NBA $10,000 WEDNESDAY: TIPS and SELECTIONS
Wednesday serves up a limited slate of NBA contests this week with just three games on offer .
The big dance, undeniably, is the heavyweight Western conference clash Denver hosting the Rockets. The Nuggets sit third in the conference with a 9-4 record, while the Rockets, expected to mount a strong challenge for the crown again this year, continue to disappoint at 5-7. This could very easily be a Western playoffs preview.
Out East, starting off the day, the middling Hornets travel to Cleveland to take on the worst team in Basketball, hoping for give their home crowd just a second reason to celebrate for the year.
The Warriors tasted a rare defeat yesterday in an overtime loss to the Clippers on the first game of a back to back. Fortunately for Golden State, as if they needed it, they get served up a struggling three win Hawks team to get back on track.
There’s $10,000 on offer across these match-ups, so let’s take a look at who might help us get there.
Kevin Durant – $18,580
He’s the second most expensive player on the board, but he’s ripe for the picking right now. With Steph Curry still out of action with a groin injury, the Warriors figure to continue to lean on KD more heavily than usual. He does have to back up from last night where he logged 39 minutes, where he also put up a 30 point triple double, but he’s more than capable of putting up bigger minutes when required. He faces a visiting Atlanta team that concedes the second most points per game in the NBA, the most turnovers and the most three pointers per game. The Warriors will have a point to prove after last night, a motivated Durant against a weak defense should make for plenty of points.
Kemba Walker – $16,720
The Hornets point guard has been putting up big minutes and big numbers lately, averaging 37 minutes, 27 points, eight assists and three triples per game over his last three outings. He’s on the road for this one, but it’s the most accommodating road trip in the NBA against a Cleveland team with just one win in 12 games. The Cavs are also missing five players through injury, including point guard George Hill, so Walker will see rookie Colin Sexton across the court who has been up and down in his efforts so far. Walker has the eighth highest usage rate in the NBA to date and should enjoy indulging on struggling competition here.
Larry Nance Jr – $10,740
With the Cavs struggling with injuries, and wins, the Nance found himself shifting from centre to PF in Cleveland’s last outing. The move corresponded with a big lift in minutes to 31, and what could have potentially been a monster night if not for some poor shooting. Nance posted a whopping 14 boards and 4 swats, outstanding numbers in those categories, but notched just two points letdown by 1-8 figures on the night. We know that he’s capable of doing better from the field, and while we can’t expect those boards and blocks to be the norm either, combined with the uptick in minutes it’s very encouraging. No match up looks good for Cleveland, but there’s much more intimidating teams than Charlotte that they’ll have to deal with also.
Omari Spellman – $8,320
The Hawks have been struck with numerous injuries, and Spellman has been gobbling up extra minutes extra minutes as a member of the starting lineup, at least temporarily. He’s averaged 28 minutes over his last three outings, and although he struggled from the field against the Lakers scoring just two points, he posted 18 and 14 point double doubles the two games prior with five threes. The match up is a daunting one, playing the Warriors at Oracle, but the injuries are there, so he’s going to keep getting the minutes and keep getting opportunities.
Jordan Clarkson – $9,220
With Kyle Korver looking set to miss this game, Cleveland find themselves heavily shorthanded, and the loss of Korver coupled with the absence of George Hill should force Clarkson into logging some big minutes. This won’t bother Clarkson, who has scored in double digits every game this season, averaging 15 on the year while also averaging seven boards and six assists over his last two outings. In his one game over 30 minutes this year, Clarkson put up an 11-9-8 line with a triple and a steal, so he can help you across the board. The Cavs are horrible, Clarkson is one of the few players who can consistently give them anything on the offensive end, so he’s going to continue seeing the ball.
Enter the NBA $10,000 Wednesday tournament.
NBA SCORING SYSTEM
Point Scored = 1 point
Missed Field Goal = -0.25 points
Missed Free Throw = -0.25 points
Assist = 1.5 points
Rebound = 1.25 points
Turnover = -0.5 points
Steal = 2 points
Block = 2 points
3 Point Made Bonus = 1 point
Double-Double = 2 points
Triple-Double = 2 points
NBA