NYK vs MIN Dream11: NBA midseason is here and well, some teams have continued their old struggles while some have fixed their issues. This is a crucial window because there are two things that usually happen in the context of injuries and trades. First, many players who were injured earlier returned and with COVID-19’s impact receding, the rosters are healthier, second, many teams lose some of their key players but have the rest of the roster intact, and overall, see their graph fall.
Now let us get to the trade scenario. You look to fill holes, start from scratch, or search for someone to develop long-term by shipping off some key players, draft picks, and cash considerations. These trades can cause ruptures too and instead of improving, many teams can fare even more poorly. So, overall, the trade scenario can misfire too but sometimes brings wonderful changes, addressing the shortcomings.
Now, let us come to the two teams who will clash here. We have Minnesota Timberwolves visiting the New York Knicks. Knicks build winning streaks every now and then but then one of the games, their offensive performance is terrible and they fluff what they have built. I do believe the Knicks need a trade big-time, perhaps, a playmaking PG who can shoot from outside.
On the other hand, the Minnesota Timberwolves have fared no different from the Knicks. They have 21 wins and 22 losses, Knicks have a 22 and 22 record. See, how close they are! While for the Knicks, the offensive end has held them back, for the Timberwolves, it is their porous defense, that can create ruptures. However, offensively, the Timberwolves have seen more depth, consistency, and efficiency compared to the Knicks.
Host: New York Knicks
Visitors: Minnesota Timberwolves
Match Timing: 19 January, @ 06:00 AM
Venue: Madison Square Garden
Knicks: They have some efficiency issues
I think the Knicks need to acquire a playmaker who can act as a perimeter shooter as well, yes, Burks has dished 4-6 assists a game at times but he is not the playmaking type and this sort of game has hurt his own scoring rhythm. They need someone who can push the tempo and also score at a high clip(Even someone who can get 10-15 points and dish 6-8 assists a game). Julius Randle has been a tad out of control while trying to do too much. While RJ Barrett has been the most consistent offensive player recently, even he has had his struggles. This system is not suiting Fournier, and neither did Boston’s system, why? Well, when he was in Orlando, he was the major isolation scorer and now he has to play off the ball. Quickley shows promise but he needs to be more efficient too. Mitchell Robinson has improved this month on the offensive end but with a regular playmaker can take it up further. However, Obi Toppin, the young promising Forward has seen his minutes fall, what is his future with the Knicks after he had begun the season with a bang? Who can the Knicks acquire to make things better on the offensive side?
Timberwolves: Strong offense, more needed from defense
Minnesota has a high-quality offensive attack which has improved at a high clip. With Russell, you get a high-quality playmaker, a type of playmaker that the Knicks need to be honest. Anthony Edwards is becoming an elite isolation option while Karl Anthony-Towns uses his size well to score and has a more than decent jumper along with his driving game. Now, with Malik Beasley and Jaylen Nowell, having improved with each month, the team has five primetime scores. Not enough can be said about Jared Vanderbilt, whose hustle enables a team to get the second-chance points and also seal the boards on the defensive end. Patrick Beverley can act as the second playmaker but yes, there is one area that needs to be fine-tuned. See, the core for the Timberwolves has both age and potential on their side but defensively, the team keeps coming up short during most games and the team has also struggled to win against 60+ wins squad due to that issue. Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid give some depth at the big Forward/Center position but yes, overall, it is the defensive side that needs fixing for the young Wolves.
New York Knicks | Minnesota Timberwolves
Games: 44| 43
Wins: 22| 21
Defeats: 22| 22
New York Knicks Team News
Knicks Expected Starting Five
Middle: C: Mitchell Robinson PF: Julius Randle
Guards: SG: Alec Burks SG: Evan Fournier SG: RJ Barrett
BENCH: Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Miles McBride, Nerlens Noel, Taj Gibson, Quinten Grimes.
Minnesota Timberwolves Teams News:
Timberwolves Expected Starting Five
Wing: SF: Anthony Edwards
Middle: PF: Jarred Vanderbilt, C: Karl Anthony-Towns
Guards: PG: D’Angelo Russell, PG: Patrick Beverley
BENCH: Jaden McDaniels, Leandro Bolmano, Malik Beasley, Naz Reid, Taurean Prince, Josh Okogie, Jaylen Nowell, Nathan Knight, Jake Layman.
Karl Anthony-Towns(MIN)
Points: 26
Rebounds: 11
Assists: 01
Blocks: 02
In all honest, Karl can easily stake the claim of being one of the best Centers in the league but yes not quite at the level of Embiid or Jokic. The big has still been highly productive, scoring in the 22-28 points range, grabbing 10+ rebounds, and blocking 1+ shots every now and then. He is the backbone of Minnesota’s effort. Anthony-Towns can be selected as a Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario.
Expected Fantasy Points Range: 50-62
Julius Randle(NYK)
Points: 18
Rebounds: 10
Assists: 03
Blocks: 01
Julius is one of the best all-around Power Forwards in the league and except for his sometimes out-of-control offensive play, he can give a lot of gritty defense, rebound, and playmaking. He has scored in 16-22 points, grabs 8-12 rebounds, and dishes 3-8 assists regularly.
Expected Fantasy Points Range: 35-46
D’Angelo Russell(MIN)
Points: 07
Rebounds: 03
Assists: 12
Steals: 02
D-Lo is the primary playmaker for the Timberwolves who can also shoot well from the perimeter, undertaking major ball-handling duties for his squad. The sprightly guard can score 18-22 points regularly while taking it up a notch passing-wise, handing over 8-12 assists per game as a routine these days.
Expected Fantasy Points Range: 37-45
Anthony Edwards(MIN)
Points: 09
Rebounds: 01
Assists: 02
Steals: 01
Blocks: 01
The above statline is nowhere the indicator of Edwards’ usual production, a sophomore who has turned heads with his performances. He has usually produced in the 20+ points range this season and can go for 25+ points nights many times.
Expected Fantasy Points Range: 36-49
RJ Barrett(NYK)
Points: 18
Rebounds: 12
Assists: 05
Steals: 02
RJ is playing some of his basketball recently especially on the offensive end. He has scored 26 or more in three of the last five games, at least scoring 18 points in each of the last five games. He has grabbed usually 5-7 rebounds in this period.
Expected Fantasy Points Range: 32-42
Mitchell Robinson(NYK)
Points: 10
Rebounds: 06
Assists: 00
Blocks: 01
Steals: 01
Mitchell has upped his play and he is an important player as the rebounder and inside scorer. He has usually 13 or more in three of the last four while grabbing 10 or more rebounds in those games as well. Can Robinson sustain his rhythm?
Expected Fantasy Points Range: 19-33
PG: D Russell
SG: J Nowell
SF: R Barrett
PF: J Randle(SP), J Vanderbilt, J McDaniels
C: K Towns(PP), M Robinson
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NBA has not released its official broadcasting in the context of India at the time of writing. Now, it is true that Voot and JIO TV are the official streaming services showcasing the games, but it is usually just one game per day and in a league, where usually 6-10 games are played, you can miss out on the other action. So, to negate that, you can buy the annual subscription of the NBA League Pass which gives you access to all the live streams and also get the full game replay. To get the scores, go to the official website of the NBA.