'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The final day of the week has us gearing up for six games to look out for. After the electrifying games yesterday, wherein the Sacramento Kings just managed to eke out a 111-110 win over the Indiana Pacers, who are missing Victor Oladipo, The New York Knicks managed to get a drama-filled, electric 136-134 OT win over the Milwaukee Bucks. The Detroit Pistons spoilt Steph Curry's return party by beating the Golden State Warriors 111-102.
There are 6 games to look forward to tomorrow morning, with the Dallas Mavericks against the Los Angeles Clippers pitting two really good rookies, Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Luka Doncic, against each other.
The Philadelphia 76ers would like to continue their great season against the Memphis Grizzlies, The Portland Trailblazers face off against a faltering San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat will play the Utah Jazz in a fun matchup.
Honourable mentions:
1. PG - Elie Okobo (Phoenix Suns), Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies)
2. SG - Jimmy Butler (Philadelphia 76ers), Lou Williams (Los Angeles Clippers)
3. SF - LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
4. PF - Tobias Harris (Los Angeles Clippers), Julius Randle (New Orleans Pelicans)
5. C - Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies), Jusuf Nurkic (Portland Trailblazers)
1. PG 1 - Damian Lillard (Portland Trailblazers):
There are way too many elite point guards starting the season and Damian Lillard has started off in that category. There were doubts about his calibre after the beating they had received against the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs, sparking concerns about the lack of support that Lillard has, apart from CJ McCollum.
There have been constant talks about blowing it up, and the talk had intensified even more this year, with LeBron James moving to the Los Angeles Lakers and Lillard wanting to play with him. But this doesn't seem to have affected Lillard or the Blazers in any way.
Lillard is averaging almost 27 points a game to go with 44 percent shooting. He is also averaging 6 assists and 5 rebounds per game as well, balling out like an All-Star this season as well. He has sometimes been the only one performing for the Trailblazers, carrying them through difficult games and coming out strong.
The Blazers are 13-9 this season and Lillard plays a huge part in it. Look for him to come up big against a Spurs team that is on a downward spiral, getting knocked down by at least 30 points in the past 2 games. This makes Lillard a very valuable player on your team tomorrow.
PG 2 - Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets):
The Charlotte Hornets have been a surprise this season. They are 11-11 and in the 7th position in the Eastern Conference, which is an amazing achievement for a team who have not added much talent but have had their players take a good leap. But nobody has taken a bigger jump this season than Kemba Walker. He has single-handedly won games for the Hornets this season and has the most points scored by a player this season with a 60 point effort against the Philadelphia 76ers.
He has been averaging a career high in points, rebounds and assists. He has scored 27 points per game this season, averaging 6.2 assists and 4.4 rebounds as well. He has improved leaps and bounds and the Hornets are benefitting from this. He will look to continue his great season against the New Orleans Pelicans.
SG 1 - Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz):
The Utah Jazz have a bad start to the season. Their defence is not as good as last year and neither is their offence. They can't seem to figure out what the problem seems to be but it starts with their star sophomore guard Donovan Mitchell, who was dealing with niggling injuries as well as a few shot selection issues. Everybody expected Mitchell to carry forward what was an amazing rookie season, averaging 20.5 points per game with 3.7 rebounds and assists a game.
But this season, he has almost been taking the same number of shots but averaging 21 points per game, a marginal increase on last season, his rebound numbers going down a bit and his assists staying the same. His 3 point shooting has become worse this season, down to 29% only. He has been playing really well since he has come back from his injury, scoring 29 and 30 points with good assists numbers and over 50% shooting. Look for him to have another good game against the Miami Heat tomorrow.
SG 2 - Jrue Holiday (New Orleans Pelicans):
Jrue Holiday has been having a low key amazing season with the New Orleans Pelicans. They are at 11-12 for the season, their defence has been really bad except for Jrue and Davis. They can outscore the opponent on their day but when they aren't firing on all cylinders, they do not have much to offer on the offensive end except Anthony Davis and Jrue. With the consecutive injuries to Elfrid Payton, Jrue has had to take a bigger scoring and passing role for the team.
He has been averaging a career-high 20 points per game, to go with an insane 9 assists a game as well, which is also a career high for Holiday. His rebounding is also on the up, averaging almost 5 rebounds per game. He has had a great season with the Pelicans up until now and there is no reason why it shouldn't continue given that Payton will not be back until the New Year.
