NBA Grind Down: Saturday, March 3rd

by Travis Mangone (Mangone) Last Updated 2018-03-03 17:42:43

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Welcome to the RotoGrinders NBA Grind Down. In this all-encompassing preview of today’s NBA action, every game will be broken down statistically, with several key elements highlighted in our charts.

Vegas lines are broken down to show projected Implied Team Totals, to give you an idea of who is favored to win, and often more importantly, how many points they’re expected to score. We also provide pace numbers, so you can spot a game that might have a few extra possessions and more opportunities for fantasy points.

We also provide position-by-position matchup rankings for every team, to give you an idea of the players who will be in better situations to succeed. Using Defense versus Position data, every projected starter is listed along with his opponent’s rank in points allowed to players of his position. These color-coded charts will help you spot the best matchups of the night at a glance.

If you want to try a new DFS site, be sure to click through a RotoGrinders link and use promo code “GRINDERS” to receive the best perks in the industry.

Legend & FAQ

Memphis Grizzlies at Orlando Magic – 7:00 PM ET

Memphis Grizzlies							Orlando Magic
			Vegas Total							Vegas Total
			Vegas Spread							Vegas Spread
			Implied Team Total							Implied Team Total
			Pace Projection +/-		1.2					Pace Projection +/-		-2.8
Projected Starters	Andrew Harrison	Dillon Brooks	Jarell Martin	JaMychal Green	Deyonta Davis		Projected Starters	D.J. Augustin	Evan Fournier	Jonathon Simmons	Aaron Gordon	Nikola Vucevic
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	30	27	23	26	23		DvP	16	22	10	11	1
DRPM Rat.	18	24	30	22	7		DRPM Rat.	22	17	23	28	25

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzles have been the team of the week to roster in DFS with all their injuries and great matchups on the board. Grizzles week continues with Marc Gasol ruled out for this game and drawing one of the best matchups on the board, the Orlando Magic. The Magic are ranked 28th in points allowed per game, 27th in defensive efficiency and are in the top ten in pace. If you don’t know this by now – the Magic are a great team to target in DFS.

Marc Gasol has already been ruled out for rest. This is big news and brings most of the Memphis big men in play now on this slate. JaMychal Green is also questionable with an illness and his status is going to be important before lock. The best thing I can say about the Grizzles is that we need to wait until we have more news and monitoring this news might be the most important thing that you do leading up to lock time. Jarrell Martin is going to be one of the better forward value plays on Memphis and then followed by Ivan Rabb. The main guy that you are going to want to focus on is Martin who should be the chalk and a great play at $4700. If Green plays he will be a great value and someone that we will want to get a lot of exposure to, even coming off an illness.

The Grizzles backcourt could be a mess too. With Tyreke Evans out and Andrew Harrison questionable, there are a lot of opportunities out there for Memphis value plays to become elite plays. If Harrison sits, Mario Chalmers is a great value play at only $4500. He got a $1000 price increase, so he feels pricier than yesterday but don’t worry about that. Even at this price Chalmers is going to be one of the best value plays if Harrison sits. “(player-popup #wayne-selden)Wayne Selden Jr was also dealing with an injury and played yesterday but only on limited minutes. I would assume on the second night of a back to back they keep his minutes monitored still which will be great for the backcourt value. It is important to note that if we get news on Selden playing full minutes he becomes more in play. Myke Henry, Ben McLemore and Dillon Brooks are all other guard value plays that we should be considering on this slate. We can make good cases for all of them if Harrison sits and news on Harrison and Green is going to be very important before deciding what to do with Memphis value plays.

Notable Injuries Marc Gasol and Tyreke Evans (out) Jamychal Green and Andrew Harrison (questionable)

Memphis Grizzlies Offense

Points Per Game: 98.9 (30 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: ( of 10)
Projected Point Differential: #VALUE! ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Orlando Magic

Points Allowed Per Game: 110.2 (28 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.1 (27 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -4.2 (29 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.7 (8 of 30)

Elite Plays – Mario Chalmers (if Harrison is out) Jarell Martin

Secondary Plays – Will update other plays once we have more Memphis news or by 2:00 pm EST

Orlando Magic

It’s worth noting that this game is a battle of two bad teams that are tanking and trying to lose games. The Magic are certainly part of this group trying to lose games but there are still some decent plays for DFS on Orlando. A matchup against Memphis is never the best because they are ranked last in pace, but they make up for that slow pace with their poor defense.

