With most of the NBA reaching the official halfway point of its regular season schedules during Week 13, Week 14 means the February 8 trade deadline is looming. Toronto has already made two significant moves with an eye toward the future, and other struggling teams have players who can potentially be impactful on teams with greater ambitions. During Week 14, over half of the NBA’s 30 teams will play three games, and two squads must navigate two back-to-backs. Let’s look at the Week 14 schedule breakdown.
Week 14 Games Played
4 Games: ATL, CHA, DAL, DET, IND, MEM, MIL, MIN, OKC, PHO, POR, SAS
3 Games: BOS, BKN, CHI, CLE, DEN, GSW, HOU, LAC, LAL, MIA, NOR, NYK, ORL, PHI, SAS, TOR, UTA, WAS
Week 14 Storylines
— Celtics begin Week 14 with a back-to-back
Boston’s had to adjust its rotation throughout the season due to back-to-backs. Al Horford has yet to play both ends of one, and while Kristaps Porzingis was reportedly cleared to play back-to-backs, that was before a case of right knee inflammation sidelined him for the Celtics’ January 17 win over San Antonio. The team with the NBA’s best record now embarks on a two-game Texas road trip that begins in Houston on Sunday, and the Celtics will visit Boston the following night.
If Horford plays on Sunday, it’s safe to assume that he will not on Monday. Jrue Holiday (elbow) is also questionable for the game against the Rockets but has played both ends of Boston’s prior back-to-backs. Add in Porzingis and Derrick White, who sat out that Spurs victory with a sprained ankle, and it’s possible that a three-game Week 14 becomes two for some Celtics stars, depending on who plays in the team’s final game of Week 13.
— Hawks place Trae Young in concussion protocol
Sunday morning, it was announced that Atlanta’s star point guard has been placed in the league’s concussion protocol after he suffered a head injury during Saturday’s loss to the Cavaliers. Young reportedly will not travel with the team ahead of Monday’s game against the Kings, and it’s possible that Wednesday’s matchup with the Warriors could also be off the table for him. As a result, managers who have Young rostered…
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