NBA Player News

Hill allegedly choked a family member during an altercation. The immediate ramifications here are unclear, but Hill had been soaring up the Lakers’ depth chart of late. In Sunday’s Game 1 win, he played 24 minutes as the primary big off the bench. The Houston district attorney’s office said Hill faces 2-10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Brunson injured his shoulder Sunday and, though he finished the game, the Knicks may choose to play it safe with him for the second leg of a back-to-back set. If Brunson is ultimately ruled out, Miles McBride could earn his first start of the season. Deuce averaged 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 triples in 16 starts last season.

Morant is a late addition to Monday’s injury report, which means his status against Houston is truly up in the air. If he’s unable to go, Scotty Pippen Jr. could replace him in the first unit. Pippen Jr. has averaged 13.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists across 16 starts this season.

Quickley has been solid since returning from a long layoff, averaging 16.7 points, 7.2 dimes and 2.3 triples across his last six. If he’s sidelined, expect some combination of Bruce Brown, Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead to pick up the slack. Scottie Barnes would likely handle primary playmaking duties.

Mr. Consistent just keeps on putting up numbers. He has had at least 20 points without reaching 30 in seven straight games. No bad shooting nights. Solid assist and rebound numbers, but only one double-double. Durant has once again been a top-20 player in 9-cat leagues, which is actually a slight drop off from his typical production. They have a three-game week coming up, and managers should expect more of the same from KD. They return to the court on Tuesday in Atlanta, who they beat at home last week.

Ball recorded his eighth double-double of the season on Sunday, with eight being the points/assists variety. What’s also been notable recently has been the steals production. Ball has tallied three or more in four of the seven games he’s appeared in since returning from the calf strain that sidelined him for three weeks. While turnovers cut into Ball’s value in 9-cat formats, he has provided top 10 per-game value in 8-cat. Charlotte plays two games during Week 12 (Wednesday and Friday), which is a terrible schedule for fantasy basketball.

Bridges has scored 20 points or more in six of his last eight games, and there have also been improvements in the rebound and assist categories. Over the past three weeks, he has averaged 21.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.3 3-pointers per game, providing 3rd-round value in 9-cat formats. While Bridges hasn’t been as productive as he was last season, the Hornets forward is trending in the right direction. Charlotte only plays two games during Week 12, beginning with the Jazz on Wednesday.

Miller’s recent absence due to a sprained ankle upset his offensive rhythm. The second-year wing had scored 20 points or more in 12 straight games before missing six of seven games. However, while Miller didn’t have a great night shooting the ball, he did dish out six assists while committing only one turnover. For the season, Miller’s ranked just outside the top-50 in 9-cat formats, and improved playmaking would raise his fantasy ceiling moving forward.

Mason Plumlee got the start at center once again, but Ighodaro replaced him to open the second half after Mark Williams dominated the first two quarters. It’s unclear if this is a permanent change, but it wouldn’t be the first move that Mike Budenholzer has made at center recently. Ighodaro played 30 minutes to Plumlee’s 15, though Plumlee still turned in a 2/5/2/1/2 line. The Suns return to the court in Atlanta on Tuesday, so keep an eye out to see if Ighodaro starts. However, even if he does, he is still a low-end streaming option.

Williams was a one-man wrecking crew during the first half of Sunday’s game, scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. Phoenix changed its lineup, starting Oso Ighodaro instead of Mason Plumlee, which helped them keep Williams under wraps in the second half. Even with the limited post-halftime production, this was a highly encouraging performance from the Hornets center. Williams has provided top-50 value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks, which bodes well for his production for the rest of the season. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, the Hornets have a terrible schedule for Week 12, only playing on Wednesday and Friday.

Booker hasn’t been able to maintain his assist dominance over the last two games, but he was able to get them back up in this one after having just four in their last game. However, he was able to score at least 30 points for a second straight game. It has been a down year for Booker as a scorer, but his recent performances have served as a reminder of what he is capable of. He’ll look to keep it going on their upcoming road trip, which starts in Atlanta on Tuesday.