I typically don’t target Memphis, but this is a different team and since we have interest in some of these value plays there are reasons to consider running it back with some Magic plays. I also think some Magic players are underpriced, for instance Nikola Vucevic for only $7100 is just too cheap. Since returning from injury he had his minutes being monitored but yesterday against Detroit he played 5 more minutes then he has since returning from injury. In 38 minutes he had 47.5 DraftKings points and with Marc Gasol out, I don’t see the Grizzles having an answer for Vucevic down low. At that price there is a ton of upside and I think this is a great time to jump on Vucevic before the price increases. The case I made for Vucevic can be made for Aaron Gordon and I think he is a very similar play to Vucevic. I just think that Gordon is a little more inconsistent and at a similar price I prefer Vucevic.

Evan Fournier is always a consistent safe cash game consideration. I think he is in play again on this slate and someone that you can look to roster at $5800. He isn’t one of my favorite plays but a secondary one that we should look at. DJ Augustin is still only $4600 and continues to crush most nights starting. At his price I think he is a good secondary option that could go overlooked with everyone gravitating to the Memphis value.

Notable Injuries Terrence Ross (out)

Orlando Magic Offense

Points Per Game: 105.6 (15 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: ( of 10)
Projected Point Differential: #VALUE! ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Points Allowed Per Game: 103.5 (6 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 107.0 (19 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -1.6 (24 of 30)
Pace of Play: 96.7 (30 of 30)

Elite Plays – None

Secondary Plays – Nikola Vucevic

Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat – 7:30 PM ET

Detroit Pistons							Miami Heat
			Vegas Total		205.0					Vegas Total		205.0
			Vegas Spread		5.5					Vegas Spread		-5.5
			Implied Team Total		99.8					Implied Team Total		105.3
			Pace Projection +/-		-2.2					Pace Projection +/-		-1.0
Projected Starters	Ish Smith	Reggie Bullock	James Ennis	Blake Griffin	Andre Drummond		Projected Starters	Goran Dragic	Josh Richardson	Justise Winslow	Kelly Olynyk	Hassan Whiteside
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	5	12	3	6	6		DvP	10	10	25	19	5
DRPM Rat.	22	8	2	16	1		DRPM Rat.	16	25	26	25	7

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons were fun for about a week when Blake Griffin joined the Pistons. Ever since then they have been quite frustrating and not the best team to roster in DFS. They draw a matchup against one of the teams that I don’t like to target in the Miami Heat. Miami is ranked in the top ten at defending four of five positions on the floor, are ranked 4th in points allowed per game and 9th in defensive efficiency. On top of that they are ranked in the bottom ten in the league in pace. This is just not a team that I like to pick on and the Pistons are going to be a team that I will be underweight on today.

Andre Drummond may look cheap at $9200 on DraftKings but there is no need to pay for him in this matchup. I understand Drummond can go off if he gets going but I just don’t see this being a matchup I want to target, and I prefer other centers on this slate. Blake Griffin has a much more appealing price at $7400 but in this matchup, I would need more of a discount to play him. The only way I could see myself touching Blake is if there was too much value and I could pay up for his raw points on a site like FanDuel where I must play two Power Forwards. The fringe wings and guard options on Detroit are all out of play for me on this slate and just bad plays. The only other guard I would consider on this team would be Ish Smith, but Miami plays great team defense against guards. This makes Ish Smith out of play for me and I will have as little exposure to the Pistons as possible on this slate.

