NBA Player News

Pop has been away from the team for most of the season, and a February report from Shams indicated that he was unlikely to return in 2024-25. Popovich has been San Antonio’s head coach since 1996, racking up five titles, three Coach of the Year awards and an NBA-record 1,422 wins. Mitch Johnson filled in as the interim head coach while Pop was out and has been named as the new full-time coach.

Thomas has been sidelined for nearly two months, and it seems he is inching closer to a return. Brooklyn’s next game is on Saturday against the Timberwolves, so there is a chance he is upgraded to questionable ahead of that game. With a hamstring injury, Thomas should be brought along slowly, which likely means he will be on a minutes restriction at first. However, he will eventually return to the starting lineup, which will likely push Terance Mann to the bench.

Champagnie is a late addition to the injury report, and with Corey Kispert (hamstring) already ruled out, there will be extra minutes on the wing available. Tre Johnson should take on a larger reserve role, though Bilal Coulibaly and Khris Middleton should see a slight bump in minutes as well.

Walsh was initially probable, so his availability doesn’t come as a surprise. Josh Minott started in his place, but he’ll likely return to the bench with Walsh back. Minott held value earlier this season, but as a reserve, he isn’t worth rostering.

Johnson was initially listed as questionable but is now expected to play against Atlanta. However, he hasn’t been a consistent part of Miami’s rotation this season, and that likely won’t change in this game.

Adebayo has been downgraded after initially being listed as questionable for this game. Kel’el Ware has been starting recently and will see a bump in minutes and production with Adebayo unavailable. Simone Fontecchio and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are candidates to fill the open starting spot, though Jaquez should play a large role regardless.

Williams is a late addition to the injury report, but he hasn’t played a consistent role for Chicago lately. His absence may leave a few extra minutes for Matas Buzelis, but his status won’t have a dramatic impact on the Bulls’ rotation.

Potter will be the latest player to fill in for the Pacers temporarily. He’ll provide depth down low with Isaiah Jackson injured. They’ll release Garrison Mathews to clear a spot for Potter.

Barnes is a late addition to the injury report, and his potential absence would open up plenty of minutes and usage. The rookie Collin Murray-Boyles would likely replace him in the starting unit, and with his fantasy-friendly game, he’d be an appealing streaming option.

The stars shine bright on Christmas Day, so it shouldn’t be surprising that Jokić got off to a dominant start to this game. He finished the first quarter with 18 points, five rebounds and four assists, which led to him making history by the end of the night. He became the first player in NBA history to finish with at least 55 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game. 18 of his points came in the extra frame to secure the win on Christmas Day. Jokić has once again been the best player in fantasy basketball, but even he won’t be able to replicate this performance. This was otherworldly.

Murray’s breakout season continued with another strong performance in this game. He had at least 30 points for the ninth time this season, with six of those coming over his last 10 games. This was also his second straight 30-point double-double, and he fell one three-pointer shy of matching his season high. Murray’s progress this season can be overshadowed by Nikola Jokic’s dominance, but he has provided first-round value this season and should be considered one of the premier options in fantasy basketball for the remainder of the season.