NBA Player News

Diabaté returned to action after a two-game absence on Monday, playing 29 minutes as the starting center in a blowout win over the Thunder. PJ Hall has taken on the backup center responsibilities, as Charlotte is without Ryan Kalkbrenner and Mason Plumlee.

It wasn’t as dominant of a performance as he put together against Houston on Saturday, but Johnson was still able to provide value across the board in the rematch. However, that didn’t change the result on the scoreboard. Johnson will continue to stuff the stat sheet for Atlanta, which has allowed him to be one of the best players in fantasy basketball so far this season despite a rough start shooting the ball.

In the aftermath of the injuries to Cason Wallace and Jalen Williams, some may have expected Gilgeous-Alexander to shoot until his arm fell off. That didn’t happen, as the reigning MVP got his points while also trusting his teammates. SGA recorded just three assists, but he shot the ball well and extended his 20-point streak to 143 games. Oklahoma City plays two more games in Week 2, starting with the Mavericks on Wednesday.

McCain was one of three replacements in the Thunder starting lineup on Monday. With Cason Wallace (shoulder) and Jalen Williams (ankle/leg) needing surgery, McCain has a good chance of staying a starter for the long haul. He shot 4-of-7 from beyond the arc against the Suns and recorded a complete stat line, playing 30 minutes. Like Ajay Mitchell, McCain is a must-add if he’s on the waiver wire.

With Cason Wallace (shoulder) and Jalen Williams (ankle/leg) out for the foreseeable future, the Thunder will need greater contributions from players like Mitchell to stay afloat in the West. The third-year guard started on Monday and delivered the best game of his NBA career to date. Mitchell finished with his first 30-point game and was a steal shy of a complete stat line. If Mitchell is still on your league’s waiver wire, add him immediately.

González played 14 minutes across Boston’s first two games and was held scoreless, so it was good to see him have a performance like this. Seven of his 13 points came in the first quarter, so it wasn’t just garbage time production. However, he did see extra run in the fourth quarter. González is still just 20 years old and holds upside, but he shouldn’t be rostered in most redraft formats.