NBA $15,000 SATURDAY: TIPS and SELECTIONS
A whopping 28 teams are in action on NBA Saturday, with almost every big star in the league set to be on display. However, the card serves up a large number of what, on paper look like big mismatches.
All eyes will be on the Warriors, having lost four straight, they host a Blazers team led by Damian Lillard who has been on absolute fire recently and will be licking their wounds after being lit up by Milwaukee. If the Warriors don’t get it together, they could be facing five losses on the trot.
A potential Western playoff showdown goes down between the so far disappointing Jazz and the surging Lakers, but most of the night looks like one way traffic.
With $15,000 up for grabs in the Saturday jackpot tournament, we take a look at some players you simply must have in your selections.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – SF/PF – $23,240
He’s the most expensive player on the slate Saturday, but the Greek Freak has been in blistering form of late as he continues to showcase himself as an MVP candidate. He’s coming off a 33-16-9-3 in 30 minutes in the Bucks obliteration of the Blazers and is averaging 29-13-6 in his last four outings. He’s a nightly triple double candidate, and he’s regularly chipping in steals and blocks along with it, along with warming up beyond the arc of late. This all sounds great on its own, but marry this up with the Bucks playing at home against a Phoenix team that has the second worst defensive rating on the road in the NBA and has lost three straight and it should be another destructive night for Giannis.
Danny Green – SG/SF – $7,700
Green had a quiet night in his last outing, but prior to that had put up double digit points in three straight. These aren’t huge numbers, but Green scores at times almost exclusively from the triple to pad his numbers, making a shade under three triples a game in his last four outings and almost four rebounds on average. The dramas in Washington are well documented, everyone is on the trading block, they can’t defend, and most importantly for Green, they concede the third highest three point percentage in the NBA. With Kawhi Leonard expected back, he’s going to demand attention, leaving Green as a low price option who could explode.
Steven Adams – C – $14,210
The big Kiwi continues to assert his developed offensive game and has now scored 18 points or more in six of his last seven games. He’s posted three straight double doubles, and five double doubles in his last seven.He’s not a stretch big by any means, but that isn’t going to hold him back against a Charlotte defense that concedes 50 points a game in the paint. The Thunder have been on the road for three straight, and now return home on a high after a comprehensive beat down of the Warriors so they should be running on high for the local crowd.
LaMarcus Aldridge – PF/C – $13,160
Aldridge continues to flirt with breaking back out again this year as his offensive game continues to show flashes of what we all know he is capable of. He’s been consistently putting up boards, grabbing double digits off the glass in eight straight including two nights with 18 and two with 16. The offense was missing earlier in the year, but it looks to be coming back, he’s put up 19, 7 and 24 in his last three. Obviously, that seven stands out, but I’m willing to grant him some reprieve there as he was up against Anthony Davis. The Spurs big men rotation has been run down by injuries, resulting in LA playing very big minutes and I’m expecting the baskets to continue falling.
Enter the NBA $15,000 Saturday 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