NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 3/12

Mar 12th 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

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — In

  • Damian Lillard (calf) — Out

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (injury management) — Out

  • Jalen Brunson (foot) — Out

  • Darius Garland (quad) — In

  • Brandon Ingram (ankle) — Out

  • Kelly Oubre (back) — Out

  • Keldon Johnson (foot) — Out

  • Jarrett Allen (eye) — Out

  • Jeremy Sochan (knee) — Out

  • Mark Williams (thumb) — Out

Recent NBA News

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Brooklyn Nets News

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

  • Ben Simmons (knee) — Injured

Bridges' performance as a featured offensive player has only improved lately. He registered 28.7% usage and a 59.0 eFG% during the last five games, averaging 33.8 points during the four matches he completed. Additionally, Dinwiddie has recorded a 39.0% assist rate during his last five games after posting a 28.4% clip during the first seven games of his second stint with the Nets.

Denver Nuggets News

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

  • Vlatko Cancar (wrist) — Available

  • Zeke Nnaji (shoulder) — Injured

Denver recorded the third-lowest offensive rating (110.2) league-wide during their last three games, struggling to beat the Raptors at home before losing to the Bulls and Spurs. They could continue to struggle against a Nets team that has gelled defensively of late, allowing the fewest points per 100 possessions (101.9) during their last five contests.

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Confirmed Lineup: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Lamar Stevens, Evan Mobley

  • Darius Garland (quad) — In

  • Jarrett Allen (eye) — Out

Mobley (+4.1%) and Caris LeVert (+2.0%) have registered the highest rebound rate differentials on the Cavs in games Allen has missed this season. Mitchell will remain increasingly central to Cleveland's offense as LeVert and Ricky Rubio also handle additional on-ball reps if Garland remains out. Rubio played a season-high 25.2 minutes off the bench Friday, leading the Cavs with eight assists as he shot three-for-eight from the field (two-for-seven from three).

Charlotte Hornets News

Confirmed Lineup: Dennis Smith Jr., Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Nick Richards

  • Kelly Oubre (back) — Out

  • Mark Williams (thumb) — Out

  • James Bouknight (ankle) — Out

  • Theo Maledon (G League) — Available

  • Cody Martin (knee) — Out

  • LaMelo Ball (ankle) — Injured

Rozier (27.4%), Washington (23.6%), and Oubre (23.0%) have led the team in usage during the four games they've played since Washington returned after Ball suffered his most recent ankle injury.

Washington Wizards News

Confirmed Lineup: Monte Morris, Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Daniel Gafford

The 76ers have registered the sixth-best point differential (+4.0) league-wide, but the Wizards have stood up well against opponents boasting top-ten point differentials, posting a 10-11 record as they've scored the fifth-most points per 100 possessions (115.7). That includes a 2-1 record against Philadelphia and a 116-111 home victory during the only match Embiid played in their series.

Philadelphia 76ers News

Confirmed Lineup: James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker, Joel Embiid

Embiid had one of his most dominant performances against the Wizards earlier in the season, scoring 48 points on stratospheric 49.4% usage as he, Harden, and Harris combined to score 80.2% of Philadelphia's points with Maxey sidelined for a 116-111 road loss. Embiid averaged 31.7 points on 39.0% usage in three games against Washington last season as Daniel Gafford started all three matches.

Portland Trail Blazers News

Confirmed Lineup: Anfernee Simons, Cam Reddish, Matisse Thybulle, Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic

  • Damian Lillard (calf) — Out

  • Ryan Arcidiacono (back) — Available

  • Ibou Badji (knee) — Injured

  • Justise Winslow (ankle) — Injured

Simons played 29.3 minutes, and Nurkic played 25.9 minutes as the restrictions for both players were relatively loose in a competitive 120-119 loss Friday. Simons thrived in his return to play, scoring 34 points on 13-for-22 shooting (eight-for-12 from three). Lillard attempted just 15 field goals and scored 22 points, but he dished out a team-leading 11 assists.

New Orleans Pelicans News

Confirmed Lineup: CJ McCollum, Naji Marshall, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy, Jonas Valanciunas

  • Brandon Ingram (ankle) — Out

  • Larry Nance Jr. (ankle) — Available

  • Jose Alvarado (leg) — Injured

  • Zion Williamson (hamstring) — Injured

While McCollum has been active as he's averaged 5.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists in four career matchups against his former team, his 21.3 points and 28.6% usage during those contests have been largely consistent with his stats during his Pelicans tenure. Valanciunas averaged just 11.6 minutes during the last two games despite foul problems essentially not factoring, and Jaxson Hayes instead logged 15.2% usage while averaging 27.9 minutes off the bench as his mobility was valued.

Oklahoma City Thunder News

Confirmed Lineup: Josh Giddey, Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (injury management) — Out

  • Kenrich Williams (wrist) — Injured

  • Aleksej Pokusevski (leg) — Injured

  • Chet Holmgren (foot) — Injured

Through the six matches Gilgeous-Alexander has missed with Jalen Williams available in 2023, Dort (24.8%), Giddey (24.4%), and Jalen Williams 23.2% led the team in usage, while Jalen Williams (+8.6%) and Giddey (+3.7%) posted significant assist rate differentials. In addition, Joe registered 21.1% usage in 28.3 minutes per game during those contests.

San Antonio Spurs News

Confirmed Lineup: Devonte' Graham, Malaki Branham, Devin Vassell, Keita Bates-Diop, Zach Collins

  • Keldon Johnson (foot) — Out

  • Jeremy Sochan (knee) — Out

  • Tre Jones (illness) — Out

  • Khem Birch (knee) — Injured

Though Tre Jones played 25.4 minutes off the bench Friday, the dynamic of the starting lineup will remain altered if Branham continues to get the nod as the nominal point guard. Vassell (+5.1%) and Sochan (+3.7%) have posted the highest usage differentials on the team, while Johnson (+8.7%) and Sochan (+3.7%) have logged positive assist rate differentials with Branham on the floor while Jones and Josh Richardson are off the court this season.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson

  • Jalen Brunson (foot) — Out

Though the Knicks will be at a disadvantage if Brunson remains sidelined, the schedule is also working against their favor. New York will play the second game of a back-to-back set and their third game in four days on a west coast road trip. Conversely, the Lakers will play a fifth consecutive home game and their second match in five days.

Los Angeles Lakers News

Confirmed Lineup: D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Troy Brown Jr., Jarred Vanderbilt, Anthony Davis

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — In

  • Mo Bamba (ankle) — Injured

  • LeBron James (foot) — Injured

Beasley (20.9) and Brown Jr. (23.9) started but played fewer minutes than Dennis Schroder (33.4) and Austin Reaves (32.5) logged off the bench in the first game Russell played since James was injured. Schroder and Reaves' shot creation was valued more on a night where Davis struggled, scoring eight points on four-for-seven shooting, and that could have led to increased time. However, it appeared to set a precedent that, outside of Davis and likely Russell, minutes could vary for Los Angeles' top seven players.