NBA Player News

The Commercial Appeal writes that the 2012 Olympics “almost certainly” was the final stand for both Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro, but Marc was noncommittal about his future with the team. Spain’s roster could look drastically different by the time 2016 arrives.

Landale was one of several productive Grizzlies on Friday. He scored well both inside and outside the arc while making a difference on the glass. As a result, the fifth-year center came away with a big double-double in his 32 minutes of game action. Landale has easily put together his best statistical season as an NBA player and has proven to be a nice fit alongside Jaren Jackson Jr. in the frontcourt. He’ll have a chance to land a third straight double-double on Friday against the Nuggets.

Gillespie has been fantastic for the Suns this season, and with injuries to both Devin Booker (ankle) and Jalen Green (hamstring), he’s only going to become more important. He was solid in this game and should continue to be a strong source of triples, assists and steals, but he’ll have more upside as a scorer if the Suns remain this shorthanded. If Booker and Green remain out against the Heat on Sunday, Gillespie should be in for a big performance.

Despite some inefficient shooting, mostly beyond the arc, Jackson took advantage of the charity stripe and worked his way past the 25-point mark for the third time in January. The former Defensive Player of the Year also impacted the game as a shot blocker and used active hands to walk away from this one with five stocks. Additionally, Jackson reached double figures in rebounding for the first time this month, which resulted in his third double-double of the season. Friday served as a nice bounce-back performance for him.

Allen came off the bench once again, but that may not be the case for long. Both Devin Booker (ankle) and Jalen Green (hamstring) exited early from this game, and if they remain out, Allen should slide into the starting lineup and take on more minutes. He’s rostered in just 35 percent of Yahoo! leagues, but that should change quickly with the recent injury news.

Booker was in the midst of a big night before injuring his ankle, which forced him to exit early and not return. He was seen using crutches after the game to avoid putting pressure on it. The team should provide an update in the coming days, but with Jalen Green (hamstring) also exiting early, Grayson Allen and Jordan Goodwin should see a bump in minutes and production. Hopefully this isn’t a long-term absence for Booker.

After exiting Wednesday’s game early with an illness, Williamson made up for the missed time against the Grizzlies on Friday. As usual, he did all of his work inside the arc as a scorer and would have crept a bit closer to the 30-point mark if it weren’t for missed free throws. The versatile forward also left his mark on the glass, as he led the Pelicans in rebounds on the evening en route to his second double-double of the season. Williamson remains a high-ceiling player in fantasy leagues. He’s put together some nice performances of late.

Holland hasn’t been able to contribute value consistently during his second season, but he is certainly capable of making an impact in a multitude of ways. Most of his value this season has been tied up in steals, but he was able to do more than just that in this game. He still has a lot of growing to do before he can be a standard league option, but performances like this show that he will be able to make a big impact eventually.

Murphy was one of multiple Pelicans players to have a big night. On the offensive end, he efficiently shot his way past the 30-point mark for the fifth time in January and utilized the free-throw line along the way. Defensively, Murphy used his length to rack up a few steals and boost his fantasy basketball production in the process. Friday’s strong two-way performance was just the latest in what’s been a great start to the calendar year for Murphy. He’ll have a chance for another big game against the Spurs on Sunday.

Bey’s stellar season continued against the Grizzlies, as he shot efficiently from the floor en route to his first 30-point game of the season. A season-high six three-pointers was a major part of his success on the offensive end in this game, while he also made contributions as a facilitator. Bey’s best moments, however, came in the fourth quarter; he scored 19 in the frame to help the Pacers mount a big comeback and ultimately an overtime victory. Bey remains one of the bright spots for New Orleans this season.

Stewart had a quiet stretch entering this game, but he was able to get things going on offense in the loss. Typically, Stewart’s impact is on the glass and as a shot blocker, but he wasn’t able to do much of either in this game. Still, a productive scoring night is encouraging since he should typically collect more boards and blocks than he did in this game. However, he hasn’t been able to make a consistent impact for fantasy managers as a reserve.