So, fantasy basketball, remember that? More specifically Donte DiVincenzo, remember him?

If not, I don’t blame you. You probably have better things to care about like stocking up on essentials, how to keep your family healthy, and which song intro you’re going to sing in your head as you wash your hands. 

Now, you’re probably asking yourselves “why is Travis writing a dynasty fantasy basketball piece when there is no NBA?”

To that I say… boredom?

You know what, it’s not boredom. I have plenty to keep me occupied. Between having a billionaire raccoon make me do chores all day and deep-diving into Joe Exotic meme culture, I’ve got a lot to keep me occupied. Is it productive? No. Is it fun? Yes.

I’ve also watched too many Tik Toks, which I still don’t understand BTW. Honestly, this article may be more about bringing me back to reality than anything.

So yeah, Donte DiVincenzo. What about him?

Let’s start with his numbers – 9.4 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 2.3 APG. He also throws in 1.4 steals per game for good measure. So he does a little of everything, but nothing jumps off the page. He also runs super hot and cold, or more accurately he is willing to do whatever he needs to do to help the Bucks win. For example, in his last four games before the season shutdown he scored 17, 16, 19 and 11. He also chipped in an average of 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in those games, all while coming off the bench. But what about the game before that stretch?

2 points on 1-5 shooting. Yuck.

But wait! He chipped in 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block and 2 steals despite only shooting 5 times. I take back my yuck!

So we’ve established he can score and also contribute in every category but he hasn’t done both consistently. So what do we do with our guy Donte DiVincenzo if, and hopefully when, the season comes back this year?

Well, if you’re competing this year and are strapped for some defensive stats he’d make a nice back of the bench add. But I think his real value is coming next year, and no this isn’t me being “edgy” or “clever” since we have no idea if this season will ever be completed.

Donte DiVincenzo averages the 6th most minutes on the Bucks, but who’s blocking him from being a starter? A 33-year Wes Matthews, who’s averaging 7.5 points and little else. Matthews signed a 2-year deal before the season to fill the void left by Malcolm Brogdon and he’s done a fine job. He shoots 3’s which is great! But he makes them only 36% of the time which is not great. Especially when you consider how many open shots he has playing next to Giannis.

The way I see it, the Bucks needed someone who they could plug and play this year as the make a run for the title, but with Donte DiVincenzo stuffing the stat sheet and Wes getting older I don’t think it’ll take much time for Mr. DiVincenzo to take over that starting role. And when he does, he’s going to be dynasty gold.

So what would a stat line for starting shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo look like? Well, can I interest you in his per-36 numbers?

Does 14.5 points, 7.6 rebounds (!!), 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals do anything for you? Because it’s doing a lot for me. Probably more than it should honestly, this never go outside thing might be warping my brain.

While that would be amazing for me (of course I have him in several leagues, why would I write about players that don’t make me look smart?) and his owners everywhere, the Bucks like to keep minutes down so 36 per seems highly unlikely. So what type of numbers could we be getting? Let us look no further than Malcolm Brogdon’s 2018-19 numbers.

15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists. Throw in Donte’s elite steal numbers and you’ve got a really solid contributor who’s only 23 and should keep getting better. And the kicker? He’s probably on waivers in a lot of your leagues. What can I say, single-digit scoring and up and down production don’t scream “add me,” but we’re smarter than that. Add Donte DiVincenzo and start dreaming about next season. Or the end of this season. Or going outside when social gatherings aren’t a national health risk.

That’s all I’ve got, and hopefully it took your mind off being stuck inside. Before I go, can I ask you guys a quick question? Do any of your friends keep trying to come over and teach you how to make soap? No, just me? Eh, I’m sure it’s harmless.