The Intuition Statistician:Must - Danny Granger
- As the Pacers look to tie up the series up at one win they will need to turn to their PRA leader, Granger, to bring home a win. The Pacers must realize that a second loss tonight would make a comeback very difficult against the Easts top seed. Granger will have to go to work tonight to keep any hopes of an upset alive.
- I thought that picking James this early would be the most obvious bust, but on the NBA's pick one, he's a "hot pick". Come on guys! Tonight's games feature the two most lopsided match ups. If you pick superstars from Miami or Chicago this early you will most likely regret it when they advance in the playoffs. You will be left picking Juwan Howard and Brain Scalabrine while others are still using Lebron and Rose.
Stat Guru:
Must - Jrue Holiday
As Game 1 proved, Jrue will have to play a huge role if Philly wants to have ay chance against the highly touted Heat. Watch for the team to look to jump out on the Big 3 in an attept to make a statement for Games 3 and 4 at home. Jrue has great double-double potential in any game and crashes the boards well for a PG - similar to Westbrook and Rondo. Without this kid, the 76ers might as well crash and burn before trying to lift off (Sorry Iggy).
Bust - Carlos Boozer
Upon the return of Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer has been a lack luster PF at best. His rebound game continues to be eaten away by the likes of Noah and Deng while the emergence of Derrick Rose creates a standstill offense for the Bulls. Similar to last game, I expect no more than an 18 PRA from Boozer who will not need to show any sort of leadership until rounds 2 or 3. Save this one.
Fantasy Fresh Wes:
Must - Danny Granger
- It had to hurt taking a lead against the Bulls that late in the game, only to lose it toward the very end. I'm also having a difficult time believing the Pacers are going to come as close to winning as they did in Game 1. Nonetheless, I expect Granger to improve on his performance from Saturday with an increase in PRA (mostly in P). I expect Collison and Hansbrough to take a step back in their performances and for Granger to pick up that slack. I'm banking on a 35+ PRA performance from Granger, as he will be the only player keeping the Pacers in it.
Bust - Philadelphia 76ers
- There are five different players who can go for 30+ PRA on any given night (yes, even you Lou), which makes the Sixers a decent look for tonight. I looked at four of them closely (sorry, not this time Lou), but couldn't decide which one would give me the best results. Brand and Jrue have favourable match-ups. Thaddeus faces a weak bench. Iggy should come strong tonight after a subpar showing on Saturday. Unfortunately, I couldn't justify any of them as a pick tonight because as one excels, another is hindered. I am sure I will have to pick a Sixer at some point in this series, but I don't need to take the gamble with Granger on the board still.
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