Hi All! We keep pushing through this early, zany part of the NBA Season and we’re doing well (just check the data below)! Here are my favorite plays today:
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NBA 20/21 Season: 207-152 (58%)
NBA 21/22 Season: 17-10, +11.2 units
MLB Season: 229-199 (54%)
NFL Season: 52-47, +10.9 units
Nets -8.5 (-110), 2 units and Pacers/Nets over 222 (-110), 1.5 units: Okay so tonight’s pick is pretty gross, I’ll give you that. I’m betting on one of the most media-fed teams in the NBA- I think they’re overrated and highly annoying- and yet here I am taking the points on a big line for this squad. The Nets have limped into the regular season and their allure has substantially diminished. When you think of the Nets, you think about explosive, high-paced offense, right? Yet so far they’re 25th in offensive efficiency and 26th in points at only 102 ppg. That’s pretty, well, shocking. James Harden has gotten off to a slow start, and while Kevin Durant is playing like we’d expect him to– dominant, confident, efficient– the rest of the Nets don’t seem to be gelling. Durant is averaging nearly 30 ppg and 10 rebounds already out the gate, but he’s not getting much help along the way. Blake Griffin is off, Joe Harris hasn’t been as electric from beyond the arc, and Harden is only averaging 16.6 ppg. Something has to give and why not tonight against one of the worst (and most depleted) defensive teams in the NBA?
The Pacers rank 26th in defensive efficiency so far this season. Even worse– their bench is producing at one of the lowest rates in the NBA. They already lack depth and additional injuries surely don’t help. Caris LaVert isn’t quite ready to return yet (at least that’s what reports tell me), and if he does play tonight he’ll almost definitely be on a minutes count after recovering from a stress fracture in his back (in basketball, that’s not ideal). Malcolm Brogdon is also out tonight, which leaves a tremendous amount of responsibility on Domantas Sabonis, Myles Turner, and a shallow bench to keep pace with Brooklyn.
This feels like a game where the Nets’ offense can finally get right. I expect some improvement both in their offensive output and pace against a weak Indiana rotation. I’m on the Nets and I expect a high total, too– 222 feels low for that narrative. Let’s go!
