G - Isaiah Canaan - 8.8 - - vs BAY
After a round's pause we go back to this usual suspect. We knew the game against RMB would not be his bread and butter no matter the momentum he had. RMB has a sizeable lineup that it is able to match both Canaan's speed and strength. The match against BAY is much more suited to his style. Mckissic's return is going to trim some of Canaan's usage, and Goss' expected return next week will make matters even worse on that front, but there is still room for one more show for this month's overperformer. Hopefully he will reward us once again.
F - Perry Dozier Jr - PAR - 11.1 - vs EA7
Two days ago we said that we need to pick up the momentum before it's too late. He proved us emphatically right in a tough matchup with ASM despite Punter's and Avramovic' returns. We will stick with him once more. EA7 was a tough opponent in Munich but with Mirotic in the pits, all the focus shifts on Shavon Shields, making them quite predictable. PAR is coming with extra confidence from two hellish home wins in OT and this one seems to be the easier one of the series. Dozier has transformed in Zelico's hands into a super focused and effective player after a somewhat lackadaisical start. A succesful momentum pick that we expect to continue for this round.
G - Tyrique Jones - EFS - 11.7- @ BER
Ok this one we didn't see it coming. Same way we didn't EFS winning the game against PAO but there you go. Jones posted a monstrous performance, more alike to a Euroleague veteran than a rookie. Admitedly, PAO's anemic presence paved the way, but with his physicality and intensity Jones grabbed the opposing frontcourt from the neck and never let them go. EFS' long list of absences has bolstered his confidence and with a 37-PIR performance already in the books, Jones is gonna travel to Berlin to cause similar or even greater damage. BER will probably be better prepared than PAO for this but they are lacking the means to fully contain the player we saw on Tuesday.
G - Markus Howard - BKN - 10.8- vs CZV
Markus is on fire! Five games in a row with double digit PIR and avg (wait for it....) 26.2 pts!!! That is impossible to ignore, not at the price of 10.8 crd. CZV plays great team defence but BKN has the momentum and are in great form! We expect a high pace game from their side. CZV will try to slow down the pace of the game but we feel this will not be enough to keep Markus Howard away from scoring double digit points again. We need to address the elephant in the room though. Markus is known for his scoring ability but for his volatility in PIR as well (a volume shooter attribute we would say). In the last five games though he exhibits consistency and at the price of 10.8 crd we will simply go with him this time!