Previewing Monday’s Los Angeles Clippers at Indiana Pacers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Los Angeles Clippers (17-7) visit the Indiana Pacers (15-8) Monday at 7 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. We analyze the Clippers-Pacers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Clippers at Pacers: Key injuries
Clippers
SF Kawhi Leonard (rest) doubtful
PF Patrick Patterson (back) questionable
SF Rodney McGruder (hamstring) questionable
SG Landry Shamet (ankle) questionable
Pacers
PG Malcolm Brogdon (hand) questionable
SG Victor Oladipo (knee) out
SF JaKarr Sampson (back) questionable
Clippers at Pacers: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.
The Clippers are coming off a 135-119 road win over the Washington Wizards Friday, while the Pacers last played Saturday in a 104-103 road victory over the New York Knicks. The Pacers now return home from a five-game road swing. They have a 9-2 record as hosts and the Clippers are just 4-6 away from home.
Take the PACERS (-110) as they have the rest and home advantages, and Leonard is expected to sit out for the Clips. Both teams were 8-2 over their last 10 games. The Pacers have the edge on defense with an average of 104.5 points per game allowed while the Clippers allow 108.7 PPG. Los Angeles scores 115.3 PPG to 109.2 PPG for Indiana.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Pacers to win outright as home underdogs returns a profit of $9.09.
Stick with the moneyline and the outright victory for Indiana rather than taking a smaller payout with the -120 odds for the Pacers to cover the spread of +1.5 and stay within one point in a loss or win outright.
The Clippers are 13-11 against the spread overall and 3-7 ATS on the road. The Pacers are 12-10 ATS overall and 6-4 at home.
The Clippers rank seventh in the NBA with a pace of 103.57 possessions per game but they’re on the second half of a back-to-back and Leonard is expected to take the night off.
The Pacers rank just 23rd by pace at 99.40 possessions per game and will happily play in a slower, lower-scoring contest. Take the UNDER 218.5 (-125).
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Previewing Sunday’s Los Angeles Clippers at Washington Wizards sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets
The Los Angeles Clippers (16-7) and Washington Wizards (7-14) meet Sunday at 6 p.m. ET in the nation’s capital. We analyze the Clippers-Wizards odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Clippers at Wizards: Key injuries
Clippers: PF Patrick Patterson (back) and SF JaMychal Green (tailbone) are each considered questionable.
Wizards: PG Isaiah Thomas (calf), C Thomas Bryant (foot) and SG C.J. Miles (wrist) are out. C Ian Mahinmi (Achilles) is questionable.
Clippers at Wizards: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:20 p.m. ET.
The Clippers (-358) are too risky of a play on the road while having to lay a little more than 3½ times the return. It’s just not worth it. The Wizards (+275) are a better value, but they’re not going to take down the Clips.
New to sports betting? Every $3.58 wagered on a Clippers win would profit $1 if they prevail.
The CLIPPERS(–8.5, +100) are a dismal 1-7 ATS in their past eight games on the road, but they’re 8-2 ATS in the past 10 following a straight-up loss. They’re too good to fall into a slide, and they’ll get it done over the Wizards (+8.5, -12), who are mostly a one-man show.
OVER (236.5, -106) is the play in this one, cashing in seven of the past eight in this series. The Over is also a perfect 8-0 in L.A.’s past eight against a team with a losing record, while going 6-2 in their past eight as a road favorite. The Over is 6-0 in Washington’s past six against winning teams, and 9-4 in the past 13 at home.
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Previewing Friday’s Los Angeles Clippers at Milwaukee Bucks sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Los Angeles Clippers (16-6) visit the Milwaukee Bucks (19-3) Friday at Fiserv Forum. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Clippers-Bucks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Clippers at Bucks: Key injuries
Clippers
PF JaMychal Green (tailbone) questionable
SF Rodney McGruder (hamstring) out
SG Landry Shamet (ankle) questionable
Clippers at Bucks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8:45 a.m. ET.
The first-place team in the Eastern Conference hosts the Western Conference’s third seed. The Bucks have won 13 games in a row and enter Friday with a 9-1 home record. The Clippers have won their last two games, but are just 3-5 on the road to start the year. LA last played Tuesday, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 117-97. Milwaukee topped the Detroit Pistons 127-103 on the road Wednesday.
The value with the CLIPPERS (+135) is too great to turn down. They’re the better-rested club and the Bucks have taken advantage of a soft schedule during their winning streak. The Indiana Pacers (14-7) are the best team they’ve faced. LA will be their biggest test and the Clippers will handle a team slipping into cruise control.
