LeBron James is trading at -102 for over 6.5 assists on Tuesday, and that’s a number worth backing, as I price it much closer to -145. This projection already factors in Austin Reaves returning on a minutes restriction, so there’s no concern if he’s ultimately ruled in. The Nets simply don’t have a defender capable of handling Luka Dončić, which should force them to aggressively collapse on his initial pick-and-roll actions. That approach naturally shifts playmaking responsibilities to LeBron as a secondary creator, attacking a Nets defense that’s rotating and often out of position. With LeBron’s elite basketball IQ against a young, inexperienced defensive group, he should be able to dissect the Nets with his passing and consistently find open shooters and cutters.
Michael Porter Jr. hasn’t played since facing the Nuggets on January 29, when he dropped 38 points. Porteroften follows big offensive efforts with poor shooting displays, and he’ll quickly need to shift gears after being off the court for five days. MPJ’s projections vary, with some calling for 27 points. But most models top out below his scoring prop, with my number just flirting with 23 points.
Total PicksLAL 122, BK 97
nora99 is #1 on picking games that Brooklyn is in with a record of (26-13-0) and +9650 units on the season.
mikeg1827 is #1 on picking games that L.A. Lakers are in with a record of (28-18-0) and +9250 units on the season.
jessestars is #2 on picking games that Brooklyn is in with a record of (20-15-0) and +9600 units on the season.
shogun2164 is #3 on picking games that L.A. Lakers are in with a record of (24-12-1) and +8620 units on the season.
Hoosier is #4 on picking games that Brooklyn is in with a record of (27-20-0) and +7650 units on the season.
stom5900 is #5 on picking games that Brooklyn is in with a record of (26-9-0) and +7500 units on the season.
buffalo2007 is #7 on picking games that L.A. Lakers are in with a record of (30-11-0) and +7850 units on the season.