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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) absent from injury report
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 12:43 PM
NBA Injury Report
Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) is not on the injury report for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.
Analysis: Vanderbilt will be available on Saturday after sitting out Thursday's win over the Blazers, the Lakers' second game in as many nights. He gives JJ Redick another option to call upon in the frontcourt; however, going small at the center position will be difficult with Nikola Jokic on the court. Vanderbilt will be of greater importance to the Lakers than to fantasy managers. |
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LeBron James LeBron James (foot) probable Saturday vs. Nuggets
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 12:39 PM
NBA Injury Report
LeBron James (foot) is probable for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.
Analysis: James has been managing left foot and ankle issues for most of the season, but the âprobableâ tag suggests he'll play in the nationally televised showdown. If he's unable to play, multiple Lakers will see their fantasy values increase, including starters Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Also, Luka Doncic is on track to play after sitting out Thursday's win over the Blazers. |
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Luka Doncic Luka Doncic (calf) probable Saturday vs. Nuggets
Fri, Feb 21, 2025, 12:34 PM
NBA Injury Report
Luka Doncic (calf) is probable for Saturday's game against the Nuggets.
Analysis: Doncic is on track to return to action after sitting out Thursday's win over the Blazers, the Lakers' second game in as many nights. His presence in the lineup would relegate Dorian Finney-Smith to the bench, where the veteran wing is less valuable in most fantasy leagues. And in this particular matchup, the Lakers may be forced to play two traditional centers more than they'd prefer, which limits DFS' upside. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves scores 32 points vs. Portland
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 7:00 PM
Austin Reaves amassed 32 points (9-of-21 FGs, 12-of-13 FTs), one rebound, seven assists, two steals, two blocks, and two three-pointers in 40 minutes during Thursday's win over the Trail Blazers.
Analysis: Getting thrown out of Wednesday's loss to the Hornets during the third quarter got Reaves a little more rest than the other Lakers in the rotation. And that may have been a blessing in disguise, as he played 40 minutes in Portland. Reaves has scored 30 points or more in four games this season, three more than his 2023-24 tally. He'll be most valuable on nights when Luka Doncic or LeBron James is unavailable, and the former did not play on Thursday. The Lakers end Week 16 with a game against the Nuggets on Saturday. |
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LeBron James LeBron James records 40 points, 11 turnovers
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 6:55 PM
LeBron James tallied 40 points (14-of-24 FGs, 8-of-8 FTs), eight rebounds, four assists, two steals, one block, and four three-pointers in 36 minutes in Thursday's 110-102 win over the Trail Blazers.
Analysis: Thursday night was historic for James in multiple ways. To get the negative reason out of the way, his 11 turnovers matched a career high. As for the positive, James scored 40 points on the second night of a back-to-back. He also passed Michael Jordan for the most 40-point games in NBA history after turning 40. While LeBron won't have many 11-turnover nights in the future, it would be unsurprising if he put up a few more 40-point games before he hangs up his sneakers for good. |
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Dorian Finney-Smith Dorian Finney-Smith starts, tallies 10 points
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 6:50 PM
Dorian Finney-Smith shot 4-of-7 from the field in Thursday's win over the Trail Blazers, scoring 10 points with six rebounds, two steals, one block, and two three-pointers in 33 minutes.
