A lot of B2B here and some Q tags, so availability is a big factor today. Let’s get to it!
New York Knicks (back end) at Charlotte Hornets
Team Totals: Knicks 109.8, Hornets 116.3
Injury Report: Julius Randle (likely Q, quad), Gordon Hayward (O, ankle)
Knicks projected starters: Alec Burks, R.J. Barrett, Evan Fournier, Obi Toppin, Mitchell Robinson
Hornets projected starters: LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier, Miles Bridges, P.J. Washington, Mason Plumlee
Thibodeau quotes: Said he’s giving consideration to everything (think he was talking about starting lineup), said they were a step behind against the Jazz, said he wasn’t sure what happened to Julius Randle.
Borrego quotes: Said Mason Plumlee changed the game to help close, said Plumlee’s energy and defense was key, said they locked in on defense to offset some missed shots.
Stats and Notes:
*The Knicks have been very good on the defensive end and they’re doing an excellent job of keeping teams in the halfcourt. Interestingly, the Hornets have the No. 1 offense for halfcourt scoring since the break while their defense has been in the middle of the pack. The Hornets have been a vulnerable at-rim defense while the Knicks have really been steady in that department this year.
*We’ll have to wait and see on Julius Randle, but it didn’t sound like yesterday was a pure rest situation. If he can’t go, it’s not the best matchup for R.J. Barrett as he likely sees a decent amount of Miles Bridges, but Barrett continues to play just insane minutes. He’s certainly in play.
*Obi Toppin ran a little bad yesterday with foul trouble and Immanuel Quickley getting it going a bit. Assuming no Randle, Toppin should be important in this matchup in a pace-up spot and they will need his size, so he would likely be good chalk.
*Alec Burks’ matchup isn’t quite as good, as he likely sees a decent amount of Terry Rozier. He’s still solid for what could be a lot of playing time, and the Hornets can bleed 3-pointers at times.
*There are a lot of good plays on the Hornets side. LaMelo should get a tired defense with a matchup against Alec Burks. Borrego is also playing him with Isaiah Thomas more, so that slightly lowers the risk of IT cutting him down. LaMelo is a pretty good play.
*Miles Bridges gets a decent spot here, as he likely sees Obi Toppin or Julius Randle on the other end. His upside has lowered a bit since the Hornets went big, but it’s still an encouraging spot. I’d take him over Rozier and the bigs.
Atlanta Hawks (back end) at Detroit Pistons
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