The Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors will face off in a mega Western Conference showdown. Both teams have been doing well for themselves this season. In fact, with Klay Thompson out, nobody expected the Warriors to climb their way up in the West. However, it is still too early to determine their fate.
The two teams are coming off losses and will look to bounce back. With the Nuggets holding a 5-6 record and the Warriors at 6-5, which team will come out on top? Let’s get to predicting.
Golden State Warriors injury updates and lineup prediction
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The Warriors lost to the Indiana Pacers in the previous game after the team just collapsed in the second half. But after finishing this matchup with a 104-95 score, we also saw the Warriors sharing responsibility rather than solely relying on Stephen Curry.
Post his return, Draymond Green hasn’t been much of a scorer, but their offensive dynamic has improved drastically. He has also shown that he is an asset on the defensive end. In fact, Andrew Wiggins has found himself to be the second elite scorer for the team, averaging 17.9 points.
Of course, their key player is still Stephen Curry, who put up some phenomenal numbers in games against the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings. If he continues his form, the Warriors have nothing to worry about. With Eric Paschall making his return for this match, the Warriors roster seems to be completely healthy.
The Warriors announce Eric Paschall practiced with the team today and will be on the upcoming roadtrip. Paschall entered the health and safety protocols yesterday. Looks like a quick resolution.
— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) January 13, 2021
With that, the predicted lineup would be James Wiseman, Kelly Oubre Jr., Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins.
Denver Nuggets injury updates and lineup prediction
The Nuggets may have lost terribly to the Brooklyn Nets in their last outing, but they had gained decisive victories in four of their five games before that. Denver was just not equipped to handle Kevin Durant, and their team members failed to put up big numbers as well.
Talking about their offense, the Nuggets have no problems there. They have Nikola Jokic, who is giving every other team a reason to fear the squad. But Jamal Murray doesn’t have the same charm as he did in the Bubble last season. With most of the offense relying on Jokic, the Nuggets won’t get far if this carries on.
Their defense so far is also lackluster, and their loss to the Nets proved that. Unable to contain the star players of opponent’s teams is their biggest issue that needs fixing. Another bad news is that Michael Porter Jr. has tested positive for COVID-19 and will remain out. Even Gary Harris is questionable against the Warriors.
That leaves the predicted lineup to be Bol Bol, Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Nikola Jokic, and Paul Millsap.
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Game prediction
Looking at Denver’s weak defense, the Warriors might take this away. Expect this to be a close and intriguing battle, only for the Jokic and Murray duo to succumb to Steph and Co.
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