Valencia at Zalgiris
Date: 12/13
Time: 7:00 PM CET
Game Preview
One thing will be certain when the clock hits 40:00 in Friday's matchup between Zalgiris and Valencia -- one team will no longer be on a losing streak, and the other's will extend even further. The home team, Zalgiris, has dropped six straight EuroLeague games, and while they will have their raucous home crowd behind them, they will not have injured point guard Marius Grigonis. Valencia has played better since opening the season on a five-game losing streak, but they lost their last two EuroLeague games and will need to play well in a tough environment to get back on track. Friday's game could be decided down low, as big men Bojan Dubljevic and Zach LeDay both lead their squads in scoring.
Injuries
Valencia Basket
Sam Van Rossom - GTD - Knee
12/11 9:31 PM IST - Van Rossom (knee) could play Friday against Zalgris, according to Plaza Deportiva. Van Rossom returned to practice this week after missing a month following knee surgery, and it was thought that he would need some time to get back into the swing of things. It's still possible he could be held out Friday, but head coach Jaume Ponsarnau was optimistic about Van Rossom's status when asked, and did not rule him out for Round 13.
Guillem Vives - GTD - Thigh
12/11 9:34 PM IST - Vives' status for Friday's matchup with Zalgiris is uncertain due to a right thigh injury, according to Plaza Deportiva. Vives is expected to travel to Lithuania with the team, but he has missed some practice time due to his injury, and could miss Friday's game as well.
Zalgiris
Marius Grigonis - OUT - Ankle
12/3 11:42 PM IST - Grigonis will undergo surgery on his injured ankle and is expected to be out about three months, according to Zalgiris' official website. Grigonis was able to play through the pain for some time, but he was unable to overcome the injury, so it was ultimately decided to send him under the knife. Grigonis is second on his team in scoring in EuroLeague play, so Zalgiris will be without one of its top players for several months. KC Rivers and Thomas Walkup are the favorites to fill the void until Grigonis returns.
Rokas Jokubaitis - OUT - Ankle
12/12 10:01 PM IST - Jokubaitis will miss the next 3-to-4 weeks with an ankle injury, according to basketball journalist Donatas Urbonas. It's not clear how Jokubaitis suffered the injury, but it will likely sideline him until 2020. Jokubaitis has played just five total minutes this season, so his absence should not have a notable effect on Zalgiris' rotation.
Valencia Basket Probable Starters
G - Guillem Vives
G - Jordan Loyd
F - Fernando San Emeterio
F - Louis Labeyrie
C - Bojan Dubljevic
Zalgiris Probable Starters
G - Thomas Walkup
G - KC Rivers
F - Edgaras Ulanovas
F - Zach LeDay
C - Jock Landale
Top Dream11.com Picks
(Captain) Bojan Dubljevic, VAL - Valencia's lineups and results have varied all season, but the one constant has been Dubljevic, who has scored in double figures in 10 of his 12 appearances and is also third in the league with an average of 6.83 rebounds per game.
Zach LeDay, ZAL - LeDay scored just 12 total points over Rounds 1-2, but he has gotten the job done since then, averaging 13.3 points over his last 10 games. He is also chipping in 5.0 rebounds per game since the season began.
Thomas Walkup, ZAL - Zalgiris needed Walkup to step into a more prominent role after Marius Grigonis underwent surgery, and he has done just that, particularly last week when he put up 19 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Walkup will continue playing a more prominent role until Grigonis is back in action, but that won't be anytime soon.
Jordan Loyd, VAL - Loyd has been hit-or-miss nearly the entire season, but when he's at his best he can carry both his team and a fantasy team. Loyd was on top of his game last week, scoring 21 points -- just six shy of the season-high 27 points he put up in Round 7.
Captaincy Options
Dream11 Team
Grand League Combination
Dubljevic, LeDay, Loyd, Rivers
Small League Combination
Dubljevic, LeDay, Walkup, Landale