SF 1 - Danilo Gallinari (Los Angeles Clippers):
The Los Angeles Clippers have been a huge surprise this season in the Western Conference. Nobody expected them to perform like they did this season, especially with how stacked the West has been.
They have the perfect blend of youth like Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Montrezl Harrell and veterans like Tobias Harris, Lou Williams and the player in the spotlight for tomorrow, Danilo Gallinari. He had an underwhelming season last year, when he was shipped off to the Los Angeles Clippers from the Denver Nuggets and had a lot of injury troubles.
This season though, he has returned to his old self, averaging 19 points per game, to go with 6 rebounds per game as well. He is shooting at 44% from the field but most importantly, almost 48% from the 3 point line, which is a career high for him as of now. He is going up against the ex-Clipper DeAndre Jordan. He should be having a good game against the Mavericks and should be a good buy for your team tomorrow.
SF 2 - Josh Richardson (Miami Heat):
The Miami Heat last time out had a great win over the New Orleans Pelicans 106-101, with Richardson having a great outing, a 20 point game with 3 steals and a block as well. The Heat will continue rolling on their 8-13 season against the Utah Jazz tomorrow and need their talisman Josh to play like his usual self again.
He is averaging around 20 points per game, which is 9 points higher than his career average. He also has the highest usage on the team for now, with Dragic out for a bit. Richardson is also averaging 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game as well. He is mostly a scorer and chips in with valuable secondary stats as well. He should be a lock for tomorrow's game against the Jazz.
PF 1 - Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans):
The Davis-led Pelicans lost to a spirited Miami Heat team last time they were on the court, 106-101. This is the first meeting between the Charlotte Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans this season and Anthony Davis looks to be in no mood to lose out on a playoff spot again this season. He had a mad game last time out, scoring 41 points and pulling 9 rebounds, along with 4 blocks as well.
He has averaged 27 points per game to go with 13 rebounds per game this season, which are MVP level numbers. He really has taken over this team and is getting really good support from Jrue Holiday and Nikola Mirotic among others.
He is also getting almost 5 assists per game which is great quality for an elite big man. He has been an amazing defender too, averaging almost 3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. He should be an instant lock for tomorrow's game against the Hornets who have a very weak backcourt.
PF 2 - Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers):
The Los Angeles Lakers have started the season in a somewhat underwhelming level, but now are realising how the team fits around LeBron James, having picked up the pace a bit and are now 13-9 for the season.
This is mostly due to James, but then he has a way better supporting cast around him this season than at Cavaliers and Kyle Kuzma seems to be the best among them. He has been playing really well and has been a step up from his rookie season.
He has been averaging the same 16 points per game to go with a regression in his rebounds this season, down to 5.2 rebounds. He has been slow to get into his role as a dynamic scorer and rebounder around LeBron but is now getting it really well and is the second option behind LeBron James. He should be a good pickup for the game tomorrow against the Phoenix Suns.
C 1 - Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers):
Joel Embiid has been having a great start to the season. He has always been outspoken and still is, making it great entertainment on and off the field. With the addition of Jimmy Butler by his side, the trio with Ben Simmons has now a look of a real finals contender. But none of this will seemingly work out without the biggest talent, Embiid. He had a 16 point, 15 rebounds along with 3 blocks last time out against the Washington Wizards in just 19 minutes.
He has averaged a career-high 28 points per game, along with a career-high 13 rebounds per game. An improved part of his game is his ability to draw fouls. He has been averaging almost 11 free throw attempts per game, shooting at 80%. He should be a lock for tomorrow against the Grizzlies.
C 2 - Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz):
As we discussed in one of the previous slides, The Utah Jazz are not doing too well to start the season. They are 11-12 this season but on a 2 game win streak for now.
The return of Donovan Mitchell seems to have coincided with their upturn in form, but Rudy Gobert is another player who the Jazz have to be thankful for as well. His unreal length along with his amazing rim blocking ability have given the Jazz a great footing. He had an amazing game against the Hornets, scoring 20 points to go with 17 rebounds.
Gobert has been averaging an awesome 15.5 points per game, to go with almost 13 rebounds per game and 1 steal and 2 blocks per game too. He shoots at an efficient 70% which is a career high for him for now and he seems to be in a form which makes him a great addition for the game tomorrow.
