Another day of opening our MomentRanks Play daily picks talking about injuries to the league’s top stars. We’ve now lost both Kawhi Leonard (likely ACL) and Chris Paul (COVID-19 protocols) to various issues, and while their teams take a big hit, it is the fans who lose the most here.
These two players anchored their teams and made them the effective contenders they had been. The Clippers will play without Leonard tonight, and Donovan Mitchell figures to lead the Jazz to a crucial third win in the series without nearly as much resistance. Paul George is going to be a lock tonight on MomentRanks Play, but the Clippers still might have a tough time keeping it competitive.
The other game of the evening is Trae Young and the Hawks heading to Philadelphia after the 76ers unexpectedly collapsed at the end of Game 4. This series could easily be 3-1 in favor of the 76ers, but instead the Hawks have new hope and look to steal another game from Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. I like the 76ers to win but I expect this game will be much more tightly contested than the Western Conference matchup this evening.
Make sure you set your lineups for the Conference Semifinals Head-to-Head Contest! It’s not too late to go on a hot run and get to the top. You never know when the leaders may have a bad day. There are great prizes like Cool Cats Drop 1 packs and more! Then of course there’s also today’s MomentRanks Play Daily Contest for another chance to win Top Shot Packs and Moments.
Always remember that when building your team on MomentRanks Play, each Moment can unlock a Moment Boost by achieving over their last ten game averages (L10) in the stat that corresponds to the featured play. This means choosing the correct Moment is crucial to your lineup’s success. You can also watch this quick tutorial on Play scoring if you ever need a refresher.
Let’s get started!
Core Moments
Joel Embiid — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Jump Shot ($6)
Embiid is one of the easiest choices of the night, you can not access another Moment type for less than $500 and if you choose to do so you are stuck with an assist which is a category he does not excel in. Take any old scoring Moment and lock it in, he is a must-start for base score alone while still maintaining good potential to reach 29 points to unlock a boost.
Trae Young — Series 2 Common /40,000+ 3-Pointer ($6)
The Atlanta star point guard has been busy dishing out assists, his average over the last 10 games stands at an astounding 10.5. He has only passed this total three times in the playoffs and I do not think it’s worth the minimal upside here to go after the assist Moment boost.
Instead I am going with the 3-Pointer for more upside. Young’s shot was off in Game 4 which I think led to increased passing, but I expect he leads the charge tonight and makes a distinct attempt to shoot more to open up the floor for teammates; if he’s just distributing the Hawks stand no chance. Play the 3-point Moment for good upside on a must-start player.
Donovan Mitchell — Series 2 Common /12,000 3-Pointer ($74)
Mitchell has hit 29 3-point shots in the last four games and his average for the last ten is at 4.6 per game. There is a very good chance that he again hits 5+ today and gets this bonus. Mitchell has shown us that he is going to be a scorer first with the ball in his hands and he has a new playoff Moment that allows us to take advantage of the number of shots he takes from deep.
This is my lock of the day, but feel free to downgrade to a cheaper scoring Moment if the price is too steep.
Paul George — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Jump Shot ($5)
No Kawhi Leonard means George is going to be the focus of the offense tonight, even more so than he has been. George could legitimately take 30+ shots tonight and I wouldn’t be shocked. If you think he stinks it up there are great options to pivot to in the sleeper section, but for the usage rate alone it is going to be hard to find someone to play over him.
His L10 scoring average is at 25.1 and I do think he threatens 40 points tonight. Interesting option, but again, not a must-start. You can also play George on the Rare assist for $93 (yes, All-Star Moments count too!)
Ben Simmons — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Assist ($5)
If you’re playing Simmons — which is likely smart on his home floor — you are playing him on the assist Moment. It’s a hard sell here for me because his L10 average is at 8.8 and he’s only hit double-digits three times in the playoffs. So, you’re playing him if you think it’s a huge passing night or if you think he dominates all around.
There’s a good chance at either, but some of the block Moments in the sleeper section might have you asking questions. He’s in the same tier as Paul George for me, just below the must-start level.
Sleeper Moments
Clint Capela — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Block ($4)
It has been a while since Capela had a monster game with blocks, failing to record a multi-block game in the current series. That could change tonight and I think he might be due for a big defensive game. His L10 blocks per game have fallen to 1.4 so two or three blocks today could mean a winning Moment. This is huge upside for a player that will give you a solid base score contribution.
Rudy Gobert — Series 2 Common /40,000+ Block ($6)
Playing the Defensive Player of the Year on a block Moment is the best possible method; he has recorded just one block in each of the last two games and prior to that every game of the playoffs had been at two or more. Therefore, tonight will likely see a resurgence in blocks for the big man on his homecourt going against an injured Clippers team.
Gobert will need three rejections to trigger the boost, but with a competitive base score you could choose much worse options tonight.
Joe Ingles — Series 2 Common /40,000+ 3-Pointer ($7)
I love playing Ingles as a deep sleeper tonight. He has hit 14 shots from deep over the last three games and it looks like that trend should continue. With only 2.4 threes per game over the last ten contests, he could rack up a nice score if he manages to again make five from deep. Plus, his 3-pointer was part of the winning Daily Contest lineup just last weekend.
Have questions about setting your lineup on Play? Check out the Play FAQ, or send me a tweet, @JustinPerri8.