NBA Player News

The Hawks hold the first overall pick for the first time in the lottery era (since 1985), and this will also be the first time they select first overall since 1975. This is a crucial offseason for the franchise, as the Trae Young/Dejounte Murray partnership has not been as productive as anticipated. This draft is nowhere near as predictable as last year’s, with multiple prospects in play to go first overall. Alex Sarr, a versatile forward from France, and Zaccharie Risacher, a playmaking wing also from France, are two of the elite prospects who will be discussed often between now and late June. Houston, Washington, San Antonio, and Detroit round out the top five.

Oubre Jr. tied Paul George for the team-lead in points against the Clippers. He was efficient with 18 points on 12 shots, made his only free throw and knocked down just 1-of-3 attempts from behind the 3-point line. Oubre Jr. turned it over three times, though, and was -6 in 25 minutes in the 12-point loss. Philadelphia has two more games this week starting with the Lakers on Friday and the Hornets on Sunday.

George had a great game considering he played only 24 minutes as he was on a minutes restriction due to a left knee bone bruise. He had 18 points on nine shots, made both of his free throws and nailed 2-of-3 attempts from behind the 3-point line. He did have four turnovers, though, and finished the game -11 in the 12-point loss to his former team. George should be back at his full complement of minutes in the near future. Philadelphia has two more games this week starting with the Lakers on Friday and the Hornets on Sunday.

Zubac broke his streak of having at least 12 rebounds in six straight games, but now he’s had at least nine rebounds in all eight of the Clippers’ games this year. He’s off to a nice start and getting a few more buckets with Kawhi Leonard still sidelined. The Clippers begin a back-to-back Friday with the Kings and play the Raptors on Saturday.

The Kings entered the fourth quarter down four points. Then the King of the Fourth took over. He scored 11 of his 27 in the final frame, and Sacramento outscored Toronto 33-14 to pull away and win the game. DeRozan has fit in flawlessly with his new team, and they’ve now won five of their last six games. He has scored at lesat 20 points in every game this season, and he has at least 25 in four straight. He’s also providing more 3-pointers than we’re accustomed to, as he has hit six over their last four games. We’ll see if he can keep it up with the Clippers coming to town on Friday.

Harden wasn’t efficient in this one. He had 18 points on 15 shots and needed to make 7-of-9 free throws to get there. Harden struggled from behind the 3-point line making only 1-of-6 attempts. He had six assists, but also turned it over six times. Still, he was +13 in 34 minutes in the 12-point Clippers win. Harden is a borderline first round value in fantasy (12-team leagues), but could push higher with better shooting and fewer turnovers. The Clippers begin a back-to-back Friday with the Kings and play the Raptors on Saturday.

For the third time in their last four games, Murray was able to record a double-double. He set a new season-high for rebounds and had his best scoring performance since the season opener. Keegan’s usage hasn’t taken much of a hit this year despite the addition of DeMar DeRozan, and he has been far more effective on the glass, averaging a career-high 8.3 rebounds per game. His 3-point percentage is down (31.4%), so once he gets his shot going, he’ll be able to put up the best numbers of his young career.

Powell was super-efficient with 26 points on 10 shots. He drilled 6-of-8 attempts from behind the 3-point line and made all four of his free throws. Despite three turnovers, he was +6 in 35 minutes in the 12-point victory. Powell has picked up a bigger scoring role on the Clippers this year and it continued with his seventh straight game with at least 20 points Wednesday. The Clippers begin a back-to-back Friday with the Kings and play the Raptors on Saturday.

After dropping 24 points when these teams faced off last weekend, Boucher was able to find more success on offense in this one. He has scored in double figures four times this season, which means that half of those have been against the Kings. Sure, he’s capable of providing a scoring boost, but those games haven’t come consistently, and the minutes aren’t always there. This was a fun game for Boucher, but it doesn’t make him worth adding in standard leagues.

Barrett wasn’t able to keep his run of playmaking success going in this game, but he still had a strong scoring night. He had at least five assists in each of their previous four games, but the silver lining is that he was able to shoot more efficiently in this game. Barrett will continue to be a high usage player for the Raptors, especially with Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley sidelined. He may not be able to have 30-point double-doubles every night, but he’ll continue to get the chance to try. He’ll look to bounce back on Saturday and Sunday as they play a back-to-back on the road against both Los Angeles squads.

Mitchell joined the Raptors this summer after spending the first three years of his career in Sacramento. This was his first time playing there as part of the road team, and he made sure to play better than he did when the Kings came to Toronto a few days prior. Mitchell has been an elite streaming option in place of Immanuel Quickley, and it isn’t clear when he’ll be back in the lineup. He’s currently rostered in just 13% of Yahoo leagues despite being a top-125 player as a starter. He should be streamed until IQ is back.