Notable Injuries None

Detroit Pistons Offense

Points Per Game: 103.2 (24 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 99.8 (9 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -3.5 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Miami Heat

Points Allowed Per Game: 102.0 (4 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 104.4 (9 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 0.6 (12 of 30)
Pace of Play: 97.3 (26 of 30)

Elite Plays – None

Secondary Plays – Blake Griffin (fanduel specific)

Miami Heat

The Miami Heat were very popular on Thursday going up against the Lakers and I expect that be the same here on Saturdays slate against the Pistons. Both Wayne Ellington and Tyler Johnson missed Thursdays game and both are considered doubtful for today. This news is going to be important and if both are ruled out we are going to gravitate to the Heat guard value plays. This game has an implied total of 205 and is not a game we would typically get a ton of exposure to. The value is going to be important in Miami and if these guys get ruled in, it would certainly change my outlook on this game.

Since Ellington and Johnson are doubtful, I am operating with the understanding that both won’t play in this game. This makes Dwyane Wade and Josh Richardson strong plays on the wing, becoming good value plays. Wade’s price has increased on DraftKings and that makes me more interested in Richardson if I had to pick between the two. I think Wade is a fine play on DraftKings, but I prefer him more on FanDuel because I must play two shooting guards there and he is still only $4800. Goran Dragic is also in play with Tyler Johnson out. The price may seem high but with no Johnson he should command most the usage and could be solid. He’s not one of my favorite point guard plays at that price but he is in consideration. Justise Winslow is cheap and could be a nice filler play when making a bunch of tournament teams, but he is very inconsistent for my liking.

The frontcourt disappointed last game out against the Lakers. James Johnson has been disappointing this year, Kelly Olynyk was annoying last game out and Whiteside’s lack of fourth quarter run hurts his upside. There are many reasons to be frustrated with this frontcourt and with them all healthy I think I will do my best to stay away. The one thing that I think could get me back in, especially in cash games would be “(player-popup #kelly-olynyk)Kelly Olynyk”:/players/kelly-olynyk-16845’s price around the industry. I know he was bad last game and only played 13 minutes, but I don’t expect that to happen again. He is only $4100 on FanDuel and $4400 on DraftKings. The Pistons run two bigs often which means the Heat should match that and I could see Olynyk as an elite play today. It just hurts playing him again after that last disappointing game.

Notable Injuries Wayne Ellington and Tyler Johnson (doubtful) Bam Adebayo (out)

Miami Heat Offense

Points Per Game: 101.3 (28 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 105.3 (5 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 4.0 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Detroit Pistons

Points Allowed Per Game: 103.8 (9 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 105.4 (11 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -0.1 (16 of 30)
Pace of Play: 98.5 (21 of 30)

Elite Plays – Dwyane Wade (fanduel more than draftkings) Josh Richardson and Kelly Olynyk

Secondary Plays – Goran Dragic

Denver Nuggets at Cleveland Cavaliers – 7:30 PM ET

Denver Nuggets							Cleveland Cavaliers
			Vegas Total		228.0					Vegas Total		228.0
			Vegas Spread		5.0					Vegas Spread		-5.0
			Implied Team Total		111.5					Implied Team Total		116.5
			Pace Projection +/-		0.5					Pace Projection +/-		-0.5
Projected Starters	Jamal Murray	Gary Harris	Will Barton	Paul Millsap	Nikola Jokic		Projected Starters	George Hill	J.R. Smith	Cedi Osman	LeBron James	Tristan Thompson
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	29	23	29	17	18		DvP	26	5	15	23	19
DRPM Rat.	25	27	14	19	29		DRPM Rat.	28	6	26	3	11

Denver Nuggets

This game is the battle of RotoGrinders own BigT’s favorite teams the Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers. This is one of the best games on the board today with a 228 total and the game you probably want the most exposure to. The Cleveland Cavaliers may be a totally different team, but they are still worth targeting on this slate.

Nikola Jokic is always in play because of the upside that he has. His price is up where it should be now, and we don’t get him at a discount like we have been in the past. I think Jokic is an elite play here but I don’t think he is worth paying for right now. With Millsap’s return it has hurt Jokic so far and although I don’t think that Millsap eats into his production too much at that price it is enough to have me worried. Jokic can go off on almost any slate and I think he must strictly be a tournament play today. Paul Millsap is still cheap around the industry and is going to be a secondary play at that price. If we get word he has no minute’s restriction, then he would be an elite play, but I need to wait until we get word on what his minutes will be.

