Published on: Apr 12, 2022 11:35 am IST|Updated on: Apr 12, 2022 11:35 am IST
BKN vs CLE Dream11: Here it is, the first game of the Play-in tournament between the seventh-seeded Brooklyn Nets and the eighth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. The winner clinches the seventh spot in the First Round and squares off against the Brooklyn Nets. On the other hand, the loser has one more shot and faces the winner of the game between the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets.
The Nets lost their way completely when Kevin Durant went down with an injury and Kyrie Irving couldn’t compete in home games in the absence of KD. With both of these players back in the fray, the Nets were able to rise up from the ninth spot to the seventh spot, thus clinching the seventh seed and the home-court advantage for the Play-in game.
On the other hand, the Cavaliers have struggled way too much recently and they have looked down and out against all sorts of teams. Their defense has been so-so ever since Jarrett Allen has been absent due to injury while their offensive game has always raised question marks. Darius Garland has somehow kept the team going on that end.
Host: Brooklyn Nets Visitors: Cleveland Cavaliers Match Timing: 13 April, @ 04:30 AM Venue: Barclays Center
Nets enter as favorites The trouble for the Cavs here will be containing two legendary scorers in Irving and Durant. Both of them can put up 30+ points(At least one of them) and with their Playoffs experience, they can scythe through the much-weaker Cavs defense. On the other hand, Bruce Brown posed multiple problems for the Cavs when they lost 108:117 during the last meeting. But the biggest trouble will be containing Durant and Kyrie, so rookie Mobley must be ready at all times to help out on the defensive end.
Jarrett Allen’s absence has not only hurt the defensive end but the inside scoring and rebounding as well. Mobley has had a charismatic season but he looked more effective alongside Allen, who helped in box-outs and provided physicality on both ends. Darius Garland has had to force the issue at times because the offensive burden has increased on him while the other major shot-creator in LeVert is yet to sizzle with his performances.
Thus, on the offensive end, the Cavs will need to depend a lot upon Lauri Markkanen, someone who has done well as a deep-range shooter at the big Forward position and who will be expected to knock down outside shots. The Cavaliers are due a big game versus a winning team and they will also have to contend against Andre Drummond who has been a solid rebounder in the middle.
Fantasy lineup related tips
Since these are the Playoffs, you can expect a lot of regular bench players to see a cut in their minutes. In this scenario, there is no need to rest major key players for long minutes so the three to four starters can end up playing 40+ minutes. The Cavs’ major six-player rotation can be like Garland-LeVert-Okoro-Markkanen-Mobley-Love while Osman, Rondo, and Stevens can see even fewer than 10 minutes. On the other hand, the Nets major rotation can be Irving-Curry-Durant-Brown-Drummond-Claxton-Mills where Mills and Claxton may end up playing below 10 minutes. If this is a blowout then only the seventh/eighth/ninth-placed players will get 15+ minutes.
Brooklyn Nets Team News
Nets Expected Starting Five High-scoring all-around wing: SF: Kevin Durant Versatile All-Position Player: F: Bruce Brown Rebounding specialist: C: Andre Drummond Shooting Guards: SG: Seth Curry Main ball-handler: PG: Kyrie Irving
MAJOR BENCH ROTATIONS(In Order): Goran Dragic, Patty Mills, Nic Claxton, Kessler Edwards, Cam Thomas, LaMarcus Aldridge, Blake Griffin.
Cleveland Cavaliers Team News
Cavaliers Expected Starting Five Stretch-Four: PF: Lauri Markkanen Two-way athletic Big: C: Evan Mobley Defensive Wing: SF: Isaac Okoro Isolation specialist: SG: Caris LeVert Playmaker and major ball-handler: Darius Garland
MAJOR BENCH ROTATIONS(IN ORDER): Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, Cedi Osman, LaMar Stevens, Brandon Goodwin, Dylan Windler.
Darius Garland (CLE) Darius had the best season of his career and he has been the leading scorer and assist maker for the team whose role only increased due to the injury to Allen. I expect Garland to be in 23-29 points, 8-12 assists, and 1-3 steals range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-46
Kevin Durant(BKN) Kevin has raised his game further during the Postseason and the all-around wing will be a tough match-up in all respects. He can be in 27-34 points, 7-10 rebounds, and 6-9 assists range. He is usually a candidate for Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 40-52
Evan Mobley(CLE) Rookie Mobley helped transform the scenery on both ends of the floor and let us see how he responds during his first Postseason appearance. An 11-17 points, 7-11 rebounds, and 1-3 blocks/steals range is expected. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 23-35
Kyrie Irving(BKN) Irving has tasted a lot of success in the Playoffs and alongside Durant, he will only have more open opportunities but the guard can carve out opportunities with his unmatched dribbling skills and shooting form. He can be in 23-35 points and 5-8 assists range here. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-44
Caris LeVert(CLE) Caris has taken a bit of time to adjust to the Cavaliers system and during the Play-in tournament, his contributions will be needed for an offensively struggling team. He can be in the 15-21 points range here. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 22-32
Bruce Brown(BKN) Forward Bruce has turned the league upside down by playing like a Center despite being just 6 feet 4 inches. Overall, he has been utilized well by coach Nash compared to the first half of the season. He can be in 10-15 points, 4-7 rebounds, and 3-6 assists range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 22-34
PG: C LeVert SG: S Curry, I Okoro, D Garland(PP) SF: B Brown, K Durant(SP) PF: L Markkanen C: K Love (most recommended)
PG: C LeVert SG: K Irving(PP), D Garland(SP) SF: B Brown, L Stevens PF: E Mobley C: N Claxton, A Drummond (alternate) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcHB5X9BbyT/
Want to watch the opening tussle of the Play-in tournament as Durant pops up some tough pull-ups, crafty Garland and Kyrie put on a dribbling show? Well, in an encouraging piece of news for Indian NBA viewers, the Play-in tournament games are slated to be displayed on Voot and JIO TV. However, these games are early in the morning so what if you miss them? Well, simply get the annual subscription of the NBA League Pass and catch the full game replay. To know the scorers, news, and stats, go to the official website of the NBA.