Only three games remain before the NBA goes on its annual February hiatus due to All-Star Weekend. So, it’s only right we have a little bit more fun before the league takes a week-long break. Let’s jump into our best NBA Props for Thursday night’s action.
The Los Angeles Clippers are in Phoenix to take on the Suns — tipoff is at 10:00 ET. Both teams shook up their roster just before the NBA trade deadline, and tonight could serve as a playoff preview.
Kevin Durant remains sidelined through the all-star break, which has resulted in Los Angeles entering tonight’s battle as 1-point favorites. But, we’re not looking at Kawhi Leonard or Paul George this evening. We have our sights set on starting point guard Terance Mann.
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NBA Props for Thursday (2/16)
Terance Mann Over 9.5 Points (-122 @ FanDuel)
You may remember Terance Mann from his 39-point breakout performance in a closeout game against the Jazz in the 2021 postseason. Or, you may simply be familiar with him as a consistent, versatile contributor to the Clippers’ rotation. You may also not know Terance Mann at all.
Regardless, just know that he’s an efficient scorer who has been seeing consistent playing time alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Expanded Role
The Florida State product has served as an excellent complement to the Clips’ dominant wing duo. He’s shooting 38.2% from three-point land this season. And, he’s made his mark as the best guard defender in Tyronn Lue‘s rotation.
Mann has played 28.8 minutes per game over the Clips’ last five contests. Coach Lue has even played him 25-plus minutes in all five of these games. And, he’s scored double-digits in each game, too.
There was some speculation about how T-Mann’s role may change given the recent acquisitions of Eric Gordon and Bones Hyland. However, Mann scored 16 points in 27 minutes in the team’s first game after the trade deadline.
With Norman Powell sidelined tonight, we can expect Mann to continue seeing real minutes in Phoenix.
If Mann’s minutes remain in the mid-to-high-twenties, that bodes quite well for his scoring prospects. The 26-year-old has scored at least 10 points in 13 of 16 games when seeing between 24 and 32 minutes this season. He’s averaging 11.8 PPG in this sample, and he should benefit from defensive attention on Kawhi and PG, too.
Matchup
The Phoenix Suns present a nice matchup for the Clippers’ role player tonight. The Suns’ primary defensive focus will be stopping Leonard and George in this one, which leaves Mann free to see fantastic, wide-open looks.
This is a phenomenon that we’ve been seeing all year long. Mann is shooting 52.3% from the field and 46.2% from three when starting alongside both Kawhi and Paul George this season. Those figures are noticeable upticks from his 51.4 FG% and 38.2 3PT% on the season as a whole.
Mann’s true shooting percentage has also shot up from 60.9% to 65.4% when starting next to Los Angeles’ all-star forwards. The fourth-year guard will avoid Phoenix’s toughest defenders tonight (Josh Okogie and Torrey Craig) and should see plenty of quality looks as a result.
In two prior meetings with the Suns this season, Mann has dropped 31 total points in just 43 minutes. If he’s anywhere close to as efficient with his touches tonight, this should be easy money.
The playing time should be there, and productivity should follow.
Conclusion
Terance Mann has shined when he’s been given enough playing time this season. And, that trend should continue this evening, as he’s lined up for yet another start. Plus, Norman Powell’s absence may also free up some extra opportunities that could be headed Mann’s way in Phoenix this evening.
Enjoy playing our best NBA Props for Thursday and Join us for the rest of the NBA season!
