The rise in COVID-19 cases is causing myriad players across the league to have to miss time as they enter the protocol.
Within the last week, the NBA has had to start postponing games for the first time this season because some teams just don't have enough healthy players to field a roster. For teams that are dealing with players in the protocol but can still get eight healthy guys on the court, there have been a lot of opportunities for unsung players to step up.
That is the theme for this week's article. If you're in need of streaming options, they are to be found all around the NBA right now.
Dorian Finney-Smith, Dallas Mavericks (15.1% rostered in ESPN leagues): In what will be a rarity in this article, Finney-Smith is actually a full-time starter for the Mavericks as opposed to a player getting to step up due to COVID absences. However, Smith has clearly played better of late, which does overlap with the period when teammates Luka Doncic and Willie Cauley-Stein have been missing time, and two other rotation players (Reggie Bullock and Maxi Kleber) have both recently entered the protocol and will be out moving forward. Finney-Smith has averaged 12.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 2.1 3PG, 1.4 SPG and 0.5 BPG in his past eight contests, is coming off a 23-point performance in his last outing and could have larger numbers with even larger opportunity in the short term moving forward.
Chuma Okeke, Orlando Magic (4.2%): Okeke is a young player getting extra opportunity due to so many of his teammates dealing with injury and COVID-related absences. He has flashed at times in the past, and in his second full season he's taking advantage of his current role increase. Okeke has started the last three games, and has averaged 13.7 PPG (45.5 FG%, 100 FT%), 6.7 RPG, 3.0 3PG, 3.0 SPG, 2.3 APG and 1.3 BPG in 35.3 MPG. The Magic had their game canceled on Monday, and it's unclear whether they'll have enough healthy players to go on Wednesday, but as long as the Magic are playing and Okeke is getting such major usage he could be an asset. And on a young, rebuilding Magic squad, Okeke has the chance to play himself into a larger role moving forward as well.
Gary Harris, Orlando Magic (2.1%): Like teammate Okeke, Harris has taken advantage of the extra opportunity with so many Magic players out and is producing strong numbers. But, unlike Okeke, the 27-year old Harris is a veteran who has spent years as a starter in the league, and he'd already been playing starter minutes with the Magic backcourt dealing with non-COVID injury issues. In his last nine games, Harris has averaged 14.2 PPG (50.0% FG, 77.3 FT%), 3.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 2.1 3PG and 0.8 SPG in 32.9 MPG. He's at 18.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.0 3PG and 1.0 SPG in 36.0 MPG in his last two outings in the COVID-sparse window. Harris is thus a short-term streamer with upside in a week when the Magic could still have three more games, and potentially a longer-term streamer even once this acute COVID window ends.
Max Strus (1.9%) and Gabe Vincent (3.7%), Miami Heat: Stop me if you've hard this before: The Heat have been ravaged by injury and COVID-19, leaving opportunity for other players to step up. In an unusual case, almost all of the Heat absences are due to injury with only one or two players in the protocol, but the result is the same for players getting increased activity. On the Heat, Vincent and Strus have been the two putting up the biggest numbers. In the last three games, Vincent has averaged 20.3 PPG, 4.0 3PG, 4.0 APG, 2.3 RPG, 0.7 BPG and 0.7 SPG while Strus has been at 21.7 PPG, 4.7 3PG, 4.7 RPG and 1.3 APG. Both runs come to an end once the Heat start getting healthier, but for now there is streaming production to be had.
Jordan Nwora, Milwaukee Bucks (1.6%): The entire Bucks frontcourt rotation is dealing with either injury or COVID-19, which has forced Nwora into the lineup by default. The second-year forward has responded by averaging 19.0 PPG (46.0 FG%, 100 FT%), 10.0 RPG, 2.7 3PG, 1.7 SPG, 1.7 APG and 0.7 BPG in 37.0 MPG during that stretch. The 23-year old is purely a short-term streaming option, as he'll return to the bench once Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and crew are healthy enough to return, but in the short term he's a nightly 20-10 threat as long as the Bucks are so short-handed.