DFS Alerts
Maurice Harkless is expected to play
Maurice Harkless is expected to play and start tonight according to coach Stotts. Coach Stotts did indicate that Harkless would go unless he had a setback, but at this point he is expected to play. If he does happen to have an issue and can’t go, we’ll want to closely watch who gets added to the starting lineup, as it could be Jake Layman that gets added to the lineup if Harkless can’t go. If Harkless is able to gut it out and play, we should expect him for close to 30 minutes with is typical moderate usage and upside if he is knocking down the shots he does get.
As reported by: Sean Highkin
Cheap Potential Starter For Salary Relief
There are a ton of ways to go on this two-game slate, but if Nikola Mirotic draws the start again for the Bucks, he’d be a core play of mine so that I could pay up elsewhere. The floor and ceiling of Mirotic isn’t amazing given he’s fighting for looks with Giannis/Bledsoe/Middleton/Lopez, but he spaces the floor for the Bucks and gives them another rebounder. In Game 2, he finished with a full 9/9/2/2 block/1 steal line and was praised for his defense on Jaylen Brown and help defense on Al Horford. Assuming he’s starting again, I’d build around Mirotic as a salary saver.
Walking Triple-Double
Nikola Jokic took a step back in Game 2 yet still nearly dropped a triple-double against the Blazers. This postseason, he’s averaging 23.9 points, 12 rebounds and 8.6 assists. With Jamal Murray banged up, the offense will flow through Jokic even more. On the other side, Maurice Harkless is questionable and Enes Kanter is playing through a shoulder injury. If the Blazers are forced to rely even more on guys like Zach Collins, Jake Layman and Rodney Hood, that sets up even better for Jokic. Jokic is my core play on this two-game Friday slate, even over Giannis.
Greg Monroe is expected to play
Monroe and Scott are both in tonight, and while this muddles the Sixers frontcourt bench roles somewhat, Monroe is likely the highest point per minute producer, and has had some success in Joel Embiid’s stead when asked to soak up minutes. The Raptors don’t have a viable defender for Monroe, and even if they did, odds are they would utilize those resources elsewhere against a potent Sixers offense, so Monroe, who is very cheap, is very much in play as a punt on this slate. Scott also playing is slightly less interesting since he plays further from the rim and may not produce at a high rate even if given ample minutes.
As reported by: Keith Pompey Jeremy Lin has been ruled out
Lin has not been a regular rotation piece for the Raptors this post-season, but he is officially out tonight. We might see a slight bump in playing time to Pat McCaw in place of Jodie Meeks on the second unit so Toronto can beef up their backcourt defense a bit. However, it is important to note that the 76ers used a tight 8 man rotation for virtually all of game 2, so anyone outside the starting 5 and main subs Ibaka, Van Vleet and Powell carries an extreme amount of risk, even as a punt.
As reported by: Blake Murphy Greg Monroe and Mike Scott are listed as questionable
This is something of a change for Monroe, as he was considered probable until this announcement from coach Brown. If both were to miss, this could mean a ton of run for Joel Embiid as Boban has not been viewed as a viable big in this series, and could also mean an increase for Jonah Bolden if Boban doesn’t get whatever backup big minutes are available. If just Monroe were to miss, Mike Scott himself could be a potential punt play when ruled in, and conversely, if just Scott were to miss, Monroe would be considered a prime punt play soaking up a ton of second unit usage when Embiid rests. Lots of scenarios to consider here on a somewhat fungible Sixers backup frontcourt unit.
As reported by: Kyle Neubeck Other tagged players: Mike Scott Sterling Brown is active and will come off the bench
Nikola Mirotic will take on a starting role against Boston, which should lead to a good amount of run if he can get hot from the three point line. Sterling Brown is potentially still available to play, but will do so coming off the bench with the second unit. This is a downgrade to Brown himself, who obviously we can’t expect much from, and a massive upgrade for a very cost effective Mirotic.
