This article is part of our NBA Observations series.
Teams only have a handful of games left, with the regular season officially ending next Sunday. The usual end-of-season shenanigans are in full effect, with phantom injuries, extra rest days and some massive performances from players you weren't thinking about two months ago. It can be easy to lose track of what's going on, so let's recap some of the most pertinent news.
Embiid looks great in Tuesday's return
After a 29-game absence due to surgery on a torn meniscus, Joel Embiid returned to the court Tuesday. Philadelphia, down Tyrese Maxey, got a 109-105 victory over Oklahoma City, missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Surprisingly, Embiid played 29 minutes – not exactly what I would do, but the 76ers are just 2.0 games out from avoiding the Play-In. Last season's MVP racked up 24 points, seven assists, six boards and three steals. Even though Embiid saw 29 minutes in his first game back, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he rests for a game or two down the stretch. That could depend on how the standings shake out.
Wembanyama nearly quadruple-doubles
As if the rookie hasn't done enough this season already, Victor Wembanyama came within just one block and two assists of a quadruple-double in Tuesday's 110-105 loss to the Nuggets. We are out of superlatives for him after just 67 NBA games. Rounding up his rebounds from January, Wembanyama has posted 20-and-10 averages for three straight months. Since the New Year, he's averaging 22.9 points on 48/34/79
Teams only have a handful of games left, with the regular season officially ending next Sunday. The usual end-of-season shenanigans are in full effect, with phantom injuries, extra rest days and some massive performances from players you weren't thinking about two months ago. It can be easy to lose track of what's going on, so let's recap some of the most pertinent news.
Embiid looks great in Tuesday's return
After a 29-game absence due to surgery on a torn meniscus, Joel Embiid returned to the court Tuesday. Philadelphia, down Tyrese Maxey, got a 109-105 victory over Oklahoma City, missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Surprisingly, Embiid played 29 minutes – not exactly what I would do, but the 76ers are just 2.0 games out from avoiding the Play-In. Last season's MVP racked up 24 points, seven assists, six boards and three steals. Even though Embiid saw 29 minutes in his first game back, fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he rests for a game or two down the stretch. That could depend on how the standings shake out.
Wembanyama nearly quadruple-doubles
As if the rookie hasn't done enough this season already, Victor Wembanyama came within just one block and two assists of a quadruple-double in Tuesday's 110-105 loss to the Nuggets. We are out of superlatives for him after just 67 NBA games. Rounding up his rebounds from January, Wembanyama has posted 20-and-10 averages for three straight months. Since the New Year, he's averaging 22.9 points on 48/34/79 shooting, 10.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 3.8 blocks and 1.3 steals in 29.1 minutes. Across the whole season, he's ranked fifth in eight-category per-game fantasy value. He will go No. 1 in many drafts next season.
Sochan, Vassell done for season
In other Spurs news, Jeremy Sochan and Devin Vassell will miss the rest of the season due to ankle and foot injuries, respectively. They've missed the past two games, with increased minutes for Malaki Branham, Julian Champagnie, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Devonte' Graham. If you're late in your fantasy season and need streaming options, keep an eye on those names.
Barrett, Quickley return
After taking time away from the court to mourn the passing of his brother, RJ Barrett returned Tuesday against the Lakers. He played 26 minutes in the 128-111 loss, posting 28 points, six rebounds and six assists with no turnovers. Immanuel Quickley also returned following a six-game absence to post 20 points, six assists, three rebounds and one steal in 27 minutes. Toronto has been horrible without this tandem available. The team still has incentive to lose, as they owe a top-six protected pick to the Spurs, so we'll see how Quickley and Barrett have their availability handled for the final games of the season. Their returns could spell fewer minutes for Javon Freeman-Liberty, Jordan Nwora, Garrett Temple and Kobi Simmons, especially when Gary Trent returns.
Lively done for regular season?
The rookie missed Tuesday's 104-100 loss to the Warriors due to knee soreness. Jason Kidd said Dereck Lively could miss "up to two weeks." That's worse news for the Mavericks in real life than it is for fantasy managers. Lively's role sliced when the front office brought in Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the deadline, with Lively coming off the bench for 10 straight games before Tuesday and averaging 9.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. For the duration of his absence, more minutes could be available for the aforementioned bigs, plus Maxi Kleber and Dwight Powell.
Bagley helped off floor
Marvin Bagley saw nine minutes of Tuesday's 117-113 win over the Bucks before suffering a sprained right knee and being helped off the floor. He's been ruled out for Wednesday's matchup against the Lakers. The Wizards have just five games left after Wednesday, so don't be surprised if the big man is done for the year. After Bagley went down, rookie Tristan Vukcevic saw 31 minutes and posted 14 points, seven boards, three dimes and one steal. He could see increased run over the next handful of games, especially if Richaun Holmes continues to manage a toe injury.
Could Towns return in regular season?
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Tuesday that there is "optimism [Karl-Anthony Towns] could be back before the end of the regular season." He's set to be re-evaluated officially within the next and a half. It remains to be seen what the medical staff thinks and how aggressive the organization will be in pushing him back into the lineup. He'll presumably be limited for a couple games if he returns during the regular season.
Ingram could be back late next week
A bone bruise has kept Ingram shelved for six straight games, but hope remains that he can step back onto the court at the end of the regular season. Similar to Karl-Anthony Towns, he could be limited if he returns for a few games before the postseason. In his absence, we've seen more minutes given the core of CJ McCollum, Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy and Herbert Jones. Dyson Daniels and Jordan Hawkins are also back in the rotation.
Trae Young's return uncertain
A torn ligament in his left fifth finger has kept Young sidelined since Feb. 25. A recent update noted that he's introduced small finger motion exercises into his rehab program, but he remains without a clear timeline to return. The Hawks have actually played fine without him, going 8-7 in March, and they're locked into the Play-In Tournament.
Doncic, Brunson win Players of the Month
Luka Doncic fueled an 11-4 March for the Mavericks, averaging 32.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 1.4 steals. Jalen Brunson averaged 28.8 points, 5.8 assists and 2.9 rebounds while the Knicks went 9-5. Doncic has been as expected all season, but managers who drafted Brunson have been getting a best-case scenario.