The moneyline is a much more attractive play for the Clippers rather than taking a lesser payout with +105 odds on the spread of +2.5. A $10 bet on the outright win for the visitors fetches a profit of $13.50. The same wager on the spread returns a profit $10.50 with just two points of insurance in the event of a loss. Don’t leave money on the table.
The Clippers are 12-10 against the spread but just 2-6 on the road, while the Bucks are 5-5 ATS at home and 11-11 overall. The Clippers haven’t lost by fewer than three points this season. We’ll AVOID this line, but this is the spot to take the Bucks (-2.5, -125) if you expect the home side to win a 14th straight game.
The Bucks are 11-10-1 against the Over/Under while topping the projected point totals by an average of 3.3 points per game. The Clippers are just 9-13 against the O/U and fall an average of 3.3 points shy of the line. Milwaukee (108.2 PPG allowed) and Los Angeles (107.8 PPG allowed) allow a combined 216 points per game. Take the UNDER 232.5 (-115).
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Previewing Tuesday’s Portland Trail Blazers at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and bets.
The Los Angeles Clippers (15-6) host the Portland Trail Blazers (8-12) Tuesday with tip-off coming just after 10 p.m. ET at Staples Center. We analyze the Trail Blazers-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Trail Blazers at Clippers: Key injuries
Trail Blazers
SG Gary Trent Jr.(hamstring) probable
Clippers
PF JaMychal Green (back) questionable
SG Rodney McGruder (hamstring) out
SG Landry Shamet(ankle) out
Trail Blazers at Clippers: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
The Clippers are fourth-best against the spread at home with a mark of 9-4 and come in 5.8 points per game above the cover line. Portland is 7-6 on the road against the spread but comes in 1.1 points per game below the cover line.
Back LOS ANGELES(-9.5, -106) to win by 10 or more points Tuesday. It delivers a much more enticing $9.43 profit.
The projected total is set at 231.5 (Over: -106, Under: -115). Los Angeles averages 115.4 points per game and Portland averages 113.6 per contest. These are two of the higher-paced teams, with Los Angeles ranking seventh at 103 possessions per game and Portland eighth at 102.8.
Take the UNDER 231.5 (-115).
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green sat down with USA TODAY’s LeBron Wire to discuss an amazing start to the season for their team.
Few understand the ins and outs of the NBA better than Los Angeles Lakers guard Danny Green.
He started on the fringes of the league and saw a glimpse of LeBron James’ first run in Cleveland, before winning championships with San Antonio and Toronto in his career, on his way to becoming one of the league’s most dependable two-way wings. But he’s currently on a run he’s never experienced before as his Los Angeles Lakers have jumped out to a 17-3 start, one that he called ‘special’ on and off the court.
Green sat down with USA TODAY’s LeBron Wire on Monday morning to discuss a promotion with the Lakers and Delta Airlines, but we managed to touch on some other topics such as how the China trip brought the team together and how LeBron’s ability to take criticism has set the tone for the entire Lakers team.
LeBron Wire: 20 games in, 17-3, where would you say you are at? Your goals are bigger than a good record, are you in good position for your bigger goals?
Danny Green, Los Angeles Lakers: I think we are. We recognize obviously we’re ahead of where we expected to be. But we know we can potentially do so much more. Not so much more, but we have a ways to go. That’s what’s so exciting about it. Our best games, we still haven’t played our best basketball. We still have a good amount of room to grow and get better. We also still haven’t been focused for a full 48 minutes this season.
LW: Going back to Cleveland with LeBron, is there anything with his leadership that you notice is different? Is he more vocal than he used to be?
DG: He’s always been vocal. He’s just got that championship DNA right now. He’s matured over the years not only as a player but as a person. He does more things off the court with teammates. We bond, we have a group that’s in-tune and he knows how important that is for us to be clicking on the court. And it’s the most surprising thing to me at this point in his career is he’s a guy that’s accepting criticism to learn and will actually listen to his teammates to let them push him. You don’t see guys who are superstars, or even guys that are the greatest player to ever play or the greatest of his era, willing to openly be accepting of criticism. Actually listening to teammates. Not just giving orders but taking orders. Yes, he’s been a great leader not just to win but he cares about the group and the bigger picture.
LW: Any stories of LeBron taking criticism recently? Any examples of him taking criticism for the betterment of the team?
