NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 2/2

Feb 2nd 2023

Connor Learn

Each day, this column will provide live updates for all NBA news. Enjoy up-to-the-minute alerts for injuries and lineup confirmations. The Key News to Watch section will highlight notable injuries to monitor for the current NBA slate.

Key NBA News to Watch

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) — Available

  • LeBron James (ankle) — In

  • Stephen Curry (shoulder) — Available

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — In

  • Tyrese Haliburton (elbow, knee) — In

  • Jalen Brunson (illness) — Out

  • Klay Thompson (injury management) — Out

  • Andrew Wiggins (rest) — Not on injury report

  • Jaren Jackson Jr. (thigh) — Out

  • Aaron Gordon (ankle) — Out

  • Draymond Green (calf) — Out

  • Victor Oladipo (ankle) — Out

  • Marcus Morris (rib) — In

Recent NBA News

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

Los Angeles Lakers News

Confirmed Lineup: Dennis Schroder, Patrick Beverley, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis

  • LeBron James (ankle) — In

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — In

  • Patrick Beverley (knee) — In

  • Austin Reaves (hamstring) — Injured

Rui Hachimura isn't assured of being demoted to the bench in Beverley's expected return. Hachimura played 40.4 minutes in Tuesday's overtime win and scored 19 points on eight-for-12 shooting (14.0% usage) as he picked his spots next to James and Davis.

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner

  • Tyrese Haliburton (elbow, knee) — In

  • Daniel Theis (knee) — Available

TJ McConnell and Nembhard's facilitating roles should diminish, while Nembhard and Turner's usage will likely decline most sharply in Haliburton's expected return. Indiana has posted a 1-9 record and registered the fourth-lowest offensive rating (110.4) league-wide during Haliburton's absence.

Memphis Grizzlies News

Confirmed Lineup: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Santi Aldama, Xavier Tillman

  • Jaren Jackson Jr. (thigh) — Out

  • Danny Green (injury management) — Out

  • Ziaire Williams (knee) — Available

  • John Konchar (concussion) — Available

  • Steven Adams (knee) — Injured

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Confirmed Lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

  • Caris LeVert (hamstring) — Out

  • Dylan Windler (ankle) — Injured

The Grizzlies boast the best defensive rating (110.3) in the league, and the Cavs have registered the 12th-highest offensive rating (115.1). However, Cleveland has scored the second-most points per 100 possessions (116.9) against teams with top-ten defensive ratings this season.

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo

  • Victor Oladipo (ankle) — Out

  • Gabe Vincent (ankle) — In

  • Jamal Cain (G League) — Out

  • Orlando Robinson (thumb) — Injured

  • Duncan Robinson (finger) — Injured

  • Nikola Jovic (back) — Injured

  • Omer Yurtseven (ankle) — Injured

Vincent and Strus could play additional minutes in a slightly tighter rotation with Oladipo expected to be sidelined. However, they likely won't emulate Oladipo's offensive role, so the starters should shoulder more of the offense against the Knicks.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Jericho Sims

  • Jalen Brunson (illness) — Out

  • Mitchell Robinson (thumb) — Injured

The Knicks (94.96) and Heat (96.07) played at two of the four slowest paces in the league during their previous 15 games. All six of their matchups during the last three seasons finished with 215 points or less, and three finished with 206 points or fewer.

Charlotte Hornets News

Confirmed Lineup: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Mason Plumlee

  • Cody Martin (knee) — Out

  • Kelly Oubre (hand) — Injured

Rozier led the Hornets with 28 points while shooting nine-for-19 from the field and six-for-eight from the line in Charlotte's 111-96 home win over the Bulls last Thursday. Plumlee scored 21 points and secured 12 rebounds on a perfect 9-for-9 shooting night, while Ball struggled to find his shot, scoring 15 points on 29.2% usage and a 20.0% eFG%.

Chicago Bulls News

Confirmed Lineup: Ayo Dosunmu, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic

  • Javonte Green (knee) — Injured

  • Lonzo Ball (knee) — Injured

DeRozan scored 28 points on 31.5% usage and a 42.9 eFG% in Chicago's 111-96 road loss to the Hornets last Thursday, but the rest of the Bulls struggled offensively. Chicago shot four-for-25 (16.0%) from three against a Charlotte team that has allowed the fourth-most made threes per game (13.9) in their last 15 contests.

New Orleans Pelicans News

Confirmed Lineup: CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Trey Murphy, Jonas Valanciunas

  • Dyson Daniels (ankle) — Injured

  • Zion Williamson (hamstring) — Injured

Dallas Mavericks News

Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Spencer Dinwiddie, Tim Hardaway Jr., Dorian Finney-Smith, Dwight Powell

  • Christian Wood (thumb) — Injured

  • Maxi Kleber (hamstring) — Injured

Hardaway Jr. has exceeded 11 points once as he's posted reduced 18.4% usage and a 39.9 eFG% with Wood sidelined for the last six games. Doncic and Dinwiddie will be pressured to generate more of the offense until Wood returns or Hardaway Jr. breaks out of his slump.

Golden State Warriors News

Confirmed Lineup: Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga, Kevon Looney

  • Stephen Curry (shoulder) — Available

  • Klay Thompson (injury management) — Out

  • Andrew Wiggins (rest) — Not on injury report

  • Draymond Green (calf) — Out

  • Anthony Lamb (two way) — Out

  • Andre Iguodala (hip) — Out

Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, and Green exceeded 35.0 minutes in Wednesday's overtime loss and could rest instead of playing a third game in four days. Poole (34.3%), Kuminga (22.2%), and DiVincenzo (20.4%) posted elevated usage rates, while Ty Jerome (28.1%) and DiVincenzo (24.3%) logged the highest assist rates on the Warriors in the three matches Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, and Green missed this season.

Denver Nuggets News

Confirmed Lineup: Jamal Murray, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Michael Porter Jr., Vlatko Cancar, Nikola Jokic

  • Aaron Gordon (ankle) — Out

  • Jack White (adductor) — Out

Bruce Brown or Jeff Green could start if Gordon is ruled out, and Brown's perimeter defense should be valued against the Warriors. Brown (+5.7%), Caldwell-Pope (+3.5%), and Porter Jr. (+3.0%) have registered the highest usage differentials on the Nuggets in games Gordon has missed this season.

Los Angeles Clippers News

Confirmed Lineup: Terance Mann, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac

  • Marcus Morris (rib) — In

  • John Wall (abdominal) — Injured

The Bucks have posted the league's second-best defensive rating (110.4) this season. Additionally, they have registered the third-best defensive rating (106.9) league-wide with Giannis Antetokounmpo returning for their previous five matches. The Clippers have a 4-9 record and have scored the fourth-fewest points per 100 possessions (108.5) against teams with top-ten defensive ratings.

Milwaukee Bucks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Pat Connaughton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) — Available

  • MarJon Beauchamp (knee) — Available

  • Bobby Portis (knee) — Injured

Holiday (+2.7%) and Connaughton (+2.5%) have posted positive rebound rate differentials with Portis unavailable for the last four games.