Daily NBA Injury Report and Analysis for Monday, January 19
Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer
The NBA’s headline injury for January 19 is Jalen Brunson being listed as questionable for the New York Knicks, a slate-shaping status for a team that is 24-12 this season with Brunson versus 1-5 without him. With nine games on the board, several other high-leverage situations stand out, including Kawhi Leonard remaining out for the Los Angeles Clippers and Devin Booker landing questionable for the Phoenix Suns.
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Milwaukee Bucks @ Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta’s most significant swing piece is Dyson Daniels (ankle), who is questionable and carries considerable impact. The Hawks are 20-21 this season with Daniels versus 0-2 without him, and the net rating drop is steep (from -0.7 with him to -14.5 without). If he sits, Atlanta’s ball pressure and playmaking take a hit, and it also stresses a rotation already missing Kristaps Porzingis, who has 17.1 points per game and a 26.9% usage rate in his seventeen games.
For Milwaukee, Taurean Prince is out, and the Bucks have been far better with him available: 5-3 with Prince versus 12-21 without this season. That is a meaningful availability note in a matchup where both teams have negative net ratings overall.
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Cleveland Cavaliers
This game has significant injury weight on both sides. Oklahoma City lists Jalen Williams out, and the Thunder’s splits are extreme: 17-7 with Williams versus 18-1 without this season. Cleveland also has a key absence in Darius Garland, but the Cavaliers’ results have actually been better without him: 13-13 with Garland versus 11-6 without.
The more actionable Cleveland injury is Sam Merrill’s absence, which is a significant loss. Cleveland is 16-8 with Merrill versus 8-11 without this season, and the net rating swings from 6.3 with him to -2.1 without. Against an elite Thunder profile (league-best 13.0 net rating), Cleveland’s margin for error shrinks if the shooting depth is compromised.
Los Angeles Clippers @ Washington Wizards
The Clippers are again without Kawhi Leonard, a critical absence tied to a clear team-level drop: 15-14 with Leonard versus 3-8 without this season. That is the type of split that can move both sides and the total market, especially since Leonard is averaging 28.2 points per game with a 32.2% usage rate across 30 games.
Washington is missing Bilal Coulibaly (back), and the Wizards are 7-18 with Coulibaly versus 3-13 without this season, so the results have been poor either way. Still, his two-way role matters on a roster already struggling defensively (allowing 123.9 points per game). The Clippers’ recent form (a 5-0 last five) is also worth noting, but the Leonard split is the key driver.
Dallas Mavericks @ New York Knicks
This is the most injury-driven game on the slate. New York lists Jalen Brunson as questionable, and his potential absence would be massive. The Knicks’ season results are night and day: 24-12 with Brunson versus 1-5 without. Brunson’s production is also elite at 28.2 points per game with a 31.6% usage rate, so the offensive ecosystem changes significantly if he sits.
Dallas has multiple rotation losses, starting with Anthony Davis, who remains out for an extended period. Davis is a significant loss at 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in twenty games, and the Mavericks are 10-10 with Davis versus 7-16 without him this season. Dallas also lists Cooper Flagg (ankle) as questionable. If Flagg sits too, Dallas loses another high-usage scorer (Flagg at 18.8 points per game, 23.6% usage) and the team’s season split is also negative: 15-25 with Flagg versus 2-1 without (small sample, but it underscores how often he has been part of their main rotation).
Utah Jazz @ San Antonio Spurs
Utah’s most significant absence is Lauri Markkanen, which is a massive loss. The Jazz are 14-19 with Markkanen versus 0-9 without this season, and the net rating drops from -5.6 with him to -18.0 without. That is one of the clearest “priced into the side" injury profiles on the board, and it also matters for totals given Utah’s defensive numbers overall (allowing 127.6 points per game).
San Antonio lists Devin Vassell out, but the Spurs have held up: 23-9 with Vassell versus 6-4 without this season. Bettors should still respect the missing perimeter scoring (Vassell at 15.0 points per game), but the Spurs’ baseline is strong (a 5.1 net rating and 29-13 record).
Indiana Pacers @ Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia’s key player to monitor is Paul George, who is questionable. The 76ers are essentially unchanged in win rate with or without him this season: 13-10 with George versus 9-7 without, with a slight net rating difference (2.5 with, 1.9 without). Joel Embiid is listed day-to-day, but his impact tag here is low, and Philadelphia’s splits are also modest: 12-10 with Embiid versus 10-7 without.
