There are some wild playoff races going on in the NBA and a constant stream of incredible NBA news as we hit the final week-plus of the regular season. It’s an interesting time to make a bet online as you can often know ahead of time what sort of effort each team will be putting into each game.
Think about that as you look over some of the players finishing well and some throwing in the towel. When you’re done here, be sure to check out the latest NBA picks and the NBA betting preview for whichever game you fancy.
Eastern Conference Who’s Hot
- Jaylen Brown – It’s not easy trying to figure out this Celtics team. They go from losing big to a Washington team playing out the string before absolutely pounding Milwaukee on Thursday to keep the East race up for grabs. Through it all has been Brown, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, who had another 30 points in 32 minutes against the Bucks. He’s averaging 30.3 points on 55.1% shooting over his last nine games.
- Kristaps Porzingis – As mentioned above, the Wizards are on the outside looking in, although the win over the Celtics gave them a little life. But with Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma out with injuries, it’s been Porzingis carrying the load. He posted 32 points and 13 rebounds in the defeat of Boston and is averaging 27.2 while shooting 60.2% over a five-game span.
- TJ McConnell – Here’s another guy whose team will probably fall short of the postseason (the Pacers entered Friday 3½ games out of a Play-In spot) and who doesn’t get a lot of headlines, but he’s just so efficient it’s hard to ignore his lines. The backup point guard shot 6-for-8 and had six assists in 20 minutes of action in a loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday, shooting 56.1% since the All-Star break.
Western Conference Who’s Hot
- Luke Kennard – We had to put him here two weeks in a row after he stayed blistering hot from the arc. The sharpshooter made 4-for-5 3’s in a win over Orlando on Tuesday and followed that up with another 12 points (just one 3-pointer, though) in a spot start the next night. He’s basically clinched the 3-point percentage crown (currently at 48.9%) with what figures to be the best mark in the NBA since Kyle Korver shot 49.2% in 2014-15.
- Nicolas Batum – He had a quiet night against Kennard’s Grizzlies on Thursday, but we wanted to recognize this veteran for his 8-for-10 effort from the arc two nights earlier against Chicago. That performance gave him a three-game stretch in which he was a remarkable 16-for-22 from long range.
- Trey Murphy III– In keeping with the theme of guys on the mark from the arc, we have Murphy, who is trying to get the New Orleans Pelicans into the postseason. He recently made 10-of-12 3-pointers in a win over Batum and the Clippers, which came less than two weeks after his 9-for-14 effort in a win over Portland. He’s closing in on the fourth season in franchise history in which a Pelican has made 200 3’s, and is one of many reasons why we like New Orleans as a sleeper in the West. Check out their NBA playoff odds and consider a wager on a long run.
Eastern Conference Who’s Not
- Victor Oladipo – He got a start the other night when Jimmy Butler was out but this oft-injured fellow has fallen out of the rotation for Erik Spoelstra’s squad. And when he’s been in there it hasn’t always led to much. Oladipo is averaging 7.9 points on 34.5% shooting over his last seven games (with four DNPs mixed in there). His fade is one of many reasons why it’s been so hard to make definitive NBA predictions on the Miami Heat this season.
- Dorian Finney-Smith – He’s a defensive guy who is key to whatever the Brooklyn Nets accomplish in the playoffs, but his shot has been off since he was traded from Dallas. Finney-Smith is shooting 25.0% over an eight-game stretch, making 7 of 35 triples in that span.
- Shake Milton – The Sixers don’t always need Milton to stand out. They have loads of star power. But it helps when this reserve guard is contributing. In fact, they’re 28-5 when Milton scores eight points or more and just 21-17 when he doesn’t. He was 0-for-7 from the floor at Denver on Monday and is averaging 5.0 points on 28.6% shooting over his last six games.
Western Conference Who’s Not
- Blake Wesley – We’ve had this speedy Spurs rookie here before as he finds it tough to find an offensive game at this level. He’s a woeful 4-for-31 from the floor over his last five contests, 4-for-26 inside the arc.
- Luguentz Dort – Like Finney-Smith, Dort is relied upon more for his outstanding defense. But like Finney-Smith, his offensive numbers could still use a pick-me-up. Prior to a solid outing against Detroit the other night (20 points, 7-for-15 shooting), Dort endured a five-game span in which he shot 25.9% from the floor. It has dropped his field-goal percentage to 39.1, putting him on pace to finish below 40% for the third time in four NBA seasons.
- Nassir Little – With Damian Lillard shut down and the Trail Blazers’ season caput, Little has a chance to show something. He’s even been given back-to-back starts. Unfortunately, the UNC product made just 7-of-27 shots (1-of-13 3-pointers) in those two starts and is hitting on 13.8% from the arc over an eight-game span. There was a 28-point outing vs. Dort’s Thunder mixed in there, so he has it in him.
