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JOSH GIDDEY (Chicago Bulls)<\/p>\n
Giddey is currently sidelined with a hamstring strain in an unfortunate setback amid a career-best season.<\/p>\n
The cruel blow is expected to shelf Giddey for a few weeks, while it came after the 17-19 Bulls crucially steered their season back in the right direction following a rough stretch.<\/p>\n
The undermanned Bulls have been grappling with other injuries, but the absence of Giddey leaves the biggest void as the motor of the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cSoft tissue stuff you don\u2019t want to play with,\u201d Giddey said after sustaining the injury against Minnesota last week.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t want to rush this stuff back, you want to take the safe route. In saying that, we\u2019re going to do everything we can to get back to playing as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever long that looks, I don\u2019t know right now. But we\u2019re doing everything we can, but as safely as possible as well … I\u2019m still doing 90 per cent of the things I was doing before this injury came up.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s especially cruel timing for Giddey, given he\u2019d put himself in a position for a maiden All-Star berth.<\/p>\n
The 23-year old has averaged career-highs across the board in points (19.2 per game) rebounds (\ufeff8.9) and assists (nine) including shooting 38.6 per cent from downtown with 1.9 makes.<\/p>\n
Booker hits game-winning 3 over OKC | 01:31<\/p>\n
It was enough for Giddey to feature 14th in the top All-Star vote-getters in the Eastern Conference<\/a> to at least put him in the conversation.<\/p>\n The Aussie even admitted it added an extra level of \u201cfrustration\u201d to his injury.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery player that plays this game and plays in the NBA wants to be an All-Star and all those things. I\u2019m no different,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously that part is frustrating, but more so than that, it\u2019s not being able to play and try to win games with these guys.<\/p>\n \u201cAny time you\u2019re injured, it\u2019s frustrating, but you combine that in there as well, I guess it\u2019s a little more frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n 76ers extend Knicks losing streak | 00:51<\/p>\n DYSON DANIELS (Atlanta Hawks)<\/p>\n The defensive dynamo is coming off a productive December.<\/p>\n Daniels averaged 13.5 points on 48 per cent shooting, 6.4 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game, though the Hawks went just 3-10 over the month to slide to the final East play-in spot.<\/p>\n He had an especially good game in Atlanta\u2019s recent contest against Toronto, filling up the box score with 20 points, five rebounds, 12 assists, two steals and two blocks.<\/p>\n It was arguably Daniels\u2019 best performance of the season and a showing of how much impact he can have on both ends of the floor \u2014 not just the defensive end, where he\u2019s thrived.<\/p>\n It marked the 22-year old\u2019s fifth double-double this season and the 15th of his career. It also marked his fifth career outing with 10-plus assists.<\/p>\n The Aussie\u2019s Hawks could be set for a shake-up, with reports the team is working with Trae Young to find the All-Star guard a new home via a trade<\/a>.<\/p>\n So how would that impact Daniels?<\/p>\n While it\u2019s hard to get a full read on, given Atlanta would get player\/s back in a deal, the numbers show Daniels has played much better without Young this season. <\/p>\n In 27 games without Young this season, Daniels has averaged 13 points per game, 6.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists in 34.5 minutes with a true shooting percentage of 54.3 and +61 plus\/minus. <\/p>\n It\u2019s given Daniels more ball handling and playmaking responsibilities and generally allowed him scope to do more on offence.<\/p>\n In his nine games with Young this season, however, Daniels\u2019 numbers drop to 7.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 32.9 minutes with a true shooting percentage of 44.4 and -62 plus\/minus. <\/p>\n Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels. (AP Photo\/Mike Stewart)Source: AP<\/p>\n Again, the Hawks could bring back another point guard for Young that could completely change the dynamic again, for better or worse.