Weekly Zags in the Pros Update

A thumb injury has been the only thing stopping Domantas Sabonis lately, as the big man missed one game with a small fracture. He had been dominating aside from that, posting 11 straight double-doubles, including a trio of triple-doubles, in a strong December. The NBA leader in double-doubles is averaging 20.3 points, 15.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game this month, quite the candidacy now that All-Star balloting has commenced.

Sabonis is the only Zag in the NBA having a better month than Brandon Clarke, who recorded his fourth double-double on Friday with 24 points and ten rebounds. It was his tenth straight game in double figures and helped raise his monthly averages to 12.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 74% shooting from the field. BC’s hot hand has increased his overall field goal percentage to 65.5%, the third-best in the league.

Rui Hachimura has rebounded nicely from a month long absence, capping off a four game stretch with 30 points and five boards in just 28 minutes in Wednesday’s win over the Suns. He also had 21, five rebounds, and four assists in a win over Domas and the Kings last week in his second game back.

Corey Kispert has also produced as the other half of Gonzaga’s D.C. connection, averaging 9.8 points on 38% shooting from three this month. He had 12 points, two rebounds, and two assists last week against Utah, and has made at least one three in all but one game in December.

Zach Collins has totaled 21 points and 15 rebounds over his last two games, including ten and seven on 4-4 shooting in a win over the Jazz. He’s scored 10+ points six times in ten December games, shooting a shade under 55% from the field in that span.

Andrew Nembhard scored in double figures for the ninth time in his rookie season in last Friday’s win over Miami, putting up ten points, four rebounds, and three assists. That outing has helped him to his best month so far, averaging 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists for the Pacers.

Kelly Olynyk has hit the sidelines, as ankle injuries continue to bite Zags across the league. He was averaging 12.5 points per game this month, but has missed the last four games for the Jazz. Jalen Suggs remains off the court with his own ankle problems. His timetable for return is still TBD.

David Stockton has scored 14 points in each of his last two games, shooting 4-7 from three in that span. He totaled 15 assists in those games, and currently ranks sixth in the G-League with 7.7 asssists per game. Elsewhere on the farm, Joel Ayayi tied a season-high with 11 rebounds last Wednesday.

Ryan Woolridge has been playing some of his best basketball for OKC lately, falling just shy of his season bests with six points and five boards in Tuesday’s win and averaging two steals per game over his last three contests.

Filip Petrusev had one of his best games in EuroLeague action last weekend, scoring 20 points on 7-11 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds for his second double-double this season. He’s scored 10+ points in six of eight games this month and is averaging 8.9 points on 61% shooting from the floor to close out the year.

Kyle Wiltjer posted his sixth 25+ point game of the season on the 16th, dropping 25 along with six boards for Guangsha. He also had a 13-point, 12-rebound, 5-assist outing last Wednesday, good for his fourth double-double.

Josh Perkins has made an immediate impact on his new team, totaling 33 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and four steals in his first two games for Stal. He’s scored at least 15 in four straight games dating back to his run in Israel.

Johnathan Williams III had another great weekend for Nagoya, posting a double-double and a season high 23-point outing in two games. His 14 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists on Sunday were good for his fifth double-double, while Jeremy Jones’ 15 points and seven boards also helped Nagoya to a 79-72 win.

Anamaria Virjoghe posted her fifth double-double of her rookie season on the 18th, finishing with 10 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive. Her performance helped her maintain her league lead with 10.8 rebounds per game.

Zykera Rice had her own ten and ten game last Wednesday, scoring a season high 26 points on 12-17 shooting with ten boards in a blowout win. She’s averaging 14.6 points and 6,.3 rebounds per game for T71 this season.

Cierra Walker has continued her scoring streak in Finland, scoring 20+ points in each of her last four games. She dropped 26 with six assists on the 17th, doing so on the strength of 4-8 shooting from three and 8-8 shooting from the free throw line. It was also the third time this year she’s scored at least 25 in a game.