The NBA slate for Wednesday, January 23 features 10 games with a few high-profile matchups on tap. The national television schedule is also a good one for this slate with four potential playoff teams featured. We’re going to evaluate the full night of NBA action by breaking down the starting lineups, the latest injury report and television schedule.
Wednesday night’s national games are featured on ESPN and are set for 8:00 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. EST. But a few key talking points will be the situations with names like Kawhi Leonard, Andre Drummond, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons, Anthony Davis, and multiple others. More specifically, we know Leonard and Davis will be sidelined, with the latter set to miss extended time.
There’s a lot to look into, so let’s roll into the current starting lineups. This post will be updated as the day goes on with injury news/lineup updates.
Last updated: 7:05 p.m. EST
NBA Starting Lineups for Wednesday, January 23
*Note: All teams listed are projected starters and may change prior to tip.
Since there’s such a large number of games, this is broken into two sections. The first set of games will be the 7-7:30 p.m. tip times, with the second the 8:00 p.m. and later start times.
Projected Starting Lineups & Injury Report for Early Games
| Team | PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Raptors | Kyle Lowry | Fred VanVleet | Danny Green | Pascal Siakam | Serge Ibaka |
| Pacers | Darren Collison | Victor Oladipo | Bojan Bogdanovic | Thaddeus Young | Myles Turner |
| Clippers | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Patrick Beverley | Avery Bradley | Tobias Harris | Marcin Gortat |
| Heat | Justise Winslow | Tyler Johnson | Josh Richardson | James Johnson | Hassan Whiteside |
| Magic | D.J. Augustin | Evan Fournier | Jonathan Isaac | Aaron Gordon (Q) | Nikola Vucevic |
| Nets | D’Angelo Russell | Joe Harris | Treveon Graham | Rodions Kurucs | Jarrett Allen |
| Rockets | James Harden | Austin Rivers | Eric Gordon | P.J. Tucker | Kenneth Faried |
| Knicks | Emmanuel Mudiay | Tim Hardaway Jr. | Kevin Knox | Noah Vonleh | Enes Kanter |
| Cavaliers | Collin Sexton | Alec Burks | Rodney Hood | Cedi Osman | Ante Zizic |
| Celtics | Terry Rozier | Marcus Smart | Jayson Tatum | Marcus Morris | Aron Baynes |
Update: The Celtics ruled Kyrie Irving out with an illness, leaving Terry Rozier as the expected starter.
The Toronto Raptors will be without the same three players who missed Tuesday’s action in Leonard, Jonas Valanciunas and O.G. Anunoby. It’s expected that Leonard, who’s now missed three consecutive games for rest purposes, will return on Friday.
Although the outlook for Aaron Gordon may be somewhat trending up, the Orlando Magic forward is questionable due to a sore lower back. The Brooklyn Nets will again be without Allen Crabbe (knee) and Jared Dudley (hamstring), along with the expected names including Caris LeVert.
As for the shorthanded Houston Rockets, the battle to get healthy remains a fluid one, as Chris Paul, Clint Capela and Brandon Knight have all been ruled out. Houston signed Kenneth Faried prior to last game, who saw 23 minutes of court time against the eight Nene Hilario received in a start. Although that game was a blowout, it’s likely Faried will see more minutes once again. [Update: Kenneth Faried is starting for Nene Hilario (rest)]
While the New York Knicks have opted to roll with Luke Kornet as the starter over Enes Kanter, he’s out for this game with a sprained ankle. Kanter will start in his place, but rookie Mitchell Robinson should see a decent amount of minutes.
The Cleveland Cavaliers face a tall task when they head to meet the Boston Celtics and will again be without Tristan Thompson, who’s dealing with a foot injury. Both Larry Nance Jr. and Kevin Love remain out as well. On the opposite side, the Celtics are opting to rest Al Horford for this game, which means Marcus Morris should start at power forward.
Projected Starting Lineups/Injury Updates for Later Games
| Team | PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Spurs | Derrick White | Bryn Forbes | DeMar DeRozan | Rudy Gay | LaMarcus Aldridge |
| 76ers | Ben Simmons (Q) | JJ Redick | Corey Brewer | Wilson Chandler | Joel Embiid (Q) |
| Hawks | Trae Young | Kevin Huerter (D) | DeAndre Bembry | John Collins | Dewayne Dedmon |
| Bulls | Kris Dunn | Zach LaVine | Chandler Hutchinson | Lauri Markkanen | Robin Lopez |
| Pistons | Reggie Jackson | Bruce Brown | Reggie Bullock | Blake Griffin | Andre Drummond (Q) |
| Pelicans | Elfrid Payton | Jrue Holiday | E’Twaun Moore | Julius Randle | Jahlil Okafor |
| Hornets | Kemba Walker | Jeremy Lamb | Nicolas Batum | Marvin Williams | Bismack Biyombo |
| Grizzlies | Mike Conley | Garrett Temple (P) | Justin Holiday | Jaren Jackson | Marc Gasol (Q) |
| Nuggets | Jamal Murray | Malik Beasley | Torrey Craig | Paul Millsap | Nikola Jokic |
| Jazz | Ricky Rubio | Donovan Mitchell | Joe Ingles | Derrick Favors | Rudy Gobert |
Update: Jimmy Butler was ruled out and Joel Embiid has been listed as questionable now.
Both Ben Simmons (upper respiratory infection) and Jimmy Butler (sprained wrist) will be talking points of the Philadelphia 76ers injury report. Butler missed last game and there’s a decent chance he could remain out once again. On the San Antonio Spurs side, Davis Bertans (personal) has been ruled out.
Kent Bazemore (ankle) remains out, but Kevin Huerter, who was a late scratch last game due to a sore neck is currently questionable. On the Chicago Bulls side, there’s nothing new beyond Wendell Carter Jr. (thumb), who’s now expected to miss 8-12 weeks.
INJURY UPDATE: surgery is recommended for Wendell Carter Jr. which has an anticipated recovery and return to sport time of 8-12 weeks.
More information:
With Andre Drummond in the concussion protocol, he’s listed as questionable for the Detroit Pistons while Ish Smith is doubtful with a right adductor injury. This would be the third straight game missed for both players. The big talking point in this game is Anthony Davis, who’s index finger sprain is expected to sideline him for at least a few weeks, the New Orleans Pelicans are healthy otherwise.
Marc Gasol, who’s been the topic of trade rumors as of late, is questionable with back soreness but did play 35 minutes last game after a one-game absence prior. There seems to be a decent chance he plays, but if not he’ll join Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks on the sidelines.
The good news for the Denver Nuggets is that both Will Barton and Gary Harris are off the injury report. It’s worth noting that Harris could potentially move back into the starting lineup but he may still have a minute restriction. Juancho Hernangomez is currently questionable for the Nuggets with an abdominal strain.
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NBA Starting Lineups & Injury Report for Wednesday, January 23