Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Productive in return
    Lively posted nine points (3-3 FG, 3-6 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks over 25 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 win over Minnesota in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Lively returned to action Thursday after missing Game 4 due to a neck injury. The rookie big man returned to his role of coming off the bench but splitting minutes at the center position with Daniel Gafford as a platoon. Lively averaged 9.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in 22.0 minutes across his four appearances in the Western Conference Finals. Rotowire.com Friday, 1:06 pm
     
  • Misses out on double-double
    Gafford amassed 11 points (3-3 FG, 5-6 FT), nine rebounds and one block across 20 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 win over the Timberwolves in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: With the return of Dereck Lively, Gafford saw his playing time decrease from 31 minutes in Game 4 to 20 in Game 5. Regardless, Gafford was able to maintain his productivity, recording at least one block for the 11th straight contest. The 24-year-old big averaged 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 24.4 minutes across the five games in the Western Conference Finals. Rotowire.com Friday, 1:04 pm
     
  • Limited at Friday's practice
    Coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis (calf) participated in a couple of drills during Friday's practice and is pleased with where the big man is at in his rehab progress, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.

    Advice: Porzingis was still mostly limited to individual shooting drills during the media portion of Friday's practice, but he looked to be moving well. He hasn't played since Game 4 of the Celtics' opening-round series versus Miami on April 29, so Porzingis will likely need to get at least a few days of 5-on-5 work in before getting full clearance for game action. The Celtics face the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Thursday, June 6, giving Porzingis ample time to increase his activity. Rotowire.com Friday, 12:11 pm
     
  • Fischer: Nic Claxton expected to remain with Nets
    Nic Claxton is expected to remain with the Nets on a four-year deal, per Yahoo’s Jake Fischer.

    Advice: Claxton will be a coveted free agent, but Brooklyn is expected to retain him on a deal that will cost them anywhere from $80-100 million over four years. He has been an excellent fantasy option the last two years, and that won’t change if he remains with the Nets. However, that will likely prevent Noah Clowney from moving into a prominent role in his second season with the team. They can legally begin negotiations with Claxton as soon as the NBA Finals conclude, so he may have a new deal in place within the next few weeks. Rotoworld Friday, 12:10 pm
     
  • Naz Reid struggles in Game 5 blowout loss to Mavs
    Naz Reid shot 2-of-10 from the field and 1-of-1 from the foul line in Thursday’s loss to the Mavericks, tallying five points, four rebounds, one assist, and one blocked shot in 27 minutes.

    Advice: Reid’s production tailed off considerably after scoring 14 points or more in the first three games of the Western Conference Finals. He only attempted six shots in Game 4, but Game 5 was arguably his most disappointing effort of the postseason. The five points were the fewest in a game for Reid since Minnesota’s Game 2 win over Phoenix in the first round, and he missed all four of his 3-point attempts. While Reid finished the regular season ranked outside the top 100 in fantasy, he was a dependable option despite coming off the bench. Minnesota would likely have to move Karl-Anthony Towns or Rudy Gobert for his ceiling to be raised. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:45 pm
     
  • Rudy Gobert limited to five rebounds on Thursday
    Rudy Gobert shot 4-of-8 from the field and 1-of-2 from the foul line in Thursday’s loss to the Mavericks, amassing nine points, five rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 26 minutes.

    Advice: Gobert was relatively quiet on Thursday night after recording a double-double in Minnesota’s Game 4 victory. He averaged 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the series but could not significantly impact the action as a rim-protector. Gobert’s 2023-24 season was an improvement on 2022-23, his first after being traded to Minnesota. The chemistry between him and Karl-Anthony Towns improved, but the partnership lowered the fantasy ceilings of both players. Gobert has top-50 potential, but this represents his ceiling rather than his floor. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:37 pm
     
  • Karl-Anthony Towns posts 28/12/2/1 line in Game 5
    Karl-Anthony Towns shot 9-of-20 from the field and 9-of-10 from the foul line in Thursday’s 124-103 loss to Dallas, tallying 28 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one 3-pointer in 38 minutes.

    Advice: Towns may have tied for the team lead in scoring, but he had another rough night from three in Minnesota’s final game. After shooting 4-of-5 from three in Game 4, KAT was 1-of-6 on Thursday night. He shot 24.2% from three for the series and 37.9% from the field overall. A player many expected to approach top 25 fantasy value before the season began, Towns was a 4th-round player in 9-cat formats. While the chemistry between KAT and Rudy Gobert improved, the continued emergence of Anthony Edwards factored into the former’s fantasy production. As long as Minnesota keeps Towns and Gobert together, the former will have a lower fantasy ceiling than he did pre-trade. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:16 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II plays 25 MIN in return to action
    Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) finished Thursday’s win over the Timberwolves with nine points (3-of-3 FGs, 3-of-6 FTs), eight rebounds, three assists, and three blocked shots in 25 minutes.

    Advice: Lively was back in the rotation after sitting out Tuesday’s Game 4 defeat, and the rookie was impactful on both ends of the floor. He didn’t miss a shot from the field and was also effective as a playmaker in the short roll. Add in eight rebounds and three blocked shots, and Lively was one of the other difference-makers in Game 5. Starting center Daniel Gafford was also 3-of-3 from the field, tallying 11 points, nine rebounds, and one blocked shot in 20 minutes. Next up for Dallas are the Celtics in the NBA Finals, which begin on June 6. Rotoworld Thursday, 8:11 pm
     
  • Dereck Lively II (neck) available for Game 5 Thur.
    Dereck Lively II (neck sprain) is available for Thursday’s game against the Timberwolves.

    Advice: Lively is back after sitting out Tuesday’s Game 4 defeat, meaning Dallas will have both of its preferred centers available. Daniel Gafford remains the starter, while Lively’s return means fewer minutes for Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell. One of those two veterans is likely to fall out of the rotation entirely. Rotoworld Thursday, 4:39 pm