NBA Player News

Curry didn’t have the best night shooting the basketball, but that doesn’t matter when you’re taking on an overmatched opponent. The good news for him and the Warriors is that the two blowouts to begin the season have gotten Curry additional rest, as he’s been dealing with a right hip contusion. Golden State ends its Week 1 slate with a home game against the Clippers on Sunday.

While the Magic could not hand Cleveland its first loss of the season, da Silva’s play was positive. Seeing his first meaningful action as a pro, the first-round pick out of Colorado contributed 17 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Da Silva has the size and defensive skill set needed to help Orlando, especially with Paolo Banchero (oblique) sidelined, and he showed off his shooting skills on Friday. The rookie isn’t a must-add right now, but adding da Silva to your watch lists would be a good idea.

Jackson suffered the non-contact injury when he bit on a Brandon Ingram shot fake. While he was able to walk off the court with the help of teammate T.J. McConnell, there’s concern given the season-ending Achilles tendon tear James Wiseman suffered on October 23. Following the game, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said that the team did not have an official diagnosis but was “hoping it’s not the worst news.” With Wiseman out for the season and Myles Turner making his return from a sprained ankle on Friday, the last thing the Pacers can afford is to lose another rotation big.

Simons injured his arm when he hit the floor awkwardly on a dunk attempt. With the game being well out of reach, the Blazers guard’s night ended at that point. Coach Chauncey Billups said during his postgame presser that the team didn’t think the injury was too bad, but Simons was still being evaluated. Scoot Henderson would likely move into the starting lineup if he has to miss time.

If there was a positive for Portland to take from Friday’s game, which got out of hand during the third quarter, it was Rupert’s play. The second-year wing established new career-highs in points and 3-pointers while recording a steal and a blocked shot. Rupert isn’t at the point where fantasy managers can rely on his for consistent production, but he’s someone who may have added value during the silly season.

Despite Chet Holmgren getting into early foul trouble and playing 18 minutes, Ayton could not take advantage. A big part of the issue was Oklahoma City’s overall strength, as the visitors took control of the game and outscored Portland by a 38-17 margin in the third quarter. Thus far, Ayton has been a top 75 fantasy player, which isn’t far removed from his Yahoo ADP (62). He’ll look to bounce back when the Blazers visit Phoenix on Saturday.

There wasn’t much to take away from Grant’s performance in this one, as the game was essentially over by the end of the third quarter. While he has gotten off to a good start regarding per-game averages, the Blazers forward is just inside the top 100 due to a low field-goal percentage (38.9%). If Grant can clean up that aspect of his game, sticking in the top 100 becomes much more manageable.

JDub has scored 20 points or more in three of his last four, with Friday being the first game in which he’s shot over 50% from the field. However, even with the percentages (45.0% FG, 62.5% FT), Williams still provides top-50 per-game value through Oklahoma City’s first five games. The per-game averages, which include 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.0 steals, have been that good.

Oklahoma City removed any drama from Friday’s game by the end of the third quarter. Had that not occurred, Gilgeous-Alexander could have been even more productive. He did his damage in 28 minutes and could watch his more unheralded teammates close things out in the fourth. With the Thunder visiting the Clippers on Saturday night, they’ll take all the extra rest they can get.

Gobert wound up on all the highlight shows for his being dunked on by Denver’s Christian Braun (and subsequent reaction to the taunt that followed). But the Timberwolves center came up big in crunch time. First, Gobert hit two free throws to push Minnesota’s lead out to three with just over 10 seconds remaining. Then he defended Nikola Jokic well enough to force the Nuggets star to add additional arc to his shot, causing it to fall short. Rim protectors get dunked on quite often; how they respond is what separates those who are elite from everyone else. And Gobert’s response helped push Minnesota to the win.

Appearing to get more comfortable with his new teammates by the game, Randle has scored 20 points or more in four straight. Add in the consistent rebound and assist production, and he’s providing top-50 per-game value in 9-cat formats. Randle’s shooting nearly 61% from the field, and that number will drop based on his career numbers. But he’s clearly in a good place right now, much to the delight of fantasy managers.