DG: There’s so many, there’s not just one. He’ll take ownership when he does mess up. In a film session he will say that’s my box-out, that’s my x-out, that guy there was a miss. And we will tell him, ‘Bron you need to do this, we need to you be more aggressive, we need you to pass more, he’ll listen. He’ll actually take that with a positive attitude and actually apply it to the game to help our team.
LW: So you’re taking to me because of this Delta collaboration with the Lakers for the Showtime Seat Exchange, what’s the deal?
DG: It’s an amazing, amazing collaboration. I was very excited for this one. It’s no shock as to why, it’s an exceptional collaboration with a great airline like Delta. I think it’s amazing to give people an opportunity to exchange tickets for seats and how quickly it happens. The first few days it filled out and they will give people another opportunity to do it again in the New Year. It’s pretty cool for people to donate their game tickets and then you get the opportunity to fly anywhere. It’s great that they give people a chance to see the game and if you have tickets leftover, you have a chance to fly anywhere in the world.
LW: Cool. How big of a factor is Anthony Davis in instilling the attitude on defense?
DG: He’s been the Defensive Player of the Year. Hands down. He’s led by his actions, by his vocal, by his communication. His standards for everybody and for ‘Bron. He’s the reason why you see ‘Bron out there scrambling and hustling, doing all the things that he’s been doing. He’s been pushing him on that end of the floor. We all have, but those two have a special relationship. AD has been leading by example and with his words and what he’s done vocally. That’s why our defense has been so great thus far. We want to try and be better for the full 48, but he’s the foundation of our defense.
LW: Big road trip but you have the Christmas game against the Clippers, can you look at it as a chance for redemption for opening night?
DG: We look forward to every chance to play against everybody. Not just the Clippers but we lost to Toronto and we lost to Dallas. We’ve played Dallas twice, we beat them in a close one before, those are teams that will be marked on our calendar. There’s a lot of great teams in the West and the East, above-.500 teams. We have a helluva road trip coming up with Denver, Utah and Portland. It’s going to be interesting and fun at the same time. But of course the Clippers, how good of a team they are and how good they are playing, it’s a real good challenge for us to take head on.
LW: How special has this start to the season been compared to some of the other experiences in your career?
DG: I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever started this well record-wise. I’ve been on some pretty special teams but more so than anything, which is more important than record, it’s the bonding, the chemistry. I’ve been a part of some real good teams where the chemistry on the court was unbelievable but I’ve never been a part of a team where the chemistry has been…I think the China trip really helped us. It’s been unbelievable off the court. We talk to each other, we talk to each other in our group chat, we hang out off the court, we plan things together. I think the China trip is what really helped us. I’ve never been part of a group that clicked this early, everybody hanging out with everybody, this early in the season. Yeah, that’s what makes it special for me. We’re having a lot of fun off the court together, that’s something I’ll never forget. I think these are memories that guys will keep close to them and hold them because of the group we have and how special it’s been off the court.
The oddsmakers still believe the NBA championship will belong to Los Angeles in June of 2020.
The Los Angeles Lakers lost for the first time in 11 games on Sunday but despite no longer having sole possession of the NBA’s best record, the oddsmakers still believe they have as great of a chance as anybody in the league to win the championship. Well, except for their Staples Center counterparts, the Los Angeles Clippers.
BetOnline released their updated odds for the month of December and after November saw the Clippers as the favorites ahead of the Lakers, December’s odds have them neck and neck to win the title at 3-1. Behind them are the Milwaukee Bucks at 9-2, who are tied with the Lakers for the best record in the league.
The Lakers expressed their goal yesterday to not lose multiple games in a row this season after Sunday’s home loss to Dallas. While that might be a difficult task for the Lakers, or any team this season, it’s the type of aspiration that championship teams have.
While we still have to wait a few weeks for the next Lakers-Clippers showdown on Christmas Day, the way both teams are playing makes an All-L.A. Western Conference Final even more likely.
Previewing Sunday’s Washington Wizards at Los Angeles Clippers sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets
The Washington Wizards (6-11) visit the Los Angeles Clippers (14-6) Sunday for a 10:30 p.m. ET tip at the Staples Center. We analyze the Wizards-Clippers odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Wizards at Clippers: Key injuries
Wizards
C Ian Mahinmi(Achilles) out
SG C.J. Miles (wrist) out
SF Moritz Wagner (ankle) questionable
Clippers
SG Rodney Mcgruder (hamstring) out
SG Landry Shamet (ankle) out
Wizards at Clippers: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.
