The NBA will slowly resume regular season action following the All-Star break on Wednesday, February 19 with just a single game on the schedule as the Charlotte Hornets visit Crypto.com Arena to take on the Los Angeles Lakers. As a result, all bets in the player props market across the board are limited to just one matchup, but one that's a bit juicier after the two teams had a trade rescinded involving Mark Williams and Dalton Knecht.
Here are three player prop expert picks to consider here, including a combination prop for Luka Doncic (-111) in what will be his third appearance as a member of the Lakers.
Preview: Charlotte Hornets vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 10 p.m. ET
Luka Doncic UNDER 38.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists (-111)
Los Angeles is being extremely cautious with Doncic following his return from a calf injury, with the five-time All-Star having yet to exceed 23 minutes of action in either of his first two games donning purple and gold. Basketball insider Marc Stein is also reporting that with the team playing the first of two games of a back-to-back slate, that Doncic will likely only compete in one of those matchups before the Lakers hit the road to battle the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. A highly-anticipated showdown with Doncic's former team in the Dallas Mavericks then awaits on Tuesday.
Now word is that Doncic has been working out during this time off, having not been selected to the All-Star team this season as a result of having missed so many games. If that's indeed the case, perhaps his playing time will see an uptick on Wednesday. That is, if head coach JJ Redick decides to play him. Logic would suggest, though, that if Doncic is going to rest one of the two nights, it would more than likely be Thursday so to give him more time to get ready for the Nuggets.
For now, all anyone can do is favor an UNDER on a combined points, rebounds, and assists at 38.5 since Doncic didn't go above 24 in the two games against a bottom-third defense in the Utah Jazz. The Hornets are no slouch defensively ranking in the top-half of the league allowing 113.3 points per 100 possessions (13th).
Austin Reaves To Hit 3+ 3-Pointers (-120)
In his seven appearances ahead of All-Star weekend, Reaves managed to knock down three or more triples in five games while converting better than 57 percent from behind the arc on three occasions. His overall efficiency during that stretch is marred by a pair of games in which Reaves went 1-of-10 and 0-of-9 from 3-point range, respectively, but tossing what are hopefully two anomalies to the side, his numbers were very strong.
The 26-year-old wing went 2-of-8 from the perimeter on the road against Charlotte in a five-point victory back on Jan. 27, but that was with Anthony Davis and Max Christie alongside him in the starting lineup. Those two have since gone on to join the Mavericks via trade, and until Doncic returns to form, along with James dealing with a nagging ankle, Reaves could be viewed as the Lakers' top offensive weapon for the time being.
It's not exactly farfetched to think, as we just saw Reaves drop 45 points on the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 8. He's made at least three 3-pointers in three of his last four home games, and that good fortune should carry over to Wednesday even after a hiatus.
Jaxson Hayes UNDER 13.5 Points + Rebounds (-108)
The recent addition of Alex Len could spell doom for Jaxson Hayes outside of matchups in which Los Angeles needs his size down low. It's a small one-game sample, but Hayes only saw the floor for eight minutes against Utah on Feb. 12 while Len was on the hardwood for 22 off the bench. Christian Koloko could also steal minutes, as well, which hurts Hayes' upside.
The 7-foot big man did go OVER 13.5 points and rebounds in the three games prior, but Len wasn't on the roster then. The Lakers have options now, and a healthier Doncic is also a threat on the glass. The number isn't so absurdly high that Hayes couldn't possibly topple it, but he was just recently the only center Redick could trot out. That's no longer the case, so an UNDER feels safer until we see how the rotation will pan out moving forward now that Len is around.
Mark Williams To Record A Double-Double (+115)
The "Mark Williams Revenge Game" is upon us as he's currently listed as probable after missing time since the aforementioned deal got rescinded. Lest we forget that in 18 appearances prior to this mishap, he was contributing averages of 17.4 points and 10.9 rebounds while shooting 57.5 percent from the field.
The most important takeaway as it pertains this prop, though, is that Williams registered eight double-doubles during that span. As mentioned in the Hayes blurb, the Lakers' interior has more holes than Swiss cheese, and even if it's purely out of spite, Charlotte will look to invoke a healthy dose of Williams early and often which will lead to a massive box score.
