Josh

Minott

Injured during Friday’s loss to the Lakers, Minott was held out of Sunday’s win over the Kings. While productive, Minott’s playing time has not been consistent as the Nets play out the string, making him challenging to rely on in fantasy leagues.

Minott, who fell hard on his left hip during Friday’s loss to the Lakers, will not play on Sunday. His absence should result in more playing time for Chaney Johnson, but the Nets’ rotation has been somewhat unpredictable in recent games.

While Minott scored a team-high 18 points in Friday’s loss to the Lakers, he took a hard fall while converting a layup during the fourth quarter. If Minott can’t play on Sunday, there could be more minutes available to Chaney Johnson. However, the minutes for Minott and Johnson have been inconsistent, making both risky options for fantasy managers.

It is anyone’s guess which reserve frontcourt player will play the most minutes for the Nets on any given night. Against the Lakers, it was Minott, who was effective in 26 minutes on the floor. Chaney Johnson (two points, two rebounds and two assists), who’s had his moments recently, played 14 minutes. In theory, Minott’s superior night should earn him more minutes on Sunday when the Nets host the Kings, but that hasn’t been the case. Unless you’re competing in a 30-deep league, Minott and Johnson are too risky to roster.

Mann will be back after missing one game, which allowed Josh Minott to return to the rotation and start. Minott should be pushed back to the bench with Mann back in the lineup.

Inserted into the Nets’ starting lineup after not playing at all in Sunday’s loss to the Kings, Minott logged a team-high 33 minutes in Portland. He shot the ball relatively well, including a 2-of-4 night from beyond the arc. While Minott has put forth some very good efforts since the All-Star break, the inconsistent opportunities make it challenging to trust him in fantasy leagues fully. Chaney Johnson played 26 minutes off the bench, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. He’s another player who has received opportunities to contribute, but not to the extent that he should be rostered in most leagues.

The Nets have three new starters for Monday’s game, including Claxton, who missed Sunday’s loss to the Kings. Also in the lineup are Wilson and Minott, with the latter receiving a DNP-CD in Sacramento. In addition to not having Danny Wolf (ankle), the Nets are also without Terance Mann and Drake Powell, hence the three vacancies in the starting lineup.

Claxton will sit out the first game of the Hawks’ west coast trip, leaving a sizable hole in the Nets’ starting lineup. With Noah Clowney also out, Josh Minott and Chaney Johnson will figure prominently in the rotation on Sunday.

Unlike Wednesday’s loss to the Thunder, when he didn’t check into the game until well into the second half, Minott was one of the first subs off the bench on Friday. He made the most of his opportunity, shooting 6-of-9 from beyond the arc and tallying 22 points as part of a complete stat line. Noah Clowney’s wrist injury freed up additional minutes for Minott on Friday, and that may be the case again on Sunday in Sacramento.

Clowney, who sprained his right wrist during the first quarter of Wednesday’s loss to the Thunder, was already ruled out for Friday’s game against the Knicks. He’s also on track to miss the first game of Brooklyn’s road trip, Sunday in Sacramento, before being re-evaluated. Chaney Johnson has seen his playing time increase recently, while Josh Minott’s presence in the rotation has been inconsistent.