1 week agoDenver Nuggets forward/center Zeke Nnaji (back) is questionable for Thursday's tilt against the New York Knicks. He's suffering from lower back pain. The 23-year-old rarely sees over 10 minutes in a game, and he is averaging 3.2 points per contest. Nnaji's absence won't impact the Nuggets in any way, and the 2020 first-round draft pick should not be considered a fantasy option when he returns to the team's lineup.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoIndiana Pacers forward Doug McDermott (calf) is available Wednesday against the Detroit Pistons. The veteran sharpshooter last played on February 26th and missed 10 consecutive contests due to a right calf strain. He has been average for the Pacers this season. When healthy, McDermott has averaged 4.7 points and 1.0 assists in 13.3 minutes per game during his last 18 outings. Coming back after missing a lengthy period, the 32-year-old will likely see limited minutes.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoUtah Jazz forward/center John Collins (face) will play on Wednesday against Oklahoma City, with the team upgrading him from questionable to available. Collins should take his normal role as the starting center, meaning Walker Kessler will have to wait for another day to get a chance to ride with the starters. Utah will again be without Lauri Markkanen (quadriceps), so Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh should also have a large role to play on the Jazz frontcourt against a weak rebounding team. Collins has seen a lot of success against the Thunder this season, averaging 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds in 26.5 minutes across two games.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoDetroit Pistons forward/center Isaiah Stewart (hamstring) will miss the rest of the 2023-24 regular season. He suffered a right hamstring strain on Monday versus Boston, and the team has elected to shut him down. Stewart saw action in only 46 games during his fourth NBA season, posting 10.9 points with 6.6 rebounds. His absence should allow Simone Fontecchio (toe) to take on an even larger role on the frontcourt once he's ready to play again, while Detroit has also added Chimezie Metu to the mix on a 10-day contract. The former Sun could get heavy usage straight away in Wednesday's matchup against Indiana.Source: ESPN
1 week agoDetroit Pistons forward Simone Fontecchio (toe) is ruled out for Wednesday's tilt with the Indiana Pacers. He will miss his third consecutive contest with a toe contusion. The Italian forward had been solid for the Pistons in March, averaging 15.7 points in 31.9 minutes before his injury. If the 28-year-old can return soon, he could see more minutes with Ausar Thompson (medical illness) being out for the rest of the season with a blood clot. Stanley Umude will most likely be in the starting five in Fontecchio's absence.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoMiami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (hamstring) will be available on Wednesday against Cleveland after missing the previous two games. He's shaken off a hamstring injury and a questionable tag. Jovic will likely make another start on Wednesday, with Kevin Love (heel) still out and Bam Adebayo (back) joining him on the shelf. However, Jovic's numbers have remained underwhelming as a starter, and fantasy managers should definitely tame their expectations. The 20-year-old has recorded 7.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in a starting role this season.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoBoston Celtics forward Sam Hauser (ankle) will miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday against Milwaukee. The 26-year-old has landed on the shelf with a left ankle sprain, although Hauser was initially regarded as questionable for Wednesday, meaning he shouldn't be out for long. Hauser has massively benefited from Boston giving its big guns some time off recently, but Jaylen Brown (ankle) and Jayson Tatum (ankle) are both available on Wednesday, so normal service should resume in the Celtics attack.Source: Boston Celtics
1 week agoDetroit Pistons Forward Taj Gibson (hamstring) is unavailable for Wednesday's contest with the Indiana Pacers. Gibson has been suffering from right hamstring soreness. He's been playing on a 10-day contract after having the same agreement earlier in the season with the New York Knicks. On Monday, the veteran forward registered just three points, two rebounds, and one steal in 11 minutes of playing time. If the 38-year-old did play Wednesday, he wouldn't be a factor in fantasy play.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoBoston Celtics guard/forward Jaylen Brown (ankle) has been cleared to play Wednesday versus the Bucks. He's missed a couple of games recently with health issues but is good to go for a second consecutive contest on Wednesday. Brown has averaged only 18.0 points against Milwaukee this season, but he's been in much better form recently and has a chance to post a third consecutive 30-point effort. He's averaging 29.8 points for the month, along with 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals.Source: Boston Celtics
1 week agoBoston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (shoulder) will miss a second consecutive game on Wednesday against Milwaukee. The team has downgraded him from questionable to out. Payton Pritchard, who's coming off a pair of very strong games, looks set for a large role again in the rotation with Holiday unavailable, especially as Sam Hauser (ankle) also misses the game. Pritchard recently bagged his first double-double of the campaign and put up 23 points against Detroit on Monday.Source: Boston Celtics
1 week agoMiami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (foot) will return to the lineup on Wednesday versus Cleveland. He will be back after missing two games with a foot contusion. We should see him take on a very large role, as Bam Adebayo (back) has been ruled out for the contest. Before getting hurt, Butler had upped his game and is averaging 21.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists for the month. However, Butler has struggled against the Cavaliers this season, posting only 13.0 points across 32.0 minutes across two previous meetings.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoMiami Heat center Bam Adebayo (back) won't play on Wednesday against Cleveland. He was a late addition to the injury report with a back issue, and the team has now ruled him out for Wednesday's game. Miami also remains without Kevin Love (heel), meaning Thomas Bryant should get a rare chance to shine, with Orlando Robinson working as his backup. Nikola Jovic (hamstring), who's returning to the lineup from a two-game absence, might get some extra work as well on the frontcourt. Bryant has averaged 12.1 points and 6.0 rebounds as a starter for his career, but he faces a difficult matchup on Wednesday against Jarrett Allen.Source: NBA Injury Report
1 week agoDetroit Pistons guard/forward Ausar Thompson will miss the rest of the 2023-24 regular season with a blood clot, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic. He's been out for the past five games, and unfortunately, Thompson will be forced to end his debut campaign early. The good news is that Thompson has been cleared to resume conditioning, and he is expected to begin non-contact basketball activities toward the end of the regular season. Thompson, who was the fifth pick in last year's draft, finishes his rookie season with averages of 8.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 steals.Source: Shams Charania
1 week agoLos Angeles Clippers guards Norman Powell (shin) and Terance Mann (shoulder) were both at shootaround on Wednesday morning. Mann said he is not concerned about his strained right shoulder following Sunday's dismal home loss to the Atlanta Hawks, but he remains officially listed as questionable for Wednesday's meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers. Powell is dealing with a left lower leg contusion after missing Sunday's defeat but is trending in the right direction for a revenge game against Portland. The 30-year-old sharpshooting swingman has played a more pronounced role as L.A.'s sixth man with Russell Westbrook (hand) out, hovering around fantasy's top 150 over his last eight games on averages of 16.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 three-pointers, and 1.0 steals in 28.8 minutes. Wednesday's matchup is a soft one against a Blazers squad that ranks 26th in opponent field-goal percentage (49.2%).Source: Law Murray - The Athletic
1 week agoChicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso (ankle) didn't practice on Wednesday, per head coach Billy Donovan. Donovan also said Caruso is feeling better, however, and that it was a precautionary move. Experiencing soreness in his left ankle following Monday's narrow victory over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers, Caruso's status remains uncertain for Thursday's tilt versus the Houston Rockets. It sounds like he's dealing with a minor issue, but the Bulls have officially listed him as questionable on their injury report. The 30-year-old disruptive defender has been a nine-category gem this season, attaining top-50 numbers in those formats covering his last 13 games via averages of 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.5 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers. Houston is yielding the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing shooting guards this season, though.Source: K.C. Johnson - NBC Sports Chicago