NBA News & Fantasy Basketball Notes 1/6

Jan 6th 2023Connor 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

  • Paul George (hamstring) — Out

  • Kawhi Leonard (injury management) — Out

  • Darius Garland (thumb) — In

  • Jrue Holiday (illness) — Available

  • Russell Westbrook (foot) — Available

  • Jerami Grant (quad) — Available

  • Tyler Herro (back) — Out

  • Jusuf Nurkic (illness) — Available

  • Gordon Hayward (hamstring) — Out

Recent NBA News

Follow us on Twitter at @Underdog__NBA for notifications.

Portland Trail Blazers News

Confirmed Lineup: Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons, Josh Hart, Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic

  • Jerami Grant (quad) — Available

  • Jusuf Nurkic (illness) — Available

  • Gary Payton II (ankle) — Out

  • Justise Winslow (ankle) — Injured

  • Nassir Little (hip) — Injured

Jabari Walker and Trendon Watford could absorb most of Grant's minutes if he is ruled out. Alternatively, coach Billups could play Hart at the four against a smaller Pacers team in that event, opening up minutes across the wing.

Indiana Pacers News

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

  • Jalen Smith (hand) — Out

  • Daniel Theis (knee) — Injured

Chicago Bulls News

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

  • Alex Caruso (ankle) — Out

  • Javonte Green (knee) — Injured

  • Tony Bradley (personal) — Not on injury report

  • Lonzo Ball (knee) — Injured

Dosunmu's 19.0% usage rate in the last four games ranks third on the Bulls. Chicago has registered the worst offensive rebounding rate (21.6%) in the league during their previous 15 games and might be unable to take advantage of a smaller 76ers' lineup.

Philadelphia 76ers News

Confirmed Lineup: James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, De'Anthony Melton, Tobias Harris, PJ Tucker

  • Joel Embiid (foot) — Injured

Harden led the team with 26 points, 27.5% usage, and eight assists with Embiid sidelined in Philadelphia's 129-126 overtime win over Indiana on Wednesday. Maxey posted the second-highest usage rate (21.4%) on the team while playing 36.6 minutes, and Montrezl Harrell's chemistry with Harden showed as Harrell scored 19 points on eight-for-nine shooting in 28.0 minutes.

New York Knicks News

Confirmed Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson

  • RJ Barrett (finger) — Injured

Brunson has averaged 11.4 points on 36.7% shooting in five career starts against Toronto. He was limited to scoring seven points on three-for-14 shooting at home against the Raptors 15 days ago.

Toronto Raptors News

Confirmed Lineup: Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam

  • Otto Porter (toe) — Injured

Siakam scored 52 points on 34.0% usage and a 72.0 eFG% in Toronto's 113-106 road win over New York 15 days ago. He had previously exceeded 20 points in just one of his last four games against the Knicks.

Brooklyn Nets News

Confirmed Lineup: Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving, Royce O'Neale, Kevin Durant, Nic Claxton

  • TJ Warren (rib) — Available

New Orleans Pelicans News

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

  • Larry Nance Jr. (shoulder) — Available

  • Willy Hernangomez (ankle) — Available

  • Zion Williamson (hamstring) — Injured

  • Brandon Ingram (toe) — Injured

Valanciunas led the Pelicans with 28.8% usage and a 25.0% rebounding rate in 31.7 minutes during the first game of Williamson's absence Wednesday. The last three starting centers to face the Nets recorded a defensive rebound rate of at least 26.3%; Mason Plumlee and Nikola Vucevic also exceeded 20 points against Brooklyn in that time.

Charlotte Hornets News

Confirmed Lineup: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Jalen McDaniels, PJ Washington, Mason Plumlee

  • Gordon Hayward (hamstring) — Out

  • James Bouknight (G League) — Out

  • Kai Jones (G League) — Out

  • Kelly Oubre (hand) — Injured

McDaniels and Cody Martin should continue to man the small forward position, and Dennis Smith Jr. could again complete a three-guard rotation in Hayward's expected absence. Rozier (+4.2%), Washington (+3.4%), and Ball (+2.8%) have recorded the highest usage differentials on the Hornets with Oubre and Hayward off the court this season.

Milwaukee Bucks News

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

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo (knee) — Available

  • Jrue Holiday (illness) — Available

  • Joe Ingles (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • George Hill (illness) — Available

  • MarJon Beauchamp (thigh) — Available

  • Khris Middleton (knee) — Out

Antetokounmpo has logged an increased 28.3% defensive rebound rate during his last seven matches. He has recorded at least 12 rebounds and averaged 14.9 boards during his previous eight matchups with Charlotte.

Washington Wizards News

Confirmed Lineup: Monte Morris, Corey Kispert, Kyle Kuzma, Kristaps Porzingis, Daniel Gafford

  • Daniel Gafford (elbow) — Not on injury report

  • Taj Gibson (groin) — Available

  • Bradley Beal (hamstring) — Injured

Morris (30.8%) and Kuzma (26.5%) have registered elevated assist rates as Beal played just 13.3 minutes in the last four games. However, they would share more of the facilitating responsibilities if Deni Avdija's defense is valued against the Thunder and he logs significant minutes with the starters.

Oklahoma City Thunder News

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

  • Jaylin Williams (ankle) — Out

  • Eugene Omoruyi (G League) — Available

  • Aleksej Pokusevski (leg) — Injured

  • Ousmane Dieng (wrist) — Injured

  • Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (ankle) — Injured

  • Chet Holmgren (foot) — Injured

Kenrich Williams played the majority of his time at center as he averaged 22.0 minutes in the previous two games. Coach Daigneault likely chooses three of Kenrich Williams, Darius Bazley, Omoruyi, and Muscala to comprise a three-center rotation against the Wizards.

