Category: NBA

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Our NBA player prop projections are locked in ahead of Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, with the model highlighting several high-value spots across the board.

By breaking down the data and comparing it to current market lines, we’ve pinpointed where the strongest edges appear.

These Celtics vs. 76ers predictions aren’t based on narrative or intuition; they’re driven by the numbers.

If you’re building out your card, here are the model’s top NBA picks for Friday, April 24.

Celtics vs 76ers computer picks for Game 3

Celtics	76ers
Tatum o23.5 points -120	Maxey u27.5 points  -112
Queta o7.5 rebounds -112	Drummond o8.5 rebounds +115
Brown o4.5 assists -120	George o2.5 threes -130

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Celtics Game 3 computer picks

Jayson Tatum Over 23.5 points (-120)

Projection: 24.63 points

When the Philadelphia 76ers are at home, opposing power forwards have thrived from deep, knocking down 45.6% of their threes, which is the second-best mark in the NBA. 

That sets up a prime opportunity for Jayson Tatum to capitalize offensively and help the Boston Celtics grab a 2-1 series lead.

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Neemias Queta Over 7.5 rebounds (-112)

Projection: 9.18 rebounds

The Celtics have been one of the league’s best road rebounding teams this season, ranking sixth with 12.5 offensive boards per game, which sets up a favorable spot for Neemias Queta in a high-stakes Game 3.

Queta has also been productive on the glass, clearing his 7.5-rebound line in six of his last 10 contests.

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Jaylen Brown Over 4.5 assists (-120)

Projection: 4.72 assists

Jaylen Brown’s season average of 5.1 assists sits just above this line, and he’ll be tasked with blending playmaking and scoring as he looks to get teammates involved while fueling a bounce-back win for the C's.

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---

76ers Game 3 computer picks

Tyrese Maxey Under 27.5 points (-112)

Projection: 26.9 points

The Celtics play at the league’s slowest pace this season, which could limit overall possessions for the 76ers in this matchup and, in turn, make it tougher for Tyrese Maxey to consistently find a rhythm.

Maxey has also struggled to clear his 27.5-point line lately, finishing Under in seven of his last 10 games.

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Andre Drummond Over 8.5 rebounds (+115)

Projection: 9.8 rebounds

It should be a physical battle on the glass between Queta and Andre Drummond, with extra possessions proving crucial for the Sixers to stay within striking distance.

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Paul George Over 2.5 threes (-130)

Projection: 2.8 threes

When playing at home, the C's have allowed opposing starting power forwards to attempt 5.3 threes per game — fourth-most in the league — setting up a favorable matchup for Paul George from beyond the arc.

George has also cleared this line in six of his last 10 matches.

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How to watch Celtics vs 76ers Game 3

Location	Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA
Date	Friday, April 24, 2026
Tip-off	7:00 p.m. ET
TV	Prime Video

Not intended for use in MA.
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The NBA world, and certainly the San Antonio Spurs and their fans, are awaiting the status of phenom Victor Wembanyama.

Just three days ago, during Game 2 of his team’s first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, Wembanyama suffered a concussion when he stumbled on a drive, leading to his face slamming into the court.

Wembanyama lay on the floor for a few moments and appeared to lose his balance as he tried to get up. Trainers rushed over to examine him, and Wembanyama eventually rose to his feet and jogged to the locker room. The injury happened in the second quarter, and the Spurs ruled him out for the second half.

The Spurs eventually lost the game, 106-103, leading to a 1-1 series tie.

Now, with Game 3 set to tip-off Friday, April 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET, all eyes are on San Antonio’s injury report.

Here’s everything you need to know about the status of Spurs star forward-center Victor Wembanyama.

In June 2024, the Nets traded Mikal Bridges for five firsts, four unprotected,, a first swap etc. He was supposed to be key piece for the Knicks in a championship run. He scored 0 points in a big post-season loss Thursday night. His team is now down 2-1 in the East.

In June 2025, the Nets traded Cam Johnson for an protected first and a younger player who wound up averaging 25 points a game. He was supposed to be key piece for Nuggets in a championship run. He scored six points Thursday night in big post-season loss. His team is now down 2-1 in the West.

Of course, both teams can recover from being down 2-1. They are, after all, the higher seeds and have superstars in Jalen Brunson and Nikola Jokic. Also, both former Nets could rise to the occasion.

