My Pre-Game Predictions For Today’s Games – 1.27.21
It’s another day of NBA basketball, and we have an action packed day with 12 games on the schedule. I will give my pre-game thoughts on every single game, and predict a winner.
Indiana Pacers vs Charlotte Hornets
The Raptors beat the Pacers, but Domantas Sabonis left the game early with a knee injury. Thankfully for Indiana the injury isn’t serious, as Sabonis is questionable. If he doesn’t play, Brogdon, Turner, and Jeremy Lamb will have to score a lot. I like Turner playing in the post when Sabonis isn’t on the floor. If Sabonis does play, it’s a big boost for the Indiana offense, which is one of the best in the league.
The Hornets have been up and down recently, getting controlled by the Magic last time out. The Hornets defense has actually been decent this season, but their offense has been wildly inconsistent. They have talent in the backcourt and the front-court. Scoring shouldn’t really be a problem, but the Hornets are bottom-10 in points per game. The Hornets offense has to play to their potential for them to win.
Final Verdict: The Pacers played really well without Sabonis the other night, they just need scoring from other guys. They are a solid team, and with Sabonis they are quietly elite. The Hornets offense has to get going and be able to score, otherwise they will have problems against a very good Indiana team. I think Indiana will win this game.
Detroit Pistons vs Cleveland Cavaliers
The Pistons are bad, to put it subtly. They are 4-13, and really should be planning for the future instead of playing a washed Blake Griffin 32 minutes per game. Thankfully he’s not playing in this game, an opportunity for the Pistons young guys to play. I like Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, and Sekou Doumbouya is so raw. Saben Lee hasn’t seen much time. All of those guys should be getting minutes, as you’re not making the playoffs.
The Cavs have struggled offensively as of late, as they have returned to Earth after that Nets hot streak. Their defense isn’t the problem. Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen patrol the paint, and Larry Nance has been great, but he is questionable for this game. The Cavs offense has to get going, with Sexton and Garland at the helm of that. If Osman and Prince hit 3’s, and Drummond gets easy 2nd chance opportunities, the Cavs can win.
Final Verdict: Both these teams struggle on offense, but the Pistons defense isn’t stellar. The Cavs have to take advantage and hit the shots, as they have guys that can score. Collin Sexton needs to play well, and they need some inside presence from Andre Drummond. The Pistons should be playing younger guys, and I think the Cavs will win this game.
Sacramento Kings vs Orlando Magic
The Kings haven’t played since the 22nd due to some postponed games. Maybe they fixed their defense? I doubt it. The Kings easily have the worst defense in the league, and it overshadows their offense which can be good. They have talent, including having the best rookie so far coming off the bench. If the Kings can play some defense, they can win. Lucky for them, they face a bottom-5 offense that struggles to shoot.
The Magic have struggled this season, mainly on offense. They just haven’t been able to shoot the ball well, as they rank near the bottom of the league in terms of 3-point makes and percentages. They are facing a very bad Kings defense, so it’s an opportunity to score. Marvin Bagley isn’t good at defending the rim, so it’s an opportunity for Nikola Vucevic to score.
Final Verdict: A bad defense vs a bad offense. Very interesting matchup. These teams are pretty evenly matched, but I think that the Kings will win. They just have to play average on defense, and they can win. The Magic aren’t great on defense either, and I think that the Kings can win this game.
Brooklyn Nets vs Atlanta Hawks
The Nets finally played something resembling defense, as they were able to hold down a short-handed Heat team. But now they face a Hawks team that has rebounded well after a cold stretch. My keys for the Nets other than defense is get Joe Harris some good looks. Also, Harden needs to be aggressive and pick his spots. The amount of shots doesn’t really matter in my opinion. Harden went 7/10, but he was aggressive in spurts. He can’t defer too much with the 2nd unit, and he has to take over like he did in Houston.
The Hawks have won 4 of their last 5 games, as Trae Young has gotten back to being himself. Young has the ability to torch teams, and the Nets aren’t exactly a great defensive team. They need Clint Capela and John Collins to dominate things down low against Deandre Jordan, as that can be an area where the Hawks exploit things. This is a very winnable game for the Hawks.
