The final days of 2024 are here, and the NBA schedule has gotten back to “normal” after the NBA Cup and Christmas holiday caused some imbalanced slates. Between six and nine games will be played on all seven days of Week 10, and 16 teams will play three games. Fantasy managers will have critical statuses to consider, such as injuries and suspensions while crafting their lineups. Let’s look at the Week 10 schedule breakdown.
Week 10 Games Played
4 Games: BOS, CLE, DEN, GSW, LAC, LAL, NOR, NYK, OKC, PHI, SAC, UTA, WAS
3 Games: ATL, BKN, CHA, CHI, DAL, DET, HOU, IND, MEM, MIA, MIL, MIN, ORL, POR, SAS, TOR
2 Games: PHO
Week 10 Storylines
– A target date has been set for Kawhi Leonard’s season debut
Lastly, there is some clarity regarding Leonard’s potential availability. According to Law Murray of The Athletic, the Clippers are targeting their January 4 game against the Hawks for Kawhi to make his season debut. Of course, a lot can change between now and next Thursday, but fantasy managers may get one night out of the Clippers star during Week 10. The Clippers’ first three games of the week will be played on the road, beginning with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back against the Pelicans and Spurs.
There is indeed a target date for Kawhi Leonard: Saturday, January 4 at Intuit Dome, when LA Clippers host Atlanta Hawks, sources tell @TheAthletic
— Law Murray ⚛️ (@LawMurrayTheNU) December 28, 2024
Kris Dunn has filled in admirably as a starter, but he’s been more valuable to the Clippers than to fantasy managers. How will Leonard’s return impact James Harden’s efficiency, which has been an issue? And how will it impact the usage rates of Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, who have played exceptionally well for most of this season? We may have answers to those questions as soon as next Thursday, which is great for fantasy managers and NBA fans in general.
– Mavericks continue life without Luka Doncic
Friday’s win over the Suns was the first game Dallas played since losing Doncic to a strained calf. He’ll be out for at least one month, with the Mavericks star to be re-evaluated in late January. In the short term, there aren’t as many streaming options as anticipated due to Naji Marshall (four games) and PJ Washington (one game) being suspended for their roles in an altercation with Phoenix center Jusuf Nurkic. While Washington will be available for all three Week 10 games after sitting out Saturday’s matchup with Portland, Marshall will not. Spencer Dinwiddie and Quentin Grimes will have added value with Doncic sidelined and are (obviously) better streaming options than Marshall for Week 10.
– Kings begin the first full week of the post-Mike Brown era
Sacramento’s recent slump, with the Kings losing five straight, claimed its first “casualty” on Friday afternoon. Head coach Mike Brown was fired, and assistant coach Doug Christie was promoted to interim coach. Sacramento’s game against the Lakers on Saturday will be the first opportunity to see how Christie will handle the rotation, followed by four games in Week 10, beginning with the Mavericks on Monday. The addition of DeMar DeRozan has made for an awkward fit, especially for Keegan Murray. Also, how will Keon Ellis and Kevin Huerter be utilized moving forward? Neither has done enough to merit being rostered in most fantasy leagues, and the Kings need more from both to improve their standing in the West. Lastly, how does the coaching change impact De’Aaron Fox, whose future in Sacramento has been a source of recent speculation?
– Suns will be without Jusuf Nurkic to begin Week 10
As noted above, a fight between the Mavericks and Suns during Friday’s game resulted in multiple suspensions. Nurkic, who kicked things off with a hand to the face of Naji Marshall, was suspended for three games, the first being Saturday’s matchup with Golden State. And with the Suns being the only team with a two-game schedule for Week 10, Nurkic will be off the board for fantasy managers. Mason Plumlee is the obvious streaming target, but keep an eye on rookie Oso Ighodaro. He had a 14-game stretch that began on November 10, during which he averaged nearly 21 minutes per game. While the fantasy value wasn’t great, it should be enough to ensure Ighodaro gets another opportunity with Nurkic suspended.
– Will Jimmy Butler return to the Heat lineup during Week 10?
Counting Saturday’s game in Atlanta, Butler has missed the last four due to a stomach illness and the need to get his conditioning up to par. Sunday’s game in Houston will make five, with Miami’s home matchup with New Orleans on Wednesday being the reported target date. That’s the first of three games the Heat play during Week 10, which includes a Wednesday/Thursday back-to-back. Will Butler be healthy enough to play on Wednesday? And what does that do to his availability for Thursday’s game against the Pacers? Miami hasn’t had any clear-cut streaming options emerge in Butler’s absence, with Jaime Jaquez Jr., Haywood Highsmith, and Nikola Jovic all playing more minutes. Fellow starter Duncan Robinson may be the safest bet due to what he can provide as a 3-point shooter.
– How many games will Cam Thomas be able to play during Week 10?
Sidelined since injuring his hamstring in a November 25 win over the Warriors, Thomas is considered probable for Sunday’s game against the Magic. Brooklyn doesn’t play its first game of Week 10 until Wednesday, but that road game against the Raptors is the first of a back-to-back (the Nets visit Milwaukee on Thursday). Expecting Thomas to play both back-to-back games soon after an injury may be too much, so fantasy managers should keep Keon Johnson on their radar. Another player is Shake Milton, who started Friday’s loss to the Spurs with Ben Simmons sidelined. While Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said before the game that there was a chance Simmons would play, he did not, and it’s fair to question when he’ll be able to play both ends of back-to-backs. Until that time comes, Milton will have deep-league streaming value.
– There are two afternoon games on the New Year’s Eve slate
The good news for stateside fantasy managers who like to go all-out in celebrating the New Year is that there aren’t any afternoon games on New Year’s Day. However, there are two on New Year’s Eve, with Toronto visiting Boston and Milwaukee visiting the Pacer at 3 PM Eastern. There are six games on New Year’s Eve and eight on New Year’s Day as part of a fun weekly schedule for fantasy managers to navigate. There are no fewer than six games on any day, and the Suns are the only team with a “bad” schedule.
Light Game Days
None
Week 10 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 9)-Monday: None
Monday-Tuesday: CLE, LAC
Tuesday-Wednesday: TOR
Wednesday-Thursday: BKN, MIA
Thursday-Friday: BOS, LAL, OKC
Friday-Saturday: ATL, DEN, DET, MEM, NYK, SAS
Saturday-Sunday: GSW, UTA
Sunday-Monday (Week 11): ORL
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