However, the talk in New York and Denver, particularly New York, Friday morning is about the trades as well at the losses. Putting aside the commentary about the trades at the time — Bill Simmons called the Porter deal “one of the worst in a decade” — and whether Sean Marks hung on to both for too long, where do the Nets stand with their “take” from the two trades??

While most of the kerfluffle Monday is about the trades’ effect on the Knicks and Nuggets, little has been written or said how Brooklyn’s fortunes will be affected! A NetsDaily analysis shows that the two deals will provide Brooklyn with at least one pick — a first, a swap, or a second — over aneight-year stretch starting last June and going through 2032. The ten picks were acquired directly or in subsequent trades of assets acquired in the original deals. Here’s how, year by year. Obviously, the Bridges trade has had and will have the most effect.

2025 NBA Draft

— The first return on the Bridges trade came at No. 19 in the first round of the 2025 Draft, when the Nets used the Milwaukee Bucks first rounder, acquired from the Knicks on Nolan Traore. The Knicks had acquired the top four protected pick from the Pistons in 2022.

— The Nets also drafted Ben Saraf with the Knicks unprotected pick at No. 26.

— The Nets traded their second round pick, the No. 36, which they reacquired from New York in the Bridges deal, to the Phoenix Suns for two future seconds in 2026 and 2030. (More on that below.) The Nets apparently decided after trading for the No. 22 pick the day before that they didn’t need yet another development project.

2026 NBA Draft

— The Nets hold the rights to the Los Angeles Clippers’ second rounder at No. 43. That’s one of the two picks the Suns sent the Nets for the No. 36 pick in 2025. Whether the Nets will use the pick to select a player would seem uncertain considering that they will have seven players on rookie deals next season: their own 2026 pick, the Flatbush Five plus Noah Clowney.

2027 NBA Draft

— The Nets hold the rights to the Knicks unprotected first round pick.

2028 NBA Draft

— The Nets hold unprotected first round swap rights with both the Knicks, acquired in the Bridges trade, and the Suns, the last vestige of the Kevin Durant trade in February 2023. (The details are a bit complicated but Nets will likely to swap their pick for the Knicks and possibly another team.)

2029 NBA Draft

— The Nets hold the rights to the Knicks unprotected first round pick.

2030 NBA Draft

— The Nets hold rights to the Boston Celtics second rounder, acquired in the trade of that 2025 second they had re-acquired from the Knicks in the Bridges trade.

— The Nets hold rights to the Dallas Mavericks second rounder, acquired in their trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for Ziaire Williams which took place three weeks after the Bridges deal and included a piece from the deal. The Nets used the final piece of their trade with the Knicks, the non-guaranteed contract of Mamadi Diakite, as well as an unused trade exception to complete the deal.

2031 NBA Draft

—The Nets hold the rights to the Knicks unprotected protected first round pick.

2032 NBA Draft

— The Nets hold the Denver Nuggets unprotected first round pick from the Cam Johnson/MPJ trade to Denver.

———————————————————————-

So the current take from the two trades is six first rounders, all but one unprotected; a first round swap; three seconds as well as two rotation players, the 27-year-old Michael Porter Jr. and the 24-year-old Ziaire Williams.

Bottom line is that it could take a long time, at least through the Draft in 2032, to get a final read on who won the trades. It’s generally accepted that if deal culminates in a chip, they win. No questions asked. That is what they play for.

Now though, the trades look like their heavily weighted in Brooklyn’s favor. And who knows whether the Nets will make another big trade this June!

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The New York Knicks now find themselves in some adversity after two gut-wrenching losses to the Atlanta Hawks.

Jalen Brunson struggled from 3-point range in New York’s latest 109-108 loss in Game 3, but that won’t stop the Knicks’ superstar from putting the team on his back Saturday.

My Knicks vs. Hawks predictions and NBA picks expect Jalen Brunson to lead New York to a series-tying win on April 25.

Our best Knicks vs Hawks SGP for Game 4

Over his last 21 playoff games, Jalen Brunson has averaged a healthy 29.2 points per contest, and the New York Knicks' point guard finished with 27+ in 14 of those outings. Brunson came up just shy of that mark in Game 3 against the Atlanta Hawks, finishing with 26 points.