<\/p>\n One part of his game Daniels is yet to get going this season is his 3-point shooting, which is at a career-low 12.3 per cent. While it\u2019s a concerning number, it also displays how much upside he still has and perhaps how he\u2019s due for some positive regression to the mean. <\/p>\n But for Fred Katz, a senior NBA writer at The Athletic, it\u2019s a sign that Daniels has \u201clost his confidence\u201d, which was something he battled at times with the Pelicans.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole thing with him in New Orleans was he\u2019d miss some shots and then all of a sudden he\u2019d be like, \u2018Missed a shot, I\u2019m kind of out\u2019… and it all snowballs,\u201d Katz said on \u2018The Zach Lowe Show\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cLast year, he hit some shots and the Hawks were really excited that they felt like he kind of evolved from that and this year I think there\u2019s been some reversion. <\/p>\n \u201cYou can see hesitancy in other parts of his game. Don\u2019t get me wrong, defensively he\u2019s still excellent but I don\u2019t think he\u2019s been at the (same) level defensively as he was last year… I think there has been more hesitance in his game overall and to me with him, that always starts with his shooting. He gets in his own head about it.\u201d<\/p>\n LeBron & Luka go big in Lakers win | 01:26<\/p>\n TYRESE PROCTOR (Cleveland Cavaliers)<\/p>\n As the Cavaliers get healthy following a disrupted start to the season, Proctor\u2019s on-court opportunities have diminished.<\/p>\n But we\u2019ve seen some of the best of the Aussie rookie when he\u2019s been given extended chances.<\/p>\n In the only two games in the month of December Proctor logged double digit minutes, he produced two of his best performances yet.<\/p>\n That included an 12-point outing against Indiana and a 16-point, six-rebound effort in his first career-start against Chicago.<\/p>\n It\u2019s encouraging data points for Kenny Atkinson to know that Proctor can contribute at a decent level when called upon.<\/p>\n However opportunities have been few and far between so far in 2026. Proctor has made just one appearance in the new year, going scoreless in five minutes against Denver. <\/p>\n It\u2019s a reminder of the up-and-down nature of a rookie season, especially when playing for a team with real title ambitions like Cleveland. <\/p>\n LUKE TRAVERS (Cleveland Cavaliers)<\/p>\n Travers remains away from the Cavs in the G League. And like with Proctor, NBA opportunities will only be more scarce the healthier Cleveland gets.<\/p>\n The Perth native continues to put up big numbers in the G League.<\/p>\n Travers went off for a career-best 27 points for the Cleveland Charge in their thrilling overtime win over the Long Island Nets this week, adding 10 rebounds and seven assists.<\/p>\n It comes after he racked up 24 points and 15 rebounds against Delaware Blue Coats a fortnight ago to showcase his versatile skillet.<\/p>\n NBA Wrap: Powell lights up Pistons | 01:00<\/p>\n JOHNNY FURPHY (Indiana Pacers)<\/p>\n Ramping up after an injury interrupted first quarter of the season<\/a>.<\/p>\n Furphy has started in three of his 17 games \u2014 including two of the last three \u2014 but his minutes remain limited as Indiana eases the second-year player back into consistent playing time.<\/p>\n While his numbers don\u2019t jump off the page, a lot of what the athletic guard does doesn\u2019t always show up on the stat sheet including him impacting games defensively.<\/p>\n Furphy acknowledged the marathon 82-game season still has a long way to go as he gets back up to speed.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously I kind of expected to have a period where I\u2019m kind of getting my feet back up under me,\u201d he said last month. \u201cJust know it\u2019s a long year and I\u2019m going to get my feet back under me.\u201d<\/p>\n He admitted it\u2019s been a \u201cfrustrating\u201d not being able to contribute to the struggling 6-30 Pacers, who have the worst record in the NBA in a gap year with Tyrese Haliburton sidelined.<\/p>\n \u201cMy teammates and coaches did a good job of kind of reminding to keep the bigger picture, it\u2019s such a long year and missing this first segment of the year is not a big deal,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019m going to have a long career, so it\u2019s just a little bump in the road.\u201d<\/p>\n Wembanyama limps off in Spurs win | 01:28<\/p>\n JOE INGLES (Minnesota Timberwolves)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never really missed this amount of games before, so I kind have to be patient with myself and give myself a bit of a rest.<\/p>\n