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Recommended plays for NBA action on 3/19:
PG: Rajon Rondo ($14,352): This just in: Rajon Rondo does not like the Miami Heat. After sitting out last night against the Mavericks, he should be good to go against the Heat. Since his return from injury, Rondo had returned to form with averages of 11.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds a game. He has four double-doubles in his last nine games played including an 18-assist night a few weeks ago against the Pistons. Despite how good the Heat are on defense, Rondo usually torches them; expect that again tonight.
SG: Kendall Marshall ($10,044): We are going to cheat a little bit tonight and put Marshall in at the shooting guard spot. With Jordan Farmar out for two weeks with yet another injury, it is back to Marshall as the only point guard on the Lakers roster. Marshall struggles to score, but given the fact that he will play well over 30 minutes, expect him to top 10 assists while tossing in a few points and some rebounds.
SF: Josh Smith ($14,508): With Andre Drummond out tonight, Smith should see more time at the four spot, which means more rebounds and hopefully fewer outside shots. Over his last two weeks, Smith is averaging 18.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks a night. His matchup tonight is with an equally small Denver front line, which means Smith should have a great shot to post a double-double with 3-4 blocks tossed in.
PF: Kenneth Faried ($15,634): In opposition to Smith tonight, the Manimal is playing the best basketball of his young career. He has scored over 15 points in every March game he has played, while also grabbing over 7 rebounds in each contest. Over the past two weeks those numbers have only increased, as he is posting 22.1 points and 10.4 boards a night. With neither team having a real low post threat, the lane should be wide open for both the Nuggets and Pistons to take advantage of in a big way.
C: Joakim Noah ($20,267): Noah is one of the highest-priced players in the game tonight, but with his recent play along with a matchup against awful Philadelphia, you can see why. He has two triple-doubles in March to go along with four double-doubles. Noah has also been a terror on defense, as he is blocking two shots a night and snagging 1.3 steals each game. Normally, we would worry about the blowout factor, but the Bulls tend to play their top players for huge minutes, so Noah should not be a candidate to rest much in this game, regardless of the score.