NBA Player News

Smith missed Wednesday’s game against Orlando, but he’ll be back to filling out the backup center minutes behind Nikola Vucevic. E.J. Liddell logged 17 minutes against the Magic, but he will likely be pushed out of the rotation with Smith back.

Even in the postseason, Atlanta is still listing Young as probable ahead of every game. There isn’t a chance that he sits out, so expect him to occupy his typical spot in the starting unit in the 7/8 matchup, with a chance to play the Celtics in the first round on the line.

New Orleans will look for a new head of basketball operations after another disastrous campaign. The Pelicans’ roster sports a number of wildly talented players, but injuries piled up yet again, and New Orleans is headed for the lottery. The Pels went 209-263 with Griffin at the helm, earning two playoff bids and winning just playoff games.

Coach Bud’s Suns went 36-46 and finished outside the Play-In Tournament as the 11th seed in the Western Conference. The team went 10-18 after the All-Star break and couldn’t overtake a Mavs team that was on the brink of forfeiting games due to injury at one point. Phoenix will look for another head coach for a third-straight year after firing Monty Williams at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. With so much talent and so little accomplished in recent seasons, the Suns may look for a rebuild, and rumors of Kevin Durant’s departure may soon amp up.

Butler’s final stat line on Sunday was outstanding but came with some pain. He took a Kawhi Leonard knee to the left thigh during overtime but stayed in the game. That injury, combined with Stephen Curry’s right thumb, is why the Warriors could have used the time off that would have come with a victory over the Clippers. Instead, Butler and the Warriors will host the Grizzlies on Tuesday. Following the game, Butler said he was fine and will be in the lineup, but don’t be surprised if Jimmy is on the initial injury report.

While the addition of Jimmy Butler has negatively impacted Jonathan Kuminga’s (DNP-CD on Sunday) playing time and fantasy value, that has not been the case for Podziemski. The second-year guard has played well since the February trade deadline, providing eighth-round value in eight- and nine-cat formats. Podziemski’s emergence will be key for the Warriors, as they’ll need to beat Memphis on Tuesday to earn the seventh seed in the West. Houston will be the first-round opponent for the winner of that game, while the loser plays the Sacramento/Dallas winner for the eighth seed.

Curry has been dealing with a right thumb injury, the severity of which has not been made public. With that in mind, it would have been nice for the Warriors to win Sunday’s game, as they would have avoided the play-in tournament. Instead, they’ll host Memphis on Tuesday, with the winner being the seventh seed in the West. The good news for Curry and the Warriors was that he shot the ball well on Sunday, but he must clean up the turnovers after committing eight against the Clippers.

Harden and the Clippers did what many did not believe them capable of before the season began, avoiding the play-in tournament due to their win in San Francisco. The Beard finished a game with at least 30 points and 10 assists for the 106th time in his career, tied for second-most in league history. Due to Sunday’s victory, the Clippers will be the fifth seed in the West, and they’ll face Denver in the first round.

Zubac, one of the most improved players in the NBA this season, ended his regular season with another stellar performance. He’s recorded his 59th double-double and 15th in as many games. Thanks to their win over the Warriors, the Clippers will be the fifth seed in the West, with Denver being their first-round opponent. To say the matchup with Nikola Jokic will be challenging for Zubac would be an understatement, but he has been excellent this season.

Leonard was outstanding on Sunday, as the Clippers’ overtime victory gave the team the fifth seed in the West. His workload was just as encouraging as Leonard’s production, as he played 47 of 53 minutes without issues. The Clippers avoiding the play-in tournament gets their stars additional time off ahead of next weekend’s Game 1 in Denver, which could be critical for Leonard. After years of struggling with injuries, he appears to be in his best form.

Robinson-Earl struggled with his shot in Sunday’s season finale, but he did provide solid value in the rebound and assist categories. He didn’t offer much value throughout the season, as rotation minutes were not guaranteed. Unfortunately for Robinson-Earl, he’s likely to encounter a similar situation in New Orleans next season with a healthy Zion Williamson in the fold.