Analysis: Finney-Smith replaced Luka Doncic in the starting lineup for Thursday's game, providing modest fantasy value in that role. Rostered in 10 percent of Yahoo! leagues, DFS has been ranked outside the top 150 in nine-cat formats over the past two weeks. However, his minutes at the center position as part of smaller lineups are worth watching in certain matchups. With Jaxson Hayes and Trey Jemison playing 42 minutes, Finney-Smith had limited opportunities to fill that role against a team with two true centers in Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams. There may be matchups in the future where the Lakers are best served giving Finney-Smith some time at the five. |
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LeBron James LAL starting Reaves, DFS, Hachimura, James, Hayes
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 3:36 PM
Mike Trudell
Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, and Jaxson Hayes will start Thursday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Analysis: LeBron is available for Thursday's game after initially being questionable. The only change to the starting lineup is Finney-Smith, who will replace Luka Doncic as Doncic's calf is managed. DFS, Reaves (ejected from Wednesday's loss to the Hornets), and Hachimura will have added fantasy value with Doncic unavailable. |
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Jarred Vanderbilt Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) out Thursday vs. Portland
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 10:07 AM
Jacob Rude
Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) is out for Thursday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Analysis: Vanderbilt has not played both games of a back-to-back since making his season debut on January 25, so his absence is unsurprising. Jaxson Hayes and Alex Len, who combined to play 28 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Hornets, may play a bit more. The former is worth rostering in deep leagues because he is the starting center. Markieff Morris may move into the back end of the rotation, but he would not be worth rostering in fantasy leagues. |
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LeBron James LeBron James (foot) questionable vs. Portland
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 10:06 AM
Khobi Price
LeBron James (foot) is questionable to play against the Trail Blazers on Thursday.
Analysis: After missing the All-Star Game, James was questionable to play on Wednesday night, though he was able to log 38 minutes in the loss to the Hornets. There is a chance that he sits out the second leg of this back-to-back, which shouldn't come as a surprise. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura would both see a bump in usage if LeBron sits, while Dalton Knecht and Dorian Finney-Smith would be candidates to move into the starting lineup. |
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Luka Doncic Luka Doncic (calf) out Thursday vs. Portland
Thu, Feb 20, 2025, 10:03 AM
Grant Afseth
Luka Doncic (calf) is out for Thursday's game against the Trail Blazers.
Analysis: This is unsurprising news, as Doncic played 33 minutes on Wednesday and is still working his way back from a strained calf. Austin Reaves will figure more prominently in the rotation after being ejected the night before, and Gabe Vincent will have more opportunities to contribute offensively. If LeBron James also sits, Vincent will be worth streaming in deep leagues. |
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Dorian Finney-Smith Dorian Finney-Smith hits four triples, scores 12
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 6:38 PM
Dorian Finney-Smith shot 4-of-7 from the field in Wednesday's loss to the Hornets, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, and four three-pointers in 28 minutes.
Analysis: Finney-Smith saw the most action of the four power forwards and centers who saw action on Wednesday (not counting LeBron James). While he did not provide any defensive stats, the points, rebounds, assists, and three-pointers were solid. Finney-Smith's playing time is worth monitoring, as consistently getting into the high 20s in minutes would raise his value. Jaxson Hayes (eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals) played 18 minutes as the starting center, while reserves Jarred Vanderbilt (three points and four rebounds) and Alex Len (one rebound) logged 13 and 10, respectively. If this holds, Finney-Smith would surpass Hayes as the player deep-league managers should seek on waiver wires despite coming off the bench. |
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Rui Hachimura Rui Hachimura finishes home loss with 17 points
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 6:37 PM
Rui Hachimura logged 39 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Hornets, scoring 17 points (7-of-16 FGs, 2-of-4 FTs) with eight rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one three-pointer.
Analysis: Hachimura led all Lakers with 39 minutes, and he may face another hefty workload on Thursday. Los Angeles visits Portland, and with Luka Doncic and LeBron James managing lower-body injuries, it would be unsurprising if one (or both) did not play. Rostered in 61 percent of Yahoo! leagues, Hachimura has provided 11th-round value in eight-cat formats over the past month. That certainly isn't elite value, but the lack of defensive stats has limited Rui's fantasy ceiling; the offensive production has been fine on most nights. |
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LeBron James LeBron James (ankle) leads Lakers with 26 points
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 6:37 PM
LeBron James (ankle) finished Wednesday's 100-97 loss to the Hornets with 26 points (10-of-22 FGs, 2-of-2 FTs), seven rebounds, 11 assists, one steal, two blocks, and four three-pointers in 38 minutes.
