The NBA is back tonight with a major slate and virtually every team taking the floor. Everyone had the day off yesterday for voting day, which is a joke, but whatever. It has been a fun NBA season so far with a lot of exciting games, and some very good plays so far. The problem has been that a lot of the superstars have been injured, so it feels like the teams aren’t quite complete, and we are only a couple of weeks into the season. Tonight we have the Timberwolves taking on the Rockets.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are 5-3 for the season, but they are without their best player, Anthony Edwards. This team has been turned over to LaMelo Ball for the time being, and we’ve seen how good a team can be with Ball as the main player. That could be an unfair shot at Ball, considering the Hornets were never really constructed very well (at least until last year). The Timberwolves are going to struggle without Edwards in their lineup, but the key to a good team is depth anyway.
Minnesota has won two of the past three games and is 2-2 without Edwards this year. They lost to Golden State and then lost to San Antonio. Their two wins were against the Bucks and the Clippers, both teams that are expected to be some of the worst in basketball. In order to win this game, the team will need to rely on their defense and likely on Rudy Gobert to use his advantage down low. Gobert has struggled this season, averaging just 7.4 points per game. He is still collecting rebounds, but he needs to score more with Edwards out.
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The Houston Rockets look like one of the best teams in basketball. They are off to a great start with a 7-1 record, and despite Kevin Durant being rather short with media members, it seems like the team is gelling. I said this last year, but the team seemed like they were a point guard away from figuring out their offense. Fred VanVleet’s return seems to have made their offense more efficient and effective. I also like the bench with Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Steven Adams. Adams is out for this game, but the team still has depth and skill basically everywhere.
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Alperen Sengun has been awesome this season as well. Sengun is someone the Rockets viewed as a potential mini-Jokic, and this year, he is averaging 23.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. They are 6-0 this season when he plays. He still is a bit of an issue on defense and regularly finds himself in foul trouble. Durant will still be the go-to guy, but there are plenty of guys who make a difference. If the Rockets are hitting shots and moving the ball, they might be the best team in the league.
I liked the under on this game, but I’m not going to take it any longer; it has already lowered by three points, and I think that the over might actually be the right side at this point. The Rockets are the better team, and their depth will be a problem tonight. Ball, the most effective Timberwolves player, is going to be stopped by the Houston defense. Give me the Rockets at -7.5 tonight.
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