1 day agoDenver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic produced a 16-16-8 line in Monday's heavy defeat to Minnesota. The Nuggets were awful throughout the contest, but Jokic still found a way to fill the box score. He finished with 5-for-13 shooting, hitting all six attempts from the charity stripe. In 39 minutes of action, Jokic also produced one block. With Denver now in a 2-0 hole against the Timberwolves, we should see Jokic try to go the extra mile to make the series competitive. He's averaging 24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the matchup but has the potential to do a lot more, having so far hit only 42 percent of his efforts from the floor.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward/center
Karl-Anthony Towns recorded his third double-double in four games with a 27-point, 12-rebound effort in Monday's Game 2 victory against the Nuggets. The Timberwolves completely steamrolled the defending champions, with Towns on a roll and recording 20 points in the first half alone. Towns, who shot 10-for-15 from the field with a 3-for-5 effort from outside, also did his part defensively by registering one steal and two blocks. Through the first two games of the series, the Nuggets have done very little to stifle Towns offensively, as the four-time All-Star has shot 64.3 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from downtown to average 23.5 points.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard/forward
Anthony Edwards turned a slow start into a 27-point performance in Monday's blowout win against Denver. Edwards boasted only four points after the first quarter, but he did a great job getting to the free-throw line in the second and soon hit top gear. The Timberwolves star was only 1-for-4 with his attempts from deep but shot a nice 11-for-17 from the field overall and wrapped up another fantastic outing with two rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. Through six games in the 2024 postseason, Minnesota is still undefeated, with Edwards leading the way. He's averaging 32.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 1.8 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoIndiana Pacers center
Myles Turner led the team with 23 points in Monday's Game 1 loss to the Knicks. This was a good bounce-back performance from Indiana's big man after he finished the series finale against Milwaukee with only five points. Turner shot 8-for-16 from the field with two makes from downtown and notched three rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. The 2024 postseason had gone well for Turner, who's averaging 19.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.1 blocks in 33.6 minutes. He played a very efficient game against the Knicks during the regular season, and it looks like Turner will also have plenty of success in the playoff series against them.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoNew York Knicks guard/forward
Josh Hart was all over the court as the team opened the second-round series of the NBA playoffs with a 121-117 win over Indiana. He had his most prolific outing of this postseason with 24 points on 9-for-13 shooting and added 13 rebounds, eight assists, one block, and three steals to his tally. Hart worked tirelessly throughout the contest and played the entire 48 minutes. The 29-year-old averages a whopping 46.6 minutes for the postseason, and he's kept himself busy in many areas. Hart sits among the league leaders with 12.4 boards, has scored 17.9 points with close to 45 percent shooting from deep, and boasts 5.0 assists per game with 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoNew York Knicks point guard
Jalen Brunson had another outstanding game in the 2024 NBA playoffs on Monday, putting up 43 points on 14-for-26 shooting in a 121-117 win over Indiana. He's the first player since Michael Jordan with four consecutive 40-point efforts in the postseason. Brunson, who nailed all 14 free-throw attempts, completed his night at the office with six rebounds, six assists, and one block. The Knicks star is in phenomenal form this spring, and it looks like the Pacers don't have any tricks to slow him down, either. Brunson is averaging 36.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 8.6 assists for the playoffs.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 days agoSan Antonio Spurs center
Victor Wembanyama was named the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year on Monday night. This was a no-brainer, with the 20-year-old taking the league by storm in his first year. He was efficient on both ends of the floor, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks. More importantly, he played 71 games, much more than most had anticipated. It's scary to think how much Wembanyama will improve during the offseason, and he'll likely be a top-10 fantasy option in any format for the 2024-25 campaign.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 days agoDenver Nuggets guard
Jamal Murray (calf) is good to go for Monday's postseason matchup with Minnesota. Most had assumed he'd be out there. However, Murray struggled in the Game 1 loss on Saturday night, scoring only 17 points and shooting 6-for-14 from the field, so DFS managers have reservations about putting him in their lineups. But the Timberwolves won't have