Detroit Pistons News

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

  • Marvin Bagley (hand) — Injured

  • Isaiah Livers (shoulder) — Injured

  • Cade Cunningham (shin) — Injured

Coach Casey kept a tight eight-man rotation for most of Wednesday's 122-119 road victory over the Warriors on Wednesday. As a result, Saddiq Bey and Alec Burks both exceeded 28.0 minutes.

San Antonio Spurs News

Confirmed Lineup: Tre Jones, Romeo Langford, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Jakob Poeltl

  • Josh Richardson (quad) — Available

  • Keita Bates-Diop (illness) — Available

  • Blake Wesley (G League) — Out

  • Devin Vassell (knee) — Injured

Langford has recorded 15.8% usage in 22.2 minutes per game with Vassell sidelined this season. Johnson (+2.9%) and Bates-Diop (+2.5%) are the only current Spurs to record a usage differential greater than 2.0% with Vassell off the floor thus far.

Los Angeles Clippers News

Confirmed Lineup: Reggie Jackson, Terance Mann, Luke Kennard, Marcus Morris, Ivica Zubac

  • Paul George (hamstring) — Out

  • Kawhi Leonard (injury management) — Out

  • John Wall (injury management) — Not on injury report

  • Nic Batum (ankle) — Out

George and Leonard could be more likely to play against the Timberwolves after neither player logged over 18.3 minutes Thursday. George's +2.5 usage differential in games Leonard has missed this season leads the Clippers.

Minnesota Timberwolves News

Confirmed Lineup: D'Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson, Rudy Gobert

  • Naz Reid (back) — Available

  • Bryn Forbes (shoulder) — Available

  • Jordan McLaughlin (calf) — Injured

  • Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) — Injured

The Clippers have allowed opponents to score the fourth-most points in the paint per game (54.2) during their last ten matches. Gobert and Edwards lead the Timberwolves with 10.2 points in the paint per game.

Cleveland Cavaliers News

Confirmed Lineup: Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

  • Donovan Mitchell (rest) — Out

  • Darius Garland (thumb) — In

  • Dean Wade (shoulder) — Injured

  • Dylan Windler (ankle) — Injured

  • Ricky Rubio (ACL) — Injured

Garland has logged a +3.0% usage differential with Mitchell off the floor this season. With Mitchell and Garland off the court this season, Allen (31.3%), Kevin Love (26.3%), and Mobley (25.1%) have led the Cavs in usage, while LeVert (25.2%) and Love (22.4%) have logged the highest assist rates on the team.

Denver Nuggets News

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

  • Jamal Murray (injury management) — Said he'll play

  • Peyton Watson (adductor) — Injured

  • Jeff Green (hand, finger) — Injured

The Nuggets are 2-2 and have allowed the third-most points per 100 possessions (122.3) on the second game of a back-to-back set this season. Conversely, the Cavs are 3-2 but have scored the third-fewest points per 100 possessions (107.7) against teams playing on zero days of rest.

Miami Heat News

Confirmed Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Max Strus, Jimmy Butler, Haywood Highsmith, Bam Adebayo

  • Caleb Martin (quad) — Out

  • Tyler Herro (back) — Out

  • Dewayne Dedmon (foot) — Available

  • Udonis Haslem (Achilles) — Available

  • Duncan Robinson (finger) — Injured

  • Nikola Jovic (back) — Injured

  • Omer Yurtseven (ankle) — Injured

Butler has recorded the third-highest usage rate (23.1%) on the Heat in his last five games. He has averaged 19.6 points and scored under 20 points in four out of five matches against the Suns since they drafted Mikal Bridges.

Phoenix Suns News

Confirmed Lineup: Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, Mikal Bridges, Torrey Craig, Deandre Ayton

  • Cam Payne (foot) — Out

  • Devin Booker (groin) — Injured

  • Cam Johnson (knee) — Injured

The Suns have registered the seventh-lowest offensive rating in the league (111.3) with Booker sidelined for almost all of their last nine games. However, Phoenix has recorded the fourth-highest three-point percentage (41.3%) and scored the third-highest percentage of their points from downtown (38.2%) during that time. Their shooting should be particularly valuable against a Heat team that has allowed opponents to make the second-most threes per 100 possessions (13.5) at the third-highest percentage (36.9%) this season.

Atlanta Hawks News

Confirmed Lineup: Trae Young, Dejounte Murray, De'Andre Hunter, John Collins, Onyeka Okongwu

  • Clint Capela (calf) — Out

Collins has posted 21.7% usage in his last five contests and exceeded 20 points in four of those games. The outlier was when he scored seven points on three-for-seven shooting and fouled out in just 23.0 minutes against the Lakers last Friday.

Los Angeles Lakers News

Confirmed Lineup: Dennis Schroder, Patrick Beverley, LeBron James, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Thomas Bryant

  • LeBron James (ankle) — In

  • Russell Westbrook (foot) — Available

  • Troy Brown Jr. (quad) — Out

  • Damian Jones (toe) — Out

  • Max Christie (G League) — Available

  • Sterling Brown (signed) — Available

  • Austin Reaves (hamstring) — Injured

  • Lonnie Walker (knee) — Injured

  • Anthony Davis (foot) — Injured

James, Christie, and Juan Toscano-Anderson could play most of the forward minutes if Brown Jr. is ruled out. However, coach Ham could also be forced to play Schroder, Beverley, and Russell Westbrook together for extended periods or utilize Wenyen Gabriel at forward in that event. Six out of 11 Lakers who could be in the rotation Friday have logged usage rates of 14.0% or lower.