One thing the NBA is trying to do is make this play-in tournament thing happen. You can count on teams playing their guys normal minutes, or even extended minutes for these games. The next game? All bets are off, and guys are resting left and right. Same goes to back to back games, but that just could be me being a Bulls fan and watching guys sit their best players because they know it won’t take much to win. Anywhoo, those are some thoughts! Let’s get into the teams.
Suns: In an announcement that surely rocked analysts to their core, Bradley Beal will miss some time. Grayson Allen continues to be the add. Mason Plumlee is now starting at the 4 along with Jusef Nurkic at the 5. Royce O’Neale is also worth a spot as he has been all season, and his role and minutes are secure. Don’t worry when the starters come back, an injury will be just around the corner!
Pacers: Benedict Mathurin has moved into the starting lineup and it looks like he’s going to stay there after a 21-12 outing. That’s the obvious one. I’d add TJ McConnell as well. Tyrese Haliburton is not himself and rumblings have been about a back injury on the interwebs, so he could easily miss time, which puts TJ in. He’s a good low end player now with league altering potential.
Pistons: Something weird is going on with Jalen Duren. First it was announced that he wasn’t starting. Then, he was. Then he only played 18 minutes with Isaiah Stewart getting 28. Weird, weird stuff, and worth monitoring going forward. Wendell Moore was dusted off for 23 minutes as an injury replacement but only scored five points and presumably will be placed in his mothballs again soon. Best news for Pistons owners? They’re 7-8 right now! They might actually not be tanking this season, so all your breakouts can be fully rewarded. They’re for real, at least for now.
Mavs: Luka Doncic finally explained why he’s been so slow on the court and revealed an injury. This is significant going forward. He at least will miss some games here and there for a while. The problem is that the Mavericks wing rotation is all filled with guys who are like the exact same level of player, and there’s not a pickup here. PJ Washington would gain the most value just due to increased shot volume. Keep an eye on Dallas here. Doncic seems to be at a career inflection point.
Utah: Kyle Filipowski is starting as the Jazz look to recreate the magic from Cleveland by starting Lauri Markkanen at the 3. Songs and ballads will be written about this era as surely other teams will copycat the three bigs lineup. For now, Kyle is an add, but could go to the bench swiftly and without notice. Ride the wave, I guess.
Clippers: Kevin Porter, Jr. is worth a mention as he’s over 20 minutes lately due to Terrance Mann’s demotion (which I called, get Kris Dunn for steals!) Just another mention that he’s a bad human and owning him in fantasy will give you negative aura and make your team lose. He’s got a history here.
Kings: DeMar DeRozan is out with a back thing, so he’s sitting. While this means big things for his teammates and more shots, there’s no direct pickup here. You’ll be happy with De’Aaron Fox and his 60 points, dadgumit. DeMar should be back soon so relax there sparky.
Celtics: Apologies needed here. I was telling y’all to go get Sam Hauser as this year’s Kyle Korver. While he does get 25 minutes or so during injuries/rest games, some guy named Neemius Quinta is in the starting lineup. Quinta is a 7 foot tall 260 point true center who sticks to the paint. He had 33 minutes as a starter, but his value will be restricted to low end deep league when the Celtics are at full health. Keep an eye on him though. I love guys who zig when the league zags like this.
Hornets: Grant Williams and Moussa Diabite roles are quite safe, and might even be when the Hornets get back to full strength. They’re producing, especially Diabite, and my spellcheck hates this article.
