Published on: Mar 2, 2022 12:49 am IST|Updated on: Mar 2, 2022 12:49 am IST
LAL vs DAL Dream11: Before the NBA season, we had various speculations, which team will rise, which will fall, who are the contenders, who will be the bottom feeders, who will struggle to make the Playoffs, etc., etc. But if only speculations and expectations were met every time, it wouldn’t be fun keeping it up with the league. And some teams have been rather too underwhelming and keep falling off the radar. And this discussion rounds off to the biggest disappointment for many, in the form of the Los Angeles Lakers, an outfit that will take on the Dallas Mavericks here.
The Lakers formed the trio of LeBron, Davis, and Westbrook in the offseason. There was talk about championships, another for King James. And now, what do we have? A team that has six more losses than wins, barely holding on to the ninth spot in the West and the championship aspirations have been turned to ashes.
On the other hand, the Dallas Mavericks can still dream of a big run. Sure, they are in a wild Conference that has the Suns, Grizzlies, Warriors, Jazz, and Nuggets turning the heat up. But they have built a defensive identity and even if it is a tough race, this sort of identity can be huge when the Playoffs are at the team’s doorsteps. Host: LA Lakers Visitors: Dallas Mavericks Match Timing: 2 March, @ 08:30 AM Venue: Crypto.com Arena
Lakers: Going downhill with each month When you pair up LeBron, Westbrook, and Davis, at least a Western Finals trip should be on the cards. But forget that, the Lakers have been in an abysmal state and after the All-Star Break, they have looked even more out-of-sync. Davis has been injured, for the most part, Westbrook has been receiving the biggest backlash for his underwhelming play but LeBron has marched on, playing like one of the best players in the league. However, it is not just working out. At this point, the team’s lack of success has become contagious, and even rising players like Monk have fallen off big time. The Lakers’ age surely caught up to them this season.
The team has played poor defense, keeps giving away big runs, and has even fallen off offensively after they were one of the best offenses earlier in the season. With Davis gone, their remaining defense has given away too and when they have done decently at the defensive end(Which has been rare), their offense has gone cold. LeBron can only do too much but Davis is out, Lakers needed big production out of Westbrook, whose very career is going downhill at this point. Talen Horton-Tucker has misfired, Austin Reaves is too young while Carmelo is past his prime to will the team to wins. The Lakers are flailing, falling, and they need a miracle at this point.
Mavericks: Terrific defense but how far can they go? Mavericks’ defense has gotten it done, especially late in the game. Dorian Finney-Smith is a fantastic defensive anchor and his ability to play both one-on-one defense and switch-up gives the Mavs a solid defensive base, something that the Lakers have craved for all season long. When you defend it at a high-keel especially late in the game, you need closer to take care of the offense. And of course, with Luka Doncic, they are able to finish games on a regular basis. He is one of the best players in the league and has hit a sweet spot this year, which has led to a bunch of victories. If he goes on like this, Mavs can be a tough opponent in the Playoffs.
Jalen Brunson shares the ball-handling duties with Doncic in the starting five and he has been huge in many ways, fighting on the defensive end and making tough floaters and jumpers. Reggie Bullock has done well as a perimeter shooter while Dorian Finney-Smith can also provide viable offense. Meanwhile, the addition of Spencer Dinwiddie has added another dimension to the offense and he has been strong and efficient so far after a disappointing time with the Wizards. Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber are gritty bigs who can help out at the rebounding and defensive end. Davis Bertans can stretch the floor as a big and overall, the Mavericks seem to have achieved a wonderful offensive and defensive balance these days. Los Angeles Lakers | Dallas Mavericks Games: 60| 61 Wins: 27 | 36 Defeats: 33| 25
Los Angeles Lakers Team News
Lakers Expected Starting Five
Wings: SF: LeBron James | SF: Trevor Ariza Middle: C: Dwight Howard Guards: SG: Austin Reaves | PG: Talen Horton-Tucker | PG: Russell Westbrook
BENCH: Talen Horton-Tucker, Malik Monk, Wayne Ellington, DJ Augustin, Kent Bazemore, Sekou Doumbouya.
Dallas Mavericks Team News
Mavericks Expected Starting Five Wing: SF: Reggie Bullock Big Forward: PF: Dorian Finney-Smith Middle: C: Dwight Powell Guards: PG: Jalen Brunson | PG: Luka Doncic
BENCH: Spencer Dinwiddie, Maxi Kleber, Josh Green, Sterling Brown, Davis Bertans, Boban Marajanovic, Moses Brown.
LeBron James(LAL) Points: 32 Rebounds: 06 Assists: 03 Blocks: 02 Steals: 02 LBJ continues to stuff the statsheet, gets his usual numbers but he doesn’t have the roster to collect wins. He has continued to pour in 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists on a regular basis. He can be chosen as the Star/ Pro Player in the Dream11 NBA scene. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 44-60
Luka Doncic(DAL) Points: 34 Rebounds: 11 Assists: 02 Steals: 02 Doncic has been boosting the scoring for the Mavs and he is one of the best all-around players in the league. Luka has been usually in the 25+ points, 8+ rebounds, and 6+ assists range these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 44-62
Russell Westbrook(LAL) Points: 16 Rebounds: 06 Assists: 01 Steals: 01 The Guard is having his worst season in a long time and the Lakers system hasn’t suited him at all. He has scored 13+, grabbed 5+ rebounds despite the turmoil and backlash. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 20-30
Spencer Dinwiddie(DAL) Points: 24 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 05 Steals: 01 Dinwiddie has been a huge factor ever since he has arrived in the Mavericks and oh boy, he has surely bolstered the bench which was in huge need of a scoring player. I think a 14-19 points and around 5 assists range can be expected. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 27-37
Jalen Brunson(DAL) Points: 08 Rebounds: 02 Assists: 05 Steals: 01 Brunson has been doing a great job as the second Point Guard in the starting lineup with his ability to score and also act as a playmaker. The Guard has usually been in the 15-19 points and 4-6 assists range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 20-32
Carmelo Anthony (LAL) Points: 13 Rebounds: 05 Assists: 01 Blocks: 01 Anthony has done his part despite the struggles of the Lakers and has given much-needed offenses. He has been in the 12-18 points and 4-7 rebounds range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 18-26
LAL vs DAL Dream11 Lineup Balancers
LAL vs DAL Dream11 Team
PG: S Dinwiddie, L Doncic(SP) SG: M Monk, J Brunson SF: L James(PP) PF: R Bullock C: D Howard, D Bertans
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Lakers stink these days but aren’t LeBron getting it done with his power game and how about Doncic lighting it up from the field! If you are in India, you can watch them go to work if you avail the services of streaming platforms JIO TV and Voot. But who’d want to watch the Lakers getting run over on a daily basis at this point! So, if you want to catch the rest of the action in the league, buzz into the NBA League Pass, where you can buy the annual subscription. This subscription provides a live stream of all games and also the full game replay if you happen to miss the live stream. To know the scores, stats, and other league-related information, visit the official website of the NBA.