Chicago (46 - 36)

Expert Pick
100% ····················>< 0%

Atlanta (43 - 39)

Mid East Curtain Raiser


This is a battle of teams and GMs still trying to figure out the best direction not only this season but long term. They give great energy to the league and were given teams that weren’t in too much of an enviable position but are slowly but surely moulding them into their own teams and becoming what they want. It saying that, lets see what they are working with based on the starters match ups! LaMelo Ball vs Immanuel Quickley This matchup is free style versus dub step. LaMelo Ball plays like the game is the court is his arena: flashy passes, logo threes and decisions that make you gasp before you clap. He thrives in chaos, loves turning broken plays into highlights and treats the ball like it’s on a string. Immanuel Quickley, meanwhile, plays like he’s late for a meeting, quick bursts, sharp cuts and instant offense off the bounce. He’s deadly in transition and sneaky efficient when defenders blink. LaMelo will win the style contest by a landslide but Quickley’s speed and discipline can bother him, especially if turnovers start piling up. Still, over a full game, LaMelo’s size, vision and creativity usually overwhelm even the fastest defenders. Winner: LaMelo Ball Collin Sexton vs Donte DiVincenzo This matchup feels like a track meet that accidentally wandered into a boxing gym. Collin Sexton plays at one speed: extremely fast. He attacks the rim with tunnel vision and a fearless attitude, daring defenders to keep up or get out of the way. Donte DiVincenzo counters with chaos of his own, flying around screens, stealing passes, bombing threes and somehow always being in the right wrong place. Sexton’s strength is pressure; DiVincenzo’s strength is disruption. Over time, Sexton’s ability to create his own offense and live in the paint usually wins more battles than Donte’s off-ball work, especially when the game slows down. Winner: Collin Sexton Josh Green vs Desmond Bane This is hustle versus horsepower. Josh Green brings energy, defense and nonstop off ball movement, the kind of player who shows up on the floor, the glass and occasionally on the scoreboard. He cuts well, runs hard and guards like he drank three coffees before tip-off. Desmond Bane, on the other hand, is built like a linebacker who accidentally learned how to shoot 45 percent from three. He’s powerful, precise and extremely comfortable cooking defenders off the dribble or spotting up. Green makes life annoying, but Bane makes buckets and in basketball, that usually matters more. Winner: Desmond Bane, Des and Troy Matas Buzelis vs Toumani Camara This matchup is potential versus persistence. Matas Buzelis plays like a future star still figuring out the manual, smooth handle, long strides and flashes that make scouts lean forward in their seats. Toumani Camara plays like he’s allergic to giving up easy points. He defends with purpose, rebounds with intent and treats every loose ball like it personally insulted him. Buzelis has more offensive upside and creativity but Camara’s defense and physicality can grind the game down into something uncomfortable. Over time, talent usually wins. Winner: Matas Buzelis Donovan Clingan vs Nicolas Claxton This is skyscraper versus rubber band. Donovan Clingan is enormous, sets screens like brick walls and protects the rim like it’s a family heirloom. He wins with size, timing, and patience. Nicolas Claxton counters with speed, switching ability and pogo-stick bounce, flying around for blocks and lobs like gravity is optional. Clingan controls the paint; Claxton controls the chaos. In a long matchup, Clingans size and defensive acumen create more problems than Claxton speed can solve. Winner: Donovan Clingan

This is a battle of teams and GMs still trying to figure out the best direction not only this season but long term. They give great energy to the league and were given teams that weren’t in too much of an enviable position but are slowly but surely moulding them into their own teams and becoming what they want.

It saying that, lets see what they are working with based on the starters match ups!

