Injury Report

To stay up-to-date on all of the injury news with up-to-the-minute updates, make sure to check out our LIVE Injury Report!

Oklahoma City Thunder @ Portland Trail Blazers

Game Time: 6:00 pm ET

DraftKings Lines

OKC (-), POR (-)
Game Total: 

Key Storylines

Shai Genius-Alexander: The conversation around SGA has been unappreciative at times. Calling him a free-throw merchant is clearly a stretch as elite scorers simply get buckets both ways. People also poking fun at him never scoring 50 points (before this past week) as an elite scorer was also a bit odd. SGA being able to average 30-plus points by always being in the 25-to-35-point range is impressive. Consistency is impressive. 

However, he is doing even more now. He has gotten to 40 points more often, and on Wednesday, he scored a career-high 54 points vs. the Jazz. As resident the Sixers fan, I remember Joel Embiid getting his own career-high (59 points) vs. the Jazz in the same season he won MVP. SGA’s recent performances, like the one vs. the Cavs with 40 points and then this 54-point showing are all pointing toward an MVP season (thanks for helping, Utah). Of course, the big guy in Denver will have something to say about that, breezing to a 35-22-17 game on Thursday night…like who does that? 

In the preseason, I said I’d take SGA over Doncic in category leagues every time and that opinion is only being strengthened by the minute.

Funnily enough, SGA is No. 2 in FPTs/g in ESPN points leagues at 59.1 as well despite often being the fifth pick in points formats (Jokic, Wemby or Doncic in any order, then Giannis, then SGA). For reference, Nikola Jokic is producing an insane 71.2 fpts/g for an insane gap. Sometimes it is more difficult to appreciate that gap in 9-cat formats.

Figuring out Portland: The Blazers appear to be in trade talks for Robert Williams III. Deandre Ayton still exists to block the minutes of Donovan Clingan (ankle), at least when he is available. There isn’t enough backcourt space to feature Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe heavily when the team is healthy either. There is tanking and then there is tanking with a purpose. Clingan is a player I would monitor for silly season. Henderson is as well. Camara and Sharpe may also trend upward if Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Ayton step out of the way via shutdown or trade. 

The good thing? The Blazers are beginning to sit guys here and there to open up those minutes for their young guys a little more consistently…though I guess it isn’t good if you have the other players rostered.

Stream of the Game

Cason Wallace and Toumani Camara are always on my streaming radar for 3-and-D-plus purposes.

Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe are players I would just be rostering in general.

Alternatives (Dort is out):

Alex Caruso
Aaron Wiggins
Isaiah Joe
Donovan Clingan (Ayton is out)
Robert Williams III

–deep league line–
Jaylin Williams (Hartenstein is back)
Kris Murray
Dalano Banton

Click here to join us on Discord! And Follow us on Twitter by clicking here!
Join the SportsEthos team by filling out an application by clicking here!