As reported by: Malika Andrews Nikola Mirotic replaces Sterling Brown in the starting lineup
Nikola Mirotic will take on a starting role against Boston, which should lead to a good amount of run if he can get hot from the three point line. Sterling Brown is potentially still available to play, but will do so coming off the bench with the second unit. This is a downgrade to Brown himself, who obviously we can’t expect much from, and a massive upgrade for a very cost effective Mirotic.
As reported by: Matt Velasquez Aron Baynes is expected to play
Aron Baynes is expected to play tonight. Baynes is a key cog in the Celtics defense and will be an important piece backing up Al Horford, so his presence is a downgrade to Giannis’ ability to penetrate and get easy buckets in the paint. It also might mean slightly fewer minutes for Marcus Morris, who would be the Celtics other option at the 5 if they decide to go small.
As reported by: Adam Himmelsbach Aron Baynes is expected to play
Aron Baynes is expected to play tonight, barring any last minute changes. Baynes is a key cog in the Celtics defense and will be an important piece backing up Al Horford, so his presence is a downgrade to Giannis’ ability to penetrate and get easy buckets in the paint. It also might mean slightly fewer minutes for Marcus Morris, who would be the Celtics other option at the 5 if they decide to go small.
As reported by: Jay King Sterling Brown is listed as questionable
If Brown is ultimately unable to go, this would be more time for George Hill and Pat Connaughton, but Brown isn’t the highest usage of players. Also of note that even if he does decide to go, he could be less than 100% effective, making the already low PPM expectation even lower due to the injury.
As reported by: Matt Velasquez Joel Embiid is expected to play
Embiid, after battling gastrointeritis for most of the day, will ultimately play. This means far fewer minutes for the backup 76ers bigs, but Embiid is not the lock and load play he was in the previous series against Brooklyn. Matching up with Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka will ultimately not be a great match up for him, especially if he is at significantly less than 100%.
As reported by: Kyle Neubeck Joel Embiid is listed as questionable
Embiid will be a true game-time decision, and the activation of Amir Johnson makes this a slightly more credible designation than previous Embiid GTDs. If he is eventually ruled out, someone between Johnson, Boban, Jonah Bolden and Greg Monroe would get decent minutes, but the usage shift will likely just mean more Simmons, Butler, Harris and Redick. It’s hard to envision much scoring coming from the 5 position with Embiid out, especially matched up against Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka.
As reported by: Keith Pompey Klay Thompson (ankle) will start Sunday
Thompson has officially been cleared to play and will start in Sunday’s Western Conference Semifinals Game 1 matchup against the Houston Rockets after successfully testing out his sprained right ankle during pregame warmups, while Stephen Curry will also play despite originally being questionable with a sprained right ankle as well. There has yet to be any reports of a specific minute restriction for Thompson, but head coach Steve Kerr did confirm during his pregame media availability that it is something the team is considering and could lead to additional minutes for the likes of Andre Iguodala and Alfonzo McKinnie this afternoon. On top of that, Iguodala will replace Shaun Livingston in the starting lineup for today’s contest, making him an intriguing salary-saving option in tournament formats.
As reported by: Connor Letourneau via Twitter
Stephen Curry (ankle) will play Sunday; Klay Thompson (ankle) a game-time decision
Curry has officially been upgraded from questionable and will play in Sunday’s Western Conference Semifinals Game 1 matchup against the Houston Rockets despite dealing with a sprained right ankle, while Thompson remains questionable and will be a game-time decision with a sprained right ankle as well. The Warriors already confirmed that Thompson will be active whether he is expected to play or not, so hopefully, there is some sort of confirmation from the team in regards to his availability and potential minute restriction. If Thompson is unable to play or is limited, Alfonzo McKinnie and Andre Iguodala would be the main recipients of additional minutes on the wing, and it could even prompt head coach Steve Kerr to insert Kevon Looney in the starting lineup alongside Draymond Green in the frontcourt. However, Curry has still been the clear beneficiary with Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins off the court since the conclusion of the All-Star break, as he owns a 38.9% usage rate (+10.0%) and is averaging 1.67 DraftKings and 1.57 FanDuel points per minute in a 245.5 minutes sample size.
As reported by: Anthony Slater via Twitter Other tagged players: Klay Thompson