Well here we are. The first day of the season is upon us, and with it is the much-anticipated return of the slipperiest player picks you'll ever come across.
Rockets @ Thunder - Alperen Sengun over 5.5 assists
The Rockets are one of the most interesting teams in the league heading into the season, probably even more so given the long-term injury to their one and only point guard in Fred VanVleet. The giant line-up they're planning to give big minutes to will be headed by the wildly talented Amen Thompson running the point, but wildly talented he may be he is not a natural point guard. That's not to say that he can't learn, but I expect this team to run a lot of point guard by committee, with a number of their players running the show at different points and a lot of ball movement that results in assists to numerous players. Sengun should be one of the main beneficiaries.
The big man's passing prowess has been on full show already in his three seasons in the league, with averages of right around 5 assists per game over the last two seasons, and he should be improving that this year, particularly now FVV is out. Giving this bet another edge is the fact that Thompson is going to be severely tested by the Thunder's raft of elite on-ball defenders, who will likely force him to give the ball up more than he and the Rockets would perhaps like. That means more touches for Sengun, and with the interior guarded by Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, he'll need to utilise that passing ability of his rather than simply bundling his way to the rim.
Good luck out there team.
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To remove first post, remove entire topic.
Well here we are. The first day of the season is upon us, and with it is the much-anticipated return of the slipperiest player picks you'll ever come across.
Rockets @ Thunder - Alperen Sengun over 5.5 assists
The Rockets are one of the most interesting teams in the league heading into the season, probably even more so given the long-term injury to their one and only point guard in Fred VanVleet. The giant line-up they're planning to give big minutes to will be headed by the wildly talented Amen Thompson running the point, but wildly talented he may be he is not a natural point guard. That's not to say that he can't learn, but I expect this team to run a lot of point guard by committee, with a number of their players running the show at different points and a lot of ball movement that results in assists to numerous players. Sengun should be one of the main beneficiaries.
The big man's passing prowess has been on full show already in his three seasons in the league, with averages of right around 5 assists per game over the last two seasons, and he should be improving that this year, particularly now FVV is out. Giving this bet another edge is the fact that Thompson is going to be severely tested by the Thunder's raft of elite on-ball defenders, who will likely force him to give the ball up more than he and the Rockets would perhaps like. That means more touches for Sengun, and with the interior guarded by Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, he'll need to utilise that passing ability of his rather than simply bundling his way to the rim.
Sengun taking a little longer than we'd like to get that 6th assists after picking up 5 in the first half, but still looking on track for a 1-0 start. Onto the next.
Warriors @ Lakers - Jonathan Kuminga over 14.5 points
Kuminga has had a tumultuous off-season and career in general with the Warriors, and despite signing a new contract there's no guarantee that he will stay there for all that much longer. Still, there's no denying his explosive talent, and whether the Warriors keep him or look to trade him they benefit from him having a good start to the season, which should mean decent minutes - something he hasn't always enjoyed under Steve Kerr. When he has he has generally delivered and he was as consistent as he's ever been for extended periods last year, averaging 15 points per game over its course - though there were periods where that was much higher or much lower. I'm banking on him getting decent minutes to start the season, and seeing him locked into the starting lineup tonight suggests as much.
What's more, the Lakers might have finally acquired their big man, but in Deandre Ayton they don't exactly have a powerful paint protector. Kuminga scores into the paint as prolifically as anyone on this Warriors team and should be able to take advantage against a team which is vulnerable in that area. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kuminga average 20-odd points per game early in the season, and the 14.5-point line we're getting is simply rolled on from what he averaged last season.
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Sengun taking a little longer than we'd like to get that 6th assists after picking up 5 in the first half, but still looking on track for a 1-0 start. Onto the next.
Warriors @ Lakers - Jonathan Kuminga over 14.5 points
Kuminga has had a tumultuous off-season and career in general with the Warriors, and despite signing a new contract there's no guarantee that he will stay there for all that much longer. Still, there's no denying his explosive talent, and whether the Warriors keep him or look to trade him they benefit from him having a good start to the season, which should mean decent minutes - something he hasn't always enjoyed under Steve Kerr. When he has he has generally delivered and he was as consistent as he's ever been for extended periods last year, averaging 15 points per game over its course - though there were periods where that was much higher or much lower. I'm banking on him getting decent minutes to start the season, and seeing him locked into the starting lineup tonight suggests as much.
What's more, the Lakers might have finally acquired their big man, but in Deandre Ayton they don't exactly have a powerful paint protector. Kuminga scores into the paint as prolifically as anyone on this Warriors team and should be able to take advantage against a team which is vulnerable in that area. I wouldn't be surprised to see Kuminga average 20-odd points per game early in the season, and the 14.5-point line we're getting is simply rolled on from what he averaged last season.
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