The couple of weeks surrounding the All-Star break is always a tough point in the season for fantasy managers, as the potential shuffle of rosters coming out of the trade deadline often results in a number of players missing games. There is also a bit of an adjustment period coming out of the break, as teams recalibrate their trajectory for the final stretch of the season. Rotations can tighten up for those teams looking to compete until the end, while others may accept their fates as heading for the lottery and lean towards shutting down more established players, in favor of increased opportunities for up-and-comers. In this article, we will review some of the most significant news from across the league over the last two weeks of action and how it may influence the fantasy landscape down the stretch.
Sidelined
After playing in the All-Star game, it was announced on Thursday that Victor Wembanyama would be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The news comes as a huge blow to the Spurs, who were set up to make a playoff push, especially after the acquisition of De'Aaron Fox. Wembanyama was working on a great season, averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 blocks per game. Nonetheless, the team is looking to play it safe and will keep the young phenom sidelined until next season. As a result, there should be increased opportunity for
The couple of weeks surrounding the All-Star break is always a tough point in the season for fantasy managers, as the potential shuffle of rosters coming out of the trade deadline often results in a number of players missing games. There is also a bit of an adjustment period coming out of the break, as teams recalibrate their trajectory for the final stretch of the season. Rotations can tighten up for those teams looking to compete until the end, while others may accept their fates as heading for the lottery and lean towards shutting down more established players, in favor of increased opportunities for up-and-comers. In this article, we will review some of the most significant news from across the league over the last two weeks of action and how it may influence the fantasy landscape down the stretch.
Sidelined
After playing in the All-Star game, it was announced on Thursday that Victor Wembanyama would be sidelined for the rest of the season due to a diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. The news comes as a huge blow to the Spurs, who were set up to make a playoff push, especially after the acquisition of De'Aaron Fox. Wembanyama was working on a great season, averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.8 blocks per game. Nonetheless, the team is looking to play it safe and will keep the young phenom sidelined until next season. As a result, there should be increased opportunity for Jeremy Sochan and Sandro Mamukelashvili in the frontcourt. The Spurs also signed Bismack Biyombo to a 10-day contract, and the veteran big man is coming off an impressive outing, with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in a loss to the Pelicans on Sunday.
Last Thursday, Bobby Portis was handed a 25-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy by testing positive for a banned pain medication. Portis will be eligible to return on April 8, for the Bucks' final four games of the regular season. Portis had been putting up solid numbers with 13.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, while playing mostly out of a bench role. He also averaged 22.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks over seven starts. In his absence, the Bucks will have to look for more out of guys like Kyle Kuzma, Andre Jackson and Taurean Prince. Jericho Sims could also benefit from an increased opportunity to build his profile with his new squad.
It was announced on the Thursday leading into the All-Star break that Daniel Gafford had been diagnosed with a Grade 3 MCL sprain and would be sidelined until at least early-April. The timing was quite unfortunate for the Mavs, as Dereck Lively (ankle) had already been sidelined and is also expected to remain out until early-April. However, things got even worse for the squad, as newly-acquired Anthony Davis suffered a non-contact injury in his debut appearance. Before he was injured late in the game, Davis had amassed 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes of action and was working on closing out an impressive win that would have helped appease the fanbase after the controversial trade of Luka Doncic. It was later revealed that Davis suffered a left adductor strain and would be out for at least a couple of weeks, with an initial return date set for March 3. In his absence, the Mavs need to ask more from Kessler Edwards and Olivier-Maxence Prosper. Dante Exum has also seen a boost in the last couple of games as the extra playing time trickles down through the lineup. Additionally, Kyrie Irving stands out as the go-to option on offense, while P.J. Washington is up for more responsibility on both ends of the floor.
Deandre Ayton suffered a non-contact injury on the Monday prior to the All-Star break, which was later determined to be a calf strain that would keep the big man sidelined for at least four weeks. Ayton already dealt with a few injury absences earlier in the campaign, while the Trail Blazers as whole have been plagued by the injury bug all season. On the plus side, Donovan Clingan, who also worked through a couple of injuries this season, is healthy and able to take on much of Ayton's role in the frontcourt. Clingan delivered 17 points and 20 rebounds in the first game after Ayton's injury and averaged 10.3 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks over three consecutive starts since Ayton's absence. Jabari Walker is also coming off a double-double in the last game and could have a chance to reestablish his place in the rotation, after a slow start to the season.
Historic Achievements
On the Tuesday before the break, Kevin Durant became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, as he racked up 34 points on 12-for-18 shooting in a loss to the Grizzlies. Durant reached the milestone in his 1,101st NBA game, making him the third-fastest player to reach the mark, behind only Wilt Chamberlain (941) and Michael Jordan (960). Despite the Suns' recent struggles (2-8 in their last 10 games and 1.5 games out of the final play-in spot), Durant continues to put up elite numbers and is doing everything to keep the squad within reach of the postseason. However, if things do not turn around soon, it could cause the team to consider shutting down the veteran early and instead focus on the development of players like Bol Bol, Ryan Dunn, Nick Richards, and Oso Ighodaro.
Chris Paul passed Jason Kidd to move up to second all-time in total steals, as he picked up two steals in his first game back from the break. Paul is now second on the all-time steals and assists charts, passing Kidd in both categories this season. However, in light of the injury to Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs' season could take a sharp downturn, as they are already 3.5 games out of a play-in spot. In the case that the Spurs decide to suspend their play-off push, Paul would likely be one of the first players to take a step back in favor of more minutes for younger players like Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie.
James Harden became the 13th player in NBA history to rack up a total of 27,000 points, as he reached the mark in the Clippers' first game back from the All-Star break. Harden has been a major factor in helping his squad stay competitive after losing Paul George in the offseason and until recently, being without Kawhi Leonard for most of the campaign. Harden is averaging 21.7 points on the season, which is an increase over the last two years, and he should continue to shine as the Clippers hope to head into the postseason on a high note.
Notable Performers
Karl-Anthony Towns has been fantastic since joining the Knicks, but the last couple of weeks have featured some of his most impressive play all season. Towns delivered back-to-back 40-and-10 double-doubles leading into the All-Star break and racked up 32 points and 18 rebounds last Thursday, in his first game back in action. The Knicks big man averaged 32.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals across five games within the last two weeks and looks ready to close the season in top form.
Despite their lowly record, the Jazz can take solace in seeing some very impressive play from their youngsters, Isaiah Collier and Keyonte George. Collier had three double-doubles in five games over the last two weeks and averaged 12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.2 steals through that span. Meanwhile, George averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists over the last five outings and reached the 30-point mark for the second time this season in the team's most recent outing. The Jazz are likely to give the two rising stars plenty of opportunity to showcase and develop their game down the stretch of the season, and they should continue to stuff the stat sheet as a result. If they can keep a healthy roster, the Jazz could be set for a quick turnaround in 2025-26.
