Hornets vs. Warriors: The best player prop bets for Nov. 3

The Charlotte Hornets are in San Francisco tonight to take on the 5-1 Golden State Warriors. Both teams feature dynamic playmaking stars in Steph Curry and LaMelo Ball, as well as a deep cast of supporting talent that should make for an exciting matchup.

Hornets vs. Warriors tips off at 10:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, and we have odds and picks for our favorite player props below.

LAMELO BALL OVER/UNDER 5.5 ASSISTS

How the Warriors must rue their decision not to draft LaMelo Ball when they had the chance. If a single player outside of the Warriors system seems to instinctively embody their ethos, it’s him. Because LaMelo just tries stuff. He works angles from his 6’7” height that most players don’t even see, and uses it to throw passes that most wouldn’t think to throw - let alone dare to actually attempt if they could.

Modern basketball can sometimes be accused of homogeneity. Teams steal each other's plays and styles converge, and there can be a feeling of sameness. But players like Ball remind you that basketball is at its best when it's played with improvisation and creativity. For good NBA players, the game dictates what you do, and they play within the flow. But some players command the flow, and Ball is on his way to becoming one of those guys. 

And also if the reports are to be believed, Ball was told the Warriors were going to draft him. Ball wanting to show them exactly what they’re missing is reason enough to pick the Over here.

PICK: OVER 5.5 ASSISTS (-113)

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MILES BRIDGES OVER/UNDER 19.5 POINTS

Miles Bridges is in the middle of a breakout season and is the current leading candidate for Most Improved Player. He’s nearly doubled his points per game to 23.1, all while maintaining his sterling efficiency. It’s impressive the way Bridges is doing it too. He’s become a standstill initiator on offense, he’s taking shots off the dribble, and he’s clearly developed more pick-and-roll craft. Bridges was more of a play-finisher until this season, the exclamation point at the end of the sentence. Now suddenly he’s looking like he can be the verb or the noun in any given play.

Bridges was one of the few players drafted in the 2018 lottery not to receive a contract extension, reportedly the Hornets' highest offer was something like four-years and $60 million. Not only has he already likely outplayed that offer, there’s no telling how high he might push that number if he keeps this up. Which is to say, Bridges, in his new role as one of the Hornets' go-to scorers, is properly incentivized to get his shots up.

PICK: OVER 19.5 POINTS (-113)

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DRAYMOND GREEN OVER/UNDER 8.5 POINTS

Draymond Green is one of the greatest basketball minds of all time. His peak remains criminally underrated, not only because he was inarguably the best defender in the world during the Warriors dynasty, but also because of his role in making Steph Curry possible. It’s no slight on Curry to say without Draymond there would be no Steph. Michael Jordan said the same thing about himself and Scottie Pippen, after all.

Curry and Green embody the platonic ideal of the two-man game. Their chemistry and mutual anticipation is the foundation upon which the entire Warriors offense is built. There is no single more dangerous play than a simple DHO run between Draymond and Steph at the top of the key.

That being said, Draymond's own offense has been regressing for years. While he’s still an incredible playmaker, Green hasn’t averaged 10 or more points in a season since 2017-18, and is currently on pace for the fewest number of 3-pointers taken in his career. Teams are now figuring out that Draymond simply doesn’t want to shoot, nor even really take a layup. Green leads the NBA in passes per game, which while a credit to his versatility, is also revealing of the fact that passing is the only value he consistently adds on offense.

PICK: UNDER 8.5 POINTS (-113)