Since I won’t be getting exposure to Denver through Jokic right now I need to find another Denver plays to roster. My favorite play from this game is going to be Gary Harris. He draws a great matchup and is going to be needed a ton defensively. This is an elite spot for Gary Harris and someone that I want to be overweight on. Will Barton is someone that I love to roster but at his price I think he is more of a tournament play. If I did play him I like his price more on DraftKings where I can play him for $500 less. Jamal Murray is another Nugget that feels priced up for my liking and is strictly a tournament plays here. The return of Millsap seems to have eaten into his production slightly and I am going to wait for the price to go down a bit in cash games. I think in tournaments he has upside at and should be in play. Other than the guys mentioned I will pass on the rest. Wilson Chandler, Trey Lyles and Mason Plumlee are just unnecessary with Millsap’s return and I don’t need to risk those plays on this slate.

Notable Injuries None

Denver Nuggets Offense

Points Per Game: 108.4 (8 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 111.5 (3 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 3.1 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Points Allowed Per Game: 109.8 (26 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 109.4 (28 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: -2.2 (25 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.0 (14 of 30)

Elite Plays – Paul Millsap and Gary Harris

Secondary Plays – Will Barton (draftkings) and Jamal Murray

Cleveland Cavaliers

The new look Cavaliers have lost 2 of their last three games. Is it time to panic and say they might not make the playoffs?? They are obviously fine and still working through some new things and we are still trying to pinpoint the best ways to use this new look team. This game has a 228 total and is going to be a game that we are going to want a lot of exposure to.

LeBron James is likely the stud you want to pay up for today. This is a great spot for him and when you compare him to the other stars on the slate he is the guy that you want. We all know LeBron James is good at basketball, I don’t have to tell you that. Even though he is the most expensive guy on the slate when we compare him to other stars and have a ton of value I think it is easy to get exposure to him. He is also part of a 228 total where they are five-point home favorites! I will just plug in my 60 fantasy points and keep building my lineups.

I am torn at what I want to do with the rest of the Cavaliers. I think this is an interesting spot to take a shot on Jordan Clarkson in tournaments because the matchup fits him well and the price is too cheap for his upside. He is strictly a tournament play, but I think this could be a good spot to take a shot on him if you have not been since he joined Cleveland. It’s tough to peg what Cleveland is going to do with guys like Nance, Green and Hood. I think all these guys could step up any night and be the guy but it’s just tough to know who its going to be. I will have most my exposure to Lebron but if I had to pick someone else to roster it would be George Hill. I think he will be needed a ton defensively to try and slow down these Denver guards. Hill has upside at that price and I think he is a good secondary cash game and tournament play. I forgot to mention that there will be no soup for me on this slate. Even though it is a J.R. Smith revenge game, I think it has been long enough and it is safe to say he won’t be throwing soup in Denver or anytime soon.

Notable Injuries None

Cleveland Cavaliers Offense

Points Per Game: 109.9 (5 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 116.5 (1 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: 6.6 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Denver Nuggets

Points Allowed Per Game: 107.5 (20 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 108.3 (25 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 3.4 (3 of 30)
Pace of Play: 99.0 (17 of 30)

Elite Plays – LeBron James

Secondary Plays – George Hill

Boston Celtics at Houston Rockets – 8:30 PM ET

Boston Celtics							Houston Rockets
			Vegas Total		216.5					Vegas Total		216.5
			Vegas Spread		8.5					Vegas Spread		-8.5
			Implied Team Total		104.0					Implied Team Total		112.5
			Pace Projection +/-		0.7					Pace Projection +/-		-1.2
Projected Starters	Kyrie Irving	Jaylen Brown	Jayson Tatum	Al Horford	Aron Baynes		Projected Starters	Chris Paul	James Harden	Trevor Ariza	P.J. Tucker	Clint Capela
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	7	18	11	4	24		DvP	1	2	9	3	10
DRPM Rat.	1	17	15	9	3		DRPM Rat.	23	2	5	2	1

Boston Celtics

This is a great spot for the Celtics and is the big ABC game of the night. The Rockets are one of the best teams in the league so this should be a good test for the Celtics and an all around fun game to watch. From a DFS perspective this is great for Boston because it is a good pace up game for them. I also think some of these Boston plays are under priced and we can take advantage of their prices on this slate.

