NBA Player News

Clarke made his season debut on Wednesday, and to the surprise of many, he did so as a starter. His first stint on the floor lasted just under four minutes, and the Grizzlies are likely to limit Clarke’s playing time for the foreseeable future. The question is whether he can play enough while Zach Edey (ankle) is out to become a viable option in deep leagues. Based on the playing time and production, Clarke isn’t there yet, but that could change in time.

Huerter missed the final three games of the Pistons’ first-round series against the Magic. His absence factored into Cade Cunningham’s playing time increasing, but Detroit was also looking to erase a 3-1 deficit. If Huerter can’t play on Tuesday, it’s possible that Daniss Jenkins and Javonte Green are asked to play more.

Dosunmu sat out the decisive Game 6 victory over Denver in the first round, and he’ll be out for at least one game of the second-round series with San Antonio. Minnesota is expected to get Anthony Edwards (knee) back, but Terrence Shannon Jr. should still see increased run with Dosunmu sidelined.

Edwards has been medically cleared to play, and Shams notes that he will get “final sign-off” after going through his pregame routine. An earlier update was optimistic that he would get back on the court, and barring an unforeseen setback, that is what will happen. The Wolves are heavy underdogs against the Spurs, but Edwards’ availability gives Minnesota a puncher’s chance.

Shams notes that Minnesota’s medical staff will make a decision about Edwards’ availability closer to tip-off, but it sounds like the superstar is doing everything he can to get back on the court. If Edwards is sidelined again, Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels would see increased scoring responsibilities, while Ayo Dosunmu (calf) could enjoy a boost in usage if available.

The Mavs have been without a Team President since Nico Harrison was fired in November, and the former Raptors executive will look to guide a rebuilding Dallas team centered around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.

Mosley spent five seasons with Orlando and made the playoffs in each of the last three. Orlando lost in the first round of each of those postseason berths, including the most recent exit after surrendering a 3-1 series lead against the Pistons. Orlando will look for a new coach to guide an oft-injured Magic team that features a young core of Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.

Harden did the bulk of his scoring at the charity stripe in Game 7, which helped offset some inefficient shooting during his 37 minutes. And with the shooting struggles also came a lack of playmaking — he finished with his lowest assist total of the series. Yet, there were positives. The former league MVP recorded fewer than four turnovers for the first time in the series and remained active with his hands on defense. Still, he’ll likely need to perform better in the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the top-seeded Pistons for the Cavaliers to advance.

Mitchell wasn’t at his best on Sunday, but he did enough to be effective. He was one of Cleveland’s most impactful starters, and despite struggles from three-point range, he still tied for a team high in points. Without any stocks, a single assist, and just a few boards, Mitchell’s contributions mostly came as a scorer in Game 7; he’ll hope to land greater counting stats beginning in Game 1 against the Knicks.

Allen picked a fantastic time to log his best performance of the postseason. He dominated the offensive glass for putbacks and cleaned up the defensive boards, totaling nearly 20 rebounds. His interior dominance led to many trips to the charity stripe as well, as the Raptors couldn’t match Allen’s activity throughout the game, which is also reflected in the five stocks. Again, Allen was the star of the show on Sunday in Cleveland’s biggest game of the season. He’ll try to take Sunday’s momentum into Game 1 against the Pistons.

Despite his struggles from beyond the arc throughout the series, Shead kept firing away on Sunday. And, again, he missed a lot more than he made. However, the second-year pro managed to finish in double figures as a scorer for the third time in this series, while putting together another strong performance as a passer. His inability to consistently make Cleveland’s defense pay for allowing him open shots ultimately caused him lots of production and impacted the Raptors’ offense. He’s unlikely to be a difference-maker in fantasy leagues next season.