NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 3/15

Mar 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

  • Donovan Mitchell (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • Kyrie Irving (foot) — Out

  • Rudy Gobert (ankle) — Available

  • Alperen Sengun (groin) — Available

  • Keldon Johnson (foot) — Not on injury report

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (calf) — Out

  • Devin Vassell (injury management) — Out

  • Zach Collins (injury management) — Out

  • Jeremy Sochan (injury management) — Out

  • Malaki Branham (shoulder) — Available

  • Tre Jones (illness) — Not on injury report

Recent NBA News

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

Philadelphia 76ers News

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

  • Jalen McDaniels (hip) — Out

Harris has led the 76ers with a 19.5% defensive rebound rate, and Embiid's 16.0% defensive rebound rate ranks fourth among Philadelphia's rotational players through six games in March. Embiid led the team with a 24.5% defensive rebound rate, and Harris' 14.7% clip was fifth on the team entering this month.

Cleveland Cavaliers News

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

  • Donovan Mitchell (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • Jarrett Allen (eye) — Out

  • Ricky Rubio (injury management) — Unlikely to play

When Allen was sidelined against the 76ers earlier in the season, Joel Embiid was limited to 19 points on six-for-16 shooting with James Harden and Tyrese Maxey unavailable for a 113-85 Cavs win. Mamadi Diakite started and combined to play 36.7 minutes with Robin Lopez during that contest. Stevens and Dean Wade could play fewer frontcourt minutes if coach Bickerstaff utilizes Lopez and Diakite similarly in the event Allen remains out.

Memphis Grizzlies News

Confirmed Lineup: Tyus Jones, Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., Xavier Tillman

  • Jake LaRavia (back) — Out

  • Vince Williams Jr. (shoulder) — Out

  • Ja Morant (not with team) — Out

  • Brandon Clarke (Achilles) — Injured

  • Steven Adams (knee) — Injured

Previously a strength, Memphis has registered the second-lowest offensive rebound rate (19.0%) league-wide with Morant, Adams, and Clarke unavailable for their last five games. Similarly, Miami has typically been a strong defensive rebounding team this season but has struggled recently, logging the fifth-worst defensive rebound rate (70.6%) during their last 10 contests.

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Gabe Vincent, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, Bam Adebayo

  • Kyle Lowry (knee) — Available

  • Cody Zeller (nose) — Out

  • Orlando Robinson (G League) — Out

  • Nikola Jovic (back) — Injured

The Grizzlies have registered the fourth-best defensive rating (109.8) while Steven Adams (knee) has missed their last 21 games. The Heat have typically played low-scoring matches against teams with top-ten defensive ratings this season, posting a 12-11 record while scoring the fifth-fewest points per 100 possessions (109.7) and allowing the third-fewest (111.8).

Sacramento Kings News

Confirmed Lineup: De'Aaron Fox, Kevin Huerter, Harrison Barnes, Keegan Murray, Domantas Sabonis

  • Trey Lyles (suspension) — Out

  • Richaun Holmes (illness) — Out

While the Bulls limited opponents to the fewest points in the paint per game (37.4) during their last 10 matches, the trade-off was allowing the third-most made threes per game (15.0) during those contests. The Kings have made the seventh-most threes per game (13.5) this season. Huerter (2.8) and Murray (2.4) have connected on the most threes per game on the team, while Malik Monk, Fox, and Barnes have averaged 1.6 or 1.7 threes nightly.

Chicago Bulls News

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

  • Alex Caruso (illness) — Out

  • Dalen Terry (G League) — Available

  • Javonte Green (knee) — Injured

  • Lonzo Ball (knee) — Injured

Los Angeles Lakers News

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

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — Out

  • Mo Bamba (ankle) — Injured

  • LeBron James (foot) — Injured

Gabriel, Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura will play increased minutes in a thinned frontcourt rotation; two will likely start. Among the nine players in Los Angeles' rotation Tuesday, Dennis Schroder (28.6%), Beasley (28.0%), and Russell (26.6%) have posted the highest usage rates with James, Davis, and Russell Westbrook off the court this season.

