NBA Player News

Unsurprisingly, Jokic was once again unstoppable in this game. As a team, Denver really struggled to shoot the ball. They shot 5-for-28 from deep and 13-for-23 from the free throw line. Despite that, Jokic was able to lead them to their first ever championship, which is why he won Finals MVP. He averaged 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.4 blocks and 1.6 triples across the five games of the series. After being the best player in fantasy basketball for the third straight season, Jokic made up for not winning his third straight regular season MVP by adding a ring and a Finals MVP to his legacy. At 28 years old, Jokic still has a long time to continue to add to his resume.

With no Nique Clifford (hamstring), Plowden was given his third start of the season. He took advantage of the opportunity, recording the first 20-point game of his NBA career. Plowden did not provide much beyond the points and three-pointers, but Clifford’s injury may open the door for him to become fantasy-relevant during the final weeks of the regular season.

Two days removed from dropping a season-high 32 points, Raynaud recorded a second consecutive 30-point game on Thursday. He wasn’t as productive on the glass as he was in Tuesday’s loss to the Spurs, but many fantasy managers will be fine with the efficient 30-point effort from the rookie center. The Kings end Week 21 with a game against the Nets on Sunday, which could be another good game for Raynaud.

With the 76ers facing a team that ranked 28th in points allowed and 29th in defensive rating, most of the rotation was bound to benefit offensively. Drummond may not have been a prolific scorer, but he made all three of his three-point attempts and recorded a complete stat line. The double-double was his first since March 1, and Drummond has reached double digits in rebounds in three straight appearances.

Grimes was one of three 76ers starters to score at least 27 points in Thursday’s 139-114 victory, with VJ Edgecombe and Justin Edwards being the others. He’s scored at least 27 points in three of his last four appearances, and over the past two weeks, Grimes has provided ninth-round value in eight-cat formats. As long as the 76ers are as shorthanded as they’ve been, he should be rostered in 12-team leagues.

VJ Edgecombe wasn’t the only 76ers player to finish Thursday’s victory with a career-high point total. Edwards, who shot 7-of-11 from deep, finished with the first 30-point game of his NBA career. He may not have offered much beyond the points and three-pointers, but the few who streamed Edwards aren’t going to be upset with the return.

Edgecombe established multiple season-highs in Thursday’s victory, doing so in points, made field goals and assists. Regarding what the 76ers hope to get from their prized rookie, with Tyrese Maxey (finger) sidelined, he delivered. The last time a 76ers rookie scored at least 38 points in a game was January 2021, when Maxey did it. With the 76ers ending their Week 21 with a game against the Jazz on Saturday, Edgecombe could be in for another huge night.

Williams only scored seven points on six shots in Utah’s loss to Minnesota on Wednesday, but on Sunday, Williams scored a career-best 34 points. This game was more in line with that outing. Williams hasn’t lived up to being a top-10 pick to this point of his career, but he has been productive in March. He may not be able to carry this production over into next season, but he should be a solid option for the remainder of the year.

This was an excellent showing for the rookie. He set a new career high for scoring, exceeding his previous best of 32 points, which he set earlier this month. He also matched his career high for triples, which he set in that same game. Bailey also contributed strong value in other categories, and he should be considered a must-roster player for the rest of the season. Despite the lack of availability for other rotation players in Utah, getting Bailey as many reps as possible is clearly a priority for them.

Harkless made his fourth start of the season, but this was by far his most productive. He set new career highs for points, assists and three-pointers in the blowout win. Isaiah Collier (hamstring) was sidelined for the second leg of this back-to-back, which led to Harkless starting. If Collier misses more time, Harkless may hold some value over the rest of the season, though he shouldn’t be considered a must-roster player at this point.

As Garcia’s 10-day contract comes to an end, the Jazz made sure to get the most out of him. He played all 48 minutes in his second start and matched his career high for boards, which he set in his previous start. Garcia stepped into big minutes immediately with Utah, and he has been a decent source of rebounds and assists. If they keep him around, he is worth a look in deeper leagues.