The NBA hipster in me wants to go for a previously unreleased LP of Pistons at Bobcats, but there’s too much good stuff on this week to not go mainstream.
Monday: Miami Heat at Houston Rockets (5:00 PM PST on League Pass)
The James Harden Show, featuring Jeremy Lin, play host to LeBron James and Company in a Veteran’s Day special. Everyone will be paying attention to James Harden as he runs full-speed into LeBron and Shane Battier, but don’t forget about Jeremy Lin. He’ll have the pleasure of guarding, and being guarded by Dwayne Wade. Lin will have his hands full with D-Wade, who is a famously stingy defender, and playing very well to begin the season. Rejoice, League Pass nerds, this is a good one.
Tuesday: Cleveland Cavaliers at Brooklyn Nets (4:30 PM PST on League Pass)
I wasn’t expecting the Cavs to be 2-5 at this point in the season, though much of their struggles can be attributed to a few early injuries and a tough early season six-game road trip. This is the last game of said trip, against Deron Williams and the ho-hum Brooklyn Nets. The Deron Williams-Kyrie Irving matchup is what’ll sell tickets, but the Joe Johnson-Dion Waiters (if he plays through his thigh bruise) clash is intriguing as well. Waiters is averaging 15, 2 and 2, and looks like a player Kyrie Irving ordered from Sharper Image almost custom-fit for his needs in the backcourt. Cleveland needs this win to keep up with the disappointing Pacers, who sit just above them in the somewhat underwhelming Central Division.
Wednesday: Memphis Grizzlies at Oklahoma City Thunder (5:00 PM PST on ESPN)
Now this is basketball. OKC and Memphis, these guys hate each other. They play scrappy ball in different ways. They’re tenacious defenders (7th and 8th in the NBA, respectively). Neither team is particularly keen on assists (though they share the ball freely in their half court sets). And, both teams are integrating new shooters into their offenses. Keep an eye on the emergent Wayne Ellington, who hit seven (!) threes against the defending champs in the Grizz’s win this past Sunday. This is as likely of a Western Conference Finals matchup as anything right now.
Thursday: Miami Heat at Denver Nuggets (7:30 PM PST on TNT)
I’m looking forward to this one. The Nuggets lost narrowly to the Heat on November 3, 116-119, to fall to 0-3. Since then, they’ve figured things out in a pretty big way, winning four straight, while leading the league in total rebounding. The team is coming together sort of how people imagined it; top-ten defense, elite rebounding and a quick, balanced offensive attack. Take a look at the scoring parity right now: Iggy’s leading the team in scoring at 15 a game, Gallo, Manimal and TyLaw are chipping in 14, Corey Brewer’s giving 12, Andre Miller delivering 10, and JaVale McGee’s managing 9. That’s balance if I’ve ever seen it. And I know I said a few weeks back that I’d never have two Heat games a week, but dammit, they’re just too much fun to watch.
Friday: New York Knicks at Memphis Grizzlies (6:30 PM PST on ESPN)
I was about to throw a “Knicks are old” joke out there, but that’d be disrespectful to a ‘Bockers team that has quickly won my respect in this young season. Common wisdom says that, when rebuilding, you try to get younger, faster and more athletic. The Knicks have done the exact opposite, putting together a team of guys knocking on 40′s door to help out Melo (and assumedly my fellow He-Bro Amar’e, if he has any place on this team when he gets back). The Knicks are first in offense, second in defense, and know the shit out of their Matlock. Okay, one “Knicks are old” joke. This will be a great game; let’s see what shape the Knicks are in after seeing the coming-to-Earth Magic, and the great-as-ever San Antonio Spurs.
Saturday: Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs (6:30 PM PST on League Pass)
I don’t have to say too much about this sexy beast of a game. Good organizations, good players, good coaches, good times. I’m pretty pumped about watching Stephen Jackson go to work against Corey Brewer. It seems a little like a Block Head trying to stop Gumby from doing whatever Gumby did on a daily basis in that clayish world of his.
Sunday: Indiana Pacers at New York Knicks (9:00 AM PST on League Pass)
Here’s your obligatory “8 Points in 9 Seconds” clip. Hope it was good for you. It was good for me.