Mikal Bridges is putting up career numbers since his trade to Brooklyn.
There will be no shortage of action in the NBA on Tuesday with eight games on the schedule. The Grizzlies will take the floor, playing without Ja Morant (suspension) again when they battle with the Lakers. Another intriguing matchup in the Western Conference features the Warriors traveling to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder. Let’s dive into all of the matchups and highlight some players to consider on Yahoo, as well as a few to possibly avoid.
Guards
Mikal Bridges, BKN at HOU ($31): Bridges was already on pace to have the best season of his career when he was a member of the Suns, but he’s taken his game to another level with the Nets. Over nine games with his new team, he’s provided 26.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals. He could torch a Rockets team that has the second-worst defensive rating in the league.
Dennis Smith Jr., CHA at NY ($17): The Hornets have opted to move Kelly Oubre Jr. into the starting five with LaMelo Ball (ankle) out for the remainder of the season. Even though Smith has remained a member of the second unit, he has scored at least 27.4 Yahoo points in all three games since Ball went down. Even in a less-than-ideal matchup against the Knicks, Smith’s cheap salary and expanded role make him worth considering in tournament play.
Guard to Avoid
Jordan Poole, GS at OKC ($28): Stephen Curry made his return from injury Sunday against the Lakers, which shifted Poole back to the second unit. He played just 28 minutes, scoring 10 points on 11 shot attempts. With Curry back in the fold, Poole will have a difficult time getting enough shot attempts to warrant his salary.
Forwards
Julius Randle, NY vs. CHA ($43): The Knicks are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now and Randle continues to lead the charge. During their nine-game winning streak, Randle has averaged 29.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 4.3 3-pointers. His ceiling is extremely high in a matchup against a Hornets team that has played at the fourth-fastest pace in the league.
Tari Eason, HOU vs. BKN ($18): Eason is finally getting more playing time. He has averaged 29 minutes over the last five games, which helped him score at least 30.1 Yahoo points each time. He shot 54.4% from the field during that stretch, while also providing 8.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks. With the Rockets looking to give the rookie more minutes down the stretch, he’s difficult to resist at this salary.
Forward to Avoid
Gordon Hayward, CHA at NY ($25): Hayward had a six-game stretch recently in which he shot 57.5% from the field. He is shooting a more modest 47.1% for the season and has reverted to normal by shooting 46.2% over the last three games. That resulted in him scoring 26.7 Yahoo points or fewer in all three games. With how tough the Knicks can be on the defensive end, we could be looking at another limited night in the scoring column for Hayward.
Centers
Walker Kessler, UTA at DAL ($27): The Mavericks aren’t exactly flush with talent at the center spot. The last time Kessler faced them, he scored 36.3 Yahoo points over just 27 minutes. He has been excellent since the Jazz thinned out their roster at the trade deadline, putting up 10.7 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.3 blocks over the last nine games.
Xavier Tillman, MEM at LAL ($15): The Grizzlies have no choice but to play Tillman a lot with Steven Adams (knee) and Brandon Clarke (Achilles) out. In the first game since Clarke suffered his season-ending injury, Tillman scored 26.5 Yahoo points over 34 minutes. He was even playing well before Clarke went down, scoring at least 26.5 Yahoo points in five of his last six games.
Center to Avoid
Naz Reid, MIN vs. PHI ($20): Rudy Gobert is healthy again, which means Reid is back to a reserve role. As a starter, he has averaged 16.5 points and 7.0 rebounds over 11 games. Across 47 games coming off the bench, he has only averaged 9.4 points and 4.5 rebounds. Since his salary doesn’t come at much of a discount, be sure to keep him out of your entries.
