Weekly Forecast
Monday—Denver Nuggets vs. Sacramento Kings
Now the easy choice for the game of the day would be the Lakers/Suns game. While I think this game could be good, I think that tonight’s match-up between the Nuggets and Kings is a bit more intriguing. The Nuggets will be coming off a difficult back-to-back opener against the Dallas Mavericks. To make matters worse, they will be on the road and again without the services of Chauncey Billups. By no means is this a lock for Sacramento, but be weary because the Nuggets should be on upset alert with the circumstances surrounding this game.
Tuesday—Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks
Despite being a good 30 games into the regular-season these two Eastern Conference foes are yet to bump heads this season. They will do so for the first time on Tuesday. The Hawks present a unique challenge in that they have Josh Smith who is one of only a handful of players around the league that can match Lebron in both size and athleticism. Including the four times these two met in the playoffs last season, the Hawks went 1-7 against Lebron and company last season. As the Hawks have been a team on another level from years’ past, they will look to reverse last season’s misfortunes against Cleveland. Interestingly enough, these two will turn around in play each other Wednesday night again, this time in Cleveland.
Wednesday—Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns handed the Celtics their first loss 110-106 back in early November when these two met for the first time this season. I assure you the Celtics have not forgotten the sour taste left in their mouths following their defeat. Being on the road and without Paul Pierce, the Celtics will have their hands full in Phoenix but if they could pull off the W, without Pierce it would be a very impressive victory. It would give them big wins over both the Magic and the Suns without Pierce. On the flip side, the Suns lack of big wins would be bolstered quite considerably with a season sweep of the Celtics, who according to many, have shaped up to be the best team so far this season.
Thursday—Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs
Both of these teams figure to be playoff bound and both are in search for a statement game against a quality opponent. Both teams are looking to get more consistent contributions from the complement of respective starters. While the Spurs are undoubtedly the more talented offensive team with more weapons, they have balked at the opportunity to win the big games this season. Another storyline among these two teams is the MVP-caliber play of both Tim Duncan and Dwyane Wade. Their play has been nothing short of phenomenal yet their teams as a whole seem to be still getting their feet underneath them. Their will be plenty of offense in this game, but defense will win it.
Friday—Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The fire behind this old rivalry just isn’t there like it used to be when Kobe and Shaq where wearing the Purple and Gold. Nevertheless, Paul Westphal has really done a terrific job in Sacramento competing with his young crop of talent. Despite being without arguably their best player and undoubtedly their biggest threat to score, Kevin Martin, the Kings have held their own against some legit opponents. If the Lakers are still without Artest, this game could be closer than a lot of people expected. The Kings have a tendency to stick around a longer than you might like if you are playing them. If they can keep the game close heading into the final period, they may just be able to steal one in LA.
Saturday—Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz
This game between two Northwest Division foes ought to be a doozy. Denver’s floor general Chauncey Billups is scheduled to make his comeback after being shelved a couple of games with an injury. The Jazz, historically, are a great home team and difficult place to leave with a victory. This game will offer everything from great guard play (Deron Williams vs. Chauncey Billups), to stacked frontcourts battling all night (Millsap/Okur/Boozer vs. Martin/Nene/Birdman), to quite possibly the leading MVP candidate in Carmelo Anthony. Expect this game to have a playoff like atmosphere as these two teams go at it.
Sunday—Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Mavericks head over to The Staples Center after playing the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Last time these two teams faced off was the day before Halloween and the Lakers were without Pau Gasol. The Mavericks escaped LA with a win in their pocket and their first win in their new blue alternate jerseys. Let’s just say that that game set the tone for the blues. The Mavericks are yet to lose with wearing the blue jerseys this year. Among the other impressive victories is a Dirk-less win over the Cleveland Cavaliers two Sundays ago. The Lakers haven’t loss two games to the same team at home since the 2005-06 season against the San Antonio Spurs. While the Lakeshow will look to hold serve, the Mavericks hope to spoil their streak, and who knows, they’ll probably bust out the blue uniforms and see what happens.
Game of the Week: Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
The Nuggets have wavered as of late and the Mavericks appear to be a little more of a threat to the Lakers than anyone had forecasted. Denver and Dallas were tied for quite a while holding onto the second seed behind the Lakers but now a cushion is between the two teams. This will be a big test for both teams as the Mavericks now have Tim Thomas and Josh Howard in their rotation. Likewise, the Lakers have Gasol back. With both teams full strength, this should be a good litmus test for both teams to see how they stack up within the Western Conference.
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