NBA Player News

Wiseman didn't play during Thursday's 141-135 double-overtime loss to Oklahoma City due to a coach's decision.

Isaiah Jackson started the regular-season opener at center and played only eight minutes. Tony Bradley played 10 minutes off the bench at center, while Jay Huff saw 12. Head coach Rick Carlisle instead elected to roll with a ton of small-ball lineups, featuring Obi Toppin and Jarace Walker at the five. Both Toppin and Walker excelled in those roles, but it may have been a matchup-based decision.

Bradley produced two points (1-1 FG, 0-1 FT) and one block in 10 minutes during Thursday's 141-135 double-overtime loss to the Thunder.

Isaiah Jackson drew the start at center, but head coach Rick Carlisle quickly adjusted to smaller lineups. Jackson finished with only eight minutes, while Obi Toppin (40) and Jarace Walker (39) saw a ton of playing time as small-ball fives. Bradley was the next center up behind Jackson, with James Wiseman notably not part of the Opening Night rotation.

Gafford (ankle) did not participate in shootaround Friday, Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com reports.

Gafford was walking around the practice in street clothes and tennis shoes, and that doesn't bode well for his status against the Wizards. He's listed as questionable on the injury report, which suggests that he's day-to-day, but it looks like the Mavericks will exercise caution once again.

Jordan signed a one-year, $3.6 million contract with the Pelicans on Friday, ESPN's Shams Charania reports.

The Pelicans have had some tough injury luck in the frontcourt, so Jordan is being brought in to bolster the team's rebounding and interior defense. Yves Missi (ankle) and Karlo Matkovic (back) are both questionable to play Friday against the Spurs, while Kevon Looney (knee) is sidelined. That means Jordan could be thrown into action right away.

Valanciunas produced eight points (4-5 FG), three rebounds, two assists and one block over 12 minutes during Thursday's 137-131 overtime loss to the Warriors.

As well as Valanciunas played, his workload was pretty disappointing. There's been some talk about Valanciunas sharing the floor with Nikola Jokic in "certain situations," but it's hard to imagine that happening often. Valanciunas' fantasy appeal is likely going to be limited to deeper leagues for the time being.

Holmgren logged 15 points (4-12 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals in 39 minutes during Thursday's 141-135 double-overtime victory over the Pacers.

Holmgren didn't have much luck shooting the ball Thursday, but that wasn't the case in the Opening Night thriller against Houston. Through two games, Holmgren has showcased his immense upside with averages of 21.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.0 three-pointers, though he hasn't recorded a block just yet, which is unusual for him.

Jokic produced 21 points (8-23 FG, 2-13 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 13 rebounds, 10 assists, one block and one steal in 41 minutes during Thursday's 137-131 overtime loss to the Warriors.

Jokic looked on as teammate Aaron Gordon dropped a stellar 50 points during the OT defeat, but Jokic still propped up the squad with one of his usual triple-doubles in the opener. Although Jokic can carry a team on his own, his job is much easier when role players like Gordon put in solid performances.

Huff had five points (2-4 FG, 1-2 3Pt), three rebounds and two blocks over 12 minutes during Thursday's 141-135 double-overtime loss to the Thunder.

Huff came off the bench and played just 12 minutes despite the fact that Isaiah Jackson played just eight minutes as the starter. The Pacers went with a mobile frontcourt in this one, with Obi Toppin logging a whopping 40 minutes. Both Huff and Jackson are trending in the wrong direction, although Huff is worth monitoring just in case this was an outlier.

Jackson finished with zero points (0-2 FG) and one rebound over eight minutes during Thursday's 141-135 double-overtime loss to Oklahoma City.

Despite starting, Jackson managed just eight minutes, a worrying sign for anyone who took a chance on him in drafts. His preseason was far from convincing, and it appears the coaching staff has some reservations when it comes to his role. He is worth holding for at least a few games just to see whether this was simply a case of foul trouble.

Hartenstein posted five points (2-4 FG, 1-3 FT), 14 rebounds and two assists in 37 minutes during Thursday's 141-135 double-overtime win over the Pacers.

Hartenstein pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds, impacting the game despite scoring just four points. The Thunder certainly have a lot of options when it comes to scoring the basketball, a fact that should be considered when analyzing Hartenstein's overall fantasy value. He should be rostered in all formats but has particular value in punt-points builds.