Miami Heat SG Norman Powell suffered an ankle injury in Monday’s game against the Los Angeles Clipper; the injury put Powell's status in question for Wednesday’s game vs. the Dallas Mavericks.
In the 3:30 p.m. ET, Powell was officially ruled out vs. the Mavericks tonight, which will shift the Heat starting lineup.
Let’s take a closer look at Powell’s injury update tonight and who could replace his production in the lineup We'll also break down some PrizePicks NBA picks for the rest of the Heat’s top threats, including Jaime Jaquez Jr., who may step up with Powell tonight.
Norman Powell Out Tonight vs. Mavericks
The Heat have officially ruled out Powell for Tuesday’s game due to a left ankle sprain that he suffered against the Clippers on Monday.
The injury certainly didn’t slow Powell down too much as he scored 30 points on 12-of-18 shooting in a 140-123 win against his former team. Powell also connected on 6-of-10 of his shots from deep.
Powell has missed four games already this season after recently dealing with a groin injury. Still, he has been Miami’s most productive offensive player, especially with fellow G Tyler Herro just recently returning from injury on November 24. Herro has not played more than 32 minutes in a game yet.
Powell leads the Heat in points (25.0) and 3-point shooting (45.8%) among qualifying players. In fact, the veteran guard has scored at least 28 points in three of his last four games.
What Heat Players Will Fill in for Powell vs. Mavericks
With Powell unable to suit up tonight, there are a few Heat players that could stand to benefit, which make for intriguing picks for PrizePicks and NBA DFS. Powell's 27.1% usage rate is the second-highest on the team behind only Tyler Herro, leaving plenty of available shots tonight.
Heat F Jaime Jaquez Jr. will likely draw the start in place of Powell as the team’s starting small forward to fill out the starting five, alongside PG Davion Mitchell, Herro, Andrew Wiggins, and Bam Adebayo.
Jaquez may not have any starts under his belt this season, but he receives plenty of playing time with an average of 29.3 minutes per contest off the bench, with a career-high 15.6 points per game on 51.7% shooting.
Playing alongside Powell, Jaquez has a 20.4% usage rate; without him on the floor, Jaquez's usage jumps to 22.4%, per NBAwowy.
While the Mavericks are one of the league’s better defensive teams, they do struggle in the rebounding department, allowing 48.6 rebounds per game, which is third-worst in the NBA. Mavericks C Dereck Lively II is also slated to miss Wednesday’s game with a foot injury, so that may open up some additional boards for the Heat to scoop up.
To begin the season, Jaquez is off to a strong start, firmly entrenched in the conversation for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award. He’s definitely been one of Miami’s most important bench pieces thus far.
Jaquez is currently averaging 15.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on the year, and could thrive if Powell is on the sidelines tonight.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. Projections vs. Mavericks
Here are the most popular Jamie Jaquez Jr. player picks vs. the Mavericks tonight, via PrizePicks NBA game.
- 13.5 Points
- 5 Rebounds
- 11.5 Pts+Asts (Goblin)
- 17.5 Pts+Rebs
- 22.5 PRA
Make Wednesday NBA Picks on PrizePicks
The Heat will be without G Norman Powell tonight due to an ankle injury as they take on the Mavericks, which could open up more opportunity for Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyler Herro to fill in.
Even without Powell, there are plenty of NBA picks to consider on PrizePicks to win real money if you're right, including Jaquez and Herro. Just pick at least two player stat projections — including from Heat vs. Mavericks, predict More or Less on their stats, and cash in if you're right.
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