The Late Cut: NBA $5,000 Friday

Friday is here and with it comes a good day of NBA on Draftstars. There are five matches to choose your lineups from, with the highlight of the day’s play being the San Antonio Spurs travelling to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder. The Spurs are on a roll, winning their last nine in a row. The Thunder’s main man, Russell Westbrook is coming off a career high 58 point game against the Trail Blazers. Tip-off for the day’s play is at 11.30am and with $5,000 up for grabs, you would be silly to not get involved.

Yesterday’s Score: 250.75

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Here is a team you may consider for the NBA $6k+ Tuesday competition

Point Guard

Mike Conley ($14,300)

Conley has been flying lately, scoring over 41 DS points in each of his last five matches. His form has mainly been on the back of his scoring, which he is averaging 28.5 points in those five games. Conley’s Grizzlies come up against the Clippers who are in a bit of a rut at the moment, Conley can easily have another good performance.

T.J. McConnell ($9,650)

McConnell has been somewhat inconsistent recently, especially in his last match against the Bucks where he finished with 2 points and 17.25 DS points. McConnell is usually good for around 10 points and 8-10 assists, which should get him close to 30 DS points. He has a good opportunity to reach that against the Trail Blazers who are not good a defending guards. In a fairly shallow slate, McConnell represents good value in the point guard position.

Shooting Guard

Devin Booker ($12,200)

Booker continues to impress in his second year, becoming a consistent scorer for the Suns. The Suns have been playing well recently, they have won three out of their last four and lost narrowly to the Wizards in their last game. Booker finished the game strongly, finishing with 25 points and 37.25 DS points. The Suns are up against the indifferent Lakers in a game which should be a shootout. Look for Booker to score really high in this match.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($9,300)

Although he can be inconsistent, Caldwell-Pope represents good value for your lineup. On his day, Caldwell-Pope is a good distance shooter, but he does have his off days. In his last two matches, Caldwell-Pope has shot at 22% and 82% from the field. Caldwell-Pope and his Pistons come up against the Cavaliers who are injury depleted.

Small Forward

Dario Saric ($10,400)

Saric continues to impress in his rookie season for the Sixers, averaging 37 DS points over his last three matches. Saric will continue to get plenty of minutes due to the numerous injuries that the Sixers are dealing with. The Sixers are taking on the Trail Blazers in what will likely be a shootout, which means that Saric should be able to score big.

Shawn Long ($5,000)

Long has been signed by the Sixers on a ten day contract, playing mainly in the centre position. Long was great in his first match, finishing with 13 points and 7 rebounds for a total of 23.75 DS points. If Long impresses, there is every chance that he will get another short term contract, so he has motivation to make every minute on court count.

Power Forward

Julius Randle ($12,850)

Randle has really impressed in March so far, averaging a healthy 43 DS points in his four matches. Randle has been doing it all, scoring, rebounding and assisting as he is proving to be one of the few shining lights in a dark season for the Lakers. Randle will continue to get plenty of minutes as he develops and is still good value at his salary. Randle should be able to dominate against the Suns.

LaMarcus Aldridge ($12,050)

Fresh from a day off, Aldridge should return to the starting lineup for the Spurs against the thunder. The Thunder front court is especially weak, which bodes well for Aldridge who is a quality scorer and rebounder. With all the recent focus on his teammate, Kawhi Leonard, Aldridge should be able to play without too much game planning against him. Look for a big performance from Aldridge.

Centre

Jusuf Nurkic ($13,650)

Nurkic has started life as a Trail Blazer in solid fashion, providing them with the rebounding and inside play that they were lacking. Nurkic has lifted his averge from approximately 20 DS points with the Nuggets to nearly 35 DS points after his trade. Nurkic is up against the Sixers who are severely depleted at the centre position. He should be able to dominate the boards and score at will, resulting in another big score.

The Line Up

PG: Mike Conley ($14,300)

PG: T.J. McConnell ($9,650)

SG: Devin Booker ($12,200)

SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($9,300)

SF: Dario Saric ($10,400)

SF: Shawn Long ($5,000)

PF: Julius Randle ($12,850)

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge ($12,050)

C: Jusuf Nurkic ($13,650)

Salary Remaining: $600