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Just nine games this Friday and within those nine games, four teams are playing on the second night of back-to-back. The Warriors, Clippers, Raptors, and Nuggets will be playing their second game in two days, and to make things worse, both Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic are not guarantees to play. That opens up room for other players to thrive, more specifically, both Will Barton and Jordan Poole are the next guys up to fill the gap left by their superstar teammates.
More news will be announced later, but until it's certain what rotations are being put on the court, that's two of the top teams possibly playing without their best player. Their offenses have no choice but to go through drastic changes to replicate any offense lost, but you are asking an injured Nuggets team to replace their MVP-center and the league-leading Warriors to replace their league-leading scorer. Neither things are coming easily regardless of the opponent.
MonkeyKnifeFight.com is always ahead of the curve with their canceling of contests amid postponements, so don't worry about wasting money on a player or game that might not play. As always, you can find me in the NBA Chat Room or @HalfCourtJester on Twitter with any questions, especially since lines and players are subject to change throughout the day.
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OKC @ MIL
Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL) MORE 25.5 Points - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) MORE 23.5 Points
With how much Giannis Antetokounmpo has improved, it seems criminal to give him a projected point total lower than 30 points each night. The Bucks aren't at full strength, and even with Antetokounmpo not forcing the issue, he's still leading this team in one, if not every, category each night. With the Thunder's defense, you can already start counting the points in the paint.
The Bucks defense isn't nearly as bad as Oklahoma City's and they have players willing to bump in the paint. This doesn't spell good things for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but lately, Gilgeous-Alexander has expanded his range and is finding ways to work form the outside-in. Unfortunately, he hasn't been converting those attempts at a great pace, but his willingness to assert himself as a shooter earlier in games is slowly developing although the Thunder are still fairly bad in terms of....everything not named Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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GSW @ DET
Stephen Curry (GSW) MORE 29.5 Points - Jerami Grant (DET) LESS 19.5 Points
There is a decent amount of information surrounding this game, and the first thing you are likely to notice is both of these players projected is significantly lower than in their previous contests. Even with blowout potential, that aspect hasn't stopped Stephen Curry in the slightest. There will be added variance because the Pistons are arguably one of the worst teams in the league, and with the Warriors being the best, it's hard to see any reason why Detroit would be able to stick around and make this game competitive. Regardless, the real news around this is that Curry might not even play. He has a questionable tag currently, and until it's clear what is going on, it's best to stay away until you know who is playing.
For Jerami Grant, it's pretty much a hopeless situation each night. Either he carries the offense and the Pistons still struggle, or Grant struggles and he doesn't play but 20-odd minutes because the Pistons are down by so much. That doesn't mean he won't be able to score, but look at his recent game log, any inspiration to bet the over is ruined by inconsistency and any reason to bet the under is capped by his usage. Despite adding talent, the Pistons have no choice but to rely on Grant for nightly production. In a vacuum, both players here are lined up to go over, but this is not a vacuum.
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IND @ CHA
Miles Bridges (CHA) MORE 37.5 Fantasy Points - Malcolm Brogdon (IND) MORE 36.5 Fantasy Points
You'll have to scroll to find this one, but both of these players are doing too much outside of scoring to risk taking the under here. It doesn't hurt that neither of these defense are providing much support, but the target here is usage. With the Pacers having little to no help from their wings, players like Miles Bridges will have an open lane and plenty of room to utilize it. Myles Turner deserves recognition for being one of the best centers in the league, but even the best defenders can't limit an offense catered to minimize their defensive impact. If the Hornets have any success running their offense and are able to pull Turner out of the paint, Bridges is going to be the main benefactor.
Similarly for Malcolm Brogdon, the Hornets have little to no defensive support coming from their guards. Charlotte's backcourt provides offense, but when it comes to defense, their speed and length doesn't account for their lack of experience and accuracy. In his past three games against the Hornets, Brogdon has yet to score under 20 points and with less defense no than before, the only thing stopping him from continuing that streak is himself.
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LAC @ NOP
Paul George (LAC) MORE 25.5 Points - Brandon Ingram (NOP) MORE 21.5 Points
Playing against the Pelicans has been nothing short of a stat-booster for most of the league's top players. Now that Brandon Ingram is back, the Pelicans have some type of sustainable offense, but being that limited will only get you so far with no help. Ingram has no choice but to take most of the shots for this team and even with some support, it's hard to see that pulling away from his natural scoring instincts. Until there's another Pelican on the roster that deserves the trust and more importantly, the usage Ingram is getting, there's little reason to take the under here.
If you think the Clippers stomp New Orleans and Paul George basically gets the night off, that's not a terrible assessment. Lazy, but not necessarily illogical. Despite what the box scores say, the Clippers are in a tough spot. Their only consistent player is Paul George, and it doesn't help that he qualifies as one of the few stars that is extremely prone to vanishing when he is needed most. Since this isn't a playoff game and there are no real lasting implications, it's safe to assume Paul George goes for 50 here.
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