Basketball Plays of the Day for November 3: NBA Betting Picks
Charlotte Hornets vs. Golden State Warriors
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN) at Chase Center in San Francisco
Get Used To It
Oddsmakers are taking time to get used to the extent to which Hornet games are higher-scoring this year. Hence, the "over" is 6-2 in Hornet games this year.
Charlotte is playing at a faster pace. After ranking 18th in tempo last year, they rank fifth in the category this year.
More tempo means more possessions and more possessions mean more scoring opportunities and likely additional points as well.
Warrior Defensive Tendencies
In many games this year, the Warrior defense will slack off in the first half, producing a poor defensive rating.
Then, in the second-half, Warrior defenders will give the opposing team more looks in an attempt to keep its offense off balance.
One thing that Golden State is making itself known to do is implementing a 1-2-2 zone.
With this kind of defense, the Warriors make dribble penetration more difficult. Instead, they encourage opposing players to shoot the ball in an attempt to stretch out the defense or to shoot over top of the zone.
Hornet Offense vs. Warrior Defense
Charlotte is just the team to punish Golden State for throwing a zone at it.
This zone helps explain why the Warriors allow the highest frequency of open three-point attempts and the 10th-highest frequency of wide open ones.
The Hornets will take advantage of these shooting opportunities. They rank number one in three-point percentage. Most notably, LaMelo Ball is converting 44.1 percent of his three-point opportunities, Gordon Hayward 47.5 percent.
A Charlotte squad that likes to attack the basket with higher frequency can still hurt the Warrior defense in this respect as well.
Floor-spacing is a strong asset of the Hornet offense that they can flourish with especially now that more mobile center PJ Washington is able to play.
They will space out the Warrior defense and drive inside with a variety of players as they look to pass or finish at the basket.
Warrior Offense vs. Hornet Defense
Coming into the season, it was expected that Charlotte's rim protection was weak. This expectation has turned out to be true as the Hornets yield the second-highest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
Golden State's offense is difficult to stop partly because it features so many players who a defense has to respect both for their shooting ability as well as their driving ability.
They like to attack the basket and do so efficiently. One such player is Andrew Wiggins, who converts 58.1-percent of his attempts within five feet of the basket while also shooting 40-percent from deep.
Steph Curry offers the same versatile potential. He helps explain why the Warriors rank second in three-pointers made per game.
They stand to thrive from deep against a Hornet perimeter defense that allows the sixth-highest frequency of wide open threes.
Best Bet: Hornets/Warriors Over 225.5 at -105 with BetOnline
Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET at FedExForum in Memphis
Memphis' Change
Memphis has made an obvious change in its shot profile: it is attempting more three-pointers. This year, the Grizzlies are attempting the fifth-most threes per game after attempting the 24th-most last year.
Denver's Perimeter Defense
Denver's perimeter defense has the tools to limit the Grizzlies with their new offensive focus. For this reason, the Nuggets allow the second-lowest frequency of open three-point attempts.
One key defender is Michael Porter Jr., who has the necessary physical tools, the requisite length and athletic skill set, to succeed as a perimeter defender.
While his scoring has plummeted by about 50-percent relative to last year, his defensive rating has improved tremendously.
Denver has also wisely allowed Paul Millsap to depart. Instead, Aaron Gordon is starting alongside Nikola Jokic. Whereas Millsap was a liability on defense, Gordon flexes his ability to remain attached to opposing ball-handlers and otherwise to help lock down the perimeter.
Hence, Gordon's defensive rating is nearly 20 points better than Millsap's was last season.
Nugget Offense vs. Grizzly Defense
Memphis' worst defensive efforts this season have seen opponents dominate inside.
Those poor efforts, though, have tended to come against proven scorers, like Jimmy Butler who is well-known for his dribble penetration or even Carmelo Anthony, who repeatedly produces 20-point scoring outputs.
With Michael Porter Jr., who was by far Denver's third-best scorer last year after Nikola Jokic and the still injured Jamal Murray, shifting his productivity to the defensive side of the ball, Denver really lacks someone who can score inside alongside Jokic.
This lack of inside scoring helps explain why the Nuggets attempt the eighth-fewest shots within five feet of the basket. They are mere opportunists in this area.
