LA Clippers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Los Angeles Clippers small forward Kawhi Leonard (knee) is targeting his return to the court on January 4 against the Hawks. Leonard has joined the squad's practice sessions and while the team will be out of town, he will practice with the San Diego Clippers. He's yet to play a game for the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2024-25 NBA season. His return will be big for the team and fantasy managers, nonetheless. If Leonard comes back next Saturday against the Hawks, he will have missed the Clippers' first 34 games of the season as he's been dealing with inflammation in his right knee.

Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (leg) won't play in Saturday's game against the Miami Heat. The veteran has already missed 17 games this season, including the Hawks' previous two contests because of left lower leg contusion. Not only has he been plagued by various injuries this season, he's also averaging a career-low 11.3 points. But Bogdanovic's absence, along with Dyson Daniels (illness), could at least keep the door open for De'Andre Hunter, who had 25 points in Thursday's win over the Chicago Bulls, to remain involved enough to justify his presence in any fantasy lineup.

Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (lower leg) remains on the injury report with a questionable tag ahead of Saturday's meeting with Miami. He could be out for a third straight game due to a left lower leg contusion. Garrison Mathews has taken on a bigger role in the rotation during Bogdanovic's absence, albeit with mixed results. He scored 25 points against Minnesota on Monday but finished with just five points in Thursday's comeback victory over Chicago. Miami has given up the fewest bench points in the league this season, so Atlanta's second unit may struggle in Saturday's game.

Brooklyn Nets guard/center Ben Simmons (back) will miss Friday's matchup against San Antonio. Following Thursday's clash against Milwaukee, Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez suggested that Simmons might be ready to play both legs of the team's back-to-back, but unfortunately, it won't happen. It's been 23 months since the last time Simmons played on consecutive nights. Simmons' absence on Friday should secure a prominent role for Shake Milton, who's had a solid month and scored a season-high 20 points in Thursday's 111-105 win.

Atlanta Hawks guard/forward Bogdan Bogdanovic (lower leg) is carrying a questionable tag ahead of Thursday's game against Chicago. He might be out for a second consecutive game after sustaining a lower leg contusion. With Bogdanovic out of the lineup against Minnesota on Monday, Garrison Mathews went berserk off the Hawks bench with 25 points on 7-for-8 shooting from deep. We might see a similar effort from him on Thursday if Bogdanovic remains sidelined. The Bulls give up the fifth-most three-point attempts in the league and have one of the worst defensive records.