Mon., Jan 4
Wolves (12-22) vs. Sixers (3-33)
Last time these two teams squared off, Philly nearly earned its first victory of the season behind one of Jahlil Okafor’s best overall performances. Karl-Anthony Towns picked up a couple cheap fouls early on and was a non-factor while Andrew Wiggins went wild in the final frame to help the Wolves earn a comeback win.
Jump to Monday’s matchup, and the 76ers have three wins. After earning road victories against the Suns and Kings, the Sixers fell in back-to-back contests versus the Lakers and Clippers over the weekend. During the latter loss, Okafor’s father reportedly berated coach Brett Brown from the crowd during the game.
Nerlens Noel and Okafor have not been able to co-exist, and Noel has simply been more effective overall. The reason the Wolves can get away with playing two bigs alongside each other is because Towns is a stellar shooter. With Philly, Okafor is a non-factor outside of fifteen feet, and Noel affords no spacing outside of serving as a threat to catch a pass on a lob or a roll to the rim.
Nevertheless, Noel is actually an impactful passer, which is what makes Towns and Gorgui Dieng a delightful duo. Even if Kevin Garnett sits out to rest, Minnesota plays enough two-big lineups for Brown to run Noel + Oak together more than we’ve seen lately. It also borders on a revenge game for Towns, who was outplayed by Oak in the two rookies’ first meeting.
Wed., Jan 6
Pistons (18-16) vs. Celtics (18-15)
Boston begins the week in the eighth spot with Detroit just a half-game behind in the standings. The Magic-Pistons outing on Monday night could have made the cut instead. Had it been in Orlando, it likely would have won out. However, this battle at the bottom of the playoff picture will be must-watch basketball on Wednesday.
Isaiah Thomas is just one of the most enjoyable players to watch in the NBA, and watching him fearlessly attack Andre Drummond in the paint waiting is worth tuning into for my money.
The chess match between Brad Stevens and Stan Van Gundy will surely be enticing. The Celtics don’t have any real rim-protectors, so it will be interesting to see if Stevens can effectively employ a strategy that slows the Reggie Jackson-Andre Drummond pick and roll. For those who don’t watch the Pistons regularly: if you don’t contain that, you don’t win the game.
Thurs., Jan. 7
Lakers (8-27) vs. Kings (13-20)
Sacramento is scoring so many points, but giving up even more on the other end. Some of it is careless live-ball turnovers, but some of it is just plain old lousy effort on defense. Rajon Rondo is once again putting up the most hollow statistics in the league. For a couple weeks there it seemed like Rondo might be returning to prime form, but it turns out that was merely a mirage. His numbers help hide the fact that he is a one-sided show who still can’t shoot, but it seems less and less likely that an NBA team is going to be fooled by those box scores and offer him big money this off-season.
The Kings have gotten off to a 13-20 start, wining five of the last ten games entering the week. Omri Casspi has been one of the lone bright spots on a team whose best player can’t contain his emotions on the court. Trade rumors are swirling, and Sacramento should be a
For the Lakers, rookies Larry Nance Jr. and D’Angelo Russell have come on strong over the past couple weeks. Nance’s rebounding and hustle have earned him the starting power forward spot in coach Byron Scott’s rotation. Meanwhile, rumors that Russell is going to steal Jordan Clarkson’s starting spot have surfaced despite Clarkson’s consistent play. Sweet Lou Williams has been cooking for the Lakers lately, and though the team would probably be better off bringing the former Sixth Man of the Year off the bench in favor of the youngsters, Byron Scott seems likely to keep feeding Lou Will 35 minutes per game.
Fri., Jan 8
Heat (20-13) vs. Suns (12-25)
This doesn’t really deserve to be on the list, but the Dragon is making his return to a Phoenix Suns squad already going up in flames. Dragic was miserable in his final season there, and might try to torch to the entire valley. Gerald Green also used to play for the Suns, and is known to fire away from beyond the arc, showing no mercy in massacres. Furthermore, with the way the Heat defense is coming together, this could be a comedic conquering.
Sat., Jan 9
Wizards (15-17) vs. Magic (19-15)
Magic coach Scott Skiles called his team out after getting whooped up on by the Wizards this past week, saying he thinks his team is scared of John Wall. The Wizards are working hard to remain in the race for the postseason mounting injuries. Otto Porter was spectacular this past week after missing a few games. Kris Humphries has his flashes from beyond the arc. Marcin Gortat, the self-dubbed Polish Gazelle, is a John Deere tractor, reliable and fairly fast. Jared Dudley lives to “make the right play.” Rookie Kelly Oubre has flashed palpable potential.
Expect Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo to fight hard against Wall defensively, and this is going to be a fantastically exciting Saturday night showdown between two playoff hopefuls.
Sun Jan 10
Bucks (14-21) vs. Knicks (16-19)
Greg Monroe stiff-armed the Knicks’ offer for Milwaukee this summer, but things haven’t gone as planned for the Bucks. One positive is that they have looked much better following two match-ups with the Warriors in the span of one week. Hanging close with the champs has helped Michael Carter-Williams break out of a bad funk, and he is playing his best basketball since taking the league by storm in his first week as a Sixers rookie fresh out of Syracuse.
Kris Middleton has also been feeling it over the past couple weeks. His shot is so smooth it helps us forget how terrible the majority of his teammates are from outside the painted area.
The Knicks and Bucks are both unlikely to make the postseason, but given the young talent that has seemingly fallen into their respective laps, each team has plenty of promise for the foreseeable future.
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