NBA Player News

The Lakers haven’t been a successful three-point shooting team this season, but the addition of Kennard off the bench should help with that. With Austin Reaves back healthy, the Lakers don’t have as much of a need for Vincent as a reserve, but Kennard should have a place in the rotation. Fantasy managers shouldn’t pay this any mind, though this will be a helpful addition for the Lakers.

Monk was consistent as a scorer throughout Friday’s contest, but his biggest moments came in the third and fourth quarters, when his three-point shooting put the Kings on a run and at one point gave them a fourth-quarter lead. All of the veteran combo-guard’s scoring came from deep in this game, as he finished with at least six triples for the third time this season. Monk appears to be firmly back in the nightly rotation following a stretch earlier in the season in which he saw DNP’s. He’s capable of big nights, but isn’t someone fantasy managers should get excited about.

Clifford was one of several Kings players to make an impact off the bench on Friday. He was productive in his 33 minutes, tallying a few stocks and finishing as one of Sacramento’s two-best scorers on the evening. Clifford’s production is largely a result of how little the starters played on Friday. Still, he was productive and has scored at least 14 points in three of his last four appearances.

Lopez, likely the new full-time starter at the center spot for the Clippers, logged one of his better games of the season. He scored effectively without needing to rely on high three-point production, and he also set a season-high in rebounds along the way. The former NBA champion made his mark on the defensive end as a rim protector and put together a really solid performance in his 36 minutes on the floor. Now, without Ivica Zubac, Lopez will have more opportunities to put up these types of numbers going forward.

The Clippers needed a big win to stop their two-game skid, and they got it on Friday, with Collins’ 22 points being a key reason why. The veteran power forward was good on the glass in his 34 minutes and functioned well as a secondary scorer alongside Kawhi Leonard. Collins concluded as one of two Clippers to score at least 20 points, as his run as an efficient scorer continues. His fantasy basketball value could receive a boost with the departures of two highly featured starters ahead of the trade deadline.

Without Ivica Zubac and James Harden, who were both traded ahead of Wednesday’s trade deadline, Leonard led the new-look Clippers to a win on Friday, ending a two-game skid. The two-time Finals MVP reached the 30-point mark for the first time since mid-January and set a new season-high in assists in the process. Leonard also fell one rebound short of a double-double, posting one of his more balanced performances of the season. Until the Clippers get their newly acquired players into the lineup, particularly Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin, expect Leonard to shoulder most of the load on a nightly basis.

Pippen Jr. was one of eight Grizzlies to score in double figures in his first game of the season. He made contributions as a scorer, but his biggest impact came as a facilitator, concluding as Memphis’ leader in assists. He logged just 22 minutes on Friday, so it’ll be interesting to see what the team’s plan is for him on Saturday’s back-to-back. Nonetheless, it was an encouraging season debut from Pippen Jr.

Jackson led all Memphis starters in scoring in his 27 minutes of action. He didn’t take many shots, but scored efficiently and used the three-point line to his advantage. The third-year forward has now scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games, and his production should realistically increase now that Jaren Jackson Jr. has been traded away. He’s someone fantasy managers should at least keep an eye on for now.

Spencer, once again, thrived off the bench. In 26 minutes, he led all Grizzlies in scoring on Friday, took advantage of his scoring opportunities with efficient shooting, and made an impact with his passing along the way. Spencer also collected a few stocks to conclude with another strong performance off the Grizzlies bench. He’ll look for a repeat performance on Saturday in a rematch against the Trail Blazers.

Henderson made his season debut on Friday and came off the bench to log 21 minutes and nearly notch a double-double. The long-awaited return came with plenty of ups and downs. Henderson shot poorly from beyond the arc but was aggressive and had enough shooting volume to score in double figures. And while he led the team in assists, he also totaled five turnovers. Henderson will need time to work off the rust, but coming out of his first game healthily is an encouraging sign.

Holiday was productive in his 25 minutes. He shot the ball well and made great use of the charity stripe en route to finishing as one of two Trail Blazers to score at least 20 points. Not to be forgotten, the veteran guard was one of Portland’s most impactful passers, and he’s likely to continue doing so in his current role. Holiday will have a chance to land another productive performance against the Grizzlies again on Saturday, should he be available on the second game of a back-to-back.