Germantas Kneita
The race for playoff positioning is heating up in the NBA and we should see several very consequential games on Saturdays slate. The Golden State Warriors will look strengthen their hold of the 6th seed as they take on an Atlanta Hawks team looking to get into the race for 6th in their conference themselves. Of the 10 teams in action overall, just 1 does not currently seem in the post season picture. We should be in for a very competitive night of basketball as a result.
You can find our NBA previews here. But for now take a look at my player prop selections for Saturday below.
Josh Hart (NY) over 16.5 assists & rebounds (-115)
Josh Hart should have the opportunity to stuff the stat sheet for the New York Knicks tonight up against the Washington Wizards. Over the last 10 games his opponents are 5th in pace and just 29th in true shooting percentage. That should lead to a galore of rebounding opportunities for the guard. Hart currently averages 9.6 rebounds per game this season but that has jumped to 10.7 in 3 games against the Wizards this season. Do not be surprised to see him exceed this number too.
With Jalen Brunson still unavailable for them, Hart should continue taking on a more significant role as a playmaker. This season he has averaged 6.7 assists per game against the Wizards. Considering he has exceeded that number in 4 of his last 5 outings overall, he should be well positioned to do so again tonight. The Wizards are 28th in opponent fast break points per game over the last 10 games. A rebounder like Hart should have success collecting misses, pushing the ball down the floor himself and picking up assists at the other end. Back the over on his assists and rebound line tonight.
Onyeka Okongwu (ATL) over 13.5 points (-115)
Atlanta Hawks center Onyeka Okongwu has done a great job scoring the ball of late. Through the month of March he has been averaging 14.9 points per game and hitting at least 14 points in 6 of his last 7 games. With Clint Capela remaining out for them tonight, Okongwu should continue seeing the majority of the minutes down low, giving him plenty of time to hit the over on this line. Trae Young is listed as probable to play tonight too so having his main playmaker on the floor should benefit him here too.
The Golden State Warriors do not have the type of rim protection that could impact Okongwu here. Draymond Green is likely to start at center tonight and he gives up a significant height advantage to the Hawks man. In the Warriors last outing, Alex Sarr exploited this matchup, dropping 19 points, nearly 7 more than his season average. Okongwu should see similar success.