Analysis: After sitting out Sunday's All-Star Game, James played 38 minutes on Wednesday and finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double. He had two opportunities to send the game into overtime in the final seconds, but both three-point attempts fell short. With the lingering ankle and foot issues, it would be unsurprising if James were to sit out Thursday's game in Portland. If so, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves will figure more prominently in the offense, especially if Luka Doncic (calf) also sits for injury management reasons. |
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Luka Doncic Luka Doncic records 14/11/8/1 line in 33 minutes
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 6:36 PM
Luka Doncic accumulated 14 points (5-of-18 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 11 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, and one three-pointer in 33 minutes in Wednesday's loss to the Hornets.
Analysis: Wednesday's game wasn't the cleanest for Doncic, as he made just one of his nine three-point attempts and committed six turnovers. However, the 33 minutes are the most he's played since returning from the strained calf that sidelined him for over a month. The rust has been apparent in Doncic's first few games as a Laker, but fantasy managers should remain patient. In the immediate future, don't be surprised if he sits out Thursday's game in Portland for injury management reasons. |
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Austin Reaves Austin Reaves ejected for arguing no-call
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 5:42 PM
Austin Reaves was ejected from Wednesday's game against the Hornets during the third quarter after arguing a no-call.
Analysis: Reaves' night came to a premature end with 3:17 remaining in the third quarter, as he picked up two technical fouls while arguing that he was fouled on a drive to the basket. In 27 minutes, he was responsible for eight points (3-of-9 FGs), two rebounds, one assist, two steals, one block, and two three-pointers. Reaves will look to redeem himself on Thursday when the Lakers visit Portland. |
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LeBron James LeBron James (ankle) available Wednesday vs. CHA
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 2:14 PM
Mark Medina
LeBron James (ankle) is available for Wednesday's game against the Hornets.
Analysis: Initially questionable for Wednesday's game after sitting out Sunday's All-Star Game, James is officially available. He'll occupy his usual place in the starting lineup while Rui Hachimura misses out on a boost to his fantasy value. |
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Jaxson Hayes Jaxson Hayes, Gabe Vincent off injury report
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 6:45 AM
NBA Injury Report
Jaxson Hayes (face) and Gabe Vincent (knee) are off the injury report for Wednesday's matchup with the Hornets.
Analysis: Hayes suffered a facial contusion Wednesday against Utah, but he'll be good to return following the All-Star break. Vincent sat out that matchup against the Jazz, but he'll return following a one-game absence. Both players are expected to handle their normal workloads against Charlotte. |
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Dorian Finney-Smith Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) off injury report
Wed, Feb 19, 2025, 6:10 AM
NBA Injury Report
Dorian Finney-Smith (ankle) is not listed on the injury report ahead of Wednesday's matchup with the Hornets.
Analysis: DFS was sidelined for the Lakers' final game before the All-Star break. His absence lined up with Dalton Knecht's return to the rotation after a rescinded trade nearly sent him to Charlotte. With both DFS and Knecht healthy, Jarred Vanderbilt and Markieff Morris will lose out on a few minutes. |
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Cam Reddish Cam Reddish (personal) off injury report Wednesday
Tue, Feb 18, 2025, 2:40 PM
NBA Injury Report
Cam Reddish (personal) is off the injury report ahead of Wednesday's game against the Hornets.
Analysis: Reddish missed a few games prior to the All-Star break with personal reasons. The 25-year-old small forward was a throw-in in the now-rescinded trade with the Hornets that would've sent Mark Williams to the Lakers. Los Angeles' meeting with Charlotte Wednesday is awkward for everyone involved. Reddish had already fallen out of the Lakers' rotation and won't be fantasy-relevant as long as he's stuck in LA. |
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Luka Doncic Redick: Luka Doncic won't have minutes restriction
Tue, Feb 18, 2025, 2:12 PM
Mark Medina
Lakers head coach JJ Redick told reporters Luka Doncic won't have a minutes restriction moving forward.
Analysis: Doncic has appeared in two games so far for the Lakers and played a total of 24 and 23 minutes in those games. While Redick said the 25-year-old point guard won't have a minutes restriction going forward, he also said that Doncic will be on a minutes limit Wednesday against the Hornets. Expect Doncic to play around 25 minutes again Wednesday, but he should see his minutes restriction lifted here shortly. |
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