Published on: Feb 9, 2022 10:01 pm IST|Updated on: Feb 9, 2022 10:01 pm IST
OKC vs TOR Dream11: The NBA trade deadline has brought in several changes and well, we have seen a bunch of players getting traded already and well, these trades indeed can change the landscape of the league. As the landscape will shift so will the dynamics and some teams can surge in this period. While others will keep on building on their chemistry with the existing core as the postseason draws nearer at this point. Anyway, keeping all of this in our cognizance, let us jump into the game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Toronto Raptors.
Thunder has almost twice more losses than wins and this is how critics predicted their season will go. They are in a typical rebuild phase and their offense has been a huge problem constantly this season. Still, they have some solid two-way players and in the long run, they can develop a solid defensive squad with a great knack for hustle. This is not a poor way to start, isn’t it?
On the other hand, the Raptors are here to win, NOW. They have won six games in a row, mostly against tough squads. Toronto has elevated their offensive game and for a team that defends well, this has certainly brought a wealth of changes. Raptors have a well-crafted main five and they can be effective on both sides of the floor. Can the Raptors continue building on their current six-game winning streak?
Host: Oklahoma City Thunder Visitors: Toronto Raptors Match Timing: 10 February, @ 06:30 AM Venue: Paycom Center
Thunder: The future is bright it seems Thunder has been doing a wonderful job on the defensive side of the floor and if they had a better offensive team, they’d have been doing better. What happens is that when you continuously misfire from the field, there is a point you can lose your motivation to play defense when you misfire too much. Still, that is all fine, the Thunder is going through the rebuilding phase and their recent ways of building the team clearly indicate that the team is more about developing the young core than patching them up with Star-level players. If anything, you build strong young care and can trade for big-time players in the long term.
Talking about the young core, Josh Giddey has shown huge potential as a youngster. He keeps on hitting strides on the offensive end and he has established himself as a strong rebounder at the guard position while his playmaking abilities are equally impressive. Lu Dort at the wing has a lot of two-way chops to show and he will be the primary mover on the offense with Shai out of the picture. Spring young big Forward Darius Bazley can also thrive in the system and he has done an incredible as a starting player. Tre Mann has a long way to go as an offensive player but perhaps he will find his groove in the starting spot. The bench has not been yielding much but Kenrich Williams has been decent. Aleksej has been showcasing some promise too and overall, the next draft will be crucial for Oklahoma City.
Raptors: A brilliant two-way squad Raptors is a treasure trove of all-around players. They put a lot of emphasis on defensive discipline and they were battle-hardened during the January period when they were in a bunch of close games and despite coming up short, it was a matter of patching the offense together. The team has been built in a way that you have multiple shot creators, two-way talents, and the main five is surely stacked with two-way talents. The decision to draft Scottie Barnes has worked wonders and he is a sparkplug who has a great nose for the ball. The Raptors have made strides compared to the last season and they keep on outperforming even high-quality teams.
In the recent window, the Raptors beat the loaded Heat team twice, took care of business against the Hawks, Bulls, and Hornets, three of the wins coming away from home. This ability to win away from home has boosted the morale further and the Raptors can make a push for a 60-65% win record during the remaining window. One thing is for sure, their style is well-suited for the Playoffs and you wouldn’t face this gritty team in the Playoffs. Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, Fred Van Vleet, Scottie Barnes, and Gary Trent Jr are all great defenders and with most of these players you get brilliant rotations on guards, wings, and bigs as well plus they are also great ball handlers and can score in a lot of ways. The bench is surely an issue but yes, if the team can just land a mid-tier guard or wing during the trade deadline, watch out for them!
Toronto Raptors | Oklahoma City Thunder Games: 52| 53 Wins: 29| 17 Defeats: 23| 36
Oklahoma City Thunder Team News
Thunder Expected Starting Five Wing: SF: Luguentz Dort Middle: PF: Darius Bazley| C: Derrick Favors Guards: SG: Josh Giddey | PG: Tre Mann
BENCH: Mike Muscala, Kenrich Williams, Mamadi Diakate, Aleksej Pokusevski, Theo Maledon, Isaiah Roby, Paul Watson.
Toronto Raptors Team News
Raptors Expected Starting Five Wings: SF: Scottie Barnes | SF: OG Anunoby Middle: PF: Pascal Siakam Guards: SG: Fred VanVleet| PG: Gary Trent Jr
BENCH: Chris Boucher, Precious Achiuwa, Khem Birch, Svi Mykhailiuk, Delano Banton, Isaac Bonga, Justin Champagnie, Malachi Flynn, David Johnson, Yuta Watanabe.
Pascal Siakam(TOR) Points: 24 Rebounds: 11 Assists: 08 Blocks: 01 Siakam has been an all-around presence throughout the season and his scoring has been especially during this period. The big Forward has scored 24 or more in four of the last five games while grabbing 9 or more rebounds and dishes 4-8 assists a game. Siakam can be chosen as a Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 39-53
Josh Giddey(OKC) Points: 16 Rebounds: 11 Assists: 07 Steals: 01 Josh has grown at a terrific rate over the season and as a rookie, he has been having a strong all-around impact. Giddey has been in the 14-16 points, 4-7 rebounds, and 7-8 assists a game regularly this season. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-41
Fred Van Vleet(TOR) Points: 20 Rebounds: 05 Assists: 05 Steals: 01 Blocks: 01 Fred has picked up his game time and time again and his two-way style of play fetches great results for his squad. Van Vleet has scored around 20 points and dishes around 5 assists or grabs 5 rebounds a game regularly these days. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 36-47
Luguentz Dort(OKC) Points: 26 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 01 Steals: 03 Luguentz has been strong on the offensive end especially since Shai has been gone and he also plays pesky defense regularly. Dort has been scoring in the 18-26 points range lately. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-37
Darius Bazley(OKC) Points: 20 Rebounds: 08 Assists: 00 Steals: 01 Darius has been a strong big Forward and his springy frame allows him to finish athletically and scrap rebounds. Bazley has scored in the 13-20 points range while grabbing 7-8 rebounds a game regularly. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 24-35
OG Anunoby(TOR) Points: 20 Rebounds: 09 Assists: 02 Steals: 03 OG has picked up his scoring recently and his two-way chops make him one of the most complete players in the league. Anunoby has scored in the 15-21 points, 3-6 assists, grabs around 5 rebounds a game regularly, and clinches 1 or more steal a game regularly. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 28-38
PG: F Van Vleet(PP) SG: G Trent, T Mann SF: S Barnes PF: P Siakam(SP), D Bazley C: D Favors, P Achiuwa
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This match between the Thunder and the Raptors is not going to be showcased on streaming platforms Voot and JIOTV, the two official NBA streaming platforms in India. Meanwhile, the TV channels MTV and VH1 are also not going to display this game. Hence, one of the best ways, if not the best way to witness the the action is by buying an annual subscription to the NBA League Pass. The annual mode of subscription provides you access to all the live games, and if you miss the live stream, you can also get a full game replay afterward. For getting the news, score, stats, go to the official website of the NBA.