James Harden reported to 76ers Training Camp and continues to practice with the team despite his request to be traded.
We are just two weeks from the beginning of the NBA regular season. That means it’s the heart of fantasy basketball draft season. Let’s dig into some recent news to keep in mind when drafting your squads.
Luka Doncic expected to play despite thigh injury
Doncic is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 32.4 points per game. What’s just as impressive was that he did so while shooting 49.6 percent from the field. Add that to his averages of 8.6 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.8 three-pointers, and he was a tremendous fantasy option. The only downsides to his campaign were his 3.6 turnovers per game and his 74.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Towards the end of September, Doncic said he wasn’t completely healthy after suffering a thigh injury during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Doncic also had a thigh injury at the end of last season. The good news is he said he planned to play through the injury. In the Mavericks’ first two preseason games, he logged 17 and 19 minutes, respectively. Given that he started both games, fantasy managers should feel comfortable selecting him in the first round.
James Harden reports to 76ers’ Training Camp
Harden requested a trade to move on from the 76ers and join another contending team.
Based on his comments regarding 76ers’ president Daryl Morey, there was concern that if he weren’t traded, Harden would not attend training camp. However, he did report and has been practicing with the team. The guard has yet to play in a preseason game, and it’s unclear if he will appear in one at all. Based on how his tenures with the Rockets and Nets ended, even if Harden does play for the 76ers during the regular season, he might a hazardous fantasy option.
Jarrett Allen suffers ankle injury
Allen struggled mightily in the playoffs, which put a sour note on what was an excellent season for him. Across 68 regular season games, he averaged 14.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks while shooting 64.4 percent from the field and 73.3 percent from the free-throw line. The defense and rebounding he and Evan Mobley provided was a big reason the Cavaliers even reached the playoffs.
We’ve already been dealt some bad news with Allen, who suffered a left ankle bone bruise. He will be sidelined for at least two weeks, meaning he will likely be out for the remainder of the preseason. Even if he does miss the Cavs’ season opener on Oct. 25, he likely won’t be out for much longer than that, so there’s no need to downgrade him in drafts significantly.
Draymond Green (ankle sprain) likely ready for regular season
The Warriors don’t ask for Green to do much on offense. Last season, he had a 13.2 percent usage rate that contributed to him averaging just 8.5 points per game despite shooting 52.7 percent from the field. He still made himself valuable in fantasy, though, providing 7.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.
Green’s preseason is already off to a bad start after he suffered a left ankle sprain. Given the Warriors’ addition of Chris Paul, it’s not ideal that Green won’t have extra time to adjust to playing with his new teammate. Green is expected to miss the team’s first three preseason games, but he has said he expects to be ready for the start of the regular season.
Chris Paul could slide into a sixth-man role off the bench when Green returns. There is also the potential that the Warriors go small in some games, moving Looney to the bench, going with Green at center and putting Paul in the starting five. Still, Green’s lack of scoring upside and the potential for Paul to have a more limited role than he is accustomed to means that both players come with some risk in fantasy.
More notes
• The Bulls have an open battle for their starting point guard spot. Their three options are Coby White, Jevon Carter and Ayo Dosunmu. White and Dosunmu signed three-year extensions with the team during the summer, while Carter was brought over from the Bucks on a three-year deal of his own. White started their preseason opener against the Bucks, posting 14 points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and two three-pointers over 23 minutes. Carter produced eight points, two rebounds and two assists over 16 minutes off the bench, while Dosunmu had eight points, two rebounds and two assists over 15 minutes off the bench. This will be a situation to monitor, but White getting the first start with the rest of the Bulls’ regulars might mean he has an inside track on the job.
• The Mavericks had a difficult time filling their starting center spot. They selected Dereck Lively with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, and they hope that he can finally be their long-term solution at the position. The Mavericks played their first two preseason games against the Timberwolves, and Lively started both. Despite a tough matchup against Rudy Gobert, Lively showed some flashes of promise. In their second game, he had a steal and three blocks over 23 minutes. Taking a chance on him late in drafts could be worth the risk.