Each of the last two games in the series have been decided by one point, and four of six head-to-head matchups in 2025-26 have been settled by three points or fewer. After coming up just shy in Games 2 and 3, I expect the Knicks to play with urgency and get the job done on the road before coming back to the Garden.

Game 3 totaled 217 points despite Josh Hart shooting 1-for-9 from the field and Mikal Bridges being held scoreless. I’ll bet the Over as New York gets back on track offensively.

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Luka Dončić has already had a Hall of Fame-caliber career, with this season being his best yet.

He averaged a league-leading 33.5 points per game and was named the Western Conference Player of the Month in January and March.

But despite the scoring prowess, dominance, and being the best player on a 53-win team, he wasn’t even a finalist for Most Valuable Player.

He was ruled eligible after his Extraordinary Circumstances Challenge appeal was approved, but the voters didn’t seem to care. The top three MVP candidates for them were Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić.

Before Game 2 against the Rockets, Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared his thoughts on Luka not being named a finalist.

“I’m disappointed,” Redick said. “I mean, I think he deserved to be there and I think all three guys that did end up being finalists have a strong case. A lot of this, unfortunately, is media momentum and sometimes a team, I guess we underperformed even though we didn’t have any expectations coming into the year. But I guess we underperformed for a couple of months despite him playing and getting Player of the Month one of those months and the media momentum never got built.”

What’s wild is that Luka is the only Western Conference player to win Player of the Month twice this season, but he’s not an MVP candidate and his peers from the West are.

Look, all three players are elite and worthy of this award, but Luka has to be a candidate. There are big holes you can poke in all of their games.

For example, Wemby might be the best two-way player, but can he do it on a heavy workload? He averaged just 29.2 minutes per game compared to Luka’s 35.8. What’s more valuable, the guy who plays more or the one who plays less?

Luka has to play that much to get the Lakers wins, and he can do so. Wemby can probably do it as well, but we haven’t seen it. He plays fewer minutes and isn’t as good offensively as Luka.

But hey, he is a media darling playing in a smaller market and doesn’t yell at refs, so I guess he’s a better MVP candidate.

NBA media voters often mention Luka’s defense as why he can’t be an MVP right now, but Joker is standing right there being considered.

When was the last time Joker had a defensive highlight going viral? I’m guessing it would be the first time. But hey, his offense is so good people ignore this, I guess.

SGA is a great candidate, but not perfect either. His team is so good and often wins without him playing much in the fourth quarter. So, how valuable is he? Do they just need him for shifts here and there and for games where things get tight to bring them the win? Dončić is at the center of everything the Lakers do, and that’s by design.

If Luka’s not great, the odds of winning plummet. However, he often is, and it’s why the franchise had back-to-back 50-win seasons for the first time in over a decade.

It’s a shame Luka isn’t even in the running for MVP, given how well he’s played, but perhaps it’s a Lakers tax he has to pay.

Kobe Bryant was only an MVP once, despite many saying he is one of the greatest players ever. Anthony Davis wasn’t a Defensive Player of the Year finalist back in 2024 even though he was fantastic defensively.

Not winning the award would’ve been fair given all the great options, but to not even be a finalist is absurd. The day will come when Luka gets his proper respect and admiration, but clearly it won’t be this season.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

PHILADELPHIA — Derrick White started getting ‘congratulations’ texts on Thursday afternoon. At first, he didn’t know what for.

Then, he realized he had won the NBA’s annual Sportsmanship Award, which is bestowed upon the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.

“It’s pretty cool,” White said at Celtics shootaround on Friday morning. “I think I’m doing things the right way out there, and I think it’s a pretty cool honor.”

The selection was no surprise to White’s Celtics teammates.

Payton Pritchard smiled when asked about White earning the honor.

“Derrick is just a good human being, good teammate,” Pritchard said. “I don’t think anybody really talks crap to Derrick, so he don’t talk to anybody. But you can just tell by looking at him: he’s a good person.”

During games, White is oftentimes very chatty with opposing team’s players during dead-ball situations. At the free-throw line, he shares a laugh with whoever he’s guarding.

“We have respect for each other,” White said. “But, at the end of the day, you’re competing, you want to win. So that’s kind of when I’m at my best, is when I’m kind of doing different stuff, like that. And for other people, that doesn’t work, but I feel like it works for me.”

After the final buzzer sounds, he usually chats with his competitors longer than any of his Celtics teammates. From an onlooker’s perspective, it appears that White is friends with almost everyone in the NBA.

