It remains to be seen if Wilson Chandler or Danilo Gallinari—two of the Nuggets’ top scorers this season—will get traded or remain with the team by the time this game tips off. And in case the former materializes, it automatically puts all the pressure on Nikola Jokic to lead Denver moving forward.
Jokic has been a surprising revelation this season, and is a huge reason why the Nuggets are in position to nab the final playoff spot in the west. The Serbian center is averaging career-highs in points (16.3), rebounds (9.0) and assists (4.3) in what has been a dominant breakout year thus far.
However, while Jokic has given the fan base something to smile about, the Nuggets need do something about their defense that ranks 28th in the league. Winning obviously becomes impossible when the defense gives away more points than how much the offense produces.
Denver is 3-7 SU and 4-6 ATS in its last 10 road games.
The Kings get a first taste of life without DeMarcus Cousins here, and in all honesty, it’s hard to pinpoint as to where the offense will now come from. The safest answer would probably be through veteran point guard Darren Collison, who was the team’s third-leading scorer (13.7 PPG) during the first half of the season.
Collison also enters this game having scored 13 or more points in eight February games, including three-consecutive 20-point efforts in victories against Boston, Atlanta and New Orleans. Then again, those were games where Boogie was dominating down low. Sacramento desperately needs somebody new to step up, like hopefully in the newly-acquired Buddy Hield—whom the Kings’ owner sees as the next Stephen Curry.
Hield, the sixth overall pick of the recent draft, averaged 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 57 games with New Orleans. Obviously, those numbers don’t make him, or anyone, worthy of being compared to the reigning two-time MVP. But with a guaranteed boost in playing time, it’s the best situation and chance for the Oklahoma product to show off his true potential.
Sacramento is 5-5 SU and ATS in its past 10 home games.