Indiana is without Bennedict Mathurin, and the Pacers have not been competitive in either split: 5-19 with Mathurin versus 5-14 without. The more important takeaway is that Indiana enters with a 10-33 record and a -8.2 net rating, so Philadelphia’s injury news matters more for how bettors price the 76ers than for whether Indiana can replace Mathurin’s production.
Phoenix Suns @ Brooklyn Nets
Phoenix’s swing status is Devin Booker questionable, which carries a massive impact. The Suns are 23-14 with Booker versus 1-3 without this season, and the net rating flips from 4.4 with him to -17.0 without. That is a massive on-off profile for both sides and total markets, especially against a Brooklyn team on the back-to-back (Brooklyn is flagged as back-to-back, with one rest day and yesterday’s opponent listed as Chicago).
Brooklyn’s key player, Michael Porter Jr., is listed day-to-day, which would be a significant loss. The Nets are 12-20 with Porter versus 0-8 without this season, and the net rating falls from -2.6 with him to -16.1 without. If both Booker and Porter are trending toward sitting, this game can become a market guessing game, and bettors should wait for confirmation.
Boston Celtics @ Detroit Pistons
Boston’s leading player to monitor, Payton Pritchard (ankle), is questionable. The Celtics are 25-15 with Pritchard versus 1-0 without this season, so the record split is not informative given the small sample size. Still, he is averaging 16.6 points and 5.4 assists in 40 games, which is meaningful rotation value. Chris Boucher (back) is also questionable, but he has played only eight games, and the Celtics’ split is noisy (2-5 with versus 24-10 without).
Detroit has no listed injuries in the provided report, and the Pistons enter with a strong 29-10 record and 7.4 net rating, so Boston’s guard availability is the primary injury lever.
Miami Heat @ Golden State Warriors
Miami is without Tyler Herro, and the Heat have been much better without him this season: 4-7 with Herro versus 18-13 without. That is counterintuitive given Herro’s 21.9 points per game, but it is the split the market has to respect. Miami also lists Davion Mitchell out, which is a notable absence. The Heat are 21-17 with Mitchell versus 1-3 without.
Golden State’s key player to monitor, Draymond Green, is day-to-day, which would be a significant loss. The Warriors are 21-15 with Green versus 3-4 without this season, and the net rating drops from 3.8 with him to -1.3 without. If Green sits, Golden State’s defensive organization and playmaking take a hit in a matchup against a Miami team that is already reshuffling its backcourt.
Statistical Impact Analysis
The biggest season-long win rate swings on the slate belong to the New York Knicks without Jalen Brunson (24-12 with, 1-5 without), the Utah Jazz without Lauri Markkanen (14-19 with, 0-9 without), and the Brooklyn Nets without Michael Porter Jr. (12-20 with, 0-8 without). From a net rating standpoint, Phoenix without Devin Booker (4.4 with, -17.0 without) is the most dramatic profile, and it is paired with a similarly sharp Brooklyn drop when Porter sits (-2.6 with, -16.1 without).
Betting And Fantasy Implications
The market’s biggest “wait for news" spots are Suns @ Nets (Devin Booker questionable, Michael Porter Jr. day-to-day) and Mavericks @ Knicks (Jalen Brunson questionable, Cooper Flagg questionable). For fantasy managers, the clearest signal is opportunity consolidation in New York if Brunson sits. At the same time, Miami’s guard rotation remains thin with Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell out, which can concentrate ball-handling among the remaining starters.
Players To Monitor
- Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks
- Josh Hart, New York Knicks
- Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
- Paul George, Philadelphia 76ers
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
- Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
- Chris Boucher, Boston Celtics
- Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
- Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
- Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat
The Betting Edge
The cleanest injury edges come from teams with proven season-long drop-offs: New York if Jalen Brunson sits, Utah without Lauri Markkanen, and Brooklyn without Michael Porter Jr. The late-slate hinges are Jalen Brunson and Devin Booker’s statuses, because both teams’ net rating swings are extreme and can reshape both sides and total pricing.
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Data from Blitz. Stats as of January 19.
