NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 2/15

Feb 15th 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

  • Joel Embiid (foot) — In

  • LeBron James (ankle) — In

  • Jayson Tatum (illness) — In

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — In

  • Kyrie Irving (back) — Out

  • Lauri Markkanen (knee) — Out

  • CJ McCollum (ankle) — Available

  • Jamal Murray (knee) — Out

  • Aaron Gordon (rib) — Out

  • Myles Turner (back) — Available

  • Derrick White (ear) — In

  • John Collins (hip) — In

  • Marcus Smart (ankle) — Not on injury report

  • De'Andre Hunter (ankle) — Available

  • Terry Rozier (hand) — Out

  • Christian Wood (illness) — Available

  • Robert Williams (ankle) — Out

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (hamstring) — Out

Recent NBA News

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San Antonio Spurs News

Confirmed Lineup: Malaki Branham, Keldon Johnson, Keita Bates-Diop, Jeremy Sochan, Zach Collins

  • Tre Jones (foot) — Out

  • Romeo Langford (adductor) — Out

  • Doug McDermott (Achilles) — Available

  • Isaiah Roby (ankle) — Out

  • Devin Vassell (knee) — Injured

  • Khem Birch (knee) — Injured

Devonte' Graham played 29.0 minutes off the bench Monday, scoring 12 points on five-for-14 shooting and leading the team with eight assists. Graham figures to retain a lead facilitating role when on the court, but San Antonio's offensive effort should continue to be very balanced otherwise.

Charlotte Hornets News

Confirmed Lineup: LaMelo Ball, Dennis Smith Jr., Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Mark Williams

  • Cody Martin (knee) — Out

  • Terry Rozier (hand) — Out

  • Kai Jones (ankle) — Available

  • James Bouknight (G League) — Available

  • Kelly Oubre (hand) — Injured

Chicago Bulls News

Confirmed Lineup: Ayo Dosunmu, Alex Caruso, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic

  • DeMar DeRozan (quad) — Out

  • Alex Caruso (foot) — Available

  • Derrick Jones Jr. (adductor) — Out

  • Goran Dragic (knee) — Out

  • Marko Simonovic (G League) — Available

  • Javonte Green (knee) — Injured

  • Lonzo Ball (knee) — Injured

Dragic, Coby White, and Dalen Terry should play increased minutes off the bench. One of the three will start if Caruso remains out, and Malcolm Hill could be needed in that event. Vucevic (+4.7%), Caruso (+3.7%), and LaVine (+1.8%) have posted positive usage differentials, while Vucevic (+7.3%), Caruso (+4.7%), and Dosunmu (+3.8%) have logged positive assist rate differentials in games DeRozan has missed this season.

Indiana Pacers News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyrese Haliburton, TJ McConnell, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner

  • Myles Turner (back) — Available

  • Daniel Theis (thumb) — Out

Theis was limited to 22.0 minutes with Turner sidelined Monday, and Isaiah Jackson played the remaining center minutes off the bench. With Theis likely to remain restricted, if available, and coach Carlisle previously unwilling to utilize a three-center rotation in a similar spot, Jackson is likely given extended run again if Turner remains out.

Cleveland Cavaliers News

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

  • Cedi Osman (neck) — Out

  • Ricky Rubio (illness) — Out

  • Danny Green (signed) — Expected to be available

The 76ers boast the seventh-best defensive rating (112.7) league-wide. The Cavs have excelled against teams with top-ten defensive ratings, posting the best point differential (+7.3), winning percentage (71.4%), and second-best offensive rating (116.7) in those matchups.

Philadelphia 76ers News

Confirmed Lineup: James Harden, De'Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, Joel Embiid

  • Joel Embiid (foot) — In

  • PJ Tucker (calf) — In

  • Furkan Korkmaz (personal) — Out

  • Dewayne Dedmon (signed) — Available

Embiid was questionable for the previous 10 games before playing. He's thrived in three matches against the Cavs with Jarrett Allen available, averaging 34.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 36.4% usage.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Jericho Sims

  • Mitchell Robinson (thumb) — Injured

Randle has averaged 25.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists on 31.0% usage in his last five matchups with the Hawks, scoring 24 or more points in four of those contests. His matchups could be more favorable if John Collins (hip) remains out for Atlanta.

Atlanta Hawks News

Confirmed Lineup: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins, Clint Capela

  • John Collins (hip) — In

  • De'Andre Hunter (ankle) — Available

Hunter has recorded a +4.8% usage differential in games Collins has missed this season, including when he scored 21 points on eight-for-17 shooting Monday. Saddiq Bey and Bogdan Bogdanovic should continue to play additional time if Collins remains out.

Detroit Pistons News

Confirmed Lineup: Killian Hayes, Jaden Ivey, Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren

  • Jalen Duren (ankle) — Not on injury report

  • James Wiseman (acquired) — Available

  • Nerlens Noel (not with team) — Out

  • Marvin Bagley (hand) — Injured

  • Cade Cunningham (shin) — Injured

Detroit acquired Wiseman with the intention of making him their starting center, according to Marc Spears of ESPN. That might not be guaranteed in his team debut, but Wiseman and Duren should be assured to split the center minutes after Duren and Stewart's minutes had previously been staggered. The net result should be fewer minutes for reserves as the rotation expands to ten players.

