Yahoo Sports Fantasy Basketball

  • Will play for Greece
    Antetokounmpo (calf) will play for Greece in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Evan Sidery of Forbes Sports reports.

    Advice: Antetokounmpo missed the final three games of the Bucks' regular season, followed by their six playoff games prior to being eliminated by the Pacers. The superstar forward revealed following Game 6 that he was "not close" to returning to the Bucks lineup due to his calf strain. There will be roughly a two-month gap between Milwaukee's final contest and Greece's first qualifying game, and it appears the 29-year-old will be back to full health. Barring any setbacks, he should be at full strength for the start of the 2024-25 season. The two-time MVP averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists to go along with 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks and 0.5 triples across 35.2 minutes in 73 regular-season games last season. Rotowire.com Today, 12:42 pm
     
  • Plays reduced minutes in Game 5
    Gobert provided nine points (4-8 FG, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 26 minutes during Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

    Advice: Gobert's 26 minutes were his lowest of the series despite recording just one foul. The 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year was often forced to play away from the rim and come out to meet Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the perimeter in the pick-and-roll. Gobert averaged 11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 34.0 minutes across the five games against Dallas. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:27 pm
     
  • Goes down swinging
    Towns ended Thursday's 124-103 loss to the Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals with 28 points (9-20 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 12 rebounds, two assists and one steal across 38 minutes.

    Advice: Despite putting up his best game of the series Thursday, Towns' efforts weren't enough to avoid defeat. The 28-year-old big man tied Anthony Edwards for a team-high 28 points and led Minnesota in rebounding. Towns will finish the Western Conference Finals averaging 19.6 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 33.2 minutes. He also struggled mightily with his efficiency, shooting just 37.9 percent from the field and 24.2 percent from three across the five games. Rotowire.com Yesterday, 1:24 pm
     
  • 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 Yesterday, 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 Yesterday, 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 Yesterday, 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 negotations with Claxton as soon as the NBA Finals conclude, so he may have a new deal in place within the next few weeks. Rotoworld Yesterday, 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