Each team nominated one of its players for the Sportsmanship Award. Then, from the 30 nominees, a panel of league executives selected six finalists (one per division). The five other finalists were T.J McConnell (Indiana Pacers), Harrison Barnes (San Antonio Spurs), Al Horford (Golden State Warriors), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder).

NBA players then ranked those six players, and White came away with the most total points (though McConnell actually finished with the most first-place votes).

“I don’t know if guys take those votes too seriously or not,” White said. “But, man, it was just cool to be nominated and go out there and do the right thing.”

Last year, Jrue Holiday won the award as a Celtic.

“I just learned a lot from Jrue,” White said. “So, shoutout Jrue.”

The Celtics and the 76ers will face off for Game 3 on Friday night. White said immediately after a playoff loss, it feels like the world is ending. But the team then reviews films and gets back to the drawing board of how to get better for the next game.

“That’s the playoffs,” White said. “I don’t think anybody’s ever not lost a game, so you kind of have to reset, figure out what you did wrong, figure out what you can do well, and make the adjustments. And that’s the cool thing about the playoffs — anything can change in one game. So it’s a big game tonight, and we’ve got to be ready to go.”

After a day of absorbing and analyzing Game 2, the focus shifts to Game 3 between the Phoenix Suns and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Phoenix returns home for its first postseason game in nearly three years, and the challenge in front of them is real. The Thunder, through two games, look like a machine.

It feels like riding in a Tesla when someone flips it into sport mode and you are gripping the door as it launches down the highway. Your head sinks into the headrest as electricity drives you forward. That is what playing Oklahoma City feels like. It’s fast, efficient, and relentless. For some, that rush is the appeal. It is not for everyone.

So, how do you beat a team like this? What gives you a chance to take one back on your home floor? As we turn to Game 3, here are three things the Suns need to accomplish.

Push the Pace

I liked the idea from head coach Jordan Ott to lean into pace against Oklahoma City in Game 2. It tracks. If you let them sit in the half-court and load up defensively, they will eat. This is the best defense in the NBA. Any chance to push them back, get them on their heels, and keep them from getting set works in your favor.

It is not a natural style for Phoenix. They finished 24th in pace, so playing faster introduces some discomfort, reads you do not make as often, and decisions that come quicker than you are used to. Still, you are searching for edges wherever you can find them, and pace can be one.

After every rebound, after every make by Oklahoma City, get the ball out and get up the floor. Quickly. Force them to react instead of dictate. Oklahoma City will counter. Expect full-court pressure, expect them to try to slow you before you cross half-court. That adjustment is coming.

Game 2 showed a glimpse. Phoenix won the fast break points 14-11. It is something to build on and something to test again.

Hold on to the Rock

One of the byproducts of playing with pace, especially when it is not your natural rhythm, is mistakes. Against Oklahoma City, mistakes turn into points in a hurry. They finished third in the NBA in steals at 9.7 per night. Phoenix was right there at 9.5, fourth in the league, and still, the margin shows up in a different place.

Turnovers.

The Suns were 15th in the NBA at 14.5 per game, and that number has climbed through two postseason games. Oklahoma City has turned it over 18 times total, the fewest of any team in the playoffs. Phoenix has 41. That gap is as loud as the fans in Loud City. Did you know that’s what they call OKC? Loud City? Now you do.

The points off those mistakes are louder. The Suns have allowed 54 points off turnovers and scored 11. Loose handles, rushed passes, decisions made a beat too late; it all feeds into what the Thunder want to do. It fuels their runs, it creates separation, it turns competitive stretches into uphill climbs. If Phoenix wants a chance in this series, it starts here.

Protect the ball.

Threes, Anyone?

The path to a Suns win in this series is narrow, and it runs through the three-point line. There is a version of this where Phoenix catches fire and flips a game. That is the version you are chasing.

This is a Suns team that already leans on the three. They attempted the 5th most in the NBA and made the most by a Suns team in team history. Against Oklahoma City, it becomes essential. Phoenix hit 20 or more threes 10 times this season and went 9-1 in those games. They hit 18 or more 17 times and went 14-3. The math is clear. You have to shoot them, and you have to make them.

