Published on: Jan 13, 2022 9:50 am IST|Updated on: Jan 14, 2022 6:11 am IST
DEN vs POR Dream11: With the season now at halfway point, some teams have been figuring out what rotations to play, dealing with injuries and COVID-19 protocols. For some teams, the scenery has been pretty much the same since the beginning of the season for others it has shifted shape constantly while others have hovered in the nothingness. Past this point, the teams are going to get desperate and can even engage actively in the trade market, thus an explosion of trades doesn’t look far away. Let us see if the two teams here in Trail Blazers and Nuggets are active in the trade market.
The Nuggets have played without Michael Porter Jr. and Jamal Murray, which has affected both ends of the floor. Due to that, Nikola Jokic has been asked to do a lot of work and he has taken a lot of toll on both ends of the floor. Will Denver make some moves soon or will they simply wait for Murray and Porter Jr. before making any major moves?
The Trail Blazers have been abysmal for the second straight season. Their two-three scorers in Lillard, Powell, and McCollum have been hit with major injuries and that is why they have run into deep bench rotations. However, despite the tumultuous time, Anfernee Simons has risen to the occasion and Nasir Little has been highly impressive too.
Host: Denver Nuggets Visitors: Portland Trail Blazers Match Timing: 14 January, @ 08:30 AM Venue: Ball Arena
Nuggets: Jokic has help but the team needs to build a streak Denver hasn’t been terrible by any metric this season. The Nuggets showcase a lot of fight and with feisty Nikola Jokic around, the team gets quality scoring, playmaking, and rebounding along with leadership. I respect Nikola’s ability to play tough on both ends game in and game out, and yes, in my opinion, Nuggets’ coach Michael Malone is correct when he says that the Jokic is disrespected and is omitted from the mention of best players. He is an efficient player who is available for most games and has a nose for the ball, being one of the best rebounders(Top two in rebounds per game), one of the best passers(leads Nuggets in assists), and a major scorer too. He has received immense help from Aaron Gordon, who has responded well in face of widespread absentees, and his 15+ points production for more than a month now has helped the Nuggets to sustain a 50% win record. Monte Morris has been a regular perimeter shooter, Facundo a major playmaker off the bench, Rivers, the hustle guy, and meanwhile, Jeff Green has done a great job of supplying scoring off the bench. Overall, the Nuggets have shown that they can beat many teams in the league but yes, they need to close out games better.
Trail Blazers: Simons has responded, Little is developing Portland has had another tough season, barely in the peripheries of the Play-in tournament. The Trail Blazers have been struggling on the defensive end and their offense has been up-and-down until recently. With Lillard, McCollum, and Powell out, you wouldn’t expect Trail Blazers to win two in a row and that too in two strong offensive outings but that is what the team has done. Anfernee Simons(OUT for this game) has done wonders in the starting one guard role, notching 20+ points and 5+ assists since the month began, Nasir Little has displayed hops on both ends, scoring 10 or so and playing serviceable defense. Robert Covington has picked up his scoring, Jusuf Nurkic in the middle has been a steady rebounder and a decent option inside and McLemore comes up with a big game every now and then. The bench is running thin with three starters out but yes Portland has done well considering their resources. If anything, the development of Simons and Little must excite fans in otherwise another sigh-inducing season. Denver Nuggets | Portland Trail Blazers Games: 39| 40 Wins: 20| 16 Defeats: 19| 24
In this game, the Nuggets are 90% likely to win in my opinion.
Denver Nuggets Team News
Nuggets Expected Starting Five Forwards: PF: Aaron Gordon PF: JaMychal Green Middle: C: Nikola Jokic Guards: SG: Austin Rivers PG: Monte Morris
BENCH: Facundo Campazzo, Jeff Green, Rodney McGruder, Zeke Nnaji, James Ennis III, Bones Hyland, Davon Reed, Matt Ryan.
Portland Trailblazers Team News
Trailblazers Expected Starting Five Wings: PF: Robert Covington SF: Nasir Little Middle: C: Jusuf Nurkic Guard: SG: Ben McLemore PG: Dennis Smith Jr.
BENCH: Trendon Watford, Cody Zeller, CJ Elleby, Greg Brown III, Tony Snell.
Nikola Jokic(DEN) Points: 21 Rebounds: 13 Assists: 08 Steals: 01 Jokic is the all-purpose Center whose skillset is rare for his size and whose tenacity is as impressive as his stats. The reigning MVP usually scores 20-27 points, grabs 12-18 rebounds, and dishes 5-11 assists a game. The Center is usually the favorite for the Star-Player in the Dream11 NBA scene. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 52-66
Jusuf Nurkic(POR) Points: 18 Rebounds: 08 Assists: 03 Steals: 01 Nurkic has been providing decent production in the middle for Portland and dives to the basket mostly for inside finishes while being a decent mid-range shooter. He has scored 14 in each of the last four games while grabbing rebounds in the 8-16 range and dishing 4 or more assists in three of the last five. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 33-45
Aaron Gordon(DEN) Points: 30 Rebounds: 12 Assists: 01 The above stat line is surely not a norm for the Forward but yes, he has been scoring this much and grabbing these rebounds at a better frequency than ever in his career. What to expect from Aaron? A 15-16 points production and 4-8 rebounds output. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 28-44
Robert Covington(POR) Points: 21 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 01 Blocks: 03 Steals: 03 After scoring under 10 for most parts until December, Robert has certainly picked up his scoring. The Forward has scored 10 or more in three of the last four games while grabbing 4-9 rebounds and clinching 2+ blocks and steals a game regularly. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 29-41
Monte Morris(DEN) Points: 11 Rebounds: 03 Assists: 05 Steals: 01 Monte is a dependable shooter from outside and a serviceable playmaker as well. The guard usually figures in the 11-13 points and 4-5 assists range but can go off for 20 or so points every now and then. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 20-30
DEN vs POR Dream11 Lineup Balancers
PG: M Morris, F Campazzo SG: W Barton SF: B McLemore, N Little PF: R Covington C: N Jokic(SP), J Nurkic(PP)
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