Final Verdict: Both these teams have explosive offenses, but the Hawks have the better defense by far. I know that doesn’t help much with the firepower the Nets possess, but it’s a lot more reliable than the Nets defense. This game will be close, but I am giving the edge to the Nets.
Denver Nuggets vs Miami Heat
The Nuggets managed to beat the Mavericks, even with Jamal Murray, yeah. Jokic was great as usual, but MPJ and JaMychal Green off the bench were excellent. The Nuggets bench is one of the best in the league, as they have so many weapons. Jamal Murray played well before getting ejected, as they need him to be aggressive and score. No PJ Dozier is a hit to their defense which isn’t great, so they need more minutes from guys like Morris and Barton. This Denver team is good, but they could be better if they were more consistent.
The Heat have been plagued by Covid and injuries, and it has caused them to slide down the Eastern Conference standings. Jimmy Butler remains out, but guys like Bradley and Herro are questionable. Goran Dragic is questionable as well, as the Heat are again likely to be short-handed.
Final Verdict: You kind of just feel bad for the Heat at this point. They just have so many injuries, and it stops them from winning. They obviously compete because they’ll settle for nothing else, but they just can’t really win with the state that they are in. I expect Denver to win this game.
LA Lakers vs Philadelphia 76ers
It took a herculean effort from Lebron to beat the Cavs, as they definitely coasted in this game. But I expect them to be laser focused in this game against a good 76ers team. AD has struggled offensively, as they need him to step up. Schroder and KCP have cooled off considerably as of late, and they need to score as the 76ers front-court matches up well with the Lakers. The bench is going to be key again, with guys like Harrell and Kuzma needed to be productive.
The 76ers have been winless without Joel Embiid, but he’s back to battle down low with AD. AD is very good in the post, so Embiid will have to be very good. He also can’t get into silly foul trouble and sit out, as the 76ers desperately need him. They need shooting from Danny Green, and Seth Curry is questionable, although I think he will play. Simmons has to be aggressive, and attack the Lakers who will likely sag off. The 76ers bench featuring Maxey and Shake Milton along with former Lakers Dwight Howard has to score and outplay the Lakers bench.
Final Verdict: This game will be very good, but I’m giving the edge to the Lakers. I expect AD to give Embiid everything he can give him, and also I expect LA to treat Ben Simmons like they did Russell Westbrook in the bubble. The Lakers should be locked into this game, and come out with a win.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Toronto Raptors
The Bucks beat the short-handed Hawks, a good win for them after two tough losses. This year has started slower than expected for the Bucks, but they are still good. Giannis is Giannis, although I think Milwaukee is poorly using the MVP. Middleton and Holiday have been great support pieces, and I think they compliment Giannis. The bench is solid, it’s just the Bucks struggle to adapt, and the good teams expose them, a theme that happens often in the post-season.
The Raptors fell apart late against the Pacers, as their defense faltered late. But the Raptors have been trending up. Their defense has been so much better lately, and they’ve had some breakout players like OG Anunoby and Chris Boucher step up. Pascal Siakam is again questionable, and if he can’t play, they need scoring from VanVleet and Lowry to win. Those two have to control things for the Raptors.
Final Verdict: The Bucks are the superior team here. Now Nick Nurse is the far better coach, and will likely outsmart the dimwitted Mike Budenholzer, but the Bucks are more talented, and I think they will win this game.
Boston Celtics vs San Antonio Spurs
The Celtics got Jayson Tatum back and he and Jaylen Brown dominated the Bulls. Kemba Walker rested in that game, but he returns to the lineup, as the Celtics finally get their star trio back. Their perimeter defense gets a lot better, but down low things are still a problem. But their scoring alone will win them a lot of games.
The Spurs have been decent this season, but they could be better if they were more consistent on offense. Their defense is solid all-around, but their offense has been disappointing at times. They have weapons, but if their 3-ball isn’t falling it becomes harder for them to score. If they can hit 3’s and stretch the floor as much as possible, they can win.
