My Pre-Game Picks For Today’s Games – 2.3.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball and we have an action-packed day with 10 games on the schedule today. I will be giving all my pre-game predictions, and predict a winner for each game.
Philadelphia 76ers vs Charlotte Hornets
The 76ers got their first win without Joel Embiid against Indiana on Sunday, and they are getting their MVP candidate back. Embiid has been a monster this season, as he anchors things on both ends for Philly. If Philly get can some aggressiveness from Ben Simmons and shooting from Seth Curry, they become even better, but getting Embiid back helps them greatly in this game.
Lamelo Ball got his first start in the Hornets last game, a overtime win against the Miami Heat. But that win was largely in past due to Malik Monk, who has been excellent recently for Charlotte. The Hornets offense has been getting more consistent, and they will need to find scoring with Washington out and Rozier again questionable.
Final Verdict: I think that Philly will win this game, mainly due to Charlotte not having a capable defense. No PJ Washington does hurt, and with Terry Rozier questionable, the Hornets will have a tough time scoring. This is a game where guys like Ben Simmons can be aggressive, and I expect Philly to take full advantage of this matchup.
Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks
The Pacers thrashed the Grizzlies last night thanks to balanced scoring, but now they face one of the the best teams in the East. Sabonis and Brogdon will have to win their matchups against this tough Bucks defense in order for the Pacers to win. Milwaukee is a team that gives up 3-pointers, but Indiana isn’t known for making a ton of 3’s, something that might have to change for this game.
The Bucks have been up and down this season, and a thrashing of a weak defensive Portland team doesn’t change my mind on them. I still Coach Bud needs to be fired, for a real coach who can make adjustments. The Bucks don’t really use Giannis well, even though he still puts up incredible numbers. They allow a lot of 3’s, and if a team gets hot, it becomes tough for Milwaukee to stop them.
Final Verdict: I am not sold on this Bucks team, however I do think they will win this game. If Lopez and Giannis can slow down Sabonis and if Holiday can lockdown Brogdon, they have a good chance to win. The Pacers aren’t known for making 3’s, and that’s the Bucks biggest weakness, so this is a pretty favorable matchup for Milwaukee.
Dallas Mavericks vs Atlanta Hawks
The Mavs have been getting healthier and playing better, but they’ve still lost their last 6 games, as they just can’t seem to find that spark from last year. Luka has been fighting for his life essentially with limited help. Josh Richardson, Porzingis, and Hardaway have to provide some scoring, otherwise it’s very tough for Dallas to win.
The Hawks lost a tough game to the Lakers, a game where heckling fans stole the show. Without De’Andre Hunter, the Hawks will have to try and slow down Luka Doncic, as he is basically the entire offense at this point. If Trae Young is aggressive and is able to get to the free throw line, the Hawks are a tough team to stop.
Final Verdict: I think that the Hawks will win, even without De’Andre Hunter. The Hawks have a strong back-court, one that is much better than the Mavs, and even better when Trae Young is aggressive. The Mavs haven’t been very good this season, especially on offense as of late, and I think that the Hawks will take advantage of that and win this game.
LA Clippers vs Cleveland Cavaliers
The Clippers offense slowed down in the 4th, and it was their downfall against Brooklyn, even though the Clippers played pretty well in that game. Kawhi and PG have been very good this season, and they have a lot of weapons around those two. Patrick Beverley remains out, however I doubt it will matter, as the Cavs have one of the worst offenses in the league. The Clippers have one of the best shooting offenses in the league, one that should easily outpace Cleveland.
All defense, no offense. Something that is rare in today’s NBA, and something that is even more rare for a young team like the Cavs. They are very good on defense with guys like Allen, Drummond, Nance, and rookie Okoro. However, the lengthy Nance is out and Drummond is questionable. The Cavs offense has been very poor this season, and is the main reason they aren’t a better team.
Final Verdict: The Clippers should be a little motivated because of that tough loss yesterday, and take it out on the Cavs. The Cavs might be missing two of their best defenders, and the Cavs offense simply cannot compete with the Clippers’, therefore LA should win handily.
Washington Wizards vs Miami Heat
The Wizards defense cost them in yesterday’s loss to Portland, as they just cannot seem to outgain their poor defense, which is the 2nd worst in the league. They have talent with Westbrook and Beal along with some promising young talent, but defense will always be their problem, as they struggle to stop teams. The Heat aren’t great offensively or defensively this season, but if the Wizards defense can’t slow down Miami, they likely won’t win.
The Heat had some poor execution late in their OT loss to Charlotte, as their defense was picked apart by Malik Monk. The Heat have been getting healthier, as Dragic, Herro, and Bradley are expected to play in this game. The Heat haven’t been great on either end this season, but they are at full strength, and should have no problem scoring against Washington. But if their defense allows Washington to get going, it could be a repeat of their loss to the Hornets.
Final Verdict: Both these defenses aren’t great, but I trust Miami’s more, and I think they will win. They are the healthiest they’ve been in a while, and they actually have some good defenders, while the Wizards don’t. I could see this game being a shootout, but I think Miami will win this game.
