My Pre-Game Predictions For Today’s Games – 2.19.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball, and we have 9 games on the schedule today. I will be giving all my pre-game predictions, and choose a winner for each game.
Golden State Warriors vs Orlando Magic
The Warriors somehow won their last game against the Heat, a game where their toughness and grit really showed. They still don’t have a center and Draymond Green is questionable, but they are playing the Magic. The Warriors have to swarm Nikola Vucevic and play with pace. The Warriors can still win games despite them being very short-handed.
The Magic offense finally had a break through against the Knicks, although I don’t know how long they can sustain this level of shooting. Nikola Vucevic struggled against Draymond Green and the smaller Warriors last time these two teams played, so he and Orlando better hope Green isn’t playing. The key again for Orlando is offense. If they can’t score, they aren’t going to win.
Final Verdict: If Draymond Green plays I am comfortably taking the Warriors in this game. If not, it might be close but I am still taking the Warriors. The Magic offense has been poor all year and Golden State can easily outpace them on offense,
Denver Nuggets vs Cleveland Cavaliers
The Nuggets have been Nikola Jokic and everybody else this year. Jamal Murray finally showed some bubble flashes in the Nuggets last game, just for the Nuggets to foul with 0.1 seconds left and lose. The Nuggets are still without Dozier and Harris, and other guys like Barton and Millsap are questionable. The Nuggets need disappointments like Murray and Porter Jr. to step up, something they haven’t been doing this year.
The Cavs are a mess. Benching Andre Drummond amidst trade talks is the cherry on top to a sliding team. Their defense has been slowly deteriorating with Larry Nance, as they went from one of the best defenses in the league to one of the worst. Their offense remains one of the worst in the league, as they simply cannot score the ball.
Final Verdict: The Nuggets should win this game easily despite being short-handed. They need other guys like Murray and Porter Jr. to score alongside Jokic, instead of trying to let him score 40. The Cavs are once again in chaos, as this should be a win for Denver.
Chicago Bulls vs Philadelphia 76ers
The Bulls have been playing their older veterans more, and it’s been working. With Porter Jr. and Markkanen being out for the time being, Billy Donovan is still wanting to win no matter which way. But in this game, they will need a lot of shooting from guys like White, Williams, Valentine and Temple to win. Zach Lavine (should be) an All-Star, but they will need help if they want to beat the 76ers.
The 76ers are unbeatable if they hit 3’s. If. They are good, but their weakness is if they don’t hit 3’s, and they allow opponents to hit 3’s. However it shouldn’t matter in this game. Ben Simmons is likely to return, strengthening their defense. Embiid will dominate, and guys like Curry, Harris, and Simmons will fill in the grey areas.
Final Verdict: The 76ers should win this game. They have to get Seth Curry going and hit some 3’s, as that’s when they become very good. Embiid will dominate down low, and the Bulls are just missing too much scoring to win this game.
Atlanta Hawks vs Boston Celtics
The Hawks looked good against the Celtics last time out, as Trae Young exploded to lead the Hawks. If Young is able to attack the rim and be efficient, he’s unbeatable paired with his foul drawing capabilities. Young also sets up the Hawks frontcourt, as Boston is going to be overmatched if both parties are scoring like they were in the last game. The key is Young once again, and without Marcus Smart it wouldn’t surprise me if a similar result occurred.
The Celtics are a very weird team, but their roster just hasn’t been that good this year. Their defense hasn’t been as good, as without Marcus Smart they are mediocre. Their interior is very weak, somewhere the Hawks will continually attack. Brown and Tatum are forced to do so much scoring wise with limited depth, and Kemba Walker hasn’t been great either this year. A mess to say the least.
Final Verdict: I think the Hawks will win this game. Trae Young will be free once again to probe the lane and get easy shots or set up his teammates. The Hawks offense should be able to score at will, and Boston might not have Jaylen Brown who is dealing with knee soreness.
Detroit Pistons vs Memphis Grizzlies
The Pistons have also decided to bench a player amidst trade talks, that player being Blake Griffin. This doesn’t effect the Pistons too much, but it allows younger guys like Saddiq Bey to play more. Bey has been promising like a lot of other young guys on this team led by borderline All-Star Jerami Grant. This Pistons team is nothing special, but they are better than their record suggests.
