The Brooklyn Nets’ seven-game winning streak was snapped against the Dallas Mavericks in their last outing. James Harden wasn’t enough to get the job done without Kyrie Irving (shoulder) and Kevin Durant (hamstring) out, but he’ll get one of his co-stars back for Monday’s matchup against the San Antonio Spurs at 8:30 p.m. ET. Both teams are a little banged up, and that could make for some interesting Showdown strategies on DraftKings.
Captain’s Picks
Harden ($17,100) hasn’t dropped under 43 DKFP in eight games. He scored 25 first-half points in his last game but his production was slowed when Dallas began to pull away down the stretch. Harden’s playmaking upside can be maximized when he has another elite scorer playing next to him, and Irving ($14,400/$9,600) should be back in the lineup. Expect Harden to be a major triple-double threat again with more talent around him.
Dejounte Murray ($12,900) is in the middle of a hot stretch and hasn’t dropped below 45 DKFP in three games. The Nets have given up 27 or more points to the opposing team’s starting point guard in three of their last six games, and he’ll likely carry a heavy workload while Derrick White ($8,400/$5,600) is conditioning after missing time because of COVID-29 health and safety protocols. DeMar DeRozan ($13,500) is also with a look, as both teams are lacking wing depth. The Nets’ top three power forwards and backup small forward are dealing with injuries, so DeRozan could follow up his 32-point performance against the New Orleans Pelicans with another strong showing.
FLEX Plays
Bruce Brown ($5,800) is looking to earn a spot in the regular rotation and has tallied at least 27 points in four straight games. While his price is on the rise, he’ll likely be one of Brooklyn’s most important bench contributors. Another Net to look out for is DeAndre Jordan ($6,000). He’s not the athlete he used to be but could have an edge against a Spurs team that’s giving up the second-most rebounds per game in the NBA. San Antonio’s undersized frontcourt could help him put together a quality stat line.
Lonnie Walker ($5,400) has reached double-digits in points in four straight games and hoised up at least 10 shots in three of those outings. San Antonio’s lack of wings has benefitted him and he’ll continue to get an increase in playing time for as long as Keldon Johnson, White, and others are out.
Fades
Keita Bates-Diop ($3,000) has fallen out of the rotation after logging 20 minutes in one game last week. He didn’t score a DKFP in last week’s matchup against the Pelicans after setting season-highs across the board in the game that preceded it. I’m skeptical about him being a factor again given how well Walker has been playing.
The Outcome
Irving and Harden powered the Nets to a seven-game winning streak and knocked off some of the best teams in the NBA along the way. The Spurs aren’t close to full strength and don’t have the star power to keep up, even if they are at home.
Final score: Nets win 122-115