LaMelo Ball vs Immanuel Quickley

This matchup is free style versus dub step. LaMelo Ball plays like the game is the court is his arena: flashy passes, logo threes and decisions that make you gasp before you clap. He thrives in chaos, loves turning broken plays into highlights and treats the ball like it’s on a string. Immanuel Quickley, meanwhile, plays like he’s late for a meeting, quick bursts, sharp cuts and instant offense off the bounce. He’s deadly in transition and sneaky efficient when defenders blink. LaMelo will win the style contest by a landslide but Quickley’s speed and discipline can bother him, especially if turnovers start piling up. Still, over a full game, LaMelo’s size, vision and creativity usually overwhelm even the fastest defenders.

Winner: LaMelo Ball

Collin Sexton vs Donte DiVincenzo

This matchup feels like a track meet that accidentally wandered into a boxing gym. Collin Sexton plays at one speed: extremely fast. He attacks the rim with tunnel vision and a fearless attitude, daring defenders to keep up or get out of the way. Donte DiVincenzo counters with chaos of his own, flying around screens, stealing passes, bombing threes and somehow always being in the right wrong place. Sexton’s strength is pressure; DiVincenzo’s strength is disruption. Over time, Sexton’s ability to create his own offense and live in the paint usually wins more battles than Donte’s off-ball work, especially when the game slows down.

Winner: Collin Sexton

Josh Green vs Desmond Bane

This is hustle versus horsepower. Josh Green brings energy, defense and nonstop off ball movement, the kind of player who shows up on the floor, the glass and occasionally on the scoreboard. He cuts well, runs hard and guards like he drank three coffees before tip-off. Desmond Bane, on the other hand, is built like a linebacker who accidentally learned how to shoot 45 percent from three. He’s powerful, precise and extremely comfortable cooking defenders off the dribble or spotting up. Green makes life annoying, but Bane makes buckets and in basketball, that usually matters more.

Winner: Desmond Bane, Des and Troy

Matas Buzelis vs Toumani Camara

This matchup is potential versus persistence. Matas Buzelis plays like a future star still figuring out the manual, smooth handle, long strides and flashes that make scouts lean forward in their seats. Toumani Camara plays like he’s allergic to giving up easy points. He defends with purpose, rebounds with intent and treats every loose ball like it personally insulted him. Buzelis has more offensive upside and creativity but Camara’s defense and physicality can grind the game down into something uncomfortable. Over time, talent usually wins.

Winner: Matas Buzelis

Donovan Clingan vs Nicolas Claxton

This is skyscraper versus rubber band. Donovan Clingan is enormous, sets screens like brick walls and protects the rim like it’s a family heirloom. He wins with size, timing, and patience. Nicolas Claxton counters with speed, switching ability and pogo-stick bounce, flying around for blocks and lobs like gravity is optional. Clingan controls the paint; Claxton controls the chaos. In a long matchup, Clingans size and defensive acumen create more problems than Claxton speed can solve.

Winner: Donovan Clingan

Bulls Star

LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball’s game feels like someone gave a basketball a personality and told it to have fun. He plays with a loose, creative rhythm that turns ordinary possessions into potential highlights, tossing no-look passes like they’re norm and pulling up from distances that make coaches quietly reach for support.

LaMelo’s greatest gift is vision at his size, he sees passing lanes before they exist and delivers the ball with flair and precision, making teammates better without ever looking like he’s trying too hard. His handle is smooth, his shot is fearless, and his confidence borders on contagious. Of course, with freedom comes chaos. Turnovers happen, shot selection occasionally wanders into “are you sure about that?” territory, and defense can be more suggestion than command. But in a developing, lower-tier Eastern Conference environment where growth matters more than perfection, LaMelo’s creativity is priceless. He sets tempo, creates joy, and reminds everyone that basketball can be smart and stylish at the same time and usually wins more than it loses.

PPG 30.4

RPG 5.2

APG 7.3

SPG 1.2

BPG 0.9

FPG 2.4

TPG 3.0

PPG 23.1

RPG 4.2

APG 4.5

SPG 0.9

BPG 0.6

FPG 1.6

TPG 1.5

Hawks Star

Desmond Bane
Desmond Bane’s game is built like his arms: strong, compact and impossible to ignore. He doesn’t glide, float, or dance he grinds. Every cut is sharp, every screen is used properly and every open look is treated like a personal invitation.