New York Knicks vs Chicago Bulls
The Knicks are another team that is all defense no offense. Under Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks are one of the best defensive teams in the league. On offense, they struggle. They have talented guys like Randle and Barrett, and they have some streaky bench guys like Austin Rivers and Alec Burks. But rookie Immanuel Quickley has burst onto the scene, and starting him would greatly kickstart their offense. But I doubt that will happen as Thibodeau favors veterans like Elfrid Payton, so New York’s offense will continue to struggle.
The Bulls are all offense, no defense, with some turnovers mixed in their as well. Lavine and Markkanen have been tearing it up lately, and along with some scorers, the Bulls have a very good offense. But their defense is poor and they turn the ball over a lot, which leads to a lot of points for opponents. If the Bulls don’t turn the ball over, I believe in their chances.
Final Verdict: I just can’t trust the Knicks offense, so I’m going with the Bulls, who have a lot more weapons. The Knicks offense isn’t good, and not starting Quickley makes it worse. But the Knicks can’t win while scoring 102 points per game, and they just can’t score, which is their downfall.
Houston Rockets vs OKC Thunder
Since the James Harden trade, defense has been the Rockets new identity, and it’s been working. Since the Harden deal, the Rockets are the best defensive team in the league, and they’ve won their last 6 games. They are a team that isn’t great offensively, but they torched OKC on Monday. No John Wall means more of a scoring load for Wood and Oladipo along with Eric Gordon off the bench, but with this new defense, I like these new Rockets.
The Thunder caught Houston on a bad night on Monday, as Houston ran them out of the gym with their 3-point shooting. No SGA means that it will likely be another tough night for OKC offensively and defensively.
Final Verdict: Both these teams are a little short-handed, but the Rockets still have a few guys who can score, and the same can’t be said about OKC. I expect Houston’s defense to continue to be excellent, and even with Wall out, they should be winning this game.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs San Antonio Spurs
The T-Wolves have been getting better, but they aren’t great at one thing, more like mediocre at both sides of the ball. With Anthony Edwards finding his groove in a starting role, the T-Wolves have 3 scorers with him, Beasley, and Russell who is questionable for this game. The T-Wolves defense is bottom-10, but they do get Naz Reid back to try and help their struggling defense down low.
The Spurs were handled by the Grizzlies in back-to-back games, as they lost by an average of 24 points in those two games. I feel like getting Derrick White was good and bad. Good because he’s a solid player, but bad because now the Spurs have to figure their guard position again with a lot of guys who deserve minutes. The Spurs offense has to be able to hit 3’s to win, as they struggle to shoot when they lose.
Final Verdict: I expect the Spurs to win this game, as they are pretty healthy, with LaMarcus Aldridge being the only guy out. The Spurs have a lot of guys who can score, and that will likely be a problem against a poor T-Wolves defense. The T-Wolves have to score to try and keep up, but with their limited depth, I don’t see that happening.
Phoenix Suns vs New Orleans Pelicans
The Suns have rebounded well from a losing streak, winning their last 3 games and getting Devin Booker back. The Suns are solid defensively, and with Booker back they also have a solid offense. I want to see Deandre Ayton be forceful, and get some touches down low. Along with their Big 3, if the Suns can get some shooting/scoring from Bridges, Johnson, or Crowder, they are a tough team to stop.
The Pelicans need to run to win, or make a move. The Pelicans are one of the slowest teams in the league, and it’s not helping their spacing. With Ball and Bledsoe not being reliable shooters, it becomes much easier for defenses to zero in on Ingram and Williamson. With Steven Adams questionable, the Pels don’t have a lot of good depth at center. One way to solve their issue of spacing is to play fast, something with Stan Van Gundy hasn’t done.
Final Verdict: The Suns should win this game. They are the better team defensively, and have found their identity. Run things through Paul, play like a team. More touches for Ayton would be the cherry on top, although they are still good. The Pelicans roster is poor constructed around Ingram and Williamson, and they won’t be going anywhere unless they make a change.
Boston Celtics vs Sacramento Kings
The Celtics used their size advantage to tower over the Warriors late, as they got their first Big 3 win this season. Brown and Tatum have been fine, but Walker has to score in order for him to be useful on the floor. The Kings are a poor defense, so Boston shouldn’t have any problem scoring. If Boston can get some scoring off the bench, that will be the cherry on top, as I doubt the Kings can handle Boston when they’re hitting on all cylinders.
Unlike the Pelicans, the Kings have smartly chosen to play fast. It favors their younger lineup, as guys like Fox and Hield have been excellent since they’ve been playing fast. They have a lot of talent, including Haliburton off the bench, but their defense will still be a problem.
Final Verdict: I’m going with the Celtics here. Even without Marcus Smart they have a solid defense, although De’Aaron Fox could be a problem. The Kings play fast, but the Celtics have two of the best wing scorers in the league, and I doubt the Kings can stop them.
Game Of The Day
There are some good games today, but I think that Suns vs Pelicans will be good. Two pretty good teams, and it should be a good game.
Some other good games will be Celtics vs Kings and Pacers vs Bucks.
What Are Your Predictions For The 10 Games Today? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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