The Clippers, who are 11-1 at home and 4-1 against the Eastern Conference this season, are heavy chalk (-910), which I can’t suggest to anyone to play. A $10 wager on the Clippers would profit just $1.10 if they win.
The Wizards (+600), who are 3-7 on the road, would pay 6-to-1 with an outright victory, but it’s not going to happen. We’ll focus on the spread and the Over/Under below.
The Clippers are 8-4 at home ATS and scoring 5.2 points above the cover line on the season. Washington is 6-3-1 ATS on the road, while winding up nearly five points per game above the projections. It is a close number from Vegas, but still a little high.
Back WASHINGTON (+13.5, -125). The Wizards should keep this close enough to come in just under the spread, only having to lose by 13 or fewer points.
The projected total is set at 238.5. This is a number that could be very near the line. The Wizards allow 121.2 points per game overall on the season. But the Clippers yield just 107.5 points per contest, which is why I’m picking the UNDER (-106).
A $10 bet would profit $9.43 if the Over hits.
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Previewing Friday’s Los Angeles Clippers at San Antonio Spurs sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets
The Los Angeles Clippers (14-5) head to the Riverwalk to face the San Antonio Spurs (6-13) Friday with tip-off coming just after 8:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Center. We analyze the Clippers-Spurs odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
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Clippers at Spurs: Key injuries
Clippers
SF Rodney McGruder(hamstring) out
Spurs
PF Chimezie Metu (foot) out
Clippers at Spurs: Odds, lines, picks, and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 1:15 p.m. ET.
The Spurs are just too much of a risk even at home to think about a wager. Los Angeles is -250 and that could shift before game time. That being said, it is too hard not to make a selection here.
Our pick is with the CLIPPERS (-250).
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Los Angeles returns a profit of $4 with an outright win.
Los Angeles is 10-9 against the spread, but just 2-5 on the road while falling nearly two points per game below the cover line. Those numbers are not all that good and yet, San Antonio is much worse. The Spurs carry a 1-9 ATS at home on the season. It could be 0-10 if it hadn’t been for a fortunate bounce. San Antonio averages eight points below the spread at home. That is the worst in the entire league.
Pick LOS ANGELES (-6.5, +100). The Spurs with that “average loss a game” is above the spread which is almost unheard of by now. The even odds for the Clippers provide a ton of value as Los Angeles just has to win by seven points or more.
The projected total is set at 223.5. Both teams can score 110+ points and Los Angeles can top 120+. The projection seems low and the OVER (-129) is worth a slight wager. Just make sure Kawhi Leonard plays for Clippers.
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Previewing Tuesday’s Los Angeles Clippers at Dallas Mavericks sports betting odds and lines, with NBA betting picks, tips and best bets.
The Los Angeles Clippers (12-5) visit the Dallas Mavericks (11-5) Tuesday at American Airlines Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET. We analyze the Clippers-Mavericks odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Clippers at Mavericks: Key injuries
Clippers
SG Landry Shamet (ankle) out
Clippers at Mavericks: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Monday at 9:15 a.m. ET.
The MAVERICKS (100) have won five straight games and are 6-3 on home court. The Clippers (-121) have also won five straight, but they’re just 1-4 on the road. Both teams have been off since picking up a double-digit win Sunday. They haven’t faced each other yet this season and won’t meet again until Jan. 21 Dallas.
The Mavs beat the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers by 40-plus points before toppling the state rival Houston Rockets 137-123 their last time out. The Clips have won their last five games by margins ranging from two to 49 points.
Mavericks star SF Luka Doncic has led his team in scoring each of the last 12 games, and is averaging 30.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game on the season. He and PF Kristaps Porzingis will go up against the Clippers’ duo of Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in a star-studded showdown. Back the home side to extend its winning streak while dealing LA its first loss since Nov. 14.
The Clippers are 9-8 ATS overall but they’re just 1-4 ATS on the road, matching their straight-up record as visitors. The Mavericks are 9-7 ATS overall but just 4-5 at home, although they cover by an average of 3.8 points per game at the AAC.
The host MAVERICKS (+1.5, -110) are the underdogs in what’s projected as a one-possession game. The moneyline has a greater profit margin, but the spread can also be played at near-even money.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet for the Mavericks to lose by a single point or win outright using the spread returns a profit of $9.09. The same bet for the straight-up win on the moneyline fetches a profit of $10.
Back the UNDER 227.5 (-115) with Leonard and George likely to limit Doncic’s production, but exhausting themselves at the defensive end of the floor in the process.
