Tuesday, February 3 stands out as the final Tuesday before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, and while it’s been a quiet deadline so far, it could easily heat up across the next couples of days. So while it’s a long-shot, it’s technically possible that Tuesday’s King of the Court — the player who leads the slate in combined points, rebounds, and assists — could have a new home by the time he plays his next game.
That’s right — as with every Tuesday, DraftKings is running its King of the Court contest. As part of the promotion, $1 million in bonus bets will be split and distributed to users who opt in and place a player prop bet on the player who ultimately leads that night in total points, rebounds and assists!
How to Play King of the Court
- Opt in to receive your King of the Court token in the Promotions page
- Bet on an NBA Player Prop (minimum $5 wager) on DraftKings Sportsbook and apply your token (Minimum leg odds of -200 apply)
- If the player you wagered on with your token applied was the points, rebounds and assists leader that night, win a share of $1 million in bonus bets paid out the next day
For more information on this promo, click here!
Track your picks in the NEW DraftKings Sportsbook King of the Court Leaderboard HERE!
Griffin’s King of the Court Pick for Tuesday, February 2: Luka Dončić
As long as Dončić is available on a Tuesday slate, he’s always going to be among the favorites. With every player in the league at full health, it’ll always basically come down to Dončić and Nikola Jokić, with Jokić averaging 52.0 P/R/A per game, Dončić averaging 50.4 P/R/A per game, and nobody else averaging more than 43.6. The hierarchy is clear.
Of the two Eastern European stars, I prefer Dončić to have the bigger game. After missing a month with a hyperextended knee, Jokić is playing on a minutes restriction, and while he was his typical dominant self in his return on January 30, putting up 31 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists in just 24 minutes, he had a more muted 16 points, seven boards, and eight assists in 29 minutes on Sunday night.
The Detroit Pistons — his opponent on Tuesday — are arguably even more dangerous defensively than his opponent last night, the Oklahoma City Thunder, as since January 1, the Pistons have had a microscopic 102.9 defensive rating and have allowed fewer made field goals within five feet than even the Thunder. All in all, Detroit has allowed the third-fewest points, fifth-fewest rebounds, and fewest assists for the season, making it an extremely difficult matchup for Jokić.
Dončić, on the other hand, could hardly ask for a friendlier opponent. The Brooklyn Nets aren’t good defensively despite leading the NBA in defensive rating in December, and now that their shooting luck has swung in the opposite direction, they’ve had the league’s second-worst defensive rating since the start of January, allowing the league’s ninth-most points, 17th-most rebounds, and fifth-most assists across that span.
In theory, Austin Reaves’ potential return could hurt Dončić’s stats, but Reaves will be on a heavy minutes restriction if he plays and Dončić averaged 52.0 P/R/A per game in the eight games he played alongside both Reaves and LeBron James. Reaves’ ball-handling and playmaking abilities should some drag defensive attention away from Dončić.
Doubting Jokić is never a prescient strategy, but whoever Dončić’s primary defender will be — likely Terance Mann — isn’t exactly the same caliber of defender as newly-minted All-Star Jalen Duren is. Dončić might play fewer minutes if it’s a blowout, but for his Los Angeles Lakers to blow out the Nets would require him to stuff the stat sheet.
Past King of the Court Winners
October 21: Luka Dončić (64 points, rebounds and assists)
October 28: Tyrese Maxey and Giannis Antetokounmpo (52 points, rebounds and assists)
November 4: Josh Giddey (56 points, rebounds and assists)
November 11: Nikola Jokić (57 points, rebounds and assists)
November 18: Luka Dončić (52 points, rebounds and assists)
December 2: Anthony Edwards (53 points, rebounds and assists)
December 23: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray
December 30: Joel Embiid (52 points, rebounds and assists)
January 6: Trey Murphy (50 points, rebounds and assists)
January 13: LeBron James (50 points, rebounds, and assists)
January 20: Luka Dončić (61 points, rebounds, and assists)
January 27: Michael Porter Jr. and Alexandre Sarr (44 points, rebounds, and assists)
That’s my King of the Court pick and preview for Tuesday, February 2! Stay tuned for my colleague Jeff’s pick every week!
