NBA Player News

While he didn’t have the best night shooting the basketball, Sheppard did something that has rarely been done in the NBA this century. He became the fourth player since 2000 to record a line with at least 19 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, six steals and two blocked shots, joining Nikola Jokić, James Harden and Andrei Kirilenko. However, this performance may not be enough to keep Sheppard in the starting lineup, as head coach Ime Udoka said before Monday’s game that he may go back to his regular starting five once Jabari Smith Jr. (ankle) returns. Smith is expected to be available for Thursday’s game against the Warriors.

In recent games, there hasn’t been much separation in the playing time for starter Jay Huff and backup Micah Potter. That wasn’t the case on Friday, as Huff logged 33 minutes to Potter’s 14. Huff recorded a complete stat line in his time on the court, while Potter finished with eight points, six rebounds, three assists and one three-pointer. Playing 30-plus minutes consistently would raise Huff’s fantasy ceiling for the rest of the season, but that isn’t guaranteed.

Limited to 24 minutes in Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Clippers, Nembhard played 31 minutes against the Lakers. And the production was there, with the point guard shooting 50 percent from the field and dishing out eight assists. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle stuck with a rotation of Nembhard and T.J. McConnell (10 points, one rebound, four assists and two steals), with Kam Jones picking up another DNP-CD.

Siakam logged 29 minutes on Friday, finishing with an excellent stat line that only lacked a blocked shot. As long as he’s close to 30 minutes, fantasy managers should not have much to worry about regarding Spicy P’s fantasy value. The Pacers play one more game in Week 19, visiting the Trail Blazers on Sunday.

The combination of the Lakers winning by a comfortable margin and foul trouble limited Reaves to 29 minutes on Friday. In fact, he fouled out for the second time in his career and the first since January 13, 2024. Reaves did provide decent value in points and assists, and fantasy managers were likely hoping for more on a night when the Lakers were without LeBron James (elbow, foot).

With Deandre Ayton (knee) sidelined, Hayes was moved into the starting lineup for Friday’s game. Fantasy managers hoping for a standout performance from the 7-foot backup were left somewhat disappointed, as Hayes did not offer much beyond the points and rebounds. If Ayton can’t play in Sunday’s game against the Knicks, Hayes will remain in the starting lineup, but his fantasy upside is limited.

With LeBron James (elbow, foot) unavailable, Hachimura made his 32nd start of the season and first since February 12. While he did shoot the ball reasonably well in his 23 minutes, the 6-foot-8 forward did not offer much value outside of points and three-pointers. Jake LaRavia played 16 minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points (3-of-7 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) and two rebounds.

With no LeBron James and Austin Reaves in foul trouble, Dončić shouldered even more of the workload on Friday. He came out hot, scoring 22 points in the first quarter. Dončić put up another 15 in the third and did not have to play at all in the fourth quarter. Given how much the Lakers rely on their star point guard, any opportunities to get additional rest are welcome. Also of note, Dončić did not pick up a technical foul, as he’s one away from a mandatory one-game suspension. The Lakers host the Knicks on Sunday in their final game of Week 19.

After putting up an efficient 23 points in Wednesday’s rout of the Pacers, Mathurin struggled in San Antonio. The eight points were the fewest in a game for the guard since joining the Clippers, and he entered Friday averaging 19.2 points in nine appearances. The overall body of work means that fantasy managers should not be too concerned about Mathurin, especially with the Clippers visiting the Grizzlies on Saturday.

Champagnie’s 20 points and five three-pointers helped the Spurs dig their way out of a 25-point deficit before beating the Clippers 116-112. The 24-year-old small forward had four three-pointers in the third quarter alone. He’s provided fifth-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Spurs close out Week 19 against the Rockets on Sunday.

Leonard has scored at least 30 points in three of the seven games that he’s played since the All-Star break. Unfortunately for him and the Clippers, Friday’s performance wasn’t enough to keep the team from letting a 25-point lead slip away. That is of little concern to fantasy managers, who had to be pleased with Leonard’s final stat line. The Clippers play one more game in Week 19, visiting the Grizzlies on Saturday.