The Mavericks are a league-best 12-4 against the O/U while topping the projected totals by an average of 10.1 points per game. The Clippers are just 7-10 against the number and fall an average of four points shy of the projected total.
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Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
Leonard hasn’t been super effective in the three games that he’s played since returning from a left knee contusion. The Clippers managed to win all three contests (over the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans), but Leonard seems a bit limited. Sure, Kawhi at 70-80 percent is better than most players at 100 percent, but we dropped him down our rankings a bit as he gets back to full strength. It’s worth noting that Leonard has been much less efficient than usual this season, which is something that the 28-year-old will surely work on. He’s shooting just 43.5 percent from the field and 30.0 percent from three-point range – both of which would easily be career-lows for Leonard. He’s only appeared in 12 games, though, so perhaps it’s just a small sample size. Fortunately for the Clippers (and basketball fans in general), Leonard and Paul George are finally playing together and it’s been fun to watch. So far, L.A. is undefeated when they have their two stars in the lineup at the same time.
Monday’s game against the Chicago Bulls was a perfect example of how adding Carmelo Anthony may help the Blazers win some additional games this season. Lillard scored just 13 points on 40.0 percent shooting from the field and 25.0 percent from three, but Portland still won because Anthony had 25 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field and 57.1 percent from three. Lillard has been outstanding for the Blazers this year, but one player can only do so much. If Anthony continues to score this efficiently, it’ll be difficult for defenses to shut down Carmelo, Lillard and CJ McCollum. Lillard recently missed a game due to back spasms (insert joke about Dame carrying the Blazers on his back) and the point guard said that the issue is going to linger for a bit, so that may be why he’s struggling as of late. On the season, Lillard ranks fifth in Offensive Box Plus/Minus (6.9), seventh in Win Shares (2.4), seventh in Value Over Replacement Player (1.1) and 10th in Player Efficiency Rating (25.0).
This is Butler’s first time cracking our MVP rankings this season, but he’s been playing well all year for the Heat. Butler’s decision to leave the Philadelphia 76ers for Miami was one of the biggest surprises of this past offseason, but the 30-year-old forward has fit in perfectly with the Heat’s culture. With Butler leading the way on the perimeter, Miami currently has the second-best defense in the NBA (allowing just 100 points per 100 possessions). This has helped the Heat get off to a 12-4 start, which is the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Over the weekend, Butler returned to Philadelphia to face off against the Sixers for the first time since his departure and while he would’ve loved to have a monster showing and get the win, he finished with just 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals while shooting 30.8 percent from the field (including 0-2 from three) in a losing effort. Still, Butler is having a strong campaign and he has the Heat near the top of the East, which is why he’s in our Top 10 this week.
Siakam has emerged as an elite scorer this season, while continuing to play the strong defense that we’ve seen from him in the past. At the moment, Siakam is ranked ninth among all players in Defensive Win Shares (0.9), 16th in Win Shares (1.8) and 18th in Value Over Replacement Player (.7). Interestingly, Siakam’s stats (25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 2.3 threes, 0.8 steals, 47.4 FG%, 37.4 3P%) are actually very similar to the numbers of his former teammate Kawhi Leonard (25.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.8 threes, 2.1 steals, 43.5 FG%, 30.0 3P%). Everyone expected the 25-year-old to take on a bigger role this season and show some progress in Leonard’s absence, but this kind of leap is just incredible. He’s becoming one of the game’s elite two-way players and he seems poised for superstardom. Not bad for someone who didn’t play organized basketball for the first time until he was nearly 18 years old!
Towns continues to shoot the ball extremely well, making 44.4 percent of his three-pointers on 9.0 attempts per game. He’s more than doubled his number of three-pointers per game this season, which has made him an even scarier offensive weapon for Minnesota. Believe it or not, Towns’ 57 three-pointers is third-best in the NBA behind only James Harden (79) and Devonte’ Graham (60). The 24-year-old’s game perfectly fits in the modern NBA. Between Towns’ strong play and Andrew Wiggins’drastic improvement, it’s possible that the Wolves could shock everyone and sneak into the playoffs for just the second time in 16 years. After winning three-straight games (including an impressive victory over the Miami Heat), Minnesota has the seventh-best record in the Western Conference at 9-8.
