NBA – Industry Expert Consensus – March 29th

If you haven’t heard, this will be the last week for the NBA Expert Consensus.  At this point, it’s turned in to the “Who is Scratched for the Night” article each day.  Those scratches have made it easier to find value plays this week and if you’re a “stars and scrubs” guy then that has played out nicely for you.  Six games for Tuesday and all feature an O/U of 202+ with two games having double-digit spreads.  The Washington/GS, OKC/Detroit and Houston/Cleveland games figure to feature a lot of scoring.

The numbers in the parenthesis are the number of experts that picked that player to give you more context as to the gaps between players and the tiers.

Highly Touted

• Kevin Love (9x) – Love’s numbers when LeBron sits are great.  LeBron is sitting tonight so Love is a smart play.
• Kyrie Irving (8x) – No LBJ should mean big numbers for Kyrie as well.
• Ian Mahinmi (8x) – Mahinmi gets a hobbled Bulls front court.  He is posting 12.6ppg and 6.8rpg in the last five.
• Russell Westrbook (7x) – Russ now has 16 triple-doubles on the season and is one away from tying Magic Johnson’s single season record.  If you’re a betting man, go ahead and push all the chips in on that happening tonight.  If he has a chance to roast former teammate, Reggie Jackson, he will.
• James Harden (7x) – Over the last five, Harden is posting 28.2ppg, 11apg and 7.6rpg.  The Rockets are currently tied for the 8th spot and Harden will do his best to push them in the playoffs even if he has to shoot it 50 times.
• Brook Lopez (7x) – Lopez has scored 25ppg, grabbed 7.3rpg and dished out 3.8apg in the last four.
• Kevin Durant (7x) – KD is basically playing second fiddle to Westbrook right now and that’s A-OK.  He’s put up 28.2ppg, 9.2rpg and 6.4apg in the last five.

Recommended

• Elfrid Payton (6x) – Averagin 16.3ppg and 9apg in the last three.
• JR Smith (6x) – Smith has double-digit FG attempts in each of the last four games.  When he’s chucking it, he has the potential for a big night.
• Paul George (6x) – In three previous matchups against the Bulls this season, George has scored 26ppg and grabbed 6.7rpg.
• Marvin Williams (5x) – Too much feast or famine for me to have any confidence in playing.  Would strictly be a GPP play in my book.
• Stephen Curry (5x) – The Warriors are going all-out for the Bulls win record.  Curry lit up the Wiz for 51 points in the season’s only previous matchup.
• Reggie Jackson (5x) – Jackson will look to burn his former team tonight.  I’m guessing he’ll put up about 20 shots because he thinks he still has something to prove.
• Klay Thompson (5x) – Thompson has averaged 24.3 FG attempts per game over the last three.  In those games, he’s scored 37.3ppg.
• Carl Landry (5x) – Landry is posting 16ppg and 6.4rpg over the last five.  Cheap option.
• Robert Covington (5x) – In the last three games, Covington is averaging 16.3ppg and 10.3rpg.

Suggested

• Otto Porter (4x) – He has been very consistent in the last five games where he’s posting 14ppg and 8.2rpg.
• Marcin Gortat (4x) – Gortat is posting 16.3ppg and 12.7rpg in the last three outings.
• Shane Larkin (4x) – Another guys that is likely only a GPP option due to inconsistency.  Another cheap option.
• Nicolas Batum (4x) – Batum has scored 19.4ppg in the last five for the surging Hornets.
• Ish Smith (3x)
• Draymond Green (3x)
• John Wall (3x)
• Enes Kanter (3x)

Good luck everyone and catch us tomorrow for the next edition of Expert Consensus.

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