NBA Player News

Another elite Dayton big man is on his way to the NBA. Four years after Obi Toppin became a lottery pick, Holmes has the potential to make his mark in the Association. A decorated big man who was a consensus All-American and earned Atlantic 10 Player and Defensive Player of the Year honors, Holmes averaged 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.1 blocks, and 1.0 3-pointers as a junior. Listed at 6-foot-9, Holmes will be a bit undersized for an NBA center, but he was better defensively when playing off the ball than when he was included in ball-screen actions. This pick is headed to Denver, and the expectation of many during the draft process was that the Nuggets were targeting Holmes. There’s a clear need for frontcourt depth and athleticism in Denver, which opens the door for Holmes to play immediately.

White had been in a bit of a shooting slump, but broke out of it Thursday as he had 23 points on 13 shots and made 5-of-8 attempts from behind the 3-point line. He also dished out nine assists, though he had three turnovers. White is seeing more usage as Josh Giddey’s ankle injury lingers and Ayo Dosunmu was also out Thursday.

After battling back spasms last week, LaVine has now gone off for at least 36 points in two of his last four games. He did whatever he wanted on the offensive end and had his three point shot working as he drained 7-of-9 attempts from behind the 3-point line. LaVine’s name has been popping up in trade rumors recently and potential suitors can only be encouraged by his recent stretch of games.

Hunter tweaked his ankle last week, but has shown no ill effects since then. His jumper wasn’t as crisp as usual on Thursday as he was just 6-of-15 from the field including 3-of-7 from behind the 3-point line. Hunter saved his night by getting to the foul line and making all 10 of his free throw attempts. He continues to be one of the best bench scorers in the league, but typically doesn’t contribute much beyond points and threes.

Johnson had scored at least 20 points in just three of his last eight games, but went off for 30 points against the Bulls’ bottom-third of the league defense Thursday. Johnson continues to excel in the rebounding category as he recored at least 10 rebounds for the seventh time in his last eight games. The 23-year-old power forward broke out last year and has only gotten better as a multidimensional fantasy weapon this year.

Young now has a double-double in six of his last seven games. After missing a game with a heel injury last week, the 26-year-old point guard has scored at least 27 points in his last two games. Young predictably had a big game in a high-paced matchup against the poor-defending Bulls Thursday.

Haliburton appeared to be rounding into form after a slow start to the season in which his numbers were largely being dragged down by poor performance on the road. Thursday was a step back for the 24-year-old point guard, who had just four points on six shots in the loss to the Thunder at home. Haliburton dished out eight assists and only had one turnover, but was -13 in 35 minutes in the six-point loss. He’ll look to get back on track Friday against the Celtics.

Thursday’s game was the first for Miller since December 16, as a sprained ankle sidelined him for three games. While the second-year wing looked a bit rusty offensively, the 36 minutes were encouraging, given the time off. Also encouraging were the nine assists, which are a career-high for Miller. He’ll look to improve the shooting accuracy on Saturday when the Hornets host Oklahoma City.

While his season-long fantasy value has underwhelmed, Bridges has shown signs of turning things around. Thursday’s stat line was one of his best, with the Hornets forward recording his first double-double. Also, he has provided 6th-round value in 9-cat formats over the past two weeks. Unfortunately for managers who have Bridges rostered, Charlotte only plays once more this week.

Ball has been one of the NBA’s most productive fourth-quarter scorers, but the Wizards shut his water off on Thursday. The Hornets point guard scored 14 points in the third quarter but none in the fourth as Washington pulled out the victory. Ball’s overall production has been excellent this season, even for managers in leagues that use turnovers as a scoring category.

Sarr was back in the lineup after sitting out Monday’s loss to Oklahoma City, and Wizards coach Brian Keefe went with close to an even split at the center position. Sarr played 24 minutes, and Jonas Valanciunas (14 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and three steals) logged 23 off the bench. Sarr will continue to start as long as he’s healthy, and Valanciunas will continue to offer value in his reserve role.