Best Bet: Nuggets/Grizzlies Under 213 at -108 with Heritage
Charlotte Hornets vs. Golden State Warriors
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 10 p.m. ET (ESPN) at Chase Center in San Francisco
Get Used To It
Oddsmakers are taking time to get used to the extent to which Hornet games are higher-scoring this year. Hence, the "over" is 6-2 in Hornet games this year.
Charlotte is playing at a faster pace. After ranking 18th in tempo last year, they rank fifth in the category this year.
More tempo means more possessions and more possessions mean more scoring opportunities and likely additional points as well.
Warrior Defensive Tendencies
In many games this year, the Warrior defense will slack off in the first half, producing a poor defensive rating.
Then, in the second-half, Warrior defenders will give the opposing team more looks in an attempt to keep its offense off balance.
One thing that Golden State is making itself known to do is implementing a 1-2-2 zone.
With this kind of defense, the Warriors make dribble penetration more difficult. Instead, they encourage opposing players to shoot the ball in an attempt to stretch out the defense or to shoot over top of the zone.
Hornet Offense vs. Warrior Defense
Charlotte is just the team to punish Golden State for throwing a zone at it.
This zone helps explain why the Warriors allow the highest frequency of open three-point attempts and the 10th-highest frequency of wide open ones.
The Hornets will take advantage of these shooting opportunities. They rank number one in three-point percentage. Most notably, LaMelo Ball is converting 44.1 percent of his three-point opportunities, Gordon Hayward 47.5 percent.
A Charlotte squad that likes to attack the basket with higher frequency can still hurt the Warrior defense in this respect as well.
Floor-spacing is a strong asset of the Hornet offense that they can flourish with especially now that more mobile center PJ Washington is able to play.
They will space out the Warrior defense and drive inside with a variety of players as they look to pass or finish at the basket.
Warrior Offense vs. Hornet Defense
Coming into the season, it was expected that Charlotte's rim protection was weak. This expectation has turned out to be true as the Hornets yield the second-highest field goal percentage within five feet of the basket.
Golden State's offense is difficult to stop partly because it features so many players who a defense has to respect both for their shooting ability as well as their driving ability.
They like to attack the basket and do so efficiently. One such player is Andrew Wiggins, who converts 58.1-percent of his attempts within five feet of the basket while also shooting 40-percent from deep.
Steph Curry offers the same versatile potential. He helps explain why the Warriors rank second in three-pointers made per game.
They stand to thrive from deep against a Hornet perimeter defense that allows the sixth-highest frequency of wide open threes.
Best Bet: Hornets/Warriors Over 225.5 at -105 with BetOnline
Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET at FedExForum in Memphis
Memphis' Change
Memphis has made an obvious change in its shot profile: it is attempting more three-pointers. This year, the Grizzlies are attempting the fifth-most threes per game after attempting the 24th-most last year.
Denver's Perimeter Defense
Denver's perimeter defense has the tools to limit the Grizzlies with their new offensive focus. For this reason, the Nuggets allow the second-lowest frequency of open three-point attempts.
One key defender is Michael Porter Jr., who has the necessary physical tools, the requisite length and athletic skill set, to succeed as a perimeter defender.
While his scoring has plummeted by about 50-percent relative to last year, his defensive rating has improved tremendously.
Denver has also wisely allowed Paul Millsap to depart. Instead, Aaron Gordon is starting alongside Nikola Jokic. Whereas Millsap was a liability on defense, Gordon flexes his ability to remain attached to opposing ball-handlers and otherwise to help lock down the perimeter.
Hence, Gordon's defensive rating is nearly 20 points better than Millsap's was last season.
Nugget Offense vs. Grizzly Defense
Memphis' worst defensive efforts this season have seen opponents dominate inside.
Those poor efforts, though, have tended to come against proven scorers, like Jimmy Butler who is well-known for his dribble penetration or even Carmelo Anthony, who repeatedly produces 20-point scoring outputs.
With Michael Porter Jr., who was by far Denver's third-best scorer last year after Nikola Jokic and the still injured Jamal Murray, shifting his productivity to the defensive side of the ball, Denver really lacks someone who can score inside alongside Jokic.
This lack of inside scoring helps explain why the Nuggets attempt the eighth-fewest shots within five feet of the basket. They are mere opportunists in this area.
Best Bet: Nuggets/Grizzlies Under 213 at -108 with Heritage
