Utah at Oklahoma City
Time: 7 PM CT (NBA LP)
Spread: OKC -7
Total: 199.5
Odds c/o 5dimes
The Oklahoma City Thunder added two superstars but are not a much better team than it was a year ago. Indeed, despite adding Paul George and Carmelo Anthony, OKC lingers at 15-15 as it hosts the Utah Jazz tonight at 7 PM (CT) on NBA League Pass. The Thunder have won seven of its last 10 games, and it will be 7-point favorites over Utah in a game with a low over/under of just 199.5 points according to NBA oddsmakers at bookmaker 5dimes.
OKC
While Russell Westbrook continues to play amazing basketball, Anthony is struggling to find his niche and role with his new team. Chances of demoting Anthony to a Sixth Man remain low, howsoever it might be the best thing that Billy Donovan could do to inject some life into the Thunders’ second unit. Anthony is averaging a career-low 17.3 points per game and attempting just 15.9 field goals per game. Similarly, Paul George has reduced his load to 17 shots per game, but Westbrook maintains his 20.8 field goals per game. The balance needs to be struck more, particularly since outside of that big Three, and Steven Adams, the Thunder get so little offense from the rest of its cast.
Indeed, a sheer lack of depth continually hurts the Thunder. Jerami Grant, Ray Felton, Alex Abrines and Andre Roberson are all fine players, but a team is in trouble when that quartet comprises its fifth through ninth best players. None of them are major scoring threats, and the Thunder still are not vastly utilizing Patrick Patterson, who looms as a potential source of mid-range shooting and rebounding. While the team does not likely regret losing Victor Oladipo, as well as he is playing in Indiana, maybe it should. Beyond that, it is not likely George remains in OKC after this season, making this experimental rental all the more of a failure if the Thunder cannot manage to get more from George, and the rest of its team. The Thunder have been strong defensively, but with just three scorers and an active Adams, it is difficult to envision this team posing any legitimate threat to either Houston or Golden State.
UTAH
Utah lost its past two outings to Cleveland and Houston (on the road). The Jazz basically has been a story of development: Donovan Mitchell is unequivocally the steal of the 2017 NBA draft. Mitchell leads the team in scoring at 17.7 points per game, and the rookie has only gotten better as the season has progressed. Mitchell had just six points in the loss to Houston, but he had 26 against LeBron James and the Cavs, and he scored 32 points against Chicago on Dec. 13.
Mitchell is averaging 18.6 points over the Jazz’ past five games and shooting 46.4 percent from the field over the span. Taken No. 13 overall in the draft by Denver (and dealt to Utah), he is outplaying the majority of the players taken before him and should be a First Team All-Rookie selection. If not for Ben Simmons, he would be the Rookie of the Year.
Outside of Mitchell, Rodney Hood has also been very good as the team’s secondary scorer. Hood is averaging 17.6 points per game and shooting 42.9 percent from three-point range. The problem for Utah has been that center Rudy Gobert is still out for another two months, and he anchors Utah’s defense, arguably even gives the team its identity. Derrick Favors has been solid in his stead, but the Bucks need their shot-swatter back in the paint to give this team its best chance to win.
Utah is not a team to run others out of the gym with high scoring antics, but with Gobert helping anchor a top-defense Utah can be a threat.
