Tim

Hardaway

The Nuggets can’t catch a break this season, as another key player will miss extended time. Watson sustained a right hamstring strain, and he won’t return until the first week of March at the earliest. Spencer Jones (head), Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. could all be in line for extended run until Watson returns.

Watson, who has provided the Nuggets with excellent contributions as the team navigated multiple injuries, pulled up during the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s double-overtime loss to the Knicks. With Spencer Jones having exited earlier in the game with a head injury, the Nuggets relied more on Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway Jr. in Watson’s absence. One may move into the starting lineup, but both will have streaming value in deeper leagues.

Watson played 33 minutes before having to leave Wednesday’s game, giving a foul to stop play before immediately limping back to the locker room. He finished with 10 points (4-of-13 FGs, 1-of-2 FTs), five rebounds, two assists, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. The Nuggets relied on Bruce Brown (10 points, five rebounds, three steals, one block and two three-pointers) and Tim Hardaway Jr. (19 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal and four three-pointers) down the stretch, and that will be the case if Watson has to miss multiple games. Watson will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his injury.

24 hours after he scored 25 points while hitting seven triples, THJ was able to remain hot in this game. His value has always been tied to how many shots he can hit from beyond the arc, and he is incredibly streaky. Managers can certainly ride the hot hand and get some solid production out of him, but he can always randomly go cold, which makes him a risky player to roster. Still, this was another strong night from beyond the arc for him.

After shooting 7-of-18 from three in his prior two appearances, Hardaway knocked down seven triples on Thursday. That number matched his season high, which he’s recorded on two other occasions. Add in the rebounds and assists, and this was an excellent night for the 13 percent of Yahoo! managers who have Hardaway on their rosters. Unfortunately, the production has not been consistent enough to warrant trusting him in 12-team leagues.

Murray was held out of Friday’s win over the Bucks, with Julian Strawther replacing him in the starting lineup. Despite a 1-of-6 night from three, the former first-round pick was productive in that role, finishing with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one three-pointer. Strawther and Tim Hardaway Jr. will be worth a look in fantasy leagues if Murray remains out.

Hardaway wasn’t the most efficient shooter on Friday, but his scoring was massive in helping the undermanned Nuggets secure a victory. More than half of the field goals he made came from beyond the arc, and he made a couple of big free throws late in this one to help give Denver some cushion. Hardaway has sustained his scoring production throughout the year and has performed really well in January. He’s been a nice addition to this Nuggets bench.

Watson is one of multiple starters for Denver that will miss this game. He has been on fire as of late, and they’ll have to turn to Julian Strawther, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Jones to try and make up some of that production.

Murray will sit out on Friday due to lower-body injuries. His absence will come on the second game of a back-to-back, as the Nuggets look to put together back-to-back wins. The veteran point guard’s scoring and improved facilitating have been key for the Nuggets during Nikola Jokic’s extended absence (knee). Without Murray, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown could see increased opportunities.

Watson has been electric as of late, culminating with a career-high 35 points in Thursday’s win over Washington. The severity of his injury is unknown, but it’s possible he’s getting a maintenance day on the second leg of Denver’s back-to-back set. If Watson is ultimately ruled out, Julian Strawther, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Jones are all candidates for additional playing time.