Bane might not look flashy, but his shooting is lethal. Spot-ups, movement threes, pull-ups in transition, if the ball finds him and space exists, the scoreboard is about to change. What makes him especially dangerous is how balanced he is. He can bully smaller guards in the post, attack closeouts with purpose and make the extra pass when defenses overreact.

Defensively, he’s sturdy and disciplined, rarely out of position and always willing to take the tough assignment. In a lower-tier Eastern Conference setting where development often outweighs wins, Bane’s reliability stands out. He brings structure to chaos and turns efficiency into a quiet form of dominance. He may not steal headlines, but he steals possessions and usually the matchup.

X-Factor
For the Hawks, their x-factor is Alex Sarr: Alex Sarr’s game feels like a preview trailer for the future. He moves like a wing in a center’s body, switching on defense, contesting everything in sight and occasionally blocking shots that seemed legally impossible. Offensively, he’s still discovering his comfort zones, some flashes of shooting, some smooth finishes, some “I’ll figure that out later” moments. But the defensive impact is already loud. In a lower-tier Eastern Conference environment where patience matters more than polish, Sarr’s length, mobility and upside make him a fascinating long-term piece. He’s not finished yet but the outline looks good. For the Bulls, their x-factor is young Matas: Matas Buzelis’ game feels like a sketch of a future star still being colored in. He glides across the floor with long, easy strides, handling the ball like a guard in a forward’s frame and flashing smooth pull-up jumpers that make scouts sit up straight. He’s creative, confident and occasionally experimental, which leads to both highlights and head-scratching moments. In a lower-tier Eastern Conference setting where growth beats wins, Buzelis’ versatility, skill and upside quietly stand out. Unfinished, unpredictable yet very intriguing.

X-Factor

For the Hawks, their x-factor is Alex Sarr:

Alex Sarr’s game feels like a preview trailer for the future. He moves like a wing in a center’s body, switching on defense, contesting everything in sight and occasionally blocking shots that seemed legally impossible. Offensively, he’s still discovering his comfort zones, some flashes of shooting, some smooth finishes, some “I’ll figure that out later” moments. But the defensive impact is already loud. In a lower-tier Eastern Conference environment where patience matters more than polish, Sarr’s length, mobility and upside make him a fascinating long-term piece. He’s not finished yet but the outline looks good.

For the Bulls, their x-factor is young Matas:

Matas Buzelis’ game feels like a sketch of a future star still being colored in. He glides across the floor with long, easy strides, handling the ball like a guard in a forward’s frame and flashing smooth pull-up jumpers that make scouts sit up straight. He’s creative, confident and occasionally experimental, which leads to both highlights and head-scratching moments. In a lower-tier Eastern Conference setting where growth beats wins, Buzelis’ versatility, skill and upside quietly stand out. Unfinished, unpredictable yet very intriguing.

Injury Report
Injured Players: Terry Rozier () - 41 NBA Games missed this season Jaime Jaquez Jr. (--) - 4 NBA Games missed this season	Injured Players: Aaron Gordon () - 21 NBA Games missed this season Larry Nance Jr. () - 20 NBA Games missed this season Ty Jerome () - 40 NBA Games missed this season Jalen Suggs (--) - 19 NBA Games missed this season Herbert Jones () - 21 NBA Games missed this season

Prediction
Lamelo is the best player in this match up but I think Atlanta are a bit more well rounded. If Melo gets going the Bulls will be too hard to catch but otherwise I think the Hawks will be too well rounded. Atlanta by 4

	CLE	98
	NY	159

	MEM	114
	LAL	123

	CHI	117
	NY	144

	NY	126
	CHI	105

	IND	109
	CLE	116