Kris

Dunn

Friday’s game is the first of two in as many nights for the Clippers, who visit the Grizzlies on Saturday. Garland won’t be available for the matchup with the Spurs, which will likely result in more on-ball responsibility for Kris Dunn, who’s already in the starting lineup.

Dunn isn’t required to be a prolific scorer for the Clippers, and he doesn’t need to be to make an impact. He had a good night shooting the ball against the Warriors, however, making 70 percent of his attempts. Add in the rebounds, assists and steals, and this was a good night for those with Dunn rostered. At some point, Dunn will be sharing the starting backcourt with Darius Garland, and his defensive ability will be of greater importance. He remains a player who should only be rostered in deep fantasy leagues.

It was reported over the weekend that Garland planned to make his Clippers debut on Monday, and now it’s official. Given the amount of time he’s missed, fantasy managers should expect Garland’s playing time to be limited for his first few games. Kris Dunn has been running the point, but he’ll likely shift off the ball whenever Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue decides to start Garland.

Garland is still not ready to make his Clippers’ debut, as he will sit out Sunday’s game. However, it was reported recently that the point guard could be available for Monday’s game against the Warriors. Kris Dunn will continue to run the point as long as Garland is out.

Dunn has not offered much value as a scorer, and that is unsurprising. However, he was productive against the Timberwolves, scoring in double figures for the first time in four games while also recording seven assists. Since the trade deadline, Dunn has provided 10th-round per-game value in eight- and nine-cat formats, according to Basketball Monster. While that isn’t terrible value, it hasn’t been enough to move the needle among most fantasy managers.

Garland was able to participate in 5-on-5 practice on Tuesday and will do so again on Thursday, though he won’t play against Minnesota. However, he’s clearly getting closer to making his debut for the Clippers. Until he does, Kris Dunn should continue to start at point guard.

Leonard exited the game midway through the fourth quarter with what’s being described as ankle soreness. He had tallied 31 points in as many minutes before exiting, leading all Clippers players in scoring. Leonard was replaced by Kris Dunn in the lineup after subbing out. If Leonard is forced to miss any time, Bennedict Mathurin immediately becomes the Clippers’ go-to offensive option.

While Garland, who has yet to make his Clippers’ debut, practiced on Wednesday, he did not get in any “live” work. “Everything except for live,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue said Wednesday when asked about Garland. “He didn’t do 3-on-2, 2-on-1. But yesterday, he did the defensive stations live and all the full-court stuff, all the pre-practice stuff, and all the plays and stations, as well. He felt good.” Until Garland is healthy enough to play in games, the Clippers will stick with Kris Dunn as the starting point guard.

Dunn got into an altercation with Minnesota’s Julius Randle during the fourth quarter, with both being hit with a technical foul. However, because Dunn put his hand in Randle’s face, he was ejected. The guard finished with nine points, five rebounds, six assists, one steal and one three-pointer in 28 minutes.

Cleveland’s “Core Four” is no more, as the team has reportedly moved Garland to the Clippers. While he does have an All-Star Game appearance to his credit, foot injuries have been an issue for Garland the last two seasons. A left big toe injury limited him late last season, and he’s currently out with a right big toe injury. During his final practice as a Cavalier on Tuesday, Garland was limited to individual work, so fantasy managers will likely have to wait for the point guard to make his Clippers’ debut. In the meantime, Kris Dunn and Kobe Sanders have higher fantasy ceilings.