RADIO
Markieff Morris Suffers Neck Injury
12/16:Washington Wizards power forward Markieff Morris (neck) was only able to play 11 minutes in Sunday's win over the Lakers before exiting with a neck strain He finished with four points and four rebounds, but coach Scott Brooks said he could have returned to the game. While it sounds like Morris will play on Tuesday, fantasy owners may want to check his status before the game against the Hawks' tipoffs.Source: Fred Katz, The Athletic
Julius Randle Does Not Finish Game Against Heat
12/16:New Orleans Pelicans power forward/center Julius Randle (ankle) suffered a right ankle sprain late in the game against the Heat and did not return. Still, the 24-year-old was able to pick up his third straight double-double as he recorded 17 points along with 10 rebounds as well as two assists, one steal and one block in 30 minutes. Randle has been playing exceptionally well in December, so if he is forced to miss any time it will hurt the Pelicans.Source: Ira Winderman, South Florida Sentinel
Justise Winslow Suffers Right Ankle Injury
12/16:Miami Heat small forward/power forward Justise Winslow (ankle) suffered a right ankle injury late in the second quarter and did not return to the game against the Pelicans on Sunday night. The 22-year-old finished with two points on 1-for-4 shooting from the floor along with three assists and two rebounds over 15 minutes. It is unclear on his status going forward, but after topping the 20-point plateau in three straight games Winslow has failed to reach double-digits in his last three contests.Source: Miami Heat Twitter
Damian Lillard Expected To Play Versus Clippers
12/16:Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (personal) missed practice on Sunday, although he is expected to play against the Clippers on Monday. This does not appear to mean to much of anything as the 28-year-old is expected to be back on the floor against LA. Assuming that he does play, Lillard is a must-start for fantasy owners as he is having a tremendous season and is averaging 27.5 points, five rebounds, and four assists along with 2.5 turnovers in two games against the Clippers this season.Source: Peter Socotch, NBCSNorthwest
Kyle Anderson Is Dealing With Ankle Injury
12/16:Memphis Grizzlies small forward Kyle Anderson (ankle) is questionable for Monday's game against the Warriors due to a left ankle sprain. The 25-year-old suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday's game against the Heat and then did not play against the Rockets on Saturday. Shelvin Mack made his first start of the season against the Rockets, totaling four points and two rebounds in 28 minutes, and could once again replace Anderson in the starting lineup if he is unable to go on Monday.Source: Grizzlies PR
Delon Wright And C.J. Miles Are In Starting Lineup
12/16:Toronto Raptors point guard/shooting guard Delon Wright and small forward/power forward C.J. Miles will be in the starting lineup versus the Nuggets on Sunday night. The Raptors are a little shorthanded for the contest with Kyle Lowry (thigh), Fred Vanvleet (back), Jonas Valanciunas (thumb) and Pascal Siakam (back) unavailable. Lowry, VanVleet, and Siakam are all listed as day-to-day. Wright, who is making his first start of the campaign, may be worth a streaming play tonight.Source: Matt Devlin, Toronto Raptors TV
Brandon Ingram Could Return Friday As Well
12/16:Los Angeles Lakers small forward/shooting guard Brandon Ingram (ankle) could join Rajon Rondo (hand) back in the lineup against the Pelicans on Friday, according to coach Luke Walton. However, there is no guarantee that either player will be cleared for game action by then. Ingram has already missed six games, including Sunday's night contest against the Wizards, and will also sit out Tuesday's clash in Brooklyn. When Ingram does return, Josh Hart, who has played decently while in the starting lineup, will return to the bench.Source: Mike Trudell, Lakers Beat Writer
Nikola Mirotic Unavailable While E'Twaun Moore Will Suit Up
12/16:New Orleans Pelicans power forward Nikola Mirotic (ankle) will not play versus the Heat on Sunday. Having already been listed as doubtful for the game, it is not a surprise that Mirotic will be unavailable tonight. Therefore, Julius Randle will earn the start and is a viable DFS play against a Miami team that ranks in the middle third of the league in both points and rebounds allowed to opposing power forwards. Meanwhile, Moore (leg) has been given clearance to play after missing the previous two games. Moore has struggled throughout December as he has been hampered by the injury, averaging 7.8 points while shooting 35.3 percent from the field.Source: Scot Kushner, The Advocate
