• Out of starting lineup
    Giddey will come of the bench for Wednesday's Game 5 against the Mavericks, Brandon Rahbar of DailyThunder.com reports.

    Advice: Giddey has seen his playing time drop off drastically during the series, seeing fewer than 15 minutes in three straight contests. He's been a non-factor against Dallas, averaging 6.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 13.3 minutes per contest. Isaiah Joe will replace him in the starting lineup next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 6:11 pm
  • Josh Giddey logs 12 minutes in Game 4 victory
    Josh Giddey only logged 12 minutes on Monday and finished with five points (2-of-8 FGs), two assists, one steal, one block and one triple against Dallas.

    Advice: Giddey played well over the final three games of their first round sweep of the Pelicans, but he hasn’t been able to replicate that success against Dallas. He has been a liability on both ends of the floor, which has resulted in him playing just 13.3 minutes per game through the first four games. Mark Daigneault hasn’t moved him to a reserve role yet, but he has basically been splitting minutes with Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace. Joe ended up starting the second half in place of Giddey in this one. Don’t expect Daigneault to make a starting lineup change now, but all four players should continue to see minutes in the low teens, with the hot hand seeing a larger role. Rotoworld Monday, 9:42 pm
  • Struggles badly once again
    Giddey closed Thursday's 119-110 loss to the Mavericks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals with eight points (3-6 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and two rebounds over 11 minutes.

    Advice: Giddey's minutes continue to decrease with each passing game, and it wouldn't be surprising if he moves to a bench role ahead of Game 3 given how much he's struggled on both ends of the court. He delivered good numbers against the Pelicans, but in the two outings against Dallas, he's averaging 5.0 points while shooting 40 percent from the floor across 14 minutes. Rotowire.com Friday, 8:26 am
  • Josh Giddey limited to 11 minutes in Game 2 loss
    Josh Giddey played 11 minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Mavericks, accounting for eight points (3-of-6 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs) and two rebounds.

    Advice: If the first two games of this series are any indication, this may not be the series for Giddey. After logging 17 minutes in Tuesday’s Game 1 victory, he played 11 in Game 2, with Aaron Wiggins starting the third quarter. Wiggins, who finished with nine points, two rebounds, one block, and one 3-pointer, can serve as another floor spacer to open up driving lanes for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Giddey, whom Mavericks center Daniel Gafford sometimes defended, does not possess that ability. Don’t be surprised if Giddey continues to lose minutes to Wiggins and Cason Wallace (six points, three rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 21 minutes) moving forward. Rotoworld Thursday, 9:38 pm
  • Exercises player option
    Wood exercised his $3 million player option for the 2024-25 season Tuesday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.

    Advice: Wood was a sporadic part of the rotation in Los Angeles this season, appearing in 50 games with averages of 6.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 17.4 minutes. There could potentially be a lot of changes for the Lakers this offseason depending on whether or not LeBron James picks up his player option, so it's difficult to project Wood's role for next season at the moment. Rotowire.com Tuesday, 9:22 am
  • Explodes for 38 points Sunday
    Banchero had 38 points (10-28 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 15-18 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists, one block and three steals in 42 minutes during Sunday's 106-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Advice: Banchero did everything in his power to keep the Magic alive in the playoffs, but even though his stat line was magnificent, the struggles of Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner were too much for Orlando to overcome, meaning Banchero couldn't carry the team to the next round on his own. Despite the early playoff exit, the series against the Cavaliers fully established Banchero as one of the league's up-and-coming superstars. He averaged 27.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals across 37.4 minutes per game. Rotowire.com May 6, 5:25 am