The Grizzlies are in a downward spiral that will continue in Charlotte, while the Thunder are on a winning streak that will continue in Miami on Friday night.
The Hornets beat the Grizzlies in Memphis a little over a week ago 118-107 in a game in a game in which the Grizzlies simply could not stay in the contest for four quarters. Memphis has dealt with a lot of apathy from their players knowing that many of them are on the trading block.
The “Grit & Grind” era in Memphis is more than likely coming to a fast close this season with an ESPN report two weeks ago that stated the Grizzlies are finally willing to trade staples Mike Conley and Marc Gasol. It is a harsh reality for management in Memphis to realize that the group that they put together has reached its proverbial ceiling and that they best course of action would be to go into full rebuild mode.
Last season the Grizzlies did a “mini” tank in which they were able to procure the number four overall pick in the draft and then selected Jaren Jackson Jr as their pick and have no decided to move forward and build the roster around him instead of their aging veterans. This decision comes a lot easier when the Grizzlies are losing as much as they have recently. Memphis has lost 17 of their last 20 contests, making them one of the worst teams in the league in that time span.
Charlotte on the other hand is still competing for a playoff berth in the lesser Eastern Conference. The Hornets have struggled to find an identity all season, but their ability to finally stay healthy has helped them to keep their playoff hopes alive. Kemba Walker is playing as good as ever and is solidifying himself as an All-Star once again.
Walker is not only responsible for setting up all of his Hornets teammates, especially Willie Hernangomez who has to be spoon-fed the ball so that he can score, but also attack and score himself. Kemba leads the Hornets in scoring at 25.7 points per game on 46% shooting from the field and 36% from three point range.
The Hornets are 14-11 at home ATS the spread this season and that record will increase against the lowly Grizzlies, who are not in the business of winning anymore.
Oklahoma City is coming into the game against the Heat as one of the hottest teams in the NBA, having won six games in a row and finally getting into their groove as a defensive team. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been about as consistent as possible this season after having about as up and down a season as possible last year while trying to balance the Big Three act of Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, and Russell Westbrook.
Paul George has emerged as a superstar with the freedom to operate on the court and has had to take over games on both offense and defense with Westbrook struggling mightily with his shot this season. George is the key player on the team cause he is the most dynamic scorer of the three, but he has been riddled by a recent shooting slump that left him searching for answers. If the Thunder want to have success in the playoffs, they must find a way to get George back on track.
Oklahoma City should be able to take care of the Heat in Miami, seeing as how the Heat are one of the worst teams in the NBA when it comes to covering spread at home. The Heat have an ATS home record of 11-14.
Thunder big man Steven Adams will have his hands full with Hassan Whiteside, but that should not be too much of a problem as Whiteside has expressed frustration with not playing as many minutes as he would like. Adams controls the paint and is a menace on the offensive glass and has the propensity to get opposing centers in foul trouble because of his physical play.
On the perimeter it will be interesting to see the plethora of bodies that the Heat try to use to slow down Russell Westbrook who while is not shooting well, is still more than capable of attacking the basket at will.
The Thunder opened as five point favorites on the road in Miami and that line bodes well for people betting on the Thunder, who are 15-11 ATS on the road for the season.