Final Verdict: I see the Celtics as a problem, because they’re so hard to guard. The Celtics struggle to defend things down low, but the Spurs don’t score a lot down low, although they love to go out in transition. This game will be competitive, but I think that they will win.
Washington Wizards vs New Orleans Pelicans
The Wizards are a mess. They should just restart and rebuild from scratch, but they don’t want to do that. They are depleted by Covid, as they are in such a rough spot right now.
The Pelicans have lost 5 of their last 6 games, as they have been struggling with their spacing. Both Lonzo Ball and Eric Bledsoe have been shooting poorly, and it makes it hard for the Pelicans to score. Zion and Ingram are doing all they can, but it’s very futile with their lack of spacing. They refuse to play at a faster pace for more than a quarter at a time, as they just sit in the half-court and rot away. One of their only solutions is to play fast.
Final Verdict: The Pelicans have to play fast to try and change things up, as nobody respects them and just condenses the floor. The Wizards are bad and depleted, but I find it hard to believe the Pelicans will blow this team out like they should. I still think that they’ll win, but it likely won’t be convincing.
OKC Thunder vs Phoenix Suns
The OKC Thunder found new life against a very poor Blazers defense, as they torched Portland. OKC will need that type of performance as they aren’t a great team on either end. They don’t have a lot of scorers outside of SGA, and the Suns are much better defensively. This will be a tough game for the young Thunder.
The Suns have lost 3 of their last 4 games, including two OT games to the Nuggets. The Suns obviously have talent, but they haven’t been able to execute late in games. They are again without Devin Booker, so they need Deandre Ayton to continue to score, as well as Chris Paul. Paul needs to look for his shot more than teammates at times, instead of always passing. Mikal Bridges needs to be that 3rd option that he’s proved he can be this season. If Mikal can score well, the Suns are a tough team to beat.
Final Verdict: The Suns have the more talented team even without All-Star Devin Booker. Deandre Ayton will be a mismatch down low for OKC, and Chris Paul is a master at everything. The Suns just need to play some defense and not let OKC going and they should win this game.
Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz
The Mavs have been depleted by Covid, we all know this. But things might be getting better. Maxi Kleber remains out, but Richardson, Powell, and Finney-Smith are all questionable. Getting any one of them back would be great, and even if they don’t play in today’s game, they are close to making a return. Luka and his limited help on offense will need to try and stop the hottest team in basketball.
The Jazz have been on fire, winning their last 9 games because of their historic 3-point shooting. They’ve been shooting and making so many 3’s, it’s incredible. They started off slow against the Knicks, but got things going. The Jazz are very good on both ends, but the Mavs are a team that doesn’t allow teams to shoot well from 3. The Jazz might have to find other ways to score.
Final Verdict: The Mavs need Luka and whoever is playing to score a lot to win against this red-hot Utah Jazz team. The Jazz are one of the best offenses, and the Mavs are decent defensively, but they are missing a lot of guys. The Mavs defend the 3 really well, and they need to rely on that to beat this Jazz team. But I anticipate the Jazz to win this game and stay red-hot.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors
The T-Wolves are a mess. They just haven’t been able to win without Karl Anthony Towns. Anthony Edwards has struggled to shoot the ball. They only have two reliable scorers and D-LO is questionable for this game. The T-Wolves struggle on both ends, as they are one of the worst teams in the league.
The Warriors made the change to put rookie James Wiseman on the bench, a move that prioritized defense with veteran Kevon Looney in the starting lineup. It worked, as Golden State beat Minnesota. I like Wiseman and Paschall coming off the bench, as Wiseman can kind of ease into the NBA after playing just 3 games at college. Curry and Wiggins have been very consistent scorers, but Kelly Oubre has just forgotten how to shoot, as he has rightfully been in trade rumors as of late.
Final Verdict: The T-Wolves are a mess and Golden State is the better team. Simple as that.
Game Of The Day
I think this one is pretty obvious. 76ers vs Lakers. AD vs Embiid. Simmons vs Lebron. Two of the best teams in the league, battling it out.
What Are Your Predictions For Today’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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