Kent Bazemore Scores 20 Points In Sunday's Loss
12/16:Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Kent Bazemore couldn't save the team from another loss on Sunday against the Nets, but he personally had a good game with 20 points and seven assists. He shot 6-for-13 from the field, including 3-for-6 from deep, and he made all five attempts at the line. Bazemore also picked up three rebounds and three steals. He's now recorded multiple steals in five consecutive games. Things have started to click for Bazemore offensively as well, as he has three 20-plus point outings in the last five games. Getting some scoring done against the defensively poor Wizards on Tuesday shouldn't be a problem either.Source: ESPN
John Collins Continues Tear Versus Brooklyn
12/16:Atlanta Hawks power forward John Collins continued his outstanding play on Sunday against the Nets, finishing with 29 points and eight rebounds. He shot 13-for-19 from the field and also extended his streak with at least one block to four games. Collins has been playing like an All-Star lately, averaging 23.2 points and 13 rebounds per game over the last five outings. He'll be tough to stop for the Wizards as well on Tuesday.. Washington are 29th in defensive efficiency and they are giving up 22.9 points with 12.3 rebounds per 48 minutes to power forwards this year.Source: ESPN
Tyson Chandler Replaces JaVale McGee In Starting Lineup
12/16:Los Angeles Lakers center Tyson Chandler replaced JaVale McGee (illness) in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Wizards. It marks the first start for the 36-year-old, who could be a good streaming option, this season. Moritz Wagner and Ivica Zubac could also see some time at the five. This will be the first game that McGee has missed this year.Source: Kyle Goon, Southern California News Group
Trae Young Picks Up Ninth Double-Double
12/16:Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young recorded his ninth double-double of the year on Sunday, finishing a blowout loss to Brooklyn with 13 points and 10 assists. Hawks center Dewayne Dedmon also had a double-double in the game with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Young shot 4-for-10 from the field, including 1-for-2 from behind the arc, while also picking up one steal at the defensive end. The rookie from Oklahoma gets a perfect matchup on paper next when the Hawks host Washington on Tuesday. John Wall and the Wizards have given up 25.5 points and 9.3 assists per 48 minutes to opposing point guards this season, both of which are the worst marks in the league.Source: ESPN
J.J. Barea To Sit Out Sunday's Game Against Kings
12/16:Dallas Mavericks point guard J.J. Barea (ankle) will not play against the Kings on Sunday. This is the second straight game that the 34-year-old will miss. With Dennis Smith Jr. (wrist) also out, Luka Doncic will operate the offense more often. Rookie Jalen Brunson, who has played well the past five games, is expected to see ample playing time as the starting point guard. Barea could return on Tuesday against the Nuggets.Source: Eddie Sefko, Dallas News
Spencer Dinwiddie Slows Down On Sunday
12/16:Brooklyn Nets point guard Spencer Dinwiddie wasn't able to continue his outstanding scoring spurt on Sunday against the Hawks, although he didn't play badly either, scoring 15 points on 3-for-8 shooting and dishing out five assists. Dinwiddie, who was 8-for-8 from the line, has been getting 30-plus minutes regularly lately, but it was a blowout and thus he finished with only 24 minutes, which was one of the reasons why he couldn't produce another 20-point night. He had even averaged 30.3 points in the previous three games, so Dinwiddie has been spectacular this month. His form will face a big test on Tuesday against the Lakers, who have limited point guards to only 39 percent shooting this season.Source: ESPN
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson Plays Very Well Against Atlanta
12/16:Brooklyn Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had a very good afternoon against the Hawks on Sunday, scoring 18 points in 23 minutes. He shot 6-for-10 from the field, nailing his only three-point attempt while going 5-for-6 from the line. RHJ also registered four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Hollis-Jefferson has been inconsistent this season after missing the start of the year with an injury, but he's looked good across the last five games, averaging 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and two steals. He'll be facing LeBron James and the Lakers next, with the Nets looking for their sixth consecutive win.Source: ESPN
