NBA Player News

It looks like the Celtics will be sticking with Mazzulla even after a rather embarrassing showing in the Eastern Conference Finals. If Mazzulla would have gotten the axe the Celtics would have then been searching for their fourth head coach in four years. Mazzulla took over on an interim basis for Ime Udoka a few weeks before the start of the regular season. The interim tag was removed in February as Joe would lead Boston to a 57-25 regular season record.

Collins has had a solid season for Utah as a reserve, but this was by far his best game of the year. It was his first game without a defensive stat after he had exactly one steal and one block in every previous game. However, he set season-highs for points, rebounds and field goal percentage and tied his season-high for dimes. Collins won’t have games like this often, but it isn’t because he’s not capable. The Jazz are prioritizing their youth movement, which could make Collins expendable at the trade deadline. Until then, he’ll be a solid option that will occasionally pop off like this.

George did most of his work late in this game, scoring 21 of his 33 points after the break to help Utah secure their first win of the year. This was by far his best game of the year, as his second half points would’ve been enough for him to set a new season-high. The same field goal percentage issues that plagued him as a rookie have carried over into this season, so it was nice to see him play well in this game. They’ll head to Milwaukee for their next game on Thursday, where George will look to build off this performance.

DiVincenzo filled up the stat sheet on Monday as he logged 28 minutes off the bench in the blowout win. He was a +33 despite four turnovers. DiVincenzo hasn’t had the same type of ceiling games he had with the Knicks occasionally last year, but it’s still early in the season. His varied skill set was on display Monday. The Timberwolves are back in action on Thursday against the Bulls.

Already dealing with a right knee contusion, Gordon injured his calf during the first quarter. The injury limited him to four minutes, with Peyton Watson’s playing time receiving a boost. With Jamal Murray (concussion) set to miss a few more games, the Nuggets can’t afford to be without Gordon for an extended period.

Kessler has been everything that managers thought he could be this season. This was his third game this season with at least 12 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks while making over 80% of his shots. Kessler only provides value in the traditional center categories, but he can truly dominate them. He has been a third round producer so far this season as the permanent starter, which is what managers have been asking for since he was a rookie. As long as Will Hardy doesn’t mess with the rotation, Kessler should be a star for the rest of the season and beyond.

Reid off the bench and lit up the Hornets. He was +33 in 26 minutes, hit 5-of-7 3-point attempts and poured in 25 points on 13 shots. He had only one turnover as Minnesota won by 21 points. The Timberwolves are back in action on Thursday against the Bulls.

Edwards was efficient with 21 points on 11 shots. He hit 4-of-6 attempts from behind the 3-point line, was +9 in 29 minutes and had only one turnover. Edwards made 5-of-7 free throws, which has been a bit of a concern this year. The Timberwolves are back in action on Thursday against the Bulls.

While Green’s night wasn’t the best overall, that didn’t keep him from knocking down the dagger three that pushed Houston’s lead to eight in the final minute. After scoring 22 points or more in five straight to begin the season, he’s cooled off over the last two. In games against the Warriors and Knicks, Green scored 22 points on 7-of-29 shooting. He’s hovering just inside the top 100, with percentages weighing down Green’s fantasy value.

While he continues to struggle from beyond the arc, VanVleet shot the ball well overall on Monday. He made seven of eight 2-point attempts, a solid counter to a 1-of-5 night from beyond the arc. Add the full stat line, and VanVleet gave fantasy managers excellent value to begin Week 3. Field-goal percentage will be a struggle for VanVleet, given his career track record, but he provides enough value in other categories to remain a reliable fantasy point guard.

Sengun was outstanding on Monday, taking advantage of Karl-Anthony Towns’ early foul trouble and recording a robust stat line. There were times when the Knicks used a smaller defender out of necessity, and the Rockets center punished those mismatches. Sengun is providing top-50 per-game value in 9-cat formats and closing in on his Yahoo ADP (27).