We Are Here

The real NBA season is finally here — for just the second time ever, the playoffs will kick off with a tournament for the final two seeds in each conference. This year's play-in tournament offers a number of compelling storylines, particularly within the 7/8 matchups that will be played out tonight. We have a pair of teams in the Nets and Clippers who have dealt with a litany of injuries and uncertainty this season but, when playing at full strength, are among the NBA's elite squads 👇

• Despite the Nets' well-documented woes, they compiled a 36-19 record with Kevin Durant on the court (they were just 8-19 without him)

• The Clippers' season has proven far less dramatic, as Kawhi Leonard's injury recovery has (shockingly) been kept under the radar. A playoff return looks unlikely

Meanwhile, the opponents of these two teams have drawn a wildly different narrative, and very few would have penciled them into the play-in tournament prior to the season. Both Cleveland and Minnesota represent the small-market hopefuls who have a slim chance of acquiring big-time players outside of the draft. Still, both have succeeded in surrounding their homegrown stars with deep, well-constructed rosters 💪

• The Cavs spent much of the year closer to the top of the East standings, before injuries derailed their breakout season

• The Wolves, on the other hand, caught fire in the latter half of the season, tying for the seventh-best record in the league post All-Star break at 15-8

Play-In Tournament Betting Preview (subject to change)

🗣 Nets vs Cavs

• Spread: Nets -8.5

• Moneyline: Nets -405 (bet $405, win $100), Cavs +320 (bet $100, win $320)

• O/U: 228.5

🐺 Wolves vs Clippers

• Spread: T-Wolves -3

• Moneyline: T-Wolves -154, Clippers +130

• O/U: 230.5

Roster Construction

Despite their late season struggles, the Cavs' success this year has demonstrated a strong model for small market franchises — they've built a talented young core through the draft and a few strategic trades. For the past couple of years, Cleveland had oscillated between the somewhat redundant play styles of its two lead guards, Darius Garland and Collin Sexton. Sexton's season-ending meniscus injury in November handed Garland the keys to the kingdom, and he hasn't looked back since 📈

• Garland has taken a leap as a scorer as the lead guard, managing to raise his averages without sacrificing efficiency

• However, the most impressive aspect of Garland's game has been his passing, as he's managed to keep afloat an offense lacking many key contributors

• The Cavs have benefited from the veteran savvy of Kevin Love, who put up historic numbers in the season finale 🎯

Cleveland's play-in opponent represents the polar opposite style of team-building: the large market superteam. While Brooklyn traded one piece of its superstar trio for an asset whose playing status is still TBD, it still possesses two of the most dynamic offensive weapons in the game. As long as KD and Kyrie are suiting up for the Nets, they will pose a significant threat to any competitor 🔥

• To call Kevin Durant a generational scorer would be an understatement — he currently ranks fourth all-time in PPG (27.18)

• Meanwhile, his superstar counterpart can do things with a basketball that seem to defy the laws of physics 🤯

• And to be fair to the Harden trade, it's netted Brooklyn some nice depth, as Seth Curry and Andre Drummond have excelled in their complementary roles

One Star's Ascension and Another's Return

Perhaps we should have seen Minnesota coming this year -- the talent has always been there, they just needed to put it together. This season, they've surrounded Karl-Anthony Towns with the well-balanced supporting cast that he's lacked since the Jimmy Butler days. The big man has responded with the finest season of his career, finally managing to blend counting stats with team success ⭐️

• The self-proclaimed "greatest big man shooter of all time" continued to bolster his case this year, connecting on 41% of his triples

• The Wolves' hot shooting went far beyond their star center, as they racked up the third most three pointers of any team in NBA history

• On the less glamorous end, Patrick Beverley (who is undoubtedly licking his chops at the chance to beat his former squad) and Jarred Vanderbilt have transformed Minnesota's defense

While the Wolves have looked like a better team than their opponent all year, they shouldn't take the Clippers lightly. Ty Lue has done a remarkable job this season, coaching LA to a winning record despite missing his two superstars for all but 31 games. While there's a good chance that we don't see this team at full strength this year, the mere prospect is a terrifying thought for the rest of the league 👀

• Paul George hasn't missed a beat since returning from a three-and-a-half month absence, looking the two-way superstar that LA missed

• PG13 seems ready to carry the load as lead ball handler, as he tied a career high in assists in the season finale

• Trade deadline acquisitions Norman Powell and Robert Covington also add a bevy of perimeter firepower in Leonard's likely absence

For My Parlay Gurus

While Cleveland's been a nice story this year, I'm betting on Brooklyn's star power to overwhelm them. Out West, I'm taking the Clippers to pull off the upset, with Paul George emphatically announcing his return to the basketball world 👇

• Nets -8.5: -110

• Clippers +3: -110

$100 on this bet would win you $264 — if we hit, make sure you email [email protected] for a chance to win up to $100*. Many will enter, only some will win 😉

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