NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 3/9

Mar 9th 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 (hand) — Out

  • Jrue Holiday (neck) — Available

  • Jalen Brunson (foot) — Available

  • Jordan Clarkson (finger) — Out

  • Jalen Duren (ankles) — Available

  • Walker Kessler (illness) — Available

  • Killian Hayes (hand) — Available

Recent NBA News

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

Charlotte Hornets News

Confirmed Lineup: Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre, Gordon Hayward, PJ Washington, Mark Williams

  • Cody Martin (knee) — Out

  • LaMelo Ball (ankle) — Injured

Dennis Smith Jr. led the team with a 44.4% assist rate while averaging 24.5 minutes off the bench with Ball unavailable for the last four games. Hayward (27.5%) and Rozier (25.6%) have been the other Hornets to log an assist rate above 12.5% since Ball's most recent injury.

Detroit Pistons News

Confirmed Lineup: Jaden Ivey, Rodney McGruder, Isaiah Livers, Marvin Bagley, James Wiseman

  • Jalen Duren (ankles) — Available

  • Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) — Out

  • Killian Hayes (hand) — Available

  • Alec Burks (foot) — Out

  • Jared Rhoden (G League) — Out

  • Buddy Boeheim (G League) — Out

  • Bojan Bogdanovic (Achilles) — Injured

  • Hamidou Diallo (ankle) — Injured

  • Cade Cunningham (shin) — Injured

Ivey's facilitating role could diminish sharply in Hayes' expected return. Though Eugene Omoruyi's minutes could reduce most, and Bagley could continue to start at the four, Wiseman and Bagley's minutes and rebound rates should decline in Duren's expected return.

Houston Rockets News

Confirmed Lineup: Daishen Nix, Jalen Green, KJ Martin, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

  • Kevin Porter Jr. (thigh) — Out

  • TyTy Washington (G League) — Out

With Tate likely limited to minutes in the upper 20s and Tari Eason averaging 28.0 minutes post-All-Star break, Daishen Nix and Josh Christopher should absorb most of Porter Jr.'s time if Washington isn't recalled from the G League. Nix (+4.3%), Green (+2.1%), and Eason (+2.1%) have posted the highest usage differentials on the Rockets, while Green (+7.5%) and Sengun (+6.4%) have logged the highest assist rate differentials on the team with Porter Jr. and Eric Gordon off the floor this season.

Indiana Pacers News

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

  • Aaron Nesmith (hip) — Available

This game could end up being the highest-scoring affair in the slate. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Pacers have allowed the most points per 100 possessions (124.5), and the Rockets have allowed the fourth-most (121.0). However, it's notable that the Pacers defeated the Rockets by a score of 99-91 during their first meeting of the season in November, as both teams shot 29.3% from three or worse.

Utah Jazz News

Confirmed Lineup: Talen Horton-Tucker, Ochai Agbaji, Lauri Markkanen, Kelly Olynyk, Walker Kessler

  • Jordan Clarkson (finger) — Out

  • Walker Kessler (illness) — Available

  • Collin Sexton (hamstring) — Injured

During the three games Clarkson recently missed, Ochai Agbaji (+1.4%), Olynyk (+1.1%), and Horton-Tucker (+0.9%) posted the highest usage differentials on the Jazz while Rudy Gay (+9.2%) and Kris Dunn (+5.1%) logged the highest assist rate differentials. Gay (+9.8%), Dunn (+8.1%), and Horton-Tucker (+2.0%) posted the highest rebound rate differentials on the Jazz with Kessler and Clarkson sidelined Tuesday.

Orlando Magic News

Confirmed Lineup: Markelle Fultz, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Moe Wagner

  • Wendell Carter Jr. (hip) — Out

  • Gary Harris (adductor) — Available

  • Admiral Schofield (concussion) — Available

  • Jonathan Isaac (adductor) — Injured

Moe Wagner registered 20.6% usage and a 25.0% defensive rebound rate in 27.0 minutes per game with Carter Jr. sidelined for the last two matches. However, coach Mosley opted to go small and skip Moe Wagner's fourth-quarter minutes when the Magic were trailing Tuesday. Lineups featuring Banchero at the five could remain an option, especially if Walker Kessler (illness) remains sidelined for Utah.

