Published on: Feb 24, 2022 11:02 pm IST|Updated on: Feb 24, 2022 11:02 pm IST
POR vs GSW Dream11: Tick-tick, tick-tick, tick-tick… As the clock ticks, we will be close to the Playoffs and we are not far away from the timeline where we will witness the Postseason kick in with a full flurry. And as the Postseason will kick in, the value of winning streaks will only increase as we head towards the title window. Anyway, as the window draws near, I expect many more upsets but here as the Portland Trail Blazers meet the Golden State Warriors, the latter enter as an overwhelming favorite.
The Trail Blazers have nine more losses than wins and they have been struggling to keep the ante up. However, since Anfernee Simons’ rise, the team has done much better as he and newly acquired Josh Hart have clicked more often than not. They are on a four-game winning streak but it can be in jeopardy as the team is missing Jusuf Nurkic.
On the other hand, the Warriors are going hard at the championship this season and they have improved leaps and bounds compared to last season. They have won 42 and lost just 17 games, and they have been playing a high brand of basketball for most parts. However, they have seen their defense suffer in the absence of Green who may be gone for another three weeks at least. Can they snap their two-game losing streak first?
Host: Portland Trail Blazers Visitors: Golden State Warriors Match Timing: 25 February, @ 08:30 AM Venue: Moda Center
Trail Blazers: Life without Nurkic, can Hart and Simons make a dash? Jusuf Nurkic has been the leading rebounder for the Trail Blazers throughout the season and has played a major part in the Center position. He gives the team a more than decent scoring inside and his ability to play quality minutes has played a huge role in the current four-game losing streak. There is no one in Portland’s team set-up that can replace Nurkic and well, the team has played only him in the middle so far. His absence not only hurts the main-five balance but also the bench that lacks the depth at multiple fronts. Will Portland lose the tenth spot as Nurkic goes out for a long time?
On the other hand, Josh Hart’s acquisition has worked wonders, he brings two-way chops and his scoring has seen a huge uptick this season. With him and another player who has broken through the ranks in Anfernee Simons, the team has built a solid backcourt and when Lillard will be back, a three-guard lineup is certainly on cards. Justise Winslow has been inspirational on both ends while Ben McLemore can come through every now and then. However, the team has been highly hurt in terms of the bench and with a tricky schedule coming up, the squad can be in trouble. How will they deal with the flurry of tough opponents?
Warriors: Heated race with the Grizzlies The Warriors and Grizzlies are in a tight race for the second spot and the latter keeps on closing the gap between the two with each month. The Grizzlies have a better offensive system as of now and with Green out, the Warriors’ defense hasn’t been as effective as before. It will be important to secure a top-two squad as, during the Playoffs, the home-court advantage does play a huge role. The Warriors have hit a couple of windows where they ended up losing four out of five games and that has involved some close games. As the Grizzlies scramble for the second spot, the Warriors will need to pick up their games further because you don’t want to see them clinch a home-court advantage and if it comes to a Western Semis, they can be in for a boost.
Can they cling to the second spot? Why not! The guard rotation of Curry, Thompson, and Poole is deep as it gets and there can be a scenario where all three of them can be played together. With Wiggins at the wing, the team gets multiple isolation options while also playing elite defense. On the other hand, Porter Jr. has been a huge spark off the bench but it is the play of rookie Jonathan Kuminga that has been a huge revelation. Unsung hero Kevon Looney continues to pound rebounds and play help defense. Overall, the team has some incredible talent but the squad will need Green as the Playoffs approach.
Portland Trail Blazers | Golden State Warriors Games: 59| 59 Wins: 25 | 42 Defeats: 34| 17
Portland Trailblazers Team News
Trailblazers Expected Starting Five Forwards: PF: Justise Winslow Middle: C: Greg Brown III/ Trendon Watford/Drew Eubanks Guard: SG: Anfernee Simmons | SG: Josh Hart | SG: CJ Elleby
BENCH: Ben McLemore, Dennis Smith Jr., Brandon Williams, Drew Eubanks, Trendon Watford, Keljin Blevins, Greg Brown III.
Golden State Warriors Team News
Warriors Expected Starting Five Wings: SF: Andrew Wiggins | SF: Jonathan Kuminga Middle: C: Kevon Looney Guards: PG: Klay Thompson | PG: Stephen Curry
BENCH: Jordan Poole, Moses Moody, Otto Porter Jr., Damion Lee, Juan Toscano-Anderson, Gary Payton II, Chris Chiozza, Nemanja Bjelica.
Anfernee Simons(POR) Points: 31 Rebounds: 03 Assists: 06 Steals: 01 Anfernee is certainly shooting up in terms of the race for the Most Improved Player of the Year. The Guard has been a stellar scorer and playmaker, Simons has been in the 29-31 points and 5-8 assists range recently. He can be selected as a Star/Pro Player in the Dream 11 NBA Fantasy scenario. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 33-43
Stephen Curry(GSW) Points: 25 Rebounds: 03 Assists: 06 Curry is a huge part of the Warriors scene courtesy of his profile shooting chops and also has the ability to act as the primary playmaker. Curry has been in 20+ points, 5+ assists, and 3-6 rebounds range throughout the season. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 33-44
Josh Hart(POR) Points: 22 Rebounds: 07 Assists: 06 Steals: 01 Hart seems to relish playing for the Trail Blazers and continues to make inroads to his breakout season and will have more chances with the short-handed squad. Josh has been in the 22-27 points, 5-6 assists, and around 7 rebounds range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 38-50
Andrew Wiggins(GSW) Points: 09 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 04 Steals: 02 Blocks: 01 The wing has been having another tremendous season and his ability to both score and defend makes him a special player. Andrew has been in the 17-23 points, 4-6 rebounds, and 1-2 blocks or steals range. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 30-41
Justise Winslow(POR) Points: 16 Rebounds: 07 Assists: 03 Steals: 01 Justise has also picked up his game since the trade to the Trail Blazers and has been in tremendous rebounding and scoring form since his arrival here. Winslow has been in the 11-16 points and 5-10 rebounds range mostly. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 22-32
Klay Thompson(GSW) Points: 16 Rebounds: 04 Assists: 04 Steals: 01 The off-guard has been on fire since his return and he has plugged in with some quickfire scoring every now and then recently. Thompson has been mostly in the 16-23 points and 4-7 rebounds range recently. Expected Fantasy Points Range: 27-37
PG: S Curry(SP) SG: K Thompson, A Simons SF: J Winslow, A Wiggins PF: J Hart(PP), J Kuminga C: K Looney
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A fantastic piece of news for Indian NBA fans and if you love Curry, Simons, Hart, and Thompson going at it, you will love the action! This game is available on streaming services JIO TV and Voot are going to showcase this contest for India-residing viewers. What if you want to catch the rest of the action? Then you can then plug into the NBA League Pass. If you purchase the annual subscription, you can get close to all live games and you also can get the full game replay if you happen to miss the live stream. For scores, stats, and news, visit the official website of the NBA.