NBA Grind Down: Friday, October 31st - Page Two
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L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers
- Vegas Line – L.A. Clippers -10.5, 208.5 Over/Under
- L.A. Clippers Proj. Starters – Paul-Redick-Barnes-Griffin-Jordan
- L.A. Lakers Proj. Starters – Lin-Bryant-Johnson-Boozer-Hill
| L.A. Clippers | L.A. Lakers | |||||||||||
 | Vegas Total | 208 |  | Vegas Total | 208 | |||||||
| Vegas Sprd | -10.5 | Vegas Sprd | 10.5 | |||||||||
| Team Proj. | 109.50 | Team Proj. | 99.00 | |||||||||
| Team Pace | 98 | Team Pace | 99.23 | |||||||||
| Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | Matchup – Opponent DvP Ranks and Projected Starters | |||||||||||
| DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | DvP Rks | PG | SG | SF | PF | C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proj Starter | Chris Paul | J.J. Redick | Matt Barnes | Blake Griffin | DeAndre Jordan | Proj Starter | Jeremy Lin | Kobe Bryant | Wesley Johnson | Carlos Boozer | Jordan Hill | |
| Opp. Season | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Opp. Season | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Opp. Last 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Opp. Last 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
L.A. Clippers
The Clippers were not at their best last night. They barely held on to beat a Thunder team that was missing Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Reggie Jackson. Head coach Doc Rivers and on-court coach Chris Paul will not be happy with their team’s effort last night. Look for them to bounce back nicely against a Lakers team that has been throttled by the Rockets and the Suns in their first two games of the season. The Clippers are 11-point favorites in a game that features a total of 208 points. They are my favorite team to target in DFS tonight.
Prime Plays
Chris Paul – The Clippers offense starts and ends with Paul and he’ll make sure they get back on track tonight against the Lakers. While Paul didn’t play bad last night, he should be able to improve on his stat line of 22 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. The Lakers play little to no defense these days and Paul has a cupcake matchup against Jeremy Lin who has never been known for his defense.
DeAndre Jordan – Jordan only managed to put up 8 points and 10 rebounds last night against the Thunder. It was an uncharacteristically bad night for Jordan who typically has a very high floor thanks to his ability to rebound and block shots. In his defense, Steven Adams and Serge Ibaka are both solid low-post defenders. The same can’t be said for the likes of Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer who are going to have a tough time keeping DeAndre off the glass. Factoring in price, Jordan is one of my favorite overall plays tonight.
Secondary Plays
Blake Griffin – I wouldn’t blame you if you decide to take Griffin over Jordan tonight. Heck, against this weak Lakers’ frontcourt, both Griffin and Jordan could both pay off their salaries tonight. There is the potential for a blowout here, but the matchup is too good to ignore.
J.J. Redick – Sharp-shooting Redick got off to a slow start last night. That shouldn’t be a problem for him tonight as he’ll be matched up against Kobe Bryant who is not a good defender at this stage in his career.
L.A. Lakers
Considering the injuries and lack of a bench, the Lakers should fit the mold of what we look for when targeting value in daily fantasy basketball. The problem is that they’ve been so bad that their starters have yet to see a full complement of minutes. I’d like to say that they will be competitive tonight, but there’s no evidence to suggest that. The Clippers have owned the battle of L.A. for the past few years and that trend should continue tonight. I’m labeling the Lakers as GPP-only plays tonight.
Prime Plays
NONE
Secondary Plays
Kobe Bryant – As Dan said on his podcast today, “Kobe dropped a 40-burger” the other night against the Suns. Kobe still has a lot left in the tank (offensively at least) and he’s playing on a team that is having problems scoring. That’s great news for Kobe’s shot attempts.
Carlos Boozer – This is the third time in as many tries that Boozer has made the NBA Grind Down’s list of suggested plays. So far, he’s 0-1-1 as he had a decent game against the Rockets. The thought process on Boozer is still the same though. He’s the second option in a fast-paced offense and he should see extended minutes with Julius Randle out.
Jordan Hill – Hill always carries value as a GPP play. He has shown time and time again that he has a very high ceiling when given starter’s minutes.
Ed Davis – If you are looking to save some cap space, Davis is an interesting option tonight. Not only are his minutes on the rise after Julius Randle went down with his injury, but he’ll likely see all of the garbage time as well.