NBA Player News
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Jarace Walker PF | IND
Pacers' Jarace Walker: Another serviceable effort in loss
Walker contributed 10 points (4-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt), seven rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 33 minutes during Wednesday's 127-119 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Walker continues to play a sizeable role, having now logged at least 30 minutes in six of the past seven games. The rotation in Indiana has been almost impossible to project over the past month, although Walker seems to have avoided all the nonsense. While his upside remains somewhat limited, he is worth rostering in most formats simply due to the fact that he plays heavy minutes on a nightly basis.
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Jerami Grant PF | POR
Trail Blazers' Jerami Grant: Underwhelming production continues
Grant ended Wednesday's 127-119 victory over the Pacers with eight points (3-11 FG, 0-6 3Pt, 2-2 FT), three rebounds and one assist in 32 minutes.
Grant continues to deliver modest contributions, despite playing a significant role. Outside of scoring, it's been a quiet month for Grant, barely putting up top-150 value. In 14 games during that span, he has averaged just 17.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.2 three-pointers. At best, managers should view him as a possible streaming candidate, particularly when in need of points and threes.
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Matisse Thybulle SF | POR
Trail Blazers' Matisse Thybulle: Defensive streak continues
Thybulle logged six points (2-5 FG, 2-4 3Pt), two rebounds, one block and one steal over 14 minutes during Wednesday's 127-119 victory over the Pacers.
Thybulle recorded at least one steal for the 11th straight game, despite continuing to play no more than 15 minutes on most nights. While the defensive contributions have been stream-worthy, the fact that he does very little else makes him a very specific target.
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Cooper Flagg SF | DAL
Mavericks' Cooper Flagg: Subpar shooting effort in loss
Flagg finished with 17 points (6-15 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals across 33 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 loss to the Hawks.
Flagg had a subpar shooting performance in this loss, and the highly-touted prospect out of Duke took a step back after three straight games in which he surpassed the 20-point mark. The inconsistencies are part of the game for most rookies, so fantasy managers shouldn't be alarmed over one bad performance. Flagg has scored over 15 points in seven of his last nine appearances since returning from a foot injury.
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Daniel Gafford C | DAL
Mavericks' Daniel Gafford: Puts up 24 points off bench
Gafford recorded 24 points (9-10 FG, 6-7 FT), eight rebounds and one block in 22 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 loss to the Hawks.
Gafford was an unsolvable problem for the Hawks' interior defense, and despite not starting, the big man led Dallas in scoring while missing just one of his 10 shots from the floor. Gafford was making his return to the lineup after a three-game absence due to an illness, and if he puts up more of these types of performances, it'd be extremely hard to leave him out of your lineup in most formats even if he doesn't start regularly.
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PJ Washington PF | DAL
Mavericks' P.J. Washington: Sniffs double-double in loss
Washington logged 23 points (7-14 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 7-8 FT), nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks over 30 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 loss to the Hawks.
Washington ended just one rebound away from securing what would've been his third double-double over his last four appearances. Even though the Mavericks have been struggling of late, Washington remains a solid, yet unspectacular, fantasy alternative across all formats. He's averaging 13.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game in nine appearances since the beginning of March.
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Nickeil Alexander-Walker SG | ATL
Hawks' Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Drains four treys in win
Alexander-Walker ended with 22 points (8-14 FG, 4-5 3Pt, 2-2 FT), one rebound, two assists, one block and two steals over 30 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 victory over the Mavericks.
Alexander-Walker was unable to repeat the 41-point performance he delivered in the win over the Magic on Monday, but the talented guard continued his excellent season with another impressive performance. He's scored at least 20 points in three games in a row and six times over his last seven outings. He also drained multiple threes for the seventh straight game, showing his role in Atlanta's offensive scheme is enough reason to have him as a starter across all formats.
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Jalen Johnson SF | ATL
Hawks' Jalen Johnson: Comes close to triple-double
Johnson provided 17 points (7-19 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 11 rebounds, nine assists and two steals over 37 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 win over the Mavericks.
By now, it shouldn't be surprising to see Johnson hover around triple-doubles every time he steps on the hardwood. He finished just one assist away from recording what would've been his third consecutive triple-double, and this was the sixth time that he ended just one assist away from such a feat. Johnson has 13 triple-doubles on the season, and he's been one of the most productive fantasy assets all season long due to his impressive, elite ability to fill the stat sheet with ease.
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CJ McCollum PG | ATL
Hawks' CJ McCollum: Goes for 24 points in win
McCollum finished with 24 points (9-14 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven assists, one block and two steals across 28 minutes during Wednesday's 135-120 victory over Dallas.
McCollum bounced back quickly from the nine-point performance he delivered in the win over the Magic on Monday, a game in which he went 3-for-14 from the floor. The veteran guard has scored in double digits in nine of his 11 appearances since returning to the starting lineup Feb. 22, averaging 17.5 points per game over that stretch.
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Kevin Durant PF | HOU
Rockets' Kevin Durant: Limited impact in loss to LAL
Durant notched 18 points (7-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 38 minutes during Wednesday's 124-116 loss to the Lakers.
Durant delivered an efficient shooting performance, but he wasn't as involved as he had been in previous games -- the 11 field-goal attempts were his third-lowest mark since the beginning of February. Durant has always been an efficient shooter and a reliable offensive weapon, so he should be able to turn things around rather quickly as soon as he gets as involved as he usually is on offense. Having said that, the fact that Durant has failed to reach the 20-point mark in three of his past four outings should be considered slightly worrisome at least.