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Wednesday hosts a 10-game NBA slate full of high-scoring matchups and inter-conference superstars facing off.With playoff implications meaning more and more every day, you need to stay ahead of lineups and announcements or beware some truly terrible breaks. While you don't have to worry about the specific players resting, you do have to worry about the implications that are a result of load management.
For example, Darius Garland continues to be in an ideal situation, commanding the Cleveland Cavaliers offense, but with Collin Sexton likely to come back this week, his stats and production is going to take a serious hit since both split usage fairly equally when they play. But until Sexton returns, Garland's upside is unmatched and it will take a drastic defensive effort from the Magic tonight to keep him from scoring.
MonkeyKnifeFight.com continues to be 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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ORL @ CLE
Darius Garland (CLE) MORE 21.5 Points - Cole Anthony (ORL) MORE 15.5 Points
Although Collin Sexton is nearing a return, he won't be back against the Magic and Darius Garland has seen an incredible boost because of his absence. Even after last game, he still posted a 13-point, 10-assists, double-double. The momentum is there regardless of how he plays, so going up against a team like the Magic, there's a good reason to think Garland is the head and shoulders of this offense for most of the night.
On the opposing side, Cole Anthony has seemingly returned to the form he established earlier in the season. He wasn't posting eye-popping stats, but he was showing improvement in key areas like decision making and defensive adjustments before he went down with an injury. The Magic have been on a losing streak and his recent stats aren't equating to wins, but that doesn't change the fact that he is taking shots and the team looks to him for that reason. His usage will continue to rise every game he plays, but the Magic's lack of talent elsewhere will affect his production against better teams.
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LAL @ WAS
Bradley Beal (WAS) MORE 30.5 Points - Anthony Davis (LAL) MORE 21.5
Anthony Davis' defensive impact is undeniable and the Wizards frontcourt is going to have to go above and beyond their ability to try and limit him. Washington has been forcing teams to score and even though the Lakers prefer to play at a slower pace, they have the talent outside of Davis to score with some of the best offenses. Even if they didn't, the Wizards porous defense allows for bench players to get open and, in short, make a name for themselves.
There won't be much defense outside of the Lakers frontcourt, so even though the Lakers are rightfully favored, there's no reason to doubt Washington on offense. As long as Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook are on the court, their team has potential and in a game like this, they are going to force the Lakers to keep up rather than getting in a defensive matchup that obviously favors the defending champions.
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NOP @ DEN
Nikola Jokic (DEN) MORE 27.5 Points - Zion Williamson (NOP) MORE 27.5
Nikola Jokic scored 29-points in his first meeting with the Pelicans, 37-points the second time, so it's clear he has no problem putting up stats against a sizable frontcourt. With Michael Porter Jr. playing well, Jokic has the choice to either support his shooters or assume the lead-scoring role every night. Being a pass-first big, you can already see where this game is going. Jokic is going to feed his shooters until he is forced to start scoring himself like he has the last two games. There's no specific reason to fade Jokic tonight, especially with both teams offenses ranking near the top of the league over the past six games.
For Zion Williamson, who has scored at least 30-points in both games against the Nuggets, the upside is similar. He might not be forced into usage right after tip-off, but the Pelicans know it doesn't take long to get Williamson warmed up. Just give him the ball and watch him push around "immovable" objects in the paint. Luckily, the Nuggets don't have THAT type of defense, so Williamson is more likely to be pushing around hybrid forwards more than actual big men. The only downside here is if the other Pelicans are just as successful at getting to the rim.
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