Ben Simmons is the last remaining “star” on the Brooklyn Nets as they take on the Chicago Bulls tonight. NBA fans were stunned to find out that the Nets traded away both cornerstone players, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. Despite the team’s success in the first half of this season, it appears that they will not be relying on star power for this upcoming postseason.
The Nets hold a record of 32 wins and 22 losses. They will be facing Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls, a team that has been struggling this season with 26 wins and 28 losses. As both these teams get ready to play, fans might want to know about the injury reports and expected rosters for this game. Additionally, the expert predictions and background to this match are also noteworthy.
Ben Simmons looks healthy for the Brooklyn Nets vs Chicago Bulls game tonight
Simmons is the only star left on the Brooklyn Nets. However, fans should seriously wonder if he deserves that title anymore. After all, he scored only 2 points in his team’s last game against the Phoenix Suns. While he did have 4 rebounds and 6 assists, that wasn’t enough as his team ended up losing with a final score of 112-116.
He will certainly have to play at a higher level on the offensive end if his team looks to get a win over the Bulls. With that being said, here are the injury reports and expected rosters for stars on both sides.
Brooklyn Nets injury report
- Seth Curry
- Yuta Watanabe
- Cameron Johnson
- Mikal Bridges
- Jae Crowder
- Day’Ron Sharpe
Brooklyn Nets expected roster
- Ben Simmons
- Cam Thomas
- Royce O’Neale
- Joe Harris
- Nic Claxton
Chicago Bulls injury report
- DeMar DeRozan
- Lonzo Ball
- Alex Caruso
- Patrick Williams
- Javonte Green
Chicago Bulls expected roster
- Zach LaVine
- Nikola Vucevic
- Coby White
- Goran Dragic
- Ayo Dosunmu
As we can tell, a plethora of players doesn’t look completely healthy for this game between the Nets and the Bulls. While both teams will certainly be looking for a win, this game is not a clear indicator of which team is better until all the starters are healthy. Finally, let us take a look at the expert predicitions for this match.
The Bulls are slightly favored over the Nets tonight
After trading away both their key stars, the Nets have lost what would have been considered an impressive foothold in the Eastern Conference. While Cam Johnson has stepped up for the team and had three 40-point games in a row, Brooklyn is still on a two-game losing streak.
Considering that Johson averaged only 13.9 points so far this season, it is quite unlikely for him to pull off a 4th 40-point bomb against the Chicago Bulls. Since the Nets will also be missing Seth Curry, who is sidelined with a thigh injury, they will not be favored in this game against the Bulls. Nonetheless, it is still expected to be a close game.