Golden State Warriors News

Confirmed Lineup: Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole, Donte DiVincenzo, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green

  • Kevon Looney (back) — Available

  • Jonathan Kuminga (ankle) — Out

  • Andre Iguodala (hip) — Available

  • Anthony Lamb (two-way) — Ineligible

  • Andrew Wiggins (personal) — Out

  • Gary Payton II (adductor) — Injured

  • Ryan Rollins (foot) — Injured

Curry logged increased 33.1% usage and averaged 33.8 minutes in two games post-injury. He could continue to shoulder more of the offensive burden with his time being increasingly staggered from Jordan Poole's while Wiggins remains out. Curry has posted a +4.1% usage differential with Poole and Wiggins off the court this season.

Memphis Grizzlies News

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

  • Kennedy Chandler (illness) — Not on injury report

  • Jake LaRavia (back) — Out

  • Vince Williams Jr. (shoulder) — Out

  • Ja Morant (not with team) — Out

  • Brandon Clarke (Achilles) — Injured

  • Steven Adams (knee) — Injured

Despite logging reduced 16.5% usage as he registered a lowly 41.0 eFG% during his previous 18 games, Brooks led the team with 17 field goal attempts (five-for-17 from the field, three-for-10 from three) in just 26.6 minutes as he returned with Morant unavailable Tuesday. Santi Aldama played 26.5 minutes off the bench in a tighter frontcourt rotation, which could be a trend until Adams returns.

Brooklyn Nets News

Confirmed Lineup: Seth Curry, Joe Harris, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nerlens Noel

  • Spencer Dinwiddie (rest) — Out

  • Nic Claxton (thumb, Achilles) — Out

  • Cam Johnson (knee) — Out

  • Royce O'Neale (knee) — Out

  • Ben Simmons (knee) — Injured

With Claxton, Simmons, and O'Neale sidelined while Finney-Smith likely starts at forward against a larger Bucks frontline, Noel and Day'Ron Sharpe could both clear 20.0 minutes. Harris has logged a usage rate 9.5% lower than Johnson's clip with the Nets. As a result, Sumner, Bridges, Seth Curry, and Cam Thomas could record increased usage in addition to handling more of the facilitating responsibilities.

Milwaukee Bucks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis, Brook Lopez

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (hand) — Out

  • Jrue Holiday (neck) — Available

  • Jae Crowder (ankle) — Available

  • Goran Dragic (knee) — Out

  • Wesley Matthews (calf) — Injured

Middleton played the second-highest minute load (30.6) of his season Tuesday as he started for the first time since December 15th. The other starters could handle fewer offensive responsibilities if Middleton remains in the starting lineup. Holiday (-9.4%) and Antetokounmpo (-3.0%) have posted negative assist rate differentials when sharing the court with Middleton this season.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson

  • Jalen Brunson (foot) — Available

Randle (29.4%), Barrett (29.2%), and Immanuel Quickley (23.8%) led the team in usage by a wide margin, while Quickley led the team with a 23.1% assist rate during Brunson's absence. Quickley would be demoted to the bench as he, Randle, and Barrett are less central to the offensive effort if Brunson returns to face the Kings.

Sacramento Kings News

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

  • De'Aaron Fox (hamstring) — Not on injury report

Huerter's offensive role will diminish as Fox rejoins the lineup, but Huerter has notably shot 58.6% from three as he's logged a 78.7 eFG% during the last four games. In addition, the Knicks have now registered the league's seventh-best point differential (+3.3). The Kings have a 6-12 record against teams with top-ten point differentials this season, posting the 15th-highest offensive rating (113.3) during those contests.