NBA Player News

“He definitely has come a long way in just one year,” the coach said. “Getting our hands on him at the beginning of last year and working on his body and getting him up to speed on what the NBA game is all about. I think his running habits have gotten a lot better, his activity on defense for a guy his size and what he is able to do in pick-and-roll, move his feet better, using his hands, changing shots at the rim. There is obviously stuff that he can clean up, but definitely encouraged.” The big man says he has to get “more confidence on offense,” but that’s a product of experience and continued repetitions.

With OG Anunoby (toe) out, Shamet moved into the starting lineup on Sunday. Unfortunate for those who may have streamed him for the three-point potential, the veteran wing shot 1-of-4 from three and offered limited value in his 28 minutes. Rookie Mohamed Diawara had the better day, contributing 10 points (4-of-4 FGs), three rebounds, one assist, one steal and two three-pointers in 27 minutes off the bench. The streaming values of Shamet and Diawara moving forward depend on Anunoby’s availability.

Starting for the injured Sam Hauser (back), Scheierman had arguably the best game of his two-year NBA career. The second-year guard recorded his second double-double, finishing with career-highs in rebounds and assists. His fantasy ceiling depends on whether he starts or comes off the bench, but Scheierman will be worth streaming when allowed to approach 30 minutes, as he did against the Knicks.

White shot the ball well on Sunday, which has not been the norm for him this season. The Celtics guard is shooting 39 percent from the field, but his fantasy value remains excellent due to his production across multiple categories. White did not record any defensive stats on Sunday, but that has not been the norm for him. He’ll look to go into the All-Star break on a high note when the Celtics face the Bulls on Wednesday.

Brown did what he could to get the Celtics back into Sunday’s game, including scoring or assisting on all 15 of the team’s third-quarter points. Unfortunately for him, the other Celtics struggled to join the party, and the result was a 111-89 defeat. Brown has been outstanding all season long, and it’s not like he had a bad game on Sunday. He and the Celtics play three games in Week 17, but only one will be played before the All-Star break.

Alvarado made his Knicks debut on Sunday, and with Miles McBride (core) out for the foreseeable future, the New York City native’s return home takes on added importance. And Alvarado showed what he’s capable of on Sunday, recording a complete stat line in his 25 minutes on the floor. As has been the case with McBride at various points, there were also stretches when the Knicks played Alvarado and Jalen Brunson together on Sunday. For the few who may have been holding out hope for Tyler Kolek to get a few more minutes with McBride out, he did not check into Sunday’s game until just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.

After tweaking his left ankle during Friday’s loss to the Pistons, Hart’s playing on Sunday wasn’t a sure thing. Not only did he play, but the Knicks wing’s offensive output was a needed supplement to Jalen Brunson’s game-high 31 points. Before he first injured the ankle during Tuesday’s win over the Wizards, Hart was on a run of three straight games with at least 20 points. Depending on how much longer OG Anunoby (toe) is out, the Knicks will need Sunday’s version of Hart more often.

Coming off of his worst performance of the season in Friday’s 38-point loss to the Pistons, Brunson showed up in Boston seemingly intent on redeeming himself. The Knicks’ guard did so, recording 15 points and four assists in the first quarter alone and finishing with a game-high 31 points. And after shooting 0-of-8 from three in Detroit, Brunson made four of his eight attempts on Sunday. The Knicks play five games in Week 17, two of which are scheduled for before the All-Star break.

Smith missed Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets with a strained right calf. Guerschon Yabusele played 26 minutes as his replacement in the starting lineup, with Nick Richards playing 19 minutes off the bench in his Bulls’ debut. That will likely be the rotation on Monday if Smith remains out.

Jones is on track to miss a tenth straight game with a strained left hamstring. With the Bulls having added Jaden Ivey, Anfernee Simons and Collin Sexton at the trade deadline, it will be challenging for Jones to get the minutes needed to affect fantasy basketball once he’s cleared to play.

Giddey is on track to miss a seventh straight game as he continues to recover from a strained left hamstring. The Bulls have gone with a starting backcourt of Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simons since the trade deadline, and that’s likely to remain the case on Monday.