CHA @ NOH: The big news is the anticipated return of Anthony Davis (mild concussion) which will make the Hornets much more respectable. They were simply horrible in a 77-62 loss on Wednesday. If the rookie doesn’t get clearance from the league doctors, I think the Bobcats could win a road game. Byron Mullens is a fantasy bargain; a PF-C who hits 3-pointers like a poor man’s Ryan Anderson. Look for Ramon Sessions (even if he doesn’t start) to get the SG minutes that would normally go to Gerald Henderson, out with a sprained foot.
HOU @ MEM: OK, so James Harden might not be the leading scorer and MVP. He’s still pretty good, and the focal point of a team that’s underrated by almost everyone. C Omer Asik is awkward at the offensive end, but averaging 14 REB and 1.3 blocks per game. PF Patrick Patterson went undrafted in many leagues; I own him everywhere. The clear sixth man is Carlos Delfino, who hits threes (2.5 per game thus far) and helps in other ways. That doesn’t mean they can beat the Grizzlies, who are getting fabulous work up front by Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
DET @ OKC: This might be a chance to rest Westbrook a little and give Eric Maynor extra minutes, as Brandon Knight has not been stellar. You can’t blame the Thunder for a bit of overconfidence; between Kendrick Perkins and Ibaka, they can neutralize Greg Monroe, the Pistons’ best player by far. The Kyle Singler watch continues; the rookie (who got a year of pro experience in Spain) is just $3,000 on FanDuel and is gradually eating into the minutes of Tayshaun Prince.
CLE @ PHO: We mentioned the Cavs’ heath woes at the top of Page One, and awill be avoiding them tonight. Phoenix plays better at home, Marcin Gortat and Luis Scola are off to good starts and while you never know what to expect from Michael Beasley, he matches up well vs. Alonzo Gee and I’m toying with the idea of using him in my daily leagues.
SAS @ SAC: It’s funny how the undisciplined, defense-ignoring Kings get other teams to play ‘their’ style, which is chaos. The Spurs are their polar opposite in so many ways, but this could turn into a track meet. Now the trick is figuring out who will get the minutes. Assuming the big three don’t have to play much, I like Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. Both were quiet in a loss against the Clippers and could bounce back big time.
GSW @ LAL: The relationship between Kobe Bryant and coach Mike Brown may be getting tense, as the Lakers are off to a horrible start. Let’s face it, Steve Blake is no Steve Nash, but the Princeton offense is taking a lot of flak from outside observers and may be as unpopular in the locker room. Pau Gasol hasn’t figured out yet how to best complement Dwight Howard, and the lack of any contribution from the bench is another problem. That said, they are desperate, at home and can beat the Warriors, with two rookies (C Festus Ezeli and SF Harrison Barnes) among the starters.
UTA @ DEN: We know the Utah big men are a handful, but Denver will unleash the Manimal again. Kenneth Faried has been great in his last two games (16 PTS and 16 boards vs, Houston) and should keep it rolling. The Nuggets need Danilo Gallinari to heat up; he’s at 29.8% shooting for the year. Ty Lawson has the edge at PG, but Mo Williams has done everything the Jazz could want, and costs $1,600 less on FanDuel. I’m going to use both.