Published on: Oct 21, 2022 12:29 am IST|Updated on: Oct 21, 2022 12:29 am IST
IND vs SAS Dream11: The NBA Regular Season is on and we are going to find out early issues with teams in a quick time. The scene right now is still figuring out rotations and how the team chemistry translates on the court. There are teams that seem to be heading for a losing season and they began the season in such a way. Two of these teams San Antonio Spurs and the Indiana Pacers will meet here.
Spurs suffered a rather humiliating defeat to start the season as they were pulverized by the Hornets 102:129 despite a 20 points night by Keldon Johnson. As expected, the Spurs are struggling right off the gates.
The Pacers have been in rebuild mode and their loss comes as a little surprise. They lost to the Wizards 107:114 despite a 26 points performance by Tyrese Haliburton. They have a promising young core but a lot work is needed. Host: Indiana Pacers Visitors: San Antonio Spurs Match Timing: 22 October, @ 04:30 AM Venue: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Spurs: Looked out-of-sync The absence of DeJounte Murray was felt in the first game itself as the Spurs struggled on both ends of the floor. Devin Vassell forced the issue, making just 3 of his 15 shots, unable to insert even one of his eight three-point attempts. The worst part was the defense though as the Hornets ran a party of them. And again, this is especially an area where Murray is dominant. The Spurs shot just 20% from the three-point line in the last game which is a concern.
Keldon Johnson showed up as expected while Jakob Poeltl and Tre Jones did their jobs too. Jeremy Sochan’s offense doesn’t suit the needs of the Spurs as they need a wing who can shoot the ball alongside Keldon. The bench brought so-so results, Doug McDermott did click but Josh Richardson and Joshua Primo struggled too, but the game slipped away in the first half itself as the team trailed by 21 points.
Pacers: They are too inexperienced The Pacers are fielding a young lineup and some of the elements in the starting lineup may be more suited to the bench. Their starting lineup doesn’t seem threatening for a deep Playoff run at any standard, but it has a lot of promise. In their first game, they were not blown away as such but looked like a step slower than the Wizards. Haliburton’s performance lived up to the expectations but the Pacers’ guard rotation has a long way to go.
The frontline doesn’t look as settled. Jalen Smith gave quality minutes in the last game but it was bench guard and number six pick in draft this year Benedict Mathurin that was really impressive
San Antonio Spurs News
Spurs Expected Starting Five
Forwards: SF: Keldon Johnson | SF: Jeremy Sochan Middle: C: Jakob Poeltl Guards: PG: Tre Jones | SG: Devin Vassell
BENCH: Doug McDermott, Josh Richardson, Keita Bates-Diop, Isaiah Roby, Joshua Primo, Dominick Barlow, Gorgui Dieng, Romeo Langford, Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, Jordan Hall.
Indiana Pacers Team News
Hornets Expected Starting Five Forwards: SF: Terry Taylor | PF: Jalen Smith Guards: PG: Tyrese Haliburton | SG: Buddy Hield | SG: Chris Duarte
BENCH: Oshae Brissett, Aaron Nesmith, Isaiah Jackson, Goga Bitadze, T.J. McConnell, Benedict Mathurin, James Johnson, Andrew Nembhard, Kendall Brown.
Devin Vassell(SAS ) Points: 11 Rebounds: 02 Assists: 04 Steals: 01 Vassell shot just 3/15 in the last game and the Spurs need more out of him both as a scorer and playmaker. I believe he will be in 15-22 points and 4-7 assists range.
Tyrese Haliburton(IND) Points: 26 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 07 Brought in as an important piece to the rebuild, Tyrese was amazing in the last game, shooting 9/18 and also brought in great playmaking. I believe he will be in 23-29 points and 7-10 assists range. He can be selected as a Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario.
Keldon Johnson(SAS) Points: 20 Rebounds: 11 Assists: 04 Steals: 02 Keldon was effective as a scorer in the last game and he also turned up to collect rebounds, being a great influence. I believe he will be in 18-24 points and 7-10 rebounds range.
Buddy Hield(IND) Points: 16 Rebounds: 10 Assists: 03 Off-guard Buddy is a top-quality shooter but he can end up chucking up shots at times which can stall the offensive progress. I expect him to be in 18-24 points and 4-8 rebounds range.
Jakob Poeltl(SAS) Points: 14 Rebounds: 09 Assists: 02 Center Jakob did what he does best as a rebounder and finisher, who will be in for a high-yielding season. I believe he will be in 9-14 points and 7-10 rebounds range.
Jalen Smith(IND) Points: 16 Rebounds: 08 Assists: 01 Blocks: 01 Forward Jalen is great at athletic finishes but his shooting is still in nascent stages. I believe he will be in 13-19 points and 7-11 rebounds range.
PG: T Jones SF: D Vassell, B Richard-Felder, B Hield SF: K Johnson(PP), T Haliburton(SP) PF: D McDermott C: J Poeltl
How will these two young teams will match-up here? To catch the game, visit the NBA League Pass. To get the highlights, the official YouTube channel of the NBA. To get the news, scores, and stats, you can go to the official website of the NBA.