I can’t figure out why Al Horford has been so bad. He is going to pop in any model you look at because $6100 is too cheap. The problem is that I think he fits this game well, but he has scored 18 or less fantasy points in 4 of his last 5 games. That is terrible even for $6100 and it has me worried to roster him. He also only saw 21 and 23 minutes in his last two games which is very concerning. Those games were ugly blowouts, so I would assume that was the reason for it. I really want to play Horford in cash because if he gets 30 minutes in this game he could smash his price tag. I think he is an elite tournament play and at this price is someone that I will be considering in my cash games.

Kyrie Irving is a great player and can have a big game at any time. At this price I am probably going to just pass on Kyrie because he is priced up, has a tough matchup against Chris Paul and I prefer other point guards today. I think players like Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Marcus Morris are all cheap and plays that you can mix and match in your tournaments. I don’t have a hot take on one over the other, but I like Marcus Morris price over on FanDuel. It’s also worth noting for any narrative street fans that it is Anthony Davis, I mean “(player-popup #jayson-tatum)Jayson Tatum”:/players/jayson-tatum-37782’s birthday today.

Notable Injuries Daniel Theis (questionable)

Boston Celtics Offense

Points Per Game: 104.1 (21 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 104.0 (8 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -0.1 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Houston Rockets

Points Allowed Per Game: 104.9 (11 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 104.3 (7 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.3 (4 of 30)
Pace of Play: 100.2 (11 of 30)

Elite Plays – None

Secondary Plays – Al Horford and Marcus Morris

Houston Rockets

The Rockets get one of the toughest matchups on the board tonight against a Celtics team that plays great team defense. The Celtics are ranked 2nd in points allowed per game, 1st in defensive efficiency and 22nd in pace. This is a game that on paper you think you will want a ton of exposure to but the more and more I think about it, I think this is a better game to watch and enjoy from a real-life basketball perspective, rather than a DFS one.

James Harden and Chris Paul are great basketball players and can go off in any matchup but today is a tough matchup for these two. It’s also a slower paced game and with the Rockets finally 100% healthy it just seems like a spot that we don’t have to go crazy on Rockets. I think Harden is more in play on FanDuel because we must roster two shooting guards. If you force me to pick between Harden and LeBron give me LeBron. If you think Harden will be low owned in tournaments and you like him don’t let me talk you off him. He is James Harden and he can go off against anyone. I also think if I had to pick between Harden and Paul that I would lean Chris Paul. I like this spot more for him and I get him at a nice discount from Harden. He is only $8300 on FanDuel and $7900 on DraftKings. The more and more that I think about it I think Chris Paul is just too cheap for what he can do and is going to be an elite play for me.

Notable Injuries Ryan Anderson (out)

Houston Rockets Offense

Points Per Game: 113.8 (2 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: 112.5 (2 of 10)
Projected Point Differential: -1.3 ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Boston Celtics

Points Allowed Per Game: 99.9 (2 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 101.1 (1 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 0.3 (14 of 30)
Pace of Play: 98.3 (22 of 30)

Elite Plays – Chris Paul

Secondary Plays – James Harden and Clint Capela (draftkings)

Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs – 9:00 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers							San Antonio Spurs
			Vegas Total							Vegas Total
			Vegas Spread							Vegas Spread
			Implied Team Total							Implied Team Total
			Pace Projection +/-		-2.6					Pace Projection +/-		3.6
Projected Starters	Lonzo Ball	Kentavious Caldwell-Pope	Brandon Ingram	Julius Randle	Brook Lopez		Projected Starters	Dejounte Murray	Patty Mills	Kyle Anderson	Davis Bertans	Pau Gasol
Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C		Opponent Rank	PG	SG	SF	PF	C
DvP	2	3	5	1	11		DvP	24	25	28	27	8
DRPM Rat.	1	28	1	24	5		DRPM Rat.	2	8	17	18	20

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers come into this game as six-point road underdogs against a banged-up Spurs team. The Lakers have their own issues as well with Josh Hart out for the year and Brandon Ingram questionable for this game. This is not the greatest spot for the Lakers, going up against the second slowest paced team in the league, the second ranked team in defensive efficiency and the top ranked team in points allowed per game. I typically don’t target the Spurs a ton but if Ingram is out there will be some decent value to target.

