Monday, November 15th: Hornets @ Mavericks, 8:30 ET, CST FSSW
A matchup of the league’s last undefeated team and a division rival which has a three-game winning streak of their own going. Jason Kidd has been quiet for the past couple games, maybe a matchup with the league’s best PG (that’s right, CP3 is that dude) will wake him up. There are a few other solid choices tonight as well… Denver at Phoenix could be an entertaining option, and OKC at Utah has potential.
Tuesday, November 16th: Blazers @ Grizzlies, 8:00 ET, CSNW SS
There’s a severe lack of interesting choices on this particular night, so I’m rolling with the Z-Bo Bowl. If watching Zach Randolph somehow get shots off amongst some of the most athletic people on the planet while jumping no higher than approximately 2.7 inches off the floor the entire night doesn’t do it for you, there’s always Rudy Gay. I find watching Rudy Gay putting the ball in the basket to be a beautiful experience. The guy is just butter, so smooth. Also, Unlike Zach Randolph, he gets waaay up off the floor on a regular basis. If watching Rudy Gay doesn’t do it for you, well… watch the Wizards play the Raptors or something. Honestly, if you’re one of those people who can’t get anything done because you feel the need to watch NBA games every night, take this opportunity to do something productive. There are zero intriguing matchups.
Wednesday, November 17th: Suns @ Heat, 7:00 ET, ESPN
The Heat haven’t given me any reason to feel like the Suns won’t be able to compete, so this is my choice. Miami has nothing but Chris Bosh for bigs, and so far he’s looked about as unimpressive as rest of their nobodies, so Phoenix shouldn’t have to worry about being beaten up in the paint. Phoenix obviously likes to force their opponents to play their signature uptempo style. I’ve been suggesting that Miami should run more all season. I’m curious to see if they end up getting caught up in Phoenix’s style, because I want to see how they perform playing that way. I feel like a team with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on it should thrive on the break.
Thursday, November 18th: Suns @ Magic, 8:00 ET, TNT
The top two teams in the league in three-point attempts per game. Sounds good to me!
Friday, November 19th: Knicks @ Warriors, 10:30 ET, MSG CSBA
I believe I already mentioned that whenever these two teams face off they’ll be my number one choice. This is the last time this season that my favorite run-and-gun matchup will go down, so you best believe I’ll be tuning in. Last week’s game between these two squads didn’t disappoint: The game went down to the wire, six guys dropped 20+, and there were 239 total points scored.
Saturday, November 20th: Jazz @ Blazers, 10:00 ET, FSUT CSNW
A Northwest Division rivalry game at the Rose Garden is always nice. The Jazz got off to a slow start, but they’ve been playing much better basketball lately. They’ve even been winning on the road (5-2 road record as of 10/14), so I’m confident that they can compete on Portland’s home floor. Deron Williams and Andre Miller are two of my favorite point guards to watch. Williams won’t be able to use his strength against Miller as much as he does against many smaller guards, he’ll have to out-finesse him. The Jazz have been the better team so far, but Portland’s always tough at home, so I expect a good game.
Sunday, November 21st: Warriors @ Lakers, 9:30 ET, CSBA FSW
Nostalgia has forced me to pick this game. I’m not going to guarantee that this will be a good one, but it has potential to be great (many GSW/LAL matchups of the past four seasons or so have been excellent). The Warriors can beat any team on any given night, but they are also very capable of having their asses handed to them. The Dubs are still rather unpredictable, although their defense is much improved, and they are at 6-4 as I type this… so I think it’s safe to say they’ve made forward progress from last season, which raises the odds of this one being worth watching. Here’s my official recommendation: give this game a chance, but if the Warriors are down 30 at the half, don’t get mad at me. Just turn it off.
