Patty

Mills

George has been downgraded from questionable to out, opening up a spot in the starting lineup. Patty Mills and Jordan Clarkson are possible replacements, with the latter offering a higher fantasy ceiling. George’s absence will also mean more shots for Collin Sexton.

Mills averaged a career-low 2.7 points per game last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He isn’t likely to play a significant role with Keyonte George, Collin Sexton, and Jordan Clarkson ahead of him on the depth chart in Utah.

Mills led all scorers in this one, shooting 11-of-21 from the floor. His biggest shot of the game came with two seconds remaining when he knocked down a middy to send the contest to overtime. Unfortunately for Mills’ team, Serbia pulled away in the extra frame and emerged victorious. Serbia moves on to face the winner of Brazil-United States, while Australia’s Olympic run is over.

Wright has officially been ruled out after initially being listed as questionable for this game. That should result in minutes off the bench for Patty Mills, though Tyler Herro will continue to play most of the minutes at point guard.

Robinson will miss a fourth straight game and remain without a concrete return timeline. Patty Mills should stay in the starting lineup and is worthy of consideration in deep leagues. However, Caleb Martin is a better option for managers needing production across the board, not just in the points and 3-point categories.

Wednesday’s start was Mills’ first since the Heat signed him in early March, as he was tabbed to fill the void left by Duncan Robinson (back). The veteran guard reached double figures in points but had a rough night from three, making just one of his eight attempts. Mills is a career 38.8% shooter from deep but entered Wednesday making just 31.6% of his attempts this season. With Robinson considered day-to-day, Mills’ opportunities moving forward aren’t guaranteed. Miami returns home to play two more games to end Week 21; Mills will be worth gambling on again as a deep-league streamer if Robinson remains sidelined.

There are a lot of changes to Miami’s starting unit for this game, as Rozier is the only player that also started their last game. Mills and Bryant will replace Duncan Robinson and Bam Adebayo, who are sidelined with injuries. Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Haywood Highsmith will be pushed to the bench, though both should still see significant roles in this game, along with Caleb Martin and Orlando Robinson off the bench.

Robinson exited Monday’s game during the third quarter, and the Heat announced that he would not return after the period. He played 24 minutes, finishing with three points and four rebounds. Robinson’s early exit means more rotation minutes for Patty Mills, who hasn’t done enough to merit being streamed since he signed with the Heat.

The Heat head to Dallas and Oklahoma City for games on Thursday and Friday, and they will be without both Herro and Love for those. Duncan Robinson and Nikola Jovic should remain in the starting unit, with both Caleb Martin and Jaime Jaquez Jr. playing larger roles off the bench. Patty Mills will be available to make his debut for the team, but it is unlikely that he sees the floor much at all.

The 35-year-old veteran has averaged just 12.4 minutes across 59 combined appearances for the Hawks and Nets since the start of the 2022-23 season, but he could see additional playing time for a Miami team that’s dealt with recurring injuries to multiple backcourt players over the last couple of months. Mills isn’t worth an add in fantasy hoops, but his arrival could mean fewer minutes for Delon Wright.