for tonight's tilt against the Celtics, Beasley is going to have rare freedom to find his own shot. Putting up buckets as a primary option of late, Beasley is an option to consider for fantasy purposes.
  • Jalen Brunson, Dallas Mavericks: Just as Luka Doncic (ankle) appeared prepared to return to the floor for the Mavericks last week, he was placed in the league's health and safety protocol, extending his absence. With Doncic off the floor, Brunson has been very productive as the Mavericks' top distributor and perimeter scorer. Meanwhile, Portland might have the weakest defense backcourt in the league.