NBA Player News

He’s far from the only one dealing with an illness around the league, and if LeBron and AD can’t play either (both questionable), the Lakers will be in serious trouble. Maybe Trevor Ariza gets more run but he’s the furthest thing from a fantasy asset there is.

Butler injured his right knee early in the third quarter, as his leg buckled inward on a drive to the basket. He remained down on the court for several minutes before walking back to the locker room with the assistance of two teammates. More will be learned about the severity of Butler’s injury on Tuesday, but a prolonged absence could be a crushing blow to the Warriors’ postseason hopes.

Harris exited early from Saturday’s game, though the reason wasn’t specified. However, if there was something bothering him then, it didn’t seem to carry over into this game. His 25 points were the most he’s had in a game since November. He hasn’t been a great fantasy option this season, but since returning from a five-game absence with a hip injury, he has been effective. He’ll look to remain hot in New Orleans on Wednesday.

Cunningham was named an All-Star starter earlier in the day, and while he didn’t have an effective night as a shooter, he was able to record a double-double. His work as a playmaker made up for the lack of scoring, and it was enough for Detroit to get the win. It has been a rough three-game stretch for him as a scorer, and he’ll look to get back on track in New Orleans on Wednesday.

White has had an excellent season despite a poor field goal percentage, but the last few games have been rough for him as a scorer. Over his last three games, White is averaging 6.3 points per game on 22.7 percent shooting. However, he’s also averaging 6.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.7 blocks per game during that stretch. He’ll get back on track offensively, but it is encouraging that he can still make an impact even when he’s ineffective as a scorer.

Pritchard was back in the lineup after missing his first game of the season on Saturday. The game before that, he was held to a season-low two points, but he was able to get back on track in this one. He didn’t contribute big numbers, but he was efficient as a scorer. Pritchard has been productive for most of the season and should have no issues getting back on track against the Pacers on Wednesday.

Hours after he was named an All-Star starter, Brown led the Celtics in scoring. Unfortunately, his game-winning shot attempt didn’t fall, so he wasn’t able to cap the night in dramatic fashion. Still, it was another excellent scoring performance for him, even if it didn’t come efficiently. Brown has been fantastic all season and will continue to be one of the best scorers in the league. He’ll look to keep it going against the Pacers on Wednesday.

Williams has reached double figures in four of his last five appearances. However, Monday’s game was his first since January 7, after he missed six games due to illness. Williams’ season-long fantasy value has not been good enough to make him a player worth rostering, and one solid effort won’t change that.

In addition to recording a season-high in assists, Mann hit double figures in points for the first time in his last eight appearances. While he did start on Monday, the veteran wing only played 26 minutes. Therein lies the issue for Mann, along with the inconsistent production. Getting the younger players minutes will only become more of a priority for the Nets moving forward, so there isn’t much to gain from rostering Mann.

Claxton is averaging career-highs in points and assists, with the latter category being more surprising. The Nets’ center, who entered Monday averaging 4.1 assists per game, has recorded four or more in six of his last seven appearances. Unfortunately, Claxton has shot 40 percent from the foul line over the past two weeks, which limits his value in roster builds where that category is not being punted.

Porter needed 23 shots to score his 23 points, with three-point shooting being the reason. A 40.5 percent shooter for the season, the Nets forward was 2-of-10 in Monday’s defeat. Porter’s 8-of-13 night from inside the arc ensured that his overall field-goal percentage didn’t take too big of a hit, and the overall stat line was a good one. As always, the concern for fantasy managers is Porter’s availability during playoff weeks, especially if he isn’t moved at or before the February 5 trade deadline.