NBA $15,000 SATURDAY: TIPS & SELECTIONS
Twenty teams are in action for NBA Saturday, led by a huge Eastern Conference showdown between Milwaukee and Boston. The Pistons and Hornets also collide in another Eastern top eight showdown.
Out West there isn’t much in the way of big games, but with 8-10 all sitting on the exact same records in the West, the Grizzlies visiting the Kings should be a tough, close encounter.
The Jazz look like they may have started to turn the corner after being the Warriors at home, so a road trip now to Portland will be a great test to see if they can back that up.
There is $15,000 up for grabs in the Saturday jackpot tournament.
LeBron James – SF/PF – $18,680
LeBron put up a monster 36-13-8 line in his last outing against Brooklyn, resulting in his second highest Draftstars score of the season. He now gets a cupcake match up against a disappointing Pelicans team that sits 26th in the NBA in points allowed, and faces the possibility of Anthony Davis not being on the court, currently listed as a game time decision. If the Brow can’t suit up, then LeBron looms as an even greater threat. To compound matters, Julius Randle has also been out of action and is listed as a GTD as well.
Jrue Holiday – PG/SG – $16,020
On the flip side to this, if Davis can’t go, and Randle can’t go, even more ball will need to filter to Pelicans star point guard Jrue Holiday. He was huge against Milwaukee, stuffing the whole stat sheet with 25-12-5-2-2 padded by five triples. Holiday doesn’t need the extra touches to put up big numbers, he is an all star quality guard. But on a struggling New Orleans team, without their superstar in AD, and without Randle who has been a dominant force in the starting lineup, Holiday’s usage rockets up against a Lakers team that still remains susceptible from deep.
Lauri Markkanen – PF – $10,730
Markkanen put up a dud in his last game with just eight points and six rebounds, but he remains cheaply priced for the type of crazy numbers he is capable of producing. As is customary with Lauri, even on that quiet night he was able to put up multiple triples. He posted back to back 41 scorers in Draftstars the two games prior so this shapes up as a bounce back game for the big Finn after just his third single digit scoring game this season.
Tim Hardaway Jr – SF/SG – $11,640
Coming off a big 27 point night against Phildalphia, Hardaway Jr will be excited to get his crack at the woeful Atlanta defense that remains the worst in the NBA. In two previous meetings with the Hawks this year, Hardaway has delivered with 31 and 34 point performances, resulting in his first and third highest scoring Draftstars performances this season. Putting up 19 or more points in five of his past six games, it’s difficult to see Hardaway struggling in this one.
Greg Monroe – C – $5,000
With Jonas Valanciunas out for the next month with a thumb injury, and Serge Ibaka also a game time decision for this game, there’s plenty of additional minutes available for Monroe. He had 21 in the Raptors last game against Indiana, and returned 13 points with eight rebounds. Indiana have the top defense in the league, while the Cavaliers languish in 17th and don’t have the bodies up front that the Pacers do, so it should be an easier outing for Monroe.
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