sunday (4/12)
Better:
Celtics @ Knicks: The Knicks, especially at home, never call games over. If they are eliminating the teams or vice versa, they return or allow a return. While Marbury and Pierce may be the main attraction, there are a lot of great up-and-comers in this game. Channing Frye is Rookie of the Year so far, and Al Jefferson and Delonte West easily offset the intensity of Payton and Walker.
runner-up:
T’Wolves @ Kings: It’s a law in the NBA that Dallas, Sacramento and Minnesota must play each other at least once in the playoffs. It was the Mavs and the Kings last year, so can the Timberwolves return to the postseason? The Kings’ strength is as a team, because Stojakovic, Sbdur-Rahim, Bibby and Wells can’t lead a team alone. It’s the opposite for Minnesota with Garnett being the only thing preventing a complete season meltdown.
Burst:
Hawks @ Suns: The Hawks lost a lot in Phoenix last year, and Atlanta hasn’t changed enough to prevent that from happening again. The Hawks’ run-and-gun offense matches Phoenix, which would normally make the game more competitive. However, the Hawks are terrible at just about anything, so preventing Nash from hitting a double-double is highly unlikely.
Monday (5/12)
Better:
Heat @ Clippers: Brand and Wade are the leaders of their teams, but the deciding factor is the supporting cast. Walker and Haslem have been too inconsistent without Shaq and need to combine to get past Chris Kaman. Posey will match up well with Cuttino Mobley, while Maggette and Wade will balance each other out.
runner-up:
Spurs @ Magic: The saving grace for Orlando is that so far they’ve hit home, but facing San Antonio is an important and necessary matchup. If the Magic can get to the size of the Spurs, they can beat every other team at home. While Orlando has done surprisingly well against San Antonio in recent years, no Grant Hill hurts this time.
Burst:
Bucks @ Jazz: Utah is 4-4 on the road but oddly enough is 2-6 at home. However, those 2 victories were crushing. Eastern teams like Indiana still have trouble traveling to play at the Delta Center, and the Jazz need to start winning at home. A quality team should have at least a winning record at home, regardless of attendance or injury situation.
Tuesday (12/6)
Better:
Mavericks @ Pacers: With Josh Howard gone, what little defensive presence the Mavericks have is diminished. Unlike the Lakers or the Sixers, the Mavs do very well when their star Dirk Nowitski has a monster game. Jermaine O’Neal will defend Nowitzki, but O’Neal isn’t good at defending long-range players. Besides Artest, this game features some tough defensive minded players who don’t play great defense as much as they should.
runner-up:
Celtics @ Rockets: T-Mac is back, and Houston is known for getting off to bad starts, even though it’s worst in the West at new. Without Pierce or McGrady on either team, both the Celtics and Rockets would be finished. Rafer Alston is coming back to Houston, which definitely helps. If you thought a Jeff Van Gundy team was slow, wait until you see a Van Gundy team with no PG.
Burst:
Hornets @ Grizzlies: No team has a more unsung hero than Pau Gasol, whose Grizzlies team is going pretty under the radar with the Clippers’ resurgence. Taking on Bobby Jackson and Damon Stoudemire’s injury/drug problem was certainly risky, even if he’s Jerry West’s forte. They’ve done better than Jason Williams at The Point, and they should crush Chris Paul and Speedy Claxton.
Wednesday (12/7)
Better:
Suns @ Warriors: The West is deep, but deep in this case is bad for the West. Not long ago Portland won 49 games and was the #7 seed. Today, a 49-win team looks to the Conference Finals. The Suns and the Warriors are at the bottom. Golden State needs to continue to be around .500. Phoenix just needs to wait until Stoudamire returns.
runner-up:
Bucks @ 76ers: A lot has changed since Milwaukee beat Phili on Day 1 of the season: Terry Stotts has walked away with numerous starting lineups, and it’s unclear if it will be Andrew Bogut or Joe Smith who will claim the C position. With the return of Kevin Ollie, Iverson was expected to play fewer minutes at PG. However, Iverson’s assists have actually increased, showing how he differs from Kobe Bryant.
Burst:
Nets @ Bobcats: The Charlotte Bobcats on the winning side of a blowout have rarely been, to say the least. The least you can expect from teams like Charlotte is to play hard. New Jersey has struggled against every team in the Pacific division, including the Lakers. The Bobcats themselves beat the Knicks at home in a big way. New Jersey isn’t too different for me to think this is a good game.
Thursday (8/12) [There are only 2 games on TV on Thursday]
Better:
Rockets @ Kings: Teams like the Clippers, Warriors, and Timberwolves are moving up the playoff roster; some western teams have to get out of that. The Rockets and Kings are trying to show they’re not one of those teams on the decline. Sacramento is trying to justify losing Chris Webber, but Toronto wanted Carter gone and look how bad they are. They still have goalscorers, was the signing of Abdur-Rahim really essential?
runner-up:
Wizards @ Pacers: No Kwame Brown means no problem, it’s the departure of Larry Hughes that hurts Washington. Antonio Daniels led the NBA in assist/TO ratio, and he’s adequate defensively. He still doesn’t make up for Hughes, who averaged 20-plus points and was a first-team All-NBA Defenseman last year. Both teams reached the Semifinals last year and both have a lot to improve. Indiana has lost a couple of blowouts at home to Charlotte and the Clippers – will the Wizards be next?
Friday (12/9)
Better:
Lakers @ Bulls: For years this was a powerhouse matchup. So much so that last year marked the first time in 20 years that the Lakers’ trip to Chicago didn’t warrant a sellout. Attendances are up in the League, and the recent attraction of Kobe’s shooting sprees should again sell out. With everyone watching, will Kobe keep his shots low?
runner-up:
Pistons @ Warriors: The Warriors remembered their big loss in San Antonio recently. They will face the Spurs later in the year, but they only face Detroit once. Expect Golden State to come out with a bang. They have to win the battle of the tables and that won’t be easy against Detroit. One and down offensively won’t work; they will definitely need offensive rebounding.
Burst:
Celtics @ Spurs: Boston is the only team in the NBA that hasn’t won on the road, so facing the Spurs is an automatic loss. Tony Parker goes to educate Delonte West on transition defense and Bruce Bowen will hold off Pierce long enough to take the lead in the 20s for the third quarter.
Saturday (10/12)
Better:
Nuggets @ Magic: The most memorable moment for these two teams was when Tim Hardaway threw a television onto the court. While we can’t expect that from this game, we can anticipate a weak performance from the Nuggets front. Dwight Howard is the solid frontcourt player Orlando has been looking for since Shaq, now they just need a center he can score.
runner-up:
Cavaliers @ Bucks: Cleveland is heading to the second darkest stadium in the NBA besides Madison Square Garden. The Cavs are a better team, but they’re on the back of a back-to-back and are at the end of a brief West Coast tour. Milwaukee needs a collective score between Ford, Redd and Simmons to win.
Burst:
Lakers @ T’Wolves: Phil Jackson wants Lamar Odom to improve on his meager 13 shots per game. He’ll have to wait, as Odom won’t exactly be motivated to take on Kevin Garnett. Phil doesn’t play rookies often, but he will have to start playing Bynem for more minutes. He will have to realize that developing players takes precedence over trying to win.