NBA Player News

Williams (foot) won't play in Saturday's game versus the Heat.

With Williams set to miss his third straight game Saturday due to a strained tendon in his left foot, Nick Richards should remain in the starting five. Williams' next chance to return to action is Wednesday's matchup with Toronto.

Vucevic had 22 points (7-17 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 10 rebounds and four assists over 32 minutes during Friday's 133-122 victory over Milwaukee.

Vucevic didn't have his best shooting performance Friday, although, to be fair, it's not easy to score near the rim against a frontcourt of Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Still, the veteran big man delivered a solid showing and has now opened the season with back-to-back double-doubles. It's a better-than-expected start to the campaign for the 34-year-old veteran, who could have a ton of trade value as the season progresses if he manages to continue producing at this rate in the coming weeks.

Turner accumulated 13 points (5-9 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 3-5 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and three blocks across 23 minutes during Friday's 123-98 loss to the Knicks.

The Pacers struggled offensively throughout the entire game, but the big man found a way to make an impact on both ends of the court with his three blocks and seven rebounds. Turner has posted a combined 33 points, 16 rebounds, five assists and seven blocks over his first two appearances this season, and there's a strong case to highlight him as the Pacers' most consistent player over the team's first two outings.

Poeltl produced 19 points (5-8 FG, 9-11 FT), nine rebounds, three assists and four blocks in 27 minutes during Friday's 115-107 win over the 76ers.

Poeltl had a disappointing effort in the season-opening loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday. However, he bounced back admirably Friday and finished just one rebound shy of a double-double while also containing the impact of Andre Drummond on the glass. Poeltl is not expected to rack up double-doubles on a regular basis, but the big man's performances going forward should be closer to this outing rather than the dud he posted versus Cleveland.

Clingan notched four points (1-1 FG, 2-3 FT), six rebounds and four blocks in 14 minutes off the bench during Friday's 105-103 loss to the Pelicans.

While the rookie center didn't see much court time behind Deandre Ayton, Clingan made his presence felt at the defensive end. The seventh overall pick in the 2024 Draft has an impressive five blocks in 27 minutes through his first two NBA games, but if would likely take an Ayton injury or trade for Clingan to see enough action to be on the radar in most fantasy leagues.

Ayton amassed 10 points (5-14 FG, 0-1 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 33 minutes during Friday's 105-103 loss to the Pelicans.

The 26-year-old center has posted double-doubles in the first two games of the season, although he scored only 10 points in each. Ayton has averaged a double-double every year of his career, but he's never developed a three-point shot and rarely gets to the free-throw line, limiting his value both in the modern NBA and in most fantasy formats.

Theis contributed five points (1-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-4 FT), six rebounds and four assists in 18 minutes during Friday's 105-103 win over Portland.

With Dejounte Murray (hand) on the shelf, the 32-year-old got the start at center for the Pelicans as Zion Williamson slid over to the four, although Theis didn't see anything close to a starter's workload. It's not yet clear whether that will be the Pels' starting alignment while Murray is sidelined or if coach Willie Green will mix and match reserves in the vacant spot depending on the matchup. Either way, it doesn't seem as though Theis will see a big increase in his court time.

Kessler totaled two points (1-1 FG), nine rebounds, two assists and one block in 20 minutes during Friday's 127-86 loss to the Warriors.

Kessler was the Jazz's leading rebounder Friday, though that was about all he did in a blowout loss. Kessler had just one shot attempt and won't likely see many field-goal tries while playing alongside Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton and Keyonte George. However, Kessler will provide plenty of value on the defensive end of the floor, highlighted by his 2.4 blocks per game across 23.3 minutes per contest over 64 regular-season outings (22 starts) during the 2023-24 campaign.

Collins contributed 14 points (4-10 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 5-5 FT), seven rebounds, four assists, one block and one steal over 24 minutes during Friday's 127-86 loss to Golden State.

No Jazz player who attempted at least six field-goal attempts shot better than 40 percent Friday, but Collins did manage to lead the Jazz in both points and assists during in the blowout loss. Collins has been a starter for most of his NBA career, but the 2017 first-round pick has been the first big man off the bench to start the 2024-25 regular season due to Walker Kessler serving as the starting center. Collins will look to earn a bigger role against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Monday.

Jackson-Davis totaled 12 points (6-6 FG), nine rebounds and two assists over 17 minutes during Friday's 127-86 victory over the Jazz.

Jackson-Davis was one rebound shy from registering his first double-double of the season Friday, and he has hit all 10 of his field-goal attempts through the first two games of the regular season. Jackson-Davis shouldn't see high-volume shooting while playing alongside Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield, but the 24-year-old should be able to log solid rebounding numbers as long as he continues to serve as the Warriors' starting center ahead of veteran Kevon Looney.