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NBA title hopefuls Brooklyn Nets have been in rampant form and now host the New York Knicks at the Barclays Center. The Brooklyn Nets have seen some huge performances from James Harden, who enters this game on the back of a 24-point triple-double during their victory over the Detroit Pistons last time around. Fans have yet to feast their eyes on new signing and former NBA All-Star Blake Griffin as he is expected to sit out for another week.
The New York Knicks, on the other hand, are in the middle of a terrible run of fixtures and need a few consistent victories to kickstart the second half of their campaign. Julius Randle is fresh off his All-Star appearance while RJ Barrett has also shown an improvement in form in recent weeks. Both teams have multiple injury concerns ahead of the contest.
New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets combined Prediction - March 15th, 2021
Kevin Durant was expected to return after the All-Star break but a hamstring injury means his return will be further delayed. Blake Griffin will not be considered for another week, with Spencer Dinwiddie the only long-term absentee.
James Harden has flourished in recent weeks and is averaging close to a triple double throughout the season. The Brooklyn Nets have missed the services of Kevin Durant, but their other two stars have made sure that they don’t stop churning out victories.
Meanwhile, the New York Knicks have struggled on the offensive end and have serious injury concerns of their own. Elfrid Payton sat out their last game, but should return to the starting lineup for the match. Derrick Rose’s absence means that the likes of Alec Burks and Immanuel Quickley will have to contribute off the bench again.
The New York Knicks registered a comfortable victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder with a highly impressive triple-double from Julius Randle and a big 32-point performance from RJ Barrett. Regardless, the Brooklyn Nets’ offensive prowess means that they are the clear favorites to win this match.
In this article, we look at the prospective combined lineup of the two teams, excluding the players who are unavailable for the match.
New York Knicks vs Brooklyn Nets combined starting 5 - March 15th, 2021
G James Harden, G Kyrie Irving, F RJ Barrett, F Julius Randle, C DeAndre Jordan
The inclusion of James Harden as the shooting guard in this combined lineup is essentially a no-brainer, considering his overall performances over the past few weeks on both ends of the court. Harden has gone 11 straight games scoring at least 20 points in every game, and has registered three triple-doubles in the last 4.
He appears to be reveling in the absence of Kevin Durant, with Kyrie Irving providing able support despite a couple of games in which he has sat out in recent weeks. The Brooklyn Nets easily have the best offensive lineup in the NBA this season, and the addition of Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin to the current roster is sure to get them to another level.
Irving has been the second most prolific for the Brooklyn Nets this season after Durant, and his shooting from the 3-point zone has been as impressive as one would expect. The guard pairing was part of Team Durant in the All-Star weekend as they walk their way into the lineup.
Moving on, the likes of RJ Barrett and Julius Randle pick themselves as well, obviously due to the absence of Kevin Durant. Even in that scenario, Randle would have picked himself at the center. The versatile forward has been prolific throughout the campaign and was aptly rewarded with an All-Star appearance.
RJ Barrett, on the other hand, has also continued his improvement this season and has already been earmarked as the future of the New York Knicks. He is averaging 17.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and will look to continue from where he left off last time around.
Finally, DeAndre Jordan is one of the best rebounders in the NBA and has been an invaluable cog in the Brooklyn Nets' wheel. He has produced 1.4 blocks and 7.3 rebounds per game and has the highest shooting efficiency in the Brooklyn Nets’ lineup this season, at 76.5. DeAndre Jordan has an important role in the lineup, one in which he performs game after game. He makes his way to the combined starting 5 ahead of the New York Knicks’ Nerlens Noel.
