Vander

Blue

He had one of the more impressive games in all of summer league with a 24-point, five-triple outing, finishing with an average of 11.1 points in six contests with the Grizzlies. Blue is an undrafted rookie out of Marquette and given the Sixers’ current dearth of talent on the wing, he’ll have a tremendous opportunity. That said, he has his work cut out for him to make the team.

Blue is primarily around to give the injury-plagued Celtics backcourt depth while Avery Bradley and Jerryd Bayless get healthy. “Vander is a tough kid,” Coach Brad Stevens said. “He’s a guy that’s a competitor.” The Celtics may like the depth and toughness that Blue brings, but he won’t bring a lot of value to any fantasy rosters in the limited minutes he’s likely to see.

Blue made three appearances with the Celtics, averaging 1.7 points in 5.0 minutes per game. With Avery Bradley and Jerryd Bayless both healthy, there’s no longer room in the rotation.

With Jerryd Bayless (toe) and Avery Bradley (ankle) both hurting, and Rajon Rondo not likely to play in back-to-back games, the Celtics are quite literally out of guards. Blue could actually see decent minutes tomorrow night, and the fact Bradley couldn’t return to tonight’s game, and the signing of Blue, suggest that Bradley could be sidelined for some time.

Avery Bradley went down with a sprained ankle and Jerryd Bayless was out with a toe injury, forcing CJ into 25 minutes. The Celtics play again on Wednesday against the Wizards, and Johnson should see heavy minutes again, as Bradley and Bayless aren’t expected to play. The Celtics should have Vander Blue available for that one, and the two could split minutes at shooting guard tomorrow night.

He went undrafted out of Marquette but caught the Celtics’ eye while averaging 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in the D-League. He doesn’t have any fantasy appeal despite the Celtics’ thin backcourt.

Blue was named the 2016-17 D-League MVP. He averaged 24.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and a team-high 1.6 steals in 47 games. He also played well for the Lakers summer league squad in Las Vegas, averaging 15.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per contest. Nonetheless, Blue will have a tough time making the roster and cracking the rotation in L.A. due the Lakers crowded backcourt, which features Lonzo Ball, Tyler Ennis, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jordan Clarkson and Josh Hart.

The reigning G League MVP has earned his chance and had another solid summer league in 2017. Blue has been with the Lakers before and dedicated fantasy owners may remember his 48-minute outing in the 2014-15 season finale. Blue isn’t a traditional point guard, but he could compete with Tyler Ennis for a backup role.

This was no fluke either, as Blue was averaging 14.3 points and 1.3 triples per game prior to Monday. He added six assists, five rebounds and one 3-pointer to his line, showcasing why he was the D-League MVP in 2016-17. If the 25-year-old guard doesn’t get an invite to the Lakers training camp, there’s a good chance that another NBA team will pick him up.

He’ll spend the majority of the season in the G-League, but he’s allowed to spend up to 45 days with the Lakers in 2017-18. He’s not on the fantasy radar in the vast majority of leagues, but could be called up for the first two games of the season with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope suspended.