Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets will take on Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. Despite trading away both their stars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets are still looking to compete in the NBA playoffs and hold a record of 39 wins and 32 losses. That gives them the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference.
They will be playing against the Cavs, who are an emerging threat in the East after acquiring Donovan Mitchell. The franchise is looking to make it into the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James departed all the way back in 2019. The Cavs hold a record of 45 wins and 28 losses, giving them the 4th spot in the same conference.
As both these teams get ready to face off, NBA fans might be interested in knowing the injury reports and expected rosters. That will help determine which team is more likely to win via an expert prediction.
Ben Simmons is listed out for the Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers game tonight
Unfortunately for Nets fans, Simmons has only played in 42 games so far this season and appears to be a shell of the player he once was. This season, he is averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists. Despite being removed from his former team, it doesn’t look like he has gotten over his mental barriers. Additionally, he always seems to be dealing with some form of injury or another.
According to the injury reports, Simmons is listed out for the game due to having issues in both his knee and his back. Therefore, the rest of his team will have to continue playing without him and get this win. That said, here are the complete injury reports and expected rosters for this match between the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Brooklyn Nets injury report
- Ben Simmons (out)
- Dorian Finney-Smith (questionable)
Brooklyn Nets expected roster
- Spencer Dinwiddie
- Mikal Bridges
- Royce O’Neale
- Cameron Johnson
- Nic Claxton
Cleveland Cavaliers injury report
- Jarrett Allen (out)
Cleveland Cavaliers expected roster
- Donovan Mitchell
- Darius Garland
- Evan Mobley
- Issac Okoro
- Caris LeVert
Although there are a few injuries to starters on either side, both teams look relatively healthy and will be looking to get this win over the other tonight. Finally, here are the expert predictions for this game.
The Cavs are favored over the Nets tonight
After trading away Durant and Irving, the Nets look like a different team altogether. They have added several players to their rosters such as Spencer Dinwiddie and Mikal Bridges. While this is still considered to be a good team, the Nets will simply not be favored tonight against the Cavs. Especially if they don’t have two elite defenders in Ben Simmons and Dorian Finney-Smith to stop Mitchell and the Cavs.
Not only do the Nets have more injuries to their team when compared to the Cavaliers, but they also have a worse record and are currently on a 3-game losing streak. Therefore, they will be considered the underdogs tonight. Nonetheless, it is still possible for them to catch the Cavs off guard and secure this win.