NBA Player News

Garland got off to a hot start to this game and entered the break with 17 points. He didn’t do as much scoring after the break, but he still had an effective night. Garland has been shooting the ball efficiently as of late and has shot better than 50% in three of their last four. His field goal percentage has ticked down after a hot start, but he is starting to pick it back up again. Unfortunately, they only have one more game this week, which will be in Denver on Friday.

Green wasn’t efficient, but got there on volume as he’s done more than a few times this season. The 22-year-old shooting guard had 22 points on 21 shots and was 0-of-3 from behind the 3-point line. He also had zero assists and two turnovers, but was still +18 in 38 minutes in the 11-point Rockets victory. Green is a better asset in fantasy formats that either don’t include or lessen the importance of turnovers and field goal percentage.

Brooks again played 40 minutes without issue, showing that he’s all the way back after missing three games with a right ankle effusion. The 28-year-old shooting guard wasn’t particularly efficient with 19 points on 15 shots, but he made three of the eight total 3-pointers the Rockets had Wednesday. Brooks is more of a deep league option, but he’ll likely have more opportunities for one more game as Amen Thompson continues to serve his suspension after an altercation with Tyler Herro.

Sengun’s six steals were a career-high. His varied skill set was on full display as he led the Rockets to victory over the Mavericks Wednesday. The 22-year-old center was a game-high +21 in 37 minutes in the 11-point victory. He remains a top-40 fantasy player on the season.

Murray had an off night. He didn’t shoot well with 12 points on 13 shots and he only had seven assists, despite the good matchup against the Heat. Murray also turned it over four times, which has been his weak spot this year. His fantasy value is much higher in formats without turnovers as a category.

Murphy has now had at least 34 points and five threes in two of his last three games. He doesn’t always lead the Pelicans in shot attempts, but he did Wednesday. Murphy is providing high-end per game fantasy value this season, though this was just his 21st game of the year. He’s certainly flashing his ceiling recently.

Butler played just 25 minutes in his first game back after missing the last five games. There will likely be better days ahead for the 35-year-old small forward and certainly more minutes. Every game Butler plays now is under scrutiny since team president Pat Riley stated that the team won’t trade Butler, but it seems like he was just easing his way back into the swing of things after a five-game absence.

Johnson has scored 22 or more in seven of the 11 games he’s played since December 1, averaging 21.8 points per game over the past month. During this period, he has been a 4th-round player in 9-cat formats, aligning with his season-long value. Johnson has the skill set many playoff-bound teams desire, so there will be no shortage of trade rumors between now and the February deadline.

Claxton finished Wednesday’s loss with his second double-double in three games and his sixth of the season. He’s disappointed in fantasy basketball, ranking well outside the top 150 in 8- and 9-cat formats. Claxton is a top-100 player in FT%-punt builds, but just barely. The rebuild certainly hasn’t helped; hopefully, Wednesday’s performance can push Claxton in the right direction.

Lewis wasn’t in the rotation while with the Lakers, so it’s unsurprising that he didn’t make his Nets debut until Wednesday’s outcome was no longer in doubt. Unfortunately, he suffered a left knee injury and needed to be carried to the locker room for further evaluation. Lewis’s status doesn’t impact fantasy basketball, but hopefully, this isn’t a long-term injury.

Russell began his second stint with the Nets on Wednesday and played very well in Toronto. The point guard recorded an efficient (and complete) stat line coming off the bench. With Ben Simmons likely sitting out Thursday’s game in Milwaukee and Cam Thomas likely playing, it will be interesting to see how this changes Russell’s role. Wednesday’s performance indicated that he can provide reliable fantasy value in Brooklyn, especially if Jordi Fernandez puts D’Lo in the starting lineup.