NBA Player News

On the heels of a seven-block performance against the Jazz, White was much quieter as a shot blocker on Thursday. Still, he accumulated four stocks on the defensive end to go along with his team-high in assists and his second consecutive game with at least 15 points. Inefficient shooting, especially from beyond the arc, prevented him from having a great final line. Still, he was solid and continues to put up good fantasy production.

One of the few positives for the Lakers in a game in which they allowed the Kings to shoot 59 percent from the field was the production of their centers. After totaling 13 points and nine rebounds in his previous two games, Ayton recorded his 14th double-double of the season. By comparison, he had 20 double-doubles last season. Jaxson Hayes added 12 points (5-of-6 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs), five rebounds and one assist in 19 minutes off the bench. If LeBron James doesn’t play in Tuesday’s game against the Hawks, there should be more opportunities for Ayton and Hayes offensively, even if it’s just in the two-man game with Luka Dončić.

As a team, the Lakers shot 8-of-36 from beyond the arc, with James missing all five of his attempts. And with the Lakers unable to get stops when they needed them, the 41-year-old was subbed out for good with 1:53 remaining. James played 33 minutes, and he’s yet to play both games of a back-to-back this season. Consider him questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Hawks.

Dončić had it rolling during the first half of Monday’s game, scoring 26 points. However, after dropping 14 more in the third, the Lakers’ guard only scored two in the fourth. Add in the Lakers’ inability to get stops, and the result was another double-digit defeat. Simply put, the Lakers either come through in the clutch, or their stars wind up watching the final minutes of a loss on the bench (with the occasional exception). Dončić played both games of the Lakers’ last back-to-back, so that may bode well for his availability for Tuesday’s game against the Hawks.

After picking up three straight DNP-CDs, Monk has logged at least 19 minutes in each of the Kings’ last three games. Sacramento’s won two, and he had arguably his best all-around game of the season on Monday. Monk recorded season-highs in points, assists and three-pointers, doing his damage in 32 minutes off the bench. While Monday’s performance should inspire confidence among fantasy managers, it remains challenging to predict Doug Christie’s rotation on a nightly basis.