The looks are there. In this series, the Suns are shooting 34.3% from deep, 24-of-70, and half of those attempts are classified as “wide open”. They are hitting 37.1% on those. One out of every two threes is wide open, and those have to fall at a higher rate. Right now, that 37.1% on wide open threes ranks ninth among playoff teams still playing. That is not enough in this matchup. The process is working. The opportunities are there. Now you have to cash them in.

It is possible to beat Oklahoma City. We have seen it. The Suns did it in the regular season. It took a Devin Booker buzzer beater and came in a game with lineups that looked more G League than playoff rotation, but it still counts. It shows a path.

This season has already pushed past expectations. This team has overachieved. If they want to reach a little further, they grab one at home. Game 3 or Game 4. Extend this to five. That is progress. That is growth.

And it would be fun.

It was reported on Friday that North Carolina center Henri Veesaar is departing the program and intends to stay in the NBA Draft. CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander had the report.

Shortly after, Norlander reported a bombshell. Prior to Veesaar’s decision to enter the NBA Draft, multiple schools tried to lure the Second Team All-ACC selection into the Transfer Portal. He was offered at least $6 million, although Carolina’s NIL negotiations never came close to that number. North Carolina‘s brass could have offered Veesaar in the ballpark of $4 million to stay, but he instead wishes to begin his professional basketball journey.

This news comes after Norlander reported that Florida star forward Thomas Haugh, who spurned the NBA Draft lottery to return to college, could make more than $10 million in NIL for the 2026-27 season. College basketball is bigger than ever, and programs are dishing out more money than ever.

More on Henri Veesaar’s decision to enter, stay in 2026 NBA Draft

Following the firing of Hubert Davis and shocking hire of former Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone, it remained unclear in the immediate aftermath what Veesaar planned on doing. If he returned to Carolina, there’s no doubt he’d be the Preseason ACC Player of the Year. If he entered the Portal, he likely would have been the No. 1 player available.

However, he is heading to the NBA, and will surpass a massive NIL payday from a potential National Championship contender. Veesaar is projected to be the No. 29 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (Cleveland), in Yahoo Sports‘ Kevin O’Connor‘s latest Mock Draft.

In his lone season at North Carolina, Veesaar emerged as one of the most dominant players in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tallin, Estonia native averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 31 games for the Tar Heels.

His career began at Arizona, where he averaged 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 66 games. Veesaar’s best game at North Carolina came in an 80-79 loss to Clemson on March 12, in which he scored a career-high 28 points. He also grabbed a career-high 17 rebounds in the game.

The prized center heads to the NBA as North Carolina basketball heads into a new era. After five seasons at the helm, head coach Hubert Davis and the program parted ways after the Tar Heels fell in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. Carolina hired former Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone to fill the opening, although that was not enough to entice the 7’0″ center to return to Chapel Hill.

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The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic take their Round 1 set to the “Sunshine State” with the series locked up at 1-1.

Game 3 has a tight spread, but my same-game parlay tips its hat to the visitors, with Detroit boasting one of the best road records in the NBA.

Beyond that moneyline pick, however, I like Jalen Suggs to keep hitting from deep while Tobias Harris’ inefficient offense comes back to earth.

Here are my Pistons vs. Magic predictions and NBA picks on April 24.

Our best Pistons vs Magic SGP for Game 3

The Detroit Pistons let homecourt slip away but can build on the momentum of a Game 2 win. Their smothering defense keeps this limited Orlando Magic offense away from the rim and turns the Magic’s miscues into easy buckets on the other end.

Jalen Suggs has made three triples in each of the first two games of the series but still isn’t making the most of the wide open looks offered up by the Pistons' perimeter defense. He’s a much sharper shooter at home and makes Detroit pay from distance in Game 3.

Tobias Harris has scored 16 and 17 points in the first two games despite poor shooting, especially from deep. Detroit is spreading the scoring around and Harris’ Game 3 projections come in short of his scoring prop of 15.5 points O/U.

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The scouting report on the Orlando Magic is no mystery—they struggle from beyond the arc.

That trend has carried into the first two games of their Round 1 series with the Detroit Pistons. Orlando, a 34% three-point shooting team on the season, has gone just 18-for-66 from deep (27%) as the series shifts back home for Game 3.

With the Magic unable to consistently punish defenses from outside, Detroit has been content to pack the paint and essentially dare Orlando to knock down perimeter shots.

