NBA Player News

Diabate has been sidelined for two weeks with the hip impingement, but a trip to the G League is why he’s been ruled out for Friday. That means he’s closing in on being available for NBA games, which is obviously a good thing, even if he’s unlikely to be in the rotation.

Fox wasn’t able to maintain his historic scoring pace, but he did have another good game in this one. He has now scored 137 points over the last four days, which has helped fantasy managers out tremendously. They now have three days off before their next game, and there is a chance that Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Malik Monk are all back in the lineup for that one. If that’s the case, Fox will continue to be excellent in fantasy, but the monster scoring nights like he has had recently will likely be over.

With DeMar DeRozan sidelined once again, Lyles got another start in this game. DeRozan is inching closer to a return, and with their next game coming on Friday, it could be for that game. However, if he misses another game, Lyles should be worth streaming. He is averaging 14.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.0 threes during his two starts this season and is available in 95 % of leagues. Since they don’t play until Friday, just keep an eye on him at this point.

What a night it was for Ellis, who was able to set new career-highs for both points and 3-pointers. Entering this game, he had hit a total of 11 threes this season. The only other game where he hit more than one 3-pointer was in their other matchup with Atlanta. This was an unexpected but incredibly performance out of Ellis, who hasn’t been able to take advantage of Malik Monk and DeMar DeRozan being out of the lineup. Both players are expected to be back soon, but Ellis should have earned more playing time with his performance in this game.

After returning from a lengthy absence, Hunter has come off the bench in his last two appearances. It may seem like a demotion in favor of Zaccharie Risacher, but it has been a beneficial move for both Hunter and the Hawks. In his last two games, he has averaged 23.0 points and 3.5 triples while shooting 57.1% from the floor. He has shot an absurdly high percentage for a perimeter player, and that will likely even out as he plays more games. However, while he still isn’t contributing defensive stats, this role as a reserve has been ideal for him.

It hasn’t come consistently, but the rookie has shown that he’s more than capable of impacting the game in a multitude of ways. On the heels of two straight games without a 3-pointer or defensive stat, it was encouraging to see him get back on track in this game. He has been quieter since his 33-point outburst a couple weeks ago, but the flashes are important to see out of the first pick in the draft. Risacher will look to build off this performance against the Warriors on Wednesday.

Young simply didn’t shoot the ball much in this game, but he had no problem facilitating to his teammates. His 19 assists are the most in a game so far this season and the second-highest single-game total in his career. The lack of points were uncharacteristic and frustrating, but the abundance of dimes helped make up for it. He only took seven shots, which won’t happen often. Managers shouldn’t expect this to be the norm moving forward, and he should get back to being aggressive offensively when they play the Warriors on Wednesday.

Porter hit the back of his head after making a layup that he was fouled on. For any other injury, a player exiting the game due to injury before attempting his free throw(s) cannot return. However, a player going into concussion protocol can return if he passes the associated tests. Consider Porter questionable to return to Monday’s game.

GTJ has been incredibly disappointing in his first season with the Bucks, but he is starting to get it going. He has scored in double figures in three straight games and averaged 11 points, two steals and three triples during that stretch. Monday’s game included a new season-high for both points and 3-pointers. This modest production doesn’t make him worth picking up at this point, but if he can start to figure things out, he’ll be a huge help for the Bucks as they try to turn their season around.

Following a three-game absence due to a concussion, Lillard was back in the lineup for this game. He didn’t shoot the ball well, but all was forgiven when he knocked down a game-winning layup in the closing seconds. Prior to the final game of last season, Dame had gone 150 straight games with at least one 3-pointer, but he already has three such games this year. The numbers don’t look as bad, but the highs have been high and the lows have been low for Dame. He has hit just one triple over his last three games, and he’ll look to get back on track against the Bulls on Wednesday. He was able to record his first double-double of the season and set a new season-high for assists.

Lopez has shown us recently that he definitely still has it, but it hasn’t come consistently. Two games before this one, he had 29 points, eight rebounds, eight “stocks” and five triples. He followed that up with a modest five points in a loss before going off again in this game. The norm should be somewhere in the middle, but he has been very hit or miss so far this season. There aren’t many players that can hit 3-pointers and blocks shots at the same rate as Lopez, and when he gets going, he can have some special performances.