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The Brooklyn Nets will try to protect their homecourt when they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. With the 2020-21 NBA regular season fully underway, the Nets have shown that they are a force to be reckoned with when healthy especially with Kevin Durant playing like he used to.
In their way are the Grizzlies who are led by last season’s Rookie of the Year, Ja Morant. Memphis is looking for its first win of the season after losing its first two games. The Brooklyn Nets have to meet the Memphis Grizzlies’ desperation if they want to avoid a 2-2 record in the standings.
Combined Starting 5 (Memphis Grizzlies vs Brooklyn Nets)
The combined starting five from the Brooklyn Nets and Memphis Grizzlies feature plenty of length up front and a small but very potent backcourt. The Nets have better depth but the Grizzlies have a solid starting lineup that can compete with most teams in the league.
Center - Jonas Valanciunas (Memphis Grizzlies)
The veteran center from the Memphis Grizzlies continues to be productive even with the young talent around him. A career 12.4-point and 8.9-rebound guy, Valanciunas is averaging 14.0 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
His long arms and soft touch around the rim is invaluable to the Grizzlies.
Power Forward - Kyle Anderson (Memphis Grizzlies)
At the power forward spot is the Memphis Grizzlies’ Kyle Anderson. This spot should have been reserved for Jaren Jackson Jr. who is out to start the season.
Anderson has stepped it up in the Grizzlies’ first two games with nightly numbers of 13.5 points and 12.0 rebounds. The increased minutes have done wonders for the 27-year old who is relishing the role handed to him while awaiting Jackson’s return.
Small Forward - Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
After three games this season, Kevin Durant has shown that he is just as good as he was prior to the devastating Achilles injury he suffered a year ago. He is currently averaging 26.7 points a game on 53.2 percent field goal shooting while making a sizzling 69.2 percent of his three-pointers.
The former league MVP is listed as day-to-day as of this writing, meaning it is still quite possible that the Brooklyn Nets will play him in this game.
Shooting Guard - Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets)
Though not naturally a shooting guard, Kyrie Irving is one of the most dynamic offensive forces in the game. He can light it up at a moment’s notice, often with a dazzling display of ball-handling wizardry rarely seen even in the pros.
Irving is the Brooklyn Nets’ leading scorer at 29.3 points per game to go along with 4.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists a contest. More than just the scoring, the Brooklyn Nets guard is making 61.1 percent of his field-goal attempts including 56.0 percent from three.
Point Guard - Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Is there a more explosive young point guard in the game than Ja Morant? There isn’t and the Memphis Grizzlies are glad they found a gem of a playmaker in last year’s NBA Draft.
In the Grizzlies’ season opener, Morant went off for 44 points in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He added nine assists, two steals, and a block. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 36.0 points and 8.0 assists per game while shooting a red-hot 58.3 percent from the field so far.
Guess the Lakers players!
