NBA Player News

During his rookie season in Orlando, Banchero only played three percent of his minutes at the center position, according to Cleaning the Glass. During Monday’s exhibition win, the Rookie of the Year saw time as Jaren Jackson Jr.'s backup, and that stands to be the case during the upcoming FIBA World Cup. “He’s going to play some 5,” Kerr said according to The Athletic. “One of the things we really found in ’21 in the Tokyo Olympics was having a 5 that can push the ball in transition (as Bam Adebayo did) and create plays is very difficult for FIBA teams to handle. He can play some 4, as he showed, but he’ll play plenty of 5 as well.” Orlando doesn’t lack options at the center position, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing for fantasy managers if Banchero was given eligibility at the five in their leagues. Last season, he was eligible to be used at small forward and power forward in Yahoo leagues.

Mitchell will miss a third straight game when the Thunder try to close out the Spurs on Thursday. Mitchell had performed like one of OKC’s best scorers through the first two rounds of the postseason, but hasn’t found his rhythm in the Western Conference Finals. Jared McCain will likely remain in the starting lineup with Mitchell sidelined.

Williams is questionable, yet again, ahead of OKC’s Game 6 matchup with San Antonio. He has not played since injuring his hamstring in Game 2, but if available, he’ll provide the Thunder with exceptional two-way ability as a wing scorer and defender. Jared McCain, who scored 20 points in Game 5, will likely remain as the replacement starter if Williams is unable to play.

Castle did several good things for the Spurs in Game 5. Efficient shooting overall and strong three-point production allowed him to finish as the team’s leading scorer, while his three steals and contributions as a facilitator are also noteworthy. He’s had an up-and-down series with several highs and lows, and San Antonio will need more of the highs on Thursday when it looks to avoid elimination. Castle is averaging 18.6 points and 7.6 assists through the first five games of the series.

While the Spurs lost on Tuesday, Champagnie found his shooting rhythm and was somewhat of a bright spot. The fourth-year forward broke out of a major shooting slump from beyond the arc, where he’d shot 6-of-31 entering Game 5. The hot shooting allowed him to put forth his best offensive game of the series — the Spurs will need more of the same on Thursday from Champagnie to help keep the season alive.

Wemby logged one of his least impactful performances of the postseason on Tuesday. In the loss, he missed all five of his three-point attempts, shot his worst field goal percentage of the playoffs, and finished with under 10 rebounds for the third straight game. Over half of his points came from the charity stripe, further emphasizing his struggles to get things going from the field. The Defensive Player of the Year also had a modest five stocks during his 38 minutes. The Spurs will more than likely need more production from Wemby on Thursday to keep their season alive and force a seventh game.

Caruso was one of several OKC players to bounce back from a rough Game 4. He displayed his usual defensive strength by leading the Thunder in steals, but his contributions on the offensive end as both a scorer and a facilitator were also critical, as has been the case for much of the series. The veteran two-time champion has scored at least 15 points and made three triples in all but one game during the Western Conference Finals matchup. He’s rising to the occasion on both ends of the floor and has helped position his team for a closeout game on Thursday.

McCain’s insertion into the opening unit didn’t necessarily lead to a fast start individually — he logged only two points of 1-of-5 shooting over the first two quarters. However, he would proceed to score nine points in each of the third and fourth quarters to finish as one of three Thunder players to reach the 20-point mark. There’s no telling when Jalen Williams (hamstring) or Ajay Mitchell (calf) will return from injuries. Regardless, McCain’s production in this series should keep him firmly in the nightly rotation with a large role.

The MVP rebounded from a subpar Game 4 to log his sixth 30-point game of the postseason. Half of his points came efficiently from the charity stripe, while solid three-point shooting helped him overcome a poor night inside the arc. SGA also struggled with six turnovers but was able to make up for his errors by nearly tallying double-digit assists. He’s had better games statistically, but his Game 5 performance was strong enough to help OKC take a 3-2 series lead.

Williams’ third straight absence puts the Thunder in a tougher spot, as they’ll also be without Ajay Mitchell (calf). Williams hasn’t played since Game 2 of the series, logging just seven first-quarter minutes before being ruled out the rest of the way. His presence will be missed, placing extra importance on players such as Jared McCain, Cason Wallace, and Isaiah Joe to fill the void in production for a Thunder team looking to protect homecourt and take a 3-2 series lead.

McCain will start for the first time during this Western Conference Finals matchup, as the Thunder look to bounce back from a blowout loss in Game 4. He will replace Cason Wallace in the opening unit, who had served as a replacement starter for the still-injured Jalen Williams (hamstring). McCain’s scoring production has fluctuated throughout the series, but he offers high-scoring potential.