Before we get to the games, I think it’s important to note how many possible blowouts we have today. There are four games with double-digit spreads, and I’m not betting on any of the underdogs to cover today. This slate may play really small.
Charlotte Hornets at Cleveland Cavaliers
Team Totals: Hornets 107.8, Cavs 111.8
Injury Report: Jalen McDaniels (D, ankle), Nick Richards (D, foot), Darius Garland (Q, back)
Hornets projected starters: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington, Mason Plumlee
Cavaliers projected starters: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Borrego quotes: Said he liked how the fourth-quarter lineup closed the game (LaMelo, Oubre, Thor, Washington, Jones), talked about free throws against the Bucks.
Bickerstaff quotes: Said they were standing around too much against the zone.
Stats and Notes:
*The Hornets are all over the place on the defensive end, but teams continue to play fast against them with a league-low 78.3% of possessions coming in the halfcourt in 2022. The bad news for the Cavs is they don’t play in transition much, so this matchup isn’t all that great for the Cavs with the Hornets sitting at 15th in halfcourt D. On the other hand, the Cavs have some terrible transition defense at 27th in points per play in transition in 2022, so it’s not as scary a matchup for the Hornets as you’d think. Besides the Cavs playing at the slowest offensive pace in the NBA, you can expect the Hornets to run like crazy to make this a better spot than you think for them. This game should be close, so you should want a piece here.
*LaMelo Ball will get the Isaac Okoro matchup, which isn’t a bad thing. The length of the Cavs will make it really tough for some of their secondary pieces to get going, and we’ve seen some signature Melo games when they face tough defenses. He’s mildly attractive in this spot.
*Terry Rozier could benefit from a good matchup as he’ll likely draw either Garland or Brandon Goodwin. The Cavs are a mediocre matchup for 3-point shooting, and Rozier has been super expensive anyway.
*The Cavs are just huge down low, so it’s tough to get excited about the frontcourt. I’m fine with Miles Bridges and the matchup against Lauri doesn’t cause much concern.
*The Cavs are tough to break down with the Garland Q tag. It’s an injury he’s going to have to play through, so he’s really tough to play if he does return. If he doesn’t play, Brandon Goodwin’s matchup is a little subpar against Rozier, but he’s still an option.
*Jarrett Allen gets a favorable matchup against Mason Plumlee and Montrezl Harrell. Mobley doesn’t get a big size advantage, so Allen would be the guy and he’s basically unaffected by Garland.
Indiana Pacers at Orlando Magic
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