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Brooklyn Nets @ Utah Jazz
Spread: UTA -13
O/U: 227
Injuries
Brooklyn
James Harden - OUT
Kevin Durant - OUT
Kyrie Irving - OUT
Blake Griffin - OUT
Landry Shamet - OUT
Spencer Dinwiddie - OUT
Utah
Udoka Azubuike - OUT
MVP/CPT
This game is not going to be very competitive for very long if we’re being honest. Brooklyn just doesn’t have the horses to stay in the race. Gobert has the best individual match-up on the board as Brooklyn ranks 27th against the center spot and we know when Gobert is being a defensive stalwart like we saw last game (nine blocks) he has as much upside as anybody. For the 26-30 minutes he’s on the floor, he should dominate.
Look, we have so much value on the Brooklyn side that we can jam in all the studs if we want to. Mitchell has scored 30+ actual points in three straight games, but can he do it a fourth if he’s only on the floor for three quarters? That’s the question, but that being said, Mitchell should still do enough to warrant a discussion about putting him in the captain spot. Nobody else on Brooklyn has nearly the same upside as Mitchell does.
Look, I think we could get big minutes out of Clarkson in a game that is likely out of hand rather quickly. We know Clarkson is a very high usage player when he steps on the floor -- 28.4% to be exact. It’s not even as if he’s going up against BKN’s second unit tonight, because they’re all basically starting! We could honestly get 30 minutes here from Clarkson and if that’s the case, he’s my favorite CPT option.
Everything Else
I’m not going to break it down by tier after the captain spot, because Harden’s absence creates a BOATLOAD of value.
When everyone has been off the floor this year, Joe Harris has been the biggest beneficiary. He has a 24.8% USG and averages 1.12 FP/min. My one concern is if this becomes a blow out, would Harris stay on the floor? He may be forced to due to lack of options, but it has to at least be in the back of our minds. They can’t risk anymore injuries.
Johnson was going to be the starter on Tuesday if James Harden sat out, but Harden played, so Johnson stayed on the bench, playing 23 minutes. He wasn’t the best fantasy contributor, but he did enough to pay off his price tag. Which again, is very cheap across the industry for a guy likely to start and get extended run.
The guy is a fantasy producer. Plain and simple. It’s hard not to get excited watching Claxton run up and down the floor being everywhere that the ball is. He put up 28.8 DKP in just 21 minutes on Tuesday, 26.5 the game before that and two games before that had 26.5 as well. He’ll get a ton of blowout run too if this game gets out of hand.
I’m not sure Ingles tops my priority list tonight, but regardless of who’s in, who’s out, is Ingles starting or coming off the bench, he’s been productive. He’s coming off a 34 DKP outing in just 25 minutes off the bench, which is more than enough at current salary.
How much will Jeff Green play on the second leg of a back-to-back if this game is out of hand? Question of the night. Not just for Green, but all the veterans on Brooklyn. He played 35 minutes on Tuesday and was really good, scoring 20 actual points, but again it’s an 13-point spread and that feels generous.
Look, the guy hasn’t played a lot this year, but when he’s gotten opportunities, he’s capitalized on them. He averages 1.1 FP/min and has a 21.5% USG when Harden, Durant and Irving are off the floor this year. Numbers that are simply hard to ignore. He could see a whole lot of blowout run tonight.
Player News
ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Stephen Curry has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and is expected to miss at least a week.
Shams notes that Curry has already been ruled out for Game 2 on Thursday, but the week timeline means he’ll miss Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday with a chance to return for Game 5 on Wednesday. This is the first muscle strain of Curry’s career, so how quickly he returns will depend on how he responds to rehab. Fortunately for Golden State, the team came away with a win on the road in Game 1, and two of the next three games will be at home, giving the Warriors a chance to stay alive while their superstar PG is out. Expect Buddy Hield to step into a much larger role on offense while Curry is sidelined. Hield has totaled 57 points across his last two games while stroking a blistering 14-of-18 shots from beyond the arc.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters Stephen Curry is day-to-day with a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday.
Kerr relayed that Curry was “crushed” after being forced from the game due to injury. While Kerr described Curry as day-to-day, he also mentioned that the 37-year-old point guard will undergo imaging on Wednesday to determine the severity of the injury. There should be an update on his status at some point prior to Thursday’s Game 2 showdown. With the Warriors taking Game 1 on the road Tuesday, Kerr added that it’s hard to imagine Curry being available for Game 2 on Thursday. With Game 3 Saturday at Golden State, Curry could have more time to rest and recover.
Naz Reid had 19 points (8-of-14 FGs), five rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block and three three-pointers in Game 1 against the Warriors on Tuesday.
Reid briefly left the floor with an apparent leg injury towards the end of the second quarter before returning in the second half. The 25-year-old center played 34 minutes and was the second leading scorer for the Timberwolves in what turned out to be a lackluster game for Minnesota. Reid appeared healthy in the second half and should continue to be counted on for starter-level minutes despite coming off the bench.
Anthony Edwards had 23 points (9-of-22 FGs), 14 rebounds, two assists, three steals, one block and one three-pointer in Game 1 against the Warriors on Tuesday.
Draymond Green had 18 points (6-of-13 FGs), eight rebounds, six assists, two steals and four three-pointers in Game 1 against the Timberwolves on Tuesday.
Buddy Hield had 24 points (7-of-19 FGs), eight rebounds, three assists, one steal and five three-pointers in Game 1 against the Timberwolves on Tuesday.