Published on: Apr 1, 2022 1:09 pm IST|Updated on: Apr 1, 2022 1:09 pm IST
DEN vs MIN Dream11: The NBA Regular Season is soon going to say goodbye to us and after another riveting display of basketball, the intensity will only shoot up once we reach the postseason. For many teams, this is the most important window of the season while two of the teams the Phoenix Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies have already established their supreme character. Though, the two teams that meet here the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets have a lot to play for.
The Nuggets have done a great job of remaining in the sixth rank and are currently on a three-game winning streak. Their effort is largely defined by the performances of Nikola Jokic in the middle, giving them such an elevated status at times. If the team continues to play like currently, they will enter the Playoffs on a high.
On other hand, the Timberwolves are just one rank below the Nuggets but that difference of one rank means a lot. It implies that the team is likely heading to the Play-in tournament but if they end up in all of the remaining games, they still can end up finishing at the sixth rank but it looks unlikely at this point.
Host: Denver Nuggets Visitors: Minnesota Timberwolves Match Timing: 2 April, @ 06:30 AM Venue: Ball Arena
The Nuggets defeated the Indiana Pacers 125:118 in the last game as Nikola Jokic rained in 37 points
The current winning streak has surely helped the Nuggets’ cause as they were in danger of falling into the Play-in territory. Their play recently has been elevated thanks to Will Barton recovering his form and Gordon continuing to assist Nikola Jokic. There is no doubt that the Nuggets will not be even a Play-in team without the heroics of Nikola Jokic, who has shown why he won the MVP award last season. Jokic always furthers his agenda once the Playoffs arrive so he will pose many match-up threats during the Postseason.
Apart from Barton and Gordon, Monte has been a decent shooter and playmaker at the Point Guard position while rookie Bones Hyland has had some impressive outings lately. Jeff Green is the energy bunny for the team while DeMarcus Cousins has been a reliable bench player. However, the team will need both and at least one among Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. to return if they are to make a deep Postseason. Let us see what Jokic cooks up during the Postseason but he has his work cut out before that too.
The Timberwolves suffered a harrowing 102:125 loss versus the havoc-creating Raptors as they got thoroughly outplayed on both ends of the floor.
Defense has been an issue for the Wolves all season long. They have established themselves as an elite offensive team but the last game against the Raptors was a failure on that end as well. One of the concerns recently has been the wayward shooting of D’Angelo who has been struggling for a month or so. If he doesn’t sort out his issues, the Timberwolves will find it tough during the postseason even if they make it through the Play-in tournament, which they most likely will.
However, in a positive, Anthony Edwards has been getting it done as the wing player and has showcased the will to carry the team for long stretches. Beverley and Vanderbilt will be huge on the defensive and hustle end for the Timberwolves too. Not having Malik Beasley and Jaden McDaniels has hurt the bench but Nowell, Prince, McLaughlin, and Reid all have contributed in parts. Overall, the Wolves will need to pick up their game on the defensive end if they are to make some dent during the postseason.
Denver Nuggets (6th in West) | Minnesota Timberwolves (7th in West) Games: 77 | 77 Wins: 46 | 43 Defeats: 31 | 34
Denver Nuggets Team News
Nuggets Expected Starting Five Wings: PF: Jeff Green | SF: Will Barton Middle: C PF: Aaron Gordon| C: Nikola Jokic Guard: PG: Monte Morris
BENCH: Bones Hyland, JaMychal Green, Bryn Forbes, Austin Rivers, Davon Reed, Marcus Howard, Facundo Campazzo, Zeke Nnaji.
Minnesota Timberwolves Teams News:
Timberwolves Expected Starting Five Wing: SF: Anthony Edwards Middle: PF: Jarred Vanderbilt | C: Karl Anthony-Towns (QUESTIONABLE) Guards: PG: D’Angelo Russell | PG: Patrick Beverley
BENCH: Naz Reid, Taurean Prince, Jordan McLaughlin, Josh Okogie, Jaylen Nowell, Nathan Knight, Jake Layman.
Nikola Jokic(DEN) Points: 37 Rebounds: 13 Assists: 09 Steals: 02 Blocks: 01 Center Jokic is having another MVP-styled season and he has been one of the best players in the league, leading the Nuggets in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks(virtually everything!). He has mostly been in 26+ points, 10-14 rebounds, and 6-10 assists range. He can be selected as a Star Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 50-72 Karl Anthony-Towns(MIN) Points: 16 Rebounds: 10 Assists: 03 Steals: 02 Blocks: 01 Karl has been an electric scorer for the Wolves while also giving quality rebounding on a consistent basis. He has mostly been in 16-22 points, 9-11 rebounds, and 1-2 steals/blocks range these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 32-43
Anthony Edwards(MIN) Points: 24 Rebounds: 08 Assists: 04 Steals: 01 Blocks: 01 Wing Anthony has continued to grow as a scorer and his shooting stroke has shown vast improvement complementing his driving game well. He has mostly been in 19-24 points, 5-8 rebounds, and 4-6 assists range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-44
Will Barton(DEN) Points: 18 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 05 Steals: 01 As happens, again and again, wing Will has once again recovered from his shooting funk. Having elevated his game, the wing is in 17-18 points, 5-8 rebounds, and 4-6 assists range, playing some of his best basketball lately. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 27-38 D’Angelo Russell(MIN) Points: 13 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 03 D’Angelo has hit a rough patch shooting-wise since March and that is why his production is down, and he will surely need to sort out his issues before the Postseason. The Guard has mostly been in 13-16 points and 6-8 assists range these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 17-26
Aaron Gordon(DEN) Points: 10 Rebounds: 08 Assists: 04 Power Forward Aaron has been a sturdy presence along with Nikola in the frontline and his athletic chops are huge for the Nuggets team. He has been in 14-20 points and 6-9 rebounds range these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 19-31
PG: J McLaughlin SG: W Barton, A Edwards, N Bones Hyland SF: J Nowell PF: T Waller-Prince C: N Jokic(SP), K Towns(PP)
Isn’t it fun to see Nikola Jokic wreaking havoc in the middle with his all-around ways? In not the most encouraging news for the NBA Indian fans, the game can’t be viewed on streaming services JIO TV and Voot. What is the way to catch the game? To have a look at this game or get a bunch of other matches is by diving into the NBA League Pass. Go to the Pass and purchase the annual subscription, which gives you access to all live games, and, you can also watch the full game replay if you can’t catch the live stream. To learn the scores, stats, and news, go to the official website of the NBA.