NBA Best Bets: Fred VanVleet is Roaring
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Edgar Chaput
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Fred VanVleet of Foot
One of the forgotten players on the Raptors roster this season is Fred VanVleet. That is, until recently. Truth be told, it’s been an up-and-down season for the entire organization as they cling to vague hopes for a play-in spot. That said, players like Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Precious Achiuwa have hogged a lot of the conversation surrounding the Raptors. But VanVleet has been on fire lately.
More specifically, the back end of January saw VanVleet go bonkers with a 33-point game in New York, then a 39-point effort in Milwaukee. Since then he has scored at least 24 points in four of six games. What upcoming opponents can he potentially continue his brilliant effort against? The one hiccup in their schedule before the All-Star break is Memphis on Feb. 5. The Grizzlies have the NBA’s best defence against opposing field goal percentage. Other than that, the Dinos play the Jazz on Feb. 1 (later tonight), the Rockets on Feb. 3, and return home for a game against the Spurs on Feb. 8. San Antonio and Utah are bottom 10 teams in points and field goal percentage allowed, whereas Houston is bottom 10 in points conceded per game. Check our VanVleet player props in those games.
Miami Heating Up
It was only a few weeks ago that fans were concerned about the fortunes of the Miami Heat. A club that had played in the bubble Finals three years ago and an Eastern Conference final last year was meandering around .500. They were a shadow of the unit that vied for championship glory in its recent past. If the past 10 games are anything to go by, Miami may be turning up the heat.
It isn’t merely the fact that they’ve claimed victory in seven of those opportunities. The teams they’ve had to reckon with were no slouches either. Granted, on Jan. 24 Boston sat some important stars, but they have plenty of depth and nearly earned a win were it not for a brilliant fourth quarter by Bam Adebayo. They thumped the Bucks two games in a row – albeit sans Giannis – and fought tooth and nail against the Cavaliers on Jan. 31. Can the surge continue? Yes and no. Before the Heat face more digestible opponents (Pacers on Feb. 8, Rockets on Feb. 10) they have to deal with the Knicks on Feb. 2 and the Bucks (with Giannis) on Feb. 6. The Heat look good, but proceed with caution on the money line.
Indiana Losing Pace
On the flip side of the coin, the Indiana Pacers are experiencing the opposite, less desirable trend. All the hoopla surrounding an exciting, young team, with Bennedict Mathurin being a solid candidate for Rookie of the Year honours is beginning to evaporate (about the team. Mathurin is still playing well). They are 1-9 in the last 10 and really haven’t looked the same without point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has been out for three weeks due to a knee injury. Reports indicate he may be available as soon as Feb. 2 against the Lakers.
Unfortunately for Indiana, their near future isn’t looking too bright. As mentioned, the Lakers come to town on Thursday, and while that sounds promising, L.A. has been playing better ball lately, showing plenty of moxie on their road trip. That’s followed with visits by the Kings, who are scorching hot now, and the Cavaliers, who sport the league’s best defence in points allowed per game and have a spry Donovan Mitchell leading the way. The next week will be challenging for Indiana. Proceed with extreme caution.
Mikal the Prodigal Sun
With Devin Booker out for several weeks already – his potential return is early February, but it could be longer – Mikal Bridges has done an admirable job answering the bell for the Phoenix Suns. He was exceptional in Monday’s win over the visiting Raptors (29 points off of 12-19 shooting) and practically as good on Saturday’s overtime conquering of the Spurs (25 points courtesy of a 10-18 night).
Devin Booker will return to the starting lineup any week now, so it’s only a matter of time before Bridges plays second fiddle again. There are still some games to go before he must cross that bridge. Lighting it up as he has recently may prove challenging. The Celtics and Nets loom on the calendar on Feb. 3 and 7 respectively. The former is 11th defensively and the latter 6th, which is all the more impressive given Kevin Durant’s absence. Surrounding those dates are the Hawks and Pistons on Feb. 1 (later today) and Feb. 4 respectively. Both are bottom 10, with Detroit sagging in 29th.
A New Bryant in Purple and Gold
Forgive the blasphemous subtitle. We certainly don’t presume that center Thomas Bryant is going to have the same impact on the Lakers as the late, great Kobe Bryant. It is fun to note that they share the same surname while performing at a high level for the same organization.
It goes without saying that, given their different positions, Thomas’s impact differs. His rebounding and +/- ratio have impressed since filling in for Anthony Davis. With the superstar center back from injury, it goes without saying that Bryant’s star may dim a little bit. although one never knows when Davis will injure himself again. Even so, his presence on the court brings with it a sounder defence. Apart from the Knicks game, Bryant had a positive +/- ratio in three straight games. Even in the Clippers debacle on Jan. 24, a game in which no Laker played well, his ratio was the least offensive. He attacks well in the paint, and averages seven rebounds a game. He may be a worthy player to bank some props on.