NBA Player News

This was inevitable based on previous reports and the 76ers clearly don’t want to waste any more time. Woj adds that GM Elton Brand will “continue to oversee basketball operations,” but the “personnel and structure in the front office is undergoing significant evaluation and change is looming.” Some of the candidates for the open coaching position includes 76ers assistant Ime Udoka, Clippers assistant Ty Lue, Villanova’s Jay Wright, and former Grizzlies and Kings coach Dave Joerger.

Collier notched his third double-double of the season on Thursday. He took advantage of an increase in minutes as Utah’s lead guard in Keyonte George’s absence (illness), and found his flow on offense against the Clippers. Collier did commit five turnovers, however, suggesting that L.A.'s defense presented a few challenges. Yet he finished with a strong line and could have another nice outing against the Warriors on Saturday if George remains out.

Anderson came off the bench to lead the injury-hit Jazz in scoring on Thursday, finishing as one of two on the team to score at least 20 points. The veteran forward hadn’t seen the court since December 15 and hadn’t scored a point since December 5. He collected a season-high in rebounds and blocks as well, but fantasy managers shouldn’t expect Anderson to become a reliable option across fantasy leagues. He’ll look to land a consecutive strong outing against the Warriors on Saturday.

Sensabaugh led all Utah starters in scoring on Thursday, despite being unable to connect on either of his five three-point attempts. His scoring production was done entirely inside the arc and also at the free-throw line. The third-year forward has now scored 20 points in each of his two games against the Clippers this season, and has reached that mark twice in his last four appearances. He’ll have a chance to keep up his production if Utah’s primary rotation players continue to miss games.

Batum tallied a season-high in points and three-pointers on Thursday to help the Clippers win their sixth straight game. The veteran forward has mostly become a spot-up three-point shooter at this stage of his career and continues to shoot them efficiently. He likely won’t add much fantasy value if his three-point shot isn’t dropping on high volume, but he’ll likely be available as a streaming option in fantasy leagues for those in dire need of three-point production.

Harden logged a solid performance in his 29 minutes on Thursday, leading the Clippers in assists and finishing as one of two players to score at least 20 points. Harden was one of four starters not to log any fourth-quarter minutes, as Kawhi Leonard’s 20-point takeover in the final frame allowed the Clippers to open up a big lead and rest several key players. With the additional rest, fantasy managers will hope Harden can land a big performance on Saturday against the Celtics.

Leonard’s dominance continued on Thursday, recording his third straight game with at least 30 points, and his third time scoring 40 points or more over his last five appearances. A season-high six three-pointers keyed his success against Utah, as he hit four in the fourth quarter en route to tallying 20 points in the final frame. Leonard, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner, also combined for four stocks before checking out for the final time. He remains one of the hottest players in the league and will have a chance to continue his dominance on Saturday against the Celtics.

Less than one week removed from seven made threes against the Pacers, Hauser popped off for five triples against the Kings. The veteran sharpshooter also made contributions on the glass during his 29 minutes of game action. Hauser won’t provide much fantasy value aside from three-point shooting, but he’s a fine streaming option for those managers in category leagues who could use a boost to their three-point production.

On the heels of a seven-block performance against the Jazz, White was much quieter as a shot blocker on Thursday. Still, he accumulated four stocks on the defensive end to go along with his team-high in assists and his second consecutive game with at least 15 points. Inefficient shooting, especially from beyond the arc, prevented him from having a great final line. Still, he was solid and continues to put up good fantasy production.

Despite not shooting well from beyond the arc, Brown nearly found his way to the 30-point mark. He flourished inside the arc and additionally hit the glass hard to tally a double-double. The former Finals MVP did commit five turnovers, however, signaling that it wasn’t easy for him against this Sacramento defense. Still, he finished with another strong line in what’s been a successful season for him as the clear No. 1 option in Boston.

Westbrook had another down performance by his standards, one game after a low-production outing against the Clippers. He narrowly made it to double figures as a scorer, with inefficient, high-volume three-point shooting among the reasons for his low output. He was again unspectacular on the glass, but made contributions as a facilitator. Fantasy managers will hope that he can bounce back against the Suns on Friday to log a stronger final line.