The journey wasn't pretty, but here we are - officially 2-0 on NBA player prop articles. I will admit when the Toronto Raptors scored a whopping 35 first-half points on Friday night against the Bulls, I thought our Dennis Schroder prop was dead in the water. However, the gambling gods smiled down upon us as this bizarre game somehow found a way into overtime.

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The series of events that led this game to be tied after 48 minutes sounds straight out of a video game. A frenzy of turnovers, fouls, and missed free throws in the final 20 seconds gave Schroder just enough time to cash his 18.5 points+assists line to move our record to 2-0. With 22 teams in action tonight, there are plenty of intriguing props on the board. I'm targeting another bottom-tier starting PG on a lousy team for my third article pick this season.

Tyus Jones Under 23.5 Points + Rebounds + Assists

The undefeated Boston Celtics travel to Washington, D.C., tonight to clash with the 1-1 Wizards. There's no denying that these two teams are on opposite ends of the NBA spectrum, and this matchup features the most significant talent disparity in the league. While the Celtics are bathing in the newly-acquired riches of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday, teams like the Wizards were left to pick up the scraps in free agency.

Tyus Jones inked a 2-year/$29 million dollar contract this summer with Washington after spending the last four years backing up Ja Morant in Memphis. Jones has been a serviceable backup his entire career, performing exceptionally well when Morant was forced to miss time with the Grizzlies. While Jones is an above-average leader of a team's second unit, the Tyus Jones full-time starting PG experience may not translate to many wins.

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Jones has played 28 minutes in each of the Wizards' first two games and has performed well in both. However, Jones has hit 50% of his 3-point attempts this year, and I expect those numbers to dip closer to his career average of 36%. It also must be considered that the Wizards' first two matchups were against the Pacers, one of the fastest-paced teams in the league, and the Grizzlies, who aren't currently at full strength.

Tonight's opponent doesn't play at a particularly fast pace and features the premiere defensive backcourt in the entire NBA. On opening night, the tandem of Jrue Holiday and Derrick White held Jalen Brunson to 15 points on 6/21 from the field. Tyus Jones is not a volume scorer by any means, so I doubt we will see many forced shots out of him in this matchup. Kyle Kuzma and Jordan Poole will be chucking shots to try and keep the game close, and their isolation-heavy offense against an elite Boston defense won't translate to Tyus Jones assists.

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Finally, as indicated by the double-digit point spread, this game is riddled with blowout potential. If the Wizards find themselves trailing by a significant margin in the fourth quarter, they're likely to throw in the towel early. I doubt Tyus Jones crosses the 30-minute threshold tonight, which gives him even less opportunity to put up numbers.

Overall, this is a matchup nightmare for Tyus Jones. He is due for some regression in his shooting numbers, and he'll be the third option on offense at best. Facing off against an elite defensive opponent in a likely blowout scenario isn't ideal. I'm trusting the Celtics' defense tonight and taking Tyus Jones Under 23.5 Points+Rebounds+Assists for my third official KarterKast article pick.

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Connor's 2023-24 Record: 2-0