NBA Player News

With Allen sidelined, Evan Mobley will shift over to center, with Okoro entering the starting unit. Mobley has had a solid series, but he’ll have to really step up with Allen out of the rotation. Tristan Thompson will likely also be forced into extra minutes behind Mobley.

Finney-Smith played 19 scoreless minutes in yesterday’s game against the Spurs, but it was always the plan for him to then sit on Thursday with the Rockets being cautious about his ankle injury. DFS should get more minutes with Steven Adams out for the season, but he doesn’t have much fantasy value.

Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon during Game 4 of the Celtics’ second-round series against the Knicks last May. Given the reports out of Boston and some of the videos, it appeared that there was a good chance that Tatum would try to come back before the end of the regular season. However, that may not be the path he takes, with the star forward now re-evaluating his options. Given how well the Celtics have played this season, that may be one of the factors that Tatum is considering. Fantasy managers who have been stashing Tatum in an IL spot can hold onto him for now, but be ready to pivot.

Sengun struggled on the offensive end against the Spurs. He shot inefficiently from the floor, making less than half of his 20 attempts. And he also couldn’t capitalize at the free-throw line in this game. He still nearly totaled 20 points and, with double-digit rebounds and a team-high in assists, nearly logged a triple-double. Even Sengun’s underwhelming performances amount to good fantasy production. He has a high floor, which is comforting for fantasy managers.

Thompson was electric on Wednesday, despite his production and several entertaining highlights coming in a loss. He finished at the rim fantastically with powerful dunks, and didn’t turn down his aggressiveness throughout the game — he finished as Houston’s leader in points, shot attempts, and steals. Wednesday’s balanced performance served as a nice bounce-back for him after shooting 3-of-10 from the floor for eight points in the prior game. He’ll take the floor again on Thursday against the Hawks.

The Rockets’ two-game winning streak came to an end on Wednesday, but that didn’t prevent Durant from doing what he does best. The veteran wing was the Rockets’ second-leading scorer on the evening, as he utilized the three-point line and the charity stripe, while also functioning inside the arc. He was also able to make plays for others when he wasn’t focused on only making shots. And although it wasn’t his best performance, even Durant’s relatively mediocre games are productive and useful when it comes to fantasy basketball.

Castle was one of several Spurs players to have a successful outing against the Rockets on Wednesday. Although he only recorded two steals, Castle’s defense and energy on that end of the floor was terffic all night. On offense, he was able to get involved as both a scorer and a facilitator throughout the contest. As a result, he had one of the most diverse stat lines on the team. Castle will have a chance to top Wednesday’s performance when the Spurs take on the Hornets on Saturday.

Fox’s production was relatively mild on Wednesday, but was still good enough to come within arm’s reach of a 20-point double-double. He shot efficiently and made the most of his shot attempts, leading him to finish as the second-leading scorer on the team. Ball security was an issue for Fox in this game, but otherwise, he had a fine performance against the Rockets.

Wembanyama put together another one of his jaw-dropping stat lines on Wednesday. He was all over the floor on both ends, making incredible blocks and scoring one possession like a guard, and the other like an elite rim finisher. His versatility was on full display, and the Rockets had no answer. Wemby nearly notched 30 points and was less than a handful of rebounds away from 20. His seven stocks were an added bonus to what was a stellar game for him overall.

Jackson had a nice game off the bench on Wednesday. He contributed in several different areas, producing three stocks, while shooting well from the floor to reach double figures in scoring for the third straight game. Jackson hasn’t yet re-captured the magic from his rookie season, but he’s played well lately, regardless. The third-year forward will have a chance to log another strong performance on Friday against the Pelicans.

Coward was one of the Grizzlies’ main contributors in his 27 minutes of game action. He shot efficiently and came close to scoring 20 points, despite an insignificant number of shot attempts. Just as impressive were the contributions he made as a passer; Coward finished second on his team in assists, while only committing one turnover along the way. The rookie didn’t log any stocks on Wednesday. Still, he had a solid game overall and will have an opportunity to be even better on Friday against the Pelicans.