The Lakers’ roster features 11 new players (including Davis), but you’d never know it from watching this team play. Rather than struggling out of the gate as they try to develop chemistry and get everyone on the same page, L.A. opened their season by winning 15 of their first 17 games. Davis and LeBron James have been a terrific one-two punch out of the gate, bringing the best out of each other. Davis may not be posting the jaw-dropping stat lines we got used to seeing from him with the New Orleans Pelicans, but that’s because he has a better supporting cast now and the Lakers aren’t asking him to carry the team on his own. Still, he’s been a dominant rim protector (leading the league in blocks) and he’s capable of scoring from anywhere on the court (averaging a career-high 1.2 threes per game). It may be tough for Davis to win MVP because he’s playing alongside James (and vice versa, perhaps), but there’s no question that he’s having a terrific season. It’ll be interesting to see how this Lakers team looks at midseason once they’re even more cohesive (and once their schedule gets a bit more difficult).
Last week, we praised Harden’s offensive output and moved him up our rankings because the Rockets held the second-best record in the league and were in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. Unfortunately, Houston went on to drop their next three games to tough teams (the Denver Nuggets, L.A. Clippers and Dallas Mavericks). Harden continues to score at will, despite constantly being double-teamed by opponents. He recently voiced his displeasure with the constant double-teaming, telling reporters: “The whole season, they’re running doubles teams at me. I’ve never seen that in an NBA game where you’ve got really good defenders and someone else running at the top of the key. Y’all let me know the last time you’ve seen that.” He uses this to his advantage at times, drawing contact from both defenders and getting to the foul line (which he’s doing more often than anyone since prime Wilt Chamberlain). With the Rockets’ current losing streak, Harden dropped one spot this week, but there’s no question that he’ll be in the mix for this award come the end of the season as long as he stays healthy.
The Bucks have now won 13 of their last 14 games (including eight-straight), climbing to No. 1 in the Eastern Conference standings. Not only have they lost just one game in the month of November, they’re winning convincingly – as evidenced by their +9.3 average point differential, the highest in the NBA. That’s in large part due to Antetokounmpo, who continues to dominate on both ends of the floor. On Monday, he had perhaps his best outing of the season in a win over the Utah Jazz, finishing with 50 points, 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 threes, 2 steals and 0 turnovers. The Jazz entered the game with the NBA’s top-ranked defense (allowing just 99.3 points per 100 possessions), yet Giannis did whatever he wanted against them. Antetokounmpo became just the second player in NBA history to hit all of those statistical marks in a single game, joining Michael Jordan (who did it against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1989-90).
Recently, a courtside fan captured a funny interaction between James and a referee, with James saying, “I know you’ve been reading and they’re saying that I haven’t been playing defense these last couple of years, but it’s a new year!” Well, this season, it seems that James’ main focuses are defending and facilitating. His much-improved defense is perhaps the starkest difference between 2018-19 and this year. James ranks fifth in the NBA in Defensive Win Shares (+1.0) and 20th in Defensive Rating (101.9), and his effort on that end of the floor has been significantly better. Perhaps Anthony Davis deserves credit for this, as he’s been saying since the offseason that he was going to hold LeBron accountable and push him to play at an All-Defensive-Team level like he’s capable of doing. After Monday’s games, the Lakers actually have the best defense in the NBA (allowing just 99.7 points per 100 possessions). As for LeBron’s playmaking, he leads the league in assists per game (10.8) and assist percentage (50.7) by wide margins. In fact, he’s been involved in 49.0 percent of the Lakers’ points, which is easily the highest percentage among all NBA players this season. Los Angeles has won eight-straight and sit at 15-2, which is the NBA’s best record.
Early in the season, people were praising Doncic’s game while wondering when the sophomore would come back down to the Earth. Well, rather than regressing, Luka has only gotten better and he’s even closer to averaging 30-10-10. Doncic currently leads all NBA players in Win Shares (3.6), Box Plus/Minus (14.2), Value Over Replacement Player (2.2) and Player Efficiency Rating (33.3). In fact, his 33.3 PER puts him on pace for the best single-season efficiency rating of all-time. He makes the game look incredibly easy, destroying teams offensively. Not only does he have the league’s second-best scoring average (30.6), he ranks second in the NBA in assists per game (9.8) and assist percentage (48.9), showing just how many buckets he’s creating for himself and others. Doncic secured this week’s top spot after delivering an MVP-like performance in Dallas’ win over James Harden and the Houston Rockets, finishing with 41 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 threes, 2 steals and 1 block. And his production is translating into victories for the Mavs, as they’ve now won five-straight games. Dallas is 11-5, which is the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. Right now, Doncic may be the frontrunner for the Most Valuable Player award and the Most Improved Player award.
