NBA Player News

Curry didn’t do much on Sunday, which was bad news for fantasy managers counting on an elite performance to close out Week 21. However, the Warriors did not need much from their superstar, as the team scored 148 points and shot nearly 58 percent from the field. For Curry managers who have a championship to compete for in Week 22, the Warriors play four games. Hopefully, he can rebound from Sunday’s pedestrian performance.

Scoot will sit out a fourth straight game, which means Dalano Banton should get some additional playing time. Banton’s fantasy value will be even higher if Anfernee Simons (arm) sits out.

The pair sat out the first leg of Toronto’s back-to-back set on Thursday, but they’ll be back on Friday to presumably handle their normal workload. Jamal Shead and Orlando Robinson will likely retreat back to the bench after filling in with the first unit on Thursday.

No surprises here, as Toronto has alternated rest days for many of its starters since the All-Star break. The Raptors played Thursday, so Barrett and Agbaji will sit out the second leg of the back-to-back set. In their absence, Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamison Battle should earn some extra minutes.

Brunson hasn’t played in nearly a month, and Deuce has missed seven straight. If one or both are able to take the court on Saturday, Delon Wright and Tyler Kolek could see their minutes reduced. The same is true of Cam Payne, who has missed four straight but returned to practice on Friday alongside Brunson and McBride.

Martin has averaged just over 21 minutes per game across his last six, so his absence will free up some rotational minutes for the likes of Brice Sensabaugh and Kyle Filipowski. With Walker Kessler (concussion) sidelined, Martin likely would have started if he was available. That opportunity will now likely fall to either Johnny Juzang or Svi Mykhailiuk.

Reaves’ breakout season continued on Thursday, and he added another milestone to his special year. Though it wasn’t enough for the Lakers to get the win, Reaves set a new career-high for three-pointers made in a game. He only had 12 points in their last game against Houston, but Reaves has now scored at least 30 points in three of the Lakers’ last four games. Over the course of the season, he has provided third-round value in nine-cat leagues and has been a first-rounder of the past two months. He will be an intriguing player heading into fantasy drafts next season.

For just the fourth time this season, Curry shot double-digit free throws, and the Warriors are now 4-0 when he does. In fact, his 14 attempts were a new season-high and the most he has shot in a game since 2021. This performance came on the heels of him scoring 52 points with 12 triples in a win over Memphis, and while Curry didn’t replicate that type of production, his 37 points with only four threes was impressive. This was only the 12th time in Steph’s career that he had at least 35 points while making four or fewer triples.

Following a one-game absence with a pelvic contusion, Kuminga was back to playing his typical reserve as a scoring option off the bench for the Warriors. Since returning from a two-month absence, he has scored in double figures without reaching 20 points in nine of his 10 games, with the game where he exited after playing just seven minutes being the only exception. Having Kuminga contribute off the bench has been helpful for Golden State, and the encouraging aspect for dynasty managers is that he is still only 22 years old.

After missing almost a month of games, it has taken Hachimura some time to get back on track. Thursday’s game was a good step as he had his highest-scoring performance since before the All-Star break. Hachimura has been a solid scoring option as a starter for the Lakers and has been able to maintain the starting job for most of the season. He doesn’t contribute value in many categories, but the points and efficiency have allowed him to be a decent fantasy option for most of the year.

James has had a few quieter scoring performances recently, but Thursday ended up being his highest-scoring game in nearly a month. It didn’t start out well, but he scored 25 of his 33 points after halftime, though it didn’t end up being enough for the Lakers to get the win. The loss dropped them to fourth in the West, and they hold a one-game lead over Golden State heading into a matchup with the Pelicans on Friday. After that, they’ll wrap up the week in Oklahoma City on Sunday in a tough matchup.