Even so, our Pistons vs. Magic predictions aren’t completely fading Orlando’s outside game. In fact, our NBA picks see value in Jalen Suggs breaking out of the slump and finding his rhythm from deep at home on Saturday.

Pistons vs Magic prediction

Who will win Pistons vs Magic Game 3?

Pistons: The Detroit Pistons took six quarters to wake up from their slumber and looked like the top seed in the East in the final 24 minutes of Game 2. Detroit’s defense swarmed the Orlando Magic and flipped those stops and long rebounds into easy buckets on the other end. This spread is tight but gives the Pistons the nod as road chalk – a role that’s produced a 20-11 SU record this season.

Pistons vs Magic best bet: Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes (+102)

The Detroit Pistons know the Orlando Magic can’t make them pay from the perimeter and have given their first-round foes nothing but clean air on the outside. 

Of the 66 3-point attempts taken by the Magic through two games, 62 have come with no Detroit defender within at least four feet, including 29 long-range looks qualifying as “wide open” with no Pistons player within six feet of the shooter. Orlando has made only 16 of those open 3PAs.

Jalen Suggs is the Magic’s most consistent 3-point threat and has gone 3 for 10 from distance in each of the first two playoff contests.Nineteen of his total 20 shots from downtown have been either “open” or “wide open” with Suggs making good on just five of those attempts.

However, with the series swinging to the Kia Center this weekend, Suggs will make the Pistons pay for their passive perimeter patrol.
 
Alliteration aside, Suggs’ shooting sees a surge at home, with his 3-point success jumping from less than 30% on the road to 37.4% in Orlando. He attempts the same number of 3-pointers at home vs. away (6.3) but makes 2.4 triples inside the Kia Center compared to 1.9 in enemy gyms.

Game 3 projections aren’t bullish on Suggs’ shooting, pegging him for two 3-point makes. But with Detroit keeping its heels below the arc and Suggs shooting almost double his usual 3PAs, the opportunity is there to hit at least three treys – especially when you consider his shooting splits at home and a game script that has Orlando playing from behind.

Pistons vs Magic same-game parlay

The Pistons finally got dialed in on defense in the second half of Game 2, and that travels to Orlando on Saturday. Detroit is one of the best road teams in the NBA, with a 28-13 SU record as a visitor.

Tobias Harris has put up scores of 16 and 17 points in the first two games while shooting a collective 12 for 32, including 1 for 10 from beyond the arc. That catches up with him on the road, with projections short of 16 points in Game 3.

Pistons vs Magic SGP

• Pistons Moneyline
• Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes
• Tobias Harris Under 15.5 points

Our "from downtown" SGP: Raiders of the Lost (3-Point) Arc

In a series featuring physical defense, these 3-point threats get hot and help push the final score past this low total. Duncan Robinson and Suggs have each made three triples in the first two games of this Round 1 series.

Pistons vs Magic SGP

• Pistons moneyline
• Over 214
• Jalen Suggs Over 2.5 made threes
• Duncan Robinson Over 2.5 made threes

Pistons vs Magic odds for Game 3

• Spread: Pistons -2.5 | Magic +2.5
• Moneyline: Pistons -150 | Magic +125
• Over/Under: Over 214 | Under 214

Pistons vs Magic betting trend to know

The Detroit Pistons cashed in on the moneyline in 28 of their last 40 away games (+11.50 Units/9% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Pistons vs. Magic.

How to watch Pistons vs Magic Game 3

Pistons vs Magic latest injuries

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Welcome to our Wizards player review series. We’ll go through each guy that played meaningful minutes and look back on their season. Here’s Julian Reese.

The last games of the Wizards’ season were a testing ground for borderline NBA talent. Nobody else made quite the impression that Julian Reese did, at least on the scoresheet. The young two-way center averaged a double-double, 11.8 points and 10.5 rebounds, in 13 appearances.

Reese played big minutes in a few tanktastic exhibitions. But gobbling this many rebounds, including more than four offensive boards per game, has to mean something. We can at least conclude that Reese is a workhorse with a nose for the ball.

It’s tempting, from here, to elevate Reese as a promising diamond in the rough, even a candidate for a standard NBA contract. I’d pump the brakes a bit there.

Look a little deeper, and you’ll see a very raw collection of tools. As a 6’9 center who doesn’t shoot threes, he already has an uphill battle toward NBA relevance. He plays with a chaotic, shoulder-down approach, which helps him beat out guys for rebounds, but also translates to a clunky offensive game.

