NBA Player News

Terry Stotts said he was expecting DJJ to play during his pregame media availability, but the opposite will be true. Carmelo Anthony and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will split his minutes tonight, with Melo being the preferable target.

Diabaté has been hobbled by a sore right knee, most recently sitting out Sunday’s loss to the Nuggets. Mason Plumlee played rotation minutes off the bench, serving as Ryan Kalkbrenner’s backup. If Diabaté can play on Friday, Plumlee will likely fall out of the rotation entirely.

Green is set to make his season debut after undergoing left shoulder surgery in June. Given the time missed, his minutes are likely to be restricted for conditioning reasons. When healthy, Green is a solid defender who does not offer much fantasy value on the offensive end of the floor. He’s worth watching, but should not be considered a must-add, especially with the Hornets adding Kon Knueppel, Sion James and Liam McNeeley via last June’s draft.

Connaughton has been unavailable since November 22 and has no return timeline. His absence does not affect fantasy basketball, as Connaughton did not play consistent rotation minutes when healthy.

Mann is set to miss his fifth game in a row with a knee injury. KJ Simpson has seen his minutes increase in Mann’s absence, though he’s still not worth rostering in most fantasy leagues.

Friday’s game will be the third that Sexton has missed due to a strained left quad. With LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann also out, the Hornets will likely stick with KJ Simpson as the starting point guard. While his fantasy ceiling is limited, Simpson is worth a look in deep leagues due to Charlotte’s lack of healthy alternatives.

Ball hasn’t played since leaving Friday’s game against the Raptors with a bone bruise in his left ankle. Sion James and KJ Simpson have seen additional minutes in Ball’s absence. Given his history of ankle injuries, that absence could extend beyond Friday.

After missing Atlanta’s most recent game for conditioning reasons, Poriņģis will not be available on Friday due to illness. As has been the case in the past, Onyeka Okongwu will remain the starter. Okongwu is already rostered in most fantasy leagues, so nothing changes there.

Jackson-Davis most recently played 22 minutes in Sunday’s win over the Bulls, a game in which the Warriors were without Draymond Green and Al Horford. With Horford absent from the injury report for Friday’s game, the minutes that Jackson-Davis needs to affect fantasy basketball aren’t likely to be there.

Green has not practiced the last two days, with his absence on Thursday being excused by the team. The veteran forward has missed Golden State’s last two games with a right midfoot sprain, with Quinten Post being his most recent replacement. With Jonathan Kuminga picking up a DNP-CD on Sunday, either Post or Al Horford would start if Green remains out.

Small suffered a turf toe injury in his left foot while playing for the Grizzlies’ G League affiliate in early November and has not played since. The updated timeline provided by the team gives him a shot at playing in early January. Whether Small’s availability affects fantasy basketball depends on the availability of Ja Morant, Ty Jerome and Scotty Pippen Jr. And with Vince Williams Jr. and Cam Spencer being the point guard rotation with those three out, Small is unlikely to get the opportunities needed to affect fantasy basketball.