NBA Player News

Recent reports indicated that this would likely be the case, and now Kawhi has officially been ruled out for this game. P.J. Tucker was the most recent starter in his place, though Norman Powell will certainly take on an extended role with Leonard on the sidelines. It is unclear if Kawhi will be able to play in Game 2.

With Luka Doncic out, Irving jacked up a bunch of shots. He only had 16 points on a whopping 25 attempts in a pathetic shooting display. Irving had six assists and only turned the ball over one time. He was +12 in 38 minutes in the 16-point victory. He blew the opportunity for a big game with all of his misses.

Thompson can’t be counted on for rebounds and assists and this isn’t his best scoring season by a long shot. Still, in the games where he’s scoring, he’s going to hit some threes and there could be multiple steals. Klay didn’t even see increased usage with Luka Doncic out as he only took nine shots, he just had an efficient game. It probably would’ve been better if the shots weren’t so spread out in this one.

Among Trail Blazers starters, Ayton has been Portland’s most valuable player from a fantasy standpoint. However, the stat lines may feel underwhelming, especially with the limited defensive production. He did not record a steal or blocked shot on Saturday, and he’s averaging 0.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per game on the season. While 7th-round fantasy value isn’t bad, consistent defensive production would do wonders for Ayton.

While he didn’t shoot the ball well against the Spurs, Simons has been a top-25 player in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. The improved production has boosted his season-long value, but only slightly. Simons remains ranked well outside the top 100 in season-long value, and there’s always the concern of a shutdown later in the season. Portland plays three games in Week 9, beginning with the Mavericks on Monday.

Sharpe has scored 25 points or more in consecutive games twice this season, with his current run being the first since November 13-17. While the season-long fantasy value remains low, he has provided 10th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. The limited assists and defensive production weigh down Sharpe’s value in category leagues. Still, he’ll be worth rostering later in the season once Portland decides to sit some of its veterans.

With Zach Collins sidelined, Bassey has emerged as an occasionally worthwhile streamer in extremely deep leagues. Saturday’s double-double was his second of the season, the first being a 16-point, 12-rebound effort against the Pelicans on December 8. However, the other games have been underwhelming, making Bassey more of a “matchup play” than a player who should be held until Collins returns.

Wembanyama has made history on multiple occasions during his brief NBA career, and Saturday was another of those nights. He became the youngest player to tally at least 30 points and 10 blocks in a game, becoming the sixth player on that list in the history of the NBA. While there may have been some early complaining about Wembanyama’s production, he’s been with Nikola Jokic as the most valuable fantasy basketball player. San Antonio hits the road for four games in Week 9, beginning with Philadelphia on Monday.

Gobert’s double-double was his fourth of December and the third time in December that he’s scored at least 17 points and had a double-double. That’ll do. The 32-year-old center also chipped in a steal and a block. He’s never going to be a big-time scoring option, but he can have some decent scoring nights when he’s making most of his shots like he did Saturday.

Edwards wasn’t efficient with 19 points on 20 shots. He contributed in other categories, though, with seven rebounds, five assists and four 3-pointers. Edwards has been in a little bit of a shooting slump recently, though he still is providing top-25 fantasy value on the season.

McCollum remains a top 100 player in 9-cat formats, but the foul shooting has been surprising, and not in a good way. He’s made 69.4% of his attempts, 11 percentage points lower than his career mark, and he’s averaging more free throws this season (2.8 per game) than last (2.1). In FT%-punt builds McCollum’s fantasy value aligns with his Yahoo ADP (87).