The Grizzlies are a weird team. Their defense has been very bad recently, as it’s caused them to lose some games because more often than not their offense cannot keep up. The key for the Grizzlies is their tough defense, something that was their identity to start this season. They have to get back to that to be really good.
Final Verdict: The Pistons will win this game. I think that they have been playing well this season, and Memphis’s defense hasn’t been great lately. If the Pistons make this game a shootout, they put themselves in a favorable position to win.
OKC Thunder vs Milwaukee Bucks
The Thunder’s roster is one that wouldn’t suggest they are very good. Yet they manage to win games, and at the very least make it tough for teams. The Thunder are fully healthy for the first time in a bit, as they will honestly give the Bucks a run for their money because of how poorly the Bucks are run.
The Bucks are so doomed. Mike Budenholzer might be one of the worst coaches in the league. He uses Giannis like a guard instead of a big, and they run the same plays every single time down the floor. They don’t defend against 3-pointers, as they haven’t caught up to the modern NBA yet. This team shouldn’t even be in the contention rank, as they would be floundering in the East. Instead they survive in the East.
Final Verdict: The Bucks should win this game, but I am losing hope because Mike Budenholzer is the coach. Maybe Giannis did make the wrong decision and is wasting his very talented prime in Milwaukee.
Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Pelicans
The Suns had a bad loss to the very short-handed Nets, but they still went 6-1 on their homestand. The Suns are very talented on both ends, as they are well balanced. They have scoring and shooters, and with Steven Adams unlikely to play in this game, Deandre Ayton should have himself a game.
This team is poorly constructed around their wing duo. Zion and Ingram are brilliant, and will be a good duo in the West for a while. Lonzo Ball is a good fit, but Bledsoe and Adams are not. They sometimes make Lonzo Ball a spot-up shooter, something which he is obviously not good at. Ball should…have the ball more (no pun intended). Steven Adams is a good rebounder and defender, but he just clogs things up down low for Zion. This team isn’t well constructed, and on top of that Stan Van Gundy, a defensive coach, currently has the 29th defense in the league. I’m honestly happy that Adams isn’t playing so that maybe this team can play better.
Final Verdict: The Suns should win this game. Every game the Pelicans play they are handicapping themselves unnecessarily, and a good team like the Suns will take advantage. The Suns just have to make sure the Pelicans don’t shoot the ball well from 3, and they will win.
Toronto Raptors vs Minnesota T-Wolves
The Raptors defense was excellent in their last 2 games against the Bucks, as they looked like the Raptors from the past couple years with that defense. If they can play like that on defense, they will be a good team. Kyle Lowry might not play in this game, but the Raptors should be able to score against this T-Wolves defense. But the key is defense, and how well the Raptors can play on that side of the ball.
The T-Wolves have been playing better with Towns back in the lineup, but they haven’t been winning. The Towns and D-Lo duo hasn’t been able to play much at all, and the T-Wolves aren’t exactly deep. They have guys like Reid, Beasley, and Edwards who are all good but they just aren’t good enough right now to compete, especially without D-Lo in the lineup.
Final Verdict: The Raptors should win this game if they play defense. Kyle Lowry might not play, but they should be able to score against this T-Wolves defense. If the Raptors play solid defense, they will easily win. If not, it’s more of a tossup.
Utah Jazz vs LA Clippers
The Jazz are the best team in the league, as they continue to play superb team basketball. Their 3-PT shooting has been incredible, even with Mike Conley missing time. The Jazz defense is also good, as they have been nothing short of a well-oiled machine this year. They have won 20/21 games, as nobody can seem to figure them out.
Kennard, Leonard, George, and Batum are all questionable. The Clippers need one of their All-Stars to be back, otherwise they again stand no chance. It’s as simple as that.
Final Verdict: With the Clippers likely remaining short-handed, the Jazz should win this game. I only see LA winning this game if Kawhi/PG/Kennard/Batum all return, which isn’t a sure thing.
Game Of The Day
I think that Hawks vs Celtics will be good. Lots of young stars and two good offenses going head-to-head.
Other good games are Suns vs Pelicans and Pistons vs Grizzlies.
What Are Your Predictions For The 9 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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