Rudy Gobert (personal), which puts Murray and the rest of the starters in an excellent position to turn things around in Game 2.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Myck Miller
2 days agoMinnesota Timberwolves center
Rudy Gobert (personal) won't play on Monday against the Nuggets. The multi-time Defensive Player of the Year became a father, so he'll take the night off. He finished Game 1 on Saturday night with 13 boards and three blocks while limiting
Nikola Jokic to an 11-for-25 shooting performance. But now that Gobert won't be out there, Jokic's DFS stock just increased significantly. His absence also should mean more work and offensive opportunities for guys like
Naz Reid and
Nickeil Alexander-Walker behind
Jaden McDaniels,
Mike Conley,
Karl-Anthony Towns, and
Anthony Edwards.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 days agoDallas Mavericks guard
Luka Doncic (knee) is probable for Tuesday's matchup against the Thunder. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick had trouble shooting during the previous series versus the Los Angeles Clippers. However, he still averaged nearly a triple-double despite spraining his knee. With that said, Doncic should be out there for Game 1, barring any setbacks. Of course, he's a must-start in DFS contests for those willing to pay his hefty rostering cost.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 days agoCleveland Cavaliers center
Jarrett Allen (rib) is questionable for Tuesday's postseason matchup with Boston. The 26-year-old averaged 17.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in the four games he was available during the previous series against Orlando. Unfortunately, he missed the last three contests because of a rib injury. Nonetheless, Allen is progressing, so there's still hope he'll be out there for the series opener. The Cavs could certainly use him versus the best team in the league. However, if Allen misses another contest,
Isaac Okoro and
Caris LeVert should get plenty of work, although neither man is a consistent DFS performer.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
2 days agoIndiana Pacers point guard
Tyrese Haliburton (back) will play in Game 1 against the Knicks on Monday. The team has once again upgraded him from questionable to available after listing him on the injury report with lower back spasms. Indiana needs to see Haliburton outduel New York's star guard
Jalen Brunson to have a chance in the series. He had a good time against the Knicks during the regular season, averaging 19.7 points and 13.3 assists with 51.2 percent shooting in three games. Haliburton's work in the matchup included an extraordinary 20-20 double-double with a career-high 23 assists on Dec. 30.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Dustin Dopirak
2 days agoLos Angeles Clippers guard/forward
Paul George looks set to enter unrestricted free agency this offseason. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, George has received multiple contract offers below the max, which he will not accept. The nine-time All-Star has a $48.8 million player option for next season and can become a free agent if he can't agree on an extension with the Clippers before June 30. He is eligible to sign up to a four-year, $221 million contract. If the Clippers can't strike a deal with George, who's likely looking to get his final big contract after turning 34 at the start of May, he would instantly become one of the top available free agents on the market.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 days agoAccording to Shams Charania of The Athletic, there is mutual interest between the Orlando Magic and
Klay Thompson. The five-time All-Star will become an unrestricted free agent, and Orlando can open up an excess of $60 million in cap space this offseason. Thompson was paid $43.2 million in 2023-24, and the Warriors reportedly offered him a two-year, $48 million extension before the season started. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has indicated that he wants Thompson back for the 2024-25 campaign, but a change of scenery might benefit him. The Magic seem like a great fit for Thompson, as the team badly needs to add some three-point shooting to the squad after ranking last in the league in threes made during the 2023-24 regular season.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Shams Charania
2 days agoBrooklyn Nets center
Nicolas Claxton appears set to remain with the team. The 25-year-old is hitting unrestricted free agency this offseason, but sources have indicated to Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily that the team is "very confident" in its ability to re-sign Claxton. Nets general manager Sean Marks said a couple of weeks back that extending Claxton will be Brooklyn's "No. 1 priority" in the offseason. Claxton, who's reportedly set to fetch a contract with a yearly salary of around $25 million, was among the top shot-blockers in the league in 2023-24 with 2.1 swats and averaged a career-high 9.9 rebounds, along with 11.8 points in 29.8 minutes. The team seems to have big plans for him, and at 25 years old, Claxton should have plenty of room to develop.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Lucas Kaplan
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