Houston Rockets News

Confirmed Lineup: Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, KJ Martin, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

  • Alperen Sengun (groin) — Available

With Tari Eason starting in Sengun's absence, all five starters recorded at least 35.0 minutes and six rebounds in Monday's win over the Celtics. Porter Jr. led the team with 13 assists and has logged a +6.0% assist rate differential with Sengun off the floor this season. Additionally, while the 72.7 eFG% Smith Jr. registered during the last three games has been impressive, it will prove to be unsustainable.

Boston Celtics News

Confirmed Lineup: Marcus Smart, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford

  • Payton Pritchard (heel) — Injured

  • Robert Williams (hamstring) — Injured

  • Danilo Gallinari (ACL) — Injured

Through seven games in March, Smart has posted a 3.0% defensive rebound rate and a 43.8 eFG%. He logged an 8.0% defensive rebound rate and a 51.5 eFG% before spraining his ankle on January 21st.

Minnesota Timberwolves News

Confirmed Lineup: Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Rudy Gobert

  • Rudy Gobert (ankle) — Available

  • Naz Reid (calf) — Available

  • Jaylen Nowell (knee) — Out

  • Austin Rivers (back) — Out

  • Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) — Injured

Gobert played through his injury Monday without restrictions or reported issues, and the Timberwolves have frequently applied a questionable tag to him when he has been receiving treatment while playing through various ailments this season. Following notching double-digit assists in back-to-back games, Anderson has now recorded a 26.8% assist rate since Conley made his team debut. He had previously registered a 19.7% clip.

Dallas Mavericks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jaden Hardy, Josh Green, Reggie Bullock, Maxi Kleber, Dwight Powell

  • Luka Doncic (thigh) — Out

  • Kyrie Irving (foot) — Out

  • Tim Hardaway Jr. (calf) — Out

  • Christian Wood (foot) — Available

  • Markieff Morris (knee) — Out

Jaden Hardy (31.5%), Green (27.0%), and Hardaway Jr. (20.4%) led Dallas' starters in usage, while McKinley Wright (34.8%) and Green (34.4%) posted the highest assist rates on the team with Irving and Doncic sidelined during the last two games. That dynamic could persist if Irving remains out, though Irving could return to assume a lead facilitating role as usage declines across the lineup.

San Antonio Spurs News

Confirmed Lineup: Tre Jones, Devonte' Graham, Romeo Langford, Keldon Johnson, Sandro Mamukelashvili

  • Keldon Johnson (foot) — Not on injury report

  • Devin Vassell (injury management) — Out

  • Zach Collins (injury management) — Out

  • Jeremy Sochan (injury management) — Out

  • Keita Bates-Diop (Achilles) — Out

  • Malaki Branham (shoulder) — Available

  • Tre Jones (illness) — Not on injury report

  • Romeo Langford (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • Charles Bassey (knee) — Injured

  • Khem Birch (knee) — Injured

The degree to which Jones, Johnson, Mamukelashvili, and Devonte' Graham shoulder the offense will be determined by Branham's availability. Romeo Langford will project to start if Branham is sidelined.

Golden State Warriors News

Confirmed Lineup: Stephen Curry, Donte DiVincenzo, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevon Looney

  • Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) — Available

  • Andre Iguodala (wrist) — Out

  • Ty Jerome (two-way) — Ineligible

  • Anthony Lamb (two-way) — Ineligible

  • Andrew Wiggins (personal) — Out

  • Gary Payton II (adductor) — Injured

  • Ryan Rollins (foot) — Injured

Looney and JaMychal Green will likely play reduced time in Kuminga's expected return, especially if coach Kerr values Kuminga's perimeter defense in a matchup with the Clippers. Though Looney averaged 25.9 minutes in two games as the Warriors were shorthanded for two matchups with the Clippers during the last month, he hadn't exceeded 21.0 minutes in his previous eight matchups against Los Angeles because Kerr generally preferred smaller lineups.

Los Angeles Clippers News

Confirmed Lineup: Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac

  • Brandon Boston Jr. (tailbone) — Out

  • Norman Powell (shoulder) — Injured