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The Oklahoma City Thunder will battle the formidable Utah Jazz on Wednesday, with both teams looking to start the 2021-22 NBA season on a positive note. The game, which will mark the beginning of the season for both teams, is all set to be played at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, UT.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, after falling from grace post 2019-20, ended up as the fourteenth seeded team in the Western Conference. Their record of 22 wins and 50 losses was the fourth worst in the entire league. Having signed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a $172 million maximum extension contract, it seems the management will try to rebuild the team around him.
The Utah Jazz, unlike Oklahoma, have a very well-built team. Their offense, led by Donovan Mitchell and their defense, led by Rudy Gobert, functions together like a well-oiled machine. Having won the most number of games in the 2020-21 regular season, they will fight hard, even against the unfancied Oklahoma City Thunder, to register their first victory of the 2021-22 season.
Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report
The Oklahoma City Thunder have not reported any injured players to the NBA. This means Mamadi Diakite and Kenrich Williams, who were both injured during the preseason's last match against the Denver Nuggets, have now recovered. Therefore, the Thunder will play the match against the Utah Jazz with a completely healthy squad.
Utah Jazz Injury Report
Trent Forrest, Rudy Gay and Eric Paschall are the players listed in the Utah Jazz' injury report submitted to the NBA. Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune reported Trent's status for the game. Forrest suffered a concussion while playing against the New Orleans Pelicans on October 11th. Meanwhile, Rudy Gay is still in rehab post his heel surgery.
The only surprise entry on the list is Paschall, who was recovering after a dislocated finger but returned to practice with the Jazz squad on Tuesday. However, the latest reports suggest he will remain "out" for the game on Wednesday. Andy Larsen, an NBA beat writer, took to his Twitter account to update fans about the player's recovery.
Larsen wrote:
"Eric Paschall did fully practice today, a good sign for his availability after his finger sprain last week. Trent Forrest did not fully practice after his concussion last week."
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz: Predicted Lineups
Oklahoma City
The Oklahoma City Thunder will face a team as far from the bottom seed as possible. In their match against such ferocious foes, the only positive for the team based out of Oklahoma is their completely healthy quad. Having no limitations on who to play and who not to play will allow Mark Diagneault to execute his best possible lineup.
We predict that while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the team's top scorer and feeder, will start alongside Ty Jerome, the best downtown shooter in the squad, in the backcourt. The front court will feature Darius Bazley, Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Roby.
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz have no dearth of offensive players. In fact, all of their top five three-point shooters average more three-pointers made than Ty Jerome of OKC. In Donovan Mitchell, Utah possesses not only a talented scorer, but a sensational athlete. He is a high-flyer capable of meeting rival big men at the rim. In addition, he is a long-range marksman who made 3.4 threes per game in 2020-21.
On the defensive end, Rudy Gobert is, without any argument, the best defender in the league. The Stifle Tower averaged 2.7 blocks in 2020-21 and made it to the All-Defensive team for the fifth time. We believe that while Donovan Mitchell will start with Jordan Clarkson in the backcourt for the Utah Jazz, Rudy Gobert, along with Bojan Bogdanovic and Royce O'Neale, will make up the frontcourt.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs Utah Jazz: Predicted Starting 5s
Oklahoma City Thunder
Point Guard - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Shooting Guard - Ty Jerome | Small Forward - Luguentz Dort | Power Forward - Darius Bazley | Center - Isaiah Roby
Utah Jazz
Point Guard - Jordan Clarkson | Shooting Guard - Donovan Mitchell | Small Forward - Bojan Bogdanovic | Power Forward - Royce O'Neale | Center - Rudy Gobert
Also Check Out: Complete NBA TV Schedule for 2021-22 Season
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