One of my favorite center options on this slate is Julius Randle. I think his price is fair around the industry, but I think in this matchup he could have a massive game. In Randle’s last ten games he is averaging 39.125 DraftKings points per game. People may get worried about a matchup against the Spurs, but I think this is a great spot for Randle. I will let others worry about the matchup and make Randle an elite center option for me on this slate. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is another option that I would look at because he should play a pile of minutes and is too cheap for his price. KCP is a great play even if Ingram plays and will still be someone I want exposure to if Ingram is out. I am slightly concerned about Lonzo Ball and Isaiah Thomas in this spot. I think Ball is too cheap and has upside at this price. The matchup is tough I have been looking for a spot to take Lonzo at this cheap price. I think I likely just stay away and play Randle instead. Last thing to note about the Lakers, if Ingram sits I expect Kuzma to get some more run. I understand the Spurs isn’t the greatest matchup on the board but if Ingram sits this will open a lot of value here and we will have to give the Lakers plays more consideration.

Note : Ingram is now out and gives a boost to Kuzma and the Lakers should have a very tight rotation. It will likely be about an 8 man rotation and this is a team we will want to target because they should play a ton of minutes.

Notable Injuries Josh Hart (out) and Brandon Ingram (out)

Los Angeles Lakers Offense

Points Per Game: 108.3 (9 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: ( of 10)
Projected Point Differential: #VALUE! ( of 10)

Matchup vs. San Antonio Spurs

Points Allowed Per Game: 99.2 (1 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 102.3 (2 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 2.1 (6 of 30)
Pace of Play: 96.9 (29 of 30)

Elite Plays – Julius Randle

Secondary Plays – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Lonzo Ball

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are dealing with some injuries and are still six-point favorites here tonight. I expect this game to be close and think that the injury news in this game will be critical. This is a great spot for the Spurs plays especially if we get value. The Lakers are ranked 27th in points allowed per game and are the fastest paced team in the league. They are surprisingly ranked 11th in defensive efficiency but that doesn’t matter because at the pace they play at the Lakers allow a ton of fantasy points. This is going to be a game we are going to want to target and could be a sneaky game stack if the right plays sit.

This is lining up to be the Spurs sit all their players game with Lamarcus Aldridge doubtful and Pau Gasol questionable. If these two sit Davis Bertans and Joffrey Lauvergne will be great sources of value on this slate. I also think Rudy Gay could be an interesting play with Lamarcus Aldridge out. Aldridges usage has to go somewhere and at Rudy’s price even if he sees only minutes in mid-20’s I think he is an elite play on this slate. Dejounte Murray is pricier than a lot of these spurs but he could see a good amount of usage here. I know Lonzo Ball is a good defender along with KCP and that could make things difficult for Spurs guards. Murray is still in play and a good option. In the end I think we are going to want to get some Spurs exposure and we will mainly want to do that with the forwards and centers today. I also don’t hate some guards like Mills, Anderson and Green but I would prioritize the forwards over the guards in San Antonio.

Note: Pau Gasol is now probable. He is going to get a nice boost with no Aldridge and is going to be an elite center play. Bertans will still be in play and Lauvergne would take a hit from what I was expecting. Gasol also eats into Gay and Murrays usage but I still think they are fine plays. Gasol is an elite option

Notable Injuries Lamarcus Aldridge (out)

San Antonio Spurs Offense

Points Per Game: 102.2 (26 of 30)
Implied Implied Team Total: ( of 10)
Projected Point Differential: #VALUE! ( of 10)

Matchup vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Points Allowed Per Game: 110.0 (27 of 30)
Defensive Efficiency: 105.4 (11 of 30)
Rebounding Differential: + 1.6 (10 of 30)
Pace of Play: 103.1 (1 of 30)

Elite Plays – Pau Gasol, Davis Bertans and Rudy Gay

Secondary Plays – Dejounte Murray and Kyle Anderson

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