He committed an impressive 32 turnovers, compared to 24 assists, in his 154 minutes. His turnovers ran the gamut — illegal screens, dribbling foibles, swipe-downs on rebounds. To stick around as a threatening roll man, he’ll have to develop smoother hands:

His finishing, similarly, is a work in progress. He shot 52.9 percent from the field, mostly on shots near the rim and from floater range, a number that will have to improve. Overall, on shots inside eight feet, he converted 56 percent of the time, worse than all but two NBA big men (Derik Queen and Jusuf Nurkic).

A big reason for that: he made just 34 percent of his shots in the paint, but outside the restricted area, one of the worst numbers in the league. His floater looks a little mechanical, a line-drive last resort.

The shooting looks far away. He shot 63 percent from the line and generally avoided jump shots. He doesn’t have to be a threat from three-point range to stick in the NBA. But he does have to haul in passes and finish in a variety of ways near the rim. 

He’s still figuring out how he can be a threat on offense. He’s shown some flashes slipping screens and getting behind big men. (The flip side of that is the illegal screen calls.) Admirably, he likes to get ambitious with his passing at the top of the key when he has the chance. Off the dribble, he tends to lean into defenders with long, slow steps:

As he adjusts to the speed of the game, we could see him refine moves like that. But as it is, he doesn’t have enough feel and touch to offset a lack of pure downhill explosiveness.

On defense, he’s of course a ball of energy. The rebounding is a real NBA skillset. Like most rookie bigs, he tends to get jumpy near the rim and will take time to settle into NBA schemes and strategies.

The Wizards don’t have another big that fits Reese’s mold as it stands. (It’d be wonderful if you could combine the best of Reese and Tristan Vuckevic.) It’s worth monitoring Reese as a developmental project. His pure energy and effort is valuable, and we’ve seen guys around the league, like Charlotte’s Moussa Diabate, develop around that as a baseline.

Reese signed a two-year contract as a two-way guy, so we could see him start next season shuttling between the NBA and G-League. Best case, he shows enough to grab spot minutes a fourth big man.

Today it was announced that Henri Veesaar is officially going into the NBA Draft. Per Matt Norlander, Veesaar intends to stay in the draft, with no intent to return to UNC.

When Veesaar transferred to UNC last spring, observers saw the potential for a break-out season. Coming off the bench for Tommy Lloyd in Tucson, Veesaar played 21 minutes a game, logging nine points and five boards a game on 60% shooting, 33% from three. Paired with Caleb Wilson in the UNC frontcourt, Veesaar’s performance exploded, recording 17 points a game with 9 boards and shooting an absurd 43% from behind the line. The season put Veesaar firmly into the discussion for the NBA draft and lower third of the first round. Concerns about Henri’s stamina and physicality widened the range of draft projections into the second round.

UNC fans have been hoping Veesaar would return to UNC for a lot of money and the opportunity to play his way into a much better draft selection. The opportunity to learn from Coach Malone, who developed the NBA’s best center in Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, seemed a huge appeal for the big Estonian as well. At 22, Veesaar faced a huge decision: roll the dice on the dream of being a 1st round NBA pick now or defer that dream for another season.

The crazy state of college NIL complicated matters. NBA picks through 40 last year received two years of guaranteed money, with team options for years three and four. Just in terms of compensation for next season, however, a college player like Veesaar can earn twice as much as a first round pick in the range 20-30. Veesaar could in college earn four times as much Micah Peavy, 40th pick in 2025, earned in his first NBA season. Two guaranteed seasons, however, provides real opportunity to put down roots in the league and start the clock towards a potentially lucrative second NBA deal.

Finally, recent decisions by other college big men altered the calculus on what has been the conventional wisdom that the 2027 draft would be much weaker and a better option for Veesaar. Braylon Mullins, Alex Condon, and Patrick Ngonba, three centers ranked higher than Veesaar, opted to return to college. That simultaneously weakens the 2026 draft relative to centers but likely strengthens 2027.

Money and development pointed towards UNC. The dream pointed to the NBA.

With Veesaar opting to declare for the NBA, UNC likely moves on to find another starting center. The reporting around staff thinking on this has been that UNC can’t afford to wait another month to see whether Veesaar stays in the draft or opts out at the last minute.