Boston Celtics News

Confirmed Lineup: Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Blake Griffin

  • Jayson Tatum (illness) — In

  • Derrick White (ear) — In

  • Marcus Smart (ankle) — Not on injury report

  • Robert Williams (ankle) — Out

  • Al Horford (knee) — Not on injury report

  • Mike Muscala (ankle) — Out

  • Mfiondu Kabengele (personal) — Out

  • Jaylen Brown (face) — Injured

  • Danilo Gallinari (ACL) — Injured

The Celtics could have a lengthy injury report for the second game of a back-to-back set; five of their players played 39.0 or more minutes in Tuesday's overtime loss. There's potential for Tatum and Smart to be upgraded: coach Mazzulla contradicted earlier reporting when he said Tatum sitting out was uncertain postgame Tuesday, and the team is hopeful for Smart to return, according to Jared Greenberg of TNT and NBATV.

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, Caleb Martin, Bam Adebayo

  • Tyler Herro (knee) — Out

  • Victor Oladipo (ankle) — Out

  • Duncan Robinson (finger) — Available

  • Kyle Lowry (knee) — Injured

  • Nikola Jovic (back) — Injured

  • Omer Yurtseven (ankle) — Injured

Robinson is likely to be limited for conditioning reasons if cleared to return, so he would likely cut into Haywood Highsmith and Jamaree Bouyea's minutes only if he rejoins the lineup. Vincent, Strus, Butler, and Adebayo should continue to shoulder most of the offensive burden against a Nets team that has allowed the third-fewest points in the paint per game (43.0) through their first two matches with a remade rotation.

Brooklyn Nets News

Confirmed Lineup: Spencer Dinwiddie, Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nic Claxton

  • Seth Curry (adductor) — Available

Though Curry could be restricted in his return, he likely slightly reduces Cam Thomas, Royce O'Neale, and Joe Harris' minutes off the bench. In addition, one of Day'Ron Sharpe or Ben Simmons are probably excluded from the rotation, with Sharpe being more likely for the time being.

Utah Jazz News

ConfirmedLineup: Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, Ochai Agbaji, Kelly Olynyk, Walker Kessler

  • Lauri Markkanen (knee) — Out

  • Rudy Gay (illness) — Out

  • Russell Westbrook (not with team) — Unlikely to play

The Jazz have allowed 51.0 points in the paint per game with Kessler starting the previous 16 matches after allowing 55.5 points in the paint per game in the 43 contests before Kessler became a full-time starter. This improvement will be tested against a Grizzlies team that has scored the highest percentage of their points in the paint (51.1%) this season.

Memphis Grizzlies News

Confirmed Lineup: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Brandon Clarke, Jaren Jackson Jr.

  • Ziaire Williams (G League) — Available

  • Steven Adams (knee) — Injured

Morant has posted a +2.5% rebound rate differential in contests Adams has missed this season. He averaged 7.8 boards per game with Adams sidelined for the last eight matches after previously averaging 5.5 rebounds.

Houston Rockets News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Green, Jae'Sean Tate, KJ Martin, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

  • Kevin Porter Jr. (foot) — Injured

The Thunder have registered the league's fifth-lowest rebound rate (48.7%). Sengun has logged a 18.2% rebound rate in three games against the Thunder this season, which exceeds his 15.2% season-long clip.

Oklahoma City Thunder News

Confirmed Lineup: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams

  • Ousmane Dieng (G League) — Available

  • Tre Mann (G League) — Available

  • Aaron Wiggins (G League) — Available

  • Eugene Omoruyi (ankle) — Not on injury report

  • Aleksej Pokusevski (leg) — Injured

  • Chet Holmgren (foot) — Injured

Dallas Mavericks News

Confirmed Lineup: Luka Doncic, Frank Ntilikina, Josh Green, Reggie Bullock, Dwight Powell

  • Kyrie Irving (back) — Out

  • Christian Wood (illness) — Available

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (hamstring) — Out

  • Reggie Bullock (illness) — In

  • Justin Holiday (signed) — Expected to play

  • Davis Bertans (calf) — Injured

  • Maxi Kleber (hamstring) — Injured

Wood was restricted to minutes in the teens through his first four matches following a return from a thumb injury but broke through Monday, scoring 24 points on seven-for-12 shooting in 22.6 minutes. Powell and JaVale McGee should assume most of the center minutes if Wood is ruled out, though coach Kidd deployed Theo Pinson as the nominal five down the stretch Monday.

Denver Nuggets News

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

  • Jamal Murray (knee) — Out

  • Aaron Gordon (rib) — Out

  • Reggie Jackson (signed) — Out

  • Zeke Nnaji (shoulder) — Out

Brown has logged 15.8% usage and an 18.5% assist rate while starting at point guard during the last four games but has typically been more active in Murray's absence. He will likely continue to start if Murray remains out, though that could provide an opportunity for Jackson to make an impact if cleared to debut.

New Orleans Pelicans News

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

  • CJ McCollum (ankle) — Available

  • Larry Nance Jr. (groin) — Out

  • Dyson Daniels (ankle) — Injured

  • Zion Williamson (hamstring) — Injured

Ingram played a more central offensive role Monday as he scored 34 points on 14-for-24 shooting sans McCollum, but he finished with just one assist and six turnovers. Alvarado started at point guard while Josh Richardson led the team with 34.1 minutes as he helped offset McCollum's absence in his team debut.

Los Angeles Lakers News

Confirmed Lineup: D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, LeBron James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Davis

  • LeBron James (ankle) — In

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — In

  • Max Christie (G League) — Out

Coach Ham said Monday that James would likely return for Wednesday's game. Schroder and Russell's facilitating roles will diminish as fewer offensive opportunities are available across the lineup if James suits up against the Pelicans.