NBA Player News

After missing the first 14 games of the season with sciatica, LeBron was finally able to make his debut for his 23rd season in the NBA. He played just under 30 minutes, which was enough time for him to record a double-double. His first game couldn’t have gone much better for the team, but for managers that were expecting his typical dominance, they’re going to have to exercise patience. It was only his first game, and he didn’t force much. He facilitated well, but he only took seven shots; LeBron didn’t take fewer than 10 shots in a game all of last season. The Lakers are playing well, so they’ll take the gradual approach of working James into the rotation. Luka Dončić will run the show, but James will still have plenty of chances to dominate fantasy basketball as the season progresses. Even at 40 years old, he’s going to make a huge impact in the box score. For now, it’s just a breath of fresh air that he’s back out on the floor.

Vassell was efficient on the offensive end on Wednesday. He led the Spurs in threes, with his six makes from beyond the arc accounting for all but one of his total made field goals on the evening. Vassell grabbed a decent number of boards but didn’t contribute much elsewhere. He’s finished the last three games with at least three made triples; his production from deep could be crucial on Friday in Game 3.

Castle had another performance marked by highs and lows. And although his aggressive approach led to a team-high 25 points, it also led to him giving the ball away nine times on Wednesday. The sophomore guard is up to 20 total turnovers through the first two games of the series, becoming the first player to hit that mark over a two-game span in NBA playoff history. With De’Aaron Fox (ankle) still out, and Dylan Harper (leg) exiting early in Game 2, even more of a burden could be put on Castle to run the offense and dominate the ball moving forward.

Wembanyama didn’t reach the heights of his outstanding 41-point, 24-rebound double-double in Game 1, but he still managed to finish Game 2 with a strong line. He made half of his shot attempts and was accurate from deep, but his notably lower field-goal and free-throw attempts kept his scoring total down. Still, Wemby dominated the glass and protected the paint well on Wednesday. He and the Spurs will head home with a chance to take a 2-1 series lead on Friday.

Hartenstein had a much better showing on Wednesday after posting two points in 12 minutes in Game 1’s loss. He was rewarded more than double the playing time in Game 2, thanks to solid scoring production and tremendous work on the offensive glass. His contributions were impactful and led to a double-double No. 2 of the postseason. OKC will need more of the same from Hartenstein going forward.

Caruso followed a hot three-point shooting Game 1 with another on Wednesday, as he connected on 75 percent of looks from beyond the arc. The veteran guard also hurt San Antonio’s defense as a playmaker, doing so without committing a turnover. The sharp shooting and savvy playmaking were complemented by sound defense on the other end. As a result, he led the Thunder in plus-minus (+18) and had a massive part in evening up the series at one game apiece.

The MVP had a bounce-back performance on Wednesday after an unspectacular Game 1. He hit his first two shots of the night and proceeded to punish the Spurs’ defense the rest of the way, finishing as the only player to reach the 30-point mark. Gilgeous-Alexander also did a fine job of reading the defense and picking it apart with his passing. He finished just one assist shy of a double-double as the Thunder went on to even the series at one game apiece.

Williams left Wednesday’s game after logging just seven first-quarter minutes. He headed to the locker room and never returned to the court, officially finishing with four points and one rebound. Williams’ initial diagnosis is hamstring tightness. After missing most of this postseason previously with a hamstring injury, his status is certainly worth monitoring going forward.

The injury occurred in the third quarter after Harper landed awkwardly. The rookie guard reached for his right leg, was subbed out shortly after the fall, and was eventually ruled out for the rest of the game. He finished with 12 points and three assists in 25 minutes of action.

Flagg, Knueppel, and Edgecombe all received 100 first-place votes, with Harper’s 93 votes not far behind. Cedric Coward’s 29 first-place votes were the least of the first-teamers. Meanwhile, Derik Queen, Maxime Raynaud, Jeremiah Fears, Ace Bailey, and Colin Murray-Boyles were named to the All-Rookie Second team.

Fox’s ankle injury will cause him to miss a second straight game for a Spurs team looking to take a 2-0 series lead. In Fox’s Game 1 absence, rookie Dylan Harper got the start and amassed an impressive 24/11/6 line, adding seven steals in the victory. He’ll likely remain in the starting lineup on Wednesday.