NBA rotations are constantly changing, making it very hard to keep track of the answers to questions like, "Who is the starting point guard for the Sacramento Kings?" For now, that answer is Delon Wright. That's right. Coach Luke Walton has a ton of confidence in Wright after last night's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder and will turn to him going forward, as De'Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton are both injured and unlikely to return in the next several games.
Wright finished second among point guards on Tuesday's DraftKings slate in terms of points scored, as he ended up just two assists shy of a triple-double. Wright was second on the Kings in both minutes played and shots taken. He now becomes a must-start option for as long as Fox and Haliburton are sidelined and, based on reports, that could easily be for the remainder of the season.
Tuesday recap
Highlights
Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets: 38 points (14-25 FG), 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
Hamidou Diallo, Detroit Pistons: 35 points (14-22 FG), 7 rebounds
Lowlights
Steven Adams, New Orleans Pelicans: 0 points (0-3 FG)
Brook Lopez, Milwaukee Bucks: 8 points (3-8 FG), 2 rebounds, 0 assists
Tuesday takeaways
Isaac Okoro of the Cavaliers has scored double-digit points in six straight games, highlighted by last night's career-high 32 in a loss to the Suns. Okoro was brilliant against a tough Phoenix team and is a player to watch down the stretch.
Charlotte's LaMelo Ball looked great last night in his third game back from injury. Ball produced his ninth game with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while no other rookie has more than four such games.
Detroit's Diallo notched a career-high 35 points, besting his previous high of 27. Diallo -- rostered in just 6.9% of leagues -- has now reached double digits in four straight games and could finish strong with the Pistons often resting Jerami Grant and other key veterans along the way.
Luka Doncic flirted with another triple-double in the win over Miami last night, but it was the Mavericks' Tim Hardaway Jr. who really put on a show. The sharpshooter made a career-high 10 of his 18 3-point attempts, tying a franchise record. Hardaway is still a free agent in more than 40% of ESPN leagues.
Injuries of note
Jaylen Brown has been ruled out of Boston's matchup against the Orlando Magic due to an ankle injury.
Jaren Jackson Jr. will miss tonight's matchup with the Timberwolves due to workload management.
Myles Turner remains sidelined for the Pacers, while Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, and Edmond Sumner are all listed as questionable to go against the visiting Kings.
Both Mike Conley and Donovan Mitchell remain sidelined for the Jazz. Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson become stronger streaming and DFS plays as a result.
Analytics advantage for Wednesday
Chuma Okeke joins Terrence Ross and a long list of injured players who will be sidelined for the Magic tonight. With so many frontcourt players out of the rotation, it could be a great night to fire up Mo Bamba as a streaming option. Bamba has averaged a team-high 20.0 rebounding chances (in just 24.3 minutes) over the last three games. With such great opportunity rates around the rim, Bamba could produce some fun fantasy results.
Top player to watch on Wednesday
With PJ Dozier and Will Barton both having been ruled out for Denver (and in addition to Jamal Murray's absence), Facundo Campazzo will need to step up with even more playmaking and shot creation for the Nuggets. Campazzo just delivered eight assists and swiped a season-high five steals in his last outing, suggesting there is real fantasy appeal for the combo guard ahead of tonight's matchup against the Knicks.
