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.